英语六级真题

2017年12月英语六级考试真题试卷第1套)

Questions 1 to 4 are based on the conversation you have just heard.

1. A) They reward businesses that eliminate food waste.

B) They prohibit the sale of foods that have gone stale.

C) They facilitate the donation of unsold foods to the needy.

D) They forbid businesses to produce more foods than needed.

2. A) It imposed penalties on businesses that waste food.

B) It passed a law aiming to stop overproduction.

C) It voted against food import from outside Europe.

D) It prohibited the promotion of bulk food sales.

3. A) It has warmed its people against possible food shortages.

B) It has penalized businesses that keep overproducing foods.

C) It has started a nationwide campaign against food waste.

D) It has banned supermarkets from dumping edible foods.

4. A) The confusion over food expiration labels.

B) The surplus resulting from overproduction.

C) Americans' habit of buying food in bulk.

D) A lack of regulation on food consumption.

Questions 5 to 8 are based on the conversation you have just heard.

5. A) It has started a week-long promotion campaign.

B) It has just launched its annual anniversary sales.

C) It offers regular weekend sales all the year round.

D) It specializes in the sale of ladies' designer dresses.

6. A) Price reductions for its frequent customers.

B) Coupons for customers with bulk purchases.

C) Free delivery of purchases for senior customers.

D) Price adjustments within seven days of purchase.

7. A) Mail a gift card to her.

B) Allow her to buy on credit.

C) Credit it to her account.

D) Give her some coupons.

8. A) Refunding for goods returned.

B) Free installing of appliances.

C) Prolonged goods warranty.

D) Complimentary tailoring.

Section B

Questions 9 to 11 are based on the passage you have just heard.

9. A) They are thin, tall, and unlike real human beings.

B) They have more than twenty different hair textures.

C) They have twenty-four different body shapes in total.

D) They represent people from virtually all walks of life.

10. A) They do not reflect young girls' aspirations.

B) They are not sold together with the original.

C) Their flat feet do not appeal to adolescents.

D) Their body shapes have not changed much.

11. A) In toy stores.

B) In shopping malls.

C) On the Internet.

D) At Barbie shops.

Questions 12 to 15 are based on the passage you have just heard.

12. A) Moveable metal type began to be used in printing.

B) Chinese printing technology was first introduced.

C) The earliest known book was published.

D) Metal type was imported from Korea.

13. A) It had more than a hundred printing presses.

B) It was the biggest printer in the 16th century.

C) It helped the German people become literate.

D) It produced some 20 million volumes in total.

14. A) It pushed handwritten books out of circulation.

B) It boosted the circulation of popular works.

C) It made writing a very profitable career.

D) It provided readers with more choices.

15. A) It accelerated the extinction of the Latin language.

B) It standardized the publication of grammar books.

C) It turned translation into a welcome profession.

D) It promoted the growth of national languages.

Section C

Questions 16 to 18 are based on the recording you have just heard.

16. A) They get bored after working for a period of time.

B) They spend an average of one year finding a job.

C) They become stuck in the same job for decades.

D) They choose a job without thinking it through.

17. A) See if there will be chances for promotion.

B) Find out what job choices are available.

C) Watch a film about ways of job hunting.

D) Decide which job is most attractive to you.

18. A) The qualifications you have.

B) The pay you are going to get.

C) The culture of your target company.

D) The work environment you will be in.

Questions 19 to 22 are based on the recording you have just heard.

19. A) It is as important as Christmas for African-Americans.

B) It is a cultural festival founded for African-Americans.

C) It is an ancient festival celebrated by African-Americans.

D) It is a religious festival celebrated by African-Americans.

20. A) To urge African-Americans to do more for society.

B) To call on African-Americans to worship their gods.

C) To help African-Americans to realize their goals.

D) To remind African-Americans of their sufferings.

21. A) Faith in self-determination.

B) The first fruits of the harvest.

C) Unity and cooperative economics.

D) Creative work and achievement.

22. A) They recite a principle.

B) They take a solemn oath.

C) They drink wine from the unity cup.

D) They call out their ancestors' names.

Questions 23 to 25 are based on the recording you have just heard.

23. A) It is one of the world's most healthy diets.

B) It contains large amounts of dairy products.

C) It began to impact the world in recent years.

D) It consists mainly of various kinds of seafood.

24. A) It involved 13, 000 researchers from Asia, Europe and America.

B) It was conducted in seven Mid-Eastern countries in the 1950s.

C) It is regarded as one of the greatest researches of its kind.

D) It has drawn the attention of medical doctors the world over.

25. A) They care much about their health.

B) They eat foods with little fat.

C) They use little oil in cooking.

D) They have lower mortality rates.

Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)

In the past 12 months, Nigeria has suffered from a shrinking economy, a sliding currency, and a prolonged fuel shortage. Now, Africa's largest economy in facing a food crisis as major tomato fields have been destroyed by an insect, leading to a nationwide shortage and escalating prices.

The insect, Tutaabsoluta, has destroyed 80% of farms in Kaduna, Nigeria's largest tomato-producing state, leading the government there to declare a state of __26__. The insect, also known as the tomato leaf miner, devastates crops by __27__ on fruits and digging into and moving through stalks. It __28__incredibly quickly, breeding up to 12 generations per year if conditions are favorable. It is believed to have __29__ in South America in the early 1900s, and later spread to Europe before crossing over to

sub-Saharan Africa.

In Nigeria, where tomatoes are a staple of local diets, the insect's effects are devastating. Retail prices for a __30__ of tomatoes at local markets have risen from $0.50 to $2.50. Farmers are reporting steep losses and a new $20 million tomato-paste factory has

__31__ production due to the shortages.

Given the moth's ability also to attack crops like pepper and potatoes, Audu Ogbeh, Nigeria's minister of agriculture, has warned that the pest may "create serious problems for food __32__" in the country. Ogbeh says experts are investigating how to control the pest's damage and prevent its spread, which has gone largely __33__ until now. Despite being the continent's second-largest producer of tomatoes, Nigeria is __34__ on $1 billion worth of tomato-paste imports every year, as around 75% of the local harvest goes to waste thanks to a lack of proper storage facilities. A further __35__ in local supplies is yet another unwelcome setback to the industry.

A) dependent B) embarking C) emergency D) feeding E) grazes F) halted G) handful H) multitude I) originated J) reduction K) reproduces L) security M) terror N) unchecked O) unchecked

Section B

Who's Really Addicting You To Technology?

A. "Nearly everyone I know is addicted in some measure to the Internet," wrote Tony Schwartz in The New York Times. It's a common complaint these days. A steady stream of similar headlines accuse the Net and its offspring apps, social media sites and online games of addicting us to distraction.

B. There's little doubt that nearly everyone who comes in contact with the Net has difficulty disconnecting. Many of us, like Schwartz, struggle to stay focused on tasks that require more concentration than it takes to post a status update. As one person ironically put it in the comments section of Schwartz's online article, "As I was reading this very excellent article, I stopped at least half a dozen times to check my email."

C. There's something different about this technology: it is both invasive and persuasive. But who's at fault for its overuse? To find solutions, it's important to understand what we're dealing with. There are four parties conspiring to keep you connected: the tech, your boss, your friends and you.

D. The technologies themselves, and their makers, are the easiest suspects to blame for our diminishing attention spans. Nicholas Carr, author of The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains, wrote, "The net is designed to be an interruption system, a machine geared to dividing attention."

E. Online services like Facebook, Twitter and the like, are called out as masters of manipulation—making products so good that people can't stop using them. After studying these products for several years, I wrote a book about how they do it. I learned it all starts with the business model. Since these services rely on advertising revenue, the more frequently you use them, the more money they make. It's no wonder these companies employ teams of people focused on engineering their services to be as

engaging as possible. These products aren't habit-forming by chance; it's by design. They have an incentive to keep us hooked.

F. However, as good as these services are, there are simple steps we can take to keep them at bay. For example, we can change how often we receive the distracting notifications that trigger our urge to check. According to Adam Marchick, CEO of mobile marketing company kahuna, less than 15 percent of smartphone users ever bother to adjust their notification settings—meaning the remaining 85 percent of us default to the app makers' every preset trigger. Google and Apple have made it far too difficult to adjust these settings so it's up to us to take steps ensure we set these triggers to suit our own needs, not the needs of the app makers'.

G. While companies like Facebook harvest attention to generate revenue from advertisers, other technologies have no such agenda. Take email, for example. This system couldn't care less how often you use it. Yet to many, email is the most

habit-forming medium of all. We check email at all hours of the day—we're obsessed. But why? Because that's what the boss wants. For almost all white-collar jobs, email is the primary tool of corporate communication. A slow response to a message could hurt not only your reputation but also your livelihood.

H. Your friends are also responsible for the addiction. Think about this familiar scene. People gathered around a table, enjoying food and each other's company. There's laughter and a bit of kidding. Then, during an interval in the conversation, someone takes out their phone to check who knows what. Barely anyone notices and no one says a thing.

I. Now, imagine the same dinner, but instead of checking their phone, the person belches (打嗝)—loudly. Everyone notices. Unless the meal takes place in a beer house, this is considered bad manners. The impolite act violates the basic rules of etiquette. One has to wonder: why don't we apply the same social norms to checking phones during meals, meetings and conversations as we do to other antisocial behaviors? Somehow, we accept it and say nothing when someone offends.

