2009年12月英语六级模拟试卷及解析之一

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分页标题#e#
　　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."
　　57. 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
　　58. Ingham insists that her testimony is based on ______。
　　A) evidence provided by the EPA of the United States
　　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
　　59. According to Janet Anderson, the EPA ______。
　　A) has canceled its approval for field tests of the GM organism
　　B) hasn't reviewed the timings of Ingham's research
　　C) has approved field tests using the GM organism
　　D) hasn't given permission to field test the GM organism
　　60. 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
　　61. 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。
　　Part Ⅴ   Error Correction                 (15 minutes)
　　Directions: This part consists of a short passage. In this passage, there are altogether 10 mistakes, one in each numbered line. You may have to change a word, add a word or delete a word. Mark out the mistakes and put the corrections in the blanks provided. If you change a word, cross it and write the correct word in the corresponding blank. If you add a word, put an insertion mark (∧) in the right place and write the missing word in the blank. If you delete a word, cross it out and put a slash (—) in the blank。
            
            

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分页标题#e#
The Seattle Times company is one newspaper firm that has
recognized the need for change and done something about it. In the
newspaper industry, papers must reflect the diversity of the communities
to which they provide information. It must reflect that diversity with their       62. ______。
news coverage or risk losing their readers' interest and their advertisers'
support. Operating within Seattle, which has 20 percents racial                    63. ______。
minorities, the paper has put into place policies and procedures for hiring
and maintain a diverse workforce. The underlying reason for the change is          64. ______。
that for information to be fair, appropriate, and subjective, it should be         65. ______。
reported by the same kind of population that reads it。
A diversity committee composed of reporters, editors, and
photographers meets regularly to value the Seattle Times' content and to           66. ______。
educate the rest of the newsroom staff about diversity issues.  In an              67. ______。
addition, the paper instituted a content audit (审查) that evaluates the
frequency and manner of representation of woman and people of color in             68. ______。
photographs. Early audits showed that minorities were pictured far too
infrequently and were pictured with a disproportionate number of negative
articles. The audit has resulted from improvement in the frequency of              69. ______。
majority representation and their portrayal in neutral or positive                 70. ______。
situations. And, with a result, the Seattle Times has improved as a                71. ______。
newspaper. The diversity training and content audits helped the Seattle
Times Company to win the Personnel Journal Optimas Award for
excellence in managing change。
　　Part Ⅵ                         Translation                     (5 minutes)
　　Directions: Complete the following sentences on Answer Sheet 2 by translating into English the Chinese given in brackets。
            
            

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分页标题#e#
　　72. It was essential that __________________________ (我们在月底前签订合同)。
　　73. To our delight, she __________________________ (进大学一个月就适应了校园生活)。
　　74. The new government was accused __________________________ (未实现其降低失业率的承诺)。
　　75. The workmen think __________________________ (遵守安全规则很重要)。
　　76. The customer complained that no sooner __________________________ (他刚试着使用这台机器，它就不运转了)。

　　参考答案(1)
　　Part I Sample Writing
　　Say No to Pirated Products
　　Nowadays, the problem of piracy has become more and more serious. Books, tapes, VCDs and others high-tech products have been pirated. For instance, When a new product comes onto market, most probably, its pirated counterpart will soon put on its appearance in the market, too。
　　Piracy has caused a great loss to legitimate producers, inventors and writers in many ways. To start with, the pirated products often cost much less than the genuine ones so that they enjoy a better trading position in spite of their relatively poor quality. The genuine products, on the contrary, sell poorly.  What's worse, pirated books sometimes do great harm to the authors' reputation due to some misprints. In the long run, pirated products may have a negative impact on customers. Those legitimate producers' creativity and enthusiasm may be deeply hurt by the fact that some customers are more interested in the pirated products for the sake of small gains。
　　In my opinion, it's high time that everyone started the battle against piracy. First, customers should develop their consciousness to resist the pirated products. Second, the government should take effective measures to put an end to piracy.  Finally, laws must be strictly enforced to completely, ban piracy. Only in this way can we wipe the pirated products out of our life。
　　Part Ⅱ   Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning)
　　1. N  2. Y  3. NG  4. N
　　5. some older trees die
　　6. the canopy layer
　　7. kill the host tree
　　8. symbiotic
　　9. insects and birds/insects/birds/animals
　　10. an unknown planet
　　Part III Listening Comprehension
　　Section A
　　11--15    DBDCA      16--20    CCACA       21--25    BADCC
　　Section B
　　26--30    CBCBD      31--35    DBDCA
　　Section C
　　36. described           37. condemned       38. corrupting       39. association
            
            

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分页标题#e#
　　40. civilized             41. pretending       42. press          43. unsurpassed
　　44. encouraged new ideas and free thinking in the young, and this was frightening to the conservatives
　　45. had the right to ask for a less severe penalty, and he probably could have persuaded the jury to change the verdict
　　46. So he calmly accepted his fate and drank a cup of poison in the presence of his grief-stricken friends and students
　　Part Ⅳ  Reading Comprehension (Reading in Depth)
　　Section A
　　47. divorced from reality/unrealistic
　　48. The backbreaking labor of the working poor. /The bowed backs of the working poor。
　　49. (their) lack of skill/(their)low skill
　　50. much greater
　　51. Poor。
　　Section B
　　52--56    ABDAC    57--61    CBDCA
　　Part Ⅴ  Error Correction
　　62. It→They                       63. percents→percent
　　64. maintain→maintaining           65. subjective→objective
　　66. value→evaluate                67. 删除 an
　　68. woman→women                 69. from→in
　　70. majority→minority             71. with→as
　　Part Ⅵ  Translation
　　72. we sign the contract before the end of the month
　　73. adapted (herself) to campus life a month after entering college
　　74. of failure to fulfill its promise to reduce the unemployment rate
　　75. it very important to comply with/follow the safety regulations
　　76. had he tried to use the machine than it stopped working
　　试题解答(1)
　　Part Ⅱ Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning)
　　1. N 第一段第二句“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”中提到，热带雨林占全球面积的6%，却拥有超过地球一半以上的动植物种类。这句话表明，不是所有动植物物种都能在热带雨林中找到，比如很多海洋生物就不能在热带雨林中找到。
　　2.根据“What Is a Rainforest?”部分第三段中的“Since rainforests are at the middle of the globe，located near the equator，they are 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”，此说法是正确的。
            
            

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分页标题#e#
　　3.文中并未提及哪里拥有最多、最大的热带雨林，只讲到热带雨林通常在赤道附近，常年炎热、降水充分、物种丰富。
　　4.由“What Is a Rainforest?”部分最后一段中的两句话“As you go lower，down into the rainforest，you find less and less greenery。”和“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。”可见，由于浓密的树冠层挡住了大部分阳光，地面的植被并不茂盛。所以，题中说法是错误的。
　　5.“The Forest for the Trees”部分第一段中的“New tree seedlings rarely survive to make is to the top unless some older trees die，creating a “hole” in the canopy。”因此，答案是“some older trees die”。只有老树死亡后，新的树苗才能成活，向上生长，到达树冠层。
　　6.“The Forest for the Trees”部分最后一段中提到“Epiphytes are close enough to the top to receive adequate light，and the runoff from the canopy layer provides all the water and nutrients they need，which is important since they don't have access to the nutrients in the ground。”可见为附生植物提供水和养分的是树冠层。故正确答案为“the canopy layer”。
　　7.由“Strangler and Buttresses”部分的第一段最后一句“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。”可见附生植物最终导致宿主树木死亡。故答案为“kill the host tree”。
　　8.由“Strangler and Buttresses”部分的第三段中的“Rainforest bacteria and trees have a very close，symbiotic relationship.The trees provide the bacteria with fond，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。”可知树木为细菌提供食物，细菌则分解这些东西，反过来为树木提供养分。它们之间是密切的共生关系。故答案为“symbiotic”。
　　9.由“All Creatures，Great and Small”部分第二段“As they travel，the insects may pick up the plants' seeds，dropping them some distance away。”和第三段“This helps to disperse the population of the plant species over a larger area.By the time they excrete the seeds，the birds may have flown many miles away from the fruit-bearing tree，”可见昆虫和鸟类都能帮助植物传播种子。雨林中生活的大量动物其实也帮助植物传播种子。所以，答案可以是“insects and birds/insects/birds/animals”。
　　10.由“Deforestation”部分的最后一段“Destroying the rainforests is comparable to destroying an unknown planet—we have no idea what we're losing。”可知正确答案为“an unknown planet”。
　　[b]Part Ⅲ Listening Comprehension
            
