Section II Reading Comprehension
Part A
Text 1
21.【答案】[A] maintaining their plastic items
【解析】本题为细节题。根据题干关键词Paragraph 1和museums are faced with difficulties in定位到第一段⑦句：All of which creates huge headaches for institutions, such as museums, trying to preserve culturally important objects.(所有这些给一些机构带来了巨大的麻烦，比如试图保护具有重要文化意义的物品的博物馆)。其中all of which指代上文③至⑥句所提到的塑料材料的种种问题：But some plastic materials change over time … melt into sludge.(一些塑料材料随着时间的推移而改变……融化成污泥)，可见，博物馆在维护其塑料藏品方面有困难。A项maintaining their plastic items(维护他们的塑料藏品)是对③至⑦句的概括总结，maintain对应preserve。所以本题选A。
22.【答案】[C] inherently flawed
【解析】本题为细节题。根据题干关键词Van Oosten believes that certain plastic objects are定位到第二段①句(其中certain plastic objects对应Certain artifacts)：Certain artifacts are especially vulnerable because some pioneers in plastic art didn’t always know how to mix ingredients properly, says Thea van Oosten(Thea van Oosten说，某些手工艺品特别脆弱，因为一些塑料艺术的先驱并不总是知道如何正确地混合原料)。可见，某些塑料艺术品在制作过程中就存在原料未能正确混合的问题，导致塑料艺术品本身就存在缺陷。C项inherently flawed(本身存在缺陷)是对①句的概括总结。所以本题选C。
23.【答案】[D] prevent them from further damage
【解析】本题为细节题。根据题干关键词Museums stopped exhibiting some of Gilardi’s artworks to定位到第四段②③句。②句指出It’s especially vulnerable to light damage, and by the mid-1990s, Gilardi’s pumpkins, roses, and other figures were splitting and crumbling(它极易受到光的损害，到了20世纪90年代中期，Gilardi的南瓜、玫瑰和其他图形都在分裂和破碎)，③句继而指出Museums locked some of them away in the dark(博物馆把其中一些锁在黑暗中)。可见，博物馆将之封存在黑暗中是为了避免其遭受更多的光损害。D项prevent them from further damage(避免它们受到进一步的损害)是对②③句的合理推断。所以本题选D。
24.【答案】[D] challenging
【解析】本题为细节题。根据题干关键词preservation of plastics定位到第六段①句：Despite success stories like van Oosten’s, preservation of plastics will likely get harder(尽管有van Oosten这样的成功案例，但塑料的保存可能会变得更加困难)。D项challenging(挑战性的)是对get harder的同义替换。所以本题选D。
25.【答案】[B] has profound historical significance
【解析】本题为细节题。根据题干关键词Ferreira和preservation of plastic artifacts定位到第七段②③句。②句指出archaeologists first defined the great material ages of human history—Stone Age, Iron Age, and so on—after examining artifacts in museums(考古学家在检查了博物馆中的文物后，首先确定了人类历史上伟大的物质时代——石器时代、铁器时代等等)，③句承接②句指出We now live in an age of plastic … “and what we decide to collect today, what we decide to preserve … will have a strong impact on how in the future we’ll be seen.”(我们现在生活在塑料时代……“我们决定收集什么，我们决定保存什么……将对我们未来的形象产生重大影响。”)。可见，我们对塑料工艺品的保存对于未来定义我们的时代意义重大。B项has profound historical significance(具有深远的历史意义)是对②③句的概括总结。所以本题选B。
Text 2
26.【答案】[C] reassess the necessity of college education
【解析】本题为细节题。根据题干关键词Generation Z和should定位到第一段①句(其中should对应need to)：As the latest crop of students pen their undergraduate application form and weigh up their options, it may be worth considering just how the point, purpose and value of a degree has changed and what Generation Z need to consider as they start the third stage of their educational journey(当最新一批学生填写本科申请表并权衡他们的选择时，或许值得思考的是学位的意义、目的和价值发生了怎样的变化，以及Z世代在开启他们教育旅程的第三阶段时需要考虑什么)。C项reassess the necessity of college education(重新审视大学教育的必要性)是对①句内容的适度推断，其中college education(大学教育)对应degree(大学学位)。所以本题选C。
27.【答案】[B] the shrinking value of a degree
