Section C: Reading Comprehension
Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.
Passage One
Questions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.
Danielle Steel, the 71-year-old romance novelist is notoriously productive, having published 179 books at a rate of up to seven a year. But a passing reference in a recent profile by Glamour magazine to her 20-hour workdays prompted an outpouring of admiration.
Steel has given that 20-hour figure when describing her “exhausting” process in the past: “I start the book and don't leave my desk until the first draft is finished.” She goes from bed, to desk, to bath, to bed, avoiding all contact aside from phone calls with her nine children. “I don't comb my hair for weeks,” she says. Meals are brought to her desk, where she types until her fingers swell and her nails bleed.
The business news website Quartz held Steel up as an inspiration, writing that if only we all followed her “actually extremely liberating” example of industrious sleeplessness, we would be quick to see results.
Well, indeed. With research results showing the cumulative effects of sleep loss and its impact on productivity, doubt has been voiced about the accuracy of Steel's self-assessment. Her output may be undeniable, but sceptics have suggested that she is guilty of erasing the role of ghostwriters at worst, gross exaggeration at best.
Steel says working 20 hours a day is “pretty brutal physically.” But is it even possible? “No,” says Maryanne Taylor of the Sleep Works. While you could work that long, the impact on productivity would make it hardly worthwhile. If Steel was routinely sleeping for four hours a night, she would be drastically underestimating the negative impact, says Alison Gardiner, founder of the sleep improvement programme Sleepstation. “It's akin to being drunk.”
It's possible that Steel is exaggerating the demands of her schedule. Self-imposed sleeplessness has “become a bit of a status symbol”, says Taylor, a misguided measure to prove how powerful and productive you are. Margaret Thatcher was also said to get by on four hours a night, while the 130-hour work weeks endured by tech heads has been held up as key to their success.
That is starting to change with increased awareness of the importance of sleep for mental health. “People are starting to realise that sleep should not be something that you fit in between everything else,” says Taylor.
But it is possible—if statistically extremely unlikely—that Steel could be born a “short sleeper” with an unusual body clock, says sleep expert Dr. Sophie Bostock. “It's probably present in fewer than 1% of the population.”
Even if Steel does happen to be among that tiny minority, says Bostock, it's “pretty irresponsible” to suggest that 20-hour days are simply a question of discipline for the rest of us.
46. What do we learn from the passage about Glamour magazine readers?
47. What did the business news website Quartz say about Danielle Steel?
48. What do sceptics think of Danielle Steel's work schedule claims?
49. What does Maryanne Taylor think of self-imposed sleeplessness?
50. How does Dr. Sophie Bostock look at the 20-hour daily work schedule?
Passage Two
Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.
Organic agriculture is a relatively untapped resource for feeding the Earth's population, especially in the face of climate change and other global challenges. That's the conclusion I reached in reviewing 40 years of science comparing the long-term prospects of organic and conventional farming.
The review study, “Organic Agriculture in the 21st Century,” is featured as the cover story for the February issue of the journal Nature Plants. It is the first to compare organic and conventional agriculture across the main goals of sustainability identified by the National Academy of Sciences: productivity, economics, and environment.
Critics have long argued that organic agriculture is inefficient, requiring more land to yield the same amount of food. It's true that organic farming produces lower yields, averaging 10 to 20 percent less than conventional. Advocates contend that the environmental advantages of organic agriculture far outweigh the lower yields, and that increasing research and breeding resources for organic systems would reduce the yield gap. Sometimes excluded from these arguments is the fact that we already produce enough food to more than feed the world's 7.4 billion people but do not provide adequate access to all individuals.
In some cases, organic yields can be higher than conventional. For example, in severe drought conditions, which are expected to increase with climate change in many areas, organic farms can produce as good, if not better, yields because of the higher water-holding capacity of organically farmed soils.
What science does tell us is that mainstream conventional farming systems have provided growing supplies of food and other products but often at the expense of other sustainability goals.
Conventional agriculture may produce more food, but it often comes at a cost to the environment. Biodiversity loss, environmental degradation, and severe impacts on ecosystem services have not only accompanied conventional farming systems but have often extended well beyond their field boundaries. With organic agriculture, environmental costs tend to be lower and the benefits greater.
