2006-12-23 英语六级听力原文

2006-12-23 英语六级听力原文 短对话 1( W: Do you know why Mary has such a long face today? M: I don’t have the foggiest idea! She should be happy especially since she got a promotion yesterday. Q: What did the speakers mean? 2. M: Hi, Johanna! Are you interested in going to an Art Exhibition on Sunday? A friend of mine is showing some of her paintings there. It’s the opening night. Free drinks and food! W: Well, actually, I don’t have anything planned. It sounds kind of fun! Q: What did the man invite the woman to do on Sunday? 3. M: You did an excellent job in school! You were indeed a great student! Where did your drive come from? W: Academic achievements were important to my parents as immigrants. Education is where it all begins. My mother in particular tries to get me interested in school. Q: what do we learn about the woman from the conversation? 4. M: I hear the Sunflower Health Club on Third Street is good! W: Not right now! I used to go there. I thought it was great because it was real cheap. But the problem was it was always crowded. Sometimes, I had to wait to use the machines. Q: What does the woman say about the Sunflower health club? 5. W: Tom is very excited! Just yesterday he received his doctoral degree and in a few minutes he’ll be putting the ring on Sarah‘s finger. M: He’s really such a luck dog! Sarah is a lovely bride and tonight they are going to Hawaii on their honeymoon! Q: What do we learn from the conversation? 6. W: Your chemistry examination is over, isn’t it? Why do you still look so worried? M: I don’t know. It wasn’t that the questions were too hard, or they were too many of them. But I’m still feeling uneasy because the exam didn’t seem to have much to do with the course material. Q: What does the man mean? 7. W: Your wife told me that you eat out four or five times a week, I really envy you! M: Don’t envy me! It’s for business. In fact, I’m sick and tired of restaurant food! Sometimes, I just prefer a home-cooked meal. Q: Why does the man say he often eats out? 8. W: I was amazed when I heard Tony played piano so expertly! From the way he talked, I thought he was just starting his lessons. M: Oh, no! That’s the way he always talks! Q: What can we infer about Tony from the conversation? 9. M: What do you think of people suing McDonalds for making them fat? W: Well. Its food doesn’t make you fat. But eating too much of it does! How about chocolate and ice cream? Are they all responsible? It’s silly! Q: What does the woman think of the lawsuit against McDonalds? 10. M: I’m terribly sorry ma’am, but your flight has been cancelled. I won’t be able to put you on another one until tomorrow morning. W: Well, I certainly hope the airline’s going to put me up somewhere tonight. Q: What did the woman request the airline do? Passage one You have probably heard of the DuPont company, which was founded by a family of the same name. But do you know about the museum that one of the family members began? Henry Francis Du Pont was an heir to Delaware’s DuPont Company fortune. He was one of the first serious collectors of American decorative art objects: furniture, textiles, paintings and other objects made in United States between 1640 and 1840. American furniture and household objects had been considered inferior to those from Europe. But Du Pont helped develope a new appreciation for American decorative arts. He created a legendary show plays for these objects on his family estate just outside Wilmington, Delaware. In 1951, it was open to the public as the Henry Francis Du Pont Winterthur Museum. The museum assembled objects from Du Pont’s collection into 175 period rooms, each with examples of American antiques and decorative arts that followed a certain theme of period in early American history. For example, the Du Pont dining room has furniture dating from the late 18th and early 19th centuries. And because this was the time when the United States became a new nation, there’s a patriotic theme in the room. Another example is the Chinese parlor, which has furnishings that would reflect American’s fascination with Asian culture during the 18th century. In these period rooms, Du Pont believed he could tell the story of the early United States through furniture and other decorative arts. 11. What is Henry Francis Du Pont noted for? 12. What was the purpose of Du Pont’s efforts? 13. How were the objects on display arranged? Passage two According to David Grattle, a British language expert, the idea that English will become the world language is outdated. And people are more likely to switch between two or more languages for routine communication in the future. The share of the world’s population that speaks English as a native language is falling. Instead, English will play a growing role as a second language. A population speaking more than one language is already the case in much of the world and is becoming more common in the United States. Indeed, the census bureau reported last year that nearly one American in five speaks a language other than English at home, with Spanish taking the lead, followed by Chinese. Grattle works for British consulting and publishing business. He anticipates a world with the share of people who are native English speakers slips from 9% in the mid 1990s to 5% in 2050. Grattle says, “Up until 1995, English was the second most common native tongue in the world, trailing only Chinese. By 2050, Chinese will continue its predominance with Hindi Woodoo of India and Arabic climbing past English and Spanish nearly equal to it.” In contrast, an American language expert, David Harrison noted that the global share of English is much larger if you count second language speakers, and will continue to rise even as the proportion of native speakers declines. Harrison disputed listing Arabic in top three languages because varieties of Arabic spoken in such countries as Egypt and Morocco are mutually incomprehensible. 14. What does David Grattle say about the use of languages for daily communication in the future? 15. Why doesn’t David Harrison include Arabic as one of the top three languages? 16. What can we infer from the passage? Passage three There are about 1 million blind people in the United States. The largest and most influential organization of blind people in this country is the National Federation of the Blind. Its officials say the nation doesn’t have any colleges or universities that serve only blind students. They say the reason for this is that blind people must learn to live among people who can see. American colleges and universities do accept blind and visually impaired students, and they provide services to help these students succeed. For example, colleges find people who write down what the professor say in class and they provide technology that can help blind students with their work. However, experts say colleges can best help blind students by making it clear that the students should learn to help themselves. One blind American student named T recently made news because he graduated from medical school from the University of Wisconsin. He said technology was one of the reasons he succeeded. He used a computer that read into his earphone what he was typing. He also used a small printer that permitted him to write notes about his patients in the hospital. He did his undergraduate work at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. National Federation of the Blind officials say blind students from other nations do come to the United States to attend college. Some can even get financial aid. The Federation awards about 30 scholarships each year that have no citizenship requirement. 17. According to officials of the National Federation of the Blind, why are there no special colleges for blind students only? 18. According to experts how can colleges best help blind students? 19. What is one of the reasons given by T as a blind student for his success? 20. What can blind students from overseas do to study in America according to the National Federation of the Blind? 2007年6月六级听力原文 11、 W: Jim, you are on the net again! We are going to get off. It's time for the talk show! M: Just a minute dear! I'm looking at a new jewelry site. I want to make sure I get the right gift for mom's birthday. Q: What is the man doing right now? 12(W: I've never seen you have such confidence before in the exam! M: It's more than confidence! Right now I felt that if I got less than an A, it will be the fault of the exam itself. Q: What does the man mean? 13(W: Just look at this newspaper! Nothing but murder, death and war! Do you still believe people are basically good? M: Of course I do! But newspapers hardly ever report stories about peace and generosity. They are not news! Q: What do we learn from the conversation? 14(M: Tom must be joking when he said he plans to sell his shop and go to medical school. W: You are quite right! He's just kidding! He's also told me time and time again he wished to study for some profession instead of going into business. Q: What will Tom probably do according to the conversation? 