【解析】本题为细节题。根据题干关键词The percentage of UK graduates和non-graduate roles定位到第二段⑤句：Today, 28 per cent of graduates in the UK are in non-graduate roles, a percentage which is double the average among OECD countries(如今，英国有28%的大学毕业生从事非大学毕业生的工作，这一比例是经合组织国家平均水平的两倍)。本句无法解题，根据定位句中的数字“28 per cent”可知，该句为论据，且该句位于段尾，所以需要往上文寻找论点解题。再找到前文的论点：As degrees became universal, they became devalued(随着大学学位变得普遍，它们也贬值了)。B项the shrinking value of a degree(大学学位的贬值)是对③句的同义替换，其中shrinking value对应devalued，degree为原词复现。所以本题选B。
28.【答案】[C] employers are taking a realistic attitude to degrees
【解析】本题为细节题。根据题干关键词a good sign定位到第四段①句(其中good对应原文的Thankfully)：Thankfully, there are signs that this is already happening(值得庆幸的是，有迹象表明这种情况已经发生了)。该句无法解题，需继续看下文。结合②句Employers have long seen the advantages of hiring school leavers who often prove themselves to be more committed and loyal employees than graduates(雇主早就看到了雇用中学毕业生的好处，因为中学毕业生经常证明他们是比大学毕业生更尽职、更忠诚的员工)和③句Many too are seeing the advantages of scrapping a degree requirement for certain roles(许多雇主也逐渐意识到取消某些岗位对学位的要求所带来的好处)可知，雇主对待大学学位的态度发生转变，C项employers are taking a realistic attitude to degrees(雇主对大学学位采取现实的态度)是对②句和③句内容的概括总结。所以本题选C。
29.【答案】[D] further their studies in a specific field
【解析】本题为细节题。根据题干关键词Paragraph 5和those with one degree定位到第五段④句：When more and more of us have a degree, it makes sense to have two(当我们中越来越多的人拥有学位时，拥有两个学位是明智的)，结合②句it pays to have specific knowledge or skills(拥有特定的知识或技能是值得的)可知，作者建议有一个学位的人在特定领域继续进修深造。D项further their studies in a specific field(在特定领域继续进修深造)是对②句和④句的概括总结。所以本题选D。
30.【答案】[A] Lifelong learning will define them.
【解析】本题为细节题。根据题干关键词Generation Z和the last two paragraph定位到第六段①句：they will need to be constantly up-skilling throughout their career to stay employable(他们需要在整个职业生涯中不断提升技能，以保持就业能力)，结合③句Education, and not just knowledge gained on campus, will be a core part of Generation Z’s career trajectory(教育以及不仅仅是在校园里获得的知识，将成为Z世代职业轨迹的核心部分)可知，Z世代将终身学习。A项Lifelong learning will define them(终身学习将是他们的特征)是对①句和③句的概括总结。所以本题选A。
Text 3
31.【答案】[B] received favorable responses
【解析】本题为细节题。根据题干关键词Paragraph 1和art-science collaborations定位到第一段②句，②句句首These指代①句中的四个形容词，故而可继续定位至①句。①②句指出Enlightening, challenging, stimulating, fun … were some of the words that Nature readers used to describe their experience of art-science collaborations(启发、挑战、刺激、有趣……是《自然》杂志的读者用来描述他们的艺术与科学合作经历的一些词汇)，下文③句继而指出Nearly 40% of the roughly 350 people who responded to … almost all said they would consider doing so in future(在350名左右的受访者中，近40%的人表示……几乎所有人都说他们将来会考虑这样做)。由此可知，《自然》杂志收到的读者对于艺术和科学合作的反应都是正面的。B项received favorable responses(收到了良好的反应)是对第一段①②③句的概括总结。所以本题选B。
32.【答案】[A] art can offer audiences easy access to science
【解析】本题为例证题。根据题干关键词The reworked version of The Four Seasons定位到例子所在句，即第三段①句。再找到前面的论点句(第二段③句)：Artists help scientists reach a broader audience and make emotional connections that enhance learning(艺术家帮助科学家接触到更广泛的观众，并建立情感联系，从而促进学习)。A项art can offer audiences easy access to science(艺术可以让观众很容易地接触到科学)是对该句的概括总结。所以本题选A。
33.【答案】[A] their role may be underestimated
【解析】本题为细节题。根据题干关键词Some artists seem to worry about in the art-science partnership定位到第四段①②③句(③句中的Their指代artists’)。②句指出several respondents noted that artists do not simply assist scientists with their communication requirements(一些受访者指出，艺术家不仅仅是帮助科学家满足他们的传播需求)，其中several respondents指代artists，③句继而指出Nor should their work be considered only as an object of study(他们的工作也不应仅仅被视为研究对象)。可见艺术家在强调自己的作用被低估了。A项their role may be underestimated(他们的作用可能被低估了)是对②③句的合理推断。所以本题选A。
34.【答案】[B] It exemplified the valuable art-science alliances.
