Part Four
What accounts for the great outburst of major inventions in early America----breakthroughs such as the telegraph , the steamboat and the weaving machine?
Among the many shaping factors, I would single out the country ' s excellent elementary schools; a labor force that welcomed the new technology; the practice of giving premiums to inventors ; and above all the American genius for nonverbal , "spatial "thinking about things technological .
Why mention the elementary schools? Because thanks to these schools our early mechanics ,especially in the New England and Middle Atlantic states, were generally literate and at home in arithmetic and in some aspects of geometry and trigonometry.
Acute foreign observers related American adaptiveness and inventiveness to this educational advantage. As a member of a British commission visiting here in 1853 reported, "With a mind prepared by thorough school discipline, the American boy develops rapidly into the skilled workman. "
A further stimulus to invention came from the "premium" system, which preceded our patent system and for years ran parallel with it. "this approach, originated abroad, offered inventors medals, cash prizes and other incentives.
In the United States, multitudes of premiums for new devices were awarded at country fairs and at the industrial fairs in major cities. Americans flocked to these fairs to admire the new machines and thus to renew their faith in the beneficence of technological advance.
Given this optimistic approach to technological innovation, the American worker took readily to that special kind of nonverbal thinking required in mechanical technology. As Eugene Ferguson has pointed out , " A technologist thinks about objects that cannot be reduced to unambiguous verbal descriptions; they are dealt with in his mind by a visual, nonverbal process . . . The designer and the inventor . . . are able to assemble and manipulate in their minds devices that as yet do not exist. "
This nonverbal "spatial" thinking can be just as creative as painting and writing. Robert Fulton once wrote, "The mechanic should sit down among levers, screws, wedges, wheels, etc. , like a poet among the letters of the alphabet , considering them as an exhibition of his thoughts, in which a new arrangement transmits a new idea. "
When all these shaping forces--schools, open attitudes, the premium system, a genius for spatial thinking--interacted with one another on the rich U. S. mainland, they produced that American characteristic , emulation . Today that word implies mere imitation. But in earlier times it meant a friendly but competitive striving for fame and excellence.
13. According to the author, the great outburst of major inventions in early America was in a large part due to__
（A）elementary schools （B）enthusiastic workers
（C）the attractive premium system（D）a special way of thinking
14 .It is implied that adaptiveness and inventiveness of the early American mechanics__
（A）benefited a lot from their mathematical knowledge
（B）shed light on disciplined school management
（C）was brought about by privileged home training
（D）owed a lot to the technological development
15. A technologist can be compared to an artist because __
（A）they are both winners of awards（B）they are both experts in spatial thinking
（C）they both abandon verbal description（D）they both use various instruments
16. The best title for this passage might be__
（A）Inventive Mind （B）Effective Schooling
（C）Ways of Thinking （D）Outpouring of Inventions
Unit 3（1996）Part 4
重點(diǎn)詞匯：
breakthrough ?（n.突破）←break+through。
premium（獎(jiǎng)金）看作pre+mi+um，pre-在前，mi拼音“米”即money，-um后綴表物，“在前面放著的錢”→獎(jiǎng)金。
nonverbal（不用語(yǔ)言的）即non+verb+al，non-否定前綴，verb詞根“言語(yǔ)”，-al形容詞后綴。Gestures are a nonverbal means of expression.打手勢(shì)是一種非言語(yǔ)的表達(dá)方式。
spatial（空間的）即spacial←spac（e）+ial。
stimulus（n.刺激；刺激物）←stimul刺激+us名詞后綴。參stimulant（刺激物；興奮劑），1997年P(guān)assage 3。
incentive （動(dòng)機(jī)；鼓勵(lì)a.激勵(lì)的）←in+cent+ive，in-前綴，cent單詞“分幣”引申為“錢”，-tive后綴，“用錢去激勵(lì)”。incentive — the possibility of getting more money than you can earn 獎(jiǎng)勵(lì)——得到比你掙的錢更多的可能性。
beneficence（恩惠）←benefic+ence，benefic看作benefit，-ence名詞后綴。
emulation （競(jìng)爭(zhēng)；仿效）
難句解析：
① Among the many shaping factors, I would single out the country's excellent elementary schools; a labor force that welcomed the new technology; the practice of giving premiums to inventors; and above all the American genius for nonverbal, "spatial" thinking about things technological.
