2008年12月六级听力原文及答案
Cet-6 2008年12月听力原文、答案与详解-推荐下载
2008年12月Cet-6听力原文、答案与详解Listening ComprehensionSECTION A8 short conversations11.A) He is quite easy to recognize.B) He is an outstanding speaker.C) He looks like a movie star.D) He looks young for his age.答案：AM:I’m asked to pick up the guest speaker Bob Russel at the airport this afternoon; do you know what he looks like?W:Well, he’s in his sixties, he stands out, he’s bald, tall and thin and has a beard(络腮胡).Q:What do we conclude from the woman’s remarks about Bob Russel?12.A) consult her dancing teacherB) take a more interesting classC) continue her dancing classD) improve her dancing skills答案：CM:I am considering dropping my dancing class. I am not making any progress.W:If I were you, I stick with it. It’s definitely worth time and effort.Q:What does the man suggest the woman do?13.A) the man did not believe what the woman saidB) the man accompanied the woman to the hospitalC) the woman may be suffering from repetitive strain injuryD) the woman may not followed the doctor’s instructions答案：DW:You see I still have this pain in my back, this medicine the doctor gave me was supposed to make me feel better by now.M:Maybe you should’ve taken it three times a day as you were told.Q:What do we learn from the conversation?14.A) they are not in style（别具风格的，时髦的）any moreB) they have cost him far too muchC) they no longer suit his eyesightD) they should be cleaned regularly答案：CM:Frankly, when I sat the back of the classroom, I can’t see the words on the board clearly.W:Well, you’ve been wearing those same glasses as long as I’ve known you. Why not get a new pair? It wouldn’t cost you too much.Q:What does the woman imply about the man’s glasses?15.A) he spilled his drink onto the floorB) he has just finished wiping the floorC) he was caught in a shower on his way homeD) he rushed out of the bath to answer the phone答案：DW:How come the floor is so wet? I almost slipped, what happened?M:Oh, sorry! The phone rang the moment I got into the shower; anyway, I’ll wipe it up right now.Q:Why was the floor wet according to the man?16.A) fixing some furnitureB) repairing the toy trainC) reading the instructionsD) assembling the bookcase答案：DM:The instructions on the package say that you need to do some assembly yourself.I’ve spent all afternoon trying in vain to put this bookcase together.W:I know what you mean, last time I tried to assemble(装配，组装) a toy train for my son and I almost gave up.Q:What does the man find difficult?17.A) urge Jenny to spend more time on studyB) help Jenny to prepare for the coming examsC) act towards Jenny in a more sensible wayD) send Jenny to a volleyball training center答案：AM:I’m getting worried about Jenny’s school work. All she talks about these days is volleyball games and all she does is practice, training and things like that.W:Her grades on the coming exams will fall for sure. It’s high time we talk(ed) some sense to her.Q:What are the speakers probably going to do?18.A) The building of the dam needs a large budgetB) The proposed site is near the residential areaC) The local people feel insecure about the damD) The dam poses a threat to the local environment答案：CW:Do you understand why the local people are opposed to the new dam (水坝) up the river?M:They are worried about the potential danger if the dam should break. The river is very wide above the proposed site.Q:What do we learn from the conversation?2 long conversationsConversation 1W:Mr. White, what changes have you seen in the champagne market in the last ten to fifteen years?M:Well the biggest change has been the decrease in sales since the great boom (（贸易和经济活动的）激增，繁荣) years of the 1980s when champagne production and sales reached record levels.W:Which was the best year?M:Well the record was in 1989 when 249 million bottles of champagne was sold.The highest production level was reached in 1990 with a total of 293 million bottles. Of course since those boom years(景气年份；繁荣时期)sales have fallen.W:Has the market been badly hit by the recession (（经济的）衰退，衰退期)? M:Oh certainly, the economic problems in champagnes’ export markets that’s Europe, the United States, Japan, and of course the domestic market in France, the economic problems have certainly been one reason for the decrease in champagne sales.W:And the other reasons?M:Another important factor has been price. In the early 90s, champagne was very overprice d（v.将…标价过高，索价过高）, so many people stop buying it. Instead they bought sparkling wines (起泡酒；汽酒)from other countries, in particular from Australia and Spain. And then there was another problem for champagne in the early 90s.W:What was that?M:There was a lot of rather bad champagne on the market. This meant the popularity of good sparkling wines increased even more. People was surprised by their quality and of course they were a lot cheaper than champagne.W:Do you think the champagne market will recover in the future?M:Oh, I’m sure it will. When the economic situation improves, I believe the market will recover.19.What does the man say about champagne in the 1980s?A. It saw the end of its booming years worldwideB. Its production and sales reached record levels.C. It became popular in some foreign countriesD. Its domestic market started to shrink rapidly.答案：B20.Why did sparkling wines become more popular than champagne in the early 90s?A. They cost less.B. They tasted better.C. They were in fashion.D. They were widely advertised.答案：A21.What does the man think of the champagne market in the future?A. It is sure to fluctuate.B. It will remain basically stable.C. It is bound to revive.D. It will see no more monopoly答案：CConversation 2W: Right, well, in the studio this morning, for our interview spot is Peter Wilson.Peter works for Green Peace. So, Peter, welcome.M: Thanks a lot. It’s good to be here.W: Great! Now, Peter, perhaps you can tell us something about Green Peace and your job there.M: Sure. Well, I’ll start by telling you roughly what Green Peace is all about. I actually work in London for the Green Peace organization. We’ve been going fora few decades and we’re a non-violent, non-political organization. We’re involvedin anti-nuclear activity, conservation(对自然环境的保护) and protection ofanimals and protection and support of our eco-system. I’m the action organizer and arrange any protests.W: Right! A pretty important role, Peter. What sort of protest would you organize? M: Well, recently we’ve been involved in anti-nuclear campaigns. I, personally arranged for the demonstration against radioactive（放射性的）waste dumping in the Atlantic Ocean. We’ve got a few small Green Peace boats that weharass（不断攻击（敌人）；骚扰，侵袭）the dumping ship with.W: Say? Hold on, Peter. I thought you said your organization was non-violent. What do you mean by “harass”?M: Well, we circle round and round the ships and get in the way when they try to dump the drums（（装油或化学剂的）大桶）of nuclear waste in the sea. We talk to the men and try to change, you know, yell at them to stop. We generally make ourselves as much of a nuisance as possible.M: Well, people may think differently of your methods, but there’s no doubt you’re doing a great job. Keep it up and good luck. And thanks for talking with us.22.What is the man’s chief responsibility in the Green Peace organization?A. Organising protestsB. Recruiting membersC. Acting as its spokesman.D. Saving endangered animals.答案：A23.What has Green Peace been involved in recently?A. Anti-animal-abuse demonstrationsB. Surveying the Atlantic Ocean floorC. Anti-nuclear campaignsD. Removing industrial waste.答案：C24.How does Green Peace try to stop people from dumping nuclear waste?A. By harassing them.B. By appealing to the publicC. By taking legal action.D. By resorting to force.答案：A25.What is the woman’s attitude towards the Green Peace’s campaigns?A. DoubtfulB. Reserved（adj.预订的; 矜持的）C. Indifferent.D. Supportive答案：DSECTION BpassagesPassage oneTo find out what the weather is going to be, most people go straight to the radio, television, or newspaper to get an expert weather forecast. But if you know what to look for, you can use your own senses to make weather predictions. There are manysigns that can help you. For example, in fair(（风向）顺的，（天气）晴朗的) weather the air pressure is generally high, the air is still and often full of dust, and faraway objects may look vague(adj.模糊的). But when the storm is brew ing(v.酝酿), the pressure drops, and you are often able to see things more clearly. Sailors took note of this long ago, and came up with the saying, “The farther the sight, the nearer the rain.（看得越远,风雨越近）” Your sense of smell can also help you detect the weather changes. Just before it rains, odor s（n.气味）become stronger, this is because odors are repress ed（v.抑制; 压抑; 镇压）in a fair high pressure center.When a bad weather low moves in, air pressure lessen s(v.变小，减弱) and odors are released. You can also hear an approaching storm. Sounds bounce off heavy storm clouds and return to earth with increased force. An old saying describes it this way, “Sounds traveling far and wide a stormy day will be tied”（声音传得远而广,暴风雨就不远了）. And don’t laugh at your grandmother if she says she can feel a storm coming. It is commonly known that many people feel pains in their bones orjoints while the humidity((空气中的)湿度)rises, the pressure drops, and badweather is on the way.26.Why does the speaker say we can see far away objects more clearly as a storm isapproaching?A. The air becomes still.B. The air pressure is low.C. The clouds block the sun.D. The sky appears brighter.答案：B27.What does the speaker want to show by quoting a couple of old sayings?A. Ancient people were better at foretelling the weather.B. Sailors’ saying about the weather are unreliable.C. People knew long ago how to predict the weather.D. It was easier to forecast the weather in the old days.答案：C28.What does the passage mainly talk about?A. Weather forecast is getting more accurate today.B. People can predict the weather by their sensesC. Who are the real experts in weather forecast.D. Weather changes affect people’s life remarkably答案：BPassage twoMany days seem to bring numerous tasks and responsibilities. All of which apparently must be tackled right away. You spend a day putting out files, but by the end of the day, you haven’t accomplished any of the really important things you set out to do. In desperation, you draft a “to-do” list, but most days, you can make little progress with it. When you look at the list each morning, a big fat cloud of doom(n.厄运; 命运; 死亡) is right at the top. Those difficult, complex, important tasks, that are so crucial to get done, and so easy to avoid. Plenty of us create a “to-do” list to address feelings of being overwhelme d（v.压倒; 压垮; 淹没）, but we rarely use these tools to their best effect. They wind out（使摆脱，解救）being guilt-provoking reminders of the fact that we are over-commit ted（使做出过分承诺，使过分承担义务；使卷入过深）and losing control of our priorities. According to Timothy Pikle, a professor of psychology at Carlton University in Ottawa, people often draw up a “to-do” list, and then that’s it. The list itself becomes the day’s achievement, allowing us to feel we’ve done something useful without taking on any real work. In fact, drawing up the list becomes a way of avoiding the work itself. Too often, the list is seen as the accomplishment for the day, reducing the immediate guilt of not working on the tasks at hand by investing energy in the list, says Pikle. When a list is used like this, it’s simply another way in which we lie to ourselves.29.What is the problem that troubles many people nowadays according to thespeaker?A. They often feel insecure about their jobs.B. They are unable to decide what to do first.C. ?D. They feel burdened with numerous tasks every day.答案：D30.According to the speaker, what too many people do to cope with their daily tasks?A. Analyze them rationally.B. Draw a detailed to-do list.C. Turn to others for help.D. Handle them one by one.答案：B31.According to psychologist Timothy Pikle, what do people find by the end of the day?A. They have accomplished little.B. They feel utterly exhausted.C. They have worked out a way to relax.D. They no longer feel any sense of guilt.答案：APassage ThreeIn many stressful situations, the body’s responses can improve our performance. We become more energetic, more alert, better able to take effective action. But when stress is encountered continually, the body’s reactions are more likely to be harmful than helpful to us. The continual speeding up of bodily reactions and production of stress related hormones seem to make people more susceptible(易受……影响的) to heart disease. And stress reactions can reduce the disease fighting effectiveness of the body’s immune system, thereby increasing susceptibility(易受影响或损害的状态) to illnesses ranging from colds to cancer. Stress may also contribute to disease in less direct ways by influencing moods and behavior. People under stress may become anxious or depressed, and as a result may eat too much or too little, have sleep difficulties or fail to exercise. These behavioral changes may in turn be harmful to the health. In addition, people are more likely to pay attention to certain bodily sensations such as aches and pains when they are under stress and to think that they’re sick. If the person were not under stress, the same bodily sensations might not be perceived as symptoms and the person might continue to feel well. Some researchers have suggested that assuming the role of a sick person is one way in which certain people try to cope with stress. Instead of dealing with the stressful situation directly, these people fall sick. After all, it is often more acceptably in our society to be sick and to seek medical help than it is to admit that one can not cope with the stresses of life.32.What does the speaker say about people who encounter stress once in a while?A. Their performance may improve.B. Their immune system may be reinforcedC. Their blood pressure may rise all of a sudden.D. Their physical development may be enhanced.答案：A33.What does the speaker say frequent stress reactions may lead to?A. Improved mental functioningB. Increased susceptibility to diseaseC. Speeding up of blood circulationD. Reduction of stress-related hormones答案：B34.What are people more likely to do when they are under stress?A. Pretend to be in better shape.B. Have more physical exercise.C. Turn more often to friends for helpD. Pay more attention to bodily sensations.答案：D35.What does the passage mainly talk about?A. Different approaches to coping with stress.B. Various causes for serious health problems.C. The relationship between stress and illness.D. New finding of medical research on stress.答案：CSECTION COne of the most common images of an advanced, Western-style culture is that of a busy, traffic-filled city. Since their first（36）appearance on American roadways, automobiles have become a（37）symbol of progress, a source of thousands of jobs and an almost inalienable right for citizens’ personal freedom of movement. In recent（38）decades, our “love affair” with the car is being（39）exported directly to the developing world, and it is increasingly（40）apparent that this transfer is leading to disaster.American’s almost complete dependence on automobiles has been a terrible mistake. As late as the 1950s, a large（41）percentage of the American public used mass transit（公共交通，公共交通工具（总称），大量客运）. A（42）combination of public policy decision s（公共政策决策）and corporate scheming（企业策划）saw to it that countless（43）convenient and efficient urban streetcar and intra-city rail systems were dismantle d（拆除）.（44）Our air quality now suffers from the effects of pollutants emitted directly from our cars.Our lives have been planned along a road grid — homes far from work, shopping far from everything, with ugly stretches of concrete and blacktop in between.Developing countries are copying Western-style transportation systems down to the last detail.（45）The problems caused by motorized vehicles in the West are often magnified（adj.放大了的）in developing nations.Pollution control measures are either not strict or nonexistent, leading to choking clouds of smog. Gasoline still contains lead（n.铅）, which is extremely poisonous to humans.（46）Movement in some cities comes to a virtual standstill（n.停顿; 停止，停滞）as motorized traffic competes with bicycles and pedestrian s（n.行人; 步行者）.In addition to pollution and traffic jams, auto safety is a critical issue in developing nations.。
200812听力原文
2008年12月大学英语六级考试听力原文Section A11.M:I am as ked to pick up the guest speaker Bob Russell at the airport this afternoon.Do you know what he lookslike?W:Well,he is in his sixties.He stands out.He is bald,tall and thin,and has a beard.Q:What do we conclude from the woman's remarks about Bob Russell?12.W:I am cons idering dropping my dancing class.I am not making any progress.M:If I were you,Fd stick with it.It's definitely worth the time and effort.Q:What does the man suggest the woman do?13.W:You see,I still have this pain in my back,this medicine the doctor gave me was supposed to make me feelbetter by now.M:Maybe you should have taken it three times a day as you were told.Q:What do we leam from the conversation?14.M:Frankly,when I sit at the back of the classroom,I can't see the words on the board clearly.W:Well,youVe been wearing those same glasses as long as I've known you.W hy not get a new pair?It won't cost you too much.Q:What does the woman imply about the man's glasses?15.W:How come the floor is so wet?I almost s lipped.W hat happened?M:Oh,sorry.The phone rang the moment I got into the shower.Anyway,I'll wipe it up right now.Q:Why was the floor wet according to the man?16.M:The instructions on the package say that you need to do some assembly yourself.I've spent all afternoontrying in vain to put this bookcase together.W:I know what you st time I tried to assemble a toy train for my son and I almost gave up.Q:What does the man find difficult?17.M:I am getting worried about Jenny's school work.A ll she talks about these days is volleyball games and allshe does i s practice,training and things like that.W:Her grades on the coming exams will fall for sure.It's high time we talked some sense into her.Q:What are the speakers probably going to do?18.M:Do you understand why the local people are opposed to the new dam up the river?W:They are worried about the potential danger if the dam should break.The river is very wide above the proposed site.Q:What do we leam from the conversation?Conversation OneW:Mr.White,what changes have you seen in the champagne market in the last ten to fifteen years?M:Well,the biggest change has been the decrease in sales since the great boom years of the1980s when champagne production and sales reached record levels.W:Which was the best year?M:Well,the record was in1989when249million bottles of champagne were sold.The highest production level was reached in1990with a total of293million bottles.Of course since those boom years,sales have fallen.W:Has the market been badly hit by the recession?M:Oh,certainly.The economic problems in champagne's export markets,that's Europe,the United States,Japan,and of course,the domestic market in France.The economic problems have certainly been one reason for the decrease in champagne sales.W:And the other reasons?M:Another important factor has been price.In the early90s,champagne was very overpriced,so many people stopped buying it.Instead,they bought sparkling wines from other countries,in particular,from Australia,andSpain.And then,there was another problem for champagne in the early90s.W:What was that?M:There was a lot of rather bad champagne on the market.This meant the popularity of good sparkling wines increased even more.People were surprised by their quality,and of course they were a lot cheaper thanchampagne.W:Do you think the champagne market will recover in the future?M:Oh,r m sure it will.When the economic situation improves,I believe the market will recover.Questions19to21are based on the conversation you have just heard.19.What does the man say about champagne in the1980s?20.Why did sparkling wines become more popular than champagne in the early90s?21.What does the man think of the champagne market in the future?Conversation TwoW:Right,well,in the studio this morning,for our interview spot is Peter Wilson.Peter works for Green Peace.So，Peter,welcome.M:Thanks a lot.It's good to be here.W:Great!Now,Peter,perhaps you could tell us something about Green Peace and your job there.M:Sure.Well,I'll start by telling you roughly what Green Peace is all about.I actually work in London for the Green Peace organization.We've been going for a few decades and we're a non-violent,non-political organization.We're involved in anti-nuc lear activity,conservation and protection of animals and protection and support of our eco¬system.I'm the action organizer and arrange any protests.W:Right!A pretty important role,Peter.What sort of protest would you organize?M:Well,recently we've been involved in anti-nuclear campaigns.I,personally arranged for the demonstration againstradioactive waste dumping in the Atlantic Ocean.We've got a few small Green Peace boats that we harassed thedumping ships with.W:Say?Hold on,Peter.I thought you said your organization was non-violent.What do you mean by“harass，，？M:Well,we circle round and round the ships and get in the way when they try to dump the drums of nuc lear waste inthe sea.We talk to the men and try to change,you know,yell at them to stop.We generally make ourselves asmuch of a nuisance as possible.W:Well,people may think differently of your methods but there's no doubt you're doing a great job.Keep it up and good luck.And thanks for talking w ith us.M:Thanks for having me.Questions22to25are based on the conversation you have just heard.22.What i s the man's chief responsibility in the Green Peace organization?23.What has Green Peace been involved in recently?24.How does Green Peace try to stop people from dumping nuc lear waste?25.What i s the woman's attitude towards the Green Peace's campaigns?Section BPassage OneTo find out what the weather is going to be, most people go straight to the radio, televis ion, or newspaper, to get an expert weather forecast. But if you know what to look for, you can use your own senses to make weather predictions. There're many signs that can help you. For example, in fair weather, the air pressure is generally high, the air is still, and often full o f dust. And faraway objects may look vague. But when a storm is brewing, the press ure drops, and you are often able to see things more clearly. Sailors took note of this long ago, and came up with the saying: "The farther the sight, the nearer the rain.” Your sense of smell can also help you detect weather changes. Just before it rains, odors become stronger. This is because odors are repressed in a fair high pressure center. When a bad weather low moves in, air pressure lessens, and odors are released. You can also hear an approaching storm. Sounds bounce off heavy storm clouds and return to earth with increased force. A n old saying describes it this way: “Sound traveling far and wide, a stormy day will be tied." A nd don't laugh at your grandmother if she says she can feel a storm coming. It is commonly known that many people feel pains in their bones or joints when the humidity rises. The pressure drops, and bad weather is on the way.Questions 26 to 28 are based on the passage you have just heard.26. W hy does the speaker say we can see far away objects more clearly as a storm is approaching?27. W hat does the speaker want to show by quoting a couple of old sayings?28. W hat does the passage mainly talk about?Passage TwoMany days seem to bring numerous tasks and responsibilities , all o f which apparently must be tackled right away. You spend a day putting out fires, but by the end of the day, you haven't accomplis hed any of the really important things you set out to do. In desperation, you draft a to-do list, but most days ，you can make little progress with it. W hen you look at the list each morning, a big fat cloud of doom is right at the top ——those difficult, complex, important tasks, that are so crucial to get done and so easy to avoid. Plenty of us create a to-do list to address feelings of being overwhelmed, but we rarely use these tools to their best effect. They wind out being guilt-provoking reminders o f the fact that we're over-committed and losing control of our priorities. A ccording to Timothy Pychyl, a professor of psychology at Carlton Univers ity in Ottawa, people often draw up a to-do list, and then that's it. The list itself becomes the day's achievement, allowing us to feel we've done something useful without taking on any real work. In fact, drawing up the list becomes a way of avoiding the work itself. “Too often, the list is seen as the accomplishment for the day, reducing the immediate guilt of not working on the tasks at hand by investing energy in the list. ” says Pychyl, "W hen a list is used like this, it's simply another way in which we lie to ourselves."Questions 29 to 31 are based on the passage you have just heard.29. W hat is the problem that troubles many people nowadays according to the speaker?30. A ccording to the speaker, what do many people do to cope with their daily tas ks?31. A ccording to psychologist Timonthy Pychyl, what do people find by the end of the day?Passage ThreeIn many stressful situations, the body's responses can improve our performance. We become more energetic, more alert, better able to take effective action. But when stress is encountered continually, the body's reactions are more likely to be harmful than helpful to us. The continual speeding up o f bodily reactions and production of stress-related hormones seem to make people more susceptible to heart disease. A nd stress reactions can reduce the disease-fighting effectiveness of the body's immune system, thereby increasing susceptibility to illnesses ranging from colds to cancer. Stress may also contribute to disease in less direct ways by influencing moods and behavior. People under stress maybecome anxious or depressed,and as a result may eat too much or too little,have sleep difficulties or fail to exercise. These behavioral changes may in turn be harmful to their health.In addition,people are more likely to pay attention to certain bodily sensations such as aches and pains when they are under stress and to think that they're s ick.If the person were not under stress,the same bodily sensations might not be perceived as symptoms and the pers on might continue to feel well.Some researchers have suggested that assuming the role of a sick person is one way in which certain people try to cope with stress.Instead of dealing with the stressful s ituation directly,these people fall sick.After all,it is often more acceptably in our society to be s ick and to seek medical help than it is to admit that one cannot cope with the stresses of life.Questions32to35are based on the passage you have just heard.32.W hat does the speaker say about people who encounter stress once in a while?33.W hat does the speaker say frequent stress reactions may lead to?34.W hat are people more likely to do when they are under stress?35.W hat does the passage mainly talk about?Section COne o f the most common images of an advanced,Western-style culture is that of a busy,traffic-filled city.Since their first appearance on A merican roadways,automobiles have become a symbol of progress,a source o f thousands of jobs,and an almost inalienable right for citizens'personal freedom of movement.In recent decades,our……love affair，，with the car is being exported directly to the developing world and it is increasingly apparent that this trans fer is leading to disaster.A merica's almost complete dependence on automobiles has been a terrible mistake.As late as the1950s,a large percentage o f the A merican public used mass transit.A combination of public policy decisions and corporate scheming saw to it that countless convenient and efficient urban streetcar and intra-city rail systems were dis mantled.Our air quality now suffers from the effects of pollutants emitted directly from our car s.Our lives have been planned along a road grid一homes far from work,shopping far from everything,with ugly stretches of concrete and blacktop in between.Developing countries are copying Western-style transportation systems down to the last detail.The problems caused by motorized vehicles in the Wes t are often magnified in developing nations.Pollution-control measures are either not strict or nonexistent,leading to choking clouds of smog.Gasoline still contains lead,which is extremely pois onous to humans.Movement in some cities comes to a virtual standstill as motorized traffic competes with bicycles and pedestrians.In addition to pollution and traffic ja ms,auto safety is a critical issue in developing nations.。
2008年12月英语六级真题及答案(1)
