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2021年12月英语四级阅读理解真题及答案解析（卷一）

Section C 仔细阅读

Passage 1

As many office workers adapt to remote work, cities may undergo fundamental change if offices remain under-utilized. Who will benefit if working from home becomes the post-pandemic norm?

Employers argue they make considerable savings on real estate when workers shift from office to home work. However, these savings result from passing costs on to workers.

46. 细节理解题。根据题干关键词working from home定位到该段：Who will benefit if working from home becomes the post-pandemic norm?，之后即为答案句：Employers argue they make considerable savings on real estate when workers shift from office to home work. 选项C中employers一致;employees与workers对应;benefits… at the expense of(得益于…某方面的消费)与make considerable savings(节约大量储蓄)对应，故选C

Though employers are backed by a chorus of remote work proselytizers, others note the loneliness,

reduced productivity and inefficiencies of prolonged remote work.

47. 细节理解题。根据题干关键词 oppose 定位到该段：Though employers are backed by a chorus of remote work proselytizers, others note the loneliness, reduced productivity and inefficiencies of prolonged remote work。句中though引导让步状语从句中back表示“支持”含义，根据句子结构，主句应该表示“反对”含义，主句中讨论到loneliness(孤单), reduced productivity(生产力降低) ，inefficiencies(无效率)三点缺陷，即可理解为反对的原因。选项D中negatively impacts productivity (消极地影响生产力)与reduced productivity(生产力降低)对应，故选D

That depends on many things, but for purposes of illustration, I have run some estimates for Montreal. The exercise is simple but important, since it brings these costs out of the realm of speculation into the realm of meaningful discussion.

48. 细节理解题。根据题干关键词run the estimates for Montreal定位到该段：That depends on many things, but for purposes of illustration, I have run some estimates for Montreal. 句子中谈论到for purposes of illustration(目的是为了说明)，结合下一句：The exercise is simple but important, since it brings these costs out of the realm of speculation into the realm of meaningful discussion。选项A中provide convincing data(提供可信的数据)与bring these costs out(显示费用)对应，serious discussion(重要严肃的讨论)与meaningful discussion(重要有意义的讨论)对应，故选A

These rough calculations show that the savings made by employers when their staff works from home are of similar magnitude to the compensation workers should receive for setting up offices at home.

49. 细节理解题。根据题干关键词calculations定位到该段：These rough calculations show that the savings made by employers when their staff works from home are of similar magnitude to the compensation workers should receive for setting up offices at home. 选项C中 employers’ gain from remote working(雇主从远程办公获得收入)与the savings made by employers when their staff works from home(员工居家办公时雇主获得的储蓄)对应，go to(归属于)与similar magnitude to(相一致的级别)对应，employees’ compensation(员工的赔偿金)与 the compensation workers should receive…(员工应得到的赔偿金)对应，故选C

Whatever the personal and productivity impacts of remote work, the savings of US$10,ooo per year are the employer's. In effect, this represents an offloading of costs onto employees a new type of enclosure.

Employers offload these costs onto employees. This would be a form of expropriation, with employees absorbing production costs that have traditionally been paid by the employer. This represents a considerable transfer of value from employees to employers.

50. 观点态度题。根据题干关键词author’s opinion on working from home，考察作者对于居家办公的态度，结合两段信息：In effect, this represents an offloading of costs onto employees a new type of enclosure. (事实上，这展示了一种新型剥夺——损失转移到员工身上);This would be a form of expropriation...(这将是一种侵占财产形式)，作者对于居家办公现象持批评否定态度。选项C：It should be avoided if possible(应该尽可能避免)与文章作者对应，故选C

Passage 2

Why are humans so curious?

The human craving to know and understand is the driving force behind our development as individuals and even our success as a species. But curiosity can also be dangerous, leading to stumbles or even downfalls, so why does this impulse so often compel us throughout life?

Curiosity is so ingrained, it helps us learn as babies and survive as adults. As for the definition, there isn't one set in stone. Researchers across many disciplines are interested in curiosity, so it's no surprise there isn't a widely accepted definition of the term. William James, one of the first modern psychologists, called it "the impulse towards better cognition." Ivan Pavlov wrote that dogs (of course it was dogs) are curious about novel stimuli through the "what-is-it?" reflex that causes them to focus spontaneously on something new that comes into their environment.

While pinning down a definition has proven tricky, "the general consensus is it's some means of information gathering," Katherine Twomey, a lecturer in language and communicative development at the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom, told Live Science.Psychologists also agree that curiosity isn't about satisfying an immediate need, like hunger or thirst; rather, it's intrinsically motivated.

Curiosity encompasses such a large set of behaviors, there probably isn’t any single "curiosity gene" that makes humans wonder about the world and explore their environment. That said, curiosity does have a genetic component. Genes and the environment interact in many complex ways to shape individuals and guide their behavior, including their curiosity.

