新东方6级训练阅读9

所属教程:新东方6级训练

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Conventional wisdom about conflict seems pretty much cut and dried. Too little conflict breeds apathy (冷漠) and stagnation (呆滞). Too much conflict leads to divisiveness (分裂) and hostility. Moderate levels of conflict, however, can spark creativity and motivate people in a healthy and competitive way.
     Recent research by Professor Charles R. Schwenk, however, suggests that the optimal level of conflict may be more complex to determine than these simple generalizations. He studied perceptions of conflict among a sample of executives. Some of the executives worked for profit-seeking organizations and others for not-for-profit organizations.
     Somewhat surprisingly, Schwenk found that opinions about conflict varied systematically as a function of the type of organization. Specifically, managers in not-for-profit organizations strongly believed that conflict was beneficial to their organizations and that it promoted higher quality decision making than might be achieved in the absence of conflict.
     Managers of for-profit organizations saw a different picture. They believed that conflict generally was damaging and usually led to poor-quality decision making in their organizations. Schwenk interpreted these results in terms of the criteria for effective decision making suggested by the executives. In the profit-seeking organizations, decision-making effectiveness was most often assessed in financial terms. The executives believed that consensus rather than conflict enhanced financial indicators.
     In the not-for-profit organizations, decision-making effectiveness was defined from the perspective of satisfying constituents. Given the complexities and ambiguities associated with satisfying many diverse constituents executives perceived that conflict led to more considered and acceptable decisions.

36. We learn from the passage that olestra is a substance that_______.
   A) contains plenty of nutrients
   B) renders foods calorie-free while retaining their vitamins
   C) makes foods easily digestible
   D) makes foods fat-free while keeping them delicious

37.The result of the search for an easily digestible fat turned out to be_______.
   A) commercially useless
   B) just as anticipated
   C) somewhat controversial
   D) quite unexpected

38.Olestra is different from ordinary fats in that_______.
   A) it passes through the intestines without being absorbed
   B) it facilitates the absorption of vitamins by the body
   C) it helps reduce the incidence of heart disease
   D) it prevents excessive intake of vitamins

39.What is a possible negative effect of olesira according to some critics?
   A) It may impair the digestive system.
   B) It may affect the overall fat intake.
   C) It may increase the risk of cancer.
   D) It may spoil the consumers' appetite.

40.Why are nutritionists concerned about adding vitamins to olesira?
   A) It may lead to the over-consumption of vitamins.
   B) People may be induced to eat more than is necessary.
   C) The function of the intestines may be weakened. 跨段
   D) It may trigger a new wave of fake food production.

Imagine eating everything delicious you want - with none of the fat. That would be great, wouldn't it?

New “fake fat” products appeared on store shelves in the United States recently, but not everyone is happy about it. Makers of the products, which contain a compound called olestra, say food manufacturers can now eliminate fat from certain foods. Critics, however, say the new compound can rob the body of essential vitamins and nutrients (营养物) and can also cause unpleasant side effects in some people. So it's up to decide whether the new fat-free products taste good enough to keep eating.

注：eliminate消除

Chemists discovered olestra in the late 1960s, when they were searching for a fat that could be digested by infants more easily. Instead of finding the desired fat, the researchers created a fat that can't be digested at all.

Normally, special chemicals in the intestines (肠)“grab” molecules of regular fat and break them down so they can be used by the body. A molecule of regular fat is made up of three molecule of substances called fatty acids.

The fatty acids are absorbed by the intestines and bring with them the essential vitamins A, D, E, and K. When fat molecules are present in the intestines with any of those vitamins, the vitamins attach to the molecules and are carried into the bloodstream.

Olestra, which is made from six to eight molecules of fatty acids, is too large for the intestines to absorb. It just slides through the intestines without being broken down. Manufacturers say it's that ability to slide unchanged through the intestines that makes olestra so valuable as a fat substitute. It provides consumers with the taste of regular fat without any bad effects on the body. But critics say olestra can prevent vitamins A, D, E, and K from being absorbed. It can also prevent the absorption of carotenoids (类胡萝卜素), compounds that may reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, etc.

Manufacturers are adding vitamins A, D, E, and K as well as carotenoids to their products now. Even so, some nutritionists are still concerned that people might eat unlimited amounts of food made with the fat substitute without worrying about how many calories they are consuming.

简短回答题评分原则及标准

1. 评分原则
简答题要求考生在读懂文章的基础上，用正确简洁的语言回答问题。在评分时应同时考虑内容和语言。每题满分为2分，最低为0分。

2. 给分标准
2分--答出全部内容，语言正确；
1分--答出部分内容，语言正确；
0分--没有答对问题。

扣分标准
（1）语言有错误扣0.5分（不包括引起歧义的，可以辨识的拼写错误），每题由于语言错误扣分不能超过0.5分；
（2）涉及无关内容者扣0.5分；其答案中有相互矛盾的内容，则内容矛盾的部分均不得分；
（3）整句原封不动照搬应扣分；照搬一句扣0.5分；照搬两句及两句以上者扣2分；
（4）考生所给答案超过10个单词扣0.5分。

Part IV Short Answer Questions (15 minutes)

Joe Templer should have known better: after all, he works for a large auto-insurance company. It won't hurt to leave the key in the truck this once, he thought, as he filled his gas tank at a self-service gas station. But moments latter as he was paying the money he saw the truck being driven away.

In 1987, 1.6 million motor vehicles were stolen in the United States-one every 20 seconds. If current trends continue, experts predict annual vehicle thefts could exceed two million by the end of the decade.

Vehicle theft is a common phenomenon, which has a direct impact on over four million victims a year. The cost is astonishing.

Many police officials blame professional thieves for the high volume of thefts. It is a major money-maker for organized crime. Typically, stolen cars are taken to pieces and the parts sold to individuals. But as many as 200.000 cars are smuggled out of the country every year. Most go to Latin America, the Middle East and Europe.

Only about 15 percent car thefts result in an arrest, because few police departments routinely conduct in-depth auto-investigations. When thieves are arrested, judges will often sentence them to probation (缓刑), not immediately put them in prison because the prisons are overcrowded with violent criminals.

One exception is a Michigan program that assigns 92 police officers to work full-time on the state's 65,000 car theft cases a year. Since 1986, when the effort began, the state's auto-theft rate has fallen from second in the nation to ninth.

How can you protect your car? If you live in a high-theft area or drive an expensive model, consider a security system. It may cost anywhere from $25 to $1,000. Some systems engage automatically - simply removing the key disables the fuel pump the fuel pump and the starter. When cars are equipped with such systems, thefts may drop by one-third. In some states, you may be able to sue a device that transmits radio signals, allowing stolen cars to be tracked by police.

Questions:

71. What is the passage mainly about?

________________________________________________________

72. What does the author think Joe Templer should be blamed for?