句首是介詞詞組among the many shaping factors作狀語(yǔ)，謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞would single out后面用分號(hào)隔開(kāi)的各個(gè)部分都是名詞性的詞組，這些詞組都是single out的賓語(yǔ)。a labor force that welcomed the new technology中that引導(dǎo)定語(yǔ)從句，修飾前面的labor force。最后的形容詞technological是后置定語(yǔ)，修飾前面的things。
single out后面列舉的各種因素都屬于shaping factors，但是是作者認(rèn)為比較重要的因素，其中要注意在最后一個(gè)因素前面加的修飾詞組above all用來(lái)強(qiáng)調(diào)American genius for nonverbal, "spatial" thinking about things technological其實(shí)是要比其它因素更重要的，在閱讀中一定要注意這一點(diǎn)。
②Acute foreign observers related American adaptiveness and inventiveness to this educational advantage.
這句話是比較容易理解的簡(jiǎn)單句。句子主干結(jié)構(gòu)是observers related A to B。
關(guān)鍵是理解relate... to的用法：把……和……聯(lián)系起來(lái)。
③ A further stimulus to invention came from the "premium" system, which preceded our patent system and for years ran parallel with it.
這是一個(gè)主從復(fù)合句，句子的主干結(jié)構(gòu)是... stimulus came from...，其中逗號(hào)后的which引導(dǎo)了一個(gè)非限定性定語(yǔ)從句，修飾前面的"premium" system。句末的it指代前面的patent system。定語(yǔ)從句中，and連接了兩個(gè)并列的謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞：preceded和ran。
關(guān)鍵要明白，定語(yǔ)從句中which指代前面的"premium" system，是謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞preceded和ran的動(dòng)作發(fā)出者。parallel：平行的，這里ran parallel with意思是兩種制度都在運(yùn)作。
④ Americans flocked to these fairs to admire the new machines and thus to renew their faith in the beneficence of technological advance.
句子的主干結(jié)構(gòu)是Americans flocked to these fairs...，后面的動(dòng)詞不定式to admire and thus to renew都是表明flocked的目的的，作狀語(yǔ)。
句子的結(jié)構(gòu)比較簡(jiǎn)單，關(guān)鍵是理解幾個(gè)動(dòng)詞的層次關(guān)系：... flocked to admire... and renew...。thus是副詞，“因而”的意思。另外，renew their faith應(yīng)該理解為“進(jìn)一步加深其信仰”。
⑤ As Eugene Ferguson has pointed out, "A technologist thinks about objects that cannot be reduced to unambiguous verbal descriptions; they are dealt with in his mind by a visual, nonverbal process.... The designer and the inventor... are able to assemble and manipulate in their minds devices that as yet do not exist."
句子的主體部分是直接引語(yǔ)部分。直接引語(yǔ)中有兩個(gè)句子。第一個(gè)句子中是分號(hào)連接的兩個(gè)并列句。第一個(gè)分句的主體結(jié)構(gòu)是A technologist thinks about objects...，其中that引導(dǎo)了定語(yǔ)從句：that cannot be reduced to unambiguous verbal descriptions，修飾前面的objects。第二個(gè)分句中使用了被動(dòng)語(yǔ)態(tài)，主語(yǔ)they指代前面的objects。第二個(gè)句子中，that引導(dǎo)定語(yǔ)that as yet do not exist修飾前面的devices。
注意reduce... to的用法：reduce to這里的意思是“簡(jiǎn)化為，歸納為”；另外應(yīng)該注意as yet的用法：as yet的意思是“指導(dǎo)此時(shí)，指導(dǎo)目前為止”，用在否定句和疑問(wèn)句當(dāng)中。
⑥Robert Fulton once wrote, "The mechanic should sit down among levers, screws, wedges, wheels, etc., like a poet among the letters of the alphabet, considering them as an exhibition of his thoughts, in which a new arrangement transmits a new idea."
