CET 6预测题6
大学英语6级考试预测试题 6
Total score: 710 Total time allowed: 125 minutes
Part I Writing (30 minutes)
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay entitled Certificate Mania（考证热）. You should write at least 150 words following the outline given below:
1. 简述社会上大学生忙于报考各种证书的现象 2. 陈述这种现象产生的原因
3. 阐述考证热的影响, 并简述你的观点 Useful words and expressions: 证书: certificate
狂热（者）: mania/maniac
注意: 此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。
Part II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning)（15 minutes)
Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer sheet 1. For question 1-7, choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). For questions 8-10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.
Astrobiology Nobody has yet seen an extraterrestrial, which may sound like a problem in establishing a science of astrobiology. But in the past 20 years or so, scientists have found clues that life may be quite common in the universe, and many are hopeful that they will soon find hard evidence of life beyond Earth.
Some hints come from terrestrial life. Biologists have discovered many species of extreme-micro-organisms that thrive in extreme environments, such as alkali （碱性的）lakes and rock fissures deep underground. Life may have originated on the ocean floor around thermal vents or black smokers, which may be common features of other planets and moons.
And chemical traces of metabolism appear in Earth’s rocks shortly after the planet’s ferocious Late Heavy Bombardment by meteorites, implying that life might be able to get started quickly and easily.
Meteorites from Mars occasionally hit Earth. Bacteria or their spores（孢子）can probably survive the journey through space, despite the cold and intense radiation, which means that primitive life might once have been carried between the planets of the solar system, an idea called panspermia（胚种论）.
Martian microbes
In 1996, a team claimed that one Martian meteorite, ALH84001, contains fossilized Martian bacteria. Although much of their evidence has been discredited, skeptics cannot yet fully explain the crystals of magnetite found on ALH84001, which closely resemble crystals made by terrestrial bacteria.
Whereas Mars was once thought to be dry and barren, the latest evidence from ESA’s
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Mars Express, and the NASA rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, shows signs of liquid water on or near the surface. It seems that billions of years ago, Mars was briefly warm and wet. And even now, water may occasionally flow on the surface.
Probably a better haven for microbes is beneath the Martian surface, where liquid water may be permanent and where the Sun’s dangerous ultraviolet radiation does not penetrate. And newly discovered methane in the atmosphere of Mars may be the by-product of such deep-dwelling bacteria. A range of missions are planned to look for clearer signs of life, including a new version of the lost Beagle 2, and eventually an ambitious US sample-return mission. Deep dark oceans
The other inner planets seem less promising for life. Although it has been suggested that Venus may once have been habitable, and that microbes could still survive in its clouds-50 kilometers above the surface where the temperature falls below 70°C.
And Thomas Gold of Cornell University, US, has suggested that “deep hot biospheres（生物圈）” exist on Mercury and our Moon, with micro-organisms digesting the rocks as much as 10 kilometers into their respective crusts. He suggests this could also be true of most of the rocky planets and large moons in the solar system.
Orbiting the outer planets of our solar system, several large moons are thought to have a deep, dark ocean beneath their icy shells. Life may feed off of heat and chemicals spilling into these oceans from volcanic vents on Jupiter’s moons Europa, Ganymede and Callisto, as well as Saturn’s Titan and Enceladus. The same may be true of Neptune’s moon, Triton. And these may be kept liquid with a dash of ammonia antifreeze. Scientists hope to send probes to explore Europa’s ocean.
Meanwhile, Rosetta and other spacecraft are on a mission to find out whether comets carry a payload of complex organic chemicals, as scientists suspect. Comets might deliver this chemical “feedstock” to young worlds, giving life a head start. Many organic molecules are created by red giant stars, and detected by astronomers in interstellar clouds. Amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, were found on the Murchison meteorite.
Alien Earths
More than 150 planets have now been discovered outside the solar system. Many of these extra-solar planets are “hot Jupiters” ---- massive planets that orbit hotly close to their stars. More promising for life would be alien “Earths”. These are small rocky planets like ours that orbit within a habitable zone一一not too close or too far from the parent star, so the temperature is just right for liquid water to exist on the surface. Other options, such as ocean planets, might be more exotic. NASA’s Kepler mission could detect hundreds of alien Earths when it is launched, currently scheduled for 2008.
The next stage would be to sniff out life on these distant worlds. ESA’s Darwin and NASA’s Terrestrial planet finder will look for the spectral signature of oxygen, a suggestive but not conclusive sign of life. Later space telescopes will be able to image Earth-like planets many light years away, and search for less ambiguous biomarkers.
Then again, life might like much stranger habitats. David Stevenson of Caltech in Pasadena, US, has suggested that lonely planets, wandering far from any star, could remain warm under a blanket of hydrogen, and maintain liquid water and life. ET calling?
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How about intelligent life? The Drake equation predicts how many civilizations in the galaxy are currently trying to communicate with us, although some factors in the equation are almost pure guesswork.
Optimists face a contradictory statement: if civilizations are common, then why have we not seen them? Scientists have spent more than 40 years on the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SET1), using radio telescopes to listen out for broadcasts from the stars. And the Allen Array is being built specifically for the purpose. Other SETI astronomers are using optical telescopes to search for laser beacons. Some experts think we should be looking for giant space structures or a “message in a bottle” instead.
