2025年下半年湘潭全国英语等级考试（PETS）四级练习试题库

2025年下半年湘潭全国英语等级考试（PETS）四级练习试题库SectionIListeningComprehension(30minutes)PartADirections:Inthispart,youwillhear10shortconversationsbetweentwospeakers.Attheendofeachconversation,aquestionwillbeaskedaboutwhatwassaid.Boththeconversationandthequestionwillbespokenonlyonce.1.A)Atarailwaystation.B)Atatravelagency.C)Atanairport.D)Atahotelreception.2.A)Thewomanshouldquitherjob.B)Thewomaniswastinghertalent.C)Thewomanshouldtakethepromotion.D)Thewoman'ssalaryistoolow.3.A)Hehasalreadyreadthereport.B)Hethinksthereportispoorlywritten.C)Hewillreadthereportthisweekend.D)Hedoesn'thavetimetoreadthereportnow.4.A)240.B)5.A)Themanisallergictoseafood.B)ThewomanpreferstheItalianrestaurant.C)Theywillgototherestaurantbythesea.D)Theycannotdecidewheretoeat.6.A)Sheissatisfiedwiththecurrentdesign.B)Shewantstochangethecolorschemecompletely.C)Shethinksthedesignneedsminoradjustments.D)Shedoesn'tlikethelayoutatall.7.A)Theprofessorpostponedthelecture.B)Thestudentsboycottedthelecture.C)Thelecturewascanceledduetobadweather.D)Thelecturehallwasundermaintenance.8.A)Heisaprofessionalphotographer.B)Hejustboughtanewcamera.C)Heisteachingaphotographycourse.D)Heislookingforacameramanual.9.A)7:45.B)8:00.C)8:15.D)8:30.10.A)Shemissedherfriend'sbirthdayparty.B)Sheforgottobuyagiftforherfriend.C)Shedoesn'tknowhowtoapologizetoherfriend.D)Shehadaconflictwithherfriend.ListeningScriptforPartA:1.M:I'dliketocheckinforthe9:30flighttoLondon.Hereismypassportandticket.W:Certainly,sir.Pleaseputyourluggageonthescale.Didyoupackityourself?Q:Wheredoestheconversationmostlikelytakeplace?2.M:Iheardyouwereofferedapromotiontoseniorprojectmanager,butyouhaven'tacceptedityet.W:Thepayincreaseisgenerous,buttheextrahourswouldleavemenotimeformyfamily.I'mreallytornaboutit.Q:Whatdoesthemanimply?3.W:HaveyouhadachancetolookatthefinancialreportIleftonyourdesk?M:Iglancedattheexecutivesummary,butIneedtodiveintothedetailsbeforetheMondaymeeting.Q:Whatdoesthemanmean?4.M:Howmuchisthisvintagecoat?W:Itwasoriginallypricedat$300,butthere'sa20%discounttoday.Q:Howmuchwillthemanpayforthecoat?5.M:Shouldwetrythatnewseafoodrestaurantbythebaytonight?W:I'dloveto,butlasttimeIhadshrimp,Ibrokeoutinhives.CouldwetrytheItalianplaceinstead?Q:Whatcanbeinferredfromtheconversation?6.M:Hereisthelatestdraftofthebrochure.Whatdoyouthinkoftheoveralllayout?W:Thestructureissolid,butIfeelthebackgroundcolorsareabitdull.Maybewecanbrightenthemupalittle.Q:Whatdoesthewomanthinkofthedesign?7.W:IwenttoattendProfessorSmith'sguestlecturethismorning,butthehallwasempty.M:Oh,didn'tyougettheemail?Aseverestormwarningcausedtheuniversitytocancelalloutdoorandlargegatheringevents.Q:Whathappenedtothelecture?8.W:Yourlandscapephotosareabsolutelystunning.Youmustbeaprofessional.M:Thankyou!I'mactuallyanarchitect.IjustpickedupphotographyasahobbylastyearwhenIgotmyfirstDSLR.Q:Whatdowelearnabouttheman?9.M:Thetrainissupposedtoarriveat8:00,buttheannouncementsaysit'sdelayedby15minutes.W:Thatmeanswe'llmisstheopeningspeech.Whatapity.Q:Whattimewillthetrainarrive?10.M:Youseemupset,Sarah.What'swrong?W:IcompletelyforgotaboutJessica'sbirthdaypartyyesterday.Shemustbefuriouswithme.Idon'tknowhowtomakeituptoher.Q:Whatisthewoman'sproblem?PartBDirections:Inthispart,youwillheartwolongerconversationsandtwoshortpassages.Eachwillbereadonlyonce.Aftereach,youwillbeaskedseveralquestions.Questions11to13arebasedonthefollowingconversationaboutenvironmentalresearch.11.A)Themeltingrateofpolaricecaps.B)Theimpactofmicroplasticsonmarinelife.C)Theeffectofoceanacidificationoncoralreefs.D)Thepollutionlevelsincoastalcities.12.A)Theymistakeplasticparticlesforfood.B)Theyarepoisonedbychemicalrunoff.C)Theylosetheirhabitatduetorisingtemperatures.D)Theyarecaughtinfishingnets.13.A)Stopusingsingle-useplasticsentirely.B)Developnewbiodegradablematerials.C)Cleanuptheexistingoceangarbagepatches.D)Imposeheavyfinesonpollutingcompanies.ListeningScriptforQuestions11-13:M:Dr.Miller,yourrecentresearchhascausedquiteastirinthescientificcommunity.Couldyoutellusaboutyourfindings?W:Certainly.OurteamhasbeenstudyingtheGreatPacificGarbagePatchforthepastthreeyears.Wediscoveredthattheconcentrationofmicroplasticsinthatareaistentimeshigherthanpreviouslyestimated.M:Andwhatistheprimaryimpactofthesemicroplasticsonmarineecosystems?W:Themostalarmingeffectisonthemarinefoodchain.Smallfishandplanktonmistakethesetinyplasticparticlesforfood.Onceingested,theplasticsreleasetoxicchemicalsintotheirbodies.Thesetoxinsthenmoveupthefoodchainaslargerpredatorsconsumethesmallerfish.M:Whatdoyouthinkisthemosteffectivesolutiontothiscrisis?W:Whilecleaninguptheexistingpatchesisimportant,it'slikebailingwateroutofasinkingboat.Therealsolutionliesupstream:wemuststoptheflowofsingle-useplasticsatthesourceandtransitiontobiodegradablealternativesimmediately.Questions14to16arebasedonthefollowingpassageaboutthehistoryofcoffee.14.A)Inthe9thcenturyinEthiopia.B)Inthe15thcenturyinYemen.C)Inthe16thcenturyinTurkey.D)Inthe17thcenturyinItaly.15.A)Itwasusedasaformofcurrency.B)Itwasbannedforpoliticalreasons.C)Itwasreservedexclusivelyforreligiousceremonies.D)Itwasconsideredacureforalldiseases.16.A)ThespreadofcoffeehousesinEurope.B)Theeconomicimpactofthecoffeetrade.C)Theprocessofroastingcoffeebeans.D)TheintroductionofcoffeetotheAmericas.ListeningScriptforQuestions14-16:Thehistoryofcoffeeisasrichandcomplexasthebeverageitself.Accordingtopopularlegend,coffeewasfirstdiscoveredinthe9thcenturybyanEthiopiangoatherdernamedKaldi.Henoticedthathisgoatsbecameunusuallyenergeticaftereatingberriesfromacertaintree.However,itwasn'tuntilthe15thcenturythatcoffeewassystematicallycultivatedandbrewedintheSufimonasteriesofYemen.Fromthere,thepracticeofdrinkingcoffeespreadacrosstheArabianPeninsula.Interestingly,inthe16thcentury,thedrinkfacedsignificantpoliticalandreligiousoppositioninMecca.Conservativeclericssoughttobancoffee,arguingthatitsstimulatingeffectswereakintointoxication,whichwasforbiddenbyIslamiclaw.Despitetheseefforts,thebeverage'spopularitycontinuedtogrow,andbythe17thcentury,coffeehadmadeitswaytoEuropethroughVenetianmerchants.TheestablishmentofcoffeehousesincitieslikeLondon,Paris,andViennamarkedanewchapterinsocialhistory.Theseestablishmentsbecamecentersofintellectualexchange,wherescholars,merchants,andartistsgatheredtodiscusspolitics,science,andphilosophy,oftenreferringtocoffeehousesas"pennyuniversities."Questions17to20arebasedonthefollowingconversationaboutacareerchange.17.A)Hewantstospendmoretimewithhisfamily.B)Hefeelsunfulfilledinhiscurrentcorporatejob.C)Hewasfiredfromhispreviousposition.D)Hewantstopursueacareerinteaching.18.A)Accounting.B)Marketing.C)InformationTechnology.D)HumanResources.19.A)Itoffersalowerstartingsalary.B)Itrequiresrelocatingtoanothercity.C)Itinvolvesworkingwithchildrenwithspecialneeds.D)Itdemandsacompletelydifferentsetofskills.20.A)Sheencourageshimtotaketherisk.B)Sheadviseshimtostayinhiscurrentjob.C)Shesuggestshetakeapart-timecoursefirst.D)Shethinksheistoooldforacareerchange.ListeningScriptforQuestions17-20:W:So,Mark,Iheardyou'rethinkingaboutleavingyourjobattheaccountingfirm.Isthattrue?M:It'smorethanjustthinking,Lisa.I'vebeenincorporateaccountingforfifteenyears.Thepayisexcellent,butIfeelcompletelydisconnectedfromthepurposeofmywork.I'mjustmovingnumbersaroundonaspreadsheetforcompaniesthatdon'treallycareaboutanythingbutprofit.W:That'saboldstep.Whatdoyouplantodoinstead?M:Iwanttotransitionintospecialeducation.I'vebeenvolunteeringatacenterforchildrenwithlearningdisabilitiesforthepasttwoyears,andit'sthemostrewardingexperienceI'veeverhad.SeeingthosekidsovercometheirchallengesgivesmeasenseofpurposeI'veneverfeltinthecorporateworld.W:Butspecialeducationrequiresacompletelydifferentskillsetandadditionalcertifications.Howdoyouplantomanagethattransition,especiallyfinancially?M:Iknowitwon'tbeeasy.ThestartingsalaryinspecialeducationislessthanhalfofwhatImakenow.ButI'vesavedupenoughtocoverayearoffull-timestudytogetmyteachinglicense.I'drathertakethepaycutanddosomethingmeaningfulthanspendtherestofmylifefeelingempty.W:Iadmireyourcourage,Mark.Notmanypeoplewouldgiveupalucrativecareertofollowtheirpassion.Ifyou'rethiscertainaboutit,Isaygoforit.SectionIIUseofEnglish(15minutes)Directions:Readthefollowingtext.ChoosethebestwordforeachnumberedblankfromthefouroptionsmarkedA,B,C,andD.Theconceptoflifelonglearninghasevolvedsignificantlyoverthepastfewdecades.Onceconsideredaluxuryfortheprivilegedfew,itisnow21asafundamentalnecessityinourrapidlychangingworld.The22ofthisshiftcanbetracedtoseveralintersectingfactors,themostprominentbeingthedigitalrevolutionandthe23oftheglobalknowledgeeconomy.Inthepast,formaleducationwastypically24withtheattainmentofauniversitydegree.Onceanindividualenteredtheworkforce,the25forfurthereducationwasminimal,asjobskillschangedata26pace.However,themodernworkplaceischaracterizedbyconstant27.Technologicaladvancements,particularlyinartificialintelligenceandautomation,haverenderedmanytraditionalskills28withinamatterofyears.Toremain29,professionalsmustcontinuouslyupdatetheirknowledgeandacquirenew30.Furthermore,thepsychologicalbenefitsoflifelonglearningcannotbe31.Studieshaveconsistentlyshownthatindividualswhoengageinintellectually32activitiesthroughouttheirliveshavealowerriskofcognitivedeclineanddementiainoldage.Learninganewlanguageormasteringamusicalinstrumentinone'ssenioryearshasbeen33toimprovedneuroplasticityandoverallmentalwell-being.Despitetheseclearbenefits,numerous34stillhinderwidespreadparticipationinlifelonglearning.Financialconstraints,lackoftime,andlimited35toqualityeducationalresourcesremainsignificantbarriers.36,manyemployersarereluctanttoinvestinthecontinuoustrainingoftheirworkforce,viewingitasa(n)37ratherthanalong-terminvestment.Toaddressthesechallenges,governmentsandeducationalinstitutionsmust38collaboratively.Thedevelopmentofaccessibleandaffordableonlinelearningplatformsisa39intherightdirection.However,trueprogresswillrequireacultural40inhowsocietyperceiveseducation—notasafinitephaseoflife,butasanongoingjourneyofself-improvementanddiscovery.21.A)dismissedB)recognizedC)debatedD)rejected22.A)causesB)effectsC)originsD)consequences23.A)declineB)emergenceC)stagnationD)limitation24.A)equatedB)combinedC)satisfiedD)finished25.A)motivationB)opportunityC)necessityD)resource26.A)rapidB)steadyC)slowD)unpredictable27.A)disruptionB)stabilityC)predictabilityD)routine28.A)valuableB)relevantC)obsoleteD)essential29.A)competitiveB)passiveC)traditionalD)indifferent30.A)degreesB)qualificationsC)hobbiesD)talents31.A)overstatedB)emphasizedC)ignoredD)measured32.A)demandingB)stimulatingC)relaxingD)repetitive33.A)attributedB)linkedC)opposedD)compared34.A)barriersB)incentivesC)opportunitiesD)advantages35.A)accessB)barrierC)resistanceD)approach36.A)ThereforeB)AdditionallyC)HoweverD)Consequently37.A)assetB)liabilityC)necessityD)benefit38.A)competeB)workC)isolateD)struggle39.A)stepB)mistakeC)detourD)regression40.A)shiftB)traditionC)habitD)conflictSectionIIIReadingComprehension(40minutes)PartADirections:Readthefollowingthreetexts.AnswerthequestionsthatfollowbychoosingA,B,C,orD.Text1Thegigeconomy,characterizedbyshort-termcontractsandfreelanceworkasopposedtopermanentjobs,hasreshapedthelandscapeofmodernemployment.PlatformslikeUber,Airbnb,andUpworkhavemadeiteasierthaneverforindividualstomonetizetheirskillsandassets.However,thisneweconomicmodelisnotwithoutitscritics,whoarguethatthegigeconomyfundamentallyunderminesworkerprotectionsandexacerbateseconomicinequality.Proponentsofthegigeconomypointtotheunparalleledflexibilityitoffers.Traditionalemploymentoftenrequiresrigidschedulesandfixedlocations,whichcanbeincompatiblewiththedemandsofmodernlife,suchaschildcareorcontinuingeducation.Gigworkallowsindividualstobetheirownbosses,choosingwhenandhowmuchtheywork.Thisautonomyisparticularlyattractivetoyoungergenerationswhoprioritizework-lifebalanceoverjobsecurity.Furthermore,thegigeconomycreatesopportunitiesforindividualswhomightotherwisebeexcludedfromthetraditionaljobmarket,suchasthosewithgapsintheiremploymenthistoryorthoselivinginremoteareas.Critics,however,contendthattheflexibilityofgigworkcomesatasteepprice.Gigworkersaretypicallyclassifiedasindependentcontractors,whichmeanstheyarenotentitledtobenefitssuchashealthinsurance,paidsickleave,orretirementcontributions.Thislackofasafetynetleavesthemvulnerabletoeconomicshocks.Asuddenillnessoramechanicalfailurecanquicklywipeoutagigworker'sincome.Moreover,theabsenceofminimumwageguaranteesmeansthatgigworkers'earningscanfluctuatewildly,makingitdifficulttoplanforthefuture.Criticsalsopointoutthattheclassificationofgigworkersasindependentcontractorsoftenservestoshiftrisksfromthecompanytotheindividual,maximizingcorporateprofitsattheexpenseofworkerwelfare.Thedebateoverthegigeconomyultimatelyrevolvesaroundthedefinitionofemploymentitself.Isagigworkeranindependententrepreneur,oraretheyanemployeeinallbutname?Severalhigh-profilelawsuitshavesoughttoanswerthisquestion,withmixedresults.Insomejurisdictions,courtshaveruledthatgigworkersshouldbegrantedemployeestatus,entitlingthemtofullbenefits.Inothers,theexistinglegalframeworkhasbeenupheld,preservingtheindependentcontractormodel.Findingamiddlegroundmaybethemostviablesolution.Someeconomistsadvocateforthecreationofanewcategoryofworker—a"dependentcontractor"—whowouldenjoysome,butnotall,oftheprotectionsoftraditionalemployees.Thisapproachwouldpreservetheflexibilityofgigworkwhileprovidingamorerobustsafetynetforthosewhorelyonitastheirprimarysourceofincome.41.Accordingtothepassage,whatisaprimaryadvantageofthegigeconomymentionedbyitssupporters?A)Guaranteedhealthinsuranceandretirementbenefits.B)Theabilitytoearnastableandpredictableincome.C)Flexibilityandautonomyinschedulingwork.D)Opportunitiesforpromotionwithinlargecorporations.42.Whatisthemainconcernofcriticsregardingtheclassificationofgigworkersasindependentcontractors?A)Itpreventscompaniesfrommaximizingtheirprofits.B)Itshiftseconomicrisksfromcompaniestoindividualworkers.C)Itmakesitdifficultforcompaniestohireenoughworkers.D)Itforcesworkerstocommittorigidandfixedschedules.43.Whatdoestheword"vulnerable"inParagraph3mostlikelymean?A)Resistanttochange.B)Exposedtoharmorrisk.C)Highlycompetitive.D)Financiallystable.44.Whatistheauthor'sattitudetowardthe"dependentcontractor"modelproposedbysomeeconomists?A)Stronglyopposed.B)Cautiouslysupportive.C)Completelyindifferent.D)Highlycritical.45.Whichofthefollowingwouldbethebesttitleforthispassage?A)TheHistoryofLaborUnionsinAmerica.B)HowtoSucceedasaGigWorker.C)TheGigEconomy:Flexibilityvs.Security.D)TheFutureofArtificialIntelligenceinEmployment.Text2Forcenturies,thedomesticationofanimalshasbeenprimarilyunderstoodthroughthelensofhumanutility.Webreddogsforhuntingandguarding,horsesfortransportation,andcattleforfood.However,agrowingbodyofresearchsuggeststhatdomesticationisnotmerelyaone-wayprocessimposedbyhumans;rather,itmaybeaco-evolutionarydynamicinwhichanimalshaveactivelyshapedtheirowndomestication.ThemostcompellingevidenceforthistheorycomesfromthestudyofsilverfoxesinSiberia.In1959,RussianscientistDmitriBelyaevbegananexperimenttoseeifhecoulddomesticatefoxesbyselectingonlyfortameness.Hebredthefriendliestfoxeswitheachother,generationaftergeneration.Theresultswereastonishing.Withinjustafewgenerations,thefoxesnotonlybecamemoredocilebutalsobegantoexhibitphysicaltraitsassociatedwithdomesticdogs,suchasfloppyears,curlytails,andspottedcoats.Theyalsoshowedreducedlevelsofstresshormonesandanextendedreproductiveseason.Belyaev'sfindingssuggestthatselectingforbehavioraltraitsliketamenesscaninadvertentlytriggeracascadeofgeneticchangesthataffectphysicalappearanceandphysiology.Thisphenomenonisknownasdomesticationsyndrome.Butwhydoesselectingfortamenessleadtothesephysicalchanges?Scientistsnowbelievethatthegenesgoverningbehavior,particularlythoserelatedtotheneuralcrest—aregionoftheembryothatgivesrisetovarioustissues,includingpigmentcells,teeth,andpartsofthenervoussystem—arelinked.Whenhumansselectforanimalsthatarelessfearfulandmoresociable,theyareinadvertentlyalteringthedevelopmentoftheneuralcrest,whichinturnproducesthephysicalhallmarksofdomestication.Thisunderstandingchallengesthetraditionalviewofdomesticationasapurelyhuman-drivenendeavor.Animalsthatweremoretolerantofhumanpresencemayhaveactivelysoughtouthumansettlements,takingadvantageoffoodscrapsandshelter.Overtime,amutuallybeneficialrelationshipdeveloped.Humansgainedareliablesourceofcompanionshipandlabor,whiletheanimalsgainedasteadyfoodsupplyandprotectionfrompredators.Inthissense,domesticationcanbeseenasapartnership,withbothspeciesexertingselectivepressureoneachother.Thisco-evolutionaryperspectiveisnotmerelyofacademicinterest;ithasprofoundimplicationsforhowweinteractwithanimalstoday.Ifanimalshaveplayedanactiveroleintheirowndomestication,itraisesethicalquestionsaboutourresponsibilitytowardthem.Thebondbetweenhumansanddomesticatedanimalsisnotoneofmasterandsubject,butrathertheproductofasharedevolutionaryjourney,onethatobligesustotreatthemwiththerespectandcarethatanypartnerdeserves.46.WhatwastheprimarygoalofDmitriBelyaev'ssilverfoxexperiment?A)Tobreedfoxeswithmoreattractivephysicaltraits.B)Todetermineifselectingfortamenesscouldleadtodomestication.C)Tostudythereproductivehabitsofwildfoxes.D)Tocomparetheintelligenceoffoxesanddomesticdogs.47.WhatsurprisingfindingemergedfromBelyaev'sexperiment?A)Thefoxesbecamemoreaggressiveovertime.B)Thefoxes'reproductiveseasonshortenedsignificantly.C)Thefoxesdevelopedphysicaltraitssimilartodomesticdogs.D)Thefoxes'stresshormonelevelsincreaseddramatically.48.Accordingtothepassage,whatis"domesticationsyndrome"?A)Adiseasethataffectsdomesticatedanimals.B)Thephenomenonwhereselectingforbehavioraltraitscausesphysicalchanges.C)Theprocessbywhichwildanimalslearntofearhumans.D)Thegeneticmutationthatmakesanimalsmoreaggressive.49.Howdoestheco-evolutionaryperspectivechangeourunderstandingofdomestication?A)Itshowsthatdomesticationwasapurelyhumaninvention.B)Itsuggestsanimalsplayedanactiveroleintheirowndomestication.C)Itprovesthatallwildanimalscanbeeasilydomesticated.D)Itindicatesthatdomesticationisharmfultoanimalspecies.50.Whatistheauthor'smainpointinthefinalparagraph?A)Theacademicstudyofdomesticationisawasteoftime.B)Co-evolutionarytheoryhasnopracticalapplications.C)Ourunderstandingofdomesticationshouldinfluencehowwetreatanimals.D)Domesticatedanimalsaresuperiortowildanimals.Text3Thehumanbrainisanextraordinarilyenergy-hungryorgan.Althoughitaccountsforonlyabout2%oftheaverageadult'sbodyweight,itconsumesapproximately20%ofthebody'stotalenergysupply.Thisdisproportionateenergydemandhaslongpuzzledevolutionarybiologists.Howdidaspeciesevolveanorgansocostlytomaintain,andwhatadvantagecoulditprovidethatwouldjustifysuchanenormousmetabolicinvestment?Oneinfluentialtheory,proposedbyanthropologistLeslieAielloandevolutionarybiologistPeterWheelerin1995,isthe"expensivetissuehypothesis."Accordingtothistheory,theevolutionofalargerbrainwasmadepossiblebyacorrespondingreductioninthesizeofthedigestivetract.Thehumangutisnotablysmallerthanthatofourprimaterelatives.Byshiftingtoadietthatwaseasiertodigest—richinhigh-quality,calorie-densefoodslikemeatandtubers—ourancestorswereabletoaffordasmallerdigestivesystem,freeingupmetabolicenergythatcouldberedirectedtofuelthegrowingbrain.Theexpensivetissuehypothesissuggeststhatthedevelopmentofthebrainwasintricatelylinkedtochangesindietandforagingbehavior.Theinventionofcookingmayhaveplayedacrucialroleinthisprocess.Cookingbreaksdowncomplexcarbohydratesandproteins,makingthemeasiertodigestandincreasingthebioavailabilityofnutrients.Byeffectivelyoutsourcingpartofthedigestiveprocesstofire,earlyhumanscouldextractmoreenergyfromtheirfoodwithlessmetaboliceffort,furthersupportingtheexpansionofthebrain.However,theexpensivetissuehypothesisisnotwithoutitsdetractors.Someresearchershavepointedoutthatthereductioningutsizedoesnotperfectlycorrelatewithbrainsizeincreaseacrossallmammalianspecies.Othershaveproposedalternativeexplanations,suchasthe"socialbrainhypothesis,"whichpositsthatthehumanbrainevolvedprimarilytonavigatecomplexsocialnetworks.Accordingtothisview,thecognitivedemandsoflivinginlarge,cooperativegroups—withtheirintricatehierarchies,alliances,andsocialcontracts—providedtheselectivepressureforgreaterintelligence.Regardlessofwhichsingletheory—orcombinationoftheories—provesmostaccurate,itisclearthattheevolutionofthehumanbrainwasamultifacetedprocess.Itrequirednotonlydietarychangesbutalsobehavioral,social,andecologicaladaptations.Thebrain'senormousenergydemandsalsohavemodern-dayimplications.Thefactthatourbrainsaresometabolicallyexpensivemayexplainwhyhumansareparticularlyvulnerabletocognitiveimpairmentwhendeprivedofadequatenutrition,especiallyduringcriticalperiodsofearlychildhooddevelopment.51.Whatisthemainpuzzlediscussedinthefirstparagraph?A)Whythehumanbrainissosmallrelativetobodyweight.B)Howthebraincanconsumesomuchenergywithoutcausingfatigue.C)Howhumanscouldaffordtoevolvesuchanenergy-demandingorgan.D)Whythehumandigestivetractissmallerthanthatofotherprimates.52.Accordingtothe"expensivetissuehypothesis,"whatallowedthehumanbraintogrowlarger?A)Areductioninthesizeofthedigestivetract.B)Anincreaseintheoverallbodyweightofhumans.C)Thedevelopmentofcomplexsocialnetworks.D)Theinventionoflanguageandcommunication.53.Howdoesthepassagedescribetheroleofcookinginhumanbrainevolution?A)Cookingmadefoodtastebetter,encouragingearlyhumanstoeatmore.B)Cookingactedasanexternaldigestiveprocess,increasingenergyavailability.C)Cookingreducedtheneedforsocialinteraction,allowingmoretimeforthinking.D)Cookingwasabyproductofbraingrowth,notacauseofit.54.Whatisthe"socialbrainhypothesis"mentionedinthepassage?A)Thetheorythatbrainsizeisdeterminedbytheavailabilityofsocialfoodsources.B)Thetheorythatthebrainevolvedtohelphumansnavigatecomplexsocialrelationships.C)Thetheorythatlargerbrainsmakehumansmoresociallyisolated.D)Thetheorythatsocialhierarchyisdeterminedbybrainsize.55.Whatcanbeinferredfromthefinalparagraphaboutthemodernhumanbrain?A)Itislessvulnerabletonutritionaldeficitsthanthebrainsofotheranimals.B)Itshighenergydemandsmakeearlychildhoodnutritioncritical.C)Ithascontinuedtogrowsignificantlyoverthepastfewcenturies.D)Itnolongerrequiresasmuchenergyasitdidinprehistorictimes.PartBDirections:Readthefollowingtextandanswerthequestionsbyfillingintheblanksoransweringthequestionsbriefly.Theconceptof"deepwork,"atermcoinedbycomputerscienceprofessorCalNewport,referstotheabilitytofocuswithoutdistractiononacognitivelydemandingtask.Inanagecharacterizedbyconstantnotifications,endlessemails,andtheallureofsocialmedia,deepworkhasbecomeanincreasinglyrareandvaluableskill.Newportarguesthatthecapacityfordeepworkisnotjustanicehabittocultivate,butafoundationalelementforsuccessinthe21st-centuryeconomy.Deepworkstandsinstarkcontrastto"shallowwork"—tasksthatarelogisticalinnature,donotrequireintenseconcentration,andareeasytoreplicate,suchasansweringroutineemailsorattendingstatusupdatemeetings.Whileshallowworkisofte