2017年12月六級仔細閱讀真題及解析(卷二)

-Passage OneQuestions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.You may have heard that Coca-Cola once contained an ingredient capable of sparking particular devotion in consumers: cocaine. The“coca” in the name referred to the extracts of coca leaf that the drinks originator, chemist John Pemberton, mixed with his sugary syrup(姜汁). At the time, coca leaf extract mixed with wine was a common tonic(滋補品), and Pembertons sweet brew was a way to get around local laws prohibiting the sale of alcohol. But the other half of the name represents another ingredient，less infamous(名聲不好的), perhaps, but also strangely potent: the kola nut.In West Africa, people have long chewed kola nuts as stimulants, because they contain caffeine that also occurs naturally in tea, coffee, and chocolate. They also have heart stimulants.Historian Paul Lovejoy relates that the cultivation of kola nuts in West Africa is hundreds of years old. The leafy, spreading trees were planted on graves and as part of traditional rituals. Even though the nuts, which need to stay moist, can be somewhat delicate to transport, traders carried them hundreds of miles throughout the forests and grasslands.Europeans did not know of them until the 1500s, when Portuguese ships arrived on the coast of what is now Sierra Leone. And while the Portuguese took part in the trade, ferrying nuts down the coast along with other goods, by 1620, when English explorer Richard Jobson made his way up the Gambia, the nuts were still peculiar to his eyes.By the late 19th century, kola nuts were being shipped by the tonne to Europe and the US. Many made their way into medicines, intended as a kind of energy boost. One such popular medicinal drink was Vin Mariani, a French product consisting of coca extract mixed with red wine. It was created by a French chemist, Angelo Mariani, in 1863. So when Pemberton created his drink,it represented an ongoing trend. When cocaine eventually fell from grace as a beverage ingredient, kola-extract colas became popular.The first year it was available, Coca-Cola averaged nine servings a day across all the Atlanta soda fountains where it was sold. As it grew more popular, the company sold rights to bottle the soda, so it could travel easily. Today about 1.9 billion Cokes are purchased daily. Its become so iconic that attempts to change its taste in 1985 sweetening it in a move projected to boost sales proved disastrous, with widespread anger from consumers. “Coca-Cola Classic”， returned to store shelves just three months after the “New Coke” was released.These days, the Coca-Cola recipe is a closely guarded secret. But its said to no longer contain kola nut extract, relying instead on artificial imitations to achieve the flavour.你可能聽說可口可樂曾經含有一種能夠使消費者“死忠”的成分：可卡因。名中的“coca”指的是古柯葉的提取物，該飲料的創(chuàng)始人化學家約翰彭伯頓用它與含糖的姜汁混合在一起。當時，古柯葉提取物與葡萄酒混合是常見的滋補品，而當地法律禁止出售含酒精飲料，彭伯頓的甜飲則避開了該法律?！癱ola”代表另一種成分可樂果：盡管名聲不太好，但非常給力。在西非，人們長期以來一直嚼著可樂果作為興奮劑，因為它們含有咖啡因?？Х纫蛟诓琛⒖Х群颓煽肆χ幸蔡烊淮嬖?。它們也有心臟興奮劑。歷史學家保羅洛夫喬伊指出，西非的可樂果種植已有數百年的歷史。枝繁葉茂的可樂果樹被種植在墳墓上，作為傳統儀式的一部分。盡管可樂果需要保持濕潤，在運輸上需要謹慎處理，但是貿易商卻帶著它們穿越森林和草原，運送了數百英里。