Section II Reading Comprehension
Part A
Directions:
Read the following four texts. Answer the questions after each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET. (40 points)
Text 1
The weather in Texas may have cooled since the recent extreme heat, but the temperature will be high at the State Board of Education meeting in Austin this month as officials debate how climate change is taught in Texas schools.
Pat Hardy, who sympathises with views of the energy sector, is resisting proposed changes to science standards for pre-teen pupils. These could emphasise the primacy of human activity in recent climate change and encourage discussion of mitigation measures.
Most scientists and experts sharply dispute Hardy’s views. “They casually dismiss the career work of scholars and scientists as just another misguided opinion.” says Dan Quinn, senior communications strategist at the Texas Freedom Network, a non-profit group that monitors public education, “What millions of Texas kids learn in their public schools is determined too often by the political ideology of partisan board members, rather than facts and sound scholarship.”
Such debates reflects fierce discussions across the US and around the world, as researchers, policymakers, teachers and students step up demands for a greater focus on teaching about the facts of climate change in schools.
A study last year by the National Center for Science Education, a non-profit group of scientists and teachers, looking at how state public schools across the country address climate change in science classes, gave barely half of US states a grade B+ or higher. Among the 10 worst performers were some of the most populous states, including Texas, which was given the lowest grade (F) and has a disproportionate influence because its textbooks are widely sold elsewhere.
Glenn Branch, the centre’s deputy director, cautions that setting state-level science standards is only one limited benchmark in a country that decentralises decisions to local school boards. Even if a state is considered a high performer in its science standards, “that does not mean it will be taught”, he says.
Another issue is that, while climate change is well integrated into some subjects and at some ages–such as earth and space sciences in high schools–it is not as well represented in curricula for younger children and in subjects that are more widely taught, such as biology and chemistry. It is also less prominent in many social studies courses. Branch points out that, even if a growing number of official guidelines and textbooks reflect scientific consensus on climate change, unofficial educational materials that convey more slanted perspectives are being distributed to teachers. They include materials sponsored by libertarian think-tanks and energy industry associations.
21. In Paragraph 1, the weather in Texas is mentioned to ______.
[A] forecast a policy shift in Texas schools
[B] stress the consequences of climate change
[C] indicate the atmosphere at the board meeting
[D] draw the public’s attention to energy shortages
22. What does Quinn think of Hardy?
[A] She exaggerates the existing panic.
[B] She denies the value of scientific work.
[C] She shows no concern for pre-teens.
[D] She expresses self-contradictory views.
23. The study mentioned in Paragraph 5 indicates that ______.
[A] climate education is insufficient at state public schools
[B] policy makers have little drive for science education
[C] Texas is reluctant to rewrite its science textbooks
[D] environmental teaching in some states lacks supervision
24. According to Branch, state-level science standards in the US ______.
[A] call for regular revision
[B] require urgent application
[C] have limited influence
[D] cater to local needs
25. It is implied in the last paragraph that climate change teaching in some schools ______.
[A] agree to major public demands
[B] reflects teachers' personal bias
[C] may misrepresent the energy sector
[D] can be swayed by external forces
答案解析：
21.【答案】[C] indicate the atmosphere at the board meeting
【解析】本题为细节题。根据题干关键词the weather in Texas可以定位到第一段①句。①句前半部分指出，The weather in Texas may have cooled since the recent extreme heat(得克萨斯州的天气从最近的极端炎热中凉爽了下来)，而后半句则指出，but the temperature will be high at the State Board of Education meeting(但是州教育委员会会议的氛围将会非常热烈) ... in Texas schools。结合本句内容，第一段提及得克萨斯州的天气，是为了与下文会议的气氛进行对比，C项indicate the atmosphere at the board meeting(表明委员会会议的氛围)符合该句作用，所以本题选C。
22.【答案】[B] she denies the value of scientific work
【解析】本题为细节题。根据题干关键词Quinn和Hardy分别定位到第三段②句和第二段①句。定位到两句，优先使用后一句解题，因此先看第三段②句。第三段②句指出，They casually dismiss the career work of scholars and scientists as just another misguided opinion(他们随意否定科学家们的事业成果，将其仅仅看作是又一个错误的观点)。B项she denies the value of scientific work(她否认科学成果的价值)符合本句藐视，所以本题选B。
23.【答案】[A] climate education is insufficient at state public schools
【解析】本题为细节题。题型判断方面，本题易被判断为例证题;需注意，本题题干不符合例证题的被动句式be mentioned to indicate(被提及是为了表明)，而仅仅是the study mentioned indicates(被提及了的研究表明)，简化句子结构仅保留主干成分，可以发现题干核心为“研究表明”，不符合例证题题干结构，故未细节题。根据题干关键词study和 Paragraph 5定位到第五段第①句。①句指出... looking at how state public schools across the country address climate change in science classes, gave barely half of US states a grade B+ or higher(...研究全国各州的公立小学在科学课中对气候变化的强调情况，给了美国将将一半的州B+及以上的评分)，四个选项与本句未能形成对应。细节题中，定位句不解题，优先看下一句是否解题，②句继而指出Among the 10 worst performers were some of the most populous states ...(在十个表现最差的州中，有几个是人口最多的州)。结合①②两句理解，美国各州仅有一半在研究中获得B+或更高分数，而表现最差州又包含一些人口最多的州，这意为着有更多的美国学生没有接受足够的气候变化教育。A项climate education is insufficient at state public schools(各州公立学校对于气候变化的教育不足)是对①②句的合理推断。所以本题选A。
24.【答案】[C] have limited influence
【解析】本题为细节题。根据题干关键词Branch、state-level science standards定位到第六段①句，该句指出：setting state-level science standards is only one limited benchmark(设置各州层面的科学课程标准只是一个有限的基准)。C项have limited influence(影响有限)是对only one limited benchmark的同义替换。所以本题选C。
25.【答案】[D] can be swayed by external forces
【解析】本题为细节题。根据题干关键词last paragraph和climate change定位到第七段①②句。①句指出it is not as well represented in curricula for younger children and in subjects that are more widely taught(它没有在低龄儿童的课程中体现，也没有在开设量更高的科目中体现，其中it指代climate change，下同)。②句承接①句指出It is also less prominent in many social studies courses(它在许多社会科学课程中也并不显眼)。四个选项与①②句内容并未形成对应。定位句不解题，优先考虑下一句是否解题，继续看③句。③句指出unofficial educational materials that convey more slanted perspectives are being distributed to teachers(传达更多存在偏见的观点的非官方教学资料正在被发放给教师)。非官方教学资料并非公立教育体系制作，由此可知，D项can be swayed by external forces(可能受外部力量动摇)是对③句的合理推断。所以本题选D。
