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Part Ⅳ Reading Comprehension (Reading in Depth) (25 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section, there is a short passage with 5 questions or incomplete statements. Read the passage carefully. Then answer the questions or complete the statements in the fewest possible words on Answer Sheet 2.
Questions 47 to 51 are based on the following passage.
Women often complain that dating is like a cattle market, and a paper just published in Biology Letters by Thomas Pollet and Daniel Nettle of Newcastle University, in England, suggests they are right. They have little cause for complaint, however, because the paper also suggests that in this particular market, it is women who are the buyers.
Mr. Pollet and Dr. Nettle were looking for evidence to support the contention that women choose men of high status and resources, as well as good looks. That may sound common sense, but it was often denied by social scientists until a group of researchers who called themselves evolutionary psychologists started investigating the matter two decades ago. Since then, a series of experiments in laboratories have supported the contention. But as all zoologists know, experiments can only tell you so much. Eventually, you have to look at natural populations.
And that is what Mr. Pollet and Dr. Nettle have done. They have examined data from the 1910 census of the United States of America that marriage is, indeed, a market. Moreover, as in any market, a scarcity of buyers means the sellers have to have particularly attractive goods on offer if they are to make the exchange.
The advantage of picking 1910 was that America had not yet settled down, demographically(人口統計學方面) speaking. Though the long-colonized eastern states had a sex ratio of one , or thereabouts, in the rest of the country the old adage(格言，諺語)“go west, young man” had resulted in a surplus of males. Mr. Pollet and Dr. Nettle were thus able to see just how picky women are, given the chance.
Rather than looking at the whole census, the two researchers relied on a sample of one person in 250.They then assigned the men in the sample a socioeconomic status score between zero and 96, on a scale drawn up in 1950.They showed that in states where the sexes were equal in number, 56% of low status men were married by the age of 30, while 60% of high status men were. As the men went west, then, so did their marriage opportunities.
47. A paper published in Biology Letters agreed with women that ________ .
48. What is the contention which is often denied by social scientists?
49. Although the experiments support the contention, all zoologists suggest that________ .
50. In the market of marriage, a scarcity of buyers means sellers have to________________________ to make the exchange.
51. What had given two researchers the chance to see how picky women were?
Part Ⅳ Reading Comprehension (Reading in Depth)
Section A
本文由大多數女人關于“約會如同選美市場”的抱怨談起，通過英國紐卡斯爾大學的Thomas Pollet和Daniel Nettle在《生物學快報》上剛發表的一篇論文的描婚姻如同一個市場。兩位研究者通過研究，發現美國出現了男女性別比例失衡問題，所以在擇偶方面，女人比較挑剔。婚姻市場中，不同以往的是，由于男性人口多于女性，女人才是真正的買方。
47. dating is like a cattle market
【定位】 根據題干中的a paper和women定位到原文第一段第一句Women often complain that dating is like a cattle market, and a paper just published in Biology Letters by Thomas Pollet and Daniel Nettle of Newcastle University, in England, suggests they are right.
【解析】 本題提問該論文與多數女人一致的看法是什么。題干中的...suggest they are right提示該論文同意女人們常見的看法，即文章開篇提到的女人的抱怨，所以complain后的賓語從句就是本題的答案。
48．Women choose men of high status，resources and good looks.
【定位】 根據題干中的contention和which is often denied by social scientists定位到原文第二段第一句和第二句Mr. Pollet and Dr. Nettle were looking for evidence to support the contention that women choose men of high status and resources, as well as good looks. That may sound common sense, but it was often denied by social scientists...
【解析】 本題提問遭到社會科學家否認的廣受爭議的話題究竟是什么，根據原文結構contention后是同位語從句，進一步解釋contention的具體內容，后面提到這種廣受爭議的話題雖然被視為人之常情，但在過去卻遭到社會考(試大科學家的否認。因此contention后同位語從句的內容就是本題的答案。
49. you have to look at natural populations
【定位】 根據題干中的experiments和zoologists定位到原文第二段最后三句Since then, a series of experiments in laboratories have supported the contention. But as all zoologists know, experiments can only tell you so much. Eventually, you have to look at natural populations.
【解析】 題干表述的是對該句意思的概括轉述，雖然一系列實驗都為這個觀點提供了可靠依據。然而動物學家都比較傾向于相信從自然種群獲得的數據。所以不能僅看實驗數據，最終還是需要看自然種群的數據。題干是對這段話的簡單概括，答案可直接從原文得出。
50. be particularly attractive
【定位】 根據題干中的market和scarcity of sellers定位到原文第三段They have examined...indeed, a market. Moreover, as in any market...if they are to make the exchange.
【解析】 題干是第三段整段的概括和簡化，主旨為婚姻確實如同一個市場。而且，同其他市場一樣,買主的稀缺迫使賣方必須擁有別具吸引力的商品才易。原文中描述的是普通市場的情況，而題干中已經明確界定了in the market of marriage,所以答案不應照搬原文，應當結合題干適當變化，變為形容詞。意思是在婚姻的市場中，缺少買方就意味著賣方必須非常有魅力。
51. A surplus of males.
【定位】 根據題干中的how picky women were定位到原文第四段末兩句 Though the long-colonised eastern states had a sex ratio of one ,...“go west, young man”had resulted in a surplus of males. Mr. Pollet...how picky women are, given the chance.
【解析】 原文意思是在“年輕人，去西部”的口號影響下，其他州考(試大呈現了男性過剩的局面。這一局面恰好為Pollet先生和Nettle博士提供機會，讓他們清楚地發現女性對男性的選擇是多么挑剔。結合題干和原文很容易找到問題的答案應該是A surplus of males。
n. 地位，身份，情形，狀況