句子的結(jié)構(gòu)是Robert Fulton wrote+直接引語(yǔ)。直接引語(yǔ)中，句子的主干部分是The mechanic should sit down...。like在這里是連詞，意思是“in the same way as，如同，同樣”，這里是構(gòu)成比較。like a poet后面省略了和前面句子一樣的謂語(yǔ)部分：should sit down。considering them as an exhibition of his thoughts是現(xiàn)在分詞作狀語(yǔ)，表示伴隨動(dòng)作，其中them指代前面的letters。后面的which引導(dǎo)定語(yǔ)從句in which a new arrangement transmits a new idea修飾前面的exhibition。
理解這個(gè)句子的關(guān)鍵是理解like作為連詞的用法。而且要明白which指代的是exhibition而不是thoughts，因?yàn)閛f詞組an exhibition of his thoughts中的中心詞是exhibition。
試題解析：
13. 【正確答案】[D]
在作者看來(lái)，美國(guó)早期出現(xiàn)的發(fā)明創(chuàng)造熱是由幾個(gè)因素共同促成的，但是，在這些因素中，美國(guó)人在思考技術(shù)問(wèn)題時(shí)所表現(xiàn)出的非語(yǔ)言的（指：無(wú)法用語(yǔ)言表達(dá)的）“空間”思維能力起了的作用。參閱第二段，持別注意本段中above all的使用。在文章最后三段，作者又對(duì)這種持殊的思維方式進(jìn)行了進(jìn)一步的、重點(diǎn)的說(shuō)明。
A意為：小學(xué)。B意為：充滿熱情的工人們。C意為：吸引人的獎(jiǎng)勵(lì)制度。[A]、[B]、[C]所談的內(nèi)容都是促成美國(guó)早期的發(fā)明創(chuàng)造熱的因素，但都不是主要因素。
14. 【正確答案】 [A]
第三段指出，由于這些學(xué)校的存在，我們的技工們基本上都識(shí)文斷字、熟知算術(shù)及某些幾何學(xué)與三角學(xué)知識(shí)?？梢?jiàn)，早期美國(guó)技工的適應(yīng)能力與創(chuàng)造能力在很大程度上得益于數(shù)學(xué)知識(shí)。第四段對(duì)此進(jìn)行了進(jìn)一步說(shuō)明。
B意為：解釋了學(xué)校管理的嚴(yán)格性。C意為：產(chǎn)生于優(yōu)越的家庭訓(xùn)練。D意為：在很大程度上歸功于技術(shù)的發(fā)展。
15. 【正確答案】 [B]
第八段指出，這種非語(yǔ)言的“空間”思維在創(chuàng)造力方面可以與繪畫和寫作相比。正如Fulton所指出的：“正像詩(shī)人坐在字母中一樣，技工應(yīng)該坐在杠桿、螺釘、楔子、輪子等中間，把它們看作自己思想的展現(xiàn)。在這個(gè)展現(xiàn)過(guò)程中，每一個(gè)新的排列方式都傳達(dá)一種新的思路?！笨梢?jiàn)，進(jìn)行形象的空間思維是這兩種人的共同特征。
A意為：他們都是獲獎(jiǎng)?wù)?。C意為：他們都放棄了語(yǔ)言的描述。善于進(jìn)行非語(yǔ)言的空間思維不等于說(shuō)放棄語(yǔ)言的表達(dá)。D意為：他們都使用各式各樣的工具。
16. 【正確答案】 [A]
意為：創(chuàng)造精神。文章第一、二段是自問(wèn)自答，提出了本文旨在論證的問(wèn)題；第三、四段指出了教育的影響；第五、六段指出了獎(jiǎng)勵(lì)制度帶來(lái)的鼓勵(lì)的影響；第七、八段探討了早期美國(guó)人特有的思維方式所起的決定性作用。最后一段是全文的總結(jié)?？梢?jiàn)，本文主要探討了早期美國(guó)人的創(chuàng)造熱情及其根源。