15(W: I hear your boss has a real good impression of you, and he is thinking about giving you two more days off each month. M: I hope not. I'd rather get more work hours so I can get enough bucks to help out my two kids at college. Q: What does the man truly want? 16(M: I heard you took a trip to Mexico last month. How did you like it? W: Oh, I got sick and tired of the hotel and hotel food! So now I understand the thing: East, west, home's best! Q: What does the woman mean? 17(W: I m worried about Anna. She's really been depressed lately. All she does is staying in her room all day. M: That sounds serious! She'd better see a psychiatrist at the counseling centre. Q: What does the man suggest Anna do? 18(M: I could hardly recognize Sam after we got that new job! He's always in a suit and tie now. W: Yeah. He was never liked that in college. Back then, he went around in old T-shirts and jeans. Q: What does the speaker say about Sam? Conversation 1 M: Hi, Anne! Welcome back! How’s your trip to the States? W: Very busy. I had a lot of meetings, so, of course, I didn’t have much time to see New York. M: What a pity! Actually, I have a trip there myself next week. W: Do you? Then take my advice, do the well-being in the air program. It really works. M: Oh, I read about that in a magazine. You say it works? W: Yes, I did the program on the flight to the States, and when I arrived at New York, I didn’t have any problem, no jet lag at all. On the way back, I didn’t do it, and I felt terrible. M: You’re joking! W: Not at all, it really meant a lot of difference. M: Em. So what did you do? W: Well, I didn’t drink an alcohol or coffee, and I didn’t eat any meat or rich food. I drink a lot of water, and fresh juice, and I ate the noodles on the well- being menu. They’re lighter. They have fish, vegetables, and noodles, for example, and I did some of the exercises of the program. M: Exercises? On a plane? W: Yes. I didn’t do many, of course, there isn’t much space on a plane. M: How many passengers do the exercises? W: Not many. M: Then how much champagne did they drink? W: A lot! It was more popular than mineral water. M: So, basically, it’s a choice. Mineral water and exercises, or champagne and jet lag. W: That’s right! It’s a difficult choice. Questions 19 to 22 are based on the conversation you’ve just heard. 19. Why did the woman go to New York? 20. What does the woman say about the well-being in the air program? 21. What did the woman do to follow the well-being menu? 22. What did the woman say about other passengers? Conversation Two: W: Morning. Can I help you? M: Well, I’m not really sure. I’m just looking. W: I see. Well, there’s plenty to look at it again this year. I’m sure you have to walk miles to see each stand. M: That’s true. W: Er„, would you like a coffee? Come and sit down for a minute, no obligation. M: Well, that’s very kind of you, but„ W: Now, please. Is this the first year you’ve been to the fair, Mr„. M: Yes, Johnson, James Johnson. W: My name’s Susan Carter. Are you looking for anything in particular, or are you interested in computers in general? M: Well, actually, I have some specific jobs in mind. I own a small company, we’ve grown quite dramatically over the past 12 months, and we really need some technological help to enable us to keep on top of everything. W: What’s your line of business, Mr. Johnson? M: We’re a training consultancy. W: I see. And what do you mean “to keep on top”? M: The first thing is correspondence. We have a lot of standard letters and forms. So I suppose we need some kind of word processor. W: Right. Well, that’s no problem. But it may be possible for you to get a system that does a lot of other things in addition to word processing. What might suit you is the MR5000. That’s it over there! It’s IBM compatible. M: What about the price? W: Well, the MR5000 costs 1,050 pounds. Software comes free with the hardware. M: Well, I’ll think about it. Thank you. W: Here’s my card. Please feel free to contact me. Questions 23 to 25 are based on the conversation you’ve just heard: 23. Where did the conversation take place? 24. What are the speakers talking about? 25. What is the man’s line of business? Passage P1 The new year always brings with the cultural tradition of new possibilities. We see it as a chance for renewal. We begin to dream of new possible selves. We design our ideal self or an image that is quite different from what we are now. For some of us, we roll at dreamy film in our heads just because it’s the beginning of a new year. But we aren’t serious about making changes. We just make some half-hearted resolution and it evaporates after a week or two. The experience makes us feel less successful and leads us to discount our ability to change in the future. It’ not the change is impossible but that it won't lost unless our resolutions are supported with plans for implementation. We have to make our intentions manageable by detailing the specific steps that will carry us to our goal. Say your goal is to lose weight by dieting and cutting off sweets. But one night you just have to have a cookie. And you know there’s a bag of your favorites in the cupboard. You want one, you eat two, you check the bag and find out you’ve just shot 132 calories. You say to yourself, “What the hell!” and polish off the whole bag. Then you begin to draw all kinds of unpleasant conclusions about yourself. To protect your sense of self, you begin to discount the goal. You may think – “Well, dieting wasn’t that important to me and I won’t make it anyhow.” So you abandon the goal and return to your bad habits. 26 What do people usually wish to do at the beginning of a new year? 27 How can people turn their new year’s resolutions into reality? 28 Why does the speaker mention the example of sweets and cookies? P2 25 years ago, Ray Anderson, a single parent with a one-year-old son witnessed a terrible accident which took place when the driver of a truck ran a red light and collided with the car of Sandra (?). The impact of the collision killed Sandra instantly. But her three-month-old daughter was left trapped in the burning car. While others looked on in horror, Andersen jumped out of his vehicle and crawled into the car through the shadowed rear window to try to free the infant. Seconds later, the car was enclosed in flames. But to everyone’s amazement, Andersen was able to pull the baby to safety. While the baby was all right, Andersen was seriously injured. Two days later he died. But his heroic act was published widely in the media. His son was soon adopted by relatives. The most remarkable part of the story unfolded only last week. Karen and her boyfriend Michael were looking through some old boxes when they came across some old newspaper clippings. “This is me when I was a new born baby. I was rescued from a burning car. But my mother died in the accident,” explained Karen. Although Michael knew Karen’s mother had died years earlier, he never fully understood the circumstances until he skimmed over the newspaper article. To Karen’ s surprise, Michael was absorbed in the details of the accident. And he began to cry uncontrollably. Then he revealed that the man that pulled Karen from the flames was the father he never knew. The two embraced and shed many tears, recounting stories told to them about their parents. 29 What happened twenty-five years ago? 30 What does the speaker say about Michael’s father? 31 Why did Michael cry uncontrollably when he skimmed over the newspaper article? P3 Americans suffer from an overdose of work. Regardless of who they are or what they do. Americans spend more time at work than that any time since World War II. In 1950, the US had fewer working hours than any other industrialized country. Today, it exceeds every country but Japan where industrialized employees load 2155 hours a year compared with 1951 in the US and 1603 in the former West Germany. Between 1969 and 1989, employed Americans add an average of 138 hours to their yearly work schedules. The workweek has remained above 40 hours. But people are working more weeks each year. Specifically pay time off holidays, vacations, sick leave shrank by 50% in the 1980s. As corporations have experienced stiff competitions and slow in growth of productivity, they have pressed employees to work longer. Cost-cutting lay-offs in the 1980s reduce the professional and managerial runs, leaving fewer people to get the job done. In lower paid occupations where wages have been reduced, workers have added hours in overtime or extra jobs to preserve their living standards. The government estimates that more than 7 million people hold a second job. For the first time, large numbers of people say they want to cut back on working hours even it means earning less money. But most employers are unwilling to let them do so. The government which has stepped back from its traditional role as a regulator of work time should take steps to make shorter hours possible. Question 32-35 are based on the passage you’ve just heard 32. In which country do industrial employees work the longest hours? 33. How do employed Americans manage to work more hours? 34. Why do corporations press their employees to work longer hours according to the speaker? 