真題版年12月四級卷三

markingthecorrespondingletteronAnswerSheetWhyaren'tyoucuriousaboutwhat“YoususpendedRayRiceafterour,”areporterfromTMZchallengedNationalFootballLeagueCommissionerRogerGoodelltheotherday.“Whydidn’tyouhavethecuriositytogotothecasino()yourself?”Tmissionerwouldhavefoundawaytogetthetape.Theaccusationofincuriosityisonethatwehearoften,carryingthesuggestionthatthereissomethingwrongwithnotwantingtosearchoutthetruth.“Ihavebeenbotheredforalongtimeaboutthecuriouslackofcuriosity,”saidaDemocraticmemberoftheNewJerseylegislaturebackinJuly,referringtoaninsufficientlyinquiringattitudeonthepartofanassistanttoNewJerseyernorChrisChristiewhochosenottoaskhardquestionsabouttheGeorgeWashingtonBridgetrafficscandal.“Isn’tthemainstreammediatheleastbitcuriousaboutwhathappened?”wroteconservativewriterJenniferRubinearlierthisyear,referringtotheattackonAmericansinBenghazi,Libya.Theimplication,ineachcase,isthatcuriosityisagoodthing,andalackofcuriosityisaproblem.Aresuchaccusationssimplyeffortstoscorepoliticalpointsforone'sparty?Oristheresomethingofparticularvalueaboutcuriosityinandofitself?ThejournalistIanLeslie,inhisnewandenjoyablebookCurious:TheDesiretoKnowandWhyYourFatterDependsonIt,insiststhattheanswertothatlastquestionis‘Yes.’Lesliearguesthatcuriosityisamuch-overlookedhumanvirtue,crucialtooursuccess,andthatwearelosingit.Wearesuffering,hewrites,froma“serendipitydeficit.”Theword“serendipity”wascoinedbyHoraceWalpoleinan1854letter,fromataleofthreeprinceswho“werealwaysmakingdiscoveries,byaccident,ofthingstheywerenotinsearchof,”LeslieworriesthattheriseoftheInternet,amongothersocialandtechnologicalchanges,hasreducedourappetiteforaimlessadventures.Nolongerhavewetheinclinationtoletourselveswanderthroughfieldsofknowledges,readytobesurprised.Instead,weseekonlytheinformationwewant.Whyisthisaproblem?Becausewithoutcuriositywewilllosethespiritofinnovationandentrepreneurship.Wewillseeunimaginativeernmentsanddyingcorporationsmakedisastrousdecisions.Wewillloseavitalpartofwhathasmadehumanityasawholesosuccessfulasaspecies.Lesliepresentsconsiderableevidenceforthepropositionthatthesocietyasawholeisgrowinglesscurious.IntheU.S.andEurope,forexample,theriseoftheInternethasledtoadecliningconsumptionofnewsfromoutsidethereader’sborders.Butnoteverythingistobeblamedontechnology.ThedeclineininterestinliryfictionisalsooneofthecausesidentifiedbyLeslie.Readingliryfiction,hesays,makeusmorecurious.Moreover,inordertobecurious,“youhavetobeawareofagapinyourknowledgeinthefirstce.”AlthoughLeslieperhapspaintsabitbroadlyincontendingthatmostofusareunawareofhowmuchwedon’tknow,he’ssurelyrighttopointoutthattheproblemisgrowing:“cangiveusthepowerfulillusionthatallquestionshavedefiniteanswers.”I）Indeed,,forwhichLeslieexpressesadmiration,isalsohisfrequentwhipbody(替罪羊).quotesco-founderLarryPagetotheeffectthatthe“perfectsearchengine”will“understandexactlywhatImeanandgivemebackexactlywhatIwant.”Elsewhereinthebook,Lesliewrites:“aimstosaveyoufromthethirstofcuriosityaltogether.”Somewhatnostalgically(懷舊地),hequotesJohnMaynardKeynes’sjustlyfamouswordsofpraisetobookstore:“Oneshouldenteritvaguely,almostinadream,andallowwhatistherelytoattractandinfluencetheeye.Towalktheroundsofthebookshops,dipinascuriositydictates,shouldbeanafternoonsentertainment.”Ifonly!Citingtheworkofpsychologistsandcognitive(認(rèn)知的)scientists,Lesliecriticizesthereceivedthatacademicsuccessistheresultofacombinationofinlectualtalentandhardwork.Curiosity,heargues,isthethirdkeyfactor--andadifficultonetopreserve.Ifnotcultivated,itwillnotsurvive:“Childhoodcuriosityisacollaborationbetweenchildandadult.Thesurestwaytokillitistoleaveitalone.”Schooleducation,hewarns,isoftenconductedinawaythatmakeschildrenincurious.Childrenofandupper-middle-classparentsturnouttobefarmorecurious,evenatearlyages,thanchildrenofworkingclassandlowerclassfamilies.Thatlackofcuriosityproducesarelativelackofknowledge,andthelackofknowledgeisdifficultifnotimpossibletocompensateforlateron.likeleaderofotherorganizations,shouldbecurious.Theyshouldaskquestionsatcrucialmoments.Thereseriousconsequences,hewarns,innotwantingtoknow.HepresentsasanexamplethefailureoftheGeorgeW.Bushadministrationtoprepareproperlyfortheafter-effectsoftheinvasionofIraq.AccordingtoLeslie,thosewhoridiculedformer.DefenseSecretaryDonaldRumsfeldforhis2002remarkthatwehavetobewaryofthe“unknownunknowns”weremistaken.Rumsfeld’sidea,Lesliewrites,“wasn’tabsurd-itwassmart.”Headds,“Thetragedyisthathedidn’tfollowhisownadvice.”AllofwhichbringsusbacktoGoodellandtheChristiecaseandBenghazi.Eachcriticinthoseexamplesischarging,inadifferentway,thatsomeoneinauthorityisintentionallybeingincurious.Ileaveittothereader'spoliticalpreferencetodecidewhich,ifany,chargesshouldstick.Butlet’sbecarefulaboutdemandingcuriosityabouttheotherside’sweaknessesandremainingdeterminedlyincuriousaboutourown.Weshouldbedelightedtopursueknowledgeforitsownsake--evenwhenwhatwefindoutissomethingwedidn’tparticularlywanttoknow.Tobecurious,weneedtorealizefirstofallthattherearemanythingswedon’tAccordingtoLeslie,curiosityisessentialtoone’sWeshouldfeelhappywhenwepursueknowledgeforknowledge’sPoliticalleaders’lackofcuriositywillresultinbadThereareoftenaccusationsaboutpoliticians'andthemedia’slackofcuriositytofindouttheThelesscuriousachildis,thelessknowledgethechildmayturnouttoItiswidelyacceptedthat plishmentliesinboth ligenceandVisitingabookshopascuriosityleadsuscanbeagoodwaytoentertain Mankindwouldn’tbesoinnovativewithoutSectionDirections:Thereare2passagesinthissection.Eachpassageisfollowedbysomequestionsorunfinishedstatements.ForeachofthemtherearefourchoicesmarkedA),B),C)andD).YoushoulddecideonthebestchoiceandmarkthecorrespondingletteronAnswerSheet2withasinglelinethroughthecentre.PassageQuestions46to50arebasedonthefollowingAginghappenstoallofus,andisgenerallythoughtofasanaturalpartoflife.Itwouldseemsillytocallsuchathinga“disease.”O(jiān)ntheotherhand,scientistsareincreasinglylearningthatagingandbiologicalagearetwodifferentthings,andthattheformerisakeyriskfactorforconditionssuchasheartdisease,cancerandmanymore.Inthatlight,agingitselfmightbeseenassomethingtreatable,thewayyouwouldtreathighbloodpressureoravitaminBiophysicistAlexZhavoronkovbelievesthatagingshouldbeconsideredadisease.Hesaidthatdescribingagingasadiseasecreatesincentivestodeveloptreatments.“Ituntiesthehandsofthepharmaceutical(制藥的)industrysothattheycanbegintreatingthediseaseandjustthesideeffects,”he“Rightnow,peoplethinkofagingasnaturalandsomethingyoucan’tcontrol,”hesaid.“Inacademiccircles,peopletakeagingresearchasjustaninterestareawheretheycantrytodevelopinterventions.Themedicalcommunityalsotakesagingforgranted,andcandonothingaboutitexceptkeeppeoplewithinacertainhealthButifagingwererecognizedasadisease,hesaid,“Itwouldattractfundingandchangethewaywedocare.Whatmattersisunderstandingthatagingis“Itwasalwaysknownthatthebodyaccumulatesdamage,”headded.