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.
Selective colleges and universities in the U.S. are under fire for being too elite and too expensive, and for not training graduates for the world of work. Such charges ignore the fact that these institutions continue to prepare students for success in their work, for thoughtful engagement in civic life, for lifelong learning, and for understanding the world and those with whom they live.
These colleges and universities must be doing something right. Applications are at record highs, and their financial aid programs make them more accessible than ever. This model of education has long played a central role in creating opportunity, driving economic growth, and spurring innovation.
Yet, there is growing skepticism about the value of this model. The recent tax reform bill is a wake-up call that our strongest colleges and universities are under assault by some in government. The initial proposals would have made education unaffordable for many by taxing tuition waivers for graduate students and ending deductions for student loan interest. Thankfully, these provisions were ultimately stripped from the bill, but lawmakers let stand a new tax on the investment income of some colleges and universities.
While these attacks are motivated by misguided ideas, we need to do a better job of explaining why these claims are false and why what we do is valuable. We cannot take for granted that any of this is obvious.
It is often said that elite colleges and universities do not train students, particularly those who study the liberal arts, for the workforce. But this can be refuted by scholarly research. The data are clear: a liberal arts education is great career preparation, both for excellent lifetime earnings and for satisfaction with the work. This education develops the skills of critical thinking, rigorous analysis of data and facts, communication with the written and spoken word, understanding of cultural differences and issues, and the ability to keep learning. In fact, liberal arts graduates do extremely well in every imaginable field.
Access to an education at selective colleges and universities is now more available than ever to low-and middle-income families. We have built endowments from donations by alumni and parents who understand and appreciate our mission to provide access and opportunity, and a significant portion of the returns from these endowments is used to fund financial aid.
Ironically, the new tax on endowments drains financial aid funds from the very schools most able to offer opportunity to those who have earned a spot but cannot otherwise afford this education. Beyond the virtue of access to those who have earned a place at these schools, the diversity of economic backgrounds enhances the education and experience of all of our students.
46. What fact does the author emphasize concerning selective colleges and universities?
47. What does the author say in arguing for the model of education in the U.S.?
48. What do we learn about the initial proposals concerning the recent tax reform bill?
49. What do the data show about elite colleges and universities?
50. What is an advantage of providing financial aid for students?
Passage Two
Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.
When a group of Australians was asked why they believed climate change was not happening, about 36% said it was “common sense”, according to a report published last year by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization. This was the most popular reason for their opinion, with only 11% saying their belief that climate change was not happening was based on scientific research.
But what do we mean by an appeal to common sense? Presumably it’s an appeal to rationality of some sort that forms the basis of more complex reasoning. The appeal to common sense, however, is usually nothing more than an appeal to thinking that just feels right, but what feels right to one person may not feel right to another. Whether it feels right is usually a reflection of the world view and ideologies we have internalized, and that frames how we interact with new ideas. When new ideas are in accord with what we already believe, they are more readily accepted. When they are not, they, and the arguments that lead to them, are more readily rejected.
We often mistake this automatic compatibility testing of new ideas with existing beliefs as an application of common sense, but, in reality, it is more about judging than thinking. As Nobelist Daniel Kahneman notes in Thinking, Fast and Slow, when we arrive at conclusions in this way, the outcomes also feel true, regardless of whether they are. We are not psychologically well equipped to judge our own thinking.
We are also highly susceptible to a range of cognitive biases such as giving preference to the first things that come to mind when making decisions or giving weight to evidence.
One way we can check our internal biases and inconsistencies is through the social verification of knowledge, in which we test our ideas in a rigorous and systematic way to see if they make sense not just to us, but to other people. The outstanding example of this socially shared cognition is science.
That does not mean that individuals are not capable of excellent thinking, nor does it mean no individual is rational. But the extent to which individuals can do this on their own is a function of how well integrated they are with communities of systematic inquiry in the first place. You can’t learn to think well by yourself.
In matters of science at least, those who value their common sense over methodological, collaborative investigation imagine themselves to be more free in their thinking, unbound by involvement with the group, but in reality they are tightly bound by their capabilities and perspectives. We are smarter together than we are individually, and perhaps that’s just common sense.