直到十六世紀，葡萄牙船只抵達現在的塞拉利昂海岸時，歐洲人才知道它們。盡管葡萄牙人也加入了可樂果貿易，將可樂果和其他貨物一起裝船運輸，但1620年英國探險家理查德喬布森前往岡比亞看到可樂果時，仍覺得它奇怪。到十九世紀后期，可樂果才被大量運往歐洲和美國。很多可樂果入了藥，把它做能量增強劑。當時有一種受歡迎的藥用飲料叫馬里亞尼葡萄酒，是一種法國產的古柯提取物與紅葡萄酒的混合。該產品由法國化學家安杰洛馬里亞尼于1863年創(chuàng)建。所以當彭伯頓創(chuàng)造了他的飲料，代表著不斷發(fā)展的趨勢。可卡因作為飲料配料最終“失寵”時，可樂果提取物變得受歡迎起來。第一年，可口可樂在所有亞特蘭大的冷飲小賣部的銷量只有平均九份每天。隨著它越來越受歡迎，該公司開始銷售瓶裝蘇打水，所以它更便于隨身攜帶?，F在每天的銷量高達約十九億瓶?？煽诳蓸穬叭灰殉蔀橐环N標志，以至于1985年改變其的口味的嘗試被證明是災難性的 ： 原以為使其變得更甜可以促進銷售 ，不料引起了消費者普遍憤慨?！敖浀淇煽诳蓸贰痹凇靶驴蓸贰卑l(fā)布后的三個月后重新回到貨架上。直到現在，可口可樂的配方仍是一個嚴格保守的秘密。據說它不再含有古柯提取物，而是依靠人造的仿制品來達到相同的口味。46. What do we learn about chemist John Pemberton?A) He used a strangely potent ingredient in a food supplement.B) He created a drink containing alcohol without breaking law.C) He became notorious because of the coca drink he developed.D) He risked breaking local law to make a drink with coca leaves.【答案詳解】答案是A。由第一自然段最后一句“But the other half of the name represents another ingredient，less infamous, perhaps, but also strangely potent: the kola nut”我們可以得知“cola”代表另一種成分可樂果：盡管名聲不太好，但非常給力。很多同學首先就把A排除，理由是可口可樂不屬于食品（food）的范疇。食品定義是“可供人類食用或飲用的物質”，飲料當然也屬于廣義的食品。做閱讀理解，幾個選項一定要仔細比較、揣摩?！靖蓴_分析】B、D選項具有很大的迷惑性。C選項很容易排除。由第一自然段第三句“Pembertons sweet brew was a way to get around local laws prohibiting the sale of alcohol”我們可以得知：當地法律禁止出售含酒精飲料，彭伯頓的甜飲則避開了該法律。換言之，可口可樂是不含酒精的，他本人也沒有冒違反法律的風險。故可排除B、D選項。C選項“變得聲名狼藉（became notorious）”很容易排除，因為文章中提到聲名狼藉的是可樂果，而不是彭伯頓。47. What does the passage say about kola nuts?A) Their commercial value was first discovered by Portuguese settlers.B) They contain some kind of energy boost not found in any other food.C) Many were shipped to Europe in the late 19th century for medicinal use.D) They were strange to the Europeans when first imported from West Africa.【答案詳解】答案是C。由第5自然段的頭兩句“By the late 19th century, kola nuts were being shipped by the tonne to Europe and the US. Many made their way into medicines, intended as a kind of energy boost”我們可以得知：到十九世紀后期，可樂果才被大量運往歐洲和美國。很多可樂果入了藥，把它做能量增強劑?！靖蓴_分析】本題相關的閱讀點散布在2-5自然段多個地方，信息量大。B選項容易排除，A、D有較大的迷惑性，需仔細比較。文中第四自然段提到，葡萄牙人用船只將可樂果運往歐洲，并從事可樂果貿易，但并不能斷定葡萄牙定居者首先發(fā)現可樂果的商業(yè)價值，排除A。第二自然段提到，可樂果含有咖啡因，它在茶、咖啡和巧克力中也存在，排除B。第二、三自然段多次提到西非，但沒有明確提及歐洲人首次從西非進口可樂果的相關信息。第四自然段中提到十六世紀時葡萄牙船只抵達現在的塞拉利昂海岸，塞拉利昂是西非國家，但并不能由此斷定首次進口可樂果是葡萄牙人所為，故排除D。48. How come kola-extract colas became popular?A) Cocaine had become notorious. B) Alcoholic drinks were prohibited. C) Fountains were set up to sell them.D) Rights were sold to bottle the soda.【答案詳解】答案是A。由第五自然段最后一句“When cocaine eventually fell from grace as a beverage ingredient, kola-extract colas became popular”我們可以得知：可卡因作為飲料配料最終“失寵”（fell from grace）時，可樂果提取物變得受歡迎起來。其“失寵”是因為它聲名狼藉，此后作為代替品的可樂果提取物變得受歡迎。【干擾分析】B、C選項與題干相關度低，而D有一定的迷惑性。B、C選項在文中的確有提到，但與題干相關度低。倒數第二自然段第二句話提到，隨著可口可樂越來越受歡迎，該公司開始銷售瓶裝蘇打水，所以它更便于隨身攜帶。這里講的是可口可樂受歡迎與瓶裝蘇打水兩者的關系，而不是講可樂果提取物是如何變得受歡迎的，故排除D。49. What is known about the taste of Coca-Cola?A) It was so designed as to create addiction in consumers.B) It still relies on traditional kola nut extract.C) It has become more popular among the old.D) It has remained virtually unchanged since its creation.【答案詳解】答案是D。由倒數第二自然段的最后兩句我們可以得知，1985年改變其的口味的嘗試被證明是災難性的，“經典可口可樂”在“新可樂”發(fā)布后的三個月后重新回到貨架上。另外，由文章的最后一句我們可以得知，它不再含有可樂果提取物，而是依靠人造的仿制品來達到相同的口味。