2012年12月英语六级真题及答案详解 2

2012年12月英语六级真题及答案详解

Part I Writing (30 minutes)

Directions:For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay entitled Man and Computer by commenting on the saying, “The real danger is not th at the computer will begin to think like man, but that man will begin to think like the computer.” You should write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words.

Man and Computer

Part II Reading Comprehension （Skimming and Scanning）（15 minutes）Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on A nswer Sheet 1. For questions 1-7, choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). For questions 8-10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.

Thirst grows for living unplugged

More people are taking breaks from the connected life amid the stillness and quiet of retreats like the Jesuit Center in Wernersville, Pennsylvania.

About a year ago, I flew to Singapore to join the writer Malcolm Gladwell, the fashion designer Marc Ecko and the graphic designer Stefan Sagmeister in addressing a group of advertising people on “Marketing to the Child of Tomorrow.” Soon after I arrived, the chief executive of the agency that had invited us took me aside. What he was most interested in, he began, was stillness and quiet.

A few months later, I read an interview with the well-known cutting-edge designer Philippe Starck.

What allowed him to remain so consistently ah ead of the curve? “I never read any magazines or watch TV,” he said, perhaps with a little exaggeration. “Nor do I go to cocktail parties, dinners or anything like that.” He lived outside conventional ideas, he implied, because “I live alone mostly, in the middle of nowhere.”

Around the same time, I noticed that those who part with $2,285 a night to stay in a cliff-top room at the Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur, California, pay partly for the privilege of not having a TV in their rooms; the future of travel, I’m reliably told, lies in “black-hole resorts,” which charge high prices precisely because you can’t get online in their rooms.

Has it really come to this?

The more ways we have to connect, the more many of us seem desperate to unplug. Internet rescue camps in South Korea and China try to save kids addicted to the screen.

Writer friends of mine pay good money to get the Freedom software that enables them to disable the very Internet connections that seemed so emancipating not long ago. Even Intel experimented in 2007 with conferring four uninterrupted hours of quiet time (no phone or

e-mail) every Tuesday morning on 300 engineers and managers. Workers were not allowed to use the phone or send e-mail, but simply had the chance to clear their heads and to hear themselves think.

The average American spends at least eight and a half hours a day in front of a screen, Nicholas Carr notes in his book The Shallows. The average American teenager sends or receives 75 text messages a day, though one girl managed to handle an average of 10,000 every 24 hours for a month.

Since luxury is a function of scarcity, the children of tomorrow will long for nothing more than intervals of freedom from all the blinking machines, streaming videos and scrolling headlines that leave them feeling empty and too full all at once.

The urgency of slowing down—to find the time and space to think—is nothing new, of course, and wiser souls have always reminded us that the more attention we pay to the moment, the less time and energy we have to pl ace it in some larger context. “Distraction is the only thing that consoles us for our miseries,” the French philosopher Blaise Pascal wrote in the 17th century, “and yet it is itself the greatest of our miseries.” He also famously remarked that all of man’s problems come from his inability to sit quietly in a room alone.

When telegraphs and trains brought in the idea that convenience was more important than content, Henry David Thoreau reminded us that “the man whose horse trots (奔跑), a mile in a minute does not carry the most important messages.”

Marshall McLuhan, who came closer than most to seeing what was coming, warned, “When things come at you very fast, naturally you lose touch with yourself.”

We have more and more ways to communicate, but less and less to say. Partly because we are so busy communicating. And we are rushing to meet so many deadlines that we hardly register that what we need most are lifelines.

So what to do? More and more people I know seem to be turning to yoga,

or meditation (沉思), or tai chi (太极)；these aren’t New Age fads (时尚的事物) so much as ways to connect with what could be called the wisdom of old age. Two friends of mine observe an “Internet sabbath (安息日)” every week, turning off their online connections from Friday night t o Monday morning. Other friends take walks and “forget” their cellphones at home.

A series of tests in recent years has shown, Mr. Carr points out, that after spending time in quiet rural settings, subjects “exhibit greater attentiveness, stronger memory a nd generally improved cognition. Their brains become both calmer and sharper.” More than

that, empathy (同感，共鸣)，as well as deep thought, depends (as neuroscientists like Antonio Damasio have found) on neural processes that are “inherently slow.”

I turn to eccentric measures to try to keep my mind sober and ensure that I have time to do nothing at all (which is the only time when I can see what I should be doing the rest of the

I try not to go online till my day’s writing is finished, and I moved from Manhattan to rural Japan in part so I could more easily survive for long stretches entirely on foot.

None of this is a matter of asceticism (苦行主义)；it is just pure selfishness. Nothing makes me feel better than being in one place, absorbed in a book, a conversation, or music. It is actually something deeper than mere happiness: it is joy, which the monk (僧侣) David Steindl-Rast describes as “that kind of happiness that doesn’t depend on what happens.”

It is vital, of course, to stay in touch with the world. But it is only by having some distance from the world that you can see it whole, and understand what you should be doing with it.

For more than 20 years, therefore, I have been going several times a year—often for no longer than three days—to a Benedictine hermitage (修道院)，40 minutes down the road, as it happens, from the Post Ranch Inn. I don’t attend services when I am there, and I have never meditated, there or anywhere; I just take walks and read and lose myself in the stillness, recalling that it is only by stepping briefly away from my wife and bosses and friends that I will have anything useful to bring to them. The last time I was in the hermitage, three months ago, I happened to meet with a youngish-looking man with a 3-year-old boy around his shoulders.

“You’re Pico, aren’t you?” the man said, and introduced himself as Larry; we had met, I gathered, 19 years before, when he had been living in the hermitage as an assistant to one of the monks.

“What are you doing now?” I asked.

We smiled. No words were necessary.

“I try to bring my kids here as often as I can,” he went on. The child of tomorrow, I realized, may actually be ahead of us, in terms of sensing not what is new, but what is essential.

1. What is special about the Post Ranch Inn?

A) Its rooms are well furnished but dimly lit.

B) It makes guests feel like falling into a black hole.

C) There is no access to television in its rooms.

D) It provides all the luxuries its guests can think of.

2. What does the author say the children of tomorrow will need most?

A) Convenience and comfort in everyday life.

B) Time away from all electronic gadgets.

C) More activities to fill in their leisure time.

D) Greater chances for individual development.

3. What does the French philosopher Blaise Pascal say about distraction?

A) It leads us to lots of mistakes.

B) It renders us unable to concentrate.

C) It helps release our excess energy.

D) It is our greatest misery in life.

4. According to Marshall McLuhan, what will happen if things come at us very fast?

A) We will not know what to do with our own lives.

B) We will be busy receiving and sending messages.

C) We will find it difficult to meet our deadlines.

D) We will not notice what is going on around us.

5. What does the author say about yoga, meditation and tai chi?

A) They help people understand ancient wisdom.

B) They contribute to physical and mental health.

C) They are ways to communicate with nature.

D) They keep people from various distractions.

6. What is neuroscientist Antonio Damasio’s finding?

A) Quiet rural settings contribute a lot to long life.

