6.16 考研英语阅读模拟试题【难度7.5】

Section II Reading Comprehension 

Part A 

Directions: Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET. 

Text 1

There is nothing palatial about Diamond Horn Palace. The cluttered shop in an old part of Delhi sells horns and other car accessories. Yet its humble surroundings mask a thriving trade. “People buy expensive vehicles, but after a few months the horn no longer matches the vehicle's presence,” says Mustafa Ahmed, its proprietor. “I restore them for very cheap.”

Mr Ahmed’s booming business should sound an alarm for India. According to UN data, Indian cities are among the loudest in the world. Noise levels on Delhi’s streets average around 75 decibels—four times the threshold recommended by the World Health Organisation. Peak readings in some cities have exceeded 100 decibels, roughly the equivalent of standing next to a chainsaw.

Noise is no mere irritant. A growing body of research shows that regular exposure to it can be a public-health scourge. More than 60 million Indians suffer from hearing loss, which researchers attribute partly to noise pollution. A 2020 review found that exposure to louder road-traffic noise was associated with a greater risk of heart disease, as loud sounds trigger the body’s stress response and disturb sleep. Another study found that a five-decibel increase in traffic noise slowed the development of working memory in children by 11%.

These effects, though, may be merely scratching the surface. Manish Manohare of the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi conducted experiments comparing the responses of Indian and British participants to identical traffic-noise recordings. When exposed to the sound of an average Delhi street, the heart rates of British participants, who were used to tranquil environments, increased. Indians, by contrast, seemed less fazed when exposed to Delhi’s cacophony. But beneath this apparent resilience lay alarming vulnerabilities, such as signs of chronic cardiovascular strain caused by constant exposure to noise.

Despite these harms, remarkably little is being done. India’s Central Pollution Control Board, the main regulator, is struggling to monitor and tackle noise. Its call to maintain “silent zones” near hospitals and schools has fallen on deaf ears. A ten-year analysis concluded that noise levels in these zones were more than twice the regulator’s limit.

Road traffic accounts for 75% of India’s urban noise. Tackling it is hard because it requires overhauling how cities are managed and how citizens behave. Poor planning has made Indian traffic chaotic as trucks, motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians jostle for space. In this free-for-all, the horn has morphed from a warning instrument into an all-purpose communication device: a way to signal a turn, nudge a dawdler, or simply announce one’s presence.

Such behaviour is actively encouraged. Trucks across the country bear the painted exhortation “Horn OK Please”, urging drivers behind them to honk before overtaking. In response, foreign carmakers have even adapted the horns in their Indian vehicles to make them more durable for frequent use.

A desperate problem is inviting desperate solutions. While some politicians suggest replacing vehicle horns with the mellifluous sounds of Indian musical instruments, environmentalists prefer an educational approach. They argue that even if the traffic police force is quadrupled, it can never catch everyone honking. People need to be sensitised about the harms of noise pollution to change their behaviour.

There may be ways to nudge them. A behavioural-science firm once built a dashboard device that beeped and flashed every time the driver honked. Silencing it required pressing a button. The small interruption jolted drivers out of autopilot into conscious thought—the surest way to break a habit. Over six months, participants cut their honking by 61%.

That pilot was never scaled up, but simpler fixes could help. Doctors and public-health officials should flag the dangers of noise as loudly as they do those of air pollution. In India, change will come only when the public demands it. For now, that call is drowned out by the noise.

21. What does recent research reveal about the implications of noise pollution in Paragraph 3?[A] It impairs children's cognitive development more severely than adults' cardiovascular systems.[B] It functions as an insidious catalyst for both physiological and cognitive impairments.[C] It inflicts immediate structural damage to the auditory systems of urban residents.[D] It primarily disrupts the sleeping patterns of individuals residing near heavily trafficked roads.

22. What can be inferred from Manish Manohare’s experiment comparing British and Indian participants?[A] British participants are genetically more susceptible to acoustic disturbances than Indians.[B] The outward acoustic tolerance of local residents belies their underlying physical detriments.[C] Chronic exposure to urban cacophony successfully immunizes individuals against cardiovascular strain.[D] Cultural differences dictate the varying psychological interpretations of identical traffic noises.

