2008年12月英语六级真题及答案

2008年12月英语六级真题及答案 Part I Writing (30 minutes) D i r e c t i o nF so : r this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay e How to improve psychological health? You should write at least 150 words following the outline given below. 1. 学生心理健康的重要性 2. 学校应该怎样做 3. 学生自己应该怎样做 How to improve psychological health Part II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) (15 minutes) D i r e c t i o n sI :n t h i s p a r t , y o u w i l l h a v e 1 5 m i n u t e s t o g o o v e r t h e p a s s a g e q u i c k l y a a n s w e r t h e q u e s t i o n s Aonns w e r S h e e t 1F.o r q u e s t i o n s 1 - 7 , c h o o s e t h e b e s t a n s w e r from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). For questions 8 sentences with the information given in the passage. Supersize S Askurprise a nyone w t i ahyo here e as t n w besity t y t pidemic it's a d ll t own e t o m ating a b too f cuch T nd e urning a t oo ew common sense and has dominated efforts to get to the root of the obesity epidemic and reverse it. Yet obesity researchers are increasingly dissatisfied with it. Many now believe t h a t s o m e t h i n g e l s e m u s t h a v e c h a n g e d i n o u r e n v i r opnr m e cei n p ti t taot(e促 成 ) s u c h dramatic r i o ises o n t p besity 4 y o sverN hei s astt t 0“ tears r – reduced ph ysical activity and inc reased availability of contributors to the epidemic, but they cannot explain it all. Earlier this year a review paper by 20 obesity experts set out the 7 alternative explanations for the epidemic. Here they are. 1. Not enough sleep It i w s idely b t elieved s i f t bhat n tleepb Cs aors he o s rain, ot also be helping to make us fat? Several large-scale studies suggest there may be a link. People who sleep less hours a night tend to have a higher body mass index than people who according to data gathered by the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Similarly, the US Nurses' Health Study, which tracked 68,000 women for 16 years, found that those who slept an average of 5 hours a night gained more weight during the study period than women who slept 6 hours, who in turn gained more than those who 7. It's well known that obesity impairs sleep, so perhaps people get fat first and sleep less afterwards. But the nurses' study suggests that it can work in the other direct sleep loss may precipitate weight gain. A l t h o u g h g e t t i n g fi g u re s i s d i ffi c u l t , i t a p p e a r s t h a t w e re a l l y a re s l e e p i n g l e s s . I n 1 people i t U n s hea a S olept 8 h np n verage A2 p bf t .5N ours S er Foundation suggests that the average has fallen to under 7 hours, and the mirrored by the increase in obesity. 2. Climate control We humans, like all warm-blooded animals, can keep our core body temperatures pretty much constant regardless of what's going on in the world around us. W altering our metabolic (新陈代新的) rate, shivering or sweating. Keeping warm and staying cool take energy unless we are in the “thermo-neutral zone”, which is increasingly where we choose to live and work. There is no denying that ambient temperatures(环境温度) have changed in the past few decades. B 1 etween a 2 t 970 a B nd h 000, w f he a c verage 1 t ritish 18℃. In the US, the changes have been at the other end of the thermomete proportion of homes with air conditionings rose from 23% to 47% between 1 9 9 7 . I n t h e s o u t h e rn s t a t e s – w h e r e o b e s i t y r a t e s t e n d t o b e h i g h e s t – t h e n u m b e houses with air conditioning has shot up to 71% from 37% in 1978. C o u l d a i r c o n d i t i o n i n g i n s u m m e r a n d h e a t i n g i n w i n t e r re a l l y m a ke a d i ff e re n c e t o weight? Sadly, there is some evidence that it does – at least with regard Studies show that in comfortable temperatures we use less energy. 