英语四级阅读，作为大学英语能力的重要评估指标，不仅检验了学生对词汇、语法的掌握，更考察了其阅读理解和信息筛选的能力。在全球化背景下，提升这一能力对于拓宽视野、增进跨文化交流至关重要。今天，小编将分享2023年12月大学英语四级阅读真题以及答案（卷三）相关内容，希望能为大家提供帮助！
Section A
Directions:In this section,there is a passage with ten blanks.You are required to select oneword for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage.Read the passage through carefully before making your choices.Each choice in the bank is identified bya letter.Please mark the corresponding letter for each item onAnswer Sheet 2with a single line through the centre.You may not use any ofthe words inthe bank more than once.
When people set out to improve their health,they usually take a familiarpath:starting a healthy diet,getting better sleep,and doing regular exercise.Each of these behaviors is important,of course,but they all 26 on physical health—and a growing body of research suggests that social health is just as,if not more,important to. 27 well-being.
One recent study published in the journal PLOS ONE,for example,found that the strength of a person's social circle was a better 28 of self-reported stress,happiness and well-being levels than fitness tracker data on physical activity,heart rate and sleep.That finding suggests that the“ 29 self"represented by endless amounts of health data doesn't tell the whole 30 .
There'salso a qualified self,which is who I am,what are my activities,my social network,and all of these aspects are not 31 in any of these measurements.
This idea is supported byplenty of 32 research.Studies have shown that social support—whether it comes from friends,family members or a spouse—is 33 associated with better mental and physical health.A rich social life,these studies suggest,can lower stress levels,improve mood,encourage positive health behaviors and discourage damaging ones,boost hearthealth and improve illness. 34 rates.
Social isolation,meanwhile,is linked to higher rates of physical diseases and mental health conditions. It's a significant problem, 35 since loneliness is emerging as a widespread public health problem in many countries.
A)base I)prompt
B)eagerly J)puzzle
C)especially K)quantified
D)focus L)recovery
E)indicator M)reflected
F)overall N)story
G)preached O)strongly
H)prior
Section B
Direetions: In this section,yow aregoing to read apassage with ten statements attachedto it.Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs.Identif theparagraph from which the information is derived.You may choose a paragraph more than once.Each paragraph is marked with a letter.Answer the questionsby marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.
Teenagers and soclal networking
A)As a parent of twoboys at primary school,I worry about the issues associated with teenagers and social media.Newspapersare constantly filledwith frightening accountsof drug addiction andagressive behaviour supposedly caused by violent videogames.But even when these accounts touchon real concerns,they donot really reflect the great mass of everyday tenage social behaviour:the online chat,the texting,the surfing, and the emergence of a new teenage spherethat is conducted digitally.
B)New technologies always provoke generational panic,which usually has more to do with adult fears than with the livesof teenagers.In the 1930s,parents worried that radio was gaining“an irresistiblehold of their children".In the 80s,the great dangerwas theSony Walkman(随身听).When you look at today's digital activity,the facts are muchmore positive thanyoumight cxpcct.
C)Indeed,social scientists whostudy young people have found that their digital use can be inventive and even beneficial.This is true not just in terms of their social lives,but their education too.Soif you use a ton of social media,do you become unable,or unwilling,to engage in face-to-face contact?The evidence suggests not.Research by Amanda Lenhart of thePew Research Centre,a US think tank,foundthat the most passionate texters are also the kids most likely to spend time with friends in person.One form of socialising doesn't replace the other.It expands it.
D)“Kidsstill spend time face to face,”Lenhart says.Indeed,as they get older and are given more freedom,they often ease up on social networking.Early on,the web is their“third space”,but by the late teens,it's replaced in reaction to greater independence.They have to be on Facebook,to know what's going on among friends and family,but they are ambivalent(有矛盾心理的)about it,says Rebeca Eynon,aresearch fellow at the Oxford Internet Institute,who has interviewed about 200 British teenagers over threeyears.As they gain experience with living online,they begin to adjust their behaviour,strugling with newcommunication skils, asthey do in therealworld.
