2016年12月英语六级听力真题及答案第二套

2016年12月大学英语六级考试真题（第2套）参考答案Part IV TranslationThe number of Chinese language learners undergoes a dramatic rise as China’s economy surges, which has turned Chinese into one of the most popular language among language learners across the world. In recent years, Chinese universities are moving up significantly in the world university rankings. Owing to the great advances in its educational system, China now ranks unsurprisingly as one of the most favored destinations for overseas students. In 2015, there were around 400,000 overseas students flocking to China to pursue their studies. They no longer restrict their interest to Chinese language and culture, instead, branching out into other subjects including science and engineering. Although the United States and the United Kingdom are still dominant in the global education market, China is catching up at a fast pace with them.Part II Listening Comprehension听力原文Section AQuestions 1 to 4 are based on the conversation you have just heard.M: Guess what? The worst food I ever had was in France.W: Really? That's odd. I thought the French were all good cooks.M: Yes, that's right. I suppose it's really like anywhere else, though. You know, some places are good, some bad. But it's really all our own fault.W: What do you mean?M: Well, it was the first time I'd been to France. This was years ago when I was at school. I went there with my parents' friends, from my father's school. They’d hired a coach to take them to Switzerland.W: A school trip?M: Right. Most of them had never been abroad before. We'd crossed the English Channel at night and we set off through France and breakfast time arrived, and the coach driver had arranged for us to stop at this little café. There we all were tired and hungry and then we made a great discovery. W: What was that?M: Bacon and eggs.W: Fantastic! The real English breakfast.M: Yes, anyway we didn't know any better--- so we had it, and ugh...!W: What was it like? Disgusting?M: Ah, it was incredible. They just got a bowl and put some fat in it. And then they put some bacon in the fat, broke an egg over the top and put the whole lot in the oven for about ten minutes. W: In the oven? You're joking. You can't cook bacon and eggs in the oven!M: Well, they must have done it that way. It was hot, but it wasn't cooked. There was just this egg floating about in gallons of fat and raw bacon.W: Did you actually eat it?M: No, nobody did. They all wanted to turn round and go home. You know, back to teabags and fish and chips. You can't blame them really. Anyway, the next night we were all given another foreign specialty.W: What was that?M: Snails--that really finished them off. Lovely holiday that was!1. What did the woman think of the French?2. Who did the man travel with on his first trip to Switzerland?3. What does the man say about the breakfast at the little French café?4. What did the man think of his holiday in France?Questions 5 to 8 are based on the conversation you have just heard.M: You say your shop has been doing well. Could you give me some idea of what “doing well” means in facts and figures?W: Well, “doing well” means averaging 1,200 pounds or more a week for about 7 years, making almost a quarter of a million pounds. And “doing well” means your earnings are rising. Last year we did slightly over 50,000 and this year we hope to do more than 60,000. So that's good if we continue to rise.M: Now that's growth on earnings, I assume. What about your expenses?W: Yes, that's growth. The expenses of course go up steadily. And since we've moved to this new shop, the expenses have increased greatly because it's a much bigger shop. So I couldn't say exactly what our expenses are. There's something in the region of 6 or 7 thousand pounds a year, which is not high---commercially speaking, it's very low. And we try to keep our expenses as low as we can.M: And your prices are much lower than the same goods in shops round about. How do the local shopkeepers feel about having a shop doing so well in their midst?W: Perhaps a lot of them don't realize how well we're doing because we don't make a point of publicizing. That was a lesson we learned very early on. We were very friendly with all local shopkeepers and we have been to mention to a local shopkeeper how much we have made that week. He was very unhappy and never as friendly again. So we make a point of never publicizing the amount of the money we make. But we're on very good terms with all the shops; none of them have ever complained that we're putting them out of business or anything like that. I think it's a nice funny relationship. Maybe if they did know what we made, perhaps they wouldn't be so friendly.5. What are the speakers mainly talking about?6. What does the woman say her shop tries to do?7. What do we learn about goods sold at the woman's shop?8. Why doesn't the woman want to make known their earnings anymore?Section BQuestions 9 to 12 are based on the passage you have just heard.Birds are famous for carrying things around. Some, like homing pigeons, can be trained to deliver messages and packages. Other birds unknowingly carry seeds that cling to them for the ride. Canadian scientists have found a worrisome, new example of the power that birds have to spread stuff around. Way up north in the Canadian Arctic, seabirds are picking up dangerous chemicals in the ocean and delivering them to ponds near where the birds live.Some 10,000 pairs of the birds, called fulmars, a kind of Arctic seabird, make their nests on Devon Island, north of the Arctic Circle. The fulmars travel some 400 kilometers over the sea to find food. When they return home, their droppings end up all around their nesting sites, including in nearby ponds.Previously, scientists noticed pollutants arriving in the Arctic with the wind. Salmon also carry dangerous chemicals, as the fish migrate between rivers and the sea. The bodies of fish and other meat-eaters can build up high levels of the chemicals.To test the polluting power of fulmars, researchers collected samples of deposits from 11 ponds on Devon Island. In ponds closest to the colony, the results showed that there were far more pollutants than in ponds less affected by the birds. The pollutants in the ponds appear to come from fish that fulmars eat when they're out on the ocean. People who live, hunt, or fish near bird colonies need to be careful, the researchers say. The birds don't mean to cause harm, but the chemicals they carry can cause major problems.9. What have Canadian scientists found about some seabirds?10. What does the speaker say about the seabirds called fulmars?11. What did scientists previously notice about pollutants in the Arctic?12. What does the speaker warn about at the end of the talk?Questions 13 to 15 are based on the passage you have just heard.In recent years, the death rate among American centenarians -- people who have lived to age 100 or older--has decreased, dropping 14 percent for women and 20 percent for men from 2008 to 2014. The leading causes of death in this age group are also changing. In 2000, the top five causes of death for centenarians were heart disease, stroke, flu, cancer and Alzheimer's disease. But by 2014, the death rate from Alzheimer's disease for this age group had more than doubled--increasing from 3.8 percent to 8.5 percent --making the progressive brain disease the second leading cause of death for centenarians. One reason for the rise in deaths from Alzheimer's disease in this group may be that developing this condition remains possible even after people beat the odds of dying from other diseases such as cancer.People physically fit enough to survive over 100 years ultimately give in to diseases such as Alzheimer's which effects the mind and cognitive function. In other words, it appears their minds give out before their bodies do. On the other hand, the death rate from flu dropped from 7.4 percent in 2000 to 4.1 percent in 2014. That pushed flu from the third leading cause of death to the fifth.Overall, the total number of centenarians is going up. In 2014, there were 72,197 centenarians, compared to 50,281 in 2000. But because this population is getting larger, the number of deaths in this group is also increasing --18,434 centenarians died in 2000, whereas 25,914 died in 2014.13. What does the speaker say about the risk of dying for American centenarians in recent years?14. What does the speaker say about Alzheimer's disease?15. What is characteristic of people who live up to 100 years and beyond?Section CQuestions 16 to 18 are based on the recording you have just heard.Okay. So let's get started. And to start things off I think what we need to do is consider a definition. I'm going to define what love is but then most of the experiments I'm going to talk about are really focused more on attraction than love. And I'm going to pick a definition from a former colleague, Robert Sternberg, who is now the dean at Tufts University but was here on our faculty at Yale for nearly thirty years. And he has a theory of love that argues that it's made up of three components: intimacy, passion, and commitment, or what is sometimes called decision commitment. And these are relatively straightforward. He argued that you don't have love if you don't have all three of these elements.Intimacy is the feeling of closeness, of connectedness with someone, of bonding. Operationally, you could think of intimacy as you share secrets, you share information with this person that you don't share with anybody else. Okay. That's really what intimacy is, the bond that comes from sharing information that isn't shared with other people. The second element is passion. Passion is the drive that leads to romance. You can think of it as physical attraction. And Sternberg argues that this is a required component of a love relationship. The third element of love in Sternberg's theory is what he calls decision commitment, the decision that one is in a love relationship, the willingness to label it as such, and a commitment to maintain that relationship at least for some period of time. Sternberg would argue it's not love if you don't call it love and if you don't have some desire to maintain the relationship. So if you have all three of these, intimacy, passion and commitment, in Sternberg's theory you have love. Now what's interesting about the theory is what do you have if you only have one out of three or two out of three? What do you have and how is it different if you have a different two out of three? What's interesting about this kind of theorizing is it gives rise to many different combinations that can be quite interesting when you break them down and start to look at them carefully. So what I've done is I've taken Sternberg's three elements of love, intimacy, passion and commitment, and I've listed out the different kinds of relationships you would have if you had zero, one, two or three out of the three elements.16. What does the speaker say about most of the experiments mentioned in his talk?17. What does Robert Sternberg argue about love?18. What question does the speaker think is interesting about Sternberg's three elements of love?Questions 19 to 22 are based on the recording you have just heard.Hi, I'm Elizabeth Hoffler, Master of Social Work. I'm a social worker, a lobbyist and a special assistant to the Executive Director at the National Association of Social Workers. Today we are going to be talking about becoming a social worker. Social work is the helping profession. Its primary mission is to enhance human well-being and help meet the basic needs of all people, with a particular focus on those who are vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty. We often deal with complex human needs. Social work is different from other professions, because we focus on the person and environment. We deal with the external factors that impact a person's situation and outlook. And we create opportunity for assessment and intervention to help clients and communities cope effectively with their reality and change that reality when necessary.In thousands of ways social workers help other people --people from every age, every background, across the country. Wherever needed, social workers come to help. The most well-known aspect of the profession is that of a social safety net. We help guide people to critical resources and counsel them on life-changing decisions. There are more than six hundred thousand professional social workers in the country, and we all either have a bachelor's degree, a master's degree, or a PhD in social work. There are more clinically-trained social workers than clinically-trained psychiatrists, psychologists and psychiatric nurses combined.Throughout this series, you will learn more about the profession, the necessary steps to get a social work degree, the rich history of social work and many ways that social workers help others.Later in this series, you'll hear from Stacy Collins and Mel Wilson, fellow social workers at the National Association of Social Workers. Stacy is going to walk you through the step-by-step process of becoming a social worker, and Mel will tell you about the range of options you have once you get your social work degree, as well as the high standards of responsibility that social workers must adhere to.The National Association of Social Workers represents nearly 145,000 social workers across the country. Our mission is to promote, protect and advance the social work profession. We hope you enjoy this series about how you can make a difference by becoming a social worker. Next, we are going to talk about choosing social work.19. What does the speaker mainly talk about?20. What do social workers mainly do?21. What do professional social workers have in common according to the speaker?22. What is Mell Wilson going to talk about in the series?Questions 23 to 25 are based on the recording you have just heard.Today, I'd like to talk about what happens when celebrity role models get behind healthy habits but at the same time promote junk food? Currently, there is mounting criticism of Michelle Obama's “Let's Move!” campaign, which fights childhood obesity by encouraging youngsters to become more physically active, and has signed on singer Beyoncé, and basketball player Shaquille O'Neal, both of whom also endorse sodas, which are a major contributor to the obesity epidemic. Now there's a lot more evidence of how powerful a celebrity -- especially a professional athlete --can be in influencing children's behavior.In a report published by the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University, researchers studied 100 professional athletes and their endorsement contracts. The team focused on athletes since they are theoretically the best role models for active, healthy lifestyles for children. After sorting the deals by category, they determined that among the 512 brands associated with the athletes, most involved sporting goods, followed closely by food and beverage brands.Sports drinks, which are often high in sugar and calories, made up most of the food and drink deals, with soft drinks and fast food filling out the remainder. Of the 46 beverages endorsed by professional athletes, 93% relied exclusively on sugar for all of their calories.It's no surprise that high profile athletes can influence children's eating behaviors, but the scientists were able to quantify how prevalent these endorsements are in the children's environment. Advertisements featuring professional athletes and their endorsed products tend to get impressive exposure, on TV, radio, in print and online. And in 2010, the researchers reported that children ages 12 to 17 saw more athlete-endorsed food and beverage brand commercials than adults.One reason any campaign wants a popular celebrity spokesperson is because kids are attracted to them no matter what they are doing. We can't expect kids to turn off that admiration when the same person is selling sugar. At best, kids might be confused. At worst, they'll think themessages about soda are the same as the messages about water. But those two beverages aren't the same.If children are turning to athletes as role models, it's in their best interest if their idols are consistent. Consistent messaging of positive behaviors will show healthier lifestyles for kids to follow.23. What is the aim of Michelle Obama's campaign?24. What does research find about advertisements featuring professional athletes?25. What does the speaker think kids' idols should do?This is the end of Listening Comprehension.。

