2011年12月大学英语六级考试真题(星火英语版)

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分类: 四六级 |
2012年6月16日即将开考大学英语四六级,你准备好了吗?如果你还不了解题型,那就赶紧看看下面的真题吧。详细解析可参看星火出版的《大学英语四级考试全真试题与命题预测(10套真题+5套预测+2000词汇卡片)》及《大学英语六级考试全真试题与命题预测(10套真题+5套预测+2000词汇卡片)》。
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2011年12月大学英语六级考试真题
Part
I
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay entitled The Way to Success by commenting on Abraham Lincoln’s famous remark, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” You should write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words.
The Way to Success
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Part II
Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer Sheet 1. For questions 1-7, choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). For questions 8-10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.
Google’s Plan for World’s Biggest Online Library:
Philanthropy Or Act of Piracy?
In recent years, teams of workers dispatched by Google have been working hard to make digital copies of books. So far, Google has scanned more than 10 million titles from libraries in America and Europe—including half a million volumes held by the Bodleian in Oxford. The exact method it uses is unclear; the company does not allow outsiders to observe the process.
Why is Google undertaking such a venture? Why is it even interested in all those out-of-print library books, most of which have been gathering dust on forgotten shelves for decades? The company claims its motives are essentially public-spirited. Its overall mission, after all, is to “organise the world’s information”, so it would be odd if that information did not include books.
The company likes to present itself as having lofty aspirations. “This really isn’t about making money. We are doing this for the good of society.” As Santiago de la Mora, head of Google Books for Europe, puts it: “By making it possible to search the millions of books that exist today, we hope to expand the frontiers of human knowledge.”
Dan Clancy, the chief architect of Google Books, does seem genuine in his conviction that this is primarily a philanthropic (慈善的) exercise. “Google’s core business is search and find, so obviously what helps improve Google’s search engine is good for Google,” he says. “But we have never built a spreadsheet (电子数据表) outlining the financial benefits of this, and I have never had to justify the amount I am spending to the company’s founders.”
It is easy, talking to Clancy and his colleagues, to be swept along by their missionary passion. But Google’s book-scanning project is proving controversial. Several opponents have recently emerged, ranging from rival tech giants such as Microsoft and Amazon to small bodies representing authors and publishers across the world. In broad terms, these opponents have levelled two sets of criticisms at Google.
First, they have questioned whether the primary responsibility for digitally archiving the world’s books should be allowed to fall to a commercial company. In a recent essay in the New York Review of Books, Robert Darnton, the head of Harvard University’s library, argued that because such books are a common resource—the possession of us all—only public, not-for-profit bodies should be given the power to control them.
The second related criticism is that Google’s scanning of books is actually illegal. This allegation has led to Google becoming mired in (陷入) a legal battle whose scope and complexity makes the Jarndyce and Jarndyce case in Charles Dickens’ Bleak House look straightforward.
At its centre, however, is one simple issue: that of copyright. The inconvenient fact about most books, to which Google has arguably paid insufficient attention, is that they are protected by copyright. Copyright laws differ from country to country, but in general protection extends for the duration of an author’s life and for a substantial period afterwards, thus allowing the author’s heirs to benefit. (In Britain and America, this post-death period is 70 years.) This means, of course, that almost all of the books published in the 20th century are still under copyright—and the last century saw more books published than in all previous centuries combined. Of the roughly 40 million books in US libraries, for example, an estimated 32 million are in copyright. Of these, some 27 million are out of print.
Outside the US, Google has made sure only to scan books that are out of copyright and thus in the “public domain” (works such as the Bodleian’s first edition of Middlemarch, which anyone can read for free on Google Books Search).
But, within the US, the company has scanned both in-copyright and out-of-copyright works. In its defence, Google points out that it displays only small segments of books that are in copyright—arguing that such displays are “fair use”. But critics allege that by making electronic copies of these books without first seeking the permission of copyright holders, Google has committed piracy.
“The key principle of copyright law has always been that works can be copied only once authors have expressly given their permission,” says Piers Blofeld, of the Sheil Land literary agency in London. “Google has reversed this—it has simply copied all these works without bothering to ask.”
