2016年12月大学英语六级考试真题及答案解析(第一套)

2016

年

12

月大学 英语六级考试真题

(

第

1

套

)

Part I

Writing

(30 minutes)

Directions:

For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on invention.

Your

essay should include the importance of invention and measures to be taken to encourage invention.

You are required to write at least

150

words but no more than

200

words.

Part H

Listening Comprehension

(30 minutes)

Section A

Directions:

In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each conversation,

you will hear four questions. Both the conversation 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 I with a single line through the centre.

Questions 1 to 4 are based on the conversation you have just heard.

1. A. It tries to predict the possible trends of global climate change.

B. It studies the impacts of global climate change on people's lives.

C. It links the science of climate change to economic and policy issues.

D. It focuses on the efforts countries can make to deal with global warming.

2. A. It will take a long time before a consensus is reached on its impact.

B. It would be more costly to deal with its consequences than to avoid it.

C. It is the most pressing issue confronting all countries.

D. It is bound to cause endless disputes among nations.

3. A. The transition to low-carbon energy systems.

B. The cooperation among world major powers.

C. The signing of a global agreement.

D. The raising of people's awareness.

4. A. Carry out more research on it.

B. Cut down energy consumption.

C. Plan well in advance.

D. Adopt new technology.

Questions 5 to 8 are based on the conversation you have just heard.

5. A. When luck plays a role.

B. what determines success.

C. Whether practice makes perfect.

D. How important natural talent is.

6. A. It knocks at your door only once in a while.

B. It is something that no one can possibly create.

C. It comes naturally out of one's self-confidence.

D. It means being good at seizing opportunities.

7. A. Luck rarely contributes to a person's success.

B. One must have natural talent to be successful.

C. One should always be ready to seize opportunities.

D. Practice is essential to becoming good at something.

8. A. Putting time and effort into fun things is profitable.

B. People who love what they do care little about money.

C. Being passionate about work can make one wealthy.

D. People in need of money work hard automatically.

Section B

Directions:

In this section, you will hear two passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear

three or four 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 1 with a single line through the centre.

Questions 9 to 12 are based on the passage you have just heard.

9. A. The stump of a giant tree.

B. A huge piece of rock.

C. The peak of a mountain.

D. A tall chimney.

10. A. Human activity.

B. Wind and water.

C. Chemical processes.

D. Fire and fury.

11. A. It is a historical monument.

B. It was built in ancient times.

C. It is Indians' sacred place for worship.

D. It was created by supernatural powers.

12. A. By sheltering them in a cave.

B. By killing the attacking bears.

C. By lifting them well above the ground.

D. By taking them to the top of a mountain.

Questions 13 to 15 are based on the passage you have just heard.

13. A. They will buy something from the convenience stores.

B. They will take advantage of the time to rest a while.

C. They will have their vehicles washed or serviced.

D. They will pick up some souvenirs or gift items.

14. A. They can bring only temporary pleasures.

B. They are meant for the extremely wealthy.

C. They should be done away with altogether.

D. They may eventually drive one to bankruptcy.

15. A. A good way to socialize is to have daily lunch with one's colleagues.

B. Retirement savings should come first in one's family budgeting.

C. A vacation will be affordable if one saves 20 dollars a week.

D. Small daily savings can make a big difference in one's life.

Section C

Directions:

In this section, you will hear three recordings of lectures or talks followed by three or

four

questions.

The

recordings

will

be

played

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 1

with a single line through the centre.

Questions 16 to 18 are based on the recording you have just heard.

16. A. They should be done away with.

B. They are necessary in our lives.

C. They enrich our experience.

D. They are harmful to health.

17. A. They feel stressed out even without any challenges in life.

B. They feel too overwhelmed to deal with life's problems.

C. They are anxious to free themselves from life's troubles.

D. They are exhausted even without doing any heavy work. ~

18. A. They expand our mind.

B. They prolong our lives.

C. They narrow our focus.

lessen our burdens

Questions 19 to 22 are based on the recording you have just heard.

