Part III 阅读理解

Passage One

As 170 people sat down to dinner, I breathedasigh of relief: The conference was going well. Running it was part of my job asauniversity program manager, working onaproject to boost biotech collaborations between academia and industry. When Istarted in the roleafew years earlier, I thought that maybe, after years of career exploration, I had finally found the right job for me.

But at the conference, I found myself wondering whether that was really what Iwanted from my career, I'mascientist, not an event planner—but Ihad been too busy organizing the conference to appreciate the research being discussed. Was it time for yet another change? I started off asalab scientist, but then discovered that the highly focused nature of lab work wasn't for me.

My next job was atapharmaceutical company—conducting literature searches. I enjoyed the work, which allowed me to stay close to research and interact with a variety of people. But Iwas only offeredashort-term contract, so afterayear Ihad to move on. I then becameascientific journal editor.

I loved the breadth of science that Iwas exposed to, but the job requiredalengthy commute. So, I made another dramatic change and moved back to the ivory tower for my current job. It had becomeapattern: I spentafew years in each role only to find that it wasn't quite the right fit.

I also realized that maybe Iwas searching for something that didn't exist. I began to think about creative ways to add the scientific stimulation Isought to my work life. With my previous knowledge and my experience as an editor, I realized Ihad the skill set to do that through freelance science writing, such as news articles for journals and blogs.

With my former colleagues' positive responses, I finally decided Icould do my university job onaless than full-time schedule. Fortunately, my manager agreed. For the last year, I have beenauniversity program manager/freelance writer, and I've never been happier. Weaving the two roles together has beenabit tricky at times.

But Ifinally feel Ihaveacareer that is tailored to my needs. I've realized thatacareer doesn't need to be "off the shelf." Jobs can be mixed and matched to get to one that fits.

21. What did the author think of his conference organizing job in Paragraph 1?

    A It gave himasense of achievement.B It proved that he was making progress in his career.C It was not as meaningful as scientific research.D It was too challenging for him.

22. The author left the job asascientific journal editor because .

    A it demanded high work intensityB he was offered onlyashort contractC he was not satisfied with the payD it was too far from home

23. What does "something" (Para.3) possibly mean?

    A A suitable roleB An ideal jobC A balanced lifeD A fixed pattern

24. What is the author's present job?

    A He works inauniversity and also writes on the side.B He is an event planner and alsoaprogram manager.C He teaches inauniversity and also writes books.D He isafull time manager and alsoafreelance writer.

25. What is this passage mainly about?

    A The author's clear career plan.B The author's changing perception of career.C The author's persistence in the face of obstacles.D The author's failure in securingawork contract.

Passage Two

You've probably been seeing and hearingalot more about "eSports" lately. Major television networks are broadcasting competitions, and even more mainstream media coverage is planned for the near future. What are eSports and why are they so popular? Loosely defined, eSports are video game competitions.

These can be anything from a local tournament ( 锦标赛) inavideo game store to those staged in 25,000-seat arenas, watched live by millions of people around the world. In practical terms, "eSports" refers to the competitions engineered by global organizations that culminate in big-money championship tournaments—dollar figures that can exceed $1,000,000 for winners.

The second question—"Why are they getting so popular?" — is more nuanced. The biggest reason is that fans of games enjoy watching them played at the highest level. It's fun seeing the top players in the world do what they do best. There are plenty of other reasons the eSports community is growing.

All of the controversies, drama, and compelling individuals from the mainstream sports world exist in eSports as well. Top players move from team to team like free agents, retire and return to competition unexpectedly, and experience unlikely come-from-behind victories and crushing defeats.

New challengers consistently emerge on the scene, ready to take down championship teams and generate compelling rivalries. The parallels with traditional sports and eSports are more numerous than many realize. Perhaps the biggest difference between traditional sports and eSports is the viewers.

Unlike mainstream athletic competitions, which appeal toabroad range of demographics, consumers of eSports are overwhelmingly young and male. For example, over 70 percent of League of Legends (the most popular eSports game in terms of dollars and participants) viewers are males, and the vast majority of them are under 26.

This meansacouple of things, both of them appealing to advertisers looking to reach this young and lucrative market...the audience will grow as more youngsters are introduced, and as they get older, their purchasing power increases.

