2016年6月英语六级真题听力原文(一)
2016年6月六级考试题目答案第一套
2016年6月英语六级考试真题试卷附答案和解析(第1套)Directions:For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on the use of robots. Try to imagine what will happen when more and more robots take the place of human beings in industry as well as people's daily lives. You are required to write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words.Section ADirections: In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation 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.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。
Questions 1 to 4 are based on the conversation you have just heard.1. A) Project organizer.B) Public relations officer.C) Marketing manager.D) Market research consultant.2. A) Quantitative advertising research.B) Questionnaire design.C) Research methodology.D) Interviewer training.3. A) They are intensive studies of people's spending habits.B) They examine relations between producers and customers.C) They look for new and effective ways to promote products.D) They study trends or customer satisfaction over a long period.4. A) The lack of promotion opportunity.B) Checking charts and tables.C) Designing questionnaires.D) The persistent intensity.Questions 5 to 8 are based on the conversation you have just heard.5. A) His view on Canadian universities.B) His understanding of higher education.C) His suggestions for improvements in higher education.D) His complaint about bureaucracy in American universities.6. A) It is well designed.B) It is rather inflexible.C) It varies among universities.D) It has undergone great changes.7. A) The United States and Canada can learn from each other.B) Public universities are often superior to private universities.C) Everyone should be given equal access to higher education.D) Private schools work more efficiently than public institutions.8. A) University systems vary from country to country.B) Efficiency is essential to university management.C) It is hard to say which is better, a public university or a private one.D) Many private university in the U.S. are actually large bureaucracies.Section BDirections: In this section, you will hear two passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear three or four questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 9 to 11 are based on the passage you have just heard.9. A) Government's role in resolving an economic crisis.B) The worsening real wage situation around the world.C) Indications of economic recovery in the United States.D) The impact of the current economic crisis on peopled life.10. A) They will feel less pressure to raise employees' wages.B) They will feel free to choose the most suitable employees.C) They will feel inclined to expand their business operations.D) They will feel more confident in competing with their rivals.11. A) Employees and companies cooperate to pull through theeconomic crisis.B) Government and companies join hands to create jobs for the unemployed.C) Employees work shorter hours to avoid layoffs.D) Team work will be encouraged in companies.Passage TwoQuestions 12 to 15 are based on the passage you have just heard.12. A) Whether memory supplements work.B) Whether herbal medicine works wonders.C) Whether exercise enhances one's memory.D) Whether a magic memory promises success.13. A) They help the elderly more than the young.B) They are beneficial in one way or another.C) They generally do not have side effects.D)They are not based on real science.14. A) They are available at most country fairs.B) They are taken in relatively high dosage.C) They are collected or grown by farmers.D) They are prescribed by trained practitioners.15. A) They have often proved to be as helpful as doing mental exercise.B) Taking them with other medications might entail unnecessary risks.C) Their effect lasts only a short time.D) Many have benefited from them.Section CDirections: In this section, you will hear three recordings of lectures or talks followed by three or four questions. The recordings will be played only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A),B),C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Recording OneQuestions 16 to 18 are based on the recording you have just heard.16. A) How catastrophic natural disasters turn out to be to developing nations.B) How the World Meteorological Organization studies natural disasters.C) How powerless humans appear to be in face of natural disasters.D) How the negative impacts of natural disasters can be reduced.17. A) By training rescue teams for emergencies.B) By taking steps to prepare people for them.C) By changing people's views of nature.D) By relocating people to safer places.18. A) How preventive action can reduce the loss of life.B) How courageous Cubans are in face of disasters.C) How Cubans suffer from tropical storms.D) How destructive tropical storms can be.Recording TwoQuestions 19 to 22 are based on the recording you have just heard.19. A) Pay back their loans to the American government.B) Provide loans to those in severe financial difficulty.C) Contribute more to the goal of a wider recovery.D) Speed up their recovery from the housing bubble.20. A) Some banks may have to merge with others.B) Many smaller regional banks are going to fail.C) It will be hard for banks to provide more loans.D) Many banks will have to lay off some employees.21. A) It will work closely with the government.B) It will endeavor to write off bad loans.C) It will try to lower the interest rate.D) It will try to provide more loans.22. A) It won't help the American economy to turn around.B) It won't do any good to the major commercial banks.C) It will win the approval of the Obama administration.D) It will be necessary if the economy starts to shrink again.Recording ThreeQuestions 23 to 25 are based on the recording you have just heard.23. A) Being unable to learn new things.B) Being rather slow to make changes.C) Losing temper more and more often.D) Losing the ability to get on with others.24. A) Cognitive stimulation.B) Community activity.C) Balanced diet.D) Fresh air.25. A) Ignoring the signs and symptoms of aging.B) Adopting an optimistic attitude towards life.C) Endeavoring to give up unhealthy lifestyles.D) Seeking advice from doctors from time to time.Section ADirections: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select oneword for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read thepassage throu gh carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is i dentified bya letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each i tem on ,Answer Street 2 with a singleline through the centre. You m ay not use any of the words in the bank more than once. Questions 26 to 35 are based on the following passage.Let's say you love roller-skating. Just the thought of __26__ on your roller-skates brings asmile to your face. You also know that roll er-skating is excellent exercise. You have a __27__attitude toward i t.This description of roller-skating __28__ the three components of an attitude: affect,cognition, and behavior. You love the activity; it' s great fun. These feelings __29__ the affectiveor emotional comp onent; they are an important ingredient in attitudes. The knowled ge wehave about the object constitutes the cognitive component of an attitude. You understand the health __30__ that the activity can bring. Finally, attitudes have a behavioral component.Our attit udes __31__ us to go outside to enjoy roller-skating.Now, we don't want to leave you with the __32__ that these three c omponents always worktogether __33__ . They don't; sometimes th ey clash. For example, let's say you love pizza(affective componen t); however, you have high cholesterol and understand (knowledg e component) that eating pizza may be bad for your health. Which behavior will your attituderesult in, eating pizza or __34__ it? The a nswer depends on which component happens to bestronger. If you are walking past a pizza restaurant at lunchtime, your emotions an d feelingsprobably will be stronger than your knowledge that pizza may not be the best food for yourhealth. In that instance, you have pizza for lunch. If you are at home trying to decide where togo for d inner, however, the knowledge component may __35__ , and you decide to go whereyou can eat a healthier meal.A.avoidingB.benefitsC.highlightD.illustratesE.impressionF.improvesG.inquiringH.perfectlyI.positiveJ.prevailK.primarilyL.promptM.specificationsN.strappingO.typicalSection 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.The Changing Generation[A] It turns out today's teenagers aren't so scary after all. Results of USA WEEKEND'S Teens & Parents survey reveal a generation of young people who get along well with their parents and approve of the way they're being raised. They think of their parents with affection and respect. They speak with Mom or Dad when they have a problem. Most feel that their parents understand them, and they believe their family is the No. 1 priority in their parents, lives. Many even think their parents are cool! Although more than a third have an object in their rooms they would like to keep secret from their parents, rarely is it anything more alarming than a diary or off-color (低俗的) book or CD.[B] Such results may seem surprising against the background of shocking incidents that color the way the mass media portray the young. In October 2000, , the same month the survey was taken, the Washington-based Center for Media and Public Affairs wrote in its publication Media Monitor that, in a recent month of TV news coverage of American youth, just 2% of teens were shown at home, and just 1% were portrayed in a work setting. In contrast, the criminal justice system accounted for nearly one out of every five visual backgrounds. No wonder parents worry their own kids might spin out of control once they hit the turbulent waters of adolescence.[C] The overall facts ought to reassure us. The survey shows us that today's teens are affectionate, sensible and far happier than the angry and tortured souls that have been painted for us by stereotypes. From other sources, we also know teenage crime, drug abuse and premarital sex are in general decline. We, of course, need to pay attention to youngsters who are filled with discontent and hostility, but we should not allow these extreme cases to distort our view of most young people.[D] My own research at the Stanford Center on Adolescence usesin-depth interviews with small samples of youngsters rather thanlarge-scale surveys. Still, in my studies and others I have read, I find the same patterns as in USA WEEKEND'S survey. Today's teenagers admire their parents and welcome parental guidance about important matters such as career choice—though certainly not Mom and Dad's advice on matters of personal taste, such as music or fashion. When we ask teens to choose a hero，they usually select an older family member rather than a remote public figure. Most teens say they enjoy the company of both parents and friends.[E] Contrary to some stereotypes, most adolescents believe they must be tolerant of differences among individuals (though they do not always find this easy in the cliquish (拉帮结派的) environment of high school). Many of them volunteer for community service with disadvantaged people. One prevalent quality we have found in teens, statements about themselves, their friends and their families is a strikingly positive emotional tone. By and large, these are very nice kids, and as the band The Who used to sing, "The kids are alright."[F] How much is today's spirit of harmony a change from our more turbulent past? A mere generation ago, parent-child relations were described as "the generation gap". Yet even then reports of widespread youth rebellion were overdone: Most kids in the '60s and 70s shared their parents, basic values. Still, it is true that American families are growing closer at the dawn of this new millennium (千年). Perhaps there is less to fight about, with the country in a period of tranquility and the dangers of drug abuse and other unwholesome behavior well known. Perhaps in the face of impersonal and intimidating globalization, a young person's family feels more like a friendly haven than an oppressive trap. And perhaps parents are acting more like parents than in the recent past. Within just the past five years, I have noticed parents returning to a belief that teenagers need the guidance of elders rather than the liberal, "anything goes" mode of child-rearing that became popular in the second half of the 20th century.[G] But missing from all these data is the sense that today's young care very much about their country, about the broader civic and political environment, or about the future of their society. They seem to be turning inward—generally in a pro-social manner, certainly with positive benefits for intimate relationships, but too often at the expense of a connection with the present and future world beyond, including the society they will one day inherit.[H] Recently, we examined more than 400 essays on the "laws of life" that teens from two communities had written as part of an educational program initiated by the John Templeton Foundation in Radnor, Pa. In those essays, and in follow-up interviews with a few of the teenagers, we found lots of insight, positive feeling and inspirational thinking. Butwe also found little interest in civic life beyond the tight circles of their family and immediate friends.[I] For example, only one boy said he would like to be president when he grows up. When I was in high school, dozens in my class alone would have answered differently. In fact, other recent studies have found there has never been a time in American history when so small a proportion of young people have sought or accepted leadership roles in local civic organizations. It is also troubling that voting rates among our youngest eligible voters—18- to 24-year-olds—are way down: Little more than one in four now go to the polls, even in national elections, compared with almost twice that many when 18-year-olds were first given the vote.[J] In our interviews, many students viewed politics with suspicion and distaste. " Most politicians are kind of crooked (不诚实的)" ones tudent declared. Another, discussing national politics, said, “I feel like one person can't do that much, and I get the impression most people don't think a group of people can do that much." Asked what they would like to change in the world, the students mentioned only personal concerns such as slowing down the pace of life, gaining good friends, becoming more spiritual, becoming either more materially successful or less materially oriented (depending on the student's values), and being more respectful of the Earth, animals and other people. One boy said, "I'd rather be concentrating on artistic efforts than saving the world or something."[K] It is fine and healthy for teens to cultivate their personal interests, and it is good news when young people enjoy harmonious relations with their family and friends. But there is also a place in a young life for noble purposes that include a dedication to the broader society, a love of country and an aspiration to make their own leadership contributions.[L] In the past, the young have eagerly participated in national service and civic affairs, often with lots of energy and idealism. If this is not happening today, we should ask why. Our society needs the full participation of its younger citizens if it is to continue to thrive. We know the promise is there—this is a well-grounded, talented,warm-hearted group of youngsters. We have everything to gain by encouraging them to explore the world beyond their immediate experience and to prepare themselves for their turn at shaping that world.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
2016年6月六级第1套真题
2016年6月大学英语六级真题（第1套）Part I Writing（30minutes）（请于正式开考后半小时内完成该部分，之后将进行听力考试）Directions：For this part,you are allowed30minutes to write a short essay on living in the virtual world．Try to imagine what will happen when people spend more and more time in the virtual world instead of interacting in the real world．You are required to write at least l50words but no more than200words．Part II Listening Comprehension（25minutes）Section ADirections：In this section，you will hear two long conversations．At the end of each conversation,you will hear four questions．Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once．drier 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 l with a single line through the centre．Questions1and2are based on the news report you have just the heard.1 A.Project organizer． B.Public relations officer．C.Marketing manager．D.Market research consultant．2 A.Quantitative advertising research． B.Questionnaire design．C.Research methodology．D.Interviewer training．3 A.They are intensive studies of people’s spending habits．B.They examine relations between producers and customers．C.They look for new and effective ways to promote products．D.They study trends or customer satisfaction over a long period．4 A.The lack of promotion opportunity． B.Checking charts and tables．C.Designing questionnaires．D.The persistent intensity．Questions5to8are based on the conversation you have just heard．5 A.His view on Canadian universities．B.His understanding of higher education．C.His suggestions for improvements in higher education．D.His complaint about bureaucracy in American universities．6 A.It is well designed． B.It is rather inflexible．C.It varies among universities．D.It has undergone great changes．7 A.The United States and Canada can learn from each other．B.Public universities are often superior to private universities．C.Everyone should be given equal access to higher education．D.Private schools work more efficiently than public institutions．8 A.University systems vary from country to country．B.Efficiency is essential to university management．C.It is hard to say which is better,a public university or a private one．D.Many private universities in the U．S．are actually large bureaucracies．Directions：In this section,you will hear two passages．At the end of each passage,you will hear three or four questions．Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once．After you hear a question,you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A，B，C and D．Then mark the corresponding fetter on Answer Sheet1with a single line through the centre．Questions9to11are based on the passage you have just heard．9 ernment’s role in resolving an economic crisis．B.The worsening real wage situation around the world．C.Indications of economic recovery in the United States．D.The impact of the current economic crisis on people’s life．10 A.They will feel less pressure to raise employees’wages．B.They will feel free to choose the most suitable employees．C.They will feel inclined to expand their business operations．D.They will feel more confident in competing with their rivals．11 A.Employees and companies cooperate to pull through the economic crisis．ernment and companies join hands to create jobs for the unemployed．C.Employees work shorter hours to avoid layoffs．D.Team work will be encouraged in companies．Questions12to15are based on the passage you have just heard．12 A.Whether memory supplements work． B.Whether herbal medicine works wonders．C.Whether exercise enhances one’s memory．D.Whether a magic memory promises success．13 A.They help the elderly more than the young． B.They are beneficial in one way or another．C.They generally do not have side effects．D.They are not based on real science．14 A.They are available at most country fairs． B.They are taken in relatively high dosage．C.They are collected or grown by farmers．D.They are prescribed by trained practitioners．15 A.They have often proved to be as helpful as doing mental exercise．B.Taking them with other medications might entail unnecessary risks．C.Their effect lasts only a short time．D.Many have benefited from them．Section CDirections：In this section．you will hear three recordings of lectures or talks followed by three or four questions．The recordings will be played only once．After you hear a question，you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A，B，C and D．Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet1with a single line through the centre．Questions16to18are based on the recording you have just heard．16 A.How catastrophic natural disasters turn out to be to developing nations．B.How the World Meteorological Organization studies natural disasters．C.How powerless humans appear to be in face of natural disasters．D.How the negative impacts of natural disasters can be reduced．17 A.By training rescue teams for emergencies． B.By taking steps to prepare people for them．C.By changing people’s views of nature．D.By relocating people to safer places．18 A.How preventive action can reduce the loss of life．B.How courageous Cubans are in face of disasters．C.How Cubans suffer from tropical storms．D.How destructive tropical storms can be．Questions19to22are based on the recording you have just heard．19 A.Pay back their loans to the American government．B.Provide loans to those in severe financial difficulty．C.Contribute more to the goal of a wider recovery．D.Speed up their recovery from the housing bubble．20 A.Some banks may have to merge with others． B.Many smaller regional banks are going to fail．C.It will be hard for banks to provide more loans．D.Many banks will have to1ay off some employees．21 A.It will work closely with the government． B.It will endeavor to write off bad loans．C.It will try to lower the interest rate．D.It will try to provide more loans．22 A.It won’t help the American economy to rum around．B.It won’t do any good to the major commercial banks．C.It will win the approval of the Obama administration．D.It will be necessary if the economy starts to shrink again．Questions23to25are based on the recording you have just heard．23 A.Being unable to learn new things． B.Being rather slow to make changes．C.Losing temper more and more often．D.Losing the ability to get on with others．24 A.Cognitive stimulation． munity activity．C.Balanced diet．D.Fresh air．25 A.Ignoring the signs and symptoms of aging． B.Adopting an optimistic attitude towards life．C.Endeavoring to give up unhealthy lifestyles．D.Seeking advice from doctors from time to time．PartⅢReading Comprehension（40minutes）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 Sheet2with a single line through the centre.You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once. Questions26to35are based on the following passage．Pursuing a career is an essential part of adolescent development．“The adolescent becomes an adult when he26 a real job.”To cognitive researchers like Piaget，adulthood meant the beginning of an27．Piaget argued that once adolescents enter the world of work，their newly acquired ability to form hypotheses allows them to create representations that are too ideal．The28of such ideals．without the tempering of the reality of a job or profession，rapidly leads adolescents to become29of the non．idealistic world and to press for reform in a characteristically adolescent way.Piaget said：“True adaptation to society comes30when the adolescent reformer attempts to put his ideas to work．”Of course，youthful idealism is often courageous，and no one likes to give up dreams．Perhaps，taken31out of context,Piaget’s statement seems harsh．What he was32,however,is the way reality can modify idealistic views.Some people refer to such modification as maturity.Piaget argued that attaining and accepting a vocation is one of the best ways to modify idealized views and to mature．As careers and vocations become less available during times of33,adolescents may be especially hard hit．Such difficult economic times may leave many adolescents34about their roles in society．For this reason，community interventions and government job programs that offer summer and vacation work are not only economically35but also help to stimulate the adolescent’s sense of worth．A)automatically B)beneficial C)capturing D)confused E)emphasizingF)entrance G)excited H)existence I)incidentally J)intolerantK)occupation L)promises M)recession N)slightly O)undertakesSection BDirections：In this section，you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to n．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 Sheet2．Can societies be rich and green?[A]“If our economies are to flourish，if global poverty is to be eliminated and if the well-being of the world’s people enhanced～not just in this generation but in succeeding generations—we must make sure we take care of thenatural environment and resources on which our economic activity depends．”that statement comes not，as you might imagine，from a stereotypical tree—hugging．Save-the-world-greenie(环保主义者)，but from Gordon Brown，a politician with a reputation for rigour thoroughness and above all，caution．[B]A surprising thing for the man who runs one of the world’s most powerful economies to say?Perhaps：though in the run-up to the five—year review of the Millennium(千年的)Goals，he is far from alone.The roots of his speech, given in March at the round table meeting of environment and energy ministers from the G20group of nations，stretch back to1972，and the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm．[C]“The protection and improvement of the human environment is a major issue which affects the well-being of peoples and economic development throughout the world，”read the final declaration from this gathering，the first of a sequence which would lead to the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit in1992and the World Development Summit in Johannesburg three years ago．[D]Hunt through the reports prepared by UN agencies and development groups—many for conferences such as this year’s Millennium Goals review—and you will find that the linkage between environmental protection and economic progress is a common thread．[E]Managing ecosystems sustainably is more profitable than exploiting them，according to the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment．But finding hard evidence to support the thesis is not so easy．Thoughts turn first to some sort of global statistic，some indicator which would rate the wealth of nations in both economic and environmental terms and show a relationship between the two．[F]If such an indicator exists，it is well hidden．And on reflection，this is not surprising；the single word“environment”has so many dimensions．and there are so many other factors affecting wealth—such as the oil deposits—that teasing out a simple economy-environment relationship would be almost impossible．[G]The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment，a vast four—year global study which reported its initial conclusions earlier this year,found reasons to believe that managing ecosystems sustainably—working with nature rather than against it—might be less profitable in the short term，but certainly brings long-term rewards．[H]And the World Resources Institute(WRI)in its World Resources2005report，issued at the end of August，produced several such examples from Africa and Asia；it also demonstrated that environmental degradation affects the poor more than the rich，as poorer people derive a much higher proportion of their income directly from the natural resources around them．[I]But there are also many examples of growing wealth by trashing the environment，in rich and poor parts of the world alike，whether through unregulated mineral extraction，drastic water use for agriculture，slash—and—bum farming，or fossil-fuel-guzzling(大量消耗)transport．Of course，such growth may not persist in the long term—which is what Mr.Brown and the Stockholm declaration were both attempting to point out．Perhaps the best example of boom growth and bust decline is the Grand Banks fishery．For almost five centuries a very large supply of cod(鳕鱼)provided abundant raw material for an industry which at its peak employed about40，000people，sustaining entire communities in Newfoundland．Then，abruptly,the cod population collapsed．There were no longer enough fish in the sea for the stock to maintain itself,let alone an industry．More than a decade later,there was no sign of the ecosystem rebuilding itself．It had，apparently,been fished out of existence；and the once mighty Newfoundland fleet now gropes about frantically for crab on the sea floor．[J]There is a view that modem humans are inevitably sowing the seeds of a global Grand Banks-style disaster．The idea is that we are taking more out of what you might call the planet’s environmental bank balance than it can sustain；we are living beyond our ecological means．One recent study attempted to calculate the extent of this“ecological overshoot of the human economy”，and found that we are using1.2Earth’s—worth of environmental goods and services—the implication being that at some point the debt will be called in．and all those services—the things which the planet does for us for free—will grind to a halt．[K]Whether this is right，and if so where and when the ecological axe will fall，is hard to determine with anyprecision—which is why governments and financial institutions are only beginning to bring such risks into their economic calculations．It is also the reason why development agencies are not united in their view of environmental issues；while some，like the WRI,maintain that environmental progress needs to go hand-in-hand with economic development，others argue that the priority is to build a thriving economy，and then use the wealth created to tackle environmental degradation．[L]This view assumes that rich societies will invest in environmental care．But is this right?Do things get better or worse as we get richer?Here the Stockholm declaration is ambiguous．“In the developing countries，”it says，“most of the environmental problems are caused by under—development．”So it is saying that economic development should make for a cleaner world?Not necessarily；“In the industrialised countries，environmental problems are generally related to industrialisation and technological development，”it continues．In other words，poor and rich both over-exploit the natural world，but for different reasons．It’s simply not true that economic growth will surely make our world cleaner．[M]Clearly,richer societies are able to provide environmental improvements which lie well beyond the reach of poorer communities．Citizens of wealthy nations demand national parks，clean rivers，clean air and poison-free food．They also，however,use far more natural resources—fuel，water(all those baths and golf courses)and building materials．[N]A case can be made that rich nations export environmental problems，the most graphic example being climate change．As a country’s wealth grows，so do its greenhouse gas emissions．The figures available will not be completely accurate．Measuring emissions is not a precise science，particularly when it comes to issues surrounding land use；not all nations have released up-to-date data，and in any case，emissions from some sectors such as aviation are not included in national statistics．But the data is exact enough for a clear trend to be easily discernible．As countries become richer,they produce more greenhouse gases；and the impact of those gases will fall primarily in poor parts of the world．[O]Wealth is not，of course，the only factor involved．The average Norwegian is better off than the average US citizen，but contributes about half as much to climate change．But could Norway keep its standard of living and yet cut its emissions to Moroccan or even Ethiopian levels?That question，repeated across a dozen environmental issues and across our diverse planet，is what will ultimately determine whether the human race is living beyond its ecological means as it pursues economic revival．36．Examples show that both rich and poor countries exploited the environment for economic progress．37．Environmental protection and improvement benefit people all over the world．38．It is not necessarily true that economic growth will make our world cleaner．39．The common theme of the UN reports is the relation between environmental protection and economic growth．40．Development agencies disagree regarding how to tackle environment issues while ensuring economic progress．41．It is difficult to find solid evidence to prove environmental friendliness generates more profits than exploiting the natural environment．42．Sustainable management of ecosystems will prove rewarding in the long run．43．A politician noted for being cautious asserts that sustainable human development depends on the natural environment．44．Poor countries will have to bear the cost for rich nations’economic development．45．One recent study warns us of the danger of the exhaustion of natural resources on Earth．Section CDirections：There are2passages in this section.Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements.For each of them there are。
