大学英语四六级考试-备考辅导-历年四级阅读真题解析(2)

历年四级阅读真题解析(2)Passage TwoI dont ever want to talk about being a woman scientist again. There was a time in my life when people asked constantly for stories about what its like to work in a field dominated by men. I was never very good at telling those stories because truthfully I never found them interesting. What I do find interesting is the origin of the universe, the shape of space-time and the nature of black holes.At , when I began studying astrophysics, it did not bother me in the least to be the only woman in the classroom. But while earning my Ph.D. at MIT and then as a post-doctor doing space research, the issue started to bother me. My every achievementjobs, research papers, awardswas viewed through the lens of gender （性别） politics. So were my failures. Sometimes, when I was pushed into an argument on left brain versus （相对于） right brain, or nature versus nurture （培育）, I would instantly fight fiercely on my behalf and all womankind.Then one day a few years ago, out of my mouth came a sentence that would eventually become my reply to any and all provocations: I dont talk about that anymore. It took me years to get back the confidence I had at and to realize that I didnt want to deal with gender issues. Why should curing sexism be yet another terrible burden on every female scientist? After all, I dont study sociology or political theory.Today I research and teach at Barnard, a womens college in New York City. Recently, someone asked me how may of the 45 students in my class were women. You cannot imagine my satisfaction at being able to answer, 45. I know some of my students worry how they will manage their scientific research and a desire for children. And I dont dismiss those concerns. Still, I dont tell them “war” stories. Instead, I have given them this: the visual of their physics professor heavily pregnant doing physics experiments. And in turn they have given me the image of 45 women driven by a love of science. And thats a sight worth talking about.62. Why doesnt the author want to talk about being a woman scientist again?A） She feels unhappy working in male-dominated fields.B） She is fed up with the issue of gender discrimination.C） She is not good at telling stories of the kind.D） She finds space research more important.（B）63. From Paragraph 2, we can infer that people would attribute the authors failures to _.A） the very fact that she is a womanB） her involvement in gender politicsC） her over-confidence as a female astrophysicistD） the burden she bears in a male-dominated society（A）64. What did the author constantly fight against while doing her Ph.D. and post-doctoral research?A） Lack of confidence in succeeding in space science.B） Unfair accusations from both inside and outside her circle.C） Peoples stereotyped attitude toward female scientists.D） Widespread misconceptions about nature and nurtured.（C）65. Why does the author feel great satisfaction when talking about her class?A） Female students no longer have to bother about gender issues.B） Her students performance has brought back her confidence.C） Her female students can do just as well as male students.D） More female students are pursuing science than before.（D）66. What does the image the author presents to her students suggest?A） Women students neednt have the concerns of her generation.B） Women have more barriers on their way to academic success.C） Women can balance a career in science and having a family.D） Women now have fewer problems pursuing a science career.这是一篇与性别歧视有关的文章，讲的是女性应该如何面对性别歧视的问题。以第一人称的形式，以亲身的经历来说明女性在面对性别歧视时应该采取不屑一顾的态度。全文一共四个大段，开篇为I dont ever want to talk about being a woman scientist again，以“again”一词造成悬疑，引起读者对原因的探究，而后整个第一段叙述了相对于这一again的上一次面对性别问题时的态度;并解释了原因是兴趣不在于此（I never found them interesting）。第二段开始初步为“again”释疑，叙述了从最初对性别问题的超然态度（it did not bother me in the least to be the only woman in the classroom）转变为积极捍卫女性利益态度（I would instantly fight fiercely on my behalf and all womankind）的过程。第三段进一步为“again”释疑，叙述重又悟出应回归超然态度的心理经历。从Why should curing sexism be yet another terrible burden on every female scientist? After all, I dont study sociology or political theory这一问一答可以看出，虽然多年过去，但用以对付性别问题这一心理重担的利器依然是兴趣（dont study sociology or political theory）。最后一段叙述了重归超然态度后如何教导学生正确地面对性别问题。在有些学生因性别问题（如何在科学研究和生儿育女间的愿望之间做出选择）而忧虑时，以身言教（heavily pregnant doing physics experiments），告诉学生们应该忘记性别问题。