1、大学英语六级-175 及答案解析(总分：100.00，做题时间：90 分钟)三、Passage 1(总题数：1，分数：20.00)A treadmill (跑步机) desk may be one thing. But what about a desk with a built-in exercise bike? A new study, in the July 1 of Applied Ergonomics , found people working at a cycling workstation burned calories at 2.5 times the rate as whe
2、n they simply sat and typed. Pedaling didn“t affect typing performance. Using a cycling workstation for 10 minutes every hour throughout a day could help desk workers lose weight and reduce the 2 of diabetes and cardiovascular (心血管的) disease, researchers said. 3 pedaling could improve cognitive func
3、tion, they said. University of Utah researchers 4 10 normal-weight undergraduates and faculty members who reported spending 6.3 hours a day, on average, at a desk. Subjects, men ages 24 to 40, spent two 10-minute sessions 5 the Gettysburg Address . In one session, subjects pedaled and typed. In the
4、other, they sat and typed. 6 were instructed to select a resistance level they could comfortably maintain for 7 periods without interfering with typing. Subjects burned 255 calories per hour pedaling and typing and 100 calories per hour sitting and typing. The exertion level was rated as very, very
5、light. Transcription time 8 7.7 minutes while pedaling and 7.6 minutes while sitting. Subjects made an average of 3.3 and 3.8 errors in the pedaling and non-pedaling experiments, 9 Heart rate and oxygen 10 were substantially higher while pedaling and typing. The study was small and involved young fi
6、t men. A researcher is part owner in a company that is working with the university to develop a cycling workstation called an Active Desk. A. averaged B. consumption C. evaporating D. Intermittent E. Irritating F. issue G. lure H. Participants I. prolonged J. recruited K. respectively L. risk M. Sup
7、eriors N. tentatively O. transcribing（分数：20.00）四、Passage 2(总题数：1，分数：30.00)Climate Disaster? Here“s What the US Could Look Like in 2100A. You“ve been hearing about the negative impacts of global warming for years. Sometimes you read with worry the news about forest fires, hurricanes, droughts and hea
8、t waves. And you wonder, “Is climate disaster already upon us?“ Scientists say the answer is “Yes.“ We are now experiencing the effects of human-caused climate change and say, even if we drastically alter our polluting behavior today, we“ll continue to see changes over the next two to three decades
9、and researchers predict it may be worse than the depressing situation. B. Although the future seems gloomy, there is hope. While we can“t change the polluting that has already occurred, we can make changes now that will leave a cleaner world for our children and grandchildren. “One important message
10、 to convey is we can very much affect what happens 90 years from now by the decisions we make today,“ says Jim Hurrell, Ph.D., a senior atmospheric researcher with the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). C. But what happens if we don“t act now? Here is how the parts of the United States
11、 could be affected in the year 2100 if we don“t turn it around. 1. Pacific Northwest D. Climate changes in the Northwestern states as a result of global warming will include heavier rainfall and higher temperatures. The slow steady drizzle so familiar to Northwest residents will change. E. By 2100 t
12、here will be very dramatic warming over the higher latitudes of both hemispheres. Studies on temperature changes that have already occurred show that Alaska has experienced a 3.6 degree Fahrenheit increase since 1951 and western states in the US are experiencing warmer summer temperatures. F. The No
13、rthwest will also be affected by the anticipated two to three feet of sea level rise, though cities in this area will suffer less than coastal cities in the Southwest and Southeast. “The sea level rise will be global, but it becomes a big problem when three things come together, high tides, a higher
14、 sea level, and a storm surge,“ says Kevin Trenberth, head of the Climate Analysis Section with NCAR. “The worst storm surges are associated with hurricanes. You don“t get hurricanes in the Northwest, so the Northwest is not as vulnerable as the Southeast in that regard.“ 2. Rocky Mountains G. Scien
15、tists predict that by 2100 increasingly early snowmelts will put a strain on water supplies in Denver, Salt Lake City and other communities fed by Rocky Mountain rivers. Winter snowpack is a vital part of life in the Mountain West. Snow piles up in the winter, melts in late spring and summer, and ri
16、vers flow, providing water everywhere. But global warming is changing all that. In the future, the snow season will get shorter, the snowpack will be less, and runoff (径流) could easily occur a month or two earlier. Consequently, the ski industry, now a main source of revenue for Rocky Mountain ski t
17、owns, will no doubt be put on notice, as will states downstream from the mountains. Less water in the Southwest will lead to drought conditions, more wildfires and stressed fish and other aquatic (水栖的) species. An earlier spring disrupts natural systems in ways that lead to human health issues. A lo