J. The reality is, taking one's phone out at the wrong time is worse than belching because, unlike other minor offense, checking tech is contagious. Once one person looks at their phone, other people feel compelled to do the same, starting a chain reaction. The more people are on their phones, the fewer people are talking until finally you're the only one left not reading email or checking Twitter. From a societal perspective, phone checking is less like belching in public and more like another bad habit. Our phones are like cigarettes—something to do when we're anxious, bored or when our fingers need something to toy with. Seeing others enjoy a smoke, or sneak a quick glance, is too tempting to resist and soon everyone is doing it.

K. The technology, your boss, and your friends, all influence how often you find yourself using (or overusing) these gadgets. But there's still someone who deserves scrutiny—the person holding the phone.

L. I have a confession. Even though I study habit-forming technology for a living, disconnecting is not easy for me. I'm online far more than I'd like. Like Schwartz and so

many others, I often find myself distracted and off task. I wanted to know why so I began self-monitoring to try to understand my behavior. That's when I discovered an uncomfortable truth. I use technology as an escape. When I'm doing something I'd rather not do, or when I'm someplace I'd rather not be, I use my phone to port myself elsewhere. I found that this ability to instantly shift my attention was often a good thing, like when passing time on public transportation. But frequently my tech use was not so benign. When I faced difficult work, like thinking through an article idea or editing the same draft for the hundredth time, for example, a more sinister screen would draw me in. I could easily escape discomfort, temporarily, by answering email or browsing the web under the pretense of so-called "research." Though I desperately wanted to lay blame elsewhere, I finally had to admit that my bad habits had less to do with new-age technology and more to do with old-fashioned procrastination (拖延).

M. It's easy to blame technology for being so distracting, but distraction is nothing new. Aristotle and Socrates debated the nature of "akrasia"—our tendency to do things against our interests. If we're honest with ourselves, tech is just another way to occupy our time and minds. If we weren't on our devices, we'd likely do something similarly unproductive.

N. Personal technology is indeed more engaging than ever, and there's no doubt companies are engineering their products and services to be more compelling and attractive. But would we want it any other way? The intended result of making something better is that people use it more. That's not necessarily a problem, that's progress.

O. These improvements don't mean we shouldn't attempt to control our use of technology. In order to make sure it doesn't control us, we should come to terms with the fact that it's more than the technology itself that's responsible for our habits. Our workplace culture, social norms and individual behaviors all play a part. To put technology in its place, we must be conscious not only of how technology is changing, but also of how it is changing us.

36. Online services are so designed that the more they are used, the more profit they generate.

37. The author admits using technology as an escape from the task at hand.

38. Checking phones at dinners is now accepted as normal but not belching.

39. To make proper use of technology, we should not only increase our awareness of how it is changing but also how it is impacting us.

40. Most of us find it hard to focus on our immediate tasks because of Internet distractions.

41. When one person starts checking their phone, the others will follow suit.

42. The great majority of smartphone users don't take the trouble to adjust their settings to suit their own purposes.

43. The Internet is regarded by some as designed to distract our attention.

44. The author attributes his tech addiction chiefly to his habit of putting off doing what he should do right away.

45. White-collar workers check email round the clock because it is required by their employers.

Section C

Passage One

Questions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.

You may have heard that Coca-Cola once contained an ingredient capable of sparking particular devotion in consumers: cocaine. The "Coca" in the name referred to the extracts of coca leaf that the drink's originator, chemist John Pemberton, mixed with his sugary syrup (浆汁). At the time, coca leaf extract mixed with wine was a common tonic (滋补品), and Pemberton's sweet brew was a way to get around local laws prohibiting the sale of alcohol. But the other half of the name presents another ingredient, less infamous (名声不好的), perhaps, but also strangely potent: the kola nut. In West Africa, people have long chewed kola nuts as stimulants, because they contain caffeine that also occurs naturally in tea, coffee, and chocolate. They also have heart stimulants.

Historian Paul Lovejoy relates that the cultivation of kola nuts in West Africa is hundreds of years old. The leafy, spreading trees were planted on graves and as part of traditional rituals. Even though the nuts, which need to stay moist, can be somewhat delicate to transport, traders carried them hundreds of miles throughout the forests and grasslands.

