2015年12月英语六级考试真题(第一套).docx

2015年12月英语六级真题（卷一）一作文Direction: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short eaasy based on the picture below. You should focus on the difficulty in acquiring useful information in spite of advanced information technology. You are required to write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words.二听力短对话W：Wow，what a variety of salads you’ve got on your menu，could you recommend something special？M：Well，I think you can try this mixed salad。

We make the dressing with fresh berries。

Q：what does the man mean？W：I was talking to Mary the other day，and she mentioned that your new consulting firm is doing really well。

M：Yes，business paced up much faster than we anticipated。

We now have over 200 clients。

Q：What do we learn about the man from the conversation？W：Do you know where we keep flash disks and printing paper？M：They should be in the cabinet if there are any。

2015年12月份真题（第一套）Part I WritingDirection: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short eaasy based on the picture below. You should focus on the difficulty in acquiring useful information in spite of advanced information technology. You are required to write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words."We have lots of information technology. We just don't have much useful information."PartⅢ Reading ComprehensionSection AAs it is, sleep is so undervalued that getting by on fewer hours has become a badge of honor. Plus, we live in a culture that_____(37)to the late-nighter, from 24-hour grocery stores to online shopping sites that never close. It's no surprise, then, that more than half of American adults don't get the 7 to 9 hours of shut-eye every night as_____(38)by sleep experts.Whether or not we can catch up on sleep-on the weekend, say-is ahotly_____(39)topic among sleep researches. The latest evidence suggests that while it isn't_____(40), it might help. When Liu, the UCLA sleep researcher and professor of medicine, brought_____(41)sleep-restricted people into the lab for a weekend of sleep during which they logged about 10 hours per night, they showed_____(42)in the ability of insulin(胰岛素)to process blood sugar. That suggests that catchup sleep may undo some but not all of the damage that sleep_____(43)causes, which isencouraging given how many adults don't get the hours they need each night. Still, Liu isn't_____(44)to endorse the habit of sleeping less and making up for it later.Sleeping pills, while helpful for some, are not_____(45)an effective remedy either. “A sleeping pill will_____(46)one area of the brain, but there's never going to be a perfect sleeping pill, because you couldn't really replicates(复制)the different chemicals moving in and out of different parts of the brain to go through the different stages of sleep," says Dr.Nancy Collop, director of the Emory University Sleep Center.A.alternativelyB.catersC.chronicallyD.debatedE.deprivationF.idealG.improvementsH.necessarilyI.negotiated J.pierce K.presumption L.readyM.recommended N.surpasses O.targetSection BClimate change may be real, but it's still not easy being green.[A]The road to climate hell is paved with our good intentions. Politicians may tackle polluters while scientists do battle with carbon emissions. But the most pervasive problem is less obvious: our own behavior. We get distracted before we can turn down the heating. We break our promise not to fly after hearing about a neighbour's trip to India. Ultimately, we can't be bothered to change our attitude. Fortunately for the planet, social science and behavioural economics may be able to do that for us.[B]Despite mournful polar bears and charts showing carbon emissions soaring, most people find it hard to believe that global warming will affect them personally. Recent polls by the Pew Research Centre in Washington, DC, found that 75-80 per cent of participants regarded climate change as an important issue. But respondents ranked it last on a list of priorities.[C]This inconsistency largely stems from a feeling of powerlessness. "When we can't actually remove the source of our fear, we tend to adapt psychologically by adopting a range of defence mechanisms," says Tom Crompton, change strategist for the environmental organization Word Wide Fund for Nature.[D]Part of the fault lies with our inner caveman. Evolution has programmed humans to pay most attention to issues that will have an immediate impact. "We worry mostabout now because if we don't survive for the next minute, we're not going to be around in ten years' time," says Professor Elke Weber of the Centre for Research on Environmental Decision at Columbia University in New York. If the Thames for Research on Environmental Decision at Columbia University in New York. If the Thams were lapping around Big Ben, Londoners wound face up to the problem of emissions pretty quickly. But in practice, our brain discounts the risks-andbenefits-associated with issues that lie some way ahead.[E]Matthew Rushworth, of the Department of Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford, sees this in his lab every day. "One of the ways in which all agents seem to make decisions is that they assign a lower weighting to outcomes that are going to be further away in the future," he says. "This is a very sensible way for an animal to make decisions in the wild and would have been very helpful for humans for thousands of years."[F] Not any longer. By the time we wake up to the threat posed by climate changes, it could well be too late. And it we're not going to make rational decisions about the future, others may have to help us to do so.[G] Few political libraries are without a copy of Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health. Wealth and Happiness, by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein. They argue that governments should persuade us into making better decisions-such as saving more in our pension plans-by changing the default options. Professor Weber believes that environmental policy can make use of similar tactics. If, for example, building codes included green construction guidelines, most developers would too lazy to challenge them.[H] Defaults are certainly part of the solution. But social scientists are most concerned about crafting messages that exploit our group mentality(心态). "We need to understand what motivates people, what it is that allows them to make change." says Professor Neil Adger, of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research in Norwich. "It is actually about what their peers think of them, what their social norms are, what is seen as desirable in society." In other words, our inner caveman is continually looking over his shoulder to see what the rest of the tribe are up to.[I] The passive attitude we have to climate change as individuals can be altered by continuing us in-and measuring us against-our peer group. "Social norms are primitive and elemental," says Dr.Robert Cialdini, author of Influence: ThePsychology of Persuasion. "Birds flock together, fish school together, cattle herd together…… just perceiving norms is enough to cause people to adjust their behavior in the direction of the crowd."[J] These norms can take us beyond good intensions. Caldini conducted a study in San Diego in which coat hangers bearing messages about saving energy were hung on people's doors. Some of the messages mentioned the environment, some financial savings, others social responsibility. But it was the ones that mentioned the actions of neighbours that drove down power use.[K] Other studies show that simply providing the facility for people to compare their energy use with the local average is enough to cause them to modify their behaviour. The Conservatives plan to adopt this strategy by making utility companies print the average local electricity and gas usage on people's bills.[L] Social science can also teach politicians how to avoid our collective capacity for self-destructive behavior. Environmental campaigns that tell us how many people drive SUVs unwittingly(不经意地)imply that this behavior is widespread and thus permissible. Cialdini recommends some careful framing of the message. "Instead of normalizing the undesirable buys yet another SUV, it reduces our ability to be energy-independent."[M] Tapping into how we already see ourselves is crucial. The most successful environmental strategy will marry the green message to our own sense of identify. Take your average trade union member, chances are they will be politically motivated and be used to collective action-much like Erica Gregory. A retired member of the Public and Commercial Services Union, she is setting up one of 1,100 action groups with the support of Climate Solidarity, a two-year environmental campaign aimed at trade unionists.[N] Erica is proof that a great-grandmother can help to lead the revolution if you get the psychology right-in this case, by matching her enthusiasm for the environment with a fondness for organizing groups. "I think it's a terrific idea," she says of the campaign. "The union backing it makes members think there must be something in it." She is expecting up to 20 people at the first meeting she has called, at her local pub in the Cornish village of Polperro.[O] Nick Perks, project director for Climate Solidarity, believes this sort of activity is where the future of environmental action lies. "Using existing civil society structures or networks is a more effective way of creating change…… andobviously trade unions are one of the biggest civil society networks in the UK," he says. The "Love Food, Hate Waste" campaign entered into a collaboration last year with another such network-the Women's Institute. Londoner Rachel Taylor joined the campaign with the aim of making new friends. A year on, the meetings have made lasting changes to what she throws away in her kitchen. "It's always more of an incentive if you're doing it with other people," she says. "It motivates you more if you know that you've got to provide feedback to a group."[P]The power of such simple psychology in fighting climate change is attracting attention across the political establishment. In the US, the House of Representatives Science Committee has approved a bill allocating $10 million a year to studying energy-related behavior. In the UK, new studies are in development and social scientists are regularly spotted in British government offices. With the help of psychologists, there is fresh hope that we might go green after all.47. When people find they are powerless to change a situation, they tend to live with it.48. To be effective, environmental messages should be carefully framed.49. It is the government's responsibility to persuade people into making environment-friendly decisions.50. Politicians are beginning to realise the importance of enlisting psychologists' help in fighting climate change.51. To find effective solutions to climate change, it is necessary to understand what motivates people to make change.52. In their evolution, humans have learned to pay attention to the most urgent issues instead of long-term concerns.53. One study shows that our neighbours' actions are influential in changing our behavior.54. Despire clear signs of global warming, it is not easy for most people to believe climate change will effect their own lives.55. We should take our future into consideration in making decisions concerning climate change before it is too late.56. Existing social networks can be more effective in creating in people's behaviour. Section CPassage OneMore than a decade ago, cognitive scientists John Bransfgord and Daniel Schwartz, both then at Vanderbilt University, found that knowledge to a new situation but a quality was not the ability to retain facts or apply prior knowledge to a new situation but a quality they called "preparation for future learning." The researches asked fifth graders and college students to create a recovery plan to protect bald eagles from extinction. Shockingly, the two groups came up with plans of similar quality (through the college students had better spelling skills). From the standpoint of a traditional educator, this outcome indicated that schooling had failed to help students think about ecosystems and extinction, major scientific ideas.The researches decided to go deeper, however. They asked both groups to generate questions about important issues needed to create recovery plans. On this task, they found large differences. College students focused on critical issues of interdependence between eagles("How big are they?" and "What do they eat?"). The college students had cultivated the ability to ask questions, the cornerstone of critical thinking. They had learned how to learn.Museums and other institutions of informal learning may be better suited to teach this skill than elementary and secondly schools. At the Exploratorium in San Francisco, we recently studied how learning to ask good questions can affect the quality of people's scientific inquiry We found that when we taught participants to ask "What if?" and "How can?" questions that nobody present would know the answer to and that would spark exploration, they engaged in better inquiry at the next exhibit-asking more questions, performing more experiments and making better interpretations of their results. Specially, their questions became more comprehensive at the new exhibit. Rather than merely asking about something they wanted to try, they tended to include both cause and effect in their question. Asking juicy questions appears to be a transferable skill for deepening collaborative inquiry into the science content found in exhibits.This type of learning is not confined to museums of institutional settings. Informal learning environment tolerate failure better than schools. Perhaps many teachers have too little time to allow students to form and pursue their own questions and too much ground to cover in the curriculum. But people must acquire this skill somewhere. Our society depend on them being able to make critical decisions about their own medical treatment, says, or what we must do about global energy needs and demands. For that, we have a robust informal system that gives no grades, takes all comers, and is available even on holidays and weekends.57. What is traditional educators' interpretation of the search outcome mentioned in the first paragraph?A.Students are not able to apply prior knowledge to new problemsB.College students are no better than fifth graders in memorizing issues.cation has not paid enough attention to major environmental issues.cated has failed to lead students to think about major scientific ideas.58. In what way are college students different from children?A.They have learned to think criticallyB.They are concerned about social issuesC.They are curious about specific features.D.They have learned to work independently59. What is benefit of asking questions with no ready answers?A.It arouse students' interest in things around them.B.It cultivates students' ability to make scientific inquiries.C.It trains students' ability to design scientific experiments.D.It helps students realize not every question has an answer。

