1、2011年 12月大学英语六级真题试卷及答案与解析 一、 Part I Writing (30 minutes) 1 For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay entitled The Way to Success by commenting on Abraham Lincolns famous remark, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe. “ You s
2、hould write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words. The Way to Success 二、 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 attached to the passage. For questions 1-4, m
3、ark： Y (for YES) if the statement agrees with the information given in the passage; N (for NO) if the statement contradicts the information given in the passage; NG (for NOT GIVEN) if the information is not given in the passage. 1 Googles Plan for Worlds Biggest Online Library: Philanthropy Or Act o
4、f Piracy? In recent years, teams of workers dispatched by Google have been working hard to make digital copies of books. So far, Google has scanned more than 10 million titles from libraries in America and Europe including half a million volumes held by the Bodleian in Oxford. The exact method it us
5、es is unclear; the company does not allow outsiders to observe the process. Why is Google undertaking such a venture? Why is it even interested in all those out-of-print library books, most of which have been gathering dust on forgotten shelves for decades? The company claims its motives are essenti
6、ally public-spirited. Its overall mission, after all, is to “organise the worlds information“, so it would be odd if that information did not include books. The company likes to present itself as having lofty aspirations. “This really isnt about making money. We are doing this for the good of societ
7、y.“ As Santiago de la Mora, head of Google Books for Europe, puts it: “By making it possible to search the millions of books that exist today, we hope to expand the frontiers of human knowledge.“ Dan Clancy, the chief architect of Google Books, does seem genuine in his conviction that this is primar
8、ily a philanthropic (慈善的 ) exercise. “Googles core business is search and find, so obviously what helps improve Googles search engine is good for Google,“ he says. “But we have never built a spreadsheet （电子数据表 ) outlining the financial benefits of this, and I have never had to justify the amount I a
9、m spending to the companys founders.“ It is easy, talking to Clancy and his colleagues, to be swept along by their missionary passion. But Googles book-scanning project is proving controversial. Several opponents have recently emerged, ranging from rival tech giants such as Microsoft and Amazon to s
10、mall bodies representing authors and publishers across the world. In broad terms, these opponents have levelled two sets of criticisms at Google. First, they have questioned whether the primary responsibility for digitally archiving the worlds books should be allowed to fall to a commercial company.
11、 In a recent essay in the New York Review of Books, Robert Darnton, the head of Harvard Universitys library, argued that because such books are a common resource the possession of us all only public, not-for-profit bodies should be given the power to control them. The second related criticism is tha
12、t Googles scanning of books is actually illegal. This allegation has led to Google becoming mired in (PS A) a legal battle whose scope and complexity makes the Jarndyce and Jarndyce case in Charles Dickens Bleak House look straightforward. At its centre, however, is one simple issue: that of copyrig
13、ht. The inconvenient fact about most books, to which Google has arguably paid insufficient attention, is that they are protected by copyright. Copyright laws differ from country to country, but in general protection extends for the duration of an authors life and for a substantial period afterwards,
14、 thus allowing the authors heirs to benefit. (In Britain and America, this post-death period is 70 years.) This means, of course, that almost all of the books published in the 20th century are still under copyright and the last century saw more books published than in all previous centuries combined
15、. Of the roughly 40 million books in US libraries, for example, an estimated 32 million are in copyright. Of these, some 27 million are out of print. Outside the US, Google has made sure only to scan books that are out of copyright and thus in the “public domain“ (works such as the Bodleians first e
16、dition of Middlemarch, which anyone can read for free on Google Books Search). But, within the US, the company has scanned both in-copyright and out-of-copyright works. In its defence, Google points out that it displays only small segments of books that are in copyright arguing that such displays ar
