Sociology is defined as the study of human groups. In the broadest sense, sociology is concerned with understanding patterns of human relationships, their causes and their effects. Unlike psychology, sociology does not attempt to explain the behavior of a particular individual under certain circumstances. Rather, sociology focuses on social trends or other influences that affect whole groups or categories of people. Thus, while a psychologist might counsel an individual who feels worthless after retiring from a long and successful career, a sociologist would be more likely to examine societal attitudes that may contribute to the loss of self-esteem experienced by many retired persons in our society.
The emphasis that sociology places on human groups rather than individuals stems directly from the work of Emile Durkheim, a pioneering sociologist of the nineteenth century. Durkheim likened the nature of a social group to bronze, a unique metal that is formed when the metals tin, copper, and lead are melted and mixed together. Durkheim noted that bronze is much harder than any of its component metals. In the same way, he reasoned, the characteristics of a social group viewed as a whole cannot be determined simply by examining the characteristics of its individual members. Nor can individuals be understood strictly in terms of the individuals themselves; when people come together as members of a particular group, the group exerts considerable pressure on the individual to conform to what it considers acceptable ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving. Besides developing a theoretical foundation for the study of social groups, Durkheim also conducted research designed to corroborate his theoretical work. Using landmark research methods, Durkheim collected and analyzed data from a number of countries that kept records on suicides.
He wanted to show that social environment may have a profound effect even on those behaviors we consider most personal. The results of his study showed that suicide rates do indeed vary according to specific social characteristics.
For example, Durkheim found that members of religions with strong prohibitions against suicide are less likely to commit suicide than are members of religious groups with weaker prohibitions. He also found a lower incidence of suicide among married persons than among persons who were single or divorced. Taken together, the findings of Durkheim’s study provided convincing evidence that social groups do indeed exert pressures that control or regulate the behavior of individuals, including deeply personal behaviors.
Durkheim’s rigorous research methods captured the attention of sociologists around the world, and were perhaps even more important to the future development of sociology than any specific research results could be. Within a short time, his specific approach to formulating and testing social theory became a model that guided the work of nearly all sociologists. This assured Emile Durkheim a lasting place as one of the key figures in the history of sociology.
1. Which of the following best expresses the main idea of the selection?
2. The writer’s main purpose in writing this selection is to( ).
3. According to the selection, how do sociologists and psychologists differ?
4. In comparing social groups to bronze, Durkheim wished to illustrate the idea that( ).
5. Which of the following best defines the word model as it is used in the last paragraph of the selection?
问题1选项
A.Both the social group theory and the scientific research methods developed by Durkheim have contributed much to the field of sociology.
B.Durkheim believed that individual members of a group strongly influence the group’s ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving.
C.The research study conducted by Durkheim provided strong evidence that suicide rates vary among members of different social groups.
D.Through his research, Durkheim made great strides in distinguishing sociology from psychology.
问题2选项
A.outline the steps Durkheim followed in conducting his research study
B.describe the ways in which Durkheim’s work has influenced sociology
C.persuade the reader that social groups control most of the behaviors of their individual members
D.explain the differences between sociology and psychology
问题3选项
A.Sociologists are more concerned with explaining behavior than psychologists.
B.Psychologists focus more on individuals than do sociologists.
C.Sociologists spend more time helping people solve their problems than do psychologists.
D.Psychologists are more interested in understanding patterns of human relationships than are sociologists.
