Fpeujq英语六级阅读专项训练

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英语六级阅读理解模拟练习附答案

英语六级阅读理解模拟练习附答案六级阅读理解模拟练习一：Which is safer-staying at home， traveling towork on public transport，or working in the office?Surprisingly， each of these carries the same risk，which is very low. However， what about flyingcompared to working in the chemical industry?Unfortunately， the former is 65 times riskier thanthe latter! In fact， the accident rate of workers inthe chemical industry is less than that of almost anyof human activity， and almost as safe as staying at home.The trouble with the chemical industry is that when things go wrong they often cause deathto those living nearby. It is this which makes chemical accidents so newsworthy. Fortunately，they are extremely rare. The most famous ones happened at Texas City (1947)，Flixborough(1974)，Seveso (1976)， Pemex (1984) and Bhopal (1984)。

Some of these are always in the minds of the people even though the loss of life was small.No one died at Seveso， and only 28 workers at Flixborough. The worst accident of all wasBhopal， where up to 3，000 were killed. The Texas City explosion of fertilizer killed 552. ThePemex fire at a storage plant for natural gas in the suburbs of Mexico City took 542 lives， justa month before the unfortunate event at Bhopal.Some experts have discussed these accidents and used each accident to illustrate aparticular danger. Thus the Texas City explosion was caused by tons of ammonium nitrate(硝酸铵)，which is safe unless stored in great quantity. The Flixborough fireball was the fault ofmanagement， which tookrisks to keep production going during essential repairs. The Sevesoaccident shows what happens if the local authorities lack knowledge of the danger on theirdoorstep. When the poisonous gas drifted over the town， local leaders were incapable oftaking effective action. The Pemex fire was made worse by an overloaded site in anovercrowded suburb. The fire set off a chain reaction os exploding storage tanks. Yet， by amiracle， the two largest tanks did not explode. Had these caught fire，then 3，000 strongrescue team and fire fighters would all have died.1.Which of the following statements is true?A.Working at the office is safer than staying at home.B.Traverlling to work on public transport is safer than working at the office.C.Staying at home is safer than working in the chemical industry.D.Working in the chemical industry is safer than traveling by air.2.Chemical accidents are usually important enough to be reported as news because ____.A.they are very rareB.they often cause loss of lifeC.they always occur in big citiesD.they arouse the interest of all the readers3.According to passage， the chemical accident that caused by the fault of managementhappened at ____.A.Texas cityB.FlixboroughC.SevesoD.Mexico City4.From the passage we know that ammonium nitrate is a kind of ____.A.natural gas， which can easily catch fireB.fertilizer， which cant be stored in a great quantityC.poisonous substance， which cant be used in overcrowded areasD.fuel， which is stored in large tanks5.From the discussion among some experts we may coclude that ____.A.to avoid any accidents we should not repair the facilities in chemical industryB.the local authorities should not be concerned with the production of the chemicalindustryC.all these accidents could have been avoided or controlled if effective measure hadbeen takenD.natural gas stored in very large tanks is always safe参考答案：DBABC六级阅读理解模拟练习二：40 years ago the idea of disabled people doingsport was never heard of. But when the annualgames for the disabled were started atStokeMandeville, England in 1948 by Sir LudwigGuttmann, the situation began to change.Sir Ludwig Guttmann, who had been driven toEngland in 1939 from Nazi Germany, had been askedby the British government to set up an injuriescenter at Stoke Mandeville Hospital near London. His ideas about treating injuries includedsport for the disabled.In the first games just two teams of injured soldiers took part. The next year, 1949, fiveteams took part. From those beginnings, things have developed fast. Teams now come fromabroad to Stoke Mandeville every year. In 1960 the first Olympics for the Disabled were held inRome, in the same place as the normal Olympic Games. Now, every four years the OlympicGames for the Disabled are held, if possible, in the same place as the normal Olympic Games,although they are organized separately. In other years Games for the Disabled are still held atStoke Mandeville. In the 1984 wheelchair Olympic Games, 1064 wheelchair athletes from about40 countries took part. Unfortunately, they were held at Stoke Mandeville and not in LosAngeles, along with the other Olympics.The Games have been a great success in promoting international friendship andunderstanding, and in proving that being disabled does not mean you cant enjoy sport. Onesmall source of disappointment for those who organize and take part in the games,however, has been the unwillingness of the International Olympic Committee to includedisabled events at Olympic Games for the able-bodied. Perhaps a few more years are stillneeded to convince those fortunate enough not to be disabled that their disabled fellowathletes should not be excluded.21. The first games for the disabled were held______after Sir Ludwig Guttmann arrived inEngland.A. 40 yearsB. 21 yearsC. 10 yearsD. 9 years22. Besides Stoke Mandeville, surely the games for the disabled were once held in______.A. New YorkB. LondonC. RomeD. Los Angeles23. In Paragraph 3, the word "athletes" means______.A. people who support the gamesB. people who watch the gamesC. people who organize the gamesD. people who compete in the games24. Which of the following statements is NOT true?A. Sir Ludwig Guttmann is an early organizer of the games for the disabled.B. Sir Ludwig Guttmann is an injured soldier.C. Sir Ludwig Guttmann is from Germany.D. Sir Ludwig Guttmann is welcomed by the British government.25. From the passage, we may conclude that the writer is ______.A. one of the organizers of the game for the disabledB. a disabled person who once took part in the gamesC. against holding the games for the disabledD. in favor of holding the games for the disabled 参考答案：21. D 22. C 23. D 24. B 25. D。

2021年12月大学英语六级阅读专项练习题及答案(11)

2021年12月英语六级阅读专项练习题及答案(汇总)Craze In First Run of BullsBulls and humans alike slipped and slid on the cobblestone streets, but the first of pamplona's annual runs with the bulls was largely free of injury as thousands of daredevils sprinted with the half-ton animals.Some runners, sounding disappointed, said they would seek out greater danger in coming days as the widely popular, centuries-old San Fermin Festival serves up six more runs this week.“It was a bit timid, to be honest. nowhere near as scary as in the books, ”said Johnny, 26, from New Zealand, here for the first time after reading about San Fermin on a website.“Tomorrow we are going to try and run a bit closer to the bulls and get a bit more adrenaline, ”added his friend, Richard, 26 , cradling the day’s first beer.The streets were slightly slick with morning dew as six fighting bulls and six steers dashed from a corral along the 900-yard course through the city’s old quarter to the bull ring.At two sharp turns, several bulls slipped and went down with a heavy thud, and two bulls were separated from the pack. And a minor pileup of fallen runners formed at the tunnel leading into the bullring. Bulls jumped or stepped over the runners.Thousands of people watching in the street and from balconiesshouted as the bulls rumbled through the city’s old quarter, taking just over two and a half minutes to cover course.No one was gored, although four people who were trampled were hospitalized for treatment of head, chest, rib or leg injuries. None was seriously hurt.The steers are meant to keep the bulls more or less in a cluster —a spooked, isolated bull is very dangerousThe Fiesta, famed for its all-night street parties, dates back to the late 16 th century but gained world fame from Ernest Hemingway’s novel The Sun Also Rises. Tens of thousands from all over the world have been pouring into Pamplona for the annual festival ever since .阅读自测Ⅰ. Find the words in the passage with meaning similar to the following phrases :1. Happening every year ( )2. Causing fear and alarm ( )3. Move suddenly and quickly; rush ( )4. Travel a certain distance ( )5. ( Cause people or things to) come or go in a continuous stream ( )Ⅱ. Are these statements True or False according to the article1. On the first day of Pamplona’s annual runs with bulls, noone was serious hurt.2. A lot of runners were gored by bulls.3. It only took the bulls two minutes to cover the 900-yard course .4. The annual san fermin festival attracts thousands of people all over the world to pamplona.5. the Fiesta gained world fame in the late 16th century.参考答案Ⅰ.1. annual2. scary3. dash4. cover 5 . pourⅡ.1. T2. F 3 . F 4 . T 5 . F参考译文我为奔牛狂在鹅卵石铺成的街道上, 人牛混杂, 跌爬滚打。