2008年12月大学英语六级考试真题Part I Writing （30 minutes）Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay entitled How To Improve Student's Mental Health?.You should write at least 150 words following the outline given below.1.大学生的心理健康十分重要2.因此，学校可以……3.我们自己应当……How To Improve Student's Mental Health?________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ Part II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) (15 minutes) Directions:In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer Sheet 1.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.Supersize SurpriseAsk anyone why there is an obesity epidemic and they will tell you that it’s al down to eating too much and burning too few calories. That explanation appeals to common sense and has dominated efforts to get to the root of the obesity epidemic and reverse it. Yet obesity researchers are increasingly dissatisfied with it. Many now believe that something else must have changed in our environment to precipitate(促成) such dramatic rises in obesity over the past 40 years or so. Nobody is saying that the “big two” – reduced physical activity and increased availability of food – are not important contributors to the epidemic, but they cannot explain it all.Earlier this year a review paper by 20obesity experts set out the 7 most plausible alternative explanations for the epidemic. Here they are.1.Not enough sleepIt is widely believed that sleep is for the brain, not the body. Could a shortage of shut-eye also be helping to make us fat?Several large-scale studies suggest there may be a link. People who sleep less than 7 hours a night tend to have a higher body mass index than people who sleep more, according to data gathered by the US National Health and Nutrition Ex amination Survey. Similarly, the US Nurses’ Health Study, which tracked 68,000 women for 16 years, found that those who slept an average of 5 hours a night gained more weight during the study period than women who slept 6 hours, who in turn gained more than whose who slept 7.It’s well known that obesity impairs sleep, so perhaps people get fat first and sleep less afterwards. But the nurses’ study suggests that it can work in the other direction too: sleep loss may precipitate weight gain.Although getting figures is difficult, it appears that we really are sleeping less. In 1960 people in the US slept an average of 8.5 hours per night. A 2002 poll by the National Sleep Foundation suggests that the average has fallen to under 7 hours, and the decline is mirrored by the increase in obesity.2.Climate controlWe humans, like all warm-blooded animals, can keep our core body temperatures pretty much constant regardless of what’s going on in the world around us. We do this by altering our metabolic(新陈代谢的) rate, shivering or sweating. Keeping warm and staying cool take energy unless we are in the “thermo-neutral zone”,which is increasingly where we choose to live and work.There is no denying that ambient temperatures(环境温度) have changed in the past few decades. Between 1970 and 2000, the average British home warmed from a chilly 13C to 18C. In the US, the changes have been at the other end of the thermometer as the proportion of homes with air conditioning rose from 23% to 47% between 1978 and 1997. In the southern states – where obesity rates tend to be highest – the number of houses with air conditioning has shot up to 71% from 37% in 1978.Could air conditioning in summer and heating in winter really make a difference to our weight?Sadly，there is some evidence that it does-at least with regard to heating. Studies show that in comfortable temperatures we use less energy.3.Less smokingBad news: smokers really do tend to be thinner than the rest of us, and quitting really does pack on the pounds, though no one is sure why. It probably has something to do with the fact that nicotine is an appetite suppressant and appears to up your metabolic rate.Katherine Flegal and colleagues at the US National Center for Health Statistics in Hyattsville, Maryland, have calculated that people kicking the habit have been responsible for a small but significant portion of the US epidemic of fatness. From data collected around 1991 by the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, they worked out that people who had quit in the previous decade were much more likely to be overweight than smokers and people who had never smoked .Among men, for example, nearly half of quitters were overweight compared with 37% of non-smokers and only 28%of smokers.4.Genetic effectsYours chances of becoming fat may be set, at least in part, before you were even born. Children of obese mothers are much more likely to become obese themselves later in life. Offspring of mice fed a high-fat diet during pregnancy are much more likely to become fat than the offspring of identical mice fed a normal diet. Intriguingly, the effect persists for two or three generations. Grandchildren of mice fed a high-fat diet grow up fat even if their own mother is fed normally-so you fate may have been sealed even before you were conceived.5.A little older…Some groups of people just happen to be fatter than others. Surveys carried out by the US national center for health statistics found that adults aged 40 to 79 were around three times as likely to be obese as younger people. Non-white females also tend to fall at the fatter end of the spectrum: Mexican-American women are 30% more likely than white women to be obsess, and black women have twice the risk.In the US, these groups account for an increasing percentage of the population. Between 1970 and 2000 the US population aged 35 to 44 grew by43%.the proportion of Hispanic-Americans also grew, from under 5% to 12.5% of the population, while the proportion of black Americans increased from 11% to12.3%.these changes may account in part for the increased prevalence of obesity.6.Mature mumsMothers around the world are getting older. in the UK, the mean age for having a first child is 27.3,compared with 23.7 in 1970 .mean age at first birth in the US has also increased, rising from 21.4 in 1970 to 24.9 in 2000.This would be neither here nor there if it weren’t for the observation that having an older mother seems to be an independent risk factor for obesity. Results from the US national heart, lung and blood institute’s study found that the odds of a child being obese increase 14% for every five ex tra years of their mother’s age, though why this should be so is not entirely clear.Michael Symonds at the University of Nottingham, UK, found that first-born children have more fat than younger ones. As family size decreases, firstborns account for a greater share of the population. In 1964, British women gave birth to an average of 2.95 children; by 2005 that figure had fallen to 1.79. In the US in1976, 9.6% of woman in their 40s had only one child; in 2004 it was 17.4%. this combination of older mothers and more singlechildren could be contributing to the obesity epidemic.7.Like marrying likeJust as people pair off according to looks, so they do for size. Lean people are more likely to marry lean and fat more likely to marry fat. On its own, like marrying like cannot account for any increase in obesity. But combined with others—particularly the fact that obesity is partly genetic, and that heavier people have more children—it amplifies the increase form other causes.1. What is the passage mainly about?A) E ffects of obesity on people’s healthB) The link between lifestyle and obesityC) New explanations for the obesity epidemicD) Possible ways to combat the obesity epidemic2. In the US N urse’ Health Study, women who slept an average of 7 hours a night_______.A) gained the least weightB) were inclined to eat lessC) found their vigor enhancedD) were less susceptible to illness3. The popular belief about obesity is that___________.A) it makes us sleepyB) it causes sleep lossC) it increases our appetiteD) it results from lack of sleep4. How does indoor heating affect our life?A) it makes us stay indoors moreB) it accelerates our metabolic rateC) it makes us feel more energeticD) it contributes to our weight gain5. What does the author say about the effect of nicotine on smokers?A) it threatens their healthB) it heightens their spiritsC) it suppresses their appetiteD) it slows down their metabolism6. Who are most likely to be overweight according to Katherine Fergal’s study?A) heavy smokersB) passive smokersC) those who never smokeD) those who quit smoking7. According to the US National Center for Health Statistics, the increased obesity in the US is a result of_______.A) the growing number of smokers among young peopleB) the rising proportion of minorities in its populationC) the increasing consumption of high-calorie foodsD) the improving living standards of the poor people8. According to the US National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, the reason why older mothers’ children tend to be obese remains __________.9. According to Michael Symonds, one factor contributing to the obesity epidemic is decrease of ___________.10. When two heavy people get married, chances of their children getting fat increase, because obesity is_____________.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) He is quite easy to recognizeB) He is an outstanding speakerC) He looks like a movie starD) He looks young for his age12. A) consult her dancing teacherB) take a more interesting classC) continue her dancing classD) improve her dancing skills13. A) the man did not believe what the woman saidB) the man accompanied the woman to the hospitalC) the woman may be suffering from repetitive strain injuryD) the woman may not followed the doctor’s instructions14. A) they are not in style any moreB) they have cost him far too muchC) they no longer suit his eyesightD) they should be cleaned regularly15. A) he spilled his drink onto the floorB) he has just finished wiping the floorC) he was caught in a shower on his way homeD) he rushed out of the bath to answer the phone16. A) fixing some furnitureB) repairing the toy trainC) reading the instructionsD) assembling the bookcase17. A) urge Jenny to spend more time on studyB) help Jenny to prepare for the coming examsC) act towards Jenny in a more sensible wayD) send Jenny to a volleyball training center18. A) The building of the dam needs a large budgetB) The proposed site is near the residential areaC) The local people feel insecure about the damD) The dam poses a threat to the local environmentQuestions 19 to 21 are based on the conversation you have just heard.19. A. It saw the end of its booming years worldwideB. Its production and sales reached record levels.C. It became popular in some foreign countriesD. Its domestic market started to shrink rapidly.20. A. They cost less. C. They were in fashion.B. They tasted better. D. They were widely advertised.21. A. It is sure to fluctuate. C. It will remain basically stable.B. It is bound to revive. D. It will see no more monopolyQuestions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.22. A. Organising protests C. Acting as its spokesman.B. Recruiting members D. Saving endangered animals.23. A. Anti-animal-abuse demonstrations B. Anti-nuclear campaignsC. Surveying the Atlantic Ocean floorD. Removing industrial waste.24. A. By harassing them. C. By taking legal action.B. By appealing to the public D. By resorting to force.25. A. Doubtful C. Indifferent.B. Reserved D. SupportiveSection 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 28 are based on the passage you have just heard.26. A. The air becomes still. C. The clouds block the sun.B. The air pressure is low. D. The sky appears brighter.27. A. Ancient people were better at foretelling the weather.B. Sailors’ saying about the weather are unreliable.C. People knew long ago how to predict the weather.D. It was easier to forecast the weather in the old days.28. A. Weather forecast is getting more accurate today.B. People can predict the weather by their sensesC. Who are the real experts in weather forecast.D. Weather changes affect people’s life remarkablyPassage TwoQuestions 29 to 31 are based on the passage you have just heard.29. A. They often feel insecure about their jobs.B. They are unable to decide what to do first.C. They feel burdened with numerous tasks every day.D they feel burdened with numerous tasks every day30. A. Analyze them rationally. C. Turn to others for help.B. Draw a detailed to-do list. D. Handle them one by one.31. A. They have accomplished little. C. They have worked out a way to relax.B. They feel utterly exhausted. D. They no longer feel any sense of guilt.Passage ThreeQuestions 32 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.32. A. Their performance may improve.B. Their immune system may be reinforcedC. Their blood pressure may rise all of a sudden.D. Their physical development may be enhanced.33. A. Improved mental functioning C. Speeding up of blood circulationB. Increased susceptibility to disease D. Reduction of stress-related hormones34. A. Pretend to be in better shape. C. Turn more often to friends for helpB. Have more physical exercise. D. Pay more attention to bodily sensations.35. A. Different approaches to coping with stress.B. Various causes for serious health problems.C. The relationship between stress and illness.D. New finding of medical research on stress.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.One of the most common images of an advanced, Western-style culture is that of a busy, traffic-filled city. Since their first (36) ______ on American roadways, automobiles have become a (37) ______ of progress, a source of thousands of jobs and an almost inalienable right for citizens’ personal freedom of movement. In recent (38) _______, our “love affair” with the car is being (39) ________ directly to the developing world, and it is increasingly (40) _______ that this transfer is leading to disaster.American’s almost complete dependence on automobiles has been a terrible mistake. As late as the 1950s, a large (41) ________ of the American public used mass transit. A (42) ________ of public policy decisions and corporate scheming saw to it that countless (43) ________ and efficient urban streetcar and intra-city rail systems were dismantled. (44) ___________________________________________________. Our lives have been planned along a road grid—homes far from work, shopping far from everything, with ugly stretches of concrete and blacktop in between.Developing countries are copying Western-style transportation systems down to the last detail. (45) _________________________________________________________. Pollution control measures are either not strict or nonexistent, leading to choking clouds of smog. Gasoline still contains lead, which is extremely poisonous to humans. (46) _____________________________________________________________________.In addition to pollution and traffic jams, auto safety is a critical issue in developing nations.Part IV Reading Comprehension （Reading in Depth）（25 minutes）Section ADirections:In this section, there is a short passage with 5 questions or incomplete statements. Read the passage carefully. Then answer the questions or complete the statements in the fewest possible words. Please write your answers on Answer sheet 2.Questions 47 to 51 are based on the following passage.One of the major producers of athletic footwear, with 2002 sales of over $10 billion, is a company calledNike, with corporate headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon. Forbes magazine identified Nike’s president, Philip Knight, as the 53rd-richestman in the world in 2004. But Nike has not always been a large multimillion-dollar organization. In fact, Knight started the company by selling shoes from the back of his car at track meets.In the late1950s Philip Knight was a middle-distance runner on the University of Oregon track team, coached by Bill Bowerman. One of the top track coaches in the U.S., Bowerman was also known for experimenting with the design of running shoes in an attempt to make them lighter and more shock-absorbent. After attending Oregon, Knight moved on to do graduate work at Stanford University; his MBA thesis was on marketing athletic shoes. Once he received his degree, Knight traveled to Japan to contact the Onitsuka Tiger Company, a manufacturer of athletic shoes. Knight convinced the company’s officials of the potential for its product in the U.S. In 1963 he received his first shipment of Tiger shoes, 200 pairs in total.In 1964, Knight and Bowerman contributed $500 each to from Blue Ribbon Sports, the predecessor of Nike. In the first few years, Knight distributed shoes out of his car at local track meets. The first employees hired by Knight were former college athle tes. The company did not have the money to hire “experts”, and there was no established athletic footwear industry in North America from which to recruit those knowledgeable in the field. In its early years the organization operated in an unconventional manner that characterized its innovative and entrepreneurial approach to the industry. Communication was informal; people discussed ideas and issues in the hallways, on a run, or over a beer. There was little task differentiation. There were no job descriptions, rigid reporting systems, or detailed rules and regulations. The team spirit and shared values of the athletes on Bowerman’s teams carried over and provided the basis for the collegial style of management that characterized the early years of Nikes.47. While serving as a track coach, Bowerman tried to design running shoes that were _____________________.48. During his visit to Japan, Knight convinced the officials of the Onitsuka Tiger Company that its product would have____________________________________.49. Blue Ribbon Sports as unable to hire experts due to the absence of____________________ in North America.50. In the early years of Nike, communication within the company was usually carried out____________.51. What qualities of Bowerman’s tea ms formed the basis of Nike’s early management style?_______________________________________________________________.Section BDirections:There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked [A], [B], [C] and [D]. You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 52 to 56 are based on the following passage.Sustainable development is applied to just about everything from energy to clean water and economic growth, and as a result it has become difficult to question either the basic assumptions behind it or the way the concept is put to use. This is especially true in agriculture, where sustainable development is often taken as the sole measure of progress without a proper appreciation of historical and cultural perspectives.To start with, it is important to remember that the nature of agriculture has changed markedly throughout history, and will continue to do so .medieval agriculture in northern Europe fed, clothed and sheltered a predominantly rural society with a much lower population density than it is today. It had minimal effect on biodiversity, and any pollution it caused was typically localized. In terms of energy use and the nutrients（营养成分）captured in the product it was relatively inefficient.Contrast this with farming since the start of the industrial revolution. Competition from overseas led farmersto specialize and increase yields. Throughout this period food became cheaper, safe and more reliable. However, these changes have also led to habitat（栖息地）loss and to diminishing biodiversity.What’s more, demand for animal products in developing countries is growing so fast that meeting it will require an extra 300 million tons of grain a year by 2050.yet the growth of cities and industry is reducing the amount of water available for agriculture in many regions.All this means that agriculture in the 21stcentury will have to be very different from how it was in the 20th.thiswill require radical thinking. For example, we need to move away from the idea that traditional practices are inevitably more sustainable than new ones. We also need to abandon the not ion that agriculture can be “zero impact”. The key will be to abandon the rather simple and static measures of sustainability, which centre on the need to maintain production without increasing damage.Instead we need a more dynamic interpretation, one that looks at the pros and cons（正反两方面）of all the various way land is used. There are many different ways to measure agricultural performance besides food yield: energy use, environmental costs, water purity, carbon footprint and biodiversity. It is clear, for example, that the carbon of transporting tomatoes from Spain to the UK is less than that of producing them in the UK with additional heating and lighting. But we do not know whether lower carbon footprints will always be better for biodiversity.What is crucial is recognizing that sustainable agriculture is not just about sustainable food production.52. How do people often measure progress in agriculture?A) By its productivity C) By its impact on the environmentB) By its sustainability D) By its contribution to economic growth53. Specialisation and the effort to increase yields have resulted in________.A) Localised pollution C) competition from overseasB) the shrinking of farmland D) the decrease of biodiversity54. What does the author think of traditional farming practices?A) They have remained the same over the centuriesB) They have not kept pace with population growthC) They are not necessarily sustainableD) They are environmentally friendly55. What will agriculture be like in the 21st centuryA) It will go through radical changesB) It will supply more animal productsC) It will abandon traditional farming practicesD) It will cause zero damage to the environment56 What is the author’s purpose in writing this passage?A) To remind people of the need of sustainable developmentB) To suggest ways of ensuring sustainable food productionC) To advance new criteria for measuring farming progressD) To urge people to rethink what sustainable agriculture isPassage TwoQuestions 57 to 61 are based on the following passage.The percentage of immigrants (including those unlawfully present) in the United states has been creeping upward for years. At 12.6 percent, it is now higher than at any point since the mid1920s.We are not about to go back to the days when Congress openly worried about inferior races polluting America’s bloodstream. But once again we are wondering whether we have too many of the wrong sort newcomers. Their loudest critics argue that the new wave of immigrants cannot, and indeed do not want to, fit inas previous generations did.We now know that these racist views were wrong. In time, Italians, Romanians and members of other so-called inferior races became exemplary Americans and contributed greatly, in ways too numerous to detail, to the building of this magnificent nation. There is no reason why these new immigrants should not have the same success.Although children of Mexican immigrants do better, in terms of educational and professional attainment, than their parents UCLA sociologist Edward Telles has found that the gains don’t continue. Indeed, the fouth generation is marginally worse off than the third James Jackson, of the University of Michigan, has found a similar trend among black Caribbean immigrants, Tells fears that Mexican-Americans may be fated to follow in the footsteps of American blacks-that large parts of the community may become mired（陷入）in a seemingly permanent state of poverty and Underachievement. Like African-Americans, Mexican-Americans are increasingly relegated to (降入)segregated, substandard schools, and their dropout rate is the highest for any ethnic group in the country.We have learned much about the foolish idea of excluding people on the presumption of the ethnic/racial inferiority. But what we have not yet learned is how to make the process of Americanization work for all. I am not talking about requiring people to learn English or to adopt American ways; those things happen pretty much on their own, but as arguments about immigration hear up the campaign trail, we also ought to ask some broader question about assimilation, about how to ensure that people , once outsider s , don’t fo rever remain marginalized within these shores.That is a much larger question than what should happen with undocumented workers, or how best to secure the border, and it is one that affects not only newcomers but groups that have been here for generations. It will have more impact on our future than where we decide to set the admissions bar for the latest ware of would-be Americans. And it would be nice if we finally got the answer right.57. How were immigrants viewed by U.S. Congress in early days?A) They were of inferior races.B) They were a Source of political corruption.C) They were a threat to the nation’s security.D) They were part of the nation’s bloodstream.58. What does the author think of the new immigrants?A) They will be a dynamic work force in the U.S.B) They can do just as well as their predecessors.C) They will be very disappointed on the new land.D) They may find it hard to fit into the mainstream.59. What does Edward Telles’ research say about Mexican-Americans?A) They may slowly improve from generation to generation.B) They will do better in terms of educational attainment.C) They will melt into the African-American community.D) They may forever remain poor and underachieving.60. What should be done to help the new immigrants?A) Rid them of their inferiority complex.B) Urge them to adopt American customs.C) Prevent them from being marginalized.D) Teach them standard American English.61. According to the author, the burning issue concerning immigration is_______.A) How to deal with people entering the U.S. without documents。
2008年12月六级答案
2008年12月英语六级真题(含答案)
2008年12月大学英语六级考试真题Part I Writing （30 minutes）Directions：For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay entitled How To Improve Student’s Mental Health?。
You should write at least 150 words following the outline given below。
1。
大学生的心理健康十分重要2。
因此，学校可以……3。
我们自己应当……How To Improve Student’s Mental Health?_________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Part II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning）（15 minutes) Directions：In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer Sheet 1。
For questions 1—7，choose the best answer from the four choices marked ［A］, ［B]，[C] and ［D］。
cet6-2008年12月真题和答案
2008年12月英语六级试题Part II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and scanning) (15 minutes)Supersize surpriseAsk anyone why there is an obesity epidemic and they will tell you that it’s al down to eating too much and burning too few calories. That explanation appeals to common sense and has dominated efforts to get to the root of the obesity epidemic and reverse it/ yet obesity researchers are increasingly dissatisfied with it. Many now believe that something else must have changed in our environment to precipitate(促成) such dramatic rises in obesity over the past 40 years or so. Nobody is saying that the “big two” – reduced physical activity and increased availability of food – are not important contributors to the epidemic, but they cannot explain it all.Earlier this year a review paper by 20 obesity experts set out the 7 most plausible alternative explanations for the epidemic. Here they are.1. Not enough sleepIt is widely believed that sleep is for the brain, not the body. Could a shortage of shut-eye also be helping to make us fat?Several large-scale studies suggest there may be a link. People who sleep less than 7 hours a night tend to have a higher body mass index than people who sleep more, according to data gathered by the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Similarly, the US Nurses’ Health Study, which tracked 68,000 women for 16 years, found that those who slept an average of 5 hours a night gained more weight during the study period than women who slept 6 hours, who in turn gained more than whose who slept 7.It’s well known that obesity impairs sleep, so perhaps people get fat first and sleep less afterwards. But the nurses’ study suggests that it can work in the other direction too: sleep loss may precipitate weight gain.Although getting figures is difficult, it appears that we really are sleeping less. In 1960 people in the US slept an average of 8.5 hours per night. A 2002 poll by the National Sleep Foundationsuggests that the average has fallen to under 7 hours, and the decline is mirrored by the increase in obesity.2. Climate controlWe humans, like all warm-blooded animals, can keep our core body temperatures pretty much constant regardless of what’s going on in the world around us. We do this by altering our metabolic(新陈代新的) rate, shivering or sweating. Keeping warm and staying cool take energy unless we are in the “thermo-neutral zone”, which is increasingly where we choose to live and work.There is no denying that ambient temperatures(环境温度) have changed in the past few decades. Between 1970 and 2000, the average British home warmed from a chilly 13C to 18C. In the US, the changes have been at the other end of the thermometer as the proportion of homes with air conditionings rose from 23% to 47% between 1978 and 1997. In the southern states – where obesity rates tend to be highest – the number of houses with air conditioning has shot up to 71% from 37% in 1978.Could air conditioning in summer and heating in winter really make a difference to our weight?Sadly，there is some evidence that it does-at least with regard to heating. Studies show that in comfortable temperatures we use less energy.3.Less smokingBad news: smokers really do tend to be thinner than the rest of us,and quitting really does pack on the pounds, though no one isn sure why. It probably has something to do with the fact that nicotine is an appetite suppressant and appears to up your metabolic rate.Katherine Flegal and colleagres at the US National Center for Health Statistics in Hyattsville,Maryland, have calculated that people kicking the habit have been respousible for a small but significant portion of the US epidemic of fatness.From data collected aroud 1991 by the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey,they worked out that people who had quit in the previous decade were much more likely to be overweight than smokers and people who had never smoked .Among men, for example, nearly half of quitters were overweight compared with 37% of non-smokers and only 28%of smokers.4. Genetic effectsY ours chances of becoming fat may be set,at least in part,before you were even born.children of boese mothers are much more likely to become obest themselves later in life.Offspring of mice fed a high-fat diet during pregnancy are much more likely to become fat than the offspring of identical mice fed a normal diet. Intriguingly,the effect persists for two or three generations.Grand-children of mice fed a high-fat diet grow up fat even if their own mother is fed normally-so you fate may have been sealed even before you were conceived.5.A little older…Some groups of people just happen to be fatter than others.surveys carried out by the US national center for health statisties found that adults aged 40 to 79 were around three times as likely to be obese as younger people.non-white females also tend to fall at the fatter end of the spectreum:Mexican-american women are 30% more likely than white women to be obsess,and black women have twice the risk.In the US,these groups account for an increasing percentage of the population.between 1970 and 2000 the US population aged 35 to 44 grew by 43%.the proportion of Hispanic-americans also grew,from under 5% to 12.5% of the population,while the proportion of black Americansincreased from 11% to 12.3%.these changes may account in part for the increased prevalence of obesity.6.mature mumsMothers around the world are getting older.in the UK,the mean age for aving a frist child is 27.3,compared with 23.7 in 1970 .mean age at frist birth in the US has also increased, rising from 21.4 in 1970 to 24.9 in 2000.This would be neither here nor there if it were’t for the observation that having an older mother seems to be an independent risk factor for obesity. Results from the US national heart,lung and blood institute’s study found that the odds of a child being obese increase 14% for every five extra years of their mother’s age , though why this should be so is not entirely clear.Michael Symonds at the university of Nottingham,UK,found that first-bron children have more fat than younger ones. As family size decreases, firstbrons account for a greather share of the population. In 1964, british women gave birth to an average of 2.95 children;by 2005 that figure had fallen to 1.79. in the US in 1976, 9.6% of woman in their 40s had only one chile;in2004 it was 17.4%. this combination of older mothers and more single children could be contributing to the obesity epidemic.7.Like marrying likeJust as people pair off according to looks, so they do for size. Lean people are more likely to marry lean an d fat more likely to marry fat. On its own, like marrying like cannot account for any increase in obesity. But combined with others- particularly the fact that obesity is partly genetic, and that heavier people have more children-it amplifies the increase form other causes.1. A)effects of obesity on people’s healthB)the link between lifestyle an obesityC)New explanations for the obesity epidemicD)possible ways to combat the obesity epidemic2. A)gained the least weightB)were inclined to eat lessC)found their vigor enhancedD)were less susceptible to illness3. A)it makes us sleepyB)it causes sleep lossC)it increases our appetiteD)it results from lack of sleep4. A)it makes us stay indoors moreB)it accelerates our metabolic rateC)it makes us feel more energeticD)it contributes to our weight gain5. A)it threatens their healthB)it heightens their spiritsC)it suppresses their appetiteD)it slows down their metabolism6. A)heavy smokersB)passive smokersC)those who never smokeD)those who quit smoking7. A)the growing number of smokers among young peopleB)the rising proportion of minorities in its populationC)the increasing consumption of high-calorie foodsD)the improving living standards of the poor people8.according to the US National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, the reason why older mothers’ children tend to be obese remains not entirely clear9.According to Michael Symonds, one factor contributing to the obesity epidemic is decrease of family size10 when two heavy people get married, chances of their children getting fat increase, because obesity is party genetizPart IIISection A11. A)He is quite easy to recognizeB)he is an outstanding speakerC)he looks like a movie starD)he looks young for his age12. A)consult her dancing teacherB)take a more interesting classC)continue her dancing classD)improve her dancing skills13. A)the man did not believe what the woman saidB)the man accompanied the woman to the hospitalC)the woman may be suffering from repetitive strain injuryD)the woman may not followed the doctor’s instructions14. A)they are not in style any moreB)they have cost