2015年12月英语六级考试真题(第二套)

2017年12月英语六级考试真题答案（第二套）Part I Writing范文"Seek to understand others,and you will be understood"The enlightenment of this saying is not lost in our era but unwilling to understand others seems prevalent. The implication of this message is that people can understand each other as long as they try to do this first;there are,in fact,many who get understood by others because they manage to understand others first.There are several factors to be taken into account when we agree on“seek to understand others,and will be understood”:One reason is that trying to understand others can show your kindness to others.Other people would be thankful,so it is easier for them to accept your ideas.On the other hand,it will let you think what other people think so that you can get to know them better.Therefore,your ideas would have a greater chance to be understood.When we seek to understand others,we elevate the goodwill and team-work spirit.There is a stimulative effect that kicks in when people share this spirit.By seeking to understand others,we boost opportunity for fulfilling understanding between each other.Part II Listening ComprehensionSection ALong Conversation11.【答案】C.They facilitate the donation of unsold food to the needy.2.【答案】B.It passed a law aiming to stop overproduction.3.【答案】D.It has banned supermarkets from dumping edible food.4.【答案】A.the confusion over food expiration labels.Long Conversation25.【答案】B.It has just launched its annual anniversary sales.6.【答案】D.Price adjustment within seven days of purchase.7.【答案】C.Credit it to her account.8.【答案】plimentary tailoring.Section BPassage19.【答案】A.They are thin,tall,and unlike real human beings.10.【答案】D.Their body shapes have not changed much.11.【答案】C.On the Internet.Passage212.【答案】A.Moveable metal type began to be used in printing.13.【答案】B.It was the biggest printer in the16th century.14.【答案】B.It boosted the circulation of popular works.15.【答案】D.It promoted the growth of national languages.Section CRecording116.【答案】D)They choose a job without thinking it through.17.【答案】B)Find out what job choices are available.18.【答案】A)The qualifications you have.Recording219.【答案】B)It is a cultural festival founded for African-Americans.20.【答案】C)To help African-Americans to realize their goals.21.【答案】B)The first fruits of the harvest.22.【答案】A)They recite a principle.Recording323.【答案】A)It is one of the world’s most healthy diets.24.【答案】C)It is regarded as one of the greatest researchers of its kind.25.【答案】D)They have lower mortality rates.Part III Reading ComprehensionSection A26.i)permitThe new marine reserve,now the largest in the Pacific,will no fishing or mining.该空考察will之后的动词原形，因此，结合上下句语境，不难得出该空为permit(允许零捕鱼区);27.o)territoryThe tiny island nation has set aside500,000square kilometers-80percent-of its maritime.该空考察maritime后的搭配，考虑到形容词后的搭配，不难得出该空考察maritime后的名词为territory(小岛领土);28.f）exclusiveThat’s the highest percentage of an economic zone devoted to marine conservation by any country in the world.该空考察不定冠词an后的搭配，同时考虑空后的economic，可以得出exclusive(专属经济区);29.c)commercialby individuals and small-scale fishing businesses with limited exports该空考察individuals及small-scale后的搭配，根据上下文语境可以得出，该空答案为commercial(商业捕鱼区);30.d)communitiesIsland have been among the hardest hit by the threats facing the ocean.此处考察从句的主语部分，考虑前后文，可以得出“Island communities”(小岛社区);31.e）essentialThe people of Palau recognise as to our survival.Recognise as后接该空出所问的“这个大胆的一步”所处的地位，“essential”一词为正确答案(Palau地区居民认为的必需品);32.g)independentPalau has only been an nation for twenty years and has a strong history of environmental protection.此处考察搭配“an independent nation”(独立的国家)，故根据前后搭配，答案很容易得出;33.m)sponsorSenator Hokkons Baules,lead of the Palau National Marine Sanctuary Act,said....该提出现在句中的同位语处，因此，考虑到这个人的身份，不难得出答案为sponsor(主要赞助商);34.j)secureHelp build a future...该空考察搭配，“帮助建立...的未来”，因此，“安全的未来”符合语境，故选secure;35.n)stocksCall a temporary stop to fishing for key species in order to give fish an opportunity to replenish.此处考察搭配fish后的搭配，因此，“给...一个补充的机会”，因此，该空答案为fish stocks(鱼类);section B36M)Astronomer David Hogg doesn't think scooping is as serious a problem as generally thought.37.G)some researchers are hesitant to make their dada public for fear that others might publish something similar before them.38.D)some psychology journals have offered incentives to encourage authors to hare their data.39.A)there is a growing demand in the sience community that research data be open the public.40.P)sharing data offers early-career resarchers the chance to build a certain level of reputation.41.C)Data sharing enables scientists to publish each step of their research work. thus leading to more citations.42.B)scientists hold different opinions about the extent and timing of data sharing.43.O)Potential problems related to data sharing should be made known to and discussed by all participants at the beginning of a joint research project.44.F)sharing data and handling data-reated issues can be time-consuming45.F)junior researc hers may have no say when it comes to sharing data.Section c46.A47.D48.B49.A50.B51.D52.B53.B54.A55.APart IV TranslationDongting lake is a large,shallow lake in northeastern hunan province,china.it is a flood basin of the yangtze River.Hence the lake's size depends on the season.the provinces of hubei and hunan are named after their location relative to the lake:Hubei means"north of the lake and Hunan means"south of the lake.dongting lake enjoys a good reputation in chinese culture as the place of origin of dragon boat racing.dragon boat racing is said to have begun on the eastern shores of Dongtinglake as a search for the body of Qu Yuan,the Chu patriotic poet.Dragon Boat racing and the beauty of Dongting Lake and the surrounding area attract thousands of tourists at home and abroad each year.。

