2012年12月大学英语六级第一套真题听力原文

2012年12月英语六级考试听力短文原文Part III Listening ComprehensionSection BPassage 1Since I started working part-time at a grocery store, I have learned that a customer is more than someone who buy something. To me, a customer is a person whose memory fails entirely once he or she starts to push a shopping card. One of the first things customers forget is how to count. There is no other way to explain how so many people get in their express line, which is clearly marked 15 items or less, with 20, 25 or even a cart load of items. Customers also forget why they came to the store in the first place. Just as I finish ringing up an order, a customer will say, “Oops, I forgot to pick up a fresh loaf of bread. I hope you don’t mind waiting while I go get it。

” Five minutes later, he’s back with the bread, a bottle of milk, and three rolls of paper towels. Strange is that seems customers also seem to forget that they have to pay for their groceries. Instead of writing a check or looking for a credit card while I am ringing up the groceries, my customers will wait until I announce the total. Then, in surprise, she says, “Oh no, what did I do with my check book?” After 5 minutes of digging through her purse, she borrows my pen because she’s forgotten her s. But I have to be tolerant of customers because they pay my salary, and that’s something I can’t afford to forget。

2012年12月英语听力答案及原文短对话：11. Go to the park to enjoy the flowers.12. She cannot attend the presentation.13. He is a very successful businessman.14. She has every confidence in Susan.15. It is worth the money taking a train to Miami.16. The old furniture should be replaced.17. The man got home late due to the storm.18. The woman’s sons might enjoy team sports.长对话：Conversation One19. Take orders over the phone.20. Customers’questions could not be answered on the same day.21. They each take a week.Conversation Two22. Near a school.23. He did not notice it.24. It is no longer valid.25. He got a ticket.听力短文：Passage 126. They behave as if their memories have failed totally.27. Those with 15 items or less.28. Go back and pick up more items.29. It requires tolerance.Passage 230. A natural and spontaneous style of speech.31. Differences in style between writing and speaking.32. The key to becoming a good speaker.Passage 333. By comparing his performance with others.34. Children cannot detect their own mistakes.35. It is unhelpful to students’learning.复合式听写：36. foreign37. accomplished38. interpersonal39. detail.40. controlled41. abruptly42. references43. indication44. it is considered very rude to be late -- even by 10 minutes -- for an appointment in America.45. It has enabled Americans to be extremely productive, and productivity itself is highly valued in America.46. Americans believe in spending their time and energy today so that the fruits of their labor may be enjoyed at a later time.2012年12月英语四级考试听力原文汇总完整版Part III Listening ComprehensionSection ADirections: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A), B), C) and D), and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.11.W: I just heard about a really beautiful park in the east end of the town. There are a lot of roses in bloom.M: Why don’t we walk over there and see for ourselves?Q: What will the speakers probably do?12.M: My presentation is scheduled for 9:30 tomorrow morning at the lecture hall. I hope to see you there.W: Oh, sorry. I was about to tell you that I have an appointment with my dentist at 9:00 o’clock tomorrow.Q: What do we learn about the woman?13.W: How long have you been running this company?M: Twenty years if you can believe that. I brought it from a small operation to what it is today. Q: What do we learn about the man?14.M: Have you read the news on the campus net? Susan has won the scholarship for next year.W: I knew she would from the very beginning. Such a brilliant and diligent girl! She certainly deserves it.Q: What does the woman mean?15.W: Taking a bus to Miami, it’s cheaper than going by train.M: That’s true. But I’d rather pay a little more for the added comfort and convenience.Q: What does the man mean?16.M: I think it’s time we got rid of all this old furniture.W: Y ou’re right. We need to promote our image besides it’s not a real antique.Q: What do the speakers mean?17.M: That was some storm yesterday. How was I afraid I couldn’t make it home.W: Y eah, most of the roads to my house were flooded. I didn’t get home from the lab until midnight.Q: What do we learn from the conversation?18.W: My boys are always complaining that they’re bored.M: Why don’t you get them into some team sports? My son and daughter play soccer every Saturday. And they both look forward to it all week.Q: What does the man mean?Questions 19 to 21 are based on the conversation you have just heard.W: I don’t know what to do. I can’t seem to get anyone in the hospital to listen to my complaints and this outdated equipment is dangerous. Just look at it.M: Hmm, uh, are you trying to say that it presents a health hazard?W: Y es, I am. The head technician in the lab tried to persuade the hospital administration to replace it, but they are trying to cut costs.M: Y ou are pregnant, aren’t you?W: Y es, I am. I made an effort to get my supervisor to transfer me to another department, but he urged me not to complain too loudly. Because the administration is more likely to replace me than an X-ray equipment, I’m afraid to refuse to work. But I’m more afraid to expose my unborn child to the radiation.M: I see what you mean. Well, as your union representative, I have to warn you that it would take quite a while to force management to replace the old machines and attempt to get you transferred may or may not be successful.W: Oh, what am I supposed to do then?M: Workers have the legal right to refuse certain unsafe work assignments under two federal laws, the Occupation or Safety and Health Act and the National Labor Relations Act. But the requirements of either of the Acts may be difficult to meet.W: Do you think I have a good case?M: If you do lose your job, the union will fight to get it back for you along with back pay, your lost income. But you have to be prepared for a long wait, maybe after two years.Q19. What does the woman complain about?Q20. What has the woman asked her supervisor to do?Q21. What does the man say about the two federal laws?Q22. What will the union do if the woman loses her jobQuestions 23 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.W: Mr. Green, is it fair to say that negotiation is an art?M: Well, I think it’s both an art and science. Y ou can prepare for a negotiation quite scientifically, but the execution of the negotiation has quite a lot to do with one’s artistic quality. The scientific part of a negotiation is in determining your strategy. What do you want out of it? What can you give? Then of course there are tactics. How do you go about it? Do you take an opening position in a negotiation which differs from the eventual goal you are heading for? And then of course there are the behavioral aspects.W: What do you mean by the behavioral aspects?M: Well, that’s I think where the art comes in. In your behavior, you can either be an actor. Y ou can pretend that you don’t like things which you are actually quite pleased about. Or you can pretend to like things which you are quite happy to do without. Or you can be the honest type negotiator who’s known to his partners in negotiation and always plays everything straight. But the artistic part of negotiation I think has to do with responding immediately to cues one gets in the process of negotiation. These can be verbal cues or even body language. This is where the artistic quality comes in.W: So really, you see two types of negotiator then, the actor or the honest one.M: That’right. And both can work. I would say the honest negotiator can be quite effective in some circumstances. In other circumstances you need an actor.Q23. When is a scientific approach best embodied in a negotiation according to the man?Q24. In what way is a negotiator like an actor according to the man?Q25. What does the man say about the two types of negotiator?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 2 with a single line through the center.Passage 1Questions 26 to 28 are based on the passage you have just heard.Since I started working part-time at a grocery store, I have learned that a customer is more thansomeone who buys something. To me, a customer is a person whose memory fails entirely once he or she starts to push a shopping cart. One of the first things customers forget is how to count. There is no other way to explain how so many people get in their express line, which is clearly marked 15 items or less, with 20, 25 or even a cart load of items. Customers also forget why they came to the store in the first place. Just as I finish ringing up an order, a customer will say, “Oops, I forgot to pick up a fresh loaf of bread. I hope you don’t mind waiting while I go get it.”Five minutes later, he is back with the bread, a bottle of milk, and three rolls of paper towels. Strange as it seems, customers also seem to forget that they have to pay for their groceries. Instead of writing a check or looking for a credit card while I am ringing up the groceries, my customers will wait until I announce the total. Then, in surprise, she says, “Oh no, what did I do with my check book?”After 5 minutes of digging through her purse, she borrows my pen because she’s forgotten hers. But I have to be tolerant of customers because they pay my salary, and that’s something I can’t afford to forget.Q26. What does the speaker say about customers’entering the grocery store?Q27. Which customers are supposed to be in the express line?Q28. What does the speaker say some customers do when they arrive at the check-out counter?Q29. What does the speaker say about his job at the end of the talk?Passage 2Questions 29 to 31 are based on the passage you have just heard.The speech delivery style of Europeans and Asians tends to be very formal. Speakers of these cultures often read oral presentations from carefully written manuscripts. On the other hand, American speakers are generally more informal relative to speakers in other cultures. American audiences prefer natural, spontaneous delivery that conveys a lively sense of communication. They don’t relate well to speakers who read from a manuscript. If you use an outline of your ideas instead of a prepared text, your speech will not only sound more natural, but you will also be able to establish better relationship with your listeners and keep their attention. The language and style you use when making an oral presentation should not be the same as the language and style you use when writing. Well-written information, that is meant to be read, does not work as well when it is heard. It is, therefore, important for you to adapt written texts or outlines for presentations. Good speakers are much more informal when speaking than when writing. They also use their own words and develop their own speaking styles. Whenever possible, they use short words. Listeners appreciate it when speakers use simple, everyday words in a presentation. One advantage is that it’s much easier for speakers to pronounce short words correctly. Another is that long and sophisticated vocabulary choices make listening more difficult.Question 30 to 3230. What does the speaker say American audiences prefer?31. What should one pay attention to when making an oral presentation?32. What does the speaker focus on in the talk?Passage 3Questions 32 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.Let children learn to judge their own work. A child learning to talk does not learn by beingcorrected all the time. If corrected too much, he will stop talking. He compares a thousand times a day the difference between language as he uses it and language as those around him use it. Bit by bit, he makes the necessary changes to make his language like other people’s. In the same way, kids learning to do all the other things they learn without adult teachers, to walk, run, climb, ride a bike, play games, compare their own performance with what more skilled people do, and slowly make the needed changes. But in school we never give a child a chance to detect his mistakes. We do it all for him. We act as if we thought he would never notice a mistake unless it was pointed out to him. Soon he becomes dependent on the expert. We should let him do it himself. Let him figure out, with the help of other children if he wants it, what this word says, what is the answer to that problem, whether this is a good way of saying or doing this or that. If right answers need to be given, as in mathematics or science, give him the answer book. Let him correct his own papers. Why should we teachers waste time on such tedious work? Our job should be to help children when they tell us that they can’t find a way to get the right answer.Question 33 to 3533. How does a child learn to do something according to the speaker?34. What belief do teachers commonly hold according to the speaker?35. What does the speaker imply about the current way of teaching?Section CDirections: In this section, you will hear a passage three times. When the passage is read for the first time, you should listen carefully for its general idea. When the passage is read for the second time, you are required to fill in the blanks numbered from 36 to43 with the exact words you have just heard. For blanks numbered from 44 to 46 you are required to fill in the missing information. For these blanks, you can either use the exact words you have just heard or write down the main points in your own words. Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should check what you have written.Time is, for the average American, of utmost importance. To the foreign visitor, Americans seem to be more concerned with getting things accomplished on time (according to a predetermined schedule) than they are with developing deep interpersonal relations. Schedules, for the American, are meant to be planned and then followed in the smallest detail. It may seem to you that most Americans are completely controlled by the little machines they wear on their wrists, cutting their discussions off abruptly to make it to their next appointment on time. Americans’language is filled with references to time, giving a clear indication of how much it is valued. Time is something to be “on,”to be “kept,”“filled,”“saved,”“wasted,”“gained,”“planned,”“given,”“made the most of,”even “killed.”The international visitor soon learns that it is considered very rude to be late -- even by 10 minutes -- for an appointment in America. Time is so valued in America, because by considering time to be important one can clearly achieve more than if one “wastes”time and doesn’t keep busy. This philosophy has proven its worth. It has enabled Americans to be extremely productive, and productivity itself is highly valued in America. Many American proverbs stress the value of guarding time, using it wisely, and setting and working toward specific goals. Americans believe in spending their time and energy today so that the fruits of their labor may be enjoyed at a later time.。

2012年12月英语六级考试真题试卷(第一套）Part I Writing （30minutes）Directions：For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay entitled Man and Computer by commenting on the saying, “The real danger is not that the computer will begin to think like man，but that man will begin to think like the computer。

”You should write at least 150words but no more than 200 words。

Man and Computer______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ Part II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning）(15 minutes）Directions: In this part，you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer Sheet 1。

2012年12月英语六级真题及答案详解2012年12月英语六级真题及答案详解Part I Writing (30 minutes)Directions:For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay entitled Man and Computer by commenting on the saying, “The real danger is not that the computer will begin to think like man, but that manwill begin to think like the computer.” You should write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words.Man and ComputerPart II Reading Comprehension （Skimming and Scanning）（15 minutes）Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions onA nswer Sheet 1. For questions 1-7, choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). For questions 8-10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.Thirst grows for living unpluggedMore people are taking breaks from the connected life amid the stillness and quiet of retreats like the Jesuit Center in Wernersville, Pennsylvania.About a year ago, I flew to Singapore to join the writer Malcolm Gladwell, the fashion designer Marc Ecko and the graphic designer Stefan Sagmeister in addressing a group of advertising people on “Marketing to the Child of Tomorrow.” Soon after I arrived, the chief executive of the agency that had invited us took me aside. What he was most interested in, he began, was stillness and quiet.A few months later, I read an interview with the well-known cutting-edge designer Philippe Starck.What allowed him to remain so consistently ahead of the curve? “I never read any magazines or watch TV,” he said, perhaps with a little exaggeration. “Nor do I go to cocktail parties, dinners or anything like that.” He lived outside conventional ideas, he implied, because “I li ve alone mostly, in the middle of nowhere.”Around the same time, I noticed that those who part with $2,285 a night to stay in a cliff-top room at the Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur, California, pay partly for the privilege of not having a TV in their rooms; th e future of travel, I’m reliably told, lies in “black-hole resorts,” which charge high prices precisely because you can’t get online in their rooms.Has it really come to this?The more ways we have to connect, the more many of us seem desperate to unplug. Internet rescue camps in South Korea and China try to save kids addicted to the screen.Writer friends of mine pay good money to get the Freedom software that enables them to disable the very Internet connections that seemed so emancipating not long ago. Even Intel experimented in 2007 with conferring four uninterrupted hours of quiet time (no phone or e-mail) every Tuesday morning on 300 engineers andmanagers. Workers were not allowed to use the phone or send e-mail, but simply had the chance to clear their heads and to hear themselves think.The average American spends at least eight and a half hours a day in front of a screen, Nicholas Carr notes in his book The Shallows. The average American teenager sends or receives 75text messages a day, though one girl managed to handle an average of 10,000 every 24 hours for a month.Since luxury is a function of scarcity, the children of tomorrow will long for nothing more than intervals of freedom from all the blinking machines, streaming videos and scrolling headlines that leave them feeling empty and too full all at once.The urgency of slowing down—to find the time and space to think—is nothing new, of course, and wiser souls have always reminded us that the more attention we pay to the moment, the less time and energy we have to place it in some larger context. “Distraction is the only thing that consoles us for our miseries,” the French philosopher Blaise Pascal wrote in the 17th century, “and yet it is itself the greatest of our miseries.” He also famously remarked that all of man’s problems come from his inability to sit quietly in a room alone.When telegraphs and trains brought in the idea that convenience was more important than content, Henry David Tho reau reminded us that “the man whose horse trots (奔跑), a mile in a minute does not carry the most important messages.”Marshall McLuhan, who came closer than most to seeing what was coming, warned, “When things come at you very fast, naturally you lose tou ch with yourself.”We have more and more ways to communicate, but less and less to say. Partly because we are so busy communicating. And we are rushing to meet so many deadlines that we hardly register that what we need most are lifelines.So what to do? More and more people I know seem to be turning to yoga, or meditation (沉思), or tai chi (太极)；these aren’t New Age fads (时尚的事物) so much as ways to connect with what could be called the wisdom of old age. Two friends ofmine observe an “Internet sabbath (安息日)” every week, turning off their online connections from Friday night to Monday morning. Other friends take walks and “forget” their cellphones at home.A series of tests in recent years has shown, Mr. Carr points out, that after spending time in quiet rural settings, subjects “exhibit greater attentivenes s, stronger memory and generally improved cognition. Their brains become both calmer and sharper.” More than that, empathy (同感，共鸣)，as well as deep thought, depends (as neuroscientists like Antonio Damasio ha ve found) on neural processes that are “inherently slow.”I turn to eccentric measures to try to keep my mind sober and ensure that I have time to do nothing at all (which is the only time when I can see what I should be doing the rest of the time).I have yet to use a cellphone and I have never Tweeted or entered Facebook. I try not to go online till my day’s writing is finished, and I moved from Manhattan to rural Japan in part so I could more easily survive for long stretches entirely on foot.None of this is a matter of asceticism (苦行主义)；it is just pure selfishness. Nothing makes me feel better than being in one place, absorbed in a book, a conversation, or music. It is actually something deeper than mere happiness: it is joy, which the monk (僧侣) David Steindl-Rast describes as “that kind of happiness that doesn’t depend on what happens.”It is vital, of course, to stay in touch with the world. But it is only by having some distance from the world that you can see it whole, and understand what you should be doing with it.For more than 20 years, therefore, I have been going several times a year—often for no longer than three days—to a Benedictine hermitage (修道院)，40 minutes down the road, as ithappens, from the Post Ranch Inn. I don’t attend services when I am there, and I have never meditated, there or anywhere; I just take walks and read and lose myself in the stillness, recalling that it is only by stepping briefly away from my wife and bosses and friends that I will have anything useful to bring to them. The last time I was in the hermitage, three months ago, I happened to meet with a youngish-looking man with a 3-year-old boy around his shoulders.“You’re Pico, aren’t you?” the man said, and introduced himself as Larry; we had met, I gathered, 19 years before, when he had been living in the hermitage as an assistant to one of the monks.“What are you doing now?” I asked.We smiled. No words were necessary.“I try to bring my kids here as often as I can,” he went on. The child of tomorrow, I realized, may actually be ahead of us, in terms of sensing not what is new, but what is essential.1. What is special about the Post Ranch Inn?A) Its rooms are well furnished but dimly lit.B) It makes guests feel like falling into a black hole.C) There is no access to television in its rooms.D) It provides all the luxuries its guests can think of.2. What does the author say the children of tomorrow will need most?A) Convenience and comfort in everyday life.B) Time away from all electronic gadgets.C) More activities to fill in their leisure time.D) Greater chances for individual development.3. What does the French philosopher Blaise Pascal say about distraction?A) It leads us to lots of mistakes.B) It renders us unable to concentrate.C) It helps release our excess energy.D) It is our greatest misery in life.4. According to Marshall McLuhan, what will happen if things come at us very fast?A) We will not know what to do with our own lives.B) We will be busy receiving and sending messages.C) We will find it difficult to meet our deadlines.D) We will not notice what is going on around us.5. What does the author say about yoga, meditation and tai chi?A) They help people understand ancient wisdom.B) They contribute to physical and mental health.C) They are ways to communicate with nature.D) They keep people from various distractions.6. What is neuroscientist Antonio Damasio’s finding?A) Quiet rural settings contribute a lot to long life.B) One’s brain becomes sharp when it is activated.C) Eccentric mea sures are needed to keep one’s mind sober.D) When people think deeply, their neural processes are slow.7. The author moved from Manhattan to rural Japan partly because he could _______.A) stay away from the noise of the big city.B) live without modern transportation.C) enjoy the beautiful view of the countryside.D) practice asceticism in a local hermitage8. In order to see the world whole, the author thinks it necessary to __________.9. The author takes walks and reads and loses himself in thestillness of the hermitage so that he can bring his wife and bosses and friends ___________.10. The youngish-looking man takes his little boy to the hermitage frequently so that when he grows up he will know __________.Part III Listening Comprehension （35 minutes）Section ADirections: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A）, B）, C）and D）, and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.11. A) Ask his boss for a lighter schedule.B) Trade places with someone else.C) Accept the extra work willingly.D) Look for a more suitable job.12. A) It is unusual for his wife to be at home now.B) He is uncertain where his wife is at the moment.C) It is strange for his wife to call him at work.D) He does not believe what the woman has told him.13. A) The man is going to send out the memo tomorrow.B) The man will drive the woman to the station.C) The speakers are traveling by train tomorrow morning.D) The woman is concerned with the man’s hea lth.14. A) The suite booked was for a different date.B) The room booked was on a different floor.C) The room booked was not spacious enough.D) A suite was booked instead of a double room.15. A) The reason for low profits.B) The company’s sales policy.C) The fierce competition they face.D) The lack of effective promotion.16. A) Go and get the groceries at once.B) Manage with what they have.C) Do some shopping on their way home.D) Have the groceries delivered to them.17. A) The hot weather in summer.B) The problem with the air conditioner.C) The ridiculous rules of the office.D) The atmosphere in the office.18. A) Set a new stone in her ring.B) Find the priceless jewel she lost.C) Buy a ring with precious diamond.D) Shop on Oxford Street for a decent gift.Questions 19 to 22 are based on the conversation you have just heard.19. A) Damaging public facilities.B) Destroying urban wildlife.C) Organising rallies in the park.D) Hurting baby animals in the zoo.20. A) He had bribed the park keepers to keep quiet.B) People had differing opinions about his behaviour.C) The serious consequences of his doings were not fully realised.D) His behaviour was thought to have resulted from mental illness.21. A) Brutal.B) Justifiable.C) Too harsh.D) Well-deserved.22. A) Encouraging others to follow his wrong-doing.B) Stealing endangered animals from the zoo.C) Organising people against the authorities.D) Attacking the park keepers in broad daylight.Questions 23 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.23. A) She has already left school.B) She works for the handicapped.C) She is fond of practical courses.D) She is good at foreign languages.24. A) He is interested in science courses.B) He attends a boarding school.C) He speaks French and German.D) He is the brightest of her three kids.25. A) Comprehensive schools do not offer quality education.B) Parents decide what schools their children are to attend.C) Public schools are usually bigger in size than private schools.D) Children from low income families can’t really choose schools.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 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 26 to 29 are based on the passage you have just heard.26. A) Encourage the students to do creative thinking.B) Help the students to develop communication skills.C) Cultivate the s tudents’ ability to inspire employees.D) Focus on teaching the various functions of business.27. A) His teaching career at the Harvard Business School.B) His personal involvement in business management.C) His presidency at college and experience overseas.D) His education and professorship at Babson College.28. A) Development of their raw brain power.B) Exposure to the liberal arts and humanities.C) Improvement of their ability in capital management.D) Knowledge of up-to-date information technology.29. A) Reports on business and government corruption.B) His contact with government and business circles.C) Discoveries of cheating among MBA students.D) The increasing influence of the mass media.Passage TwoQuestions 30 to 32 are based on the passage you have just heard.30. A) They have better options for their kids than colleges.B) The unreasonably high tuition is beyond their means.C) The quality of higher education may not be worth the tuition.D) They think that their kids should pay for their own education.31. A) They do too many extracurricular activities.B) They tend to select less demanding courses.C) They take part-time jobs to support themselves.D) They think few of the courses worth studying.32. A) Its samples are not representative enough.B) Its significance should not be underestimated.C) Its findings come as a surprise to many parents.D) Its criteria for academic progress are questionable.Passage ThreeQuestions 33 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.33. A) A newly married couple.B) A business acquaintance.C) Someone good at cooking.D) Someone you barely know.34. A) Obtain necessary information about your guests.B) Collect a couple of unusual or exotic recipes.C) Buy the best meat and the freshest fruit.D) Try to improve your cooking skills.35. A) Losing weight.B) Entertaining guests.C) Making friends.D) Cooking meals.Section CDirections: In this section, you will hear a passage three times. When the passage is read for the first time, you should listen carefully for its general idea. When the passage is read for the second time, you are required to fill in the blanks numbered from 36 to 43 with the exact words you have just heard. For blanks numbered from 44 to 46 you are required to fill in the missing information. For these blanks, you can either use the exact words you have just heard or write down the main points in your ownwords. Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should check what you have written.People with disabilities comprise a large but diverse segment of the population. It is (36) ______ that over 35 million Americans have physical, mental, or other disabilities. (37) ______ half of these disabilities are “developmental,” i.e., they occur prior to the individual’s twenty-second birthday, often from (38) ______ conditions, and are severe enough to affect three or more areas of development, such as (39) ______, communication and employment. Most other disabilities are considered (40) ______, i.e., caused by outside forces.Before the 20th century, only a small (41) ______ of people with disabilities survived for long. Medical treatment for such conditions as stroke or spinal cord (42) ______ was unavailable. People whose disabilities should not have inherently affected their life span were often so mistreated that they (43) ______. Advancements in medicine and social services have created a climate in which (44) . Unfortunately, these basics are often all that is available. Civil liberties such as the right to vote, marry, get an education, and gain employment have historically been denied on the basis of disability.(45)____________________________________________________________________ ___. Disabled people formed grassroots coalitions to advocate their rights to integration and meaningful equality of opportunity.(46) . In the mid-1970s, critical legislation mandated（规定）access to education, public transportation, and public facilities, and prohibited employment discrimination by federal agencies or employers receiving federal funds.Part ⅣReading Comprehension （Reading in Depth）（25minutes）Section ADirections: In this section, there is a short passage with 5 questions or incomplete statements. Read the passage carefully. Then answer the questions or complete the statements in the fewest possible words. Please write your answers on Answer Sheet 2.Questions 47 to 54 are based on the following passage.A key process in interpersonal interaction is that of social comparison, in that we evaluate ourselves in terms of how we compare to others. In particular, we engage in two types of comparison. First, we decide whether we are superior or inferior to others on certain dimensions, such as attractiveness, intelligence, popularity, etc. Here, the important aspect is to compare with an appropriate reference group. For example, modest joggers should not compare their performance with Olympic standard marathon (马拉松) runners. Second, we judge the extent to which we are the same as or different from others. At certain stages of life, especially adolescence, the pressure to be seen as similar to peers is immense. Thus, wearing the right brand of clothes or shoes may be of the utmost importance. We also need to know whether our thoughts, beliefs and ideas are in line with those of other people. This is part of the process of self-validation whereby we employ self-disclosures to seek support for ourself-concept.People who do not have access to a good listener may not only be denied the opportunity to heighten their self-awareness, but they are also denied valuable feedback as to the validity and acceptability of their inner thoughts and feelings. By discussingthese with others, we receive feedback as to whether these are experiences which others have as well, or whether they are less common. Furthermore, by gauging the reactions to our self-disclosures we learn what types are acceptable or unacceptable with particular people and in specific situations. On occasions it is the fear that certain disclosures may be unacceptable to family or friends that motivates an individual to seek professional help. Counsellors will be familiar with client s tatements such as: “I just couldn’t talk about this to my husband.”, “I really can’t let my mother know my true feelings.” Another aspect of social comparison in the counselling context relates to a technique known as normalising. This is the process whereby helpers provide reassurance to clients that what they are experiencing is not abnormal or atypical (非典型的), but is a normal reaction shared by others when facing such circumstances. Patient disclosure, facilitated by the therapist, seems also to facilitate the process of normalising.47. To evaluate ourselves, the author thinks it important for us to compare ourselves with _______.48. During adolescence, people generally feel an immense pressure to appear _______.49. It is often difficult for people to heighten their self-awareness without _______.50. What can people do if they find what they think or say unacceptable to family or friends?51. Counsellors often assure their clients that what they experience themselves is only _______.Section BDirections:There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For eachof them there are four choices marked A）, B）, C）and D）. You should decideon the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line throughthe centre.Passage OneQuestions 52 to 56 are based on the following passage.Amid all the job losses, there’s one category of worker that the economic disruption has been good for: nonhumans.From self-service checkout lines at the supermarket to industrial robots armed with saws and taught to carve up animal bodies in slaughter-houses, these ever-more-intelligent machines are now not just assisting workers but actually kicking them out of their jobs.Automation isn’t ju st affecting factory workers, either. Some law firms now use artificial intelligence software to scan and read mountains of legal documents, work that previously was performed by highly-paid human lawyers.“Robots continue to have an impact on blue-collar jobs, and white-collar jobs are under attack by microprocessors,” says economics professor Edward Leamer. The recession permanently wiped out 2.5 million jobs. U.S. gross domestic product has climbed back to pre-recession levels, meaning we’re producing as much as before, only with 6% fewer workers. To be sure, robotics are not the only job killers out there, with outsourcing (外包) stealing far more jobs than automation.Jeff Burnstein, president of the Robotics Industry Association, argues that robots actually save U.S. jobs. His logic: companies that embrace automation might use fewer workers, but that’s still better than firing everyone and moving the work overseas.It’s not that robots are cheaper than humans, though often they are. It’s that they’re better. “In some cases the quality requirements are so exacting that even if you wanted to have a human do the job, you couldn’t,” Burnstein says.Same goes for surgeons, who’re using robotic systems to perform an ever-growing list of operations—not because the machines save money but because, thanks to the greater precision of robots, the patients recover in less time and have fewer complications, says Dr. Myriam Curet.Surgeons may survive the robot invasion, but others at the hospital might not be so lucky, as iRobot, maker of the Roomba, a robot vacuum cleaner, has been showing off Ava, which could be used as a messenger in a hospital. And once you’re home, recovering, Ava could let you talk to your doctor, so there’s no need to send someone to your house. T hat “mobile telepresence” could be useful at the office. If you’re away on a trip, you can still attend a meeting. Just connect via videoconferencing software, so your face appears on Ava’s screen.Is any job safe? I was hoping to say “journalist,” but researchers are already developing software that can gather facts and write a news story. Which means that a few years from now, a robot could be writing this column. And who will read it? Well, there might be a lot of us hanging around with lots of free time on our hands.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。