him far too muchC)they no longer suit his eyesightD)they should be cleaned regularly15. A)he spilled his drink onto the floorB)he has just finished wiping the floorC)he was caught in a shower on his way homeD)he rushed out of the bath to answer the phone16. A)fixing some furnitureB)repairing the toy trainC)reading the instructionsD)assembling the bookcase17. A)urge Jenny to spend more time on studyB)help Jenny to prepare for the coming examsC)act towards Jenny in a more sensible wayD)send Jenny to a volleyball training center18. A)The building of the dam needs a large budgetB)the proposed site is near the residential areaC)the local people fel insecure about the damD)the dam poses a threat to the local environmentQuestion19 to21 are based on the conversation you have just heard19 A. It saw the end of its booming years worldwideB. Its production and sales reached record levels.C. It became popular in some foreign countriesD. Its domestic market started to shrink rapidly.20. A. They cost less. C. They were in fashion.B. They tasted better. D. They were widely advertised.21. A. It is sure to fluctuate . C. It will remain basically stable.B. It is bound to revive. D. It will see no more monopoly22. A. Organising protests C. Acting as its spokesman.B. Recruiting members D. Saving endangered animals.23. A. Anti-animal-abuse demonstrations B. Anti-nuclear campaignsC. Surveying the Atlantic Ocean floorD. Removing industrial waste.24. A. By harassing them. C. By taking legal action.B. By appealing to the public D. By resorting to force.25. A. Doubtful C. Indifferent .B. Reserved D. Supportive26. A, The air becomes still. C. The clouds block the sun.B. The air pressure is low. D. The sky appears brighter.27. A. Ancient people were better at foretelling the weather.B. Sailors’saying about the weather are unreliable.C. People knew long ago how to predict the weather.D. It was easiter to forecast the weather in the old days.28 A. Weather forecast is getting more accurate today.B. People can predict the weather by their sensesC. Who are the real esperts in weather forecast .D. Weather changes affect people’s life remarkably29. A. They often feel insecure about their jobs.B. They are unable to decide what to do first .C. They are feel burdened with numerous tasks every day.D they feel burdened with numerous tasks every day30 A. Analyze them rationally. C. Turn to others for help.B. Draw a detailed to-do list . D. Handle them one by one .31. A. They have accomplished little .B. They feel utterly exhausted .C. They have worked out a way to relax.D. They no longer feel any sense of guilt.32. A. Their performance may improve.B. Their immune system may be reinforcedC. Their blood pressure may rise all of a sudden.D. Their physical development may be enhanced.33. A. Improved mental functioningB. Increased susceptibility to diseaseC. Speeding up of blood circulationD. Reduction of stress-related hormones34. A. Pretend to be in better shape.B. Have more physical exercise .C. Turn more often to friends for helpD. Pay more attention to bodily sensations.35. A. Different approaches to coping with stress.B. Various causes for serious health problems.C. The relationship between stress and illness.D. New finding of medical research on stress.Part IV Reading Comprehension (Reading in Depth) (25 minutes)Section AQuestions 47 to 51 are based on the following passage.One of the major producers of athletic footwear, with 2002 sales of over $10 billion, is a company called Nike, with corporate headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon. Forbes magazine identified Nike’s president, Philip Knight, as the 53rd-richest man in the world in 2004. But Nike has not always been a large multimillion-dollar organization. In fact, Knight started the company by selling shoes from the back of his car at track meets.In the late 1950s Philip Knight was a middle-distance runner on the University of Oregon track team, coached by Bill Bowerman. One of the top track coaches in the U.S., Bowerman was also known for experimenting with the design of running shoes in an attempt to make them lighter and more shock-absorbent. After attending Oregon, Knight moved on to do graduate work at Stanford University; his MBA thesis was on marketing athletic shoes. Once he received his degree, Knight traveled to Japan to contact the Onitsuka Tiger Company, a manufacturer of athletic shoes. Knight convinced the company’s officials of the potential for its product in the U.S. In 1963 he received his first shipment of Tiger shoes, 200 pairs in total.In 1964, Knight and Bowerman contributed $500 each to from Blue Ribbon Sports, the predecessor of Nike. In the first few years, Knight distributed shoes out of his car at local track meets. The first employees hired by Knight were former college athletes. The company did not have the money to hire “experts”, and there was no established athletic footwear industry in North America from which to recruit those knowledgeable in the field. In its early years the organization operated in an unconventional manner that characterized its innovative and entrepreneurial approach to the industry. Communication was informal; people discussed ideas and issues in the hallways, on a run, or over a beer. There was little task differentiation. There were no job descriptions, rigid reporting systems, or detailed rules and regulations. The team spirit and shared values of the athletes on Bowerman’s teams carried over and provided the basis for the collegial style of management that characterized the early years of Nikes.47. While serving as a track coach, Bowerman tried to design running shoes that were lighter and more shock-absorbent.48. During his visit to Japan, Knight convinced the officials of the Onitsuka Tiger Company thatits product would have potentials in the U.S.49. Blue Ribbon Sports as unable to hire experts due to the absence of established athleticfootwear in North America.50. In the early years of Nike, communication within the company was usually carried outinformally.51. What qualities of Bowerman’s teams formed the basis of Nike’s early management style?The team spirit and shared valves of the athlets.Passage onequestions 52 to 56 are based on the following passagesustainable development is applied to just about eberything from energy to clean water and economic growth,and as a result it has become difficult to question either the basic assumptions behind it or the way the concept is put to use.this is especially true in agriculture,where sustainable development is often taken as the sole measure of progress without a proper appreciation of histrorcal and cultural perspectives.To start with,it is important to remember that the nature of agriculture has changed markedly throughout history,and will continue to do so .medieval agriculture in northern Europefed,clothed and shelered a predominantly rural society with a much lower population density than it is today.it had minimal effect on biodiversity,and any pollution it c aused was typically localized.in termsof energy use and the nutrients captured in the product it was relatively inefficient.Contrast this with farming since the start of the industrial petion from overseas led farmers to specialize and increase yields.throughout this period food became cheaper,safe and more reliable.however,these changes have alsoled to habitat loss and to diminishing biodiversity.What’smore,demand for animal products in developing countrics is growing so fast that meeting it will require an extra 300 million tons of grain a year by 2050.yet the growth of cities and in dustry is reducing the amount of water available for agriculture in many regions.All this means that agriculture in the 21st century will have to be very different from how it was in the 20th.this will require radical thinking.for example,we need to move away from the idea that traditional practices are inevitably more sustainable than new ones.we also need to abandon the notion that agriculture can be “zero impact”. The key will be to abandon the rather simpleand static measures of sustainability,which centre on the need to maintain production without increasing damage.instead we need a more dynamic interpretation,one that looks at the pros and cons of all the various way land is used.there are many different ways to measure agricultural performance besides food yield:energy use, environmental costs,water purity,carbon footprint and biodiversity. It is clear, for example,that the carbon of transporting tomatoes from spain to the UKIs less than that of producing them in the UK with additional heating and lighting.but we do not know whether lower carbon footprints will always be better for biodiversity.What is crucial is recognizing that sustainable agriculture is not just about sustainable food production.52. How do people ofen measure progress in agriculture?A) By its productivity C) By its impact on the environmetB) By its sustainability D) By its contribution to economic growth53. Specialisation and the effort to incease yields have esulted in________.A) Localised pollution C) competition from overseasB) the shrinking of farmland D) the decrease of biodiversity54.What does the author think of traditional farming practices?A)They have remained the same over the centuriesB)They have not kept pace with population growthC)They are not necessarily sustainableD)They are environmentally friendly55.What will agriculture be like in the 21st centuryA) It will go through radical changesB) It will supply more animal productsC) It will abandon traditional farming practicesD) It will cause zero damage to the environment56 What is the author’s purpose in writing this passage?A) To remind people of the need of sustainable developmentB) To suggest ways of ensuring sustainable food productionC) To adance new criteria for measuring farming progressD) To urge people to rethink what sustainable agriculture isPassage TwoQuestions 57 to 61 are based on the following passageThe percentage of immigrants(including those unlawfully present) in the United states has been creeping upward for years. At 12.6 percent, it is now higher than at any point ince the mid1920sWe are not about to go back to the days when Congress openly worried about inferior races polluing America’s bloodstream. But once again we are wondering whether we have too many of the wrong sort fo necomers.Their loudest citecs argue that the new wave of immigrants cannot,and indeed do not want to, fit in as previous generations did.We now know that these racist views were wrong.In time, Italians, Romanians and members of other so-called inferior races became exemplary Americans and contributed greatly, in ways too numerous to detail , to the building of this magnificent nation. There is no reason why these new immigrants should not have the same success.Although children of Mexican immigrants do better, in terms of educational and professional attainment, than thir parents UCLA sociologist Edward Telles has found that the gains don’t continme. Indeed, the fouth generation is marginally worse off than the third James Jackson,of the University of Michigan,has foud a simila rend among black Caribbean immigrants,Tells fears that Mexican-Americans may be fated to follow in the footsteps of American blacks-that largeparts of the community may become mired in a seemingly state of poverty and Underachievement . Like African-Americans, Mexican-americans are increasingly relegated to(降入)segregated, substandyrd schools, and their dropout rate is the highest for any 儿童会nic group in the country.We have learned much about the foolish idea of excluding people on the presumption of the ethnic/racial inferiority. But what we have not yet learned is how to make the process of Americanization work for all. I am not talking about requiring people to learn English or to adopt American ways; those things happen pretty much on their own, but as arguments about immigration hear up the campaign trail, we also ought to ask some broader question about assimilation, about ho wto ensure that people , once outsiders , don’t fovever remain marginalized within these shores.That is a much larger question than what should happen with undocumented workers, or how best to secure the border, and it is one that affects not only newcomers but groups that have been here for generations. It will have more impact on our future than where we decide to set the admissions bar for the lasest ware of would-be Americans. And it would be nice if we finally got the answer right.57.How were immigrants viewed by U.S. Congress in early days?A)They were of inferior races.B)They were a Source of political corruption.C)They were a threat to the nation’s security.D)They were part of the nation’s bloodstre am.58.What does the author think of the new immigrants?A)They will be a dynamic work force in the U.S.B)They can do just as well as their predecessors.C)They will be very disappointed on the new land.D)They may find it hard to fit into the mainstream.59.What does Edward Telles’ research say about Mexican-Americans?A)They may slowlu improve from generation to generation.B)They will do better in terms of deucationl attainment.C)They will melt into the African-American community.D)They may forever remain poor and underachieving.60.What should be done to help the new immigrants?A)Rid them of their inferiority complex.B)Urge them to adopt American customs.C)prevent them from being marginalized.D)Teach them standard American English.61.According to the author,the burning issue concerning immigrationg is_______.A)how to deal with people entering the U.S. without documentsB)how to help immigrants to better fit into American societyC)how to stop illegal immigrants from crossing the corderD)how to limit the number of immigrants to enter the U.S.Part VIndividuals and businesses have legal protection for intellectual property they create and own . intellectual proper _62_from creative thinking and 62. A. retrieves B.deviatesC.resultsD.departsmay include products, 63 processes, and ideas. 63. A. services B.reserversC.assumptionsD.motionsIntellectual property is protected 64 misapproprition(盗用). 64. A. for B.withMisappropriation is taking the Intellectual propetty of others C.by D.fromwithour ____65____ compensation and using it for monetary gain. 65. A. sound B.partialC.dueD.randomLegal protection is provided for the ___66___of 66. ers B.owners intellectual propetty. The three common types of legal C.masters D.executives protection are patents, copyrights, and trademarks.Patents provide exclusive use of inventions.If the u.s patent office __67__ a patent, it is 67.A. affords B. affiliatesC. fundsD.grantsconfirmind that the intellectual property is ___68____. 68. A. solemn B.soberThe patent prevents others from making ,using, or C.unique D. universalselling the invention without the owner’s __69___ for 69. A. perspective B.permission a period of 20 years. C. conformity D. consensusCopyright are similar to patents __70___that 70. A.except B.besidesthey are applied to artistic works. A copyright protects C.eyond D.despitethe creator of an __71___artisitic or intellectual 71.A. absolute B. alternative work, such as a song or a novel. A copyright gives C. original D.orthodoxthe owner wxclusive rights to copy, __72___ display, 72. A. presume Bstimulateor perform the work . the copyright prevents C. nominate D.distribute others from using and selling the work , the __73___ 73. A. range B. lengthof a copyright is typically the lifetime of the author C.scale D. extent74 an additional 70 years. 74 A) plus C) viaTrademarks are words, names, or symbols that B) versus D) untilIdentify the manufacturer of a product and 75 it 75 A) distract C) distinguishfrom similar goods of others. A servicemark is B)differ D)disconnect similar to a trademark 76 is used to identify 76 A) or C) soservices. A trademark prevents others from using B) but D) whereasthe 77 or a similar word, name, or symbol to 77 A) identical C) literalB) analogical D) paralleltake advantage of the recognition and 78 of the 78 A) ambiguity C) popularitybrand or to create confusion in the marketplace. B) utilityD) proximity79 registration, a trademark is usually granted 79 A) From C) BeforeB) Over D) Uponfor a period of ten years. It can be 80 for 80 A)recurred C) recalledB) renewed D) recovered additional ten-year periods indefinitely as 81 as 81 A)long C) farthe mark’s use continues. B)soon D) wellPart VI Translation (5 minutes) Directions: Complete the sentences by translating into English the Chinese given in brackets.Please write your translation on Answer Sheet 2注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答，只需写出译文部分。
2008年12月大学英语六级真题试卷(题后含答案及解析)
2008年12月大学英语六级真题试卷(题后含答案及解析)题型有：1. Writing 2. Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) 3. Listening Comprehension 4. Reading Comprehension (Reading in Depth) 5. Cloze 8. TranslationPart I Writing (30 minutes)1．For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay entitled How to Improve Psychological Health? You should write at least 150 words following the outline given below.1. 掌心生理健康的重要性2. 学校应该怎样做3. 学生自己应该怎样做How to Improve Psychological Health?______________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ ___________________________正确答案：How to Improve Psychological Health? There was a time when people, due to various reasons, only value physical health. Yet, recently, owing to the amazing rise of living standard, they begin to focus more emphasis upon psychological health, which carries more weight in the development of students’personality and character. Apparently, it is absolutely necessary for universities to implement effective and efficient measures to improve students’ psychological health. Psychological courses and activities should be offered to enhance students’ awareness of psychological health and to serve as an outlet of their negative pressure. Moreover, it is highly suggested for universities to establish psychological consult centers that students can gain help easily from experts with rich knowledge in this field. Nevertheless, nothing can play a more essential role than students’own effort in improving psychological health. Based on what I know, we students may attach more attention to books and physical education so that we can have an optimistic attitude toward life. Also, we, if suffering a great pain or torture in mind, should not hesitate to consult an expert. All in all, with our efforts, I cherish a belief that good psychological health is not a dream but a reality.Part II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) (15 minutes)Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions attached to the passage. For questions 1-4, mark：Y (for YES) if the statement agrees with the information given in the passage;N (for NO) if the statement contradicts the information given in the passage;NG (for NOT GIVEN)if the information is not given in the passage.Supersize Surprise Ask anyone why there is an obesity epidemic and they will tell you that it’s all down to eating too much and burning too few calories. That explanation appeals to common sense and has dominated efforts to get to the root ofthe obesity epidemic and reverse it. Yet obesity researchers are increasingly dissatisfied with it. Many now believe that something else must have changed in our environment to precipitate (促成) such dramatic rises in obesity over the past 40 years or so. Nobody is saying that the “big two”--reduced physical activity and increased availability of food--are not important contributors to the epidemic, but they cannot explain it all. Earlier this year a review paper by 20 obesity experts set out the 7 most plausible alternative explanations for the epidemic. Here they are.1. Not enough sleep It is widely believed that sleep is for the brain, not the body. Could a shortage of shut-eye also be helping to make us fat? Several large-scale studies suggest there may be a link. People who sleep less than 7 hours a night tend to have a higher body mass index than people who sleep more, according to data gathered by the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Similarly, the US Nurses’Health Study, which tracked 68,000 women for 16 years, found that those who slept an average of 5 hours a night gained more weight during the study period than women who slept 6 hours, who in turn gained more than those who slept 7. It’s well known that obesity impairs sleep, so perhaps people get fat first and sleep less afterwards. But the nurses’ study suggests that it can work in the other direction too: sleep loss may precipitate weight gain. Although getting figures is difficult, it appears that we really are sleeping less. In 1960 people in the US slept an average of 8.5 hours per night. A 2002 poll by the National Sleep Foundation suggests that the average has fallen to under 7 hours, and the decline is mirrored by the increase in obesity.2. Climate control We humans, like all warm-blooded animals, can keep our core body temperatures pretty much constant regardless of what’s going on in the world around us. We do this by altering our metabolic (新陈代谢) rate, shivering or sweating. Keeping warm and staying cool take energy unless we are in the “thermo-neutral zone”, which is increasingly where we choose to live and work. There is no denying that ambient temperatures (环境温度) have change in the past few decades. Between 1970 and 2000, the average British home warmed from a chilly 13℃to 18℃. In the US, the changes have been at the other end of the thermometer as the proportion of homes with air conditioning rose from 23% to 47% between 1978 and 1997. In the southern states--where obesity rates tend to be highest--the number of houses with air conditioning has shot up to 70% from 37% in 1978. Could air conditioning in summer and heating in winter really make a difference to our weight? Sadly, there is some evidence that it does--at least with regard to heating. Studies show that in comfortable temperatures we use less energy.3. Less smoking Bad news: smokers really do tend to be thinner than the rest of us, and quitting really does pack on the pounds, though no one is sure why. It probably has something to do with the fact that nicotine (尼古丁) is an appetite suppressant and appears to up your metabolic rate. Katherine Flegal and colleagues at the US National Center for Health Statistics in Hyattsville, Maryland, have calculated that people kicking the habit have been responsible for a small but significant portion of the US epidemic of fatness. From data collected around 1991 by the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, they worked out that people who had quit in the previous decade were much more likely to be overweight than smokers and people who had neversmoked. Among men, for example, nearly half of quitters were overweight compared with 37% of non-smokers and only 28% of smokers.4. Genetic effects Your chances of becoming fat may be set, at least in part, before you were even born. Children of obese mothers are much more likely to become obese themselves later in life. Offspring of mice fed a high-fat diet during pregnancy are much more likely to become fat than the offspring of identical mice fed a normal diet. Intriguingly, the effect persists for two or three generations. Grand-children of mice fed a high-fat diet grow up fat even if their own mother is fed normally--so your fate may have been sealed even before you were conceived.5. A little older... Some groups of people just happen to be fatter than others. Surveys carried out by the US National Center for Health Statistics found that adults aged 40 to 79 were around three times as likely to be obese as younger people. Non-white females also tend to fall at the fatter end of the spectrum: Mexican-American women are 30% more likely than white women to be obsess, and black women have twice the risk. In the US, these groups account for an increasing percentage of the population. Between 1970 and 2000 the US population aged 35 to 44 grew by 43%. The proportion of Hispanic-Americans also grew, from under 5% to 12.5% of the population, while the proportion of black Americans increased from 11% to 12.3%. These changes may account in part for the increased prevalence of obesity.6. Mature mums Mothers around the world are getting older. In the UK, the mean age for having a first child is 27.3, compared with 23.7 in 1970. Mean age at first birth in the US has also increased, rising from 21.4 in 1970 to 24.9 in 2000. This would be neither here nor there if it weren’t for the observation that having an older mother seems to be an independent risk factor for obesity. Results from the US National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute’s study found that the odds of a child being obese increase about 14% for every five extra years of their mother’s age, though why this should be so is not entirely clear. Michael Symonds at the University of Nottingham, UK, found that first-born children have more fat than younger ones. As family size decreases, firstborns account for a greater share of the population. In 1964, British women gave birth to an average of 2.95 children; by 2005 that figure had fallen to 1.79. In the US in 1976, 9.6% of woman in their 40s had only one child; in 2004 it was 17.4%. This combination of older mothers and more single children could be contributing to the obesity epidemic.7. Like marrying like Just as people pair off according to looks, so they do for size. Lean people are more likely to marry lean and fat more likely to marry fat. On its own, like marrying like cannot account for any increase in obesity. But combined with others-- particularly the fact that obesity is partly genetic, and that heavier people have more children--it amplifies the increase from other causes.2．What is the passage mainly about?A．Effects of obesity on people’s health.B．The link between lifestyle and obesity.C．New explanations for the obesity epidemic.D．Possible ways to combat the obesity epidemic.正确答案：C解析：本题考查文章的主旨。
2008年12月六级真题及答案
2008年12月大学英语六级考试真题Part I Writing （30 minutes）Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay entitled How To Improve Student's Mental Health?.You should write at least 150 words following the outline given below.1.大学生的心理健康十分重要2.因此，学校可以……3.我们自己应当……How To Improve Student's Mental Health?________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ Part II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) (15 minutes) Directions:In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer Sheet 1.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.Supersize SurpriseAsk anyone why there is an obesity epidemic and they will tell you that it’s al down to eating too much and burning too few calories. That explanation appeals to common sense and has dominated efforts to get to the root of the obesity epidemic and reverse it. Yet obesity researchers are increasingly dissatisfied with it. Many now believe that something else must have changed in our environment to precipitate(促成) such dramatic rises in obesity over the past 40 years or so. Nobody is saying that the “big two” – reduced physical activity and increased availability of food – are not important contributors to the epidemic, but they cannot explain it all.Earlier this year a review paper by 20obesity experts set out the 7 most plausible alternative explanations for the epidemic. Here they are.1.Not enough sleepIt is widely believed that sleep is for the brain, not the body. Could a shortage of shut-eye also be helping to make us fat?Several large-scale studies suggest there may be a link. People who sleep less than 7 hours a night tend to have a higher body mass index than people who sleep more, according to data gathered by the US National Health and Nutrition Ex amination Survey. Similarly, the US Nurses’ Health Study, which tracked 68,000 women for 16 years, found that those who slept an average of 5 hours a night gained more weight during the study period than women who slept 6 hours, who in turn gained more than whose who slept 7.It’s well known that obesity impairs sleep, so perhaps people get fat first and sleep less afterwards. But the nurses’ study suggests that it can work in the other direction too: sleep loss may precipitate weight gain.Although getting figures is difficult, it appears that we really are sleeping less. In 1960 people in the US slept an average of 8.5 hours per night. A 2002 poll by the National Sleep Foundation suggests that the average has fallen to under 7 hours, and the decline is mirrored by the increase in obesity.2.Climate controlWe humans, like all warm-blooded animals, can keep our core body temperatures pretty much constant regardless of what’s going on in the world around us. We do this by altering our metabolic(新陈代谢的) rate, shivering or sweating. Keeping warm and staying cool take energy unless we are in the “thermo-neutral zone”, which is increasingly where we choose to live and work.There is no denying that ambient temperatures(环境温度) have changed in the past few decades. Between 1970 and 2000, the average British home warmed from a chilly 13C to 18C. In the US, the changes have been at the other end of the thermometer as the proportion of homes with air conditioning rose from 23% to 47% between 1978 and 1997. In the southern states – where obesity rates tend to be highest – the number of houses with air conditioning has shot up to 71% from 37% in 1978.Could air conditioning in summer and heating in winter really make a difference to our weight?Sadly，there is some evidence that it does-at least with regard to heating. Studies show that in comfortable temperatures we use less energy.3.Less smokingBad news: smokers really do tend to be thinner than the rest of us, and quitting really does pack on the pounds, though no one is sure why. It probably has something to do with the fact that nicotine is an appetite suppressant and appears to up your metabolic rate.Katherine Flegal and colleagues at the US National Center for Health Statistics in Hyattsville, Maryland, have calculated that people kicking the habit have been responsible for a small but significant portion of the US epidemic of fatness. From data collected around 1991 by the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, they worked out that people who had quit in the previous decade were much more likely to be overweight than smokers and people who had never smoked .Among men, for example, nearly half of quitters were overweight compared with 37% of non-smokers and only 28%of smokers.4.Genetic effectsYours chances of becoming fat may be set, at least in part, before you were even born. Children of obese mothers are much more likely to become obese themselves later in life. Offspring of mice fed a high-fat diet during pregnancy are much more likely to become fat than the offspring of identical mice fed a normal diet. Intriguingly, the effect persists for two or three generations. Grandchildren of mice fed a high-fat diet grow up fat even if their own mother is fed normally-so you fate may have been sealed even before you were conceived.5.A little older…Some groups of people just happen to be fatter than others. Surveys carried out by the US national center for health statistics found that adults aged 40 to 79 were around three times as likely to be obese as younger people. Non-white females also tend to fall at the fatter end of the spectrum: Mexican-American women are 30% more likely than white women to be obsess, and black women have twice the risk.In the US, these groups account for an increasing percentage of the population. Between 1970 and 2000 the US population aged 35 to 44 grew by43%.the proportion of Hispanic-Americans also grew, from under 5% to 12.5% of the population, while the proportion of black Americans increased from 11% to12.3%.these changes may account in part for the increased prevalence of obesity.6.Mature mumsMothers around the world are getting older. in the UK, the mean age for having a first child is 