It seems to be a law in the technology industry that leading companies eventually lose theirpositions, often quickly and brutally.Mobile phone champion Nokia, one of Europe's biggesttechnology success stories, was no36, losing its market share in just a few years.In 2007, Nokia accounted for more than 40% of mobile phone sales37But consumers' preferences were already38toward touch-screen smartphones. With the introduction of Apple'siPhone in the middle of that year, Nokia's market share39rapidly and revenue plunged. By theend of 2013, Nokia had sold its phone business to Microsoft. What sealed Nokia's fate was a series of decisions made by Stephen Elop in his position as CEO,which he40in October 2010. Each day that Elop spent in charge of Nokia, the company's marketvalue declined by $ 23 million, making him, by the numbers, one of the worst CEOs in history. But Elop was not the only person at41Nokia's board resisted change, making it impossiblefor the company to adapt to rapid shifts in the industry. Most42, JormaOllila, who had ledNokia's transition from an industrial company to a technology giant, was too fascinated by thecompany's43success to recognize the change that was needed to sustain its competitiveness. The company also embarked on a44cost-cutting program, which included the elimination of which hadmotivated employees to take risks and make miracles. Good leaders left the company, taking Nokia'ssense of vision and directions with them. Not surprisingly, much of Nokia's most valuable design andprogramming talent left as well.A)assumed I) previousB. bias J) relayedC. desperateK) shiftingD. deteriorationL) shrankE) exceptionM) subtleF) faultN) transmittingG) incidentallyO) worldwideH) notablySection BDirections : In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Eachstatement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraphfrom 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. First-Generation College-Goers: Unprepared and Behind Kids who are the first in their families to brave the world of higher education come on campus withlittle academic know—how and are much more likely than their peers to drop out before graduation.[ A] When Nijay Williams entered college last fall as a first—generation student and Jamaican immigrant,he was academically unprepared for the rigors of highereducation. Like many first—generationstudents, he enrolled in a medium-sized state university many of his high school peers were alsoattending, received a Pell Grant, and took out some small federal loans to cover other costs.Given the high price of room and board and the closeness of the school to his family, he chose tolive at home and worked between 30 and 40 hours a week while taking a full class schedule.[ B] What Nijay didn't realize about his school—Tennessee State University—was its frighteningly lowgraduation rate: a mere 29 percent for its first-generation students. At the end of his first year,Nijay lost his Pell Grant of over $ 5,000 after narrowly missing the 2.0 GPA cut-off, making itimpossible for him to continue paying for school.[ C ]Nijay represents a large and growing group of Americans: first—generation college students whoenter school unprepared or behind. To make matters worse, these schools are ill-equipped tograduate these students—young adults who face specific challenges and obstacles. They typicallycarry financial burdens that outweigh those of their peers, are more likely to work while attendingschool, and often require significant academic remediation (补习).[ D ] Matt Rubinoff directs I'm First, a nonprofit organization launched last October to reach out to thisspecific population of students. He hopes to distribute this information and help prospectivecollege-goers fmd the best post-secondary fit. And while Rubinoff believes there are a goodnumber of four—year schools that truly care about these students and set aside significant resourcesand programs for them, he says that number isn't high enough.[ E ] "It's not only the selective and elite institutions that provide those opportunities for a small subsetof this population," Rubinoff said, adding that a majority of first-generation undergraduates tendtoward options such as online programs, two—year colleges, and commuter state schools."Unfortunately, there tends to be a lack of information and support to help students think biggerand broader. "[ F] Despite this problem, many students are still drawn to these institutions--and two-year schools inparticular. As a former high school teacher, I saw students choose familiar, cheaper options yearafter year. Instead of skipping out on higher education altogether, they chose community collegesor state schools with low bars for admittance.[ G]"They underestimate themselves when selecting a university,"said Dave Jarrat, a marketingexecutive for Inside Track, a for—profit organization that specializes in coaching low-income studentsand supporting colleges in order to help students thrive. "The reality of it is that a lot of low-incomekids could be going to elite tufiversities on a full ride scholarship and don't even realize it. "[ H] "Many students are coming from a situation where no one around them has the experience ofsuccessfully completing higher education, so they are coming in questioning themselves and theircollege worthiness," Jarrat continued. That helps explain why, as I'm First's Rubinoffindicated,the schools to which these students end up resorting can end up being some of the poorestmatches for them. The Universityof Tennessee in Knoxville offers one example of this dilemma. Aflagship university in the South, the school graduates just 16 percent of its first—generationstudents, despite its overall graduation rate of 71 percent. Located only a few hours apart, TheUniversity of Tennessee and Tennessee State are worth comparing. Tennessee State's overallgraduation rate is a tiny 39 percent, but at least it has a smaller gap between the outcomes forfirst—generat.ion students and those of their peers.[I] Still, the University of Tennessee deserves credit for being transparent. Many large institutionskeep this kind of data secret—or at least make it incredibly difficult to find The University ofNorth Carolina at Chapel Hill, for instance, admits only that the graduation rate for its first—generation pupils is "much lower" than the percentage of all students who graduate within fouryears (81 percent). [J] It is actually quite difficult to fred reliable statistics on the issue for many schools.Highereducation institutions are, under federal law, required to report graduation rates, but thesereports typically only include Pell recipient numbers —not necessarily rates specific to fLrst—generation students. Other initiatives fail to break down the data, too. Imagine how intimidating itcan be for prospecitive students unfamiliar with the complexities of higher education to navigatethis kind of information and then identify which schools are the best fit.[ K] It was this lack of information that prompted the launch of I'm First in 2013, originally as an annof its umbrella organization, the Center For Student Opportunity."If we can help to directstudents to more of these types of campuses and help students to understand them to be realisticand accessible places, have them apply to these schools at greater frequency and ultimately get inand enroll, we are going to raise the success rate," Rubinoff said, citing a variety of colleges ranging from large state institutions to smaller private schools.[ L] Chelsea Jones, who now directs student programming at I'm First, was a first —generation college student at Howard. Like other student new to the intimidating higher—education world, she often struggled on her path to college, "There wasn't really a college—bound cnlture at my high school," she said. "I wanted to go to college but I didn't really know the process. " Jones became involved with a college —access program through Princeton University in high school. Now, she attributes much of her understanding of college to that: "But once I got to campus, it was a completely different ball game that no one really prepared me for. "[ M] She was fortunate, though. Howard, a well—regarded historically black college, had an array of resources for its first—generation students, including matching kids with counselors, comecting first— generation students to one another, and TRIO, a national program that supported 200 students onHoward's campus. Still, Jones represents a small percentage of first-generation students who areable to gain entry into more elite universities, which are often known for robust financial aidpackages and remarkably high graduation rates for first—generation students.(Harvard, for example, boasts a six—year graduation rate for underrepresented minority groups of 98 percent. )[ N]Christian Vazquez, a first—generation Yale graduate, is another exception, his success story settinghim far apart from students such as Nijay. "There is a lot ofsupport at Yale, to an extent, after awhile, there is too much support," he said, half—joking about the countless resources available atthe school. Students are placed in small groups with counselors ( trained seniors on campus) ;they have access to cultural and ethnic affinity (联系) groups, tutoring centers and also have a summer orientation specifically for first—generation students ( the latter being one of the mostcommon programs for students).[ O]"Our support structure was more like : ' You are going to get through Yale; you are going to dowell,' " he said, hinting at mentors (导师), staff, and professors who all provided significantsupport for students who lacked confidence about "belonging" at such a top institution.46. Many first—generation college—goers have doubts about their abilities to geta college degree.47. First—generation college students tend to have much heavier financial burdens than their peers.48. The graduation rate of first—generation students at Nijay's university was incredibly low.49. Some top institutions like Yale seem to provide first—generation students with more support than they actually need.50. On entering college, Nijay Williams had no idea how challenging college education was.51. Many universities simply refuse to release their exact graduation rates for first-generation students.52. According to a marketing executive, many students from low-income families don't know they could have a chance of going to an elite university.53. Some elite universities attach great importance to building up the first—generation students' serf—confidence.54. I'm First distributes information to help first-generation college-goers find schools that are most suitable for them.55. Elite universities tend to graduate fn'st-generation students at a higher rate.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. andD . You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on AnswerSheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 56 to 60 are based on the following passage.Saying they can no longer ignore the rising prices of health care, some of the most influentialmedical groups in the nation are recommending that doctors weigh the costs, not just the effectivenessof treatments, as they make decisions about patientcare.The shift, little noticed outside the medical establishment but already controversial inside it,suggests that doctors are starting to redefine their roles, from being concerned exclusively aboutindividual patients to exerting influence on how healthcare dollars are spent. In practical terms, the new guidelines being developed could result in doctors choosing one drugover another for cost reasons or even deciding that a particular treatment—at the end of life, forexample—is too expensive. In the extreme, some critics have said that making treatment decisionsbased on cost is a form of rationing. Traditionally, guidelines have heavily influenced the practice of medicine, and the latest ones areexpected to make doctors more conscious of the economic consequences of their decisions, eventhough there's no obligation to follow them. Medical society guidelines are also used by insurancecomoanies to help determine reimbursement (报销) policies. Some doctors see a potential conflict in trying to be both providers of patient care and fmancial Overseers."There should be forces in society who should be concerned about the budget, but they shouldn'tbe functioning simultaneously as doctors," said Dr. Martin Samuels at a Boston hospital. He saiddoctors risked losing the trust of patients if they told patients, "I'm not going to do what I think is bestfor you because I think it's bad for the healthcare budget in Massachusetts. " Doctors can face some grim trade —offs. Studies have shown, for example, that two drugs are aboutequally effective in treating macular degeneration, and eye disease. But one costs $ 50 a dose and theother close to $ 2,000. Medicare could save hundreds of millions of dollars a year if everyone used thecheaper drug, Avastin, instead of the costlier one, Lucentis. But the Food and Drug Administration has not approved Avastin for use in the eye. and using itrather than the alternative, Lucentis, might carry an additional, although slight, safety risk. Shoulddoctors consider Medicare's budget in deciding what touse?"I think ethically (在道德层面上) we are just worried about the patient in front of us and nottrying to save money for the insurance industry or society as a whole," said Dr. Donald Jensen. Still, some analysts say that there's a role for doctors to play in cost analysis because not manyothers are doing so. "In some ways," said Dr. Daniel Sulmasy, "it represents a failure of wider society to take up the issue. "56. What do some most influential medical groups recommend doctors do?A. Reflect on the responsibilities they are supposed to take.B. Pay more attention to the effectiveness of their treatments.C. Take costs into account when making treatment decisions.D. Readjust their practice in view of the cuts in health care.57. What were doctors mainly concerned about in the past?A. Specific medicines to be used.B. Effects of medical treatment.C. Professional advancement.D. Patients' trust.58. What may the new guidelines being developed lead to?A. The redefining of doctors' roles.B. Overuse of less effective medicines.C. Conflicts between doctors and patients.D. The prolonging of patients' suffering.59. What risk do doctors see in their dual role as patient care providers and financial overseers?A. They may be involved in a conflict of interest.B. They may be forced to divide their attention.C. They may have to use less effective drugs.D. They may lose the respect of patients.60. What do some experts say about doctors' involvement in medical cost analysis?A. It may add to doctors' already heavy workloads.B. It will help to save money for society as a whole.C. It results from society's failure to tackle the problem.D. It raises doctors' awareness of their social responsibilities.Passage TwoQuestions 61 to 65 are based on the following passage.Economic inequality is the "defining challenge of our time," President Barack Obama declared in aspeech last month to the Center for American Progress. Inequality is dangerous, he argued, not merelybecause it doesn't look good to have a large gap between the rich and the poor, but because inequalityitself destroys upward mobility, making it harder for the poor to escape from poverty. "Increasedinequality and decreasing mobility pose a fundamental threat to the American Dream," he said. Obama is only the most prominent public figure to declare inequality Public Enemy No. 1 and thegreatest threat to reducing poverty in America. A number of prominent economists have also arguedthat it's harder for the poor to climb the economic ladder today because the rungs (横档 ) in that ladderhave grown farther apart.For all the new attention devoted to the 1 percent, a new damset from the Equality of OpportunityProject at Harvard and Berkeley suggests that, if we care about upward mobility overall, we're vastlyexaggerating the dangers of the rich—poor gap. Inequality itself is not a particularly strong predictor ofeconomic mobility, as sociologist Scott Winship noted in a recent article based on his analysis of this data. So what factors, at the community level, do predict if poor children will move up the economicladder as adtdts? what explains, for instance, why the Salt Lake City metro area is one of the 100largest metropolitan areas most likely to lift the fortunes of the poor and the Atlanta metro area is oneof the least likely?Harvard economist Raj Cherty has pointed to economic and racial segregation, community density,the size of a community's middle class, the quality of schools, commtmity religiosity, and familystructure, which he calls the "single strongest correlate of upward mobility. " Chetty finds thatcommunities like Salt Lake City, with high levels of two-parent families and religiosity, are much morelikely to see poor children get ahead than communities like Atlanta, with high levels of racial andeconomic segregation. Chetty has not yet issued a comprehensive analysis of the relative predictive power of each of thesefactors. Based on my analyses of the data. of the factors that Chetty has highlighted, the followingthree seem to be most predictive of upward mobility in a given community:1. Per-capita (人均) income growth2. Prevalence of single mothers ( where correlation is strong, but negative)3. Per-capita local government spending In other words, communities with high levels of per-capita income growth, high percentages oftwo-parent families, and high local government spending-which may stand for good schools-are themost likely to help poor children relive Horatio Alger's rags-to-riches story.61. How does Obama view economic inequality?A. It is the biggest obstacle to social mobility.B. It is the greatest threat to social stability.C. It is the No. 1 enemy of income growth.D. It is the most malicious social evil of our time.62. What do we learn about the inequality gap from Scott Winship's data analysis?A. It is fast widening across most parts of America.B. It is not a reliable indicator of economic mobility.C. It is not correctly interpreted.D. It is overwhelmingly ignored.63. Compared with Atlanta, metropolitan Salt Lake City is said toA. have placed religious beliefs above party politicsB. have bridged the gap between the rich and the poorC. offer poor children more chances to climb the social ladderD. suffer from higher levels of racial and economic segregation64. What is strongly correlated with social mobility according to economist Raj Cherty?A. Family structure.B. Racial equality.C. School education.D. Community density.65. What does the author seem to suggest?A. It is important to increase the size of the middle class.B. It is highly important to expand the metropolitan areas.C. It is most imperative to focus our efforts on the elimination of income inequality.D. It is better to start from the community to help poor children move up the social ladder.Part IVTranslation(30 minutes)名词：B.bias偏见，倾向；D.deterioration变质，退化，恶化；E)excephon例外；F)fault 过错，过失动词：A.assumed承担(权力，责任)；J)relayed接替，转播，转告；K)shiftin9改变，略微移动；L)shrank收缩，缩减；N)txansmitting传导，传播形容词：C.desperate绝望的，孤注一掷的；I)previous先前的；M)subtle微妙的，不易察觉的副词：G)incidentally顺便地，附带；H)notably显著地，尤其；0)worldwide在全世界36．E.exception。

