2009年12月英语六级模拟试卷及解析之二

英语自学网

　　Part ⅠWriting (30 minutes)
　　Directions: In this section you are required to write a composition on the topic "Reduce Waste on Campus". You should write at least 150 words and base your composition on the outline given in Chinese below。
　　1.目前有些校园内浪费现象严重；
　　2.浪费的危害；
　　3.从我做起，杜绝浪费。
　　Part Ⅱ Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning)  (15 minutes)
　　Some Notes on Gender-Neutral Language
　　General
　　The practice of assigning masculine gender to neutral terms comes from the fact that every language reflects the prejudices of the society in which it evolved, and English evolved through most of its history in a male-centered, patriarchal society. Like any other language, however, English is always changing. One only has to read aloud sentences from the 19th century hooks assigned for this class to sense the shifts that have occurred in the last 150 years. When readers pick up something to read, they expect different conventions depending on the time in which the material was written. As writers in 1995, we need to be not only aware of the conventions that our readers may expect, but also conscious of the responses our words may elicit. In addition, we need to know how the shifting nature of language can make certain words awkward or misleading。
　　"Man"
　　Man once was a truly generic word referring to all humans, but has gradually narrowed in meaning to become a word that refers to adult male human beings. Anglo-Saxons used the word to refer to all people. One example of this occurs when an Anglo-Saxon writer refers to a seventh-century English princess as "a wonderful man". Man paralleled the Latin word homo, "a member of the human species." not vir, "an adult male of the species." The Old English word for adult male was waepman and the old English word for adult woman was wifman. In the course of time, wifman evolved into the word "woman." "Man" eventually ceased to be used to refer to individual women and replaced waepman as a specific term distinguishing an adult male from an adult female. But man continued to be used in generalizations about both sexes。
　　By the 18th century, the modern, narrow sense of man was firmly established as the predominant one. When Edmund Burke, writing of the French Revolution, used men in the old, inclusive way, he took pains to spell out his meaning: "Such a deplorable havoc is made in the minds of men (both sexes) in France..." Thomas Jefferson did not make the same distinction in declaring that "all men are created equal" and "governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed." In a time when women, having no vote, could neither give nor withhold consent, Jefferson had to be using the word men in its principal sense of "males," and it probably never occurred to him that anyone would think otherwise. Looking at modern dictionaries indicate that the definition that links "man' with males is the predominant one. Studies of college students and school children indicate that even when the broad definitions of "msn" and "men" are taught, they tend to conjure up images of male people only. We would never use the sentence "A girl grows up to be a man," because we assume the narrower definition of the word man。
            
            

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　　The Pronoun Problem
　　The first grammars of modern English were written in the 16th and 17th centuries. They were mainly intended to help boys from upper class families prepare for the study of Latin, a language most scholars considered superior to English. The male authors of these earliest English grammars wrote for male readers in an age when few women were literate. The masculine-gender pronouns(代词) did not reflect a belief that masculine pronouns could refer to both sexes. The grammars of this period contain no indication that masculine pronouns were sex-inclusive when used in general references. Instead these pronouns reflected the reality of male cultural dominance and the male-centered world view that resulted。
　　"He" started to be used as a generic pronoun by grammarians who were trying to change a long-established tradition of using "they" as a singular pronoun. In 1850 an Act of Parliament gave official sanction(批准)to the recently invented concept of the "generic" he. In the language used in acts of Parliament, the new law said, "words importing the masculine gender shall be deemed and taken to include females." Although similar language in contracts and other legal documents subsequently helped reinforce this grammatical edict in all English-speaking countries, it was often conveniently ignored. In 1879, for example, a move to admit female physicians to the all-male Massachusetts Medical Society was effectively blocked on the grounds 'that the society's by-laws describing membership used the pronoun he。
　　Just as "man" is not truly generic in the 1990s, "he" is not a true generic pronoun. Studies have confirmed that most people understand "he" to refer to men only. Sentences like "A doctor is a busy person; he must be able to balance a million obligations at once" imply that all doctors are men. As a result of the fact that "he" is read by many as a masculine pronoun, many people, especially women, have come to feel that the generic pronouns excludes women. This means that more and more people find the use of such a pronoun problematic。
　　Solving the Pronoun Problem
　　They as a Singular -Most people, when writing and speaking informally, rely on singular they as a matter of course: "If you love someone, set them free" (Sting). If you pay attention to your own speech, you'll probably catch yourself using the same construction yourself. "It's enough to drive anyone out of their senses" (George Bernard Shaw). "I shouldn't like to punish anyone, even ii they'd done me wrong" (George Eliot). Some people are annoyed by the incorrect grammar that this solution necessitates, but this construction is used more and more frequently。
　　He or She---Despite the charge of clumsiness, double-pronoun constructions have made a comeback: "To be black in this country is simply too pervasive an experience for any writer to omit from her or his work," wrote Samuel R. Delany. Overuse of this solution can be awkward, however。
　　Pluralizing-A writer can often recast material in the plural.  For instance, instead of "As he advances in his program, the medical student has increasing opportunities for clinical work," try "As they advance in their program, medical students have increasing opportunities for clinical work"
            
