2015考试题——2014至2015年大学英语六级阅读理解模拟精选试题

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2015年6月大学英语六级考试及答案——模拟题三

模拟题三Part ⅡReading Comprehension (35 minutes)Directions: There are four passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.Questions 21 to 23 are based on the following passage:The Caledonian Market in London is a clearing house of the junk (旧货、废弃物) of the universe. Here, rubbish is a commodity and rubbish picking is a sport. Somebody, somewhere, wanted these things, perhaps just to look at. You learn here the incredible obscurity of human needs and desires. People grope (摸索), with fascinated curiosity, among the turned out debris (废墟) of thousands of attic rooms. Junk pours in twice a week, year in and year out. The Market is the penultimate (倒数第二的) resting place of banished vases, musical instruments that will not play, sewing machines that will not sew, paralyzed perambulator, epileptic bicycles and numerous other articles from which all morale and hope have long departed. There are stories of fortunes being picked up in the Market. Once seven hundred gold sovereigns were found in a secret drawer of a crazy old bureau. And book buyers have discovered valuable editions of Milton and Dickens and Carlyla. There is nothing one can not buy in the Market.21. The title below that best expresses the idea of this passage is____.A) Why People Buy What They DoB) Reflections on A Famous Junk MarketC) The Cause for Fascinated CuriosityD) What Happens to Attic Debris22. The articles for sale in the Caledonian Market____A) are wanted to look atB) are collected 100 times a yearC) reveal obscure needs and desiresD) bring fortune to the buyers23. From the style of this passage one might assume that it was taken from____.A) a report on marketingB) a guide bookC) directions for a stage settingD) an information essayQuestions 24 to 30 are based on the following passage:A llelomimetic behavior may be defined as behavior in which two or more individual animals do the same thing, with some degree of mutual simulation and coordination. It can only involve in species with sense organs that are well enough developed so that continuous sensory contact can be maintained. It is found primarily in vertebrates(脊椎动物), in those species that are diurnal, and usually in those that spend much of their lives in the air, in open water or on open plains.In birds, allelomimetic behavior is the rule rather than the exception, though it may occasionally be limited to particular seasons of the year as it is in the redwing blackbird. Its principal function is that of providing safety from predators(掠食者), partly because the flock can rely on many pairs of eyes to watch for enemies, and partly because if one bird reacts to danger, the whole flock is warned.Among mammals, allelomimetic behavior is very rare in rodents(啮齿动物), which almost never move in flocks or herds. Even when they are artificially crowded together, they do not conform in their movements. On the other hand, such behavior is a major system among large hoofed mammals,such as sheep.In the pack hunting carnivores(食肉类飞禽), allelomimetic behavior has another function of cooperative hunting for large prey(被捕食者) animals,such as moose. Wolves also defend their dens as a group against larger predators, such as bears.Finally, allelomimetic behavior is highly developed among most primate groups, where it has the principal function of providing warning against predators,as though combined defensive behavior is also seen in troops of baboons(狒狒).24. The main topic of the passage is the ____A) value of allelomimetic behavior in vertebrate and invertebrate speciesB) definition and distribution of allelomimetic behaviorC) relationship of allelomimetic behavior to the survival of the fittestD) personality factors that determine when an individual animal will show allelomimetic behavior25. Which of the following places is the most likely setting for allelomimetic behavior?A) A lake. B) A cave.C) An underground tunnel. D) A thick forest.26. The author implies that allelomimetic behavior occurs most often among animals that ____A) prey on other animalsB) are less intelligent than their enemiesC) move in groupsD) have one sense organ that dominates perception27. Which of the following is the most clear example of allelomimetic?A) Bears hunting for carnivores.B) Cattle fleeing from a fire.C) Horses running at a racetrack.D) Dogs working with police officers.28. According to the passage the primary function of allelomimetic behavior in bird is to ____.A) defend nests against predatorsB) look at each otherC) locate preyD) warn against predators29. According to the passage, what happens to the behavior of rodents when they are artificially crowded together?A) Their allelomimetic behavior increases.B) Continuous cooperation between them is maintained.C) They become aggressive and attack each other.D) They show little allelomimetic behavior.30. Which of the following groups of human beings would probably show the greatest amount of allelomimetic behavior？A) A group of students taking a test.B) Tennis players competing in a tournament.C) A patrol of soldiers scouting for the enemy.D) Drivers waiting for a traffic light to change.Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage:The American Heart Association and other groups have said for many years that people could reduce the chance of suffering a heart attack by eating less of the foods rich in cholesterol(胆固醇). These include such foods as meats, milk products and eggs. The Heart Association noted a number of studies which show that nations where people eat a lot of high cholesterol foods have a higher number of deaths from heart disease.However, the new report disagrees. It was made by the Food and Nutrition Board of the United States National Academy of Sciences. The new report by a team of 15 scientists said there is no evidence to link cholesterol in food directly to heart disease. It noted seven major studies involving people whose diet was changed to include only foods low in cholesterol. The studies found only a very small reduction in the number of heart attacks and there was no reduction in the number of heart attack deaths.Other studies have shown similar results. They found that a change to low cholesterol foods will have only a minor effect on the amount of cholesterol in a person's blood and only a minor effect on the number of deaths.Medical scientists hope that two huge new studies may settle the cholesterol dispute. The tests are designed to learn if low cholesterol foods or anticholesterol drugs, or both, can reduce the amount of the substance in the blood and reduce the chance of a heart attack. The two new studies will be finished in the next year or two.The new Academy of Sciences report also discussed other possible links between food and disease. The scientists, in general, they are deeply concernedabout some of the recent advice given about food. They noted that a number of private groups, government agencies and several popular books have advised that people can prevent heart disease, cancer and other sicknesses by changing the kinds of foods they eat. The new report said there is often no good scientific evidence to support such advice. In fact, the scientists said such ideas often produce only false hopes or unnecessary fears.31. According to the passage, people could reduce the chance of suffering heart attack by ____A) eating less foods with a lot of cholesterolB) eating less of low cholesterol foodsC) eating a lot of high cholesterol foodsD) eating drugs32. High cholesterol foods include ____A) eggs, meats and milk productsB) potatoes, green vegetables and tomatoesC) corn, wheat and beefD) sugar, rice and butter33. Some scientists believe that there is no evidence that cholestrol in food is directly linked to ____A) blood disease B) heart diseaseC) infectious disease D) mental disorder34. Medical scientists believe that ____A) tests have been designed to settle the cholesterol disputeB) drugs have been tested to reduce the amount of the substance in bloodC) low cholesterol foods or anti cholesterol drugs or both can reduce the chance of a heart attackD) none of the statements mentioned above is correct35. Which of the following statements in NOT true?A) One can avoid a heart disease by eating less foods with little cholesterol.B) One can avoid a heart disease by taking the doctor's advice to eat low cholesterol foods and anti cholesterol drugs or both.C) There has been good scientific evidence that cholesterol foods can produce the chance of suffering a heart disease.D) People usually believe that cholesterol foods are directly linked to heart disease.Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage:The most interesting architectural phenomenon of the 1970's was the enthusiasm for refurbishing old buildings. Obviously, this was not an entirely new phenomenon. What is new is the wholesale interest in reusing the past, in recycling, in adaptive rehabilitation. A few trial efforts, such as Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco, proved their financial viability in the 1960's, but it was in the 1970's, with strong government support through tax incentives and rapid depreciation, as well as growing interest in ecology issues, that recycling became a major factor on the urban scene.One of the most comprehensive ventures was the restoration and transformation of Boston's eighteenth century Faneuil Hall and the Quincy Market, designed in 1824. This section had fallen on hard times, but beginning with the construction of a new city hall immediately adjacent, it has returned to life with the intelligent reuse of these fine old buildings under the design leadership of BenjaminThompson. He has provided a marvelous setting for dining, shopping, professional offices, and simply walking.Butler Square, in Minneapolis, examplifies major changes in its complex of offices, commercial space, and public amenities carved out of a massive pile designed in 1906 as a hardware warehouse. The exciting interior timber structure of the building was highlighted by cutting light courts through the interior and adding large skylights.San Antonio, Texas, offers an object lesson for numerous other cities combating urban decay. Rather than bringing in the bulldozers, San Antonio's leaders rehabilitated existing structures, while simultaneously cleaning up the San Antonio River, which meanders through the business district.36. What is the main idea of the passage?A) During the 1970's, old buildings in many cities were recycled for modern use.B) Recent interest in ecology issues has led to the cleaning up of many rivers. C) The San Antonio example shows that bulldozers are not the way to fight urban decay.D) Strong government support has made adaptive rehabilitation a reality in Boston.37. What is the space at Quincy Market now used for?A) Boston's new city hall.B) Sports and recreational facilities.C) Commercial and industrial warehouses.D) Restaurants, offices, and stores.38. According to the passage, Benjamin Thompson was the designer for a project in ____A) San Francisco B) BostonC) Minneapolis D) San Antonio39. When was the Butler Square building originally built?A) In the eighteenth century.B) In the early nineteenth century.C) In the late nineteenth century.D) In the early twentieth century.40. What is the author's opinion of the San Antonio project?A) It is clearly the best of the projects discussed.B) It is a good project that could be copied in other cities.C) The extensive use of bulldozers made the project unnecessarily costly.D) The work done on the river was more important than the work done on the buildings.Part ⅢVocabulary (20 minutes)Directions: There are 30 incomplete sentences in this part. For each sentence there are four choices marked A), B),C)and D). Choose the ONE that best completes the sentence.Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.41. The undersea world is well known as a source of natural beauty and a____ to human fantasy.A) gleam B) magnitudeC) faction D) stimulus42. Too many hotels have been built and this has____down prices, making holidays cheaper.A) forced B) slowedC) cut D) reduced43. The climber was____from the top of the cliff on a rope held by his friends.A) exhausted B) relievedC) suspended D) isolated44. We can't understand Uncle George, for he always____whatever he says.A) masters B) mumblesC) molests D) muzzles45. You haven't really answered the question, for what you said is not ____A) eligible B) pertinentC) provident D) expeditious46. Always a clear diplomat, he ____one potential eney of his country against another, so he kept them divided.A) played down B) played onC) played with D) played off47. His illness would ____his progress of study.A) cast B) concludeC) obstruct D) block48. A beautiful autumn day like this ____for the wet summer we have had.A) compensates B) revengesC) balances D) compels49. Do you have a ____of ownership for this car?A) document B) labelC) passport D) certificate50. Ronny's steps ____, and there was a moment of absolute silence.A) died down B) died awayC) died off D) died out51. After practising for several weeks, Peter decided to ___.A) contrive B) compriseC) confirm D) compete52. When the pipe broke, the water ____ out violently.A) trickled B) gushedC) stirred D) flitted53. Few people ____ this department store because it didn't sell good clothing.A) accused B) recitedC) patronized D) advertized54. The ____ between them has been made.A) contention B) concordC) conjunction D) commune55. It's hard to ____ someone so selfish.A) feel like B) feel outC) feel for D) feel towards56. The apple tree ____the field, dropping its flowers on the grass.A) leaned on B) leaned toC) leaned over D) leaned towards57. Why are you always so ____? You never smile or look cheerful.A) angry B) sorryC) unfortunate D) miserable58. You must remember to ____all your belongs out of this classroom today.A) fetch B) take awayC) bring D) take59. The ____, while worrying, does not mean a total loss, as the jewels were insured for $ 30,000.A) robber B) robberyC) rubbish D) robot60. I have often wondered who first ____ that simple but profound truth.A) urged B) utteredC) buttered D) sponsored61. We'd better wait inside until the storm ____.A) transmits B) distortsC) migrates D) subsides62. I have not found my book yet; in fact, I am not sure____ I could have done with it.A) whether B) whereC) when D) what63. His mother bought a ____ chunk of meat.A) massive B) excessiveC) extravagant D) plentiful64. He was interested only in the story and____all those passages of landscape description.A) thought badly of B) went overC) made fun of D) passed over65. If you don't return the article to the shop within a week, you will ____ the chance of getting your money back.A) take B) forfeitC) stand D) get66. The winter was close____, she had no clothes, and now she was out of work.A) severe B) far awayC) mild D) at hand67. Jim and Mike tried to move the large rock but they could not____ it.A) arouse B) provokeC) budge D) dodge68. His ____and experience make him an excellent person for this job.A) competence B) complacencyC) compensation D) compunction69. In that year the ____of infectious diseases in theUnited Kingdom was high.A) rate B) ratioC) frequency D) incidence70. I think I've grasped your main proposals, but would you mind ____them once again?A) running out B) running intoC) running through D) running forPart ⅤWriting (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed thirty minutes to write a composition on the topic “The 1998 Summer Flood”. You should write at least 150 words and you should base your composition on the outline (given in Chinese) below:1. 洪水所造成的损失：受灾面积……，伤亡人数……，经济损失……元，受灾最为严重的省份是……2. ******、党中央十分关心受灾地区和人民，亲自指挥抗洪抢险，取得了最后胜利。