2015年12月大学英语六级考试真题第1套Part I Writing （30minutes）Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay based on the picture below. You should focus on the difficulty in acquiring useful information in spite of advanced information technology. 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 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.1. A .She is impatient to learn computer programming.B. She is unaware her operation system is outdated.C. She is unable to use the new computer program.D. She is amazed at the fast change of technology.2. A. He has long been fed up with traveling.B. He prefers to stay home for the holiday.C. He is going out of town for a couple of days.D. He is annoyed by the heavy traffic downtown.3. A. The challenges facing East Asia.B. The location for their new office.C. Their expansion into the overseas marketD. The living expenses in Tokyo and Singapore.4. A.A number of cell phones were found after the last show.B. The woman forgot where she had left her cell phone.C. The woman was very pleased to find her cell phone.D. Reserved tickets could be picked up at the ticket counter.5. A. The building materials will be delivered soon.B. The project is being held up by bad weather.C. The construction schedule may not be met.D. Qualified carpenters are not easy to find.6. A. She is getting very forgetful these days.B. She does not hold on to bitter feelings.C. She resents the way she is treated.D. She never intends to hurt anyone.7. A. The man wants to rent a small apartment.B. The woman has trouble getting a mortgage.C. The woman is moving to a foreign country.D. The man is trying to sell the woman a house.8. A. They are writing a story for the Morning News.B. They are facing great challenges to get re-elected.C. They are launching a campaign to attract women voters.D. They are conducting a survey among the women in town.Questions 9 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.9.A.Touch his heart. B. Make him cry. C. Remind him of his life. D. Make him feel young.10. A. He is good at singing operas.B. He enjoys complicated music:C. He can sing any song if he likes it.D. He loves country music in particular.11. A. Go to a bar and drink for hours.B. Go to an isolated place to sing blues.C. Go to see a performance in a concert hall.D. Go to work and wrap himself up in music.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12. A. How he became an announcer.B. How he writes news stories.C. How he makes his living.D. How he does his job.13. A. They write the first version of news stories.B. They gather news stories on the spot.C. They polish incoming news stories.D. They write comments on major news stories.14. A. Reading through the news stories in a given period of time.B. Having little time to read the news before going on the air.C. Having to change the tone of his voice from time to time.D. Getting all the words and phrases pronounced correctly.15. A. It shows where advertisements come in.B. It gives a signal for him to slow down.C. It alerts him to something important.D. It serves as a reminder of sad news.Section 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 OneQuestions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.16. A. It gives pleasure to both adults and children.B. It is often carried around by small children.C. It can be found in many parts of the world.D. It was invented by an American Indian.17. A. They were made for earning a living.B. They were delicate geometric figures.C. They were small circus figures made of wire.D. They were collected by a number of museums.18.A.In art. B. In geometry. C. In engineering. D. In circus performance. Passage TwoQuestions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19. A. They offer students a wide variety of courses.B. They attract students from all over the world.C. They admit more students than they can handle.D. They have trouble dealing with overseas students.20. A. Everyone will benefit from education sooner or later.B.A good education contributes to the prosperity of a nation.C.A good education is necessary for one to climb the social ladder.D. Everyone has a right to an education appropriate to his potential.21. A. He likes students with high motivation.B. He enjoys teaching intelligent students.C. He tailors his teaching to students' needs.D. He treats all his students in a fair manner.Passage ThreeQuestions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22. A. It is mostly imported from the Middle East.B. It is a sure indicator of its economic activity.C. It has a direct impact on the international oil market.D. It equals more than 30 million barrels of oil each day.23. A. It eventually turns into heat.B. It is used in a variety of forms.C. Its use is chiefly responsible for air pollution.D. Part of it is lost in the process of transmission.24. A. When it is used in rural areas.B. When it is environment-friendly.C. When it operates at near capacity.D. When it operates at regular times.25.A.Traffic jams in cities. B. Inefficient use of energy. C. Fuel shortage. D. Global warming.Section 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 the second 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.Graphics are used in textbooks as part of the language of the discipline, as in math or economics, or as study aids. Authors use graphic aids to（26）and expand on concepts taken up in the text because graphics are yet another way of portraying relationships and（27）connections.Graphics are used extensively in natural sciences and social sciences. Social scientists work with statistics（28）data, and the best way to present these statistics is often in graphic form. Graphics are included- not merely as a means of making the information easier for the student to grasp, but as an integral part of the way social scientists think. Many textbooks,（29）those in economics, contain appendixes that provide specific information on reading and working with graphic material.Make it a practice to（30）attentively the titles, captions, headings, and other material connected with graphics. These elements（31）and usually explain what you are looking at. When you are examining graphics, the（32）questions to ask are (a.)What is this item about? and (b.)What key idea is the author（33）?One warning: Unless you integrate your reading of graphics with the text, you may make a wrong assumption.（34）, from a chart indicating that 33 percent of firstborn children in a research sample did not feel close to their fathers, you might assume that some dreadful influence was at work on the firstborn children. However, a careful reading of the text（35）that most of the firstborn children in the sample were from single-parent homes in which the father was absent.Part ⅢReading Comprehension (40 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, there 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 centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.Questions 36 to 45 are based on the following passage.According to a report from the Harvard School of Public Health, many everyday products, including some bug sprays and cleaning fluids, could lead to an increased risk of brain and behavioral disorders in children. The developing brain, the report says, is particularly （36）to the toxic effects of certain chemicals these products may contain, and the damage they cause can be（37）.The official policy, however, is still evolving. Health and environmental（38）have long urged U.S. government agencies to （39）the use of some of the 11 chemicals the report cites and called for more studies on their long-term effects. In 2001, for example, the Environmental Protection Agency （40）the type and amount of lead that could be present in paint and soil in homes and child-care（41）, after concerns were raised about lead poisoning. The agency is now （42）the toxic effects of some of the chemicals in the latest report.But the threshold for regulation is high. Because children's brain and behavioral disorders, like hyperactivity and lower grades, can also be linked to social and genetic factors, it's tough to pin them on exposure to specific chemicals with solid （43）evidence, which is what the EPA requires. Even the Harvard study did not prove a direct （44）but noted strong associations between exposure and risk of behavioral issues.Nonetheless, it's smart to （45）caution. While it may be impossible to prevent kids from drinking tap water that may contain trace amounts of chemicals, keeping kids away from lawns recently sprayed with chemicals and freshly dry-cleaned clothes can't hurt.A. advocatesB. compactC. correlationD. exerciseE. facilitiesF. interactionG. investigatingH. overwhelmedI. particlesJ. permanentK. restrictedL. simulatingM. statisticalN. tightenO. vulnerableSection BDirections : In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Eachstatement 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 Impossibility of Rapid Energy Transitions[ A ] Politicians are fond of promising rapid energy transitions. Whether it is a transition from imported to domestic oil or from coal-powered electricity production to natural-gas power plants, politicians love to talk big. Unfortunately forthem (and often the taxpayers), our energy systems are a bit like an aircraft carrier: they are unbelievably expensive, they are built to last for a very long time, they have a huge amount of inertia ( meaning it takes a lot of energy to set them moving ), and they have a lot of momentum once they are set in motion. No matter how hard you try, you can't turn something that large on a dime ( 10美分硬币), or even a few thousand dimes.[ B ] In physics, moving objects have two characteristics relevant to understanding the dynamics of energy systems: inertia and momentum. Inertia is the resistance of objects to efforts to change their state of motion. If you try to push a boulder ( 大圆石), it pushes you back. Once you have started the boulder rolling, it develops momentum, which is defined by its mass and velocity. Momentum is said to be "conserved," that is, once you build it up, it has to go somewhere. So a heavy object, like a football player moving at a high speed, has a lot of momentum-that is, once he is moving, it is hard to change his state of motion. If you want to change his course, you have only a few choices: you can stop him, transferring ( possibly painfully) some of his kinetic energy (动能) to your own body, or you can approach alongside and slowly apply pressure to gradually alter his course.[ C ] But there are other kinds of momentum as well. After all, we don't speak only of objects or people as having momentum; we speak of entire systems having momentum. Whether it's a sports team or a presidential campaign, everybody relishes having the big momentum, because it makes them harder to stop or change direction.[ D ] One kind of momentum is technological momentum. When a technology is deployed, its impacts reach far beyond itself. Consider the incandescent (白炽灯的) bulb, an object currently hated by many environmentalists and energy-efficiency advocates. The incandescent light bulb, invented by Thomas Edison, which came to be the symbol of inspiration, has been developed into hundreds, if not thousands, of forms. Today, a visit to a lighting store reveals a stunning array of choices. There are standard-shaped bulbs, flame-shaped bulbs, colored globe-shaped bulbs, and more. It is quite easy, with all that choice, to change a light bulb.[ E ] But the momentum of incandescent lighting does not stop there. All of those specialized bulbs led to the building of specialized light fixtures, from the desk lamp you study by, to the ugly but beloved hand-painted Chinese lamp you inherited from your grandmother, to the ceiling fixture in your closet, to the light in your oven or refrigerator, and to the light that the dentist points at you. It is easy to change a light bulb, sure, but it is harder to change the bulb and its fixture.[ F ] And there is more to the story, because not only are the devices that house incandescent bulbs shaped to their underlying characteristics, but rooms and entire buildings have been designed in accordance with how incandescent lighting reflects off walls and windows.[ G ] As lighting expert Howard Brandston points out, “Generally, there are no bad light sources, only bad applications. " There are some very commendable characteristics of the CFL [ compact fluorescent (荧光的) light bulb ], yet the selection of any light source remains inseparable from the luminaire (照明装置) that houses it, along with the space in which both are installed, and lighting requirements that need to be satisfied. The lamp, the fixture, and the room, all three must work in concert for the true benefits of end-users. If the CFL should be used for lighting a particular space, or an object within that space, the fixture must be designed to work with that lamp, and that fixture with the room. It is a symbiotic (共生的) relationship. A CFL cannot be simply installed in an incandescent fixture and then expected to produce a visual appearance that is more than washed out, foggy, and dim. The whole fixture must be replaced-light source and luminaire-and this is never an inexpensive proposition.[ H ] And Brandston knows a thing or two about lighting, being the man who illuminated the Statue of Liberty.[ I ]Another type of momentum we have to think about when planning for changes in our energy systems is labor-pool momentum. It is one thing to say that we are going to shift 30 percent of our electricity supply from, say, coal to nuclear power in 20 years. But it is another thing to have a supply of trained talent that could let you carry out this promise. That is because the engineers, designers, regulators, operators, and all of the other skilled people needed for the new energy industry are specialists who have to be trained first ( or retrained, if they are the ones being laid off in some related industry), and education, like any other complicated endeavor, takes time. And not only do our prospective new energy workers have to be trained, they have to be trained in the right sequence. One needs the designers, and perhaps the regulators, before the builders and operators, and each group of workers in training has to know there is work waiting beyond graduation. In some cases, colleges and universities might have to change their training programs,adding another layer of difficulty.[ J ] By far the biggest type of momentum that comes into play when it comes to changing our energy systems is economic momentum. The major components of our energy systems, such as fuel production, refining, electrical generation and distribution, are costly installations that have lengthy life spans. They have to operate for long periods of time before the costs of development have been recovered. When investors put up money to build, say, a nuclear power plant, they expect to earn that money back over the planned life of the plant, which is typically between 40and 60 years. Some coal power plants in the United States have operated for more than 70 years!The oldest continuously operated commercial hydro-electric plant in the United States is on New York's Hudson River, and it went into commercial service in 1898.[ K ] As Vaclav Smil points out, "All the forecasts, plans, and anticipations cited above have failed so miserably because their authors and promoters thought the transitions they hoped to implement would proceed unlike all previous energy transitions, and that their progress could be accelerated in an unprecedented manner. "[ L ] When you hear people speaking of making a rapid transition toward any type of energy, whether it is a switch from coal to nuclear power, or a switch from gasoline-powered cars to electric cars, or even a switch. from an incandescent to a fluorescent light, understanding energy system inertia and momentum can help you decide whether their plans are feasible.46. Not only moving objects and people but all systems have momentum.47. Changing the current energy system requires the systematic training of professionals and skilled labor.48. Changing a light bulb is easier than changing the fixture housing it.49. Efforts to accelerate the current energy transitions didn't succeed as expected.50. To change the light source is costly because you have to change the whole fixture.51. Energy systems, like an aircraft carrier set in motion, have huge momentum.52. The problem with lighting, if it arises, often doesn't lie in light sources but in their applications.53. The biggest obstacle to energy transition is that the present energy system is too expensive to replace.54. The application of a technology can impact areas beyond itself.55. Physical characteristics of moving objects help explain the dynamics of energy systems.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 centre.Passage OneQuestions 56 to 60 are based on the following passage.One hundred years ago, "Colored" was the typical way of referring to Americans of African descent. Twenty years later, it was purposefully dropped to make way for "Negro. " By the late 1960s,that term was overtaken by "Black. " And then, at a press conference in Chicago in 1988, Jesse Jackson declared that "African American" was the term to embrace. This one was chosen because it echoed the labels of groups, such as "Italian Americans" and "Irish Americans," that had already beenfreed of widespread discrimination.A century's worth of calculated name changes point to the fact that naming any group is a politically freighted exercise. A 2001 study cataloged all the ways in which the term "Black" carried connotations (涵义) that were more negative than those of "African American. "But if it was known that "Black" people were viewed differently from "African Americans," researchers, until now, hadn't identified what that gap in perception was derived from. A recent study, conducted by Emory University's Erika Hall, found that "Black" people are viewed more negatively. than "African Americans" because of a perceived difference in socioeconomic status. As a result," Black" people are thought of as less competent and as having colder personalities.The study's most striking findings shed light on the racial biases permeating the professional world. Even seemingly harmless details on a resume, it appears, can tap into recruiters' biases. A job application might mention affiliations with groups such as the "Wisconsin Association of African-American Lawyers" or the "National Black Employees Association," the names of which apparently have consequences, and are also beyond their members' control.In one of the study's experiments, subjects were given a brief description of a man from Chicago with the last name Williams. To one group, he was identified as "African-American," and another was told he was "Black. " With little else to go on, they were asked to estimate Mr. Williams’s salary, professional standing, and educational background.The "African-American" group estimated that he earned about $ 37,000 a year and had a two-year college degree. The "Black" group, on the other hand, put his salary at about $ 29,000, and guessed that he had only "some" college experience. Nearly three-quarters of the first group guessed that Mr. Williams worked at a managerial level, while only 38.5 percent of the second group thought so.Hall's findings suggest there's an argument to be made for electing to use "African American," though one can't help but get the sense that it's a decision that papers over the urgency of continued progress. Perhaps a new phrase is needed, one that can bring everyone one big step closer to realizing Du Bois's original, idealistic hope: "It's not the name-it's the Thing that counts. "56.Why did Jesse Jackson embrace the term "African American" for people of African descent?57. A. It is free from racial biases.B. It represents social progress.C. It is in the interest of common Americans.D. It follows the standard naming practice.57. What does the author say about the naming of an ethnic group ?A. It advances with the times.B. It is based on racial roots.C. It merits intensive study.D .It is politically sensitive.58.What do Erika Hall's findings indicate?A. Racial biases are widespread in the professional world.B. Many applicants don't attend to details on their resumes.C. Job seekers should all be careful- about their affiliations.D. Most recruiters are unable to control their racial biases.59. What does Erika Hall find in her experiment about a man with the last name Williams?A. African Americans fare better than many other ethnic groups.B. Black people's socioeconomic status in America remains low.C. People's conception of a person has much to do with the way he or she is labeled.D. One's professional standing and income are related to their educational background.60. What is Dr. Du Bois's ideal?A. All Americans enjoy equal rights.B.A person is judged by their worth.C.A new term is created to address African Americans.D. All ethnic groups share the nation's continued progress.Passage TwoQuestions 61 to 65 are based on the following passage.Across the board, American colleges and universities are not doing a very good job of preparing their students for the workplace or their post-graduation lives. This was made clear by the work of two sociologists, Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa. In 2011 they released a landmark study titled "Academically Adrift," which documented the lack of intellectual growth experienced by many people enrolled in college. In particular, Arum and Roksa found, college students were not developing the critical thinking, analytic reasoning and other higher-level skills that are necessary to thrive in today's knowledge-based economy and to lead our nation in a time of complex challenges and dynamic change.Arum and Roksa placed the blame for students' lack of learning on a watered-down college curriculum and lowered undergraduate work standards. Although going to college is supposed to be a Full-time job, students spent, on average, only 12 to 14 hours a week studying and many were skating through their semesters without doing a significant amount of reading and writing. Students who take more challenging classes and spend more time studying do learn more. But the priorities of many undergraduates are with extracurricular activities, playing sports, and partying and socializing.Laura Hamilton, the author of a study on parents who pay for college, will argue in a forthcoming book that college administrations are overly concerned with the social and athletic activities of their students. In Paying for the Party, Hamilton descri bes what she calls the “arty pathway," which eases many students through college, helped-along by various clubs that send students into the party scene and a host of easier majors. By sanctioning this watered-down version of college, universities are "catering to the social and educational needs of wealthy students at the expense of others" who won't enjoy the financial backing or social connections of richer students once they graduate.These students need to build skills and knowledge during college if they are to use their degrees as a stepping-stone to middle-class mobility. But more privileged students must not waste this opportunity either. As recent graduates can testify, the job market isn't kind to candidates who can't demonstrate genuine competence, along with a well-cultivated willingness to work hard. Nor is the global economy forgiving of an American workforce with increasingly weak literacy, math and science abilities. College graduates will still fare better than those with only a high school education, of course. But a university degree unaccompanied by a gain in knowledge or skills is an empty achievement indeed. For students who have been coasting through college, and for American universities that have been demanding less work, offering more attractions and charging higher tuition, the party may soon be over.61. What is Arum and Roksa's finding about higher education in America?A. It aims at stimulating the intellectual curiosity of college students.B. It fails to prepare students to face the challenges of modern times.C. It has experienced dramatic changes in recent years.D. It has tried hard to satisfy students' various needs.62. What is responsible for the students' lack of higher-level skills?A. The diluted college curriculum.B. The boring classroom activities.C. The absence of rigorous discipline.D. The outdated educational approach.63. What does Laura Hamilton say about college administrations?A. They fail to give adequate help to the needy students.B. They tend to offer too many less challenging courses.C. They seem to be out of touch with society.D. They prioritize non-academic activities.64. What can be learned about the socially and financially privileged students?A. They tend to have a sense of superiority over their peers.B. They can afford to choose easier majors in order to enjoy themselves.C. They spend a lot of time building strong connections with businesses.D. They can climb the social ladder even without a degree.65. What does the author suggest in the last paragraph?A. American higher education has lost its global competitiveness.B. People should not expect too much from American higher education.C. The current situation in American higher education may not last long.D. It will take a long time to change the current trend in higher education.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.最近，中国政府决定将其工业升级。