2016年6月大学英语六级听力真题及答案：第一套
2016年6月大学英语六级听力真题及答案：第一套Section ADirections：In this section.you will hear two long conversations，At the end of each conversation，you will，hear four questions.Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once.After you hear a question，you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A ，B ，C and D .Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 1 to 4 are based on the conversation you have just heard.◆1.A.The restructuring of her company.B.The man’s switch to a new career.C.The updating of technology at CucinTech.D.The project the man managed at CucinTech.◆2.A.Talented personnel.B.Effective promotion.C.Strategic innovation.petitive products.◆3.A.Innovate constantly.B.Expand the market.C.Recruit more talents.D.Watch out for his competitors.◆4.A. Possible bankruptcy.B.Unforeseen difficulties.C.Imitation by one’s competitors.D.Conflicts within the company.Questions 5 to 8 are based on the conversation you have just heard.◆5.A.The importance of language proficiency.B.The job of an interpreter.C.The stress felt by professionals.D.The best Way to effective communication.◆6.A. Admirable.B.Promising.C.Meaningful.D.Rewarding.◆7.A.They have all passed language proficiency tests.B.They have all studied cross.cultural differences.C.They all have a strong interest in language.D.They all have professional qualifications.◆8.A.It puts one’s long.term memory under more stress.B.It is more stressful than simultaneous interpreting.C.It attaches more importance to accuracy.D.It requires a much larger vocabulary.Section BDirections：In this section，you will hear two passages.At the end of each passage,you will hear three or four questions.Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once.After you hear a question，you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A ，B ，C and D .Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 9 to 11 are based on the passage you have just heard.◆9.A.It might increase mothers’mental distress.B.It might increase the risk of infants’death.C.It might affect mothers’health.D.It might disturb infants’sleep.◆10.A.Mothers who sleep with their babies need a little more sleep each night.B.Sleeping patterns of mothers greatly affect their newborn babies’health.C.Sleeping with infants in the same room has a negative impact on mothers.D.Mothers who breast.feed their babies have a harder time falling asleep.◆11.A.Take precautions to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome.B.Sleep in the same house but not in the same room as their babies.C.Sleep in the same room but not in the same bed as their babies.D.Change their sleep patterns to adapt to their newborn babies’.Questions l2 t015 are based on the passage you have just heard.◆12.A.More money is needed to record the native languages in the US.B.The efforts to preserve Indian languages have proved fruitless.C.The US ranks first in the number of endangered languages.D.A lot of native languages have already died out in the US.◆13.A.To set up more language schools.B.To educate native American children.C.To revitalise America’s native languages.D.To document endangered languages.◆14.A.The US government’s policy of Americanising Indian children.B.The failure of American Indian languages to gain an official status.C.The long.time isolation of American Indians from the outside world.D.The US government’s unwillingness to spend money educating Indians.◆15.A.It is widely used in language immersion schools.B.It speeds up the extinction of native languages.C.It is being utilised to teach native languages.D.It tells traditional stories during family time.Section CDirections：In this section，you will hear three recordings of lectures or talks followed by three or four questions.The recordings Will be played only once.After you hear a question，you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A ，B ，C and D.Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet l with a single line through the centre.Questions 16 to 18 are based on the recording you have just heard.◆16.A.It provides them with the basic necessities of everyday life.B.It pays their living expenses until they find employment again.C.It covers their mortgage payments and medical expenses for 99 weeks.D.It pays them up to half of their previous wages while they look for work.◆17.A.Convincing local lawmakers to extend unemployment benefits.B.Creating jobs for the huge army of unemployed workers.C.Providing training and guidance for unemployed workers.D.Raising funds to help those having no unemployment insurance.◆18.A.To encourage big businesses to hire back workers with government subsidies.B.To create more jobs by encouraging private investments in local companies.C. To allow them to postpone their monthly mortgage payments.D. To offer them loans they need to start their own businesses.Questions l9 t022 are based on the recording you have just heard.◆19.A. They investigated the ice.B. They analyzed the water content.C.They explored the ocean floor.D.They measured the depths of sea water.◆20.A.The ice decrease is more evident than previously thought.B.The ice ensures the survival of many endangered species.C.Most of the ice was accumulated over the past centuries.D. Eighty percent of the ice disappears in summer time.◆21.A.The melting Arctic ice has drowned many coastal cities.B. Arctic ice is a major source of the world’s flesh water.C. Arctic ice is essential to human survival.D. The decline of Arctic ice is irreversible.◆22.A. There is no easy technological solution to it.B.It will advance nuclear technology.C.There is no easy way.to understand it.D. It will do a lot of harm to mankind.Questions 23 t025 are based on the recording you have just heard.◆23.A. The deciding factor in children’s academic performance.B. The health problems of children raised by a single parent.C.The relation between children’s self-control and their future success.D. The reason why New Zealand children seem to have better self-control.◆24.A. Those with a criminal record mostly come from single parent families.B. Children raised by single parents will have a hard time in their thirties.C.Parents must learn to exercise self-control in front of their children.D. Lack of self-control in parents is a disadvantage for their children.◆25.A. Self-control problems will diminish as one grows up.B. Self-control can be improved through education.C. Self-control can improve one’s financial situation.D. Self-control problems may be detected early in children.1.【解析】D。
2016年6月英语六级真题
2016年6月英语六级真题第一套Part I Writing (30 minutes)Directions：For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on the use of robots. Try to imagine what will happen when more and more robots take the place of human beings in industry as well as people's daily lives. You are requried to write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words. Part II Listening Comprehension (30 minutes)Section ADirections:In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A),B),C)and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 1 to 4 are based on the conversation you have just heard.1. A)Project organizerB)Public relations officer.C)Marketing manager.D)Market research consultant.2.A)Quantitative advertising research.B)Questionnaire design.C)Research methodology.D)Interviewer training.3.A)They are intensive studies of people’s spending habits.B)They examine relations between producers and customers.C)They look for new and effective ways to promote products.D)They study trends or customer satisfaction over a long period.4.A)The lack of promotion opportunity.B)Checking charts and tables.C)Designing questionnaires.D)The persistent intensity.Questions 5 to 8 are based on the conversation you have just heard.5.A)His view on Canadian universities.B)His understanding of higher education.C)His suggestions for improvements in higher education.D)His complaint about bureaucracy in American universities.6.A)It is well designed.B)It is rather inflexible.C)It varies among universities.D)It has undergone great changes.7.A)The United States and Canada can learn from each other.B)Public universities are often superior to private universities.C)Everyone should be given equal access to higher education.D)Private schools work more efficiently than public institutions.8.A) University systems vary from country to country.B)Efficiency is essential to university management.C) It is hard to say which is better, a public university or a private one.D) Many private university in the U.S. Are actually large bureaucracies. Section BDirections: In this section, you will hear two passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear three or four questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through thecentre.Questions 9 to 11 are based on the passage you have just heard.9.A) Government’s role in resolving an economic crisis.B) The worsening real wage situation around the worldC) Indications of economic recovery in the United States.D) The impact of the current economic crisis on people’s life.10.A)They will feel less pressure to raise employees’ wages.B) They will feel free to choose the most suitable employees.C) They will feel inclined to expand their business operations.D) They will feel more confident in competing with their rivals.11.A) Employees and companies cooperate to pull through the economic crisis.B) Government and companies join hands to create hobs for the unemployed.C) Employees work shorter hours to avoid layoffs.D) Team work will be encouraged in companies.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the passage you have just heard.12.A) Whether memory supplements work.B) Whether herbal medicine works wonders.C) Whether exercise enhances one’s memory.D) Whether a magic memory promises success.13.A) They help the elderly more than the young.B) They are beneficial in one way or another.C) They generally do not have side effects.D) They are not based on real science.14.A)They are available at most country fairs.B)They are taken in relatively high dosage.C)They are collected or grown by farmers.D)They are prescribed by trained practitioners.15.A)They have often proved to be as helpful as doing mental exercise.B)Taking them with other medications might entail unnecessary risks.C)Their effect lasts only a short time.D)Many have benefited from them.Section CDirections:In this section, you will hear three recordings of lectures or talks followed by three or four questions. The recordings will be played onlyonce. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A),B),C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 16 to 18 are based on the recording you have just heard.16.A)How catastrophic natural disasters turn out to be to developing nations.B)How the World Meteorological Organization studies natural disasters.C)How powerless humans appear to be in face of natural disasters.D)How the negative impacts of natural disasters can be reduced.17.A)By training rescue teams for emergencies.B)By taking steps to prepare people for them.C)By changing people’s views of nature.D)By relocating people to safer places.18.A)How preventive action can reduce the loss of life.B)How courageous Cubans are in face of disasters.C)How Cubans suffer from tropical storms.D)How destructive tropical storms can be.Questions 19 to 22 are based on the recording you have just heard.19.A)Pay back their loans to the American government.B)Provide loans to those in severe financial difficulty.C)Contribute more to the goal of a wider recovery.D)Speed up their recovery from the housing bubble.20.A)Some banks may have to merge with others.B)Many smaller regional banks are going to fail.C)It will be hard for banks to provide more loans.D)Many banks will have to lay off some employees.21.A)It will work closely with the government.B)It will endeavor to write off bad loans.C)It will try to lower the interest rate.D)It will try to provide more loans.22.A)It won’t help the American economy to turn around.B)It won’t do any good to the major commercial banks.C)It will win the approval of the Obama administration.D)It will be necessary if the economy starts to shrink again. Questions 23 to 25 are based on the recording you have just heard.23.A)Being unable to learn new things.B)Being rather slow to make changes.C)Losing temper more and more often.D)Losing the ability to get on with others.24.A)Cognitive stimulation.B)Community activity.C)Balanced diet.D)Fresh air.25.A)Ignoring the signs and symptoms of aging.B)Adopting an optimistic attitude towards life.C)Endeavoring to give up unhealthy lifestyles.D)Seeking advice from doctors from time to time.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.Pleasemark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2with a single line through the centre.You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.Pursuing a career is an essential part of adolescent development.“The adolescent becomes an adult when he_26_a real job.”To cognitive researchers like Piaget,adulthood meant the beginning of an_27_.Piaget argued that once adolescents enter the world of work,their newly acquired ability to form hypotheses allows them to create representations that are too ideal.The_28_of such ideals,without the tempering of the reality of a job or profession,rapidly leads adolescents to become _29_ of the non-idealistic world and to press for reform in a characteristically adolescent way.Piaget said:“True adaptation to society comes_30_when the adolescent reformer attempts to put his ideas to work.”Of course,youthful idealism is often courageous,and no one likes to give up dreams.Perhaps,taken_31_out of context,Piaget’s statement seems harsh.What he was_32_，however,is the way reality can modify idealistic views.Some people refer to such modification as maturity.Piaget argued that attaining and accepting a vocation is one of the best ways to modify idealized views and to mature.As careers and vocations become less available during times of_33_,adolescents may be especially hard hit.Such difficult economic times may leave many adolescents_34_about their roles in society.For thisreason,community interventions and government job programs that offer summer and vacation work are not only economically_35_but also help to stimulate the adolescent’s sense of worth.A)automaticallyB)beneficialC)capturingD)confusedE)emphasizingF)entranceG)excitedH)existenceI)incidentallyJ)intolerantK)occupationL)promisesM)recessionN)slightlyO)undertakesSection 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.Can societies be rich and green?[A]“If our economies are to flourish,if global poverty is to be eliminated and if the well-being of the world’s people enhanced—not just in this generation but in succeeding generations—we must make sure we take care of the natural environment and resources on which our economic activity depends.”That statement comes not,as you might imagine,from a stereotypicaltree-hugging,save-the-world greenie(环保主义者),but from Gordon Brown,a politician with a reputation for rigour,thoroughness and above all,caution. [B]A surprising thing for the man who runs one of the world’s most powerful economies to say?Perhaps;though in the run-up to the five-year review of the Millennium(千年的)Goals,he is far from alone.The roots of his speech,given in March at the roundtable meeting of environment and energy ministers from the G20 group of nations,stretch back to 1972,and the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm.[C]“The protection and improvement of the human environment is a major issue which affects the well-being of peoples and economic development throughout the world,”read the final declaration from this gathering,the first of a sequence which would lead to the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit in 1992 and the World Development Summit in Johannesburg three years ago.[D]Hunt through the reports prepared by UN agencies and development groups —many for conferences such as this year’s Millennium Goals review—and you will find that the linkage between environmental protection and economic progress is a common thread.[E]Managing ecosystems sustainably is more profitable than exploiting them,according to the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment.But finding hard evidence to support the thesis is not so easy.Thoughts turn first to some sort of global statistic,some indicator which would rate the wealth of nations in both economic and environmental terms and show a relationship between the two.[F]If such an indicator exists,it is well hidden.And on reflection,this is not surprising;the single word“environment”has so many dimensions,and there are so many other factors affecting wealth—such as the oil deposits—that teasing out a simple economy-environment relationship would be almost impossible.[G]The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment,a vast four-year global study which reported its initial conclusions earlier this year,found reasons to believethat managing ecosystems sustainably—working with nature rather than against it—might be less profitable in the short term,but certainly brings long-term rewards.[H]And the World Resources Institute(WRI)in its World Resources 2005 report,issued at the end of August,produced several such examples from Africa and Asia;it also demonstrated that environmental degradation affects the poor more than the rich,as poorer people derive a much higher proportion of their income directly from the natural resources around them.[I]But there are also many examples of growing wealth by trashing the environment,in rich and poor parts of the world alike,whether through unregulated mineral extraction,drastic water use foragriculture,slash-and-burn farming,or fossil-fuel-guzzling(大量消耗)transport.Of course,such growth may not persist in the long term—which is what Mr.Brown and the Stockholm declaration were both attempting to point out.Perhaps the best example of boom growth and bust decline is the Grand Banks fishery.For almost five centuries a very large supply of cod(鳕鱼)provided abundant raw material for an industry which at its peak employed about 40,000 people,sustaining entire communities inNewfoundland.Then,abruptly,the cod population collapsed.There were no longer enough fish in the sea for the stock to maintain itself,let alone an industry.More than a decade later,there was no sign of the ecosystemre-building itself.It had,apparently,been fished out of existence;and the once mighty Newfoundland fleet now gropes about frantically for crab on thesea floor.[J]There is a view that modern humans are inevitably sowing the seed of a global Grand Banks-style disaster.The idea is that we are taking more out of what you might call the planet’s environmental bank balance than it can sustain;we are living beyond our ecological means.One recent study attempted to calculate the extent of this“ecological overshoot of the human economy”,and found that we are using 1.2 Earth’s-worth of environmental goods and services—the implication being that at some point the debt will be called in,and all those services—the things which the planet does for us for free—will grind to a halt.[K]Whether this is right,and if so where and when the ecological axe will fall,is hard to determine with any precision—which is why governments and financial institutions are only beginning to bring such risks into their economic calculations.It is also the reason why development agencies are not united in their view of environmental issues;while some,like the WRI,maintain that environmental progress needs to go hand-in-hand with economic development,others argue that the priority is to build a thriving economy,and then use the wealth created to tackle environmental degradation.[L]This view assumes that rich societies will invest in environmental care.But is this right?Do things get better or worse as we get richer? Here the Stockholm declaration is ambiguous.“In the developing countries,”it says,“most of the environmental problems are caused by under-development.”So it is saying that economic development should make for a cleaner world?Notnecessarily;“In the industralised countries,environmental problems are generally related to industrialisation and technological development,”it continues.In other words,poor and rich both over-exploit the natural world,but for different reasons.It’s simply not true that economic growth will surely make our world cleaner.[M]Clearly,richer societies are able to provide environmental improvements which lie well beyond the reach of poorer communities.Citizens of wealthy nations demand national parks,clean rivers,clean air and poison-free food.They also,however,use far more natural resources-fuel,water(all those baths and golf courses)and building materials.[N]A case can be made that rich nations export environmental problems,the most graphic example being climate change.As a country’s wealth grows,so do its greenhouse gas emissions.The figures available will not be completely accurate.Measuring emissions is not a precise science, particularly when it comes to issues surrounding land use;not all nations have re-leasedup-to-date data,and in any case,emissions from some sectors such as aviation are not included in national statistics.But the data is exact enough for a clear trend to be easily discernible.As countries become richer,they produce more greenhouse gases;and the impact of those gases will fall primarily in poor parts of the world.[O]Wealth is not,of course,the only factor involved.The average Norwegian is better off than the average US citizen,but contributes about half as much to climate change.But could Norway keep its standard of living and yet cutits emissions to Moroccan or even Ethiopian levels?That question,repeated across a dozen environmental issues and across our diverse planet,is what will ultimately determine whether the human race is living beyond its ecological means as it pursues economic revival.36.Examples show that both rich and poor countries exploited the environment for economic progress.37.Environmental protection and improvement benefit people all over the world.38.It is not necessarily true that economic growth will make our world cleaner.39.The common theme of the UN reports is the relation between environmental protection and economic growth.40.Development agencies disagree regarding how to tackle environment issues while ensuring economic progress.41.It is difficult to find solid evidence to prove environmental friendliness generates more profits than exploiting the natural environment.42.Sustainable management of ecosystems will prove rewarding in the long run.43.A politician noted for being cautious asserts that sustainable human development depends on the natural environment.44.Poor countries will have to bear the cost for rich nations’ economicdevelopment.45.One recent study warns us of the danger of the exhaustion of natural resources on Earth.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 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.Interactive television advertising, which allows viewers to use their remote controls to click on advertisements, has been pushed for years. Nearly a decade ago it was predicted that viewers of “Friends”, a popular situation comedy, would soon be able to purchase a sweater like Jennifer Aniston’s with a few taps on their remote control.“It’s been the year of interactive television advertising for the last ten or twelve years,”says Colin Dixon of a digital-media consultancy.So the news that Cablevision, and American cable company, was rolling out interactive advertisements to all its customers on October 6th was greeted with some skepticism. During commercials, an overlay will appear at the bottomof the screen, prompting viewers to press a button to request a free sample or order a catalogue. Cablevision hopes to allow customers to buy things with their remote controls early next year.Television advertising could do with a boost. Spending fell by 10% in the first half of the year. The popularization of digital video recorders has caused advertisers to worry that their commercials will be skipped. Some are turning to the Internet, which is cheaper and offers concrete measurements like click-through rates—especially important at a time when marketing budgets are tight. With the launch of interactive advertising,“many of the dollars that went to the Internet will come back to the TV,”says David Kline of Cablevision. Or so the industry hopes.In theory, interactive advertising can engage viewers in a way that 30-second spots do not. Unilever recently ran an interactive campaign for its Axe deodorant(除臭剂)，which kept viewers engaged for more than three minutes on average.The amount spent on interactive advertising on television is still small. Magna, an advertising agency, reckons it will be worth about $138 million this year. That falls far short of the billions of dollars people once expected it to generate. But DirecTV, Comcast and Time Warner Cable have all invested in it. A new effort led by Canoe Ventures, a coalition of leading cable providers, aims to make interactive advertising available across America later this year. BrightLine iTV, Which designs and sells interactive ads, says interest has surged: it expects its revenues almost to triple this year.BSkyB, Britain’s biggest satellite-television service, already provides 9 million customers with interactive ads.Yet there are doubts whether people watching television, a“lean back”medium, crave interaction. Click-through rates have been high so far(around 3-4%, compared with less than 0.3% online), but that may be a result of the novelty. Interactive ads and viewers might not go well together.46.What does Colin Dixon mean by saying“It’s been the year of interactive television advertising for the last ten or twelve years”(Lines 4-5, Para.1)?A)Interactive television advertising will become popular in 10-12 years.B)Interactive television advertising has been under debate for the last decade or so.C)Interactive television advertising is successful when incorporated into situation comedies.D)Interactive television advertising has not achieved the anticipated results.47.What is the public’s response to Cablevision’s planned interactive TV advertising program?A)Pretty positive.B)Totally indifferent.C)Somewhat doubtful.D)Rather critical.48.What is the impact of the wide use of digital video recorders on TV advertising?A)It has made TV advertising easily accessible to viewers.B)It helps advertisers to measure the click-through rates.C)It has placed TV advertising at a great disadvantage.D)It enables viewers to check the sales items with ease.49.What do we learn about Unilever’s interactive campaign?A)It proves the advantage of TV advertising.B)It has done well in engaging the viewers.C)It helps attract investments in the company.D)it has boosted the TV advertising industry.50.How does the author view the hitherto high click-through rates?A)They may be due to the novel way of advertising.B)They signify the popularity of interactive advertising.C)They point to the growing curiosity ofTV viewers.D)They indicate the future direction of media reform.Passage TwoQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.What can be done about mass unemployment? All the wise heads agree: there’re no quick or easy answers. There’s work to be done, but workers aren’t ready to do it—they’re in the wrong places, or they have the wrong skills, Our problems are“structural,”and will take many years to solve.But don’t bother asking for evidence that justifies this bleak view. There isn’t any. On the contrary, all the facts suggest that high unemployment in America is the result of inadequate demand. saying that there’re no easy answers sounds wise. But it’s actually foolish: our unemployment crisis could be cured very quickly if we had the intellectual clarity and political will to act. In other words, structural unemployment is a fake problem, which mainly serves as an excuse for not pursing real solutions.The fact is job openings have plunged in every major sector, while the number of workers forced into part-time employment in almost all industries has soared. Unemployment has surged in every major occupational category. Only three states. With a combined population not much larger than that of Brooklyn, have unemployment rates below 5%. So the evidence contradicts the claim that we’re mainly suffering from structural unemployment. Why, then, has this claim become so popular?Part of the answer is that this is what always happens during periods of high unemployment—in part because experts and analysts believe that declaring the problem deeply rooted, with no easy answers, makes them sound serious. I’ve been looking at what self-proclaimed experts were saying about unemployment during the Great Depression; it was almost identical to what Very Serious People are saying now. Unemployment cannot be brought down rapidly, declared one 1935 analysis, because the workforce is“unadaptable and untrained. It cannot respond to the opportunities which industry may offer.”A few years later, a large defense buildup finally provided a fiscal stimulus adequate to the economy’s needs—and suddenly industry was eager to employ those“unadaptable and untrained”workers.But now, as then, powerful forces are ideologically opposed to the whole idea of government action on a sufficient scale to jump-start the economy. And that, fundamentally, is why claims that we face huge structural problems have been multiplying: they offer a reason to do nothing about the mass unemployment that is crippling out economy and our society.So what you need to know is that there’s no evidence whatsoever to back these claims. We aren’t suffering from a shortage of needed skills, We’re suffering from a lack of policy resolve. As I said, structural unemployment isn’t a real problem, it’s an excuse—a reason not to act on America’s problems at a time when action is desperately needed.51.What does the author think is the root cause of mass unemployment inAmerica?A)Corporate mismanagement.B)Insufficient demand.C)Technological advances.D)Workers’ slow adaptation.52.What does the author think of the experts’ claim concerning unemployment?A)Self-evident.B)Thought-provoking.C)Irrational.D)Groundless.53.What does the author say helped bring down unemployment during the Great Depression?A)The booming defense industry.B)The wise heads’ benefit package.C)Nationwide training of workers.D)Thorough restructuring of industries.54.What has caused claims of huge structural problems to multiply?A)Powerful opposition to government’s stimulus efforts.B)Very Serious People’s attempt to cripple the economy.C)Evidence gathered from many sectors of the industries.D)Economists’ failure to detect the problems in time.55.What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage?A)To testify to the experts’ analysis of America’s problems.B)To offer a feasible solution to the structural unemployment.C)To show the urgent need for the government to take action.D)To alert American workers to the urgency for adaptation.Part IV Translation (30minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.中国的创新正以前所未有的速度蓬勃发展。