            

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　　Eliminating Pronouns--Avoid having to use pronouns at all; instead of "a first grader can feed and dress himself," you could write, "a first grader can eat find get dressed without assistance."
　　Further Alternatives--he she or s/he, using one instead of he, or using a new generic pronoun (thon, co, E, try, hash, hit)。
　　1. "Man" could be used to refer to female human being in the past。
　　2. In "all men are created equal" in Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson, the word "men" refer to both males and females whether they have vote right or not。
　　3. In 1879, Massachusetts Medical Society refused to admit more than ten female physicians because the society's by-laws describing membership used the pronoun he。
　　4. The first grammars of modern English were written in order to help boys from the upper class prepare for the study of Latin。
　　5. "Man" paralleled the Latin word "homo" 'which means ______。
　　6. Studies show that even when students are taught the broad definition of "man" and "men", they think of ______。
　　7. Grammarians started to use "he" as a generic pronoun because they were trying to change a tradition of using "they" as ______。
　　8. When most people read the word "he", they would understand it to rater to ______。
　　9. Although some people are annoyed by ______ of singular they, this construction is used more and more frequently to solve the pronoun problem。
　　10. Another way of solving the pronoun problem is to use ______ instead of the singular。

　　Part Ⅲ Listening Comprehension (35 minutes)

　　Section A
　　Questions 11 to 18 are based on the conversation you have just heard。
　　11. A) The play was the first he'd seen.        B) The play wasn't too bad。
　　C) He hasn't seen the play yet.             D) He wants to see the play again。
　　12. A) It will be finished on time,
　　B) It is only open during the day。
　　C) Something has happened to the building。
　　D) The workers are about to complete it。
　　13. A) He lost a button at work。
　　B) He doesn't know where he put the calculator。
　　C) He thinks he broke something the woman lent him。
　　D) He's not sure how to solve the math problem。
　　14. A) The old houses should be turned into stores。
　　B) The city needs even more modern modernization。
　　C) This shopping center is quite old。
　　D) New shopping centers are very common。
　　15. A) Whether the woman knows how to type。
　　B) Why the woman is in a hurry。
　　C) How much typing the woman needs done。
　　D) Whether the woman has a typewriter。
　　16. A) He goes along with the woman's suggestion。
            
            

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　　B) He can't decide whether to go or not。
　　C) He will go to the concert alone。
　　D) He thinks the performance will be very good。
　　17. A) It involved a few lunches.              B) There were free lunches。
　　C) There were three lunches,               D) There are more than free lunches。
　　18. A) 13.              B) 17.               C) 30.               D) 15.
　　Questions 19 to 22 are based on the conversation you have just heard。
　　19. A) He has got a bad cold。
　　B) He has caught whooping cough。
　　C) He has a fever and a bad appetite。
　　D) He has been coughing for several days。
　　20. A) Because he is only a 3-year-old child。
　　B) Because others' cough may be contagious to him。
　　C) Because he also has a fever。
　　D) Because he cries all the time。
　　21. A) Because he is too young to catch that。
　　B) Because he has not been exposed to that。
　　C) Because his sister hasn't caught that。
　　D) Because he has been immunized recently。
　　22. A) Give the child lot of fluid to drink。
　　B) Let him have a hot bath before bedtime。
　　C) Keep an eye on the cough.      D) Send him to the clinic if he has a fever。
　　Questions 23 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard。
　　23. A) Boss and employee.                      B) Teacher and student。
　　C) Interviewer and candidate.              D) Colleagues。
　　24. A) A human resources manager.            B) A computer programmer。
　　C) A graduate.                           D) A teacher。
　　25. A) Team spirit.                          B) Competition。
　　C) Coordination.                          D) Problem-solving。
　　Section B
　　Passage One
　　Questions 26 to 28 are based on the passage you have just heard。
            