Europeans did not know of them until the 1500s, when Portuguese ships arrived on the coast of what is now Sierra Leone. And while the Portuguese took part in the trade, ferrying nuts down the coast along with other goods, by 1620, when English explorer Richard Jobson made his way up the Gambia, the nuts were still peculiar to his eyes. By the late 19th century, kola nuts were being shipped by the tonne to Europe and the US. Many made their way into medicines, intended as a kind of energy boost. One such popular medicinal drink was Vin Mariani, a French product consisting of coca extract mixed with red wine. It was created by a French chemist, Angelo Mariani, in 1863. So when Pemberton created his drink, it represented an ongoing trend. When cocaine eventually fell from grace as a beverage ingredient, kola-extract colas became popular. The first year it was available, Coca-Cola averaged nine servings a day across all the Atlanta soda fountains where it was sold. As it grew more popular, the company sold rights to bottle the soda, so it could travel easily. Today about 1.9 billion Cokes are purchased daily. It's become so iconic that attempts to change its taste in 1985—sweetening it in a move projected to boost sales—proved disastrous, with widespread anger from consumers. "Coca-Cola Classic" returned to store shelves just three months after the "New Coke" was released.

These days, the Coca-Cola recipe is a closely guarded secret. But it's said to no longer contain kola nut extract, relying instead on artificial imitations to achieve the flavour.

46. What do we learn about chemist John Pemberton?

A) He used a strangely potent ingredient in a food supplement.

B) He created a drink containing alcohol without breaking law.

C) He became notorious because of the coca drink he developed.

D) He risked breaking local law to make a drink with coca leaves.

47. What does the passage say about kola nuts?

A) Their commercial value was first discovered by Portuguese settlers.

B) They contain some kind of energy boost not found in any other food.

C) Many were shipped to Europe in the late 19th century for medicinal use.

D) They were strange to the Europeans when first imported from West Africa.

48. How come kola-extract colas became popular?

A) Cocaine had become notorious.

B) Alcoholic drinks were prohibited.

C) Fountains were set up to sell them.

D) Rights were sold to bottle the soda.

49. What is known about the taste of Coca-Cola?

A) It was so designed as to create addiction in consumers.

B) It still relies on traditional kola nut extract.

C) It has become more popular among the old.

D) It has remained virtually unchanged since its creation.

50. What is the passage mainly about?

A) The evolution of Coca-Cola.

B) The success story of Coca-Cola.

C) The medicinal value of Coca-Cola.

D) The business strategy of Coca-Cola.

Passage two

Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.

Twenty years ago, the Urban Land Institute defined the two types of cities that dominated the US landscape: smaller cities that operated around standard 9-5 business hours and large metropolitan areas that ran all 24 hours of the day. Analyzing and comparing cities using the lens of this basic divide gives interesting context to how investment capital flows and housing prices have shifted.

In recent years, many mid-sized cities have begun to adopt a middle-of-the-road approach incorporating the excitement and opportunity of large cities with small cities' quiet after midnight. These 18-hour cities are beginning to make waves in real estate rankings and attract more real estate investment. What is underlying this new movement in real estate, and why do these cities have so much appeal?

18-hour cities combine the best of 24-hour and 9-5 cities, which contributes to downtown revitalization. For decades, many downtown cores in small to mid-sized cities were abandoned after work hours by workers who lived in the suburbs. Movement out of city centers was widespread, and downtown tenants were

predominantly made up of the working poor. This generated little commerce for downtown businesses in the evenings, which made business and generating tax revenue for municipal upkeep difficult. With the rise of a new concept in urban planning that aims to make life easier and more convenient, however, increasing popularity for urban areas that cased the real estate pushes, in major cities like San Francisco or New York, has inspired a type of forward thinking urbanity and in smaller cities. Transforming downtown areas so that they incorporate modern housing and improved walkability to local restaurants, retail, and entertainment—especially when combined with improved infrastructure for cyclists and public transit—makes them appeal to a more affluent demographic. These adjustments encourage employers in the knowledge and talent industries to keep their offices downtown. Access to foot traffic and proximity to transit allow the type of entertainment-oriented businesses such as bars and restaurants to stay open later, which attracts both younger, creative workers and baby boomers nearing retirement alike. Because of their smaller size, most keep hours that allow people to enjoy themselves, then have some quiet after midnight, as opposed to large major cities like New York, where the buzz of activity is ongoing.

These 18-hour cities are rapidly on the rise and offer great opportunities for homeowner investment. In many of these cities such as Denver, a diverse and vigorous economy attracted to the urban core has offered stable employment for residents. The right urban mix has propped up home occupancy, increased property values, and attracted significant investment capital.

51. What do we learn about American cities twenty years ago?

A) They were divided into residential and business areas.

B) Their housing prices were linked with their prosperity.

C) There was a clear divide between large and small cities.

D) They were places where large investment capital flowed.

52. What can be inferred from the passage about 18-hour cities?

A) They especially appeal to small businesses.

B) They have seen a rise in property prices.

C) They have replaced quiet with excitement.

D) They have changed America's landscape.

53. Years ago, many downtown cores in small to mid-sized cities .

A) had hardly any business activity

B) were crowded in business hours

C) exhibited no signs of prosperity

D) looked deserted in the evenings

54. What characterizes the new downtown areas in 18-hour cities?

A) A sudden emergence of the knowledge industry.