6月英语六级听力真题及答案
6月英语六级听力真题及答案转眼2016下半年英语六级考试即将来临，不少同学也正在准备2016下半年英语六级考试，下面是yjbys网店铺提供给大家关于2016年6月英语六级听力真题及答案，供同学们参考。
2016年6月英语六级听力真题答案(听力篇章)：Conversation OneM: So how long have you been a Market Research Consultant?W: Well, I started straight after finishing university.M: Did you study market research?W: Yeah, and it really helped me to get into the industry, but I have to say that it's more important to get experience in different types of market research to find out exactly what you're interested in.M: So what are you interested in?W: Well, at the moment, I specialize in quantitative advertising research, which means that I do two types of projects. Trackers, which are ongoing projects that look at trends or customer satisfaction over a long period of time. The only problem with trackers is that it takes up a lot of your time. But you do build up a good relationship with the client. I also do a couple of ad-hoc jobs which are much shorter projects.M: What exactly do you mean by ad-hoc jobs?W: It's basically when companies need quick answers to their questions about their consumers' habits. They just ask for one questionnaire to be sent out for example, so the time you spend on an ad-hoc project tends to be fairly short.M: Which do you prefer, trackers or ad-hoc?W: I like doing both and in fact I need to do both at the same time to keep me from going crazy. I need the variety.M: Can you just explain what process you go through with a new client?W: Well, together we decide on the methodology and the objectives of the research. I then design a questionnaire. Once the interviewers have been briefed, I send the client a schedule and then they get back to me with deadlines. Once the final charts and tables are ready, I have to check them and organize a presentation.M: Hmm, one last question, what do you like and dislike about your job?W: As I said, variety is important and as for what I don't like, it has to be the checking of charts and tables.Questions 1 to 4 are based on the conversation you have just heard.Q1: What position does the woman hold in the company?Q2: What does the woman specialize in at the moment?Q3: What does the woman say about trackers?Q4: What does the woman dislike about her job?Conversation TwoW: Hello, I'm here with Frederick. Now Fred, you went to university in Canada?M: Yeah, that's right.W: OK, and you have very strong views about universities in Canada. Could you please explain?M: Well, we don't have private universities in Canada. They’re all public. All the universities are owned by the government, so there is the Ministry of Education in charge of creating the curriculum for the universities and so there is not much room for flexibility. Since it's a government operated institution, things don't move very fast. If you want something tobe done, then their staff do not have so much incentive to help you because he's a worker for the government. So I don't think it's very efficient. However, there are certain advantages of public universities, such as the fees being free. You don't have to pay for your education. But the system isn't efficient, and it does not work that well.W: Yeah, I can see your point, but in the United States we have many private universities, and I think they are large bureaucracies also. Maybe people don't act that much differently, because it’s the same thing working for a private university. They get paid for their job. I don’t know if they're that much more motivated to help people. Also, we have a problem in the United States that usually only wealthy kids go to the best schools and it's kind of a problem actually.M: I agree with you. I think it's a problem because you're not giving equal access to education to everybody. It’s not easy, but having only public universities also might not be the best solution. Perhaps we can learn from Japan where they have a system of private and public universities. Now, in Japan, public universities are considered to be the best.W: Right. It's the exact opposite in the United States.M: So, as you see, it's very hard to say which one is better.W: Right, a good point.Questions 5 to 8 are based on the conversation you have just heard.Q5: What does the woman want Frederick to talk about?Q6: What does the man say about the curriculum in Canadian universities?Q7: On what point do the speakers agree?Q8: What point does the man make at the end of theconversation?。
2016年6月英语六级真题听力原文(一)
2016年6月英语六级真题听力原文(一)Part ⅡListening ComprehensionSection AQuestions 1 to 4 are based on the conversation you have just heard.M: (1)So, how long have you been a market research consultant?W: Well, I started straight after finishing university.M: Did you study market research?W: Yeah, and it really helped me to get into the industry, but I have to say that it’s more important to get experience in different types of market research to find out exactly what you’re interested in.M: So what are you interested in?W: (2)Well, at the moment, I specialize in quantitative advertising research, which means that I do two types of projects. (3)Trackers, which are ongoing projects that look at trends or customer satisfaction over a long period of time. The only problem with trackers is that it takes up a lot of your time. But you do build up a good relationship with the client. I also do a couple of ad hoc jobs which are much shorter projects.M: What exactly do you mean by ad hoc jobs?W: It’s basically when companies need quick answers to their questions about their consumers’ habits. They just ask for one questionnaire to be sent out for example, so the time you spend on an ad hoc project tends to be fairly short.M: Which do you prefer, trackers or ad hoc?W: I like doing both and in fact I need to do both at the same time to keep me from going crazy. I need the variety.M: Can you just explain what process you go through with a new client? W: Well, together we decide on the methodology and the objectives of the research. I then design a questionnaire. Once the interviewers have been briefed, I send the client a schedule and then they get back to me with deadlines. Once the final charts and tables are ready, I have to check them and organize a presentation.M: Hmm, one last question, what do you like and dislike about your job? W: (4)As I said, variety is important and as for what I don’t like, it has to be the checking of charts and tables.Questions 5 to 8 are based on the conversation you have just heard.W: Hello, I’m here with Frederick. Now Fred, you went to university in Canada?M: Yeah, that’s right.W: (5)OK, and you have very strong views about universities in Canada. Could you please explain?M: Well, we don’t have private universities in Canada. They’re all public.(6)All the universities are owned by the government, so there is the Ministry of Education in charge of creating the curriculum for the universities and so there is not much room for flexibility. Since it’s agovernment-operated institutio n, things don’t move very fast. If you want something to be done, then their staff do not have so much incentive to help you because he’s a worker for the government. So I don’t think it’s very efficient. However, there are certain advantages of public uni versities, such as the fees being free. You don’t have to pay for your education. But the system isn’t efficient, and it does not work that well. W: Yeah, I can see your point, but in the United States we have many private universities, and I think they are large bureaucracies also. Maybe people don’t act that much differently, because it’s the same thing working for a private university. They get paid for their job. I don’t know if they’re that much more motivated to help people. (7)Also, we have a problem in the United States that usually only wealthy kids go to the best schools and it’s kind of a problem actually.M: (7)I agree with you. I think it’s a problem because you’re not giving equal access to education to everybody. It’s not easy, but having only public universities also might not be the best solution. Perhaps we can learn from Japan where they have a system of private and public universities. Now, in Japan, public universities are considered to be the best.W: Right. It’s the exact opposite in th e United States.M: (8)So, as you see, it’s very hard to say which one is better.W: Right, a good point.Section BQuestions 9 to 11 are based on the passage you have just heard.(9)A recent International Labour Organization report says the deterioration of real wages around the world calls into question the true extent of an economic recovery, especially if government rescue packages are phased out too early.(9)The report warns the picture on wages is likely to get worse this year, despite indications of an economic rebound. Patrick Belser, an International Labour Organization specialist, says declining wage rates are linked to the levels of unemployment.“The quite dramatic unemployment figures, which we now see in some of the countries, strongly suggest that (10)there will be greater pressure on wages in the future as more people will be unemployed, more people will be looking for jobs and the pressure on employers to raise wages to attract workers will decline. So, we expect that the second part of the year will not be very good in terms of wage growth.”The report finds more than a quarter of the countries experienced flat or falling monthly wages in real terms. They include, the United States, Austria, Costa Rica, South Africa and Germany.International Labour Organization economists say some nations have come up with polices to lessen the impact of lower wages during the economic crisis. (11)An example of these is work sharing withgovernment subsidies. Under this scheme, the number of individual working hours is reduced in an effort to avoid layoffs. For this scheme to work, the government must provide wage subsidies to compensate for lost pay due to the shorter hours.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the passage you have just heard.Is there really a magic memory pill or a herbal recall remedy? (12)I have been frequently asked if these memory supplements work. You know, one of the first things I like to tell people when they ask me about these supplements is that a lot of them are promoted as a cure for your memory. But your memory doesn’t need a cure. What your memory needs is a good workout. So really those supplements aren’t going to give you that perfect memory in the way that they promise. (13)The other thing is that a lot of these supplements ar en’t necessarily what they claim to be, and you really have to be wary when you take any of them. The science isn’t there behind most of them. They’re not really well-regulated unless they adhere to some industry standard. You don’t really know that what t hey say is in there is in there. (14)What you must understand is that those supplements, especially in some eastern cultures, are part of a medical practice tradition. People don’t just go in a local grocery store and buy these supplements. In fact, they are prescribed and they’re given at a certain level, a dosage that is understood by a practitioner who’s been trained. And that’s not really the way they’re used in this country. Theother thing people do forget is that these are medicines, so they do have an impact. (15)A lot of times people are not really aware of the impact they have, or the fact that taking them in combination with other medications might put you at an increased risk for something that you wouldn’t otherwise be countering or be at risk for.Section CQuestions 16 to 18 are based on the recording you have just heard.The negative impacts of natural disasters can be seen everywhere. In just the past few weeks, the world has witnessed the destructive power of earthquakes in Indonesia, typhoons in the Philippines, and the destructive sea waves that struck Samoa and neighboring islands.A study by the Center for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters finds that, between 1980 and 2007, nearly 8,400 natural disasters killed more than two million people. These catastrophic events caused more than $1.5 trillion in economic losses.(16)U.N. weather expert Geoffrey Love says that is the bad news. “Over the last 50 years, economic losses have increased by a factor of 50. That sounds pretty terrible, but the loss of life has decreased by a factor of 10 simply because we are getting better at warning people. We are making a difference. Extreme events, however, will continue to occur. But, the message is that they need not be disasters.”Love, who is director of Weather and Disaster Risk Reduction at theWorld Meteorological Organization, says most of the deaths and economic losses were caused by weather, climate, or water-related extremes. These include droughts, floods, windstorms, strong tropical winds and wildfires.He says extreme events will continue. (17)But, he says extreme events become disasters only when people fail to prepare for them. “Many of the remedies are well-known. From a planning perspective, it’s pretty simple. Build better buildings. Don’t build where the hazards will destroy them. From an early-warning perspective, make sure the warnings go right down to the community level. Build community action plans.”The World Meteorological Organization points to Cuba and Bangladesh as examples of countries that have successfully reduced the loss of life caused by natural disasters by taking preventive action.(18)It says tropical storms formerly claimed dozens, if not hundreds of lives, each year, in Cuba. But, the development of an early-warning system has reversed that trend. In 2008, Cuba was hit by five successive hurricanes, but only seven people were killed.Bangladesh also has achieved substantial results. Major storm surges in 1970 and 1991 caused the deaths of about 440,000 people. Through careful preparation, the death toll from a super tropical storm in November 2007 was less than 3,500.Questions 19 to 22 are based on the recording you have just heard.As U.S. banks recovered with the help of the American government and the American taxpayer, President Obama held meetings with top bank executives, telling them it’s time to return the favor. (19)“The way I see it—our banks now have a greater obligation to the goal of a wider recovery,” he said. But the President may be giving the financial sector too much credit. “It was in a free fall, and it was a very scary period.” Economist Martin Neil Baily said. After the failure of Lehman Brothers, many of the world’s largest banks feared the worst as the collapse of the housing bubble exposed investments in risky loans.Although he says the worst is over, Baily says the banking crisis is not. More than 130 U.S. banks failed in 2009. (20)He predicts high failure rates for smaller, regional banks in 2010 as Commercial Real Estate loans co me due. “So there may actually be a worsening of credit availability to small- and medium-sized businesses in the next year or so.”Analysts say the biggest problem is high unemployment, which weakens demand and makes banks reluctant to lend. But U.S. Bancorp chief Richard Davis sees the situation differently.“We’re probably more optimistic than the experts might be.(21)With that in mind, we’re putting in everything we can. Lending is the coal to our engine, so we want to make more loans. We have to find a way to qualify more people and not put ourselves at risk.”While some economists predict continued recovery in the future, Bailysays the only certainty is that banks are unlikely to make the same mistakes twice. “You know, forecasting’s become a very h azardous business so I don’t want to commit myself too much. I don’t think we know exactly what’s going to happen but it’s certainly possible that we could get very slow growth over the next year or two.”(22)If the economy starts to shrink again, Baily says it would make a strong case for a second stimulus—something the Obama administration hopes will not be necessary.Questions 23 to 25 are based on the recording you have just heard.A new study has failed to find any conclusive evidence that lifestyle changes can prevent cognitive decline in older adults. Still there are good reasons to make positive changes in how we live and what we eat as we age.(23)Cognitive decline is the loss of ability to learn new skills, or recall words, names, and faces that is most common as we age. To reduce or avoid it, researchers have examined the effect of smoking, diet, brain-challenging games, exercise and other strategies.Researchers at Duke University scrutinized more than 160 published studies and found an absence of strong evidence that any of these approaches can make a big difference.(24)Co-author James Burke helped design the study. “In the observational studies we found that some of the B vitamins were beneficial. Exercise,diet, cognitive stimulation showed some positive effects, although the evidence was not so strong that we could actually consider these firmly established.”Some previous studies have suggested that challenging your brain with mentally stimulating activities might help. And Burke says that actually does seem to help, based on randomized studies—the researcher’s gold standard.“Cognitive stimulation is one of the areas where we did find some benefit. The exact type of stimulation that an individual uses is not as important as being intellectuall y engaged.”The expert review also found insufficient evidence to recommend any drugs or dietary supplements that could prevent or slow cognitive decline. However, given that there is at least some evidence for positive effects from some of these lifestyle changes, plus other benefits apparently unrelated to cognitive decline, Burke was willing to offer some recommendations.(25)“I think that by having people adopt a healthy lifestyle, both from a medical standpoint as well as nutritional and cognitive stimulation standpoint, we can reduce the incidence of cognitive decline, which will be proof that these factors are, in fact, important.”James Burke of Duke University is one of the authors of a study reviewing previous research on cognitive decline. The paper is publishedonline by the Annals of Internal Medicine.。
2016年6月六级听力真题及答案
Conversation One:W: So Mike, youmanaged the innovation project at Two Santack.M: I did indeed.W: Well then, first congratulations. It seemsto have been very successful.M: Thanks, yes. I really help things turnaround at Two Santact.W: What is the revival in their fortune? Didit highly do to a strategic situation?M: Yes, yes I think it was. Santack was a company was much following a pack, doingeveryone else was doing. I getting rapidly left behind. I could see there werea lot of talent there and some great potential. Particularly in their productdevelopment. I just harness that some help.W: Was the innovation the core of the project?M: Absolutely, if it doesn’t sound like too much cliché. Our world isconstantly changing and changing quickly. Mini to be innovating constantly tokeep up with this. Standstill, you stop.W: No stop for sneaking the roses?M: Well, I will do that my personal life sure.But as a business strategy, I’m afraid there is nostopping.W: What exactly is the strategic innovationthen?M: Strategic innovation is the process ofmanaging innovation of making sure to take place all levels of the company andthat is related to the company’s overall strategy.W: I see.M: So, insteadof innovation for innovation sake and new products being simply because of thetechnology is there, the company culture must switch from these pointing timeinnovations to continue high innovation from everywhere and everyone.W: How did you alliance strategy throughoutthe company?M: I soon became aware of the complaintuseless. People take no notice. Simply it came about through the practicetrickling down. This up and set. People could see it was the best work.W: Does innovation on a scale really givecompetitive advantage?M: I am certainof it. Absolutely. Especially it was difficult for a copy. The risk is the corethat the innovation to limitation.W: But now is it strategic?M: precisely.W: Thanks for talking to us.M: Sure.1. Whatseems to have been very successful according to the woman speaker?2. Whatdid the company lack before the company was implemented?3. Whatdid the man say he should do in his business?4. Whatdoes the man say is the risk of the innovation?Longconversation 2M:Todaymy guest is Dana who has worked for thelast twenty years as aninterpreter. Dana, welcome.W:ThankYou.M:Now,I’d like to begin by saying that I haveon the occasions used an interpretermyself as a foreign correspondent.So I’mfull of memo rations for what youdo.6. But Ithink your profession is sometimes underrated and many people thinkanyone whospeaks more than one language can do it.W:Thereare any interpreters I know who don’thave professional qualifications andtraining. You only really get profession aftermany years in the job.M:Andsay you can divide what you do into twodistinct methods simultaneous andconsecutive interpreting.W:That’sright.7.The techniques you use aredifferent.And a lot of interpreters wouldsay one is easier than the other,less stressful.M:Simultaneousinterpreting, putting someone’swords into another language more or less asthey speak, sounds to me like themore difficult.W:Well,actually no.8.Mostpeople in the business would agree that consecutiveinterpreting is the morestressful. You have to wait for the speaker to deliverquite a chunk of languagebefore you then put it into the second language whichputs your short termmemory under in tense stress.M:Youmight know presumably?W:Absolutely.Anythinglike numbers, names,places have to be noted down, but the rest is nevertranslated word for word. You have found theway of summarizing it. So that themessages arethere, turning every single wordinto the target language wouldput too much strain on the interpreter and slowdown the whole process toomuch.M:Butwhile simultaneous interpreting you starttranslating almost as soon as theother person starts speaking, you must havesome preparation beforehand.W:Well,hopefully, the speakers will outline ofthe topic a day or two in advance, youhave a low time to do research preparetechnical expressions and so onQ:5.Whatare the speakers mainly talking about?6.Whatdoesthe man think of Dana’s profession?7.WhatisDana say about the interpreters she knows?8.Whatdo most of interpreters think ofconsecutive interpreting?Section BPassage 1Mothers have been warnedfor yearsthat sleeping with their new born infant isa bad idea because it increases the risk that the baby might die unexpectedlyduring the night.But now Israeli researchers arereporting that even sleeping in the same room canhave negative consequences, not for the child, but for the mother.Mothers who slept in the same room with their infants, whether inthe same bed or just the same room, have poor sleep the mother whose baby sleptelse where in the house. They woke up more frequently or awake approximately 20minutes longer per night and have shorter period of uninterrupted sleep. Theseresults how true even taking into account that many of the women in the studywere breast-feeding their babies. Infants, on the other hand, didn’t appear tohave worse sleep whether they slept in the same or different room from theirmothers. The researchers acknowledge that since the families they studied wereall middle classes Israelis. It is possible that the results will be differentin different cultures. Lead author TTTT wrote in an email that the researchteam also didn’t measure father sleep. So it is possible that patterns couldalso be causing the sleep disruptions for mums. Right now, to reduce the riskof sudden infant death in the room, the AmericanAcademy of PDrecommends the mothers not sleep in the same bed with their babies, but sleepin the same room. The Israeli study suggests thatdoing so, may be best for the baby, but may take at all on mum.9What is the long health viewabout the mother sleeping with new-born babies?10 What do Israeli researchers’ findings show?11What does the American Academy’s PD recommendmothers do?Passage2Passage2The US has already lost more than a third of thenative languages that existed before European colonization and the remaining192 are classed by the UNESCO as ranging between unsafe and extinct."We need more funding and more effortto return these languages to everyday use," says Fred Nowosky of theNational museum of the American Indians, "we are makingprogress, but money needs to be spent on revitalizing languages, not justdocumenting them." Some reported languages mainly in California andOklahoma where thousands of Indians were forced to relocate in the 19th centuryhave fewer than 10 native speakers. Part of the issue is that tribal groupsthemselves don't always believe their languages are endangered until they aredown to the last handful of speakers. "But progress is being made throughemerging schools, because if you teach children when they are young, it willstay with them as adults and that is the future." says Fred Nowosky. Suchschools have become a model in Hawaii, but the islanders' native language arestill classed by the UNESCO as critically endangered because only 1000 peoplespeak it. The decline in the American African languages has historical roots. In the mid 19th century, the US government adopted a policyof Americanizing Indian children by removing them from their homes andcultures. Within a few generations, most have forgotten their native tongues.Another challenge to language survival is television. Ithas brought English into homes, and pushed out traditional storytelling andfamily time together, accelerating the extinction of native languages.Questions 12-15 are based on the passage you just heard.12. What can we learn from the report?13. For what purpose does Fred Nowosky appeal from thefunding?14. What is the historical cause of the decline of theAmerican Indian Languages?15. What does the speaker say about television?Section CLecture oneGragroszen lost her job as a sales managernearly three years ago.and it is still unemployed.it is literally likesomething a dream to remember what it is like to actually be able to go out andit Puts the days to work and receive a day payAt first Rosen made house paymentswith the help unemployment insurance.it pays late of workers to have theirprevious wages law they look for work. But now theinsurance has run out for him and it has to make tough choices. He comes backon medications and he no longer support his disabled mother. It is devastatingexperiences. New researchers says the US recession that is now over. But manypeople remain unemployed and unemployed workers face difficult odds. There isliterally only one job opening for every five unemployed workers. So Four outof five workers have no chance of finding job. Business have down-sized orshutdown across America, leading fewer job opportunities for those in search of work. Experts whomonitor unemployed statistic in box Pennsylvania say about twenty-eightthousand people are unemployed and many of them are jobless do to no force oftheir own.Local directer Elizabeth says theyprovide trading guidance to help find local job opportunity. Sohere is job opening . Here is job seeker. But the lack of work opportunities limit how much she can help. Rosensays he hopes congress will take action.This month, he launched the nineteenunions and organizations of eighteen internet based grass root gross groupsTheir goal is to convince law makers to extendunemployed benefits. But Pennsylvania says government simply do not have enoughmoney to extend unemployment insurance.he thinks thebest way to help long-term unemployed is to allow local company that can createmore jobs . But the boost investigator for the plan to work will taketime Time that Rosen says requires fooda n d p a y m e n t s . R o s e n s a y s w h o u s e s t h e l a s t s t a t i n g t o t r y t o h a n g o n t o h e w o r k e d f o r m o r e t h a n t w e n t y y e a r s t o b u y . B u t o n e s t u d y i s g o n e . H e d o e s n t k n o w w h a t h e l l d o b r b d s f i d = " 1 4 4 " > b r b d s f i d = " 1 4 5 " > 1 6 - 1 8 b r b d s f i d = " 1 4 6 " > 1 6 h o w d o e s t h e u n e m p l o y m e n t i n s u r a n c e h e l p t h e u n e m p l o y e d ? b r b d s f i d = " 1 4 7 " > 1 7 . W h a t i s t h e l o c a l d i r e c t o r E l i z a b e t h o f t h e b o x c o u n t y c a r e e r i n g d o i n g ? b r b d s f i d = " 1 4 8 " > 1 8 . W h a t d o e s P e n n s y l v a n i a s t a t e r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s a y i s t h e b e s t w a y t o h e l p l o n g - t e r m u n e m p l o y e d ? b r b d s f i d = " 1 4 9 " > L e c t u r e 2 : b r bd s f i d = " 1 5 0 " > W : 1 9 . E a r l ie r t h i s y e a r , B r i t i s h e x p l o r e r s P e n H u d d l e a n d h i s t e a m t r i e d t h r ee m o n t h s t o c r o s s t h ef r o z e n A r c t i c o c e a n t a k i ng m e a s u r e m e n t s a n d r e c o r d i n g o b s e r v a t i o n s a b o u t th ei c e . b r b d s f i d = " 1 5 1 " > M : W h i l e w e h a v e b e e n b e l i e v e d t h a t w e w o u l d b e i n a c c o u n t o f a g o o d p r o p o r t i o n o f t h i s o l d e r , t h i c k e r , t e c h n i c a l l y m u l t i - y e a r i c e t h a t h a s b e e n a r o u n d f o r a f e w y e a r s a n dj u s t g e t t h i ck e r a n d t h i c k e r . w e a c t u al l y f i n d t h e r e w a s n t a n ym u l t i - y e a r i c e a t a l l . b r b d s f i d = " 1 5 2 " > W : S o m e o b s e r v a t i on s a n d s u m m e r i n g s e r v i c eo v e r t h ep a s t s e v e r a l y e a r s h a s s h o w n l e s s i c e i n t h e p o l a r r e g i o n . 