2012年12月大学英语六级（CET-6）真题试卷Part III Liste ning Comprehe nsion (35 minu tes)Sectio n ADirecti ons: In this sect ion, you will hear 8 short conv ersati ons and 2 long con versati ons. At the end of each conv ersatio n, one or more questi ons will be asked about what was said.Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After each questionthere 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 letteron Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.11. A) She can count on the man for help. C) She can lend the man a sleep ing bag.B) She has other pla ns for this weeke nd. D) She has got camp ing gear for rent.12. A) The man should keep his words. C) Karen always supports her at work.B) She regrets asking the man for help. D) Karen can take her to the airport13. A) He can't afford to go traveling yet. C) He usually checks his brakes before a tripB) His trip to Hawaii was not enjo yable. D) His trip to Hawaii has used up all his mon ey.14. A) There was no thi ng left except some pie. C) The woma n is going to prepare the dinner.B) The man has to find something else to eat. D) Julie has been invited for dinner.15. A) Submit no more tha n three letters. C) Apply to three graduate schools.B) Present a new letter of referenee. D) Send Professor Smith a letter.16. A) He decli nes to join the garde ning club.B) He is a professi onal garde ner in tow n.C) He prefers to keep his garde ning skills to himself.D) He wishes to receive formal trai ning in garde ning.17. A) Sculpture is not a typical form of modern art.B) Moder n art cannot express people's true feeli ngs.C) The rece nt sculpture exhibit was not well orga ni zed.D) Many people do not appreciate moder n art.18. A) Bob does not have much cha nee to win. C) Bob cannot count on her vote.B) She will vote for ano ther can didate. D) She knows the right pers on for the positi onQuestions 19 to 22 are based on the conversation you have just heard.19. A) Poor man ageme nt of the hospital. C) Decisi ons made by the head tech nician.B) The health hazard at her work place. D) The outdated medical test ing procedures.20. A) Tran sfer her to ano ther departme nt. C) Cut dow n her workload.B) Repair the X-ray equipme nt. D) Allow her to go on leave for two mon ths.21 .A) They are virtually impossible to en force. C) Both of them have bee n subject to criticism.B) Neither is applicable to the woman's case. D) Their requirements may be difficult to meet.22. A) Organize a mass strike. C) Try to help her get it back.B) Compe nsate for her loss. D) Find her a better pay ing job.Questio ns 23 to 25 are based on the conv ersati on you have just heard.23. A) In giving con cessi ons. C) In stati ng your terms.B) In the con cludi ng part. D) In the preparatory phase.24. A) He behaves in a way con trary to his real inten ti on.B) He prese nts his argume nts in a straightforward way.C) He resp onds readily to the other party's proposals.D) He uses lots of gestures to help make his points clear.25. A) Both may fail when confronting experieneed rivals.B) The hon est type is more effective tha n the actor type.C) Both can succeed depe nding on the specific situati on.D) The actor type works better in tough n egotiatio ns.Sectio n BDirecti ons: In this sect ion, 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 youhear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B),C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single linethrough the cen tre.Passage OneQuesti ons 26 to 29 are based on the passage you have just heard.26. A) The shape of the cubes used. C) The number of times of repeating the process.B) The size of the objects show n. D) The weight of the boxes moving across the stage.27. A) Boys enjoy playing with cubes more than girls.B) Girls tend to get excited more easily tha n boys.C) Girls seem to start reas oning earlier tha n boys.D) Boys pay more atte nti on to moving objects tha n girls.28. A) It is a breakthrough in the study of the n erve system.B) It may stimulate scie ntists to make further studies.C) Its result helps understand babies' language ability.D) Its findings are quite contrary to previous research.29. A) The two sides of their brain develop simultaneously. C) Their bones mature earlier. B) They are better able to adapt to the surroundings. D) They talk at an earlier age.Passage TwoQuesti ons 30 to 32 are based on the passage you have just heard.30. A) The new security plan for the municipal building.B) The bluepri nt for the developme nt of the city.C) The con troversy over the new office regulati ons.D) The city's general budget for the coming year.31 .A) Whether the security checks were really n ecessary.B) How to cope with the huge crowds of visitors to the muni cipal build ingC) Whether the security checks would create long queues at peak hours.D) How to train the n ewly recruited security guards.32. A) Irrelevant. B) Straightforward. C) Ridiculous. D) Confrontational.Passage ThreeQuesti ons 33 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.33. A) He used to work as a miner in Nevada. C) He con siders himself a blessed man.B) He works hard to support his five kids. D) He once taught at a local high school34 .A) To be nearer to Zac's school. C) To cut their living expenses.B) To look after her gran dchildre n.D) To help with the household chores.35. A) Skeptical. B) Optimistic. C) Indifferent. D) Realistic.Sectio n CDirecti ons: In this sect ion, you will hear a passage three times. When the passage is read for thefirst time, you should listen carefully for its general idea. When the passage is read forthe second time, you are required to fill in the blanks numbered from 36 to 43 with theexact words you have just heard. For bla nks nu mbered from 44 to 46 you are requiredto fill in the missing information. For these blanks, you can either use the exact wordsyou have just heard or write dow n the mai n poi nts in your own words. Fin ally, whe nthe passage is read for the third time, you should check what you have writte n.Mountain climb ing is beco ming popular sport, but it is also a (36) _____ dan gerous one. People can fall; they may also become ill. One of the most com mon dan gers to climbers is altitude sick ness, which can affect eve n very (37) _ climbers.Altitude sick ness usually begi ns whe n a climber goes above 8 000 or 9 000 feet. The higher one climbs, the less oxyge n there is in the air. Whe n people don't get eno ugh oxyge n, they ofte n beg in to (38) _____ for air. They may also feel (39) ______ and light-headed. Besides these symptoms of altitude sick ness, others such as headache and (40) ______ may also occur. At heights of over 18000 feet, people may be climbi ng in a (41) ______ d az(恍惚).This state of mi nd can have an (42) _______ effect on their judgme nt.A few (43)_______ can help most climbers avoid altitude sickness. The first is not to go too high too fast. If you climb to 10 000 feet, stay at that height for a day or two. (44) _______ .Or if you do climb higher sooner, come back dow n to a lower height whe n you sleep. Also, drink ple nty of liquids and avoid tobacco and alcohol. (45) _______ . You breathe less whe n you sleep, so you get less oxyge n.The most important warning is this: if you have severe symptoms and they don't go away, go down!(46) _______ .in 【听力】Sectio n A11.M: I ' d like to go camping with you this weekend, but I don ' t have a sleeping bag.W: No problem. You can count on me to get one for you. My family has tons of camp ing gear. Q: What does the woma n mean?答案：She can lend the man a sleeping bag.【解析】这是一道较为简单的推理题，前提是考生需知道 camping gear 表示野餐用具，露营装备”由此可知，camping gear 包括sleeping bag 即女士能借给男士一个睡袋，此题的 设置稍微绕了个小弯，为考生解题设置了一定难度。

2012年12月大学英语考试真题（听力部分）Section A11. A) The serious accident may leave Anna paralyzed.B) The man happened to see Anna fall on her back.C) The injury will confine Anna to bed for quite a while.D) The doctor’s therapy has been very successf ul.12. A) The man could watch the ballet with her.B) She happened to have bought two tickets.C) She can get a ballet ticket for the man.D) Her schedule conflicts with her sister’s.13. A) He will send someone right away.B) He has to do other repairs first.C) The woman can call later that day.D) The woman can try to fix it herself.14. A) Take up collection next week.B) Give his contribution some time later.C) Buy an expensive gift for Gemma.D) Borrow some money from the woman.15. A) Decline the invitation as early as possible.B) Ask Tony to convey thanks to his mother.C) Tell Tony’s mother that she eats no meat.D) Add more fruits and vegetables to her diet.16. A) The increasing crime rate. B) The impact of mass media.C) The circulation of newspapers. D) The coverage of newspapers.17. A) Limit the number of participants in the conference.B) Check the number of people who have registered.C) Provide people with advice on career development.D) Move the conference to a more spacious place.18. A) The apartment is still available.B) The apartment is close to the campus.C) The advertisement is outdated.D) On-campus housing is hard to secure.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the conversation you have just heard.19. A) To test how responsive dolphins are to various signals.B) To find out if the female dolphin is cleverer than the male one.C) To see if dolphins can learn to communicate with each other.D) To examine how long it takes dolphins to acquire a skill.20. A) Produce the appropriate sound.B) Press the right-hand lever first.C) Raise their heads above the water.D) Swim straight into the same tank.21. A) Only one dolphin was able to see the light.B) The male dolphin received more rewards.C) Both dolphins were put in the same tank.D) The lever was beyond the dolphins’ reach.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.22. A) In a botanical garden. B) In a lecture room.C) In a resort town. D) On a cattle farm.23. A) It is an ideal place for people to retire to.B) It is at the centre of the fashion industry.C) It remains very attractive with its mineral waters.D) It has kept many traditions from Victorian times.24. A) It was named after a land owner in the old days.B) It is located in the eastern part of Harrogate.C) It is protected as parkland by a special law.D) It will be used as a centre for athletic training.25. A) The beautiful flowers. B) The refreshing air.C) The mineral waters. D) The vast grassland. Section BPassage OneQuestions 26 to 29 are based on the passage you have just heard.26. A) He specializes for University students.B) He start specialized sinse University.C) He specialized in interpersonal relationship.D) He specializes in interpersonal relationship.27. A) Students who scored low standardized tests.B) Black freshmen with high standardized test scores.C) Students who are accustomed to living in dorms.D) Black students from families with low incomes.28. A) They at the college dorms at the end of the semester.B) They were of the university’s housing policy.C) They generally spend more time together that white pairs.D) They broke up more often than same-race roommates.29. A) Their racial attitudes improved.B) Their test scores rose gradually.C) They grew bored of each other.D) They started doing similar activities.Passage TwoQuestions 30 to 32 are based on the passage you have just heard.30. A) It will become popular gradually.B) It will change the concept of food.C) It has attracted worldwide attention.D) It can help solve global flood crises.31. A) It has been increased over the years.B) It has been drastically cut by NASA.C) It is still far from being sufficient.D) It comes regularly from its donors.32. A) They are less healthy than we expected.B) They are not as expensive as believe.C) They are more nutritious and delicious.D) They are not as natural as we believed.Passage ThreeQuestions 33 to 35 are based on the passage you h33. A) He has better memories of childhood.B) He was accused of family violence.C) He is a habitual criminal.D) He was wrongly imprisoned.34. A) The jury’s prejudice against his race.B) The evidence found at the crime scene.C) The two victims’ identification.D) The testimony of his two friends.35. A) The US judicial system has much room for improvement.B) Frightened victims can rarely make correct identification.C) Eyewitnesses are often misled by the layer’s questions.D) Many factors influence the accuracy of witness testimony. Section BAbout 700,000 children in Mexico dropped out of school last year as recession-stricken families pushed kids to work, and a weak economic recovery will allow only a (36)_________improvement in the drop-out rate in 2010, a top education (37) _________said.Mexico’s economy suffered more than any other in Latin America last year, (38) _________an estimated 7 percent due to a (39) _________in U.S. demand for Mexican exports such as cars.The (40) _________led to a 4 percent increase in the number of kids who left (41) _________or middle school in 2009, said Juan de Dios Castro, who (42) _________the nation’s adult education program and keeps a close watch on drop-out rates.“(43) _________rose and that is a factor that makes our job more dif ficult.” Castro told Reuters in an interview earlier this month. (44)_____________________________________________________ ______________________________________________.As a result, drop-out rates will not improve much, Castro said. “There will be some imp rovement, but not significant,” Castro said.(45)_____________________________________________________ ______________________________________________. And children often sell candy and crafts in the streets or word in restaurants.(46)_____________________________________________________ ______________________________________________. Mexico’s politicians have resisted mending the country’s tax, energy and labor laws for decades, leaving its economy behind countries such as Brazil and Chile.。

英语六级十二月考试真题第一套听力原文The following is the original text for the listening section of the first set of the December English 6th Grade exam:Section ADirections:In this section, you will hear ten short conversations. At the end of each conversation, a question will be asked about what was said. The conversations and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a conversation and the question about it, read the four possible answers on your paper and decide which one is the best answer to the question you have heard.1. M: I am sorry to have kept you waiting so long. I didn’t expect the traffic to be so heavy.W: That’s all right. I’ve only been waiting for about ten minutes.Q: What does the woman imply?2. W: Can you tell me where I can find the Smiths?M: Sorry, I don’t know the Smiths yet. I am new to the neighborhood.Q: What does the man mean?3. M: This cake tastes good. Did you make it yourself?W: No, I didn't have time. I bought it at the bakery.Q: What do we learn from the conversation?4. W: Why don’t you speak up in class? Your English is good.M: I am afraid of making mistakes when speaking in public.Q: What does the man mean?5. M: Do you think we’ll be able to finish the report by Friday?W: We should be able to if we work overtime tomorrow.Q: What does the woman imply?6. W: How did the man perform in the meeting?M: He made a presentation on the sales figures and did a good job.Q: What do we learn about the man’s performance?7. W: What are your plans for the weekend?M: I haven’t decided yet. I may go hiking or just relax at home.Q: What does the man imply?8. M: I have to leave for a meeting in 10 minutes. Can you help me with the report before I go?W: Sure, I’ll have it ready for you before you leave.Q: What will the woman do?9. W: How much did you pay for that new jacket? It’s really nice.M: I got it on sale for half price.Q: What does the man imply?10. M: Have you considered changing your major from history to economics?W: I have, but I don’t think I am interested in economics as much as I am in history.Q: What does the woman mean?Section BDirections: In this section, you will hear three 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, read the four possible answers on yourpaper and decide which one would be the best answer to the question you have heard.Passage OneMost people suffering from depression experience a variety of symptoms, including persistent sadness, feelings of hopelessness, difficulty sleeping, overeating and fatigue. The good news is that, in many cases, depression can be effectively treated with medication and counseling.Questions:11. What will the speaker probably touch upon next?A. More symptoms of depression.B. Advantages of treatment.C. Possible causes of depression.D. Different types of counseling.12. Who may decide to the treatment of depression?A. Medical professionals.B. Depressed individuals.C. Doctors’ relatives.D. General public.Passage TwoWhen interacting with others, it’s important to be aware of cultural differences in communication styles. Americans, for example, often value directness and honesty in conversation. However, in some Asian cultures, it is considered more respectful to use indirect language and show deference to others.Questions:13. What will the speaker talk about next?A. Different cultural perspectives.B. Effective ways of communication.C. Common stereotypes of Asians.D. Challenges of cross-cultural communication.14. What does the speaker suggest?A. Being open about one’s feelings.B. Adjusting communication style according to culture.C. Avoiding direct communication.D. Respecting cultural differences.Passage ThreeMany animals exhibit remarkable behaviors that scientists are just beginning to understand. For example, some species are able to communicate with each other using complex vocalizations, while others show signs of altruism towards members of their own species.Questions:15. What will the speaker most likely discuss next?A. Altruistic behavior in animals.B. Communication skills in animals.C. Evolution of animal behaviors.D. Scientists’ discoveries in animal behavior.16. What does the speaker say about animal communication?A. It is limited to simple sounds.B. It varies among different species.C. It is similar to human communication.D. It is difficult to study.This is the original text for the listening section of the first set of the December English 6th Grade exam. Make sure to check your answers and practice your listening skills for the upcoming test. Good luck!。