23. The vehicle horn has evolved into an "all-purpose communication device" in India essentially because ________.[A] it serves as an indispensable coping mechanism within a chaotic and poorly planned transit ecosystem[B] it compensates for the lack of visual warning instruments on traditional Indian transport vehicles[C] it is mandated by the Central Pollution Control Board to prevent fatal traffic collisions[D] it reflects foreign carmakers' successful localization strategies in the booming Indian market

24. The dashboard device developed by the behavioural-science firm effectively reduced honking by ________.[A] automatically disabling the vehicle's horn when it exceeds the WHO decibel threshold[B] imposing a mild physical penalty on drivers who chronically rely on autopilot functions[C] disrupting drivers' subconscious behavioral patterns through deliberate sensory friction[D] distracting drivers with flashing lights to divert their attention from congested traffic

25. Which of the following best encapsulates the author's primary conclusion?[A] The eradication of India's noise pollution hinges on the modernization of its automobile industry.[B] Stricter governmental enforcement of "silent zones" is the ultimate solution to the health crisis.[C] The economic cost of traffic noise currently outweighs the financial benefits of infrastructure expansion.[D] A genuine resolution to India's noise epidemic fundamentally relies on an awakened public consciousness.

附注：根据历年考研英语真题阅读题源外刊等，摘选最新文章，模拟仿真出题。

参考答案见以下。

Quick look: BBACD

21.【正确答案】B【解析】题型：事实细节题定位： 第三段“...regular exposure to it can be a public-health scourge... associated with a greater risk of heart disease... slowed the development of working memory in children...”分析： 原文列举了噪音对公众健康的危害，包括引发心脏病（生理）和减缓儿童工作记忆的发展（认知）。选项 B“它作为一种隐蔽的催化剂，引发了生理和认知的双重损害（an insidious catalyst for both physiological and cognitive impairments）”是对这两方面危害的高度抽象和全面概括（insidious 对应文中提到的缓慢、长期的影响；impairments 涵盖了 hearing loss, heart disease 和 memory slowing）。干扰项：[A] 它对儿童认知发展的损害比对成人心血管系统的损害更严重（强加比较，文中分别陈述了对儿童和成人的影响，并未比较孰轻孰重）；[C] 它对大多数印度公民的听觉系统造成直接的结构性破坏（程度篡改，“直接的结构性破坏/immediate structural damage”过度夸张，原文讲的是长期暴露导致的听力损失）；[D] 它主要扰乱居住在交通繁忙道路附近的人的睡眠模式（修饰限制，扰乱睡眠只是引发心脏病机制中的一环，并非“主要/primarily”影响）。

22.【正确答案】B【解析】题型：推理判断题定位： 第四段“Indians, by contrast, seemed less fazed when exposed to Delhi’s cacophony. But beneath this apparent resilience lay alarming vulnerabilities, such as signs of chronic cardiovascular strain...”分析： 实验表明，印度人表面上对刺耳的交通噪音显得“不那么心烦意乱（less fazed）”和“有适应力（apparent resilience）”，但这掩盖了他们遭受“慢性心血管劳损（chronic cardiovascular strain）”的脆弱性。选项 B“当地居民表面上的声音耐受力掩盖了潜在的身体损害（outward acoustic tolerance... belies their underlying physical detriments）”完美呈现了这一“表象与实质”的让步转折逻辑（acoustic tolerance 对应 less fazed；belies 对应 beneath... lay；physical detriments 对应 cardiovascular strain）。干扰项：[A] 英国参与者在基因上比印度人更容易受到声音干扰（无中生有，原文强调的是他们习惯了安静环境，而非“基因/genetically”原因）；[C] 长期暴露在城市噪音中成功地使个体对心血管劳损产生免疫（正反颠倒，原文明确说印度人反而有“慢性心血管劳损”）；[D] 文化差异决定了对相同交通噪音的不同心理诠释（偏离核心，实验揭示的核心是“生理上的潜在劳损”，而非仅仅是“心理诠释/psychological interpretations”的差异）。

