2015最新英语六级阅读真题

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英语六级阅读真题（2009.06-1997.01）

2009年6月英语六级阅读真题

Passage One

For hundreds of millions of years, turtles (海龟) have struggled out of the sea to lay their eggs on sandy beaches, long before there were nature documentaries to celebrate them, or GPS satellites and marine biologists to track them, or volunteers to hand-carry the hatchlings (幼龟) down to the water?s edge lest they become disoriented by headlights and crawl towards a motel parking lot instead. A formidable wall of bureaucracy has been erected to protect their prime nesting on the Atlantic coastlines. With all that attention paid to them, you?d think these creatures would at least have the gratitude not to go extinct.

But Nature is indifferent to human notions of fairness, and a report by the Fish and Wildlife Service showed a worrisome drop in the populations of several species of North Atlantic turtles, notably loggerheads, which can grow to as much as 400 pounds. The South Florida nesting population, the largest, has declined by 50% in the last decade, according to Elizabeth Griffin, a marine biologist with the environmental group Oceana. The figures prompted Oceana to petition the government to upgrade the level of protection for the North Atlantic loggerheads from “threatened” to “endangered”—meaning they are in danger of disappearing without additional help.

Which raises the obvious question: what else do these turtles want from us, anyway? It turns out, according to Griffin, that while we have done a good job of protecting the turtles for the weeks they spend on land (as egg-laying females, as eggs and as hatchlings), we have neglected the years spend in the ocean. “The threat is from commercial fishing,” says Griffin. Trawlers (which drag large nets through the water and along the ocean floor) and longline fishers (which can deploy thousands of hooks on lines that can stretch for miles) take a heavy toll on turtles.

Of course, like every other environmental issue today, this is playing out against the background of global warming and human interference with natural ecosystems. The narrow strips of beach on which the turtles lay their eggs are being squeezed on one side by development and on the other by the threat of rising sea levels as the oceans warm. Ultimately we must get a handle on those issues as well, or a creature that outlived the dinosaurs (恐龙) will meet its end at the hands of humans, leaving our descendants to wonder how creature so ugly could have won so much affection.

52. We can learn from the first paragraph that ________. A．human activities have changed the way turtles survive B．efforts have been made to protect turtles from dying out

C．government bureaucracy has contributed to turtles? extinction

D．marine biologists are looking for the secret of turtles? reproduction

53. What does the author mean by “Nature is indifferent to human notions of fairness” (Line 1, Para. 2)?

A．Nature is quite fair regarding the survival of turtles. B．Turtles are by nature indifferent to human activities.

C．The course of nature will not be changed by human interference. D．The turtle population has decreased in spite of human protection.

54. What constitutes a major threat to the survival of turtles according to Elizabeth Griffin? A．Their inadequate food supply. B．Unregulated commercial fishing. C．Their lower reproductively ability. D．Contamination of sea water 55. How does global warming affect the survival of turtles? A．It threatens the sandy beaches on which they lay eggs.

B．The changing climate makes it difficult for their eggs to hatch. C．The rising sea levels make it harder for their hatchlings to grow. D．It takes them longer to adapt to the high beach temperature.

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56. The last sentence of the passage is meant to ________. A．persuade human beings to show more affection for turtles B．stress that even the most ugly species should be protected C．call for effective measures to ensure sea turtles? survival D．warn our descendants about the extinction of species Passage Two

There are few more sobering online activities than entering data into college-tuition calculators and gasping as the Web spits back a six-figure sum. But economists say families about to go into debt to fund four years of partying, as well as studying, can console themselves with the knowledge that college is an investment that, unlike many bank stocks, should yield huge dividends.

A 2008 study by two Harvard economists notes that the “labor-market premium to skill”—or the amount college graduates earned that?s greater than what high-school graduate earned—decreased for much of the 20th century, but has come back with a vengeance (报复性地) since the 1980s. In 2005, The typical full-time year-round U.S. worker with a four-year college degree earned $50,900, 62% more than the $31,500 earned by a worker with only a high-school diploma.

There?s no question that going to college is a smart economic choice. But a look at the strange variations in tuition reveals that the choice about which college to attend doesn?t come down merely to dollars and cents. Does going to Columbia University (tuition, room and board $49,260 in 2007-08) yield a 40% greater return than attending the University of Colorado at Boulder as an out-of-state student ($35,542)? Probably not. Does being an out-of-state student at the University of Colorado at Boulder yield twice the amount of income as being an in-state student ($17,380) there? Not likely.

No, in this consumerist age, most buyers aren?t evaluating college as an investment, but rather as a consumer product—like a car or clothes or a house. And with such purchases, price is only one of many crucial factors to consider.

As with automobiles, consumers in today?s college marketplace have vast choices, and people search for the one that gives them the most comfort and satisfaction in line with their budgets. This accounts for the willingness of people to pay more for different types of experiences (such as attending a private liberal-arts college or going to an out-of-state public school that has a great marine-biology program). And just as two auto purchasers might spend an equal amount of money on very different cars, college students (or, more accurately, their parents) often show a willingness to pay essentially the same price for vastly different products. So which is it? Is college an investment product like a stock or a consumer product like a car? In keeping with the automotive world?s hottest consumer trend, maybe it?s best to characterize it as a hybrid (混合动力汽车); an expensive consumer product that, over time, will pay rich dividends. 57. What?s the opinion of economists about going to college?

A．Huge amounts of money is being wasted on campus socializing. B．It doesn?t pay to run into debt to receive a college education. C．College education is rewarding in spite of the startling costs. D．Going to college doesn?t necessarily bring the expected returns.

58. The two Harvard economists note in their study that, for much of the 20th century, ________. A．enrollment kept decreasing in virtually all American colleges and universities B．the labor market preferred high-school to college graduates

C．competition for university admissions was far more fierce than today

D．the gap between the earnings of college and high-school graduates narrowed 59. Students who attend an in-state college or university can ________.

A．save more on tuition B．receive a better education C．take more liberal-arts courses D．avoid traveling long distances 60. In this consumerist age, most parents ________.

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A．regard college education as a wise investment B．place a premium on the prestige of the College

C．think it crucial to send their children to college D．consider college education a consumer product

61. What is the chief consideration when students choose a college today?

A．Their employment prospects after graduation. B．A satisfying experience within their budgets.

C．Its facilities and learning environment. D．Its ranking among similar institutions.

2008年12月英语六级阅读真题

Passage One

Sustainable development is applied to just about everything from energy to clean water and economic growth, and as a result it has become difficult to question either the basic assumptions behind it or the way the concept is put to use. This is especially true in agriculture, where sustainable development is often taken as the sole measure of progress without a proper appreciation of historical and cultural perspectives.

To start with, it is important to remember that the nature of agriculture has changed markedly throughout history, and will continue to do so .medieval agriculture in northern Europe fed, clothed and sheltered a predominantly rural society with a much lower population density than it is today. It had minimal effect on biodiversity, and any pollution it caused was typically localized. In terms of energy use and the nutrients（营养成分）captured in the product it was relatively inefficient.

Contrast this with farming since the start of the industrial revolution. Competition from overseas led farmers to specialize and increase yields. Throughout this period food became cheaper, safe and more reliable. However, these changes have also led to habitat（栖息地）loss and to diminishing biodiversity.

What?s more, demand for animal products in developing countries is growing so fast that meeting it will require an extra 300 million tons of grain a year by 2050.yet the growth of cities and industry is 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 idea that traditional practices are inevitably more sustainable than new ones. We also need to abandon the notion that agriculture can be “zero impact”. The key will be to abandon the rather simple and static measures of sustainability, which centre on the need to maintain production without increasing damage.

Instead we need a more dynamic interpretation, one that looks at the pros and cons（正反两方面）of all the various way land is used. There are many different ways to measure agricultural performance besides food yield: energy use, environmental costs, water purity, carbon footprint and biodiversity. It is clear, for example, that the carbon of transporting tomatoes from Spain to the UK is less than that of producing them in the UK with additional heating and lighting. But we do not know whether lower carbon footprints will always be better for biodiversity.

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

52. How do people often measure progress in agriculture?

A) By its productivity C) By its impact on the environment

B) By its sustainability D) By its contribution to economic growth 53. Specialisation and the effort to increase yields have resulted in________. A) Localised pollution C) competition from overseas B) the shrinking of farmland D) the decrease of biodiversity 54. What does the author think of traditional farming practices?

A) They have remained the same over the centuries B) They have not kept pace with population growth

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C) They are not necessarily sustainable D) They are environmentally friendly 55. What will agriculture 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 farming practices D) It will cause zero damage to the environment

56 What is the author?s purpose in writing this passage?

A) To remind people of the need of sustainable development B) To suggest ways of ensuring sustainable food production C) To advance new criteria for measuring farming progress D) To urge people to rethink what sustainable agriculture is Passage Two

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

We are not about to go back to the days when Congress openly worried about inferior races polluting America?s bloodstream. But once again we are wondering whether we have too many of the wrong sort newcomers. Their loudest critics argue that the new wave of immigrants cannot, and indeed do not want to, fit in as previous generations did.

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

Although children of Mexican immigrants do better, in terms of educational and professional attainment, than their parents UCLA sociologist Edward Telles has found that the gains don?t continue. Indeed, the fouth generation is marginally worse off than the third James Jackson, of the University of Michigan, has found a similar trend among black Caribbean immigrants, Tells fears that Mexican-Americans may be fated to follow in the footsteps of American blacks-that large parts of the community may become mired（陷入）in a seemingly permanent state of poverty and Underachievement. Like African-Americans, Mexican-Americans are increasingly relegated to (降入)segregated, substandard schools, and their dropout rate is the highest for any ethnic group in the country.

We have learned much about the foolish idea of excluding people on the presumption of the ethnic/racial inferiority. But what we have not yet learned is how to make the process of Americanization work for all. I am not talking about requiring people to learn English or to adopt American ways; those things happen pretty much on their own, but as arguments about immigration hear up the campaign trail, we also ought to ask some broader question about assimilation, about how to ensure that people , once outsiders , don?t forever remain marginalized within these shores.

That is a much larger question than what should happen with undocumented workers, or how best to secure the border, and it is one that affects not only newcomers but groups that have been here for generations. It will have more impact on our future than where we decide to set the admissions bar for the latest ware of would-be Americans. And it would be nice 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 political corruption.

C) They were a threat to the nation?s security. D) They were part of the nation?s bloodstream.

58. What does the author think of the new immigrants?

A) They will be a dynamic work force in the U.S. B) They can do just as well as their predecessors.

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C) They will be very disappointed on the new land. D) They may find it hard to fit into the mainstream.

59. What does Edward Telles? research say about Mexican-Americans? A) They may slowly improve from generation to generation. B) They will do better in terms of educational attainment. C) They will melt into the African-American community. D) They may forever remain poor and underachieving. 60. What should be done to help the new immigrants?

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 burning issue concerning immigration is_______. A) How to deal with people entering the U.S. without documents B) How to help immigrants to better fit into American society C) How to stop illegal immigrants from crossing the border D) How to limit the number of immigrants to enter the U.S.

2008年6月英语六级阅读真题

Passage One

Imagine waking up and finding the value of your assets has been halved. No, you?re not an investor in one of those hedge funds that failed completely. With the dollar slumping to a 26-year low against the pound, already-expensive London has become quite unaffordable. A coffee at Starbucks, just as unavoidable in England as it is in the United States, runs about $8.

The once all-powerful dollar isn?t doing a Titanic against just the pound. It is sitting at a record low against the euro and at a 30-year low against the Canadian dollar. Even the Argentine peso and Brazilian real are thriving against the dollar.

The weak dollar is a source of humiliation, for a nation?s self-esteem rests in part on the strength of its currency. It?s also a potential economic problem, since a declining dollar makes imported food more expensive and exerts upward pressure on interest rates. And yet there are substantial sectors of the vast U.S. economy-from giant companies like Coca-Cola to mom-and-pop restaurant operators in Miami-for which the weak dollar is most excellent news.

Many Europeans may view the U.S. as an arrogant superpower that has become hostile to foreigners. But nothing makes people think more warmly of the U.S. than a weak dollar. Through April, the total number of visitors from abroad was up 6.8 percent from last year. Should the trend continue, the number of tourists this year will finally top the 2000 peak? Many Europeans now apparently view the U.S. the way many Americans view Mexico-as a cheap place to vacation, shop and party, all while ignoring the fact that the poorer locals can?t afford to join the merrymaking.

The money tourists spend helps decrease our chronic trade deficit. So do exports, which thanks in part to the weak dollar, soared 11 percent between May 2006 and May 2007. For first five months of 2007, the trade deficit actually fell 7 percent from 2006.

If you own shares in large American corporations, you?re a winner in the weak-dollar gamble. Last week Coca-Cola?s stick bubbled to a five-year high after it reported a fantastic quarter. Foreign sales accounted for 65 percent of Coke?s beverage business. Other American companies profiting from this trend include McDonald?s and IBM.

American tourists, however, shouldn?t expect any relief soon. The dollar lost strength the way many marriages break up- slowly, and then all at once. And currencies don?t turn on a dime. So if you want to avoid the pain inflicted by the increasingly pathetic dollar, cancel that summer vacation to England and look to New England. There, the dollar is still treated with a little respect. 52. Why do Americans feel humiliated?

A) Their economy is plunging B) They can?t afford trips to Europe C) Their currency has slumped D) They have lost half of their assets. 53. How does the current dollar affect the life of ordinary Americans?

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A) They have to cancel their vacations in New England.

B) They find it unaffordable to dine in mom-and-pop restaurants. C) They have to spend more money when buying imported goods. D) They might lose their jobs due to potential economic problems.

54 How do many Europeans feel about the U.S with the devalued dollar?

A) They feel contemptuous of it B) They are sympathetic with it.

C) They regard it as a superpower on the decline. D) They think of it as a good tourist destination.

55 what is the author?s advice to Americans?

A. They treat the dollar with a little respect B. They try to win in the weak-dollar gamble C. They vacation at home rather than abroad D. They treasure their marriages all the more. 56 What does the author imply by saying “currencies don?t turn on a dime” (Line 2,Para 7)? A. The dollar?s value will not increase in the short term. B. The value of a dollar will not be reduced to a dime C. The dollar?s value will drop, but within a small margin. D. Few Americans will change dollars into other currencies. Passage Two

In the college-admissions wars, we parents are the true fights. We are pushing our kids to get good grades, take SAT preparatory courses and build resumes so they can get into the college of our first choice. I?ve twice been to the wars, and as I survey the battlefield, something different is happening. We see our kids’ college background as e prize demonstrating how well we’ve raised them. But we can’t acknowledge that our obsession(痴迷) is more about us than them. So we’ve contrived various justifications that turn out to be half-truths, prejudices or myths. It actually doesn?t matter much whether Aaron and Nicole go to Stanford.

