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

Online classes began to be popularized just a few decades ago. They are advertised as a way for adults to finish their education and students to learn the material at their own pace—it is far more compatible for people with busy schedules.

But after being enrolled in an online course last fall semester, I came to realize online classes were merely a means to fulfil course requirements.

First of all, students lack the desire to learn, and they simply complete their assignments to receive credit for a passing grade rather than genuinely engage with the course material.

As online courses tend to have more than 100 students, most of the assignments are short and simple. They are not designed for students to interact with the material in depth but designed to be graded easily to accommodate such a large number of students.

Perhaps the biggest disadvantage of taking an online class is the absence of face-to-face interaction between the teacher and their students. Live sessions are infrequent and are often scheduled during the middle of the day when students have to attend other classes or work. The office hours of the professor may also be during inconvenient times for many students as well. Most interaction with the professor has to be through email which is often impersonal. It is nearly impossible for students to build a relationship with their professor.

There is also little interaction amongst students. It can be harder for students to create study groups and form relationships with their peers.

Online classes also require either a computer or laptop and a reliable internet connection. Not all students have access to these types of resources, whether it is for financial or other reasons, and some students can be put at a disadvantage.

Offering online classes certainly helps students who would otherwise not be able to attend classroom sessions. However, they fail to provide a genuine education with an emphasis on convenience rather than critical thinking. We need restructured online classes in which students can have a learning experience that will actually provide quality education.

46. What does the author say about students enrolled in online classes?

A) They can access course materials easily.

B) They are unmotivated to learn.

C) They can learn at their own pace.

D) They rarely fulfil the course requirements.

47. What does the author think of online course assignments?

A) They are made convenient to mark.

B) They are meant to facilitate interaction.

C) They are based on easily accessible material.

D) They are given to accommodate students' needs.

48. What does the author say is one disadvantage of online classes?

A) They are frequently scheduled at irregular times.

B) They make professors' offices much less accessible.

C) They tend to increase professors' burden of responding to students' emails.

D) They provide little chance for students to build relationships with each other.

49. What problem may arise if classes go online?

A) More students may find it easy to be absent from them.

B) Teachers will worry about poor internet connections.

C) Some students may have difficulty attending them.

D) Schools with limited resources will be at a disadvantage.

50. What does the author think constitutes a key part of genuine education?

A) Acquisition of useful knowledge.

B) Training of real-life skills on campus.

C) Development of students' personalities.

D) Cultivation of analytical thinking ability.

Passage Two

In the age of the internet, there's no such thing as a private debate. But is that bad for science? Some scientists have had concerns. When debates in any sector move beyond the halls of universities and government agencies, there's potential for information to be used incorrectly, leading to public confusion; yet, open debate can also promote communication between the scientific community and the public. Recent open debates on scientific research, health, and policy have aroused greater public attention and encouraged more diverse voices. If this trend spurs scientists to agree more quickly about the best solutions to our problems—and at the same time helps the public observe the process of scientific discourse more clearly—then this is good for everyone, including scientists.

A recent debate published in The New York Times discussed the question of how quickly medicine should be developed and produced. Issues such as safety of the product and perception of the public were examined and considered. But some experts worried that such public speculation might lead people to believe that disagreement about the details meant a lack of adequate scientific consensus over the safety and efficiency of modern-day medicine.

The anxiety seems misplaced. Gone are the days of going to a conference and debating scientific issues, and that's good because those gatherings were not diverse enough and excluded many important voices. These days, the public can access debates about science regardless of where they take place.

For many scientists, public debate is a new frontier and it may feel like a place with few restraints or rules, but rather than avoiding such conversations, let the debates be transparent and vigorous, wherever they are held. If the public is to understand that science is an honorably self-correcting process, the idea that science is a fixed set of facts in a textbook needs to be dismissed. With the validity of science coming under attack, there's a need for scientific debates to be perceived as open and true to life. Let everyone see the noisy, messy deliberations that advance science and lead to decisions that benefit us all.

51. What does the author think open debate can do?

A) Help the public to better understand science.

B) Clear up confusion in the scientific community.

C) Settle disputes between universities and government agencies.

D) Prevent information from being used incorrectly by the public.

52. Why did a recent debate published in The New York Times arouse concerns among experts?

A) It might hinder the progress in medical research.

B) It might breed public distrust in modern medicine.

C) It might add to the difficulty of getting research funds.

D) It might prevent medical scientists reaching consensus.

53. Why does the author say some experts' anxiety seems misplaced?

A) Debating scientific issues at a conference is now old-fashioned.

B) Diverse topics can be debated by both scientists and the public.

C) Debates about science are accessible to the public anyway.

D) Scientists can voice their opinions whatever way they like.

54. What does the author suggest scientists do about public debate?

A) Have more discussions about it.

B) Embrace it with open arms.

C) Formulate new rules for it.

D) Restrain it to a rational degree.

55. What does the author say about science in the last paragraph?

A) It is transmitted through textbooks.

B) It is what proves valid and true to life.

C) It is a dynamic and self-improving process.

D) It is a collection of facts and established rules.

