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.
People often discuss the dangers of too much stress, but lately a very different view of stress is gaining popularity: this view of stress, held by members of the positive stress movement, argues that stress might actually be beneficial. The positive stress movement is made up of people such as Zachary Rapp who are looking for an edge in a competitive world, and Rapp's routine is a good example of followers of the movement. He wakes up most mornings at dawn, goes for a run, sips black coffee while ripping through emails, and then steps into a freezing cold shower. This is a routine designed to reduce the stress of running simultaneously three different health and biotechnology companies for 18 hours a day.
Although Rapp's practices may sound extreme, he is part of a growing movement, consisting largely of tech industry workers who claim that such radical tactics will help them live better and longer. Inspired by influential figures in different fields, including entertainers, athletes, entrepreneurs and scientists, positive stress practitioners seek out some combination of extreme temperatures, restrictive diets, punishing exercise routines and general discomfort.
Rapp argues that positive stress keeps him balanced. In addition to running and freezing showers, Rapp uses ice baths, hot yoga, and unconventional eating practices such as eliminating dairy, sugar, alcohol and various other foods high in carbohydrates. He believes that these practices, which put stress on his body, actually make him feel less stress from work. However, Rapp does not credit anyone in particular for his choices: he said he started using these methods in college, where he got into the habit of taking ice baths to recover from sports. He got back into it while trying to get his three companies off the ground.
Rapp works long hours and sleeps only five to seven hours a night but he said he only gets sick once a year. For him, the difference between day-to-day stress, like the kind we feel when moving apartments, and positive stress is that the latter involves pushing the body to extremes and forcing it to build up a tolerance.
One thought leader in the positive stress world is Dutch extreme athlete Wim Hof, who earned the name “ice man” for his ability to withstand severe cold using deep breathing exercises. Hof's ideas have become popular among tech industry elites and, thanks to Hof, cold showers are now a trend; indeed, some even call it a form of therapy. But it is important to note that not everyone agrees with these practitioners; indeed, some medical professionals argue that positive stress is not for everyone, and that it might even be dangerous for people who are unhealthy or older.
46. What do we learn about followers of the positive stress movement?
47. What do followers of the positive stress movement usually do to put their ideas into practice?
48. What does Zachary Rapp say about his unconventional practices?
49. What can be inferred from the passage about day-to-day stress?
50. What do some medical professionals think of positive stress?
Passage Two
Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.
Is hunting good or bad for the environment? Like so many hot button issues, the answer to this question depends upon who you ask. On the one hand, some say, nothing could be more natural than hunting, and indeed just about every animal species—including humans—has been either predator or prey at some point in its evolution. And, ironic as it sounds, since humans have wiped out many animal predators, some see hunting as a natural way to reduce the herds of prey animals that now reproduce beyond the environment's carrying capacity.
On the other hand, many environmental and animal advocates see hunting as savage, arguing that it is morally wrong to kill animals, regardless of practical considerations. According to Glenn Kirk of the California-based The Animals' Voice, hunting “causes immense suffering to individual wild animals...” and is “irrationally cruel because unlike natural predation (捕食), hunters kill for pleasure...” He adds that, despite hunters' claims that hunting keeps wildlife populations in balance, hunters' license fees are used to manipulate a few game species into overpopulation at the expense of a much larger number of non-game species, resulting in the loss of biological diversity, genetic integrity and ecological balance.
Beyond moral issues, others contend that hunting is not practical. According to the Humane Society of the United States, the vast majority of hunted species—such as waterfowl, rabbits, upland birds and mourning doves—“provide minimal nutrition and do not require population control.”
Author Gary E. Varner suggests in his book, In Nature's Interests, that some types of hunting may be morally justifiable while others may not be. Hunting “designed to secure the aggregate welfare of the target species, the integrity of its ecosystem, or both”—what Varner terms 'therapeutic hunting'—is defensible, while subsistence and sport hunting—both of which only benefit human beings—is not.