            

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　　26. A) Your first impression on the interviewer。
　　B) Your job skill qualifications and background。
　　C) Your communication skills。
　　D) Your attitude。
　　27. A) To have an intimate talk with you。
　　B) To know you as a person。
　　C) To confirm your qualifications。
　　D) To know more about your family background。
　　28. A) The interview usually last about half an hour。
　　B) Your appearance and your communication skills count approximately the same during the interview。
　　C) You are requested to submit all your background information during the interview。
　　D) Employers compare your information with that of other applicants before the interview。
　　Passage Two
　　Questions 29 to 31 are based on the passage you have just heard。
　　29. A) Around 1930.                         B) Around 1940.
　　C) Around 1950.                         D) Around 1960.
　　30. A) There is not enough financial support from the government。
　　B) There are more retirees taking money out of the system, and not enough additional workers to support them。
　　C) More and more people refuse to pay their income taxes。
　　D) The economic growth has been slowed down。
　　31. A) Fewer retirees will be entitled to receive Social Security。
　　B) Payroll taxes may be increased。
　　C) Younger Workers can save some of their payroll taxes in a personal account。
　　D) Beneficiaries will receive less money from the Social Security。
　　Passage Three
　　Questions 32 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard。
　　32. A) The strength of its shipbuilding industry。
　　B) The physical features of the river itself。
　　C) The abundance of fruit, vegetables, and livestock。
　　D) The similarity of climate to that in Europe。
　　33. A) There are no rapids or waterfalls。
　　B) There is a constant, strong wind。
　　C) Navigation is rather difficult。
　　D) Frequent storms cause problems for riverboats。
　　34. A) Big waves pose a threat to commercial navigation。
　　B) The river current never flows faster ten miles per hour。
　　C) The river reverses its flow several times a day。
　　D) High tides can create sudden and unexpected rapids。
　　35. A) To allow several sails to be rigged。
　　B) To add to the beauty of the basic design。
　　C) To catch winds coming from over the hills。
　　D) To allow the sails to be raised more quickly。
            
            

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　　Section C
　　Today I would like to talk about the early days of movie making in the late nineteenth and early   (36)   centuries. Before the   (37)   films of D. W. Griffith, film makers were limited by several   (38)   questions of the era. According to one, the camera was always fixed at a viewpoint   (39)   to that of the spectator in the theatre, a position now known as the long shot. It was another convention that the   (40)   of the camera never changed in the middle of a   (41)  . In last week's films, we saw how Griffith ignored both these limiting   (42)   and brought the camera closer to the actor。
　　This shot, now known as a full shot, was considered   (43)   at the time. For Love of Gold, was the name of the film in which the first use of the full shot. After progressing from a long shot to the full shot, the next logical step for Griffith was to bring in the camera still closer, in what is now called the close-up.   (44)   , as for example, in Edqaed Asport's The Great Train Robbery, which was made in 1903.
　　But not until 1908 in Griffith's movie   (45)  . In the scene from After Many Years that we are about to see, pay special attention to the close-up of Annie Lee's worried face as she awaits her husband's return. In 1908, this close-up shocked everyone in the Biogress Studio. But Griffith had no time for argument. He had another surprise even more radical to offer. Immediately following close-up of Annie, he inserted a picture of the object of her thought--her husband east sway on a desert aisle.   (46)  。

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

　　Section A
　　Women who apply for jobs in middle or senior management have a higher success rate than men, according to an employment survey.  But of course far fewer of them apply for these positions. The study, by recruitment (征召新成员) consultants NB Selection, shows that while one in six men who appear on interview shortlist get jobs, the figure rises to one in four for women。
　　Reasons for higher success rates among women are difficult to isolate.  One explanation suggested is that if a woman candidate manages to get on a shortlist, then she has probably already proved herself to be an exceptional candidate. Dr. Marx said that when women apply for positions they tend to be better qualified than their male counterparts but are more selective and conservative in their job search. Women tend to research thoroughly before applying for positions or attending interviews. Men, on the other hand, seem to rely on their ability to sell themselves and to convince employers that any shortcomings they have will not prevent them from doing a good job。
            
            