We have a full-blown prestige panic; we worry that there won’t be enough prizes to go around. Fearful parents urge their children to apply to more schools than ever. Underlying the hysteria(歇斯底里) is the belief that scarce elite degrees must be highly valuable. Their graduates must enjoy more success because they get a better education and develop better contacts. All that is plausible——and mostly wrong. We haven?t found any convincing evidence that selectivity or prestige matters. Selective schools don?t systematically employ better instructional approaches than less selective schools. On two measures——professors? feedback and the number of essay exams——selective schools do slightly worse.

By some studies, selective schools do enhance their graduates’ lifetime earnings. The gain is reckoned at 2-4% for every 100-poinnt increase in a school’s average SAT scores. But even this advantage is probably a statistical fluke(偶然). A well-known study examined students who got into highly selective schools and then went elsewhere. They earned just as much as graduates from higher-status schools.

Kids count more than their colleges. Getting into Yale may signify intelligence, talent and Ambition. But it?s not the only indicator and, paradoxically, its significance is declining. The reason: so many similar people go elsewhere. Getting into college is not life only competition. Old-boy networks are breaking down. Princeton economist Alan Krueger studied admissions to one top Ph.D. program. High scores on the GRE helped explain who got in; degrees of prestigious universities didn?t.

So, parents, lighten up. the stakes have been vastly exaggerated. p to a point, we can rationalize our pushiness. America is a competitive society; our kids need to adjust to that. but too much pushiness can be destructive. the very ambition we impose on our children may get some into Harvard but may also set them up for disappointment. one study found that, other things being equal, graduates of highly selective schools experienced more job dissatisfaction. They may have been so conditioned to being on top that anything less disappoints.

57. Why dose the author say that parents are the true fighters in the college-admissions wars? A. They have the final say in which university their children are to attend.

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B. They know best which universities are most suitable for their children.

C. they have to carry out intensive surveys of colleges before children make an application. D. they care more about which college their children go to than the children themselves. 58. Why do parents urge their children to apply to more school than ever?

A. they want to increase their children chances of entering a prestigious college. B. they hope their children can enter a university that offers attractive scholarships. C. Their children will have a wider choice of which college to go to. D. Elite universities now enroll fewer student than they used to.

59. What does the author mean by kids count more than their college(Line1,para.4? A. Continuing education is more important to a person success. B.A person happiness should be valued more than their education.

C. Kids actual abilities are more important than their college background. D. What kids learn at college cannot keep up with job market requirements. 60. What does Krueger study tell us?

A. Getting into Ph. d. programs may be more competitive than getting into college. B. Degrees of prestigious universities do not guarantee entry to graduate programs. C. Graduates from prestigious universities do not care much about their GRE scores. D. Connections built in prestigious universities may be sustained long after graduation. 61. One possible result of pushing children into elite universities is that______ A. they earn less than their peers from other institutions B. they turn out to be less competitive in the job market C. they experience more job dissatisfaction after graduation D. they overemphasize their qualifications in job application

2007年12月英语六级阅读真题

Passage One Like most people, I?ve long understood that I will be judged by my occupation, that my profession is a gauge people use to see how smart or talented I am. Recently, however, I was disappointed to see that it also decides how I?m treated as a person. Last year I left a professional position as a small-town reporter and took a job waiting tables. As someone paid to serve food to people. I had customers say and do things to me I suspect they?d never say or do to their most casual acquaintances. One night a man talking on his cell phone waved me away, then beckoned (示意) me back with his finger a minute later, complaining he was ready to order and asking where I’d been. I had waited tables during summers in college and was treated like a peon(勤杂工) by plenty of people. But at 19 years old. I believed I deserved inferior treatment from professional adults. Besides, people responded to me differently after I told them I was in college. Customers would joke that one day I?d be sitting at their table, waiting to be served. Once I graduated I took a job at a community newspaper. From my first day, I heard a respectful tone from everyone who called me. I assumed this was the way the professional world worked-cordially. I soon found out differently, I sat several feet away from an advertising sales representative with a similar name. Our calls would often get mixed up and someone asking for Kristen would be transferred to Christie. The mistake was immediately evident. Perhaps it was because money was involved, but people used a tone with Kristen that they never used with me. My job title made people treat me with courtesy. So it was a shock to return to the restaurant industry. It?s no secret that there?s a lot to put up with when waiting tables, and fortunately, much of it can be easily forgotten when you pocket the tips. The service industry, by definition, exists to cater to others? needs. Still, it seemed that many of my customers didn?t get the difference between server and servant. I?m now applying to graduate school, which means someday I?ll return to a profession where

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people need to be nice to me in order to get what they want. I think I?ll take them to dinner first, and see how they treat someone whose only job is to serve them. 52. The author was disappointed to find that ___________________. A) one?s position is used as a gauge to measure one?s intelligence. B) talented people like her should fail to get a respectable job C) one?s occupation affects the way one is treated as a person D) professionals tend to look down upon manual workers

53. What does the author intend to say by the example in the second paragraph? A) Some customers simply show no respect to those who serve them. B) People absorbed in a phone conversation tend to be absent-minded. C) Waitresses are often treated by customers as casual acquaintances. D) Some customers like to make loud complaints for no reason at all. 54. How did the author feel when waiting tables at the age of 19? A) She felt it unfair to be treated as a mere servant by professionals. B) She felt badly hurt when her customers regarded her as a peon. C) She was embarrassed each time her customers joked with her. D) She found it natural for professionals to treat her as inferior.

55. What does the author imply by saying “…many of my customers didn?t get the difference between server and servant” (Lines 3-4, Para.7)?

A) Those who cater to others? needs are destined to be looked down upon. B) Those working in the service industry shouldn?t be treated as servants. C) Those serving others have to put up with rough treatment to earn a living. D) The majority of customers tend to look on a servant as a server nowadays. 56. The author says she?ll one day take her clients to dinner in order to _______.

A) see what kind of person they are B) experience the feeling of being served C）show her generosity towards people inferior to her D）arouse their sympathy for people living a humble life Passage Two What?s hot for 2007 among the very rich? A S7.3 million diamond ring. A trip to Tanzania to hunt wild animals. Oh. and income inequality. Sure, some leftish billionaires like George Soros have been railing against income inequality for years. But increasingly, centrist and right-wing billionaires are starting to worry about income inequality and the fate of the middle class. In December. Mortimer Zuckerman wrote a column in U.S News & World Report, which he owns. “Our nation’s core bargain with the middle class is disintegrating,” lamented (哀叹) the 117th-richest man in America. “Most of our economic gains have gone to people at the very top of the income ladder. Average income for a household of people of working age, by contrast, has fallen five years in a row.” He noted that “Tens of millions of Americans live in fear that a major health problem can reduce them to bankruptcy.” Wilbur Ross Jr. has echoed Zuckerman?s anger over the bitter struggles faced by middle-class Americans. “It?s an outrage that any American?s life expectancy should be shortened simply because the company they worked for went bankrupt and ended health-care coverage,” said the former chairman of the International Steel Group. What?s happening? The very rich are just as trendy as you and I, and can be so when it comes to politics and policy. Given the recent change of control in Congress, popularity of measures like increasing the minimum wage, and efforts by California? governor to offer universal health care, these guys don?t need their own personal weathermen to know which way the wind blows. It’s possible that plutocrats(有钱有势的人) are expressing solidarity with the struggling middle class as part of an effort to insulate themselves from confiscatory (没收性的) tax policies. But the prospect that income inequality will lead to higher taxes on the wealthy doesn?t keep plutocrats up at night. They can live with that.

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No, what they fear was that the political challenges of sustaining support for global economic integration will be more difficult in the United States because of what has happened to the distribution of income and economic insecurity. In other words, if middle-class Americans continue to struggle financially as the ultrawealthy grow ever wealthier, it will be increasingly difficult to maintain political support for the free flow of goods, services, and capital across borders. And when the United States places obstacles in the way of foreign investors and foreign goods, it?s likely to encourage reciprocal action abroad. For people who buy and sell companies, or who allocate capital to markets all around the world, that?s the real nightmare.

57. What is the current topic of common interest among the very rich in America?

A) The fate of the ultrawealthy people. B) The disintegration of the middle class. C) The inequality in the distribution of wealth. D) The conflict between the left and the right wing.

58. What do we learn from Mortimer Zuckerman?s lamentation?

A) Many middle-income families have failed to make a bargain for better welfare. B) The American economic system has caused many companies to go bankrupt. C) The American nation is becoming more and more divided despite its wealth. D) The majority of Americans benefit little from the nation?s growing wealth. 59. From the fifth paragraph we can learn that ____________. A) the very rich are fashion-conscious B) the very rich are politically sensitive

C) universal health care is to be implemented throughout America D) Congress has gained popularity by increasing the minimum wage

60. What is the real reason for plutocrats to express solidarity with the middle class? A) They want to protect themselves from confiscatory taxation. B) They know that the middle class contributes most to society. C) They want to gain support for global economic integration. D) They feel increasingly threatened by economic insecurity.

61. What may happen if the United States places obstacles in the way of foreign investors and foreign goods?

A) The prices of imported goods will inevitably soar beyond control. B) The investors will have to make great efforts to re-allocate capital. C) The wealthy will attempt to buy foreign companies across borders. D) Foreign countries will place the same economic barriers in return.

2007年6月英语六级阅读真题

Passage One

You hear the refrain all the time: the U.S. economy looks good statistically, but it doesn’t feel good. Why doesn’t ever-greater wealth promote ever-greater happiness? It is a question that dates at least to the appearance in 1958 of The Affluent (富裕的) Society by John Kenneth Galbraith, who died recently at 97.

The Affluent Society is a modern classic because it helped define a new moment in the human condition. For most of history, “hunger, sickness, and cold” threatened nearly everyone, Galbraith wrote. “Poverty was found everywhere in that world. Obviously it is not of ours.” After World War II, the dread of another Great Depression gave way to an economic boom. In the 1930s unemployment had averaged 18.2 percent; in the 1950s it was 4.5 percent.

To Galbraith, materialism had gone mad and would breed discontent. Through advertising, companies conditioned consumers to buy things they didn?t really want or need. Because so much spending was artificial, it would be unfulfilling. Meanwhile, government spending that would make everyone better off was being cut down because people instinctively—and wrongly—labeled government only as “a necessary evil.”

It?s often said that only the rich are getting ahead; everyone else is standing still or falling

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behind. Well, there are many undeserving rich—overpaid chief executives, for instance. But over any meaningful period, most people?s incomes are increasing. From 1995 to 2004, inflation-adjusted average family income rose 14.3 percent, to $43,200. people feel “squeezed” because their rising incomes often don?t satisfy their rising wants—for bigger homes, more health care, more education, faster Internet connections.

The other great frustration is that it has not eliminated insecurity. People regard job stability as part of their standard of living. As corporate layoffs increased, that part has eroded. More workers fear they?ve become “the disposable American,” as Louis Uchitelle puts it in his book by the same name.

Because so much previous suffering and social conflict stemmed from poverty, the arrival of widespread affluence suggested utopian (乌托邦式的) possibilities. Up to a point, affluence succeeds. There is much les physical misery than before. People are better off. Unfortunately, affluence also creates new complaints and contradictions.

Advanced societies need economic growth to satisfy the multiplying wants of their citizens. But the quest for growth lets loose new anxieties and economic conflicts that disturb the social order. Affluence liberates the individual, promising that everyone can choose a unique way to self-fulfillment. But the promise is so extravagant that it predestines many disappointments and sometimes inspires choices that have anti-social consequences, including family breakdown and obesity (肥胖症). Statistical indicators of happiness have not risen with incomes.

Should we be surprised? Not really. We?ve simply reaffirmed an old truth: the pursuit of affluence does not always end with happiness.

52. What question does John Kenneth Galbraith raise in his book The Affluent Society?

A) Why statistics don?t tell the truth about the economy. B) Why affluence doesn?t guarantee happiness.

C) How happiness can be promoted today. D) What lies behind an economic boom.

53. According to Galbraith, people feel discontented because ________.

A) public spending hasn?t been cut down as expected B) the government has proved to be a necessary evil

C) they are in fear of another Great Depression D) materialism has run wild in modern society

54. Why do people feel squeezed when their average income rises considerably? A) Their material pursuits have gone far ahead of their earnings. B) Their purchasing power has dropped markedly with inflation.

C) The distribution of wealth is uneven between the r5ich and the poor. D) Health care and educational cost have somehow gone out of control.

55. What does Louis Uchitelle mean by “the disposable American” (Line 3, Para. 5)? A) Those who see job stability as part of their living standard. B) People full of utopian ideas resulting from affluence. C) People who have little say in American politics. D) Workers who no longer have secure jobs.

56. What has affluence brought to American society?

A) Renewed economic security. B) A sense of self-fulfillment.

C) New conflicts and complaints. D) Misery and anti-social behavior. Passage Two

The use of deferential (敬重的) language is symbolic of the Confucian ideal of the woman, which dominates conservative gender norms in Japan. This ideal presents a woman who withdraws quietly to the background, subordinating her life and needs to those of her family and its male head. She is a dutiful daughter, wife, and mother, master of the domestic arts. The typical refined Japanese woman excels in modesty and delicacy; she “treads softly (谨言慎行)in the world,” elevating feminine beauty and grace to an art form.

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Nowadays, it is commonly observed that young women are not conforming to the feminine linguistic (语言的) ideal. They are using fewer of the very deferential “women’s” forms, and even using the few strong forms that are know as “men’s.” This, of course, attracts considerable attention and has led to an outcry in the Japanese media against the defeminization of women?s language. Indeed, we didn?t hear about “men?s language” until people began to respond to girls? appropriation of forms normally reserved for boys and men. There is considerable sentiment about the “corruption” of women?s language—which of course is viewed as part of the loss of feminine ideals and morality—and this sentiment is crystallized by nationwide opinion polls that are regularly carried out by the media.

