2006年12月6级阅读理解逐句翻译
2006年12月一、In a purely biological sense, fear begins with the body's system for reacting to things that can harm us -- the so-called fight-or-flight response. "从纯生物角度来说，恐惧始于人体系统对会伤害我们的事情的反应----即所谓的“战斗或逃脱”反应。
An animal that can't detect danger can't stay alive," says Joseph LeDoux. Like animals, humans evolved with an elaborate mechanism for about potential threats.“不能觉察到危险的动物无法生存”Jeseph LeDoux。
像动物一样，人类进化过程中形成了一个精巧的机制，以处理潜在威胁的信息。
At its core is a cluster of neurons (神经元) deep in the brain known as the amygdala (扁桃核).该机制的核心是大脑内部的一束被称为扁桃核的神经元。
LeDoux studies the way animals and humans respond to threats to understand how we form memories of significant events in our lives.Ledoux研究了动物和人类对危险的反应方式，以理解我们对于生活中重要事件是如何形成记忆的。
The amygdala receives input from many parts of the brain, including regions responsible for retrieving memories.扁桃核从大脑的很多部位中接受输入的信息，包括负责回收记忆的部位。
Using this information, the amygdala appraises a situation - I think this charging dog wants to bite me - and triggers a response by radiating nerve signals throughout the body.使用该信息，扁桃核对情景进行分析---我觉得这只充满攻击性的狗想咬我---进而通过体内神经信号的辐射启动效应。
These signals produce the familiar signs of distress: trembling, perspiration and fast-moving feet, just to name three.这些信号产生与危险相似的信号：颤抖、流汗和快步逃跑，这仅是其中的三种反应。
This fear mechanism is critical to the survival of all animals, but no one can say for sure whether beasts other than humans know they're afraid.恐惧机制对所有动物的生存都是至关重要的，但是没有人敢肯定地说除了人以外，动物是否感受到了恐惧。
That is, as LeDoux says, "if you put that system into a brain that has consciousness, then you get the feeling of fear."正如Ledoux所言：“如果你把该机制放进一个有知觉的大脑中，你就会有恐惧的感觉”Humans, says Edward M. Hallowell, have the ability to call up images of bad things that happened in the past and to anticipate future events.Edward M.Hallowell说人类拥有回忆过去发生的不好事情的图像和预测未来的能力。
Combine these higher thought processes with our hardwired danger-detection systems, and you get a near-universal human phenomenon: worry.把这些高级思维过程与我们固有的危险探测系统结合在一起，你将会获得一个几乎是人类所共有的现象：担忧。
That's not necessarily a bad thing, says Hallowell, "When used properly, worry is an incredible device," he says.Hallowell说，这未必是件坏事。
“如果使用恰当，担忧式中难以置信的设计”他说。
After all, a little healthy worrying is okay if it leads to constructive action -- like having a doctor look at that weird spot on your back.毕竟，稍许健康的担忧是未尝不可的，如果担忧可以带来建设性的行为----如让医生检查一下你背上奇怪的斑点。
Hallowell insists, though, that there's a right way to worry.但是Hallowell坚持认为，担忧存在着一种正确的模式。
"Never do it alone, get the facts and then make a plan," he says.“永远不要只是担忧，要获取事实，然后指定计划”他说。
Most of us have survived a recession, so we're familiar with the belt-tightening strategies needed to survive a slump.我们中的大多数都有从衰退中熬过来的精力，所以我们都熟知度过低潮所需要的节约政策。
Unfortunately, few of us have much experience dealing with the threat of terrorism, so it's been difficult to get facts about how we should respond.不幸的是，我们中仅有少数人有处理恐怖主义危险的经验，所以要获取我们应该如何应对的信息变得十分困难。
That's why Hallowell believes it was okay for people to indulge some extreme worries last fall by asking doctors for Cipro (抗炭疽菌的药物) and buying gas masks.这就是为什么Hallowell认为在去年秋天的时候，人们向医生获取抗炭疽菌的药物和购买防毒面具并由此深陷于某种极度担忧中的行为是可以理解的。
二、Amitai Etzioni is not surprised by the latest headings about scheming corporate crooks (骗子). Amitai Etzioni并没有对最新的关于行骗团伙的阴谋的报纸标题感到惊奇。
As a visiting professor at the Harvard Business School in 1989, he ended his work there disgusted with his students’overwhelming lost for money.作为1989年哈佛大学商学院的访问学者，他在结束工作时对于他的学生对金钱的绝大欲望感到厌恶。
“They’re taught that profit is all that matters,”he says. “Many schools don’t even offer ethics (伦理学) courses at all.”“他们被教育金钱就是一切。
他说,“很对学校甚至不提供任何伦理学的课程。
”Etzioni expressed his frustration about the interests of his graduate students.Etzioni说他对他的研究生们的兴趣所在感到沮丧。
“By and large, I clearly had not found a way to help classes full of MBAs see that there is more to life than money, power, fame and self-interest.”He wrote at the time. Today he still takes the blame for not educating these “business-leaders-to-be.”“I really like I failed them,”he says. “If I was a better teacher maybe I could have reached them.”“很长时间，很明显我找不到一个方法让一个MBA班的学员认识生活不但是金钱，全力，名声和私立”他那时候写道。
现在她仍然自责当初没有好好教导这群“未来的商业领袖”“我真的觉得我让他们失望了”他说：“如果我当初是个更好的老师，或许就能够影响他们”Etzioni was a respected ethics expert when he arrived at Harvard.初到哈佛的时候，Etzioni是一位受人尊敬的伦理学专家。
He hoped his work at the university would give him insight into how questions of morality could be applied to places where self-interest flourished.他希望他在哈佛的工作可以帮他弄明白如何让道德问题应用于充满私立的地方。
2006年12月英语六级阅读真题及答案
2006年12月英语六级真题(B卷)Passage OneQuestions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage.Each summer, no matter how pressing my work schedule, I take off one day exclusively for my son. We call it dad-son day. This year our third stop was the amusement park, where he discovered that he was tall enough to ride one of the fastest roller coasters(过山车) in the world. We blasted through face-stretching turns and loops for ninety seconds. Then, as we stepped off the ride, he shrugged and, in a distressingly calm voice, remarked that it was not as exciting as other rides he’d been on. As I listened, I began to sense something seriously out of balance.Throughout the season, I noticed similar events all around me. Parents seemed hard pressed to find new thrills for indifferent kids. Surrounded by ever-greater stimulation, their young faces wore looking disappointed and bored.Facing their children’s complaints of “nothing to do”. Parents were shelling out large numbers of dollars for various forms of entertainment. In many cases the money seemed to do little more than buy transient relief from the terrible moans of their bored children. This set me pondering the obvious question: “How can it be so hard for kids to find something to do when there’s never been such a range of stimulating entertainment available to them?”Why do children immersed in this much excitement seem starved for more? That was, I realized, the point. I discovered during my own reckless adolescence that what creates excitement is not going fast, but going faster. Thrills have less to do with speed than changes in speed.I’m concerned about the cumulative effect of years at these levels of feverish activity. It is no mystery to me why many teenagers appear apathetic (麻木的) and burned out, with a “been there, done that”air of indifference toward much of life. As increasing numbers of friends’ children are prescribed medications-stimulants to deal with inattentiveness at school or anti-depressants to help with the loss of interest and joy in their lives-l question the role of kids boredom in some of the diagnoses.My own work is focused on the chemical imbalances and biological factors related to behavioral and emotional disorders. These are complex problems. Yet I’ve been reflecting more and more on how the pace of life and the intensity of stimulation may be contributing to the rising rates of psychiatric problems among children and adolescents in our society.21. The author felt surprised in the amusement park at the face that________.A) his son was not as thrilled by the roller coaster ride as expectedB) his son blasted through the turns and loops with his face stretchedC) his son appeared distressed but calm while riding the roller coasterD) his son could keep his balance so well on the fast-moving roller coaster22. According to the author, children are bored _________.A) unless their parents can find new thrills for themB) when they don’t have any access to stimulating fun gamesC) when they are left alone at weekends by their working parentsD) even if they are exposed to more and more kinds of entertainment23. From his own experience. the author came to the conclusion that children seem to expect________.A) a much wider variety of sports facilitiesB) activities that require sophisticatedC) ever-changing thrilling forms of recreationD) physical exercises that are more challenging24. In Para. 6 . the author expresses his doubt about the effectiveness of trying to change children indifference toward much of life by ________.A) diverting their interest from electronic visual gamesB) prescribing medications for their temporary reliefC) creating more stimulating activities for themD) spending more money on their entertainment25. In order to alleviate children’s boredom, the author w ould probably suggest ____ .A) adjusting the pace of life and intensity of stimulationB) promoting the practice of dad-son daysC) consulting a specialist in child psychologyD) balancing school work with extracurricular activitiesPassage TwoQuestions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage.It used to be that people were proud to work for the same company for the whole of their working lives. They’d get a gold watch at the end of their productive years and a dinner featuring speeches by their bo sses praising their loyalty/But today’s rich cap italists have regressed (倒退) to the “survival of the fittest”ideas and their loyalty extends not to their workers or even to their stockholders but only to themselves. Instead of giving out gold watches worth a hundred or so dollars for forty or so years of work, they grab tens and even hundreds of millions of dollars as they sell for their own profit the company they may have been with for only a few years.The new rich selfishly act on their own to unfairly grab the wealth that the country as a whole has produced. The top l percent of the population now has wealth equal to the whole bottom 95 percent and they want more. Their selfishness