26. It is stated in Paragraph1that eSports have .

    A caused competition among mediaB drawn an increasing number of youthsC created many broadcasting companiesD attracted major television networks

27. According to Paragraph 2, eSports .

    A can be staged only in local stadiumsB can lead toahuge sum of awardC may be hard to define preciselyD may be loosely linked to video games

28. The word " nuanced" (Para.3) most probably means " .

    A strangeB outstandingC specificD complicated

29. Which of the following is NOTareason for the growth of the eSports community?

    A The stories about the top playersB The fun of watching top-level performanceC The investment from governmentsD The parallels with the mainstream sports

30. Traditional sports and eSports are different mainly in .

    A their rulesB their importanceC their profitsD their audiences

Passage Three

Sen. Kamala Harris was half right in her speech launching her 2020 presidential campaign, when she said we need to address climate change based on "science fact, not science fiction." The truth is, we need both. Science fiction has an important role to play in rescuing the future from the huge challenges we're facing—and the responses to Harris' statement illustrate this perfectly.

When the California Democrat's statement about climate change went out on social media, a number of people pointed out the truth: Science fiction has been helping us to prepare foraworld of potentially disastrous climate upheaval for years. But an equal number of loud voices took issue with Harris' warnings about climate change, because in our posttruth era, the scientific consensus about what humans are doing to our planet is still somehow a matter of opinion.

And that's why science fiction is more important than Harris gives it credit for. No amount of scientific evidence will convince deniers—or the vast number of people who merely live inastate of denial. We live inapost-truth era in which facts and fiction are blurring into an indistinguishable mess and power belongs to whoever can tell the best story, true or not.

What matters is just how something makes us feel? Which is why we need better stories, that, in the words of author Nell Gaiman, "lie in order to tell the truth." Stories about climate change might be fiction, but they can help to sway people's hearts and minds inadifferent way thanarecitation of the undeniable facts.

Science fiction creators have been looking for ways to restore people's faith in the future. Authors such as Alexandra Rowland have startedaconversation about creatinganew type of stories called "Hopepunk" that show people reasons to believe we really can do the hard work of fixing our problems.

Some other authors are creatinganew genre called "Solarpunk" that aims to tell stories about using technological and scientific innovation to help the environment. When the truth becomes near-impossible to distinguish through the fog of disinformation and "alternative facts," people tend to feel powerless to change the world.

Activist LA. Kauffrnan says people need to be reminded that they "have more collective power than they realize." Adds Kauffman, "There are truths we can get to through the imagination that are hard to get to through purely factual accounts."

31. How does the author comment on Senator Harris statement about climate change?

    A Really confusingB Partially trueC Quite convincingD Totally wrong

32. The deniers in Paragraph3refer to those who deny that .

    A science fiction is importantB we are inapost-truth eraC climate change isaserious issueD our opinions actually matter

33. The author cites Nell Gaiman in order to emphasize that .

    A fiction may better convey the truthB it is difficult to tell the fact from fictionC the power of fiction is overestimatedD fiction makes us feel better about ourselves

34. What do "Hopepunk" and "Solarpunk" have in common?

    A A focus on technological innovation.B A vivid description of the harsh reality.C An intention to broaden our horizons.D An optimistic outlook for the future.

35. What might be Kauffman's attitude toward science fiction?

    A AppreciativeB Concerned.C NegativeD Unclear

Passage Four

Many people have looked to the stars and wondered what it would be like to takeatrip into outer space. Ever since the space program began, traveling beyond Earth has been a privilege foraselect few, namely, astronauts. The rest of us have had to imagine what it would be like, but that may soon change Those who favor expanding space exploration feel that it is time to go beyond the government-funded National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) program and to create opportunities for individuals and businesses to explore outer space.

Imagine privately financed research in space, missions to Mars, and mining operations on the Moon. The space frontier could indeed be the next gold rush! Imagine what it would be like to travel in space. Those who have been lucky enough to visit space have all called it an amazing experience.

The view of Earth and the stars must be spectacular, and the experience of living in "zero gravity" would be fascinating. The first American woman to visit space, Sally Ride, said that it was the greatest fun of her life. Imagine the thrill of bookingaflight foraweekend stay (or longer) ataspace hotel.