英语六级考试阅读题专项练习及答案(最新6篇)

英语六级考试阅读题专项练习及答案（最新6篇）英语六级考试阅读题专项练习及答案篇一It is doing something better than other people that makes us unique. Yet a surprising number of people still see individuality as a surface thing. They wear bright clothes, dye their hair strange colors and decorate their skin with tattoos (文身) to make some kind of social statement.The whole purpose of individuality is excellence. The people who comprehend the simple principle of being unique through performance make our entire political and economic system work. Those who invent, who improve, who know more about a subject than other people do, and who take something that doesn#39;t work and make it work—these people are the very soul of capitalism.Charles Kettering didn#39;t like the idea of cranking a car to make it start, so he invented the electric starter. Henry Ford figured out the assembly-line technique and made it possible to mass-produce automobiles. Lewis Waterman saw no need to go on dipping a pen into an inkwell, so he put the ink into the pen. George Westinghouse told the world how to stop a train, and Elisha Otis, inventor of the elevator, indirectly created the city skyline. These people understood that individualism means working at the top of one#39;s capacity.Fortunately, enough Americans have been inspired to do something with their uniqueness that we have developed in less than three centuries from a frontier outpost into not only a country of freedom but a country strong enough to protect that freedom. These people prized the notions of individuality and excellence above all things and thus kept the great machine functioning. The ones with the purple hair and the horrorable jewelry are just along for the ride, trying to be different and not knowing how to go about it.1 The student who earns A#39;s on his report card has grasped the idea and has found the real meaning of individuality. So has the youngster who has designed his own spaceship, who paints pictures of the world around him, or who can name all the states and their capitals. According to the author unique individuals are persons who______.A. do something better than other peopleB. know more about a subject than other peopleC. excel others in workD. all of the above2、People who regard individuality as a surface thing always do the following EXCEPTA. wearing bright clothesB. coloring their hairC. doing better than othersD. decorating their skin with tattoos3、Which is NOT TRUE according to the passage?A. Henry Ford invented assembly-line technique.B. Elisha Otis was the inventor of the liftC. George Westinghouse created cranks.D. Lewis Waterman put the ink into the pen.4、It can be inferred from the passage that______.A. the real secret to being unique lies in our excellent workB. if we want to be different we#39;d gain more profitC the student who earns A#39;s on the report card has not grasped the real meaning of individualityD. all Americans work miracles In the writer#39;s opinion5、who has understood the sense of individuality?A. The youngster who designed his own spaceship.B. The youngster who painted worthy pictures.C. The youngster who was interested in wearing strange clothes.D. Both A and B.答案D C C A D英语六级考试阅读题专项练习及答案篇二Two astronauts face a not-so-merry Christmas after being told to ration their food and hope a cargo ship with extra supplies docks on Dec. 21. Russian cosmonaut Salizhan Sharipov and American Leroy Chiao have been asked to cut out calories equal to three cans of Coke from their daily diet—around 10 percent of their daily __1__ and an amount that would be little noticed, NASA said.Russian officials, quoted in the local media, have __2__ blamed the previous crew for overeating during their one-month mission earlier this year, leaving a __3__ of meat and milk and a surplus of juice and confectionery .The Dec. 24 launch of the next Progress is now __4__ for the crew, stationed in orbit since October. It is due to __5__ with the ISS on Dec. 21.NASA officials said their situation was not so different from being cut off on Earth, and their lives were not at risk. If they do not receive __6__supplies, the astronauts would have to __7__ the station and return to Earth on the Soyuz capsule that is docked there.Russia has been the sole lifeline to the ISS for almost two years when the United States grounded its __8__ fleet after the fatal Columbia accident. Russia has often __9__ of its financial struggle to keep the ISS fully serviced single-handedly. Shuttle flights could __10__in May, officials have said, but in the meantime Russia will continue to launch all manned and cargo ships.A) deficit B) complaine C) severely D) allowanceE) considerately F) shuttle G) evacuate H) absentlyI) adequate J) dock K) resume L) vitalM) trivial N) evaluate O) fresh答案1. D 空格前为形容词daily，空格后为连词and和an amount，分析句子结构可知，此处应填入一个名词。