23.【正确答案】A【解析】题型：因果细节题定位： 第六段“Poor planning has made Indian traffic chaotic as trucks, motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians jostle for space. In this free-for-all, the horn has morphed from a warning instrument into an all-purpose communication device...”分析： 题目询问为什么喇叭在印度会演变成万能通讯工具。原文通过因果关系给出了解释：糟糕的城市规划导致交通极度混乱（chaotic），各种车辆和行人互相争夺空间（jostle for space）。正是在这种“混战（free-for-all）”中，喇叭才变成了万能工具。选项 A“它是混乱且规划糟糕的交通生态系统中不可或缺的应对机制（indispensable coping mechanism within a chaotic and poorly planned transit ecosystem）”是对这一因果背景的精准同义转述。干扰项：[B] 它弥补了传统印度交通工具上缺乏视觉警告仪器的缺陷（无中生有，文中未探讨车辆的视觉警告设备）；[C] 它是中央污染控制委员会强制要求以防止致命交通事故的（张冠李戴，委员会是试图控制噪音的机构，并未强制要求按喇叭）；[D] 它反映了外国汽车制造商在繁荣的印度市场中成功的本地化策略（因果倒置，第七段指出外国车企改装喇叭是为了“应对/In response”印度人爱按喇叭的习惯，而不是造成这种习惯的原因）。

24.【正确答案】C【解析】题型：细节推断题定位： 第九段“A behavioural-science firm once built a dashboard device that beeped and flashed every time the driver honked. Silencing it required pressing a button. The small interruption jolted drivers out of autopilot into conscious thought—the surest way to break a habit.”分析： 原文解释了仪表盘设备的工作原理：司机每次按喇叭，设备就会响和闪，司机必须按按钮才能让它安静。这种“小小的打断（small interruption）”将司机从“下意识的自动驾驶状态中猛然唤醒，进入有意识的思考状态（jolted drivers out of autopilot into conscious thought）”，从而打破了按喇叭的习惯。选项 C“通过蓄意的感官摩擦破坏司机的潜意识行为模式（disrupting drivers' subconscious behavioral patterns through deliberate sensory friction）”极其出色地提炼了这一心理学机制（subconscious 对应 autopilot；sensory friction 对应 beeped and flashed / interruption）。干扰项：[A] 当超过世卫组织分贝阈值时自动禁用车辆喇叭（事实错误，设备并没有“禁用/disabling”喇叭，只是需要司机按按钮消音）；[B] 对长期依赖自动驾驶功能的司机施加轻微的身体惩罚（概念偷换，原文的“autopilot”是比喻司机的下意识习惯，并非汽车的“自动驾驶功能”，且没有“身体惩罚/physical penalty”）；[D] 用闪烁的灯光分散司机的注意力，转移他们对交通拥堵的关注（目的篡改，闪光是为了打断下意识按喇叭的动作，而不是为了转移对交通拥堵的注意力）。

25.【正确答案】D【解析】题型：主旨结论题定位： 第十段（最后一段）“Doctors and public-health officials should flag the dangers of noise... In India, change will come only when the public demands it. For now, that call is drowned out by the noise.”分析： 文章在最后一段升华了主旨。作者指出，要解决噪音问题，光靠小修小补不够，印度需要医生像宣传空气污染那样指出噪音的危险，因为“只有当公众提出要求时，改变才会到来（change will come only when the public demands it）”。选项 D“对印度噪音流行病的真正解决从根本上依赖于觉醒的公众意识（fundamentally relies on an awakened public consciousness）”完美概括了作者的最终论断。干扰项：[A] 根除印度的噪音污染取决于其汽车工业的现代化（偏离重心，汽车工业在文中仅是顺带提及，并非解决方案的核心）；[B] 政府对“安静区”的更严格执法是应对这场健康危机的终极解决方案（局部细节，严格执法固然好，但作者最后的落脚点是“公众意识的觉醒”，而非单纯依靠政府）；[C] 目前交通噪音的经济成本超过了基础设施扩张的财政收益（无中生有，文章第三段提到了噪音的经济成本，但并未将其与“基建的收益”进行比对权衡）。

【词汇注释】

【长难句】

原句：In this free-for-all, the horn has morphed from a warning instrument into an all-purpose communication device: a way to signal a turn, nudge a dawdler, or simply announce one’s presence.

