1999年1月大学英语六级考试试题及参考答案
Part I Listening Comprehension (20 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section you will hear 10 short conversations. At the end of each conversation, a question will be asked about what was s aid. Both the conversation and the question will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause， you must read the four suggested answers marked A），B），C）and D） and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.
Example:
You with near:
You will read:
A）2 hours.
B）3 hours.
C）4 hours.
D）5 hours.
From the conversation we know that the two are talking about some work they will start at 9 o'clock in the morning and have to finish at 2 in the afternoon. Therefore, D）“5 hours” is the correct answer. You should choose ［D］ on the Answer Sheet and mark it with a single line through t he centre.
Sample answer [A] [B] [C] [D]
1.
A) She's going away for a while.
B) She did well on the test.
C) She worked hard and earned a lot of money.
D) She's didn't have to work hard for the exam.
2.
A) Susan is fast worker
B) Susan did Jack's homework.
C) Susan didn't do the homework on her own.
D) Susan has not finished her homework.
3.
A) He read the cabinet report.
B) He read the newspaper.
C) He listened to a radio report.
D) He's secretary telephoned him.
4.
A) Hurry to the conference.
B) Skip the conference.
C) Take the subway.
D) Take a bus.
5.
A) He is confident.
B) He is worried.
C) He is bored.
D) He is angry.
6.
A) He used to be a workman himself.
B) He likes to do repairs and make things himself.
C) He is professional builder.
D) He paid workmen to decorate the house.
7.
A) The woman doesn't like jam.
B) The woman forgot where she had left the jar.
C) The man had an accident.
D) The man broke the jar.
8.
A) Opinions about the book are varied.
B) The man thinks the book is excellent.
C) You shouldn't believe everything you read.
D) The woman wonders which newspaper the man is reading.
9.
A) It's quite normal.
B) It's too high.
C) It's cheap indeed.
D) It could be cheaper.
10.
A) The admission of a patient.
B) Diagnosis of an illness.
C) The old man's serious condition.
D) Sending for a doctor.
Section B
Directions: In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of ea ch passage， you will hear some questions. Both the passage an d the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C), and D ). The mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center.
Passage one
Questions 11 to l4 are based on the passage you have just heard.
11.
A) The color of the dog.
B) The price of the dog.
C) Whether the dog will fit the environment.
D) Whether the dog will get along with the other pets in the house.
12.
A) It must be trained so it won't bite.
B) It needs more love and care .
C) It demands more food and space.
D) It must be looked after carefully.
13.
A) They are less likely to run away.
B) It's easier for their masters to train them.
C) They are less likely to be shy with human beings.
D) It's easier for them to form a relationship with their masters.
Passage Two
Question 14 to 16 are based on the passage you have just heard.
14.
A) They often go for walks at a leisurely pace.
B) They usually have a specific purpose in mind.
C) They like the seaside more than the countryside.
D) They seldom plan their leisure activities in advance.
15.
A) Their hardworking spirit.
B) Their patience in waiting for theatre tickets.
C) Their delight in leisure activities.
D) Their enthusiasm and for the arts.
16.
A) The Polish people can now spend their leisure time in various ways.
B) The Polish people are fond of walking leisurely in the countryside.
C) The Polish people enjoy picking wild fruit in their leisure time.
D) The Polish people like to spend their holidays abroad.
Passage There
Question 17 to 20 are based on the passage you have just heard.
17.
A) They will be much bigger.
B) They will have more seats.
C) They will have three wheels.
D) they will need intelligent drivers.
18.
A) It doesn't need to be refueled.
B) It will use solar energy as fuel.
C) It will be driven by electrical power.
D) It will be more suitable for long distance travel.
19.
A) Passengers in the car may be seated facing on another.
B) The front seats will face forward and the back seats backward.
C) Special seats will be designed for children.
D) More seats will be added.
20.
A) Choose the right route.
B) Refuel the car regularly.
C) Start the engine.
D) Tell the computer where to go.
Part Ⅱ Reading Comprehension (35 minutes)
Directions: There are 4 reading passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them the re are four choices marked A），B) ，C) and D）. You should dicide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center.
Passage One
Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage:
Many Americans harbour a grossly distorted and exaggerated view of most of the risks surrounding food. Fergus Clydesdale, head of the department of food science and nutrition at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, says bluntly that if the dangers from bacterially contaminated chicken were as great as some people believe. “the streets would be littered with people lying here and there. ”
Though the public increasingly demands no-risk food, there is no such thing. Bruce Ames, chairman of the biochemistry department at the University of California , Berkeley, points out that up to 10% of a plant's weight is made up of natural pesticides (杀虫剂). Says he :“Since plants do not have jaws or teeth to protect themselves, they employ chemical warfare. ” And many naturally produced chemicals, though occurring in tiny amounts, prove in laboratory tests to be strong carcinogens-a substance which can cause cancer. Mushrooms (磨菇) might be banned if they were judged by the same standards that apply to food additives(添加剂). Declares Christina Stark, a nutritionist at Cornell University :“We've got fat worse natural chemicals in the food supply than anything man-made. ”
Yet the issues are not that simple. While Americans have no reason to be terrified to sit down at the dinner table, they have every reason to demand significant improvements in food and water safety. They unconsciously and unwillingly take in too much of too many dangerous chemicals. If food already contains natural carcinogens, it does not make much sense to add dozens of new man-made ones. Though most people will withstand the small amounts of contaminants generally found in food and water, at least a few individuals will probably get cancer one day be cause of what they eat and drink.
