六级考前模考试卷(一)

1）Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer Sheet 1. For questions 1-7, choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). For questions 8-10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.Food Inflation Kept Hidden in Tinier BagsChips are disappearing from bags, candy from boxes and vegetables from cans.As an expected increase in the cost of raw materials looms for late summer, consumers are beginning to encounter shrinking food packages.With unemployment still high, companies in recent months have tried to hide price increases by selling their products in tiny and tinier packages. So far, the changes are most visible at the grocery store, where shoppers are paying the same amount, but getting less.For Lisa Stauber, stretching her budget to feed her nine children in Houston often requires careful monitoring at the store. Recently, when she cooked her usual three boxes of pasta for a big family dinner, she was surprised by a smaller yield, and she began to suspect something was up.“Whole wheat pasta had gone from 16 ounces to 13.25 ounces,” she said. “I bought three boxes and it wasn‟t enough — that was a little embarrassing. I bought the same amount I always buy, I just didn‟t realize it, because who reads the sizes all the time?”Ms. Stauber, 33, said she began inspecting her other purchases, aisle by aisle. Many canned vegetables dropped to 13 or 14 ounces from 16; boxes of baby wipes went to 72 from 80; and sugar was stacked in 4-pound, not 5-pound, bags, she said.Five or so years ago, Ms. Stauber bought 16-ounce cans of corn. Then they were 15.5 ounces, then 14.5 ounces, and the size is still dropping. “The first time I‟ve ever seen an 11-ounce can of corn at the store was about three weeks ago, and I was just floored,” she said. “It‟s sneaky, because they figure people won‟t know.”In every economic downturn in the last few decades, companies have reduced the size of some products, disguising price increases and avoiding comparisons on same-size packages, before and after an increase. Each time, the marketing campaigns are coy; this time, the smaller versions are “greener” (packages good for the environment) or more “portable” (little c arry bags for the takeout lifestyle) or “healthier” (fewer calories).Where companies cannot change sizes — as in clothing or appliances — they have warned that prices will be going up, as the costs of cotton, energy, grain and other raw materials are rising.“Consumers are generally more sensitive to changes in prices than to changes in quantity,” John T. Gourville, a marketing professor at Harvard Business School, said. “And companies try to do it in such a way that you don‟t notice, maybe keeping the he ight and width the same, but changing the depth so the silhouette (轮廓) of the package on the shelf looks the same. Or sometimes they add more air to the chips bag or a scoop in the bottom of the peanut butter jar so it looks the same size.”Thomas J. Alexander, a finance professor at Northwood University, said that businesses had little choice these days when faced with increases in the costs of their raw goods. “Companies only have pricing power when wages are also increasing, and we‟re not seeing that rig ht now because of the high unemployment,” he said.Most companies reduce products quietly, hoping consumers are not reading labels too closely.But the downsizing keeps occurring. A can of Chicken of the Sea albacore tuna is now packed at 5 ounces, instead of the 6-ounce version still on some shelves, and in some cases, the 5-ounce can costs more than the larger one. Bags of Doritos, Tostitos and Fritos now hold 20 percent fewer chips than in 2009, though a spokesman said those extra chips were just a “limited time” offer.Trying to keep customers from feeling cheated, some companies are introducing new containersthat, they say, have terrific advantages — and just happen to contain less product.Kraft is introducing “Fresh Stacks” packages for its Nabis co Premium saltines and Honey Maid graham crackers. Each has about 15 percent fewer crackers than the standard boxes, but the price has not changed. Kraft says that because the Fresh Stacks include more sleeves of crackers, they are more portable and “the packaging format offers the benefit of added freshness,” said Basil T. Maglaris, a Kraft spokesman, in an e-mail.And Procter & Gamble is expanding its “Future Friendly” products, which it promotes as using at least 15 percent less energy, water or packaging than the standard ones.“They are more environmentally friendly, that‟s true —but they‟re also smaller,” said Paula Rosenblum, managing partner for retail systems research at , an online specialist network. “They announce it as great new pac kaging, and in fact what it is is smaller packaging, smaller amounts of the product,” she said.Or marketers design a new shape and size altogether, complicating any effort to comparison shop. The unwrapped Reese‟s Minis, which were introduced in February, are smaller than the foil-wrapped Miniatures. They are also more expensive — $0.57 an ounce at FreshDirect, versus $0.37 an ounce for the individually wrapped.At H. J. Heinz, prices on ketchup, condiments, sauces and Ore-Ida products have already gone up, and the company is selling smaller-than-usual versions of condiments, like 5-ounce bottles of items like Heinz 57 Sauce sold at places like Dollar General.