19. A. It is not easily breakable.

B. It came from a 3D printer.

C. It represents the latest style.

D. It was made by a fashion designer.

20. A. When she had just graduated from her college.

B. When she attended a conference in New York.

C. When she was studying at a fashion design school.

D. When she attended a fashion show nine months ago.

21. A. It was difficult to print.

B. It was hard to come by.

C. It was hard and breakable.

D. It was extremely expensive.

22. A. It is the latest model of a 3D printer.

B. It is a plastic widely used in 3D printing.

C. It gives fashion designers room for imagination.

D. It marks a breakthrough in printing material.

Questions 23 to 25 are based on the recording you have just heard.

23. A. They arise from the advances in technology.

B. They have not been examined in detail so far.

C. They are easy to solve with modern technology.

D. They can't be solved without government support.

24. A. It is attractive to entrepreneurs.

B. It demands huge investment.

C. It focuses on new products.

D. It is intensely competitive.

25. A. Cooperation with big companies.

B. Recruiting more qualified staff.

C. In-service training of IT personnel.

D. Sharing of costs with each other.

Part

Ⅲ

Reading Comprehension

(40 minutes)

Section A

Directions:

In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word

for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage

through carefully before making your choices.

Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter.

Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on

Answer Sheet 2

with a single line through

the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.

Questions 26 to 35 are based on the following passage.

It is important that scientists be seen as normal people asking and answering important questions.

Good, sound science depends on

26

, experiments and reasoned methodologies. It requires a

willingness

to

ask

new

questions

and

try

new

approaches.

It

requires

one

to

take

risks

and

experience failures.

But good science also requires

27

understanding,clear explanation and

concise presentation.

Our country needs more scientists who are willing to step out in the public

28

and offer their

opinions on important matters. We need more scientists who can explain what they are doing in

language that is

29

and understandable to the public. Those of us who are not scientists should

also be prepared to support public engagement by scientists, and to 30

scientific knowledge into

our public communications.

Too

many

people

in

this

country,

including

some

among

our

elected

leadership,

still

do

not

understand how science works or why robust, long-range investments in research vitally matter. In

the

1960s,

the

United

States

31

nearly

17%

of

discretionary

(

可酌情支配的

)

spending

to

research and development,32

decades of economic growth. By 2008, the figure had fallen into

the single

33

This occurs at a time when other nations have made significant gains in their

own research capabilities.

At the University of California (UC), we

34

ourselves not only on the quality of our research,

but also on its contribution to improving our world. To

35

the development of science from the

lab bench to the market place, UC is investing our own money in our own good ideas.

A. arena

B. contextual

C. convincing

D. devoted

E. digits

F. hasten

G

. hypotheses

H. impairing

I. incorporate

J. indefinite

K. indulge

L. inertia

M. pride

N. reaping

O. warrant

Section B

Directions:

In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each

statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which

the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than paragraph is marked

with a letter.

Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on

Answer Sheet 2

.

Are We in an Innovation Lull?

[A]

Scan

the

highlights

of

this

year's

Consumer

Electronics

Show

(

CES

),

and

you

may

get

a

slight feeling of having seen them before. Many of the coolest gadgets this year are the same as

the coolest gadgets last year--or the year before, even. The booths are still exciting, and the demos

are

still

just

as

crazy.

It

is

still

easy

to

be

dazzled

by

the

display

of

drones

(

无人机

),3D

printers,virtual

reality

goggles

(

眼镜

)

and

more

devices

than

you

could

ever

hope

to

reflection, however, it is equally easy to feel like you have seen it all before. And it

is hard not to think: Are we in an innovation lull (

间歇期

) ?

[B]

In

some

ways,

the

answer

is

yes.