问题4选项
A.a social group has characteristics that differ from those of its individual members
B.social groups are made up of three major component parts acting together
C.each social group is a unique entity that is unlike any other social group
D.social groups are extremely difficult to break apart once they have been formed
问题5选项
A.One of two or more alternative styles
B.An artist’s subject
C.A small copy of an object
D.A plan to be imitated
第1题:A
第2题:B
第3题:B
第4题:A
第5题:D
第1题:
主旨大意题。文章第一段sociology focuses on social trends or other influences that affect whole groups or categories of people.“社会学关注社会趋势或影响整个群体或人群类别的其他影响。”主要讲述社会群体理论,文章最后一段Durkheim’s rigorous research methods captured the attention of sociologists around the world“迪尔凯姆严谨的研究方法引起了全世界社会学家的注意”提及迪尔凯姆社会学的研究方法,所以A选项“迪尔凯姆的社会群体理论和科学的研究方法为社会学领域做出了重要贡献。”表达了选文的主要思想。B选项“迪尔凯姆认为,一个群体中的个体成员强烈地影响着这个群体的思维、感受和行为方式。”文中介绍是群体影响个人而不是个体影响群体;C选项“迪尔凯姆进行的这项研究提供了强有力的证据,证明不同社会群体成员的自杀率各不相同。”只是个别举例并不能以偏概全;D选项“通过他的研究,迪尔凯姆在区分社会学和心理学方面取得了很大的进步。”迪尔凯姆的研究并不是为了证明社会学与心理学的区别。因此A选项符合题意。
第2题:
主旨大意题。由上一题可知文章的主要思想是“迪尔凯姆的社会群体理论和科学的研究方法为社会学领域做出了重要贡献”,作者写这篇选文的主要目的是介绍他的理论和研究方法是如何影响社会学的,所以B选项“描述迪尔凯姆的作品影响社会学的方式”与题意相符。A选项“概述迪尔凯姆在进行他的研究时所遵循的步骤”、C选项“说服读者,社会群体控制着他们个体成员的大部分行为”和D选项“解释社会学和心理学之间的区别”都只是整篇文章当中的部分内容,不能概括全文。因此B选项符合题意。
第3题:
事实细节题。第一段中有提到二者的区别,Unlike psychology, sociology does not attempt to explain the behavior of a particular individual under certain circumstances. Rather, sociology focuses on social trends or other influences that affect whole groups or categories of people.“与心理学不同,社会学不试图解释特定个体在特定环境下的行为。相反,社会学关注的是社会趋势或影响整个群体或人群类别的其他影响。”由此可知,社会学关注社会趋势或社会群体,而心理学更关注个人。所以B选项“心理学家比社会学家更关注个体”符合题意;A选项“社会学家比心理学家更关心解释行为”并未涉及;C选项“社会学家比心理学家花更多的时间帮助人们解决问题”与题意不符;D选项“心理学家比社会学家对理解人类关系的模式更感兴趣”与原文表述不同。因此B选项正确。
第4题:
判断推理题。由题干关键词bronze定位到文章第二段Durkheim likened the nature of a social group to bronze, a unique metal that is formed when the metals tin, copper, and lead are melted and mixed together. Durkheim noted that bronze is much harder than any of its component metals.“迪尔凯姆把一个社会群体的本质比作青铜,一种独特的金属,是由锡、铜和铅熔化并混合在一起形成的。迪尔凯姆指出,青铜比它的任何组成金属都要坚硬得多。”作者的意思是把群体类比青铜,锡、铜和铅等比作个体,那么群体的特点跟个体会与众不同。A选项“一个社会群体具有与其个体成员不同的特征”符合题意;B选项“社会群体由三个共同行动的主要组成部分组成”与原文意思不符;C选项“每个社会群体都是一个独特的实体,不同于任何其他社会群体”,原文说的是群体和个体的差异,而不是不同群体的差异,所以C选项不正确;D选项“社会群体一旦形成就极难分裂”与题目意思中的类比并无联系。因此A选项正确。
第5题:
语义推测题。由题干关键词model定位到文章最后一段Within a short time, his specific approach to formulating and testing social theory became a model that guided the work of nearly all sociologists.“在很短的时间内,他制定和检验社会理论的具体方法成为几乎所有社会学家工作的指导模式。”作者表述这个model为社会学家的工作提供了指导。A选项“两种或多种可选样式之一”与题意不符;B选项“一个艺术家的主体”原文并未提及;C选项“物体的小模型”不合题意;D选项“一个被模仿的计划”,这种方法提供了指导作用,被他人模仿学习,D选项接近原文所表达的意思,因此D选项符合题意。