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.
The “American Dream” promises that in the Land of Opportunity, any individual can climb the economic ladder and prosper through hard work and ambition alone. And yet. young Americans today are struggling to earn more than their parents did at the same age, and upward mobility in the US actually compares unfavourably to that of other industrialised nations.
So why does the idea of the American Dream persist? A new study in the American Journal of Political Science identifies one factor that has been overlooked: the influence of reality TV.
Reality shows have come to dominate US television over the past 20 years, notes Eunji Kim from Vanderbilt University. And the overwhelming majority of these have a “rags-to-riches” storyline: they feature ordinary Americans who work hard to achieve great economic success. And while these programmes are regularly among the most-watched shows, news broadcasts—which paint a more realistic view of the economic hardship faced by millions of Americans—get a much smaller proportion of the viewership.
Rags-to-riches stories are ubiquitous on TV—but does watching these programmes actually convince people that economic mobility is easily attainable? To find out, Kim's team had participants watch a 5-minute clip from a reality show with a rags-to-riches storyline. Control participants watched a clip from a reality show that didn't have a rags-to-riches story. After watching the shows, participants rated how much they agreed with four statements relating to the American Dream.
The results showed that those who'd watched a rags-to-riches clip did indeed have a significantly greater belief in the American Dream. Interestingly, when participants were separated by party affiliation, this effect was significant among Republicans but not Democrats, suggesting that the kind of messages implicit in these TV shows may play into people's existing socioeconomic beliefs.
Kim also conducted a survey of 3,000 US residents. They also rated the extent to which they believed success in life is related to various internal factors (such as ambition) and external factors (such as family wealth). Finally, they read a list of TV programmes and indicated which they regularly watched.
Participants who were heavy viewers of rags-to-riches programmes or frequent viewers had a stronger belief in the American Dream than those who never watched such shows.
Kim concludes that “rags-to-riches entertainment media are an important cultural force that promotes and perpetuates beliefs in upward mobility”. And here's the problem: if people mistakenly believe that hard work is all that is needed for individuals to make a better life for themselves, they may be less supportive of policies that could actually combat inequality.
“In this era of choice, entertainment media are what captures hearts and minds,” Kim writes. “Its political consequences are anything but trivial”.
46. What do we learn from the passage about young Americans of today?
47. What does Kim's team find about reality TV shows in America?
48. What does the author say about news broadcasts in America?
49. What can we infer from the passage about Republicans in general?
50. What is stated about people who believe in upward mobility?
Passage Two
Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.
When someone asks us 'what do you do?' we nearly always reply with our occupation. Work, for many of us, is much more than a job. It is the defining aspect of our identity. For many of us it is through our job that we can define ourselves.
“Without my job I don't know who I am,” is a sentence that has been uttered on more than a handful of occasions from my office chair. Indeed, it can be one of the most challenging aspects I work on with clients who have lost or been forced into changing their jobs. This loss provokes an identity crisis much greater than the loss of the job itself.
One of the things I have come to understand, however, is that our identity is much more complex than we recognise at first glance. If we take the time to reflect we might recognise that as well as our work we can also identify as a friend, a spouse, a son or daughter, a parent, a member of a sports team or religious community. We may recognise that we feel and act differently in these roles and relationships than we do at work. The passive daughter becomes an assertive leader at work. Furthermore, our identities at work are not static. They change over time. I myself have been a shop assistant, a waitress, a student, a graduate, and a clinical psychologist. At each stage my ability to adapt to and develop my career identity has been crucial to my wellbeing. Whilst we like to eliminate uncertainty in our lives at some level we have to manage uncertainty, especially in today's volatile and ever-shifting job market.
How we see ourselves is central to the issue of our identity. When we tell ourselves “I'm good at starting projects but not so great at seeing them through.” it can become part of our belief system. But if you have the unfortunate experience of an enforced job change you will need to examine those beliefs to see how grounded in reality they are. You will be required to ask yourself how helpful these beliefs are and consider personal change. We can change our beliefs, behaviours and emotional experience at any time through experimentation, practice and conscious self-discipline. In an age where career progression may lead us into new sectors it is ever more important to challenge our sense of self and explore whether you can create a new experience of your identity by changing the beliefs you hold about yourself in order to expand your career options. Ultimately it is you who define who you are. You are only your job if you let it be so.