is most shamelessly expressed in downsizing and outsourcing (将产品包给外公司做) because these business maneuvers don’t act to create new jobs as the founders of new industries used to do, but only to cut out jobs while keeping the money value of what those jobs produced for themselves.To keep the money machine working smoothly the rich have bought all the politicians from the top down. The president himself is constantly leaving. Washington and the business of the nation because he is summoned to “fundraising dinners” where fat cats pay a thousand or so dollars a plate to worm their way into government not through service but through donations of vast amounts of money. Once on the inside they have both political parties busily tearing up all the regulations that protect the rest of us from the greed of the rich.The middle class used to be loyal to the free enterprise system. In the past, the people of the middle class mostly thought they’d be rich themselves someday or have a good shot at becoming rich. But nowadays income is being distributed more and more unevenly and corporate loyalty is a thing of the past. The middle class may also wake up to forget its loyalty to the so-called freeenterprise system altogether and the government which governs only the rest of us while letting the corporations do what they please with our jobs. As things stand. if somebody doesn’t wake up, the middle class is on a path to being downsized all the way to the bottom of society.26. It can be inferred form the first paragraph that people used to place a high value on _________ .A) job securityB) boss es’ praiseC) corporate loyaltyD) retirement benefits27. The author is strongly critical of today’s rich capitalists for _________.A) not giving necessary assistance to laid-off workersB) maximizing their profits at the expense of workersC) not setting up long-term goals for their companiesD) rewarding only those who are considered the fittest28. The immediate consequence of the new capitalists’ practice is ________ .A) loss of corporate reputationB) lower pay for the employeesC) a higher rate of unemploymentD) a decline in business transactions29. The rich try to sway the policy of the government by ________ .A) occupying important positions in both political partiesB) making monetary contributions to decision-makersC) pleasing the public with generous donationsD) constantly hosting fundraising dinners30. What is the author’s purpose in writing this passage?A) To call on the middle class to remain loyal to the free enterprise system.B) To warn the government of the shrinking of the American middle class.C) To persuade the government to change its current economic policies.D) To urge the middle class to wake up and protect their own interests.Passage ThreeQuestions 31 to 35 are based on the following passageIntel chairman Andy Grove has decided to cut the Gordian knot of controversy surrounding stem cell research by simply writing a check.The check, which he pledged last week, could be for as much as $5 million, depending on how many donors make gifts of between $50,000 and $500,000. which he has promised to match. It will be made out to the University of California-San Francisco (UCSF).Thanks in part to such private donations, university research into uses for human stem cells the cells earliest stages of development that can form any body part-will continue in California. With private financial support, the state will be less likely to lose talented scientists who would betempted to leave the field or even leave the field or even leave the country as research dependent on federal money slows to a glacial (极其缓慢的) pace.Hindered by limits President Bush placed on stem cell research a year ago, scientists are turning to laboratories that can carry out work without using federal money. This is awkward for universities. Which must spend extra money building separate labs and keeping rigorous records proving no federal funds were involved. Grove’s donation, a first step toward a $20 million target at UCSF. Will ease the burden.The president’s decision a year ago to allow resear ch on already existing stem cell lines was portrayed as a reasonable compromise between scientists’ needs for cells to work with, and concerns that this kind of research cold lead to wholesale creation and destruction of human embryos (胚胎)。
历年六级翻译真题汇总06年12月-11年12月
历年翻译真题11.682.Even though they were already late, they would rather stop to enjoy the beautiful view.83.No agreement was reached in the discussion between the two parties, as either side refusesto lose their ground.84.The pills could have cured the cancer patient, but he didn’t follow the doctor’s advice andtake them regularly.85.It is really kind of you to give me so much help; I really feel obliged to you.86.The war left the family scattered all over the world, and it was thirty years before they wereable to reunite.11.1282.You shouldn’t have run across the road without looking. You might have been knockedover/down by a car.83.By no means does he consider himself (to be)an expert/regard himself as an expert.84.He doesn’t appreciate the sacrifice his friends have made for him, and he takes what theyhave done for granted/which he takes for granted.85.Janet told me that she would rather her mother hadn’t interfered (干涉) with her marriage.86.To keep up with the expanding frontiers of scholarship, Edward Wilson found himsel fsurfing the Internet frequently for information.10.1282re is no denying that yo u cannot be too carefu l (越仔细越好) in dealing with this matter. 83.y when I reached my thirties did I realize that reading could not be neglected我才意识到读书是不能被忽视的).84. M uch to the researchers' surprise (使研究人员感到惊讶), the outcome of the experimentwas far better than they had expected.85. Oh, my, I can’t find my key; I must have left it somewhere (我一定是把它忘在哪儿了).86. I would rather join you to do volunteer work(宁愿加入你们去做义工) than go to the beachfor a holiday.2010年6月82. Their only son has never thought (他们的独生儿子从未想过) to leave them and strike out on his own though he is in his late twenties.83. Before you take any action, please remember to weigh your decision against its possible consequences.（权衡你的决定会产生的后果）.84. He assured his friend that under no circumstances would he break/breach hispromise/commitment to pay back the money.（他会违背还钱的承诺）.85. Most educators advise that kids should not be addicted to computer games. / should not indulge themselves in computer games / should not abandon themselves to computer games.（不要沉溺于电脑游戏）.86. Business major as he is, he has never considered working as a salesman.（从未考虑过从事推销员的工作）.2009年12月82.How long does a jacket like this last me?-- It depends on how often you wear it (这要看你多长时间穿一次)83.The theory he advanced has proved (to be )a challenge to many traditional concepts(对许多传统概念的一种挑战)84.The manager could have attended the meeting in person /by himself (本可以亲自参加会议)，but he was called away from urgent business abroad.85.Both research and practical experience have shown that a a balance diet is essential /vital to health (均衡的饮食对健康是必不可少的)86.Much regretted as I felt (我感到遗憾)，I was unable to finish the work on time.2009年6月82. With the oil prices ever rising, she tried to talk him into stopping buying a car/him out of buying a car. (说服他不买车).83. Keeping a sense of humor helps to/is helpful to (保持幽默感有助于) reduce stress and promote creative thinking in today’s appetitive society.84. When confronted with the evidence,he had no choice but to/had to confess his criminal behavior/the crime he had committed. (他只得坦白本身的恶行).85. When people say, “I can feel my ears burning,” it means they think someone must be talking about them behind their back/there must be someone who is speaking ill of them. (肯定是有人在说她们的坏话).86. She has decided to go on a diet, but finds it hard/difficult to resist the temptation of ice-cream. (很难抵抗冰淇淋的魅惑).2008年12月真题82. He designed the first suspension bridge , which made a perfect combination of beauty and function/combine beauty with function perfectly . (把美观与功效完美地联合起来).83. It was very dark, but Mary seemed to know which way to take instinctively/by instinct (本能地懂得该走哪条路).84. I don’t think it advisable that parents (should) deprive children of their freedom (剥夺孩子们的自由) to spend their spare time as they wish.85. Older adults who have a high level of daily activities have more energy and a lower death rate compared with /in comparsion with those who don’t(与不那么活跃的人相比灭亡率要低).86. Your resume should attract a would-be boss’s attention by demonstrating why you would be/ are the best candidate for a certain position (为什么你是某个特定职位的最佳挑选出的人).2008年6月真题82. We can say a lot of things about those who devote/dedicate their whole lives to poetry (毕生致力于诗歌的人): they are passionate, impulsive, and unique.83. Mary couldn’t have received my letter, or /otherwise she would have replied/ made a replyto me last week (不然她上周就该回信了).84. Nancy is supposed to have finished/compeleted her /the chemical experiment (做完化学测试) at least two weeks ago.85. Never once have the old couple quarreled with each other (老两口互相争吵) since they were married 40 years ago.86. The future prosperity of a nation largely depends on/To a great extent, the future prosperity of a nation relies on(一个国家未来的繁荣在很大水平上有赖于) the quality of education of its people.2007年12月真题82. But for mobile phones, our communication would not have been so efficient and convenient (我们的通信就不能如此迅速以及方便).83. In handling an embarrassing situation, nothing is more helpful than a sense of humor (没有什么比幽默感更有帮助的了).84. The