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.
Humans are fascinated by the source of their failings and virtues. This preoccupation inevitably leads to an old debate: whether nature or nurture moulds us more. A revolution in genetics has poised this as a modern political question about the character of our society: if personalities are hard-wired into our genes, what can governments do to help us? It feels morally questionable, yet claims of genetic selection by intelligence are making headlines.
This is down to “hereditarian” (遗传论的) science and a recent paper claimed “differences in exam performance between pupils attending selective and non-selective schools mirror the genetic differences between them”. With such an assertion, the work was predictably greeted by a lot of absurd claims about “genetics determining academic success”. What the research revealed was the rather less surprising result: the educational benefits of selective schools largely disappear once pupils’ inborn ability and socio-economic background were taken into account. It is a glimpse of the blindingly obvious—and there’s nothing to back strongly either a hereditary or environmental argument.
Yet the paper does say children are “unintentionally genetically selected” by the school system. Central to hereditarian science is a tall claim: that identifiable variations in genetic sequences can predict an individual’s aptness to learn, reason and solve problems. This is problematic on many levels. A teacher could not seriously tell a parent their child has a low genetic tendency to study when external factors clearly exist. Unlike-minded academics say the inheritability of human traits is scientifically unsound. At best there is a weak statistical association and not a causal link between DNA and intelligence. Yet sophisticated statistics are used to create an intimidating atmosphere of scientific certainty.
While there’s an undoubted genetic basis to individual difference, it is wrong to think that socially defined groups can be genetically accounted for. The fixation on genes as destiny is surely false too. Medical predictability can rarely be based on DNA alone; the environment matters too. Something as complex as intellect is likely to be affected by many factors beyond genes. If hereditarians want to advance their cause it will require more balanced interpretation and not just acts of advocacy.
Genetic selection is a way of exerting influence over others, “the ultimate collective control of human destinies,” as writer H. G. Wells put it. Knowledge becomes power and power requires a sense of responsibility. In understanding cognitive ability, we must not elevate discrimination to a science; allowing people to climb the ladder of life only as far as their cells might suggest. This will need a more sceptical eye on the science. As technology progresses, we all have a duty to make sure that we shape a future that we would want to find ourselves in.
46. What did a recent research paper claim?
47. What does the author think of the recent research?
48. What does the author say about the relationship between DNA and intelligence?
49. What do hereditarians need to do to make their claims convincing?
50. What does the author warn against in the passage?
Passage Two
Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.
Nicola Sturgeon’s speech last Tuesday setting out the Scottish government’s legislative programme for the year ahead confirmed what was already pretty clear. Scottish councils are set to be the first in the UK with the power to levy charges on visitors, with Edinburgh likely to lead the way.
Tourist taxes are not new. The Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan has a longstanding policy of charging visitors a daily fee. France’s tax on overnight stays was introduced to assist thermal spa (温泉) towns to develop, and around half of French local authorities use it today.
But such levies are on the rise. Moves by Barcelona and Venice to deal with the phenomenon of “over-tourism” through the use of charges have recently gained prominence. Japan and Greece are among the countries to have recently introduced tourist taxes.
That the UK lags behind is due to our weak, by international standards, local government, as well as the opposition to taxes and regulation of our aggressively pro-market ruling party. Some UK cities have lobbied without success for the power to levy a charge on visitors. Such levies are no universal remedy as the amounts raised would be tiny compared with what has been taken away by central government since 2010. Still, it is to be hoped that the Scottish government’s bold move will prompt others to act. There is no reason why visitors to the UK, or domestic tourists on holiday in hotspots such as Cornwall, should be exempt from taxation—particularly when vital local services including waste collection, park maintenance and arts and culture spending are under unprecedented strain.
On the contrary, compelling tourists to make a financial contribution to the places they visit beyond their personal consumption should be part of a wider cultural shift. Westerners with disposable incomes have often behaved as if they have a right to go wherever they choose with little regard for the consequences. Just as the environmental harm caused by aviation and other transport must come under far greater scrutiny, the social cost of tourism must also be confronted. This includes the impact of short-term lets on housing costs and quality of life for residents. Several European capitals, including Paris and Berlin, are leading a campaign for tougher regulation by the European Union. It also includes the impact of overcrowding, litter and the kinds of behaviour associated with noisy parties.
There is no “one size fits all” solution to this problem. The existence of new revenue streams for some but not all councils is complicated, and businesses are often opposed, fearing higher costs will make them uncompetitive. But those places that want them must be given the chance to make tourist taxes work.