B意為：有效的教育。C意為：思維方式。D意為：發(fā)明熱。可見(jiàn)，[B]、[C]、[D]都太抽象而且片面。
全文翻譯：
在早期美國(guó)，像電報(bào)、汽船和織布機(jī)這樣重大的發(fā)明突破紛涌而出，這是什么原因呢？
在諸多形成因素中，我想特別指出這個(gè)國(guó)家優(yōu)異的小學(xué)教育；歡迎新技術(shù)的勞動(dòng)大軍；對(duì)發(fā)明者進(jìn)行獎(jiǎng)勵(lì)的做法；尤其是美國(guó)人在處理技術(shù)性事物所具有的非語(yǔ)言的空間思維才能。
為什么要提小學(xué)教育？正是因?yàn)橛辛诉@些學(xué)校，我們的早期技工才普遍能讀會(huì)寫，并精通算術(shù)及部分幾何和三角，這種情況在新英格蘭和大西洋中部各州尤為可見(jiàn)。
目光敏銳的外國(guó)觀察家把美國(guó)人的適應(yīng)能力和創(chuàng)新能力與這種教育優(yōu)勢(shì)聯(lián)系起來(lái)。正如1853年訪美的一個(gè)英國(guó)訪問(wèn)團(tuán)成員所報(bào)道的那樣，“由于有了學(xué)校徹底訓(xùn)練過(guò)的頭腦，美國(guó)孩子迅速地成為技術(shù)熟練的工人?！?BR> 推動(dòng)發(fā)明的另一刺激因素來(lái)自“獎(jiǎng)賞”制度，它產(chǎn)生于我們的專利制度之前，且多年來(lái)與后者一同實(shí)施。這種做法來(lái)自國(guó)外，為發(fā)明者頒發(fā)獎(jiǎng)?wù)?、?jiǎng)金和其他獎(jiǎng)勵(lì)。
在美國(guó)，大量獎(jiǎng)勵(lì)新發(fā)明的獎(jiǎng)品在鄉(xiāng)村集市和大城市的工業(yè)博覽會(huì)上頒發(fā)。美國(guó)人紛紛涌向這些集市和博覽會(huì)去欣賞新機(jī)械，因而更加堅(jiān)信技術(shù)進(jìn)步會(huì)造福人類。
有了這種對(duì)技術(shù)革新的樂(lè)觀態(tài)度，美國(guó)工人很快便習(xí)慣了機(jī)械技術(shù)需要的那種特別的非語(yǔ)言的思維方式。正如尤金·弗格森曾指出的：“技術(shù)人員思考那些不能被簡(jiǎn)化成功用明確的語(yǔ)言進(jìn)行描述的物體；這些物體在他的頭腦中以視覺(jué)性的、非語(yǔ)言性的方式被處理加工……設(shè)計(jì)者和發(fā)明者……能把那些尚不存在的機(jī)械在頭腦中組裝和操作?！?BR> 這種非語(yǔ)言的空間思維方式與繪畫和寫作一樣具有創(chuàng)意。羅伯特·法歐曾寫道：“技術(shù)人員坐在杠桿、螺釘、楔子、輪子等中間，如同一位詩(shī)人處在詞匯之中，應(yīng)該把它們看做是自己思想的一種表達(dá)，每一個(gè)新的組合都能傳達(dá)一個(gè)新的意念?！?BR> 當(dāng)所有這些成因——學(xué)校、開(kāi)放的態(tài)度、獎(jiǎng)賞制度及空間思維天賦在美國(guó)大陸上相互作用時(shí)，便造就了美國(guó)人的特點(diǎn)——競(jìng)爭(zhēng)。今天這個(gè)詞僅表示“模仿”（取其仿效之意），而在早期美國(guó)，它卻意味著為名譽(yù)和優(yōu)秀而進(jìn)行友好、競(jìng)爭(zhēng)的拼搏
What accounts for the great outburst of major inventions in early America----breakthroughs such as the telegraph , the steamboat and the weaving machine?
