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

We're eating more fish than ever these days. At around 20 kilograms per person global fish consumption is now more than twice what it was in the 1960s. What's really remarkable, though, is where that fish comes from.

For the first time in human history, most of our aquatic food now comes from farming rather than fishing.

People ate around 73 million tonnes of farmed fish just more than half of the volume of fish that humans consumed—in 2014. That's out of a total fish supply of 167 million tonnes; the remaining 20 million or so tonnes go into things like animal feed and medical products.

To keep eating fish at the current rate, we're definitely going to need to keep aquaculture developing. That's because the volume of fish caught in the wild has leveled off since the 1990s. Back in 1974, only 10% of marine fish stocks had been overfished. Now, more than three-tenths are. Only a tenth of our oceans' fish stocks could sustain heavier fishing than current levels.

But while catchings at sea have suffered, fish-farming has been growing at a fast rate. A lot of that is coming from China, which produces 60% of the world's farmed fish. In fact, some 35 countries, including China, now produce more farmed than wild-caught fish.

This shift toward aquaculture isn't just good for ensuring salmon on your plate; it's also crucial to ensuring food security and sustainability. By 2050, the world will need to feed an estimated 9.7 billion people. They'll have to get their protein somewhere. However, raising cattle, pigs, and other land-based animals requires vast sums of grain and water. For example, pound for pound, beef requires 15 times more feed to raise than carp, a freshwater fish farmed all over Asia. That grain and the water needed to grow it—could be consumed by people instead.

However, aquaculture is no silver bullet. In some southeast Asian countries, shrimp farming does disastrous damage to marine ecosystems. Despite these problems, however, shrimp continues to be among the most popular seafoods worldwide.

46. What does the author say is remarkable about the fish we eat?

A) They reproduce quickly.

B) They are mostly farmed.

C) They have become as important as grain.

D) They have a longer history than humans.

47. What do we need to do if we keep consuming fish at the current rate?

A) Increase the fishing volume considerably.

B) Develop more advanced fishing technology.

C) Enlarge the marine fish stocks effectively.

D) Expand the scale of fish-farming continuously.

48. What does the author say about China in terms of aquatic food?

A) It places increasing emphasis on fishing now.

B) It boasts of the world's largest fishing stocks.

C) It raises more fish than caught from the wild.

D) It supplies 60% of the world's fish products.

49. Why does the author say aquaculture is so important these days?

A) It is a must for feeding the world's fast-growing population.

B) It proves a reliable source of protein for humans and animals.

C) It is essential to maintaining both mental and physical health.

D) It ensures a balanced healthy diet for people the world over.

50. What does the author imply by saying aquaculture is no silver bullet?

A) Shrimp-farming is a risky business.

B) Fish-farming will not be sustainable.

C) Fish-farming may cause serious problems too.

D) Shrimp-farming can become quite expensive.

Passage Two

In 2020, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the World Food Programme (WFP).

Why a Nobel Prize for the WFP, and why now? In 2019, the WFP assisted nearly 100 million people in 88 countries. It is the safety net for those who fall off the edge of existence. It is a response to solving the problem of food instability. Its Nobel Prize reminds us all of the moral hazard in imagining that the poor and vulnerable are somebody else's problem.

The WFP has been around since 1961 and has been the global coordinator of nationally based efforts to avoid disasters with food aid. Despite decades of effort to eliminate hunger, the latest estimate is that about 11% of people on the planet (about 820 million people) are suffering daily undernourishment. Progress at reducing undernourishment has stopped despite gains through the 1990s and 2000s.

Developed countries sometimes offer food and aid to developing ones, but at a price. One American philosopher stated that addressing the needs of the poor and vulnerable is about more than money—it is mostly about creating conditions under which prosperity and opportunity can thrive. When aid is offered with heavy conditions attached, like loan repayment or food for resources, it often widens the gap between rich and poor and sustains the old world order. This is why the work of the WFP is so vital.

The scientific community, however, can provide a helping hand to the WFP. By sharing knowledge of agriculture and climate with peers in countries most vulnerable to poverty and hunger, scientists can help reduce these problems. By making its voice heard, science can lead by example. The ability to overcome food shortages that must be built into some of the poorest countries will not come from loans from wealthy countries, which may have food problems of their own, or world economic institutions. This ability will be built upon self-confident people using open and shared scientific knowledge to pull themselves out of their misery.

51. What does the WFP's winning of the Nobel Peace Prize make us realize?

A) More and more people in the world are suffering from starvation.

B) All of us can be affected by food instability one way or another.

C) It is hazardous to leave millions of people poor and vulnerable.

D) It is morally wrong to think helping the poor is not our business.

52. What do we learn about the WFP's effort to eliminate hunger?

A) It has ensured a sufficient food supply to millions.

B) It is still far from its goal despite the progress made.

C) It has done a good job in combating natural disasters.

D) It is preventing starvation occurring on a global scale.

53. What will happen when food aid is offered at a price?

A) The rich will become richer and the poor poorer.

B) More people will be willing to join in the effort.

C) More food will be made available to the needy.

D) The relief effort will be rendered less sustainable.

54. How can scientists help cope with poverty and hunger?

A) By collaborating closely with world economic institutions.

B) By sharing expertise with peers in poverty-stricken nations.

C) By setting up more food research programs in developing countries.

D) By building self-respect in people suffering from undernutrition.

55. What message does the author try to convey at the end of the passage?

A) Wealthy nations should solve their own food problems first.

B) Rich countries should be more generous in providing food aid.

C) Poor nations should enhance their own ability to solve their food shortages.

D) World economic institutions should play a bigger role in fighting hunger.

