大学英语六级(2013年12月考试改革适用)模拟试卷263(题后含答案及解析)

大学英语六级（2013年12月考试改革适用）模拟试卷263 (题后含答

案及解析)

题型有：1. Writing 2. Listening Comprehension 3. Reading Comprehension 4. Translation

Part I Writing

1． For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay based on the following drawing. In your essay, you should first describe the drawing and interpret its meanings, and then give your comment on it. You should write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words. Write your essay on Answer Sheet 1.

正确答案： As is portrayed in the picture, a teacher is trying to teach his students the math of 1+1. The students, however, all hold up a calculator and punch the keys for the result. The implied message in this picture, I think, is to offer a salutary reminder that technology is likely to deprive humans of their thinking abilities, reducing us into thoughtless creatures. As far as I am concerned, I also worry that the ubiquitous application of advanced technology would weaken our cognitive faculty. For instance, prior to the invention of cell phones or devices alike, we had to rely on our own memory and/or documenting ability to remember the addresses and telephone numbers of our friends and relatives. Now, cell phones or iPad would do the trick for us. Besides, we do not challenge ourselves as much as we did. Once problems occur, we go straight to google the solution, without even thinking a bit. In short, we should understand that technology is a necessary evil. It is best to keep a distance from the evil. Getting too close would end up being devoured by it.

解析： 这是一篇看图作文，要求考生描述图画内容，解释其深层含义，然后发表个人看法。图画刻画了一名老师在教授1+1=?的情景。但是所有的学生都拿出计算器。按照题目要求，可谋篇布局如下： 第1段描图画：一名老师在教学生1+1的数学题。可是，学生们都高举计算器，摁按键来计算答案。 第2段指出图画的意图：科学技术很有可能使人类丧失思考的能力。 第3段提出个人看法：我也担心无处不在的高科技会削弱我们的认知官能。举记忆电话号码和地址为例，许多科技产品都可以代劳，使我们的大脑官能得不到锻炼。

Part II Listening Comprehension

Section A

听力原文：W: Good afternoon. How can I help you?M: Good afternoon. I am looking for some computer software.W: Please tell me what it’ll be used for, so I can help.M: For after-school tutorials. You see, I’m a teacher at a secondary school, and

I’m starting up a program to help some of the kids improve their maths scores.W: Ok, great. We have two pricing schemes—one is for personal use, and the other is for use at educational institutions.M: I’d be interested in the latter. Now, what kinds of programs would you recommend?W: Well, first of all, tell me something about your students and their learning needs.M: Well, they are all in their last year of school and are worried about the college entrance examinations that they will have to take at the end of this year. It’s not that they are doing poorly in maths: it’s more that they want extra practice.W: I think we have just the thing. It’s a program which is specially designed for the type of questions students are likely to face in university entrance examinations. There are many different subjects, including one focusing on mathematics. It’s called the College Prep series.M: Sounds good.W: The course itself is divided into 8 modules, and each module has 5 lessons. Each lesson takes about an hour to complete. And... before you make a final decision, I’d like to show you our catalogue so that you can compare prices and have a look at some of our other software. I want you to be sure that you are buying the product that’s best for your students.M: Thanks.1 What is the man looking for?2 What do we learn about the man’s students?3 What do we learn about the College Prep series?4 Why does the woman show the catalogue to the man?

2．

A．A start-up program. B．Anti-virus software.

C．Computer software for personal use.

D．Computer software for after-school tutorials.

正确答案：D

解析：男士说，他要找一个计算机软件，用于课后辅导。故选D。

3．

A．They are confident of passing the college entrance exams. B．They are to take college entrance exams this year. C．Most of them are not doing very well in maths. D．They are forced to take more extra practice.

正确答案：B 解析：男士说：“他们是高中的最后一年了，今年年底要参加高考，他们有些担心。”故选B。

4．

A．It is designed for junior school students. B．It contains different subjects except maths. C．Each course takes 40 hours to complete. D．Each course contains 35 lessons.

正确答案：C

解析：女士说：“这个程序分为8个模块，每个模块有5课，做完每课需要1小时。”由此可推断，完成这门课程需要40小时。故选C。

5．

A．To satisfy his requirements.

B．To show how the software works. C．To ask him to buy other products.

D．To let him compare prices and other products.

正确答案：D 解析：女士说：“我给你看看我们的目录吧，这样你可以对比价格，也可以看看一些其他软件”，女士想让男士买到最适合他学生的产品。故选D项。

听力原文：M: Interesting lecture today, didn’t you think?W: Well, I suppose. But I’ve never heard of the Bauhaus, so I’m not clear on something. Was it some place you should go to, or was it more of a genre or a movement of some sort, you know, like the Brooklyn impressionism? M: No. It was an actual design school located in Germany, founded by Walter Gropius. His goal was to combine technical skills and artistic talent and by doing this create a new form of architecture and applied arts. W: OK, so that explains why the professor mentioned how certain people had to study with both a crafts person and an artist. M: Right. Before anybody could actually begin their formal training, they had to take workshops where they were taught both by a crafts person, who emphasized technical expertise, and an artist. W: Interesting! M: And the Bauhaus founders also departed from the notion of arts being a form of luxury object. They wanted to produce functional art to be enjoyed by everybody, not just the wealthy. W: Weren’t they making some sort of social statements? M: Perhaps... I don’t know. But it did mean that Bauhaus’ creations have their own artistic beauty. And, instead of being individually hand-crafted like something you see in the... I don’t know, Gothic cathedral, they were produced by machines in large quantities. W: Is the Bauhaus still around? M: I don’t think so. But judging by the amount of time on our class schedule, its great effects still remain.5 According to the conversation, what is Bauhaus?6 What should a person do before taking his formal training?7 What would the Bauhaus founders most probably agree to?8 What do we know about the Bauhaus’ creations?

