1、大学英语六级模拟试卷 398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 composition on the topic: Travel-mate Wanted. You should write at least 150 words following the Outline given below: 假设你是李明，假期即将到来，你 打算做一次为期三周的旅行，希望找个外国朋友作为游伴(Travel-mate)。拟一个寻游伴的启事
2、，交代清楚日程安排、费用分担情况、对对方的要求等，并说明对方和你一起出游的好处。 Travel-mate Wanted 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) i
3、f 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 Part Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) Directions: In this part, you will h
4、ave 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer 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. Happy Earth Day The Good News Here
5、s the good news: our air is cleaner, our lakes are purer, our forests are healthier, endangered species are recovering, toxic emissions axe down, and acid rain has diminished dramatically. And yet, if youve looked at a newspaper or watched the evening news lately, you might think our environment is
6、under siege (围攻 ). Media coverage of the environment is heavy on doomsday, but the truth is not at all bleak: nearly all environmental trends in the United States are positive and have been for years-if not decades. Eco-legislation, green organizations, corporate cooperation and new inventions have
7、all quietly steered our environment in a positive direction. We cant afford to be complacent (自满的 ), though-especially when it comes to greenhouse gases, since global warming is the one huge problem we havent really tackled. But almost every measure taken by government agencies end grass-roots effor
8、ts to improve the environment has shown encouraging results-usually faster than expected and at a lower cost. Now thats good news. Scientists and environmentalists think that even the worrisome fact of global warming can be ameliorated (改善 ). There is a strong scientific consensus that the global wa
9、rming threat requires action, but if current environmental trends persist and the reduction of most pollutants continues to be accomplished faster end more cheaply than expected, we may be able to control and reduce greenhouse gases in both affordable and practical ways. Consider some of the environ
10、mental improvements the United States has witnessed over the last three decades. Improved Air Quality Take a nice, big cleansing breath. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, emissions of the primary smog-causing chemicals from cars and trucks have declined 54 percent since 1970, even th
11、ough the number of registered cars and trucks has more than doubled, from 108,407,000 to 230,428,000, and they are now driven one and a half times as far annually. Keep breathing, because the fine particulates linked to respiratory disease, including those sometimes seen as soot(煤烟 ), are down by ab
12、out one-third since 1979 (though fewer cities were surveyed back then). The level of carbon monoxide, a dangerous odorless gas, is down 53 percent since 1970. And emissions of sulfur dioxide, often the major culprit behind acid rain, are down 49 percent since 1970, despite the fact that the United S
13、tates now bums far more coal, the main source of this pollutant. These improvements have translated into better air quality for millions of Americans. Between 1976 and 1990, the Los Angeles area averaged some 150 days per year in violation of federal smog standards; in 2004, that figure dropped to j
14、ust 27 violation days, the fewest ever for that city. And, in case you are wondering, federal standards have become stricter, not weaker, during this period. Of course, there is more to be done-27 smog days in Los Angeles are still 27 too many, and Atlanta, Houston and other cities continue to exper
15、ience air-pollution problems. But overall, air-quality trends are strongly positive. Now, exhale. Better Water Quality Other environmental trends are equally encouraging. Water quality has improved, too, and rates of waterborne disease are also in decline. Its hard to believe, but just a generation
16、ago, factories and municipal plants actually discharged untreated wastewater directly into rivers; today, though some raw sewage often makes it to waterways, almost all wastewater in the United States is treated before discharge. Even our largest metropolises have seen dramatic changes in their wate
17、rways. Remember when the filthy condition of Boston Harbor became a contentious issue in the 1988 presidential campaign? Today, Boston Harbor is sparkling again. The Potomac River, which in the 1960s literally gave off a stench (恶臭 ), now boasts a thriving waterfront restaurant scene. And the Chicag