E)Parents are wrong to worry that kids don't care about privacy.In fact,they spend hours changing Facebook settings or usingquick-delete sharing tools,such as Snapchat,to minimise their traces.Or they post a photograph on Instagram,have a pleasant conversation with friends and then delete it so that no traces remain.
F)This is not to say that kids alwaysuse good judgment Like everyoneelse,they make mistakes-sometimes serious ones.But working out how to behaveonline is a new social skill.While there's plenty of drama and messiness online,it is not,for most tens,a cycleof non-stop abuse:a Pew study found only 15%of teens said someone had bullied them online in the last 12 months.
G)But surely llthis short-form writing is affecting literacy?Certainly,teachers worry.They say that kids use overly casual language and text-speak in writing,anddon't have as much patience for long reading and complex arguments.Yet studies of first-year college paperssuggest these anxieties may be partlybased on misguided nostalgia(怀旧).When Stanford University scholarAndrea Lunsford gathereddata on therates of errors in “freshman composition”papers going back to 1917,she found that theywere vitually identical to today.
H)But even as error rates stayedstable,student essays have blossomed insizeand complexity.They are now six times longerand,unlike older “what I did this summer”ssays,they offer arguments supported by evidence. Why?Computers have vastly increased the ability of students togather information,sample dfferent points of view and write more fluidly.
I)When linguist Naomi Baron studied students'instant messaging even there she found surprisingly rare usage of short forms such as“u”for“you”,and as students got older,they beganto write in more grammatical sentences.That is because they want to appear more adult,and they know how adults are expected to write. Clearly,teaching teens formalwriting is sill crucial,but texting probably isn't destroying their ability to learn it.
J)It is probably true that fewer kids are heavy readers compared with two generations ago,when cheap paperbacks boosted ratesof reading.Buteven back then,a minority of people—perhaps 20%—were lifelong heavyreaders,and it was cable TV,not the internet,that struck a blow at that culture in the 1980s.Still,15% or more of kids arefound to bedeeply bookish.In fact,the online world offerskids remarkable opportunities tobecome literate and creative because young people can now publish ideas no just totheir friends,bu to the world.And it turnsout thatwhen theywrite for strangers,their senseof"authentic audience"makes them work harder,push themselves further,and create powerful new communicative forms.
K)Few would deny that too much time online can be harmful.Some of the dangers are emotional:hurting someone from a distance is not the sameas hurtingthem face to face.If we're lucky,the legal environment will change to make teenagers'online lives less likely to haunt them lateron.Just last week,California passed a lawallowing minors to demand that internet firms erase theirdigital past and the EU has considered similar legislation.
L)Distraction isalso a serious issue.When kids switch from chat to music to homework,they are indeed likely to have trouble doing each task well.And studies show that pupils don't fact-check informationonline— “smart searching"is a skill schools need to teach urgently.It's also true that too much social networking and game playing can cut into schoolwork and sleep.This is precisely why parents still need to set firm boundaries around it,as with any other distraction.
M)So what's the best way to cope?The same boring old advice that applies to everything in parenting: moderation.Rebecca Eynon argues that it's key to model good behaviour.Parents whostare non-stop at their phones and don't read books are likely to bred kids who wlldothe same.As ever,we ought to becareful about our own behaviour.
36.Research has found the use of digital technology benefits not only teenagers'social lives but also their studies.
37.Itisurgent thatschoolsteach kids how to verify online information.
38.Students now write longer and more complex essays than their counterparts in previous decadeswhile the errorrates remain unchanged
39.Newspaper reports of teenagers give a false picture of their behaviour.
40.Parents are advised to mind their own digitalbehaviour and set a good examplefor their kids.
41.Contrary toparents'belief,kidstry hard to leave as fewtraces as possible on the web.