6．

A．It was a design school located in Germany. B．It was an American art movement. C．It was a scenic spot in Germany. D．It was the name of a German artist.

正确答案：A

解析：女士说没听说过Bauhaus，对它不了解，男士解释说它是位于德国的一所设计学校，故选A。

7．

A．Get further studies in universities. B．Work as an assistant in workshops. C．Study with a crafts person and an artist. D．Learn technical expertise on his own.

正确答案：C

解析：在开始正式训练前，他们必须从车间做起．在掌握了生产技术的技工和艺术家的共同指导下学习。故选C。

8．

A．Art is separate from technical skills. B．Art should be enjoyed by everybody. C．Art is a form of luxury object.

D．Art should be based on imagination.

正确答案：B

解析：男士说他们(Bauhaus的创建者们)想生产出每个人都能享受到的功能性艺术，而不仅仅是为富人。故选B。

9．

A．They were individually hand-crafted.

B．They were produced by machines in large amounts. C．They were in Gothic style. D．They are out of date now.

正确答案：B 解析：男士说并不像你在哥特式教堂看到的有些东西，是手工制造；Bauhaus学校的作品是由机器批量生产出来的。故选B。

Section B

听力原文： Not long ago it was assumed that the dangers man would meet in space would be terrible, the main ones being radiation and the danger of being hit by meteors. It is perhaps worth remembering that less than two’ centuries ago the dangers of train travel seemed similarly terrible. A man would certainly die, it was thought, if carried along at a speed of thirty kilometers per hour. There are two sorts of radiation man must fear in space. The first is radiation from the sun, and this is particularly dangerous when the sun is very active and explosions are occurring on its surface. The second, less harmful form comes from the so-called Van Allen Belts. These are two areas of radiation about 1,500 miles away from the earth. Neither of these forms of radiation is a danger to us on the earth, since we are protected by our atmosphere. Specifically, it is that part of our atmosphere known as the ozonosphere which protects us. This is a belt of the chemical ozone between 12 and 21 miles from

the ground, which absorbs all the radiation. Once outside the atmosphere, however, man is no longer protected, and radiation can be harmful in a number of ways. A distinction must be drawn between the short- and long-term effects of radiation. The former are merely unpleasant, but just because an astronaut returning from a journey in space does not seem to have been greatly harmed, we cannot assume that he is safe. The long-term effects can be extremely serious, even leading to death.9 What was one of the main dangers man would meet in space?10 When is the sun radiation particularly dangerous to human beings?11 Why did the speaker say neither of these forms of radiation is a danger to us?

10．

A．Traffic accidents. B．Radiation. C．Train travel. D．Air crash.

正确答案：B

解析：原文提及“不久前人们认为在太空中会遭遇到严重的威胁，主要有辐射和流星撞击”.故B正确。

11．

A．When the sun is very active and explosions occur. B．When it is less than 1,500 miles away from the earth. C．When bad weather occurs more frequently. D．When there is less forest on the earth.

正确答案：A 解析：原文提及“太阳的辐射在太阳活跃时或在太阳表面有爆炸发生时尤其危险”。故A正确。

12．

A．They are too far away from the earth. B．Our skin is immune to the radiation. C．The ozonosphere protects us from it. D．The trees can absorb the radiation.

正确答案：C

解析：原文提及“由于地球上的我们被臭氧层保护着。这两种辐射对我们都不造成威胁”。故C正确。

听力原文： The most obvious difference between radio and television is that you listen and look at the television, but just listen to the radio. In this way, radio is more imaginative because it forces you to form pictures in your own mind rather than providing you with visual information, which is what television does. In addition, radio is more flexible than television, since you don’t have to be in the same room as

the radio set in order to listen to the programs, but you do have to be in the same room as a television in order to watch it. A radio is also far more portable than a television. You can listen to the radio while driving in the car, jogging or even just walking around. Although portable televisions do exist, you can’t really watch one while you are jogging, for example. One of the main advantages of radio, however, is that it offers the listener more immediate access to information. Most radio stations broadcast news reports at regular half-hour or hourly intervals, but television news is only broadcast a few times each day. Also, the variety of topics you get on the radio is much greater than that on television. Radio is more personal than television. Many radio programs are interactive in a way that television can never be. Listeners can call the radio station they are listening to and express their thoughts and opinions live on air. You can’t ring up a television station and express your opinions, can you?12 In what way does the speaker say radio is more imaginative?13 According to the speaker, what is one of the main advantages of radio?14 Why does the speaker say radio programs are more interactive than television?15 What does the passage mainly talk about?

13．

A．It forces one to form pictures in the mind. B．It provides many interesting programs. C．It teaches people how to imagine things. D．It shows vivid pictures to the listeners.

正确答案：A

解析：原文提及“广播更具想象力，因为它没有像电视一样直接提供画面。而是强追你在脑海里形成画面”。故A正确。

14．

A．It can improve one’s listening skills.

B．It gives immediate replies to the listeners. C．People can get more immediate information. D．People can listen to the programs for free.

正确答案：C

解析：原文提及“广播的一大优点却是它能让人更快地获取信息”。故C正确。

15．

A．People in radio programs are more active than in television. B．People can call the radio station and express opinions. C．Radio stations have more topics and fewer commercials. D．Radio stations always accept the opinions of listeners.

