1996年1月CET6考题及答案

1996年1月大学英语六级(CET-6)真题试卷及参考答案Part I Listening comprehension (20 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, you will hear 10 short conversations. At the end of each conversation, a question will be asked about what was said. Both theconversation and the question will be spoken only once. After eachquestion there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the fourchoices marked A), B), C) and D), and decide which is the best answer.Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single linethrough the centre.Example:You will hear:You will read:A) 2 hours.B) 3 hours.C) 4 hours.D) 5 hours.From the conversation we know that the two were talking about some work they will start at 9 o’clock in the morning and have to finish at 2 in the afternoon. Therefore, D) “5 hours” is the correct answer. You should choose [D] on the Answer Sheet and mark it with a single line through the center.Sample Answer [A] [B] [C] [D]1. A) The flight has been canceled.B) The plane is late.C) The plane is on time.D) The tickets for this flight have been sold out.2. A) He is not to blame.B) It was his fault.C) He will accept all responsibility.D) He will be more careful next time.3. A) The man is a forgetful person.B) The typewriter is not new.C) The man can have the typewriter later.D) The man misunderstood her.4. A) There will be heavy fog in all areas.B) There will be heavy rain by midnight.C) There will be heavy fog in the east.D) There will be fog in all areas by midnight.5. A) She’s scornful.B) She’s angry.C) She’s sympathetic.D) She’s worried.6. A) He likes the job of a dish-washer because it pays well.B) He thinks it’s important to have a good job from the beginning.C) He hates to be a dish-washer because it’s boring.D) He would work as a dish-washer in summer if he has to.7. A) She must learn to understand John’s humor better.B) She enjoys John’s humor a great deal.C) She doesn’t appreciate John’s humor.D) She thinks John is not funny enough.8. A) Joan may have taken a wrong train.B) Joan will miss the next conference.C) Joan won’t come to the conference.D) Joan may be late for the opening speech.9. A) She has been dismissed for her poor performance.B) She has been fired by the company.C) She has been granted leave for one month.D) She has been offered a new job.10. A) It will last for two weeks.B) It has come to a halt.C) It will end before long.D) It will probably continue.Section BDirections: In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of passage, youwill hear some questions. Both the passage and the questions will bespoken only once. After you hear question, you must choose the bestanswer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark thecorresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through thecentre.Passage oneQuestion 11 to 13 are based on the passage you have just heard.11. A) She was an office worker.B) She was a physician.C) She was a cleaner.D) She was a social worker.12. A) Because she could not sleep well at night.B) Because she hoped to earn more money.C) Because she could not find a daytime job.D) Because she needed a change and a lighter job.13. A) She works six nights every fortnight.B) She does not take part in social activities in her working days.C) She has been a night nurse in a hospital for about 25 years.D) She is not satisfied with her present job.Passage TwoQuestions 14 to 17 are based on the passage you have just heard.14. A) A small town in Britain.B) A new type of jail.C) A labour camp.D) A big gymnasium in Scotland.15. A) Women criminals in Scotland.B) Criminals who are given long sentences.C) Criminals who are given short sentences.D) Criminals in Scotland.16. A) The reward the prisoners get for their work.B) The comfortable accommodation.C) The way the prisoners are treated.D) The officers’ sympathy for the prisoners.17. A) To give the prisoners more freedom.B) To help the prisoners keep their self-respect.C) To help the prisoners develop the sense of independence.D) To turn the prisoners into skilled workers.Passage ThreeQuestions 18 to 20 are based on the passage you have just heard.18. A) On an airplane.B) Near the terminal building.C) In a coach to the city.D) In the waiting room.19. A) Near the airport hotel.B) At the travelers’ information desk.C) Outside the Customs Hall.D) In the center of the city.20. A) The departure tax they have to pay on their next international flight.B) The distance they have to travel from the airport to the city center.C) The prices the major hotels charge.D) The place where taxis are waiting to be hired.Part II Reading Comprehension (35 minutes)Directions: There are 4 reading passages in this part. Each passage is following by some questions or unfinished statements-For each of them there are fourchoices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choiceand mark the and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet witha single line through the centre.Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage:Material culture refers to the touchable, material “things”—physical objects that can be seen, held, felt, used—that a culture produces. Examining a culture’s tools and technology can tell us about the group’s history and way of life. Similarly, research into the material culture of music can help us to understand the music-culture. The most vivid bod y of “things” in it, of course, are musical instruments. We cannot hear for ourselves the actual sound of any musical performance before the 1870s when the phonograph wasinvented, so we rely on instruments for important information about music-cultures it the remote past and their development. Here we have two kinds of evidence: instruments well preserved and instruments pictures in art. Through the study of instruments, as well preserved Paintings, written documents, and so on, we can explore the movement of music from the Neat East to China over a thousand years ago, or we can outline the spread of Near eastern influence to Europe that results in the development of most of the instruments on the symphony orchestra.Sheet music or printed music, too is material culture. Scholars once defined folk music-cultures as those in with people learn and sing music by ear rather than from print, but research show mutual influence among oral and written sources during the past few centuries in Europe, Britain, and America, printed versions limit variety because they tend to standardize any song, yet they stimulate people to create new and different songs. Besides, the ability to read music notation has a far-reaching effect on musicians and, when it becomes widespread, on the music-culture as a whole.One more important part of music’s material culture should be singled out the influence of the electronic media-radio, record player, tape recorder, television, and videocassette, with the future promising talking and singing computers and other developments. This all part of the “information revolution,” a twentieth century phenomenon as important as the industrial revolution was in the nineteenth. These electronic media are not just limited to modem nations; they have affected music-cultures all over the globe.21. Research into the material culture of a nation’s of great importance ________.A) it helps produce new cultural tools and technologyB) it can reflect the development of the nationC) it helps understand the nation’s Fast and presentD) it can demonstrate the nation’s civilization22. It can be learned from this passage that ________.A) the existence of the symphony was attributed to the spread of Near Eastern andChinese musicB) Near Eastern music had influence on the of the instruments in the symphonyorchestraC) the development of the symphony shows the mutual influence of Eastern andWestern musicD) the musical instruments in the symphony basis of Near Eastern music23. According to the author, music notation is important because ________.A) it has a great effect on the music-culture as more and more people are able toread itB) it tends to standard folk sings when it is used by folk musiciansC) it is the printed version of standardized folk musicD) it encourages people to popularize printed versions of songs24. It can be concluded from the passage that the introduction of electronic media intothe world of music ________.A) has brought about an information revolutionB) has speeded up the arrival of a new generation of computersC) has given rise to new forms of music cultureD) has given to the transformation of traditional musical instruments25. Which of the following best summarized the main idea of the passage?A) Musical instruments developed through the years will sooner later be replacedby computers.B) Music cannot be passed on to future generation unless it is recorded.C) Folk songs cannot spread far unless they are printed on music sheets.D) The development of music culture is highly dependent or its material aspect. Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage.The question of whether war is inevitable is one which has concerned many of the world’s great writers. Before considering this question, it will useful to introduce some related concepts. Conflict, defined as opposition among social entities directed against one another is distinguished from competition, defined as opposition among social entities independently striving for some thing which is in inadequate supply. Competitors may not be aware of one another, while the parties to a conflict are. Conflict and vice of one another.Opposition is thus contrasted with cooperation, the process by which social entities function in the service of one another. These definitions are necessary because it is important to emphasize that competition between individuals or groups is inevitable in a world of limited resources, but conflict is not. Conflict, nevertheless, is very likely to occur, and is probably an essential and desirable element of human societies.Many authors have argued for the inevitability of war from the premise that in the struggle for existence among animal species, only the fittest survive. In general, however this struggle in nature’s competition, not conflict. Social animals, such as monkeys and cattle, fight to win or maintain leadership of the group. The struggle for existence occurs not in such fights but in the competition for limited feeding areas and for the occupancy of areas free from meet-eating animals. Those who fail in competition starve to death or become victims to other species. This struggle for existence does not resemble human war, but rather the competition of individuals for jobs, markets, and materials. The essence of the struggle is the competition for the necessities of life that are insufficient to satisfy all.Among nations there is competition in developing resources trades, skills, and a satisfactory way of life. The successful nations grow and prosper; the unsuccessfuldecline. While it is true that this competition may induce efforts to expand territory at the expense of others, and thus lead to conflict, it cannot be said that war-like conflict among nations is inevitable, although competition is.26. In the first paragraph, the author gives the definitions of some term in order to________.A) argue for the similarities between and human societiesB) smooth out the conflicts in human societiesC) distinguish between two kinds of oppositionD) summarize the that characteristic features of opposition and cooperation27. According to the author, competition differs from conflict in that ________.A) it results in war in most casesB) it induces efforts to expand territoryC) it is kind of opposition among aria entitiesD) it is essentially a struggle for existence28. The phrase “function in the disservice of one another” (Para. 1) most probablymeans “________”.A) betray each otherB) harm one anotherC) help to collaborate with each otherD) benefit on another29. The author indicates in the passage that conflict ________.A) is an inevitable struggle resulting from competitionB) reflects the struggle among social animalsC) is an opposition among individual social animalsD) can be avoided30. The passage i s probably intended to answer the question “________”.A) Is war inevitable?B) Why is there conflict and competition?C) Is conflict desirable?D) Can competition lead to conflict?Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage.As Dr. Samuel Johnson said in a different era about ladies preaching, the surprising thing about computer is not that they think less well than a man, but that they think at all. The early electronic computer did not have much going for it except a marvelousmemory and some good math skills. But today the best models can be wired up to learn by experience, follow an argument, ask proper questions and write poetry and write poetry and music. They can also carry on somewhat puzzling conversations.Computers imitate life. As computer get more complex, the imitation gets better. Finally, the line between the original and the copy becomes unclear. In another 15 years or so, we will the computer as a new form of life.The opinion seems ridiculous because, for one thing, computers lack the drives and emotions of living creatures. But drives car can be programmed into the computer’s brain just as nature programmed them into our human brains as a part of the equipment for survival.Computers match people in some roles, and when fast decisions are needed in a crisis, they often surpass them. Having evolved when the pace of life was slower, the human brain has an inherent defect that prevents it from absorbing several streams of information simultaneously and acting on them quickly. Throw too many things at the brain one time and it freezes up.We are still control, but the capabilities of computer are increasing at a fantastic rate, while raw human intelligence is changing slowly, if as all. Computer power has increased ten times every eight years since 1946. In the 1990s, when the sixth generation appears, the reasoning power of an intelligence built out of silicon will begin to match that of the human brain.That does not mean the evolution of intelligence has ended on the earth. Judging by the he past, we can expect that a new species will arise out of man, surpassing his achievements those of his predecessor. Only a carbon chemistry enthusiast would assume that the new species must be man’s flesh-and-blood descendants. The new kind of intelligent life is more I likely to be made of silicon.31. What do you suppose the attitude of Dr. Samuel Johnson towards ladies preaching?A) He believed that ladies were born worse preachers that men.B) He was pleased that ladies could though not as well as men.C) He disapproved of ladies preaching.D) He encouraged ladies to preach.32. Today, computer are still inferior to man in terms of ________.A) decision makingB) drives and feelingsC) growth of reasoning powerD) information absorption33. In terms of making quick decisions, the human brain cannot be compared with thecomputer because ________.A) in the long process of evolution slow pace of life didn’t require such ability ofthe computer because brainB) the human brain is influenced by other factors such as motivation and emotionC) the human brain may sometimes freeze up in a dangerous situationD) the evolution of imitate life while the human brain docs not imitate computers34. Though he think highly of the development of computer science, the author doesn’tmean that ________.A) computers are likely to become a new form of intelligent lifeB) human beings have lost control of computersC) the intelligence of computers will eventually surpass will that of human beingsD) the evolution of intelligence will probably depend on that of electronic brains35. According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?A) Future man will be made of silicon instead of flesh and blood.B) Some day it will be difficult to tell a computer from a man.C) The reasoning power of computers has already surpassed that of man.D) Future intelligent life may not necessarily be made of organic matter. Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage.Video recorders and photocopiers, even ticket machines on the railways, often seem unnecessarily difficult to use. Last December I bought myself a Video cassette recorder (VCR) described as “simple to use”. In the first three weeks I failed repeatedly to program the machine to record from the TV, and after months of practice I still made mistakes. I am not alone. According to a survey last year by Ferguson, the British manufacturer, more than one in four VCR owners never use the timer on their machines to record a programme: they don’t use it because they’ve found it far too hard to operate.So why do manufacturers keep on designing and producing VCRS that are awkward to use if the problems are so obvious?First, the problems we notice are not obvious to technically minded designers with years of experience and trained to understand how appliances work. Secondly, designers tend to add one or two features at a time to each model, whereas you or I face all a machine’s features at once. Thirdly, although find problems in a finished product is easily, it is too late by then to do anything about the design. Finally, if manufacturers can get away with selling products that are difficult to use it, it is not worth the effort of any one of them to make improvements.Some manufacturers say they concentrate on providing a wide range of features rather than on making the machines easy to use. But that gives rise to the question, “why can’t you have features that are easy to use?” The answer is you can.Good design practice is a mixture of specific procedures and general principles. For a start, designers should build an original model of the machine and try it out on typical members of the public-not on colleagues in the development laboratory. Simple pubictrials would quickly reveal many design mistakes. In an ideal world, there would be some ways of controlling quality such as that the VCR must be redesigned repeatedly until, say, 90 percent of users can work 90 per cent of the features correctly 90 per cent of the time.36. The author had trouble operating his VCR because ________.A) he had neglected the importance of using the timerB) the machine had far more technical features than necessaryC) he had set about using it without proper trainingD) its operation was far more difficult than the designer intended it to be31. According to the author, manufacturers ________.A should add more useful features to their machinesB) often fail to make their products easy to useC) should make their appliances as attractive as possibleD) often fail provide proper training in the use of their products38. It seems that manufacturers will remain reluctant to make improvements unless________.A) they can do so as a very low costB) they find their machines hard to operateC) they have difficulty selling their productsD) they receive a lot of complaints about