3. Less smoking B a d n e w s : s m o ke r s r e a l l y d o t e n d t o b e t h i n n e r t h a n t h e r e s t o f u s , a n d q u i t t i n g re does p oack t p n t he n ounds, o i s w hough I p h so ne t ds w ure hy. the fact that nicotine is an appetite suppressant and appears to up rate. Katherine Flegal and colleagues at the US National Center f Hyattsville, M h aryland, c t p ave k alculated t h h b hat r eople f o r a s m a l l b u t s i g n i fi c a n t p o r t i o n o f t h e U S e p i d e m i c o f f a t n e s s . F r o m d a t a ro un d 1 9 91 by t h e U S Na t i o n a l H ea l t h a n d Nu t r i t i o n E x a m i n a t i o n Su r v e y , t h ey w o r k out that people who had quit in the previous decade were much mo overweight than smokers and people who had never smoked. Among men, for example, nearly h o qalf wf ouitters c ere w 3 verweight o n a ompared o 2 of smokers. 4. Genetic effects Yo u r c h a n c e s o f b e c o m i n g f a t m a y b e s e t , a t l e a s t i n p a r t , b e f o re y o u w e re e v e n b o Children o o mf bese a m mothers l t b re o ucht orel i ikely l o Offspring o m f f a h ice d ed d p igh-fata m m iet l uring t b fregnancy than the offspring of identical mice fed a normal diet. Intriguingly, the effect persists for t w o o r t h re e g e n e r a t i o n s . G r a n d c h i l d re n o f m i c e f e d a h i g h - f a t d i e t g ro w u p f a t e v e their own mother is fed normally – so your fate may have been sealed even before you were conceived. 5. A little older … Some g o roups p j hf eople t b f ust t o appen S c o o e b tatter U han National Center for Health Statistics found that adults aged 40 to 79 were around three times as likely to be obese as younger people. Non-white females also tend to fall at the fa tte r e nd o f th e sp e ct rum : M exic an -A me ric an w o men a re 30 % m ore like ly tha women to be obese, and black women have twice the risk. In the US, these groups account for an increasing percentage of the population. Between 1970 a 2 nd t U 000 p hea 3S t 4 opulation g b 4 T p ged o 5 H o 4 rew Americans also grew, from under 5% to 12.5% of the population, while the proportion of bl a ck A m eri ca ns i ncreas ed from 11 % t o 1 2. 3%. T hese ch ang es m ay a cco unt in p ar t fo the increased prevalence of obesity. 6. Mature mums M o t h e r s a r o u n d t h e w o r l d a r e g e t t i n g o l d e r. I n t h e U K , t h e m e a n a g e f o r h a v i n g a c h i l d i s 2 7 . 3 , c o m p a r e d w i t h 2 3 . 7 i n 1 9 7 0 . M e a n a g e a t fi r s t b i r t h i n t h e U S increased, rising from 21.4 in 1970 to 24.9 in 2000. This would be neither here nor there if it weren't for the observation that having an older mother seems to be an independent risk factor for obesity. Results from the US National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute's study found that the odds of a c increase 14% for every five extra years of their mother's age, though why this should be so is not entirely clear. Michael Symonds at the university of Nottingham, UK, found that first-born children have m o r e f a t t h a n y o u n g e r o n e s . A s f a m i l y s i z e d e c r e a s e s , fi r s t b o r n s a c c o u n t f o r a g share o t pf he I opulation. 1 B w g n b 964,t a a ritish o 2 comen ave by 2005 that figure had fallen to 1.79. In the US in 1976, 9.6% of women in their 40s had only one child; in 2004 it was 17.4%. This combination of older mothers and more single children could be contributing to the obesity epidemic. 7. Like marrying like Just as people pair off according to looks, so they do for size. Lean people are more likely to marry lean and fat more likely to marry fat. On its own , like marrying account for any increase in obesity. But combined with others – particularly the fact that o b e s i t y i s p a r t l y g e n e t i c , a n d t h a t h e a v i e r p e o p l e h a v e m o re c h i l d re n – i t a m p l i fi e s increase from other causes. 注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。 1. What is the passage mainly about? A) Effects of obesity on people's health. B) The link between lifestyle and obesity. C) New explanations for the obesity epidemic. D) Possible ways to combat the obesity epidemic 2. In the US Nurses' Health Study, women who slept an average of 7 ho ________. A) gained the least weight B) were inclined to eat less C) found their vigor enhanced D) were less susceptible to illness 3. The popular belief about obesity is that ________. A) it makes us sleepy B) it causes sleep loss C) it increases our appetite D) it results from lack of sleep 4. How does indoor heating affect our life? A) It makes us stay indoors more. B) It accelerates our metabolic rate. C) It makes us feel more energetic. D) It contributes to our weight gain. 5. What does the author say about the effect of nicotine on smokers? A) It threatens their health. B) It heightens their spirits. C) It suppresses their appetite. D) It slows down their metabolism. 