2012英语六级阅读理解练习5篇(附答案)二
2012年6月大学英语六级考试CET6真题及答案解析word版本
2012年6月16日大学英语六级考试CET6真题Part Ⅰ Writing (30 minutes)Directions：For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a composition on the topic The Impact of the Internet on Interpersonal Communication. You should write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words.The Impact of the Internet on Interpersonal CommunicationPart Ⅱ Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning)(15minutes)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.The Three-Year SolutionHartwick College, a small liberal-arts school in upstate New York, makes New York, makes this offer to well prepared students: earn your undergraduate degree in three years instead of four, and save about 543,000—the amount of one year’s tuition and fees. A number of innovative colleges are making the same offer to students anxious about saving time and money. That’s both an opportunity and a warning for the best higher-education system in the world.The United States has almost all of the world’s best universities. A recent Chinese survey ranks 35 American universities among the top 50, eight among the top 10. Our research universities have been the key to developing the competitiveadvan tages that help Americans produce 25% of all the world’s wealth. In 2007, 623,805 of the world’s brightest students were attracted to American universities.Yet, there are signs of peril (危险)within American higher education. U.S. colleges have to compete in the marketplace. Students may choose among 6,000 public, private, nonprofit, for profit, or religious institutions of higher learning. In addition, almost all of the 532 billion the federal government provides for university research is awarded competitively.But many colleges and universities are stuck in the past. For instance, the idea of the fall-to-spring“school year”hasn’t changed much since before the American Revolution, when we were a summer stretch no longer makes sense. Former George Washington University president Stephen Trachtenberg estimates that a typical college uses its facilities for academic purposes a little more than half the calendar year.“While college facilities sit idle, they continue to generate maintenance expenses that cont ribute to the high cost of running a college,” he has written.Within academic departments, tenure(终身职位)，combined withage-discrimination laws, makes faculty turnover—critical for a university to remain current in changing times—difficult. Instead of protecting speech and encouraging diversity and innovative thinking, the tenure system often stifles(压制)them: younger professors must win the approval of established colleagues for tenure, encouraging like-mindedness and sometimes inhibiting the free flow of ideas.Meanwhile, tuition has soared, leaving graduating students with unprecedented loan debt. Strong campus presidents to manage these problems are becoming harder to find, and to keep. In fact, students now stay on campus almost as long as their presidents. The average amount of time students now take to complete an undergraduate degree has stretched to six years and seven months as students interrupted by work, inconvenienced by unavailable classes, or lured by one more football season find it hard to graduate.Congress has tried to help students with college costs through Pell Grants and other forms of tuition support. But some of their fixes have made the problem worse. The stack of congressional regulations governing federal student grants and loans now stands twice as tall as I do. Filling out these forms consumes 7% of every tuition dollar.For all of these reasons, some colleges like Hartwick are rethinking the old way of doing things and questioning decades-old assumptions about what a college degree means. For instance, why does it have to take four years to earn a diploma? This fall, 16 first-year students and four second-year students at Hartwick enrolled in the school’s new three year degree program. According to the college, the plan is designed for high-ability, highly motivated student who wish to save money or to move along more rapidly toward advanced degrees.By eliminating that extra year, there year degree students save 25% in costs. Instead of taking 30 credits a year, these students take 40. During January, Hartwick runs a four week course during which students may earn three to four credits on or off campus, including a number of international sites. Summer courses are not required, but a student may enroll in them—and pay extra. Three year students get first crack at course registration. There are no changes in the number of courses professors teach or in their pay.The three-year degree isn’t a new idea. Geniuses have always breezed through. Judson College, a 350-student institution in Alabama, has offered students athree-year option for 40 years. Students attend “short terms” in May and June to earnthe credits required for graduation. Bates College in Maine and Ball State University in Indiana are among other colleges offering three-year options.Changes at the high-school level are also helping to make it easier for many students to earn their undergraduate degrees in less time. One of five students arrives at college today with Advanced Placement (AP) credits amounting to a semester or more of college level work. Many universities, including large schools like the University of Texas, make it easy for these AP students to graduate faster.For students who don’t plan to stop with an undergraduate degree, the three-year plan may have an even greater appeal. Dr. John Sergent, head of Vanderbilt University Medical School’s residency (住院医生) program, enrolled in Vanderbilt’s undergraduate college in 1959. He entered medical school after only three years as did four or five of his classmates.” My first year of medical school counted as my senior year, which meant I had to take three to four labs a week to get all my sciences in. I basically skipped my senior year,” says Sergent. He still had time to be a student senator and meet his wife.There are, however, drawbacks to moving through school at such a brisk pace. For one, it deprives students of the luxury of time to roam (遨游) intellectually. Compressing everything into three years also leaves less time for growing up, engaging in extracurricular activities, and studying abroad. On crowded campuses it could mean fewer opportunities to get into a prized professor’s class. Iowa’s Waldorf College has graduated several hundred students in its three-year degree program, but it now phasing out the option. Most Waldorf students wanted the full four-year experience—academically, socially, and athletically. And faculty members will be wary of any change that threatens the core curriculum in the name of moving students into the workforce.“Most high governmental officials seem to conceive of education in this light—as a way to ensure economic competitiveness and continued economic growth,” Derek Bok, former president of Harvard, told The Washington Post. “I strongly disagree with this ap proach.” Another risk: the new campus schedules mighteventually produce less revenue for the institution and longer working hours for faculty members.Adopting a three-year option will not come easily to most school. Those that wish to tackle tradition and make American campus more cost-conscious may find it easier to take Trachtenberg’s advice: open campuses year-round.“You could run two complete colleges, with two complete faculties,”he says.“That’s without cutting the length of students’ vacations, in creasing class sizes, or requiring faculty to teach more.”Whether they experiment with three-year degrees, offer year-round classes, challenge the tenure system—or all of the above—universities are slowly realizing that to stay competitive and relevant they must adapt to a rapidly changing world.Expanding the three-year option may be difficult, but it may be less difficult than asking Congress for additional financial help, asking legislators for more state support, or asking students even higher tuition payments. Campuses willing to adopt convenient schedules along with more focused, less-expensive degrees may find that they have a competitive advantage in attracting bright, motivated students. These sorts of innovations can help American universities avoid the perils of success.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。
2012年6月六级考试阅读真题及答案
2012年6⽉六级考试阅读真题及答案 Section A Directions: In this section, there is a short passage with 5 questions or incomplete statements. Read the passage carefully. Then answer the questions or complete the statements in the fewest possible words. Please write your answers on Answer Sheet 2 Questions 47 to 51 are based on the following passage. In face of global warming, much effort has been focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions through a variety of strategies. But while much of the research and innovation has concentrated on finding less-polluting energy alternatives, it may be decades before clean technologies like wind and solar meet a significant portion of our energy needs. In the meantime, the amount of CO2 in the air is rapidly approaching the limits proposed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). “As long as we’re consuming fossil fuels, we’re putting out CO2,”says Klaus Lackner, a geophysicist at Columbia, University” We cannot let the CO2 in the atmosphere rise indefinitely.” That sense of urgency has increased interest in capturing and storing CO2, which the IPCC says could provide the more than 50% reduction in emissions thought needed to reduce global warming.“We see the potential for capture and storage to play an integral role in reducing emissions,” says Kim Corley, Shell’s senior advisor of CO2 and environmental affairs. That forward thinking strategy is gaining support. The U.S. Department of Energy recently proposed putting $1 billion into a new $2.4 billion coal-burning energy plant. The plant’s carbon-capture technologies would serve as a pilot project for other new coal-burning plants. But what do you do with the gas once you’ve captured it? One option is to put it to new uses. Dakota Gasification of North Dakota captures CO2 at a plant that converts coal into synthetic natural gas. It then ships the gas 200 miles by pipeline to Canada, where it is pumped underground in oil recovery operations. In the Netherlands, Shell delivers CO2 to farmers who pipe it into their greenhouses, increasing their yield of fruits and vegetables. However, scientists say that the scale of CO2 emissions will require vast amounts of long-term storage. Some propose storing the CO2 in coal mines or liquid storage in the ocean, Shell favors storing CO2 in deep geological structures such as saline(盐的) formations and exhausted oil and gas fields that exist throughout the world. 注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
2012年12月英语六级阅读真题及答案
2012年12月英语六级阅读真题及答案Section ASection BSection ADirections: In this section, there is a short passage with 5 questions or incomplete statements. Read the passage carefully. Then answer the questions or complete the statements in the fewest possible words. Please write your answers on Answer Sheet 2.Questions 47 to 54 are based on the following passage.A key process in interpersonal interaction is that of social comparison, in that we evaluate ourselves in terms of how we compare to others. In particular, we engage in two types of comparison. First, we decide whether we are superior or inferior to others on certain dimensions, such as attractiveness, intelligence, popularity, etc. Here, the important aspect is to compare with an appropriate reference group. For example, modest joggers should not compare their performance with Olympic standard marathon (马拉松) runners. Second, we judge the extent to which we are the same as or different from others. At certain stages of life, especially adolescence, the pressure to be seen as similar to peers is immense. Thus, wearing the right brand of clothes or shoes may be of the utmost importance. We also need to know whether our thoughts, beliefs and ideas are in line with those of other people. This is part of the process of self-validation whereby we employ self-disclosures to seek support for our self-concept.People who do not have access to a good listener may not only be denied the opportunity to heighten their self-awareness, but they are also denied valuable feedback as to the validity and acceptability of their inner thoughts and feelings. By discussing these with others, we receive feedback as to whether these are experiences which others have as well, or whether they are less common. Furthermore, by gauging the reactions to our self-disclosures we learn what types are acceptable or unacceptable with particular people and in specific situations. On occasions it is the fear that certain disclosures may be unacceptable to family or friends that motivates an individual to seek professional help. Counsellors will be familiar with client statements such as: “I just couldn’t talk about this to my husband.”, “I really can’t let my mother know my true feelings.” Another aspect of social comparison in the counselli ng context relates to a technique known as normalising. This is the process whereby helpers provide reassurance to clients that what they are experiencing is not abnormal or atypical (非典型的), but is a normal reaction shared by others when facing such circumstances. Patient disclosure, facilitated by the therapist, seems also to facilitate the process of normalising.47. To evaluate ourselves, the author thinks it important for us to compare ourselves with _______.48. During adolescence, people generally feel an immense pressure to appear _______.49. It is often difficult for people to heighten their self-awareness without _______.50. What can people do if they find what they think or say unacceptable to family or friends?51. Counsellors often assure their clients that what they experience themselves is only 参考答案47. others答案：关键词 evaluate ourselves迅速定位到第一段第一句话所以答案是 others48. similar to peers答案：关键词 adolescence迅速定位到第一段中间所以答案是 similar to peers.49. a good listener答案：关键词 self- awareness迅速定位到第二段第一句所以答案是a good listener50. They seek professional help答案：关键词 unacceptable to family or friends迅速定位到第二段第七行所以答案是They can seek professional help.51. a normal reaction答案：关键词 Counselors 和assure迅速定位到第二段倒数第三行所以答案是a normal reactionection BDirections: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 52 to 56 are based on the following passage.Amid all the job losses, there’s one category of worker that the economic disruption has been good for: nonhumans.From self-service checkout lines at the supermarket to industrial robots armed with saws and taught to carve up animal bodies in slaughter-houses, these ever-more-intelligent machines are now not just assisting workers but actually kicking them out of their jobs.Automation isn’t just affecting factory workers, either. Some law firms now use artificial intelligence software to scan and read mountains of legal documents, work that previously was performed by highly-paid human lawyers.“Robots continue to have an impact on blue-collar jobs, and white-collar jobs are under attack by microprocessors,” says economics professor Edward Leamer. The recession permanently wiped out 2.5 million jobs. U.S. gross domestic product has climbed back to pre-recession levels, meaning we’re producing as much as before, only with 6% fewer workers. To be sure, robotics are not the only job killers out there, with outsourcing (外包) stealing far more jobs than automation.Jeff Burnstein, president of the Robotics Industry Association, argues that robots actually save U.S. jobs. His logic: companies that embrace automation might use fewer workers, but that’s still better than firing everyone and moving the work overseas.It’s not that robots are cheaper than humans, though often they are. It’s that they’re better. “In some cases the quality requirements are so exacting that even if you wanted to have a human do the job, you couldn’t,” Burnstein says.Same goes for surgeons, who’re using robotic systems to perform an ever-growing list of operations—not because the machines save money but because, thanks to the greater precisionof robots, the patients recover in less time and have fewer complications, says Dr. Myriam Curet.Surgeons may survive the robot invasion, but others at the hospital might not be so lucky, as iRobot, maker of the Roomba, a robot vacuum cleaner, has been showing off Ava, which could be used as a messenger in a hospital. And once you’re home, recovering, Ava could let you talk to your doctor, so there’s no need to send someone to your house. That “mobile telepresence” could be useful at the office. If you’re away on a trip, you can still attend a meeting. Just connect via videoconferencing software, so your face appears on Ava’s screen.Is an y job safe? I was hoping to say “journalist,” but researchers are already developing software that can gather facts and write a news story. Which means that a few years from now, a robot could be writing this column. And who will read it? Well, there might be a lot of us hanging around with lots of free time on our hands.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
2012年6月大学英语六级考试真题+答案
2012年6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 The Impact of the Internet on Interpersonal Communication. Your essay should start with a brief description of the picture. You should write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words. Write your essay on Answer Sheet 1.Part II Listening Comprehension （30 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 1 with a single line through the centre.1. ［A］The injury will confine Anna to bed for quite a while.［B］The serious accident may leave Anna paralyzed.［C］The man happened to see Anna fall on her back.［D］The doctor’s therapy has been very successful.2. ［A］The man could watch the ballet with her.［B］Her schedule conflicts with her sister’s.［C］She happened to have bought two tickets.［D］She can get a ballet ticket for the man.3. ［A］He will send someone right away.［B］He has to do other repairs first.［C］The woman can try to fix it herself.［D］The woman can call later that day.4. ［A］Borrow some money from the woman.［B］Give his contribution some time later.［C］Take up a collection next week.［D］Buy an expensive gift for Gemma.5. ［A］Add more fruits and vegetables to her diet.［B］Ask Tony to convey thanks to his mother.［C］Decline the invitation as early as possible.［D］Tell Tony’s mother that she eats no meat.6. ［A］The increasing crime rate.［B］The circulation of newspapers.［C］The coverage of newspapers.［D］The impact of mass media.7. ［A］Move the conference to a more spacious place.［B］Limit the number of participants in the conference.［C］Check the number of people who have registered.［D］Provide people with advice on career development.8. ［A］The apartment is still available. ［C］On-campus housing is hard to secure.［B］The advertisement is outdated. ［D］The apartment is close to the campus.Questions 9 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.9. ［A］To test how responsive dolphins are to various signals.［B］To see if dolphins can learn to communicate with each other.［C］To examine how long it takes dolphins to acquire a skill.［D］To find out if the female dolphin is cleverer than the male one.10. ［A］Raise their heads above the water. ［C］Press the right-hand lever first.［B］Swim straight into the same tank. ［D］Produce the appropriate sound.11. ［A］Both dolphins were put in the same tank.［B］The male dolphin received more rewards.［C］Only one dolphin was able to see the light.［D］The lever was beyond the dolphins’ reach.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12. ［A］In a resort town. ［C］On a cattle farm.［B］In a lecture room. ［D］In a botanical garden.13. ［A］It is an ideal place for people to retire to.［B］It has kept many traditions from Victorian times.［C］It is at the centre of the fashion industry.［D］It remains very attractive with its mineral waters.14. ［A］It is located in the eastern part of Harrogate.［B］It will be used as a centre for athletic training.［C］It was named after a land owner in the old days.［D］It is protected as parkland by a special law.15. ［A］The beautiful flowers. ［C］The refreshing air.［B］The vast grassland. ［D］The mineral waters.Section BDirections: In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked ［A］, ［B］, ［C］and ［D］. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 16 to 19 are based on the passage you have just heard.16. ［A］He provides counseling for university students.［B］He teaches psychology at Ohio State University.［C］He specializes in interpersonal relationships.［D］He has experience tutoring black students.17. ［A］Students who scored low on standardized tests.［B］Students who are accustomed to living in dorms.［C］Black students from families with low incomes.［D］Black freshmen with high standardized test scores.18. ［A］They generally spent more time together than white pairs.［B］They moved out of the college dorms at the end of the semester.［C］They were more appreciative of the university’s housing policy.［D］They broke up more often than same-race roommates.19. ［A］Their test scores rose gradually. ［C］They grew bored of each other.［B］They started doing similar activities. ［D］Their racial attitudes improved.Passage TwoQuestions 20 to 22 are based on the passage you have just heard.20. ［A］It can help solve global food crises.［B］It will change the concept of food.［C］It has attracted worldwide attention.［D］It will become popular gradually.21. ［A］It has been drastically cut by NASA.［B］It comes regularly from its donors.［C］It has been increased over the years.［D］It is still far from being sufficient.22. ［A］They are not as natural as we believed.［B］They are less healthy than we expected.［C］They are more nutritious and delicious.［D］They are not as expensive as before.Passage ThreeQuestions 23 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.23. ［A］He is a habitual criminal.［B］He was wrongly imprisoned.［C］He was accused of family violence.［D］He has bitter memories of childhood.24. ［A］The evidence found at the crime scene.［B］The jury’s prejudice against his race.［C］The two victims’ identification.［D］The testimony of his two friends.25. ［A］Eyewitnesses are often misled by the lawyer’s questions.［B］Frightened victims can rarely make correct identification.［C］Many factors influence the accuracy of witness testimony.［D］The US judicial system has much room for improvement.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 with the exact words you have just heard. Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should check what you have written.About 700,000 children in Mexico dropped out of school last year as recession-stricken families pushed kids to work, and a weak economic recovery will allow only a （26）__________ in the drop-out rate in 2010, a top education （27）__________ said.Mexico’s economy suffered more than any other in Latin America last year, （28）__________ an estimated 7 percent due to a （29）__________ in U.S. demand for Mexican exports such as cars.The （30）__________ led to a 4 percent increase in the number of kids who left （31）__________ in 2009, said Juan de Dios Castro, who （32）__________ the nation’s adult education program and keeps a close watch on drop-out rates.“（33）__________ rose and that is a factor that makes our job more difficult,”Castro told Reuters in an interview earlier this month.Hindered by higher taxes and weak demand for its exports, Mexico’s economy is seen only （34）__________ this year. As a result, drop-out rates will not improve much, Castro said. “There will be some improvement, but not significant,”Castro said.Mexico has （35）__________ had high drop-out rates as poor families pull kids out of school to help put food on the table. And children often sell candy and crafts in the streets or work in restaurants.Part III Reading Comprehension （40 minutes）Section ADirections: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.Questions 36 to 45 are based on the following passage.In face of global warming, much effort has been ___36___ on reducing greenhouse gas emissions through a variety of strategies. But while much of the research and innovation has concentrated on finding less-polluting energy ___37___, it may be decades before clean technologies like wind and solar meet a ___38___ portion of our energy needs.In the meantime, the amount of CO2 in the air is rapidly approaching the limits proposed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change（IPCC）. “As long as we’re consuming fossil fuels, we’re putting out CO2,”says Klaus Lackner, a geophysicist at Columbi a University. “We cannot let the CO2 in the atmosphere rise ___39___.”That ___40___ of urgency has increased interest in ___41___ and storing CO2, which the IPCC says could provide the more than 50% reduction in emissions thought needed to reduce global w arming. “We see the potential for capture and storage to play an in tegral role in reducing emissions,”says Kim Corley, Shell’s senior advisor of CO2 and ___42___ affairs. That forward thinking strategy is gaining support.But what do you do with the gas once you’ve captured it? One option is to put it to new uses. Dakota Gasification of North Dakota captures CO2 at a plant that ___43___ coal into synthetic natural gas. It then ships the gas 200 miles by pipeline to Canada, where it is pumped ___44___ in oil recovery operations.However, scientists say that the scale of CO2 emissions will require vast amounts of long-term storage. Some ___45___ storing the CO2 in coal mines or liquid storage in the ocean.A）converts I）understandingB）alternatives J）takesC）played K）capturingD）significant L）environmentalE）sense M）importantF）focused N）regularlyG）indefinitely O）proposeH）undergroundSection BDirections: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.Teens’ Secret Lives OnlineA） Celina McPhail’s mom wouldn’t let her have a Facebook account. The 12-year-old is on Instagram instead. Her mother, Maria McPhail, agreed to let her download the app（应用软件）onto her iPod Touch, because she thought she was fostering an interest in photography. But Ms. McPhail, of Austin, Texas, has learned that Celina and her friends mostly use the service to post Photoshopped photo-jokes and text messages they create on another free app called Versagram.When kids can’t get on Facebook, “they’re good at f inding ways around that,” she says.B）It’s harder than ever to keep an eye on the children. Many parents limit their preteens’ access to well-known sites like Facebook and monitor what their children do online. But with kids constantly seeking new places to connect—preferably, unsupervised by their families—most parents are learning how difficult it is to prevent their kids from interacting with social media. C）Children are using technology at ever-younger ages. About 15% of kids under the age of 11 have their own mobile phone, according to eMarketer. The Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project reported last summer that 16% of kids aged from 12 to 17 who are online used Twitter, double the number from two years earlier.D）Parents worry about the risks of online predators and bullying, and there are other concerns. Kids are creating permanent public records, and they may encounter excessive or inappropriate advertising. Yet many parents also believe it is in their kids’ interest to be expert in technology. E）As families grapple with how to use social media safely, many marketers are working to create social networks and other interactive applications for kids that parents will approve. Some go even further, seeing themselves as providing a crucial education in online literacy—“training wheels for social media”, as Rebecca Levey, founder of social media site KidzVuz puts it.F）Last week, 20 companies pitched online and mobile products for kids in Pasadena, Calif., at the 6th annual Digital Kids Conference. This summer, Microsoft and Scholastic will help sponsor the first Digital Family Summit in Philadelphia. Scholastic will preview a new version of Storia, an interactive e-reading application aimed at kids ages 3 to 14. “As kids migrate more to devices, we don’t want to be left out,”says Deborah Forte, president of Scholastic Media.G）“Digital media is a great thing for kids; even a 12-year-old can have a personal brand,”says Stephanie Schwab, the founder of the Digital Family convention. Her 3-year-old uses an iPad every day. When Ms. Schwab recently wondered out loud what the weather was like, her son responded, “Ask Siri.”H）KidzVuz is a social media start-up aimed at teaching kids how to create content at an early age. Kids create a profile with a handle （say, “GossipGirl”）but no name, and parents have to approve the account. Kids then create video reviews of books, films, food and clothes. There is no private messaging, and comments are actively monitored for nastiness. The site was launched by two technologically active mothers in New York City. One co-founder, Ms. Levey, says the idea is to create a safe place for children to learn how to communicate effectively and politely on a medium that will be key to their social, academic and economic lives.I）Faith King, a 9-year-old third grader in RedBank, N.J., says since she started posting video reviews to KidzVuz, she has learned important lessons of film production. “You need to make sure the lights are on so people can see you,”she says. She also has learned to focus on interesting contents. “Don’t review a dictionary,”she advises. Her mother, Cristie Ritz-King, says her daughter’s love of the site has prompted many conversations about the importance of being skeptical about strangers online and questioning the accuracy of information. She wants her daughter to learn early on to be agile（机敏的）with social media. “It’s never going away,”she says.J）The University of Southern California’s Annenberg Innovation Lab has created Playground, a social platform for school-age students. The idea is for kids to learn how to create Internet content —and to consider the implications of privacy, the permanence of a Web footprint, the basics of brand building and a little about online manners. Educators need to teach Internet literacy at anearly age, says Erin Reilly, Playground’s creator. “Kids are always going to find a back door for communication and coll aboration,” she says.K）Along with established social sites for kids, such as Walt Disney Co.’s Club Penguin, kids are flocking to newer sites such as , a meeting place aimed at girls’ ages 5 to 12 who are interested in designing clothes, and Everloop, a social network for kids under the age of 13. Viddy, a video-sharing site which functions similarly to Instagram, is becoming more popular with kids and teenagers as well.L）Some kids do join YouTube, Google, Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter, despite policies meant to bar kids under 13. These sites require that users enter their date of birth upon signing up, and they must be at least 13 years old. Apple—which requires an account to download apps like Instagram to an iPhone—has the same requirement. But there is little to bar kids from entering a false date of birth or getting an adult to set up an account. Instagram declined to comment.M）“If we learn that someone is not old enough to have a Google account, or we receive a report, we will investigate and take the appropriate action,”says Google spokesman Jay Nancarrow. He adds that users first have a chance to demonstrate that they meet our age requirements. If they don’t, we will close the account. Facebook and most other sites have similar policies.N）Still, some children establish public identities on social media networks like YouTube and Facebook with their parents’ permission. Autumn Miller, a 10-year-old from Southern California, has nearly 6,000 people following her Facebook fan-page postings（博文）, which include links to videos of her in makeup and costumes, dancing Laker-Girl style. Autie’s Freestyle Friday Dance Channel on YouTube has nearly 13,000 subscribers and hosts 39 videos that have logged in excess of 3.5 million views.O）Facebook’s “fan pages”—in which brands can establish a Facebook presence and those who “like”the brand can see its postings—are supposed to be managed by someone of appropriate age to have a profile page, according to Andrew Noyes, Facebook’s manager of public policy communications. Autie’s father Mr. Miller confirmed that his daughter mostly succeeds in overseeing her own fan page with parental supervision.P）But many parents and children find themselves in an evasive（躲躲闪闪的）dance online. Alexa Ashley’s mother, Lisa, allowed her on Facebook at 13—then took the account away. When she learned that her daughter, now 14, had an Instagram account and wanted to check it out, Alexa bristled at her mother’s interest. Alexa says she doesn’t mind being barred from Facebook—where her grandmother’s comments embarrassed her. She is sticking with Instagram for now.46. In spite of different kinds of concerns, many parents still think it is good for their kids to be skilled in internet technology.47. The more electronic devices are being used by children, the more markets the internet companies are longing to occupy.48. Maria McPhail allowed her 12-year-old daughter to download the app of Instagram because she believed her daughter was interested in photography.49. Parents’ watch and control can help children manage their own fan pages.50. Despite the age limitations, some kids fake their birthdates to open an online account.51. Being skeptical about strangers online and questioning the accuracy of information are very important.52. No kids can send or receive private messages on KidzVuz and their reviews are under severe control.53. Proper measures will be adopted by Google if its users are not old enough to have Google accounts.54. When Ms. Schwab asked about the weather conditions, her son advised her to seek help from Siri.55. Under the permission of parents, some children create public accounts on social media networks such as YouTube and Facebook.Section CDirections: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked ［A］, ［Ｂ］, ［Ｃ］and ［Ｄ］You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 56 to 60 are based on the following passage.As anyone who has tried to lose weight knows, realistic goal-setting generally produces the best results. That’s partially because it appears people who set realistic goals actually work more efficiently, and exert more effort, to achieve those goals.What’s far less understood by scientists, however, are the potentially harmful effects of goal-setting.Newspapers relay daily accounts of goal-setting prevalent in industries and businesses up and down both Wall Street and Main Street, yet there has been surprisingly little research on how the long-trumpeted practice of setting goals may have contributed to the current economic crisis, and unethical （不道德的）behavior in general.“Goals are widely used and promoted as having really beneficial effects. And yet, the same motivation that can push people to exert more effort in a constructive way could also motivate people to be more likely to engage in unethical behaviors,” says Mauri ce Schweitzer, an associate professor at Penn’s Wharton School.“It turns out there’s no economic benefit to just having a goal—you just get a psychological benefit.”Schweitzer says, “But in many cases, goals have economic rewards that make them more powerful.”A prime example Schweitzer and his colleagues cite is the 2004 collapse of energy-trading giant Enron, where managers used financial incentives to motivate salesmen to meet specific revenue goals. The problem, Schweitzer says, is the actual trades were not profitable.Other studies have shown that saddling employees with unrealistic goals can compel them to lie, cheat or steal. Such was the case in the early 1990s when Sears imposed a sales quota on its auto repair staff. It prompted employees to overcharge for work and to complete unnecessary repairs on a companywide basis.Schweitzer concedes his research runs counter to a very large body of literature that commends the many benefits of goal-setting. Advocates of the practice have taken issue with histeam’s use of such evidence as news accounts to support his conclusion that goal-setting is widely over-prescribed.In a rebuttal （反驳）paper, Dr. Edwin Locke writes: “Goal-setting is not going away. Organizations cannot thrive without being focused on their desired end results any more than an individual can thrive without goals to provide a sense of purpose.”But Schweitzer contends the “mounting causal evidence”linking goal-setting and harmful behavior should be studied to help spotlight issues that merit caution and further investigation. “Even a few negative effects could be so large that they outweigh man y positive effects,” he says.“Goal-setting does help coordinate and motivate people. My idea would be to combine that with careful oversight, a strong organizational culture, and make sure the goals that you use are going to be constructive and not significantly harm the organization,” Schweitzer says.56. What message does the author try to convey about goal-setting?［A］Its role has been largely underestimated.［B］The goals most people set are unrealistic.［C］The goals increase people’s work efficiency.［D］Its negative effects have long been neglected.57. What does Maurice Schweitzer want to show by citing the example of Enron?［A］Financial incentives ensure companies meet specific revenue goals.［B］Setting realistic goals can turn a failing business into success.［C］Goals with financial rewards have strong motivational power.［D］Businesses are less likely to succeed without setting realistic goals.58. How did Sears’ goal-setting affect its employees?［A］They resorted to unethical practice to meet their sales quota.［B］They improved their customer service on a companywide basis.［C］They were obliged to work more hours to increase their sales.［D］They competed with one another to attract more customers.59. What do advocates of goal-setting think of Schweitzer’s research?［A］It exaggerates the side effects of goal-setting.［B］Its conclusion is not based on solid scientific evidence.［C］It runs counter to the existing literature on the subject.［D］Its findings are not of much practical value.60. What is Schweitzer’s contention against Edwin Locke?［A］Goal-setting has become too deep-rooted in corporate culture.［B］Studying goal-setting can throw more light on successful business practices.［C］The link between goal-setting and harmful behavior deserves further study.［D］The positive effects of goal-setting outweigh its negative effects.Passage TwoQuestions 61 to 65 are based on the following passage.For most of the 20th century, Asia asked itself what it could learn from the modern, innovating West. Now the question must be reversed: what can the West’s overly indebted and sluggish （经济滞长的）nations learn from a flourishing Asia?Just a few decades ago, Asia’s two giants were stagnating （停滞不前）under faulty economic ideologies. However, once China began embracing free-market reforms in the 1980s, followed by India in the 1990s, both countries achieved rapid growth. Crucially, as they opened up their markets, they balanced market economy with sensible government direction. As the Indian economist Amartya Sen has wisely said, “The invisible hand of the market has often relied heavily on the visible hand of government.”Contrast this middle path with America and Europe, which have each gone ideologically overboard in their own ways. Since the 1980s, America has been increasingly clinging to the ideology of uncontrolled free markets and dismissing the role of government—following Ronald Reagan’s idea that “government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.”Of course, when the markets came crashing down in 2007, it was decisive government intervention that saved the day. Despite this fact, many Americans are still strongly opposed to “big government.”If Americans could only free themselves from their antigovernment doctrine, they would begin to see that America’s problems are not insoluble. A few sensible federal measures could put the country back on the right path. A simple consumption tax of, say, 5% would significantly reduce the country’s huge government deficit without damaging productivity. A small gasoline tax would help free America from its dependence on oil imports and create incentives for green energy development. In the same way, a significant reduction of wasteful agricultural subsidies could also lower the deficit. But in order to take advantage of these common-sense solutions, Americans will have to put aside their own attachment to the idea of smaller government and less regulation. American politicians will have to develop the courage to follow what is taught in all American public-policy schools: that there are good taxes and bad taxes. Asian countries have embraced this wisdom, and have built sound long-term fiscal （财政的）policies as a result.Meanwhile, Europe has fallen prey to a different ideological trap: the belief that European governments would always have infinite resources and could continue borrowing as if there were no tomorrow. Unlike the Americans, who felt that the markets knew best, the Europeans failed to anticipate how the markets would react to their endless borrowing. Today, the European Union is creating a $580 billion fund to ward off sovereign collapse. This will buy the EU time, but it will not solve the bloc’s larger problem.61. What has contributed to the rapid economic growth in China and India?［A］Copying western-style economic behavior.［B］Timely reform of government at all levels.［C］Free market plus government intervention.［D］Heavy reliance on the hand of government.62. What does Ronald Reagan mean by saying “government is the problem”（Lines 3-4, Para. 3）?［A］Many social ills are caused by wrong government policies.［B］Many social problems arise from government inefficiency.［C］Government action is key to solving economic problems.［D］Government regulation hinders economic development.63. What stopped the American economy from collapsing in 2007?［A］Abandonment of big government by the public.［B］Self-regulatory repair mechanisms of the free market.［C］Effective measures adopted by the government.［D］Cooperation between the government and businesses.64. What is the author’s suggestion to the American public in face of the government deficit?［A］They give up the idea of smaller government and less regulation.［B］They develop green energy to avoid dependence on oil import.［C］They urge the government to revise its existing public policies.［D］They put up with the inevitable sharp increase of different taxes.65. What’s the problem with the European Union?［A］Conservative ideology.［B］Shrinking market.［C］Lack of resources.［D］Excessive borrowing.Part IV Translation （30 minutes）Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.《孙子兵法》（The Art of War）是中国古代最重要的一部军事著作之一，是我国优秀传统文化的重要组成部分。
2012年12月英语六级真题及答案(多题多卷)