their machines39. According to the passage before a VCR is cold on the market, its original modelshould be tried out ________.A) among ordinary consumers who are not technically mindedB) among people who are technically mindedC) among experienced technicians and potential usersD) among people who are in charge of public relations40. One of the reasons why VCRs are so difficult to use is that ________.A) the designers are often insensitive to the operational complexities of theirmachinesB) the range of features provided is unlimitedC) there is no ideal way of controlling qualityD) their designers often ignore the complaints of their usesPart III Vocabulary and Structure (20 minutes)Directions: There are 30 incomplete sentences in this pert. For each sentence there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Choose the ONE that bestcompletes the sentence. Then mark the corresponding letter on the AnswerSheet with a single line through the centre.41. The police accused him of setting fire to the building but the denied ________ inthe area on the night of the fire.A) to beB) to have beenC) having beenD) be42. The schoolmaster ________ the girl’s bravery in his opening speech.A) applaudedB) enhancedC) elevatedD) clapped43. The place did not appear to be popular, for it was completely deserted, and in anycase ________ to traffic.A) inadequateB) inaccessibleC) incompatibleD) insignificant44. One of the requirements for a fire is that the material ________ to its burningtemperature.A) is heatedB) will be heatedC) be heatedD) would be heated45. The secret agent concealed her mission, therefore many local people were________ was a good person.A) betrayedB) drivenC) deceivedD) convinced46. Why this otherwise excellent newspaper allows such an article to be printed________ is me.A) aboveB) outsideC) besideD) beyond47. When business is ________, there is usually an obvious increase in unemployment.A) degradedB) depressedC) reducedD) lessened48. As far as the rank of concerned an associate profess is ________ to a professorthough they are almost equally knowledgeable.A) attachedB) subsidiaryC) previousD) inferior49. This book will show the readers ________ can be used in other contexts.A) how that they have observedB) that how they have observedC) how what they have observedD) that they have observed50. The plane ________, its exploding as it hit the ground.A) smashedB) crushedC) plungedD) crashed51. He believed that the greatest of his ________ was that he’d never had a collegeeducation.A) grievesB) misfortunesC) disastersD) sorrows52. ________ your opinions are worth considering, the committee finds it unwise toplace too much importance on them.A) AsB) SinceC) ProvidedD) While53. That local government leaders are making every effort to ________ the problem ofpoverty.A) abolishB) tackleC) removeD) encounter54. Although Asian countries are generally more ________ in social customs thanWestern countries, there have several to notable examples of women in both China and India.A) conservativeB) confidentialC) comprehensiveD) consistent55. ________ the claim about German economic might, it is somewhat surprising howrelatively small the German economy actually is.A) To giveB) GivenC) GivingD) Having given56. Although the two players are in the tennis court, they are really good friends________.A) partnersB) enemiesC) rivalsD) companions57. The girl was ________ a shop assistant; she is now a manager in a large departmentstore.A) preliminarilyB) presumablyC) formallyD) formerly58. I don’t think this question is subordinate ________ the main aim of our company.A) withB) toC) forD) on59. While admitting that this forecast was ________ uncertain, the scientists warnedagainst treating it as a cry of wolf.A) anyhowB) somewhereC) somewhatD) anyway60. The United States is trying to ________ the problems created by the energy crisis.A) put up withB) submit toC) comply withD) cope with61. Some people viewed the findings with caution, noting that a cause relationshipbetween passive smoking and cancer remains ________.A) to be shownB) to have shownC) to have been shownD) being shown62. The economic crises in that country have threatened the ________ of thegovernment.A) stabilityB) capabilityC) persistenceD) permanence63. Although most birds have only a negligible sense of smell they have ________vision.A) vigorousB) exactC) acuteD) vivid64. Rebecca ________ me earlier if she did not like her house she bought last month.A) toldB) would tellC) had toldD) would have told65. By moving the radar beam around slowly in circles, we can ________ thesurroundings.A) exploreB) exposeC) exploitD) expand66. The Washington Monument is a hollow shaft without a break ________ its surfaceexcept for the tiny entrance.A) inB) withC) fromD) to67. The traffic police were searching for evidence to prove the accused man’s ________,but in vain.A) mistakeB) guiltC) faultD) defeat68. The world’s greatest sporting event, the Olympic Games, upholds the amateur idealthat ________ matters is not winning but participating.A) anythingB) itC) whatD) everything69. Very few scientists ________ completely new answers to the world’s problems.A) come up withB) come outC) come roundD) come up to70. The polite are suspicious ________ his words because he already has a record.A) toB) atC) onD) ofPart IV Error Correction (15 minutes)Directions: This part consists of a short passage. In this passage, there are altogether10 mistakes, one in each numbered line. You may have to change a word,add a word or delete a word. Mark out the mistakes and put the correctionsin the blanks provided. If you change a word, cross it out and write thecorrect word in the corresponding blank. If you add a word, put aninsertion mark (∧) in the right place and write the missing word in theblank. If you delete a word, cross it and put a slash (/) in the blank. Example:╱. 1. time/times/period Television is rapidly becoming the literature of our periodsMany of the arguments having╱ used for the study of literature as 2. _______\_______ a school subject are valid for ∧ study of television. 3. ______the______Most studies suggest that when women and men do the same job and have the experience, pay rates tend to be similar. Most of the dollar differences stem from fact that (71) women tend to be more recently employed and have more (72) years on the job. Whether women who have started a career will attain pay equality with men rest on at least two factors. (73)First, will most of them continue part time at their jobs after (74) they have children?A break in their employment, or a decision (75) to work part time, will slow its raises and promotions because it would for men. Second, will male-dominated (76) companies elevate women to higher-paid jobs at the different (77) rate as they elevate men? On some fields, this had clearly not (78) happened. Many men, for example, have committed their (79) lives to teaching careers, yet relative few have become (80) principals or headmasters.Part V Writing (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed thirty minutes to write a composition on the topic Why I Take the College English Test Band 6? You should write at。

Part III Reading Comprehension (35 minutes)Direction: There are 4 passages in this part. 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 the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center.Passage OneQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage:Space is a dangerous place, not only because of meteors（流星）but also because of rays from the sun and other stars. The atmosphere again acts as our protective blanket on earth. Light gets through, and this is essential for plants to make the food, which we eat. Heat, too, makes our environment endurable. Various kinds of rays come through the air from outer space, but enormous quantities of radiation from the sun are screened off. As soon as men leave the atmosphere they are exposed to this radiation but their spacesuits or the walls of their spacecraft, if they are inside, do prevent a lot of radiation damage. Radiation is the greatest known danger to explorers in space. The unit of radiation is called “rem”. Scientists have reason to think that a man can put up with far more radiation than 0.1 rem without being damaged; the figure of 60 rems has been agreed on. The trouble is that it is extremely difficult to be sure about radiation damage-a person may feel perfectly well, but the cells of his or her sex organs may be damaged, and this will not be discovered until the birth of deformed（畸形的）children or even grandchildren. Missions of the Apollo flights have had to cross belts of high radiation and, during the outward and return journeys, the Apollo crew accumulated a large amount of rems. So far, no dangerous amounts of radiation have been reported, but the Apollo missions have been quite short. We simply do not know yet how men are going to get on when they spend weeks and months outside the protection of the atmosphere, working in a space laboratory. Drugs might help to decrease the damage done by radiation, but no really effective ones have been found so far.51. According to the first paragraph, the atmosphere is essential to man in that ______.A) it protects him against the harmful rays from spaceB) it provides sufficient light for plant growthC) it supplies the heat necessary for human survivalD) it screens off the falling meteors52. We know from the passage that ________.A) exposure to even tiny amounts of radiation is fatalB) the effect of exposure to radiation is slow in comingC) radiation is avoidable in space explorationD) astronauts in spacesuits needn’t worry about radiation damage53. The harm radiation has done to the Apollo crew members _______.A) is insignificantB)seems overestimatedC) is enormousD) remains unknown54. It can be inferred from the passage that ________.A) the Apollo mission was very successfulB) protection from space radiation is no easy jobC) astronauts will have deformed children or grandchildrenD) radiation is not a threat to well-protected space explorers55. The best title for this passage would be _______.A) The Atmosphere and Our EnvironmentB) Research on RadiationC) Effects of Space RadiationD) Importance Protection Against RadiationPassage TwoQuestions 56 to 60 are based on the following passage:Taste is such a subjective matter that we don’t usually conduct preference tests for food. The most you can say about anyone’s preference, is that it’s one person’s opinion. But because the two big cola（可⼝可乐）companies—Coca-Cola and Pepsi Cola are marketed so aggressively, we’ve wondered how big a role taste preference actually plays in brand loyalty. We set up a taste test that challenged people who identified themselves as either Coca-Cola or Pepsi fans: Find your brand in a blind tasting.We invited staff volunteers who had a strong liking for either Coca-Cola Classic（传统型）or Pepsi, Diet（低糖的）Coke, or Diet Pepsi. These were people who thought they’d have no trouble telling their brand from the other brand.We eventually located 19 regular cola drinkers and 27 diet cola drinkers. Then we fed them four unidentified samples of cola one at a time, regular colas for the one group, diet versions for the other. We asked them to tell us whether each sample was Coke or Pepsi; then we analyzed the records statistically to compare the participants’ choices with what mere guess-work could have accomplished.Getting all four samples right was a tough test, but not too tough, we thought, for people who believed they could recognizetheir brand. In the end, only 7 out of 19 regular cola drinkers correctly identified their brand of choice in all four trials. The diet-cola drinkers did a little worse-only 7 of 27 identified all four samples correctly.While both groups did better than chance would predict, nearly half the participants in each group made the wrong choice two or more times. Two people go all four samples wrong. Overall, half the participants did about as well on the last round of tasting as on the first, so fatigue, or taste burnout, was not a factor. Our preference test results suggest that only a few Pepsi participants and Coke fans may really be able to tell their favorite brand by taste and price.56. According to the passage the preference test was conducted in order to _______.A) find out the role taste preference plays in a person’s drinkingB) reveal which cola is more to the liking of the drinkersC) show that a person’s opinion about taste is mere guess-workD) compare the ability of the participants in choosing their drinks57. The statistics recorded in the preference tests show ______.A) Coca-Cola and Pepsi are people’s two most favorite drinksB) there is not much difference in taste between Coca-Cola and PepsiC) few people had trouble telling Coca-Cola from PepsiD) people’s tastes differ from one another58. It is implied in the first paragraph that _______.A) the purpose of taste tests is to promote the sale of colasB) the improvement of quality is the chief concern of the two cola companiesC) the competition between the two colas is very strongD) blind tasting is necessary for identifying fans59. The word “burnout” (Line 4, Para.5) here refers to the state of ______.A) being seriously burnt in the skinB) being unable to burn for lack of fuelC) being badly damaged by fireD) being unable to function because of excessive use60. The author’s purpose in writing this passage is to ______.A) show that taste preference is highly subjectiveB) argue that taste testing is an important marketing strategyC) emphasize that taste and price are closely related to each otherD) recommend that blind tasting be introduced in the quality control of colasPassage ThreeQuestions 61 to 65 are based on the following passage:The concept of “environment” is certainly difficult and may even be misunderstood; but we have no handy substitute. It seems simple enough to distinguish between the organism and the surrounding environment and to separate forces acting on an organism into those that are internal and biological and those that are external and environmental. But in actual practice this system breaks down in many ways, because the organism and the environment are constantly interacting so that the environment is modified by the organism and vice versa（反之亦然）.In the case of man, the difficulties with the environmental concept are even more complicated because we have to deal with man as an animal and with man as a bearer（持有者）of culture. If we look at man as an animal and try to analyze the environmental forces that are acting on the organism, we find that we have to deal with things like climate, soil, plants and such-like factors common to all biological situations; but we also find, always, very important environmental influences that we can only class as “cultural”, which modify the physical and biological factors. But man, as we know him, is always a bearer of culture; and if we study human culture, we find that it, in turn, is modified by the environmental factors of climate and geography. We thus easily get into great difficulties from the necessity of viewing culture, at one moment, as a part of the man and, at another moment, as a part of the environment.61. Which of the following words can best describe the popular understanding of “environment” as the author sees it?A) Elaborate.B) Prejudiced.C) Faultless.D) Oversimplified.62. According to the author the concept of “environment” is difficult to explain because _______A) it doesn’t distinguish between the organism and the environmentB) it involves both internal and external forcesC) the organism and the environment influence each otherD) the relationship between the organism and the environment is unclear63. In analyzing the environmental forces acting on man the author suggests that ________.A) biological factors are less important to the organism than cultural factors to manB) man and other animals are modified equally by the environmental forcesC) man is modified by the cultural environment as well as by the natural environmentD) physical and biological factors exert more influence on other organisms than on man64. As for culture, the author points out that ________.A) it develops side by side with environmental factorsB) it is also affected by environmental factorsC) it is generally accepted to be part of the environmentD) it is a product of man’s biological instincts65. In this passage, the author is primarily concerned with _______.A) the interpretation of the term “environment”B) the discussion on organisms and biological environmentC) the comparison between internal and external fact o r s i n f l u e n c i n g m a n b r b d s f i d = " 1 5 8 " > D ) t h e e v a l u a t i o n o f m a n s i n f l u e n c e o n c u l t u r e / p > p b d s f i d = " 1 5 9 " > P a s s a g e F o u r b r b d s f i d = " 1 6 0 " > Q u e s t i o n s 6 6 t o 7 0 a r e b a s e d o n t h e f o l l o w i n g p a s s a g e : b r b d s f i d = " 1 6 1 " > T h e s p e a k e r , a t e a c h e r f r o m a c o m m u n i t y c o l l e g e , a d d r e s s e d a s y m p a t h e t i c a u d i e n c e . H e a d s n o d d e d i n a g r e e m e n t w h e n h e s a i d , H i g h s c h o o l E n g l i s h t e a c h e r s a r e n o t d o i n g t h e i r j o b s . H e d e s c r i b e d t h e i n a d e q u a c i e s o f h i s s t u d e n t s , a l l h i g h s c h o o l g r a d u a t e s w h o c a n u s e l a n g u a g e o n l y a t a g r a d e 9 l e v e l . I w a s u n a b l e t o d e t e r m i n e f r o m h i s a n s w e r s t o m y q u e s t i o n s h o w t h i s g r a d e 9 l e v e l h a d b e e n e s t a b l i s h e d .。