B) One’s brain becomes sharp when it is activated.

C) Eccentric measures are needed to keep one’s mind sober.

D) When people think deeply, their neural processes are slow.

7. The author moved from Manhattan to rural Japan partly because he could _______.

A) stay away from the noise of the big city.

B) live without modern transportation. C) enjoy the beautiful view of the countryside.

D) practice asceticism in a local hermitage

8. In order to see the world whole, the author thinks it necessary to __________.

9. The author takes walks and reads and loses himself in the stillness of the hermitage so that he can bring his wife and bosses and friends ___________.

10. The youngish-looking man takes his little boy to the hermitage frequently so that when he grows up he will know __________.

Part III Listening Comprehension （35 minutes）

Section A

Directions: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A）, B）, C） and D）, and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with

a single line through the centre.

11. A) Ask his boss for a lighter schedule.

B) Trade places with someone else.

C) Accept the extra work willingly.

D) Look for a more suitable job.

12. A) It is unusual for his wife to be at home now.

B) He is uncertain where his wife is at the moment.

C) It is strange for his wife to call him at work.

D) He does not believe what the woman has told him.

13. A) The man is going to send out the memo tomorrow.

B) The man will drive the woman to the station.

C) The speakers are traveling by train tomorrow morning.

D) The woman is concerned with the man’s health.

14. A) The suite booked was for a different date.

B) The room booked was on a different floor.

C) The room booked was not spacious enough.

D) A suite was booked instead of a double room.

15. A) The reason for low profits.

B) The company’s sales policy.

C) The fierce competition they face.

D) The lack of effective promotion.

16. A) Go and get the groceries at once.

B) Manage with what they have.

C) Do some shopping on their way home.

D) Have the groceries delivered to them. 17. A) The hot weather in summer.

B) The problem with the air conditioner.

C) The ridiculous rules of the office.

D) The atmosphere in the office.

18. A) Set a new stone in her ring.

B) Find the priceless jewel she lost.

C) Buy a ring with precious diamond.

D) Shop on Oxford Street for a decent gift.

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

19. A) Damaging public facilities.

B) Destroying urban wildlife.

C) Organising rallies in the park.

D) Hurting baby animals in the zoo.

20. A) He had bribed the park keepers to keep quiet.

B) People had differing opinions about his behaviour.

C) The serious consequences of his doings were not fully realised.

D) His behaviour was thought to have resulted from mental illness.

21. A) Brutal.

B) Justifiable.

C) Too harsh.

D) Well-deserved.

22. A) Encouraging others to follow his wrong-doing.

B) Stealing endangered animals from the zoo.

C) Organising people against the authorities.

D) Attacking the park keepers in broad daylight.

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

23. A) She has already left school.

B) She works for the handicapped.

C) She is fond of practical courses.

D) She is good at foreign languages.

24. A) He is interested in science courses.

B) He attends a boarding school.

C) He speaks French and German.

D) He is the brightest of her three kids.

25. A) Comprehensive schools do not offer quality education.

B) Parents decide what schools their children are to attend. C) Public schools are usually bigger in size than private schools.

D) Children from low income families can’t really choose schools.

Section B

Directions: In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.

Passage One

Questions 26 to 29 are based on the passage you have just heard.

26. A) Encourage the students to do creative thinking.

B) Help the students to develop communication skills.

C) Cultivate the students’ ability to inspire employees.

D) Focus on teaching the various functions of business.

27. A) His teaching career at the Harvard Business School.

B) His personal involvement in business management.

C) His presidency at college and experience overseas.

D) His education and professorship at Babson College.

28. A) Development of their raw brain power.

B) Exposure to the liberal arts and humanities.

C) Improvement of their ability in capital management.

D) Knowledge of up-to-date information technology.

29. A) Reports on business and government corruption.

B) His contact with government and business circles.

C) Discoveries of cheating among MBA students.

D) The increasing influence of the mass media.

Passage Two

Questions 30 to 32 are based on the passage you have just heard.

30. A) They have better options for their kids than colleges.

B) The unreasonably high tuition is beyond their means.

C) The quality of higher education may not be worth the tuition.

D) They think that their kids should pay for their own education.

31. A) They do too many extracurricular activities.

B) They tend to select less demanding courses.

C) They take part-time jobs to support themselves.

D) They think few of the courses worth studying. 32. A) Its samples are not representative enough.

B) Its significance should not be underestimated.

C) Its findings come as a surprise to many parents.

D) Its criteria for academic progress are questionable.

Passage Three

Questions 33 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.

33. A) A newly married couple.

B) A business acquaintance.

C) Someone good at cooking.

D) Someone you barely know.

34. A) Obtain necessary information about your guests.

B) Collect a couple of unusual or exotic recipes.

C) Buy the best meat and the freshest fruit.

D) Try to improve your cooking skills.

35. A) Losing weight.

B) Entertaining guests.

C) Making friends.

D) Cooking meals.

Section C

Directions: In this section, you will hear a passage three times. When the passage is read for the first time, you should listen carefully for its general idea. When the passage is read for the second time, you are required to fill in the blanks numbered from 36 to 43 with the exact words you have just heard. For blanks numbered from 44 to 46 you are required to fill in the missing information. For these blanks, you can either use the exact words you have just heard or write down the main points in your own words. Finally, when the passage is read

for the third time, you should check what you have written.

People with disabilities comprise a large but diverse segment of the population. It is (36) ______ that over 35 million Americans have physical, mental, or other disabilities. (37)

______ half of these disabilities are “developmental,” i.e., they occur prior to the individual’s twenty-second birthday, often from (38) ______ conditions, and are severe enough to affect three or more areas of development, such as (39) ______, communication and employment. Most other disabilities are considered (40) ______, i.e., caused by outside forces.

Before the 20th century, only a small (41) ______ of people with disabilities survived for long. Medical treatment for such conditions as stroke or spinal cord (42) ______ was unavailable. People whose disabilities should not have inherently affected their life span were often so mistreated that they (43) ______. Advancements in medicine and social services have created a climate in which (44) . Unfortunately, these basics are often all that is available. Civil liberties such as the right to vote, marry, get an education, and gain employment have historically been denied on the basis of disability.

(45)

_______________________________________________________________________. Disabled people formed grassroots coalitions to advocate their rights to integration and meaningful equality of opportunity. (46) . In the mid-1970s, critical legislation mandated（规定）access to education, public transportation, and public facilities, and prohibited employment discrimination by federal agencies or employers receiving federal funds. Part Ⅳ Reading Comprehension （Reading in Depth）（25 minutes）

Section A

Directions: In this section, there is a short passage with 5 questions or incomplete statements. Read the passage carefully. Then answer the questions or complete the statements in the fewest possible words. Please write your answers on Answer Sheet 2.

Questions 47 to 54 are based on the following passage.