18、nger summer and short winter also allow insects to thrive, threatening the health of trees and contributing to the risk of forest fires. 3. Northeast H. The largest metropolitan areas along the seaboard are especially at risk for stronger storms and flooding. East Coast cities will also be more affe
19、cted by sea level rise than other areas of the US. Today“s coastal areas will be very different by the end of this century if we do nothing. On average, global sea levels will go up two to three feet. But scientists expect that in some coastal cities, such as Boston and New York, complex ocean curre
20、nts that will change as our climate changes will add an extra 8 inches to that increase in water level. Rising sea levels could flood subways and underground sewage (污水) and transportation systems if left unchecked. Or, these cities could become similar to New Orleans, in that they“d need to build i
21、nfrastructure to protect them from rising sea levels. I. An increase in the number of extreme storms would cause public health issues by creating a higher risk of waterborne (由水传播的) illnesses. Some estimates suggest that at our current rate of climate change, temperature in the Northeast will increa
22、se as much as 6 degrees Fahrenheit by century“s end. That will make the public health risks during heat waves immeasurably worse than they already are today. 4. Southeast J. The Southeastern states will experience less extreme temperature increases than northern and western states, but they will see
23、 stronger storms and find themselves more vulnerable to sea level rise. “There are two major factors in terms of sea level rise,“ says Hurrell. “The first is thermal expansion. The second is that more fresh water will be added to the oceans.“ K. “There are three main risks in the Southeast,“ says Tr
24、enberth. “There is risk for increased wind damage, risk for a storm surge, which is very coastal and worsened by higher sea levels, and then a bit further inland, there is an increased risk of flooding from heavy rains.“ Waterborne diseases are more likely to be prevalent in a flood zone and will cr
25、eate additional risk to public health. 5. The Northern Plains, Midwest and Great Lakes L. Scientists predict that the Northern Plains, Midwest and Great Lakes areas will experience stronger storms, longer storm seasons and an increase in temperatures. Temperature changes as high as 5 to 12 degrees F
26、ahrenheit in winter, and 5 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit in summer by 2100. Warmer winters can lead to an increase in infectious diseases as warmer winter weather allows insect populations to remain active longer each year. M. An extended summer will translate to a longer growing season, but also to an i
27、ncreased risk of drought and extreme heat. That heat will create evaporation that will lower water levels, especially in the Great Lakes. While there will be little change in overall average precipitation (降雨量), this region will experience longer storm seasons. 6. Southwest N. The Southwestern state
28、s, including California and Nevada, will experience intense heat waves, poorer air quality, wildfire, water shortages, drought and expanding risks to agriculture. In general, the main worry in the Southwest is water resources. Water is already a scarce resource what with increasing population demand
29、s. These areas are already quite dependent on water flowing from the mountains, so any changes in snowpack will exert an impact on water sources in places like California. O. Dry conditions and“ high temperatures will increase risk for heat waves and wildfires. Along with that come issues with insec
30、ts and diseases. Some insects flourish with a longer summer season, and the dead trees they create lead to higher wildfire risk.（分数：30.00）(1).Scientists think that Boston and New York will be affected by an extreme sea level rise resulting from complex ocean currents.（分数：3.00）(2).In places like Cali
31、fornia, as snow melts earlier in snowpack, water sources will be adversely affected.（分数：3.00）(3).According to Jim Hurrell, the climate 90 years from now is closely related to our behavior today.（分数：3.00）(4).Even if we strive to change our polluting behavior today, the climate change over the followi
32、ng decades cannot stop.（分数：3.00）(5).According to Hurrell, thermal expansion and more fresh water contribute to the sea level rise.（分数：3.00）(6).According to some scientists, the Northern Plains will experience warmer winters.（分数：3.00）(7).As a result of early snowmelts in Rocky Mountain rivers, water
33、suppliers will be affected.（分数：3.00）(8).According to Kevin Trenberth, compared with the Southeast, the Northwest is less subject to the worst storm surges.（分数：3.00）(9).Due to global warming, Northwest residents will be less likely to experience slow steady drizzle in the future.（分数：3.00）(10).The ski