42.Students'ability tolearn formalwiting is unlikely tobe affected by texting
43.Historically,new technologieshave always caused great fears among parents.
44.The reading culture was seriously affected bycable television some four decades ago.
45.Teachers say that kids'writingistoo casual,using languagecharacteristic of text messages.
Section C
Directions: There are 2 passages in this section.Each passage is followed by some questions or wnfinished 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.
Passage One
Questions 46 to 50 arebased onthefollowingpassage
In the historyof horse racing,few horses have captured the ffectionof theBritish public ike Red Rum. Today,three decades after his retirement,he is till one of the best-known and most beloved racehorses of all time.
Red Rum was passed aroundto several owners beforebeing purchased for Noel Le Mar.The agent who made the purchase wasthe now-legendary horse trainerDonald“Ginger”MeCain.
It wasn't apparent at thetime,but Red Rum had a serious bonedisease in his foot.For many horses(and many trainers)this would mean the end of a racing career before it even began.For Ginger and Red Rum,though,it was just an obstacle to greatnes that had to beovercome.
Red Rum's true talent came out in steplechases(障碍赛马).His power,speed and jumping abiliy caried him to his first GrandNational title in 1973.The very next year,Red Rum returned totake his second title.He was the first horse to take successive frsts since Reynoldstown in 1935-1936.Red Rum's spirit and grace had already begun to charm the leaguesof Grand National fans.
In the following two years,Red Rum lost out onthe title,coming in second both times.When hereturned in 1977 to try again,he was largely regarded as past his prime.He was 12 years old and notexpectedto place highly.He surprised sporting fans around the world when he came in a remarkable 25 lengthsahead of the nearest horse,taking his third Grand National win.To this day,Red Rum's third win is known as one of the greatest moments in horse racing history.
Red Rum was headed for the GrandNational once again in 1978 but suffered an injury in one of his heels shortly before therace.He was retired soon after,but his public life and fame by no means decreased with the end of his career.Red Rum taveled all over the country for various engagements.Heoften led pre-race parades at Aintree Racecourse and wasa popular guest at charity benefits and public events
46.What do we learn from the passage about Red Rum the racehorse?
A)He captured public affection long before he won national titles.
B)He won enormous fame and love from British people.
C)He became a myth three decades after his retirement.
D)He owed his great success to several well-known horse trainers.
47.What didthe serious bone diseasein Red Rum's foot meanto himself and his trainer?
A)It was simplya hindrance they had to get over to excel.
B)It was surely a disadvantage though not considered fatal.
C)It was actuallythe end of a racing career that hadjust begun.
D)It was really a major obstacle hard to overcome on their own.
48.What does the author say RedRum did with his power,peed and jumping ability?
A)Hc won his first Grand National title at 12.
B)He took two firsts successively in 1935-1936.
C)He surprised sporting fans worldwide in 1973.
D)He took three GrandNational wins in the 1970s.
49.What did peoplegenerally think of Red Rum when he returned to the racecourse in 1977?
A)He had already passed the peakof his racinglife.
B)He would have no rivalin Grand National steeplechases.
C)Hehad losthis charm with theleagues of Grand National fans.
D)He couldbe expected to repeat hisglory in the primeof his career.
50.What became of Red Rum afterhis career ended?
A)He suffered from severe pain ina heel.
B)He spent almost all his time traveling.
C)He lived on various charity benefits.
D)He remained famous and popular.
Passage Two
Questions 51 to 55 are based on thefollowing passage.
People in business often makedecisions based on their own personal felings or instincts.It is quite horrifying toseepeople being guided by some unknown force.But how wise is it,really,to let your instincts drive your decisions?
In the decision-making process,relying on instincts only makes sense when you have a vast experience to support you.Simply “feeling”that something is right or should be done is highly subjective and can drown you.