大学英语六级英语阅读真题及答案（2015.6）

引导语：为了⽅便⼤家对英语阅读的学习，以下是百分⽹店铺整理的2015年6⽉⼤学英语六级卷⼀阅读真题及答案，欢迎阅读! 卷⼀： Part III Reading Comprehension (40minutes) Section A Direction: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank follwing the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making choices. Each choie in the bank is identificated by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answere Sheet2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once. Question 36 to 45 are based on the following passage. It’s our guilty pleasure: Watching TV is the most common everyday activity,after work and sleep, in many parts of the world. Americans view five hours of TV each day, and while we know that spending so much time sitting ___36___ can lead to obesity(肥胖症) and other diseases, researchers have now quantified just how___37___being a couch potato can be. In an analysis of data from eight large ___38___published studies, a Harvard-led group reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association that for every two hours per day spent channel ___39___,the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes(糖尿病)rose 20% over 8.5 years, the risk of heart disease increased 15% over a ___40___, and the odds of dying permaturely___41___ 13% during a seven-year follow-up .All of these___42____are linked to a lack of physical exercise. But compared with other sedentary(久坐的)activities, like knitting ,viewing TV may beespecially__43___at promoting unhealthy habits. For one, the sheer number of hours we pass watching TV dwarfs the time we spend on anything else. And other studies have found that watching ads for beer and popcorn may make you more likely to ___44___them. Even so, the authors admit that they didn’t compare different sedentary activities to___45___whether TV watching was linked to a greater risk of diabetes,heart disease or clearly death compared with, say, reading. 注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。

