Of all the journalism specialties, science writing may well be the most challenging. Science writers cover fields undergoing some of the most rapid advances in history, from stunning advances in genetics and biotechnology to exotic discoveries in astrophysics. A science writer’s week may include coverage of new discoveries about viruses, the brain, evolution, artificial intelligence, planets around other suns, and global climate change and its environmental impact, to name only a few topics.
Writing anything that’s any good is hard work, but science writers labor tinder a particular, and rather peculiar, set of constraints. Science is new — only about 400 years old, as a going concern — and prodigious, having transformed our conception of the universe and of our place in it. But precisely because its impact has been so rapid and so monumental, science has not yet been absorbed into our common consciousness. Readers come to the printed page already knowing something about crime and punishment, love and loss, triumph and tragedy — but not, necessarily, about the roles played by theory and observation in identifying a virus or tracing the curvature of intergalactic space. Hence science writers have to keep explaining things, from the significance of scientific facts to the methods by which they are adduced, while simultaneously holding the readers’ attention and moving the story along. It’s as if business reporters had to constantly explain what is meant by “turning a profit”, or sportswriters by “scoring a touchdown”.
Unsurprisingly, we science writers are often misunderstood. People tend to assume that we write computer software manuals or those buckram-bound engineering textbooks assigned to students in technical studies. Fellow authors dismiss us as translators. Editors may think us narrow. A quarter-century ago, when I was struggling to move away from writing about politics and rock music in order to concentrate on astronomy, the editor of a major magazine pressed me to do an article, called “The Bionic Man”, on artificial body parts. When I declined, he became impatient.
“Well, what do you want to write about?” he asked, throwing up his hands, like a motorist cut off in traffic.
“Astronomy,” I replied.
“You’ve already written about astronomy!”
“Yes, but I like it. It was my original interest in life.”
“Aren’t you afraid of becoming some sort of Johnny One Note?”
“Well, not really. You know, what’s out there is something like ninety-nine, then a decimal point, then twenty-eight more nines per cent of everything. Covering nearly everything doesn’t seem all that limiting. And it leads to lots of other things.”
I’ve been on the wrong side of arguments with editors more often than it is comfortable to recall, but on this occasion I turned out to have been right. Astronomy did lead to everything else. It led me into other sciences of course — among them physics, chemistry, and biology — and also, by many winding paths, to poetry, literature, history, philosophy, art, music, and into conversation with some of the smartest and most creative people in the world.
【小题1】According to the writer, what is the main difficulty facing science writers?| A．Finding new science topics. |
| B．Meeting the reader’s expectations of science. |
| C．Overcoming the reader's unfamiliarity with science. |
| D．Keeping up with the rapid developments in science. |
| A．He had no expertise in the topic. |
| B．He was not passionate about the topic. |
| C．He did not realize the potential of the topic. |
| D．He did not want to write about the same topic again. |
| A．He finds it difficult to get recognition from others as a science writer. |
| B．He feels quite comfortable with the previous arguments he had with editors. |
| C．A keen interest in astronomy contributes to his exploration of other disciplines. |
| D．Astronomy helps him form a connection with some great minds in the world. |
| A．indifference | B．amusement | C．frustration | D．satisfaction |
Is Big Tech Losing Its Appeal?
Pizza stations, gyms, headquarters designed by world-famous architects, and the promise of a brilliant career that also has the potential to solve world problems.
It a well established that those aged between 18 and 24 are looking for more purpose in their work. “Purpose” can be defined in a few ways, but it often comes down to having high-level vision and a sense of personal impact.
Despite these problems, the vast majority of tech workers still believe technology is a force for good. They could be a key force that helps to form the much-needed change of Big Tech companies. Empowering (赋权) them with “positive dissent (异议)” could be the way to keep them.
| A．Big Tech is not evil; it just needs help. |
| B．Big Tech might be concerned about government fines and PR emergencies, but its biggest problem could be failing to recruit and keep talented staff. |
| C．For a long time, working in Big Tech was the dream for many young people. |
| D．Tech workers are seeing the connection between all these things-misinformation, bias (偏见) and inequality-and wanting to do something about them. |
| E．The lack of diversity in Big Tech is also an issue. |
| F．With huge employee bases, both these things get diluted (稀释) in Big Tech. |
| G．Tech workers in Big Tech are still well-paid. |
For most of her life, Suanne Laqueur’s passion for storytelling was shown on the dance floor.
Although Laqueur began writing at a young age, dancing always took center stage. She majored in dance and theater at Alfred University and taught at her mother’s dance studio in Croton-on-Hudson, New York, for years. But when her mother was ready to retire and an opportunity opened for Laqueur to take over the studio, she realized she had no interest in taking on the business side of her art: “Owning a studio is a lot of work—financially, logistically. I love the teaching, the choreographing (编舞), the staging, but I didn’t want to own it.”
Yet Laqueur’s disinterest in running the studio changed when she became a self-published author. In the fall of 2013, she decided to pursue self-publishing as a way of sharing her first completed novel with friends and family. During the process, she realized that following her true passion—telling stories through writing—made the business of the art worthwhile, and owning that business meant she could direct her writing career however she chose.
Starting with her second self-published novel, she began investing more time in marketing and building her audience. Her investment paid off. Since 2014, Laqueur, now 49, has self-published six novels, which collectively have hundreds of ratings and reviews on Goodreads. Her 2016 novel An Exaltation of Larks stole the show at the 25th Annual Writer’s Digest's Self-Published Book Awards, topping more than 2,300 entries to win the grand prize.
“You have to write the most truthful story to you, and I think self-publishing allows that freedom,” she says. “If you work with traditional publishing, it’s more about what’s marketable. There are trade-offs, which everyone will tell you, but by self-publishing I have control of the book, I have control of the story, and I’m cool with that.”
【小题1】From Paragraph 2, we can learn that Laqueur________.| A．wanted to own a publishing house | B．didn’t like teaching dancing in fact |
| C．was a part-time writer when she was young | D．was interested in running her mother’s studio |
| A．Her mother’s persuasion. | B．Self-publishing her novels. |
| C．The desire to make money. | D．Her own passion toward art. |
| A．became a failure | B．was shown to people |
| C．got people’s attention | D．was accidentally stolen |
| A．She enjoys the way of self-publishing. | B．She will never use traditional publishing. |
| C．Traditional publishing only focuses on the market. | D．Self-publishing will replace traditional publishing. |
A rejection letter is one of those letters that are not very easy to write.
Make the words professional and proper
What matters most in a rejection letter is the professional tone and wording.
Keep it clear and simple
Conclude with a statement of goodwill(友好). You may have rejected this application, but if you intend to consider this person for another job in the future, you may express that as well. However, that isn’t always necessary. In some situations such endings might offend(冒犯) the reader.
| A．End on a positive note |
| B．Make your decision as soon as possible |
| C．Never give away what you are going to do |
| D．Briefly state how you came to your decision |
| E．A rejection letter doesn’t have to be necessarily long |
| F．Don’t write anything that may make the reader feel bad |
| G．Although writing a rejection letter can be difficult, there are situations when it’s absolutely necessary. |
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