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
With obesity now affecting 29% of the population in England, and expected to rise to 35% by 2030, should we now recognise it as a disease? Obesity, in which excess body fat has accumulated to such an extent that health may be adversely affected, meets the dictionary definition of disease, argues Professor John Wilding. He points out that more than 200 genes influence weight. 'Thus body weight is strongly influenced by biology—it is not an individual's fault if they develop obesity.' Yet the widespread view is that obesity is self-induced and that it is entirely the individual's responsibility to do something about it. Recognising obesity as a chronic disease with severe complications rather than a lifestyle choice 'should help reduce the stigma and discrimination experienced by many people with obesity,' he adds.
Professor Wilding disagrees that labelling a high proportion of the population as having a disease removes personal responsibility or may overwhelm health services, pointing out that other common diseases, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, require people to take action to manage their condition. He suggests that most people with obesity will eventually develop complications. 'But unless we accept that obesity is a disease, we are not going to be able to tackle it,' he concludes.
But Dr. Richard Pile, a physician with a special interest in diabetes, argues that adopting this approach 'could actually result in worse outcomes for individuals and society.' He believes that the dictionary definition of disease 'is so vague that we can classify almost anything as a disease' and says the question is not whether we can, but whether we should, and to what end.
If labelling obesity as a disease was harmless then it wouldn't really matter, he writes. But labelling obesity as a disease 'risks reducing autonomy, disempowering and robbing people of the intrinsic motivation that is such an important enabler of change.' What's more, making obesity a disease 'may not benefit patients, but it will benefit healthcare providers and the pharmaceutical industry when health insurance and clinical guidelines promote treatment with drugs and surgery,' he warns.
46. What does Professor John Wilding argue about obesity?
47. What is the popular view of obesity?
48. Why are some people opposed to labelling obesity as a disease?
49. What does Dr. Richard Pile think of the dictionary definition of disease?
50. What is Dr. Richard Pile's concern about classifying obesity as a disease?
Passage Two
Nationwide, only about three percent of early childhood teachers are male in the U. S. Experts say this can have an impact on young children whose understanding of gender roles and identity are rapidly forming. Research has found that having access to diverse teachers is beneficial for children. For the youngest learners, it means they are more likely to get exposed to different varieties of play and communication. It also helps them develop healthy ideas around gender.
'In our world and our society, we have very specific stereotypes of gender roles,' said Mindi Reich-Shapiro, an assistant professor in the teacher education department of the Borough of Manhattan Community College, and one of the authors of a recent study. 'It's important for children to see other possibilities and other paths they can take.'
Despite mostly feeling supported by colleagues and family members, many of the male educators surveyed in the study reported facing social or cultural resistance in their careers as early education teachers. Some also reported that there were parents surprised or concerned that their child had a male teacher. And they had been advised by colleagues or other staff not to hug children.
Reich-Shapiro and fellow researchers made several recommendations to increase male representation in the field. Low pay has long been acknowledged as a major issue in the early childhood field. Over 70% of male educators who said they intended to stay in the early education workforce noted an increased salary was a major motivating factor for them to commit to the career long-term. The report suggests paying all early childhood educators the way elementary school teachers are paid.
Cities and programs should establish support groups for male early childhood educators and provide mentoring and professional development advice for male educators and their program leaders. The authors also suggest that traditional recruitment approaches for early childhood educators 'do not address the gender gap in the field.' They recommend providing young men opportunities to work with children through training and volunteer programs, targeting groups of men who are considering a career change, such as fathers.
51. What do we learn from the first paragraph about early childhood education in the U. S.?
52. What does Mindi Reich-Shapiro emphasize in her comment on childhood education?
53. What do we learn about male teachers from their responses in the study?
54. What is needed for men to commit to early childhood education?
55. What do the authors of the study recommend to bridge the gender gap in early childhood education?
Answers & Explanations
Passage One: Is Obesity a Disease?