Yoshiko Matsumoto has argued that young women probably never used as many of the highly deferential forms as older women. This highly polite style is no doubt something that young women have been expected to “grow into”—after all, it is assign not simply of femininity, but of maturity and refinement, and its use could be taken to indicate a change in the nature of one?s social relations as well. One might well imagine little girls using exceedingly polite forms when playing house or imitating older women—in a fashion analogous to little girls? use of a high-pitched voice to do “teacher talk” or “mother talk” in role play.

The fact that young Japanese women are using less deferential language is a sure sign of change—of social change and of linguistic change. But it is most certainly not a sign of the “masculization” of girls. In some instances, it may be a sign that girls are making the same claim to authority as boys and men, but that is very different from saying that they are trying to be “masculine.” Katsue Reynolds has argued that girls nowadays are using more assertive language strategies in order to be able to compete with boys in schools and out. Social change also brings not simply different positions for women and girls, but different relations to life stages, and adolescent girls are participating in new subcultural forms. Thus what may, to an older speaker, seem like “masculine” speech may seem to an adolescent like “liberated” or “hip” speech. 57. The first paragraph describes in detail ________.

A) the standards set for contemporary Japanese women B) the Confucian influence on gender norms in Japan

C) the stereotyped role of women in Japanese families D) the norms for traditional Japanese women to follow

58. What change has been observed in today?s young Japanese women?

A) They pay less attention to their linguistic behavior. B) The use fewer of the deferential linguistic forms.

C) They confuse male and female forms of language. D) They employ very strong linguistic expressions.

59. How do some people react to women?s appropriation of men?s language forms as reported in the Japanese media?

A) They call for a campaign to stop the defeminization. B) The see it as an expression of women?s sentiment.

C) They accept it as a modern trend. D) They express strong disapproval. 60. According to Yoshiko Matsumoto, the linguistic behavior observed in today?s young women ________.

A) may lead to changes in social relations B) has been true of all past generations C) is viewed as a sign of their maturity D) is a result of rapid social progress 61. The author believes that the use of assertive language by young Japanese women is ________.

A) a sure sign of their defeminization and maturation B) an indication of their defiance against social change

C) one of their strategies to compete in a male-dominated society D) an inevitable trend of linguistic development in Japan today

2006年12月英语六级阅读真题(A)

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Passage One

In a purely biological sense, fear begins with the body?s system for reacting to things that can harm us—the so-called fight-or-flight response. “An animal that can?t detect danger can?t stay alive,” says Joseph LeDoux. Like animals, humans evolved with an elaborate mechanism for processing information about potential threats. At its core is a cluster of neurons (神经元) deep in the brain known as the amygdale (扁桃核).

LeDoux studies the way animals and humans respond to threats to understand how we form memories of significant events in our lives. The amygdale receives input from many parts of the brain, including regions responsible for retrieving memories. Using this information, the amygdale appraises a situation—I think this charging dog wants to bite me—and triggers a response by radiating nerve signals throughout the body. These signals produce the familiar signs of distress: trembling, perspiration and fast-moving feet, just to name three.

This fear mechanism is critical to the survival of all animals, but no one can say for sure whether beasts other than humans know they?re afraid. That is, as LeDoux says, “if you put that system into a brain that has consciousness, then you get the feeling of fear.”

Humans, says Edward M. Hallowell, have the ability to call up images of bad things that happened in the past and to anticipate future events. Combine these higher thought processes with our hardwired danger-detection systems, and you get a near-universal human phenomenon: worry. That?s not necessarily a bad thing, says Hallowell. “When used properly, worry is an incredible device,” he says. After all, a little healthy worrying is okay if it leads to constructive action—like having a doctor look at that weird spot on your back.

Hallowell insists, though, that there?s a right way to worry. “Never do it alone, get the facts and then make a plan.” He says. Most of us have survived a recession, so we?re familiar with the belt-tightening strategies needed to survive a slump.

Unfortunately, few of us have much experience dealing with the threat of terrorism, so it?s been difficult to get fact about how we should respond. That?s why Hallowell believes it was okay for people to indulge some extreme worries last fall by asking doctors for Cipro (抗炭疽菌的药物) and buying gas masks.

52. The “so-called fight-or-flight response” (Line 2, Para. 1) refers to “________”. A) the biological process in which human beings? sense of self-defense evolves B) the instinctive fear human beings feel when faced with potential danger C) the act of evaluating a dangerous situation and making a quick decision D) the elaborate mechanism in the human brain for retrieving information 53. From the studies conducted by LeDoux we learn that ________.

A) reactions of humans and animals to dangerous situations are often unpredictable B) memories of significant events enable people to control fear and distress C) people?s unpleasant memories are derived from their feeling of fear

D) the amygdale plays a vital part in human and animal responses to potential danger 54. From the passage we know that ________. A) a little worry will do us good if handled properly B) a little worry will enable us to survive a recession C) fear strengthens the human desire to survive danger D) fear helps people to anticipate certain future events

55. Which of the following is the best way to deal with your worries according to Hallowell? A) Ask for help from the people around you. B) Use the belt-tightening strategies for survival. C) Seek professional advice and take action.

D) Understand the situation and be fully prepared.

56. In Hallowell?s view, people?s reaction to the terrorist threat last fall was ________.

A) ridiculous B) understandable C) over-cautious D) sensible Passage Two

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Amitai Etzioni is not surprised by the latest headings about scheming corporate crooks (骗子). As a visiting professor at the Harvard Business School in 1989, he ended his work there disgusted with his students’ overwhelming lost for money. “They’re taught that profit is all that matters,” he says. “Many schools don’t even offer ethics (伦理学) courses at all.”

Etzioni expressed his frustration about the interests of his graduate students. “By and large, I clearly had not found a way to help classes full of MBAs see that there is more to life than money, power, fame and self-interest.” He wrote at the time. Today he still takes the blame for not educating these “business-leaders-to-be.” “I really like I failed them,” he says. “If I was a better teacher maybe I could have reached them.”

Etzioni was a respected ethics expert when he arrived at Harvard. He hoped his work at the university would give him insight into how questions of morality could be applied to places where self-interest flourished. What he found wasn?t encouraging. Those would be executives had, says Etzioni, little interest in concepts of ethics and morality in the boardroom—and their professor was met with blank stares when he urged his students to see business in new and different ways.

Etzioni sees the experience at Harvard as an eye-opening one and says there?s much about business schools that he?d like to change. “A lot of the faculty teaching business are bad news themselves,” Etzioni says. From offering classes that teach students how to legally manipulate contracts, to reinforcing the notion of profit over community interests, Etzioni has seen a lot that?s left him shaking his head. And because of what he?s seen taught in business schools, he?s not surprised by the latest rash of corporate scandals. “In many ways things have got a lot worse at business schools, I suspect,” says Etzioni.

Etzioni is still teaching the sociology of right and wrong and still calling for ethical business leadership. “People with poor motives will always exist.” He says. “Sometimes environments constrain those people and sometimes environments give those people opportunity.” Etzioni says the booming economy of the last decade enabled those individuals with poor motives to get rich before getting in trouble. His hope now: that the cries for reform will provide more fertile soil for his long-standing messages about business ethics.

57. What impressed Amitai Etzioni most about Harvard MBA students?

A) Their keen interest in business courses. B) Their intense desire for money.

C) Their tactics for making profits. D) Their potential to become business leaders. 58. Why did Amitai Etzioni say “I really feel like I failed them” (Line 4, Para. 2)? A) He was unable to alert his students to corporate malpractice.

B) He didn?t teach his students to see business in new and different ways.

C) He could not get his students to understand the importance of ethics in business.

D) He didn?t offer courses that would meet the expectations of the business-leaders-to-be. 59. Most would-be executives at the Harvard Business School believed that ________. A) questions of morality were of utmost importance in business affairs B) self-interest should not be the top priority in business dealings C) new and different principles should be taught at business schools D) there was no place for ethics and morality in business dealings

60. In Etzioni?s view, the latest rash of corporate scandals could be attributed to ________. A) the tendency in business schools to stress self-interest over business ethics B) the executives? lack of knowledge in legally manipulating contracts C) the increasingly fierce competition in the modern business world D) the moral corruption of business school graduates 61. We learn from the last paragraph that ________. A) the calls for reform will help promote business ethics B) businessmen with poor motives will gain the upper hand

C) business ethics courses should be taught in all business schools D) reform in business management contributes to economic growth

2006年12月英语六级阅读真题（B）

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Passage One

Each summer, no matter how pressing my work schedule, I take off one day exclusively for my son. We call it dad-son day. This year our third stop was the amusement park, where be discovered that he was tall enough to ride one of the fastest roller coasters (过山车) in the world. We blasted through face-stretching turns and loops for ninety seconds. Then, as we stepped off the ride, be shrugged and, in a distressingly calm voice, remarked that it was not as exciting as other rides he’d been on. As I listened, I began to sense something seriously out of balance.

Throughout the season, I noticed similar events all around me. Parents seemed hard pressed to find new thrills for indifferent kids. Surrounded by ever-greater stimulation, their young faces were looking disappointed and bored.

Facing their children?s complaints of “nothing to do“, parents were shelling out large numbers of dollars for various forms of entertainment. In many cases the money seemed to do little more than buy transient relief from the terrible moans of their bored children. This set me pondering the obvious question:“ How can it be so hard for kids to find something to do when there?s never been such a range of stimulating entertainment available to them?”

What really worries me is the intensity of the stimulation. I watch my little daughter’s face as she absorbs the powerful onslaught (冲击) of arousing visuals and bloody special effects in movies.

Why do children immersed in this much excitement seem starved for more? That was, I realized, the point. I discovered during my own reckless adolescence that what creates excitement is not going fast, but going faster. Thrills have less to do with speed than changes in speed.

I’m concerned about the cumulative effect of years at these levels of feverish activity. It is no mystery to me why many teenagers appear apathetic (麻木的) and burned out, with a “been there, done that” air of indifference toward much of life. As increasing numbers of friends? children are prescribed medications-stimulants to deal with inattentiveness at school or anti-depressants to help with the loss of interest and joy in their lives-I question the role of kids? boredom in some of the diagnoses.

My own work is focused on the chemical imbalances and biological factors related to behavioral and emotional disorders. These are complex problems. Yet I?ve been reflecting more and more on how the pace of life and the intensity of stimulation may be contributing to the rising rates of psychiatric problems among children and adolescents in our society. 21. The author tell surprised in the amusement park at fact that ________. A) his son was not as thrilled by the roller coasters ride as expected B) his son blasted through the turns and loops with his face stretched C) his son appeared distressed but calm while riding the roller coasters D) his son could keep his balance so well on the fast moving roller coasters 22. According to the author, children are bored ________. A) unless their parents can find new thrills for them

B) when they don?t have any access to stimulating fun games C) when they are left alone at weekends by their working parents D) even if they are exposed to more and more kinds of entertainment

23. From his own experience, the author came to the conclusion that children seem to expect ________.

A) a much wider variety of sports facilities B) activities that require sophisticated skills C) ever-changing thrilling forms of recreation D) physical exercises that are more challenging

24. In Para 6 the author expresses his doubt about the effectiveness of trying to change children?s indifference toward much of life by ________.

A) diverting their interest from electronic visual games B) prescribing medications for their temporary relief

C) creating more stimulating activities for them D) spending more money on their

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entertainment

25. In order to alleviate children?s boredom, the author would probably suggest ________.

A) adjusting the pace of life and intensity of stimulation B) promoting the practice of dad-son days

C) consulting a specialist in child psychology D) balancing school work with extracurricular activities Passage Two

It used to be that people were proud to work for the same company for the whole of their working lives. They?d get a gold watch at the end of their productive years and a dinner featuring speeches by their bosses praising their loyalty. But today?s rich capitalists have regressed (倒退) to the “survival of the fittest” ideas and their loyalty extends not to their workers or even to their stockholders but only to themselves. Instead of giving out gold watches worth a hundred or so dollars for forty or so years of word, they grab tens and even hundreds of millions of dollars as they sell for their own profit the company they may have been with for only a few years.

The new rich selfishly act on their own to unfairly grab the wealth that the country as a whole has produced. The top 1 percent of the population now has wealth equal to the whole bottom 95 percent and they want more. Their selfishness is most shamelessly expressed in downsizing and outsourcing (将产品包给分公司做) because these business maneuvers don’t act to created new jobs as the founder of new industries used to do, but only out jobs while keeping the money value of what those jobs produced for themselves.

To keep the money machine working smoothly the rich have bought all the politicians from the top down. The president himself is constantly leaving Washington and the business at the nation because he is summoned to “fundraising dinners” where fat cats pay a thousand or so dollars a plate to worm their way into government not through service but through donations of vast amounts of money. Once on the inside they have both political parties busily tearing up all the regulations that protect the rest of us from the greed of the rich.

The middle class used to be loyal to the free enterprise system. In the past, the people of the middle class mostly thought they?d be rich themselves someday or have a good shot at becoming rich. But nowadays income is being distributed more and more unevenly and corporate loyalty is a thing of the past. The middle class may also wake up to forget its loyalty to the so-called free enterprise system altogether and the government which governs only the rest of us while letting the corporations do what they please with our jobs. As things stand, if somebody doesn?t wake up, the middle class is on a path to being downsized all the way to the bottom of society.

26. It can be inferred from the first paragraph that people used to place a high value on ________.

A) job security B) bosses? praise C) corporate loyalty D) retirement benefits

27. The author is strongly critical of today?s rich capitalists for ________. A) not giving necessary assistance to laid-off workers B) maximizing their profits at the expense of workers C) not setting up long-term goals for their companies D) rewarding only those who are considered the fittest

28. The immediate consequence of the new capitalists? practice is ________. A) loss of corporate reputation B) lower pay for the employees C) a higher rate of unemployment D) a decline in business transactions 29. The rich try to sway the policy of the government by ________. A) occupying important positions in both political parties B) making monetary contributions to decision-makers C) pleasing the public with generous donations D) constantly hosting fundraising dinners

30. What is the author?s purpose in writing this passage?

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A) to call on the middle class to remain loyal to the free enterprise system B) to warn the government of the shrinking of the American middle class C) to persuade the government to change its current economic policies D) to urge the middle class to wake up and protect their own interests Passage Three

Intel chairman Andy Grove has decided to cut the Gordian knot of controversy surrounding stem cell research by simply writing a check.

The check, which he pledged last week, could be for as much as 55 million, depending on how many donors make gifts of between 550,000 and 5,500,000, which he has promised to match. It will be made out to the University of California-San Francisco (UCSF).