Among the many shaping factors, I would single out the country ' s excellent elementary schools; a labor force that welcomed the new technology; the practice of giving premiums to inventors ; and above all the American genius for nonverbal , "spatial "thinking about things technological .
Why mention the elementary schools? Because thanks to these schools our early mechanics ,especially in the New England and Middle Atlantic states, were generally literate and at home in arithmetic and in some aspects of geometry and trigonometry.
Acute foreign observers related American adaptiveness and inventiveness to this educational advantage. As a member of a British commission visiting here in 1853 reported, "With a mind prepared by thorough school discipline, the American boy develops rapidly into the skilled workman. "
A further stimulus to invention came from the "premium" system, which preceded our patent system and for years ran parallel with it. "this approach, originated abroad, offered inventors medals, cash prizes and other incentives.
In the United States, multitudes of premiums for new devices were awarded at country fairs and at the industrial fairs in major cities. Americans flocked to these fairs to admire the new machines and thus to renew their faith in the beneficence of technological advance.
Given this optimistic approach to technological innovation, the American worker took readily to that special kind of nonverbal thinking required in mechanical technology. As Eugene Ferguson has pointed out , " A technologist thinks about objects that cannot be reduced to unambiguous verbal descriptions; they are dealt with in his mind by a visual, nonverbal process . . . The designer and the inventor . . . are able to assemble and manipulate in their minds devices that as yet do not exist. "
This nonverbal "spatial" thinking can be just as creative as painting and writing. Robert Fulton once wrote, "The mechanic should sit down among levers, screws, wedges, wheels, etc. , like a poet among the letters of the alphabet , considering them as an exhibition of his thoughts, in which a new arrangement transmits a new idea. "
When all these shaping forces--schools, open attitudes, the premium system, a genius for spatial thinking--interacted with one another on the rich U. S. mainland, they produced that American characteristic , emulation . Today that word implies mere imitation. But in earlier times it meant a friendly but competitive striving for fame and excellence.
13. According to the author, the great outburst of major inventions in early America was in a large part due to__
（A）elementary schools （B）enthusiastic workers
（C）the attractive premium system（D）a special way of thinking
14 .It is implied that adaptiveness and inventiveness of the early American mechanics__
（A）benefited a lot from their mathematical knowledge
（B）shed light on disciplined school management
（C）was brought about by privileged home training
（D）owed a lot to the technological development
15. A technologist can be compared to an artist because __
（A）they are both winners of awards（B）they are both experts in spatial thinking
（C）they both abandon verbal description（D）they both use various instruments
16. The best title for this passage might be__
（A）Inventive Mind （B）Effective Schooling
（C）Ways of Thinking （D）Outpouring of Inventions
Unit 3（1996）Part 4
重點(diǎn)詞匯：
breakthrough ?（n.突破）←break+through。
premium（獎(jiǎng)金）看作pre+mi+um，pre-在前，mi拼音“米”即money，-um后綴表物，“在前面放著的錢”→獎(jiǎng)金。
nonverbal（不用語(yǔ)言的）即non+verb+al，non-否定前綴，verb詞根“言語(yǔ)”，-al形容詞后綴。Gestures are a nonverbal means of expression.打手勢(shì)是一種非言語(yǔ)的表達(dá)方式。
spatial（空間的）即spacial←spac（e）+ial。
stimulus（n.刺激；刺激物）←stimul刺激+us名詞后綴。參stimulant（刺激物；興奮劑），1997年P(guān)assage 3。
incentive （動(dòng)機(jī)；鼓勵(lì)a.激勵(lì)的）←in+cent+ive，in-前綴，cent單詞“分幣”引申為“錢”，-tive后綴，“用錢去激勵(lì)”。incentive — the possibility of getting more money than you can earn 獎(jiǎng)勵(lì)——得到比你掙的錢更多的可能性。
beneficence（恩惠）←benefic+ence，benefic看作benefit，-ence名詞后綴。
emulation （競(jìng)爭(zhēng)；仿效）
難句解析：
① Among the many shaping factors, I would single out the country's excellent elementary schools; a labor force that welcomed the new technology; the practice of giving premiums to inventors; and above all the American genius for nonverbal, "spatial" thinking about things technological.