2016年12月英语六级考试真题第二套Part I Writing (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on invention. Your essay should include the importance of invention and measures to be taken to encourage invention. You are required to write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words.Part ⅡListening Comprehension (30 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A, B, C and D.Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 1 to 4 are based on the conversation you have just heard.1. A. They were all good at cooking.B. They were particular about food.C. They were proud of their cuisine.D. They were fond of bacon and eggs.2. A. His parents. B. His friends. C. His schoolmates. D. His parents' friends.3. A. No tea was served with the meal.B. It was the real English breakfast.C. No one of the group ate it.D. It was a little overcooked.4. A. It was full of excitement. B. It was really extraordinary. C. It was a risky experience. D. It was rather disappointing.Questions 5 to 8 are based on the conversation you have just heard.5. A. The woman's relationship with other shops.B. The business success of the woman's shop.C. The key to running a shop at a low cost.D. The woman's earnings over the years.6. A. Improve its customer service.B. Expand its business scale.C. Keep down its expenses.D. Upgrade the goods it sells.7. A. They are sold at lower prices than in other shops.B. They are very-popular with the local residents.C. They are delivered free of charge.D. They are in great demand.8. A. To follow the custom of the local shopkeepers.B. To attract more customers in the neighborhood.C. To avoid being put out of business in competition.D. To maintain friendly relationships with other shops.Section BDirections: In this section, you will hear two passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear three or four questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once.After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A, B, C and D. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 9 to 12 are based on the passage you have just heard.9. A. They can be used to deliver messages in times of emergency.B. They deliver pollutants from the ocean to their nesting sites.C. They carry plant seeds and spread them to faraway places.D. They are on the verge of extinction because of pollution.10. A. They migrate to the Arctic Circle during the summer.B. They originate from Devon Island in the Arctic area.C. They travel as far as 400 kilometers in search of food.D. They have the ability to survive in extreme weathers.11. A. They were carried by the wind.B. They had become more poisonous.C. They were less than on the continent.D. They poisoned some of the fulmars.12. A. The threats humans pose to Arctic seabirds,B. The diminishing colonies for Arctic seabirds.C. The harm Arctic seabirds may cause to humans.D. The effects of the changing climate on Arctic seabirds.Questions 13 to 15 are based on the passage you have just heard.13. A. It has decreased.B. It has been exaggerated.C. It has become better understood.D. It has remained basically the same.14. A. It develops more easily in centenarians not actively engaged.B. It is now the second leading cause of death for centenarians.C. It has had no effective cure so far.D. It calls for more intensive research.15. A. They care more about their physical health.B. Their quality of life deteriorates rapidly.C. Their minds fall before their bodies do.D. They cherish their life more than ever.Section CDirections: In this section, you will hear three recordings of lectures or talks followed by three or four questions. The recordings will be played only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A, B, C and D Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 16 to 18 are based on the recording you have just heard.16. A. They are focused more on attraction than love.B. They were done by his former colleague at Yale.C. They were carried out over a period of some thirty years.D. They form the basis on which he builds his theory of love.17. A. The relationship cannot last long if no passion is involved.B. Intimacy is essential but not absolutely indispensable to love.C. It is not love if you don't wish to maintain the relationship.D. Romance is just impossible without mutual understanding.18. A. Which of them is considered most important.B. Whether it is true love without commitment.C. When the absence of any one doesn't affect the relationship.D. How the relationship is to be defined if any one is missing.Questions 19 to 22 are based on the recording you have just heard.19. A. Social work as a profession.B. The history of social work.C. Academic degrees required of social work applicants.D. The aim of the National Association of Social Workers.20. A. They try to change people's social behavior.B. They help enhance the well-being of the underprivileged.C. They raise people's awareness of the environment.D. They create a lot of opportunities for the unemployed.21. A. They have all received strict clinical training.B. They all have an academic degree in social work.C. They are all members of the National Association.D. They have all made a difference through their work.22. A. The promotion of social workers' social status.B. The importance of training for social workers.C. Ways for social workers to meet people's needs.D. Social workers' job options and responsibilities.Questions 23 to 25 are based on the recording you have just heard.23. A. To fight childhood obesity.B. To help disadvantaged kids.C. To encourage kids to play more sports.D. To urge kids to follow their role models.24. A. They best boost product sales when put online.B. They are most effective when appearing on TV.C. They are becoming more and more prevalent.D. They impress kids more than they do adults.25. A. Always place kids' interest first.B. Do what they advocate in public.C. Message positive behaviors at all times.D. Pay attention to their image before children.Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section here is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the center. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.It is important that scientists be seen as normal people asking and answering important questions. Good, sound science depends on 26._______ experiments and reasoned methodologies. It requires a willingness to ask new questions and try new approaches. It requires one to take risks and experience failures. But good science also requires 27. _______understanding, clear explanation and concise presentation.Our country needs more scientists who are willing to step out in the public28._______ and offer their opinions on important matters. We need more scientists who can explain what they are doing in language that is29. _______ and understandable to the public. Those of us who are not scientists should also be prepared to support public engagement by scientists, and to 30._______scientific knowledge into our public communications.Too many people in this country, including some among our elected leadership, still do not understand how science works or why robust, long-range investments in research vitally matter. In the 1960s, the United States 31._______nearly 17% of discretionary (可酌情支配的)spending to research and development, 32. _______decades of economic growth. By 2008，the figure had fallen into the single 33._______. This occurs at a time when other nations have made significant gains in their own research capabilities.At the University of California (UC), we 34._______ ourselves not only on the quality of our research, but also on its contribution to improving our world. To 35. _______the development of science from the lab bench to the market place, UC is investing our own money in our own good ideas.A) arenaB) contextualC) convincing D) devotedE) digitsF) hastenG) hypothesesH) impairingI) incorporateJ) indefiniteK) indulgeL) inertiaM) prideN) reapingO) warrantSection BDirections: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.Are we in an Innovation Lull?[A]Scan the highlights of the year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES), and you may get a slight feeling of having seen them before. Many of the coolest gadgets this year are the same as the coolest gadgets last year ---or the year before, even. The booths are still exciting, and the demos are still just as crazy. It is still easy to be dazzled by the display of drones (无人机), 3D printers, virtual reality goggles (眼镜)and more “smart”devices than you could ever hope to catalog. Upon reflection, however, it is equally easy to feel like you have seen it all before. And it is hard not to think: Are we in an innovation lull (间歇期)?[B] In some ways, the answer is yes. For years, Smartphones, televisions, tablets, laptops and desktops have made up a huge part of the market and driven innovation. But now these segments are looking at slower growth curves--- or shrinking markets in some cases—as consumers are not as eager to spend money on new gadgets. Meanwhile, emerging technologies---the drones, 3D printers and smart-home devices of the world--now seem a bit too old to be called “the next big thing”[C] Basically the tech industry seems to be in an awkward period now. “There is not any one-hit wonder, and there will not be one for years to come,” said Gary Shapiro, president and chief executive of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA). In his eyes, however, that doesn’t necessarily mean that innovation has stopped. It has just grown up a little. “Many industries are going out of infancy and becoming adolescents,” Shapiro said.[D] For instance, new technologies that are building upon existing technology have not found their footing well enough to appeal to a mass audience, because, in many cases, they need to work effectively with other devices to realize their full appeal. Take the evolution of the smart home, for example. Companies are pushing it hard but make it almost overwhelming even to dip a toe in the water for the average consumer, because there are so many compatibility issues to think about. No average person wants to figure out whether their favorite calendar software works with their fridge or whether their washing machine and tablet get along. Having to install a different app for each smart appliance in your home is annoying; it would be nicer if you could manage everything together. And while you may forgive your smartphone an occasional fault, you probably have less patience for error messages from your door lock.[E] Companies are promoting their own standards, and the market has not had time to choose a winner yet as this is still very new. Companies that have long focused on hardware now have to think of ecosystems instead to give consumers practical solutions to their everyday problems. “The dialogue is changing from what is technologically possible to what is technologically meaningful, said economist Shawn DuBravac. DuBravac works for CTA—which puts on the show each year---and said that this shift to a search for solutions has been noticeable as he researched his predictions for 2016.[F] “So much of what CES has been about is the cool. It is about the flashiness and the gadgets,” s aid John Curran, managing director of research at Accenture. “But over the last couple of years, and in this one in particular, we are startin g to see companies shift from what is the largest screen size, the smallest form factor or the shiniest object and more into what all of these devices do that is practical in a consumer’s life.” Even the technology press conferences, which have been high-profile in the past and reached a level of drama and theatrics fitting for a Las Vegas stage, have a different bent to them. Rather than just dazzling with a high cool factor, there is a focus on the practical. Fit bit, for example, released its first smart watch Monday, selling with a clear purpose---to improve your fitness—and promoting it as a “tool, not a toy.” Not only that, it supports a number of platforms: Apple’s I OS, Google’s Android and Microsoft’s Windows phone.[G]That seems to be what consumers are demanding, after all. Consumers are becoming increasingly bored with what companies have to offer: A survey of 28,000 consumers in 28 countries released by Accenture found consumers are not as excited about technology as they once were. For example, when asked whether they would buy a new smart phone this year, only 48 percent said yes—a six-point drop from 2015.[H] And when it comes to the hyper-connected super-smart world that technology firms are painting for us, it seems that consumers are growing more uneasy about handing over the massive amounts of consumer data needed to provide the personalized, customized solutions that companies need to improve their services. That could be another explanation for why companies seem to be strengthening their talk of the practicality of their devices.[I] Companies have already won part of the battle, having driven tech into every part of our lives, tracking our steps and our very heartbeats. Yet the persistent question of “Why do I need that?”~or, perhaps more tellingly, “Why do you need to know that?” dogs the steps of many new ventures. Only 13 percent of respondents said that they were interested in buying a smart watch in 2016, for example—an increase of just one percent from the previous year despite a year of high-profile launches. That is bad news for any firm that may hope that smart watches can make up ground for maturing smart phone and tablet markets. And the survey found flat demand for fitness monitors, smart thermostats (恒温器)and connected home cameras, as well.[J] According to the survey, that lack of enthusiasm could stem from concerns about privacy and security. Even among people who have bought connected devices of some kind, 37 percent said that they are going to be more cautious about using these devices and services in the future. A full 18 percent have even returned devices until they feel they can get safer guarantees against having their sensitive information hacked.[K] That, too, explains the heavy Washington presence at this year’s show, as these new technologies intrude upon heavily regulated areas. In addition to many senior officials from the Federal Trade and Federal Communications commissions, this year’s list of policy makers also includes appearances from Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, to talk about smart cities, and Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Michael Huerta, to talk about drones.[L] Curran, the Accenture analyst, said that increased government interest in the show makes sense as technology becomes a larger part of our lives. “There is an incompatibility in the rate at which these are advancing relative to the way we，re digesting it,”he said. “Technology is becoming bigger and more aspirational，and penetrating almost every aspect of our lives. We have to understand and think about the implications, and balance these great innovations with the potential downsides they naturally carr y with them.”36. Consumers are often hesitant to try smart-home devices because they are worried about compatibility problems.37. This year’s electronics show featured the presence of many officials from the federal government.38. The market demand for electronic devices is now either declining or not growing as fast as before.39. One analyst suggests it is necessary to accept both the positive and negative aspects of innovative products.40. The Consumer Electronics Show in recent years has begun to focus more on the practical value than the showiness of electronic devices.41. Fewer innovative products were found at this year’s electronic products show.42. Consumers are becoming more worried about giving personal information to tech companies to get customized products and services.43. The Consumer Technology Association is the sponsor of the annual Consumer Electronics Show.44. Many consumers wonder about the necessity of having their fitness monitored.45. The electronic industry is maturing even though no wonder products hit the market.Section CDirections: There are two passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the center.Passage OneQuestions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.The Paris climate agreement finalised in December last year heralded a new era for climate action. For the first time, the world’s nations agreed to keep global warming well below 2℃.This is vital for climate-vulnerable nations. Fewer than 4% of countries are responsible for more than half of the world’s greenhouse ga s emissions. In a study published in Nature Scientific Reports, we reveal just how deep this injustice runs.Developed nations such as Australia, the United States, Canada, and European countries are essentially climate “free-riders,” causing the majority of the problems through high greenhouse gas emissions, while incurring few of the costs such as climate change’s impact on food and water. In other words, a few countries are benefiting enormously from the consumption of fossil fuels, while at the same time contributing disproportionately to the global burden of climate change.On the flip side, there are many “forced riders,” who are suffering from the climate change impacts despite having scarcely contributed to the problem. Many of the world’s most clima te-vulnerable countries, the majority of which are African or small island states, produce a very small quantity of emissions. This is much like a non-smoker getting cancer from second-hand smoke, while the heavy smoker is fortunate enough to smoke in good health.The Pairs agreement has been widely hailed as a positive step forward in addressing climate change for all, although the details on addressing “climate justice” can be best described as sketchy.The goal of keeping global temperature rise “well below”2℃is commendable but the emissions-reduction pledges submitted by countries leading up to the Pairs talks are very unlikely to deliver on this.More than $100 billion in funding has been put on the table for supporting developing nations to reduce emissions. However, the agreement specifies that there is no formal distinction between developed and developing nations in will provide the funds or, importantly, who is responsible for their provision. Securing these funds, and establishing who is responsible for raising them will also be vital for the future of climate-vulnerable countries.The most climate-vulnerable countries in the world have contributed very little to creating the global disease from which they now suffer the most. There must urgently be a meaningful mobilisation of the policies outlined in the agreement if we are to achieve national emissions reductions while helping the most vulnerable countries adapt to climate change.And it is clearly up to the current generation of leaders from high-emitting nations to decide whether they want to be remembered as climate change tyrants or pioneers.46. The author is critical of the Paris climate agreement because .A) it is unfair to those climate-vulnerable nationsB) it aims to keep temperature rise below 2^ onlyC) it is beneficial to only fewer than 4% of countriesD) it burdens developed countries with the sole responsibility47. Why does the author call some developed countries climate “free-riders”?A) They needn’t worry about the food and wa ter they consume.B) They are better able to cope with the global climate change.C) They hardly pay anything for the problems they have caused.D) They are free from the greenhouse effects affecting “forced riders.”48. Why does the author compare the “forced riders” to second-hand smokers?A) They have little responsibility for public health problems.B) They are vulnerable to unhealthy environmental conditions.C) They have to bear consequences they are not responsible for.D) They are unaware of the potential risks they are confronting.49. What does the author say about the $ 100 billion funding?A) It will motivate all nations to reduce carbon emissions.B) There is no final agreement on where it will come from.C) There is no clarification of how the money will be spent.D) It will effectively reduce greenhouse emissions worldwide.50. What urgent action must be taken to realise the Paris climate agreement?A) Encouraging high-emitting nations to take the initiative.B) Calling on all the nations concerned to make joint efforts.C) Pushing the current world leaders to come to a consensus.D) Putting in effect the policies in the agreement at once.Passage TwoQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.Teenagers at risk of depression, anxiety and suicide often wear their troubles like a neon (霓虹灯) sign. Their risky behaviors---drinking too much alcohol, using illegal drugs, smoking cigarettes and skipping school---can alert parents and teachers that serious problems are brewing.But a new study finds that there’s another group of adolescents who are in nearly as much danger of experiencing the same psychiatric symptoms: teens who use tons of media, don’t get enough sleep and have a sedentary (不爱活动的)lifestyle.Of course, that may sound like a description of every teenager on the planet. But the study warns that it is teenagers who engage in all three of these practices in the extreme who are truly in jeopardy. Because their behaviors are not usually seen as a red flag, these young people have bee n dubbed the “invisible risk” group by the study’s authors. “In some ways they’re at greater risk of falling through the cracks,” say researcher Vladimir Carli. “While most parents, teachers and clinicians would react to an adolescent using drugs or getting drunk, they may easily overlook teenagers who are engaging in inconspicuous behaviors.”The study’s authors surveyed 12,395 students and analyzed nine risk behaviors, including excessive alcohol use, illegal drug use, heavy smoking, high media use and truancy (逃学).Their aim was to determine the relationship between these risk behaviors and mental health issues in teenagers.About 58% of the students demonstrated none or few of the risk behaviors. Some 13% scored high on all nine of the risk behaviors. And 29%, the “invisible risk” group, scored high on three in particular: They spent five hours a day or more on electronic devices. They slept six hours a night or less. And they neglected “other healthy activities.”The group that scored high on all nine of the risk behaviors was most likely to show symptoms of depression; in all, nearly 15% of this group reported being depressed, compared with just 4% of the low-risk group. But the invisible group wasn’t far behind the high-risk set, with more than 13% of them exhibiting depression.The findings caught Carli off guard. “We were very surprised,” he says, “The high-risk group and low-risk group are obvious. But this third group was not only unexpected, it was so distinct and so large---nearly one third of our sample---that is became a key finding of the study.”Carli says that one of the most significant things about his study is that it provides new early-warning signs for parents, teachers and mental health-care providers. And early identification, support and treatment for mental health issues, he says, are the best ways to keep them from turning into full-blown disorders.51. What does the author mean by saying “Teenagers at risk of depression, anxiety and suicide often wear their troubles like a neon sign” (Line 1—2, Para 1)?A) Mental problems can now be found in large numbers of teenagers.B) Teenagers’ mental problems are getting more and more attention.C) Teenagers，mental problems are often too conspicuous not to be observed.D) Depression and anxiety are the most common symptoms of mental problems.52. What is the finding of the new study?A) Teenagers5 lifestyles have changed greatly in recent yearsB) Many teenagers resort to drugs or alcohol for mental relief.C) Teenagers experiencing psychological problems tend to use a lot of media.D) Many hitherto unobserved youngsters may have psychological problems.53. Why do the researchers refer to teens who use tons of media, don’t get enough sleep and have a sedentary lifestyle asthe “invisible risk” group?A) Their behaviors can be an invisible threat to society.B) Their behaviors do not constitute a warning signal.C) Their behaviors do not tend towards mental problems.D) Their behaviors can be found in almost all teenagers on earth.54. What does the new study find about the invisible group?A) They are almost as liable to depression as the high-risk group.B) They suffer from depression without showing any symptoms.C) They do not often demonstrate risky behaviors as their peers.D) They do not attract the media attention the high-risk group does.55. What is the significance of Vladimir Carli’s study?A) It offers a new treatment for psychological problems among teenagers.B) It provides new early-warning signals for identifying teens in trouble.C) It may have found an ideal way to handle teenagers with behavioral problems.D) It sheds new light on how unhealthy behaviors trigger mental health problems.Part IV Translation (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.随着中国经济的蓬勃发展，学汉语的人数迅速增加，使汉语成了世界上人们最爱学的语言之一。

2016年12月大学英语六级考试真题答案（第一套）Part I Writing (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on creation. Your essay should include the importance of creation and measures to be taken to encourage creation. You are required to write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words.Part II Listening Comprehension (30 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversations and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question，you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the center.Questions 1 to 4 are based on the conversation you have just heard.1. A) It tries to predict the possible trends of global climate change.B) It studies the impacts of global climate change on people’s lives.C) It links the science of climate change to economic and policy issues.D) It focuses on the efforts countries can make to deal with global warming.【答案】C2. A) It will take a long time before a consensus is reached on its impact.B) It would be more costly to deal with its consequences than to avoid it.C) It is the most pressing issue confronting all countries.D) It is bound to cause endless disputes among nations.【答案】B3. A) The transition to low-carbon energy systems.B) The cooperation among world major powers.C) The signing of a global agreement.D) The raising of people’s awareness.【答案】A4. A) Carry out more research on it.B) Cut down energy consumption.C) Plan well in advance.D) Adopt new technology.【答案】CQuestions 5 to 8 are based on the conversation you have just heard.5. A) When luck plays a role.B) What determines successC) Whether practice makes perfect.D) How important natural talent is【答案】B6. A) It knocks at your door only once in a while.B) It is something that no one can possibly create.C) It comes naturally out of one’s self-confidence.D) It means being good at seizing opportunities.【答案】D7. A) Luck rarely contributes to a person’s success.B) One must have natural talent to be successful.C) One should always be ready to seize opportunities.D) Practice is essential to becoming good at something.【答案】D8. A) Putting time and effort into fun things is profitable.B) People who love what they do care little about money.C) Being passionate about work can make one wealthy.D) People in need of money work hard automatically.【答案】CSection BDirections: In this section, you will hear two passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear three or four questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the center.Questions 9 to 12 are based on the passage you have just heard.9. A) The stump of a giant tree.B) A huge piece of rock.C) The peak of a mountain.D) A tall chimney.【答案】A10. A) Human activity.B) Wind and water.C) Chemical processes.D) Fire and fury.【答案】B11. A) It is a historical monument.B) It was built in ancient times.C) It is Indians’ sacred place for worship.D) It was created by supernatural powers.【答案】D12. A) By sheltering them in a cave.B) By killing the attacking bears.C) By lifting them well above the ground.D) By taking them to the top of a mountain.【答案】CQuestions 13 to 15 are based on the passage you have just heard.13. A) They will buy something from the convenience stores.B) They will take advantage of the time to rest a while.C) They will have their vehicles washed or serviced.D) They will pick up some souvenirs or gift items.【答案】A14. A) They can bring only temporary pleasures.B) They are meant for the extremely wealthy.C) They should be done away with altogether.D) They may eventually drive one to bankruptcy.【答案】A15. A) A good way to socialize is to have daily lunch with one’s colleagues.B) Retirement savings should come first in one’s family budgeting.C) A vacation will be affordable if one saves 20 dollars a week.D) Small daily savings can make a difference in one’s life【答案】DSection CDirections: In this section, you will hear three recordings of lectures or talks followed by three or four questions.The recordings will be played only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B),C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer 1.Questions 16 to 18 are based on the recording you have just heard.16. A) They should be done away with.B) They are necessary in our lives.C) They enrich our experience.D) They are harmful to health.【答案】B17. A) They feel stressed out even without any challenges in life.B) They feel too overwhelmed to deal with life’s problems.C) They are anxious to free themselves from life’s troubles.D) They are exhausted even without doing any heavy work.【答案】B18. A) They expand our mind.B) They prolong our lives.C) They narrow our focus.D) They lessen our burdens.【答案】AQuestions 19 to 22 are based on the recording you have just heard.19. A) It is not easily breakable.B) It came from a 3D printer.C) It represents the latest style.D) It was made by a fashion designer.【答案】B20. A) When she had just graduated from her college.B) When she attended a conference in New YorkC) When she was studying at a fashion design school.D) When she attended a fashion show nine months ago.D) They can’t be solved without government support.【答案】C21. A) It was difficult to print.B) It was hard to come by.C) It was hard and breakable.D) It was extremely expensive.【答案】C22. A) It is the latest model of a 3D printer.B) It is a plastic widely used in 3D printing.C) It gives fashion designers room for imagination.D) It marks a breakthrough in printing material.【答案】DQuestions 23 to 25 are based on the recording you have just heard.23. A) They arise from the advances in technology.B) They have not been examined in detail so far.C) They are easy to solve with modem technology.D) They can’t be solved without government support.【答案】A24. A) It is attractive to entrepreneurs.B) It demands huge investmentC) It focuses on new products.D) It is intensely competitive【答案】D25. A) Cooperation with big companies.B) It demands huge investment.C)In-service training of TV personnelD) Sharing of costs with each other.【答案】DPart III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section here is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a singleline through the center. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.It is important that scientists be seen as normal people asking and answering important questions. Good, sound science depends on -26 -experiments and reasoned methodologies. It requires a willingness to ask new questions and try new approaches. It requires one to take risks and experience failures. Butgood science also requires -27 -understanding, clear explanation and concise presentation.26._______ 27. _______A) arena B) contextual C) convincing D) devoted E) digitsF) hasten G) hypotheses H) impairing) incorporate J) indefiniteK) indulge L) inertia M) pride N) reaping O) warrant【答案】26.G 27.BOur country needs more scientists who are willing to step out in thepublic -28- and offer their opinions on important matters. We need more scientists who can explain what they are doing in language that is -29 -and understandable to the public. Those of us who are not scientists should also be prepared to support public engagement by scientists, and to -30 -scientific knowledge into our public communications.28._______ 29. _______ 30._______A) arena B) contextual C) convincing D) devoted E) digitsF) hasten G) hypotheses H) impairing) incorporate J) indefiniteK) indulge L) inertia M) pride N) reaping O) warrant【答案】28.A 29.C 30.IToo many people in this country, including some among our elected leadership, still do not understand how science works or why robust, long-range investments in research vitally matter. In the 1960s, the United States -31- nearly 17% of discretionary (可酌情支配的)spending to research and development, -32--decades of economic growth. By 2008，the figure had fallen into the single -33-. This occurs at a time when other nations have made significant gains in their own research capabilities.31._______ 32. _______ 33._______A) arena B) contextual C) convincing D) devoted E) digitsF) hasten G) hypotheses H) impairing) incorporate J) indefiniteK) indulge L) inertia M) pride N) reaping O) warrant【答案】31.D 32. N 33.EAt the University of California (UC), we -34- ourselves not only on the quality of our research, but also on its contribution to improving our world.To -35 -the development of science from the lab bench to the market place, UC is investing our own money in our own good ideas.34._______ 35. _______A) arena B) contextual C) convincing D) devoted E) digitsF) hasten G) hypotheses H) impairing) incorporate J) indefiniteK) indulge L) inertia M) pride N) reaping O) warrant【答案】34.M 35.FSection BDirections: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.Are we in an Innovation Lull?[A]Scan the highlights of the year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES), and you may get a slight feeling of having seen them before. Many of the coolest gadgets this year are the same as the coolest gadgets last year ---or the year before, even. The booths are still exciting, and the demos are still just as crazy. It is still easy to be dazzled by the display of drones (无人机), 3D printers, virtual reality goggles (眼镜)and more “smart” devices than you could ever hope to catalog. Upon reflection, however, it is equally easy tofeel like you have seen it all before. And it is hard not to think: Are we in an innovation lull (间歇期)?[B] In some ways, the answer is yes. For years, Smartphones, televisions, tablets, laptops and desktops have made up a huge part of the market and driven innovation. But now these segments are looking at slower growth curves--- or shrinking markets in some cases—as consumers are not as eager to spend money on new gadgets. Meanwhile, emerging technologies---the drones, 3D printers and smart-home devices of the world--now seem a bit too old to be called “the next big thing”[C] Basically the tech industry seems to be in an awkward period now. “There is not any one-hit wonder, and there will not be one for years to come,” said Gary Shapiro, president and chief executive of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA). In his eyes, however, that doesn’t necessarilymean that innovation has stopped. It has just grown up a little. “Many industries are going out of infancy and becoming adolescents,” Shapiro said.[D] For instance, new technologies that are building upon existing technology have not found their footing well enough to appeal to a mass audience, because, in many cases, they need to work effectively with other devices to realize their full appeal. Take the evolution of the smart home, for example. Companies are pushing it hard but make it almost overwhelming even to dip a toe in the water for the average consumer, because there are so many compatibility issues to think about. No average person wants to figure out whether their favorite calendar software works with their fridge or whether their washing machine and tablet get along. Having to install a different app for each smart appliance in your home is annoying; it would be nicer if you could manage everything together. And while you may forgive your smartphone an occasional fault, you probably have less patience for error messages from your door lock.[E] Companies are promoting their own standards, and the market has not had time to choose a winner yet as this is still very new. Companies that have long focused on hardware now have to think of ecosystems instead to give consumers practical solutions to their everyday problems. “The dialogue is changing from what is technologically possible to what is technologically meaningful, said economist Shawn DuBravac. DuBravac works for CTA— which puts on the show each year---and said that this shift to a search for solutions has been noticeable as he researched his predictions for 2016.[F] “So much of what CES has been about is the cool. It is about the flashiness and the gadgets,” said John Curran, managing director of research at Accenture. “But over the last couple of years, and in this one in particular, we are starting to see companies shift from what is the largest screen size, the smallest form factor or the shiniest object and more into what all of these devices do that is practical in a consumer’s life.” Even the technology press conferences, which have been high-pro the past and reached a level of drama and theatrics fitting for a Las Vegas stage, have a different bent to them. Rather than just dazzling with a high cool factor, there is a focus on the practical. Fitbit, for example, released its first smartwatch Monday, selling with a clear purpose---to improve your fitness—and promoting it as a “tool, not a toy.” Not only that, it supports a number of platforms: Apple’s iOS, Google’s Android and Microsoft’s Windows phone.[G]That seems to be what consumers are demanding, after all. Consumers are becoming increasingly bored with what companies have to offer: A survey of28,000 consumers in 28 countries released by Accenture found consumers are not as excited about technology as they once were. For example, when asked whether they would buy a new smartphone this year, only 48 percent said yes—a six-point drop from 2015.[H] And when it comes to the hyper-connected super-smart world that technology firms are painting for us, it seems that consumers are growing more uneasy about handing over the massive amounts of consumer data needed to provide the personalized, customized solutions that companies need to improve their services. That could be another explanation for why companies seem to be strengthening their talk of the practicality of their devices.[I] Companies have already won part of the battle, having driven tech into every part of our lives, tracking our steps and our very heartbeats. Yet the persistent question of “Why do I need that?”~or, perhaps more tellingly, “Why do you need to know that?”dogs the steps of many new ventures. Only 13 percent of respondents said that they were interested in buying a smartwatch in 2016, for example—an increase of just one percent from the previous year despite a year of high-pro. That is bad news for any firm that may hope that smartwatches can make up ground for maturing smartphone and tablet markets. And the survey found flat demand for fitness monitors, smart thermostats (恒温器)and connected home cameras, as well.[J] According to the survey, that lack of enthusiasm could stem from concerns about privacy and security. Even among people who have bought connected devices of some kind, 37 percent said that they are going to be more cautious about using these devices and services in the future. A full 18 percent have even returned devices until they feel they can get safer guarantees against having their sensitive information hacked.[K] That, too, explains the heavy Washington presence at this year’s show, as these new technologies intrude upon heavily regulated areas. In addition to many senior officials from the Federal Trade and Federal Communications commissions, this year’s list of policy makers also includes appearances from Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, to talk about smart cities, and Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Michael Huerta, to talk about drones.[L] Curran, the Accenture analyst, said that increased government interest in the show makes sense as technology becomes a larger part of our lives. “There is an incompatibility in the rate at which these are advancing relative to the way we，re digesting it,” he said. “Technology is becoming bigger and more aspirational，and penetrating almost every aspect of our lives. We have tounderstand and think about the implications, and balance these great innovations with the potential downsides they naturally carry with them.”36. Consumers are often hesitant to try smart-home devices because they are worried about compatibility problems.【答案】D37. This year’s electronics show featured the presence of many officials from the federal government.【答案】K38. The market demand for electronic devices is now either declining or not growing as fast as before.【答案】B39. One analyst suggests it is necessary to accept both the positive and negative aspects of innovative products.【答案】L40. The Consumer Electronics Show in recent years has begun to focus more on the practical value than the showiness of electronic devices.【答案】F41. Fewer innovative products were found at this year’s electronic products show.【答案】A42. Consumers are becoming more worried about giving personal information to tech companies to get customized products and services.【答案】H43. The Consumer Technology Association is the sponsor of the annual Consumer Electronics Show.【答案】E44. Many consumers wonder about the necessity of having their fitness monitored.【答案】I45. The electronic industry is maturing even though no wonder products hit the market.【答案】CSection CDirections: There are two passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the center.Passage OneQuestions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.The Paris climate agreement finalised in December last year heralded a new era for climate action. For the first time, the world’s nations agreed to keep global warming well below 2℃.This is vital for climate-vulnerable nations. Fewer than 4% of countries are responsible for more than half of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. In a study published in Nature Scientific Reports, we reveal just how deep this injustice runs.Developed nations such as Australia, the United States, Canada, and European countries are essentially climate “free-riders,” causing themajority of the problems through high greenhouse gas emissions, while incurring few of the costs such as climate change’s impact on food and water. In other words, a few countries are benefiting enormously from the consumption of fossil fuels, while at the same time contributing disproportionately to the global burden of climate change.On the flip side, there are many “forced riders,” who are suffering from the climate change impacts despite having scarcely contributed to the problem. Many of the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries, the majority of which are African or small island states, produce a very small quantity of emissions. This is much like a non-smoker getting cancer from second-hand smoke, while the heavy smoker is fortunate enough to smoke in good health.The Pairs agreement has been widely hailed as a positive step forward in addressing climate change for all, although the details on addressing “climate justice” can be best described as sketchy.The goal of keeping global temperature rise “well below” 2℃ is commendable but the emissions-reduction pledges submitted by countries leading up to the Pairs talks are very unlikely to deliver on this.More than $100 billion in funding has been put on the table for supporting developing nations to reduce emissions. However, the agreement specifies that there is no formal distinction between developed and developing nations in will provide the funds or, importantly, who is responsible for their provision. Securing these funds, and establishing who is responsible for raising them will also be vital for the future of climate-vulnerable countries.The most climate-vulnerable countries in the world have contributed very little to creating the global disease from which they now suffer the most. There must urgently be a meaningful mobilisation of the policies outlined in the agreement if we are to achieve national emissions reductions while helping the most vulnerable countries adapt to climate change.And it is clearly up to the current generation of leaders from high-emitting nations to decide whether they want to be remembered as climate change tyrants or pioneers.46. The author is critical of the Paris climate agreement because .A) it is unfair to those climate-vulnerable nationsB) it aims to keep temperature rise below 2^ onlyC) it is beneficial to only fewer than 4% of countriesD) it burdens developed countries with the sole responsibility【答案】A47. Why does the author call some developed countries climate “free-riders”?A) They needn’t worry about the food and water they consume.B) They are better able to cope with the global climate change.C) They hardly pay anything for the problems they have caused.D) They are free from the greenhouse effects affecting “forced riders.”【答案】C48. Why does the author compare the “forced riders” to second-hand smokers?A) They have little responsibility for public health problems.B) They are vulnerable to unhealthy environmental conditions.C) They have to bear consequences they are not responsible for.D) They are unaware of the potential risks they are confronting.【答案】C49. What does the author say about the $ 100 billion funding?A) It will motivate all nations to reduce carbon emissions.B) There is no final agreement on where it will come from.C) There is no clarification of how the money will be spent.D) It will effectively reduce greenhouse emissions worldwide.【答案】B50. What urgent action must be taken to realise the Paris climate agreement?A) Encouraging high-emitting nations to take the initiative.B) Calling on all the nations concerned to make joint efforts.C) Pushing the current world leaders to come to a consensus.D) Putting in effect the policies in the agreement at once.Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage【答案】DPassage TwoQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.Teenagers at risk of depression, anxiety and suicide often wear their troubles like a neon (霓虹灯) sign. Their risky behaviors---drinking too much alcohol, using illegal drugs, smoking cigarettes and skipping school---can alert parents and teachers that serious problems are brewing.But a new study finds that there’s another group of adolescents who are in nearly as much danger of experiencing the same psychiatric symptoms: teens who use tons of media, don’t get enough sleep and have a sedentary (不爱活动的)lifestyle.Of course, that may sound like a description of every teenager on the planet. But the study warns that it is teenagers who engage in all three of these practices in the extreme who are truly in jeopardy. Because their behaviors are not usually seen as a red flag, these young people have been dubbed the “invisible risk” group by the study’s authors. “In some ways they’re at greater risk of falling through the cracks,” say researcherVladimir Carli. “While most parents, teachers and clinicians would react to an adolescent using drugs or getting drunk, they may easily overlook teenagers who are engaging in inconspicuous behaviors.”The study’s authors surveyed 12,395 students and analyzed nine risk behaviors, including excessive alcohol use, illegal drug use, heavy smoking, high media use and truancy (逃学).Their aim was to determine the relationship between these risk behaviors and mental health issues in teenagers.About 58% of the students demonstrated none or few of the risk behaviors. Some 13% scored high on all nine of the risk behaviors. And 29%, the“invisible risk” group, scored high on three in particular: They spent five hours a day or more on electronic devices. They slept six hours a night or less. And they neglected “other healthy activities.” The group that scored high on all nine of the risk behaviors was most likely to show symptoms of depression; in all, nearly 15% of this group reported being depressed, compared with just 4% of the low-risk group. But the invisible group wasn’t far behind the high-risk set, with more than 13% of them exhibiting depression.The findings caught Carli off guard. “We were very surprised,” he says, “The high-risk group and low-risk group are obvious. But this third group was not only unexpected, it was so distinct and so large---nearly one third of our sample---that is became a key finding of the study.”Carli says that one of the most significant things about his study is that it provides new early-warning signs for parents, teachers and mental health-care providers. And early identification, support and treatment for mental health issues, he says, are the best ways to keep them from turning into full-blown disorders.51. What does the author mean by saying “Teenagers at risk of depression, anxiety and suicide often wear their troubles like a neon sign” (Line 1—2, Para 1)?A) Mental problems can now be found in large numbers of teenagers.B) Teenagers’ mental problems are getting more and more attention.C) Teenagers，mental problems are often too conspicuous not to be observed.D) Depression and anxiety are the most common symptoms of mental problems.【答案】C52. What is the finding of the new study?A) Teenagers5 lifestyles have changed greatly in recent yearsB) Many teenagers resort to drugs or alcohol for mental relief.C) Teenagers experiencing psychological problems tend to use a lot of media.D) Many hitherto unobserved youngsters may have psychological problems.【答案】D53. Why do the researchers refer to teens who use tons of media, don’t get enough sleep and have a sedentary lifestyle as the “invisible risk”group?A) Their behaviors can be an invisible threat to society.B) Their behaviors do not constitute a warning signal.C) Their behaviors do not tend towards mental problems.D) Their behaviors can be found in almost all teenagers on earth.【答案】B54. What does the new study find about the invisible group?A) They are almost as liable to depression as the high-risk group.B) They suffer from depression without showing any symptoms.C) They do not often demonstrate risky behaviors as their peers.D) They do not attract the media attention the high-risk group does.【答案】A55. What is the significance of Vladimir Carli’s study?A) It offers a new treatment for psychological problems among teenagers.B) It provides new early-warning signals for identifying teens in trouble.C) It may have found an ideal way to handle teenagers with behavioral problems.D) It sheds new light on how unhealthy behaviors trigger mental health problems.【答案】BPart IV Translation (30 minutes)。

