Question

Sometimes you may have a strong desire to do something strange or terrible. However, chances are that you don’t act on your impulse (沖動), but let it pass instead. You know that to take the action is wrong in some way and that other people will not accept your behavior.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about the phenomenon of taboo behavior is how it can change over the years, how certain behavior and attitudes once considered taboo can become perfectly acceptable and natural at another point in time. Topics such as death, for example, were once considered so upsetting that it was a taboo to even talk about them. Now with the publication of important books such as On Death and Dying and Learning to Say Goodbye, people have become more aware of the importance of expressing feelings about death and, as a result, are more willing to talk about this taboo subject.
One of the newest taboos is the topic of fat. Unlike many other taboos, fat is a topic that people talk about constantly. It’s not taboo to talk about fat; it’s taboo to be fat. The “in” look is thin, not fat. In the work world, most companies prefer youthful-looking, slim manager to sell their image as well as their products to the public. The thin look is associated with youth, vigor, and success. The fat person, on the other hand, is thought of as lazy and lacking in energy, self-discipline and self-respect. After all, how can people permit themselves to become fat? In an image-conscious society, thin is ‘‘in”, fat is “out”.
It’ s not surprising that millions of people have become obsessed (著迷) with staying slim and “in shape”. The pursuit of a youthful physical appearance is not, however, the only reason for people’s obsession with diet and exercise. Recent research has shown the importance of diet and exercise for personal health. As in most technologically developed nations, the life-style of people has changed since last century. Modern machines do all the physical labor. Cars and buses transport us quickly from point to point. As a result of inactivity and disuse, people’s bodies can easily become weak. In an effort to avoid such a fate , millions of people are spending more of their time exercising. Parks are filled with joggers and bicyclists, and many companies are providing special exercise equipment for their employees to use during the work day.    
【小題1】What does the word “taboo’’ refer to in the passage?

A．A crime committed on impulse.

B．An unfavorable impression left on other people.

C．A strong desire to do something strange or terrible.

D．Behavior considered unacceptable to the society.

【小題2】What does the underlined phrase “in” look probably mean?

A．The fashionable look.	B．The hidden look.
C．The usual look.	D．The inside look.

【小題3】According to the passage, the common belief is that _________.

A．fat people are full of energy	B．thin people are more successful
C．fat people prefer to have fat bosses	D．thin people are less image-conscious

【小題4】People pay more attention to diet and exercise because of _________.

A．their need to kill time	B．their love for sports
C．their concern for health	D．their belief in hard work

Answer 1

【小題1】D
【小題2】A
【小題3】B
【小題4】C

解析試題分析：本文介紹了一些在過去不被人們認(rèn)同的現(xiàn)象慢慢地被人們接受，接著又說明了現(xiàn)代社會里對于瘦，對于健康的追求。
【小題1】D 推理題。根據(jù)第二段2，3行how certain behavior and attitudes once considered taboo can become perfectly acceptable and natural at another point in time.說明這里的taboo就是指那些在過去不被人們認(rèn)同的事物隨著時間的流逝現(xiàn)在得到了人們的認(rèn)同，故該詞指D項(xiàng)。
【小題2】A 推理題。根據(jù)本句The “in” look is thin, not fat.說明這里的in look就是指現(xiàn)在受人歡迎的外形。故A正確。
【小題3】B細(xì)節(jié)題。根據(jù)第三段3,4,5行In the work world, most companies prefer youthful-looking, slim manager to sell their image as well as their products to the public. The thin look is associated with youth, vigor, and success.說明在現(xiàn)代社會里瘦是與成功聯(lián)系在一起的，故B正確。
【小題4】C 細(xì)節(jié)題。根據(jù)最后一段3,4行Recent research has shown the importance of diet and exercise for personal health說明現(xiàn)在人們把飲食和鍛煉和個人的健康聯(lián)系在了一起，故C項(xiàng)正確。
考點(diǎn)：考查社會知識類短文閱讀
點(diǎn)評：本文介紹了一些在過去不被人們認(rèn)同的現(xiàn)象慢慢地被人們接受，接著又說明了現(xiàn)代社會里對于瘦，對于健康的追求。本文的難點(diǎn)在于詞匯的障礙，要求考生能夠在有部分不認(rèn)識的單詞的基礎(chǔ)上理解文章的大意，做合理的推測和意義的延伸，做出正確的判斷。