2015年12月大学英语六级考试真题(第2套)Part IWriting(30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay based on the picturebelow. You should focus on the difficulty in acquiring useful information in spite of advancedinformation technology. You are required to write at least 150 words but no more than200 words．________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________Part II Listening Comprehension(30 minutes)听力音频地址：Section ADirections: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the endof each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both theconversation and the questions will be spoken onlyonce. After each question there will bea 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 AnswerSheet I with a single line through the centre.1. A.She is impatient to learn computer programming.B.She is unaware her operation system is outdated.C.She is unable to use the new computer program.D. She is amazed at the fast change of technology.2.A.He has long been fed up with traveling.B.He prefers to stay home for the holiday.C.He is going out of town for a couple of days.D. He is annoyed by the heavy traffic downtown.3.A.The challenges facing East Asia.B.The location for their new office.C.Their expansion into the overseas marketD. The living expenses in T okyo and Singapore.4. A.A number of cell phones were found after the last show.B.The woman forgot where she had left her cell phone.C.The woman was very pleased to find her cell phone.D. Reserved tickets could be picked up at the ticket counter.5.A.The building materials will be delivered soon.B.The project is being held up by bad weather.C.The construction schedule may not be met.D. Qualified carpenters are not easy to find.6.A.She is getting very forgetful these days.B.She does not hold on to bitterfeelings.C.She resents the way she is treated.D. She never intends to hurt anyone.7.A.The man wants to rent a small apartment.B.The woman has trouble getting a mortgage.C.The woman is moving to a foreign country.D.The man is trying to sell the woman a house.8. A.They are writing a story for the Morning News.B.They are facing great challenges to get re-elected.C.They are launching a campaign to attract women voters.D.They are conducting a survey among the women in town. Questions 9 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.9.A.T ouch his heart.B.Make him cry.C.Remind him of his life.D.Make him feel young.10. A.He is good at singing operas.B.He enjoys complicated music:C.He can sing any song if he likes it.D.He loves country music in particular.11.A.Go to a bar and drink for hours.B.Go to an isolated place to sing blues.C.Go to see a performance in a concert hall.D.Go to work and wrap himself up in music.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12.A.How he became an announcer.B.How he writes news stories.C.How he makes his living.D.How he does his job.13.A.They write the first version of news stories.B.They gather news stories on the spot.C.They polish incoming news stories.D.They write comments on major news stories.14. A.Reading through the news stories in a given period of time.B.Having little time to read the news before going on the air.C.Having to change the tone of his voice from time to time.D.Getting all the words and phrases pronounced correctly.15.A.It shows where advertisements come in.B.It gives a signal for him to slow down.C.It alerts him to something important.D.It serves as a reminder of sad news.Section BDirections : In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage, you will hearsome questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After youhear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B),C).and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet I with a single linethrough the centre.Passage OneQuestions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.16. A.It gives pleasure to both adults and children.B.It is often carried around by small children.C.It can be found in many parts of the world.D.It was invented by an American Indian.17. A.They were made for earning a living.B.They were delicate geometric figures.C.They were small circus figures made of wire.D.They were collected by a number of museums.18.A.In art.B.In geometry.C.In engineering.D.In circus performance.Passage TwoQuestions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19. A.They offer students a wide variety of courses.B.They attract students from all over the world.C.They admit more students than they can handle.D.They have trouble dealing with overseas students.20. A.Everyone will benefit from education sooner or later.B.A good education contributes to the prosperity of a nation.C.A good education is necessary for one to climb the social ladder.D.Everyone has a right to an education appropriate to his potential.21. A.He likes students with high motivation.B.He enjoys teaching intelligent students.C.He tailors his teaching to students' needs.D.He treats all his students in a fair manner.Passage ThreeQuestions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22. A.It is mostly imported from the Middle East.B.It is a sure indicator of its economic activity.C.It has a direct impact on the international oil market.D.It equals more than 30 million barrels of oil each day.23. A.It eventually turns into heat.B.It is used in a variety of forms.C.Its use is chiefly responsible for air pollution.D.Part of it is lost in the process of transmission.24.A.When it is used in rural areas.B.When it is environment-friendly.C.When it operates at near capacity.D.When it operates at regular times.25.A.Traffic jams in cities.B.Inefficient use of energy.C.Fuel shortage.D.Global warming.Section CDirections: In this section, you will hear a passage three times. When the passage is read for 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 with the exact words you have justheard. Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should check what youhave written.Graphics are used in textbooks as part of the language of the discipline, as in math or economics,or as study aids. Authors use graphic aids to26and expand on concepts taken up in the textbecause graphics are yet another way of portraying relationships and27connections.Graphics are used extensively in natural sciences and social sciences. Social scientists work withstatistics 28 data, and the best way to present these statistics is often in graphic form. Graphicsare included- not merely as a means of making the information easier for the student to grasp, but as anintegral part of the way social scientists think. Many textbooks,29those in economics, containappendixes that provide specific information on reading and working with graphic material.Make it a practice to30attentively the titles, captions, headings, and other materialconnected with graphics. These elements31and usually explain what you are looking at. Whenyou are examining graphics, the32questions to ask are (a.)What is this item about? and (b.)Whatkey idea is the author33?One warning: Unless you integrate your reading of graphics with the text, you may make a wrongassumption.34, from a chart indicating that 33 percent of firstborn children in a research sampledid not feel close to their fathers, you might assume that some dreadful influence was at work on thefirstborn children. However, a careful reading of the text35that most of the firstborn children inthe sample were from single-parent homes in which the father was absent.Part III Reading Comprehension(40 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one wordfor each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read thepassage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank isidentified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on AnswerSheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in thebank more than once.Questions 36 to 45 are based on the following passage.According to a report from the Harvard School of Public Health, many everyday products,including some bug sprays and cleaning fluids, could lead to an increased risk of brain and behavioraldisorders in children. The developing brain, the report says, is particularly36to the toxic effectsof certain chemicals these products may contain, and the damage they cause can be37.The official policy, however, is still evolving. Health and environmental38have long urgedU.S. government agencies to39the use of some of the 11 chemicals the report cites and called formore studies on their long-term effects. In 2001, for example, the Environmental Protection Agency40the type and amount of lead that could be present in paint and soil in homes and child-care41, after concerns were raised about lead poisoning. The agency is now42the toxic effects ofsome of the chemicals in the latest report.But the threshold for regulation is high. Because children's brain and behavioral disorders, likehyperactivity and lower grades, can also be linked to social and genetic factors, it's tough to pin themon exposure to specific chemicals with solid43evidence, which is what the EPA requires. Eventhe Harvard study did not prove a direct44but noted strong associations between exposure andrisk of behavioral issues.Nonetheless, it's smart to45caution. While it may be impossible to prevent kids from drinkingtap water that may contain trace amounts of chemicals, keeping kids away from lawns recently sprayedwith chemicals and freshly dry-cleaned clothescan't hurt.A.advocatespactC.correlationD.exerciseE. facilitiesF. interactionG. investigatingH. overwhelmedI. particlesJ. permanentK. restrictedL. simulatingM. statisticalN. tightenO. vulnerableSection BDirections : In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Eachstatement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraphfrom which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once.Each paragraph is marked with a letter.Answer the questions by marking thecorresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.The Impossibility of Rapid Energy Transitions[ A ] Politicians are fond of promising rapid energy transitions. Whether it is a transition from importedto domestic oil or from coal-powered electricity production to natural-gas power plants, politicianslove to talk big. Unfortunately for them (and often the taxpayers), our energy systems are a bitlike an aircraft carrier: they are unbelievably expensive, they are built to last for a very long time,they have a huge amount of inertia ( meaning it takes a lot of energy to set them moving ), andthey have a lot of momentum once they are set in motion. No matter how hard you try, you can'tturn something that large on a dime ( 10美分硬币), or even a few thousand dimes.[ B ] In physics, moving objects have two characteristics relevant to understanding the dynamics ofenergy systems: inertia and momentum. Inertia is the resistance of objects to efforts to changetheir state of motion. If you try to push a boulder ( 大圆石), it pushes you back. Once you havestarted the boulder rolling, it develops momentum, which is defined by its mass and velocity.Momentum is said to be "conserved," that is, once you build it up, it has to go somewhere. So a heavy object, like a football player moving at a high speed, has a lot of momentum-that is, once he is moving, it is hard to change his state of motion. If you want to change his course, you have only a few choices: you can stop him, transferring ( possibly painfully) some of his kinetic energy (动能) to your own body, or you can approach alongside and slowly apply pressure to gradually alter his course.[ C ] But there are other kinds of momentum as well. After all, we don't speak onlyof objects or people as having momentum; we speak of entire systems having momentum. Whether it's a sports team or a presidential campaign, everybody relishes having the big momentum, because it makes them harder to stop or change direction.[ D ] One kind of momentum is technological momentum. When a technology is deployed, its impacts reach far beyond itself. Consider the incandescent (白炽灯的) bulb, an object currently hated by many environmentalists and energy-efficiency advocates. The incandescent light bulb, invented by Thomas Edison, which came to be the symbol of inspiration, has been developed into hundreds, if not thousands, of forms. Today, a visit to a lighting store reveals a stunning array of choices. There are standard-shaped bulbs, flame-shaped bulbs, colored globe-shaped bulbs, and more. It is quite easy, with all that choice, to change a light bulb.[ E ] But the momentum of incandescent lighting does not stop there. All of those specialized bulbs ledto the building of specialized light fixtures, from the desk lamp you study by, to the ugly but beloved hand-painted Chinese lamp you inherited from your grandmother, to the ceiling fixture in your closet, to the light in your oven or refrigerator, and to the light that the dentist points at you. It is easy to change a light bulb, sure, but it is harder to change the bulb and its fixture.