1、大学英语六级模拟试卷 317及答案与解析 一、 Part I Writing (30 minutes) 1 Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay entitled The Value of Science. You should write at least 150 words following the outline given below: 1. 有的人认为，科学的价值在于对人 类物质生活的提高作出了巨大贡献；另一些人则认为，科学的真正价值在于它提高了人的整体素质 .你的看
2、法如何？写出你的观点，并适当举例说明你的理由 . 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, mark： Y (for YES) if the statement agrees with the inf
3、ormation 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 Marriage Marriage is traditionally conceived to be a legally recognized relationship, between an adult male and female, th
4、at carries certain rights and obligations. However, in contemporary societies, marriage is sometimes interpreted more liberally and the phrase living as married indicates that for many purposes it makes no sense to exclude cohabitation. It should be noted, however, that even this more liberal defini
5、tion usually excludes homosexual couples. Although cohabitation is increasingly accepted, and is now the normal prelude to marriage, people continue to make a distinction between living together and a proper wedding and marriage. Much recent sociological research, both in Britain and America, has be
6、en concerned with the growing fears that marriage as an institution is in decline. These fears stem from two roots, the first being concern for increasing marital breakdown and subsequent divorce, and the second the fact that marriage is going out of fashion, with more people cohabiting and even rea
7、ring children outside matrimony. Certainly, divorce is on the increase, and if current divorce-rates in Britain continue then one in three marriages is likely to end in divorce. In recent years, the median age at first marriage has increased and teenage marriages have declined significantly, with a
8、growing proportion, albeit still a small minority, never getting married. At the same time, rates of cohabitation are increasing, with it now being virtually the norm to cohabit before marrying. Moreover, an increasing number of children are conceived and born outside marriage. Looking at these stat
9、istics, one might reasonably conclude that the future of marriage looks bleak, but marriage still remains the preferred way of life for the vast majority of the adult population. Even among those whose first marriage fails, a majority are sufficiently optimistic to marry a second time. Why do people
10、 marry? In Western societies, the emotional aspects of marriage are stressed, and what Lawrence Stone calls affective individualism prevails. Choice of a mate is influenced primarily by the desire for a relationship offering affection and lovealthough, as Peter Berger observes, the “lightning shaft
11、of Cupid seems to be guided rather strongly within very definite channels of class, income, education, racial and religious background“. The tendency for people of similar backgrounds to marry (marital homogamy) is strong, but there is no clear understanding of why it occurs, or whether the degree o
12、f rigidity in mate selection differs among different social groups. Surprisingly, some recent American research suggests that the higher the class position, the less the homogamy. Concern with marital success and marital adjustment has played an increasingly prominent part in recent research. As Dav
13、id Morgan suggests, marriage has become “medicalized“, with therapists and marriage-guidance counsellors at the ready to tackle marital problems and enhance marital quality. This raises the question of how marital success should be measured. Clearly, stability is not a sufficient indicator, as some
14、couples stay together even though they are totally miserable, whereas others divorce, despite having a relationship that some would envy. A variety of marital quality inventories have been developed and recently it has been recognized that marital quality and marital problems are in fact independent
15、. For example, conflict and arguments may be signs of caring and engagement in some marriages. Marriages clearly face different problems at different times of the life-cycle, and raising a family, especially for parents of younger children, is associated with high marital strain. Remarriages appear
16、to be at greater risk of breaking up than first marriage, especially when step-children are involved. This may be in part because remarriage is an incomplete institution, in the sense that societal expectations and norms still reflect the traditional expectation that marriages will last a lifetime.
