2021年四川省雅安市公共英語五級(筆試)測試卷(含答案)

2021年四川省雅安市公共英語五級(筆試)測試卷(含答案)學(xué)校:________班級:________姓名:________考號:________

一、1.ListeningComprehension(15題)1.PartB

Directions:Youwillhear3conversationsortalksandyoumustanswerthequestionsbychoosingA,B,CorD.YouwillheartherecordingONLYONCE.

聽力原文：Asyouallknow,logstructuresaregainingpopularity.Theyarenolongerjustthesimplecountryhomeswhichwethinkofasthetraditionallogcabin.Someupscalehomesnowincorporatenaturalroundlogsinsealingbeamsandwalls.Peopleseemtothinkthattheroundedlogsgivetheirhomesacozywarmatmosphere.Andevenpeoplewhowanttobuildatraditionallogcabinontheirowncanbuyakitwithprecutlogsthatfittogetherlikepiecesofjigsawpuzzle.Beforeshowingyousomeslidesofmodernloghouses,I'dliketointroducealittlehistoricalbackgroundonthesubject.

Logcabinswerefirstbuiltinthelate1600salongtheDelawareRiverValley.TheEuropeanimmigrantswhosettledtherebroughtcenturiesofoldtraditionsofworkingwithlogs.Andinthisheavilywoodedarealogswerethematerialinhand.Logcabinswerethemostpopularintheearly1800swiththesettlerswhoweremovingwest.Theyprovidedtheanswertothepioneer'sneedforasafeandsturdyhomethatanordinaryfamilycouldbuildquickly.Theyhaddirtfloorsandslidingboardsforwindows.ButthelogbuildingsthathaveprobablyhadmostinfluenceonmodemarchitectsarethoseofthemountainretreatsofwealthyNewYorkers.Thesecountryhouseswhichwerepopularintheearly1900stypifywhat'sknownastheAdoroundyxstyle.Nowlet'slookatthoseslides.

Whatisthespeakermainlydiscussing?

A.TraditionalEuropeanarchitecture.

B.Techniquesforbuildinglogcabins.

C.Thehistoryoflogstructures.

D.Howtobuildahomeyourself.

2.Thepast-orientedpeopleareflexiblein______．

3.Meatsalsocontainwater.

A.TrueB.Fasle

4.PeopleinRussiaarealsofamousfortheirlongevity.

A.TrueB.Fasle

5.Whatwasthediscussiontopicofthepreviousclassmeeting?

A.NewEnglandmysterystories.

B.Eighteenth-centuryEnglishcriticism.

C.AcomparisonofpoemsofDickinsonandWhitman.

D.ThepoemsofWaltWhitman.

6.WhatdoesthespeakersayaboutLowTillFanning?

A.It'sanewwayofapplyingchemicalfertilizer.

B.It'sanimprovedmethodofharvestingcrops.

C.It'sacreativetechniqueforsavinglabor.

D.It'safanningprocesslimitingtheuseofplows.

7.Accordingtothespeaker,whywerelogcabinsespeciallypopulartosettlerswhomovedwest?

A.Theycouldeasilybuildtheloghousesthemselves,

B.Theycouldconstructthehousesfromkits.

C.Theylikedthecozyatmosphereoftheloginterior.

D.Theywantedhomesthatcouldbetransported.

8.Thedietsofthepeopleinthethreeregionsaretotallydifferent.

A.TrueB.Fasle

9.PartC

Directions:Youwillhearatalk.Asyoulisten,answerthequestionsorcompletethenotesinyourtestbookletforQuestions21-30bywritingNOTMORETHANTHREEwordsinthespaceprovidedontheright.YouwillhearthetalkTWICE.

Younowhave1minutetoreadQuestions21-30.

聽力原文：Inyouruniversitywork,youwillbeexpectedtogiveoralpresentationsintheform.ofreportsorsimplyintheformsofanswerstoquestions.Thereareseveralthingsyoucandotomakeyouroralpresentationsclearandeasytounderstand.