1995年1月大学英语六级(CET-6)真题试卷及参考答案Part I Listening Comprehension (20 minutes) Section A1. A) She was given a new job.B) She was given a raise.C) She was criticized for being late.D) She was praised for her hard work.2. A) Whether to employ the woman.B) Whether to take up the new job.C) Whether to ask for a raise.D) Whether to buy a new house.3. A) A teacher.B) A psychologist.C) A librarian.D) A publisher.4. A) To visit more places in the city.B) To take a lot of pictures of the beautiful city.C) To take some pictures of his friends.D) To spare some time to meet his friends.5. A) In town.B) Out of town.C) In the man’s house.D) Outside Ann’s house.6. A) Because she feels very hot in the room.B) Because she wants to avoid meeting people.C) Because she wants to smoke a cigarette outside.D) Because she doesn’t like the smell of smoke inside.7. A) Painters hired by the man and woman.B) Painters hired by Mr. Jones.C) Mr. Jones.D) The man and the woman.8. A) The woman enjoyed the movie very much.B) The woman saw a horror movie.C) The man asked the woman to be careful at night.D) The man went to the show with the woman.9. A) He doesn’t write well enough.B) He is not a professional writer.C) He hasn’t got any professional experience.D) He didn’t perform well in the interview.10. A) He doesn’t think it necessary to refuel the car.B) He can manage to get the gasoline they need.C) He hopes the woman will help him select a fuel.D) He thinks it is difficult to get fuel for the car.Section BPassage OneQuestions 11 to 13 are based on the passage you have just heard.11. A) Because they can’t afford to.B) Because they think small houses are more comfortable to live in.C) Because big houses are usually built in the countryside.D) Because they prefer apartments.12. A) Because many young people have moved into comfortable apartments.B) Because many old houses in the bad part of the town are not inhabited.C) Because many older people sell their houses after their children leave.D) Because many people have quit their old house to build new ones.13. A) They have to do their own maintenance.B) They have to furnish their own houses.C) They will find it difficult to make the rest of the payment.D) They will find it difficult to dispose of their old-style furniture.Passage TwoQuestions 14 to 16 are based on the passage you have just heard.14. A) They are not active hunters.B) They don’t sleep much.C) They are often seen alone.D) They don’t eat much.15. A) To catch the birds.B) To look for shade in the heat of the day.C) To catch other animals.D) To look for a kill made by another animal.16. A) They are larger in size.B) They have to hunt more to feed the young.C) They run faster.D) They are not as lazy as the males.Passage ThreeQuestions 17 to 20 are based on the passage you have just heard.17. A) Less than 30 minutes.B) From 30 to 45 minutes.C) At least 45 minutes.D) More than 45 minutes.18. A) He should show respect for the interviewer.B) He should show confidence in himself.C) He should talk enthusiastically.D) He should be dressed properly.19. A) Speaking confidently but not aggressively.B) Talking loudly to give a lasting impression.C) Talking a lot about the job.D) Speaking politely and emotionally.20. A) Professional knowledge is a decisive factor in job interview.B) Finding a job is more difficult than one can imagine.C) A job seeker should create a good image during an interview.D) Self-confidence is most important for a job seeker.Part II Reading Comprehension (35 minutes)Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage.The process of perceiving other people is rarely translated (to ourselves or others) into cold, objective terms. “She was 5 feet 8 inches tall, had fair hair, and wore a colored skirt.” More often, we try to get inside the other person to pinpoint his or her attitudes, emotions, motivations, abilities, ideas and characters. Furthermore, we sometimes behave as if we can accomplish this difficult job very quickly-perhaps with a two-second glance.We try to obtain information about others in many ways. Berger suggests several methods for reducing uncertainties about others: watching, without being noticed, a person interacting with others, particularly with others who are known to you so you can compare the observed person’s behavior with the known others’ behavior; observing a person in a situation where social behavior is relatively unrestrained or where a wide variety of behavioral responses are called for; deliberately structuring the physical or social environment so as to observe the person’s responses to specific stimuli; asking people who have had or have frequent contact with the person about him or her; and using various strategies in face-to-face interaction to uncover information about another person-questions, self-disclosures (自我表露), and so on. Getting to know someone is a never-ending task, largely because people are constantly changing and the methods we use to obtain information are often imprecise. You may have known someone for ten years and still know very little about him. If we accept the idea that we won’t ever fully know another person, it enables us to deal more easily with those things that get in the way of accurate knowledge such as secrets and deceptions. It will also keep us from being too surprised or shocked by seemingly inconsistent behavior. Ironically (讽刺性地) those things that keep us from knowing another person too well (e.g., secrets and deceptions) may be just as important to the development of satisfying relationship as those things that enable us to obtain accurate knowledge about a person (e.g., disclosure and truthful statements).21. The word “pinpoint” (Para. 1, Line 3) basically means ________.A) appreciateB) obtainC) interpretD) identify22. What do we learn from the first paragraph?A) People are better described in cold, objective terms.B) The difficulty of getting to know a person is usually underestimated.C) One should not judge people by their appearances.D) One is usually subjective when assessing other people’s personality.23. It can be inferred from Berger’s suggestions that ________.A) people do not reveal their true self on every occasionB) in most cases we should avoid contacting the observed person directlyC) the best way to know a person is by making comparisonsD) face-to-face interaction is the best strategy to uncover information about aperson24. In developing personal relationships, secrets and deceptions, in the author’s opinion,are ________.A) personal matters that should be seriously dealt withB) barriers that should be done away withC) as significant as disclosures and truthful statementsD) things people should guard against25. The author’s purpose in writing the passage is ________.A) to give advice on appropriate conduct for social occasionsB) to provide ways of how to obtain information about peopleC) to call the reader’s attention to the negative side of people’s charactersD) to discuss the various aspects of getting to know peopleQuestions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage.The competition among producers of personal computers is essentially a race to get the best, most innovative products to the marketplace. Marketers in this environment frequently have to make a judgement as to their competitors’role when making marketing strategy decisions. If major competitors are changing their products, then a marketer may want to follow suit to remain competitive. Apple Computer, Inc. has introduced two new, faster personal computers, the Mackintosh II and Mackintosh SE, in anticipation of the introduction of a new PC by IBM, one of Apple’s major competitors.Apple’s new computers are much faster and more powerful than its earlier models. The improved Mackintosh is able to run programs that previously were impossible to run on an Apple PC, including IBM-compatible (兼容的) programs. This compatibility feature illustrates computer manufactures’ new attitude of giving customers the features they want. Making Apple computers capable of running IBM software is Apple’s effort at making the Mackintosh compatible with IBM computers and thus more popular in the office, where Apple hopes to increase sales. Users of the new Apple can also add accessories (附件) to make their machines specialize in specific uses, such as engineering and writing.The new computers represent a big improvement over past models, but they also cost much more. Company officials do not think the higher price will slow down buyerswho want to step up to a more powerful computer. Apple wants to stay in the high-price end of the personal computer market to finance research for even faster, more sophisticated computers.Even though Apple and IBM are major competitors, both companies realize that their competitor’s computers have certain features that their own models do not. The Apple line has always been popular for its sophisticated color graphics (图形), whereas the IBM machines have always been favored in offices. In the future, there will probably be more compatibility between the two companies’ products, which no doubt will require that both Apple and IBM change marketing strategies.26. According to the passage, Apple Computer, Inc, has introduced the Mackintosh IIand the Mackintosh SE because ________.A) IBM is changing its computer models continuouslyB) it wants to make its machines specialize in specific usesC) it wants to stay ahead of IBM in the competitive computer marketD) it expects its major competitor IBM to follow its example27. Apple hopes to increase Mackintosh sales chiefly by ________.A) making its new models capable of running IBM softwareB) improving the color graphics of its new modelsC) copying the marketing strategies of IBMD) giving the customers what they want28. Apple sells its new computer models at a high price because ________.A) they have new features and functionsB) they are more sophisticated than other modelsC) they have new accessories attachedD) it wants to accumulate funds for future research29. It can be inferred from the passage that both Apple and IBM try to gain acompetitive advantage by ________.A) copying each other’s technologyB) incorporating features that make their products distinctiveC) making their computer more expensiveD) making their computers run much faster30. The best title for the passage would be ________.A) Apple’s Efforts to Stay Ahead of IBMB) Apple’s New Computer TechnologyC) Apple’s New personal ComputersD) Apple’s Research ActivitiesPassage ThreeQuestions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage.It is a curious paradox that we think of the physical sciences as “hard”, the social sciences as “soft”, and the biological sciences as somewhere in between. This is interpreted to mean that our knowledge of physical systems is more certain than our knowledge of biological systems, and these in turn are more certain than our knowledge of social systems. In terms of our capacity to sample the relevant universes, however, and the probability that our images of these universes are at least approximately correct, one suspects that a reverse order is more reasonable. We are able to sample earth’s social systems with some degree of confidence that we have a reasonable sample of the total universe being investigated. Our knowledge of social systems, therefore, while it is in many ways extremely inaccurate, is not likely to be seriously overturned by new discoveries. Even the folk knowledge in social systems on which ordinary life is based in earning, spending, organizing, marrying, taking part in political activities, fighting and so on, is not very dissimilar from the more sophisticated images of the social system derived from the social sciences, even though it is built upon the very imperfect samples of personal experience.In contrast, our image of the astronomical universe, of even of earth’s geological history, can easily be subject to revolutionary changes as new data comes in and new theories are worked out. If we define the “security” our image of various parts of the total system as the probability of their suffering significant changes, then we would reverse the order of hardness and see the social sciences as the most secure, the physical sciences as the least secure, and again the biological sciences as somewhere in between. Our image of the astronomical universe is the least secure of all simply because we observe such a fantastically small sample of it and its record-keeping is trivial as compared with the rich records of the social systems, or even the limited records of biological systems. Records of the astronomical universe, despite the fact that we see distant things as they were long ago, are limited in the extreme.Even in regard to such a close neighbour as the moon, which we have actually visited, theories about its origin and history are extremely different, contradictory, and hard to choose among. Our knowledge of physical evolution is incomplete and highly insecure.31. The word “paradox” (Para. 1, Line 1) means “________”.A) implicationB) contradictionC) interpretationD) confusion32. According to the author, we should reverse our classification of the physicalsciences as “hard” and the social sciences as “soft” because ________.A) a reverse ordering will help promote the development of the physical sciencesB) our knowledge of physical systems is more reliable than that of social systemsC) our understanding of the social systems is approximately correctD) we are better able to investigate social phenomena than physical phenomena33. The author believes that our knowledge of social systems is more secure than thatof physical systems because ________.A) it is not based on personal experienceB) new discoveries are less likely to occur in social sciencesC) it is based on a fairly representative quantity of dataD) the records of social systems are more reliable34. The chances of the physical sciences being subject to great changes are the biggestbecause ________.A) contradictory theories keep emerging all the timeB) new information is constantly coming inC) the direction of their development is difficult to predictD) our knowledge of the physical world is inaccurate35. We know less about the astronomical universe than we do about any social systembecause ________.A) theories of its origin and history are variedB) our knowledge of it is highly insecureC) only a very small sample of it has been observedD) few scientists are involved in the study of astronomyQuestions 36 to 40 are based on the following.In the early days of nuclear power, the United States made money on it. But today opponents have so complicated its development that no nuclear plants have been ordered or built here in 12 years.The greatest fear of nuclear power opponents has always been a reactor “meltdown” (堆内熔化). Today, the chances of a meltdown that would threaten U.S. public health are very little. But to even further reduce the possibility, engineers are testing new reactors that rely not on human judgement to shut them down but on the laws of nature. Now General Electric is already building two advanced reactors in Japan. But don’t expect them ever on U.S. shores unless things change in Washington.The procedure for licensing nuclear power plants is a bad dream. Any time during, or even after, construction, an objection by any group or individual can bring everythingto a halt while the matter is investigated or taken to court. Meanwhile, the builder must add nice-but-not-necessary improvements, some of which force him to knock down walls and start over. In every case where a plant has been opposed, the Nuclear Regulation Commission has ultimately granted a license to construct or operate. But the victory often costs so much that the utility ends up abandoning the plant anyway.A case in point is the Shoreham plant on New York’s Long Island. Shoreham was a virtual twin to the Millstone plant in Connecticut, both ordered in the mid-’60s. Millstone, completed for $101 million, has been generating electricity for two decades. Shoreham, however, was singled out by anti-nuclear activists who, by sending in endless protests, drove the cost over $5 billion and delayed its use for many years.Shoreham finally won its operation license. But the plant has never produced a watt of power. Governor Mario Cuomo, an opponent of a Shoreham start-up, used his power to force New York’s public-utilities commission to accept the following settlement; the power company could pass the cost of Shoreham along to its consumers only if it agreed not to operate the plant! Today, a perfectly good facility, capable of servicing hundreds of homes, sits rusting.36. What has made the procedure for licensing nuclear power plants a bad dream?A) The inefficiency of the Nuclear Regulation commission.B) The enormous cost of construction and operation.C) The length of time it takes to make investigations.D) The objection of the opponents of nuclear power.37. It can be inferred from Paragraph 2 that ________.A) it is not technical difficulties that prevent the building of nuclear power plants inthe U.S.B) there are not enough safety measures in the U.S. for running new nuclear powerplantsC) there are already more nuclear power plants than necessary in the U.S.D) the American government will not allow Japanese nuclear reactors to beinstalled in the U.S.38. Any objection, however trivial it may be, can ________.A) force the power companies to cancel the projectB) delay the construction or operation of a nuclear plantC) cause a serious debate within the Nuclear Regulation CommissionD) take the builders to court39. Governor Mario’s chief intention in proposing the settlement was to ________.A) stop the Shoreham plant from going into operationB) help the power company to solve its financial problemsC) urge the power company to further increase its power supplyD) permit the Shoreham plant to operate under certain conditions40. The author’s attitude towards the development of nuclear power is ________.A) negativeB) neutralC) positiveD) questioningPart III Vocabulary and Structure (20 minutes)41. They ________ to enter the building by the back door; however, the front door waslocked.A) weren’t supposedB) wouldn’t be supposedC) were supposedD) would be supposed42. ________ human behavior may be caused by eating substances that upset thedelicate chemical balance in the brain.A) DeliberateB) ConsistentC) PrimitiveD) Abnormal43. The captured criminals were ________ in chains through the streets.A) exhibitedB) displayedC) paradedD) revealed44. In reading stories we anticipate what is to come ________ on our memory of whathas gone before.A) basedB) basingC) to baseD) to be based45. The world’s governments have done ________ nothing to combat the threat ofnuclear accidents.A) inherentlyB) vitallyC) virtuallyD) identically46. I guess Jones didn’t have a chance to win the election. Almost all of the people inthe city voted for his ________.A) candidateB) opponentC) alternativeD) participant47. The background music in an assembly line is designed ________.A) not being listened toB) not to be listened toC) being not listened toD) to be not listened to48. Teaching students of threshold level is hard work but the effort is very ________.A) preciousB) rewardingC) worthD) challenging49. The boy students in this school are nearly ________ as the girl students to say theyintend to get a college degree in business.A) as likely twiceB) likely as twiceC) as twice likelyD) twice as likely50. The explorer lost his way so he climbed to the top of the hill to ________ himself.A) spotB) locateC) placeD) situate51. The city has decided to ________ smoking.A) do away withB) take awayC) get away withD) put away52. Perhaps it wouldn’t be ________ to go and see such a film.A) worthy you whileB) worth of whileC) worthy of whileD) worth your while53. The old building is in a good state of ________ except for the wooden floors.A) observationB) preservationC) conservationD) compensation54. While some office jobs would seem ________ to many people, there are quite a fewjobs that are stimulating, exciting and satisfying.A) hostileB) tediousC) fantasticD) courageous55. ________ she wondered if she had made a mistake.A) Not until long afterwards thatB) It was not until long afterwards thatC) Not long until afterwardsD) It was long afterwards until56. The people who objected to the new approach were told that since work had alreadystarted there was no point in ________.A) denyingB) upsettingC) protestingD) competing57. The ceremony will ________ as soon as the minister arrives.A) completeB) commenceC) disperseD) descend58. So confused ________ that he didn’t know how to start his lecture.A) since he becameB) would he becomeC) that he becameD) did he become59. Since the couple could not ________ their differences, they decided to get a divorce.A) reconcileB) complyC) coincideD) resign60. After the collision, he examined the considerable ________ to his car.A) ruinB) destructionC) damageD) injury61. Output is now six times ________ it was before 1990.A) thatB) whatC) for whichD) of that62. The heavily populated area was a breeding place for ________ diseases.A) infectiousB) powerfulC) influentialD) suspicious63. It is unfortunate that, owing to lack of money, these experiments must now be________ before the objective has been achieved.A) transferredB) testifiedC) terminatedD) transformed64. The synthetic vitamins are identical ________ those naturally present in our food.A) forB) ofC) asD) with65. Just as a book is often judged ________ by the quality and appearance of its cover,a person is judged immediately by his appearance.A) previouslyB) uniquelyC) outwardlyD) initially66. Recycling wastes slows down the rate ________ which we use up the Earth’s finiteresources.A) InB) ofC) withD) at67. Gasoline is ________ by the spark plugs in the engine.A) ignitedB) inspiredC) excitedD) illuminated68. He ________ another career but, at the time, he didn’t have enough money to attendgraduate school.A) might have chosenB) might chooseC) had to chooseD) must have chosen69. Many visitors praised the magnificent architecture of the Palace, ________.A) known to foreigners for the Forbidden CityB) known for foreigners to be the Forbidden CityC) known to foreigners as the Forbidden CityD) know for foreigners as the Forbidden City70. The travelers ________ their journey after a short break.A) recoveredB) resumedC) renewedD) restoredPart IV Error Correction (15 minutes)Directions: This part consists of a short passage. In this passage, there are altogether10 mistakes, one in each numbered line. You may have to change a word,add a word or delete a word. Mark out the mistakes and put the correctionsin the blanks provided. If you change a word, cross it out and write thecorrect word in the corresponding blank. If you add a word, put aninsertion mark (∧) in the right place and write the missing word in theblank. If you delete a word, cross it and put a slash (/) in the blank. Example:╱. 