Foreign Minister said he was resigning, but (he) refused to make further explanation (for doing so)/to further explain why (但他拒绝进一步诠释这样做的原因).85. Human behavior is mostly a product of learning while animal behavior depends mainly /is mainly dependent on/upon their instinct(s) (而动物的举动首要寄托本能).86. The witness was told that under no circumstances should he lie to the court (他都不应该对法庭扯谎）.2007年6月真题82. The auto manufacturers found themselves competing with foreign firms for market share (正在同外国公司竞争市场的份额).83. Only in the small town does he feel secure and relaxed (他才感到安全以及放松).84. It is absolutely unfair that these children are deprived of the right to receive education (被剥夺了受教诲的权利).85. Our years of hard work are all in vain, not to mention / let alone the large amount of money we have spent (更不要提我们破费的大量款项了).86. The problems of blacks and women have gained / caused considerable public concern inrecent decades (最近几十年受到公家至关大的存眷).2006年12月真题72. If you had followed my advice, you would not have be in trouble now/ you wouldn’t have run into trouble. (听从了我的忠告，你就不会陷入麻烦).73. With tears on her face, the lady watched her injured son sent into the operation room. (看着她负伤的儿子被送进手术室).74. After the terrorist attack, tourists were advised not to travel to that country at the moment (被奉劝暂时不要去该国旅游).75. I prefer to communicate with my customers via E-mail instead of telephone (路程经过过程写电子邮件而不是打电话).76. Until the deadline came, he didn’t sent out/ It was not until the deadline that he sent out/Not until the deadline did he send (直至截止日他才寄出) his application form.。
06年12月6级试题以及原文
Part III Listening Comprehension (35 minutes)注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
11.A) Dr. Smith’s waiting room isn’t tidy. B) Dr. Smith enjoys reading magazines.C) Dr. Smith has left a good impression on her. D) Dr. Smith may not be a good choice.12.A) The man will rent the apartment when it is available.B) The man made a bargain with the landlady over the rent.C) The man insists on having a look at the apartment first.D) The man is not fully satisfied with the apartment.13.A) Packing up to go abroad. B) Brushing up on her English.C) Drawing up a plan for her English course. D) Applying for a visa to the United States.14.A) He is anxious to find a cure for his high blood pressure.B) He doesn’t think high blood pressure is a p roblem for him.C) He was not aware of his illness until diagnose d with it.D) He did not take the symptoms of his illness seriously.15.A) To investigate the causes of AIDS.B) To raise money for AIDS patients.C) To rally support for AIDS victims in Africa.D) To draw attention to the spread of AIDS in Asia.16.A) It has a very long history.B) It is a private institution.C) It was founded by Thomas Jefferson.D) It stresses the comprehensive study of nature.17.A) They can’t fit into the machine. B) They have not been delivered yet.C) They were sent to the wrong address. D) They were found to be of the wrong type.18.A) The food served in the cafeteria usually lacks variety.B) The cafeteria sometimes provides rare food for the students.C) The students find the service in the cafeteria satisfactory.D) The cafeteria tries hard to cater to the students’ needs.Questions 19 to 22 are based on the conversation you have just heard.19 .A) He picked up some apples in his yard.B) He cut some branches off the apple tree.C) He quarreled with his neighbor over the fence.D) He cleaned up all the garbage in the woman’s yard.20.A) Trim the apple trees in her yard. B) Pick up the apples that fell in her yard.C) Take the garbage to the curb for her. D) Remove the branches from her yard.21.A) File a lawsuit against the man. B) Ask the man for compensation.C) Have the man’s apple tree cut down. D) Throw garbage into the man’s yard.22.A) He was ready to make a concession. B) He was not intimidate d.C) He was not prepared to go to court. D) He was a bit concerned.Questions 23 to 25are based on the conversation you have just heard.23.A) Bad weather. B) Human error.C) Breakdown of the engines. D) Failure of the communications system.24.A) Two thousand feet. B) Twelve thousand feet.C) Twenty thousand feet. D) Twenty-two thousand feet.25.A) Accurate communication is of utmost importance.B) pilots should be able to speak several foreign languages.C) Air controllers should keep a close watch on the weather.D) Cooperation between pilots and air controllers is essential.Section B注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
06年12月六级真题参考答案
Part VI Translation
72. followed my advice, you would not have run into trouble 73. watched her injured son being sent into the operation room 74. were advised not to travel to that country at the moment 75. by/ via email instead of phone 76. It was not until the deadline did he send out/post
Part IV Reading Comprehension (Reading in Depth)
Section A 47. a blessing 48. simplified 49. it had nearly been destroyed by a firestorm Or: A tragedy / disaster / loss almost occurred to it 50. different 51. make a list of the unnecessary things (before unloading them)
Part III Listening Comprehension
Section A 11. D 12. C 15. D 16. A 19. B 20.D 23. B 24.C Section B 26. B 27. C 30. A 31. D 34.D /them its----their
• 语义矛盾： acceptance----rejection • 词性：adj-adv，adv-adj
2006年考研英语阅读理解部分翻译
但为君故系列
3
出时顺便看看。RSC 主张，是看戏者给城镇带来大量的税收，因为他们通常花整 晚上时间（有些是四到五个晚上）在旅馆或饭店里大量消费。然而游览者在当天 的黄昏前就能把所有事情做完了，然后离开小镇。 当地居民并不这么认为，地方政府也直接没有给予 RSC 补贴。Stratford 一 向都会哭穷。然而城镇上每一家旅馆似乎都增加了新的部门或是鸡尾酒酒吧。希 尔顿也在这儿建了一座自己的酒店， 这里肯定可以能看到被装饰一新的哈姆雷特 汉堡酒吧，Lear 休息室，宴会厅等等。进一步说，这里消费将很贵。 总之，居民不明白为什么 RSC 需要补贴。 （剧院已经打破了连续三年以来的 就座率纪录。去年整年的 1431 个座位的就坐率达到了 94%，今年将会更高。 ）当 然，原因是，演戏的花费高了，然而票价仍然很低。 大幅增加票价是一件很为难的事情，因为这样会把 Stratford 的最有魅力的 顾客－年轻人赶走。他们完全是为了戏而来，不是为风景。他们看起来都一个样 （虽然他们从各个地方而来） ——消瘦、率直、专注的脸庞，穿着牛仔裤和便 鞋，吃着小圆面包，在剧场外的石板上过夜，以便能买得到 20 张座票和 80 张 站票，这些票都是为那些睡觉的人准备的，并且在票房第二天上午 10 点半开始 售票时就卖给他们。 26. 从文章的前两段可知 A 该镇居民否认 RSC 对增加该镇收入有贡献 B RSC 的演员在台上台下都模仿莎士比亚 C RSC 的两个分支机构关系不好 D 该镇居民从旅游业获利很少 27. 从第三段可以推断出 A 观光客不能分开游览沃里克城堡和布兰汉姆宫 B 看戏者比观光客花钱多 C 观光客比看戏者购物多 D 看戏者在镇上只光顾剧院，哪儿也不去 28. 作者提到“Stratford cries poor traditionally”（第四段第二行） ， 其暗含的意思是 A 斯特拉福镇无法负担扩建计划的费用 B 斯特拉福镇长期处于经济困难状态 C 该镇并不真正缺钱 D 该镇居民过去收入很低 29. 在斯特拉福镇居民看来，RSC 不应该获得拨款，因为 A 可以提高票价来支付开销 B 公司财务管理不善 2016 硕 士 研 究 生 入 学 考 试 但为君故
2006年12月6级真题
2006年12月6级真题Part I WritingDirections:For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay entitled The Celebration of Western Festival. You should write at least 150 words following the outline given below:1．现在国内有不少人喜欢过西方的洋节2．产生这种现象的原因3．这种现象可能带来的影响……Part II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) (15 minutes)Why They CameNot many decisions could have been more difficult for a family to make than to say farewell to a community where it had lived for centuries, to abandon old ties and familiar landmarks, and to sail across dark seas to a strange land. Today, when mass communications tell one part of the world all about another, it is quite easy to understand how poverty or tyranny might force people to exchange an old nation for a new one. But centuries ago migration was a leap into the unknown. It was an enormous intellectual and emotional commitment. The forces that moved early immigrants to their great decision – the decision to leave their homes and begin an adventure filled with uncertainty, risk and hardship –must have been of overpowering proportions. As Oscar Handlin states, the early immigrants of America ―would collide with unaccustomed problems, learn to understand alien ways and alien languages, manage to survive in a very foreign environment.‖Despite the obstacles and uncertainties that lay ahead of them, millions did migrate to ―the promised land‖–America. But what was it that moved so many to migrate against such overwhelming odds (可能性)? There were probably as many reasons for coming to America as there were people who came. It was a highly individual decision. Yet it can be said that three large forces –religious persecution, political oppression and economic hardship –provided the chief motives for the mass migrations to America. They were responding in their own way to the pledge of the Declaration of Independence: the promise of ―life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.‖The search for freedom of worship has brought people to America from the days of the Pilgrims to modern times. In 1620, for example, the Mayflower carried a cargo of 102 passengers who ―welcomed the opportunity to advance the gospel(训言) of Christ in these remote parts.