To make good food and water supplies even better, the Government needs to tighten its regulatory standards, stiffen its inspection program and strengthen its enforcement policies. The food industry should modify some long-accepted practices or turn to less hazardous alternatives. Perhaps most important, consumers will have to do a better job of learning how to handle and cook food properly. The problems that need to be tackled exist all along the food-supply chain, from field s to processing plants to kitchens.
21.What does the author think of the Americans' view of their food?
A) They overstate the government's interference with the food industry.
B) They are overoptimistic about the safety of their food.
C) They overestimate the hazards of their food.
D) They overlook the risks of the food they eat.
22.The author considers it impossible to obtain no-risk food because .
A) no food is free from pollution in the environment.
B) pesticides are widely used in agriculture.
C) many vegetables contain dangerous natural chemicals.
D) almost all foods have additives.
23.By saying“they employ chemical warfare”(Line 4, Para. 2), Bruce Ames means “_______”.
A) plants produce certain chemicals to combat pests and diseases.
B) plants absorb useful chemicals to promote their growth.
C) farmers use man-made chemicals to dissolve the natural chemicals in plants.
D) farmers use chemicals to protect plants against pests and diseases.
24.The reduction of the possible hazards in food ultimately depends on .
A) the government.
B) the consumer.
C) the processor.
D) the grower.
25.What is the message the author wants to convey in the passage?
A) Eating and drinking have become more hazardous than before.
B) Immediate measures must be taken to improve food production and processing.
C) Health food is not a dream in modern society.
D) There is reason for caution but no cause for alarm with regard to food consumption.
Passage Two
Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage:
There are some each phenomena you can count on, but the magnetic field, someday is not of them. It fluctuates in strength, drifts from its axis, and every few 100,000 years undergo, dramatic polarity reversal-a period when north pole becomes south pole and south pole becomes north pole. But how is the field generated, and why is it so unstable?
Groundbreaking research by two French geophysicists promises to shed some light on the mystery. Using 80 metres of deep sea sediment(沉淀物)core, they have obtained measurments lots of magnetic-field intensity that span 11 polarity reversals and four million years. The analysis reveals that intensity appears to fluctuate with a clear, well-defined rhythm. Although the strength of the magnetic field varies irregularly during the short term, there seems to be an inevitable longterm decline preceding each polarity reversal. When the poles flip-a process that takes several hundred thousand years-the magnetic field rapidly regains its strength and the cycle is repeated.
The results have caused a stir among geophysicists. The magnetic field is thought to originate from molten (熔化的) iron in the outer core, 3,000 kilometers beneath the earth's surface. By studying mineral grains found in material ranging from rocks to clay articles, previous researchers have already been able to identify reversals dating back 170 million years, including the most recent switch 730, 000 years ago. How and why they occur, however, has been widely debated. Several theories link polarity flips to external disasters such as meteor(陨星)impacts. But Peter Olson, a geophysicist at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, says this is unlikely if the French researchers are right. In fact, Olson says intensity that predictably declines from one reversal to the next contradicts 90 percent of the models currently under study. If the results prove to be valid geophysicists will have a new theory to guide them in their quest to understand the earth's inner physics. It certainly points the direction for future research.
26.Which of the following titles is most appropriate to the passage?
A) Polarity Reversal: A Fantastic Phenomenon of Nature.
B) Measurement of the Earth's Magnetic-Field Intensity.
C) Formation of the Two Poles of the Earth.
D) A New Approach to the Study or Geophysics.
27.The word“flip”(Line 6, Para. 2)most probably means“______”.
A) decline
B) intensify
C) fluctuate
D) reverse
28.What have the two French geophysicists discovered in their research?
A) Some regularity in the changes of the earth's magnetic field.
B) Some causes of the fluctuation of the earth's magnetic field.
C) The origin of the earth's magnetic field.
D) The frequency of polarity reversals.
29.The French geophysicists' study is different from currently prevailing theories in ______ .
A) its identification of the origin of the earth's magnetic field.
B) the way the earth's magnetic intensity is measured.
C) its explanation of the shift in the earth's polarity.
D) the way the earth's fluctuation rhythm is defined.
30.In Peter Oslo's opinion the French experiment ______ .
A) is likely to direct further research in the inner physics of the earth.
B) has successfully solved the mystery of polarity reversals.
C) is certain to help predict external disasters.
D) has caused great confusion among the world's geophysicists.