句首是介詞詞組among the many shaping factors作狀語(yǔ)，謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞would single out后面用分號(hào)隔開(kāi)的各個(gè)部分都是名詞性的詞組，這些詞組都是single out的賓語(yǔ)。a labor force that welcomed the new technology中that引導(dǎo)定語(yǔ)從句，修飾前面的labor force。最后的形容詞technological是后置定語(yǔ)，修飾前面的things。
single out后面列舉的各種因素都屬于shaping factors，但是是作者認(rèn)為比較重要的因素，其中要注意在最后一個(gè)因素前面加的修飾詞組above all用來(lái)強(qiáng)調(diào)American genius for nonverbal, "spatial" thinking about things technological其實(shí)是要比其它因素更重要的，在閱讀中一定要注意這一點(diǎn)。
②Acute foreign observers related American adaptiveness and inventiveness to this educational advantage.
這句話是比較容易理解的簡(jiǎn)單句。句子主干結(jié)構(gòu)是observers related A to B。
關(guān)鍵是理解relate... to的用法：把……和……聯(lián)系起來(lái)。
③ A further stimulus to invention came from the "premium" system, which preceded our patent system and for years ran parallel with it.
這是一個(gè)主從復(fù)合句，句子的主干結(jié)構(gòu)是... stimulus came from...，其中逗號(hào)后的which引導(dǎo)了一個(gè)非限定性定語(yǔ)從句，修飾前面的"premium" system。句末的it指代前面的patent system。定語(yǔ)從句中，and連接了兩個(gè)并列的謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞：preceded和ran。
關(guān)鍵要明白，定語(yǔ)從句中which指代前面的"premium" system，是謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞preceded和ran的動(dòng)作發(fā)出者。parallel：平行的，這里ran parallel with意思是兩種制度都在運(yùn)作。
④ Americans flocked to these fairs to admire the new machines and thus to renew their faith in the beneficence of technological advance.
句子的主干結(jié)構(gòu)是Americans flocked to these fairs...，后面的動(dòng)詞不定式to admire and thus to renew都是表明flocked的目的的，作狀語(yǔ)。
句子的結(jié)構(gòu)比較簡(jiǎn)單，關(guān)鍵是理解幾個(gè)動(dòng)詞的層次關(guān)系：... flocked to admire... and renew...。thus是副詞，“因而”的意思。另外，renew their faith應(yīng)該理解為“進(jìn)一步加深其信仰”。
⑤ As Eugene Ferguson has pointed out, "A technologist thinks about objects that cannot be reduced to unambiguous verbal descriptions; they are dealt with in his mind by a visual, nonverbal process.... The designer and the inventor... are able to assemble and manipulate in their minds devices that as yet do not exist."
句子的主體部分是直接引語(yǔ)部分。直接引語(yǔ)中有兩個(gè)句子。第一個(gè)句子中是分號(hào)連接的兩個(gè)并列句。第一個(gè)分句的主體結(jié)構(gòu)是A technologist thinks about objects...，其中that引導(dǎo)了定語(yǔ)從句：that cannot be reduced to unambiguous verbal descriptions，修飾前面的objects。第二個(gè)分句中使用了被動(dòng)語(yǔ)態(tài)，主語(yǔ)they指代前面的objects。第二個(gè)句子中，that引導(dǎo)定語(yǔ)that as yet do not exist修飾前面的devices。
注意reduce... to的用法：reduce to這里的意思是“簡(jiǎn)化為，歸納為”；另外應(yīng)該注意as yet的用法：as yet的意思是“指導(dǎo)此時(shí)，指導(dǎo)目前為止”，用在否定句和疑問(wèn)句當(dāng)中。
⑥Robert Fulton once wrote, "The mechanic should sit down among levers, screws, wedges, wheels, etc., like a poet among the letters of the alphabet, considering them as an exhibition of his thoughts, in which a new arrangement transmits a new idea."