Thanks in part to such private donations, university research into uses for human stem cells—the cells at the earliest stages of development that can form any body part—will continue in California. With private financial support, the state will be less likely to lose talented scientists who would be tempted to leave the field or even leave the country as research dependent on federal money slows to glacial (极其缓慢的) pace.

Hindered by limits President Bush placed on stem cell research a year age, scientists are turning to laboratories that can carry out work without using federal money. This is awkward for universities, which must spend extra money building separate labs and keeping rigor cots records proving no federal funds were involved. Grove?s donation, a first step toward a $20 million target at UCSF, will ease the burden.

The president?s decision a year ago to allow research on already existing stem cell lines was portrayed as a reasonable compromise between scientists? needs for cells to work with, and concerns that this kind of research could lead to wholesale creation and destruction of human embryos (胚胎), cloned infants and a general contempt for human life.

But Bush?s effort to please both sides ended up pleasing neither. And it certainly didn?t provide the basis for cutting edge research. Of the 78 existing stem cell lines which Bush said are all that science would ever need, only one is in this country (at the University of Wisconsin) and only five are ready for distribution to researchers. All were grown in conjunction with mouse cells, making future therapeutic (治疗的) uses unlikely.

The Bush administration seems bent on satisfying the small but vocal group of Americans who oppose stem cell research under any conditions. Fortunately, Grove and others are more interested in advancing scientific research that could benefit the large number of Americans who suffer from Parkinson?s disease, nerve injuries, heart diseases and many other problems. 31. When Andy Grove decided to cut the Gordian knot, he meat to ________.

A) put an end to stem cell research B) end Intel?s relations with Gordian

C) settle the dispute on stem cell research quickly D) expel Gordian from stem cell research for good

32. For UCSF to carry on stem cell research, new funds have to come from ________.

A) interested businesses and individuals B) the United States federal government C) a foundation set up by the Intel Company D) executives of leading American companies

33. As a result of the limit Bust placed on stem cell research. American universities will ________.

A) conduct the research in laboratories overseas B) abandon the research altogether in the near future

C) have to carry out the research secretly D) have to raise money to build separate labs 34. We may infer from the passage that future therapeutic uses of stem cells will be unlikely unless ________.

A) human stem cells are used in the research B) a lot more private donations can be secured

C) more federal money is used for the research D) talented scientists are involved in the

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research

35. The reason lying behind President Bush?s placing limits on stem cell research is that ________.

A) his administration is financially pinched B) he did not want to offend its opponents C) it amounts to a contempt for human life D) it did not promise any therapeutic value Passage Four

This looks like the year that hard-pressed tenants in California will relief-not just in the marketplace, where tents have eased, but from the state capital Sacramento.

Two significant tenant reforms stand a good chance of passage. One bill, which will give more time to tenants being evicted (逐出), will soon be heading to the governor’s desk. The other, protecting security deposits, faces a vote in the Senate on Monday.

For more than a century, landlords in California have been able to force tenants out with only 30 days? notice. That will now double under SB 1403, which got through the Assembly recently. The new protection will apply only to renters who have been in an apartment for at least a year. Even 60 days in a tight housing market won’t be long enough for some families to find an apartment near where their kids go to school. But is will be an improvement in cities like San Jose, where renters rights groups charge that unscrupulous (不择手段的) landlords have kicked out tenants on short notice to put up tents.

The California Landlords Association argued that landlords shouldn?t have to wait 60 days to get rid of problem tenants. But the bill gained support when a Japanese real estate investor sent out 30-day eviction notices to 550 families renting homes in Sacramento and Santa Rosa. The landlords lobby eventually dropped its opposition and instead turned its forces against AB 2330, regarding security deposits.

Sponsored by Assemblywoman Carole Migden of San Francisco, the bill would establish a procedure and a timetable for tenants to get back security deposits.

Some landlords view security deposits as a free month?s rent, theirs for the taking. In most cases, though, there are honest disputes over damages-what constitutes ordinary wear and tear

AB 2330 would give a tenant the right to request a walk-through with the landlord and to make the repairs before moving out; reputable landlords already do this. It would increase the penalty for failing to return a deposit.

The original bill would have required the landlord to pay interest on the deposit. The landlords lobby protested that it would involve too much paperwork over too little money-less than $10 a year on a $1,000 deposit, at current rates. On Wednesday, the sponsor dropped the interest section to increase the chance of passage.

Even in its amended form, AB 2330 is, like SB 1403, vitally important for tenants and should be made state law.

36. We learn from the passage that SB 1403 will benefit ________.

A) long-term real estate investors B) short-term tenants in Sacramento C) landlords in the State of California D) tenants renting a house over a year 37. A 60-day notice before eviction may not be early enough for renters because ________.

A) moving house is something difficult to arrange B) appropriate housing may not be readily available

C) more time is needed for their kids? school registration D) the furnishing of the new house often takes a long time

38. Very often landlords don?t return tenants? deposits on the pretext that ________. A) their rent has not been paid in time B) there has been ordinary wear and tear C) tenants have done damage to the house D) the 30-day notice for moving out is over 39. Why did the sponsor of the AB 2330 bill finally give in on the interest section? A) To put an end to a lengthy argument.

B) To urge landlords to lobby for its passage.

C) To cut down the heavy paperwork for its easy passage.

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D) To make it easier for the State Assembly to pass the bill. 40. It can be learned from the passage that ________.

A) both bills are likely to be made state laws B) neither bill will pass through the Assembly C) AB 2330 stands a better chance of passage D) Sacramento and San Jose support SB 1403

2006年6月英语六级阅读真题

Passage One

There are good reasons to be troubled by the violence that spreads throughout the media. Movies, Television and video games are full of gunplay and bloodshed, and one might reasonably ask what?s wrong with a society that presents videos of domestic violence as entertainment.

Most researchers agree that the causes of real-world violence are complex. A 1993 study by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences listed “biological, individual, family, peer, school, and community factors” as all playing their parts.

Viewing abnormally large amounts of violent television and video games may well contribute to violent behavior in certain individuals. The trouble comes when researchers downplay uncertainties in their studies or overstate the case for causality (因果关系). Skeptics were dismayed several years ago when a group of societies including the American Medical Association tried to end the debate by issuing a joint statement: “At this time, well over 1,000 studies... point overwhelmingly to a causal connection between media violence and aggressive behavior in some children.”

Freedom-of-speech advocates accused the societies of catering to politicians, and even disputed the number of studies (most were review articles and essays, they said). When Jonathan Freedman, a social psychologist at the University of Toronto, reviewed the literature, he found only 200 or so studies of television-watching and aggression. And when he weeded out “the most doubtful measures of aggression”, only 28% supported a connection.

The critical point here is causality. The alarmists say they have proved that violent media cause aggression. But the assumptions behind their observations need to be examined. When labeling games as violent or non-violent, should a hero eating a ghost really be counted as a violent event? And when experimenters record the time it takes game players to read ?aggressive? or ?non-aggressive? words from a list, can we be sure what they are actually measuring? The intent of the new Harvard Center on Media and Child Health to collect and standardize studies of media violence in order to compare their methodologies, assumptions and conclusions is an important step in the right direction.

Another appropriate step would be to tone down the criticism until we know more. Several researchers write, speak and testify quite a lot on the threat posed by violence in the media. That is, of course, their privilege. But when doing so, they often come out with statements that the matter has now been settled, drawing criticism from colleagues. In response, the alarmists accuse critics and news reporters of being deceived by the entertainment industry. Such clashes help neither science nor society.

21. Why is there so much violence shown in movies, TV and video games?

A) There is a lot of violence in the real world today. B) Something has gone wrong with today?s society.

C) Many people are fond of gunplay and bloodshed. D) Showing violence is thought to be entertaining.

22. What is the skeptics (Line 3. Para. 3) view of media violence?

A) Violence on television is a fairly accurate reflection of real-world life. B) Most studies exaggerate the effect of media violence on the viewers. C) A causal relationship exists between media and real-world violence. D) The influence of media violence on children has been underestimated.

23. The author uses the term “alarmists” (Line 1. Para. 5) to refer to those who ________. A) use standardized measurements in the studies of media violence B) initiated the debate over the influence of violent media on reality

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C) assert a direct link between violent media and aggressive behavior D) use appropriate methodology in examining aggressive behavior

24. In refuting the alarmists, the author advances his argument by first challenging ________. A) the source and amount of their data B) the targets of their observation C) their system of measurement D) their definition of violence

25. What does the author think of the debate concerning the relationship between the media and violence?

A) More studies should be conducted before conclusions are drawn. B) It should come to an end since the matter has now been settled. C) The past studies in this field have proved to be misleading. D) He more than agrees with the views held by the alarmists. Passage Two

You?re in trouble if you have to buy your own brand-name prescription drugs. Over the past decade, prices leaped by more than double the inflation rate. Treatments for chronic conditions can easily top $2,000 a month-no wonder that one in four Americans can?s afford to fill their prescriptions. The solution? A hearty chorus of “O Canada.” North of the border, where price controls reign, those same brand-name drugs cost 50% to 80% less.

The Canadian option is fast becoming a political wake-up call, “If our neighbors can buy drugs at reasonable prices, why can’t we? Even to whisper that thought provokes anger. “Un-American!” And-the propagandists’ trump card (王牌)—“Wreck our brilliant health-care system.” Supersize drug prices, they claim, fund the research that sparks the next generation of wonder drugs. No sky-high drug price today, no cure for cancer tomorrow. So shut up and pay up. Common sense tells you that?s a false alternative. The reward for finding, say, a cancer cure is so huge that no one?s going to hang it up. Nevertheless, if Canada-level pricing came to the United States, the industry?s profit margins would drop and the pace of new-drug development would slow. Here lies the American dilemma. Who is all this splendid medicine for? Should our health-care system continue its drive toward the best of the best, even though rising numbers of patients can?t afford it? Or should we direct our wealth toward letting everyone in on today?s level of care? Measured by saved lives, the latter is almost certainly the better course.

To defend their profits, the drug companies have warned Canadian wholesalers and pharmacies (药房) not to sell to Americans by mail, and are cutting back supplies to those who dare.

Meanwhile, the administration is playing the fear card. Officials from the Food and Drug Administration will argue that Canadian drugs might be fake, mishandled, or even a potential threat to life.

Do bad drugs fly around the Internet? Sure-and the more we look, the more we?ll find, But I haven?t heard of any raging epidemics among the hundreds of thousands of people buying crossborder.

Most users of prescription drugs don?t worry about costs a lot. They?re sheltered by employee insurance, owing just a $20 co-pay. The financial blows rain, instead, on the uninsured, especially the chronically ill who need expensive drugs to live, This group will still include middle-income seniors on Medicare, who?ll have to dig deeply into their pockets before getting much from the new drug benefit that starts in 2006.

26. What is said about the consequence of the rocketing drug prices in the U.S.? A) A quarter of Americans can?t afford their prescription drugs. B) Many Americans can?t afford to see a doctor when they fall ill. C) Many Americans have to go to Canada to get medical treatment. D) The inflation rate has been more than doubled over the years.

27. It can be inferred that America can follow the Canadian model and curb its soaring drug prices by ________.

A) encouraging people to buy prescription drugs online

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B) extending medical insurance to all its citizens

C) importing low-price prescription drugs from Canada D) exercising price control on brand-name drugs

28. How do propagandists argue for the U.S. drug pricing policy? A) Low prices will affect the quality of medicines in America. B) High prices are essential to funding research on new drugs. C) Low prices will bring about the anger of drug manufacturers. D) High-price drugs are indispensable in curing chronic diseases.

29. What should be the priority of America?s health-care system according to the author? A) To resolve the dilemma in the health-care system. B) To maintain America?s lead in the drug industry. C) To allow the vast majority to enjoy its benefits. D) To quicken the pace of new drug development.

30. What are American drug companies doing to protect their high profits? A) Labeling drugs bought from Canada as being fakes. B) Threatening to cut back funding for new drug research. C) Reducing supplies to uncooperative Canadian pharmacies.

D) Attributing the raging epidemics to the ineffectiveness of Canadian drugs. Passage Three

Age has its privileges in America. And one of the more prominent of them is the senior citizen discount. Anyone who has reached a certain age—in some cases as low as 55—is automatically entitled to a dazzling array of price reductions at nearly every level of commercial life. Eligibility is determined not by one?s need but by the date on one?s birth certificate. Practically unheard of a generation ago, the discounts have become a routine part of many businesses—as common as color televisions in motel rooms and free coffee on airliners.

People with gray hair often are given the discounts without even asking for them；yet, millions of Americans above age 60 are healthy and solvent (有支付能力的). Businesses that would never dare offer discounts to college students or anyone under 30 freely offer them to older Americans. The practice is acceptable because of the widespread belief that “elderly” and “needy” are synonymous (同义的). Perhaps that once was true, but today elderly Americans as a group have a lower poverty rate than the rest of the population. To be sure, there is economic diversity within the elderly, and many older Americans are poor, But most of them aren?t.

It is impossible to determine the impact of the discounts on individual companies. For many firms, they are a stimulus to revenue. But in other cases the discounts are given at the expense, directly or indirectly, of younger Americans. Moreover, they are a direct irritant in what some politicians and scholars see as a coming conflict between the generations.

Generational tensions are being fueled by continuing debate over Social Security benefits, which mostly involves a transfer of resources from the young to the old. Employment is another sore point, Buoyed (支持) by laws and court decisions, more and more older Americans are declining the retirement dinner in favor of staying on the job-thereby lessening employment and promotion opportunities for younger workers.

Far from a kind of charity they once were, senior citizen discounts have become a formidable economic privilege to a group with millions of members who don?t need them.

It no longer makes sense to treat the elderly as a single group whose economic needs deserve priority over those of others. Senior citizen discounts only enhance the myth that older people can’t take care of themselves and need special treatment； and they threaten the creation of a new myth, that the elderly are ungrateful and taking for themselves at the expense of children and other age groups. Senior citizen discounts are the essence of the very thing older Americans are fighting against-discrimination by age.

31. We learn from the first paragraph that ________.

A) offering senior citizens discounts has become routine commercial practice

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B) senior citizen discounts have enabled many old people to live a decent life C) giving senior citizens discounts has boosted the market for the elderly D) senior citizens have to show their birth certificates to get a discount 32. What assumption lies behind the practice of senior citizen discounts?

A) Businesses, having made a lot of profits, should do something for society in return. B) Old people are entitled to special treatment for the contribution they made to society. C) The elderly, being financially underprivileged, need humane help from society.