‖ A number of other groups such as the Jews and Quakers came to America after the Pilgrims, all seeking religious freedom. In more recent times, anti-Semitic persecution in Hitler’s Germany has driven people from their homes to seek refuge in America. However, not all religious sects(教派) have received the tolerance and understanding for which they came. The Puritans of the Massachusetts Bay Colony showed as little tolerance for dissenting(不同意的) beliefs as the Anglicans of England had shown them. They quickly expelled other religious groups from their society. Minority religious sects, from the Quakers and Shakers through the Catholics and Jews to the Mormons, have at various times suffered both discrimination and hostility in the United States.But the diversity of religious belief has made for religious toleration. In demanding freedom for itself, each sect had to permit freedom for others. The insistence of each successive wave of immigrants upon its right to practice its religion helped make freedom of worship a central part ofthe American Creed(宗教信条). People who gambled their lives on the right to believe in their own God would not easily surrender that right in a new society.The second great force behind immigration has been political oppression. America has always been a refuge from tyranny. As a nation conceived in liberty, it has held out to the world the promise of respect for the rights of man. Every time a revolution has failed in Europe, every time a nation has succumbed to tyranny(暴政), men and women who love freedom have assembled their families and their belongings and set sail across the seas. This process has not come to an end in our own day. The terrors of Hitler’s Germany and Mussolini’s Italy, the terrible wars of Southeast Asia – all have brought new thousands seeking safety in the United States.The economic factor has been more complex than the religious and political factors. From the very beginning, some have come to America in search of riches, some in flight from poverty, and some because they were bought and sold and had no choice.And the various reasons are intertwined. Thus some early arrivals were lured to these shores by dreams of amassing(积聚) great wealth, like the Spanish in Mexico and Peru. These adventurers, expecting quick profits in gold, soon found that real wealth lay in such crops as tobacco and cotton. As they built up the plantation economy in states like Virginia and the Carolinas, they needed cheap labor. So they began to import indentured servants from England (men and women who agreed to labor a term of years in exchange for eventual freedom). And slaves from Africa.The process of industrialization in America increased the demand for cheap labor, and chaotic economic conditions in Europe in creased the supply. If some immigrants continued to believe that the streets of New York were paved with gold, more were driven by the hunger and hardship of their native lands. The Irish potato famine of 1845 brought almost a million people to America in five years. American manufacturers advertised in European newspapers, offering to pay the passage of any man willing to come to America to work for them.The immigrants who came for economic reasons contributed to the strength of the new society in several ways. Those who came from countries with advanced political and economic institutions brought with them faith in those institutions and experience in making them work. They also brought technical and managerial skills which contributed greatly to economic growth in the new land. Above all, they helped give America the extraordinary social mobility which is the essence of an open society.In the community he had left, the immigrant usually had a fixed place. He would carry on his father’s craft of trade; he would farm his father’s land or that small portion of it that was left him after it was divided with his brothers. Only with the most exceptional talent and enterprise could he break out of the circumstances in life into which he had been born. There were no such circumstances for him in the New World. Once having broken with the past, except for sentimental ties and cultural inheritance, he had to rely on his own abilities. It was the future and not the past which he had to face. Except for the Negro slave, the immigrant could go anywhere and do anything his talents permitted. A large, virgin continent lay before him, and he had only to join it together by canals, railroads and roads. If he failed to achieve the dream of a better life for himself, he could still retain it for his children.These were the major forces that started this massive migration to America. Every immigrant served to reinforce and strengthen those elements in American society that had attracted him in the first place. The motives of some immigrants were commonplace. The motives of other were noble.Taken together they add up to the strengths and weaknesses of America.1. Early immigrants _____________________.A. didn’t find it difficult to make decisions to leave their homes.B. were able to know the nation before they left their homes.C. had to face the uncertainties and obstacles when they migrated to a strange land.D. were forced to leave their homeland unwillingly.2. People migrated to America for the following reasons EXCEPT ___________.A. searching for new religious freedom.B. breaking with past cultural inheritance.C. escape political oppression.D. searching for riches.3. The Puritans of the Massachusetts serve as an example of _______________.A. freedom of worshipB. religious intoleranceC. economic successD. respect for the rights of man.4. The diversity of religious belief has ultimately resulted in_______________.A. religious persecution.B. discriminationC. religious toleranceD. hostility5. As a result of the terror of Hitler’s Germany, __________________.A. thousands of Germans revolted against Hitler.B. the Jews and the native Germans succumbed to the tyranny.C. the Germans and Jews fled to seek political protection.D. many Germans left for the U.S. to seek security.6. Some early adventurers like the Spanish in Mexico and Peru were drawn to America by _____________.A. dreams of freedomB. dreams of pursuing great fortuneC. dreams of religious freedomD. dreams of political freedom7. Slaves were imported from Africa for the _________________ reason.A. politicalB. economicC. culturalD. religious8. In what way did immigrants seeking economic freedom contribute to the strength of the U.S. economy?A. They introduced advanced political and economic elites.B. They brought with them technical and managerial skills.C. They introduced the freedom of religion.D. They helped establish social stability.9. The most important contribution immigrants had made to the open society of America is ______________________.10. In the New World, immigrants had to break with the past, and achieved the dream of a better life by relying on _________________.Part III Listening Comprehension (35 minutes)Section A11. A) She helped upgrade the educational level of immigrants.B) Her mother was quite outstanding in academic work.C) She was not particularly interested in going to school.D) Her parents laid great emphasis on academic excellence.12. A) Tickets for its members were cheaper. B) It was filled with people all the time.C) It had a reputation for good service. D) The machines there were iii maintained.13. A) Tom has arranged to meet his bride Sarah in Hawaii.B) A double blessing has descended upon Tom.C) Tom was more excited than Sarah at the wedding.D) Both Sarah and Tom have been awarded doctoral degrees.14. A) The course prepared him adequately for the examination.B) The examination questions were somewhat too difficult.C) The examination was well beyond the course content.D) There were too many questions in the examination.15. A) It’s part of his job.B) It’s less time-consuming.C) His wife is tired of cooking. D) He is sick of home-cooked meals.16. A) He seldom takes things seriously. B) He is very proud of his piano skills.C) He has just started to teach piano lessons. D) He usually understates his achievements.17. A) It’s absurd.B) It’s tedious.C) It’s understandable.D) It’s jus tifiable.18. A) Allow her to take another flight that night. B) Compensate her for the inconvenience.C) Explain the cause of the cancellation. D) Arrange accommodation for her. Questions 19 to 22 are based on the conversation you have just heard.19. A) He doesn’t want to take final exams.B) He hasn’t prepared well for his tests.C) He has too many exams on the same day. D) He needs to get good scores on his tests.20. A) He should go to the Dean of Students Office.B) He ought to talk immediately to his professors.C) He should begin studying at once.D) He ought to decide which tests are most important.21. A) They are both excellent students. B) They have two classes together.C) They haven’t taken final exams before.D) They live in the same dormitory.22. A) Psychology. B) Anthropology. C) Calculus. D) Chemistry. Questions 23 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.23. A) At a dentist office. B) In a school. C) In an ambulance. D) At a hospital.24. A) Doctors. B) Nurses. C) Hospital administrators. D) Patients.25. A) Because they don’t get much practice with them.B) Because they often use them in their work.C) Because they have to pass a test.D) Because they plan to become doctors.Section BPassage OneQuestions 26 to 28 are based on the passage you have just heard.26. A) Setting up a special museum. B) Producing legendary paintings.C) Manufacturing quality furniture. D) Making a fortune from decorative arts.27. A) To increase the popularity of the DuPont Company.B) To promote interest in American decorative arts.C) To tell the story of the American Revolution.D) To show his fascination with Asian culture.28. A) By style or design. B) By manufacturer or origin.C) By function or purpose. D) By theme or period.Passage TwoQuestions 29 to 31 are based on the passage you have just heard.29. A) The number of people relying on their mother tongue will drop.B) The percentage of native speakers of English will increase.C) People will choose Chinese rather than English.D) People may use two or more languages.30. A) The number of Spanish speakers is far greater than that of Arabic speakers.B) Arabic spoken in Egypt differs from Arabic spoken in Morocco in origin.C) Arabic spoken in one Arab country may not be understood in another.D) The number of Arabic speakers is declining because of