2016年12月大学英语六级考试（第2套）Part ⅠWriting (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on creation. Your essay should include the importance of creation and measures to be taken to encourage creation. You are required to write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words.Part II Listening Comprehension (30 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report, you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 1 to 4 are based on the conversation you have just heard.1. A. They were proud of their cuisine.B. They were particular about food.C. They were all good at cooking.D. They were fond of bacon and eggs.2. A. His parents.B. His friends.C. His parents' friends.D. His schoolmates.3. A. No one of the group ate it.B. It was a little overcooked.C. No tea was served with the meal.D. It was the real English breakfast.4. A. It was full of excitement.B. It was rather disappointing.C. It was a risky experience.D. It was really extraordinary.Questions 5 to 8 are based on the conversation you have just heard.5. A. The woman's earnings over the years.B. The key to running a shop at a low cost.C. The business success of the woman's shop.D. The woman's relationship with other shops.6. A. Keep down its expenses.B. Expand its business scale.C. Improve its customer service.D. Upgrade the goods it sells.7. A. They are in great demand.B. They are delivered free of charge.C. They are very-popular with the local residents.D. They are sold at lower prices than in other shops.8. A. To maintain friendly relationships with other shops.B. To avoid being put out of business in competition.C. To attract more customers in the neighborhood.D. To follow the custom of the local shopkeepers.Section BDirections: In this section, you will hear two passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear three or four questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once.After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A, B, C and D. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 9 to 12 are based on the passage you have just heard.9. A. They are on the verge of extinction because of pollution.B. They carry plant seeds and spread them to faraway places.C. They deliver pollutants from the ocean to their nesting sites.D. They can be used to deliver messages in times of emergency.10. A. They originate from Devon Island in the Arctic area.B. They migrate to the Arctic Circle during the summer.C. They have the ability to survive in extreme weathers.D. They travel as far as 400 kilometers in search of food.11. A. They had become more poisonous.B. They were carried by the wind.C. They poisoned some of the fulmars.D. They were less than on the continent.12. A. The effects of the changing climate on Arctic seabirds.B. The harm Arctic seabirds may cause to humans.C. The diminishing colonies for Arctic seabirds.D. The threats humans pose to Arctic seabirds.Questions 13 to 15 are based on the passage you have just heard.13. A. It has remained basically the same.B. It has become better understood.C. It has been exaggerated.D. It has decreased.14. A. It is now the second leading cause of death for centenarians.B. It develops more easily in centenarians not actively engaged.C. It calls for more intensive research.D. It has had no effective cure so far.15. A. They cherish their life more than ever.B. Their minds fall before their bodies do.C. Their quality of life deteriorates rapidly.D. They care more about their physical health.Section CDirections: In this section, you will hear three recordings of lectures or talks followed by three or four questions. The recordings will be played only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A, B, C and D Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 16 to 18 are based on the recording you have just heard.16. A. They form the basis on which he builds his theory of love.B. They were carried out over a period of some thirty years.C. They were done by his former colleague at Yale.D. They are focused more on attraction than love.17. A. The relationship cannot last long if no passion is involved.B. It is not love if you don't wish to maintain the relationship.C. Romance is just impossible without mutual understanding.D. Intimacy is essential but not absolutely indispensable to love.18. A. Whether it is true love without commitment.B. Which of them is considered most important.C. How the relationship is to be defined if any one is missing.D. When the absence of any one doesn't affect the relationship.Questions 19 to 22 are based on the recording you have just heard.19. A. The history of social work.B. Social work as a profession.C. Academic degrees required of social work applicants.D. The aim of the National Association of Social Workers.20. A. They try to change people's social behavior.B. They raise people's awareness of the environment.C. They create a lot of opportunities for the unemployed.D. They help enhance the well-being of the underprivileged.21. A. They have all made a difference through their work.B. They are all members of the National Association.C. They all have an academic degree in social work.D. They have all received strict clinical training.22. A. Social workers' job options and responsibilities.B. Ways for social workers to meet people's needs.C. The importance of training for social workers.D. The promotion of social workers' social status.Questions 23 to 25 are based on the recording you have just heard.23. A. To fight childhood obesity.B. To help disadvantaged kids.C. To urge kids to follow their role models.D. To encourage kids to play more sports.24. A. They are most effective when appearing on TV.B. They best boost product sales when put online.C. They are becoming more and more prevalent.D. They impress kids more than they do adults.25. A. Do what they advocate in public.B. Always place kids' interest first.C. Pay attention to their image before children.D. Message positive behaviors at all times.Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select out one word for each blank from a lot of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each itemon Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.Small communities, with their distinctive character—where life is stable and intensely human—are disappearing. Some have __26____ from the face of the earth, others are dying slowly, but all have ___27___ changes as they have come into contact with an ___28___ machine civilization. The merging of diverse peoples into a common mass has produced tension among members of the minorities and the majority alike.The Old Order Amish, who arrived on American shores in colonial times, have ___29___ in the modern world in distinctive, small communities. They have resisted the homogenization ___30___ more successfully than others. In planting and harvest times one can see their bearded men working the fields with horses and their women hanging out the laundry in neat rows to dry. Many American people have seen Amish families with the men wearing broad-brimmed black hats and the women in long dresses. In railway or bus ___31___.Although the Amish have lived with ___32___ America for over two and a half centuries. They have moderated its influence on their personal lives, their families, communities, and their values.The Amish are often ___33___ by other Americans to be relics of the past who live a simple, inflexible life dedicated to inconvenient out-dated customs. They are seen as abandoning both modem ___34___ and the American dream of success and progress, But most people have no quarrel with the Amish for doing things the old-fashioned way. Their conscientious objection was tolerated in wartime. For after all. They are good farmers who ___35___ the virtues of work and thrift.A)accessing I)progressB)conveniences J)respectiveC)destined K)survivedD)expanding L)terminalsE)industrialized M)undergoneF)perceived N)universalG)practice O)vanishedH)processSection BDirections: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.Countries Rush for Upper Hand in AntarcticaA) On a glacier-filled island with fjords（峡湾）and elephant seals, Russia has built Antarctica’s first Orthodox church on a bill overlooking its research base. Less than an hour away by snowmobile. Chinese laborers have updated the Great Wall Station, a vital part of China’s plan to operate five basses on Antarctica, complete with an indoor badminton court and sleeping quarters for 150 peop le. Not to be outdone, India’s futuristic new Bharathi base, built on stills（桩子）using 134 interlocking shipping containers, resembles a spaceship. Turkey and Iran have announced plans to build bases, too.B) More than a century has passed since explorers raced to plant their flags at the bottom of the world, and for decades to come this continent is supposed to be protected as a scientific preserve, shielded from intrusions like military activities and mining . But an array of countries are rushing to assert greater influence here, with an eye not just towards the day those protective treaties expire, but also for the strategic and commercial that already exist.C) The newer players are stepping into what they view as a treasure house of resources. Some of the ventures focus on the Antarctic resources that are already up for grabs, like abundant sea life. South Korea, which operates state-of–the-art bases here, is increasing its fishing of krill（磷虾），found in abundance in the Southern Ocean, while Russia recen tly frustrated efforts to create one of the world’s largest ocean sanctuaries here.D) Some scientists are examining the potential for harvesting icebergs form Antarctica, which is estimated to have the biggest reserves of fresh water on the planet. Nations are also pressing ahead with space research and satellite projects to expand their global navigation abilities.E) Building on a Soviet-era foothold, Russia is expanding its monitoring stations for Glonass, its version of the Global Positioning System(GPS). At least three Russian stations are already operating in Antarctica, part of its effort to challenge the dominance of the American GPS, and new stations are planned for sites like the Russian base, in the shadow of the Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity.F) Elsewhere in Antarctica, Russian researchers boast of their recent discovery of a freshwater reserve the size of Lake Ontario after drilling through miles of solid ice. “You can see that we’re here to stay,” said Vladimir Cheberdak, 57, chief of the Bellingshausen Station, as he sipped tea under a portrait of Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen, a high-ranking officer in the Imperial Russian Navy who explored the Antarctic coast in 1820.G) Antarctica’s mineral, oil and gas wealth are a longer-term prize. The treaty banning mining here, shielding coveted(令人垂诞的)reserves of iron ore, coal and chromium, comes up for review in 2048. Researchers recently found kimberlite(金伯利岩) deposits hinting at the existence of diamonds. And while assessments vary widely, geologists estimate that Antarctica holds at least 36 billion barrels of oil and natural gas.H) Beyond the Antarctic treaties, huge obstacles persist to tapping these resources, like drifting icebergs that could jeopardize offshore platforms. Then there is Antarctic’s remoteness, with some mineral deposits found in windswept locations on a continent that is larger the Europe and where winter temperatures hover around minus 55 degrees Celsius.I) But advances in technology might make Antarctica a lot more accessible three decades from now. And even before then, scholars warn, the demand for resources in an energy-hungry world could raise pressure to renegotiate Antarctica’s treaties, possibly allowing more commercial endeavours here well before the prohibit ions against them expire. The research stations on King George lsland offer a glimpse into the long game on this ice-blanketed continent as nations assert themselves, eroding the sway long held by countries like the United States, Britain. Australia and New Zealand.J) Being stationed in Antarctica involves adapting to life on the planet’s driest, windiest and coldest continent, yet each nation manages to make itself at home. Bearded Russian priests offer regular services at the Orthodox church for the 16 or so Russian speakers who spend the winter at the base, largely polar scientists in fields like glaciology and meteorology. Their number climbs to about 40 in the warmer summer months. China has arguably the fastest growing operations in Antarctica. It opened its fourth station last year and is pressing ahead with plans to build a fifth. It is building its second ice-breaking ship and setting up research drilling operations on an ice dome 13,422 feet above sea level that is one the planet’s coldest places. Chinese officials say the expansion in Antarctica prioritises scientific research. But they also acknowledge that concerns about “resource security” influence their moves.K) China’s newly renovated Great Wall Station on King George lsland makes the Russia n and Chilean bases here seem outdated. ”We do weather monitoring here and other research.” Ning Xu, 53, the chief of the Chinese base, said over tea during a fierce blizzard(暴风雪) in late November. The large base he leads resembles a snowed-in college campus on holiday break, with the capacity to sleep more than 10 times the 13 people who were staying on through the Antarctic winter. Yong Yu, a Chinese microbiologist, showed off the spacious building, with empty desks under an illustrated timeline detailing the rapid growth of China’s Antarctic operations since the 1980s “We now feel equipped to grow,” he said.L) As some countries expand operations in Antarctica, the United States maintains three year-round stations on the continent with more than 1,000 peo ple during the southern hemisphere’s summer, including those at the Amundsen Scott station, built in 1956 at an elevation of 9,301 feet on a plateau at the South Pole. But US researchers quietly complain about budget restraints and having far fewer icebreakers the Russia, limiting the reach of the United States in Antarctica.M) Scholars warn that Antarctica’s political drift could blur the distinction between military and civilian activities long before the continent’s treaties come up for renegotiation, e specially in parts of Antarctica that are ideal for intercepting(拦截) signals from satellites or retasking satellite systems, potentially enhancing global electronic intelligence operations.N) Some countries have had a hard time here, Brazil opened a research station in 1984, but it was largely destroyed by a fire that killed two members of the navy in 2012, the same year that a diesel-laden Brazilian barge sank near the base. As if that were not enough. a Brazilian C-130 Hercules military transport plane has remained stranded near the runway of Chile’s air base here since it crash-landed in 2014.O) However, Brazil’s stretch of misfortune has created opportunities for China, with a Chinese company winning the $100 million contract in 2015 to rebuild the Brazilian station.P) Amid all the changes, Antarctica maintains its allure. South Korea opened its second Antarctic research base in 2014, describing it as a way to test robots developed by Korean researchers for use in extreme conditions. With Russia’s help, Belarus is preparing to build this first Antarctic base. Colombia said this year that it planned to join other South American nations with bases in Antarctica.Q) “The old days of the Antarctic being dominated by the interests and wishes of white men fro m European. Australasian and North American states are over.” Said Klaus Dodds, a politics scholar at the University of London who specialises in Antarctica. “The reality is that Antarctica is geopolitically contested.”36. According to Chinese officials, their activities in Antarctica lay greater emphasis on scientific research.37. Efforts to create one of the world’s largest ocean sanctuaries failed because of Russia’s obstruction.38. With several monitoring stations operating in Antarctica, Russia is t rying hard to counter America’s dominance in the field of worldwide navigational facilities.39. According to geologists’ estimates. Antarctica has enormous reserves of oil and natural gas.40. It is estimated that Antarctica boasts of the richest reserves of fresh water on earth.41. The demand for energy resources may compel renegotiation of Antarctica’s treaties before their expiration.42. Many countries are racing against each other to increase their business and strategic influence on Antarctica.43. Antarctica’s harsh natural conditions constitute huge obstacles to the exploitation of its resources.44. With competition from many countries, Antarctica is no longer dominated by the traditional white nations.45. American scientists complain about lack of sufficient money and equipment for their expansion in Antarctica. Passage oneQuestions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.Any veteran nicotine addict will testify that fancy packaging plays no role in the decision to keep smoking. So, it is argued, stripping cartons of their branding will trigger no mass movement to quit.But that isn’t why the government—under pressure from cancer charities, health workers and the Labour party—has agreed to legislate for standardized packaging. The theory is that smoking should be stripped of any appeal to discourage new generations from starting in the first place. Plain packaging would be another step in the reclassification of cigarettes from inviting consumer products to narcotics（麻醉剂）.Naturally, the tobacco industry is violently opposed. No business likes to admit that it sells addictive poison as a lifestyle choice. That is why government has historically intervened, banning advertising, imposing health warnings and punitive(惩罚性的) duties. This approach has led over time to a fall in smoking with numbers having roughly halved since the 1970s. Evidence from Australia suggests plain packaging pushes society further along that road. Since tobacco as one of the biggest causes of premature death in the UK, a measure that tames the habit even by a fraction is worth trying.So why has it taken so long? The Department of Health declared its intention to consider the move in November 2010 and consulted through 2012. But the plan was suspended in July 2013. It did not escape notice that a lobbying firm set up by Lynton Crosby, David Cameron’s election campaign director, had previously acted for Philip Morris International. (The prime minister denied there was a connection between his news adviser’s outside interests and the change in legislative programme.) In November 2013, after an unnecessary round of additional consultation, health minister Jane Ellison said the government was minded to proceed after all. Now we are told Members of Parliament (MPs) will have a free voice before parliament is dissolved in March.Parliament has in fact already authorised the government to tame the tobacco trade. MPs voted overwhelmingly in favour of Labour amendments to the children and families bill last February that included the power to regulate for plain packaging. With sufficient will in Downing Street this would have been done already. But strength of will is the missing ingredient where Mr. Cameron and public health are concerned. His attitude to state intervention has looked confused ever since his bizarre 2006lament(叹息) that chocolate oranges placed seductively at supermarket check-outs fueled obesity.The government has moved reluctantly into a sensible public health policy, but with such obvious over-cautiousness that any political credit due belongs to the opposition. Without sustained external pressure it seems certain Mr. Cameron would still be hooked on the interests of big tobacco companies.46. What do chain smokers think of cigarette packaging?A) Fancy packaging can help to engage new smokers.B) It has little to do with the quality or taste of cigarettes.C) Plain packaging discourages non-smokers from taking up smoking.D) It has little impact on their decision whether or not to quit smoking.47. What has the UK government agreed to do concerning tobacco packaging?A) Pass a law to standardise cigarette packaging.B) Rid cigarette cartons of all advertisements.C) Subsidise companies to adopt plain packaging.D) Reclassify cigarettes according to packaging.48. What has happened in Australia where plain packaging is implemented?A) Premature death rates resulting from smoking have declined.B) The number of smokers has dropped more sharply than in the UK.C) The sales of tobacco substitutes have increased considerably.D) Cigarette sales have been falling far more quickly than in the UK.49. Why it taken so long for the UK government to consider plain packaging?A) Prime Minister Cameron has been reluctant to take action.B) There is strong opposition from veteran nicotine addicts.C) Many Members of Parliament are addicted to smoking.D) Pressure from tobacco manufacturers remains strong.50. What did Cameron say about chocolate oranges at supermarket checkouts?A) They fueled a lot of controversy.B) They made more British people obese.C) They attracted a lot of smokers.D) They had certain ingredients missing.Passage TwoQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.What a waste of money!In return for an averageof£44,000 of debt,students get an average of only 14 hours of lecture and tutorial time a week in Britain. Annual fees have risen from£1,000 to $9,000 in the last decade. But contact time at university has barely risen at all. And graduating doesn’t even provide any guarantee of a decent job:sixin ten graduates today are in non-graduate jobs.No wonder it has become fashionable to denounce many universities as little more that elaborate com-tricks(骗术). There’s a lotfor students to complain about the repayment threshold for paying back loans will be frozen for five years, meaning that lower-paid graduals have to start repaying their loans, and maintenance grants have been replaced by loans meaning that students from poorer backgrounds face higher debt than those with wealthier parents.Yet it still pa ys to go to university. If going to university doesn’t work out, students pay very little—if any—of their tuition fees back, you only start repaying when you are earning £21, 000 a year. Almost half of graduates—thosewho go on to earn less—will have a por tion of their debt written off. It’s not just the lectures and tutorials that are important. Education is the sum of what students teach each other in between lectures and seminars. Students do not merely benefit while at university, studies show they go on to be healthier and happier than non-graduates, and also far more likely to vote.Whatever your talents, it is extraordinarily difficult to get a leading job in most fields without having been to university. Recruiters circle elite universities like vulturous(兀鹰). Many top firms will not even look at applications from those who lack a 2.1, i.e., an upper-second class degree, from an elite university. Students at university also meet those likely to be in leading jobs in the future, forming contacts for life. This might not be right, but school-leavers who fail to acknowledge as much risk making the wrong decision about going to university.Perhaps the reason why so many universities offer their students so little is they know studying at a top university remains a brilliant investment even if you don’t learn anything.Studying at university will only become less attractive if employers shift their focus away from where someone went to university—and there is no sign of that happening anytime soon. School-leavers may moan, but they have little choice but to embrace university and the student debt that comes with it.51. What is the author’s opinion of going to university?A) It is worthwhile after all.B) It is simply a waste of time.C) It is hard to say whether it is good or bad.D) It is too expensive for most young people.52. What does the author say about the employment situation of British university graduates?A) Few of them are satisfied with the jobs they are offered.B) It usually takes a long time for them to find a decent job.C) Graduates from elite universities usually can get decent jobs.D) Most of them take jobs which don’t require a college degree.53. What does the author say is important for university students besides classroom instruction?A) Making sure to obtain an upper-second class degree.B) Practical skills they will need in their future careers.C) Interactions among themselves outside the classroom.D) Developing independent and creative thinking abilities.54. What is said to be an advantage of going to university?A) Learning how to take risks in an ever-changing world.B) Meeting people who will be helpful to you in the future.C) Having opportunities of playing a leading role in society.D) Gaining up-to-date knowledge in science and technology.55. What can we infer from the last paragraph?A) It is natural for students to make complaints about university education.B) Few students are willing to bear the burden of debt incurred at university.C) University education is becoming attractive to students who can afford it.D) The prestige of the university influences employers’ recruitment decisions.Part IV Translation (30minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.随着中国经济的蓬勃发展，学汉语的人数迅速增加，使汉语成了世界上人们最爱学的语言之一。