On the otherhand,thereisa more rational approach to making decisions.Data and analysishave longbeen associated with informed decisions.These reduce the likelihood of errorsand increase the chances of success. Big,systematic data is mostly the foundation of most of our decisions,personal and business alike,But with its extreme usability comesa complication:what do you do if youstrongly feelsomething should not be done,even if the data insists that it should?
This seemingly easy question is what drives the need to understand the relationship between instincts and data in the decision-making process.Without making things complicated,the solution to this dilemma is using data and instincts in conjunction to arrive at the best possible decisions.
Instinctive decisions are always backed by previous experiences or information,which acknowledges that instinctive decisionshave worked in the past.Decisions are not about making the choice and braving the consequencesbcause you wantto blindly trustyour instincts.They are about combining your inner wisdom with the knowledge of systematic data to make the best decisions.
Sometimes,rational analysis and data are impractical to be employed in certain situations.Absence of definitive criteria,and time and resource constraints,and novel situations are instances which limit the practicality ofdata.Theonly feasible option is to rely on what yourinstinctstell you.In these situations,instincts can help you make effective andquick decisions.
Combining instinctive and rational analysis produces well-rounded decisions.It reduces the chances of making mistakes,and has increasingly become a favorite approach to decision-making among leaders oftoday.
51.What does the author say businesspeople often do?
A)Strive to make sense of some unknown forces.
B)Avoid beingdriven by their own feelings.
C)Draw on avastwealth of past experience.
D)Rely on instincts in decision-making.
52.What should wetake into account in order to make informed decisions?
A)The likelihood of errors.
B)Systematic data and analysis.
C)The complexity of circumstances.
D)Personal feelings and business strategies.
53.What should people doin a decision-makingproces if instincts disagree with data?
A)Resolve the dilemma with previous experience.
B)Figure out which of thetwoismore reliable.
C)Combinethe two together.
D)Prioritize instincts over data.
54.What should we do when facing various factors that limit the practicality of data?
A)Make a rationaland systematic analysis.
B)Explorethe most feasible options.
C)Resort to our inner wisdom.
D)Apply definitive criteria.
