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1、2012年12月英语四级真题及答案PassageOneQuestions11to15arebasedonthefollowingpassage.Thepredictabilityofourmortalityratesissomethingthathaslongpuzzledsocialscientists.Afterall,thereisnonaturalreasonwhy2,500peopleshouldaccidentallyshootthemselveseachyearorwhy7,000shoulddrownor55
2、,000dieintheircars.Nooneestablishesaquotaforeachtypeofdeath.Itjusthappensthattheyfollowaconsistentpatternyearafteryear.AfewyearsagoaCanadianpsychologistnamedGeraldWildebecameinterestedinthisphenomenon.Henoticedthatmortalityratesforviolentandaccidentaldeathsthrougho
3、uttheWesternworldhaveremainedoddlystaticthroughoutthewholeofthecentury,despiteallthetechnologicaladvancesandincreasesinsafetystandardsthathavehappenedinthattime.Wildedevelopedanintriguingtheorycalled“riskhomeostasis”.Accordingtothistheory,peopleinstinctivelylivewit
4、hacertainlevelofrisk.Whensomethingismadesafer,peoplewill22/22getaroundthemeasureinsomewaytoreasserttheoriginallevelofdanger.If,forinstance,theyarerequiredtowearseatbelts,theywillfeelsaferandthuswilldrivealittlefasterandalittlemorerecklessly,therebystatisticallycanc
5、elingoutthebenefitsthattheseatbeltconfers.Otherstudieshaveshownthatwhereanintersectionismadesafer,theaccidentrateinvariablyfallstherebutrisestoacompensatinglevelelsewherealongthesamestretchofroad.Itappears,then,thatwehaveaninnateneedfordanger.Inallevents,itisbecomi
6、ngclearerandclearertoscientiststhatthefactorsinfluencingourlifespanarefarmoresubtleandcomplexthanhadbeenpreviouslythought.Itnowappearsthatifyouwishtolivealonglife,itisn’tsimplyamatterofadheringtocertainprecautions…eatingtherightfoods,notsmoking,drivingwithcare.Youm
7、ustalsohavetherightattitude.ScientistsattheDukeUniversityMedicalCentermadea15-yearstudyof500personspersonalitiesandfound,somewhattotheirsurprise,thatpeoplewithasuspiciousormistrustfulnaturedieprematurelyfarmoreoftenthan22/22peoplewithasunnydisposition.Lookingontheb
8、rightside,itseems,canaddyearstoyourlifespan.11.Whatsocialscientistshavelongfeltpuzzledaboutiswhy.A)themortalityratecannotbepredictedB)thedeathtol