（一）Part II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) 15 minutesThirst grows for living unplugged More people are taking breaks from the connected life amid the stillness and quiet of retreats like the Jesuit Center in Wernersville, Pennsylvania About a year ago, I flew to Singapore to join the writer Malcolm Gladwell, the fashion designer Marc Ecko and the graphic designer Stefan Sagmeister in addressing a group of advertising people on "Marketing to the Child of Tomorrow". Soon after I arrived, the chief executive of the agency that had invited us took me aside. What he was most interested in. he began, was stillness and quiet. A few months later, I read an interview with the well-known cutting-edge designer Philippe Starck. What allowed him to remain so consistently ahead of the curve? "I never read any magazines or watch TV," he said, perhaps with a little exaggeration. "Nor do I go to cocktail parties, dinners or anything like that." He lived outside conventional ideas, he implied, because "1 live alone mostly, in the middle of nowhere."Around the same time, I noticed that those who part with$2285 a night to stay in a cliff-top room at the Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur, California, pay partly for the privilege of not having a TV in their rooms; the future of travel, I'm reliably told, lies in "black-hole resorts," which charge high prices precisely because you can't get online in their rooms.Has it really come to this? The more ways we have to connect, the more many of us seem desperate to unplug. Internet rescue camps in South Korea and China try to save kids addicted to the screen.Writer friends of mine pay good money to get the Freedom software that enables them to disable the very Internet connections that seemed so emancipating not long ago. Even Intel experimented in 2007 with conferring four uninterrupted hours of quiet time (no phone or e-mail) every Tuesday morning on 300 engineers and managers. Workers were not allowed to use the phone or send e-mail, but simply had the chance to clear their heads and to hear themselves think.The average American spends at least eight and a half hours a day in front of a screen. Nicholas Carr notes in his book The Shallows. The average American teenager sends or receives 75 text messages a day, though one girl managed to handle an average of 10 000 every 24 hours for a month.Since luxury is a function of scarcity, the children of tomorrow will long for nothing more than intervals of freedom from all the blinking machines, streaming videos and scrolling headlines that leave them feeling empty and too full all at once.The urgency of slowing down-to find the time and space to think-is nothing new, of course, and wiser souls have always reminded us that the more attention we pay to the moment, the less time and energy we have to place it in some larger context." Distraction is the only thing that consoles us for our miseries." the French philosopher Blaise Pascal wrote in the 17th century, "and yet it is itself the greatest of our miseries." He also famously remarked that all of man's problems come from his inability to sit quietly in a room alone.When telegraphs and trains brought in the idea that convenience was more important thancontent, Henry David Thoreau reminded us that'. the man whose horse trots（奔跑）a mile in a minute does not carry the most important messages."Marshall McLuhan, who came closer than most to seeing what was coming, warned. "When things come at you very fast, naturally you lose touch with yourself" We have more and more ways to communicate, but less and less to say. Partly because we are so busy communicating. And we are rushing to meet so many deadlines that we hardly register that what we need most are lifelines. So what to do? More and more people I know seem to be turning to yoga, or meditation （沉思）,or tai chi（太极）;these aren't New Age fads（时尚的事物）so much as ways to connect with what could be called the wisdom of old age. Two friends of mine observe an "Internet sabbath（安息日）"every week, turning off their online connections from Friday night to Monday morning. Other friends take walks and "forget" their cellphones at home.A series of tests in recent years has shown. Mr. Carr points out, that after spending time in quiet rural settings, subjects "exhibit greater attentiveness, stronger memory and generally improved cognition. Their brains become both calmer and sharper." More than that, empathy（同感，共鸣）,as well as deep thought. depends (as neuroscientists like Antonio Damasio have found) on neural processes that are 'inherently slow."I turn to eccentric measures to try to keep my mind sober and ensure that I have time to do nothing at all (which is the only time when I can see what I should be doing the rest of the time).I have yet to use a cell phone and I have never Tweeted or entered Facebook. I try not to go online till my day's writing is finished, and I moved from Manhattan to rural Japan in part so I could more easily survive for long stretches entirely on foot. None of this is a matter of asceticism （苦行主义）;it is just pure selfishness. Nothing makes me feel better than being in one place, absorbed in a book. A conversation, or music. It is actually something deeper than mere happiness: it is joy. which the monk（僧侣）David Steindl-Rast describes as "that kind of happiness that doesn't depend on what happens."It is vital, of course, to stay in touch with the world. But it is only by having some distance from the world that you can see it whole, and understand what you should be doing with it.For more than 20 years. therefore, I have been going several times a year-often for no longer than three days- to a Benedictine hermitage（修道院）,40 minutes down the road, as it happens, from the Post Ranch Inn. I don't attend services when I am there, and 1 have never meditated, there or anywhere; I just take walks and read and lose myself in the stillness, recalling that it is only by stepping briefly away from my wife and bosses and friends that I will have anything useful to bring to them. The last time 1 was in the hermitage, three months ago. I happened to meet with a youngish-looking man with a 3-year-old boy around his shoulders."You're Pico aren't you?" the man said, and introduced himself as Larry; we had met, 1 gathered, 19 years before, when he had been living in the hermitage as an assistant to one of the monks."What are you doing now?" I asked. We smiled. No words were necessary."I try to bring my kids here as often as I can," he went on. The child of tomorrow, I realized, may actually be ahead of us, in terms of sensing not what is new, but what is essential.1 .What is special about the Post Ranch Inn?A) Its rooms are well furnished but dimly lit.B) It makes guests feel like falling into a black hole.C) There is no access to television in its rooms.D) It provides all the luxuries its guests can think of.2. What does the author say the children of tomorrow will need most?A) Convenience and comfort in everyday life. C) More activities to fill in their leisure time.B) Time away from all electronic gadgets. D) Greater chances for individual development.3. What does the French philosopher Blaise Pascal say about distraction?A) It leads us to lots of mistakes. C) It helps release our excess energy.B) It renders us unable to concentrate. D) It is our greatest misery in life.4. According to Marshall McLuhan, what will happen if things come at us very fast?A) We will not know what to do with our own lives.B) We will be busy receiving and sending messages.C) We will find it difficult to meet our deadlines.D) We will not notice what is going on around us.5. What does the author say about yoga, meditation and tai chi?A) They help people understand ancient wisdom. C) They are ways to communicate with nature.B) They contribute to physical and mental health. D) They keep people from various distractions.6. What is neuroscientist Antonio Damasio's finding?A) Quiet rural settings contribute a lot to long life.B) One's brain becomes sharp when it is activated.C) Eccentric measures are needed to keep one's mind sober.D) When people think deeply, their neural processes are slow.7. The author moved from Manhattan to rural Japan partly because he could_.A) stay away from the noise of the big city C) enjoy the beautiful view of the countrysideB) live without modern transportation D) practice asceticism in a local hermitage8. In order to see the world whole, the author thinks it necessary to_____.9. The author takes walks and reads and loses himself in the stillness of the hermitage so that he can bring his wife and bosses and friends______.10. The youngish-looking man takes his little boy to the hermitage frequently so that when he grows up he will know_______.Part III Listening ComprehensionSection A11. A) She can count on the man for help. C) She can lend the man a sleeping bag.B) She has other plans for this weekend. D) She has got camping gear for rent.12. A) The man should keep his words. C) Karen always supports her at work.B) She regrets asking the man for help. D) Karen can take her to the airport13. A) He can't afford to go traveling yet. C) He usually checks his brakes before a tripB) His trip to Hawaii was not enjoyable. D) His trip to Hawaii has used up all his money.14. A) There was nothing left except some pie. C) The woman is going to prepare the dinner.B) The man has to find something else to eat. D) Julie has been invited for dinner.15. A) Submit no more than three letters. C) Apply to three graduate schools.B) Present a new letter of reference. D) Send Professor Smith a letter.16. A) He declines to join the gardening club.B) He is a professional gardener in town.C) He prefers to keep his gardening skills to himself.D) He wishes to receive formal training in gardening.17. A) Sculpture is not a typical form of modern art.B) Modern art cannot express people's true feelings.C) The recent sculpture exhibit was not well organized.D) Many people do not appreciate modern art.18.A) Bob does not have much chance to win. C) Bob cannot count on her vote.B) She will vote for another candidate. D) She knows the right person for the position Questions 19 to 22 are based on the conversation you have just heard.19. A) Poor management of the hospital. C) Decisions made by the head technician.B) The health hazard at her work place. D) The outdated medical testing procedures.20. A) Transfer her to another department. C) Cut down her workload.B) Repair the X-ray equipment. D) Allow her to go on leave for two months.21 .A) They are virtually impossible to enforce. C) Both of them have been subject to criticism.B) Neither is applicable to the woman's case. D) Their requirements may be difficult to meet.22. A) Organize a mass strike. C) Try to help her get it back.B) Compensate for her loss. D) Find her a better paying job.Questions 23 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.23. A) In giving concessions. C) In stating your terms.B) In the concluding part. D) In the preparatory phase.24. A) He behaves in a way contrary to his real intention.B) He presents his arguments in a straightforward way.C) He responds readily to the other party's proposals.D) He uses lots of gestures to help make his points clear.25. A) Both may fail when confronting experienced rivals.B) The honest type is more effective than the actor type.C) Both can succeed depending on the specific situation.D) The actor type works better in tough negotiations.Section B Passage OneQuestions 26 to 29 are based on the passage you have just heard.26. A) The shape of the cubes used. C) The number of times of repeating the process.B) The size of the objects shown. D) The weight of the boxes moving across the stage.27. A) Boys enjoy playing with cubes more than girls.B) Girls tend to get excited more easily than boys.C) Girls seem to start reasoning earlier than boys.D) Boys pay more attention to moving objects than girls.28. A) It is a breakthrough in the study of the nerve system.B) It may stimulate scientists to make further studies.C) Its result helps understand babies' language ability.D) Its findings are quite contrary to previous research.29. A) The two sides of their brain develop simultaneously. C) Their bones mature earlier.B) They are better able to adapt to the surroundings. D) They talk at an earlier age.Passage Two Questions 30 to 32 are based on the passage you hav e just heard.30. A) The new security plan for the municipal building.B) The blueprint for the development of the city.C) The controversy over the new office regulations.D) The city's general budget for the coming year.31 .A) Whether the security checks were really necessary.B) How to cope with the huge crowds of visitors to the municipal buildingC) Whether the security checks would create long queues at peak hours.D) How to train the newly recruited security guards.32. A) Irrelevant. B) Straightforward. C) Ridiculous. D) Confrontational.Passage Three Questions 33 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.33. A) He used to work as a miner in Nevada. C) He considers himself a blessedman.B) He works hard to support his five kids. D) He once taught at a local high school34 .A) To be nearer to Zac's school. C) To cut their living expenses.B) To look after her grandchildren.D) To help with the household chores.35. A) Skeptical. B) Optimistic. C) Indifferent. D) Realistic.Section CMountain climbing is becoming popular sport, but it is also a (36) _______dangerous one. People can fall; they may also become ill. One of the most common dangers to climbers is altitude sickness, which can affect even very (37) _______climbers.Altitude sickness usually begins when a climber goes above 8 000 or 9 000 feet. The higher one climbs, the less oxygen there is in the air. When people don't get enough oxygen, they often begin to (38) _______for air. They may also feel (39) _______and light-headed. Besides these symptoms of altitude sickness, others such as headache and (40) _______may also occur. At heights of over 18000 feet, people may be climbing in a (41) _______daze（恍惚）. This state of mind can have an (42) _______ effect on their judgment. A few (43) _______ can help most climbers avoid altitude sickness. The first is not to go too high too fast. If you climb to 10 000 feet, stay at that height for a day or two. (44) _______.Or if you do climb higher sooner, come back down to a lower height when you sleep. Also, drink plenty of liquids and avoid tobacco and alcohol. (45) _______. You breathe less when you sleep, so you get less oxygen. The most important warning is this: if you have severe symptoms and they don't go away, go down! (46)_______.Part IVReading Comprehension (Reading in Depth)Section AA key process in interpersonal interaction is that of social comparison, in that we evaluate ourselves in terms of how we compare to others. In particular, we engage in two types ofcomparison. First, we decide whether we are superior or inferior to others on certain dimensions, such as attractiveness, intelligence, popularity, etc. Here, the important aspect is to compare with an appropriate reference group. For example, modest joggers should not compare their performance with Olympic standard marathon（马拉松）runners. Second, we judge the extent to which we are the same as or different from others. At certain stages of life, especially adolescence, the pressure to be seen as similar to peers is immense. Thus, wearing the right brand of clothes or shoes may be of the utmost importance. We also need to know whether our thoughts, beliefs and ideas are in line with those of other people. This is part of the process of self-validation whereby we employ self-disclosures to seek support for our self-concept.People who do not have access to a good listener may not only be denied the opportunity to heighten their self- awareness, but they are also denied valuable feedback as to the validity and acceptability of their inner thoughts and feelings. By discussing these with others, we receive feedback as to whether these are experiences which others have as well, or whether they are less common. Furthermore, by gauging the reactions to our self-disclosures we learn what types are acceptable or unacceptable with particular people and in specific situations. On occasions it is the fear that certain disclosures may be unacceptable to family or friends that motivates an individual to seek professional help. Counselors will be familiar with client statements such as: "1 just couldn't talk about this to my husband.", "I really can't let my mother know my true feelings." Another aspect of social comparison in the counseling context relates to a technique known as normalizing. This is the process whereby helpers provide reassurance to clients that what they are experiencing is not abnormal or atypical（非典型的）,but is a normal reaction shared by others when facing such circumstances. Patient disclosure, facilitated by the therapist, seems also to facilitate the process of normalizing.47 . To evaluate ourselves, the author thinks it important for us to compare ourselves with_____.48 . During adolescence, people generally feel an immense pressure to appear______.49 . It is often difficult for people to heighten their self-awareness without______.50 . What can people do if they find what they think or say unacceptable to family orfriends?51 . Counsellors often assure their clients that what they experience themselves is only______. Section BPassage One Questions 52 to 56 are based on the following passageAmid all the job losses, there's no category of worker that the economic disruption has been good for: nonhumans.From self-service checkout lines at supermarket to industrial robots armed with saws and taught to carve up animal bodies in slaughter-houses, these ever-more-intelligent machines are now not just assisting workers but actually kicking them out of their jobs.Automation isn't just affecting factory workers, either. Some law firms now use artificial intelligence software to scan and read mountains of legal documents. work that previously was performed by highly-paid human lawyers."Robots continue to have an impact on blue-collar jobs, and white-collar jobs are under attack by microprocessors," says economics professor Edward Learner. The recession permanently wiped out 2.5 million jobs. US gross domestic product has climbed back to pre-recession levels, meaning we're producing as much as before, only with 6% fewer workers. To be sure, robotics are not the only job killers Out there, with outsourcing（外包）stealing far more jobs than automation.Jeff Burnstein, president of the Robotics Industry Association, argues that robots actually save US jobs. His logic: companies that embrace automation might use fewer workers, but that's still better than firing everyone and moving the work overseas. It's not that robots are cheaper than humans, though often they are. It's that they're better. "In some cases the quality requirements are so exacting that even if you wanted to have a human do the job, you couldn't." Burnstein says.Same goes for surgeons,who're using robotic systems to perform an ever-growing list of operations- not because the machines save money but because, thanks to the greater precision of robots, the patients recover in less time and have fewer complications, says Dr. Myriam Curet.Surgeons may survive the robot invasion, but others at the hospital might not be so lucky. as iRobot, maker of the Roomba, a robot vacuum cleaner, has been showing off Ava, which could be used as a messenger in a hospital. And once you're home, recovering, Ava could let you talk to your doctor, so there's no need to send someone to your house. That "mobile telepresence" could be useful at the office. If you're away on a trip, you can still attend a meeting. Just connect via videoconferencing software, so your face appears on Ava's screen.Is any job safe? I was hoping to say" journalist," but researchers are already developing software that can gather facts and write a news story. Which means that a few years from now, a robot could be writing this column. And who will read it? Well, there might be a lot of us hanging around with lots of free time on our hands.52. What do we learn from the first few paragraphs?A) The over-use of robots has done damage to American economy.B) It is hard for robots to replace humans in highly professional work.C) Artificial intelligence is key to future technological innovations.D The robotic industry has benefited from the economic recession.53. What caused the greatest loss of jobs in America?A) Using microprocessors extensively. C) The bankruptcy of many companies.B) Moving production to other countries. D) The invasion of migrant workers.54. What does Jeff Burnstein say about robots?A) They help companies to revive. C) They prevent job losses in a way.B They are cheaper than humans. D) They compete with human workers.55. Why are robotic systems replacing surgeons in more and more operations according to Dr. Myriam Curet?A) They save lots of money for the patients. C) They take less time to perform a surgery.B They beat humans in precision. D) They make operations less painful.56. What does the author imply about robotics?A) It will greatly enrich literary creation.B It will start a new technological revolution.C) It will revolutionize scientific research.D) It will be applied in any field imaginable.Passage Two Questions 57 to 61 are based on the following passage.You've now heard it so many times, you can probably repeat it in your sleep. President Obama will no doubt make he point publicly when he gets to Beijing: the Chinese need to consume more; they need-believe it or not-to become more like Americans, for the sake of the global economy.And it's all true. But the other side of that equation is that the US needs to save more. For the moment, American households actually are doing so. After the personal-savings rate dipped to zero in 2005, the shock of the economic crisis last year prompted people to snap shut their wallets.In China, the household-savings rate exceeds 20%.It is partly for policy reasons. As we've seen, age earners are expected to care for not only their children but their aging parents. And there is, to date, only the flimsiest（脆弱的）of publicly-funded health care and pension systems, which increases incentives for individuals to save while they are working. But China is a society that has long esteemed personal financial prudence（谨慎）.There is no chance that will change anytime soon, even if the government creates a better social safety net and successfully encourages greater consumer spendingWhy does the US need to learn a little frugality（节俭）? Because healthy savings rates are one of the surest indicators of a country's long-term financial health. High savings lead, over time, to increased investment, which in turn generates productivity gains, innovation and job growth. In short, savings are the seed corn of a good economic harvest.The US government thus needs to act as well. By running constant deficits, it is dis-saving, even as households save more. Peter Orszag, Obama's Budget Director, recently called the US budget deficits unsustainable and he's right. To date, the US has seemed unable to see the consequences of spending so much more than is taken in. That needs to change. And though Hu Jintao and the rest of the Chinese leadership aren't inclined to lecture visiting Presidents, he might gently hint that Beijing is getting a little nervous about the value of the dollar--which has fallen 15% since March. in large part because of increasing fears that America's debt load is becoming unmanageable.That's what happens when you're the world's biggest creditor: you get to drop hints like that, which would be enough by themselves to create international economic chaos if they were ever leaked. (Every time any official in Beijing deliberates publicly about seeking an alternative to the US dollar for the$2. 1 trillion China holds in reserve, currency traders have a heart attack.)If Americans saved more and spent less, consistently over time, they wouldn't have to worry about all that.57. How did the economic crisis affect Americans?A) They had to tighten their belts.B) Their bank savings rate dropped to zero.C) Their leadership in the global economy was shaken.D) They became concerned about China's financial policy.58. What should be done to encourage Chinese people to consume?A) Changing their traditional way of life. C) Improving China's social security system.B) Providing fewer incentives (or saving. D) Cutting down the expenses on child-rearing.59. What does the author mean by saying "savings are the seed corn of a good economic harvest" (Lines 3-4, Para. 4)?A) The more one saves, the more returns one will reap.B) A country's economy hinges on its savings policy.C) Those who keep saving will live an easy life in the end.D) A healthy savings rate promotes economic prosperity.60. In what circumstances do currency traders become scared?A) When Beijing allows its currency exchange rates to float.B) When China starts to reduce its current foreign reserves.C) When China talks about switching its dollar reserves to other currencies.D) When Beijing mentions in public the huge debts America owes China.61. What is the author's purpose of writing the passage?A) To urge the American government to cut deficits.B) To encourage Chinese people to spend more.C) To tell Americans not to worry about their economy.D) To promote understanding between China and America.Part V ClozeThe shorter growing seasons expected with climate change over the next 40 years will endanger hundreds of millions of already poor people in the global tropics, say researchers working__62__ the world's leading agricultural organizations.The effects of climate change are likely to be seen across the entire tropical__63__butmany areas previously considered to be__64__food secure are likely to becomehighly__65__droughts, extreme weather and higher temperatures, say the__66__with the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research.Intensively farmed areas __67__northeast Brazil and Mexico are likely to seetheir__68__growing seasons fall below 120 days, which is__69__for crops such as corn to mature. Many other places in Latin America are likely to __70__temperatures that are too hot forbean__71__a staple in the region.The impact could be__72__most in India and southeast Asia. More than 300 million people in south Asia are likely to be affected even with a 5% decrease in the __73__ of the growing season.Higher peak temperatures are also expected to take a heavy __74__ on food producers. Today there are 56 million crop-dependent people in parts of west Africa and India who live in areas where, in 40 years, maximum daily temperatures could be higher than 30 C. This is__75__to the maximum temperature that beans can tolerate, __76__ corn and rice yields suffer when temperatures__77__this level.。