35. What does the speaker say many Americans prefer to do? Compound dictation Nursing, as a typically female profession, must deal constantly with the false impression that nurses are there to wait on the physician. As nurses, we are licensed to provide nursing care only. We do not have any legal or moral obligation to any physician. We provide health teaching, assess physical as well as emotional problems, coordinate patient related services, and make all our nursing decisions based upon what is best or suitable for the patient. If in any circumstance we feel that a physician's order is inappropriate or unsafe, we have a legal responsibility to question that order, or refuse to carry it out. Nursing is not a nine-to-five job with every weekend off. All nurses are aware of that before they enter the profession. The emotional and physical stress, however, that occurs due to odd working hours is a prime reason for a large of the career dissatisfaction. It is sometimes required that we work overtime, and that we change shifts four or five times a month. That disturbs our personal lives, destruct our sleeping and eating habits, and isolates us from everything except job related friends and activities. The quality of nursing care is being affected dramatically by these situations. Most hospitals are now staffed by new graduates, as experienced nurses finally give up trying to change the system. Consumers of medically related services have evidently not been affected enough yet to demand changes in our medical system. But if trends continue as predicted, they will find that most critical hospital care will be provided by new, inexperienced, and sometimes inadequately trained nurses. 2007年12月六级英语考试原文 短对话 11 M:The biological project is now in trouble, you know, my colleague and I have completely different ideas about how to proceed. W:Why don’t you compromise? Try to make it a win-win situation for you both. Q:What does the woman suggest the man do? 12 M:How does Nancy like the new dress she bought in Rome? W:She said she would never have bought an Italian style dress if she had known Mary had already got such a dress. Q:What do we learn from the conversation? 13 M:You are not going to do all those dishes before we leave, are you? If we don’t pick up George and Martha in 25 minutes we will never get to the theater on time. W:Oh, didn’t I tell you, Martha called to say her daughter was ill and they could not go tonight Q:What is the woman probably going to do first? 14M :You’ve been hanging on to the phone for quite a while, who were you talking with? W:Oh, it was Sally, you know, she always has the latest news in town and can’t wait to talk it over with me. Q:What do we learn about Sally from the conversation? 15W:It has always been hard to get this car into first gear, and now the clutch seems to be slipping. M:If you leave the car with me, I will fix it for you this afternoon. Q:Who is the woman probably speaking to? 16M:Kate, why does the downtown area look deserted now? W:Well, there used to be some really good stores, but lots of them moved out to the mall. Q:What do we learn from the conversation? 17W :I found the lounge such a cozy place to study in. I really like the feeling in sitting on the sofa and doing the reading. M: Well, for me the hardest part about studying here is staying awake. Q:What does the man mean? 18W: These mosquitoes bite are killing me. I can’t help scratching. M: Next time you go camping, take some precaution, say wearing long sleeves Q: Why does the man suggest the woman wear long sleeves? 2007年12月六级英语考试长对话原文 Conversation One: M: Hello, and welcome to our program, “Working Abroad”. Our guest this evening is a Londoner, who lives and works in Italy. Her name’s Susan Hill. Susan, welcome to the program. You live in Florence, how long have you been living there? W: Since 1982. But when I went there in 1982, I planned to stay for only 6 months. M: Why did you change your mind? W: Well, I’m a designer, I design leather goods, mainly shoes, and handbags. Soon after I arrived in Florence, I got a job with one of Italy’s top fashion houses, Ferregamo. So, I decided to stay. M: How lucky! Do you still work for Ferregamo? W: No, I’ve been a freelance designer for quite a long time now. Since 1988, in fact. M: So does that mean you design for several different companies now? W: Yes, that’s right. I’ve designed many fashion items for a number of Italian companies, and during last four years, I’ve also been designing for the British company, Burberry’s. M: What have you been designing for them? W: Mostly handbags, and small leather goods. M: Has the fashion industry in Italy changed since 1982? W: Oh, yes. It’s become a lot more competitive. Because of quality of products from other countries has improved a lot. But it’s high quality and design is still world-famous. M: And do you ever think of returning to live in England? W: No, not really. Working in Italy is more interesting. I also love the Mediterranean sun and the Italian life style. M: Well, thank you for talking to us, Susan. W: It was a pleasure. 19. Where does this talk most probably take place? 20. What was the woman’s original plan when she went to Florence? 21. What has the woman been doing for a living since 1988? 22. What do we learn about the change in Italy’s fashion industry? Long conversation 2 M: So, Claire, you’re into drama! W: Yes, I have a master’s degree in drama and theatre. At the moment, I’m hoping to get onto a Ph.D program. M: What excites you about drama? W: Well, I find it’s a communicative way to study peopleand you learn how to read people in drama. So usually I can understand what people are saying even though they might be lying. M: That would be useful. W: Yeah, it’s very useful for me as well. I’m in English lecture, so use a lot of drama in my classes such as role plays. And I ask my students to create mini- dramas. They really respond well. At the moment, I’m hoping to get onto a Ph.D course. I’d like to concentrate on Asian drama and try to bring Asian theatre to the world’s attention. I don’t know how successful I would be, but, here’s hoping. M: Oh, I’m sure you’ll be successful. Now, Claire, what do you do for stage fright? W: Ah, stage fright! Well, many actors have that problem. I get stage fright every time I’m going to teach a new class. The night before, I usually can’t sleep. M: What? For teaching? W: Yes. I get really bad stage fright. But the minute I step into the classroom or get onto the stage, it just all falls into place. Then I just feel like: Yeah, this is what I mean to do. And I’m fine. M: Wow, that’s cool! 23. Why does the woman find study in drama and theatre useful? 24. How did the woman’s students respond to her way of teaching English? 25. What does the woman say about her stage fright? 2007年12月六级英语考试段子题原文 Passage 1 In January 1989, the Community of European Railways presented their proposal for a high speed pan-European train network extending from Sweden to Sicily,and from Portugal to Poland by the year 2020. If their proposal becomes a reality, it will revolutionize train travel in Europe. Journeys between major cities will take half the time they take today. Brussels will be only one and a half hours from Paris. The quickest way to get from Paris to Frankfurt, from Barcelona to Madrid will be by train, not plane. When the network is complete, it will integrate three types of railway line: totally new high speed lines with trains operating at speeds of 300 kilometers per hour, upgraded lines which allow for speeds up to 200 to 225 kilometers per hour,and existing lines for local connections and distribution of freight. If businesspeople can choose between a three-hour train journey from city-center to city-center and a one-hour flight, they’ll choose the train, says an executive travel consultant. They won’t go by plane any more. If you calculate flight time, check-inand travel to-and-from the airport, you’ll find almost no difference. And if your plane arrives late due to bad weather or air traffic jams or strikes, then the train passengers will arrive at their destination first. Since France introduced the first 260-kilometer-per-hour high speed train service between Parisand Lyons in 1981, the trains have achieved higher and higher speeds. On many routes, airlines have lost up to 90% of their passengers to high speed trains. If people accept the Community of European Railways’ plan, the 21 century will be the new age of the train. 26. What is the proposal presented by the Community of European Railways? 27. What will happen when the proposal becomes a reality? 28. Why will business people prefer a three-hour train journey to a one-hour flight? 29. When did France introduce the first high speed train service? Passage 2 Western doctors are beginning to understand what traditional healers have always known that the body and the mind are inseparable. Until recently, modern urban physicians heal the body, psychiatrist the mind, and priests the soul. However, the medical world is now paying more attention to holistic medicine which is an approach based on the belief that people state of mind can make them sick or speed their recovery from sickness. Several study show that the effectiveness of a certain drug often depends on the patient’s expectations of it. For example, in one recent study, psychiatrist and a major hospital tried to see how patients could be made calm. They divided them into two groups. One group was given a drug while the other group received a harmless substance instead of medicine without their knowledge. Surprisingly, more patients in the second group showed the desired effect than those in the first group. In study after study, there’s a positive reaction in almost one-third of the patients taking harmless substances. How was this possible? How can such a substance have an effect on the body? Evidence from a 1997 study at the University of California shows that several patients who received such substances were able to produce their own natural drug, that is, as they took the substance their brains released natural chemicals that act like a drug. Scientists theorized that the amount of these chemicals released by a person’s brain quite possibly indicates how much faith the person has in his or her doctor. Questions 30 to 32 are based on the passage you’ve just heard: 30. According to the speaker, what are western doctors beginning to understand? 