2015 年12 月大学英语六级考试真题及答案（第1 套）Part I Writing (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay based on the picture below.You should focus on the impact of social networking websites on reading.You arerequired to write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1 上作答。

Reading Comprehension (40 minutes) Part ⅢSection AQuestions 36 to 45 are based on the following passage.According to a report from the Harvard School of Public Health，many everyday products, including some bug sprays and cleaning fluids, could lead to an increased risk of brain and behavioral disorders in children. The developing brain, the report says, is particularly 36 to the toxic effects of certain chemicals these products may contain, and the damage they cause can be 37 .The official policy，however，is still evolving. Health and environmental 38 have long urged U.S. government agencies to 39 (the use of some of the 11 chemicals the report cites and called for more studies on their long-term effects. In 2001, for example，the Environmental Protection Agency 40 the type and amount of lead that could be present in paint and soil in hornet and child-care 41 , after concerns were raised about lead poisoning. The agency is now 42 the toxic effects of some of the chemicals in the latest report.But the threshold for regulation is high. Because children’s brain and behavioral disorders, like hyperactivity and lower grades, can also be linked to social and genetic factors, it’s tough to pin them on exposure to specific chemicals with solid 43 evidence, which is what the EPA requires. Eventhe Harvard study did not prove a direct 44 but noted strong associations between exposure and risk of behavioral issues,Nonetheless, it’s smart to 45 caution. While it may be impossible to prevent kids from drinking tap water that may contain trace amounts of chemicals, keeping kids away from lawns recently sprayed with chemicals and freshly dry-cleaned clothes can’t hurt.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。

2015年12月英语六级考试真题(卷一完整版)（图文版）(3)听写题Extinction is a difficult concept to grasp. It is an eternal concept. Itis not at all like the killing of individual life forms that can be renewedthrough normal processes of reproduction. Nor is simply diminishing numbers.Nor is it damage that can somehow be remedied or for which some substitute canbe found. Nor is it something that only affects our own generation. Nor is it somethingthat could be remedied by some supernatural power. It is, rather, an absoluteand final act which there is no remedy on earth or in heaven. A species onceextinct, it s gone forever. However many generations succeed us in comingcenturies, none ofthem will ever see this species that we extinguish. Not onlyus we bring about extinction of life on a vast scale. We are also making theland and the air and sea so toxic that the very conditions of life are being destroyed.As regard natural resources ,not only are the none renewable resources beingused up in a of frenzy of processing, consuming and disposing but we are alsoruining much of our renewable resources. Such as the very solid self on which terrestriallife depends. The change that is taking place on the earth and in our minds isone of the greatest changes ever to take place in human affairs. Perhaps thegreatest, since we are talking about is not simply another historical change orcultural modification. But it change the geological and biological as well as psychologicalorder of magnitude.【】Direction: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short eaasy based on the picture below. You shouldfocus on the difficulty in acquiring useful information in spite of advanced information technology. You are required to write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words.。

