Section C
    George Herbert Mead said that humans are talked into humanity. He meant that we gain personal identity as we communicate with others. In the earliest years of our lives, our parents tell us who we are. "You're (36) ______." "You're so strong." We first see ourselves through the eyes of others, so their messages form important (37) ______ of our self-concepts. Later we interact with teachers, friends, (38) ______ partners, and co-workers who communicate their views of us.Thus, how we see ourselves (39) ______ the views of us that others communicate.
    The (40) ______ connection between identity and communication is (41) ______ evident in children who are (42) ______ of human contact. Case studies of children who were isolated from others reveal that they lack a firm self-concept, and their mental and psychological development is severely (43) ______ by lack of language.
    Communication with others not only affects our sense of identity but also directly influences our physical and emotional well-being. Consistently, (44) ________________________________________________. People who lack close friends have greater levels of anxiety and depression than people who are close to others. (45) ________________________________________________. The conclusion was that social isolation is statistically as dangerous as high blood pressure, smoking and obesity. Many doctors and researchers believe that (46) ___________________________

____________________________________.

Part IV Reading Comprehension (Reading in Depth) (25 minutes)

    Question: My ninth-grade art teacher doesn't give any grade above 94% because, she says, "There's always room for improvement." In previous years, I earned a 99% and a 100%. The 94 I received this term does not reflect the hard work that I put into this course. Because of her "improvement" theory, I got a lower grade than I deserve. Is her grading philosophy ethical (符合职业道德规范的)?
    Answer: Your teacher's grading system may be unwise, but it is not unethical. A teacher deserves wide latitude in selecting the method of grading that best promotes learning in her classroom; that is, after all, the prime function of grades. It is she who has the training and experience to make this decision. Assuming that your teacher is neither biased nor corrupt and that her system conforms to school rules, you can't fault her ethics.
    You can criticize her methodology. A 100 need not imply that there is no possibility of improvement, only that a student successfully completed the course work. A ninth grader could get a well-earned 100 in English class but still have a way to go before she writes as well as Jane Austen. What's more, grades are not only an educational device but are also part of a screening system to help assign kids to their next class or program. By capping her grades at 94 while most other teachers grade on a scale that tops out at 100, your teacher could jeopardize a student's chance of getting a scholarship or getting into a top college.
    What it is wrong to condemn her for is overlooking your hard work. You diligence is worthy of encouragement, but effort does not equal accomplishment. If scholars suddenly discovered that Rembrandt had dashed off "The Night Watch" in an afternoon, it would still be "The Night Watch."
    I could spend months sweating over my own "paintings", but I'd produce something you wouldn't want to hang in your living room. Or your garage.
    One feature of a good grading system is that those measured by it generally regard it as fair and reasonable—not the case here. Simmering (难以平息的) resentment is seldom an aid to education.And so your next step should be to discuss your concerns with your teacher or the principal.
注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
47. The ninth-grader thought that his art teacher should have given him ______.
48. According to the answer, a teacher should have the freedom to ______ to encourage learning.
49. We learn from the answer that a student who gets a 100 should still work hard and keep ______.
50. The example of Rembrandt's painting suggests that a distinction should be made between ______.
51. The ninth-grader is advised to go to his teacher or the principal to ______.

Section B
Passage One

    Only two countries in the advanced world provide no guarantee for paid leave from work to care for a newborn child. Last spring one of the two, Australia, gave up the dubious distinction by establishing paid family leave starting in 2011. I wasn't surprised when this didn't make the news here in the United States—we're now the only wealthy country without such a policy.
    The United States does have one explicit family policy, the Family and Medical Leave Act, passed in 1993. It entitles workers to as much as 12 weeks' unpaid leave for care of a newborn or dealing with a family medical problem. Despite the modesty of the benefit, the Chamber of Commerce and other business groups fought it bitterly, describing it as "government-run personnel management" and a "dangerous precedent". In fact, every step of the way, as (usually) Democratic leaders have tried to introduce work-family balance measures into the law, business groups have been strongly opposed.
    As Yale law professor Anne Alstott argues, justifying parental support depends on defining the family as a social good that, in some sense, society must pay for. In her book No Exit: What Parents Owe Their Children and What Society Owes Parents, sh