2008年12月六级真题 A卷

遇见明天

PartI writing (30 minutes)

注意：此部分试题在答题卡1上

PartII Reading Comprehension (Skimming and scanning) (15 minutes)

Supersize surprise

Ask anyone why there is an obesity epidemicand they will tell you that it’s al down to eating too much and burning too fewcalories. That explanation appeals to common sense and has dominated efforts toget to the root of the obesity epidemic and reverse it/ yet obesity researchersare increasingly dissatisfied with it. Many now believe that something elsemust have changed in our environment to precipitate(促成) such dramatic rises in obesityover the past 40 years or so. Nobody is saying that the “big two” – reducedphysical activity and increased availability of food – are not importantcontributors to the epidemic, but they cannot explain it all.

Earlier this year a review paper by 20obesity experts set out the 7 most plausible alternative explanations for theepidemic. Here they are.

1.      Not enough sleep

It is widely believed that sleep is for thebrain, not the body. Could a shortage of shut-eye also be helping to make usfat?

Several large-scale studies suggest theremay be a link. People who sleep less than 7 hours a night tend to have a higherbody mass index than people who sleep more, according to data gathered by theUS National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Similarly, the US Nurses’Health Study, which tracked 68,000 women for 16 years, found that those whoslept an average of 5 hours a night gained more weight during the study periodthan women who slept 6 hours, who in turn gained more than whose who slept 7.

It’s well known that obesity impairs sleep,so perhaps people get fat first and sleep less afterwards. But the nurses’study suggests that it can work in the other direction too: sleep loss mayprecipitate weight gain.

Although getting figures is difficult, itappears that we really are sleeping less. In 1960 people in the US slept anaverage of 8.5 hours per night. A 2002 poll by the National Sleep Foundationsuggests that the average has fallen to under 7 hours, and the decline is mirroredby the increase in obesity.

2.      Climate control

We humans, like all warm-blooded animals,can keep our core body temperatures pretty much constant regardless of what’sgoing on in the world around us. We do this by altering our metabolic(新陈代新的) rate, shivering or sweating. Keepingwarm and staying cool take energy unless we are in the “thermo-neutral zone”,which is increasingly where we choose to live and work.

There is no denying that ambienttemperatures(环境温度) havechanged in the past few decades. Between 1970 and 2000, the average Britishhome warmed from a chilly 13C to 18C. In the US, the changes have been at theother end of the thermometer as the proportion of homes with air conditioningsrose from 23% to 47% between 1978 and 1997. In the southern states – whereobesity rates tend to be highest – the number of houses with air conditioninghas shot up to 71% from 37% in 1978.

Could air conditioning in summer and heating in winter really make adifference to our weight?

Sadly，there is some evidence that it does-at least with regard to heating.Studies show that in comfortable temperatures we use less energy.

3.Less smoking

  Badnews: smokers really do tend to be thinner than the rest of us,and quittingreally does pack on the pounds, though no one isn sure why. It probably hassomething to do with the fact that nicotine is an appetite suppressant andappears to up your metabolic rate.

Katherine Flegal and colleagres at the US National Center for HealthStatistics in Hyattsville,Maryland, have calculated that people kicking thehabit have been respousible for a small but significant portion of the USepidemic of fatness.From data collected aroud 1991 by the US National Healthand Nutrition Examination Survey,they worked out that people who had quit inthe previous decade were much more likely to be overweight than smokers andpeople who had never smoked .Among men, for example, nearly half of quitterswere overweight compared with 37% of non-smokers and only 28%of smokers.

4. Genetic effects

Yours chances of becoming fat may be set,at least in part,before youwere even born.children of boese mothers are much more likely to become obestthemselves later in life.Offspring of mice fed a high-fat diet during pregnancyare much more likely to become fat than the offspring of identical mice fed anormal diet. Intriguingly,the effect persists for two or threegenerations.Grand-children of mice fed a high-fat diet grow up fat even iftheir own mother is fed normally-so you fate may have been sealed even beforeyou were conceived.

