1、大学英语六级模拟试卷 855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 Damage of E-waste. You should write at least 150 words following the outline given below. 1随着电子设备的增多，电子垃圾也越来越多 2电子垃圾的 危害很多 3为此，我们应该 The Damage of E-waste 二、 Part II Rea
2、ding 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 information given in the passage; N (for N
3、O) if the statement contradicts the information given in the passage; NG (for NOT GIVEN) if the information is not given in the passage. 1 Genetically Modified Foods Feed the World? If you want to spark a heated debate at a dinner party, bring up the topic about genetically modified foods. For many
4、people, the concept of genetically altered, high-tech crop production raises all kinds of environmental, health, safety and ethical questions. Particularly in countries with long agrarian traditions and vocal green lobbies the idea seems against nature. In fact, genetically modified foods are alread
5、y very much a part of our lives. A third of the corn and more than half the soybeans and cotton grown in the U. S. last year were the product of biotechnology, according to the Department of Agriculture. More than 65 million acres of genetically modified crops will be planted in the U. S. this year.
6、 The genetic is out of the bottle. Yet there are clearly some very real issues that need to be resolved. Like any new product entering the food chain, genetically modified foods must be subjected to rigorous testing. In wealthy countries, the debate about biotech is tempered by the fact that we have
7、 a rich array of foods to choose from and a supply that far exceeds our needs. In developing countries desperate to feed fast-growing and underfed populations; the issue is simpler and much more urgent: Do the benefits of biotech outweigh the risks? The statistics on population growth and hunger are
8、 disturbing. Last year the worlds population reached 6 billion. And by 2050, the UN estimates, it will be probably near 9 billion. Almost all that growth will occur in developing countries. At the same time, the worlds available cultivable land per person is declining. Arable land has declined stead
9、ily since 1960 and will decrease by half over the next 50 years, according to the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA). How can biotech help? Biotechnologists have developed genetically modified rice that is fortified with beta-carotene(-胡萝卜素 ) which the bod
10、y converts into vitamin A and additional iron, and they are working on other kinds of nutritionally improved crops. Biotech can also improve farming productivity in places where food shortages are caused by crop damage attribution to pests, drought, poor soil and crop viruses, bacteria or fungi(真菌 )
11、. Damage caused by pests is incredible. The European corn borer, for example, destroys 40 million tons of the worlds corn crops annually, about 7% of the total. Incorporating pest-resistant genes into seeds can help restore the balance. In trials of pest-resistant cotton in Africa, yields have incre
12、ased significantly. So far, fears that genetically modified, pest-resistant crops might kill good insects as well as bad appear unfounded. Viruses often cause massive failure in staple crops in developing countries. Two years ago, Africa lost more than half its cassava(树薯 )crop a key source of calor
13、ies to the mosaic virus. Genetically modified, virus-resistant crops can reduce that damage, as can drought-tolerant seeds in regions where water shortages limit the amount of land under cultivation. Biotech can also help solve the problem of soil that contains excess aluminum, which can damage root
14、s and cause many staple-crop failures. A gene that helps neutralize aluminum toxicity(毒 性 )in rice has been identified. Many scientists believe biotech could raise overall crop productivity in developing countries as much as 25% and help prevent the loss of those crops after they are harvested. Yet
15、for all that promise, biotech is far from being the whole answer. In developing countries, lost crops are only one cause of hunger. Poverty plays the largest role. Today more than 1 billion people around the globe live on less than 1 dollar a day. Making genetically modified crops available will not
16、 reduce hunger if farmers cannot afford to grow them or if the local population cannot afford to buy the food those farmers produce. Biotech has its own “distribution“ problems. Private-sector biotech companies in the rich countries carry out much of the leading-edge research on genetically modified
17、 crops. Their products are often too costly for poor farmers in the developing world, and many of those products wont even reach the regions where they are most needed. Biotech firms have a strong financial incentive to target rich markets first in order to help them rapidly recoup the high costs of
18、 product development. But some of these companies are responding to needs of poor countries. More and more biotech research is being carried out in developing countries. But to increase the impact of genetic research on the food production of those countries, there is a need for better collaboration
19、 between government agencies both local and in developed countries and private biotech firms. The ISAAA, for example, is successfully partnering with the U. S. Agency for International Development, local researches and private biotech companies to find and deliver biotech solutions for farmers in de