31. What does the recent study at a major hospital seem to prove? 32. What evidence does the 1997 study at the University of California produce? Passage 3 So we’ve already talked a bit about the growth of extreme sports like rock-climbing. As psychologists, we need to ask ourselves: Why is this person doing this? Why do people take these risks and put themselves in danger when they don’t have to? One common trait among risk-takers is that they enjoy strong feelings or sensations. We call this trait sensation-seeking. A sensation-seeker is someone who’s always looking for new sensations. What else do we know about sensation-seekers? Well, as I said, sensation-seekers like strong emotions. You can see this trait in many parts of a person’s life, not just in extreme sports. For example, many sensation-seekers enjoy hard rock music. They like the loud sound and strong emotion of the songs. Similarly, sensation-seekers enjoy frightening horror movies. They like the feeling of being scaredand horrified while watching the movie. This feeling is even stronger for extreme sports where the person faces real danger. Sensation-seekers feel the danger is very exciting. In addition, sensation-seekers like new experiences that force them to push their personal limits. For them, repeating the same things everyday is boring. Many sensation-seekers choose jobs that involve risk, such as starting a new business or being an emergency room doctor. These jobs are different everyday, so they never know what will happen. That’s why many sensation-seekers also like extreme sports. When you do rock-climbing, you never know what will happen. The activity is always new and different. Questions 33 to 35 are based on the passage you’ve just heard: 33. According to the speaker, what is a common trait among risk-takers? 34. What do sensation-seekers find boring? 35. What is the speaker’s profession? 2007年12月六级英语考试复合式听写原文 If you are like most people, you’ve indulged in fake listening many times. You go to history class, sit in the 3rd row, and look squarely at the instructor as she speaks. But your mind is far away, floating in the clouds of pleasant daydreams. Occasionally you come back to earth. The instructor writes an important term on the chalkboard, and you dutifully copy it in your notebook. Every once in a while the instructor makes a witty remark, causing others in the class to laugh. You smile politely, pretending that you’ve heard the remark and found it mildly humorous. You have a vague sense of guilt that you aren’t paying close attention. But you tell yourself that any material you miss can be picked up from a friend’s notes. Besides, the instructor’s talking about road construction in ancient Rome, and nothing could be more boring. So back you go into your private little world, only later do you realize you’ ve missed important information for a test. Fake listening may be easily exposed, since many speakers are sensitive to facial cuesand can tell if you’re merely pretending to listen. Your blank expression, and the faraway look in your eyes are the cues that betray you inattentiveness. Even if you are not exposed there’s another reason to avoid fakery. It’s easy for this behavior to become a habit. For some people, the habit is so deeply rooted that they automatically start daydreaming when a speaker begins talking on something complex or uninteresting. As a result, they miss lots of valuable information 2008年6月英语六级听力原文 Section A 11. M: Good news, I’m not going to have surgery after all. The doctor says I can start working out again soon and maybe play football like before in a few weeks. W: That’s terrific. It would be great if you could get back in shape in time for the World Cup. Q: What do we learn from the conversation? 12. M: I really need to make some extra money. You know I’ve practically spent my entire budget for this semester. W: Why not check out the new cafeteria at Market Street? I think there are still a few openings suitable for seniors like you. Q: What does the woman suggest the man do? 13. M: I hear John left his cat in your care while he’s on vacation abroad. How are you getting along with it? W: Well, it never comes when I call it. It spills its food and sheds all over the place. I can’t wait till John gets back. Q: How does the woman find the cat? 14. W: Hello, Professor White, I got my grade in the mail this morning, but I think there might be a mistake in my mark. M: Yeah, I’ve got several calls just like yours. There must be a problem with the computing system. It should be straightened out in a couple of hours. Q: What does the man mean? 15. M: Professor Johnson, last night when I was putting the finishing touches on my paper, a computer failure completely wiped out my files, do you think I can have another day to retype it? W: I’m sorry, Rod. I’m leaving for a conference tomorrow and I’ll be away two weeks. I suppose you could send me an E-copy. Q: Why does the man say he can’t submit his assignment on time? 16. W: I just called the travel agency, it’s all set. On June l st, we are heading for the mountains and will be camping there for a whole week. M: Have you checked the academic calendar? My classes aren’t over until the 8th. Q: What does the man imply? 17. W: I thought there was still time for me to apply for a student loan. But someone just told me that the closing date was last Tuesday. M: Are you sure? I thought we still had another month. Wait, I’ve got a brochure right here. Last Tuesday was the opening date. Q: What does the man imply? 18. W: Look at all the pollutants going into the air from those factories. Do you think they’ll ever get that under control? M: Now with the new laws in effect and social awareness increasing, we are sure to turn things around. Q: What does the man mean? Conversation One W: Tell me, Peter, what makes Harrods so famous? M: Well, it’s the biggest department store in the UK. And its food hall and the Egyptian hall are very famous. People come to Harrods just to see them. W: What is special about the food hall? M: It sells many different kinds of food. For example, it has 250 kinds of cheese from all over the world and more than 180 kinds of bread. Customers also love all the different kinds of chocolate. They buy a hundred tons every year. W: That’s amazing! And why is the Egyptian hall so famous? M: Well, when people see it, they feel they are in another world. It looks like in Egyptian building from 4,000 years ago. And it sells beautiful objects. They are not 4,000 years old, of course. W: Is it true that Harrods produces its own electricity? M: Yes, it does.70%, enough for a small town. To light the outside of the building, we use 11,500 light bulbs. W: Really? Tell me, how many customers do you have on an average day? And how much do they spend? M: About 30,000 people come on an average day. But during the sales, the number increases to 300,000 customers a day. How much do they spent? Well, on average, customers spend about 1.5 million pounds a day. The record for one day is nine million pounds. W: Nine million pounds in one day? M: Yes, on the first day of the January sales. W: Harrods says it sells everything to everybody, everywhere. Is that really true? M: Oh, yes. of course! Absolutely everything! 19. What is the food hall of Harrods noted for? 20. What does the Egyptian hall seem like to the customers? 21. What may customers find surprising about Harrods? 22. About how many customers come to Harrods on an average day? Conversation Two W: Hi Kevin! M: Hi Laura, long time no see! What have you been up to lately? W: Not much. I can assure you. And you? M: Much the same except I do have some big news. W: Come on. This suspense is killing me. M: No, really, what have you been doing these past few weeks? The last time I saw you, you were looking for a new job. W: Well, that’s not exactly true. I was thinking about changing jobs. Luckily, they offered me a new position in the accounting department. M: A step up in the big business world. W: I wouldn’t exaggerate, but I am pleased. I had been hoping to get a promotion for a while. So when it finally came through, I was relieved. Actually, that’s why I was looking for a new job. I just didn’t want to work there anymore if they weren’t going to recognize my efforts. M: Right, sometimes you can do your best and it seems like the others don’t know you exist. I hope the money’s better. W: I got a reasonable raise, now enough about me. I’m dying to hear your news. M: I am getting married. W: No, you said you’d never get married. M: That was then and this is now. You’ve got to meet Andrea, she’s great! W: This is all news to me. I didn’t even know you were dating. M: We weren’t. We’ve just been dating for two weeks now. W: And you getting married? M: I know. I can’t help it. I just know she’s the one. W: Well, congratulations! That’s fantastic! M: Thanks, I’m glad to hear you feel way. 23. What was the woman doing when the man last saw her? 24. Why does the woman say she was relieved? 