2 0 . B u t t h e r e c e n t m e a s u r e m e n t s s h o w t h e l o s t i s m o r e p r o n o u n c e d t h a n t h e p r e v i o u s t h o u g h t . b r b d s f i d = " 1 5 3 " > M : W e a r e l o o k i n g a t r o u g h l y 8 0 p e r c e n t l o s s o f i c e c o v e r o n t h e A r c t i c o c e a n i n t e n y e a r s , r o u g h l y t e n y e a r s a n d 1 0 0 p e r c e n t l o s s i n n e a r l y t w e n t y y e a r s . C a m b r i d g e S c i e n t i s t P e t e r W h i t e n s w h o i s m e a s u r i n g t h e f i n d i n g s t h a t i n t h e s u m m e r s e a s o n . 2 1 . B u t r e s e a r c h m a n a g e m e n t s h o w s t h e l o s t o f t h a n p r e v i o u s t h o u g h t . W e a r e r o u g h l y l o o k i n g a t t h e p e r c e n t i c e c o v e r f o r t e n y e a r s . r o u g h l y t e n y e a r s a b o u t 1 0 0 p e r c e n t i n v i s i b l e . T h e m o r e y o u l o s e , t h e m o r e y o u c r e a t e d d u r i n g t h e s u m m i t T h e l e s s f o r m s i n w i n t e r , t h e f o l l o w i n g i n s u m m e r . I t c o m e s d o w n b r a i n s u c c e s s e s u n t i l i t h a s g o n e . e n v i r o n m e n t a l t r e a t y w o r l d w i d e l i k e f u n . T h e a r t i s t s s a y i c e i n t h e s y m p t o m . f a s t t h a n e x p e c t e d . A c t u a l l y , i t h a s t o t r a n s l a t e i n t o m o r e u r g e n c y t o d e a l w i t h c l i m a t e c h a n g i n g p r o b l e m s a n d r e d u c e e m i s s i o n s . G r e e n h o u s e e m i s s i o n s b l a m e f o r g l o b a l w a r m i n g n e e d s t o c o m e o u t t h e b y t h e c h a n g e s u m m i t i n D e c e m b e r . w e h a v e b a s i c a l l y a c h i e v e d t h e r e , t o c o m m u n i c a t e t h e d e a l . t h a t s t h e m i n i m u m . b r b d s f i d = " 1 5 4 " > M : W e h a s t o d o t h a t i n c r e d i b l y . A n d t h a t w e h a v e t o f i n d t h e eq u i p m e n t . W h a t t h e n e e d s ur g e n c y T h e c a r b o n w e p r o d u c e i n t o t h e a t m os p h e r e k e e p st h e w a r m i n g f i r e f o r 1 0 0 0 y e a r s . 2 2 . S o w e h a v e t o c o m e b a c k t h e r a p i d l y n o w . B e c au s e i t t a k e s a l o n g t i m e t o w o r k i t t h r o u g h i n t o o u r r e s p o n s e b y t h e a t m o s p h e r e . W e c a n n o t s w i t c h o f f g l o b a l w a r m i n g . W e h av e t o s t o p b e i n g g o o d i n t h e n e a r f u t u r e . W e h a d t o n ow . T h e r e i s n o t e a s y t e c h n o l o g i c a l W h a t i s m o r e e a s y t o c l i m a t e c h a n g e . H e a n d o t h e r s c i e n t i s t s s a i d t h e r e a r e t h e t w o o p t i o n a l t o r e p l a c e t h e f a s t e n f u e l s . G e n e r a l l y , e n e r g y w i t h t h e g l o b a l w a r m i n g i n n u c l e a r p o w e r . b r b d s f i d = " 1 5 5 " > Q 1 9 : W h a t d i d P e n H u d d l e a n d h i s t e a m d o i n t h e A r c t i c O c e a n ? b r b d s f i d = " 1 5 6 " > Q 2 0 : W h a t d o e s t h e r e p o r t s a y a b o u t t h e A r c t i c r e g i o n ? b r b d s f i d = " 1 5 7 " > Q 2 1 : W h a t d o e s C a m b r i d g e s c i e n t i s t P e t e r W h i t e n s s a y i n h i s s t u d y ? b r b d s f i d = " 1 5 8 " > Q 2 2 : H o w t h e s e P e t e r W h i t e n s v i e w c o m m o n c h a n g e ?b r b d s f i d = " 1 5 9 " > L ec t u r e 3 b r bd s f i d = " 1 6 0 " > F r o m a ve r y e a r l y a g e , s o m e c h i l d r e n e x h i b i t b e t t e r s e lf - c o n t r o l t h a n o t h e r s . N o w , a n e w s t u d y b eg a n w i th 1 , 0 0 0 c hi l d r e n i n N e w Z e a l a n d t r a c k e d h o w l o w s e l f - c o n t r o l c a n p r e d i c t p o o r h e a l t h , m o n e y t r o u b l e s a n d e v e n a c r i m i n a l r e c o r d i n t h e i r a d u l t y e a r s . R e s e a r c h e r s h a s b e e n s t u d y i n g t h e g r o u p o f c h i l d r e n f o r d e c a d e s n o w . S o m e o f t h e e a r l y o b s e r v a t i o n s h a v e t o d o w i t h t h e l e v e l o f s e l f - c o n t r o l t h e y o u n g s t e r s d i s p l a y e d p a r e n t s , t e a c h e r s , e v e n t h e k i d s t h e m s e l v e s , s c o r e d t h e y o u n g s t e r s o n m e a s u r e s l i k e " a c t i n g b e f o r e t h i n k i n g " a n d " p e r s i s t e n c e i n r e a c h i n g g o a l s . " T h e c h i l d r e n o f t h e s t u d y a r e n o w a d u l t s i n t h e i r t h i r t i e s . T e r r i e M o f f i t t o f D u k e U n i v e r s i t y a n d h e r r e s e a r c h c o l l e a g u e f o u n d t h a t k i d s w i t h s e l f - c o n t r o l i s s u e s t e n d e d t o g r o w u p t o b e c o m e a d u l t s w i t h a f a r m o r e t r o u b l i n g s e t o f i s s u e s t o d e a l w i t h . " T h e c h i l d r e n w h o h a d t h e l o w e s t s e l f - c o n t r o l w h e n t h e y w e r e a g e t h r e e t o 1 0 , l a t e r o n h a d t h e m o s t h e a l t h p r o b l e m s i n t h e i r t h i r t i e s , " M o f f i t t s a i d , " a n d t h e y h a d t h e w o r s t f i n a n c i a l s i t u a t i o n . T h e y w e r e m o r e l i k e l y t o h a v e a c r i m i n a l r e c o r d a n d t o b e r a i s i n g a c h i l d a s a s i n g l e p a r e n t o n a v e r y l o w i n c o m e . " " E v e n t h e c h i l d r e n w h o h a d a b o v e - a v e r a g e s e l f - c o n t r o l a s p r e - s c h o o l e r s , c o u l d h a v e b e n e f i t e d f r o m m o r e s e l f - c o n t r o l t r a i n i n g . T h e y c o u l d h a v e i m p r o v e d t h e i r f i n a n c i a l s i t u a t i o n a n d t h e i r p h y s i c a l a n d m e n t a l h e a l t h s i t u a t i o n 3 0 y e a r s l a t e r . " S o , c h i l d r e n w i t h m i n o r s e l f - c o n t r o l p r o b l e m s w e r e l i k e l y a s a d u l t s t o h a v e m i n o r h e a l t h p r o b l e m s , a n d s o o n . M o f f i t t s a i d i t ' s s t i l l u n c l e a r w h y s o m e c h i l d r e n h a v e b e t t e r s e l f - c o n t r o l t h a n o t h e r s , t h o u g h o t h e r r e s e a r c h e r s h a v e f o u n d t h a t i t ' s m o s t l y a l e a r n e d b e h a v i o r , w i t h r e l a t i v e l y l i t t l e g e n e t i c i n f l u e n c e . B u t g o o d s e l f - c o n t r o l c a n r u n i n f a m i l i e s b e c a u s e c h i l d r e n w i t h g o o d s e l f - c o n t r o l a r e m o r e l i k e l y t o g r o w u p t o b e h e a l t h y a n d p r o s p e r o u s p a r e n t s . " W h e r e a s s o m e o f t h e l o w - s e l f - c o n t r o l s t u d y m e m b e r s a r e m o r e l i k e l y t o b e s i n g l e p a r e n t s w i t h a v e r y l o w i n c o m e a n d t h e p a r e n t i s i n p o o r h e a l t h a n d l i k e l y t o b e a h e a v y s u b s t a n c e a b u s e r , " s a i d M o f f i t t . " S o t h a t ' s n o t a g o o d a t mo s p h e r e f o r a c h i l d . S o i t l o o k s a s t h o u g h s e l f - c o n t r o l i s s o m e t h i n g t h a t i n o n e g e n e r a t i o n c a n d i s a d v a n t a g e t h e n e x t g e n e r a t i o n . " B u t t h e g o o d n e w s , a c c o r d i n g t o M o f f i t t , i s t h a t s e l f - c o n t r o l c a n b e t a u g h t b y p a r e n t s , a n d t h r o u g h s c h o o l c u r r i c u l a t h a t h a v e b e e n s h o w n t o b e e f f e c t i v e . B u t t h e g o o d n e w s i s t h e M o f f i t t s a y s t h a t s e l f - c o n t r o l c a n b e t a u g h t b y t h e p a r e n t s a n d t h r o u g h s c h o o l c u r r i c u l a t h a t h a v e p r o v e d t o b e e f f e c t i v e . T e r r y M o f f i t t s p a p e r o n t h e l i n k o n s e l f - c o n t r o l a n d a d u l t s t a t u s i s l a t e r i s p u b l i s h e d p r o c e e d i n g t h e a c a d e m y o f s c i e n c e s . b r b d s f i d = " 1 6 1 " > 2 3 . W h a t i s t h e n e w s t u d y a b o u t ? b r b d s f i d = " 1 6 2 " > 2 4 . W h a t d o e s t h e s t u d y s e e m t o s h o w ? b r b d s f i d = " 1 6 3 " > 2 5 . W h a t d o e s M o f f i t t s a y i s t h e g o o d n e w s t o t h e s t u d y ? / d i v > d i v i d = " f l o a t _ b t n " b d s f i d = " 1 6 4 " > b u t t o n c l a s s = " f l o a t _ b t n l e f t _ b t n " i d = " c o p y _ b u t t o n " d a t a - c l i p b o a r d - a c t i o n = " c o p y " d a t a - c l i p b o a r d - t a r g e t = " # c o n t e n t - t x t " o n c l i c k = "d o _ c o p y ( ) ; " b d s f i d = " 1 6 5 " >e m c l a s s = " i c o n " b d sf i d = " 1 6 6 " >。
最新2016年6月英语六级真题(全三套 详细答案)
2016年6月英语六级真题第一套Part I Writing (30 minutes)Directions：For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on the use of robots. Try to imagine what will happen when more and more robots take the place of human beings in industry as well as people's daily lives. You are requried to write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words.Part II Listening Comprehension (30 minutes)Section ADirections:In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A),B),C)and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 1 to 4 are based on the conversation you have just heard.1. A)Project organizerB)Public relations officer.C)Marketing manager.D)Market research consultant.2.A)Quantitative advertising research.B)Questionnaire design.C)Research methodology.D)Interviewer training.3.A)They are intensive studies of people’s spending habits.B)They examine relations between producers and customers.C)They look for new and effective ways to promote products.D)They study trends or customer satisfaction over a long period.4.A)The lack of promotion opportunity.B)Checking charts and tables.C)Designing questionnaires.D)The persistent intensity.Questions 5 to 8 are based on the conversation you have just heard.5.A)His view on Canadian universities.B)His understanding of higher education.C)His suggestions for improvements in higher education.D)His complaint about bureaucracy in American universities.6.A)It is well designed.B)It is rather inflexible.C)It varies among universities.D)It has undergone great changes.7.A)The United States and Canada can learn from each other.B)Public universities are often superior to private universities.C)Everyone should be given equal access to higher education.D)Private schools work more efficiently than public institutions.8.A) University systems vary from country to country.B)Efficiency is essential to university management.C) It is hard to say which is better, a public university or a private one.D) Many private university in the U.S. Are actually large bureaucracies.Section BDirections: In this section, you will hear two passages. At the endof each passage, you will hear three or four questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 9 to 11 are based on the passage you have just heard.9.A) Government’s role in resolving an economic crisis.B) The worsening real wage situation around the worldC) Indications of economic recovery in the United States.D) The impact of the current economic crisis on people’s life.10.A)They will feel less pressure to raise employees’ wages.B) They will feel free to choose the most suitable employees.C) They will feel inclined to expand their business operations.D) They will feel more confident in competing with their rivals.11.A) Employees and companies cooperate to pull through the economic crisis.B) Government and companies join hands to create hobs for the unemployed.C) Employees work shorter hours to avoid layoffs.D) Team work will be encouraged in companies.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the passage you have just heard.12.A) Whether memory supplements work.B) Whether herbal medicine works wonders.C) Whether exercise enhances one’s memory.D) Whether a magic memory promises success.13.A) They help the elderly more than the young.B) They are beneficial in one way or another.C) They generally do not have side effects.D) They are not based on real science.14.A)They are available at most country fairs.B)They are taken in relatively high dosage.C)They are collected or grown by farmers.D)They are prescribed by trained practitioners.15.A)They have often proved to be as helpful as doing mental exercise.B)Taking them with other medications might entail unnecessary risks.C)Their effect lasts only a short time.D)Many have benefited from them.Section CDirections:In this section, you will hear three recordings of lectures or talks followed by three or four questions. The recordings will be played only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A),B),C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 16 to 18 are based on the recording you have just heard.16.A)How catastrophic natural disasters turn out to be to developing nations.B)How the World Meteorological Organization studies natural disasters.C)How powerless humans appear to be in face of natural disasters.D)How the negative impacts of natural disasters can be reduced.17.A)By training rescue teams for emergencies.B)By taking steps to prepare people for them.C)By changing people’s views of nature.D)By relocating people to safer places.18.A)How preventive action can reduce the loss of life.B)How courageous Cubans are in face of disasters.C)How Cubans suffer from tropical storms.D)How destructive tropical storms can be.Questions 19 to 22 are based on the recording you have just heard.19.A)Pay back their loans to the American government.B)Provide loans to those in severe financial difficulty.C)Contribute more to the goal of a wider recovery.D)Speed up their recovery from the housing bubble.20.A)Some banks may have to merge with others.B)Many smaller regional banks are going to fail.C)It will be hard for banks to provide more loans.D)Many banks will have to lay off some employees.21.A)It will work closely with the government.B)It will endeavor to write off bad loans.C)It will try to lower the interest rate.D)It will try to provide more loans.22.A)It won’t help the American economy to turn around.B)It won’t do any good to the major commercial banks.C)It will win the approval of the Obama administration.D)It will be necessary if the economy starts to shrink again.Questions 23 to 25 are based on the recording you have just heard.23.A)Being unable to learn new things.B)Being rather slow to make changes.C)Losing temper more and more often.D)Losing the ability to get on with others.24.A)Cognitive stimulation.B)Community activity.C)Balanced diet.D)Fresh air.25.A)Ignoring the signs and symptoms of aging.B)Adopting an optimistic attitude towards life.C)Endeavoring to give up unhealthy lifestyles.D)Seeking advice from doctors from time to time.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 2with a single line through the centre.You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.Pursuing a career is an essential part of adolescent development.“The adolescent becomes an adult when he_26_a real job.”To cognitive researchers like Piaget,adulthood meant the beginning of an_27_. Piaget argued that once adolescents enter the world of work,their newly acquired ability to form hypotheses allows them to create representations that are too ideal.The_28_of such ideals,without the tempering of the reality of a job or profession,rapidly leads adolescents to become _29_ of the non-idealistic world and to press for reform in a characteristically adolescent way.Piaget said:“True adaptation to society comes_30_when the adolescent reformer attempts to put his ideas to work.”Of course,youthful idealism is often courageous,and no one likes to give up dreams.Perhaps,taken_31_out of context,Piaget’s statement seems harsh.What he was_32_，however,is the way reality can modify idealistic views.Some people refer to such modification as maturity.Piaget argued that attaining and accepting a vocation is one of the best ways to modify idealized views and to mature.As careers and vocations become less available during times of_33_,adolescents may be especially hard hit.Such difficult economic times may leave many adolescents_34_about their roles in society.For this reason,community interventions and government job programs that offer summer and vacation work are not only economically_35_but also help to stimulate the adolescent’s sense of worth.A)automaticallyB)beneficialC)capturingD)confusedE)emphasizingF)entranceG)excitedH)existenceI)incidentallyJ)intolerantK)occupationL)promisesM)recessionN)slightlyO)undertakesSection 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.Can societies be rich and green?[A]“If our economies are to flourish,if global poverty is to be eliminated and if the well-being of the world’s people enhanced—not just in this generation but in succeeding generations—we must make sure we take care of the natural environment and resources on which our economic activity depends.”That statement comes not,as you might imagine,from a stereotypical tree-hugging,save-the-world greenie(环保主义者),but from Gordon Brown,a politician with a reputation for rigour,thoroughness and above all,caution.[B]A surprising thing for the man who runs one of the world’s most powerful economies to say?Perhaps;though in the run-up to the five-year review of the Millennium(千年的)Goals,he is far from alone.The roots of his speech,given in March at the roundtable meeting of environment and energy ministers from the G20 group of nations,stretch back to 1972,and the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm.[C]“The protection and improvement of the human environment is a major issue which affects the well-being of peoples and economic development throughout the world,”read the final declaration from this gathering,the first of a sequence which would lead to the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit in 1992 and the World Development Summit in Johannesburg three years ago.[D]Hunt through the reports prepared by UN agencies and development groups—many for conferences such as this year’s Millennium Goals review —and you will find that the linkage between environmental protectionand economic progress is a common thread.[E]Managing ecosystems sustainably is more profitable than exploiting them,according to the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment.But finding hard evidence to support the thesis is not so easy.Thoughts turn first to some sort of global statistic,some indicator which would rate the wealth of nations in both economic and environmental terms and show a relationship between the two.[F]If such an indicator exists,it is well hidden.And on reflection,this is not surprising;the single word“environment”has so many dimensions,and there are so many other factors affecting wealth —such as the oil deposits—that teasing out a simple economy-environment relationship would be almost impossible.[G]The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment,a vast four-year global study which reported its initial conclusions earlier this year,found reasons to believe that managing ecosystems sustainably—working with nature rather than against it—might be less profitable in the short term,but certainly brings long-term rewards.[H]And the World Resources Institute(WRI)in its World Resources 2005 report,issued at the end of August,produced several such examples from Africa and Asia;it also demonstrated that environmental degradation affects the poor more than the rich,as poorer people derive a much higher proportion of their income directly from the natural resources around them.[I]But there are also many examples of growing wealth by trashing the environment,in rich and poor parts of the world alike,whether through unregulated mineral extraction,drastic water use foragriculture,slash-and-burn farming,or fossil-fuel-guzzling(大量消耗)transport.Of course,such growth may not persist in the long term—which is what Mr.Brown and the Stockholm declaration were both attemptingto point out.Perhaps the best example of boom growth and bust decline is the Grand Banks fishery.For almost five centuries a very large supply of cod(鳕鱼)provided abundant raw material for an industry which at its peak employed about 40,000 people,sustaining entire communities in Newfoundland.Then,abruptly,the cod population collapsed.There were no longer enough fish in the sea for the stock to maintain itself,let alone an industry.More than a decade later,there was no sign of the ecosystem re-building itself.It had,apparently,been fished out of existence;and the once mighty Newfoundland fleet now gropes about frantically for crab on the sea floor.[J]There is a view that modern humans are inevitably sowing the seed of a global Grand Banks-style disaster.The idea is that we are taking more out of what you might call the planet’s environmental bank balance than it can sustain;we are living beyond our ecological means.One recent study attempted to calculate the extent of this“ecological overshoot of the human economy”,and found that we are using 1.2 Earth’s-worth of environmental goods and services—the implication being that at some point the debt will be called in,and all those services—the things which the planet does for us for free—will grind to a halt.[K]Whether this is right,and if so where and when the ecological axe will fall,is hard to determine with any precision—which is why governments and financial institutions are only beginning to bring such risks into their economic calculations.It is also the reason why development agencies are not united in their view of environmental issues;while some,like the WRI,maintain that environmental progress needs to go hand-in-hand with economic development,others argue that the priority is to build a thriving economy,and then use the wealth created to tackle environmental degradation.[L]This view assumes that rich societies will invest in environmentalcare.But is this right?Do things get better or worse as we get richer? Here the Stockholm declaration is ambiguous.“In the developing countries,”it says,“most of the environmental problems are caused by under-development.”So it is saying that economic development should make for a cleaner world?Not necessarily;“In the industralised countries,environmental problems are generally related to industrialisation and technological development,”it continues.In other words,poor and rich both over-exploit the natural world,but for different reasons.It’s simply not true that economic growth will surely make our world cleaner.[M]Clearly,richer societies are able to provide environmental improvements which lie well beyond the reach of poorercommunities.Citizens of wealthy nations demand national parks,clean rivers,clean air and poison-free food.They also,however,use far more natural resources-fuel,water(all those baths and golf courses)and building materials.[N]A case can be made that rich nations export environmental problems,the most graphic example being climate change.As a country’s wealth grows,so do its greenhouse gas emissions.The figures available will not be completely accurate.Measuring emissions is not a precise science, particularly when it comes to issues surrounding land use;not all nations have re-leased up-to-date data,and in any case,emissions from some sectors such as aviation are not included in national statistics.But the data is exact enough for a clear trend to be easily discernible.As countries become richer,they produce more greenhouse gases;and the impact of those gases will fall primarily in poor parts of the world.[O]Wealth is not,of course,the only factor involved.The average Norwegian is better off than the average US citizen,but contributes about half as much to climate change.But could Norway keep its standard ofliving and yet cut its emissions to Moroccan or even Ethiopian levels?That question,repeated across a dozen environmental issues and across our diverse planet,is what will ultimately determine whether the human race is living beyond its ecological means as it pursues economic revival.36.Examples show that both rich and poor countries exploited the environment for economic progress.37.Environmental protection and improvement benefit people all over the world.38.It is not necessarily true that economic growth will make our world cleaner.39.The common theme of the UN reports is the relation between environmental protection and economic growth.40.Development agencies disagree regarding how to tackle environment issues while ensuring economic progress.41.It is difficult to find solid evidence to prove environmental friendliness generates more profits than exploiting the natural environment.42.Sustainable management of ecosystems will prove rewarding in the long run.43.A politician noted for being cautious asserts that sustainable human development depends on the natural environment.44.Poor countries will have to bear the cost for rich nations’economic development.45.One recent study warns us of the danger of the exhaustion of natural resources on Earth.Section CDirections:There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage isfollowed 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 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.Interactive television advertising, which allows viewers to use their remote controls to click on advertisements, has been pushed for years. Nearly a decade ago it was predicted that viewers of “Friends”, a popular situation comedy, would soon be able to purchase a sweater like Jennifer Aniston’s with a few taps on their remote control.“It’s been the year of interactive television advertising for the last ten or twelve years,”says Colin Dixon of a digital-media consultancy.So the news that Cablevision, and American cable company, was rolling out interactive advertisements to all its customers on October 6th was greeted with some skepticism. During commercials, an overlay will appear at the bottom of the screen, prompting viewers to press a button to request a free sample or order a catalogue. Cablevision hopes to allow customers to buy things with their remote controls early next year.Television advertising could do with a boost. Spending fell by 10% in the first half of the year. The popularization of digital video recorders has caused advertisers to worry that their commercials will be skipped. Some are turning to the Internet, which is cheaper and offers concrete measurements like click-through rates—especially important at a time when marketing budgets are tight. With the launch of interactive advertising,“many of the dollars that went to the Internet will come back to the TV,”says David Kline of Cablevision. Or so the industry hopes.In theory, interactive advertising can engage viewers in a way that30-second spots do not. Unilever recently ran an interactive campaign for its Axe deodorant(除臭剂)，which kept viewers engaged for more than three minutes on average.The amount spent on interactive advertising on television is still small. Magna, an advertising agency, reckons it will be worth about $138 million this year. That falls far short of the billions of dollars people once expected it to generate. But DirecTV, Comcast and Time Warner Cable have all invested in it. A new effort led by Canoe Ventures, a coalition of leading cable providers, aims to make interactive advertising available across America later this year. BrightLine iTV, Which designs and sells interactive ads, says interest has surged: it expects its revenues almost to triple this year. BSkyB, Britain’s biggest satellite-television service, already provides 9 million customers with interactive ads.Yet there are doubts whether people watching television, a“lean back”medium, crave interaction. Click-through rates have been high sofar(around 3-4%, compared with less than 0.3% online), but that may be a result of the novelty. Interactive ads and viewers might not go well together.46.What does Colin Dixon mean by saying“It’s been the year of interactive television advertising for the last ten or twelve years”(Lines 4-5, Para.1)?A)Interactive television advertising will become popular in 10-12 years.B)Interactive television advertising has been under debate for the last decade or so.C)Interactive television advertising is successful when incorporated into situation comedies.D)Interactive television advertising has not achieved the anticipated results.47.What is the public’s response to Cablevision’s planned interactive TV advertising program?A)Pretty positive.B)Totally indifferent.C)Somewhat doubtful.D)Rather critical.48.What is the impact of the wide use of digital video recorders on TV advertising?A)It has made TV advertising easily accessible to viewers.B)It helps advertisers to measure the click-through rates.C)It has placed TV advertising at a great disadvantage.D)It enables viewers to check the sales items with ease.49.What do we learn about Unilever’s interactive campaign?A)It proves the advantage of TV advertising.B)It has done well in engaging the viewers.C)It helps attract investments in the company.D)it has boosted the TV advertising industry.50.How does the author view the hitherto high click-through rates?A)They may be due to the novel way of advertising.B)They signify the popularity of interactive advertising.C)They point to the growing curiosity ofTV viewers.D)They indicate the future direction of media reform.Passage TwoQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.What can be done about mass unemployment? All the wise heads agree: there’re no quick or easy answers. There’s work to be done, but workersaren’t ready to do it—they’re in the wrong places, or they have the wrong skills, Our problems are“structural,”and will take many years to solve.But don’t bother asking for evidence that justifies this bleak view. There isn’t any. On the contrary, all the facts suggest that high unemployment in America is the result of inadequate demand. saying that there’re no easy answers sounds wise. But it’s actually foolish: our unemployment crisis could be cured very quickly if we had the intellectual clarity and political will to act. In other words, structural unemployment is a fake problem, which mainly serves as an excuse for not pursing real solutions.The fact is job openings have plunged in every major sector, while the number of workers forced into part-time employment in almost all industries has soared. Unemployment has surged in every major occupational category. Only three states. With a combined population not much larger than that of Brooklyn, have unemployment rates below 5%. So the evidence contradicts the claim that we’re mainly suffering from structural unemployment. Why, then, has this claim become so popular?Part of the answer is that this is what always happens during periods of high unemployment—in part because experts and analysts believe that declaring the problem deeply rooted, with no easy answers, makes them sound serious.I’ve been looking at what self-proclaimed experts were saying about unemployment during the Great Depression; it was almost identical to what Very Serious People are saying now. Unemployment cannot be brought down rapidly, declared one 1935 analysis, because the workforce is “unadaptable and untrained. It cannot respond to the opportunities which industry may offer.”A few years later, a large defense buildup finally provided a fiscal stimulus adequate to the economy’s needs—and suddenlyindustry was eager to employ those“unadaptable and untrained”workers.But now, as then, powerful forces are ideologically opposed to the whole idea of government action on a sufficient scale to jump-start the economy. And that, fundamentally, is why claims that we face huge structural problems have been multiplying: they offer a reason to do nothing about the mass unemployment that is crippling out economy and our society.So what you need to know is that there’s no evidence whatsoever to back these claims. We aren’t suffering from a shortage of needed skills, We’re suffering from a lack of policy resolve. As I said, structural unemployment isn’t a real problem, it’s an excuse—a reason not to act on America’s problems at a time when action is desperately needed.51.What does the author think is the root cause of mass unemployment in America?A)Corporate mismanagement.B)Insufficient demand.C)Technological advances.D)Workers’ slow adaptation.52.What does the author think of the experts’ claim concerning unemployment?A)Self-evident.B)Thought-provoking.C)Irrational.D)Groundless.53.What does the author say helped bring down unemployment during the Great Depression?A)The booming defense industry.B)The wise heads’ benefit package.C)Nationwide training of workers.D)Thorough restructuring of industries.54.What has caused claims of huge structural problems to multiply?A)Powerful opposition to government’s stimulus efforts.B)Very Serious People’s attempt to cripple the economy.C)Evidence gathered from many sectors of the industries.D)Economists’ failure to detect the problems in time.55.What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage?A)To testify to the experts’ analysis of America’s problems.B)To offer a feasible solution to the structural unemployment.C)To show the urgent need for the government to take action.D)To alert American workers to the urgency for adaptation.Part IV Translation (30minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.中国的创新正以前所未有的速度蓬勃发展。