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　　Managerial and executive progress made by women is confirmed by the annual survey of boards of directors carried out by Korn International. This year the survey shows a doubling of the number of women serving as non-executive directors compared with the previous year.  However, progress remains painfully slow and there were still only 18 posts filled by women out of a total of 354 non-executive positions surveyed。
　　In Europe a recent feature of corporate life in the recession has been the de-layering of management structures. Hilary Sears said that this has halted progress for women in as much as de-layering has taken place either where women are working or in layers they aspire to. Sears also noted a positive trend from the recession, which has been the growing number of women who have started up on their own。
　　In business as a whole, there are a number of factors encouraging the prospect of greater equality in the workforce. Demographic trends suggest that the number of women going into employment is steadily increasing.  In addition a far greater number of women are now passing through higher education, making them better qualified to move into management positions. Organizations such as the European Women's Management Development Network provide a range of opportunities for women to enhance their skills and contacts。
　　However, Ariane Antal, director of the International Institute for Organization Change for Archamps in France, said that there is only anecdotal evidence of changes in recruitment patterns. And she said: "It's still so hard for women to even get on to shortlists -there are so many hurdles and barriers." She agreed that there have been some positive signs but said: "Until there is a belief among employers, until they value the difference, nothing will change."
　　47. From the passage, we can see that males applicants ______ female applicants for top posts。
　　48. Women are more ______ than men when they apply for positions or attending interviews。
　　49.  What aspect of company structuring has disadvantaged women in getting management positions?
　　50. According to Sears; the number of female-run business is ______。
　　51. Which group of people should change their attitude to recruitment so as to have a greater equality in the workforce?
　　Section B
　　Passage One
　　The radical transformation of the Soviet society had a profound impact on women's lives. Marxists had traditionally believed that both capitalism and the middle-class husbands exploited women. The Russian Revolution of 1917 immediately proclaimed complete equality of rights for women. In the 1920s divorce and abortion were made easily available, and women were urged to work outside the home and liberate themselves sexually. After Stalin came to power, sexual and familial liberation was played down, and the most lasting changes for women involved work and education。
            
            

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　　These changes were truly revolutionary. Young women were constantly told that they had to be equal to men, that they could and should do everything men could do. Peasant women in Russia had long experienced the equality of backbreaking physical labor in the countryside, and they continued to enjoy that equality on collective farms.  With the advent of the five-year-plans, millions of women also began to toil in factories and in heavy construction, building dams, roads and steel mills in summer heat and winter frost. Most of the opportunities open to men through education were also open to women. Determined women pursued their studies and entered the ranks of the better-paid specialists in industry and science. Medicine practically became a woman's profession. By 1950, 75 percent of doctors in the Soviet Union were women。
　　Thus Stalinist society gave woman great opportunities but demanded great sacrifices as well. The vast majority of women simply had to work outside the home. Wages were so law that it was almost impossible for a family or couple to live only on the husband's earnings. Moreover, the fun-time working woman had a heavy burden of household tasks in her off hours, for most Soviet men in the 1930s still considered the home and the children the woman's responsibility. Men continued to monopolize the best jobs. Finally, rapid change and economic hardship led to many broken families, creating further physical, emotional, and mental strains for women. In any event, the often-neglected human resource of women was mobilized in Stalinist society。
　　52. The main idea of this passage is that women in Stalinist society ______。
　　A) had economic opportunities that had never been available before
　　B) had difficulty balancing their work and family responsibilities
　　C) had new opportunities but also many hardships
　　D) moved quickly into the highest levels of government
　　53. In the last paragraph, "monopolize" probably means ______。
　　A) hold            B) earn              C) leave             D) pay
　　54. The author's main purpose in writing this passage is to ______。
　　A) compare different systems of government
　　B) tell stories about women in Soviet Union
　　C) amuse the reader
　　D) provide information
　　55. The author's tone in this passage can best be described as ______。
　　A) disapproving                          B) emotional
　　C) objective                              D) sympathetic
            
            

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　　56. We can conclude that the economic and social status of women in Stalinist society ______。
　　A) had been improved
　　B) was worse than before
　　C) had not Changed much
　　D) was better than that in capitalistic countries