2012年12月英语四六级真题答案及详解（完整版）
2012年12月英语六级试题答案(完整版)Part ⅠWritingMy View on University RankingIn recent years, all kinds of University Ranking Lists can be found on some educational websites, or newspapers. The ranking standards also vary. These lists have great influence on students. They are even becoming the only scale to evaluate the colleges and universities.People hold different views toward this phenomenon. Some believe that these lists help the students a lot, especially for those who will choose their university. While some other protest vigorously. In their points, the list is really ridiculous and harmful. In my view, the university ranking may have its own reference values, but its disadvantages overweigh its values.For those university-students-to-be, they are supposed to choose the school according to his or her own situation, but not the so-called Ranking List. What’s more, how about the university students? How do they feel about themselves when they see the ranking? The list may become some intangible shackles for them if their own school ranks poorly.In a nutshell, there is no easy method to rank these universities, but the Ranking, only helps students ignore the essentials, namely, their ninety-nine percent perspiration.此次六级作文的自由度很大，看似给出了提纲，实际上具体的观点全靠个人发挥。
英语六级阅读理解练习5篇(附答案)二
英语六级阅读理解练习6篇（附答案）二第一篇Pronouncing a language is a skill. Every normal person is expert in the skill of pronouncing his own language; but few people are even moderately proficient at pronouncing foreign languages. Now there are many reasons for this, some obvious, some perhaps not so obvious. But I suggest that the fundamental reason why people in general do not speak foreign languages very much better than they do is that they fail to grasp the true nature of the problem of learning to pronounce, and consequently never set about tackling it in the right way. Far too many people fail to realize that pronouncing a foreign language is a skill—one that needs careful training of a special kind, and one that cannot be acquired by just leaving it to take care of itself. I think even teachers of language, while recognizing the importance of a good accent, tend to neglect, in their practical teaching, the branch of study concerned with speaking the language. So the first point I want to make is that English pronunciation must be taught; the teacher should be prepared to devote some of the lesson time to this, and should get the student to feel that here is a matter worthy of receiving his close attention. So, there should be occasions when other aspects of English, such as grammar or spelling, are allowed for the moment to take second place.Apart from this question of the time given to pronunciation, there are two other requirements for the teacher: the first, knowledge; the second, technique.It is important that the teacher should be in possession of the necessary information. This can generally be obtained from books. It is possible to get from books some idea of the mechanics of speech, and of what we call general phonetic theory. It is also possible in this way to get a clear mental picture of the relationship between the sounds of different languages, between the speech habits of English people and those, say, of your students. Unless the teacher has such a picture, any comments he may make on his students' pronunciation are unlikely to be of much use, and lesson time spent on pronunciation may well be time wasted.1. What does the writer actually say about pronouncing foreign languages?A. Only a few people are really proficient.B. No one is really an expert in the skill.C. There aren't many people who are even fairly good.D. There are even some people who are moderately proficient.2. The writer argues that going about the problem of pronunciation in the wrong way isA. an obvious cause of not grasping the problem correctlyB. a fundamental consequence of not speaking wellC. a consequence of not grasping the problem correctlyD. not an obvious cause of speaking poorly3. The best way of learning to speak a foreign language, he suggests, is by_______.A. picking it up naturally as a childB. learning from a native speakerC. not concentrating on pronunciation as suchD. undertaking systematic work4. The value the student puts on correct speech habits depends upon_______.A. how closely he attends to the matterB. whether it is English that is being taughtC. his teacher's approach to pronunciationD. the importance normally given to grammar and spelling5. How might the teacher find himself wasting lesson time?A. By spending lesson time on pronunciation.B. By making ill-informed comments upon pronunciation.C. By not using books on phonetics in the classroom.D. By not giving students a clear mental picture of the difference between sounds.第二篇An industrial society, especially one as centralized and concentrated as that of Britain, is heavily dependant on certain essential services: for instance, electricity supply, water, rail and road transport, the harbors. The area of dependency has widened to include removing rubbish, hospital and ambulance services, and, as the economy develops, central computer and information services as well. If any of these services ceases to operate, the whole economic system is in danger.It is this interdependency of the economic system that makes the power of trade unions such an important issue. Single trade unions have the ability to cut off many economic blood supplies. This can happen more easily in Britain than in some other countries, in part because the labor force is highly organized. About 55 per cent of British workers belong to unions, compared to under a quarter in the United States. For historical reasons, Britain's unions have tended to develop along trade and occupational lines, rather than on an industry-by-industry basis, which makes wage policy, democracy in industry and the improvement of procedures for fixing wage levels difficult to achieve.There are considerable strains and tensions in the trade union movement, some of them arising from their outdated and inefficient structure. Some unions have lost many members because of industrial changes. Others are involved in arguments about who should represent workers in new trades. Unions for skilled trades are separate from general unions, which means that different levels of wages for certain jobs areoften a source of bad feeling between unions. In traditional trades which are being pushed out of existence by advancing technologies, unions can fight for their members' disappearing jobs to the point where the jobs of other union's members are threatened or destroyed. The printing of newspapers both in the United States and in Britain has frequently been halted by the efforts of printers to hold on to their traditional highly-paid jobs.1. Why is the question of trade union power important in Britain?A. The economy is very much interdependent.B. Unions have been established a long time.C. There are more unions in Britain than elsewhere.D. There are many essential services.2. Because of their out-of-date organization some unions find it difficult to______.A. change as industries changeB. get new members to join themC. learn new technologiesD. bargain for high enough wages3. Disagreements arise between unions because some of themA. try to win over members of other unionsB. ignore agreementsC. protect their own members at the expense of othersD. take over other union's jobs4. It is difficult to improve the procedures for fixing wage levels because______.A. some industries have no unionsB. unions are not organized according to industriesC. only 55 per cent of workers belong to unionsD. some unions are too powerful5. Which of the following is NOT TRUE?A. There are strains and tensions in the trade union movement.B. Some unions have lost many members.C. Some unions exist in the outdated structure.D. A higher percentage of American workers belong to unions than that of British workers.第三篇Although credit cards are becoming a more acceptable part of the financial scene, they are still regarded with suspicion by many as being a major part of the "live now pay later" syndrome(^Jttt). Along with hire-purchase, rental and leasing schemes, they provide encouragement to spend more money. Of course, it is only the foolhardy who yield to the temptation to live, temporarily at least, beyond their means, and suchpeople would no doubt manage to do so even without credit cards.Advertising campaigns have, however, promoted a growing realization of the advantages of these small pieces of plastic. They obviate (避免) need to carry large amounts of cash and are always useful in emergencies.All the credit card organizations charge interest on a monthly basis which may work out as high as 25 per cent a year, yet judicious purchasing using a card can mean that you obtain up to seven weeks, interest-free credit. Using the card abroad, where items frequently take a long time to be included on your account, can extend this period even further.It is worthwhile shopping around before deciding on a particular credit card. It is necessary to consider the amount of credit granted; interest rates, which may vary slightly; the number and range of outlets, though most cards cover major garages, hotels, restaurants and department stores; and of course, what happens if your card is lost or stolen. A credit card thief may be sitting on a potential goldmine particularly if there is a delay in reporting the loss of the card.However, if used wisely, a credit card can cost nothing, or at least help to tide you over a period of financial difficulty.1. Which of the following can not make you spend more money?A. Credit cards.B. Hire-purchase.C. Rental and leasing schemes.D. None of the above is right.2. The foolhardy are people who_______.A. spend more money than they haveB. spend less money than other peopleC. save moneyD. make money3. The disadvantage of credit cards is_______.A. to enable you to buy things without carrying large amount of cashB. to encourage people to spend more moneyC. to be always useful in emergenciesD. to help people tide over a period of financial difficulty4. According to the passage, credit cards are made of_______.A. paperB. goldC. plasticD. tin5. Deciding on a particular credit, you do not have to consider______.A. the amount of credit grantedB. the number and range of outletsC. the possibility of loss of moneyD. the department stores where you are going to use your credit cards第四篇More attention was paid to the quality of production in France at the time of Rene Coty. Charles Deschanel was then the financial minister. He stressed that workmanship and quality were more important than quantity for industrial production. It would be necessary to produce quality goods for the international markets tocompete with those produced in other countries. The French economy needed a larger share of international market to balance its import and export trade.French industrial and agricultural production was still inadequate to meet the immediate needs of the people, let alone long-ranged developments. Essential imports had stretched the national credit to the breaking point. Rents were tightly controlled, but the extreme inflation affected general population most severely through the cost of food. Food costs took as much as 80 percent of the worker's income. Wages, it is true, had risen. Extensive family allowances and benefits were paid by the state, and there was fulltime and overtime employment. Taken together, these factors enabled the working class to exist but allowed them no sense of security. In this discouraging situation, workmen were willing to work overseas for higher wages.The government was unwilling to let workers leave the country. It was feared that migration of workers would reduce the labor force. The lack of qualified workers might hinder the improvement in the quality of industrial products produced. Qualified workers employed abroad would only increase the quantity of quality goods produced in foreign countries. Also the quantity of quality goods produced in France would not be able to increase as part of its ualified labor force moved to other countries.1. The purpose of the passage is to_______.A. explain the French government's emphasis on quality productsB. discuss Charles Deschanel's contribution to the French industrial developmentC. compare the quality of French goods with that of foreign goodsD. show French workmen's enthusiasm to seek well-paid jobs in foreign countries2. It can be inferred from the passage that at the time of Rene Coty .A. France was still at the first stage of industrial developmentB. French workers were better paid than the workers in any other European countriesC. the unemployment rate in France was comparatively higher than that in other European countriesD. French workers were able to live better with the increase in their wages3. It is implied in the passage that at that time_______.A. France had a very large share of international marketB. the import and export trade in France was making a successful advanceC. demand and supply in France was barely balancedD. France was experiencing economic depression4. Which of the following is the best indicator of the extreme inflation in France?A. Eighty percent increase in the prices of consumer goods.B. High cost of food.C. High rents for houses.D. Lack of agricultural products.5. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?A. Rents in France were tightly controlled.B. France was flooding the international market with inferior products.C. French workers were prohibited from going abroad to find jobs.D. The migration of French workers would hinder the improvement of quality in industrial production.第五篇As a company executive(总经理) who spent ten years in federal service, I am often asked what I regard as the biggest difference between working for the government and working for a private company. My invariable response is to say that I look back on my time in government as one of the most exciting and challenging experiences of my life. Furthermore, I never worked as hard as when I was a public servant.When I worked for the government, I worked with some of the finest, most competent and most committed people I have ever met. I was impressed by the overall quality of our career civil servants then, and I still am. But one of my greatest concerns now is that I will not be able to hold this same high opinion in the future.Career public servants are leaving government in alarming numbers, and qualified replacements are becoming harder and harder to find. Good people who leave career government service are striving for highly paid positions in private enterprises.We depend on government to keep this country safe in an uncertain world, to secure justice and domestic order and to solve a host of pressing problems. We need the best possible people performing and overseeing these vital tasks. A high-quality, professional federal service has been a source of national pride for more than a century. But what we have built up during a hundred years can be lost in less time than we imagine. We can't afford to let this happen. We must act now if this country is to be assured of the quality public service it deserves.1. Career public servants are leaving government in alarming numbers. One of thereasons may be that______.A. they received lower payB. they deserved no fame and gloryC. they performed poorlyD. they worked harder than anyone else2. According to the author, _______, so I will not be able to hold this same high opiniontoward the public servants in the future.A. I never worked as hard as when I was a public servantB. I have become a company executiveC. there will not be so many competent and qualified servants in the government as we had beforeD. my time in government was not the most exciting experience in my life3. We depend on government to keep this country safe in an uncertain world, therefore,A. we should make greater contributions to the countryB. the best possible people are urgently needed to do important tasksC. we should show deep concern about the nation's futureD. we should become public servants4. If we neglect the serious problem and make no efforts, we will lose_______.A. national prideB. high-quality professional federal serviceC. good peopleD. private enterprise5. Which of the following is NOT TRUE?A. Those who work for companies are highly paid.B. More and more public servants have left the government.C. Career public servants are qualified.D. Many people of high qualities want to work in the government.According to the latest research in the' United States of America, men and women talk such different languages that it is like people from two different cultures trying to communicate. Professor Deborah Tannen of Georgetown University, has noticed the difference in the style of boy's and girl's conversations from an early age. She says that little girls' conversation is less definite than boys' and expresses more doubts. Little boys use conversation to establish status with their listeners.These differences continue into adult life, she says. In public conversations, men talk most and interrupt other speakers more. In private conversations, men and women speak in equal amounts—although they say things in a different style. Professor Tannen believes that, for woman, private talking is a way to establish and test intimacy. For men, private talking is a way to explore the power structure of a relationship.第六篇Teaching is one job where the differences between men's and women's ways of talking show. When a man teaches a woman, says Professor Tannen, he wants to show that he has more knowledge, and hence more power in conversation. When a woman teaches another woman, however, she is more likely to take a sharing approach and to encourage her student to join in.But Professor Tannen does not believe that women are naturally more helpful. She says women feel they achieve power by being able to help others. Although the research suggests men talk and interrupt people more than women, Professor Tannen says, women actually encourage this to happen because they believe it will lead to more intimacy and help to establish a relationship.Some scientists who are studying speech think that the brain is pre¬programmedfor language. As we are usually taught to speak by women, it seems likely that the brain must have a sexual bias(倾向性) in its programming,otherwise male speech patterns would not arise at all.1. In the opinion of the writer, women encourage men to talk becauseA. it will lead to more intimacy and help to establish a relationshipB. it will help to establish status with their listenersC. it will help to express more clearlyD. it will help to communicate better2. There are_______in little girls' conversation than in boys'.A. fewer doubtsB. more demandsC. more doubtsD. fewer uncertainties3. Some scientists believe that brain is pre-programmed for language. The word "pre programmed" means_______.A. programmed alreadyB. programmed before one is bornC. programmed earlyD. programmed by women4. In private conversation, women speakA. the same things as menB. less than menC. more than menD. as much as men5. The theme of this article is _______.A. women are naturally more helpfulB. men and women talk different languagesC. men talk most and interrupt other speakers moreD. little girls' conversation is less definite第一篇答案、1. C 2. C 3. D 4. C 5.B第二篇答案、1. A 2. A 3. C 4. B 5. D第三篇答案、1. D 2. A 3. B 4. D 6. C第四篇答案、1. A 2. A 3. D 4. B 5. B第五篇答案、1. A 2. C 3. B 4. B 5. D第五篇答案、1. A 2. C 3. B 4. D 5. B。
2012年12月英语六级阅读真题及解析
2012年12月大学英语六级考试真题Passage OneQuestions 52 to 56 are based on the following passage.Amid all the job losses, there’s one category of worker that the economic disruption has been good for: nonhumans.From self-service checkout lines at the supermarket to industrial robots armed with saws and taught to carve up animal bodies in slaughter-houses, these ever-more-intelligent machines are now not just assisting workers but actually kicking them out of their jobs.Automation isn’t just affecting factory workers, either. Some law firms now use artificial intelligence software to scan and read mountains of legal documents, work that previously was performed by highly-paid human lawyers.“Robots continue to have an impact on blue-collar jobs, and white-collar jobs are under attack by microprocessors,” says economics professor Edward Leamer. The recession permanently wiped out 2.5 million jobs. U.S. gross domestic product has climbed back to pre-recession levels, meaning we’re producing as much as before, only with 6% fewer workers. To be sure, robotics are not the only job killers out there,with outsourcing (外包) stealing far more jobs than automation.Jeff Burnstein, president of the Robotics Industry Association, argues that robots actually save U.S. jobs. His logic: companies that embrace automation might use fewer workers, but that’s still better than firing everyone and moving the work overseas.It’s not that robots are cheaper than humans, though often they are. It’s that they’re better. “In some cases the quality requirements are so exacting that even if you wanted to have a human do the job, you co uldn’t,” Burnstein says.Same goes for surgeons, who’re using robotic systems to perform an ever-growing list of operations—not because the machines save money but because, thanks to the greater precision of robots, the patients recover in less time and have fewer complications, says Dr. Myriam Curet.Surgeons may survive the robot invasion, but others at the hospital might not be so lucky, as iRobot, maker of the Roomba, a robot vacuum cleaner, has been showing off Ava, which could be used as a messenger in a hospital. And once you’re home, recovering, Ava could let you talk to your doctor, so there’s no need to send someone to your house. That “mobile telepresence” could be useful at the office. If you’re away on atrip, you can still attend a meeting. Just connect via videoconferencing software, so your face appears on Ava’s screen.Is any job safe? I was hoping to say “journalist,” but researchers are already developing software that can gather facts and write a news story. Which means that a few years from now, a robot could be writing this column. And who will read it? Well, there might be a lot of us hanging around with lots of free time on our hands.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