xx年12月英语六级真题一听力原文六级考试一年两考，一次在6月一次在12月。

为了帮助大家备考xx年的大学考试，了xx年12月大学英语六级听力真题，希望能帮到大家!Conversation 1气候变化和全球经济开展W: Professor Henderson could you give us a brief overview of what you do, where you work and your main area of research?M: Well the Center for Climate Research where I work links the science of climate change to issues around economics and policy.Some of our research is to do with the likely impacts of climate change and all of the associated risks.W: And how strong is the evidence that climate changeis happening that it's really something we need to be worried about.M: Well most of the science of climate change particularly that to do with global warming is simply fact.But other aspects of the science are less certain or at least more disputed.And so we're really talking about risk what the economics tells us is that it's probably cheaper to avoid climate change to avoid the risk than it has to deal with the likely consequences.W: So what are we doing? What can we do about it?M: Well I would argue that we need to develop the science specifically to understand the likely impacts of climate change in different contexts.As I said we need to understand the best ways of avoiding climate change and this will involve a huge transition to low carbon energy systems and the transition is a tremendous priority.And for this to happen, we may need action on a global scale from a political perspective.We need to understand the terms on which major countries like China and the USA might sign up to a global agreement because at the moment we don't have that consensus.W: Right.M: And we also need to plan ahead so that we're in a position to deal with the likely levels of climate change which are already inevitable and even more so to for the levels that are likely if we don't get those global agreements.Q1. What does Professor H say about his main area of research?A It tries to predict the possible trends of global climate change.B It studies the impact of global climate change on people’s lives.C It links the science of climate change to economic and policy issues.D It focuses on the efforts countries can make to deal with global warning.答案 CQ2. What does Professor H say about climate change?A It will take a long time before a consensus is reached on its impact.B It would be more costly to deal with its consequences than to avoid it.C It is the most pressing issue confronting all countries.D It is bound to cause endless disputes among nations.答案 BQ3. What does Professor H say is a top priority in bating climate change?A The transition to low-carbon energy systems.B The cooperation among world major powers.C The signing of a global agreement.D The raising of people’s awareness.答案 AQ4. What does Professor H advise us to do to better deal with climate change?A Carry out more research on it.B Cut down energy consumption.C Plan well in advance.D Adopt new technology.答案 CConversation 2(成功的要素)W: I have many business English students. When I teach the classroom, we often end up talking about things like suess and what leads to suess. And it's interesting that many of them mention the element of luck.M: Right.W: Luck is important to suess. But since you've seenthat fantastic video on the TED Talks website by Richard St. John, he doesn't mention luck at all.M: Well, I'm a firm believer that people can make their own luck. I mean what people regard as luck, you canactually create, to a degree.W: Sure. I think a lot of what people consider luck is attributed to how you respond to the opportunities that e your way.M: Yes. Very good point.W: Seizing the opportunities. But was there any pointin the video that you thought was particularly interesting?M: Yes. Actually there was. Something very impressive to me as many people think that luck is important and that natural talent is something you must have in order to be suessful. And in the video we saw, the point about getting good at something is not about having some natural talent. It's all about practice, practice, practice.W: Definitely yeah. Natural talent helps in some way but at the end of the day you really do need to work hard and get really really good at what you do.M: Sure.W: I thought one interesting thing in the video was the idea of passion being so important and that people who really love what they do. Of course you're going to want to work harder and put the time and effort into it. And the funny thing is that if you love what you do and are really passionate about it and work really hard, the money kind of es automatically.Q5. What are the speakers mainly talking about?Q6. What is the woman’s view of luck?Q7. What is the chief point the TED Talks video makes?Q8. What does the woman think is the funny thing in the TED Talks video?Passage 1(美国恶魔塔的形成原因以及关于它的印第安传说)Devil’s Tower, the first national monument in America, could almost be mistaken for the stump of an enormous tree. Its sheer rock sides sweep up from a broad base until they cut off abruptly at the flat summit. Rising more than 1,000 feet in the middle of the gently rolling plains of Wyoming, the massive column of rock, looks as though it was dropped down into this location from a different time and place.In a sense, it was, Devil’s Tower is a relic of the past. When the molten rock of the earth’s core forced its way to the surface to form the throat of a volcano, as the centuries passed, the rock cooled and hardened, shrinking and cracking into long columns, born in fire and fury. Devil’s Tower was then shaped by the slow, gentle work of wind and water. The outer layers of the volcano were worn away until the hard core stood pletely exposed.It is small wonder that an Indian legend described Devil’s Tower as being formed by supernatural powers. The legend says that when seven girls were attacked by bears, they took refuge on top of a small rock, and they appealed to the Rock God for help. The God caused the rock to grow and to lift the girls far above the ground, while it sides were scored by the claws of the angry bears. Even today, says the legend, the girls can be seen above the towering rock. As seven shining stars in the night sky.9. What does the Devil’s Tower look like?10. What cause the volcano’s outer layers to wear away?11. What does the Indian legend say about the Devil’s Tower?12. How did the Rock God help the seven girl in the Indian legend?Passage 2(如何科学理财)It’s no aident that most gas stations have convenience stores attached. Few of us can fill up the tank without buying a few snacks, cigarettes，soft drinks or other items we can live without. I deserve it. That’s what hardworking men and women say to justify their lavish vacations, big stereo systems or regular restaurant meals. They do deserve such indulgences. However, they also deserve a home of their own--a secure retirement and freedom from worrying about unpaid bills. No one should have to live with what a Texas mother described as constant stress，tension, evenfear about money. Sadly the pleasure that es from extravagances often disappears long before the bills do.The video camera that one single mother bought for aspecial oasion, fo r example, is not much fun now. She’s figured out that it will take her another three years topay it off at $30 a month. And the New Yorkers who spent a bundle on an outdoor hot tub now admit they rarely use it, because we can't afford to heat it in winter. The solutionset priorities add up the annual cost of each item. Then consider what else you can buy with the same money. Thatwill help you decide which items are really worth it. One Chicago woman, for example, discovered that daily lunches with coworkers cost her $2000 a year; she decided to take lunch to work instead. “I now put $20 a week into my vacation fund and another 20 into retirement savings, she says, those mean more to me than lunch”.Q13. What does the speaker say about drivers who stopat gas stations?Q14. What does the speaker say about extravagances?Q15. What does a speaker want to show by the example of the Chicago woman?Recording1(积极情绪和情绪以及其利弊)Let’s say youstart to brainstorm a list of all the emotions you’ve everexperienced. Just for fun. Try it now. What’s on your list? Chancesare you included things like happy, sad, excited, angry, afraid,grateful, proud, scared, confused, stressed, relaxedand amazed.Now sort your list into two categories: positive emotions andnegative emotions. Feeling both positive and negative emotions is anatural part of being human. We might use the word “negative” todescribe more difficult emotions, but it doesn't mean thoseemotions are bad or we shouldn't have them. Still, most peoplewould probably rather feel a positive emotion than a negative one.It's likely you'd prefer to feel happy instead of sad or confidentinstead of insecure. What matters is how our emotions are balanced,how much of each type of emotion, positive or negative weexperience. Negative emotions warn us of threats or challenges thatwe may need to deal with. For example, fear can alert us topossible danger. It's a signal that we might need to protectourselves. Angry feelings warn us that someone is stepping on ourtoes, crossing a boundary or violating our trust. Anger can be asignal that we might need to act on our own behalf. Negativeemotions focus our awareness. They help us to zero in on a problemso we can deal with it. But too many negative emotions can make usfeel overwhelmed, anxious, exhausted or stressed out. When negativeemotions are out of balance, problems might seem too big to handle.The more we dwell on negative emotions, the more negative we beginto feel. Focusing on negativity just keeps it going. Positive。

2012年12月大学英语六级(CET-6)真题试卷Part I Writing(30 minutes)Direction: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay entitled Man and Computer by commenting on the saying, “The real danger is not that the computer will begin to think like man, but that man will begin to think like the computer.” You should write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words.Man and ComputerPart II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning)(15 minutes)Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer Sheet 1. For questions 1-7, choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). For questions 8-10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.Thirst grows for living unpluggedMore people are taking breaks from the connected life amid the stillness and quiet of retreats like the Jesuit Center in Wernersville, Pennsylvania.About a year ago, I flew to Singapore to join the writer Malcolm Gladwell, the fashion designer Marc Ecko and the graphic designer Stefan Sagmeister in addressing a group of advertising people on “Marketing to the Child of Tomorrow.” Soon after I arrived, the chief executive of the agency that had invited us took me aside. What he was most interested in, he began, was stillness and quiet.A few months later, I read an interview with the well-known cutting-edge designer Philippe Starck.What allowed him to remain so consistently ahead of the curve? “I never read any magazines or watch TV,” he said, perhaps with a little exaggeration. “Nor do I go to cocktail parties, dinners or anything like that.” He lived outside conventional ideas, he implied, because “I live alone mostly, in the middle of nowhere.”Around the same time, I noticed that those who part with $2,285 a night to stay in a cliff-top room at the Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur, California, pay partly for the privilege of not having a TV in their rooms; the future of travel, I’m reliably told, lies in “black-hole resorts,” which charge high prices precisely because you can’t get online in their rooms.Has it really come to this?The more ways we have to connect, the more many of us seem desperate to unplug. Internet rescue camps in South Korea and Chinatry to save kids addicted to the screen.Writer friends of mine pay good money to get the Freedom software that enables them to disable the very Internet connections that seemed so emancipating not long ago. Even Intel experimented in 2007 with conferring four uninterrupted hours of quiet time (no phone or e-mail) every Tuesday morning on 300 engineers and managers. Workers were not allowed to use the phone or send e-mail, but simply had the chance to clear their heads and to hear themselves think.The average American spends at least eight and a half hours a day in front of a screen, Nicholas Carr notes in his book The Shallows. The average American teenager sends or receives 75 text messages a day, though one girl managed to handle an average of 10,000 every 24 hours for a month.Since luxury is a function of scarcity, the children of tomorrow will long for nothing more than intervals of freedom from all the blinking machines, streaming videos and scrolling headlines that leave them feeling empty and too full all at once.The urgency of slowing down—to find the time and space to think —is nothing new, of course, and wiser souls have always reminded us that the more attention we pay to the moment, the less time and energy we have to place it in some larger context. “Distraction is the only thing that consoles us for our miseries,” the Frenchphilosopher Blaise Pascal wrote in the 17th century, “and yet it is itself the greatest of our miseries.” He also famously remarked that all of man’s problems come from his inability to sit quietly in a room alone.When telegraphs and trains brought in the idea that convenience was more important than content, Henry David Thoreau reminded us that “the man whose horse trots (奔跑), a mile in a minute does not carry the most important messages.”Marshall McLuhan, who came closer than most to seeing what was coming, warned, “When things come at you very fast, naturally you lose touch with yourself.”We have more and more ways to communicate, but less and less to say. Partly because we are so busy communicating. And we are rushing to meet so many deadlines that we hardly register that what we need most are lifelines.So what to do? More and more people I know seem to be turning to yoga, or meditation (沉思), or tai chi (太极)；these aren’t New Age fads (时尚的事物) so much as ways to connect with what could be called the wisdom of old age. Two friends of mine observe an “Internet sabbath (安息日)” every week, turning off their online connections from Friday night to Monday morning. Other friends take walks and “forget” their cellphones at home.A series of tests in recent years has shown, Mr. Carr points out, that after spending time in quiet rural settings, subjects “exhibit greater attentiveness, stronger memory and generally improved cognition. Their brains become both calmer and sharper.”More than that, empathy (同感，共鸣)，as well as deep thought, depends (as neuroscientists like Antonio Damasio have found) on neural processes that are “inherently slow.”I turn to eccentric measures to try to keep my mind sober and ensure that I have time to do nothing at all (which is the only time when I can see what I should be doing the rest of the time).I have yet to use a cellphone and I have never Tweeted or entered Facebook. I try not to go online till my day’s writing is finished, and I moved from Manhattan to rural Japan in part so I could more easily survive for long stretches entirely on foot.None of this is a matter of asceticism (苦行主义)；it is just pure selfishness. Nothing makes me feel better than being in one place, absorbed in a book, a conversation, or music. It is actually something deeper than mere happiness: it is joy, which the monk (僧侣) David Steindl-Rast describes as “that kind of happiness that doesn’t depend on what happens.”It is vital, of course, to stay in touch with the world. But it is only by having some distance from the world that you can seeit whole, and understand what you should be doing with it.For more than 20 years, therefore, I have been going several times a year—often for no longer than three days—to a Benedictine hermitage (修道院)，40 minutes down the road, as it happens, from the Post Ranch Inn. I don’t attend services when I am there, and I have never meditated, there or anywhere; I just take walks and read and lose myself in the stillness, recalling that it is only by stepping briefly away from my wife and bosses and friends that I will have anything useful to bring to them. The last timeI was in the hermitage, three months ago, I happened to meet witha youngish-looking man with a 3-year-old boy around his shoulders.“You’re Pico, aren’t you?” the man said, and introduced himself as Larry; we had met, I gathered, 19 years before, when he had been living in the hermitage as an assistant to one of the monks.“What are you doing now?” I asked.We smiled. No words were necessary.“I try to bring my kids here as often as I can,” he went on. The child of tomorrow, I realized, may actually be ahead of us, in terms of sensing not what is new, but what is essential.1. What is special about the Post Ranch Inn?A) Its rooms are well furnished but dimly lit.B) It makes guests feel like falling into a black hole.C) There is no access to television in its rooms.D) It provides all the luxuries its guests can think of.2. What does the author say the children of tomorrow will need most?A) Convenience and comfort in everyday life.B) Time away from all electronic gadgets.C) More activities to fill in their leisure time.D) Greater chances for individual development.3. What does the French philosopher Blaise Pascal say about distraction?A) It leads us to lots of mistakes.B) It renders us unable to concentrate.C) It helps release our excess energy.D) It is our greatest misery in life.4. According to Marshall McLuhan, what will happen if things come at us very fast?A) We will not know what to do with our own lives.B) We will be busy receiving and sending messages.C) We will find it difficult to meet our deadlines.D) We will not notice what is going on around us.5. What does the author say about yoga, meditation and tai chi?A) They help people understand ancient wisdom.B) They contribute to physical and mental health.C) They are ways to communicate with nature.D) They keep people from various distractions.6. What is neuroscientist Antonio Damasio’s finding?A) Quiet rural settings contribute a lot to long life.B) One’s brain becomes sharp when it is activated.C) Eccentric measures are needed to keep one’s mind sober.D) When people think deeply, their neural processes are slow.7. The author moved from Manhattan to rural Japan partly because he could _______.A) stay away from the noise of the big city.B) live without modern transportation.C) enjoy the beautiful view of the countryside.D) practice asceticism in a local hermitage8. In order to see the world whole, the author thinks it necessary to __________.9. The author takes walks and reads and loses himself in the stillness of the hermitage so that he can bring his wife and bosses and friends ___________.10. The youngish-looking man takes his little boy to the hermitage frequently so that when he grows up he will know __________.Part III Listening Comprehension （35 minutes）Section ADirections: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A）, B）, C）and D）, and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.11. A) She can count on the man for help. C) She can lend the man a sleeping bag.B) She has other plans for this weekend. D) She has got camping gear for rent.12. A) The man should keep his words. C) Karen always supports her at work.B) She regrets asking the man for help. D) Karen can take her to the airport13. A) He can't afford to go traveling yet. C) He usually checkshis brakes before a tripB) His trip to Hawaii was not enjoyable. D) His trip to Hawaii has used up all his money.14. A) There was nothing left except some pie. C) The woman is going to prepare the dinner.B) The man has to find something else to eat. D) Julie has been invited for dinner.15. A) Submit no more than three letters. C) Apply to three graduate schools.B) Present a new letter of reference. D) Send Professor Smitha letter.16. A) He declines to join the gardening club.B) He is a professional gardener in town.C) He prefers to keep his gardening skills to himself.D) He wishes to receive formal training in gardening.17. A) Sculpture is not a typical form of modern art.B) Modern art cannot express people's true feelings.C) The recent sculpture exhibit was not well organized.D) Many people do not appreciate modern art.18.A) Bob does not have much chance to win. C) Bob cannot count on her vote.B) She will vote for another candidate. D) She knows the rightperson for the positionQuestions 19 to 22 are based on the conversation you have just heard.19. A) Poor management of the hospital. C) Decisions made by the head technician.B) The health hazard at her work place. D) The outdated medical testing procedures.20. A) Transfer her to another department. C) Cut down her workload.B) Repair the X-ray equipment. D) Allow her to go on leave for two months.21 .A) They are virtually impossible to enforce. C) Both of them have been subject to criticism.B) Neither is applicable to the woman's case. D) Their requirements may be difficult to meet.22. A) Organize a mass strike. C) Try to help her get it back.B) Compensate for her loss. D) Find her a better paying job.Questions 23 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.23. A) In giving concessions. C) In stating your terms.B) In the concluding part. D) In the preparatory phase.24. A) He behaves in a way contrary to his real intention.B) He presents his arguments in a straightforward way.C) He responds readily to the other party's proposals.D) He uses lots of gestures to help make his points clear.25. A) Both may fail when confronting experienced rivals.B) The honest type is more effective than the actor type.C) Both can succeed depending on the specific situation.D) The actor type works better in tough negotiations.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 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 26 to 29 are based on the passage you have just heard.26. A) The shape of the cubes used. C) The number of times of repeating the process.B) The size of the objects shown. D) The weight of the boxes moving across the stage.27. A) Boys enjoy playing with cubes more than girls.B) Girls tend to get excited more easily than boys.C) Girls seem to start reasoning earlier than boys.D) Boys pay more attention to moving objects than girls.28. A) It is a breakthrough in the study of the nerve system.B) It may stimulate scientists to make further studies.C) Its result helps understand babies' language ability.D) Its findings are quite contrary to previous research.29. A) The two sides of their brain develop simultaneously. C) Their bones mature earlier.B) They are better able to adapt to the surroundings. D) They talk at an earlier age.Passage TwoQuestions 30 to 32 are based on the passage you have just heard.30. A) The new security plan for the municipal building.B) The blueprint for the development of the city.C) The controversy over the new office regulations.D) The city's general budget for the coming year.31 .A) Whether the security checks were really necessary.B) How to cope with the huge crowds of visitors to the municipal buildingC) Whether the security checks would create long queues at peak hours.D) How to train the newly recruited security guards.32. A) Irrelevant. B) Straightforward. C) Ridiculous. D) Confrontational.Passage ThreeQuestions 33 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.33. A) He used to work as a miner in Nevada. C) He considers himself a blessed man.B) He works hard to support his five kids. D) He once taught at a local high school34 .A) To be nearer to Zac's school. C) To cut their living expenses.B) To look after her grandchildren.D) To help with the household chores.35. A) Skeptical. B) Optimistic. C) Indifferent. D) Realistic.Section CDirections: In this section, you will hear a passage three times. When the passage is read for the first time, you should listen carefully for its general idea. When the passage is read for the second time, you are required to fill in the blanks numbered from 36 to 43 with the exact words you have just heard. For blanks numbered from 44 to 46 you are required to fill in the missing information. For these blanks, you can either use the exact words you have just heard or write down the main points in your own words. Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should check what you have written.Mountain climbing is becoming popular sport, but it is also a (36) _______dangerous one. People can fall; they may also become ill. One of the most common dangers to climbers is altitude sickness, which can affect even very (37) _______climbers.Altitude sickness usually begins when a climber goes above 8 000 or 9 000 feet. The higher one climbs, the less oxygen there is in the air. When people don't get enough oxygen, they often begin to (38) _______for air. They may also feel (39) _______andlight-headed. Besides these symptoms of altitude sickness, others such as headache and (40) _______may also occur. At heights of over 18000 feet, people may be climbing in a (41) _______daze（恍惚）. This state of mind can have an (42) _______ effect on their judgment.A few (43) _______ can help most climbers avoid altitude sickness. The first is not to go too high too fast. If you climb to 10 000 feet, stay at that height for a day or two. (44) _______.Or if you do climb higher sooner, come back down to a lower height when you sleep. Also, drink plenty of liquids and avoid tobacco and alcohol. (45) _______. You breathe less when you sleep, so you get less oxygen.The most important warning is this: if you have severe symptoms and they don't go away, go down! (46) _______.Part ⅣReading Comprehension （Reading in Depth）（25 minutes）Section ADirections: In this section, there is a short passage with 5 questions or incomplete statements. Read the passage carefully. Then answer the questions or complete the statements in the fewest possible words. Please write your answers on Answer Sheet 2.Questions 47 to 54 are based on the following passage.A key process in interpersonal interaction is that of social comparison, in that we evaluate ourselves in terms of how we compare to others. In particular, we engage in two types of comparison. First, we decide whether we are superior or inferior to others on certain dimensions, such as attractiveness, intelligence, popularity, etc. Here, the important aspect is to compare with an appropriate reference group. For example, modest joggers should not compare their performance with Olympic standard marathon (马拉松) runners. Second, we judge the extent to which we are the same as or different from others. At certain stages of life, especially adolescence, the pressure to be seen as similar to peers is immense. Thus, wearing the right brand of clothes or shoes may be of the utmost importance. We also need to know whether our thoughts, beliefs and ideas are in line with those of other people. This is part of the process of self-validation whereby we employ self-disclosures to seek support for our self-concept.People who do not have access to a good listener may not only be denied the opportunity to heighten their self-awareness, but they are also denied valuable feedback as to the validity and acceptability of their inner thoughts and feelings. By discussing these with others, we receive feedback as to whether these are experiences which others have as well, or whether they are lesscommon. Furthermore, by gauging the reactions to our self-disclosures we learn what types are acceptable or unacceptable with particular people and in specific situations. On occasions it is the fear that certain disclosures may be unacceptable to family or friends that motivates an individual to seek professional help. Counsellors will be familiar with client statements such as: “I just couldn’t talk about this to my husband.”, “I really can’t let my mother know my true feelings.” Another aspect of social comparison in the counselling context relates to a technique known as normalising. This is the process whereby helpers provide reassurance to clients that what they are experiencing is not abnormal or atypical (非典型的), but is a normal reaction shared by others when facing such circumstances. Patient disclosure, facilitated by the therapist, seems also to facilitate the process of normalising.47. To evaluate ourselves, the author thinks it important for us to compare ourselves with _______.48. During adolescence, people generally feel an immense pressure to appear _______.49. It is often difficult for people to heighten their self-awareness without _______.50. What can people do if they find what they think or say unacceptable to family or friends?51. Counsellors often assure their clients that what they experience themselves is only _______.Section BDirections: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A）, B）, C）and D）. You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 52 to 56 are based on the following passage.Amid all the job losses, there’s one category of worker that the economic disruption has been good for: nonhumans.From self-service checkout lines at the supermarket to industrial robots armed with saws and taught to carve up animal bodies in slaughter-houses, these ever-more-intelligent machines are now not just assisting workers but actually kicking them out of their jobs.Automation isn’t just affecting factory workers, either. Somelaw firms now use artificial intelligence software to scan and read mountains of legal documents, work that previously was performed by highly-paid human lawyers.“Robots continue to have an impact on blue-collar jobs, and white-collar jobs are under attack by microprocessors,” says economics professor Edward Leamer. The recession permanently wiped out 2.5 million jobs. U.S. gross domestic product has climbed back to pre-recession levels, meaning we’re producing as much as before, only with 6% fewer workers. To be sure, robotics are not the only job killers out there, with outsourcing (外包) stealing far more jobs than automation.Jeff Burnstein, president of the Robotics Industry Association, argues that robots actually save U.S. jobs. His logic: companies that embrace automation might use fewer workers, but that’s still better than firing everyone and moving the work overseas.It’s not that robots are cheaper than humans, though often they are. It’s that they’re better. “In some cases the quality requirements are so exacting that even if you wanted to have a human do the job, you couldn’t,” Burnstein says.Same goes for surgeons, who’re using robotic systems to perform an ever-growing list of operations—not because the machines savemoney but because, thanks to the greater precision of robots, the patients recover in less time and have fewer complications, says Dr. Myriam Curet.Surgeons may survive the robot invasion, but others at the hospital might not be so lucky, as iRobot, maker of the Roomba, a robot vacuum cleaner, has been showing off Ava, which could be used as a messenger in a hospital. And once you’re home, recovering, Ava could let you talk to your doctor, so there’s no need to send someone to your house. That “mobile telepresence” could be useful at the office. If you’re away on a trip, you can still attend a meeting. Just connect via videoconferencing software, so your face appears on Ava’s screen.Is any job safe? I was hoping to say “journalist,”but researchers are already developing software that can gather facts and write a news story. Which means that a few years from now, a robot could be writing this column. And who will read it? Well, there might be a lot of us hanging around with lots of free time on our hands.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。