1. time/times/period Television is rapidly becoming the literature of our periods╱ used for the study of literature as 2. _______\_______ Many of the arguments havinga school subject are valid for ∧ study of television. 3. ______the______We are all naturally attracted to people with ideas, beliefs and interests like our own. Similarly, we feel comfortable with people with physical qualities similar as ours. (71) You may have noticed about how people who live or work (72) closely together come to behave in a similar way. Unconsciously we copy these we are close to or love or admire. So a sportsman’s (73) individual way of walking with raised shoulders is imitated by an admired (74) fan; a pair of lovers both shake their heads in the same way; an employer finds himself duplicating his boss’s habit of wagging(摆动) (75) a pen between his fingers while thinking.In every case, the influential person may consciously notice the (76) imitation but he will feel comfortably in its presence. And if he does (77) notice the matching of his gestures or movements, he finds it pleasing he is influencing people; they are drawn to them. (78)Sensitive people have been mirroring their friend and acquaintances (79) all their lives, and winning affection and respect in this way without aware of their methods. Now, for people who want to win (80) agreement or trust, affection or sympathy, some psychologists recommend the deliberate use of physical imitation.Part V Writing (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed thirty minutes to write a composition on the topic My view on the Negative Effects of Some Advertisements.Youshould write at least 120 words and you should base your composition onthe outline (given in Chinese) below:1. 现在有些不良的商业广告2. 这些广告的副作用和危害性3. 我对这些广告的态度1995年1月六级参考答案Part IPart IIPart III71. as → to72. about → /73. these → those74. admired → admiring75. employer → employee76. consciously → unconsciously77. comfortably → comfortable78. them → him79. friend → friends80. (without) → (without) being。

1996年1月试卷Passage OneQuestions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage:Material culture refers to the touchable, material “things”-physical objects that can be seen, held, felt, used-that a culture produces. Examining a culture’s tolls and technology can tell us about the group’s history and ways of life. Similarly, research into the material culture of music can help us to understand the music-culture. The most vivid body of “things” in it, of course, are musical instruments. We cannot hear for ourselves the actual sound of any musical performance before the 1870s when the phonograph（留声机）was invented, so we rely on instruments for important information about music-cultures in the remote past and their development. Here we have two kinds of evidence: instruments well preserved and instruments pictured in art. Through the study of instruments, as well as paintings, written documents, and so on, we can explore the movement of music from the Near East to China over a thousand years ago, or we can outline the spread of Near Eastern influence to Europe that resulted in the development of most of the instruments on the symphony orchestra.Sheet music or printed music, too is material culture. Scholars once defined folk music-cultures as those in which people learn and sing music by ear rather than from print, but research shows mutual influence among oral and written sources during the past few centuries in Europe, Britain, and America, printed versions limit variety because they tend to standardize any song, yet they stimulate people to create new and different song. Besides, the ability to read music notation（乐谱）has a far-reaching effect on musicians and, when it becomes widespread, on the music-culture as whole.One more important part for music’s material culture should be singled out: the influence of the electronic media-radio, record player, tape recorder, television, and videocassette, with the future promising talking and singing computers and other developments. This is all part of the “information revolution,” a twentieth-century phenomenon as important as the industrial revolution was in the nineteenth. These electronic media are not just limited to modern nations; they have affected music-music-cultures all over the globe.21. Research into the material culture of a nation is of great importance because _______.A) it helps produce new cultural tools and technologyB) it can reflect the development of the nationC) it helps understand the nation’s past and presentD) it can demonstrate the nation’s civilization22. It can be learned from this passage that _______.A) the existence of the symphony was attributed to the spread of Near Eastern and Chinese music.B) Near Eastern music had an influence on the development of the instruments in the symphonyorchestraC) the development of the symphony shows the mutual influence of Eastern and Western musicD) the musical instruments in the symphony orchestra were developed on the basis of Near Easternmusic23. According to the author, music notation is important because _____.A) it has a great effect on the music-culture as more and more people are able to read itB) it tends to standardize folk songs when it is used by folk musiciansC) it is the printed version of standardized folk musicD) it encourages people to popularize printed versions of songs24. It can be concluded from the passage that the introduction of electronic media into the world of music_______.A) has brought about an information revolutionB) has speeded up the arrival of a new generation of computesC) has given rise to new forms of music cultureD) has led to the transformation of traditional musical instruments25. Which of the following best summarizes the main idea of the passage?A) Musical instruments developed through the years will sooner or later be replaced by computers.B) Music cannot be passed on to future generation unless it is recorded.C) Folk songs cannot be spread far unless they are printed on music sheets.D) The development of music culture is highly dependent on its material aspect.Passage T woQuestions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage:T he question of whether war is inevitable is one, which has concerned many of the world’s great writers. Before considering this question, it will be useful to introduce some related concepts. Conflict, defined as opposition among social entities directed against one another, is distinguished from competition, defined as opposition among social entities independently striving for something, which is in inadequate supply. Competitors may not be aware of one another, while the parties to a conflict are. Conflict and competition are both categories of opposition, which has been defined as a process by which social entities function in the disservice of one another.Opposition is thus contrasted with cooperation, the process by which social entities function in the service of one another. These definitions are necessary because it is important to emphasize that competition between individuals or groups is inevitable in a world of limited resources, but conflict is not. Conflict, nevertheless, is very likely to occur, and is probably an essential and desirable element of human societies.Many authors have argued for the inevitability of war from the premise that in the struggle for existence among animal species, only the fittest survive. In general, however, this struggle in nature is competition, not conflict. Social animals, such as monkeys and cattle, fight to win or maintain leadership of the group. The struggle for existence occurs not in such fights, but in the competition for limited feeding areas and for the occupancy（占有）of areas free from meat-eating animals. Those who fail in this competition starve to death or become victims to other species. This struggle for existence does not resemble human war, but rather the competition of individuals for jobs, markets, and materials. The essence of the struggle is the competition for the necessities of life that are insufficient to satisfy all.Among nations there is competition in developing resources, trades, skills, and a satisfactory way of life. The successful nations grow and prosper（繁荣）; the unsuccessful decline. While it is true that this competition may induce effort to expand territory at the expense of others, and thus lead to conflict, it cannot be said that war-like conflict among nations is inevitable, although competition is.26. In the first paragraph, the author gives the definitions of some terms in order to _______.A) argue for the similarities between animal societies and human societiesB) smooth out the conflicts in human societiesC) distinguish between tow kinds of oppositionD) summarize the characteristic features of opposition and cooperation27. According to the author, competition differs from conflict in that _______.A) it results in war in most casesB) it induces efforts to expand territoryC) it is a kind of opposition among social entitiesD) it is essentially a struggle for existence28. The phrase “function in the disservice of one another” (Para.1, Line 7) most probably means“________”.A) betray each otherB) harm one anotherC) help to collaborate with each otherD) benefit one another29. The author indicates in the passage that conflict _______.A) is an inevitable struggle resulting from competitionB) reflects the struggle among social animalsC) is an opposition among individual social entitiesD) can be avoided30. The passage is probably intended to answer the question “_________”.A) Is war inevitable?B) Why is there conflict and competition?C) Is conflict desirable?D) Can competition lead to conflict?Passage ThreeQuestions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage:As Dr. Samuel Johnson said in a different era about ladies preaching, the surprising thing about computers is not that they think less well than a man, but that they think at all. The early electronic computer did not have much going for it except a marvelous memory and some good math skills. But today the best models can be wired up to learn by experience, follow an argument, ask proper questions and write poetry and music. They can also carry on somewhat puzzling conversations.Computers imitate life. As computers get more complex, the imitation gets better. Finally, the line between the original and the copy becomes unclear. In another 15 years or so, we will see the computer as a new form of life.The opinion seems ridiculous because, for one thing, computers lack the drives and emotions of living creatures. But drives can be programmed into the computer’s brain just as nature programmed them into our human brains as a part of the equipment for survival.Computers match people in some roles, and when fast decisions are needed in a crisis, they often surpass them. Having evolved when the pace of life was slower, the human brain has an inherent defect that prevents it from absorbing several streams of information simultaneously and acting on them quickly. Throw too many things at the brain at one time and it freezes up.We are still in control, but the capabilities of computers are increasing at a fantastic rate, while raw human intelligence is changing slowly, if as all. Computer power has increased ten times every eight years since 1946. In the 1990s, when the sixth generation appears, the reasoning power of an intelligence built out of silicon will begin to match that of the human brain.That does not mean the evolution of intelligence has ended on the earth. Judging by the past, we can expect that a new species will arise out of man, surpassing his achievements as he has surpassed those of his predecessor. Only a carbon chemistry enthusiast would assum e that the new species must be man’s flesh-and-blood descendants. The new kind of intelligent life is more likely to be made of silicon.31. What do you suppose was the attitude of Dr. Samuel Johnson towards ladies preaching?A) He believed that ladies were born worse preachers than men.B) He was pleased that ladies could preach, though not as well as men.C) He disapproved of ladies preaching.D) He encouraged ladies to preach.32. Today, computers are still inferior to man in terms of _______.A) decision makingB) drives and feelingsC) growth of reasoning powerD) information absorption33. In terms of making quick decisions, the human brain cannot be compared with the computer because_____.A) in the long process of evolution the slow pace of life didn’t require such ability of the human brain.B) the human brain is influenced by other factors such as motivation and emotionC) the human brain may sometimes freeze up in a dangerous situationD) computers imitate life while the human brain does not imitate computers34. Though he thinks highly of the development of computer science, the author doesn’t mean that _______.A) computers are likely to become a new form of intelligent life.B) human beings have lost control of computersC) the intelligence of computers will eventually surpass that of human beings.D) the evolution of intelligence will probably depend on that of electronic brains.35. According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?A) Future man will be made of silicon instead of flesh and blood.B) Some day it will be difficult to tell a computer from a man.C) The reasoning power of computers ahs already surpassed that of man.D) Future intelligent life may not necessarily be made of organic matter.Passage FourQuestions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage:Video recorders and photocopiers, even ticket machines on the railways, often seem unnecessarily difficult to use Last December I bought myself a video cassette recorder (VCR) described as “s imple to use”. In the first three weeks I failed repeatedly to program the machine to record from the TV, and after months of practice I still made mistakes. I am not alone. According to a survey last year by Ferguson, the British manufacturer, more than one in four VCR owners never use the timer（定时器）on their machines to record a programme: they don’t use it because they’ve found it far too hard to operate.So why do manufacturers keep on designing and producing VCRS that are awkward to use if the problems are so obvious? First, the problems we notice are not obvious to technically minded（有技术思想的）designers with years of experience and trained to understand how appliances work. Secondly, designers tend to add one or two features as a time to each model, where as you or I face all a machine’s features at once. Thirdly, although finding problems in a finished product is easy, it is too late by then to do anything about the design. Finally, if manufacturers can get away with selling products that are difficult to use, it is not worth the effort of any one of them to make improvements.Some manufacturers say they concentrate on providing a wide range of features rather than on making the machines easy to use. But that gives rise to the question, “Why can’t you have features that are easy to use?” The answer is you can.Good design practice is a mixture of specific procedures and general principles. For a start, designers should build an original model of the machine and try it out on typical members of the public-not on colleagues in the development laboratory. Simple public trials would quickly reveal many design mistakes. In an ideal world, there would be some ways of controlling quality such as that the VCR must be redesigned repeatedly until, say, 90 per cent of users can work 90 per cent of the features correctly 90 per cent of the time.36. The author had trouble operating his VCR because _______.A) he had neglected the importance of using the timerB) the machine had far more technical features than necessaryC) he had set about using it without proper trainingD) its operation was far more difficult than the designer intended it to be37. According to the author, manufacturers _________.A) should add more useful features to their machinesB) often fail to make their products easy to useC) should make their appliances as attractive as possibleD) often fail to provide proper training in the use of their products38. It seems that manufacturers will remain reluctant to make improvements unless ________.A) they can do so as a very low costB) they find their machines hard to operateC) they have difficulty selling