2012年12月英语六级真题及答案汇总（完整版
Part I Writing A 【标准版】 Man and Computer Ever since the birth of it, the computer has largely changed human being’s life and there has been a hot debate about its effects on humans. Undeniably, computers have taken the place of humans in many areas and it seems that computers begin to think like man, but this does not necessarily lead to the danger that man will think like computers. The reasons, in my opinion, are as follows. Firstly, when computers release human from repetitive tasks, humans themselves can spend more time on creative works, such as scientific research, which require imagination and cannot be completed by computers. Meanwhile, thanks to computers, humans get more spare time with their friends and family, which enhances their happiness. Moreover, even though computers can work automatically, the premise is that the program, which is written by humans, has been installed in it. In conclusion, humans, unlike computers, have creative ability, emotional desires and social bounds. Thus, I don’t think that there will be the danger that man will begin to think like the computer. 【高分版】 Man and Computer It is believed that the computer is bringing the world into a brand new era. At the time the computer was invented, scientists, marveling at its calculating speed, felt that they had created a miracle. Nowadays, the function of the computer is no longer confined to calculation; it permeate s people’s daily lives and has become an inseparable part of human society. People become so heavily dependent on computers that it is hard to imagine the life without computers. Therefore, some people are worried that “The real danger is not that the computer will think like man, but man will think like the computer.” Their concern does make sense. Indeed, some people spend such a long time working on computers that they have few interactions with people in real life. According to a research, too many hours in front of a computer may lead to a poker face and interpersonal isolation. This fact should arouse our attention, because unlike computers, human beings are social creatures that need emotional connections with others. Yet, it is also unnecessary for us to be overwhelmed by the negative impacts of computers. After all, we humans are intelligent and will be able to f igure out better ways to make improvements. 本次六级作文的题目是人与电脑，对“真正的危险不是电脑开始像人一样思考，而是人开始像电脑一样思考。
2012年6月大学英语六级真题及答案解析下
⽆忧考英语类考试频道为友整理⼤学英语四六级考试，供⼤家参考学习。
Conversation 1 W: One of the most interesting experiments with dolphins must be one done by Doctor Jarvis Bastian. What he tried to do was to teach a male dolphin called Bass and a female called Doris to communicate with each other across a solid barrier. M: So how did he do it exactly? W: Well, first of all, he kept the two dolphins together in the same tank and taught them to press levers whenever they saw a light. The levers were fitted to the side of the tank next to each other. If the light flashed on and off several times, the dolphins were supposed to press the left-hand lever followed by the right-hand one. If the light was kept steady, the dolphins were supposed to press the levers in reverse order. Whenever they responded correctly, they were rewarded with fish. M: Sounds terribly complicated. W: Well, that was the first stage. In the second stage, Doctor Bastian separated the dolphins into two tanks. They could still hear one another, but they couldn’t actually see each other. The levers and light were set up in exactly the same way except that this time it was only Doris who could see the light indicating which lever to press first. But in order to get their fish, both dolphins had to press the levers in the correct order. This meant of course that Doris had to tell Bass whether it was a flashing light or whether it was a steady light. M: So did it work? W: Well, amazingly enough, the dolphins achieved a 100 % success rate. Questions 19-21 are based on the conversation you have just heard. Q19. What is the purpose of Doctor Jarvis Bastian’s experiment? Q20. What were the dolphins supposed to do when they saw a steady light? Q21. How did the second stage of the experiment differ from the first stage? 答案： 19. D) to see if dolphins can communicate with each other. 20. A) Press the right-hand lever first. 21. C) Only one dolphin was able to see the light. 【解析】 这篇长对话主要围绕巴斯蒂安博⼠关于海豚的实验⽽展开，实验的⽬的是要教会海豚学会互相沟通和交流讯息。
2012年6月英语六级真题及答案
CET-6Part Ⅰ Writing (30 minutes)Directions ：For For this this this part, part, part, you you you are are are allowed allowed allowed 30 30 30 minutes minutes minutes to to to write write write a a a composition composition composition on on on the the the topic topic topic The The Impact of the Internet on Interpersonal Communication. You should write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words. The Impact of the Internet on Interpersonal CommunicationPart Ⅱ Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning)(15minutes)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. The Three-Year SolutionHartwick College, a small liberal-arts school in upstate New York, makes New York, makes this offer to well prepared students: earn your undergraduate degree in three years instead of four, and save about 543,000—the amount of one year’s tuition and fees. A number of innovative colleges are making the the same same same offer offer offer to to to students students students anxious anxious anxious about about about saving saving saving time time time and and and money. money. money. That’s That’s That’s both both both an an an opportunity opportunity opportunity and and and a a warning for the best higher-education system in the world. T he United States has almost all of the world’s best universities. A recent Chinese survey ranks 35 American universities among the top 50, eight among the top 10. Our research universities have been the key to developing the competitive advantages that hel p Americans produce 25% of all the world’s wealth. In 2007, 623,805 of the world’s brightest students were attracted to American universities.Yet, there are signs of peril (危险)within American higher education. U.S. colleges have to compete in the marketplace. Students may choose among 6,000 public, private, nonprofit, for profit, or religious institutions of higher learning. In addition, almost all of the 532 billion the federal government provides for university research is awarded competitively. But many colleges and universities are stuck in the past. For instance, the idea of the fall-to-fall-to-spring“school year”hasn’t changed much since before th spring“school year”hasn’t changed much since before the American Revolution, when we were a a summer summer summer stretch stretch stretch no no no longer longer longer makes makes makes sense. sense. sense. Former Former Former George George George Washington Washington Washington University University University president president president Stephen Stephen Trachtenberg estimates that a typical college uses its facilities for academic purposes a little more than half the calendar y ear.“While college facilities sit idle, they continue to generate maintenance expenses that contribute to the high cost of running a college,” he has written.Within academic departments, tenure(终身职位)，combined with age-discrimination laws, makes faculty faculty turnover turnover turnover——critical critical for for for a a a university university university to to to remain remain remain current current current in in in changing changing changing times times times——difficult. difficult. Instead Instead Instead of of protecting speech and encouraging diversity and innovative thinking, the tenure system often stifles(压制)them: younger professors must win the approval of established colleagues for tenure, encouraging like-mindedness and sometimes inhibiting the free flow of ideas. Meanwhile, tuition has soared, leaving graduating students with with unprecedented loan debt. unprecedented loan debt. Strong campus presidents to manage these problems are becoming harder to find, and to keep. In fact, students now stay on campus almost as long as their presidents. The average amount of time students now take to to complete complete complete an an an undergraduate undergraduate degree degree has has has stretched stretched stretched to to to six six six years years years and and and seven seven seven months months months as as as students students interrupted by work, inconvenienced by unavailable classes, or lured by one more football season find it hard to graduate. Congress has tried to help students with college costs through Pell Grants and other forms of tuition support. But some of their fixes have made the problem worse. The stack of congressional regulations governing governing federal federal federal student student student grants grants grants and and and loans loans loans now now now stands stands stands twice twice twice as as as tall tall tall as as as I I I do. do. do. Filling Filling Filling out out out these these these forms forms consumes 7% of every tuition dollar. For all of these reasons, some colleges like Hartwick are rethinking the old way of doing things and questioning questioning decades-old decades-old decades-old assumptions assumptions assumptions about about about what what what a a a college college college degree degree degree means. means. means. For For For instance, instance, instance, why why why does does does it it have to take four years to earn a diploma? This fall, 16 first-year students and four second-year students at Hartwick enrolled in the school’s new three year degree program. According to the college, the plan is designed for high-ability, highly motivated student who wish to save money or to move along more rapidly toward advanced degrees. By eliminating that extra year, there year degree students save 25% in costs. Instead of taking 30 credits a year, these students take 40. During January, Hartwick runs a four week course during which students students may may may earn earn earn three three three to to to four four four credits credits credits on on on or or or off off off campus, campus, campus, including including including a a a number number number of of of international international international sites. sites. Summer courses are not required, but a student may enroll in them —and pay extra. Three year students get first crack at course registration. There are no changes in the number of courses professors teach or in their pay. The three-year degree isn’t a new idea. Geniuses have always breezed through. Judson College, a 350-student 350-student institution institution institution in in in Alabama, Alabama, Alabama, has has has offered offered offered students students students a a a three-year three-year three-year option option option for for for 40 40 40 years. years. years. Students Students attend attend “short “short “short terms” terms” terms” in in in May May May and and and June June June to to to earn earn earn the the the credits credits credits required required required for for for graduation. graduation. graduation. Bates Bates Bates College College College in in Maine and Ball State University in Indiana are among other colleges offering three-year options. Changes at the high-school level are also helping to make it easier for many students to earn their undergraduate undergraduate degrees degrees degrees in in in less less less time. time. time. One One One of of of five five five students students students arrives arrives arrives at at at college college college today today today with with with Advanced Advanced Placement Placement (AP) (AP) (AP) credits credits credits amounting amounting amounting to to to a a a semester semester semester or or or more more more of of of college college college level level level work. work. work. Many Many Many universities, universities, including large schools like the University of Texas, make it easy for these AP students students to to to graduate graduate faster. For students who don’t plan to stop with an undergraduate degree, the three-year plan may have an even greater appeal. Dr. John Sergent, head of Vanderbilt University Medical School’s residency (住院医生) ) program, program, program, enrolled enrolled enrolled in in in Vanderbilt’s Vanderbilt’s undergraduate undergraduate colle colle college ge ge in in in 1959. 1959. 1959. He He He entered entered entered medical medical medical school school after only three years as did four or five of his classmates.” My first year of medical school counted as my senior year, which meant I had to take three to four labs a week to get all my sciences in. I basicall skipp skipped my senior year,” says Sergent. He still had time to be a student senator and meet his wife.ed my senior year,” says Sergent. He still had time to be a student senator and meet his wife. There are, however, drawbacks to moving through school at such a brisk pace. For one, it deprives students of the luxury of time to roam (遨游) intellectually. Compressing everything into three years also also leaves less time for growing up, leaves less time for growing up, engaging in extracurricular extracurricular activities, and studying abroad. On activities, and studying abroad. On crowded crowded campuses campuses campuses it it it could could could mean mean mean fewer fewer fewer opportunities opportunities opportunities to to to get get get into into into a a a prized prized prized professor’s professor’s professor’s class. class. class. Iowa’s Iowa’s Waldorf College has graduated several hundred students in its three-year degree program, but it now phasing phasing out out out the the the option. option. option. Most Most Most Waldorf Waldorf Waldorf students students students wanted wanted wanted the the the full full full four-year four-year four-year experience experience experience——academically, socially, socially, and and and athletically. athletically. athletically. And And And faculty faculty faculty members members members will will will be be be wary wary wary of of of any any any change change change that that that threatens threatens threatens the the the core core curriculum in the name of moving students into the workforce. “Most high governmental officials seem to conceive of education in this light—as a way to ensure economic competitiveness and continued economic growt h,” Derek Bok, former president of Harvard, told told The The The Washington Washington Washington Post. Post. Post. “I “I “I strongly strongly strongly disagree disagree disagree with with with this this this approach.” approach.” approach.” Another Another Another risk: risk: risk: the the the new new new campus campus schedules schedules might might might eventually eventually eventually produce produce produce less less less revenue revenue revenue for for for the the the institution institution institution and and and longer longer longer working working working hours hours hours for for faculty members. Adopting Adopting a a a three-year three-year three-year option option option will will will not not not come come come easily easily easily to to to most most most school. school. school. Those Those Those that that that wish wish wish to to to tackle tackle tradition tradition and and and make make make American American American campus campus campus more more more cost-cost-cost-conscious conscious conscious may may may find find find it it it easier easier easier to to to take take take Trachtenberg’s Trachtenberg’s advice: open campuses year-year-round.“You round.“You could run two complete college colleges, s, with two complete faculties,”he says.“That’s without cutting the length of students’ vacations, increasing class sizes, or requiring faculty to teach more.”Whether Whether they they they experiment experiment experiment with with with three-year three-year three-year degrees, degrees, degrees, offer offer offer year-round year-round year-round classes, classes, classes, challenge challenge challenge the the the tenure tenure system system——or all of the above—universities are slowly realizing that to stay competitive and relevant they must adapt to a rapidly changing world. Expanding the three-year option may be difficult, but it may be less difficult than asking Congress for additional financial help, asking legislators for more state support, or asking students even higher tuition payments. Campuses willing to adopt convenient schedules along with more focused, less-expensive degrees may find that they have a competitive advantage in attracting bright, motivated students. These sorts of innovations can help American universities avoid the perils of success. 1. Why did Hartwick College start three-year degree programs? A) To create chances for the poor. C) To enroll more students. B) To cut students’ expenses. D) To solve its financial problems.2. By quoting Stephen Trachtenberg the author wants to say that . A) American universities are resistant to change B) the summer vacation contributes to student growth C) college facilities could be put to more effective use D) the costs of running a university are soaring3. The author thinks the tenure system in American universities . A)suppresses creative thinking C) guarantees academic freedom B) creates conflicts among colleagues D) is a sign of age discrimination4. What is said about the new three-year degree program at Hartwick? A) Its students have to earn more credits each year. B) Non-credit courses are eliminated altogether. C) Its faculty members teach more hours a week. D) Some summer courses are offered free of charge. 5. What do we learn about Judson Coll ege’s three -year degree program? A) It has been running for several decades. B) It is open to the brightest students only. C) It is the most successful in the country. D) It has many practical courses on offer. 6. What changes in high schools help students earn undergraduate degrees in three years? A) Curriculums have been adapted to students’ needs.B) More students have Advanced Placement credits. C) More elective courses are offered in high school. D) The overall quality of education bas improved. 7. What is said to be a drawback of the three-year college program? A) Students have to cope with too heavy a workload. B) Students don’t have much time to roam intellectually.C) Students have little time to gain practical experience. D) Students don’t have pri zed professors to teach them. 8. College faculty members are afraid that the pretext of moving students into the workforce might pose a threat to . 9. 9. Universities Universities Universities are are are increasingly increasingly increasingly aware aware aware that that that they they they must must must adapt adapt adapt to to to a a a rapidly rapidly rapidly changing changing changing world world world in in in order order to . 10. Convenient academic schedules with more-focused, less-expensive degrees will be more attractive to . Section A15. A) Decline the invitation as early as possible. B) Ask Tony to convey thanks to his mother. ts no meat. C) Tell Tony’s mother that she eaD) Add more fruits and vegetables to her diet. 16. A) The increasing crime rate. B) The impact of mass media. C) The circulation of newspapers. D) The coverage of newspapers. 17. A) Limit the number of participants in the conference. B) Check the number of people who have registered. C) Provide people with advice on career development. D) Move the conference to a more spacious place. 18. A) The apartment is still available. B) The apartment is close to the campus. C) The advertisement is outdated. D) On-campus housing is hard to secure. Questions 19 to 21 are based on the conversation you have just heard. 19. A) To test how responsive dolphins are to various signals. B) To find out if the female dolphin is cleverer than the male one. C) To see if dolphins can learn to communicate with each other. D) To examine how long it takes dolphins to acquire a skill. 20. A) Produce the appropriate sound. B) Press the right-hand lever first. C) Raise their heads above the water. D) Swim straight into the same tank. 21. A) Only one dolphin was able to see the light. B) The male dolphin received more rewards. C) Both dolphins were put in the same tank. D) The lever was beyond the dolphins’ reach.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard. 22. A) In a botanical garden. B) In a lecture room. C) In a resort town. D) On a cattle farm. 23. A) It is an ideal place for people to retire to. B) It is at the centre of the fashion industry. C) It remains very attractive with its mineral waters. D) It has kept many traditions from Victorian times. 24. A) It was named after a land owner in the old days. B) It is located in the eastern part of Harrogate. C) It is protected as parkland by a special law. D) It will be used as a centre for athletic training. 25. A) The beautiful flowers. B) The refreshing air. C) The mineral waters. D) The vast grassland. “It “It turns turns turns out out out there’s there’s there’s no no no economic economic economic benefit benefit benefit to to to just just just having having having a a a goal goal goal---you ---you ---you just just just get get get a a a psychological psychological benefit” benefit” Schweitzer Schweitzer Schweitzer says. says. says. “But “But “But in in in many many many cases, cases, cases, goa goa goals ls ls have have have economic economic economic rewards rewards rewards that that that make make make them them them more more powerful.”A prime example Schweitzer and his colleagues cite is the 2004 collapse of energy-trading giant Enron, where managers used financial incentives to motivate salesmen to meet specific revenue goals. The problem, Schweitzer says, is the actual trades were not profitable. Other studies have shown that saddling employees with unrealistic goals can compel them to lie, cheat or steal. Such was the case in the early 1990s when Sears imposed a sales quota on its auto repair staff. staff. It It It prompted prompted prompted employees employees employees to to to overcharge overcharge overcharge for for for work work work and and and to to to complete complete complete unnecessary unnecessary unnecessary repairs repairs repairs on on on a a companywide basis. Schweitzer concedes his research runs counter to a very large body of literature that commends the many benefits of goal-setting. Advocates of the practice have taken issue with his team’s use of such evidence as news accounts to support his conclusion that goal-setting is widely over-prescribed In a rebuttal (反驳) paper, Dr. Edwin Locke writes:“Goal-setting is not going away. Organizations cannot thrive without being focused on their desired end results any more than an individual can thrive without goals to provide a sense of purpose.”But Schweitzer contends the “mounting causal evidence” linking goal -setting and harmful behavior sh should ould ould be be be studied studied studied to to to help help help spotlight spotlight spotlight issues issues issues that that that merit merit merit caution caution caution and and and further further further investigation. investigation. investigation. “Even “Even “Even a a a few few negative effects could be so large that they outweigh many positive effects,” he says.“Goal “Goal-setting does help -setting does help coordinate and motivate people. My idea would be to combine that with careful oversight, a strong organizational culture, and make sure the goals that you use are going to be constructive and not significantly harm the organization,” Schweitzer says.52. What message does the author try to convey about goal-setting? A) Its negative effects have long been neglected. B) The goal increase people’s work efficiency.C) Its role has been largely underestimated. D) The goals most people set are unrealistic. 53. What does Maurice Schweitzer want to show by citing the example of Enron? A) Setting realistic goals can turn a failing business into success. B) Businesses are less likely to succeed without setting realistic goals. C) Financial incentives ensure companies meet specific revenue goals. D) Goals with financial rewards have strong motivational power. 54. How did Sears’ goal -setting affect its employees? A) They were obliged to work more hours to increase their sales. B) They competed with one another to attract more customers. C) They resorted to unethical practice to meet their sales quota. D) They improved their customer service on a companywide basis. 55. What do advocates of goal-setting think of Schweitzer’s research?A) Its findings are not of much practical value. B) It exaggerates the side effects of goal-setting. C) Its conclusion is not based on solid scientific evidence. D) It runs counter to the existing literature on the subject. 56. What is Schweitzer’s contention against Edwin Locke?A) The link between goal-setting and harmful behavior deserves further study. B) Goal-setting has become too deep-rooted in corporate culture. 。