A key process in interpersonal interaction is that of social comparison, in that we evaluate ourselves in terms of how we compare to others. In particular, we engage in two types of comparison. First, we decide whether we are superior or inferior to others on certain dimensions, such as attractiveness, intelligence, popularity, etc. Here, the important aspect is to compare with an appropriate reference group. For example, modest joggers should not compare their performance with Olympic standard marathon (马拉松) runners. Second, we judge the extent to which we are the same as or different from others. At certain stages of life, especially adolescence, the pressure to be seen as similar to peers is immense. Thus, wearing the right brand of clothes or shoes may be of the utmost importance. We also need to know whether our thoughts, beliefs and ideas are in line with those of other people. This is part of the process of self-validation whereby we employ self-disclosures to seek support for our

self-concept.

People who do not have access to a good listener may not only be denied the opportunity to heighten their self-awareness, but they are also denied valuable feedback as to the validity and acceptability of their inner thoughts and feelings. By discussing these with others, we receive feedback as to whether these are experiences which others have as well, or whether they are less common. Furthermore, by gauging the reactions to our self-disclosures we learn what types are acceptable or unacceptable with particular people and in specific situations. On occasions it is the fear that certain disclosures may be unacceptable to family

or friends that motivates an individual to seek professional help. Counsellors will be familiar with client statements such as: “I just couldn’t talk about this to my husband.”, “I really can’t let my mother know my true feelings.” Another aspect of social comparison in the counselling context relates to a technique known as normalising. This is the process whereby helpers provide reassurance to clients that what they are experiencing is not abnormal

or atypical (非典型的), but is a normal reaction shared by others when facing such circumstances. Patient disclosure, facilitated by the therapist, seems also to facilitate the process of normalising.

47. To evaluate ourselves, the author thinks it important for us to compare ourselves with

_______.

48. During adolescence, people generally feel an immense pressure to appear _______.

49. It is often difficult for people to heighten their self-awareness without _______.

50. What can people do if they find what they think or say unacceptable to family or friends?

51. Counsellors often assure their clients that what they experience themselves is only

_______.

Section B

Directions:There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A）,

B）, C） and D）. You should decide on the best choice and mark the

corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.

Passage One

Questions 52 to 56 are based on the following passage.

Amid all the job losses, there’s one category of worker that the economic disruption has been good for: nonhumans.

From self-service checkout lines at the supermarket to industrial robots armed with saws and taught to carve up animal bodies in slaughter-houses, these ever-more-intelligent machines are now not just assisting workers but actually kicking them out of their jobs.

Automation isn’t just affecting factory workers, either. Some law firms now use artificial intelligence software to scan and read mountains of legal documents, work that previously was performed by highly-paid human lawyers.

“Robots continue to have an impact on blue-collar jobs, and white-collar jobs are under attack by microprocessors,” says e conomics professor Edward Leamer. The recession permanently wiped out 2.5 million jobs. U.S. gross domestic product has climbed back to pre-recession levels, meaning we’re producing as much as before, only with 6% fewer workers. To be sure, robotics are not the only job killers out there, with outsourcing (外包) stealing far more jobs than automation.

Jeff Burnstein, president of the Robotics Industry Association, argues that robots actually save U.S. jobs. His logic: companies that embrace automation might use fewer workers, but that’s still better than firing everyone and moving the work overseas.

It’s not that robots are cheaper than humans, though often they are. It’s that they’re better. “In some cases the quality requirements are so exacting that eve n if you wanted to have a human do the job, you couldn’t,” Burnstein says.

Same goes for surgeons, who’re using robotic systems to perform an ever-growing list of operations—not because the machines save money but because, thanks to the greater precision of robots, the patients recover in less time and have fewer complications, says Dr. Myriam Curet.

Surgeons may survive the robot invasion, but others at the hospital might not be so lucky, as iRobot, maker of the Roomba, a robot vacuum cleaner, has been showing off Ava, which could be used as a messenger in a hospital. And once you’re home, recovering, Ava could let you talk to your doctor, so there’s no need to send someone to your house. That “mobile telepresence” could be useful at the office. If you’re away on a trip, you can still attend a meeting. Just connect via videoconferencing software, so your face appears on Ava’s screen. Is any job safe? I was hoping to say “journalist,” but researchers are already developing software that can gather facts and write a news story. Which means that a few years from now, a robot could be writing this column. And who will read it? Well, there might be a lot of us hanging around with lots of free time on our hands.

注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。

52. What do we learn from the first few paragraphs?

A) The over-use of robots has done damage to American economy.

B) It is hard for robots to replace humans in highly professional work.

C) Artificial intelligence is key to future technological innovations.

D) The robotic industry has benefited from the economic recession.

53. What caused the greatest loss of jobs in America?

A) Using microprocessors extensively.

B) Moving production to other countries.

C) The bankruptcy of many companies.

D) The invasion of migrant workers.

54. What does Jeff Burnstein say about robots?

A) They help companies to revive.

B) They are cheaper than humans.

C) They prevent job losses in a way.

D) They compete with human workers.

55. Why are robotic systems replacing surgeons in more and more operations according to Dr. Myriam Curet?

A) They save lots of money for the patients. B) They beat humans in precision.

C) They take less time to perform a surgery.

D) They make operations less painful.

56. What does the author imply about robotics?

A) It will greatly enrich literary creation.

B) It will start a new technological revolution.

C) It will revolutionize scientific research.

D) It will be applied in any field imaginable.

Passage Two

Questions 57 to 61 are based on the following passage.

You’ve now heard it so many times, you can probably repeat it in your sleep. President Obama will no doubt make the point publicly when he gets to Beijing: the Chinese need to consume more; they need—believe it or not—to become more like Americans, for the sake of the global economy.

And it’s all true. But the other side of that equation is that the U.S. needs to save more. For the moment, American households actually are doing so. After the personal-savings rate dipped to zero in 2005, the shock of the economic crisis last year prompted people to snap shut their wallets.

In China, the household-savings rate exceeds 20%. It is partly for policy reasons. As we’ve seen, wage earners are expected to care for not only thei r children but their aging parents. And there is, to date, only the flimsiest (脆弱的) of publicly-funded health care and pension systems, which increases incentives for individuals to save while they are working. But China is a society that has long esteemed personal financial prudence (谨慎). There is no

chance that will change anytime soon, even if the government creates a better social safety net and successfully encourages greater consumer spending.

Why does the U.S. need to learn a little frugality (节俭)？Because healthy savings rates are one of the surest indicators of a country’s l ong-term financial health. High savings lead, over time, to increased investment, which in turn generates productivity gains, innovation and job growth. In short, savings are the seed corn of a good economic harvest.

The U.S. government thus needs to act as well. By running constant deficits, it is

dis-saving, even as households save more. Peter Orszag, Obama’s Budget Director, recently called the U.S. budget deficits unsustainable and he’s right. To date, the U.S. has seemed unable to see the consequences of spending so much more than is taken in. That needs to change. And though Hu Jintao and the rest of the Chinese leadership aren’t inclined to lecture visiting Presidents, he might gently hint that Beijing is getting a little nervous about the value of the dollar—which has fallen 15% since March, in large part because of increasing fears that America’s debt load is becoming unmanageable.

