For the past five years, Paula Smith, a historian of science, has devoted herself to re-creating long-forgotten techniques. While doing research for her new book, she came across a 16th-century French manuscript（手稿）consisting of nearly 1,000 sets of instructions, covering subjects from tool making to finding the best sand.
The author's intention remains as mysterious（神秘）as his name; he may have been simply taking notes for his own records. But Smith was struck mainly by the fact that she didn't truly grasp any of the skills the author described. "You simply can't get an understanding of that handwork by reading about it," she says.
Though Smith did get her hands on the best sand, doing things the old-fashioned way isn't just about playing around with French mud. Reconstructing the work of the craftsmen（工匠）who lived centuries ago can reveal how they viewed the world, what objects filled their homes, and what went on in the workshops that produced them. It can even help solve present-day problems: In 2015, scientists discovered that a 10th-century English medicine for eve problems could kill a drug-resistant virus.
The work has also brought insights for museums, Smith says. One must know how on object was made in order to preserve it. What's more, reconstructions might be the only way to know what treasures looked like before time wore them down. Scholars have seen this idea in practice with ancient Greek and Roman statues. These sculptures were painted a rainbow of striking colours. We can't appreciate these kinds of details without seeing works of art as they originally appeared-something Smith believes you can do only when you have a road map.
Smith has put the manuscript's ideas into practice. Her final goal is to link the worlds of art and science back together: She believes that bringing the old recipes to life can help develop a kind of learning that highlights experimentation, teamwork, and problem solving.
Back when science—then called “the new philosophy”—took shape, academics looked to craftsmen for help in understanding the natural world. Microscopes and telescopes were invented by way of artistic tinkering（修补）, as craftsmen experimented with glass to better bend light.
If we can rediscover the values of hands-on experience and craftwork, Smith says, we can marry the best of our modern insights with the handiness of our ancestors.
38．How did Smith, feel after reading the French manuscript?
A．Confused about the technical terms.
B．Impressed with its detailed instructions.
C．Discouraged by its complex structure.
D．Shocked for her own lack of hand skills.
39．According to Smith, the reconstruction work is done mainly to _____________.
A．restore old workshops B．understand the craftsmen
C．improve visual effects D．inspire the philosophers
40．Why does the author mention museums?
A．To reveal the beauty of ancient objects.
B．To present the findings of old science.
C．To highlight the importance of antiques.
D．To emphasise the values of hand skills.
41．Which would be the best title for this passage?
A．Craftsmen Set the Trends for Artists
B．Craftsmanship Leads to New Theories
C．Craftsmanship Makes Better Scientists
D．Craftsmen Reshape the Future of Science
38．D
39．B
40．D
41．C
【分析】
本文是一篇记叙文。主要讲述科学家Paula Smith致力于对古代手工技能的研究，认为科学家如果能够把古代的手工技能和现代的科学方法结合起来，就能够创造更大成就。
38．细节理解题。根据文章第二段“But Smith was struck mainly by the fact that she didn't truly grasp any of the skills the author described. "You simply can't get an understanding of that handwork by reading about it," she says.” 让史密斯震惊的主要是，她并没有真正掌握作者所描述的任何技能。她说:“你根本无法通过阅读来了解这些手工作品。” 由此可知读完这份法国手稿，这种手工技能让史密斯感到震惊，故选D。
39．细节理解题。根据文章第三段“Reconstructing the work of the craftsmen（工匠）who lived centuries ago can reveal how they viewed the world, what objects filled their homes, ” 重建几个世纪前工匠的作品，可以揭示他们如何看待世界，他们的家里有什么物件。由此可知，重建工作主要是为了了解工匠。故选B。
40．推理判断题。根据文章第四段“The work has also brought insights for museums, Smith says. One must know how on object was made in order to preserve it. What's more, reconstructions might be the only way to know what treasures looked like before time wore them down.” 史密斯说，这项工作也给博物馆带来了深刻的见解。为了保存它，一个人必须知道一件物品是如何制成的。更重要的是，重建可能是唯一的方法，以了解宝藏磨损之前的样子。因此可知，博物馆要想很好保存物品，必须要知道这件物品是如何制成的，也是在强调手工技能的价值，故选D。
41．主旨大意题。根据文章最后一段“If we can rediscover the values of hands-on experience and craftwork, Smith says, we can marry the best of our modern insights with the handiness of our ancestors. ”史密斯说，如果我们能重新发现实践经验和工艺的价值，我们就能将现代的最好见解与我们祖先的灵巧结合起来。由此可知本文的中心思想就在于如果科学家能把古代的手工技巧同现代的理论结合起来，就能够获得更多的成就。C选项Craftsmanship Makes Better Scientists工艺造就了更好的科学家，符合文章主题，适合做标题，故选C。
【点睛】
标题猜测题。属于主旨大意题的一种，标题应位于文章之首，概括文章内容，点明文章主题。它可以是单词，短语，或句子。确定文章标题，第一，标题要与主题密切相关；其次，看标题是否能概括全文内容，不能只概括短文中的某些事实或细节；第三，标题范围不应太大或太小；最后，标题应新颖，概括性强并且精炼。小题4中C选项概括文中主旨大意，与主题密切相关，故选C。
