Section C Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D ). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.57、Questions57-66are based on the following passage.
The first week of July 1776 was a busy one for Thomas Jefferson. The Declaration of Independence, which he largely wrote, was adopted on the fourth. But he chose the same week to begin keeping a record of the temperature change in a notebook. This wasn't a single example: for eight years, as president, Jefferson made detailed notes on the seasonal availability of various vegetables in the markets of Washington, DC.
This wasn't because he couldn't focus, says Joshua Kendall, author of America's Obsessives (强迫症者):The Compulsive Energy That Built a Nation. Rather, his obsessional habits were a self-soothing response to anxiety. When his wife died, he responded by cataloguing the tens of thousands of letters he'd sent or received. "A mind always employed is always happy," he liked to say. But that wasn't a platitude (陈词滥调): some of Jefferson's compulsive industriousness made history, but all of it helped keep him mentally healthy.
The core of Kendall's argument is that many successful people show symptoms of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (强迫型人格障碍). Steve Jobs would get angry over a misplaced comma; he rejected one version of the Apple II computer because the lines on its internal circuit boards weren't straight enough. But, if Kendall is correct, Jobs wasn't a person consumed solely by his own ambition: he focused on shaping and perfecting the physical world just to avoid confronting his innermost self.Kendall quotes a psychiatrist who says it often begins with an insecure growing-up: "Children who have little control over the key events and people in their lives begin to focus on something they can control." Avoiding self-reflection, they make poor parents and partners. But their avoidance also leads to their success.
This is disturbing, since the "experiential avoidance"---the effort not to feel certain feelings, or think certain thoughts--is widely considered as a bad thing. It's blamed for everything from social anxiety to self-harm; the fast-developing acceptance and commitment therapy is dedicated to overcoming it, by helping people safely to "feel their feelings". Could it really bring benefits?
The question strikes deep at how we think about psychological disorders. By definition, they interfere with life. But what counts as interfering is subjective: is it "better" to be a great innovator than an ordinary spouse, or vice versa? The happiest among Kendall's obsessives are those with self-awareness: they chose to embrace their obsessions, accepting the downsides. The tragic ones kept trying to make their relationships conform to their rigid demands. A Wired magazine cover last year asked readers, “Do you really want to be like Steve Jobs?" In a work culture that increasingly uses "obsessive" as a compliment, it's worth pausing to ask the question.
What was the main reason for Thomas Jefferson being busy in the first week of July 1776?
A.The adoption of the Declaration of Independence.
B.The recording of the temperature changes.
C.The recording of the availability of vegetables in the markets.
D.All of the above.
58、According to Kendall, why did Jefferson catalogue these letters when his wife died?
A.Because he couldn't focus on one matter.
B.Because he had sent and received too many letters.
C.Because he was industrious in order to make history.
D.Because he wanted to get relieved from the pain.
59、According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true about Steve Jobs?
A.He paid close attention to details.
B.He showed some symptoms of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder.
C.He easily lost his temper over little things.
D.He tried to avoid facing his true self.
60、What does the underlined "it" (Line 4, Para.4)refer to?
A.Acceptance and commitment therapy.
B.Experiential avoidance.
C.Social anxiety.
D.Self-harm.
61、What can we infer about the author's attitude towards "obsessive"?
A.It interferes with life.
B.It can be taken as a compliment.
C.It may lead to huge success.
D.It is widely blamed for everything.
62、 QuesUons62-71are based on the following paassage
According to a study conducted last April, female seniors studying at Boston College left the university with lower self-confidence than when they entered as freshmen.
The study, administered by the Office of Institutional Research, Planning and Assessment at Boston College, examined two surveys: the first of which was taken by students during their freshman year, and the second of which was taken by students exiting their senior year.
Despite reports of high academic achievement, most female students gave themselves weaker self-evaluations in the second survey.Abbey Clark, a senior and founder of the Boston College chapter (分会) of I AM THAT GIRL, a female-empowerment (赋权) community, says the finding is "startling".
Clark hopes to change the trend by creating an open community that will ignite (点燃) confidence and empowerment in young women.
I AM THAT GIRL, a global community which aims to help girls turn their self-doubt into self-love, is all about celebrating women's unique selves, Clark says.
"I AM THAT GIRL helps girls turn their stories of struggle and adversity (逆境) into stories of
connectedness and empowerment and feeling good about themselves," Clark says. "I think that all high school girls at one time or another can relate to the feeling of no being good enough."
To help young girls overcome these feelings, Clark says I AM THAT GIRL at Boston College' which
boasts 100 members in its first registered year on campus, holds weekly meetings offering a "safe space" for college students in which they can discuss topics like body image, relationships, family dynamics and finding one's passions.
Maria Pascucci, the founder of Campus Calm, a national organization that aims to help college women lead healthy, happy lives, says females feel the pressure to be perfect on a regular basis. She added that the media sends mixed messages to young girls, advising them to be the best they can be while simultaneously persuading them to buy more and strive for more.
"In our society, being a perfectionist is a glorified and socially acceptable form of self-abuse," Pascucci says.
Pascucci, who was teased as a young girl and suffered self-esteem issues, says her main message to young gifts is to let them know their sense of worth comes from within.
"When we begin to compare ourselves to others, especially when we're vulnerable, that can do a lot of damage to our self-esteem," she says.
Clark echoes Pascucci's point, saying it's important to let young girls know that their physical
appearance is only "one slice of the pie".
"Girls have a lot to bring to the table," Clark says, "and that's looking past physical beauty and just celebrating something unique within yourself that isn't so apparent."
What can we learn about the female seniors at Boston College?
A.They took two surveys at the same time.
B.They had improved theft academic performance.
C.They had lost some confidence in themselves.
D.They always feel the pressure to be perfect.
63、 Which of the following statements is true about I AM THAT GIRL?
A.Now it has 100 members at Boston College.
B.It is an international community created by Abbey Clark.
C.It holds regular meetings for high school girls.
D.It helps young women who face struggle and adversity.
64、 What does Pascucci believe that a girl's self-esteem should originate from?
A.Her past experiences.
B.The messages from the media.
C.Her unique self.
D.Her physical appearance.
65、 What can we learn from the passage about Abbey Clark?
A.She shares a similar point of view with Pascucci.
B.She questions the finding of the study.
C.She considers physical beauty to be very important.
D.She suffered self-esteem issues when she was young.
66、 Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?
A.Let's Join I AM THAT GIRL
B.Find Your Confidence from Within
C.Try Not to Be a Perfectionist
D.Be Confident in Your Looks