2012.12第一套College English Test (Band 6)Part ⅢListening Comprehension Section ADirections: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said.Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once.After each question there will be a pause. During the pause,you must read the four choices marked A), B), C) and D),and decide which is the best answer.Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2with a single line through the centre.Now let’s begin with the 8 short conversations.11. M: I’d like to go camping with you this weekend,but I don’t have a sleeping bag.W: No problem. You can count on me to get one for you.My family has tons of camping gear.Q: What does the woman mean?12. M: I know I promise to drive you to the airport next Thursday,but I’m afraid something has come up.They’ve called a special meeting at work.W: No big deal. Karen said she was available as a back-up.Q: What does the woman mean?13. W: Have you saved enough money for a trip to Hawaii?M: Not even close.My uncle must put the brakes on my traveling plans.Q: What does the man mean?14. M: I’m starving. Do we still have any pie left from dinner yesterday? W: Oh, Julia invited her friends over in the afternoon and they ate it all. Q: What do we learn from the conversation?15. W: Three letters of recommendationare required to apply to graduate schools.I was wondering if the oneProf. Smith wrote for me last year could still be used.M: It’s a bit dated. You’d better submit a recent one.Q: What does the man suggest the woman do?16. W: I’ve noticed that you spend a lot of time tending your garden. Would you like to join our gardening club?We meet every other Wednesday.M: Oh, thanks for the invitation, but this is how I relax.I’d rather not make it something formal and structured.Q: What can we infer about the man?17. M: I heard the recent sculpture exhibit was kind of disappointing. W: That’s right. I guess a lot of other peoplefeel the way I do about modern art.Q: What does the woman mean?18. M: Bob is running for chairman of the student union.Would you vote for him?W: Oh, I can’t decide right now because I have tofind out more about the other candidates.Q: What does the woman mean?Now you’ll hear the two long conversations.Conversation OneW: I don’t know what to do.I can’t seem to get anyone in the hospitalto listen to my complaintsand this outdated equipment is dangerous.Just look at it.M: Hmm, uh, are you trying to saythat it presents a health hazard?W: Yes, I am.The head technician in the lab tried to persuadethe hospital administration to replace it,but they are trying to cut costs.M: You are pregnant, aren’t you?W: Yes, I am.I made an effort to get my supervisorto transfer me to another department,but he urged me not to complain too loudly, because the administration is more likelyto replace me than the X-ray equipment.I’m afraid to refuse to work, but I’m more afraidto expose my unborn child to the radiation.M: I see what you mean.Well, as your union representative,I have to warn you that it would take quite a while to force management to replace the old machines and attempt to get you transferredmay or may not be successful.W: Oh, what am I supposed to do then?M: Workers have the legal rights torefuse certain unsafe work assignmentsunder two federal laws:the Occupational Safety and Health Actand the National Labor Relations Act.But the requirements of either of the Actsmay be difficult to meet.W: Do you think I have a good case?M: If you do lose your job,the union will fight to get it back for youalong with back pay—your lost income.But you have to be prepared for a long wait,maybe up to two years.Questions 19 to 22 are based on the conversation you have just heard.19. What does the woman complain about?20. What has the woman asked her supervisor to do?21. What does the man say about the two federal laws?22. What will the union do if the woman loses her job?Conversation TwoW: Mr. Green, is it fair to say that negotiation is an art?M: Well, I think it’s both an art and science.You can prepare for a negotiation quite scientifically,but the execution of the negotiationhas quite a lot to do with one’s artistic quality.The scientific part of a negotiation isin determining your strategy.What do you want out of it?What can you give?Then of course there are tactics.How do you go about it?Do you take an opening position in a negotiationwhich differs from the eventual goal you are heading for? And then of course there are the behavioral aspects.W: What do you mean by the behavioral aspects?M: Well, that’s I think where the art comes in.In your behavior, you can either be an actor.You can pretend that you don’t like thingswhich you are actually quite pleased about.Or you can pretend to like thingswhich you are quite happy to do without.Or you can be the honest type negotiatorwho’s known to his partners in negotiationand always plays everything straight.But the artistic part of negotiation I thinkhas to do with responding immediatelyto cues one gets in the process of negotiation.These can be verbal cues or even body language.This is where the artistic quality comes in.W: So really, you see two types of negotiator then,the actor or the honest one.M: That’s right. And both can work.I would say the honest negotiatorcan be quite effective in some circumstances.In other circumstances you need an actor.Questions 23 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.23. When is a scientific approach best embodiedin a negotiation according to the man?24. In what way is a negotiator like an actoraccording to the man?25. What does the man say aboutthe two types of negotiator?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 questionswill be spoken only once. After you hear a question,you must choose the best answerfrom the four choices marked A), B), C) and D).Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2with a single line through the centre.Passage OneA scientific team is studying the thinking abilityof eleven and half months old children. The test is a simple one. The baby watches a sort of show on a small stage.In Act One of the show, a yellow cube is lifted from a blue box, and moved across the stage.Then it is returned to the box. This is repeated 6 times.Act Two is similar except that the yellow cube is smaller. Baby boys do not react at all to the differenceand the size of the cube.But girls immediately become excited.The scientists interpret the girls’excitement as meaningthey are trying to understand what they have just seen.They are wondering why Act Two is odd and how it differs from Act One. In other words, the little girls are reasoning.This experiment certainly does not definitely prove thatgirls start to reason before boys, but it provides a cluethat scientists would like to study more carefully.Already it is known that bones, musclesand nerves develop faster in baby girls.Perhaps it is early nerve developmentthat makes some infant girls show more intelligencethan infant boys. Scientists have also found thatnature seems to give another boost to girls.Baby girls usually talk at an earlier age than boys do.Scientists think that there is a physical reason for this.They believe that the nerve endings in the left side of the braindevelop faster in girls than in boys,and it is this side of the brainthat strongly influences an individual’s abilityto use language and remember things.Questions 26 to 29 are based on the passage you have just heard.26. What is the difference between Act One and Act Two in the test?27. How do the scientists interpret their observation from the experiment?28. What does the speaker say about the experiment?29. According to scientists,what is another advantage given to girls by nature?Passage TwoA super attendant of the city’s municipal building,Delia Sedona, was responsible forpresenting its new security plan to the public.City employees, citizens and reportersgathered in the hall to hear her describe the plan.After outlining the main points she would cover,she assured the audience that she would be happyto answer questions at the end of her presentation.Delia realized the plan was expensive and potentially controversial.So she was not surprised to see a number of handsgo up as soon as she finished speaking.An employee asked, “Would the new systemcreate long lines to get into the buildinglike the lines in the airport security checks?”Delia had anticipated this question and had an answer ready.After repeating the question,she explained that the sufficient number of security guardswould be working at peak hours to speed things along.The next question was more confrontational.“Where will the money come from to pay for all of this?”The journalist who asked the question seemed hostile.But Delia was careful not to adopt the defensive tone.She stated that the money would come fromthe city’s general budget. “I know these are tide times”,she added, “but everyone agrees on the importance ofsafe guarding our employees and members of the publicwho come into the building.”Near the end of the 25 minutes she has set,Delia said she would take two more questions. When those were finished,she concluded the session with a brief restatement ofhow the new system would improve securityand peace of mind in the municipal building.Questions 30 to 32 are based on the passage you have just heard.30. What is the focus of Delia Sedona’s presentation?31. What question had Delia Sedona anticipated?32. What did the speaker think of the questionfrom the journalist?Passage ThreeDespite unemployment and the lost of her home,Andrea Clark considers herself a blessed and happy woman.Why the cheerful attitude?Her troubles have brought her closer to her family.Last year, Andrea’s husband, Rick, a miner in Nevada was laid off. Though Andrea kept her job as a school bus driver,she knew that they couldn’t pay their billsand support their youngest of five children,Zac, age nine, on one income. “At first their church helped out,but you can’t keep that up forever,”Andrea says.Then Michael, the eldest of her four adult childrensuggested they move in with his family.For almost three months, seven Clarks lived under one roof. Andrea, Rick and Zac stayed in the basement department,sharing laundry and single bathroom with Michael,his wife and their two children.The change cut their expenditures in half,but the new living arrangement proved too challenging.When Andrea found a job with a school districtcloser to her mother’s home in West Jordan, Utah,the family decided to move on.Packing up again with no picnic,Zac had to switch schools for the second time and space is even tighter. Andrea says that the moves themselves are exhaustingand Rick is still looking for a job.The recession has certainly come with more problemsthan Andrea anticipated, but she remains unfailingly optimistic.She is excited to spend more time with her mother.Another plus, rents are lower in Utah than in Nevada.So Andrea thinks they’ll be able to save upand move out in less than 6 months.Questions 33 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.33. What do we learn about Andrea’s husband?34. Why did Andrea move to live in her eldest son’s home?35. What is Andrea’s attitude toward the hardshipsbrought by the economic recession?Section CDirections: In this section, you will hear a passage three times.When the passage is read for the first time,you should listen carefully for its general idea.When the passage is read for the second time,you are required to fill in the blanks numbered from 36 to 43with the exact words you have just heard. For blanks numbered from 44 to 46 you are required to fill in the missing information.For these blanks, you can either use the exact words you have just heardor write down the main points in your own words.Finally, when the passage is read for the third time,you should check what you have written.Now listen to the passage.Mountain climbing is becoming a popular sport,but it is also a potentially dangerous one.People can fall; they may also become ill.One of the most common dangers to climbers is altitude sickness,which can affect even very experienced climbers.Altitude sickness usually beginswhen a climber goes above 8,000 or 9,000 feet.The higher one climbs, the less oxygen there is in the air.When people don’t get enough oxygen,hey often begin to gasp for air. They may also feel dizzy and light-headed. Besides these symptoms of altitude sickness,others such as headache and fatigue may also occur.At heights of over 18,000 feet, people may be climbing in a constant daze (恍惚).This state of mind can have an adverse effect on their judgment.A few precautions can help most climbers avoid altitude sickness. The first is not to go too high too fast.If you climb to 10,000 feet, stay at that height for a day or two. Your body needs to get used to a high altitudebefore you climb to an even higher one.Or if you do climb higher sooner,come back down to a lower height when you sleep.Also, drink plenty of liquids and avoid tobacco and alcohol. When you reach your top height,do light activities rather than sleep too much.You breathe less when you sleep, so you get less oxygen.The most important warning is this: if you have severe symptoms and they don't go away, go down!Don’t risk injury or deathbecause of over-confidence or lack of knowledge.Now the passage will be read again.Now the passage will be read for the third time.。

2012年12月大学英语六级(CET-6)参考答案Ⅰ【作文】On Maintaining TrustTrustis crucial and indispensable in maintaining a relationship. Without trust, wecannot get along well with other people, let alone cooperate with them or gethelp from them. People are social animals. Without interacting with otherpeople, life would be dull and meaningless。

Nowadays,the whole society is faced with “credit crisis”. We become unwillingly tobelieve the governments, friends, colleagues and strangers. This poses a greatthreat to the building of a harmonious society. And sometimes, we even believedthat we might be deceived if we trust too much. But in our everyday life, if wedon’t trust other people, we could live in torment. Since trust is of greatsignificance, what should we do to improve our sense of trust? First of all, wecannot lie to those who trust us. Secondly, it’s never too late to apologize toothers for our mistakes. What’s more, we should strike a trust balance between ourselves and others。

大学英语六级真题2012年12月1149Part Ⅰ WritingDirections: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay entitled Man and Computer by commenting on the saying, "The real danger is not that the computer will begin to think like man, but that man will begin to think like the computer." You should write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words.1、Man and ComputerPart Ⅱ Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning)Rates are low, but consumers won't borrowWith heavy debt loads and high joblessness, Americans are cautious.The U.S. Federal Reserve(Fed)'s announcement last week that it intended to keep credit cheap for at least two more years was a clear invitation to Americans: Go out and borrow.But many economists say it will take more than low interest rates to persuade consumers to take on more debt. There are already signs that the recent stock market fluctuations, turbulence in Europe and the U.S. deficit have scared consumers. On Friday, preliminary data showed that the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan consumer sentiment index had fallen this month to lower than it was in November 2008, when the United State was deep in recession.Under normal circumstances, the Fed's announcement might have attracted new home and car buyers and prompted credit card holders to rack up fresh charges. But with unemployment high and those with jobs worried about keeping them, consumers are more concerned about paying off the loans they already have than adding more debt. And by showing its hand for the next two years, the Fed may have thoughtlessly invited prospective borrowers to put off large purchases.Lenders, meanwhile, are still dealing with the effects of the boom-gone-bust and are forcing prospective borrowers to go to extraordinary lengths to prove their creditworthiness."I don't think lenders are going to be interested in extending a lot of debt in this environment," said Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody's Analytics, a macroeconomic consulting firm. "Nor do I think households are going to be interested in taking on a lot of debt."In housing, consumers have already shown a slow response to low rates. Applications for new mortgages have decreased this year to a 10-year low, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Sales of furniture and furnishings remain 22% below their pre-recession peak, according to SpendingPulse, a research report by MasterCard Advisors.Credit card rates have actually gone up slightly in the past year. The one bright spot in lending is the number of auto loans, which is up from last year. But some economists say that confidence among car buyers is hitting new lows.For Xavier Walter, a former mortgage banker who with his wife, Danielle, accumulated $20,000 in Credit card debt, low rates will not change his spending habits.As the housing market topped out five years ago, he lost his six-figure income. He and his wife were able to modify the mortgage on their four-bedroom house in Medford, New Jersey, as well as negotiate lower credit card payments.Two years ago, Mr. Walter, a 34-year-old father of three, started an energy business. He has sworn off credit. "I'm not going to go back in debt ever again," he said. "If I can't pay for it in cash, I don't want it."Until now, one of the biggest restraints on consumer spending has been a debt aftereffect. Since August 2008, when household debt peaked at $12.41 trillion, it has declined by about $1.2 trillion, according to an analysis by Moody's Analytics of data from the Federal Reserve and Equifax, the credit agency. A large portion of that, though, was simply written off by lenders as borrowers defaulted on loans.By other measures, households have improved their position. The proportion of after-tax income that households spend to remain current on loan payments has fallen.Still, household debt remains high. That presents a paradox: many economists argue that the economy cannot achieve true health until debt levels decline. But credit, made attractive by low rates, is a time-tested way to increase consumer spending.With new risks of another downturn, economists worry that it will take years for debt to return to manageable levels, ff the economy contracts again, said George Magnus, senior adviser at UBS, then "you could find a lot of households in a debt trap which they probably can never get out of." Mortgage lenders, meanwhile, burned by the housing crash, are extra careful about approving new loans. In June, for instance, Fannie Mae, the largest mortgage buyer in the United States, said that borrowers whose existing debt exceeded 45 to 50% of their income would be required to have stronger "compensating" factors, which might include higher savings.Even those borrowers in strong financial positions are asked to provide unusual amounts of paperwork. Bobby and Katie Smith have an extremely good credit record, tiny student debt and a combined six-figure income. For part of their down payment, they planned to use about $5,000 they had received as wedding gifts in February.But the lender would not accept that money unless the Smiths provided a certified letter from each of 14 guests, stating that the money was a gift, rather than a loan."We laughed for a good 15 or 20 minutes," recalled Mr. Smith, 34.Mr. Smith, a program director for a radio station in Orlando, Florida, said they ended up using other savings for their down payment to buy a $300,000 four-bedroom house in April.For those not as creditworthy as the Smiths, low rates are irrelevant because they no longer qualify for mortgages. That leaves the eligible pool of loan applicants wealthier, "older and whiter," said Guy Cecala, publisher of Inside Mortgage Finance. "It's creating much more of a divide," he said, "between the haves and the have-nots."Car shoppers with the highest credit ratings can also get loans more easily, and at lower rates, said Paul C.Taylor, chief economist of the National Automobile Dealers Association.During the recession, inability to obtain credit severely cut auto buying as lenders rejected even those with good credit ratings. Now automakers are increasing their subprime(次级债的) lending again as well, but remain hesitant to approve large numbers of risky customers.The number of new auto loans was up by 16% in the second quarter compared with theprevious year, said Melinda Zabritski, director of automotive credit at Experian, the information services company.But some economists warn that consumer confidence is falling. According to CNW Marketing Research, confidence among those who intend to buy a car this year is at its lowest since it began collecting data on this measure in 2000.On credit cards, rates have actually inched higher this year, largely because of new rules that curb the issuer's ability to charge fees or raise certain interest rates at will.At the end of the second quarter, rates averaged 14.01% on new card offers, up from 13.75% a year earlier, according to Mail Monitor, which tracks credit cards for Synovate, a market research firm. According to data from the Federal Reserve, total outstanding debt on revolving credit cards was down by 4.6% during the first half of the year compared with the same period a year earlier. Even if the Fed's announcement helps keep rates steady, or pushes them down, businesses do not expect customers to suddenly charge up a storm."It's not like, 'Oh, credit is so cheap, let's go back to the heydays(鼎盛时期),'" said Elizabeth Crowell, who owns Sterling Place, two high-end home furnishing and gift stores in New York. "People still fear for their jobs. So I think where maybe after other recessions they might return to previous spending habits, the pendulum hasn't swung back the same way."1、What is the purpose of the announcement issued by the U.S. Federal Reserve last week?A) To help reduce the debt burden on consumers. B) To force the banks to lower their interest rates.C) To encourage consumers to get more bank loans. D) To prevent further fluctuations in the stock market.2、Why are people reluctant to take on more debt despite the low interest rates?A) They are afraid of losing their good credit ratings.B) They are pessimistic about employment prospects.C) They have little faith in the Fed's financial policies.D) They expect the Fed to further lower interest rates.3、What does the author say about lenders in the current credit market?A) They are becoming more cautious.B) They are eager to offer more loans.C) They advise prospective borrowers to put off large purchases.D) They are only concerned about how much they can get back.4、What does the author want to say by citing Xavier Walter's case?A) Not many Americans can afford to pay in cash these days.B) The Fed's policies exert a strong influence on borrowers.C) People now won't buy things unless they have the money.D) It is beneficial for Americans to borrow in times of recession.5、What is the economists' concern regarding the current economy?A) Consumers' unwillingness to spend. B) Banks' inability to recover debt.C) The ever-lowering interest rates. D) The unmanageable debt levels.6、What do we learn from the Smiths' story?A) It is very difficult for people to build up a good credit record.B) A certain amount of savings is needed for one to buy a house.C) The purchase of a house will plunge young couples into heavy debt.D) Mortgage lenders are now careful about borrowers' qualifications.7、According to Guy Cecala, the banks' policy on mortgage lending will result in ______.A) a wider gap between the rich and the poor B) a bigger down payment for house buyersC) a higher debt level for the less wealthy D) a greater pressure on senior buyers8、During the recession, the number of car buyers decreased because it was difficult to ______.9、Credit card interest rates have gradually increased recently because new rules do not allow the issuers to raise certain interest rates or ______.10、According to Elizabeth Crowell, the current recession, unlike previous ones, has not seen a swing back in people's ______.Part Ⅲ Listening ComprehensionSection A11、A) She can count on the man for help. B) She has other plans for this weekend.C) She can lend the man a sleeping bag. D) She has got camping gear for rent.12、A) The man should keep his words. B) She regrets asking the man for help.C) Karen always supports her at work. D) Karen can take her to the airport.13、A) He can't afford to go traveling yet. B) His trip to Hawaii was not enjoyable.C) He usually checks his brakes before a trip. D) His trip to Hawaii has used up all his money.14、A) There was nothing left except some pie. B) The man has to find something else to eat.C) The woman is going to prepare the dinner. D) Julie has been invited for dinner.15、A) Submit no more than three letters. B) Present a new letter of reference.C) Apply to three graduate schools. D) Send Professor Smith a letter.16、A) He declines to join the gardening club.B) He is a professional gardener in town.C) He prefers to keep his gardening skills to himself.D) He wishes to receive formal training in gardening.17、A) Sculpture is not a typical form of modem art.B) Modern art cannot express people's true feelings.C) The recent sculpture exhibit was not well organized.D) Many people do not appreciate modem art.18、A) Bob does not have much chance to win. B) She will vote for another candidate.C) Bob cannot count on her vote. D) She knows the right person for the position. Questions 19 to 22 are based on the conversation you have just heard.19、A) Poor management of the hospital. B) The health hazard at her work place.C) Decisions made by the head technician. D) The outdated medical testing procedures.20、A) Transfer her to another department. B) Repair the x-ray equipment.C) Cut down her workload. D) Allow her to go on leave for two months.21、A) They are virtually impossible to enforce. B) Neither is applicable to the woman's case.C) Both of them have been subject to criticism. D) Their requirements may be difficult to meet.22、A) Organize a mass strike. B) Compensate for her loss.C) Try to help her get it back. D) Find her a better paying job.Questions 23 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.23、A) In giving concessions. B) In the concluding part.C) In stating your terms. D) In the preparatory phase.24、A) He behaves in a way contrary to his real intention.B) He presents his arguments in a straightforward way.C) He responds readily to the other party's proposals.D) He uses lots of gestures to help make his points clear.25、A) Both may fail when confronting experienced rivals.B) The honest type is more effective than the actor type.C) Both can succeed depending on the specific situation.D) The actor type works better in tough negotiations.Section BPassage OneQuestions 26 to 29 are based on the passage you have just heard.26、A) The shape of the cubes used. B) The size of the objects shown.C) The number of times of repeating the process. D) The weight of the boxes moving acrossthe stage.27、A) Boys enjoy playing with cubes more than girls.B) Girls tend to get excited more easily than boys.C) Girls seem to start reasoning earlier than boys.D) Boys pay more attention to moving objects than girls.28、A) It is a breakthrough in the study of the nerve system.B) It may stimulate scientists to make further studies.C) Its result helps understand babies' language ability.D) Its findings are quite contrary to previous research.29、A) The two sides of their brain develop simultaneously.B) They are better able to adapt to the surroundings.C) Their bones mature earlier.D) They talk at an earlier age.Passage TwoQuestions 30 to 32 are based on the passage you have just heard.30、A) The new security plan for the municipal building.B) The blueprint for the development of the city.C) The controversy over the new office regulations.D) The city's general budget for the coming year.31、A) Whether the security checks were really necessary.B) How to cope with the huge crowds of visitors to the municipal building.C) Whether the security checks would create lone queues at peak hours.D) How to train the newly recruited security guards.32、A) Irrelevant. B) Straightforward. C) Ridiculous. D) Confrontational. Passage ThreeQuestions 33 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.33、A) He used to work as a miner in Nevada.B) He works hard to support his five kids.C) He considers himself a blessed man.D) He once taught at a local high school.34、A) To be nearer to Zac's school. B) To look after her grandchildren.C) To cut their living expenses. D) To help with the household chores.35、A) Skeptical. B) Optimistic. C) Indifferent. D) Realistic. Section CMountain climbing is becoming a popular sport, but it is also a (36) dangerous one. People can fall; they may also become ill. One of the most common dangers to climbers is altitude sickness, which can affect even very (37) climbers.Altitude sickness usually begins when a climber goes above 8,000 or 9,000 feet. The higher one climbs, the less oxygen there is in the air. When people don't get enough oxygen, they often begin to (38) for air. They may also feel (39) and light-headed. Besides these symptoms of altitude sickness, others such as headache and (40) may also occur. At heights of over 18,000 feet, people may be climbing in a (41) daze(恍惚). This state of mind can havean (42) effect on their judgment.A few (43) can help most climbers avoid altitude sickness. The first is not to go too high too fast. If you climb to 10,000 feet, stay at that height for a day or two. (44) . Or if you do climb higher sooner, come back down to a lower height when you sleep. Also, drink plenty of liquids and avoid tobacco and alcohol. (45) . You breathe less when you sleep, so you get less oxygen. The most important warning is this: if you have severe symptoms and they don't go away, go down! (46) .Part Ⅳ Reading Comprehension (Reading in Depth)Section AFor many families, figuring out how many after-school activities are too many is a struggle. For parents who fear they're "over-scheduling" their children, a new study carries a comforting message. The paper, published last week by the Society for Research in Child Development, is the first to take a data-driven look at the issue—and whether being so busy is really a bad thing. The study suggests the phenomenon is more isolated than media reports suggest: in fact, 40% of children (ages 5-18) are engaged in no activities, typical kids spend just five hours a week in structured activities, and very few children—3-6%—spend 20 hours a week. On average, most kids spend far more time watching TV and playing games. And for kids who're extremely busy, there's also good news: the more activities they do, the better kids perform on measures of educational achievement and psychological adjustment. "This popular concern [aboutover-scheduling] has been generated by a couple of parenting books and the media," says Yale professor and lead author Joseph Mahoney. But looking at the data, "it's hard to argue that kids are over-scheduled."That news will be welcome in households like the Oviedos', in Highland Park, Ill. Nine-year-old Bianca spends six hours a week in rhythmic-gymnastics classes and three hours a week at ballet, plus a half-hour piano lesson. "The alternative would be playing on the computer or watching TV," says her mother, Anca, who believes Bianca benefits by learning to focus, making new friends and acquiring new skills.The new paper doesn't sway some experts who've advocated against activity-creep. They say kids are far busier—and overstressed by it all—than the numbers suggest. "This is an example of researchers using big data sets to dispute the lived experience of many, many parents and families," says William Doherty, a University of Minnesota family-studies professor. Some skeptics question whether the self-reported time-dimly data are really accurate; others say they don't account for all the time spent getting between activities. Alvin Rosenfeld, co-author of TheOver-Scheduled Child, says: "If people follow this advice and do more activities, I think it'll bepretty damaging."Despite the doubters, the new data are a small step toward a better understanding of what's best for kids. And no matter what the numbers show, there's no disputing that every child is different—and some will absolutely do better with less. Lisa Dilg of South Lyon, Mich., feels as though her 6-year-old twins are the only kids in town who don't take skiing and ice-skating lessons. "There is nothing wrong with cuddling up(依偎) on the couch with Morn and Dad," says Lisa. And for families who prefer to bond on the sidelines of soccer fields, the latest research can provide a different kind of comfort.47、The question in dispute in the passage is whether or not children are ______.48、It can be inferred that a good way to keep children away from TV and video games is to engage them in ______.49、According to the new study, children will ______ academically and psychologically if they involve themselves in more after-school activities.50、There are skeptics who raise doubts about the new study, saying that its data may be______.51、In spite of the controversy, the new study may help people see more clearly ______.Section BPassage OneWho's poor in America? That's a question hard to answer. Hard because there's no conclusive definition of poverty. Low income matters, though how low is unclear. Poverty is also a state of mind that fosters self-defeating behavior—bad work habits, family breakdowns, and addictions. Finally, poverty results from bad luck: accidents, job losses, disability.Despite poverty's messiness, we've measured progress against it by a single statistic: the federal poverty line. By this measure, we haven't made much progress. But the apparent lack of progress is misleading for two reasons.First, it ignores immigration. Many immigrants are poor and low-skilled. They add to the poor. From 1989 to 2007, about three quarters of the increase in the poverty population occurred among Hispanics (西班牙裔美国人)—mostly immigrants and their children.Second, the poor's material well-being has improved. The official poverty measure obscures this by counting only pre-tax cash income and ignoring other sources of support, including food stamps and housing subsidies. Although many poor live from hand to mouth, they've participated in rising living standards. In 2005, 91% had microwaves, 79% air-conditioning, and 48% cell phones.The existing poverty line could be improved by adding some income sources and subtracting some expenses. Unfortunately, the administration's proposal for a "supplemental poverty measure" in 2011 goes beyond that. The new poverty number would compound public confusion. It also raises questions about whether the statistic is tailored to favor a political agenda.The "supplemental measure" ties the poverty threshold to what the poorest third of Americans spend on food, housing, clothing, and utilities. The actual threshold will probably be higher than today's poverty line. Many Americans would find this weird: people get richer, but "poverty" stays stuck.What produces this outcome is a different view of poverty. The present concept is an absolute one: the poverty threshold reflects the amount estimated to meet basic needs. By contrast, the new measure embraces a relative notion of poverty: people are automatically poor if they're a given distance from the top, even if their incomes are increasing.The new indicator is a "propaganda device" to promote income redistribution by showing that poverty is stubborn or increasing. The Census Bureau has estimated statistics similar to the administration's proposal. In 2008, the traditional poverty rate was 13.2%; estimates of the new statistic range up to 17%. The new poverty statistic exceeds the old, and the gap grows larger over time.As senator Daniel Moynihan said, the administration is defining poverty up. It's legitimate to debate how much we should aid the poor or reduce economic inequality. But the debate should not be swayed by misleading statistics that few Americans could possibly understand. Government statistics should strive for political neutrality(中立). This one fails.52、What is the main idea of the first paragraph?A) Poverty is very often defined as a state of mind.B) Poverty is a problem hard to tackle in America.C) Bad work habits and bad luck lead to poverty.D) There is no consensus on the concept of poverty.53、What does the author say about the poor in America?A) Their living standards have actually improved.B) Most of them are immigrants and their descendants.C) Their chances of rising above the poverty line are slim.D) Most of them rely on government subsidies for survival.54、What does the author think of the administration's proposal for a "supplemental poverty measure"?A) It is intended to further help the poor.B) It is made to serve political purposes.C) It is a positive response to changed circumstances.D) It is an attempt to combat the economic recession.55、What is characteristic of the new measure of poverty?A) It defines poverty by the gap between the rich and the poor.B) It raises the threshold for the poor to get welfare benefits.C) It is more accurate and scientific in terms of statistics.D) It truly reflects the practical needs of the poor.56、What does the author want to say by quoting Daniel Moynihan?A) Economic equality is but an empty dream. B) Political neutrality can never be achieved.C) The administration's statistics are biased. D) The debate over poverty will get nowhere.Passage TwoEleven summers ago I was sent to a management program at the Wharton School to be prepared for bigger things. Along with lectures on finance and entrepreneurship and the like, the program included a delightfully out-of-place session with A1 Filreis, an English professor at the University of Pennsylvania, on poetry.For three hours he talked us through "The Red Wheelbarrow" and "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening." The experience—especially when contrasted with the horrible prose of our other assigned reading—sent me fleeing to the campus bookstore, where I resumed along-interrupted romance with meter and rhyme(韵).Professor Filreis says that he is "a little shocked" at how intensely his Wharton students respond to this unexpected deviation from the businesslike, not just as a relief but as a kind of stimulus. Many write afterward asking him to recommend books of poetry. Especially now. "The grim economy seems to make the participants keener than ever to think out of the box' in the way poetry encourages," he told me.Which brings me to Congress, an institution stuck deeper inside the box than just about any other these days. You have probably heard that up on Capitol Hill(美国国会山), they're very big on prayer breakfasts, where members gather over scrambled eggs and ask God for wisdom. You can judge from the agonizing debt spectacle we've watched this summer how well that's working. Well, maybe it's time to add some poetry readings to the agenda.I'm not suggesting that poetry will guide our legislators to wisdom any more than prayer has. Just that it might make them a little more human. Poetry is no substitute for courage or competence, but properly applied, it is a challenge to self-certainty, which we currently have in excess. Poetry serves as a spur to creative thinking, a reproach to dogma and habit, a remedy to the current fashion for pledge signing.The poet Shelley, in defense of poetry nearly two centuries ago, wrote, "A man, to be greatly good, must imagine intensely and comprehensively; he must put himself in the place of another and of many others; the pains and pleasures of his species must become his own." Shelley concludes that essay by calling poets "the unacknowledged legislators of the world," because they bring imagination to the realm of "reasoners and mechanists."The relevance of poetry was declared more concisely in five lines from the love poem "Asphodel, That Greeny Flower," by William Carlos Williams:It is difficultto get the news from poemsyet men die miserably every dayfor lackof what is found there.57、Why did the author participate in the Wharton School management program?A) He was a passionate lover of classical poetry.B) He was being trained for an important position.C) He had just been promoted to top management.D) He was interested in finance and entrepreneurship.58、What did the author think of Professor Filreis's poetry session?A) It diverted students' attention from the assigned reading.B) It made the management program appear romantic.C) It was extremely appealing to the students.D) It pulled students out of prose reading sessions.59、What was the impact of the poetry session on the program participants according to Professor Filreis?A) It inspired them to view things from broader perspectives.B) It led them to think poetry indispensable to management.C) It helped them develop a keener interest in literature.D) It encouraged them to embark on a political career.60、What does the author think of Capitol Hill's prayer over breakfast?A) It is a ritual that has lost its original meaning.B) It doesn't really help solve the economic problems.C) It provides inspiration as poetry reading does.D) It helps people turn away from the debt spectacle.61、What do we learn from Shelley's essay?A) Poetry can relieve people of pains and sufferings.B) It takes poetic imagination to become a legislator.C) Legislators should win public acknowledgement.D) It is important to be imaginative and sympathetic.Part Ⅴ Cloze"My job is killing me." Who among us hasn't issued that complaint at least once? Now a new study suggests that your dramatic complaint may (62) some scientific truth.The 20-year study, by researchers at Tel Aviv University, (63) to examine the relationship between the workplace and a person's risk of death. Researchers (64) 820 adults who had undergone a (65) physical exam at a health clinic in 1988, and then interviewedthem (66) detail about their workplace conditions—asking how nice their colleagues were, whether their boss was supportive and how much (67) they had in their position.The participants (68) in age from 25 to 65 at the start of the study and worked in a variety of (69) , including finance, health care, manufacturing and insurance. Theresearchers (70) the participants through their medical records: by the study's conclusion in 2008, 53 people had died—and they were significantly more likely than those who survived to report having a (71) work environment.People who reported having little or no (72) support from their co-workers were 2.4 times more likely to die (73) the course of the study than those who said they had close, supportive (74) with their workmates. Interestingly, the risk of death was (75) only to people's perceptions of their coworkers, not their bosses. People who reported negative。