Overall, organic farms tend to store more soil carbon, have better soil quality, and reduce soil erosion compared to their conventional counterparts. Organic agriculture also creates less soil and water pollution and lower greenhouse gas emissions. And it's more energy-efficient because it doesn't rely on synthetic fertilizers or pesticides.
Organic agriculture is also associated with greater biodiversity of plants, animals, insects and microorganisms as well as genetic diversity. Biodiversity increases the services that nature provides and improves the ability of farming systems to adapt to changing conditions.
Despite lower yields, organic agriculture is more profitable for farmers because consumers are willing to pay more. Higher prices, called price premiums, can be justified as a way to compensate farmers for providing ecosystem services and avoiding environmental damage or external costs.
51. What do we learn from the conclusion of the author's review study?
52. What is the critics' argument against organic farming?
53. What does the author think should be taken into account in arguing about organic farming?
54. What does science tell us about conventional farming?
55. Why does the author think higher prices of organic farm produce are justifiable?
Answers & Explanations
46. C。解析：题干问关于Glamour杂志的读者我们能了解到什么。根据第一段“...prompted an outpouring of admiration.”（...引发了极大的钦佩/赞赏）。这表明读者对她的工作安排感到惊叹，对应C选项（They are deeply impressed by Danielle Steel's daily work schedule. 他们对Danielle Steel的日常工作时间表印象深刻）。
47. A。解析：题干问Quartz网站说了Danielle Steel什么。根据第二段末尾“held Steel up as an inspiration... example of industrious sleeplessness”（将Steel视为灵感...勤奋不眠的榜样）。industriousness对应industrious，对应A选项（She could serve as an example of industriousness. 她可以作为勤奋的榜样）。
48. A。解析：题干问怀疑论者对她工作时间表的声明怎么看。根据第四段“doubt has been voiced about the accuracy... sceptics have suggested that she is guilty of erasing the role of ghostwriters at worst, gross exaggeration at best.”（对其准确性表达了怀疑...怀疑者暗示她往坏了说抹杀了代笔，往好了说是严重夸大）。这表明她的说法是可疑的，对应A选项（They are questionable. 它们是可疑的）。
49. C。解析：题干问Maryanne Taylor怎么看自我强加的失眠。根据第六段“Self-imposed sleeplessness has ‘become a bit of a status symbol’, says Taylor, a misguided measure to prove how powerful and productive you are.”（泰勒说，自我强加的失眠已经“成为一种地位的象征”，一种证明你有多强大和多高产的被误导的衡量标准）。对应C选项（It may symbolise one's importance and success. 它可能象征着一个人的重要性和成功）。