Thefundamentalpointtorealizeisthatspeechandwritingaredifferent.Ifyouwanttobebestunderstood,youcan'tsimplyreadyourwrittenreportaloud.Thebiggestdifferencebetweenspokenandwrittenlanguageisthatreaderscanlookbackovertheprintedwordswhentheydon'tunderstand.Inspokenlanguage,however,listenerscan'tgobackandcheckthewords.Theycanrelyonlyonmemory.Sothefirstprincipletokeepinmindwhenyou'replanningtospeakinpublicisthatyouhavetohelpthelistener'smemory.Thismeansthatanoralreportcan'tdeliverinformationasrapidlyasawrittenreport.Thatis,youcan'thaveasmanypiecesofnewinformationpackedintothesamenumberofwords,becausetheywillcomeattoofastarateforthelistenertounderstand.

Inanoralreport,therateofdeliveryhastobeslower.Oneofthebestwaystohelpyouraudienceissimplytospeakslowly.Manypeoplespeaktoofastwhentheyspeaktoagroup.Thisisamistake,especiallyifyouhaveaforeignaccent,becauseitmakeslisteningmoredifficult.Beyondthesimpletechniqueofspeakingmoreslowlywhenyouspeakbeforeagroup,therearewaysoforganizingyourpresentationthatcanhelpthelistenerbeclearandunderstandyourmainpoints.

Theorganizationofyourtalkshouldallowenoughtimeforthelistenertothinkbothbeforeandaftereachnewidea.Thepurposeofthetimebeforethenewinformationistogivetheaudienceachancetounderstandthebackgroundclearly.Knowledgeofthebackground,orsettingoftheinformation,makesitmucheasiertoanticipatewhatkindofinformationiscomingnext.Ifthenewinformationoccurstooearly,withoutenoughbackground,thelistenersshouldnotbepreparedwithenoughbackgroundtobeabletopredictwhat'scoming.

I'vebeendescribingthetimeforthinkingbeforethenewinformation.It'salsoimportanttoprovidetimeforthinkingafterthenewinformation.Thisthinkingtimeallowslistenerstofittheideaintotheirgeneralknowledgeofthesubject.Thinkingtimegivesthelistenerachancetomakesurethattheideawasunderstoodbeforegoingontothenextnewidea.

Therearethreegeneralwaystogivethelistenertimeforthinkingandtimeafterapointofnewinformation.Onewayissimplytopause.Amomentofsilencegivesthelistenertimetotakeinthenewinformation,butthereareotherways.Asecondmethodistouseaparaphrase.Thatis,yousaythesamething,butindifferentwords.Thisparaphrase,orrepetitionoftheidea,helpsthelistenerstofixthethoughtintheirmemory.Athirdwaytogivethelistenertimetothinkistousewordsthatdon'tmeanmuch.Thesearewordsthatconveynoinformation,butjustfillintime.Forinstance,youmightsaysomethinglike"asI'vebeensaying"or"andsoforth"and"andsoon".Thatkindofexpressiondoesn'treallysayanything.It'sjustmadeofwhatwecall"fillerwords".Thewordshavenorealmeaning,buttheydoperform.ausefulfunction,sincetheyallowthelistenertimetothink.

Insummary,then,weknowthatorallanguageshoulddeliverinformationataslowerratethanyoucanuseinwrittenlanguage.Newinformationshouldbe:presentedmoregradually.Thinkingtimeshouldbeprovidedbothbeforeandaftereachimportantnewitem.Th

10.Wherecan'tchilipeppergrowaccordingtothetalk?

11.聽力原文：DuringtheChristmasshoppingrushinLondon，theintriguingstorywasreportedofatrampwho，apparentlythroughnofaultofhisown，foundhimselflockedinawell-knownchainstorelateonChristmasEve．Nodoubtthestorewasfilledwithlast-minuteChristmasshoppersandthestaffweredeadbeatingandlongingtogethome．Presumablyallthepropersecuritychecksweremadebeforethestorewaslockedandtheylefttoenjoythethree-dayholidayuntroubledbycustomersdesperatetogetlast-minuteChristmaspresents．

