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

The weakening of the human connection to nature might be good for economic growth but is bad for people. A tipping point was reached in 2020 when human-made materials — such as steel, concrete and plastic — were found to weigh more than all life on Earth. Continuing to grow concrete forests rather than real ones is shortsighted. Simply being in the nearest wood has such health benefits that the Woodland Trust successfully lobbied for it to be prescribed by doctors.

Yet slipping from popular culture is the wonder and beauty of the natural world. For every three nature-related words in hit songs of the 1950s, researchers found, there was only slightly more than one 50 years later. It is not a moment too soon that teenagers will be able to take a natural history test given that for decades children have been able to name more video game characters than wildlife species.

Part of remedying this social disease would be for parliament to pass a “right to grow” law, allowing anyone to turn underused public spaces into vegetable and fruit gardens. The idea is for people to get back in touch with the soil — while producing food sustainably.

Vegetable planting has a respectable tradition. In April 1649, locals responded to high prices and food shortages by cultivating vegetables on common land in Southern England. The practice of throwing seed bombs to turn vacant plots of land green took off in 1970s New York, and has been revived by green-thumbed social media influencers who defy local US regulations in a war on ugly spots in cities.

Apart from the urgent task of providing more healthy nutrients to those who increasingly can't afford them. Publicly accessible fruit and vegetable gardens connect what we eat to where it comes from—the means of production, if you will. They can make unlovely spaces lovely, and marry use and beauty as well as help promote a sense of community. Plants are also, of course, our first defense against species loss and climate change. Such planting is a small step for humanity — in the right direction.

46. What does the author want to emphasize in the first paragraph?

A) The year 2020 was a big turning point in human history.

B) Economic growth benefits people little in the long run.

C) It is unwise to weaken the human connection to nature.

D) It is harmful to mankind to use human-made materials.

47. What did researchers find about popular culture?

A) It is increasingly detached from the natural world.

B) It is filled with all kinds of video game characters.

C) It is especially appealing to the taste of teenagers.

D) It is still impacted by the hit songs of the 1950s.

48. What does the author propose people do?

A) Take measures to ensure sustainable food development.

B) Reconnect with nature through the right to grow.

C) Stand by the parliament in fighting social diseases.

D) Cover public spaces with fruit trees and vegetable plants.

49. What do we learn from the passage about vegetable planting?

A) It all started in 1649 in Southern England.

B) It is protected by US government regulations.

C) It has long been used to increase food supply and improve urban landscape.

D) It has been popularized worldwide with the increasing influence of social media.

50. What can publicly accessible fruit and vegetable gardens do apart from their practical functions?

A) Raise people's environmental awareness.

B) Add to the great variety of plant species.

C) Act as the first defense against natural disasters.

D) Enhance people's community spirit.

Passage Two

Engineering in the U.S. has long been a male-dominated profession. Fifty years ago, it looked like that might change. In 1970, the percentage of women majoring in engineering was less than 1%. In 1979, that number was 9%. Many hoped women would continue to enter the field at the same rate. But that's not what happened. Today, only 21% of engineering majors are women, a number largely unchanged since 2000.

I am a historian who, along with my colleagues, surveyed 251 women engineers who graduated from college in the 1970s. These pioneers reflected on the challenges they faced — and had advice for women entering the field today.

One survey taker explained, “The greatest challenge for me was continuing to believe in myself, when all the messages I was getting were that I would never be taken seriously or promoted or given raises at the same rate as men, who were clearly less qualified and not as smart as I was.”

A chemical engineer who worked in manufacturing agreed, “You have to prove yourself just because you are female. And you have to work twice as hard!”

A civil engineer said, “We are 'women engineers.' People don't refer to a man as a 'man engineer' — he's an engineer. We are constantly reminded that we don't truly belong.” Another civil engineer stated, “On many levels, you're never quite one of the groups.”

Women also talked about family caregiving responsibilities. A retired vice president from a major chemical company stated, “Young women engineers are on an equal footing until they have children, then they struggle to balance work and family—and compete with men who don't have the same household responsibilities.”

But over the years, things have changed a lot. Young women engineers are more accepted mostly because there are just more of them. Many women engineers hailed the benefits of their chosen career. A program manager in manufacturing stated that engineering is the best degree. A mechanical engineer said, “It will give you the flexibility to do almost anything. It is also satisfying to see the effects of what you have done.”

51. What does the passage say about the engineering profession in the United States?

A) It has seen a change in attitude towards women engineers since 1979.

B) It witnessed a significant increase in women engineers in the 1970s.

C) It has experienced the gradual weakening of male dominance.

D) It boasted the largest number of engineering majors in 2000.

52. What does one survey taker say was her greatest challenge?

A) Not to feel superior to less qualified male engineers.

B) Not to take seriously all the messages she was getting.

C) Not to think highly of her qualifications when promoted or given a pay raise.

D) Not to lose self-confidence though constantly discouraged or unfairly treated.

53. How do women engineers frequently feel according to the two civil engineers?

A) Disqualified on many levels.

B) Excluded from the group.

C) Overworked by their organizations.

D) Looked down upon by male colleagues.

54. What probably makes young women engineers more accepted nowadays?

A) Their success in gaining an equal footing.

B) Their ability to balance work and family.

C) The change in their responsibilities.

D) The increase in their number.

55. What can we conclude about many female engineers from the statement of a mechanical engineer?

A) They take great pride in their chosen career.

B) They have reaped the benefits of being flexible.

C) They enjoy doing engineering to the best degree.

D) They have proved capable of doing almost anything.