their productsD) they receive a lot of complaints about their machines39. According to the passage, before a VCR is sold on the market, its original model should be tried out_______.A) among ordinary consumers who are not technically mindedB) among people who are technically mindedC) among experienced technicians and potential usersD) among people who are in charge of public relations40. One of the reasons why VCRs are so difficult to use is that _______.A) the designers are often insensitive to the o9perational complexities of their machinesB) the range of features provided is unlimitedC) there is no ideal way of controlling qualityD) their designers often ignore the complaints of their users1996年6月试卷Passage OneQuestions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage:Three English dictionaries published recently all lay claim to possessing a “new” feature. The BBC English Dictionary contains background information on 1,000 people and places prominent in the news since 1988; the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary: Encyclopedic（百科全书的）Edition is the OALD plus encyclopedic entries; the Longman Dictionary of English Language and Culture is the LDOCE plus cultural information.The key fact is that all three dictionaries can be seen to have a distinctly “cultural” as well as language learning content. That being said, the way in which they approach the cultural element is not identical, making direct comparisons between the three difficult.While there is some common ground between he encyclopedic/cultural entries for the Oxford and Longman dictionaries, there is a clear difference. Oxford lays claim to being encyclopedic on content whereas Longman distinctly concentrates on the language and culture of the English-speaking world. the Oxford dictionary can therefore stand more vigorous scrutiny（审视）for cultural bias than the Longman publication because the latter does not hesitate about viewing the rest of the world from the cultural perspectives of the English-speaking world. the cultural objectives of the BBC dictionary are in turn more distinct still. Based on an analysis of over 70 million words recorded from the BBC World Service and National Public Radio of Washington over a period of four years, their 1,000 brief encyclopedic entries are based on people and places that have featured（占显著地位）in the news recently. The intended user they have in mind is a regular listener to the World Service who will have a reasonable standard of English and a developed skill in listeningcomprehension.In reality, though, the BBC dictionary will be purchased by a far wider range of language learners, as will the other two dictionaries. We will be faced with a situation where many of the users of these dictionaries will at the very least have distinct socio-cultural perspectives and may have world views which are totally opposed and even hostile to those of the West. Advanced learners from this kind background will not only evaluate a dictionary on how user-friendly it is but will also have definite views about the scope and appropriateness of the various socio-cultural entries.21. What feature sets apart the three dictionaries discussed in the passage from traditional ones?A) The combination of two dictionaries into oneB) the new approach to defining wordsC) The inclusion of cultural contentD) The increase in the number of entries22. The Longman dictionary is more likely to be criticized for cultural prejudice because _________.A) its scope of cultural entries goes beyond the culture of the English-speaking worldB) it pays little attention to the cultural content of the non-English-speaking countriesC) it views the world purely from the standpoint of the English-speaking peopleD) it fails to distinguish language form culture in its encyclopedic entries23. The BBC dictionary differs form Oxford and Longman in that __________.A) it has a wider selection of encyclopedic entriesB) it is mainly designed to meet the needs of radio listenersC) it lays more emphasis on language than on cultureD) it is intended to help listeners develop their listening comprehension skills24. It is implied in the last paragraph that, in approaching socio-cultural content in a dictionary, specialthought should be given to _________.A) the language levels of its usersB) the number of its prospective purchasersC) the different tastes of its usersD) the various cultural backgrounds of its users25. What is the passage mainly about?A) Different ways of treating socio-cultural elements in the three new English dictionaries.B) A comparison of people’s op inions on the cultural content in the three new English dictionaries.C) The advantages of the BBC dictionary over Oxford and Longman.D) The user-friendliness of the three new English dictionaries.Passage T woQuestions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage:Real policemen hardly recognize any resemblance between their lives and what they see on TV.The first difference is that a policeman’s real life revolves round criminal law. He has to know exactly what actions are crimes and what evidence can be used to prove them in court. He has to know nearly as much law as a professional lawyer, and what is more, he has to apply it on his feet, in the dark and rain, running down a street after someone he wants to talk to.Little of his time is spent in chatting. He will spend most of his working life typing millions of words on thousands of forms about hundreds of sad, unimportant people who are guilty of stupid, petty crimes.Most television crime drama is about finding the criminal: as soon as he’s a rrested, the story is over. In real life, finding criminals is seldom much of a problem. Except in very serious cases like murders and terrorist attacks little effort is spent on searching.Having made an arrest, a detective really starts to work. He has to prove his case in court and to do that he often has to gather a lot of different evidence.At third big difference between the drama detective and the real one is the unpleasant pressures: first, as members of a police force they always have to behave absolutely in accordance with the law. Secondly, as expensive public servants they have to get results. They can hardly ever do both. Most of the time some of them have to break the rules in small ways.If the detective has to deceive the world, the world often deceives him. Hardly anyone he meets tells him the truth. And this separation the detective feels between himself and the rest of the world is deepened by the simple-mindedness-as he sees it-of citizens, social workers, doctors law-makers, and judges, who, instead of eliminating crime punish the criminals less severely in the hope that this will make them reform. The result, detectives feel, is that nine-tenths of their work is re-catching people who should have stayed behind bars. This makes them rather cynical（愤世嫉俗的）.26. A policeman has to be trained in criminal law because ________.A) he must work hard to help reform criminalsB) he must behave as professional lawyers doC) he must be able to tell when and where a crime is committedD) he must justify the arrests he makes of criminals27. What is the most suitable word that describes the work of a policeman according ot the passage?A) DangerousB) DemandingC) DistressingD) Dramatic28. According to the passage, policemen spend most of their time and efforts _________.A) patrolling the street, rain or shineB) tracking and arresting criminalsC) collecting and providing evidenceD) consulting the rules of law29. What’s the policeman’s biggest headache?A) He has to get the most desirable results without breaking the law in any way.B) He has to justify his arrests while unable to provide sufficient evidence in most cases.C) He can hardly find enough time to learn criminal law while burdened with numerous criminal casesD) He has to provide the best possible public service at the least possible expense30. Why do policemen feel separated from the rest of the world?A) Because they do not receive due support from society.B) Because they find people insincere them.C) Because they feel duperies to simple-minded people around them.D) Because they are suspicious of the people around them.Passage ThreeQuestions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage:To live in the United States today is to gain an appreciation for Dahrendorf’s asser tion that social change exists everywhere. Technology, the application of knowledge for practical ends, is a major source of social change.Y et we would do well to remind ourselves that technology is human creation; it does not exist naturally. A spear or a robot is as much a cultural as a physical object. Until humans use a spear to hunt game or a robot to produce machine parts, neither is much more than a solid mass of matter. For a bird looking for an object onwhich t rest, a spear or robot serves the purpose equally well. The explosion of the Challenger space shuttle （挑战者号航天飞机）and the Russian nuclear accident at Chernobyl drive home the human quality of technology; they provide cases in which well-planned systems suddenly went haywir e（变得混乱）and there was no ready hand to set them right. Since technology is a human creation, we are responsible for what is done with it. Pessimists worry that we will use our technology eventually to blow our world and ourselves to pieces. But they have been saying this for decades, and so far we have managed to survive and even flourish. Whether we will continue to do so in the years ahead remains uncertain. Clearly, the impact of technology on our lives deserves a closer examination.Few technological developments have had a greater impact on our lives than the computer revolution. Scientists and engineers have designed specialized machines that can do the tasks that once only people could do. There are those who assert that the switch to an information-based economy is in the same camp as other great historical milestones, particularly the Industrial Revolution. Y et when we ask why the Industrial Revolution was a revolution, we find that it was not the machines. The primary reason why it was revolutionary is that it led to great social change. It gave rise to mass production and, through mass production, to a society in which wealth was not confined to the few.In somewhat similar fashion, computers promise to revolutionize the structure of American life particularly as they free the human mind and open new possibilities in knowledge and communication. The Industrial Revolution supplemented and replaced the muscles of humans and animals by mechanical methods. The computer extends this development to supplement and replace some aspects of the mind of human beings by electronic methods. It is the capacity of the computer for solving problems and making decisions that represent sits greatest potential and that poses the greatest difficulties in predicting the impact on society.31. A spear or a robot has the quality of technology only when it _________.A) is used both as a cultural and a physical objectB) serves different purposes equally wellC) is utilized by manD) can be of use to both man and animal32. The examples of the Challenger and Chernobyl cited by the author serve to show that _______.A) if not given close examination, technology could be used to destroy our worldB) technology is a human creation, so we are responsible for itC) technology usually goes wrong, if not controlled by manD) being a human creation, technology is liable to error33. According to the author, the introduction of the computer is a revolution mainly because ________.A) the computer has revolutionized the workings of the human mindB) the computer can do the tasks that could only be done by people beforeC) it has helped to switch to an information technologyD) it has a great potential impact on society34. By using the phrase “the human quality of technology” (Para.2, Lines 6), the author refers to the fact thattechnology _________.A) has a great impact on human lifeB) has some characteristics of human natureC) can replace some aspects of the human mindD) does not exist in the natural world35. The passage is based on the author’s _________.A) keen insight into the nature of technologyB) prejudiced criticism of the role of the Industrial RevolutionC) cautious analysis of the replacement of the human mind by computersD) exaggerated description of the negative consequences of technologyPassage FourQuestions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage:Now custom has not been commonly regarded as a subject of any great importance. The inner workings of our own brains we feel to be uniquely worthy of investigation, but custom, we have a way of thinking, is behavior at its most commonplace. As a matter of fact, it is the other way around. Traditional custom, taken the world over, is a mass of detailed behavior more astonishing than what any one person can ever evolve in individual actions. Y et that is a rather trivial aspect of the matter. The fact of first-rate importance is the predominant role that custom plays in experience and in belief and the very great varieties it may manifest.No man ever looks at the world with pristine（未受外界影响的）eyes. He sees it edited by a definite set of customs and institutions and ways of thinking. Even in his philosophical probings he cannot go behind these stereotypes（固定的模式）; his very concepts of the true and the false will still have reference to his particular traditional customs. John Dewey has said in all seriousness that the part played by custom in shaping the behavior of the individual as over against any way in which he can affect traditional custom, is as the proportion of the total vocabulary of his mother tongue over against those words of his own baby talk that are taken up into the language of his family. When one seriously studies social orders that have had the opportunity to develop independently, the figure（这种比喻）becomes no more than an exact and matter-of-fact observation. The life history of the individual is first and foremost an adjustment to the patterns and standards traditionally handed down in his community. From the moment of his birth the customs into which he is born shape his experience and behavior. By the time he can talk, he is the little creature of his culture, and by the time he is grown and able to take part in its activities, its habits are his habits, its beliefs his beliefs, its impossibilities his impossibilities.36. The author thinks the reason why custom has been ignored in the academic world is that _________.A) custom reveals only the superficial nature of human behaviorB) the study of social order s can replace the study of customC) people are still not aware of the important role that custom plays in forming our world outlookD)custom ahs little to do with our ways of thinking37. Which of the following is true according to John Dewey?A) An individual can exercise very little influence on the cultural tradition into which he is born.B) Custom is the direct result of the philosophical probings of a group of people.C) An individual is strongly influenced by the cultural tradition even before he is born.D) Custom represents the collective wisdom which benefits the individual.38. The word “custom” in this passage most probably means _______.A) the concept of the true and the false of a societyB) the independently developed social ordersC) the adjustment of the individual to the new social environmentD) the patterns and standards of behavior of community39. According to the passage, a person’s life, from his birth to his death, ________.A) is constantly shaping the cultural traditions of his peopleB) is predominated by traditional customC) is continually influenced by the habits of other communitiesD) is continually influenced by the people around him40. The author’s purpose in wring this passage is _________.A) to urge individuals to follow traditional customsB) to stress the strong influence of customs on an individualC) to examine the interaction of man and social customsD) to show man’s adjustment to traditional customs。

大学英语六级考试真题及参考答案（第1套）Part I Writing (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay on the importance of motivation and methods in learning. You should write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words.【参考范文】As an old saying goes, knowledge can change one’s life. In order to acquire knowledge, we have to study hard. However, it can not be ignored that effective learning needs both motivation and scientific methods.It’s not difficult for us to come up with several possible reasons accounting for this perspective. In the first place, learning is a kind of serious and hard work. Therefore, not everyone is able to keep going without certain internal motivations. Besides, scientific methods play a significant role in improving learning efficiency. Many of us believe that the longer you study, the better grades you will get. But a lot of experiences of our classmates prove that this view is not entirely correct. In details, studying for a long time is exhausting and it is very likely to decrease study efficiency, which is critical to academic performance.From what has been mentioned above, we can easily draw a conclusion that the importance of motivation and methods in learning is self-evident. And it is necessary for us to develop good learning methods.【参考范文译文】俗话说，知识能改变命运。

