21. The view of Wordsworth about habit is claimed by being _____.
C) mechanical
本题问Wordsworth对habit的观点,根据人名定位到第一段,“Not choice, but habit rules the unreflecting herd,” William Wordsworth said in the 19th century. 注意Wordsworth话中but后面的内容“习惯支配着不会思考的兽群”,C) mechanical(机械的)可以说是对unreflecting的替换,此外我们还可以从We reach for them mindlessly, setting our brains on auto-pilot and relaxing into the unconscious comfort of familiar routine.加以推断,这句话的大意为,习惯是无意识地(mindlessly)、是自动地(auto-pilot)、很放松地进入惯例之中的舒适中(the unconscious comfort of familiar routine)。考生如果觉得这样的推理比较复杂的话,也可以从第一段中对习惯的描述的词的褒贬加以判断。
22. The researchers have discovered that the formation of habit can be ___.
D) guided
本题问研究者发现习惯的形成可以怎么样?我们定位到第二段So it seems antithetical to talk about habits in the same context as creativity and innovation. But brain researchers have discovered that when we consciously develop new habits, we create parallel synaptic paths, and even entirely new brain cells, that can jump our trains of thought onto new, innovative tracks.第一句说creativity 和innovation 与habit是互不相容的,接着文章用but表示转折,在这种情况下我们可以推测后面的内容是讲creativity 和innovation与habit是相容的,研究者发现了什么呢?当我们有意识地(consciously)形成新的习惯时,我们甚至能够创造全新的脑细胞,这能够使我们的思绪跳跃到新的创新的轨道上(that can jump our trains of thought onto new, innovative tracks,这句话中that指代create parallel synaptic paths, and even entirely new brain cells)。“使我们的思绪跳跃到新的创新的轨道上”不就是guide吗?
23. "ruts" has closest meaning to___.
A) tracks
本题为词义推断题,必须从上下文中加以理解,But don’t bother trying to kill off old habits; once those ruts of procedure are worn into the hippocampus, they’re there to stay. Instead, the new habits we deliberately ingrain into ourselves create parallel pathways that can bypass those old roads.首先我们由they’re there to stay,知道ruts是一个具体的东西,接着由the new habits create parallel pathways that can bypass those old roads.我们可以知道ruts与pathways、roads应该是同义替换的,由此选择A) tracks.
24. Ms. Markova's comments suggest that the practice of standard testing ____.
A) prevents new habits from being formed
本题问Markova的评论意味着标准化测试会怎么样。本题跨度较大,首先必须找到Markova的评论,“But we are taught instead to ‘decide,’ … ” She adds, however, that “to decide is to kill off all possibilities but one. A good innovational thinker is always exploring the many other possibilities.”
Markova认为我们被教育要学会"决定",但决定扼杀了所有的可能性,只留下一个答案,一个有创新性的思考者总是考虑许多其他的可能性的。接着我们找到文中关于 标准化测试的描述The current emphasis on standardized testing highlights analysis and procedure, meaning that few of us inherently use our innovative and collaborative modes of thought.大意为目前标准化测试只强调了analysis与procedure,这从根本上使得很少有人能够使用 innovative与collaborative的思维模式。找到了两个出处,我们就必须找到“Markova的评论”与“标准化测试”的联系,到底有什么联系呢,我们不难发现由Markova的评论我们知道标准化测试“从根本上使得很少有人能够使用 innovative与collaborative的思维模式”,而从第二段的描述中我们知道创新性对于新习惯的形成是至关重要的。因此选择A) prevents new habits from being formed。