2014年12月六级第一套 翻译真题及解析
2014年12月6级真题三套(阅读和翻译部分)含答案
2014年12月6级第一套Part IIIReading comprehensionSection AQuestions 36 to 45 are based on the following passage.His future subjects have not always treated the Prince of Wales with the respect one might expect. They laughed aloud in 1986 when the heir to the British (36) ________ told a TV reporter that he talked to his plants at his country house, Highgrove, to stimulate their growth. The Prince was being humorous—“My sense of humor will get me into trouble one day,”he said to the aides (随从)—but listening to Charles Windsor can indeed prove stimulating. The royal (37)________ that been promoting radical ideas for most of his adult life, some of his (38) _________ which once sounded a hit weird were simply ahead of their time. Now, finally, the world seems to be catching up with him.Take his views on farming. Prince Charles’ Duchy Home Farm went (39) ___________ back to 1996.when most shoppers cared only about the low price tag on suspiciously blemish-free(无瑕疵的)V egetables and (40) __________ large chickens piled high in supermarkets.His warnings on climate change proved farsighted; too Charles began (41) _________ action on global warming in 1990 and says he has been worried about the (42) ____________ of man on the environment since he was a teenager.Although he has gradually gained international (43) __________ as one of the a world’s leading conservationists, many British people still think of him as an (44) ____________ person who talks to plants This year, as it happens, South Korean scientists proved that plants really do (45) __________ to sound. So Charles was ahead of the game there, too.A. conformB. eccentricC. environmentalistD. expeditionsE. impactF. notionsG. organicH. originallyI. recognition J. respond K. subordinate L. suppressingM. throne N. unnaturally O. urgingSection BShould Single-Sex Education Be Eliminated?[A] Why is a neuroscientist here debating single-sex schooling? Honestly, I had no fixed ideas on the topic when I started researching it for my book, Pink Brain, Blue Brain. But any discussion of gender differences in children inevitably leads to this debate, so I felt compelled to dive into the research data on single-sex schooling. I read every study I could, weighed the existing evidence, and ultimately concluded that single-sex education is not the answer to gender gaps in achievement—or the best way forward for today’s young people. After my book was published, I met several developmental and cognitive psychologists whose work was addressing gender and education from different angles, and we published a peer-reviewed Education Forum piece in Science magazine with the provocative title, “The Pseudoscience of Single-Sex Education.”[B] We showed that three lines of research used to justify single-sex schooling—educational, neuroscience, and social psychology—all fail to support its alleged benefits, and so the widely-held view that gender separation is somehow better for boys, girls, or both is nothing more than a myth.The Research on Academic Outcomes[C] First, we reviewed the extensive educational research that has compared academic outcomes in students attending single-sex versus coeducational schools. The overwhelming conclusion when you put this enormous literature together is that there is no clear academic advantage of sitting in all-female or all-male classes, in spite of much popular belief to the contrary. I base this conclusion not on any individual study, but on large-scale and systematic reviews of thousands of studies conducted in every major English-speaking country.[D] Of course, there’re many excellent single-sex schools out there, but as these careful research reviews have demonstrated, it’s not their single-sex composition that makes them excellent. It’s all the other advantages that are typically packed into such schools, such as financial resources, quality of the faculty, and pro-academic culture, along with the family background and pre-selected ability of the students themselves that determine their outcomes.[E] A case in point is the study by Linda Sax at UCLA, who used data from a large national survey of college freshmen to evaluate the effect of single-sex versus coeducational high schools. Commissioned by the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools, the raw findings look pretty good for the funders —higher SAT scores and a stronger academic orientation among women who had attended all girls’ high schools (men weren’t studied). However, once the researchers controlled for both student and school attributes—measures such as family income, parents’ education, and school resources—most of these effects were erased or diminished.[F] When it comes to boys in particular, the data show that single-sex education is distinctly unhelpful for them. Among the minority of studies that have reported advantages of single-sex schooling, virtually all of them were studies of girls. There’re no rigorous studies in the United States that find single-sex schooling is better for boys, and in fact, a separate line of research by economists has shown both boys and girls exhibit greater cognitive growth over the school year based on the “dose” of girls in a classroom. In fact, boys benefit even more than girls from having larger numbers of female classmates. So single-sex schooling is really not the answer to the current “boy crisis” in education.Brain and Cognitive Development[G] The second line of research often used to justify single-sex education falls squarely within my area of expertise: brain and cognitive development. I t’s been more than a decade now since the “brain sex movement ” began infiltrating (渗入) our schools, and there are literally hundreds of schools caught up in the fad (新潮). Public schools in Wisconsin, Indiana, Florida and many other states now proudly declare on their websites that they separate boys and girls because “research solidly indicates that boys and girls learn differently,”due to “hard-wired”differences in their brains, eyes, ears, autonomic nervous systems, and more.[H] All of these statements can be traced to just a few would-be neuroscientists, especially physician Leonard Sax and therapist Michael Gurian. Each gives lectures, runs conferences, and does a lot of professional development on so-called “gender-specific learning.”I analyzed their various claims about sex differences in hearing, vision, language, math, stress responses, and “learning styles”in my book and along peer-reviewed paper. Other neuroscientists and psychologists have similarly exposed their work. In short, the mechanisms by which our brains learn language, math, physics, and every other subject don’t differ between boys and girls. Of course, learning does vary a lot between individual students, but research reliably shows that this variance is far greater within populations of boys or girls than between the two sexes.[I] The equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution prohibits separation of students by sex in public education that’s based on precisely this kind of “overbroad generalizations about the different talents, capacities, or preferences of males and females.” And the reason it is prohibited is because it leads far too easily to stereotyping and sex discrimination.Social Developmental Psychology[J] That brings me to the third area of research which fails to support single-sex schooling and indeed suggests the practice is actually harmful: social-developmental psychology.[K] It’s a well-proven finding in social psychology that segregation promotes stereotyping and prejudice, whereas intergroup contact reduces them—and the results are the same whether you divide groups by race, age, gender, body mass index, sexual orientation, or any other category. What’s more, children are especially vulnerable to this kind of bias, because they are dependent on adults for learning which social categories are important and why we divide people into different groups.[L] You don’t have to look far to find evidence of stereotyping and sex discrimination in single-sex schools. There was the failed single-sex experiment in California, where six school districts used generous state grants to set up separate boys’ and girls’ academies in the late 1990s. Once boys and girls were segregated, teachers resorted to traditional gender stereotypes to run their classes, and within just three years, five of the six districts had gone back to coeducation. [M] At the same time, researchers are increasingly discovering benefits of gender interaction in youth. A large British study found that children with other-sex older siblings(兄弟姐妹) exhibit less stereotypical play than children with same-sex older siblings, such as girls who like sports and building toys and boys who like art and dramatic play. Another study of high school social networks found less bullying and aggression the higher the density of mixed-sex friendships within a given adolescent network. Then there is the finding we cited in our Science paper of higher divorce and depression rates among a large group of British men who attended single-sex schools as teenagers, which might be explained by the lack of opportunity to learn about relationships during their formative years.[N] Whether in nursery school, high school, or the business world, gender segregation narrows our perceptions of each other, facilitating stereotyping and sexist attitudes. It’s very simple: the more we structure children and adolescents’ environment around gender distinctions and separation, the more they will use these categories as the primary basis for understanding themselves and others. [O] Gender is an important issue in education. There are gaps in reading, writing, and science achievement that should be narrower. There are gaps in career choice that should be narrower—if we really want to maximize human potential and American economic growth. But stereotyping boys and girls and separating them in the name of fictitious(虚构的) brain differences is never going to close these gaps.46. Hundreds of schools separate boys from girls in class on the alleged brain and cognitive differences.47. A review of extensive educational research shows no obvious academic advantage of single-sex schooling.48. The author did not have any fixed ideas on single-sex education when she began her research on the subject49. Research found men who attended single-sex schools in their teens were more likely to sufferfrom depression.50. Studies in social psychology have shown segregation in school education has a negative impact on children.51. Reviews of research indicate there are more differences in brain and cognitive development within the same sex than between different sexes.52. The findings of the national survey of college freshmen about the impact of single-sex schooling fail to take into account student and school attributes.53. It wasn’t long before most of the school districts that experimented with single-sex education abandoned the practice.54. Boys from coeducational classes demonstrate greater cognitive abilities according to the economists’ research.55. As careful research reviews show, academic excellence in some single-sex schools is attributed to other factors than single-sex education.Section CInternational governments’ inaction concerning sustainable development is clearly worrying but the proactive(主动出击的) approaches of some leading-edge companies are encouraging. Toyota, Wal-Mart, DuPont, M&S and General Electric have made tackling environmental wastes a key economic driver.DuPont committed itself to a 65% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in the 10 years prior to 2010. By 2007, DuPont was saving $2.2 billion a year through energy efficiency, the same as its total declared profits that year. General Electric aims to reduce the energy intensity of its operations by 50% by 2015. They have invested heavily in projects designed to change the way of using and conserving energy.Companies like Toyota and Wal-Mart are not committing to environmental goals out of the goodness of their hearts. The reason for their actions is a simple yet powerful realization that the environmental and economic footprints fit well together. When M&S launched its “Plan A”sustainability program in 2007, it was believed that it would cost over £200 million in the first five years. However, the initiative had generated £105 million by 2011/12.When we prevent physical waste, increase energy efficiency or improve resource productivity, we save money, improve profitability and enhance competitiveness. In fact, there are often huge “quick win” opportunities, thanks to years of neglect.However, there is a considerable gap between leading-edge companies and the rest of the pack. There are far too many companies still delaying creating a lean and green business system, arguing that it will cost money or require sizable capital investments. They remain stuck in the “environment is cost” mentality. Being environmentally friendly does not have to cost money. In fact, going beyond compliance saves cost at the same time that it generates cash, provided that management adopts the new lean and green model.Lean means doing more with less. Nonetheless, in most companies, economic and environmental continuous improvement is viewed as being in conflict with each other. This is one of the biggest opportunities missed across most industries. The size of the opportunity is enormous. The 3% Report recently published by World Wildlife Fund and CDP shows that the economic prize for curbing carbon emissions in the US economy is $780 billion between now and 2020. It suggests that one of the biggest levers for delivering this opportunity is “increased efficiencythrough management and behavioral change”—in other words, lean and green management.Some 50 studies show that companies that commit to such aspirational goals as zero waste, zero harmful emissions, and zero use of non-renewable resources are financially outperforming their competitors. Conversely, it was found that climate disruption is already costing $1.2 trillion annually, cutting global GDP by 1.6%. Unaddressed, this will double by 2030.56. What does the author say about some leading-edge companies?A. They operate in accordance with government policies.B. They take initiatives in handling environmental wastes.C. They are key drivers in their nations’ economic growth.D. They are major contributors to environmental problems.57. What motivates Toyota and Wal-Mart to make commitments to environmental protection?A. The goodness of their hearts.B. A strong sense of responsibility.C. The desire to generate profits.D. Pressure from environmentalists.58. Why are so many companies reluctant to create an environment-friendly business system?A. They are bent on making quick money.B. They do not have the capital for the investment.C. They believe building such a system is too costly.D. They lack the incentive to change business practices.59. What is said about the lean and green model of business?A. It helps businesses to save and gain at the same time.B. It is affordable only for a few leading-edge companies.C. It is likely to start a new round of intense competition.D. It will take a long time for all companies to embrace it.60. What is the finding of the studies about companies committed to environmental goals?A. They have greatly enhanced their sense of social responsibility.B. They do much better than their counterparts in terms of revenues.C. They have abandoned all the outdated equipment and technology.D. They make greater contributions to human progress than their rivals.Passage TwoIf you asked me to describe the rising philosophy of the day, I’d say it is data-ism. We now have the ability to gather huge amounts of data. This ability seems to carry with it certain cultural assumptions—that everything that can be measured should be measured; that data is a transparent and reliable lens that allows us to filter out emotionalism and ideology; that data will help us do remarkable things— like foretell the future.Over the next year, I’m hoping to get a better grip on some of the questions raised by the data revolution: In what situations should we rely on intuitive pattern recognition and in which situations should we ignore intuition and follow the data? What kinds of events are predictable using statistical analysis and what sorts of events are not?I confess I enter this in a skeptical frame of mind, believing that we tend to get carried away in our desire to reduce everything to the quantifiable. But at the outset let me celebrate two things data does really well.First, it’s really good at exposing when our intuitive view of reality is wrong. For example, nearly every person who runs for political office has an intuitive sense that they can powerfullyinfluence their odds of winning the election if they can just raise and spend more money. But this is largely wrong.After the 2006 election, Sean Trende constructed a graph comparing the incumbent(在任者的) campaign spending advantages with their eventual margins of victory. There was barely any relationship between more spending and a bigger victory. Likewise, many teachers have an intuitive sense that different students have different learning styles: some are verbal and some are visual; some are linear, some are holistic(整体的). Teachers imagine they will improve outcomes if they tailor their presentations to each student. But there’s no evidence to support this either.Second, data can illuminate patterns of behavior we haven’t yet noticed. For example, I’ve always assumed people who frequently use words like “I,”“me,” and “mine” are probably more self-centered than people who don’t. But as James Pennebaker of the University of Texas notes in his book, The Secret Life of Pronouns, when people are feeling confident, they are focused on the task at hand, not on themselves. High-status, confident people use fewer “I” words, not more.Our brains often don’t notice subtle verbal patterns, but Pennebaker’s computers can. Younger writers use more negative and past-tense words than older writers who use more positive and future-tense words.In sum, the data revolution is giving us wonderful ways to understand the present and the past. Will it transform our ability to predict and make decisions about the future? We’ll see.61. What do data-ists assume they can do?A. Transform people’s cultural identity.B. Change the way future events unfold.C. Get a firm grip on the most important issues.D. Eliminate emotional and ideological bias.62. What do people running for political office think they can do?A. Use data analysis to predict the election result.B. Win the election if they can raise enough funds.C. Manipulate public opinion with favorable data.D. Increase the chances of winning by foul means.63. Why do many teachers favor the idea of tailoring their presentations to different students?A. They think students prefer flexible teaching methods.B. They will be able to try different approaches.C. They believe students’ learning styles vary.D. They can accommodate students with special needs.64. What does James Pennebaker reveal in The Secret Life of Pronouns?A. The importance of using pronouns properly.B. Repeated use of first-person pronouns by self-centered people.C. Frequent use of pronouns and future tense by young people.D. A pattern in confident people’s use of pronouns.65. Why is the author skeptical of the data revolution?A. Data may not be easily accessible.B. Errors may occur with large data samples.C. Data cannot always do what we imagine it can.D. Some data may turn out to be outdated.Part IV Translation中国将努力确保到2015年就业者接受过平均13.3年的教育。
2014年12月大学英语六级考试阅读理解(第1套)