In 2005, the Authors Guild of America, together with a group of US publishers, launched a class action suit (集团诉讼) against Google that, after more than two years of negotiation, ended with an announcement last October that Google and the claimants had reached an out-of-court settlement. The full details are complicated—the text alone runs to 385 pages—and trying to summarise it is no easy task. “Part of the problem is that it is basically incomprehensible,” says Blofeld, one of the settlement’s most vocal British critics.
Broadly, the deal provides a mechanism for Google to compensate authors and publishers whose rights it has breached (including giving them a share of any future revenue it generates from their works). In exchange for this, the rights holders agree not to sue Google in future.
This settlement hands Google the power—but only with the agreement of individual rights holders—to exploit its database of out-of-print books. It can include them in subscription deals sold to libraries or sell them individually under a consumer licence. It is these commercial provisions that are proving the settlement’s most controversial aspect.
Critics point out that, by giving Google the right to commercially exploit its database, the settlement paves the way for a subtle shift in the company’s role from provider of information to seller. “Google’s business model has always been to provide information for free, and sell advertising on the basis of the traffic this generates,” points out James Grimmelmann, associate professor at New York Law School. Now, he says, because of the settlement’s provisions, Google could become a significant force in bookselling.
Interest in this aspect of the settlement has focused on “orphan” works, where there is no known copyright holder—these make up an estimated 5-10% of the books Google has scanned. Under the settlement, when no rights holders come forward and register their interest in a work, commercial control automatically reverts to Google. Google will be able to display up to 20% of orphan works for free, include them in its subscription deals to libraries and sell them to individual buyers under the consumer licence.
It is by no means certain that the settlement will be enacted (执行)—it is the subject of a fairness hearing in the US courts. But if it is enacted, Google will in effect be off the hook as far as copyright violations in the US are concerned. Many people are seriously concerned by this—and the company is likely to face challenges in other courts around the world.
No one knows the precise use Google will make of the intellectual property it has gained by scanning the world’s library books, and the truth, as Gleick, an American science writer and member of the Authors Guild, points out, is that the company probably doesn’t even know itself. But what is certain is that, in some way or other, Google’s entrance into digital bookselling will have a significant impact on the book world in years to come.
1. Google claims its plan for the world’s biggest online library is __________.
A) to save out-of-print books in libraries
B) to serve the interest of the general public
C) to promote its core business of searching
D) to encourage reading around the world
2. According to Santiago de la Mora, Google’s book-scanning project will _______.
A) help the broad masses of readers
B) revolutionise the entire book industry
C) broaden humanity’s intellectual horizons
D) make full use of the power of its search engine
3. Opponents of Google Books believe that digitally archiving the world’s books should be controlled by ________.
A) non-profit organisations
B) multinational companies
C) the
world’s leading libraries
D) the world’s tech giants
4. Google has involved itself in a legal battle as it ignored ______.
A) the copyright of the books it scanned
B) the interest of traditional booksellers
C) the copyright of authors of out-of-print books
D) the differences of in-print and out-of-print books
5. Google defends its scanning in-copyright books by saying that ________.
A) it displays only a small part of their content
B) it is willing to compensate the copyright holders
C) making electronic copies of books is not a violation of copyright
D) the online display of in-copyright books is not for commercial use
6. What do we learn about the class action suit against Google?
A) It could lead to more out-of-court settlements of such disputes.
B) It ended in a victory for the Authors Guild of America.
C) It failed to protect the interests of American publishers.
D) It was settled after more than two years of negotiation.
7. What remained controversial after the class action suit ended?
A) The compensation for copyright holders.
B) The change in Google’s business model.
C) The commercial provisions of the settlement.
D) Google’s further exploitation of its database.
8. While _________, Google makes money by selling advertising.
9. Books whose copyright holders are not known are called _________.
l0. Google’s entrance into digital bookselling will tremendously _________ in the future.
Part III
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 centre.
11. A) Prepare for the test after the wedding.
B) Listen to the recorded notes while driving.
C) Review his notes once he arrives in Chicago.
D) Cancel the trip to prepare for the test.
12. A) The man lacks confidence in playing the part.
B) The man hopes to change his role in the play.
C) The woman will prompt the man during the show.
D) The woman will help the man remember the lines.
13. A) A complicated surgical case.
B) Arranging a bed for a patient.
C)
Rescuing the woman’s uncle.
D) Preparations for an operation.
14. A) He is interested in improving his editing skills.
B) He is too busy to accept more responsibility.
