2005年12月大学英语六级考试试题及参考答案

Part I Listening Comprehension (20 minutes)

Section A

1. A) The dean should have consulted her on the appointment.

B) Dr. Holden should have taken over the position earlier.

C) She doesn’t think Dr. Holden has made a wise choice.

D) Dr. Holden is the best person for the chairmanship. （ D ）

2. A) They’ll keep in touch during the summer vacation.

B) They’ll hold a party before the summer vacation.

C) They’ll do odd jobs together at the school library.

D) They’ll get back to their school once in a while. （ A ）

3. A) Peaches are in season now.

B) Peaches are not at their best now.

C) The woman didn’t know how to bargain.

D) The woman helped the man choose the fruit. （ B ）

4. A) They join the physics club.

B) They ask for an extension of the deadline.

C) They work on the assignment together.

D) They choose an easier assignment. （ C ）

5. A) She admires Jean’s straightforwardness.

B) She thinks Dr. Brown deserves the praise.

C) She will talk to Jean about what happened.

D) She believes Jean was rude to Dr. Brown. （ A ）

6. A) He liked writing when he was a child.

B) He enjoyed reading stories in Reader’s Digest.

C) He used to be an editor of Reader’s Digest.

D) He became well known at the age of six. （ A ）

7. A) He shows great enthusiasm for his studies.

B) He is a very versatile person.

C) He has no talent for tennis.

D) He does not study hard enough. （ D ）

8. A) John has lost something at the railway station.

B) There are several railway stations in the city.

C) It will be very difficult for them to find John.

D) The train that John is taking will arrive soon. （ C ）

9. A) Its rapid growth is beneficial to the world.

B) It can be seen as a model by the rest of the world.

C) Its success can’t be explained by elementary economics.

D) It will continue to surge forward. （ A ）

10. A) It takes only 5 minutes to reach the campus from the apartments.

B) Most students can’t afford to live in the new apartments.

C) The new apartments are not available until next month.

D) The new apartments can accommodate 500 students. （ B ）

11. A) The role of immigrants in the construction of American society.

B) The importance of offering diverse courses in European history.

C) The need for greater cultural diversity in the school curriculum.

D) The historic landing of Europeans on the Virginia shore. （ C ）

12. A) He was wondering if the speaker was used to living in America.

B) He was trying to show friendliness to the speaker.

C) He wanted to keep their conversation going.

D) He believed the speaker was a foreigner. （ D ）

13. A) The US population doesn’t consist of white European descendants only.

B) Asian tourists can speak English as well as native speakers of the language.

C) Colored people are not welcome in the United States.

D) Americans are in need of education in their history. （ A ）

14. A) By making laws

B) By enforcing discipline

C) By educating the public

D) By holding ceremonies （ A ）

15. A) It should be raised by soldiers.

B) It should be raised quickly by hand.

C) It should be raised only by Americans.

D) It should be raised by mechanical means. （ B ）

16. A) It should be attached to the status.

B) It should be hung from the top of the monument.

C) It should be spread over the object to be unveiled.

D) It should be carried high up in the air. （ D ）

17. A) There has been a lot of controversy over the use of flag.

B) The best athletes can wear uniforms with the design of the flag.

C) There are precise regulations and customs to be followed.

D) Americans can print the flag on their cushions or handkerchiefs. （ C ）

18. A) Punishment by teachers

B) Poor academic performance

C) Truancy

D) Illness （ C ）

19. A) The Board of Education.

B) Principals of city schools.

C) Students with good academic records.

D) Students with good attendance records. （ D ）

20. A) Punishing students who damage school property.

B) Rewarding schools that have decreased the destruction.

C) Promoting teachers who can prevent the destruction.

D) Cutting the budget for repairs and replacements. （ B ）

Part II Reading Comprehension (35 minutes)

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 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. （ D ）

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 （ B ）

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 （ A ）

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 （ A ）

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. （ C ）

Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage.

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 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. （ D ）

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 （ A ）

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 （ C ）

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 （ B ）

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. （ D ）

Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage.

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 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. （ B ）

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 （ C ）

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. （ A ）

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 （ D ）

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. （ B ）

Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage.

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.

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 （ D ）

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. （ B ）

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 （ C ）

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 （ A ）

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 （ D ）

Part III Vocabulary (20 minutes)

41. It seems somewhat ________ to expect anyone to drive 3 hours just for a 20-minute meeting.

A) eccentric

B) impossible

C) absurd

D) unique （ C ）

42. This area of the park has been specially ________ for children, but accompanying adults are also welcome.

A) inaugurated

B) designated

C) entitled

D) delegated （ B ）

43. The girl’s face ________ with embarrassment during the interview when she couldn’t answer the tough question.

A) beamed

B) dazzled

C) radiated

D) flushed （ D ）

44. Slavery was ________ in Canada in 1833, and Canadian authorities encouraged the slaves, who escaped from America, to settle on its vast virgin land.

A) diluted

B) dissipated

C) abolished

D) resigned （ B ）

45. Unfortunately, the new edition of dictionary is ________ in all major bookshops.

A) out of reach

B) out of stock

C) out of business

D) out of season （ C ）

46. The hands on my alarm clock are ________, so I can see what time it is in the dark.

A) exotic

B) gorgeous

C) luminous

D) spectacular （ C ）

47. Psychologists have done extensive studies on how well patients ________ with doctors’ orders.

A) comply

B) correspond

C) interfere

D) interact （ A ）

48. In today’s class, the students were asked to ________ their mistakes on the exam paper and put in their possible corrections.

