1、大学英语六级模拟试卷 744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 Credit Cards in College Campus. You should write at least 150 words based on the chart and outline given below: 1. 根据图片描述某高校 拥有信用卡的学生所占比例的变化 2. 分析产生这些变化的原因 3. 分如何看待信用卡令后在学生
2、中的使用情况 Credit Cards in College Campus 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
3、 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 Heat Damages Colombia Coffee, Raising Prices Like most of the small landowners in Colombias lush mountainous
4、Cauca region, Luis Garzon, 80, and his family have thrived for decades by supplying shade-grown, rainforest-friendly Arabica coffee for top foreign brands like Nespresso and Green Mountain. A sign in the center of a nearby town proclaims, “The coffee of Cauca is No. 1!“ But in the last few years, co
5、ffee yields have plummeted (暴跌 ) here and in many of Latin Americas other premier coffee regions as a result of rising temperatures and more intense and unpredictable rains, phenomena that many scientists link partly to global warming. Coffee plants require the right mix of temperature, rainfall and
6、 spells of dryness for beans to ripen properly and maintain their taste. Coffee pests thrive in the warmer, wetter weather. The Consequences of Reduced Coffee Production Bean production at the Garzons farm is therefore down 70 percent from five years ago, leaving the family little money for clothing
7、 for toddlers and “thinking twice“ about sending older children to college, said Mr. Garzons 44-year-old son, Albeiro. The shortage of high-end Arabica coffee beans is also being felt in New York supermarkets and Paris cafes, as customers blink at escalating (逐渐上涨的 ) prices. Purveyors (供应商 ) fear th
8、at the Arabica coffee supply from Colombia may never reboundthat the world might, in effect, hit “peak coffee. “ Brands like Maxwell, Yuban and Folgers have increased the retail prices of many grinds by 25 percent or more since the middle of last year in light of tight supply and higher wholesale pr
9、ices. Profits of high-end coffee chains like Starbucks and Green Mountain have been eroded. Coffee futures of Arabica, the high-end bean that comes predominantly from Latin America, have risen more than 85 percent since last June, to $ 2.95 a pound, partly over concerns about supply, extreme weather
10、 and future quality, said George Kopp, an analyst at the International Futures Group in Chicago. Yet as stockpiles of some of the best coffee beans shrink, global demand is soaring as the rising middle classes of emerging economies like Brazil, India and China develop the coffee habit. The Effects o
11、f Climate Change on Coffee Production “Coffee production is under threat from global warming, and the outlook for Arabica in particular is not good,“ said Peter Baker, a coffee specialist with CABI, a research group in Britain that focuses on agriculture and the environment, noting that climate chan
12、ges, including heavy rains and droughts, have harmed crops across many parts of Central and South America. A top coffee scientist, he has rattled trade forums by warning, Cassandra-like, of the possibility of “peak coffee.“ meaning that, like oil supplies, coffee supplies might be headed for an inex
13、orable (不可阻挡的 ) decline unless growers make more concerted efforts to expand production globally. Arabica and Robusta coffee account for virtually all consumption. With its more delicate taste and lower caffeine content, Arabica is more popular and more expensive, though generally more finicky (苛求的
14、) in its weather needs. Robusta production dominates in Asia and Africa. Colombia is the No. 2 Arabica exporter after Brazil, where production is centered on larger, more mechanized farms and continues to grow. The Colombian Coffee Growers Federation says high fertilizer prices have also dented (损害
15、) yields. But it agrees with a 2009 report from the International Coffee Organization that concluded, “Climatic variability is the main factor responsible for changes in coffee yields all over the world.“ Average temperatures in Colombias coffee regions have risen nearly one degree in 30 years, and
16、in some mountain areas the increase has been double that, says Cenicafe, the national coffee research center. Rain in this area was more than 25 percent above average in the last few years. At the new, higher temperatures, the plants buds abort or their fruit ripens too quickly for optimum quality.