2014年12月大学英语六级考试真题（第1套）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 the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter.Meaning Is Healthier Than Happiness[A]For at least the last decade, the happiness craze has been building. In the last three months alone, over 1,000 books on happiness were released on Amazon, including Happy Money, Happy-People-Pills For All, and, for those just starting out, Happiness for Beginners.[B]One of the consistent claims of books like these is that happiness is associated with all sorts of good life outcomes, including - most promisingly - good health. Many studies have noted the connection between a happy mind and a healthy body - the happier you are, the better health outcomes we seem to have. In a meta-analysis (overview) of 150 studies on this topic, researchers put it like this: “Inductions of well-being lead to healthy functioning, and inductions of ill-being lead to compromised health.”[C]But a new study, just published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) challenges the rosy picture. Happiness may not be as good for the body as researchers thought. It might even be bad.[D]Of course, it's important to first define happiness. A few months ago, I wrote a piece called “There's More to Life Than Being Happy”about a psychology study that dug into what happiness really means to people. It specifically explored the difference between a meaningful life and a happy life.[E]It seems strange that there would be a difference at all. But the researchers, who looked at a large sample of people over a month-long period, found that happiness is associated with selfish “taking”behavior and that having a sense of meaning in life is associated with selfless “giving”behavior.[F]"Happiness without meaning characterizes a relatively shallow, self-absorbed or even selfish life, in which things go well, needs and desire are easily satisfied, and difficult or taxing entanglements are avoided," the authors of the study wrote. "If anything, pure happiness is linked to not helping others in need.”While being happy is about feeling good, meaning is derived from contributing to others or to society in a bigger way. As Roy Baumeister, one of the researchers, told me, "Partly what we do as human beings is to take care of others and contribute to others. This makes life meaningful but it does not necessarily make us happy.”[G]The new PNAS study also sheds light on the difference between meaning and happiness, but on the biological level. Barbara Fredrickson, a psychological researcher who specializes in positive emotions at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and Steve Cole, a genetics and psychiatric researcher at UCLA, examined the self-reported levels of happiness and meaning in 80 research subjects.[H]Happiness was defined, as in the earlier study, by feeling good. The researchers measured happiness by asking subjects questions like “How often did you feel happy?”“How often did you feel interested in life?”and “How often did you feel satisfied?”The more strongly people endorsed these measures of “hedonic well-being,”or pleasure, the higher they scored on happiness.[I]Meaning was defined as an orientation to something bigger than the self. They measured meaning by asking questions like “How often did you feel that your life has a sense of direction or meaning to it?”, “How often did you feel that you had something to contribute to society?”, and “How often did you feel that you belonged to a community social group?”The more people endorsed these measures of “eudaimonic well-being”- or, simply put, virtue - the more meaning they felt in life.[J]After noting the sense of meaning and happiness that each subject had, Fredrickson and Cole, with their research colleagues, looked at the ways certain genes expressed themselves in each of the participants. Like neuroscientists who use fMRI scanning to determine how regions in the brain respond to different stimuli, Cole and Fredrickson are interested in how the body, at the genetic level, responds to feelings of happiness and meaning.[K] Cole's past work has linked various kinds of chronic adversity to a particular gene expression pattern. When people feel lonely, are grieving the loss of a loved one, or are struggling to make ends meet, their bodies go into threat mode. This triggers the activation of a stress-related gene pattern that has two features: an increase in the activity of pron-inflammatory genes and a decrease in the activity of genes involved in anti-viral responses.[L]Cole and Fredrickson found that people who are happy but have little to no sense of meaning in their lives - proverbially, simply here for the party - have the same gene expression patterns as people who are responding to and enduring chronic adversity. That is, the bodies of these happy people are preparing them for bacterial threats by activating the pro-inflammatory response. Chronic inflammation is, of course, associated with major illnesses like heart disease and various cancers.[M]"Empty positive emotions" - like the kind people experience during manic episodes or artificially induced euphoria from alcohol and drugs - "are about as good for you for as adversity," says Fredrickson.[N]It's important to understand that for many people, a sense of meaning and happiness in life overlap; many people score jointly high (or jointly low) on the happiness and meaning measures in the study. But for many others, there is a dissonance - they feel that they are low on happiness and high on meaning or that their lives are very high in happiness, but low in meaning. This last group, which has the gene expression pattern associated with adversity, formed a whopping 75 percent of study participants. Only one quarter of the study participants had what the researchers call “eudaimonic predominance”- that is, their sense of meaning outpaced their feelings of happiness.[O]This is too bad given the more beneficial gene expression pattern associated with meaningfulness. People whose levels of happiness and meaning line up, and people who have a strong sense of meaning but are not necessarily happy, showed a deactivation of the adversity stress response. Their bodies were not preparing them for the bacterial infections that we get when we are alone or in trouble, but for the viral infections we get when surrounded by a lot of other people.[P]Fredrickson's past research, described in her two books, Positivity and Love 2.0, has mapped the benefits of positive emotions in individuals. She has found that positive emotions broaden a person's perspective and buffers people against adversity. So it was surprising to her that hedonistic well-being, which is associated with positive emotions and pleasure, did so badly in this study compared with eudaimonic well-being.[Q]“It's not the amount of hedonic happiness that's a problem,”Fredrickson tells me, “It's that it's not matched by eudaimonic well-being. It's great when both are in step. But if you have more hedonic well-being than would be expected, that's when this [gene] pattern that's akin to adversity emerged.”[R]The terms hedonism and eudemonism bring to mind the great philosophical debate, which has shaped Western civilization for over 2,000 years, about the nature of the good life. Does happiness lie in feeling good, as hedonists think, or in doing and being good, as Aristotle and his intellectual descendants, the virtue ethicists, think? From the evidence of this study, it seems that feeling good is not enough. People need meaning to thrive. In the words of Carl Jung, “The least of things with a meaning is worth more in life than the greatest of things without it.”Jung's wisdom certainly seems to apply to our bodies, if not also to our hearts and our minds.46 . The author's recent article examined how a meaningful life is different from a happy life.47 . It should be noted that many people feel their life is both happy and meaningful.48 . According to one survey, there is a close relationship between hedonic well-being measures and high scores on happiness.49 . According to one of the authors of a new study, what makes life meaningful may not make people happy.50 . Experiments were carried out to determine our body's genetic expression of feelings of happiness and meaning.51 . A new study claims happiness may not contribute to health.52 . According to researchers, taking makes for happiness while giving adds meaning to life.53 . Evidence from research shows that it takes meaning for people to thrive.54 . With regard to gene expression patterns, happy people with little or no sense of meaning in life are found to be similar to those suffering from chronic adversity.55 . Most books on happiness today assert that happiness is beneficial to health.Passage OneQuestions 56 to 60 are based on the following passage.Nothing succeeds in business books like the study of success. The current business-book boom was launched in 1982 by Tom Peters and Robert Waterman with “In Search of Excellence”. It has been kept going ever since by a succession of gurus and would-be gurus who promise to distil the essence of excellence into three(or five or seven) simple rules.The Three Rules is a self-conscious contribution to this type; it even includes a bibliography of “success studies”. Messrs Raynor and Mumtaz Ahmed work for a consultancy, Deloitte, that is determined to turn itself into more of a thought-leader and less a corporate repairman. They employ all the tricks of the success genre. They insist that their conclusions are “measurable and actionable”-guide to behavior rather than analysis for its own sake. Success authors usually serve up vivid stories about how exceptional business-people stamped their personalities on a company or rescued it from a life-threatening crisis. Messrs Raynor and Ahmed are happier chewing the numbers: they provide detailed appendices on “calculating the elements of advantage”and “detailed analysis”.The authors spent five years studying the behavior of their 344 “exceptional companies”, only to come up at first with nothing. Every hunch(直觉)led to a blind alley and every hypothesis to a dead end. It was only when they shifted their attention from how companies behave to how they think that they began to make sense of their voluminous material.Management is all about making difficult tradeoffs in conditions that are always uncertain and ever-changing. But exceptional companies' approach these trade-offs with two simple rules in mind, sometimes consciously, sometimes unconsciously. First: better before cheaper. Companies are more likely to succeed in the long run if they compete on quality or performance than on price. Second: revenue before cost. Companies have more to gain in the long run from driving up revenue than by driving down costs.Most success studies suffer from two faults. There is “the halo (光环) effect”, whereby good performance leads commentators to attribute all manner of virtues to anything and everything the company does. These virtues then suddenly become vices when the company fails. Messrs Raynor and Ahmed work hard to avoid these mistakes by studying large bodies of data over several decades. But they end up embracing a different error: stating the obvious. Most businesspeople will not be surprised to learn that it is better to find a profitable niche (缝隙市场) and focus on boosting your revenues than to compete on price and cut your way to success. The difficult question is how to find that profitable niche and protect it. There, The Three Rules is less useful.56 . What kind of business books are most likely to sell well?A Books on excellence.B Guides to management.C Books on business rules.D Analyses of market trends.57 . What does the author imply about books on success so far?A They help businessmen on way or another.B They are written by well-recognized experts.C They more or less fall into the same stereotype.D They are based on analyses of corporate leaders.58 . How does The Three Rules different from other success books according to the passage?A It focuses on the behavior of exceptional businessmen.B It bases its detailed analysis on large amount of data.C It offers practicable advice to businessmen.D It draws conclusion from vivid examples.59 . What does the passage say contributes to the success of exceptional companies?A Focus on quality and revenue.B Management and sales promotion.C Lower production costs and competitive prices.D Emphasis on after-sale service and maintenance.60 . What is the author's comment on The Three Rules?A It can help to locate profitable niches.B It has little to offer to businesspeople.C It is noted for its detailed data analysis.D It fails to identify the keys to success.Passage TwoQuestions 61 to 65 are based on the following passage.Until recently, the University of Kent prided itself on its friendly image. Not any more. Over the past few months it has been working hard. With the help of media consultants, to play down its cosy reputation in favour of something more academic and serious.Kent is not alone in considering an image revamp (翻新). Changes to next year's funding regime are forcing universities to justify charging students up to ￡9,000 in fees.Nowadays universities are putting much more of a focus on their brands and what their value propositions are. While in the past universities have often focused on student social life and attractions of the university town in recruitment campaigns, they are now concentrating on more tangible(实在的)attractions, such as employment prospects, engagement with industry, and lecturer contact hours, making clear exactly what students are going to get for their money.The problem for universities is that if those benefits fail to materialize, students notice. That worries Rob Behrens, who deals with student complaints. “Universities need to be extremely careful in describing what's going to happen to students”he says. “As competition is going to get greater for attracting gifted students, there is a danger that universities will go the extra mile.”One university told prospective engineering students they would be able to design a car and race it at Brands Hatch, which never happened, he says. Others have promised use of sophisticated equipment that turned out to be broken or unavailable. “If universities spent as much money on handling complaints and appeals appropriately as they spend on marketing, they would do better at keeping students, and in the National Student Survey returns,”he says.Ongoing research tracking prospective 2012 students suggests that they are not only becoming more time researching evidence to back up institutional claims.Hence the growing importance of the student survey. From next September. All institutions will also be expected to publish on their websites key information sets, allowing easier comparison between institution, between promises and reality, and the types of jobs and salaries graduates go on to.As a result, it is hardly surprising that universities are beginning to change the way they market themselves. While the best form of marketing for institutions is to be good at what they do, they also need to be clear about how they are different from others.And it is vital that once an institution claims to be particularly good at something, it must live up to it, the moment you position yourself, you become exposed, and if you fail in that you are in trouble.61 . What was the University of Kent famous for?A Its comfortable campus life.B Its up-to-date course offerings.C Its distinguished teaching staff.DI ts diverse academic programs.62 . What are universities trying to do to attract students?A Improve their learning environment.B Upgrade their campus facilities.C Offer more scholarships to the gifted.D Present a better academic image.63 . What does Rob Behrens suggest universities do in marketing themselves?A Publicize the achievements of their graduates.B Go to extra lengths to cater to students' needs.C Refrain from making promises they cannot honor.D Survey the expectations of their prospective students.64 . What is students' chief consideration in choosing a university?A Whether it promises the best job prospects.B Whether it is able to deliver what they want.C Whether it ranks high among similar institutions.D Whether it offers opportunities for practical training.65 . What must universities show to win recruitment campaigns?A They are positioned to meet the future needs of society.B They are responsible to students for their growth.C They are ever ready to improve themselves.D They are unique one way or another.46 . 正确答案是D统计：全站统计：本题共被作答538 次，总正确率8% ，最容易被选错的选项为C 解析：D段第二句提到，几个月之前，作者写了一篇关于心理学研究的文章，深入探讨了快乐对于人们来说究竟意味着人们；接着最后一句提到作者在这篇文章中还专门探索了有意义的生活与快乐的生活之间的区别。
2014年12月英语六级真题及答案详解
2014年12月英语六级真题及答案Part I WritingDirections: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on the following topic. You shoul d write at least 180 words but no more than 200 words.作文题一：学历歧视作文题二：科技与学习作文题三：学习没有捷径Part II ListeningSection ADirections：In this section，you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation an d the questions will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, y ou must read the four choices marked A) , B) , C) and D)，and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet I with a single line through the centre.Question 1A.At a groceryB.In a parking lotC.In a car showroomD.At a fast food restaurantQuestion 2A.Have a little nap after lunchB.Get up and take a short walkC.Change her position now and thenD.Stretch legs before standing upQuestion 3A.The students should practice long-distance runningB.He doesn’t quite believe what the woman saysC.The students’ physical condition is not desirableD.He thinks the race is too hard for the studentsQuestion 4A.They do not want to have a baby at presentB.They cannot afford to get married right nowC.They are both pursuing graduate studiesD.They will get their degrees in two yearsQuestion 5A.Twins usually have a lot in commonB.He must have been mistaken for JackC.Jack is certainly not as healthy as he isD.He has not seen Jack for quite a few daysQuestion 6A.The man will take the woman wo the museumB.The man knows where the museum is locatedC.The woman is asking the way at the crossroadsD.The woman will attend the opening of the museumQuestion 7A.They cannot ask the guy to leaveB.The guy has been coming in for yearsC.They should not look down upon the guyD.The guy must be feeling extremely lonelyQuestion 8A.Collect timepiecesB.Become time-consciousC.Learn to mend locksD.Keep track of his daily activitiesQuestions 9 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard. Question 9A.It winds its way to the seaB.It is quickly risingC.It is eating into its banksD.It is wide and deepQuestion 10A.Get the trucks over to the other side of the riverB.Take the equipment apart before being ferriedC.Reduce the transport cost as much as possibleD.Try to speed up the operation by any meansQuestion 11A.Ask the commander to send a helicopterB.Halt the operation until further ordersC.Cut trees and build rowing boatsD.Find as many coats as possibleQuestions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.Question 12A.Help him join an Indian expeditionB.Talk about his climbing experiencesC.Give up mountain climbing altogetherD.Save money to buy climbing equipmentQuestion 13A.He was very strict with his childrenB.He climbed mountains to earn a livingC.He had an unusual religious backgroundD.He was the first to conquer Mt. QomolangmaQuestion 14A.They are like humansB.They are sacred placesC.They are to be protectedD.They are to be conqueredQuestion 15A.It was his father’s training that pilled him throughB.It was a milestone in his mountain climbing careerC.It was his father who gave him the strength to succeedD.It helped him understand the Sherpa view of mountainsSection BDirections：In this section，you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage，you will he ar some questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a questi on, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C)and D). Then mark the cor responding letter on Answer Sheet I with a single line through the centrePassage OneQuestion 16A. By reviewing what he has said previouslyB.By comparing memorandums with lettersC.By showing a memorandum’ s structureD.By analyzing the organization of a letterQuestion 17A.They spent a lot of time writing memorandumsB.They seldom read a memorandum through to the endC.They placed emphasis on the format of memorandumsD.They ignored many of the memorandums they received Question 18A.Style and wordingB.Structure and lengthC.Directness and clarityD.Simplicity and accuracyPassage TwoQuestions 19 to 22 are based on the passage you have just heard. Question 19A.Accurate datingB.Professional lookC.Direct statement of purposeD.Inclusion of appropriate humorQuestion 20A.They give top priority to their work efficiencyB.They make an effort to lighten their workloadC.They never change work habits unless forced toD.They try hard to make the best use of their timeQuestion 21A.Self-confidenceB.Sense of dutyC.Work efficiencyD.Passion for workQuestion 22A.They are addicted to playing online gamesB.They try to avoid work whenever possibleC.They find to pleasure in the work they doD.They simply have no sense of responsibilityPassage ThreeQuestions 23 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard. Question 23A.He lost all his propertyB.He was sold to a circusC.He was forced into slaveryD.He ran away from his familyQuestion 24A.A carpenterB.A businessmanC.A master of hisD.A black drummerQuestion 25A.It named its town hall after Solomon NorthupB.It declared July 24 Solomon Northup DayC.It freedom all blacks in the town from slaveryD.It hosted a reunion for the Northup familySection CDirections：In this section, you will hear a passage three times. When the passage is read for the fir st time, you should listen carefully for its general idea. When the passage is read for the second time, yo u are required to fill in the blanks with the exact words you have just heard. Finally, when the passage i s read for the third time, you should check what you have written.Section CIntolerance is the art of ignoring any views that differ from your own. It(26)_____ itself a hatred. St ereotypes, prejudice, and(27)_____.Once it intensifies in people, intolerance is nearly impossible to overco me. But why would anyone want to be labeled intolerant. Why would people want to be (28)_____about the world around them? Why would one want to be part of the problem in America, instead of the soluti on?There are many explanations for intolerant attitudes, some (29)_____ childhood. It is likely that intole rant folks grew up (30)_____ intolerant parents and the cycle of prejudice has simply continued for (31)_ ____. Perhaps intolerant people are so set in their ways that they find it easier to ignore anything that mi ght not (32)_____ their limited view of life. Or maybe intolerant students have simply never been (33)__ ___ to anyone different form themselves. But none of these reason is an excuse for allpwing the intoleran ce to continue.Intolerance should not be confused with disagreement.It is,of course,possible as diasgree with an opini on without being intolerant of it.If you understand a belief but still don't believe in that specific belief,tha t's fine.You are (34)_____ your opinion.As a matter of fact.(35)_____ disseniers(持异议者)are important fo r any belief.If we all believed the same things.we would never grow,and we would never learn about theworld around us,does not stem frim disagreement.It stems from fear,And fear stems from fear.And fear s tems from ignorance.Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)Section AHis future subjects have not always treated the Prince of Wales with the respect one XXXX expect. They laughed aloud in 1986 when the heir to the British(36)_____ told a TV reporter that he talked to h is plants at his country house, Highgrove, to stimulate their growth. The Prince was being humorous- “M y sense of humor will get me into trouble one day”, he said to his aids(随从)-but listening to Charles W indsor can indeed prove stimulating. The royal(37)_____ has been promoting radical ideas for most of his adult life. Some of his(38)_____, which once sounded a bit weird, were simply ahead of their time. No w, finally, the world seems to be catching up with him.Take hi s views on farming. Prince Charles’ Duchy Home Farm went(39)_____ back in 1986. When most shoppers cared only about the low price tag on suspiciously blemish-free(无瑕疵的) vegetables and(4 0)_____ large chickens piled high in supermarkets.His warnings on climate change proved farsighted,too.Charles began(41)_____ action in warming in 1 990 and says he has been worried about the(42)_____ of man on the environment same be was a teenger.Although he was gradually gained international(43)_____ as one of the world's lending conservationist s,many British people still think of him as an(34)_____ person who talks to plants.This year,as it happens, South Korean scientists proved that plants really do(45)_____ to round.So Charles was ahead of the game there,too.A.conformB.eccentricC.environmentalistD.expeditionsE.impactF.notionsanicH.originallyI.recognitionJ.respondK.subordinateL.suppressingM.throneN.unnaturallyO.urgingSection BDirections: In this section，you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each s tatement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the infor mation is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.High School Sports Are n’t Killing AcademicsA)In this month’s Atlantic cover article, “The Case Against High-School Sports,” Amanda Ripley arg ues that school-sponsored sports programs should be seriously cut. She writes that, unlike most countries t hat outperform the United States on international assessments, American schools put too much of an emph asis on athletics, “ Sports are embedded in American schools in a way they are not almost anywhere els e,” she writes, “Yet this difference hardly ever comes up in domestic debates about America’s internation al mediocrity(平庸)in education.”B)American student-athletes reap many benefits from participating in sports, but the costs to the scho ols could outweigh their benefits, she argues, In particular, Ripley contends that sports crowd out the acad emic missions of schools: America should learn from South Korea and Finland and every other country at the top level of international test scores, all of whom emphasize athletics far less in school. ”Even in ei ghth grade, American kids spend more than twice the time Korean kids spe nd playing sports,” she writes, citing a 2010 study published in the Journal of Advanced Academics.C)It might well be true that sports are far more rooted in American high schools than in other count ries. But our reading of international test scores finds no support for the argument against school athletics. Indeed, our own research and that of others lead us to make the opposite case. School-sponsored sports appear to provide benefits that seem to increase, not detract(减少)from, academic success.D)Ripley indulges a popular obsession(痴迷)with international test score comparisons, which show wid e and frightening gaps between the United States and other countries. She ignores, however, the fact that states vary at least as much in test scores as do developed countries. A 2011 report from Harvard Univer sity shows that Massachusetts produces math scores comparable to South Korea and Finland, while Missis sippi scores are closer to Trinidad and Tobago. Ripley’s thesis about sports falls apart in light of this fact. Schools in Massachusetts provide sports programs while schools in Finland do not. Schools in Mississipp i may love football while in Tobago interscholastic sports are nowhere near as prominent. Sports cannot e xplain these similarities in performance. They can’t explain international differences either.E)If it is true that sports undermine the academic mission of American schools, we would expect to see a negative relationship between the commitment to athletics and academic achievement. However, the University of Arkansas’s Daniel Bowen and Jay Greene actually find the opposite. They examine this r ela tionship by analyzing schools’ sports winning percentages as well as student-athletic participation rates compared to graduation rates and standardized test score achievement over a five-year period for all public high schools in Ohio. Controlling for student poverty levels, demographics(人口统计状况), and district fin ancial resources, both measures of a school’s commitment to athletics are significantly and positively relat ed to lower dropout rates as well as higher test scores.F)On-the-field success and high participation in sports is not random-it requires focus and dedication to athletics. One might think this would lead schools obsessed with winning to deemphasize academics. B owen and Greene’s results contradict that argument. A likely explanation for t his seemingly counterintuitiv e(与直觉相反的)result is that success in sports programs actually facilitates or reflects greater social capita l within a school’s community.G)Ripley cites the writings of renowned sociologist James Coleman, whose research in education was groundbreaking. Coleman in his early work held athletics in contempt, arguing that they crowded out sch ools’ academic missions. Ripley quotes his 1961 study, The Adolescent Society, where Coleman writes, “Altogether, the trophy(奖品)case would suggest to the innocent visitor that he was entering an athletic cl ub, not an educational institution.”H)However, in later research Coleman would show how the success of schools is highly dependent o n what he termed social capital, “the social networks, and the relationships between adul ts and children th at are of value for the child’s growing up.”I)According to a 2013 evaluation conducted by the Crime Lab at the University of Chicago, a progra m called Becoming a Man-Sports Edition creates lasting improvements in the boys’ study habits and grad e point averages. During the first year of the program, students were founds to be less likely to transfer schools or be engaged in violent crime. A year after the program, participants were less likely to have ha d an encounter with the juvenile justice system.J)If school-sponsored sports were completely eliminated tomorrow, many American students would stil l have opportunities to participate in organized athletics elsewhere, much like they do in countries such as Finland, Germany, and South Korea. The same is not certain when it comes to students from more disa dvantaged backgrounds. In an overview of the research on non-school based after-school programs, researc hers find that disadvantaged children participate in these programs at significantly lower rates. They find t hat low-income students have less access due to challenges with regard to transportation, non-nominal fees, and off-campus safety. Therefore, reducing or eliminating these opportunities would most likely deprive d isadvantaged students of the benefits from athletic participation, not least of which is the opportunity to in teract with positive role models outside of regular school hours.K)Another unfounded criticism that Ripley makes is bringing up the stereotype that athletic XX are t ypically lousy(蹩脚的)classroom teachers. “American principals, unlike the XX XX of principals around the world, make many hiring decisions with their sports teams in mind, which does not always end well fo r students,” she writes. Educators who seek employment at school s primarily for the purpose of coaching are likely to shirk(推卸)teaching responsibilities, the argument goes. Moreover, even in the cases where th e employee is a teacher first and athletic coach second, the additional responsibilities that come with coac hing likely comes at the expense of time otherwise spent on planning, grading, and communicating with p arents and guardians.L)The data, however, do not seem to confirm this stereotype. In the most rigorous study on the class room results of high school coac hes, the University of Arkansas’s Anna Egalite finds that athletic coaches in Florida mostly tend to perform just as well as their non-coaching counterparts, with respect to raising student test scores. We do not doubt that teachers who also coach face serious tradeoffs that likely come at the expense of time they could dedicate to their academic obligations. However, as with sporting even ts, athletic coaches gain additional opportunities for communicating and serving as mentors(导师)that poten tially help students succeed and make up for the costs of coaching commitments.M)If schools allow student-athletes to regularly miss out on instructional time for the sake of travelin g to athletic competitions, that’s bad. However, such iss ues would be better addressed by changing school and state policies with regard to the scheduling of sporting events as opposed to total elimination. If the empirical evidence points to anything, it points towards school sponsored sports providing assets that are well worth the costs.N)Despite negative stereotypes about sports culture and Ripley’s presumption that academics and athle tics are at odds with one another, we believe that the greater body of evidence shows that school-sponsor ed sports programs appear to benefit students. Successes on the playing field can carry over to the classro om and vice versa(反之亦然). More importantly, finding ways to increase school communities’ social capit al is imperative to the success of the school as whole, not just the athletes.46.Stunets from low-income families have less access to off-campus sports programs.47.Amanda Ripley argues that America should learn from other countries that rank high in international te sts and lay less emphasis on athletics.48.According to the author,Amanda Ripley fails to note that stunents'performance in exams varies from sta te to state.49.Amanda Ripley thinks that athletic coaches are poor at classroom instruction.50.James Coleman's later resrarch make an argument for a school's social capital.51.Reaearchers find that there is a ppsitive relationship between a school's commitment to athletics and ac ademic achievements.52.Aa rigorous study finds that athletic coaches also do well in raising students'test scores.53.According to an evaluation,spograms contribute to students's academic preformance and character building.54.Amanda Ripley believes the emphasis on school sports shuold be brought up when trying to understand why Aamerican students are mediocre.55.James Coleman suggests in his earlier writings that school athletics would undermine a school's image.Section CDirections: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfi nished 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 c entre.Passage oneIt is easy to miss amid the day-to-day headlines of global economic recession, but there is a less co nspicuous kind of social upheaval(剧变)underway that is fast altering both the face of the planet and the way human beings live. That change is the rapid acceleration of urbanization. In 2008, for the first time i n human history, more than half the world’s population was living in towns and cities. And as a recently published paper shows, the process of urbanization will only accelerate in the decades to come—with an enormous impact on biodiversity and potentially on climate change.As Karen Seto, the led author of the paper, po ints out, the wave of urbanization isn’t just about the migration of people into urban environments, but about the environments themselves becoming bigger to a ccommodate all those people. The rapid expansion of urban areas will have a huge impact on biodiversity hotspots and on carbon emissions in those urban areas.Humans are the ultimate invasive species—when the move into new territory, the often displace the wildlife that was already living there. And as land is cleared for those new cities—especially in the dense tropical forests—carbon will be released into the atmosphere as well. It’s true that as people in developi ng nations move from the countryside to the city, the shift may reduce the pressure on land, which could in turn be good for the environment. This is especially so in desperately poor countries, where residents in the countryside slash and burn forests each growing season to clear space for farming. But the real di fference is that in developing nations, the move from rural areas to cities often leads to an accompanying increase in income —and that increase leads to an increase in the consumption of food and energy, wh ich in turn causes a rise in carbon emissions. Getting enough to eat and enjoying the safety and comfort of living fully on the grid is certainly a good thing —but it does carry an environmental price.The urbanization wave can’t be stopped —and it shouldn’t be. But Seto’s paper does underscore the importance of managing that transition. If we do it the right way, we can reduce urbanization’s impact o n the environment. “There’s an enormous opportunity here, and a lot of pressure and responsibility to thin k about how we urbanize,” says Seto. “One thing that’s clear is that we can’t build cities the way we ha ve over the last couple of hundred years. The scale of this transition won’t allow that.” We’re headed to wards an urban planet no matter what, but whether it becomes heaven or hell is up to us.56. What issue does the author try to draw people’s attention to?A. The shrinking biodiversity worldwide.B. The rapid increase of world population.C. The ongoing global economic recession.D. The impact of accelerating urbanization.57. In what sense are humans the ultimate invasive species?A. They are much greedier than other species.B. They are a unique species born to conquer.C. They force other species out of their territories.D. They have an urge to expand their living space.58. In what way is urbanization in poor countries good for the environment?A. More land will be preserved for wildlife.B. The pressure on farmland will be lessened.C. Carbon emissions will be considerably reduced.D. Natural resources will be used more effectively.59. What does the author say about living comfortably in the city?A. It incurs a high environmental price.B. It brings poverty and insecurity to an end.C. It causes a big change in people’s lifestyle.D. It narrows the gap between city and country.60. What can be done to minimize the negative impact of urbanization according to Seto?A. Slowing down the speed of transition.B. Innovative use of advanced technology.C. Appropriate management of the process.D. Enhancing people’s sense of responsibility.Passage TwoWhen Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg launched in Feb. 2004, even he could not i magine the forces it would let loose. His intent was to connect college students. Facebook, which is what this website rapidly evolved into, ended up connecting the world.To the children of this connected era, the world is one giant social network. They are not bound —as were previous generations of humans —by what they were taught. They are only limited by their cu riosity and ambition. During my childhood, all knowledge was local. You learned everything you knew fr om your parents, teachers, preachers, and friends.With the high-quality and timely information at their fingertips, today’s children are rising normally t ame middle class is speaking up against social ills. Silicon Valley executives are being shamed into addin g women to their boards. Political leaders are marshalling the energy of millions for elections and political causes. All of this is being done with social media technologies that Facebook and its competitors set fr ee.As does every advancing technology, social media has created many new problems. It is commonly a ddictive and creates risks for younger users. Social media is used by extremists in the Middle East and el sewhere to seek and brainwash recruits. And it exposes us and our friends to disagreeable spying. We ma y leave our lights on in the house when we are on vacation, but through social media we tell criminals exactly where we are, when we plan to return home, and how to blackmail(敲诈)us.Governments don’t need informers a ny more. Social media allows government agencies to spy on the ir own citizens. We record our thoughts, emotions, likes and dislikes on Facebook; we share our political views, social preferences, and plans. We post intimate photographs of ourselves. No spy agency or crimi nal organization could actively gather the type of data that we voluntarily post for them.The marketers are also seeing big opportunities. Amazon is trying to predict what we will order. Go ogle is trying to judge our needs and wants based on our social-media profiles. We need to be aware of the risks and keep working to alleviate the dangers.Regardless of what social media people use, one thing is certain: we are in a period of accelerating chan ge. The next decade will be even more amazing and unpredictable than the last. Just as no one could pre dict what would happen with social media in the last decade, no one can accurately predict where this te chnology will take us. I am optimistic, however, that a connected humanity will find a way to uplift itsel f.61. What was the purpose of Facebook when it was first created?A. To help students connect with the outside world.B. To bring university students into closer contact.C. To help students learn to live in a connected era.D. To combine the world into an integral whole.62. What difference does social media make to learning?A. Local knowledge and global knowledge will merge.B. Student will become more curious and ambitious.C. People are able to learn wherever they travel.D. Sources of information are greatly expanded.63. What is the author’s greatest concern with social media technology?A. Individuals and organizations may use it for evil purposes.B. Government will find it hard to protect classified information.C. Peopl e may disclose their friends’ information unintentionally.D. People’s attention will be easily distractedfrom their work in hand.64. What do businesses use social media for?A. Creating a good corporate image.B. Conducting large-scale market surveys.C. Anticipating the needs of customers.D. Minimizing possible risks and dangers.65. What does the author think of social media as a whole?A. It will enable human society to advance at a faster pace.B. It will pose a grave threat to our traditional ways of life.C. It is bound to bring about another information revolution.D. It breaks down the final barriers in human communication.Part IV TranslationDirections: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into Englis h. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.翻译题一：自从1978年启动改革以来，中国已从计划经济转为以市场为基础的经济，经历了经济和社会的快速发展。
2014年12月大学英语六级考试真题（第1套）