46. C。解析：第一段指出 John Wilding 认为肥胖符合疾病的定义，并指出超过 200 个基因影响体重，因此肥胖受到生物学（biology）的强烈影响，即认为它是一种遗传性/生物学疾病。
47. D。解析：第一段中间提到 widespread view is that obesity is self-induced... individual's responsibility，即普遍认为肥胖是自找的，是个人的责任，对应缺乏自我控制。
48. A。解析：第二段开头提到 Wilding 不同意“将高比例人口贴上疾病标签会消除个人责任（removes personal responsibility）”，暗示反对者担心人们一旦觉得这是病，就不再觉得自己有责任采取行动了。
49. B。解析：第三段 Dr. Richard Pile 认为字典对疾病的定义“如此模糊（so vague），以至于我们可以把任何东西归类为疾病”，即认为定义太宽泛，缺乏清晰度。
50. D。解析：最后一段提到 making obesity a disease "may not benefit patients"，且会剥夺人们改变的内在动力（intrinsic motivation），说明他担心这并不能真正让患者获益。
全文翻译
目前，肥胖影响着英格兰29%的人口，预计到2030年将上升到35%，我们现在是否应该将其认定为一种疾病？John Wilding教授认为，肥胖——即体内多余的脂肪积累到可能对健康产生不利影响的程度——符合疾病的字典定义。他指出，超过200个基因影响体重。「因此，体重受到生物学的强烈影响——如果一个人发展成肥胖，这不是个人的错。」然而，普遍的认知是，肥胖是自我导致的，完全是个人的责任来解决它。他补充说，将肥胖认定为一种伴随严重并发症的慢性疾病，而不是一种生活方式的选择，「应该有助于减少许多肥胖者所经历的污名化和歧视。」Wilding教授不同意将大量人口标记为患有某种疾病会消除个人责任或可能使医疗服务不堪重负的说法，他指出其他常见疾病，如高血压和糖尿病，也需要人们采取行动来管理自己的状况。他认为，大多数肥胖者最终会发展出并发症。「但除非我们接受肥胖是一种疾病，否则我们无法解决它，」他总结道。但对糖尿病特别感兴趣的医生Richard Pile博士认为，采用这种方法「实际上可能导致对个人和社会更糟的结果。」他认为，疾病的字典定义「是如此模糊，以至于我们几乎可以把任何东西归类为疾病」，并说问题不是我们能不能，而是我们应不应该，以及出于什么目的。他写道，如果给肥胖贴上疾病的标签是无害的，那么这真的无所谓。但给肥胖贴上疾病的标签「有可能减少自主性，剥夺人们的权力，并抢走作为变革重要推动力的内在动机。」他警告说，此外，将肥胖变成一种疾病「可能不会使患者受益，但当健康保险和临床指南推广药物和手术治疗时，它将使医疗服务提供者和制药行业受益。」
Passage Two: Male Teachers in Early Education
51. C。解析：第一段首句提到全美仅有 3% 的幼师是男性，专家认为这会对性别角色认知正在形成的幼儿产生影响（have an impact），暗示缺乏男老师带来了负面影响。
52. A。解析：第二段 Shapiro 提到 children to see other possibilities and other paths，即让孩子看到更多的可能性，对应拓宽视野（broadening horizons）。
53. D。解析：第三段提到 male educators reported facing social or cultural resistance，即他们在职业生涯中面临社会或文化阻力，对应被社会和文化偏见对待。
54. A。解析：第四段指出 70% 的男教师认为增加薪水（increased salary）是让他们长期投身该事业的主要动力。
55. B。解析：最后一段建议通过培训、志愿项目、针对职业转型群体等方式提供机会，即采取措施吸引潜在的（prospective）男性教师。
全文翻译
在全美范围，美国只有约3%的幼儿教师是男性。专家表示，这可能对幼儿产生影响，因为他们对性别角色和身份的理解正在迅速形成。研究发现，接触到多样化的教师对孩子是有益的。对于最年幼的学习者来说，这意味着他们更有可能接触到不同类型的游戏和交流。这也有助于他们形成关于性别的健康观念。「在我们的世界和社会中，我们对性别角色有着非常具体的刻板印象，」曼哈顿社区学院教师教育系的助理教授Mindi Reich-Shapiro说，她是最近一项研究的作者之一。「让孩子们看到其他可能性和他们可以走的其他道路是很重要的。」尽管大多数接受调查的男性教育者在职业生涯中都感受到了来自同事和家庭成员的支持，但研究中许多男性教育者报告称，他们在从事幼儿教育教师的职业生涯中面临社会或文化上的阻力。还有一些人报告说，有家长对孩子的老师是男性感到惊讶或担忧。而且他们曾被同事或其他工作人员建议不要拥抱孩子。Reich-Shapiro和她的同事们提出了几项建议，以增加该领域男性代表的数量。低工资长期以来一直被认为是幼儿教育领域的一个主要问题。超过70%表示打算留在幼儿教育领域的男性教育者指出，薪资提升是他们长期投入这一职业的主要激励因素。报告建议像支付小学教师工资一样支付所有幼儿教育者的工资。各城市和项目应为男性幼儿教育者建立支持小组，并为男性教育者及其项目领导提供指导和专业发展建议。作者还建议，传统的幼儿教育者招聘方式「没有解决该领域的性别差距问题。」他们建议通过培训和志愿者项目为年轻男性提供与儿童一起工作的机会，并针对正在考虑职业转变的男性群体，如父亲们。
核心搭配与高分句型
【核心搭配与高频短语】
- adversely affected：受到不利影响
- dictionary definition：字典定义
- lifestyle choice：生活方式选择
- reduce the stigma：减少耻辱感 / 消除污名化
- overwhelm health services：使医疗服务不堪重负
- robbing people of motivation：剥夺人们的动力
- gender roles and identity：性别角色与身份
- social or cultural resistance：社会或文化阻力
- motivating factor：动力因素
- bridge the gender gap：弥合性别差距
【亮点句型解析】
- The question is not whether we can, but whether we should... (对比句型)：
"The question is not whether we can, but whether we should, and to what end."
（问题不在于我们能不能，而在于我们应不应该，以及目的是什么。）使用 `not... but...` 结构非常清晰地界定了争议的核心，在四级写作中表达深刻思考时非常有力。 - ...not just... but... (递进强调)：
"Making obesity a disease may not benefit patients, but it will benefit healthcare providers..."
（将肥胖定义为疾病可能不会让患者获益，但却会让医疗服务提供者获益...）这种对比揭示了现象背后的利益冲突，增加了文章的批判性深度。