2009年12月英语六级模拟试卷及解析之一

英语自学网

　　Part I  Writing (30 minutes)
　　Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay entitled Say No to Pirated Products. You should write at least 150 words following the outline given below。
　　1.目前盗版的现象比较严重；
　　2.造成这种现象的原因及其危害；
　　3.我们应该怎么做。
　　Useful words and expressions：
　　盗    版：piracy(n。)
　　盗版产品：pirated products
　　知识产权：intellectual property rights
　　侵犯版权：infringe sb.'s copyright；copyright infringement
　　Part ⅡReading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning)  (15 minutes)
　　Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on the Answer Sheet。
　　For questions I - 4, mark
　　Y( for YES)             if the statement agrees with the information given in the passage;
　　N( for NO)              if the statement contradicts the information given in the passage;
　　NG( for NOT GIVEN)      if the information is not given in the passage。
　　For questions 5-10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage。
　　Rain forests
　　Tropical rainforests are the most diverse ecosystem (生态系统) on Earth, and also the oldest. Today, tropical rainforests cover only 6 percent of the Earth's ground surface, but they are home to over half of the planet’s plant and animal species。
　　What Is a Rainforest?
　　Generally speaking, a rainforest is an environment that receives high rainfall and is dominated by tall trees. A wide range of ecosystems fall into this category, of course. But most of the time when people talk about rainforests, they mean the tropical rainforests located near the equator。
　　These forests receive between 160 and 400 inches of rain per year. The total annual rainfall is spread pretty evenly throughout the year, and the temperature rarely dips below 60 degrees Fahrenheit。
　　This steady climate is due to the position of rainforests on the globe. Because of the orientation of the Earth's axis, the Northern and Southern hemispheres each spend part of the year tilted away from the sun. Since rainforests are at the middle of the globe, located near the equator, they arc not especially affected by this change. They receive nearly the same amount of sunlight, and therefore heat, all year. Consequently, the weather in these regions remains fairly constant。
　　The consistently wet, warm weather and ample sunlight give plant life everything it needs to thrive. Trees have the resources to grow to tremendous heights, and they live for hundreds, even thousands, of years. These giants, which reach 60 to 150 ft in the air, form the basic structure of the rainforest. Their top branches spread wide in order to capture maximum sunlight. This creates a thick canopy (树冠) level at the top of the forest, with thinner greenery levels underneath. Some large trees grow so tall that they even tower over the canopy layer。
            
            

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　　As you go lower, down into the rainforest, you find less and less greenery. The forest floor is made up of moss, fungi, and decaying plant matter that has fallen from the upper layers. The reason for this decrease in greenery is very simple the overabundance of plants gathering sunlight at the top of the forest blocks most sunlight from reaching the bottom of the forest, making it difficult for robust plants to thrive。
　　The, Forest for the Trees
　　The ample sunlight and extremely wet climate of many tropical areas encourage the growth of towering trees with wide canopies. This thick top layer of the rainforest dictates the lives of all other plants in the forest. New tree seedlings rarely survive to make it to the top unless some older trees die, creating a "hole" in the canopy. When this happens, all of the seedlings on the ground level compete intensely to reach the sunlight。
　　Many plant species reach the top of the forest by climbing the tall trees. It is much easier to ascend this way, because the plant doesn't have to form its own supporting structure。
　　Some plant species, called epiphytes, grow directly on the surface of the giant trees. These plants, which include a variety of orchids and ferns, make up much of the understory, the layer of the rainforest right below the canopy. Epiphytes are close enough to the top to receive adequate light, and the runoff from the canopy layer provides all the water and nutrients(养分)they need, which is important since they don't have access to the nutrients in the ground。
　　Stranglers and Buttresses
　　Some epiphytes eventually develop into stranglers. They grow long, thick roots that extend down the tree trunk into the ground. As they continue to grow, the roots form a sort of web structure all around the tree. At the same time, the strangler plant's branches extend upward, spreading out into the canopy. Eventually, the strangler may block so much light from above, and absorb such a high percentage of nutrients from the ground below, that the host tree dies。
　　Competition over nutrients is almost as intense as competition for light. The excessive rainfall rapidly dissolves nutrients in the soil making it relatively infertile except at the top layers. For this reason, rainforest tree roots grow outward to cover a wider area, rather than downward to lower levels. This makes rainforest trees somewhat unstable, since they don't have very strong anchors in the ground. Some trees compensate for this by growing natural buttresses. These buttresses are basically tree trunks that extend out from the side of the tree and clown to the ground, giving the tree additional support。
　　Rainforest trees are dependent on bacteria that are continually producing nutrients in the ground. Rainforest bacteria and trees have a very close, symbiotic (共生的) relationship. The trees provide the bacteria with food, in the form of fallen leaves and other material, and the bacteria break this material down into the nutrients that the trees need to survive。
            
