1、考研英语阅读理解 A 节(传统题型)分类精讲社会伦理类-(二)及答案解析(总分：100.00，做题时间：90 分钟)一、Section Reading Co(总题数：5，分数：100.00)Being smart is the most expensive thing we do. Not in terms of money, but in a currency that is vital to all living things: energy. One study found that newborn humans spend close to 90 percent of their ca
2、lories on building and running their brains. (Even as adults, our brains consume as much as a quarter of our energy.) If, during childhood, when the brain is being built, some unexpected energy cost comes along, the brain will suffer. Infectious disease is a factor that may rob large amounts of ener
3、gy away from a developing brain. A great deal of research has shown that average IQ varies around the world, both across nations and within them.Higher IQ predicts a wide range of important factors, including better grades in school, a higher level of education, better health, better job performance
4、, higher wages, and reduced risk of obesity. So having a better understanding of variations in intelligence might yield a greater understanding of these other issues as well.In a study in 2010, it was found that, among all the factors that affect intelligence, infectious disease works as the best pr
5、edictor of the bunch. A recent study by Christopher Hassall and Thomas Sherratt repeated the study using more sophisticated statistical methods, and concluded that infectious disease may be the only really important predictor of average national IQ.Support for this hypothesis comes not only from cro
6、ss-national studies, but from studies of individuals. There have been many studies, for example, showing that children infected with intestinal worms have lower IQ later in life. Another study by Atheendar Venkataramani found that regions in Mexico that were the target of malaria eradication program
7、s had higher average IQ than those that were not. In practical terms, however, this means that human intelligence is mutable. If differences in IQ across the world are largely due to exposure to infectious disease during childhood, then reducing exposure to disease should increase IQ.Despite the str
8、ength of the findings, the study was not without its limitations. The researchers did their best to control for the effects of education. But what they really needed was to repeat their analysis across regions within a single nation, preferably one with standardized, compulsory education. The nation
9、 they chose was the United States. Average IQ varies in the states. Again, infectious disease was an excellent predictor of average state IQ. The states with the five lowest average IQ all have higher levels of infectious disease than the states with the five highest average IQ, and the relationship
10、 was good across all of the states in between.So far, the evidence suggests that infectious disease is a primary cause of the global variation in human intelligence. Since this is a developmental cause, rather than a genetic one, its good news for anyone who is interested in reducing global inequali
11、ty associated with IQ. It will allow people interested in using this information to raise the IQ of people around the world to target their efforts most effectively and efficiently.（分数：20.00）(1).We can learn from the first paragraph thatA. energy is the most important factor that affects intelligenc
12、e.B. newborn babies spend more calories than adults in running their brains.C. extra energy cost may cause intellectual damage to children.D. there are IQ variations among and within nations.（分数：4.00）A.B.C.D.(2).Higher average IQ in one place mayA. explain why people there can get a better understan
13、ding.B. indicate the possibility of having an infectious disease.C. show the history of less infectious diseases there.D. show that people there are slimmer than those with lower IQ.（分数：4.00）A.B.C.D.(3).The word “mutable“ (Para. 4) is closest in meaning toA. changeable. B. exchangeable.C. acceptable
14、. D. susceptible.（分数：4.00）A.B.C.D.(4).Which of the following is true according to Paragraphs 4 and 5?A. Children with higher IQ may have suffered from intestinal worms.B. Malaria affects most Mexicans physical health.C. Average IQ variation in the U.S. is not so obvious.D. Education is also a factor
15、 that affects intelligence.（分数：4.00）A.B.C.D.(5).The finding of the researches is beneficial in thatA. it gives people the hope of eliminating social inequality.B. it enables people to raise the IQ levels of mankind in a better way.C. it helps to improve peoples intelligence genetically.D. it reduces
16、 the possibility of peoples suffering from diseases.（分数：4.00）A.B.C.D.You would think that people with a history of being discriminated against in the workplace might give those whom they resemble a break. But a growing body of research confirms exactly the opposite: women are just as likely as men t
17、o show, sexism toward women in hiring practices, salaries and professional mentorship.Overt displays of sexism are largely passe in the American workplace. What remains, unfortunately, is a set of subtler and more ingrained cognitive biases deeply rooted in our evolutionary and cultural past. Gettin
