Part A: Reading Comprehension

Text 4

Navigating beyond the organised pavements and parks of our urban spaces, desire paths are the unofficial footprints of a community, revealing the unspoken preferences, shared shortcuts and collective choices of humans. Often appearing as trodden dirt tracks through otherwise neat green spaces, these routes of collective disobedience cut corners, bisect lawns and cross hills, representing the natural capability of people (and animals) to go from point A to point B most effectively.

Urban planners interpret desire paths as more than just convenient shortcuts; they offer valuable insights into the dynamics between planning and behaviour. Ohio State University allowed its students to navigate the Oval, a lawn in the centre of campus, freely, then proceeded to pave the desire paths, creating a web of effective routes students had established.

Yet, reluctance persists among other planners to integrate desire paths into formal plans, citing concerns about safety, environmental impact, or primarily, aesthetics. A Reddit webpage devoted to the phenomenon, boasting nearly 50,000 members, showcases images of local desire paths adorned with signs instructing pedestrians to adhere to designated walkways, underscoring the rebellious nature inherent in these human-made tracks. This clash highlights an ongoing struggle between the organic, user-driven evolution of public spaces and the desire for a visually curated and controlled urban environment.

The Wickguasgeck Trail is an example of a historical desire path, created by Native Americans to traverse the forests of Manhattan and move between settlements quickly. This trail, when Dutch colonists arrived, was widened and made into one of the main trade roads across the island, known at the time as de Heere Straat, or Gentlemen’s Street. Following the British assumption of control in New York, the street was renamed Broadway. Notably, Broadway stands out as one of the few areas in NYC that defies the grid-based system applied to the rest of the city, cutting a diagonal across parts of the city.

In online spaces, desire paths have sparked a fascination that can approach obsession, with the Reddit page serving as a hub. Contributors offer a wide array of stories, from little-known new shortcuts to long-established alternate routes.

Animal desire paths, such as ducks forging trails through frozen ponds or dogs carving direct routes in gardens, highlight the adaptability of these trails in both human and animal experiences. As desire paths criss-cross through both physical and virtual landscapes, they stand as a proof of the collective insistence on forging unconventional routes and embracing the spirit of communal choice.

36. According to Paragraph 1, desire paths are a result of

[A]

the curiosity to explore surrounding hills. 

[B]

the necessity to preserve green spaces. 

[C]

the tendency to pursue convenience. 

[D]

the wish to find comfort in solitude. 

37. It can be inferred that Ohio State University

[A]

intends to improve its desire paths. 

[B]

leads in the research on desire paths. 

[C]

guides the creation of its desire paths. 

[D]

takes a positive view of desire paths. 

38. The images on the Reddit webpage reflect

[A]

conflicting opinions on the use of desire paths. 

[B]

the call to upgrade the designing of public spaces. 

[C]

the demand for proper planning of desire paths. 

[D]

growing concerns over the loss of public spaces. 

39. The example of the Wickguasgeck Trail illustrates

[A]

the growth of New York City. 

[B]

the Dutch origin of desire paths. 

[C]

the importance of urban planning. 

[D]

the recognition of desire paths. 

40. It can be learned from the last paragraph that desire paths

[A]

reveal humans’ deep respect for nature. 

[B]

are crucial to humans’ mental wellbeing. 

[C]

are a human imitation of animal behaviour. 

[D]

show a shared trait in humans and animals. 

