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

Boredom has become trendy. Studies point to how boredom is good for creativity and innovation, as well as mental health. It is found that people are more creative following the completion of a tedious task. When people are bored, they have an increase in “associative thought”—the process of making new connections between ideas, which is linked to innovative thinking. These studies are impressive, but in reality, the benefits of boredom may be related to having time to clear your mind, be quiet, or daydream.

In our stimulation-rich world, it seems unrealistic that boredom could occur at all. Yet, there are valid reasons boredom may feel so painful. As it turns out, boredom might signal the fact that you have a need that isn't being met.

Our always-on world of social media may result in more connections, but they are superficial and can get in the way of building a real sense of belonging. Feeling bored may signal the desire for a greater sense of community and the feeling that you fit in with others around you. So take the step of joining an organization to build face-to-face relationships. You'll find depth that you won't get from your screen no matter how many likes you get on your post.

Similar to the need for belonging, bored people often report that they feel a limited sense of meaning. It's a fundamental human need to have a larger purpose and to feel like we're part of something bigger than ourselves. When people are bored, they're more likely to feel less meaning in their lives. If you want to reduce boredom and increase your sense of meaning, seek work where you can make a unique contribution, or find a cause you can support with your time and talent.

If your definition of boredom is being quiet, mindful, and reflective, keep it up. But if you're struggling with real boredom and the emptiness it provokes, consider whether you might seek new connections and more significant challenges. These are the things that will genuinely relieve boredom and make you more effective in the process.

46. What have studies found about boredom?

A) It facilitates innovative thinking.

B) It is a result of doing boring tasks.

C) It helps people connect with others.

D) It does harm to one's mental health.

47. What does the author say boredom might indicate?

A) A need to be left alone.

B) A desire to be fulfilled.

C) A conflict to be resolved.

D) A feeling to be validated.

48. What do we learn about social media from the passage?

A) It may be an obstacle to expanding one's connections.

B) It may get in the way of enhancing one's social status.

C) It may prevent people from developing a genuine sense of community.

D) It may make people feel that they ought to fit in with the outside world.

49. What does the author suggest people do to get rid of boredom?

A) Count the likes they get on their posts.

B) Reflect on how they relate to others.

C) Engage in real-life interactions.

D) Participate in online discussions.

50. What should people do to enhance their sense of meaning?

A) Try to do something original.

B) Confront significant challenges.

C) Define boredom in their unique way.

D) Devote themselves to a worthy cause.

Passage Two

Can you remember what you ate yesterday? If asked, most people will be able to give a vague description of their main meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner. But can you be sure you've noted every snack bar in your car, or every handful of nuts at your desk? Most people will have a feeling that they've missed something out.

We originally had this suspicion back in 2016, puzzled by the fact that national statistics showed calorie consumption falling dramatically over past decades. We found reliable evidence that people were drastically under-reporting what they ate.

Now the Office for National Statistics has confirmed that we are consuming 50% more calories than our national statistics claim.

Why is this happening? We can point to at least three potential causes. One is the rise in obesity levels itself. Under-reporting rates are much higher for obese people, because they simply consume more food, and thus have more to remember.

Another cause is that the proportion of people who are trying to lose weight has been increasing over time. People who want to lose weight are more likely to under-report their eating—regardless of whether they are overweight or not. This may be driven partly by self-deception or “wishful thinking”.

The final potential cause is an increase in snacking and eating out over recent decades—both in terms of how often they happen and how much they contribute to our overall energy intake. Again, there is evidence that food consumed out of the home is one of the most poorly recorded categories in surveys.

So, what's the message conveyed? For statistics, we should invest in more accurate measurement options. For policy, we need to focus on options that make it easy for people to eat fewer calories. If people do not know how much they are eating, it can be really hard for them to stick to a diet. Also, we should be looking for new ways to ensure what people eat wouldn't have much impact on their waistlines. If this works, it won't matter if they can't remember what they ate yesterday.

51. What did the author suspect back in 2016?

A) Calorie consumption had fallen drastically over the decades.

B) Most people surveyed were reluctant to reveal what they ate.

C) The national statistics did not reflect the actual calorie consumption.

D) Most people did not include snacks when reporting their calorie intake.

52. What has the Office for National Statistics verified?

A) People's calorie intake was far from accurately reported.

B) The missing out of main meals leads to the habit of snacking.

C) The nation's obesity level has much to do with calorie intake.

D) Calorie consumption is linked to the amount of snacks one eats.

53. What do we learn about obese people from the passage?

A) They usually keep their eating habits a secret.

B) They overlook the potential causes of obesity.

C) They cannot help eating more than they should.

D) They have difficulty recalling what they have eaten.

54. What often goes unnoticed in surveys on food consumption?

A) The growing trend of eating out.

B) The potential causes of snacking.

C) People's home energy consumption.

D) Food consumed out of the home.

55. What does the author suggest policymakers do about obesity?

A) Remind people to cut down on snacking.

B) Make sure people eat non-fattening food.