2016 年 12 月大学英语六级听力真题及答案（第二套）听力稿原文Section A NEWS News1 A 16th century castle in Scotland is on the verge of collapse after chunks of soil were washed away by floods, threatening its foundations. On Sunday, the castle's owner, John Gordon, 76, was forced to evacuate his property after the River Dee swept away about 60 feet of land, leaving the castle dangerously close to the river, according to the Scottish Daily Record. Abergeldie castle, located in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, was built by Sir Alexander Gordon of Midmar who later became the Earl of Huntly. The castle, which is located on 11,700 acres, was leased to members of the royal family between 1848 and 1970, including King Edward VII and George V. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has issued more than 35 flood warnings covering several regions as Scotland continues to clean up after Storm Frank hit the country last Wednesday. "This means that rivers will rise more slowly but then stay high for much longer," the environmental agency said. Q1. Why did John Gordon move out of Abergeldie castle? A. It was dangerous to live in. B. It was going to be renovated. C. He could no longer pay the rent. D. He had sold it to the royal family. 答案:A Q2. What happenedin Scotland last Wednesday? A. A strike. B. A storm C. A forest fire. D. A terrorist attack. 答案:B News2 Rescue efforts were underway Thursday morning for 17 miners who were stuck in an elevator below ground. a Cargill rock salt mine in Lansing, N.Y. ccording to Marcia Lynch, public information officer with Tompkins County’s emergency response department. Emergency workers have made contact with the miners through a radio, and they all appear to be uninjured, said Jessica Verfuss, the emergency department’s assistant director.Crews have managed to provide heat packs and blankets to the miners so that they can keep warm during the rescue operation, Verfuss said. Details about what led to the workers’ being trapped in the elevator weren’t immediately available. The mine, near New York's Cayuga Lake, processes salt used for road treatment. It produces about 2 million tons of salt that is shipped to more than 1,500places in the northeastern United States.The rock salt mine is one of three operated by Cargill, with the other two beingin Louisiana and Ohio. Q3. What does the news report say about the salt miners? A. They lost contact with the emergency department. B. They were trapped in an underground elevator. C. They were injured by suddenly falling rocks. D. They sent calls for help via a portable radio. 答案 B Q4. What did the rescue team do? A. They tried hard to repair the elevator. B. They released the details of the accident. C. They sent supplies to keep the miners warm. D. They provided the miners with food and water. 答案 C News3 The U.S. Postal Service announced today that it is considering closing about 3,700 post offices over the next year because of falling revenues. Facing an $8.3 billion budget deficit this year, closing post offices is one of several proposals the Postal Service has put forth recently to cut costs. Last week for example, Postmaster General Pat Donahoe announced plans to stop mail delivery on Saturdays, a move he says could save $3 billion annually. "We are losing revenue as we speak," Donahoe said. "We do not want taxpayer money. We want to be self-sufficient. So like any other business, you have to make choices." Dean Granholm, the vice president for delivery and post office operations, said the first wave of closings would begin this fall.He estimated that about 3,000 postmasters, 500 station managers and between 500 and 1,000 postal clerks could lose their jobs. Q5. What is the US Postal Service planning to do? A. Raise postage rates. B. Improve its services. C. Redesign delivery routes. D. Close some of its post office. 答案 D Q6. What measure has been planned to save costs? A. Shortening business hours. B. Closing offices on holidays. C. Stopping mail delivery on Saturdays. D. Computerising mail sorting processes. 答案 C Q7. What will happen when the proposed measure comes into effect? A. Many post office staff will lose their jobs. B. Many people will begin to complain. C. Taxpayers will be very pleased. D. A lot of controversy will arise.答案 A Section B Conversation conversation 1 M: Mrs. Hampton, we’ve got trouble in the press room this morning. W: Oh, dear. What it about? M: One of the press operators arrived one hour and half late. W: But that’s a straightforward affair. He will simply lose part of his pay. That’s why we have a clock-in system. M: But the point is the man was clocked in at eight o’clock. We have John standing by the time clock and he swears he saw nothing irregular. W: Is John reliable? M: Yes, he is. That’s why we chose him for the job. W: Have you spoken to the man who is late? M: Not yet. I thought I’d have a word with you first. He is a difficult man and I think there has been some trouble on the shop floor. I’ve got a feeling that a trade union representative is behind this. The manager told me that Jack Green’s been very active around the shop the last few days. W: Well. What do you want me to do? M: I was wondering if you’d see Smith, the man who was late, because you are so much better at handling things like this. W: Oh, all right. I will see him. I must say I agree with you about there being bad feelings in the works. I’ve have the idea for sometime that Jack Green’s been busy stirring things up in connection with the latest wage claim. He’s always tried to make trouble. Well, I will get the manager to send Smith up here. Q8. What will happen to the press operator who is late for work according to the woman? Q9. What does the man say about John who stands by the time clock? Q10. Why does the man suggest the woman see the worker who was late?Q11. What does the woman say about Jack Green?conversation 2 W: Our topic today is about something that foreigners nearly always say when they visit Britain. It’s why are the British so cold and they are talking about the British personality, the famous British reserve. It means that we aren’t very friendly； we aren’t very open. M: So do you think it is true? W: it is a difficult one. So many people who visit Britain say it’s difficult to make friends with British people. They say we are cold, reserved and unfriendly. M: I think it’s true. Look at Americans or Australians. They speak the same language, but they are much more open. And you see it when you travel, people, I mean strangers speak to you on the street or on the train. British people seldom speak on the train or the bus not in London anyway. W: Not in London. That’s it. Capital cities are full of tourists and are never friendly. People are different in other parts of the country. M: Not completely. I met a woman once, an Italian. She has been working in Manchester for 2 years and no one, not one of the colleagues had ever invited her to their home. They were friendly to her at work but nothing else. She can’t believe it. She said that it would never happen in Italy. W: You know what they says. An Englishman’s home is his castle. It is really difficult to get inside. M: Yeah it’s about being private. You go home to your house and your garden and you close the door. It’s your place. W: That’s why the British don’t like flats. They prefer to living in the houses. M: That’s true.Q12 What do foreigners generally think of British people according to the woman? Q13 What may British people typically do on train according to the man? Q14 What does the man say about the Italian woman working in Manchester? Q15 Why do British people prefer houses to flats?Section C Passage Passage1 In college, time is scarce and consequently very precious. At the same time, expenses in college pile up surprisingly quickly. A part-time job is a good way to balance costs while insuring there is enough time left over for both academic subjects and after-class activities. If you are a college student looking for a part-time job, the best place to start your job search is right on campus. There are tons of on-campus job opportunities and as a student, you’ll automatically be given hiring priority. Plus, on-campus jobs eliminate commuting time, and could be a great way to connect with academic and professional resources at your university. Check with your school’s career service or employment office for help to find a campus job. Of course, there are opportunities for part-time work off campus, too. If you spend a little time digging for the right part-time jobs, you’ll save yourself time when you find a job that leaves you with enough time to get your schoolwork done, too. If you were a college student looking for work, but worried you won’t have enough time to devote to academic subjects, consider working as a study hall or library monitor. Responsibility is generally include supervising study spaces, to insure that a quiet atmosphere is maintained. It’s a pretty easy job. But one with lots of done time, which means you’ll have plenty of time to catch up on reading, do homework or study for an exam.16. What does the speaker say about college students applying for on campus jobs? 17. What can students do to find a campus job according to the speaker? 18. What does the speaker say is a library monitor’s responsibility?Passage2 Agricultural workers in green tea fields near Mountain Kenya are gathering the tea leaves. It is beautiful to see the rows of tea bushes are straight. All appears to be well. But the farmers who planted the bushes are worried.Nelson Kibara is one of them. He has been growing tea in the Kerugoya area for 40 years. He says the prices this year have been so low that he has made almost no profit. He says he must grow different kinds of tea if he is to survive. Mr. Kibara and hundreds of other farmers have been removing some of their tea bushes and planting a new kind of tea developed by the Tea Research Foundation of Kenya. Its leaves are purple and brown. When the tea is boiled, the drink has a purple color. Medical researchers have studied the health benefits of the new tea. They say it is healthier than green tea and could be sold for a price that is three to four times higher than the price of green tea. But Mr. Kibara says he has not received a higher price for his purple tea crop. He says the market for the tea is unstable and he is often forced to sell his purple tea for the same price as green tea leaves. He says there are not enough buyers willing to pay more for the purple tea. Q 19 Why have tea farmers in Kenya decided to grow purple tea? Q 20 What researchers say about the purple tea ? Q 21 What Mr. Kibara found about the purple tea?Passage3 Today's consumers want beautiful hand crafted s to wear and the help them to home. They prefer something unique and they demand quality. Craftsman today are meeting this demand, people in homes are showing great change as more and more unique handcrafted items become available. Handcrafts are big business, no longer does good craftsman have to work the job they dislikes all day, and then try to create at night. He has earned his professional status, he has now are respected member of the society. Part of the fun of being a craftsman is meeting other craftsman, they love to share their ideas and materials and help others find market for their work. Craftsman have helped educated consumers to make wise choices, they help them to become aware of design and the technique, they help them to relay their choices to its intended use. They often involve in the consumers in trying the craft themselves. When a group of craftsman expands to include more members, a small craftsman organization is formed, such organization does a lot in training work shops in special media and crafts marketing techniques, crafts fail in sales, first of all TV appearances and demonstrations. State art councils help sponsor local art and crafts festivals, which draw crowds in tourist consumers, this blew the local economy considerably because this not only by crafts but it also used by the restaurant and hotels and other services of the area Q22 what does the speaker say about today's consumers? Q23 what does the speaker say about the good craftsman in the past? Q24 what does craftsman help consumers do? Q25 why do state art councils help to sponsor local arts and crafts festivals?[/hide]听力参考答案：第一套 Section A1. [A] It was dangerous to live in. 2. [B] A storm 3. [B] They were trapped in an underground elevator. 4. [C] They sent supplies to keep the miners warm. 5. [D] Close some of its post office. 6. [C] Stopping mail delivery on Saturdays. 7. [A] Many post office staff will lose their jobs.Section B 8. [D] He will lose part of his pay. 9. [B] He is a trustworthy guy. 10.[D] She is better at handling such matters. 11.[C] He is always trying to stir up trouble. 12. [D] Reserved 13. [A] They stay quiet 14. [C] She was never invited to a colleague’s home. 15. [B] Houses provide more privacySection C 16. [D] They will automatically be given hiring priority. 17. [C] Visit the school careers service. 18. [B] Supervising study spaces to ensure a quiet atmosphere.19. [C] It may be sold at a higher price. 20. [A] It is healthier than green tee. 21. [D] It does not have a stable market. 22. [B] They prefer unique s of high quality. 23. [B] They could only try to create at night. 24. [A] Make wise choices. 25. [A] To boost the local economy.第二套 SectionA 1 [C] They were all good at cooking. 2 [C] His parents’s friends. 3 [A] No one of the group ate it. 4 [B] It was rather disappointing. 5 [C] The business success of the woman’s shop. 6 [A] Keep down its expense. 7 [D]They are sold at lower prices than in other shops. 8 [A] To maintain friendly relationship with other shops.Section B 9 [C]They deliver pollutants from the ocean to their nesting sites. 10[A]They originate from Devon Island in the Aretie area.11[B]They were carried by the wind. 12[C]The harm Arctic seabirds may cause to humans. 13[D]It has decreased. 14[A]It is now the second leading cause of death for centenarians. 15[D]Their minds fail before their bodies do.Section C 16[C]They are focused more on attraction than love. 17[C]It is not love if you don’t wish to maintain the relationship. 18[C]How the relationship is to be defined if any one is missing. 19[B]Social work as a profession. 20[D]They help enhance the well-being of the underprivileged. 21[C]They all have an academic degree in social work. 22[A]Social works’ job options and responsibilities. 23[A]To fight childhood obesity. 24[C]They impress kids more than they do adults. 25[D]Message positive behaviors at all times.。