18、g rid of them will require an honest reckoning with the inalienable fact that humans are inclined to make implicit errors in perception and even good people who actively avoid bias may nonetheless harbor subtle yet damaging stereotypes of which they are unaware.In one of the latest studies, a psycho
19、logy experiment published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, senior science faculty across the U.S. were presented with identical resumes for a lab-manager job (a position that can often lead to graduate study) that differed only in the gender of the hypothetical applicant. The
20、resume raters were statistically more likely to rate the male candidate higher on competence and hirability and were also more likely to offer the male candidate a bigger salary and greater professional mentorship. By contrast, the hypothetical female applicants were rated more likable but less hira
21、ble. Female scientists were just as likely to favor male candidates as potential hires as male scientists were.There are countless examples of bias against women by both sexes in nonscience fields, including, famously, the increase in women who were hired for orchestras when musicians auditioned beh
22、ind a blind screen. Its hard to imagine why this kind of cognitive bias persists in the 21st century, especially when the achievement gaps between males and females arc closing rapidly.But this only seems puzzling because we tend to think that bias is an evil word, infected with uglyisms and the del
23、iberate diminishing of certain kinds of people. Current research is showing that all human beings have unconscious cognitive biaseswhat Harvard professor Mahzarin Banaji calls “mind bugs. “These biases may have been adaptive thousands of years ago, when people lived in small, homogeneous communities
24、 and in-group favoritism might have made the difference between life and death. But they are problematic in our global 21st century world.The pervasiveness of cognitive bias is depressing. Its more comfortable to think of sexism or racism or ageism as a symptom of a few rotten apples than as a funda
25、mental human trait. But if were all doing it, even to ourselves ,how on earth can we move beyond the stereotypes? If we want to eliminate the perception that women are less competent than men for certain jobs held by both sexes, its not enough to hire more women for traditionally male-dominated jobs
26、.A more fundamental problem is that cognitive bias is rooted not only in our primitive past but also in our contemporary culture. We cant be surprised by unconscious stereotypes about women when we still embrace a culture infected with sexism in everything from popular movies to recent congressional
27、 debates.（分数：20.00）(1).The bias held by women against women is characterized by itsA. great intensity. B. obvious obsoleteness.C. deliberate ill-intention. D. indirect expression.（分数：4.00）A.B.C.D.(2).To overcome cognitive biases people should start byA. acknowledging that they do have such biases.B.
28、 giving every resume an impartial rating.C. accepting these facts which prove to be true.D. knowing how harmful their stereotypes can be.（分数：4.00）A.B.C.D.(3).It is implied that fewer women have been actually hired for orchestra becauseA. their performances are not shown on screen.B. the auditions ar
29、e carried on face-to-face.C. more males are members of the judging panel.D. women have proved less of a musician than men.（分数：4.00）A.B.C.D.(4).In the authors assessment, our cognitive biasesA. are evil in that they have damaging social effects.B. can be deliberately diminished by calling them evil.C
30、. are difficult to eliminate due to their deep roots.D. become stronger in small and homogeneous societies.（分数：4.00）A.B.C.D.(5).The author considers the existence of cognitive biases to beA. astonishing. B. hypothetical.C. unsurprising. D. irrational.（分数：4.00）A.B.C.D.Despite ongoing negotiations wit
31、h its unions, United Airlines has told the bankruptcy court that the “likely result“ will be a termination to its pension plans. That would precipitate the biggest pension default in history. The move is expected to destabilize the already struggling airline industry, prompting other carriers to eve
32、ntually follow suit to maintain competitiveness.It would also put additional pressure on the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC), the federal agency that insures traditional pensions in case companies belly up. A default by United would saddle it with an additional $8.4 billion in unfunded o
33、bligations. If other airlines follow, the PBGC may have to go to Congress and plead for a bailout. More broadly, what all this means is that retirement for US workers just isnt what it used to be. The impact of globalization and competition from lowwage companies that dont provide benefits has shift
