Question

    I had always heard that North Americans value independence, and that Europeans value, togetherness. But I never fully understood it until 2 months ago, when I left my Ph.D. lab in Canada for a 4-month research in a lab in France. On my first day, Pierre — a Ph.D. student whose desk is across from mine — tapped me on the shoulder and asked: "Coffee?" I nodded and followed him down the hallway to the common room, where other grad students were filing in. I sat there, cautiously sipping the bitter liquid five times stronger than my normal Americano and trying hard not to reveal my uncultured tastes, while lab chatter（闲聊）filled the air.

Coffee breaks are a routine part of work life here. The chatter sometimes turns to serious scientific topics. But mostly, the meetups offer a chance to unwind — to share stories about life inside and outside the lab and to connect with people who understand what you're going through.

The lighthearted atmosphere and sense of community is a welcome contrast to my life in Canada, where I spent most of my workdays all alone. I went into the lab each morning with set goals for my day. At lunch, I'd keep my eyes glued to my computer while I shoveled（大量送入）forkfuls of salad into my mouth, trying to power through my to-do list.

Our lab held weekly meetings where we'd take turns presenting our latest, work and getting feedback from colleagues. But we didn't take daily coffee breaks. My labmates and I were too busy collecting data and publishing papers.

Looking back now, I realize how much we were missing. Researchers need community because good ideas don't just come from reading literature and thinking deep thoughts; it's helpful to bounce ideas off others, particularly in a nonthreatening environment. It's also helpful to have a spot to share the day-to-day ups and downs of life as a grad student. How else are you supposed to know that you're not the only one suffering from challenges like anxiety?

1.What can we learn about the author from the first paragraph?

A.He has a European dependent personality.

B.He was ill at ease in the new environment.

C.He was ashamed of his uncultured background.

D.He is too vain to work with other grad students.

2.The author takes coffee breaks as a way to            .

A.break away from his work life in Canada.

B.get involved in serious scientific topics.

C.relax and exchange ideas with people.

D.collecting data from his colleagues.

3.Which of the following best describes the authors work life in Canada?

A.Demanding but satisfactory.

B.Impersonal but efficient.

C.Challenging and tiresome.

D.Stressful and independent.

4.What is the best title for the text?

A.Why Scientists Should Take Coffee breaks?

B.Coffee Inspires Creativity in Scientists

C.Lighthearted Atmosphere Counts

D.North American Life VS. European Life

Answer

1.B

2.C

3.D

4.A

【解析】

这是一篇记叙文。文章讲述了，作者通过自己在法国的工作经历明白了“北美人重视独立，欧洲人重视团结”的含义，作者认为研究人员需要社区，轻松的氛围和社区意识有助于研究人员产生好的想法。

1.推理判断题。由第一段中的“I sat there, cautiously sipping the bitter liquid five times stronger than my normal Americano and trying hard not to reveal my uncultured tastes, while lab chatter （闲聊）filled the air.”（我坐在那里，小心翼翼地啜饮着比我的普通美式咖啡浓五倍的苦味液体，努力不流露出我的无教养的品味,，而实验室的闲聊充斥着空气。）可推断出作者在新环境中不自在。故选B项。

2.推理判断题。由第二段的第一句“Coffee breaks are a routine part of work life here.”（咖啡休息是这里工作生活的常规部分。）和“But mostly, the meetups offer a chance to unwind — to share stories about life inside and outside the lab and to connect with people who understand what you're going through.”（但大多数情况下，咖啡聚会提供了一个放松的机会——分享实验室内外的生活故事，并与了解你所经历的一切的人建立联系。）可推断出作者把喝咖啡休息作为一种放松和与人交流思想的方式。故选C项。

3.推理判断题。由第三段第一句“The lighthearted atmosphere and sense of community is a welcome contrast to my life in Canada, where I spent most of my workdays all alone.”（轻松的氛围和社区意识与我在加拿大的生活形成了鲜明的对比，在加拿大我大部分的工作日都是独自度过的。）第四段中的“Our lab held weekly meetings where we'd take turns presenting our latest, work and getting feedback from colleagues.”（我们的实验室每周都会召开会议，轮流介绍我们的最新工作，并从同事那里获得反馈。）和第四段最后一句“My labmates and I were too busy collecting data and publishing papers.”（我和我的工友忙于收集数据和发表论文。）可知推断出作者在加拿大的生活独立且有压力。故选D项。

4.主旨大意题。文章第一段通过作者（研究人员）的工作经历引出了“咖啡休息”这个话题，第二段讲咖啡休息带来的好处（即可放松地分享实验室内外的生活故事，又可与人建立联系），第三四段两段通过对比讲在加拿大没有咖啡休息的紧张工作生活，最后一段讲研究人员需要社区（咖啡休息）的原因，全文围绕 “咖啡休息”这个话题展开，所以标题“为什么科学家要咖啡休息时间？”符合文意。故选A项。