18、o River, a virtual open sewer in the 1960s, now hosts charming dinner cruises. Innovation Goes Green Invention has always been an important force in American history. When major reductions in automobile pollution were first mandated by the Clean Air Act of 1970, automakers either called the goals im
19、possible or claimed that cars would become ruinously expensive. Then the catalytic converter was invented. This device reduces the level of many pollutants from automobile exhaust both cheaply and reliably. Today, it is estimated that new cars and light trucks emit just 3 to 4 percent of the amount
20、of pollution that a new car would have emitted in 1968, before regulation; soon cars emitting less than 1 percent could be seen driving around your neighborhood. Other inventions, such as an enormous device known as the electrostatic precipitator, have reduced severe emissions from power-plant smoke
21、stacks, eliminated toxic substances from manufacturing processes, and replaced CFCs, the chemicals that cause ozone-layer depletion, with other more benign compounds. And by the way, the ozone layer appears to be restoring itself. Legislation In Action Government regulation has also been an importan
22、t force in the drive to protect the environment. The reason the catalytic converter and other antipollution devices were invented in the first place is because the government required big reductions in pollution, via the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act and other legislation. Some environmental regula
23、tion may be too cumbersome (麻烦的 ) and needs to be streamlined-standards can vary wildly between regions-but there isnt any doubt that environmental regulation actually works. Citizens for Change Individual activism has been another important factor in the amazing progress we have seen in our natural
24、 world. Without the continued pressure from environmentalists, antipollution legislation would not have been enacted, and many pollution-reducing devices would not have been invented. Grass-roots organizations have been particularly essential to the ongoing creation and maintenance of new parks, wil
25、dlife refuges and protected forests. Corporations Clean Up Businesses that once resisted environmental rules now generally comply. When companies started losing lawsuits regarding their chemical emissions, the idea of toxic reduction became rather popular in corporate boardrooms. But many corporatio
26、ns today seem to have genuinely come to believe that environmental protection is good for the country, good for the economy and, therefore, good for business. Getting a head start on the future, several big manufacturers, such as Alcoa, Boeing and Whirlpool, have already taken steps to reduce their
27、companies greenhouse gas emissions. Alcoa, for example, has initiated a plan to use improved technology to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions 25 percent by 2010. The company also has extensive tree-planting programs near many of its operations and service areas, and Alcoa helps fund environmental n
28、onprofits. Boeing and Whirlpool, meanwhile, are working to meet emissions reduction targets even though no federal law yet requires this. Business leaders, environmentalists, regulators and inventors are working toward the same goal. Thats certainly an odd mix-not clearly Republican or Democratic, n
29、ot clearly left-wing or right-wing. And maybe thats the biggest reason you rarely hear about environmental progress. Current trends do not fit any preconceived (预想的 ) ideological notions. The political left wants to believe that industry is destroying the planet, and refuses to consider the evidence
30、 that business and the environment are making peace. The political right wants to believe that regulations are destroying the country, and refuses to consider the evidence that the longest period of economic expansion in American history occurred during the very period when pollution was in the mids
31、t of its big decline. However, todays reality-an improving environment without economic harm- does not fit with anyones scare-tactic fund-raising or cheap-shot political campaigns. Miles to Go Do the positive trends mean that environmental protection is no longer a concern? Absolutely not. Many prob
32、lems remain, among them the loss of wildlife habitat in suburban expansion areas, chemical runoff from nearly unrestricted agriculture, and low miles-per-gallon SUVs, which cause waste by burning excessive gas. Beyond these setbacks stands the specter (幽灵 ) of artificially triggered climate change.