2012年12月大学英语六级考试CET6真题Part I Writing (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay entitled Man and Computer by commenting on the saying, “The real danger is not that the computer will begin to think like man, but t hat man will begin to think like the computer.” You should write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words.Man and ComputerPart II Reading Comprehension （Skimming and Scanning）（15 minutes）Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer Sheet 1. For questions 1-7, choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). For questions 8-10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.Thirst grows for living unpluggedMore people are taking breaks from the connected life amid the stillness and quiet of retreats like the Jesuit Center in Wernersville, Pennsylvania.About a year ago, I flew to Singapore to join the writer Malcolm Gladwell, the fashion designer Marc Ecko and the graphic designer Stefan Sagmeister in addressing a group of advertising people on “Marketing to the Child of Tomorrow.” Soon after I arrived, the chief executive of the agency that had invited us took me aside. What he was most interested in, he began, was stillness and quiet.A few months later, I read an interview with the well-known cutting-edge designer Philippe Starck.What allowed him to remain so consistently ahead of the curve? “I never read any magazines or w atch TV,” he said, perhaps with a little exaggeration. “Nor do I go to cocktail parties, dinners or anything like that.” He lived outside conventional ideas, he implied, because “I live alone mostly, in the middle of nowhere.”Around the same time, I noticed that those who part with $2,285 a night to stay in a cliff-top room at the Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur, California, pay partly for the privilege of not having a TV in their rooms; the future of travel, I’m reliably told, lies in “black-hole resorts,” whic h charge high prices precisely because you can’t get online in their rooms.Has it really come to this?The more ways we have to connect, the more of us seem desperate to unplug. Internet rescue camps in South Korea and China try to save kids addicted to the screen.Writer friends of mine pay good money to get the Freedom software that enables them to disable the very Internet connections that seemed so emancipating not long ago. Even Intel experimented in 2007 with conferring four uninterrupted hours of quiet time (no phone or e-mail) every Tuesday morning on 300 engineers and managers. Workers were not allowed to use the phone or send e-mail, but simply had the chance to clear their heads and to hear themselves think.The average American spends at least eight and a half hours a day in front of a screen, Nicholas Carr notes in his book The Shallows. The average American teenager sends or receives 75 text messages a day, though one girl managed to handle an average of 10,000 every 24 hours for a month.Since luxury is a function of scarcity, the children of tomorrow will long for nothing more than intervals of freedom from all the blinking machines, streaming videos and scrolling headlines that leave them feeling empty and too full all at once.The urgency of slowing down—to find the time and space to think—is nothing new, of course, and wiser souls have always reminded us that the more attention we pay to the moment, the less time and energy we have to place it in some larger context. “Distraction is the only thing that consoles us for our miseries,” theFrench philosopher Blaise Pascal wrote in the 17th century, “and yet it is itself the greatest of our miseries.” He also famously remarked that all of man’s problems come from his inability to sit quietly in a room alone.When telegraphs and trains brought in the idea that convenience was more important than content, Henry David Thoreau reminded us that “the man whose horse trots (奔跑), a mile in a minute does not carry the most important messages.”Marshall McLuhan, who came closer than most to seeing what was coming, warned, “When things come at you very fast, naturally you lose touch with yourself.”We have more and more ways to communicate, but less and less to say. Partly because we are so busy communicating. And we are rushing to meet so many deadlines that we hardly register that what we need most are lifelines.So what to do? More and more people I know seem to be turning to yoga, or meditation (沉思), or tai chi (太极) ；these aren’t New Age fads (时尚的事物) so much as ways to connect with what could be called the wisdom of old age. Two friends of mine observe an “Internet Sabbath (安息日)” every week, turning off their online connections from Friday night t o Monday morning. Other friends take walks and “forget” their cellphones at home.A series of tests in recent years has shown, Mr. Carr points out, that after spending time in quiet rural settings, subjects “exhibit greater attentiveness, stronger memory a nd generally improved cognition. Their brains become both calmer and sharper.” More than that, empathy (同感，共鸣) ，as well as deep thought, depends (as neuroscientists like Antonio Damasio have found) on neural processes that are “inherently slow.”I turn to eccentric measures to try to keep my mind sober and ensure that I have time to do nothing at all (which is the only time when I can see what I should be doing the rest of the time). I have yet to use a cellphone and I have never Tweeted or entered Facebook. I try not to go online till my day’s writing is finished, and I moved from Manhattan to rural Japan in part so I could more easily survive for long stretches entirely on foot.None of this is a matter of asceticism (苦行主义) ；it is just pure selfishness. Nothing makes me feel better than being in one place, absorbed in a book, a conversation, or music. It is actually something deeper than mere happiness: it is joy, which the monk (僧侣) David Steindl-Rast describes as “that kind of happiness that doesn’t depend on what happens.”It is vital, of course, to stay in touch with the world. But it is only by having some distance from the world that you can see it whole, and understand what you should be doing with it.For more than 20 years, therefore, I have been going several times a year—often for no longer than three days—to a Benedictine hermitage (修道院) ，40 minutes down the road, as it happens, from the Post Ranch Inn. I don’t attend services when I am there, and I have never meditated, there or anywhere; I just take walks and read and lose myself in the stillness, recalling that it is only by stepping briefly away from my wife and bosses and friends that I will have anything useful to bring to them. The last time I was in the hermitage, three months ago, I happened to meet with a youngish-looking man with a 3-year-old boy around his shoulders.“You’re Pico, aren’t you?” the man said, and introduced himself as Larry; we had met, I gathered, 19 years before, when he had been living in the hermitage as an assistant to one of the monks.“What are you doing now?” I asked.We smiled. No words were necessary.“I try to bring my kids here as often as I can,” he went on. The child of tomorrow, I realized, may actually be ahead of us, in terms of sensing not what is new, but what is essential.1. What is special about the Post Ranch Inn?A) Its rooms are well furnished but dimly lit.B) It makes guests feel like falling into a black hole.C) There is no access to television in its rooms.D) It provides all the luxuries its guests can think of.2. What does the author say the children of tomorrow will need most?A) Convenience and comfort in everyday life.B) Time away from all electronic gadgets.C) More activities to fill in their leisure time.D) Greater chances for individual development.3. What does the French philosopher Blaise Pascal say about distraction?A) It leads us to lots of mistakes.B) It renders us unable to concentrate.C) It helps release our excess energy.D) It is our greatest misery in life.4. According to Marshall McLuhan, what will happen if things come at us very fast?A) We will not know what to do with our own lives.B) We will be busy receiving and sending messages.C) We will find it difficult to meet our deadlines.D) We will not notice what is going on around us.5. What does the author say about yoga, meditation and tai chi?A) They help people understand ancient wisdom.B) They contribute to physical and mental health.C) They are ways to communicate with nature.D) They keep people from various distractions.6. What is neuroscientist Antonio Demario’s finding?A) Quiet rural settings contribute a lot to long life.B) One’s brain becomes sharp when it is activated.C) Eccentric measures are needed to keep one’s mind sober.D) When people think deeply, their neural processes are slow.7. The author moved from Manhattan to rural Japan partly because he could _______.A) stay away from the noise of the big city.B) live without modern transportation.C) enjoy the beautiful view of the countryside.D) practice asceticism in a local hermitage8. In order to see the world whole, the author thinks it necessary to __________.9. The author takes walks and reads and loses himself in the stillness of the hermitage so that he can bring his wife and bosses and friends ___________.10. The youngish-looking man takes his little boy to the hermitage frequently so that when he grows up he will know __________.Part III Listening Comprehension （35 minutes）Section ADirections:In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A）, B）, C） and D）, and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.11. A) Ask his boss for a lighter schedule.B) Trade places with someone else.C) Accept the extra work willingly.D) Look for a more suitable job.12. A) It is unusual for his wife to be at home now.B) He is uncertain where his wife is at the moment.C) It is strange for his wife to call him at work.D) He does not believe what the woman has told him.13. A) The man is going to send out the memo tomorrow.B) The man will drive the woman to the station.C) The speakers are traveling by train tomorrow morning.D) The woman is concerned with the man’s health.14. A) The suite booked was for a different date.B) The room booked was on a different floor.C) The room booked was not spacious enough.D) A suite was booked instead of a double room.15. A) The reason for low profits.B) The company’s sales policy.C) The fierce competition they face.D) The lack of effective promotion.16. A) Go and get the groceries at once.B) Manage with what they have.C) Do some shopping on their way home.D) Have the groceries delivered to them.17. A) The hot weather in summer.B) The problem with the air conditioner.C) The ridiculous rules of the office.D) The atmosphere in the office.18. A) Set a new stone in her ring.B) Find the priceless jewel she lost.C) Buy a ring with precious diamond.D) Shop on Oxford Street for a decent gift.Q uestions 19 to 22 are based on the conversation you have just heard.19. A) Damaging public facilities.B) Destroying urban wildlife.C) Organizing rallies in the park.D) Hurting baby animals in the zoo.20. A) He had bribed the park keepers to keep quiet.B) People had differing opinions about his behavior.C) The serious consequences of his doings were not fully realized.D) His behavior was thought to have resulted from mental illness.21. A) Brutal.B) Justifiable.C) Too harsh.D) Well-deserved.22. A) Encouraging others to follow his wrong-doing.B) Stealing endangered animals from the zoo.C) Organizing people against the authorities.D) Attacking the park keepers in broad daylight.Questions 23 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.23. A) She has already left school.B) She works for the handicapped.C) She is fond of practical courses.D) She is good at foreign languages.24. A) He is interested in science courses.B) He attends a boarding school.C) He speaks French and German.D) He is the brightest of her three kids.25. A) Comprehensive schools do not offer quality education.B) Parents decide what schools their children are to attend.C) Public schools are usually bigger in size than private schools.D) Children from low income families can’t really choose schools.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 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 26 to 29 are based on the passage you have just heard.26. A) Encourage the students to do creative thinking.B) Help the students to develop communication skills.C) Cultivate the students’ ability to inspire employees.D) Focus on teaching the various functions of business.27. A) His teaching career at the Harvard Business School.B) His personal involvement in business management.C) His presidency at college and experience overseas.D) His education and professorship at Babson College.28. A) Development of their raw brain power.B) Exposure to the liberal arts and humanities.C) Improvement of their ability in capital management.D) Knowledge of up-to-date information technology.29. A) Reports on business and government corruption.B) His contact with government and business circles.C) Discoveries of cheating among MBA students.D) The increasing influence of the mass media.Passage TwoQuestions 30 to 32 are based on the passage you have just heard.30. A) They have better options for their kids than colleges.B) The unreasonably high tuition is beyond their means.C) The quality of higher education may not be worth the tuition.D) They think that their kids should pay for their own education.31. A) They do too many extracurricular activities.B) They tend to select less demanding courses.C) They take part-time jobs to support themselves.D) They think few of the courses worth studying.32. A) Its samples are not representative enough.B) Its significance should not be underestimated.C) Its findings come as a surprise to many parents.D) Its criteria for academic progress are questionable.Passage ThreeQuestions 33 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.33. A) A newly married couple.B) A business acquaintance.C) Someone good at cooking.D) Someone you barely know.34. A) Obtain necessary information about your guests.B) Collect a couple of unusual or exotic recipes.C) Buy the best meat and the freshest fruit.D) Try to improve your cooking skills.35. A) Losing weight.B) Entertaining guests. C) Making friends.D) Cooking meals.Section CDirections:In this section, you will hear a passage three times. When the passage is read for the first time, you should listen carefully for its general idea. When the passage is read for the second time, you are required to fill in the blanks numbered from 36 to 43 with the exact words you have just heard. For blanks numbered from 44 to 46 you are required to fill in the missing information. For these blanks, you can either use the exact words you have just heard or write down the main points in your own words. Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should check what you have written.People with disabilities comprise a large but diverse segment of the population. It is (36) ______ that over 35 million Americans have physical, mental, or other disabilities. (37) ______ half of these disabilities are “developmental,” i.e., they occur prior to the individual’s twenty-second birthday, often from (38) ______ conditions, and are severe enough to affect three or more areas of development, such as (39) ______, communication and employment. Most other disabilities are considered (40) ______, i.e., caused by outside forces.Before the 20th century, only a small (41) ______ of people with disabilities survived for long. Medical treatment for such conditions as stroke or spinal cord (42) ______ was unavailable. People whose disabilities should not have inherently affected their life span were often so mistreated that they (43) ______. Advancements in medicine and social services have created a climate in which (44) . Unfortunately, these basics are often all that is available. Civil liberties such as the right to vote, marry, get an education, and gain employment have historically been denied on the basis of disability.(45) _______________________________________________________________________. Disabled people formed grassroots coalitions to advocate their rights to integration and meaningful equality of opportunity. (46) . In the mid-1970s, critical legislation mandated（规定）access to education, public transportation, and public facilities, and prohibited employment discrimination by federal agencies or employers receiving federal funds.Part Ⅳ Reading Comprehension （Reading in Depth）（25 minutes）Section ADirections:In this section, there is a short passage with 5 questions or incomplete statements. Read the passage carefully. Then answer the questions or complete the statements in the fewest possible words. Please write your answers on Answer Sheet 2.Questions 47 to 54 are based on the following passage.A key process in interpersonal interaction is that of social comparison, in that we evaluate ourselves in terms of how we compare to others. In particular, we engage in two types of comparison. First, we decide whether we are superior or inferior to others on certain dimensions, such as attractiveness, intelligence, popularity, etc. Here, the important aspect is to compare with an appropriate reference group. For example, modest joggers should not compare their performance with Olympic standard marathon (马拉松) runners. Second, we judge the extent to which we are the same as or different from others. At certain stages of life, especially adolescence, the pressure to be seen as similar to peers is immense. Thus, wearing the right brand of clothes or shoes may be of the utmost importance. We also need to know whether our thoughts, beliefs and ideas are in line with those of other people. This is part of the process of self-validation whereby we employ self-disclosures to seek support for our self-concept.People who do not have access to a good listener may not only be denied the opportunity to heighten their self-awareness, but they are also denied valuable feedback as to the validity and acceptability of their inner thoughts and feelings. By discussing these with others, we receive feedback as to whether these are experiences which others have as well, or whether they are less common. Furthermore, by gauging the reactions to our self-disclosures we learn what types are acceptable or unacceptable with particular people and in specific situations. On occasions it is the fear that certain disclosures may be unacceptable to family or friends that motivates an individual to seek professional help. Counsellors will be familiar with client statements such as: “I just couldn’t talk about this to my husband.”, “I really can’t let my mother know mytrue feelings.” Another aspect of social comparison in the counselling context relates to a technique known as normalizing. This is the process whereby helpers provide reassurance to clients that what they are experiencing is not abnormal or atypical (非典型的), but is a normal reaction shared by others when facing such circumstances. Patient disclosure, facilitated by the therapist, seems also to facilitate the process of normalizing.47. To evaluate ourselves, the author thinks it important for us to compare ourselves with _______.48. During adolescence, people generally feel an immense pressure to appear _______.49. It is often difficult for people to heighten their self-awareness without _______.50. What can people do if they find what they think or say unacceptable to family or friends?51. Counsellors often assure their clients that what they experience themselves is only _______.Section BDirections: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A）, B）, C） and D）. You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. Passage OneQuestions 52 to 56 are based on the following passage.Amid all the job losses, there’s one category of worker that the economic disruption has been good for: nonhumans.From self-service checkout lines at the supermarket to industrial robots armed with saws and taught to carve up animal bodies in slaughter-houses, these ever-more-intelligent machines are now not just assisting workers but actually kicking them out of their jobs.Automation isn’t just affecting factory workers, either. Some law firms now use artificial intelligence software to scan and read mountains of legal documents, work that previously was performed by highly-paid human lawyers.“Robots continue to have an impact on blue-collar jobs, and white-collar jobs are under attack by microprocessors,” says economics professo r Edward Leamer. The recession permanently wiped out 2.5 million jobs. U.S. gross domestic product has climbed back to pre-recession levels, meaning we’re producing as much as before, only with 6% fewer workers. To be sure, robotics are not the only job killers out there, with outsourcing (外包) stealing far more jobs than automation.Jeff Burnstein, president of the Robotics Industry Association, argues that robots actually save U.S. jobs. His logic: companies that embrace automation might use fewer work ers, but that’s still better than firing everyone and moving the work overseas.It’s not that robots are cheaper than humans, though often they are. It’s that they’re better. “In some cases the quality requirements are so exacting that even if you wanted t o have a human do the job, you couldn’t,” Burnstein says.Same goes for surgeons, who’re using robotic systems to perform an ever-growing list of operations—not because the machines save money but because, thanks to the greater precision of robots, the patients recover in less time and have fewer complications, says Dr. Myriam Cruet.Surgeons may survive the robot invasion, but others at the hospital might not be so lucky, as iRobot, maker of the Roomba, a robot vacuum cleaner, has been showing off Ava, which could be used as a messenger in a hospital. And once you’re home, recovering, Ava could let you talk to your doctor, so there’s no need to send someone to your house. That “mobile telepresence” could be useful at the office. If you’re away on a trip, you can still attend a meeting. Just connect via videoconferencing software, so your face appears on Ava’s screen.Is any job safe? I was hoping to say “journalist,” but researchers are already developing software that can gather facts and write a news story. Which means that a few years from now, a robot could be writing this column. And who will read it? Well, there might be a lot of us hanging around with lots of free time on our hands.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。

