2024年北京卷
第一节(共4小题;第40、41题各2分，第42题3分，第43题5分，共12分)
阅读下面短文，根据题目要求用英文回答问题。
Growing up, I idealised independence. I always wanted my own efforts to be enough. When I decided to pursue a postgraduate degree, I wanted to develop a novel research programme and quickly establish myself as an independent scientist. But I was unrealistically optimistic about what I could achieve.
As I began designing experiments, my committee members warned me about the challenges I would face. But my need for independence drove me to push forward with my research plan. As a result, the first four years of my postgraduate career were defined by a series of failures.
During my second year, I failed my comprehensive exam because my proposal was unclear. During my third year, I discovered that after treating thousands of seeds, I obtained just one plant I could use for experiments. By my fourth year, my desperation to succeed overshadowed my desire for independence.
My adviser and I devised(想出) a somewhat unusual solution: I would spend three months in a collaborating(合作的)lab to obtain specialised training. I worked extensively with other students, constantly asked questions, and helped with ongoing projects to learn everything I could. Finally, I conducted an elegant experiment that would not have been possible without the help of the members in the lab.
My adviser saw this experience as a groundbreaking success, emphasising the collaborating skills I acquired. A few months later, when I repeated the experiment in my home lab, I produced more publishable data. By learning when to ask for help, I eventually found myself on the way to becoming an independent scientist.
40. In the beginning, what drove the author to push forward with the research plan?
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41. What was the solution by the adviser and the author after those repeated failures?
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42. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
> The adviser considered the author's experience in the lab a groundbreaking success because publishable data had been produced.
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43. From this story, what can you learn about “independence”? (In about 40 words)
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参考答案：
40. The author's drive for independence and the desire to achieve success through their own efforts pushed them to move forward with the research plan.
41. The solution devised by the adviser and the author was for the author to spend three months in a collaborating lab to obtain specialised training, where they would work extensively with other students, ask questions, and help with ongoing projects.
42. The false part of the statement is "because publishable data had been produced". The adviser considered the experience a groundbreaking success not solely because publishable data had been produced, but because the author acquired collaborating skills and learned when to ask for help, which were essential for becoming an independent scientist.
43. From this story, we can learn that "independence" does not mean doing everything alone. It is about knowing one's own strengths and limitations and being willing to seek help and collaborate with others to achieve success. True independence is gained through experience, learning, and the ability to work effectively with others.