indispensable in education. You should give sound arguments to support your views and write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words. 6. A) She does not like John at all. C) She does not think John is handsome. B) John has got many admirers. D) John has just got a bachelor's degree. 7. A) He has been bumping along for hours. C) He is involved in a serious accident. B) He has got a sharp pain in the neck. D) He is trapped in a terrible traffic jam. 8. A) She is good at repairing things. C) She should improve her physical condition. B) She is a professional mechanic. D) She cannot go without a washing machine. Questions 9 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard. 9. A) Some witnesses failed to appear in court. C) The accused was found guilty of stealing. B) The case caused debate among the public. D) The accused refused to plead guilty in court. 10. A) He was out of his mind. C) His wife deserted him. B) He was unemployed. D) His children were sick. 11. A) He had been in jail before. C) He was unlikely to get employed. B) He was unworthy of sympathy. D) He had committed the same sort of crime. Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard. 12. A) Irresponsible. B) Unsatisfactory. C) Aggressive. D) Conservative. 13. A) Internal communication. C) Public relations. B) Distribution of brochures. D) Product design. 14. A) Placing advertisements in the trade press. C) Advertising in the national press. B) Drawing sketches for advertisements. D) Making television commercials. 15. A) She has the motivation to do the job. C) She is not so easy to get along with. B) She knows the tricks of advertising. D) She is not suitable for the position. Section B Directions: In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre. Passage One Questions 16 to 19 are based on the passage you have just heard. 16. A) The cozy communal life. C) Innovative academic programs. B) The cultural diversity. D) Impressive school buildings. 17. A) It is very beneficial to their academic progress. B) It helps them soak up the surrounding culture. C) It is as important as their learning experience. D) It ensures their physical and mental health. 18. A) It offers the most challenging academic programs. B) It has the world's best-known military academies. C) It provides numerous options for students. D) It draws faculty from all around the world. 19. A) They try to give students opportunities for experimentation. B) They are responsible merely to their Ministry of Education. C) They strive to develop every student's academic potential. D) They ensure that all students get roughly equal attention. Passage Two Questions 20 to 22 are based on the passage you have just heard. 20. A) It will arrive at Boulogne at half past two. C) It is now about half way to the French coast. B) It crosses the English Channel twice a day. D) It is leaving Folkestone in about five minutes. 21. A) Opposite the ship's office. C) At the rear of B deck. B) Next to the duty-free shop. D) In the front of A deck. 22. A) It is for the sole use of passengers travelling with cars. B) It is much more spacious than the lounge on C deck. C) It is for the use of passengers travelling with children. D) It is for senior passengers and people with VIP cards. Passage Three Questions 23 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard. 23. A) It was named after its location. C) It was named after a cave art expert. B) It was named after its discoverer. D) It was named after one of its painters. 24. A) Animal painting was part of the spiritual life of the time. B) Deer were worshiped by the ancient Cro-Magnon people. C) Cro-Magnon people painted animals they hunted and ate. D) They were believed to keep evils away from cave dwellers. 25. A) They know little about why the paintings were created. B) They have difficulty telling when the paintings were done. C) They are unable to draw such interesting and fine paintings. D) They have misinterpreted the meaning of the cave paintings. Section C Directions: In this section, you will hear a passage three times. When the passage is read for the first time, you you should should should listen listen listen carefully carefully carefully for for for its its its general general general idea. idea. idea. When When When the the the passage passage passage is is is read read read for for for the the the second second second time, time, time, you you you are are required to fill in the blanks with the exact words you have just heard. Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should check what you have written. If you are attending a local college, especially one without residence halls, you'll probably live at home and commute to classes. This arrangement has a lot of 26 . It's cheaper. It provides a comfortable and familiar setting, and it means you'll get the kind of home cooking you're used to instead of the monotony (单调) that 27 even the best institutional food. However, commuting students need to 28 to become involved in the life of their college and to take special steps to meet their fellow students. Often, this means a certain amount of initiative on your part in 29 and talking to people in your classes whom you think you might like. One problem that commuting students sometimes face is their parents' unwillingness to recognize that they're adults. The 30 from high school to college is a big one, and if you live at home you need to develop the same kind of independence you'd have if you were living away. Home rules that might have been 31 when you were in high school don't apply. If your parents are 32 to renegotiate, you can speed the process along by letting your behavior show that you have the responsibility that goes with maturity. Parents are more willing to 33 their children as adults when they behave like adults. If, however, there's so much friction at home that it 34 your academic work, you might want to consider sharing an apartment with one or more friends. Sometimes this is a happy solution when family 35 make everyone miserable. Part Ⅲ Reading Comprehension (40 minutes) Section A Directions: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once. Questions 36 to 45 are based on the following passage. Children are natural-born scientists. They have 36 minds, and they aren't afraid to admit they don't know something. Most of them, 37 , lose this as they get older. They become self-conscious and don't want to appear stupid. Instead of finding things out for themselves they make 38 that often turn out to be wrong. So it's not a case of getting kids interested in science. You just have to avoid killing the 39 for learning that they were born with. It's no coincidence that kids start deserting science once it becomes formalised. Children naturally have a blurred approach to 40 knowledge. They see learning about science or biology or cooking as all part of the same act —it's all learning. It's only because of the practicalities of education that you have to start breaking down the curriculum into specialist subjects. You need to have specialist teachers who 41 what what they they they know. know. know. Thus Thus Thus once once once they they they enter enter enter school, school, school, children children children begin begin begin to to to define define define subjects subjects subjects and and and erect erect boundaries that needn't otherwise exist. Dividing subjects into science, maths, English, etc. is something we do for 42 . In the end it's all learning, but many children today 43 themselves from a scientific education. They think science is for scientists, not for them. Of course we need to specialise 44 . Each of us has only so much time on Earth, so we can't study everything. At 5 years old, our field of knowledge and 45 is broad, covering anything from learning to walk to learning to count. Gradually it narrows down so that by the time we are 45, it might be one tiny little corner within science. A) accidentally B) acquiring C) assumptions D) convenience E) eventually F) exclude G) exertion H) exploration I) formulas J) ignite K) impart L) inquiring M) passion N) provoking O) unfortunately Section B Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2. Meaning Is Healthier Than Happiness [A] For at least the last decade, the happiness craze has been building. In the last three months alone, over 1,000 books on happiness were released on Amazon, including Happy Money, Happy-People-Pills For All, and, for those just starting out, Happiness for Beginners. [B] One of the consistent claims of books like these is that happiness is associated with all sorts of good life outcomes, including —most promisingly —good health. Many studies have noted the connection between a happy mind and a healthy body —the happier we are, the better health outcomes we seem to have. In an overview of 150 studies on this topic, researchers put it like this: "Inductions of well-being lead to healthy functioning, and inductions of ill-being lead to compromised health." [C] [C] But But But a a a new new new study, study, study, just just just published published published in in in the the the Proceedings Proceedings Proceedings of of of the the the National National National Academy Academy Academy of of of Sciences Sciences Sciences (PNAS) (PNAS) challenges the rosy picture. Happiness may not be as good for the body as researchers thought. It might even be bad. [D] Of course, it's important to first define happiness. A few months ago, I wrote a piece called "There's More to Life Than Being Happy" about a psychology study that dug into what happiness really means to people. It specifically explored the difference between a meaningful life and a happy life. [E] It seems strange that there would be a difference at all. But the researchers, who looked at a large sample of people over a month-long period, found that happiness is associated with selfish "taking" behavior and that having a sense of meaning in life is associated with selfless "giving" behavior. [F] [F] "Happiness "Happiness "Happiness without without without meaning meaning meaning characterizes characterizes characterizes a a relatively relatively shallow, shallow, shallow, self-absorbed self-absorbed self-absorbed or or or even even even selfish selfish selfish life, life, life, in in which things go well, needs and desires are easily satisfied, and complicated relationships are avoided," the authors of the study wrote. "If anything, pure happiness is linked to not helping others in need." While being happy is about feeling good, meaning is derived from contributing to others or to society in a bigger way. As Roy Baumeister, one of the researchers, told me, "Partly what we do as human beings is to take care of others and contribute to others. This makes life meaningful but it does not necessarily make us happy." [G] The new PNAS study also sheds light on the difference between meaning and happiness, but on the biological level. Barbara Fredrickson, a psychological researcher at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and Steve Cole, a genetics and psychiatry (精神病学) researcher at UCLA, examined the self-reported levels of happiness and meaning in 80 research subjects. [H] Happiness was defined, as in the earlier study, by feeling good. The researchers measured happiness by asking subjects questions like "How often did you feel happy?", "How often did you feel interested in life?" and "How often did you feel satisfied?" The more strongly people endorsed these measures of "hedonic (享乐主义的) well-being," or pleasure, the higher they scored on happiness. [I] Meaning was defined as an orientation to something bigger than the self. They measured meaning by asking questions like "How often did you feel that your life has a sense of direction or meaning to it?" and "How often did you feel that you had something to contribute to society?" The more people endorsed these measures of "eudaimonic (幸福论的) well-being"—or, simply put, virtue —the more meaning they felt in life. [J] After noting the sense of meaning and happiness that each subject had, Fredrickson and Cole, with their research colleagues, looked at the ways certain genes expressed themselves in each of the participants. Like neuroscieritists who use fMRI (功能磁共振成像) scanning to determine how regions in the brain respond to different different stimuli, stimuli, stimuli, Cole Cole Cole and Fredrickson and Fredrickson are are interested interested interested in in in how how how the the the body, body, body, at at the the genetic genetic genetic level, level, level, responds responds responds to to feelings of happiness and meaning. [K] Cole's past work has linked various kinds of chronic adversity to a particular gene expression pattern. When people feel lonely, are grieving the loss of a loved one, or are struggling to make ends meet, their bodies go into threat mode. This triggers the activation of a stress-related gene pattern that has two features: an increase in the activity of pro-inflammatory (促炎症的) genes and a decrease in the activity of genes involved in anti-viral responses. [L] Cole and Fredrickson found that people who are happy but have little to no sense of meaning in their lives have the same gene expression patterns as people who are responding to and enduring chronic adversity. That That is, is, is, the the the bodies bodies bodies of of of these these these happy happy happy people people people are are are preparing preparing preparing them them them for for for bacterial bacterial bacterial threats threats threats by by by activating activating activating the the pro-inflammatory response. Chronic inflammation is, of course, associated with major illnesses like heart disease and various cancers. [M] [M] "Empty "Empty "Empty positive positive positive emotions"emotions"emotions"——like like the the the kind kind kind people people people experience experience experience during during during manic manic manic ((狂喜的) ) episodes episodes episodes or or artificially induced euphoria (欣快) from alcohol and drugs—"are about as good for you as adversity," says Fredrickson. [N] It's important to understand that for many people, a sense of meaning and happiness in life overlap; many people score jointly high (or jointly low) on the happiness and meaning measures in the study. But for many others, there is a dissonance (不一致)—they feel that they are low on happiness and high on meaning or that their lives are very high in happiness, but low in meaning. This last group, which has the gene expression pattern associated with adversity, formed 75 percent of study participants. Only one quarter of the study participants participants had had had what what what the the the researchers researchers researchers call call call "eudaimonic "eudaimonic "eudaimonic predominance"predominance"predominance"——that that is, is, is, their their their sense sense sense of of of meaning meaning outpaced their feelings of happiness. [O] [O] This This This is is is too too too bad bad bad given given given the the the more more more beneficial beneficial beneficial gene gene gene expression expression expression pattern pattern pattern associated associated associated with with with meaningfulness. meaningfulness. People whose levels of happiness and meaning line up, and people who have a strong sense of meaning but are not necessarily happy, showed a de-activation of the adversity stress response. Their bodies were not preparing them for the bacterial infections that we get when we are alone or in trouble, but for the viral infections we get when surrounded by a lot of other people. [P] Fredrickson's past research, described in her two books, Positivity and Love 2.0, has mapped the benefits of positive emotions in individuals. She has found that positive emotions broaden a person's perspective and help protect people against adversity. So it was surprising to her that hedonic well-being, which is associated with positive emotions and pleasure, did so badly in this study compared with eudaimonic well-being. [Q] [Q] "It's "It's "It's not not not the the the amount amount amount of of of hedonic hedonic hedonic happiness happiness happiness that's that's that's a a a problem." problem." problem." Fredrickson Fredrickson Fredrickson tells tells tells me, me, me, "It's "It's "It's that that that it's it's it's not not matched by eudaimonic well-being. It's great when both are in step. But if you have more hedonic well-being than would be expected, that's when this [gene] pattern that's similar to adversity emerged." [R] The terms hedonism and eudaimonism bring to mind the great philosophical debate, which has shaped Western civilization for over 2,000 years, about the nature of the good life. Does happiness lie in feeling good, as hedonists think, or in doing and being good, as Aristotle and his intellectual descendants, the virtue ethicists (伦理学家), think? From the evidence of this study, it seems that feeling good is not enough. People need meaning to thrive. In the words of Carl Jung, "The least of things with a meaning is worth more in life than the greatest of things without it." Jung's wisdom certainly seems to apply to our bodies, if not also to our hearts and our minds. 46. The author's recent article examined how a meaningful life is different from a happy life. 47. It should be noted that many people feel their life is both happy and meaningful. 48. According to one survey, there is a close relationship between hedonic well-being measures and high scores on happiness. 49. According to one of the authors of a new study, what makes life meaningful may not make people happy. 50. Experiments were carried out to determine our body's genetic expression of feelings of happiness and meaning. 51. A new study claims happiness may not contribute to health. 52. According to the researchers, taking makes for happiness while giving adds meaning to life. 53. Evidence from research shows that it takes meaning for people to thrive. 54. With regard to gene expression patterns, happy people with little or no sense of meaning in life are found to be similar to those suffering from chronic adversity. 55. Most books on happiness today assert that happiness is beneficial to health. Section C Directions: 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 One Questions 56 to 60 are based on the following passage. Nothing Nothing succeeds succeeds succeeds in in in business business business books books books like like like the the the study study study of of of success. success. success. The The The current current current business-book business-book business-book boom boom boom was was launched launched in in in 1982 1982 1982 by by by Tom Tom Tom Peters Peters Peters and and and Robert Robert Robert Waterman Waterman Waterman with with with In In In Search Search Search of of of Excellence. Excellence. Excellence. The The The trend trend trend has has continued with a succession of experts and would-be experts who promise to distil the essence of excellence into three (or five or seven) simple rules. The Three Rules is a self-conscious contribution to this type of writing; it even includes a bibliography of "success studies". Michael Raynor and Mumtaz Ahmed work for a consultancy, Deloitte, that is determined to turn itself into more of a thought-leader and less a corporate repairman. They employ all the tricks of the success success books. books. books. They They They insist insist insist that that that their their their conclusions conclusions conclusions are are are "measurable "measurable "measurable and and and actionable"actionable"actionable"——guides guides to to to behaviour behaviour rather than analysis for its own sake. Success authors usually serve up vivid stories about how exceptional businesspeople businesspeople stamped stamped stamped their their their personalities personalities personalities on on on a a a company company company or or or rescued rescued rescued it it it from from from a a a life-threatening life-threatening life-threatening crisis. crisis. MessrsRaynor MessrsRaynor and and and Ahmed Ahmed Ahmed are are are happier happier happier chewing chewing chewing the the the numbers: numbers: numbers: they they they provide provide provide detailed detailed detailed appendices appendices appendices on on "calculating the elements of advantage" and "detailed analysis". The authors spent five years studying the behaviour of their 344 "exceptional companies", only to come up at first with nothing. Every hunch (直觉) led to a blind alley and every hypothesis to a dead end. It was only when they shifted their attention from how companies behave to how they think that they began to make sense of their voluminous material. Management Management is is is all all all about about about making making making difficult difficult difficult tradeoffs tradeoffs tradeoffs in in in conditions conditions conditions that that that are are are always always always uncertain uncertain uncertain and and and often often fast-changing. fast-changing. But But But exceptional exceptional exceptional companies companies companies approach approach approach these these these tradeoffs tradeoffs tradeoffs with with with two two two simple simple simple rules rules rules in in in mind, mind, sometimes consciously, sometimes unconsciously. First: better before cheaper. Companies are more likely to succeed in the long run if they compete on quality or performance than on price. Second: revenue before cost. Companies have more to gain in the long run from driving up revenue than by driving down costs. Most success studies suffer from two faults. There is "the halo (光环) effect", whereby good performance leads commentators to attribute all manner of virtues to anything and everything the company does. These virtues then suddenly become vices when the company fails. MessrsRaynor and Ahmed work hard to avoid these mistakes by studying large bodies of date over several decades. But they end up embracing a different error: error: stating stating stating the the the obvious. obvious. obvious. Most Most Most businesspeople businesspeople businesspeople will will will not not not be be be surprised surprised surprised to to to learn learn learn that that that it it it is is is better better better to to to find find find a a profitable niche (隙缝市场) and focus on boosting your revenues than to compete on price and cut your way to success. The difficult question is how to find that profitable niche and protect it. There, The Three Rules is less useful. 56. What kind of business books are most likely to sell well? A) Books on excellence. C) Books on business rules. B) Guides to management. D) Analyses of market trends. 57. What does the author imply about books on success so far? A) They help businessmen one way or another. B) They are written by well-recognised experts. C) They more or less fall into the same stereotype. D) They are based on analyses of corporate leaders. 58. How does The Three Rules differ from other success books according to the passage? A) It focuses on the behaviour of exceptional businessmen. B) It bases its detailed analysis on large amounts of data. C) It offers practicable advice to businessmen. D) It draws conclusions from vivid examples. 59. What does the passage say contributes to the success of exceptional companies? A) Focuis on quality and revenue. B) Management and sales promotion. C) Lower production costs and competitive prices. D) Emphasis on after-sale service and maintenance. 60. What is the author's comment on The Three Rules? A) It can help to locate profitable niches. C) It is noted for its detailed data analysis. B) It has little to offer to businesspeople. D) It fails to identify the keys to success. Passage Two Questions 61 to 65 are based on the following passage. When When Harvard Harvard Harvard student student student Mark Mark Mark Zuckerberg Zuckerberg Zuckerberg launched launched launched in in in Feb. Feb. Feb. 2004, 2004, 2004, even even even he he he could could could not not imagine the forces it would let loose. His intent was to connect college students. Facebook, which is what this website rapidly evolved into, ended up connecting the world. To the children of this connected era, the world is one giant social network. They are not bound —as were previous generations of humans —by what they were taught. They are only limited by their curiosity and ambition. ambition. During During During my my my childhood, childhood, childhood, all all all knowledge knowledge knowledge was was was local. local. local. You You You learned learned learned everything everything everything you you you knew knew knew from from from your your parents, teachers, preachers, and friends. With the high-quality and timely information at their fingertips, today's children are rising above the fears and biases of their parents. Adults are also participating in this revolution. India's normally tame middle class is speaking up against social ills. Silicon Valley executives are being shamed into adding women to their boards. Political leaders are marshalling the energy of millions for elections and political causes. All of this is being done with social media technologies that Facebook and its competitors set free. As As does does does every every every advancing advancing advancing technology, technology, technology, social social social media media media has has has created created created many many many new new new problems. problems. problems. It It It is is is commonly commonly addictive and creates risks for younger users. Social media is used by extremists in the Middle East and elsewhere to seek and brainwash recruits. And it exposes us and our friends to disagreeable spying. We may leave our lights on in the house when we are on vacation, but through social media we tell criminals exactly where we are, when we plan to return home, and how to blackmail (敲诈) us. Governments don't need informers any more. Social media allows government agencies to spy on their own citizens. We record our thoughts, emotions, likes and dislikes on Facebook; we share our political views, social social preferences, preferences, preferences, and and and plans. plans. plans. We We We post post post intimate intimate intimate photographs photographs photographs of of of ourselves. ourselves. ourselves. No No No spy spy spy agency agency agency or or or criminal criminal organization could actively gather the type of data that we voluntarily post for them. The marketers are also seeing big opportunities. Amazon is trying to predict what we will order. Google is trying to judge our needs and wants based on our social-media profiles. We need to be aware of the risks and keep working to alleviate the dangers. Regardless of what social media people use, one thing is certain: we are in a period of accelerating change. The next decade will be even more amazing and unpredictable than the last. Just as no one could predict what 。