B) Flooding in of large crowds of migrant workers.

C) Modernized housing and improved infrastructure.

D) More comfortable life and greater upward mobility.

55. What have 18-hour cities brought to the local residents?

A) More chances for promotion.

B) Healthier living environment.

C) Greater cultural diversity.

D) Better job opportunities.

2016年6月英语六级考试真题试卷(第3套)

Questions 1 to 4 are based on the conversation you have just heard.

1. A) It is advertising electronic products.

B) It is planning to tour East Asia.

C) It is sponsoring a TV programme.

D) It is giving performances in town.

2. A) 20,000 pounds.

B) 12,000 pounds.

C) Less than 20,000 pounds.

D) Less than 12,000 pounds.

3. A) A lot of good publicity.

B) Talented artists to work for it.

C) Long-term investments.

D) A decrease in production costs.

4. A) Promise long-term cooperation with the Company.

B) Explain frankly their own current financial situation.

C) Pay for the printing of the performance programme.

D) Bear the cost of publicising the Company's performance. Questions 5 to 8 are based on the conversation you have just heard.

5. A) He has been seeing doctors and counsellors.

B) He has found a new way to train his voice.

C) He was caught abusing drugs.

D) He might give up concert tours.

6. A) Singers may become addicted to it.

B) It helps singers warm themselves up.

C) Singers use it to stay away from colds.

D) It can do harm to singers' vocal chords.

7. A) They are eager to become famous.

B) Many lack professional training.

C) Few will become successful.

D) They live a glamorous life.

8. A) Harm to singers done by smoky atmospheres.

B) Side effects of some common drugs.

C) Voice problems among pop singers.

D) Hardships experienced by many young singers.

Passage One

Questions 9 to 12 are based on the passage you have just heard.

9. A) It has not been very successful.

B) It has long become a new trend.

C) It has met with strong resistance.

D) It has attracted a lot of users.

10. A) It saves time.

B) It increases parking capacity.

C) It ensures drivers' safety.

D) It reduces car damage.

11. A) Collect money and help new users.

B) Maintain the automated system.

C) Stay alert to any emergency.

D) Walk around and guard against car theft.

12. A) They will vary with the size of vehicles.

B) They will be discountable to regular customers.

C) They will be lower than conventional parking.

D) They will be reduced if paid in cash.

Passage Two

Questions 13 to 15 are based on the passage you have just heard.

13. A) They do not know any solution.

B) They do not give up drunk driving.

C) They do not behave in public places.

D) They do not admit being alcohol addicts.

14. A) To stop them from fighting back.

B) To thank them for their hospitality.

C) To teach them the European lifestyle.

D) To relieve their pains and sufferings.

15. A) Without intervention they will be a headache to the nation.

B) With support they can be brought back to a normal life.

C) They readily respond to medical treatment.

D) They pose a serious threat to social stability.

Recording One

Questions 16 to 19 are based on the recording you have just heard.

16. A) To award them for their hard work.

B) To build common views.

C) To bring in business projects.

D) To vote for action.

17. A) Recovering from the Great Recession.

B) Creating jobs and boosting the economy.

C) Rewarding innovative businesses.

D) Launching economic campaigns.

18. A) Talking over paying off deficit.

B) Increasing the number of middle class.

C) Controlling the impact on education.

D) Planning to reduce energy consumption.

19. A) Shorten America's way to prosperity.

B) Be cautious about reducing the deficit.

C) Increase deficit to cover the revenue.

D) Require the richest to pay more taxes.

Recording Two

Questions 20 to 22 are based on the recording you have just heard.

20. A) They can be redeemed for cash.

B) They can be used to reduce meal costs.

C) They can be used as membership certificate.

D) They can be used to make reservations.

21. A) It is free for us to download the app.

B) It helps you to be a professional cook.

C) It provides advice about making recipes.

D) It only rates recipes by popularity.

22. A) By showing the weight of 200 kinds of food.

B) By providing the price of 200 calories of food.

C) By picturing the food of 200 calories with weights.

D) By telling people 200 kinds of healthy food.

Recording Three

Questions 23 to 25 are based on the recording you have just heard.

23. A) About 43 percent of American adults.

B) About 18 percent of the whole population.

C) About 40 million American adults.

D) About a half million people in America.

24. A) To set a series of bans on public smoking.

B) To set the price of cigarettes properly.

C) To package the cigarettes with tips of warning.

D) To reduce the production and supply of cigarettes.

25. A) The office of the Surgeon General.

B) The Food and Drug Administration.

C) The Center for Tobacco Products.

