大学英语六级考试2016年6月真题（第二套）

Part I　Writing　（30 minutes）

Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on the use of robots. Try to imagine what will happen when more and more robots take the place of human beings in industry as well as people's daily lives. You are required to write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words.

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Part II　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 1 with a single line through the centre.

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

1.A) The project the man managed at CucinTech.

B) The updating of technology at CucinTech.

C) The man's switch to a new career.

D) The restructuring of her company.

2.A) Talented personnel.

B) Strategic innovation.

C) Competitive products.

D) Effective promotion.

3.A) Expand the market.

B) Recruit more talents.

C) Innovate constantly.

D) Watch out for his competitors.

4.A) Possible bankruptcy.

B) Unforeseen difficulties.

C) Conflicts within the company.

D) Imitation by one's competitors.

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

5.A) The job of an interpreter.

B) The stress felt by professionals.

C) The importance of language proficiency.

D) The best way to effective communication.

6.A) Promising.

B) Admirable.

C) Rewarding.

D) Meaningful.

7.A) They all have a strong interest in language.

B) They all have professional qualifications.

C) They have all passed language proficiency tests.

D) They have all studied cross-cultural differences.

8.A) It requires a much larger vocabulary.

B) It attaches more importance to accuracy.

C) It is more stressful than simultaneous interpreting.

D) It puts one's long-term memory under more stress.

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 11 are based on the passage you have just heard.

9.A) It might affect mothers' health.

B) It might disturb infants' sleep.

C) It might increase the risk of infants' death.

D) It might increase mothers' mental distress.

10.A) Mothers who breast-feed their babies have a harder time falling asleep.

B) Mothers who sleep with their babies need a little more sleep each night.

C) Sleeping patterns of mothers greatly affect their newborn babies' health.

D) Sleeping with infants in the same room has a negative impact on mothers.

11.A) Change their sleep patterns to adapt to their newborn babies'.

B) Sleep in the same room but not in the same bed as their babies.

C) Sleep in the same house but not in the same room as their babies.

D) Take precautions to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome.

Questions 12 to 15 are based on the passage you have just heard.

12.A) A lot of native languages have already died out in the US.

B) The US ranks first in the number of endangered languages.

C) The efforts to preserve Indian languages have proved fruitless.

D) More money is needed to record the native languages in the US.

13.A) To set up more language schools.

B) To document endangered languages.

C) To educate native American children.

D) To revitalise America's native languages.

14.A) The US government's policy of Americanising Indian children.

B) The failure of American Indian languages to gain an official status.

C) The US government's unwillingness to spend money educating Indians.

D) The long-time isolation of American Indians from the outside world.

15.A) It is being utilised to teach native languages.

B) It tells traditional stories during family time.

C) It speeds up the extinction of native languages.

D) It is widely used in language immersion schools.

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) It pays them up to half of their previous wages while they look for work.

B) It covers their mortgage payments and medical expenses for 99 weeks.

C) It pays their living expenses until they find employment again.

D) It provides them with the basic necessities of everyday life.

17.A) Creating jobs for the huge army of unemployed workers.

B) Providing training and guidance for unemployed workers.

C) Convincing local lawmakers to extend unemployment benefits.

D) Raising funds to help those having no unemployment insurance.

18.A) To offer them loans they need to start their own businesses.

B) To allow them to postpone their monthly mortgage payments.

C) To create more jobs by encouraging private investments in local companies.

D) To encourage big businesses to hire back workers with government subsidies.

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

19.A) They measured the depths of sea water.

B) They analyzed the water content.

C) They explored the ocean floor.

D) They investigated the ice.

20.A) Eighty percent of the ice disappears in summer time.

B) Most of the ice was accumulated over the past centuries.

C) The ice ensures the survival of many endangered species.

D) The ice decrease is more evident than previously thought.

21.A) Arctic ice is a major source of the world's fresh water.

B) The melting Arctic ice has drowned many coastal cities.

C) The decline of Arctic ice is irreversible.

D) Arctic ice is essential to human survival.

22.A) It will do a lot of harm to mankind.

B) There is no easy way to understand it.

C) It will advance nuclear technology.

D) There is no easy technological solution to it.

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

23.A) The reason why New Zealand children seem to have better self-control.

B) The relation between children's self-control and their future success.

C) The health problems of children raised by a single parent.

D) The deciding factor in children's academic performance.

24.A) Children raised by single parents will have a hard time in their thirties.

B) Those with a criminal record mostly come from single parent families.

C) Parents must learn to exercise self-control in front of their children.

D) Lack of self-control in parents is a disadvantage for their children.

25.A) Self-control can be improved through education.

B) Self-control can improve one's financial situation.

C) Self-control problems may be detected early in children.

D) Self-control problems will diminish as one grows up.

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.

