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

Even though we are living in an age where growing old is thought of as an inevitable misery, this doctor has been changing the game for seniors over the last 25 years.

It all started in 1991 when the Harvard-educated physician was transferred from working in a stressful emergency room to being the medical director of a nursing home in upstate New York. The depressing and regimented environment got him thinking on what exactly could improve the residents conditions.

Even though animals in nursing homes were illegal at the time, Dr. Bill Thomas took a chance. Based on a hunch, he brought in two dogs, four cats, hens, rabbits, 100 birds, a multitude of plants, a flower garden, and a vegetable patch.

The change was dramatic. There was a 50% drop in medical prescriptions along with a dramatic decrease in death rates—but most importantly, the residents were simply happier.

Dr. Thomas's approach, named the Eden Alternative, has driven nursing homes to allow a more autonomous and creative living space for their elderly. It erases the belief that growing old means growing useless. He encourages residents to think of their age as an enriching new phase of life rather than the end of it.

Thomas, now a speaker and author of several books, also created small, independently-run residences with their own bedrooms and bathrooms, and he has been preaching a singular message that getting old is not a bad thing.

“Within six weeks, they had to send a truck around to pick up all the wheelchairs,” Thomas told the Washington Post. “You know why most people in nursing homes use wheelchairs? Because the buildings are so big.”

The 56-year-old doctor's methods have been adopted in Australia, Japan, Canada, and America with enormous success. Last year he published Second Wind: Navigating the Passage to a Slower, Deeper, and More Connected Life, a guide on how to shift our perspectives on aging and growth.

He is currently traveling through North America performing with his guitar and his enthusiasm on his Age of Disruption Tour.

46. What has Bill Thomas been doing for a quarter of a century?

A) Transforming people's lifestyle.

B) Honoring his Harvard education.

C) Changing people's philosophy of life.

D) Shifting people's perspective on aging.

47. Why did Bill Thomas try something different in the nursing home?

A) He wanted to make it more pleasant for seniors.

B) He wanted to apply his Harvard training to practice.

C) He felt it his duty to revolutionize its management.

D) He felt disappointed working in the environment.

48. What do we learn about Bill Thomas bringing animals and plants into the nursing home?

A) He made a mess of the nursing home.

B) He did something all professionals would do.

C) He won instant support from the state authorities.

D) He acted in violation of the state law.

49. What has Bill Thomas been persistently advocating?

A) Good health is not just a privilege of the young.

B) Nursing homes should be strictly limited in size.

C) Getting old is by no means something miserable.

D) Residences for seniors should be run independently.

50. How is Bill Thomas's new concept received?

A) It is gaining ground in many countries.

B) It is being heatedly debated worldwide.

C) It is considered revolutionary everywhere.

D) It is winning approval from the government.

Passage Two

Research shows that in developed countries, more affluent and educated people tend to consume higher-quality diets including more fruits and vegetables, fish and whole grains. On the contrary, economically disadvantaged people report diets that are nutrient-poor and energy-dense. They are less likely to have food-purchasing habits that conform to public health recommendations.

These dietary differences are often accompanied by higher rates of obesity and diabetes among lower-income people. This relationship between social class and diet quality and health is extensively documented. However, the research does not explain why this is the case a question that has significant implications for designing effective policies and initiatives to improve diets and prevent chronic diseases.

Public-health initiatives to promote healthy diets often focus on providing nutrition education and recipes. These approaches, however, often presume less food literacy (i.e. food knowledge and skills) among low-income people. Are unhealthy diets really the result of poor choices, limited food skills and knowledge?

Research suggests that adults in food-insecure households are just as likely as those in food-secure households to adjust recipes to make them more healthy. They are also just as proficient in food preparation and cooking skills. There is no indication that increasing food skills or budgeting skills will reduce food insecurity.

Instead, disadvantaged groups are constrained by their economic, material and social circumstances. For example, low income is the strongest predictor of food insecurity in Canada, where one in eight households experiences insufficient access to nutritious foods.

It's well-established that food prices are an important determinant of food choice. Low-income households report that they find it difficult to adopt dietary guidelines because food prices are a barrier to improving their diets.

When researchers estimate the cost of diets people actually eat, higher-quality diets are typically more costly.

While this may be so, it does not, in itself, prove that healthy diets are necessarily more expensive or cost-prohibitive. After all, not all socioeconomically disadvantaged people consume poor diets.

We can easily think of a number of foods and recipes that are both inexpensive and nutritious. The internet is full of recipes for “eating well on a budget.”

51. What can we learn from research on diets in developed countries?

A) Dietary recommendations are not fit for underprivileged people.

B) People from different social groups vary in their dietary habits.

C) People's choice of food depends on their individual taste.

D) There is no consensus on what high-quality diets are.

52. What does the author say is important in formulating policies to improve diets and health?

A) A better understanding of the relationship between social class and health.

B) A greater emphasis on studying the cause of obesity and chronic diseases.

C) Prioritizing the provision of better nutrition for lower classes.

D) Designing education programs and initiatives on public health.

53. What does research reveal about adults in food-insecure households?

A) Their eating habits need to be changed.

B) Their food literacy has been improving.

C) They do not pay much attention to their food recipes.

D) They do not lack food knowledge or budgeting skills.

54. What would help improve food security among the disadvantaged groups in Canada?

A) Teaching them budgeting skills.

B) Increasing their food choices.

C) Enabling them to have more access to nutritious foods.

D) Taking more effective measures to increase food supplies.

55. What does the author suggest disadvantaged people do to improve their health?

A) Adopt a positive attitude towards dietary guidelines.