the invasion of English.31. A) It is uncertain whether English will be the world language in the future.B) Spanish is very likely to become the top language of the world by 2050.C) Most people in the world will learn to speak Chinese in the future.D) It is impossible for Arab countries to standardize their language.Passage ThreeQuestions 32 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.32. A) Because it would cost lots of money to build such special colleges.B) Because it would constitute discrimination against blind students.C) Because they believe blind students prefer to mix with students who can see.D) Because they think blind people should learn to live among sighted people.33. A) By providing them with free medical service.B) By encouraging them to be more self-reliant.C) By offering them more financial assistance.D) By showing them proper care and respect.34. A) Modern technology. B) Professional support.C) Financial aid from the American government.D) Help from the National Federation of the Blind.35. A) Ask American professors to write recommendations on their behalf.B) Obtain American citizenship before they reach the age of 30.C) Apply to the National Federation of the Blind for scholarships.D) Turn to special institutions in their own country for assistance.Section CThe 142-member World Trade Organization (WTO) has reached a (36) ____________ point in efforts to (37) ___________ a new round of global trade negotiations. The trade body’s director-general is warning that if new negotiations are not held soon, the WTO risks being considered (38) ___________The last major round of World Trade Negotiations, the so-called Uruguay Round, conducted by the WTO’s (39) _________ the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, ended successfully in 1993.In 1999 in Seattle, there was a (40) ___________ failure to start a new round. The ministers attending the Seattle meeting were unable to reach an agreement on what the (41) _____________and agenda of fresh negotiations should be.The impact of that (42) __________ produced a resolve that it should not be repeated. But just more than three months before a WTO ministerial meeting in Doha, Qatar, there is still no (43) ____________ on the agenda.One of several obstacles to agreement lies in the argument by developing countries that (44) ______________ _________________________ and they want preliminary assurances that this situation will not continue.Mr. Moore pointed out that the needs of the most advanced economies also have to be taken into account. ―I have said this before, and some do not like me saying it, but the major economies have needs to,‖ he said. ―(45) ________________________________________________________. The new global rules have to take into account the realities of the new economy. And when you have three countries that represent over 60 percent of the world’s imports, therefore jobs everywhere, they have some needs as well.‖Mr. Moore said (46) _________________________________________________.Part IV Reading Comprehension (Reading in Depth) (25 minutes)Section AQuestions 47 to 51 are based on the following passage.Could the bad old days of economic decline be about to return? Since OPEC agreed to supply cuts in March, the price of crude oil has jumped to almost $26 a barrel, up from less than $10 last December. This near tripling of oil prices calls up scary memories of the 1973 oil shock, when prices quadrupled, and 1979-80, when they also almost tripled. Both previous shocks resulted in double-digit inflation and global economic decline. So where are the headlines warning of gloom and doom the time?The oil price was given another push up this week when Iraq suspended oil exports. Strengthening economic growth, at the same time as winter grips the northern hemisphere, could push the price higher still in the short term.Yet there are good reasons to expect the economic consequences now to be less severe than in the 1970s. In most countries the cost of crude oil now accounts for a smaller share of the price of petrol than it did in the 1970s. In Europe, taxes account for up to four-fifths of the retail price, so even quite big changes in the price of crude have a more muted effect on pump prices than in the past.Rich economies are also less dependent on oil than they were, and so less sensitive to swings in the oil price. Energy conservation, a shift to other fuels and a decline in the importance of heavy, energy-intensive industries have reduced oil consumption. Software, consultancy and mobile telephones use far less oil than steel of car production. For each dollar of GDP (in constant prices) rich economies now use nearly 50% less oil than in 1973. The OECD estimates in its latest Economic Outlook that, if oil prices averaged $22 a barrel for a full year, compared with $13 in 1998, this would increase the oil import bill in rich economies by only 0.25-0.5% of GDP. That is less than one quarter of the income loss in 1974 or 1980. On the other hand, oil importing emerging economies—to which heavy industry has shifted—have become more energy-intensive, and so could be more seriously squeezed.One more reason not to lose sleep over the rise in oil prices is that, unlike the rises in the1970s, it has not occurred against the background of general commodity price inflation and global excess demand. A sizable portion of the world is only just emerging from economic decline. The Economist’s commodity price index is broadly unchanging from a year ago. In 1973 commodity prices jumped by 70%, and in 1979 by almost 30%.47. The main reason for the latest rise of oil price is ______________.48. Dramatic inflation and global economic decline in 1970s resulted from ________________.49. The writer doesn’t think the present economic situation will be more severe than in the 1970s because ___________________________________________________.50. The estimates in Economic Outlook show that in rich countries oil-price changes may have _____51. From the last paragraph, we can see that people needn’t worry about the rise of oil prices just because _________________________________.Section BPassage OneEach summer, no matter how pressing my work schedule, I take off one day exclusively for my son. We call it dad-son day. This year our third stop was the amusement park, where he discovered that he was tall enough to ride one of the fastest roller coasters (过山车)in the world. We blasted through face-stretching turns and loops for ninety seconds. Then, as we stepped off the ride, he shrugged and, in a distressingly calm voice, remarked that it was not as exciting as other rides he’d been on. As I listened, I b egan to sense something seriously out of balance.Throughout the season, I noticed similar events all around me. Parents seemed hard pressed to find new thrills for indifferent kids. Surrounded by ever-greater stimulation, their young faces were looking disappointed and bored.Facing their children’s complaints of ―nothing to do‖, parents were shelling out large numbers of dollars for various forms of entertainment. In many cases the money seemed to do little more than buy transient relief from the terrible moans of their bored children. This set me pondering the obvious question: ―How can it be so hard for kids to find something to do when there’s never been such a range of stimulating entertainment available to them?‖What really worries me is the intensit y of the stimulation. I watch my little daughter’s face as she absorbs the powerful onslaught (冲击)of arousing visuals and bloody special effects in movies.Why do children immersed in this much excitement seems starved for more? That was, I realized, the point. I discovered during my own reckless adolescence that what creates excitement is not going fast, but going faster. Thrills have less to do with speed than changes in speed.I’m concerned about the cumulative effect of years at these levels of feverish activity. It is no mystery to me why many teenagers appear apathetic (麻木的)and burned out, wi th a ―been there, d one that‖ air of indifference toward much of life. As increasing numbers of friends’ children are prescribed medications — stimulants to deal with inattentiveness at school or anti-depressants to help with the loss of interest and joy in their lives —I question the role of kids’ boredom in someof the diagnoses.My own work is focused on the chemical imbalances and biological factors related to behavioral and emotional disorders. These are complex problems. Yet I’ve been reflecting more and more on how the pace of life and the intensity of stimulation may be contributing to the rising rates of psychiatric problems among children and adolescents in our society.52. The author felt surprised in the amusement park at the fact that ________.A) his son could keep his balance so well on the fast-moving roller coasterB) his son was not as thrilled by the roller coaster ride as expectedC) his son blasted through the turns and loops with his face stretchedD) his son appeared distressed but calm while riding the roller coaster53. According to the author, children are bored _________.A) even if they are exposed to more and more kinds of entertainmentB) when they are left alone at weekends by their working parentsC) when they don’t have any acc ess to stimulating fun gamesD) unless their parents can find new thrills for them54. From his own experience, the author came to the conclusion that children seem to