[ F ] And there is more to the story, because not only are the devices that house incandescent bulbs shaped to their underlying characteristics, but rooms and entire buildings have been designed in accordance with how incandescent lighting reflects off walls and windows.[ G ] As lighting expert Howard Brandston points out, “Generally, there are no bad light sources, only bad applications. " There are some very commendable characteristics of the CFL [ compact fluorescent (荧光的) light bulb ], yet the selection of any light source remains inseparable from the luminaire (照明装置) that houses it, along with the space in which both are installed, and lighting requirements that need to be satisfied. The lamp, the fixture, and the room, all three must work in concert for the true benefits of end-users. If the CFL should be used for lighting a particular space, or an object within that space, the fixture must be designed to work with that lamp, and that fixture with the room. It is a symbiotic (共生的) relationship. A CFL cannot be simply installed in an incandescent fixture and then expected to produce a visual appearance that is more than washed out, foggy, and dim. The whole fixture must be replaced-light source and luminaire-and this is never an inexpensive proposition.[ H ] And Brandston knows a thing or two about lighting, being the man who illuminated the Statue of Liberty.[ I ]Another type of momentum we have to think about when planning for changes in our energy systems is labor-pool momentum. It is one thing to say that we are going to shift 30 percent of our electricity supply from, say, coal to nuclear power in 20 years. But it is another thing to have a supply of trained talent that could let you carry out this promise. That is because the engineers,designers, regulators, operators, and all of the other skilled people needed for the new energy industry are specialists who have to be trained first ( or retrained, if they are the ones beinglaid off in some related industry), and education, like any other complicated endeavor, takes time.And not only do our prospective new energy workers have to be trained, they have to be trained in the right sequence. One needs the designers, and perhaps the regulators, before the builders and operators, and each group of workers in training has to know there is work waiting beyond graduation. In some cases, colleges and universities might have to change their training programs, adding another layer of difficulty.[ J ] By far the biggest type of momentum that comes into play when it comes to changing our energy systems is economic momentum. The major components of our energy systems, such as fuel production, refining, electrical generation and distribution, are costly installations that have lengthy life spans. They have to operate for long periods of time before the costs of development have been recovered. When investors put up money to build, say, a nuclear power plant, they expect to earn that money back over the planned life of the plant, which is typically between 40and 60 years. Some coal power plants in the United States have operated for more than 70 years!The oldest continuously operated commercial hydro-electric plant in the United States is on New York's Hudson River, and it went into commercial service in 1898. [ K ] As Vaclav Smil points out, "All the forecasts, plans, and anticipations cited above have failed so miserably because their authors and promoters thought the transitions they hoped to implement would proceed unlike all previous energy transitions, and that their progress could be accelerated in an unprecedentedmanner. "[ L ] When you hear people speaking of making a rapid transition toward any type of energy, whether it is a switch from coal to nuclear power, or a switch from gasoline-powered cars to electric cars, or even a switch.from an incandescent to a fluorescent light, understanding energy system inertia and momentum can help you decide whether their plans are feasible.46. Not only moving objects and people but all systems have momentum.47. Changing the current energy system requires the systematic training of professionals and skilled labor.48. Changing a light bulb is easier than changing the fixture housing it.49. Efforts to accelerate the current energy transitions didn't succeed as expected.50. To change the light source is costly because you have to change the whole fixture.51. Energy systems, like an aircraft carrier set in motion, have huge momentum.52. The problem with lighting, if it arises, often doesn't lie in light sources but in their applications.53. The biggest obstacle to energy transition is that the present energy system is too expensive to replace.54. The application of a technology can impact areas beyond itself.55. Physical characteristics of moving objects help explain the dynamics of energy systems.Section CDirections: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C),and D ). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 56 to 60 are based on the following passage.One hundred years ago, "Colored" was the typical way of referring to Americans of African descent. Twenty years later, it was purposefully dropped to make way for "Negro. " By the late 1960s,that term was overtaken by "Black. " And then, at a press conference in Chicago in 1988, Jesse Jackson declared that "African American" was the term to embrace. This one was chosen because it echoed the labels of groups, such as "Italian Americans" and "Irish Americans," that had already beenfreed of widespread discrimination.A century's worth of calculated name changes point to the fact that naming any group is a politically freighted exercise. A 2001 study cataloged all the ways in which the term "Black" carried connotations (涵义) that were more negative than those of "African American. "But if it was known that "Black" people were viewed differently from "African Americans,"researchers, until now, hadn't identified what that gap in perception was derived from. A recent study, conducted by Emory University's Erika Hall, found that "Black" people are viewed more negatively.than "African Americans" because of a perceived difference in socioeconomic status. As a result,"Black" people arethought of as less competent and as having colder personalities.The study's most striking findings shed light on the racial biases permeating the professional world.Even seemingly harmless details on a resume, it appears, can tap into recruiters' biases. A job application might mention affiliations with groups such as the "Wisconsin Association of African-American Lawyers" or the "National Black Employees Association," the names of which apparently have consequences, and are also beyond their members' control.In one of the study's experiments, subjects were given a brief description of a man from Chicago with the last name Williams. T o one group, he was identified as "African-American," and another was told he was "Black. " With little else to go on, they were asked to estimate Mr. Williams's salary,professional standing, and educational background.The "African-American" group estimated that he earned about $ 37,000 a year and had a two-year college degree. The "Black" group, on the other hand, put his salary at about $ 29,000, and guessed that he had only "some" college experience. Nearly three-quarters of the first group guessed that Mr.Williams worked at a managerial level, while only 38.5 percent of the second group thought so.Hall's findings suggest there's an argument to be made for electing to use "African American,"though one can't help but get the sense that it's a decision that papers over the urgency of continued progress. Perhaps a new phrase is needed, one that can bring everyone one big step closer to realizing Du Bois's original, idealistic hope: "It's not the name-it's the Thing that counts. "56.Why did Jesse Jackson embrace the term "African American" for people of African descent?57. A.It is free from racial biases.B.It represents social progress.C.It is in the interest of common Americans.D.It follows the standard naming practice.57. What does the author say about the naming of an ethnic group ?A.It advances with the times.B.It is based on racial roots.C.It merits intensive study.D.It is politically sensitive.58.What do Erika Hall's findings indicate?A.Racial biases are widespread in the professional world.B.Many applicants don't attend to details on their resumes.C.Job seekers should all be careful- about their affiliations.D.Most recruiters are unable to control their racial biases.59. What does Erika Hall find in her experiment about a man with the last name Williams?A.African Americans fare better than many other ethnic groups.B.Black people's socioeconomic status in America remains low.C.People's conception of a person has much to do with the way he or she is labeled.D.One's professional standing and income are related to their educational background.60. What is Dr. Du Bois's ideal?A.All Americans enjoy equal rights.B.A person is judged by their worth.C.A new term is created to address African Americans.D.All ethnic groups share the nation's continued progress.Passage TwoQuestions 61 to 65 are based on the following passage.Across the board, American colleges and universities are not doing a very good job of preparing their students for the workplace or their post-graduation lives. This was made clear by the work of two sociologists, Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa.In 2011 they released a landmark study titled"Academically Adrift," which documented the lack of intellectual growth experienced by many people enrolled in college. In particular, Arum and Roksa found, college students were not developing the critical thinking, analytic reasoning and other higher-level skills that are necessary to thrive in today's knowledge-based economy and to lead our nation in a time of complex challenges and dynamic change.Arum and Roksa placed the blame for students' lack of learning on a watered-down college curriculum and lowered undergraduate work standards. Although going to college is supposed to be a Full-time job, students spent, on average, only 12 to 14 hours a week studying and many were skating through their semesters withoutdoing a significant amount of reading and writing. Students who take more challenging classes and spend more time studying do learn more. But the priorities of many undergraduates are with extracurricular activities, playing sports, and partying and socializing.Laura Hamilton, the author of a study on parents who pay for college, will argue in a forthcoming book that college administrations are overly concerned with the social and athletic activities of their students. In Paying for the Party, Hamilton describes what she calls the “arty pathway," which eases many students through college, helped-along by various clubs that send students into the party scene and a host of easier majors.By sanctioning this watered-down version of college, universities are"catering to the social and educational needs of wealthy students at the expense of others" who won't enjoy the financial backing or social connections of richer students once they graduate.These students need to build skills and knowledge during college if they are to use their degrees as a stepping-stone to middle-class mobility. But more privileged students must not waste this opportunity either. As recent graduates can testify, the job market isn't kind to candidates who can't demonstrate genuine competence, along with a well-cultivated willingness to work hard. Nor is the global economy forgiving of an American workforce with increasingly weak literacy, math and science abilities. College graduates will still fare better than those with only a high school education, of course. But a university degree unaccompanied by a gain in knowledge or skills is an empty achievement indeed. For students who have beencoasting through college, and for American universities that have been demanding less work, offering more attractions and charging higher tuition, the party may soon be over.61. What is Arum and Roksa's finding about higher education in America?A.It aims at stimulating the intellectual curiosity of college students.B.It fails to prepare students to face the challenges of modern times.C.It has experienced dramatic changes in recent years.D.It has tried hard to satisfy students' various needs.62. What is responsible for the students' lack of higher-level skills?A.The diluted college curriculum.B.The boring classroom activities.C.The absence of rigorous discipline.D.The outdated educational approach.63. What does Laura Hamilton say about college administrations?A.They fail to give adequate help to the needy students.B.They tend to offer too many less challenging courses.C.They seem to be out of touch with society.D.They prioritize non-academic activities.64. What can be learned about the socially and financially privileged students?A.They tend to have a sense of superiority over their peers.B.They can afford to choose easier majors in order to enjoy themselves.C.They spend a lot of time building strong connections with businesses.。