2014年12月六级真题答案解析（第一套）
2014年12⽉六级真题答案解析（第⼀套）2014年12⽉⼤学英语六级考试真题(⼀)Part I Writing (30minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay based on the picture below. Youshould start your essay with a brief description of the picture and then discuss whether technology isindispensable in education. You should give sound arguments to support your views and write at least 150words but no more than 200 words.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。
Part Ⅱ Listening Comprehension (30minutes)SectionA注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。
1.A． The man's tennis racket is good enough.B． The man should get a pair of new shoes.C． She can wait for the man for a little while.D． Physical exercise helps her stay in shape.2.A． The woman will skip Dr. Smith's lecture to help the man.B． Kathy is very pleased to attend the lecture by Dr. Smith.C． The woman is good at doing lab demonstrations.D． The man will do all he can to assist the woman.3.A． The woman asked the man to accompany her to the party.B． Steve became rich soon after graduation from college.C． Steve invited his classmates to visit his big cottage.D． The speakers and Steve used to be classmates.4.A． In a bus.B． In a clinic.C． In a boat.D． In a plane.5.A． 10:10.B． 9: 50.C． 9 : 40.D． 9..10.6.A． She does not like John at all.B． John has got many admirers.C． She does not think John is handsome.D． John has just got a bachelor's degree.7.A． He has been bumping along for hours.B． He has got a sharp pain in the neck.C． He is involved in a serious accident.D． He is trapped in a terrible traffic jam.8.A． She is good at repairing things.B． She is a professional mechaniC.C． She should improve her physical condition.D． She cannot go without a washing machine.Questions 9 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.9.A． Some witnesses failed to appear in court.B． The case caused debate among the public.C． The accused was found guilty of stealing.D．The accused refused to plead guilty in court.10.A． He was out of his mind.B． He was unemployed.C． His wife deserted him.D． His children were sick.11.A． He had been in jail before.B． He was unworthy of sympathy.C． He was unlikely to get employed.D． He had committed the same sort of crime.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12.A． Irresponsible.B． Unsatisfactory.C． Aggressive.D． Conservative.13.A． Internal communication.B． Distribution of brochures.C． Public relations.D． Product design.14.A． Placing advertisements in the trade press.B．Drawing sketches for advertisementC． Advertising in the national press.D． Making television commercials.15.A． She has the motivation to do the job.B． She knows the tricks of advertising.C． She is not so easy to get along with.D． She is not suitable for the position.SectionBDirections: In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear somequestions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, youmust choose the best answer from the four choices marked A ), B ), C ) and D ). Then mark thecorresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre. Passage OneQuestions 16 to 19 are based on the passage you have just heard. 16.A． The cozy communal life.B． The cultural diversity.C． Innovative academic programs.D． Impressive school buildings.17.A． It is very beneficial to their academic progress.B． It helps them soak up the surrounding culture.C． It is as important as their learning experience.D． It ensures their physical and mental health.18.A． It offers the most challenging academic programs.B． It has the world's best-known military academies.C． It provides numerous options for students.D． It draws faculty from all around the world.19.A． They try to give students opportunities for experimentation. B． They are responsible merely to their Ministry of Education. C． They strive to develop every student's academic potential. D． They ensure that all students get roughly equal attention. Passage TwoQuestions 20 to 22 are based on the passage you have just heard. 20.A． It will arrive at Boulogne at half past two.B． It crosses the English Channel twice a day.C． It is now about half way to the French coast.D． It is leaving Folkestone in about five minutes.21.A． Opposite the ship's office.B． Next to the duty-free shop.C． At the rear of B deck.D． In the front of A deck.22.A． It is for the sole use of passengers travelling with cars. B． It is much more spacious than the lounge on C deck.C． It is for the use of passengers travelling with children.D． It is for senior passengers and people with VIP cards.Passage ThreeQuestions 23 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard. 23.A． It was named after its location.B． It was named after its discoverer.C． It was named after a cave art expert.D． It was named after one of its painters.24.A． Animal painting was part of the spiritual life of the time. B． Deer were worshiped by the ancient Cro-Magnon people.C． Cro-Magnon people painted animals they hunted and ate.D． They were believed to keep evils away from cave dwellers.25.A． They know little about why the paintings were created.B． They have difficulty telling when the paintings were done.C． They are unable to draw such interesting and fine paintings.D． They have misinterpreted the meaning of the cave paintings.Section CDirections.. In this section, you will hear a passage three times. When the passage is read for the first time,you should listen carefully for its general idea. When the passage is read for the second time, you arerequired to fill in the blanks with the exact words you have just heard. Finally, when the passage is read forthe third time,, you should check what you have written. 注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。
2014.12月六级考试真题及解析,试卷版。
2014年12月英语六级考试真题（卷一） 12014年12月英语六级考试真题答案（卷一）132014年12月英语六级考试真题（卷一）Part I WritingDirections：For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write on essay based on the picture below. You should start your essay with a brief description of the picture and then discuss what qualities an employer should look for in job applicants. You should give sound arguments to support your views and write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words.2014年12月英语六级作文真题范文1：学历歧视Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay based on the picture below. You should start your essay with a brief description of the picture and then discuss what qualities an employer should look for in job applicant. You should give sound arguments to support your views and write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words.According to the picture, an employer turns down a job applicant, for his degree is less advanced than the other applicants, even though he has a good resume. Actually, what’s behind th e cartoon is the tendency that employers focus on academic performance when hiring.No one disputes that a college or higher degree opens doors. Despite that, as far as I’m concerned, academic degree should not be the primary criteria in selecting talent s. First of all, academic degrees only represent the applicants’ proficiency in their school work, and cannot demonstrate their personality or other abilities. For instance, the responsibility of a human resources manager is to deal with people, and thus it requires advanced people skill which is by no means shown in the diploma. Second, emphasis on degrees may stall the development of the company. They will lose real talents if they judge people only by their educational background, while it is often the case that college drop-outs like Bill Gates, Michael Dell, Steve Jobs, etc., run wildly successful enterprises.Therefore, instead of running after applicants with higher degrees, companies shouldbecome more concerned about what it takes to do the job and what a college education actually provides.2014年12月英语六级作文真题范文2：学历歧视【真题范文】In the modern society, with competition becomes increasingly fierce, to find a job is too difficult for the young generation. Academic qualification, as a job a stepping-stone, is an essential factor during the job hunting.Some people think that the highly educated must be able to find a good job, because education can prove that a person has a good capacity. Therefore, it is commonly believe that a job seeker with a master degree must be easier to find a promising job than a undergraduate. However, now the company interviewersgenerally prefer to required a even higher academic qualification, like a doctor degree. Otherwise, the applicants, even though he or she has tremendous potential, will be refused relentlessly.As far as I am concerned, education should not be the single standard in an interview. As for the companies, it is not necessarily a good principle as well. Now the whole community often talk about working ability and efficiency. For example, some people may have high academic qualification, but actually his ability is very limited. So both the individual and the community ought to change their attitude on academic qualification. We should realize that it is the operational capability and service ability which can help you to find a good job.【范文译文】在现代社会，随着竞争越来越激烈，找工作对于年轻人来说异常困难。
2014年12月大学英语六级第一套答案解析(卷一)
2014年12月大学英语六级考试第一套答案与详解（卷一）Part ⅠWriting1、审题:本次作文是图画作文【考频:★★☆】，这是2013年12月六级改革后第一次出现该类型作文，但体裁仍是常见的议论文。
本次作文给出的图画理解起来难度不大，而且涉及的话题是教育和科技的关系，这是考生比较熟悉的话题，因此写起来并不难。
2、列提纲：3. 语言:对图画的描述要用词准确，议论部分可适当使用从句等高分句型。
Technology and EducationWhat the drawing vividly depicts is that a pupil tells his teacher he needs tech support to solve an extremely easy question on the blackboard. The drawing illustrates that we-are highly dependent on technology, overlooking the importance of independent thinking.Those who favor the significance of technology in education argue that it facilitates learning and enables us to have easier access to infinite learning resources. In contrast, people who hold the opposite opinion maintain that over-dependence on technology is harmful. They think that a student who gets into the habit of doing his homework by downloading answers from the Internet will end up ignorant and being unable to think critically and creatively. And the drawing is a good illustration of this point. For another example, if you always write your homework or reports on a word processor，you may forget how to write the words in no time.As far as I am concerned, technology plays an important but not indispensable role in education. Over-dependence on technology does more harm than good. I suggest that we should master the basic knowledge on our own and learn how to apply technology in education properly. Only in this way can we benefit most from our learning process.PartⅡListening Comprehension1.听力原文：M: Before we play again, I’m going to buy a good tennis racket.W:Your shoes aren’t in a very good shape，either.Q: What does the woman mean?1. A) The man’s tennis racket is good enough.B)The man should get a pair of new shoes.C)She can wait for the man for a little while.D)Physical exercise helps her stay in shape.【预测】由A)“男士的网球拍已经足够好了”、B)“男士应该买双新鞋”和D)“体育锻炼帮她保持身材”可以推测，对话内容与体育锻炼有关。
2014年12月大学英语6级考试真题及答案范文
2014年12月大学英语6级考试真题及答案（整理总结版）（一）听力部分真题和答案：短对话：1.M: Before we play again, I’m going to buy a good tennis racket.W: Your shoes aren’t in a very good shape either.Q: What does the woman mean?2.M: Barbara, I’d like you could assist me in the lab demonstration. But aren’t you supposed to go to Dr. Smith’s lecture today?W: I ask Cathy to take notes for me.Q: What do we learn from the conversation?3.W: Steve invi ted me to the dinner party on Sunday evening. Have you received your invitation yet? M: Yes, he found me this morning and told me he wanted all his old classmates to come to the reunion.Q: What do we learn from the conversation?4.W: I’m afraid I’m a little bit s easick. I feel dizzy.M: Close your eyes and relax. You’ll be all right as soon as we come at shore.Q: Where does the conversation most probably take place?5.W: I wonder what’s happened to our train. It should have been here twenty minutes ago according to the timetable. But it’s already 9:30.M: There’s no need to get nervous. The announcement says it’s forty minutes late.Q: When is the train arriving?6.M: John is handsome and wealthy. Believe it or not, he is still a bachelor.W: He is a notorious g uy in many girls’ eyes. I’m sick of hearing his name.Q: What does the woman mean?7.M: Cars had lined up bumper to bumper. And I’ve been held up on the express way for the entire hour.W: Really? It must be a pain in the neck. But be patient, anyway, you can do nothing but wait. Q: What do we learn about the man?8.W: Yesterday I was surprised to see Mary using that washing machine you’re going to throw away. M: Yes, it’s quite old and in a very poor condition. Frankly speaking, that she got it working amazes me a lot.Q: What does the man imply about Mary?答案：1. B. The man should get a pair of new shoes.2. A. The woman will skip Dr. Smith’s lecture to help the man.3. D. The speakers and Steve used to be classmates.4. C. In a boat.5. B. 9:50.6. A. She does not like John at all.7. D. He is trapped in a terrible traffic jam.8. A. She is good at repairing things.长对话：Conversation 1M: A recent case I heard was of a man accused and found guilty of breaking into a house and stealing some money.W: Well, was he really guilty, judge?M: He admit ted that he’d done it, and there were several witnesses saying that he had indeed done it. So I can only assume that he was guilty.W: Why did he do it?M: Well, the reasons were little muddied, probably at least it seemed in a trial that he did it to get some money to feed his family. You see, he’d been out of work for some time.W: Well, he’d been out of work and he chose to break into a ho use to get money for his family and apparently in front of people that, err... could see him do it.M: His attorney presented testimony that he had indeed applied for jobs and was listed with several employment agencies, including the state employment agency, but they weren’t any jobs.W: And he had no luck!M: He had no luck and it’d been some time. He had two children and both of them were needing food and clothing.W: So he was in desperate circumstances. Did you sentence him?M: Yes.W: But what good do es it do to put the man into jail when he’s obviously in such need?M: This particular fellow has been in prison before.W: For the same thing?M: No, for a different sort of crime.W: Huh?M: But he did know about crime, so I suppose there are folks that just have to go back to prison several times.9. What did the judge say about the case he recently heard?10. What do we learn about the man at the time of crime?11. What did the judge say about the accused?Conversation 2M: Ah, how do you do, Ms. Wezmore?W: How do you do?M: Do sit down.W: Thank you.M: I’m glad you’re interes ted in our job. Now, let me explain it. We plan to increase our advertising considerably. At present, an advertising agency handles our account, but we haven’t been too pleased with the results lately and we may give our account to another agency.W: What would my work entail?M: You’d be responsible to me for all advertising and to Mr. Grunt for public rel ations.You’d brief the agency whoever it is on the kind of advertising campaign we want. You’d also be responsible for getting our leaflets, brochures and catalogs designed.W: I presume you advertise in the national press as well as the trade press.M: Yes, we do.W: Have you thought about advertising on television?M: We don’t think it’s a suitable medium for us. And it’s much too expensive.W: I can just imagine a scene with a typist sitting on an old-fashioned typing chair, her back aching, exhaus ted, then we show her in one of your chairs. Her back properly supported filling full of energy, typing twice as quickly.M: Before you get carried away with your little scene, Ms. Wezmore, I regret to have to tell you again that we are not planning to go into television.W: That’s a shame. I’ve been doing a lot of television work lately and it interests me enormously.M: Then I really don’t think that this is quite the right job for you here, Ms. Wezmore.12. What does the man think of their present advertising agency?13. What would the woman be responsible for to Mr. Grunt?14. What is the woman most interested in doing?15. What does the man think of the woman applicant?答案：Conversation 19. C. The accused was found guilty of stealing.10. B. He was unemployed.11. A. He had been in jail before.Conversation 212. B. Unsatisfactory.13. C. Public relations.14. D. Making television commercials.15. D. She is not suitable for the position.短文1Many foreign students are attrac ted not only to the academic programs at a particular U.S. college but also to the larger community, which affords the chance to soak up the surrounding culture. Few foreign universities put much emphasis on the cozy communal life that characterizes American campuses from clubs and sports teams to student publications and drama societies. “The campus and the American university have bec ome identical in people’s minds,” says Brown University President Vartan Gregorian. “In America it is assumed that a student’s daily life is as important as his learning experience.”F oreign students also come in search of choices. America’s menu of options—research universities, state institutions, private liberal-arts schools, community colleges, religious institutions, military academies—is unrivaled. “In Europe,” says history profes sor Jonathan Steinberg, who has taught at both Harvard and Cambridge, “there is one system, and that is it.” While students overseas usually must demonstrate expertise in a specific field, whether law or philosophy or chemistry, most American universities insist that students sample natural and social sciences, languages and literature before choosing a field of concentration.Such opposing philosophies grow out of different traditions and power structures. In Europe and Japan, universities are answerable only to a ministry of education, which sets academic standards and distributes money.While centralization ensures that all students are equipped with roughly the same resources and perform at roughly the same level, it also discourages experimentation. “When they make mistakes, they make big ones,” says Robert Rosenzweig, president of the Association of American Universities. “They set a system in wrong directions, and it’s like steering a supertanker.”问题：16. What does the speaker say characterizes American campuses?17. What does Brown University president Vartan Gregorian say about students' daily life?18. In what way is the Uni ted States unrivaled according to the speaker?19. What does the speaker say about universities in Europe and Japan?答案：16. What does the speaker say characterizes American campuses?答案：(A) The cozy communal life.【点评】：细节题。
2014年12月英语四级真题答案及解析(卷一)
2014年12月大学英语六级考试真题(一)答案与详解Part Ⅰ Writing审题思路本篇题目一改过去常写的议论文，要求写对自己影响最大的大学同学。
根据题目要求，写作重点应当是描述，而不是议论。
考生首先应直接或间接地引出主题，然后通过具体事例阐释该同学对“我”产生重大影响的原因,最后发表议论，照应前文，升华主题。
由此可知，题目要求写一篇夹叙夹议，以叙述为主的作文。