expect_____.A) a much wider variety of sports facilities B) physical exercises that are morechallengingC) ever-changing thrilling forms of recreationD) activities that require sophisticated skills55. In Para. 6, the author expresses his doubt about the effectiveness of trying to changechildren’s indifference toward much of life by _________.A) creating more stimulating activities for themB) spending more money on their entertainmentC) diverting their interest from electronic visual gamesD) prescribing medications for their temporary relief56. In order to alleviate children’s bo redom, the author would probably suggest ________.A) balancing school work with extracurricular activitiesB) adjusting the pace of life and intensity of stimulationC) consulting a specialist in child psychologyD) promoting the practice of dad-son daysPassage TwoIt used to be that people were proud to work for the same company for the whole of their working lives. They’d get a gold watch at the end of their productive years and a dinner featuring speeches by their bosses praising their loyalty. But tod ay’s rich capitalists have regressed(倒退)to the ―survival of the fittest‖ ideas and their loyalty extends not to their workers or even to their stockholders but only to themselves. Instead of giving out gold watches worth a hundred or so dollars for forty or so years of work, they grab tens and even hundreds of millions of dollars as they sell for their own profit the company they may have been with for only a few years.The new rich selfishly act on their own to unfairly grab the wealth that the country as a whole has produced. The top 1 percent of the population now has wealth equal to the whole bottom 95 percent and they want more. Their selfishness is most shamelessly expressed in downsizing and outsourcing(将产品包给外公司做)because these business maneuvers don’t act to create newjobs as the founders of new industries used to do, hut only to cut out jobs while keeping the money value of what those jobs produced for themselves.To keep the money machine working smoothly the rich have bought all the politicians from the top down. The president himself is constantly leaving Washington and the business of the nation because he is summoned to ―fundraising dinners‖ where fat cats pay a thousand or so dollars a plate to worm their way into government not through service but through donations of vast amounts of money. Once on the inside they have both political parties busily tearing up all the regulations that protect the rest of us from the greed of the rich.The middle class used to be loyal to the free enterprise system. In the past, the people of the middle class mostly thought they’d be rich themselves someday or have a good shot at becoming rich. But nowadays income is being distributed more and more unevenly and corporate loyalty is a thing of the past. The middle class may also wake up to forget its loyalty to the so-called free enterprise system altogether and the government which governs only the rest of us while letting the corporations do what they please with our jobs. As things stand, if somebody doesn’t wake up, the middle class is on a path to being downsized all the way to the bottom of society.57. It can be inferred from the first paragraph that people used to place a high value on _________.A) retirement benefits B) job security C) bosses’ praise D) corporate loyalty58. The author is strongly critical of today’s rich capitalists for _________.A) rewarding only those who are considered the fittestB) not giving necessary assistance to laid-off workersC) maximizing their profits at the expense of workersD) not setting up long-term goals for their companies59. The immediate consequence of the new capitalists’ practice is ___________.A) a decline in business transactions B) a higher rate of unemploymentC) lower pay for the employees D)loss of corporate reputation60. The rich try to sway the policy of the government by _________.A) pleasing the public with generous donationsB) constantly hosting fundraising dinnersC) making monetary contributions to decision-makersD) occupying important positions in both political parties61. What is the author’s purpose in writing this passage?A) To urge the middle class to wake up and protect their own interests.B) To call on tile middle class to remain loyal to the free enterprise system.C) To warn the government of the shrinking of the American middle class.D) To persuade the government to change its current economic policies.Part V Error Correction (15 minutes)The most important starting point for improving the understanding ofscience is undoubtedly an adequate scientific education at school. Publicattitudes towards science owe much the way science is taught in these institutions. Today, school is what most people come into contact with a formal instruction and explanation of science for the first time, at least in a systematic way. It is at this point which the foundations are laid for an 62 _________63 _________64 _________。
06.12六级听力原文及解析
2006年12月新六级考试听力原文听力原文：Questions 11:W:I need to find a dentist; you said you know Dr. Smith well, do you recommend her?M: Well, I had to see her a few times, but what impressed me most were the magazines in her waiting room.Q: What does the woman imply?Question 12:W: I’m afraid I can’t show you the apartment at the moment, because the tenant is still living in it. It’s really a lovely place, with a big kitchen and a sunny window, for only two hundred dollars a month.M: Sounds good, but we really can’t rent an apartment without seeing it first.Q: What do we learn from the conversation?Question 13:M: So, that’s what’s been keeping you so busy recently!W: Yes, I’ve been tied up with my studies. You know I’m planning to go to the United States this c oming summer, but I’m a bit nervous about my English.Q: What is the woman busy doing?Question 14:W: How did you feel when you found out you had high blood pressure?M: Shocked! The problem for me was that there were no symptoms; it seemed to have sneaked up on me.Q: What does the man mean?Question 15:W: So, you’re just back from a trip to India. What were you doing there?M: The trip was intended to bring to the world’s attention the fact that AIDS is not just an African disease; it’s also endangering other countries, notably, India and Thailand.Q: What was the purpose of the man’s trip to India?Question 16:M: It’s quite clear form my visit, this is a full size, comprehensive university. So why is it still called a college? W: The College of William and Mary is the second oldest institution of higher learning in this country. We have nurtured great minds like Thomas Jefferson and we are proud of our name.Q: What do we learn from this conversation about the College of William and Mary?Question 17:M: Have the parts we need for the photo copying machine arrived yet?W: I ordered them last week, but something is holding them up.Q: What does the woman say about the parts needed for the photo copying machine?Question 18:W: The cafeteria provided many kinds of dished for us today. Did you notice that?M: Yes, kind of rare, isn’t it?Q: What does the man imply?Now you’ll hear the two long conversations.Conversation One:W: :Hello, Patrick, is that you?M: Yeah Jane, what can I do for you?W: I was calling about the apple tree that you were trimming yesterday.M: That was hard work!W: I’m sure it was. It sure looked difficult.M: Yeah, I’m glad it’s finished. Hauling the branches to the front for garbage pick up was no fun either.W: Well, I don’t think you’re quite finished yet, some of the larger branches fell over into my yard, and I think you should come and get them.M: Listen Jane, I don’t see why I should do that. You eat all the apples that fall in your yard and you’ve never complained about that before.W: Well, it’s easier to pick up apples then to drag tree branches all the way to the curb. My kids pick up the apples, and the branches are just too big for them to drag.M: Well, I guess you’ll just have to do it yourself Jane.W: Patrick, I wi sh you would reconsider. We’ve always gotten along fairly well, but I think you’re out of line here. The branches are your responsibility.M: Sorry Jane, I disagree! You take the benefits of the apple tree, but refuse to deal with the bad side of it!Besid es, it won’t take you any time to get the branches out front!W: Get the branches off my property or I’ll have to sue you.M: Yeah? For what?! You’re taking those law classes too seriously! I’ve gotta go, I have to pick up my son.W: You’ll be hearing from me.M: Yeah, yeah. See you in court Jane.Questions 19-22 are based on the questions you have just heard.Question 19:What did the man do yesterday?Question 20:What did the woman ask the man to do?Question 21:What did the woman threaten to do?Question 22:What was the man’s reaction to the woman’s threat?Conversation Two:M: Did you hear about the air crash that occurred in South America recently? It was quite a tragic accident!W: No，I didn’t see anything in the news about it. What happened?M: A foreign airliner was attempting to land at night in a mountainous area in Argentina and flew into a hill!W: That sounds really terrible! Did anyone survive?M: No, everyone aboard, including the crew, was killed instantly.W: What were the circumstances? Were they bad weather, a fire, or engine failure?M: Apparently, there was some low clouds in the area, but mostly it was just miscommunication between the pilots and the are traffic