2015年12月大学英语六级考试真题(第1套)Part I Writing(30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay based on the picturebelow. You should focus on the impact of social networking websites on reading.You arereauired to write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words._______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ Part IIListening Comprehension(30 minutes)听力音频地址：/englishlistening/CET6/zhenti/2016-05-28/427638.htmlSection 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. Thenmark the eorresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.1. A. The restaurant offers some specials each day.B. The restaurant is known for its food varieties.C. The dressing makes the mixed salad very inviting.D. The woman should mix the ingredients thoroughly.2. A. He took over the firm from Mary.C. He failed to foresee major problems.B. He is running a successful business.D. He is opening a new consulting firm.3. A. Someone should be put in charge of office supplies.B. The man can leave the discs in the office cabinet.C. The man may find the supplies in the cabinet.D. The printer in the office has run out of paper.4.A. He has to use a magnifying glass to see clearly.B. The woman can use his glasses to read.C. He has the dictionary the woman wants.D. The dictionary is not of much help to him.5.A. Redecorating her office.B. Majoring in interior design.C. Seeking professional advice.D. Adding some office furniture.6.A. Problems in port management.B. Improvement of port facilities.C. Delayed shipment of goods.D. Shortage of container ships.7.A. Their boss.B. A colleague.C. Their workload.D. A coffee machine.8.A. Call the hotel manager for help.B. Postpone the event until a later date.C. Hold the banquet at a different place.D. Get an expert to correct the error.Questions 9 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.9.A. He shares some of the household duties.B. He often goes back home late for dinner.C. He cooks dinner for the family occasionally.D. He dines out from time to time with friends.10.A. To take him to dinner.B. To talk about a budget plan.C. To discuss an urgent problem.D. To pass on an important message.11. A. Foreign investors are losing confidence in India's economy.B. Many multinational enterprises are withdrawing from India.C. There are wild fluctuations in the international money market.D. There is a sharp increase in India's balance of payment deficit. Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12. A. They have unrealistic expectations about the other half.B. They may not be prepared for a lifelong relationship.C. They form a more realistic picture of life.D. They try to adapt to their changing roles.13. A. He is lucky to have visited many exotic places.B. He is able to forget all the troubles in his life.C. He is able to meet many interesting people.D. He is lucky to be able to do what he loves.14.A. It is stressful.B. It is full of tim.C. It is all glamour.D. It is challenging15. A. Bothered.B. Amazed.C. Puzzled.D. Excited.Section BDirections : In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage, you will hearsome questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After youhear 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 linethrough the centre.Passage OneQuestions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.16. A. Maintain the traditional organizational culture.B. Learn new ways of relating and working together.C. Follow closely the fast development of technology.D. Learn to be respectful in a hierarchical organization.17. A. How the team integrates with what it is supposed to serve.B. How the team is built to keep improving its performance.C. What type of personnel the team should be composed of.D. What qualifications team members should be equipped with.18. A. A team manager must set very clear and high objectives.B. Teams must consist of members from different cultures.C. Team members should be knowledgeable and creative.D. A team manager should develop a certain set of skills.Passage TwoQuestions 19 to 22 are based on the passage you have just heard.19. A. It is a platform for sharing ideas on teaching at the University of Illinois.B. It was mainly used by scientists and technical people to exchange text.C. It started off as a successful program but was unable to last long.D. It is a program allowing people to share information on the Web.20. A. He visited a number of famous computer scientists.B. He met with an entrepreneur named Jim Clark.C. He sold a program developed by his friends.D. He invested in a leading computer business.21.A. They had confidence in his new ideas.B. They trusted his computer expertise.C. They were very keen on new technology.D. They believed in his business connections.Passage ThreeQuestions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22.A. Prestige advertising.B. Institutional advertising.C. Wordofmouth advertising.D. Distributing free trial products.23.A. To sell a particular product.B. To build up their reputation.C. To promote a specific service.D. To attract high-end consumers.24. A. By using the services of large advertising agencies.B. By hiring their own professional advertising staff.C. By buying media space in leading newspapers.D. By creating their own ads and commericais.25.A. Decide on what specific means of communication to employ.B. Conduct a large-scale survey on customer needs.C. Specify the objectives of the campaign in detail.D. Pre-test alternative ads or commercials in certain regions.Section CDirections: In this section, you will hoar a passage three times. When the passage is read for thofirst time, you should listen carefully for its general idea. When tho passage is read for the second time, you are required to fill in tho blanks with the exact words you have justhoard. Finally, when tho passage is read for the third time, you should chock what youhave written.Extinction is difficult concept to grasp. It is an26concept. It's not at all like the killing ofindividual lifeforms that can be renewedthrough normal processes of reproduction. Nor is it simply27numbers. Nor is it damage that can somehow be remedied or for which some substitute can beound. Nor is it something that simply affects our own generation. Nor is it something that could beremedied by some supernatural power. It is rather an28and final act for which there is no remedy on earth or in heaven. A species once extinct is gone forever. However many generations29us incoming centuries, none of them will ever see this species that we extinguish.Not only are we bringing about the extinction of life30, we are also making the land and theair and the sea so toxic that the very conditions of life are being destroyed.31basic naturalresources, not only are the nonrenewable resources being32in a frenzy ( 疯狂) of processing,consuming, and33, but we are also mining much of our renewable resources, such as the verysoil itself on which terrestrial (地球上的) life depends.The change that is taking place on the earth and in our minds is one of the greatest changes ever totake place in human affairs, perhaps the greatest, since what we are talking about is not simply anotherhistorical change or cultural34, but a change of geological and biological as well as psychologicalorder of35Part III Reading Comprehension(40 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one wordfor each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read thopassage through carefully before making your choices.Each choice in the bank isidentified by a letter. Please mark tho corresponding letter for each item on AnswerSheet 2 with a single line through tho centre. You may not use any of tho words in the bank more than once.Questions 36 to 45 are based on the following passage. It seems to be a law in thetechnology industry that leading companies eventually lose theirpositions, often quickly and brutally.Mobile phone champion Nokia, one of Europe's biggesttechnology success stories, was no36, losing its market share in just a few years.In 2007, Nokia accounted for more than 40% of mobile phone sales37But consumers' preferences were already38toward touch-screen smartphones. With the introduction of Apple'siPhone in the middle of that year, Nokia's market share39rapidly and revenue plunged. By theend of 2013, Nokia had sold its phone business to Microsoft. What sealed Nokia's fate was a series of decisions made by Stephen Elop in his position as CEO,which he40in October 2010. Each day that Elop spent in charge of Nokia, the company's marketvalue declined by $ 23 million, making him, by the numbers, one of the worst CEOs in history. But Elop was not the only person at41Nokia's board resisted change, making it impossiblefor the company to adapt to rapid shifts in the industry. Most42, Jorma Ollila, who had ledNokia's transition from an industrial company to a technology giant, was too fascinated by thecompany's43success to recognize the change that was needed to sustain its competitiveness. The company also embarked on a44cost-cutting program, which included the elimination of which hadmotivated employees to take risks and make miracles. Good leaders left the company, taking Nokia'ssense of vision and directions with them. Not surprisingly, much of Nokia's most valuable design andprogramming talent left as well.A)assumed I) previousB. bias J) relayedC. desperateK) shiftingD. deteriorationL) shrankE) exceptionM) subtleF) faultN) transmittingG) incidentallyO) worldwideH) notablySection BDirections : In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Eachstatement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraphfrom 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. First-Generation College-Goers: Unprepared and Behind Kids who are the first in their families to brave the world of higher education come on campus withlittle academic know—how and are much more likely than their peers to drop out before graduation.[ A] When Nijay Williams entered college last fall as a first—generation student and Jamaican immigrant,he was academically unprepared for the rigors of higher education. Like many first—generationstudents, he enrolled in a medium-sized state university many of his high school peers were alsoattending, received a Pell Grant, and took out some small federal loans to cover other costs.Given the high price of room and board and the closeness of the school to his family, he chose tolive at home and worked between 30 and 40 hours a week while taking afull class schedule.[ B] What Nijay didn't realize about his school—Tennessee State University—was its frighteningly lowgraduation rate: a mere 29 percent for its first-generation students. At the end of his first year,Nijay lost his Pell Grant of over $ 5,000 after narrowly missing the 2.0 GPA cut-off, making itimpossible for him to continue paying for school.[ C ]Nijay represents a large and growing group of Americans: first—generation college students whoenter school unprepared or behind. To make matters worse, these schools are ill-equipped tograduate these students—young adults who face specific challenges and obstacles. They typicallycarry financial burdens that outweigh those of their peers, are more likely to work while attendingschool, and often require significant academic remediation (补习).[ D ] Matt Rubinoff directs I'm First, a nonprofit organization launched last October to reach out to thisspecific population of students. He hopes to distribute this information and help prospectivecollege-goers fmd the best post-secondary fit. And while Rubinoff believes there are a goodnumber of four—year schools that truly care about these students and set aside significant resourcesand programs for them, he says that number isn't high enough.[ E ] "It's not only the selective and elite institutions that provide those opportunities for a small subsetof this population," Rubinoff said, adding that a majority of first-generation undergraduates tendtoward options such as online programs, two—year colleges, and commuter state schools."Unfortunately, there tends to be a lack of information and support to help students think biggerand broader. "[ F] Despite this problem, many students are still drawn to these institutions--and two-year schools inparticular. As a former high school teacher, I saw students choose familiar, cheaper options yearafter year. Instead of skipping out on higher education altogether, they chose community collegesor state schools with low bars for admittance.[ G]"They underestimate themselves when selecting a university,"said Dave Jarrat, a marketingexecutive for Inside Track, a for—profit organization that specializes in coaching low-income studentsand supporting colleges in order to help students thrive. "The reality of it is that a lot of low-incomekids could be going to elite tufiversities on a full ride scholarship and don't even realize it. "[ H] "Many students are coming from a situation where no one around them has the experience ofsuccessfully completing higher education, so they are coming in questioning themselves and theircollege worthiness," Jarrat continued. That helps explain why, as I'm First's Rubinoff indicated,the schools to which these students end up resorting can end up being some of the poorestmatches for them. The University of Tennessee in Knoxville offers one example of this dilemma. Aflagship university in the South, the school graduates just 16 percent of its first—generationstudents, despite its overall graduation rate of 71 percent. Located only a few hours apart, TheUniversity of Tennessee and Tennessee State are worth comparing. Tennessee State's overallgraduation rate is a tiny 39 percent, but at least it has a smallergap between the outcomes forfirst—generat.ion students and those of their peers.[I] Still, the University of Tennessee deserves credit for being transparent. Many large institutionskeep this kind of data secret—or at least make it incredibly difficult to find The University ofNorth Carolina at Chapel Hill, for instance, admits only that the graduation rate for its first—generation pupils is "much lower" than the percentage of all students who graduate within fouryears (81 percent). [J] It is actually quite difficult to fred reliable statistics on the issue for many schools.Highereducation institutions are, under federal law, required to report graduation rates, but thesereports typically only include Pell recipient numbers —not necessarily rates specific to fLrst—generation students. Other initiatives fail to break down the data, too. Imagine how intimidating itcan be for prospecitive students unfamiliar with the complexities of higher education to navigatethis kind of information and then identify which schools are the best fit.[ K] It was this lack of information that prompted the launch of I'm First in 2013, originally as an annof its umbrella organization, the Center For Student Opportunity."If we can help to directstudents to more of these types of campuses and help students to understand them to be realisticand accessible places, have them apply to these schools at greater frequency and ultimately get inand enroll, we are going to raise the success rate," Rubinoff said, citing a variety of colleges ranging from large state institutions to smaller private schools.[ L] Chelsea Jones, who now directs student programming at I'm First, was a first —generation college student at Howard. Like other student new to the intimidating higher—education world, she often struggled on her path to college, "There wasn't really a college—bound cnlture at my high school," she said. "I wanted to go to college but I didn't really know the process. " Jones became involved with a college —access program through Princeton University in high school. Now, she attributes much of her understanding of college to that: "But once I got to campus, it was a completely different ball game that no one really prepared me for. "[ M] She was fortunate, though. Howard, a well—regarded historically black college, had an array of resources for its first—generation students, including matching kids with counselors, comecting first— generation students to one another, and TRIO, a national program that supported 200 students onHoward's campus. Still, Jones represents a small percentage of first-generation students who areable to gain entry into more elite universities, which are often known for robust financial aidpackages and remarkably high graduation rates for first—generation students.(Harvard, for example, boasts a six—year graduation rate for underrepresented minority groups of 98 percent. )[ N]Christian Vazquez, a first—generation Yale graduate, is another exception, his success story settinghim far apart from students such as Nijay. "There is a lot of support at Yale, to an extent, after awhile, there is too much support," he said, half—joking about the countless resources available atthe school. Students are placed in small groups with counselors ( trained seniors on campus) ;they have access to cultural and ethnic affinity (联系) groups, tutoring centers and also have a summer orientation specifically for first—generation students ( the latter beingone of the mostcommon programs for students).[ O]"Our support structure was more like : ' You are going to get through Yale; you are going to dowell,' " he said, hinting at mentors (导师), staff, and professors who all provided significantsupport for students who lacked confidence about "belonging" at such a top institution.46. Many first—generation college—goers have doubts about their abilities to geta college degree.47. First—generation college students tend to have much heavier financial burdens than their peers.48. The graduation rate of first—generation students at Nijay's university was incredibly low.49. Some top institutions like Yale seem to provide first—generation students with more support than they actually need.50. On entering college, Nijay Williams had no idea how challenging college education was.51. Many universities simply refuse to release their exact graduation rates for first-generation students.52. According to a marketing executive, many students from low-income families don't know they could have a chance of going to an elite university.53. Some elite universities attach great importance to building up the first—generation students' serf—confidence.54. I'm First distributes information to help first-generation college-goers find schools that are most suitable for them.55. Elite universities tend to graduate fn'st-generation students at a higher rate. 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. andD . You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on AnswerSheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 56 to 60 are based on the following passage.Saying they can no longer ignore the rising prices of health care, some of the most influentialmedical groups in the nation are recommending that doctors weigh the costs, not just the effectivenessof treatments, as they make decisions about patient care.The shift, little noticed outside the medical establishment but already controversial inside it,suggests that doctors are starting to redefine their roles, from being concerned exclusively aboutindividual patients to exerting influence on how healthcare dollars are spent. In practical terms, the new guidelines being developed could result in doctors choosing one drugover another for cost reasons or even deciding that a particular treatment—at the end of life, forexample—is too expensive. In the extreme, some critics have said that making treatment decisionsbased on cost is a form of rationing. Traditionally, guidelines have heavily influenced the practice of medicine, and the latest ones areexpected to makedoctors more conscious of the economic consequences of their decisions, eventhough there's no obligation to follow them. Medical society guidelines are also used by insurancecomoanies to help determine reimbursement (报销) policies. Some doctors see a potential conflict in trying to be both providers of patient care and fmancial Overseers."There should be forces in society who should be concerned about the budget, but they shouldn'tbe functioning simultaneously as doctors," said Dr. Martin Samuels at a Boston hospital. He saiddoctors risked losing the trust of patients if they told patients, "I'm not going to do what I think is bestfor you because I think it's bad for the healthcare budget in Massachusetts. " Doctors can face some grim trade —offs. Studies have shown, for example, that two drugs are aboutequally effective in treating macular degeneration, and eye disease. But one costs $ 50 a dose and theother close to $ 2,000. Medicare could save hundreds of millions of dollars a year if everyone used thecheaper drug, Avastin, instead of the costlier one, Lucentis. But the Food and Drug Administration has not approved Avastin for use in the eye. and using itrather than the alternative, Lucentis, might carry an additional, although slight, safety risk. Shoulddoctors consider Medicare's budget in deciding what to use?"I think ethically (在道德层面上) we are just worried about the patient in front of us and nottrying to save money for the insurance industry or society as a whole," said Dr. Donald Jensen. Still, some analysts say that there's a role for doctors to play in cost analysis because not manyothers are doing so. "In some ways," said Dr. Daniel Sulmasy, "it represents a failure of wider society to take up the issue. "56. What do some most influential medical groups recommend doctors do?A. Reflect on the responsibilities they are supposed to take.B. Pay more attention to the effectiveness of their treatments.C. Take costs into account when making treatment decisions.D. Readjust their practice in view of the cuts in health care.57. What were doctors mainly concerned about in the past?A. Specific medicines to be used.B. Effects of medical treatment.C. Professional advancement.D. Patients' trust.58. What may the new guidelines being developed lead to?A. The redefining of doctors' roles.B. Overuse of less effective medicines.C. Conflicts between doctors and patients.D. The prolonging of patients' suffering.59. What risk do doctors see in their dual role as patient care providers and financial overseers?A. They may be involved in a conflict of interest.B. They may be forced to divide their attention.C. They may have to use less effective drugs.D. They may lose the respect of patients.60. What do some experts say about doctors' involvement in medical cost analysis?A. It may add to doctors' already heavy workloads.B. It will help to save money for society as a whole.C. It results from society's failure to tackle the problem.D. It raises doctors' awareness of their social responsibilities.Passage TwoQuestions 61 to 65 are based on the following passage.Economic inequality is the "defining challenge of our time," President Barack Obama declared in aspeech last month to the Center for American Progress. Inequality is dangerous, he argued, not merelybecause it doesn't look good to have a large gap between the rich and the poor, but because inequalityitself destroys upward mobility, making it harder for the poor to escape from poverty. "Increasedinequality and decreasing mobility pose a fundamental threat to the American Dream," he said. Obama is only the most prominent public figure to declare inequality Public Enemy No. 1 and thegreatest threat to reducing poverty in America. A number of prominent economists have also arguedthat it's harder for the poor to climb the economic ladder today because the rungs (横档 ) in that ladderhave grown farther apart.For all the new attention devoted to the 1 percent, a new damset from the Equality of OpportunityProject at Harvard and Berkeley suggests that, if we care about upward mobility overall, we're vastlyexaggerating the dangers of the rich—poor gap. Inequality itself is not a particularly strong predictor ofeconomic mobility, as sociologist Scott Winship noted in a recent article based on his analysis of this data. So what factors, at the community level, do predict if poor children will move up the economicladder as adtdts? what explains, for instance, why the Salt Lake City metro area is one of the 100largest metropolitan areas most likely to lift the fortunes of the poor and the Atlanta metro area is oneof the least likely?Harvard economist Raj Cherty has pointed to economic and racial segregation, community density,the size of a community's middle class, the quality of schools, commtmity religiosity, and familystructure, which he calls the "single strongest correlate of upward mobility. " Chetty finds thatcommunities like Salt Lake City, with high levels of two-parent families and religiosity, are much morelikely to see poor children get ahead than communities like Atlanta, with high levels of racial andeconomic segregation. Chetty has not yet issued a comprehensive analysis of the relative predictive power of each of thesefactors. Based on my analyses of the data. of the factors that Chetty has highlighted, the followingthree seem to be most predictive of upward mobility in a given community:1. Per-capita (人均) income growth2. Prevalence of single mothers ( where correlation is strong, but negative)3. Per-capita local government spending In other words, communities with high levels of per-capita income growth, high percentages oftwo-parent families, and high local government spending-which may stand for good schools-are themost likely to help poor children relive Horatio Alger's rags-to-riches story.61. How does Obama view economic inequality?A. It is the biggest obstacle to social mobility.B. It is the greatest threat to social stability.。