正确答案：B

解析：原文提及“广播听众能够给正直播的节目打电话表达想法和观点，而

电视节目做不到。”故B正确。

16．

A．The benefit of listening to radio programs. B．The main disadvantages of televisions.

C．The advantages of radio compared with television. D．The development of radio and television.

正确答案：C

解析：本文主要通过对比电视来讲广播的优点。故C正确。

Section C

听力原文： Thank you for coming to my talk this evening. It’s nice to see so many people in the audience. For those of you who don’t know very much about PS Camping, let me start by giving you some background information about the company. The company started twenty five years ago. It actually started as a retail chain selling camping equipment, and then twenty years ago, it bought a small number of campsites in the UK, and began offering camping holidays. The company grew rapidly and has been providing holidays in continental Europe for the last fifteen years. If you book a camping holiday with us, you’ll have a choice of over three hundred sites. In Italy we now have 64 sites that we either own, or have exclusive use of. France is where we have the majority of sites, and we currently have a project to expand into Switzerland. We also have a number of sites in Northern Spain, particularly in the mountainous region of Picos de Europa. We’ve upgraded all these Spanish sites, and improved them considerably from their original three-star rating. We believe our holidays offer superb facilities for the whole family. Parents who want their children to be fully occupied for all or part of the day can take advantage of our children’s activities. These are organized by our well-qualified and enthusiastic staff. Each day kicks off with a sports match, perhaps football, or volleyball, followed by an hour of drama for everyone. This may include singing or dancing, mime or other activities. In the afternoon, there’s a different art activity for each day of the week including a poster competition or model making. What’s more, our sites are truly child-friendly, and, with this in mind, we operate a no-noise rule in the evenings. Children’s evening activities usually finish at 9:30, or occasionally 10, and from 10:30 holiday-makers are expected to be quiet in the areas where there are tents. There are many advantages to choosing PS Camping. As a regular customer, you’ll be kept informed of special offers. And you can benefit from ten per cent off our holidays, or book a luxury tent for the price of a standard one. If you recommend our holidays to others and they book one, we’ll send you a thank-you present, which you can choose from a list of high-quality items.16 What do we know about PS Camping?17 Where does PS Camping have the most sites?18 What is the first activity of a day for children on holiday?19 What benefit can you get from PS Camping as a regular customer?

17．

A．It was set up as a wholesaler 25 years ago. B．It sold camping equipment originally. C．It began offering holidays 10 years ago. D．It has been providing holidays for 50 years.

正确答案：B

解析：录音说到PS Camping公司成立于25年前，当时是一个retail chain selling camping equipment(卖露营设备的零售连锁店)。B项意思与录音一致。

18．

A．In Italy. B．In Spain. C．In France.

D．In Switzerland.

正确答案：C 解析：录音提到，PS Camping在法国拥有the majority of sites(大部分的营地)。所以C项正确，most是the majority of的同义转换.

19．

A．A sports match. B．Singing or dancing. C．A poster completion. D．Model making.

正确答案：A 解析：参加PS Camping假日的小孩，每天都有丰富的活动，Each day kicks off with a sports match(每天都以某种运动比赛开始)。kick off在这里是“开始”的意思，也就是说小孩子们每天的第一项活动是某种运动比赛，如足球或排球比赛等，所以答案选A项。

20．

A．Be informed of latest holidays.

B．Get a 20% discount off the holidays. C．Book a luxury tent for a lower price. D．Get a high-quality thank-you present.

正确答案：C

解析：PS Camping的常客可以享有许多优惠，其中一项是用普通帐篷的价钱预定奢华帐篷，也就是用较低的价格就可以预定到奢华帐篷，与C项说法一致。

听力原文： Good morning, I am Ted Hunter. Today I am going to talk to you

about the possibility of ostrich farming. When you look at international restaurant menus and supermarkets they all tend to feature the same range of meats—beef, lamb, chicken, pork, that sort of thing. But people are always interested in something different and we’re now finding that farming can bring new types of meat to our tables. The kangaroo is one animal that’s now being farmed for its meat and eaten outside Australia, where it comes from. It looks and tastes rather like rabbit, though it’s slightly darker in color, but it is rather tough, so that’s a problem for some people. Crocodiles are also being farmed for their meat. This is rather like chicken, pale and tender, and it’s getting quite fashionable. Although it’s rather fatty, it makes a really tasty sandwich. Now a third type of meat becoming increasingly available, and the one that I think is by far the nicest of the three, is ostrich, which most people say has a similar taste and texture to beef. However, it’s much better for you than beef, as we’ll see later. Most people think of ostriches as wild animals, but in fact ostriches have been farmed in South Africa since around 1860. At first they were produced for their feathers. In Africa they were used for tribal ceremonial dresses and they were also exported to Europe and America where they were made into ladies’ fans and used for decorating hats. At the same time, some of the meat was used for biltong—the air-fried strips of meat popular in South Africa as a sort of fast food. However, recently there’s been more and more interest in the development of ostrich fanning in other parts of the world, and more people are recognizing its value as a food source. Ostrich meat is slightly higher in protein than beef—and much lower in fats and cholesterol. It tastes good too. A series of European taste tests found that 82% of people prefer ostrich to beef. Farmed ostriches don’t need African climates, and in fact ostrich farming is now becoming well established in other parts of the world. However, setting up an ostrich farm isn’t something to embark on lightly. Mature breeding birds are very expensive, so you need quite a bit of capital to begin with. Then the farmer needs special equipment such as incubator for the eggs. The young chicks are very dependent on human minders, and need a lot of attention from the people looking after them. In addition, ostriches can’t be intensively farmed—they need space and exercise.20 What do we learn about crocodile meat?21 What were ostrich feathers used for in Africa?22 What do we learn about ostrich farming?