2016年12月大学英语六级考试真题及答案2016年12月大学英语六级考试真题(第1套)Part IWriting(30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a shortessay on invention. Youressay should include the importance of inventionand measures to be taken to encourageinvention. You are required to writeat least 150 words but no more than 200 words.Part ⅡListening Comprehension(30 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, you will hear two long conversations.At the end of eachconversation, you will hear four questions. Both theconversation and thequestions will be spoken only once. After you heara question, you mustchoose the best answer from the four choices markedA, B, C and D.Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet I with a singlelinethrough the centre.Questions 1 to 4 are based on the conversation you have just heard.1. A. It tries to predict the possible trends of global climate change.lives.people's on change climate global of impacts the studies It B.2016年12月大学英语六级考试真题及答案C. It links the science of climate change to economic and policy issues.D. It focuses on the efforts countries can make to deal with globalwarming.2. A. It will take a long time before a consensus is reached on itsimpact.B. It would be more costly to deal with its consequences than to avoidit.C. It is the most pressing issue confronting all countries.D. It is bound to cause endless disputes among nations.3. A. The transition to low-carbon energy systems.B. The cooperation among world major powers.C. The signing of a global agreement.D. The raising of people's awareness.4. A. Carry out more research on it.B. Cut down energy consumption.C. Plan well in advance.2016年12月大学英语六级考试真题及答案D. Adopt new technology.Questions 5 to 8 are based on the conversation you have just heard.5. A. When luck plays a role.B. what determines success.C. Whether practice makes perfect.D. How important natural talent is.6. A. It knocks at your door only once in a while.B. It is something that no one can possibly create.C. It comes naturally out of one's self-confidence.D. It means being good at seizing opportunities.7. A. Luck rarely contributes to a person's success.B. One must have natural talent to be successful.C. One should always be ready to seize opportunities.D. Practice is essential to becoming good at something.8. A. Putting time and effort into fun things is profitable.B. People who love what they do care little about money.2016年12月大学英语六级考试真题及答案C. Being passionate about work can make one wealthy.D. People in need of money work hard automatically.Section BDirections: In this section, you will hear two passages. At the endof each passage, you will hearthree or four questions. Both the passageand the questions will be spoken only once.After you hear a question, youmust choose the best answer from the four choices markedA, B, C and D.Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with asingle linethrough the centre.Questions 9 to 12 are based on the passage you have just heard.9. A. The stump of a giant tree.B. A huge piece of rock.C. The peak of a mountain.D. A tall chimney.10. A. Human activity.B. Wind and water.C. Chemical processes.2016年12月大学英语六级考试真题及答案D. Fire and fury.11. A. It is a historical monument.B. It was built in ancient times.C. It is Indians' sacred place for worship.D. It was created by supernatural powers.12. A. By sheltering them in a cave.B. By killing the attacking bears.C. By lifting them well above the ground.D. By taking them to the top of a mountain.Questions 13 to 15 are based on the passage you have just heard.13. A. They will buy something from the convenience stores.B. They will take advantage of the time to rest a while.C. They will have their vehicles washed or serviced.D. They will pick up some souvenirs or gift items.14. A. They can bring only temporary pleasures.B. They are meant for the extremely wealthy.2016年12月大学英语六级考试真题及答案C. They should be done away with altogether.D. They may eventually drive one to bankruptcy.15. A. A good way to socialize is to have daily lunch with one'scolleagues.B. Retirement savings should come first in one's family budgeting.C. A vacation will be affordable if one saves 20 dollars a week.D. Small daily savings can make a big difference in one's life. Section CDirections: In this section, you will hear three recordings of lectures or talks followed by three orfour questions. The recordings willbe played only once. After you hear a question, youmust choose the bestanswer from the four choices marked A, B, C and D. Thenmark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through thecentre.Questions 16 to 18 are based on the recording you have just heard.16. A. They should be done away with.B. They are necessary in our lives.C. They enrich our experience.2016年12月大学英语六级考试真题及答案D. They are harmful to health.17. A. They feel stressed out even without any challenges inlife.B. They feel too overwhelmed to deal with life's problems.C. They are anxious to free themselves from life's troubles.D. They are exhausted even without doing any heavy work. ~18. A. They expand our mind.B. They prolong our lives.C. They narrow our focus.D.They lessen our burdensQuestions 19 to 22 are based on the recording you have just heard.19. A. It is not easily breakable.B. It came from a 3D printer.C. It represents the latest style.D. It was made by a fashion designer.20. A. When she had just graduated from her college.B. When she attended a conference in New York.2016年12月大学英语六级考试真题及答案C. When she was studying at a fashion design school.D. When she attended a fashion show nine months ago.21. A. It was difficult to print.B. It was hard to come by.C. It was hard and breakable.D. It was extremely expensive.22. A. It is the latest model of a 3D printer.B. It is a plastic widely used in 3D printing.C. It gives fashion designers room for imagination.D. It marks a breakthrough in printing material.Questions 23 to 25 are based on the recording you have just heard.23. A. They arise from the advances in technology.B. They have not been examined in detail so far.C. They are easy to solve with modern technology.D. They can't be solved without government support.24. A. It is attractive to entrepreneurs.2016年12月大学英语六级考试真题及答案B. It demands huge investment.C. It focuses on new products.D. It is intensely competitive.25. A.Cooperation with big companies.B. Recruiting more qualified staff.C. In-service training of IT personnel.D. Sharing of costs with each other.Part ⅢReading Comprehension(40 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. Youare required to select one word foreach blank from a list of choices givenin a word bank following the passage. Read thepassage through carefullybefore making your choices. Each choice in the bank isidentified by aletter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet2with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the wordsin the bankmore than once.Questions 26 to 35 are based on the following passage.2016年12月大学英语六级考试真题及答案It is important that scientists be seen as normal people asking andanswering important questions.Good, sound science depends on 26,experiments and reasoned methodologies. It requires awillingness to asknew questions and try new approaches. It requires one to take risks andexperiencefailures. But good science also requires 27understanding,clear explanation and concisepresentation.Our country needs more scientists who are willing to step out in thepublic 28 and offer theiropinions on important matters. We need morescientists who can explain what they are doing inlanguage that is 29 andunderstandable to the public. Those of us who are not scientists shouldalsobe prepared to support public engagement by scientists, and to 30scientific knowledge into ourpublic communications.Too many people in this country, including some among our electedleadership, still do notunderstand how science works or why robust,long-range investments in research vitally matter. In the1960s, the UnitedStates 31 nearly 17% of discretionary (可酌情支配的) spending toresearch anddevelopment,32 decades of economic growth. By 2008, thefigure had fallen into the single33This occurs at a time when other nationshave made significant gains in their own researchcapabilities. At the University of California (UC), we 34 ourselves not only onourimproving to contribution its on also research,but our of quality the2016年12月大学英语六级考试真题及答案world. To 35 the development of science from the labbench to the marketplace, UC is investing our own money in our own good ideas.A. ArenaB. contextualC. ConvincingD. devotedE. DigitsF. hastenG. HypothesesH. impairingI. IncorporateJ. indefiniteK. IndulgeL. inertiaM. PrideN. reapingO. WarrantSection BDirections: In this section, you are going to read a passage with tenstatements attached to it. Eachstatement contains information given inone of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraphfrom which the informationis derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once.Each paragraph is2016年12月大学英语六级考试真题及答案marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking thecorrespondingletter on Answer Sheet 2.Are We in an Innovation Lull?[A] Scan the highlights of this year's Consumer Electronics Show( CES ), and you may get a slightfeeling of having seen them before. Manyof the coolest gadgets this year are the same as thecoolest gadgets lastyear--or the year before, even. The booths are still exciting, and thedemosare still just as crazy. It is still easy to be dazzled by the displayof drones (无人机),3D printers,virtual reality goggles ( 眼镜) and moresmart devices than you could ever hope to catalog.Upon reflection,however, it is equally easy to feel like you have seen it all before. Andit is hardnot to think: Are we in an innovation lull ( 间歇期) ?[B] In some ways, the answer is yes. For years, smartphones, televisions, tablets, laptops anddesktops have made up a huge part of themarket and driven innovation. But now these segmentsare looking at slowergrowth curves--or shrinking markets in some cases--as consumers are notaseager to spend money on new gadgets. Meanwhile, emerging technologies--thedrones,3Dprinters and smart-home devices of the world--now seem a bit too汯?潴戠?慣汬摥尠桴?敮瑸戠杩桴湩?尠[C] Basically the tech industry seems to be in an awkward period now.There is not any one-hitwonder, and there will not be one for years to2016年12月大学英语六级考试真题及答案come, said Gary Shapiro, president and chiefexecutive of the ConsumerTechnology Association (CTA). In his eyes, however, that doesn'tnecessarily mean that innovation has stopped. It has just grownup a little. Many industries aregoing out of infancy and becomingadolescents, Shapiro said.[D] For instance, new technologies that are building upon existingtechnology have not found theirfooting well enough to appeal to a massaudience, because, in many cases, they need to workeffectively with otherdevices to realize their full appeal. Take the evolution of the smarthome,for example. Companies are pushing it hard but make it almostoverwhelming even to dip a toe inthe water for the average consumer,because there are so many compatibility issues to thinkabout. No averageperson wants to figure out whether their favorite calendar software workswiththeir fridge or whether their washing machine and tablet get along.Having to install a different appfor each smart appliance in your homeis annoying; it would be nicer if you could manageeverything together.And while you may forgive your smartphone an occasional fault, youprobablyhave less patience for error messages from your door lock. [E] Companies are promoting their own standards, and the market hasnot had time to choose awinner yet as this is still very new. Companiesinsteadecosystems of tothink have now hardware on focused long have that2016年12月大学英语六级考试真题及答案to give consumers practical solutions to their everyday problems.Thedialogue is changing from what is technologically possible to what istechnologicallymeaningful, said economist Shawn DuBravac. DuBravacworks for CTA--which puts on theshow each year--and said that this shiftto a search for solutions has been noticeable as heresearched hispredictions for 2016.[F] So much of what CES has been about is the cool. It is about theflashiness and the gadgets,said John Curran, managing director ofresearch at Accenture. But over the last couple of years,and in this onein particular, we are starting to see companies shift from what is thelargest screensize, the smallest form factor or the shiniest object andmore into what all of these devices do thatis practical in a consumer'slife. Even the technology press conferences, which have beenhigh-profile in the past and reached a level of drama and theatrics fittingfor a Las Vegas stage, have adifferent bent to them. Rather than justdazzling with a high cool factor, there is a focus on thepractical. Fitbit,for example, released its first smartwatch Monday, selling with aclearpurpose--to improve your fitness--and promoting it as a ool, nota toy. Not only that, itsupports a number of platforms: Apple's iOS,Google's Android and Microsoft's Windows phone.2016年12月大学英语六级考试真题及答案[G] That seems to be what consumers are demanding, after all. Consumersare becoming increasinglybored with what companies have to offer: A surveyof 28,000 consumers in 28 countries releasedby Accenture found consumersare not as excited about technology as they once were. Forexample, whenasked whether they would buy a new smartphone this year, only48 percentsaidyes--a six-point drop from 2015.[H] And when it comes to the hyper-connected super-smart world thattechnology firms are paintingfor us, it seems that consumers are growingmore uneasy about handing over the massive amountsof consumer data neededto provide the personalized, customized solutions that companies needtoimprove their services. That could be another explanation for whycompanies seem to bestrengthening their talk of the practicality of theirdevices.[I] Companies have already won part of the battle, having driven techinto every part of our lives,tracking our steps and our very heartbeats.Yet the persistent question of Why do I needthat?--or, perhaps moretellingly, Why do you need to know that?--dogs the steps ofmanynewventures. Only 13 percent of respondents said that they were interestedin buying asmartwatch in 2016, for example--an increase of just one percentfrom the previous year despite ayear of high-profile launches. That isbad news for any firm that may hope that smartwatches canmake up ground2016年12月大学英语六级考试真题及答案for maturing smartphone and tablet markets. And the survey found flatdemandfor fitness monitors, smart thermostats (恒温器) and connected homecameras, as well.[J] According to the survey, that lack of enthusiasm could stem fromconcerns about privacy andsecurity. Even among people who have boughtconnected devices of some kind,37 percent saidthat they are going to bemore cautions about using these devices and services in the future. Afull18 percent have even returned devices until they feel they can getsafer guarantees against havingtheir sensitive information hacked.[K] That, too, explains the heavy Washington presence at this year'sshow, as these new technologiesintrude upon heavily regulated areas. Inaddition to many senior officials from the Federal Tradeand FederalCommunications commissions, this year's list of policy makers alsoincludesappearances from Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, to talkabout smart cities, and FederalAviation Administration AdministratorMichael Huerta, to talk about drones.[L] Curran, the Accenture analyst, said that increased governmentinterest in the show makes senseas technology becomes a larger part ofour lives. There is an incompatibility in the rate at whichtheseadvancing relative to the way we're digesting it, he said. Technologyis becomingbigger and more aspirational, and penetrating almost every2016年12月大学英语六级考试真题及答案aspect of our lives. We have tounderstand and think about the implications,and balance these great innovations with thepotential downsides they慮畴慲汬?慣牲?楷桴琠敨?尠36. Consumers are often hesitant to try smart-home devices becausethey are worried aboutcompatibility problems.37. This year's electronics show featured the presence of many officials from the federal government.38. The market demand for electronic devices is now either decliningor not growing as fast as before.39. One analyst suggests it is necessary to accept both tlie positiveand negative aspects of innovativeproducts.40. The Consumer Electronics Show in recent years has begun tomore on the practical value thanthe showiness of electronic devices.41. Fewer innovative products were found at this year's electronicproducts show.42. Consumers are becoming more worried about giving personal information to tech companies to getcustomized products and services.43. The Consumer Technology Association is the sponsor of the annualConsumer Electronics Show.2016年12月大学英语六级考试真题及答案44. Many consumers wonder about the necessity of having their fitnessmonitored.45. The electronic industry is maturing even though no wonder productshit the market.Section CDirections: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage isfollowed by some questions orunfinished statements. For each of them thereare four choices marked A, B, C andD. You should decide on the best choiceand mark the corresponding letter on AnswerSheet 2 with a single linethrough the centre.Passage OneQuestions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.The Paris climate agreement finalised in December last year heraldeda new era for climate action.For the first time, the world's nations agreedto keep global warming well below 2℃.This is vital for climate-vulnerable nations. Fewer than 4% of countries are responsible for morethan half of the world's greenhouse gasemissions. In a study published in Nature Scientific Reports,we revealjust how deep this injustice runs.2016年12月大学英语六级考试真题及答案Developed nations such as Australia, the United States, Canada, andEuropean countries areessentially climateree-riders: causing themajority of the problems through high greenhouse gasemissions, whileincurring few of the costs such as climate change's impact on food andwater. In otherwords, a few countries are benefiting enormously from theconsumption of fossil fuels, while at thesame time contributing disproportionately to the global burden of climate change.On the flip side, there are manyorced riders, who are sufferingfrom the climate changeimpacts despite having scarcely contributed to theproblem. Many of the world's most climatevulnerable countries, themajority of which are African or small island states, produce a verysmallquantity of emissions. This is much like a non-smoker getting cancerfrom second-hand smoke, whilethe heavy smoker is fortunate enough to smokein good health.The Paris agreement has been widely hailed as a positive step forwardin addressing climate changefor all, although the details on addressingclimate justice can be best described as sketchy.The goal of keeping global temperature rise well below 2~C is commendable but the emissions-reduction pledges submitted by countriesleading up to the Paris talks are very unlikely to deliver onthis.2016年12月大学英语六级考试真题及答案More than $100 billion in funding has been put on the table for supporting developing nations toreduce emissions. However, theagreement specifies that there is no formal distinction betweendevelopedand developing nations in their responsibility to cut emissions,effectively ignoring historicalemissions. There is also very littledetail on who will provide the funds or, importantly, who isresponsiblefor their provision. Securing these funds, and establishing who isresponsible for raisingthem will also be vital for the future ofclimate-vulnerable countries.The most climate-vulnerable countries in the world have contributedvery little to creating theglobal disease from which they now suffer themost. There must urgently be a meaningful mobilisationof the policiesoutlined in the agreement if we are to achieve national emissionsreductions whilehelping the most vulnerable countries adapt to climatechange.And it is clearly up to the current generation of leaders from high-emitting nations to decidewhether they want to be remembered asclimate change tyrants or pioneers.46. The author is critical of the Paris climate agreement becauseA. it is unfair to those climate-vulnerable nations2016年12月大学英语六级考试真题及答案B. it aims to keep temperature rise below 2℃ onlyC. it is beneficial to only fewer than 4% of countriesD. it burdens developed countries with the sole responsibility47. Why does the author call some developed countries climateree-riders?A. They needn't worry about the food and water they consume.B. They are better able to cope with the global climate change.C. They hardly pay anything for the problems they have caused.D. They are free from the greenhouse effects affectingorcedriders.48. Why does the author compare theorced riders to second-handsmokers?A. They have little responsibility for public health problems.B. They are vulnerable to unhealthy environmental conditions.C. They have to bear consequences they are not responsible for.D. They are unaware of the potential risks they are confronting.49. What does the author say about the $100 billion funding?．2016年12月大学英语六级考试真题及答案A. It will motivate all nations to reduce carbon emissions.B. There is no final agreement on where it will come from.C. There is no clarification of how the money will be spent.D. It will effectively reduce greenhouse emissions worldwide.50. what urgent action must be taken to realise the Paris climateagreement?A. Encouraging high-emitting nations to take the initiative.B. Calling on all the nations concerned to make joint efforts.C. Pushing the current world leaders to come to a consensus.D. Putting in effect the policies in the agreement at once.Passage TwoQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage. Teenagers at risk of depression, anxiety and suicide often weartheirtroubles like a neon (霓虹灯)sign. Their riskybehaviors--drinking toomuch alcohol, using illegal drugs, smoking cigarettes andskippingbrewing.are problems serious that teachers and parents alert school--can2016年12月大学英语六级考试真题及答案But a new study finds that there's another group of adolescents whoare in nearly as much dangerof experiencing the same psychiatric symptoms:teens who use tons of media, don't get enough sleepand have a sedentary(不爱活动的) lifestyle.Of course, that may sound like a description of every teenager on theplanet. But the study warnsthat it is teenagers who engage in all threeof these practices in the extreme who are truly in jeopardy.Because theirbehaviors are not usually seen as a red flag, these young people have beendubbed theinvisible risk group by the study's authors.In some ways they're at greater risk of falling through the cracks,says researcher VladimirCarli. While most parents, teachers andclinicians would react to an adolescent using drugs or gettingdrunk, theymay easily overlook teenagers who are engaging in inconspicuous 敢慨楶牯?The study's authors surveyed 12,395 students and analyzed nine riskbehaviors, including excessivealcohol use, illegal drug use, heavysmoking, high media use and truancy (逃学). Their aim was todetermine therelationship between these risk behaviors and mental health issues inteenagers.About 58% of the students demonstrated none or few of the risk 29%,And behaviors. risk the of nine all highon scored 13% Some behaviors.2016年12月大学英语六级考试真题及答案the invisible risk group, scored high on three inparticular: They spentfive hours a day or more on electronic devices. They slept six hours a楮桧?牯敬獳?湁?桴祥渠来敬瑣摥尠瑯敨?敨污桴?捡楴楶楴獥尮The group that scored high on all nine of the risk behaviors was mostlikely to show symptoms ofdepression; in all, nearly 15% of this groupreported being depressed, compared with just 4% of thelow-risk group. Butthe invisible group wasn't far behind the high-risk set, with more than13% of themexhibiting depression.The findings caught Carli off guard. We were very surprised, he says.The high-risk group andlow-risk group are obvious. But this third groupwas not only unexpected, it was so distinct and solarge--nearly one third景漠牵猠浡汰?琭慨?瑩戠捥浡??敫?楦摮湩?景琠敨猠畴祤?Carli says that one of the most significant things about hisstudyis that it provides new early-warning signs for parents, teachers andmental health-care providers. And early identification, supportandtreatment for mental health issues, he says, are the best ways to keepthem from turning into full-blown disorders.51. What does the author mean by saying Teenagers at risk of depression, anxiety and suicide oftenwear their troubles like a neon sign(Lines 1 - 2, Para.1 ) ?．2016年12月大学英语六级考试真题及答案A. Mental problems can now be found in large numbers of teenagers.B. Teenagers' mental problems are getting more and more attention.C. Teenagers' mental problems are often too conspicuous not to beobserved.D. Depression and anxiety are the most common symptoms of mental problems.52. What is the finding of the new study?A. Teenagers' lifestyles have changed greatly in recent years.B. Many teenagers resort to drugs or alcohol for mental relief.C. Teenagers experiencing psychological problems tend to use a lotof media.D. Many hitherto unobserved youngsters may have psychological problems.53. Why do the researchers refer to teens who use tons of media, don'tget enough sleep and have asedentary lifestyle as the invisible riskgroup?A. Their behaviors can be an invisible threat to society.B. Their behaviors do not constitute a warning signal.2016年12月大学英语六级考试真题及答案C. Their behaviors do not tend towards mental problems.D. Their behaviors can be found in almost all teenagers on earth.54. What does the new study find about the invisible group?A. They are almost as liable to depression as the high-risk group.B. They suffer from depression without showing any symptoms.。