2016年6月大学英语六级考试听力原文+答案(20200629071853)
2016 年6月大学英语六级考试听力原文+答案Section ALong Conversations （长对话）Conversation OneM: So how long have you bee n a Market Research Con sulta nt?W: Well, I started straight after finishing university.M: Did you study market research?W: Yeah, and it really helped me to get into the industry, but I have to say that it's more important to get experienee in different types of market research to find out exactly what you're in terested in.M: So what are you in terested in?W: Well, at the moment, I specialize in quantitative advertising research, which means that I do two types of projects. Trackers, which are ongoing projects that look at trends or customer satisfaction over a long period of time. The only problem with trackers is that it takes up a lot of your time. But you do build up a good relati on ship with the clie nt. I also do a couple of ad-hoc jobs which are much shorter projects. M: What exactly do you mean by ad-hoc jobs?W: It's basically whe n compa nies n eed quick an swers to their questi ons about their con sumers' habits. They just ask for one questi onn aire to be sent out for example, so the time you spe nd on an ad-hoc project tends to be fairly short.M: Which do you prefer, trackers or ad-hoc?W: I like doing both and in fact I need to do both at the same time to keep me from going crazy. I n eed the variety.M: Can you just expla in what process you go through with a new clie nt?W: Well, together we decide on the methodology and the objectives of the research. I then desig n a questi onn aire. Once the in terviewers have bee n briefed, I send the clie nt a schedule and then they get back to me with deadlines. Once the final charts and tables are ready, I have to check them and orga nize a prese ntatio n.M: Hmm, one last questio n, what do you like and dislike about your job?W: As I said, variety is important and as for what I don't like, it has to be the checking of charts and tables.Questions 1 to 4 are based on the conversation you have just heard.Q1: What positi on does the woma n hold in the compa ny?Q2: What does the woman specialize in at the moment?Q3: What does the woma n say about trackers?Q4: What does the woma n dislike about her job?Conversation TwoW: Hello, I'm here with Frederick. Now Fred, you went to university in Canada?M: Yeah, that's right.W: OK, and you have very strong views about uni versities in Can ada. Could you please expla in?M: Well, we don't have private universities in Canada. They' reall public. All the universities are owned by the government, so there is the Ministry of Education in charge of creating the curriculum for the universities and so there is not much room for flexibility. Since it's a government operated institution, things don't move very fast. If you want something to be done, then their staff do not have so much incentive to help you because he's a worker for the gover nment. So I don't think it's very efficie nt. However, there are certain advantagesof public universities, such as the fees being free. You don't have to pay for your education. But the system isn't efficient, and it does not work that well.W: Yeah, I can see your point, but in the United States we have many private uni versities, and I think they are large bureaucracies also. Maybe people don't act that much differently, because it' s the same thing working for a private university. Theyget paid for their job. I don ' t know if they're that much more motivated to help people. Also, we have a problem in the United States that usually only wealthy kids go to the best schools and it's kind of a problem actually.M: I agree with you. I thi nk it's a problem because you're not giving equal access to education to everybody. It ' s not easy, but having only public universities also might not be the best solution. Perhaps we can leann from Japan where they have a system of private and public universities. Now, in Japan, public universities are considered to be the best.W: Right. It's the exact opposite in the Un ited States.M: So, as you see, it's very hard to say which one is better.W: Right, a good point.Questi ons 5 to 8 are based on the conv ersati on you have just heard.Q5: What does the woma n want Frederick to talk about?Q6: What does the man say about the curriculum in Canadian universities?Q7: On what point do the speakers agree?Q8: What point does the man make at the end of the con versati on?Section BPassagesPassage OnePassage 1A rece nt Intern ati onal Labour Orga ni zati on report says the deteriorati on of real wages around the world calls in to questi on the true exte nt of an econo mic recovery, especially if gover nment rescue packages are phased out too early.The report warns the picture on wages is likely to get worse this year, despite indications of an economic rebound. Patrick Belser, an International Labour Organization specialist, says declining wage rates are linked to the levels of un employme nt.“ Thequite dramatic unemployment figures, which we now see in some of the countries,strongly suggest that there will be greater pressure on wages in the future as more people will be unemployed, more people will be looking for jobs and the pressure on employers to raise wages to attract workers will decli ne. So, we expect that the sec ond part of the year will not be very good in terms of wage growth.The report finds more than a quarter of the countries experieneed flat or falling monthly wages in real terms. They include, the United States, Austria, Costa Rica, South Africa and Germa ny. Intern ati onal Labour Orga ni zatio n econo mists say some n ati ons have come up with polices to lessen the impact of lower wages during the economic crisis. An example of these is work shari ng with gover nment subsidies. Un der this scheme, the nu mber of in dividual worki ng hours is reduced in an effort to avoid layoffs. For this scheme to work, the gover nment must provide wage subsidies to compe nsate for lost pay due to the shorter hours.Questi ons 9 to 11 are based on the passage you have just heard.Q9. What is the International Labor Organization report mainly about?Q10. According to an International Labor Organization specialist, how will employers feel if there are more people look ing for jobs?Q11.What does the speak mea n by "the work shari ng scheme"?Passage TwoIs there really a magic memory pill or a herbal recall remedy? I have been frequently asked if these memory supplements work. You know, one of the first things I like to tell people when they ask me about the supplements, is that a lot of them are promoted as a cure for your memory. But your memory doesn' rteed a cure. What your memory needs is a good work-out. So really those supplements aren ' t going to give you that perfect memory in the way that they promise. The other thing is that a lot of these supplements aren ' t necessarily what they claim to be, and you really haveto be wary whe n you take any of them. The scie nee isn't there behi nd most of them. They're not really well-regulated uni ess they adhere to some in dustry sta ndard. You don't really know that what they say is in there, is n't there. What you must un dersta nd is that those supplements, especially in some eastern cultures, are part of a medical practice tradition. People don't just go in a local grocery store and buy these supplements. In fact, they are prescribed and they're given at a certain level, a dosage that is un derstood by a practiti oner who's bee n train ed. And that's not really the way they're used in this country. The other thing people do forget is that these are medicines, so they do have an impact. A lot of times people are not really aware of the impact they have, or the fact that tak ing them in comb in atio n with other medicati ons might put you at in creased risk for somethi ng that you would n ' otherwise being coun teri ng or be at risk for.Q12. What question is frequently put to the speaker?Q13. What does the speaker say about most memory supplements?Q14. What do we learn about memory supplements in eastern cultures?Q15. What does the speaker say about memory supplements at the end?【Lectures】（讲座一）Lecture 1The negative impacts of natural disasters can be seen everywhere. In just the past few weeks, the world has witnessed the destructive powers of earthquakes in Indonesia, typhoons in the Philippines, and the destructive sea waves that struck Samoa and neighboring islands.A study by the Center for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters finds that, between 1980 and 2007, nearly 8,400 natural disasters killed more than two-million people. These catastrophic events caused more than $1.5 trillion in economic losses. U.N. weather expert Geoffrey Love says that is the bad news. "Over the last 50 years, economic losses have increased by a factor of 50. That sounds pretty terrible, but the loss of life has decreasedby a factor of 10 simply because we are getting better at warning people. We are making a difference. Extreme events, however, will continue to occur. But, the message is that they may not be disasters."Love, who is director of Weather and Disaster Risk Reduction at the World Meteorological Organization, says most of the deaths and economic losses were caused by weather, climate, or water-related extremes. These include droughts, floods, windstorms, strong tropical winds and wildfires.He says extreme events will continue. But, he says extreme events become disasters only when people fail to prepare for them."Many of the remedies are well-known. From a planning perspective, it is pretty simple. Build better buildings. Don ' t build where the hazards will destromy them. Fro an early-warning perspective, make sure the warnings go right down to the community level. Build community action plans. ”The World Meteorological Organization points to Cuba and Bangladesh as examples of countries that have successfully reduced the loss of life caused by natural disasters by taking preventive action.It says tropical cyclones formerly claimed dozens, if not hundreds of lives, each year, in Cuba. But, the development of an early-warning system has reversed that trend. In 2008, Cuba was hit by five successive hurricanes, but only seven people were killed. Bangladesh also has achieved substantial results. Major storm surges in 1970 and 1991 caused the deaths of about 440,000 people. Through careful preparation, the death toll from a super tropical storm in November 2007 was less than 3,500. Q16. What is the talk mainly about?Q17. How can we stop extreme events from turning into events?Q18. What does the example of Cuba serve to show?Lecture 2As U.S. banks recovered with the help of American government and the American taxpayers, president Obama held meetings with top bank executives, telling them it time to return the favor.“The way I see it are banks nogwrehaatevrinogblaigation tothe goal of a wide recovery, ” he said. But the president may be giving the financial sector too much credit. “ Itwas in a free fall, and it was a very scary period. ” Economist Martin Neil Baily said. After the failure of Lehman Brothers, many of the world 's largest banks feared the worst as the collapse of the housing bubble exposed in investments in risky loans.Although he says the worst is just over, Bailey says the banking crisis is not. More than 130 US banks failed in 2009. He predicts high failure rates for smaller, regional banks in 2010 ascommercial real estate loans come due."So there may actually be a worsening of credit availability to small and medium sized businesses in the next year or so."Analysts say the biggest problem is high unemployment, which weakens demand and makes banks reluctant to lend. But US Bankcorp chief Richard Davis sees the situation differently."We're probably more optimistic than the experts might be.With that in mind, we're putting everything we can, lending is the coal to our engine, so we want to make more loans. We have to find a way to qualify more people and not put ourselves at risk." While some economists predict continued recovery in the future, Baily says the only certainty is that banks are unlikely to make the same mistakes - twice. "You know, forecasting's become a very hazardous business so I don't want to commit myself too much. I don't think we know exactly what's going to happen but it's certainly possible that we could get very slow growth over the next year or two. ”If the economy starts to shrink again, Baily says it would make a strong case for a second stimulus -- something the Obama administration hopes will not be necessary. Q19. What dose president Obama hope the banks will do?Q20. What is Martin Neil Baily 's prediction about the financial situation in the future?Q21. What does U.S. Bankcorp chief Richard Davis say about its future operation?Q22. What does Martin Neil Baily think of a second stimulus to the economy?Lecture 3A new study has failed to find any conclusive evidence that lifestyle changes can prevent cognitive decline in older adults.Still there are still good reasons to make positive changes in how we live and what we eat as we age.Cognitive decline is the loss of ability to learn new skills, or recall words, names, and faces that is most common as we age. To reduce or avoid it, researchershave examined the effect of smoking, diet, brain-challenging games, exercise and other strategies.Researchersat Duke University scrutinized more than 160 published studies and found an absenceof strong evidence that any of these approachescan make a big difference.Co-author James Burke helped design the study. "In the observational studies we found that some of the B vitamins were beneficial." said. "Exercise, diet, cognitive stimulation showed some positive effects, although the evidence was not so strong that we could actually consider these firmly established."Some previous studies have suggested that challenging your brain with mentally stimulating activities might help. And Burke said that actually does seem to help, based on randomized studies - the researcher's gold standard."Cognitive stimulation is one of the areas where we did find some benefit. The exact type of stimulation that an individual uses is not as important as being intellectually engaged,".The expert review also found insufficient evidence to recommend any drugs or dietary supplements that could prevent or slow cognitive decline.However, given that there is at least some evidence for positive effects from some of these lifestyle changes, plus other benefits apparently unrelated to cognitive decline, Burke offeredsome recommendations."I think that by having people adopt a healthy lifestyle, both from a medical standpoint as well as nutritional and cognitive stimulation standpoint, that we can reduce the incidence of cognitive decline, which will be proof that these factors are, in fact, important."James Burke of Duke University is one of the authors of a study reviewing previous research on cognitive decline. The paper is published online by the Annals of Internal Medicine.Q23. According to the speaker, what might be a symptom of cognitive decline in older adult?Q24. According to James Burke, what does seem to help reduce cognitive decline? Q25. What did James Burke recommend to reduce the incidence of cognitive decline?KeysSection A1-81. D ) Market research consultant2. A ) Quantitative advertising research3. D ) They study trends or customer satisfaction over a longperiod.4. B ) Checking charts and tables.5. A ) His view on Canadian universities.6. B ) It is rather inflexible.7. C )Everybody should be given equal access to highereducation.8. C )It is hard to say which is better, a public university ora private university.9-119.B) The worsening real wage situation around the world.10.A )They will feel less pressure to raise employees 'wages.11.11.C)Employees work shorter hours to avoid layoffs.Section B12-1512. A )Whether memory supplements work.13. D )They are not on based on real science.14. D )They are prescribed by trained practitioners.15.B )Taking them with other medications might entail unnecessary risks. Section C16-1816 D )How the negative impacts of natural disasters can bereduced.17 B )By taking steps to prepare people for them.18 A )How preventive action can reduce the loss of life.19-2219 C )Contribute more to the goal of a wider recovery20 B )Many smaller regional banks are going to fail21 D )It will try to provide more loans22 D )It will be necessary if the economy starts to shrinkagain23-2523 A ) Being unable to learn new things.24 A ) Cognitive stimulation.25 C ) Endeavoring to give up unhealthy lifestyles.。
第一套英语六级考试听力原文
16年6月第一套真题听力Section AConversation OneM: So how long have you been a Market Research Consultant?W: Well, I started straight after finishing university.M: Did you study market research?W: Yeah, and it really helped me to get into the industry, but I have to say that it’s more important to get experience in different types of market research to find out exactly what you’re interested in.M: So what are you interested in?W: Well, at the moment, I specialize in quantitative advertising research, which means that I do two types of projects. Trackers, which are ongoing projects that look at trends or customer satisfaction over a long period of time. The only problem with trackers is that it takes up a lot of your time. But you do build up a good relationship with the client. I also do a couple of ad-hoc jobs which are much shorter projects.M: What exactly do you mean by ad-hoc jobs?W: It’s basically when companies need quick answers to their questions about their consumers’ habits. They just ask for one questionnaire to be sent out for example, so the time you spend on an ad-hoc project tends to be fairly short.M: Which do you prefer, trackers or ad-hoc?W: I like doing both and in fact I need to do both at the same time to keep me from going crazy. I need the variety.M: Can you just explain what process you go through with a new client? W: Well, together we decide on the methodology and the objectives of the research. I then design a questionnaire. Once the interviewers have been briefed, I send the client a schedule and then they get back to me with deadlines. Once the final charts and tables are ready, I have to check them and organize a presentation.M: Hmm, one last question, what do you like and dislike about your job?W: As I said, variety is important and as for what I don’t like, it has to be the checking of charts and tables.Questions 1 to 4 are based on the conversation you have just heard. Question 1: What position does the woman hold in the company? Question 2: What does the woman specialize in at the moment? Question 3: What does the woman say about trackers?Question 4: What does the woman dislike about her job? Conversation TwoW: Hello, I’m here with Frederick. Now Fred, you went to university in Canada?M: Yeah, that’s right.W: OK, and you have very strong views about universities in Canada.Could you please explain?M: Well, we don’t have private universities in Canada. They’re all public. All the universities are owned by the government, so there is the Ministry of Education in charge of creating the curriculum for the universities and so there is not much room for flexibility. Since it’s a government operated institution, things don’t move very fast. If you want something to be done,then their staff do not have so much incentive to help you because he’s a worker for the government. So, I don’t think it’s very efficient. However, there are certain advantages of public universities, such as the fees being free. You don’t have to pay for your education. But the system isn’t efficient, and it does not work that well.W: Yeah, I can see your point, but in the United States we have many private universities, and I think they are large bureaucracies also. Maybe people don’t act that much differently, because it’s the same thing working for a private university. They get paid for their job. I don’t know if they’re that much more motivated to help people. Also, we have a problem in the United States that usually only wealthy kids go to the best schools and it’s kind of a problem actually.M: I agree with you. I think it’s a problem because you’re not giving equal access to education to everybody. It’s not easy, but having only public universities also might not be the best solution. Perhaps we can learn from Japan where they have a system of private and public universities. Now, in Japan, public universities are considered to be the best.W: Right. It’s the exact opposite in the United States.M: So, as you see, it’s very hard to say which one is better. W: Right, a good point.Questions 5 to 8 are based on the conversation you have just heard. Question 5: What does the woman want Frederick to talk about? Question 6: What does the man say about the curriculum in Canadian universities?Question 7: On what point do the speakers agree?Question 8: What point does the man make at the end of the conversation?Section BPassage OneA recent International Labor Organization report says the deterioration of real wages around the world calls into question the true extent of an economic recovery, especially if government rescue packages are phased out too early. The report warns the picture on wages is likely to get worse this year despite indicationsof an economic rebound. Patrick Belser, an international labor organization specialist, says declining wage rates are linked to the levels of unemployment. The quite dramatic unemployment figures, which we now see in some of the countries, strongly suggest that there will be a great pressure on wages in the future as more people will be unemployed, more people will be looking for jobs and the pressure on employers to raise wages to attract workers will decline. So, we expect that the second part of the year would not be very good in terms of wage growth. The report finds more than a quarter of the countries experienced flat or falling monthly wages in real terms. They include the United States, Austria, Costa Rica, South Africa and Germany. International Labor Organization economists say some nations have come up with policies to lessen the impact of lower wages during the economic crisis. An example of these is work sharing with government subsidies.?Under this scheme, the number of individual working hours is reduced in an effort to avoid layoffs. For this scheme to work, the government must provide wage subsidies to compensate for lost pay due to the shorter hours.Questions?9?to?11?are?based?on?the?passage?you?have?just?heard.?Question?9:?What?is?the?International?Labor?Organization’s?rep ort?mainly?about?Question?10: According to an International Labor Organization’s specialist, how will employers feel if there are morepeople looking for jobs?Question?11:?What?does?the?speaker?mean?by?the?work?sharing?sch eme?Passage?Two?Is there really a magic memory pill or a herbal recall remedy?I have been frequently asked if these memory supplements work. You know, one of the first things I like to tell people when they ask me about the supplements, is that a lot of them are promoted as a cure for your memory. But your memory doesn’t need a cure. What your memory needs is a good workout. So really those supplements aren’t going to give you that perfect memory in the way that they promise. The other thing is that a lot of these supplements aren’t necessarily what they claim to be, and you really have to be wary when you take any of them. The science isn’t there behind most of them. They’re not really well-regulated unless they adhere to someindustry standard. You don’t really know that what they say is in there, isn’t there. What you must understand is that those supplements, especially in some eastern cultures, are part of a medical practice tradition. People don’t just go in a local grocery store and buy these supplements. In fact, they are prescribed and they’re given at a certain level, a dosage that is understood by a practitioner who’s been trained. And that’s not really the way they’re used in this country. The other thing people do forget is that these are medicines, so they do have an impact. A lot of times people are not really aware of the impact they have, or the fact that taking them in combination with other medications might put you at increased risk for something that you wouldn’t otherwise being countering or be at risk for.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the passage you have just heard. Question12. What question is frequently put to the speaker? Question13. What does the speaker say about most memory supplements?Question14. What do we learn about memory supplements in eastern cultures?Question15. What does the speaker say about memory supplements at the end?Section?CRecording 1The negative impacts of natural disasters can be seen everywhere. In just the past few weeks, the world has witnessed the destructive powers of earthquakes in Indonesia, typhoons in the Philippines, and the destructive sea waves that struck Samoa and neighboring islands. A study by the Center for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters finds that, between 1980 and 2007, nearly 8,400 natural disasters killed more than two million people. These catastrophic events caused more than $ trillion in economic losses. . weather expert Geoffrey Love says that is the bad news. “Over the last 50 years, economic losses have increased by a factor of 50. That sounds pretty terrible, but the loss of life has decreased by a factor of 10 simply because we are getting better at warning people. We are making a difference. Extreme events, however, will continue to occur. But, the message is that they need not be disasters.” Love, who is director of Weather and Disaster Risk Reduction at the World Meteorological Organization, says most of the deaths and economiclosses were caused by weather, climate, or water-related extremes. These include droughts, floods, windstorms, strong tropical winds and wildfires. He says extreme events will continue. But, he says extreme events become disasters only when people fail to prepare for them. “Many of the remedies are well-known. From a planning perspective, it is pretty simple. Build better buildings. Don’t build where the hazards will destroy them. From an early-warning perspective, make sure the warnings go right down to the community level. Build community action plans. “The World Meteorological Organization points to Cuba and Bangladesh as examples of countries that have successfully reduced the loss of life caused by natural disasters by taking preventive action. It says tropical storms formerly claimed dozens, if not hundreds of lives, each year, in Cuba. But, the development of an early-warning system has reversed that trend. In 2008, Cuba was hit by five successive hurricanes, but only seven people were killed. Bangladesh also has achieved substantial results. Major storm surges in 1970 and 1991 caused the deaths of about 440,000 people. Through careful preparation, the death toll from a super tropical storm in November 2007 was less than 3,500.Question 16 to 18 are based on the recording you have just heard.Question 16. What is the talk mainly about?Question 17. How can we stop extreme events from turning into disasters?Question 18. What does the example of Cuba serve to show? Recording 2As . banks recovered with the help of American government and the American taxpayers, President Obama held meetings with top bank executives, telling them it’s time to return the favor. “The wayI see it are banks now having a greater obligation to the goal ofa wider recovery,” he said. But the president may be giving the financial sector too much credit. “It was in a free fall, and it was a very scary period.” Economist Martin Neil Baily said. After the failure of Lehman Brothers, many of the world’s largest banks feared the worst as the collapse of the housing bubble exposed in investments in risky loans. Although he says the worst is just over, Bailey says the banking crisis is not. More than 130 US banks failed in 2009. He predicts high failure rates for smaller, regional banks in 2010 as commercial real estate loans come due. “So, there may actually be a worsening of credit availability to small and mediumsized businesses in the next year or so.”Analysts say the biggest problem is high unemployment, which weakens demand and makes banks reluctant to lend. But US Bankcorp chief Richard Davis sees the situation differently. “We’re probably more optimistic than the experts might be. With that in mind, we’re putting in everything we can, lending is the coal to our engine, so we want to make more loans. We have to find a way to qualify more people and not put ourselves at risk.”While some economists predict continued recovery in the future, Baily says the only certainty is that banks are unlikely to make the same mistakes —twice. “You know, forecasting’s become a very hazardous business so I don’t want to commit myself too much. I don’t think we know exactly what’s going to happen but it’s certainly possible that we could get very slow growth over the next year or two.” If the economy starts to shrink again, Baily says it would make a strong case for a second stimulus — something the Obama administration hopes will not be necessary.Questions 19 to 22 are based on the recording you have just heard. Question19. What does President Obama hope the banks will do? Question20. What is Martin Neil Baily’s prediction about thefinancial situation in the future?Question21. What does . Bankcorp chief Richard Davis say about its future operation?Question22. What does Martin Neil Baily think of a second stimulus to the economy?Recording 3A new study has failed to find any conclusive evidence that lifestyle changes can prevent cognitive decline in older adults. Still there are good reasons to make positive changes in how we live and what we eat as we age. Cognitive decline is the loss of ability to learn new skills, or recall words, names, and faces that is most common as we age. To reduce or avoid it, researchers have examined the effect of smoking, diet, brain-challenging games, exercise and other strategies. Researchers at Duke University scrutinized more than 160 published studies and found an absence of strong evidence that any of these approaches can make a big difference. Co-author James Burke helped design the study. “In the observational studies we found that some of theB vitamins were beneficial.”“Exercise, diet, cognitive stimulation showed some positive effects, althoughthe evidence was not so strong that we could actually consider these firmly established.” Some previous studies have suggested that challenging your brain with mentally stimulating activities might help. And Burke said that actually does seem to help, based on randomized studies —the researcher’s gold standard. “Cognitive stimulation is one of the areas where we did find some benefit. The exact type of stimulation that an individual uses is not as important as being intellectually engaged.” The expert review also found insufficient evidence to recommend any drugs or dietary supplements that could prevent or slow cognitive decline. However, given that there is at least some evidence for positive effects from some of these lifestyle changes, plus other benefits apparently unrelated to cognitive decline, Burke was willing to offer some recommendations. “I think that by having people adopt a healthy lifestyle, both from a medical standpoint as well as nutritional and cognitive stimulation standpoint, we can reduce the incidence of cognitive decline, which will be proof that these factors are, in fact, important.” James Burke of Duke University is one of the authors of a study reviewing previous research on cognitive decline. The paper is published online by the Annals of Internal Medicine.Questions 23 to 25 are based on the recording you have just heard.Question 23. According to the speaker, what might be a symptom of cognitive decline in older adults?Question 24. According to James Burke, what does seem to help reduce cognitive decline?Question 25. What did James Burke recommend to reduce the incidence of cognitive decline?。