Howeverthatmaybe，ourtrampfoundhimselfaloneinthestoreanddecidedtomakethebestofit．Therewasfood，drink，beddingandcampingequipment，ofwhichhemadegooduse．Theremustalsohavebeentelevisionsetsandradios．Thoughitwasnotreportedifhetookadvantageofthesefacilities，whentheshopre-opened．hewasdiscoveredinbedwithalargenumberofemptybottlesbesidehim．Heseemstohavebeenamanofgoodhumourandphilosophictemperament—asindeedvagrantsverycommonlyare．EveryoneelsewasenjoyingChristmas，sohesawnogoodreasonwhyheshouldnotdothesame．Hesubmitted，cheerfullyenough，tobeingtakenawaybythepolice．PerhapshehadabetterChristmasthanusual．Hewasputintoprisonforsevendays．Thejudgeawardednocompensationtothechainstoreforthefoodanddrinkourtramphadconsumed．Theyhad，inhisopinion，alreadyreceivedvaluablefreepublicityfromthecoveragethestoryreceivedinthenewspapersandontelevision．PerhapsthejudgehadagoodChristmastoo．

Thetrampwaslockedinthestore______.

A.forhisownmistakes

B.duetoamisunderstanding

C.byaccident

D.throughanerrorofjudgment

12.Whichsubjectdoesthestudentsayshewasgoodat?

A.Computerprogramming.

B.Artanddesign.

C.Electronics.

D.Mathematics.

13.Whatarethestudentsdoingwhenthemanarrivesinclass?

A.Takinganexamination.

B.Drawinggraphs.

C.Givingpresentations.

D.Havingaclassofdiscussion.

14.聽力原文：M:Doyouthinkwomenaregenerallybetteratcertainthingsthanmen?

W:Well,itseemstomewomenaremuchbetteratdealingwithmorethanonethingatatime.Idon'tknowwhetherthishastodowiththedifferenceintheirbrainorwhetherit'sjusthowtheyhavetocopemoreoftenwithmorethanonething.Forexample,itisusuallywomenwhowork,havebabies,lookafterthebabiesandtakethemainresponsibilityforlookingafterthehome.Andmaybeit'spracticingallthatmakeswomenbebetterabletodomorethanonethingatatime.Men,itseemstome,canonlyconcentrateononethingatatime,includingboringdomesticthingslikewashingthedishes.Ifafriendofminewhoisamanwashesthedisheshe'llfinditquitedifficulttoconductaconversationatthesametime,whereasifI'mdoingthedishesI'malwaystalkingtosomeone,probablycookingsomethingaswell,andfindingthatnottoostressful.

M:Doyouthinkwomenaremoreinterestedinpersonalrelationshipsthanmen?

W:Generally,yes,thoughagainIdon'tknowifthisisbecausethatfromanearlyagetheyaretaughttopleaseotherpeople,whereasmenarealwaystaughttopleasethemselves.Ithinkrelationshipsaremorecentraltomostwomen'slives.Forexample,Ithinkmendon'thaveverygoodconversationswitheachother,whereaswomendo.Ifyoulistentowomentalking,oftentheywillbehaving,afterarelativelyshorttimeofknowingeachother,fairlypersonalandtruthfulconversations,whereasmenhaveconversationsnotaboutwhatI'dcallrealthings.Theywilltalkabouttheirworkinaverysuperficialway,ortheirinterestsinaverysuperficialway,forexample,andfootballisthe—um—justasortofwayformentorelatetoeachotherwithoutactuallysayinganythingimportant,itappearstome.

Accordingtothewoman,whywomenaremuchbetteratdealingwithmorethanonethingatatime?

A.Shedoesn'tknowthereasonexactly.

B.Becausewomenaresmarterthanmen.

C.Becausewomenhavemorethingstodealwiththanmen.

D.Becausemenalwaysrefusetodealwithmorethanonethingatthesametime.

15.WhatdidFranklinsetupbetweenthenorthernandsoutherncolonies?

二、2.UseofEnglish(10題)16.(38)

17.

【C20】

18.

【C18】

19."Themoregadgetsthereare,the【C1】______thingsseemtoget."saidHonoreErvin,co-authorofTheEtiquetteGirls:ThingsYouNeedtoBeTold."Justbecauseit'sthere【C2】______yourdisposal,doesn’tmeanyouhavetouseit24/7."