21．

A．It tastes like rabbit. B．It’s tough to chew. C．It has quite a lot of fat. D．It’s dark in color.

正确答案：C

解析：录音说到鳄鱼肉rather fatty(含脂肪较多，比较油腻)。C项意思与之一致，has quite a lot of fat是rather fatty的同义转换。

22．

A．Making dresses. B．Decorating hats.

C．Making fans. D．Making fast food.

正确答案：A

解析：录音中间说到，在非洲，鸵鸟羽毛会被用来做部落的仪式服装。A项意思与录音表述一致。

23．

A．You need a lot of money to start the business. B．Young ostriches are very independent. C．Ostriches are always shut in cages.

D．Special equipment is not needed for the farming.

正确答案：A 解析：录音说到，鸵鸟养殖非常昂贵，需要quite a bit of capital to begin with(相当多的启动资金)。A项意思与录音表述一致。

听力原文： Well, good morning, everyone, it’s good to see you all here. Welcome to Smith House. Smith House as you may or may not know is one of the oldest residential colleges of the university. As you can see, the building you’re in now which contains this main lounge, the dining room, the recreation room, the kitchen and the offices was part of the original old house, built in the 1840s to be used by the family of George Smith. That’s of course how the house and college got their names. The original house was converted into a residential college for the university in 1940 and since then has continued to be added on to and modernized. You’ll notice when you receive your room allocation in a few minutes that your room number either begins with the letter N, S, or W like this one here. The first letter refers to the three wings of the college which come away from this main building. Of course the letters represent the three directions—in this case—north, south and west. Each wing has two floors, and so the next number you see is either one, or in this case, two, and this indicates which floor your room is on. The number after that is your individual room number. So it’s quite simple to find any room by going to the right wing, then floor, and then room number. There are only a few rules here at Smith House and we have these rules so that we can all live comfortably together. The most important rule is that there must be no noise after 9 pm. There is also no smoking in the rooms or anywhere inside the college but smoking is permitted on the balconies. All meals are served in the dining room. Meal times are listed in your orientation pack. Please read these carefully as meal times cannot be changed and if you arrive late I’m sorry to say you’ll just go hungry. If you’re unsure about things, each floor has an elected “floor senior” who is usually a student in their third or fourth year of study who’s been at Smith House for a while. The floor seniors will introduce themselves later today and answer any questions you have. But for now I’m going to hand you over to Peter who is going to give you the orientation packs and the keys. Thanks Peter.23 What do we learn about Smith House?24 What is the most important rule at

Smith House?25 What will the floor seniors do later that day?

24．

A．It was originally built in 1940s. B．It was used by the Smith family. C．It got its name from the builder. D．It has been built into a university.

正确答案：B

解析：录音说到，Smith House最初建好的时候是被George Smith一家使用的。这与B的表述一致。

25．

A．Smoking is permitted in the rooms. B．No noise is allowed after 9 pm.

C．Students can smoke on the balconies. D．There are fixed meal times.

正确答案：B

解析：录音中间说到，Smith House最重要的规定是晚上9点后不允许有噪音。B项符合录音表述。

26．

A．Give the students the orientation packs. B．Hand over the keys to the students. C．Answer the students’ questions.

D．Guide the students to the dining room.

正确答案：C

解析：录音提到，稍后the floor seniors会过来自我介绍并回答学生的问题，所以答案选C项。

Part III Reading Comprehension

Section A

The Internet and cell phones are bringing people together, not【C1】______us apart—at least, according to a new survey recently by the Pew Internet and American Life project. The research followed up a shocking 2006 study, which found that American social networks were rapidly【C2】______and that 25% of Americans reported that they had not one close friend or family member to rely on. In【C3】______, ‘Pew researchers found that just 6% of those surveyed reported having no intimate relationships. Unfortunately, the new study did confirm the other findings, showing that Americans today do have far fewer close relationships than they did as recently as 1985. According to both studies, the average social network shrunk by

one-third since 1985—and more people today are relying only on spouses or family members for emotional support. Intriguingly,【C4】______, Internet and cell phone use didn’t replace close【C5】______with more superficial contacts. Instead, people who most relied on these communication tools had a larger and more【C6】______group of close friends and family members. They were more likely to be close to someone of another race, for example. And,【C7】______to net opposers’ worries, Internet use didn’t replace involvement in local activities. In fact, bloggers and cell users are more likely to【C8】______to local organizations like youth groups and charities, not less so. Such【C9】______effects of the Internet are good news for public health. Studies have shown repeatedly that the number and quality of people’s relationships affects many aspects of well-being. The more connected people are, the healthier they tend to be. Consequently, the shrinkage in network size remains a serious cause for concern—but these results suggest that mobile and Internet communication are not【C10】______problematic and can even be part of the solution.A)surely E)however I)necessarily M)positiveB)compare F)ties J)contrast N)tearingC)single G)negative K)contrary O)diverseD)cutting H)belong L)contracting

27． 【C1】

正确答案：N

解析：空格处对应前面are bringing，所以需填入动词的现在分词形式。前半句讲到互联网和手机拉近了人们之间的距离，后面的not．．．应该是相反的意思，即分开。故选tearing。tear．．．apart“把……分开”是习惯用法，cutting则无此用法。