25. Why is the woman surprised at the man’s news? Section B Passage One Water scooters are water vehicles that look very much like motorcycles. Nowadays, speedy, colorful water scooters are gaining in popularity. They can travel anywhere a small boat can and particularly popular with young people. The rising popularity of the craft has raised the question of water scooter regulation. In this case, the argument for strict regulation is compelling. Water scooters are a particularly deadly form of water recreation. For example, two women were vacationing in Longboat Key while they were floating on the rubber boat along the shore, a water scooter crashed into them and kill them. Also water scooter operators have been killed or seriously injured in collisions with other water craft. Others have been stranded at the sea when their scooters either failed or sank far from shore. Many water scooter operators are inexperienced and ignorant of navigational rules, which increase the potential for accidents. The increasing popularity of the scooter has aggravated the problem, providing more water vehicles to compete for the same space. Crowded water waves are simply an open invitation to disaster. In addition to the inherent operational hazards of water scooters, they are proving to be an environmental nuisance. Beach residents complain of the noise of the scooters. The Pacific Whale Foundation on the west coast expressed concern that the scooters are frightening away an endangered species of whale that migrates to Hawaii for breeding. Regulations such as minimum operating age, restricted operating areas and compulsory classes in water safety are essential. Without such regulations, tragedies involving water scooters are sure to multiply, which makes many beaches unsafe for recreation. 26. What does the speaker say about water scooters? 27. What is mentioned as one of the causes of water accidents? 28. In what way are water scooters said to be an environmental nuisance? 29. What does the speaker propose to ensure the safety of beaches for recreation? Passage Two It seems to me that neighbors are going out of style in America. The friend nest door from whom you borrowed for eggs or a ladder has moved and the people in there now are strangers. Some of the traditional stories of neighborliness are impractical or silly and maybe just as well that our relations with our neighbors are changing. The saying in the Bible “Love thy neighbor” was probably a poor translation of what must have originally been, “respect thy neighbor”. Love can be called up on order. Fewer than half the people in the United States live in the same house they lived in five years ago. So there is no reason to love the people who live next door to you, just because they happen to wander into a real estate office that listed the place next door to yours. The only thing neighbors have in common, to begin with, is proximity and unless something more develops that isn’t reason enough to be best friends. It sometimes happens naturally, but the chances are very small that your neighbors will be your choices friends or that you will be theirs, either. The best relationship with neighbors is one of friendly distance. You say “hello”, use small talk if you see them in the yard, you discuss problems as they arise and you help each other in an emergency. The drive way or the fence between you is not really a cold shoulder but a clear boundary. We all like clearly-defined boundaries for ourselves. 30. What does the speaker say about the relations among neighbors nowadays? 31. Why does speaker say it may be difficult for people to love their neighbors? 32. What should neighbors do in the speaker’s opinion? Passage Three Articles in magazines and newspapers and special reports on radio and television reflect the concern of many Americans about the increasing drop-out rate in our junior and senior high schools. Coupled with this fact is the warning that soon we will no longer have a work force to fill the many jobs that require properly educated personnel. The high student drop-out rate is not a recent development. Ten years ago, many urban schools were reporting drop-out rates between 35 and 50 percent. Some administrators maintain that drop-outs remain the single greatest problem in their schools. Consequently, much effort has been spent on identifying students with problems in order to give them more attention before they become failures. Since the drop-out problem doesn’t start in senior high school, special programs in junior high school focus on students who show promise but have a record of truancy—that is staying away from school without permission. Under the guidance of counselors, these students are placed in classes with teachers who have had success in working with similar young people. Strategies to motivate students in a high school include rewarding academic excellence by designating scholars of the month, or by issuing articles of clothing, such as school letter jackets formerly given only to athletes. No one working with these students claims to know how to keep all students in school. Counselors, teachers and administrators are in the frontlines of what seems at times to be a losing battle. Actually, this problem should be everyone’s concern since uneducated, unemployed citizens affect us all. 33. Why are many Americans concerned with the increasing drop-out rate in school? 34. What do we learn about the student drop-out problem in America? 35. What is mentioned as one of the strategies used to motivate students? Section C I’m interested in the criminal justice system of our country. It seems to me that something has to be done, if we’re to survive as a country. I certainly don’t know what the answers to our problems are. Things certainly get complicated in a hurry when you get into them, but I wonder if something couldn’t be done to deal with some of these problems. One thing I’m concerned about is our practice of putting offenders in jail who haven’t harmed anyone. Why not work out some system whereby they can pay back the debts they owe society instead of incurring another debt by going to prison and, of course, coming under the influence of course, coming under the influence of hardened criminals. I’m also concerned about he short prison sentences people are serving for serious crimes. Of course one alternative to this is to restore capital pu8nishment, but I’m not sure I would be for that. I’m not sure it’s right to take an eye . The alternative to capital punishment is longer sentences but they would certainly cost the tax-payers much money. I also think we must do something about the insanity plea. In my opinion, anyone who takes another person’s life intentionally is insane; however, that does not mean that the person isn’t guilty of the crime or that he shouldn’t pay society the debt he owes. It’ s sad, of course, that a person may have to spend the rest of his life, or a large part of it in prison for acts that he committed while not in full control of his mind. 2008年12月六级听力原文 11(M: I’m asked to pick up the guest speaker Bob Russel at the airport this afternoon, do you know what he looks like? W: Well, he’s in his sixties, he stands out, he’s bald, tall and thin and has a beard. Q: What do we conclude from the woman’s remarks about Bob Russel? 12. W: I’m considering dropping my dancing class. I’m not making any progress M: If I were you, I’d stick with it. It's definitely worth time and effort. Q: What does the man suggest the woman do? 13. W: You see I still have this pain in my back, this medicine the doctor gave me was supposed to make me feel better by now. M: Maybe you should’ve taken it three times a day as you were told. Q: What do we learn from the conversation? 14. M: Frankly, when I sat at the back of the classroom, I can’t see the words on the board clearly. W: Well, you’ve been wearing those same glasses as long as I’ve known you. Why not get a new pair, it won’t cost you too much. Q: What does the woman imply about the man’s glasses? 15. W: How come the floor is so wet? I almost slipped, what happened? M: Oh, sorry! The phone rang the moment I got into the shower, anyway, I’ll wipe it up right now. Q: Why was the floor wet according to the man? 16. M: The instructions on the package say that you need to some assembly yourself. I’ve spent all afternoon trying in vain to put this bookcase together, W: I know what you mean, last time I tried to assemble a toy train for my son and I almost gave up. Q: What does the man find difficult? 17. M: I’m getting worried about Jenny’s school work. All she talks about these days is volleyball games and all she does is practice, training and things like that. W: Her grades on the coming exams will fall for sure. It’s high time we talk(ed) some sense to her. Q: What are the speakers probably going to do? 18. W: Do you understand why the local people are opposed to the new dam up the river? M: They are worried about the potential danger if the dam should break. The river is very wide above the proposed site. Q: What do we learn from the conversation? 