2012年12月大学英语六级(CET-6)真题试卷(含答案和听力原文)
2012年12月大学英语六级考试CET6真题Part I Writing (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay entitled Man and Computer by commenting on the saying, “The real danger is not that the computer will begin to think like man, but t hat man will begin to think like the computer.” You should write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words.Man and ComputerPart II Reading Comprehension （Skimming and Scanning）（15 minutes）Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer Sheet 1. For questions 1-7, choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). For questions 8-10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.Thirst grows for living unpluggedMore people are taking breaks from the connected life amid the stillness and quiet of retreats like the Jesuit Center in Wernersville, Pennsylvania.About a year ago, I flew to Singapore to join the writer Malcolm Gladwell, the fashion designer Marc Ecko and the graphic designer Stefan Sagmeister in addressing a group of advertising people on “Marketing to the Child of Tomorrow.” Soon after I arrived, the chief executive of the agency that had invited us took me aside. What he was most interested in, he began, was stillness and quiet.A few months later, I read an interview with the well-known cutting-edge designer Philippe Starck.What allowed him to remain so consistently ahead of the curve? “I never read any magazines or w atch TV,” he said, perhaps with a little exaggeration. “Nor do I go to cocktail parties, dinners or anything like that.” He lived outside conventional ideas, he implied, because “I live alone mostly, in the middle of nowhere.”Around the same time, I noticed that those who part with $2,285 a night to stay in a cliff-top room at the Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur, California, pay partly for the privilege of not having a TV in their rooms; the future of travel, I’m reliably told, lies in “black-hole resorts,” whic h charge high prices precisely because you can’t get online in their rooms.Has it really come to this?The more ways we have to connect, the more of us seem desperate to unplug. Internet rescue camps in South Korea and China try to save kids addicted to the screen.Writer friends of mine pay good money to get the Freedom software that enables them to disable the very Internet connections that seemed so emancipating not long ago. Even Intel experimented in 2007 with conferring four uninterrupted hours of quiet time (no phone or e-mail) every Tuesday morning on 300 engineers and managers. Workers were not allowed to use the phone or send e-mail, but simply had the chance to clear their heads and to hear themselves think.The average American spends at least eight and a half hours a day in front of a screen, Nicholas Carr notes in his book The Shallows. The average American teenager sends or receives 75 text messages a day, though one girl managed to handle an average of 10,000 every 24 hours for a month.Since luxury is a function of scarcity, the children of tomorrow will long for nothing more than intervals of freedom from all the blinking machines, streaming videos and scrolling headlines that leave them feeling empty and too full all at once.The urgency of slowing down—to find the time and space to think—is nothing new, of course, and wiser souls have always reminded us that the more attention we pay to the moment, the less time and energy we have to place it in some larger context. “Distraction is the only thing that consoles us for our miseries,” theFrench philosopher Blaise Pascal wrote in the 17th century, “and yet it is itself the greatest of our miseries.” He also famously remarked that all of man’s problems come from his inability to sit quietly in a room alone.When telegraphs and trains brought in the idea that convenience was more important than content, Henry David Thoreau reminded us that “the man whose horse trots (奔跑), a mile in a minute does not carry the most important messages.”Marshall McLuhan, who came closer than most to seeing what was coming, warned, “When things come at you very fast, naturally you lose touch with yourself.”We have more and more ways to communicate, but less and less to say. Partly because we are so busy communicating. And we are rushing to meet so many deadlines that we hardly register that what we need most are lifelines.So what to do? More and more people I know seem to be turning to yoga, or meditation (沉思), or tai chi (太极) ；these aren’t New Age fads (时尚的事物) so much as ways to connect with what could be called the wisdom of old age. Two friends of mine observe an “Internet Sabbath (安息日)” every week, turning off their online connections from Friday night t o Monday morning. Other friends take walks and “forget” their cellphones at home.A series of tests in recent years has shown, Mr. Carr points out, that after spending time in quiet rural settings, subjects “exhibit greater attentiveness, stronger memory a nd generally improved cognition. Their brains become both calmer and sharper.” More than that, empathy (同感，共鸣) ，as well as deep thought, depends (as neuroscientists like Antonio Damasio have found) on neural processes that are “inherently slow.”I turn to eccentric measures to try to keep my mind sober and ensure that I have time to do nothing at all (which is the only time when I can see what I should be doing the rest of the time). I have yet to use a cellphone and I have never Tweeted or entered Facebook. I try not to go online till my day’s writing is finished, and I moved from Manhattan to rural Japan in part so I could more easily survive for long stretches entirely on foot.None of this is a matter of asceticism (苦行主义) ；it is just pure selfishness. Nothing makes me feel better than being in one place, absorbed in a book, a conversation, or music. It is actually something deeper than mere happiness: it is joy, which the monk (僧侣) David Steindl-Rast describes as “that kind of happiness that doesn’t depend on what happens.”It is vital, of course, to stay in touch with the world. But it is only by having some distance from the world that you can see it whole, and understand what you should be doing with it.For more than 20 years, therefore, I have been going several times a year—often for no longer than three days—to a Benedictine hermitage (修道院) ，40 minutes down the road, as it happens, from the Post Ranch Inn. I don’t attend services when I am there, and I have never meditated, there or anywhere; I just take walks and read and lose myself in the stillness, recalling that it is only by stepping briefly away from my wife and bosses and friends that I will have anything useful to bring to them. The last time I was in the hermitage, three months ago, I happened to meet with a youngish-looking man with a 3-year-old boy around his shoulders.“You’re Pico, aren’t you?” the man said, and introduced himself as Larry; we had met, I gathered, 19 years before, when he had been living in the hermitage as an assistant to one of the monks.“What are you doing now?” I asked.We smiled. No words were necessary.“I try to bring my kids here as often as I can,” he went on. The child of tomorrow, I realized, may actually be ahead of us, in terms of sensing not what is new, but what is essential.1. What is special about the Post Ranch Inn?A) Its rooms are well furnished but dimly lit.B) It makes guests feel like falling into a black hole.C) There is no access to television in its rooms.D) It provides all the luxuries its guests can think of.2. What does the author say the children of tomorrow will need most?A) Convenience and comfort in everyday life.B) Time away from all electronic gadgets.C) More activities to fill in their leisure time.D) Greater chances for individual development.3. What does the French philosopher Blaise Pascal say about distraction?A) It leads us to lots of mistakes.B) It renders us unable to concentrate.C) It helps release our excess energy.D) It is our greatest misery in life.4. According to Marshall McLuhan, what will happen if things come at us very fast?A) We will not know what to do with our own lives.B) We will be busy receiving and sending messages.C) We will find it difficult to meet our deadlines.D) We will not notice what is going on around us.5. What does the author say about yoga, meditation and tai chi?A) They help people understand ancient wisdom.B) They contribute to physical and mental health.C) They are ways to communicate with nature.D) They keep people from various distractions.6. What is neuroscientist Antonio Demario’s finding?A) Quiet rural settings contribute a lot to long life.B) One’s brain becomes sharp when it is activated.C) Eccentric measures are needed to keep one’s mind sober.D) When people think deeply, their neural processes are slow.7. The author moved from Manhattan to rural Japan partly because he could _______.A) stay away from the noise of the big city.B) live without modern transportation.C) enjoy the beautiful view of the countryside.D) practice asceticism in a local hermitage8. In order to see the world whole, the author thinks it necessary to __________.9. The author takes walks and reads and loses himself in the stillness of the hermitage so that he can bring his wife and bosses and friends ___________.10. The youngish-looking man takes his little boy to the hermitage frequently so that when he grows up he will know __________.Part III Listening Comprehension （35 minutes）Section ADirections:In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A）, B）, C） and D）, and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.11. A) Ask his boss for a lighter schedule.B) Trade places with someone else.C) Accept the extra work willingly.D) Look for a more suitable job.12. A) It is unusual for his wife to be at home now.B) He is uncertain where his wife is at the moment.C) It is strange for his wife to call him at work.D) He does not believe what the woman has told him.13. A) The man is going to send out the memo tomorrow.B) The man will drive the woman to the station.C) The speakers are traveling by train tomorrow morning.D) The woman is concerned with the man’s health.14. A) The suite booked was for a different date.B) The room booked was on a different floor.C) The room booked was not spacious enough.D) A suite was booked instead of a double room.15. A) The reason for low profits.B) The company’s sales policy.C) The fierce competition they face.D) The lack of effective promotion.16. A) Go and get the groceries at once.B) Manage with what they have.C) Do some shopping on their way home.D) Have the groceries delivered to them.17. A) The hot weather in summer.B) The problem with the air conditioner.C) The ridiculous rules of the office.D) The atmosphere in the office.18. A) Set a new stone in her ring.B) Find the priceless jewel she lost.C) Buy a ring with precious diamond.D) Shop on Oxford Street for a decent gift.Q uestions 19 to 22 are based on the conversation you have just heard.19. A) Damaging public facilities.B) Destroying urban wildlife.C) Organizing rallies in the park.D) Hurting baby animals in the zoo.20. A) He had bribed the park keepers to keep quiet.B) People had differing opinions about his behavior.C) The serious consequences of his doings were not fully realized.D) His behavior was thought to have resulted from mental illness.21. A) Brutal.B) Justifiable.C) Too harsh.D) Well-deserved.22. A) Encouraging others to follow his wrong-doing.B) Stealing endangered animals from the zoo.C) Organizing people against the authorities.D) Attacking the park keepers in broad daylight.Questions 23 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.23. A) She has already left school.B) She works for the handicapped.C) She is fond of practical courses.D) She is good at foreign languages.24. A) He is interested in science courses.B) He attends a boarding school.C) He speaks French and German.D) He is the brightest of her three kids.25. A) Comprehensive schools do not offer quality education.B) Parents decide what schools their children are to attend.C) Public schools are usually bigger in size than private schools.D) Children from low income families can’t really choose schools.Section BDirections:In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 26 to 29 are based on the passage you have just heard.26. A) Encourage the students to do creative thinking.B) Help the students to develop communication skills.C) Cultivate the students’ ability to inspire employees.D) Focus on teaching the various functions of business.27. A) His teaching career at the Harvard Business School.B) His personal involvement in business management.C) His presidency at college and experience overseas.D) His education and professorship at Babson College.28. A) Development of their raw brain power.B) Exposure to the liberal arts and humanities.C) Improvement of their ability in capital management.D) Knowledge of up-to-date information technology.29. A) Reports on business and government corruption.B) His contact with government and business circles.C) Discoveries of cheating among MBA students.D) The increasing influence of the mass media.Passage TwoQuestions 30 to 32 are based on the passage you have just heard.30. A) They have better options for their kids than colleges.B) The unreasonably high tuition is beyond their means.C) The quality of higher education may not be worth the tuition.D) They think that their kids should pay for their own education.31. A) They do too many extracurricular activities.B) They tend to select less demanding courses.C) They take part-time jobs to support themselves.D) They think few of the courses worth studying.32. A) Its samples are not representative enough.B) Its significance should not be underestimated.C) Its findings come as a surprise to many parents.D) Its criteria for academic progress are questionable.Passage ThreeQuestions 33 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.33. A) A newly married couple.B) A business acquaintance.C) Someone good at cooking.D) Someone you barely know.34. A) Obtain necessary information about your guests.B) Collect a couple of unusual or exotic recipes.C) Buy the best meat and the freshest fruit.D) Try to improve your cooking skills.35. A) Losing weight.B) Entertaining guests. C) Making friends.D) Cooking meals.Section CDirections:In this section, you will hear a passage three times. When the passage is read for the first time, you should listen carefully for its general idea. When the passage is read for the second time, you are required to fill in the blanks numbered from 36 to 43 with the exact words you have just heard. For blanks numbered from 44 to 46 you are required to fill in the missing information. For these blanks, you can either use the exact words you have just heard or write down the main points in your own words. Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should check what you have written.People with disabilities comprise a large but diverse segment of the population. It is (36) ______ that over 35 million Americans have physical, mental, or other disabilities. (37) ______ half of these disabilities are “developmental,” i.e., they occur prior to the individual’s twenty-second birthday, often from (38) ______ conditions, and are severe enough to affect three or more areas of development, such as (39) ______, communication and employment. Most other disabilities are considered (40) ______, i.e., caused by outside forces.Before the 20th century, only a small (41) ______ of people with disabilities survived for long. Medical treatment for such conditions as stroke or spinal cord (42) ______ was unavailable. People whose disabilities should not have inherently affected their life span were often so mistreated that they (43) ______. Advancements in medicine and social services have created a climate in which (44) . Unfortunately, these basics are often all that is available. Civil liberties such as the right to vote, marry, get an education, and gain employment have historically been denied on the basis of disability.(45) _______________________________________________________________________. Disabled people formed grassroots coalitions to advocate their rights to integration and meaningful equality of opportunity. (46) . In the mid-1970s, critical legislation mandated（规定）access to education, public transportation, and public facilities, and prohibited employment discrimination by federal agencies or employers receiving federal funds.Part Ⅳ Reading Comprehension （Reading in Depth）（25 minutes）Section ADirections:In this section, there is a short passage with 5 questions or incomplete statements. Read the passage carefully. Then answer the questions or complete the statements in the fewest possible words. Please write your answers on Answer Sheet 2.Questions 47 to 54 are based on the following passage.A key process in interpersonal interaction is that of social comparison, in that we evaluate ourselves in terms of how we compare to others. In particular, we engage in two types of comparison. First, we decide whether we are superior or inferior to others on certain dimensions, such as attractiveness, intelligence, popularity, etc. Here, the important aspect is to compare with an appropriate reference group. For example, modest joggers should not compare their performance with Olympic standard marathon (马拉松) runners. Second, we judge the extent to which we are the same as or different from others. At certain stages of life, especially adolescence, the pressure to be seen as similar to peers is immense. Thus, wearing the right brand of clothes or shoes may be of the utmost importance. We also need to know whether our thoughts, beliefs and ideas are in line with those of other people. This is part of the process of self-validation whereby we employ self-disclosures to seek support for our self-concept.People who do not have access to a good listener may not only be denied the opportunity to heighten their self-awareness, but they are also denied valuable feedback as to the validity and acceptability of their inner thoughts and feelings. By discussing these with others, we receive feedback as to whether these are experiences which others have as well, or whether they are less common. Furthermore, by gauging the reactions to our self-disclosures we learn what types are acceptable or unacceptable with particular people and in specific situations. On occasions it is the fear that certain disclosures may be unacceptable to family or friends that motivates an individual to seek professional help. Counsellors will be familiar with client statements such as: “I just couldn’t talk about this to my husband.”, “I really can’t let my mother know mytrue feelings.” Another aspect of social comparison in the counselling context relates to a technique known as normalizing. This is the process whereby helpers provide reassurance to clients that what they are experiencing is not abnormal or atypical (非典型的), but is a normal reaction shared by others when facing such circumstances. Patient disclosure, facilitated by the therapist, seems also to facilitate the process of normalizing.47. To evaluate ourselves, the author thinks it important for us to compare ourselves with _______.48. During adolescence, people generally feel an immense pressure to appear _______.49. It is often difficult for people to heighten their self-awareness without _______.50. What can people do if they find what they think or say unacceptable to family or friends?51. Counsellors often assure their clients that what they experience themselves is only _______.Section BDirections: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A）, B）, C） and D）. You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. Passage OneQuestions 52 to 56 are based on the following passage.Amid all the job losses, there’s one category of worker that the economic disruption has been good for: nonhumans.From self-service checkout lines at the supermarket to industrial robots armed with saws and taught to carve up animal bodies in slaughter-houses, these ever-more-intelligent machines are now not just assisting workers but actually kicking them out of their jobs.Automation isn’t just affecting factory workers, either. Some law firms now use artificial intelligence software to scan and read mountains of legal documents, work that previously was performed by highly-paid human lawyers.“Robots continue to have an impact on blue-collar jobs, and white-collar jobs are under attack by microprocessors,” says economics professo r Edward Leamer. The recession permanently wiped out 2.5 million jobs. U.S. gross domestic product has climbed back to pre-recession levels, meaning we’re producing as much as before, only with 6% fewer workers. To be sure, robotics are not the only job killers out there, with outsourcing (外包) stealing far more jobs than automation.Jeff Burnstein, president of the Robotics Industry Association, argues that robots actually save U.S. jobs. His logic: companies that embrace automation might use fewer work ers, but that’s still better than firing everyone and moving the work overseas.It’s not that robots are cheaper than humans, though often they are. It’s that they’re better. “In some cases the quality requirements are so exacting that even if you wanted t o have a human do the job, you couldn’t,” Burnstein says.Same goes for surgeons, who’re using robotic systems to perform an ever-growing list of operations—not because the machines save money but because, thanks to the greater precision of robots, the patients recover in less time and have fewer complications, says Dr. Myriam Cruet.Surgeons may survive the robot invasion, but others at the hospital might not be so lucky, as iRobot, maker of the Roomba, a robot vacuum cleaner, has been showing off Ava, which could be used as a messenger in a hospital. And once you’re home, recovering, Ava could let you talk to your doctor, so there’s no need to send someone to your house. That “mobile telepresence” could be useful at the office. If you’re away on a trip, you can still attend a meeting. Just connect via videoconferencing software, so your face appears on Ava’s screen.Is any job safe? I was hoping to say “journalist,” but researchers are already developing software that can gather facts and write a news story. Which means that a few years from now, a robot could be writing this column. And who will read it? Well, there might be a lot of us hanging around with lots of free time on our hands.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