That’s what happens when you’re the world’s biggest creditor: you get to drop hints like that, which would be enough by themselves to create international economic chaos if they were ever leaked. (Every time any official in Beijing deliberates publicly about seeking an alternative to the U.S. dollar for the $2.1 trillion China holds in reserve, currency traders have a heart attack.) If Americans saved more and spent less, consistently over time, they wouldn’t have to worry about all that.

57. How did the economic crisis affect Americans?

A) They had to tighten their belts.

B) Their bank savings rate dropped to zero.

C) Their leadership in the global economy was shaken.

D) They became concerned about China’s financial policy.58. What should be done to encourage Chinese people to consume?

A) Changing their traditional way of life.

B) Providing fewer incentives for saving.

C) Improving China’s social security system.

D) Cutting down the expenses on child-rearing.

59. What does the author mean by saying “savings are the seed corn of a good economic harvest” (Line 4, Para. 4)?

A) The more one saves, the more returns one will reap.

B) A country’s economy hinges on its savings policy.

C) Those who keep saving will live an easy life in the end.

D) A healthy savings rate promotes economic prosperity.

60. In what circumstances do currency traders become scared?

A) When Beijing allows its currency exchange rates to float.

B) When China starts to reduce its current foreign reserves.

C) When China talks about switching its dollar reserves to other currencies.

D) When Beijing mentions in public the huge debts America owes China.

61. What is the author’s purpose of writing the passage?

A) To urge the American government to cut deficits.

B) To encourage Chinese people to spend more.

C) To tell Americans not to worry about their economy.

D) To promote understanding between China and America.

Part V Cloze （15 minutes）

Directions: There are 20 blanks in the following passage. For each blank there are four choices marked A）, B）, C） and D） on the right side of the paper. You should choose the ONE that best fits into the passage. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet

2 with a single line through the centre.

“My job is killing me.”Who among us hasn't issued that complaint at least once? Now a new study suggests that your dramatic complaint may ____62____ some scientific truth.

The 20-year study, by researchers at Tel Aviv University, _____63______ to examine the relationship between the workplace and a person's risk of death. Researchers _____64_____ 820 adults who had undergone a ______65____ physical exam at a health clinic in 1988, and then interviewed them _____66_____ detail about their workplace conditions—asking how nice their colleagues were, whether their boss was supportive and how much ______67_____ they had in their position.

The participants_____68_____ in age from 25 to 65 at the start of the study and worked in a variety of ____69___, including finance, health care, manufacturing and insurance. The researchers _____70______ the participants through their medical records: by the study's conclusion in 2008, 53 people had died—and they were significantly more likely than those who survived to report having a ____71____ work environment.

People who reported having little or no ____72____ support from their co-workers were 2.4 times more likely to die ____73____ the course of the study than those who said they had close, supportive _____74_____ with their workmates. Interestingly, the risk of death was

_____75_____ only to people's perceptions of their co-workers, not their bosses . People who reported negative relationships with their supervisors were ____76____ likely to die than others. The study was observational, _____77____ it could not determine whether toxic workplace environments caused death, only that it was _____78____ with the risk. But the findings add to the evidence ______79_______ having a supportive social network decreases stress and helps _____80____ good health. On the other hand, being exposed _____81_____ chronic stress contributes to depression, ill health and death.

62. A) hold C) risk

B) strike D)trace

63. A)fought C)sought

B)submitted D)resorted

64. A)allied C)volunteered

B)arrayed D)recruited

65. A)routine C)grave

B)nominal D)drastic

66. A)beyond C)by

B)in D)over

67. A)autonomy C)audience

B)automation D)authenticity

68. A)consisted C)involved

B)contained D)ranged

69. A)facets C)districts

B)fields D)species

70. A)chased C)tracked

B)pursued D)trailed

71. A)cozy C)hostile

B)fabulous D)transparent

72. A)social C)physical

B)academic D)domestic

73. A)against C)inside

B)across D)during

74. A)pacts C)unions

B)bonds D)webs

75. A)added C)tied

B)adapted D)led

76. A)no more C)no less

B)far more D)far less

77. A)unless C)or

B)while D)so

78. A)constructed C)collaborated

B)correlated D)coordinated

79. A)how C)that

B)when D)why

80. A)elevate C)propel

B)inject D)foster

81. A)at C)toward

B)to D)under

Part VI Translation (5 minutes) Directions: Complete the sentences by translating into English the Chinese given in brackets. Please write your translation on Answer Sheet 2

82.______________（不管中国变得多么强大）, it will constitute no threat to any other country.

83.Success in life does not depend so much on one's school records______________（而是靠其勤奋和坚持）.

84. _______________（他们要是此刻在这儿就好了），we would be able to celebrate their wedding anniversary.

85. In recent years, with his business booming, he _______________ （给慈善事业捐了大笔的钱）.

86. Without the atmosphere, we_______________ （将被迫寻找躲避太阳的藏身处）, as there would be nothing to protect us from its deadly rays.

2012年12月英语六级考试真题解析

Ⅰ【作文】

Computer and Man

（1）It is believed that the computer can do almost every thing. At the time the computer was invented, scientists, carried away by its calculating speed, felt that they had created a miracle. It was gradually used not only in mathematics, physics, chemistry and astronomy, but in places like the library, hospital and military army to replace the work of man. For the work of man. For this reason, the computer was entiled “Electronic Brain” in terms of appreciation。

Can man be controlled by computers? The answer is negative. Although a computer works much faster and accurately than man , a fact is undeniable; it is designed, manufactured and programmed by man, and therefore by human beings. Of course, science fictions have made up many fascinating stories about a computer, or rather robot, who conquers man and the earth, even the whole universe; however, they are only unrealistic imaginatio. A horse helps man a lot runs much faster than we, but it is only a slave。

The future for the computer is very promising. With the help of it, we can do things that could not be done before. Conquering the universe, discovering new things, explaining mysteruiys phenomena puzzling us at present are all made possible by computer。

（2）It is believed that the computer is bringing the world into a brand new era. At the time the computer was invented, scientists, marveling at its calculating speed, felt that they had created a miracle. Nowadays, the function of the computer is no longer confined to calculation; it permeates people’s daily lives and has become an inseparable part of human society.

People become so heavily dependent on computers that it is hard to imagine the life without computers. Therefore, some people are worried that “The real danger is not that the computer will think like man, but man will think like the computer.”

Their concern does make sense. Indeed, some people spend such a long time working on computers that they have few interactions with people in real life. According to a research, too many hours in front of a computer may lead to a poker face and interpersonal isolation. This fact should arouse our attention, because unlike computers, human beings are social creatures that need emotional connections with others.

Yet, it is also unnecessary for us to be overwhelmed by the negative impacts of computers. After all, we humans are intelligent and will be able to figure out better ways to make improvements.

Ⅱ【快速阅读】

1. There is no access to television in its rooms.

2. Time away from all electronic gadgets

3. It is our greatest misery in life

4. We will not know what to do with our own lives

5. They help people understand ancient wisdom

6. When people think deeply, their neural processes are slow

7. live without modern transportation

8. have some distance from it / the world.

