Passage One
Questions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.
Danielle Steel, the 71-year-old romance novelist is notoriously productive, having published 179 books at a rate of up to seven a year. But a passing reference in a recent profile by Glamour magazine to her 20-hour workdays prompted an outpouring of admiration.
Steel has given that 20-hour figure when describing her “exhausting” process in the past: “I start the book and don't leave my desk until the first draft is finished.” She goes from bed, to desk, to bath, to bed, avoiding all contact aside from phone calls with her nine children. “I don't comb my hair for weeks,” she says. Meals are brought to her desk, where she types until her fingers swell and her nails bleed.
The business news website Quartz held Steel up as an inspiration, writing that if only we all followed her “actually extremely liberating” example of industrious sleeplessness, we would be quick to see results.
Well, indeed. With research results showing the cumulative effects of sleep loss and its impact on productivity, doubt has been voiced about the accuracy of Steel’s self-assessment. Her output maybe undeniable, but sceptics have suggested that she is guilty of erasing the role of ghost writers(代笔人) at worst, gross exaggeration at best.
Steel says working 20 hours a day is “pretty brutal physically.” But is it even possible? “No,” says Maryanne Taylor of the Sleep Works. While you could work that long, the impact on productivity would make it hardly worthwhile. If Steel was routinely sleeping for four hours a night, she would be drastically underestimating the negative impact, says Alison Gardiner, founder of the sleep improvement programme Sleep station. “It’s akin to being drunk.”
It’s possible that Steel is exaggerating the demands of her schedule. Self-imposed sleeplessness has “become a bit of a status symbol”, says Taylor, a misguided measure to prove how powerful and productive you are. Margaret Thatcher was also said to get by on four hours a night, while the 130-hour workweeks endured by tech heads has been held up as key to their success.
That is starting to change with increased awareness of the importance of sleep for mental health. “People are starting to realise that sleep should not be something that you fit in between everything else,” says Taylor.
But it is possible—if statistically extremely unlikely—that Steel could be born a “short sleeper” with an unusual body clock, says sleep expert Dr. Sophie Bostock. “It’s probably present in fewer than 1% of the population.”
Even if Steel does happen to be among that tiny minority, says Bostock, it's “pretty irresponsible” to suggest that 20-hour days are simply a question of discipline for the rest of us.
46. What do we learn from the passage about Glamour magazine readers?
A) They are intrigued by the exotic romance in Danielle Steel's novels.
B) They are amazed by the number of books written by Danielle Steel.
C) They are deeply impressed by Danielle Steel's daily work schedule.
D) They are highly motivated by Danielle Steel’s unusual productivity.
47. What did the business news website Quartz say about Danielle Steel?
A) She could serve as an example of industriousness.
B) She proved we could liberate ourselves from sleep.
C) She could be an inspiration to novelists all over the world.
D) She showed we could get all our work done without sleep.
48. What do sceptics think of Danielle Steel's work schedule claims?
A) They are questionable.
B) They are alterable.
C) They are irresistible.
D) They are verifiable.
49. What does Maryanne Taylor think of self-imposed sleeplessness?
A) It may turn out to be key to a successful career.
B) It may be practiced only by certain tech heads.
C) It may symbolise one's importance and success.
D) It may well serve as a measure of self-discipline.
50. How does Dr. Sophie Bostock look at the 20-hour daily work schedule?
A) One should not adopt it without consulting a sleep expert.
B) The general public should not be encouraged to follow it.
C) One must be duly self-disciplined to adhere to it.
D) The majority must adjust their body clock for it.
答案解析：
46. 由题干中的关键词“Glamour magazine readers”定位到第一段第二句“But a passing reference in a recent profile by Glamour magazine to her 20 - hour workdays prompted an outpouring of admiration.” ，这里提到《嘉人》杂志最近的一篇人物简介中顺带提及了丹妮尔·斯蒂尔每天工作20小时，这引发了人们的钦佩之情，也就是读者对她每日的工作安排印象深刻，所以选C。
47. 由题干中的关键词“business news website Quartz”定位到第三段“The business news website Quartz held Steel up as an inspiration, writing that if only we all followed her ‘actually extremely liberating’ example of industrious sleeplessness, we would be quick to see results.” ，该段提到商业新闻网站Quartz将斯蒂尔视为榜样，称如果我们都能效仿她这种“实际上极其自由”的勤奋不眠的例子，很快就能看到成果，也就是她可以作为勤奋的例子，所以选A。
48. 由题干中的关键词“sceptics”和“Danielle Steel's work schedule claims”定位到第四段“Her output maybe undeniable, but sceptics have suggested that she is guilty of erasing the role of ghost writers(代笔人) at worst, gross exaggeration at best.” ，这里提到怀疑者认为她可能夸大了自己的工作安排，即她的工作安排说法是值得怀疑的，所以选A。
49. 由题干中的关键词“Maryanne Taylor”和“self - imposed sleeplessness”定位到第六段“Self - imposed sleeplessness has ‘become a bit of a status symbol’, says Taylor, a misguided measure to prove how powerful and productive you are.” ，玛丽安·泰勒认为自我强加的不眠状态“已经成为一种地位象征”，是一种用来证明自己多么强大和高效的错误方式，也就是它可能象征着一个人的重要性和成功，所以选C。
50. 由题干中的关键词“Dr. Sophie Bostock”和“20 - hour daily work schedule”定位到最后一段“Even if Steel does happen to be among that tiny minority, says Bostock, it's ‘pretty irresponsible’ to suggest that 20 - hour days are simply a question of discipline for the rest of us.” ，苏菲·博斯托克博士认为，即使斯蒂尔恰好属于那一小部分人，但建议其他人把每天工作20小时仅仅看作是一个自律问题也是“相当不负责任的”，也就是普通大众不应该被鼓励效仿，所以选B。