C) Ensure people don't miss their main meals.

D) See that people don't stick to the same diet.

Answers & Explanations

Passage One: The Two Sides of Boredom

46. A。解析：题干问研究对“无聊”有什么发现。第一段指出：When people are bored, they have an increase in “associative thought”... which is linked to innovative thinking（当人们感到无聊时，他们的“联想思维”会增加...这与创新思维有关），对应选项 A (It facilitates innovative thinking 促进创新思维)。

47. B。解析：题干问作者认为无聊可能暗示了什么。第二段末尾指出：boredom might signal the fact that you have a need that isn't being met（无聊可能预示着你有一种未被满足的需求），对应选项 B (A desire to be fulfilled 一种渴望被满足的需求)。

48. C。解析：题干问关于社交媒体我们能了解到什么。第三段指出：social media may result in more connections, but they are superficial and can get in the way of building a real sense of belonging（社交媒体可能带来更多联系，但它们是肤浅的，可能会阻碍建立真正的归属感），对应选项 C (It may prevent people from developing a genuine sense of community 它可能会阻止人们发展出真正的社区/归属感)。

49. C。解析：题干问作者建议人们做什么来摆脱无聊。第三段末尾指出：So take the step of joining an organization to build face-to-face relationships（所以迈出加入组织的一步来建立面对面的关系），对应选项 C (Engage in real-life interactions 参与现实生活中的互动)。

50. D。解析：题干问人们应该怎么做来增强他们的意义感。第四段末尾指出：If you want to... increase your sense of meaning... find a cause you can support with your time and talent（如果想增加意义感...找一个你可以用时间和才华支持的事业），对应选项 D (Devote themselves to a worthy cause 致力于一项有价值的事业)。

Passage Two: The Calorie Under-reporting Mystery

51. C。解析：题干问作者在2016年怀疑什么。第二段首句指出：We originally had this suspicion back in 2016, puzzled by the fact that national statistics showed calorie consumption falling dramatically... We found reliable evidence that people were drastically under-reporting what they ate（我们早在2016年就有这种怀疑，对国家统计数据大幅下降感到困惑...我们发现人们大幅漏报了他们吃的东西），对应选项 C (The national statistics did not reflect the actual calorie consumption 国家统计数据没有反映实际的卡路里消耗量)。

52. A。解析：题干问国家统计局证实了什么。第三段指出：confirmed that we are consuming 50% more calories than our national statistics claim（证实我们消耗的卡路里比国家统计数据声称的多50%），也就是报告很不准确，对应选项 A (People's calorie intake was far from accurately reported 人们的卡路里摄入量远未被准确报告)。

53. D。解析：题干问关于肥胖者我们能了解到什么。第四段指出：Under-reporting rates are much higher for obese people, because they simply consume more food, and thus have more to remember（肥胖者的漏报率更高，因为他们吃的食物更多，因此要记住的东西也更多），说明他们很难记全，对应选项 D (They have difficulty recalling what they have eaten 他们很难回忆起他们吃了什么)。

54. D。解析：题干问在食品消费调查中什么经常被忽视。第六段末尾指出：there is evidence that food consumed out of the home is one of the most poorly recorded categories in surveys（有证据表明，在外消费的食物是调查中记录最差的类别之一），对应选项 D (Food consumed out of the home 在外消费的食物)。

55. B。解析：题干问作者对决策者关于肥胖问题的建议。最后一段指出：we should be looking for new ways to ensure what people eat wouldn't have much impact on their waistlines（我们应该寻找新方法来确保人们吃的东西不会对他们的腰围产生太大影响），即让食物不容易使人发胖，对应选项 B (Make sure people eat non-fattening food 确保人们吃不容易发胖的食物)。

核心搭配与高分句型

【核心搭配与高频短语】

• get in the way of：妨碍，阻碍（get in the way of building a real sense of belonging）
• fit in with：融入，适应（fit in with others around you）
• miss out：漏掉，省略（missed something out）
• under-report：少报，漏报（under-reporting what they ate）
• regardless of：不管，不顾（regardless of whether they are overweight or not）
• wishful thinking：一厢情愿的想法，痴心妄想
• in terms of：在...方面，就...而言（both in terms of how often they happen and...）
• stick to a diet：坚持饮食/节食计划
• have an impact on：对...产生影响（have much impact on their waistlines）

【亮点句型解析】

• As it turns out (插入语/状语)：
  "As it turns out, boredom might signal the fact that you have a need that isn't being met."
  （事实证明，无聊可能预示着你有一种需求未被满足。）`As it turns out` 常用于引出与预期不同或经过探究后得出的真相，在四级阅读中是极其重要的观点提示词。
• Regardless of whether... (让步状语从句)：
  "People who want to lose weight are more likely to under-report their eating—regardless of whether they are overweight or not."
  （想要减肥的人更可能少报他们的饮食——不管他们是否超重。）`regardless of whether` 结构常用于表达某种现象的绝对性或普遍性，不受条件限制，逻辑非常严密。