The effect of living organism on their surroundings,the sequence of life-processes'the constitution of living cells'the mechanics of heredity’are better known ever.What makes the
difference SO that we say of this“It is dead”,and of that,“It is alive”?Our ability to control disease is evident on every hand,but why animate nature should be plagued with disease at all is shrouded in mystery。
There are countries in which unnecessary poverty prevails because the people as a whole are unaware of method whereby it can be relieved.There are vast tracts of 1and.abandoned or never cultivated,which could support a thriving community if full use were made of the knowledge and skill of scientists.There are innumerable people suffering from disease which can be cured'and
from which,by following simple scientific rules of hygiene,they need never again suffer.There are vast storehouses of natural power,such as the wind,waterfalls and the heat of the sun,which science can show how to harness for living.
在完成基础阶段的大学英语课程之后,学生们积累了一定量的词汇和语法知识,但是在高年级或者毕业后阅读专业英语文献还有一定的障碍,特别是在学术交流活动和工作实践当中,用英语进行沟通的交际能力还不尽如人意。为了拉近专业英语和基础英语的距离,也为了实现外语教学四年不断线的目标,全国很多理工类高校多开设了科技英语课程,目的是在基础英语和专业英语之间架起一座桥梁,帮助学生更容易地通过英文科技文献获得知识和信息,提高英语交际能力。然而,由于在大多数院校,科技英语还只是一门选修课,也少有专门的科技英语教师队伍,因此,科技英语的教材建设一直没有引起足够的重视。正是在这样的背景下,我们组织一批长期承担科技英语教学任务的教师编写了这本《科技英语教程》。