51. What do we learn from Nicola Sturgeon’s speech?
52. How come the UK has been slow in imposing the tourist tax?
53. Both international and domestic visitors in the UK should pay tourist tax so as to __________.
54. What does the author say about Western tourists?
55. What are UK people’s opinions about the levy of tourist tax?
Answers & Explanations (答案与解析)
Passage One
46. D。解析：题干问“最近的一篇研究论文声称了什么”。第二段第一句指出：...a recent paper claimed "differences in exam performance between pupils attending selective and non-selective schools mirror the genetic differences between them"（最近的一篇论文声称“就读于选择性和非选择性学校的小学生在考试成绩上的差异反映了他们之间的基因差异”）。并在随后说到这导致了大量关于“genetics determining academic success”（基因决定学业成功）的荒谬主张。这直接对应选项 D (Students’ academic performance is determined by their genes 学生的学业表现由他们的基因决定)。
47. A。解析：题干问“作者对最近的研究有什么看法”。第三段中作者明确表示，遗传论科学的核心主张（基因序列的变异可以预测个体的学习能力）是“a tall claim”（夸大的主张），并且“This is problematic on many levels”（这在许多层面上都是有问题的）。因此作者认为该研究的结果是值得怀疑的，对应选项 A (Its result was questionable 其结果值得怀疑)。
48. B。解析：题干问“作者关于DNA和智力之间的关系说了什么”。第三段倒数第二句指出：“At best there is a weak statistical association and not a causal link between DNA and intelligence.”（往好了说，DNA和智力之间只有微弱的统计关联，而没有因果联系）。not a causal link 即对应选项 B (It is not one of cause and effect 它不是因果关系)。
49. A。解析：题干问“遗传论者需要做什么才能使他们的主张令人信服”。第四段最后一句指出：“If hereditarians want to advance their cause it will require more balanced interpretation and not just acts of advocacy.”（如果遗传论者想要推进他们的事业，将需要更平衡的解释，而不仅仅是倡导行为）。“更平衡的解释”意味着在解释数据时要考虑到所有相关因素（如前文提到的 socio-economic background 和 external factors），对应选项 A (Take all relevant factors into account in interpreting their data 在解释数据时考虑到所有相关因素)。
50. D。解析：题干问“作者在文章中警告防范什么”。最后一段指出：“In understanding cognitive ability, we must not elevate discrimination to a science; allowing people to climb the ladder of life only as far as their cells might suggest.”（在理解认知能力时，我们绝不能将歧视提升为一门科学；仅仅允许人们爬到他们细胞所暗示的人生阶梯的高度）。我们绝不能把歧视披上科学的外衣，这对应选项 D (Promoting discrimination in the name of science 以科学的名义促进歧视)。
Passage Two
51. B。解析：题干问“从Nicola Sturgeon的演讲中我们了解到什么”。第一段指出：“Scottish councils are set to be the first in the UK with the power to levy charges on visitors...” (苏格兰委员会将成为英国首个有权对游客征收费用的机构...)。这意味着游客去苏格兰需要交税了，对应选项 B (Tourists will have to pay a tax to visit Scotland 游客访问苏格兰将不得不纳税)。
52. C。解析：题干问“为什么英国在征收旅游税方面进展缓慢”。第四段首句指出：“That the UK lags behind is due to our weak... local government, as well as the opposition to taxes and regulation of our aggressively pro-market ruling party.” (英国之所以落后，是因为我们软弱的地方政府，以及我们极度亲市场的执政党对税收和监管的反对)。这直接对应选项 C (Its ruling party is opposed to taxes and regulation 其执政党反对税收和监管)。
53. D。解析：题干问“英国的国际和国内游客都应该缴纳旅游税，以便______”。第四段最后一句指出，游客不应免税，特别是当“vital local services including waste collection, park maintenance and arts and culture spending are under unprecedented strain”（包括垃圾收集、公园维护以及文化艺术支出在内的重要地方服务正承受着史无前例的压力）的时候。征收旅游税可以缓解提供这些服务的压力，对应选项 D (ease its financial burden of providing local services 减轻其提供地方服务的财政负担)。
54. A。解析：题干问“作者关于西方游客说了什么”。第五段第二句指出：“Westerners with disposable incomes have often behaved as if they have a right to go wherever they choose with little regard for the consequences.” (有可支配收入的西方人通常表现得好像他们有权去任何他们选择的地方，而很少顾及后果)。随后的句子也强调了旅游的“social cost” (社会成本) 必须被面对。这说明西方游客不关心旅游带来的社会成本，对应选项 A (They don’t seem to care about the social cost of tourism 他们似乎不关心旅游业的社会成本)。
55. C。解析：题干问“英国民众对征收旅游税有何意见”。最后一段指出：“The existence of new revenue streams for some but not all councils is complicated, and businesses are often opposed, fearing higher costs... But those places that want them must be given the chance...” (对于部分而非全部议会来说，新收入来源的存在是复杂的，企业通常表示反对，担心成本上升……但那些想要这些税收的地方必须获得机会……)。一部分人(如议会/地方)想要征收，而企业(businesses)经常反对，说明人们的意见是存在分歧的，对应选项 C (Divided 存在分歧的)。
核心搭配与高分句型
【核心搭配与高频短语】
hard-wired into：天生具有的，硬接线到（personalities are hard-wired into our genes）
down to：归因于，是...的责任（This is down to “hereditarian” science）
take into account：考虑，顾及（once... background were taken into account）
in the name of：以...的名义（Promoting discrimination in the name of science）
lag behind：落后于（That the UK lags behind is due to...）
be exempt from：免除，豁免（should be exempt from taxation）
with little regard for：很少顾及，毫不关心（with little regard for the consequences）
【亮点句型解析】
That 引导的主语从句：
"That the UK lags behind is due to our weak... local government..."
（英国之所以落后，是由于我们软弱的地方政府……）`That the UK lags behind` 作为一个整体充当句子的主语，结构紧凑，高级感强，常用于说明某种现象的原因。
"That the UK lags behind is due to our weak... local government..."
（英国之所以落后，是由于我们软弱的地方政府……）`That the UK lags behind` 作为一个整体充当句子的主语，结构紧凑，高级感强，常用于说明某种现象的原因。
Just as... 比较状语从句：
"Just as the environmental harm caused by aviation and other transport must come under far greater scrutiny, the social cost of tourism must also be confronted."
（正如航空和其他交通工具造成的环境危害必须受到更严格的审查一样，旅游业的社会成本也必须受到正视。）`Just as A, B...`（正如A一样，B也……）通过类比论证增强说服力，语言极具逻辑性。
"Just as the environmental harm caused by aviation and other transport must come under far greater scrutiny, the social cost of tourism must also be confronted."
（正如航空和其他交通工具造成的环境危害必须受到更严格的审查一样，旅游业的社会成本也必须受到正视。）`Just as A, B...`（正如A一样，B也……）通过类比论证增强说服力，语言极具逻辑性。