controllers.W: Weren’t they both speaking in English, the official internat ional aviation language?M: Yes they were, but the transmit ion from poor quality radios was slightly distorted and the accents of the Spanish speaking controllers was so strong that the pilots that the pilots misunderstood a vital instruction.W: How could a misunderstanding like that cause such a serious accident?M: The pilots were told to descend to 2-2,000 feet. The instruction actually meant 22,000 feet, but they thought they heard descend 2,000 feet. That’s a huge difference, and it should have been confirmed, but it was not. Unfortunately, the terrain of the mountains in Norweija ascend to 2,000 feet.W: So the pilots did descend to the wrong altitude then, because they were following the air controllers instructions.M: Sadly enough, yes they did. It was a really bad mistake. Many people died as a result of the simply understanding.W: Wow, that’s a powerful lesson on how important it can be to accurately communicate to each other.Questions: 23-25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.Question 23:What was the cause of the tragedy?Question 24:How high are the mountains in Norweija?Question 25:What lesson could be drawn from the accident?Section B:Passage one:Edgar Poe, an American writer, was born in 1809. His parents were actors. Edgar was a baby when his father left the family. He was two years old when his mother died. He was taken into the home of a wealthy business man named John Allen. He then received his real name, Edgar Allen Poe. As a young man, Poe attended the University of Virginia. He was a good student, but he liked to drink alcohol and play card games for money. As an unskilled game player, he often lost money. Since he couldn’t pay off his gambling money, he left university and began working for magazines. He worked hard, yet he was not well paid, or well known. At the age of 27, he got married. For a time it seemed that Poe would find happiness, but his wife was sick for most of their marriage, and died in 1847. Through all his crises, Poe produced many stories and poems which appeared in different publications, yet he didn’t become famous until 1845, when his poem, The Raven, was published. There is a question, however, about Poe’s importance in American Literature. Some critics say that Poe was one of America’s best writers, and even influenced many French writers, but others disagree. They say that Poe’s work is difficult to understand and most of his writing describes many unpleasant situations and events. Edgar Allen Poe died in 1849 when he was 40 years old. It is said that he was found dead after days of heavy drinking. Questions26:What happened to Edgar Allen Poe’s family, when he was only two years old?Question 27:Why did Edgar Allen Poe leave the University of Virginia?Question 28:What do some critics say about Edgar Allen Poe?Question 29:How did Edgar Allen Poe’s life come to an end?Passage Two:More than fifty years ago, the United Nations declared that literacy is a basic human right. It’s very important for improving the lives of individuals, however, it is estimated that 880 million adults around the world are illiterate, that is, they are unable to read or write. A majority of them are women. Over 100 million school age children around the world do not attend school. Many others complete school of fail to finish their studies without learning to read or write. Many countries depend on the efforts of people who offer their time to help illiterate individuals. For example, John Mogger became concerned about the problem of illiteracy three years ago, so he started teaching five prisoners in Brazil. In his teaching, he developed a system with these prisoners. He says his way of teaching can help anyone learn how to read and write with about thirty hours of study. To learn his system, people must first know how to write letters of the alphabet and learn which sounds they represent. The system divides letters into three groups. The first group of letter can be written between two lines. The second can be written between two lines but part of the letter is above the top line. The third group has letters that are partly written below the lower line. John Mogger taught his students to write simply words from the letters, in this way, his students learned more than seven hundred words. Many of them can now write to family members. They also can read newspapers and magazines.Questions 30:According to the speaker, which group of people make up the majority of the illiterate population? Question 31:What is the most important feature of John Moggers method of teaching the alphabet?Question 32:What does John Mogger say about his teaching method?Passage Three:Farmers usually use plows to prepare their fields for planting crops. Plows cut into the ground, and lift up weeds, and other unwanted plants. However, plowing is blamed for causing severe damage to top soil by removing the plants that protect soil from being blown or washed away. Many farmers in South Asia are now trying a processcalled Low Till Farming. Low Till Farming limits the use of plows. In this method of farming seeds and fertilizer are put into the soil through small cuts made in the surface of the ground. Low Till Agriculture leaves much or all the soil and remains of plants on the ground. They serve as a natural fertilizer and help support the roots of future crops. They take in rain and allow it to flow into the soil instead of running off. It has been proved that Low Till Farming increases harvests and reduces water use, and this method reduced the need for chemical products because there are fewer unwanted plants. Scientists say Low Till Farming is becoming popular in South Asia, which is facing a sever water shortage. They say the area will become depended on imported food unless water is saved through methods like Low Till Farming. Currently, more than 150 million people in South Asia depend on local rice and wheat crops. Farmers grow rice during wet weather. During the dry season they grow wheat in the same fields. Farmers are using the Low Till method to plant wheat after harvesting rice. Scientists say Low Till Agriculture is one of the best examples in the worlds of technologies working for both people, and the environment.Question 33:What is the main problem cause by the usual way of plowing?Question 34:What does the speaker say about Low Till Farming?Question 35:Where is Low Till Farming becoming popular?Section C: DirectionsIn this section you will hear a passage three times. When the passage is read for the first time, you should listen carefully for its general idea. When the passage is read the second time you are required to fill in the blanks numbered from 36-43 with the exact words you have just heard. For the blanks numbered 44-46 you are required to fill in the missing information. For these blanks you can either use the exact words you have just heard or write down the main points in your own words. Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should check what you have written. Now, listen to the passage.Adults are getting smarter about how smart babies are. Not long ago, researches learned that four day olds could understand addition and subtraction. Now, British research psychologist Gram Shaffer has discovered that infants can learn words or uncommon things long before they can speak. He found that nine month old infants could be taught through repeated show and tell to recognize the names of objects that were foreign to them, a result that challenges in some ways, the received wisdom that apart from learning to identify things common to their daily lives, child ren don’t being to build vocabulary until well into their second year. “It’s no secret that children learn words, but the words they tend to know are linked to specific situations in the home,” explains Shaffer. This is the first demonstration that we can choose what words the children will learn and that they can respond to them with an unfamiliar voice giving instructions in an unfamiliar setting. “Figuring out how human acquire language may shed light on why some children learn to read and write later th an others,” Shaffer says, “and could lead to better treatments for developed mental problems.” What’s more, the study of language acquisition offers direct insight into how humans learn. “Language is a test case for human cognitive development,” says Shaffer, “but parents eager to teach their infants should take note. Even without being taught new words a control group caught up with the other infants within a few months.” This is not about advancing development, he says, it’s just about what children can do at an earlier age than what educators have often thought.This is the end of Listening Comprehension.翻译题仍然围绕基本语法，句法，搭配做文章，说穿了，还是要考查考生的语言基本功。
2006年12月24日大学英语六级（CET-6）真题试卷（A卷）