綜上所述，可口可樂自創(chuàng)立以來，其味道幾乎沒有變化。【干擾分析】B選項很容易排除，A、C在文中沒有提及。有的同學錯選A，認為A選項中的上癮與文中提到的可卡因有關，早期的可口可樂含可卡因，而可卡因可能讓人上癮，由此臆斷這是該產品設計的目的。其實文中并未明確提及addition,而它也絕非創(chuàng)始人設計產品的初衷。做閱讀理解切忌先入為主，想當然?？煽诳蓸纷詣?chuàng)立以來，其味道幾乎沒有變化，確定D為正確選項的同時又可以排除B。文中沒有明確的提及該飲料是否會讓消費者上癮或它是否在老年人群中越來越受歡迎，屬“無中生有”，故排除A、C。50. What is the passage mainly about?A) The evolution of Coca-Cola. C) The medicinal value of Coca-Cola.B) The success story of Coca-Cola. D) The business strategy of Coca-Cola.【答案詳解】答案是A。本文從可口可樂的名字談起，然后說到該產品的創(chuàng)立與發(fā)展。全文貫穿了其發(fā)展史中較為有趣的幾件代表性事件，究其主旨，可口可樂的發(fā)展演變最為貼切?！靖蓴_分析】B、C、D等干擾項在文中都有提及，但均以偏概全，不能作為全文的主旨大意，故排除。Passage TwoQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.Twenty years ago, the Urban Land Institute defined the two types of cities that dominated the US landscape: smaller cities that operated around standard 9-5 business hours and large metropolitan areas that ran all 24 hours of the day. Analyzing and comparing cities using the lens of this basic divide gives interesting context to how investment capital flows and housing prices have shifted.In recent years, many mid-sized cities have begun to adopt a middle-of-the-road approach incorporating the excitement and opportunity of large cities with small cities quiet after midnight. These 18-hour cities are beginning to make waves in real estate rankings and attract more real estate investment. What is underlying this new movement in real estate, and why do these cities have so much appeal?18-hour cities combine the best of 24-hour and 9-5 cities, which contributes to downtown revitalization. For decades, many downtown cores in small to mid-sized cities were abandoned after work hours by workers who lived in the suburbs. Movement out of city centers was widespread, and downtown tenants were predominantly made up of the working poor. This generated little commerce for downtown businesses in the evenings, which made business and generating tax revenue for municipal upkeep difficult. With the rise of a new concept in urban planning that aims to make life easier and more convenient, however, increasing popularity for urban areas that caused the real estate pushes, in major cities like San Francisco or New York, has inspired a type of forward thinking urbanity and policy in smaller cities.Transforming downtown areas so that they incorporate modem housing and improved walkability to local restaurants, retail, and entertainment especially when combined with improved infra structure for cyclists and public transit makes them appeal to a more affluent demographic. These adjustments encourage employers in the knowledge and talent industries to keep their offices downtown. Access to foot traffic and proximity to transit allow the type of entertainment-oriented businesses such as bars and restaurants to stay open later, which attracts both younger, creative workers and baby boomers nearing retirement alike. Because of their smaller size，most keep hours that allow people to enjoy themselves, then have some quiet after midnight, as opposed to large major cities like New York, where the buzz of activity is ongoing.These 18-hour cities are rapidly on the rise and offer great opportunities for homeowner investment. In many of these cities such as Denver, a diverse and vigorous economy attracted to the urban core has offered stable employment for residents. The right urban mix has propped up home occupancy, increased property values, and attracted significant investment capital.