It is important that scientists be seen as normal people asking and answering important questions. Good, sound science depends on _____（26）, experiments and reasoned methodologies. It requires a willingness to ask new questions and try new approaches. It requires one to ask risks and experience failures. But good science also requires _____（27）understanding, clear explanation and concise presentation.
Our country needs more scientists who are willing to step out in the public _____（28）and offer their options on important matters. We need more scientists who can explain what they are doing in language that is _____（29）and understandable to the public. There of us who are not scientists should also be prepared to support public engagement by scientists, and to _____（30）scientific knowledge into our public communications.
Too many people in this country, including some among our elected leadership, skill do not understand how science works or why robust, long-range investments in research vitally matter. In the 1960s, the United States _____（31）nearly 17% of discretionary（可酌情支
配的）spending to research and development, _____（32）decades of economic growth. By 2023, the figure had fallen into the single _____（33）. This occurs at a time when other nations have made significant gains in their own research capabilities.
At the University of California （UC）, we _____（34）ourselves not only on the quality of our research, but also on its contribution to improving our world. To _____（35）the development of science from the lab bench to the market place, UC is investing our money in our own good ideas.
A．arena B．contextual C．convincing D．devoted E．digits F．hasten
G. hypotheses H. impairing I. incorporate J. indefinite K. indulge
L. inertia M. pride N. reaping O. warrant
Are We in an Innovation Lull？ [A]Scan the highlights of this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES), and you may get a slight feeling of having seen them before. Many of the coolest gadgets this year are the same as the coolest gadgets last year－or th
e year before, even. The booths are still exciting, and the demos are still just as crazy. It is still easy to be dazzled by the display of drones（无人机）,3D printers, virtual reality goggles（眼镜）and more "smart" devices than you could ever hope to catalog. Upon reflection, however, it is equally easy to feel like you have seen it all before. And it is hard not to think: Are we in an innovation lull（间歇期）?
[B]In some ways, the answer is yes, For years, smartphones, television, tablets, laptops and desktops have made up a huge part of the market and driven innovation. But now these segments are looking at slower growth curves－or shrinking markets in some cases－as consumers are not as eager to spend money on new gadgets. Meanwhile, emerging technologies－the drones, 3D printers and smart-home devices of the world－now seem a bit too old to be called "the next big thing."
[C]Basically the tech industry seems to be in an awkward period now, "There is not any one-hit wonder, and there will not be one for years to come," said Gary Shapiro, president and chief executive of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA). In this eyes, however,
that doesn't necessarily mean that innovation has stopped. It has just grown up a little. "Many industries are going out of infancy and becoming adolescents," Shapiro said.
[D]For instance, new technologies that are building upon existing technology have not found their footing well enough to appeal to a mass audience , because, in many cases, they need to work effectively with other devices to realize their full appeal, Take the evolution of the smart home, for example. Companies are pushing it hard but make it almost overwhelming even to dip a toe in the water for the average consumer, because there are so many compatibility issues to think about. No average person wants to figure out whether their favorite calendar software works with their fridge or whether their washing machine and tablet get along. Having to install a different app for each smart appliance in your home is annoying; it would be nicer if you could manage everything together. And while you may forgive your smartphone an occasional fault, you probably have less patience for error message from your door lock.
[E]Companies are promoting their own standards, and the market has not had time to choo
se a winner yet as this is still very new. Companies that have long focused on hardware now have to think of ecosystems instead to give consumers practical solutions to their everyday problems. "The dialogue is changing from what is technologically possible to what is technologically meaningful." said economist Shawn DuBravac works for CTA－which puts on the show each year－and said that this shift to a search for solutions has been noticeable as he researched his predictions for 2023.
[F]"So much of what CES has been about is the cool. It is about the flashiness and the gadgets," said John Curran, managing director of research at Accenture. "But over the last couple of years, and in this one in particular, we are starting to see companies shift from what is the largest screen size, the smallest from factor or the shiniest object and more into what all of these devices do that is practical in a consumer's life." Even the technology press conferences, which have been high-profile in the past and reached a level of drama and theatrics fitting for a Las Vegas stage, have a different bent to them. Rather than just dazzling with a high cool factor, there is a focus on the practical. Fitbit, for example, released its first smartwatch Monday, selling with a clear purpose－to improve your fitness
－and promoting it as a "tool, not a toy." Not only that, it supports a number of platforms: Apple's iOS, Google's Android and Microsoft's Windows phone.
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