            

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分页标题#e#(听力原文在光盘中)
　　Tape Script of Listening Comprehension
　　Section A
　　Directions: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A)， B)， C) and D)， and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the center。
　　11.   M: Congratulations! I just heard about your acceptance into law school. Do you think you will join your brother's firm after graduation?
　　W: Not likely. He is a tax lawyer and I'm going to major in criminal law。
　　Q: What does the woman mean?
　　12.   M: Jenny, remember this: A job worth doing at all is worth doing well。
　　W: Oh, yes. I certainly won't forget it. But don't expect me to stick to the job just because it pays a few more bucks. A life of continued exploration is a life worth living!
　　Q: What can be inferred about the woman from the conversation？
　　13.   M: I found that one of my schoolmates uses drugs. How could I help him, Mom?
　　W: Stay away from him, son. Never think that you can talk him out of the habit if he is addicted. But perhaps you can talk to your teacher about the matter。
　　Q: What's the woman's advice to her son?
　　14.   W: I don't know how you can eat so much yet never put on any weight, son. Your father's got the same luck. I can't take a bite without calculating how many calories I'm taking。
　　M: But remember Aunt Louise, Mum? She ate a lot and never gained a pound。
　　Q: Who is worried about gaining weight?
　　15.   W: Did you turn off the lights and check the locks on all the doors?
　　M: Yes. I told the Johnsons we'd be gone for two weeks. They promised to keep an eye on the house for us。
　　Q: What are the two speakers going to do?
　　16.   M: Hurry up, Linda. I hear that there aren't many tickets left for the football match。
　　W: I'm ready now. Let's go. It's the early bird that catches the worm。
　　Q: Why did the man ask the woman to hurry up?
　　17.   M: What do you think of the government's new tax-cut proposal?
　　W: Though it may give some benefit to the poor, its key component is the elimination of tax on dividends. That means the rich will get richer。
　　Q: What does the woman think of the government's tax-cut proposal?
　　18.   M: Excuse me, but could you tell me how to get to the Friendship Hotel? I thought it was on this corner, but I seem to have made a mistake。
　　W: I'm sorry, but I'm a stranger here myself. Maybe you can try calling them. There is a phone over there outside the department store。
            
            