二十年前，美國城市土地學會限定了主導美國的兩類城市：圍繞朝九晚五工作時間的小城市，以及24小時全天候的大都市區(qū)。以基本分類的視角來分析和比較城市，給資本流動和房價變化提供了有趣的背景。近年來，許多中等城市開始采取折中的方式，將大城市的精彩和機遇與小城市的夜間的寧靜地結合起來。這些18小時城市開始在房地產排名上掀起波瀾并吸引更多的房地產投資。隱藏在新房地產運動背后的秘密是什么，為什么這些城市有如此的吸引力？18小時城市集24小時城市和朝九晚五式小城市的優(yōu)勢于一身，而這有助于城市復興。幾十年來，許多工人在中心區(qū)上班，下班后返回郊區(qū)的家，以至于中小城市的許多中心區(qū)在下班后被“遺棄”?！斑w出市區(qū)運動”普遍存在，在市中心居住的主要是在市區(qū)上班的貧困人口。這就導致了市中心區(qū)夜間商機微乎其微，生意難做，稅收減少，市政維護難。城市規(guī)劃新概念旨在使生活更輕松、更方便，然而諸如舊金山、紐約等大城市中，城區(qū)越來越受歡迎，推動了地產發(fā)展。城市規(guī)劃新概念激發(fā)了中小城市關于都市風格和政策的前瞻思維。改造市中心區(qū)域，將現代住宅與可步行性結合，讓人們步行就可以到達當地的餐館，零售和娛樂場所，特別是為騎自行車者和公共交通系統提供更好的基礎配套 。這樣，市中心區(qū)對富裕人口也有吸引力。這些調整鼓勵知識和人才行業(yè)的雇主將辦公室留在市中心。獲得更大的人流量以及便利的交通使得諸如酒吧和餐館等娛樂導向型產業(yè)營業(yè)到更晚，這對年輕人，創(chuàng)意工作者和接近退休的嬰兒潮一代同樣具有吸引力。由于這些城市規(guī)模較小，人們在營業(yè)時間享受樂趣，然后在午夜之后有一份安靜，而不是像紐約那樣的大城市，時刻喧囂不停。這些18小時的城市正在迅速崛起，為房主投資提供了巨大的商機。眾多諸如丹佛這樣的城市，其多元和有活力的經濟吸引人們走向中心城區(qū)，并為居民提供了穩(wěn)定的就業(yè)機會。城市商住恰當組合推高了住宅的入住率，提高了房地產價值，吸引了大量的投資資本。51. What do we learn about American cities twenty years ago?A) They were divided into residential and business areas.B) Their housing prices were linked with their prosperity.C) There was a clear divide between large and small cities.D) They were places where large investment capital flowed.【答案詳解】答案是C。由文章首句我們得知：二十年前，美國城市土地學會限定了主導美國的兩類城市：圍繞朝九晚五工作時間的小城市，以及24小時全天候的大都市區(qū)。簡而言之，大小城市之間存在明確的劃分，故C為正確選項。【干擾分析】本題屬事實細節(jié)題，關鍵在于找到對應的閱讀點。作為第一題，其在文中對應的閱讀點通常出現在開頭部分，選錯的同學應該對順序法進行反思。文中并沒有提及美國城市住宅區(qū)和商業(yè)區(qū)的劃分，不應將第三自然段中“許多工人在中心區(qū)上班，下班后返回郊區(qū)的家”與住宅區(qū)和商業(yè)區(qū)的劃分等同起來。文中提到了房價變化，卻沒有明確提及房價與城市的繁華二者之間的關系；文中最后一自然段中提到了諸如丹佛這樣的18小時城市，提高了房地產價值，吸引了大量的投資資本，講的是現狀，與題干中“二十年前”不符，所以B、D選項也可以排除。52. What can be inferred from the passage about 18-hour cities?A) They especially appeal to small businesses.B) They have seen a rise in property prices.C) They have replaced quiet with excitement.D) They have changed Americas landscape.【答案詳解】答案是B。由第五自然段最后一句“The right urban mix has propped up home occupancy, increased property values, and attracted significant investment capital”可以得知：城市商住恰當組合推高了住宅的入住率，提高了房地產價值，吸引了大量的投資資本。換言之，以丹佛為代表的18小時城市，隨著住宅入住率提高，房價也會相應提高，故B為正確答案?！靖蓴_分析】本題干擾項中既有文中提到的信息，出題人將它們故意和一些無中生有的信息甚至是錯誤的信息放在一起，考生要注意甄別。A、D選項的部分信息在文中確有提到，如“businesses”和“l(fā)andscape”,但出題人故意增加了文中沒有的信息。文中不止一次提到“businesses”，但沒有提到“small businesses”，二者不能等同;文中第一自然段中提到“l(fā)andscape”，但講述的是大小城市的劃分，而本題談論的是介乎大小城市之間的第三種類型18小時城市，更不能混為一談，故A、D可以排除。而C選項明顯不對，第二自然段第一句告訴我們，近年來，許多中等城市開始采取折中的方式，將大城市的精彩和機遇與小城市的夜間的寧靜地結合起來。由此我們可以判斷出，18小時并非是用精彩取代了安靜，也可以排除B。53. Years ago, many downtown cores in small to mid-sized cities_.A) had hardly any business activity.B) were crowded in business hours.C) exhibited no signs of prosperity.D) looked deserted in the evenings.【答案詳解】答案是D。由第三自然段第二句話“For decades, many downtown cores in small to mid-sized cities were abandoned after work hours by workers who live