大学英语六级深度阅读专项训练5篇

Y ou might ask why it is that women decided to go after jobs in ever greater numbers. Y ou might equally ask why not. The idea of the nuclear family, with the breadwinner father out at work and the housekeeper and child-minder mother at home, is neither as old as obvious as it seems. In predominantly agricultural societies, both father and mother worked on the land. Children saw plenty of both of them, and were expected to start helping out at a tender age. With the industrial revolution, formal work largely moved away from home, but both parents commonly had jobs to make ends meet; the children managed as best they could. It takes a fairly sophisticated society with a comfortable middle class, and a belief in an extended period of education for th e young, to devise the “traditional” family model that enjoyed such a vogue (时尚) in developed countries in the late 1940s to early 1960s.That traditional model ran out of stream for a number of reasons. Single women, either up until marriage or up until the birth of the first child, have always worked; the novelty is that in the past few decades growing numbers of marriage women have been taking paid jobs too. One thing that has helped to make this possible is readily available contraception (避孕). Children arrive ever later in their mother’s life, and in ever smaller numbers. Except for America and some of the Nordic countries, the rich world produces far too few children to keep up its present population; in some countries the one-child family is becoming the norm, and many women remain childless.Y et even women who do have families are working in far greater numbers than before. In America, at least three out of four mothers of school-age children have jobs. Working mothers used to be criticized for neglecting their children; now it is mothers staying at home who have to explain themselves. Combining work and family, however, makes for hectic (繁忙的) lives, despite the array of gadgets that be, but nowhere near enough. Working women’s biggest single complaint is lack of time.But what they lose in time, they gain in spending power. Their earnings are not just pin money. For the growing number of single mothers they are essential, and in dual-earner families they often make the difference between just getting by and living comfortably. They also offer an insurance policy in the increasingly likely event of a divorce. In America, one marriage in two eventually breaks up. Elsewhere the proportion is lower, but rising.1.According to the author, the family model in the late 1940s to early 1960s was thatthe father went out working while the mother2.In the past few decades the increasing numbers of married women taking jobsoutside home have attributed to having children3.Although there are some modern facilities which help Mothers with houseworkand sometimes Fathers give a hand, working mothers are still4.The phrase “pin money” in Line2, Para.4 means5.The passage is mainly aboutStanding up straight and keeping your body centered may seem like second nature to most of us. But for people with balance disorders, it is anything b ut easy. Wobbly(摇晃的) and unsure on their feet, they often have difficulty walking and are 1 to falls, a leading cause of injury and death in the elderly.Certain diseases and medications, or the normal course of aging, can 2 the sensory signals transmitted to the part of the brain that governs gravitational stability, which is why people become unsteady, dizzy or 3 .Now scientists have developed a novel balance feedback device that weighs less than a pound and can be worn on a belt like a pager. It may help correct balance difficulties by providing sufferers with the sensory data they are missing.An estimated 20% of Americans suffer from balance disorders. These difficulties can be 4 by various infections, head injuries, aging, illnesses such as multiple sclerosis (硬化症)and Parkinson’s disease, or inner ear damage, which can be caused by Ménière’s disease, poor blood circulation or some antibiotics(维生素) .Although maintaining balance may seem effortless, keeping your body stable is a gravity-defying skill that requires input from three main senses. The brain 5 information from our vision, from the vestibular (balance) system in the inner ear from the somatosensory system—the sense receptors in our muscles, joints, skin and feet—that tells us where our body is in 6 to surfaces that we contact.If a person doesn’t receive enough information from the 7 balance sensors, especially from the balance system that regulates our sense of gravity, he or she can become quite wobbly without realizing it. As a consequence, he may 8 too far and fall. It’s basic physics, and the bigger the sway, the more likely it is to fall.The balance feedback device can help 9 a person’s damaged sensory system. The lightweight appliance, which contains sensors, is hooked to a belt and connected to a pair of headphones. The device acts much like a carpenter’s level and emits auditory 10 to let users know when their body is swaying too much so they can make corrections. Different tones and intensities tell subjects which way they are learning: a high-pitched tone, for example, signals that they are learning forward and grows louder if they bend farther; a lower sound tells them they’re swaying backward.Name-calling and teasing are overwhelmingly the main type of classroom bullying, says a study funded by the Japanese Ministry of Education. The study, an international programme looking into the 1 of bullying, has also been sponsored by UNESCO（联合国教科文组织）.However, the study does reveal some good news. The research in the British part of the programme has found that the problem of bullying in schools has decreased. A decade of anti-bullying initiatives has led to the first recorded drop in the number of victims and a 2 fall in the number of young bullies. This is the first 3 study to show school bullying on the decrease. The research, being published in the year 2000, was carried out by psychologist Peter Smith, of Goldsmith’s College, London. The war on violence and name-calling has been so successful that Britain is no longer the bullying capital of Europe, 4 major improvements in comparison with other European countries.The research, an international study sponsored by UNESCO, shows that there has been a decline of at least 72 000 in the number of English teenagers who say they have been bullied, compared with 10 years ago. Meanwhile the number of perpetrators(作恶者，行凶者) has more than halved, 5 from 560 000 to 240 000 over the same period. Psychologist Smith said there has been change in the way the issue is 6 in British schools. The findings were an indication of a tough anti-bullying attitude in schools which would not tolerate this kind of behavior, and the result of such initiatives as peers 7 , where students are encouraged to 8 in their fellow pupils.Physical violence against the children accounted for just over one quarter of all reports with boys twice as likely as girls to be kicked, 9 or threatened. Smith found one in seven of all victims suffered racist bullies and being called hurtful names.10 , nearly one-third of the victims told no one. But this is better than ten years ago when Smith found that one half of all the children who were bullied kept it to themselves.The findi ngs were given a cautious welcome by the children’s safety charity Kidscape, which takes 16 000 calls a year from concerned parents. “Some anti-bullying policies are really taking hold, but where it’s bad it’s still very, very bad,” said director Michelle Elliott.At the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, psychology professor Bella DePaulo got 77 students and 70 townspeople to volunteer for an unusual project. All kept diaries for a week, recording the numbers and details of the lies they told.One student and six Charlottesville residents 1 to have told no falsehoods. The other 140 participants told 1 535.The lies were most often not what most of us would call 2 . Someone would pretend to be more positive or supportive of a spouse or friend than he or she really was, or feign (假装) agreement with a relative’s opinion. According to DePaulo, women in their 3 with other women lied mostly to spare the other’s feelings. Men lied to other men generally for self-promoting reasons.For example, 20 000 middle-and high-schoolers 4 devoted themselves to character education. 92 percent of the teenagers admitted having lied to their parents in the previous year, and 73 percent 5 themselves as “serial liars”, meaning they told lies weekly. Despite these admissions, 91 percent of all respondents said they were “satisfied with my own 6 and character”.Little white lies have become ubiquitous(无处不在的) and the reasons we give each other for telling fibs (小慌)are familiar. Consider, for example, a Southern California corporate executive whom I’ll call Tom. He goes with his wife and son to his mother-in-law’s home for Thanksgiving dinner every year. Tom dislikes her “special” pumpkin pie intensely. 7 he tells her how wonderful it is, to avoid hurting her feelings.How often do we 8 people on how well they look, or express our appreciation for gifts when we don’t really mean it? Surely, these nice li es are harmless and well intended, a necessary social lubricant.Even seemingly harmless falsehoods can have unforeseen consequences. Philosopher Sissela Bok warns us that they can put us on a slippery slope. “After the first lies, others can come more eas ily,” she wrote in her book Lying: Moral Choice in Public and Private Life. Psychological barriers wear down; the ability to make more distinctions can coarsen; the liar’s 9 of his chances of being caught may warp(歪曲).Take the pumpkin-pie lies. In the f irst place, it wasn’t just that he wanted his mother-in-law to feel good. Whether he realized it or not, he really wanted her to think highly of him. And after the initial 10 he needed to tell more lies to cover up the first one.Today, some critics argue that progress on environment problems has been elusive(难以捉摸的，难以理解的). There is some truth in that. In the last decade, environment problems have 1 across the globe.Y et over the same 10 years, society has 2 its resources to address these challenges. The original response was slow. But it is gathering speed, with technological breakthroughs and a growing awareness that a clean environment is essential for development.Of course, we should greatly intensify efforts to tackle poverty and environment 3 .They endanger our health, security and the innumerable benefits that come to us from nature.But we should also remember our real accomplishments. We have slashed emissions of chemicals that 4 the ozone layer and threaten human health. Industrialized nations largely eliminated chlorofluoro-carbons and halons, the major ozone-threatening gases. And many developing countries are ahead of the timetable that gives them until 2010 to phase out those gases.We are relying less on dirty fuels. Five million energy-efficient lights have been installed in poor countries and those with 5 economies. Wind power generation capacity has increased from near zero to 1 700 megawatts. Virtually unknown in 1992, solar home systems using photo-voltaic technology now provide power to more than a million rural households. At least 30 major companies have 6 to investing $10 to $15 billion in renewable energy over the next five years.The private sector is playing an increasingly constructive role. This is an acknowledgement that preserving the environment is both good business and a moral 7 . Companies such as Royal Dutch Shell, Dupont and BP Amoco are working to reduce their negative impact on climate change and increase the options for cleaner energy. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has helped to launch the global alliance for improved nutrition, an innovative public-private partnership that seeks to 8 food in a cost-effective way to improve the health, 9 development and productivity of people in poor countries.We can build on the strengths we have developed over the past 10 years and move ahead with confidence that 10 development goals are indeed achievable.。