28． 【C2】

正确答案：L

解析：该空格位于系动词were后，故此处可能填入动词的现在分词或过去分词，或形容词。下半句讲到25％的美国人报告说他们没有一个可以依靠的亲密朋友或家人，根据修饰报告的形容词shocking“令人震惊的”，可推知美国的社交网络正在迅速“收缩”，故选contracting。

29． 【C3】

正确答案：J

解析：该空格位于介词in后，可判断此处可能填入动名词或名词。后半句讲到“皮尤”的研究人员发现只有6％的受访者报告说他们没有亲密的人际关系，而上句则说25%，这就说明两句话是相比较的关系，in contrast“相比之下”合适。compare一般不和in连用。

30． 【C4】

正确答案：E

解析：该空格是一个插入语，所以可推断应填入一个副词。上句话讲到社会网络自1985年以来平均萎缩了三分之一。本句说，有趣的是，互联网和手机的使用并没有使人们之间的密切______被泛泛之交所替代。可以看出两句话是转折的关系，故选however。

31． 【C5】

正确答案：F 解析：该空格位于形容词close和介词with中间，可以推断应填入一个名词。该句包含短语replace．．．with．．．“用……取代……”，说明这两者是相对的或者相反的，close和superficial意思相反，所以空格处要填入一个和contacts同义的名词，故选ties“联系”。

32． 【C6】

正确答案：O

解析：该空格位于副词more和名词group中间，可以判断此处可能填入一个形容词。根据后一句提到的，他们更可能接触其他民族或种族的人，所以选diverse“多种多样的”。

33． 【C7】

正确答案：K

解析：此句的前一分句作状语部分，可推断此处应该是连接to一个词组。这句话说。和网络反对者的担心______，互联网的使用并没有取代人们对本地活动的参与。网络反对者担心的肯定是互联网的消极影响，故选contrary(to)“相反”。

34． 【C8】

正确答案：H

解析：该空格位于are more likely to之后，说明要填入一个谓语动词原形。上句话说，互联网的使用并没有取代人们对本地活动的参与，这句进一步讲到博客和手机用户更可能——地方社团，空格处要填入一个表示“参加，加入”意思的动词，故选belong。

35． 【C9】

正确答案：M

解析：该空格位于such和名词effects中间，可推断此处应填入一个形容词。本句讲到，互联网的这种______影响对公众健康来说是件好事，既然是good news，说明应该是好的、积极的影响。故选positive。

36． 【C10】

正确答案：I 解析：该空格处并不缺句子成分，可以推断此处应填入一个副词。本句讲到，移动通信和互联网并不______有问题，甚至还可以解决部分问题。那就是说，他们本身并不一定有问题，故选necessarily。not necessarily表示“不一定”。surely一般位于not之后，表示“绝不可能”。

Section B

Life Begins at 100[A]This year, the number of pensioners in the UK exceeded the number of minors for the first time in history. That’s remarkable in its own right, but the real “population explosion” has been among the oldest of the old—the centenarians(百岁老人). In fact, this is the fastest-growing group in much of the developed world. In the UK, their numbers have increased by a factor of 60 since the early 20th century. And their ranks are set to swell even further, thanks to the ageing baby-boomer generation: by 2030 there will be about a million worldwide.[B]These trends raise social, ethical and economic dilemmas. Are medical advances artificially prolonging life with little regard for the quality of that life? Old age brings an increased risk of chronic disease and disability, and if growing numbers of elderly people become dependent on state or familial support, society faces soaring costs and commitments. This is the dark cloud outside the silver lining of increasing longevity(长寿). Yet researchers who study the oldest old have made a surprising discovery that presents a less bleak vision of the future than many anticipate.[C]It is becoming clear that people who break through the 90-plus barrier represent a physical elite, markedly different from the elderly who typically die younger than them. Far from gaining a longer burden of disability, their extra years are often healthy ones. They have a remarkable ability to live through, delay or entirely escape a host of diseases that kill off most of their peers. Supercentenari-ans—people aged 110 or over—are even better examples of ageing gracefully. “According to the statistical study, they basically didn’t exist in the 1970s or 80s,” says Craig Willcox of the Okinawa Centenarian Study in Japan. “They have some sort of genetic booster rocket and they seem to be functioning better for longer periods of time than centenarians.” The average supercentenarian had freely gone about their daily life until the age of 105 or so, some five to 10 years longer even than centenarians, who are themselves the physical equivalent of people eight to 10 years their junior. This isn’t just good news for the oldest old and for society in general: it also provides clues about how more of us might achieve a long and healthy old age.[D]One of the most comprehensive studies comes from Denmark. In 1998, Kaare Christensen at the University of Southern Denmark, in Odense, exploited the country’s exemplary registries to contact every single one of the 3,600 people born in 1905 who was still alive. Assessing their health over the subsequent decade, he found that the proportion of people who managed to remain independent throughout was constantly around one-third of the total: each individual risked becoming more infirm, but the unhealthiest ones passed away at earlier ages, leaving the strongest behind. In 2005, only 166 of the people in