2012年6月六级真题及答案完整版
Part Ⅰ Writing (30 minutes) Directions：For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a composition on the topic The Impact of the Internet on Interpersonal Communication. You should write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words.The Impact of the Internet on Interpersonal Communication Part Ⅱ Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning)(15minutes) 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.The Three-Year Solution Hartwick College, a small liberal-arts school in upstate New York, makes New York, makes this offer to well prepared students: earn your undergraduate degree in three years instead of four, and save about 543,000—the amount of one year’s tuition and fees. A number of innovative colleges are making the same offer to students anxious about saving time and money. That’s both an opportunity and a warning for the best higher-education system in the world. The United States has almost all of the world’s best universities. A recent Chinese survey ranks 35 American universities among the top 50, eight among the top 10. Our research universities have been the key to developing the competitive advantages that help Americans produce 25% of all the world’s wealth. In 2007, 623,805 of the world’s brightest students were attracted to American universities. Yet, there are signs of peril (危险)within American higher education. U.S. colleges have to compete in the marketplace. Students may choose among 6,000 public, private, nonprofit, for profit, or religious institutions of higher learning. In addition, almost all of the 532 billion the federal government provides for university research is awarded competitively. But many colleges and universities are stuck in the past. For instance, the idea of the fall-to-spring“school year”hasn’t changed much since before the American Revolution, when we were a summer stretch no longer makes sense. Former George Washington University president Stephen Trachtenberg estimates that a typical college uses its facilities for academic purposes a little more than half the calendar year.“While college facilities sit idle, they continue to generate maintenance expenses that contribute to the high cost of running a college,” he has written. Within academic departments, tenure(终身职位)，combined with age-discrimination laws, makes faculty turnover—critical for a university to remain current in changing times—difficult. Instead of protecting speech and encouraging diversity and innovative thinking, the tenure system often stifles(压制)them: younger professors must win the approval of established colleagues for tenure, encouraging like-mindedness and sometimes inhibiting the free flow of ideas. Meanwhile, tuition has soared, leaving graduating students with unprecedented loan debt. Strong campus presidents to manage these problems are becoming harder to find, and to keep. In fact, students now stay on campus almost as long as their presidents. The average amount of time students now take to complete an undergraduate degree has stretched to six years and seven months as students interrupted by work, inconvenienced by unavailable classes, or lured by one more football season find it hard to graduate. Congress has tried to help students with college costs through Pell Grants and other forms of tuition support. But some of their fixes havemade the problem worse. The stack of congressional regulations governing federal student grants and loans now stands twice as tall as I do. Filling out these forms consumes 7% of every tuition dollar. For all of these reasons, some colleges like Hartwick are rethinking the old way of doing things and questioning decades-old assumptions about what a college degree means. For instance, why does it have to take four years to earn a diploma? This fall, 16 first-year students and four second-year students at Hartwick enrolled in the school’s new three year degree program. According to the college, the plan is designed for high-ability, highly motivated student who wish to save money or to move along more rapidly toward advanced degrees. By eliminating that extra year, there year degree students save 25% in costs. Instead of taking 30 credits a year, these students take 40. During January, Hartwick runs a four week course during which students may earn three to four credits on or off campus, including a number of international sites. Summer courses are not required, but a student may enroll in them—and pay extra. Three year students get first crack at course registration. There are no changes in the number of courses professors teach or in their pay. The three-year degree isn’t a new idea. Geniuses have always breezed through. Judson College, a 350-student institution in Alabama, has offered students a three-year option for 40 years. Students attend “short terms” in May and June to earn the credits required for graduation. Bates College in Maine and Ball State University in Indiana are among other colleges offering three-year options. Changes at the high-school level are also helping to make it easier for many students to earn their undergraduate degrees in less time. One of five students arrives at college today with Advanced Placement (AP) credits amounting to a semester or more of college level work. Many universities, including large schools like the University of Texas, make it easy for these AP students to graduate faster. For students who don’t plan to stop with an undergraduate degree, the three-year plan may have an even greater appeal. Dr. John Sergent, head of Vanderbilt University Medical School’s residency (住院医生) program, enrolled in Vanderbilt’s undergraduate college in 1959. He entered medical school after only three years as did four or five of his classmates.” My firstyear of medical school counted as my senior year, which meant I had to take three to four labs a week to get all my sciences in. I basically skipped my senior year,” says Sergent. He still had time to be a student senator and meet his wife. There are, however, drawbacks to moving through school at such a brisk pace. For one, it deprives students of the luxury of time to roam (遨游) intellectually. Compressing everything into three years also leaves less time for growing up, engaging in extracurricular activities, and studying abroad. On crowded campuses it could mean fewer opportunities to get into a prized professor’s class. Iowa’s Waldorf College has graduated several hundred students in its three-year degree program, but it now phasing out the option. Most Waldorf students wanted the full four-year experience—academically, socially, and athletically. And faculty members will be wary of any change that threatens the core curriculum in the name of moving students into the workforce. “Most high governmental officials seem to conceive of education in this light—as a way to ensure economic competitiveness and continued economic growth,” Derek Bok, former president of Harvard, told The Washington Post. “I strongly disagree with this approach.” Another risk: the new campus schedules might eventually produce less revenue for the institution and longer working hours for faculty members. Adopting a three-year option will not come easily to most school. Those that wish to tackle tradition and make American campus more cost-conscious may find it easier to take Trachtenberg’s advice: open campuses year-round.“You could run two complete colleges, with two complete faculties,”he says.“That’s without cutting the length of students’ vacations, increasing class sizes, or requiring faculty to teach more.” Whether they experiment with three-year degrees, offer year-round classes, challenge the tenure system—or all of the above—universities are slowly realizing that to stay competitive and relevant they must adapt to a rapidly changing world. Expanding the three-year option may be difficult, but it may be less difficult than asking Congress for additional financial help, asking legislators for more state support, or asking students even higher tuition payments. Campuses willing to adopt convenient schedules along with more focused, less-expensive degrees may find that they have a competitive advantage inattracting bright, motivated students. These sorts of innovations can help American universities avoid the perils of success. 注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。
2012年英语六级真题及答案完整版
2012.6英语六级真题Part III Listening ComprehensionSection ADirections: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A), B), C) and D), and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.11.W: Did you hear that Anna needs to stay in bed for 4 weeks?M: Yeah. She injured her spine in a fall and a doctor told her to lie flat on her back for a month so it can mend.Q: What can we learn from the conversation?12.M: A famous Russian ballet is coming to town next weekend. But I can’t find a ticket anywhere.W: Don’t be upset. My sister just happened to have one and she can’t go since she has got some sort of conflict in her schedule.Q: What does the woman mean?13.W: Hello, my bathroom drain is blocked and I’m giving a party tonight. Do you think you could come and fix it for me?M: Sorry, ma’am. I’m pretty busy right now. But I can put you on my list.Q: What does the man mean?14.W: We’re taking up a collection to buy a gift for Jemma. She’ll have been with the company 25 years next week.M: Well, count me in. But I’m a bit short on cash now. When do you need it?Q: What is the man going to do?15.W: Tony’s mother has invited me to dinner. Do you think I should tell her in advance that I’m a vegetarian?M: Of course. I think she’d appreciate it. Imaging how you both feel if she fixed the turkey dinner or something.Q: What does the man suggest the woman do?16.M: Just look at this newspaper, nothing but robbery, suicide and murder. Do you still believe people are basically good?W: Of course. But many papers lack interest in reporting something positive like peace, love and generosity.Q: What are the speakers talking about?17.M: I can’t believe so many people want to sign up for the Korea Development Conference.We will have to limit the registration.W: Yeah, otherwise we won’t have room for the more.Q: What are the speakers going to do?18.W: Hi, I’m calling about the ad for the one bedroom apartment.M: Perfect timing! The person who was supposed to rent it just backed town to take a room on campus.Q: What do we learn from the conversation?【点评】短对话今年的六级听力短对话从提问方式来看，还是以推理题居多，如第12、13、15题都需要考生们从对话后中推理出“言下之意”。
2012年12月英语六级阅读真题及解析
2012年12月大学英语六级考试真题Passage OneQuestions 52 to 56 are based on the following passage.Amid all the job losses, there’s one category of worker that the economic disruption has been good for: nonhumans.From self-service checkout lines at the supermarket to industrial robots armed with saws and taught to carve up animal bodies in slaughter-houses, these ever-more-intelligent machines are now not just assisting workers but actually kicking them out of their jobs.Automation isn’t just affecting factory workers, either. Some law firms now use artificial intelligence software to scan and read mountains of legal documents, work that previously was performed by highly-paid human lawyers.“Robots continue to have an impact on blue-collar jobs, and white-collar jobs are under attack by microprocessors,” says economics professor Edward Leamer. The recession permanently wiped out 2.5 million jobs. U.S. gross domestic product has climbed back to pre-recession levels, meaning we’re producing as much as before, only with 6% fewer workers. To be sure, robotics are not the only job killers out there,with outsourcing (外包) stealing far more jobs than automation.Jeff Burnstein, president of the Robotics Industry Association, argues that robots actually save U.S. jobs. His logic: companies that embrace automation might use fewer workers, but that’s still better than firing everyone and moving the work overseas.It’s not that robots are cheaper than humans, though often they are. It’s that they’re better. “In some cases the q uality requirements are so exacting that even if you wanted to have a human do the job, you co uldn’t,” Burnstein says.Same goes for surgeons, who’re using robotic systems to perform an ever-growing list of operations—not because the machines save money but because, thanks to the greater precision of robots, the patients recover in less time and have fewer complications, says Dr. Myriam Curet.Surgeons may survive the robot invasion, but others at the hospital might not be so lucky, as iRobot, maker of the Roomba, a robot vacuum cleaner, has been showing off Ava, which could be used as a messenger in a hospital. And once you’re home, recovering, Ava could let you talk to your doctor, so there’s no need to send someone to your house. That “mobile telepresence” could be useful at the office. If you’re away on atrip, you can still attend a meeting. Just connect via videoconferencing software, so your face appears on Ava’s screen.Is any job safe? I was hoping to say “journalist,” but researchers are already developing software that can gather facts and write a news story. Which means that a few years from now, a robot could be writing this column. And who will read it? Well, there might be a lot of us hanging around with lots of free time on our hands.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
2012年12月英语六级考试真题与答案(第2套)
2012年12月英语六级考试真题试卷（第2套）Part I Writing (30 minutes)Direction: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay entitled On Maintaining Trust by commenting on the saying, "Trust is the most frequently used word when we are talking about interpersonal relationship. However，it is hard to build trust easy to destroy it. Therefore，how to build and maintain trust is very important for us. "You should write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words.On Maintaining Trust_______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ 注意：此部分试题在答题卡1上作答。
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.Rates are low, but consumers won't borrowWith heavy debt loads and high joblessness, Americans are cautiousThe US Federal Reserve(Fed)'s announcement last week that it intended to keep credit cheap for at least two more years was a clear invitation to Americans: Go out and borrow.But many economists say it will take more than low interest rates to persuade consumers to take on more debt. There are already signs that the recent stock market fluctuations, turbulence in Europe and the US deficit have scared consumers. On Friday, preliminary data showed that the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan consumer sentiment index had fallen this month to lower than it was in November 2008, when the United States was deep in recession.Under normal circumstances, the Fed's announcement might have attracted new home and car buyers and prompted credit card holders to rack up fresh charges. But with unemployment high and those with jobs worried about keeping them, consumers are more concerned about paying off the loans they already have than adding more debt. And by showing its hand for the next two years, the Fed may have thoughtlessly invited prospective borrowers to put off large purchases.Lenders, meanwhile, are still dealing with the effects of the boom-gone-bust and are forcing prospective borrowers to go to extraordinary lengths to prove their creditworthiness."I don't think lenders are going to be interested in extending a lot of debt in this environment," said Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody's Analytics, a macroeconomic consulting firm. "Nor do I think households are going to be interested in taking on a lot of debt."In housing, consumers have already shown a slow response to low rates. Applications for new mortgages have decreased this year to a 10-year low, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Sales of furniture and furnishings remain 22% below their pre-recession peak, according to Spending Pulse, a research report by MasterCard Advisors.Credit card rates have actually gone up slightly in the past year. The one bright spot in lending is the number of auto loans, which is up from last year. But some economists say that confidence among car buyers is hitting new lows .For Xavier Walter, a former mortgage banker who with his wife, Danielle, accumulated $20000 in credit card debt, low rates will not change his spending habits.As the housing market topped out five years ago, he lost his six-figure income. He and his wife were able to modify the mortgage on their four-bedroom house in Medford, New Jersey, as well as negotiate lower credit card payments.Two years ago, Mr. Walter, a 34-year-old father of three, started an energy business. He has sworn off credit. "I'm not going to go back in debt ever again," he said. "If I can't pay for it in cash, I don't want it."Until now, one of the biggest restraints on consumer spending has been a debt aftereffect. Since August 2008, when household debt peaked at $12.41 trillion, it has declined by about $1.2 trillion, according to an analysis by Moody's Analytics of data from the Federal Reserve and Equifax, the credit agency. A large portion of that, though, was simply written off by lenders as borrowers defaulted on loans.By other measures, households have improved their position. The proportion of after-tax income that households spend to remain current on loan payments has fallen.Still, household debt remains high. That presents a paradox: many economists argue that the economy cannot achieve true health until debt levels decline. But credit, made attractive by low rates, is a time-tested way to increase consumer spending.With new risks of another downturn, economists worry that it will take years for debt to return to manageable levels. If the economy contracts again, said George Magnus, senior adviser at UBS, then "you could find a lot of households in a debt trap which they probably can never get out of."Mortgage lenders, meanwhile, burned by the housing crash, are extra careful about approving new loans. In June, for instance, Fannie Mae, the largest mortgage buyer in the United States, said that borrowers whose existing debt exceeded 45 to 50% of their income would be required to have stronger "compensating" factors, which might include higher savings.Even those borrowers in strong financial positions are asked to provide unusual amounts of paperwork. Bobby and Katie Smith have an extremely good credit record, tiny student debt and a combined six-figure income. For part of their down payment, they planned to use about $5000 they had received as wedding gifts in February.But the lender would not accept that money unless the Smiths provided a certified letter from each of 14 guests, stating that the money was a gift, rather than a loan."We laughed for a good 15 or 20 minutes." recalled Mr. Smith. 34.Mr. Smith, a program director for a radio station in Orlando, Florida, said they ended up using other savings for their down payment to buy a $300000 four-bedroom house in April.For those not as creditworthy as the Smiths, low rates are irrelevant because they no longer qualify for mortgages. That leaves the eligible pool of loan applicants wealthier, "older and whiter," said Guy Cecala, publisher of Inside Mortgage Finance. "It's creating much more of a divide," he said, "between the haves and the have-nots."Car shoppers with the highest credit ratings can also get loans more easily, and at lower rates, said Paul C. Taylor, chief economist of the National Automobile Dealers Association.During the recession, inability to obtain credit severely cut auto buying as lenders rejected even those with good credit ratings. Now automakers are increasing their subprime（次级债的）lending again as well, but remain hesitant to approve large numbers of risky customers.The number of new auto loans was up by l6% in the second quarter compared with the previous year, said Melinda Zabritski, director of automotive credit at Experian, the information services company.But some economists warn that consumer confidence is falling. According to CNW Marketing Research, confidence among those who intend to buy a car this year is at its lowest since it began collecting data on this measure in 2000.On credit cards, rates have actually inched higher this year, largely because of new rules that curb the issuer's ability to charge fees or raise certain interest rates at will.At the end of the second quarter, rates averaged 14. 01% on new card offers, up from 13. 75% a year earlier, according to Mail Monitor, which tracks credit cards for Synovate, a market research firm. According to data from the Federal Reserve, total outstanding debt on revolving credit cards was down by 4.6% during the first half of the year compared with the same period a year earlier.Even if the Fed's announcement helps keep rates steady, or pushes them down, businesses do not expect customers to suddenly charge up a storm."It's not like, 'Oh, credit is so cheap. let's go back to the heydays（鼎盛时期）, '",said Elizabeth Crowell, who owns Sterling Place, two high-end home furnishing and gift stores in New York. "People still fear for their jobs. So I think where maybe after other recessions they might return to previous spending habits, the pendulum hasn't swung back the same way."注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。