17、As Anthony Giddens has pointed out, terms like “broken marriages“ and “broken homes“ embody the traditional ideal and have unfortunate negative connotations, especially regarding children whose parents are separated or divorced. Increasingly, research is focusing on the interrelationship of employme
18、nt and family life, including marriage. The primary focus has been on how womens employment has affected the marital relationship. Using longitudinal surveys, American researchers have found that women who contribute a higher share of the household income are more likely to divorce than women who co
19、ntribute a lower share, or housewives. It may be that wives who become less dependent upon their husbands financially are no longer willing to tolerate a subservient positionand have the resources that enable them to leave. Another important question is whether the employment of women has led to gre
20、ater egalitarianism within marriage. Some family researchers have painted a rosy picture of how families are becoming more symmetrical, whereas others continue to exercise scepticism, asserting that the traditional division of labour within the home persists, even when women also hold full-time empl
21、oyment. Jessie Bernard has claimed that there is not one marriage but twothe wifes marriage and that of the husband. Studies have consistently shown that marriage tends to be more beneficial for men than for women, with married men being in better psychological health, and showing fewer symptoms of
22、stress than married women. Some feminists who see marriage as an oppressive institution have urged women not to marry. The inequalities of marriage, however, are reflections of the inequalities of the sexes in society. As Chris Harris states, “it is to be expected that however great the formal equal
23、ity between the spouses, wives sense of inequality in marriage will persist as long as they cannot, for whatever reason, participate on equal terms with men in the labour-market.“ Bernard goes further, suggesting that the complete change of housewife to bread-winner sends tremors through every relat
24、ionship. Dual-earning marriages are sowing the seeds of change. However, despite the dire statistics, marriage seems to be a rather resilient institution; perhaps, very gradually, the benefits for both husband and wife will become more balanced. 2 In dual earning marriages both partners are formally
25、 employed but only oneusually the malepursues a career. （ A） Y （ B） N （ C） NG 3 Class, income, education, racial and religious background seem to play an important part in choosing a mate. （ A） Y （ B） N （ C） NG 4 Now cohabitation normally happens before marriage. （ A） Y （ B） N （ C） NG 5 Remarriages
26、are not likely to breakup when there are no step children. （ A） Y （ B） N （ C） NG 6 According to recent research, _ and _ are not interdependent. 7 The inequalities of marriage reflect _. 8 _ have tried hard to persuade women not to marry. 9 Whether the employment of women has led to greater egalitar
27、ianism is _. 10 With more people cohabiting and even rearing children outside matrimony, _. 11 As shown by research, a stable marriage does not necessarily mean a(n) _ marriage. Section A Directions: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each co
28、nversation, 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. （ A） Janet is
29、looking at a travel guide. （ B） Janet may be too busy to go away for a week. （ C） Janet can take the woman% book to the country. （ D） Janet tore some pages out of her book. （ A） The weather yesterday. （ B） A polluted river. （ C） Hotel accommodations. （ D） The quality of the air. （ A） It is having fi
30、nancial trouble. （ B） Its chemistry program is very popular. （ C） The fees for the chemistry course have been reduced. （ D） The number of students has doubled. （ A） Marks happy that his parents are coming. （ B） Marks thinking about a number of things. （ C） Marks not feeling very well. （ D） Marks loo
31、king for a new apartment. （ A） She has finished only one step. （ B） She doesnt have any more time for redecorating. （ C） The work has been completed. （ D） The redecorating is being done gradually. （ A） The students should return to classes. （ B） Last nights meeting was badly managed. （ C） There shou
32、ld be more issues to vote on. （ D） More students should come to the meetings. （ A） Giving Spain lessons. （ B） Having private Spanish lessons. （ C） Giving Spanish tests to students. （ D） Studying continually for two days. （ A） At a science exhibit. （ B） At a news conference. （ C） Near an art museum.