5.A little older…

  Somegroups of people just happen to be fatter than others.surveys carried out bythe US national center for health statisties found that adults aged 40 to 79were around three times as likely to be obese as younger people.non-whitefemales also tend to fall at the fatter end of the spectreum:Mexican-americanwomen are 30% more likely than white women to be obsess,and black women havetwice the risk.

   Inthe US,these groups account for an increasing percentage of thepopulation.between 1970 and 2000 the US population aged 35 to 44 grew by43%.the proportion of Hispanic-americans also grew,from under 5% to 12.5% ofthe population,while the proportion of black Americans increased from 11% to12.3%.these changes may account in part for the increased prevalence ofobesity.

6.mature mums

   Mothersaround the world are getting older.in the UK,themean age for aving a frist child is 27.3,compared with 23.7 in 1970 .mean age at frist birth in the US has alsoincreased, rising from 21.4 in1970 to 24.9 in 2000.

   Thiswould be neither here nor there if it were’t for the observation that having anolder mother seems to be an independent risk factor for obesity. Results fromthe USnational heart,lung and blood institute’s study found that the odds of a childbeing obese increase 14% for every five extra years of their mother’s age ,though why this should be so is not entirely clear.

    MichaelSymonds at the university of Nottingham,UK,found that first-bron childrenhave more fat than younger ones. As family size decreases, firstbrons accountfor a greather share of the population. In 1964, british women gave birth to anaverage of 2.95 children;by 2005 that figure had fallen to 1.79. in the US in 1976,9.6% of woman in their 40s had only one chile;in 2004 it was 17.4%. thiscombination of older mothers and more single children could be contributing tothe obesity epidemic.

7.Like marrying like

Just as people pair off according to looks, so they do for size. Leanpeople are more likely to marry lean an d fat more likely to marry fat. On its own,like marrying like cannot account for any increase in obesity. But combinedwith others- particularly the fact that obesity is partly genetic, and thatheavier people have more children-it amplifies the increase form other causes.

1. What is the passage mainly about?

   A)effectsof obesity on people’s health

  B)the link between lifestyle an obesity

  C)New explanations for the obesity epidemic

   D)possibleways to combat the obesity epidemic

2. In the US Nurse' Health Study, women whoslept an average of 7 hour a night ____

   A)gainedthe least weight

  B)were inclined to eat less

  C)found their vigor enhanced

  D)were less susceptible to illness

3. The popular belief about obesity is that______

   A)itmakes us sleepy

  B)it causes sleep loss

  C)it increases our appetite

  D)it results from lack of sleep

4.  How does indoor heating affect our life?

   A)itmakes us stay indoors more

   B)it accelerates our metabolic rate

  C)it makes us feel more energetic

  D)it contributes to our weight gain

5.  What does the author say about the effect ofnicotine on smokers?

   A)itthreatens their health

  B)it heightens their spirits

  C)it suppresses their appetite

  D)it slows down their metabolism

6. Who are most likely to be overweightaccording to Katherine Flegal’s study?

   A)heavysmokers

  B)passive smokers

  C)those who never smoke

  D)those who quit smoking

7.  According to the US National Center for HealthStatistics, the increasing obesity in the US is a result of _____

   A)thegrowing number of smokers among young people

  B)the rising proportion of minorities in its population

  C)the increasing consumption of high-calorie foods

  D)the improving living standards of the poor people

8.according to the US National Heart, Lungand Blood Institute, the reason why older mothers’ children tend to be obeseremains not entirely clear

9.According to Michael Symonds, one factorcontributing to the obesity epidemic is decrease of family size

10 when two heavy people get married,chances of their children getting fat increase, because obesity is partygenetiz