的表率起了作用，像她们的老师一样，学生们把精力完全放在了兴趣上面（45 women driven by a love of science）。文章的内容虽然涉及了社会问题，但切入角度是主观第一人称，语言修辞上更为接近散文（essay）的风格，所以相对于议论文、说明文较容易理解。【题目解析】62. Why doesnt the author want to talk about being a woman scientist again?A） She feels unhappy working in male-dominated fields.B） She is fed up with the issue of gender discrimination.C） She is not good at telling stories of the kind.D） She finds space research more important.这道题某机构给的答案是B，She is fed up with the issue of gender discrimination，我认为这个结论有待商榷。题目问为什么不想再一次谈论作为一个女科学家的感受。四个选项的意思是：A，工作在一个男性主导的领域里让她感到不快乐。B，她对性别歧视问题感到厌倦了。C，她不善于讲述此类故事。D，她发现太空研究更为重要。文章第一段就讲述了不愿再评论自己作为女科学家的事实。这一段的意思是这样的：我不想再一次谈论我作为女性科学家的事情。在我的人生中，有那么一段时间，人们总是问我，在一个被男性主导的领域中工作都会发生什么故事。我从来都不善于给他们讲述那些故事，因为，说真的，我觉得那些故事一点意思也没有。让我觉得有意思的是宇宙的起源，时空的形状，和黑洞的本质。结合全文来看，第二段叙述曾经陷入女性主义的炽热情绪当中，而后用了时间回归了对性别问题的超然态度（It took me years to get back the confidence I had at ），这也是题目中使用again的原因。第二段最后一句：I dont study sociology or political theory，我不是研究社会学或者政治理论的，体现出把性别问题归于学术或政治问题，而女性作为当事人不应参与其中的态度。显然，文中没有提到她在男性主导的领域中工作高兴与否，对于性别歧视问题，只是因对问题本身兴趣不大，而不善于讲述。的态度显而易见，她对性别问题表示了不屑一顾，也就不存在B所说的厌烦了的问题。这样ABC都可以排除，D说她发现太空研究更为重要，与第一段最后一句话意思相符。63. From Paragraph 2, we can infer that people would attribute the authors failures to _.A） the very fact that she is a womanB） her involvement in gender politicsC） her over-confidence as a female astrophysicistD） the burden she bears in a male-dominated society题目问从第二段可以推断出人们把的失败归于什么。A， 她是一个女人的事实。B， 她参与了性别政治。C， 她作为女天体物理学家的过于自信。D， 在男性主导的社会中她身负重担。第二段讲的是对性别问题的态度由不在乎转变为热情关注的过程。岁时完全超脱（it did not bother me in the least），麻省理工求学及之后研究时开始受到干扰（the issue started to bother me），这种干扰就是所有的成就：工作、研究论文、获奖，都受到性别偏见这副有色眼镜的过滤（viewed through the lens of gender politics），而后写了一句So were my failures，so在这里是代指，指代viewed through the lens of gender politics，即my failures were also viewed through the lens of gender politics，意思就是人们是从性别政治的角度看待她的失败，也就是认为她的失败是由性别偏见引起的。这样的话，符合这个意思的只有A.B所说的她参与了性别政治是个迷惑选项。参与性别政治是指为女性利益奔走呼号，第二段末尾也确实提到了的女性主义热情，但这是性别歧视发生之后才可以进行的，否则，如果没有发生歧视，奋力捍卫女性的利益的缘由就不存在了。而的失败，如果是因性别问题而起的话，则是早于失败之前就已经发生作用了。因此从逻辑上讲，自己的失败应该是先于参与捍卫女性利益发生的，后者不可能成为前者发生的原因。64. What did the author constantly fight against while doing her Ph.D. and post-doctoral research?A） Lack of confidence in succeeding in space science.B） Unfair accusations from both inside and outside her circle.C） Peoples stereotyped attitude toward female scientists.D） Widespread misconceptions about nature and nurtured.题目问在攻读哲学博士和进行博士后研究时要同什么进行不断地斗争。四个选项中，A说是缺少在太空科学领域成功的信心。文章提到了失去信心的问题，It took me years to get back the confidence I had at ，但这个信心是在面对世人对女性偏见时有信心不予理睬，而不是科研领域的信心。B说是来自她的圈内圈外的不公平指责。世人戴着性别的有色眼镜看她（was viewed through the lens of gender politics），但这也仅仅是一种态度罢了，还没到指责、责难的地步。所以B的说法不能算对。C说是人们对女性科学家的固有态度。文中第二段从But while earning my Ph.D. at MIT and then as a post-doctor doing space research, the issue started to bother me这句开始，讲述了面对世人成见时如何挺身而出、为女性仗义执言。这也就是C 所表达的意思。D说是对自然与培育的广泛误解。根据第二段，nature versus nurture的问题是与人争论的话题之一，是诸多对女性的成见之一，文中具体举出的例子就另有left brain versus right brain.而要斗争的是所有遭受的成见，D所说的这其中一种成见不可能是题目所说的整个时期内一直都要斗争的对象。65. Why does the author feel great satisfaction when talking about her class?A） Female students no longer have to bother about gender issues.B） Her students performance has brought back her confidence.C） Her female students can do just as well as male students.D） More female students are pursuing science than before.题干问谈到她的班级时为何流露出满意之情。与题目相关的原文是这样的：Today I research and teach at Barnard, a womens college in New York City. Recently, someone asked me how many of the 45 students in my class were women. You cannot imagine my satisfaction at being able to answer, 45，汉译为：我现在在纽约一所女子大学Barnard做研究和教书，最近有人问我，我的班级里45名学生中有多少个女生。你想象不到我能够回答“45个”时的满意之情。从前文的叙述可以知道，一直需要面对的问题是在男性主导的领域女性太少的问题。岁时，她是班里的女生（the only woman in the classroom），做研究后，人们总是问她在一个男性主导的领域里工作的情形（the only woman in the classroom work in a field dominated by men）。可见，在研究的领域里，女生是很少的，而现在班里45人全部是女生，很有可能是为在自己研究的领域里出现了这么多的女性而感到满意。在这里使用了Be able to answer而不直接用answer，暗含以前是不可能说出这样的数字的。这个词组的选用也暗示了是在为数字的由少到多而满意。A， 女生不再为性别问题而烦恼。最后一段有一句话：I know some of my students worry how they will manage their scientific research and a desire for children，意思是知道有些学生还是为科研与家庭之间如何平衡而忧虑。这一叙述与A不符。B， 她的学生的表现使她重拾信心。文中没有提到她的学生表现如何。C， 她的女学生能与男学生做得一样好。文中没有类似的叙述。D， 追求科学研究的女生比以前多了。这一描述符合上文的分析。66. What does the image the author presents to her students suggest?A） Women students neednt have the concerns of her g