Let's say you love roller-skating. Just the thought of 26 on your roller-skates brings a smile to your face. You also know that roller-skating is excellent exercise. You have a 27 attitude toward it.

This description of roller-skating 28 the three components of an attitude: affect, cognition, and behavior. You love the activity; it's great fun. These feelings 29 the affective or emotional component; they are an important ingredient in attitudes. The knowledge we have about the object constitutes the cognitive component of an attitude. You understand the health 30 that the activity can bring. Finally, attitudes have a behavioral component. Our attitudes 31 us to go outside to enjoy roller-skating.

Now, we don't want to leave you with the 32 that these three components always work together 33. They don't; sometimes they clash. For example, let's say you love pizza (affective component); however, you have high cholesterol and understand (knowledge component) that eating pizza may be bad for your health. Which behavior will your attitude result in, eating pizza or 34 it? The answer depends on which component happens to be stronger. If you are walking past a pizza restaurant at lunchtime, your emotions and feelings probably will be stronger than your knowledge that pizza may not be the best food for your health. In that instance, you have pizza for lunch. If you are at home trying to decide where to go for dinner, however, the knowledge component may 35, and you decide to go where you can eat a healthier meal.

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 once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.

The Changing Generation

A) It turns out today's teenagers aren't so scary after all. Results of USA WEEKEND's Teens & Parents survey reveal a generation of young people who get along well with their parents and approve of the way they're being raised. They think of their parents with affection and respect. They speak with Mom or Dad when they have a problem. Most feel that their parents understand them, and they believe their family is the No. 1 priority in their parents' lives. Many even think their parents are cool! Although more than a third have an object in their rooms they would like to keep secret from their parents, rarely is it anything more alarming than a diary or off-color （低俗的） book or CD.

B) Such results may seem surprising against the background of shocking incidents that color the way the mass media portray the young. In October 2000, the same month the survey was taken, the Washington-based Center for Media and Public Affairs wrote in its publication Media Monitor that, in a recent month of TV news coverage of American youth, just 2% of teens were shown at home, and just 1% were portrayed in a work setting. In contrast, the criminal justice system accounted for nearly one out of every five visual backgrounds. No wonder parents worry their own kids might spin out of control once they hit the turbulent waters of adolescence.

C) The overall facts ought to reassure us. The survey shows us that today's teens are affectionate, sensible and far happier than the angry and tortured souls that have been painted for us by stereotypes. From other sources, we also know teenage crime, drug abuse and premarital sex are in general decline. We, of course, need to pay attention to youngsters who are filled with discontent and hostility, but we should not allow these extreme cases to distort our view of most young people.

D) My own research at the Stanford Center on Adolescence uses in-depth interviews with small samples of youngsters rather than large-scale surveys. Still, in my studies and others I have read, I find the same patterns as in USA WEEKEND's survey. Today's teenagers admire their parents and welcome parental guidance about important matters such as career choice—though certainly not Mom and Dad's advice on matters of personal taste, such as music of fashion. When we ask teens to choose a hero, they usually select an older family member rather than a remote public figure. Most teens say they enjoy the company of both parents and friends.

E) Contrary to some stereotypes, most adolescents believe they must be tolerant of differences among individuals (though they do not always find this easy in the cliquish （拉帮结派的） environment of high school). Many of them volunteer for community service with disadvantaged people. One prevalent quality we have found in teens' statements about themselves, their friends and their families is a strikingly positive emotional tone. By and large, these are very nice kids, and as the band The Who used to sing, “The kids are alright.”

F) How much is today's spirit of harmony a change from our more turbulent past? A mere generation ago, parent-child relations were described as “the generation gap”. Yet even then reports of widespread youth rebellion were overdone: Most kids in the '60s and '70s shared their parents' basic values. Still, it is true that American families are growing closer at the dawn of this new millennium （千年）. Perhaps there is less to fight about, with the country in a period of tranquility and the dangers of drug abuse and other unwholesome behavior well known. Perhaps in the face of impersonal and intimidating globalization, a young person's family feels more like a friendly haven than an oppressive trap. And perhaps parents are acting more like parents than in the recent past. Within just the past five years, I have noticed parents returning to a belief that teenagers need the guidance of elders rather than the liberal, “anything goes”mode of child-rearing that became popular in the second half of the 20th century.

G) But missing from all these data is the sense that today's young care very much about their country, about the broader civic and political environment, or about the future of their society. They seem to be turning inward—generally in a pro-social manner, certainly with positive benefits for intimate relationships, but too often at the expense of a connection with the present and future world beyond, including the society they will one day inherit.

H) Recently, we examined more than 400 essays on the “laws of life”that teens from two communities had written as part of an educational program initiated by the John Templeton Foundation in Radnor, Pa. In those essays, and in follow-up interviews with a few of the teenagers, we found lots of insight, positive feeling and inspirational thinking. But we also found little interest in civic life beyond the tight circles of their family and immediate friends.