34、 industry in Rocky Mountains will be threatened in 2100.（分数：3.00）五、Passage 3(总题数：1，分数：25.00)In a provocative look at the impact of sedentary behavior on health, a new study links time watching television to an increased risk of death. One of the most surprising findings is that it isn“t just couch p
35、otatoes who were affected. Even for people who exercised regularly, the risk of death went up the longer they were in front of the TV. The problem was the prolonged periods of time spent sitting still. Australian researchers who tracked 8800 people for an average of six years found that those who sa
36、id they watched TV for more than four hours a day were 46% more likely to die of any cause and 80% more likely to die of cardiovascular (心血管的) disease than people who reported spending less than two hours a day in front of the tube. Time spent in front of TVs and computers and videogames has come un
37、der fire in studies in recent years for contributing to an epidemic of obesity in the US and around the world. But typically the resulting public-health message urges children and adults to put down the Xbox controller and remote and get on a treadmill or a soccer field. The Australian study offers
38、a different take. “It“s not the sweaty type of exercise we“re losing,“ says David Dunstan, a researcher at Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, who led the study. “It“s the incidental moving around, walking around, standing up and utilizing muscles. That doesn“t happen when we“re plunk
39、ed on a couch in front of a television.“ Indeed, participants in the study reported getting between 30 and 45 minutes of exercise a day, on average. The results are supported by an emerging field of research that shows how prolonged periods of inactivity can affect the body“s processing of fats and
40、other substances that contribute to heart risk. And they suggest that people can help mitigate (减轻) such risk by avoiding extended periods of sitting. Keeping such processes working more effectively doesn“t require constant intense exercise, but consciously adding more routine movement to your life
41、might help, doctors say. “Just standing is better than sitting,“ says Gerard Fletcher, a cardiologist (心脏病医生) at Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Fla., who works standing up at his computer. “When you stand up, you shuffle around a little bit and use muscles not required when you“re sitting or lying down.
42、“ Simple strategies for increasing activity include incorporating household chores such as folding laundry into TV-watching time or getting up to change a TV channel rather than using a remote control. The report, being published Tuesday in the American Heart Association journal Circulation , focuse
43、s on TV watching in part because it is the predominant leisure-time activity in many countries, especially in the US.（分数：25.00）(1).The phrase “couch potatoes“ (Para. 1) refers to people who _.（分数：5.00）A.spend a lot of time watching TVB.don“t exercise regularlyC.have too much physical exerciseD.like
44、lying on the couch(2).Why the time spent in front of TVs and computers has been attacked in studies?（分数：5.00）A.TVs and computers are widespread now.B.More and more money is invested in these fields.C.It contributes to the obesity problem in the world.D.It reduces people“s time spent on doing sports.
45、(3).What is the difference between the Australian study and other studies?（分数：5.00）A.Sitting too long in front of TV will lead to high risk of death.B.People who watch TV should take more physical exercise.C.A sedentary lifestyle is bad for all people, even for those who exercise regularly.D.People
46、shouldn“t use the remote control when watching TV.(4).Why can prolonged periods of inactivity contribute to heart risk?（分数：5.00）A.The body“s processing of some substances will be affected.B.It damages our heart directly.C.Fats can“t be converted into energy.D.It disturbs food digestion.(5).According
47、 to the Australian study, the body“s processing of fats can work more effectively by _.（分数：5.00）A.increasing the sweaty type of exerciseB.taking some medicineC.watching some healthy showsD.increasing more routine movement六、Passage 4(总题数：1，分数：25.00)Has any field suffered a faster drop in public confi
48、dence than climate science? Two and a half years ago, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was finishing up its widely acclaimed fourth assessment on global warming, which made an unequivocal (明确的) case for the threat of man-made climate change. For its work, the IPCC was rewarded wi
49、th the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize and polls showed strong concern over global warming, even in the US. By the time of President Barack Obama“s election in 2008, the stage seemed set for climate science to go from the professional journals to the stuff of legislation. But that was then. Thanks in part to the events of Climategate last Novemberwhen someone hacked into and released thousands of e-mails and documents from the Climatic Research Unit (CRU) at Britain“s East Anglia Universityclimate scientists now find themselves under fire. The Climategate e-mails revealed that scientists us