17、Heat also brings pests like coffee rust, a devastating fungus (菌类 ) that could not survive the previously cool mountain weather. The heavy rains damage the fragile Arabica blossoms, and the two-week dry spells that prompt the plant to flower and produce beans occur less often, farmers say. Arabica b
18、eans take about seven months to mature. “Half a degree can make a big difference for coffeeit is adapted to a very specific zone,“ said Nestor Riano, a specialist in agroclimatology for Cenicafe. “If temperature rises even a bit, the growth is affected, and the plagues and diseases rise.“ While clim
19、ate scientists agree that the increase in temperature is a clear signal of global warming and high ocean temperatures are generally associated with more frequent storms, scientists are uncertain whether the peculiar weather patterns in the area are directly related to warming, said Stephen E. Zebiak
20、 director general of the International Research Institute for Climate and Society at Columbia University. “It is hard to know whether this severe weather represents natural fluctuations or is a climate change signal, though from a risk management sense, there is good reason to consider how to cope
21、with these extreme events,“ Dr. Zebiak said. Restoring Coffee Output In the hope of restoring coffee output, researchers at Cenicafes labs are toiling on a mission that seems as pressing a priority for Colombia as curing cancer is for medical researchers. Agronomists are teaching the farmers how to
22、control the pests that arrived with the change in the weather. Climatologists are working to provide better local weather predictions. Geneticists are breeding plants that are more resistant to diseases or that can withstand torrential rains or a hotter environment. The Coffee Growers Federation has
23、 advised farmers to switch to a newer, hardier strain of Arabica that has been developed by plant breeders at Cenicafe over the last two decades. While the federation says it tastes the same as traditional variants, farmers have resisted because they can ill afford to forgo the income of a yearly cr
24、op as they wait for new plants to mature. They have also been wary that a switch could affect flavor. Taste, quality and supply are delicate issues for an industry whose aficionados (狂热爱好者 ) are notoriously picky. Coffee companies are “working with farmers across the region to address the impact of
25、changing weather patterns that are a direct result of climate change,“ said Lisa Magnino, a spokeswoman for Starbucks. Starbucks has already bought enough coffee to last until 2012, she added. Luis Fernando Samper, a spokesman for Colombian Coffee Growers Federation, said that the beans that do make
26、 it to breakfast tables in the United States will yield coffee that is as good as ever. The problem is for Colombian farmers, who are producing far fewer beans over all and “more defective beans“ that do not meet export standards. For decades, said Luis Garzon, who started growing coffee at 7, it wa
27、s dry from June 1 to Sept. 8 in Timbio. Several years ago, the perplexing weather arrived. “It can start raining at 6 a. m. and go on for 24 hours,“ he said. First, yields declined. Then last year, the coffee rust fungus arrived at the Garzon farm, killing entire fields. “We learned our lesson,“ he
28、said, stroking the mottled yellowed leaves of some damaged plants. Now, the family is planting the new, hardier Arabica variant, called castillo. The coffee federation hopes that such innovation will allow growers to keep expensive Arabica coffee on American tables. 2 The coffee yields in Colombia s
29、 Cauca region declined sharply due to_. （ A） the thriving of coffee pests （ B） reduction in the use of fertilizer （ C） unfavorable weather conditions （ D） a rampant epidemic 3 Why do the Garzons have to reconsider sending older children to college? （ A） The decreasing coffee bean production brings t
30、he family little profit. （ B） More hands are needed to help them with the work on the farm. （ C） His older children are willing to help support the family. （ D） The college tuition fees are well beyond their means. 4 What prompts the global demand for the best coffee beans to be on the rise? （ A） Fa
31、mous coffee chains begin to store away coffee beans. （ B） New consumers in emerging countries take a fancy to drinking coffee. （ C） More companies want to make a profit out of coffee trade. （ D） New findings reveal that drinking coffee has a lot of benefits. 5 Peter Baker thinks one cure for prevent
32、ing coffee supplies from dropping is to_. （ A） construct larger mechanized farms （ B） adopt new cultivating techniques and methods （ C） make joint efforts to multiply production globally （ D） encourage more people to grow coffee 6 What do we know about Arabica and Robusta coffee? （ A） Robusta coffee