I) For example, only one boy said he would like to be president when he grows up. When I was in high school, dozens in my class alone would have answered differently. In fact, other recent studies have found there has never been a time in American history when so small a proportion of young people have sought or accepted leadership roles in local civic organizations. It is also troubling that voting rates among our youngest eligible voters—18? to 24?year-olds—are way down: Little more than one in four now go to the polls, even in national elections, compared with almost twice that many when 18?year-olds were first given the vote.

J) In our interviews, many students viewed polities with suspicion and distaste. “Most politicians are kind of croaked （不诚实的）,”one student declared. Another, discussing national politics, said, “I feel like one person can't do that much, and I get the impression most people don't think a group of people can do that much.”Asked what they would like to change in the world, the students mentioned only personal concerns such as slowing down the pace of life, gaining good friends, becoming more spiritual, becoming either more materially successful or less materially oriented (depending on the student's values), and being more respectful of the Earth, animals and other people. One boy said, “I'd rather be concentrating on artistic efforts than saving the world or something.”

K) It is fine and healthy for teens to cultivate their personal interests, and it is good news when young people enjoy harmonious relations with their family and friends. But there is also a place in a young life for noble purposes that include a dedication to the broader society, a love of country and an aspiration to make their own leadership contributions.

L) In the past, the young have eagerly participated in national service and civic affairs, often with lots of energy and idealism. If this is not happening today, we should ask why. Our society needs the full participation of its younger citizens if it is to continue to thrive. We know the promise is there—this is a well-grounded, talented, warm-hearted group of youngsters. We have everything to gain by encouraging them to explore the world beyond their immediate experience and to prepare themselves for their turn at shaping that world.

36. Not many young people eligible for voting are interested in local or national elections these days.

37. Parents are concerned that their children may get involved in criminal offences once they reach their teens.

38. Even during the turbulent years of last century, youth rebellion was often exaggerated in the media.

39. Teenagers of today often turn to their parents for advice on such important matters as career choice.

40. The incidence of teenage crime and misbehavior is decreasing nowadays.

41. Young people should have lofty ideals in life and strive to be leaders.

42. Some young people like to keep something to themselves and don't want their parents to know about it.

43. It is beneficial to encourage young people to explore the broader word and get ready to make it a better place.

44. Many teenagers now offer to render service to the needy.

45. Interviews with students find many of them are only concerned about personal matters.

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.

Manufacturers of products that claim to be environmentally friendly will face tighter rules on how they are advertised to consumers under changes proposed by the Federal Trade Commission.

The commission's revised “Green Guides”warn marketers against using labels that make broad claims, like “eco-friendly”. Marketers must qualify their claims on the product packaging and limit them to a specific benefit, such as how much of the product is recycled.

“This is really about trying to cut through the confusion that consumers have when they are buying a product and that businesses have when they are selling a product,”said Jon Leibowitz, chairman of the commission.

The revisions come at a time when green marketing is on the rise. According to a new study, the number of advertisements with green messages in mainstream magazines has risen since 1987, and peaked in 2008 at 10.4%. In 2009, the number dropped to 9%.

But while the number of advertisements may have dipped, there has been a rapid spread of eco-labeling. There are both good and bad players in the eco-labeling game.

In the last five years or so, there has been an explosion of green claims and environmental claims. It is clear that consumers don't always know what they are getting.

A handful of lawsuits have been filed in recent years against companies accused of using misleading environmental labels. In 2008 and 2009, class-action lawsuits（集体诉讼） were filed against SC Johnson for using “Greenlist”labels on its cleaning products. The lawsuits said that the label was misleading because it gave the impression that the products had been certified by a third party when the certification was the company's own.

“We are very proud of our accomplishments under the Greenlist system and we believe that we will prevail in these cases,”Christopher Beard, director of public affairs for SC Johnson, said, while acknowledging that “this has been an area that is difficult to navigate.”

Companies have also taken it upon themselves to contest each other's green claims.

David Mallen, associate director of the Council of Better Business Bureau, said in the last two years the organization had seen an increase in the number of claims companies were bringing against each other for false or misleading environmental product claims.

“About once a week, I have a client that will bring up a new certification I've never even heard of and I'm in this industry,”said Kevin Wilhelm, chief executive officer of Sustainable Business Consulting. “It's kind of a Wild West, anybody can claim themselves to be green.”Mr. Wilhelm said the excess of labels made it difficult for businesses and consumers to know which labels they should pay attention to.

46. What do the revised “Green Guides”require businesses to do?

A) Manufacture as many green products as possible.

B) Indicate whether their products are recyclable.

C) Specify in what way their products are green.

D) Attach green labels to all of their products.

47. What does the author say about consumers facing an explosion of green claims?

A) They can easily see through the businesses' tricks.

