1、2012年 12月大学英语六级真题试卷（第 2套）及答案与解析 一、 Part I Writing (30 minutes) 1 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 that the computer will begin to think like man, but that man will begin to think like the comput
2、er.“ You should write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words. Man and Computer 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 question
3、s 1-4, mark： 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 Rates are low, but consumers wont borrow With heavy debt load
4、s and high joblessness, Americans are cautious. The U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed)s announcement last week that it intended to keep credit cheap for at least two more years was a clear invitation to Americans: Go out and borrow. But many economists say it will take more than low interest rates to persua
5、de consumers to take on more debt. There are already signs that the recent stock market fluctuations, turbulence in Europe and the U.S. deficit have scared consumers. On Friday, preliminary data showed that the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan consumer sentiment index had fallen this month to
6、lower than it was in November 2008, when the United State was deep in recession. Under normal circumstances, the Feds announcement might have attracted new home and car buyers and prompted credit card holders to rack up fresh charges. But with unemployment high and those with jobs worried about keep
7、ing them, consumers are more concerned about paying off the loans they already have than adding more debt. And by showing its hand for the next two years, the Fed may have thoughtlessly invited prospective borrowers to put off large purchases. Lenders, meanwhile, are still dealing with the effects o
8、f the boom-gone-bust and are forcing prospective borrowers to go to extraordinary lengths to prove their creditworthiness. “I dont think lenders are going to be interested in extending a lot of debt in this environment,“ said Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moodys Analytics, a macroeconomic consultin
9、g firm. “Nor do I think households are going to be interested in taking on a lot of debt.“ In housing, consumers have already shown a slow response to low rates. Applications for new mortgages have decreased this year to a 10-year low, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Sales of furnitur
10、e and furnishings remain 22% below their pre-recession peak, according to SpendingPulse, a research report by MasterCard Advisors. Credit card rates have actually gone up slightly in the past year. The one bright spot in lending is the number of auto loans, which is up from last year. But some econo
11、mists say that confidence among car buyers is hitting new lows. For Xavier Walter, a former mortgage banker who with his wife, Danielle, accumulated $20,000 in credit card debt, low rates will not change his spending habits. As the housing market topped out five years ago, he lost his six-figure inc
12、ome. He and his wife were able to modify the mortgage on their four-bedroom house in Medford, New Jersey, as well as negotiate lower credit card payments. Two years ago, Mr. Walter, a 34-year-old father of three, started an energy business. He has sworn off credit. “Im not going to go back in debt e
13、ver again,“ he said. “If I cant pay for it in cash, I dont want it“ Until now, one of the biggest restraints on consumer spending has been a debt aftereffect. Since August 2008, when household debt peaked at $12.41 trillion, it has declined by about $1.2 trillion, according to an analysis by Moodys
14、Analytics of data from the Federal Reserve and Equifax, the credit agency. A large portion of that, though, was simply written off by lenders as borrowers defaulted on loans. By other measures, households have improved their position. The proportion of after-tax income that households spend to remai
15、n current on loan payments has fallen. Still, household debt remains high. That presents a paradox: many economists argue that the economy cannot achieve true health until debt levels decline. But credit, made attractive by low rates, is a time-tested way to increase consumer spending. With new risk
16、s of another downturn, economists worry that it will take years for debt to return to manageable levels. If the economy contracts again, said George Magnus, senior adviser at UBS, then “you could find a lot of households in a debt trap which they probably can never get out of.“ Mortgage lenders, mea
17、nwhile, burned by the housing crash, are extra careful about approving new loans. In June, for instance, Fannie Mae, the largest mortgage buyer in the United States, said that borrowers whose existing debt exceeded 45 to 50% of their income would be required to have stronger “compensating“ factors,
18、which might include higher savings. Even those borrowers in strong financial positions are asked to provide unusual amounts of paperwork. Bobby and Katie Smith have an extremely good credit record, tiny student debt and a combined six-figure income. For part of their down payment, they planned to us
19、e about $5,000 they had received as wedding gifts in February. But the lender would not accept that money unless the Smiths provided a certified letter from each of 14 guests, stating that the money was a gift, rather than a loan. “We laughed for a good 15 or 20 minutes,“ recalled Mr. Smith, 34. Mr.