PartIII

Section A

11. A)He is quite easy to recognize

  B)he is an outstanding speaker

  C)he looks like a movie star

  D)he looks young for his age

12. A)consult her dancing teacher

  B)take a more interesting class

  C)continue her dancing class

  D)improve her dancing skills

13. A)the man did not believe what the womansaid

  B)the man accompanied the woman to the hospital

  C)the woman may be suffering from repetitive strain injury

  D)the woman may not followed the doctor’s instructions

14. A)they are not in style any more

  B)they have cost him far too much

   C)they no longer suit his eyesight

  D)they should be cleaned regularly

15. A)he spilled his drink onto the floor

  B)he has just finished wiping the floor

  C)he was caught in a shower on his way home

  D)he rushed out of the bath to answer the phone

16. A)fixing some furniture

  B)repairing the toy train

  C)reading the instructions

  D)assembling the bookcase

17. A)urge Jenny to spend more time onstudy

  B)help Jenny to prepare for the coming exams

  C)act towards Jenny in a more sensible way

  D)send Jenny to a volleyball training center

18. A)The building of the dam needs a largebudget

  B)the proposed site is near the residential area

  C)the local people fel insecure about the dam

  D)the dam poses a threat to the local environment

Question19 to21 are based on theconversation you have just heard

19 A. It saw the end of its booming years worldwide

  B.Its production and sales reached record levels.

  C.It became popular in some foreign countries

  D.Its domestic market started to shrink rapidly.

20. A. They cost less.           C. They were in fashion.

   B.They tasted better.        D. They werewidely advertised.

21. A. It is sure to fluctuate .      C. It will remain basically stable.

   B.It is bound to revive.       D. It willsee no more monopoly

22. A. Organising protests        C. Acting as its spokesman.

   B.Recruiting members       D. Savingendangered animals.

23. A. Anti-animal-abusedemonstrations   B. Anti-nuclearcampaigns

   C.Surveying the Atlantic Ocean floor   D. Removing industrial waste.

24. A. By harassing them.     C. By taking legal action.

   B.By appealing to the public   D. Byresorting to force.

25. A. Doubtful     C. Indifferent .

   B.Reserved     D. Supportive  

26. A, The air becomes still.       C. The clouds block the sun.

   B.The air pressure is low.      D. The skyappears brighter.

27. A. Ancient people were better at foretellingthe weather.

  B.Sailors’saying about the weather are unreliable.

  C.People knew long ago how to predict the weather.

  D.It was easiter to forecast the weather in the old days.

28 A. Weather forecast is getting more accurate today.

  B.People can predict the weather by their senses

C.Who are the real esperts in weather forecast .

  D.Weather changes affect people’s life remarkably

29. A. They often feel insecure about theirjobs.

   B.They are unable to decide what to do first .

   C.They are feel burdened with numerous tasks every day.

   Dthey feel burdened with numerous tasks every day

30 A. Analyze them rationally.    C. Turn to others for help.

  B.Draw a detailed to-do list .    D. Handlethem one by one .

31. A. They have accomplished little .   C. They have worked out a way to relax.

   B.They feel utterly exhausted .     D. Theyno longer feel any sense of guilt.

32. A. Their performance may improve.

   B.Their immune system may be reinforced

   C.Their blood pressure may rise all of a sudden.

   D.Their physical development may be enhanced.

33. A. Improved mental functioning        C. Speeding up of blood circulation

   B.Increased susceptibility to disease    D. Reduction of stress-related hormones

   

34. A. Pretend to be in better shape.        C. Turn more often to friends for help

   B.Have more physical exercise .        D.Pay more attention to bodily sensations.

35. A. Different approaches to coping withstress.

   B.Various causes for serious health problems.

   C.The relationship between stress and illness.

   D.New finding of medical research on stress.

PartIV Reading Comprehension (Reading in Depth) (25 minutes)

SectionA

Questions47 to 51 are based on the following passage.