2008年12月六级听力长对话1原文 ----------------------------------- Longer conversations W: Mr. White, What changes have you seen in the champagne market in the last ten to fifteen years? M: well , the biggest change has been the decrease in sales since the great boom years in 1980s when champagne production and sales reached record levels. W: Which was the best year? M: Well, the record was in 1989 when 249 million bottles of champagne was sold. The highest production level was reached in 1990 with a total of 293 million bottles. Of course since those boom years , sales have fallen. W: Has the marker been badly hit by the recession? M: Oh, certainly. The economic problems in champagne's export ? markets that's Europe , the United States ,Japan, and of course , the domestic market in France. The economic problems have certainly been one reason for the decrease in champagne sales. W:And the other reasons? M:Another important factor has been price. In the early 90s, champagne was very overpriced, so many people stopped buying it. Instead, they bought sparkling wines from other countries, in particular, from Australia, and Spain. And then, there was another problem for champagne in early 90s. W: What was that? M: There was a lot of rather bad champagne on the market. This meant the popularity of good sparkling wines increased even more. People were surprised by their quality, and of course they were a lot cheaper than champagne. W: Do you think the champagne market will recover in the future? M: Oh, I am sure it will. When the economic situation improves, I believe the market will recover. Q19: What does the man say about champagne in 1990s? Q20: Why sparkling wine more popular than champagne in early 1990s? Q21: What dose the man think of the champagne market in the future? 2008年12月六级听力长对话2原文 ---------------------------------- W: Right, well, in the studio this morning, for our interview spot is Peter Wilson. Peter works for Green Peace. So, Peter, welcome. M: Thanks a lot. It's good to be here. W: Great! Now, Peter, perhaps you can tell us something about Green Peace and your job there. M: Sure. Well, I'll start by telling you roughly what Green Peace is all about. I actually work in London for the Green Peace organization. We've been going for a few decades and we're a non-violent, non-political organization. We're involved in anti-nuclear activity, conservation and protection of animals and protection and support of our eco-system. I'm the action organizer and arrange any protests. W: Right! A pretty important role, Peter. What sort of protest would you organize? M: Well, recently we've been involved in anti-nuclear campaigns. I, personally arranged for the demonstration against radioactive waste dumping in the Atlantic Ocean. We've got a few small Green Peace boats that we harass the dumping ship with. W: Say? Hold on, Peter. I thought you said your organization was non-violent. What do you mean by "harass"? M: Well, we circle round and round the ships and get in the way when they try to dump the drums of nuclear waste in the sea. We talk to the men and try to change, you know, yell at them to stop. We generally make ourselves as much of a nuisance as possible. M: Well, people may think differently of your methods, but there's no doubt you're doing a great job. Keep it up and good luck. And thanks for talking with us. W: Thanks for having me. Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard. 22. What is the man's chief responsibility in the Green Peace organization? 23. What has Green Peace been involved in recently? 24. How does Green Peace try to stop people from dumping nuclear waste? 25. What is the woman's attitude towards the Green Peace's campaigns? ---------------- 2008年12月六级听力短文 Passage One: To find out what the weather is going to be, most people go straight to the radio, television, or newspaper, to get an expert weather forecast. But if you know what to look for, you can use your own senses to make weather predictions. There're many science that can help you. For example, in fair weather, the air pressure is generally high, the air is still, and often full of dust. And far away objects may look vague. But when a storm is blowing, the pressure drops, and you are often able to see things more clearly. Sailors took note of this long ago, and came up with a saying:" The farther the sight, the nearer the rain." Your sense of smell can also help you detect weather changes. Just before it rains, odors become stronger. This is because odors are repressed in a fair high pressure center. When a bad weather low moves in, air pressure lessens, and odors are released. You can also hear an approaching storm. Sounds bounce off heavy storm clouds and return to earth with increased force. An old saying describes to this way:" Sound traveling far and wide, a stormy day will be tied." And don't laugh at your grandmother if she says she can feel a storm coming. It is commonly known that many people feel pains in their bones or joints when humidity rises. The pressure drops, and bad weather is on the way. 26. Why does the speaker say we can see far away objects more clearly as a storm is approaching? 27. What does the speaker want to show by quoting a couple of old sayings? 28. What does the passage mainly talk about? 2008年12月六级听力Passage Two: Many days seem to bring numerous tasks and responsibilities. All of which apparently must be tackled right away. You spend a day putting out files, but by the end of the day, you haven't accomplished any of the really important things you set out to do. In desperation, you draft a "to-do" list, but most days, you can make little progress with it. When you look at the list each morning, a big fat cloud of doom is right at the top. Those difficult, complex, important tasks, that are so crucial to get done, and so easy to avoid. Plenty of us create a "to-do" list to address feelings of being overwhelmed, but we rarely use these tools to their best effect. They wind out being guilt-provoking reminders of the fact that will over-committed and losing control of our priorities. According to T.P, a professor of psychology at Carlton University in Ottawa, people often draw up a "to-do" list, and then that's it. The list itself becomes the day's achievement, allowing us to feel we've done something useful without taking on any real work. In fact, drawing up the list becomes a way of avoiding the work itself. Too often, the list is seen as the accomplishment for the day, reducing the immediate guilt of not working on the tasks at hand by investing energy in the list, says P. When a list is used like this, it's simply another way in which we lie to ourselves. 29. What is the problem that troubles many people nowadays according to the speaker? 30. According to the speaker, what too many people do to cope with their daily tasks? 31. According to psychologist T.P, what do people find by the end of the day? 2008年12月六级听力Passage 3 In many stressful situations, the body's responses can improve our performance. We become more energetic, more alert, better able to take effective action. But when stress is encountered continually, the body's reactions are more likely to be harmful than helpful to us. The continual speeding up of bodily reactions and production of stress related hormones seem to make people more susceptible to heart disease. And stress reactions can reduce the disease fighting effectiveness of the body's immune system, thereby increasing susceptibility to illnesses ranging from colds to cancer. Stress may also contribute to disease in less direct ways by influencing moods and behavior. People under stress may become anxious or depressed, and as a result may eat too much or too little, have sleep difficulties or fail to exercise. These behavioral changes may in turn be harmful to the health. In addition, people are more likely to pay attention to certain bodily sensations such as aches and pains when they are under stress and to think that they're sick. If the person were not under stress, the same bodily sensations might not be perceived as symptoms and the person might continue to feel well. Some researchers have suggested that assuming the role of a sick person is one way in which certain people try to cope with stress. Instead of dealing with the stressful situation directly, these people fall sick. After all, it is often more acceptably in our society to be sick and to seek medical help than it is to admit that one can not cope with the stresses of life. 32. What does the speaker say about people who encounter stress once in a while? 33. What does the speaker say frequent stress reactions may lead to? 34. What are people more likely to do when they are under stress? 35. What does the passage mainly talk about? 