2015年12月份真题（第一套）Part I WritingDirection: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short eaasy based on the picture below. You should focus on the difficulty in acquiring useful information in spite of advanced information technology. You are required to write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words."We have lots of information technology. We just don't have much useful information."PartⅢ Reading ComprehensionSection AAs it is, sleep is so undervalued that getting by on fewer hours has become a badge of honor. Plus, we live in a culture that_____(37)to the late-nighter, from 24-hour grocery stores to online shopping sites that never close. It's no surprise, then, that more than half of American adults don't get the 7 to 9 hours of shut-eye every night as_____(38)by sleep experts.Whether or not we can catch up on sleep-on the weekend, say-is ahotly_____(39)topic among sleep researches. The latest evidence suggests that while it isn't_____(40), it might help. When Liu, the UCLA sleep researcher and professor of medicine, brought_____(41)sleep-restricted people into the lab for a weekend of sleep during which they logged about 10 hours per night, they showed_____(42)in the ability of insulin(胰岛素)to process blood sugar. That suggests that catchup sleep may undo some but not all of the damage that sleep_____(43)causes, which is encouraging given how many adults don't get the hours they need each night. Still, Liu isn't_____(44)to endorse the habit of sleeping less and making up for it later.Sleeping pills, while helpful for some, are not_____(45)an effective remedy either. “A sleeping pill will_____(46)one area of the brain, but there's never going to be a perfect sleeping pill, because you couldn't really replicates(复制)the different chemicals moving in and out of different parts of the brain to go through the different stages of sleep," says Dr.Nancy Collop, director of the Emory University Sleep Center.A.alternativelyB.catersC.chronicallyD.debatedE.deprivationF.idealG.improvementsH.necessarilyI.negotiated J.pierce K.presumption L.readyM.recommended N.surpasses O.targetSection BClimate change may be real, but it's still not easy being green.[A]The road to climate hell is paved with our good intentions. Politicians may tackle polluters while scientists do battle with carbon emissions. But the most pervasive problem is less obvious: our own behavior. We get distracted before we can turn down the heating. We break our promise not to fly after hearing about a neighbour's trip to India. Ultimately, we can't be bothered to change our attitude. Fortunately for the planet, social science and behavioural economics may be able to do that for us.[B]Despite mournful polar bears and charts showing carbon emissions soaring, most people find it hard to believe that global warming will affect them personally. Recent polls by the Pew Research Centre in Washington, DC, found that 75-80 per cent of participants regarded climate change as an important issue. But respondents ranked it last on a list of priorities.[C]This inconsistency largely stems from a feeling of powerlessness. "When we can't actually remove the source of our fear, we tend to adapt psychologically by adopting a range of defence mechanisms," says Tom Crompton, change strategist for the environmental organization Word Wide Fund for Nature.[D]Part of the fault lies with our inner caveman. Evolution has programmed humans to pay most attention to issues that will have an immediate impact. "We worry most about now because if we don't survive for the next minute, we're not going to be around in ten years' time," says Professor Elke Weber of the Centre for Research on Environmental Decision at Columbia University in New York. If the Thames for Research on Environmental Decision at Columbia University in New York. If the Thams were lapping around Big Ben, Londoners wound face up to the problem of emissions pretty quickly. But in practice, our brain discounts the risks-andbenefits-associated with issues that lie some way ahead.[E]Matthew Rushworth, of the Department of Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford, sees this in his lab every day. "One of the ways in which all agents seem to make decisions is that they assign a lower weighting to outcomes that are going to be further away in the future," he says. "This is a very sensible way for an animal to make decisions in the wild and would have been very helpful for humans for thousands of years."[F] Not any longer. By the time we wake up to the threat posed by climate changes, it could well be too late. And it we're not going to make rational decisions about the future, others may have to help us to do so.[G] Few political libraries are without a copy of Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health. Wealth and Happiness, by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein. They argue that governments should persuade us into making better decisions-such as saving more in our pension plans-by changing the default options. Professor Weber believes that environmental policy can make use of similar tactics. If, for example, building codes included green construction guidelines, most developers would too lazy to challenge them.[H] Defaults are certainly part of the solution. But social scientists are most concerned about crafting messages that exploit our group mentality(心态). "We need to understand what motivates people, what it is that allows them to make change." says Professor Neil Adger, of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research in Norwich. "It is actually about what their peers think of them, what their social norms are, what is seen as desirable in society." In other words, our inner caveman is continually looking over his shoulder to see what the rest of the tribe are up to.[I] The passive attitude we have to climate change as individuals can be altered by continuing us in-and measuring us against-our peer group. "Social norms are primitive and elemental," says Dr.Robert Cialdini, author of Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. "Birds flock together, fish school together, cattle herd together…… just perceiving norms is enough to cause people to adjust their behavior in the direction of the crowd."[J] These norms can take us beyond good intensions. Caldini conducted a study in San Diego in which coat hangers bearing messages about saving energy were hung on people's doors. Some of the messages mentioned the environment, some financial savings, others social responsibility. But it was the ones that mentioned the actions of neighbours that drove down power use.[K] Other studies show that simply providing the facility for people to compare their energy use with the local average is enough to cause them to modify their behaviour. The Conservatives plan to adopt this strategy by making utility companies print the average local electricity and gas usage on people's bills.[L] Social science can also teach politicians how to avoid our collective capacity for self-destructive behavior. Environmental campaigns that tell us how many people drive SUVs unwittingly(不经意地)imply that this behavior is widespread and thus permissible. Cialdini recommends some careful framing of the message. "Instead of normalizing the undesirable buys yet another SUV, it reduces our ability to be energy-independent."[M] Tapping into how we already see ourselves is crucial. The most successful environmental strategy will marry the green message to our own sense of identify. Take your average trade union member, chances are they will be politically motivated and be used to collective action-much like Erica Gregory. A retired member of the Public and Commercial Services Union, she is setting up one of 1,100 action groups with the support of Climate Solidarity, a two-year environmental campaign aimed at trade unionists.[N] Erica is proof that a great-grandmother can help to lead the revolution if you get the psychology right-in this case, by matching her enthusiasm for the environment with a fondness for organizing groups. "I think it's a terrific idea," she says of the campaign. "The union backing it makes members think there must be something in it." She is expecting up to 20 people at the first meeting she has called, at her local pub in the Cornish village of Polperro.[O] Nick Perks, project director for Climate Solidarity, believes this sort of activity is where the future of environmental action lies. "Using existing civil society structures or networks is a more effective way of creating change…… and obviously trade unions are one of the biggest civil society networks in the UK," he says. The "Love Food, Hate Waste" campaign entered into a collaboration last year with another such network-the Women's Institute. Londoner Rachel Taylor joined the campaign with the aim of making new friends. A year on, the meetings have made lasting changes to what she throws away in her kitchen. "It's always more of an incentive if you're doing it with other people," she says. "It motivates you more if you know that you've got to provide feedback to a group."[P]The power of such simple psychology in fighting climate change is attracting attention across the political establishment. In the US, the House of Representatives Science Committee has approved a bill allocating $10 million a year to studying energy-related behavior. In the UK, new studies are in development and social scientists are regularly spotted in British government offices. With the help of psychologists, there is fresh hope that we might go green after all.47. When people find they are powerless to change a situation, they tend to live with it.48. To be effective, environmental messages should be carefully framed.49. It is the government's responsibility to persuade people into making environment-friendly decisions.50. Politicians are beginning to realise the importance of enlisting psychologists' help in fighting climate change.51. To find effective solutions to climate change, it is necessary to understand what motivates people to make change.52. In their evolution, humans have learned to pay attention to the most urgent issues instead of long-term concerns.53. One study shows that our neighbours' actions are influential in changing our behavior.54. Despire clear signs of global warming, it is not easy for most people to believe climate change will effect their own lives.55. We should take our future into consideration in making decisions concerning climate change before it is too late.56. Existing social networks can be more effective in creating in people's behaviour. Section CPassage OneMore than a decade ago, cognitive scientists John Bransfgord and Daniel Schwartz, both then at Vanderbilt University, found that knowledge to a new situation but a quality was not the ability to retain facts or apply prior knowledge to a new situation but a quality they called "preparation for future learning." The researches asked fifth graders and college students to create a recovery plan to protect bald eagles from extinction. Shockingly, the two groups came up with plans of similar quality (through the college students had better spelling skills). From the standpoint of a traditional educator, this outcome indicated that schooling had failed to help students think about ecosystems and extinction, major scientific ideas.The researches decided to go deeper, however. They asked both groups to generate questions about important issues needed to create recovery plans. On this task, they found large differences. College students focused on critical issues of interdependence between eagles("How big are they" and "What do they eat"). Thecollege students had cultivated the ability to ask questions, the cornerstone of critical thinking. They had learned how to learn.Museums and other institutions of informal learning may be better suited to teach this skill than elementary and secondly schools. At the Exploratorium in San Francisco, we recently studied how learning to ask good questions can affect the quality of people's scientific inquiry We found that when we taught participants to ask "What if" and "How can" questions that nobody present would know the answer to and that would spark exploration, they engaged in better inquiry at the next exhibit-asking more questions, performing more experiments and making better interpretations of their results. Specially, their questions became more comprehensive at the new exhibit. Rather than merely asking about something they wanted to try, they tended to include both cause and effect in their question. Asking juicy questions appears to be a transferable skill for deepening collaborative inquiry into the science content found in exhibits.This type of learning is not confined to museums of institutional settings. Informal learning environment tolerate failure better than schools. Perhaps many teachers have too little time to allow students to form and pursue their own questions and too much ground to cover in the curriculum. But people must acquire this skill somewhere. Our society depend on them being able to make critical decisions about their own medical treatment, says, or what we must do about global energy needs and demands. For that, we have a robust informal system that gives no grades, takes all comers, and is available even on holidays and weekends.57. What is traditional educators' interpretation of the search outcome mentioned in the first paragraphA.Students are not able to apply prior knowledge to new problemsB.College students are no better than fifth graders in memorizing issues.cation has not paid enough attention to major environmental issues.cated has failed to lead students to think about major scientific ideas.58. In what way are college students different from childrenA.They have learned to think criticallyB.They are concerned about social issuesC.They are curious about specific features.D.They have learned to work independently59. What is benefit of asking questions with no ready answersA.It arouse students' interest in things around them.B.It cultivates students' ability to make scientific inquiries.C.It trains students' ability to design scientific experiments.D.It helps students realize not every question has an answer。