D) The Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Pursuing a career is an essential part of adolescent development. "The adolescent becomes an adult when he26__________ a real job." To cognitive researchers like Piaget, adulthood meant the beginning of an27__________ .

Piaget argued that once adolescents enter the world of work, their newly acquired ability to form hypotheses allows them to create representations that are too ideal. The28__________ of such ideals, without the tempering of the reality of a job or profession, rapidly leads adolescents to become29__________ of the non-idealistic world and to press for reform in a characteristically adolescent way. Piaget said: "True adaptation to society comes30__________ when the adolescent reformer attempts to put his ideas to work."

Of course, youthful idealism is often courageous, and no one likes to give up dreams. Perhaps, taken31__________ out of context, Piaget's statement seems harsh. What he was32__________ , however, is the way reality can modify idealistic views. Some people refer to such modification as maturity. Piaget argued that attaining and accepting a vocation is one of the best ways to modify idealized views and to mature. As careers and vocations become less available during times of33__________ , adolescents may be especially hard hit. Such difficult economic times may leave many adolescents34__________ about their roles in society. For this reason, community interventions and government job programs that offer summer and vacation work are not only economically __35__ but also help to stimulate the adolescent's sense of worth.

A. automatically

B. beneficial

C. capturing

D. confused

E.emphasizing

F. entrance

G.

excitedH. existenceI. incidentallyJ. intolerantK. occupationL. promisesM. recessionN. slightlyO. undertakes

Can societies be rich and green?

[A] our economies are to flourish, if global poverty is to be eliminated and if the

well-being of the world's people enhanced—not just in this generation but in succeeding generations—we must make sure we take care of the natural environment and resources on which our economic activity depends." That statement comes not, as you might imagine, from a stereotypical tree-hugging, save-the-world greenie (环保主义者), but from Gordon Brown, a politician with a reputation for rigour, thoroughness and above all, caution.

[B] A surprising thing for the man who runs one of the world's most powerful economies to say? Perhaps; though in the run-up to the five-year review of the Millennium (千年的）Goals, he is far from alone. The roots of his speech, given in March at the roundtable meeting of environment and energy ministers from the G20 group of nations, stretch back to 1972, and the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm.

[C] "The protection and improvement of the human environment is a major issue which affects the well-being of peoples and economic development throughout the world," read the final declaration from this gathering, the first of a sequence which would lead to the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit in 1992 and the World Development Summit in Johannesburg three years ago.

[D] Hunt through the reports prepared by UN agencies and development groups—many for conferences such as this year's Millennium Goals review—and you will find that the linkage between environmental protection and economic progress is a common thread.

[E] Managing ecosystems sustainably is more profitable than exploiting them, according to the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. But finding hard evidence to support the thesis is not so easy. Thoughts turn first to some sort of global statistic, some indicator which would rate the wealth of nations in both economic and environmental terms and show a relationship between the two.

[F] If such an indicator exists, it is well hidden. And on reflection, this is not surprising; the single word "environment" has so many dimensions, and there are so many other factors affecting wealth—such as the oil deposits—that teasing out a simple economy-environment relationship would be almost impossible.

[G] The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, a vast four-year global study which reported its initial conclusions earlier this year, found reasons to believe that managing ecosystems sustainably— working with nature rather than against it—might be less profitable in the short term, but certainly brings long-term rewards.

[H] And the World Resources Institute (WRI) in its World Resources 2005 report, issued at the end of August, produced several such examples from Africa and Asia; it also demonstrated that environmental degradation affects the poor more than the rich, as poorer people derive a much higher proportion of their income directly from the

natural resources around them.

[I] But there are also many examples of growing wealth by trashing the environment, in rich and poor parts of the world alike, whether through unregulated mineral extraction, drastic water use for agriculture, slash-and-burn farming, or fossil-fuel-guzzling (大量消耗) transport. Of course, such growth may not persist in the long term—which is what Mr. Brown and the Stockholm declaration were both attempting to point out. Perhaps the best example of boom growth and bust decline is the Grand Banks fishery. For almost five centuries a very large supply of cod (鳕鱼) provided abundant raw material for an industry which at its peak employed about 40,000 people, sustaining entire communities in Newfoundland. Then, abruptly, the cod population collapsed. There were no longer enough fish in the sea for the stock to maintain itself, let alone an industry. More than a decade later, there was no sign of the ecosystem re-building itself. It had, apparently, been fished out of existence; and the once mighty Newfoundland fleet now gropes about frantically for crab on the sea floor.

[J] There is a view that modem humans are inevitably sowing the seeds of a global Grand Banks-style disaster. The idea is that we are taking more out of what you might call the planet's environmental bank balance than it can sustain; we are living beyond our ecological means. One recent study attempted to calculate the extent of this "ecological overshoot of the human economy", and found that we are using 1.2

Earth's-worth of environmental goods and services—the implication being that at some point the debt will be called in, and all those services—the things which the planet does for us for free-will grind to a halt.