1992年1月大学英语六级(CET-6)真题试卷Part I Listening Comprehension (20 minutes) Section A1. A) Children learn by example.B) Children must not tell lies.C) Children don’t like discipline.D) Children must control their temper.2. A) The man was very happy with his published article.B) The marking system in the university is excellent.C) The article was rejected.D) The article was cut short.3. A) He is rude to his students.B) He is strict with his students.C) He is kind and often gives good grades.D) He is strange and hates good students.4. A) He is going to China.B) He is very interested in China.C) He likes stamps.D) He likes travelling.5. A) Opposite the shoe store.B) In the middle of a street.C) At the corner of a street.D) Right outside the shoe store.6. A) The woman cannot go to the party.B) The man will meet the woman at the party.C) The woman has not got the invitation yet.D) The woman will try to go to the party by all means.7. A) He wants to have some medicine.B) The nurse didn’t give him an injection on time.C) The nurse should have shown up at two o’ clock in the morning.D) He wants to make an appointment with the doctor.8. A) Some salad.B) Some dessert.C) Just himself.D) Enough food.9. A) They will fail the test.B) The exam is easy.C) The grades will be around 40.D) They might pass the test.10. A) The woman shouldn’t go to the U.S. with her brother.B) The woman hasn’t been allowed to be absent from class.C) The woman can go to the airport to meet her brother.D) The woman can go and see her brother off.Section BPassage OneQuestions 11 to 13 are based on the passage you have just heard.11. A) Because they want to follow the rapidly growing hobby.B) Because they want to show they are wealthy people.C) Because they want to hold an exhibition.D) Because they want to return to the past and to invest money for profit.12. A) 150,000.B) 500,000.C) 250,000.D) 1,000,000.13. A) Those which are old and inexpensive.B) Those which are unique or unusual.C) Those which are practical.D) Those which are still fashionable.Passage TwoQuestions 14 to 17 are based on the passage you have just heard.14. A) Because they were ordered to.B) Because they were in danger.C) Because the plane was going to fly in circles.D) Because the plane climbed again.15. A) Over the airport.B) Over the land.C) Over the sea.D) Over the mountains.16. A) Because there was something wrong with it.B) Because the weather changed suddenly.C) Because there were no lights at the airport.D) Because too many planes were waiting to take off or land.17. A) Some time after five.B) Some time after four.C) A few minutes before four.D) A few minutes before six.Passage ThreeQuestions 18 to 20 are based on the passage you have just beard.18. A) People in Venice don’t like walking.B) The buildings there float on water.C) Cars are seldom used in Venice.D) Boat rides there are expensive.19. A) About four hundred.B) About seven hundred.C) Twenty.D) One hundred and twenty.20. A) The boats can’t pass under the bridges.B) The islands will be disconnected.C) While passing under the bridges, people in the boats have to lower their heads.D) The bridges will be damaged.Part II Reading Comprehension (35 minutes)Passage OneQuestions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage.Lecturing as a method of teaching is so frequently under attack today from educational psychologists and by students that some justification is needed to keep it. Critics believethat is results in passive methods of learning which tend to be less effective than those which fully engage the learner. They also maintain that students have no opportunity to ask questions and must all receive the same content at the same pace, that they are exposed only to one teacher’s interpretation of subject matter which will certainly be limited and that, anyway, few lectures rise above dullness. Nevertheless, in a number of inquiries this pessimistic evaluation of lecturing as a teaching method proves not to be general among students although they do fairly often comment on poor lecturing techniques.Students praise lectures which are clear and orderly outlines in which basic principles are emphasized but dislike too numerous d igressions (离题) or lectures which consist in part of the contents of a textbook. Students of science subjects consider that a lecture is a good way to introduce a new subject, putting it in its value as a period of discussion of problems and possible solutions with their lecturer. They do not look for inspiration (灵感)—this is more commonly mentioned by teachers—but arts students look for originality in lectures. Medical and dental students who have reports on teaching methods, or specifically on lecturing, suggest that there should be fewer lectures or that, at the least, more would be unpopular.21. The passage states that ________.A) few students dislike lecturing as a teaching methodB) lecturing is a good method of teachingC) lecturing as a teaching method proves to be uninspiringD) most students like lectures because they can fully engage the learner22. According to the critics,A) lectures can’t make students active in their studiesB) some lecturers’ knowledge of their subjects limitedC) most lectures are similar in contentD) few lectures are dull23. According to this passage, students dislike lectures which ________.A) introduce mat la[ not included in the textbookB) present many problems for discussionC) always wander from the subjectD) stress the main points24. Lecturing as a teaching method is less appreciated by ________.A) dental teachersB) medical studentsC) arts lecturersD) science learners25. According to the author, the evaluation of lecturing as a teaching method by educationalpsychologists is ________.A) defensiveB) conservativeC) realisticD) negativePassage TwoQuestions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage.From the moment that an animal is born it has to make decisions. It has to decide which of the things around it are for eating, and which are to be avoided when to attack and when to run away. The animal is, in effect, playing a complicated and potentially very dangerous game with its environment, discomfort or destruction.This is a difficult and unpleasant business and few animals would survive if they had to start from the beginning and learn about the world wholly by trial and error, for there are the have possible decisions which would prove fatal. So we find, in practice, that the game is always arranged in favour of the young animal in one way or another. Either the animal is protected during the early stages of its learning about the world around it, or the knowledge of which way to respond is built into its nervous system from the start.The fact that animals behave sensibly can be attributed partly to what we might call genetic (遗传的) learning, to distinguish it from the individual learning that an animal does in the course of its own life time. Genetic learning is learning by a species as a whole, and it is achieved by selection of those members of each generation that happen to behave in the right way. However, genetic learning depends upon a prediction that the future will more or less exactly resemble the past. The more variable individual experience is likely to be, the less efficient is genetic learning as a means of getting over the problems of the survival game. It is not surprising to find that very few species indeed depend wholly upon genetic learning. In the great majority of animals, behaviour is a compound of individual experience and genetic learning to behave in particular ways.26. According to the first paragraph, the survival game is considered potentially verydangerous because ________.A) animals are constantly threatened by attacksB) wrong decisions will lead to the disappearance of a speciesC) decisions made by an animal may turn out to be fatalD) few animals can survive in their struggle with the environment27. It is implied but not directly stated in the passage that most animals ________.A) are likely to make wrong decisionsB) have made correct decisions for their survivalC) depend entirely on their parents in learning about the world around themD) survive by means of individual learning28. Genetic learning is effective only if ________.A) the survival game is arranged in favour of the young animalsB) the animals can adapt themselves to the changing surroundingsC) circumstances remain more or less the sameD) the animals have varied individual experiences29. The best TITLE for this passage would be ________.A) The Decision-Making Ability of AnimalsB) Survival and EnvironmentC) Reward and Penalty for AnimalsD) Behaviour and Survival30. How is genetic leaning achieved?A) It is inherited from animals with keen observation.B) It is passed down from those animals that behave in the correct way.C) It is taught to the young generation.D) It is learned by the new generation through trial and error.Passage ThreeQuestions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage.Scientists, like other human beings, have their hopes and fears, their passions and disappointments and their strong emotions may sometimes interrupt the course of clear thinking and sound practice. But science is also self-correcting. The most fundamental principles and conclusions may be challenged. The steps in a reasoned argument must be set out for all to see.Experiments must be capable of being carried out by other scientists. The history of science is full of cases where previously accepted theories have been entirely overthrown, to be replaced by new ideas which more adequately explain the data.While there is an understandable inertia-usually lasting about one generation-such revolution in scientific thought are widely accepted as a necessary and desirable element of scientific progress. Indeed, the reasoned criticism of a prevailing belief is a service to the supporters of that belief; if they are incapable of defending it, they are well-advised to abandon it. This self-questioning and error-correcting aspect of the scientific method is its most striking property and sets it off from many other areas of human endeavor, such as religion and fine arts.The idea of science as a method rather than as a body of knowledge is not widely appreciated outside of science, or indeed in some corridors inside of science. Vigorous criticism is constructive in science more than in some other areas of human endeavor because in it there are adequate standards of validity which can be agreed upon by competent scientists the world over.The objective of such criticism is not to suppress but rather to encourage the advanceof new ideas: those which survive a firm skeptical (怀疑的) examination have a fighting chance of being right, or at least useful.31. Science is self-correcting because its theories ________.A) have to be revised constantly to conform with ideas which explain the data betterB) have reflected the most fundamental principles of natureC) are, more often than not, based on inadequate dataD) must be set out for all to see32. It can be learned from the context that the word “inertia” (Para. 2, Line 1) mostprobably means ________.A) strong resolutionB) unwillingness to changeC) a period of timeD) prevailing belief33. The “revolution in scientific thought” (Para. 2, Lin d 2) refers to ________.A) acceptance of the reasoned criticisms of prevailing scientific theoriesB) the continuous overthrow of existing scientific theoriesC) the adequate explanation of the data in prevailing scientific theoriesD) the major discoveries that represent breakthroughs in the history of scientificprogress34. The author says that the most striking property of the scientific method is itsself-questioning and error-correcting aspect, because it is this aspect that ________.A) is indispensable to the advance of scienceB) is most widely appreciated by scientistsC) helps scientists to abandon anything they cannot defendD) sets science off from many other areas of human endeavor35. The word “it” (Para. 3, Line 4) refers to “________.”A) vigorous criticismB) scientific methodC) human endeavorD) sciencePassage FourQuestions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage.My father’s reaction to the bank building at 43rd Street and Fifth Avenues in New York City was immediate and defi nite: “You won’t catch me putting my money in there!” he declared. “Not in that glass box!”Of course, my father is a gentleman of the old school, a member of the generation to whom a good deal of modern architecture is upsetting, but I am convinced that his negative response was not so much to the architecture as to a violation of his concept of the nature of money.In his generation money was thought of as a real commodity (实物) that could be carried, or stolen. Consequently, to attract the custom of a sensible man, a bank had to have heavy walls, barred windows, and bronze doors, to affirm the fact, however untrue, that money would be safe inside. If a building’s design made it appear impenetrable the institution was necessarily reliable, and the meaning of the heavy wall as an architecture symbol dwelt in the prevailing attitude toward money.But that attitude toward money has of course changed. Excepting pocket money, cash of any kind is now rarely used; money as a tangible commodity has largely been replaced by credit.A deficit (赤字) economy, accompanied by huge expansion, has led us to think of money as a product of the creative imagination. The banker no longer offers us a safe: he offers us a service-a service in which the most valuable element is the creativity for the invention of large numbers. It is in no way surprising, in view of this change in attitude, that we are witnessing the disappearance of the heavy-walled hank.Just as the older bank emphasized its strength, this bank by its architecture boasts of its imaginative powers. From this point of view it is hard to say where architecture ends and human assertion (人们的说法) begins.36. The main idea of this passage is that ________.A) money is not as valuable as it was in the pastB) changes have taken place in both the appearance and the concept or banksC) the architectural style of the older bank is superior to that of the modern bankD) prejudice makes the older generation think that the modern bank is unreliable37. What are the attitudes of the older generation and the younger generation toward money?A) The former thinks more of it than the latter.B) The younger generation values money more than the older generation.C) Both generations rely on the imaginative power of bankers to make money.D) The former regards it as a real commodity while the latter considers it to be a meansto produce more money.38. The word “tangible” (Para. 4 Line 3) refers to something ________.A) that is preciousB) that is usableC) that can be touchedD) that can be reproduced39. According to this passage, a modern banker should be ________.A) ambitious and friendlyB) reliable and powerfulC) sensible and impenetrableD) imaginative and creative40. It can be inferred from the passage that the author’s attitude towards the new trendin banking is ________.A) cautiousB) regretfulC) positiveD) hostilePart III Vocabulary and Structure (20 minutes)41. Let’s leave the question ________ for a moment.A) offB) outC) downD) aside42. A large fish was slowly swimming through the water, its tail ________ back and forthlike the pendulum of a clock.A) swungB) swingingC) was swungD) was swinging43. The cells were designed to ________ sunshine to electricity to run a motor.A) modifyB) alterC) convertD) exchange44. The fire started on the first floor of the hospital,, are elderly and weak.A) many of whose patientsB) many of which patientsC) many of its patientsD) many patients of whom45. He was determined that none of his children would be ________ an education.A) declinedB) cancelledC) deniedD) ceased46. Singing is one of the oldest and possibly most ________ practised forms of art.A) uniquelyB) practicallyC) universallyD) predominantly47. Few people realize how rich that area is. It is a land of treasure ________ treasure.A) increased byB) derived fromC) turned overD) piled on48. The jeweler assured Mr. White that the stone was a ________ diamond and not an imitation.A) gracefulB) genuineC) glitteringD) genius49. In the southwestern part of the United States ________ built in the last century.A) they are many abandoned mining townsB) where there are many abandoned mining townsC) are many abandoned mining townsD) many abandoned mining towns are50. As the clouds drifted away an even higher peak became ________ to the climbers.A) visibleB) obviousC) presentD) apparent51. The remarkable gains in the general health of the population in the world have been duein large measure ________ the efforts of some great doctors.A) forB) withC) byD) to52. He appeared in the court and supplied the facts ________ to the ease.A) subjectB) relevantC) attachedD) corresponding53. John did not have to write the composition if he didn’t want to. It was ________.A) optionalB) suitableC) criticalD) elemental54. The ________ for speeding is a fine of ten dollars.A) violationB) admissionC) penaltyD) excess55. A ________ exercise such as running is helpful to our health.A) vigorousB) cautiousC) preciousD) various56. In sharp ________ to John, who is frank. Henry is too sophisticated.A) conflictB) contrastC) comparisonD) contradiction57. On a small farm in a dry climate one should not grow crops that need ________ space anda lot of water to ripen.A) quantitativeB) significantC) extensiveD) considerable58. The doctor told the pupils that an ________ disease was one that could be passed fromone person to another.A) infectiousB) expandingC) overwhelmingD) inherent59. It would be surprising for ________ any objections to the proposal.A) not to beB) it not to beC) there not to beD) there to be not60. She was pale with ________ after working for three shifts in succession.A) coldB) fatigueC) emotionD) fright61. What a ________ person says or does today agrees with what he said or did yesterday.A) consistentB) harmoniousC) constantD) sensible62. Jane and Tim still remember that it was ________, their parents, who encouraged thento continue their education.A) theseB) whoC) theyD) whom63. You did tell me what to do. If only I ________ your advice.A) would takeB) had takenC) tookD) have taken64. Everyone asked me where he was, but it was ________ a mystery to me as to them.A) as much ofB) much ofC) as suchD) as of65. The dry summer the supply of fresh vegetables.A) inducedB) diminishedC) dominatedD) manipulated66. The information was later admitted ________ from unreliable sources.A) that it was obtainedB) that it has been obtainedC) to be obtainedD) to have been obtained67. What sort of ________ can you get for the night in a city like this!A) commissionB) interactionC) accommodationD) recommendation68. He has been looking everywhere for you, and he still ________.A) doesB) has beenC) hasD) is69. This is one of the rarest questions that ________ at such a meeting.A) has ever been raisedB) is raisedC) are raisedD) have ever been raised70. He never hesitates to make such criticisms ________ are considered helpful to other.A) thatB) asC) whichD) whatPart IV Error Correction (15 minutes)Directions: This part consists of a short passage. In this passage, there are altogether10 mistakes, one in each numbered line. You may have to change a word, add a wordor delete a word. Mark out the mistakes and put the corrections in the blanksprovided. If you change a word, cross it out and write the correct word in thecorresponding blank. If you add a word, put an insertion mark (∧) in the rightplace and write the missing word in the blank. If you delete a word, cross itand put a slash (/) in the blank.Example:╱. 1. time/times/period Television is rapidly becoming the literature of our periods╱ used for the study of literature as 2. _______\_______ Many of the arguments havinga school subject are valid for ∧ study of television. 3. ______the______This passage discusses one way methane (甲烷) gas is made. And it has something also to do with the work (71) of termites (白蚁).Termites can ruin a health tree or a costly home. (72) They eat the wood. This causes the tree or building to collapse. But termites also have a useless purpose on (73) earth.Nearly half of the methane in our atmosphere come from termites. Methane gas, by turn, makes (74) other gases. It also aids in the greenhouse effect, which keeps warm air close the earth. (75)Scientist Pat Zimmerman made the discovery. He found that methane gas is given up when termites (76) digest their food. Zimmerman thinks that there are about 240,000,000 billion termites on earth.They produce 8,000 billion cubic foot of methane (77) each year, he believes. That is half the number of gas drawn yearly from natural gas (78) wells in the U.S.Perhaps we’ll treat termites for friends. (79) We’ll offer them a piece of our house, and they’ll offer us a new way to keep us warmly! (80).。