Answers & Explanations

Passage One: Reconnecting with Nature

46. C。解析：题干问作者在第一段想强调什么。定位首段：The weakening of the human connection to nature might be good for economic growth but is bad for people... Continuing to grow concrete forests rather than real ones is shortsighted.（人类与自然联系的减弱对经济可能有利，但对人是不利的... 继续发展钢筋水泥森林而不是真正的森林是目光短浅的）。shortsighted 对应 unwise，对应选项 C (It is unwise to weaken the human connection to nature 削弱人类与自然的联系是不明智的)。

47. A。解析：题干问研究人员对流行文化发现了什么。定位第二段：Yet slipping from popular culture is the wonder and beauty of the natural world...（然而，自然世界的奇妙与美丽正从流行文化中悄然流逝...）。slipping from 对应 detached from，对应选项 A (It is increasingly detached from the natural world 它日益脱离自然世界)。

48. B。解析：题干问作者建议人们做什么。定位第三段：...pass a "right to grow" law... The idea is for people to get back in touch with the soil...（...通过一项“种植权”法律... 理念是让人们重新与土地/自然接触...）。get back in touch with 对应 Reconnect with，对应选项 B (Reconnect with nature through the right to grow 通过种植权重新与自然联系)。

49. C。解析：题干问关于蔬菜种植我们能了解到什么。定位第四、五段：文章提到了 1649 年人们通过种植蔬菜应对食物短缺 (food shortages)（增加食物供应），以及 1970 年代和现在的社交媒体红人通过投掷种子炸弹绿化城市空地、美化丑陋区域 (make unlovely spaces lovely)（改善城市景观）。对应选项 C (It has long been used to increase food supply and improve urban landscape 长期以来被用来增加食物供应和改善城市景观)。

50. D。解析：题干问除了实用功能，公共果蔬园还能做什么。定位最后一段：...marry use and beauty as well as help promote a sense of community.（...结合了实用与美丽，并有助于提升社区意识/精神）。promote 对应 enhance，对应选项 D (Enhance people's community spirit 增强人们的社区精神)。

Passage Two: Women in Engineering

51. B。解析：题干问文章说了关于美国工程专业什么情况。定位第一段：In 1970, the percentage of women majoring in engineering was less than 1%. In 1979, that number was 9%.（1970年不到1%，1979年达到9%）。这说明在 20 世纪 70 年代经历了显著增长。对应选项 B (It witnessed a significant increase in women engineers in the 1970s 它见证了20世纪70年代女性工程师的显著增加)。

52. D。解析：题干问一名受访者说她最大的挑战是什么。定位第三段：The greatest challenge for me was continuing to believe in myself, when all the messages I was getting were that I would never be taken seriously...（当周围所有信息都告诉我，我永远不会被认真对待时，继续相信自己是我最大的挑战）。continuing to believe in myself 即不失去自信 (not to lose self-confidence)。对应选项 D (Not to lose self-confidence though constantly discouraged or unfairly treated 在不断受挫或受到不公平对待时不要失去自信)。

53. B。解析：题干问两位土木工程师觉得女性工程师经常感觉如何。定位第五段：We are constantly reminded that we don't truly belong. 和 you're never quite one of the groups.（我们不断被提醒我们并不真正属于这里... 你永远不完全是群体的一员）。不属于群体即被排斥。对应选项 B (Excluded from the group 被排斥在群体之外)。

54. D。解析：题干问现在年轻的女工程师为什么更容易被接受。定位第七段第二句：Young women engineers are more accepted mostly because there are just more of them.（年轻女性工程师更容易被接受，主要是因为她们的数量变多了）。对应选项 D (The increase in their number 她们数量的增加)。

55. A。解析：题干问从一位机械工程师的话中能得出许多女工程师的什么结论。定位最后一段：Many women engineers hailed the benefits of their chosen career... It is also satisfying to see the effects of what you have done.（许多女性工程师赞扬自己选择的职业... 看到你所做之事的效果也是令人满足的）。由于这份工作让她们感到满足和骄傲，对应选项 A (They take great pride in their chosen career 她们对自己选择的职业感到非常自豪)。

核心搭配与高分句型

【核心搭配与高频短语】

• get back in touch with：重新联系上，恢复联系（get back in touch with the soil）
• take off：起飞，（事业等）腾飞，开始流行（The practice of throwing seed bombs... took off in 1970s）
• apart from：除了...之外（Apart from the urgent task of providing...）
• be on an equal footing：处于平等地位（are on an equal footing until they have children）
• take pride in：以...为傲（take great pride in their chosen career）
• look down upon：轻视，看不起
• slip from：从...中溜走/消失（slipping from popular culture is the wonder）

【亮点句型解析】

• Given that 引导条件/原因状语从句 (考虑到/鉴于...)：
  "It is not a moment too soon that teenagers will be able to take a natural history test given that for decades children have been able to name more video game characters than wildlife species."
  （青少年能够参加自然历史考试真是太及时了，考虑到几十年来孩子们能叫出的电子游戏角色名字比野生动物物种还要多。）`given that` 是一个非常高级且正式的表达，常用于引出令人信服的背景或原因，在写作中替代 `because` 会显得非常有学术感。
• 倒装句 (表语提前)：
  "Yet slipping from popular culture is the wonder and beauty of the natural world."
  （然而，自然世界的奇妙与美丽正从流行文化中悄然流逝。）正常语序是 `the wonder and beauty... is slipping from...`。将正在进行时态的 `slipping from popular culture` 提到句首构成完全倒装，极大地突出了“流逝”这一动作和遗憾的基调。