C) He is eager to be nominated the new editor.
D) He is sure to do a better job than Simon.
15. A) He has left his position in the government.
B) He has already reached the retirement age.
C) He has been successfully elected Prime Minister.
D) He made a stupid decision at the cabinet meeting.
16. A) The shuttle flight will be broadcast live worldwide.
B) The man is excited at the news of the shuttle flight.
C) This year’s shuttle mission is a big step in space exploration.
D) The man is well informed about the space shuttle missions.
17. A) At a suburban garage.
B) At an auto rescue center.
C) At a
car renting company.
D) At a mountain camp.
18. A) He got his speakers fixed.
B) He listened to some serious music.
C) He
bought a stereo system.
D) He went shopping with the woman.
Questions 19 to 21 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
19. A) Selling products made for left-handers.
B) Printing labels for manufactured goods.
C) Promoting products for manufacturers.
D) Providing aid to the disabled.
20. A) The kitchenware in his shop is of unique design.
B) Most of them are specially made for his shop.
C) All of them are manufactured in his own plant.
D) About half of them are unavailable on the market.
21. A) They have outlets throughout Britain.
B) They specialise in one product only.
C) They run chain stores in central London.
D) They sell by mail order only.
Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
22. A) It sponsors trade fairs.
B) It is engaged in product design.
C) It
publishes magazines.
D) It runs sales promotion campaigns.
23. A) The woman’s company made last-minute changes.
B) The ad specifications had not been given in detail.
C) The woman’s company failed to make payments in time.
D) Organising the promotion was really time-consuming.
24. A) Run another four-week campaign.
B) Extend the campaign to next year.
C) Cut the fee by half for this year.
D) Give her a 10 percent discount.
25. A) Stop negotiating for the time being.
B) Improve their promotion plans.
C) Reflect on their respective mistakes.
D) Calm down and make peace.
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 centre.
Passage One
Questions 26 to 29 are based on the passage you have just heard.
26. A) They are labeled pet animals by the researchers.
B) They are looked after by animal-care organizations.
C) They sacrifice their lives for the benefit of humans.
D) They look spotlessly clean throughout their lives.
27. A) They may breed out of control.
B) They may affect the results of experiments.
C) They may cause damage to the environment.
D) They may behave abnormally.
28. A) When they get too old.
C) When
they are no longer useful.
29. A) While holding a burial ceremony for a pet mouse, they were killing pest mice.
B) While launching animal protection campaigns, they were trapping kitchen mice.
C) While calling for animal rights, they allowed their kids to keep pet animals.
D) While advocating freedom for animals, they kept their pet mouse in a cage.
Passage Two
Questions 30 to 32 are based on the passage you have just heard.
30. A) They are crazy about it.
C) They
contribute most to it.
31. A) Heat and light.
C) Tidal
restlessness.
32. A) They are adventurers from all over the world.
B) They have difficulty surviving.
C) They find the city alien to them.
D) They lack knowledge of the culture of the city.
Passage Three
Questions 33 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.
33. A) A documentary.
B) A murder mystery.
C) A
political debate.
D) A football game.
34. A) It enhances family relationships.
B) It helps broaden one’s horizons.
C) It is a sheer waste of time.
D) It is unhealthy for the viewers.
35. A) He is not a man who can keep his promise.
B) He watches T.V. programs only selectively.
C) He doesn’t like watching sports programs.
D) He can’t resist the temptation of T.V. either.
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.
In the past, one of the biggest disadvantages of machines has been their inability to work on a micro-scale. For example, doctors did not have devices allowing them to go inside the human body to (36) ______ health problems or to perform (37) ______ surgery. Repair crews did not have a way of (38) ______ broken pipes located deep within a high-rise (39) ______ building. However, that’s about to change. Advances in computers and biophysics have started a microminiature (超微) (40) _____ that allows scientists to envision—and in some cases actually build—microscopic machines. These devices promise to (4l) ______ change the way we live and work.
Micromachines already are making an impact. At Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, research scientists have designed a 4-inch silicon chip that holds 700 tiny (42) ______ motors. At Lucas NovaSensor in Fremont, California, scientists have perfected the world’s first microscopic blood-pressure sensor. Threaded through a person’s blood (43) ______, the sensor can provide blood pressure readings at the valve of the heart itself.
