2002 年 12 月英语六级真题及答案
试卷一
Part I Listening Comprehension (20 minutes)
Section A
Directions: Inthissection,youwillhear10shortconversations.Attheendofeach
conversation, a question will be asked about what was said. Both the
conversationandthequestionwillbespokenonlyonce.Aftereachquestion
therewillbeapause.Duringthepause,youmustreadthefourchoicesmarked
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 will hear:
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 the centre.
Sample Answer [A] [B] [C] [D]
1.
A) It has nothing to do with the Internet.
B) She needs another week to get it ready.
C) It contains some valuable ideas.
D) It’s far from being ready yet.
2.
A) The woman is strict with her employees.
B) The man always has excuses for being late.
C) The woman is a kind-hearted boss.
D) The man’s alarm clock didn’t work that morning.
3.
A) The woman should try her luck in the bank nearby.
B) The bank around the corner is not open today.
C) The woman should use dollars instead of pounds.
D) The bank near the railway station closes late.
4.
A) Make an appointment with Dr. Chen.
B) Call again some time later.
C) Wait for about three minutes.
D) Try dialing the number again.
5.
A) He is sure they will succeed in the next test.
B) He did no better than the woman in the test.
C) He believes she will pass the test this time.
D) He felt upset because of her failure.
6.
A) The woman has to attend a summer course to graduate.
B) The man thinks the woman can earn the credits.
C) The woman is begging the man to let her pass the exam.
D) The woman is going to graduate from summer school.
7.
A) Fred is planning a trip to Canada.
B) Fred usually flies to Canada with Jane.
C) Fred persuaded Jane to change her mind.
D) Fred likes the beautiful scenery along the way to Canada.
8.
A) Hang some pictures for decoration.
B) Find room for the paintings.
C) Put more coats of paint on the wall.
D) Paint the walls to match the furniture.
9.
A) He’ll give a lecture on drawing.
B) He doesn’t mind if the woman goes to the lecture.
C) He’d rather not go to the lecture.
D) He’s going to attend the lecture.
10. A) Selecting the best candidate.
B) Choosing a campaign manager.
C) Trying to persuade the woman to vote for him.
D) Running for chairman of the student union.
Section B
Directions: Inthissection,youwillhear3shortpassages.Attheendofeachpassage,
you will hear some questions. Both the passage and the questions will be
spokenonlyonce.Afteryouhearaquestion,youmustchoosethebestanswer
fromthefourchoicesmarkedA),B),C)andD).Thenmarkthecorresponding
letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.
Questions 11 to 14 are based on the passage you have just heard.
Passage One
11. A) To study the problems of local industries.
B) To find ways to treat human wastes.
C) To investigate the annual catch of fish in the Biramichi River.
D) To conduct a study on fishing in the Biramichi River.
12. A) Lack of oxygen.
B) Overgrowth of water plants.
C) Low water level.
D) Serious pollution upstream.
13. A) They’ll be closed down.
B) They’re going to dismiss some of their employees.
C) They’ll be moved to other places.
D) They have no money to build chemical treatment plants.
14. A) Because there were fewer fish in the river.
B) Because over-fishing was prohibited.
C) Because the local Chamber of Commerce tried preserve fishes.
D) Because the local fishing cooperative decided to reduce its catch.
Questions 15 to 17 are based on the passage you have just heard.
Passage Two
15. A) Oral instructions recorded on a tape.
B) A brief letter sealed in an envelope.
C) A written document of several pages.
D) A short note to their lawyer.
16. A) Refrain from going out with men for five years.
B) Stop wearing any kind of fashionable clothes.
C) Bury the dentist with his favorite car.
D) Visit his grave regularly for five years.
17. A) Because he was angry with his selfish relatives.
B) Because he was just being humorous.
C) Because he was not a wealthy man.
D) Because he wanted to leave his body for medical purposes.
Questions 18 to 20 are based on the passage you have just heard.
Passage Three
18. A) They thought it quite acceptable.
B) They believed it to be a luxury.
C) They took it to be a trend.
D) They considered it avoidable.
19. A) Critical.
B) Serious.
C) Sceptical.
D) Casual.
20. A) When people consider marriage an important part of their lives.
B) When the costs of getting a divorce become unaffordable.
