2020年大学英语六级考试真题及答案(第一套)

大学英语六级考试真题

(

1

套

)

Part I

Writing

(30 minutes)

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

include the importance of invention and measures to be taken to encourageinvention. Y

ou are required to write

at least 150 words but no more than 200 words.

Part

Ⅱ

Listening Comprehension

(30 minutes)

Section A

Directions: In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of eachconversation, you will

hear four questions. Both the conversation and thequestions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question,

you mustchoose 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 linethrough 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.

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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 hearthree or

four questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only you hear a question, you must

choose

the

best

answer

from

the

four

choices

markedA,

B,

C

and

D.

Then

mark

the

corresponding

letter

on

Answer Sheet 1 with asingle 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

orfour

questions. The recordings will be played only once. After you hear a question, youmust choose the best answer

from the four choices marked A, B, C and D. Thenmark 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.

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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. ation 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

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

blank

from

a

list

of

choices

given

in

a

word

bank

following

the

passage.

Read

thepassage

through

carefully

before making your choices.

Each choice in the bank isidentified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding

letter for each item on Answer Sheet2 with a single line through the centre. Y

ou may not use any of the words in

the bankmore 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 , sound

science depends on

26, experiments and reasoned methodologies. It requires awillingness to ask new questions

and try new approaches. It requires one to take risks and experiencefailures.

But good science also requires

27

understanding,clear explanation and concisepresentation.

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

28

and offer theiropinions on

important

matters.

We

need

more

scientists

who

can

explain

what

they

are

doing

inlanguage

that

is

29

and

understandable

to

the

public.

Those

of

us

who

are

not

scientists

should

alsobe

prepared

to

support

public

engagement by scientists, and to 30 scientific knowledge into ourpublic communications.

Too many people in this country, including some among our elected leadership, still do notunderstand how

science works or why robust, long-range investments in research vitally matter. In the1960s, the United States

31

nearly

17%

of

discretionary

(

可酌情支配的

)

spending

to

research

anddevelopment,32

decades

of

economic

growth. By 2008, the figure had fallen into the single33

This occurs at a time when other nations have made

significant gains in their own researchcapabilities.

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

labbench

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.

Eachstatement

contains

information

given

in

one

of

the

paragraphs.

Identify

the

paragraphfrom

which

the

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

Answer the questions by marking thecorresponding 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 slightfeeling of

having seen them before. Many of the coolest gadgets this year are the same as thecoolest gadgets last year--or the

year before, even. The booths are still exciting, and the demosare 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

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

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hardnot 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 anddesktops have

made up a huge part of the market and driven innovation. But now these segmentsare looking at slower growth

curves--or

shrinking

markets

in

some

cases--as

consumers

are

notas

eager

to

spend

money

on

new

gadgets.

Meanwhile, emerging technologies--the drones,3Dprinters 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.

there

will

not

be

one

for

years

to

come,

said

Gary

Shapiro,

president

and

chiefexecutive

of

the

Consumer

Technology Association (CTA). In his eyes, however, that doesn'tnecessarily mean that innovation has stopped. It

has just grown up a little.

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

enough to appeal to a mass audience, because, in many cases, they need to workeffectively 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

inthe

water

for

the

average

consumer,

because

there

are

so

many

compatibility issues to thinkabout. No average person wants to figure out whether their favorite calendar software

works withtheir fridge or whether their washing machine and tablet get along. Having to install a different appfor

each smart appliance in your home is annoying; it would be nicer if you could manageeverything together.

And

while

you

may

forgive

your

smartphone

an

occasional

fault,

youprobably

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 awinner yet as

this is still very new. Companies that have long focused on hardware now have tothink of ecosystems instead to

give

consumers

practical

solutions

to

their

everyday

problems.

dialogue

is

changing

from

what

is

technologically possible to what is technologicallymeaningful,

for CTA-- which puts on theshow each year--and said that this shift to a search for solutions has been noticeable as

heresearched his predictions for 2016.

[F]

Curran, managing director of research at Accenture.

we are starting to see companies shift from what is the largest screensize, the smallest form factor or the shiniest

object and more into what all of these devices do thatis practical in a consumer's life.

conferences, which have been high-profile in the past and reached a level of drama and theatrics fitting for a Las

Vegas

stage,

have

adifferent

bent

to

them.

Rather

than

just

dazzling

with

a

high cool

factor,

there

is

a

focus

on

thepractical. Fitbit, for example, released its first smartwatch Monday, selling with a clearpurpose--to improve your

fitness --and

promoting

it

as

a

not

a

toy.

Not

only

that,

itsupports

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 increasinglybored

with

what

companies

have

to

offer:

A

survey

of

28,000

consumers

in

28

countries

releasedby

Accenture

found

consumers are not as excited about technology as they once were. Forexample, when asked whether they would

buy a new smartphone this year, only 48 percent saidyes--a six-point drop from 2015.

[H] And when it comes to the hyper-connected super-smart world that technology firms are paintingfor us, it

seems that consumers are growing more uneasy about handing over the massive amountsof consumer data needed

to

provide

the

personalized,

customized

solutions

that

companies

needto

improve

their

services.

That

could

be

another explanation for why companies seem to bestrengthening 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

needthat?

perhaps

more

tellingly,

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Only 13 percent of respondents said that

they were interested in buying asmartwatch in 2016, for example--an increase of just one percent from the previous

year

despite

ayear

of

high-profile

launches.

