Plants and Mankind

    Botany（植物学）, the study of plants, occupies a peculiar position in the history of human knowledge. We don’t know what our Stone Age 1 ancestors knew about plants, but from what we can observe of preindustrial societies that still exist, a detailed learning of plants and their properties must be extremely ancient 2. They have always been enormously important to the welfare of people, not only for food, but also for clothing, weapons, tools, dyes 3, Medicines, shelter, and many other purposes. Tribes living today in the jungle of the Amazon 4 recognize hundreds of plants and know many properties of each. To them botany has no name and is probably not even recognized as a special branch of “knowledge 5” at all.

    Unfortunately, the more industrialized we become the farther away we move from direct contact with plants. And the less distinct our knowledge of botany grows. Yet everyone comes unconsciously on an amazing amount of botanical knowledge, and few people will fail to recognize a rose, an apple, or an orchid 6. When our Neolithic 7 ancestors, living in the Middle Eastabout 10,000years ago, discovered that certain grasses could be harvested and their seeds planted for richer yields the next season, the first great step in a new association of plants and humans was taken. Grains were discovered and from them flowed the marvel of agriculture: cultivated crops. From then on, humans would increasingly take their living from the controlled production of a few plants, rather than getting a little here and a little there from many varieties that grew wild and the accumulated knowledge of tens of thousands of years of experience and intimacy with plants in the wild would begin to fade away 8.

词汇：

botany /"bəutəni/ n．植物学

detailed /"di:teild/ adj．详细的，详尽的

property /"prɔpəti/ n．特征；财产，资产

logical /"lɔdʒikəl/ adj．逻辑的，合乎逻辑的

pyramid /"pirəmid/ n．金字塔

welfare /"welfeə/ n．福利，幸福，康乐

yield /ji: ld/ n．产量，收益

marvel /"ma:vəl/ n．令人惊奇的事（人），奇迹

variety /və"raiəti/ n．品种，变种；变化，多样化

accumulate / ə"kju: mjuleit/ vt．积累，积聚

intimacy / "intiməsi/ n．亲近，亲密

注释：

1.    Stone Age：石器时代

2.    …a detailed learning of plants and their properties must be extremely ancient.……对植物及其特点的详细了解一定非常久远。

3.    dye：染料

4.    the Amazon：亚马孙河

5.    Yet everyone comes unconsciously on an amazing amount of botanical knowledge,…然而每个人都会在无意识中获得大量的植物知识，……come on:（偶然）遇见；（偶然）发现。又如：I came on this idea by pure chance．我有这个想法纯属偶然。

6.    orchid：兰花

7.    Neolithic：新石器时代的

8.    From then on, humans would increasingly take their living from the controlled production of a few plants, rather than getting a little here and a little there from many varieties that grew wild and the accumulated knowledge of tens of thousands of years of experience and intimacy with plants in the wild would begin to fade away.：从那时起，人类就越来越多地从可控制的IL种植物的种植中获取生计，而不是从野生的众多种类中东采一点，西摘一点。在数万年的经验中积累起来的知识以及与大自然中各种植物的紧密联系也就开始消失。take their living from…：靠……过活

Today people usually acquire a large amount of botanical knowledge from textbooks.

A:Right B:Wrong C:Not mentioned

知识管理（Knowledge Management，简称KM）

All this （　） that knowledge comes from practice.

A:speaks B:proves C:explains D:teaches

All this（）that knowledge comes from practice.

A:speaks B:proves C:explains D:teaches

Research is commonly divided into "applied" and "pure". This classification is arbitrary and loose, but what is usually meant is that applied research is a deliberate investigation of a problem of practical importance, in contradistinction to pure research done to gain knowledge for its own sake. The pure scientist may be said to accept as an act of faith that any scientific knowledge is worth pursuing for its own sake, and, if pressed, he usually claims that in most instances it is eventually found to be useful. Most of the greatest discoveries, such as the discovery of electricity, X-rays, radium and atomic energy, originated from pure research, which allows the worker to follow unexpected, interesting clues without the intention of achieving results of practical value. In applied research it is the project which is given support, whereas in pure research it is the man. However, often the distinction between pure and applied research is a superficial one as it may merely depend on whether or not the subject investigated is one of practical importance, For example, the investigation of the life cycle of a protozoon in a pond is pure research, but if the protozoon studied is a parasite of man or domestic animal the research would be termed applied. A more fundamental differentiation, which corresponds only very roughly with the applied and pure classification is (a) that in which the objective is given and the means of obtaining it are sought, and (b) that in which the discovery is first made and then a use for it is sought.
There exists in some circles a certain amount of intellectual snobbery and tendency to look contemptuously, on applied investigation. This attitude is based on the following two false ideas: that new knowledge is only discovered by pure research while applied research merely seeks to apply knowledge already available, and that pure research is a higher intellectual activity because it requires greater scientific ability and is more difficult. Both these ideas are quite wrong. Important new knowledge has frequently arisen from applied investigation; for instance, the science of bacteriology originated largely from Pasteur’s investigations of practical problem in the beer, wine and silkworm industries. Usually it is more difficult to get results in applied research than in pure research, because the worker has to stick to and solve a given problem instead of following any promising clue that may turn up. Also in applied research most fields have already been well worked over and many of the easy and obvious things have been done. Applied research should not be confused with the routine practice of some branch of science where only the application of existing knowledge is attempted. There is need for both pure and applied research for they tend to be complementary.

