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

Questions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.

All living organisms on Earth are exposed to a 24-hour day-night cycle. This cycle is the reason why people rest at night and are active during the day. Consequently, all human body functions also follow this daily rhythm, and the timing of behaviors like exercise or food intake can significantly influence your health. For example, eating at night can lead to weight gain over time because food intake at night leads to increased fat storage.

Many drug targets in the body follow a 24-hour cycle, too. This means that the specific proteins a drug is designed to modify can react differently to the medicine over the course of a 24-hour time period. Because how the body responds to a drug can differ depending on the time it is taken, it logically follows that taking medicines at specific times could help increase their effectiveness and reduce unwanted side effects.

When doctors prescribe medicine for people, they rarely consider the best time to take it. There are two main reasons for that oversight. First, many physicians are not aware that some drugs work better during a specific time of the day. And second, most drugs have not been studied for possible different effects during a 24-hour cycle. Therefore, patients are directed to take most drugs during the morning or evening primarily to ensure compliance.

Over 50 years ago, researchers found that the cholesterol drug simvastatin is more effective when taken at night. This is because the liver enzyme these drugs target is more active at night. Taking medicine at the wrong time can even cause harm. Currently, there are no guidelines regarding when certain drugs should be administered. More research is needed to determine the best times.

46. What do we learn from the passage about the timing of our behaviors?

A) It has a considerable impact on our health.

B) It confines us to a 24-hour day-night cycle.

C) It requires us to follow a particular rhythm.

D) It holds the key to all human body functions.

47. What does the author say about the proteins in our body?

A) They can modify the effects of medicines in different ways.

B) They can reduce unwanted side effects of certain medicines.

C) Their reaction to medicines changes during the day-night cycle.

D) Their design determines how differently they react to medicines.

48. What do doctors do when prescribing medicine for people?

A) They give little thought to the time of taking it for maximum effect.

B) They rarely consider which medicine works better for which patient.

C) They tell patients its possible side effects during 24 hours.

D) They tell patients to comply with drug manufacturers.

49. Why do doctors advise patients to take most drugs in the morning or in the evening?

A) To discourage them from making complaints.

B) To ensure they take the drugs as instructed.

C) To comply with research strictly.

D) To guarantee the maximum effect.

50. What does the author suggest near the end of the passage?

A) Considering drug-taking timing when prescribing drugs.

B) Making treatments less complex.

C) Conducting more studies to find out the best timing for treating different diseases.

D) Finding out the most effective drugs through research.

Passage Two

Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.

Katharine Abraham, an economics professor, was chatting with her hairdresser about retirement plans. The economist plans to continue working because she wants to. The hairdresser agreed but for a different reason: She needs the money.

Both scenarios are contributing to a big increase in the number of people in the US working into their 70s. Over the past 20 years, the share has risen from less than 10% to nearly 15%. In addition to people being healthier, financial considerations such as slow rise in real wages and a shift away from traditional pensions are reasons people delay retirement.

The overall trend is hitting Americans of all educational attainment. The share of Americans with bachelor's degrees working into their 70s reached nearly 20% in 2018. For those with a high school degree or less, the proportion had risen to around 10%.

Martin Neil Baily notes that quitting a career can lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness. He suggests that many college-educated workers are choosing to stay for social benefits and professional enjoyment. Workers in physical jobs, meanwhile, may look forward to retiring, suggesting those who stay on do so for financial reasons.

51. What do we learn about the professor and her hairdresser?

A) They differ in their reasons for continuing to work.

B) They are both committed to working into their 70s.

C) They are happy about their financial situation.

D) They hold different views about postponing retirement.

52. What is one of the reasons for people to delay retirement?

A) Switched to less intellectually challenging jobs.

B) Number of jobs in private sector increased.

C) Rate of wage increase in terms of purchasing power has slowed down.

D) Find it hard to rely on traditional pensions.

53. What is the general trend in people delaying retirement?

A) Higher earnings leads to delayed retirement.

B) Higher job satisfaction tend to retire later.

C) More men than women stay until late seventies.

D) The higher their educational level, the more likely they are to delay retirement.

54. What is the chief reason for college-educated workers delaying retirement?

A) Enjoying financial security.

B) Staying connected socially.

C) Contributing more professionally.

D) Increasing social security payments.

55. What does the passage say about people doing manual work?

A) Eager to enjoy life after retiring.

B) Likely to have financial troubles.

C) Generally don't enjoy doing it.

D) They tend to anticipate retirement.