55.What does it take for decisions to become the best according to the author?
A)Applying instinctsand data in conjunction.
B)Assessing all factors whenmaking a choice.
C)Recalling what hasactually worked in the past.
D)Refraining from trusting instincts arbitrarily.
26.D)focus (v. 把……集中于n.焦点；重点)
语义判断 首句提到“当人们着手改善自己的健康状况时，他们通常会采取一种熟悉的路径，即开始健康的饮食、改善睡眠，并定期锻炼”。空格所在句意为“当然，这些行为都很重要，但它们都____于身体健康”。focuson意为“专注于，集中于”,符合句意，故答案为focus。
27.F)overall(adj.总体的；全面的adv.全部；总体上)
语义判断该句意为“当然，这些行为都很重要，但它们都侧重于身体健康——越来越多的研究表明，社交健康对_____健康同样重要，甚至更为重要”。代人选项可知，overall 符合句意。
28.E)indicator(n.标志；迹象)
语义判断 该句意为“例如，最近发表在PLOS ONE杂志上的一项研究发现，与健身追踪器上的体力活动、心率和睡眠数据相比，一个人社交圈的强度是其自述的压力、幸福感以及健康水平更好的_____ ”。代入选项可知，indicator 符合句意。注意，根据中文表达习惯，此处需要名词动译，即将“是……更好的标志”转译为“更能反映……”。
29.K)quantified(ad.量化的v.量化)
语义判断 该句意为“这一发现表明，无穷无尽的健康数据所代表的_____自我’并不能说明全部_____ ”。quantified self意为“量化的自我”,符合句意，故答案为quantified。
30.N)story(n.故事；小说；情节)
语义判断 该句意为“这一发现表明，无穷无尽的健康数据所代表的‘量化的自我’并不能说明全部_____”。the whole story意为“一切；全部情况”,符合句意，故答案为story。
31.M)reflected(v.反映；显示；反射)
语义判断 该句意为“还有一个合格的自我，也就是‘我'是谁，‘我’有哪些活动，‘我’有哪些社交网络，所有这些方面都没有_____在这些评估中”。代人选项可知，reflected符合句意。
32.H)prior(adj.先前的，较早的)
语义判断 该句意为“这一观点得到了大量_____研究的支持”。代入选项可知，prior符合句意。
33.O)strongly(adu强烈地；坚决地)
语义判断 该句意为“研究表明，无论是来自朋友、家人还是配偶的社交支持，都与更好的身心健康_____相关”。be strongly associated with意为“与……密切相关”,符合此处句意，故答案为strongly。
34.L)recovery(n.恢复；痊愈；改善)
语义判断 这里列举了丰富的社交生活给身心带来的积极影响。该句意为“这些研究表明，丰富的社交生活可以缓解压力，改善情绪，鼓励积极的健康行为，阻止有害行为，促进心脏健康，以及提高疾病_____率”。代入备选名词或分词选项可知，illnesrecovery rates意为“疾病康复率”,符合此处句意，故答案为recovery。
35.C)especially(adv.尤其；特别)
语义判断 该句意为“这是一个严重的问题，_____在许多国家，孤独正成为一个普遍的公共健康问题”。代入选项可知，especially 符合此处句意。
36.题干译文 研究发现，使用数字技术不仅有利于青少年的社交生活，也有利于他们的学习。
答案解析 C。由题干关健信息the use of digital technology、not only..but also、teenagers'sociallives、studic 定位到C段。C 段前两句提到，的确，研究年轻人的社会科学家发现，他们对数码的使用可以是创造性的甚至是有益的，的确如此，不仅从他们的社交生活来说是这样，而且从他们的教育方面来说也是如此。题干是对这两句的概括，其中the use of digital technology对应原文中的their digital use,not only..but also对应 原文中的not just in termsof..but..,social lives是原词复现，studies对应原文中的education,故答案为C。
37.题干译文 学校迫切需要教孩子们如何核实网上的信息。
答案解析 L。由题干关键信息urgent、schools、teach、verify online information定位到L 段。L 段第三句提 到，研究表明，学生们不会在网上核实信息的真实性—“智能搜索”是学校迫切需要教授的一项技能。即，学校迫切需要教孩子们如何核实网上的信息。题干是该句的同义转述。其中urgent对应原文中 的urgently,schools 、teach是原词复现，verify online information与原文中的fact-check information online同义，故答案为L。
38.题干译文 与过去儿十年的学生相比，现在的学生写的作文更长、更复杂，而错误率却保持不变。
答案解析 H。由题干关健信息longer and morecomplex essays和the error rates remainunchanged定位到H 段。G段末尾提到，大学学者安德里亚·伦斯福德收集了1917年以来关于“新生作文”错误率的数据，她发现这些数据与今天的数据几乎相同。H 段首句接着说，但即使错误率保持稳定，学生的作文在长度和复杂性方面都有了很大的发展。题干与此同义，其中longer and more complex essays是对原文essays have blossomed in size and complexity的同义转述，the erorratesremain unchanged是对原文error rates stayed stable的同义转述，故答案为H。