For

years,

smartphones,

televisions,

tablets,

laptops

and

desktops have made up a huge part of the market and driven innovation. But now these segments

are looking at slower growth curves--or shrinking markets in some cases--as consumers are not as

eager to spend money on new gadgets. Meanwhile, emerging technologies--the drones,3D printers

and smart-home devices of the world--now seem a bit too old to be called

[C] Basically the tech industry seems to be in an awkward period now.

wonder,

and

there

will

not

be

one

for

years

to

come,

said

Gary

Shapiro,

president

and

chief

executive

of

the

Consumer

Technology

Association

(CTA).

In

his

eyes,

however,

that

doesn't

necessarily mean that innovation has stopped. It has just grown up a little.

going out of infancy and becoming adolescents,

[D] For instance, new technologies that are building upon existing technology have not found their

footing

well

enough

to

appeal

to

a

mass

audience,

because,

in

many

cases,

they

need

to

work

effectively with other devices to realize their full appeal. Take the evolution of the smart home,for

example. Companies are pushing it hard but make it almost overwhelming even to dip a toe in the

water for the average consumer, because there are so many compatibility issues to think about. No

average person wants to figure out whether their favorite calendar software works with their fridge

or whether their washing machine and tablet get along. Having to install a different app for each

smart

appliance

in

your

home

is

annoying;

it

would

be

nicer

if

you

could

manage

everything

together.

And while you may

forgive

your smartphone an occasional fault, you probably have

less patience for error messages from your door lock.

[E] Companies are promoting their own standards, and the market has not had time to choose a

winner yet as this is still very new. Companies that have long focused on hardware now have to

think of ecosystems instead to give consumers practical solutions to their everyday problems.

dialogue is changing from what is technologically possible to what is technologically meaningful,

said

economist

Shawn

DuBravac.

DuBravac

works

for

CTA-- which

puts

on

the

show

each

year-- and

said

that

this

shift

to

a

search

for

solutions

has

been

noticeable

as

he

researched

his

predictions for 2016.

[F]

said

John

Curran,

managing

director

of

research

at

Accenture.

over

the

last

couple

of

years,and in this one in particular, we are starting to see companies shift from what is the largest

screen size, the smallest form factor or the shiniest object and more into what all of these devices

do that is practical in a consumer's life.

high- profile in the past and reached a level of drama and theatrics fitting for a Las Vegas stage,

have a different bent to them. Rather than just dazzling with a high cool factor, there is a focus on

the

practical.

Fitbit,

for

example,

released

its

first

smartwatch

Monday,

selling

with

a

clear

purpose--to improve your fitness--and promoting it as a

a number of platforms: Apple's iOS, Google's Android and Microsoft's Windows phone.

[G]

That

seems

to

be

what

consumers

are

demanding,

after

all.

Consumers

are

becoming

increasingly

bored

with

what

companies

have

to

offer:

A

survey

of

28,000

consumers

in

28

countries released by Accenture found consumers are not as excited about technology as they once

were.

For

example,

when

asked

whether

they

would

buy

a

new

smartphone

this

year,

only

48

percent said yes--a six- point drop from 2015.

[H]

And

when

it

comes

to

the

hyper-connected

super-smart

world

that

technology

firms

are

painting for us, it seems that consumers are growing more uneasy about handing over the massive

amounts

of

consumer

data

needed

to

provide

the

personalized,

customized

solutions

that

companies need to improve their services. That could be another explanation for why companies

seem to be strengthening their talk of the practicality of their devices.

[I] Companies have already won part of the battle, having driven tech into every part of our lives,

tracking

our

steps

and

our

very

heartbeats.

Yet

the

persistent

question

of

Why

do

I

need

that?

ventures.

Only 13 percent of respondents said that they were interested in buying a smartwatch

in

2016,

for

example--an

increase

of

just

one

percent

from

the

previous

year

despite

a

year

of

high-profile launches. That is bad news for any firm that may hope that smartwatches can make up

ground for maturing smartphone and tablet markets. And the survey found flat demand for fitness

monitors, smart thermostats (

恒温器

) and connected home cameras, as well.