写作提纲一、提出观点：同学“Tom ”改变了“我”（be subject to being pessimistic ，strive to encourage, appreciate)二、阐释主题：1、在他的帮助下，我发现英语没那么难(be confused about ，make progress)2、他教我如何面对挫折(live through setbacks) 三、升华主题：l 、“Tom”让我认识到了自信和乐观的重要性(the significance of self-confidence and optimism )2、这种态度使人受益终身(benefit people all his life)范文点评全文翻译对我影响最大的大学同学我曾经对自己的学习并不那么自信，而且遇到挫折时就容易悲观。
然而，当我的一个大学同学汤姆竭尽全力鼓励我的时候，我发现自己渐渐地有所改变。
我非常感激他对我的帮助。
以前我的英语不好，然而每当我对老师的讲解感到迷惑不解时，汤姆总是用清晰明了的方式给我解释。
渐高分范文 精彩点评A Classmate Who Has Influenced Me Most in College ① Once upon a time, I was not so confident about my study and was subject to being pessimistic when confronted with frustrations. ② However, I found myself gradually changing as Tom, one of my classmates in college, strived to encourage me. ③ I really appreciate his help. ④ I used not to be good at English ； however, whenever I was confused about the teacher’s explanation, he always interpreted it to me in- an explicit way. Gradually, I found English not so difficult and made progress day by day. ⑤ In addition, it was Tom who kept guiding me how to live through all kinds of setbacks in life. ⑥ I’l l never forget the very day when I failed my speech contest and I was overwhelmed and ashamed.⑦ Tom told me that nobody can defeat a person if he is determined to stand upto every failure. ⑧With his encouragement, I regained confidence, realizing that optimism was always the key to success. ⑨ Thanks to Tom, I eventually learned the significance ofself-confidence and optimism. They not only serve as indispensable characteristics of personality but also will benefit people all his life.① ②通过描述那个曾经缺乏自信而且悲观的 “我”渐渐地有所改变引出文章主题——对 “我”影响最大的大学同学，他竭尽全力鼓励“我”。
2014年12月英语六级真题及答案(word版)
2014年12月英语六级真题及答案（文字版）考试采取“多题多卷”模式，试题顺序不统一，请依据试题进行核对Part I WritingDirections: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on the following topic. You shoul d write at least 180 words but no more than 200 words.作文题一：学历歧视作文题二：科技与学习作文题三：学习没有捷径Part II ListeningSection ADirections：In this section，you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation an d the questions will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, y ou must read the four choices marked A) , B) , C) and D)，and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet I with a single line through the centre.Question 1A.At a groceryB.In a parking lotC.In a car showroomD.At a fast food restaurantQuestion 2A.Have a little nap after lunchB.Get up and take a short walkC.Change her position now and thenD.Stretch legs before standing upQuestion 3A.The students should practice long-distance runningB.He doesn’t quite believe what the woman saysC.The students’ physical condition is not desirableD.He thinks the race is too hard for the studentsQuestion 4A.They do not want to have a baby at presentB.They cannot afford to get married right nowC.They are both pursuing graduate studiesD.They will get their degrees in two yearsQuestion 5A.Twins usually have a lot in commonB.He must have been mistaken for JackC.Jack is certainly not as healthy as he isD.He has not seen Jack for quite a few daysQuestion 6A.The man will take the woman wo the museumB.The man knows where the museum is locatedC.The woman is asking the way at the crossroadsD.The woman will attend the opening of the museumQuestion 7A.They cannot ask the guy to leaveB.The guy has been coming in for yearsC.They should not look down upon the guyD.The guy must be feeling extremely lonelyQuestion 8A.Collect timepiecesB.Become time-consciousC.Learn to mend locksD.Keep track of his daily activitiesQuestions 9 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard. Question 9A.It winds its way to the seaB.It is quickly risingC.It is eating into its banksD.It is wide and deepQuestion 10A.Get the trucks over to the other side of the riverB.Take the equipment apart before being ferriedC.Reduce the transport cost as much as possibleD.Try to speed up the operation by any meansQuestion 11A.Ask the commander to send a helicopterB.Halt the operation until further ordersC.Cut trees and build rowing boatsD.Find as many coats as possibleQuestions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.Question 12A.Help him join an Indian expeditionB.Talk about his climbing experiencesC.Give up mountain climbing altogetherD.Save money to buy climbing equipmentQuestion 13A.He was very strict with his childrenB.He climbed mountains to earn a livingC.He had an unusual religious backgroundD.He was the first to conquer Mt. QomolangmaQuestion 14A.They are like humansB.They are sacred placesC.They are to be protectedD.They are to be conqueredQuestion 15A.It was his father’s training that pilled him throughB.It was a milestone in his mountain climbing careerC.It was his father who gave him the strength to succeedD.It helped him understand the Sherpa view of mountainsSection BDirections：In this section，you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage，you will he ar some questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a questi on, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C)and D). Then mark the cor responding letter on Answer Sheet I with a single line through the centrePassage OneQuestion 16A. By reviewing what he has said previouslyB.By comparing memorandums with lettersC.By showing a memorandum’ s structureD.By analyzing the organization of a letterQuestion 17A.They spent a lot of time writing memorandumsB.They seldom read a memorandum through to the endC.They placed emphasis on the format of memorandumsD.They ignored many of the memorandums they received Question 18A.Style and wordingB.Structure and lengthC.Directness and clarityD.Simplicity and accuracyPassage TwoQuestions 19 to 22 are based on the passage you have just heard. Question 19A.Accurate datingB.Professional lookC.Direct statement of purposeD.Inclusion of appropriate humorQuestion 20A.They give top priority to their work efficiencyB.They make an effort to lighten their workloadC.They never change work habits unless forced toD.They try hard to make the best use of their timeQuestion 21A.Self-confidenceB.Sense of dutyC.Work efficiencyD.Passion for workQuestion 22A.They are addicted to playing online gamesB.They try to avoid work whenever possibleC.They find to pleasure in the work they doD.They simply have no sense of responsibilityPassage ThreeQuestions 23 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.Question 23A.He lost all his propertyB.He was sold to a circusC.He was forced into slaveryD.He ran away from his familyQuestion 24A.A carpenterB.A businessmanC.A master of hisD.A black drummerQuestion 25A.It named its town hall after Solomon NorthupB.It declared July 24 Solomon Northup DayC.It freedom all blacks in the town from slaveryD.It hosted a reunion for the Northup familySection CDirections：In this section, you will hear a passage three times. When the passage is read for the fir st time, you should listen carefully for its general idea. When the passage is read for the second time, yo u are required to fill in the blanks with the exact words you have just heard. Finally, when the passage i s read for the third time, you should check what you have written.Section CIntolerance is the art of ignoring any views that differ from your own. It(26)_____ itself a hatred. St ereotypes, prejudice, and(27)_____.Once it intensifies in people, intolerance is nearly impossible to overco me. But why would anyone want to be labeled intolerant. Why would people want to be (28)_____about the world around them? Why would one want to be part of the problem in America, instead of the soluti on?There are many explanations for intolerant attitudes, some (29)_____ childhood. It is likely that intole rant folks grew up (30)_____ intolerant parents and the cycle of prejudice has simply continued for (31)_ ____. Perhaps intolerant people are so set in their ways that they find it easier to ignore anything that mi ght not (32)_____ their limited view of life. Or maybe intolerant students have simply never been (33)__ ___ to anyone different form themselves. But none of these reason is an excuse for allpwing the intoleran ce to continue.Intolerance should not be confused with disagreement.It is,of course,possible as diasgree with an opini on without being intolerant of it.If you understand a belief but still don't believe in that specific belief,tha t's fine.You are (34)_____ your opinion.As a matter of fact.(35)_____ disseniers(持异议者)are important for any belief.If we all believed the same things.we would never grow,and we would never learn about the world around us,does not stem frim disagreement.It stems from fear,And fear stems from fear.And fear s tems from ignorance.Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)Section AHis future subjects have not always treated the Prince of Wales with the respect one XXXX expect. They laughed aloud in 1986 when the heir to the British(36)_____ told a TV reporter that he talked to h is plants at his country house, Highgrove, to stimulate their growth. The Prince was being humorous- “M y sense of humor will get me into trouble o ne day”, he said to his aids(随从)-but listening to Charles W indsor can indeed prove stimulating. The royal(37)_____ has been promoting radical ideas for most of his adult life. Some of his(38)_____, which once sounded a bit weird, were simply ahead of their time. No w, finally, the world seems to be catching up with him.Take his views on farming. Prince Charles’ Duchy Home Farm went(39)_____ back in 1986. When most shoppers cared only about the low price tag on suspiciously blemish-free(无瑕疵的) vegetables and(4 0)_____ large chickens piled high in supermarkets.His warnings on climate change proved farsighted,too.Charles began(41)_____ action in warming in 1 990 and says he has been worried about the(42)_____ of man on the environment same be was a teenger.Although he was gradually gained international(43)_____ as one of the world's lending conservationist s,many British people still think of him as an(34)_____ person who talks to plants.This year,as it happens, South Korean scientists proved that plants really do(45)_____ to round.So Charles was ahead of the game there,too.A.conformB.eccentricC.environmentalistD.expeditionsE.impactF.notionsanicH.originallyI.recognitionJ.respondK.subordinateL.suppressingM.throneN.unnaturallyO.urgingSection BDirections: In this section，you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each s tatement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the infor mation is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.High School Sports Are n’t Killing AcademicsA)In this month’s Atlantic cover article, “The Case Against High-School Sports,” Amanda Ripley arg ues that school-sponsored sports programs should be seriously cut. She writes that, unlike most countries t hat outperform the United States on international assessments, American schools put too much of an emph asis on athletics, “ Sports are embedded in American schools in a way they are not almost anywhere els e,” she writes, “Yet this difference hardly ever comes up in domestic debates about America’s internation al mediocrity(平庸)in education.”B)American student-athletes reap many benefits from participating in sports, but the costs to the scho ols could outweigh their benefits, she argues, In particular, Ripley contends that sports crowd out the acad emic missions of schools: America should learn from South Korea and Finland and every other country at the top level of international test scores, all of whom emphasize athletics far less in school. ”Even in ei ghth grade, American kids spend more than twice the time Korean kids spend playing sports,” she writes, citing a 2010 study published in the Journal of Advanced Academics.C)It might well be true that sports are far more rooted in American high schools than in other count ries. But our reading of international test scores finds no support for the argument against school athletics. Indeed, our own research and that of others lead us to make the opposite case. School-sponsored sports appear to provide benefits that seem to increase, not detract(减少)from, academic success.D)Ripley indulges a popular obsession(痴迷)with international test score comparisons, which show wid e and frightening gaps between the United States and other countries. She ignores, however, the fact that states vary at least as much in test scores as do developed countries. A 2011 report from Harvard Univer sity shows that Massachusetts produces math scores comparable to South Korea and Finland, while Missis sippi scores are closer to Trinidad and Tobago. Ripley’s thesis about sports falls apart in light of this fact. Schools in Massachusetts provide sports programs while schools in Finland do not. Schools in Mississipp i may love football while in Tobago interscholastic sports are nowhere near as prominent. Sports cannot e xplain these similarities in performance. They can’t explain international differences either.E)If it is true that sports undermine the academic mission of American schools, we would expect to see a negative relationship between the commitment to athletics and academic achievement. However, the University of Arkansas’s Daniel Bowen and Jay Greene actually find the opposite. They examine this rela tionship by analyzing schools’ sports winning percentages as well as student-athletic participation rates co mpared to graduation rates and standardized test score achievement over a five-year period for all public high schools in Ohio. Controlling for student poverty levels, demographics(人口统计状况), and district fin ancial resources, both measures of a school’s commitment to athletics are significantly and positively relat ed to lower dropout rates as well as higher test scores.F)On-the-field success and high participation in sports is not random-it requires focus and dedication to athletics. One might think this would lead schools obsessed with winning to deemphasize academics. B owen and Greene’s results contradict tha t argument. A likely explanation for this seemingly counterintuitiv e(与直觉相反的)result is that success in sports programs actually facilitates or reflects greater social capita l within a school’s community.G)Ripley cites the writings of renowned sociologist James Coleman, whose research in education was groundbreaking. Coleman in his early work held athletics in contempt, arguing that they crowded out sch ools’ academic missions. Ripley quotes his 1961 study, The Adolescent Society, where Coleman writes, “Alt ogether, the trophy(奖品)case would suggest to the innocent visitor that he was entering an athletic cl ub, not an educational institution.”H)However, in later research Coleman would show how the success of schools is highly dependent o n what he termed soc ial capital, “the social networks, and the relationships between adults and children th at are of value for the child’s growing up.”I)According to a 2013 evaluation conducted by the Crime Lab at the University of Chicago, a progra m called Becoming a Man-Sports Edition creates lasting improvements in the boys’ study habits and grad e point averages. During the first year of the program, students were founds to be less likely to transfer schools or be engaged in violent crime. A year after the program, participants were less likely to have ha d an encounter with the juvenile justice system.J)If school-sponsored sports were completely eliminated tomorrow, many American students would stil l have opportunities to participate in organized athletics elsewhere, much like they do in countries such as Finland, Germany, and South Korea. The same is not certain when it comes to students from more disa dvantaged backgrounds. In an overview of the research on non-school based after-school programs, researc hers find that disadvantaged children participate in these programs at significantly lower rates. They find t hat low-income students have less access due to challenges with regard to transportation, non-nominal fees, and off-campus safety. Therefore, reducing or eliminating these opportunities would most likely deprive disadvantaged students of the benefits from athletic participation, not least of which is the opportunity to in teract with positive role models outside of regular school hours.K)Another unfounded criticism that Ripley makes is bringing up the stereotype that athletic XX are t ypically lousy(蹩脚的)classroom teachers. “American principals, unlike the XX XX of principals around th e world, make many hiring decisions with their sports teams in mind, which does not always end well fo r students,” she writes. Educators who seek employment at school s primarily for the purpose of coaching are likely to shirk(推卸)teaching responsibilities, the argument goes. Moreover, even in the cases where th e employee is a teacher first and athletic coach second, the additional responsibilities that come with coac hing likely comes at the expense of time otherwise spent on planning, grading, and communicating with p arents and guardians.L)The data, however, do not seem to confirm this stereotype. In the most rigorous study on the class room results of high school coac hes, the University of Arkansas’s Anna Egalite finds that athletic coaches in Florida mostly tend to perform just as well as their non-coaching counterparts, with respect to raising student test scores. We do not doubt that teachers who also coach face serious tradeoffs that likely come at the expense of time they could dedicate to their academic obligations. However, as with sporting even ts, athletic coaches gain additional opportunities for communicating and serving as mentors(导师)that poten tially help students succeed and make up for the costs of coaching commitments.M)If schools allow student-athletes to regularly miss out on instructional time for the sake of travelin g to athletic competitions, that’s bad. However, such issues would be better addresse d by changing school and state policies with regard to the scheduling of sporting events as opposed to total elimination. If the empirical evidence points to anything, it points towards school sponsored sports providing assets that are well worth the costs.N)Despite negative stereotypes about sports culture and Ripley’s presumption that academics and athle tics are at odds with one another, we believe that the greater body of evidence shows that school-sponsor ed sports programs appear to benefit students. Successes on the playing field can carry over to the classro om and vice versa(反之亦然). More importantly, finding ways to increase school communities’ social capit al is imperative to the success of the school as whole, not just the athletes.46.Stunets from low-income families have less access to off-campus sports programs.47.Amanda Ripley argues that America should learn from other countries that rank high in international te sts and lay less emphasis on athletics.48.According to the author,Amanda Ripley fails to note that stunents'performance in exams varies from sta te to state.49.Amanda Ripley thinks that athletic coaches are poor at classroom instruction.50.James Coleman's later resrarch make an argument for a school's social capital.51.Reaearchers find that there is a ppsitive relationship between a school's commitment to athletics and ac ademic achievements.52.Aa rigorous study finds that athletic coaches also do well in raising students'test scores.53.According to an evaluation,spograms contribute to students's academic preformance and character building.54.Amanda Ripley believes the emphasis on school sports shuold be brought up when trying to understand why Aamerican students are mediocre.55.James Coleman suggests in his earlier writings that school athletics would undermine a school's image.Section CDirections: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfi nished 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 c entre.Passage oneIt is easy to miss amid the day-to-day headlines of global economic recession, but there is a less co nspicuous kind of social upheaval(剧变)underway that is fast altering both the face of the planet and the way human beings live. That change is the rapid acceleration of urbanization. In 2008, for the first time i n human history, more than half the world’s population was living in towns and cities. And as a recently published paper shows, the process of urbanization will only accelerate in the decades to come—with an enormous impact on biodiversity and potentially on climate change.As Karen Seto, the led author of the paper, po ints out, the wave of urbanization isn’t just about the migration of people into urban environments, but about the environments themselves becoming bigger to a ccommodate all those people. The rapid expansion of urban areas will have a huge impact on biodiversity hotspots and on carbon emissions in those urban areas.Humans are the ultimate invasive species—when the move into new territory, the often displace the wildlife that was already living there. And as land is cleared for those new cities—especially in the dense tropical forests—carbon will be released into the atmosphere as well. It’s true that as people in developi ng nations move from the countryside to the city, the shift may reduce the pressure on land, which could in turn be good for the environment. This is especially so in desperately poor countries, where residents in the countryside slash and burn forests each growing season to clear space for farming. But the real di fference is that in developing nations, the move from rural areas to cities often leads to an accompanying increase in income —and that increase leads to an increase in the consumption of food and energy, wh ich in turn causes a rise in carbon emissions. Getting enough to eat and enjoying the safety and comfort of living fully on the grid is certainly a good thing —but it does carry an