2016年大学英语六级第1套真题 含解析
2016年6月大学英语六级真题（第1套）Part I Writing（30minutes）（请于正式开考后半小时内完成该部分，之后将进行听力考试）Directions：For this part,you are allowed30minutes to write a short essay on living in the virtual world．Try to imagine what will happen when people spend more and more time in the virtual world instead of interacting in the real world．You are required to write at least l50words but no more than200words．Part II Listening Comprehension（25minutes）Section ADirections：In this section，you will hear two long conversations．At the end of each conversation,you will hear four questions．Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once．drier 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 l with a single line through the centre．Questions1and2are based on the news report you have just the heard.1 A.Project organizer． B.Public relations officer．C.Marketing manager．D.Market research consultant．2 A.Quantitative advertising research． B.Questionnaire design．C.Research methodology．D.Interviewer training．3 A.They are intensive studies of people’s spending habits．B.They examine relations between producers and customers．C.They look for new and effective ways to promote products．D.They study trends or customer satisfaction over a long period．4 A.The lack of promotion opportunity． B.Checking charts and tables．C.Designing questionnaires．D.The persistent intensity．Questions5to8are based on the conversation you have just heard．5 A.His view on Canadian universities．B.His understanding of higher education．C.His suggestions for improvements in higher education．D.His complaint about bureaucracy in American universities．6 A.It is well designed． B.It is rather inflexible．C.It varies among universities．D.It has undergone great changes．7 A.The United States and Canada can learn from each other．B.Public universities are often superior to private universities．C.Everyone should be given equal access to higher education．D.Private schools work more efficiently than public institutions．8 A.University systems vary from country to country．B.Efficiency is essential to university management．C.It is hard to say which is better,a public university or a private one．D.Many private universities in the U．S．are actually large bureaucracies．Directions：In this section,you will hear two passages．At the end of each passage,you will hear three or four questions．Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once．After you hear a question,you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A，B，C and D．Then mark the corresponding fetter on Answer Sheet1with a single line through the centre．Questions9to11are based on the passage you have just heard．9 ernment’s role in resolving an economic crisis．B.The worsening real wage situation around the world．C.Indications of economic recovery in the United States．D.The impact of the current economic crisis on people’s life．10 A.They will feel less pressure to raise employees’wages．B.They will feel free to choose the most suitable employees．C.They will feel inclined to expand their business operations．D.They will feel more confident in competing with their rivals．11 A.Employees and companies cooperate to pull through the economic crisis．ernment and companies join hands to create jobs for the unemployed．C.Employees work shorter hours to avoid layoffs．D.Team work will be encouraged in companies．Questions12to15are based on the passage you have just heard．12 A.Whether memory supplements work． B.Whether herbal medicine works wonders．C.Whether exercise enhances one’s memory．D.Whether a magic memory promises success．13 A.They help the elderly more than the young． B.They are beneficial in one way or another．C.They generally do not have side effects．D.They are not based on real science．14 A.They are available at most country fairs． B.They are taken in relatively high dosage．C.They are collected or grown by farmers．D.They are prescribed by trained practitioners．15 A.They have often proved to be as helpful as doing mental exercise．B.Taking them with other medications might entail unnecessary risks．C.Their effect lasts only a short time．D.Many have benefited from them．Section CDirections：In this section．you will hear three recordings of lectures or talks followed by three or four questions．The recordings will be played only once．After you hear a question，you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A，B，C and D．Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet1with a single line through the centre．Questions16to18are based on the recording you have just heard．16 A.How catastrophic natural disasters turn out to be to developing nations．B.How the World Meteorological Organization studies natural disasters．C.How powerless humans appear to be in face of natural disasters．D.How the negative impacts of natural disasters can be reduced．17 A.By training rescue teams for emergencies． B.By taking steps to prepare people for them．C.By changing people’s views of nature．D.By relocating people to safer places．18 A.How preventive action can reduce the loss of life．B.How courageous Cubans are in face of disasters．C.How Cubans suffer from tropical storms．D.How destructive tropical storms can be．Questions19to22are based on the recording you have just heard．19 A.Pay back their loans to the American government．B.Provide loans to those in severe financial difficulty．C.Contribute more to the goal of a wider recovery．D.Speed up their recovery from the housing bubble．20 A.Some banks may have to merge with others． B.Many smaller regional banks are going to fail．C.It will be hard for banks to provide more loans．D.Many banks will have to1ay off some employees．21 A.It will work closely with the government． B.It will endeavor to write off bad loans．C.It will try to lower the interest rate．D.It will try to provide more loans．22 A.It won’t help the American economy to rum around．B.It won’t do any good to the major commercial banks．C.It will win the approval of the Obama administration．D.It will be necessary if the economy starts to shrink again．Questions23to25are based on the recording you have just heard．23 A.Being unable to learn new things． B.Being rather slow to make changes．C.Losing temper more and more often．D.Losing the ability to get on with others．24 A.Cognitive stimulation． munity activity．C.Balanced diet．D.Fresh air．25 A.Ignoring the signs and symptoms of aging． B.Adopting an optimistic attitude towards life．C.Endeavoring to give up unhealthy lifestyles．D.Seeking advice from doctors from time to time．PartⅢReading Comprehension（40minutes）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 Sheet2with a single line through the centre.You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once. Questions26to35are based on the following passage．Pursuing a career is an essential part of adolescent development．“The adolescent becomes an adult when he26 a real job.”To cognitive researchers like Piaget，adulthood meant the beginning of an27．Piaget argued that once adolescents enter the world of work，their newly acquired ability to form hypotheses allows them to create representations that are too ideal．The28of such ideals．without the tempering of the reality of a job or profession，rapidly leads adolescents to become29of the non．idealistic world and to press for reform in a characteristically adolescent way.Piaget said：“True adaptation to society comes30when the adolescent reformer attempts to put his ideas to work．”Of course，youthful idealism is often courageous，and no one likes to give up dreams．Perhaps，taken31out of context,Piaget’s statement seems harsh．What he was32,however,is the way reality can modify idealistic views.Some people refer to such modification as maturity.Piaget argued that attaining and accepting a vocation is one of the best ways to modify idealized views and to mature．As careers and vocations become less available during times of33,adolescents may be especially hard hit．Such difficult economic times may leave many adolescents34about their roles in society．For this reason，community interventions and government job programs that offer summer and vacation work are not only economically35but also help to stimulate the adolescent’s sense of worth．A)automatically B)beneficial C)capturing D)confused E)emphasizingF)entrance G)excited H)existence I)incidentally J)intolerantK)occupation L)promises M)recession N)slightly O)undertakesSection BDirections：In this section，you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to n．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 Sheet2．Can societies be rich and green?[A]“If our economies are to flourish，if global poverty is to be eliminated and if the well-being of the world’s people enhanced～not just in this generation but in succeeding generations—we must make sure we take care of thenatural environment and resources on which our economic activity depends．”that statement comes not，as you might imagine，from a stereotypical tree—hugging．Save-the-world-greenie(环保主义者)，but from Gordon Brown，a politician with a reputation for rigour thoroughness and above all，caution．[B]A surprising thing for the man who runs one of the world’s most powerful economies to say?Perhaps：though in the run-up to the five—year review of the Millennium(千年的)Goals，he is far from alone.The roots of his speech, given in March at the round table meeting of environment and energy ministers from the G20group of nations，stretch back to1972，and the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm．[C]“The protection and improvement of the human environment is a major issue which affects the well-being of peoples and economic development throughout the world，”read the final declaration from this gathering，the first of a sequence which would lead to the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit in1992and the World Development Summit in Johannesburg three years ago．[D]Hunt through the reports prepared by UN agencies and development groups—many for conferences such as this year’s Millennium Goals review—and you will find that the linkage between environmental protection and economic progress is a common thread．[E]Managing ecosystems sustainably is more profitable than exploiting them，according to the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment．But finding hard evidence to support the thesis is not so easy．Thoughts turn first to some sort of global statistic，some indicator which would rate the wealth of nations in both economic and environmental terms and show a relationship between the two．[F]If such an indicator exists，it is well hidden．And on reflection，this is not surprising；the single word“environment”has so many dimensions．and there are so many other factors affecting wealth—such as the oil deposits—that teasing out a simple economy-environment relationship would be almost impossible．[G]The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment，a vast four—year global study which reported its initial conclusions earlier this year,found reasons to believe that managing ecosystems sustainably—working with nature rather than against it—might be less profitable in the short term，but certainly brings long-term rewards．[H]And the World Resources Institute(WRI)in its World Resources2005report，issued at the end of August，produced several such examples from Africa and Asia；it also demonstrated that environmental degradation affects the poor more than the rich，as poorer people derive a much higher proportion of their income directly from the natural resources around them．[I]But there are also many examples of growing wealth by trashing the environment，in rich and poor parts of the world alike，whether through unregulated mineral extraction，drastic water use for agriculture，slash—and—bum farming，or fossil-fuel-guzzling(大量消耗)transport．Of course，such growth may not persist in the long term—which is what Mr.Brown and the Stockholm declaration were both attempting to point out．Perhaps the best example of boom growth and bust decline is the Grand Banks fishery．For almost five centuries a very large supply of cod(鳕鱼)provided abundant raw material for an industry which at its peak employed about40，000people，sustaining entire communities in Newfoundland．Then，abruptly,the cod population collapsed．There were no longer enough fish in the sea for the stock to maintain itself,let alone an industry．More than a decade later,there was no sign of the ecosystem rebuilding itself．It had，apparently,been fished out of existence；and the once mighty Newfoundland fleet now gropes about frantically for crab on the sea floor．[J]There is a view that modem humans are inevitably sowing the seeds of a global Grand Banks-style disaster．The idea is that we are taking more out of what you might call the planet’s environmental bank balance than it can sustain；we are living beyond our ecological means．One recent study attempted to calculate the extent of this“ecological overshoot of the human economy”，and found that we are using1.2Earth’s—worth of environmental goods and services—the implication being that at some point the debt will be called in．and all those services—the things which the planet does for us for free—will grind to a halt．[K]Whether this is right，and if so where and when the ecological axe will fall，is hard to determine with anyprecision—which is why governments and financial institutions are only beginning to bring such risks into their economic calculations．It is also the reason why development agencies are not united in their view of environmental issues；while some，like the WRI,maintain that environmental progress needs to go hand-in-hand with economic development，others argue that the priority is to build a thriving economy，and then use the wealth created to tackle environmental degradation．[L]This view assumes that rich societies will invest in environmental care．But is this right?Do things get better or worse as we get richer?Here the Stockholm declaration is ambiguous．“In the developing countries，”it says，“most of the environmental problems are caused by under—development．”So it is saying that economic development should make for a cleaner world?Not necessarily；“In the industrialised countries，environmental problems are generally related to industrialisation and technological development，”it continues．In other words，poor and rich both over-exploit the natural world，but for different reasons．It’s simply not true that economic growth will surely make our world cleaner．[M]Clearly,richer societies are able to provide environmental improvements which lie well beyond the reach of poorer communities．Citizens of wealthy nations demand national parks，clean rivers，clean air and poison-free food．They also，however,use far more natural resources—fuel，water(all those baths and golf courses)and building materials．[N]A case can be made that rich nations export environmental problems，the most graphic example being climate change．As a country’s wealth grows，so do its greenhouse gas emissions．The figures available will not be completely accurate．Measuring emissions is not a precise science，particularly when it comes to issues surrounding land use；not all nations have released up-to-date data，and in any case，emissions from some sectors such as aviation are not included in national statistics．But the data is exact enough for a clear trend to be easily discernible．As countries become richer,they produce more greenhouse gases；and the impact of those gases will fall primarily in poor parts of the world．[O]Wealth is not，of course，the only factor involved．The average Norwegian is better off than the average US citizen，but contributes about half as much to climate change．But could Norway keep its standard of living and yet cut its emissions to Moroccan or even Ethiopian levels?That question，repeated across a dozen environmental issues and across our diverse planet，is what will ultimately determine whether the human race is living beyond its ecological means as it pursues economic revival．36．Examples show that both rich and poor countries exploited the environment for economic progress．37．Environmental protection and improvement benefit people all over the world．38．It is not necessarily true that economic growth will make our world cleaner．39．The common theme of the UN reports is the relation between environmental protection and economic growth．40．Development agencies disagree regarding how to tackle environment issues while ensuring economic progress．41．It is difficult to find solid evidence to prove environmental friendliness generates more profits than exploiting the natural environment．42．Sustainable management of ecosystems will prove rewarding in the long run．43．A politician noted for being cautious asserts that sustainable human development depends on the natural environment．44．Poor countries will have to bear the cost for rich nations’economic development．45．One recent study warns us of the danger of the exhaustion of natural resources on Earth．Section CDirections：There are2passages in this section.Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements.For each of them there are。
CET6 20161201 听力原文
CET6 20161201Part Ⅱ Listening Comprehension (30 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation 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.Conversation OneW: Professor Henderson, could you give us a brief overview of what you do, where you work and your main area of research?M: Well, the Center for Climate Research, where I work, (1) links the science of climate change to issues around economics and policy.Some of our research is to do with the likely impacts of climate change and all of the associated risks.W: And how strong is the evidence that climate change is happening, that it’s really something we need to be worried about?M: Well, most of the science of climate change, particularly that to do with global warming, is simply fact. But other aspects of the science are less certain or at least more disputed. And so we’re really talking about risk. (2) What the economics tells us is that it’s probably cheaper to avoid climate change, to avoid the risk than it is to deal with the likely consequences.W: So what are we doing? What can we do about it?M: Well, I would argue that we need to develop the science specifically to understand the likely impacts of climate change in different contexts. As I said, we need to understand the best ways of avoiding climate change and (3) this will involve a huge transition to low-carbon energy systems and the transition is a tremendous priority.For this to happen, we may need action on a global scale. From a political perspective, we need to understand the terms on which major countries like China and the USA might sign up to a global agreement, because at the moment we don’t have that consensus.W: Right.M: (4) And we also need to plan ahead so t hat we’re in a position to deal with the likely levels of climate change which are already inevitable and even more so too, for the levels that are likely, if we don’t get those global agreements.Questions 1 to 4 are based on the conversation you have just heard.1. What does Professor Henderson say about his main area of research?A) It focuses on the efforts countries can make to deal with global warming.B) It links the science of climate change to economic and policy issues.C) It studies the impact s of global climate change on people’s lives.D) It tries to predict the possible trends of global climate change.2. What does Professor Henderson say about climate change?A) It would be more costly to deal with its consequences than to avoid it.B) It will take a long time before a consensus is reached on its impact.C) It is the most pressing issue confronting all countries.D) It is bound to cause endless disputes among nations.3. What does Professor Henderson say is a top priority in combating climate change?A) The raising of people’s awareness.B) The signing of a global agreement.C) The cooperation among world major powers.D) The transition to low-carbon energy systems.4. What does Professor Henderson advise us to do to better deal with climate change?A) Plan well in advance.B) Adopt new technology.C) Carry out more research on it.D) Cut down energy consumption.Conversation TwoW: I have many business English students. (5) When I teach in the classroom, we often end up talking about things like success and what leads to success. And it’s interesting that many of them mention the element of luck.M: Right.W: Luck is important to success. But since you’ve seen that fantastic video on the TED Talks website by Richard St. John, he doesn’t men tion luck at all.M: Well, I’m a firm believer that people can make their own luck. I mean what people regard as luck, you can actually create, to a degree.W: Sure. (6) I think a lot of what people consider luck is attributed to how you respond to the opportunities that come your way.M: Yes. Very good point.W: (6) Seizing the opportunities.But was there any point in the video that you thought was particularly interesting?M: Yes, actually there was. Something very impressive to me is many people think that luck is important and that natural talent is something you must have in order to be successful. (7) And in the video we saw, the point about getting good at something is not about having some natural talent. It’s all about practice, practice, pract ice.W: Definitely yeah. Natural talent helps in some way, but at the end of the day you really do need to work hard and get really really good at what you do.M: Sure.W: I thought one interesting thing in the video was the idea of passion being so important and that people who really love what they do. Of course you’re going to want to work harder and put the time and effort into it.(8) And the funny thing is that if you love what you do and are really passionate about it and work really hard, the money kind of comes automatically.Questions 5 to 8 are based on the conversation you have just heard.5. What are the speakers mainly talking about?A) When luck plays a role.B) Whether practice makes perfect.C) What determines success.D) How important natural talent is.6. What is the woman’s view of luck?A) It knocks at your door only once in a while.B) It means being good at seizing opportunities.C) It is something that no one can possibly create.D) It comes naturally out of one’s self-confidence.7. What is the chief point the TED Talks video makes?A) Practice is essential to becoming good at something.B) One should always be ready to seize opportunities.C) One must have natural talent to be successful.D) Luck rarely contributes to a person’s success.8. What does the woman think is the funny thing in the TED Talks video?A) People who love what they do care little about money.B) Being passionate about work can make one wealthy.C) Putting time and effort into fun things is profitable.D) People in need of money work hard automatically.Section BDirections: In this section, you will hear two passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear three or four questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneDevil’s Tower, the first national monument in America,(9) could almost be mistaken for the stump of an enormous tree.Its sheer rock sides sweep up from a broad base until they cut off abruptly at the flat summit. Rising more than 1,000 feet in the middle of the gently rolling plains of Wyoming, the massive column of rock looks as though it was dropped down into this location from a different time and place.In a sense, it was. Devil’s Tower is a relic of the past, when the molten rock of the Earth’s core forced its way to the surface to form the throat of a volcano. As the centuries passed, the rock cooled and hardened, shrinking and cracking into long columns. (10) Born in fire and fury, Devil’s Tower was then shaped by the slow, gentle work of wind and water.The outer layers of the volcano were worn away until the hard core stood completely exposed.