D) Senior citizen discounts can make up for the inadequacy of the Social Security system. 33. According to some politicians and scholars, senior citizen discounts will ________. A) make old people even more dependent on society B) intensify conflicts between the young and the old C) have adverse financial impact on business companies D) bring a marked increase in the companies revenues

34. How does the author view the Social Security system? A) It encourages elderly people to retire in time.

B) It opens up broad career prospects for young people. C) It benefits the old at the expense of the young.

D) It should be reinforced by laws and court decisions.

35. Which of the following best summarizes the author?s main argument? A) Senior citizens should fight hard against age discrimination. B) The elderly are selfish and taking senior discounts for granted. C) Priority should be given to the economic needs of senior citizens. D) Senior citizen discounts may well be a type of age discrimination. Passage Four

In 1854 my great-grandfather, Morris Marable, was sold on an auction block in Georgia for $500. For his white slave master, the sale was just “business as usual.” But to Morris Marable and his heirs, slavery was a crime against our humanity. This pattern of human rights violations against enslaved African-Americans continued under racial segregation for nearly another century.

The fundamental problem of American democracy in the 21st century is the problem of “structural racism” the deep patterns of socio-economic inequality and accumulated disadvantage that are coded by race, and constantly justified in public speeches by both racist stereotypes and white indifference. Do Americans have the capacity and vision to remove these structural barriers that deny democratic rights and opportunities to millions of their fellow citizens?

This country has previously witnessed two great struggles to achieve a truly multicultural democracy.

The First Reconstruction (1865-1877) ended slavery and briefly gave black men voting rights, but gave no meaningful compensation for two centuries of unpaid labor. The promise of “40 acres and a mule (骡子)”was for most blacks a dream deferred (尚未实现的).

The Second Reconstruction (1954-1968), or the modern civil rights movement, ended legal segregation in public accommodations and gave blacks voting rights. But these successes paradoxically obscure the tremendous human costs of historically accumulated disadvantage that remain central to black Americans? lives.

The disproportionate wealth that most whites enjoy today was first constructed from centuries of unpaid black labor. Many white institutions, including some leading universities, insurance companies and banks, profited from slavery. This pattern of white privilege and black inequality continues today.

Demanding reparations (赔偿) is not just about compensation for slavery and segregation. It is, more important, an educational campaign to highlight the contemporary reality of “racial deficits” of all kinds, the unequal conditions that impact blacks regardless of class. Structural racism?s barriers include “equity inequity.” the absence of black capital formation that is a direct consequence of America?s history. One third of all black households actually have negative net

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wealth. In 1998 the typical black family?s net wealth was $16,400, less than one fifth that of white families. Black families are denied home loans at twice the rate of whites.

Blacks remain the last hired and first fired during recessions. During the 1990-91 recession, African-Americans suffered disproportionately. At Coca-Cola, 42 percent of employees who lost their jobs were blacks. At Sears, 54 percent were black, Blacks have significantly shorter life spans, in part due to racism in the health establishment. Blacks are statistically less likely than whites to be referred for kidney transplants or early-stage cancer surgery.

36. To the author, the auction of his great-grandfather is a typical example of ________. A) crime against humanity B) unfair business transaction C) racial conflicts in Georgia D) racial segregation in America 37. The barrier to democracy in 21st century America is ________.

A) widespread use of racist stereotypes B) prejudice against minority groups

C) deep-rooted socio-economic inequality D) denial of legal rights to ordinary blacks 38. What problem remains unsolved in the two Reconstructions?

A) Differences between races are deliberately obscured B) The blacks are not compensated for their unpaid labor.

C) There is no guarantee for blacks to exercise their rights. D) The interests of blacks are not protected by law.

39. It is clear that the wealth enjoyed by most whites ________.

A) has resulted from business successes over the years B) has been accompanied by black capital formation

C) has derived from sizable investments in education D) has been accumulated from generations of slavery

40. What does the author think of the current situation regarding racial discrimination?

A) Racism is not a major obstacle to blacks? employment. B) Inequality of many kinds remains virtually untouched.

C) A major step has been taken towards reparations. D) Little has been done to ensure blacks? civil rights.

2005年12月英语六级阅读真题

Passage one

Too many vulnerable child-free adults are being ruthlessly (无情的) manipulated into parent-hood by their parents, who think that happiness among older people depends on having a grand-child to spoil. We need an organization to help beat down the persistent campaigns of grandchildless parents. It?s time to establish Planned Grandparenthood, which would have many global and local benefits.

Part of its mission would be to promote the risks and realities associated with being a grandparent. The staff would include depressed grandparents who would explain how grandkids break lamps, bite, scream and kick. Others would detail how an hour of baby-sitting often turns into a crying marathon. More grandparents would testify that they had to pay for their grandchild?s expensive college education.

Planned grandparenthood?s carefully written literature would detail all the joys of life grand-child-free a calm living room, extra money for luxuries during the golden years, etc. Potential grandparents would be reminded that, without grandchildren around, it?s possible to have a conversation with your kids, who—incidentally—would have more time for their own parents. Meanwhile, most children are vulnerable to the enormous influence exerted by grandchildless parents aiming to persuade their kids to produce children. They will take a call from a persistent parent, even if they?re loaded with works. In addition, some parents make handsome money offers payable upon the grandchild?s birth. Sometimes these gifts not only cover expenses associated with the infant?s birth, but extras, too, like a vacation. In any case, cash gifts can weaken the resolve of even the noblest person.

At Planned Grandparenthood, children targeted by their parents to reproduce could obtain

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non-biased information about the insanity of having their own kids. The catastrophic psychological and economic costs of childbearing would be emphasized. The symptoms of morning sickness would be listed and horrors of childbirth pictured. A monthly newsletter would contain stories about overwhelmed parents and offer guidance on how childless adults can respond to the different lobbying tactics that would-be grandparents employ.

When I think about all the problems of our overpopulated world and look at our boy grabbing at the lamp by the sofa, I wish I could have turned to Planned Grandparenthood when my parents were putting the grandchild squeeze on me.

If I could have, I might not be in this parenthood predicament (窘境). But here’s the crazy irony, I don’t want my child-free life back. Dylan’s too much fun.

21. What?s the purpose of the proposed organization Planned Grandparenthood? A) To encourage childless couples to have children.

B) To provide facilities and services for grandchildless parents. C) To offer counseling to people on how to raise grandchildren. D) To discourage people from insisting on having grandchildren.

22. Planned Grandparenthood would include depressed grandparents on its staff in order to ________.

A) show them the joys of life grandparents may have in raising grandchildren B) draw attention to the troubles and difficulties grandchildren may cause C) share their experience in raising grandchildren in a more scientific way D) help raise funds to cover the high expense of education for grandchildren

23. According to the passage, some couples may eventually choose to have children because ________.

A) they find it hard to resist the carrot-and-stick approach of their parents B) they have learn from other parents about the joys of having children C) they feel more and more lonely ad they grow older D) they have found it irrational to remain childless

24. By saying “... my parents were putting the grandchild squeeze on me” (Line 2-3, Para. 6), the author means that ________.

A) her parents kept pressuring her to have a child B) her parents liked to have a grandchild in their arms

C) her parents asked her to save for the expenses of raising a child D) her parents kept blaming her for her child?s bad behavior 25. What does the author really of the idea of having children?

A) It does more harm than good. B) It contributes to overpopulation. C) It is troublesome but rewarding. D) It is a psychological catastrophe. Passage Two

Ask most people how they define the American Dream and chances are they?ll say, “Success.” The dream of individual opportunity has been home in American since Europeans discovered a “new world” in the Western Hemisphere. Early immigrants like Hector St. Jean de Crevecoeur praised highly the freedom and opportunity to be found in this new land. His glowing descriptions of a classless society where anyone could attain success through honesty and hard work fired the imaginations of many European readers: in Letters from an American Farmer (1782) he wrote. “We are all excited at the spirit of an industry which is unfettered (无拘无束的) and unrestrained, because each person works for himself ... We have no princes, for whom we toil (干苦力活)，starve, and bleed: we are the most perfect society now existing in the world.” The promise of a land where “the rewards of a man?s industry follow with equal steps the progress of his labor” drew poor immigrants from Europe and fueled national expansion into the western territories.

Our national mythology (神化) is full of illustration the American success story. There’s Benjamin Franklin, the very model of the self-educated, self-made man, who rose from modest

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origins to become a well-known scientist, philosopher, and statesman. In the nineteenth century, Horatio Alger, a writer of fiction for young boys, became American?s best-selling author with rags-to-riches tales. The notion of success haunts us: we spend million every year reading about the rich and famous, learning how to “make a fortune in real estate with no money down,” and “dressing for success.” The myth of success has even invaded our personal relationships: today it?s as important to be “successful” in marriage or parenthoods as it is to come out on top in business. But dreams easily turn into nightmares. Every American who hopes to “make it” also knows the fear of failure, because the myth of success inevitably implies comparison between the haves and the have-nots, the stars and the anonymous crowd. Under pressure of the myth, we become indulged in status symbols: we try to live in the “right” neighborhoods, wear the “right” clothes, eat the “right” foods. These symbols of distinction assure us and others that we believe strongly in the fundamental equality of all, yet strive as hard as we can to separate ourselves from our fellow citizens.

26. What is the essence of the American Dream according to Crevecoeur? A) People are free to develop their power of imagination. B) People who are honest and work hard can succeed. C) People are free from exploitation and oppression. D) People can fully enjoy individual freedom.

27. By saying “the rewards of a man?s industry follow with equal steps the progress of his labor” (Line 10, Para. 1), the author means ________. A) the more diligent one is, the bigger his returns B) laborious work ensures the growth of an industry C) a man?s business should be developed step by step

D) a company?s success depends on its employees? hard work

28. The characters described in Horatio Alger?s novels are people who ________.

A) succeed in real estate investment B) earned enormous fortunes by chances C) became wealthy after starting life very poor D) became famous despite their modest origins

29. It can be inferred from the last sentence of the second paragraph that ________. A) business success often contributes to a successful marriage B) Americans wish to succeed in every aspect of life C) good personal relationships lead to business success

D) successful business people provide good care for their children 30. What is the paradox of American culture according to the author? A) The American road to success is full of nightmares.

B) Status symbols are not a real indicator of a person?s wealth. C) The American Dream is nothing but an empty dream.

D) What Americans strive after often contradicts their beliefs. Passage Three

Public distrust of scientists stems in part from the blurring of boundaries between science and technology, between discovery and manufacture. Most government, perhaps all governments, justify public expenditure on scientific research in terms of the economic benefits the scientific enterprise ha brought in the past and will bring in the future. Politicians remind their voters of the splendid machines ‘our scientists’ have invented, the new drugs to relieve old ailments (病痛), and the new surgical equipment and techniques by which previously intractable (难治疗的) conditions may now be treated and lives saved. At the same time, the politicians demand of scientists that they tailor their research to ‘economics needs’, that they award a higher priority to research proposals that are ?near the market? and can be translated into the greatest return on investment in the shortest time. Dependent, as they are, on politicians for much of their funding, scientists have little choice but to comply. Like the rest of us, they are members of a society that rates the creation of wealth as the greatest possible good. Many have reservations, but keep them

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to themselves in what they perceive as a climate hostile to the pursuit of understanding for its own sake and the idea of an inquiring, creative spirit.

In such circumstances no one should be too hard on people who are suspicious of conflicts of interest. When we learn that the distinguished professor assuring us of the safety of a particular product holds a consultancy with the company making it, we cannot be blamed for wondering whether his fee might conceivably cloud his professional judgment. Even if the professor holds no consultancy with any firm, some people many still distrust him because of his association with those who do, or at least wonder about the source of some his research funding.

This attitude can have damaging effects. It questions the integrity of individuals working in a profession that prizes intellectual honesty as the supreme virtue, and plays into the hands of those who would like to discredit scientists by representing then a venal (可以收买的). This makes it easier to dismiss all scientific pronouncements, but especially those made by the scientists who present themselves as ‘experts’. The scientist most likely to understand the safety of a nuclear reactor, for example, is a nuclear engineer declares that a reactor is unsafe, we believe him, because clearly it is not to his advantage to lie about it. If he tells us it is safe, on the other hand, we distrust him, because he may well be protecting the employer who pays his salary. 31. What is the chief concern of most governments when it comes to scientific research? A) Support from the votes. B) The reduction of public expenditure. C) Quick economics returns. D) The budget for a research project.

32. Scientist have to adapt their research to ?economic needs? in order to ________.

A) impress the public with their achievements B) pursue knowledge for knowledge?s sake C) obtain funding from the government D) translate knowledge into wealth

33. Why won?t scientists complain about the government?s policy concerning scientific research? A) They think they work in an environment hostile to the free pursuit of knowledge. B) They are accustomed to keeping their opinions to themselves. C) They know it takes patience to win support from the public.

D) They think compliance with government policy is in the interests of the public.

34. According to the author, people are suspicious of the professional judgment of scientists because ________.

A) their pronouncements often turn out to be wrong

B) sometimes they hide the source of their research funding C) some of them do not give priority to intellectual honesty

D) they could be influenced by their association with the project concerned

35. Why does the author say that public distrust of scientists can have damaging effects? A) It makes things difficult for scientists seeking research funds. B) People would not believe scientists even when they tell the truth. C) It may dampen the enthusiasm of scientists for independent research. D) Scientists themselves may doubt the value of their research findings. Passage Four

In many ways, today?s business environment has changed qualitatively since the late 1980s. The end of the Cold War radically altered the very nature of the world?s politics and economics. In just a few short years, globalization has started a variety of trends with profound consequences: the opening of markets, true global competition, widespread deregulation (解除政府对…的控制) of industry, and an abundance of accessible capital. We have experienced both the benefits and risks of a truly global economy, with both Wall Street and Main Street (平民百姓) feeling the pains of economic disorder half a world away.

At the same time, we have fully entered the Information Age, Starting breakthroughs in information technology have irreversibly altered the ability to conduct business unconstrained by the traditional limitations of time or space. Today, it?s almost impossible to imagine a world without intranets, e-mail, and portable computers. With stunning speed, the Internet is profoundly changing the way we work, shop, do business, and communicate.

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As a consequence, we have truly entered the Post-Industrial economy. We are rapidly shifting from an economy based on manufacturing and commodities to one that places the greatest value on information, services, support, and distribution. That shift, in turn, place an unprecedented premium on “knowledge workers,” a new class of wealthy, educated, and mobile people who view themselves as free agents in a seller?s market.