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分页标题#e#
　　Q: What does the woman mean?
　　Now you’ll hear two long conversations。
　　Conversation One
　　M:   Morning, Brenda。
　　W:   Good morning, Mr. Browning。
　　M:   Er, did you, did you put that ad in yesterday?
　　W:   Yes, yesterday afternoon。
　　M:   The ad for a junior sales manager, I mean。
　　W:   Yes, it went into the Standard and the Evening News。
　　M:   That's good. Erm, well.。.
　　W:   What kind of person have you got in mind for this job?
　　M:   Oh, well, somebody fairly young, you know, twenty something, like 21, or 25. A man, I   think。
　　W:   A man?
　　M:   We really need a man for the position. Yes, I mean, it's really too demanding. The sort of situations they get into are much too difficult for a young woman to handle with, erm.。.
　　W:   Erm, what sort of a young man have you got in mind?
　　M:   Oh, you know, a good education, polite, responsible, and easy to get along with. What I don't want is one of those young men just out of university, with exaggerated ideas of his own importance。
　　W:   Yes, erm, what sort of education are you looking for?
　　M:   Well, you know, a couple of A levels. Must have English, of course。
　　W:   Yes, I think you're asking quite a lot. I mean you're not really prepared to pay all.。.
　　M:   No, I'm not prepared to give him a big salary to start with. Nevertheless, I want someone with plenty of ambition, plenty of drive. You know, not looking at the clock all the time。
　　W:   Well sir, I wish you the best of luck and hope you have some very successful interviews。
　　M : Well, yes?
　　W:   Because personally I think you're asking an awful lot。
　　Questions 19 to 21 are based on the conversation you have just heard。
　　19. What did Mr. Browning ask Brenda to do?
　　20. What kind of person will meet the job requirements?
　　21. What does Brenda think of the qualifications Mr. Browning insists on?
　　Conversation Two
　　W: We now interrupt our regular scheduled news program to bring you live up-to-date coverage on the civil unrest in the newly formed country of Karnak, where our man Stan Fielding is stationed. Stan.。.
　　M: This is Stan Fielding reporting live from the suburbs of the capital city. Just 20 minutes ago, rebel forces launched the biggest offensive against the ruling government in the 18-month conflict here in this country。
　　W: Now Stan, is this a sign that the peace process has been totally abandoned?
　　M: Well, so far, peace negotiations have failed, and any resolution to end the civil war appears bleak at this moment. As you can see... Whoa。
            
            

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分页标题#e#
　　W: Stan, Stan, are you there?
　　M: Uh, yes, Shelly. As you can probably hear behind me, rebel forces are also using heavy artillery to pound the positions of government forces around the city center. Rebel forces are closing in, and it's feared that they will be able to take the capital building before daybreak where, it is believed, many government officials are holding out。
　　W: Now, besides the heavy fighting, what other pressing concerns are there for the citizens of the city?
　　M: Well, since the beginning of the conflict, starvation, and lack of clean water and adequate shelter have been the biggest daily obstacles facing the citizens of this war-torn country. It is believed that over 40,000 people, mostly children, have starved to death. Fortunately, no epidemics have broken out, but that is always a concern if this war lingers on。
　　W: Okay, that was Stan Fielding reporting. And we will keep you up-to-date as this story continues to unfold。
　　Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard。
　　22. What is the news coverage mainly about?
　　23. What does the reporter Stan Fielding say about the situation in Karnak?
　　24. At what time of day do you think this news report is being made?
　　25. What is the pressing concern for the citizens of Karnak?

　　Section B

　　Directions: In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A)， B)， C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the center。
　　Passage One
　　A few months ago, millions of people in London heard alarms all over the town. Emergency services, the fire department, the police, hospitals and ambulances stood by, ready to go into action. In railway and underground stations, people read notices and maps, which told them where to go and what to do in the emergency. This was Exercise Floodcall to prepare people for a flood emergency. London wasn't flooded yet. But it is possible that it could be。
　　In 1236 and 1663 London was badly flooded. In 1928 people living in Westminster, the heart of London, drowned in floods. And in 1953, a hundred people living on the eastern edge of the London suburbs were killed – again, in the floods. At last, Greater London Council took action to prevent this disaster from happening again. Though a flood wall was built in the 1980s, Londoners still must be prepared for the possible disaster. If it happens, fifty underground stations will be underwater. Electricity, gas and phone services will be out of action. Roads will be drowned. It will be impossible to cross any of the bridges between North and South London. Imagine – London will look like the famous Italian city, Venice。
            
            