2016年12月大学英语六级考试真题（第二套）Part III Reading Comprehension （40 minutes）Section ADirections: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefullybefore making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark thecorresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You maynot use any of the words in the bank more than once.The tree people in the Lord of the Rings—the Ents—can get around by walking. But for real trees, it’s harder to uproot. Because they’re literally rooted into the ground, they are unable to leave and go 26 .When a tree first starts growing in a certain area, it’s likely that the 27 envelope-the temperature, humidity, rainfall patterns and so on-suits it. Otherwise, it would be unable to grow from a seedling. But as it 28 , these conditions may change and the area around it may no longer be suitable for its 29 .When that happens, many trees like walnuts, oaks and pines, rely 30 on so-called “scatter hoarders”, such as birds, to move their seeds to new localities. Many birds like to store food for the winter, which they 31 retrieve. When the birds forget to retrieve their food-and they do sometimes-a seedling has a chance to grow. The bird Clark’s nutcracker, for example, hides up to 100,000 seeds per year, up to 30 kilometers away from the seed source, and has a very close symbiotic（共生的）relationship with several pine species, most 32 the white bark pine.As trees outgrow their ideal 33 in the face of climate change, these flying ecosystem engineers could be a big help in 34 trees. It’s a solution for us-getting birds to do the work is cheap and effective-and it could give 35 oaks and pines the option to truly “make like a tree and leave”.Section BDirections: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which theinformation is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked witha letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.The American Workplace Is Broken. Here’s How We Can Start Fixing It.[A]Americans are working longer and harder hours than ever before. 83% of workers say they’re stressed about their jobs, nearly 50% say work-related stress is interfering with their sleep, and 60% use their smartphones to check in with work outside of normal working hours. No wonder only 13% of employees worldwide feel engaged in their occupation.[B]Glimmers（少许）of hope, however, are beginning to emerge in this bruising environment: Americans are becoming aware of the toll their jobs take on them, and employers are exploring ways to alleviate the harmful effects of stress and overwork. Yet much more work remains to be done. To call stress an epidemic isn’t exaggeration. The 83% of American employees who are stressed about their jobs-up from 73% just a year before-say that poor compensation and an unreasonable workload are their number-one sources of stress. And if you suspected that the workplace had gotten more stressful than it was just a few decades ago, you’re right. Stress levels increased 18% for women and 24% for men from 1983 to 2009. Stress is also starting e arlier in life, with some data suggesting that today’s teens are even more stressed than adults.[C]Stress is taking a significant toll on our health, and the collective public health cost may be enormous. Occupational stress increases the risk of heart attack and diabetes, accelerates the aging process, decreases longevity, and contributes to depression and anxiety, among numerous other negative health outcomes. Overall, stress-related health problems account for up to 90% of hospital visits, many of the m preventable. Your job is “literally killing you”, as The Washington Post put it. It’s also hurting our relationships. Working parents say they feel stressed, tired, rushed and short on quality time with their children, friends and partners.[D]Seven in 10 workers say they struggle to maintain work-life balance. As technology（and with it, work emails）seeps（渗入）into every aspect of our lives, work-life balance has become an almost meaningless term. Add a rapidly changing economy and an uncertain future to this 24/7 connectivity, and you’ve got a recipe for overwork, according to Phyllis Moen. “There’s rising work demand coupled with the insecurity of mergers, takeovers, downsizing and other factors,” Moen said. “Part of the work-life issue has to talk about uncertainty about the future.”[E] These factors have converged to create an increasingly impossible situation with many employees overworking to the point of burnout. It’s not only unsustainable for workers, but also for the companies that employ them. Science has shown a clear correlation between high stress levels in workers and absenteeism（旷工）, reduced productivity, disengagement and high turnover. Too many workplace policies effectively prohibit employees from developing ahealthy work-life balance by barring them from taking time off, even when they need it most.[F]The U.S. trails far behind every wealthy nation and many developing ones that have family-friendly work policies including paid parental leave, paid sick days and breast-feeding support. According to a 2007 study, the U.S. is also the only advanced economy that does not guarantee workers paid vacation time, and it’s one of only two countries in the world that does not offer guaranteed paid maternity leave. But even when employees are given paid time off, workplace norms and expectations that pressure them to overwork often prevent them from taking it. Fulltime employees who do have paid vacation days only use half of them on average.[G]Our modern workplaces also operate based on outdated time constraints. The practice of clocking in for an eight-hour workday is a leftover from the days of the Industrial Revolution, as reflected in the then-popular saying, “Eight hours labor, eight hours recreation, eight hours rest”.[H] We’ve held on t o this workday structure—but thanks to our digital devices, many employees never really clock out. Today, the average American spends 8.8 hours at work daily, and the majority of working professionals spend additional hours checking in with work during eve nings, weekends and even vacations. The problem isn’t the technology itself, but that the technology is being used to create more flexibility for the employer rather than the employee. In a competitive work environment, employers are able to use technology to demand more from their employees rather than motivating workers with flexibility that benefits them.[I]In a study published last year, psychologists coined the term “workplace telepressure” to describe an employee’s urge to immediately respond to em ails and engage in obsessive thoughts about returning an email to one’s boss, colleagues or clients. The researchers found that telepressure is a major cause of stress at work, which over time contributes to physical and mental burnout. Of the 300 employees participating in the study, those who experienced high levels of telepressure were more likely to agree with statements assessing burnout, like “I’ve no energy for going to work in the morning”, and to report feeling fatigued and unfocused. Telepressure was also correlated with sleeping poorly and missing work.[J]Harvard Business School professor Leslie Perlow explains that when people feel the pressure to be always “on”, they find ways to accommodate that pressure, including altering their schedules, work habits and interactions with family and friends. Perlow calls this vicious cycle the “cycle of responsiveness”: Once bosses and colleagues experience an employee’s increased responsiveness, they increase their demands on the employee’s time. And becau se a failure to accept these increased demands indicates a lack of commitment to one’s work, the employee complies.[K] To address skyrocketing employee stress levels, many companies have implemented workplace wellness programs, partnering with health care providers that have created programs to promote employee health and well-being. Some research does suggest that these programs hold promise. A study of employees at health insuranceprovider Aetna revealed that roughly one quarter of those taking in-office yoga and mindfulness classes reported a 28% reduction in their stress levels and a 20% improvement in sleep quality. These less-stressed workers gained an average of 62 minutes per week of productivity. While yoga and meditation（静思）are scientifically proven to reduce stress levels, these programs do little to target the root causes of burnout and disengagement. The conditions creating the stress are long hours, unrealistic demands and deadlines, and work-life conflict.[L]Moen and her colleagues may have found the solution. In a 2011 study, she investigated the effects of implementing a Results Only Work Environment（ROWE）on the productivity and well-being of employees atBest Buy’s corporate headquarters.[M]For the study, 325 employees spent six months taking part in ROWE, while a control group of 334 employees continued with their normal workflow. The ROWE participants were allowed to freely determine when, where and how they worked—the only thing that mattered was that they got the job done. The results were striking. After six months, the employees who participated in ROWE reported reduced work-family conflict and a better sense of control of their time, and they were getting a full hour of extra sleep each night. The employees were less likely to leave their jobs, resulting in reduced turnover. It’s important to note that the increased flexibility didn’t encourage them to work around the clock. “They didn’t work anywhere and all the time—they were better able to manage their work,” Moen said. “Flexibility and control is key,” she continued.36. Workplace norms pressure employees to overwork, deterring them from taking paid time off.37. The overwhelming majority of employees attribute their stress mainly to low pay and an excessive workload.38. According to Moen, flexibility gives employees better control over their work and time.39. Flexibility resulting from the use of digital devices benefits employers instead of employees.40. Research finds that if employees suffer from high stress, they will be less motivated, less productive and morelikely to quit.41. In-office wellness programs may help reduce stress levels, but they are hardly an ultimate solution to the problem.42. Health problems caused by stress in the workplace result in huge public health expenses.43. If employees respond quickly to their job assignments, the employer is likely to demand more from them.44. With technology everywhere in our life, it has become virtually impossible for most workers to keep a balancebetween work and life.45. In America today, even teenagers suffer from stress, and their problem is even more serious than grown-ups’.Section CDirections: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide onthe best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through thecentre.Passage OneQuestions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.Dr. Donald Sadoway at MIT started his own battery company with the hope of changing the world’s energy future. It’s a dramatic endorsement for a technology most people think about only when their smartphone goes dark. But Sadoway isn’t alone in trumpeting energy storage as a missing link to a cleaner, more efficient, and more equitable energy future.Scientists and engineers have long believed in the promise of batteries to change the world. Advanced batteries are moving out of specialized markets and creeping into the mainstream, signaling a tipping point for forward-looking technologies such as electric cars and rooftop solar panels.The ubiquitous（无所不在的）battery has already come a long way, of course. For better or worse, batteries make possible our mobile-first lifestyles, our screen culture, our increasingly globalized world. Still, as impressive as all this is, it may be trivial compared with what comes next. Having already enabled a communications revolution, the battery is now poised to transform just about everything else.The wireless age is expanding to include not just our phones, tablets, and laptops, but also our cars, homes, and even whole communities. In emerging economies, rural communities are bypassing the wires and wooden poles that spread power. Instead, some in Africa and Asia are seeing their first light bulbs illuminated by the power of sunlight stored in batteries.Today, energy storage is a $33 billion global industry that generates nearly 100 gigawatt-hours of electricity per year. By the end of the decade, it’s expected to be worth over $50 billion and generate 160 gigawatt-hours, enough to attract the attention of major companies that might not otherwise be interested in a decidedly pedestrian technology. Even utility companies, which have long viewed batteries and alternative forms of energy as a threat, are learning to embrace the technologies as enabling rather than disrupting.Today’s battery breakthroughs come as the world looks to expand modern energy access to the billion or so people without it, while also cutting back on fuels that warm the planet. Those simultaneous challenges appear less overwhelming with increasingly better answers to a centuries-old question: how to make power portable.To be sure, the battery still has a long way to go before the nightly recharge completely replaces the weekly trip to the gas station. A battery-powered world comes with its own risks, too. What happens to the centralized electric grid, which took decades and billions of do llars to build, as more and more people become “prosumers”, who produce and consume their own energy onsite?No one knows which—if any—battery technology will ultimately dominate, but one thing remains clear. The future of energy is in how we store it.46. What does Dr. Sadoway think of energy storage?A）It involves the application of sophisticated technology.B）It is the direction energy development should follow.C）It will prove to be a profitable business.D）It is a technology benefiting everyone.47. What is most likely to happen when advanced batteries become widely used?A）Mobile-first lifestyles will become popular.B）The globalization process will be accelerated.C）Communications will take more diverse forms.D）The world will undergo revolutionary changes.48. In some rural communities of emerging economies, people have begun to __________.A）find digital devices simply indispensableB）communicate primarily by mobile phoneC）light their homes with stored solar energyD）distribute power with wires and wooden poles49. Utility companies have begun to realize that battery technologies __________.A）benefit their businessB）transmit power fasterC）promote innovationD）encourage competition50. What does the author imply about the centralized electric grid?A）It might become a thing of the past.B）It might turn out to be a “prosumer”.C）It will be easier to operate and maintain.D）It will have to be completely transformed.Passage TwoQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.More than 100 years ago, American sociologist W. E. B. Du Bois was concerned that race was being used as a biological explanation for what he understood to be social and cultural differences between different populations of people. He spoke out against the idea of “white” and “black” as distinct groups, claiming that these distinctions ignored the scope of human diversity.Science would favor Du Bois. Today, the mainstream belief among scientists is that race is a social construct without biological meaning. In an article published in the journal Science, four scholars say racial categories need to be phased out.“Essentially, I could not agree more with the authors,” said Svante Pääbo, a biologist and director of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany. In one example that demonstrated genetic differences were not fixed along racial lines, the full genomes（基因组）of James Watson and Craig Venter, two famous American scientists of European ancestry, were compared to that of a Korean scientist, Seong-Jin Kim. It turned out that Watson and Venter shared fewer variations in their genetic sequences than they each shared with Kim.Michael Yudell, a professor of public health at Drexel University in Philadelphia, said that modern genetics research is operating in a paradox: on the one hand, race is understood to be a useful tool to illuminate human genetic diversity, but on the other hand, race is also understood to be a poorly defined marker of that diversity.Assumptions about genetic differences between people of different races could be particularly dangerous in a medical setting. “If you make clinical predictions based on somebody’s race, you’re going to be wrong a good chunk of the time,” Yudell told Live Science. In the paper, he and his colleagues used the example of cystic fibrosis, which is underdiagnosed in people of African ancestry because it is thought of as a “white” disease.So what other variables could be used if the racial concept is thrown out? Yudell said scientists need to get more spec ific with their language, perhaps using terms like “ancestry” or “population” that might more precisely reflect the relationship between humans and their genes, on both the individual and population level. The researchers also acknowledged that there are a few areas where race as a construct might still be useful in scientific research: as a political and social, but not biological, variable.“While we argue phasing out racial terminology（术语）in the biological sciences, we also acknowledge thatusing race as a political or social category to study racism, although filled with lots of challenges, remains necessary given our need to understand how structural inequities and discrimination produce health disparities（差异）between groups.” Yudell said.51. Du Bois was opposed to the use of race as ________.A）a basis for explaining human genetic diversityB）an aid to understanding different populationsC）an explanation for social and cultural differencesD）a term to describe individual human characteristics52. The study by Svante Pääbo served as an example to show ________.A）modern genetics research is likely to fuel racial conflictsB）race is a poorly defined marker of human genetic diversityC）race as a biological term can explain human genetic diversityD）genetics research should consider social and cultural variables53. The example of the disease cystic fibrosis underdiagnosed in people of African ancestry demonstrates that _____.A）it is absolutely necessary to put race aside in making diagnosisB）it is important to include social variables in genetics researchC）racial categories for genetic diversity could lead to wrong clinical predictionsD）discrimination against black people may cause negligence in clinical treatment54. What is Yudell’s sugges tion to scientists?A）They be more precise with the language they use.B）They refrain from using politically sensitive terms.C）They throw out irrelevant concepts in their research.D）They examine all possible variables in their research.55. What c an be inferred from Yudell’s remark in the last paragraph?A）Clinging to racism prolongs inequity and discrimination.B）Physiological disparities are quite striking among races.C）Doing away with racial discrimination is challenging.D）Racial terms are still useful in certain fields of study.Part VI Translation （30 minutes）Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.随着中国经济的蓬勃发展，学汉语的人数迅速增加，使汉语成了世界上人们最爱学的语言之一。