Beyond the realm of information technology, the accelerated pace of technological change in virtually every industry has created entirely new business, wiped out others, and produced a Pervasive (广泛的) demand for continuous innovation. New product, process, and distribution technologies provide powerful levers for creating competitive value. More companies are learning the importance of destructive technologies—innovations that hold the potential to make a product line, or even an entire business segment, virtually outdated.

Another major trend has been the fragmentation of consumer and business markets. There?s a growing appreciation that superficially similar groups of customers may have very different preferences in terms of what they want to buy and how they want to buy it. Now, new technology makes it easier, faster, and cheaper to identify and serve targeted micro-markets in ways that were physically impossible or prohibitively expensive in the past. Moreover, the trend feeds on itself, a business?s ability to serve sub-markets fuels customers? appetites for more and more specialized offerings.

36. According to the first paragraph, the chances in the business environment in the past decades can be attributed to ________.

A) technological advances B) worldwide economic disorder C) the fierce competition in industry D) the globalization of economy 37. what idea does the author want to convey in the second paragraph?

A) The rapid development of information technology has taken businessmen by surprise.

B) Information technology has removed the restrictions of time and space in business transactions. C) The Internet, intranets, e-mail, and portable computers have penetrated every corner of the world.

D) The way we do business today has brought about startling breakthroughs in information technology.

38. If a business wants to thrive in the Post-Industrial economy, ________.

A) it has to invest more capital in the training of free agents to operate in a seller?s market B) it should try its best to satisfy the increasing demands of mobile knowledgeable people C) it should not overlook the importance of information, services, support, and distribution

D) it has to provide each of its employees with the latest information about the changing market 39. In the author?s view, destructive technologies are innovations which ________. A) can eliminate an entire business segment

B) demand a radical change in providing services

C) may destroy the potential of a company to make any profit D) call for continuous improvement in ways of doing business

40. With the fragmentation of consumer and business markets ________. A) an increasing number of companies have disintegrated

B) manufacturers must focus on one special product to remain competitive in the market C) it is physically impossible and prohibitively expensive to do business in the old way D) businesses have to meet individual customers? specific needs in order to succeed

2005年6月英语六级阅读真题

Passage One

Low-level slash-and-burn farming doesn?t harm rainforest. On the contrary, it helps farmers and improves forest soils. This is the unorthodox view of a German soil scientist who has shown that burnt clearings in the Amazon, dating back more than 1,000 years, helped create patches of rich, fertile soil that farmers still benefit from today.

Most rainforest soils are thin and poor because they lack minerals and because the heat and

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heavy rainfall destroy most organic matter in the soils within four years of it reaching the forest floor. This means topsoil contains few of the ingredients needed for long-term successful farming. But Bruno Glaser, a soil scientist of the University of Bayreuth, has studied unexpected patches of fertile soils in the central Amazon. These soils contain lots of organic matter.

Glaser has shown that most of this fertile organic matter comes from “black carbon”—the organic particles from camp fires and charred (烧成炭的) wood left over from thousands of years of slash-and-burn farming. “The soils, known as Terra Preta, contained up to 70times more black carbon than the surrounding soil, “says Glaser.

Unburnt vegetation rots quickly, but black carbon persists in the soil for many centuries. Radiocarbon dating shows that the charred wood in Terra Preta soils is typically more than 1,000 years old.

“Slash-and-burn farming can be good for soils provided it doesn’t completely burn all the vegetation, and leaves behind charred wood,” says Glaser. “It can be better than manure (粪肥).” Burning the forest just once can leave behind enough black carbon to keep the soil fertile for thousands of years. And rainforests easily regrow after small-scale clearing. Contrary to the conventional view that human activities damage the environment, Glaser says: “Black carbon combined with human wastes is responsible for the richness of Terra Preta soils.”

Terra Preta soils turn up in large patches all over the Amazon, where they are highly prized by farmers. All the patches fall within 500 square kilometers in the central Amazon. Glaser says the widespread presence of pottery (陶器) confirms the soil’s human origins.

The findings add weight to the theory that large areas of the Amazon have recovered so well from past periods of agricultural use that the regrowth has been mistaken by generations of biologists for “virgin” forest.

During the past decade, researchers have discovered hundreds of large earth works deep in the jungle. They are up to 20 meters high and cover up to a square kilometer. Glaser claims that these earth works, built between AD 400 and 1400, were at the heart of urban civilizations. Now it seems the richness of the Terra Preta soils may explain how such civilizations managed to feed themselves.

11. We learn from the passage that the traditional view of slash-and-burn farming is that ________.

A) it does no harm to the topsoil of the rainforest B) it destroys rainforest soils

C) it helps improve rainforest soils D) it diminishes the organic matter in rainforest soils

12. Most rainforest soils are thin and poor because ________. A) the composition of the topsoil is rather unstable B) black carbon is washed away by heavy rains

C) organic matter is quickly lost due to heat and rain

D) long-term farming has exhausted the ingredients essential to plant growth 13. Glaser made his discovery by ________.

A) studying patches of fertile soils in the central Amazon B) examining pottery left over by ancient civilizations C) test-burning patches of trees in the central Amazon D) radiocarbon-dating ingredients contained in forest soils 14. What does Glaser say about the regrowth of rainforests? A) They take centuries to regrow after being burnt.

B) They cannot recover unless the vegetation is burnt completely. C) Their regrowth will be hampered by human habitation. D) They can recover easily after slash-and-burn farming. 15. From the passage it can be inferred that ________. A) human activities will do grave damage to rainforests

B) Amazon rainforest soils used to be the richest in the world

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C) farming is responsible for the destruction of the Amazon rainforests D) there once existed an urban civilization in the Amazon rainforests Passage Two

As a wise man once said, we are all ultimately alone. But an increasing number of Europeans are choosing to be so at an ever earlier age. This isn?t the stuff of gloomy philosophical contemplations, but a fact of Europe?s new economic landscape, embraced by sociologists, real-estate developers and ad executives alike. The shift away from family life to solo lifestyle, observes a French sociologist, is part of the “irresistible momentum of individualism” over the last century. The communications revolution, the shift from a business culture of stability to one of mobility and the mass entry of women into the workforce have greatly wreaked havoc on (扰乱) Europeans’ private lives.

Europe?s new economic climate has largely fostered the trend toward independence. The current generation of home-aloners came of age during Europe?s shift from social democracy to the sharper, more individualistic climate of American style capitalism. Raised in an era of privatization and increased consumer choice, today’s tech-savvy (精通技术的) workers have embraced a free market in love as well as economics. Modern Europeans are rich enough to afford to live alone, and temperamentally independent enough to want to do so.

Once upon a time, people who lived alone tended to be those on either side of marriage-twenty something professionals or widowed senior citizens. While pensioners, particularly elderly women, make up a large proportion of those living alone, the newest crop of singles are high earners in their 30s and 40s who increasingly view living alone as a lifestyle choice. Living alone was conceived to be negative-dark and cold, while being together suggested warmth and light. But then came along the idea of singles. They were young, beautiful, strong! Now, young people want to live alone.

The booming economy means people are working harder than ever. And that doesn?t leave much room for relationships. Pimpi Arroyo, a 35-year-old composer who lives alone in a house in Paris, says he hasn?t got time to get lonely because he has too much work. “I have deadlines which would make life with someone else fairly difficult.” Only an Ideal Woman would make him change his lifestyle, he says. Kaufmann, author of a recent book called “The Single Woman and Prince Charming,” thinks this fierce new individualism means that people expect more and more of mates, so relationships don?t last long-if they start at all. Eppendorf, a blond Berliner with a deep tan, teaches grade school in the mornings. In the afternoon she sunbathes or sleeps, resting up for going dancing. Just shy of 50, she says she?d never have wanted to do what her mother did-give up a career to raise a family. Instead, “I?ve always done what I wanted to do: live a self-determined life.”

16. More and more young Europeans remain single because ________. A) they are driven by an overwhelming sense of individualism B) they have entered the workforce at a much earlier age C) they have embraced a business culture of stability D) they are pessimistic about their economic future

17. What is said about European society in the passage? A) It has fostered the trend towards small families. B) It is getting closer to American-style capitalism. C) It has limited consumer choice despite a free market. D) It is being threatened by irresistible privatization.

18. According to Paragraph 3, the newest group of singles are ________.

A) warm and lighthearted B) on either side of marriage C) negative and gloomy D) healthy and wealthy

19. The author quotes Eppendorf to show that ________. A) some modern women prefer a life of individual freedom

B) the family is no longer the basic unit of society in present-day Europe

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C) some professional people have too much work to do to feel lonely D) most Europeans conceive living a single life as unacceptable 20. What is the author?s purpose in writing the passage? A) To review the impact of women becoming high earners. B) To contemplate the philosophy underlying individualism. C) To examine the trend of young people living alone. D) To stress the rebuilding of personal relationships. Passage Three

Supporters of the biotech industry have accused an American scientist of misconduct after she testified to the New Zealand government that a genetically modified (GM) bacterium could cause serious damage if released.

The New Zealand Life Sciences Network, an association of pro-GM scientists and organisations, says the view expressed by Elaine Ingham, a soil biologist at Oregon State University in Corvallis, was exaggerated and irresponsible. It has asked her university to discipline her.

But Ingham stands by her comments and says the complaints are an attempt to silence her. “They?re trying to cause trouble with my university and get me fired,” Ingham told New Scientist. The controversy began on 1 February, when Ingham testified before New Zealand?s Royal Commission on Genetic Modification, which will determine how to regulate GM organisms. Ingham claimed that a GM version of a common soil bacterium could spread and destroy plants if released into the wild. Other researchers had previously modified the bacterium to produce alcohol from organic waste. But Ingham says that when she put it in soil with wheat plants, all of the plants died within a week.

“We would lose terrestrial (陆生的) plants... this is an organism that is potentially deadly to the continued survival of human beings,” she told the commission. She added that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) canceled its approval for field tests using the organism once she had told them about her research in 1999.

But last week the New Zealand Life Sciences Network accused Ingham of “presenting inaccurate, careless and exaggerated information” and “generating speculative doomsday scenarios (世界末日的局面) that are not scientifically supportable”. They say that her study doesn?t even show that the bacteria would survive in the wild, much less kill massive numbers of plants. What?s more, the network says that contrary to Ingham?s claims, the EPA was never asked to consider the organism for field trials.

The EPA has not commented on the dispute. But an e-mail to the network from Janet Anderson, director of the EPA’s bio-pesticides (生物杀虫剂) division, says “there is no record of a review and/or clearance to field test” the organism.

Ingham says EPA officials had told her that the organism was approved for field tests, but says she has few details. It?s also not clear whether the organism, first engineered by a German institute for biotechnology, is still in use.

Whether Ingham is right or wrong, her supporters say opponents are trying unfairly to silence her.

“I think her concerns should be taken seriously. She shouldn?t be harassed in this way,” says Ann Clarke, a plant biologist at the University of Guelph in Canada who also testified before the commission. “It?s an attempt to silence the opposition.” 21. The passage centers on the controversy ________.

A) between American and New Zealand biologists over genetic modification B) as to whether the study of genetic modification should be continued C) over the possible adverse effect of a GM bacterium on plants D) about whether Elaine Ingham should be fired by her university 22. Ingham insists that her testimony is based on ________. A) evidence provided by the EPA of the United States

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B) the results of an experiment she conducted herself

C) evidence from her collaborative research with German biologists D) the results of extensive field tests in Corvallis, Oregon 23. According to Janet Anderson, the EPA ________.

A) has cancelled its approval for field tests of the GM organism B) hasn?t reviewed the findings of Ingham?s research C) has approved field tests using the GM organism

D) hasn?t given permission to field test the GM organism

24. According to Ann Clarke, the New Zealand Life Sciences Network ________. A) should gather evidence to discredit Ingham?s claims

B) should require that the research by their biologists be regulated C) shouldn?t demand that Ingham be disciplined for voicing her views D) shouldn?t appease the opposition in such a quiet way

25. Which of the following statements about Ingham is TRUE? A) Her testimony hasn?t been supported by the EPA. B) Her credibility as a scientist hasn?t been undermined. C) She is firmly supported by her university.

D) She has made great contributions to the study of GM bacteria. Passage Four

Every fall, like clockwork, Linda Krentz of Beaverton, Oregon, felt her brain go on strike. “I just couldn?t get going in the morning,” she says. “I?d get depressed and gain 10 pounds every winter and lose them again in the spring.” Then she read about seasonal affective disorder, a form of depression that occurs in fall and winter, and she saw the light-literally. Every morning now she turns on a specially constructed light box for half an hour and sits in front of it to trick her brain into thinking it?s still enjoying those long summer days. It seems to work.

Krentz is not alone. Scientists estimate that 10 million Americans suffer from seasonal depression and 25 million more develop milder versions. But there?s never been definitive proof that treatment with very bright lights makes a difference. After all, it’s hard to do a double-blind test when the subjects can see for themselves whether or not the light is on. That’s why nobody has ever separated the real effects of light therapy from placebo (安慰剂) effects.

Until now. In three separate studies published last month, researchers report not only that light therapy works better than a placebo but that treatment is usually more effective in the early morning than in the evening. In two of the groups, the placebo problem was resolved by telling patients they were comparing light boxes to a new anti-depressant device that emits negatively charged ions (离子). The third used the timing of light therapy as the control.

Why does light therapy work? No one really knows. “Our research suggests it has something to do with shifting the body?s internal clock,” says psychiatrist Dr. Lewey. The body is programmed to start the day with sunrise, he explains, and this gets later as the days get shorter. But why such subtle shifts make some people depressed and not others is a mystery.

That hasn?t stopped thousands of winter depressives from trying to heal themselves. Light boxes for that purpose are available without a doctor?s prescription. That bothers psychologist Michael Terman of Columbia University. He is worried that the boxes may be tried by patients who suffer from mental illness that can?t be treated with light. Terman has developed a questionnaire to help determine whether expert care is needed.

In any event, you should choose a reputable manufacturer. Whatever product you use should emit only visible light, because ultraviolet light damages the eyes. If you are photosensitive (对光敏感的), you may develop a rash. Otherwise, the main drawback is having to sit in front of the light for 30 to 60 minutes in the morning. That?s an inconvenience many winter depressives can live with.