9 something useful

10. what is essential

【点评】

这是一篇取自《纽约时报》的文章。讲述的是面对现代科技带来的信息爆炸，应该如何平静的审视自己的内心世界，找到自我，而不被信息的洪流所淹没。本次快速阅读的文章还是延续了以往的特点，信息量较大，结构较散，但整个命题依旧遵循了文章难，题目简单的规律。做题的要点就是，在题干中找到定位词，回原文中定位细节信息。

Ⅲ【听力】

Section A

11.

M: I’d like to go camping with you this weekend, but I don’t have a sleeping bag.

W: No problem. You can count on me to get one for you. My family has tons of camping gear.

Q: What does the woman mean?

答案：She can lend the man a sleeping bag.

【解析】这是一道较为简单的推理题，前提是考生需知道camping gear表示“野餐用具，露营装备”，由此可知，camping gear包括sleeping bag，即女士能借给男士一个睡袋，此题的设置稍微绕了个小弯，为考生解题设置了一定难度。go camping：去野餐，去露营；sleeping bag：睡袋。

12.

M: I know I promise to drive you to the airport next Thursday, but I’m afraid something has come up. They’ve called a spe cial meeting at work.

W: No big deal. Karen said she was available as a back-up.

Q: What does the woman mean?

答案: Karen can take her to the airport.

【解析】此题为细节题。从对话中可知，男士下周四临时有事不能送女士去机场了，女士回答说Karen有空。back-up：n. 备用，备份，考生如果知道这个单词的意思，对整个对话的理解会有帮助。

13.

W: Have you saved enough money for a trip to Hawaii?

M: Not even close. My uncle must put the brakes on my travelling plans.

Q: What does the man mean?

答案：He can’t afford to go traveling yet.

【解析】此题为推理题。从男士的回答“我叔叔对我的旅行计划加以限制了。”中可推断出，这位男士还没有足够的钱去旅行。put the brakes on sth.表示“对……加以限制”，即使考生不知道这个短语的引申含义，但听到brake“刹车”应该也能大概判断出来答案。

14.

M: I’m starving. Do we still have any pie left from the dinner yesterday?

W: Oh, Julia invited her friends over in the afternoon and they ate it all.

Q: What do we learn from the conversation?

答案：The man has to find something else to eat.

【解析】此题为简单的推理题。从对话中可知，女士回答说Julie下午邀请了她的朋友，他们把剩的饼都吃光了，由此可推断出这位男士不得不找别的东西吃。starving：adj. 饥饿的。

15.

W: Three letters of recommendation are required to apply to graduate schools. I was wondering if the one professor Smith wrote for me last year could still be used.

M: It’s a bit dated. You’d better submit a recent one.

Q: What does the man suggest the woman do?

答案：Present a new letter of reference.

【解析】此题为细节题。只要考生抓住这位男士回答中的关键词dated和recent，就不难找出正确答案，而且，整个答句也很短，均是简单句，易于考生理解。letter of recommendation和letter of reference意思相似，均可表示“推荐信”。

16.

W: I’ve noticed that you spend a lot of time tending your garden. Would you like to join our gardening club? We meet every other Wednesday.

M: Oh, thanks for the invitation, but this is how I relax. I’d rather not make it something formal and structured.

Q: What can we infer about the man?

答案：He declines to join the gardening club.

【解析】此题为暗示推理题，有一定难度。抓住问题中的关键词“infer”，这位男士暗示了什么？从男士的回答“谢谢邀请，但这是我放松的方式，我宁愿我的花园不那么条条框框”中可推断出，这位男士间接拒绝了参加园艺俱乐部的邀请。

17.

M: I heard the recent sculpture exhibit was kind of disappointing.

W: That’s right. I guess a lot of other people feel the way I do about modern art.

Q: What does the woman mean?

答案：Many people do not appreciate modern art.

【解析】此题为简单的推理题。只要考生能理解女士的回答“我猜许多其他人对现代艺术和我的感觉是一样的。”，即可选出答案，而且答句中没有一个生难单词。sculpture exhibit：雕塑展。

18.

M: Bob is running for chairman of the student union. Would you vote for him?

W: Oh, I can’t decide right now because I have to find out more about the other candidates.

Q: What does the woman mean?

答案：Bob cannot count on her vote.

【解析】此题为推理题。这位女士回答说她现在还没决定选谁，因为她还要看看其他候选人的资料和表现，由此可推断出，Bob不能依赖这位女士的选票。run for：竞选；chairman of the student union：学生会主席；vote for：投票赞成。

Conversation One

W: I don’t know what to do. I can’t seem to get anyone in the hospital to listen to my complaints and this outdated equipment is dangerous. Just look at it.

M: Hmm, uh, are you trying to say that it presents a health hazard?

W: Yes, I am. The head technician in the lab tried to persuade the hospital administration to replace it, but they are trying to cut costs.

M: You are pregnant, aren’t you?

W: Yes, I am. I made an effort to get my supervisor to transfer me to another department, but he urged me not to complain too loudly. Because the administration is more likely to replace me than an X-ray equipment, I’m afraid to refuse to work. But I’m more afraid to expose my unborn child to the radiation.

M: I see what you mean. Well, as your union representative, I have to warn you that it would take quite a while to force management to replace the old machines and attempt to get you transferred may or may not be successful.

W: Oh, what am I supposed to do then?

M: Workers have the legal right to refuse certain unsafe work assignments under two federal laws, the Occupation or Safety and Health Act and the National Labor Relations Act. But the requirements of either of the Acts may be difficult to meet.

W: Do you think I have a good case?

M: If you do lose your job, the union will fight to get it back for you along with back pay, your lost income. But you have to be prepared for a long wait, maybe after two years.

Q19. What does the woman complain about?

Q20. What has the woman asked her supervisor to do?

Q21. What does the man say about the two federal laws?

Q22. What will the union do if the woman loses her job?

【答案】

19. The health hazard at her work place.

20. Transfer her to another department.

21. Their requirements may be difficult to meet.

22. Try to help her to get it back.

【点评】

本篇长对话是关于一名怀孕的员工就工作中的辐射伤害向工会投诉。对话一开篇女士先抱怨自己工作的医院无人听她申诉有关机器已过时，会造成身体伤害的问题，因为医院想要降低成本。然后她提到自己有向主管提出转调部门的要求，然而遭到拒绝。主管还告诫她，医院宁愿换掉她，让他人工作，也不会更换机器。于是工会代表告诉她转调部门确实可能不会成功。同时要想利用目前的法案来解决这一问题，也会很难实现。最后指出，除非她真正丢失工作，工会才能拿起法律武器帮她讨薪。

本对话考生虽然对辐射造成身体伤害的话题并不陌生，但整个对话中部分单词可能还是会造成不少听力困扰。比如：health hazard（健康伤害）中的hazard；X-ray equipment （X光仪器）中的X-ray和两大法案的名称虽不难，但也容易混淆大家的视听，而误抓重点。

Conversation Two

W: Mr. Green, is it fair to say that negotiation is an art?