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

2015年12月英语六级考试真题试卷（第2套）Part I Writing(30minutes)Directions:For this part,you are allowed30minutes to write a short essay based on the picture below.You should focus on the difficulty in acquiring useful information in spite of advanced information technology.You are required to write at least150words but no more than200words.Part II Listening Comprehension(25minutes)Section A注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。

1.A)She is impatient to learn computer programming.B)She is unaware her operation system is outdated.C)She is unable to use the new computer program.D)She is amazed at the fast change of technology.2.A)He has long been fed up with traveling.B)He prefers to stay home for the holiday.C)He is going out of town for a couple of days.D)He is annoyed by the heavy traffic downtown.3.A)The challenges facing East Asia.B)The location for their new office.C)Their expansion into the overseas market.D)The living expenses in Tokyo and Singapore.4.A)A number of cell phones were found after the last show.B)The woman forgot where she had left her cell phone.C)The woman was very pleased to find her cell phone.D)Reserved tickets could be picked up at the ticket counter.5.A)The building materials will be delivered soon.B)The project is being held up by bad weather.C)The construction schedule may not be met.D)Qualified carpenters are not easy to find.6.A)She is getting very forgetful these days.B)She does not hold on to bitter feelings.C)She resents the way she is treated.D)She never intends to hurt anyone.7.A)The man wants to rent a small apartment.B)The woman has trouble getting a mortgage.C)The woman is moving to a foreign country.D)The man is trying to sell the woman a house.8.A)They are writing a story for the Morning News.B)They are facing great challenges to get re-elected.C)They are launching a campaign to attract women voters.D)They are conducting a survey among the women in town. Questions9to11are based on the conversation you have just heard.9.A)Touch his heart.B)Make him cry.C)Remind him of his life.D)Make him feel young.10.A)He is good at singing operas.B)He enjoys complicated music.C)He can sing any song if he likes it.D)He loves country music in particular.11.A)Go to a bar and drink for hours.B)Go to an isolated place to sing blues.C)Go to see a performance in a concert hall.D)Go to work and wrap himself up in music.Questions12to15are based on the conversation you have just heard.12.A)How he became an announcer.B)How he writes news stories.C)How he makes his living.D)How he does his job.13.A)They write the first version of news stories.B)They gather news stories on the spot.C)They polish incoming news stories.D)They write comments on major news stories.14.A)Reading through the news stories in a given period of time.B)Having little time to read the news before going on the air.C)Having to change the tone of his voice from time to time.D)Getting all the words and phrases pronounced correctly.15.A)It shows where advertisements come in.B)It gives a signal for him to slow down.C)It alerts him to something important.D)It serves as a reminder of sad news.Section BPassage OneQuestions16to18are based on the conversation you have just heard.16.A)It gives pleasure to both adults and children.B)It is often carried around by small children.C)It can be found in many parts of the world.D)It was invented by an American Indian.17.A)They were made for earning a living.B)They were delicate geometric figures.C)They were small circus figures made of wire.D)They were collected by a number of museums.18.A)In art.B)In geometry.C)In engineering.D)In circus performance.Passage TwoQuestions19to21are based on the passage you have just heard.19.A)They offer students a wide variety of courses.B)They attract students from all over the world.C)The admit more students than they can handle.D)They have trouble dealing with overseas students.20.A)Everyone will benefit from education sooner or later.B)A good education contributes to the prosperity of a nation.C)A good education is necessary for one to climb the social ladder.D)Everyone has a right to an education appropriate to his potential.21.A)He likes students with high motivation.B)He enjoys teaching intelligent students.C)He tailors his teaching to students'needs.D)He treats all his students in a fair manner.Passage Three Passage ThreeQuestions22to25are based on the passage you have just heard.22.A)It is mostly imported from the Middle East.B)It is a sure indicator of its economic activity.C)It has a direct impact on the international oil market.D)It equals more than30million barrels of oil each day.23.A)It eventually turns into heat.B)It is used in a variety of forms.C)Its use is chiefly responsible for air pollution.D)Part of it is lost in the process of transmission.24.A)When it is used in rural areas.B)When it is environment-friendlyC)When it operates at near capacity.D)When it operates at regular times.25.A)Traffic jams in cities.B)Inefficient use of energy.C)Fuel shortage.D)Global warming.Section CGraphics are used in textbooks as part of the language of the discipline,as in math or economics, or as study aids.Authors use graphic aids to__26__and expand on concepts taken up in the text because graphics are yet another way of portraying relationships and__27__connections. Graphics are used extensively in natural sciences and social sciences.Social scientists work with statistics__28__data,and the best way to present these statistics is often in graphic form. Graphics are included not merely as a means of making the information easier for the student to grasp,but as an integral part of the way social scientists think.Many textbooks,__29__those in economics,contain appendixes that provide specific information on reading and working with graphic material.Make it a practice to__30__attentively the titles,captions,headings,and other material connected with graphics.These elements__31__and usually explain what you are looking at. When you are examining graphics,the__32__questions to ask are(a)What is this items about? and(b)What key idea is the author__33__.One warning:Unless you integrate your reading of graphics with the text,you may make a wrong assumption.__34__,from a chart indicating that33percent of firstborn children in a research sample did not feel close to their fathers,you might assume that some dreadful influence was at work on the firstborn children.However,a careful reading of the text__35__that most of the firstborn children in the sample were from single-parent homes in which the father was absent. PartⅢReading Comprehension(40minutes)Section ADirections:In this section,there is a passage with ten blanks.You are required to select oneword for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage.Read the passage through carefully before making your choices.Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet2with a single line through the centre.You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.Questions36to45are based on the following passage.According to a report from the Harvard School of Public Health,many everyday products, including some bug sprays and cleaning fluids,could lead to an increased risk of brain and behavioral disorders in children.The developing brain,the report says,is particularly__36__to the toxic effects of certain chemicals these products may contain,and the damage they cause can be__37__.The official policy,however,is still evolving.Health and environmental__38__have long urged US government agencies to__39__the use of some of the11chemicals the report cites and called for more studies on their long-term effects.In2001,for example,the Environmental Protection Agency__40__the type and amount of lead that could be present in paint and soil in homes and child-care__41__,after concerns were raised about lead poisoning.The agency is now__42__ the toxic effects of some of the chemicals in the latest report.But the threshold for regulation is high.Because children's brain and behavioral disorders,like hyperactivity and lower grades,can also be linked to social and genetic factors,it's tough to pin them on exposure to specific chemicals with solid__43__evidence,which is what the EPA requires.Even the Harvard study did not prove a direct__44__but noted strong associations between exposure and risk of behavioral issues.Nonetheless,it's smart to__45__caution.While it may be impossible to prevent kids from drinking tap water that may contain trace amounts of chemicals,keeping kids away from lawns recently sprayed with chemicals and freshly dry-cleaned clothes can't hurt.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。

2015年12月英语六级真题及答案完整版（网友版第一套）Direction: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short eaasy based on the picture below. You should focus on the difficulty in acquiring useful information in spite of advanced information technology. You are required to write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words.As is graphicallyrevealed in the cartoon, a few employees are holdinga conference in themeeting room equipped with advanced devices. However, the moststriking feature of the drawing is that the man in the center, whoseems like a manager, says that they have lots of informationtechnology, while useful information is badly needed. Simple as theillustration seems, it discloses a serious problem that it israther hard to obtain helpful information in the highly modernizedsociety.A multitude of reasonscan account for the phenomenon. On the one hand, it can bepartially due to the fact that the modern technology has beendeveloping at an incredible speed, which provides a boomingamountof information and it is difficult to tell the right from thewrong. On the other hand, it is also because the restriction aboutspreading information on the Internet is far from perfect, makingit difficultto get rid of the problem effectively andfundamentally.From my perspective,it is high time that we transferred our focus from developingtechnology to searching for something helpful. Only in this way canwe acquire what we literally need.第一版：短对话1.W: Wow, what a variety of salads you’ve got on your menu, could yourecommend something special?M: Well, I think you can try this mixed salad. We make the dressingwith fresh berries.Q: what does the man mean?2.W: I was talking to Mary the other day, and she mentioned that your newconsulting firm is doing really well.M: Yes, business paced up much faster than we anticipated. We now haveover 200 clients.Q: What do we learn about the man from the conversation?3.W: Do you know where we keep flash disks andprinting paper?M: They should be in the cabinet if there are any. That’s where we keepall of our office supplies.Q: what does the woman mean?4.W: The printing of this dictionary is so small. I can’t read theexplanations at all.M: Let me get my magnify glass. I know I just can’t do without it.Q: What does the man mean?5.W: I’m considering having my office redecorated, the furniture is oldand the paint is chipping.M: I’ll give you my sister-in-law’s number. She just graduated from aninterior designing academy, and will give a free estimate.Q: What is the woman considering?6.W: We have a full load of goods that needs to be delivered. But wecan’t get a container ship anyway.M: That’s always being a problem in this port. The facilities here arenever able to meet our needs.Q: What are the speakers talking about?7.W: Why didn’t Rod get a pay raise?M: The boss just isn’t convinced that his work attitude warranted it.She said she saw him by thecoffee machine more often than at his desk.Q: What are the speakers talking about?8.W: The hotel called, saying that because of the scheduling there, theywon’t be are able to cater for our banquet.M: I know an Indian restaurant on the high street that offers a specialdiner for groups. The food is excellent, and the room is large enough toaccommodate us.Q: What does the man suggest they do?长对话Conversation 1M: Hello Jane.W: Hello Paul.M: Please coming. I’m just getting ready to go home. Susan is expectingme for dinner. I wanted to be on time for a change.W: Look, I’m terribly sorry to drop in this time on Friday, Paul, butit is rather important.M: That’s OK. What’s the problem?W: Well, Paul, I won’t keep you long. You see there is a problem withthe exchange rates. The Indian Rupee has taken a fall on the foreign exchangemarket. You see there is being a sharp increase in Indian’s balance of paymentdeficit.M: I see. How serious, isn’t it?W: Well, as you know, there have been reports of unrest India, and theprospects for the Rupee look pretty gloomy.M: A nd that’s going to affect us, as if wedidn’t have enough problemson our hands.W: So I thought it would be wise to take out forward exchange cover toprotect our position on the outstanding contract.M: Just a minute. Forward exchange cover, now what does that meanexactly?W: Well, it means that JO notes enters into a commitment to sell IndianRupees at the present rate.M: I see. And how will that benefit us?W: Well, JO notes wouldn’t lose out if Indian Rupee falls further.M: What will it cost, Jane?W: A small percentage, about 1% and that can be built into the price ofthe bike.M: Well, I don’t suppose there is much choice.All right Jane, let’sput it into action.Q9: What do we learn aboutthe man’s daily life?Q10: Why did the woman cometo see the man?Q11: What makes the womanworry about the Indian Rupee?Conversation 2W: Charles, among other things, you regarded as one of the America’sgreat masters of the blues. Amusical idiom does essentially about loss,particularly the loss of romantic love. Why does love die?M: People often get into love affairs because they have unrealisticexpectations about somebody. Then when the person doesn’t turn out to be whothey thought he or she was, they start thinking maybe I can change him or her.That kind of thinking is a mistake. Because when the dust settles, people aregoing to be pretty much what they are. It’s a rare thing for anybody to be ableto change who they really are. And this creates a lot of problems.W: At 62, you continue to spend a large percentage of your lifetouring. What appeals to you about life on the road?M: Music, I don’t especially love life on the road, but I figure if youare lucky enough to be able to do what you truly love doing, you’ve got theultimate of life.W: What’s the most widely-held misconception about the life of a famousmusician?M: People think it’s all glamour. Actually we have the same troublesthey do. Playing music doesn’t mean life treats you any better.W: How do you feel about being recognized everywhere you go?M: You think I be used to it by now. But I still find it fascinating.You go to a little town in Japan,where nobody speaks English, yet they knowyou on side and know all your music. I’m still amazed by the love peopleexpress for me and by music.Q12: What does the man sayabout most people when they get into love affairs?Q13: What does the man sayabout himself as a singer on the road most of his life?Q14: What do most peoplethink of the life of a famous musician?Q15: How does the man feelwhenever he was recognized by his fans?短文Passage 1Changing technology and markets have stimulated the team approach tomanagement. Inflation, resource scarcity, reduced personnel levels and budgetcuts have all underscore the need for better coordination in organizations.Team management provides for this coordination. Team management calls for newskills if personnel potential is to be fully realized. Although a team may be composed ofknowledgeable people, they must learn new ways of relating and working togetherto solve cross-functional problems. When teams consist to be experiencedemployees from hierarchical organizations, who have been condition totraditional organizational culture. Cooperation may not occur naturally, itmainly to be created. Furthermore, theissue is not just how the team canfunction more effectively, but how it integrates with the overall organization,all society that it supposes it serves. A group of individuals is notautomatically a team. Therefore, team building may be necessary in order toimprove the group’s performance. Casey, an expertin this field, suggests thatthe cooperation process within teams must be organized, promoted and managed.He believes the team corporation results when members go beyond theirindividual capabilities, beyond what each is used to being and doing. Together,the team may then produce something new, unique and superior to that of any onemember. For this to happen, he suggests the multi-cultural managers exhibitunderstanding of their own and others’cultural influences and limitations.They should also cultivate such skills as toleration of ambiguity, persistenceand patience, as well as assertedness. If a team manager exemplifies suchqualities, then the team as a whole would be better able to realize theirpotential and achieve their objectives.Q 16: What should teammembers do to fully realize their potential?Q 17: What needs to beconsidered for effective team management?Q 18: What conclusion can wedraw from what Casey says?Passage 2In early 1994, when MarkAndreessen was just 23 years old, he arrived in Silicon Valley with an ideathat would change the world. As a student at the University of Illinois, he andhis friends had developed a program called Mosaic, which allowed people toshare information on the worldwide web. Before Mosaic, the web had been usedmainly by scientists and other technical people, who were happy just to sendand receive text. But with Mosaic, Andreessen and his friends had developed aprogram, which could send images over the web as well. Mosaic was an overnightsuccess. It was put on theuniversity’s network at the beginning of 1993. Andby the end of the year, it had over a million users. Soon after, Andreessenwent to seek his fortune in Silicon Valley. Once he got there, he started tohave meetings with a man called Jim Clark, who was one of the Valley’s mostfamous entrepreneurs. In 1994, nobody was making any real money from theInternet, which was still very slow and hard to use. But Andreessen had seen an opportunity thatwould make him and Clark rich within two years. He suggested they should createa new computer program that would do the same job as Mosaic but would be mucheasier to use. Clark listened carefully to Andreessen, whose ideas andenthusiasm impressed him greatly. Eventually, Clark agreed toinvest threemillion dollars of his own money in the project, and to raise an extra fifteenmillion from venture capitalists, who were always keen to listen to Clark’s newideas.Q 19 What do we learn about Mosaic?Q 20 What did Andreessen do upon arriving in Silicon Valley?Q 21Why were venture capitalists willing to join in Clark’sinvestment?Passage 3Advertising informs consumers about the existence and benefits ofproducts and services and attempts to persuade them to buy them. The best formof advertising is probably word of mouth advertising which occurs when peopletell their friends about the benefits of products or services that they havepurchased. Yet virtually no providers of goods or services relay on this alone,which using paid advertising instead. Indeed many organizations also use institutionalor prestige advertising which is designed to build up their reputation ratherthan to sell particular products. Although large companies could easily set up theirown advertising departments, write their own advertisements and by media space themselves.They tend to use the services of large advertising agencies. These are likelyto have more resources and more knowledge about all aspects of advertisingandadvertising media than single company. It is also easier for a dissatisfycompany to give its account to another agency. And it would be to fire theirown advertising staff. The company generally give the advertising agency andagreed budget. A statement of the objective of the advertising campaign know asbrief and overall advertising strategy concerning the message to becommunicated to the target customers. The agency creates advertisements anddevelops a media prime, specifying which media will be used and in which proportions.Agencies often produce alternative ads or commercials that pretested innewspapers, television stations etc. in different parts of the country. Beforea final choices was madeprior to anational campaign.Q22 What is probably the bestform of advertising according to the speaker?Q23 What does the speaker sayis the proposes of many organization using prestige advertising ?Q24 How did large companiesgenerally handle their advertising?Q25 What would advertisingagencies often do before a national campaign?听写题Extinction is a difficult concept to grasp. It is an eternal concept. Itis not at all like the killing of individual life forms that can be renewedthroughnormal processes of reproduction. Nor is simply diminishing numbers.Nor is it damage that can somehow be remedied or for which some substitute canbe found. Nor is it something that only affects our own generation. Nor is it somethingthat could be remedied by some supernatural power. It is, rather, an absoluteand final act which there is no remedy on earth or in heaven. A species onceextinct, it’s gone forever. However many generations succeed us in comingcenturies, none of them will ever see this species that we extinguish. Not onlyus we bring about extinction of life on a vast scale. We are also making theland and the air and sea so toxic that the very conditions of life are being destroyed.As regard natural resources ,not only are the none renewable resources beingused up in a of frenzy of processing, consuming and disposing but we are alsoruining much of our renewable resources. Such as the very solid self on which terrestriallife depends. The change that is taking place on the earth and in our minds isone of the greatest changes ever to take place in human affairs. Perhaps thegreatest, since we are talking about is not simply another historical change orcultural modification. But it change the geological and biological as well as psychologicalorder of magnitude.选词填空（一）36. B. caters37. M. recommended38. D. debated39. F. ideal40. C. chronically41. G. improvements42. E. deprivation43. L. ready44. H. necessarily45. O. target翻译（一）解析者：长沙新东方张巧临最近，中国政府决定将其工业升级。

