Part I
Writing (30 minutes)
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay commenting
on the remark “Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s need, but not every man’s greed.” You can cite examples to illustrate your point. You should write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words. Write your essay on Answer Sheet 1.
注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。
Part II Listening Comprehension (30 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long
conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A), B), C) and D), and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.
注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。
1. A) The man happened to see Anna fall on her back.
B) The serious accident may leave Anna paralyzed. C) The doctor’s therapy has been very successful.
D) The injury will confine Anna to bed for quite a while.
2. A) Give his contribution some time later.
B) Borrow some money from the woman. C) Buy an expensive gift for Gemma. D) Take up a collection next week.
3. A) Add more fruits and vegetables to her diet.
B) Ask Tony to convey thanks to his mother. C) Tell Tony’s mother that she eats no meat. D) Decline the invitation as early as possible.
4. A) She phoned Fred about the book.
B) She was late for the appointment. C) She ran into Fred on her way here. D) She often keeps other people waiting.
5. A) Simply raise the issue in their presentation.
B) Find more relevant information for their work. C) Put more effort into preparing for the presentation. D) Just make use of whatever information is available.
6. A) He needs a vehicle to be used in harsh weather.
B) He has a fairly large collection of quality trucks. C) He has had his truck adapted for cold temperatures. D) He does routine truck maintenance for the woman.
7. A) Visit a different store for a silk or cotton shirt.
B) Get a discount on the shirt she is going to buy. C) Look for a shirt of a more suitable color and size. D) Replace the shirt with one of some other material.
8. A) Not many people have read his article.
B) He regrets having published the article. C) Most readers do not share his viewpoints. D) The woman is only trying to console him.
Questions 9 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
9. A) To test how responsive dolphins are to various signals.
B) To examine how long it takes dolphins to acquire a skill. C) To see if dolphins can learn to communicate with each other. D) To find out if the female dolphin is cleverer than the male one.
10. A) Press the right-hand lever first. C) Raise their heads above the water.
B) Produce the appropriate sound. D) Swim straight into the same tank. 11. A) Both dolphins were put in the same tank.
B) The male dolphin received more rewards. C) The lever was beyond the dolphins’ reach. D) Only one dolphin was able to see the light.
Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
12. A) Good or bad, they are there to stay.
B) Believe it or not, they have survived. C) Like it or not, you have to use them. D) Gain or lose, they should be modernised.
13. A) The frequent train delays. C) The food sold on the trains.
B) The monopoly of British Railways. D) The high train ticket fares.
14. A) Competition from other modes of transport.
B) The low efficiency of their operation. C) Constant complaints from passengers. D) The passing of the new transport act.
15. A) They will be de-nationalised. C) They are fast disappearing.
B) They lose a lot of money. D) They provide worse service.
Section B
Directions: In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage,
you will hear some questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.
注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。
Passage One
Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.
16. A) Iced coffees sold by some popular chains are contaminated.
B) Some iced coffees have as many calories as a hot dinner. C) Some brand-name coffees contain harmful substances.
D) Drinking coffee after a meal is more likely to cause obesity.
17. A) Have some fresh fruit. C) Exercise at the gym.
B) Take a hot shower. D) Eat a hot dinner.
18. A) They could enjoy a happier family life.
B) They could greatly improve their work efficiency. C) Many embarrassing situations could be avoided. D) Many cancer cases could be prevented.
Passage Two
Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.
19. A) It has attracted worldwide attention.
B) It will change the concept of food. C) It can help solve global food crises. D) It will become popular gradually.
20. A) It comes regularly from its donors.
B) It has been drastically cut by NASA. C) It has been increased over the years. D) It is still far from being sufficient.
21. A) They are less healthy than we expected.
B) They are not as natural as we believed. C) They are not as expensive as before. D) They are more nutritious and delicious.
Passage Three
Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.
22. A) Writing articles on family violence.
B) Hunting news for the daily headlines. C) Reporting criminal offenses in Greenville. D) Covering major events of the day in the city.
23. A) It has fewer violent crimes than big cities.
B) It is a much safer place than it used to be. C) Assaults often happen on school campuses. D) Rapes rarely occur in the downtown areas.
24. A) They are very destructive.
B) There are a wide range of cases. C) There has been a rise in such crimes.
D) They have aroused fear among the residents.
25. A) Offer help to crime victims.
B) Work as a newspaper editor. C) Write about something pleasant. D) Do some research on local politics.
Section C
Directions: In this section, you will hear a passage three times. When the passage is
read for the first time, you should listen carefully for its general idea. When the passage is read for the second time, you are required to fill in the blanks with the exact words you have just heard. Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should check what you have written.
注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。
George Herbert Mead said that humans are talked into humanity. He meant that we gain personal identity as we communicate with others. In the earliest years of our lives, our parents tell us who we are. “You’re 26 .” “You’re so strong.” We first see ourselves through the eyes of others, so their messages form important 27 of our self-concepts. Later we interact with teachers, friends, 28 partners, and co-workers who communicate their views of us. Thus, how we see ourselves reflects the views of us that others communicate.
The 29 connection between identity and communication is dramatically evident in children who 30 human contact. Case studies of children who were isolated from others reveal that they lack a firm self-concept, and their mental and psychological development is severely hindered by lack of language.
Communication with others not only affects our sense of identity but also directly influences our physical and emotional 31 . Consistently, research shows that communicating with others promotes health, whereas social isolation 32 stress, disease, and early death. People who lack close friends have greater levels of anxiety and depression than people who are close to others. A group of researchers reviewed 33 studies that traced the relationship between health and interaction with others. The conclusion was that social isolation is 34 as dangerous as high blood pressure, smoking and obesity. Many doctors and researchers believe that loneliness harms the immune system, making us more 35 to a range of minor and major illnesses.
Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to
select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.
Questions 36 to 45 are based on the following passage.
To understand why we should be concerned about how young people read, it helps to know something about the way the ability to read evolved. Unlike the ability to understand and produce spoken language, the ability to read must be painstakingly 36 by each individual. The “reading circuits” we construct in the brain can be 37 or they can be robust, depending on how often and how 38 we use them. The deep reader enters a state of hypnotic trance (心醉神迷的状态). When readers are enjoying the experience the most, the pace of their reading 39 slows. The combination of fast, fluent decoding of words and slow, unhurried progress on the page gives deep readers time to enrich their reading with reflection and analysis. It gives them time to establish an 40 relationship with the author, the two of them 41 in a long and warm conversation like people falling in love. This is not reading as many young people know it. Their reading is instrumental: the difference between what literary critic Frank Kermode calls “carnal (肉体的) reading” and “spiritual reading.” If we allow our offspring to believe carnal reading is all there is — if we don’t open the door to spiritual reading, through an early 42 on discipline and practice — we will have 43 them of an enjoyable experience they would not otherwise encounter. Observing young people’s 44 to digital
2013年12月大学英语六级考试样卷