Arecent【C3】______bymarketresearchcompanySynovateshowedthat70percentof1,000respondents【C4】______thepoorestetiquetteincellphoneusersoverotherdevices.Theworsthabit?Loudphoneconversationsinpublicplaces,or"cellyell,"【C5】______to72percentoftheAmericanspolled.

"Peopleuse【C6】______anywhereandeverywhere,"Ervinsaid."Atthemovies-turn【C7】______yourcellphone.Idon'twanttopay$10tobesittingnexttosomeguychitchattingtohisgirlfriend【C8】______hiscellphone."Thisrudenesshasdeterioratedpublicspaces,accordingtoLewFriedland,acommunicationprofessor【C9】______theUniversityofWisconsin-Madison.He【C10】______thelackofmannersakindofunconsciousrudeness,【C11】______manypeoplearenot【C12】______ofwhatthey'redoingortheothersaroundthem.

"Ithinkit'sreallynoticeableinanyplane,trainorbus【C13】______you'resubjectedagainstyourwill【C14】______someoneelse'sconversation,"hesaid."Youcanlistentointimatedetailsoftheiruncle'sillness,problemswiththeirloversand【C15】______they'rehavingforsinner.""It【C16】______what.wasapublic"commonspaceandstartsto【C17】______itupintosmallprivatespace."

Ashorttimeago,ifcellphoneusers【C18】______politelyaskedtotalkquietly,theywould【C19】______withchagrin,hesaid."Nowmoreandmorepeopleareessentiallytreatingyoulikeyoudon'tunderstandthatloudcellphoneuseis【C20】______inpublic."

【C1】

20.(50)

21.(36)

22.

【C2】

23.(35)

24.(42)

25.

【C11】

三、3.ReadingComprehension(15題)26.(76)

27.

______canpromotetourismdevelopment?

28.

Whatdoestheunderlinedword"they"inParagraph2referto?

A.Creativeandcompetitiveinsuranceproducts.

B.Insurancecompanies.

C.Otheralternatives.

D.Investments.

29.WorldleadersmetrecentlyatUnitedNationsheadquartersinNewYorkCitytodiscusstheenvironmentalissuesraisedattheRioEarthSummitin1992.TheheadsofstateweresupposedtodecidewhatfurtherstepsshouldbetakentohaltthedeclineofEarth'slife-supportsystems.Infact,thismeetinghadmuchdieflavouroftheoriginalEarthSummit.Towit:emptypromises,hollowrhetoric,bickeringbetweenrichandpoor,andirrelevantinitiatives.ThinkU.S.Congressinslowmotion.

Almostobscuredbythistorporisthefactmattherehasbeensomeremarkableprogressoverthepastfiveyears—realchangesintheattitudeofordinarypeopleinmeThirdWorldtowardfamilysizeandadawningrealisationmatenvironmentaldegradationandtheirownwell-beingareintimately,andinversely,linked.Almostnoneofthis,however,hasanythingtodowithwhatthebureaucratsaccomplishedinRio.

Oritdidn'taccomplish.OneitemontheagendaatRio,forexample,wasarenewedefforttosavetropicalforests.(ApreviousUN-sponsoredinitiativehadfallenapartwhenitbecameclearthatitactuallyhasteneddeforestation.)AfterRio,aUNworkinggroupcameupwithmorethan100recommendationsthathavesofargonenowhere.Oneproposedforestrypactwoulddolittlemorethanimmunizing"wood-exportingnationsagainsttradesanctions.

AnefforttodraftanagreementonwhattodoabouttheclimatechangescausedbyCO2andothergreenhousegaseshasfaredevenworse.BlockedbytheBushAdministrationfromsettingmandatorylimits,theUNin1992calledonnationstovoluntarilyreduceemissionsto1990levels.Severalyearslater,it'sasifRiohadneverhappened.AnewclimatetreatyisscheduledtobesignedthisDecemberinKyoto,Japan,butgovernmentsstillcannotagreeontheselimits.Meanwhile,theU.S.produces7%moreCO2thanitdidin1990,andemissionsinthedevelopingworldhaverisenevenmoresharply.Noonewouldconfusethe"Rioprocess"withprogress.