“I have never regretted raising prices in the face of significant cost pressures, since we can a lways course-correct if the outcome is not as we expected,” Heinz‟s chairman and chief executive, William R. Johnson, said last month.While companies have long adjusted package sizes to appeal to changing tastes, from supersizes to 100-calorie packs, the recession drove a lot of corporations to think small. The standard size for Edy‟s ice cream went from 2 liters to 1.5 in 2008. And Tropicana shifted to a 59-ounce carton rather than a 64-ounce one last year, after the cost of oranges rose.With prices for energy and for raw materials like corn, cotton and sugar creeping up and expected to surge later this year, companies are barely bothering to cover up the shrinking packs.“Typically, the product manufacturers are doing this slightly ahead of the percei ved inflationary issues,” Ms. Rosenblum said. “Lately, it hasn‟t been subtle —I mean, they‟ve been shrinking by noticeable amounts.”That can work to a company‟s benefit. In the culture of thinness, smaller may be a selling point. It lets retailers honestly claim, for example, that a snack package contains fewer calories —without having to change the ingredients a smidge.“For indulgences like ice cream, chocolate and potato chips, consumers may say …I don‟t mind getting a little bit less because I shoul dn‟t be consuming so much anyway,‟ ” said Professor Gourville. “That‟s a harder argument to make with something like diapers or orange juice.”But even while companies blame the recession for smaller packages, they rarely increase sizes in good times, he said.He traced the shrinking package trends to the late 1980s, when companies like Chock full o‟Nuts downsized the one-pound tin of ground coffee to 13 ounces. That shocked consumers, for whom a pound of coffee had been as standard a purchase unit as a dozen eggs or a six-pack of beer, he said.Once the economy rebounds, he said, a new “jumbo” size product typically emerges, at an even higher cost per ounce. Then the gradual shrinking process of all package sizes begins anew, he said.“It‟s a continuous c ycle, where at some point the smallest package offered becomes so small that perhaps they‟re phased out and replaced by the medium-size package, which has been shrunk down,” he said.1. According to the author, why are the food companies beginning to change packages?A) They would like to help people save more in shopping.B) They think the prices for raw good are likely to go up very soon.C) They want to increase the visibility of their products.D) They expect that the cost of raw materials will plunge this year.2. After inspecting the things she purchased, Ms. Stauber found that _______.A) the prices have dropped B) they have shorter shelf lifeC) they are of worse quality D) their sizes have decreased3. What do businesses tend to do in economic downturn?A) Bring down the prices of some products.B) Use more healthy materials for the packaging.C) Hide price rises by downsizing products.D) Make their products attractively packaged.4. John T. Gourville suggested that consumers are more likely to notice it if _______.A) the prices of the goods change B) the quality of the products improvesC) the packages take a different look D) the weights of foods turn lighter5. What stops companies raising product prices at present according to Thomas J. Alexander?A) Increasing wages. B) High unemployment.C) High cost of raw materials. D) The rebounding economy.6. According to Procter & Gamble, it introduces new packaging because _______.A) it is good for the environmentB) it helps keep the food freshC) it makes the product easier to carryD) the previous pack is not up to standard7. Some marketers completely change both the shape and size of the product in order to _______.A) cater to consumer‟s changing tastesB) promote the product in a new wayC) make it more difficult for the shoppers to compare pricesD) ensure people get goods for the cheapest possible prices8. Manufacturers will shrink their packs in a visible way as prices are expected to _____________________later this year.9. As many people are trying to be thin, shrinking packaging may be _____________________ andbenefit companies.10. Consumers were _____________________ when the size of the ground coffee of Chock fullo‟Nuts shrunk dramatically.Part III Listening Comprehension (35 minutes)Section ADirections:In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A), B), C) and D), and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.11. A) Where the man heard the news. B) How the man feels about the news.C) If the man is going to lose his job. D) If the man is going to the company.12. A) The clothes don‟t look clean to him.B) He doesn‟t intend to get the clothes.C) The woman can pick up her own clothes.D) The woman should stop staring at his clothes.13. A) Satisfied with their price.B) Displeased with their quality.C) Pleased with their quantities of beautiful patterns.D) Displeased with their technological complexity.14. A) The man also wants to get a ticket for the state ballet.B) The man is selling the ticket for the state ballet.C) The man‟s sister will go to see the state ballet.D) The man‟s sister will give the ticket to the woman.15. A) Ask Dr. Smith to call the library. B) Ask Dr. Smith to alter his decision.C) Get Dr. Smith‟s written permission. D) Get the book directly from Dr. Smith.16. A) He is sure they will succeed in the next test.B) He did no better than the woman in the test.C) He believes she will pass the test this time.D) He feels upset because of her failure.17. A) Prof. Smith doesn‟t hold seminars