2014年6月大学英语六级阅读练习题附答案及解析水印版

2014年6月大学英语六级阅读练习题附答案及解析目录2014年6月大学英语六级阅读练习题附答案及解析 (1)2014年6月大学英语六级仔细阅读练习题附答案及解析(1) (2)2014年6月英语六级长篇阅读匹配练习题附答案解析(1) (11)2014年6月英语六级选词填空习模拟练习附答案(1) (17)2014年6月大学英语六级仔细阅读练习题附答案及解析(2) (21)2014年6月英语六级长篇阅读匹配练习题附答案解析(2) (30)2014年6月英语六级选词填空习模拟练习附答案(2) (37)2014年6月大学英语六级仔细阅读练习题附答案及解析(1) Passage OneQuestions 56 to 60 are based an the following passage.Dropping out of university to launch a start-up is old hat. The twist with Joseph Cohen, Dan Getelman and Jim Grandpre is that their start-up aims to improve how universities work. In May 2011 the three founders quit the University of Pennsvlvania. to launch Coursekit,soon renamed as Lore.whichhas already raised $ 6m to develop what Mr. Cohen, its 21-year-old chief executive, describes as a social-learning network for the classroom".Lore is part of a trend that builds on the familiarity with social networking that has come with the success of Facebook. It customizes the rules of a network to meet the specific needs of students. Anyone teaching a class would reasonably worry that students using Facebook were gossiping rather than learning useful information from their network of friends. Lore allows teachers to control exactly who is in the network by issuing a class-membership code and to see how they are using it. They can also distribute course materials, contact students, manage tests and grades, and decide what to make public and what to keep private. Students can also interact with each other.In the academic year after launching its first version last November, Lore was used in at least one class in 600 diversities and colleges. Its goal for its second year, about to begin, is to spread rapidly within those 600 institutions, not least to see what the effects of scale are from having lots of classes signed up within the same institution.The firm has a fast-growing army of fans in the faculty common room. Lore, says Edward Boches, who uses it for his advertising classes at Boston University, makes teaching "more interactive, extends it beyond the classroom and stimulates students to learn from each other rather than just the professor."Among other challenges for the company, there remains the small matter offiguring out a business model. For the moment it has none. Mr. Cohen hopes that eventually Lore could become the primary marketplace for everything from courses to textbooks, but so far the service is free and carries no advertising. Blackboard, the industry incumbent (占有者), charges users for its course-management software. It remains to be seen how it will respond to the upstart(新贵).The lack of a plan does not appear to bother Lore's founders or investors, -who seem content to learn a lesson from another university drop-out, Mark Zuckerberg, the co-founder of Facebook: achieve critical mass in your network and the profits will follow. And after that perhaps they can expect an honorary degree from the a/ma mater(母校).56. What do we learn from the first paragraph about Lore?A．It specializes in producing old hats.B．It aims to improve the way universities work.C．It invests $ 6m in the development of social network.D．It promotes the communication among classmates.57. What does Lore enable teachers to do?A．Meet specific needs of students.B．Learn useful information from friends.C．Control the online class membership.D．Monitor students' personal privacy.58. For its second-year goal, Lore is to __A．increase fans in the faculty common roomB．launch its second version in 600 universitiesC．make more classes from 600 institutions signed upD．spread its influence within the same institution59. Concerning the prospect of Lore, Mr. Cohen expects it toA．confront with Blackboard as an equalB．offer free service to the advertisersC．cover businesses from courses to textbooksD．Develop its own come-management software60. What do we learn about Lore's founders?A．They can't be bothered to design a business model.B．They learn a lesson from the success of Facebook.C．They will not make profits without drawing mass users.D．They desire to receive an honorary degree from the alma mater.Passage TwoQuestions 61 to 65 are based on the following passage.A bull grazes on dry wheat husks(Phi) in Logan, Kansas, one of the regions hit by the record drought that has affected more than half of the U. S. and is expected to drive up food prices.Leadinu water scientists have issued one of the sternest warnings yet about global food supplies, saying that the world's population may have to switch almost completely to a vegetarian diet over the next 40 years to avoid catastrophic shortages.Adopting a vegetarian diet is one option to increase the amount of water available to grow more food in an increasingly climate-unstable world, the scientists said. Animal protein-rich food consumes 5 to 10 times more water than a vegetarian diet. One third of the world's arable(适于耕种的) land is used to grow crops to feed animals. Other options to feed people include eliminating waste and increasing trade between countries in food surplus and those in deficit."900 million people already go hungry and 2 billion people are malnourished in spite of the fact that per capita food production continues to increase," they said. "With 70% of all available water being in agriculture, growing more food to feed an additional 2 billion people by 2050 will place greater pressure on available water and land."The report is being released at the start of the annual world water conference in Stockholm, Sweden, where 2,500 politicians, UN bodies, non-governmental groups and researchers from 120 countries meet to address global water supply problems.Competition for water between food production and other uses will intensifypressure on essential resources, the scientists said. "The UN predicts that we must increase food production by 70% by mid-century. This will place additional pressure on our 'already stressed water resources, at a time when we also need to allocate more water to satisfy global energy demand--which is expected to rise 60% over the coming 30 years--and to generate electricity for the 1.3 billion people currently without it," said the report.Overeating, undernourishment and waste are all on the rise and increased food production may face future constraints from water scarcity."We will need a new recipe to feed the world in the future," said the report's editor, Anders Jagerskog.A separate report from the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) said the best way for countries to protect millions of farmers from food insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia was to help them invest in small pumps and simple technology, rather than to develop expensive, large-scale irrigation projects."Farmem across the developing world are increasingly relying on and benefiting from small-scale,locally-relevant water solutions. These techniques could increase yields up to 300% and add tens of billions of U. S. dollars to household revenues across sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia. " said Dr. Colin Chartres, the director general.61. What can be inferred from the water scientists' warning?A．The record drought forces half of the U. S. to go hungry.B．The record drought drives up food prices m the U. S.C．Severe food shortage may happen without proper measures.D．A vegetarian diet is the only option to avoid disastrous shortages.62. What do the scientists say can be done to increase food supply?A．Grow more animal protein-rich food.B．Turn pastures into arable lands.C．Promote trade between countries self-sufficient in food.D．Increase the amount of water for food production.63. According to the water scientists' report,A．per capita food production has been increasingB．reduced food supply will make more people malnourishedC．70% of water will be used to feed 2 billion people by 2050D．researchers begin to seek solutions to tackle water problem64. In regard to the problem of water supply, scientists believeA．more water should be allocated to satisfy energy demandB．food production must be increased to 70% by mid-centuryC．energy demand will intensify pressure on water resourcesD．electricity generation must be increased by 60% 30 years later65. What does the IWMI say is the best solution to food insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia?A．Applying small pumps and simple technology.B．Launching large-scale irrigation projects.C．Increase the local household revenues.D．Investing in a new expensive irrigation project.答案解析：56 B）。