A) cancel

B) omit

C) extinguish

D) erase （ D ）

49. The Government’s policies will come under close ________ in the weeks before the election.

A) appreciation

B) specification

C) scrutiny

D) apprehension （ B ）

50. Police and villagers unanimously ________ the forest fire to thunder and lightning.

A) ascribed

B) approached

C) confirmed

D) confined （ A ）

51. In some remote places there are still very poor people who can’t afford to live in ________ conditions.

A) gracious

B) decent

C) honorable

D) positive （ C ）

52. Since our knowledge is ________ none of us can exclude the possibility of being wrong.

A) controlled

B) restrained

C) finite

D) delicate （ C ）

53. You shouldn’t ________ your father’s instructions. Anyway he is an experienced teacher.

A) deduce

B) deliberate

C) defy

D) denounce （ C ）

54. The company management attempted to ________ information that was not favorable to them, but it was all in vain.

A) suppress

B) supplement

C) concentrate

D) plug （ A ）

55. It is my hope that everyone in this class should ________ their errors before it is too late.

A) refute

B) exclude

C) expel

D) rectify （ D ）

56. The boy’s foolish question ________ his mother who was busy with housework and had no interest in talking.

A) intrigued

B) fascinated

C) irritated

D) stimulated （ C ）

57. Millions of people around the world have some type of physical, mental, or emotional ________ that severely limits their abilities to manage their daily activities.

A) scandal

B) misfortune

C) deficit

D) handicap （ D ）

58. It is believed that the feeding patterns parents ________ on their children can determine their adolescent and adult eating habits.

A) compel

B) impose

C) evoke

D) necessitate （ B ）

59. If the value-added tax were done away with, it would act as a ________ to consumption.

A) progression

B) prime

C) stability

D) stimulus （ D ）

60. The bride and groom promised to ________ each other through sickness and health.

A) nourish

B) nominate

C) roster

D) cherish （ D ）

61. They’re going to build a big office block on that ________ piece of land.

A) void

B) vacant

C) blank

D) shallow （ B ）

62. Without any hesitation, she took off her shoes, ________ up her skirt and splashed across the stream.

A) tucked

B) revolved

C) twisted

D) curled （ A ）

63. Very few people could understand his lecture because the subject was very ________.

A) faint

B) obscure

C) gloomy

D) indefinite （ B ）

64. Professor Smith explained the movement of light ________ that of water.

A) by analogy with

B) by virtue of

C) in line with

D) in terms of （ A ）

65. Tom is bankrupt now. He is desperate because all his efforts ________ failure.

A) tumbled to

B) hinged upon

C) inflicted on

D) culminated in （ D ）

66. While fashion is thought of usually ________ clothing, it is important to realize that it covers a much wider domain.

A) in relation to

B) in proportion to

C) by means of

D) on behalf of （ A ）

67. The meaning of the sentence is ________; you can interpret it in several ways.

A) skeptical

B) intelligible

C) ambiguous

D) exclusive （ C ）

68. Cancer is a group of diseases in which there is uncontrolled and disordered growth of ________ cells.

A) irrelevant

B) inferior

C) controversial

D) abnormal （ D ）

69. At that time, the economy was still undergoing a ________, and job offers were hard to get.

A) concession

B) supervision

C) recession

D) deviation （ C ）

70. I could hear nothing but the roar of the airplane engines which ________ all other sounds.

A) overturned

B) drowned

C) deafened

D) smoothed （ B ）

Part IV 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 out 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 and put a slash (/) in the blank.

Example:

Television is rapidly becoming the literature of our periods ╱ . 1. time/times/period
Many of the arguments having ╱ used for the study of literature as 2. _______\_______
a school subject are valid for ∧ study of television. 3. ______the______

Every week hundreds of CVs ( 简历 ) land on our desks. We’ve seen it all: CVs printed on pink paper, CVs that are 10 pages long and CVs with silly mistakes in first paragraph. A (S1) good CV is your passport to an interview and, ultimate, to (S2) the job you want.

Initial impressions are vital, and a badly presented CV could mean acceptance, regardless of what’s in it. (S3)

Here are a few ways to avoid end up on the reject pile. (S4)

Print your CV on good-quality white paper. CVs with flowery backgrounds or pink paper will stand out upon all the wrong reasons (S5)

Get someone to check for spelling and grammatical errors, because a spell-checker will pick up every (S6) mistake. CVs with errors will be rejected—it shows that you don’t pay attention to detail.

Restrict your self to one or two pages, and listing any publications or referees on a separate sheet. (S7) If you are sending your CV electronically, check the formatting by sending it to yourself first. Keep up (S8) the format simple.

Do not send a photo unless specifically requested. If you have to send on, make sure it is one taking in a (S9) professional setting, rather than a holiday snap.

Getting the presentation right is just the first step. What about the content? The Rule here is to keep it factual and truthful-exaggerations usually get find out. And remember (S10) to tailor your CV to each different job.

Part V Writing (30 minutes)

Direction: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a letter to a company declining a job offer. You should write at least 150 words following the outline given below.

1. 对公司提供职位表示感谢

2. 解释为何不能接受所提供的职位

3. 希望给与谅解，并表达对公司的良好祝愿

A Letter Declining a Job Offer

参考答案

Part I Listening Comprehension

Part II Reading Comprehension

Part III Vocabulary

Part IV Error Correction

1. in first paragraph → in the first paragraph

2. ultimate → ultimately

3. acceptance → unacceptance/rejection

4. end → ending

5. upon → for

6. will pick up → will not pick up

7. listing → list

8. Keep up → Keep

9. taking → taken

10. find → found

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