单选题 After a three-year survey of the social and behavioral sciences, a committee of the NRC has concluded that these sciences are losing out in the race for federal science funds. Between 1972 and 1978, federal support for the social and behavioral sciences fell 25 percent, while support for other areas of science rose 36 percent.
"Psychological, social and cultural studies pertaining to virtually everything that people treat as a problem in our civilization," the committee writes, "play a large role. "Paradoxically, one would think these would be times when social science research would be riding high. Yet even though governments are more than alarmed about a variety of social problems, they are inclined to deal with them by trial and (often) error. The abuse of drugs is a widely-spread concern, but governments seem to concern themselves with the qualifications of teachers and their salaries.
If we lack an adequate understanding of drug abuse and educational processes, are we flying blind attempting to deal with these behaviors.? What domains of your life could benefit from social and behavioral science research? For instance, are we concerned about crime? Consider that recent sociological research reveals that nearly half of all urban dwelling American males can expect to be arrested for some non-traffic offense during their lives. However, a very small group of career predators are responsible for a grossly disproportionate share of all crimes committed. What does this in sight suggest to you about American criminal justice and prison policies? Sociological work also shows that most criminals halt their careers by age 25 to 30. Does this finding have policy implication? If a 29-year-old burglar whose criminal career is nearly over is imprisoned for ten years, may many years of that imprisonment be wasted on expensive and unnecessary confinement?

单选题 According to the author, social and behavioral sciences are losing federal financial support chiefly because some people ______.

A. don't see the seriousness of the present situation
B. don't quite see the use for these sciences
C. only consider natural sciences as true sciences
D. are unable to solve social problems with them

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】[解析] 文章第一段指出：社会科学与行为科学研究正在失去联邦政府的财政支持，第二、三段解释了造成这种现象的原因与后果。这两段指出，对待社会问题，政府倾向诉诸于法律及政策的手段解决，他们更多的是关心结果，而不是从社会及行为科学的角度来审视问题、找出原因及解决问题的方法。换言之，他们没有理解用社会科学及行为科学的研究成果来看待并解决社会问题，其后果当然往往是不能对症下药而造成人力物力的浪费。因此C符合题意。

单选题 In the second paragraph, the author gives two examples of social problems to show that ______.

A. social problems are on the rise currently
B. the government does not try hard to solve such problems
C. some attacks on such problems are often blind
D. such problems often go unsolved

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】[解析] 第二段主要分析了政府对社会科学与行为科学研究不够支持的原因。第一句引用调查委员会的结论，说明了社会科学与行为科学研究的重要作用。基于此，有些人错误地认为这方面的研究目前进展顺利(riding high)，颇受重视(第二句)。第三句阐明了该段旨在说明的问题：政府只是采用就事论事的方式(by trial and error)来解决社会问题，结果忽视了产生问题的原因，不能对症下药，甚至往往驴唇马嘴两不相合，导向错误。第四句则是举了一个具体的例子来说明这一点：没有社会科学和行为科学的指导，社会问题的解决经常会流于盲目。因此C符合题意。

单选题 In the third paragraph, the author uses some findings to illustrate ______.

A. some achievements made in social and behavioral sciences
B. the demand for social and behavioral studies
C. the current trend in the increase of crimes
D. the inefficiency of criminal justice and prison policies

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】[解析] 第三段旨在说明的问题阐述在该段的前两句：如果我们不了解吸毒及教育问题形成的原因(第二段所举的两个例子)，在解决这些方面的问题时就会盲目行事 (flying blind)；第二句是一个设问，社会科学和行为科学研究可以在哪些方面帮助我们呢?本段的其余部分举了几个例子，旨在说明：社会及行为科学的研究可以帮助我们找出犯罪的模式及本质，从而制定出改造或防止犯罪的合理方案。由此可见，这些方面的研究是不可或缺的。

单选题 In the last sentence of the passage, the word "confinement" is closest in meaning to the word" ______ ".

A. funds
B. solution
C. research
D. imprisonment

【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】[解析] 在本句中，confinement一词与criminal，imprison和imprisonment等词紧密相关。本句前半句假设一种情况，后半句指出这种做法是浪费人力物力的，因此，是不必要的。在这里，confinement与imprisonment是同义词，意为“囚禁”。

单选题 According to the passage, what difficulty did the social and behavioral sciences confront in the 1970's?

A. The social and behavioral sciences lost out in the race for federal science funds.
B. Governments are more than alarmed about a variety of social problem.
C. Nearly half of all urban dwelling American males can expect to be arrested for some non-traffic offense during their lives.
D. Most criminals halt their careers by age 25 to 30.

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】[解析] 此题考查对文章第一段的理解。Between 1972 and 1978。federal support for the social and behavioral sciences fell 25 percent和these sciences are losing out in the race for federal science funds两句结合起来理解可选出答案A。此外，要注意理解in the 1970’s代替了原句当中的Between 1972 and 1978，加大了理解的难度。