大学英语六级阅读理解试题及答案

大学英语六级阅读理解试题及答案2015年大学英语六级阅读理解试题及答案Beauty and Body Image in the Media[A] Images of female bodies are everywhere. Women—and their body parts—sell everything from food to cars. Popular film and television actresses are becoming younger, taller and thinner. Some have even been known to faint on the set from lack of food. Women’s magazines are full of articles urging that if they can just lose those last twenty pounds, they’ll have it all—the perfect marriage, loving children, great sex, and a rewarding career.[B] Why are standards of beauty being imposed on women, the majority of whom are naturally larger and more mature than any of the models? The roots, some analysts say, are economic. By presenting an ideal difficult to achieve and maintain, the cosmetic and diet product industries are assured of growth and profits. And it’s no accident that youth is increasingly promoted, along with thinness, as an essential criterion of beauty. If not all women need to lose weight, for sure they’re all aging, says the Quebec Action Network for Women’s Health in its 2001 report. And, according to the industry, age is a disaster that needs to be dealt with.[C] The stakes are huge. On the one hand, women who are insecure about their bodies are more likely to buy beauty products, new clothes, and diet aids. It is estimated that the diet industry alone is worth anywhere between 40 to 100 billion (U.S.)a year selling temporary weight loss (90% to 95% of dieters regain the lost weight). On the other hand, research indicates that exposure to images of thin, young, air-brushed female bodies islinked to depression, loss of self-esteem and the development of unhealthy eating habits in women and girls.[D ] The American research group Anorexia Nervosa & Related Eating Disorders, Inc. says that one out of every four college-aged women uses unhealthy methods of weight control—including fasting, skipping meals, excessive exercise, laxative (泻药)abuse, and self-induced vomiting. The pressure to be thin is also affecting young girls: the Canadian Women’s Health Network warns that weight control measures are now being taken by girls as young as 5 and 6. American statistics are similar. Several studies, such as one conducted by Marika Tiggemann and Levina Clark in 2006 titled “Appearance Culture in 9- to 12-Year-Old Girls: Media and Peer Influences on Body Dissatisfaction,” indicate that nearly half of all preadolescent girls wish to be thinner, and as a result have engaged in a diet or are aware of the concept of dieting. In 2003, Teen magazine reported that 35 percent of girls 6 to 12 years old have been on at least one diet, and that 50 to 70 percent of normal weight girls believe they are overweight. Overall research indicates that 90% of women are dissatisfied with their appearance in some way. Media activist Jean Kilbourne concludes that, “Women are sold to the diet industry by the magazines we read and the television programs we watch, almost all of which make us feel anxious about our weight.”[ E] Perhaps the most disturbing is the fact that media images of female beauty are unattainable for all but a very small number of women. Researchers generating a computer model of a woman with Barbie-doll proportions, for example, found that her back would be too weak to support the weight of her upper body, and her body would be too narrow to contain more than half aliver and a few centimeters of bowel. A real woman built that way would suffer from chronic diarrhea (慢性腹泻)and eventually die from malnutrition. Jill Barad, President of Mattel (which manufactures Barbie), estimated that 99% of girls aged 3 to 10 years old own at least one Barbie doll. Still, the number of real life women and girls who seek a similarly underweight body is epidemic, and they can suffer equally devastating health consequences. In 2006 it was estimated that up to 450, 000 Canadian women were affected by an eating disorder.[F ] Researchers report that women’s magazines have ten and one-half times more ads and articles promoting weight loss than men’s magazines do, and over three-quarters of the covers of women’s magazines include at least one message about how to change a woman’s bodily appearance—by diet, exercise or cosmetic surgery. T elevision and movies reinforce the importance of a thin body as a measure of a woman’s worth. Canadian researcher Gregory Fouts reports that over three-quarters of the female characters in TV situation comedies are underweight, and only one in twenty are above average in size. Heavier actresses tend to receive negative comments from male characters about their bodies (“How about wearing a sack?，，)，and 80 percent of these negative comments are followed by canned audience laughter.[G] There have been efforts in the magazine industry to buck (才制，反抗)the trend. For several years the Quebec magazine Coup de Pouce has consistently included full-sized women in their fashion pages and Chatelaine has pledged not to touch up photos and not to include models less than 25 years of age. In Madrid, one of the world’s biggest fashion capitals, ultra-thin models were banned from the runway in 2006. FurthermoreSpain has recently undergone a project with the aim to standardize clothing sizes through using a unique process in which a laser be am is used to measure real life women’s bodies in order to find the most true to life measurement.[ H] Another issue is the representation of ethnically diverse women in the media. A 2008 study conducted by Juanita Covert and Travis Dixon titled “A Changi ng View: Representation and Effects of the Portrayal of Women of Color in Mainstream Women’s Magazines” found that although there was an increase in the representation of women of colour, overall white women were overrepresented in mainstream women’s magazines from 1999 to 2004.[I] The barrage of messages about thinness, dieting and beauty tells “ordinary” women that they are always in need of adjustment—and that the female body is an object to be perfected. Jean Kilbourne argues that the overwhelming presence of media images of painfully thin women means that real women’s bodies have become invisible in the mass media. The real tragedy, Kilbourne concludes, is that many women internalize thesestereotypes, and judge themselves by the beauty industry’s standards. Women learn to compare themselves toother women, and to compete with them for male attention. This focus on beauty and desirability “effectively destroys any awareness and action that might help to change that climate.”46. A report in Teen magazine showed that 50% to 70% girls with normal weight think that they need to lose weight.47. On the whole, for 6 years white women had been occupying much more space in mainstream women’s magazines since 1999.48. Some negative effects such as depression and unhealthy eating habits in females are related to their being exposed to images of thin and young female bodies.49. The mass media has helped boost the cosmetic and the diet industries.50. It is reported that there is at least one message about the methods for women to change their bodily appearance on more than three-quarters of the covers of women’s magazines.51. Some film and television actresses even faint on the scene due to eating too little.52. Too much concern with appearance makes it impossible to change such abnormal trend.53. Researchers found that a real woman with Barbie-doll proportions would eventually die from malnutrition.54. The Quebec magazine Coup (e Pouce resists the trend by consistently including full-sized women in their fashion pages for several years.5 5. According to some analysts, the fundamental reason of imposing standards of beauty on women is economic profits.【参考答案】：46. [D]题干意为，《青少年》杂志上的一项报道称，有50%到70%体重正常的女孩认为自己需要减肥。