Regardless of one's individual stance, fewer Americans hunt today than in recent history. Data gathered by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service in 2006 show that only five percent of Americans—some 12.5 million individuals—consider themselves hunters today, down from nine percent in 2001 and 15 percent in 1996. Public support for hunting, however, is on the rise. A 2007 survey by Responsive Management Inc. found that eighty percent of respondents agreed that “hunting has a legitimate place in modem society,” and the percentage of Americans indicating disapproval of hunting declined from 22 percent in 1995 to 16 percent in 2007. Perhaps matching the trend among the public, green leaders are increasingly advocating cooperation between hunters and environmental groups: After all, both deplore urban sprawl and habitat destruction.
51. What does the author say sounds ironic?
52. What does Glenn Kirk think of charging hunters' license fees?
53. What is the argument of the Humane Society of the United States against hunting?
54. When is hunting morally justifiable according to Gary E. Varner?
55. What concept are green leaders trying to promote?
Answers & Explanations (答案与解析)
Passage One
46. B。解析：题干问“关于积极压力运动的追随者，我们了解到什么？”第一段指出：“People often discuss the dangers of too much stress, but lately a very different view of stress is gaining popularity: this view of stress, held by members of the positive stress movement, argues that stress might actually be beneficial.” (人们经常讨论过多压力的危险，但最近一种截然不同的压力观正在流行起来：积极压力运动的成员持这种观点，他们认为压力实际上可能是有益的。) 这表明他们对压力的看法与大众（认为压力危险）不同。因此选 B (They hold a different view on stress from the popular one 他们对压力的看法与大众不同)。
47. D。解析：题干问“积极压力运动的追随者通常做什么来将他们的想法付诸实践？”第二段指出：“...who claim that such radical tactics will help them live better and longer... positive stress practitioners seek out some combination of extreme temperatures, restrictive diets, punishing exercise routines and general discomfort.” (……他们声称这些激进的策略将帮助他们活得更好、更长……积极压力实践者寻求极端温度、限制性饮食、惩罚性锻炼和普遍不适的某种组合。) 这些行为都是极端的策略。因此选 D (They apply extreme tactics 他们采用极端的策略)。
48. A。解析：题干问“扎卡里·拉普对他的非传统做法怎么看？”第三段指出：“He believes that these practices, which put stress on his body, actually make him feel less stress from work.” (他认为这些给身体施加压力的做法，实际上让他感觉到了更少的工作压力。) 也就是说，这些极端的做法帮助他对抗/减少了来自工作的压力。因此选 A (They help him combat stress from work 它们帮助他对抗工作中的压力)。
49. D。解析：题干问“从文章中关于日常压力可以推断出什么？”第四段指出：“For him, the difference between day-to-day stress... and positive stress is that the latter involves pushing the body to extremes and forcing it to build up a tolerance.” (对他来说，日常压力……和积极压力之间的区别在于，后者包括将身体推向极端并迫使它建立起一种耐受力。) 既然建立耐受力是积极压力的特征，反推可知日常压力并不能帮助建立耐受力。因此选 D (It does not help build up one's tolerance 它无助于建立一个人的耐受力)。
50. C。解析：题干问“一些医学专业人士如何看待积极压力？”最后一段指出：“...some medical professionals argue that positive stress is not for everyone, and that it might even be dangerous for people who are unhealthy or older.” (……一些医学专业人士认为，积极压力并不适合所有人，它甚至可能对不健康或年长的人有危险。) 这说明积极压力的效果因人而异（取决于人的健康状况和年龄）。因此选 C (Its effect varies considerably from person to person 它的效果因人而异，差异很大)。
Passage Two