27.3,compared with 23.7 in 1970 .mean age at first birth in the US has also increased, rising from 21.4 in 1970 to 24.9 in 2000.This would be neither here nor there if it weren’t for the observation that having an older mother seems to be an independent risk factor for obesity. Results from the US national heart, lung and blood institute’s study found that the odds of a child being obese increase 14% for every five ex tra years of their mother’s age, though why this should be so is not entirely clear.Michael Symonds at the University of Nottingham, UK, found that first-born children have more fat than younger ones. As family size decreases, firstborns account for a greater share of the population. In 1964, British women gave birth to an average of 2.95 children; by 2005 that figure had fallen to 1.79. In the US in1976, 9.6% of woman in their 40s had only one child; in 2004 it was 17.4%. this combination of older mothers and more single children could be contributing to the obesity epidemic.7.Like marrying likeJust as people pair off according to looks, so they do for size. Lean people are more likely to marry lean and fat more likely to marry fat. On its own, like marrying like cannot account for any increase in obesity. But combined with others—particularly the fact that obesity is partly genetic, and that heavier people have more children—it amplifies the increase form other causes.1. What is the passage mainly about?A) E ffects of obesity on people’s healthB) The link between lifestyle and obesityC) New explanations for the obesity epidemicD) Possible ways to combat the obesity epidemic2. In the US N urse’ Health Study, women who slept an average of 7 hours a night_______.A) gained the least weightB) were inclined to eat lessC) found their vigor enhancedD) were less susceptible to illness3. The popular belief about obesity is that___________.A) it makes us sleepyB) it causes sleep lossC) it increases our appetiteD) it results from lack of sleep4. How does indoor heating affect our life?A) it makes us stay indoors moreB) it accelerates our metabolic rateC) it makes us feel more energeticD) it contributes to our weight gain5. What does the author say about the effect of nicotine on smokers?A) it threatens their healthB) it heightens their spiritsC) it suppresses their appetiteD) it slows down their metabolism6. Who are most likely to be overweight according to Katherine Fergal’s study?A) heavy smokersB) passive smokersC) those who never smokeD) those who quit smoking7. According to the US National Center for Health Statistics, the increased obesity in the US is a result of_______.A) the growing number of smokers among young peopleB) the rising proportion of minorities in its populationC) the increasing consumption of high-calorie foodsD) the improving living standards of the poor people8. According to the US National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, the reason why older mothers’ children tend to be obese remains __________.9. According to Michael Symonds, one factor contributing to the obesity epidemic is decrease of ___________.10. When two heavy people get married, chances of their children getting fat increase, because obesity is _____________.Part III Listening Comprehension (35 minutes)Section A11. A) He is quite easy to recognizeB) He is an outstanding speakerC) He looks like a movie starD) He looks young for his age12. A) consult her dancing teacherB) take a more interesting classC) continue her dancing classD) improve her dancing skills13. A) the man did not believe what the woman saidB) the man accompanied the woman to the hospitalC) the woman may be suffering from repetitive strain injuryD) the woman may not followed the doctor’s instructions14. A) they are not in style any moreB) they have cost him far too muchC) they no longer suit his eyesightD) they should be cleaned regularly15. A) he spilled his drink onto the floorB) he has just finished wiping the floorC) he was caught in a shower on his way homeD) he rushed out of the bath to answer the phone16. A) fixing some furnitureB) repairing the toy trainC) reading the instructionsD) assembling the bookcase17. A) urge Jenny to spend more time on studyB) help Jenny to prepare for the coming examsC) act towards Jenny in a more sensible wayD) send Jenny to a volleyball training center18. A) The building of the dam needs a large budgetB) The proposed site is near the residential areaC) The local people feel insecure about the damD) The dam poses a threat to the local environmentQuestions 19 to 21 are based on the conversation you have just heard.19. A. It saw the end of its booming years worldwideB. Its production and sales reached record levels.C. It became popular in some foreign countriesD. Its domestic market started to shrink rapidly.20. A. They cost less. C. They were in fashion.B. They tasted better. D. They were widely advertised.21. A. It is sure to fluctuate. C. It will remain basically stable.B. It is bound to revive. D. It will see no more monopoly Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.22. A. Organising protests C. Acting as its spokesman.B. Recruiting members D. Saving endangered animals.23. A. Anti-animal-abuse demonstrations B. Anti-nuclear campaignsC. Surveying the Atlantic Ocean floorD. Removing industrial waste.24. A. By harassing them. C. By taking legal action.B. By appealing to the public D. By resorting to force.25. A. Doubtful C. Indifferent.B. Reserved D. SupportiveSection 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 28 are based on the passage you have just heard.26. A. The air becomes still. C. The clouds block the sun.B. The air pressure is low. D. The sky appears brighter.27. A. Ancient people were better at foretelling the weather.B. Sailors’ saying about the weather are unreliable.C. People knew long ago how to predict the weather.D. It was easier to forecast the weather in the old days.28. A. Weather forecast is getting more accurate today.B. People can predict the weather by their sensesC. Who are the real experts in weather forecast.D. Weather changes affect people’s life remarkablyPassage TwoQuestions 29 to 31 are based on the passage you have just heard.29. A. They often feel insecure about their jobs.B. They are unable to decide what to do first.C. They feel burdened with numerous tasks every day.D they feel burdened with numerous tasks every day30. A. Analyze them rationally. C. Turn to others for help.B. Draw a detailed to-do list. D. Handle them one by one.31. A. They have accomplished little. C. They have worked out a way to relax.B. They feel utterly exhausted. D. They no longer feel any sense of guilt.Passage ThreeQuestions 32 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.32. A. Their performance may improve.B. Their immune system may be reinforcedC. Their blood pressure may rise all of a sudden.D. Their physical development may be enhanced.33. A. Improved mental functioning C. Speeding up of blood circulationB. Increased susceptibility to disease D. Reduction of stress-related hormones34. A. Pretend to be in better shape. C. Turn more often to friends for helpB. Have more physical exercise. D. Pay more attention to bodily sensations.35. A. Different approaches to coping with stress.B. Various causes for serious health problems.C. The relationship between stress and illness.D. New finding of medical research on stress.Section COne of the most common images of an advanced, Western-style culture is that of a busy, traffic-filled city. Since their first (36) ______ on American roadways, automobiles have become a (37) ______ of progress, a source of thousands of jobs and an almost inalienable right for c itizens’ personal freedom of movement. In recent (38) _______, our “love affair” with the car is being (39) ________ directly to the developing world, and it is increasingly (40) _______ that this transfer is leading to disaster.American’s almost complete dependence on automobiles has been a terrible mistake. As late as the 1950s, a large (41) ________ of the American public used mass transit. A (42) ________ of public policy decisions and corporate scheming saw to it that countless (43) ________ and efficient urban streetcar and intra-city rail systems were dismantled. (44) ___________________________________________________. Our lives have been planned along a road grid—homes far from work, shopping far from everything, with ugly stretches of concrete and blacktop in between.Developing countries are copying Western-style transportation systems down to the last detail. (45) _________________________________________________________. Pollution control measures are either not strict or nonexistent, leading to choking clouds of smog. Gasoline still contains lead, which is extremely poisonous to humans. (46) _____________________________________________________________________.In addition to pollution and traffic jams, auto safety is a critical issue in developing nations.Part IV Reading Comprehension （Reading in Depth）（25 minutes）Section AQuestions 47 to 51 are based on the following passage.One of the major producers of athletic footwear, with 2002 sales of over $10 billion, is a company called Nike, with corporate headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon. Forbes magazine identified Nike’s president, Philip Knight, as the 53rd-richestman in the world in 2004. But Nike has not always been a large multimillion-dollar organization. In fact, Knight started the company by selling shoes from the back of his car at track meets.In the late1950s Philip Knight was a middle-distance runner on the University of Oregon track team, coached by Bill Bowerman. One of the top track coaches in the U.S., Bowerman was also known for experimenting with the design of running shoes in an attempt to make them lighter and more shock-absorbent. After attending Oregon, Knight moved on to do graduate work at Stanford University; his MBA thesis was on marketing athletic shoes. Once he received his degree, Knight traveled to Japan to contact the Onitsuka Tiger Company, a manufacturer of athletic shoes. Knight convinced the company’s officials of the potential for its product in the U.S. In 1963 he received his first shipment of Tiger shoes, 200 pairs in total.In 1964, Knight and Bowerman contributed $500 each to from Blue Ribbon Sports, the predecessor of Nike. In the first few years, Knight distributed shoes out of his car at local track meets. The first employees hired by Knight were former college at hletes. The company did not have the money to hire “experts”, and there was no established athletic footwear industry in North America from which to recruit those knowledgeable in the field. In its early years the organization operated in an unconventional manner that characterized its innovative and entrepreneurial approach to the industry. Communication was informal; people discussed ideas and issues in the hallways, on a run, or over a beer. There was little task differentiation. There were no job descriptions, rigid reporting systems, or detailed rules and regulations. The team spirit and shared values of the athletes on Bowerman’s teams carried over and provided the basis for the collegial style of management that characterized the early years of Nikes.47. While serving as a track coach, Bowerman tried to design running shoes that were _____________________.48. During his visit to Japan, Knight convinced the officials of the Onitsuka Tiger Company that its product would have____________________________________.49. Blue Ribbon Sports as unable to hire experts due to the absence of____________________ in North America.50. In the early years of Nike, communication within the company was usually carried out____________.51. What qualities of Bowerman’s teams formed the basis of Nike’s early management style?_______________________________________________________________.Section BDirections:There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked [A], [B], [C] and [D]. You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 52 to 56 are based on the following passage.Sustainable development is applied to just about everything from energy to clean water and economic growth, and as a result it has become difficult to question either the basic assumptions behind it or the way the concept is put to use. This is especially true in agriculture, where sustainable development is often taken as the sole measure of progress without a proper appreciation of historical and cultural perspectives.To start with, it is important to remember that the nature of agriculture has changed markedly throughout history, and will continue to do so .medieval agriculture in northern Europe fed, clothed and sheltered a predominantly rural society with a much lower population density than it is today. It had minimal effect on biodiversity, and any pollution it caused was typically localized. In terms of energy use and the nutrients（营养成分）captured in the product it was relatively inefficient.Contrast this with farming since the start of the industrial revolution. Competition from overseas led farmers to specialize and increase yields. Throughout this period food became cheaper, safe and more reliable. However, these changes have also led to habitat（栖息地）loss and to diminishing biodiversity.What’s more, demand for animal products in developing countries is growing so fast that meeting it will require an extra 300 million tons of grain a year by 2050.yet the growth of cities and industry is reducing the amount of water available for agriculture in many regions.All this means that agriculture in the 21stcentury will have to be very different from how it was in the 20th.thiswill require radical thinking. For example, we need to move away from the idea that traditional practices are inevitably more sustainable than new ones. We also need to abandon the notion that agriculture can be “zero impact”. The key will be to abandon the rather simple and static measures of sustainability, which centre on the need to maintain production without increasing damage.Instead we need a more dynamic interpretation, one that looks at the pros and cons（正反两方面）of all the various way land is used. There are many different ways to measure agricultural performance besides food yield: energy use, environmental costs, water purity, carbon footprint and biodiversity. It is clear, for example, that the carbon of transporting tomatoes from Spain to the UK is less than that of producing them in the UK with additional heating and lighting. But we do not know whether lower carbon footprints will always be better for biodiversity.What is crucial is recognizing that sustainable agriculture is not just about sustainable food production.52. How do people often measure progress in agriculture?A) By its productivity C) By its impact on the environmentB) By its sustainability D) By its contribution to economic growth53. Specialisation and the effort to increase yields have resulted in________.A) Localised pollution C) competition from overseasB) the shrinking of farmland D) the decrease of biodiversity54. What does the author think of traditional farming practices?A) They have remained the same over the centuriesB) They have not kept pace with population growthC) They are not necessarily sustainableD) They are environmentally friendly55. What will agriculture be like in the 21st centuryA) It will go through radical changesB) It will supply more animal productsC) It will abandon traditional farming practicesD) It will cause zero damage to the environment56 What is the author’s purpose in writing this passage?A) To remind people of the need of sustainable developmentB) To suggest ways of ensuring sustainable food productionC) To advance new criteria for measuring farming progressD) To urge people to rethink what sustainable agriculture isPassage TwoQuestions 57 to 61 are based on the following passage.The percentage of immigrants (including those unlawfully present) in the United states has been creeping upward for years. At 12.6 percent, it is now higher than at any point since the mid1920s.We are not about to go back to the days when Congress openly worried about inferior races polluting America’s bloodstream. But once again we are wondering whether we have too many of the wrong sort newcomers. Their loudest critics argue that the new wave of immigrants cannot, and indeed do not want to, fit in as previous generations did.We now know that these racist views were wrong. In time, Italians, Romanians and members of other so-called inferior races became exemplary Americans and contributed greatly, in ways too numerous to detail, to the building of this magnificent nation. There is no reason why these new immigrants should not have the same success.Although children of Mexican immigrants do better, in terms of educational and professional attainment, than their parents UCLA sociologist Edward Telles has found that the gains don’t continue. Indeed, the fouth generation is marginally worse off than the third James Jackson, of the University of Michigan, has found a similar trend among black Caribbean immigrants, Tells fears that Mexican-Americans may be fated to follow in the footsteps of American blacks-that large parts of the community may become mired（陷入）in a seemingly permanent state of poverty and Underachievement. Like African-Americans, Mexican-Americans are increasingly relegated to (降入)segregated, substandard schools, and their dropout rate is the highest for any ethnic group in the country.We have learned much about the foolish idea of excluding people on the presumption of the ethnic/racial inferiority. But what we have not yet learned is how to make the process of Americanization work for all. I am not talking about requiring people to learn English or to adopt American ways; those things happen pretty much on their own, but as arguments about immigration hear up the campaign trail, we also ought to ask some broader question about assimilation, about how to ensure that people , once outsiders , don’t fo rever remain marginalized within these shores.That is a much larger question than what should happen with undocumented workers, or how best to secure the border, and it is one that affects not only newcomers but groups that have been here for generations. It will have more impact on our future than where we decide to set the admissions bar for the latest ware of would-beAmericans. And it would be nice if we finally got the answer right.57. How were immigrants viewed by U.S. Congress in early days?A) They were of inferior races.B) They were a Source of political corruption.C) They were a threat to the nation’s security.D) They were part of the nation’s bloodstream.58. What does the author think of the new immigrants?A) They will be a dynamic work force in the U.S.B) They can do just as well as their predecessors.C) They will be very disappointed on the new land.D) They may find it hard to fit into the mainstream.59. What does Edward Telles’ research say about Mexican-Americans?A) They may slowly improve from generation to generation.B) They will do better in terms of educational attainment.C) They will melt into the African-American community.D) They may forever remain poor and underachieving.60. What should be done to help the new immigrants?A) Rid them of their inferiority complex.B) Urge them to adopt American customs.C) Prevent them from being marginalized.D) Teach them standard American English.61. According to the author, the burning issue concerning immigration is_______.A) How to deal with people entering the U.S. without documentsB) How to help immigrants to better fit into American societyC) How to stop illegal immigrants from crossing the borderD) How to limit the number of immigrants to enter the U.S.Part V Cloze （15 minutes）Directions: There are 20 blanks in the following passage. For each blank there are four choices marked [A], [B], [C]and [D] on the right side of the paper. You should choose the ONE that best fits into the passage. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Individuals and businesses have legal protection for intellectual property they create and own. Intellectual proper__62__from creative thinking and may include products, __63__, processes, and ideas. Intellectual property is protected__64__ misappropriation(盗用).Misappropriation is taking the Intellectual property of others with our__65__ compensation and using it for monetary gain.Legal protection is provided for the __66__of intellectual property. The three common types of legal protection are patents, copyrights, and trademarks.Patents provide exclusive use of inventions. If the US patent office __67__ a patent, it is confirming that the intellectual property is __68__. The patent prevents 62. [A]retrieves [B]deviates[C]results [D]departs63.[A]services [B]reserves[C]assumptions [D]motions64. [A]for [B] with[C]by [D]from65. [A] sound [B] partial[C] due [D] random66. [A] users [B] owners[C] masters [D] executives67. [A] affords [B] affiliates[C] funds [D] grants68. [A] solemn [B] sober[C] unique [D] universal。
200812CET-6真题+答案
2008年12月20日大学英语六级(CET-6)真题试卷(A卷)Part I Writing (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay entitled How to improve psychological health? You should write at least 150 words following the outline given below.1. 学生心理健康的重要性2. 学校应该怎样做3. 学生自己应该怎样做How to improve psychological healthPart II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) (15 minutes)Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer Sheet 1. For questions 1-7, choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). For questions 8-10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.Supersize Surprise Ask anyone why there is an obesity epidemic and they will tell you that it's all down to eating too much and burning too few calories. That explanation appeals to common sense and has dominated efforts to get to the root of the obesity epidemic and reverse it. Yet obesity researchers are increasingly dissatisfied with it. Many now believe that something else must have changed in our environment to precipitate (促成) such dramatic rises in obesity over the past 40 years or so. Nobody is saying that the “big two” –reduced physical activity and increased availability of food – are not important contributors to the epidemic, but they cannot explain it all. Earlier this year a review paper by 20 obesity experts set out the 7 most plausible alternative explanations for the epidemic. Here they are.1. Not enough sleepIt is widely believed that sleep is for the brain, not the body. Could a shortage of shut-eye also be helping to make us fat?Several large-scale studies suggest there may be a link. People who sleep less than 7 hours a night tend to have a higher body mass index than people who sleep more, according to data gathered by the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Similarly, the US Nurses' Health Study, which tracked 68,000 women for 16 years, found that those who slept an average of 5 hours a night gained more weight during the study period than women who slept 6 hours, who in turn gained more than those who slept 7.It's well known that obesity impairs sleep, so perhaps people get fat first and sleep less afterwards. But the nurses' study suggests that it can work in the other direction too: sleep loss may precipitate weight gain.Although getting figures is difficult, it appears that we really are sleeping less. In 1960 people in the US slept an average of 8.5 hours per night. A 2002 poll by the National Sleep Foundation suggests that the average has fallen to under 7 hours, and the decline is mirrored by the increase in obesity.2. Climate controlWe humans, like all warm-blooded animals, can keep our core body temperatures pretty much constant regardless of what's going on in the world around us. We do this by altering our metabolic (新陈代新的) rate, shivering or sweating. Keeping warm and staying cool take energy unless we are in the “thermo-neutral zone”, which is increasingly where we choose to live andwork.There is no denying that ambient temperatures (环境温度) have changed in the past few decades. Between 1970 and 2000, the average British home warmed from a chilly 13℃ to 18℃. In the US, the changes have been at the other end of the thermometer as the proportion of homes with air conditionings rose from 23% to 47% between 1978 and 1997. In the southern states –where obesity rates tend to be highest – the number of houses with air conditioning has shot up to 71% from 37% in 1978.Could air conditioning in summer and heating in winter really make a difference to our weight? Sadly, there is some evidence that it does – at least with regard to heating. Studies show that in comfortable temperatures we use less energy.3. Less smokingBad news: smokers really do tend to be thinner than the rest of us, and quitting really does pack on the pounds, though no one is sure why. It probably has something to do with the fact that nicotine is an appetite suppressant and appears to up your metabolic rate.Katherine Flegal and colleagues at the US National Center for Health Statistics in Hyattsville, Maryland, have calculated that people kicking the habit have been responsible for a small but significant portion of the US epidemic of fatness. From data collected around 1991 by the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, they worked out that people who had quit in the previous decade were much more likely to be overweight than smokers and people who had never smoked. Among men, for example, nearly half of quitters were overweight compared with 37% of non-smokers and only 28% of smokers.4. Genetic effectsYour chances of becoming fat may be set, at least in part, before you were even born. Children of obese mothers are much more likely to become obese themselves later in life. Offspring of mice fed a high-fat diet during pregnancy are much more likely to become fat than the offspring of identical mice fed a normal diet. Intriguingly, the effect persists for two or three generations. Grandchildren of mice fed a high-fat diet grow up fat even if their own mother is fed normally –so your fate may have been sealed even before you were conceived.5. A little older …Some groups of people just happen to be fatter than others. Surveys carried out by the US National Center for Health Statistics found that adults aged 40 to 79 were around three times as likely to be obese as younger people. Non-white females also tend to fall at the fatter end of the spectrum: Mexican-American women are 30% more likely than white women to be obese, and black women have twice the risk.In the US, these groups account for an increasing percentage of the population. Between 1970 and 2000 the US population aged 35 to 44 grew by 43%. The proportion of Hispanic-Americans also grew, from under 5% to 12.5% of the population, while the proportion of black Americans increased from 11% to 12.3%. These changes may account in part for the increased prevalence of obesity.6. Mature mumsMothers around the world are getting older. In the UK, the mean age for having a first child is 27.3, compared with 23.7 in 1970. Mean age at first birth in the US has also increased, rising from 21.4 in 1970 to 24.9 in 2000.This would be neither here nor there if it weren't for the observation that having an older mother seems to be an independent risk factor for obesity. Results from the US National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute's study found that the odds of a child being obese increase 14% for every fiveextra years of their mother's age, though why this should be so is not entirely clear.Michael Symonds at the university of Nottingham, UK, found that first-born children have more fat than younger ones. As family size decreases, firstborns account for a greater share of the population. In 1964, British women gave birth to an average of 2.95 children; by 2005 that figure had fallen to 1.79. In the US in 1976, 9.6% of women in their 40s had only one child; in 2004 it was 17.4%. This combination of older mothers and more single children could be contributing to the obesity epidemic.7. Like marrying likeJust as people pair off according to looks, so they do for size. Lean people are more likely to marry lean and fat more likely to marry fat. On its own, like marrying like cannot account for any increase in obesity. But combined with others – particularly the fact that obesity is partly genetic, and that heavier people have more children – it amplifies the increase from other causes.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。
2008年12月六级真题及答案(A卷)
2007年12月全国大学英语六级考试真题和答案PartⅣ Reading Comprehension（Reading in Depth）(25 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, there is a short passage with 5 questions or incomplete statements. Read the passage carefully. Then answer the questions or complete the statements in the fewest possible words. Please write your answers on Answer Sheet 2. Questions 47 to 51 are based on the following passage.Men, these days, are embracing fatherhood with the round-the-clock involvement their partners have always dreamed of—handling night feedings, packing lunches and bandaging knees. But unlike women, many find they’re negotiating their new roles with little support or information. “Men in my generation (aged 25-40) have a fear of becaming dads because we have no role models, ”says Jon Smith, a writer. They often find themselves excluded from mothers’ support networks and are eyed warily（警觉地）on the playground.The challenge is particularly evident in the work-place. There, men are still expected to be breadwinners climbing the corporate ladder; traditionally-minded bosses are often unsympathetic to family needs. In Denmark most new fathers only take two weeks of paternity leave（父亲的陪产假）—even though they are allowed 34 days. As much as if not more so than women, fathers struggle to be taken seriously when they request flexible arrangements. Though Wilfried-Fritz Maring, 54, a data-bank and Internet specialist with German firm FIZ Karlsruhe, feels that the time he spends with his daughter outweighs any disadvantages, he a dmits, “With my decision to work from home I dismissed any opportunity for promotion. ”Mind-sets（思维定势）are changing gradually. When Maring had a daughter, the company equipped him with a home office and allowed him to choose a job that could be performed from there. Danish telecom company TDC initiated an internal campaign last year to encourage dads to take paternity leave: 97 percent now do. “When an employee goes on paternity leave and is with his kids, he gets a new kind of training: in how to keep cool under stress,” says spokesperson Christine Elberg Holm. For a new generation of dads, kids may come before the company—but it’s a shift that benefits both.47. Unlike women, men often get little support or information from ______________.48. Besides supporting the family, men were also expected to ______________.49. Like women, men hope that their desire for a flexible schedule will be ______________.50. When Maring was on paternity leave, he was allowed by his company to work ______________.51. Christine Holm believes paternity leave provides a new kind of training for men in that it can help them cope with______________.Section B本题共计15分，每小题1.5分。
2008.12六级真题
2008年12月大学英语六级考试真题Part I Writing （30 minutes）Directions: For this part，you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay entitled How To Improve Student’s Mental Health?。
You should write at least 150 words following the outline given below.1。
大学生的心理健康十分重要2.因此，学校可以……3。
我们自己应当……How To Improve Student's Mental Health?_____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _________________________________Part II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning）（15 minutes）Directions：In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer Sheet 1.For questions 1—7，choose the best answer from the four choices marked [A］, ［B], [C］and [D]。
CET6-2008年12月英语六级听力原文
Q: What do we conclude from the woman’s remarks about Bob Russel?