C) When the current marriage law is modified.
D) When husband and wife understand each other better.
Part II Reading Comprehension (35 minutes)
Directions: There are 4 passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some
questionsorunfinishedstatements.Foreachofthemtherearefourchoices
markedA),B),C)andD).Youshoulddecideonthebestchoiceandmarkthe
corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the
centre.
Passage One
Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage.
Bill Gates, the billionaire Microsoft chairman without a single earned university
degree, is by his success raising new doubts about the worth of the business world’s
favorite academic title: the MBA (Master of Business Administration).
The MBA, a 20th-century product, always has borne the mark of lowly commerce and
greed(贪婪) on the tree-lined campuses ruled by purer disciplines such as philosophy
and literature.
But even with the recession apparently cutting into the hiring of business school
graduates, about 79,000 people are expected to receive MBAs in 1993. This is nearly
16 times the number of business graduates in 1960, a testimony to the wide spread
assumption that the MBA is vital for young men and women who want to run companies some
day.
“If you are going into the corporate world it is still a disadvantage not to have
one,” said Donald Morrison, professor of marketing and management science. “But in
the last five years or so, when someone says, ‘Should I attempt to get an MBA,’ the
answer a lot more is: It depends.”
The success of Bill Gates and other non-MBAs, such as the late Sam Walton of Wal-Mart
Stores Inc., has helped inspire self-conscious debates on business school campuses over
the worth of a business degree and whether management skills can be taught.
The Harvard Business Review printed a lively, fictional exchange of letters to
dramatize complaints about business degree holders.
The article called MBA hires “extremely disappointing” and said “MBAs want to
move up too fast, they don’t understand politics and people, and they aren’t able
to function as part of a team until their third year. But by then, they’re out looking
for other jobs.”
The problem, most participants in the debate acknowledge, is that the MBA has
acquired an aura (光环) of future riches and power far beyond its actual importance
and usefulness.
Enrollment in business schools exploded in the 1970s and 1980s and created the
assumption that no one who pursued a business career could do without one. The growth
was fueled by a backlash (反冲) against the anti-business values of the 1960s and by
the women’s movement.
Business people who have hired or worked with MBAs say those with the degrees of
ten know how to analyze systems but are not so skillful at motivating people. “They
don’t get a lot of grounding in the people side of the business”, said James Shaffer,
vice-president and principal of the Towers Perrin management consulting firm.
21. According to Paragraph 2, what is the general attitude towards business on campuses
dominated by purer disciplines?
A) Scornful.
B) Appreciative.
C) Envious.
D) Realistic.
22. It seems that the controversy over the value of MBA degrees had been fueled mainly
by ________.
A) the complaints from various employers
B) the success of many non-MBAs
C) the criticism from the scientists of purer disciplines
D) the poor performance of MBAs at work
23. What is the major weakness of MBA holders according to the Harvard Business Review?
A) They are usually self-centered.
B) They are aggressive and greedy.
C) They keep complaining about their jobs.
D) They are not good at dealing with people.
24. From the passage we know that most MBAs ________.
A) can climb the corporate ladder fairly quickly
B) quit their jobs once they are familiar with their workmates
C) receive salaries that do not match their professional training
D) cherish unrealistic expectations about their future
25. What is the passage mainly about?
A) Why there is an increased enrollment in MBA programs.
B) The necessity of reforming MBA programs in business schools.
C) Doubts about the worth of holding an MBA degree.
D) A debate held recently on university campuses.
Passage Two
Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage.
When school officials in Kalkaska, Michigan, closed classes last week, the media
flocked to the story, portraying the town’s 2,305 students as victims of stingy (吝
啬的) taxpayers. There is some truth to that; the property-tax rate here is one-third
lower than the state average. But shutting their schools also allowed Kalkask’s
educators and the state’s largest teachers’ union, the Michigan Education Association,
to make a political point. Their aim was to spur passage of legislation Michigan
lawmakers are debating to increase the state’s share of school funding.
It was no coincidence that Kalkaska shut its schools two weeks after residents
rejected a 28 percent property-tax increase. The school board argued that without the
increase it lacked the $1.5 million needed to keep schools open.