33、 is less expensive and more popular. （ B） Robusta coffee is demanding in weather patterns. （ C） Arabica coffee has more delicate taste and less caffeine. （ D） Arabica production ranks first in Asia and Africa. 7 According to the Colombian Coffee Growers Federation, coffee bean yields have dropped pa
34、rtly because_. （ A） modern coffee farms havent been built yet （ B） scientists fail to develop new breeds of coffee in time （ C） the destruction of some funguses has been underestimated （ D） fertilizer is unaffordable for the coffee growers 8 What do we know about coffee rust? （ A） Its a kind of seri
35、ous coffee disease. （ B） It can survive low temperature. （ C） It does no harm to coffees growth. （ D） It may grow well in warm weather. 9 Though they reach a general agreement on certain issues, scientists are uncertain whether the severe weather in Cauca region is directly related to_. 10 New coffe
36、e plants are being bred by geneticists to withstand extreme weather and be_. 11 Colombian farmers are facing one problem because the beans they are producing are not only smaller in number but fail to_. Section A Directions: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversatio
37、ns. 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 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 be
38、st answer. （ A） They have bought the brown carpet. （ B） He doesnt like the red carpet. （ C） They have brown furniture. （ D） A red carpet matches the brown furniture. （ A） He likes the current temperature. （ B） He wishes the weather would get hotter. （ C） He cooked every bit of the food. （ D） He know
39、s he will like the food. （ A） He is often asked to go and see movies. （ B） He would like to go and see the new movie. （ C） He went to see the movie last month. （ D） He obviously doesnt want to see the movie. （ A） He is counting the days of the holiday. （ B） He is not planning to go home. （ C） He is
40、eager to go back home. （ D） He is going over his lessons. （ A） Some people pretend to know what they really dont. （ B） What the woman said is true. （ C） What the woman said is wrong. （ D） He knows more than the woman does. （ A） Introduce the man to Jane soon. （ B） Let the man have the book after Jan
41、e. （ C） Ask Jane what she thought of the book. （ D） Finish writing to Jane as soon as possible. （ A） Call a taxi for the woman. （ B） Ride a horse with the woman. （ C） Take the woman to the bus station. （ D） Drive the woman to the train station. （ A） He is going to join in the game. （ B） He is going
42、to Washington and Los Angeles. （ C） He wants to watch the football game. （ D） He doesnt care if he misses the game. （ A） He thinks the choice of Barings Factory is better. （ B） He thinks the choice of the hospital is better. （ C） He thinks there is no need to change the topic. （ D） He thinks the cho
43、ice of the university is better. （ A） The introduction of the draft. （ B） The first part of the draft. （ C） The headings of the draft. （ D） The middle part of the draft. （ A） It is not clear and needs to be revised. （ B） It provides too little information. （ C） It makes the draft appear too simplist
44、ic. （ D） It is not relevant to the approach the woman has taken. （ A） Being outdoors. （ B） The bad weather. （ C） The danger of driving at night. （ D） Dealing with different people. （ A） Driving in unsettled weather. （ B） Taking long drives outside the city. （ C） Meeting interesting people in the cit
45、y. （ D） Being able to enjoy the world of nature. （ A） Different in personality. （ B） Rude to women drivers. （ C） Rather difficult to please. （ D） Talkative and generous with tips. （ A） She complains a lot. （ B） She plans to quit her job. （ C） She is very familiar with the city. （ D） She is often cri
46、ticized by her customers. 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 choose the best answer from the four choices mar
47、ked A, B, C and D. （ A） One of the bridges between North and South London collapsed. （ B） The heart of London was flooded. （ C） An emergency exercise was conducted. （ D） A hundred people in the suburbs were drowned. （ A） Fifty underground stations were made waterproof. （ B） A flood wall was built. （
48、 C） An alarm system was set up. （ D） Rescue teams were formed. （ A） Most Londoners were frightened. （ B） Most Londoners became rather confused. （ C） Most Londoners took Exercise Floodwall calmly. （ D） Most Londoners complained about the trouble caused by Exercise Floodwall. （ A） A detective from the
49、 Los Angeles Police Department. （ B） Detective Garcia from the New York Police Department. （ C） Someone who lives in the neighborhood. （ D） Roberts neighbor. （ A） He succeeded in beating a mugger in a fight. （ B） He became a karate(空手道 )expert. （ C） He passed away in a hospital after a fight with a mugger. （ D） He called the police after being mugged. （ A） According to the lecture, you should try to avoid dark, deserted streets at night. （ B） According to the lecture, you should give the mugger what he wants and cal