2015年12月大学英语六级考试真题(二)答案与详解PartⅠWriting结构框图：一、第1段描述图片，提出主题——难以获取有用的信息。

二、第2段分析难以获取有用信息的原因。

三、第3段提出建议：由不加甄别地索取信息转向仔细地挑选信息。

The Difficulty in Acquiring Useful InformationAs the picture given depicts,several employees are having a meeting while one of them complains,“We have lots of information technology.We just don’t have much useful information.”What the picture presents is that even though equipped with advanced devices and information technology,we can hardly obtain useful information that we need.A multitude of reasons can account for the phenomenon.First of all,as we are increasingly,dependent on various advanced devices,they have brought us much information.However,faced with so much information, we’re actually not competent enough to tell the useful information from the useless information.What’s more,the fact that the network management regulations are not perfect cannot be ignored,which makes it difficult to prevent our life being lumbered with useless bits of information.From my point of view,as we are now in a great new era of information,we cannot say no to the benefits that information technology has brought us.However,it’s high time we transferred our focus from acquiring information indiscriminately to selecting information.Only in this way can we acquire the exact information that we need.PartⅡListening Comprehension1.听力原文：W：I’m so frustrated with this new computer program.I just can’t figure it out.M：I know what you mean.It can be overwhelming,especially since the technology is always changing.By the time you learn one program,it’s outdated.Q：What do we learn about the woman from the conversation?【精析】C)。

20年12月大学英语六级考试真题第二套全文共3篇示例，供读者参考篇1The December 2020 College English Test Band Six (CET-6) was held on the 12th of December, marking another important testing session for English learners across China. This particular exam, known as the second set of exams for 2020, consisted of multiple sections including listening, reading, writing, and translation. These sections pose different challenges totest-takers and require a comprehensive understanding of English language skills.In the listening section of the exam, test-takers were required to listen to a variety of recordings, including conversations, news reports, and academic lectures. This section tests the ability to comprehend spoken English and understand various accents and tones. To do well in this section, candidates need to practice listening to English regularly and familiarize themselves with different types of spoken English.The reading section of the exam featured a range of articles on topics such as science, history, and literature. Test-takersneeded to demonstrate their ability to comprehend and analyze written English, as well as their vocabulary and reading speed. To excel in this section, candidates should practice reading a variety of English texts and expanding their vocabulary through reading books, newspapers, and online articles.The writing section of the CET-6 exam required test-takers to write an essay on a given topic in English. This section tests candidates' ability to express their ideas clearly and coherently, as well as their grammar and vocabulary usage. To prepare for this section, candidates should practice writing essays on different topics and seek feedback from teachers or peers to improve their writing skills.Finally, the translation section of the exam tested candidates' ability to translate English passages into Chinese. This section requires a good understanding of both languages and the ability to accurately convey the meaning of the original text. To succeed in this section, candidates should practice translating English passages into Chinese and vice versa on a regular basis.Overall, the December 2020 CET-6 exam provided a challenging but rewarding opportunity for English learners to demonstrate their language skills. By preparing diligently and practicing regularly, candidates can improve their Englishproficiency and achieve success in the exam. Good luck to all test-takers!篇2Unfortunately, I cannot provide verbatim excerpts from copyrighted texts including the December 2020 College English Test Band Six (CET-6). However, I can offer you a sample article based on the format and topics commonly tested in the CET-6 exam.Title: The Impact of Technology on EducationIn recent years, technology has transformed the field of education, bringing both opportunities and challenges. This article examines the impact of technology on education from various perspectives.Firstly, the use of technology in education has revolutionized the way students learn. With the help of computers, tablets, and the internet, students can access vast amounts of information instantly, making the learning process more engaging and efficient. Online learning platforms and educational apps have made it possible for students to study at their own pace and tailor their learning experience to suit their individual needs.Furthermore, technology has also changed the way teachers deliver content and assess students' progress. Interactive whiteboards, multimedia presentations, and online assessment tools have made classrooms more dynamic and interactive. Teachers can now track students' performance more effectively and provide timely feedback to help them improve.However, the rapid advancement of technology in education has also raised concerns about its impact on traditional teaching methods. Some argue that excessive use of technology in the classroom may lead to a lack of critical thinking and communication skills among students. Moreover, the digital divide – the gap between those who have access to technology and those who do not – remains a pressing issue in many parts of the world.In conclusion, while technology has undoubtedly revolutionized education in many ways, it is essential to strike a balance between traditional teaching methods and modern technology. Educators must harness the power of technology to enhance learning outcomes while ensuring that students develop essential skills such as critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration.This sample article demonstrates the type of analysis and argumentation required in the College English Test Band Six exam. Exam takers should practice writing essays on a variety of topics to prepare effectively for the writing section of the exam.篇3Title: Analysis of 2020 December CET-6 Second Set TestIntroduction:The 2020 December College English Test Level 6 (CET-6) is a national English proficiency test in China, which is designed to assess the English language skills of college students. The second set of the CET-6 exam is known for its high difficulty level and comprehensive coverage of language knowledge.Listening Section:The listening section of the CET-6 exam typically consists of multiple-choice questions based on recorded conversations, interviews, and lectures. In the December 2020 exam, the listening section covered a wide range of topics, including education, technology, and social issues.Reading Section:The reading section of the CET-6 exam is divided into several passages, each followed by a series of comprehension questions. The December 2020 exam featured passages on topics such as environmental protection, globalization, and cultural diversity.Writing Section:The writing section of the CET-6 exam requires test-takers to write a short essay on a given topic. In the December 2020 exam, students were asked to discuss the impact of social media on interpersonal relationships.Overall Impression:The 2020 December CET-6 second set test was challenging, with a focus on both language proficiency and critical thinking skills. Test-takers were required to demonstrate a solid understanding of English grammar, vocabulary, and reading comprehension.Conclusion:In conclusion, the 2020 December CET-6 second set test was a rigorous assessment of college students' English language skills. By analyzing the listening, reading, and writing sections of the exam, we can better understand the areas in which students excelled and areas that may require further improvement.。