51. B。解析：题干问“作者说听起来讽刺的是什么？”第一段指出：“And, ironic as it sounds, since humans have wiped out many animal predators, some see hunting as a natural way to reduce the herds of prey animals that now reproduce beyond the environment's carrying capacity.” (听起来很讽刺，因为人类已经消灭了许多动物捕食者，所以一些人将狩猎视为一种自然方式，以减少现在繁殖超过环境承载能力的猎物群。) 人类通过狩猎(消灭捕食者)制造了生态问题，现在又想通过狩猎(捕杀猎物)来解决这个问题，这非常讽刺。因此选 B (Hunting may also be a solution to the problem caused by hunting 狩猎也可能是由狩猎引起的问题的解决方案)。
52. C。解析：题干问“格伦·柯克对收取猎人执照费有何看法？”第二段最后一句指出：“He adds that... hunters' license fees are used to manipulate a few game species into overpopulation at the expense of a much larger number of non-game species, resulting in the loss of biological diversity, genetic integrity and ecological balance.” (他补充说……猎人的执照费被用来操纵少数猎物物种使其数量过剩，这是以牺牲大量非猎物物种为代价的，导致生物多样性、遗传完整性和生态平衡的丧失。) 也就是导致了生态不平衡。因此选 C (It leads to ecological imbalance 它导致了生态不平衡)。
53. A。解析：题干问“美国人道协会反对狩猎的论点是什么？”第三段指出：“According to the Humane Society of the United States, the vast majority of hunted species... ‘provide minimal nutrition and do not require population control.’” (根据美国人道协会的说法，绝大多数被狩猎的物种……“提供最少的营养，并且不需要数量控制。”) “不需要数量控制”意味着它们并不存在数量过剩的问题。因此选 A (Overpopulation is not an issue for most hunted animals 数量过剩并不是大多数被狩猎动物的问题)。
54. A。解析：题干问“根据加里·E·瓦尔纳的说法，狩猎何时在道德上是正当的？”第四段指出：“Hunting ‘designed to secure the aggregate welfare of the target species, the integrity of its ecosystem, or both’—what Varner terms 'therapeutic hunting'—is defensible...” (旨在确保目标物种的总体福利、其生态系统的完整性，或两者的狩猎——瓦尔纳称之为“治疗性狩猎”——是无可非议的……) 这说明当狩猎有利于动物和生态系统时是正当的。因此选 A (When it benefits animals and their ecosystem 当它有利于动物及其生态系统时)。
55. C。解析：题干问“绿色(环保)领袖试图推广什么概念？”最后一段最后一句指出：“...green leaders are increasingly advocating cooperation between hunters and environmental groups...” (环保领袖越来越多地提倡猎人和环保组织之间的合作……) 这正是选项 C 表达的意思 (Coordinated efforts of hunters and environmentalists 猎人和环保主义者的协调努力/合作)。
核心搭配与高分句型
【核心搭配与高频短语】
made up of：由...组成（The positive stress movement is made up of people）
get off the ground：使...起步，开始顺利进行（trying to get his three companies off the ground）
build up：建立，积累（forcing it to build up a tolerance）
wipe out：彻底摧毁，消灭（humans have wiped out many animal predators）
at the expense of：以...为代价（at the expense of a much larger number of non-game species）
on the rise：在上升，在增加（Public support for hunting, however, is on the rise）
【亮点句型解析】
... as it sounds 让步状语从句：
"And, ironic as it sounds, since humans have wiped out many animal predators..."
（而且，听起来很讽刺的是，由于人类消灭了许多动物捕食者……）这里的 `as` 引导倒装的让步状语从句，相当于 "Although it sounds ironic"，语气更强调，是阅读和写作中的高级句型。
"And, ironic as it sounds, since humans have wiped out many animal predators..."
（而且，听起来很讽刺的是，由于人类消灭了许多动物捕食者……）这里的 `as` 引导倒装的让步状语从句，相当于 "Although it sounds ironic"，语气更强调，是阅读和写作中的高级句型。
Neither... nor... / Either... or... 结构变体：
"...just about every animal species—including humans—has been either predator or prey at some point in its evolution."
（……几乎每一个动物物种——包括人类——在其进化的某个阶段，要么是捕食者，要么是猎物。）`either... or...` (要么...要么...) 准确地概括了自然界中角色转换的绝对性。
"...just about every animal species—including humans—has been either predator or prey at some point in its evolution."
（……几乎每一个动物物种——包括人类——在其进化的某个阶段，要么是捕食者，要么是猎物。）`either... or...` (要么...要么...) 准确地概括了自然界中角色转换的绝对性。