That

is

bad

news

for

any

firm

that

may

hope

that

smartwatches

canmake

up

ground

for

maturing

smartphone

and

tablet

markets.

And

the

survey

found

flat

demandfor

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 andsecurity. Even

among

people

who

have

bought

connected

devices

of

some

kind,37

percent

saidthat

they

are

going

to

be

more

cautions about using these devices and services in the future. A full18 percent have even returned devices until they

feel they can get safer guarantees against havingtheir sensitive information hacked.

[K] That, too, explains the heavy Washington presence at this year's show, as these new technologiesintrude

upon

heavily

regulated

areas.

In

addition

to

many

senior

officials

from

the

Federal

Tradeand

Federal

Communications

commissions,

this

year's

list

of

policy

makers

also

includesappearances

from

Transportation

Secretary

Anthony

Foxx,

to

talk

about

smart

cities,

and

FederalAviation

Administration

Administrator

Michael

Huerta, to talk about drones.

[L]

Curran,

the

Accenture

analyst,

said

that

increased

government

interest

in

the

show

makes

senseas

technology becomes a larger part of our lives.

relative

to

the

way

we're

digesting

it,

he

said.

is

becomingbigger

and

more

aspirational,

and

penetrating almost every aspect of our lives. We have tounderstand and think about the implications, and balance

these great innovations with thepotential downsides they naturally carry with them.

36.

Consumers

are

often

hesitant

to

try

smart-home

devices

because

they

are

worried

aboutcompatibility

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 innovativeproducts.

40. The Consumer Electronics Show in recent years has begun to focus more on the practical value thanthe

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

getcustomized 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 orunfinished

statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C andD. You should decide on the best choice

and mark the corresponding letter on AnswerSheet 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 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 morethan half of

the world's greenhouse gas emissions. In a study published in Nature Scientific Reports,we reveal just how deep

this injustice runs.

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

the

costs

such

as

climate

change's

impact

on

food

and

water.

In

otherwords,

a

few

countries

are

benefiting

enormously

from

the

consumption

of

fossil

fuels,

while

at

thesame

time

contributing

disproportionately

to

the

global burden of climate change.

On

the

flip

side,

there

are many

riders

who

are

suffering

from

the

climate

changeimpacts

despite

having scarcely contributed to the problem.

Many of the world's most climatevulnerable countries, the majority of

which are African or small island states, produce a very smallquantity of emissions. This is much like a non-smoker

getting cancer from second-hand smoke, whilethe 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 changefor all,

although the details on addressing

The goal of keeping global temperature rise

pledges submitted by countries leading up to the Paris talks are very unlikely to deliver onthis.

More

than

$$100

billion

in

funding

has

been

put

on

the

table

for

supporting

developing

nations

toreduce

emissions.

However, the agreement specifies that there is no formal distinction betweendeveloped and developing

nations

in

their

responsibility

to

cut

emissions,

effectively

ignoring

historicalemissions.

There

is

also

very

little

detail on who will provide the funds or, importantly, who isresponsible for their provision. Securing these funds,

and establishing who is responsible for raisingthem 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 theglobal disease

from which they now suffer the most. There must urgently be a meaningful mobilisationof the policies outlined in

the agreement if we are to achieve national emissions reductions whilehelping the most vulnerable countries adapt

to climate change.

And it is clearly up to the current generation of leaders from high- emitting nations to decidewhether 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.

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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 andskipping 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

dangerof

experiencing

the

same

psychiatric

symptoms:

teens

who

use

tons

of

media,

don't

get

enough

sleepand

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

warnsthat

it

is

teenagers

who

engage

in

all

three

of

these

practices

in

the

extreme

who

are

truly

in

e

their

behaviors are not usually seen as a red flag, these young people have been dubbed the

study's authors.

some

ways

they're

at

greater

risk

of

falling

through

the

cracks,

says

researcher

VladimirCarli.

most

parents,

teachers

and

clinicians

would

react

to

an

adolescent

using

drugs

or gettingdrunk,

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 excessivealcohol use,

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

逃学

). Their aim was todetermine 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 highon all nine

of the risk behaviors. And 29%, the

day or more on electronic devices. They slept six hours a night orless. And they neglected

The group that scored high on all nine of the risk behaviors was most likely to show symptoms ofdepression;

in all, nearly 15% of this group reported being depressed, compared with just 4% of thelow-risk group. But the

invisible group wasn't far behind the high-risk set, with more than 13% of themexhibiting depression.

The

findings

caught

Carli

off

guard.

were

very

surprised,

he

says.

high-risk

group

andlow-risk

group are obvious. But this third group was not only unexpected, it was so distinct and solarge--nearly one third of

our sample --that it became a key finding of the study.

Carli says that one of the most significant things about his study is that it provides new early-warning signs for

parents, teachers and mental health- care providers. And early identification, supportand treatment for mental health

issues, he says, are the best ways to keep them from turning into full-blown disorders.

51. What does the author mean by saying

troubles like a neon sign

A. Mental problems can now be found in large numbers of teenagers.

B. Teenagers' mental problems are getting more and more attention.

C. Teenagers' mental problems are often too conspicuous not to be observed.

D. Depression and anxiety are the most common symptoms of mental problems.

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