　　Passage Two

　　The General Electric Company, often criticized for the complexity of its structure and the resulting opacity of its numbers, said yesterday that it would break GE Capital, by far its largest business, into four businesses. The reorganization effectively eliminates the job of Denis J. Nayden, 48, the chairman of GE Capital. Each of the new units will have its own chief, who Will report directly to Jeffrey R. Immelt, G. E.'s chairman. "The reason for doing this is simple. I want more direct contact with the financial services teams," Mr. Immelt said。
　　The new businesses are GE Commercial Finance, GE Insurance, SE Consumer Finance and GE Equipment Management.  Some support functions within GE Capital, including risk management and treasury, will now report to Dennis Dammerman, 57, a G. E. vice chairman who preceded Mr. Nayden as GE Capital's chlef. Mr, Nayden will remain at G. E. as an adviser for now, but is expected to leave shortly to start a financial services firm。
　　Mr. Dammerman insisted that the reorganization had nothing to do with the increasing clamor from investors, regulators and the news media for greater transparency in accounting and for chief executives to take more responsibility for businesses: Analysts seem to believe him. "This is just what it appears to be, a managerial, reorganization which gives leaders more direct access to the office of the chairman," said Martin A. Sankey, a G. E. analyst。
　　The executives leading the new units will also sit on G.. E. 's corporate executive council, a committee made up of the company's top 25 executives, which meets periodically and discusses various strategic and management issues。
　　GE Capital, the company's largest nit, provided $55 billion of G. E. 's $124 billion in revenue last year and $ 5.6 billion of its $19.7 billion in pretax profits. The rest of G. E. had been divided into 11 other businesses, many of them--lighting and appliances are examples-much smaller than the new GE Capital units, yet each run by someone who reports directly to the chairman. Mr. Dammermn said that Mr. Immelt began talking about breaking GE Capital into more manageable pieces as soon as he took over as chief executive last September. "Jeff didn't like the extra layer between him and the GE Capital businesses,"
　　G. E. has tried to make GE Capital less mysterious to 'the outside world. Although GE Capital was officially one unit, it had begun to report quarterly results in live product-related segments--a number that will be reduced to four with the new organization. And analysts say GE Capital's management has been more accessible than it was in past years, and that Mr. Immelt and other G. E. corporate executives have been willing to discuss GE Capital in more depth。
            
            

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　　57. After the reorganization, GE will have altogether ______。
　　A) six businesses                        B) sixteen businesses
　　C) four businesses                      . D) fifteen businesses
　　58. Which of the following statements is NOT true of Dennis Dammerman?
　　A) He is now a GE's vice chairman。
　　B) He is expected to leave GE to start a new financial services firm。
　　C) He was once the chairman of GE Capital。
　　D) He regards the reorganization of GE as an initiative of its own。
　　59. All the following statements are False of Denis Nayden EXCEPT that ______。
　　A) the reorganization makes him lose his position as a chairman
　　B) he will remain for some time at GE as an analyst
　　C) he is currently GE's chairman
　　D) he is expected to start a new GE financial firm in the near future
　　60. The reorganization will enable GE's chief executive to ______。
　　A) quiet down the unrest in the world
　　B) work in a more friendly business environment
　　C) have more direct contact with GE's financial services teams
　　D) appear less mysterious to the outside world
　　61. The General Electric Capital ______。
　　A) is divided into five product-related segments now
　　B) provided more than 1/3 of GE's revenue last year
　　C) is going to be broken into more businesses
　　D) now has smaller units than all other businesses in GE
　　Part Ⅴ   Cloze    (15 minutes)
　　Directions: There are 20 blanks in the following passage. For each blank there are four choices marked A)， B) ,C) and D) on the right side of the paper. You should choose the ONE that best fits into the passage. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the center。
　　We all know that a magician does not really depend on "magic" to perform his trick.   (62)   on his ability to act at great speed.   (63)  , this does not prevent us from enjoying watching a magician   (64)   rabbits from a hat.   (65)   the greatest magician of all time was Harry Houdini who died in 1926. Houdini mastered the art of   (66)  . He could free himself from the tightest knots or the most complicated locks in seconds.   (67)   no one really knows   (68)   he did this, there is no doubt   (69)   he had made a close study of every type of lock ever   (70)  . He liked to carry a small steel needle-like tool strapped to his leg and he used this in   (71)   of a key. Houdini once asked the Chicago police to lock him in prison. They   (72)   him in chains and locked him up, but he freed himself   (73)   an instant. The police   (74)   him of having used a tool and locked him up again. This time he wore no clothes and there were chains around his neck, waist, wrists, and legs; but he again escaped in a few minutes. Houdini had probably hidden his "needle" in a waxlike   (75)   and dropped it on the floor in the passage.   (76)   he went past, he stepped on it so that it stuck to the bottom of his foot.  His most famous escape, however, was   (77)    astonishing. He was heavily chained   (78)   and enclosed in an empty wooden chest, the lid of   (79)   was nailed down. The   (80)   was dropped into the sea in New York harbor. In one minute Houdini had swum to the surface. When the chest was   (81)  . it was opened and the chains was found inside。