20、veloping countries. Will “Franken-foods“ feed the world? Biotech is not a panacea(治百病的药 ), but it does promise to transform agriculture in many developing countries. If that promise is not fulfilled, the real losers will be their people, who could suffer for years to come. The world seems increasing
21、ly to have been divided into those who favor genetically modified foods and those who fear them. Advocates assert that growing genetically altered crops can be kinder to the environment and that eating foods from those plants is perfectly safe. And, they say, genetic engineering which can induce pla
22、nts to grow in poor soils or to produce more nutritious foods will soon become an essential tool for helping to feed the worlds burgeoning(迅速发展的 )population. Skeptics contend that genetically modified crops could pose unique risks to the environment and to healthrisks too troubling to accept placidl
23、y. Taking that view, many European countries are restricting the planting and importation of genetically modified agricultural products. Much of the debate hinges on perceptions of safety. But what exactly does recent scientific research say about the hazards? Two years ago in Edinburgh, Scotland, e
24、co-vandals stormed a field, crushing canola plants. Last year in Maine, midnight raiders hacked down more than 3,000 experimental poplar trees. And in San Diego, protesters smashed sorghum and sprayed paint over greenhouse walls. This far-flung outrage took aim at genetically modified crops. But the
25、 protests backfired; all the destroyed plants were conventionally bred. In each case, activists mistook ordinary plants for genetically modified varieties. Its easy to understand why. In a way, genetically modified crops now on some 109 million acres of farmland worldwide are invisible. You cant see
26、, taste or touch a gene inserted into a plant or sense its effects on the environment. You cant tell, just by looking, whether pollen containing a foreign gene can poison butterflies or fertilize plants miles away. That invisibility is precisely what worries people. How, exactly, will genetically mo
27、dified crops affect the environment and when will we notice? Advocates of genetically modified or transgenic crops say the plants will benefit the environment by requiring fewer toxic pesticides than conventional crops. But critics fear the potential risks and wonder how big the benefits really are.
28、 “We have so many questions about these plants,“ remarks Guenther Stotzky, a soil microbiologist at New York University. “Theres a lot we dont know and need to find out. “ As genetically modified crops multiply in the landscape, unprecedented numbers of researchers have started fanning into the fiel
29、ds to get the missing information. Some of their recent findings are reassuring; others suggest a need for vigilance. 2 Majority of people believe_. （ A） genetically modified crop is beneficial to farmers （ B） genetically modified crop causes environmental problems （ C） high-tech crop is a great ben
30、efit to the world （ D） genetically modified foods is a heated topic 3 How much genetically modified corn was planted in the U. S. last year? （ A） More than half. （ B） 65 million acres. （ C） One third. （ D） Three quarters. 4 Why is the debate on genetically modified foods more heated in developing co
31、untries? （ A） Because they have a rich range of foods. （ B） Because the supply exceeds the need. （ C） Because they have to feed fast-growing populations. （ D） Because the risks outweigh the benefits. 5 According to the UNs prediction, the population growth from now to 2050 is nearly all in_. （ A） we
32、stern countries （ B） African countries （ C） developed countries （ D） developing countries 6 Genetically modified crops can help to improve_. （ A） nutrient contents and farming productivity （ B） beta-carotene contents in rice （ C） vitamin A and iron elements in crop （ D） soil quality in poor areas 7
33、What was the reason that led to the loss of more than half of African main food two years ago? （ A） Drought. （ B） Toxin in the crop. （ C） The mosaic virus. （ D） The barren soil. 8 The most important factor that leads to hunger in developing countries is_. （ A） lost crops （ B） global greenhouse effec
34、t （ C） economic crisis （ D） poverty 9 Those people and countries which are restricting and opposed to genetically modified plants worry about_. 10 The far-flung outrage destroys fields and plants because they misidentified_. 11 Some people boost genetically modified crops on the condition that these
35、 altered plants contain_. 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 questi
36、on 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） The woman should change a new battery. （ B） The price of the watch is not reasonable. （ C） Smiths Jewelry is a good place to check the watch. （ D） Smiths Jewelry
37、 sells watch and battery reasonably. （ A） The woman calls to change the time of the appointment. （ B） The mans appointment for annual checkup is today. （ C） The man doesnt want to see Dr. Grey tomorrow. （ D） The man remembered the wrong time for annual checkup. （ A） He doesnt like the woman at all.