2012年12月英语六级试题In December 2012, the English proficiency examination known as the English Language Proficiency Test (ELPT) was administered to test takers across China. The test consisted of several sections, including listening, reading, writing, and speaking. Each section aimed to assess the test takers' overall English language skills and abilities. In this article, we will explore the format and content of the 2012 December English six-level test in detail.I. Listening Section:The listening section of the 2012 December ELPT comprised a series of recordings that covered various topics and situations. Test takers were required to listen to each recording carefully and answer multiple-choice questions based on the information provided. The recordings included dialogues, monologues, and speeches from different English speakers, ensuring a diverse range of accents and speaking styles.II. Reading Section:The reading section aimed to evaluate the test takers' comprehension and reasoning abilities. It consisted of multiple passages, such as newspaper articles, magazine excerpts, and academic texts. Test takers were asked to read each passage thoroughly and answer questions that tested their understanding of the main ideas, details, and implied meanings within the text.III. Writing Section:The writing section of the 2012 December ELPT required test takers to demonstrate their writing skills and command of formal English. Test takers were given a topic or a prompt and had to write an essay or a short composition, presenting their thoughts, opinions, and arguments. The topics covered a wide range of issues, such as education, environment, technology, and social responsibility.IV. Speaking Section:In the speaking section, test takers were assessed on their ability to express themselves orally and engage in a conversation. The section comprised of individual tasks, such as answering questions about personal experiences or expressing personal opinions on specific topics, as well as group discussions where test takers had to collaborate and exchange ideas with each other.Overall, the 2012 December ELPT was designed to assess test takers' overall English language proficiency accurately. The test format and content ensured that various language skills, such as listening, reading, writing, and speaking, were comprehensively evaluated. By covering different topics and using diverse mediums, the test aimed to provide a fair assessment of each test taker's English language abilities.As test takers prepared for the 2012 December ELPT, they needed to focus on improving their language skills in all areas. This included strengthening their vocabulary, practicing listening and reading comprehension skills, honing their writing abilities by regularly practicing essay writing, and engaging in conversations in English to enhance their speaking skills.In conclusion, the 2012 December English six-level test was a comprehensive assessment of test takers' English language proficiency. Its various sections tested different language skills, and the topics covered within each section ensured a broad evaluation of test takers' abilities. By dedicating time and effort to improving their language skills, test takers were better prepared to excel in the test and demonstrate their English language proficiency effectively.。

听力短对话11W: Have you finished that painting for the new student center?M: Just this morning, I've been working extra hours all week. You know the building opens tomorrow.Q: What does theman mean?12M: Do you sell camping gear?W: Yes, we have tents, sleeping bags, just about everything you might need, including stoves.Q: What is the man probably goingto do?13M: Hi, Jenny! Have you talked to Mr. Wright about the new sports program?W: Well, I contacted his office half an hour ago, and his secretary said he was out for lunch until 2:00.Q: What does the woman mean?14M：Bill says he's not working so hard on his biology project.W: But he spends a lot of time inthe lab, doesn't he?Q: What does the woman imply about Bill?15M: I have to say I find the newsmoking regulations too strict.W: Well, they are for everyone'shealth. I have no complaints.Q: What are the speakers talking about?16W: Jack asked me to drop off this report. He's tied up in meetings all morning.M: I was hoping he'd bring ithimself. I need to talk with him about it.Q: Why can't Jack come in person?17M: Should we invite Mr. Smith tojoin us for dinner this weekend? He's just come back from England.W: You can have a try. But as faras I know, he seldom accepts invitations from his employees.Q: What can we infer about Mr.Smith?18W: This place doesn't look familiar at all. We must be lost.M：Yeah，it seems so. Let's pull in here. WhileI'm filling in the tank, you go ask the way and get me something to drinkplease.Q: What is the man going to do first?Conversation OneM: Well, did you enjoy it?W: Yes, I enjoy it much more that I thought I would.M: Really?W: Yes, I don't usually go to science fiction films; I don't think they are much better than comics on film,if you know what I mean.M: Yes, sure. And a few years ago, they were certainly like that. But they've got a lot better now.W: Yes, and historical films,that's what I really like. I never miss a good film set in the middle ages. Oh,and love stories, I never miss one on TV.M: Funnily enough, I don't likethose kinds of films at all. But to come back to this one, Ipersonally didn'tthink it was very good. It certainly wasn't as good as other science fictionfilms I've seen.W: Wasn't it?M: No, not at all. Oh, theeffects were very good.W: Yes, I thought they weremarvelous, especially the battle in space, incredible.M: Yes. But I was going to say Ithought the acting was terrible.W: Yes, I suppose Jason was toogood to be true. And what was the name of the baddy?M: Cargon?W: Yeah, Cargon was really evil,wasn't he? But I suppose that's what these films are all about—good triumphingover evil. And the characters have to be black and white.M: Well, yes, but not always.Warof the Worldswasn't like that, for example. Anyway, you enjoy the film.That's the most important.W: Yes, I did. Thanks for taking me.Questions 19-21 are based on theconversation you have just heard.19. What does the man say aboutscience fiction films?20. What opinion do the speakersshare about the film they have just seen?21. What to be learned about Jason and Cargon?听力长对话原文2Conversation TwoM: Can I ask you about yourevening class? What class do you go to?W: Car Maintenance.M: What night of the week is iton?W: Wednesday night.M: And how long does it last?W: Well, it supposed to start at6:00, but that’s a bit of problem because people have difficulty gettingthrough the traffic. So we start at 6: 30 and it goes on until 9 o'clock.M: And what was your reason forwanting to do the class?W: Well, I just bought my firstcar and I don't know anything about cars. So I thought it was a goodopportunity to learn. I guess most people in the class are in the samesituation.M: Um, and what do you actuallydo? Do you bring the car along to the class?W: Yes, we do. And in the firstpart of the lesson, the first half hour, the man who runs the class will gothough some particular part of the car, and we'll learn about it. And then wespend the rest of the time actually working on our own cars, the same problem.M: And how many people are therein the class?W: Mm, I think 16, but 3 quartersof them are women. It's quite interesting because the man is obliviously usedto teaching man. And he always starts his sentence by saying, "Wow, youchaps, hello." And then he stops and says "Oh, and you woman, ur, youladies, but...ur..."M: Huh huh... sounds funny.Questions 22-25 are based on theconversation you have just heard.22. What does the woman say abouther evening class?23. Why did the woman want toattend the class?24. What do the people who attendthe class do in the first part of the lesson?25. What do we learn about theparticipants in the class?听力短文原文Passage 1We don't choose friends on thebasis of how much money they have, of course, but vast differences can bedisturbing to both sides. Aaron, for example, is single, and earns a very goodsalary. Her friend, Pat, a divorced mother of three, is struggling to make endsmeet. "We are both frequent theatergoers," Aaron explains, "andI'll gladly pay for two tickets, just to have Pat's company at plays andconcerts. But she won't go anywhere unless she can pay her own way. I hate togo alone. So we both stay home. It all seems so silly." Pat sees thesituation differently. After an unhappy marriage to a man who tried to controlher without considering her wishes and feelings, she says, "It's very importantto me to carry my own weight. I'm not comfortable in any relationship where allI do is take."The difficult situation finally changed when Aaron moved recently. Pat's childrenwere with their father, so she took a picnic lunch to her friend's new place,and then spent the day helping her unpack and get settled. "I was sograteful," Aaron says, "but I persuaded Pat to let me return thefavor in my own way with season tickets to our little theater group. I thinkshe's beginning to recognize that she contributes as much to our friendship asI do.".Questions 26 to 29 are based on the passageyou have just heard.26. What do we learn about Pat?27. What draws Aaron and Pat together?28. What does Aaron do to return Pat's favor?29. What do we learn aboutfriendship from the passage?Passage 2Sun School, in the town of Ashburton,England, is a day school for children aged 10 to 18. It is based on the valueof social equality between students and staff, and has few rules. Sun Schoolbelieves that the healthy growth of a child is more important than academicsuccess. It offers a variety of lessons and activities for students to choosefrom and free time for children to follow their own interests. Classes aresmall and based on the individual needs of each child. The timetable is fixed,but democratically decided and students are expected to attend. The weeklyschool meeting is at the center of the way. Sun school is organized. It makesall the decisions that affect the school, including rules, the timetable andaccepting or rejecting new students and teachers. Participating in thesemeetings gives the children an understanding of democratic decision-making andhelps them develop their skills of argument and persuasion. The most importantadvantage of the school meeting is that it shows the children that the schoolis really theirs. They have the right to decide on changes. And the school'ssuccess or failure depends on their decisions and their behavior. Sun Schoolemploys no cooking or cleaning staff, these jobs are done by the students andteachers. Decorating and simple repairs are also done by the students, it isbelieved that for the school to truly belong to those who use it, they musttake responsibility for its maintenance.Questions 30 to 32 are based on the passageyou've just heard.30. What value is Sun Schoolbased on?31. What is characteristic of theschool’s decision-making process?32. Why does Sun School askstudents to do the maintenance?Passage 3Well, to continue, as I mentionedearlier, there is also research that demonstrates that individuals performworse, not better on tasks when other people are there. R.W.Hubbert did aninteresting experiment. He had his subjects learn a finger maze. This is a gamein which you indicate with your finger the way through a complex system ofpassages or paths. The subjects who had an audience did worse than the subjectswho did alone.Nowhow can we explain these very different results? It seemed very confusing for along time. Social psychologist John Roberts finally cleared up the confusionabout why people sometimes perform better and sometimes worse in front of anaudience. Roberts found that the presence of an audience facilitates what youalready know how to do. That is, if you know what you are doing, having anaudience helps you do it better. But if you don’t already know how to dosomething, you will probably make some mistakes and you will make mistakes fora longer time if you have an audience. That’s exactly what happened to thesubjects who were learning the finger maze.Soif you are doing well, having an audience increases the chances that you willcontinue to do well. If you are doing badly, having an audience seem increasesthe chances that you will continue to do badly. Roberts cleverly pointed outthat when you are first learning something, you are better off working alonethan practicing with other people.Question 33 to 35 are based on the passageyou have just heard.33. What did the speaker probablydiscuss before coming to this part of the talk?34. When does the presence of anaudience facilitate your performance according to Roberts?35. What does Roberts think is abetter way to learn new things?。

2012年12月大学英语六级真题听力Part III Listening ComprehensionSection A11.M: I’d like to go camping with you this weekend, but I don’t have a sleeping bag.W: No problem. You can count on me to get one for you. My family has tons of camping gear. Q: What does the woman mean?12.M: I know I promise to drive you to the airport next Thursday, but I’m afraid something has come up. They’ve called a special meeting at work.W: No big deal. Karen said she was available as a back-up.Q: What does the woman mean?13.W: Have you saved enough money for a trip to Hawaii?M: Not even close. My uncle must put the brakes on my travelling plans.Q: What does the man mean?14.M: I’m starving. Do we still have any pie left from the dinner yesterday?W: Oh, Julia invited her friends over in the afternoon and they ate it all.Q: What do we learn from the conversation?15.W: Three letters of recommendation are required to apply to graduate schools. I was wondering if the one professor Smith wrote for me last year could still be used.M: It’s a bit dated. You’d better submit a recent one.Q: What does the man suggest the woman do?16.W: I’ve noticed that you spend a lot of time tending your garden. Would you like to join our gardening club? We meet every other Wednesday.M: Oh, thanks for the invitation, but this is how I relax. I’d rather not make it something formal and structured.Q: What can we infer about the man?17.M: I heard the recent sculpture exhibit was kind of disappointing.W: That’s right. I guess a lot of other people feel the way I do about modern art.Q: What does the woman mean?18.M: Bob is running for chairman of the student union. Would you vote for him?W: Oh, I can’t decide right now because I have to find out more about the other candidates.Q: What does the woman mean?Conversation OneW: I don’t know what to do. I can’t seem to get anyone in the hospital to listen to my complaints and this outdated equipment is dangerous. Just look at it.M: Hmm, uh, are you trying to say that it presents a health hazard?W: Yes, I am. The head technician in the lab tried to persuade the hospital administration to replace it, but they are trying to cut costs.M: You are pregnant, aren’t you?W: Yes, I am. I made an effort to get my supervisor to transfer me to another department, but he urged me not to complain too loudly. Because the administration is more likely to replace me than an X-ray equipment, I’m afraid to refuse to work. But I’m more afraid to expose my unborn child to the radiation.M: I see what you mean. Well, as your union representative, I have to warn you that it would take quite a while to force management to replace the old machines and attempt to get you transferred may or may not be successful.W: Oh, what am I supposed to do then?M: Workers have the legal right to refuse certain unsafe work assignments under two federal laws, the Occupation or Safety and Health Act and the National Labor Relations Act. But the requirements of either of the Acts may be difficult to meet.W: Do you think I have a good case?M: If you do lose your job, the union will fight to get it back for you along with back pay, your lost income. But you have to be prepared for a long wait, maybe after two years.Q19. What does the woman complain about?Q20. What has the woman asked her supervisor to do?Q21. What does the man say about the two federal laws?Q22. What will the union do if the woman loses her job?Conversation TwoW: Mr. Green, is it fair to say that negotiation is an art?M: Well, I think it’s both an art and science. You can prepare for a negotiation quite scientifically, but the execution of the negotiation has quite a lot to do with one’s artistic quality. The scientific part of a negotiation is in determining your strategy. What do you want out of it? What can you give? Then of course there are tactics. How do you go about it? Do you take an opening position in a negotiation which differs from the eventual goal you are heading for? And then of course there are the behavioral aspects.W: What do you mean by the behavioral aspects?M: Well, that’s I think where the art comes in. In your behavior, you can either be an actor. Youcan pretend that you don’t like things which you are actually quite pleased about. Or you can pretend to like things which you are quite happy to do without. Or you can be the honest type negotiator who’s known to his partners in negotiation and always plays everything straight. But the artistic part of negotiation I think has to do with responding immediately to cues one gets in the process of negotiation. These can be verbal cues or even body language. This is where the artistic quality comes in.W: So really, you see two types of negotiator then, the actor or the honest one.M: That’ right. And both can work. I would say the honest nego tiator can be quite effective in some circumstances. In other circumstances you need an actor.Q23. When is a scientific approach best embodied in a negotiation according to the man?Q24. In what way is a negotiator like an actor according to the man?Q25. What does the man say about the two types of negotiator?Section BPassage 1A scientific team is studying the thinking ability of eleven and half month old children. The test is a simple one. The baby watches a sort of show on a small stage. In Act One of the show, a yellow cube is lifted from a blue box, and moved across the stage. Then it is returned to the box. This is repeated 6 times. Act Two is similar except that the yellow cube is smaller. Baby boys do not react at all to the difference and the size of the cube. But girls immediately become excited. The scientists interpret the girls’ excitement as meaning they are trying to understand what they have just seen. They are wondering why Act Two is odd and how it differs from Act One. In other words, the little girls are reasoning. This experiment certainly does not definitely prove that girls start to reason before boys, but it provides a clue that scientists would like to study more carefully. Already it is known that bones, muscles and nerves develop faster in baby girls. Perhaps it is early nerve development that makes some infant girls show more intelligence than infant boys. Scientists have also found that nature seems to give another boost to girls. Baby girls usually talk at an earlier age than boys do. Scientists think that there is a physical reason for this. They believe that the nerve endings in the left side of the brain develop faster in girls than in boys, and it is this side of the brain that strongly influences an individual’s abilit y to use language and remember things.Q26. What is the difference between Act One and Act Two in the test?Q27. How do the scientists interpret their observation from the experiment?Q28. What does the speaker say about the experiment?Q29. According to scientists, what is another advantage given to girls by nature?Passage 2A super attendant of the city municipal building, Dillia Adorno, was responsible for presenting itsnew security plan to the public. City employees, citizens and reporters gathered in the hall to hear her describe the plan. After outlining the main points she would cover, she assured the audience that she would be happy to answer questions at the end of her presentation. Dillia realized the plan was expensive and potentially controversial. So she was not surprised to see a number of hands go up as soon as she finished speaking. An employ asked, “Would the new system create long lines to get into the build ing like the line in the airport security checks?” Dillia had anticipated this question and had an answer ready. After repeating the question, she explained that the sufficient number of security guards would be working at peak hours to speed things along. The next question was more confrontational.”Where was the money come from to pay for all of this?”The journalists who ask the question seem hostile. But Dillia was careful not to adopt the defensive tone. She stated that the money would come from the city’s general budget. “I know these are tide times”, she added, “But everyone agrees on the importance of safe guarding our employees and members of the public who come into the building.” Near the end of the 25 minutes she has said, Dillia said she would take two more questions. When those were finished, she concluded the session with a brief restatement of how the new system will improve security and peace of mind in the municipal building.Question 30 to 32 are based on the passage you have just heard.30. What is the focus of Dillia Adorno’s presentation?31. What question had Dillia Adorno anticipated?32. What did the speakers think of the question from the journalist?Passage 3Despite unemployment and the lost of her home, Andrea Clark considers herself a blessed and happy woman. Why the cheerful attitude? Her troubles have brought her closer to her family. Last year, Andrea’s husband, Rick, a miner in Nevada was laid off. Though Andrea kept her job as a school bus driver, she knew that they couldn’t p ay their bill and support their youngest of five children, Zack, age nine, on one income. “At first their church helped out, but you can’t keep that up forever”, Andrea says. Then Michal, their eldest of her four adult children suggested they move in with his family. For almost three months, seven Clarks lived under one roof. Andrea, Rick and Zack stayed in the basement department, sharing laundry and single bathroom with Michal, his wife and their two children.The change cut their expenditures in half, but the new living arrangement proved too challenging. When Andrea found a job with a school district closer to her mother’s home in west Jorden, Utah, the family decided to move on. Packing up again with no picnic, Zack had to switch schools for the second time and space is even tighter. Andrea says that the moves themselves are exhausting and Rick is still looking for a job.The recession has certainly come with more problems than Andrea anticipated, but she remains unfailingly optimistic. She is excited to spend more time with her mother. Another plus, rents are lower in Utah than in Nevada. So Andrea thinks they’ll be able to save up and move out in less than 6 months.Questions 33-35 are based on the passage you have just heard.Q33 What do we learn abou t Andrea’s husband?Q34 Why did Andrea move to live in her eldest son’s home?Q35 What is Andrea’s attitude toward the hardships brought by the economic recession? Section CMountain climbing is becoming a popular sport, but it is also a potentially dangerous one. People can fall. They may also become ill. One of the most common dangers to climbers is altitude sickness, which can affect even very experienced climbers. Altitude sickness usually begins when a climber goes above 8,000 to 9,000 feet. The higher one climbs, the less oxygen there is in the air. When people don’t get enough oxygen, they often begin to gasp for air. They may also feel dizzy and light-headed. Besides these symptoms of altitude sickness, others such as headache and fatigue may also occur. At heights of over 18,000 feet, people may be climbing in a constant daze. Their state of mind can have adverse affect on their judgment. A few precautions can help most climbers avoid altitude sickness. The first is not to go too high, too fast. If you climb to 10,000 feet, stay at that height for a day or two. Your body needs to get used to a high altitude before you climb to a even higher one. Or if you do climb higher sooner, come back down to a lower height when you sleep. Also, drink plenty of liquids and avoid tobacco and alcohol. When you reach your top height, do like activities rather than sleep too much. You breathe less when you sleep, so you get less oxygen. The most important warning is this: if you have severe symptoms, then don’t go away, go down. Don’t risk injury or death because of over-confidence or lack of knowledge.。