大学英语六级考试真题及参考答案（第1套）Part I Writing (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay on the importance of motivation and methods in learning. You should write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words.【参考范文】As an old saying goes, knowledge can change one’s life. In order to acquire knowledge, we have to study hard. However, it can not be ignored that effective learning needs both motivation and scientific methods.It’s not difficult for us to come up with several possible reasons accounting for this perspective. In the first place, learning is a kind of serious and hard work. Therefore, not everyone is able to keep going without certain internal motivations. Besides, scientific methods play a significant role in improving learning efficiency. Many of us believe that the longer you study, the better grades you will get. But a lot of experiences of our classmates prove that this view is not entirely correct. In details, studying for a long time is exhausting and it is very likely to decrease study efficiency, which is critical to academic performance.From what has been mentioned above, we can easily draw a conclusion that the importance of motivation and methods in learning is self-evident. And it is necessary for us to develop good learning methods.【参考范文译文】俗话说，知识能改变命运。

大学英语六级-96(总分710, 做题时间90分钟)Part Ⅰ Writing1.Directions:For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay on happiness by refer- ring to the saying "Happiness is not the absence of problems, but the ability to deal with them." You can cite examples to illustrate your point and then explain how you can develop your ability to deal with problem and be happy. You should write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words. Write yourletter on Answer Sheet 1.On HappinessSSS_TEXT_QUSTI该题您未回答:х该问题分值: 106.5答案:On HappinessWith regard to happiness, opinions may vary from person to person. Some say that happiness is a life free of trouble and problems. Others hold that happiness is not the absence of problems, but lies in the course of coping with the difficulties. In my opinion, I am strongly in favor of the latter view.Life is full of problems, but how we approach those problems often determines whether we're happy or miserable. Bob Maynard says, "Problems are opportunities in disguise." If we approach problems with this attitude, we see that problems are really opportunities to learn about others and ourselves. They enable us to live happier and more fulfilling lives.Therefore, happiness derives from the optimistic mind to deal with problems rather than avoid them. If you can figure out how to solve the problems that arise in every life, if you can learn to deal with them constructively and positively, and if you take each one on as a challenge rather than an impossible difficulty, then your so-called problems are no longer really problems at all. They are only problems until you solve them; then they are solutions to gaining happiness because you then know you can achieve anything you set your mind to.Part Ⅱ Listening ComprehensionSection ADirections:In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or morequestions 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 1 with a single line through the centre.SSS_SIMPLE_SIN1.• A. She will give him the receipt later.• B. The man should make his own copies.• C. She has not got the man's copies ready.• D. The man forgot to make the copies for her.A B C D该题您未回答:х该问题分值: 7.1答案:C[听力原文]M: I left 20 pages here to copy. Here's the receipt.W: I'm sorry, sir. But we are a little behind. Could **e back in a few minutes?Q: What does the woman mean?SSS_SIMPLE_SIN2.• A. She phoned Fred about the book.• B. She was late for the appointment.• C. She ran into Fred on her way here.• D. She often keeps other people waiting.A B C D该题您未回答:х该问题分值: 7.1答案:B[听力原文]W: I hope you are not to put out with me for the delay. I have to stop by a friend's home to pick up a book on my way here.M: Well, that's not a big deal. But you might at least phone if you know you're going to keep someone waiting.Q: What do we learn about the woman from the conversation?SSS_SIMPLE_SIN3.• A. Mark is not fit to take charge of the Student Union.• B. Mark is the best candidate for the post of chairman.• C. It won't be easy for Mark to win the election.D. Females are **petitive than males in elections.A B C D该题您未回答:х该问题分值: 7.1答案:C[听力原文]W: Mark is the best candidate for chairman of the student union,isn't he?M: Well, that guy won't be able to win the election unless he gets the majority vote from women students. And I'm not sure about that. Q: What does the man mean?SSS_SIMPLE_SIN4.• A. He needs a vehicle to be used in harsh weather.• B. He has a fairly large collection of quality trucks.• C. He has had his truck adapted for cold temperatures.• D. He does routine truck maintenance for the woman.A B C D该题您未回答:х该问题分值: 7.1答案:A[听力原文]M: This truck looks like what I need but I'm worried about maintenance. For us it'll have to operate for long periods of time in very cold temperatures.W: We have several models that are especially adaptive for extreme conditions. Would you like to see them?Q: What do we learn about the man from the conversation?SSS_SIMPLE_SIN5.• A. She cannot stand her boss's bad temper.• B. She has often been criticized by her boss.• C. She has made up her mind to resign.• D. She never regrets any decisions she makes.A B C D该题您未回答:х该问题分值: 7.1答案:C[听力原文]M: I think your boss will be very upset when he gets your letter of resignation.W: That may be so. But in the letter, I just told him frankly I could no longer live with his poor management and stupid decisions.Q: What do we learn about the woman?SSS_SIMPLE_SIN6.• A. Because she does not like it.• B. Because it does not fit her very well.• C. Because it's too formal for the occasion.• D. Because the man likes the other dress better.A B C D该题您未回答:х该问题分值: 7.1答案:C[听力原文]M: Which dress do you plan to wear?W: I like the black one, and it fits me better, but it's probably too dressy. I suppose I'll wear the red one.Q: Why doesn't the woman wear the black dress?SSS_SIMPLE_SIN7.• A. Satisfied with their price.• B. Dissatisfied with their quality.• C. Pleased with modem mass-productions techniques.D. Dissatisfied with their **plexity.A B C D该题您未回答:х该问题分值: 7.1答案:B[听力原文]M: In the old days, people took pride in their work and built things to last.W: Nowadays you are lucky if they don't fall apart before you get them home.Q: How do the man and woman feel about products manufactured nowadays?SSS_SIMPLE_SIN8.• A. She is going to try to be more persuasive.• B. She'll accept **mittee's proposal.• C. She thinks **mittee will accept the proposal.D. She'll revise the proposal before she talks to **mittee.A B C D该题您未回答:х该问题分值: 7.1答案:C[听力原文]M: You'll have to be a lot more persuasive if you want to convince**mittee to accept your proposal.W: I'm not sure what else I could say. Besides I don't think they'll reject it.Q: What does the woman mean?SSS_SIMPLE_SIN9.• A. How to deal with the problems in a family.• B. How to ask a neighbor to turn down the music.• C. How to get along with those not so likable neighbors.• D. How to compromise with the management of one's building.A B C D该题您未回答:х该问题分值: 7.1答案:C[听力原文]M: For years, people have been trying to get along with their neighbors, but how can we? Joining us with some simple tips on how to deal with those not so likeable neighbors is Betty Wong, the Executive Editor of Family Circle magazine. Good morning, Betty.W: Good morning, John.M: Well, in an ideal world, I guess we would all get along with our neighbors, wouldn't we?W: Right. We hope so.M: But why is it important to have a good relationship with them? W: Well, since how you get along with your neighbors really plays a large part in your health, well-being and happiness, your neighbors really kind of make your home. It's important to establish a good or at least polite relationship with your neighbors. Prevent problems later on, or maybe call on them for a favor, like you are on a vacation and you need them to water your plants and pick up your mail.M: Yeah, neighbors can be really helpful, but of course they can also be annoying. My neighbor plays music, really loudly. It's extremely loud from early in the morning to late at night. What can I do?W: Loud music is one of those **plaints, and I think he probablyisn't even aware of the fact that he is causing problems to his neighbors. If you bring it to your neighbor's attention, he will be more than happy to fix it. You could say something like: I'm really a light sleeper. Can you help me out by turning down the music during evening hours or in the early morning? Or come up with a compromise. M: Don't just call the police, right? Which a lot of people do. But, sometimes we can have unpleasant smells. My neighbor upstairs cooks a lot, and a smelly food **es right to the vent. Then what should I do? W: Well, that's a tough one. You try to approach them politely, reasonably, and if that doesn't work, you could just talk to the management because maybe there is something wrong with theventilation system. That might be a quick fix, without having that uncomfortable conversation.M: And the neighbor **es to visit and won't go away?W: I think there might be somebody who is really lonely and wants a friend. Often I think a five-or ten-minute visit is fine. You don't have to be best friends with your neighbor at all. You can just be civil and polite.M: Well, that's important. Thank you so much for the tips.W: My pleasure.What are the speakers mainly talking about?SSS_SIMPLE_SIN10.• A. Call the police to solve the problem.• B. Come up with a compromise which works for both.• C. Talk with the neighbor and explain the problem.• D. Establish a good relationship with the neighbor.A B C D该题您未回答:х该问题分值: 7.1答案:A[听力原文]What may NOT be Betty's suggestion to a person whose neighbor plays loud music?SSS_SIMPLE_SIN11.• A. Five.• B. Four.• C. Three.• D. Two.A B C D该题您未回答:х该问题分值: 7.1答案:C[听力原文]How many different types of neighbors are mentioned in the talk?SSS_SIMPLE_SIN12.• A. Good or bad, they are there to stay.• B. Like it or not, you have to use them.• C. Believe it or not, they have survived.• D. Gain or lose, they should be modernised.A B C D该题您未回答:х该问题分值: 7.1答案:B[听力原文]W: There is an element there **petition then, isn't there? Because British railways are a nationalized industry, there's only one railway system in the country. If you don't like a particular kind of bean, you can go and buy another. But if you don't like a particular railway, you can't go and use another.M: Some people who write to me say this. They say that if you don't have monopoly, you won't be able to do the things you do. Well, Idon't think we do anything deliberately to upset our customers. We have particular problems. Since 1946, when the Transport Act came in, we were nationalized.W: Do you think that's a good thing? Has it been a good thing for the railways, do you think, to be nationalized?M: Oh I think so, yes. Because in general, modes of transport are all around. Let's face the fact. The car arrived. The car is here to stay. There is no question about that.W: So what are you saying then? Is it that if the railways hadn't been nationalized, they would simply have disappeared?M: Oh, I think they would have. They're disappearing fast in America. Er, the French railways lose 1 billion pounds a year. The German railways, 2 billion pounds a year. But you see, those governments are preparing to pour money into the transport system to keep it going.W: So in a sense, you cope between two extremes. On the one hand, you're trying not to lose too much money. And on the other hand, you've got to provide the best service.M: Yes, you are right.What does the woman say about British railways?SSS_SIMPLE_SIN13.• A. The frequent train delays.• B. The high train ticket fares.• C. The food sold on the trains.• D. The monopoly of British Railways.A B C D该题您未回答:х该问题分值: 7.1答案:D[听力原文]What do some people who write to the **plain about?SSS_SIMPLE_SIN14.• A. The low efficiency of their operation.• B. Competition from other modes of transport.• C. **plaints from passengers.D. The passing of the new transport act.A B C D该题您未回答:х该问题分值: 7.1答案:B[听力原文]What does the man say threatens the existence of railways?SSS_SIMPLE_SIN15.• A. They will be de-nationalised.• B. They provide worse service.• C. They are fast disappearing.• D. They lose a lot of money.A B C D该题您未回答:х该问题分值: 7.1答案:D[听力原文]What does the man say about railways in other countries?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 OneSSS_SIMPLE_SIN1.• A. They could agree upon certain signs.• B. They could write them down.• C. They **municate with each other.D. They **bine them.A B C D该题您未回答:х该问题分值: 7.1答案:C[听力原文]How men first learned to invent words is unknown; in other words, the origin of language is a mystery. All we really know isthat men, unlike animals, somehow invented certain sounds to express thoughts and feelings, actions and things, so that they **municate with each other, and that later they agreed upon certain signs,called letters, which could be combined to represent those sounds, and which could be written down. Those sounds, whether spoken, or written in letters, we call words.The power of words, then, lies in their association—the things they bring up before our minds. Words become filled with meaning for us by experience; and the longer we live, the more certain words recall to us the glad and sad events of our past; and the more we read and learn, the more the number of words that mean something to us increase.Great writers are those who not only have great thoughts but also express these thoughts in words which appeal powerfully to our minds and emotions. This charming and telling use of words is what we call literary style. Above all, the real poet is a master of words. He can convey his meaning in words which sing like music and which by their position and association can move men to tears. We should, therefore,learn to choose our words carefully and use them accurately, or they will make our speech silly and tasteless.What was one of the reasons why men invented certain sounds to express thoughts and actions?题目问的是人类创造某种声音来表达思想行动的原因。

1996年1月大学英语四级(CET-4)真题试卷Part I Listening Comprehension (20 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, you will hear 10 short conversations. At the end of each conversation, a question will be asked about what was said. Both theconversation and the question will be spoken only once. After eachquestion there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the fourchoices marked A), B), C) and D), and decide which is the best answer.Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single linethrough the center.Example:You will hear:You will read:A) 2 hours.B) 3 hours.C) 4 hours.D) 5 hours.From the conversation we know that the two were talking about some work they will start at 9 o’clock in the morning and have to finish at 2 in the afternoon. Therefore, D) “5 hours” is the correct answer. You should choose [D] on the Answer Sheet and mark it with a single line through the center.Sample Answer [A] [B] [C] [D]1. A) At home.B) At the riverside.C) At the health center.D) At his office.2. A) Having an interview.B) Filling out a form.C) Talking with his friend.D) Asking for information.3. A) She made a mistake by taking too few courses in the first term.B) The courses she took were too difficult for her.C) She took too many courses during her first term.D) She found it difficult to deal with college courses.4. A) Worried and frightened.B) Very relaxed.C) Quite unhappy.D) Angry with the professor.5. A) He enjoys reading letters.B) He has been job-hunting.C) He is offering the woman a job.D) He is working for a company.6. A) She lost her way.B) She lost her keys.C) She lost her car.D) She lost her handbag.7. A) More than an hour and a half.B) Not more than half an hour.C) More than two hours.D) Less than an hour and a half.8.A) She is sure who is going to win.B) Now it is a good time to start the game.C) The game has been going on for a long time.D) The same team always wins.9. A) The ideas of the paper are not convincing.B) Some parts of the paper are not well written.C) The handwriting of the paper is not good.D) The paper is not complete.10. A) Looking for a young lady.B) Looking for her wrist watch.C) Looking for a young gentleman.D) Looking for a man wearing a wrist watch.