Whilegovernmentshaveditheredatapacethatcouldmakedriftingcontinentsimpatient,peoplehaveacted.Birth-ratesaredroppingfasterthanexpected,notbecauseofRiobutbecausepoorpeoplearedecidingontheirowntoreducefamilysize.Anotherpositivedevelopmenthasbeenagrowingenvironmentalconsciousnessamongthepoor.FromslumdwellersinKarachi,Pakistan,tocolonistsinRondonia,Brazil,urbanpoorandruralpeasantsalikeseemtorealizethattheypaythebiggestpriceforpollutionanddeforestation.Thereiscauseforhopeaswellinthegrowingrecognitionamongbusinesspeoplethatitisnotintheirlong-terminteresttofightenvironmentalreforms.JohnBrowne,chiefexecutiveofBritishPetroleum,boldlyassertedinamajorspeechinMaythatthethreatofclimatechangecouldnolongerbeignored.

Thewriter'sgeneralattitudetowardstheworldleadersmeetingattheUNis.

A.supportiveB.impartialC.criticalD.comedic

30.

Howdothepublicfeelaboutthecurrenteconomicsituation?

A.OptimisticB.ConfusedC.CarefreeD.Panicked

31.

Whichofthefollowingistheauthor'sopinionaboutthewomanattheGlobalSupportCentre?

A.Shesoundedhelpfulandknowledgeable.

B.Shewastheretomakecallersfrustrated.

C.Shewasabletosolvehercomputerproblem.

D.Shewasquicktopassheralongtoatechnician.

32.(70)

33.PartA

Directions:ReadthefollowingtextsandanswerthequestionswhichaccompanythembychoosingA,B,CorD.MarkyouranswersonANSWERSHEET1.

TheStoneage,theIronage.Entireepochshavebeennamedformaterials.Sowhattonamethedecadesahead?Thechoicewillbetough.Welcometotheageofsuperstuff.Materialscience--oncetheleastsexytechnology—isburstingwithnew,practicaldiscoveriesledbysuperconductingceramicsthatmayrevolutionizeelectronics.Butsuperconductorsarejustpartofthepicture:fromhousesandcarstocookpotsandartificialteeth,theworldwillsometimebemadeofdifferentstuff.Exoticplastics,glassandceramicswillshapethefuturejustassurelyashavegeneticengineeringandcomputerscience.

Thekeytothenewmaterialsisresearchers'increasingabilitytomanipulatesubstancesatthemolecularlevel.Ceramics,forinstance,havelongbeenlimitedbytheirbrittleness.Butbyminimizingthemicroscopicimperfectionsthatcauseit,scientistsaremakingfarstrongerceramicsthatstillretainsuchqualifiesashardnessandheatresistance.FordMotorCo.nowusesceramictoolstocutsteel.AfirmcalledKyocerahascreatedalineofceramicscissorsandknivesthatstaysharpforyearsandneverrustorcorrode.

Asimilartransformationhasovertakenplastics.High-strengthpolymersnowform.bridges,iceskatingrinksandhelicopterrotors.Andonenewplasticthatgenerateselectricitywhenvibratedorpushedisusedinelectricguitars,touchsensorsforrobothandsandkaratejacketsthatautomaticallyrecordeachpunchandchop.Evenplasticlitter,whichoncethreatenedtopermanentlyblotthelandscape,hasprovedamenabletomoleculartinkering.Severalmanufacturersnowmakebiodegradableforms;someplasticsix-packringsforexample,graduallydecomposewhenexposedtosunlight.Researchersaredevelopingwaystomakeplasticsasrecyclableasmetalorglass.What'smore,composites—plasticreinforcedwithfibresofgraphiteorothercompounds--madetheround-the-worldflightofthevoyagerpossibleandhaveevenbeenprovedincombat:ahelmetsavedaninfantryman'slifebydeflectingtwobulletsintheGrenadainvasion.

Someadvancedmaterialsareoldstandardwithanewtwist.Thenewestfiberopticcablesthatcarrytelephonecallscross-countryaremadeofglasssotransparentthatapieceof100milesthickisclearerthanastandardwindowpane.

Butnewmaterialshavenoimpactuntiltheyaremadeintoproducts.Andthattransitioncouldprovedifficult,forswitchingrequireslengthyresearchandinvestment.Itcanbesaidafirmerhandleonhowtomovetocommercializationwilldeterminethesuccessorfailureofacountryinthecomingfuture.