英语六级考试阅读题专项练习及答案

英语六级考试阅读题专项练习及答案在平时的学习、工作中，我们经常跟练习题打交道，通过这些形形色色的习题，使得我们得以有机会认识事物的方方面面，认识概括化图式多样化的具体变式，从而使我们对原理和规律的认识更加的深入。

你知道什么样的习题才是规范的吗？下面是我帮大家整理的2023年英语六级考试阅读题专项练习及答案，仅供参考，欢迎大家阅读。

英语六级考试阅读题专项练习及答案篇2英语六级考试阅读题专项练习及答案篇5英语六级考试阅读题专项练习及答案篇6It is all very well to blame traffic jams,the cost of petrol and the quick pace of modern life,but mannerson the roads are becoming horrible.Everybody knows that the nicest men become monsters behind the wheel.Itis all very well,again,to have a tiger in the tank,but to have one in the drivers seat is another matter altogether.You might tolerate the odd road-hog，the rude and inconsiderate driver,but nowadays the well-mannered motorist is the exception to the rule.Perhaps the situation calls for a Be Kind to Other Driverscampaign,otherwise it may get completely out of hand.Road politeness is not only good manners, but good sense too.Ittakes the most cool-headed and good-tempered of drivers to resist the temptation to revenge when subjected to uncivilized behavior.On the other hand,a little politeness goes a long way towards relieving the tensions of motoring.A friendly nod or a wave of acknowledgement in response to an act of politeness when they see it.However,misplaced politeness can also be dangerous.Typical examples are the driver who brakes violently toallow a car to emerge from a side street at some hazard to following traffic,when a few seconds later the road would be clear anyway;or the man who waves a child across a zebra crossing into the path of oncoming vehicles that may be unable to stop in time.The same goes for encouraging old ladies to cross the road wherever and whenever they care to.It always amazes me that the highways are not covered with the dead bodiesof these grannies.A veteran driver,whose manners are faultless,told me it would help if motorists learnt to filter correctlyinto traffic streams one at a time without causing the total blockages that give rise to bad temper.Unfortunately,modern motorists cant even learn to drive,let alone master the subtler aspects of roadsmanship.Years age the experts warned us that the car-ownership explosion would demand a lot more give-and-take from all road users.It is high fime for all of us to take this message to heart.1.According to the passage,peoples behaviors on the roads arebecoming_____________________.2.What does the author suggest in order to get control of the situation?3.Drivers who can manage to control their impulse to revenge when they experience impolite behavior are considered as_________________by the author.4.Encouraging old ladies to cross the road at the wrong moment is referred as______________by the author.5.Experts have long pointed out that all road users should be ready to yield to each other due to______________________.答案：1.[horrible][定位]根据题干中的behaviors on the roads定位到首段首句。

英语六级阅读理解模拟附答案

英语六级阅读理解模拟附答案参考答案：11.E 12.I 13.F 14.K 15.G 16.D 17.L 18.J 19.F 20.CThe Louisiana PurchaseOn April 30, 1803, the area of the United States approximately doubled. Until that time, UnitedStates territory had extended from the Atlantic Ocean to the banks of the Mississippi and from theGreat Lakes and the St. Lawrence River to the thirty-first parallel. The national land now wasexpanded westward to include practically all of the area between the Mississippi River and the RockyMountains and between the Gulf of Mexico and the Canadian border. On that day, for fifteen milliondollars, the United States purchased from France 875,000 square miles of territory. After Robert R.Livingston, an American who represented President Jefferson in France, signed his name to thetreaty, he rose, shook hands with James Monroe and Marbois, the Frenchman representingNapoleon and remarked, "We have lived long, but this is the noblest work of our lives. " As weglance backward upon this important event in history, we must agree that the signing of the treatyfor the purchase of Louisiana was probably the most important event in Thomas Jeffersonsadministration. Without the acquisition of this territory, the United States would most probablyhave not developed into the powerful nation which it is today.What Causes Led to Purchase of the Louisiana TerritoryUntil 1763, Louisiana had been a possession of France, but in that year it was given to Spain torepay an old debt. Twenty years later in Paris, the treaty ending the American Revolution wassigned between the United States and Great Britain. One of the terms of this treaty was that thewestern border of the United States was to stretch to the Mississippi River. Immediately settlersand pioneers crossed westward over the Allegheny Mountains to clear the territory and establishfarms. Since roads were scarce and difficult to travel, the products of these farmers had to beshipped on the waterways leading to the Mississippi River and then down this great stream to NewOrleans. At this port city, the produce was transferred to larger ocean-going vessels andtransported to markets on the Eastern Seaboard or to Europe. However, Spains ownership ofboth shores of the river for at least two hundred miles north of New Orleans permitted this foreignnation to control the trade moving on the Mississippi. As a monarchy (君主政体) ，the Spanishgovernment distrusted the rising spirit of democracy in the United States, especially the much freerexpression of democracy that existed among the western farmers. This distrust of democracyresulted in the desire of the Spanish to deny the use of the great river to any Americans. Thereaction was instantaneous (瞬间的 ) and furious, western farmers raised their voices to protestand the United states sent John Jay to Madrid to discuss this matter. In 1795 this conflict wassettled. Spain consented to allow citizens of the United States the right to use the lower MississippiRiver and also the "right of deposit" at New Orleans, the right of deposit permitted Americanfarmers, without a duty charge, to remove their products from smaller boats at New Orleans afterhaving navigated down the Mississippi, and then to transfer the agricultural commodities to largerocean-going vessels.For the succeeding five years this agreement was observed and little conflict existed. OnOctober 1, 1800, however, Spain signed a treaty giving the ownership of the Louisiana territoryback to France. The news of this treaty did not reach Jefferson until May of the following year. Assoon as he became aware of the change in ownership of the territory, Jefferson realized that thiswas part of a plan by which Napoleon hoped to establish France as a great power in the New World.Although Napoleon still permitted Spain to remain in control of the port of New Orleans, the futurethreat to the navigation rights of the western farmers still remained. At any moment, Napoleonmight send troops to the "Gateway" and forbid Americans to use it for navigation. This wouldaffect almost forty per cent of the total export trade of the United States. By April 1802 Jeffersonsconcerns in this matter became even more intense. Napoleon had shipped armed forces to SantoDomingo to suppress the uprising. Once this had been accomplished, the troops were underorders to take possession of Louisiana with its key port city of New Orleans. On the eighteenth ofthat month the President wrote his now-famous letter to the American Minister to France, Robert R.Livingston.There is one place on the globe, one single spot, the possessor of which is our natural andhabitual enemy. It is New Orleans through which the produce of three eighths of our territorymust pass to market. . . it seals the union of two nations who in conjunction can maintainexclusive possession of the ocean. From that moment we must marry ourselves to the Britishfleet and nation.Seven months later Jefferson learned that the Spanish officials at New Orleans hadsuspended(暂不实行) the right of deposit. Immediately westernfarmers protested. Many demanded immediate action. Others pressed for a declaration ofwar. The Federalists in the East who opposed Jefferson sided with those who wished to declarewar, in order to split the ranks of his followers. In January 1803, Congress appropriated two milliondollars "to defray (支付) expenses to help improve relations between the United States and foreignnations. " Jefferson asked James Monroe to sail for France to resolve the difficulty. Monroe wasinstructed to negotiate for the purchase of New Orleans and Florida. He was permitted to offer50,000,000 francs for this concession of territory. If this offer were refused, then an alternativeoffer of 37,500,000 francs was to be made for New Orleans alone. A third alternative to be used inthe negotiation was to insist upon the permanent right of deposit at New Orleans and navigationalong the lower Mississippi. If all three offers were rejected by Napoleon, Monroe and Livingstonwere instructed to negotiate an alliance with the British Government "not to make any peace withFrance. "Why Napoleon Sold LouisianaEvents favored the United States. Napoleon had transported 35,000 troops to wipe out therebellion in Santo Domingo, but yellow fever and the rebels did away with most of the Frenchtroops. With this disaster Napoleons visions of expanding in the mainland at New Orleansvanished. He also recognized he inevitability of a conflict with Great Britain. How could he hope tokeep Louisiana, thousands of miles away across the Atlantic, as long as Britain was "Empress of theSeas"? The revenue that the sale of Louisiana would bring to.France was a temptation to Napoleon, whose treasury was almost depleted (消耗).Confronted with so many problems Napoleon quickly arrived at a decision.On April 11, 1803, evenbefore the arrival of Monroe in Paris, Talleyrand proposed that the United States purchase all of theLouisiana territory.Livingstons first offer for this "bargain" was 20, 000, 000 francs, but Talleyrandcountered with a demand for 125,000,000. In a brief negotiation both finally compromised on80,000,000 francs, equivalent to $ 15,000,000 inAmerican money. On April 30, 1803, Louisiana became the possession of the United States.Three-fourths of the sum went to France, the balance was reserved to pay the claims of Americancitizens against France.1. The passage gives a general description of the reasons for and the effect of the Louisianapurchase.2. The purchase of Louisiana helped the U. S. to grow into the powerful nation which it is today.3. The Louisiana purchase only expanded the territory of the U. S. .4. The rising spirit of democracy in the U. S. was introduced to Spain and Franceinstantaneously.5. The purchase of Louisiana was accomplished at a much lower price than originallyintended.6. Spain was the original possessor of the Louisiana territory.7. Livingstons eloquence persuaded Marbois to accept an unreasonably low price for theLouisiana territory.8. Louisiana was sold to the U. S, for______francs.9. The Federalists in the East of U. S. were in favor of declaring war on Spain because theywished to______of President Jeffersons followers.10. When Louisiana was purchased, the export trade moving on the Mississippi accountedfor___of the total export trade of the U. S. . 参考答案：I. Y 2. Y 3. N 4. N 5. Y 6. N 7. NG 8. 80,000,000 9. split the ranks10. 40%。