Passage Three
Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage:
Imagine a world in which there was suddenly no emotion-a world in which human beings could feel no love or happiness, no terror or hate. Try to imagine the consequences of such a transformation. People might not be able to stay alive: knowing neither joy nor pleasure, anxiety nor fear, they would be as likely to repeat acts that hurt them as acts that were beneficial. They could not learn: they could not benefit from experience because this emotionless world would lack rewards and punishments. Society would soon disappear: people would be as likely to harm one another as to provide help and support. Human relationships would not exist: in a world without friends or enemies, there could be no marriage, affection among companions, or bonds among members of groups. Society's economic underpinnings (支柱) would be destroyed: since earning $10 million would be no more pleasant than earning $10, there would be no incentive to work. In fact, there would be no incentives of any kind. For as we will see, incentives imply a capacity to enjoy them.
In such a world, the chances that the human species would survive are next to zero, because emotions are the basic instrument of our survival and adaptation. Emotions structure the world for us in important ways. As individuals, we categorize objects on the basis of our emotions. True we consider the length, shape, size, or texture, but an object's physical aspects are less important than what it has done or can do to us-hurt us, surprise us, anger us or make us joyful. We al so use categorizations colored by emotions in our families, communities, and overall society. Out of our emotional experiences with objects and events comes a social feeling of agreement that certain things and actions are“good”and others are“bad”, and we apply these categories to every aspect of our social life-from what foods we eat and what clothes we wear to how we keep promises and which people our group will accept. In fact, society exploits our emotional reactions and attitudes, such as loyalty morality, pride shame, guilt, fear and greed, in order to maintain itself It gives high rewards to individuals who perform important tasks such as surgery, makes heroes out of individuals for unusual or dangerous achievements such as flying fighter planes in a war, and uses the legal penal (刑法的) system to make people afraid to engage in antisocial acts.
31.The reason why people might not be able to stay alive in a world without emotion is that _______ .
A) they would not be able to tell the texture of objects.
B) they would not know what was beneficial and what was harmful to them.
C) they would not be happy with a life without love.
D) they would do things that hurt each other's feelings.
32.According to the passage, people's learning activities are possible because they_______ .
A) believe that emotions are fundamental for them to stay alive.
B) benefit from providing help and support to one another.
C) enjoy being rewarded for doing the right thing.
D) know what is vital to the progress of society.
33.It can be inferred from the passage that the economic foundation of society is dependent on _______.
A) the ability to make money.
B) the will to work for pleasure.
C) the capacity to enjoy incentives.
D) the categorizations of our emotional experiences
34.Emotions are significant for man's survival and adaptation because _______.
A) they provide the means by which people view the size or shape of objects.
B) they are the basis for the social feeling of agreement by which society is maintained.
C) they encourage people to perform dangerous achievements.
D) they generate more love than hate among people.
35.The emotional aspects of an object are more important than its physical aspects in that
they_______ .
A) help society exploit its members for profit.
B) encourage us to perform important tasks.
C) help to perfect the legal and penal system.
D) help us adapt our behavior to the world surrounding us
Section B
Passage One
Most people have had a dog or wanted one as their companion at some time in their lives. If you are thinking of buying a dog， however， you should first decide what sort of companion you need and whether the dog is likely to be happy in the surroundings you can provide. Specialist advice is available to help you choose the most suitable breed of dog. But in part， the decision depends on common sense. Most breeds were originally developed to perform specific tasks. So, if you want a dog to protect you or your house， for example， you should choose a breed that has the right size and characteristics You must also be ready to devote a good deal of time to train the dog when it is young and give it the exercise it needs to throughout its life， unless live in the country and can let it run freely. Dogs are demanding pets. Whereas cats identify with the house and so are content if their place there is secure a dog identifies with its master and consequently wants him to show proof of his affection. The best time to buy a baby-dog is when it is between 6 and 8 weeks old so that it can transfer its affection from its mother to its master. If baby dogs have not established a relationship with the human being until they are over three months old， their strong relationship will always be with dogs. They are likely to be too shy when they are brought out into the world to become good pets.
11. What's mentioned as a consideration in buying a dog？
12. Why does the speaker say a dog is a more demanding pet than a cat？
13. Why is advised to buy baby dogs under three months old？
14. What is special about the Polish way of spending leisure time？
15. For what does the author admire the Polish people？
16. What do we learn from the passage？
Passage Three
What kind of car will we be driving by the year 2010？ Rather different from the type we know today. With the next decade bringing greater change than the past 50 years， the people who will be designing the models of tomorrow believe that environmental problems may well accelerate the pace of the car's development. The vision is that of a machine with 3 wheels instead of 4， electrically-powered environmentally clean and able to drive itself along intelligent roads ，equipped with built-in power supplies. Future cars will pick up the fuel during long journeies from a power source built into the road， or stored in small quantities for travelling in the city. Instead of today's seating arrangement two in front， two or three behind， all facing forward， the 2010 car will have an interior with adults and children in a family circle. This view of future car based on a much more sophisticated road system. Cars will be automatically controlled by a computer. All the driver will have to do is say where to go and the computer will do the rest. It will become impossible for cars to crash into one another. The technology already exists for the car to become a true automobile.
17. What is the designer's vision of the cars of tomorrow？
18. What else does the passage tell us about the future car？
19. What is the seating arrangement for future cars？
20. What is the only thing the driver of the future car has to do？