Howmanynewmaterialsarementionedinthispassage?

A.Two.B.Three.C.Four.D.Five.

34.PartB

Directions:Inthefollowingarticlesomeparagraphshavebeenremoved.ForQuestions66-70,choosethemostsuitableparagraphfromthelistA-Ftofitintoeachofthenumberedgaps.Thereisoneparagraphwhichdoesnotfitinanyofthegaps.MarkyouranswersonANSWERSHEET1.

Inthefollowingarticlesomeparagraphshavebeenremoved.ForQuestions66～70,choosethemostsuitableparagraphfromthelistA~Ftofitintoeachofthenumberedgaps.Thereisoneparagraphwhichdoesnotfitinanyofthegaps.MarkyouranswersonANSWERSHEET1.

Thepressisconstantlyremindingusthatthedramaticincreaseintheageofourpopulationoverthenext30orsoyearswillcausenationalhealthcaresystemstocollapse,economiestocrumpleunderthestrainofpensiondemandsanddisintegratingfamiliestobuckleunderincreasingcarecommitments.YetresearchatOxfordisbeginningtoexposesomeofthewidespreadmythsthatunderliethisrhetoric.Demographicageingisundoubtedlyareality.Lifeexpectancyindevelopedcountrieshasrisencontinuouslyoverthepastcentury,increasingthepercentageofthoseovertheageof60relativetothoseundertheageof15.By2030halfthepopulationofWesternEuropewillbeovertheageof50,withapredictedaveragelifeexpectancyofafurther40years.Bythen,aquarterofthepopulationwillbeover65andby2050theUK'scurrentnumberof10,000centenariansarepredictedtohavereachedaquarterofamillion.SomedemographershaveevensuggestedthathalfofallbabygirlsbornintheWesttodaywilllivetoseethenextcentury.

66.______

Indeed,ifthiscouldbeachievedthroughouttheworld,itwouldsurelycountasthesuccessofcivilization,forthenwewouldalsohaveconqueredthekillersofpoverty,disease,famineandwar.

Decreasingmortalityrates,increasinglongevityanddecliningfertilitymeansmallerpercentagesofyoungpeoplewithinpopulations.Overthepast20yearslifeexpectancyatbirthintheUKhasrisenbyfouryearsformen(to75)andthreeyearsforwomen(to80).MeanwhilefertilityratesacrossEuropehavedeclinedmoreorlesscontinuouslyoverthepast40yearsandremainwellbelowthelevelsrequiredforEuropeanpopulationstobeabletoreplacethemselveswithoutsubstantiveimmigration.Butagain,ratherthanseeingthisasadoomandgloomscenario,weneedtoexplorethepositiveaspectsofthesedemographics.Thenext50yearsshouldprovideuswithanopportunitytoenjoythemanyadvantagesofasocietywithamaturepopulationstructure.67.______

ThefirstoftheseisthecurrentpoliticalrhetoricwhichclaimsthathealthservicesacrosstheWesternworldarecollapsingunderthestrainofdemographicageing.

68.______

Thesecondmythistheviewthattheratioofworkerstonon-workerswillbecomesoacutethatWesterneconomieswillcollapse,compoundedbyamassivegrowthinpensiondebt.Whilethereareundoubtedconcernsovercurrentpensionshortfalls,itisaisoclearthatworkingliveswillthemselveschangeoverthenextfewdecades,withapredictedincreaseinflexibleandpart-timeworkandtheprobableextensionofworkinglifeuntiltheageof70.Indeed,wehavetorecognizethatwecannotexpecttoretireattheageof50andthenbeabletosupportourselvesforanother40orsoyears.Neitherasolidpensionschemenorsavingscancarrypeoplethatlong.

69.______

Afurthermythisthatwewillallliveinloose,multigenerationalfamilies,experiencingincreasedemotionaldistancingfromourkin.Evidencefromavarietyofstudiesacrossthedevelopedworldsuggeststhat,ifanything,themodemfamilyisactuallybecomingmoreclose-knit.WorkcardedoutbytheOxfordInstituteinScandinaviaandinaPan-EuropeanFamilyCareStudy,forexample,showsthatdespitetheinfluenceofth

35.