2016年12月英语六级第二套2016.12（卷二）Section AIt is important that scientists be seen as normal people asking and answering important questions. Good, sound science depends on _____（26）, experiments and reasoned methodologies. It requires a willingness to ask new questions and try new approaches. It requires one to ask risks and experience failures. But good science also requires _____（27）understanding, clear explanation and concise presentation.Our country needs more scientists who are willing to step out in the public _____（28）and offer their options on important matters. We need more scientists who can explain what they are doing in language that is _____（29）and understandable to the public. There of us who are not scientists should also be prepared to support public engagement by scientists, and to _____（30）scientific knowledge into our public communications.Too many people in this country, including some among our elected leadership, skill do not understand how science works or why robust, long-range investments in research vitally matter. In the 1960s, the United States _____（31）nearly 17% of discretionary（可酌情支配的）spending to research and development, _____（32）decades of economic growth. By 2008, the figure had fallen into the single _____（33）. This occurs at a time when other nations have made significant gains in their own research capabilities.At the University of California （UC）, we _____（34）ourselves not only on the quality of our research, but also on its contribution to improving our world. To _____（35）the development of science from the lab bench to the market place, UC is investing our money in our own good ideas. A．arena B．contextual C．convincing D．devoted E．digits F．hastenG. hypotheses H. impairing I. incorporate J. indefinite K. indulgeL. inertia M. pride N. reaping O. warrantAre We in an Innovation Lull？ [A]Scan the highlights of this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES), and you may get a slight feeling of having seen them before. Many of the coolest gadgets this year are the same as the coolest gadgets last year－or the year before, even. The booths are still exciting, and the demos are still just as crazy. It is still easy to be dazzled by the display of drones（无人机）,3D printers, virtual reality goggles（眼镜）and more "smart" devices than you could ever hope to catalog. Upon reflection, however, it is equally easy to feel like you have seen it all before. And it is hard not to think: Are we in an innovation lull（间歇期）?[B]In some ways, the answer is yes, For years, smartphones, television, tablets, laptops and desktops have made up a huge part of the market and driven innovation. But now these segments are looking at slower growth curves－or shrinking markets in some cases－as consumers are not as eagerto spend money on new gadgets. Meanwhile, emerging technologies－the drones, 3D printers and smart-home devices of the world－now seem a bit too old to be called "the next big thing."[C]Basically the tech industry seems to be in an awkward period now, "There is not any one-hit wonder, and there will not be one for years to come," said Gary Shapiro, president and chief executive of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA). In this eyes, however, that doesn't necessarily mean that innovation has stopped. It has just grown up a little. "Many industries are going out of infancy and becoming adolescents," Shapiro said.[D]For instance, new technologies that are building upon existing technology have not found their footing well enough to appeal to a mass audience , because, in many cases, they need to work effectively with other devices to realize their full appeal, Take the evolution of the smart home, for example. Companies are pushing it hard but make it almost overwhelming even to dip a toe in the water for the average consumer, because there are so many compatibility issues to think about. No average person wants to figure out whether their favorite calendar software works with their fridge or whether their washing machine and tablet get along. Having to install a different app for each smart appliance in your home is annoying; it would be nicer if you could manage everything together. And while you may forgive your smartphone an occasional fault, you probably have less patience for error message from your door lock. [E]Companies are promoting their own standards, and the market has not had time to choose a winner yet as this is still very new. Companies that have long focused on hardware now have to think of ecosystems instead to give consumers practical solutions to their everyday problems. "The dialogue is changing from what is technologically possible to what is technologically meaningful." said economist Shawn DuBravac works for CTA －which puts on the show each year－and said that this shift to a search for solutions has been noticeable as he researched his predictions for 2016.[F]"So much of what CES has been about is the cool. It is about the flashiness and the gadgets," said John Curran, managing director of research at Accenture. "But over the last couple of years, and in this one in particular, we are starting to see companies shift from what is the largest screen size, the smallest from factor or the shiniest object and more into what all of these devices do that is practical in a consumer's life." Even the technology press conferences, which have been high-profile in the past and reached a level of drama and theatrics fitting for a Las Vegas stage, have a different bent to them. Rather than just dazzling with a high cool factor, there is a focus on the practical. Fitbit, for example, released its first smartwatch Monday, selling with a clear purpose－to improve your fitness－and promoting it as a "tool,implications, and balance these great innovations with the potential downsides they naturally carry with them."36. Consumers are often hesitant to try smart-home devices because they are worried about compatibility problems.37. This year's electronics show featured the presence of many officials from the federal government.38. The market demand for electronic devices is now either declining or not growing as fast as before.39. One analyst suggests it is necessary to accept both the positive and negative aspects of innovative products.40. The Consumer Electronics Show in recent years has begun to focus more on the practical value than the showiness of electronic devices. 41. Fewer innovative products were found at this year's electronic products show.42. Consumers are becoming more worried about giving personal information to tech companies to get customized products are services.43. The Consumer Technology Association is the sponsor of the annual Consumer Electronics Show.44. Many consumers wonder about the necessity of having their fitness monitored.45. The electronic industry is maturing even though no wonder products hit the market.Section C （一） The Paris climate agreement finalised in December last year heralded a new era for climate action. For the first time, the world's nations agreed to keep global warming well below 2℃.This is vital for climate-vulnerable nations. Fewer than 4% of countries are responsible for more than half of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. In a study published in Nature Scientific Reports, we reveal just how deep this injustice runs.Developed nations such as Australia, the United States, Canada, and European countries are essentially climate "free-riders": causing the majority of the problems through high greenhouse gas emissions, while incurring few of the costs such as climate change's impact on food and water, in other words, a few countries are benefiting enormously from the consumption of fossil fuels, while at the same time contributing disproportionately to the global burden of climate change.On the filp side, there are many "forced riders", who are suffering from the climate change impacts despite having scarcely contributed to the problem. Many of the world's most climate-vulnerable countries, the majority of which are African or small island states, produce a very small quantity of emissions. This is much like a non-smoker getting cancer from second-hand smoke, while the heavy smoker is fortunate enough to smoke in good health.The Paris agreement has been widely hailed as a positive step forward in addressing climate change for all, although the details on addressing "climate justice" can be best described as sketchy.The goal of keeping global temperature rise "well below" 2℃is commendable but the emissions-reduction pledges submitted by countries leading up to the Paris talks are very unlikely to deliver on this. More than $100 billion in funding has been put on the table for supporting developing nations to reduce emissions. However, the agreement specifies that there is no formal distinction nations to reduce emissions. However, the agreement specifies that there is no formal distinction between developed and developing nations in their responsibility to cut emissions, effectively ignoring historical emissions. There is also very little detail on who will provide the funds or, importantly, who is responsible for their provision. Securing these funds, and establishing who is responsible for raising them will also be vital for the future of climate-vulnerable countries.The most climate-vulnerable countries in the world have contributed very little to creating the global disease from which they now suffer the most. There must urgently be a meaningful mobilisation of the policies outlined in the agreement if we are to achieve national emissions reductions while helping the most vulnerable countries adapt to climate change.And it is clearly up to the current generation of leaders from high-emitting nations to decide whether they want to be remembered as climates change tyrants or pioneers.46. The author is critical of the Paris climate agreement because_____. A．it is unfair to those climate-vulnerable nations.B．it aims to keep temperature rise blew 2℃ only.C．it is beneficial to only fewer than 4% of countries.D．it burdens developed countries with sole responsibility.47. Why does the author call some developed countries climate "free-riders"?A．They needn't worry about the food and water they consume.B．They are better able to cope with the global climate change. C．They hardly pay anything for the problems they have caused. D．They are free from the greenhouse effects affecting "forced riders".48. Why does the author compare the " forced riders " to second-hand smokers?A．They have little responsibility for public health problems. B．They are vulnerable to unhealthy environmental conditions. C．They have to bear consequence they are not responsible for. D．They are unaware of the potential risks they are confronting.49. What does the author say about the $100 billion funding?A．It will motivate all nations to reduce carbon emissions.B．There is no final agreement on where it will come from.C．There is no clarification of how the money will be spent.D．It will effectively reduce greenhouse emissions worldwide.50. What urgent action must be taken to realise the Paris climate agreement?A．Encouraging high-emitting nations to take the initiative. B．Calling on all the nations concerned to make joint efforts. C．Pushing the current world leaders to come to a consensus. D．Putting in effect the policies in the agreement at once.（二） 1.Teenagers at risk of depression, anxiety and suicide often wear their troubles like a neon（霓虹灯）sign. Their risky behaviors－drinking too much alcohol, using illegal drugs , smoking cigarettes and skipping school－can alert parents and teachers that serious problems are brewing.2.But a new study finds that there's another group of adolescents who are in nearly as much danger of experience the same psychiatric symptoms: teens who use tons of media, don't get enough sleep and have a sedentary （不爱活动的）lifestyle.3.Of course, that may sound like a description of every teenager on the planet. But the study warns that it is teenagers who engage in all three of these practices in the extreme who are truly in jeopardy. Because their behavior are not usually seen as a red flag. These young people have been dubbed the "invisible risk" group by the study's authors.4."In some ways they're at greater risk of falling through the cracks," says researcher Vladimir Cali. "while most parents, teachers and clinicians would react to an adolescent using drugs or getting drunk, they may easily overlook teenagers who are engaging in inconspicuous behaviors."5.The study's authors surveyed 12,395 students and analyzed nine risk behaviors , including excessive alcohol use,illegal drug use, heavy smoking ,high media use and truancy（逃课）. Their aim was to determine the relationship between these risk behaviors and mental health issues in teenagers.6.About 58% of the students demonstrated none or few of the risk behaviors. Some 13% scored high on all nine of the risk behaviors. And 29%, the "invisible risk" group, scored high on three in particular: They spent five hours a day or more on electronic devices. They slept six hours a night or less. And they neglected "other healthy activities."7.The group that scored high on all nine of the risk behaviors was most likely to show symptoms of depression; in all, nearly 15% of this group reported being depressed, compared with just 4% of the low-risk group. But the invisible group wasn't far behind the high-risk set, with more than 13% of them exhibiting depression.8.The findings caught Cali off guard. "We were very surprised," he says. "The high-risk group and low-risk group are obvious. But this third groupwas not only unexpected, it was so distinct and so large－nearly one third of our sample－that it became a key finding of the study."9.Cali says that one of the most significant things about his study is that it provides new early-warning signs for parents, teachers and mental health-care providers. And early identification, support and treatment for mental health issues, he says, are the best ways to keep them from turning into full-blown disorders.51. What does the author mean by saying "Teenagers at risk of depression, anxiety and suicide often wear their troubles like a neon sign" (Lines 1-2, Para.1)?A．Mental problems can now be found in large numbers of teenagers B．Teenagers' mental problems are getting more and more attention C．Teenagers' mental problems are often too conspicuous not to be observed.D．Depression and anxiety are themost common symptoms of mental problems.52. What is the finding of the new study?A．Teenagers' lifestyles have changes greatly in recent years. B．Many teenagers resort to drugs or alcohol for mental relief. C．Teenagers experiencing psychological problems tend to use a lot of media.D．Many hitherto unobserved youngsters may have psychological problems.53. Why do the researchers refer to teens who use tons of media, don't get enough sleep and have a sedentary lifestyle as the "invisible risk" group?A．Their behaviors can be an invisible threat to society.B．Their behaviors do not constitute a warning signal.C．Their behaviors do not tend towards mental problems.D．Their behaviors can be found in almost all teenagers on earth. 54. What does the new studyfind about the invisible group?A．They are almost as liable to depression as the high-risk group. B．They suffer from depression without showing any symptoms.C．They do not often demonstrate risky behaviors as their peers. D．They do not attract the media attention the high-risk group does.55. What is the significance of Vladimir Carl's study?A．It offers a new treatment for psychological problems among teenagers. B．It provides new early-warning signals for identifying teens in trouble.C．It may have found an ideal way to handle teenagers with behavioral problems.D．It sheds new light on how unhealthy behaviors trigger mental health problems.。

2016年12月大学英语六级考试答案与解析(第2套）Part I Writing【范文】Throughout the ages, we have concluded a number of factors that contribute to success, among which is creation. Just as the saying goes, ^There i s no doubt that creation is the mostimportant human res ou rc e of all.”Not only is creation the force driving economy and society toadvance, but it is also essential to the development of individuals. Those w ho often come up with new i d e as often turn out to be easy to achieve success while a man who always sticks to h a b i t and e x p erie n c e can hardly c r e at e new t h in g s.In t er ms of g ivin g m e a s u r es to en c ou ra ge c reatio n, I w ill lis t t he f ollo w in g on e s. O n t he one hand, the public are expected to realize the significance of creation, so the social media should play its due role in ad v o catin g the value of innovation and encouraging the public to c ultivat e awareness of creation. On the other hand, those who are equipp ed with creative thinking d eserv e some kind of praise, both materially and s p irit u ally.Creation has been a hot word for a long ti me and we cannot emphasize the importance of creation too much. Therefore, we should spare no effort to learn knowledge as muc h as possible to prepare ourselves to be creative people.Pari II L iste n in g Comprehension1 〜5 : CCABC 6〜10 : ADACD 11 〜15 : BBDAB16〜20:DP)CBD 21〜25:CAADDSection AConversation OneM: Guess what? The worst food Ive ever had was in France.W: Really? That’s odd. (1) I thought the French were all good cooks.M: Yes. That’s right. I suppose it’s really like anywhere else，though You know, some places are good. Some bad. Put it’s r e ally all our own fault.W: What d o you mean?M: Well it was the first t ime Id been to France. This was years ago when I was at school. (2)I went there with my parents5friends, from my father’s school. They’d hired a coach totake them to Sw itzerla nd.W: A school trip?M: Right. Most of them had never been abroad before. We?d crossed the English Channel at night, and we set off through France, and breakfast time arrived, and the coach driverhad arranged for us to stop at thislitt l e cafe. There we all were tir ed and hungry, and then we made the great discovery. W: Wh a t was t h at?M: B ac on and e gg s .W ： Fantastic! The real English breakfast.M: Yes. Anyway ，we didn’t knowany better — so we had it, and ugh …！ W: What was it like? Disgusting? M: Oh ，it was incredible!They just got a bowlandput somefatin it. And then they put somebaconi n th e fat ，b ro ke an e gg o ve r t he t o p and p u t th e wh o l el o t i nth eo ve n f or a bo u tt e n m inute s.W: In the oven! You’re joking. You can’t cook bacon and eggs in the oven! M: Well. They must have done itthat way. It was hot ， butitwasn’tcooked.Therewas justt h i s egg floatin g about in gallons of fat and raw bacon. W: (3-1) Did you a ct u ally eat it?M: (3-2) No! Nobody d i d . They all wanted to turn round and go home. You know ，back to teabagsand fish and chips. You cant blame them really. Anyway ，the next night we were all given an ot h e r f orei gn speciality. W: Wh a t was t h at ?M: (4) Snails. That really finished them off. Lovely holiday that was! 1.答案 CWhat did the woman think of the French? A) They were proud of t h eir cuisine. B) They were p articula r about food. C)They were all good at cooking.D) They were fond of bacon and e gg s .解析：对话中男士提到他在法国吃到了自己吃过最糟糕的食物时，女士表示这很奇怪，并且说 她原本以为所有法国人都是好厨师。