Regardless of their genetic makeup, infants have to learn an incredible amount of information in a short window of time, and curiosity is one of the tools humans have found to accomplish that gargantuan task."If infants weren't curious, they'd never learn anything and development wouldn't happen, Twomey said.

Hundreds of studies show that infants prefer novelty. In a classic 1964 study, a psychologist showed that infants between 2 months and 6 months old grew less and less interested in a complex visual pattern the more they looked at it. A 1983 study in the journal Developmental Psychology of slightly older children (ages 8 months and 12 months old) indicated that once babies got used to familiar toys, they preferred new ones, a scenario that caregivers likely know all too well.

Sometimes, however, testing out a new idea can lead to disaster. "Curiosity probably led to the vast majority of human populations going extinct," Fuentes said. For instance, the Inuit of the Arctic regions of Greenland, Canada and Alaska, and the Sámi people of Europe’s northern reaches have "created incredible modes to deal with the challenges" of living in northern climates, but "what we forget about are the probably tens of thousands of populations that tried and failed to make it" in those challenging landscapes, he said.

Ultimately, curiosity is about survival. Not all curious humans lived to pass their penchant for exploration on to their descendants, but those who did helped create a species that can't help but think, "Huh, I wonder what would happen if ..."

The human craving to know and understand is the driving force behind our development as individuals and even our success as a species. But curiosity can also be dangerous, leading to stumbles or even downfalls, so why does this impulse so often compel us throughout life?

51.What does the author say about curiosity?

解析：

正确答案 B. It is the force that pushes human society forward.

第一道题优先在文章前面的段落找答案。文章一开始在介绍curiosity好奇心的时候提到了“The human craving to know and understand is the driving force behind our development as individuals and even our success as a species.”其中craving to know and understand对应的是curiosity，后面说到好奇心是我们作为个体和人类整体发展背后的驱动力，和B选项的“It is the force that pushes human society forward”好奇心是推动人类社会进步的力量，可以同义改写。故选B。

While pinning down a definition has proven tricky, "the general consensus is it's some means of information gathering," Katherine Twomey, a lecturer in language and communicative development at the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom, told Live Science.Psychologists also agree that curiosity isn't about satisfying an immediate need, like hunger or thirst; rather, it's intrinsically motivated.

52.What is the general understanding of the curiosity?

A.It motivates people to seek information.

解析：

题干问的重点定位信息是“general understanding”,对应原文的“the general consensus大家的共识”，根据“the general consensus is it's some means of information gathering”，所以答案应该是“information gathering”，只有A选项的“seek information”能与之相对应。

Curiosity encompasses such a large set of behaviors, there probably isn’t any single "curiosity gene" that makes humans wonder about the world and explore their environment. That said, curiosity does have a genetic component. Genes and the environment interact in many complex ways to shape individuals and guide their behavior, including their curiosity.

53.What do we learn about how genes shape people’s behavior ?

D. They work in conjunction with the environment.

解析：

题干的核心定位信息是“genes shape people's behavior”，定位到该段。具体找基因如何塑造人们的行为定位到最后一句，“Genes and the environment interact in many complex ways to shape individuals and guide their behavior, including their curiosity.”所以答案是基因和环境的相互作用，选D选项基因和环境共同起作用。

Hundreds of studies show that infants prefer novelty. In a classic 1964 study, a psychologist showed that infants between 2 months and 6 months old grew less and less interested in a complex visual pattern the more they looked at it. A 1983 study in the journal Developmental Psychology of slightly older children (ages 8 months and 12 months old) indicated that once babies got used to familiar toys, they preferred new ones, a scenario that caregivers likely know all too well.

54. What do numerous studies show about infants?

B. They prefer to go after all that is novel.

解析：

本题题干的核心定位信息是“numerous studies，infants”，定位到本段第一句，“Hundreds of studies show that infants prefer novelty.”其中B选项的all that is novel和novelty对应，所以正确选项是B。

Sometimes, however, testing out a new idea can lead to disaster. "Curiosity probably led to the vast majority of human populations going extinct," Fuentes said. For instance, the Inuit of the Arctic regions of Greenland, Canada and Alaska, and the Sámi people of Europe’s northern reaches have "created incredible modes to deal with the challenges" of living in northern climates, but "what we forget about are the probably tens of thousands of populations that tried and failed to make it" in those challenging landscapes, he said.

55. What does the example of the Inuit people of the Arctic regions illustrate?

A. The cost of human’s curiosity to explore.

解析：

本题的核心定位词是Inuit people。本道题的难点在于题目问的是Inuit people的例子证明了什么观点。这个例子是为了证明前面提及过的观点“testing out a new idea can lead to disaster”和“Curiosity probably led to the vast majority of human populations going extinct”，好奇心也有可能导致灾害、导致大规模人类灭绝。所以A选项的“cost”最能总结这个观点，人类去探索的好奇心带来的代价。

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