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分页标题#e#
　　But this Exercise Floodcall didn't cause panic among Londoners. Most people knew it was just a warning. One lady said, "It's a flood warning, isn't it? The water doesn't look high to me。”
　　Questions 26 to 28 are based on the passage you have just heard。
　　26. What happened in London a few months ago?
　　27. What measure was taken against floods in London in the 1980s?
　　28. What can we learn from the lady's comment?
　　Passage Two
　　America's national symbol, the bald eagle, almost went extinct 20 years ago. But it has made a comeback. In fact, the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service is considering the possibility of taking it off the endangered-species list。
　　Once, more than 50,000 pairs of bald eagles nested across the country. But by 1960, that number had fallen below 400.
　　The chief killer was the widely used DDT. Fish soaked up DDT, died, and were washed up on shores, where bald eagles feasted on them. DDT prevented eagle eggshells from thickening. The shells became so thin that they shattered before the babies hatched。
　　Fortunately, in 1972, a law was passed to ban DDT, which saved the bald eagle from total wipeout. And since then, wildlife biologists have reintroduced bald eagles from Canada to America. The result was that last year U. S. birdwatchers counted 11, 610 bald eagles in the country。
　　If it were dropped from the endangered list, the bald eagle would still be a " threatened species。” That means the bird would continue to get the same protection - no hunting allowed, and no disturbing of nests。
　　But bald eagles still face tough times. The destruction of their natural homes could be the next DDT causing eagle numbers to drop quickly。
　　Questions 29 to 31 are based on the passage you have just heard。
　　29. What was the main harmful effect of the pest killer DDT on bald eagles?
　　30. What measure did the wildlife biologists take to increase the number of bald eagles?
　　31. According to the speaker, what is the possible danger facing bald eagles?
　　Passage Three
　　Why do we cry? Can you imagine life without tears?
　　Not only do tears keep your eyes lubricated, they also contain a substance that kills certain bacteria so they can't infect your eyes. Give up your tears and you lose this on-the-spot defence。
　　Nor would you want to give up the flood of extra tears you produce when you get something physical or chemical in your eyes. Tears are very good at washing this irritating stuff out。
　　Another thing you couldn't do without your tears is cry - from joy, anger, or sadness。
　　Humans are the only animals that produce tears in response to emotions. And most people say a good cry makes them feel better。
　　Many scientists, therefore, believe that crying somehow helps us cope with emotional situations. Tear researcher William Frey is trying to figure out how it happens。
            
            

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分页标题#e#
　　One possibility, he says, is that tears discharge certain chemicals from your body, chemicals that build up during stress. "When people talk about 'crying it out,' I think that might actually be what they are doing," he says。
　　If Frey is right, what do you think will happen to people who restrain their tears? Boys, for example, cry only about a quarter as often as girls once they reach their teenage years. And we all cry a lot less now than we did as babies。
　　Could it possibly be that we face less stress? Maybe we've found other ways to deal with it. Or maybe we just feel embarrassed。
　　Questions 32 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard。
　　32. What's the topic discussed in this passage?
　　33. What is William Frey trying to find out?
　　34. What does the passage say about teenage boys and girls?
　　35. What's the difference between human beings and other animals when shedding tears?
　　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 described by his student, the great philosopher Plato, as "the best and most just and wisest man。” Yet this same man was condemned 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 corrupting young people. The second charge stemmed from his association with numerous young men who came to Athens from all over the civilized world to study under him。
　　Socrates’ method of teaching was to ask questions and, by pretending not to know the answers, to press his students into thinking for themselves. His teachings had unsurpassed 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 encouraged new ideas and free thinking in the young, and this was frightening to the conservatives in Athens. They wanted him silenced. Yet many were probably surprised that he accepted death so readily。
　　Socrates had the right to ask for a less severe penalty, and he probably could have persuaded the jury to change the verdict. But Socrates, as a firm believer in law, reasoned that it was proper to submit to the death sentence. So he calmly accepted his fate and drank a cup of poison in the presence of his grief-stricken friends and students。