Part II Listening(30 minutes)Section ADirections：In this section，you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A) , B) , C) and D)， and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet I with a single line through the centre.Question 1A.At a groceryB.In a parking lotC.In a car showroomD.At a fast food restaurant2、A.Have a little nap after lunchB.Get up and take a short walkC.Change her position now and thenD.Stretch legs before standing up Question3A.The students should practice long-distance runningB.He doesn’t quite believe what the woman saysC.The students’ physical condition is not desirableD.He thinks the race is too hard for the studentsQuestion 4A.They do not want to have a baby at presentB.They cannot afford to get married right nowC.They are both pursuing graduate studiesD.They will get their degrees in two yearsQuestion 5A.Twins usually have a lot in commonB.He must have been mistaken for JackC.Jack is certainly not as healthy as he isD.He has not seen Jack for quite a few daysQuestion 6A.The man will take the woman wo the museumB.The man knows where the museum is locatedC.The woman is asking the way at the crossroadsD.The woman will attend the opening of the museumQuestion 7A.They cannot ask the guy to leaveB.The guy has been coming in for yearsC.They should not look down upon the guyD.The guy must be feeling extremely lonelyQuestion 8A.Collect timepiecesB.Become time-consciousC.Learn to mend locksD.Keep track of his daily activitiesQuestions 9 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard. Question 9A.It winds its way to the seaB.It is quickly risingC.It is eating into its banksD.It is wide and deepQuestion 10A.Get the trucks over to the other side of the riverB.Take the equipment apart before being ferriedC.Reduce the transport cost as much as possible.D.Try to speed up the operation by any meansQuestion 11A.Ask the commander to send a helicopterB.Halt the operation until further ordersC.Cut trees and build rowing boatsD.Find as many coats as possibleQuestions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard. Question 12 A.Help him join an Indian expeditionB.Talk about his climbing experiencesC.Give up mountain climbing altogetherD.Save money to buy climbing equipmentQuestion 13A.He was very strict with his childrenB.He climbed mountains to earn a livingC.He had an unusual religious backgroundD.He was the first to conquer Mt. QomolangmaQuestion 14A.They are like humansB.They are sacred placesC.They are to be protectedD.They are to be conqueredQuestion 15A.It was his father’s training that pilled him throughB.It was a milestone in his mountain climbing careerC.It was his father who gave him the strength to succeedD.It helped him understand the Sherpa view of mountainsSection BDirections：In this section，you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage，you will hear some questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C)and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet I with a single line through the centre Passage OneQuestion 16A. By reviewing what he has said previouslyB.By comparing memorandums with lettersC.By showing a memorandum’ s s tructureD.By analyzing the organization of a letterQuestion 17A.They spent a lot of time writing memorandumsB.They seldom read a memorandum through to the endC.They placed emphasis on the format of memorandumsD.They ignored many of the memorandums they received.Question 18A.Style and wordingB.Structure and lengthC.Directness and clarityD.Simplicity and accuracyPassage TwoQuestions 19 to 22 are based on the passage you have just heard.Question 19A.Accurate datingB.Professional lookC.Direct statement of purposeD.Inclusion of appropriate humorQuestion20A.They give top priority to their work efficiencyB.They make an effort to lighten their workloadC.They never change work habits unless forced toD.They try hard to make the best use of their timeQuestion 21A.Self-confidenceB.Sense of dutyC.Work efficiencyD.Passion for workQuestion 22A.They are addicted to playing online gamesB.They try to avoid work whenever possibleC.They find to pleasure in the work they doD.They simply have no sense of responsibilityPassage ThreeQuestions 23 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.Question 23A.He lost all his propertyB.He was sold to a circusC.He was forced into slaveryD.He ran away from his familyQuestion 24A.A carpenterB.A businessmanC.A master of hisD.A black drummerQuestion 25A.It named its town hall after Solomon NorthupB.It declared July 24 Solomon Northup DayC.It freedom all blacks in the town from slaveryD.It hosted a reunion for the Northup familySection CDirections：In this section, you will hear a passage three times. When the passage is read for the first time, you should listen carefully for its general idea. When the passage is read for thesecond time, you are required to fill in the blanks with the exact words you have just heard. Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should check what you have written. Section CIntolerance is the art of ignoring any views that differ from your own. It(26)_____ itself a hatred. Stereotypes, prejudice, and(27)_____.Once it intensifies in people, intolerance is nearly impossible to overcome. But why would anyone want to be labeled intolerant. Why would people want to be (28)_____about the world around them? Why would one want to be part of the problem in America, instead of the solution?There are many explanations for intolerant attitudes, some (29)_____ childhood. It is likely that intolerant folks grew up (30)_____ intolerant parents and the cycle of prejudice has simply continued for (31)_____. Perhaps intolerant people are so set in their ways that they find it easier to ignore anything that might not (32)_____ their limited view of life. Or maybe intolerant students have simply never been (33)_____ to anyone different form themselves. But none of these reason is an excuse for allowing the intolerance to continue.Intolerance should not be confused with disagreement. It is, of course, possible as disagree with an opinion without being intolerant of it. If you understand a belief but still don't believe in that specific belief, that's fine. You are (34)_____ your opinion. As a matter of fact.(35)_____ dissenters(持异议者)are important for any belief. If we all believed the same things. we would never grow, and we would never learn about the world around us, does not stem firm disagreement. It stems from fear, And fear stems from fear. And fear stems from ignorance.答案：26.manifests27.discrimination28.uninformed29.dating back to30.imitating31.generations32.conform to33.exposed34.entitled to35.knowledgeablePart III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)Section AHis future subjects have not always treated the Prince of Wales with the respect one XXXX expect. They laughed aloud in 1986 when the heir to the British(36)_____ told a TV reporter that he talked to his plants at his country house, High grove, to stimulate their growth. The Prince was being humorous- “My sense of humor will get me into trouble one day”, he said to his aids(随从)-but listening to Charles Windsor can indeed prove stimulating. The royal(37)_____ has been promoting radical ideas for most of his adult life. Some of his(38)_____, which once sounded a bit weird, were simply ahead of their time. Now, finally, the world seems to be catching up with him. Take his views on farming. Prince Charles’ Duchy Home Farm went(39)_____ back in 1986.When most shoppers cared only about the low price tag on suspiciously blemish-free(无瑕疵的) vegetables and(40)_____ large chickens piled high in supermarkets.His warnings on climate change proved farsighted, too. Charles began(41)_____ action in warming in 1990 and says he has been worried about the(42)_____ of man on the environment same be was a teenager.Although he was gradually gained international(43)_____ as one of the world's lending conservationists, many British people still think of him as an(44)_____ person who talks to plants. This year, as it happens, South Korean scientists proved that plants really do(45)_____ to round. So Charles was ahead of the game there, too.A.conformB.eccentricC.environmentalistD.expeditionsE.impactF.notionsanicH.originallyI.recognitionJ.respondK.subordinateL.suppressingM.throneN.unnaturallyO.urgingSection BDirections: In this section，you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2. High School Sports Aren’t Killing AcademicsA)In this month’s Atlantic cover article, “The Case Against High-School Sports,” Amanda Ripley argues that school-sponsored sports programs should be seriously cut. She writes that, unlike most countries that outperform the United States on international assessments, American schools put to o much of an emphasis on athletics, “ Sports are embedded in American schools in a way they are not almost anywhere else,” she writes, “Yet this difference hardly ever comes up in domestic debates about America’s international mediocrity(平庸)in education.”B)American student-athletes reap many benefits from participating in sports, but the costs to the schools could outweigh their benefits, she argues, In particular, Ripley contends that sports crowd out the academic missions of schools: America should learn from South Korea and Finland and every other country at the top level of international test scores, all of whom emphasize athletics far less in school. ”Even in eighth grade, American kids spend more than twice the timeKorean kids spend playing sports,” she writes, citing a 2010 study published in the Journal of Advanced Academics.C)It might well be true that sports are far more rooted in American high schools than in other countries. But our reading of international test scores finds no support for the argument against school athletics. Indeed, our own research and that of others lead us to make the opposite case. School-sponsored sports appear to provide benefits that seem to increase, not detract(减少)from, academic success.D)Ripley indulges a popular obsession(痴迷)with international test score comparisons, which show wide and frightening gaps between the United States and other countries. She ignores, however, the fact that states vary at least as much in test scores as do developed countries. A 2011 report from Harvard University shows that Massachusetts produces math scores comparable to South Korea and Finland, while Mississippi scores are closer to Trinidad and Tobago. Ripley’s thesis about sports falls apart in light of this fact. Schools in Massachusetts provide sports programs while schools in Finland do not. Schools in Mississippi may love football while in Tobago interscholastic sports are nowhere near as prominent. Sports cannot explain these similarities in performance. They can’t explain intern ational differences either.E)If it is true that sports undermine the academic mission of American schools, we would expect to see a negative relationship between the commitment to athletics and academic achievement. However, the University of Arkansas’s D aniel Bowen and Jay Greene actually find the opposite. They examine this relationship by analyzing schools’ sports winning percentages as well as student-athletic participation rates compared to graduation rates and standardized test score achievement over a five-year period for all public high schools in Ohio. Controlling for student poverty levels, demographics(人口统计状况), and district financial resources, both measures of a school’s commitment to athletics are significantly and positively related to lower d ropout rates as well as higher test scores.F)On-the-field success and high participation in sports is not random-it requires focus and dedication to athletics. One might think this would lead schools obsessed with winning to deemphasize academics. Bowen a nd Greene’s results contradict that argument. A likely explanation for this seemingly counterintuitive(与直觉相反的)result is that success in sports programs actually facilitates or reflects greater social capital within a school’s community.G)Ripley cites the writings of renowned sociologist James Coleman, whose research in education was groundbreaking. Coleman in his early work held athletics in contempt, arguing that they crowded out schools’ academic missions. Ripley quotes his 1961 study, The AdolescentSoc iety, where Coleman writes, “Altogether, the trophy(奖品)case would suggest to the innocent visitor that he was entering an athletic club, not an educational institution.”H)However, in later research Coleman would show how the success of schools is highlyd ependent on what he termed social capital, “the social networks, and the relationships between adults and children that are of value for the child’s growing up.”I)According to a 2013 evaluation conducted by the Crime Lab at the University of Chicago, a program called Becoming a Man-Sports Edition creates lasting improvements in the boys’ study habits and grade point averages. During the first year of the program, students were founds to beless likely to transfer schools or be engaged in violent crime. A year after the program, participants were less likely to have had an encounter with the juvenile justice system.J)If school-sponsored sports were completely eliminated tomorrow, many American students would still have opportunities to participate in organized athletics elsewhere, much like they do in countries such as Finland, Germany, and South Korea. The same is not certain when it comes to students from more disadvantaged backgrounds. In an overview of the research on non-school based after-school programs, researchers find that disadvantaged children participate in these programs at significantly lower rates. They find that low-income students have less access due to challenges with regard to transportation, non-nominal fees, and off-campus safety. Therefore, reducing or eliminating these opportunities would most likely deprive disadvantaged students of the benefits from athletic participation, not least of which is the opportunity to interact with positive role models outside of regular school hours.K)Another unfounded criticism that Ripley makes is bringing up the stereotype that athletic XX are typically lousy(蹩脚的)classroom teachers. “American principals, unlike the XX XX of principals around the world, make many hiring decisions with their sports teams in mind, which does not always end well for students,” she writes. Educators who seek employment at schools primarily for the purpose of coaching are likely to shirk(推卸)teaching responsibilities, the argument goes. Moreover, even in the cases where the employee is a teacher first and athletic coach second, the additional responsibilities that come with coaching likely comes at the expense of time otherwise spent on planning, grading, and communicating with parents and guardians.L)The data, however, do not seem to confirm this stereotype. In the most rigorous study on the classroom results of high school coaches, the University of Arkansas’s Anna Egalite finds that athletic coaches in Florida mostly tend to perform just as well as their non-coaching counterparts, with respect to raising student test scores. We do not doubt that teachers who also coach face serious tradeoffs that likely come at the expense of time they could dedicate to their academic obligations. However, as with sporting events, athletic coaches gain additional opportunities for communicating and serving as mentors(导师)that potentially help students succeed and make up for the costs of coaching commitments.M)If schools allow student-athletes to regularly miss out on instructional time for the sake of traveling to athletic competitions, that’s bad. However, such issues would be better addressed by changing school and state policies with regard to the scheduling of sporting events as opposed to total elimination. If the empirical evidence points to anything, it points towards school sponsored sports providing assets that are well worth the costs.N)Despite negative stereotypes about sports culture and Ripley’s presumption that academics and athletics are at odds with one another, we believe that the greater body of evidence shows that school-sponsored sports programs appear to benefit students. Successes on the playing field can carry over to the classroom and vice versa(反之亦然). More importantly, finding ways to increase school communities’ socia l capital is imperative to the success of the school as whole, not just the athletes.46.Stunets from low-income families have less access to off-campus sports programs.47.Amanda Ripley argues that America should learn from other countries that rank high in international tests and lay less emphasis on athletics.48.According to the author, Amanda Ripley fails to note that students’' performance in exams varies from state to state.49.Amanda Ripley thinks that athletic coaches are poor at classroom instruction.50.James Coleman's later research make an argument for a school's social capital.51.Reaearchers find that there is a positive relationship between a school's commitment toathletics and academic achievements.52.Aa rigorous study finds that athletic coaches also do well in raising students' test scores.53.According to an evaluation, programs contribute to students' academic performance and character building.54.Amanda Ripley believes the emphasis on school sports should be brought up when trying to understand why American students are mediocre.55.James Coleman suggests in his earlier writings that school athletics would undermine a school's image.Section CDirections: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. . You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the center.Passage oneIt is easy to miss amid the day-to-day headlines of global economic recession, but there is a less conspicuous kind of social upheaval(剧变)underway that is fast altering both the face of the planet and the way human beings live. That change is the rapid acceleration of urbanization. In 2008, for the first time in human history, more than half the world’s population was living in towns and cities. And as a recently published paper shows, the process of urbanization will only accelerate in the decades to come—with an enormous impact on biodiversity and potentially on climate change.As Karen Seto, the led author of the paper, points out, the wave of urbanization isn’t just about the migration of people into urban environments, but about the environments themselves becoming bigger to accommodate all those people. The rapid expansion of urban areas will have a huge impact on biodiversity hotspots and on carbon emissions in those urban areas.Humans are the ultimate invasive species—when the move into new territory, the often displace the wildlife that was already living there. And as land is cleared for those new cities—especially in the dense tropical forests—carbon will be released into the atmosphere as well. It’s true that as people in developing nations move from the countryside to the city, the shift may reduce the pressure on land, which could in turn be good for the environment. This is especially so in desperately poor countries, where residents in the countryside slash and burn forests each growing season to clear space for farming. But the real difference is that in developing nations, the move from rural areas to cities often leads to an accompanying increase in income — and that increase leads to an increase in the consumption of food and energy, which in turn causes a rise incarbon emissions. Getting enough to eat and enjoying the safety and comfort of living fully on the grid is certainly a good thing — but it does carry an environmental price. The urbanization wave can’t be stopped —and it shouldn’t be. But Seto’s paper does underscore the importance of managing that transition. If we do it the right way, we can reduce urbanization’s impact on the environment. “There’s an enormous opportunity here, and a lot of pressure and responsibility to think about how we urbanize,” says Seto. “One thing that’s clear is that we can’t build cities the way we have over the last couple of hundred years. The scale of this transition won’t allow that.” We’re headed towards an urban planet no matter what, but whether it becomes heaven or hell is up to us.56. What issue does the author try to draw people’s attention to?A. The shrinking biodiversity worldwide.B. The rapid increase of world population.C. The ongoing global economic recession.D. The impact of accelerating urbanization.57. In what sense are humans the ultimate invasive species?A. They are much greedier than other species.B. They are a unique species born to conquer.C. They force other species out of their territories.D. They have an urge to expand their living space.58. In what way is urbanization in poor countries good for the environment?A. More land will be preserved for wildlife.B. The pressure on farmland will be lessened.C. Carbon emissions will be considerably reduced.D. Natural resources will be used more effectively.59. What does the author say about living comfortably in the city?A. It incurs a high environmental price.B. It brings poverty and insecurity to an end.C. It causes a big change in people’s lifestyle.D. It narrows the gap between city and country.60. What can be done to minimize the negative impact of urbanization according to Seto?A. Slowing down the speed of transition.B. Innovative use of advanced technology.C. Appropriate management of the process.D. Enhancing people’s sense of responsibil ity.Passage TwoWhen Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg launched in Feb. 2004, even he could not imagine the forces it would let loose. His intent was to connect college students. Facebook, which is what this website rapidly evolved into, ended up connecting the world.To the children of this connected era, the world is one giant social network. They are not bound — as were previous generations of humans — by what they were taught. They are onlylimited by their curiosity and ambition. During my childhood, all knowledge was local. You learned everything you knew from your parents, teachers, preachers, and friends.With the high-quality and timely information at their fingertips, today’s children are rising normally tame middle class is speaking up against social ills. Silicon Valley executives are being shamed into adding women to their boards. Political leaders are marshalling the energy of millions for elections and political causes. All of this is being done with social media technologies that Facebook and its competitors set free.As does every advancing technology, social media has created many new problems. It is commonly addictive and creates risks for younger users. Social media is used by extremists in the Middle East and elsewhere to seek and brainwash recruits. And it exposes us and our friends to disagreeable spying. We may leave our lights on in the house when we are on vacation, but through social media we tell criminals exactly where we are, when we plan to return home, and how to blackmail(敲诈) us.Governments don’t need informers any more. Social media allows government agencies to spy on their own citizens. We record our thoughts, emotions, likes and dislikes on Facebook; we share our political views, social preferences, and plans. We post intimate photographs of ourselves. No spy agency or criminal organization could actively gather the type of data that we voluntarily post for them.The marketers are also seeing big opportunities. Amazon is trying to predict what we will order. Google is trying to judge our needs and wants based on our social-media profiles. We need to be aware of the risks and keep working to alleviate the dangers.Regardless of what social media people use, one thing is certain: we are in a period of accelerating change. The next decade will be even more amazing and unpredictable than the last. Just as no one could predict what would happen with social media in the last decade, no one can accurately predict where this technology will take us. I am optimistic, however, that a connected humanity will find a way to uplift itself.61. What was the purpose of Facebook when it was first created?A. To help students connect with the outside world.B. To bring university students into closer contact.C. To help students learn to live in a connected era.D. To combine the world into an integral whole.62. What difference does social media make to learning?A. Local knowledge and global knowledge will merge.B. Student will become more curious and ambitious.C. People are able to learn wherever they travel.D. Sources of information are greatly expanded.63. What is the author’s greatest concern with social media technology?A. Individuals and organizations may use it for evil purposes.B. Government will find it hard to protect classified information.C. People may disclose their friends’ information unintentionally.D. People’s attention will be easily distractedfrom their work in hand.64. What do businesses use social media for?A. Creating a good corporate image.B. Conducting large-scale market surveys.C. Anticipating the needs of customers.D. Minimizing possible risks and dangers.65. What does the author think of social media as a whole?A. It will enable human society to advance at a faster pace.B. It will pose a grave threat to our traditional ways of life.C. It is bound to bring about another information revolution.D. It breaks down the final barriers in human communication.Part IV Translation (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.翻译题一：自从1978年启动改革以来，中国已从计划经济转为以市场为基础的经济，经历了经济和社会的快速发展。

大学英语六级卷二真题2016年12月(总分：710.00，做题时间：120分钟)一、Part I Writing (30 minutes)(总题数：1，分数：106.50)1.Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on creation. Your essay should include the importance of creation and measures to be taken to encourage creation.You are required to write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words.（分数：106.50）__________________________________________________________________________________________正确答案：(Throughout the ages, we have concluded a number of factors that contribute to success, among which is creation. Just as the saying goes, There is no doubt that creation is the most important human resource of all. Not only is creation the force driving economy and societyto advance, but it is also essential to the development of individuals.Those who often come upwith new ideas are more likely to achieve success, while a man who always sticks to habit and experience can hardly create new things. In terms of giving measures to encourage creation, Iwill list the following ones. On the one hand, the public are expected to realize the significanceof creation, so the social media should play its due role in advocating the value of innovationand encouraging the public to cultivate the awareness of creation. On the other hand, those whoare equipped with creative thinking deserve some kind of praise, both materially and spiritually. Creation has been a hot word for a long time and we cannot emphasize the importance of creationtoo much. Therefore, we should spare no effort to learn knowledge as much as possible to prepare ourselves for being creative people.)解析：论创新古往今来，我们已经总结出了走向成功的几个因素，其中之一就是创新。

12月大学英语六级真题参考答案第二套2016年12月大学英语六级真题参考答案（第二套）英语六级考试包括了写作、听力、阅读理解和翻译四个部分。

下面是店铺整理的2016年12月大学英语六级第二套真题参考答案，欢迎阅读!写作参考答案In accordance to the definition in Oxford Dictionary, creation refers to the act or process of making something that is new, or of causing something to exist that did not exist before.In fact, today it is impossibly difficult for us to image a 21st century without creation .We should place a high value on creation firstly because creative spirit can enable an individual to ameliorate himself, so he can be equipped with capacity to see what others cannot see, be qualified for future career promotion, and be ready for meeting the forthcoming challenges. What’s more, we ought to attach importance to the role played by creation in economic advancement. Put it another way, in this ever-changing world, creation to economic growth is what water is to fish. To sum up, if creation misses our attention in any possible way, we will suffer a great loss beyond imagination.In order to encourage creation, it is wise for us to take some feasible measures. For example, mass media should greatly publicize the significance of creativity and encourage the public to cultivate awareness of creation. Besides, those who manage to create should be awarded generous prize. Though there is a long way ahead to go, I am firmly certain that the shared efforts will be paid off.听力参考答案：01-04：ABCD05-08：ABBC09-11：CDB12-15：ADAC16-18：ABC19-22：DDCD23-25：BDA阅读理解答案选词填空26.G hypotheses27.C convincing28.A arena29.B contextual30.I incorporate31.D devoted32.N reaping33.E digits34.M pride35. F hasten段落匹配Are We in an Innovaton Lull?36. D.37. K.38. B.39. L.40. F.41. A42. H.43. E.44. F.45. C.仔细阅读passage 146. A it is unfair to those climate-venerable nations.47.C They hardly pay anything for the problem they have caused48.C They have to bear consequences they are not responsible for49.B There is no final agreement on where it will come from50. D putting in effect the policies in the agreement at oncepassage 251.C Teenagers’ mental problems are often too conspicuous not to be observed.52. D Many hitherto unobserved youngsters may have psychological problems53. B Their behaviors do not constitute a warning signal.54.A They are almost as liable to depression as the high-risk group55. B it provides new early-warning signals for identifying teens in trouble.翻译参考答案：As China’s economy booms, there is a dramatic increase in the number of people learning Chinese, which makes it become one of the most popular languages. In recent years, international ranks of Chinese universities have apparently boosted. Owing to the progress of Chinese education, it is not odd that China has become one of the most favorite destinations for oversea students studying abroad. In 2015, around four hundred thousand international students piled into China to study. What they learn is no more limited to the subjects of Chinese andChinese culture, they also learn science and engineering. In the global education market, America and Britain still play dominant roles, while China is catching up.。

2016年英语六级考试听力样题及答案Part II Listening Comprehension (30 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each conversation, you will hear some questions. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1with a single line through the centre.Conversation OneQuestions 1 to 4 are based on the conversation you have just heard.1. A) He invented the refrigerator.B) He patented his first invention.C) He was admitted to a university.D) He got a degree in Mathematics.2. A) He started to work on refrigeration.B) He became a professor of Mathematics.C) He fell in love with Natasha Willoughby.D) He distinguished himself in low temperature physics.3. A) Discovering the true nature of subatomic particles.B) Their explanation of the laws of cause and effect.C) Their work on very high frequency radio waves.D) Laying the foundations of modern mathematics.4. A) To have a three-week holiday.B) To spend his remaining years.C) To patent his inventions.D) To teach at a university.Conversation TwoQuestions 5 to 8 are based on the conversation you have just heard.5. A) The injury of some students.B) A school bus crash on the way.C) The collapse of a school building.D) A fire that broke out on a school campus.6. A) Teaching.B) On vacation.C) Having lunch.D) Holding a meeting.7. A) A malfunctioning stove.B) Cigarettes butts left by workers.C) Violation of traffic rules.D) Negligence in school maintenance.8. A) Sent a story to the local newspaper.B) Threw a small Thanksgiving party.C) Baked some cookies as a present.D) Wrote a personal letter of thanks.Section BDirections: In this section, you will hear two passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 9 to 11 are based on the passage you have just heard.9. A) It is a trait of a generous character.B) It is a reflection of self-esteem.C) It is an indicator of high intelligence.D) It is a sign of happiness and confidence.10. A) It was self-defeating.B) It was aggressive.C) It was the essence of comedy.D) It was something admirable.11. A) It is a double-edged sword.B) It is a feature of a given culture.C) It is a unique gift of human beings.D) It is a result of both nature and nurture.Passage TwoQuestions 12 to 15 are based on the passage you have just heard.12. A) She is a tourist guide.B) She is an interpreter.C) She is a domestic servant.D) She is from the royal family.13. A) It is situated at the foot of a beautiful mountain.B) It was used by the family to hold dinner parties.C) It was frequently visited by heads of state.D) It is furnished like one in a royal palace.14. A) It is elaborately decorated.B) It has survived some 2,000 years.C) It is very big, with only six slim legs.D) It is shaped like an ancient Spanish boat.15. A) They are interesting to look at.B) They have lost some of their legs.C) They do not match the oval table at all.D) They are uncomfortable to sit in for long.Section CDirections: In this section, you will hear recordings of lectures or talks followed by some questions. The recordings will be played only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Now listen to the following recording and answer questions 16 to 19.。

2016年12月英语六级(第2套)听力真题录音(3)Recording Three录音三Today, I'd like to talk about what happens when celebrity role models get behind healthy habits, but at the sametime, promote junk food.Currently, there's mounting criticism of Michelle Obama's “Let's Move!” campaign, which fights childh obesity by encouraging youngsters to become more physically active, and has signed on singer Beyonc andbasketball player Shaquille O'Neal, both of whom also endorse sodas, which are a major contributor to the obesityepidemic.Now there's a lot more evidence of how powerful a celebrity— especially a professional athlete— can be ininfluencing children's behavior.In a report published by the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University, researchers studied 100professional athletes and their endorsement contracts.The team focused on athletes since they are theoretically the best role models for active, healthy lifestyles forchildren.After sorting the deals by category, they determined that among the 512 brands associated with the athletes, mostinvolved sporting goods, followed closely by food and beverage brands.Sports drinks, which are often high in sugar and calories made up most of the food and drink deals, with softdrinks and fast food filling out the remainder.Of the 46 beverages endorsed by professional athletes, 93% relied exclusively on sugar for all of their calories.It's no surprise that high-profile athletes can influence children's eating behaviors, but the scientists were able toquantify how prevalent these endorsements are in the children's environment.Advertisements featuring professional athletes and their endorsed products tend to get impressive exposure on TV,radio, in print and online.And in 2010, the researchers reported that children ages 12 to 17 saw more athlete-endorsed food and beveragebrand commercials than adults.One reason any campaign wants a popular celebrity spokesperson is because kids are attracted to them no matterwhat they are doing.We can't expect kids to turn off that admiration when the same person is selling sugar.At best, kids might be confused.At worst, they'll think the messages about soda are the same as the messages about water, but those two beveragesaren't the same.If children are turning to athletes as role models, it's in their best interest if their idols are consistent.Consistent messaging of positive behaviors will show healthier lifestyles for kids to follow.Questions 23 to 25 are based on the recording you have just heard.Question 23. What is the aim of Michelle Obama's campaign?Question 24. What does research find about advertisements featuring professional athletes?Question 25. What does the speaker think kids' idols should do?录音三今天，我想谈一谈名人榜样支持健康习惯，但同时推广垃圾食品会发生什么。