2014年6月至2015年6月英语六级长阅读理解真题及问题详解【9套卷全】

2014.06【1】Lessons From a Feminist ParadiseA．On the surface, Sweden appears to be a feminist paradise. Look at any global survey of gender equalityand Sweden will be near the top. Family-friendly policies are its norm--with 16 months of paid parent all eave, special protections for part-time workers, and state-subsidized preschools where, according to a government website, "gender-awareness education is increasingly common." Due to an unofficial quotasystem, women hold 45 percent of positions in the Swedish parliament. They have enjoyed the protection of government agencies with titles like the Ministry of Integration and Gender Equality and the Secretariat of Gender Research. So why are American women so far ahead of their Swedish counterpartsin breaking through the glass ceiling?B．In a 2012 report, the World Economic Forum found that when it comes to closing the gender gap in"economic participation and opportunity," the United States is ahead of not only Sweden but also Finland, Denmark, the Netherlands, Iceland, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Sweden's rank in there port can largely be explained by its political quota system. Though the United States has fewer women in the workforce(68 percent compared to Sweden's 77 percent), American women who choose to beemployed are far more likely to work full-time and to hold high-level jobs as managers or professionals.They also own more businesses, launch more start-ups (新创办的企业), and more often work in traditionally male fields. As for breaking through the glass ceiling in business, American women are well in the lead.C．What explains the American advantage? How can it be that societies like Sweden, where gender equalityis vigorously pursued and enforced, have fewer female managers, executives, professionals, and business owners than the laissez-faire (自由放任的) United States? A new study by Cornell economists Francine Blau and Lawrence Kahn gives an explanation.D．Generous parental leave policies and readily available part-time options have unintended consequences:instead of strengthening women's attachment to the workplace, they appear to weaken it. In addition toa 16-month leave, a Swedish parent has the right to work six hours a day (for a reduced salary) until hisor her child is eight years old. Mothers are far more likely than fathers to take advantage of this law. But extended leaves and part-time employment are known to be harmful to careers--for both genders. Andwith women a second factor comes into play: most seem to enjoy the flexible-time arrangement (onceknown as the"mommy track") and never find their way back to full-time or high-level employment. Insum: generousfamily-friendly policies do keep more women in the labor market, but they also tend to diminish their careers.E．According to Blau and Kahn, Swedish-style paternal (父亲的) leave policies and flexible-time arrangements pose a second threat to women's progress: they make employers cautious about hiring women for full-time positions at all. Offering a job to a man is the safer bet. He is far less likely to takea year of parental leave and then return on a reduced work schedule for the next eight years.F． I became aware of the trials of career-focused European women a few years ago when I met a post-doctoral student from Germany who was then a visiting fellow at Johns Hopkins. She was astonished bythe professional possibilities afforded to young American women. Her best hope in Germany was a government job-prospects for women in the private sector were dim. "In Germany," she told me, "we have all the benefits, but employers don't want to hire us."G． Swedish economists Magnus Henrekson and Mikael Stenkula addressed the following question in their2009 study: why are there so few female top executives in the European egalitarian (平等主义的)welfare states? Their answer:"Broad-based welfare-state policies hinder women's representation in elitecompetitive positions."H． It is tempting to declare the Swedish policies regressive (退步的) and hail the American system assuperior. But that would be shortsighted. The Swedes can certainly take a lesson from the United Statesand look for ways to clear a path for their ambitious female careerists. But most women are notcommitted careerists. When the Pew Research Center recently asked American parents to identify their"ideal" life arrangement,47 percent of mothers said they would prefer to work part-time and 20 percentsaid they would prefer not to work at all. Fathers answered differently: 75 percent preferred full-timework. Some version of the Swedish system might work well for a majority of American parents, but theUnited States is unlikely to fully embrace the Swedish model. Still, we can learn from their experience.I) Despite its failure to shatter the glass ceiling, Sweden has one of the most powerful and in novative economies in the world. In its 2011-2012 survey, the World Economic Forum ranked Sweden as the world's third most competitive economy; the United States came in fifth. Sweden, dubbed the "rocks tar of the recovery" in the Washington Post, also leads the world in life satisfaction and happiness. It is a society well worth studying, and its efforts to conquer the gender gap impart a vital lesson--though notthe lesson the Swedes had in mind.J) Sweden has gone farther than any other nation on earth to integrate the sexes and to offer women the same opportunities and freedoms as men. For decades, these descendants of the Vikings have been trying to show the world that the right mix of enlightened policy, consciousness raising, and non-sexist child rearing would close the gender divide once and for all. Yet the divide persists.K) A 2012 press release from Statistics Sweden bears the title"Gender Equality in Sweden Treading (踩)Water" and notes:~ The total income from employment for all ages is lower for women than for men.~ One in three employed women and one in ten employed men work part-time.~ Women's working time is influenced by the number and age of their children, but men's working time is not affected by these factors.~ Of all employees, only 13 percent of the women and 12 percent of the men have occupations with an even distribution of the sexes.L) Confronted with such facts, some Swedish activists and legislators are demanding more extreme and far-reaching measures, such as replacing male and femalepronouns with a neutral alternative and monitoring children more closely to correct them when they gravitate (被吸引) toward gendered play. When it came to light last year that mothers, far more than fathers, chose to stay home from work to care for their sickkids, Ulf Kristersson, minister of social security, quickly commissioned a study to determine the causes of and possible cures for this disturbing state of affairs.M) Swedish family policies, by accommodating women's preferences effectively, are reducing the number of women in elite competitive positions. The Swedes will find this paradoxical and try to find solutions. Letus hope these do not include banning gender pronouns, policing children's play, implementing moregender quotas, or treating women's special attachment to home and family as a social injustice. Most mothers do not aspire to (向往) elite, competitive full-time positions: the Swedish policies have given them the freedom and opportunity to live the lives they prefer. Americans should look past the gender rhetoric and consider what these Scandinavians have achieved. On their way to creating a feminist paradise, the Swedes have unintentionally created a haven (避风港) for normal mortals.46. Sweden has done more than other nations to close the gender gap, but it continues to exist.【J】47. Sweden is one of the most competitive economies in the world and its people enjoy the greatest life satisfaction.【I】48. More American women hold elite job positions in business than Swedish women.【B】49. Swedish family-friendly policies tend to exert a negative influence on women's careers.【D】50. The quota system in Sweden ensures women's better representation in government.【A】51. Though the Swedish model appears workable for most American parents, it may not be accepted by them in its entirety.【H】52. Swedish women are allowed the freedom and opportunity to choose their own way of life.【M】53. Swedish employers are hesitant about hiring women for full-time positions because of the family-friendly policies.【E】54. Gender-awareness education is becoming more and more popular in state-subsidized preschools in Sweden.【A】55. Some lawmakers in Sweden propose that gender less pronouns be used in the Swedish language.【L】2014.06【2】The Street-Level SolutionA． When I was growing up, one of my father's favorite sayings (borrowed from the humorist Will Rogers) was: "It isn't what we don't know that causes the trouble; it's what we think we know that just ain't so. "One of the main insights to be taken from the 100 000 Homes Campaign and its strategy to end chronic homelessness is that, until recently, our society thought it understood the nature of homelessness, but it didn't.B． That led to a series of mistaken assumptions about why people become homeless and what they need. Many of the errors in our homelessness policies have stemmed from the conception that the homeless are a homogeneous group. It's only in the past 15 years that organizations like Common Ground, and others, have taken a street-level view of the problem--distinguishing the "episodically homeless" from the,"chronically homeless" in order to understand their needs at an individual level. This is why we can now envisage a different approach--and get better results.C． Most readers expressed support for the effort, although a number were skeptical, and a few utterly dismissive, about the chances of long-term homeless people adapting well to housing. This is to be expected; it's hard to imagine what we haven't yet seen. As Niccol6 Machiavelli wrote in The Prince, one of the major obstacles in any effort to advance systemic change is the "incredulity of men," which is to say that people "do not readily believe in new things until they have had a long experience of them. " Most of us have witnessed homeless people on the streets for decades. Few have seen formerly homeless people after they have been housed successfully. We don't have reference points for that story. So we generalize from what we know--or think we know.D． But that can be misleading, even to experts. When I asked Rosanne Haggerty, founde of Common Ground, which currently operates 2 310 units ofsupportive housing (with 552 more under construction), what had been her biggest surprise in this work, she replied: "Fifteen years ago, I would not have believed that people who had been so broken and stuck in homelessness could thrive to the degree that they do in our buildings." And Becky Kanis, the campaign's director, commented:"There is this sense in our minds that someone who's on the streets is almost in their DNA different from someone who has a house. The campaign is creating a first-hand experience for many people that that is really not the case."E． One of the startling realizations that I had while researching this column is that anybody could become like a homeless person--all it takes is a traumatic (创伤的) brain injury. A bicycle fall, a car accident, a slip on the ice, or if you're a soldier, a head wound--and your life could become unrecognizable. James O'Connell, a doctor who has been treating the most vulnerable homeless people on the streets of Boston for 25 years, estimates that 40 percent of the long-term homeless people he's met had such a brain injury. "For many it was a head injury prior to the time they became homeless," he said. "They became unpredictable. They'd have mood swings, fits of explosive behavior. They couldn't hold onto their jobs. Drinking made them feel better. They'd end up on the streets."F． Once homeless people return to housing, they're in a much better position to rebuild their lives. But it's important to note that housing alone is not enough. As with many complex social problems, when you get through the initial crisis, you have another problem to solve which is no