2008年12月六级听力复合式听写 One of the most common images of an advanced, Western-style culture is that of a busy, traffic-filled city. Since their first (36) appearance on American roadways, automobiles have become a (37) symbol of progress, a source of thousands of jobs and an almost inalienable right for citizens’ personal freedom of movement. In recent (38) decades, our “love affair” with the car is being (39) exported directly to the developing world, and it is increasingly (40) apparent that this transfer is leading to disaster.American’s almost complete dependence on automobiles has been a terrible mistake. As late as the 1950s, a large (41) percentage of the American public used mass transit. A (42) combination of public policy decisions and corporate scheming saw to it that countless (43) convenient and efficient urban streetcar and intra-city rail systems were dismantled. (44) Our air quality now suffers from the effects of pollutants emitted directly from our cars. Our lives have been planned along a road grid -- homes far from work, shopping far from everything, with ugly stretches of concrete and blacktop in between.Developing countries are copying Western-style transportation systems down to the last detail. (45) The problems caused by motorized vehicles in the West are often magnified in developing nations. Pollution control measures are either not strict or nonexistent, leading to choking clouds of smog. Gasoline still contains lead, which is extremely poisonous to humans. (46) Movement in some cities comes to a virtual standstill as motorized traffic competes with bicycles and pedestrians.In addition to pollution and traffic jams, auto safety is a critical issue in developing nations. 2009年6月六级听力原文 短对话 11. W: I forgot to tell you that Fred called last night to borrow your sleeping bag. M: Oh, I saw him at the gym this morning, but he didn’t say anything. So he must have asked somebody else. Q: What does the man imply? 12. W: These summer days are getting to be more than I can take. It was even too hot to go to the pool yesterday. M: Hang in there. According to the weather report we should have some relief by the end of the week. Q: What does the man mean? 13. W: Well, tonight we have Professor Brown in our studio to talk about the famous oil painting of Queen Victoria. Good evening, professor. M: Good evening, madam, my pleasure to be here tonight. Q: What is the woman doing? 14. M: The plants next to the window always look brown. You wouldn’t know by looking at them that I water them every week. W: Maybe they don’t like direct sunlight. I had the same problem with some of my plants. And a little shade helps them immensely. Q: What does the woman imply? 15. M: I’m really exhausted, Mary. But I don’t want to miss the Hollywood movie that comes on at 11. W: If I were you, I’d skip it. We both have to get up early tomorrow. And anyway I’ve heard it’ s not as exciting as advertised. Q: What does the woman suggest the man do? 16. M: Those modern sculptures over there are really weird. Don’t you think so? W:Well, I couldn’t stand them either at first. But now I’ve come to like modern art, particularly those sculptures carved by Italian artists. Q: What does the woman mean? 17. M: I’m really glad our club decided to raise money for the children’s hospital. And most of the people we phoned seemed happy to contribute. W: Yeah! I agree. Now that we’ve gone through all the numbers on our list, I guess we can call it a day. Q: What do we learn about the speakers? 18. M: Have you heard of Professor Smith? I’m thinking of taking an advanced engineering course with him. What do you think? W: Yeah! You really should. He’s published dozens of books so far, once been recommended as a textbook for postgraduates. Q: What does the woman imply? 长对话 Long conversation one W: You’re the editor of Public Eye. What kind of topics does your program cover? M: Well, there are essentially domestic stories. We don’t cover international stories. We don’t cover party politics or economics. We do issues of general social concern to our British audience. They can be anything from the future of the health service to the way the environment is going downhill. W: How do you choose the topic? Do you choose one because it’s what the public wants to know about or because it’s what you feel the public ought to know about? M: I think it’s a mixture of both. Sometimes you have a strong feeling that something is important and you want to see it examined and you want to contribute to a public debate. Sometimes people come to you with things they are worried about and they can be quite small things. They can be a story about corruption in local government, something they cannot quite understand, why it doesn’t seem to be working out properly, like they are not having their litter collected properly or the dustbins emptied. W: How do you know that you’ve got a really successful program? One that is just right for the time? M: I think you get a sense about it after working in it in a number of years. You know which stories are going to get the attention. They are going to be published just the point when the public are concerned about that. Q19-21 19. What kind of topics does Public Eye cover? 20. How does Public Eye choose its topics? 21. What factor plays an important role in running a successful program? Passage 1 Getting behind the wheel of a car can be an exciting new step in a teen’s life. But along with that excitement comes a new responsibility---understanding the need for common sense and maturity to avoid accidents. In an effort to spread awareness to teens across the nation, the Allstate Foundation sponsored a Keep-The-Drive Summit at Sunset Station on January 23rd. Students from Kennedy and Alamo Heights High schools participated in the summit which was held here for the first time. The goal of the year-long effort is to educate teens on the rules of safe driving and the severe consequences that can result if those rules are not followed, and then have them communicate that information to their peers. The students watched videos that told them about the numbers of teenage driving injuries and deaths. They listen to the videos as students from other cities share their stories of how their reckless driving affected not only their lives but also those of their passengers. “We are trying to create awareness in high schools across the countries,” said Westerman, an Allstate representative, “we focus on changing how teens think behind the wheel. ” According to the presentation, more teens die in automobile crashes in the United States each year than from drugs, violence, smoking and suicide. An average of 16 teens die every day in motor vehicle crashes and nearly forty percent of those are caused by speeding. Texas is the state with the most teen driving deaths according to the presentation. Students agreed that the statistics were amazing and made them think twice about how they drive. Questions 26 to 28 are based on the question you have just heard. Q26. For what purpose did the Allstate Foundation sponsor the Keep-The-Drive Summit? Q27. What causes the greatest number of deaths among American teens according to the presentation? Q28. What can we conclude about the Keep-The-Drive Summit? Passage 2 Dr. Allen Hersh designs smells for businesses. He says that it doesn’t take a whole lot of smell to affect you. Store owners can lure you to the candy aisle, even if you don’t realize your are smelling candy. This idea scares a lot of people. Groups that protect the rights of shoppers are upset. They say the stores are using a kind of brainwashing which they call “smell-washing”. “It’s pretty dishonest,” says Mark Silbergeld. He runs an organization that checks out products for consumers. The scientists hired to design the scents disagree. “There’s soft background music. There’s special lighting. There’re all sorts of bells being used,” says Dr. Hersh, “why not smells?” “One reason why not,” says Silbergeld, “is that some people are allergic to certain scents pumped into products or stores.” But there is a whole other side to this debate, “do the smells really work?” So far, there is little proof one way or the other. But Dr. Hersh has run some interesting experiments. In one of Hersh’s experiments, 31 volunteers were led into a shoe store that smells slightly like flowers. Later, another group shopped in the same store, but with no flower odor. Dr. Hersh found that 84% of the shoppers were more likely to buy the shoes in the flower-scented room, but Hersh found out something even stranger. “Whether the volunteers like the flower scent or not didn’t matter,” Hersh says, “Some reported that they hated the smell, but they still were more likely to buy the shoes in the scented room.” Questions 29 to 31 are based on the passage you’ve just heard. Q29. Why are some people against the use of smells to attract customers? Q30. What is Dr. Hersh’s attitude to the use of smells for business? Q31. What did Hersh’s experiment show? Passage 3 This is Ray McCarthy with the news. Reports are coming in of a major train crash in Japan. A passenger train carrying hundreds of workers home from the center of Tokyo is reported to have hit an oncoming goods train. Both were traveling at high speed. Figures are not yet available but it is believed that the death toll could be as high as 300, with hundreds more injured. Emergency and rescue services rushed to the scene. But our reporter says it will take days to clear the track and to establish the numbers of the dead and injured. There was a similar accident on the same stretch of track four years ago. There was another bomb scare in a large London store last night during late night shopping. Following a telephone call to the police from an anonymous caller, hundreds of shoppers were shepherded out of the store while roads in the area were sealed off. Police dogs spent hours searching the store for a bag which the caller claimed contained 50 pounds of explosives. Nothing was found and the store was given the all-clear by opening time this morning. A police spokesman said that this was the third bomb scare within a week and that we should all be on our guard. And finally, the motoring organizations have issued a warning to drivers following the recent falls of snow in many parts of the country. Although the falls may be slight, they say extra care is needed. Questions 32 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard. Q32: What accident happened recently in Japan? Q33: What do the reports say about the recent accident in Japan? Q34: Why did people have to leave the London store last night? Q35: What did motoring organizations advise drivers to do? 