句子的結(jié)構(gòu)是Robert Fulton wrote+直接引語(yǔ)。直接引語(yǔ)中，句子的主干部分是The mechanic should sit down...。like在這里是連詞，意思是“in the same way as，如同，同樣”，這里是構(gòu)成比較。like a poet后面省略了和前面句子一樣的謂語(yǔ)部分：should sit down。considering them as an exhibition of his thoughts是現(xiàn)在分詞作狀語(yǔ)，表示伴隨動(dòng)作，其中them指代前面的letters。后面的which引導(dǎo)定語(yǔ)從句in which a new arrangement transmits a new idea修飾前面的exhibition。
理解這個(gè)句子的關(guān)鍵是理解like作為連詞的用法。而且要明白which指代的是exhibition而不是thoughts，因?yàn)閛f詞組an exhibition of his thoughts中的中心詞是exhibition。
試題解析：
13. 【正確答案】[D]
在作者看來(lái)，美國(guó)早期出現(xiàn)的發(fā)明創(chuàng)造熱是由幾個(gè)因素共同促成的，但是，在這些因素中，美國(guó)人在思考技術(shù)問(wèn)題時(shí)所表現(xiàn)出的非語(yǔ)言的（指：無(wú)法用語(yǔ)言表達(dá)的）“空間”思維能力起了的作用。參閱第二段，持別注意本段中above all的使用。在文章最后三段，作者又對(duì)這種持殊的思維方式進(jìn)行了進(jìn)一步的、重點(diǎn)的說(shuō)明。
A意為：小學(xué)。B意為：充滿熱情的工人們。C意為：吸引人的獎(jiǎng)勵(lì)制度。[A]、[B]、[C]所談的內(nèi)容都是促成美國(guó)早期的發(fā)明創(chuàng)造熱的因素，但都不是主要因素。
14. 【正確答案】 [A]
第三段指出，由于這些學(xué)校的存在，我們的技工們基本上都識(shí)文斷字、熟知算術(shù)及某些幾何學(xué)與三角學(xué)知識(shí)?？梢?jiàn)，早期美國(guó)技工的適應(yīng)能力與創(chuàng)造能力在很大程度上得益于數(shù)學(xué)知識(shí)。第四段對(duì)此進(jìn)行了進(jìn)一步說(shuō)明。
B意為：解釋了學(xué)校管理的嚴(yán)格性。C意為：產(chǎn)生于優(yōu)越的家庭訓(xùn)練。D意為：在很大程度上歸功于技術(shù)的發(fā)展。
15. 【正確答案】 [B]
第八段指出，這種非語(yǔ)言的“空間”思維在創(chuàng)造力方面可以與繪畫和寫作相比。正如Fulton所指出的：“正像詩(shī)人坐在字母中一樣，技工應(yīng)該坐在杠桿、螺釘、楔子、輪子等中間，把它們看作自己思想的展現(xiàn)。在這個(gè)展現(xiàn)過(guò)程中，每一個(gè)新的排列方式都傳達(dá)一種新的思路?！笨梢?jiàn)，進(jìn)行形象的空間思維是這兩種人的共同特征。
A意為：他們都是獲獎(jiǎng)?wù)?。C意為：他們都放棄了語(yǔ)言的描述。善于進(jìn)行非語(yǔ)言的空間思維不等于說(shuō)放棄語(yǔ)言的表達(dá)。D意為：他們都使用各式各樣的工具。
16. 【正確答案】 [A]