environmental price.The urbanization wave can’t be stopped —and it shouldn’t be. But Seto’s paper does underscore the importance of managing that transition. If we do it the right way, we can reduce urbanization’s impact on the environment. “There’s an enormous opportunity here, and a lot of pressure and responsibility to thin k about how we urbanize,” says Seto. “One thing that’s clear is that we can’t build cities the way we ha ve over the last couple of hundred years. The scale of this transition won’t allow that.” We’re headed to wards an urban planet no matter what, but whether it becomes heaven or hell is up to us.56. What issue does the author try to draw people’s attention to?A. The shrinking biodiversity worldwide.B. The rapid increase of world population.C. The ongoing global economic recession.D. The impact of accelerating urbanization.57. In what sense are humans the ultimate invasive species?A. They are much greedier than other species.B. They are a unique species born to conquer.C. They force other species out of their territories.D. They have an urge to expand their living space.58. In what way is urbanization in poor countries good for the environment?A. More land will be preserved for wildlife.B. The pressure on farmland will be lessened.C. Carbon emissions will be considerably reduced.D. Natural resources will be used more effectively.59. What does the author say about living comfortably in the city?A. It incurs a high environmental price.B. It brings poverty and insecurity to an end.C. It causes a big change in people’s lifestyle.D. It narrows the gap between city and country.60. What can be done to minimize the negative impact of urbanization according to Seto?A. Slowing down the speed of transition.B. Innovative use of advanced technology.C. Appropriate management of the process.D. Enhancing people’s sense of responsibility.Passage TwoWhen Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg launched in Feb. 2004, even he could not i magine the forces it would let loose. His intent was to connect college students. Facebook, which is what this website rapidly evolved into, ended up connecting the world.To the children of this connected era, the world is one giant social network. They are not bound —as were previous generations of humans —by what they were taught. They are only limited by their cu riosity and ambition. During my childhood, all knowledge was local. You learned everything you knew from your parents, teachers, preachers, and friends.With the high-quality and timely information at their fingertips, today’s children are rising normally t ame middle class is speaking up against social ills. Silicon Valley executives are being shamed into addin g women to their boards. Political leaders are marshalling the energy of millions for elections and politica l causes. All of this is being done with social media technologies that Facebook and its competitors set fr ee.As does every advancing technology, social media has created many new problems. It is commonly a ddictive and creates risks for younger users. Social media is used by extremists in the Middle East and el sewhere to seek and brainwash recruits. And it exposes us and our friends to disagreeable spying. We ma y leave our lights on in the house when we are on vacation, but through social media we tell criminals exactly where we are, when we plan to return home, and how to blackmail(敲诈)us.Governments don’t need informers a ny more. Social media allows government agencies to spy on the ir own citizens. We record our thoughts, emotions, likes and dislikes on Facebook; we share our political views, social preferences, and plans. We post intimate photographs of ourselves. No spy agency or crimi nal organization could actively gather the type of data that we voluntarily post for them.The marketers are also seeing big opportunities. Amazon is trying to predict what we will order. Go ogle is trying to judge our needs and wants based on our social-media profiles. We need to be aware of the risks and keep working to alleviate the dangers.Regardless of what social media people use, one thing is certain: we are in a period of accelerating chan ge. The next decade will be even more amazing and unpredictable than the last. Just as no one could pre dict what would happen with social media in the last decade, no one can accurately predict where this te chnology will take us. I am optimistic, however, that a connected humanity will find a way to uplift itsel f.61. What was the purpose of Facebook when it was first created?A. To help students connect with the outside world.B. To bring university students into closer contact.C. To help students learn to live in a connected era.D. To combine the world into an integral whole.62. What difference does social media make to learning?A. Local knowledge and global knowledge will merge.B. Student will become more curious and ambitious.C. People are able to learn wherever they travel.D. Sources of information are greatly expanded.63. What is the author’s greatest concern with social media technology?A. Individuals and organizations may use it for evil purposes.B. Government will find it hard to protect classified information.C. Peopl e may disclose their friends’ information unintentionally.D. People’s attention will be easily distractedfrom their work in hand.64. What do businesses use social media for?A. Creating a good corporate image.B. Conducting large-scale market surveys.C. Anticipating the needs of customers.D. Minimizing possible risks and dangers.65. What does the author think of social media as a whole?A. It will enable human society to advance at a faster pace.B. It will pose a grave threat to our traditional ways of life.C. It is bound to bring about another information revolution.D. It breaks down the final barriers in human communication.Part IV TranslationDirections: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into Englis h. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.翻译题一：自从1978年启动改革以来，中国已从计划经济转为以市场为基础的经济，经历了经济和社会的快速发展。
2014年12月大学英语六级真题试卷(一)(题后含答案及解析)
2014年12月大学英语六级真题试卷（一）(题后含答案及解析)题型有：1. Writing 2. Listening Comprehension 3. 4. Reading Comprehension 5. TranslationPart I Writing1．For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay based on the picture below You should start your essay with a brief description of the picture and then discuss whether technology is indispensable in education. You should give sound arguments to support your views and write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words.正确答案：Technology and Education The cartoon above vividly depicts a boy tells his teacher that he is going to need tech support to solve an extremely easy question on the blackboard. The picture illustrates that students have attached too much importance to technology. However, as far as I am concerned, technology plays a useful but not indispensable role in the academic life. Undoubtedly, advanced technology has brought much convenience to us, but modern people, especially students, are not supposed to hinge upon the technology all the time. There are two reasons to support the view. To start with, students shoulder the responsibility of learning. There is a “study” in the word of “student”. Furthermore, the future progress of technology depends upon students. How can they advance the current scientific frontier without a total understanding of the basic knowledge? Of course, students are also supposed to learn by themselves with the help of technology, especially the Internet, for collecting information is an essential ability of modem people. However, there is a clear distinction between relying on the Web for everything and independent study. To sum up, students should master basic knowledge and learn how to apply technology into academic life.Part II Listening ComprehensionSection A听力原文：M: Before we play again, I’m going to buy a good tennis racket. W: Your shoes aren’t in a very good shape, either. Q: What does the woman mean?2．A．The man’s tennis racket is good enough.B．The man should get a pair of new shoes.C．She can wait for the man for a little while.D．Physical exercise helps her stay in shape.正确答案：B解析：男士说在他和女士打球之前，他得先去买个网球拍，而女士说他的鞋子也不怎么好了。
2014年12月大学英语六级考试真题第1套-Reading Comprehension Section A
（自我意识）Children are natural-born scientists. They have inquiring minds, and they aren’t afraid to admit they don’t know something. Most of them, unfortunately, lose this as they get older. They become self-conscious and don’t want to appear stupid. Instead of finding things out for themselves they make assumption that often turn out to be wrong.vt.So it’s not a case of getting kids interested in science. You just have to avoid killing the passion for learning that they were born with. It’s no coincidence that kids start deserting science once it becomes formalised. Children naturally have a blurred approach to acquiringknowledge. They see learning about science or biology or cooking as all part of the same act---it’s all learning. It’s only because of the practicalities of education that you have to start breaking down the curriculum into specialist subjects. You need to have specialist teachers who impart what they know. Thus once they enter school, children begin to define subjects and erect boundaries that needn’t otherwise exist.Dividing subjects into science, maths, English, etc. is something we do for convenience. In the end it’s all learning, but many children today exclude themselves from a scientific education. They think science is forscientists, not for them.（直到）Of course we need to specialise eventually. Each of us has only so much time on Earth, so we can’t study everything. At 5 years old, our field of knowledge andexploration is broad, covering anything from learning to walk to learning to count. Gradually it narrows down so that by the time we are 45, it might be one tiny little corner within science.。
2014年12月大学英语六级考试真题(一)
2014年12月大学英语六级考试真题（一）Writing (30 minutes)In the modern society, with competition becomes increasingly fierce, to find a job is too difficult for the young generation. Academic qualification, as a job a stepping-stone, is an essential factor during the job hunting.Some people think that the highly educated must be able to find a good job, because education can prove that a person has a good capacity. Therefore, it is commonly believe that a job seeker with a master degree must be easier to find a promising job than a undergraduate. However, now the company interviewers generally prefer to required a even higher academic qualification, like a doctor degree. Otherwise, the applicants, even though he or she has tremendous potential, will be refused relentlessly.As far as I am concerned, education should not be the single standard in an interview. As for the companies, it is not necessarily a good principle as well. Now the whole community often talk about working ability and efficiency. For example, some people may have high academic qualification, but actually his ability is very limited. So both the individual and the community ought to change their attitude on academic qualification. We should realize that it is the operationalListening Comprehension (30 minutes)Section A1. A) In a parking lot. B) At a grocery. C) At a fast food restaurant. D) In a car showroom.2. A) Change her position now and then. B) Stretch her legs before standing up.C) Have a little nap after lunch. D) Get up and take a short walk.3.A) The students should practice long-distance running.B) The students’ physical c ondition is not desirable.C) He doesn’t quite believe what the woman says.D) He thinks the race is too hard for the students.4.A) They will get their degrees in two years. B) They are both pursuing graduate studies.C) They cannot afford to get married right now. D) They do not want to have a baby at present.5. A) He must have been mistaken for Jack. B) Twins usually have a lot in common.C) Jack is certainly not as healthy as he is. D) He has not seen Jack for quite a few days.6.A) The woman will attend the opening of the museum.B) The woman is asking the way at the crossroads.C) The man knows where the museum is located.D) The man will take the woman to the museum.7.A) They cannot ask the guy to leave. B) The guy has been coming in for years.C) The guy must be feeling extremely lonely. D) They should not look down upon the guy.8.A) Collect timepieces. B) Become time-conscious.C) Learn to mend clocks. D) Keep track of his daily activities.9. A) It is eating into its banks. B) It winds its way to the sea. C) It is wide and deep. D) It is quickly rising.10. A) Try to speed up the operation by any means. B) Take the equipment apart before being ferried.C) Reduce the transport cost as much as possible. D) Get the trucks over to the other side of the river.11. A) Find as many boats as possible. B) Cut trees and build rowing boats.C) Halt the operation until further orders. D) Ask the commander to send a helicopter12. A) Talk about his climbing experiences. B) Help him join an Indian expedition.C) Give up mountain climbing altogether. D) Save money to buy climbing equipment.13. A) He was the first to conquer Mt. Qomolangma. B) He had an unusual religious background.C) He climbed mountains to earn a living. D) He was very strict with his children.14.A) They are to be conquered. B) They are to be protected.C) They are sacred places. D) They are like humans.15.A) It was his father’s training that pulled him through. B) It was a milestone in his mountain climbing career.C) It helped him understand the Sherpa view of mountains. D) It was his father who gave him the strength to succeed.Section B Passage One16. A) By showing a memorandum’s structure. B) By analyzing the organization of a letter.C) By comparing memorandums with letters. D) By reviewing what he has said previously.17.A) They ignored many of the memorandums they received.B) They placed emphasis on the format of memorandums.C) They seldom read a memorandum through to the end.D) They spent a lot of time writing memorandums.18. A) Style and wording. B) Directness and clarity. C) Structure and length. D) Simplicity and accuracy.19. A) Inclusion of appropriate humor. B) Direct statement of purpose. C) Professional look. D) Accurate dating.Passage Two20. A) They give top priority to their work efficiency. B) They make an effort to lighten their workload.C) They try hard to make the best use of their time. D) They never change work habits unless forced to.21. A) Sense of duty. B) Self-confidence. C) Work efficiency. D) Passion for work.22. A) They find no pleasure in the work they do. B) They try to avoid work whenever possible.C) They are addicted to playing online games. D) They simply have no sense of responsibility.Passage Three23.A) He lost all his property. B) He was sold to a circus.C) He ran away from his family. D) He was forced into slavery.24. A) A carpenter. B) A master of his. C) A businessman. D) A black drummer.25. A) It named its town hall after Solomon Northup. B) It freed all blacks in the town from slavery.C) It declared July 24 Solomon Northup Day. D) It hosted a reunion for the Northup family.Section CIntolerance is the art of ignoring any views that differ from your own. It (26) ________ itself in hatred, stereotypes, prejudice, and (27)________ . Once it intensifies in people, intolerance is nearly impossible to overcome. But why would anyone want to be labeled intolerant? Why would people want to be (28) ________ about the world around them? Why would one want be part of the problem in America, instead of thesolution?There are many explanations for intolerant attitudes, some (29) ________ childhood. It is likely that intolerant forks grew up (30) ________ intolerant parents and the cycle of prejudice has simply continued for(31) ________ . Perhaps intolerant people are so set in their ways that they find it easier to ignore anythingthat might not (32) ________ their limited view of life. Or maybe intolerant students have simply never been(33)________ to anyone different from themselves. But none of these reasons is an excuse for allowing theintolerance to continue.Intolerance should not be confused with disagreement. It is, of course, possible to disagree with an opinion without being intolerant of it. If you understand a belief but still don’t believe in that specific belief, that’s fine. You are (34) ________ your opinion. As a matter of fact, (35) ________ dissenters（持异议者）are important for any belief. If we all believed the same things, we would never grow, and we would never learn about the world around us. Intolerance does not stem from disagreement. It stems from fear. And fear stems from ignorance.Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)Section AIt was 10 years ago, on a warm July night, that a newborn lamb took her first breath in a small shed in Scotland. From the outside, she looked no different from thousands of other sheep born on 36 farms. But Dolly, as the world soon came to realize, was no 37 lamb. She was cloned from a single cell of an adult female sheep, 38 long-held scientific dogma that had declared such a thing biologically impossible.A decade later, scientists are starting to come to grips with just how different Dolly was. Dozens of animals have been cloned since that first lamb—mice, cats, cows and, most recently, a dog—and it’s becoming 39 clear that they are all, in one way or another, defective.It’s 40 to think of clones as perfect carbon copies of the original. It turns out, though, that there are various degrees of genetic 41. That may come as a shock to people who have paid thousands of dollars to clone a pet cat only to discover that the baby cat looks and behaves 42 like their beloved pet—with a different- color coat of fur, perhaps, or a 43 different attitude toward its human hosts.And these are just the obvious differences. Not only are clones 44 from the original template（模板）by time, but they are also the product of an unnatural molecular mechanism that turns out not to be very good at making 45 copies. In fact, the process can embed small flaws in the genes of clones that scientists are only now discovering.A) abstract B) completely C) deserted D) duplication E) everythingF) identical G) increasingly H) miniature I) nothing J) ordinaryK) overturning L) separated M) surrounding N) systematically O) temptingSection BShould Single-Sex Education Be Eliminated?[A] Why is a neuroscientist here debating single-sex schooling? Honestly, I had no fixed ideas on the topic when I started researching it for my book, Pink Brain, Blue Brain. But any discussion of gender differences in children inevitably leads to this debate, so I felt compelled to dive into the research data on single-sex schooling. I read every study I could, weighed the existing evidence, and ultimately concluded that single-¬sex education is not the answer to gender gaps in achievement—or the best way forward for today’s young people. After my book was published, I met several developmental and cognitive psychologists whose work was addressing gender and education from different angles, and we published a peer-reviewed Education Forum piece in Science magazine with the provocative title, “The Pseudoscience of Single-Sex Education.”[B] We showed that three lines of research used to justify single-sex schooling—educational, neuroscience, and social psychology—all fail to support its alleged benefits, and so the widely-held view that gender separation is somehow better for boys, girls, or both is nothing more than a myth.The Research on Academic Outcomes[C] First, we reviewed the extensive educational research that has compared academic outcomes in students attending single-sex versus coeducational schools. The overwhelming conclusion when you put this enormous literature together is that there is no clear academic advantage of sitting in all-female or all-male classes, in spite of much popular belief to the contrary. I base this conclusion not on any individual study, but on large- scale and systematic reviews of thousands of studies conducted in every major English-speaking country.[D] Of course, there’re many excellent single-sex schools out there, but as these careful research reviews have demonstrated, it’s not their single-sex composition that makes them excellent. It’s all the other advantages that are typically packed into such schools, such as financial resources, quality of the faculty, and pro-¬academic culture, along with the family background and pre-selected ability of the students themselves that determine their outcomes.[E] A case in point is the study by Linda Sax at UCLA, who used data from a large national survey of college freshmen to evaluate the effect of single-sex versus coeducational high schools. Commissioned by the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools, the raw findings look pretty good for the funders—higher SAT scores and a stronger academic orientation among women who had attended all girls' high schools (men weren’t studied). However, once the researchers controlled for both student and school attributes—measures such as family income, parents’ education, and school resources—most of these effects were erased or diminished.