2008年CET6英语六级仿真题（试卷2）阅读1

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(人口统计学方面) 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，谚语)“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
本文由大多数女人关于“约会如同选美市场”的抱怨谈起，通过英国纽卡斯尔大学的Thomas Pollet和Daniel Nettle在《生物学快报》上刚发表的一篇论文的描婚姻如同一个市场。两位研究者通过研究，发现美国出现了男女性别比例失衡问题，所以在择偶方面，女人比较挑剔。婚姻市场中，不同以往的是，由于男性人口多于女性，女人才是真正的买方。
47. dating is like a cattle market
【定位】 根据题干中的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】 本题提问该论文与多数女人一致的看法是什么。题干中的...suggest they are right提示该论文同意女人们常见的看法，即文章开篇提到的女人的抱怨，所以complain后的宾语从句就是本题的答案。
48．Women choose men of high status，resources and good looks.
【定位】 根据题干中的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】 本题提问遭到社会科学家否认的广受争议的话题究竟是什么，根据原文结构contention后是同位语从句，进一步解释contention的具体内容，后面提到这种广受争议的话题虽然被视为人之常情，但在过去却遭到社会科学家的否认。因此contention后同位语从句的内容就是本题的答案。
49. you have to look at natural populations
【定位】 根据题干中的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】 题干表述的是对该句意思的概括转述，虽然一系列实验都为这个观点提供了可靠依据。然而动物学家都比较倾向于相信从自然种群获得的数据。所以不能仅看实验数据，最终还是需要看自然种群的数据。题干是对这段话的简单概括，答案可直接从原文得出。
50. be particularly attractive
【定位】 根据题干中的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】 题干是第三段整段的概括和简化，主旨为婚姻确实如同一个市场。而且，同其他市场一样,买主的稀缺迫使卖方必须拥有别具吸引力的商品才易。原文中描述的是普通市场的情况，而题干中已经明确界定了in the market of marriage,所以答案不应照搬原文，应当结合题干适当变化，变为形容词。意思是在婚姻的市场中，缺少买方就意味着卖方必须非常有魅力。
51. A surplus of males.
【定位】 根据题干中的how picky women were定位到原文第四段末两句 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“年轻人，去西部”的口号影响下，其他州呈现了男性过剩的局面。这一局面恰好为Pollet先生和Nettle博士提供机会，让他们清楚地发现女性对男性的选择是多么挑剔。结合题干和原文很容易找到问题的答案应该是A surplus of males。