(11) Small wonder that an Indian legend described Devil’s Tower as being formed by supernatural powers. The legend says that when seven girls were attacked by bears, they took refuge on top of a small rock and appealed to the Rock God for help. (12) The God caused the rock to grow and to lift the girls far above the ground,while its sides were scored by the claws of the angry bears. Even today, says the legend, the girls can be seen above the towering rock as seven shining stars in the night sky.Questions 9 to 12 are based on the passage you have just heard.9. What does Devil’s Tower look like?A) A tall chimney.B) A huge piece of rock.C) The peak of a mountain.D) The stump of a giant tree.10. What cause t he volcano’s outer layer to wear away?A) Human activity.B) Chemical processes.C) Wind and water.D) Fire and fury.11. What does an Indian legend say about Devil’s Tower?A) It was built in ancient times.B) It is a historical monument.C) It was created by supernatural powers.D) It is Indians’ sacred place for worship.12. How did the Rock God help the seven girls in the Indian legend?A) By killing the attacking bears.B) By sheltering them in a cave.C) By lifting them well above the ground.D) By taking them to the top of a mountain.Passage TwoIt’s no accident that most gas stations have convenience stores attached. (13) Few of us can fill up the tank without buying a few snacks, cigarettes, soft drinks or other items we can live without. I deserv e it. That’s what hard-working men and women say to justify their lavish vacations, big stereo systems or regular restaurant meals. They do deserve such indulgences. However, they also deserve a home of their own, a secure retirement and freedom from worrying about unpaid bills. No one should have to live with what a Texas mother described as constant stress, tension, even fear about money. (14) Sadly the pleasure that comes from extravagances often disappears long before the bills do. The video camera that one single mother bought for a special occasion, for example, is not much fun now. She’s figured out that it will take her another three years to pay it off at $ 30 a month. And the New Yorkers who spent a bundle on an outdoor hot tub now admit they rarel y use it, “because we can’t afford to heat it in winter”. The solution: set priorities, add up the annual cost of each item, then consider what else you can buy with the same money. That will help you decide which items are really worth it. (15) One Chicago woman, for example, discovered that daily lunches with coworkers cost her $ 2,000 a year; she decided to take lunch to work instead. “I now put $ 20 a week into my vacation fund and another 20 into retirement savings,” she says. “Those mean more to me than lunch.”Questions 13 to 15 are based on the passage you have just heard.13. What does the speaker say about drivers who stop at gas stations?A) They will pick up some souvenirs or gift items.B) They will have their vehicles washed or serviced.C) They will take advantage of the time to rest a while.D) They will buy something from the convenience stores.14. What does the speaker say about extravagances?A) They may eventually drive one to bankruptcy.B) They should be done away with altogether.C) They are meant for the extremely wealthy.D) They can bring only temporary pleasures.15. What does the speaker want to show by the example of the Chicago woman?A) Small daily savings can make a big difference in one’s life.B) A vacation will be affordable if one saves 20 dollars a week.C) Retirement savings should come first in one’s family budgeting.D) A good way to socialize is to have daily lunch with one’s colleagues.Section CDirections: In this section, you will hear three recordings of lectures or talks followed by three or four questions. The recordings will be played only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Recording OneLet’s say you start to brainstorm a list of all the emotions you’ve ever experienced. Just for fun. Try it now.What’s on your list? Chances are you included things like happy, sad, excited, angry, afraid, grateful, proud, scared, confused, stressed, relaxed and amazed. Now sort your list into two categories: positive emotions and negative emotions.Feeling both positive and negative emotions is a natural part of being human. We might use the word “negative” to describe more difficult emotions, (16) but it does not mean those emotions are bad or we shouldn’t have them. Still, most people were probably rather feel a positive emotion than a negative one. It’s likely you prefer to feel happy instead of sad or con fident instead of insecure.What matters is how our emotions are balanced. How much of each type of the emotion—positive or negative—we experience.Negative emotions warn us of threats or challenges that we may need to deal with. For example, fear can al ert us to possible danger. It’s a signal that we might need to protect ourselves. Angry feelings warn us that someone is stepping on our toes, crossing a boundary or violating our trust. Anger can be a signal that we might need to act on our own behalf.Negative emotions focus our awareness. They help us to zero in on a problem so we can deal with it. (17) But too many negative emotions can make us feel overwhelmed, anxious, exhausted or stressed out. When negative emotions are out of balance, problems might seem too big to handle. The more we dwell on our negative emotions, the more negative we begin to feel. Focusing on negativity just keeps it going.Positive emotions balance out negative ones, but they have other powerful benefits too. Instead of narrowing our focus, like negative emotions do, (18) positive emotions affect our brains in ways that increase our awareness, attention and memory. They help us take in more information, hold several ideas in mind at once and understand how different ideas relate to each other. When positive emotions open us up to new possibilities, we are more able to learn and build on our skills. That leads to doing better on tasks and tests. People who have plenty of positive emotions in their everyday lives tend to be happier, healthier, learn better and get along well with others.Questions 16 to 18 are based on the recording you have just heard.16. What does the speaker say about negative emotions?A) They are harmful to health.B) They enrich our experience.C) They are necessary in our lives.D) They should be done away with.17. What happens to people whose negative emotions are out of balance?A) They are exhausted even without doing any heavy work.B) They feel too overwhelmed to deal with life’s problems.C) They are anxious to free themselves from life’s troubles.D) They feel stressed out even without any challenges in life.18. How do positive emotions affect us?A) They lessen our burdens.B) They narrow our focus.C) They prolong our lives.D) They expand our mind.Recording TwoIn the past few months, I’ve been traveling for weeks at a time with only one suitcase of clothes. One day, I was invited to an important event, and I wanted to wear something special for it. I looked through my suitcase but couldn’t f ind anything to wear. (19) I was lucky to be at the technology conference then, and I had access to 3D printers. So I quickly designed a skirt on my computer, and I loaded the file on the printer. It just printed the pieces overnight. The next morning, I just took all the pieces, assembled them together in my hotel room, and this is actually the skirt that I’m wearing right now.So it wasn’t the first time that I printed clothes. (20) For my senior collection at fashion design school, I decided to try and 3D print an entire fashion collection from my home. The problem was that I barely knew anything about 3D printing, and I had only nine months to figure out how to print five fashionable looks.I always felt most creative when I worked from home. I loved experimenting with new materials, and I always tried to develop new techniques to make the most unique textiles for my fashion projects.One summer break, I came here to New York for an internship at a fashion house in Chinatown. We worked on two incredible dresses that were 3D printed. They were amazing—like you can see here. But I had a few problems with them. (21) They were made from hard plastics and that’s why they were very breakable. The models couldn’t sit in them, and they even got scratched from t he plastics under their arms.So now, the main challenge was to find the right material for printing clothes with, I mean, the material you feed the printer with. (22) The breakthrough came when I was introduced to Filaflex, which is a new kind of printing material. It’s strong, yet very flexible. And with it, I was able to print the first garment, a red jacket that had the word “freedom” embedded into it. And actually, you can easily download this jacket, and change the word to something else. For example, your name or your sweetheart’s name.So I think in the future, materials will evolve, and they will look and feel like fabrics we know today, like cotton or silk.Questions 19 to 22 are based on the recording you have just heard.19. What does the speaker say about the skirt she is wearing now?A) It is not easily breakable.B) It represents the latest style.C) It came from a 3D printer.D) It was made by a fashion designer.20. When did the speaker start experimenting with 3D printing?A) When she attended a fashion show nine months ago.B) When she was studying at a fashion design school.C) When she had just graduated from her college.D) When she attended a conference in New York.21. What was the problem with the material the speaker worked on at a New York fashion house?A) It was hard and breakable.B) It was extremely expensive.C) It was difficult to print.D) It was hard to come by.22. What does the speaker say about Filaflex?A) It is the latest model of a 3D printer.B) It is a plastic widely used in 3D printing.C) It marks a breakthrough in printing material.D) It gives fashion designers room for imagination.Recording ThreeWelcome to the third lecture in our series on the future of small businesses in Europe. The purpose of today’s le cture, as you have seen from the title and the abstract, is to examine in more detail (23) the problems facing small and medium-sized enterprises which arise at least in part from having to adapt to rapid advances in technology. And I want to look at these both from a financial and from a personnel point of view and to offer a few hopefully effective solutions.Here we have three of the most important problems facing small businesses that I want to look at today.First, keeping up with the pace of technological change, recruiting high quality staff in a time of skills shortages in I. T. as a whole and in a highly competitive market and the issue of retaining staff once they’ve been recruited and trained. Now all of these problems involve significant costs for all businesses, but there are particularly challenging issues for small and medium-sized enterprises. And those costs will vary depending on the size and scale of the businesses.So let’s come to the first issue on our list, which is keeping pace with developments in technology.(24) Now we all know that the technology industry is intensely competitive with new products being launched all year round, as the various companies strive to compete with each other rather than say, once a year or every couple of years. And this is a real headache for smaller businesses. So let’s imagine we have a small company which is doing OK. It’s just about making a profit, and it spends most of its income on overheads. So for a company in this situation, keeping up to datewith the latest technology, even if it’s only for the benefit of key staff, this can be hugely expensive. So in my view, some creative thinking needs to come in here to find ways to help companies in this situation to stay ahead in the game. But at the same time to remain technologically competitive. (25) Well there’s the possibility that small groups of companies with similar requirements, but not directly competing with each other, they could share the cost of upgrading in much the same way as, let’s sa y, an intranet operates within larger organizations. In fact, cost sharing could be a very practical solution, especially in times of financial difficulty. If there’s downward pressure on costs, because of a need for investment in other areas, I would argu e that this is a perfectly feasible solution.Questions 23 to 25 are based on the recording you have just heard.?A) They can’t be solved without government suppo rt.B) They are easy to solve with modern technology.C) They have not been examined in detail so far.D) They arise from the advances in technology.24. What does the speaker say about the technology industry?A) It is intensely competitive.B) It focuses on new products.C) It demands huge investment.D) It is attractive to entrepreneurs.?A) Cooperation with big companies.B) Sharing of costs with each other.C) Recruiting more qualified staff.D) In-service training of IT personnel.。
2016年6月大学英语六级第1套真题及答案解析
Part I Writing (30 minutes)For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on living in the virtual world. Try to imagine what will happen when people spend more and more time in the virtual world instead ofinteracting in the real world. You are required to write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words.Part II Listening Comprehension (30 minutes)In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation 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 center. Questions 1 to 4 are based on the conversation you have just heard.1. A) Project organizer. B) Public relations officer.C) Marketing manager. D) Market research consultant.2. A) Quantitative advertising research. B) Questionnaire design.C) Research methodology. D) Interviewer training.3. A) They are intensive studies of people’s spending habits.B) They examine relations between producers and customers.C) They look for new and effective ways to promote products.D) They study trends or customer satisfaction over a long period.4. A) The lack of promotion opportunity. B) Checking charts and tables.C) Designing questionnaires. D) The persistent intensity.Questions 5 to 8 are based on the conversation you have just heard.5. A) His view on Canadian universities.B) His understanding of higher education.C) His suggestions for improvements in higher education.D) His complaint about bureaucracy in American universities.6. A) It is well designed. B) It is rather inflexible.C) It varies among universities. D) It has undergone great changes.7. A) The United States and Canada can learn from each other.B) Public universities are often superior to private universities.C) Everyone should be given equal access to higher education.D) Private schools work more efficiently than public institutions.8. A) University systems vary from country to country.B) Efficiency is essential to university management.C) It is hard to say which is better, a public university or a private one.D) Many private universities in the US are actually large bureaucracies.Section BDirections: In this section, you will hear two passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear three or four questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the center.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡 1 上作答。
2016年6月英语六级第一套真题听力原文详细
16年第一套真题听力Conver satio n One对话一M: So how long have you been a Market Resear ch Consul tant?男：你做市场调查顾问多长时间了？W: Well, I starte d straig ht afterfinish ing univer sity.女：我大学毕业后就开始做了。
M: Did you studymarket resear ch?男：你学的是市场调查吗？W: Yeah, and it really helped me to get into the indust ry,女：是的，这帮助我进入了这个行业，but I have to say that it's more import ant to get experi encein differ ent typesof market resear ch to find out exactl y what you're intere stedin.但是我不得不说，你需要有各种市场研究的经验才能找出你真正感兴趣的事物，这很重要。
M: So what are you intere stedin?男：你对什么感兴趣？W: Well, at the moment, I specia lizein quanti tativ e advert ising resear ch, whichmeansthat I do two typesof projec ts.女：目前来说，我专门做量化广告调查，也就是说我做两个项目。
Tracke rs, whichare ongoin g projec ts that look at trends or custom er satisf ac tio n over a long period of time.追踪调查，这是个正在进行的项目，研究很长一段时期内的趋势和客户满意度。
2016年6月六级考试真题(第一套)
2016年6月六级考试真题（第一套）Part I Writing (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on E-learning. Try to imagine what will happen when more and more people study online instead of attendingschool. You are required to write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words.Part II Listening Comprehension (25 minutes) Section ADirections：In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken onlyonce. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choicesmarked A), B), C), and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet l with asingle line through the centre.Questions 1 to 4 are based on the conversation you have just heard.1. A) The restructuring of her company.B) The man’ s switch to a new career.C) The updating of technology at CucinTech.D) The project the man managed at CucinTech.2. A) Talented personnel.B) Effective promotion.C) Strategic innovation.D) Competitive products.3. A) Innovate constantly.B) Expand the market.C) Recruit more talents.D) Watch out for his competitors.4. A) Possible bankruptcy.B) Unforeseen difficulties.C) Imitation by one’ s competitors.D) Conflicts within the company.Questions 5 to 8 are based on the conversation you have just heard.5. A) The importance of language proficiency.B) The job of an interpreter.C) The stress felt by professionals.D) The best way to effective communication.6. A) Admirable.B) Promising.C) Meaningful.D) Rewarding.7. A) They have all passed language proficiency tests.B) They have all studied cross-cultural differences.C) They all have a strong interest in language.D) They all have professional qualifications.8. A) It puts one’s long-term memory under more stress.B) It is more stressful than simultaneous interpreting.C) It attaches more importance to accuracy.D) It requires a much larger vocabulary.Section BDirections：In this section, you will hear two passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear three or four questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After youhear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B),C), and D). Then mark the corresponding fetter on Answer Sheet 1with a single linethrough the centre.Questions 9 to 11 are based on the passage you have just heard.9. A) It might increase mothers’ mental distress.B) It might increase the risk of infants’ death.C) It might affect mothers’ health.D) It might disturb infants’ sleep.10. A) Mothers who sleep with their babies need a little more sleep each night.B) Sleeping patterns of mothers greatly affect their newborn babies’ health.C) Sleeping with infants in the same room has a negative impact on mothers.D) Mothers who breast-feed their babies have a harder time falling asleep.11. A) Take precautions to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome.B) Sleep in the same house but not in the same room as their babies.C) Sleep in the same room but not in the same bed as their babies.D) Change their sleep patterns to adapt to their newborn babies.Questions l2 to 15 are based on the passage you have just heard.12. A) More money is needed to record the native languages in the US.B) The efforts to preserve Indian languages have proved fruitless.C) The US ranks first in the number of endangered languages.D) A lot of native languages have already died out in the US.13. A) To set up more language schools.B) To educate native American children.C) To revitalise America’s native languages.D) To document endangered languages.14. A) The US government’s policy of Americanising Indian children.B) The failure of American Indian languages to gain an official status.C) The long-time isolation of American Indians from the outside world.D) The US government’s unwillingness to spend money educating Indians.15. A) It is widely used in language immersion schools.B) It speeds up the extinction of native languages.C) It is being utilised to teach native languages.D) It tells traditional stories during family time.Section CDirections: In this section, you will hear three recordings of lectures or talks followed by three or four questions. The recordings will be played only once. After you hear a question, you mustchoose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C), and D). Then mark thecorresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 16 to 18 are based on the recording you have just heard.16. A) It provides them with the basic necessities of everyday life.B) It pays their living expenses until they find employment again.C) It covers their mortgage payments and medical expenses for 99 weeks.D) It pays them up to half of their previous wages while they look for work.17. A) Convincing local lawmakers to extend unemployment benefits.B) Creating jobs for the huge army of unemployed workers.C) Providing training and guidance for unemployed workers.D) Raising funds to help those having no unemployment insurance.18. A) To encourage big businesses to hire back workers with government subsidies.B) To create more jobs by encouraging private investments in local companies.C) To allow them to postpone their monthly mortgage payments.D) To offer them loans they need to start their own businesses.Questions l9 to 22 are based on the recording you have just heard.19. A) They investigated the ice.B) They analyzed the water content.C) They explored the ocean floor.D) They measured the depths of sea water.20. A) The ice decrease is more evident than previously thought.B) The ice ensures the survival of many endangered species.C) Most of the ice was accumulated over the past centuries.D) Eighty percent of the ice disappears in summer time.21. A) The melting Arctic ice has drowned many coastal cities.B) Arctic ice is a major source of the world’s flesh water.C) Arctic ice is essential to human survival.D) The decline of Arctic ice is irreversible.22. A) There is no easy technological solution to it.B) It will advance nuclear technology.C) There is no easy way to understand it.D) It will do a lot of harm to mankind.Questions 23 to 25 are based on the recording you have just heard.23. A) The deciding factor in children’s academic performance.B) The health problems of children raised by a single parent.C) The relation between children’s self-control and their future success.D) The reason why New Zealand children seem to have better self-control.24. A) Those with a criminal record mostly come from single parent families.B) Children raised by single parents will have a hard time in their thirties.C) Parents must learn to exercise self-control in front of their children.D) Lack of self-control in parents is a disadvantage for their children.25. A) Self-control problems will diminish as one grows up.B) Self-control can be improved through education.C) Self-control can improve one’s financial situation.D) Self-control problems may be detected early in children.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 thepassage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank isidentified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank morethan once.Questions 26 to 35 are based on the following passage.Let’s say you love roller-skating. Just the thought of 26 on your roller-skates brings a smile to your face. You also know that roller-skating is excellent exercise. You have a 27 attitude toward it.This description of roller-skating 28 the three components of an attitude: affect, cognition, and behavior. You love the activity; it’s great fun. These feelings 29 the affective or emotional component; they are an important ingredient in attitudes. The knowledge we have about the object constitutes the cognitive component of an attitude. You understand the health 30 that the activity can bring. Finally, attitudes have a behavioral component. Our attitudes 31 us to go outside to enjoy roller-skating.Now, we don’t want to leave you with the 32 that these three components always work together 33 . They don’t: sometimes they clash. For example, let’s say you love pizza (affective component); however, you have high cholesterol and understand (knowledge component) that eating pizza may be bad for your health. Which behavior will your attitude result in, eating pizza or 34 it? The answer depends off which component happens to be stronger. If you are walking past a pizza restaurant at lunchtime. Your emotions and feelings probably will be stronger than your knowledge that pizza may not be the best food for your health. In that instance, you have pizza for lunch. If you are at home trying to decide where to go for dinner, however, the knowledge component may 35 , and you decide to go where you can eat a healthier meal.A) avoiding I) positiveB) benefits J) prevailC) highlight K) primarilyD) illustrates L) promptE) impression M) specificationsF) improves N) strappingG) inquiring O) typicalH) perfectlySection 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 fromwhich the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Eachparagraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the correspondingletter on Answer Sheet 2.The Changing Generation[A] It turns out today’s teenagers aren’t so scary after all. Results of USA WEEKEND’s Teens&Parents survey reveal a generation of young people who get along well with their parents and approve of theway they’re being raised. They think of their parents with affection and respect. They speak with Mom or Dad when they have a problem. Most feel that their parents understand them, and they believe their family is the No.1 priority in their parents’lives. Many even think their parents are cool! Although more than a third have an object in their rooms they would like to keep secret from their parents, rarely is it anything more alarming than a diary or off-color (低俗的) book or CD.[B] Such results may seem surprising against the background of shocking incidents that color the way the mass media portray the young. In October 2000, the same month the survey was taken, the Washington-based Center for Media and Public Affairs wrote in its publication Media Monitor that, in a recent month of TV news coverage of American youth, just 2% of teens were shown at home, and just 1% were portrayed in a work setting. In contrast, the criminal justice system accounted for nearly one out of every lave visual backgrounds. No wonder parents worry their own kids might spin out of control once they hit the turbulent waters of adolescence.[C]The overall facts ought to reassure us. The survey shows us that today’s teens are affectionate, sensible and tar happier than the angry and tortured souls that have been painted for us by stereotypes. From other sources, we also know teenage crime, drug abuse and premarital sex are in general decline. We of course, need to pay attention to youngsters who are filled with discontent and hostility, but we should not allow these extreme cases to distort our view of most young people.[D] My own research at the Stanford Center on Adolescence uses in-depth interviews with small samples of youngsters rather than large scale surveys. Still, in my studies and others I have read, I find the same patterns as in USA WEEKEND’s survey. Today’s teenagers admire their parents and welcome parental guidance about important matters such as career choice—though certainly not Morn and Dad’s advice on matters of personal taste, such as music or fashion. When we ask teens to choose a hero, they usually select an older family member rather than a remote public figure. Most teens say they enjoy the company of both parents and friends.[E] Contrary to some stereotypes, most adolescents believe they must be tolerant of differences among individuals (though they do not always find this easy in the cliquish (拉帮结派的) environment of high school). Many of them volunteer for community service with disadvantaged people. One prevalent quality we have round in teens’statements about themselves, their friends and their families is a strikingly positive emotional tone. By and large, these are very nice kids, and as the band The Who used to sing, “The kids are alright.”[F] How much is today’s sprat of harmony a change from our more turbulent past? A mere generation ago, parent-child relations were described as “the generation gap”. Yet even then reports of widespreadyouth rebellion were overdone: Most kids in the ‘60s and ‘70s shared their parents’ basic values. Still, it is true that American families are growing closer at the dawn of this new millennium (千年). Perhaps there is less to fight about, with the country in a period of tranquility and the dangers of drug abuse and other unwholesome behavior well known. Perhaps in the face of impersonal and intimidating globalization, a young person’s family feels more like a friendly haven than an oppressive trap. And perhaps parents are acting more like parents than in the recent past, within just the past five years. I have noticed parents returning to a belief that teenagers need the guidance of elders rather than the liberal, “anything goes”mode of child-rearing that became popular in the second half of the 20th century.[G] But missing from all these data is the sense that today’s young care very much about their country, about the broader civic and political environment, or about the future of their society. They seem to be turning inward—generally in a pro-social manner, certainly with positive benefits for intimate relationships, but too often at the expense of a connection with the present and future world beyond, including the society they will one day inherit.[H]Recently, we examined more than 400 essays on the “laws of life”that teens from two communities had written as part of an educational program initiated by the John Templeton Foundation in Radnor, Pa. In those essays, and in follow-up interviews with a few of the teenagers, we found lots of insight. positive feeling and inspirational thinking. But we also found little interest in civic life beyond the tight circles of their family and immediate friends.[I] For example, only one boy said he would like to be president when he grows up. When I was in high school, dozens in my class alone would have answered differently. In fact, other recent studies have found there has never been a time in American history when so small a proportion of young people have sought or accepted leadership roles in local civic organizations. It is also troubling that voting rates among our youngest eligible voters—18-to 24-year-olds—are way down: Little more than one in four now go to the polls, even in national elections, compared with almost twice that many when 18-year-olds were first given the vote.[J] In our interviews, many students viewed politics with suspicion and distaste. “Most politicians are kind of crooked (不诚实的),” one student declared. Another, discussing national politics, said. “I feel 1ike one person can’t do that much, and I get the impression most people don’t think a group of people can do that much.” Asked what they would like to change in the world, the students mentioned only personal concerns such as slowing down the pace of life, gaining good friends, becoming more spiritual, becoming either more materially successful or less materially oriented (depending on the student’s values), and being more respectful of the Earth, animals and other people. One boy said, “I’d rather beconcentrating on artistic efforts than saving the world or something.”[K] It is fine and healthy for teens to cultivate their personal interests, and it is good news when young people enjoy harmonious relations with their family and friends. But there is also a place in a young life for noble purposes that include a dedication to the broader society, a love of country and an aspiration to make their own leadership contributions.[L]In the past, the young have eagerly participated in national service and civic affairs, often with lots of energy and idealism. If this is not happening today, we should ask why. Our society needs the full participation of its younger citizens if it is to continue to thrive. We know the promise is there—this is a well-grounded, talented, warm-hearted group of youngsters. We have everything to gain by encouraging them to explore the world beyond their immediate experience and to prepare themselves for their turn at shaping that world.36. Not many young people eligible for voting are interested in local or national elections these days.37. Parents are concerned that their children may get involved in criminal offences once they reach their teens.38. Even during the turbulent years of last century, youth rebellion was often exaggerated in the media.39. Teenagers of today often turn to their parents for advice on such important matters as career choice.40. The incidence of teenage crime and misbehavior is decreasing nowadays.41. Young people should have lofty ideals in life and strive to be leaders.42. Some young people like to keep something to themselves and don’t want their parents to know about it.43. It is beneficial to encourage young people to explore the broader world and get ready to make it a better place.44. Many teenagers now offer to render service to the needy.45. Interviews with students find many of them are only concerned about personal matters.