[F] When it comes to boys in particular, the data show that single-sex education is distinctly unhelpful for them. Among the minority of studies that have reported advantages of single-sex schooling, virtually all of them were studies of girls. There’re no rigorous studies in the United States that find single-sex schooling is better for boys, and in fact, a separate line of research by economists has shown both boys and girls exhibit greater cognitive growth over the school year based on the “dose” of girls in a classroom. In fact, boys benefit even more than girls from having larger numbers of female classmates. So single-sex schooling is really not th e answer to the current “boy crisis” in education.Brain and Cognitive Development[G] The second line of research often used to justify single-sex education falls squarely within my area of expertise: brain and cognitive development. It's been more than a decade now since the “brain sex movement” began infiltrating（渗入）our schools, and there are literally hundreds of schools caught up in the fad（新潮）. Public schools in Wisconsin, Indiana, Florida and many other states now proudly declare on their websites that they separate boys and girls because “research solidly indicates that boys and girls learn differently,” due to “hard-wired” differences in their brains, eyes, ears, autonomic nervous systems, and more.[H] All of these statements can be traced to just a few would-be neuroscientists, especially physician Leonard Sax and therapist Michael Gurian. Each gives lectures, runs conferences, and does a lot of professional development on so-called “gender-specific learning.” I analyzed their various claims abo ut sex differences in hearing, vision, language, math, stress responses, and “learning styles” in my book and a long peer-reviewed paper. Other neuroscientists and psychologists have similarly exposed their work. In short, the mechanisms by which our brain s learn language, math, physics, and every other subject don’t differ between boys and girls. Of course, learning does vary a lot between individual students, but research reliably shows that this variance is far greater within populations of boys or girls than between the two sexes.[I] The equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution prohibits separation of students by sex in public education that’s based on precisely this kind of “overbroad generalizations about the different talents, capacities, or preferences of males and females.” And the reason it is prohibited is because it leads far too easily to stereotyping and sex discrimination.Social Developmental Psychology[J] That brings me to the third area of research which fails to support single-sex schooling and indeed suggests the practice is actually harmful: social-developmental psychology.[K] It’s a well-proven finding in social psychology that segregation promotes stereotyping and prejudice, whereas intergroup contact reduces them—and the results are the same whether you divide groups by race, age, gender, body mass index, sexual orientation, or any other category. What’s more, children are especially vulnerable to this kind of bias, because they are dependent on adults for learning which social categories are important and why we divide people into different groups.[L] You don’t have to look far to find evidence of stereotyping and sex discrimination in single-sex schools. There was the failed single-sex experiment in California, where six school districts used generous state grants to set up separate boys' and girls' academies in the late 1990s. Once boys and girls weresegregated, teachers resorted to traditional gender stereotypes to run their classes, and within just three years, five of the six districts had gone back to coeducation.[M] At the same time, researchers are increasingly discovering benefits of gender interaction in youth. A large British study found that children with other-sex older siblings（兄弟姐妹）exhibit less stereotypical play than children with same-sex older siblings, such as girls who like sports and building toys and boys who like art and dramatic play. Another study of high school social networks found less bullying and aggression the higher the density of mixed-sex friendships within a given adolescent network. Then there is the finding we cited in our Science paper of higher divorce and depression rates among a large group of British men who attended single-sex schools as teenagers, which might be explained by the lack of opportunity to learn about relationships during their formative years.[N] Whether in nursery school, high school, or the business world, gender segregation narrows our perceptions of each other, facilitating stereotyping and sexist attitudes. It’s very simple: the more we structure children and adolescents’ environment around gender distinctions and separation, the more they will use these categories as the primary basis for understanding themselves and others.[O] Gender is an important issue in education. There are gaps in reading, writing, and science achievement that should be narrower. There are gaps in career choice that should be narrower—if we really want to maximize human potential and American economic growth. But stereotyping boys and girls and separating them in the name of fictitious（虚构的）brain differences is never going to close these gaps.46. Hundreds of schools separate boys from girls in class on the alleged brain and cognitive differences.47. A review of extensive educational research shows no obvious academic advantage of single-sex schooling.48. The author did not have any fixed ideas on single-sex education when she began her research on the subject.49. Research found men who attended single-sex schools in their teens were more likely suffer from depression.50. Studies in social psychology have shown segregation in school education has a negative impact on children.51. Reviews of research indicate there are more differences in brain and cognitive development within the same sex than between different sexes.52. The findings of the national survey of college freshmen about the impact of single-sex schooling fail to take into account student and school attributes.53. It wasn’t long before most of the school districts t hat experimented with single-sex education abandoned the practice.54. Boys from coeducational classes demonstrate greater cognitive abilities according to the economists' research.55. As careful research reviews show, academic excellence in some single-sex schools is attributed to other factors than single-sex education.Section C Passage OneInternational governments' inaction concerning sustainable development is clearly worrying but the proactive（主动出击的）approaches of some leading-edge companies are encouraging. Toyota, Wal-Mart, DuPont, M&S and General Electric have made tackling environmental wastes a key economic driver.DuPont committed itself to a 65% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in the 10 years prior to 2010.By 2007, DuPont was saving $2.2 billion a year through energy efficiency, the same as its total declared profits that year. General Electric aims to reduce the energy intensity of its operations by 50% by 2015. They have invested heavily in projects designed to change the way of using and conserving energy.Companies like Toyota and Wal-Mart are not committing to environmental goals out of the goodness of their hearts. The reason for their actions is a simple yet powerful realisation that the environmental and ec onomic footprints fit well together. When M&S launched its “Plan A” sustainability programme in 2007, it was believed that it would cost over £200 million in the first five years. However, the initiative had generated £105 million by 2011/12.When we prevent physical waste, increase energy efficiency or improve resource productivity, we save money, improve profitability and enhance competitiveness. In fact, there are often huge “quick win”opportunities, thanks to years of neglect.However, there is a considerable gap between leading-edge companies and the rest of the pack. There are far too many companies still delaying creating a lean and green business system, arguing that it will cost money or require sizable capital investments. They remain stuck in t he “environment is cost” mentality. Being environmentally friendly does not have to cost money. In fact, going beyond compliance saves cost at the same time that it generates cash, provided that management adopts the new lean and green model.Lean means doing more with less. Nonetheless, in most companies, economic and environmental continuous improvement is viewed as being in conflict with each other. This is one of the biggestopportunities missed across most industries. The size of the opportunity is enormous. The 3% Report recently published by World Wildlife Fund and CDP shows that the economic prize for curbing carbon emissions in the US economy is $780 billion between now and 2020. It suggests that one of the biggest levers fordelivering this opport unity is “increased efficiency through management and behavioural change”—in other words, lean and green management.Some 50 studies show that companies that commit to such aspirational goals as zero waste, zero harmful emissions, and zero use of non-renewable resources are financially outperforming their competitors.Conversely, it was found that climate disruption is already costing $1.2 trillion annually, cutting global GDP by 1.6%. Unaddressed, this will double by 2030.56. What does the author say about some leading-edge companies?A) They operate in accordance with government policies.B) They take initiatives in handling environmental wastes.C) They are key drivers in their nations，economic growth.D) They are major contributors to environmental problems.57. What motivates Toyota and Wal-Mart to make commitments to environmental protection?A) The goodness of their hearts. B) A strong sense of responsibility.C) The desire to generate profits. D) Pressure from environmentalists.58. Why are so many companies reluctant to create an environment-friendly business system?A) They are bent on making quick money. B) They do not have the capital for the investment.C) They believe building such a system is too costly. D) They lack the incentive to change businesspractices.59. What is said about the lean and green model of business?A) It helps businesses to save and gain at the same time.B) It is affordable only for a few leading-edge companies.C) It is likely to start a new round of intense competition.D) It will take a long time for all companies to embrace it.60. What is the finding of the studies about companies committed to environmental goals?A) They have greatly enhanced their sense of social responsibility.B) They do much better than their counterparts in terms of revenues.C) They have abandoned all the outdated equipment and technology.D) They make greater contributions to human progress than their rivals.Passage TwoIf you asked me to describe the rising philosophy of the day, I'd say it is data-ism. We now have the ability to gather huge amounts of data. This ability seems to carry with it certain cultural assumptions—that everything that can be measured should be measured; that data is a transparent and reliable lens that allows us to filter out emotionalism and ideology; that data will help us do remarkable things—like foretell the fixture.Over the next year, I’m hoping to get a better grip on some of the questions raised by the data revol ution: In what situations should we rely on intuitive pattern recognition and in which situations should we ignore intuition and follow the data? What kinds of events are predictable using statistical analysis and what sorts of events are not?I confess I enter this in a skeptical frame of mind, believing that we tend to get carried away in ourdesire to reduce everything to the quantifiable. But at the outset let me celebrate two things data does really well.First, it's really good at exposing when our intuitive view of reality is wrong. For example, nearly every person who runs for political office has an intuitive sense that they can powerfully influence their odds of winning the election if they can just raise and spend more money. But this is largely wrong.After the 2006 election, Sean Trende constructed a graph comparing the incumbent（在任者的）campaign spending advantages with their eventual margins of victory. There was barely any relationship between more spending and a bigger victory.Likewise, many teachers have an intuitive sense that different students have different learning styles: some are verbal and some are visual; some are linear, some are holistic（整体的）.Teachers imagine they will improve outcomes if they tailor their presentations to each s tudent. But there’s no evidence to support this either.Second, data can illuminate patterns of behavior we haven’t yet noticed. For example, I've always assumed people who frequently use words like “I,” “me,” and “mine” are probably more self-centered than people who don't. But as James Pennebaker of the University of Texas notes in his book, The Secret Life of Pronouns, when people are feeling confident, they are focused on the task at hand, not on themselves.High-status, confident people use fewer “I” words, not more.Our brains often don’t notice subtle verbal patterns, but Pennebaker’s computers can. Younger writers use more negative and past-tense words than older writers who use more positive and future-tense words.In sum, the data revolution is giving us wonderful ways to understand the present and the past. Will it transform our ability to predict and make decisions about the future? We’ll see.61. What do data-ists assume they can do?A) Transform people’s cultural identity. B) Change the way future events unfold.C) Get a firm grip on the most important issues. D) Eliminate emotional and ideological bias.62. What do people running for political office think they can do?A) Use data analysis to predict the election result. B) Win the election if they can raise enough funds.C) Manipulate public opinion with favorable data. D) Increase the chances of winning by foul means.63. Why do many teachers favor the idea of tailoring their presentations to different students?A) They think students prefer flexible teaching methods.B) They will be able to try different approaches.C) They believe students，learning styles vary.D) They can accommodate students with special needs.64. What does James Pennebaker reveal in The Secret Life of Pronouns?A) The importance of using pronouns properly.B ) Repeated use of first-person pronouns by self-centered people.C) Frequent use of pronouns and future tense by young people.D) A pattern in confident people’s use of pronouns.65. Why is the author skeptical of the data revolution?A) Data may not be easily accessible. B) Errors may occur with large data samples.C) Data cannot always do what we imagine it can. D) Some data may turn out to be outdated.Translation (30 minutes)中国将努力确保到2015年就业者接受过平均13.3年的教育。
2014年12月英语六级翻译题
翻译真题一：自从1978年启动改革以来，中国已从计划经济转为以市场为基础的经济，经历了经济和社会的快速发展。
平均10%的GDP增长已使五亿多人脱贫。
联合国的“千年（millennium）发展目标”在中国均已达到或即将达到。
目前，中国的第十二个五年规划强调发展服务业和解决环境及社会不平衡的问题。
政府已设定目标减少污染，提高能源效率，改善得到教育和医保的机会，并扩大社会保障。
中国现在7%的经济年增长目标表明政府是在重视生活质量而不是增长速度。
Since the reform in 1978, with the rapid development of economy and society, Chinese economy has transferred into market economy from command economy. The average 10% growth of GDP has lifted more than 500 million people out of poverty. The Millennium Goal of the U.N. has been fully or partially achieved throughout China. At present, the 12th Five-year Plan in China emphasizes the development of service industry and the solution of imbalance of environment and society. The government has set goals to reduce pollution, enhance energy efficiency, improve educational opportunities and medical insurance and expand social security. The 7% growth annual goal demonstrates that the government is concentrating on the quality of life rather than the speed of growth.中国将努力确保到2015年就业者接受过平均13.3年的教育。
2014年12月英语六级真题及答案(段落翻译)(文字完整版)
2014年12月英语六级真题及答案——段落翻译目录2014年12月英语六级真题及答案——段落翻译 (2)2014年12月英语六级真题及答案：段落翻译3 (2)2014年12月英语六级真题及答案：段落翻译2 (2)2014年12月英语六级真题及答案：段落翻译1 (3)2014年12月英语六级真题及答案——段落翻译2014年12月英语六级真题及答案：段落翻译3反应在艺术和文学中的乡村生活理想是中国文明的重要特征。
这在很大程度上归功于道家对自然的感情。
传统中国画有两个最受青睐的主题，一是家庭生活的各种幸福场景，画中往往有老人在下棋饮茶，男人在耕耘收割，妇女在织布缝衣，小孩在户外玩耍。
另一个则是乡村生活的种种乐趣，画有渔夫在湖上打渔，农夫在山上砍柴采药，或是书生坐在松树下吟诗作画。
这两个主题可以分别代表儒家和道家的生活理想。
The ideal rural lifestyle reflected in the art and literature is a great characteristic in Chinese civilization. It is largely attributed to the Taoism affection to nature.There are two most preferred topics in traditional Chinese paintings. One kind depicts various happy scenes of family life in which the elderly play chess and drink tea, young men farm and harvest in the field, women weave or sew clothes and kids play in the outside. The other depicts the recreations of rural life. In these paintings, fishermen fish on the lake, famers hew or collect herbs on the hills and scholars compose poems or paintings under pine trees. These two themes respectively represent the ideal life of Confucianism and Taoism.2014年12月英语六级真题及答案：段落翻译2中国将努力确保到2015年就业者接受过平均13.3年的教育。
2014年12月六级真题及答案（共三套）
2013年12月大学英语六级考试真题（第1套）Part I Writin g (30 minute s)（请于正式开考后半小时内完成该部分，之后将进行听力考试）Direct ions:For this part, you are allowe d 30 minute s to writean essayon happin ess by referr ing to the saying“Happin ess is not the absenc e of proble ms, but the abilit ytodealwiththem.”You can cite exampl es to illust rateyour pointand then explai n how you can develo p your abilit y to deal with proble ms and be happy.You should writeat least150 wordsbut no more than 200 words.Part II Listen ing Compre hensi on (30 minute s)Sectio n ADirect ions:In this sectio n, you will hear 8 shortconver satio ns and 2 long conver satio ns. At theend of each conver satio n, one or more questi ons will be askedaboutwhat was said. Both the conver satio n and the questi ons will be spoken only once. Aftereach questi on therewill be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choice s marked A), B), C) and D), and decide whichis the best answer. Then mark the corres pondi ng letter on Answer Sheet1 with a single line throug h the centre.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。
2014年12月第一套翻译真题详解
随着旅行多了，年轻人在大城市和著名景点花的时间少了，他们反而更 为偏远的地方所吸引。 随着as; with 多，修饰旅行，先决定“旅行”词性 景点scenic spot 偏远的remote>>faraway>>far 反而，决定是否要翻译
With more travels, young people/youngsters spend less time in big cities and famous scenic spots. Instead, they are more attracted to remote places.
有些人甚至选择长途背包旅行。 有些人 some of them>>some people 长途 long distance 背包旅行backpacking Some of them (would) even choห้องสมุดไป่ตู้se long distance backpacking.
最近调查显示，很多年轻人想要通过旅行体验不同文化、丰富知识、拓 宽视野。
调查survey=investigation>report——“最近”应为定语 体验 experience 丰富enrich 拓宽 broaden 视野 horizon/view
A recent survey shows that many young people want to experience different cultures, enrich their knowledge, and broaden their horizons through traveling.
2014年12月10套四六级考试翻译精练(重要)解读
2014年12月大学英语四六级考试翻译(10套)【第1套】2013年，中国遭遇了52年来最严重的空气污染。
有些城市一度取消航班，学校停课，车辆禁行。
北京长期受恶劣的空气困扰，已是众所周知。
但一些过去空气比较干净的城市，如上海和哈尔滨，现在也进入空气严重污染城市之列。
几十年来放任经济发展破坏了环境，公众对此深为震惊。
为了治理空气污染，中国政府计划在2013年到2017年间投入1.75万亿(trillion)人民币。
Severely vessel/vehicle contaminateBe put on the list of severely air polluted cities【参考答案】In 2013, China suffered the worst air pollution in 52 years. In some cities, for a time, flights were cancelled/called off, schools closed and vehicles pulled from the roads. While it is well-known to all that Beijing has long been troubled by terrible air, a number of traditionally clearer cities, including Shanghai and Harbin, have joined the list of cities affected with seriously polluted air. The public was greatly shocked/taken aback/startled by the environmental damage brought/caused by decades of unchecked/uncontrolled economic development. To clean up air pollution, the Chinese government will invest 1.75 trillion yuan between 2013 and 2017.In order to address/tackle/solve/cope with/handle the issue of air contamination,【第2套】几千年来，中国人一直把尊老爱幼作为一种社会责任和行为规范（behavioral norm）。
2014年12月英语六级真题及答案(段落翻译)(文字完整版)(20200515183805)
2014年12月英语六级真题及答案——段落翻译目录2014年12月英语六级真题及答案——段落翻译 (2)2014年12月英语六级真题及答案：段落翻译 3 (2)2014年12月英语六级真题及答案：段落翻译 2 (2)2014年12月英语六级真题及答案：段落翻译 1 (3)2014年12月英语六级真题及答案——段落翻译2014年12月英语六级真题及答案：段落翻译 3反应在艺术和文学中的乡村生活理想是中国文明的重要特征。
这在很大程度上归功于道家对自然的感情。
传统中国画有两个最受青睐的主题，一是家庭生活的各种幸福场景，画中往往有老人在下棋饮茶，男人在耕耘收割，妇女在织布缝衣，小孩在户外玩耍。
另一个则是乡村生活的种种乐趣，画有渔夫在湖上打渔，农夫在山上砍柴采药，或是书生坐在松树下吟诗作画。
这两个主题可以分别代表儒家和道家的生活理想。
The ideal rural lifestyle reflected in the art and literature is a great characteristic in Chinese civilization. It is largely attributed to the Taoism affection to nature.There are two most preferred topics in traditional Chinese paintings. One kind depicts various happy scenes of family life in which the elderly play chess and drink tea, young men farm and harvest in the field, women weave or sew clothes and kids play in the outside. The other depicts the recreations of rural life. In these paintings, fishermen fish on the lake, famers hew or collect herbs on the hills and scholars compose poems or paintings under pine trees. These two themes respectively represent the ideal life of Confucianism and Taoism.2014年12月英语六级真题及答案：段落翻译 2中国将努力确保到2015年就业者接受过平均13.3年的教育。
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2014.12.1st
反应在艺术和文学中的乡村生活理想是中国文明的重要特征。
这在很大程度上归功于道家对自然地感情。
传统中国画有两个最受青睐的主题，一是家庭生活的各种幸福场景，画中往往有老人在下棋饮茶，男人在耕耘收割，妇女在织布缝衣，小孩在户外玩耍。
另一个则是乡村生活的种种乐趣，画有渔夫在湖上打渔，农夫在山上砍柴采药，或是书生坐在松树下吟诗作画。
这两个主题可以分别代表儒家和道家的生活理想。
Rural life ideals reflected in Chinese arts and literature is an important feature of Chinese civilization. This is largely attributed to feelings of Taoism to the nature. There are two most popular themes in traditional Chinese paintings. One is various scenes of happy family life with the elderly drinking teas and playing chess, men plowing and harvesting, women sewing and weaving, or children playing outdoors. The other is a variety of fun in rural life with a fisherman fishing on the lake, farmers cutting firewood or collecting medicinal herbs, scholars reciting poems or painting pictures under a pine tree. These two themes represent separately Confucian and Taoist ideal life.。