2015年12月大学英语六级真题答案（第一套）Part I WritingThe Impact of Social Networking Websites on ReadingAs we can see from the picture, a pair of lovers is discussing about reading. To our amusement, the boy says his favorite book is Facebook. While the picture is seemingly humorous and ridiculous, it is thought-provoking on second thought, intending to inform us that the Internet has exerted an important impact on our daily reading.Opinions vary when it comes to the impact of social networking websites on reading. Some people insist that social networking websites provide large collections of information at great speed and stimulate our reading interest. On the other hand, some people claim that it is a common phenomenon that youngsters spend too much time reading on social networking websites, and it is these websites make teenagers have less opportunities or time to read traditional books.There is a saying goes like this, “Every coin has two sides”. So there is no surprise that there are different opinions on the impact of social networking websites on reading. However, I, as a college student, am convinced that it is necessary for us to read on social networking websites, but it is also of greater necessity for us to read traditional books, because social networking websites are just tools and a heavy dependence on it will bring more harm than good.Part II Listening ComprehensionSection A1. C) The dressing makes the mixed salad very inviting.2. B) He is running a successful business.3. C) The man may find the supplies in the cabinet.4. A) He has to use a magnifying glass to see clearly.5. A) Redecorating her office.6. D) Shortage of container ships.7. B) A colleague.8. C) Hold the banquet at a different place.9. B) He often goes back home late for dinner.10. D) To pass on an important message.11. D) There is a sharp increase in India’s balance of payment deficit.12. A) They have unrealistic expectations about the other half.13. D) He is lucky to be able to do what he loves.14. C) It is all glamour.15. B) Amazed.Section B16. B) Learn new ways of relating and working together.17. A) How the team integrates with what it is supposed to serve.18. D) A team manager should develop a certain set of skills.19. D) It is a program allowing people to share information on the Web.20. B) He met with an entrepreneur named Jim Clark.21. A) They had confidence in his new ideas.22. C) Word-of-mouth advertising.23. B) To build up their reputation.24. A) By using the services of large advertising agencies.25. D) Pre-test alternative ads or commercials in certain regions. Section C26. eternal27. diminishing28. absolute29. succeed30. on a vast scale31. As regards32. used up33. disposing34. modification35. magnitudePart III Reading ComprehensionSection A36. E) exception37.O)worldwide38. K) shifting39. L) shrank40. A) assumed41. F) fault42. H) notably43. I) previous44. C) desperate45. D) deteriorationSection B46. H) “Many students are coming from a situation where no one around them has t he experience of successfully completing higher education, so they are coming in questioning themselves and their college worthiness,” Jarrat continued.47. C) Nijay represents a large and growing group of Americans: first generation college students who enter school unprepared or behind.48. B) What Nijay didn’t realize about his school—Tennessee State University—was its frighteningly low graduation rate a mere 29 percent for its first-generation students.49. N) Christian Vazquez, a first-generation Yale graduate, is another exception, his success story setting him far apart from students such as Nijay.50. A) When Nijay Williams entered college last fall as a first-generation student and Jamaican immigrant, he was academically unprepared for the rigors of higher education.51. I) Still, the University of Tennessee deserves credit for being transparent.52. G)“They underestimate themselves when selecting a university,” said Dave Jarrat, a marketing executive for Inside Track, a for-profit organization that specializes in coaching low-income students and supporting colleges in order to help students thrive.53. O) “Our support structure was more like: ‘You a re going to get through Yale; you are going to do well,’” he said, hinting at mentors, staff, and professors who all provided significant support for students who lacked confidence about “belonging” at such a top institution.54. D) Matt Rubinoff directs I’m First, a nonprofit organization launched last October to reach out to this specific population of students. He hopes to distribute this information and help prospective college-goers find the best post-secondary fit.55. M) She was fortunate, though. Howard, a well-regarded historically black college, had an array of resources for its first-generation students, including matching kids with counselors, connecting first-generation students to one another, and TRIO, a national program that supported 200 stu dents on Howard’s campus.Section C56. C) Take costs into account when making treatment decisions.57. B) Effects of medical treatment.58. A) The redefining of doctors’ roles.59. C) They may have to use less effective drugs.60. C) It results from soci ety’s failure to tackle the problem.61. A) It is the biggest obstacle to social mobility.62. B) It is not a reliable indicator of economic mobility.63. C) offer poor children more chances to climb the social ladder64. A) Family structure.65. D) It is better to start from the community to help poor children move up the social ladder.Part IV TranslationIn China, parents always try every means to help their children, and even make important decisions for them. They never care what their children really want, because they believe that it is good for them. As a result, children’s growth and education tend t o surrender to the wills of their parents.If parents decide to sign up for their children to take an extra class to increase their chances of being admitted to a key school, they will stick to their decision, even if their children are not interested.Whi le in the United States, parents are likely to respect their children’s opinions, and pay more attention to their opinions in making decisions.It may be worthy of praise for the Chinese parents to attach great importance to education. When it comes to education, however, they should learn how to balance the relationship between parents and their children from American parents.。

