单选题 Studies from 10 nations reveal that the rates of depression among women are twice as high as they are among men. Do women have a biological bent for depression, or are social double standards the major cause?
Mental health workers have long noticed among the clinically depressed women take up a bigger proportion. Until recently, though, it was unclear whether more women than men were ill or, instead, whether more women sought help. In fact, a mounting collection of studies has confirmed that major depression is twice as common among women as it is among men. "This is one of the most consistent findings we have ever had," says Myrna M. Weissman of Columbia University.
Scientists searching for explanations are challenged by the fact that a variety of cues prompt depression in different people. Sorting out which factors might have a greater influence on women has not proved easy. Both sexes stand an equal chance of inheriting major depression, so genes are most likely not to blame. Yet hormones and sleep cycles--which differ dramatically between the sexescan alter mood. Also, many workers have proposed that social discrimination might put women under high levels of stress.
In 1990 an international group examines mood disorders. In the 10 nations reviewed so far, the team has found that among generations reaching maturity after 1945, depression seems to be on the rise and occurs at a younger age. Although overall incidence varies regionally, "everywhere the rates of depression among women are about twice as high as they are among men," Weissman says.
In contrast, lifetime rates for manic-depressive illness do not differ according to sex or culture. Mark S. George and his colleagues at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) recently studied which regions of the brain have greater blood flow during periods of depression. George found that "the brain activity of the men and women of depression looked very different. " He has since compared feelings of anger, anxiety and happiness, finding no such big a difference.
Because one in five American women has a history of depression, especially as they often pursue therapy from other sources, sometimes on top of an anti-depressant clinic. Says Leibenluft: "It is remarkable how little work has been done on this subject. /

单选题 Which one of the following is true about Myrna M. Weissman's comment?
[A] Women have a biological bent for depression.
[B] The chance for women to have a major depression is twice as high as it is for men.
[C] Social double standards are the major cause for women's depression.
[D] More women sought help, and this makes it seem like more women suffer from depression.
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】[解析] 细节题；考查区别观点和事实的能力；这是阅读中一种重要的能力，在阅读中，我们要知道哪些是已经证实了的事实，哪些是作者的观点，而哪些是作者引用的观点。A和C属于文章第一段提出的疑问，没有证实，而且不是问题中要求回答的Myma M．Weissman的观点，要排除。D是在第二段出现的，同样只是疑问，未得到证实。对比阅读原文，不难发现，B是对原文信息的正确理解，为正确答案。
单选题 What can we learn from the 3rd paragraph?
[A] Sleep cycles can have a big impact on the different moods between the sexes.
[B] Scientists searching on this issue are challenging each other's ideas and theories.
[C] It has already been found out which reasons might have a greater influence on women's depression.
[D] Genes is the deciding factor, there is such a big difference between men and women in terms of depression.
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】[解析] 细节题；各个选项对第三段形成了覆盖，对考生的理解进行了较全面的考查。A选项是对“sleep cycles—which differ dramatically between the sexes—can alter mood”的同义表达，为正确选项。B选项把“Scientists are challenged by the fact that…”这样一个表示科研人员遇到的困难曲解成科研人员之间的理论论争，误选的同学对于原句的理解不够准确，注意这里challenge的用法，在阅读中多多体会词汇丰富的用法和含义。C把一个没有完成的猜测改变成一个已经被证实的事实，为干扰选项，提醒考生注意含有already的选项也是需要我们格外注意的。D的说法和原文的“so genes are most likebr notto blame”意义相反，应该排除。
单选题 What did the international group find out about mood disorder?
[A] The ratio of depression sufferers between women and men is the same in different regions, 1:2 to be exact.
[B] After 1945, the majority of those suffering from depression are young people.
[C] Region is not a factor to greatly influence the rates of depression among women and men.
[D] The total amount of depression sufferers are pretty much the same in different regions.
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】[解析] 细节题；按照题目设计的顺序以及“international gmup”和“mood disorder”这样的定位词回到原文第四段，进行对比阅读可以发现A错误地将男女两性之间患抑郁症的比例搞反了，而且各个地区之间也只是大致相同，并非完全一致，应排除。B项将原文“患抑郁症的人年龄降低”错误地理解为“年轻人成为患抑郁症的主要人群”，属于错误的理解，应排除。D项和原文“各个地区之间的患者总人数有差异”这样的论述相反，很容易排除。
单选题 What can we infer from Mark S. George's research?
[A] In any point of life, more women suffer from depression than men do.
[B] Although the reasons for depression may differ, there is the same part of brain that would act differently if people have depression, regardless of their gender.
[C] Depression is the only case when men and women show difference in brain activities.
[D] Men and women have differences in brain activities when in anger, anxiety and happiness.
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】[解析] 推论题；“Mark S．George”可以帮助我们迅速找到该题考查的内容在原文中的位置；A项和原文中“lifetime rates for manic-depressive illness do not differ according to sex or culture”的论述相反，不难排除。B中涉及了一些文章中的信息点，但是组合起来的论述在原文中是找不到支持或者反驳的观点或事实的，属于无法证实或证伪的论述，应该排除。C和原文论述有出入，原文是说，在各种不同的情绪中，男女的大脑活动都没有像抑郁症这么大的区别，可见在这些情绪中也是有区别的，排除这一选项。D项对这一问题的认识是正确的，为正确答案。
单选题 The author quotes Leibenluft's comment in the last paragraph to______.
[A] summarize the main idea of the passage
[B] recommend an alternative perspective to look at the issue of depression
[C] express the author's pity about the slow improvement on the cure of depression
[D] praise the great efforts made by researchers on the subject of depression
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】[解析] 对引用语功能的考查，属于例证题的一种；这种题目的解答要求考生从两个方面人手：(1)对引用语本身意义的理解要正确；(2)一定要结合全文的写作目的来分析引用语在其中发挥的作用和功能。根据这两点，首先，Leibenluft的评论是在讲“在这个领域的研究实在是很有限的”。其次，从全文的角度看，文章中的引用语肯定是在支持或强调作者对主要议题的观点态度。具体到这篇文章，在讨论了对depression的各种研究之后，作者借助Leibenluft的评论表达了自己对这一领域研究滞后的担忧；C对于这一点的分析是到位的，为正确选项。B和D对引语的理解有误差，而A对引语的功能分析不正确。