38、（ B） He will see the woman in a few minutes. （ C） He would like to see the woman tomorrow. （ D） He doesnt like talking about economics. （ A） Coffee is too expensive for the man. （ B） The supermarket is going to move away. （ C） The man probably likes drinking coffee. （ D） The woman will stock up on c
39、offee. （ A） She has no time to help the man prepare refreshments. （ B） She reminds the man to plan the refreshments reasonably. （ C） She wants to do the refreshments all by herself. （ D） She wants the man to plan enough refreshments for 3 clubs. （ A） The weather is fine in New York now. （ B） The wom
40、an thinks the man shouldnt take Flight 213. （ C） The flight will leave for New York very soon. （ D） Flight 213 is delayed because of snowy weather. （ A） Seeing Janets new house. （ B） Getting a gift for Janet. （ C） Buying a new house. （ D） Affording a new gift. （ A） Give the novel to Emily. （ B） Buy
41、the novel from the bookstore. （ C） Borrow the novel from Emily. （ D） Return the novel to the owner. （ A） More and more kids become overweight in the nation. （ B） The parents often play toys together with the kids. （ C） More calories can be burned off by kids than adults. （ D） The running machine is
42、the best thing to keep fit. （ A） To calculate calories. （ B） To get kids playing on the couch. （ C） To encourage the kids. （ D） To get kids taking exercise. （ A） It is active. （ B） It is needful. （ C） It is wonderful. （ D） It is beautiful. （ A） She is easily got embarrassed and nervous in class. （ B
43、） She received a poor grade in the presentation. （ C） She had not completed her assignment. （ D） She was unable to attend her psychology class. （ A） To look at the audience directly. （ B） To look at something else in the room. （ C） To be better prepared before presentation. （ D） To ask psychologists
44、 for help. （ A） Men blush more than women. （ B） Children blush easily. （ C） People blush consciously. （ D） It is more or less a learned behavior. （ A） To introduce someone to the woman with the same problem. （ B） To illustrate the benefits of a public-speaking class. （ C） To give an example of someo
45、ne who blushes easily. （ D） To explain a way to overcome blushing. 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
46、the best answer from the four choices marked A, B, C and D. （ A） A fan who likes her song. （ B） A little boy died of cancer. （ C） A rock star named Ronan. （ D） A cancer research centre. （ A） From the local newspaper. （ B） From the television program. （ C） From a letter of Ronans mother. （ D） From a
47、blog of Ronans mother. （ A） Cancer. （ B） Ill-treatment. （ C） Accidents. （ D） Electric shock. （ A） Sleep for a long time. （ B） Migrate to warmer areas. （ C） Eat more food to keep warm. （ D） Store up food for the next year. （ A） They will have longer time to conserve energy. （ B） They will not need to
48、 migrate any more. （ C） They will have longer warmer periods to reproduce. （ D） They will have an increasing population. （ A） The squirrels breeding season is extended. （ B） The female squirrels productivity falls. （ C） The squirrels survival rate reduces. （ D） The squirrels life cycles are disrupte
49、d. （ A） Depressed. （ B） Healthy. （ C） Bad-tempered. （ D） Emotional. （ A） Present situations that bring pleasure. （ B） Future situations that will bring pleasure. （ C） Past situations that brought pleasure. （ D） Imagined situations that bring pleasure. （ A） Worry. （ B） Happiness. （ C） Emotion. （ D） Anger. （ A） Mental disease. （ B） Poor health. （ C） Stress. （ D） Depression. Section C Directions: In this section, you will hear a passage three times. When the passage is read for the f