【解析】本题为细节题。根据题干关键词CAVS定位到第五段①句。该句无法解题，需结合上下文。第四段④句指出The alliances are most valuable when scientists and artists have a shared stake in a project …(当科学家和艺术家在一个项目中拥有共同的利益……时，这个联盟是最有价值的);第五段①句继而介绍了“探索技术在文化中的作用”的CAVS研究中心，第五段③句介绍该研究中心的项目内容Light was a something that both artists and scientists had an interest in(光是艺术家和科学家都感兴趣的东西)，符合第四段④句所提出的联盟最有价值的条件——“科学家和艺术家在一个项目中拥有共同的利益”，故该研究中心是最有价值的艺术家和科学家的联盟。B项It exemplified the valuable art-science alliances(它体现了艺术与科学有价值的联盟)是对第五段提及CAVS的作用的概括总结，所以本题选B。
35.【答案】[C] should do more than communicating science
【解析】本题为细节题。根据题干关键词the last paragraph和art-science collaborations定位到第六段②句(其中collaborations对应tie-ups)：The reach of art-science tie-ups need to go beyond the necessary purpose of research communication(艺术与科学的联系需要超越传播科学研究这一必要目的)。C项should do more than communicating science(应该做的不仅仅是传播科学)是对need to go beyond the necessary purpose of research communication的同义替换。所以本题选C。
Text 4
36.【答案】[D] protect the rights of ordinary workers
【解析】本题为细节题。根据题干关键词personal grievance和are intended to定位到第二段①句(其中are intended to对应were designed to)：Personal grievance procedures were designed to guard the jobs of ordinary workers from “unjustified dismissals”(个人申诉程序旨在保护普通员工免于遭受“不正当的解雇”)。D项protect the rights of ordinary workers(保护普通员工的权益)是对①句中guard the jobs of ordinary workers from “unjustified dismissals”的概括总结，其中guard对应protect，ordinary workers为原词复现。所以本题选D。
37.【答案】[A] hinder business development
【解析】本题为细节题。根据题干关键词Paragraph 3和provisions定位到第三段①句：But these provisions create difficulties for businesses when applied to highly paid managers and executives(但当这些规定适用于高薪经理和主管时，会给企业带来困难)，该句无法解题，需结合下文。第三段②句指出As countless boards and business owners will attest, constraining firms from firing poorly performing, high-earning managers is a handbrake on boosting productivity and overall performance(正如无数的董事会和企业主将证明的那样，限制企业解雇表现不佳的高薪经理，会阻碍企业提高生产率和整体业绩)，A项hinder business development(阻碍企业发展)是对①句中create difficulties for businesses和②句中a handbrake on boosting productivity and overall performance的概括总结。所以本题选A。
38.【答案】[D] Dismissing poorly performing managers.
【解析】本题为细节题。根据题干关键词the Productivity Commission定位到第五段②句：Indeed, in “An International Perspective on New Zealand’s Productivity Paradox” (2014), the Productivity Commission singled out the low quality of managerial capabilities as a cause of the country’s poor productivity growth record(事实上，在《关于新西兰生产率悖论的国际视角》中，生产力委员会指出，管理能力的低下是该国生产率增长记录不佳的一个原因)，由此可推知，生产力委员会可能会支持解雇表现不佳的经理，D项Dismissing poorly performing managers(解雇表现不佳的经理)是对②句内容的适度推断。所以本题选D。
39.【答案】[B] Employees suffer from salary cuts.
【解析】本题为细节题。根据题干关键词ERA’s unjustified dismissal procedures定位到第六段①句：Nor are highly paid managers themselves immune from the harm caused by the ERA’s unjustified dismissal procedures(高薪经理自身也无法免受雇佣关系法中不正当解雇程序所造成的伤害)。该句无法解题，需继续看下文。②③句进一步解释①句，阐述不正当解雇程序对经理的不利影响。④句And之后补充解释不正当解雇程序对于员工的影响，即firms pay staff less because firms carry the burden of the employment arrangement going wrong(企业支付给员工更少的工资，因为企业承担了雇佣安排出差错的责任)，B项Employees suffer from salary cuts(员工被降薪)是对④句中firms pay staff less的同义替换。所以本题选B。
40.【答案】[D] is difficult to put into practice
【解析】本题为细节题。根据题干关键词the “high-income threshold” in Australia定位到第八段①句：Australia deals with the unjustified dismissal paradox by excluding employees earning above a specified “high-income threshold” from the protection of its unfair dismissal laws(澳大利亚应对不正当解雇悖论的办法是，将收入超过特定“高收入门槛”的员工排除在该国不正当解雇法的保护范围之外)，该句无法解题，需继续看下文。第八段③句指出However, the mechanisms proposed were unwieldy and the Bill was voted down following the change in government later that year(然而，上述提出的机制太过复杂，难以实行，新西兰的法案也在当年晚些时候在政府换届后被投票否决)，D项is difficult to put into practice(难以付诸实施)是对③句中the mechanisms proposed were unwieldy的适度推断。所以本题选D。
