Passage Two
Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.
Today, most scientific research is funded by government grants, companies doing research and development, and non-profit foundations. As a society, we reap the rewards from this science, but we also help pay fbr it. You indirectly support science through taxes you pay, products and services you purchase, and donations you make.
Funding for science has changed with the times. Historically, science has been largely supported through private patronage (资助)，church sponsorship, or simply paying fbr the research yourself. Today, researchers are likely to be funded by a mix of grants from various government agencies, institutions, and foundations. Other research is funded by private companies. Such corporate sponsorship is widespread in some fields. Almost 75% of U.S. clinical trials in medicine are paid for by private companies. And, of course, some researchers today still fund small-scale studies out of their own pockets. Most of us can't afford to do nuclear research as a private hobby, but birdwatchers, rock collectors, and others can do real research on a limited budget.
In a perfect world, money wouldn't matter- all scientific studies would be completely objective. But in the real world, funding may introduce biases. Drug research sponsored by the pharmaceutical (制药的)industry is more likely to end up favoring the drug under consideration than studies sponsored by government grants or charitable organizations. Similarly, nutrition research sponsored by the food industry is more likely to end up favoring the food under consideration than independently ftmded research.
So what should we make of all this? Should we ignore any research funded by companies or special interest groups? certainly not. These groups provide invaluable funding for scientific research. Furthermore, science has many safeguards in place to catch instances of bias that affect research outcomes. Ultimately, misleading results will be corrected as science proceeds; however, this process takes time. Meanwhile, it pays to examine studies funded by industry or special interest groups with extra care. Are the results consistent with other independently funded studies? What do other scientists have to say about this research? A little examination can go a long way towards identifying bias associated with the funding source.
51. What does the passage mainly discuss regarding scientific research?
A) Its foundation.
B) Its rewards.
C) Its prospect.
D) Its funding.
52. What do we learn from the passage about researchers like birdwatchers and rock collectors?
A) They have little access to government funding.
B) They can do research with limited resources.
C) They can do amateur work in their own fields.
D) They have no means fbr large-scale research.
53. What would scientific studies look like in a perfect world according to the author?
A) They would be totally unbiased.
B) They would be independently funded.
C) They would be responsibly conducted.
D) They would be strictly supervised.
54. What does the author say about companies and special interest groups?
A) They try hard to pull down the safeguards fbr research.
B) They make extra efforts to research their own products.
C) They provide valuable resources for scientific research.
D) They reap the most benefits from scientific research.
55. What does the author think of research funded by industry or special interest groups?
A) Its recommendations should be examined for feasibility.
B) Its misleading results should be corrected in time.
C) Its validity should be checked with additional care.
D) Its hidden biases should be identified independently.
答案解析：
文章开篇讲如今科学研究大多由政府拨款、公司研发和非营利基金会资助，接着回顾了科学研究的资助历史，又阐述了资助可能带来的偏见，最后探讨了如何对待公司和特殊利益集团资助的研究，整体围绕科学研究的资助展开，所以选D。
由题干中的关键词“researchers like birdwatchers and rock collectors”定位到第二段“Most of us can't afford to do nuclear research as a private hobby, but birdwatchers, rock collectors, and others can do real research on a limited budget.”，文中提到像观鸟者和岩石收藏者等可以在有限的预算下进行真正的研究，即他们可以用有限的资源做研究，所以选B。
由题干中的关键词“perfect world”“scientific studies”定位到第三段“In a perfect world, money wouldn't matter - all scientific studies would be completely objective.”，在完美的世界里，钱无关紧要，所有科学研究都将完全客观，也就是完全无偏见，所以选A。
由题干中的关键词“companies and special interest groups”定位到第四段“These groups provide invaluable funding for scientific research.”，这些团体为科学研究提供了宝贵的资金，即他们为科学研究提供了有价值的资源，所以选C。
由题干中的关键词“research funded by industry or special interest groups”定位到第四段“Meanwhile, it pays to examine studies funded by industry or special interest groups with extra care.”，同时，仔细检查由行业或特殊利益集团资助的研究是值得的，也就是要额外仔细地检查其有效性，所以选C。