11、男：我今天下午要去机场接演讲嘉宾Bob Russel。你知道他长什么样子吗？
女：哦，他60来岁，站在人群里很显眼——谢顶，高高瘦瘦的，还留着山羊胡。
问：通过女士对Bob Russel的描述我们可以得出什么结论？
12、女：我正在考虑要不要把舞蹈课给退了。我一点也没有进步。
男：我要是你，我就坚持下去。这门课确实值得你付出时间和精力。
15. W: How come the floor is so wet? I almost slipped, what happened?
M: Oh, sorry! The phone rang the moment I got into the shower, anyway, I’ll wipe it up right now.
女：哪一年的情况是最好的呢？
男：嗯，销量最好的一年是1989年，那年共售出2.49亿瓶。产量最高的是1990年，高达2.93亿瓶。当然，从那些繁荣时期以后销量就下降了。
女：经济萧条对香槟市场的冲击严重吗？
男：是的，那是一定的。香槟的出口市场，包括欧洲、美国和日本，当然还有法国的国内市场，都出现了经济问题。经济问题的确是使香槟销量减少的一个因素。
2008年12月六级听力复合式听写
先进的有西方特色的文化留给我们的最普遍的印象之一就是繁忙和交通拥挤的城市。自从汽车第一次出现在美国的公路上，它便成为一种进步的象征，一种可以提供成千上万就业机会的资源，同时，它也几乎成了公民享受个人出行自由的不可剥夺的权利。最近几十年，我们对汽车的热爱之情正在被直接出口到发展中国家，而这种输出正带来灾难，这一点已越来越显而易见。
历年真题：2008年12月英语六级真题及答案
历年真题：2008年12月英语六级真题及答案即日起英语频道推出历年真题专题，为您提供四六级备考资料以及历年真题，请您密切关注下文《2008年12月英语六级真题及答案》由英语频道为您整理，希望对您有帮助，欢迎您访问浏览更多考试资讯。
Part I writing (30 minutes)注意：此部分试题在答题卡1上怎样改善学生的心理健康1. 学生心理健康的重要性2. 学校应该怎样做3. 学生自己应该怎样做How to improve psychological health?As is known to all, psychological health is as important as, if not more important than, physical health for a student during his/her growth. However, it’s quite worrying that nowadays some students are not quite psychologically healthy.Undoubtedly, schools and universities should take great account in the responsibilities of students’ psychological health. Relevant courses and activities should be introduced to students so that they would be more aware of the significance of psychological health and find appropriate ways to maintain and improve it. For example, there should be a psychological counseling hotline or office for students to turn to when they need some psychological aid.Of course no psychological health can be obtained without the efforts from the students themselves. From my perspective, what they can do is trying to stay positive, optimistic and follow the right guidelines from their schools. To be more specific, they can participate in some activities such as voluntary work tocultivate an opening and caring mind. Meanwhile, harmful impacts from the cyber space should definitely be avoided.注意：此部分试题在答题卡1上Part II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and scanning) (15 minutes)Supersize surpriseAsk anyone why there is an obesity epidemic and they will tell you that it’s al down to eating too much and burning too few calories. That explanation appeals to common sense and has dominated efforts to get to the root of the obesity epidemic and reverse it/ yet obesity researchers are increasingly dissatisfied with it. Many now believe that something else must have changed in our environment to precipitate(促成) such dramatic rises in obesity over the past 40 years or so. Nobody is saying that the “big two” –reduced physical activity and increased availability of food –are not important contributors to the epidemic, but they cannot explain it all.Earlier this year a review paper by 20 obesity experts set out the 7 most plausible alternative explanations for the epidemic. Here they are.1. Not enough sleepIt is widely believed that sleep is for the brain, not the body. Could a shortage of shut-eye also be helping to make us fat?Several large-scale studies suggest there may be a link. People who sleep less than 7 hours a night tend to have a higher body mass index than people who sleep more, according to data gathered by the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Similarly, the US Nurses’ Health Study, which tracked 68,000 women for 16 years, found that those who slept an average of 5 hours a night gained more weight during the studyperiod than women who slept 6 hours, who in turn gained more than whose who slept 7.It’s well known that obesity impairs sleep, so perhaps people get fa t first and sleep less afterwards. But the nurses’ study suggests that it can work in the other direction too: sleep loss may precipitate weight gain.Although getting figures is difficult, it appears that we really are sleeping less. In 1960 people in the US slept an average of 8.5 hours per night. A 2002 poll by the National Sleep Foundation suggests that the average has fallen to under 7 hours, and the decline is mirrored by the increase in obesity.2. Climate controlWe humans, like all warm-blooded animals, can keep our core body temperatures pretty much constant regardless of what’s going on in the world around us. We do this by altering our metabolic(新陈代新的) rate, shivering or sweating. Keeping warm and staying cool take energy unless we are in the “th ermo-neutral zone”, which is increasingly where we choose to live and work.There is no denying that ambient temperatures(环境温度) have changed in the past few decades. Between 1970 and 2000, the average British home warmed from a chilly 13C to 18C. In the US, the changes have been at the other end of the thermometer as the proportion of homes with air conditionings rose from 23% to 47% between 1978 and 1997. In the southern states – where obesity rates tend to be highest – the number of houses with air conditioning has shot up to 71% from 37% in 1978.Could air conditioning in summer and heating in winter really make a difference to our weight?Sadly，there is some evidence that it does-at least withregard to heating. Studies show that in comfortable temperatures we use less energy.3.Less smokingBad news: smokers really do tend to be thinner than the rest of us,and quitting really does pack on the pounds, though no one isn sure why. It probably has something to do with the fact that nicotine is an appetite suppressant and appears to up your metabolic rate.Katherine Flegal and colleagres at the US National Center for Health Statistics in Hyattsville,Maryland, have calculated that people kicking the habit have been respousible for a small but significant portion of the US epidemic of fatness.From data collected aroud 1991 by the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey,they worked out that people who had quit in the previous decade were much more likely to be overweight than smokers and people who had never smoked .Among men, for example, nearly half of quitters were overweight compared with 37% of non-smokers and only 28%of smokers.4. Genetic effectsYours chances of becoming fat may be set,at least in part,before you were even born.children of boese mothers are much more likely to become obest themselves later in life.Offspring of mice fed a high-fat diet during pregnancy are much more likely to become fat than the offspring of identical mice fed a normal diet. Intriguingly,the effect persists for two or three generations.Grand-children of mice fed a high-fat diet grow up fat even if their own mother is fed normally-so you fate may have been sealed even before you were conceived.5.A little older…Some groups of people just happen to be fatter thanothers.surveys carried out by the US national center for health statisties found that adults aged 40 to 79 were around three times as likely to be obese as younger people.non-white females also tend to fall at the fatter end of the spectreum:Mexican-american women are 30% more likely than white women to be obsess,and black women have twice the risk.In the US,these groups account for an increasing percentage of the population.between 1970 and 2000 the US population aged 35 to 44 grew by 43%.the proportion of Hispanic-americans also grew,from under 5% to 12.5% of the population,while the proportion of black Americans increased from 11% to 12.3%.these changes may account in part for the increased prevalence of obesity.6.mature mumsMothers around the world are getting older.in the UK,the mean age for aving a frist child is 27.3,compared with 23.7 in 1970 .mean age at frist birth in the US has also increased, rising from 21.4 in 1970 to 24.9 in 2000.This would be neither here nor there if it were’t for the observation that having an older mother seems to be an independent risk factor for obesity. Results from the US national heart,lung and blood institute’s study found that the odds of a child being obese increase 14% for every five extra years of their mother’s age , though why this should be so is not entirely clear.Michael Symonds at the university of Nottingham,UK,found that first-bron children have more fat than younger ones. As family size decreases, firstbrons account for a greather share of the population. In 1964, british women gave birth to an average of 2.95 children;by 2005 that figure had fallen to 1.79. in the US in 1976, 9.6% of woman in their 40s had only one chile;in 2004 itwas 17.4%. this combination of older mothers and more single children could be contributing to the obesity epidemic.7.Like marrying likeJust as people pair off according to looks, so they do for size. Lean people are more likely to marry lean an d fat more likely to marry fat. On its own, like marrying like cannot account for any increase in obesity. But combined with others- particularly the fact that obesity is partly genetic, and that heavier people have more children-it amplifies the increase form other causes.1. A.effects of obesity on people’s healthB.the link between lifestyle an obesityC.New explanations for the obesity epidemicD.possible ways to combat the obesity epidemic2. A.gained the least weightB.were inclined to eat lessC.found their vigor enhancedD.were less susceptible to illness3. A.it makes us sleepyB.it causes sleep lossC.it increases our appetiteD.it results from lack of sleep4. A.it makes us stay indoors moreB.it accelerates our metabolic rateC.it makes us feel more energeticD.it contributes to our weight gain5. A.it threatens their healthB.it heightens their spiritsC.it suppresses their appetiteD.it slows down their metabolism6. A.heavy smokersB.passive smokersC.those who never smokeD.those who quit smoking7. A.the growing number of smokers among young peopleB.the rising proportion of minorities in its populationC.the increasing consumption of high-calorie foodsD.the improving living standards of the poor people8.according to the US National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, the reason why older mothers’ children tend to be obese remains not entirely clear9.According to Michael Symonds, one factor contributing to the obesity epidemic is decrease of family size10 when two heavy people get married, chances of their children getting fat increase, because obesity is party genetiz。
Cet-6 2008年12月听力原文、答案与详解
2008年12月Cet-6听力原文、答案与详解Listening ComprehensionSECTION A8 short conversations11. A) He is quite easy to recognize.B) He is an outstanding speaker.C) He looks like a movie star.D) He looks young for his age.答案：AM: I’m asked to pick up the gu est speaker Bob Russel at the airport this afternoon; do you know what he looks like?W: Well, he’s in his sixties, he stands out, he’s bald, tall and thin and has a beard(络腮胡).Q: What do we conclude from the woman’s remarks about Bob Russel?12. A) consult her dancing teacherB) take a more interesting classC) continue her dancing classD) improve her dancing skills答案：CM: I am considering dropping my dancing class. I am not making any progress.W: If I were you, I stick with it. It’s definitel y worth time and effort.Q: What does the man suggest the woman do?13. A) the man did not believe what the woman saidB) the man accompanied the woman to the hospitalC) the woman may be suffering from repetitive strain injuryD) the woman may not followed the doctor’s instructions答案：DW: You see I still have this pain in my back, this medicine the doctor gave me was supposed to make me feel better by now.M: Maybe you should’ve taken it three times a day as you were told.Q: What do we learn from the conversation?14. A) they are not in style（别具风格的，时髦的）any moreB) they have cost him far too muchC) they no longer suit his eyesightD) they should be cleaned regularly答案：CM: Frankly, when I sat the back of the classroom, I can’t see the words on the board clearly.W: Well, you’ve been wearing those same glasses as long as I’ve known you. Why not get a new pair? It wouldn’t cost you too much.Q: What does the woman imply about the man’s glasses?15. A) he spilled his drink onto the floorB) he has just finished wiping the floorC) he was caught in a shower on his way homeD) he rushed out of the bath to answer the phone答案：DW: How come the floor is so wet? I almost slipped, what happened?M: Oh, sorry! The phone rang the moment I got into the shower; anyway, I’ll wipe it up right now.Q: Why was the floor wet according to the man?16. A) fixing some furnitureB) repairing the toy trainC) reading the instructionsD) assembling the bookcase答案：DM: The instructions on the package say that you need to do some assembly yourself.I’ve spent all afternoon trying in vain to put this bookcase together.W: I know what you mean, last time I tried to assemble(装配，组装) a toy train for my son and I almost gave up.Q: What does the man find difficult?17. A) urge Jenny to spend more time on studyB) help Jenny to prepare for the coming examsC) act towards Jenny in a more sensible wayD) send Jenny to a volleyball training center答案：AM: I’m getting worried about Jenny’s school work. All she talks about these days is volleyball games and all she does is practice, training and things like that.W: Her grades on the coming exams will fall for sure. It’s high time we talk(ed) some sense to her.Q: What are the speakers probably going to do?18. A) The building of the dam needs a large budgetB) The proposed site is near the residential areaC) The local people feel insecure about the damD) The dam poses a threat to the local environment答案：CW: Do you understand why the local people are opposed to the new dam (水坝) up the river?M: They are worried about the potential danger if the dam should break. The river is very wide above the proposed site.Q: What do we learn from the conversation?2 long conversationsConversation 1W: Mr. White, what changes have you seen in the champagne market in the last ten to fifteen years?M: Well the biggest change has been the decrease in sales since the great boom (（贸易和经济活动的）激增，繁荣) years of the 1980s when champagne production and sales reached record levels.W: Which was the best year?M: Well the record was in 1989 when 249 million bottles of champagne was sold.The highest production level was reached in 1990 with a total of 293 million bottles. Of course since those boom years(景气年份；繁荣时期)sales have fallen.W: Has the market been badly hit by the recession (（经济的）衰退，衰退期)? M: Oh certainly, the economic problems in champagnes’ export markets that’s Europe, the United States, Japan, and of course the domestic market in France, the economic problems have certainly been one reason for the decrease in champagne sales.W: And the other reasons?M: Another important factor has been price. In the early 90s, champagne was very overprice d（v.将…标价过高，索价过高）, so many people stop buying it. Instead they bought sparkling wines (起泡酒；汽酒) from other countries, in particular from Australia and Spain. And then there was another problem for champagne in the e arly 90s.W: What was that?M: There was a lot of rather bad champagne on the market. This meant the popularity of good sparkling wines increased even more. People was surprised by their quality and of course they were a lot cheaper than champagne.W: Do you think the champagne market will recover in the future?M: Oh, I’m sure it will. When the econo mic situation improves, I believe the market will recover.19. What does the man say about champagne in the 1980s?A. It saw the end of its booming years worldwideB. Its production and sales reached record levels.C. It became popular in some foreign countriesD. Its domestic market started to shrink rapidly.答案：B20. Why did sparkling wines become more popular than champagne in the early 90s?A. They cost less.B. They tasted better.C. They were in fashion.D. They were widely advertised.答案：A21. What does the man think of the champagne market in the future?A. It is sure to fluctuate.B. It will remain basically stable.C. It is bound to revive.D. It will see no more monopoly答案：CConversation 2W: Right, well, in the studio this morning, for our interview spot is Peter Wilson.Peter works for Green Peace. So, Peter, welcome.M: Thanks a lot. It’s good to be here.W: Great! Now, Peter, perhaps you can tell us something about Green Peace and your job there.M: Sure. Well, I’ll start by telling you roughly what Green Peace is all about. I actually work in London for the Green Peace organization. We’ve been going fora few decades and we’re a non-violent, non-political organization. We’re involvedin anti-nuclear activity, conservation(对自然环境的保护) and protection ofanimals and protection and support of our eco-system. I’m the action organizer and arrange any protests.W: Right! A pretty important role, Peter. What sort of protest would you organize? M: Wel l, recently we’ve been involved in anti-nuclear campaigns. I, personally arranged for the demonstration against radioactive（放射性的）waste dumping in the Atlantic Ocean. We’ve got a few small Green Peace boats that we harass（不断攻击（敌人）；骚扰，侵袭）the dumping ship with.W: Say? Hold on, Peter. I thought you said your organization was non-violent. What do you mean by “harass”?M: Well, we circle round and round the ships and get in the way when they try to dump the drums（（装油或化学剂的）大桶）of nuclear waste in the sea. We talk to the men and try to change, you know, yell at them to stop. We generally make ourselves as much of a nuisance as possible.M: Well, people may think differently of your methods, but there’s no doubt you’re doing a great job. Keep it up and good luck. And thanks for talking with us.22. What is the man’s chief responsibility in the Green Peace organization?A. Organising protestsB. Recruiting membersC. Acting as its spokesman.D. Saving endangered animals.答案：A23. What has Green Peace been involved in recently?A. Anti-animal-abuse demonstrationsB. Surveying the Atlantic Ocean floorC. Anti-nuclear campaignsD. Removing industrial waste.答案：C24. How does Green Peace try to stop people from dumping nuclear waste?A. By harassing them.B. By appealing to the publicC. By taking legal action.D. By resorting to force.答案：A25. What is the woman’s attitude towards the Green Peace’s campaigns?A. DoubtfulB. Reserved（adj.预订的; 矜持的）C. Indifferent.D. Supportive答案：DSECTION BpassagesPassage oneTo find out what the weather is going to be, most people go straight to the radio, television, or newspaper to get an expert weather forecast. But if you know what to look for, you can use your own senses to make weather predictions. There are many signs that can help you. For example, in fair(（风向）顺的，（天气）晴朗的) weather the air pressure is generally high, the air is still and often full of dust, and far away objects may look vague(adj.模糊的). But when the storm is brew ing(v.酝酿), the pressure drops, and you are often able to see things more clearly. Sailors took note of this long ago, and came up with the saying, “The farther the sight, the nearer the rain.（看得越远,风雨越近）” Yo ur sense of smell can also help you detect the weather changes. Just before it rains, odor s（n. 气味）become stronger, this is because odors are repress ed（v.抑制; 压抑; 镇压）in a fair high pressure center. When a bad weather low moves in, air pressure lessen s(v.变小，减弱) and odors are released. You can also hear an approaching storm. Sounds bounce off heavy storm clouds and return to earth with increased force. An old saying describes it this way, “Sounds traveling far and wide a stormy day will be tied”（声音传得远而广,暴风雨就不远了）. And don’t laugh at your grandmother if she says she can feel a storm coming. It is commonly known that many people feel pains in their bones or joints while the humidity((空气中的)湿度) rises, the pressure drops, and bad weather is on the way.26. Why does the speaker say we can see far away objects more clearly as a storm isapproaching?A. The air becomes still.B. The air pressure is low.C. The clouds block the sun.D. The sky appears brighter.答案：B27. What does the speaker want to show by quoting a couple of old sayings?A. Ancient people were better at foretelling the weather.B. Sailors’ saying about the weather are unreliable.C. People knew long ago how to predict the weather.D. It was easier to forecast the weather in the old days.答案：C28. What does the passage mainly talk about?A. Weather forecast is getting more accurate today.B. People can predict the weather by their sensesC. Who are the real experts in weather forecast.D. Weather changes affe ct people’s life remarkably答案：BPassage twoMany days seem to bring numerous tasks and responsibilities. All of which apparently must be tackled right away. You spend a day putting out files, but by the end of the day, you haven’t accomplished any of the really important things you set out to do. In desperation, you draft a “to-do” list, but most days, you can make little progress with it. When you look at the list each morning, a big fat cloud of doom(n.厄运; 命运; 死亡) is right at the top. Those difficult, complex, important tasks, that are so crucial to get done, and so easy to avoid. Plenty of us create a “to-do” list to address feelings of being overwhelme d（v.压倒; 压垮; 淹没）, but we rarely use these tools to their best effect. They wind out（使摆脱，解救）being guilt-provoking reminders of the fact that we are over-commit ted（使做出过分承诺，使过分承担义务；使卷入过深）and losing control of our priorities. According to Timothy Pikle, a professor of psychology at Carlton University in Ottawa, people often draw up a “to-do” list, and then that’s it. The list itself becomes the day’s achievement, allowing us to feel we’ve done something useful without taking on any real work. In fact, drawing up the list becomes a way of avoiding the work itself. Too often, the list is seen as the accomplishment for the day, reducing the immediate guilt of not working on the tasks at hand by investing energy in the list, says Pikle. When a list is used like this, it’s simply another way in which we lie to ourselves.29. What is the problem that troubles many people nowadays according to thespeaker?A. They often feel insecure about their jobs.B. They are unable to decide what to do first.C. ?D. They feel burdened with numerous tasks every day.答案：D30. According to the speaker, what too many people do to cope with their daily tasks?A. Analyze them rationally.B. Draw a detailed to-do list.C. Turn to others for help.D. Handle them one by one.答案：B31. According to psychologist Timothy Pikle, what do people find by the end of the day?A. They have accomplished little.B. They feel utterly exhausted.C. They have worked out a way to relax.D. They no longer feel any sense of guilt.答案：APassage ThreeIn many stressful situations, the body’s responses can improv e our performance. We become more energetic, more alert, better able to take effective action. But when stress is encountered continually, the body’s reactions are more likely to be harmful than helpful to us. The continual speeding up of bodily reactions and production of stress related hormones seem to make people more susceptible(易受……影响的) to heart disease. And stress reactions can reduce the disease fighting effectiveness of the body’s immune system, thereby increasing susceptibility(易受影响或损害的状态) to illnesses ranging from colds to cancer. Stress may also contribute to disease in less direct ways by influencing moods and behavior. People under stress may become anxious or depressed, and as a result may eat too much or too little, have sleep difficulties or fail to exercise. These behavioral changes may in turn be harmful to the health. In addition, people are more likely to pay attention to certain bodily sensations such as aches and pains when they are under stress and to think that they’re sick. If the person were not under stress, the same bodily sensations might not be perceived as symptoms and the person might continue to feel well. Some researchers have suggested that assuming the role of a sick person is one way in which certain people try to cope with stress. Instead of dealing with the stressful situation directly, these people fall sick. After all, it is often more acceptably in our society to be sick and to seek medical help than it is to admit that one can not cope with the stresses of life.32. What does the speaker say about people who encounter stress once in a while?A. Their performance may improve.B. Their immune system may be reinforcedC. Their blood pressure may rise all of a sudden.D. Their physical development may be enhanced.答案：A33. What does the speaker say frequent stress reactions may lead to?A. Improved mental functioningB. Increased susceptibility to diseaseC. Speeding up of blood circulationD. Reduction of stress-related hormones答案：B34. What are people more likely to do when they are under stress?A. Pretend to be in better shape.B. Have more physical exercise.C. Turn more often to friends for helpD. Pay more attention to bodily sensations.答案：D35. What does the passage mainly talk about?A. Different approaches to coping with stress.B. Various causes for serious health problems.C. The relationship between stress and illness.D. New finding of medical research on stress.答案：CSECTION COne of the most common images of an advanced, Western-style culture is that of a busy, traffic-filled city. Since their first（36）appearance on American roadways, automobiles have become a（37）symbol of progress, a source of thousands of jobs and an almost inalienable right for citizens’ personal freedom of movement. In recent （38）decades, our “love affair” with the car is being（39）exported directly to the developing world, and it is increasingly（40）apparent that this transfer is leading to disaster.American’s almost complete dependence on automobiles has been a terrible mistake. As late as the 1950s, a large（41）percentage of the American public used mass transit（公共交通，公共交通工具（总称），大量客运）. A（42）combination of public policy decision s（公共政策决策）and corporate scheming（企业策划）saw to it that countless（43）convenient and efficient urban streetcar and intra-city rail systems were dismantle d（拆除）.（44）Our air quality now suffers from the effects of pollutants emitted directly from our cars. Our lives have been planned along a road grid— homes far from work, shopping far from everything, with ugly stretches of concrete and blacktop in between.Developing countries are copying Western-style transportation systems down to the last detail.（45）The problems caused by motorized vehicles in the West are often magnified（adj.放大了的）in developing nations. Pollution control measures are either not strict or nonexistent, leading to choking clouds of smog. Gasoline still contains lead（n.铅）, which is extremely poisonous to humans.（46）Movement insome cities comes to a virtual standstill（n.停顿; 停止，停滞）as motorized traffic competes with bicycles and pedestrian s（n.行人; 步行者）.In addition to pollution and traffic jams, auto safety is a critical issue in developing nations.。
英语6级2008年12月六级真题及答案(A卷)