2015年12月大学英语六级考试真题(第2套)Part IWriting(30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay based on the picture below. You should focus on the difficulty in acquiring useful information in spite of advanced information technology. You are required to write at least 150 words but no more than200 words．____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________Part IIIReading Comprehension (40 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on AnswerSheet 2 with a single line through the center. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.Questions 36 to 45 are based on the following passage.According to a report from the Harvard School of Public Health, many everyday products, including some bug sprays and cleaning fluids, could lead to an increased risk of brain and behavioral disorders in children. The developing brain, the report says, is particularly 36 to the toxic effects of certain chemicals these products may contain, and the damagethey cause can be 37 .The official policy, however, is still evolving. Health and environmental 38 have long urged U.S. government agencies to 39 the use of some of the 11 chemicals the report cites and called for more studies on their long-term effects. In 2001, for example, the Environmental Protection Agency 40 the type and amount of lead that could be present in paint and soil in homes and child-care 41, after concerns were raised about lead poisoning. The agency is now 42 the toxic effects of some of the chemicals in the latest report.But the threshold for regulation is high. Because children's brain and behavioral disorders, like hyperactivity and lower grades, can also be linked to social and genetic factors, it's tough to pin them on exposure to specific chemicals with solid 43 evidence, which is what the EPA requires. Even the Harvard study did not prove a direct 44 but noted strong associations between exposure and risk of behavioral issues.Nonetheless, it's smart to 45 caution. While it may be impossible to prevent kids from drinking tap water that may contain trace amounts of chemicals, keeping kids away from lawns recently sprayed with chemicals and freshly dry-cleaned clothes can't hurt.A.advocatespactC.correlationD.exerciseE. facilitiesF. interactionG. investigatingH. overwhelmedI. particlesJ. permanentK. restrictedL. simulatingM. statisticalN. tightenO. vulnerableSection BDirections :In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Eachstatement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letterAnswer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.The Impossibility of Rapid Energy Transitions[ A ] Politicians are fond of promising rapid energy transitions. Whether it is a transition from imported to domestic oil or from coal-powered electricity production to natural-gas power plants, politicians love to talk big. Unfortunately for them (and often the taxpayers), our energy systems are a bit like an aircraft carrier: they are unbelievably expensive, they are built to last for a very long time, they have a huge amount of inertia ( meaning it takes a lot of energy to set them moving ), and they have a lot of momentumonce they are set in motion. No matter how hard you try, you can't turn something that large on a dime ( 10美分硬币), or even a few thousand dimes.[ B ] In physics, moving objects have two characteristics relevant to understanding the dynamics of energy systems: inertia and momentum. Inertia is the resistance of objects to efforts to change their state of motion. If you try to push a boulder ( 大圆石), it pushes you back. Once you have started the boulder rolling, it develops momentum, which is defined by its mass and velocity.Momentum is said to be "conserved," that is, once you build it up, it has to go somewhere. So a heavy object, like a football player moving at a high speed, has a lot of momentum-that is, once he is moving, it is hard to change his state of motion. If you want to change his course, you have only a few choices: you can stop him, transferring ( possibly painfully) some of his kinetic energy (动能) to your own body, or you can approach alongside and slowly apply pressure to gradually alter his course.[ C ] But there are other kinds of momentum as well. After all, we don't speak only of objects or people as having momentum; we speak of entire systems having momentum. Whether it's a sports team or a presidential campaign, everybody relishes having the big momentum, because it makes them harder to stop or change direction.[ D ] One kind of momentum is technological momentum. When a technology is deployed, its impacts reach far beyond itself. Consider the incandescent (白炽灯的) bulb, an object currently hated by many environmentalists and energy-efficiency advocates. The incandescent light bulb, invented by Thomas Edison, which came to be the symbol of inspiration, has been developed into hundreds, if not thousands, of forms. Today, a visit to a lighting store reveals a stunning array of choices. There are standard-shaped bulbs, flame-shaped bulbs, colored globe-shaped bulbs, and more. It is quite easy, with all that choice, to change a light bulb.[ E ] But the momentum of incandescent lighting does not stop there. All of those specialized bulbs ledto the building of specialized light fixtures, from the desk lamp you study by, to the ugly but beloved hand-painted Chinese lamp you inherited from your grandmother, to the ceiling fixture in your closet, to the light in your oven or refrigerator, and to the light that the dentist points at you. It is easy to change a light bulb, sure, but it is harder to change the bulb and its fixture.[ F ] And there is more to the story, because not only are the devices that house incandescent bulbs shaped to their underlying characteristics, but rooms and entire buildings have been designed in accordance with how incandescent lighting reflects off walls and windows.[ G ] As lighting expert Howard Brandston points out, “Generally, there are no bad lightsources, only bad applications. " There are some very commendable characteristics of the CFL [ compact fluorescent (荧光的) light bulb ], yet the selection of any light source remains inseparable from the luminaire (照明装置) that houses it, along with the space in which both are installed, and lighting requirements that need to be satisfied. The lamp, the fixture, and the room, all three must work in concert for the true benefits of end-users. If the CFL should be used for lighting a particular space, or an object within that space, the fixture must be designed to work with that lamp, and that fixture with the room. It is a symbiotic (共生的) relationship. A CFL cannot be simply installed in an incandescent fixture and then expected to produce a visual appearance that is more than washed out, foggy, and dim. The whole fixture must be replaced-light source and luminaire-and this is never an inexpensive proposition.[ H ] And Brandston knows a thing or two about lighting, being the man who illuminated the Statue of Liberty.[ I ]Another type of momentum we have to think about when planning for changes in our energy systems is labor-pool momentum. It is one thing to say that we are going to shift 30 percent of our electricity supply from, say, coal to nuclear power in 20 years. But it is another thing to have a supply of trained talent that could let you carry out this promise. That is because the engineers,designers, regulators, operators, and all of the other skilled people needed for the new energy industry are specialists who have to be trained first ( or retrained, if they are the ones being laid off in some related industry), and education, like any other complicated endeavor, takes time.And not only do our prospective new energy workers have to be trained, they have to be trained in the right sequence. One needs the designers, and perhaps the regulators, before the builders and operators, and each group of workers in training has to know there is work waiting beyond graduation. In some cases, colleges and universities might have to change their training programs, adding another layer of difficulty.[ J ] By far the biggest type of momentum that comes into play when it comes to changing our energy systems is economic momentum. The major components of our energy systems, such as fuel production, refining, electrical generation and distribution, are costly installations that have lengthy life spans. They have to operate for long periods of time before the costs of development have been recovered. When investors put up money to build, say, a nuclear power plant, they expect to earn that money back over the planned life of the plant, which is typically between 40and 60 years. Some coal power plants in the United States have operated for more than 70 years!The oldest continuously operated commercial hydro-electric plant in the United States is on New York's Hudson River, and it went into commercial service in 1898.[ K ] As Vaclav Smil points out, "All the forecasts, plans, and anticipations cited above have failed so miserably because their authors and promoters thought the transitions they hoped to implement would proceed unlike all previous energy transitions, and that their progress could be accelerated in an unprecedented manner. "[ L ] When you hear people speaking of making a rapid transition toward any type of energy, whether it is a switch from coal to nuclear power, or a switch from gasoline-powered cars to electric cars, or even a switch.from an incandescent to a fluorescent light, understanding energy system inertia and momentum can help you decide whether their plans are feasible.46. Not only moving objects and people but all systems have momentum.47. Changing the current energy system requires the systematic training of professionals and skilled labor.48. Changing a light bulb is easier than changing the fixture housing it.49. Efforts to accelerate the current energy transitions didn't succeed as expected.50. T o change the light source is costly because you have to change the whole fixture.51. Energy systems, like an aircraft carrier set in motion, have huge momentum.52. The problem with lighting, if it arises, often doesn't lie in light sources but in their applications.53. The biggest obstacle to energy transition is that the present energy system is too expensive to replace.54. The application of a technology can impact areas beyond itself.55. Physical characteristics of moving objects help explain the dynamics of energy systems.Section CDirections: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C),and D ). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 56 to 60 are based on the following passage.One hundred years ago, "Colored" was the typical way of referring to Americans of African descent. Twenty years later, it was purposefully dropped to make way for "Negro. " By the late 1960s,that term was overtaken by "Black. " And then, at a press conference in Chicago in 1988, Jesse Jackson declared that "African American" was the term to embrace. This one was chosen because it echoed the labels of groups, such as "Italian Americans"and "Irish Americans," that had already beenfreed of widespread discrimination.A century's worth of calculated name changes point to the fact that naming any group is a politically freighted exercise. A 2001 study cataloged all the ways in which the term "Black" carried connotations (涵义) that were more negative than those of "African American. "But if it was known that "Black" people were viewed differently from "African Americans,"researchers, until now, hadn't identified what that gap in perception was derived from. A recent study, conducted by Emory University's Erika Hall, found that "Black" people are viewed more negatively than "African Americans" because of a perceived difference in socioeconomic status. As a result,"Black" people are thought of as less competent and as having colder personalities.The study's most striking findings shed light on the racial biases permeating the professional world.Even seemingly harmless details on a resume, it appears, can tap into recruiters' biases. A job application might mention affiliations with groups such as the "Wisconsin Association of African-American Lawyers" or the "National Black Employees Association," the names of which apparently have consequences, and are also beyond their members' control.In one of the study's experiments, subjects were given a brief description of a man from Chicago with the last name Williams. To one group, he was identified as "African-American," and another was told he was "Black. " With little else to go on, they were asked to estimate Mr. Williams's salary,professional standing, and educational background.The "African-American" group estimated that he earned about $ 37,000 a year and had a two-year college degree. The "Black" group, on the other hand, put his salary at about $ 29,000, and guessed that he had only "some" college experience. Nearly three-quarters of the first group guessed that Mr.Williams worked at a managerial level, while only 38.5 percent of the second group thought so.Hall's findings suggest there's an argument to be made for electing to use "African American,"though one can't help but get the sense that it's a decision that papers over the urgency of continued progress. Perhaps a new phrase is needed, one that can bring everyone one big step closer to realizing Du Bois's original, idealistic hope: "It's not the name-it's the Thing that counts. "56.Why did Jesse Jackson embrace the term "African American" for people of African descent?A.It is free from racial biases.B.It represents social progress.C.It is in the interest of common Americans.D.It follows the standard naming practice.57. What does the author say about the naming of an ethnic group ?A.It advances with the times.B.It is based on racial roots.C.It merits intensive study.D.It is politically sensitive.57.What do Erika Hall's findings indicate?A.Racial biases are widespread in the professional world.B.Many applicants don't attend to details on their resumes.C.Job seekers should all be careful- about their affiliations.D.Most recruiters are unable to control their racial biases.59. What does Erika Hall find in her experiment about a man with the last name Williams?A.African Americans fare better than many other ethnic groups.B.Black people's socioeconomic status in America remains low.C.People's conception of a person has much to do with the way he or she is labeled.D.One's professional standing and income are related to their educational background.60. What is Dr. Du Bois's ideal?A.All Americans enjoy equal rights.B.A person is judged by their worth.C.A new term is created to address African Americans.D.All ethnic groups share the nation's continued progress.Passage TwoQuestions 61 to 65 are based on the following passage.Across the board, American colleges and universities are not doing a very good job of preparing their students for the workplace or their post-graduation lives. This was made clear by the work of two sociologists, Richard Arum and JosipaRoksa.In 2011 they released a landmark study titled"Academically Adrift," which documented the lack of intellectual growth experienced by many people enrolled in college. In particular, Arum and Roksa found, college students were not developing the critical thinking, analytic reasoning and other higher-level skills that are necessary to thrive in today's knowledge-based economy and to lead our nation in a time of complex challenges and dynamic change.Arum and Roksa placed the blame for students' lack of learning on a watered-down college curriculum and lowered undergraduate work standards. Although going to college is supposed to be a Full-time job, students spent, on average, only 12 to 14 hoursa week studying and many were skating through their semesters without doing a significant amount of reading and writing. Students who take more challenging classes and spend more time studying do learn more. But the priorities of many undergraduates are with extracurricular activities, playing sports, and partying and socializing.Laura Hamilton, the author of a study on parents who pay for college, will argue in a forthcoming book that college administrations are overly concerned with the social and athletic activities of their students. In Paying for the Party, Hamilton describes what she calls the “arty pathway," which eases many students through college, helped-along by various clubs that send students into the party scene and a host of easier majors.By sanctioning this watered-down version of college, universities are"catering to the social and educational needs of wealthy students at the expense of others" who won't enjoy the financial backing or social connections of richer students once they graduate.These students need to build skills and knowledge during college if they are to use their degrees as a stepping-stone to middle-class mobility. But more privileged students must not waste this opportunity either. As recent graduates can testify, the job market isn't kind to candidates who can't demonstrate genuine competence, along with a well-cultivated willingness to work hard. Nor is the global economy forgiving of an American workforce with increasingly weak literacy, math and science abilities. College graduates will still fare better than those with only a high school education, of course. But a university degree unaccompanied by a gain in knowledge or skills is an empty achievement indeed. For students who have been coasting through college, and for American universities that have been demanding less work, offering more attractions and charging higher tuition, the party may soon be over.61. What is Arum and Roksa's finding about higher education in America?A.It aims at stimulating the intellectual curiosity of college students.B.It fails to prepare students to face the challenges of modern times.C.It has experienced dramatic changes in recent years.D.It has tried hard to satisfy students' various needs.62. What is responsible for the students' lack of higher-level skills?A.The diluted college curriculum.B.The boring classroom activities.C.The absence of rigorous discipline.D.The outdated educational approach.63. What does Laura Hamilton say about college administrations?A.Theyfail to give adequate help to the needy students.B.Theytend to offer too many less challenging courses.C.Theyseem to be out of touch with society.D.Theyprioritize non-academic activities.64. What can be learned about the socially and financially privileged students?A.Theytend to have a sense of superiority over their peers.B.They can afford to choose easier majors in order to enjoy themselves.C.Theyspend a lot of time building strong connections with businesses.D.They can climb the social ladder even without a degree.65. What does the author suggest in the last paragraph?A.American higher education has lost its global competitiveness.B.People should not expect too much from American higher education.C. The current situation in American higher education may not last long.D.It will take a long time to change the current trend in higher education.Part IVTranslation(30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.最近，中国政府决定将其工业升级。