   One of the majorproducers of athletic footwear, with 2002 sales of over $10 billion, is acompany called Nike, with corporate headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon.Forbes magazine identified Nike’s president, Philip Knight, as the 53rd-richestman in the world in 2004. But Nike has not always been a largemultimillion-dollar organization. In fact, Knight started the company byselling shoes from the back of his car at track meets.

In the late1950s Philip Knight was a middle-distance runner on the University of Oregontrack team, coached by Bill Bowerman. One of the top track coaches in the U.S., Bowermanwas also known for experimenting with the design of running shoes in an attemptto make them lighter and more shock-absorbent. After attending Oregon, Knight moved on to do graduate work at Stanford University; his MBA thesis was onmarketing athletic shoes. Once he received his degree, Knight traveled to Japan tocontact the Onitsuka Tiger Company, a manufacturer of athletic shoes. Knightconvinced the company’s officials of the potential for its product in the U.S. In 1963 hereceived his first shipment of Tiger shoes, 200 pairs in total.

In 1964, Knightand Bowerman contributed $500 each to from Blue Ribbon Sports, the predecessorof Nike. In the first few years, Knight distributed shoes out of his car atlocal track meets. The first employees hired by Knight were former collegeathletes. The company did not have the money to hire “experts”, and there wasno established athletic footwear industry in North Americafrom which to recruit those knowledgeable in the field. In its early years theorganization operated in an unconventional manner that characterized itsinnovative and entrepreneurial approach to the industry. Communication wasinformal; people discussed ideas and issues in the hallways, on a run, or overa beer. There was little task differentiation. There were no job descriptions,rigid reporting systems, or detailed rules and regulations. The team spirit andshared values of the athletes on Bowerman’s teams carried over and provided thebasis for the collegial style of management that characterized the early years ofNikes.

47. While serving as a track coach, Bowerman tried todesign running shoes that were lighter and more shock-absorbent.

48. During his visit to Japan,Knight convinced the officials of the Onitsuka Tiger Company that its productwould have potentials in the U.S.

49. Blue Ribbon Sports as unable to hire experts due tothe absence of established athletic footwear in North America.

50. In the early years of Nike, communication within thecompany was usually carried out informally.

51. What qualities of Bowerman’s teams formed the basisof Nike’s early management style?

   The teamspirit and shared valves of the athlets.

Passage one

questions 52 to 56 are based on thefollowing passage

sustainable development is applied to justabout eberything from energy to clean water and economic growth,and as a resultit has become difficult to question either the basic assumptions behind it orthe way the concept is put to use.this is especially true in agriculture,wheresustainable development is often taken as the sole measure of progress withouta proper appreciation of histrorcal and cultural perspectives.

To start with,it is important to rememberthat the nature of agriculture has changed markedly throughout history,and willcontinue to do so .medieval agriculture in northern Europe fed,clothed andshelered a predominantly rural society with a much lower population densitythan it is today.it had minimal effect on biodiversity,and any pollution itcaused was typically localized.in termsof energy use and the nutrients capturedin the product it was relatively inefficient.

Contrast this with farming since the startof the industrial revolution.competion from overseas led farmers to specializeand increase yields.throughout this period food became cheaper,safe and morereliable.however,these changes have alsoled to habitat loss and to diminishingbiodiversity.

What’smore,demand for animal products indeveloping countrics is growing so fast that meeting it will require an extra300 million tons of grain a year by 2050.yet the growth of cities and in dustryis reducing the amount of water available for agriculture in many regions.

All this means that agriculture in the 21stcentury will have to be very different from how it was in the 20th.thiswill require radical thinking.for example,we need to move away from the ideathat traditional practices are inevitably more sustainable than new ones.wealso need to abandon the notion that agriculture can be “zero impact”. The keywill be to abandon the rather simple and static measures ofsustainability,which centre on the need to maintain production withoutincreasing damage.instead we need a more dynamic interpretation,one that looksat the pros and cons of all the various way land is used.there are manydifferent ways to measure agricultural performance besides food yield:energyuse, environmental costs,water purity,carbon footprint and biodiversity. It isclear, for example,that the carbon of transporting tomatoes from spain to the UK

Is less than that of producing them in theUK with additional heating and lighting.but we do not know whether lower carbonfootprints will always be better for biodiversity.