But the school system had not done all it could to keep the schools open. Officials
declined to borrow against next year’s state aid, they refused to trim extra curricular
activities and they did not consider seeking a smaller—perhaps more acceptable—tax
increase. In fact, closing early is costing Kalkaska a significant amount, including
$600,000 in unemployment payments to teachers and staff and $250,000 in lost state aid.
In February, the school system promised teachers and staff two months of retirement
payments in case schools closed early, a deal that will cost the district $275,000 more.
Other signs suggest school authorities were at least as eager to make a political
statement as to keep schools open. The Michigan Education Association hired a public
relations firm to stage a rally marking the school closing, which attracted 14 local
and national television stations and networks. The president of the National Education
Association, the MEA’s parent organization, flew from Washington, D. C., for the event.
And the union tutored school officials in the art of television interviews. School
supervisor Doyle Disbrow acknowledges the district could have kept schools open by
cutting programs but denies the moves were politically motivated.
Michigan lawmakers have reacted angrily to the closings. The state Senate has al
ready voted to put the system into receivership ( 破 产 管 理 ) and reopen schools
immediately; the Michigan House plans to consider the bill this week.
26. We learn from the passage that schools in Kalkaska, Michigan, are funded ________.
A) by both the local and state governments
B) exclusively by the local government
C) mainly by the state government
D) by the National Education Association
27. One of the purposes for which school officials closed classes was ________.
A) to avoid paying retirement benefits to teachers and staff
B) to draw the attention of local taxpayers to political issues
C) to make the financial difficulties of their teachers and staff known to the
public
D) to pressure Michigan lawmakers into increasing state funds for local schools
28. The author seems to disapprove of ________.
A) the Michigan lawmakers’ endless debating
B) the shutting of schools in Kalkaska
C) the involvement of the mass media
D) delaying the passage of the school funding legislation
29. We learn from the passage that school authorities in Kalkaska are concerned about
________.
A) a raise in the property-tax rate in Michigan
B) reopening the schools there immediately
C) the attitude of the MEA’s parent organization
D) making a political issue of the closing of the schools
30. According to the passage, the closing of the schools developed into a crisis because
of ________.
A) the complexity of the problem
B) the political motives on the part of the educators
C) the weak response of the state officials
D) the strong protest on the part of the students’ parents
Passage Three
Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage.
German Chancellor(首相) Otto Von Bismarck may be most famous for his military and
diplomatic talent, but his legacy (遗产) includes many of today’s social insurance
programs. During the middle of the 19th century, Germany, along with other European
nations, experienced an unprecedented rash of workplace deaths and accidents as a result
of growing industrialization. Motivated in part by Christian compassion(怜悯) for the
helpless as well as a practical political impulse to undercut the support of the
socialist labor movement, Chancellor Bismarck created the world’s first workers’
compensation law in 1884.
By 1908, the United States was the only industrial nation in the world that lacked
workers’ compensation insurance. America’s injured workers could sue for damages in
a court of law, but they still faced a number of tough legal barriers. For example,
employees had to prove that their injuries directly resulted from employer negligence
and that they themselves were ignorant about potential hazards in the workplace. The
first state workers’ compensation law in this country passed in 1911, and the program
soon spread throughout the nation.
After World War II, benefit payments to American workers did not keep up with the
cost of living. In fact, real benefit levels were lower in the 1970s than they were
in the 1940s, and in most states the maximum benefit was below the poverty level for
a family of four. In 1970, President Richard Nixon set up a national commission to study
the problems of workers’ compensation. Two years later, the commission issued 19 key
recommendations, including one that called for increasing compensation benefit levels
to 100 percent of the states’ average weekly wages.
In fact, the average compensation benefit in America has climbed from 55 percent
of the states’ average weekly wages in 1972 to 97 percent today. But, as most studies
show, every 10 percent increase in compensation benefits results in a 5 per cent increase
in the numbers of workers who file for claims. And with so much more money floating
in the workers’ compensation system, it’s not surprising that doctors and lawyers
have helped themselves to a large slice of the growing pie.
31. The world’s first workers’ compensation law was introduced by Bismarck ________.
A) to make industrial production safer
B) to speed up the pace of industrialization