20、 Smith, a program director for a radio station in Orlando, Florida, said they ended up using other savings for their down payment to buy a $300,000 four-bedroom house in April. For those not as creditworthy as the Smiths, low rates are irrelevant because they no longer qualify for mortgages. That le
21、aves the eligible pool of loan applicants wealthier, “older and whiter,“ said Guy Cecala, publisher of Inside Mortgage Finance. “Its creating much more of a divide,“ he said, “between the haves and the have-nots.“ Car shoppers with the highest credit ratings can also get loans more easily, and at lo
22、wer rates, said Paul C. Taylor, chief economist of the National Automobile Dealers Association. During the recession, inability to obtain credit severely cut auto buying as lenders rejected even those with good credit ratings. Now automakers are increasing their subprime (次级债的 ) lending again as wel
23、l, but remain hesitant to approve large numbers of risky customers. The number of new auto loans was up by 16% in the second quarter compared with the previous year, said Melinda Zabritski, director of automotive credit at Experian, the information services company. But some economists warn that con
24、sumer confidence is falling. According to CNW Marketing Research, confidence among those who intend to buy a car this year is at its lowest since it began collecting data on this measure in 2000. On credit cards, rates have actually inched higher this year, largely because of new rules that curb the
25、 issuers ability to charge fees or raise certain interest rates at will. At the end of the second quarter, rates averaged 14.01% on new card offers, up from 13.75% a year earlier, according to Mail Monitor, which tracks credit cards for Synovate, a market research firm. According to data from the Fe
26、deral Reserve, total outstanding debt on revolving credit cards was down by 4.6% during the first half of the year compared with the same period a year earlier. Even if the Feds announcement helps keep rates steady, or pushes them down, businesses do not expect customers to suddenly charge up a stor
27、m. “Its not like, Oh, credit is so cheap, lets go back to the heydays(鼎盛时期 ),“ said Elizabeth Crow-ell, who owns Sterling Place, two high-end home furnishing and gift stores in New York. “People still fear for their jobs. So I think where maybe after other recessions they might return to previous sp
28、ending habits, the pendulum hasnt swung back the same way.“ 2 What is the purpose of the announcement issued by the U.S. Federal Reserve last week? （ A） To help reduce the debt burden on consumers. （ B） To force the banks to lower their interest rates. （ C） To encourage consumers to get more bank lo
29、ans. （ D） To prevent further fluctuations in the stock market. 3 Why are people reluctant to take on more debt despite the low interest rates? （ A） They are afraid of losing their good credit ratings. （ B） They are pessimistic about employment prospects. （ C） They have little faith in the Feds finan
30、cial policies. （ D） They expect the Fed to further lower interest rates. 4 What does the author say about lenders in the current credit market? （ A） They are becoming more cautious. （ B） They are eager to offer more loans. （ C） They advise prospective borrowers to put off large purchases. （ D） They
31、are only concerned about how much they can get back. 5 What does the author want to say by citing Xavier Walters case? （ A） Not many Americans can afford to pay in cash these days. （ B） The Feds policies exert a strong influence on borrowers. （ C） People now wont buy things unless they have the mone
32、y. （ D） It is beneficial for Americans to borrow in times of recession. 6 What is the economists concern regarding the current economy? （ A） Consumers unwillingness to spend. （ B） Banks inability to recover debt. （ C） The ever-lowering interest rates. （ D） The unmanageable debt levels. 7 What do we
33、learn from the Smiths story? （ A） It is very difficult for people to build up a good credit record. （ B） A certain amount of savings is needed for one to buy a house. （ C） The purchase of a house will plunge young couples into heavy debt. （ D） Mortgage lenders are now careful about borrowers qualifi
34、cations. 8 According to Guy Cecala, the banks policy on mortgage lending will result in_. （ A） a wider gap between the rich and the poor （ B） a bigger down payment for house buyers （ C） a higher debt level for the less wealthy （ D） a greater pressure on senior buyers 9 During the recession, the numb