34、ed the onus of retirement security from larger firms onto individuals.Twenty years ago, 40 percent of American workers were covered by traditional pensions known as definedbenefit plans. Today that numbers dropped to 20 percent. As the United examples show, even that 20 percent may not be able to co
35、unt on what theyve been promised. Currently, about 75 percent of those corporate plans are underfunded. There are numerous threats to retirement in the future, so its incumbent on individuals to be well informed, prudent about their investments, and to save accordingly.Betty has been flying for Unit
36、ed for 26 years. She was expecting to retire at 60 with $140, 000 a year. After the recent round of give-backs, that was cut to $90, 000. But if United defaults as expected, shed receive only $28, 000. If she waits until 65 to start collecting, she could be eligible for as much $44, 500 a year. Eith
37、er way, once pilots are forced to leave the cockpit at 60, most will probably look for another job rather than lounge on the golf course. Betty has already started a mediation business on the side. “All of the benefits have been erased by corporate American greed,“ she says, “You have to see the big
38、 picture. If the money isnt there, it isnt there.“For the pilots union, which negotiated the pension benefits, often giving up wage increases for better retirement packages, the current situation is infuriating. They see pensions as benefits that are earned, not a bonus to be given as long as a comp
39、any can afford it. “It seems immoral that just because they happen to be in a legal situation, they can walk away from those obligations,“ says Steve Derebey, spokesman for Air Line Pilots Association. “Why this isnt a burning, blazing campaign issue is beyond me./（分数：20.00）(1).The potential pension
40、 crisis for retired pilots is mainly caused byA. a default carried out by United Airlines.B. pressure for companies to remain competitive.C. companies that do not pay pension at all.D. immorality of the companies.（分数：4.00）A.B.C.D.(2).The word “incumbent“ (Para. 3) probably meansA. urgent. B. importa
41、nt.C. clear. D. obligatory.（分数：4.00）A.B.C.D.(3).To get better prepared for retirement, the passage does NOT suggestA. making people well informed and careful about their money.B. pleading for social support against companies default in pension.C. finding another part-time job.D. understanding the tr
42、end and depending on oneself.（分数：4.00）A.B.C.D.(4).Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?A. Negotiation by United Airlines and its union will probably be beneficial for the pilots.B. The dispute over Uniteds pension has become a hot campaign issue.C. There are numerous factors putti
43、ng retirement at risk in the future.D. Pilots union used to place more importance on salary than on pension.（分数：4.00）A.B.C.D.(5).The authors tone of the passage isA. infuriating. B. partial.C. personal. D. realistic.（分数：4.00）A.B.C.D.Anthropologists commonly distinguish three forms of marriage: monog
44、amy, the marriage of one man to one woman, polygynythe marriage of one man to two or more women, and polyandrythe marriage of one woman to two or more men. polygyny and polyandry are often linked under the single term “polygamy“, a marriage of one individual to two or more spouses.Though there are m
45、any societies which permit, or even encourage, polygamous marriages, it does not follow, in such societies, that every married individual, or even that a majority of them, has more than one spouse. Quite the contrary is true, for in most, if not all, of so called polygamous societies monogamy is sta
46、tistically the prevailing form. The reason for this is clear: the proportion of male to female births in any human society is roughly the same, and if this proportion is maintained among the sexually mature, a preponderance of plural marriages means that a considerable number of either men or women
47、must remain unmarried. No society can maintain itself under such conditions; the emotional stresses would be too great to be survived. Accordingly, even where the cultural ideals do not prohibit plural marriages, these may occur on any notable scale only societies where for one reason or another, on
48、e sex markedly outnumbers the other. In short, monogamy not only prevails in most of the worlds societies, either as the only approved form of marriage or as the only feasible form, but it may also prevail within a polygamous society where, very often, only a minority of the population can actually
49、secure more than one spouse.In a polygynous household, the husband must supply a house and garden for each of his wives. The wives live with him in turn, cooking and serving for him during the period of his visit. The first wife takes precedence over the others. Polyandry is much rarer than polygyny. It is often the result of a disproportion in the ratio of men to women.In sum, polygyny is not, as so frequently indicated, universally a result of human immorality. It is simply not true, in this aspect of culture as in many others, that people who follow patterns of