or discussions in his lectures.B) Students sometimes fall asleep in Prof. Smith‟s lectures.C) Prof. Smith‟s lectures are always well-attended.D) The front seats are very hard to get in English lectures.18. A) She hasn‟t prepared the course outline yet.B) The man can get the course outline after class.C) There aren‟t any co pies of the course outline left.D) She‟ll distribute the course outline during the next class.Questions 19 to 22 are based on the conversation you have just heard.19. A) Narrow down the topic of her article. B) Read and revise her essay.C) Provide some facts for her opinion. D) Give her some advice on writing a paper.20. A) Keeping her topic focused and supporting her opinions with facts.B) Reading extensively and collecting as much reference as possible.C) Avoiding sensitive political points and seeking more power.D) Having discussions with employees and giving them more freedom.21. A) By listing women‟s responses to different parties.B) By discussing women‟s voting rights in democracies.C) By quoting the percentage of women officers in governments.D) By calling for women‟s voting rights in her own country.22. A) By reading her polished essay. B) By proofreading her first draft.C) By bringing her some reference books. D) By examining her outline.Questions 23 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.23. A) The choice of Barings Factory is better.B) The choice of the hospital is better.C) There is no need to change the topic.D) The choice of the university is better.24. A) The introduction of the draft. B) The first part of the draft.C) The headings of the draft. D) The middle part of the draft.25. A) It is not clear and needs to be revised.B) It provides too little information.C) It makes the draft appear too simplistic.D) It is not relevant to the approach the woman has taken.Section BDirections: In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 26 to 29 are based on the passage you have just heard.26. A) Describe the place carefully. B) Show him a map of the place.C) Tell him the names of the streets. D) Refer to recognizable buildings and places.27. A) Los Angeles. B) New York. C) Kansas. D) Iowa.28. A) They usually say “I don‟t know” in order to save time.B) They may give a tourist a wrong answer so as to be polite.C) They consider it impolite to give tourists wrong answer.D) They may tell people the directions and distances for fun.29. A) New Yorkers are generally friendly to visitors.B) People have similar understandings of politeness.C) It‟s important for travelers to understand cultural differences.D) It‟s useful for travelers to know how to ask the way properly.Passage TwoQuestions 30 to 32 are based on the passage you have just heard.30. A) To show that too many words are of no use.B) To show that the English prefer to make long speeches.C) To show that even talk and silence can be culturally different.D) To show that people from Thailand are quiet and shy by nature.31. A) By accepting different habits. B) By recognizing different values.C) By sharing different ways of life. D) By speaking each other‟s languages.32. A) Cross-cultural Differences B) Multicultural EnvironmentC) How to Understand Each Other D) How to Build up a RelationshipPassage ThreeQuestions 33 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.33. A) He can work wonders on computer.B) He is the best technician in the world.C) He has done a hard job in three months.D) He has united InteliData with another company.34. A) His blindness. B) His long, thin fingers.C) His attention on the synthesizer. D) His ability not to be interrupted.35. A) Computer technicians are more likely to be gifted.B) One‟s disadvantages may prove to be advantages.C) The disabled can also play an important role in society.D) Top computer scientists have unusual abilities to form ideas of computers.Section CDirections:In this section, you will hear a passage three times. When the passage is read for the first time, you should listen carefully for its general idea. When the passage is read for the second time, you are required to fill in the blanks numbered from 36 to 43 with the exact words you have just heard. For blanks numbered from 44 to 46 you are required to fill in the missing information. For these blanks, you can either use the exact words you have just heard or write down the main points in your own words. Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should check what you have written.Things have changed in your life. Most notably, you are no longer employed. Perhaps you‟ve been laid off from your (36) _________ workplace. Perhaps you are in the (37) _________ of starting a business. Perhaps you ar e staying home to care for a child you‟ve recently (38) _________. You decide to apply for a variety of (39) _________ that will help you manage the risks (40) _________ in life (health, life, disability). A few weeks after filling out your applications, you receive a reply from the insurance company that goes something like, “Dear So-and-so, upon (41) _________ of your application we are sorry to report that we can‟t insure you at this time.” A rejection? What‟s that all about? You call them up and find that they have rejected your application for certain insurances because of your past history of (42) _________ illness.The chain of events that has led up to your insurance rejection went something like this. All those years ago when you were in therapy, your (43) _________ was sent to the insurance company that was paying for