Children live in a world in which science has tremendous importance. During their lifetimes, it will affect them more and more. In time, many of them will work at jobs that depend heavily on science. As voters, they will have a voice in making many decisions that involve science-for example, concerning energy sources, pollution control, highway safety, wilderness conservation, and population growth. As taxpayers, they will pay for scientific research and exploration. And, as consumers, they will be bombarded (受到轰击)by advertising，much of which is said to be based on science.

    Therefore, it is important that children, the citizens of the future, become functionally acquainted with science-with the process and spirit of science, as well as with its facts and principles. Fortunately, science has a natural appeal for youngsters. They can relate it to so many things that they encounter-flashlights, toots, echoes, and rainbows.

    Besides, science is an excellent medium for teaching far more than content. It can help pupils learn to think logically, to organize and analyze ideas. It can provide practice in communication skills and mathematics. In fact, there is no area of the curriculum to which science cannot contribute, whether it is geography, history, language arts, music, or art!

    Above all, good science teaching leads to what might be called a "scientific attitude". Those who possess it seek answer through observing, experimenting, and reasoning, rather than blindly accepting the pronouncements of others. They weigh evidence carefully and reach conclusions with caution. While respecting the opinions of others. They weigh evidence carefully and reach conclusions with caution. While respecting the opinions of other，they expect honesty, accuracy, and objectivity and are on guard against hasty judgments and sweeping generalizations. All children should be developing this approach to solving problems, but it cannot be expected to appear automatically with the mere acquisition of information. Continual practice，through guided participation, is needed.

    附：passage4译文与重点词汇

[FS:PAGE]    孩子们生活在一个科学极其(tremendous: enormous, great, magnificent)重要(importance: significance)的世界里。在他们的一生(lifetime: lifelong)中，科学对他们的影响(affect: effect, impact, influence)将会越来越大。他们中的许多人迟早会从事主要( heavily: largely, mainly)依靠(depend on: count on, rest on, rely on)科学的T作。作为有投票权者( voter).在制定许多涉及(involve: concern, include, occupy)科学的决定(decision)时，他们将拥有发言权(voice: expression, say),比如有关( concerning: involving, relating)能源(energy: force, power, strength),污染( pollution)控制(control: dominate, grasp, hold)、公路安全(safety: security),荒地保护(conservation: protection, safeguarding)以及人口增长(growth: climb, increase, rise)方面的决定。作为纳税人(taxpayer)，他们将支付(pay: compensate, cost, offer)科学(scientific)研究(research: investigation, search,study)与科学探索( exploration: examination, investigation, study)所需的费用。作为消费者( consumer: customer, client)，他们将会受到广告(advertise)的反复骚扰7而掘说大部分的广告是依据( base on: depend on, rely on)科学制作的。

    因此，重要的(important: essential, influential, significant)是，作为未来公民( citizen: inhabitant, resident)的孩子们应该从机能上(functionally)了解(acquainted: aware, enlightened, informed)科学——了解科学的过程(process：course，procedure，way)与科学的精髓(spirit: core, heart, soul)，也要了解科学事实(fact: reality, truth)与科学原理( principle: doctrine, rule, standard)。幸运地是(fortunately: happily, luckily)，科学对年轻人(youngster: youth)有自然的(natural: automatical )吸引力。他们能够把科学与他们遇到( encounter: confront，face，meet)的许多东西联系(relate：tie，unite)起来——手电筒、工具(tool：device，instrument)、回声(echo：reflect)以及彩虹。

    此外，科学是一种极好的( excellent: admirable，wonderful)教学媒介(medium: agent)，其意义远远超过教学内容(content)本身。科学能够帮助学生(pupil: student)学会逻辑( logically)思维(think: consider. reason)，帮助学生使自己的思想有条理( organize: arrange. classify)，帮助学生分析(analyze)自己的想法。科学可以为学生提供( provide: give. offer. supply)思想交流(communication)技能(skill：ability. talent, technique)和数学能力的实践(practice: exercise，training)机会。实际上，没有任何一门课程( curriculum: course. lesson)是科学不能为之做出贡献(contribute: dedicate. donate)的，无论是地理、历史、语言艺术、音乐(music)或是艺术!

    最重要的是.好的科学教学有助于(lead to: bring about. result in)养成所谓(call: name)的科学态度(attitude: manner, position, viewpoint)。那些拥有(possess: hold, own)科学态度的人通过观察(observe: inspect. notice)、实验(experiment: examine. test)以及推理(reason deduce. infer)来寻求(seek: hunt. pursue. quest)答案，而不是盲目(blindly)接受(accept; adopt approve. receive)别人的看仔细考虑(weigh: assess，measure. regard)证据(evidence: data，proof)，小心谨慎( caution: care)得出结论(reach conclusion: arrive at/come to conclusion)。在尊重(respect; appreciate. honor. value)其他人的观点(opinion: idea，outlook. viewpoint)的同时，他们期待(expect: anticipate，hope. suppose)诚实(honesty: sincerity)、准确(accuracy：correctness, precision)和客观objectivity的结果，他们反对(on guard against ：oppose )草率的(hasty：hurried, rough)判断(judgment)以及笼统的概括(generaliazation：summarization)。所有孩子都应该培养这种解决(solve：handle, settle)问题的方法(approach: means, method, way)，但是不能期望这种方法在获取(acquisition：gain)信息(information：data)的过程中自动出现(appear: emerge， occur)。在有引导的(guide：led)参与(participation：join)过程中，持续不断的(continual：constant，continuous，lasting)实践是必要(need：demand，require)的。