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 bespoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the bestanswer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark thecorresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through thecenter.Passage oneQuestions 11 to 14 are based on the passage you have just heard.11. A) It had many problems.B) It was the most democratic country in the world.C) It was fair to women.D) It had some minor problems to solve.12. A) The women of some states.B) The women in the state of Wyoming only.C) The members of the National Women’s Association.D) The women in the state of Massachusetts only.13. A) At the very beginning of the 20th century.B) At the end of the 19th century.C) After Susan Anthony’s death.D) Just before Susan Anthony’s death.14. A) She worked on the draft of the American Constitution.B) She was the chairman of the National Women’s Association.C) She was born in New York and died in Massachusetts.D) She was an activist in the women’s movement for equal rights.Passage TwoQuestions 15 to 16 are based on the passage you have just heard.15.A) People with problems.B) Travels around the world.C) Beautiful America.D) People in great cities.16. A) He spent three months writing “Travels with Charley”.B) He enjoyed his travels around the United States.C) He was fond of writing about his travels.D) He didn’t enjoy the trip as much as Charley.Passage ThreeQuestions 17 to 20 are based on the passage you have just heard.17. A) The long distance between his home town and New York.B) His unpopular character.C) The high unemployment rate in New York.D) His criminal record.18. A) He wanted to be put in prison again.B) He needed the money to support his family.C) He hated the barber there.D) He wanted to make himself well known.19. A) He went directly to the police station.B) He drove out of the town and tried to escape.C) He waited for the police to arrest him.D) He argued with the police angrily.20. A) Mr. Spears enjoyed living in prison.B) Mr. Spears was known as a greedy man in his community.C) The police in New York were not very efficient.D) The only way for Mr. Spears to support his family was by going to prison again.Part II Vocabulary and Structure (20 minutes)Directions: There are 30 incomplete sentences in this part. For each sentence there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Choose the ONE that bestcompletes the sentence. Then mark the corresponding letter on the AnswerSheet with a single line through the center.21. The fifth generation computers, with artificial intelligence, ________ and perfectednow.A) developedB) have developedC) are being developedD) will have been developed22. This ticket ________ you to a free meal in our new restaurant.A) givesB) grantsC) entitlesD) credits23. You ________ her in her office last Friday; she’s been out of town for two weeks.A) needn’t have seenB) must have seenC) might have seenD) can’t have seen24. That was so serious a matter that I had no choice but ________ the police.A) called inB) calling inC) call inD) to call in25. She was so ________ in her job that she didn’t hear anybody knocking at the door.A) attractedB) absorbedC) drawnD) concentrated26. ________ as it was at such a time, his work attracted much attention.A) Being publishedB) PublishedC) PublishingD) To be published27. At first, the speaker was referring to the problem of pollution in the country, buthalfway in her speech, she suddenly ________ to another subject.A) committedB) switchedC) favouredD) transmitted28. It is politely requested by the hotel management that radios ________ after 11o’clock at night.A) were not playedB) not to playC) not be playedD) did not play29. Although I like the appearance of the house, what really made me decide to buy itwas the beautiful ________ through the window.A) visionB) lookC) pictureD) view30. Cancer is second only ________ heart disease as a cause of death.A) ofB) toC) withD) from31. Despite the wonderful acting and well-developed plot the ________ movie couldnot hold our attention.A) three-hoursB) three-hourC) three-hours’D) three-hour’s32. The manager needs an assistant that he can ________ to take care of problems in hisabsence.A) count onB) count inC) count upD) count out33. The organization had broken no rules, but ________ had it acted responsibly.A) neitherB) soC) eitherD) both34. We gave out a cheer when the red roof of the cottage came ________ view.A) fromB) inC) beforeD) into35. They took ________ measures to prevent poisonous gases from escaping.A) fruitfulB) beneficialC) validD) effective36. Doing your homework is a sure way to improve your test scores, and this isespecially true ________ it comes to classroom tests.A) whenB) sinceC) beforeD) after37. Careful surveys have indicated that as many as 50 percent of patients do not takedrugs ________ directed.A) likeB) soC) whichD) as38. In developing countries people are ________ into overcrowded cities in greatnumbers.A) breakingB) fillingC) pouringD) hurrying39. It’s reported that by the end of this month the output of cement in the factory________ by about 10%.A) will have risenB) has risenC) will be risingD) has been rising40. If I had remembered ________ the window, the thief would not have got in.A) to closeB) closingC) to have closedD) having closed41. There are other problems which I don’t propose to ________ at the moment.A) go intoB) go aroundC) go forD) go up42. Don’t get your schedule ________; stay with us in this class.A) to changeB) changingC) changedD) change43. It is quite necessary for a qualified teacher to have good manners and ________knowledge.A) extensiveB) expansiveC) intensiveD) expensive44. Jean doesn’t want to work right away b ecause she thinks that if she ________ a jobshe probably wouldn’t be able to see her friends very often.A) has to getB) were to getC) had gotD) could have got45. I felt somewhat disappointed and was about to leave, ________ something occurredwhich attracted my attention.A) unlessB) untilC) whenD) while46. A love marriage, however, does not necessarily ________ much sharing of interestsand responsibilities.A) take overB) result inC) hold onD) keep to47. The ability to store knowledge makes computers different form every other machine________ invented.A) everB) thusC) yetD) as48. I’m not sure whether I can gain any profit from the investment, so I can’t make a(n)________ promise to help you.A) exactB) definedC) definiteD) sure49. I have kept that portrait ________ I can see it every day, as it always reminds me ofmy university days in London.A) whichB) whereC) whetherD) when50. The sports meet, originally due to be held last Friday, was finally ________ becauseof the bad weather.A) set offB) broken offC) worn offD) called offPart III Reading Comprehension (35 minutes)Directions: There are 4 passages in this part. Each passage is followed by somequestions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choicesmarked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and markthe corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through thecenter.Passage OneQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.Space is a dangerous place, not only because of meteors (流星) but also because of rays from the sun and other stars. The atmosphere again acts as our protective blanket on earth. Light gets through, and this is essential for plants to make the food, which we eat. Heat, too, makes our environment endurable. Various kinds of rays come through the air from outer space, but enormous quantities of radiation from the sun are screened off. As soon as men leave the atmosphere they are exposed to this radiation but their spacesuits or the walls of their spacecraft, if they are inside, do prevent a lot of radiation damage.Radiation is the greatest known danger to explorers in space. The unit of radiation is called rem. Scientists have reason to think that a man can put up with far more radiation than 0.1 rem without being damaged; the figure of 60 rems has been agreed on. The trouble is that it is extremely difficult to be sure about radiation damage-a person may feel perfectly well, but the cells of his or her sex organs may be damaged, and this will not be discovered until the birth of deformed (畸形的) children or even grandchildren. Missions of the Apollo flights have had to cross belts of high radiation and, during the outward and return journeys, the Apollo crew accumulated a large amount of rems. So far, no dangerous amounts of radiation have been reported, but the Apollo missions have been quite short. We simply do not know yet how men are going to get on when they spend weeks and months outside the protection of the atmosphere, working in a space laboratory. Drugs might help to decrease the damage done by radiation, but no really effective ones have been found so far.51. According to the first paragraph, the atmosphere is essential to man in that________.A) it protects him against the harmful rays from spaceB) it provides sufficient light for plant growthC) it supplies the heat necessary for human survivalD) it screens off the falling meteors52. We know from the passage that ________.A) exposure to even tiny amounts of radiation is fatalB) the effect of exposure to radiation is slow in comingC) radiation is avoidable in space explorationD) astronauts in spacesuits needn’t worry about radiation damage53. The harm radiation has done to the Apollo crew members ________.A) is insignificantB) seems overestimatedC) is enormousD) remains unknown54. It can be inferred from the passage that ________.A) the Apollo mission was very successfulB) protection from space radiation is no easy jobC) astronauts will have deformed children or grandchildrenD) radiation is not a threat to well-protected space explorers55. The best title for this passage would be ________.A) The Atmosphere and Our EnvironmentB) Research on RadiationC) Effects of Space RadiationD) Importance Protection Against RadiationPassage TwoQuestions 56 to 60 are based on the following passage.Taste is such a subjective matter that we don’t usually conduct preference tests for food. The most you can say about anyone’s preference, is that it’s one person’s opinion. But because the two big cola (可口可乐) companies—Coca-Cola and Pepsi Cola are marketed so aggressively, we’ve wondered how big a role taste preference actually plays in brand loyalty. We set up a taste test that challenged people who identified themselves as either Coca-Cola or Pepsi fans: Find your brand in a blind tasting.We invited staff volunteers who had a strong liking for either Coca-Cola Classic (传统型) or Pepsi,Diet (低糖的) Coke, or Diet Pepsi. These were people who thought the y’d have no trouble telling their brand from the other brand.We eventually located 19 regular cola drinkers and 27 diet cola drinkers. Then we fed them four unidentified samples of cola one at a time, regular colas for the one group, diet versions for the other. We asked them to tell us whether each sample was Coke or Pepsi; then we analyzed the records statistically to compare the participants’ choices with what mere guess-work could have accomplished.Getting all four samples right was a tough test, but not too tough, we thought, for people who believed they could recognize their brand. In the end, only 7 out of 19 regular cola drinkers correctly identified their brand of choice in all four trials. The diet-cola drinkers did a little worse-only 7 of 27 identified all four samples correctly.While both groups did better than chance would predict, nearly half the participantsin each group made the wrong choice two or more times. Two people go all four samples wrong. Overall, half the participants did about as well on the last round of tasting as on the first, so fatigue, or taste burnout, was not a factor. Our preference test results suggest that only a few Pepsi participants and Coke fans may really be able to tell their favorite brand by taste and price.56. According to the passage the preference test was conducted in order to ________.A) find out the role taste preference plays in a person’s drinkingB) reveal which cola is more to the liking of the drinkersC) show that a person’s opinion about taste is mere guess-workD) compare the ability of the participants in choosing their drinks57. The statistics recorded in the preference tests show ________.A) Coca-Cola and Pepsi are people’s two most favorite drinksB) there is not much difference in taste between Coca-Cola and PepsiC) few people had trouble telling Coca-Cola from PepsiD) people’s tastes differ from one another58. It is implied in the first paragraph that ________.A) the purpose of taste tests is to promote the sale of colasB) the improvement of quality is the chief concern of the two cola companiesC) the competition between the two colas is very strongD) blind tasting is necessary for identifying fans59. The word “burnout” (Line 4, Para. 5) here refers to the state of ________.A) being seriously burnt in the skinB) being unable to burn for lack of fuelC) being badly damaged by fireD) being unable to function because of excessive use60. The author’s purpose in writing this passage is to ________.A) show that taste preference is highly subjectiveB) argue that taste testing is an important marketing strategyC) emphasize that taste and price are closely related to each otherD) recommend that blind tasting be introduced in the quality control of colasPassage ThreeQuestions 61 to 65 are based on the following passage.The concept of “environment” is certainly difficult and may even be misunderstood; but we have no handy substitute. It seems simple enough to distinguish between the organism and the surrounding environment and to separate forces acting on an organism into those that are internal and biological and those that are external and environmental. But in actual practice this system breaks down in many ways, because the organism and the environment are constantly interacting so that the environment is modified by the organism and vice versa (反之亦然).In the case of man, the difficulties with the environmental concept are even more complicated because we have to deal with man as an animal and with man as a bearer (持有者) of culture. If we look at man as an animal and try to analyze the environmental forces that are acting on the organism, we find that we have to deal with things like climate, soil, plants and such-like factors common to all biological situations; but we also find, always, very important environmental influences that we can only class as “cultural”, which modify the physical and biological factors. But man, as we know him, is always a bearer of culture; and if we study human culture, we find that it, in turn, is modified by the environmental factors of climate and geography. We thus easily get into great difficulties from the necessity of viewing culture, at one moment, as a part of the man and, at another moment, as a part of the environment.61. Which of the following words can best describe the popular understanding of“environment” as the author sees it?A) Elaborate.B) Prejudiced.C) Faultless.D) Oversimplified.62. According to the author the concept of “environment” is difficult to explain becaus e________.A) it doesn’t distinguish between the organism and the environmentB) it involves both internal and external forcesC) the organism and the environment influence each otherD) the relationship between the organism and the environment is unclear63. In analyzing the environmental forces acting on man the author suggests that________.A) biological factors are less important to the organism than cultural factors to manB) man and other animals are modified equally by the environmental forcesC) man is modified by the cultural environment as well as by the naturalenvironmentD) physical and biological factors exert more influence on other organisms than onman64. As for culture, the author points out that ________.A) it develops side by side with environmental factorsB) it is also affected by environmental factorsC) it is generally accepted to be part of the environmentD) it is a product of man’s biological instincts65. In this passage, the author is primarily concerned with ________.A) the interpretation of the term “environment”B) the discussion on organisms and biological environmentC) the comparison between internal and external factors influencing manD) the evaluation of man’s influence on culturePassage FourQuestions 66 to 70 are based on the following passage.The speaker, a teacher from a community college, addressed a sympathetic audience. Heads nodded in agreement when he said, “High school English teachers are not doing their jobs.” He described the inadequacies of his students, all high school graduates who can use language only at a grade 9 level. I was unable to determine from his answers to my questions how this grade 9 level had been established.My topic is not standards nor its decline (降低). What the speaker was really saying is that eh is no longer young; he has been teaching for sixteen years, and is able to think and speak like a mature adult.My point is that the frequent complaint of one generation about the one immediately following it is inevitable. It is also human nature to look for the reasons for our dissatisfaction. Before English became a school subject in the late nineteenth century, it was difficult to find the target of the blame for language deficiencies (缺陷). But since then, English teachers have been under constant attack.The complainers think they have hit upon an original idea. As their own command of the language improves, they notice that young people do not have this same ability. Unaware that their own ability has developed through the years, they assume the new generation of young people must be hopeless in this respect. To the eyes and ears of sensitive adults the language of the young always seems inadequate.Since this concern about the decline and fall of the English language is not perceived as a generational phenomenon but rather as something new and peculiar to today’s young people, it naturally follows that today’s English teachers cannot be doing their jobs. Otherwise, young people would not commit offenses against the language.66. The speaker the author mentioned in the passage believed that ________.A) the language of the younger generation is usually inferior to that of the oldergenerationB) the students had a poor command of English because they didn’t work hardenoughC) he was an excellent language teacher because he had been teaching English forsixteen yearsD) English teachers should be held responsible for the students’ poor command ofEnglish67. In the author’s opinion, the speaker ________.A) gave a correct judgment of the English level of the studentsB) had exaggerated the language problems of the studentsC) was right in saying that English teachers were not doing their jobsD) could think and speak intelligently68. The author’s attitude towards the speaker’s remarks is ________.A) neutralB) positiveC) criticalD) compromising69. It can be concluded from the passage that ________.A) it is justifiable to include English as a school subjectB) the author disagrees with the speaker over the standard of English at Grade 9levelC) English language teaching is by no means an easy jobD) language improvement needs time and effort70. In the passage the author argues that ________.A) it is unfair to blame the English teachers for the language deficiencies of thestudentsB) young people would not commit offences against the language is the teachers didtheir jobs properlyC) to eliminate language deficiencies one must have sensitive eyes and earsD) to improve the standard of English requires the effort of several generationsPart IV Translation (15 minutes)Directions: In this part, there are five items which you should translate into Chinese, each item consisting of one or two sentences. These sentences are all takenfrom the Reading Passages you have just read in Part Three of Test PaperOne. You are allowed 15 minutes to do the translation. You should referback to the passages so as to identify their meanings in the context.71. (Passage 2, Lines 1-2, Para. 5)Scientists have reason to think that a man can put up with far more radiation than 0.1 rem without being damaged;72. (Passage 2, Lines 1-3, Para. 3)Them we fed them four unidentified samples of cola on at a time, regular colas for the one group, diet versions for the other.73. (Passage 2, Lines 1-2, Para. 5)While both groups did better than chance would predict, nearly half the participants in each group made the wrong choice two or more times.74. (Passage 3, Lines 4-5, Para. 2)...we find that we have to deal with things like climate, soil, plants, and such-like factors common to all biological situations;75. (Passage 4, Lines 1-2, Para. 3)My point is that the frequent complaint of one generation about the one immediately following it is inevitable.Part V Writing (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed thirty minutes to write a composition on the topic The Two-day Weekend. You should write at least 100 words and youshould base your composition on the outline (given in Chinese) below:1. 双休日给大学生带来的好处。