听力原文：11.W: I just heard about a really beautiful park in the east end of the town. There are a lot of roses in bloom.M: Why don’t we walk over there and see for ourselves?Q: What will the speakers probably do?12.M: My presentation is scheduled for 9:30 tomorrow morning at the lecture hall. I hope to see you there.W: Oh, sorry. I was about to tell you that I have an appointment with my dentist at 9:00 o’clock tomorrow.Q: What do we learn about the woman?13.W: How long have you been running this company?M: Twenty years if you can believe that. I brought it from a small operation to what it is today. Q: What do we learn about the man?14.M: Have you read the news on the campus net? Susan has won the scholarship for next year. W: I knew she would from the very beginning. Such a brilliant and diligent girl! She certainly deserves it.Q: What does the woman mean?15.W: Taking a bus to Miami, it’s cheaper than going by train.M: That’s true. But I’d rather pay a little more for the added comfort and convenie nce.Q: What does the man mean?16.M: I think it’s time we got rid of all this old furniture.W: Y ou’re right. We need to promote our image besides it’s not a real antique.Q: What do the speakers mean?17.M: That was some storm yesterday. How was I afraid I couldn’t make it home.W: Y eah, most of the roads to my house were flooded. I didn’t get home from the lab until midnight.Q: What do we learn from the conversation?18.W: My boys are always complaining that they’re bored.M: Why don’t you get them into some team sports? My son and daughter play soccer every Saturday. And they both look forward to it all week.Q: What does the man mean?Conversation 1W: So John, I hear you and Arthur share a job, don’t you?M: Y es. We’ve shared a sales job at Sonatech f or about two years now.W: Well, how do you divide up your schedule?M: Y ou know we are both sales representatives, and we take orders over the phone. When we started job sharing it was difficult, because we both worked all day Monday. I worked Tuesday and Thursday and Arthur worked Wednesday and Friday. The problem was that when I was in the office on Tuesday. I would talk to people, then they would call back on Wednesday with a question. But Arthur couldn’t answer the question and he couldn’t ask me about it because I wasn’t in the office. So he had to ask the people to call me back the next day, Thursday. Of course, they didn’t like to wait until the next day to have their questions answered.W: Yes, that sounds like a problem.M: So, finally we decided that Arthur would work in the mornings and I would work in theafternoons. Now if someone calls with the question for me in the morning, Arthur tells them to call me in the afternoon. This way, people get their questions answered the same day.W: What do you do about vacations?M: Well, Sonatech gives the usual two weeks of vacation to full-time employees, I take a week and Arthur takes a week.W: It sounds like job sharing has worked out well for you.M: Y es, it has. We are both happy with it.Q19. What do John and author do at Sonatech?Q20. What problem did John and Arthur have when they started job sharing?Q21. What does John say about their annual vacation?Conversation 2W: May I see your license, please?M: But officer, did I do something wrong?W: Do you mean to say you didn’t see the speed limit sign back there?M: Um, no, madam, I guess I didn’t.W: In other words, you drove by too fast to read it. The sign says 35m/h. A school is just nearby, you know?M: Don’t get me wrong, but my speedometer didn’t read much faster than that.W: Then, why is it that my radar showed you are going 45? Let me put it another way. I’m going to give you a ticket. Again, may I see your license, please?M: Here it is, officer. But let me explain. I was late for an important appointment and I was worried that I wouldn’t make it on time. So...W: Uha, just a minute, here. Y our license is no longer valid. Y ou should have renewed it two weeks ago. I’m going to have to write you up for that, too.M: What? Really?W: Y our license becomes invalid on your birthday and that was two weeks ago according to the date here. Y ou are in violation of the law—driving without a valid license.M: I’m sorry, madam. I hadn’t realized that.W: Here’s the ticket for not having a valid license. But I’m only going to give you a warning about exceeding the speed limit. Be careful next time.M: Y es, madam, officer, I will. Thank you.Q22. Where was the man stopped by the police officer?Q23. What did the man claim about the speed limit sign?Q24. What did the woman say about the man’s driving license?Q25. What was the man’s penalty?Passage 1Since I started working part-time at a grocery store, I have learned that a customer is more than someone who buy something. To me, a customer is a person whose memory fails entirely once he or she starts to push a shopping card. One of the first things customers forget is how to count. There is no other way to explain how so many people get in their express line, which is clearly marked 15 items or less, with 20, 25 or even a cart load of items. Customers also forget why they came to the store in the first place. Just as I finish ringing up an order, a customer will say, “Oops, I forgot to pick up a fresh loaf of bread. I hope you don’t mind waiting while I go get it.” Five minutes later, he’s back with the bread, a bottle of milk, and three rolls of paper towels. Strange isthat seems customers also seem to forget that they have to pay for their groceries. Instead of writing a check or looking for a credit card while I am ringing up the groceries, my customers will wait until I announce the total. Then, in surprise, she says, “Oh no, what did I do with my check book?” After 5 minutes of digging through her purse, she borrows my pen because she’s forgotten hers. But I have to be tolerant of customers because they pay my salary, and that’s something I can’t afford to forget.Q26. What does the speaker say about customers’ entering the grocery store?Q27. Which customers are supposed to be in the express line?Q28. What does the speaker say some customers do when they arrive at the check-out counter?Q29. What does the speaker say about his job at the end of the talk?Passage 2The speech delivery style of Europeans and Asians tends to be very formal. Speakers of these cultures often read oral presentations from carefully retain manual scripts. On the other hand, American speakers are generally more informal relative to speakers and other cultures. American audiences prefer natural, spontaneous delivery that conveys a lively sense of communication. They don’t relay well to speakers who read from a manual script. If you use an outline of your ideas instead of a prepare text, your speech will not only sound more natural, but you will also be able to establish better relationship with your listeners and keep their attention. The language and style you use when making an oral presentation should not be the same as the language in style you use when writing. Well retain information, that is meant to be read, does not work as well when it is heard. It is, therefore, important for you to adapt retain texts or outlines for presentations. Good speakers are much more informal when speaking than when writing. They also use their own words and develop their own speaking styles. Whenever possible, they use short words. Listeners are appreciated when speakers use simple, everyday words in a presentation. One advantage is that it is much easier for speakers to pronounce short words correctly. Another is that long and sophisticated vocabulary choices make listening more difficult.Question 30 to 3230. What does the speaker say American audiences prefer?31. What should one pay attention to when making an oral presentation?32. What does the speaker focus on in the talk?Passage 3Let children learn to judge their own workA child learning to talk does not learn by being corrected all the time. If corrected too much, he will stop talking. He compares a thousand times a day the difference between language as he uses it and language as those around him use it. Bit by bit, he makes the necessary changes to make his language like other people’s. In the same way, kids learning to do all the other things they learn without adult teachers, to walk, run, climb, ride a bike, play games, compare their ow n performance with what more skilled people do, and slowly make the needed changes. But in school we never give a child a chance to detect his mistakes. We do it all for him. We act as if we thought he would never notice a mistake unless it was pointed out to him. Soon he becomes dependent on the expert. We should let him do it himself. Let him figure out, with the help of other children if he wants it, what this word says, what is the answer to that problem, whether this is a good way of saying or doing this or that.If right answers need to be given, as in mathematics or science, give him the answer book. Let himcorrect his own papers. Why should we teachers waste time on such tedious work? Our job should be to help the children when they tell us that the y can’t find the way to get the right answer. Question 33 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.Q33 How does a child learn to do something according to the speaker?Q34 What belief do teachers commonly hold according to the speaker?Q35 What does the speaker imply about the current way of teaching?复合式听写Mountain climbing is becoming a popular sport, but it is also a potentially dangerous one. People can fall. They may also become ill. One of the most common dangers to climbers is altitude sickness, which can affect even very experienced climbers. Altitude sickness usually begins when a climber goes above 8,000 to 9,000 feet. The higher one climbs, the less oxygen there is in the air. When people don’t get enough oxygen, they often begin to ga sp for air. They may also feel dizzy and light-headed. Besides these symptoms of altitude sickness, others such as headache and fatigue may also occur. At heights of over 18,000 feet, people may be climbing in a constant daze. Their state of mind can have adverse affect on their judgment. A few precautions can help most climbers avoid altitude sickness. The first is not to go too high, too fast. If you climb to 10,000 feet, stay at that height for a day or two. Y our body needs to get used to a high altitude before you climb to a even higher one. Or if you do climb higher sooner, come back down to a lower height when you sleep. Also, drink plenty of liquids and avoid tobacco and alcohol. When you reach your top height, do like activities rather than sleep too much. Y ou breathe less when you sleep, so you get less oxygen. The most important warning is this: if you have severe symptoms, then don’t go away, go down. Don’t risk injury or death because of over-confidence or lack of knowledge.真题部分：Part III Listening Comprehension （35 minutes）Section ADirections: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A）, B）, C）and D）, and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.11. A) Ask his boss for a lighter schedule.B) Trade places with someone else.C) Accept the extra work willingly.D) Look for a more suitable job.12. A) It is unusual for his wife to be at home now.B) He is uncertain where his wife is at the moment.C) It is strange for his wife to call him at work.D) He does not believe what the woman has told him.13. A) The man is going to send out the memo tomorrow.B) The man will drive the woman to the station.C) The speakers are traveling by train tomorrow morning.D) The woman is concerned with the man’s health.14. A) The suite booked was for a different date.B) The room booked was on a different floor.C) The room booked was not spacious enough.D) A suite was booked instead of a double room.15. A) The reason for low profits.B) The company’s sales policy.C) The fierce competition they face.D) The lack of effective promotion.16. A) Go and get the groceries at once.B) Manage with what they have.C) Do some shopping on their way home.D) Have the groceries delivered to them.17. A) The hot weather in summer.B) The problem with the air conditioner.C) The ridiculous rules of the office.D) The atmosphere in the office.18. A) Set a new stone in her ring.B) Find the priceless jewel she lost.C) Buy a ring with precious diamond.D) Shop on Oxford Street for a decent gift.Questions 19 to 22 are based on the conversation you have just heard.19. A) Damaging public facilities.B) Destroying urban wildlife.C) Organising rallies in the park.D) Hurting baby animals in the zoo.20. A) He had bribed the park keepers to keep quiet.B) People had differing opinions about his behaviour.C) The serious consequences of his doings were not fully realised.D) His behaviour was thought to have resulted from mental illness.21. A) Brutal.B) Justifiable.C) Too harsh.D) Well-deserved.22. A) Encouraging others to follow his wrong-doing.B) Stealing endangered animals from the zoo.C) Organising people against the authorities.D) Attacking the park keepers in broad daylight.Questions 23 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.23. A) She has already left school.B) She works for the handicapped.C) She is fond of practical courses.D) She is good at foreign languages.24. A) He is interested in science courses.B) He attends a boarding school.C) He speaks French and German.D) He is the brightest of her three kids.25. A) Comprehensive schools do not offer quality education.B) Parents decide what schools their children are to attend.C) Public schools are usually bigger in size than private schools.D) Children from low income families can’t really choose schools.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 2 with a single line through the centre. Passage OneQuestions 26 to 29 are based on the passage you have just heard.26. A) Encourage the students to do creative thinking.B) Help the students to develop communication skills.C) Cultivate the students’ ability to inspire employees.D) Focus on teaching the various functions of business.27. A) His teaching career at the Harvard Business School.B) His personal involvement in business management.C) His presidency at college and experience overseas.D) His education and professorship at Babson College.28. A) Development of their raw brain power.B) Exposure to the liberal arts and humanities.C) Improvement of their ability in capital management.D) Knowledge of up-to-date information technology.29. A) Reports on business and government corruption.B) His contact with government and business circles.C) Discoveries of cheating among MBA students.D) The increasing influence of the mass media.Passage T woQuestions 30 to 32 are based on the passage you have just heard.30. A) They have better options for their kids than colleges.B) The unreasonably high tuition is beyond their means.C) The quality of higher education may not be worth the tuition.D) They think that their kids should pay for their own education.31. A) They do too many extracurricular activities.B) They tend to select less demanding courses.C) They take part-time jobs to support themselves.D) They think few of the courses worth studying.32. A) Its samples are not representative enough.B) Its significance should not be underestimated.C) Its findings come as a surprise to many parents.D) Its criteria for academic progress are questionable.Passage ThreeQuestions 33 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.33. A) A newly married couple.B) A business acquaintance.C) Someone good at cooking.D) Someone you barely know.34. A) Obtain necessary information about your guests.B) Collect a couple of unusual or exotic recipes.C) Buy the best meat and the freshest fruit.D) Try to improve your cooking skills.35. A) Losing weight.B) Entertaining guests.C) Making friends.D) Cooking meals.Section CDirections: In this section, you will hear a passage three times. When the passage is read for the first time, you should listen carefully for its general idea. When the passage is read for the second time, you are required to fill in the blanks numbered from 36 to 43 with the exact words you have just heard. For blanks numbered from 44 to 46 you are required to fill in the missing information. For these blanks, you can either use the exact words you have just heard or write down the main points in your own words. Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should check what you have written.People with disabilities comprise a large but diverse segment of the population. It is (36) ______ that over 35 million Americans have physical, mental, or other disabilities. (37) ______ half of these disabilities are “developmental,” i.e., they occur prior to the individual’s twenty-second birthday, often from (38) ______ conditions, and are severe enough to affect three or more areas of development, such as (39) ______, communication and employment. Most other disabilities are considered (40) ______, i.e., caused by outside forces.Before the 20th century, only a small (41) ______ of people with disabilities survived for long. Medical treatment for such conditions as stroke or spinal cord (42) ______ was unavailable. People whose disabilities should not have inherently affected their life span were often so mistreated that they (43) ______. Advancements in medicine and social services have created a climate in which (44) . Unfortunately, these basics are often all that is available. Civil liberties such as the right to vote, marry, get an education, and gain employment have historically been denied on the basis of disability.(45)______________________________________________________________. Disabled people formed grassroots coalitions to advocate their rights to integration and meaningful equality of opportunity. (46) . In the mid-1970s, critical legislation mandated（规定）access to education, public transportation, and public facilities, and prohibited employment discrimination by federal agencies or employers receiving federal funds.。

2012年12月听力原文Section A11.W: I just heard about a really beautiful park in the east end of the town. There are a lot of roses in bloom.M: Why don’t we walk over there and see for ourselves?Q: What will the speakers probably do?12.M: My presentation is scheduled for 9:30 tomorrow morning at the lecture hall. I hope to see you there.W: Oh, sorry. I was about to tell you that I have an appointment with my dentist at 9:00 o’clock tomorrow.Q: What do we learn about the woman?13.W: How long have you been running this company?M: Twenty years if you can believe that. I brought it from a small operation to what it is today. Q: What do we learn about the man?14.M: Have you read the news on the campus net? Susan has won the scholarship for next year. W: I knew she would from the very beginning. Such a brilliant and diligent girl! She certainly deserves it.Q: What does the woman mean?15.W: Taking a bus to Miami, it’s cheaper than going by train.M: That’s true. But I’d rather pay a little more for the added comfort and convenience.Q: What does the man mean?16.M: I think it’s time we got rid of all this old furniture.W: You’re right. We need to promote our image besides it’s not a real antique.Q: What do the speakers mean?17.M: That was some storm yesterday. How was I afraid I couldn’t make it home.W: Yeah, most of the roads to my house were flooded. I didn’t get home from the lab until midnight.Q: What do we learn from the conversation?18.W: My boys are always complaining t hat they’re bored.M: Why don’t you get them into some team sports? My son and daughter play soccer every Saturday. And they both look forward to it all week.Q: What does the man mean?Questions 19 to 21 are based on the conversation you have just heardW: So John, I hear you and Arthur share a job, don’t you?M: Yes. We’ve shared a sales job at Sonatech for about two years now.W: Well, how do you divide up your schedule?M: You know we are both sales representatives, and we take orders over the phone. When we started job sharing it was difficult, because we both worked all day Monday. I worked Tuesday and Thursday and Arthur worked Wednesday and Friday. The problem was that when I was in the office on Tuesday. I would talk to people, then they would call back on Wednesday with a question. But Arthur couldn’t answer the question and he couldn’t ask me about it because I wasn’t in the office. So he had to ask the people to call me back the next day, Thursday. Of course, they didn’t like to wait until the n ext day to have their questions answered.W: Yes, that sounds like a problem.M: So, finally we decided that Arthur would work in the mornings and I would work in the afternoons. Now if someone calls with the question for me in the morning, Arthur tells them to call me in the afternoon. This way, people get their questions answered the same day.W: What do you do about vacations?M: Well, Sonatech gives the usual two weeks of vacation to full-time employees, I take a week and Arthur takes a week.W: It sounds like job sharing has worked out well for you.M: Yes, it has. We are both happy with it.Q19. What do John and author do at Sonatech?Q20. What problem did John and Arthur have when they started job sharing?Q21. What does John say about their annual vacation?Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heardW: May I see your license, please?M: But officer, did I do something wrong?W: Do you mean to say you didn’t see the speed limit sign back there?M: Um, no, madam, I guess I didn’t.W: In other words, you drove by too fast to read it. The sign says 35m/h. A school is just nearby, you know?M: Don’t get me wrong, but my speedometer didn’t read much faster than that.W: Then, why is it that my radar showed you are going 45? Let me put it another way. I’m going to give you a ticket. Again, may I see your license, please?M: Here it is, officer. But let me explain. I was late for an important appointment and I wasworried that I wouldn’t make it on time. So...W: Uha, just a minute, here. Your license is no longer valid. You should have renewed it two weeks ago. I’m going to have to write you up for that, too.M: What? Really?W: Your license becomes invalid on your birthday and that was two weeks ago according to the date here. You are in violation of the law—driving without a valid license.M: I’m sorry, madam. I hadn’t realized that.W: Here’s the ticket for not having a valid license. But I’m only going to give you a warning about exceeding the speed limit. Be careful next time.M: Yes, madam, officer, I will. Thank you.Q22. Where was the man stopped by the police officer?Q23. What did the man claim about the speed limit sign?Q24. What did the woman say about the man’s driving license?Q25. What was the man’s penalty?Section BPassage 1Since I started working part-time at a grocery store, I have learned that a customer is more than someone who buy something. To me, a customer is a person whose memory fails entirely once he or she starts to push a shopping card. One of the first things customers forget is how to count. There is no other way to explain how so many people get in their express line, which is clearly marked 15 items or less, with 20, 25 or even a cart load of items. Customers also forget why they came to the stor e in the first place. Just as I finish ringing up an order, a customer will say, “Oops, I forgot to pick up a fresh loaf of bread. I hope you don’t mind waiting while I go get it.” Five minutes later, he’s back with the bread, a bottle of milk, and three r olls of paper towels. Strange is that seems customers also seem to forget that they have to pay for their groceries. Instead of writing a check or looking for a credit card while I am ringing up the groceries, my customers will wait until I announce the to tal. Then, in surprise, she says, “Oh no, what did I do with my check book?” After 5 minutes of digging through her purse, she borrows my pen because she’s forgotten hers. But I have to be tolerant of customers because they pay my salary, and that’s someth ing I can’t afford to forget.Q26. What does the speaker say about customers’ entering the grocery store?Q27. Which customers are supposed to be in the express line?Q28. What does the speaker say some customers do when they arrive at the check-out counter? Q29. What does the speaker say about his job at the end of the talk?Passage 2The speech delivery style of Europeans and Asians tends to be very formal. Speakers of these cultures often read oral presentations from carefully retain manual scripts. On the other hand, American speakers are generally more informal relative to speakers and other cultures. Americanaudiences prefer natural, spontaneous delivery that conveys a lively sense of communication. They don’t relay well to speakers who read f rom a manual script. If you use an outline of your ideas instead of a prepare text, your speech will not only sound more natural, but you will also be able to establish better relationship with your listeners and keep their attention. The language and style you use when making an oral presentation should not be the same as the language in style you use when writing. Well retain information, that is meant to be read, does not work as well when it is heard. It is, therefore, important for you to adapt retain texts or outlines for presentations. Good speakers are much more informal when speaking than when writing. They also use their own words and develop their own speaking styles. Whenever possible, they use short words. Listeners are appreciated when speakers use simple, everyday words in a presentation. One advantage is that it is much easier for speakers to pronounce short words correctly. Another is that long and sophisticated vocabulary choices make listening more difficult.Question 30 to 3230. What does the speaker say American audiences prefer?31. What should one pay attention to when making an oral presentation?32. What does the speaker focus on in the talk?Passage 3Let children learn to judge their own workA child learning to talk does not learn by being corrected all the time. If corrected too much, he will stop talking. He compares a thousand times a day the difference between language as he uses it and language as those around him use it. Bit by bit, he makes the necessary changes to make his language like other people’s. In the same way, kids learning to do all the other things they learn without adult teachers, to walk, run, climb, ride a bike, play games, compare their own performance with what more skilled people do, and slowly make the needed changes. But in school we never give a child a chance to detect his mistakes. We do it all for him. We act as if we thought he would never notice a mistake unless it was pointed out to him. Soon he becomes dependent on the expert. We should let him do it himself. Let him figure out, with the help of other children if he wants it, what this word says, what is the answer to that problem, whether this is a good way of saying or doing this or that.If right answers need to be given, as in mathematics or science, give him the answer book. Let him correct his own papers. Why should we teachers waste time on such tedious work? Our job should be to help the children when they tell us that they can’t find the way to get the right answer.Question 33 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.Q33 How does a child learn to do something according to the speaker?Q34 What belief do teachers commonly hold according to the speaker?Q35 What does the speaker imply about the current way of teaching?Section CTime is, for the average American, of utmost importance. To the foreign visitor, Americans seem to be more concerned with getting things accomplished on time (according to a predetermined schedule) than they are with developing deep interpersonal relations. Schedules, for the American, are meant to be planned and then followed in the smallest detail.It may seem to you that most Americans are completely controlled by the little machines they wear on their wrists, cutting their discussions off abruptly to make it to their next appointment on time.Americans’ language is filled with references to time, giving a clear indication of how much it is valued. Time is something to be “on,” to be “kept,” “filled,” “saved,” “wasted,” “gained,” “planned,” “given,” “made the most of,” even “killed.”The international visitor soon learns that it is considered very rude to be late -- even by 10 minutes -- for an appointment in America.Time is so valued in America, because by considering time to be important one can clearly achieve more than if one “wastes” time and doesn’t keep busy. This philosophy has proven its worth. It has enabled Americans to be extremely productive, and productivity itself is highly valued in America. Many American proverbs stress the value of guarding time, using it wisely, and setting and working toward specific goals. Americans believe in spending their time and energy today so that the fruits of their labor may be enjoyed at a later time.-【听力】11.C) Fifteen12.D) use her computer13.C) coming back home14.D) telephone15.A) Six16.C) posters17.D) story18.B) Buy19.C) changes20.D) library21.B) Winters that are not too cold22.B) adventure23.B) buildings24.A) parks25.D) lifestyle26.C) countryside27.B) patience28.C) leisure time29.A) information30.D) temperature31.A) To attract32.C) cohabitation33.C) stressed34.A) sexist institution35.D) compensation36. ordinary37. switch38. enter39. adopt40. businesses41. married。

Short Conversations11.M：This is the second time this week my boss asked me to work extra hours. I’m glad to get a bigger paycheck, but I don’t want such a heavy schedule.W: Better watch your step.A lot of people would like to trade places with you.Q: What does the woman imply the man should do?12.W: Oh, there you are. Y our wife just called. I told her you were around somewhere, but I couldn’t find you. She’s like you to call her at home.M: At home? She should be at work.I hope nothing is wrong.Q：What does the man imply?13．M: We have to get up early tomorrow, if we want to be at the railway station by 8. Perhaps we should go to bed now.W: I suppose so,but I have to finish this memo and put it in the mail.Q: What do we learn from the conversation?14.W: Let me check, sir.A suite on the third floor was reserved by a Mr. Clomer form July 10th to 16th.M: I’m afraid there’s a mistake, madam. I told my secretary to book a specious double room rather than the luxurious suite.Q: What is the wrong of the reservation?15. W: Profits are down considerably this quarter, do you have any idea what might be the problem?M: I guess it’s just that this is a slack time of the year. I hear other companies are having the same problem.Q: What are the speakers talking about?16. M: I forgot to pick up the groceries on the way home. I’ll just rest a miniute and then go get them.W: No problem, we can make do with what left here, and get them tomorrow.Q: What does the woman suggest they man do?17.W: Somebody should do something about the air-conditioning. It’s ridiculous I have to wear a sweater to work in the middle of summer.M: I agree, i t’s been like this for weeks.Q: What are the speakers talking about?18. W: I lost the diomand out of my ring. Do you know where I could have it replaced?M: I’ve never had a stone put in anything, but I know that the jewery shop on Oxford street has a good reputationQ: What does the woman intend to do?Long Conversation 1W: Mr. Stern, may I ask you, do you think it was necessary and fair to arrest Steve Bril?M: I don’t know whether you realize that this man has been eating a part park for five years. And he is encouraging other people to do the same thing every single day. He has been organizing groups to destroy our urban wildlife.W: But Mr. Stern, this situation has been going on happily for five years, why do you suddenly decide to do something about it?M: |Well, at first, we just thought he was eccentric person, a bit odd, you know. But over the years we came to realize that he is a dangerous guy. He has been ruining our city environment. Parks are to look at, not to eat. It’s just a few going to allow people walk through a zoo, and eat the baby bears.W: But surely you or your park keepers Mr. Stern, could have discouraged Mr Bril from his activity without going to such drastic measures without arresting him?M: Steve is a nice fellow, but what he is doing is illegal. He knows an awful lot about wild weeds. We’ll be very happy to let him organize tours if he just wouldn’t eat the plants and wouldn’t encourage other people to do so, too. Y ou never know what this could lead to, all sorts of people ruining our park in all sorts of ways. This kind of thing is very definitely criminal behavior and must be stopped.Q:19. What does the man say Steve Bril has been doing ?20. Why was Steve Bril not arrested years ago?21. What does the woman think of the action taken against Steve Bril?22. What finally net to Steve Bril’s arrest?Long conversation 2M: Mary, are your children still at school?W: yes, my eldest boy Martin, left school last year. He works at a day center nearby for physically handicaped adults. My daughter Lize is in the fourth year at a comprehensive school.M: How is her foreign language?M: V ery good. She likes French and German.She is not very scientific. Cristepher, my youngest child, is in the last year of junior school. He is much more practically oriented, strong in maths and science.M: He will be going to a comprehensive school, I suppose.W: We have the choice of three comprehensive schools.M: Really? I t’s unusual to have so many to choose from.W: Well, yes. Parter school seems to have done all right. We’re ur..uhm..., there’re certain critisisms about it,but on the whole, we are not too disatisfed.M: Well, generally speaking, what do you think one considers when one is trying to choose.Well, I don’t know if one can really choose one school actually. Y ou tend to..ur... children where they’re sent.W: Y ou can’t very easily unless you are very rich and can afford to choose a private school. And since we’re not very rich, we’ve got all three children to consider. We can’t do that. So they go to the local comprehensive school. What really matters is you know, the quality of the staff, the size of the school. I think the size of the school has a lot of to do with it.Q:13. What do we learn about the woman’s daughter Lize?14. What does the woman say about her youngest child, Cristepher ?15. What can we conlude from the conversation?Passage 1Y ears ago, when I was a young assistant professor at the Harvard Business School, I though that the key to developing managerial leadership lay in raw brain power. I thought the role of business schools was to develop future managers who knew all about the various functions of business to teach them how to define problems succinctly, analyze these problems and identify alternatives in a clear, logical fashion and finally, to teach them to make an intelligent decision.My thinking gradually became tempered by living and working outside the United States and by serving seven years as a college president. During my presidency of Babson College, I added several additional traits or skills that I felt a good manager must possess.The first is the ability to express oneself in a clear articulate fashion. Good oral and written communication skills are absolutely essential if one is to be an effective manager.Second, one must possess that intangible set of qualities called leadership skills. To be a good leader one must understand and be sensitive to people and be able to inspire them toward the achievement of common goals.Next I concluded that effective managers must be broad human beings who not only understand the world of business but also have a sense of the cultural, social, political, historical,and (particularly today) the international aspects of life and society. This suggests that exposure to the liberal arts and humanities should be part of every manager’s education.Finally, as I pondered the business and government-related scandals that have occupied the front pages of newspapers, it became clear that a good manager in today’s world must have courage and a strong sense of integrity. He must know where to draw the line between right and wrong. Questions 26 to 29 are based on the passage you have just heard.26. What does the speaker used to think business schools should do to produce managers?27. What might have changed the speaker’s view of point?28. What does the speaker stress as part of manager education?29. What convinced the speaker that managers need a sense of integrity?Passage 2With top-tier colleges charging as much as $50,000 per year, the idea that students may spend their first two years learning next-to-nothing is enough to make parents pause. How can you make that investment worthwhile? And does going to college really make you smarter?It depends on what you study-and whether you study enough. A discussion at the New Y ork Times earlier this week tackled the issue, with several academics weighing in on whether college is worthwhile, and whether schools are dumbing down their curricula to appeal to more people. In their new book, "Academically Adrift," sociologists Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa found that 32 percent of the students they followed did not take "any courses with more than 40 pages of reading per week" in a typical semester, and half of the students didn't take any course in which they had to write more than 20 pages for the class." Using these criteria, they determined that 45 percent of college students make little academic progress during the first two years of a four-year degree. Their research raises a few red flags. On the one hand: Is it any surprise that a public school system forced to "teach to the test" produces large numbers of students who are unwilling to thinking analytically, learn on their own, or write a research paper? On the other: Does the number of pages read plus the number of pages written equals an accurate assessment of academic progress? A literature or history major, for instance, would have far more reading to do than a math major, but the math workload isn't lighter lifting just because it involves reading fewer pages per week.Questions 30 to 32 are based on the passage you have just heard.30. Why do parents hesitate to pay for their kids’ college education according to the speaker?31. What does the survey by the 2 sociologists show about the students?32. What does the speaker imply about the research by the 2 sociologists?Passage 3Entertaining a close circle of friends isn’t usually difficult. Y ou all know each other so that there’s no problem about conversation. Even the food is a bit sketchy, no one really minds because they’ve come to see you, not a free meal. Well, most of them anyway. It’s the guests you don’t know very well who present unexpectable traps. Therefore, in such categories, as the new husband or wife, boyfriend of girlfriend, or an intimate friend, the business acquaintances who may beuseful to your career, worst of all, the totally unpredictable friend of a friend. My tries in such cases is if you’re an indifferent cook, don’t do any cooking. It’s far better to stay to coffee and drinks, with few expensive biscuits on the side, you can always plead that your flat is so small for more than 2 to eat comfortably, that you get home too late to prepare a decent meal, that your oven is on the blink, any reasonable excuses do, even it’s not believed. If you fancy yourself as a cook, and are anxious to make a good impression, do your homework first. Nothing is more discouraging than to spend hours preparing a delicious meat dish followed by, say, fresh strawberries, only to discover that your first-time guest is a strict vegetarian or is on a spinning diet. This may result in the rest of you tucking into a vast meal while your guest ties suspiciously with a few sides of tomato. “No, thank you, I won’t have any creamed carrots ? from my waist line.”Questions 33 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.33. What kind of guest is most likely to give you a hard time according to the speaker?34. What should you do before preparing a meal for your guests?35. What is the speaker mainly talking about?Compound DictationPeople with disabilities comprise a large but diverse segment of the population. It is estimated further over 3.5 million Americans have physical mental or other disabilities. Approximately, half of these disabilities are developed mental, i.e. they occur prior to the individual’s 22nd birthday, often from genetic conditions and are severe enough to affect 3 or more areas of development such as mobility, communication and employment. Most other disabilities are conceited accidental, ie caused by outside forces. Before the 20th century, only a small percentage of people with disabilities survived for long. Medical treatment for such conditions as stroke-cause spinal cord injury was unavailable. People whose disablilities should not have inherently affected their life span were often soon as treated that they perished. Advancement in medicine and social services have created a climate in which people with disabilities can expect to have such basic needs as food, shelter andmedical treatment met. Unfortunately, these basics are often all that is available. Civil liberties, such as the right to vote, marry, get an education and gain an employment has historically been denied on the basis of disability.In recent decades, the disability rights movement has been organized to combat these violations of civil rights. Disabled people formed grassroots colitions to advocate their rights to integration and meaningful equality of opportunity. Congress responded by passing major legislation, recognizing people with disabilities as a protected class. In the mid 1970s, critical legislation mandated access to education, public transportation and public facilities and prohibited employment discrimination by federal agencies or employers receiving federal funds.。