(44) _____________________________________________________________
______________________________________. Auto manufacturers, for example, are trying to use tiny devices (45) ____________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________. Some futurists envision nanotechnology (纳米技术) also being used to explore the deep sea in small submarines, or even to launch finger-sized rockets packed with microminiature instruments.
There is an explosion of new ideas and applications. So, (46) ______________
____________________________________________________________________.
Part IV
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. Please write your answers on Answer Sheet 2.
Questions 47 to 51 are based on the following passage.
Leadership is the most significant word in today’s competitive business environment because it directs the manager of a business to focus inward on their personal capabilities and style. Experts on leadership will quickly point out that “how things get done” influences the success of the outcomes and indicates a right way and a wrong way to do things. When a noted leader on the art of management, Peter Drucker, coined the phrase “Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things,” he was seeking to clarify the distinctions he associates with the terms.
When Stephen Covey, founder and director of the Leadership Institute, explored leadership styles in the past decade, he focused on the habits of a great number of highly effective individuals. His Seven Habits of Highly Effective People became a popular bestseller very quickly. His ideas forced a reexamination of the early leadership paradigm (范例), which he observed centered on traits found in the character ethic and the personality ethic. The former ethic suggested success was founded on integrity, modesty, loyalty, courage, patience, and so forth. The personality ethic suggested it was one’s attitude, not behavior, that inspired success, and this ethic was founded on a belief of positive mental attitude. In contrast to each of these ideas, Covey advocates that leaders need to understand universal principles of effectiveness, and he highlights how vital it is for leaders to first personally manage themselves if they are to enjoy any hope of outstanding success in their work environments. To achieve a desired vision for your business, it is vital that you have a personal vision of where you are headed and what you value. Business leadership means that managers need to “put first things first,” which implies that before leading others, you need to be clear on your own values, abilities, and strengths and be seen as trustworthy.
47. To be good leaders, managers must pay close attention to their own _____.
48. According to Peter Drucker, leaders should be good at _____.
49. The personality ethic suggests that people are likely to succeed if they have ________.
50. According to Stephen Covey, leaders who hope to achieve outstanding success need first of all to ______.
51. Good leadership requires one to know one’s own strengths and be able to win people’s ______.
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 Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.
Passage One
Questions 52 to 56 are based on the following passage.
What's the one word of advice a well-meaning professional would give to a recent college graduate? China? India? Brazil? How about trade?
The rising volume of trade—more goods and
services shuttling in and out of the United States—is good news for
many sectors. Companies engaged in shipping, trucking, rail
freight, delivery, and logistics (物流) have all been reporting better than
expected results. The rising numbers signify growing vitality in
foreign markets—when we import more stuff, it puts more cash in the
hands of people around the world, and U.S. exports are rising
because more foreigners have the ability to buy the things we
produce and market. The rising tide of trade is also good news for
people who work in trade-sensitive businesses, especially those
that produce commodities for which global demand sets the
price—agricultural goods, mining, metals,
oil.
And while exports always seem to lag, U.S. companies are becoming more involved in the global economy with each passing month. General Motors sells as many cars in China as in America each month. While that may not do much for imports, it does help GM’s balance sheet—and hence makes the jobs of U.S.-based executives more stable.
52. How do pessimists interpret the U.S. trade deficit in June?
A) It is the result of America’s growing focus on domestic market.
B) It signifies a change in American economic structure.
C) It could lead to slower growth of the national economy.
D) It reflects Americans’ preference for imported goods.
53. What does the author say about the trade data of the past two years?
A) It shows that U.S. economy is slipping further into recession.
B) It indicates that economic activities in the U.S. have increased.
C) It signals decreasing domestic demand for goods and services.
D) It reflects the fluctuations in the international market.
54. Who particularly benefit from the rising volume of trade?
A) Retailers dealing in foreign goods and services.
B) People who have expertise in international trade.
C) Producers of agricultural goods and raw materials.
D) Consumers who favor imported goods and services.
55. What is one of the challenges facing the American economy?
A) Competition from overseas.
B) People’s reluctance to spend.
C) Decreasing productivity.
D) Slack trade activities.
56. What is the author’s advice to U.S. companies and individuals?
A) To increase their market share overseas.
B) To move their companies to where labor is cheaper.
C) To be alert to fluctuations in foreign markets.
D) To import more cheap goods from developing countries.