Whatadvantagewilltherebeifonebuyslifeinsuranceinsteadofmakingotherinvestments?

A.Hewillhavemoneyforaretirementhome.

B.Itwillcosthimnothingifhebuysanlifeinsurance.

C.Profitheearnsfrominsuranceistax-free.

D.Itischeaptobuyalifeinsurance.

36.

Theword"deforestation"inParagraph3means______.

A.forestdamagecausedbypollution

B.movingpopulationfromforesttocities

C.thethreatofclimatechange

D.cuttinglargeareasoftrees

37.(78)

38.PartA

Directions:ReadthefollowingtextsandanswerthequestionswhichaccompanythembychoosingA,B,CorD.MarkyouranswersonANSWERSHEET1.

Inathree-monthperiodlastyear,twoBrooklyniteshadtobecutoutoftheirapartmentsandcarriedtohospitalonstretchersdesignedfortransportingsmallwhales.TheNationalAssociationtoAdvanceFatAcceptance(NAAFA)arguesmatitwasnottheircombined900kgbulkthatmadethemill.Obesity,accordingtoNAAFA,isnotbadforyou.And,evenifitwas,thereisnothingtobedoneaboutit,becausegenesdictateweight.Attemptingtoeatlessmerelyslowsmetabolism,havingpeopleaschubbyasever.

ThisisthefatlashmovementthatcausesAmerica'sslimmingindustrysomuchpain.InhisbookBinFatLies(Ballantine,1996),GlennGaessersaysthatnostudyyethasconvincinglyshownthatweightisanindependentcauseofhealthproblems.Fatnessdoesnotkillpeople;thingslikehypertension,coronaryheartdiseasesandcancerdo.MichaelFumento,authorofTheFatoftheLand(Viking,1997),ananti-fatlashdiatribe,comparesDrGaesser'slogicwithsayingthattheguillotinedidnotkillLouisXVI:Rather,itwastheseveringofhisvertebrae,thecuttingofallthebloodvesselsinbisneck,and...thetraumacausedbyhisheaddroppingseveralfeetintoawickerbasket.

Beingfatkillsinseveralways.Itmakespeoplefarmorelikelytosufferfromheartdiseaseorhighbloodpressure.Evenmoderateobesityincreasesthechanceofcontractingdiabetes.Being40%overweightmakespeople30%-50%morelikelytodieofcancer,accordingtotheAmericanCancerSociety.Extremefatnessmakespatientssomuchlesslikelytosurvivesurgerythatmanydoctorsrefusetooperateuntiltheyslim.

Theideathatbeingoverweightiscausedbyobesitygenesisnotwhollyfalse:researchershavefoundanumberofgenesthatappeartomakesomepeopleburnoffenergyataslowerrate.Butgenesarenotdestiny.Thedifferencebetweensomeonewithageneticpredispositiontogainweightandsomeonewithoutappearstoberoughly40calories—oraspoonfulofmayonnaise—aday.

Analternativefatlashargument,advancedinbookssuchas.DeanOnrush'sEatMore,WeightLess(HarperCollies,1993)andDateAtrens'sDon'tDiet(WilliamMorrow,1978),isthatfatnessisnotamatterofeatingtoomuch.TheynotethatasAmericans'weighthasballoonedoverthelastfewdecades,theirreportedcaloricintakehasplunged.Thissimplyexplainspeople'sownrecollectionofhowmuchtheyeatisextremelyunreliable.Andastheygrowfatter,peoplefeelguiltyandaremorelikelytofibabouthowmuchtheyeat.Allreputablestudiesshowthateatinglessandexercisingreduceweight.

Certainly,thebody'smetabolismslowsalittlewhenyouloseweight,becauseittakeslessenergytocarrylessbulkaround,andbecausedietingcanmakethebodyfearitisabouttostarve.Butasensiblelow-fatdietmakesweightlosspossible.Thefatlashmovementisdangerous,becauseshmmerswilloftenfindanyexcusetogiveup.Totellpeoplethatitishealthytobeobeseistoencouragethemtolivesickanddieyoung.

Th