35、er of car buyers decreased because it was difficult to _ 10 Credit card interest rates have gradually increased recently because new rules do not allow the issuers to raise certain interest rates or_. 11 According to Elizabeth Crowell, the current recession, unlike previous ones, has not seen a swin
36、g back in peoples_. 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 the
37、re 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） She can count on the man for help. （ B） She has other plans for this weekend. （ C） She can lend the man a sleeping bag. （ D） She has got camping gear for rent. （ A） Th
38、e man should keep his words. （ B） She regrets asking the man for help. （ C） Karen always supports her at work. （ D） Karen can take her to the airport. （ A） He cant afford to go traveling yet. （ B） His trip to Hawaii was not enjoyable. （ C） He usually checks his brakes before a trip. （ D） His trip to
39、 Hawaii has used up all his money. （ A） There was nothing left except some pie. （ B） The man has to find something else to eat. （ C） The woman is going to prepare the dinner. （ D） Julie has been invited for dinner. （ A） Submit no more than three letters. （ B） Present a new letter of reference. （ C）
40、Apply to three graduate schools. （ D） Send Professor Smith a letter. （ A） He declines to join the gardening club. （ B） He is a professional gardener in town. （ C） He prefers to keep his gardening skills to himself. （ D） He wishes to receive formal training in gardening. （ A） Sculpture is not a typic
41、al form of modern art. （ B） Modern art cannot express peoples true feelings. （ C） The recent sculpture exhibit was not well organized. （ D） Many people do not appreciate modern art. （ A） Bob does not have much chance to win. （ B） She will vote for another candidate. （ C） Bob cannot count on her vote
42、. （ D） She knows the right person for the position. （ A） He behaves in a way contrary to his real intention. （ B） He presents his arguments in a straightforward way. （ C） He responds readily to the other partys proposals. （ D） He uses lots of gestures to help make his points clear. （ A） Both may fai
43、l when confronting experienced rivals. （ B） The honest type is more effective than the actor type. （ C） Both can succeed depending on the specific situation. （ D） The actor type works better in tough negotiations. （ A） Poor management of the hospital. （ B） The health hazard at her work place. （ C） D
44、ecisions made by the head technician. （ D） The outdated medical testing procedures. （ A） Transfer her to another department. （ B） Repair the x-ray equipment. （ C） Cut down her workload. （ D） Allow her to go on leave for two months. （ A） They are virtually impossible to enforce. （ B） Neither is appli
45、cable to the womans case. （ C） Both of them have been subject to criticism. （ D） Their requirements may be difficult to meet. （ A） Organize a mass strike. （ B） Compensate for her loss. （ C） Try to help her get it back. （ D） Find her a better paying job. （ A） In giving concessions. （ B） In the conclu
46、ding part. （ C） In stating your terms. （ D） In the preparatory phase. 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 choo
47、se the best answer from the four choices marked A, B, C and D. （ A） The new security plan for the municipal building. （ B） The blueprint for the development of the city. （ C） The controversy over the new office regulations. （ D） The citys general budget for the coming year. （ A） Whether the security
48、 checks were really necessary. （ B） How to cope with the huge crowds of visitors to the municipal building. （ C） Whether the security checks would create lone queues at peak hours. （ D） How to train the newly recruited security guards. （ A） Irrelevant. （ B） Straightforward. （ C） Ridiculous. （ D） Con
49、frontational. （ A） He used to work as a miner in Nevada. （ B） He works hard to support his five kids. （ C） He considers himself a blessed man. （ D） He once taught at a local high school. （ A） To be nearer to Zacs school. （ B） To look after her grandchildren. （ C） To cut their living expenses. （ D） To help with the household chores. （ A） Skeptical. （ B） Optimistic. （ C） Indifferent. （ D） Realistic. （ A） The shape of the cubes used. （ B） The size of the objects shown. （ C） The number of times of repeating the pr