意為：創(chuàng)造精神。文章第一、二段是自問(wèn)自答，提出了本文旨在論證的問(wèn)題；第三、四段指出了教育的影響；第五、六段指出了獎(jiǎng)勵(lì)制度帶來(lái)的鼓勵(lì)的影響；第七、八段探討了早期美國(guó)人特有的思維方式所起的決定性作用。最后一段是全文的總結(jié)?？梢?jiàn)，本文主要探討了早期美國(guó)人的創(chuàng)造熱情及其根源。
B意為：有效的教育。C意為：思維方式。D意為：發(fā)明熱。可見(jiàn)，[B]、[C]、[D]都太抽象而且片面。
全文翻譯：
在早期美國(guó)，像電報(bào)、汽船和織布機(jī)這樣重大的發(fā)明突破紛涌而出，這是什么原因呢？
在諸多形成因素中，我想特別指出這個(gè)國(guó)家優(yōu)異的小學(xué)教育；歡迎新技術(shù)的勞動(dòng)大軍；對(duì)發(fā)明者進(jìn)行獎(jiǎng)勵(lì)的做法；尤其是美國(guó)人在處理技術(shù)性事物所具有的非語(yǔ)言的空間思維才能。
為什么要提小學(xué)教育？正是因?yàn)橛辛诉@些學(xué)校，我們的早期技工才普遍能讀會(huì)寫，并精通算術(shù)及部分幾何和三角，這種情況在新英格蘭和大西洋中部各州尤為可見(jiàn)。
目光敏銳的外國(guó)觀察家把美國(guó)人的適應(yīng)能力和創(chuàng)新能力與這種教育優(yōu)勢(shì)聯(lián)系起來(lái)。正如1853年訪美的一個(gè)英國(guó)訪問(wèn)團(tuán)成員所報(bào)道的那樣，“由于有了學(xué)校徹底訓(xùn)練過(guò)的頭腦，美國(guó)孩子迅速地成為技術(shù)熟練的工人?！?BR> 推動(dòng)發(fā)明的另一刺激因素來(lái)自“獎(jiǎng)賞”制度，它產(chǎn)生于我們的專利制度之前，且多年來(lái)與后者一同實(shí)施。這種做法來(lái)自國(guó)外，為發(fā)明者頒發(fā)獎(jiǎng)?wù)?、?jiǎng)金和其他獎(jiǎng)勵(lì)。
在美國(guó)，大量獎(jiǎng)勵(lì)新發(fā)明的獎(jiǎng)品在鄉(xiāng)村集市和大城市的工業(yè)博覽會(huì)上頒發(fā)。美國(guó)人紛紛涌向這些集市和博覽會(huì)去欣賞新機(jī)械，因而更加堅(jiān)信技術(shù)進(jìn)步會(huì)造福人類。
有了這種對(duì)技術(shù)革新的樂(lè)觀態(tài)度，美國(guó)工人很快便習(xí)慣了機(jī)械技術(shù)需要的那種特別的非語(yǔ)言的思維方式。正如尤金·弗格森曾指出的：“技術(shù)人員思考那些不能被簡(jiǎn)化成功用明確的語(yǔ)言進(jìn)行描述的物體；這些物體在他的頭腦中以視覺(jué)性的、非語(yǔ)言性的方式被處理加工……設(shè)計(jì)者和發(fā)明者……能把那些尚不存在的機(jī)械在頭腦中組裝和操作?！?BR> 這種非語(yǔ)言的空間思維方式與繪畫和寫作一樣具有創(chuàng)意。羅伯特·法歐曾寫道：“技術(shù)人員坐在杠桿、螺釘、楔子、輪子等中間，如同一位詩(shī)人處在詞匯之中，應(yīng)該把它們看做是自己思想的一種表達(dá)，每一個(gè)新的組合都能傳達(dá)一個(gè)新的意念?！?BR> 當(dāng)所有這些成因——學(xué)校、開(kāi)放的態(tài)度、獎(jiǎng)賞制度及空間思維天賦在美國(guó)大陸上相互作用時(shí)，便造就了美國(guó)人的特點(diǎn)——競(jìng)爭(zhēng)。今天這個(gè)詞僅表示“模仿”（取其仿效之意），而在早期美國(guó)，它卻意味著為名譽(yù)和優(yōu)秀而進(jìn)行友好、競(jìng)爭(zhēng)的拼搏