Why aliens love a good moon?
In a distant planetary system, a dozen giant moons buzz around a planet five times the diameter of Jupiter. Several of the moons are monsters as large as Earth, their surfaces continually rocked by violent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions that would put Krakatoa to shame. Perhaps they seem a vision of hell. Yet a growing number of researchers believe such moons could be cosmic oases. “They might be the most likely places to find life in the galaxy,” says Caleb Scharf, an astrobiologist at Columbia University in New York.
Although no one has ever seen a moon orbiting an extra-solar planet, observing the satellites around Jupiter and Saturn has led some astronomers to think that “exomoons” capable of supporting life are almost certainly out there. What’s more, Scharf believes that life could thrive much farther away from stars than planetary scientists ever thought.
No luck so far, but we will probably find alien bugs before we tune into alien TV. 注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。
1. The author refers to the fact that micro-organisms are found in alkali lakes and rock fissure deep underground to_______.
A) explain some species have great vitality B) prove life is everywhere
C) hint it is possible that life can be found beyond Earth D) show extraterrestrials really exist
2. The fact that chemical traces of metabolism appear in Earth’s rocks soon after Late Heavy Bombardment implies ______.
A) life might be able to get started quickly and easily B) life might have originated in meteorites
C) primitive life might once have been carried between two planets D) Heavy Bombardment caused life to form
3. The latest evidence from ESA’s Mars Express, and the NASA rovers shows______.
A) Mars is thought to be dry and barren
B) there is liquid water on or near the surface C) there used to be life on Mars
D) Mars might once be warm and wet
4. Microbes may live beneath the Martian surface because______. A) there is a warn and wet environment B) the temperature is suitable for microbes
C) there likely is liquid water and no ultraviolet radiation of the Sun D) there is much oxygen
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5. According to Thomas Gold, on the rocky planets and large moons in the solar system,
micro-organisms______. A) are common in rock fissures deep underground
B) digest the rocks as much as 10 kilometers into their respective crusts C) don’t exist under their respective crusts D) appear in warm and wet biospheres 6. Scientists suspect that comets______. A) can create organic molecules
B) might supply other young astral bodies with organic chemicals C) have deep hot biospheres as Mercury
D) have a deep, dark ocean beneath their icy shells
7. The mission of ESA’s Darwin and NASA’s Terrestrial planet finder is to search
for______.
A) signs of liquid water in alien Earths
B) less ambiguous biomarkers in alien Earths C) the spectral signature of oxygen of alien Earths D) traces of metabolism in alien Earths
8. David Stevenson of Caltech has suggested that lonely planets, wandering far from any
star, could remain warm and ______ under a blanket of hydrogen.
9. Optimists face a contradictory statement: If______, then why have we not seen them? 10. Scharf believes that______ away from stars than planetary scientists ever thought.
Part III Listening Comprehension (35 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 2 with a single line through the centre.
注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
11. A) He finds his history book difficult to understand. B) He has to read a lot of his history books. C) He doesn’t like the history course. D) He has lost his history book.
12. A) The English teacher has not been busy.
B) The woman has troubled the English teacher very much. C) The woman has never troubled the English teacher. D) The man has troubled the English teacher. 13. A) 6:15. B) 6:40.
C) 5:35. D) 6:01. 14. A) At an airport. B) At a train station. C) At a sports ground. D) At a bus stop. 15. A) Ed will be late. B) She thinks Ed will be on time.
C) She hopes Ed won’t come. D) Ed can’t come.
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16. A) Tony speaks too slowly. B) Tony speaks too fast. C) Tony doesn’t come to the point. D) Tony’s speech is not clear. 17. A) Walk round the corner to the hotel. B) Take a taxi to the hotel. C) Telephone the hotel for directions. D) Wait in the candy store. 18. A) She will accept exceptional excuses. B) The man has more excuses.
C) She won’t listen to any explanation. D) She was also overslept like the man. Questions 19 to 21 are based on the conversation you have just heard. 19. A) The class meets during his working hours.
B) The class is too far away.
C) He has another class at the same time. D) He’s already familiar with the material.
20. A) All the other work schedules conflict with his classes.
B) He doesn’t want to ask his boss for another favor. C) He wants to work the same schedule as his friends. D) He likes to do his homework in the evening. 21. A) Its courses cost less.
B) It has a pool.
C) The class size is smaller.
D) It may offer the class he needs during the day.
Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard. 22. A) To fill a vacancy in the company.
B) To advertise for a large flat.
C) To inquire about the ad for the sublet. D) To apply for a job in a major newspaper. 23. A) A cafe. B) A laundry.
C) A fitness room. D) A swimming pool. 24. A) To purchase the furniture. B) To order the tenant’s credit report. C) To pay the bills of the facilities. D) To order a copy of a history book. 25. A) Japan. B) China.
C) Korea. D) Canada.
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 2 with a single line through the centre.
注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。 Passage One
Questions 26 to 28 are based on the passage you have just heard. 26. A) Fast food restaurants in the United States.
B) The popularity of fast food in the United States.
C) The kinds of fast food in the United States. D) Countries that provide fast food.
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大学英语6级考试预测试题 6