26. What is the probable cause of Krentz?s problem? A) An unexpected gain in body weight.

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B) Unexplained impairment of her nervous system.

C) Weakening of her eyesight with the setting in of winter. D) Poor adjustment of her body clock to seasonal changes.

27. By saying that Linda Krentz saw the light” (Line 4, Para. 1), the author means that she ________.

A) learned how to lose weight B) realized what her problem was C) came to see the importance of light D) became light-hearted and cheerful

28. What is the CURRENT view concerning the treatment of seasonal depression with bright lights?

A) Its effect remains to be seen. B) It serves as a kind of placebo. C) It proves to be an effective therapy. D) It hardly produces any effects. 29. What is psychologist Michael Terman?s major concern? A) Winter depressives will be addicted to using light boxes. B) No mental patients would bother to consult psychiatrists. C) Inferior light boxes will emit harmful ultraviolet lights. D) Light therapy could be misused by certain mental patients. 30. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A) Winter depressives prefer light therapy in spite of its inconvenience. B) Light therapy increases the patient?s photosensitivity. C) Eye damage is a side effect of light therapy.

D) Light boxes can be programmed to correspond to shifts in the body clock.

2005年1月英语六级阅读真题

Passage One

Throughout the nation?s more than 15,000 school districts, widely differing approaches to teaching science and math have emerged. Though there can be strength in diversity, a new international analysis suggests that this variability has instead contributed to lackluster (平淡的) achievement scores by U.S. children relative to their peers in other developed countries.

Indeed, concludes William H. Schmidt of Michigan State University, who led the new analysis, “no single intellectually coherent vision dominates U.S. educational practice in math or science.” The reason, he said, “is because the system is deeply and fundamentally flawed.”

The new analysis, released this week by the National Science Foundation in Arlington, Va., is based on data collected from about 50 nations as part of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study.

Not only do approaches to teaching science and math vary among individual U.S. communities, the report finds, but there appears to be little strategic focus within a school district?s curricula, its textbooks, or its teachers? activities. This contrasts sharply with the coordinated national programs of most other countries.

On average, U.S. students study more topics within science and math than their international counterparts do. This creates an educational environment that “is a mile wide and an inch deep,” Schmidt notes.

For instance, eighth graders in the United States cover about 33 topics in math versus just 19 in Japan. Among science courses, the international gap is even wider. U.S. curricula for this age level resemble those of a small group of countries including Australia, Thailand, Iceland, and Bulgaria. Schmidt asks whether the United States wants to be classed with these nations, whose educational systems “share our pattern of splintered (支离破碎的) visions” but which are not economic leaders.

The new report “couldn?t come at a better time,” says Gerald Wheeler, executive director of the National Science Teachers Association in Arlington. “The new National Science Education Standards provide that focused vision,” including the call “to do less, but in greater depth.”

Implementing the new science standards and their math counterparts will be the challenge, he and Schmidt agree, because the decentralized responsibility for education in the United States

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requires that any reforms be tailored and instituted one community at a time.

In fact, Schmidt argues, reforms such as these proposed national standards “face an almost impossible task, because even though they are intellectually coherent, each becomes only one more voice in the babble (嘈杂声).”

21. According to the passage, the teaching of science and math in America is ________. A) losing its vitality gradually B) characterized by its diversity

C) going downhill in recent years D) focused on tapping students? potential 22. The fundamental flaw of American school education is that ________. A) it attaches too much importance to intensive study of school subjects B) it relies heavily on the initiative of individual teachers C) it sets a very low academic standard for students D) it lacks a coordinated national program

23. By saying that the U.S. educational environment is “a mile wide and an inch deep” (Line 2, Para. 5), the author means U.S. educational practice ________.

A) scratches the surface of a wide range of topics B) lays stress on quality at the expense of quantity

C) encourages learning both in depth and in scope D) offers an environment for comprehensive education

24. The new National Science Education Standards are good news in that they will ________. A) solve most of the problems in school teaching B) provide depth to school science education

C) quickly dominate U.S. educational practice D) be able to meet the demands of the community

25. Putting the new science and math standards into practice will prove difficult because ________.

A) many schoolteachers challenge the acceptability of these standards B) there is always controversy in educational circles

C) not enough educators have realized the necessity for doing so D) school districts are responsible for making their own decisions Passage Two

I had an experience some years ago which taught me something about the ways in which people make a bad situation worse by blaming themselves. One January, I had to officiate at two funerals on successive days for two elderly women in my community. Both had died “full of years,” as the Bible would say; both yielded to the normal wearing out of the body after a long and full life. Their homes happened to be near each other, so I paid condolence (吊唁) calls on the two families on the same afternoon.

At the first home, the son of the deceased (已故的) woman said to me, “If only I had sent my mother to Florida and gotten her out of this cold and snow, she would be alive today. It’s my fault that she died.” At the second home, the son of the other deceased woman said, “If only I hadn?t insisted on my mother?s going to Florida, she would be alive today. That long airplane ride, the abrupt change of climate, was more than she could take. It?s my fault that she?s dead.”

When things don?t turn out as we would like them to, it is very tempting to assume that had we done things differently, the story would have had a happier ending. Priests know that any time there is a death, the survivors will feel guilty. Because the course of action they took turned out badly, they believe that the opposite course-keeping Mother at home, postponing the operation—would have turned out better. After all, how could it have turned out any worse?

There seem to be two elements involved in our readiness to feel guilt. The first is our pressing need to believe that the world makes sense, that there is a cause for every effect and a reason for everything that happens. That leads us to find patterns and connections both where they really exist and where they exist only in our minds.

The second element is the notion that we are the cause of what happens, especially the bad

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things that happen. It seems to be a short step from believing that every event has a cause to believing that every disaster is our fault. The roots of this feeling may lie in our childhood. Psychologists speak of the infantile myth of omnipotence (万能). A baby comes to think that the world exists to meet his needs, and that he makes everything happen in it. He wakes up in the morning and summons the rest of the world to its tasks. He cries, and someone comes to attend to him. When he is hungry, people feed him, and when he is wet, people change him. Very often, we do not completely outgrow that infantile notion that our wishes cause things to happen. 26. What is said about the two deceased elderly women?

A) They lived out a natural life. B) They died due to lack of care by family members.

C) They died of exhaustion after the long plane ride. D) They weren?t accustomed to the change in weather.

27. The author had to conduct the two women?s funerals probably because ________. A) he had great sympathy for the deceased B) he wanted to console the two families C) he was priest of the local church D) he was an official from the community 28. People feel guilty for the deaths of their loved ones because ________. A) they believe that they were responsible

B) they had neglected the natural course of events

C) they couldn?t find a better way to express their grief

D) they didn?t know things often turn out in the opposite direction

29. In the context of the passage, “... the world makes sense” (Line 2, Para, 4) probably means that ________.

A) we have to be sensible in order to understand the world B) everything in the world is predetermined

C) there?s an explanation for everything in the world D) the world can be interpreted in different ways

30. People have been made to believe since infancy that ________.

A) every story should have a happy ending B) their wishes are the cause of everything that happens

C) life and death is an unsolved mystery D) everybody is at their command Passage Three

“I?ve never met a human worth cloning,” says cloning expert Mark Westhusin from his lab at Texas A&M University. “It?s a stupid endeavor.” That?s an interesting choice of adjective, coming from a man who has spent millions of dollars trying to clone a 13-year-old dog named Missy. So far, he and his team have not succeeded, though they have cloned two cows and expect to clone a cat soon. They just might succeed in cloning Missy this spring—or perhaps not for another 5 years. It seems the reproductive system of man?s best friend is one of the mysteries of modern science.

Westhusin’s experience with cloning animals leaves him upset by all this talk of human cloning. In three years of work on the Missy project, using hundreds upon hundreds of dog’s eggs, the A&M team has produced only a dozen or so embryos (胚胎) carrying Missy’s DNA. None have survived the transfer to a surrogate (代孕的) mother. The wastage of eggs and the many spontaneously aborted fetuses (胎) may be acceptable when you’re dealing with cats or bulls, he argues, but not with humans. “Cloning is incredibly inefficient, and also dangerous,” he says. Even so, dog cloning is a commercial opportunity, with a nice research payoff. Ever since Dolly the sheep was cloned in 1997, Westhusin?s phone has been ringing with people calling in hopes of duplicating their cats and dogs, cattle and horses. “A lot of people want to clone pets, especially if the price is right,” says Westhusin. Cost is no obstacle for Missy?s mysterious billionaire owner; he?s put up $3.7 million so far to fund A&M?s research.

Contrary to some media reports, Missy is not dead. The owner wants a twin to carry on Missy?s fine qualities after she does die. The prototype is, by all accounts, athletic, good-natured

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and supersmart. Missy?s master does not expect an exact copy of her. He knows her clone may not have her temperament. In a statement of purpose, Missy?s owner and the A&M team say they are “both looking forward to studying the ways that her clones differ from Missy.”

Besides cloning a great dog, the project may contribute insight into the old question of nature vs, nurture. It could also lead to the cloning of special rescue dogs and many endangered animals. However, Westhusin is cautious about his work. He knows that even if he gets a dog pregnant, the offspring, should they survive, will face the problems shown at birth by other cloned animals: abnormalities like immature lungs and heart and weight problems~ “Why would you ever want to clone humans,Westhusin asks, “when we?re not even close to getting it worked out in animals yet?”

31. By “stupid endeavor” (Line 2, Para. 1), Westhusin means to say that ________.

A) human cloning is a foolish undertaking B) animal cloning is absolutely impractical C) human cloning should be done selectively D) animal cloning is not worth the effort at all 32. What does the first paragraph tell us about Westhusin?s dog cloning project? A) Its success is already in sight. B) It is doomed to utter failure. C) It is progressing smoothly. D) Its outcome remains uncertain. 33. By cloning Missy, Mark Westhusin hopes to ________. A) examine the reproductive system of the dog species B) find out the differences between Missy and its clones C) search for ways to modify.its temperament D) study the possibility of cloning humans

34. We learn from the passage that animal clones are likely to have ________.

A) an abnormal shape B) a bad temper C) defective organs D) immune deficiency 35. It can be seen that present cloning techniques ________. A) provide insight into the question of nature vs, nurture B) have been widely used in saving endangered species C) have proved quite adequate for the cloning of humans D) still have a long way to go before reaching maturity Passage Four

Frustrated with delays in Sacramento, Bay Area officials said Thursday they planned to take matters into their own hands to regulate the region?s growing pile of electronic trash.

A San Jose councilwoman and a San Francisco supervisor said they would propose local initiatives aimed at controlling electronic waste if the California law-making body fails to act on two bills stalled in the Assembly. They are among a growing number of California cities and counties that have expressed the same intention.

Environmentalists and local governments are increasingly concerned about the toxic hazard posed by old electronic devices and the cost of safely recycling those products. An estimated 6 million televisions and computers are stocked in California homes, and an additional 6,000 to 7,000 computers become outdated every day. The machines contain high levels of lead and other hazardous substances, and are already banned from California landfills (垃圾填埋场).

Legislation by Senator Byron Sher would require consumers to pay a recycling fee of up to $30 on every new machine containing a cathode (阴极) ray tube. Used in almost all video monitors and televisions, those devices contain four to eight pounds of lead each. The fees would go toward setting up recycling programs, providing grants to non-profit agencies that reuse the tubes and rewarding manufacturers that encourage recycling.

A separate bill by Los Angeles-area Senator Gloria Romero would require high-tech manufacturers to develop programs to recycle so-called e-waste.

If passed, the measures would put California at the forefront of national efforts to manage the refuse of the electronic age.

But high-tech groups, including the Silicon Valley Manufacturing Group and the American Electronics Association, oppose the measures, arguing that fees of up to $30 will drive consumers

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to online, out-of-state retailers.

“What really needs to occur is consumer education. Most consumers are unaware they?re not supposed to throw computers in the trash,” said Roxanne Gould, vice president of government relations for the electronics association.

Computer recycling should be a local effort and part of residential waste collection programs, she added.

Recycling electronic waste is a dangerous and specialized matter, and environmentalists maintain the state must support recycling efforts and ensure that the job isn’t contracted to unscrupulous (毫无顾忌的) junk dealers who send the toxic parts overseas.

“The graveyard of the high-tech revolution is ending up in rural China,” said Ted Smith, director of the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition. His group is pushing for an amendment to Sher?s bill that would prevent the export of e-waste.

36. What step were Bay Area officials going to take regarding e-waste disposal? A) Rally support to pass the stalled bills.

B) Lobby the lawmakers of the California Assembly. C) Lay down relevant local regulations themselves.

D) Exert pressure on manufacturers of electronic devices.

37. The two bills stalled in the California Assembly both concern ________. A) the reprocessing of the huge amounts of electronic waste in the state B) regulations on dumping hazardous substances into landfills C) the funding of local initiatives to reuse electronic trash D) the sale of used electronic devices to foreign countries

38. Consumers are not supposed to throw used computers in the trash because ________. A) this is banned by the California government B) some parts may be recycled for use elsewhere C) unscrupulous dealers will retrieve them for profit D) they contain large amounts of harmful substances

39. High-tech groups believe that if an extra $30 is charged on every TV or computer purchased in California, consumers will ________.

A) hesitate to upgrade their computers B) abandon online shopping

C) buy them from other states D) strongly protest against such a charge 40. We learn from the passage that much of California?s electronic waste has been ________. A) dumped into local landfills B) exported to foreign countries

C) collected by non-profit agencies D) recycled by computer manufacturers

2004年6月英语六级阅读真题

Passage One

Given the lack of fit between gifted students and their schools, it is not surprising that such students often have little good to say ?about their school experience. In one study of 400 adults who had achieved distinction in all areas of life, researchers found that three-fifths of these individuals either did badly in school or were unhappy in school. Few MacArthur Prize fellows, winners of the MacArthur Award for creative accomplishment, had good things to say about their precollegiate schooling if they had not been placed in advanced programs. Anecdotal (名人轶事) reports support this. Pablo Picasso, Charles Darwin, Mark Twain, Oliver Goldsmith, and William Butler Yeats all disliked school. So did Winston Churchill, who almost failed out of Harrow, an elite British school. About Oliver Goldsmith, one of his teachers remarked, “Never was so dull a boy.” Often these children realize that they know more than their teachers, and their teachers often feel that these children are arrogant, inattentive, or unmotivated.