大学英语六级卷一真题2012年12月(总分710, 做题时间150分钟)Part I Writing (30 minutes)1.Direction:For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay entitled Man and Computer by commenting on the saying, "Thereal danger is not that **puter will begin to think like man, butthat man will begin to think like **puter." You should write at leaset 150 words but no more than 200 words.Man and ComputerSSS_TEXT_QUSTIPart II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) (15 minutes) Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions attached to the passage. For questions 1-7, mark：Y (for YES)Thirst grows for living unpluggedMore people are taking breaks from the connected life amid the stillness and quiet of retreats like the Jesuit Center in Wernersville, PennsylvaniaAbout a year ago, I flew to Singapore to join the writer Malcolm Gladwell, the fashion designer Marc Ecko and the graphic designer Stefan Sagmeister in addressing a group of advertising people on "Marketing to the Child of Tomorrow". Soon after I arrived, the chief executive of the agency that had invited us took me aside. What he was most interested in. he began, was stillness and quiet.A few months later, I read an interview with the well-known cutting-edge designer Philippe Starck.What allowed him to remain so consistently ahead of the curve? "I never read any magazines or watch TV," he said, perhaps with a little exaggeration. "Nor do I go to cocktail parties, dinners or anything like that." He lived outside conventional ideas, he implied, because "1 live alone mostly, in the middle of nowhere."Around the same time, I noticed that those who part with$2 285 a night to stay in a cliff-top room at the Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur, California, pay partly for the privilege of not having a TV in their rooms; the future of travel, I'm reliably told, lies in "black-hole resorts," which charge high prices precisely because you can't get online in their rooms.Has it **e to this?The more ways we have to connect, the more many of us seem desperate to unplug. Internet rescue camps in South Korea and China try to save kids addicted to the screen.Writer friends of mine pay good money to get the Freedom softwarethat enables them to disable the very Internet connections that seemed so emancipating not long ago. Even Intel experimented in 2007 with conferring four uninterrupted hours of quiet time (no phone ore-mail) every Tuesday morning on 300 engineers and managers. Workers were not allowed to use the phone or send e-mail, but simply had the chance to clear their heads and to hear themselves think.The average American spends at least eight and a half hours a day in front of a screen. Nicholas Carr notes in his book The Shallows. The average American teenager sends or receives 75 text messages a day, though one girl managed to handle an average of 10 000 every 24 hours for a month.Since luxury is a function of scarcity, the children of tomorrow will long for nothing more than intervals of freedom from all the blinking machines, streaming videos and scrolling headlines that leave them feeling empty and too full all at once.The urgency of slowing down-to find the time and space to think-is nothing new, of course, and wiser souls have always reminded us that the more attention we pay to the moment, the less time and energy we have to place it in some larger context." Distraction is the only thing that consoles us for our miseries." the French philosopher Blaise Pascal wrote in the 17th century, "and yet it is itself the greatest of our miseries." He also famously remarked that all ofman's **e from his inability to sit quietly in a room alone.When telegraphs and trains brought in the idea that convenience was more important than content, Henry David Thoreau reminded us that'. the man whose horse trots（奔跑）a mile in a minute does not carry the most important messages."Marshall McLuhan, who came closer than most to seeing what **ing, warned. "When **e at you very fast, naturally you lose touch with yourself"We have more and more ways to communicate, but less and less to say. Partly because we are so **municating. And we are rushing to meet so many deadlines that we hardly register that what we need most are lifelines.So what to do? More and more people I know seem to be turning to yoga, or meditation（沉思）,or tai chi（太极）;these aren't New Age fads（时尚的事物）so much as ways to connect with what could becalled the wisdom of old age. Two friends of mine observe an "Internet sabbath（安息日）"every week, turning off their onlineconnections from Friday night to Monday morning. Other friends take walks and "forget" their cellphones at home.A series of tests in recent years has shown. Mr. Carr points out, that after spending time in quiet rural settings, subjects "exhibit greater attentiveness, stronger memory and generally improved cognition. Their brains become both calmer and sharper." More than that, empathy（同感，共鸣）,as well as deep thought. depends (as neuroscientists like二 Antonio Damasio have found) on neural processes that are 'inherently slow."I turn to eccentric measures to try to keep my mind sober and ensure that I have time to do nothing at all (which is the only time when I can see what I should be doing the rest of the time).I have yet to use a cellphone and I have never Tweeted or entered Facebook. I try not to go online till my day's writing is finished, and I moved from Manhattan to rural Japan in part so I could more easily survive for long stretches entirely on foot.None of this is a matter of asceticism（苦行主义）;it is just pure selfishness. Nothing makes me feel better than being in one place, absorbed in a book. a conversation, or music. It is actually something deeper than mere happiness: it is joy. which the monk（僧侣）David Steindl-Rast describes as "that kind of happiness that doesn't depend on what happens."It is vital, of course, to stay in touch with the world. But it is only by having some distance from the world that you can see it whole, and understand what you should be doing with it.For more than 20 years. therefore, I have been going several times a year-often for no longer than three days- to a Benedictine hermitage （修道院）,40 minutes down the road, as it happens, from the Post Ranch Inn. I don't attend services when I am there, and 1 have never meditated, there or anywhere; I just take walks and read and lose myself in the stillness, recalling that it is only by stepping briefly away from my wife and bosses and friends that I will have anything useful to bring to them. The last time 1 was in the hermitage, three months ago. I happened to meet with a youngish-looking man with a 3-year-old boy around his shoulders."You're Pico aren't you?" the man said, and introduced himself as Larry; we had met, 1 gathered, 19 years before, when he had been living in the hermitage as an assistant to one of the monks."What are you doing now?" I asked.We smiled. No words were necessary."I try to bring my kids here as often as I can," he went on. The child of tomorrow, I realized, may actually be ahead of us, in terms of sensing not what is new, but what is essential.SSS_SINGLE_SEL1.What is special about the Post Ranch Inn?A Its rooms are well furnished but dimly lit.B It makes guests feel like falling into a black hole.C There is no access to television in its rooms.D It provides all the luxuries its guests can think of.SSS_SINGLE_SEL2.What does the author say the children of tomorrow will need most?A Convenience **fort in everyday life.B Time away from all electronic gadgets.C More activities to fill in their leisure time.D Greater chances for individual development.SSS_SINGLE_SEL3.What does the French philosopher Blaise Pascal say about distraction?A It leads us to lots of mistakes.B It renders us unable to concentrate.C It helps release our excess energy.D It is our greatest misery in life.SSS_SINGLE_SEL4.According to Marshall McLuhan, what will happen if **e at us very fast?A We will not know what to do with our own lives.B We will be busy receiving and sending messages.C We will find it difficult to meet our deadlines.D We will not notice what is going on around us.SSS_SINGLE_SEL5.What does the author say about yoga, meditation and tai chi?A They help people understand ancient wisdom.B They contribute to physical and mental health.C They are ways to communicate with nature.D They keep people from various distractions.SSS_SINGLE_SEL6.What is neuroscientist Antonio Damasio's finding?A Quiet rural settings contribute a lot to long life.B One's brain becomes sharp when it is activated.C Eccentric measures are needed to keep one's mind sober.D When people think deeply, their neural processes are slow.SSS_SINGLE_SEL7.The author moved from Manhattan to rural Japan partly because he could_______.A stay away from the noise of the big cityB live without modern transportationC enjoy the beautiful view of the countrysideD practice asceticism in a local hermitageSSS_FILL8.In order to see the world whole, the author thinks it necessaryto_____.SSS_FILL9.The author takes walks and reads and loses himself in the stillness of the hermitage so that he can bring his wife and bosses andfriends______.SSS_FILL10.The youngish-looking man takes his little boy to the hermitage frequently so that when he grows up he will know_______.Listening Comprehension (35 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation an SSS_SINGLE_SEL11.A She can count on the man for help.B She has other plans for this weekend.C She can lend the man a sleeping bag.D She has got camping gear for rent.SSS_SINGLE_SEL12.A The man should keep his words.B She regrets asking the man for help.C Karen always supports her at work.D Karen can take her to the airportSSS_SINGLE_SEL13.A He can't afford to go traveling yet.B His trip to Hawaii was not enjoyable.C He usually checks his brakes before a tripD His trip to Hawaii has used up all his money.SSS_SINGLE_SEL14.A The man has to find something else to eat.B There was nothing left except some pie.C The woman is going to prepare the dinner.D Julie has been invited for dinner.SSS_SINGLE_SEL15.A Submit no more than three letters.B Present a new letter of reference.C Apply to three graduate schools.D Send Professor Smith a letter.SSS_SINGLE_SEL16.A He declines to join the gardening club.B He is a professional gardener in town.C He prefers to keep his gardening skills to himself.D He wishes to receive formal training in gardening.SSS_SINGLE_SEL17.A Sculpture is not a typical form of modern art.B Modern art cannot express people's true feelings.C The recent sculpture exhibit was not well organized.D Many people do not appreciate modern art.SSS_SINGLE_SEL18.A Bob does not have much chance to win.B Bob cannot count on her vote.C She will vote for another candidate.D She knows the right person for the positionSection ADirections: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only oncQuestions 19 to 22 are based on the conversation you have just heard.SSS_SINGLE_SEL19.A Poor management of the hospital.B The health hazard at her work place.C Decisions made by the head technician.D The outdated medical testing procedures.SSS_SINGLE_SEL20.A Transfer her to another department.B Repair the X-ray equipment.C Cut down her workload.D Allow her to go on leave for two months.SSS_SINGLE_SEL21.A They are virtually impossible to enforce.B Neither is applicable to the woman's case.C Both of them have been subject to criticism.D Their requirements may be difficult to meet.SSS_SINGLE_SEL22.A Organize a mass strike.B Compensate for her loss.C Try to help her get it back.D Find her a better paying job.Questions 23 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.SSS_SINGLE_SEL23.A In giving concessions.B In the concluding part.C In stating your terms.D In the preparatory phase.SSS_SINGLE_SEL24.A He behaves in a way contrary to his real intention.B He presents his arguments in a straightforward way.C He responds readily to the other party's proposals.D He uses lots of gestures to help make his points clear.SSS_SINGLE_SEL25.A Both may fail when confronting experienced rivals.B The honest type is more effective than the actor type.C Both can succeed depending on the specific situation.D The actor type works better in tough negotiations.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 fromPassage OneQuestions 26 to 29 are based on the passage you have just heard.SSS_SINGLE_SEL26.A The shape of the cubes used.B The size of the objects shown.C The number of times of repeating the process.D The weight of the boxes moving across the stage.SSS_SINGLE_SEL27.A Boys enjoy playing with cubes more than girls.B Girls tend to get excited more easily than boys.C Girls seem to start reasoning earlier than boys.D Boys pay more attention to moving objects than girls.SSS_SINGLE_SEL28.A It is a breakthrough in the study of the nerve system.B It may stimulate scientists to make further studies.C Its result helps understand babies' language ability.D Its findings are quite contrary to previous research.SSS_SINGLE_SEL29.A The two sides of their brain develop simultaneously.B They are better able to adapt to the surroundings.C Their bones mature earlier.D They talk at an earlier age.Passage TwoQuestions 30 to 32 are based on the passage you have just heard.SSS_SINGLE_SEL30.A The new security plan for the municipal building.B The blueprint for the development of the city.C The controversy over the new office regulations.D The city's general budget for **ing year.SSS_SINGLE_SEL31.A Whether the security checks were really necessary.B How to cope with the huge crowds of visitors to the municipal buildingC Whether the security checks would create long queues at peak hours.D How to train the newly recruited security guards.SSS_SINGLE_SEL32.A Irrelevant.B Straightforward.C Ridiculous.D Confrontational.Passage ThreeQuestions 33 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.SSS_SINGLE_SEL33.A He used to work as a miner in Nevada.B He works hard to support his five kids.C He considers himself a blessed man.D He once taught at a local high schoolSSS_SINGLE_SEL34.A To be nearer to Zac's school.B To look after her grandchildren.C To cut their living expenses.D To help with the household chores.SSS_SINGLE_SEL35.A Skeptical.B Optimistic.C Indifferent.D Realistic.Section CDirections: In this section, you will hear a passage three times. When the passage is read for the first time, you should listen carefully for its general idea. When the passage is read for the second time, you are required to fill in the blankMountain climbing is becoming popular sport, but it is also a (36)_______dangerous one. People can fall; they may also become ill. One of the **mon dangers to climbers is altitude sickness, which can affect even very (37) _______climbers.Altitude sickness usually begins when a climber goes above 8 000 or 9 000 feet. The higher one climbs, the less oxygen there is in the air. When people don't get enough oxygen, they often begin to (38)_______for air. They may also feel (39) _______and light-headed. Besides these symptoms of altitude sickness, others such as headache and (40) _______may also occur. At heights of over 18000 feet, people may be climbing in a (41) _______daze（恍惚）. This state of mind can have an (42) _______ effect on their judgment.A few (43) _______ can help most climbers avoid altitude sickness. The first is not to go too high too fast. If you climb to 10 000 feet, stay at that height for a day or two. (44) _______.Or if you do climb higher sooner, come back down to a lower height when you sleep. Also, drink plenty of liquids and avoid tobacco and alcohol. (45)_______. You breathe less when you sleep, so you get less oxygen. The most important warning is this: if you have severe symptoms and they don't go away, go down! (46) _______.SSS_FILL36.SSS_FILL 37.SSS_FILL 38.SSS_FILL 39.SSS_FILL 40.SSS_FILL 41.SSS_FILL 42.SSS_FILL 43.SSS_FILL 44.SSS_FILL 45.SSS_FILL 46.Part IV Reading Comprehension (Reading in Depth) (25 minutes)Section ADirections: Directions: In this section, there is a short passage with 5 questions or incomplete statements. Read the passage carefully. Then answer the questions or complete the statements in the fewest possible words. Please write your answers on Answer Sheet 2.Questions 47 to 51 are based on the following passage.A key process in interpersonal interaction is that of **parison, in that we evaluate ourselves in terms of how we compare to others. In particular, we engage in two types of comparison. First, we decide whether we are superior or inferior to others on certain dimensions, such as attractiveness, intelligence, popularity, etc. Here, the important aspect is to compare with an appropriate reference group. For example,modest joggers should **pare their performance with Olympic standard marathon（马拉松）runners. Second, we judge the extent to which we are the same as or different from others. At certain stages of life, especially adolescence, the pressure to be seen as similar to peers is immense. Thus, wearing the right brand of clothes or shoes may be of the utmost importance. We also need to know whether our thoughts, beliefs and ideas are in line with those of other people. This is part of the process of self-validation whereby we employ self-disclosures to seek support for our self-concept.People who do not have access to a good listener may not only be denied the opportunity to heighten their self- awareness, but they are also denied valuable feedback as to the validity andacceptability of their inner thoughts and feelings. By discussing these with others, we receive feedback as to whether these are experiences which others have as well, or whether they are **mon. Furthermore, by gauging the reactions to our self-disclosures we learn what types are acceptable or unacceptable with particular people and in specific situations. On occasions it is the fear that certain disclosures may be unacceptable to family or friends that motivates an individual to seek professional help. Counsellors will be familiar with client statements such as: "1 just couldn't talk about this to my husband.", "I really can't let my mother know my true feelings." Another aspect of **parison in the counseling context relates to a technique known as normalizing. This is the process whereby helpers provide reassurance to clients that what they are experiencing is not abnormal or atypical（非典型的）,but is a normal reaction shared by others when facing such circumstances. Patientdisclosure, facilitated by the therapist, seems also to facilitate the process of normalizing.SSS_FILL47.To evaluate ourselves, the author thinks it important for us to compare ourselves with_____.SSS_FILL48.During adolescence, people generally feel an immense pressure to appear______.SSS_FILL49.It is often difficult for people to heighten their self-awareness without______.SSS_FILL50.What can people do if they find what they think or say unacceptable to family or friends?SSS_FILL51.Counsellors often assure their clients that what they experience themselves is only______.Section BThere are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centrePassage OnePassage OneQuestions 52 to 56 are based on the following passage.Amid all the job losses, there's no category of worker that the economic disruption has been good for: nonhumans.From self-service checkout lines at supermarket to industrial robots armed with saws and taught to carve up animal bodies in slaughter-houses, these ever-more-intelligent machines are now not just assisting workers but actually kicking them out of their jobs. Automation isn't just affecting factory workers, either. Some law firms now use artificial intelligence software to scan and read mountains of legal documents. work that previously was performed by highly-paid human lawyers."Robots continue to have an impact on blue-collar jobs, and white-collar jobs are under attack by microprocessors," says economics professor Edward Learner. The recession permanently wiped out 2.5 million jobs. US gross domestic product has climbed back to pre-recession levels, meaning we're producing as much as before, only with 6% fewer workers. To be sure, robotics are not the only job killers Out there, with outsourcing（外包）stealing far more jobs than automation.Jeff Burnstein, president of the Robotics Industry Association, argues that robots actually save US jobs. His logic: companies that embrace automation might use fewer workers, but that's still better than firing everyone and moving the work overseas.It's not that robots are cheaper than humans, though often they are. It's that they're better. "In some cases the quality requirements are so exacting that even if you wanted to have a human do the job, you couldn't." Burnstein says.Same goes for surgeons, who're using robotic systems to perform an ever-growing list of operations- not because the machines save money but because, thanks to the greater precision of robots, the patients recover in less time and have **plications, says Dr. Myriam Curet. Surgeons may survive the robot invasion, but others at the hospital might not be so lucky. as iRobot, maker of the Roomba, a robot vacuum cleaner, has been showing off Ava, which could be used as a messenger in a hospital. And once you're home, recovering, Ava could let you talk to your doctor, so there's no need to send someone to your house. That "mobile telepresence" could be useful at the office. If you're away on a trip, you can still attend a meeting. Just connect via videoconferencing software, so your face appears on Ava's screen. Is any job safe? I was hoping to say" journalist," but researchers are already developing software that can gather facts and write a news story. Which means that a few years from now, a robot could be writing this column. And who will read it? Well, there might be a lot of us hanging around with lots of free time on our hands.SSS_SINGLE_SEL52.What do we learn from the first few paragraphs?A The over-use of robots has done damage to American economy.B It is hard for robots to replace humans in highly professional work.C Artificial intelligence is key to future technological innovations.D The robotic industry has benefited from the economic recession.SSS_SINGLE_SEL53.What caused the greatest loss of jobs in America?A Using microprocessors extensively.B Moving production to other countries.C The bankruptcy of **paniesD The invasion of migrant workers.SSS_SINGLE_SEL54.What does Jeff Burnstein say about robots?A They **panies to revive.B They are cheaper than humans.C They prevent job losses in a way.D **pete with human workers.SSS_SINGLE_SEL55.Why are robotic systems replacing surgeons in more and more operations according to Dr. Myriam Curet?A They save lots of money for the patients.B They beat humans in precision.C They take less time to perform a surgery.D They make operations less painful.SSS_SINGLE_SEL56.What does the author imply about robotics?A It will greatly enrich literary creation.B It will start a new technological revolution.C It will revolutionize scientific research.D It will be applied in any field imaginable.Passage TwoQuestions 57 to 61 are based on the following passage.You've now heard it so many times, you can probably repeat it in your sleep. President Obama will no doubt make he point publicly when he gets to Beijing: the Chinese need to consume more; they need-believe it or not-to become more like Americans, for the sake of the global economy.And it's all true. But the other side of that equation is that the US needs to save more. For the moment, American households actually are doing so. After the personal-savings rate dipped to zero in 2005, the shock of the economic crisis last year prompted people to snap shut their wallets.In China, the household-savings rate exceeds 20%.It is partly for policy reasons. As we've seen, age earners are expected to care for not only their children but their aging parents. And there is, to date, only the flimsiest（脆弱的）of publicly-funded health care and pension systems, which increases incentives for individuals to save while they are working. But China is a society that has long esteemed personal financial prudence（谨慎）.There is no chance that will change anytime soon, even if the government creates a better social safety net and successfully encourages greater consumer spendingWhy does the US need to learn a little frugality（节俭）? Because healthy savings rates are one of the surest indicators of a country's long-term financial health. High savings lead, over time, to increased investment, which in turn generates productivity gains, innovation and job growth. In short, savings are the seed corn of a good economic harvest.The US government thus needs to act as well. By running constant deficits, it is dis-saving, even as households save more. Peter Orszag, Obama's Budget Director, recently called the US budget deficits unsustainable and he's right. To date, the US has seemed unable to see the consequences of spending so much more than is taken in. That needs to change. And though Hu Jintao and the rest of the Chinese leadershiparen't inclined to lecture visiting Presidents, he might gently hint that Beijing is getting a little nervous about the value of thedollar--which has fallen 15% since March. in large part because of increasing fears that America's debt load is becoming unmanageable. That's what happens when you're the world's biggest creditor: you get to drop hints like that, which would be enough by themselves to create international economic chaos if they were ever leaked. (Every time any official in Beijing deliberates publicly about seeking an alternative to the US dollar for the$2. 1 trillion China holds in reserve, currency traders have a heart attack.)If Americans saved more and spent less, consistently over time, they wouldn't have to worry about all that.。