17、e “fair use“. But critics allege that by making electronic copies of these books without first seeking the permission of copyright holders, Google has committed piracy. “The key principle of copyright law has always been that works can be copied only once authors have expressly given their permissio
18、n,“ says Piers Blofeld, of the Sheil Land literary agency in London. “Google has reversed this it has simply copied all these works without bothering to ask.“ In 2005, the Authors Guild of America, together with a group of US publishers, launched a class action suit (集团诉讼 ) against Google that, afte
19、r more than two years of negotiation, ended with an announcement last October that Google and the claimants had reached an out-of-court settlement. The full details are complicated the text alone runs to 385 pages and trying to summarise it is no easy task. “Part of the problem is that it is basical
20、ly incomprehensible,“ says Blofeld, one of the settlements most vocal British critics. Broadly, the deal provides a mechanism for Google to compensate authors and publishers whose rights it has breached (including giving them a share of any future revenue it generates from their works). In exchange
21、for this, the rights holders agree not to sue Google in future. This settlement hands Google the power but only with the agreement of individual rights holders to exploit its database of out-of-print books. It can include them in subscription deals sold to libraries or sell them individually under a
22、 consumer licence. It is these commercial provisions that are proving the settlements most controversial aspect. Critics point out that, by giving Google the right to commercially exploit its database, the settlement paves the way for a subtle shift in the companys role from provider of information
23、to seller. “Googles business model has always been to provide information for free, and sell advertising on the basis of the traffic this generates,“ points out James Grimmelmann, associate professor at New York Law School. Now. he says, because of the settlements provisions, Google could become a s
24、ignificant force in bookselling. Interest in this aspect of the settlement has focused on “orphan“ works, where there is no known copyright holder these make up an estimated 5-10% of the books Google has scanned. Under the settlement, when no rights holders come forward and register their interest i
25、n a work, commercial control automatically reverts to Google. Google will be able to display up to 20% of orphan works for free, include them in its subscription deals to libraries and sell them to individual buyers under the consumer licence. It is by no means certain that the settlement will be en
26、acted (执行 ) it is the subject of a fairness hearing in the US courts. But if it is enacted, Google will in effect be off the hook as far as copyright violations in the US are concerned. Many people are seriously concerned by this and the company is likely to face challenges in other courts around th
27、e world. No one knows the precise use Google will make of the intellectual property it has gained by scanning the worlds library books, and the truth, as Gleick, an American science writer and member of the Authors Guild, points out, is that the company probably doesnt even know itself. But what is
28、certain is that, in some way or other, Googles entrance into digital bookselling will have a significant impact on the book world in the years to come. 2 Google claims its plan for the worlds biggest online library is_. （ A） to save out-of-print books in libraries （ B） to encourage reading around th
29、e world （ C） to promote its core business of searching （ D） to serve the interest of the general public 3 According to Santiago de la Mora, Googles book-scanning project will_. （ A） make full use of the power of its search engine （ B） help the broad masses of readers （ C） revolutionise the entire bo
30、ok industry （ D） broaden humanitys intellectual horizons 4 Opponents of Google Books believe that digitally archiving the worlds books should be controlled by_. （ A） non-profit organisations （ B） the worlds tech giants （ C） multinational companies （ D） the worlds leading libraries 5 Google has invol
31、ved itself in a legal battle as it ignored_. （ A） the copyright of the books it scanned （ B） the interest of traditional booksellers （ C） the differences of in-print and out-of-print books （ D） the copyright of authors of out-of-print books 6 Google defends its scanning in-copyright books by saying
32、that_. （ A） making electronic copies of books is not a violation of copyright （ B） it displays only a small part of their content （ C） it is willing to compensate the copyright holders （ D） the online display of in-copyright books is not for commercial use 7 What do we learn about the class action s