50. B。解析：题干问Sophie Bostock博士如何看待每天20小时的工作时间表。根据最后一段“Even if Steel does happen to be among that tiny minority... it's ‘pretty irresponsible’ to suggest that 20-hour days are simply a question of discipline for the rest of us.”（暗示这是纪律问题对我们其他人来说是“非常不负责任的”）。既然不负责任，就是不鼓励大众效仿。对应B选项（The general public should not be encouraged to follow it. 不应鼓励公众效仿它）。
51. B。解析：题干问从作者综述研究的结论中能学到什么。根据第二篇文章第一段“Organic agriculture is a relatively untapped resource for feeding the Earth's population... That's the conclusion I reached”（有机农业是养活地球人口的一个相对未被开发的资源...这是我得出的结论）。对应B选项（Organic farming may be exploited to solve the global food problem. 有机农业可被开发来解决全球粮食问题）。
52. D。解析：题干问批评家反对有机农业的论点是什么。根据第三段“Critics have long argued that organic agriculture is inefficient, requiring more land to yield the same amount of food.”（批评家长期以来一直认为有机农业效率低下，需要更多土地才能产出同等数量的食物）。即产量不高，对应D选项（It is not that productive. 它没有那么高产）。
53. C。解析：题干问作者认为争论有机农业时应该考虑什么。根据第三段最后一句“Sometimes excluded from these arguments is the fact that we already produce enough food... but do not provide adequate access to all individuals.”（有时被排除在这些争论之外的事实是，我们已经生产了足够的食物...但并没有为所有人提供足够的获取途径）。强调的是分配不均。对应C选项（Inequality in food distribution. 粮食分配的不平等）。
54. B。解析：题干问关于传统农业科学告诉我们什么。根据第五段“What science does tell us is that mainstream conventional farming systems have provided growing supplies of food... but often at the expense of other sustainability goals.”（科学告诉我们...往往以牺牲其他可持续性目标为代价）。对应B选项（It is not conducive to sustainable development. 它不利于可持续发展）。
55. D。解析：题干问作者为何认为有机农产品高价是合理的。根据最后一段“Higher prices... can be justified as a way to compensate farmers for providing ecosystem services and avoiding environmental damage or external costs.”（更高的价格是合理的，以此补偿农民提供生态系统服务并避免环境破坏）。说明其对生态有益。对应D选项（Organic farming does long-term good to the ecosystem. 有机农业对生态系统有长期好处）。
全文翻译
71岁的浪漫小说家丹妮尔·斯蒂尔以高产而闻名，她已出版了179本书，速度高达每年七本。但最近《魅力》杂志的一篇人物报道中顺带提到了她每天工作20小时，这引发了读者们的一片赞叹。
斯蒂尔在描述她过去"令人精疲力竭"的创作过程时给出了这个20小时的数据："我开始写书，然后不离开书桌，直到初稿完成。"她从床到书桌，到浴室，再回到床，除了与她的九个孩子通电话外，避免一切接触。"我好几周都不梳头，"她说。饭菜被送到她的书桌上，她在那里打字，直到手指肿胀、指甲流血。
商业新闻网站Quartz将斯蒂尔视为励志榜样，写道只要我们都能效仿她那"实际上极其解放的"勤奋不眠的榜样，我们很快就会看到成果。
嗯，确实如此。随着研究结果显示睡眠不足的累积效应及其对生产力的影响，人们对斯蒂尔自我评估的准确性提出了质疑。她的产出也许不可否认，但怀疑者暗示，她往坏了说是抹杀了代笔人的作用，往好了说至少是严重夸大。
斯蒂尔说每天工作20小时"在身体上是相当残酷的"。但这可能吗？睡眠工程公司的玛丽安·泰勒说："不可能。"虽然你可以工作那么长时间，但对生产力的影响会让它几乎不值得。睡眠改善计划Sleepstation的创始人艾莉森·加德纳说，如果斯蒂尔每天晚上通常只睡四个小时，她就大大低估了其负面影响。"这就像喝醉了一样。"
斯蒂尔可能夸大了她日程安排的要求。泰勒说，自我强加的失眠已经"成为一种地位的象征"，是一种证明你有多么强大和高产的被误导的衡量标准。据说玛格丽特·撒切尔每晚也只睡四个小时，而科技巨头们承受的每周130小时的工作也被视为他们成功的关键。
随着人们对睡眠对心理健康重要性的认识提高，这种情况正在开始改变。泰勒说："人们开始意识到，睡眠不应该是你在其他所有事情之间挤时间来做的事情。"
不过，睡眠专家索菲·博斯托克博士说，斯蒂尔有可能——虽然在统计上极不可能——天生就是一个"短时睡眠者"，拥有不寻常的生物钟。"这种情况可能只存在于不到1%的人群中。"
