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Looking back on my childhood, I am convinced that naturalists are born and not made. Although we were all brought up in the same way, my brothers and sisters soon abandoned their pressed flowers and insects. Unlike them, I had no ear for music and languages. I was not an early reader and I could not do mental arithmetic.

Before World War I we spent our summer holidays in Hungary. I have only the dim memory of the house we lived in, of my room and my toys. Nor do I recall clearly the large family of grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins who gathered next door, but I do have a crystal-clear memory of the dogs, the farm animals, the loca1 birds and, above all, the insects.

I am a naturalist, not a scientist. I have a strong love of the natural world, and my enthusiasm has led me into varied investigations. I love discussing my favorite topics and enjoy burning the midnight oil while reading about other people's observations and discoveries. Then something happens that brings these observations together in my conscious mind. Suddenly you fancy you see the answer to the riddle（谜）, because it all seems to fit together. This has resulted in my publishing 300 papers and books, which some might honor with the title of scientific research.

But curiosity, a keen eye, a good memory and enjoyment of the animals and plant world do not make a scientist: one of the outstanding and essential qualities required is self-discipline, a quality I lack. A scientist requires not only self-discipline but hard training, determination and a goal. A scientist, up to a point, can be made. A naturalist is born. If you can combine the two, you get the best of both worlds.

1．The first paragraph tells us that the author____.

A．was born to a naturalist's family

B．lost his hearing when he was a child

C．didn't like his brothers and sisters

D．was interested in flowers and insects in his childhood

2．The author can't remember his relatives clearly because____.

A．he didn't live very long with them

B．he was fully occupied with observing nature

C．he was too young when he lived with them

D．the family was extremely large

3．Which of the following statements is true?

A．The author believes that a born naturalist cannot be a scientist.

B．The author's brothers and sisters were good at music and languages.

C．The author read a lot of books about the natural world and the oil industry.

D．The author spent a lot of time working on riddles.

4．The author says that he is a naturalist rather than a scientist probably because he thinks he____.

A．lacks some of the qualities required of a scientist

B．has a great deal of trouble doing mental arithmetic

C．just reads about other people's observations and discoveries

D．comes up with solutions in a most natural way

5．According to the author, a born naturalist should first of all be____.

A．full of ambition

B．full of enthusiasm

C．knowledgeable

D．self-disciplined

1．【答案】D

【精析】从文章第一段第二句“Although we were all brought up in the same way, my brothers and sisters soon abandoned their pressed flowers and insects.”可推知，作者的兄弟姐妹不久就放弃了这种爱好，而作者却没有。因此选D项。

2．【答案】B

【精析】从第二段最后一句中的“but I do have a crystal-clear memory of the dogs, the farm animals, the local birds and, above all, the insects”可推断出，答案是B项。

3．【答案】B

【精析】由第一段倒数第二句“Unlike them, I had no ear for music and languages.”可推断出，作者的兄弟姐妹们都很擅长音乐和语言。其他几项都与文意不相符。

4．【答案】A

【精析】第四段第一句说到“...one of the outstanding and essential qualities required is self- discipline, a quality I lack.”因此选A项。

5．【答案】B

【精析】从文章第三段第二句“I have a strong love of the natural world, and my enthusiasm has led me into varied investigations.”可推知，一个天生的自然学家最首要的条件是enthusiasm。故选B项。