Question 4 is based on the conversation you have just heard.

Conversation One

听力原文

M: Hey, I just read a great book about physics. I think you’d like it. It’s called The Physics of the World. It’s written by a scientist named Sylvia Mendez.

W: Oh, I’ve read that book. It was great. The writer is a warm and competent guide to the mysteries of physics. (1) I think it promises enrichment for any reader, from those who know little about science to the career physicist.

M: And it’s refreshing to see a strong, curious, clever woman adding her voice to the scientific discourse in a field that has been traditionally dominated by men. (2) I think she has to be commended for making an effort to include anecdotes about little-known female scientists. You know they were often victims of “a generation firmly convinced that the woman’s place was in the home.”

W: (3) I like how the book is clearly written with each chapter brought to life by pieces of fascinating knowledge. For example, in one chapter she exposes a myth that I’ve heard taught by university physics professors. I’ve often heard that medieval glass windows are thicker at the bottom because glass “flows” like a fluid. This, she shows, is not true. The distortion is actually thanks to a peculiarity of the glassmaker’s process.

M: (4) Yeah, I like how she cultivates scientific engagement by providing a host of do-it-yourself experiments that bring the same foundational principles of classical physics that govern everything from the solar system to your kitchen table. From using complex laws of physics to test whether a spinning egg is cooked to measuring atmospheric pressure by lifting a piece of cardboard. Her hands-on examples make her book a truly interactive read.

W: Yes I must say this equation-free book is an ideal read for scientists of all stripes, anyone teaching science, and even people who dislike physics.

4. How does the book cultivate readers’ interest in physics?

解析：D。原文中男士说到，他喜欢作者通过提供一系列自己就可以完成的实验来培养科学参与性，D选项中的experiments they can do themselves为原文中do-it-yourself experiments的同义转述。本题选D。