2012年12月英语六级快速阅读答案
2012年12月英语六级快速阅读第一套答案（网友版中国教育在线讯2012年12月22日全国大学英语四、六级考试开考，本次考试报考人数达938万人。
中国教育在线外语频道为广大考生搜集了英语六级快速阅读答案，以供广大考生参考：最新2012年12月英语六级快速阅读真题（网友版）第一套1.B)Eat less sweet food2.B)Politicians3.C)Presenting an ideal4.D)Large5.A)They have6.C)They realize7.C)Access to中国教育在线讯2012年12月22日全国大学英语四、六级考试开考，本次考试报考人数达938万人。
中国教育在线外语频道为广大考生搜集了英语六级快速阅读答案，以供广大考生参考：2012年12月英语六级快速阅读真题（网友版）第二套1. 402. disagree3. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.4. it can take the ideas of the Ministry of transport, safety belt or other measures, it reviews the whole situation5. Making School Buses Even Safer for Children6. children need their parents to help them understand more7. Censorship is compared to the law because both of them perform good service to society as a whole.8. use their weapon damage to other children9. his blood alcohol content is very high, he was lucky that he wasn't in coma or death.10. miscarriage and is a major cause of these birth defects中国教育在线讯2012年12月22日全国大学英语四、六级考试开考，本次考试报考人数达938万人。
007版2012年12月英语六级阅读真题(全三套及答案详解)
2012年12月英语六级第一套深度阅读真题Section BPassage OneQuestions 52 to 56 are based on the following passage.Who's poor in America? That's a question hard to answer. Hard because there's no conclusive definition of poverty. Low income matters, though how low is unclear. Poverty is also a state of mind that fosters self-defeating behavior-bad work habits, family breakdowns, and addictions. Finally, poverty results from bad luck: accidents, job losses, disability.Despite poverty's messiness, we've measured progress against it by a single statistic: the federal poverty line. By this measure, we haven't made much progress. But the apparent lack of progress is misleading for two reasons.First, it ignores immigration. Many immigrants are poor and low-skilled. They add to the poor. From 1989 to 2007, about three quarters of the increase in the poverty population occurred among Hispanics（西班牙裔美国人）-mostly immigrants and their children.Second, the poor's material well-being has improved. The official poverty measure obscures this by counting only pre-tax cash income and ignoring other sources of support, including food stamps and housing subsidies. Although many poor live from hand to mouth, they've participated in rising living standards. In 2005, 91% had microwaves. 79% air-conditioning, and 48% cell phones.The existing poverty line could be improved by adding some income sources and subtracting some expenses. Unfortunately, the administration's proposal for a "supplemental poverty measure" in 2011 goes beyond that. The new poverty number would compound public confusion. It also raises questions about whether the statistic is tailored to favor a political agenda.The "supplemental measure" ties the poverty threshold to what the poorest third of Americans spend on food, housing, clothing, and utilities. The actual threshold will probably be higher thantoday's poverty line. Many Americans would find this weird: people get richer, but "poverty" stays stuck..What produces this outcome is a different view of poverty. The present concept is an absolute one: the poverty threshold reflects the amount estimated to meet basic needs. By contrast, the new measure embraces a relative notion of poverty: people are automatically poor if they're a given distance from the top, even if their incomes are increasing.The new indicator is a "propaganda device" to promote income redistribution by showing that poverty is stubborn or increasing. The Census Bureau has estimated statistics similar to the administration's proposal. In 2008, the traditional poverty rate was %; estimates of the new statistic range up to l7%. The new poverty statistic exceeds the old, and the gap grows larger over time.As senator Daniel Moynihan said, the administration is defining poverty up. It's legitimate to debate how much we should aid the poor or reduce economic inequality. But the debate should not be swayed by misleading statistics that few Americans could possibly understand. Government statistics should strive for political neutrality（中立）.This one fails.注意：此部份试题请在答题卡2上作答。
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2012英语六级阅读理解练习6篇（附答案）二第一篇Pronouncing a language is a skill. Every normal person is expert in the skill of pronouncing his own language; but few people are even moderately proficient at pronouncing foreign languages. Now there are many reasons for this, some obvious, some perhaps not so obvious. But I suggest that the fundamental reason why people in general do not speak foreign languages very much better than they do is that they fail to grasp the true nature of the problem of learning to pronounce, and consequently never set about tackling it in the right way. Far too many people fail to realize that pronouncing a foreign language is a skill—one that needs careful training of a special kind, and one that cannot be acquired by just leaving it to take care of itself. I think even teachers of language, while recognizing the importance of a good accent, tend to neglect, in their practical teaching, the branch of study concerned with speaking the language. So the first point I want to make is that English pronunciation must be taught; the teacher should be prepared to devote some of the lesson time to this, and should get the student to feel that here is a matter worthy of receiving his close attention. So, there should be occasions when other aspects of English, such as grammar or spelling, are allowed for the moment to take second place.Apart from this question of the time given to pronunciation, there are two other requirements for the teacher: the first, knowledge; the second, technique.It is important that the teacher should be in possession of the necessary information. This can generally be obtained from books. It is possible to get from books some idea of the mechanics of speech, and of what we call general phonetic theory. It is also possible in this way to get a clear mental picture of the relationship between the sounds of different languages, between the speech habits of English people and those, say, of your students. Unless the teacher has such a picture, any comments he may make on his students' pronunciation are unlikely to be of much use, and lesson time spent on pronunciation may well be time wasted.1. What does the writer actually say about pronouncing foreign languages?A. Only a few people are really proficient.B. No one is really an expert in the skill.C. There aren't many people who are even fairly good.D. There are even some people who are moderately proficient.2. The writer argues that going about the problem of pronunciation in the wrong way isA. an obvious cause of not grasping the problem correctlyB. a fundamental consequence of not speaking wellC. a consequence of not grasping the problem correctlyD. not an obvious cause of speaking poorly3. The best way of learning to speak a foreign language, he suggests, is by_______.A. picking it up naturally as a childB. learning from a native speakerC. not concentrating on pronunciation as suchD. undertaking systematic work4. The value the student puts on correct speech habits depends upon_______.A. how closely he attends to the matterB. whether it is English that is being taughtC. his teacher's approach to pronunciationD. the importance normally given to grammar and spelling5. How might the teacher find himself wasting lesson time?A. By spending lesson time on pronunciation.B. By making ill-informed comments upon pronunciation.C. By not using books on phonetics in the classroom.D. By not giving students a clear mental picture of the difference between sounds.第二篇An industrial society, especially one as centralized and concentrated as that of Britain, is heavily dependant on certain essential services: for instance, electricity supply, water, rail and road transport, the harbors. The area of dependency has widened to include removing rubbish, hospital and ambulance services, and, as the economy develops, central computer and information services as well. If any of these services ceases to operate, the whole economic system is in danger.It is this interdependency of the economic system that makes the power of trade unions such an important issue. Single trade unions have the ability to cut off many economic blood supplies. This can happen more easily in Britain than in some other countries, in part because the labor force is highly organized. About 55 per cent of British workers belong to unions, compared to under a quarter in the United States. For historical reasons, Britain's unions have tended to develop along trade and occupational lines, rather than on an industry-by-industry basis, which makes wage policy, democracy in industry and the improvement of procedures for fixing wage levels difficult to achieve.There are considerable strains and tensions in the trade union movement, some of them arising from their outdated and inefficient structure. Some unions have lost many members because of industrial changes. Others are involved in arguments about who should represent workers in new trades. Unions for skilled trades are separate from general unions, which means that different levels of wages for certain jobs areoften a source of bad feeling between unions. In traditional trades which are being pushed out of existence by advancing technologies, unions can fight for their members' disappearing jobs to the point where the jobs of other union's members are threatened or destroyed. The printing of newspapers both in the United States and in Britain has frequently been halted by the efforts of printers to hold on to their traditional highly-paid jobs.1. Why is the question of trade union power important in Britain?A. The economy is very much interdependent.B. Unions have been established a long time.C. There are more unions in Britain than elsewhere.D. There are many essential services.2. Because of their out-of-date organization some unions find it difficult to______.A. change as industries changeB. get new members to join themC. learn new technologiesD. bargain for high enough wages3. Disagreements arise between unions because some of themA. try to win over members of other unionsB. ignore agreementsC. protect their own members at the expense of othersD. take over other union's jobs4. It is difficult to improve the procedures for fixing wage levels because______.A. some industries have no unionsB. unions are not organized according to industriesC. only 55 per cent of workers belong to unionsD. some unions are too powerful5. Which of the following is NOT TRUE?A. There are strains and tensions in the trade union movement.B. Some unions have lost many members.C. Some unions exist in the outdated structure.D. A higher percentage of American workers belong to unions than that of British workers.第三篇Although credit cards are becoming a more acceptable part of the financial scene, they are still regarded with suspicion by many as being a major part of the "live now pay later" syndrome(^Jttt). Along with hire-purchase, rental and leasing schemes, they provide encouragement to spend more money. Of course, it is only the foolhardy who yield to the temptation to live, temporarily at least, beyond their means, and suchpeople would no doubt manage to do so even without credit cards.Advertising campaigns have, however, promoted a growing realization of the advantages of these small pieces of plastic. They obviate (避免) need to carry large amounts of cash and are always useful in emergencies.All the credit card organizations charge interest on a monthly basis which may work out as high as 25 per cent a year, yet judicious purchasing using a card can mean that you obtain up to seven weeks, interest-free credit. Using the card abroad, where items frequently take a long time to be included on your account, can extend this period even further.It is worthwhile shopping around before deciding on a particular credit card. It is necessary to consider the amount of credit granted; interest rates, which may vary slightly; the number and range of outlets, though most cards cover major garages, hotels, restaurants and department stores; and of course, what happens if your card is lost or stolen. A credit card thief may be sitting on a potential goldmine particularly if there is a delay in reporting the loss of the card.However, if used wisely, a credit card can cost nothing, or at least help to tide you over a period of financial difficulty.1. Which of the following can not make you spend more money?A. Credit cards.B. Hire-purchase.C. Rental and leasing schemes.D. None of the above is right.2. The foolhardy are people who_______.A. spend more money than they haveB. spend less money than other peopleC. save moneyD. make money3. The disadvantage of credit cards is_______.A. to enable you to buy things without carrying large amount of cashB. to encourage people to spend more moneyC. to be always useful in emergenciesD. to help people tide over a period of financial difficulty4. According to the passage, credit cards are made of_______.A. paperB. goldC. plasticD. tin5. Deciding on a particular credit, you do not have to consider______.A. the amount of credit grantedB. the number and range of outletsC. the possibility of loss of moneyD. the department stores where you are going to use your credit cards第四篇More attention was paid to the quality of production in France at the time of Rene Coty. Charles Deschanel was then the financial minister. He stressed that workmanship and quality were more important than quantity for industrial production. It would be necessary to produce quality goods for the international markets tocompete with those produced in other countries. The French economy needed a larger share of international market to balance its import and export trade.French industrial and agricultural production was still inadequate to meet the immediate needs of the people, let alone long-ranged developments. Essential imports had stretched the national credit to the breaking point. Rents were tightly controlled, but the extreme inflation affected general population most severely through the cost of food. Food costs took as much as 80 percent of the worker's income. Wages, it is true, had risen. Extensive family allowances and benefits were paid by the state, and there was fulltime and overtime employment. Taken together, these factors enabled the working class to exist but allowed them no sense of security. In this discouraging situation, workmen were willing to work overseas for higher wages.The government was unwilling to let workers leave the country. It was feared that migration of workers would reduce the labor force. The lack of qualified workers might hinder the improvement in the quality of industrial products produced. Qualified workers employed abroad would only increase the quantity of quality goods produced in foreign countries. Also the quantity of quality goods produced in France would not be able to increase as part of its ualified labor force moved to other countries.1. The purpose of the passage is to_______.A. explain the French government's emphasis on quality productsB. discuss Charles Deschanel's contribution to the French industrial developmentC. compare the quality of French goods with that of foreign goodsD. show French workmen's enthusiasm to seek well-paid jobs in foreign countries2. It can be inferred from the passage that at the time of Rene Coty .A. France was still at the first stage of industrial developmentB. French workers were better paid than the workers in any other European countriesC. the unemployment rate in France was comparatively higher than that in other European countriesD. French workers were able to live better with the increase in their wages3. It is implied in the passage that at that time_______.A. France had a very large share of international marketB. the import and export trade in France was making a successful advanceC. demand and supply in France was barely balancedD. France was experiencing economic depression4. Which of the following is the best indicator of the extreme inflation in France?A. Eighty percent increase in the prices of consumer goods.B. High cost of food.C. High rents for houses.D. Lack of agricultural products.5. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?A. Rents in France were tightly controlled.B. France was flooding the international market with inferior products.C. French workers were prohibited from going abroad to find jobs.D. The migration of French workers would hinder the improvement of quality in industrial production.第五篇As a company executive(总经理) who spent ten years in federal service, I am often asked what I regard as the biggest difference between working for the government and working for a private company. My invariable response is to say that I look back on my time in government as one of the most exciting and challenging experiences of my life. Furthermore, I never worked as hard as when I was a public servant.When I worked for the government, I worked with some of the finest, most competent and most committed people I have ever met. I was impressed by the overall quality of our career civil servants then, and I still am. But one of my greatest concerns now is that I will not be able to hold this same high opinion in the future.Career public servants are leaving government in alarming numbers, and qualified replacements are becoming harder and harder to find. Good people who leave career government service are striving for highly paid positions in private enterprises.We depend on government to keep this country safe in an uncertain world, to secure justice and domestic order and to solve a host of pressing problems. We need the best possible people performing and overseeing these vital tasks. A high-quality, professional federal service has been a source of national pride for more than a century. But what we have built up during a hundred years can be lost in less time than we imagine. We can't afford to let this happen. We must act now if this country is to be assured of the quality public service it deserves.1. Career public servants are leaving government in alarming numbers. One of thereasons may be that______.A. they received lower payB. they deserved no fame and gloryC. they performed poorlyD. they worked harder than anyone else2. According to the author, _______, so I will not be able to hold this same high opiniontoward the public servants in the future.A. I never worked as hard as when I was a public servantB. I have become a company executiveC. there will not be so many competent and qualified servants in the government as we had beforeD. my time in government was not the most exciting experience in my life3. We depend on government to keep this country safe in an uncertain world, therefore,A. we should make greater contributions to the countryB. the best possible people are urgently needed to do important tasksC. we should show deep concern about the nation's futureD. we should become public servants4. If we neglect the serious problem and make no efforts, we will lose_______.A. national prideB. high-quality professional federal serviceC. good peopleD. private enterprise5. Which of the following is NOT TRUE?A. Those who work for companies are highly paid.B. More and more public servants have left the government.C. Career public servants are qualified.D. Many people of high qualities want to work in the government.According to the latest research in the' United States of America, men and women talk such different languages that it is like people from two different cultures trying to communicate. Professor Deborah Tannen of Georgetown University, has noticed the difference in the style of boy's and girl's conversations from an early age. She says that little girls' conversation is less definite than boys' and expresses more doubts. Little boys use conversation to establish status with their listeners.These differences continue into adult life, she says. In public conversations, men talk most and interrupt other speakers more. In private conversations, men and women speak in equal amounts—although they say things in a different style. Professor Tannen believes that, for woman, private talking is a way to establish and test intimacy. For men, private talking is a way to explore the power structure of a relationship.第六篇Teaching is one job where the differences between men's and women's ways of talking show. When a man teaches a woman, says Professor Tannen, he wants to show that he has more knowledge, and hence more power in conversation. When a woman teaches another woman, however, she is more likely to take a sharing approach and to encourage her student to join in.But Professor Tannen does not believe that women are naturally more helpful. She says women feel they achieve power by being able to help others. Although the research suggests men talk and interrupt people more than women, Professor Tannen says, women actually encourage this to happen because they believe it will lead to more intimacy and help to establish a relationship.Some scientists who are studying speech think that the brain is pre¬programmedfor language. As we are usually taught to speak by women, it seems likely that the brain must have a sexual bias(倾向性) in its programming,otherwise male speech patterns would not arise at all.1. In the opinion of the writer, women encourage men to talk becauseA. it will lead to more intimacy and help to establish a relationshipB. it will help to establish status with their listenersC. it will help to express more clearlyD. it will help to communicate better2. There are_______in little girls' conversation than in boys'.A. fewer doubtsB. more demandsC. more doubtsD. fewer uncertainties3. Some scientists believe that brain is pre-programmed for language. The word "pre programmed" means_______.A. programmed alreadyB. programmed before one is bornC. programmed earlyD. programmed by women4. In private conversation, women speakA. the same things as menB. less than menC. more than menD. as much as men5. The theme of this article is _______.A. women are naturally more helpfulB. men and women talk different languagesC. men talk most and interrupt other speakers moreD. little girls' conversation is less definite第一篇答案、1. C 2. C 3. D 4. C 5.B第二篇答案、1. A 2. A 3. C 4. B 5. D第三篇答案、1. D 2. A 3. B 4. D 6. C第四篇答案、1. A 2. A 3. D 4. B 5. B第五篇答案、1. A 2. C 3. B 4. B 5. D第五篇答案、1. A 2. C 3. B 4. D 5. B。