[K] Whether this is right, and if so where and when the ecological axe will fall, is hard to determine with any precision—which is why governments and financial institutions are only beginning to bring such risks into their economic calculations. It is also the reason why development agencies are not

united in their view of environmental issues; while some, like the WRI, maintain that environmental progress needs to go hand-in-hand with economic development, others argue that the priority is to build a thriving economy, and then use the wealth created to tackle environmental degradation.

[L] This view assumes that rich societies will invest in environmental care. But is this right? Do things get better or worse as we get richer? Here the Stockholm declaration is ambiguous. "In the developing countries," it says, "most of the environmental problems are caused by under-development." So it is saying that economic development should make for a cleaner world? Not necessarily; "In the industrialized countries, environmental problems are generally related to industrialisation and technological development," it continues. In other words, poor and rich both over-exploit the natural world, but for different reasons. It's simply not true that economic growth will surely make our world cleaner.

[M] Clearly, richer societies are able to provide environmental improvements which lie well beyond the reach of poorer communities. Citizens of wealthy nations demand national parks, clean rivers, clean air and poison-free food They also, however, use far more natural resources—fuel, water (all those baths and golf courses) and building materials.

[N] A case can be made that rich nations export environmental problems, the most graphic example being climate change. As a country's wealth grows, so do its greenhouse gas emissions. The figures available will not be completely accurate. Measuring emissions is not a precise science, particularly when it comes to issues surrounding land use; not all nations have released up-to-date data, and in any case, emissions from some sectors such as aviation are not included in national statistics. But the data is exact enough for a clear trend to be easily discernible. As countries become richer, they produce more greenhouse gases; and the impact of those gases will fall primarily in poor parts of the world.

[O] Wealth is not, of course, the only factor involved. The average Norwegian is better off than the average US citizen, but contributes about half as much to climate change. But could Norway keep its standard of living and yet cut its emissions to Moroccan or even Ethiopian levels? That question, repeated across a dozen environmental issues and across our diverse planet, is what will ultimately determine whether the human race is living beyond its ecological means as it pursues economic revival.

36. Examples show that both rich and poor countries exploited the environment for economic progress.

37. Environmental protection and improvement benefit people all over the world.

38. It is not necessarily true that economic growth will make our world cleaner.

39. The common theme of the UN reports is the relation between environmental protection and economic growth.

40. Development agencies disagree regarding how to tackle environment issues while ensuring economic progress.

41. It is difficult to find solid evidence to prove environmental friendliness generates more profits than exploiting the natural environment.

42. Sustainable management of ecosystems will prove rewarding in the long run.

43. A politician noted for being cautious asserts that sustainable human development depends on the natural environment.

44. Poor countries will have to bear the cost for rich nations's economic development.

45. One recent study warns us of the danger of the exhaustion of natural resources on Earth.

Passage One

Questions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.

Interactive television advertising, which allows viewers to use their remote controls to click on advertisements, has been pushed for years. Nearly a decade ago it was predicted that viewers of "Friends", a popular situation comedy, would soon be able to purchase a sweater like Jennifer Aniston's with a few taps on their remote control. "It's been the year of interactive television advertising for the last ten or twelve years," says Colin Dixon of a digital-media consultancy.

So the news that Cablevision, an American cable company, was rolling out interactive advertisements to all its customers on October 6th was greeted with some skepticism. During commercials, an overlay will appear at the bottom of the screen, prompting

viewers to press a button to request a free sample or order a catalogue. Cablevision hopes to allow customers to buy things with their remote controls early next year. Television advertising could do with a boost. Spending fell by 10% in the first half of the year. The popularization of digital video recorders has caused advertisers to worry that their commercials will be skipped. Some are turning to the Internet, which is cheaper and offers concrete measurements like click-through rates—especially important at a time when marketing budgets are tight. With the launch of interactive advertising, "many of the dollars that went to the Internet will come back to the TV," says David Kline of Cablevision. Or so the industry hopes.

In theory, interactive advertising can engage viewers in a way that 30-second spots do not Unilever recently ran an interactive campaign for its Axe deodorant (除臭剂）, which kept viewers engaged for more than three minutes on average.

The amount spent on interactive advertising on television is still small. Magna, an advertising agency, reckons it will be worth about $138 million this year. That falls far short of the billions of dollars people once expected it to generate. But DirecTV, Comcast and Time Warner Cable have all invested in it. A new effort led by Canoe Ventures, a coalition of leading cable providers, aims to make interactive advertising available across America later this year. BrightLine iTV, which designs and sells interactive ads, says interest has surged: it expects its revenues almost to triple this year. BSkyB, Britain's biggest satellite-television service, already provides 9 million customers with interactive ads.