博斯托克说，即使斯蒂尔确实属于那极少数人中的一员，向我们其他人暗示每天20小时只是自律问题也是"相当不负责任的"。
全文翻译
有机农业是养活地球人口的一个相对未被开发的资源，尤其是在面对气候变化和其他全球性挑战的情况下。这是我在回顾40年来比较有机农业和传统农业长期前景的科学研究后得出的结论。
这篇题为《21世纪的有机农业》的综述研究作为封面文章刊登在《自然·植物》期刊的二月号上。它是首次根据美国国家科学院确定的可持续性主要目标——生产力、经济效益和环境——来比较有机农业和传统农业的研究。
批评者长期以来一直认为有机农业效率低下，需要更多土地才能产出同等数量的食物。确实，有机农业的产量较低，平均比传统农业低10%到20%。倡导者则主张，有机农业的环境优势远远超过其较低的产量，并且增加针对有机系统的研究和育种资源将缩小产量差距。有时被排除在这些争论之外的一个事实是，我们已经生产了足够多的粮食，不仅足以养活全世界74亿人，而且绰绰有余，但并没有为所有人提供充足的获取途径。
在某些情况下，有机产量可能高于传统农业。例如，在严重的干旱条件下——随着气候变化，许多地区的干旱预计会增加——有机农场可以产出同样好甚至更好的产量，因为有机耕作土壤的保水能力更高。
科学确实告诉我们的是，主流传统农业系统提供了不断增长的粮食和其他产品供应，但往往以牺牲其他可持续性目标为代价。
传统农业可能生产更多粮食，但它往往以环境为代价。生物多样性的丧失、环境退化以及对生态系统服务的严重影响不仅伴随着传统农业系统，而且往往远远超出其农田边界。而有机农业的环境成本往往较低，收益更大。
总体而言，与传统农场相比，有机农场往往储存更多的土壤碳，拥有更好的土壤质量，并减少土壤侵蚀。有机农业还产生更少的土壤和水污染，以及更低的温室气体排放。而且它更节能，因为它不依赖合成肥料或杀虫剂。
有机农业还与植物、动物、昆虫和微生物更丰富的生物多样性以及遗传多样性相关联。生物多样性增加了大自然提供的服务，并提高了农业系统适应不断变化的条件的能力。
尽管产量较低，但有机农业对农民来说更有利可图，因为消费者愿意支付更高的价格。更高的价格，称为价格溢价，可以被认为是合理的，以此补偿农民提供生态系统服务和避免环境破坏或外部成本。
核心搭配与高分句型
【核心搭配与高频短语】
● prompt an outpouring of：引发...的涌现/迸发（prompted an outpouring of admiration）
● hold sb up as：将某人作为...的榜样/典型（held Steel up as an inspiration）
● akin to：类似于（It's akin to being drunk）
● status symbol：地位的象征（become a bit of a status symbol）
● in the face of：面对（困难、挑战等）（in the face of climate change）
● outweigh：在重量、价值或重要性上超过（advantages far outweigh the lower yields）
● at the expense of：以牺牲...为代价（at the expense of other sustainability goals）
【亮点句型解析】
If only 引导的虚拟语气：
"...writing that if only we all followed her “actually extremely liberating” example of industrious sleeplessness, we would be quick to see results."
（...写道，如果只有我们都效仿她那“实际上极其解放的”勤奋不眠的榜样，我们很快就会看到结果。）`If only` 表示“但愿，要是...就好了”，引出非真实的假设，主句配合使用 `would be`，常用于表达强烈的愿望或带有一丝反讽意味的论述。
"...writing that if only we all followed her “actually extremely liberating” example of industrious sleeplessness, we would be quick to see results."
（...写道，如果只有我们都效仿她那“实际上极其解放的”勤奋不眠的榜样，我们很快就会看到结果。）`If only` 表示“但愿，要是...就好了”，引出非真实的假设，主句配合使用 `would be`，常用于表达强烈的愿望或带有一丝反讽意味的论述。
As good, if not better, ... 插入语结构：
"...organic farms can produce as good, if not better, yields because of the higher water-holding capacity..."
（...有机农场可以产生同样好，甚至更好的产量，因为其拥有更高的保水能力...）`if not better` 巧妙地插入在同级比较 `as good... yields` 之间，既承认了至少等同的效果，又暗示了超越的可能性，使得学术表达非常严密和高级。
"...organic farms can produce as good, if not better, yields because of the higher water-holding capacity..."
（...有机农场可以产生同样好，甚至更好的产量，因为其拥有更高的保水能力...）`if not better` 巧妙地插入在同级比较 `as good... yields` 之间，既承认了至少等同的效果，又暗示了超越的可能性，使得学术表达非常严密和高级。