39.题干译文 报纸上对青少年的报道歪曲了他们的行为。
答案解析 A。 由题干关键信息Newspaper reports、teenagers、give a false picture、behaviour定位到A 段。A段提到，报纸上不断充斥着关于吸毒成瘾和一般相信由暴力电子游戏引起的攻击性行为的可怕报道。但 是，即使这些报道触及了真正的问题，它们也没有真正反映出青少年日常社交行为的多数情况。也就是说，报纸上对青少年的报道歪曲了他们的行为。题干是对这两句内容的概括，其中newspaper 、teenagers和 behaviour是原词复现，reports 与原文中的accounts 同义 ，give a false picture是对原文they do not really reflec的同义转述，故答案为A。
40.题干译文家长们应注意自己的网络行为，为孩子们树立好榜样。
答案解析 M 。由题干关键信息Parents 、are advised to 、mind their own digital behaviour和seta goodexample定位到M 段。M 段提到，最好的应对方法还是老生常谈，适用于育儿的方方面面：适度。树立良好的行为 榜样是关键。不停地盯着手机并且不读书的家长可能会培养出同样的孩子。我们应该一如既往地注意自己的行为。题干是对这段内容的概括，其中parents是原词复现，advised对应原文中的advice,mindtheir own digital b ehaviour是对原文be careful about our own behaviour的同义转述，故答案为M。
41. 题干译文 与父母的想法相反，孩子们努力尽可能少在网上留下痕迹。
答案解析 E 。由题干关键信息Contrary to parents'belief、leave as fewtraces as possible on the web定位到E段。E段提到，家长们担心孩子不在意隐私，这是错误的。事实上，他们会花几个小时去更改脸书的设置或使用Snapchat等阅后即焚分享工具。来减少自己的分享痕迹。题干是对这两句的概括，其中Contrary to parents'belief对应原文中的Parents are wrong to..,leave as few traces as possible对应原文中的minimise their traces和 so thatno traces remain,故答案为E。
42. 题干译文 学生学习正式写作的能力不太可能受到发短信的影响。
答案解析 I。由题干关键信息Students'ability、formal writing、unlikely to be affected、texting定位到I段。I段最后一句提到，显然，教青少年如何正式写作仍然至关重要，但发短信可能不会破坏他们学习正式写作 的能力。题干是对该句的同义转述，其中Students'ability to learn formal writing对应原文中的theirability to learnit,unlikely to be affected by texting对应原文中的textingprobably isn't destroying,故答案为I。
43. 题干译文从历史上看，新技术总是会引起家长的极大恐惧。
答案解析 B 。由题干关键信息new technologies 、always 、caused 、great fears 、parents定位到B段。B段第一句提到，新技术总是会引起一代人的恐慌，这通常更多地与成年人的恐惧有关，接下来举了两个例子：20世纪30年代，家长们担心广播；20世纪80年代，家长们担心索尼随身听。也就是说，从历史上看，新技术总是会引起家长的极大恐惧。题干是对这段内容的概括，其中new technologies和always是原词复现，caused与原文中的provoke同义 ，great fears among parents是对原文中generational panic 、adult fears、an irresistible hold和greatdanger的概括，故答案为B。
44.题干译文 大约40年前，有线电视严重影响了阅读文化。
答案解析 J。由题干关键信息reading culture、seriously affected、cable television、some four decades ago定位到J 段 。J段提到，但即使在那时，也只有少数人——大约20%——终生都喜欢阅读，而且在20世纪80年代 是有线电视，而不是互联网，对阅读文化造成了打击。也就是说，在20世纪80年代，即大约40年前，有线 电视严重影响了阅读文化。题干是对该句的同义转述，其中reading culture对应原文中的thatculture,cable television 对应原文中的cable TV,seriously affected是原文中struck a blow at的同义复现，some fourdecades ago对应原文中的in the 1980s,故答案为J。
45.题干译文 老师们说孩子们的写作太随意，使用了短信的语言特征。
答案解析 G。由题干关键信息Teachers say、kids'writing、too casual、text messages定位到G段。G段第3句提到，他们说，孩子们在写作中使用过于随意的语言和短信语言，他们没有足够的耐心进行长时间的阅读和复杂的论证。题干是对该句的同义转述，其中Teachers say对应原文中的They say,too casual对应原文中 的overly casual,using languagecharacteristic of text messages对应原文中的usetext-speak in witing,故答案为G。
46.关于赛马红朗姆，我们从文章中了解到什么?