less challenging. But it is a better problem.G． Over the past decade, O'Connell has seen this happen. "I spend half my time on the streets or in the hospital and the other half making house calls to people who lived for years on the streets," he said. "So from a doctor's point of view it's a delightful switch, but it's not as if putting someone in housing is the answer to addressing all of their problems. It's the first step."H． Once in housing, formerly homeless people can become isolated and lonely. If they've lived on the streets for years, they may have acquired a certain standing as well as a sense of pride in their survival skills. Now indoors, those aspects of their identity may be stripped away. Many also experience a profound disorientation at the outset. "If you're homeless for more than six months, you kind of lose your bearings," says Haggerty. "Existence becomes not about overcoming homelessness but about finding food, begging, looking for a job to survive another day. The whole process of how you define stability gets reordered."I． Many need regular, if not continuous, support with mental health problems, addictions and illnesses-and, equally important, assistance in the day-to-day challenges of life, reacquainting with family, building relationships with neighbors, finding enjoyable activities or work, managing finances, and learning how to eat healthy food.J． For some people, the best solution is to live in a communal (集体) residence, with special services. This isn't available everywhere, however. In Boston, for example, homeless people tend to be scattered in apartments throughout the city.K． Common Ground's large residences in New York offer insight into the possibilities for change when homeless people have a rich array of supports. Inaddition to more traditional social services, residents also make use of communal gardens, classes in things like cooking, yoga, theatre and photography, and job placement. Last year, 188 formerly homeless tenants in four of Common Ground's residences, found jobs.L． Because the properties have many services and are well-managed, Haggerty has found posthousing problems to be surprisingly rare. In the past 10 years, there have been only a handful of incidents of quarrels between tenants. There is very little graffiti (破坏) or vandalism (涂鸦). And the turnover is almost negligible. In the Prince George Hotel in New York, which is home to 208 formerly homeless people and 208 low-income tenants, the average length of tenancy is close to seven years. (All residents pay 30 percent of their income for rent for the formerly homeless, this comes out of their government benefits. ) When people move on, it is usually because they've found a preferable apartment.M． "Tenants also want to participate in shaping the public areas of the buildings," said Haggerty. "They formed a gardening committee. They want a terrace on the roof. Those are things I didn't count on." The most common tenant demand? "People always want more storage space--but that's true of every New Yorker," she adds. "In many ways, we're a lot like a normal apartment building. Our tenants look like anyone else."N． As I mentioned, homelessness is a catch-all for a variety of problems. A number of readers asked whether the campaign will address family homelessness, which has different causes and requires a different solution. I've been following some of the promising ideas emerging to address and prevent family homelessness. Later in 2011, I'll explore these ideas in a column. For now, l'11 conclude with an update on the 100 000 Homes Campaign. Since Tuesday, New Orleans and a few other communities have reported new results. The current count of people housed is 7 043.46. Tenants in Common Ground's residences all want more room for storage.【M】47. Homes Campaign provides first-hand proof that the homeless are not what they were once believed to be.【D】48. Common Ground's residences are well-managed and by and large peaceful.【L】49. Housing the homeless is only the first step to solving all their problems.【G】50. A large percent of the chronically homeless have suffered from brain injury.【E】51. After being housed many homeless people become confused at first as to how to deal with life off the street.【H】52. Some people think the best way to help the homeless is to provide them with communal housing.【J】53. The homeless with health problems should be given regular support in their daily lives.【I】54. Until recently American society has failed to see what homelessness is all about.【A】55. Many formerly homeless tenants in New York's Common Ground's residences got hired.【K】2014.06【3】What If Middle-Class Jobs Disappear?A． The most recent recession in the United States began in December 2007 and ended in June 2009, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research. However, two years after the official end of the recession, few Americans would say that economic troubles are behind us. The unemployment rate, in particular, remains above 9%. Some labor market indicators, such as the proportion of long-term unemployed, are worse now than for any postwar recession.B． There are two widely circulated narratives to explain what's going on. The Keynesian narrative is that there has been a major drop in aggregate demand. According to this narrative, the slump can be largely cured by using monetary and fiscal (财政的) stimulus. The main anti-Keynesian narrative is that businesses aresuffering from uncertainty and over-regulation. According to this narrative, the slump can be cured by having the government commit to and follow a more hands-off approach.C． I want to suggest a third interpretation. Without ruling out a role for aggregate demand or for the regulatory environment, I wish to suggest that structural change is an important factor in the current rate of high unemployment. The economy is in a state of transition, in which the middle-class jobs that emerged after World War [[ have begun to decline. As Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee put it in a recent e-book Race Against the Machine :"The root of our problems is not that we're in a great recession, or a great stagnation (停滞), but rather that we are in the early throes (阵痛) of a great restructuring."D． In fact, I believe the Great Depression of the 1930s can also be interpreted in part as an economic transition. The impact of the internal combustion engine (内燃机) and the small electric motor on farming and manufacturing reduced the value of uneducated laborers. Instead, by the 1950s, a middle class of largely clerical (从事文秘工作的) workers was the most significant part of the labor force.Between 1930 and 1950, the United States economy underwent a great transition. Demand fell for human effort such as lifting, squeezing, and hammering. Demand increased for workers who could read and follow directions. The evolutionary process eventually changed us from a nation of laborers to a nation of clerks.E．The proportion of employment classified as "clerical workers" grew from 5.2% in 1910 to a peak of 19.3% in 1980. (However, by 2000 this proportion had edged down to 17.4%.) Overall, workers classified as clerical workers, technical workers, managers and officials exceeded 50% of the labor force by 2000. Corresponding declines took place in the manual occupations. Workers classified as laborers, other than farm hands or miners, peaked at 11.4% of the labor force in 1920 but were barely 6% by 1950 and less than 4% by 2000. Farmers and farm laborers fell from 33% of the labor force in 1910 to less than 15% by 1950 and only 1.2% in 2000.F．The introduction of the tractor and improvements in the factory rapidly reduced the demand for uneducated workers. By the 1930s, a marginal farm hand could not produce enough to justify his employment. Sharecropping, never much better than a subsistence occupation, was no longer viable (可行的). Meanwhile, machines were replacing manufacturing occupations like cigar rolling and glass blowing for light bulbs.G．The structural-transition interpretation of the unemployment problem of the 1930s would be that the demand for uneducated workers in the United States had fallen, but the supply remained high. The high school graduation rate was only 8.8% in 1912 and still just 29% in 1931. By 1950, it had reached 59%. With a new generation of workers who had completed high school, the mismatch between skills and jobs had been greatly reduced.H．What took place after World War [[ was not the revival of a 1920s economy, with its small farmingunits, urban manufacturing, and plurality of laborers. Instead, the 1950s saw the creation of a new suburban economy, with a plurality of white-collar workers. With an expanded transportation and communications infrastructure (基础设施), businesses needed telephone operators, shipping clerks and similar occupations. If you could read, follow simple instructions, and settle into a routine, you could find a job in the post-war economy.I． The trend away from manual labor has continued. Even within the manufacturing sector, the share of production and non-supervisory workers in manufacturing employment went from over 85% just after World War [I to less than 70% in more recent years. To put this another way, the proportion of white-collar work in manufacturing has doubled over the past 50 years. On the factory floor itself, work has become less physically demanding. Instead, it requires more cognitive skills and the ability to understand and carry out well-defined procedures.J．As noted earlier, the proportion of clerical workers in the economy peaked in 1980. By that date, computers and advanced communications equipment had already begun to affect telephone operations and banking. The rise of the personal computer, and the Internet has widened the impact of these technologies to include nearly every business and industry.K．The economy today differs from that of a generation ago. Mortgage and consumer loan underwriters (风险评估人) have been replaced by credit scoring. Record stores have been replaced by music downloads. Book stores are closing, while sales of books on electronic readers have increased. Data entry has been moved off shore. Routine customer support also has been outsourced (外包) overseas.L．These trends serve to limit the availability of well-defined jobs. If a job can be characterized by a précis eset of instructions, then that job is a candidate to be automated or outsourced to modestly educated workers in developing countries. The result is what David Aut or calls the polarization of the American job market.M．Using the latest Census Bureau data, Matthew Slaughter found that from 2000 to 2010 the real earnings of college graduates (with no advanced degree) fell by more in percentage terms than the earnings of high school graduates. In fact, over this period the only education category to show an increase in earnings was those with advanced degrees.N．The outlook for mid-skill jobs would not appear to be bright. Communications technology and computer intelligence continue to improve, putting more occupations at risk. For example, many people earn a living as drivers, including trucks and taxicabs. However, the age of driverless vehicles appears to be moving closer. Another example is in the field of education. In the fall of 2011, an experiment with an online course in artificial intelligence conducted by two Stanford professors drew tens of thousands of registrants (报名者). This increases the student-teacher ratio by a factor of close to a thousand. Imagine the number of teaching jobs that might be eliminated if this could be done for math, economics, chemistry, and so on.O．It's important to bear in mind that when we offer a structural interpretation of unemployment, a "loss of jobs" means an increase in productivity. Traditionally, economists have argued that productivity increases are a good thing, even though they may cause unemployment for some workers in the short run. In the long run, the economy does not run out .of jobs. Rather, new jobs emerge as old jobs disappear.The story we tell is that average well-being rises, and the more people are able to adapt, the more widespread the improvement becomes。