M: Well, I think it’s both an art and science. You can prepare for a negotiation quite scientifically, but the execution of the negotiation has quite a lot to do with one’s artistic quality. The scientific part of a negotiation is in determining your strategy. What do you want out of it? What can you give? Then of course there are tactics. How do you go about it? Do you take an opening position in a negotiation which differs from the eventual goal you are heading for? And then of course there are the behavioral aspects.

W: What do you mean by the behavioral aspects?

M: Well, that’s I think where the art comes in. In your behavior, you can either be an actor. You can pretend that you don’t like things which you are actually quite pleased about. Or you can pretend to like things which you are quite happy to do without. Or you can be the honest type negotiator who’s known to his partners in negotiation and always plays everything straight. But the artistic part of negotiation I think has to do with responding immediately to cues one gets in the process of negotiation. These can be verbal cues or even body language. This is where the artistic quality comes in.

W: So really, you see two types of negotiator then, the actor or the honest one.

M: That’ right. And both can work. I would say the honest negotiator can be quite effective in some circumstances. In other circumstances you need an actor.

Q23. When is a scientific approach best embodied in a negotiation according to the man?

Q24. In what way is a negotiator like an actor according to the man?

Q25. What does the man say about the two types of negotiator?

【答案】

23. In the preparatory phase.

24. He behaves in a way contrary to his real intention.

25. Both can succeed depending on the specific situation.

【点评】

本长对话主要是关于谈判的艺术性和科学性。谈判的科学性部分主要体现在谈判策略，而谈判的艺术性则体现在表现上。这里可以归为两类，一是“演技派”，二是“诚实派”。另外，谈判的艺术性还与对谈判过程中获得的口头暗示、肢体语言进行及时反应有关。最后男士指出根据不同场合，无论是“诚实派”，或是“演技派”谈判者都能起到各自的效果。

本对话中的关键词有：negotiation：谈判；strategy：策略；behavioral：行为的。

Section B

Passage 1

A scientific team is studying the thinking ability of eleven and half month old children. The test is a simple one. The baby watches a sort of show on a small stage. In Act One of the show, a yellow cube is lifted from a blue box, and moved across the stage. Then it is returned to the box. This is repeated 6 times. Act Two is similar except that the yellow cube is smaller. Baby boys do not react at all to the difference and the size of the cube. But girls immediately become excited. The scientists interpret the girls’ excitement as meaning they are trying to understand what they have just seen. They are wondering why Act Two is odd and how it differs from Act One. In other words, the little girls are reasoning. This experiment certainly does not definitely prove that girls start to reason before boys, but it provides a clue that scientists would like to study more carefully. Already it is known that bones, muscles and nerves develop faster in baby girls. Perhaps it is early nerve development that makes some infant girls show more intelligence than infant boys. Scientists have also found that nature seems to give another boost to girls. Baby girls usually talk at an earlier age than boys do. Scientists think that there is a physical reason for this. They believe that the nerve endings in the left side of the brain develop faster in girls than in boys, and it is this side of the brain that strongly influences an individual’s ability to use language and remember things.

Q26. What is the difference between Act One and Act Two in the test?

答案：The size of the objects shown.

Q27. How do the scientists interpret their observation from the experiment?

答案：Girls seem to start reasoning earlier than boys.

Q28. What does the speaker say about the experiment?

答案：It may simulate scientists to make further studies.

Q29. According to scientists, what is another advantage given to girls by nature?

答案：They talk at an early age.

【点评】

本文是一篇关于幼儿思维能力的文章。… but it provides a clue that… 一句前都是具体的实验过程，是一个例子，重点在实验为科学研究提供的线索。实验发现可能是早期的神经发育使女婴比男婴更聪明。科学家们还发现，自然可能还给了女孩另一大优势，那就是女孩通常比男孩早开口说话，而这也是因为神经末梢发育快于男孩。

关键词：interpret v. 解释；翻译boost n. 推动，帮助

Passage 2

A super attendant of the city municipal building, Dillia Adorno, was responsible for presenting its new security plan to the public. City employees, citizens and reporters gathered in the hall to hear her describe the plan. After outlining the main points she would cover, she assured the audience that she would be happy to answer questions at the end of her presentation. Dillia realized the plan was expensive and potentially controversial. So she was not surprised to see a number of hands go up as soon as she finished speaking. An employ asked, “Would th e new system create long lines to get into the building like the line in the airport security checks?” Dillia had anticipated this question and had an answer ready. After repeating the question, she explained that the sufficient number of security guards would be working at peak hours to speed things along. The next question was more confrontational.”Where was the money come from to pay for all of this?”The journalists who ask the question seem hostile. But Dillia was careful not to adopt the defensive tone. She stated that the money would come from the city’s general budget. “I know these are tide times”, she added, “But everyone agrees on the importance of safe guarding our employees and members of the public who come into the building.” Near the end of th e 25 minutes she has said, Dillia said she would take two more questions. When those were finished, she concluded the session with a brief restatement of how the new system will improve security and peace of mind in the municipal building.

Question 30 to 32 are based on the passage you have just heard.

30. What is the focus of Dillia Adorno’s presentation?

答案：The new security plan for the municipal building.

31. What question had Dillia Adorno anticipated?

答案：Whether the security checks would create long queues at peak hours.

32. What did the speakers think of the question from the journalist?

答案：Confrontational

【点评】

本文描写一位政府官员介绍了一项新的安保计划，并回答了在场人员的提问，类似于一场新闻发布会。计划成本较高，而且可能颇具争议。本文详细阐述了两个提问。第一个问题是Dillia预见到的，但第二个记者的提问是有对抗性的，即使confrontational 这个词我们听不懂也没关系，可以从下文的其他词汇中推断，如hostile 有敌意的，而针对这个问题，Dillia让自己尽可能不采取defensive的态度，既然要采取防卫的态度，那记者的提问一定是在政府的对立面的，因此从defensive一词也可以判断出记者的态

度。

关键词：attendant n. 随员confrontational adj. 对抗性的hostile，defensive

Passage 3

Despite unemployment and the lost of her home, Andrea Clark considers herself a blessed and happy woman. Why the cheerful attitude? Her troubles have brought her closer to her family. Last year, Andrea’s husband, Rick, a miner in Nevada was laid off. Though Andrea kept her job as a school bus driver, she knew that they couldn’t pay their bill and support their youngest of five children, Zack, age nine, on one income. “At first their church helped out, but you can’t keep that up forever”, Andrea says. Then Michal, their eldest of her four adult children suggested they move in with his family. For almost three months, seven Clarks lived under one roof. Andrea, Rick and Zack stayed in the basement department, sharing laundry and single bathroom with Michal, his wife and their two children.

The change cut their expenditures in half, but the new living arrangement proved too challenging. When Andrea found a job with a school district closer to her mother’s home in west Jorden, Utah, the family decided to move on. Packing up again with no picnic, Zack had to switch schools for the second time and space is even tighter. Andrea says that the moves themselves are exhausting and Rick is still looking for a job.

The recession has certainly come with more problems than Andrea anticipated, but she remains unfailingly optimistic. She is excited to spend more time with her mother. Another plus, rents are lower in Utah than in Nevada. So Andrea thinks they’ll be able to save up and move out in less than 6 months.