2016年12⽉六级真题2（含答案）姓名:________学号:_________班级:_________2016年12⽉⼤学英语六级真题2Part1writing(30minutes)160;For this part,you are allowed30minutes to write a short essay oninnovation.Your essay should include the importance of innovation and measures to be taken to encourage innovation.You are required to write at least150words but no more than200words.___________：M:Guess what?The worst food I′ve ever had was in France.W:Really?That′s odd.(1)I thought the French were all good cooks.M:Yes.That′s right.I suppose it′s really like anywhere else,though.You know,some places are good.Some bad.But it′s really all our own fault.W:What do you mean?M:Well,it was the first time I′d been to France.This was years ago when I was at school.(2)I went there with my parents′friends,from my father′s school.They′d hired a coach to take them to Switzerland.W:A school trip?M: Right.Most of them had never been abroad before.We′d crossed the English Channel at night,and we set off through France,and breakfast time arrived,and the coach driver had arranged for us to stop at this little cafe.There we all were,tired and hungry,and then we made the great discovery.W:What was that?M:Bacon and eggs.W:Fantastic! The real Englishbreakfast.M:Yes.Anyway,we didn′t know any better—so we had it,and ugh...!W:What was it like?Disgusting?M:Oh,it was incredible!They just got a bowl and put some fat in it.And then they put some bacon in the fat,broke an egg over thetop and put the whole lot in the oven for about ten minutes.W:In the oven!You′re joking.You can′t cook bacon and eggs in the oven!M:Well.They must have done it that way.It was hot,but it wasn′t cooked.There was just this egg floating about in gallonsof fat and raw bacon.W:(3-1)Did you actually eat it?M:(3-2)No!Nobody did.They all wanted to turn round and go home.You know,back to teabags and fish and chips.You can′t blame them really.Anyway,the next night we were all given another foreign speciality. W:What was that?M:(4)Snails.That really finished them off.Lovely holiday that was!PartⅡSection A Directions：In this section，you will hear8short conversations and2long conversations．At the end of each conversation，one or more questions will be asked about what was said．Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once．After each question there will be a pause．During the pause，you must read the four choices marked A)，B)，C)and D)，and decide which is the best answer．Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet1with a single line through the centre．点击此处播放1.A:They were all good at cooking.B:They were particular about food.C:They were proud of their cuisine.D:They were fond of bacon and eggs.2.A:His parents.B:His friends.C:His schoolmates.D:His parents′friends.3.A:No tea was served with the meal.B:It was the real English breakfast.C:No one of the group ate it.D:It was a little overcooked.4.A:It was full of excitement.B:It was really extraordinary.C:It was a risky experience.D:It was rather disappointing.M:(5)You say your shop has been doing well.Could you give me some idea of what"doing well"means in facts and figures? W:Well,"doing well"means averaging￡1,200or more a week for about7years,making almost a quarter of a million pounds.And"doing well" means your earnings are /doc/9d8930812.htmlst year,we did slightly over50,000and this year,we hope to do more than60,000.So,that′s good if we continue torise.M:Now,that′s gross earnings,I assume.What about your expenses?W:Yes,that′s gross.The expenses, of course,go up steadily.And since we′ve moved to this new shop,the expenses have increased greatly,because it′s a much bigger shop.So I couldn′t say exactly what ourexpenses are.They are something in the region of six or seven thousand pounds a year, which is not high.(6)Commercially speaking,it′s fairly low,and we try to keep our expenses as low as we can.M:(7)And your prices are much lower than the same goods in shops round about.How do the local shopkeepers feel about having a shop doing so wellin their midst?W:Perhaps a lot of them don′t realize how well we are doing,because we don′t make a point of publicizing.That was a lesson we learned very early on.(8)We were very friendly with all local shopkeepers and we happened to mention to a local shopkeeper how much we had made that week.He was very unhappy and never as friendly again.So we make a point of never publicizing the amount of money we make.But we are on very good terms with all the shops.None of them have ever complained that we areputting them out of business or anything like that.I think it′s a nice friendly relationship.Maybe if they did know what we made,perhaps they wouldn′t be sofriendly.点击此处播放5.A:The woman′s relationship with other shops.B:The business success of the woman′s shop.C:The key to running a shop at a low cost.D:The woman′s earnings over the years.6.A:Improve its customer service.B:Expand its business scale.C:Keep down its expenses.D:Upgrade the goods it sells.7.A:They are sold at lower prices than in other shops.B:They are very popular with the local residents.C:They are delivered free of charge.D:They are in great demand.8.A:To follow the custom of the local shopkeepers.B:To attract more customers in the neighborhood.C:To avoid being put out of business in competition.D:To maintain friendly relationships with other shops.Birds are famous for carrying things around.Some,like homing pigeons,can be trained to deliver messages and packages.Other birds unknowingly carry seeds that cling to them for the ride.(9)Canadian scientists have found a worrisome,new example of the power that birds have to spread stuff around.Way up north in the Canadian Arctic,seabirds are picking up dangerous chemicals in the ocean and delivering them to ponds near where the birds live.Some10,000pairs of the birds,called fulmars,a kind of Arctic seabird,make their nests on Devon Island,north of the Arctic Circle.(10)The fulmars travel some400kilometers over the sea to find food.When they return home,their droppings end up all around their nestingsites,including in nearbyponds.(11)Previously,scientists noticed pollutants arriving in the Arctic with the wind.Salmon also carry dangerous chemicals as the fish migrate between rivers and the sea.The bodies of fish and other meat-eaters can build up high levels of the chemicals.To test the polluting power of fulmars,researchers collected samples of deposit from11ponds on Devon Island.In ponds closest to the colony,the results showed there were far more pollutants than in ponds less affected by the birds.The pollutants in the ponds appear to come from fish that fulmars eat when they′re out on the ocean.(12)People who live,hunt,or fish near bird colonies need to be careful,the researchers say.The birds don′t mean to cause harm,but the chemicals they carry can cause major problems.点击此处播放9.A:They can be used to deliver messages in times of emergency.B:They deliver pollutants from the ocean to their nesting sites.C:They carry plant seeds and spread them to faraway places.D:They are on the verge of extinction because of pollution.10.A:They migrate to the Arctic Circle during the summer.B:They originate from Devon Island in the Arctic area.C:They travel as far as400kilometers in search of food.D:They have the ability to survive in extreme weathers.11.A:They were carried by the wind.B:They had become more poisonous.C:They were less than on the continent.D:They poisoned some of the fulmars.12.A:The threats humans pose to Arctic seabirds.B:The diminishing colonies for Arctic seabirds.C:The harm Arctic seabirds may cause to humans.D:The effects of the changing climate on Arctic seabirds.(13)In recent years,the death rate among American centenarians—people who have lived to age100or older—has decreased,dropping14percent for women and20percent for men from2008to2014.The leading causes of death in this age group are alsochanging.In2000,the top five causes of death for centenarians were heart disease, stroke,flu,cancer and Alzheimer′s disease.(14)But by2014,the death rate from Alzheimer′s disease for this age group had more than doubled—increasing from3.8 percent to8.5percent—making the progressive brain disease the second leading causeof death for centenarians.One reason for the rise in deaths from Alzheimer′s disease in this group may be that developing this condition remains possible even after people beat the odds of dying from other diseases such as cancer.(15)People physicallyfit enough to survive over100years ultimately give in to diseases such as Alzheimer′s which affects the mind and cognitive function.In other words,it appears that their minds give out before their bodies do.On the other hand,the death rate from flu dropped from7.4percent in2000to 4.1percent in2014.That pushed flu from the third leading cause of death to thefifth.Overall,the total number of centenarians is going up.In2014,there were72,197centenarians,comparedto50,281in2000.But because this population is getting larger,the number of deaths in this group is also increasing—18,434centenarians died in2000,whereas25,914died in2014.点击此处播放13.A:It has decreased.B:It has been exaggerated.C:It has become better understood.D:It has remained basically the same.14.A:It develops more easily in centenarians not actively engaged.B:It is now the second leading cause of death for centenarians.C:It has had no effective cure so far.D:It calls for more intensive research.15.A:They care more about their physical health.B:Their quality of life deteriorates rapidly.C:Their minds fail before their bodies do.D:They cherish their life more than ever.Okay.So let′s get started.And to start things off I think what we need to do is consider a definition.(16)I′m going to define what love is but then most of the experiments I′m going to talk about are really focused more on attraction than love.And I′m going to pick a definition from a former colleague,Robert Sternberg,who is now the dean at Tufts University but was here on our faculty at Yale for nearly thirty years.And he has a theory of love that argues that it′s made up of three components: intimacy,passion,and commitment,or what is sometimes called decision commitment.And these are relatively straightforward.He argued that you don′t have love if you don′t have all three of these elements.Intimacy is the feeling of closeness,of connectedness with someone,of bonding.Operationally,you could think of intimacy as you share secrets,you share information with this person that you don′t share with anybody else.Okay.That′s really what intimacy is,the bond that comes from sharing information that isn′t shared with other people.The second element is passion.Passionis the drive that leads to romance.You can think of it as physical attraction.And Sternberg argues that this is a required component of a love relationship.The third element of love in Sternberg′s theory is what he calls decision commitment,the decision that one is in a love relationship,the willingness to label it as such,and a commitment to maintain that relationship at least for some period of time.(17)Sternberg would argue it′s not love if you don′t call it love and if you don′t have some desire to maintain the relationship.So if you have all three of these,intimacy,passion and commitment,in Sternberg′s theory you have love.(18)Now what′s interesting about the theory is what do you have,if you only have one out of three or two out of three.What do you have and how is it different if you have a different two out of three?What′s interesting about this kind of theorizing is it gives rise to many differentcombinations that can be quite interesting when you break them down and start to look them carefully.So what I′ve done is I′ve taken Sternberg′s three elements of love, intimacy,passion and commitment,and I′ve listed out the different kinds of relationships you would have if you had zero,one,two or three out of the three elements.Section B Directions：In this section，you will hear3 shortpassages．At the end ofeachpassage，you will hear some questions．Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once．After you hear a question，you must choose the best answerfrom thefour choices marked A)，B)，C)and D)．Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet1with a single line throughthe centre．点击此处播放16.A:They are focused more on attraction than love.B:They were done by his former colleague at Yale.C:They were carried out over a period of some thirty years.D:They form the basis on which he builds his theory of love.17.A:The relationship cannot last long if ho passion is involved.B:Intimacy is essential but not absolutely indispensable to love.C:It is not love if you don′t wish to maintain the relationship.D:Romance is just impossible without mutual understanding.18.A:Which of them is considered most important.B:Whether it is true love without commitment.C:When the absence of any one doesn′t affect the relationship.D:How the relationship is to be defined if any one is missing.Hi!I am Elizabeth Hoffler,Master of Social Work.I am a social worker,a lobbyist,and a special assistant to the executive director at the National Association of SocialWorkers.(19)Today we are going to be talking about becoming a social worker.Social work is the helping profession.(20)Its primary mission is to enhance human well-being and help meet the basic needs of all people,with a particular focus on those who are vulnerable,oppressed,and living in poverty.We often deal with complex humanneeds.Social work is different from other professions,because we focus on the person and environment.We deal with the external factors that impact a person′s situation and outlook.And we create opportunity for assessment and intervention,to help clients and communities cope effectively with their reality and change that reality when necessary.In thousands of ways social workers help other people,people from every age,every background,across the country.Wherever needed,social workers come to help.The most well-known aspect of the profession is that of a social safety net.We help guide people to critical resources and counsel them on life-changingdecisions.(21)There are more than600,000professional social workers in the country, and we all either have a bachelor′s degree,a master′s degree,or a PhD in Social Work.There are more clinically trained social workers than clinically trained psychiatrists,psychologists,and psychiatric nurses combined.Throughout this series you will learn more about the profession,the necessary steps to get a social work degree,the rich history of social work,and the many ways that social workers help /doc/9d8930812.htmlter in this series,you will hear from Stacy Collins and Mel Wilson, fellow social workers at the National Association of Social Workers.Stacy is going to walk you through the step-by-step process of becoming a social worker,and(22)Mel will tell you about the range of options you have once you get your social work degree,as well as the high standards of responsibility the social workers must adhere to.The National Association of Social Workers represents nearly145,000social workers across the country.Our mission is to promote,protect,and advance the social work profession.We hope you enjoy this series about how you can make a difference bybecoming a social worker.Next,we are going to talk about choosing social work.点击此处播放19.A:Social work as a profession.B:The history of social work.C:Academic degrees required of social work applicants.D:The aim of the National Association of Social Workers.20.A:They try to change people′s social behavior.B:They help enhance the well-being of the underprivileged.C:They raise people′s awareness of the environment.D:They create a lot of opportunities for the unemployed.21.A:They have all received strict clinical training.B:They all have an academic degree in social work.C:They are all members of the National Association.D:They have all made a difference through their work.22.A:The promotion of social workers′social status.B:The importance of training for social workers.C:Ways for social workers to meet people′s needs.D:Social workers′job options and responsibilities.Today,I′d like to talk about what happens when celebrity role models get behind healthy habits,but at the same time,promote junk food.(23)Currently,there′s mounting criticism of Michelle Obama′s"Let′s Move!"campaign,which fights childhood obesity by encouraging youngsters to become more physically active,and has signed on singer Beyonce and basketball player Shaquille O′Neal,both of whom also endorse sodas,which are a major contributor to the obesity epidemic.Now there′s a lot more evidence of how powerful a celebrity—especially a professional athlete—can be in influencingchildren′s behavior.In a report published by the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University,researchers studied100professional athletes and their endorsement contracts.The team focused on athletes since they are theoretically the best role models for active,healthy lifestyles for children.After sorting the deals by category,they determined that among the512brands associated with the athletes,most involved sporting goods,followed closely by food and beveragebrands.Sports drinks,which are often high in sugar and calories made up most of the food and drink deals,with soft drinks and fast food filling out the remainder.Of the46beverages endorsed by professional athletes,93%relied exclusively on sugar for all of their calories.It′s no surprise that high-profile athletes can influence children′s eating behaviors,but the scientists were able to quantify how prevalent these endorsements are in the children′s environment.Advertisements featuring professional athletes and their endorsed products tend to get impressive exposure on TV,radio,in print and online.(24)And in2010,the researchers reported that children ages12to17 saw more athlete-endorsed food and beverage brand commercials than adults.One reason any campaign wants a popular celebrity spokesperson is because kids areattracted to them no matter what they are doing.We can′t expect kids to turn off thatadmiration when the same person is selling sugar.At best,kids might be confused.At worst,they′ll think the messages about soda are the same as the messages about water, but those two beverages aren′t the same.(25)If children are turning to athletes as role models,it′s in their best interest if their idols are consistent.Consistent messaging of positive behaviors will show healthier lifestyles for kids tofollow.点击此处播放23.A:To fight childhood obesity.B:To help disadvantaged kids.C:To encourage kids to play more sports.D:To urge kids to follow their role models.24.A:They best boost product sales when put online.B:They are most effective when appearing on TV.C:They are becoming more and more prevalent.D:They impress kids more than they do adults.25.A:Always place kids′interest first.B:Do what they advocate in public.C:Message positive behaviors at all times.D:Pay attention to their image before children.PartⅢReading Comprehension(40minutes)Section A Directions：In this section，there is a passage with ten blanks．You are required to select one word for each blankfrom a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage．Read the passage through carefully before making your choices．Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter．Please mark the corresponding letterfor each item on Answer Sheet2with a single line through the centre You may not use any of the words in the bank m．9re than once．The tree people in the Lord of the Rings—the Ents—can get around by walking.But for real trees,it′s harder touproot.Because they′re literally rooted into the ground,they are unable to leave and go__26__.When a tree first starts growing in a certain area,it′s likely thatthe__27__envelope—:the temperature,humidity,rainfall patterns and so on—suitsit.Otherwise,it would be unable to grow from a seedling.But as it__28__,these conditions may change and the area around it may no longer be suitable for its__29__.When that happens,many trees like walnuts,oaks and pines,rely__30__on so-called "scatter hoarders,"such as birds,to move their seeds to new localities.Many birdslike to store food for the winter,which they__31__retrieve.When the birds forget to retrieve their food—and they do sometimes—a seedling has a chance to grow.The bird Clark′s nutcracker,for example,hides up to100,000seedsper year,up to30kilometers away from the seed source,and has a very closesymbiotic(共⽣的)relationship with several pine species,most__32__the whitebark pine.As trees outgrow their ideal__33__in the face of climate change,these flying ecosystem engineers could be a big helpin__34__trees.It′s a solution for us—getting birds to do the work is cheap and effective—and it could give__35__oaks and pines the option to truly"make like a tree and leave."A)ages I)legacyB)breathing J)notablyC)climatic K)offspringD)elsewhere L)replantingE)exclusively M)subsequentlyF)forever N)vulnerableG)fruitful O)withdrawsH)habitatsSection B Directions:In this section,you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it.Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs.Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived.You may choose a paragraph more than once.Each paragraph is marked with a letter.Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.The American Workplace Is Broken.Here′s How We Can Start Fixing It.[A]Americans are working longer and harder hours than ever before.83%of workers saythey′re stressed about their jobs,nearly50%say work-related stress is interferingwith their sleep,and60%use their smartphones to check in with work outside of normal working hours.No wonder only13%of employees worldwide feel engaged in their occupation.[B]Glimmers(少许)of hope,however,are beginning to emerge in this bruising environment: Americans are becoming aware of the toll their jobs take on them,and employers are exploring ways to alleviate the harmful effects of stress and overwork.Yet much more work remains to be done.To call stress an epidemic isn′t exaggeration.The83%of American employees who are stressed about their jobs—up from73%just a year before—say that poor compensation and an unreasonable workload are their number-one sources of stress.And if you suspected that the workplace had gotten more stressful than it was just a few decades ago,you′re right.Stress levels increased18%for women and24%for men from1983to2009.Stress is also starting earlier in life,with some data suggesting that today′s teens are even more stressed than adults.[C]Stress is taking a significant toll on our health,and the collective public health cost may be enormous.Occupational stress increases the risk of heart attack and diabetes,accelerates the aging process,decreases longevity,and contributes to depression and anxiety,among numerous other negative health outcomes.Overall,stress-related health problems account for up to90%of hospital visits,many of them preventable.Your job is"literally killing you,"as The Washington Post put it.It′s also hurting our relationships.Working parents say they feel stressed,tired,rushed and short on quality time with theirchildren,friends and partners.[D]Seven in10workers say they struggle to maintain work-life balance.Astechnology(and with it,work emails)seeps(渗⼊)into every aspect of our lives,work-life balance has become an almost meaningless term.Add a rapidly changing economy and an uncertain future to this24/7connectivity,and you′ve got a recipe for overwork, according to Phyllis Moen."There′s rising work demand coupled with the insecurity ofmergers,takeovers,downsizing and other factors,"Moen said."Part of the work-life issue has to talk about uncertainty about the future."[E]These factors have converged to create an increasingly impossible situation with many employees overworking to the point of burnout.It′s not only unsustainable for workers,but also for the companies that employ them.Science has shown a clear correlation between high stress levels in workers and absenteeism(旷⼯),reduced productivity,disengagement and high turnover.Too many workplace policies effectively prohibit employees from developing a healthy work-life balance by barring them from taking time off,even when they need it most.[F]The U.S.trails far behind every wealthy nation and many developing ones that have family-friendly work policies including paid parental leave,paid sick days and breast-feeding support,according to a2007study.The U.S.is also the only advanced economy that does not guarantee workers paid vacation time,and it′s one of only two countries in the world that does not offer guaranteed paid maternity leave.But even when employees are given paid time off,workplace norms and expectations that pressure them to overwork often prevent them from taking it.Fulltime employees who do have paid vacation days only use half of them on average.[G]Our modern workplaces also operate based on outdated time constraints.The practice of clocking in for an eight-hour workday is a leftover from the days of the Industrial Revolution,as reflected in the then-popular saying,"Eight hourslabor,eight hours recreation,eight hours rest."[H]We′ve held on to this workday structure—but thanks to our digital devices,many employees never really clockout.Today,the average American spends8.8hours at work daily,and the majority of working professionals spend additional hours checking in with work during evenings,weekends and even vacations.The problem isn′t the technology itself,but that the technology is being used to create more flexibility for theemployer rather than the employee.In a competitive work environment,employers are able to use technology to demand more from their employees rather than motivating workers with flexibility that benefits them.[I]In a study published last year,psychologists coined the term"workplace telepressure"to describe an employee′s urge to immediately respond to emails and engage in obsessive thoughts about returning an email to one′s boss,colleagues or clients.The researchers found that telepressure is a major cause of stress at work, which over time contributes to physical and mental burnout.Of the300employees participating in the study,those who experienced high levels of telepressure were more likely to agree with statements assessing burnout,like"I′ve no energy for going to work in the morning,"and to report feeling fatigued and unfocused.Telepressure was also correlated with sleeping poorly and missing work.[J]Harvard Business School professor Leslie Perlow explains that when people feel the pressure to be always"on,"they find ways to accommodate that pressure,including altering their schedules,work habits and interactions with family and friends.Perlow calls this vicious cycle the"cycle of responsiveness":Once bosses and colleagues experience an employee′s increased responsiveness,they increase their demands on the employee′s time.And because a failure to accept these increased demands indicates a lack of commitment to one′s work,the employee complies.[K]To address skyrocketing employee stress levels,many companies have implemented workplace wellnessprograms,partnering with health care providers that have created programs to promote employee health and well-being.Some research does suggest that these programs hold promise.A study of employees at health insurance provider Aetna revealed that roughly one quarter of those taking in-office yoga and mindfulness classes reported a28%reduction in their stress levels and a20%improvement in sleep quality.These less-stressed workers gained an average of62minutes per week of productivity.While yoga and meditation(静思)are scientifically proven to reduce stress levels,these programs do little to target the root causes of burnout and disengagement.The conditions creating the stress are long hours,unrealistic demands and deadlines,and work-life conflict.[L]Moen and her colleagues may have found the solution.In a2011study,sheinvestigated the effects of implementing a Results Only Work Environment(ROWE)on the productivity and well-being of employees at Best Buy′s corporate headquarters.[M]For the study,325employees spent six months taking part in ROWE,while a control group of334employees continued with their normal workflow.The ROWE participants were allowed to freely determine when,where and how they worked—the only thing that mattered was that they got the job done.The results were striking.After six months,the employees who participated in ROWE reported reduced work-family conflict and a better sense of control of their time,and they were getting a full hour of extra sleep each night.The employees were less likely to leave their jobs,resulting in reduced turnover.It′s important to note that the increased flexibility didn′t encourage them to work around the clock."They didn′t work anywhere and all the time—they were better able to manage their work,"Moen said."Flexibility and control is key,"she continued.36.Workplace norms pressure employees to overwork,deterring them from taking paid time off.___________37.The overwhelming majority of employees attribute their stress mainly to low pay and an excessive workload.__________38.According to Moen,flexibility gives employees better control over their work and time.____________39.Flexibility resulting from the use of digital devices benefits employers instead of employees.____________40.Research finds that if employees suffer from high stress,they will be less motivated,less productive and more likely to quit._______41.In-office wellness programs may help reduce stress levels,but they are hardly an ultimate solution to theproblem.__________42.Health problems caused by stress in the workplace result in huge public health expenses.____________43.If employees respond quickly to their job assignments,the employer is likely to demand more from them.__________44.With technology everywhere in our life,it has become virtually impossible for most workers to keep a balance between work and life.__________。