雅思阅读真题（Part 3）

Understanding the Origins of Workplace

Part 3 · 考频：中频 · 最近考试：2026.2.8湖北省对外交流中心

文章内容（节选）

A 

Charles Darwin, the brilliant anthropologist and creator of the theory of evolution, is not normally associated with the modern business world. Nevertheless, Darwinian evolutionary theory is the foundation of a new wave of ideas about human behaviour in general and particularly the way people behave in the workplace; these ideas have been given the title of ‘evolutionary psychology’. Evolutionary psychology revolves around the notion that our brains, like our bodies, have an inherited evolutionary design that has scarcely changed for 10,000 years. As respected evolutionary psychology experts Leda Cosmides and John Tooby comment, ‘our modern skulls house a Stone Age mind.’ The US biologist Edward O Wilson sees evolutionary psychology as being a discipline which is based on both socio-biology, which is the study of the biological basis of social behaviour, and psychology, which is the systematic study of human behaviour.

 

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题目与答案

  1. 27 The writer’s purpose in the first paragraph is to
    • oppose the views of Charles Darwin.
    • compare experts’ opinions of Darwin’s theory.
    • explain the theory of evolutionary psychology.
    • name experts in the field of evolutionary psychology.

    答案：explain the theory of evolutionary psychology.

    原文定位：Darwinian evolutionary theory is the foundation of a new wave of ideas about human behaviour;particularly the way people behave in the workplace; these ideas have been given the title of ‘evolutionary psychology;Evolutionary psychology revolves around the notion that

    同义替换：「explain」↔「revolves」，「theory」↔「notion」

  2. 28 In the third paragraph which view about evolutionary psychology matches Nicholson’s opinion?
    • Our characters determine our career choices.
    • We begin life without any preset characteristics.
    • Our interests and skills depend on our environment.
    • We inherit ideas and characteristics from our ancestors.

    答案：We inherit ideas and characteristics from our ancestors.

    原文定位：sophisticated research shows the brain actually houses a store of knowledge when we are born;genetic research is establishing there are certain genes that account for abilities, tastes and tendencies;The stored knowledge in the human brain has not changed much since the Stone Age

    同义替换：「inherit」↔「when we are born」，「ideas」↔「knowledge」，「characteristics」↔「abilities, tastes and tendencies」，「from our ancestors」↔「since the Stone Age」

  3. 29 The writer discusses the key element of emotion in order to
    • criticise primitive survival strategies.
    • explain attitudes and actions at work.
    • demonstrate the slowness of evolution.
    • suggest companies today are poorly structured.

    答案：explain attitudes and actions at work.

    原文定位：Emotion was, and continues to be our radar, guiding us throughout today’s techno-defined business world. Despite this, the business world emphasises rational not emotional behaviour, and does not admit the importance of emotion. We still use the emotional part of our minds to make sense of other people’s behaviour and to create an impression

    同义替换：「explain」↔「make sense」，「actions」↔「behaviour」，「work」↔「business world」

  4. 30 Which of the following does Nicholson predict will happen in the business world?
    • Companies will remain in city centres.
    • Promotion will no longer motivate people.
    • Employees will be less independent than now.
    • Social interaction will remain important to workers.

    答案：Social interaction will remain important to workers.

    原文定位：He doubts that the high-tech ideas of virtual companies will ever be very successful because people will still want to meet each other face-to-face;People will still prefer traditional working patterns as working from home leaves them isolated from their work community

    同义替换：「Social interaction」↔「work community」，「remain」↔「still」，「important」↔「prefer」，「workers」↔「employees」

  5. 31 Which of the following is the most suitable title for Part 3?
    • How successful companies manage change
    • Understanding the origins of workplace behaviour
    • Darwin’s theories rejected by modern management
    • Why post-industrial organisations need to evolve more quickly

    答案：Understanding the origins of workplace behaviour

  6. 32 Nicholson makes a persuasive argument in his book.
    • YES
    • NO
    • NOT GIVEN

    答案：YES

    原文定位：His book is an effective approach explaining why people behave as they do, particularly at work;Evolutionary psychology is increasingly being cited in management circles

    同义替换：「persuasive argument」↔「effective approach」

  7. 33 Tooby and Cosmides believe natural selection through the generations has prepared our minds well for the modern workplace.
    • YES
    • NO
    • NOT GIVEN

    答案：NO

    原文定位：As Tooby and Cosmides stress, there have not been enough generations for a brain that is well adapted to our post-industrial life to evolve through natural selection

    同义替换：「prepared our minds well for」↔「well adapted to」，「modern workplace」↔「post-industrial life」

  8. 34 Our reliance on technology causes emotional problems in the workplace.
    • YES
    • NO
    • NOT GIVEN

    答案：NOT GIVEN

  9. 35 People today are more trusting than they used to be.
    • YES
    • NO
    • NOT GIVEN

    答案：NO

    原文定位：it takes very little to trigger people’s innate distrust of others because our safety in antiquity depended on supporting our near family and friends whom we valued more than other people

  10. Nicholson’s advice to the corporate world Nicholson believes that if we know why people act the way they do, we can change 36_____ so employees will work more efficiently.
    • business leaders
    • MBA graduates
    • promotion structures
    • reward strategy
    • magic formula
    • strategic planning

    答案：business environments

    原文定位：He thinks that by knowing the reasons for people’s behaviour it is possible to mould corporate environments into places that have more chance of working efficiently

    同义替换：「change」↔「mould」，「business」↔「corporate」

  11. Nicholson’s ideas are unwelcome to 37_____ but some executives are more open to what evolutionary psychology says.
    • business leaders
    • MBA graduates
    • promotion structures
    • reward strategy
    • magic formula
    • strategic planning

    答案：MBA graduates

    原文定位：One group that resists the theory of evolutionary psychology is young MBA graduates who are just beginning their careers

    同义替换：「unwelcome」↔「resists」

  12. However, these executives still believe that there is a 38_____ that will make employees act according to the company’s practices.
    • business leaders
    • MBA graduates
    • promotion structures
    • reward strategy
    • magic formula
    • strategic planning

    答案：magic formula

    原文定位：Older and wiser executives are more receptive to the theory;although Nicholson points out that they still tend to cling to the idea of a magic formula to bring people into line with corporate strategy

    同义替换：「believe」↔「cling to the idea of」，「company’s practices」↔「corporate strategy」，「according」↔「line with」，「employees」↔「people」

  13. According to Nicholson, these senior executives are engaging in 39_____
    • business leaders
    • MBA graduates
    • promotion structures
    • reward strategy
    • magic formula
    • strategic planning

    答案：back-to-front thinking

    原文定位：But that is back-to-front thinking according to Nicholson

  14. and we should not try to change 40_____ but instead we should change our business structures.
    • business leaders
    • MBA graduates
    • promotion structures
    • reward strategy
    • magic formula
    • strategic planning

    答案：human nature

    原文定位：we should be reinventing our business structures, not our fundamental human nature

    同义替换：「change」↔「reinventing」

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