A) 早在赢得全国冠军之前，它就俘获了公众的喜爱。
B) 它在英国民众中享有盛誉，颇受喜爱。
C) 它在退役三十年后成为一个神话。
D) 它的巨大成功归功于几位著名的驯马师。
题干关键词Red Rum通篇都有出现，可以根据出题顺序与答题顺序基本一致的原则将答案定位到第一段。
第一段指出，在赛马历史上，很少有马匹能像红朗姆那样俘获英国民众的喜爱。如今，在它退役三十年后，它仍是有史以来最著名和最受欢迎的赛马之一。由此可知，选项B与原文表述相符，故选B。由原文 第四段可知红朗姆是在蝉联冠军之后开始受到公众喜爱的，因此选项A表述有误，可排除；C 、D 两项在原 文中没有提及，故排除。
47.红朗姆马蹄上严重的骨病对它自己和它的驯马师来说意味着什么?
A) 这只是他们成就非凡必须克服的障碍。
B) 虽然不致命，但这确实是一个劣势。
C) 这实际上使得刚刚开始的赛马生涯走向终结。
D) 这对他们来说确实是一个很难独自克服的巨大障碍。
根据题干关键词serious bone diease in Red Rum's foot可以将答案定位到第三段。
第三段指出，当时并不明显，但是红朗姆的马蹄上有严重的骨病。对很多马匹(和很多驯马师)来说，这意味着其赛马生涯还没开始就结束了。然而，对于金加和红朗姆来说，这只是成就非凡必须克服的一个障碍。由此可知，选项A正确，其中hindrance 、get ver 、excel分别对应原文中的obstacle 、overcome 、greatness, 属于同义替换。选项B和D的内容原文没有提到，可以排除。出原文第二段开头的内容可知，这种情况是对很多其他的马匹和驯马师而言的，对于金加和红朗姆来说并非如此，故排除C项。
48.作者说红朗姆凭借它的力量、速度和跳跃能力做了什么?
A)它在12岁时赢得了它的第一个英国国家障碍赛马大赛冠军。
B)它在1935-1936年连续两次获得冠军。
C)它在1973年震惊了全世界的体育迷。
D)它在20世纪70年代获得了三次英国国家障碍赛马大赛冠军。
根据题干关键词his power,speed and jumping ability可以将答案定位到第四段。
第四段第二句和第三句指出，它的力量、速度和跳跃能力使它在1973年获得了它的第一个英国国家障碍赛马大赛冠军。就在第二年，红朗姆再次夺冠。第五段提到它在1977年再次参赛时，以领先亚军25个马身 的非凡成绩第三次赢得英国国家障碍赛马大赛的冠军时，它震惊了全世界的体育迷们。由此可知，红朗姆 的三次夺冠均在20世纪70年代，选项D正确。其他三项均与原文不符，可排除。
49.1977年红朗姆重返赛马场时，人们普遍认为它如何?
B)它在英国国家障碍赛马大赛中没有对手。
C)它在英国国家障碍赛马大赛粉丝联盟中已经没有吸引力了。
D)它有望在职业生涯的黄金时期重现辉煌。
根据题干关键词in 1977可以将答案定位到第五段第二句。
第五段第二句指出，当它在1977年重返赛场再次尝试时，人们普遍认为他已经过了黄金赛龄，故选项A正确，其中passed the peak of hisracinglife与原文中的pasthis prime为同义替换。选项D与原文意思相反，可以排除。选项B的内容原文没有提及。选项C的内容属于过度推测，原文只是说人们预计它的排名不会太 靠前，并没有说它在粉丝联盟中已经没有吸引力了。
50.红朗姆的职业生涯结束后，它怎么样了?