答案解析 (Answers & Explanations)

36. [C] the tendency to pursue convenience.
解析：细节推理题。第一段描述了“期望路径（desire paths）”通常是人们抄近路（cut corners）、穿过草坪等走出来的。段末总结说，这代表了人们“最有效地从A点走到B点（go from point A to point B most effectively）”的自然能力。抄近路和最有效的走法，其本质就是“追求便利的倾向（the tendency to pursue convenience）”，选 [C]。

37. [D] takes a positive view of desire paths.
解析：细节推断题。第二段指出，俄亥俄州立大学允许学生在草坪上自由行走，然后直接“铺设了这些期望路径（proceeded to pave the desire paths）”，创造了一个学生建立的有效路线网。将学生自发走出的土路变成正式的道路，说明该大学对“期望路径”持包容、认可的态度，即“对期望路径持积极看法（takes a positive view of desire paths）”，选 [D]。

38. [A] conflicting opinions on the use of desire paths.
解析：细节推理题。第三段描写了Reddit网页上的图片：当地的期望路径旁边立着牌子，指示行人遵守指定的走道（adhere to designated walkways）。这说明官方（指示牌）反对人们走这些自发的小路，而人们依然走。随后一句话点题：“这种冲突（This clash）突显了公众空间中有机的、用户驱动的演变与视觉规划和受控的城市环境之间的持续斗争”。这就反映了在期望路径使用上的“矛盾/冲突的意见（conflicting opinions）”，选 [A]。

39. [D] the recognition of desire paths.
解析：例证题。第四段举了 Wickguasgeck 小径的例子。这条原本由美洲原住民为了在森林中快速移动（move quickly）而走出来的“期望路径”，后来被荷兰人拓宽成主要贸易道路，再后来变成了大名鼎鼎的百老汇大道（Broadway），甚至无视了纽约其余地区的网格系统。从小土路变成了标志性的主干道，这说明了这条自发走出的路最终得到了官方和历史的彻底“认可/承认（the recognition of desire paths）”，选 [D]。

40. [D] show a shared trait in humans and animals.
解析：段落推理题。最后一段第一句提到“动物的期望路径（Animal desire paths）”，比如鸭子在冰面上踏出小径，狗在花园里开辟直接的路线。这突显了这些小径在“人类和动物经验中的适应性（in both human and animal experiences）”。这说明人类和动物都会去开辟这种非常规的捷径，展示了人类和动物中一种“共同的特征（a shared trait in humans and animals）”，选 [D]。

核心长难句精解 (High-Light)

1. 分词短语作状语的排比：
"Often appearing as trodden dirt tracks through otherwise neat green spaces, these routes of collective disobedience cut corners, bisect lawns and cross hills, representing the natural capability of people (and animals) to go from point A to point B most effectively."
【解析】句首的 `Often appearing...` 是现在分词短语作伴随/状态状语。主句的主语是 `these routes of collective disobedience`，谓语是三个并列的动词 `cut`、`bisect` 和 `cross`。句末的 `representing...` 同样是现在分词短语作结果状语或伴随状语，点明了这种“集体不服从路线”的本质。

2. 过去分词作后置定语与现在分词的嵌套：
"A Reddit webpage devoted to the phenomenon, boasting nearly 50,000 members, showcases images of local desire paths adorned with signs instructing pedestrians to adhere to designated walkways, underscoring the rebellious nature inherent in these human-made tracks."
【解析】本句结构相当复杂，包含多个修饰成分： 1. 主语 `A Reddit webpage` 后面跟着过去分词短语 `devoted to...` 和现在分词短语 `boasting...` 作定语。 2. 谓语是 `showcases`，宾语是 `images of local desire paths`。 3. `paths` 后面跟了过去分词短语 `adorned with signs`（装饰着指示牌）作定语。 4. `signs` 后面又跟了现在分词短语 `instructing pedestrians to...`（指示行人去……）作定语。 5. 最后，`underscoring...` 是现在分词短语作全句的结果/伴随状语。

3. as 引导时间状语从句与同位语：
"As desire paths criss-cross through both physical and virtual landscapes, they stand as a proof of the collective insistence on forging unconventional routes and embracing the spirit of communal choice."
【解析】`As` 引导时间/伴随状语从句（随着期望路径纵横交错……）。主句中 `stand as a proof of` 表示“作为……的证明”。介词 `on` 后面跟了两个由 `and` 连接的并列动名词短语 `forging...` 和 `embracing...`，完美地升华了文章的主题：这代表了人们追求自由选择和开辟新路的集体精神。