What is crucial is recognizing thatsustainable agriculture is not just about sustainable food production.

52. How do people ofen measure progress inagriculture?

   A)By its productivity   C) By its impact onthe environmet

   B)By its sustainability  D) By itscontribution to economic growth

53. Specialisation and the effort toincease yields have esulted in________.

   A)Localised pollution   C) competition fromoverseas

   B)the shrinking of farmland D) the decrease of biodiversity

54.What does the author think oftraditional farming practices?

  A)They have remained the same over the centuries

   B)They have not kept pace with populationgrowth

   C)They are not necessarily sustainable

   D)They are environmentally friendly

55.What willagriculture be like in the 21st century

   A) It will go through radical changes

   B) It will supply more animal products

   C) It will abandon traditional farmingpractices

   D) It will cause zero damage to theenvironment

56 What is theauthor’s purpose in writing this passage?

  A) To remind people of the need ofsustainable development

  B) To suggest ways of ensuring sustainablefood production

  C) To adance new criteria for measuringfarming progress

  D) To urge people to rethink what sustainableagriculture is

Passage Two

Questions 57 to61 are based on the following passage

  The percentage of immigrants(including thoseunlawfully present) in the United  states has been creeping upward for years.At 12.6 percent, it is now higher than at any point ince the mid1920s

  We are not about to go back to the days whenCongress openly worried about inferior races polluing America’sbloodstream. But once again we are wondering whether we have too many of thewrong sort fo necomers.Their loudest citecs argue that the new wave ofimmigrants cannot,and indeed do not want to, fit in as previous generationsdid.

  We now know that these racist views werewrong.In time, Italians, Romanians and members of other so-called inferiorraces became exemplary Americans and contributed greatly, in ways too numerousto detail , to the building of this magnificent nation. There is no reason whythese new immigrants should not have the same success.

Although children of Mexican immigrants do better, in terms ofeducational and professional attainment, than thir parents UCLA sociologistEdward Telles has found that the gains don’t continme. Indeed, the fouthgeneration is marginally worse off than the third James Jackson,of the University of Michigan,hasfoud a simila rend among black Caribbeanimmigrants,Tells fears that Mexican-Americans may be fated to follow in thefootsteps of American blacks-that largeparts of the community may become miredin a seemingly state of poverty and Underachievement . Like African-Americans, Mexican-americansare increasingly relegated to (降入)segregated, substandyrd schools, and their dropout rate is thehighest for any 儿童会nic groupin the country.

       Wehave learned much about the foolish idea of excluding people on the presumptionof the ethnic/racial inferiority. But what we have not yet learned is how tomake the process of Americanization work for all. I am not talking aboutrequiring people to learn English or to adopt American ways; those thingshappen pretty much on their own, but as arguments about immigration hear up thecampaign trail, we also ought to ask some broader question about assimilation,about ho wto ensure that people , once outsiders , don’t fovever remainmarginalized within these shores.

      That is a much larger question than whatshould happen with undocumented workers, or how best to secure the border, andit is one that affects not only newcomers but groups that have been here forgenerations. It will have more impact on our future than where we decide to setthe admissions bar for the lasest ware of would-be Americans. And it would benice if we finally got the answer right.

57.How were immigrants viewed by U.S.Congress in early days?

A)They were of inferior races.

B)They were a Source of politicalcorruption.

C)They were a threat to the nation’ssecurity.

D)They were part of the nation’sbloodstream.

58.What does the author think of the newimmigrants?

A)They will be a dynamic work force in the U.S.

B)They can do just as well as theirpredecessors.

C)They will be very disappointed on the newland.

D)They may find it hard to fit into themainstream.