It turns out thataspace hotel would be much easier to design and build than the International Space Station; early estimates of the cost to build the hotels indicate that they would be less expensive if the orbiting hotels were built to accommodate large numbers of space travelers.

The space hotel and the other projects businesses might think up would allow people to see what is happening in space with their own eyes. That may lead to more support of NASA and its space research and greater appreciation of the funding that the space program now receives. Those who oppose expanding space exploration argue that the costs are overwhelming and unrealistic.

They point to the billions of dollars that would have to be raised through consumers or corporate sponsorship. In addition, civilian space travel is potentially dangerous, and there are many unknown risks involved. Who would determine the safety of commercial orbiting vehicles, and how would they be insured?

Issues like this require time for discussion among groups from many different businesses. Companies that specialize in manufacturing, travel, marketing, insurance, law, and finance would all have to be involved. Others believe there are simply too many unanswered questions to put civilians in space any time soon.

There are also those who question investing in space exploration when there are widespread problems like poverty and disease that need to be addressed on earth. For these people, commercial space travel will remain science fiction, at least for many years to come.

36. The expression "the next gold rush" (Para. 2) probably means that .

    A gold might be discovered on remote planetsB space exploration could be the next investment hotspotC investors are enthusiastic about gold mining in spaceD private businesses are more interested in space travel

37. It can be learned from Paragraph3that .

    A space visitors regret what they have doneB space hotels would be very uncomfortableC Sally Ride enjoyed her visit to outer spaceD the view of Earth and the stars is boring

38. All of the following are objections to commercial space travel EXCEPT .

    A overwhelming costsB potential dangersC unknown risksD government opposition

39. The author's attitude towards commercial space travel is .

    A supportiveB opposingC objectiveD indifferent

40. Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?

    A Civilians in SpaceB Future of Private Space BusinessesC Exploration of Outer SpaceD Hotels in Space

Blog and Comments

The blog and comments are followed by questions or unfinished statements, each with four suggested answers A, B, C and D. Choose the best answer and mark your answer on the Answer Sheet. If you try to contact Indy Cube (a provider of workspaces) after5p.m., you receive an automatic message that would makeagood demonstration for the fast-growing four-day week movement.

"We'll get back to you pretty quickly during working hours," it says, "if you're messaging us outside of these, we're probably busy with other things, like horse-riding, dancing, or good sleep." The firm is one ofagrowing number of employers giving their workers an extra day off for the same pay asafive-day week.

There is emerging evidence that it can boost productivity for bosses and happiness for workers. And it is not just small businesses that might be spottingachance to savealittle money by turning the lights off one dayaweek. One of the biggest organizations to make the switch is Perpetual Guardian whose shift has generated huge global interest, with 406 organizations from around the world asking it for advice.

"This week we have had people contact us from Japan, Canada, the UK, France, Switzerland." said its founder Andrew Barnes. The day off that each worker takes varies, depending on the team's needs at the time, but there has beenachange in culture with "less time surfing on social media and fewer unnecessary meetings." said Barnes.

However, Kate Cooper, policy director at the Institute of Leadership and Management argues the reasons behind increases in productivity are not yet clear. Cooper said that "the Hawthorne effect" may be in play, that is, people change their behaviour simply because they feel they are being observed—in this case they feel that by being grantedafour-day week they believe their bosses are interested in their work.

"How sustainable is that?" Cooper doubts.

41. What can we learn about Indy Cube?

    A It is one of the biggest providers of workspaces.B It is the first company start the four-day week.C Its boss should be happy withahigher productivity.D Its employees are worried about their future income

42. Barnes thinks the four-day week schedule .

    A will soon be adopted by other companies in the worldB has madeapositive impact on his company's cultureC benefits big companies more than smaller onesD has greatly enhanced his workers' sense of wellbeing

43. By "the Hawthorne effect", Cooper suggests that the effect ofafour-day week is .

    A obviousB lastingC beneficialD uncertain

44. Which of the following suggests that the four-day week is currently enjoyed by only a small part of the work force?

    A Comment 1.B Comment 2.C Comment 3.D Comment 5.

45. Which of the following expresses the greatest concern about the four-day week?

    A Comment 1.B Comment 2.C Comment 4.D Comment 5.