A)它的脚后跟剧烈疼痛。
B)它几乎把所有的时间都花在了旅行上。
C)它靠各种慈善活动为生。
D)它仍然很有名，很受欢迎。
根据题干关键词after his career ended可以将答案定位到最后一段最后三句。
最后一段最后三句指出，不久之后，它就退役了，但它的公众生活和名声并没有随着它职业生涯的结束而减少，红朗姆到全国各地参加各种各样的活动，它经常在安特里赛马场的赛前游行中打头阵，而且还是慈善活动和公共活动的热门嘉宾。由此可知，退役之后，红朗姆还是非常有名，也仍然很受欢迎，故选项D 正确。选项A错在，原文虽然提到它脚后跟受伤，但并未提及退役后它的脚后跟仍然剧烈疼痛。选项B错在，原文是说它到全国各地参加活动，但不是说它把所有时间都用在了旅行上。选项C错在，它是作为慈善活动的嘉宾出席活动的，不是靠着慈善活动为生。
51.作者说商人经常做什么?
A)努力理解一些未知的力量。
B)避免被自己的感觉所驱使。
C)借鉴大量过去的经验。
D)依靠直觉进行决策 。
根据题干关键词businesspeople often do可以将答案定位到第一段。
第一段第一句指出，商界人士经常根据自己的个人感受或直觉做决定。这与选项D的意思一致，故选D, 选项中的rely on与原文中的based on是同义替换。其他三项的内容都与原文不符，均排除。
52.为了做出明智的决策，我们应该考虑什么?
A)犯错的可能性。
B)系统的数据和分析。
C)情况的复杂性。
D)个人感受和经营策略。
根据题干关键词make informed decisions可以将答案定位到第三段。
第三段第二、三句指出，长期以来，数据和分析一直都与明智的决策联系在一起，它们减少了出错的可能性，并且增加了成功的机会。由此可知，为了做出明智的决策，我们需要考虑系统的数据和分析，故选B。其他三项的内容都与原文不符，均排除。
53.如果直觉与数据不一致，人们在决策过程中应该怎么做?
A)用以前的经验解决困境。
B)弄清楚两者中哪一个更可靠。
C) 将两者结合在一起。
D)将直觉置于数据之上。
根据题干关键词instincts disagre with data可以将答案定位到第三段最后一句和第四段。第三段最后一句提出了问题，如果直觉觉得不能做，数据觉得能做，该怎么办?第四段给出了答案。
第四段第二句指出，在不让事情变得复杂的情况下，解决这一两难困境的办法就是结合使用数据和直觉以达成可能做出的最佳决策。由此可知，如果直觉与数据不一致，人们应该将两者结合起来，故选C。其他 三项的内容都与原文不符，故排除。
54.面对各种限制数据实用性的因素，我们应该怎么做?
A)进行理性、系统的分析。
B)探索最可行的选择。
C)诉诸我们的内在智慧。
D)应用明确的标准。
根据题干关键词limit the practicality of data可以将答案定位到倒数第二段。倒数第二段前两句提到在什么情况下使用数据是不实际的问题，接下来的两句给出了解决方法。
倒数第二段最后两句指出，唯一可行的选择是依靠你的直觉，在这些情况下，直觉可以帮助你做出有效和 快速的决定。但是选项中并没有“依靠直觉”这一项，分析各个选项可知，只有选项C 表达的意思与原文一致。根据第五段最后一句可知，内在智慧指的就是直觉。依靠直觉也就是诉诸于我们的内在智慧，因为直觉就是我们靠经验得到的内在智慧。其他三项的内容都与原文不符，均排除。
55.根据作者的说法，怎样才能做出最好的决定?
A)结合使用直觉和数据。
B)在做出选择时评估所有因素。
C)回顾过去行之有效的方法。
D)不要武断地相信直觉。
根据题干关键词decisions to become the best以及出题顺序与原文顺序基本一致的原则可以将答案定位到最后一段。
最后一段第一句指出，将直觉和理性分析相结合，可以做出全面的决策。“全面的决策”也就是“最好的 决定”,由此可知，选项A正确。其他三项的内容根据事实逻辑来说好像都合理，但是都不是原文所表达 的意思，故排除。