六级阅读专项训练带答案

六级阅读专项训练带答案国内的各类英语考试中几乎都有阅读理解题型，大学英语六级考试也不例外。

阅读理解是大学英语六级试卷中分值最重的题型，为了提高大家的阅读水平，下面是必胜高考网小编为大家带来英语六级阅读专项训练带答案，希望对大家的备考有所帮助!六级阅读专项训练1：Can trees talk? Yes, but not in words. Scientists have reason to believe that trees do communicate (交际) with each other. Not long ago, researchers learned some surprising things. First a willow tree attacked in the woods by caterpillars (毛虫) changed the chemistry of its leaves and made them taste so terrible that they got tired of the leaves and stopped eating them. Then even more astonishing, the tree sent out a special smell---a signal (信号) causing its neighbors to change the chemistry of their own leaves and make them less tasty.Communication, of cours e, doesn’t need to be in words. We can talk to each other by smiling, raising our shoulders and moving our hands. We know that birds and animals use a whole vocabulary of songs, sounds, and movements. Bees dance their signals, flying in certain patterns that tell other bees where to find nectar (花蜜) for honey. So why shouldn’t trees have ways of sending message?阅读专项训练题目：1. It can be concluded from the passage that caterpillars do not feed on leaves that ______.A. are lying on the groundB. have an unpleasant tasteC. bees don’t likeD. have an unfamiliar shape2. The willow tree described in the passage protected itself by ______.A. growing more branchesB. communicating with birds and beesC. changing its leaf chemistryD. shaking caterpillars off3. According to the passage, the willow tree was able to communicate with other trees by ______.A. waving its branchesB. giving off a special smellC. dropping its leavesD. changing the colour of its trunk4. According to this passage, bees communicate by ______.A. making special movementB. touching one anotherC. smelling one anotherD. making unusual sound5. The author believes that the incident described in the passage ______.A. cannot be taken seriouslyB. should no longer be permittedC. must be checked more thoroughlyD. seems completely reasonable阅读专项训练答案：1B 2 C 3 B 4 A 5 D六级阅读专项训练2：The year was 1932. Amelia Earhart was flying alone from North America to England in a small single—engined aeroplane. At midnight, several hours after she had left Newfoundland, she ran into bad weather. To make things worse, her altimeter (高度表) failed and she didn’t know how high she was flying. At night, and in a storm, a pilot is in great difficulty without an altimeter. At times, her plane nearly plunged (冲) into the sea.Just before dawn, there was further trouble. Amelia noticed flames (火焰) coming from the engine. Would she be able to reach land? There was nothing to do except to keep going and to hope.In the end, Amelia Earhart did reach Ireland, and for the courage she had shown, she was warmly welcomed in England and Europe. When she returned to the United States, she was honored by President Hoover at a special dinner in the White House. From that time on, Amelia Earhart was famous.What was so important about her flight? Amelia Earhart was the first woman to fly the Atlantic Ocean alone, and she had set a record of fourteen hours and fifty—six minutes.In the years that followed, Amelia Earhart made several flights across the United States, and on each occasion (时刻) she set a new record for flying time. Amelia Earhart made these flights to show that women had a place in aviation (航空) and that air travel was useful.阅读专项训练题目：1. Which of the following statements is NOT the difficulty which Amelia Earhart met in her flight from north America to England?A. She was caught in a storm.B. The altimeter went out of order.C. Her engine went wrong.D. She lost her direction.2. When Amelia Earhart saw flames coming from the engine, what did she do?A. She did nothing but pray for herself.B. She changed her direction and landed in Ireland.C. She continued flying.D. She lost hope of reaching land.3. According to the passage, what was Amelia Earhart’s reason for making her flights?A. To set a new record for flying time.B. To be the first woman to fly around the world.C. To show that aviation was not just for men.D. To become famous in the world.4. Which of the following statements was NOT mentioned?A. She was the first woman who succeeded in flying across the Atlantic Ocean alone.B. She showed great courage in overcoming the difficulties during the flight.C She was warmly welcomed in England, Europe and the United States.D. She made plans to fly around the world.5. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?A. Amelia Earhart—First Across the Atlantic.B. Amelia Earhart—Pioneer in Women’s Aviation.C. A New Record for Flying Time.D. A Dangerous Flight from North America to England.阅读专项训练答案：1D 2 C 3 C 4 D 5 B。