51. What does the author intend to show by citing the findings from the report published last year?
52. What is the appeal to common sense according to the author?
53. What does Daniel Kahneman think is the problem of testing new ideas with existing beliefs?
54. What can we do to be less susceptible to cognitive biases?
55. What message does the author try to convey at the end of the passage?
Answers & Explanations (答案与解析)
Passage One
46. B。解析：题干问作者强调了关于精英大学和学院的什么事实。第一段指出了外界的批评（太精英、太昂贵、不为工作培训），然后作者反驳道：“Such charges ignore the fact that these institutions continue to prepare students for success in their work...” (这些指控忽视了这样一个事实：这些机构继续为学生在工作中的成功做准备...)。这对应选项 B (They have been doing well in ensuring their students a successful future，他们在确保学生有成功的未来方面做得很好)。
47. A。解析：题干问在为美国这种教育模式辩护时，作者说了什么。第二段最后一句提到：“This model of education has long played a central role in creating opportunity, driving economic growth, and spurring innovation.” (这种教育模式长期以来在创造机会、推动经济增长和刺激创新方面发挥了核心作用)。这说明它对国家整体发展做出了实质性贡献，对应选项 A (It has contributed substantially to the nation’s overall development)。
48. C。解析：题干问关于最近税制改革法案的最初提议，我们了解到什么。第三段指出：“The initial proposals would have made education unaffordable for many by taxing tuition waivers... and ending deductions for student loan interest.” (最初的提议将通过对研究生的学费减免征税和取消学生贷款利息扣除，使许多人负担不起教育)。负担不起即增加了财务负担，对应选项 C (They would have added to many students’ financial burden)。
49. D。解析：题干问数据展示了关于精英大学的什么信息。第五段指出：“The data are clear: a liberal arts education is great career preparation... In fact, liberal arts graduates do extremely well in every imaginable field.” (数据很清楚：文科教育是极好的职业准备...事实上，文科毕业生在每一个可以想象的领域都做得极其出色)。这对应选项 D (Their liberal arts education enables graduates to excel in whatever field they are in，他们的文科教育使毕业生能在他们所处的任何领域脱颖而出)。
50. B。解析：题干问为学生提供助学金的一个优势是什么。最后一段最后一句指出：“Beyond the virtue of access... the diversity of economic backgrounds enhances the education and experience of all of our students.” (除了提供机会的美德之外，经济背景的多样性增强了我们所有学生的教育和体验)。这对应选项 B (All students can benefit from a diversified student population，所有学生都能从多样化的学生群体中受益)。
Passage Two
51. A。解析：题干问作者引用去年发表的报告的发现旨在表明什么。第一段报告显示，36%的人不相信气候变化是因为“常识”，只有11%的人是基于科学研究。随后的第二段解释所谓的“常识”通常只是一种主观的“感觉对”(feels right)，而不是真正的理性思考(appeal to rationality)。因此，引用这个报告是为了说明人们在思考时很少诉诸真正的理性，对应选项 A (People seldom appeal to rationality in their thinking)。
52. D。解析：题干问作者认为诉诸常识是什么。第二段指出：“The appeal to common sense, however, is usually nothing more than an appeal to thinking that just feels right, but what feels right to one person may not feel right to another. Whether it feels right is usually a reflection of the world view and ideologies we have internalized...” (然而，诉诸常识通常只不过是诉诸于一种“感觉对”的思维，但是对一个人感觉对的事情对另一个人可能感觉不对。感觉对不对通常是我们内化的世界观和意识形态的反映...)。这意味着常识是基于一个人主观认为正确的东西，对应选项 D (It is something subjective based on what one perceives to be right)。
53. A。解析：题干问丹尼尔·卡尼曼认为用现有信念测试新想法的问题是什么。第三段引用他的话说：“...when we arrive at conclusions in this way, the outcomes also feel true, regardless of whether they are. We are not psychologically well equipped to judge our own thinking.” (...当我们以这种方式得出结论时，结果也感觉是真的，不管它们是否真的如此。我们在心理上并没有很好地装备来判断自己的思考)。这意味着这种方式得出的结论感觉是对的，但实际上可能是错的，容易导致错误的判断，对应选项 A (It may lead to incorrect judgment)。
54. C。解析：题干问为了减少受认知偏见的影响，我们可以做什么。第五段指出：“One way we can check our internal biases and inconsistencies is through the social verification of knowledge, in which we test our ideas in a rigorous and systematic way... The outstanding example of this socially shared cognition is science.” (我们可以检查内部偏见和不一致性的一种方法是通过知识的社会验证，在这种验证中，我们以严谨和系统的方式测试我们的想法...这种社会共享认知的杰出例子是科学)。对应选项 C (Establish socially shared cognition via scientific methods，通过科学方法建立社会共享的认知)。
55. D。解析：题干问作者在文章末尾试图传达什么信息。最后一段指出：“In matters of science at least, those who value their common sense over methodological, collaborative investigation imagine themselves to be more free in their thinking... but in reality they are tightly bound by their capabilities and perspectives. We are smarter together than we are individually...” (至少在科学问题上，那些看重常识胜过有方法的、协作调查的人，想象自己的思考更自由...但实际上他们被自己的能力和视角紧紧束缚。我们在一起比单独一个人更聪明...)。这强调了在科学探究中，协作的努力可以克服个人的局限性，对应选项 D (Collaborative efforts can overcome individual’s limitations in scientific inquiry)。