5.27 考研英语阅读模拟试题【难度7.5】公共政策类

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 2

Stained glass artists fear new health and safety rules could have a “catastrophic” effect on the industry. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has proposed lower lead exposure limits for workers by October next year. However, the British Society of Master Glass Painters said that an 80 per cent reduction of exposure within four years would be “unachievable in many cases” and could disproportionately affect some women and older workers. “Studios could be forced to close because they won’t have skilled workers,” a spokesman for the group said. “This means that windows in our historic buildings will not receive the attention they require.”

The HSE suggested halving the permitted blood lead level for employees from 60 micrograms per decilitre to 30mcg by October next year, before reducing it to 15mcg two years later. When the limit is breached, staff must stop working until their lead levels reduce. Andrew Taylor, a stained glass artist based in Devizes, Wiltshire, told The Times: “The legislators are making the levels of acceptable lead an impossible target to reach and there is then a much stricter threshold for women that could bar them from working in the industry. And that would be us going backwards. Our stained glass windows have survived war and deterioration but will get killed by health and safety.”

Mr Taylor, who became interested in stained glass while at art college in the 1980s, is teaching the next generation after taking on an apprentice. He said that professionals were careful about working with lead, and had used it for centuries as the trusted material to link sheets of glass together. However, long service in the industry could already result in lead levels being higher than those being proposed by the HSE. Mr Taylor added: “Over time one gradually accumulates lead and it can take seven years for the body to replace everything. We all instinctively know that lead is not a nice thing and so we are all vigilant. And remember paint can also be toxic. But what are we going to do? Give up?”

Stained glass has flourished as a medieval art form in Britain since the 12th century. Rachel Mulligan, the co-chairman of the British Society of Master Glass Painters, said the proposed lead levels would stop people working in studios. “They will stop the long-term service dispensation for those who have been working with lead at those existing permitted levels since 2002,” she said.

The HSE said: “These regulations have not been reviewed in over 20 years, and it is now known that health outcomes can be improved through lower levels of exposure to lead. We are consulting with stakeholders so we can better understand the impact of these proposed changes in the working environment, before making any final recommendations for reform.”

26. What is the primary concern of the British Society of Master Glass Painters regarding the HSE proposal?
[A] It will inevitably drive up the maintenance costs of historic heritage buildings.
[B] It may inadvertently paralyze the industry by sidelining experienced professionals.
[C] It specifically intends to phase women and older workers out of the sector.
[D] It demands a technological upgrade that is financially unachievable for studios.

27. According to Andrew Taylor, the proposed regulations are problematic partly because ________.
[A] the natural deterioration of stained glass windows is likely to accelerate
[B] the seven-year replacement cycle of body lead contradicts modern crafting methods
[C] they impose a disproportionately harsh operational threshold on female artists
[D] professionals generally lack the vigilance needed to handle toxic materials

28. What can be inferred about the stained glass profession from Paragraph 3?
[A] Practitioners often accumulate lead concentrations that exceed the newly proposed limits.
[B] The toxicity of paint has gradually overshadowed lead as the primary occupational hazard.
[C] The older generation of artists is reluctant to pass down centuries-old techniques.
[D] Modern artisans have struggled to substitute lead with eco-friendly alternatives.

29. The HSE justifies the updating of lead exposure limits by arguing that ________.
[A] the previous regulations have proven ineffective in preventing workplace fatalities
[B] relevant stakeholders have actively petitioned for a comprehensive environmental reform
[C] the long-term service dispensation introduced in 2002 lacks legal enforcement
[D] advanced medical understanding indicates that diminished exposure yields better well-being

30. Which of the following best summarizes the main idea of the text?
[A] The Historical Significance of Stained Glass Craftsmanship in Britain
[B] How Stringent Health Regulations Threaten a Centuries-Old Craft
[C] The Ethical Dilemma of Workplace Safety: Protecting Marginalized Workers
[D] The Ongoing Debate over Lead Toxicity in the Architectural Preservation Industry