            

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　　One of the most remarkable things about rainforest plant life is its diversity. The temperate rainforests of the Pacific Northwest are mainly composed of a dozen or so tree species. A tropical rainforest, on the other hand, might have 300 distinct tree species。
　　All Creatures, Great and Small
　　Rainforests are home to the majority of animal species in the world. And a great number of species who now live in other environments, including humans, originally inhabited the rainforests. Researchers estimate that in a large rainforest area, there may be more than 10 million different animal species。
　　Most of these species have adapted for life in the upper levels of the rainforest, where food is most plentiful. Insects, which can easily climb or fly from tree to tree, make up the largest group (ants are the most abundant animal in the rainforest). Insect species have a highly symbiotic relationship with the plant life in a rainforest. The insects move from plant to plant, enjoying the wealth of food provided there. As they travel, the insects may pick up the plants' seeds, dropping them some distance away. This helps to disperse the population of the plant species over a larger area。
　　The numerous birds of the rainforest also play a major part in seed dispersal. When they eat fruit from a plant, the seeds pass through their digestive system. By the time they excrete (排泄) the seeds, the birds may have flown many miles away from the fruit-bearing tree。
　　There are also a large number of reptiles and mammals in the rainforest. Since the weather is so hot and humid during the day, most rainforest mammals are active only at night, dusk or dawn. The many rainforest bat species are especially well adapted for this lifestyle. Using their sonar, bats navigate easily through the mass of trees in the rainforest, feeding on insects and fruit。
　　While most rainforest species spend their lives in the trees, there is also a lot of life on the forest floor. Great apes, wild pigs, big cats and even elephants can all be found in rainforests. There are a number of people who live in the rainforests, as well. These tribes--which, up until recently, numbered in the thousands--are being forced out of the rainforests at an alarming rate because of deforestation。
　　Deforestation
　　In the past hundred years, humans have begun destroying rainforests at an alarming rate. Today, roughly 1.5 acres of rainforest are destroyed every second. People are cutting down the rainforests in pursuit of three major resources:
　　· land for crops
　　· lumber for paper and other wood products
　　· land for livestock pastures
　　In the current economy, people obviously have a need for all of these resources. But almost all experts agree that, over time, we will suffer much more from the destruction of the rainforests than we will benefit。
　　The world's rainforests are an extremely valuable natural resource, to be sure, but not for their lumber or their land. They are the main cradle of life on Earth, and they hold millions of unique life forms that we have yet to discover.  Destroying the rainforests is comparable to destroying an unknown planet we have no idea what we're losing. If deforestation continues at its current rate, the world's tropical rainforests will be wiped out within 40 years。
            
            

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　　1. Virtually all plant and animal species on Earth can be found in tropical rainforests。
　　2. There is not much change in the weather in the tropical rainforests all the year round。
　　3. The largest number of rainforests in the world are located on the African continent。
　　4. Below the canopy level of a tropical rainforest grows an overabundance of plants。
　　5. New tree seedlings will not survive to reach the canopy level unless ______。
　　6. Epiphytes, which form much of the understory of the rainforest, get all their water and nutrients from ______。
　　7. Stranglers are so called because they ______ by blocking the sunlight and competing for the nutrients。
　　8. Since rainforest bacteria and trees depend on each other for life, the relationship they form is termed ______。
　　9. Plant species are dispersed over a large area with the help of ______。
　　10. As we are still ignorant of millions of unique life forms in the rainforest, deforestation can be compared to the destruction of ______。

　　Part Ⅲ Listening Comprehension    (35 minutes)

　　Section A
　　Directions: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A)， B)， C) and D)， and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the center。
　　Questions 11 to 18 are based on the conversation you have just heard。
　　11. A) She isn't going to change her major。
　　B) She plans to major in tax law。
　　C) She studies in the same school as her brother。
　　D) She isn't going to work in her brother's firm。
　　12. A) She will do her best if the job is worth doing。
　　B) She prefers a life of continued exploration。
　　C) She will stick to the job if the pay is good。
　　D) She doesn't think much of job-hopping。
　　13. A) Stop thinking about the matter。
　　B) Talk the drug user out of the habit。
　　C) Be more friendly to his schoolmate。
　　D) Keep his distance from drug addicts。
　　14. A) The son.                             B) The father。
　　C) The mother.                            D) Aunt Louise。
　　15. A) Stay away for a couple of weeks。
　　B) Check the locks every two weeks。
            