Questions 33-35 are based on the passage you have just heard.

Q33 What do we learn about Andrea’s husband?

答案：He used to work as a miner in Nevada.

Q34 Why did Andrea move to live in her eldest son’s home?

答案：To cut their living expenses.

Q35 What is Andrea’s attitude toward the hardships brought by the economic recession?

答案：Optimistic.

【点评】

本文描写了Andrea一家在经历失业时依然乐观向上的积极状态。这从文章的首句Despite unemployment and the lost of her home, Andrea Clark considers herself a blessed and happy woman.和最后一段but she remains unfailingly optimistic.都能得到印证。Andrea 的丈夫是内华达的矿工，去年失业，为了维持生计，他们先是和大儿子一家住在一起，后来又搬家到犹他州，她的丈夫还在继续找工作。但是经济衰退，并没有让Andrea消极，她觉得自己和家人的关系更紧密了并且相信自己能够度过难关。

关键词：lay off 解雇；expenditure n. 支出，花费；optimistic adj. 乐观的

Section C

Mountain climbing is becoming a popular sport, but it is also a potentially dangerous one. People can fall. They may also become ill. One of the most common dangers to climbers is altitude sickness, which can affect even very experienced climbers. Altitude sickness usually begins when a climber goes above 8,000 to 9,000 feet. The higher one climbs, the less oxygen there is in the air. When people don’t get enough oxygen, they often begin to gasp for air. They may also feel dizzy and light-headed. Besides these symptoms of altitude sickness, others such as headache and fatigue may also occur. At heights of over 18,000 feet, people may be climbing in a constant daze. Their state of mind can have adverse affect on their judgment. A few precautions can help most climbers avoid altitude sickness. The first is not to go too high, too fast. If you climb to 10,000 feet, stay at that height for a day or two. Your body needs to get used to a high altitude before you climb to a even higher one. Or if you do climb higher sooner, come back down to a lower height when you sleep. Also, drink plenty of liquids and avoid tobacco and alcohol. When you reach your top height, do like activities rather than sleep too much. You breathe less when you sleep, so you get less oxygen. The most important warning is this: if you have severe sympt oms, then don’t go away, go down. Don’t risk injury or death because of over-confidence or lack of knowledge.

36. potentially

37. experienced

38. gasp

39. dizzy

40. fatigue

41. constant

42. adverse

43. precautions

44. Your body needs to get used to a high altitude before you climb to a even higher one.

45. When you reach your top height, do like activities rather than sleep too much.

46. Don’t risk injury or death because of over-confidence or lack of knowledge.

【点评】

本文是有关高原病的，主要讲述了高原病的症状以及预防措施。文章本身长难句不

多，但出现了较多偏难单词，考验学生的临场心态。

需填单词难度较大，如dizzy，fatigue，adverse，altitude等，对学生的词汇量要求颇高。

空格整体分布较为均匀，填写时间比较充足。所填词语格式比较重要，如-s等是不可漏过的细节。需填写的句子均较短，难度不是特别大。

Ⅳ【深度阅读】

深度阅读SA

47. others

解析：关键词evaluate ourselves

迅速定位到第一段第一句话所以答案是others

48. similar to peers

解析：关键词adolescence

迅速定位到第一段中间所以答案是similar to peers.

49. a good listener

解析：关键词self- awareness

迅速定位到第二段第一句所以答案是a good listener

50. They seek professional help

解析：关键词unacceptable to family or friends

迅速定位到第二段第七行所以答案是They can seek professional help.

51. a normal reaction

解析：关键词Counselors 和assure

迅速定位到第二段倒数第三行所以答案是a normal reaction

深度阅读SB_1

Amid all the job losses of the Great Recession, there is one category of worker that the economic disruption has been good for: nonhumans.

From self-service checkout lines at the supermarket to industrial robots armed with saws and taught to carve up animal carcasses in slaughter-houses, these ever-more-intelligent machines are now not just assisting workers but actually kicking them out of their jobs.

Automation isn’t just affecting factory workers, either. Some law firms now use artificial intelligence software to scan and read mountains of legal documents, work that previously was performed by highly paid human lawyers.

“Robots continue to have an impact on blue-collar jobs, and white-collar jobs are under attack by microprocessors,” says Edward Leamer, an economics professor at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management and director of the UCLA Anderson Forecast, a survey of the U.S. and California economies. Leamer says the recession permanently wiped out 2.5 million jobs. U.S. gross domestic product has climbed back to pre-recession levels, meaning we’re producing as much as before, only with 6 percent fewer workers. To be sure, robotics are not the only job killers out there, with outsourcing stealing far more gigs than automation.

Jeff Burnstein, president of the Robotics Industry Association, a trade group in Ann Arbor, Mich., argues that robots actually save U.S. jobs. His logic: companies that embrace automation might use fewer workers, but that’s still better than firing every one and moving the work overseas.

It’s not that robots are cheaper than humans, though often they are. It’s that they are better. “In some cases the quality requirements are so stringent that even if you wanted to have a human do the job, you couldn’t,” Burnstein says.

Same goes for surgeons, who are using robotic systems to perform an ever-growing list of operations—not because the machines save money but because, thanks to the greater precision of robots, the patients recover in less time and have fewer complications, says Dr. Myriam Curet.

Surgeons may survive the robot invasion, but others at the hospital might not be so lucky, as iRobot, maker of the Roomba, a robot vacuum cleaner, has been showing off Ava, a three-foot-tall droid on wheels that carries a tablet computer. iRobot reckons Ava could be used as a courier in a hospital. And once you’re home, recovering, Ava could let you talk to your doctor, so there’s no need to send someone to your house. That “mobile telepresence” could be useful at the office. If you’re away on a trip, you can still attend a meeting. Just connect via videoconferencing software, so your face appears on Ava’s screen.

Is any job safe? I was hoping to say “journalist,” but researchers are already developing algorithms that can gather facts and write a news story. Which means that a few years from now, a robot could be writing this column. And who will read it? Well, there might be a lot of us hanging around with lots of free time on our hands.

52. What do we learn from the first few paragraphs?

答案：The robotic industry has benefited from the economic recession.

53. What caused the greatest loss of jobs in America?

答案：Moving production to other countries.

54. What does Jeff Burnstein say about robots?

答案：They compete with human workers.

55. What are robotic systems replacing surgeons in more and more operations according

to Dr. Myriam Curet?

答案：They beat humans in precision.

56. What does the author imply about robotics?

答案：It will be applied in any field imaginable.