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), andD).You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on AnswerSheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 46 to 50 are based on the following passageManufacturers of products that claim to be environmentally friendly will face tighter rules on how they are advertised to consumers under changes proposed by the Federal Trade Commission.The commission’s revised “Green Guides” warn marketers against using labels that make broad claims, like “eco-friendly”. Marketers must qualify their claims on the product packaging and limit them to a specific benefit, such as how much of the product is recycled.“This is really about trying to cut through the confusion that consumers have when they are buying a product and that businesses have when they are selling a product,”said Jon Leibowitz, chairman of the commission.The revisions come at a time when green marketing is on the rise. According to a new study, the number of advertisements with green messages in mainstream magazines has risen since 1987, and peaked in 2008 at 10.4%. In 2009, the number dropped to 9%.But while the number of advertisements may have dipped, there has been a rapid spread of eco-labeling. There are both good and bad players in the eco-labeling game.In the last five years or so, there has been an explosion of green claims and environmental claims. It is clear that consumers don’t always know what they are getting.A handful of lawsuits have been filed in recent years against companies accused of using misleading environmental labels. In 2008 and 2009, class-action lawsuits (集体诉讼) were filed against SC Johnson for using “Greenlist”labels on its cleaning products. The lawsuits said that the label was misleading because it gave the impression that the products had been certified by a third party when the certification was the company’s own.“We are very proud of our accomplishments under the Greenlist system and we believe that we will prevail in these cases,” Christopher Beard, director of public affairs for SC Johnson, said, while acknowledging that “this has been an area that is difficult to navigate.”Companies have also taken it upon themselves to contest each other’s green claims.David Mallen, associate director of the Council of Better Business Bureau, said in the last two years the organization had seen an increase in the number of claims companies were bringing against each other for false or misleading environmental product claims.“About once a week, I have a client that will bring up a new certification I’ve never even heard of and I’m in this industry,”said Kevin Wilhelm.chief executive officer of Sustainable Business Consulting. “It’s kind of a Wild West, anybody can claim themselves to be green.” Mr.Wilhelm said the excess of labels made it difficult for businesses and consumers to know which labels they should Pay attention to.46. What do the revised “Green Guides” require businesses to do?A) Manufacture as many green products as possible.B) Indicate whether their products are recyclable.C) Specify in what way their products are green.D) Attach green labels to all of their products.47. What does the author say about consumers facing an explosion of green claims?A) They can easily see through the businesses’ tricks.B) They have to spend lots of time choosing products.C) They have doubt about current green certification.D) They are not clear which products are truly green.48. What was SC Johnson accused of in the class-action lawsuits?A) It gave consumers the impression that all its products were truly green.B) It gave a third party the authority to label its products as environmentally friendly.C) It misled consumers to believe that its products had been certified by a third party.D) It sold cleaning products that were not included in the official “Greenlist”.49. How did Christopher Beard defend his company’s labeling practice?A) There were no clear guidelines concerning green labeling.B) His company’s products had been well received by the public.C) It was in conformity to the prevailing practice in the market.D) No law required the involvement of a third party in certification.50. What does Kevin Wilhelm imply by saying “It’s kind of a Wild West” (Lines 2-3, Para.11)?A) Businesses compete to produce green products.B) Each business acts its own way in green labeling.C) Consumers grow wild with products labeled green.D) Anything produced in the West can be labeled green.Passage TwoQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.America’s education system has become less a ladder of opportunity than a structure to transmit inequality from one generation to the next.That’s why school reform is so critical. This is an issue of equality, opportunity and national conscience. It’s not just about education, but about poverty and justice.It’s true that the main reason inner-city schools do poorly isn’t teachers’unions, but poverty. Southern states without strong teachers’ unions have schools at least as awful as those in union states. Some Chicago teachers seem to think that they shouldn’t be held accountable until poverty is solved. There’re steps we can take that would make some difference, and Mayor Rahm Emanuel is trying some of them—yet the union is resisting.I’d be sympathetic if the union focused solely on higher compensation. Teachers need to be much better paid to attract the best college graduates to the nation’s worst schools. But, instead, the Chicago union seems to be using its political capital primarily to protect weak performers.There’s solid evidence that there are huge differences in the effectiveness of teachers. The gold standard study by Harvard and Columbia University scholars found that even in high-poverty schools, teachers consistently had a huge positive or negative impact.Get a bottom 1% teacher, and the effect is the same as if a child misses 40% of the school year.Get a teacher from the top 20%, and it’s as if a child has gone to school for an extra month or two.The study found that strong teachers in the fourth through eighth grades raised the skills of their students in ways that would last for decades. Just having a strong teacher for one elementary year left pupils a bit less likely to become mothers as teenagers, a bit more likely to go to college and earning more money, at age 28.How does one figure out who is a weak teacher? Yes, that’s a challenge. But researchers are improving systems to measure a teacher’s performance throughout the year, and.with three years of data, it’s usually possible to tell which teachers are failing.Unfortunately, the union in Chicago is insisting that teachers who are laid off—often for being ineffective—should get priority in new hiring. That’s an insult to students.Teaching is so important that it should be like other professions, with high pay and good working conditions but few job protections for bottom performers.This isn’t a battle between garment workers and greedy bosses. The central figures in the Chicago schools strike are neither strikers nor managers but 350,000 children. Protecting the union demand sacrifices those students, in effect turning a blind eye to the injustice in the education system.51. What do we learn about America’s education system?A) It provides a ladder of opportunity for the wealthy.B) It contributes little to the elimination of inequality.C) It has remained basically unchanged for generations.D) It has brought up generations of responsible citizens.52. What is chiefly responsible for the undesirable performance of inner-city schools?A) Unqualified teachers.B) Lack of financial resources.C) Unfavorable learning environment.D) Subconscious racial discrimination.53. What does the author think the union should do to win popular support?A) Assist the city government in reforming schools.B) Give constructive advice to inner-city schools.C) Demand higher pay for teachers.D) Help teachers improve teaching.54. What is the finding of the gold standard study by Harvard and Columbia University scholars?A) Many inner.city school teachers are not equal to their jobs.B) A large proportion of inner-city children often miss classes.C) Many students are dissatisfied with their teachers.D) Student performance has a lot to do with teachers.55. Why does the author say the Chicago union’s demand is an insult to students?A) It protects incompetent teachers at the expense of students.B) It underestimates students’ ability to tell good teachers from poor ones.C) It makes students feel that they are discriminated against in many ways.D) It totally ignores students’ initiative in the learning process.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.中国的创新正以前所未有的速度蓬勃发展。
2016年6月英语六级考试真题试卷附答案和解析（第1套）
2016年6月英语六级考试真题试卷附答案和解析（第1套）2016年6月英语六级考试真题试卷附答案和解析(第1套) Directions:For this part,you are allowed30minutes to write a short essay on the use of robots.Try to imagine what will happen when more and more robots take the place of human beings in industry as well as people's daily lives.You are required to write at least150words but no more than200words. Section A Directions:In this section,you will hear two long conversations.At the end of each conversation,you will hear four questions.Both the conversation 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 Sheet1with a single line through the centre.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。
Questions1to4are based on the conversation you have just heard.1.A)Project organizer.B)Public relations officer.C)Marketing manager.D)Market research consultant.2.A)Quantitative advertising research.B)Questionnaire design.C)Research methodology.D)Interviewer training.3.A)They are intensive studies of people's spending habits.B)They examine relations between producers and customers.C)They look for new and effective ways to promote products.D)They study trends or customer satisfaction over a long period.4.A)The lack of promotion opportunity.B)Checking charts and tables.C)Designing questionnaires.D)The persistent intensity.Questions5to8are based on the conversation you have just heard.5.A)His view on Canadian universities.B)His understanding of higher education.C)His suggestions for improvements in higher education.D)His complaint about bureaucracy in American universities.6.A)It is well designed.B)It is rather inflexible.C)It varies among universities.D)It has undergone great changes.7.A)The United States and Canada can learn from each other.B)Public universities are often superior to private universities.C)Everyone should be given equal access to higher education.D)Private schools work more efficiently than public institutions.8.A)University systems vary from country to country.B)Efficiency is essential to university management.C)It is hard to say which is better,a public university or a private one.D)Many private university in the U.S.are actually large bureaucracies. Section BDirections:In this section,you will hear two passages.At the end of each passage,you will hear three or four questions.Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once.After you hear a question,you must choose the best answer from the fourchoices marked A),B),C)and D).Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet1with a single line through the centre. Passage OneQuestions9to11are based on the passage you have just heard.9.A)Government's role in resolving an economic crisis.B)The worsening real wage situation around the world.C)Indications of economic recovery in the United States.D)The impact of the current economic crisis on peopled life.10.A)They will feel less pressure to raise employees'wages.B)They will feel free to choose the most suitable employees.C)They will feel inclined to expand their business operations.D)They will feel more confident in competing with their rivals.11.A)Employees and companies cooperate to pull through the economic crisis.B)Government and companies join hands to create jobs for the unemployed.C)Employees work shorter hours to avoid layoffs.D)Team work will be encouraged in companies.Passage TwoQuestions12to15are based on the passage you have just heard.12.A)Whether memory supplements work.B)Whether herbal medicine works wonders.C)Whether exercise enhances one's memory.D)Whether a magic memory promises success.13.A)They help the elderly more than the young.B)They are beneficial in one way or another.C)They generally do not have side effects.D)They are not based on real science.14.A)They are available at most country fairs.B)They are taken in relatively high dosage.C)They are collected or grown by farmers.D)They are prescribed by trained practitioners.15.A)They have often proved to be as helpful as doing mental exercise.B)Taking them with other medications might entail unnecessary risks.C)Their effect lasts only a short time.D)Many have benefited from them.Section CDirections:In this section,you will hear three recordings of lectures or talks followed by three or four questions.The recordings will be played only once. After you hear a question,you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A),B),C)and D).Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet1with a single line through the centre.Recording OneQuestions16to18are based on the recording you have just heard.16.A)How catastrophic natural disasters turn out to be to developing nations.B)How the World Meteorological Organization studies natural disasters.C)How powerless humans appear to be in face of natural disasters.D)How the negative impacts of natural disasters can be reduced.17.A)By training rescue teams for emergencies.B)By taking steps to prepare people for them.C)By changing people's views of nature.D)By relocating people to safer places.18.A)How preventive action can reduce the loss of life.B)How courageous Cubans are in face of disasters.C)How Cubans suffer from tropical storms.D)How destructive tropical storms can be.Recording TwoQuestions19to22are based on the recording you have just heard.19.A)Pay back their loans to the American government.B)Provide loans to those in severe financial difficulty.C)Contribute more to the goal of a wider recovery.D)Speed up their recovery from the housing bubble.20.A)Some banks may have to merge with others.B)Many smaller regional banks are going to fail.C)It will be hard for banks to provide more loans.D)Many banks will have to lay off some employees.21.A)It will work closely with the government.B)It will endeavor to write off bad loans.C)It will try to lower the interest rate.D)It will try to provide more loans.22.A)It won't help the American economy to turn around.B)It won't do any good to the major commercial banks.C)It will win the approval of the Obama administration.D)It will be necessary if the economy starts to shrink again.Recording ThreeQuestions23to25are based on the recording you have just heard.23.A)Being unable to learn new things.B)Being rather slow to make changes.C)Losing temper more and more often.D)Losing the ability to get on with others.24.A)Cognitive stimulation.B)Community activity.C)Balanced diet.D)Fresh air.25.A)Ignoring the signs and symptoms of aging.B)Adopting an optimistic attitude towards life.C)Endeavoring to give up unhealthy lifestyles.D)Seeking advice from doctors from time to time.Section ADirections:In this section,there is a passage with ten blanks.You are requir ed to select oneword for each blank from a list of choices given in a word ban k following the passage.Read thepassage through carefully before making yo ur choices.Each choice in the bank is identified bya letter.Please mark the c orresponding letter for each item on,Answer Street2with a singleline throug h the centre.You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once. Questions26to35are based on the following passage.Let's say you love roller-skating.Just the thought of__26__on your roller-sk ates brings asmile to your face.You also know that roller-skating is excellent exercise.You have a__27__attitude toward it.This description of roller-skating__28__the three components of an attitud e:affect,cognition,and behavior.You love the activity;it's great fun.These f eelings__29__the affectiveor emotional component;they are an importan t ingredient in attitudes.The knowledge wehave about the object constitutes the cognitive component of an attitude.You understand thehealth__30_ _that the activity can bring.Finally,attitudes have a behavioral component. Our attitudes__31__us to go outside to enjoy roller-skating.Now,we don't want to leave you with the__32__that these three component s always worktogether__33__.They don't;sometimes they clash.For exam ple,let's say you love pizza(affective component);however,you have high c holesterol and understand(knowledge component)that eating pizza may b e bad for your health.Which behavior will your attituderesult in,eating pizza or__34__it?The answer depends on which component happens to bestron ger.If you are walking past a pizza restaurant at lunchtime,your emotions an d feelingsprobably will be stronger than your knowledge that pizza may not b。
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2016年6月英语六级真题听力原文(一)Part ⅡListening ComprehensionSection AQuestions 1 to 4 are based on the conversation you have just heard.M: (1)So, how long have you been a market research consultant?W: Well, I started straight after finishing university.M: Did you study market research?W: Yeah, and it really helped me to get into the industry, but I have to say that it’s more important to get experience in different types of market research to find out exactly what you’re interested in.M: So what are you interested in?W: (2)Well, at the moment, I specialize in quantitative advertising research, which means that I do two types of projects. (3)Trackers, which are ongoing projects that look at trends or customer satisfaction over a long period of time. The only problem with trackers is that it takes up a lot of your time. But you do build up a good relationship with the client. I also do a couple of ad hoc jobs which are much shorter projects.M: What exactly do you mean by ad hoc jobs?W: It’s basically when companies need quick answers to their questions about their consumers’ habits. They just ask for one questionnaire to be sent out for example, so the time you spend on an ad hoc project tends to be fairly short.M: Which do you prefer, trackers or ad hoc?W: I like doing both and in fact I need to do both at the same time to keep me from going crazy. I need the variety.M: Can you just explain what process you go through with a new client? W: Well, together we decide on the methodology and the objectives of the research. I then design a questionnaire. Once the interviewers have been briefed, I send the client a schedule and then they get back to me with deadlines. Once the final charts and tables are ready, I have to check them and organize a presentation.M: Hmm, one last question, what do you like and dislike about your job? W: (4)As I said, variety is important and as for what I don’t like, it has to be the checking of charts and tables.Questions 5 to 8 are based on the conversation you have just heard.W: Hello, I’m here with Frederick. Now Fred, you went to university in Canada?M: Yeah, that’s right.W: (5)OK, and you have very strong views about universities in Canada. Could you please explain?M: Well, we don’t have private universities in Canada. They’re all public.(6)All the universities are owned by the government, so there is the Ministry of Education in charge of creating the curriculum for the universities and so there is not much room for flexibility. Since it’s agovernment-operated institutio n, things don’t move very fast. If you want something to be done, then their staff do not have so much incentive to help you because he’s a worker for the government. So I don’t think it’s very efficient. However, there are certain advantages of public uni versities, such as the fees being free. You don’t have to pay for your education. But the system isn’t efficient, and it does not work that well. W: Yeah, I can see your point, but in the United States we have many private universities, and I think they are large bureaucracies also. Maybe people don’t act that much differently, because it’s the same thing working for a private university. They get paid for their job. I don’t know if they’re that much more motivated to help people. (7)Also, we have a problem in the United States that usually only wealthy kids go to the best schools and it’s kind of a problem actually.M: (7)I agree with you. I think it’s a problem because you’re not giving equal access to education to everybody. It’s not easy, but having only public universities also might not be the best solution. Perhaps we can learn from Japan where they have a system of private and public universities. Now, in Japan, public universities are considered to be the best.W: Right. It’s the exact opposite in th e United States.M: (8)So, as you see, it’s very hard to say which one is better.W: Right, a good point.Section BQuestions 9 to 11 are based on the passage you have just heard.(9)A recent International Labour Organization report says the deterioration of real wages around the world calls into question the true extent of an economic recovery, especially if government rescue packages are phased out too early.(9)The report warns the picture on wages is likely to get worse this year, despite indications of an economic rebound. Patrick Belser, an International Labour Organization specialist, says declining wage rates are linked to the levels of unemployment.“The quite dramatic unemployment figures, which we now see in some of the countries, strongly suggest that (10)there will be greater pressure on wages in the future as more people will be unemployed, more people will be looking for jobs and the pressure on employers to raise wages to attract workers will decline. So, we expect that the second part of the year will not be very good in terms of wage growth.”The report finds more than a quarter of the countries experienced flat or falling monthly wages in real terms. They include, the United States, Austria, Costa Rica, South Africa and Germany.International Labour Organization economists say some nations have come up with polices to lessen the impact of lower wages during the economic crisis. (11)An example of these is work sharing withgovernment subsidies. Under this scheme, the number of individual working hours is reduced in an effort to avoid layoffs. For this scheme to work, the government must provide wage subsidies to compensate for lost pay due to the shorter hours.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the passage you have just heard.Is there really a magic memory pill or a herbal recall remedy? (12)I have been frequently asked if these memory supplements work. You know, one of the first things I like to tell people when they ask me about these supplements is that a lot of them are promoted as a cure for your memory. But your memory doesn’t need a cure. What your memory needs is a good workout. So really those supplements aren’t going to give you that perfect memory in the way that they promise. (13)The other thing is that a lot of these supplements ar en’t necessarily what they claim to be, and you really have to be wary when you take any of them. The science isn’t there behind most of them. They’re not really well-regulated unless they adhere to some industry standard. You don’t really know that what t hey say is in there is in there. (14)What you must understand is that those supplements, especially in some eastern cultures, are part of a medical practice tradition. People don’t just go in a local grocery store and buy these supplements. In fact, they are prescribed and they’re given at a certain level, a dosage that is understood by a practitioner who’s been trained. And that’s not really the way they’re used in this country. Theother thing people do forget is that these are medicines, so they do have an impact. (15)A lot of times people are not really aware of the impact they have, or the fact that taking them in combination with other medications might put you at an increased risk for something that you wouldn’t otherwise be countering or be at risk for.Section CQuestions 16 to 18 are based on the recording you have just heard.The negative impacts of natural disasters can be seen everywhere. In just the past few weeks, the world has witnessed the destructive power of earthquakes in Indonesia, typhoons in the Philippines, and the destructive sea waves that struck Samoa and neighboring islands.A study by the Center for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters finds that, between 1980 and 2007, nearly 8,400 natural disasters killed more than two million people. These catastrophic events caused more than $1.5 trillion in economic losses.(16)U.N. weather expert Geoffrey Love says that is the bad news. “Over the last 50 years, economic losses have increased by a factor of 50. That sounds pretty terrible, but the loss of life has decreased by a factor of 10 simply because we are getting better at warning people. We are making a difference. Extreme events, however, will continue to occur. But, the message is that they need not be disasters.”Love, who is director of Weather and Disaster Risk Reduction at theWorld Meteorological Organization, says most of the deaths and economic losses were caused by weather, climate, or water-related extremes. These include droughts, floods, windstorms, strong tropical winds and wildfires.He says extreme events will continue. (17)But, he says extreme events become disasters only when people fail to prepare for them. “Many of the remedies are well-known. From a planning perspective, it’s pretty simple. Build better buildings. Don’t build where the hazards will destroy them. From an early-warning perspective, make sure the warnings go right down to the community level. Build community action plans.”The World Meteorological Organization points to Cuba and Bangladesh as examples of countries that have successfully reduced the loss of life caused by natural disasters by taking preventive action.(18)It says tropical storms formerly claimed dozens, if not hundreds of lives, each year, in Cuba. But, the development of an early-warning system has reversed that trend. In 2008, Cuba was hit by five successive hurricanes, but only seven people were killed.Bangladesh also has achieved substantial results. Major storm surges in 1970 and 1991 caused the deaths of about 440,000 people. Through careful preparation, the death toll from a super tropical storm in November 2007 was less than 3,500.Questions 19 to 22 are based on the recording you have just heard.As U.S. banks recovered with the help of the American government and the American taxpayer, President Obama held meetings with top bank executives, telling them it’s time to return the favor. (19)“The way I see it—our banks now have a greater obligation to the goal of a wider recovery,” he said. But the President may be giving the financial sector too much credit. “It was in a free fall, and it was a very scary period.” Economist Martin Neil Baily said. After the failure of Lehman Brothers, many of the world’s largest banks feared the worst as the collapse of the housing bubble exposed investments in risky loans.Although he says the worst is over, Baily says the banking crisis is not. More than 130 U.S. banks failed in 2009. (20)He predicts high failure rates for smaller, regional banks in 2010 as Commercial Real Estate loans co me due. “So there may actually be a worsening of credit availability to small- and medium-sized businesses in the next year or so.”Analysts say the biggest problem is high unemployment, which weakens demand and makes banks reluctant to lend. But U.S. Bancorp chief Richard Davis sees the situation differently.“We’re probably more optimistic than the experts might be.(21)With that in mind, we’re putting in everything we can. Lending is the coal to our engine, so we want to make more loans. We have to find a way to qualify more people and not put ourselves at risk.”While some economists predict continued recovery in the future, Bailysays the only certainty is that banks are unlikely to make the same mistakes twice. “You know, forecasting’s become a very h azardous business so I don’t want to commit myself too much. I don’t think we know exactly what’s going to happen but it’s certainly possible that we could get very slow growth over the next year or two.”(22)If the economy starts to shrink again, Baily says it would make a strong case for a second stimulus—something the Obama administration hopes will not be necessary.Questions 23 to 25 are based on the recording you have just heard.A new study has failed to find any conclusive evidence that lifestyle changes can prevent cognitive decline in older adults. Still there are good reasons to make positive changes in how we live and what we eat as we age.(23)Cognitive decline is the loss of ability to learn new skills, or recall words, names, and faces that is most common as we age. To reduce or avoid it, researchers have examined the effect of smoking, diet, brain-challenging games, exercise and other strategies.Researchers at Duke University scrutinized more than 160 published studies and found an absence of strong evidence that any of these approaches can make a big difference.(24)Co-author James Burke helped design the study. “In the observational studies we found that some of the B vitamins were beneficial. Exercise,diet, cognitive stimulation showed some positive effects, although the evidence was not so strong that we could actually consider these firmly established.”Some previous studies have suggested that challenging your brain with mentally stimulating activities might help. And Burke says that actually does seem to help, based on randomized studies—the researcher’s gold standard.“Cognitive stimulation is one of the areas where we did find some benefit. The exact type of stimulation that an individual uses is not as important as being intellectuall y engaged.”The expert review also found insufficient evidence to recommend any drugs or dietary supplements that could prevent or slow cognitive decline. However, given that there is at least some evidence for positive effects from some of these lifestyle changes, plus other benefits apparently unrelated to cognitive decline, Burke was willing to offer some recommendations.(25)“I think that by having people adopt a healthy lifestyle, both from a medical standpoint as well as nutritional and cognitive stimulation standpoint, we can reduce the incidence of cognitive decline, which will be proof that these factors are, in fact, important.”James Burke of Duke University is one of the authors of a study reviewing previous research on cognitive decline. The paper is publishedonline by the Annals of Internal Medicine.。