51. What do we learn from the passage about one's loss of a job?
52. What has the author come to understand about our identity?
53. What does the passage say about our identities at work?
54. What do we have to do in today's ever-changing job market?
55. What should we do to expand our career options?
Answers & Explanations
46. B。解析：题干问关于当今美国年轻人的情况。根据 Passage One 第一段 “young Americans today are struggling to earn more than their parents... and upward mobility in the US actually compares unfavourably to that of other industrialised nations.”（当今美国年轻人很难赚得比父母多，向上流动性不如其他工业化国家）。对应选项 B (很难实现向上流动)。
47. C。解析：题干问 Kim 的团队对美国真人秀发现了什么。根据 Passage One 第五段和第七段 “The results showed that those who'd watched a rags-to-riches clip did indeed have a significantly greater belief in the American Dream.”（结果显示，看了从赤贫到巨富片段的人确实对美国梦有更大的信念）。对应选项 C (加强人们对美国梦的信念，conviction 同义替换 belief)。
48. A。解析：题干问作者对美国新闻广播的看法。根据 Passage One 第三段 “while these programmes are regularly among the most-watched shows, news broadcasts... get a much smaller proportion of the viewership.”（虽然这些真人秀经常是收视率最高的节目，但新闻广播的观众比例却小得多）。对应选项 A (观众远少于真人秀)。
49. A。解析：题干问关于共和党人能推断出什么。根据 Passage One 第五段 “this effect was significant among Republicans but not Democrats, suggesting that the kind of messages implicit in these TV shows may play into people's existing socioeconomic beliefs.”（这种影响在共和党人中很显著...这表明这些电视节目可能迎合了人们现有的信念）。说明共和党人本来就笃信美国梦。对应选项 A (强烈相信美国梦)。
50. D。解析：题干问相信向上流动的人会怎样。根据 Passage One 第八段 “if people mistakenly believe that hard work is all that is needed... they may be less supportive of policies that could actually combat inequality.”（他们可能不太支持真正对抗不平等的政策）。对应选项 D (不太可能批准对抗不平等的政策，approve of 同义替换 supportive of)。
51. C。解析：题干问关于失业的描述。根据 Passage Two 第二段 “Without my job I don't know who I am... This loss provokes an identity crisis much greater than the loss of the job itself.”（没有工作我不知道我是谁...失业引发的身份危机远大于失去工作本身）。产生身份危机意味着不知道自己是谁。对应选项 C (使他们对自己是谁感到困惑)。
52. D。解析：题干问作者对身份的理解。根据 Passage Two 第三段 “our identity is much more complex than we recognise at first glance.”（我们的身份比我们乍看之下认识到的要复杂得多）。对应选项 D (比看起来更复杂，complicated 同义替换 complex)。
53. B。解析：题干问我们在工作中的身份。根据 Passage Two 第三段 “Furthermore, our identities at work are not static. They change over time.”（此外，我们在工作中的身份不是静态的。它们随时间改变）。对应选项 B (随着时间的推移而演变，evolve 同义替换 change)。
54. D。解析：题干问在当今不断变化的就业市场中我们必须做什么。根据 Passage Two 第三段最后一句 “Whilst we like to eliminate uncertainty in our lives at some level we have to manage uncertainty, especially in today's volatile and ever-shifting job market.”（我们必须管理不确定性，尤其是在今天这个动荡和不断变化的就业市场中）。对应选项 D (学会应对不确定性)。
55. A。解析：题干问我们应该做什么来扩大职业选择。根据 Passage Two 第四段 “explore whether you can create a new experience of your identity by changing the beliefs you hold about yourself in order to expand your career options.”（通过改变你对自己的信念...为了扩大你的职业选择）。对应选项 A (改变我们对自己的认知，alter our perceptions 同义替换 changing the beliefs)。
核心搭配与高分句型
【核心搭配与高频短语】
● upward mobility：向上流动性，阶层跨越（upward mobility in the US actually compares unfavourably...）
● rags-to-riches：从赤贫到巨富（a “rags-to-riches” storyline）
● combat inequality：对抗不平等（policies that could actually combat inequality）
● identity crisis：身份危机（provokes an identity crisis much greater than the loss of the job itself）
● manage uncertainty：管理/应对不确定性（we have to manage uncertainty）
【亮点句型解析】
While 引导的让步/对比状语从句：
"And while these programmes are regularly among the most-watched shows, news broadcasts—which paint a more realistic view of the economic hardship faced by millions of Americans—get a much smaller proportion of the viewership."
（虽然这些节目经常是收视率最高的节目，但描绘了数百万美国人面临的经济困难的更现实画面的新闻广播，获得的观众比例却小得多。）`While` 在此表示强烈的对比关系，插入的非限制性定语从句（`which paint...`）更是深化了新闻与真人秀在真实性上的差异。
"And while these programmes are regularly among the most-watched shows, news broadcasts—which paint a more realistic view of the economic hardship faced by millions of Americans—get a much smaller proportion of the viewership."
（虽然这些节目经常是收视率最高的节目，但描绘了数百万美国人面临的经济困难的更现实画面的新闻广播，获得的观众比例却小得多。）`While` 在此表示强烈的对比关系，插入的非限制性定语从句（`which paint...`）更是深化了新闻与真人秀在真实性上的差异。
It 作形式主语的强调句与条件状语从句组合：
"In an age where career progression may lead us into new sectors it is ever more important to challenge our sense of self and explore whether you can create a new experience of your identity by changing the beliefs you hold about yourself in order to expand your career options."
（在这个职业发展可能引导我们进入新领域的时代，挑战我们的自我意识变得前所未有的重要，我们要探索是否能通过改变你对自己的信念来创造一种全新的身份体验，从而扩大你的职业选择。）这句话层层递进，从时代背景（`In an age where...`），到核心论点（`it is important to...`），再到具体做法（`by changing...`）和最终目的（`in order to...`），展示了极高的语言驾驭能力。
"In an age where career progression may lead us into new sectors it is ever more important to challenge our sense of self and explore whether you can create a new experience of your identity by changing the beliefs you hold about yourself in order to expand your career options."
（在这个职业发展可能引导我们进入新领域的时代，挑战我们的自我意识变得前所未有的重要，我们要探索是否能通过改变你对自己的信念来创造一种全新的身份体验，从而扩大你的职业选择。）这句话层层递进，从时代背景（`In an age where...`），到核心论点（`it is important to...`），再到具体做法（`by changing...`）和最终目的（`in order to...`），展示了极高的语言驾驭能力。