2008年12月六级真题及答案(A卷)Part I writing(30minutes)How to improve student's mental health1、大学生的心理健康十分重要2、因此，学校可以......3、我们自己应当......注意：此部分试题在答题卡1上Part II Reading Comprehension(Skimming and scanning)(15minutes)Supersize surpriseAsk anyone why there is an obesity epidemic and they will tell you that it’s al down to eating too much and burning too few calories.That explanation appeals to common sense and has dominated efforts to get to the root of the obesity epidemic and reverse it/yet obesity researchers are increasingly dissatisfied with it.Many now believe that something else must have changed in our environment to precipitate(促成)such dramatic rises in obesity over the past40years or so.Nobody is saying that the“big two”–reduced physical activity and increased availability of food–are not important contributors to the epidemic,but they cannot explain it all.Earlier this year a review paper by20obesity experts set out the7most plausible alternative explanations for the epidemic.Here they are.1.Not enough sleepIt is widely believed that sleep is for the brain,not the body.Could a shortage of shut-eye also be helping to make us fat?Several large-scale studies suggest there may be a link.People who sleep less than7hours a night tend to have a higher body mass index than people who sleep more,according to data gathered by the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.Similarly,the US Nurses’Health Study,which tracked68,000women for16years,found that those who slept an average of5hours a night gained more weight during the study period than women who slept6hours,who in turn gained more than whose who slept7.It’s well known that obesity impairs sleep,so perhaps people get fat first and sleep less afterwards.But the nurses’study suggests that it can work in the other direction too:sleep loss may precipitate weight gain.Although getting figures is difficult,it appears that we really are sleeping less.In1960people in the US slept an average of8.5hours per night.A2002poll by the National Sleep Foundation suggests that the average has fallen to under7hours,and the decline is mirrored by the increase in obesity.2.Climate controlWe humans,like all warm-blooded animals,can keep our core body temperatures pretty much constant regardless of what’s going on in the world around us.We do this by altering our metabolic(新陈代新的)rate,shivering or sweating.Keeping warm and staying cool take energy unless we are in the “thermo-neutral zone”,which is increasingly where we choose to live and work.There is no denying that ambient temperatures(环境温度)have changed in the past few decades. Between1970and2000,the average British home warmed from a chilly13C to18C.In the US,the changes have been at the other end of the thermometer as the proportion of homes with air conditionings rose from23%to47%between1978and1997.In the southern states–where obesity rates tend to be highest –the number of houses with air conditioning has shot up to71%from37%in1978.Could air conditioning in summer and heating in winter really make a difference to our weight?Sadly，there is some evidence that it does-at least with regard to heating.Studies show that in comfortable temperatures we use less energy.3.Less smokingBad news:smokers really do tend to be thinner than the rest of us,and quitting really does pack on the pounds,though no one isn sure why.It probably has something to do with the fact that nicotine is an appetite suppressant and appears to up your metabolic rate.Katherine Flegal and colleagres at the US National Center for Health Statistics in Hyattsville,Maryland,have calculated that people kicking the habit have been respousible for a small but significant portion of the US epidemic of fatness.From data collected aroud1991by the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey,they worked out that people who had quit in the previous decade were much more likely to be overweight than smokers and people who had never smoked.Among men,for example,nearly half of quitters were overweight compared with37%of non-smokers and only28%of smokers.4.Genetic effectsYours chances of becoming fat may be set,at least in part,before you were even born.children of boese mothers are much more likely to become obest themselves later in life.Offspring of mice fed a high-fat diet during pregnancy are much more likely to become fat than the offspring of identical mice fed a normal diet.Intriguingly,the effect persists for two or three generations.Grand-children of mice fed a high-fat diet grow up fat even if their own mother is fed normally-so you fate may have been sealed even before you were conceived.5.A little older…Some groups of people just happen to be fatter than others.surveys carried out by the US national center for health statisties found that adults aged40to79were around three times as likely to be obese as younger people.non-white females also tend to fall at the fatter end of thespectreum:Mexican-american women are30%more likely than white women to be obsess,and black women have twice the risk.In the US,these groups account for an increasing percentage of the population.between1970and 2000the US population aged35to44grew by43%.the proportion of Hispanic-americans also grew,from under5%to12.5%of the population,while the proportion of black Americans increased from11%to 12.3%.these changes may account in part for the increased prevalence of obesity.6.mature mumsMothers around the world are getting older.in the UK,the mean age for aving a frist child is 27.3,compared with23.7in1970.mean age at frist birth in the US has also increased,rising from 21.4in1970to24.9in2000.This would be neither here nor there if it were’t for the observation that having an older mother seems to be an independent risk factor for obesity.Results from the US national heart,lung and blood institute’s study found that the odds of a child being obese increase14%for every five extra years of their mother’s age,though why this should be so is not entirely clear.Michael Symonds at the university of Nottingham,UK,found that first-bron children have more fat than younger ones.As family size decreases,firstbrons account for a greather share of the population. In1964,british women gave birth to an average of2.95children;by2005that figure had fallen to 1.79.in the US in1976,9.6%of woman in their40s had only one chile;in2004it was17.4%.this combination of older mothers and more single children could be contributing to the obesity epidemic.7.Like marrying likeJust as people pair off according to looks,so they do for size.Lean people are more likely to marry lean an d fat more likely to marry fat.On its own,like marrying like cannot account for any increase in obesity.But combined with others-particularly the fact that obesity is partly genetic, and that heavier people have more children-it amplifies the increase form other causes.1.A)effects of obesity on people’s healthB)the link between lifestyle an obesityC)New explanations for the obesity epidemicD)possible ways to combat the obesity epidemic2.A)gained the least weightB)were inclined to eat lessC)found their vigor enhancedD)were less susceptible to illness3.A)it makes us sleepyB)it causes sleep lossC)it increases our appetiteD)it results from lack of sleep4.A)it makes us stay indoors moreB)it accelerates our metabolic rateC)it makes us feel more energeticD)it contributes to our weight gain5.A)it threatens their healthB)it heightens their spiritsC)it suppresses their appetiteD)it slows down their metabolism6.A)heavy smokersB)passive smokersC)those who never smokeD)those who quit smoking7.A)the growing number of smokers among young peopleB)the rising proportion of minorities in its populationC)the increasing consumption of high-calorie foodsD)the improving living standards of the poor people8.according to the US National Heart,Lung and Blood Institute,the reason why older mothers’children tend to be obese remains not entirely clear9.According to Michael Symonds,one factor contributing to the obesity epidemic is decrease of family size10when two heavy people get married,chances of their children getting fat increase,because obesity is party genetizPart III Listening ComprehensionSection A11.A)He is quite easy to recognizeB)he is an outstanding speakerC)he looks like a movie starD)he looks young for his age12.A)consult her dancing teacherB)take a more interesting classC)continue her dancing classD)improve her dancing skills13.A)the man did not believe what the woman saidB)the man accompanied the woman to the hospitalC)the woman may be suffering from repetitive strain injuryD)the woman may not followed the doctor’s instructions14.A)they are not in style any moreB)they have cost him far too muchC)they no longer suit his eyesightD)they should be cleaned regularly15.A)he spilled his drink onto the floorB)he has just finished wiping the floorC)he was caught in a shower on his way homeD)he rushed out of the bath to answer the phone16.A)fixing some furnitureB)repairing the toy trainC)reading the instructionsD)assembling the bookcase17.A)urge Jenny to spend more time on studyB)help Jenny to prepare for the coming examsC)act towards Jenny in a more sensible wayD)send Jenny to a volleyball training center18.A)The building of the dam needs a large budgetB)the proposed site is near the residential areaC)the local people fel insecure about the damD)the dam poses a threat to the local environmentQuestion19to21are based on the conversation you have just heard19 A.It saw the end of its booming years worldwideB.Its production and sales reached record levels.C.It became popular in some foreign countriesD.Its domestic market started to shrink rapidly.20. A.They cost less. C.They were in fashion.B.They tasted better. D.They were widely advertised.21. A.It is sure to fluctuate. C.It will remain basically stable.B.It is bound to revive. D.It will see no more monopoly22. anising protests C.Acting as its spokesman.B.Recruiting members D.Saving endangered animals.23. A.Anti-animal-abuse demonstrations B.Anti-nuclear campaignsC.Surveying the Atlantic Ocean floorD.Removing industrial waste.24. A.By harassing them. C.By taking legal action.B.By appealing to the public D.By resorting to force.25. A.Doubtful C.Indifferent.B.Reserved D.Supportive26.A,The air becomes still. C.The clouds block the sun.B.The air pressure is low. D.The sky appears brighter.27. A.Ancient people were better at foretelling the weather.B.Sailors’saying about the weather are unreliable.C.People knew long ago how to predict the weather.D.It was easiter to forecast the weather in the old days.28 A.Weather forecast is getting more accurate today.B.People can predict the weather by their sensesC.Who are the real esperts in weather forecast.D.Weather changes affect people’s life remarkably29. A.They often feel insecure about their jobs.B.They are unable to decide what to do first.C.They are feel burdened with numerous tasks every day.D they feel burdened with numerous tasks every day30 A.Analyze them rationally. C.Turn to others for help.B.Draw a detailed to-do list. D.Handle them one by one.31. A.They have accomplished little. C.They have worked out a way to relax.B.They feel utterly exhausted. D.They no longer feel any sense of guilt.32. A.Their performance may improve.B.Their immune system may be reinforcedC.Their blood pressure may rise all of a sudden.D.Their physical development may be enhanced.33. A.Improved mental functioning C.Speeding up of blood circulationB.Increased susceptibility to disease D.Reduction of stress-related hormones34. A.Pretend to be in better shape. C.Turn more often to friends for helpB.Have more physical exercise. D.Pay more attention to bodily sensations.35. A.Different approaches to coping with stress.B.Various causes for serious health problems.C.The relationship between stress and illness.D.New finding of medical research on stress.Part IV Reading Comprehension(Reading in Depth)(25minutes)Section AQuestions47to51are based on the following passage.One of the major producers of athletic footwear,with2002sales of over$10billion,is a company called Nike,with corporate headquarters in Beaverton,Oregon.Forbes magazine identified Nike’s president,Philip Knight,as the53rd-richest man in the world in2004.But Nike has not always been a large multimillion-dollar organization.In fact,Knight started the company by selling shoes from the back of his car at track meets.In the late1950s Philip Knight was a middle-distance runner on the University of Oregon track team,coached by Bill Bowerman.One of the top track coaches in the U.S.,Bowerman was also known for experimenting with the design of running shoes in an attempt to make them lighter and moreshock-absorbent.After attending Oregon,Knight moved on to do graduate work at Stanford University; his MBA thesis was on marketing athletic shoes.Once he received his degree,Knight traveled to Japan to contact the Onitsuka Tiger Company,a manufacturer of athletic shoes.Knight convinced the company’s officials of the potential for its product in the U.S.In1963he received his first shipment of Tiger shoes,200pairs in total.In1964,Knight and Bowerman contributed$500each to from Blue Ribbon Sports,the predecessor of Nike.In the first few years,Knight distributed shoes out of his car at local track meets.The first employees hired by Knight were former college athletes.The company did not have the money to hire“experts”,and there was no established athletic footwear industry in North America from which to recruit those knowledgeable in the field.In its early years the organization operated in an unconventional manner that characterized its innovative and entrepreneurial approach to the industry. Communication was informal;people discussed ideas and issues in the hallways,on a run,or over a beer.There was little task differentiation.There were no job descriptions,rigid reporting systems, or detailed rules and regulations.The team spirit and shared values of the athletes on Bowerman’s teams carried over and provided the basis for the collegial style of management that characterized the early years of Nikes.47.While serving as a track coach,Bowerman tried to design running shoes that were lighter and more shock-absorbent.48.During his visit to Japan,Knight convinced the officials of the Onitsuka Tiger Company that its product would have potentials in the U.S.49.Blue Ribbon Sports as unable to hire experts due to the absence of established athletic footwear in North America.50.In the early years of Nike,communication within the company was usually carried out informally.51.What qualities of Bowerman’s teams formed the basis of Nike’s early management style?The team spirit and shared valves of the athlets.Passage onequestions52to56are based on the following passagesustainable development is applied to just about eberything from energy to clean water and economic growth,and as a result it has become difficult to question either the basic assumptions behind it or the way the concept is put to use.this is especially true in agriculture,where sustainable development is often taken as the sole measure of progress without a proper appreciation of histrorcal and cultural perspectives.To start with,it is important to remember that the nature of agriculture has changed markedly throughout history,and will continue to do so.medieval agriculture in northern Europe fed,clothed and shelered a predominantly rural society with a much lower population density than it is today.it had minimal effect on biodiversity,and any pollution it caused was typically localized.in termsof energy use and the nutrients captured in the product it was relatively inefficient.Contrast this with farming since the start of the industrial petion from overseas led farmers to specialize and increase yields.throughout this period food became cheaper,safe and more reliable.however,these changes have alsoled to habitat loss and to diminishing biodiversity.What’smore,demand for animal products in developing countrics is growing so fast that meeting it will require an extra300million tons of grain a year by2050.yet the growth of cities and in dustry is reducing the amount of water available for agriculture in many regions.All this means that agriculture in the21st century will have to be very different from how it was in the20th.this will require radical thinking.for example,we need to move away from the idea that traditional practices are inevitably more sustainable than new ones.we also need to abandon the notion that agriculture can be“zero impact”.The key will be to abandon the rather simple and static measures of sustainability,which centre on the need to maintain production without increasing damage.instead we need a more dynamic interpretation,one that looks at the pros and cons of all the various way land is used.there are many different ways to measure agricultural performance besides food yield:energy use,environmental costs,water purity,carbon footprint and biodiversity.It is clear,for example,that the carbon of transporting tomatoes from spain to the UKIs less than that of producing them in the UK with additional heating and lighting.but we do not know whether lower carbon footprints will always be better for biodiversity.What is crucial is recognizing that sustainable agriculture is not just about sustainable food production.52.How do people ofen measure progress in agriculture?A)By its productivity C)By its impact on the environmetB)By its sustainability D)By its contribution to economic growth53.Specialisation and the effort to incease yields have esulted in________.A)Localised pollution C)competition from overseasB)the shrinking of farmland D)the decrease of biodiversity54.What does the author think of traditional farming practices?A)They have remained the same over the centuriesB)They have not kept pace with population growthC)They are not necessarily sustainableD)They are environmentally friendly55.What will agriculture be like in the21st centuryA)It will go through radical changesB)It will supply more animal productsC)It will abandon traditional farming practicesD)It will cause zero damage to the environment56What is the author’s purpose in writing this passage?A)To remind people of the need of sustainable developmentB)To suggest ways of ensuring sustainable food productionC)To adance new criteria for measuring farming progressD)To urge people to rethink what sustainable agriculture isPassage TwoQuestions57to61are based on the following passageThe percentage of immigrants(including those unlawfully present)in the United states has been creeping upward for years.At12.6percent,it is now higher than at any point ince the mid1920sWe are not about to go back to the days when Congress openly worried about inferior races polluing America’s bloodstream.But once again we are wondering whether we have too many of the wrong sort fo necomers.Their loudest citecs argue that the new wave of immigrants cannot,and indeed do not want to,fit in as previous generations did.We now know that these racist views were wrong.In time,Italians,Romanians and members of other so-called inferior races became exemplary Americans and contributed greatly,in ways too numerous to detail,to the building of this magnificent nation.There is no reason why these new immigrants should not have the same success.Although children of Mexican immigrants do better,in terms of educational and professional attainment,than thir parents UCLA sociologist Edward Telles has found that the gains don’t continme. Indeed,the fouth generation is marginally worse off than the third James Jackson,of the University of Michigan,has foud a simila rend among black Caribbean immigrants,Tells fears that Mexican-Americans may be fated to follow in the footsteps of American blacks-that largeparts of the community may become mired in a seemingly state of poverty and Underachievement.Like African-Americans,Mexican-americans are increasingly relegated to(降入)segregated,substandyrd schools,and their dropout rate is the highest for any儿童会nic group in the country.We have learned much about the foolish idea of excluding people on the presumption of the ethnic/racial inferiority.But what we have not yet learned is how to make the process of Americanization work for all.I am not talking about requiring people to learn English or to adopt American ways;those things happen pretty much on their own,but as arguments about immigration hear up the campaign trail, we also ought to ask some broader question about assimilation,about ho wto ensure that people,once outsiders,don’t fovever remain marginalized within these shores.That is a much larger question than what should happen with undocumented workers,or how best to secure the border,and it is one that affects not only newcomers but groups that have been here for generations.It will have more impact on our future than where we decide to set the admissions bar for the lasest ware of would-be Americans.And it would be nice if we finally got the answer right.57.How were immigrants viewed by U.S.Congress in early days?A)They were of inferior races.B)They were a Source of political corruption.C)They were a threat to the nation’s security.D)They were part of the nation’s bloodstream.58.What does the author think of the new immigrants?A)They will be a dynamic work force in the U.S.B)They can do just as well as their predecessors.C)They will be very disappointed on the new land.D)They may find it hard to fit into the mainstream.59.What does Edward Telles’research say about Mexican-Americans?A)They may slowlu improve from generation to generation.B)They will do better in terms of deucationl attainment.C)They will melt into the African-American community.D)They may forever remain poor and underachieving.60.What should be done to help the new immigrants?A)Rid them of their inferiority complex.B)Urge them to adopt American customs.C)prevent them from being marginalized.D)Teach them standard American English.61.According to the author,the burning issue concerning immigrationg is_______.A)how to deal with people entering the U.S.without documentsB)how to help immigrants to better fit into American societyC)how to stop illegal immigrants from crossing the corderD)how to limit the number of immigrants to enter the U.S.Part VIndividuals and businesses have legal protection for intellectual property they create and own. intellectual proper_62_from creative thinking and may include products,63processes,and ideas. Intellectual property is protected64misapproprition(盗用)Misappropriation is taking the Intellectual propetty of others withour____65____compensation and using it for monetary gain.Legal protection is provided for the___66___of intellectual propetty.The three common types of legal protection are patents,copyrights,and trademarks.Patents provide exclusive use of inventions.If the u.s patent office__67__a patent,it is confirmind that the intellectual property is___68____.The patent prevents others from making,using, or selling the invention without the owner’s__69___for a period of20years.Copyright are similar to patents__70___that they are applied to artistic works.A copyright protects the creator of an__72___artisitic or intellectual work,such as a song or a novel.A copyright gives the owner wxclusive rights to copy,__72___display,or perform the work.the copyright prevents others from using and selling the work,the__73___of a copyright is typically the lifetime of the author62retrievesdeviatesresultsdeparts63servicesreserversassumptionsmotions64forwithbyfrom65soundpartialduerandom66usersownersmastersexecutives67affordsaffiliatesfundsgrants68solemnsoberuniqueuniversal69perspectivepermissionconformityconsensus70exceptbesideseyonddespite71absolutealternativeoriginalorthodox72presumestimulatenominatedistribute73rangelengthscaleextent74an additional70years.74A)plus C)viaTrademarks are words,names,or symbols that B)versus D)untilIdentify the manufacturer of a product and75it75A)distract C)distinguish from similar goods of others.A servicemark is B)differ D)disconnect similar to a trademark76is used to identify76A)or C)soservices.A trademark prevents others from using B)but D)whereasthe77or a similar word,name,or symbol to77A)identical C)literalB)analogical D)paralleltake advantage of the recognition and78of the78A)ambiguity C)popularitybrand or to create confusion in the marketplace.B)utility D)proximity79registration,a trademark is usually granted79A)From C)BeforeB)Over D)Uponfor a period of ten years.It can be80for80A)recurred C)recalledB)renewed D)recoveredadditional ten-year periods indefinitely as81as81A)long C)farthe mark’s use continues.B)soon D)wellPart VI Translation(5minutes)Directions:Complete the sentences by translating into English the Chinese given in brackets.Please write your translation on Answer Sheet2注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答，只需写出译文部分。
2008.12六级真题
2008年12月大学英语六级考试真题Part I Writing （30 minutes）Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay entitled How To Improve Student's Mental Health?.You should write at least 150 words following the outline given below.1.大学生的心理健康十分重要2.因此，学校可以……3.我们自己应当……How To Improve Student's Mental Health?_____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _________________________________Part II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) (15 minutes)Directions:In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer Sheet 1.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.Supersize SurpriseAsk anyone why there is an obesity epidemic and they will tell you that it’s al down to eating too much and burning too few calories. That explanation appeals to common sense and has dominated efforts to get to the root of the obesity epidemic and reverse it. Yet obesity researchers are increasingly dissatisfied with it. Many now believe that something else must have changed in our environment to precipitate(促成) such dramatic rises in obesity over the past 40 years or so. Nobody is saying that the “big two” – reduced physical activity and increased availability of food – are not important contributors to the epidemic, but they cannot explain it all.Earlier this year a review paper by 20obesity experts set out the 7 most plausible alternative explanations for the epidemic. Here they are.1.Not enough sleepIt is widely believed that sleep is for the brain, not the body. Could a shortage of shut-eye also be helping to make us fat?Several large-scale studies suggest there may be a link. People who sleep less than 7 hours a night tend to have a higher body mass index than people who sleep more, according to data gathered by the US National Health and Nutrition Ex amination Survey. Similarly, the US Nurses’Health Study, which tracked 68,000 women for 16 years, found that those who slept an average of 5 hours a night gained more weight during the study period than women who slept 6 hours, who in turn gained more than whose who slept 7.It’s well known that obesity impairs sleep,so perhaps people get fat first and sleep less afterwards. But the nurses’ study suggests that it can work in the other direction too: sleep loss may precipitate weight gain.Although getting figures is difficult, it appears that we really are sleeping less. In 1960 people in the US slept an average of 8.5 hours per night. A 2002 poll by the National Sleep Foundation suggests that the average has fallen to under 7 hours, and the decline is mirrored by the increase in obesity.2.Climate controlWe humans, like all warm-blooded animals, can keep our core body temperatures pretty much constant regardless of what’s going on in the world around us. We do this by altering our metabolic(新陈代谢的) rate, shivering or sweating. Keeping warm and staying cool take energy unless we are in the “thermo-neutral zone”,which is increasingly where we choose to live and work.There is no denying that ambient temperatures(环境温度) have changed in the past few decades. Between 1970 and 2000, the average British home warmed from a chilly 13C to 18C. In the US, the changes have been at the other end of the thermometer as the proportion of homes with air conditioning rose from 23% to 47% between 1978 and 1997. In the southern states –where obesity rates tend to be highest – the number of houses with air conditioning has shot up to 71% from 37% in 1978.Could air conditioning in summer and heating in winter really make a difference to our weight?Sadly，there is some evidence that it does-at least with regard to heating. Studies show that in comfortable temperatures we use less energy.3.Less smokingBad news: smokers really do tend to be thinner than the rest of us, and quitting really does pack on the pounds, though no one is sure why. It probably has something to do with the fact that nicotine is an appetite suppressant and appears to up your metabolic rate.Katherine Flegal and colleagues at the US National Center for Health Statistics in Hyattsville, Maryland, have calculated that people kicking the habit have been responsible for a small but significant portion of the US epidemic of fatness. From data collected around 1991 by the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, they worked out that people who had quit in the previous decade were much more likely to be overweight than smokers and people who had never smoked .Among men, for example, nearly half of quitters were overweight compared with 37% of non-smokers and only 28%of smokers.4.Genetic effectsYours chances of becoming fat may be set, at least in part, before you were even born. Children of obese mothers are much more likely to become obese themselves later in life. Offspring of mice fed a high-fat diet during pregnancy are much more likely to become fat than the offspring of identical mice fed a normal diet. Intriguingly, the effect persists for two or three generations. Grandchildren of mice fed a high-fat diet grow up fat even if their own mother is fed normally-so you fate may have been sealed even before you were conceived.5.A little older…Some groups of people just happen to be fatter than others. Surveys carried out by the US national center for health statistics found that adults aged 40 to 79 were around three times aslikely to be obese as younger people. Non-white females also tend to fall at the fatter end of the spectrum: Mexican-American women are 30% more likely than white women to be obsess, and black women have twice the risk.In the US, these groups account for an increasing percentage of the population. Between 1970 and 2000 the US population aged 35 to 44 grew by43%.the proportion of Hispanic-Americans also grew, from under 5% to 12.5% of the population, while the proportion of black Americans increased from 11% to12.3%.these changes may account in part for the increased prevalence of obesity.6.Mature mumsMothers around the world are getting older. in the UK, the mean age for having a first child is 27.3,compared with 23.7 in 1970 .mean age at first birth in the US has also increased, rising from 21.4 in 1970 to 24.9 in 2000.This would be neither here nor there if it weren’t for the observation that having an older mother seems to be an independent risk factor for obesity. Results from the US national heart, lung and blood institute’s study found that the odds of a child being obese increase 14% for every five ex tra years of their mother’s age, though why this should be so is not entirely clear.Michael Symonds at the University of Nottingham, UK, found that first-born children have more fat than younger ones. As family size decreases, firstborns account for a greater share of the population. In 1964, British women gave birth to an average of 2.95 children; by 2005 that figure had fallen to 1.79. In the US in1976, 9.6% of woman in their 40s had only one child; in 2004 it was 17.4%. this combination of older mothers and more single children could be contributing to the obesity epidemic.7.Like marrying likeJust as people pair off according to looks, so they do for size. Lean people are more likely to marry lean and fat more likely to marry fat. On its own, like marrying like cannot account for any increase in obesity. But combined with others—particularly the fact that obesity is partly genetic, and that heavier people have more children—it amplifies the increase form other causes.1. What is the passage mainly about?A) E ffects of obesity on people’s healthB) The link between lifestyle and obesityC) New explanations for the obesity epidemicD) Possible ways to combat the obesity epidemic2. In the US N urse’ Health Study, women who slept an average of 7 hours a night_______.A) gained the least weightB) were inclined to eat lessC) found their vigor enhancedD) were less susceptible to illness3. The popular belief about obesity is that___________.A) it makes us sleepyB) it causes sleep lossC) it increases our appetiteD) it results from lack of sleep4. How does indoor heating affect our life?A) it makes us stay indoors moreB) it accelerates our metabolic rateC) it makes us feel more energeticD) it contributes to our weight gain5. What does the author say about the effect of nicotine on smokers?A) it threatens their healthB) it heightens their spiritsC) it suppresses their appetiteD) it slows down their metabolism6. Who are most likely to be overweight according to Katherine Fergal’s study?A) heavy smokersB) passive smokersC) those who never smokeD) those who quit smoking7. According to the US National Center for Health Statistics, the increased obesity in the US is a result of_______.A) the growing number of smokers among young peopleB) the rising proportion of minorities in its populationC) the increasing consumption of high-calorie foodsD) the improving living standards of the poor people8. According to the US National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, the reason why older mothers’ children tend to be obese remains __________.9. According to Michael Symonds, one factor contributing to the obesity epidemic is decrease of ___________.10. When two heavy people get married, chances of their children getting fat increase, because obesity is _____________.