59.What does Edward Telles’ research sayabout Mexican-Americans?

A)They may slowlu improve from generationto generation.

B)They will do better in terms ofdeucationl attainment.

C)They will melt into the African-Americancommunity.

D)They may forever remain poor andunderachieving.

60.What should be done to help the newimmigrants?

A)Rid them of their inferiority complex.

B)Urge them to adopt American customs.

C)prevent them from being marginalized.

D)Teach them standard American English.

61.According to the author,the burningissue concerning immigrationg is_______.

A)how to deal with people entering the U.S.without documents

B)how to help immigrants to better fit intoAmerican society

C)how to stop illegal immigrants fromcrossing the corder

D)how to limit the number of immigrants toenter the U.S.

Part V

Individuals and businesses have legalprotection for intellectual property they create and own . intellectual proper_62_from creative thinking and may include products, 63  processes, and ideas. Intellectual propertyis protected  64  misapproprition(盗用)Misappropriation is taking theIntellectual propetty of others withour ____65____ compensation and using itfor monetary gain.

       Legalprotection is provided for the ___66___of intellectual propetty. The threecommon types of legal protection are patents, copyrights, and trademarks.

       Patentsprovide exclusive use of inventions. If the u.s patent office __67__ a patent,it is confirmind that the intellectual property is ___68____. The patentprevents others from making ,using, or selling the invention without the owner’s__69___ for a period of 20 years.

       Copyrightare similar to patents __70___that they are applied to artistic works. Acopyright protects the creator of an __72___artisitic or intellectual work,such as a song or a novel. A copyright gives the owner wxclusive rights tocopy, __72___ display, or perform the work . the copyright prevents others fromusing and selling the work , the __73___ of a copyright is typically thelifetime of the author

62

retrieves

deviates

results

departs

63

services

reservers

assumptions

motions

64

for

with

by

from

65

sound

partial

due

random

66

users

owners

masters

executives

67

affords

affiliates

funds

grants

68

solemn

sober

unique

universal

69

perspective

permission

conformity

consensus

70

except

besides

eyond

despite

71

absolute

alternative

original

orthodox

72

presume

stimulate

nominate

distribute

73

range

length

scale

extent

74 an additional 70 years.                              74 A) plus     C) via

Trademarks are words, names, or symbols that             B) versus    D) until

Identify the manufacturer of a productand  75 it           75 A)distract   C) distinguish

from similar goods of others.  A servicemark is               B)differ      D) disconnect

similar to a trademark 76 is used to identify               76 A) or      C) so

services. A trademark prevents others fromusing              B) but       D) whereas

the  77or a similar word, name, or symbol to               77 A) identical C) literal

                                                      B) analogical  D) parallel

take advantage of the recognition and 78of the               78 A) ambiguity  C) popularity

brand or to create confusion in themarketplace.                B)utility      D) proximity

79registration, a trademark is usually granted                79 A) From     C) Before

                                                       B) Over      D) Upon

for a period of ten years. It can be 80 for                 80 A)recurred      C) recalled

                                                    B)renewed      D) recovered

additional ten-year periods indefinitely as 81 as            81 A)long     C) far

the mark’s use continues.                                  B)soon    D) well

  

PartVI                     Translation                   (5 minutes)

Directions: Complete the sentences bytranslating into English the Chinese given in brackets.

        Please write your translation on AnswerSheet 2

注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答，只需写出译文部分。

82. He designed the first suspension bridge, which _________________________(把美观与功能完美地结合起来)。

83．It was very dark, but Mary seemed to ____________________(本能地知道该走哪条路。)

84. I don’t think it advisable that parents_________________________________(剥夺孩子们的自由) tospend their spare time as they wish.

85. Older adults who have a high level ofdaily activities have more energy and_______________________（与不那么活跃的人相比死亡率要低）。

86．Your resume should attract a would-be boss’s attention bydemonstrating ______________________（为什么你是某个特定职位的最佳人选）。