Christensen’s sample were alive, but one-third of those were still entirely self-sufficient. This is good news from both personal and societal perspectives, for it means that exceptional longevity does not necessarily lead to exceptional levels of disability.[E]Christensen’s optimistic findings are echoed in studies all over the world. In the US, almost all of the 700-plus people recruited to the New England Centenarian Study since it began in 1994 had lived independently until the age of 90, and 40 per cent of supercentenarians in the study could still look after themselves. In the UK, Carol Brayne at the University of Cambridge studied 958 people aged over 90 and found that only one-quarter of them were living in institutions or nursing homes. Likewise, research in China reveals that before their deaths, centenarians and nonagenarians(九旬老人)spend fewer days ill than younger elderly groups, though the end comes quickly when it finally comes.[F]Not all of the oldest old survive by delaying illness or disability, though—many soldier through it. Jessica Evert of Ohio State University in Columbus examined the medical histories of over 400 centenarians. She found that those who achieve extreme longevity tend to fall into three categories. About 40 per cent were “delayers”, who avoided chronic diseases until after the age of 80. This “compression of illness”, where chronic illness and disability are squeezed into ever-shorter periods at the end of life, is a recent trend among ageing populations. Another 40 per cent were “survivors”, who suffered from chronic diseases before the age of 80 but lived longer to tell the tale. The final 20 per cent were “escapers”, who hit their century with no sign of the most common chronic diseases, including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, hypertension and stroke. Intriguingly, one-third of male centenarians were in this category, compared with only 15 per cent of women.[G]The “centenarian genome(基因组)” is a key resource in identifying longevity genes. Such genes have been found in abundance in other organisms. Unfortunately, it’s a different story in humans. While many candidate genes have been suggested to affect lifespan, very few have been consistently verified in multiple populations.[H]Until recently, the only exception was ApoE, and in particular a variant of this gene known as e4, which gives carriers a much higher than average risk of developing Alzheimer’s and heart disease. Across the world, this unfortunate version of ApoE is about half as common in centenarians as in younger adults. Last year, a second promising candidate emerged—a variant of a gene called FOX03A. At the University of Hawaii, a team led by Bradley Willcox, Craig’s identical twin, found that people who carried two copies of a particular form of the gene were almost three times as likely to make it to 100 than those without the variation, and also tended to start their journey into old age with better health and lower levels of stroke, heart disease and cancer. “There are so many false positives in this field that FOX03A is very exciting,” says Bradley Willcox.[I]FOX03A is involved in several signalling pathways that are conserved across animal species. It controls the insulin/IGF-1 pathway, which influences how our bodies process food. It also controls genes that protect cells from highly reactive oxygen radicals—molecules often thought to drive human ageing through the cumulative damage they work on DNA FOX03A could even protect against cancer by encouraging apoptosis(细胞凋亡), whereby compromised cells commit suicide. The variant of FOX03A associated

with longevity is much more prevalent in 100-year-olds even than in 95-year-olds, which clearly demonstrates the value of studying the centenarian genome.[J]So far the search for longevity genes in humans has been extremely difficult, but prospects brighten as genomic technologies become faster and there are more centenarians to study. Only a lucky few win the genetic lottery of longevity, but if we understand what sets them apart, we may be able to make the rest of us more like them by using lifestyle or therapeutic interventions to manipulate physiological pathways. Such medical advances will not only extend our lives, but also help us remain healthy and independent for as long as possible.

37． Centenarians’ dying days are fewer than younger elderly groups.

正确答案：E 解析：根据than younger elderly groups定位到E段最后一句。centenarians and nonagenarians spend fewer days ill than younger elderly groups表明，百岁老人和九旬老人在死亡之前，生病的日子比不那么老的人群要短。本题句子的dying days对应原文的days ill。

38． The centenarian genome is very helpful in finding longevity genes.

正确答案：G

解析：根据The centenarian genome和longevity genes定位到G段第1句。该句说，百岁老人基因组是辨识长寿基因的关键来源。本题句子的very helpful与原文的a key resource对应，finding对应identifying。

39． The centenarian is regarded as the fastest-growing group in Britain.

正确答案：A

解析：根据the centenarian、the fastest-growing group定位到A段。该段说，真正的人口爆炸是高龄长者一一百岁老人。这已成为多数发达国家增长最快的群体。本题句子的in Britain对应原文的In the UK。

40． According to an analysis, one fifth of centenarians didn’t develop any chronic illness even when they reached the age of 100.

正确答案：F

解析：根据chronic illness定位于F段。倒数第2句指出，有20％的老人活到百岁也未得过最普通的慢性病。本题的one fifth对应20％，chronic illness对应chronic diseases。

41． Exceptional longevity does not necessarily mean exceptional levels of disability.

正确答案：D

解析：根据Exceptional longevity does not necessarily和exceptional levels of disability定位到D段末句。该句说，特别长寿并不一定会导致大量的人丧失生活自理能力。本题句子的mean对应原文的lead to。

42． The growing numbers of elderly people become economic burdens to the society.

正确答案：B

解析：根据growing numbers of elderly people和society定位到B段第3句。该句首先提出一个自然现象，即老年人的患病风险较高，接着指出随着老年人数量的增长，社会要对其付出更多的资金和承担更多的责任。本题句子的economic burdens to the society对应原文的society faces soaring costs。

43． FOX03A influences how our bodies process food by controlling insulin pathway.

正确答案：I 解析：根据FOXO3A、influences how our bodies process food和insulin pathway定位到I段。FOX3A控制胰岛素路径，而胰岛素路径又影响着我们的身体如何处理食物。本题句子是对原文的同义转述。

44． People with two copies of FOX03A are more likely to be healthy in their old age.

正确答案：H

解析：根据two copies、FOXO3A和old age定位到H段。该段表明，携带两个FOXO3A副本的人要比一般人更可能活到一百岁，并且往往拥有更健康的晚年。本题句子概括了原文的意思。

45． According to the statistical study, the supercentenarians often lead a healthy life without chronic diseases.