“Theonlywaytocureagingistofindwaystorepairthatdamage.Ithinkofitaspreventivemedicineforage-relatedconditions.”LeonardHayflick,aprofessorattheUniversityofCalifornia,SanFrancisco,saidtheideathatagingcanbecuredimpliesthehumanlifespancanbeincreased,whichsomeresearcherssuggestispossible.Hayflickisnotamongthem.“There’remanypeoplewhorecoverfromcancer,stroke,orheartdisease.Buttheycontinuetoage,becauseagingisseparatefromtheirdisease,”Hayflicksaid.“Evenifthosecausesofdeathwereeliminated,lifeexpectancywouldstillnotgomuchbeyond92years.”WhatdopeoplegenerallybelieveaboutItshouldcausenoalarmTheyjustcannotdoanythingaboutItshouldberegardedasakindofTheycandelayitwithadvancesinHowdomanyscientistsviewagingItmightbepreventedandItcanbeasriskyasheartItresultsfromavitaminItisanirreversiblebiologicalWhatdoesAlexZhavoronkovthinkof“describingagingasaItwillpromptpeopletotakeagingmoreItwillgreatlyhelpreducethesideeffectsofItwillpharmacistsfromtheconventionalbeliefsaboutItwillmotivatedoctorsandpharmaciststofindwaystotreatWhatdowelearnaboutthemedicalTheynowhaveastronginterestinresearchonTheydifferfromtheacademiccirclesintheirviewonTheycancontributetopeople’shealthonlytoalimitedTheyhavewaystointerveneinpeople’sagingWhatdoesProfessorLeonardHayflickThehumanlifespancannotbeAgingishardlyseparablefromFewpeoplecanliveuptotheageofHeartdiseaseisthemajorcauseofPassageQuestions51to55arebasedonthefollowingFemaleapplicantstopostdoctoralpositionsingeoscienceswerenearlyhalfaslikelytoreceiveexcellentletters mendation,comparedwiththeirmalecounterparts.ChristopherIntagliatareports.Asinmanyotherfields,genderbiasiswidespreadinthesciences.Menscorehigherstartingsalaries,havemorementoring(指導(dǎo)),andhavebetteroddsofbeinghired.Studiesshowthey’realsoperceivedasmorecompetentthanwomeninSTEM(Science,Technology,Engineering,andMathematics)fields.Andnewresearchrevealsthatmenaremorelikelytoreceiveexcellentlettersof mendation,too.“Say,youknow,thisisthebeststudentI’veeverhad,”saysKuheliDutt,asocialscientistanddiversityofficeratColumbiaUniversity’sLamontcampus.“Comparethoseexcellentletterswithamerelygoodletter:‘Thecandidatewasproductive,orinligent,orasolidscientistorsomethingthat’sclearlysolidpraise,’butnothingthatsinglesoutthecandidateasexceptionaloroneofakind.”Duttandhercolleaguesstudiedmorethan1,200lettersof mendationforpostdoctoralpositionsingeoscience.Theywerealleditedforgenderandotheridentifyinginformation,soDuttandherteamcouldassignthemascorewithoutknowingthegenderofthestudent.Theyfoundthatfemaleapplicantswereonlyhalfaslikelytogetoutstandingletters,comparedwiththeirmalecounterparts.Thatincludeslettersof mendationfromallovertheworld,andwrittenby,yes,menandwomen.ThefindingsareinthejournalNatureGeoscience.Duttsaystheywerenotabletoevaluatetheactualscientificqualificationsoftheapplicantsusingthedatainthefiles.Butshesaystheresultsstillsuggestwomeningeoscienceareatapotentialdisadvantagefromtheverybeginningoftheircareersstartingwiththoselessthanoutstandinglettersof “We’renottryingtoassignblameorcriticizeanyoneorcallanyoneconsciousist.Rather,thepointistousetheresultsofthisstudytoopenupmeaningfuldialoguesonimplicitgenderbias,beitatadepartmentalleveloraninstitutionallevelorevenadisciplinelevel.”Whichmayleadtosome mendationsfortheletterwritersWhatdowelearnaboutap