Answers & Explanations

Passage One: The Rise of Aquaculture

46. B。解析：题干问作者认为我们吃的鱼有什么值得注意（remarkable）的地方。文章第一段末尾抛出问题，第二段直接回答：most of our aquatic food now comes from farming rather than fishing（我们的大部分水产食品现在来自于养殖而不是捕捞）。对应选项 B (They are mostly farmed 它们大多数是养殖的)。

47. D。解析：题干问如果我们保持目前的鱼类消费速度，我们需要做什么。第四段第一句指出：To keep eating fish at the current rate, we're definitely going to need to keep aquaculture developing（为了保持目前的吃鱼速度，我们肯定需要保持水产养殖业的发展）。对应选项 D (Expand the scale of fish-farming continuously 不断扩大渔业养殖的规模)。

48. C。解析：题干问在水产食品方面，作者对中国有什么评价。第五段指出中国养殖了全球60%的鱼，并在末尾提到：some 35 countries, including China, now produce more farmed than wild-caught fish（包括中国在内的大约35个国家，现在生产的养殖鱼比野生捕捞的还要多）。对应选项 C (It raises more fish than caught from the wild 它养殖的鱼比从野外捕获的更多)。

49. A。解析：题干问为什么作者说如今水产养殖如此重要。第六段指出：By 2050, the world will need to feed an estimated 9.7 billion people... raising cattle, pigs... requires vast sums of grain and water（到2050年，世界将需要养活估计97亿人...饲养牛、猪...需要大量的粮食和水），而养鱼能节省粮食给人类吃。对应选项 A (It is a must for feeding the world's fast-growing population 这是养活世界上快速增长的人口的必由之路)。

50. C。解析：题干问作者说水产养殖不是“银色子弹（万能良方）”是在暗示什么。最后一段接着解释：shrimp farming does disastrous damage to marine ecosystems（养虾对海洋生态系统造成了灾难性的破坏）。说明养殖也会带来问题，对应选项 C (Fish-farming may cause serious problems too 鱼类养殖也可能引起严重的问题)。

Passage Two: The Mission of the WFP

51. D。解析：题干问WFP获得诺贝尔和平奖让我们意识到了什么。第二段最后一句指出：Its Nobel Prize reminds us all of the moral hazard in imagining that the poor and vulnerable are somebody else's problem（它的诺贝尔奖提醒我们所有人，认为穷人和弱势群体是别人的问题存在道德风险）。意思是不能对穷人袖手旁观，对应选项 D (It is morally wrong to think helping the poor is not our business 认为帮助穷人不关我们的事在道德上是错误的)。

52. B。解析：题干问关于WFP消除饥饿的努力我们能了解到什么。第三段指出：Despite decades of effort to eliminate hunger... about 11% of people... are suffering daily undernourishment（尽管几十年致力于消除饥饿...大约11%的人...每天遭受营养不良）。说明尽管有进展，但问题依然严重。对应选项 B (It is still far from its goal despite the progress made 尽管取得了进展，但距离目标还很远)。

53. A。解析：题干问当粮食援助带有附加代价时会发生什么。第四段指出：When aid is offered with heavy conditions attached... it often widens the gap between rich and poor（当援助附带苛刻的条件时...它往往扩大了贫富差距）。对应选项 A (The rich will become richer and the poor poorer 富人将变得更富，穷人变得更穷)。

54. B。解析：题干问科学家如何能帮助应对贫困和饥饿。最后一段第一二句指出：By sharing knowledge of agriculture and climate with peers in countries most vulnerable to poverty and hunger...（通过与最易受贫困和饥饿影响的国家的同行分享农业和气候知识...），对应选项 B (By sharing expertise with peers in poverty-stricken nations 通过与贫困国家的同行分享专业知识)。

55. C。解析：题干问作者在文章末尾试图传达什么信息。最后一段末尾指出，克服粮食短缺的能力不能靠富国的贷款，This ability will be built upon self-confident people using open and shared scientific knowledge to pull themselves out of their misery（这种能力将建立在自信的人们利用开放和共享的科学知识将自己从苦难中拉出来的基础上）。这强调了穷国必须自力更生，对应选项 C (Poor nations should enhance their own ability to solve their food shortages 穷国应增强其自身解决粮食短缺的能力)。

核心搭配与高分句型

【核心搭配与高频短语】

• rather than：而不是（comes from farming rather than fishing）
• level off：趋于平缓，稳定下来（caught in the wild has leveled off）
• pound for pound：同等重量下（pound for pound, beef requires 15 times...）
• silver bullet：万能良方，杀手锏（aquaculture is no silver bullet）
• fall off the edge：跌落边缘，陷入绝境（fall off the edge of existence）
• moral hazard：道德风险（the moral hazard in imagining that...）
• at a price：以一定的代价，附带条件（offer food and aid... but at a price）
• widen the gap：扩大差距（widens the gap between rich and poor）
• lead by example：以身作则，发挥榜样作用（science can lead by example）
• pull oneself out of：把自己从...中拉出来，摆脱（pull themselves out of their misery）

【亮点句型解析】

• It is + adj./n. + to do... (形式主语结构)：
  "It is hazardous to leave millions of people poor and vulnerable."
  （让数百万人处于贫困和脆弱状态是危险的。）`It` 作形式主语，真正的主语是后面的动词不定式。这种句型结构平衡，表达观点显得客观且权威。
• With 复合结构 (伴随状语)：
  "When aid is offered with heavy conditions attached..."
  （当提供的援助附带有苛刻的条件时...）`with + 名词/代词 + 过去分词` 构成了 `with` 复合结构作伴随状语，`attached` 表示被动，非常高级且精炼。