2006年12月24日大学英语六级（CET-6）真题试卷（A卷）2006年12月24日大学英语六级(CET-6)真题试卷(A卷)Part I Writing (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay entitled The Importance of Reading Classics. You should write at least 150 wordsfollowing the outline given below.1. 阅读经典书籍对人的成长至关重要2. 现在愿意阅读经典的人却越来越少，原因是…3. 我们大学生应该怎么做The Importance of Reading ClassicsPart II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) (15 minutes) Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer Sheet 1.For questions 1-4, markY (for YES) if the statement agrees with the information given inthe passage;N (for NO) if statement contradicts the information given in thepassage;NG (for NOT GIVEN) if the information is not given in the passage.For questions 5-10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.Space TourismMake your reservations now. The space tourism industry isofficially open for business, and tickets are going for a mere $20 million for a one-week stay in space. Despite reluctance from National Air and Space Administration (NASA)，Russia made American businessman Dennis Tito the world?s first space tourist. Tito flew into space aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket that arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) on April 30, 2001. The second space tourist, South African businessman Mark Shuttleworth, took off aboard the Russian Soyuz on April 25, 2002, also bound for the ISS.Lance Bass of …N Sync was supposed to be the third to make the $20 million trip, but he did not join the three-man crew as they blasted off on October 30, 2002, due to lack of payment. Probably the most incredible aspect of this proposed space tour was that NASA approved of it.These trips are the beginning of what could be a profitable 21st century industry. There are already several space tourism companies planning to build suborbital vehicles and orbital cities within the next two decades. These companies have invested millions,believing that the space tourism industry is on the verge of taking off.In 1997, NASA published a report concluding that selling trips into space to private citizens could be worth billions of dollars. A Japanese report supports these findings, and projects that space tourism could be a $10 billion per year industry within the next two decades. The only obstacles to opening up space to tourists are the space agencies, who are concerned with safety and the development of a reliable, reusable launch vehicle. Space AccommodationsRussia?s Mir space station was supposed to be the firstdestination for space tourists. But in March 2001，the Russian Aerospace Agency brought Mir down into the Pacific Ocean. As it turned out, bringing down Mir only temporarily delayed the first tourist trip into space.The Mir crash did cancel plans for a new reality-based game show from NBC, which was going to be called Destination Mir. The Survivor-like TV show was scheduled to air in fall 2001, Participants on the show were to go through training at Russia?s cosmonaut (宇航员) training center, Star City. Each week, one of the participants would be eliminated from the show, with the winner receiving a trip to the Mir space station. The Mir crash has ruled out NBC?s space plans for now. NASA is against beginning space tourism until the International Space Station is completed in 2006.Russia is not alone in its interest in space tourism. There are several projects underway to commercialize space travel. Here are a few of the groups that might take tourists to space:● Space Island Group is going to build a ring-shaped, rotating “commercial space infrastructure (基础结构)”that will resemble the Disc overy spacecraft in the movie “2001: A Space Odyssey.”Space Island says it will build its space city out of empty NASA space-shuttle fuel tanks (to start, it should take around 12 or so), and place it about 400 miles above Earth. The space city will rotate once per minute to create a gravitational pull one-third as strong as Earth?s.● According to their vision statement. Space Adventures plans to “fly tens of thousand of people in space over the next 10-15 years and beyond, around the moon, and back, from spaceports both on Earth and in space, to and from private space stations, and board dozen of different vehicles...”● Even Hilton Hotels has shown interest in the space tourism industry and possibility of building or co-funding a space hotel. However, the company did say that it believes such a space hotel is 15 to 20 years away.Initially, space tourism will offer simple accommodations at best. For instance, if the International Space Station is used as a tourist attraction, guests won?t find the luxurious surroundings of a hotel room on Earth. It has been designed for conducting research, not entertainment. However, the first generation of space hotels should offer tourists a much more comfortable experience.In regard to a concept for a space hotel initially planned by Space Island, such a hotel could offer guests every convenience they might find at a hotel on Earth, and some they might not. The small gravitational pull created by the rotating space city wouldallow space-tourists and residents to walk around and function facilities would be possible. Additionally, space tourists would even be able to take space walks.Many of these companies believe that they have to offer an extremely enjoyable experience in order for passengers to pay thousands, if not millions, of dollars to ride into space. So will space create another separation between the haves and have-nots?The Most Expensive VacationWill space be an exotic retreat reserved for only the wealthy? Or will middle-class folks have a chance to take their families to space? Make no mistake about it, going to space will be the most expensive vacation you ever take. Prices right now are in the tens of millions of dollars. Currently, the only vehicles that can takeyou into space are the space shuttle and the Russian Soyuz, both of which are terribly inefficient. Each spacecraft requires millions of pounds of fuel to take off into space, which makes them expensive to launch. One pound of payload (有效载重) costs about $10,000 to put into Earth?s orbit.NASA and Lockheed Martin are currently developing a single-stage-to-orbit launch space plane, called the VentureStar, that could be launched for about a tenth of what the space shuttle costs to launch. If the VentureStar takes off, the number of people who could afford to take a trip into space would move into the millions.In 1998, a joint report from NASA and the Space Transportation Association stated that improvements in technology could push fares for space travel as low as $50,000, and possibly down to $20,000 or $10,000 a decade later. The report concluded that a ticket price of $50,000, there could be 500,000 passengers flying into space each year. While still leaving out many people, these prices would open up space to a tremendous amount of traffic.Since the beginning of the space race, the general public has said, “Isn?t that great—when do I get to go?” Well, our chance might be closer than ever. Within the next 20 years, space planes could be taking off for the Moon at the same frequency as airplanes flying between New York and Los Angles.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。
06年12月新六级英语真题阅读理解
06年12月新六级英语真题阅读理解06年12月新六级英语真题阅读理解Part IV Reading Comprehension (Reading in Depth) (25 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, there is a short passage with 5 questions or incomplete statements. Read the passage carefully. Then answer the questions or complete the statements in the fewest possible words. Please write your answers on Answer Sheet 2.Questions 47 to 51 are based on the following passage.I’ve heard from and ta lked to many people who described how Mother Nature simplified their lives for them. They’d lost their home and many or all of their possessions through fires, floods, earthquakes, or some other disaster. Losing everything you own under such circumstances can be distressing, but the people I’ve heard from all saw their loss, ultimately, as a blessing."The fire saved us the agony of deciding what to keep and what to get rid of," one woman wrote. And once all those things were no longer there, she and her husband saw how they had weighed them down and complicated their lives."There was so much stuff we never used and that was just taking up space. We vowed when we started over, we’d replace only what we needed, and this time we’d do it right. We’ve kept our promise: we don’t have much now, but what we have is exactly what we want."Though we’ve never had a catastrophic loss such as that, Gibbs and I did have a close call shortly before we decided to simplify. At that time we lived in a fire zone. One night a firestormraged through and destroyed over six hundred homes in our community. That tragedy gave us the opportunity to look objectively at the goods we’d accumulated.We saw that there was so much we could get rid of and not only never miss, but be better off without. Having almost lost it all, we found it much easier to let go of the things we knew we’d never use again.Obviously, ther>>。
历年英语四级阅读理解逐句翻译(有重难点词语)
2006年6月一、Communications technologies are far from equal when it comes to conveying the truth.通讯技术在传递真相的时候并不是简单地和真相本身一致。
The first study to compare honesty across a range of communication media has found that people are twice as likely to tell lies in phone conversations as they are in emails.从第一项对使用不同通讯媒介时的诚实程度的比较重可以看出，人们在使用电话时的说谎几率是使用电子邮件时的两倍。
The fact that emails are automatically recorded-and can come back to haunt (困扰) you-appears to be the key to the finding.因为电子邮件内容会被自动记录下来----并可能对你造成困扰----这就是这项研究的关键所在。
Jeff Hancock of Cor'nell University in Ithaca ['iθəkə] , New York, asked 30 students to keep a communications diary for a week.Jeff Hancock在位于纽约州伊萨卡的康奈尔大学执教，他曾要求30个学生记录一周中每天的通讯情况。
In it they noted the number of conversations or email exchanges they had lasting more than 10 minutes, and confessed to how many lies they told.参与其中的人需要记录超过10分钟的对话或者电子邮件通讯的数量，并且要坦诚自己说了多少谎话。