解析：

1. In this free-for-all 是状语，指代前一句中各种车辆和行人争夺空间的混乱无序状态。

2. 句子主干为 the horn has morphed from A into B（喇叭已经从A演变/畸变成了B）。

3. 冒号后的部分是同位语，对 all-purpose communication device（多用途通讯设备）进行具体解释，包含了三个并列的不定式短语：to signal a turn（示意转弯）、nudge a dawdler（催促慢吞吞的人）和 announce one's presence（宣告自己的存在）。

句意：在这种混战中，喇叭已经从一种警告工具演变成了一种多用途的通讯设备：一种用来示意转弯、催促慢行者，或者仅仅是宣告自己存在的方式。

【参考译文】

“钻石喇叭宫”一点也不富丽堂皇。这家拥挤的店铺位于德里的一片老城区，出售汽车喇叭及其他汽车配件。然而，其简陋的环境掩盖了它红火的生意。“人们买昂贵的车，但过了几个月，喇叭的声音就配不上这辆车的气质了，”该店老板穆斯塔法·艾哈迈德说。“我用很便宜的价格帮他们修复。”

艾哈迈德先生生意兴隆，这应该为印度敲响警钟。根据联合国的数据，印度城市是世界上最喧闹的城市之一。德里街道的噪音水平平均在75分贝左右——是世界卫生组织建议阈值的四倍。一些城市的峰值甚至超过了100分贝，这大约相当于站在电锯旁边的音量。

噪音绝不仅仅是一种令人恼火的东西。越来越多的研究表明，经常暴露在噪音中可能会成为一种公共卫生祸害。超过6000万印度人患有听力损失，研究人员认为部分原因是噪音污染。2020年的一项审查发现，暴露在较大的道路交通噪音中会增加患心脏病的风险，因为巨大的声音会引发身体的应激反应并干扰睡眠。另一项研究发现，交通噪音每增加5分贝，儿童工作记忆的发展就会减缓11%。

然而，这些影响可能只是冰山一角。印度理工学院德里分校的曼尼什·马诺哈雷进行了一项实验，比较了印度和英国参与者对完全相同的交通噪音录音的反应。当听到德里普通街道的声音时，习惯了宁静环境的英国参与者心率加快了。相比之下，印度人在暴露于德里的嘈杂声中时，似乎显得不那么心烦意乱。但在这种表面上的适应力之下，却隐藏着令人担忧的脆弱性，比如因不断暴露于噪音而导致的慢性心血管劳损的迹象。

尽管存在这些危害，但采取的措施却少得可怜。印度的主要监管机构——中央污染控制委员会——在监测和解决噪音问题上都举步维艰。它呼吁在医院和学校附近设立“安静区”，但这一呼吁却被当成了耳旁风。一项为期十年的分析得出结论，这些区域的噪音水平是监管机构限制的两倍多。

道路交通占印度城市噪音的75%。但解决这个问题很困难，因为它需要彻底改变城市的管理方式和公民的行为方式。糟糕的规划使得印度的交通变得混乱，卡车、摩托车、自行车和行人争夺着空间。在这种混战中，喇叭已经从一种警告工具演变成了一种多用途的通讯设备：一种用来示意转弯、催促慢行者，或者仅仅是宣告自己存在的方式。

这种行为甚至受到了积极的鼓励。全国各地的卡车上都喷涂着“请按喇叭”的劝告语，敦促后面的司机在超车前按喇叭。作为回应，外国汽车制造商甚至调整了其在印度车辆上的喇叭，使其更耐用以适应频繁的使用。

绝望的问题正在引来绝望的解决方案。一些政治家建议用塔布拉鼓和长笛等印度乐器悦耳的声音来代替汽车喇叭，但环保主义者更倾向于采取教育的方法。他们认为，即使交警队伍扩大四倍，也永远抓不完按喇叭的人。人们需要了解噪音污染的危害，从而改变他们的行为。

也许有办法可以推动他们改变。一家行为科学公司曾制造了一种仪表盘设备，司机每次按喇叭它都会发出哔哔声并闪烁。要让它安静下来需要按一个按钮。这种小小的打断将司机从下意识的自动驾驶状态中猛然唤醒，进入有意识的思考状态——这是打破习惯最可靠的方法。在六个月的时间里，参与者将按喇叭的次数减少了61%。

该试点项目从未被大规模推广，但更简单的修复措施可能会有所帮助。医生和公共卫生官员应该像宣传空气污染的危险一样，大声疾呼噪音的危害。在印度，只有当公众提出要求时，改变才会到来。而就目前而言，这种呼声已被噪音所淹没。

附注：