6 . W h o a r e m o s t l i k e l y t o b e o v e r w e i g h study? A) Heavy smokers. B) Passive smokers. C) Those who never smoke. D) Those who quit smoking. 7. According to the US National Center for Health Statistics, the increased obesity in the US is a result of ________. A) the growing number of smokers among young people B) the rising proportion of minorities in its population C) the increasing consumption of high-calorie foods D) the improving living standards of the poor people 8. According to the US National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, the reason wh mothers' children tend to be obese remains ________. 9. According to Michael Symonds, one factor contributing to the obes decrease of ________. 1 0 . W he n t w o he a v y pe o p l e g et m a rr i e d, c h a n ce s o f t he i r ch i l d ren g e t t i n g f a t i n cre a s because obesity is ________. Part III Listening Comprehension (35 minutes) Section A Directions: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. A t t he end o f ea c h co nver sa t io n, o ne o r m o re q uest io ns w il l b e as ked a bo ut wha t s ai d Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After each quest there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A) B) C) a n d D ) , a n d d e c i d e w h i c h i s t h e b e s t a n s w e r. T h e n m a r k t h e c o r r e s p o n d i n g Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. 注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。 11. A) He is quite easy to recognize. B) He is an outstanding speaker. C) He looks like a movie star. D) He looks young for his age. 12. A) Consult her dancing teacher. B) Take a more interesting class. C) Continue her dancing class. D) Improve her dancing skills. 13. A) The man did not believe what the woman said. B) The man accompanied the woman to the hospital. C) The woman may be suffering from repetitive strain injury. D) The woman may have not followed the doctor's instructions. 14. A) They are not in style any more. B) They have cost him far too much. C) They no longer suit his eyesight. D) They should be cleaned regularly. 15. A) He spilled his drink onto the floor. B) He has just finished wiping the floor. C) He was caught in a shower on his way home. D) He rushed out of the bath to answer the phone. 16. A) Fixing some furniture. B) Repairing the toy train. C) Reading the instructions. D) Assembling the bookcase. 17. A) Urge Jenny to spend more time on study. B) Help Jenny to prepare for the coming exams. C) Act towards Jenny in a more sensible way. D) Send Jenny to a volleyball training center. 18. A) The building of the dam needs a large budget. B) The proposed site is near the residential area. C) The local people feel insecure about the dam. D) The dam poses a threat to the local environment. Questions 19 to 21 are based on the conversation you have just heard. 19. A) It saw the end of its booming years worldwide. B) Its production and sales reached record levels. C) It became popular in some foreign countries. D) Its domestic market started to shrink rapidly. 20. A) They cost less. B) They tasted better. C) They were in fashion. D) They were widely advertised. 21. A) It is sure to fluctuate. B) It is bound to revive. C) It will remain basically stable. D) It will see no more monopoly. Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard. 22. A) Organising protests. B) Recruiting members. C) Acting as its spokesman. D) Saving endangered animals. 23. A) Anti-animal-abuse demonstrations. B) Surveying the Atlantic Ocean floor. C) Anti-nuclear campaigns. D) Removing industrial waste. 24. A) By harassing them. B) By appealing to the public. C) By taking legal action. D) By resorting to force. 25. A) Doubtful. B) Reserved. C) Indifferent. D) Supportive.