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) He is quite easy to recognizeB) He is an outstanding speakerC) He looks like a movie starD) He looks young for his age12. A) consult her dancing teacherB) take a more interesting classC) continue her dancing classD) improve her dancing skills13. A) the man did not believe what the woman saidB) the man accompanied the woman to the hospitalC) the woman may be suffering from repetitive strain injuryD) the woman may not followed the doctor’s instructions14. A) they are not in style any moreB) they have cost him far too muchC) they no longer suit his eyesightD) they should be cleaned regularly15. A) he spilled his drink onto the floorB) he has just finished wiping the floorC) he was caught in a shower on his way homeD) he rushed out of the bath to answer the phone16. A) fixing some furnitureB) repairing the toy trainC) reading the instructionsD) assembling the bookcase17. A) urge Jenny to spend more time on studyB) help Jenny to prepare for the coming examsC) act towards Jenny in a more sensible wayD) send Jenny to a volleyball training center18. A) The building of the dam needs a large budgetB) The proposed site is near the residential areaC) The local people feel insecure about the damD) The dam poses a threat to the local environmentQuestions 19 to 21 are based on the conversation you have just heard.19. A. It saw the end of its booming years worldwideB. Its production and sales reached record levels.C. It became popular in some foreign countriesD. Its domestic market started to shrink rapidly.20. A. They cost less. C. They were in fashion.B. They tasted better. D. They were widely advertised.21. A. It is sure to fluctuate. C. It will remain basically stable.B. It is bound to revive. D. It will see no more monopolyQuestions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.22. A. Organising protests C. Acting as its spokesman.B. Recruiting members D. Saving endangered animals.23. A. Anti-animal-abuse demonstrations B. Anti-nuclear campaignsC. Surveying the Atlantic Ocean floorD. Removing industrial waste.24. A. By harassing them. C. By taking legal action.B. By appealing to the public D. By resorting to force.25. A. Doubtful C. Indifferent.B. Reserved D. SupportiveSection BDirections: In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage, you willhear 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 28 are based on the passage you have just heard.26. A. The air becomes still. C. The clouds block the sun.B. The air pressure is low. D. The sky appears brighter.27. A. Ancient people were better at foretelling the weather.B. Sailors’ saying about the weather are unreliable.C. People knew long ago how to predict the weather.D. It was easier to forecast the weather in the old days.28. A. Weather forecast is getting more accurate today.B. People can predict the weather by their sensesC. Who are the real experts in weather forecast.D. Weather changes affect people’s life remarkablyPassage TwoQuestions 29 to 31 are based on the passage you have just heard.29. A. They often feel insecure about their jobs.B. They are unable to decide what to do first.C. They feel burdened with numerous tasks every day.D they feel burdened with numerous tasks every day30. A. Analyze them rationally. C. Turn to others for help.B. Draw a detailed to-do list. D. Handle them one by one.31. A. They have accomplished little. C. They have worked out a way to relax.B. They feel utterly exhausted. D. They no longer feel any sense of guilt.Passage ThreeQuestions 32 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.32. A. Their performance may improve.B. Their immune system may be reinforcedC. Their blood pressure may rise all of a sudden.D. Their physical development may be enhanced.33. A. Improved mental functioning C. Speeding up of blood circulationB. Increased susceptibility to disease D. Reduction of stress-related hormones34. A. Pretend to be in better shape. C. Turn more often to friends for helpB. Have more physical exercise. D. Pay more attention to bodily sensations.35. A. Different approaches to coping with stress.B. Various causes for serious health problems.C. The relationship between stress and illness.D. New finding of medical research on stress.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 havejust 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.One of the most common images of an advanced, Western-style culture is that of a busy, traffic-filled city. Since their first (36) ______ on American roadways, automobiles have become a (37) ______ of progress, a source of thousands of jobs and an almost inalienable right for citizens’ personal freedom of movement. In recent (38) _______, our “love affair” with the car is being (39) ________ directly to the developing world, and it is increasingly (40) _______ that this transfer is leading to disaster.American’s almost complete dependence on automobiles has been a terrible mistake. As late as the 1950s, a large (41) ________ of the American public used mass transit. A (42) ________ of public policy decisions and corporate scheming saw to it that countless (43) ________ and efficient urban streetcar and intra-city rail systems were dismantled. (44) ___________________________________________________. Our lives have been planned along a road grid—homes far from work, shopping far from everything, with ugly stretches of concrete and blacktop in between.Developing countries are copying Western-style transportation systems down to the last detail.(45) _________________________________________________________. Pollution control measures are either not strict or nonexistent, leading to choking clouds of smog. Gasoline still contains lead, which is extremely poisonous to humans. (46) _____________________________________________________________________.In addition to pollution and traffic jams, auto safety is a critical issue in developing nations. Part IV Reading Comprehension （Reading in Depth）（25 minutes）Section ADirections:In this section, there is a short passage with 5 questions or incomplete statements. Read the passage carefully. Then answer the questions or complete the statements in the fewest possible words. Please write your answers on Answer sheet 2.Questions 47 to 51 are based on the following passage.One of the major producers of athletic footwear, with 2002 sales of over $10 billion, is a company called Nike, with corporate headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon. Forbes magazine identified Nike’s president, Philip Knight, as the 53rd-richestman in the world in 2004. But Nike has not always been a large multimillion-dollar organization. In fact, Knight started the company by selling shoes from the back of his car at track meets.In the late1950s Philip Knight was a middle-distance runner on the University of Oregon track team, coached by Bill Bowerman. One of the top track coaches in the U.S., Bowerman was also known for experimenting with the design of running shoes in an attempt to make them lighter and more shock-absorbent. After attending Oregon, Knight moved on to do graduate work at Stanford University; his MBA thesis was on marketing athletic shoes. Once he received his degree, Knight traveled to Japan to contact the Onitsuka Tiger Company, a manufacturer of athletic shoes.Knight convinced the company’s officials of the potential for its product in the U.S. In 1963 he received his first shipment of Tiger shoes, 200 pairs in total.In 1964, Knight and Bowerman contributed $500 each to from Blue Ribbon Sports, the predecessor of Nike. In the first few years, Knight distributed shoes out of his car at local track meets. The first employees hired by Knight were former college athletes. The company did not have the money to hire “experts”, and there was no established athletic footwear industry in North America from which to recruit those knowledgeable in the field. In its early years the organization operated in an unconventional manner that characterized its innovative and entrepreneurial approach to the industry. Communication was informal; people discussed ideas and issues in the hallways, on a run, or over a beer. There was little task differentiation. There were no job descriptions, rigid reporting systems, or detailed rules and regulations. The team spirit and shared values of the athletes on Bowerman’s teams carried over and provided the basis for the collegial style of management that characterized the early years of Nikes.47. While serving as a track coach, Bowerman tried to design running shoes that were _____________________.48. During his visit to Japan, Knight convinced the officials of the Onitsuka Tiger Company that its product would have____________________________________.49. Blue Ribbon Sports as unable to hire experts due to the absence of____________________ in North America.50. In the early years of Nike, communication within the company was usually carried out____________.51. What qualities of Bowerman’s tea ms formed the basis of Nike’s early management style?_______________________________________________________________.Section BDirections:There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked [A], [B], [C] and [D]. You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 52 to 56 are based on the following passage.Sustainable development is applied to just about everything from energy to clean water and economic growth, and as a result it has become difficult to question either the basic assumptions behind it or the way the concept is put to use. This is especially true in agriculture, where sustainable development is often taken as the sole measure of progress without a proper appreciation of historical and cultural perspectives.To start with, it is important to remember that the nature of agriculture has changed markedly throughout history, and will continue to do so .medieval agriculture in northern Europe fed, clothed and sheltered a predominantly rural society with a much lower population density than it is today. It had minimal effect on biodiversity, and any pollution it caused was typically localized. In terms of energy use and the nutrients（营养成分）captured in the product it was relatively inefficient.Contrast this with farming since the start of the industrial revolution. Competition fromoverseas led farmers to specialize and increase yields. Throughout this period food became cheaper, safe and more reliable. However, these changes have also led to habitat（栖息地）loss and to diminishing biodiversity.What’s more, demand for animal products in developing countries is growing so fast that meeting it will require an extra 300 million tons of grain a year by 2050.yet the growth of cities and industry is reducing the amount of water available for agriculture in many regions.All this means that agriculture in the 21stcentury will have to be very different from how it was in the 20th.thiswill require radical thinking. For example, we need to move away from the idea that traditional practices are inevitably more sustainable than new ones. We also need to abandon the not ion that agriculture can be “zero impact”. The key will be to abandon the rather simple and static measures of sustainability, which centre on the need to maintain production without increasing damage.Instead we need a more dynamic interpretation, one that looks at the pros and cons（正反两方面）of all the various way land is used. There are many different ways to measure agricultural performance besides food yield: energy use, environmental costs, water purity, carbon footprint and biodiversity. It is clear, for example, that the carbon of transporting tomatoes from Spain to the UK is less than that of producing them in the UK with additional heating and lighting. But we do not know whether lower carbon footprints will always be better for biodiversity.What is crucial is recognizing that sustainable agriculture is not just about sustainable food production.52. How do people often measure progress in agriculture?A) By its productivity C) By its impact on the environmentB) By its sustainability D) By its contribution to economic growth53. Specialisation and the effort to increase yields have resulted in________.A) Localised pollution C) competition from overseasB) the shrinking of farmland D) the decrease of biodiversity54. What does the author think of traditional farming practices?A) They have remained the same over the centuriesB) They have not kept pace with population growthC) They are not necessarily sustainableD) They are environmentally friendly55. What will agriculture be like in the 21st centuryA) It will go through radical changesB) It will supply more animal productsC) It will abandon traditional farming practicesD) It will cause zero damage to the environment56 What is the author’s purpose in writing this passage?A) To remind people of the need of sustainable developmentB) To suggest ways of ensuring sustainable food productionC) To advance new criteria for measuring farming progressD) To urge people to rethink what sustainable agriculture isPassage TwoQuestions 57 to 61 are based on the following passage.The percentage of immigrants (including those unlawfully present) in the United states hasbeen creeping upward for years. At 12.6 percent, it is now higher than at any point since the mid1920s.We are not about to go back to the days when Congress openly worried about inferior races polluting America’s bloodstream. But once again we are wondering whether we have too many of the wrong sort newcomers. Their loudest critics argue that the new wave of immigrants cannot, and indeed do not want to, fit in as previous generations did.We now know that these racist views were wrong. In time, Italians, Romanians and members of other so-called inferior races became exemplary Americans and contributed greatly, in ways too numerous to detail, to the building of this magnificent nation. There is no reason why these new immigrants should not have the same success.Although children of Mexican immigrants do better, in terms of educational and professional attainment, than their parents UCLA sociologist Edward Telles has found that the gains don’t continue. Indeed, the fouth generation is marginally worse off than the third James Jackson, of the University of Michigan, has found a similar trend among black Caribbean immigrants, Tells fears that Mexican-Americans may be fated to follow in the footsteps of American blacks-that large parts of the community may become mired（陷入）in a seemingly permanent state of poverty and Underachievement. Like African-Americans, Mexican-Americans are increasingly relegated to (降入)segregated, substandard schools, and their dropout rate is the highest for any ethnic group in the country.We have learned much about the foolish idea of excluding people on the presumption of the ethnic/racial inferiority. But what we have not yet learned is how to make the process of Americanization work for all. I am not talking about requiring people to learn English or to adopt American ways; those things happen pretty much on their own, but as arguments about immigration hear up the campaign trail, we also ought to ask some broader question about assimilation, about how to ensure that people , once outsider s , don’t fo rever remain marginalized within these shores.That is a much larger question than what should happen with undocumented workers, or how best to secure the border, and it is one that affects not only newcomers but groups that have been here for generations. It will have more impact on our future than where we decide to set the admissions bar for the latest ware of would-be Americans. And it would be nice if we finally got the answer right.57. How were immigrants viewed by U.S. Congress in early days?A) They were of inferior races.B) They were a Source of political corruption.C) They were a threat to the nation’s security.D) They were part of the nation’s bloodstream.58. What does the author think of the new immigrants?A) They will be a dynamic work force in the U.S.B) They can do just as well as their predecessors.C) They will be very disappointed on the new land.D) They may find it hard to fit into the mainstream.59. What does Edward Telles’ research say about Mexican-Americans?A) They may slowly improve from generation to generation.B) They will do better in terms of educational attainment.。
2008年12月大学英语六级考试真题及答案_(精编文档).doc
【最新整理，下载后即可编辑】2008年12月大学英语六级考试真题Part I Writing （30 minutes）Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay entitled How To Improve Student's Mental Health?.You should write at least 150 words following the outline given below.1.大学生的心理健康十分重要2.因此，学校可以……3.我们自己应当……How To Improve Student's Mental Health?________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________Part II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) (15 minutes) Directions:In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer Sheet 1.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.Supersize SurpriseAsk anyone why there is an obesity epidemic and they will tell you that it’s al down to eating too much and burning too few calories. That explanation appeals to common sense and has dominated efforts to get to the root of the obesity epidemic and reverse it. Yet obesity researchers are increasingly dissatisfied with it. Many now believe that something else must have changed in our environment to precipitate(促成) such dramatic rises in obesity over the past 40 years or so. Nobody is saying that the “big two” – reduced physical activity and increased availability of food –are not important contributors to the epidemic, but they cannot explain it all.Earlier this year a review paper by 20obesity experts set out the 7 most plausible alternative explanations for the epidemic. Here they are.1.Not enough sleepIt is widely believed that sleep is for the brain, not the body. Could a shortage of shut-eye also be helping to make us fat?Several large-scale studies suggest there may be a link. People who sleep less than 7 hours a night tend to have a higher body mass index than people who sleep more, according to data gathered by the US National Health and Nutrition Ex amination Survey. Similarly, the US Nurses’Health Study, which tracked 68,000 women for 16 years, found that those who slept an average of 5 hours a night gained more weight during the study period than women who slept 6 hours, who in turn gained more than whose who slept 7.It’s well known that obesity impairs sleep, so perhaps people get fat first and sleep less afterwards. But the nurses’ study suggests that it can work in the other direction too: sleep loss may precipitate weight gain.Although getting figures is difficult, it appears that we really are sleeping less. In 1960 people in the US slept an average of 8.5 hours per night. A 2002 poll by the National Sleep Foundation suggests that the average has fallen to under 7 hours, and the decline is mirrored by the increase in obesity.2.Climate controlWe humans, like all warm-blooded animals, can keep our core body temperatures pretty much constant regardless of what’s going on in the world around us. We do this by altering our metabolic(新陈代谢的) rate, shivering or sweating. Keeping warm and staying cool take energy unless we are in the “thermo-neutral zone”, which is increasingly where we choose to live and work.There is no denying that ambient temperatures(环境温度) have changed in the past few decades. Between 1970 and 2000, the average British home warmed from a chilly 13C to 18C. In the US, the changes have been at the other end of the thermometer as the proportion of homes with air conditioning rose from 23% to 47% between 1978 and 1997. In the southern states – where obesity rates tend to be highest –the number of houses with air conditioning has shot up to 71% from 37% in 1978.Could air conditioning in summer and heating in winter really make a difference to our weight?Sadly，there is some evidence that it does-at least with regard to heating.Studies show that in comfortable temperatures we use less energy.3.Less smokingBad news: smokers really do tend to be thinner than the rest of us, and quitting really does pack on the pounds, though no one is sure why. It probably has something to do with the fact that nicotine is an appetite suppressant and appears to up your metabolic rate.Katherine Flegal and colleagues at the US National Center for Health Statistics in Hyattsville, Maryland, have calculated that people kicking the habit have been responsible for a small but significant portion of the US epidemic of fatness. From data collected around 1991 by the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, they worked out that people who had quit in the previous decade were much more likely to be overweight than smokers and people who had never smoked .Among men, for example, nearly half of quitters were overweight compared with 37% of non-smokers and only 28%of smokers.4.Genetic effectsYours chances of becoming fat may be set, at least in part, before you were even born. Children of obese mothers are much more likely to become obese themselves later in life. Offspring of mice fed a high-fat diet during pregnancy are much more likely to become fat than the offspring of identical mice fed a normal diet. Intriguingly, the effect persists for two or three generations. Grandchildren of mice fed a high-fat diet grow up fat even if their own mother is fed normally-so you fate may have been sealed even before you were conceived.5.A little older…Some groups of people just happen to be fatter than others. Surveys carried out by the US national center for health statistics found that adults aged 40 to 79 were around three times as likely to be obese as younger people. Non-white females also tend to fall at the fatter end of the spectrum: Mexican-American women are 30% more likely than white women to be obsess, and black women have twice the risk.In the US, these groups account for an increasing percentage of the population. Between 1970 and 2000 the US population aged 35 to 44 grew by43%.the proportion of Hispanic-Americans also grew, from under 5% to 12.5% of the population, while the proportion of black Americans increased from 11%to12.3%.these changes may account in part for the increased prevalence of obesity.6.Mature mumsMothers around the world are getting older. in the UK, the mean age for having a first child is 27.3,compared with 23.7 in 1970 .mean age at first birth in the US has also increased, rising from 21.4 in 1970 to 24.9 in 2000.This would be neither here nor there if it weren’t for the observation that having an older mother seems to be an independent risk factor for obesity. Results from the US national heart, lung and blood institute’s study found that the odds of a child being obese increase 14% for every five extra years of their mother’s age, though why this should be so is not entirely clear.Michael Symonds at the University of Nottingham, UK, found that first-born children have more fat than younger ones. As family size decreases, firstborns account for a greater share of the population. In 1964, British women gave birth to an average of 2.95 children; by 2005 that figure had fallen to 1.79. In the US in1976, 9.6% of woman in their 40s had only one child; in 2004 it was 17.4%. this combination of older mothers and more single children could be contributing to the obesity epidemic.7.Like marrying likeJust as people pair off according to looks, so they do for size. Lean people are more likely to marry lean and fat more likely to marry fat. On its own, like marrying like cannot account for any increase in obesity. But combined with others—particularly the fact that obesity is partly genetic, and that heavier people have more children—it amplifies the increase form other causes.1. What is the passage mainly about?A) E ffects of obesity on people’s healthB) The link between lifestyle and obesityC) New explanations for the obesity epidemicD) Possible ways to combat the obesity epidemic2. In the US N urse’ Health Study, women who slept an average of 7 hours a night_______.A) gained the least weightB) were inclined to eat lessC) found their vigor enhancedD) were less susceptible to illness3. The popular belief about obesity is that___________.A) it makes us sleepyB) it causes sleep lossC) it increases our appetiteD) it results from lack of sleep4. How does indoor heating affect our life?A) it makes us stay indoors moreB) it accelerates our metabolic rateC) it makes us feel more energeticD) it contributes to our weight gain5. What does the author say about the effect of nicotine on smokers?A) it threatens their healthB) it heightens their spiritsC) it suppresses their appetiteD) it slows down their metabolism6. Who are most likely to be overweight according to Katherine Fergal’s study?A) heavy smokersB) passive smokersC) those who never smokeD) those who quit smoking7. According to the US National Center for Health Statistics, the increased obesity in the US is a result of_______.A) the growing number of smokers among young peopleB) the rising proportion of minorities in its populationC) the increasing consumption of high-calorie foodsD) the improving living standards of the poor people8. According to the US National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, the reason why older mothers’ children tend to be obese remains __________.9. According to Michael Symonds, one factor contributing to the obesity epidemic is decrease of ___________.10. When two heavy people get married, chances of their children getting fat increase, because obesity is _____________.