B) Choose diets that are both healthy and affordable.

C) Make sure to purchase healthy foods on the internet.

D) Change their eating habits and consumption patterns.

Answers & Explanations

Passage One: Dr. Bill Thomas and the Eden Alternative

46. D。解析：题干问 Bill Thomas 这25年来（a quarter of a century）一直在做什么。第一段指出他 "changing the game for seniors"（改变了老年人的游戏规则），倒数第二段明确提到他出版了 "a guide on how to shift our perspectives on aging"（关于如何转变我们对衰老看法的指南），对应 D 选项 (Shifting people's perspective on aging 改变人们对衰老的看法)。

47. A。解析：题干问为什么 Bill Thomas 要在养老院尝试不同的做法。第二段末尾指出：The depressing and regimented environment got him thinking on what exactly could improve the residents conditions（令人沮丧和严格管制的养老院环境让他思考究竟什么能改善居民的状况），对应 A 选项 (He wanted to make it more pleasant for seniors 他想让老人们过得更愉快)。

48. D。解析：题干问关于他将动植物带入养老院，我们能了解到什么。第三段首句指出：Even though animals in nursing homes were illegal at the time, Dr. Bill Thomas took a chance（尽管当时在养老院养动物是非法的，他还是冒险一试），illegal 等同于 in violation of the state law（违反州法律），对应 D 选项 (He acted in violation of the state law)。

49. C。解析：题干问 Bill Thomas 一直坚持主张什么。第六段末尾指出：he has been preaching a singular message that getting old is not a bad thing（他一直在宣扬一个单一的信息：变老并不是一件坏事），对应 C 选项 (Getting old is by no means something miserable 变老绝不是什么悲惨的事情)。

50. A。解析：题干问 Bill Thomas 的新理念反响如何。倒数第二段指出：The 56-year-old doctor's methods have been adopted in Australia, Japan, Canada, and America with enormous success（他的方法已经在澳大利亚、日本、加拿大和美国被采用，并取得了巨大的成功），对应 A 选项 (It is gaining ground in many countries 它在许多国家取得进展/获得认可)。

Passage Two: Social Class and Dietary Habits

51. B。解析：题干问从发达国家饮食研究中能学到什么。第一段指出，富裕且受过教育的人（Affluent and educated people）消费高质量饮食，而经济处于劣势的人（Economically disadvantaged people）饮食缺乏营养且高热量，这说明不同社会群体饮食习惯差异很大，对应 B 选项 (People from different social groups vary in their dietary habits 来自不同社会群体的人饮食习惯各不相同)。

52. A。解析：题干问在制定改善健康政策时，作者认为什么很重要。第二段末尾指出，研究没有解释社会阶层与健康为何存在这种关系，而这（a question that...）对设计有效政策（designing effective policies）有重大意义（significant implications），对应 A 选项 (A better understanding of the relationship between social class and health 更好地理解社会阶层与健康之间的关系)。

53. D。解析：题干问研究揭示了关于食物不安全家庭的成年人的什么信息。第四段指出：他们同样可能调整食谱使其更健康（just as likely... to adjust recipes），在烹饪技能上也同样熟练（just as proficient...），这反驳了人们认为他们缺乏知识或预算技能的偏见，对应 D 选项 (They do not lack food knowledge or budgeting skills 他们并不缺乏食物知识或预算技能)。

54. C。解析：题干问什么有助于改善加拿大弱势群体的食品安全。第五段指出他们被经济状况限制，并在加拿大，八分之一的家庭缺乏获取营养食物的途径（experiences insufficient access to nutritious foods）。既然是被途径限制，解决之道就是增加途径，对应 C 选项 (Enabling them to have more access to nutritious foods 使他们能够有更多途径获得营养食品)。

55. B。解析：题干问作者建议弱势群体做些什么来改善健康。最后一段指出：We can easily think of a number of foods and recipes that are both inexpensive and nutritious（我们可以很容易想到许多既便宜又营养的食物和食谱），并在网上寻找 "eating well on a budget"，对应 B 选项 (Choose diets that are both healthy and affordable 选择既健康又负担得起的饮食)。

核心搭配与高分句型

【核心搭配与高频短语】

• shift perspective on：改变对...的看法/视角（shift our perspectives on aging）
• take a chance：冒险一试（Dr. Bill Thomas took a chance）
• in violation of：违反...（acted in violation of the state law）
• by no means：绝不，一点也不（is by no means something miserable）
• gain ground：取得进展，获得认可（gaining ground in many countries）
• conform to：符合，遵守（conform to public health recommendations）
• food literacy：饮食知识/素养（presume less food literacy among low-income people）
• proficient in：熟练于，精通于（just as proficient in cooking skills）
• on a budget：在预算有限的情况下，精打细算（eating well on a budget）
• have access to：有途径获取（insufficient access to nutritious foods）

【亮点句型解析】

• Despite + 动名词复合结构 (让步状语)：
  "He brought in animals and plants despite it being illegal at the time."
  （尽管当时这是非法的，他还是把动植物带了进来。）`despite` 后接动名词的复合结构 `it being illegal`，比使用 `although it was illegal` 更加紧凑、地道，是四六级写作中的高级句式。
• Just as... as... (同级比较反驳偏见)：
  "Research suggests that adults in food-insecure households are just as likely as those in food-secure households to adjust recipes..."
  （研究表明，食品不安全家庭中的成年人与食品安全家庭中的成年人一样有可能调整食谱...）通过 `just as... as...` 强力反驳了前文提到的“人们常常认为穷人缺乏饮食知识”的刻板印象，逻辑严密。