正确答案：C 解析：根据According to the statistical study和supercentenarians定位到C段。该段说，许多百岁老人不但没有行动不便等负担，他们的晚年通常还很健康。他们有能力自理生活，而且不怎么受各种老年人疾病的侵扰。而超级百岁老人更是优雅变老的佳例，其身体能够在更长时期内保持更好的状态。本句是对原文的同义转述。

46． With faster genomic technologies and more centenarians, the prospects of searching for longevity genes become brighter.

正确答案：J

解析：根据faster、genomic technologies、more centenarians和prospects定位到J段第1句。目前人类长寿基因的搜索是非常困难的，但是随着基因组技术变快、有更多的百岁老人可研究，前景是光明的。本题句子的become brighter对应原文的brighten。

Section C

Both the Senate and House health care bills propose incentives to boost corporate wellness programs that aim to help employees stay healthier and to control a company’s insurance costs. But those programs were slowed down with the recent enactment(颁布)of a law that generally prohibits employers and insurers from asking workers about their family medical history. Workplace wellness programs are commonplace these days. More than half of employers offer smoking quitting or weight management programs, according to a 2009 survey by Aon Consulting. More than a third have on-site fitness centers. The first step in enrolling an employee in any wellness program is typically to ask him to complete a health risk assessment containing a dozen or more questions, including some about the employee’s family history of medical conditions. But the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 makes it illegal to discriminate on the basis of genetic information in health coverage. That means that health plans can’t use genetic information to make coverage decisions or set health insurance premiums. Insurers and other companies that implement new wellness programs for employers are no longer permitted to ask people about their genetics or family history in health risk assessments if the answers are tied to any sort of reward, like a premium discount. However, financial incentives—from cash bonuses to reduced premiums—are a popular tool to encourage employees to fill out health questionnaires and participate in wellness activities. Legislators had hoped to expand those incentives. The Senate health reform bill, for example, would permit employees who participate in wellness programs and who meet certain health targets to receive discounts of up to 50 percent on their health insurance premiums. Though employers may feel annoyed at the new restrictions, some experts say privacy considerations should come first. Wellness programs, they maintain, can be just as effective without knowing whether high blood pressure or heart disease runs in the family. Health care spending continues to climb, growing 5.7 percent last year, to $2.5 trillion, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced recently. Although public programs made up the bulk of the increase, private employers are desperate for ways to control rising their own health care costs. Wellness programs are one potential solution, so the new restrictions “were somewhat of a disappointment to employers,” said J.D. Piro, who leads the health law consulting group at benefits consultant Hewitt Associates. Still, he acknowledged, “You can certainly run an effective program in the absence of that information.” Patient advocates agree. Although family history is a critical part of a person’s disease risk profile, the actions promoted in wellness programs—quitting smoking, exercising, eating a healthy diet—are beneficial no matter what’s in your DNA.

47． An employee usually has to provide his family history of medical conditions when _____.

A．he is recruited into a company B．he applies for a wellness program C．he wants to control his insurance cost D．he claims compensation from insurance

正确答案：B

解析：该段开头的enrolling．．．in…暗含的意思是，员工得先提出加入健康计划，再由公司决定是否将其纳入健康计划。因此，本题应选B。

48． What is regarded as discriminative?

A．Relating the health risk assessment to health coverage. B．Providing a premium discount to an insured company. C．Asking employees about their genetics or family history. D．Requiring employees to complete a health risk assessment.

正确答案：A

解析：根据第4段可知，《遗传信息无歧视法案》将健康保险中的基因信息歧视视为违法行为。可以对员工进行健康风险评估，但不可以将评估结果作为决定保险项目和保费的依据，由此可见，本题应选A。

49． What is the legislators’ attitude towards the financial incentives encouraging employees to take part in wellness programs?

A．Cautious. B．Moderate. C．Appreciative. D．Condemning.

正确答案：C

解析：该句中的expand表明立法者对激励方案持“肯定”、“赞赏”的态度，因此，本题应选C(表示赞赏的)。

50． What may be the result of implementing the wellness programs? A．Public health care spending may increase. B．Private health care spending may increase. C．Public health care spending may be cut down. D．Private health care spending may be cut down.

正确答案：D

解析：第8段开头提到健康计划是one potential solution，是解决什么问题的solution呢?答案在上一段最后一句：私企雇主仍然急于寻找方法控制其保健成本的上涨，这表明健康计划能帮“私企雇主”降低保健支出，由此确定本题应选D，

而排除C。另外，相似的信息在文章第1句就已经提及了。

51． In the last paragraph, “that information” most probably refers to _____ A．health coverage B．one’s family history C．the financial incentives

D．one’s health risk assessment

正确答案：B 解析：根据该段最后一句提到的内容“虽然家族病史是一个人疾病风险的重要组成部分，但不管你的基因里面有什么，健康计划推广的活动仍然对健康有好处”，可以推断第1句中的that information应该是指family history等隐私。