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) He is quite easy to recognizeB) He is an outstanding speakerC) He looks like a movie starD) He looks young for his age12. A) consult her dancing teacherB) take a more interesting classC) continue her dancing classD) improve her dancing skills13. A) the man did not believe what the woman saidB) the man accompanied the woman to the hospitalC) the woman may be suffering from repetitive strain injuryD) the woman may not followed the doctor’s instructions14. A) they are not in style any moreB) they have cost him far too muchC) they no longer suit his eyesightD) they should be cleaned regularly15. A) he spilled his drink onto the floorB) he has just finished wiping the floorC) he was caught in a shower on his way homeD) he rushed out of the bath to answer the phone16. A) fixing some furnitureB) repairing the toy trainC) reading the instructionsD) assembling the bookcase17. A) urge Jenny to spend more time on studyB) help Jenny to prepare for the coming examsC) act towards Jenny in a more sensible wayD) send Jenny to a volleyball training center18. A) The building of the dam needs a large budgetB) The proposed site is near the residential areaC) The local people feel insecure about the damD) The dam poses a threat to the local environmentQuestions 19 to 21 are based on the conversation you have just heard.19. A. It saw the end of its booming years worldwideB. Its production and sales reached record levels.C. It became popular in some foreign countriesD. Its domestic market started to shrink rapidly.20. A. They cost less. C. They were in fashion.B. They tasted better. D. They were widely advertised.21. A. It is sure to fluctuate. C. It will remain basically stable.B. It is bound to revive. D. It will see no more monopoly Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.22. A. Organising protests C. Acting as its spokesman.B. Recruiting members D. Saving endangered animals.23. A. Anti-animal-abuse demonstrations B. Anti-nuclear campaignsC. Surveying the Atlantic Ocean floorD. Removing industrial waste.24. A. By harassing them. C. By taking legal action.B. By appealing to the public D. By resorting to force.25. A. Doubtful C. Indifferent.B. Reserved D. SupportiveSection 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 28 are based on the passage you have just heard.26. A. The air becomes still. C. The clouds block the sun.B. The air pressure is low. D. The sky appears brighter.27. A. Ancient people were better at foretelling the weather.B. Sailors’ saying about the weather are unreliable.C. People knew long ago how to predict the weather.D. It was easier to forecast the weather in the old days.28. A. Weather forecast is getting more accurate today.B. People can predict the weather by their sensesC. Who are the real experts in weather forecast.D. Weather changes affect people’s life remarkablyPassage TwoQuestions 29 to 31 are based on the passage you have just heard.29. A. They often feel insecure about their jobs.B. They are unable to decide what to do first.C. They feel burdened with numerous tasks every day.D they feel burdened with numerous tasks every day30. A. Analyze them rationally. C. Turn to others for help.B. Draw a detailed to-do list. D. Handle them one by one.31. A. They have accomplished little. C. They have worked out a way to relax.B. They feel utterly exhausted. D. They no longer feel any sense of guilt. Passage ThreeQuestions 32 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.32. A. Their performance may improve.B. Their immune system may be reinforcedC. Their blood pressure may rise all of a sudden.D. Their physical development may be enhanced.33. A. Improved mental functioning C. Speeding up of blood circulationB. Increased susceptibility to disease D. Reduction of stress-related hormones34. A. Pretend to be in better shape. C. Turn more often to friends for helpB. Have more physical exercise. D. Pay more attention to bodily sensations.35. A. Different approaches to coping with stress.B. Various causes for serious health problems.C. The relationship between stress and illness.D. New finding of medical research on stress.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.One of the most common images of an advanced, Western-style culture is that of a busy, traffic-filled city. Since their first (36) ______ on American roadways, automobiles have become a (37) ______ of progress, a source of thousands of jobs and an almost inalienable right for citizens’ personal freedom of movement. In recent (38) _______, our “love affair” with the car is being (39) ________ directly to the developing world, and it is increasingly (40) _______ that this transfer is leading to disaster.American’s almost complete dependence on automobiles has been a terrible mistake. As late as the 1950s, a large (41) ________ of the American public used mass transit. A (42) ________ of public policy decisions and corporate scheming saw to it that countless (43) ________ and efficient urban streetcar and intra-city rail systems were dismantled. (44) ___________________________________________________. Our lives have been planned along a road grid—homes far from work, shopping far from everything, with ugly stretches of concrete and blacktop in between.Developing countries are copying Western-style transportation systems down to the last detail. (45) _________________________________________________________.Pollution control measures are either not strict or nonexistent, leading to choking clouds of smog. Gasoline still contains lead, which is extremely poisonous to humans. (46) ________________________________________________________________ _____.In addition to pollution and traffic jams, auto safety is a critical issue in developing nations.Part IV Reading Comprehension （Reading in Depth）（25 minutes）Section ADirections:In this section, there is a short passage with 5 questions or incomplete statements. Read the passage carefully. Then answer the questions or complete the statements in the fewest possible words. Please write your answers on Answer sheet 2.Questions 47 to 51 are based on the following passage.One of the major producers of athletic footwear, with 2002 sales of over $10 billion, is a company called Nike, with corporate headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon. Forbes magazine identified Nike’s president, Philip Knight, as the 53rd-richestman in the world in 2004. But Nike has not always been a large multimillion-dollar organization. In fact, Knight started the company by selling shoes from the back of his car at track meets.In the late1950s Philip Knight was a middle-distance runner on the University of Oregon track team, coached by Bill Bowerman. One of the top track coaches in the U.S., Bowerman was also known for experimenting with the design of running shoes in an attempt to make them lighter and more shock-absorbent. After attending Oregon, Knight moved on to do graduate work at Stanford University; his MBA thesis was on marketing athletic shoes. Once he received his degree, Knight traveled to Japan to contact the Onitsuka Tiger Company, a manufacturer of athletic shoes. Knight convinced the company’s officials of the potential for its product in the U.S. In 1963 he received his first shipment of Tiger shoes, 200 pairs in total.In 1964, Knight and Bowerman contributed $500 each to from Blue Ribbon Sports, the predecessor of Nike. In the first few years, Knight distributed shoes out of his car at local track meets. The first employees hired by Knight wereformer college athle tes. The company did not have the money to hire “experts”, and there was no established athletic footwear industry in North America from which to recruit those knowledgeable in the field. In its early years the organization operated in an unconventional manner that characterized its innovative and entrepreneurial approach to the industry. Communication was informal; people discussed ideas and issues in the hallways, on a run, or over a beer. There was little task differentiation. There were no job descriptions, rigid reporting systems, or detailed rules and regulations. The team spirit and shared values of the athletes on Bowerman’s teams carried over and provided the basis for the collegial style of management that characterized the early years of Nikes.47. While serving as a track coach, Bowerman tried to design running shoes that were _____________________.48. During his visit to Japan, Knight convinced the officials of the Onitsuka Tiger Company that its product would have____________________________________.49. Blue Ribbon Sports as unable to hire experts due to the absence of____________________ in North America.50. In the early years of Nike, communication within the company was usually carried out____________.51. What qualities of Bowerman’s tea ms formed the basis of Nike’s early management style?_______________________________________________________________. Section BDirections:There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked [A], [B], [C] and [D]. You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. Passage OneQuestions 52 to 56 are based on the following passage.Sustainable development is applied to just about everything from energy to clean water and economic growth, and as a result it has become difficult to question either the basic assumptions behind it or the way the concept is put touse. This is especially true in agriculture, where sustainable development is often taken as the sole measure of progress without a proper appreciation of historical and cultural perspectives.To start with, it is important to remember that the nature of agriculture has changed markedly throughout history, and will continue to do so .medieval agriculture in northern Europe fed, clothed and sheltered a predominantly rural society with a much lower population density than it is today. It had minimal effect on biodiversity, and any pollution it caused was typically localized. In terms of energy use and the nutrients（营养成分）captured in the product it was relatively inefficient.Contrast this with farming since the start of the industrial revolution. Competition from overseas led farmers to specialize and increase yields. Throughout this period food became cheaper, safe and more reliable. However, these changes have also led to habitat（栖息地）loss and to diminishing biodiversity.What’s more, demand for animal products in developing countries is growing so fast that meeting it will require an extra 300 million tons of grain a year by 2050.yet the growth of cities and industry is reducing the amount of water available for agriculture in many regions.All this means that agriculture in the 21stcentury will have to be very different from how it was in the 20th.thiswill require radical thinking. For example, we need to move away from the idea that traditional practices are inevitably more sustainable than new ones. We also need to abandon the notion that agriculture can be “zero impact”. The key will be to abandon the rather simple and static measures of sustainability, which centre on the need to maintain production without increasing damage.Instead we need a more dynamic interpretation, one that looks at the pros and cons（正反两方面）of all the various way land is used. There are many different ways to measure agricultural performance besides food yield: energy use, environmental costs, water purity, carbon footprint and biodiversity. It is clear, for example, that the carbon of transporting tomatoes from Spain to the UK is less than that of producing them in the UK with additional heating and lighting. But we do not know whether lower carbon footprints will always be better forbiodiversity.What is crucial is recognizing that sustainable agriculture is not just about sustainable food production.52. How do people often measure progress in agriculture?A) By its productivity C) By its impact on the environmentB) By its sustainability D) By its contribution to economic growth53. Specialisation and the effort to increase yields have resulted in________.A) Localised pollution C) competition from overseasB) the shrinking of farmland D) the decrease of biodiversity54. What does the author think of traditional farming practices?A) They have remained the same over the centuriesB) They have not kept pace with population growthC) They are not necessarily sustainableD) They are environmentally friendly55. What will agriculture be like in the 21st centuryA) It will go through radical changesB) It will supply more animal productsC) It will abandon traditional farming practicesD) It will cause zero damage to the environment56 What is the author’s purpose in writing this passage?A) To remind people of the need of sustainable developmentB) To suggest ways of ensuring sustainable food productionC) To advance new criteria for measuring farming progressD) To urge people to rethink what sustainable agriculture isPassage TwoQuestions 57 to 61 are based on the following passage.The percentage of immigrants (including those unlawfully present) in the United states has been creeping upward for years. At 12.6 percent, it is now higher than at any point since the mid1920s.We are not about to go back to the days when Congress openly worried about inferior races polluting America’s bloodstream. But once again we are wondering whether we have too many of the wrong sort newcomers. Their loudest critics argue that the new wave of immigrants cannot, and indeed do not want to,fit in as previous generations did.We now know that these racist views were wrong. In time, Italians, Romanians and members of other so-called inferior races became exemplary Americans and contributed greatly, in ways too numerous to detail, to the building of this magnificent nation. There is no reason why these new immigrants should not have the same success.Although children of Mexican immigrants do better, in terms of educational and professional attainment, than their parents UCLA sociologist Edward Telles has found that the gains don’t continue. Indeed, the fouth generation is marginally worse off than the third James Jackson, of the University of Michigan, has found a similar trend among black Caribbean immigrants, Tells fears that Mexican-Americans may be fated to follow in the footsteps of American blacks-that large parts of the community may become mired（陷入）in a seemingly permanent state of poverty and Underachievement. Like African-Americans, Mexican-Americans are increasingly relegated to (降入)segregated, substandard schools, and their dropout rate is the highest for any ethnic group in the country.We have learned much about the foolish idea of excluding people on the presumption of the ethnic/racial inferiority. But what we have not yet learned is how to make the process of Americanization work for all. I am not talking about requiring people to learn English or to adopt American ways; those things happen pretty much on their own, but as arguments about immigration hear up the campaign trail, we also ought to ask some broader question about assimilation, about how to ensure that people , once outsider s , don’t fo rever remain marginalized within these shores.That is a much larger question than what should happen with undocumented workers, or how best to secure the border, and it is one that affects not only newcomers but groups that have been here for generations. It will have more impact on our future than where we decide to set the admissions bar for the latest ware of would-be Americans. And it would be nice if we finally got the answer right.57. How were immigrants viewed by U.S. Congress in early days?A) They were of inferior races.B) They were a Source of political corruption.C) They were a threat to the nation’s security.D) They were part of the nation’s bloodstream.58. What does the author think of the new immigrants?A) They will be a dynamic work force in the U.S.B) They can do just as well as their predecessors.C) They will be very disappointed on the new land.D) They may find it hard to fit into the mainstream.59. What does Edward Telles’ research say about Mexican-Americans?A) They may slowly improve from generation to generation.B) They will do better in terms of educational attainment.C) They will melt into the African-American community.D) They may forever remain poor and underachieving.60. What should be done to help the new immigrants?A) Rid them of their inferiority complex.B) Urge them to adopt American customs.C) Prevent them from being marginalized.D) Teach them standard American English.61. According to the author, the burning issue concerning immigration is_______.A) How to deal with people entering the U.S. without documentsB) How to help immigrants to better fit into American societyC) How to stop illegal immigrants from crossing the borderD) How to limit the number of immigrants to enter the U.S.Part V Cloze （15 minutes）Directions: There are 20 blanks in the following passage. For each blank there are four choices marked [A], [B], [C]and [D] on the right side of the paper. You should choose the ONE that best fits into the passage. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Individuals and businesses have legal protection for intellectual property they create and own. Intellectual proper__62__from creative thinking62. [A]retrieves[B]deviates[C]results[D]departs。
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2008年12月六级听力原文及答案2008-12-20 来源：新东方短对话11.M: I am asked to pick up the guest speaker Bob Russell at the airport this afternoon? Do you know what he looks like?W: Well, he is in his 60th. He stands out. He is bald, tall and thin, and he has a beard.Q: What can we conclude from the woman's remark about Bob Russell.12.M: I am considering dropping my dancing class. I am not making any progress.W: If I were you, I stick with it. It's definitely worth time and effort.Q: What does the man suggest the woman do?13.M: You see, I still have this pain in my back, this medicine the doctor gave me was supposed to make me feel better by now.W: Maybe you should take 3 times a day as you were told.Q: What do we learn from the conversation?14.M: Frankly, when I sat the back of the classroom, I can't see the words on the board clearly.W: Well, you've been wearing those same glasses as long as I've known you. Why not get a new pair? It wouldn't cost you too much.Q: What does the woman imply about the man's glasses?15.M: How come the floor is so wet? I almost slipped. What happened?W: Oh, sorry. The phone rang the moment I got into the shower. Anyway, I'll wipe it right now.Q: Why was the floor wet according to the man?16.M: The instructions on the package said you need to do some assembly yourself.I spent all afternoon trying in vain to put this bookcase together.W: I know what you mean. Last time I tried to assemble a toy train for my son and I almost gave up.Q: What does the man find difficult?17.M: I am getting worried about Jeanie's school work. All she talks about these days is volleyball games. And all she does is practice training and things like that.W: Her grades on the coming exams will fall for sure. It's high time we talked some sense into her.Q: What are the speaker probably going to do?18.M: Do you understand why the local people are opposed to the new dam up the river?W: They are worried about the potential dangers when the dam should break. The river is very wide above the proposed site.Q: What do we learn from the conversation?长对话Longer conversationsW: Mr. White, What changes have you seen in the champagne market in the last ten to fifteen years?M: well , the biggest change has been the decrease in sales since the great boom years in 1980s when champagne production and sales reached record levels.W: Which was the best year?M: Well, the record was in 1989 when 249 million bottles of champagne was sold. The highest production level was reached in 1990 with a total of 293 million bottles. Of course since those boom years , sales have fallen.W: Has the marker been badly hit by the recession?M: Oh, certainly. The economic problems in champagne's export ? markets that's Europe , the United States ,Japan, and of course , the domestic market in France. The economic problems have certainly been one reason for the decrease in champagne sales.W:And the other reasons?M:Another important factor has been price. In the early 90s, champagne was veryoverpriced, so many people stopped buying it. Instead, they bought sparkling wines from other countries, in particular, from Australia, and Spain. And then, there was another problem for champagne in early 90s.W: What was that?M: There was a lot of rather bad champagne on the market. This meant the popularity of good sparkling wines increased even more. People were surprised by their quality, and of course they were a lot cheaper than champagne.W: Do you think the champagne market will recover in the future?M: Oh, I am sure it will. When the economic situation improves, I believe the market will recover.Q19: What does the man say about champagne in 1990s?Q20: Why sparkling wine more popular than champagne in early 1990s?Q21: What dose the man think of the champagne market in the future?W: Right, well, in the studio this morning, for our interview spot is Peter Wilson. Peter works for Green Peace. So, Peter, welcome.M: Thanks a lot. It's good to be here.W: Great! Now, Peter, perhaps you can tell us something about Green Peace and your job there.M: Sure. Well, I'll start by telling you roughly what Green Peace is all about.I actually work in London for the Green Peace organization. We've been going fora few decades and we're a non-violent, non-political organization. We're involved in anti-nuclear activity, conservation and protection of animals and protection and support of our eco-system. I'm the action organizer and arrange any protests.W: Right! A pretty important role, Peter. What sort of protest would you organize?M: Well, recently we've been involved in anti-nuclear campaigns. I, personally arranged for the demonstration against radioactive waste dumping in the Atlantic Ocean. We've got a few small Green Peace boats that we harass the dumping ship with.W: Say? Hold on, Peter. I thought you said your organization was non-violent. What do you mean by "harass"?M: Well, we circle round and round the ships and get in the way when they try to dump the drums of nuclear waste in the sea. We talk to the men and try to change, you know, yell at them to stop. We generally make ourselves as much of a nuisance as possible.M: Well, people may think differently of your methods, but there's no doubt you're doing a great job. Keep it up and good luck. And thanks for talking with us.W: Thanks for having me.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.22. What is the man's chief responsibility in the Green Peace organization?23. What has Green Peace been involved in recently?24. How does Green Peace try to stop people from dumping nuclear waste?25. What is the woman's attitude towards the Green Peace's campaigns?短文Passage One:To find out what the weather is going to be, most people go straight to the radio, television, or newspaper, to get an expert weather forecast. But if you know what to look for, you can use your own senses to make weather predictions. There're many science that can help you. For example, in fair weather, the air pressure is generally high, the air is still, and often full of dust. And far away objects may look vague. But when a storm is blowing, the pressure drops, and you are often able to see things more clearly. Sailors took note of this long ago, and came up with a saying:" The farther the sight, the nearer the rain." Your sense of smell can also help you detect weather changes. Just before it rains, odors become stronger. This is because odors are repressed in a fair high pressure center. When a bad weather low moves in, air pressure lessens, and odors are released. You can also hear an approaching storm. Sounds bounce off heavy storm clouds and return to earth with increased force. An old saying describes to this way:" Sound traveling far and wide, a stormy day will be tied." And don't laugh at your grandmother if she says she can feel a storm coming. It is commonly known that many people feel pains in their bones or joints when humidity rises. The pressure drops, and bad weather is on the way.26. Why does the speaker say we can see far away objects more clearly as a storm is approaching?27. What does the speaker want to show by quoting a couple of old sayings?28. What does the passage mainly talk about?Passage Two:Many days seem to bring numerous tasks and responsibilities. All of which apparently must be tackled right away. You spend a day putting out files, but by the end of the day, you haven't accomplished any of the really important things you set out to do. In desperation, you draft a "to-do" list, but most days, you can make little progress with it. When you look at the list each morning, a big fat cloud of doom is right at the top. Those difficult, complex, important tasks, that are so crucial to get done, and so easy to avoid. Plenty of us create a "to-do" list to address feelings of being overwhelmed, but we rarely use these tools to their best effect. They wind out being guilt-provoking reminders of the fact that will over-committed and losing control of our priorities. According to T.P, a professor of psychology at Carlton University in Ottawa, people often draw up a "to-do" list, and then that's it. The list itself becomes the day's achievement, allowing us to feel we've done something useful without taking on any real work. In fact, drawing up the list becomes a way of avoiding the work itself. Too often, the list is seen as the accomplishment for the day, reducing the immediate guilt of not working on the tasks at hand by investing energy in the list, says P. When a list is used like this, it's simply another way in which we lie to ourselves.29. What is the problem that troubles many people nowadays according to the speaker?30. According to the speaker, what too many people do to cope with their daily tasks?31. According to psychologist T.P, what do people find by the end of the day?Passage 3In many stressful situations, the body's responses can improve our performance. We become more energetic, more alert, better able to take effective action. But when stress is encountered continually, the body's reactions are more likely to be harmful than helpful to us. The continual speeding up of bodily reactions and production of stress related hormones seem to make people more susceptible to heart disease. And stress reactions can reduce the disease fighting effectiveness of the body's immune system, thereby increasing susceptibility to illnesses ranging from colds to cancer. Stress may also contribute to disease in less direct ways by influencing moods and behavior. People under stress may become anxious or depressed, and as a result may eat too much or too little, have sleep difficulties or fail to exercise. These behavioral changes may in turn be harmful to the health. In addition, people are more likely to pay attention to certain bodily sensations such as aches and pains when they are under stress and to think that they're sick. If the person were not under stress, the same bodily sensations might not be perceived as symptoms and the person might continue to feel well. Some researchers have suggested that assuming the role of a sick person is one way in which certain people try to cope with stress. Instead of dealing with the stressful situation directly, these people fall sick. After all, it is often more acceptably in our society to be sick and to seek medical help than it is to admit that one can not cope with the stresses of life.32. What does the speaker say about people who encounter stress once in a while?33. What does the speaker say frequent stress reactions may lead to?34. What are people more likely to do when they are under stress?35. What does the passage mainly talk about?复合式听写One of the most common images of an advanced, Western-style culture is that of a busy, traffic-filled city. Since their first (36) appearance on American roadways, automobiles have become a (37) symbol of progress, a source of thousands of jobs and an almost inalienable right for citizens’ pers onal freedom of movement. In recent (38) decades, our “love affair” with the car is being (39) exported directly to the developing world, and it is increasingly (40) apparent that this transfer is leading to disaster.American’s almost complete dependence o n automobiles has been a terrible mistake. As late as the 1950s, a large (41) percentage of the American public used mass transit. A (42) combination of public policy decisions and corporate scheming saw to it that countless (43) convenient and efficient urban streetcar and intra-city rail systems were dismantled. (44) Our air quality now suffers from the effects of pollutants emitted directly from our cars. Our lives have been planned along a road grid -- homes far from work, shopping far from everything, with ugly stretches of concrete and blacktop in between.Developing countries are copying Western-style transportation systems down to the last detail. (45) The problems caused by motorized vehicles in the West are often magnified in developing nations. Pollution control measures are either not strict or nonexistent, leading to choking clouds of smog. Gasoline still contains lead, which is extremely poisonous to humans.(46) Movement in some cities comes to a virtual standstill as motorized traffic competes with bicycles and pedestrians.In addition to pollution and traffic jams, auto safety is a critical issue in developing nations.听力答案11. A) He is quite easy to recognize.12. C) Continue her dancing class.13. D) The woman may not have followed t he doctor’s instructions.14. C) They no longer suit his eyesight.15. D) He rushed out of the bath to answer the phone.16. D) Assembling the bookcase.17. A) Urge Jenny to spend more time on study.18. C) The local people feel insecure about the dam.19. B) Its production and sales reached record levels.20. A) They cost less.21. C) It is bound to revive.22. A) Organising protests.23. C) Anti-nuclear campaigns.24. A) By harassing them.25. D) Supportive.26. B) The air pressure is low.27. C) People knew long ago how to predict the weather.28. B) People can predict the weather by their senses.29. D) They feel burdened with numerous tasks every day.30. B) Draw a detailed to-do list.31. A) They have accomplished little.32. A) Their performance may improve.33. B) Increased susceptibility to disease.34. D) Pay more attention to bodily sensations.35. C) The relationship between stress and illness.36 appearance37 symbol38 decades39 exported40 apparent41 percentage42 combination43 convenient44 Our air quality now suffers from the effects of pollutants emitted directly from our cars.45 The problems caused by motorized vehicles in the West are often magnified in developing nations.46 Movement in some cities comes to a virtual standstill as motorized traffic competes with bicycles and pedestrians.。