Some of these gifted people may have done poorly in school because their gifts were not scholastic. Maybe we can account for Picasso in this way. But most fared poorly in school not because they lacked ability but because they found school unchallenging and consequently lost interest. Yeats described the lack of fit between his mind and school: “Because I had found it

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difficult to attend to anything less interesting than my own thoughts, I was difficult to teach.” As noted earlier, gifted children of all kinds tend to be strong-willed nonconformists. Nonconformity and stubbornness (and Yeats?s level of arrogance and self-absorption) are likely to lead to Conflicts with teachers.

When highly gifted students in any domain talk about what was important to the development of their abilities, they are far more likely to mention their families than their schools or teachers. A writing prodigy (神童) studied by David Feldman and Lynn Goldsmith was taught far more about writing by his journalist father than his English teacher. High-IQ children, in Australia studied by Miraca Gross had much more positive feelings about their families than their schools. About half of the mathematicians studied by Benjamin Bloom had little good to say about school. They all did well in school and took honors classes when available, and some skipped grades. 21. The main point the author is making about schools is that ________. A) they should enroll as many gifted students as possible

B) they should organize their classes according to the students? ability C) they are often incapable of catering to the needs of talented students

D) they should satisfy the needs of students from different family backgrounds

22. The author quotes the remarks of one of Oliver Goldsmith?s teachers ________. A) to show how poor Oliver?s performance was at school B) to illustrate the strong will of some gifted children C) to explain how dull students can also be successful D) to provide support for his argument

23. Pablo Picasso is listed among the many gifted children who ________. A) could not cope with their studies at school successfully B) paid no attention to their teachers in class C) contradicted their teachers much too often

D) behaved arrogantly and stubbornly in the presence of their teachers 24. Many gifted people attributed their success ________. A) less to their systematic education than to their talent B) mainly to parental help and their education at home C) both to school instruction and to their parents? coaching D) more to their parents? encouragement than to school training

25. The root cause of many gifted students having bad memories of their school years is that ________.

A) they were seldom praised by their teachers

B) school courses failed to inspire or motivate them C) their nonconformity brought them a lot of trouble D) teachers were usually far stricter than their parents Passage Two

It?s hardly news that the immigration system is a mess. Foreign nationals have long been slipping across the border with fake papers, and visitors who arrive in the U.S. legitimately often overstay their legal welcome without being punished. But since Sept. 11, it’s become clear that terrorists have been shrewdly factoring the weaknesses of our system into their plans. In addition to their mastery of forging passports, at least three of the 19 Sept. 11 hijackers (劫机者) were here on expired visas. That’s been a safe bet until now. The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) (移民归化局) lacks the resources, and apparently the inclination, to keep track of the estimated 2 million foreigners who have intentionally overstayed their welcome.

But this laxness (马虎) toward immigration fraud may be about to change. Congress has already taken some modest steps. The U.S.A. Patriot Act, passed in the wake of the Sept. 11 tragedy, requires the FBI, the Justice Department, the State Department and the INS to share more data, which will make it easier to stop watch-listed terrorists at the border.

But what?s really needed, critics say, is even tougher laws and more resources aimed at

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tightening up border security. Reformers are calling for a rollback of rules that hinder law enforcement. They also want the INS to hire hundreds more border patrol agents and investigators to keep illegal immigrants out and to track them down once they?re here. Reformers also want to see the INS set up a database to monitor whether visa holders actually leave the country when they are required to.

All these proposed changes were part of a new border-security bill that passed the House of Representatives but died in the Senate last week. Before Sept. 11, legislation of this kind had been blocked by two powerful lobbies: universities, which rely on tuition from foreign students who could be kept out by the new law, and business, which relies on foreigners for cheap labor. Since the attacks, they?ve backed off. The bill would have passed this time but for congressional maneuverings and is expected to be reintroduced and to pass next year.

Also on the agenda for next year: a proposal, backed by some influential law-makers, to split the INS into two agencies-a good cop that would tend to service functions like processing citizenship papers and a bad cop that would concentrate on border inspections, deportation and other functions. One reason for the division, supporters say, is that the INS has in recent years become too focused on serving tourists and immigrants. After the Sept, 11 tragedy, the INS should pay more attention to serving the millions of ordinary Americans who rely on the nation?s border security to protect them from terrorist attacks.

26. Terrorists have obviously taken advantage of ________. A) the irresponsibility of the officials at border checkpoints B) the legal privileges granted to foreigners

C) the excessive hospitality of the American people

D) the low efficiency of the Immigration and Naturalization Service

27. We learn from the passage that coordinated efforts will be made by various U.S. government agencies to ________.

A) limit the number Of immigrants to the U.S. B) prevent the forgery of immigration papers

C) ward off terrorist suspects at the border D) refuse the renewing of expired visas 28. It can be inferred from the passage that before Sept. 11, aliens with expired visas ________. A) might stay on for as long as [hey wished B) would be closely watched by FBI agents

C) would live in constant fear of deportation D) might have them extended without trouble

29. It is believed by many that all these years the INS ________. A) has been serving two contradictory functions B) has ignored the pleas of the two powerful lobbies

C) has over-emphasized its service functions at the expense of the nation?s security D) has been too liberal in granting visas to tourists and immigrants indiscriminately

30. Before Sept. 11, the U.S. Congress had been unable to pass stricter immigration laws because ________.

A) education and business circles cared little about national security B) resources were not available for their enforcement

C) it was difficult to coordinate the efforts of the congressmen D) they might have kept away foreign students and cheap labor Passage Three

It was the worst tragedy in maritime (航海的) history, six times more deadly than the Titanic. When the German cruise ship Wilhelm Gustloff was hit by torpedoes (鱼雷) fired from a Russian submarine in the final winter of World War II, more than 10,000 people-mostly women, children and old people fleeing the final Red Army push into Nazi Germany-were packed aboard. An ice storm had turned the decks into frozen sheets that sent hundreds of families sliding into the sea as the ship tilted and began to go down. Others desperately tried to put lifeboats down. Some who

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succeeded fought off those in the water who had the strength to try to claw their way aboard. Most people froze immediately. I?ll never forget the screams,” says Christa Ntitzmann, 87, one of the 1,200 survivors. She recalls watching the ship, brightly lit, slipping into its dark grave-and into seeming nothingness, rarely mentioned for more than half a century.

Now Germany?s Nobel Prize-winning author Gtinter Grass has revived the memory of the 9,000 dead, including more than 4,000 children-with his latest novel Crab Walk, published last month. The book, which will be out in English next year, doesn?t dwell on the sinking; its heroine is a pregnant young woman who survives the catastrophe only to say later: “Nobody wanted to hear about it, not here in the West (of Germany) and not at all in the East.” The reason was obvious. As Grass put it in a recent interview with the weekly Die Woche: “Because the crimes we Germans are responsible for were and are so dominant, we didn?t have the energy left to tell of our own sufferings.”

The long silence about the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff was probably unavoidable-and necessary. By unreservedly owning up to their country’s monstrous crimes in the Second World War, Germans have managed to win acceptance abroad, marginalize (使…不得势) the neo-Nazis at home and make peace with their neighbors. Today?s unified Germany is more prosperous and stable than at any time in its long, troubled history. For that, a half century of willful forgetting about painful memories like the German Titanic was perhaps a reasonable price to pay. But even the most politically correct Germans believe that they? ye now earned the right to discuss the full historical record. Not to equate German suffering with that of its victims, but simply to acknowledge a terrible tragedy.

31. Why does the author say the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff was the worst tragedy in maritime history?

A) It was attacked by Russian torpedoes. B) It caused the largest number of casualties.

C) Most of its passengers were frozen to death. D) Its victims were mostly women and children.

32. Hundreds of families dropped into the sea when ________.

A) the badly damaged ship leaned toward one side B) a strong ice storm tilted the ship

C) the cruise ship sank all of a sudden D) the frightened passengers fought desperately for lifeboats

33. The Wilhelm Gustloff tragedy was little talked about for more than half a century because Germans ________.

A) were eager to win international acceptance B) had been pressured to keep silent about it C) were afraid of offending their neighbors D) felt guilty for their crimes in World War II 34. How does Gunter Grass revive the memory of the Wilhelm Gustloff tragedy? A) By describing the ship?s sinking in great detail. B) By giving an interview to the weekly Die Woche. C) By presenting the horrible scene of the torpedo attack. D) By depicting the survival of a young pregnant woman.

35. It can be learned from the passage that Germans no longer think that ________.

A) the Wilhelm Gustloff tragedy is a reasonable price to pay for the nation?s past misdeeds B) Germany is responsible for the horrible crimes it committed in World War II C) they will be misunderstood if they talk about the Wilhelm Gustloff tragedy D) it-is wrong to equate their sufferings with those of other countries Passage Four

When we worry about who might be spying on our private lives, we usually think about the Federal agents. But the private sector outdoes the government every time. It?s Linda Tripp, not the FBI, who is facing charges under Maryland?s laws against secret telephone taping. It?s our banks, not the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), that pass our private financial data to telemarketing firms. Consumer activists are pressing Congress for better privacy laws without much result so far. The

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legislators lean toward letting business people track our financial habits virtually at will.

As an example of what?s going on, consider U.S. Bancorp, which was recently sued for deceptive practices by the state of Minnesota. According to the lawsuit, the bank supplied a telemarketer called Member Works with sensitive customer data such as names, phone numbers, bank-account and credit-card numbers, Social Security numbers, account balances and credit limits.

With these customer lists in hand, Member Works started dialing for dollars-selling dental plans, videogames, computer software and other products and services. Customers who accepted a “free trial offer” had 30 days to cancel. If the deadline passed, they were charged automatically through their bank or credit-card accounts. U.S. Bancorp collected a share of the revenues.

Customers were doubly deceived, the lawsuit claims. They, didn?t know that the bank was giving account numbers to MemberWorks. And if customers asked, they were led to think the answer was no.

The state sued MemberWorks separately for deceptive selling. The company denies that it did anything wrong. For its part, U.S. Bancorp settled without admitting any mistakes. But it agreed to stop exposing its customers to nonfinancial products sold by outside firms. A few top banks decided to do the same. Many other banks will still do business with MemberWorks and similar firms.

And banks will still be mining data from your account in order to sell you financial products, including things of little value, such as credit insurance and credit-card protection plans.

You have almost no protection from businesses that use your personal accounts for profit. For example, no federal law shields “transaction and experience” information-mainly the details of your bank and credit-card accounts. Social Security numbers are for sale by private firms. They?ve generally agreed not to sell to the public. But to businesses, the numbers are an open book. Self-regulation doesn?t work. A firm might publish a privacy-protection policy, but who enforces it?

Take U.S. Bancorp again. Customers were told, in writing, that “all personal information you supply to us will be considered confidential.” Then it sold your data to MemberWorks. The bank even claims that it doesn?t “sell” your data at all. It merely “shares” it and reaps a profit. Now you know.

36. Contrary to popular belief, the author finds that spying on people?s privacy ________. A) is practiced exclusively by the FBI B) is more prevalent in business circles C) has been intensified with the help of the IRS D) is mainly carried out by means of secret taping

37. We know from the passage that ________.

A) the state of Minnesota is considering drawing up laws to protect private information B) most states are turning a blind eye to the deceptive practices of private businesses C) legislators are acting to pass a law to provide better privacy protection

D) lawmakers are inclined to give a free hand to businesses to inquire into customers? buying habits

38. When the “free trial” deadline is over, you?ll be charged without notice for a product or service if ________.

A) you happen to reveal your credit card number B) you fail to cancel it within the specified period

C) you fail to apply for extension of the deadline D) you find the product or service unsatisfactory

39. Businesses do not regard information concerning personal bank accounts as private because ________.

A) it is considered “transaction and experience” information unprotected by law B) it has always been considered an open secret by the general public C) its sale can be brought under control through self-regulation

、

D) its revelation will do no harm to consumers under the current protection policy 40. We can infer from the passage that ________.

A) banks will have to change their ways of doing business B) “free trial” practice will eventually be banned C) privacy protection laws will soon be enforced D) consumers? privacy will continue to be invaded

2003年12月英语六级阅读真题

Passage One

For years, doctors advised their patients that the only thing taking multivitamins does is give them extensive urine (尿). After all, true vitamin deficiencies are practically unheard of in industrialized countries. Now it seems those doctors may have been wrong. The results of a growing number of studies suggest that even a modest vitamin shortfall can be harmful to your health. Although proof of the benefits of multivitamins is still far from certain, the few dollars you spend on them is probably a good investment.

Or at least that?s the argument put forward in the New England Journal of Medicine. Ideally, say Dr. Walter Willett and Dr. Meir Stampfer of Harvard, all vitamin supplements would be evaluated in scientifically rigorous clinical trials.

But those studies can take a long time and often raise more questions than they answer. At some point, while researchers work on figuring out where the truth lies, it just makes sense to say the potential benefit outweighs the cost.

The best evidence to date concerns folate, one of the B vitamins. It’s been proved to limit the number of defects in embryos (胚胎), and a recent trial found that folate in combination with vitamin B 12 and a form of B6 also decreases the re-blockage of arteries after surgical repair.

The news on vitamin E has been more mixed. Healthy folks who take 400 international units daily for at least two years appear somewhat less likely to develop heart disease. But when doctors give vitamin E to patients who already have he art disease, the vitamin doesn?t seem to help. It may turn out that vitamin E plays a role in prevention but cannot undo serious damage.

Despite vitamin C’s great popularity, consuming large amounts of it still has not been positively linked to any great benefit. The body quickly becomes saturated with C and simply excretes (排泄) any excess.

The multivitamins question boils down to this: Do you need to wait until all the evidence is in before you take them, or are you willing to accept that there?s enough evidence that they don?t hurt and could help?

If the latter, there?s no need to go to extremes and buy the biggest horse pills or the most expensive bottles. Large doses can cause trouble, including excessive bleeding and nervous system problems.

Multivitamins are no substitute for exercise and a balanced diet, of course.

As long as you understand that any potential benefit is modest and subject to further refinement, taking a daily multivitamin makes a lot of sense.

21. At one time doctors discouraged taking multivitamins because they believed that multivitamins ________.

A) could not easily be absorbed by the human body B) were potentially harmful to people?s health

C) were too expensive for daily consumption D) could not provide any cure for vitamin deficiencies

22. According to the author, clinical trials of vitamin supplements ________.

A) often result in misleading conclusions B) take time and will not produce conclusive results

C) should be conducted by scientists on a larger scale D) appear to be a sheer waste of time and resources

23. It has been found that vitamin E ________.

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