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生命中，不断地有人离开或进入。

于是，看见的，看不见的；记住的，遗忘了。

生命中，不断地有得到和失落。

于是，看不见的，看见了；遗忘的，记住了。

然而，看不见的，是不是就等于不存在？记住的，是不是永远不会消失？Every day 25 million U. S. children ride school buses. The safety record for these buses is much better than for passenger cars; but nevertheless, about 10 children are killed each year riding on large school buses, and nearly four times that number are killed outside buses in the loading zones. By and large, however, the nation's school children are transported to and from school safely.Even though the number of school bus casualties(死亡人数) is not large, the safety of children is always of intense public concern. While everyone wants to see children transported safely, people are divided about what needs to be done—particularly whether seat belts should be mandatory (强制性的)•Supporters of seat belts on school buses argue that seat belts are necessary not only to reduce death and injury, but also to teach children lessons about the importance of using them routinely in any moving vehicle.A side benefit, they point out, is that seat belts help keep children in their seats, away from the bus driver.Opponents of seat belt installation suggest that children are alreadywell protected by the school buses that follow the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) safety requirement set in 1977. They also believe that many children won't wear seat belts anyway, and that they may damage the belts or use them as weapons to hurt other children.A new Research Council report on school bus safety suggests that there are alternate safety devices and procedures that may be more effective and less expensive. For example, the study committee suggested that raising seat backs four inches may have the same safety effectiveness as seat belts.The report sponsored by the Department of Transportation at the request of Congress, reviews seat belts extensively while taking a broader look at safety in and around school buses.1. Each year, children killed outside buses in the loading zones are about_______.A. 10B. 40C. 30D. 502. Which of these words is nearest in meaning to the words "are divided" in ParagraphA. disagreeB. separateC. arrangeD. concern3. According to the passage, who has the greatest degree of control of the school buses' "safety"?A. A New Research Council.B. The Department of Transportation.C. The Medical Organizations.D. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.4. It may be inferred from this passage that_______.A. many of the opponents of seat belt installation are parents and officials of the Department of TransportationB. proposal of seat belts on school buses would be seriously consideredC. an alternate safety device (raising seat backs four inches) may be taken intoconsiderationD. The Department of Transportation may either take the idea of seat belts or other measures when it reviews the whole situation5. The best title which expresses the idea of the passage is_______.A. Making School Buses Even Safer for ChildrenB. Seat Belts Needed on School BusesC. Alternate Safety Devices and ProceduresD. Safety in and around School Buses【答案见下页】1. B2. A3. D4. D5. A本文转载自:[url=]英语六级考试网[/url]According to the latest research in the' United States of America, men and women talk such different languages that it is like people from two different cultures trying to communicate. Professor Deborah Tannen of Georgetown University, has noticed the difference in the style of boy's and girl's conversations from an early age. She says that little girls' conversation is less definite than boys' and expresses more doubts. Little boys use conversation to establish status with their listeners.These differences continue into adult life, she says. In public conversations, men talk most and interrupt other speakers more. In private conversations, men and women speak in equal amounts—although they say things in a different style. Professor Tannen believes that, for woman, private talking is a way to establish and test intimacy. For men, private talking is a way to explore the power structure of a relationship.Teaching is one job where the differences between men's and women's ways of talking show. When a man teaches a woman, says Professor Tannen, he wants to show that he has more knowledge, and hence more power in conversation. When a woman teaches another woman, however, she is more likely to take a sharing approach and to encourage her student to join in.But Professor Tannen does not believe that women are naturally more helpful. She says women feel they achieve power by being able to help others. Although the research suggests men talk and interrupt people more than women, Professor Tannen says, women actually encourage this to happen because they believe it will lead to more intimacy and help to establish a relationship.Some scientists who are studying speech think that the brain is pre¬programmed for language. As we are usually taught to speak by women, it seems likely that the brain must have a sexual bias(倾向性) in its programming,otherwise male speech patterns would not arise at all.1. In the opinion of the writer, women encourage men to talk becauseA. it will lead to more intimacy and help to establish a relationshipB. it will help to establish status with their listenersC. it will help to express more clearlyD. it will help to communicate better2. There are_______in little girls' conversation than in boys'.A. fewer doubtsB. more demandsC. more doubtsD. fewer uncertainties3. Some scientists believe that brain is pre-programmed for language.The word "pre programmed" means_______.A. programmed alreadyB. programmed before one is bornC. programmed earlyD. programmed by women4. In private conversation, women speakA. the same things as menB. less than menC. more than menD. as much as men5. The theme of this article is _______.A. women are naturally more helpfulB. men and women talk different languagesC. men talk most and interrupt other speakers moreD. little girls' conversation is less definite本文转载自:[url=]英语六级考试网[/url]1. A2. C3. B4. D5. B本文转载自:[url=]英语六级考试网[/url]Every day, the news of the world is relayed to people by over 300 million copies of daily papers, over 400 million radio sets, and over 150 million television sets. Additional news is shown by motion pictures, in theatres and cinemas all over the world. As more people learn what the important events of the day are, fewer are still concerned exclusively with the events of their own household. As the English writer John Donne put it nearly four hundred years ago, "no man is an island. " This idea is more appropriate today than it was when Donne lived. In short, wherever he lives, a man belongs to somesociety; and we are becoming more and more aware that whatever happens in one particular society affects, somehow, the life and destiny of all humanity.Newspapers have been published in the modern world for about four hundred years. Most of the newspapers printed today are read in Europe and North America. However, soon they may be read in all parts of the world, thanks to the new inventions that are changing the techniques of newspaper publishing.Electronics and automation have made it possible to produce pictures and text far more quickly than before. Photographic reproduction eliminates the need for type and printing presses. And fewer specialists, such as type-setters, are needed to produce a paper or magazine by the photo-offset (照相平板胶印) method. Therefore, the publishing of newspapers and magazines becomes more economical. Furthermore, photo-copies can be sent over great distances now by means of television channels and satellites such as Telstar. Thus, pictures can be brought to the public more quickly than previously.Machines that prepare printed texts for photo-copies are being used a great deal today. Thousands of letters and figures of different sizes and thicknesses can now be arranged on a black glass disc that is only eight inches in diameter, to be printed in negative form(white on a black background). The disc on the machine turns constantly at the rate of ten revolutions a second. A beam of light from a slroboscopic (频闪的) lamp shines on thedesired letters and figures for about I wo-millionths of a second. Then the image of the letters and figures that were illuminated is projected onto a film through lenses. The section of film is large enough to hold the equivalent of a page of text. There is a keyboard in front of the machine that is similar to the keyboard of a typewriter, and the machine operator has only to strike the proper keys for the image of the corresponding letters to be immediately transferred to the film. The negative image on the film can quickly be transferred onto paper. This method makes it as easy to reproduce photographs and illustrations as it is to reproduce the text itself.Film, being light and small, can be sent rapidly to other places and used to print copies of the text where they are needed. Film images can also be projected easily on a movie or television screen. Television broadcasts are