2015年12月英语六级考试真题试卷（第3套）Part I Writing(30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay based on the picture below. You should focus on the harm caused by misleading information online. You are required to write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words.Part II Listening Comprehension (25 minutes)Section A注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。

1. A) She has completely recovered.B) She went into shock after an operation.C) She is still in a critical condition.D) She is getting much better.2. A) Ordering a breakfast. B) Booking a hotel room.C) Buying a train ticket. D) Fixing a compartment.3. A) Most borrowers never returned the books to her.B) The man is the only one who brought her book back.C) She never expected anyone to return the books to her.D) Most of the books she lent out came back without jackets.4. A) She left her work early to get some bargains last Saturday.B) She attended the supermarket's grand opening ceremony.C) She drove a full hour before finding a parking space.D) She failed to get into the supermarket last Saturday.5. A) He is bothered by the pain in his neck.B) He cannot do his report without a computer.C) He cannot afford to have a coffee break.D) He feels sorry to have missed the report.6. A) Only top art students can show their works in the gallery.B) The gallery space is big enough for the man's paintings.C) The woman would like to help with the exhibition layout.D) The man is uncertain how his art works will be received.7. A) The woman needs a temporary replacement for her assistant.B) The man works in the same department as the woman does.C) The woman will have to stay in hospital for a few days.D) The man is capable of dealing with difficult people.8. A) It was better than the previous one.B) It distorted the mayor's speech.C) It exaggerated the city's economic problems.D) It reflected the opinions of most economists.Questions 9 to 12 are based on the conversation you have just heard.9. A) To inform him of a problem they face.B) To request him to purchase control desks.C) To discuss the content of a project report.D) To ask him to fix the dictating machine.10. A) They quote the best price in the market.B) They manufacture and sell office furniture.C) They cannot deliver the steel sheets on time.D) They cannot produce the steel sheets needed.11. A) By marking down the unit price.B) By accepting the penalty clauses.C) By allowing more time for delivery.D) By promising better after-sales service.12. A) Give the customer a ten percent discount.B) Claim compensation from the steel suppliers.C) Ask the Buying Department to change suppliers.D) Cancel the contract with the customer.Questions 13 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.13. A) Stockbroker. B) Physicist.C) Mathematician. D) Economist.14. A) Improve computer programming.B) Explain certain natural phenomena.C) Predict global population growth.D) Promote national financial health.15. A) Their different educational backgrounds.B) Changing attitudes toward nature.C) Chaos theory and its applications.D) The current global economic crisis.Section BPassage OneQuestions 16 to 18 are based on the conversation you have just heard.16. A) They lay great emphasis on hard work.B) They name 150 star engineers each year.C) They require high academic degrees.D) They have people with a very high IQ.17. A) Long years of job training.B) High emotional intelligence.C) Distinctive academic qualifications.D) Devotion to the advance of science.18. A) Good interpersonal relationships.B) Rich working experience.C) Sophisticated equipment.D) High motivation.Passage TwoQuestions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19. A) A diary. B) A fairy tale.C) A history textbook. D) A biography.20. A) He was a sports fan. B) He loved adventures.C) He disliked school. D) He liked hair-raising stories.21. A) Encourage people to undertake adventures.B) Publicize his colorful and unique life stories.C) Raise people's environmental awareness.D) Attract people to America's national parks.Passage ThreeQuestions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22. A) The first infected victim.B) A coastal village in Africa.C) The doctor who first identified it.D) A river running through the Congo.23. A) They exhibit similar symptoms.B) They can be treated with the same drug.C) They have almost the same mortality rate.D) They have both disappeared for good.24. A) By inhaling air polluted with the virus.B) By contacting contaminated body fluids.C) By drinking water from the Congo River.D) By eating food grown in Sudan and Zaire.25. A) More strains will evolve from the Ebola virus.B) Scientists will eventually find cures for Ebola.C) Another Ebola epidemic may erupt sooner or later.D) Once infected, one will become immune to Ebola.Section CThe ideal companion machine would not only look, feel, and sound friendly but would also be programmed to behave in an agreeable manner. Those __26__ that make interaction with other people enjoyable would be simulated as closely as possible, and the machine would __27__ charming, stimulating, and easygoing. Its informal conversational style would make interaction comfortable, and yet the machine would remain slightly __28__ and therefore interesting. In its first encounter it might be somewhat hesitant and unassuming, but as it came to know the user it would progress to a more __29__ and intimate style. The machine would not be a passive __30__ but would add its own suggestions, information, and opinions; it would sometimes __31__ in developing or changing the topic and would have a personality of its own.The machine would convey presence. We have all seen how a computer's use of personal names often __32__ people and leads them to treat the machine as if it were almost human. Such features are easily written into the software. By introducing __33__ forcefulness and humor, the machine could be presented as a vivid and unique character.Friendships are not made in a day, and the computer would be more acceptable as a friend if it __34__ the gradual changes that occur when one person is getting to know another. At an __35__ time it might also express the kind of affection that stimulates attachment and intimacy.Part ⅢReading Comprehension (40 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select oneword for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage.Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.Questions 36 to 45 are based on the following passage.As it is, sleep is so undervalued that getting by on fewer hours has become a badge of honor. Plus, we live in a culture that __36__ to the late-nighter, from 24-hour grocery stores to online shopping sites that never close. It's no surprise, then, that more than half of American adults don't get the 7 to 9 hours of shut-eye every night as __37__ by sleep experts.Whether or not we can catch up on sleep-on the weekend, say-is a hotly __38__ topic among sleep researchers. The latest evidence suggests that while it isn't __39__ , it might help. When Liu, the UCLA sleep researcher and professor of medicine, brought __40__ sleep-restricted people into the lab for a weekend of sleep during which they logged about 10 hours per night, they showed __41__ in the ability of insulin (胰岛素) to process blood sugar. That suggests that catch-up sleep may undo some but not all of the damage that sleep __42__ causes, which is encouraging, given how many adults don't get the hours they need each night. Still, Liu isn't __43__ to endorse the habit of sleeping less and making up for it later.Sleeping pills, while helpful for some, are not __44__ an effective remedy either. "A sleeping pill will __45__ one area of the brain, but there's never going to be a perfect sleeping pill, because you couldn't really replicate (复制) the different chemicals moving in and out of different parts of the brain to go through the different stages of sleep," says Dr. Nancy Collop, director of the Emory University Sleep Center.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2 上作答。