Rainforests may store much less carbon than we thought. It could be time to dramatically revise our estimates following the discovery that apparently similar forests hold vastly different amounts of the stuff. The finding is important because there are plans for governments worldwide to compensate tropical countries for protecting their forests as “carbon sinks” to curb global warming. If carbon cannot be counted, then dollars cannot be disbursed(支付). Greg Asner of the Carnegie Institution for Science in Stanford, California, and colleagues say they used satellite mapping, laser probing of forest undergrowth from aircraft and local ground surveys across a large area of Peruvian rainforest to crack the problem of estimating how much carbon is locked up in forests. But the new technique has revealed a large, previously unknown variability in the density of carbon stored in apparently similar forests. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says that there should be about 587 million tonnes of carbon stored in the study area, 43,000 square kilometres of lowland forest in the Madre de Dios region of Peru. But after dividing the area into 40 million individual grid(格子)squares and estimating for each the carbon stored as well as the rate at which it is being fixed and released, Asner says the real figure is just 395 million tones, a third less. “What really surprised us was how carbon storage differed among forest types and the underlying geology,” says Asner. For instance, where the underlying rocks are younger, the soils and forests contain more carbon. “There has been no way to uncover these incredible patterns till now.” The study also reveals major carbon loss due to logging, farming, mining and road construction—even in areas still covered by forest. This “forest degradation” made up almost 50 per cent of all carbon lost from the forest. But the study also found substantial carbon accumulated through natural forest regrowth on abandoned land. Asner is now conducting similar studies elsewhere round the world, which he says can be used to police the United Nations’ proposed initiative on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries. This scheme would compensate countries that protect their forests to store carbon. It’s important that countries with large rainforests do this, because around 15 per cent of global carbon dioxide emissions come from tropical deforestation. Markku Kanninen, a forest scientist at the Center for International Forestry Research, a World

Bank-backed body based in Bogor, Indonesia, agrees: “This research shows the importance of improving our data on forest carbon. The IPCC global default values are not precise enough for national inventories.”

52． What is the result of the discovery that similar forests may hold different amounts of carbon?

A．Forests can’t be used as “carbon sinks”. B．Carbon can’t be stored in rainforest. C．Compensation can’t be distributed. D．Global warming can’t be curbed.

正确答案：C

解析：题干是第1段第2句提到的内容，根据该段第3、4句表明的因果关系可推断，第2句提到的“相似的森林吸收的碳量存在很大差异”造成的结果就是第4句提到的“补偿金也就无法支付”。因此，本题应选C。

53． What does Greg Asner think about the problem of determining how much carbon is stored in forests?

A．It has already been settled. B．It has caused much dispute. C．It is not as difficult as expected. D．It is unlikely to be solved soon.

正确答案：A

解析：该句中的they used…to crack the problem表明Greg Asner与其同事已解决了如何估算森林存储碳量的难题。因此，本题应选A。

54． What do we know about the “natural forest regrowth”? A．It is taken as a form of “forest degradation”. B．It is a measure against “forest degradation”. C．It results in great carbon loss. D．It helps lock up much carbon.

正确答案：D 解析：解答本题关键是理解该句中accumulate的意思。该段前两句提到造成碳流失的原因，末句中的But提示语义上的转折，因而accumulate应该与碳流失无关，相反应理解为lock up或者store的意思。因此，本题应选D，同时排除C。

55． According to the fifth paragraph, it’s important that countries with large rainforests should _____.

A．be provided with valid data on forest carbon

B．reduce carbon emission from stopping deforestation C．carry out the compensation scheme

D．conduct studies on carbon emission

正确答案：B

解析：要回答本题，必须找到第5段最后一句中this的所指。结合上一句内容可知，this指的应该是protect their forests to store carbon。在该段最后一句又提到，毁林导致二氧化碳排放增加。由此判断，停止毁林能够减少二氧化碳增加，本题应选B。

56． Markku Kanninen is most likely to agree that carbon stored in forests _____.

A．has been decreased lately B．has been increased lately C．has been underestimated D．has been overestimated

正确答案：D

解析：最后一段第1句表明Markku Kanninen认为碳汇数据有改善的必要，not precise说明碳汇数据一直以来不够准确，但到底数据是“过高”，还是“过低”呢?结合第1段首句就知道了，该句中的less…than we thought表明我们一直都高估了森林存储碳的能力。因此本题应选D。并排除C。

Part Ⅳ Translation

57． 几百年来，昆曲在表演(staging)的通俗性上经历了种种波折，然而从未有人怀疑过它在戏剧领域享有的最高(supreme)地位。昆曲在其他形式的传统戏剧的创立中发挥了指导性的作用，并产生了一批致力于昆曲的追随者(devotee)。昆曲陶冶了中国古代文人的性情，这方面的作用是无法低估的。近年来，随着中国人的思维观念和生活方式发生了迅速而巨大的变化，昆曲的生存问题面临着巨大的挑战。然而在这个相对不利的环境中，昆曲仍保持着它古老的传统。

正确答案： Kunqu has, for several centuries, undergone ups and downs in staging popularity, but its supreme status in the field of opera has never been challenged. It has played a guiding role in the creation of other forms of traditional opera, and generated a dedicated following of devotees. Its role in fostering the spirit of ancient Chinese men of letters cannot be underestimated. In recent years, with the rapid and dramatic change in concepts and lifestyles of the Chinese people, the survival of Kunqu has faced an enormous challenge. Within this relatively harsh environment, however, Kunqu has still been preserving its ancient tradition.

解析：1．“几百年来”可以处理为插入语for several centuries置于句中。2．“经历……波折”可用短语undergo ups and downs表示。3．“从未有人怀疑……的地位”在译文中可处理为“……的地位从未被怀疑过”的被动形式，译为its supreme status(in the field of opera)has never been challenged。4．“产生了”可用generate(发生，形成)。5．“陶冶”用动词foster(培养，养育)，也可用cultivate(培养，陶冶)。

6．“作用是无法低估的”在译文中处理成被动句式role…cannot be underestimated；用with the rapid…people 作状语，表示所伴随的状态。7．“在……环境中”用介词within；“保持……传统”可使用动词preserve。