33、（ D） Near a paint store. （ A） In a dentists office. （ B） In a drug store. （ C） In a hospital. （ D） In a doctors office. （ A） To tell him that the woman would meet him at his office. （ B） To ask him for an appointment. （ C） To ask him what time the womans appointment was. （ D） To get a prescription f
34、or the woman. （ A） The woman had a toothache. （ B） She wanted to buy some aspirin. （ C） She was a regular patient of Dr. Williams. （ D） Dr. Williams was very busy. （ A） Find out if a rock climbing course will be offered. （ B） Plan a rock-climbing trip over spring break. （ C） Convince the man to take
35、 a rock-climbing course with her. （ D） Find a place to go rock climbing. （ A） The college doesnt have any rock-climbing equipment. （ B） There are no appropriate places for rock climbing nearby. （ C） There is no one to teach them how to do it. （ D） Not very many students are interested in it. （ A） Cl
36、imbers have the opportunity to be outside and enjoy the scenery. （ B） Climbing isnt as expensive as other sports. （ C） Learning to climb doesnt take a very long time. （ D） Climbers develop skills useful in other activities. （ A） Increasing upper-body strength. （ B） Discussing popular climbing sites.
37、 （ C） Selecting the necessary equipment. （ D） Finding a climbing partner. 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
38、choose the best answer from the four choices marked A, B, C and D. （ A） Because it was built by Englishmen. （ B） Because it could work for man. （ C） Because it could be used whenever and wherever it was needed （ D） Because it could turn wheel. （ A） In 1774. （ B） In 1765. （ C） In the seventeenth cent
39、ury. （ D） In the nineteenth century. （ A） To pull a train. （ B） To drive a paddle steamboat. （ C） To get water from ground and turn the wheels of mills. （ D） To do nothing. （ A） Find a familiar face. （ B） Find a kind person. （ C） Start talking with a stranger. （ D） Squeeze into the line. （ A） He is
40、interested in them. （ B） He is sick of them. （ C） He is cheated by them. （ D） He is experienced in them. （ A） The speaker hates queue-jumping more than anything else. （ B） The two usual ways of queue-jumping. （ C） Queue-jumping is a disgusting and hateful act. （ D） The queue-jumpers have their reaso
41、ns to squeeze into the line. （ A） External conditions. （ B） Peoples internal conditions influenced by physical or mental factors. （ C） Slippery roads. （ D） A chain of events. （ A） Car accidents are mainly caused by some drivers who drive so carelessly that they violate the traffic regulations. （ B）
42、Car accidents are mainly caused by ordinary drivers when they are careless or absent minded for a moment. （ C） Insurance companies support those who drive carelessly. （ D） An accident is something we cannot predict to avoid. （ A） Mood. （ B） Tiredness. （ C） Carelessness. （ D） Weather. （ A） Safety reg
43、ulations effectively prevent the accidents at work. （ B） With all the safety precautions, accidents at work cannot be avoided. （ C） The human error or misjudgment leading to accidents at work are mainly due to working environment. （ D） How to prevent accidents on roads. Section C Directions: In this
44、 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 blan
45、ks 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 36 American cities are【 B1】 _ to other cities around the world. In every country, cities【 B2】 _ the values of the culture. Cities
46、contain the very best aspects of a society,【 B3】_ for education, employment, and entertainment. They also contain the very worst parts of a society: violent crime, racial【 B4】 _ , and poverty. American cities are changing, just as American society is changing. After World War , city【 B5】 _ became we
47、althier, more【 B6】 _ . They had more children. They needed more space. They moved out of their apartments in the city to buy their own homes. They bought houses in the【 B7】 _ , areas near a city where people live. These are areas without many offices or factories. During the 1950s the American dream
48、 was to have a house in the suburbs. Now things arc changing. The children of the people who left the cities in 1950s are now adults. They,【 B8】 _ their parents, want to live in the cities.【 B9】 _ Many are single; others are marries, but often without children. They prefer the city to the suburbs be
49、cause their jobs are there;【 B10】 _ A new class is moving into the city a wealthier, more mobile class. 【 B11】 _ . Some city residents now see a bright, new future. Others see only problems and conflicts. One thing is sure: Many dying cities are alive again. 37 【 B1】 38 【 B2】 39 【 B3】 40 【 B4】 41 【 B5】 42 【 B6】 43 【 B7】 44 【 B8】 45 【 B9】 46 【 B10】 47 【 B11】 Section A Directions: In this section, there is a short passage with 5 que