your therapy. They, in turn, sent it out to an institution known as MIB (short for “Medical Information Bureau”, not “Men In Black”). MIB is a not-for-profit data warehouse (sponsored by major insurance carriers). (44) _________________________________________________________________. As part of the standard process of reviewing your application for insurance coverage, the insurance company called up MIB and took a look at your record. (45) _____________________________________________________________. The reasoning would be something like, “(46) _________________________________________________________________. We‟d have to pay for that treatment. There is, therefore, too much risk invo lved in insuring this person.”Part IV Reading Comprehension (Reading in Depth) (25 minutes)Section ADirections:In this section, there is a short passage with 5 questions or incomplete statements. Readthe passage carefully. Then answer the questions or complete the statements in the fewest possible words. Please write your answers on Answer Sheet 2.Questions 47 to 51 are based on the following passage.Happiness follows a U-shaped curve during a person‟s lifetime, according to research showin g that middle-aged people are the unhappiest.Satisfaction with life starts to drop as early as a person‟s late 20s and does not begin to recover until well past 50, says Bert van Landeghem, an economist at Maastricht University in Belgium. While young adults are carefree and full of hope for the future and the over-50s have come to terms with the trials of life, the research indicates that those in the middle feel weighed down by the demands on them.The study found “a substantial dip in happiness during the middle of people‟s lives is the equivalent to becoming unemployed or losing a family member”.The conclusions come in a study of how people perceive their wellbeing. Mr. van Landeghem, who is 29, will present his research at the Royal Economic Society annual conference at Royal Holloway, the University of London, this week.While Mr. van Landeghem said happiness did return with age, he warned that older people did not actually recapture the spirit of their youth. They simply learnt to be satisfied wit h their lot. “A U-shaped happiness curve does not necessarily imply that a 65-year-old prefers his own life to the life of a 25-year-old,” he said. “Both the 25-year-old and 65-year-old might agree that it is nicer to be 25 than to be 65. But the 65-year-old might nevertheless be more satisfied, as he has learned to be satisfied with what he has.”Studies around the world have shown that happiness tends to dip in midlife, he said, and that this was not just a phenomenon confined to the Western world.Last month, Lewis Wolpert, emeritus (荣誉的) professor of biology at University College London, said happiness could peak as late as 80. In a book called You’re Looking Very Well, Prof Wolpert said most people were “averagely happy” in their teens and 20s, but this declined until early middle age as they attempted to support a family and career.He added: “From the mid-40s, people tend to become ever more cheerful and optimistic, perhaps reaching a maximum in their late 70s or 80s.” An easing of the responsibilitie s of middle age, maturity and an increased focus on the things we enjoy contributed to the trend, he said.47. According to Bert van Landeghem‟s research, if we draw a curve of happiness during one‟slifetime, it would be __________________________________________.48. Compared with both the young and the old, the middle-aged are unhappier because there are heavydemands which __________________________________________.49. The decline of happiness in middle age is similar to that when people lose a job or__________________________________________.50. Mr. van Landeghem suggested that happiness returns with age simply because old people learnt toface their fate with __________________________________________.51. According to Lewis Wolpert, people in their late 70s or 80s may be the most__________________________________________.Section BDirections:There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single linethrough the centre.Passage OneQuestions 52 to 56 are based on the following passage.Looking in from abroad, much of the wo rld has historically been baffled by America‟s gun laws. In no other country can a mentally unstable person access a Glock pistol as easily as suspected Arizona shooter Jared Loughner did. And in no other country is the number of people who own guns as high as in the United States, where there are 90 guns for every 100 people.The Second Amendment that guarantees the right to bear arms is part of America‟s founding fabric. So is senseless violence brought about by guns also American?That was the question p osed at today‟s White House press briefing by Russian journalist Andrei Sitov, the Washington Bureau Chief for Moscow-based Itar-Tass. Predictably, the query irked (惹恼) many in the room, including White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs.“I think there‟s agreement on all sides of the political spectrum that violence is never, ever acceptable,” Gibbs said from the podium. What happened in Tucson “was not in keeping with the important bedrock (基础的) values on which this country was founded,” he said.Several other reporters scoffed (嘲笑) at the suggestion as well. But much more scoffing over the last week came from overseas, where foreign news agencies reacted to the Tucson tragedy with an element of saying “we could have predicted this”.