-
2016
年
12
月英语六级真题及答案解析
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. You 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.
1
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
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.
2
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. 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)
3
Section A
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. You 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?
4
[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
hope
to reflection, however, it is equally easy to
feel like you have seen it all
before.
And it is 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.
one-hitwonder, and
there will not be one for years to
come,
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.
industries aregoing out of
infancy and becoming adolescents,
[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,
said
economist
Shawn
DuBravac.
DuBravac
works
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]
gadgets,
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 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.
Even
the
technology
press 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
only that, itsupports a
number of platforms: Apple's iOS,
Google's Android and Microsoft's
5
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
needthat?
perhaps
more
tellingly,
do
you
need
to
know
that?
the
steps
of
manynew
ventures. 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.
at whichthese are
advancing relative to the way we're digesting
it,
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
6
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.
Developed
nations
such
as
Australia,
the
United
States,
Canada, and
European
countries
areessentially
climate
causing
the
majority
of
the
problems
through
high
greenhouse
gasemissions,
while
incurring
few
of
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
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 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
7
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.
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
8