A:certain areas in pure research are not fully explored. B:applied investigation requires greater scientific ability. C:applied research is inferior to pure research. D:knowledge is useless unless it is put into practice.

For me, scientific knowledge is divided into mathematical sciences, natural sciences or sciences dealing with the natural world (physical and biological sciences), and sciences dealing with mankind (psychology, sociology, all the sciences of cultural achievements. every kind of historical knowledge).
Apart from these sciences is philosophy, about which we will talk later. In the first place, all this is pure or theoretical knowledge, sought only for the purpose of understanding, in order to fulfill the need to understand that is intrinsic and con-substantial to man. What distinguishes man from animals is that he knows and needs to know. If man did not know that the world existed, and that the world was of a certain kind, that he was in the world and that he himself was of a certain kind, he wouldn’t be man. The technical aspects or applications of knowledge are equally necessary for man and are of the greatest importance, because they also contribute to defining him as man and permit him to pursue a life increasingly more truly human.
But even while enjoying the results of technical progress, man must defend the primacy and autonomy of pure knowledge. Knowledge sought directly for its practical applications will have immediate and foreseeable success, but not the kind of important result whose revolutionary scope is for the most part unforeseen, except by the imagination of the Utopians. Let me recall a well-known example. If the Greek mathematicians had not applied themselves to the investigation of conic section zealously and without the least suspicion that it might someday be useful, it would not have been possible centuries later to navigate far from shore. The first men to study the nature of electricity could not imagine that their experiments, carried on because of mere intellectual curiosity, would eventually lead to modern electrical technology, without which we can scarcely conceive of contemporary life.
Pure knowledge is valuable for its own sake, because the human spirit cannot resign itself to ignorance. Butt in addition, it is the foundation for practical results that would not have been reached if this knowledge had not been sought disinterestedly.

A:To confirm its importance in the modern world B:To show the powerful influence of its inventions C:To verify the usefulness of theoretical knowledge D:To give an example of success in practical science

For me, scientific knowledge is divided into mathematical sciences, natural sciences or sciences dealing with the natural world (physical and biological sciences), and sciences dealing with mankind (psychology, sociology, all the sciences of cultural achievements, every kind of historical knowledge).
Apart from these sciences is philosophy, about which we will talk later. In the first place, all this is pure or theoretical knowledge, sought only for the purpose of understanding, in order to fulfill the need to understand that is intrinsic and con-substantial to man. What distinguishes man from animals is that he knows and needs to know. If man did not know that the world existed, and that the world was of a certain kind, that he was in the world and that he himself was of a certain kind, he wouldn’t be man. The technical aspects or applications of knowledge are equally necessary for man and are of the greatest importance, because they also contribute to defining him as man and permit him to pursue a life increasingly more truly human.
But even while enjoying the results of technical progress, man must defend the primacy and autonomy of pure knowledge. Knowledge sought directly for its practical applications will have immediate and foreseeable success, but not the kind of important result whose revolutionary scope is for the most part unforeseen, except by the imagination of the Utopians. Let me recall a well-known example. If the Greek mathematicians had not applied themselves to the investigation of conic section zealously and without the least suspicion that it might someday be useful, it would not have been possible centuries later to navigate far from shore. The first men to study the nature of electricity could not imagine that their experiments, carried on because o mere intellectual curiosity, would eventually lead to modern electrical technology, without which we can scarcely conceive o contemporary life.
Pure knowledge is valuable for its own sake, because the human spirit cannot resign itself to ignorance. But, in addition, it is the foundation for practical results that would not have been reached if this knowledge had not been sought disinterestedly.

A:confirm its importance in the modern world B:show the powerful influence of its inventions C:verify the usefulness of theoretical knowledge D:give an example of success in practical science

It is difficult (to make) yourself (understand) in a foreign country (when) you (have no knowledge) of its language.

A:to make B:understand C:when D:have no knowledge

An international freight forwarder should have knowledge of( )．

A:location of ports B:trans-shipment points C:main traffic routes D:inland centers