B) The have to spend lots of time choosing products.

C) They have doubt about current green certification.

D) They are not clear which products are truly green.

48. What was SC Johnson accused of in the class-action lawsuits?

A) It gave consumers the impression that all its products were truly green.

B) It gave a third party the authority to label its products as environmentally friendly.

C) It misled consumers to believe that its products had been certified by a third party.

D) It sold cleaning products that were not included in the official “Greenlist”.

49. How did Christopher Beard defend his company's labeling practice?

A) There were no clear guidelines concerning green labeling.

B) His company's products had been well received by the public.

C) It was in conformity to the prevailing practice in the market.

D) No law required the involvement of a third party in certification.

50. What does Kevin Wilhelm imply by saying “It's kind of a Wild West”(Lines 2~3, Para. 11)?

A) Businesses compete to produce green products.

B) Each business acts its own way in green labeling.

C) Consumers grow wild with products labeled green.

D) Anything produced in the West can be labeled green.

Passage Two

Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.

America's education system has become less a ladder of opportunity than a structure to transmit inequality from one generation to the next.

That's why school reform is so critical. This is an issue of equality, opportunity and national conscience. It's not just about education, but about poverty and justice.

It's true that the main reason inner-city schools do poorly isn't teachers' unions, but poverty. Southern states without strong teachers' unions have schools at least as awful as those in union states. Some Chicago teachers seem to think that they shouldn't be held accountable until poverty is solved. There're steps we can take that would make some difference, and Mayor Rahm Emanuel is trying some of them—yet the union is resisting.

I'd be sympathetic if the union focused solely on higher compensation. Teachers need to be much better paid to attract the best college graduates to the nation's worst schools. But, instead, the Chicago union seems to be using its political capital primarily to protect weak performers.

There's solid evidence that there are huge differences in the effectiveness of teachers. The gold standard study by Harvard and Columbia University scholars found that even in high-poverty schools, teachers consistently had a huge positive or negative impact.

Get a bottom 1% teacher, and the effect is the same as if a child misses 40% of the school year. Get a teacher from the top 20%, and it's as if a child has gone to school for an extra month or two.

The study found that strong teachers in the fourth through eighth grades raised the skills of their students in ways that would last for decades. Just having a strong teacher for one elementary year left pupils a bit less likely to become mothers as teenagers, a bit more likely to go to college and earning more money at age 28.

How does one figure out who is a weak teacher? Yes, that's a challenge. But researchers are improving systems to measure a teacher's performance throughout the year, and, with three years of data, it's usually possible to tell which teachers are failing.

Unfortunately, the union in Chicago is insisting that teachers who are laid off—often for being ineffective—should get priority in new hiring. That's an insult to students.

Teaching is so important that it should be like other professions, with high pay and good working conditions but few job protections for bottom performers.

This isn't a battle between garment workers and greedy bosses. The central figures in the Chicago schools strike are neither strikers nor managers but 350,000 children. Protecting the union demand sacrifices those students, in effect turning a blind eye to the injustice in the education system.

51. What do we learn about America's education system?

A) It provides a ladder of opportunity for the wealthy.

B) It contributes little to the elimination of inequality.

C) It has remained basically unchanged for generations.

D) It has brought up generations of responsible citizens.

52. What is chiefly responsible for the undesirable performance of inner-city schools?

A) Unqualified teachers.

B) Lack of financial resources.

C) Unfavorable learning environment.

D) Subconscious racial discrimination

53. What does the author think the union should do to win popular support?

A) Assist the city government in reforming schools.

B) Give constructive advice to inner-city schools.

C) Demand higher pay for teachers.

D) Help teachers improve teaching.

54. What is the finding of the gold standard study by Harvard and Columbia University scholars?

A) Many inner-city school teachers are not equal to their jobs.

B) A large proportion of inner-city children often miss classes.

C) Many students are dissatisfied with their teachers.

D) Student performance has a lot to do with teachers.

55. Why does the author say the Chicago union's demand is an insult to students?

A) It protects incompetent teachers at the expense of students.

B) It underestimates students' ability to tell good teachers from poor ones.

C) It makes students feel that they are discriminated against in many ways.

D) It totally ignores students' initiative in the learning process.

Part IV　Translation　（30 minutes）

Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.

旗袍（qipao）是一种雅致的中国服装，源于中国的满族（Manchu Nationality）。在清代，旗袍是王室女性穿着的宽松长袍。上世纪20年代，受西方服饰影响，旗袍发生了一些变化。袖口（cuffs）变窄，袍身变短。这些变化使女性美得以充分展现。

如今，旗袍经常出现在世界级的时装秀上。中国女性出席重要社交聚会时，旗袍往往是她们的首选。很多中国新娘也会选择旗袍作为结婚礼服。一些有影响的人士甚至建议将旗袍作为中国女性的民族服饰。