[J] According to the survey, that lack of enthusiasm could stem from concerns about privacy and

security. Even among people who have bought connected devices of some kind,37 percent said

that they are going to be more cautions about using these devices and services in the future. A full

18 percent have even returned devices until they feel they can get safer guarantees against having

their sensitive information hacked.

[K]

That,

too,

explains

the

heavy

Washington

presence

at

this

year's

show,

as

these

new

technologies intrude upon heavily regulated areas. In addition to many senior officials from the

Federal

Trade

and

Federal

Communications

commissions,

this

year's

list

of

policy

makers

also

includes appearances from Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, to talk about smart cities, and

Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Michael Huerta, to talk about drones.

[L]

Curran,

the

Accenture

analyst,

said

that

increased

government

interest

in

the

show

makes

sense as technology becomes a larger part of our lives.

which

these

are

advancing

relative

to

the

way

we're

digesting

it,

he

said.

is

becoming bigger and more aspirational, and penetrating almost every aspect of our lives. We have

to

understand

and

think

about

the

implications,

and

balance

these

great

innovations

with

the

potential downsides they naturally carry with them.

36.

Consumers

are

often

hesitant

to

try

smart-home

devices

because

they

are

worried

about

compatibility problems.

37.

This

year's

electronics

show

featured

the

presence

of

many

officials

from

the

federal

government.

38. The market demand for electronic devices is now either declining or not growing as fast as

before.

39.

One

analyst

suggests

it

is

necessary

to

accept

both

tlie

positive

and

negative

aspects

of

innovative products.

40.

The

Consumer

Electronics

Show

in

recent

years

has

begun

to

focus

more

on

the

practical

value than the showiness of electronic devices.

41. Fewer innovative products were found at this year's electronic products show.

42. Consumers are becoming more worried about giving personal information to tech companies

to get customized products and services.

43.

The

Consumer

Technology

Association

is

the

sponsor

of

the

annual

Consumer

Electronics

Show.

44. Many consumers wonder about the necessity of having their fitness monitored.

45. The electronic industry is maturing even though no wonder products hit the market.

Section C

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 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.

The Paris climate agreement finalised in December last year heralded a new era for climate

action. For the first time, the world's nations agreed to keep global warming well below 2

℃

.

This is vital for climate-vulnerable nations. Fewer than 4% of countries are responsible for more

than

half

of

the

world's

greenhouse

gas

emissions.

In

a

study

published

in

Nature

Scientific

Reports, we reveal just how deep this injustice runs.

Developed nations such as Australia, the United States, Canada, and European countries are

essentially

climate

causing

the

majority

of

the

problems

through

high

greenhouse

gas emissions, while incurring few of the costs such as climate change's impact on food and water.

In other words, a few countries are benefiting enormously from the consumption of fossil fuels,

while at the same time contributing disproportionately to the global burden of climate change.

On the flip side, there are many

impacts despite having scarcely contributed to the problem.

Many of the world's most climate

vulnerable countries, the majority of which are African or small island states, produce a very small

quantity of emissions. This is much like a non-smoker getting cancer from second-hand smoke,

while the heavy smoker is fortunate enough to smoke in good health.

The Paris agreement has been widely hailed as a positive step forward in addressing climate

change

for

all,

although

the

details

on

addressing

justice

can

be

best

described

as

sketchy.

The

goal

of

keeping

global

temperature

rise

below

2~C

is

commendable

but

the

emissions-reduction pledges submitted by countries leading up to the Paris talks are very unlikely

to deliver on this.

More

than

$$100

billion

in

funding

has

been

put

on

the

table

for

supporting

developing

nations to reduce emissions.