Yet there are doubts whether people watching television, a "lean back" medium, crave interaction. Click-through rates have been high so far (around 3-4%, compared with less than 0.3% online), but that may be a result of the novelty. Interactive ads and viewers might not go well together.

46. What does Colin Dixon mean by saying "It's been the year of interactive television advertising for the last ten or twelve years(Lines 4-5, Para. 1)?

A. Interactive television advertising will become popular in 10-12 years.

B. Interactive television advertising has been under debate for the last decade or so.

C. Interactive television advertising is successful when incorporated into situation comedies.

D. Interactive television advertising has not achieved the anticipated results.

47. What is the public's response to Cablevision's planned interactive TV advertising program?

A. Pretty positive.

B. Totally indifferent.

C. Somewhat doubtful.

D. Rather critical.

48. What is the impact of the wide use of digital video recorders on TV advertising?

A. It has made TV advertising easily accessible to viewers.

B. It helps advertisers to measure the click-through rates.

C. It has placed TV advertising at a great disadvantage.

D. It enables viewers to check the sales items with ease.

49. What do we learn about Unilever's interactive campaign?

A. It proves the advantage of TV advertising.

B. It has done well in engaging the viewers.

C. It helps attract investments in the company.

D. It has boosted the TV advertising industry.

50. How does the author view the hitherto high click-through rates?

A. They may be due to the novel way of advertising.

B. They signify the popularity of interactive advertising.

C. They point to the growing curiosity of TV viewers.

D. They indicate the future direction of media reform.

Passage Two

Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.

What can be done about mass unemployment? All the wise heads agree: there're no quick or easy answers. There's work to be done, but workers aren't ready to do it—they're in the wrong places, or they have the wrong skills. Our problems are structural, and will take many years to solve.

But don't bother asking for evidence that justifies this bleak view. There isn't any. On the contrary, all the facts suggest that high unemployment in America is the result of inadequate demand. Saying that there're no easy answers sounds wise, but it's actually foolish: our unemployment crisis could be cured very quickly if we had the intellectual clarity and political will to act. In other words, structural unemployment is a fake problem, which mainly serves as an excuse for not pursing real solutions.

The fact is job openings have plunged in every major sector, while the number of workers forced into part-time employment in almost all industries has soared. Unemployment has surged in every major occupational category. Only three states, with a combined population not much larger than that of Brooklyn, have unemployment rates below 5%. So the evidence contradicts the claim that we're mainly suffering from structural unemployment. Why, then, has this claim become so popular? Part of the answer is that this is what always happens during periods of high unemployment—in part because experts and analysts believe that declaring the problem deeply rooted, with no easy answers, makes them sound serious.

I've been looking at what self-proclaimed experts were saying about unemployment during the Great Depression; it was almost identical to what Very Serious People are saying now. Unemployment cannot be brought down rapidly, declared one 1935 analysis, because the workforce is "unadaptable and untrained. It cannot respond to the opportunities which industry may offer." A few years later, a large defense buildup finally provided a fiscal stimulus adequate to the economy's needs—and suddenly industry was eager to employ those "unadaptable and untrained" workers.

But now, as then, powerful forces are ideologically opposed to the whole idea of government action on a sufficient scale to jump-start the economy. And that, fundamentally, is why claims that we face huge structural problems have been multiplying: they offer a reason to do nothing about the mass unemployment that is

crippling out economy and our society.

So what you need to know is that there's no evidence whatsoever to back these claims. We aren't suffering from a shortage of needed skills; we're suffering from a lack of policy resolve. As I said, structural unemployment isn't a real problem, it's an excuse—a reason not to act on America's problems at a time when action is desperately needed.

51. What does the author think is the root cause of mass unemployment in America?

A. Corporate mismanagement.

B. Insufficient demand.

C. Technological advances.

D. Workers' slow adaptation.

52. What does the author think of the experts' claim concerning unemployment?

A. Self-evident.

B. Thought-provoking.

C. Irrational.

D. Groundless.

53. What does the author say helped bring down unemployment during the Great Depression?

A. The booming defense industry.

B. The wise heads' benefit package.

C. Nationwide training of workers.

D. Thorough restructuring of industries.

54. What has caused claims of huge structural problems to multiply?

A. Powerful opposition to government's stimulus efforts.

B. Very Serious People's attempt to cripple the economy.

C. Evidence gathered from many sectors of the industries.

D. Economists, failure to detect the problems in time.

55. What is the author's purpose in writing the passage?

A. To testify to the experts' analysis of America's problems.

B. To offer a feasible solution to the structural unemployment

C. To show the urgent need for the government to take action.

D. To alert American workers to the urgency for adaptation.