Answers & Explanations

Passage One: The Reality of Online Classes

46. B。解析：题干问作者对参加在线课程的学生有什么看法。第三段首句明确指出：First of all, students lack the desire to learn（首先，学生缺乏学习的渴望），对应 B 选项 (They are unmotivated to learn 他们没有学习的动力)。

47. A。解析：题干问作者认为在线课程的作业怎么样。第四段指出：They are not designed for students to interact with the material in depth but designed to be graded easily（它们的设计目的不是让学生深入研究材料，而是为了容易评分），对应 A 选项 (They are made convenient to mark 它们被设计成方便批改的)。

48. D。解析：题干问作者指出的在线课程的一个缺点是什么。第六段指出：There is also little interaction amongst students. It can be harder for students to create study groups and form relationships with their peers（学生之间也很少互动。学生更难建立学习小组和与同伴建立关系），对应 D 选项 (They provide little chance for students to build relationships with each other 它们很少给学生提供建立相互关系的机会)。

49. C。解析：题干问如果课程放到线上，可能会产生什么问题。第七段指出：Not all students have access to these types of resources, whether it is for financial or other reasons, and some students can be put at a disadvantage（不是所有学生都能获得这些资源——指电脑和网络——无论是因为经济还是其他原因，一些学生可能会处于劣势），说明部分学生无法顺利上课，对应 C 选项 (Some students may have difficulty attending them 一些学生可能有困难参加它们)。

50. D。解析：题干问作者认为什么构成了真正教育的关键部分。最后一段指出：they fail to provide a genuine education with an emphasis on convenience rather than critical thinking（他们未能提供真正的教育，因为他们强调便利而不是批判性思维），反过来说真正的教育应该强调批判性思维，对应 D 选项 (Cultivation of analytical thinking ability 分析性思维能力的培养)。

Passage Two: Public Debate in Science

51. A。解析：题干问作者认为公开辩论能带来什么。第一段末尾指出：helps the public observe the process of scientific discourse more clearly—then this is good for everyone（帮助公众更清晰地观察科学论述的过程——这对所有人都有好处），对应 A 选项 (Help the public to better understand science 帮助公众更好地理解科学)。

52. B。解析：题干问为什么最近发表在《纽约时报》上的辩论引起了专家的担忧。第二段末尾指出：But some experts worried that such public speculation might lead people to believe that disagreement about the details meant a lack of adequate scientific consensus over the safety and efficiency of modern-day medicine（但一些专家担心，这种公开推测可能会让人们认为...在现代医学的安全性和有效性上缺乏足够的科学共识），即让公众产生怀疑，对应 B 选项 (It might breed public distrust in modern medicine 它可能会滋生公众对现代医学的不信任)。

53. C。解析：题干问作者为什么说一些专家的焦虑似乎是错位的（misplaced）。第三段紧接着解释了原因：These days, the public can access debates about science regardless of where they take place（如今，无论科学辩论在哪里发生，公众都可以接触到它们），意思是无论专家担不担心，辩论已经公开化了，对应 C 选项 (Debates about science are accessible to the public anyway 关于科学的辩论无论如何公众都能接触到)。

54. B。解析：题干问作者建议科学家对公开辩论采取什么态度。最后一段指出：rather than avoiding such conversations, let the debates be transparent and vigorous（与其回避这样的对话，不如让辩论变得透明和充满活力），意思是应该接受它，对应 B 选项 (Embrace it with open arms 张开双臂拥抱它)。

55. C。解析：题干问作者在最后一段对科学的看法是什么。最后一段指出：If the public is to understand that science is an honorably self-correcting process, the idea that science is a fixed set of facts in a textbook needs to be dismissed（如果公众要理解科学是一个光荣的自我纠正过程，那么把科学看成是教科书上一套固定事实的想法就需要被摒弃），对应 C 选项 (It is a dynamic and self-improving process 它是一个动态和自我完善的过程)。

核心搭配与高分句型

【核心搭配与高频短语】

• at one's own pace：按照自己的节奏（learn the material at their own pace）
• engage with：参与，融入，与...建立联系（engage with the course material）
• in depth：深入地（interact with the material in depth）
• put sb. at a disadvantage：使某人处于劣势（some students can be put at a disadvantage）
• move beyond：超越，超出（move beyond the halls of universities）
• breed distrust：滋生不信任（breed public distrust in modern medicine）
• misplaced anxiety：错位的焦虑 / 不必要的担忧
• regardless of：不管，不顾（regardless of where they take place）
• self-correcting process：自我纠正的过程
• come under attack：受到攻击 / 受到质疑（validity of science coming under attack）

【亮点句型解析】

• rather than 引导的对比结构：
  "...they simply complete their assignments to receive credit for a passing grade rather than genuinely engage with the course material."
  （...他们只是完成作业以获得及格的学分，而不是真正地参与到课程材料中去。）在四级写作中，使用 `rather than` 可以非常清晰地对比“做了什么”和“应该做却没做的事”，逻辑严密。
• 倒装句 (Gone are...)：
  "Gone are the days of going to a conference and debating scientific issues..."
  （去参加会议辩论科学问题的日子已经一去不复返了...）主语是 `the days`，过去分词 `Gone` 提前构成完全倒装，句式生动，强烈地表达了“旧时代已逝”的感叹，是极佳的加分句型。