limited to an area that is within sight of the sending station or its relay ( 中继 ). Although television relays are often placed on hills and mountains so that they can cover a wider region, they still can not cover more land than one could see from the same hilltop on a clear day. However, the rays also go out into the atmosphere, and if there is a relay station on a satellite that revolves around the earth, it can transmit the pictures to any point on the earth from which the satellite is visible. Three satellites permanently revolving over the equator transmit any television program to any part of the earth. This makes it possible for world editions of newspapersto give the news in all countries at the same time. Some day it may be possible for a subscriber to a televised newspaper to press a button and see a newspaper page on his television screen. He could also decide when he wants the page to turn, and, by dialling different numbers such as those on a telephone dial, he could choose the language or the edition of the paper he wants to read. It seems strange to think that, even today, methods of the past are not entirely useless. For example, sometimes press agencies that use radio and Telstar use carrier pigeons to send messages between offices in large cities because the pigeons are not bothered by traffic problems.It may be some time before television sets become common in the average homes in Africa and Asia. However, radio is already rapidly becoming accessible to thousands of people in these areas. And, now that good radios are being made with transistors, and their price is gradually dropping because of mass production, it may not be" too long before radios become commonplace in areas which have no newspapers. Transistors make it possible for people to carry small radios wherever they go, without need of electric current. Even television sets are now operating on transistors, and the pocket TV may soon be as widespreadas the pocket radio.Now that scientific progress is making it possible to send the news to all theinhabitants of the earth, it will be important to consider what news isgoing to be sent to them. No matter what criteria are used in making the decision, a decision must be made, since no one would' have time to read or listen to an account of everything there is going on in the world!People who have time to read several papers can already compare different reports of the same event. When an event has political significance, each paper reports it from the point of view of its own political beliefs or preferences. Ideally, of course, the expression of editorial opinion should be limited to the editorial page, and the news articles should be objective —telling the facts as completely as possible, without trying to give them a particular interpretation, or without otherwise trying to influence the reader's opinion. However, reporters and editors are only human, and if they have strong political beliefs it is almost impossible for them to hide them. If editors believe their point of view is best for the readers of their paper, what's to stop them from using the paper to try to influence public opinion? And if, some day, a world newspaper becomes a reality, will it be the most powerful press agencies that will choose the news to be sent out to all countries?1. The expression "no man is an island" means that no man lives surrounded by water.2. According to the author, it may not be long before people all overthe world have access to newspapers.3. The transferring of newspaper texts to film is time-consuming and costly.4. Transistors are particularly useful because they are used in small radio and TV sets.5. Television relays are often placed on a hilltop so that they can reacha satellite.6. People are capable of knowing all the events going on in every part of the world.7. If a world newspaper becomes a reality, it will take more responsibility for informing all the readers of the latest news in the world.8. Newspapers have been published for about______.9. Any television program could be transmitted to any part of the world by______.10. It is ideal that the news articles______.本文转载自:[url=]英语六级考试网[/url]1. N2. Y3. N4. Y5. N6. N7. NG8. 400 years9. satellites10. be objective本文转载自:[url=]英语六级考试网[/url]In the last two hundred years there have been great changes in the method of production of goods. This is now also true of the building industry; for mechanization has been introduced. System building can save both time and money. The principle of system building is that the building is made from a set of standard units. These are either made at the building-site or at a factory. Some designers, in fact, are standardizing the dimensions of rooms. They are made in multiples of a single fixed length, usually ten centimeters. This is called a modular (标准件的) system, and it means that manufactures can produce standardized fittings at a lower cost. The most important factabout system building is its speed. A ten-storey flat, for example, can be completed in four months.There are several new methods of system building. One is the panel method. In this case, the construction company sometimes erects a factory on the site. The walls and floors of the building, called panels, are cast in a horizontal or vertical position. Conduits for electrical wires and sleeves for pipes are cast in the panels when they are being made. The moulds for making these castings are situated all around the building.After the concrete panels are cast, they are allowed to set and harden for a week. Next they are lifted by a tower crane on to any section of the building. There the panels are cemented together at their joints and the floor covering is laid.After the panels have been cemented together, the crane lifts a case into the area. It contains all the fittings to be installed, such as wash-basins, radiators and pipes. Finishing tradesmen, such as plumbers, plasterers, painters and electricians, follow behind to complete the work.In some building developments, in some countries, whole flats with internal features like their bathrooms, bedrooms and connecting stairs, andweighing as much as twenty tons, are carried to the building-site ready-made.A giant overhead crane is used to lift them into position. In the future, this method may become more widespread.1. The main difference between panel method and the method discussed in the last paragraph is_______.A. the latter uses ready-made internal featuresB. panels are cast in a level positionC. the former is used to build walls and floors while the latter to construct bathrooms or bedroomsD. the former is more expensive than the latter2. Which of these statements is TRUE of system building?A. It employs more men.B. It is difficult and dangerous.C. It can save both time and money.D. It means less mechanization.3. According to the passage, the principle of system building is that_______.A. construction methods are saferB. buildings are made from a set of standardized unitsC. similar buildings can be producedD. all units are produced on the site4. The usual fixed length in the modular system is_______.A. twenty centimetersB. ten millimetersC. fifty centimetersD. ten centimeters5. What lifts the concrete panels onto the building?A. Cranes.B. Man-power.C. Pulleys.D. Hydraulic jacks.本文转载自:[url=]英语六级考试网[/url]1. A2. C3. B4. D5. A本文转载自:[url=]英语六级考试网[/url]Etiquette (礼仪)The origins of etiquette—the conventional rules of behavior and ceremonies observed in polite society—are complex. One of them is respect for authority. From the most primitive times, subjects(臣民) showed respect for their ruler by bowing, prostrating themselves on the ground, not speaking until spoken to, and never turning their backs to the throne. Some rulers developed rules to stress even further the respect due to them. The emperors of Byzantium expected their subjects to kiss their feet. When an ambassador from abroad was introduced, he had to touch the ground before the throne with his forehead. Meanwhile the throne itself was raised in the air so that, on looking up, the ambassador saw the ruler far above him, haughty and remote.Absolute rulers have, as a rule, made etiquette more complicated rather than simpler. The purpose is not only to make the ruler seem almost godlike, but also to protect him from familiarity, for without some such protectionhis life, lived inevitably in the public eye, would be intolerable. The court of Louis XIV of France provided an excellent example of a very highly developed system of etiquette. Because the king and his family were considered to belong to France, they were almost continually on show among their courtiers (朝臣). They woke, prayed, washed and dressed before crowds of courtiers. Even large crowds watched them eat their meals, and access to their palace was free to all their subjects.Yet this public life was organized so carefully, with such a refinement of ceremonial, that the authority of the King and the respect in which he was held grew steadily throughout his lifetime. A crowd watched him dress, but