33、Global warming may be the Super Bowl of environmental problems, since it could impact all of Earth. But just bear this in mind: in every place where nations have imposed strict environmental standards, negative trends turned to positive very quickly. Earth, after all, has proved throughout the eons
34、(万古 ) to be nothing if not resilient (能复原 ). This gives us good reason to hope that if we act to solve the environmental problems that still remain, we will achieve rapid progress against them too. Now thats a reason to say Happy Earth Day! 2 What is the one huge problem that we havent really solved
35、? （ A） Global warming. （ B） Acid rain. （ C） Toxic emission. （ D） Environment. 3 Scientists and environmentalists think that global warming can be _. （ A） continued （ B） improved （ C） controlled （ D） reduced 4 Which year is the fewest in violation of federal smog standards in Los Angeles? （ A） 1976 （
36、 B） 1979 （ C） 1990 （ D） 2004 5 Which of the following provides dinner cruises now? （ A） The Potomac River （ B） Boston Harbor （ C） The Chicago River （ D） The Mississippi River 6 The electrostatic precipitator has got rid of _ from manufacturing processes. （ A） severe emissions （ B） ozone-layer deplet
37、ion （ C） many pollutants （ D） toxic substances 7 There is no doubt that environmental regulation （ A） is cumbersome （ B） produces an effect （ C） varies wildly （ D） needs to be streamlined 8 Antipollution legislations have been enacted thanks to the continued pressure from _. （ A） grass-roots organiz
38、ations （ B） individual activism （ C） environmentalists （ D） environmental regulation 9 When companies started losing lawsuits regarding their chemical emissions, the idea of toxic reduction became rather popular in _. 10 Boeing and Whirlpool, meanwhile, are working to meet emissions reduction target
39、s even though _. 11 This gives us good reason to hope that if we act to solve the environmental problems that still remain, we will _. 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 a
40、sked 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） 80. （ B） 60. （ C） 90. （ D） 15. （ A） He loves his pre
41、sent work. （ B） He is going to open a store. （ C） He is about to retire. （ D） He works in a repair shop. （ A） Mary is going to Hawaii. （ B） Mary has been to many countries. （ C） Mary likes postcards. （ D） Mary is traveling on business. （ A） To save the money for a long time. （ B） To buy a new car. （
42、 C） To purchase a used car. （ D） To get a second car. （ A） Delivery service manager and driver. （ B） Teacher and student. （ C） Lawyer and client. （ D） Doctor and patient. （ A） New shopping centers are very common. （ B） The shopping center is very old. （ C） The city needs more shopping centers. （ D）
43、The old house should be turned into stores. （ A） They are having a party. （ B） They are playing the piano. （ C） Someone else is having a party. （ D） Someone else is funny. （ A） She was hurt by the man. （ B） She lost her temper. （ C） She didnt speak to her husband. （ D） She missed the dinner party. （
44、 A） Because its a way of relaxing himself. （ B） Because he has nothing else to do. （ C） Because sitcom is very funny. （ D） Because watching TV is his favorite activity. （ A） Some interesting commercials. （ B） Some perfect looking woman complained about the tribulations. （ C） Some stupid sitcom. （ D）
45、 Some woman went crazy and killed her husband. （ A） Go out for dinner. （ B） Watch the documentary with the man. （ C） Go dancing. （ D） Watch a game show. （ A） An alien spacecraft landing. （ B） The impact of a meteorite. （ C） A volcanic eruption. （ D） The blizzard conditions in Alaska. （ A） Seeing a f
46、alling round object, （ B） Hearing a bird-like sound. （ C） Observing a bright light. （ D） Witnessing the impact. （ A） The dinosaurs went extinct. （ B） A number of meteorites crashed into Earth. （ C） Some animal species evolved. （ D） Some plants went extinct. （ A） Discovering new life in space. （ B） S
47、tudying meteorites. （ C） Plotting the courses of asteroids. （ D） Developing radar telescopes. 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
48、 question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A, B, C and D. （ A） Because they are too small to understand the rules. （ B） Because they are absent-minded. （ C） Because they dont have much time for it. （ D） Because they arc not interested in it. （ A） A camera. （ B） A film. （
49、 C） A photo. （ D） A picture. （ A） Time. （ B） Memory. （ C） Habit. （ D） Textbook. （ A） Botany is a very ancient learning. （ B） People in the Stone Age knew a lot about plants. （ C） People in the Stone Age knew little about plants. （ D） Pre-industrial societies have little insights about plants. （ A） People who live in Amazon tribes dont think plants are the basis of the food pyramid. （ B） People who live in Amazon tribes dont regard botany as a special branch of knowledge. （ C） People who live in Amazon tribes kno