Passage Two
Questions 57 to 61 are based on the following passage.
A recurring criticism of the UK’s university sector is its perceived weakness in translating new knowledge into new products and services.
Recently, the UK National Stem Cell Network warned the UK could lose its place among the world leaders in stem cell research unless adequate funding and legislation could be assured. We should take this concern seriously as universities are key in the national innovation system.
However, we do have to challenge the unthinking complaint that the sector does not do enough in taking ideas to market. The most recent comparative data on the performance of universities and research institutions in Australia, Canada, USA and UK shows that, from a relatively weak starting position, the UK now leads on many indicators of commercialisation activity.
When viewed at the national level, the policy interventions of the past decade have helped transform the performance of UK universities. Evidence suggests the UK’s position is much stronger than in the recent past and is still showing improvement. But national data masks the very large variation in the performance of individual universities. The evidence shows that a large number of universities have fallen off the back of the pack, a few perform strongly and the rest chase the leaders.
This type of uneven distribution is not peculiar to the UK and is mirrored across other economies. In the UK, research is concentrated: less than 25% of universities receive 75% of the research funding. These same universities are also the institutions producing the greatest share of PhD graduates, science citations, patents and licence income. The effect of policies generating long-term resource concentration has also created a distinctive set of universities which are research-led and commercially active. It seems clear that the concentration of research and commercialisation work creates differences between universities.
The core objective for universities which are research-led must be to maximise the impact of their research efforts. These universities should be generating the widest range of social, economic and environmental benefits. In return for the scale of investment, they should share their expertise in order to build greater confidence in the sector.
Part of the economic recovery of the UK will be driven by the next generation of research commercialisation spilling out of our universities. There are three dozen universities in the UK which are actively engaged in advanced research training and commercialisation work.
If there was a greater coordination of
technology transfer offices within regions and a simultaneous
investment in the scale and functions of our graduate schools,
universities could, and should, play a key role in positioning the
UK for the next growth cycle.
57. What does the author think of UK universities in terms of commercialisation?
A) They have lost their leading position in many ways.
B) They do not regard it as their responsibility.
C) They fail to convert knowledge into money.
D) They still have a place among the world leaders.
58. What does the author say about the national data on UK universities’ performance in commercialisation?
A) It does not reflect the differences among universities.
B) It masks the fatal weaknesses of government policy.
C) It does not rank UK universities in a scientific way.
D) It indicates their ineffective use of government resources.
59. We can infer from Paragraph 5 that “policy interventions” (Line 1, Para. 4) refers to _____.
A) fair distribution of funding for universities and research institutions
B) compulsory cooperation between universities and industries
C) concentration of resources in a limited number of universities
D) government aid to non-research-oriented universities
60. What does the author suggest research-led universities do?
A) Generously share their facilities with those short of funds.
B) Fully utilise their research to benefit all sectors of society.
C) Spread their influence among top research institutions.
D) Publicise their research to win international recognition.
61. How can the university sector play a key role in the UK’s economic growth?
A) By increasing the efficiency of technology transfer agencies.
B) By establishing more regional technology transfer offices.
C) By promoting technology transfer and graduate school education.
D) By asking the government to invest in technology transfer research.
Part V
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 centre.
If you know where to find a good
plastic-free shampoo, can you tell Jeanne Haegele? Last September,
the 28-year-old Chicago resident
She’s right. Back in the 1960s, plastic
was well
62. A) removed
63. A) why
64. A) rubbish
65. A) hinged
66. A) compose
67. A) barely
68. A) preserve
69. A) rather
70. A) combined
71. A) under
72. A) put up
73. A) adopted
74. A) remotely
75. A) toxic
76. A) family
77. A) largely
78. A) recreation
79. A) far
80. A) while
81. A) agreement
Part VI
Directions: Complete the sentences by translating into English the Chinese given in brackets. Please write your translation on Answer Sheet 2.
82. You shouldn’t have run across the road without looking. You ____________________________ (也许会被车撞倒的).
83. By no means ____________________________ (他把自己当成专家) although he knows a lot about the field.
84. He doesn’t appreciate the sacrifice his
friends have made for him, ____________________________
85. Janet told me that she would rather her mother ____________________________ (不干涉她的婚姻).
86. To keep up with the expanding
frontiers of scholarship, Edward
Wilson