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: BCADB

26.【正确答案】B
【解析】题型：事实推断题
定位： 第一段“...could disproportionately affect some women and older workers. ‘Studios could be forced to close because they won’t have skilled workers...’”
分析： 英国玻璃画师协会指出，新规将极大影响女性和老年工人，导致工作室因为“没有熟练工人（won't have skilled workers）”而被迫关闭。选项 B“它可能会因排挤经验丰富的专业人员而无意中使该行业瘫痪（inadvertently paralyze the industry by sidelining experienced professionals）”是对原文意图的完美上位词提炼（paralyze 对应 forced to close；sidelining experienced professionals 对应 lack skilled workers / affect older workers）。
干扰项：[A] 它将不可避免地推高历史建筑的维护成本，文中提到历史建筑将“得不到所需的关注（will not receive the attention）”，即无法维修，而非推高维护成本；[C] 它专门打算将女性和老年工人逐步淘汰出该行业，动机揣测错误，原文是客观上会“不成比例地影响（disproportionately affect）”，并非政策“专门打算（specifically intends）”淘汰他们；[D] 它要求工作室进行在财务上无法实现的技术升级，偷换概念，原文指出的是“减少暴露水平（reduction of exposure）”无法实现，并非要求“技术升级”。

27.【正确答案】C
【解析】题型：事实细节题
定位： 第二段“...there is then a much stricter threshold for women that could bar them from working in the industry.”
分析： 艺术家 Andrew Taylor 明确指出，新规中针对女性的阈值“严格得多（much stricter threshold）”，这可能“阻碍她们在该行业工作（bar them from working）”。选项 C“它们对女性艺术家施加了不成比例的严苛操作门槛（impose a disproportionately harsh operational threshold on female artists）”是对这一细节的精确同义转述。
干扰项：[A] 彩色玻璃窗的自然恶化很可能会加速，实体错位，原文说窗户熬过了战争和自然恶化，但将被“健康与安全规定”杀死，并非自然恶化加速；[B] 身体铅含量的七年置换周期与现代制作方法相矛盾，拼凑细节，第三段确实提到铅需要七年才能被身体代谢，但这与“现代制作方法”无关；[D] 专业人员通常缺乏处理有毒材料所需的警惕性，正反颠倒，第三段明确写道“我们本能地知道铅不是好东西，因此我们都很警惕（we are all vigilant）”。

28.【正确答案】A
【解析】题型：推理判断题
定位： 第三段第二、三句“...long service in the industry could already result in lead levels being higher than those being proposed by the HSE. Mr Taylor added: ‘Over time one gradually accumulates [lead]...’”
分析： 原文指出，由于铅这种材料被使用了几个世纪，长期从事该行业的从业者，其体内的铅水平“可能已经高于 HSE 提出的水平（could already result in lead levels being higher than those being proposed）”，并且铅是逐渐“积累（accumulates）”的。选项 A“从业者通常会积累超过新提出限制的铅浓度（accumulate lead concentrations that exceed the newly proposed limits）”是对这一行业痛点的严密逻辑推断。
干扰项：[B] 油漆的毒性已逐渐使铅相形见绌，成为主要的职业危害，偏离主次，原文提到了油漆也有毒，但这只是补充说明，并未说其“使铅黯然失色（overshadowed）”；[C] 老一代艺术家不愿传承有数百年历史的技艺，事实相反，段首明确指出 Taylor 正在带学徒“教导下一代（teaching the next generation）”；[D] 现代工匠难以用环保替代品取代铅，无中生有，原文强调铅是几个世纪以来“值得信赖的材料（trusted material）”，并未探讨寻找环保替代品失败的问题。

29.【正确答案】D
【解析】题型：因果细节题
定位： 第五段第一句“The HSE said: ‘These regulations have not been reviewed in over 20 years, and it is now known that health outcomes can be improved through lower levels of exposure to lead.’”
分析： 题目询问健康与安全执行局（HSE）更新铅暴露限制的理由。HSE的官方回应给出了直接原因：“现在已知，降低铅暴露水平可以改善健康结果（health outcomes can be improved through lower levels of exposure）”。选项 D“先进的医学认识表明，减少暴露能带来更好的健康状况（diminished exposure yields better well-being）”是对该声明的精准同义改写。
干扰项：[A] 事实证明，以前的法规在预防工作场所死亡方面无效，程度篡改，原文只是说“改善健康结果”，并未提及“预防死亡（preventing fatalities）”；[B] 相关利益方积极请愿要求进行全面的环境改革，张冠李戴，HSE表示“正在与利益相关者协商（consulting with stakeholders）”，并未说利益相关者主动请愿要求改革；[C] 2002年引入的长期服务豁免缺乏法律执行力，修饰错位，长期服务豁免是第四段 Rachel Mulligan 提到的旧政策，并非 HSE 为新规辩护的官方理由。