2014年6月大学英语六级阅读练习题附答案及解析水印版

2015年5月英语六级阅读理解模拟试题及答案

2015年5月英语六级阅读理解模拟题及答案Which is safer-staying at home，traveling to work on public transport，or working in the office? Surprisingly，each of these carries the same risk，which is very low. However，what about flying compared to working in the chemical industry? Unfortunately，the former is 65 times riskier than the latter! In fact，the accident rate of workers in the chemical industry is less than that of almost any of 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 death to 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 was Bhopal，where up to 3，000 were killed. The Texas City explosion of fertilizer killed 552. The Pemex fire at a storage plant for natural gas in the suburbs of Mexico City took 542 lives，just a month before the unfortunate event at Bhopal.Some experts have discussed these accidents and used each accident to illustrate a particular danger. Thus the Texas City explosion was caused by tons of ammonium nitrate(硝酸铵)，which is safe unless stored in。

2015年5月大学英语六级模拟试题A

2015年5月大学英语六级模拟试题A一、写作(共1题，合计15分)My View on Spending Craze During Graduation______________________________________________________________________________________二、阅读理解(共4题，合计35分)根据以下内容回答37-46题When studying human talent, the temptation is usually to concentrate on the upper reaches.Understandably so: we all admire the Einsteins and Mozarts of this world and 36 to imitate them.In comparison, studying the opposite end of the spectrum might seem pointless,patronizing(摆出恩赐态度的)or downright tasteless. Lack of intelligence is shameful enough withouttreating people like lab rats.Yet it often takes a different viewpoint to find new insights into an old problem. Stupidity is tooimportant and interesting to ignore. The science of stupidity is producing results that 37 ourconcepts of intelligence and that should be humbling for many of the smart people who run the world.It turns out that a tendency for entertaining 38 , foolish or illogical ideas is not necessarily theresult of a low IQ. This measure of intelligence is largely 39 of rationality. Just becauseyou score on the high end of one scale doesn't mean that you won'tfall at the bottom of the other.Importantly, no one is 40 to the biases that lead to stupid decisions. Yet our respect for IQ andeducation means that it is easy to rest on the laure/s (桂冠) of our qualifications and assume thatwe are,by definition, not stupid.That can be 41 on a personal level: regardless of IQ, people who score badly on rationality testsare more likely to have unplanned pregnancies or fall into serious debt.Large scale stupidity is even more damaging. Business cultures that 42 encourage it, for example,mayhave contributed to the economic crisis. Indeed, the effects may have been so damaging preciselybecause banks assumed that intelligent people act logically while at the same time rewarding rashbehavior based on intuition rather than 43 . As one researcher puts it: "The more intelligentsomeone is, the more disastrous the results of their stupidity". The same surely applies topoliticians: the tenth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq serves as a 44 that clever people cando monumentally stupid things.If we want to avoid making similar mistakes in the future, everybody--especially the mostintelligent and powerful--would do well to humbly 45 their own weaknesses. To quote Oscar Wilde:"There is no sin except stupidity. "A)acknowledge I) independentB)aspire J)negligibleC)challenge K)nominationD)commemorate DperpetuallyE)damaging M)rashF)deliberation N)recipientG)immune O)reminderH)inadvertently37请回答36题_____38请回答37题_____39请回答38题_____40请回答39题_____41请回答40题_____42请回答41题_____43请回答42题_____44请回答43题_____45请回答44题_____46请回答45题_____根据以下内容回答47-56题Technology, Costs, Lack of Appeal Slow E-Textbook Adantian[ A] Textbooks are often a luxury for college senior Vatell Martin. The accounting major atVirginia State University got by in several courses with study groups and professors' lectures."It's not that I didn't want to buy,"he says. "Sometimes, I just didn't have the money for a $ 200book. "VSU knows Martin isn't the only one. More than half of its students routinely skip buyingtextbooks. For a solution, the school is turning to e-textbooks.[ B ] VSU partnered with Flat World Knowledge, a start-up publisher that produces exclusively written e-books with "open" contentthat can be modified by professors. In a trial with 14 businesscourses,students would be required to pay $20 and receive a Flat World e-book and digital learningsupplements. The university and a local grant have been covering the cost, so far. "That'snothing.It's what I put in my gas tank," says Martin, who participated in the trial. "If I waswalking into a discussion on a topic, I can just download and take out the book and read it on myphone. "[ C] With their promise of ubiquity (无处不在), convenience and perhaps affordability, e-textbookshave arrived in fits and starts throughout college campuses. And publishers and book resellers arespending millions attracting students to their online stores and e-reader platforms as mobiletechnology improves the readability of the material on devices such as tablet computers. SiliconValley start-ups,such as Inkling and Kno, are also aggressively reinventing textbooks withinteractive graphics, videos and social-media features.[ D] Despite emerging attempts at innovation, the industry has been slowed by clumsy technology, thelasting appeal of print books, skeptical students who search online for cheaper alternatives, andcustomer confusion stemming from too many me-too e-textbook platforms that have failed to stand out.[ E ] The late Steve Jobs, founder of Apple, believed textbooks to be an $ 8 billion market ripe for"digital destruction," biographer Walter Issacson writes in Steve Jobs. Apple isexpected to make anannouncement Thursday about its new education products. The market is small but growing. Sales for e-textbooks in the U. S. higher education market grew 44. 3% to $267. 3 million in 2011,according toSimba Information, a publishing industry research firm.Print still rules[ F] So far, students have been less than impressed and more likely to choose print books. About 11%of college students have bought e-textbooks, according to market research firm Student Monitor.Availability isn't the chief problem. Most popular textbooks have a digital version, andthey're available online. But students have largely stayed away because the most readily availabletechnology today -- PDF (portable docmnent format) or other document reader versions of the printbook—is clumsy and eye-straining to read.[ G ] When Andrea Soto, a freshman biology major at the University of Maryland, bought Principles ofBiology, the $192 price tag came with a free online version. She prefers the touchable presence of athick book on her lap. "You can't highlight or underline things in the e-book. I find it more of atrouble," she says. However, digital books aren't necessarily cheaper, either. While priced lowerthan new print books, they're often more expensive than buying or renting used books online, says Kathy Mickey, an analyst at Simba. A federally funded pilot study at Daytona State College in Florida found that some students who rented ane-textbook paid only a dollar less than students whobought a print edition. And e-textbook users couldn't sell the book back after the class ended.[ H ] Despite e-textbooks' shortcomings, most agree that the print market is ripe for a technological overhaul (彻底改革). Prices of new books are rising sharply. Authors complain aboutused book sales that don't generate royalties. Professors and students axe annoyed at new editionsthat seemingly add little in content VS the previous one.[ I] "This is an industry that's failing everyone--parents, authors, professors, and students," saysBrad Wheeler, chief information officer at Indiana University, which is running a program thatdistributes cheaper e-textbooks but requires all students in the class to buy. Publishers areeager for a quicker transition to the format because e-textbooks cost less to publish and wouldgenerate income from every student who buys one. Digital books can't be resold, at least, not legally. "We'd prefer that all of it to go digital," says Vineet Madan, senior vice President of newventures at McGraw-Hill Education. "There isn't a secondary market for e-books. "Seeking market niche (商机)[ J ] If current e-textbooks are mostly unappealing, what's next? Like online music in its infancy,the textbook industry's key players--publishers, resellers, bookstores, tech companies, even someuniversities--are all scrambling to offer their digital solutions, an effort that has only intensified with the arrival of tablet computers and app stores.。

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In 1968, a nation-wide survey of malnutrition was made for the first time. It found that 10 million people are suffering in health through inadequate feeding; the causes of their plight（困境）were varied. Unemployment over a long period should be considered as the main factor. And unemployment, strange to say, nine times out of ten results from automation, both in industrial and agricultural areas. For example, in the rural South when a cotton plantation suddenly cuts its force from 100 people to three, the problem to help the displaced arises. So is the case with industrial automation. In fact, probably 2 million jobs are made unnecessary each year in the whole country as a result of the automation process, thus making unemployment a chief social concern. According to government statistics, the number of people unemployed was over5 percent for the period from 1958 to 1963. In July 1981, it rose to 7.8 percent. As a matter of fact, it has long been known that even during the most prosperous periods there have been people without enough to eat. So I think that’s why President Kennedy said in his inauguration speech in 1961, if the government did not help the poor, it could not save the rich.
A. many Americans receive benefits from the special welfare program
B. some poor people can receive help for some reason or other
C. there is the anti-poverty program in the U.S.
B. disaΒιβλιοθήκη ledC. sickD. poor
4. The word “eligible”(Line 6, Para.3) is synonymous with “_______”
A. necessary
B. urgent
C. needed
D. worthy
5. Americans are living a better life than those in most of other countries because, to some degree, _____.
In 1966, the Social Security Administration calculated that a family of four needed an income of $3,355 a year to be above the line of poverty. And in 1977, the average poverty line of the country was slightly more than $6,200 annual income for a non-farm family of four. According to the Social Security Act, families of that size below poverty line are eligible to receive benefits from the special welfare program. The average weekly payment of benefits now is equivalent to 36 percent of the worker’s normal wage. And the number of people who receive government benefits is increasing. In 1973, social insurance payments by governments, mainly to old age pensioners and people who had lost their jobs or were off work through illness, amounted to $86,000 million. Those not fully qualified for insurance payments received $29,000 million in public aid.
1. The United States is called a country on wheels because______.
A. about one-fourth Americans own two cars
B. a bit over one out of four households are the owners of two cars
A. inadequate feeding
B. malnutrition
C. unemployment
D. automation
3. The author use ”the displaced”(Line 9, Para. 2) to refer to those who are _______.
A. unemployed
2014至
As you all know, the United States is a country on wheels. Nearly eight million new cars are made each year; four households out of five own at least one ear, and more than a quarter have two each. Yet you’ll be surprised to learn that some of the car-owners even suffer from malnutrition（营养不良）.
D. social welfare programs have some measure settled the problems of those below the poverty line.
参考答案：B C A D D
C. nearly 8 million new cars drive in the country every year
D. 80% Americans have at least one car
2. According to a 1968 survey, ten million Americans found themselves in a difficult health situation chiefly due to _______.
But problems still exist. Many people are not reached by the anti-poverty program, because local authorities and agencies do not want to play their part or do not gave the resources to do so. Some poor people will not accept help for various reasons. Of course, there are some more important factors which lie in the structure of the society, but I don’t consider it necessary to dig into them here. Yet we will perhaps agree that social welfare programs have solved to some extent the problems of feeding, clothing and housing those below the poverty line. On the whole, it perhaps might be said that American people are living a better life than people in most other countries.