Answers & Explanations

Passage One: Drug Timing

46. A。解析：题干问我们从文章中了解到关于行为时间安排的什么信息。定位第一段第三句：...the timing of behaviors like exercise or food intake can significantly influence your health.（...锻炼或进食等行为的时间安排会严重影响你的健康）。significantly influence 对应 considerable impact。对应选项 A (It has a considerable impact on our health 它对我们的健康有相当大的影响)。

47. C。解析：题干问作者说了关于我们体内蛋白质的什么。定位第二段第二句：This means that the specific proteins a drug is designed to modify can react differently to the medicine over the course of a 24-hour time period.（这意味着药物旨在修饰的特定蛋白质在 24 小时内对药物的反应可能会有所不同）。react differently 对应 reaction changes。对应选项 C (Their reaction to medicines changes during the day-night cycle 它们对药物的反应在昼夜节律中发生变化)。

48. A。解析：题干问医生在给人们开药时会怎么做。定位第三段第一句：When doctors prescribe medicine for people, they rarely consider the best time to take it.（当医生给人们开药时，他们很少考虑服用的最佳时间）。rarely consider 对应 give little thought。对应选项 A (They give little thought to the time of taking it for maximum effect 他们很少考虑服用它的时间以达到最大效果)。

49. B。解析：题干问为什么医生建议患者主要在早上或晚上服药。定位第三段最后一句：Therefore, patients are directed to take most drugs during the morning or evening primarily to ensure compliance.（因此，患者被指示在早上或晚上服用大多数药物，主要是为了确保依从性/服从安排）。ensure compliance 即确保他们遵守指示服药。对应选项 B (To ensure they take the drugs as instructed 为了确保他们按照指示服药)。

50. C。解析：题干问作者在文章结尾暗示了什么。定位最后一段最后一句：More research is needed to determine the best times.（需要更多的研究来确定最佳时间）。对应选项 C (Conducting more studies to find out the best timing for treating different diseases 进行更多研究以找出治疗不同疾病的最佳时间)。

Passage Two: Why Americans Work Longer

51. A。解析：题干问关于教授和她的理发师我们了解到了什么。定位第一段：The economist plans to continue working because she wants to. The hairdresser agreed but for a different reason: She needs the money.（经济学家计划继续工作是因为她想工作。理发师同意但原因不同：她需要钱）。两人继续工作的原因不同。对应选项 A (They differ in their reasons for continuing to work 他们继续工作的原因不同)。

52. C。解析：题干问人们推迟退休的原因之一是什么。定位第二段最后一句：...financial considerations such as slow rise in real wages and a shift away from traditional pensions are reasons people delay retirement.（...财务方面的考虑，如实际工资增长缓慢以及从传统养老金的转变，是人们推迟退休的原因）。real wages（实际工资）即 purchasing power（购买力），slow rise 对应 slowed down。对应选项 C (Rate of wage increase in terms of purchasing power has slowed down 购买力方面的工资增长率放缓了)。

53. D。解析：题干问人们推迟退休的大趋势是什么。定位第三段：The share of Americans with bachelor's degrees working into their 70s reached nearly 20%... For those with a high school degree or less, the proportion had risen to around 10%.（拥有学士学位的人工作到70多岁的比例达到近20%...对于只有高中或以下学历的人，这一比例升至10%左右）。学历越高，延迟退休的比例越高。对应选项 D (The higher their educational level, the more likely they are to delay retirement 教育水平越高，他们推迟退休的可能性就越大)。

54. B。解析：题干问受过大学教育的工人推迟退休的主要原因是什么。定位最后一段第二句：He suggests that many college-educated workers are choosing to stay for social benefits and professional enjoyment.（他指出，许多受过大学教育的工人选择留下来是为了社交利益和职业享受）。social benefits 即避免孤独，保持社交联系。对应选项 B (Staying connected socially 保持社交联系)。

55. D。解析：题干问文章说了关于从事体力劳动的人的什么情况。定位最后一段最后一句：Workers in physical jobs, meanwhile, may look forward to retiring...（与此同时，从事体力工作的工人可能期待着退休...）。physical jobs 即 manual work，look forward to 对应 anticipate（期待，预见）。对应选项 D (They tend to anticipate retirement 他们倾向于期待退休)。

核心搭配与高分句型

【核心搭配与高频短语】

• take into account：考虑，把...考虑进去（引申考点：consider the best time）
• ensure compliance：确保依从性/服从（ensure they take the drugs as instructed）
• in addition to：除...之外（还有）（In addition to people being healthier）
• a shift away from：从...转移，摆脱（a shift away from traditional pensions）
• look forward to doing sth.：期待做某事（look forward to retiring）
• delay retirement：推迟/延迟退休（reasons people delay retirement）
• educational attainment：受教育程度，学历（Americans of all educational attainment）

【亮点句型解析】

• It logically follows that... (由此在逻辑上可以得出...)：
  "Because how the body responds to a drug can differ depending on the time it is taken, it logically follows that taking medicines at specific times could help increase their effectiveness and reduce unwanted side effects."
  （因为身体对药物的反应可能会根据服用时间的不同而有所差异，由此在逻辑上可以得出，在特定时间服药有助于提高其疗效并减少副作用。）`it logically follows that` 是一个极具学术感和严密逻辑性的推导句型，非常适合在论述文写作中使用。
• Suggesting 引导的伴随/结果状语：
  "Workers in physical jobs, meanwhile, may look forward to retiring, suggesting those who stay on do so for financial reasons."
  （与此同时，从事体力劳动的工人可能期待着退休，这表明那些留下来继续工作的人这样做是出于经济原因。）`suggesting` 作为现在分词，引导状语对主句内容进行进一步的推论和解释。这种“陈述事实 + 现在分词作结论”的结构在英语新闻和报告中非常常见。