30.【正确答案】B
【解析】题型：主旨大意题
定位： 全文逻辑结构及第一段核心句。
分析： 文章开篇点明核心矛盾：彩色玻璃艺术家担心新的健康和安全规则将对该行业产生“灾难性”影响。随后文章详细展开了 HSE 提出的严苛含铅标准、艺术家们（如 Taylor 和 Mulligan）对此的反驳，以及这一具有数百年历史的传统工艺因此面临的生存危机。选项 B“严苛的健康法规如何威胁一门具有数百年历史的技艺（How Stringent Health Regulations Threaten a Centuries-Old Craft）”完美概括了全文的冲突双方及主题。
干扰项：[A] 英国彩色玻璃工艺的历史意义，局部细节，只是第四段一笔带过的背景，没有涵盖“法规威胁”这一核心冲突；[C] 工作场所安全的伦理困境：保护边缘化工人，偏离核心，文章重点是“工艺行业的存亡”，虽然提到了女性和老年工人，但他们并非通常意义上的“边缘化工人（Marginalized Workers）”；[D] 建筑保护行业中关于铅毒性的持续争论，偷换概念，本文聚焦的是“彩色玻璃艺术行业（stained glass industry）”而非泛泛的“建筑保护行业”。

【词汇注释】

【参考译文】

彩色玻璃艺术家们担心，新的健康和安全规则可能会对该行业产生“灾难性”的影响。英国健康与安全执行局（HSE）提议，在明年10月之前降低工人的铅暴露限制。然而，英国玻璃画师协会表示，在四年内将暴露量减少80%在“许多情况下是无法实现的”，并且可能会不成比例地影响一些女性和较年长的工人。该组织的一位发言人说：“工作室可能会因为缺乏熟练工人而被迫关闭。这意味着我们历史建筑中的窗户将得不到所需的关注和维护。”

HSE 建议在明年10月之前，将员工血液中允许的铅含量减半，即从每分升60微克降至30微克，两年后再降至15微克。一旦突破该限制，员工必须停止工作，直到他们的铅水平下降。位于威尔特郡德维泽斯的彩色玻璃艺术家安德鲁·泰勒（Andrew Taylor）告诉《泰晤士报》：“立法者正在将可接受的铅含量设定为一个不可能达到的目标，并且针对女性有一个严格得多的门槛，这可能会阻碍她们从事该行业。这将意味着我们在倒退。我们的彩色玻璃窗熬过了战争和自然的侵蚀，但却会被健康和安全规定扼杀。”

泰勒先生在20世纪80年代就读艺术学院时对彩色玻璃产生了兴趣，在招收了一名学徒后，他正在教导下一代。他说，专业人员在处理铅时非常小心，几个世纪以来，他们一直将其作为值得信赖的材料，用来将一块块玻璃连接在一起。然而，长期在行业内工作可能已经导致工人体内的铅水平高于 HSE 提出的标准。泰勒先生补充道：“随着时间的推移，人们会逐渐积累（铅），而身体需要七年的时间才能代谢更新所有的东西。我们本能地知道铅不是什么好东西，因此我们都很警惕。请记住，油漆也可能有毒。但我们该怎么办呢？放弃吗？”

自12世纪以来，彩色玻璃作为一种中世纪艺术形式在英国蓬勃发展。英国玻璃画师协会联合主席雷切尔·穆里根（Rachel Mulligan）表示，提议的铅含量水平将使得人们无法在工作室中工作。她说：“（新规）将终止为那些自2002年以来一直在现有允许水平下使用铅工作的人提供的长期服务豁免。”

HSE 表示：“这些规定已经有20多年没有经过审查了，而现在我们已经知道，通过降低对铅的暴露水平可以改善健康状况。我们正在与利益相关者进行磋商，以便在提出任何最终的改革建议之前，能够更好地了解这些拟议的变化对工作环境的影响。”

附注：