However, the agreement specifies that there is no formal distinction

between

developed

and

developing

nations

in

their

responsibility

to

cut

emissions,

effectively

ignoring

historical

emissions.

There

is

also

very

little

detail

on

who

will

provide

the

funds

or,

importantly, who is responsible for their provision. Securing these funds, and establishing who is

responsible for raising them will also be vital for the future of climate-vulnerable countries.

The most climate-vulnerable countries in the world have contributed very little to creating the

global

disease

from

which

they

now

suffer

the

most.

There

must

urgently

be

a

meaningful

mobilization

of

the

policies

outlined

in

the

agreement

if

we

are

to

achieve

national

emissions

reductions while helping the most vulnerable countries adapt to climate change.

And

it

is

clearly

up

to

the

current

generation

of

leaders

from

high-emitting

nations

to

decide

whether they want to be remembered as climate change tyrants or pioneers.

46. The author is critical of the Paris climate agreement because

A. it is unfair to those climate- vulnerable nations

B. it aims to keep temperature rise below 2

℃

only

C. it is beneficial to only fewer than 4% of countries

D. it burdens developed countries with the sole responsibility

47. Why does the author call some developed countries climate

A. They needn't worry about the food and water they consume.

B. They are better able to cope with the global climate change.

C. They hardly pay anything for the problems they have caused.

D. They are free from the greenhouse effects affecting

48. Why does the author compare the

A. They have little responsibility for public health problems.

B. They are vulnerable to unhealthy environmental conditions.

C. They have to bear consequences they are not responsible for.

D. They are unaware of the potential risks they are confronting.

49. What does the author say about the $$100 billion funding?

A. It will motivate all nations to reduce carbon emissions.

B. There is no final agreement on where it will come from.

C. There is no clarification of how the money will be spent.

D. It will effectively reduce greenhouse emissions worldwide.

50. what urgent action must be taken to realise the Paris climate agreement?

A. Encouraging high-emitting nations to take the initiative.

B. Calling on all the nations concerned to make joint efforts.

C. Pushing the current world leaders to come to a consensus.

D. Putting in effect the policies in the agreement at once.

Passage Two

Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.

Teenagers at risk of depression, anxiety and suicide often wear their troubles like a neon (

霓

虹灯

)sign.

Their

risky

behaviors--drinking

too

much

alcohol,

using

illegal

drugs,

smoking

cigarettes and skipping school--can alert parents and teachers that serious problems are brewing.

But a new study finds that there's another group of adolescents who are in nearly as much danger

of experiencing the same psychiatric symptoms: teens who use tons of media, don't get enough

sleep and have a sedentary (

不爱活动的

) lifestyle.

Of course, that may sound like a description of every teenager on the planet. But the study

warns that it is teenagers who engage in all three of these practices in the extreme who are truly in

jeopardy. Because their behaviors are not usually seen as a red flag, these young people have been

dubbed the

Carli.

most

parents, teachers

and

clinicians

would

react

to an

adolescent using

drugs

or

getting drunk, they may easily overlook teenagers who are engaging in inconspicuous behaviors.

The

study's

authors

surveyed

12,395

students

and

analyzed

nine

risk

behaviors,

including

excessive alcohol use, illegal drug use, heavy smoking, high media use and truancy (

逃学

). Their

aim

was

to

determine

the

relationship

between

these

risk

behaviors

and

mental

health

issues

in

teenagers.

About 58% of the students demonstrated none or few of the risk behaviors. Some 13% scored

high on all nine of the risk behaviors. And 29%, the

particular: They spent five hours a day or more on electronic devices. They slept six hours a night

or less. And they neglected

The

group

that

scored

high

on

all

nine

of

the

risk

behaviors

was

most

likely

to

show

symptoms of depression; in all, nearly 15% of this group reported being depressed, compared with

just

4%

of

the

low-risk

group.

But

the

invisible

group

wasn't

far

behind

the

high- risk

set,

with