【解析】这是一篇讨论机器人取代人类的科技说明文，话题是考生比较熟悉的科技类文章。文中指出在大萧条时期众多失业的情况下，有一类工人却受益于经济混乱：机器人。机器人和业务外包比自动化分流了更多的岗位。但是专家指出，并不是因为机器人比人廉价，而是它们比人类更优秀。在很多具体工作上，人类无法做到像机器人那样精确。文章最后一段探讨还有那些岗位能免于机器人取代的危机，作者本以为记者行业可以，但是结果却不是这样，几乎所有岗位都面临这种趋势，从而紧扣文章原文题目和主题：Who Needs Humans?人类还有何用？

本文选材虽然是科技相关，但是词汇都比较简单，没有太偏的词汇。而这几道题相比而言，难度又低了不少，很多选项直接可以通过对比原文排除，如54题谈到对机器人的看法，其中B选项说机器人比人类工作更省钱更便宜，而文中已经特别清晰的表明立场，It’s not that …此外，词汇复现也能帮助大家准备做对题目，如第52题的答案中benefit from就对应了原文中的be good for，所以很快很轻松的就选出来了。因此考生只要明确文中几个人物各自的观点，勾画好关键词，整体上来讲，5道题都做对基本可以做到的。

深度阅读SB_2

You've now heard it so many times, you can probably repeat it in your sleep. President Obama will no doubt make the point publicly when he gets to Beijing: the Chinese need to spend more; they need to consume more; they need — believe it or not — to become more like Americans, for the sake of the global economy.

And it's all true. But the other side of that equation is that the U.S. needs to save more. For the moment, American households actually are doing so. After the personal-savings rate dipped to zero in 2005, the shock of the economic crisis last year prompted people to snap shut their wallets.

In China, the household-savings rate exceeds 20%. It is partly for policy reasons. As

we've seen, wage earners are expected to care for not only their children but also their aging parents. And there is, to date, only the flimsiest（脆弱的）of publicly-funded health care and pension systems, which increases incentives for individuals to save while they are working. But China is a society that has long esteemed personal financial prudence（谨慎）for centuries. There is no chance that will change anytime soon, even if the government creates a better social safety net and successfully encourages greater consumer spending.

Why does the U.S. need to learn a little frugality(节俭). Because healthy savings rates are one of the surest indicators of a country's long-term financial health. High savings lead, over time, to increased investment, which in turn generates productivity gains, innovation and job growth. In short, savings are the seed corn of a good economic harvest.

The U.S. government thus needs to act as well. By running constant deficits, it is

dis-saving, even as households save more. Peter Orszag, Obama's Budget Director, recently called the U.S. budget deficits unsustainable and he's right. To date, the U.S. has seemed unable to have what Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels has called an "adult conversation" about the consequences of spending so much more than is taken in. That needs to change. And though Hu Jintao and the rest of the Chinese leadership aren't inclined to lecture visiting Presidents, he might gently hint that Beijing is getting a little nervous about the value of the dollar — which has fallen 15% since March, in large part because of increasing fears that America's debt load is becoming unmanageable.

That's what happens when you're the world's biggest creditor: you get to drop hints like that, which would be enough by themselves to create international economic chaos if they were ever leaked. (Every time any official in Beijing deliberately publicly about seeking an alternative to the U.S. dollar for the $2.1 trillion China holds in reserve, currency traders have a heart attack.) If Americans saved more and spent less, consistently over time, they wouldn't have to worry about all that.

【点评】

本文讲述了在全球经济危机的背景下，美国人要向中国人学习勤俭，学会储蓄。为什么这样做呢？文章中指出良好的储蓄率能够推动经济的繁荣。但即使美国家庭开始储蓄更多，如果政府常年赤字的话，对美国来说还是“反储蓄”的。所以文章的目的是敦促美国政府降低赤字，并在文末再一次强调要坚持向中国学习存多花少，

57. How did the economic crisis affect Americans?

They had to tighten their belts.

【解析】细节题。从原文第二段最后一句话“the shock of the economic crisis last year prompted people to snap shut their wallets”可见，经济危机使得美国民众关紧钱包，即少花钱，也就是答案中tighten their belts（勒紧腰带，节省开支）的意思。所以正确答案为A。

58. What should be done to encourage Chinese people to consume?

Improving China’s soci al security system.

【解析】细节题。从原文中的“even if the government creates a better social safety net and successfully encourages greater consumer spending”可见，如要鼓励中国人消费更多，

这需要提高社会安全系统。

59. What does the author mean by saying “savings are the seed corn of a good e conomic harvest” (Line 4, Para. 4)?

A healthy savings rate promotes economic prosperity.

【解析】细节题。根据题干提示，定位至第四段最后一句，我们发现这句话是前面几句话的概括，那根据前面“High savings lead, over time, to increased investment, which in turn generates productivity gains, innovation and job growth.”可知，高储蓄率能够促进投资，进而促进生产率、创新和岗位增长，即促进经济的繁荣。所以正确答案为D。

60. In what circumstances do currency traders become scared?

When Beijing mentions in public the huge debts America owes China.

【解析】细节题。从原文中的“Every time any official in Beijing deliberately publicly about seeking an alternative to the U.S. dollar for the $2.1 trillion China holds in reserve, currency traders have a heart attack.”可知，每当中国政府公开提到美国欠我国的大量债务，货币交易员们就担惊受怕。因为本段一开始提到作为最大的债权国，财政上的漏洞会造成经济的混乱。所以正确答案为D。

61. What is the author’s purpose of writing the passage?

To urge the American government to cut defictis.

【解析】主旨题。纵观全文，作者一直在强调美国应该向中国学习勤俭，文中第五段的第一句话“By running constant deficits, it is dis-saving, even as households save more.”也给到我们提示，既然长期运行赤字是不利于储蓄的，那美国政府应该做的是降低赤字。所以正确答案是A。

Ⅴ【完形填空】

The shorter growing seasons expected with climate change over the next 40 years will endanger hundreds of millions of already poor people in the global tropics, say researchers working 62 the world's leading agricultural organisations.

The effects of climate change are likely to be seen across the entire tropical 63 but many areas previously considered to be 64 food secure are likely to become highly 65 to droughts, extreme weather and higher temperatures, say the 66 with the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research.

Intensively farmed areas 67 northeast Brazil and Mexico are likely to see their 68 growing seasons fall below 120 days, which is 69 for crops such as corn to mature. Many other places in Latin America are likely to 70 temperatures that are too hot for bean 71 , a staple in the region.

The impact could be 72 most in India and southeast Asia. More than 300 million people in south Asia are likely to be affected even with a 5% decrease in the 73 of the growing season.

Higher peak temperatures are also expected to take a heavy 74 on food producers. Today there are 56 million crop-dependent people in parts of west Africa and India who live in areas where, in 40 years, maximum daily temperatures could be higher than 30C. This is 75 to the maximum temperature that beans can tolerate, 76 corn and rice yields suffer when temperatures 77 this level.

"We are starting to see much more clearly 78 the effects of climate change on agriculture could 79 hunger and poverty," said research leader Patti Kristjanson. "Farmers already adapt 80 variable weather by changing their planting schedules. What this study suggests is that the speed of climate 81 and the magnitude of the changes required to adapt could be much greater. "

【答案】

62. with

63. zone

64. relatively

65. vulnerable

66. researchers

67. like

68. prime

69. critical

70. experience

71. production

72. felt

73. length

74. toll

75. close

76. while

77. exceed

78. where

79. intensify

80. to