“The Tucson shooting, in which Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head, is another tragic commentary on the poisonous political climate that has developed in the United States, allied to the country‟s pervasive(普遍存在的) gun culture,” read an editorial published in a New Zealand. In the Sydney Morning Herald, journalist Rod Tiffen stated what seems like an obvious point missed over the past week: “There is a strong correlation between the number of guns in a society and deaths resulting from them.”Ed Pilkington, a w riter for the U.K.‟s Guardian asked it more simply, “What is it with guns and America? Why does the most advanced democracy, which prides itself on being a bastion of reason and civilization in a brutal and ugly world, put up with this carnage in its own b ack yard?”Which raises the question, is Sitov right? Is occasional violent tragedy an unpleasant byproduct (副产品) of a free society? I walked out of the briefing room with Sitov, who appeared to realize the impact that his question had on the roomful of Am ericans. “It‟s an obvious question and nobody asks that question,” he told me through his thick Russian accent. “This is a cost that your country pays for freedom.”52. What do we learn from the first paragraph?A) The use of guns has become a hot topic in the United States now.B) The US is now the country with the highest rate of privately-owned guns.C) People with mental disorder are banned to use guns in the US.D) Many countries have followed America‟s example in making their gun laws.53. Russian journalist Andrei Sitov suggested that ______.A) it‟s gun users who should be blamed for violenceB) it‟s nothing wrong for people to bear private weaponsC) for America gun violence is the cost of freedomD) Americans commit most violent crimes in the world54. How did Robert Gibbs feel in face of Andrei Sitov‟s question?A) He felt very annoyed.B) He thought it‟s ridiculous.C) He was happy that Sitov raised the question.D) He wasn‟t convinced about the answer.55. What is the view of the New Zealand editorial?A) It‟s impossible for the United States to prevent gun violence.B) America‟s dangerous political situation is connected with its gun culture.C) Foreign reporters should not comment on the Tucson tragedy thoughtlessly.D) The Tucson shooting is just an occasional incident in the democratic America.56. It can be inferred from the context that “carnage” (Line 3, Para. 7) refers to ______.A) the losing of the freedom B) the corruption of democracyC) the worsening political climate D) the deaths resulting from gunsPassage TwoQuestions 57 to 61 are based on the following passage.Well-to-do parents are increasingly opting to send their children to single-sex prep schools, reversing the trend of recent years. Last week, Michael Gove told us that we needed to promote a Dangerous Book for Boys culture so that boys could be boys again. At the beginning of this month, it (re-)emerged that there were far fewer male teachers in primary schools to act as role models.Underlying this is anxiety about achievement; recent Department for Education figures show that nearly double the number of boys failed to reach expected standards at seven. The gender gap is more than 10 points in English at 11. Behaviour is a worry too. Boys are three and a half times more likely to be excluded, and the figure is worse still if you are a working-class or black boy.Today‟s answer to the problem seems to be single-sex schools. Yet debates about their value are both age-old and decidedly unresolved. Proponents (倡导者) argue that keeping boys together allows them to expel their “boyish” energy more freely — ensuring they are in line and on task. Girls are said to benefit too, with more support to build self-confidence.But there is also evidence in the other direction. A report commissioned by the Headmasters and Headmistresses conference, which represents top private schools, shows that single-sex schools make little difference to outcomes. What‟s more, arguing that Eton is a good school because it only admits boys is like saying Wayne Rooney is a good footballer because he wears a nice kit — one does not necessarily lead to the other.In practice, the single-sex question is a distraction from what really matters. It sounds obvious, but boys (and girls) will do better if they are taught better by teachers who understand their individual needs. That means skilled practitioners (从业者) using the curriculum creatively to engage and excite every single child in front of them — regardless of their gender. And, incidentally, male and female teachers have equal capacity to get this right.Of course this is hard, and I can say I fell short many times. But just by introducing a gender control on the group isn‟t going to make it any easier. What about the girl who likes active lea rning or the boy who is shy? I am not sure they would get a fair deal if our teaching is framed by gender behaviours. In any case, we want kids to be able to excel in response to all learning environments — not just the ones they are comfortable in. So let girls be boisterous (活跃的), and boys self-reflect. And let them learn together, taught by the best teachers we can find.57. What‟s the trend of recent years according to the passage?A) More rich parents choose single-sex education for their kids.B) Male teachers enjoy increasing popularity among parents.C) Boys from working class start to catch up with girls in study.D) Many people send their children to mixed-sex prep schools.。