only the Duke who was his first valet de chamber (贴身男仆) was allowed to hold out the right sleeve of his shirt, only the Prince who was his Grand Chamberlain could relieve him of his dressing gown, and only the Master of the Wardrobe might help him pull up his trousers. These were not familiarities, nor merely duties, but highly desired privileges. Napoleon recognized the value of ceremony to a ruler. When he became Emperor, he discarded the revolutionary custom of calling everyone "citizen", restored much of the Court ceremonial that the Revolution had destroyed, and recalled members of the nobility to instruct his new court in the old formal manners.Rules of etiquette may prevent embarrassment and even serious disputes. The general rule of social precedence is that people of greater importance precede those of lesser importance. Before the rules of diplomatic precedencewere worked out in the early sixteenth century, rival ambassadors often fought for the most honourable seating position at a ceremony. Before the principle was established that ambassadors of various countries should sign treaties in order of seniority, disputes arose as to who should sign first. The establishment of rules for such matters prevented uncertainty and disagreement, as to rules for less important occasions. For example, at an English wedding, the mother of the bridegroom should sit in the first pew or bench on the right-hand side of the church. The result is dignity and order.Outside palace circles, the main concern of etiquette has been to make harmonious the behaviour of equals, but sometimes social classes have used etiquette as a weapon against intruders, refining their manners in order to mark themselves off from the lower classes.In sixteenth-century Italy and eighteenth-century France, decreasing prosperity and increasing social unrest led the ruling families to try to preserve their superiority by withdrawing from the lower and middle classes behind barriers of etiquette. In a prosperous community, on the other hand, polite society soon absorbs the newly rich, and in England there has never been any shortage of books on etiquette for teaching them the manners appropriate to their new way of life.Every code of etiquette has contained three elements: basic moral duties; practical rules which promote efficiency; and artificial, optional graces such as formal compliments to, say, women on their beauty or superiors ontheir generosity and importance.In the first category are consideration for the weak and respect for age. Among the ancient Egyptians the young always stood in the presence of older people. Among the Mponguwe of Tanzania, the young men bow as they pass the huts of the elders. In England, until about a century ago, young children did not sit in their parents' presence without asking permission.Practical rules are helpful in such ordinary occurrences of social life as making proper introductions at parties or other functions so that people can be brought to know each other. Before the invention of the fork, etiquette directed that the fingers should be kept as clean as possible; before the handkerchief came into common use, etiquette suggested that, after spitting, a person should rub the spit inconspicuously (难以察觉的) underfoot.Extremely refined behavior, however, cultivated as an art of gracious living, has been characteristic only of societies with wealth and leisure, which admitted women as the social equals of men. After the fall of Rome, the first European society to regulate behavior in private life in accordance with a complicated code of etiquette was twelfth-century Provence, in France.Provence had become wealthy. The lords had returned to their castles from the crusades (十字军东征) , and there the ideals of chivalry (武士制度) grew up, which emphasized the virtue and gentleness of women and demanded that a knight (骑士) should profess a pure and dedicated love to a lady who wouldbe his inspiration, and to whom he would dedicate his brave deeds, though he would never come physically close to her. This was the introduction of the concept of romantic love, which was to influence literature for many hundreds of years and which still lives on in a belittled form in simple popular songs and cheap novels today.In Renaissance Italy too, in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, a wealthy and leisured society developed an extremely complex code of manners, but the rules of behavior of fashionable society had little influence on the daily life of the lower classes. Indeed many of the rules, such as how to enter a banquet room, or how to use a sword or handkerchief for ceremonial purposes, were irrelevant to the way of life of the average working man, who spent most of his life outdoors or in his own poor hut and most probably did not have a handkerchief, certainly not a sword, to his name.Yet the essential basis of all good manners does not vary. Consideration for the old and weak and the avoidance of harming or giving unnecessary offence to others is a feature of all societies everywhere and at all levels from the highest to the lowest. You can easily think of dozens of examples of customs and habits in your own daily life which come under this heading.1. Etiquette simply serves the purpose of showing respect for authority.2. Louis XIV of France made etiquette very complicated to avoid familiarity.3. People of all societies and social ranks observe the good manners of consideration for the weak and respect for age.4. Napoleon discarded aristocratic privileges when he became Emperor of France.5. Etiquette has been used to distinguish people from different classes.6. In Europe, the newly rich have added new ingredients to etiquette while they are learning to behave appropriately for a new way of life.7. After the sixteenth century, fights between ambassadors over precedence were a common occurrence.8. Extremely refined behaviour had ______ on the life of the working class.9. Basic moral duties are one of the_______of every code of etiquette.10. According to the passage, the concept of romantic love was introduced in_______.本文转载自:[url=]英语六级考试网[/url]I. N 2. Y 3. Y 4. N 5. Y 6. NG 7. N8. little influence 9. three elements 10. twelfth-century Provence, France本文转载自:[url=]英语六级考试网[/url]The economy of the United States after 1952 was the economy of a well-fed, almost fully employed people. Despite__1__alarms, the country escaped any postwar depression and lived in a__2__of boom. An economic survey of the year1955, a typical year of the 1950's, may be typical as__3__the rapid economic growth of the decade. The national output was__4__at 10 percent above that of 1954(1955 output was estimated at 392 billion dollars). The production of manufactures was about 40 percent more than it had__5__ in the years immediately following World War I . The country's business spent about 30 billion dollars for new factories and machinery. National income __6__ for spending was almost a third greater than it had been in 1950. Consumers spent about 256 billion dollars; that is about 700 million dollars a day, or about twenty-five million dollars every hour, all round the __7__ . Sixty-five million people held jobs and only a little more than two million wanted jobs but could not find them. Only agriculture__8__that it was not sharing in the boom. To some observers this was a sad reflection of the mid-1920's. As farmers' share of their products__9 __ , marketing costs rose. But there were, among the observers of the national economy, a few who were not as confident as the majority. Those few seemed to fear that the boom could not last long and would__10__lead to the opposite—depression.A. eventuallyB. averagedC. graduallyD. stateE. valuedF. formG. declinedH. occasionalI. casual J. argued K. descended L. complainedM. clock N. available O. illustrating本文转载自:[url=]英语六级考试网[/url]I. H 2. D 3. O 4. E 5. B 6. N 7. M 8. L 9. G 10. A本文转载自:[url=]英语六级考试网[/url]Hope is HealthyYou are about to go to the hospital for a routine surgical procedure. Which attitude is healthier?A. "I'd better find out everything I can about this operation—you can never know too much. "B. "Don't tell me the details. It's going to be fine. "Answer B is supposed to be the wrong one. It's an example of what psychologists call "denial," a defence mechanism that minimizes uncomfortable information. Denial, they have argued, is stupid, self-defeating and ultimately dangerous.But research is showing that answer B is a faster route to recovery. Denial—of a certain sort and at certain times—can be healthy. Of course, you do need to pay attention to some unpleasant facts. The trick is to know when it's helpful to worry and when it's counterproductive.Out-and-out denial may be the best approach to surgery, according to Richard S. Lazarus, professor of psychology at the University of California at Berkeley. With Frances Cohen, Lazarus studied 61 patients about to undergo operations (all relatively common operations). In general, patients followed one of two mental strategies; "avoidance" or "vigilance. "。