2015年12月大学英语六级考试真题第1套Part I Writing （30minutes）Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay based on the picture below. You should focus on the difficulty in acquiring useful information in spite of advanced information technology. 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 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.1. A .She is impatient to learn computer programming.B. She is unaware her operation system is outdated.C. She is unable to use the new computer program.D. She is amazed at the fast change of technology.2. A. He has long been fed up with traveling.B. He prefers to stay home for the holiday.C. He is going out of town for a couple of days.D. He is annoyed by the heavy traffic downtown.3. A. The challenges facing East Asia.B. The location for their new office.C. Their expansion into the overseas marketD. The living expenses in Tokyo and Singapore.4. A.A number of cell phones were found after the last show.B. The woman forgot where she had left her cell phone.C. The woman was very pleased to find her cell phone.D. Reserved tickets could be picked up at the ticket counter.5. A. The building materials will be delivered soon.B. The project is being held up by bad weather.C. The construction schedule may not be met.D. Qualified carpenters are not easy to find.6. A. She is getting very forgetful these days.B. She does not hold on to bitter feelings.C. She resents the way she is treated.D. She never intends to hurt anyone.7. A. The man wants to rent a small apartment.B. The woman has trouble getting a mortgage.C. The woman is moving to a foreign country.D. The man is trying to sell the woman a house.8. A. They are writing a story for the Morning News.B. They are facing great challenges to get re-elected.C. They are launching a campaign to attract women voters.D. They are conducting a survey among the women in town.Questions 9 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.9.A.Touch his heart. B. Make him cry. C. Remind him of his life. D. Make him feel young.10. A. He is good at singing operas.B. He enjoys complicated music:C. He can sing any song if he likes it.D. He loves country music in particular.11. A. Go to a bar and drink for hours.B. Go to an isolated place to sing blues.C. Go to see a performance in a concert hall.D. Go to work and wrap himself up in music.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12. A. How he became an announcer.B. How he writes news stories.C. How he makes his living.D. How he does his job.13. A. They write the first version of news stories.B. They gather news stories on the spot.C. They polish incoming news stories.D. They write comments on major news stories.14. A. Reading through the news stories in a given period of time.B. Having little time to read the news before going on the air.C. Having to change the tone of his voice from time to time.D. Getting all the words and phrases pronounced correctly.15. A. It shows where advertisements come in.B. It gives a signal for him to slow down.C. It alerts him to something important.D. It serves as a reminder of sad news.Section 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 OneQuestions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.16. A. It gives pleasure to both adults and children.B. It is often carried around by small children.C. It can be found in many parts of the world.D. It was invented by an American Indian.17. A. They were made for earning a living.B. They were delicate geometric figures.C. They were small circus figures made of wire.D. They were collected by a number of museums.18.A.In art. B. In geometry. C. In engineering. D. In circus performance. Passage TwoQuestions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19. A. They offer students a wide variety of courses.B. They attract students from all over the world.C. They admit more students than they can handle.D. They have trouble dealing with overseas students.20. A. Everyone will benefit from education sooner or later.B.A good education contributes to the prosperity of a nation.C.A good education is necessary for one to climb the social ladder.D. Everyone has a right to an education appropriate to his potential.21. A. He likes students with high motivation.B. He enjoys teaching intelligent students.C. He tailors his teaching to students' needs.D. He treats all his students in a fair manner.Passage ThreeQuestions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22. A. It is mostly imported from the Middle East.B. It is a sure indicator of its economic activity.C. It has a direct impact on the international oil market.D. It equals more than 30 million barrels of oil each day.23. A. It eventually turns into heat.B. It is used in a variety of forms.C. Its use is chiefly responsible for air pollution.D. Part of it is lost in the process of transmission.24. A. When it is used in rural areas.B. When it is environment-friendly.C. When it operates at near capacity.D. When it operates at regular times.25.A.Traffic jams in cities. B. Inefficient use of energy. C. Fuel shortage. D. Global warming.Section 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 the second time, you are required to fill in the blanks withthe exact words you have just heard. Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should check what you have written.Graphics are used in textbooks as part of the language of the discipline, as in math or economics, or as study aids. Authors use graphic aids to（26）and expand on concepts taken up in the text because graphics are yet another way of portraying relationships and（27）connections.Graphics are used extensively in natural sciences and social sciences. Social scientists work with statistics（28）data, and the best way to present these statistics is often in graphic form. Graphics are included- not merely as a means of making the information easier for the student to grasp, but as an integral part of the way social scientists think. Many textbooks,（29）those in economics, contain appendixes that provide specific information on reading and working with graphic material.Make it a practice to（30）attentively the titles, captions, headings, and other material connected with graphics. These elements（31）and usually explain what you are looking at. When you are examining graphics, the（32）questions to ask are (a.)What is this item about? and (b.)What key idea is the author（33）?One warning: Unless you integrate your reading of graphics with the text, you may make a wrong assumption.（34）, from a chart indicating that 33 percent of firstborn children in a research sample did not feel close to their fathers, you might assume that some dreadful influence was at work on the firstborn children. However, a careful reading of the text（35）that most of the firstborn children in the sample were from single-parent homes in which the father was absent.Part ⅢReading Comprehension (40 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, there 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 centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.Questions 36 to 45 are based on the following passage.According to a report from the Harvard School of Public Health, many everyday products, including some bug sprays and cleaning fluids, could lead to an increased risk of brain and behavioral disorders in children. The developing brain, the report says, is particularly （36）to the toxic effects of certain chemicals these products may contain, and the damage they cause can be（37）.The official policy, however, is still evolving. Health and environmental（38）have long urged U.S. government agencies to （39）the use of some of the 11 chemicals the report cites and called for more studies on their long-term effects. In 2001, for example, the Environmental Protection Agency （40）the type and amount of lead that could be present in paint and soil in homes and child-care（41）, after concerns were raised about lead poisoning. The agency is now （42）the toxic effects of some of the chemicals in the latest report.But the threshold for regulation is high. Because children's brain and behavioral disorders, like hyperactivity and lower grades, can also be linked to social and genetic factors, it's tough to pin them on exposure to specific chemicals with solid （43）evidence, which is what the EPA requires. Even the Harvard study did not prove a direct （44）but noted strong associations between exposure and risk of behavioral issues.Nonetheless, it's smart to （45）caution. While it may be impossible to prevent kids from drinking tap water that may contain trace amounts of chemicals, keeping kids away from lawns recently sprayed with chemicals and freshly dry-cleaned clothes can't hurt.A. advocatesB. compactC. correlationD. exerciseE. facilitiesF. interactionG. investigatingH. overwhelmedI. particlesJ. permanentK. restrictedL. simulatingM. statisticalN. tightenO. vulnerableSection BDirections : In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Eachstatement 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 Impossibility of Rapid Energy Transitions[ A ] Politicians are fond of promising rapid energy transitions. Whether it is a transition from imported to domestic oil or from coal-powered electricity production to natural-gas power plants, politicians love to talk big. Unfortunately for them (and often the taxpayers), our energy systems are a bit like an aircraft carrier: they are unbelievably expensive, they are built to last for a very long time, they have a huge amount of inertia ( meaning it takes a lot of energy to set them moving ), and they have a lot of momentum once they are set in motion. No matter how hard you try, you can't turn something that large on a dime ( 10美分硬币), or even a few thousand dimes.[ B ] In physics, moving objects have two characteristics relevant to understanding the dynamics of energy systems: inertia and momentum. Inertia is the resistance of objects to efforts to change their state of motion. If you try to push a boulder ( 大圆石), it pushes you back. Once you have started the boulder rolling, it develops momentum, which is defined by its mass and velocity. Momentum is said to be "conserved," that is, once you build it up, it has to go somewhere. So a heavy object, like a football player moving at a high speed, has a lot of momentum-that is, once he is moving, it is hard to change his state of motion. If you want to change his course, you have only a few choices: you can stop him, transferring ( possibly painfully) some of his kinetic energy (动能) to your own body, or you can approach alongside and slowly apply pressure to gradually alter his course.[ C ] But there are other kinds of momentum as well. After all, we don't speak only of objects or people as having momentum; we speak of entire systems having momentum. Whether it's a sports team or a presidential campaign, everybody relishes having the big momentum, because it makes them harder to stop or change direction.[ D ] One kind of momentum is technological momentum. When a technology is deployed, its impacts reach far beyond itself. Consider the incandescent (白炽灯的) bulb, an object currently hated by many environmentalists and energy-efficiency advocates. The incandescent light bulb, invented by Thomas Edison, which came to be the symbol of inspiration, has been developed into hundreds, if not thousands, of forms. Today, a visit to a lighting store reveals a stunning array of choices. There are standard-shaped bulbs, flame-shaped bulbs, colored globe-shaped bulbs, and more. It is quite easy, with all that choice, to change a light bulb.[ E ] But the momentum of incandescent lighting does not stop there. All of those specialized bulbs led to the building of specialized light fixtures, from the desk lamp you study by, to the ugly but beloved hand-painted Chinese lamp you inherited from your grandmother, to the ceiling fixture in your closet, to the light in your oven or refrigerator, and to the light that the dentist points at you. It is easy to change a light bulb, sure, but it is harder to change the bulb and its fixture.[ F ] And there is more to the story, because not only are the devices that house incandescent bulbs shaped to their underlying characteristics, but rooms and entire buildings have been designed in accordance with how incandescent lighting reflects off walls and windows.[ G ] As lighting expert Howard Brandston points out, “Generally, there are no bad light sources, only bad applications. " There are some very commendable characteristics of the CFL [ compact fluorescent (荧光的) light bulb ], yet the selection of any light source remains inseparable from the luminaire (照明装置) that houses it, along with the space in which both are installed, and lighting requirements that need to be satisfied. The lamp, the fixture, and the room, all three must work in concert for the true benefits of end-users. If the CFL should be used for lighting a particular space, or an object within that space, the fixture must be designed to work with that lamp, and that fixture with the room. It is a symbiotic (共生的) relationship. A CFL cannot be simply installed in an incandescent fixture and then expected to produce a visual appearance that is more than washed out, foggy, and dim. The whole fixture must be replaced-light source and luminaire-and this is never an inexpensive proposition.[ H ] And Brandston knows a thing or two about lighting, being the man who illuminated the Statue of Liberty.[ I ]Another type of momentum we have to think about when planning for changes in our energy systems is labor-pool momentum. It is one thing to say that we are going to shift 30 percent of our electricity supply from, say, coal to nuclear power in 20 years. But it is another thing to have a supply of trained talent that could let you carry out this promise. That is because the engineers, designers, regulators, operators, and all of the other skilled people needed for the new energy industry are specialists who have to be trained first ( or retrained, if they are the ones being laid off in some related industry), and education, like any other complicated endeavor, takes time. And not only do our prospective new energy workers have to be trained, they have to be trained in the right sequence. One needs the designers, and perhapsthe regulators, before the builders and operators, and each group of workers in training has to know there is work waiting beyond graduation. In some cases, colleges and universities might have to change their training programs,adding another layer of difficulty.[ J ] By far the biggest type of momentum that comes into play when it comes to changing our energy systems is economic momentum. The major components of our energy systems, such as fuel production, refining, electrical generation and distribution, are costly installations that have lengthy life spans. They have to operate for long periods of time before the costs of development have been recovered. When investors put up money to build, say, a nuclear power plant, they expect to earn that money back over the planned life of the plant, which is typically between 40and 60 years. Some coal power plants in the United States have operated for more than 70 years!The oldest continuously operated commercial hydro-electric plant in the United States is on New York's Hudson River, and it went into commercial service in 1898.[ K ] As Vaclav Smil points out, "All the forecasts, plans, and anticipations cited above have failed so miserably because their authors and promoters thought the transitions they hoped to implement would proceed unlike all previous energy transitions, and that their progress could be accelerated in an unprecedented manner. "[ L ] When you hear people speaking of making a rapid transition toward any type of energy, whether it is a switch from coal to nuclear power, or a switch from gasoline-powered cars to electric cars, or even a switch. from an incandescent to a fluorescent light, understanding energy system inertia and momentum can help you decide whether their plans are feasible.46. Not only moving objects and people but all systems have momentum.47. Changing the current energy system requires the systematic training of professionals and skilled labor.48. Changing a light bulb is easier than changing the fixture housing it.49. Efforts to accelerate the current energy transitions didn't succeed as expected.50. To change the light source is costly because you have to change the whole fixture.51. Energy systems, like an aircraft carrier set in motion, have huge momentum.52. The problem with lighting, if it arises, often doesn't lie in light sources but in their applications.53. The biggest obstacle to energy transition is that the present energy system is too expensive to replace.54. The application of a technology can impact areas beyond itself.55. Physical characteristics of moving objects help explain the dynamics of energy systems.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 centre.Passage OneQuestions 56 to 60 are based on the following passage.One hundred years ago, "Colored" was the typical way of referring to Americans of African descent. Twenty years later, it was purposefully dropped to make way for "Negro. " By the late 1960s,that term was overtaken by "Black. " And then, at a press conference in Chicago in 1988, Jesse Jackson declared that "African American" was the term to embrace. This one was chosen because it echoed the labels of groups, such as "Italian Americans" and "Irish Americans," that had already beenfreed of widespread discrimination.A century's worth of calculated name changes point to the fact that naming any group is a politically freighted exercise. A 2001 study cataloged all the ways in which the term "Black" carried connotations (涵义) that were more negative than those of "African American. "But if it was known that "Black" people were viewed differently from "African Americans," researchers, until now, hadn't identified what that gap in perception was derived from. A recent study, conducted by Emory University's Erika Hall, found that "Black" people are viewed more negatively. than "African Americans" because of a perceived difference in socioeconomic status. As a result," Black" people are thought of as less competent and as having colder personalities.The study's most striking findings shed light on the racial biases permeating the professional world. Even seemingly harmless details on a resume, it appears, can tap into recruiters' biases. A job application might mention affiliations with groups such as the "Wisconsin Association of African-American Lawyers" or the "National Black Employees Association," the names of which apparently have consequences, and are also beyond their members' control.In one of the study's experiments, subjects were given a brief description of a man from Chicago with the last name Williams. To one group, he was identified as "African-American," and another was told he was "Black. " With little else to go on, they were asked to estimate Mr. Williams’s salary, professional standing, and educational background.The "African-American" group estimated that he earned about $ 37,000 a year and had a two-year college degree. The "Black" group, on the other hand, put his salary at about $ 29,000, and guessed that he had only "some" college experience. Nearly three-quarters of the first group guessed that Mr. Williams worked at a managerial level, while only 38.5 percent of the second group thought so.Hall's findings suggest there's an argument to be made for electing to use "African American," though one can't help but get the sense that it's a decision that papers over the urgency of continued progress. Perhaps a new phrase is needed, one that can bring everyone one big step closer to realizing Du Bois's original, idealistic hope: "It's not the name-it's the Thing that counts. "56.Why did Jesse Jackson embrace the term "African American" for people of African descent?57. A. It is free from racial biases.B. It represents social progress.C. It is in the interest of common Americans.D. It follows the standard naming practice.57. What does the author say about the naming of an ethnic group ?A. It advances with the times.B. It is based on racial roots.C. It merits intensive study.D .It is politically sensitive.58.What do Erika Hall's findings indicate?A. Racial biases are widespread in the professional world.B. Many applicants don't attend to details on their resumes.C. Job seekers should all be careful- about their affiliations.D. Most recruiters are unable to control their racial biases.59. What does Erika Hall find in her experiment about a man with the last name Williams?A. African Americans fare better than many other ethnic groups.B. Black people's socioeconomic status in America remains low.C. People's conception of a person has much to do with the way he or she is labeled.D. One's professional standing and income are related to their educational background.60. What is Dr. Du Bois's ideal?A. All Americans enjoy equal rights.B.A person is judged by their worth.C.A new term is created to address African Americans.D. All ethnic groups share the nation's continued progress.Passage TwoQuestions 61 to 65 are based on the following passage.Across the board, American colleges and universities are not doing a very good job of preparing their students for the workplace or their post-graduation lives. This was made clear by the work of two sociologists, Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa. In 2011 they released a landmark study titled "Academically Adrift," which documented the lack of intellectual growth experienced by many people enrolled in college. In particular, Arum and Roksa found, college students were not developing the critical thinking, analytic reasoning and other higher-level skills that are necessary to thrive in today's knowledge-based economy and to lead our nation in a time of complex challenges and dynamic change.Arum and Roksa placed the blame for students' lack of learning on a watered-down college curriculum and lowered undergraduate work standards. Although going to college is supposed to be a Full-time job, students spent, on average, only 12 to 14 hours a week studying and many were skating through their semesters without doing a significant amount of reading and writing. Students who take more challenging classes and spend more time studying do learn more. But the priorities of many undergraduates are with extracurricular activities, playing sports, and partying and socializing.Laura Hamilton, the author of a study on parents who pay for college, will argue in a forthcoming book that college administrations are overly concerned with the social and athletic activities of their students. In Paying for the Party, Hamilton descri bes what she calls the “arty pathway," which eases many students through college, helped-along by various clubs that send students into the party scene and a host of easier majors. By sanctioning this watered-down version of college, universities are "catering to the social and educational needs of wealthy students at the expense of others" who won't enjoy the financial backing or social connections of richer students once they graduate.These students need to build skills and knowledge during college if they are to use their degrees as a stepping-stone to middle-class mobility. But more privileged students must not waste this opportunity either. As recent graduates can testify, the job market isn't kind to candidates who can't demonstrate genuine competence, along with a well-cultivated willingness to work hard. Nor is the global economy forgiving of an American workforce with increasingly weak literacy, math and science abilities. College graduates will still fare better than those with only a high school education, of course. But a university degree unaccompanied by a gain in knowledge or skills is an empty achievement indeed. For students who have been coasting through college, and for American universities that have been demanding less work, offering more attractions and charging higher tuition, the party may soon be over.61. What is Arum and Roksa's finding about higher education in America?A. It aims at stimulating the intellectual curiosity of college students.B. It fails to prepare students to face the challenges of modern times.C. It has experienced dramatic changes in recent years.D. It has tried hard to satisfy students' various needs.62. What is responsible for the students' lack of higher-level skills?A. The diluted college curriculum.B. The boring classroom activities.C. The absence of rigorous discipline.D. The outdated educational approach.63. What does Laura Hamilton say about college administrations?A. They fail to give adequate help to the needy students.B. They tend to offer too many less challenging courses.C. They seem to be out of touch with society.D. They prioritize non-academic activities.64. What can be learned about the socially and financially privileged students?A. They tend to have a sense of superiority over their peers.B. They can afford to choose easier majors in order to enjoy themselves.C. They spend a lot of time building strong connections with businesses.D. They can climb the social ladder even without a degree.65. What does the author suggest in the last paragraph?A. American higher education has lost its global competitiveness.B. People should not expect too much from American higher education.C. The current situation in American higher education may not last long.D. It will take a long time to change the current trend in higher education.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.最近，中国政府决定将其工业升级。