33、uit against Google? （ A） It ended in a victory for the Authors Guild of America. （ B） It could lead to more out-of-court settlements of such disputes. （ C） It failed to protect the interests of American publishers. （ D） It was settled after more than two years of negotiation. 8 What remained controv
34、ersial after the class action suit ended? （ A） The change in Googles business model. （ B） The compensation for copyright holders. （ C） The commercial provisions of the settlement. （ D） Googles further exploitation of its database. 9 While_, Google makes money by selling advertising. 10 Books whose c
35、opyright holders are not known are called_. 11 Googles entrance into digital bookselling will tremendously_in the future. 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 wh
36、at 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. （ A） Listen to the recorded notes while driving. （ B） Cancel the trip
37、to prepare for the test. （ C） Prepare for the test after the wedding. （ D） Review his notes once he arrives in Chicago. （ A） The woman will help the man remember the lines. （ B） The woman will prompt the man during the show. （ C） The man lacks confidence in playing the part. （ D） The man hopes to ch
38、ange his role in the play. （ A） Arranging a bed for a patient. （ B） Rescuing the womans uncle. （ C） A complicated surgical case. （ D） Preparations for an operation. （ A） He is too busy to accept more responsibility. （ B） He is interested in improving his editing skills. （ C） He is eager to be nomina
39、ted the new editor. （ D） He is sure to do a better job than Simon. （ A） He has been successfully elected Prime Minister. （ B） He has already reached the retirement age. （ C） He has left his position in the government. （ D） He made a stupid decision at the cabinet meeting. （ A） This years shuttle mis
40、sion is a big step in space exploration. （ B） The shuttle flight will be broadcast live worldwide. （ C） The man is excited at the news of the shuttle flight. （ D） The man is well informed about the space shuttle missions. （ A） At an auto rescue center. （ B） At a car renting company. （ C） At a mounta
41、in camp. （ D） At a suburban garage. （ A） He listened to some serious music. （ B） He bought a stereo system. （ C） He got his speakers fixed. （ D） He went shopping with the woman. （ A） Providing aid to the disabled. （ B） Selling products made for left-handers. （ C） Promoting products for manufacturers
42、. （ D） Printing labels for manufactured goods. （ A） About half of them are unavailable on the market. （ B） The kitchenware in his shop is of unique design. （ C） All of them are manufactured in his own plant. （ D） Most of them are specially made for his shop. （ A） They specialise in one product only.
43、 （ B） They have outlets throughout Britain. （ C） They run chain stores in central London. （ D） They sell by mail order only. （ A） It publishes magazines. （ B） It is engaged in product design. （ C） It sponsors trade fairs. （ D） It runs sales promotion campaigns. Section B Directions: In this section,
44、 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. （ A） They contribute most to it. （ B） They of
45、ten find fault with it. （ C） They take it for granted. （ D） They are crazy about it. （ A） Tidal restlessness. （ B） Historical continuity. （ C） Heat and light. （ D） Economic prosperity. （ A） They are adventurers from all over the world. （ B） They lack knowledge of the culture of the city. （ C） They f
46、ind the city alien to them. （ D） They have difficulty surviving. Passage Three （ A） A murder mystery. （ B） A football game. （ C） A political debate. （ D） A documentary. （ A） It helps broaden ones horizons. （ B） It enhances family relationships. （ C） It is a sheer waste of time. （ D） It is unhealthy
47、for the viewers. （ A） He watches T.V. programs only selectively. （ B） He doesnt like watching sports programs. （ C） He cant resist the temptation of T.V. either. （ D） He is not a man who can keep his promise. （ A） They are looked after by animal-care organizations. （ B） They sacrifice their lives fo
48、r the benefit of humans. （ C） They look spotlessly clean throughout their lives. （ D） They are labeled pet animals by the researchers. （ A） They may breed out of control. （ B） They may cause damage to the environment. （ C） They may behave abnormally. （ D） They may affect the results of experiments.
49、（ A） When they are no longer useful. （ B） When they become ill. （ C） When they become escapees. （ D） When they get too old. （ A） While calling for animal rights, they allowed their kids to keep pet animals. （ B） While holding a burial ceremony for a pet mouse, they were killing pest mice. （ C） While launching animal protection campaigns, they were trapping kitchen mice. （ D） While advocating freedom for animals, they kept their pet mouse in a cage. Passage Two S