            

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　　C) Look after the Johnsons' house。
　　D) Move to another place。
　　16. A) He didn't want to warm up for the game。
　　B) He didn't want to be held up in traffic。
　　C) He wanted to make sure they got tickets。
　　D) He wanted to catch as many game birds as possible。
　　17. A) It will reduce government revenues。
　　B) It will stimulate business activities。
　　C) It will mainly benefit the wealthy。
　　D) It will cut the stockholders' dividends。
　　18. A) The man should phone the hotel for directions。
　　B) The man can ask the department store for help。
　　C) She doesn't have the hotel's phone number。
　　D) The hotel is just around the corner。
　　Questions 19 to 21 are based on the conversation you have just heard。
　　19. A) To interview a few job applicants。
　　B) To fill a vacancy in the company。
　　C) To advertise for a junior sales manager。
　　D) To apply for a job in a major newspaper。
　　20. A) A hardworking ambitious young man。
　　B) A young man good at managing his time。
　　C) A college graduate with practical working experience。
　　D) A young man with his own idea of what is important。
　　21. A) Not clearly specified.                  B) Not likely to be met。
　　C) Reasonable enough.                     D) Apparently sexist。
　　Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard。
　　22. A) The latest developments of an armed rebellion in Karnak。
　　B) The fall of Karnak's capital city into the hands of the rebel forces
　　C) The epidemic that has just broken out in the country of Karnak。
　　D) The peace talks between the rebels and the government in Karnak。
　　23. A) The epidemic has been brought under control。
　　B) There are signs of progress in the peace process。
　　C) Great improvements are being made in its capital。
　　D) There's little hope of bringing the conflict to an end。
　　24. A) Late in the morning.                    B) Early in the afternoon。
　　C) Sometime before dawn.                 D) Shortly after sunrise。
　　25. A) Inadequate medical care.                B) Continuing social unrest。
　　C) Lack of food, water and shelter.        D) Rapid spreading of the epidemic。
            
            

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　　Section B
　　Directions: In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end o f each passage, you will hear some questions.  Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A)， B)， C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the center。
　　Passage One
　　Questions 26 to 28 are based on the passage you have just heard。
　　26. A) One of the bridges between North and South London collapsed。
　　B) The heart of London was flooded。
　　C) An emergency exercise was conducted。
　　D) A hundred people in the suburbs were drowned。
　　27. A) Fifty underground stations were made waterproof。
　　B) A flood wall was built。
　　C) An alarm system was set up。
　　D) Rescue teams were formed。
　　28. A) Most Londoners were frightened。
　　B) Most Londoners became rather confused。
　　C) Most Londoners took Exercise Floodwall calmly。
　　D) Most Londoners complained about the trouble caused by Exercise Floodwall。
　　Passage Two
　　Questions 29 to 31 are based on the passage you have just heard。
　　29. A) It limited their supply of food.          B) It made their eggshells to fragile。
　　C) It destroyed many of their nests.        D) It killed man baby bald eagles。
　　30. A) They found ways to speed up the reproduction of bald eagles。
　　B) They developed new types of feed for baby bald eagles。
　　C) They explored new ways to hatch baby bald eagles。
　　D) They brought in bald eagles from Canada。
　　31. A) Pollution of the environment。
　　B) A new generation of pest killers。
　　C) Over-killing by hunters。
　　D) Destruction of their natural homes。
　　Passage Three
　　Questions 32 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard。
　　32. A) Why people hold back their tears。
　　B) Why people cry。
　　C) How to restrain one's tears。
　　D) How tears are produced。
　　33. A) What chemicals tears are composed of。
　　B) Whether crying really helps us feel better。
　　C) Why some people tend to cry more often than others。
　　D) How tears help people cope with emotional problems。
　　34. A) Only one out of four girls cries less often than boys。
　　B) Of four boys, only one cries very often。
　　C) Girls cry four times as often as boys。
　　D) Only one out of four babies doesn't cry often。
　　35. A) Only humans respond to emotions by shedding tears。
　　B) Only humans shed tears to get rid of imitating stuff in their eyes。
            
            

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　　C) Only human tears can resist invading bacteria。
　　D) Only human tears can discharge certain chemicals。
　　Section C
　　Directions: In this section, you will hear a passage three times. When the passage is read for the first time, you should listen carefully for its general idea. When the passage is read for the second time, you are required to fill in the blanks numbered -from 36 to 43 with the exact words you have just heard. For blanks numbered from 44 to 46 you are required to fill in the missing information. For these blanks, you can either use the exact words you have just heard or write down the main points in your own words. Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should check what you have written。
　　He was a funny-looking man with a cheerful face, good-natured and a great talker. He was   (36)   by his student, the great philosopher Plato, as "the best and most just and wisest man." Yet this same man was   (37)   to death for his beliefs by a jury composed of the leading figures of the time in Athens。
　　The man was the Greek philosopher Socrates, and he was put to death for not believing in the recognized gods and for   (38)   young people. The second charge steamed from his   (39)   with numerous young men who came to Athens from all over the   (40)   world to study under him。
　　Socrates's method of teaching was to ask questions and, by   (41)   not to know the answers, to   (42)   his students into thinking for themselves. His teachings had   (43)   influence on all the great Greek and Roman schools of philosophy. Yet for all his fame and influence, Socrates himself never wrote a word。
　　Socrates   (44)   in Athens. They wanted him silenced. Yet many were probably surprised that he accepted death so readily。
　　Socrates  (45)  . But Socrates, as a firm believer in law, reasoned that it was proper to submit to the death sentence.   (46)  。

　　Part Ⅳ  Reading Comprehension(Reading in Depth)     (25 minutes)

　　Section A
　　Directions: In this section, there is a short passage with 5 questions or incomplete statements. Read the passage carefully. Then answer the questions or complete the statements in the fewest possible words on the Answer Sheet。
　　America is a country that now sits atop the cherished myth that work provides rewards, that working people can support their families. It's a myth that has become so divorced from reality that it might as well begin with the words "Once upon a time". Today 1.6 million New Yorkers suffer from "food insecurity", which is a fancy way of saying they don't have enough to eat. Some are the people who come in at night and clean the skyscrapers that glitter along the river. Some pour coffee and take care of the aged parents of the people who live in those buildings. The American Dream for the well-to-do grows from the bowed backs of the working poor, who too often have to choose between groceries and rent。
            
            

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　　In a new book called "The Betrayal of Work", Beth Shulman says that even in the booming 1990s one out of every four American workers made less than $8. 70 an hour, an income equal to the government's poverty level for a family of four. Many, if not most, of these workers had no health care, sick pay or retirement provisions。
　　We ease our consciences, Shulman writes, by describing these people as "low skilled", as though they're not important or intelligent enough to deserve more. But Iow-skilled workers today are better educated than ever before, and they constitute the linchpin (SYNC) of American industry. When politicians crow (得意洋洋地说) that happy days are here again because jobs are on the rise, it's these jobs they're really talking about. Five of the 10 occupations expected to grow big in the next decade are in the lowest-paying job groups. And before we sit back and decide that's just the way it; is, it's instructive to consider the rest of the world. While the bottom 10 percent of American workers earn just 37 percent of our average wage, their counterparts in other industrialized countries earn upwards of 60 percent. And those are countries that provide health care and child care, which eases the economic pinch considerably。
　　Almost 40 years ago, when Lyndon Johnson declared war on poverty, a family with a car and a house in the suburbs felt prosperous. Today that same family may well feel poor, overwhelmed by credit card debt, a second mortgage and the cost of the stuff that has become the backbone of American life. When the middle Class feels poor, the poor have little chance for change, or even recognition。
　　47. By saying "it might as well begin with the words 'Once upon a time'"(Line 3,Para. 1)， the author suggests that the American myth is ______。
　　48. What is the American Dream of the well-to-do built upon?
　　49. Some Americans try to make themselves feel less guilty by attributing the poverty of the working people to ______。
　　50. We learn from the passage that the difference in pay between the lowest paid and the average worker in America is ______ than. that in other industrialized countries。
　　51. According to the author, how would an American family with a car and a house in the suburbs probably feel about themselves today?
　　Section B
　　Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A)， B)， C) and D).You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center。
　　Passage One
　　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, hut 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。
            
            

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　　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."
　　52. 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
　　53. 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。
　　54. According to Paragraph 3, the newest group of singles are ______。
　　A) warm and light hearted                B) on either side of marriage
            
            

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　　C) negative and gloomy                   D) healthy and wealthy
　　55. 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
　　C) some professional people have too much work to do to feel lonely
　　D) most Europeans conceive living a single life as unacceptable
　　56. 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 Two
　　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 organizations, 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"。