长文章 English is the leading international language. In different countries around the globe English is acquired as the mother tongue; in others it is used as a second language. Some nations use English as their official language, performing the function of administration; in others it is used as an international language for business, commerce and industry. What factors and forces have led to the spread of English? Why is English now considered to be so prestigious that, across the globe, individuals and societies feel disadvantaged if they do not have competence in this language? How has English changed through 1,500 years? These are some of the questions that you investigate when you study English. You also examine the immense variability of English and come to understand how it is used as a symbol of both individual identity and social connection. You develop in-depth knowledge of the intricate structure of the language. Why do some non-native speakers of English claim that it is a difficult language to learn, while infants born into English-speaking communities acquire their language before they learn to use forks and knives? At the university of Sussex, you are introduced to the nature and grammar of English in all its aspects. This involves the study of sound structures, the formation of words, the sequencing of words and the construction of meaning, as well as examination of the theories explaining these aspects of English usage. You are encouraged to develop your own individual responses to various practical and theoretical issues, which are raised by studying how speakers and writers employ English for a wide variety of purposes. 2009年12月六级听力原文 Section A 11.W: Did you use credit cards on your vacation last month in Europe? M: Sure I did. They certainly beat going around with a wallet full of big bills. But carrying lots of cash is still very common among some older people traveling abroad. Q: What does the man say about some elderly people? 12.W: Rod must be in a bad mood today. What’s wrong with him? M: He was passed over in the selection process for the dean of the admissions office. He’d been hoping for the position for a long time. Q: What does the man mean? 13.M: What a great singer Justin is! His concert is just awesome. And you’ll never regret the money you paid for the ticket. W: Yeah. Judging by the amount of the applause, everyone was enjoying it. Q: What does the woman mean? 14.W: I received an email yesterday from Henry. Do you remember? He was one of the chairpersons of our students union. M: Yes, but I haven’t heard from him for ages. Actually I’ve been out of touch with him since our first reunion after graduation. Q: What do we learn about the speakers? 15.M: Driving at night always makes me tired. Let’s stop for dinner. W: Fine. And let’s find a motel, so that we can get an early start tomorrow. Q: What will the speakers probably do? 16.W: Let’s look at the survey on consumer confidence we conducted last week. How reliable are these figures? M: They have a 5% margin of error Q: What are the speakers talking about? 17.W: Look at this catalogue, John. I think I want to get this red blouse. M: Err, I think you’ve already one like this in blue. Do you need every color in the rainbow? Q: What does the man mean? 18.W: This notice says that all the introductory marketing classes are closed. M: That can’t be true. There’s supposed to be 13 of them this semester. Q: What does the man mean? Conversation One M: I see on your resume that you worked as a manager of a store called “Computer Country”. Could you tell me a little more about your responsibilities there? W: Sure. I was responsible for overseeing about 30 employees. I did all of the ordering for the store, and I kept track of the inventory. M: What was the most difficult part of your job? W: Probably handling angry customers. We didn’t have them very often, but when we did, I needed to make sure they were well taken care of. After all, the customer is always right. M: That’s how we feel here too. How long did you work there? W: I was there for three and a half years. I left the company last month. M: And why did you leave? W: My husband has been transferred to Boston. And I understand your company has an opening there too. M: Yes, that’s right. We do. But the position won’t start until early next month. Would that be a problem for you? W: No, not at all. My husband’s new job doesn’t begin for a few weeks. So we thought we would spend some time driving to Boston and stop to see my parents. M: That sounds nice. So tell me, why are you interested in this particular position? W: I know that your company has a great reputation, and a wonderful product. I’ve thought many times that I would like to be a part of it. When I heard about the opening in Boston, I jumped to the opportunity. M: Well I’m glad you did. 19. What was the woman’s previous job? 20. What does the woman say was the most difficult part of her job? 21. Why is the woman looking for a job in Boston? 22. When can the woman start to work if she gets the job? Conversation Two W: Today in the studio we have Alberto Cortez, the well-known Brazilian advocate of the anti-global movement. He’s here to talk about the recent report, stating that by 2050 Brazil will be the one ot the word’s wealthiest and most successful countries. Alberto, what do you say to the report? M: You know this isn’t the first time that people are saying Brazil will be a great economic power. The same thing was said over a hundred year ago. But it didn’ t happen. W: Yes, but you must admit the world’s a very different place now. M: Of course. In fact I believe there’s maybe some truth in the prediction this time around. First of all, though, we must remember the problems facing Brazil at the moment. W: Such as„? M: There’s an enormous gap between the rich and the poor in this country. In Sal Paulo, you can see shopping malls full of designer goods right next door to the slam areas without proper water and electricity supplies. A lot of work needs to be done to help people in those areas improve their lives. W: What needs to be done? M: Education, for example. For Brazil to be successful, we need to offer education to all Brazilians. Successful countries like South Korea and Singapore have excellent education systems. Brazil needs to learn from these countries. W: So you are hopeful for the future. M: As I said earlier, I’m hopeful. This isn’t an easy job. We need to make sure that these important opportunities for Brazil aren’t wasted, as they were in the past. 23. What does the recent report say about Brazil? 24. What problem does Alberto say Brazil faces now? 25. What does Alberto say about economically successful countries? Section B Passage One Wilma Subra had no intention of becoming a public speaker. After graduating from college with degrees in chemistry and microbiology, she went to work at Gulf South Research Institute in Louisiana. As part of her job, she conducted field research on toxic substances in the environment, often in minority communities located near large industrial polluters. She found many families were being exposed high, sometimes deadly, levels of chemicals and other toxic substances, but she was not allowed to make her information public. Frustrated by these restrictions, Subra left her job in 1981, created her own company, and has devoted the past two decades to helping people fight back against giant industrial polluters. She works with families and community groups to conduct environmental tests, interpret test results, and organize for change. Because of her efforts, dozens of toxic sites across the country have been cleaned up, and one chemical industry spokesperson calls her “a top gun for the environmental movement.” How has Wilma Subra achieved all this? Partly through her scientific training, partly through her commitment to environmental justice. But just as important is her ability to communicate with people through public speaking. “Public speaking,” she says, “is the primary vehicle I use for reaching people.” If you had asked Subra before 1981, “Do you see yourself as a major public speaker?” She would have laughed at the idea. Yet today she gives more than 100 presentations a year. Along the way she has lectured at Harvard, testified before Congress, and addressed audiences in 40 states, as well as in Mexico, Canada, and Japan. 26. What did Wilma Subra do as part of her job while working at Gulf South Research Institute 27. What did Wilma Subra leave her job in 1981? 28. What results have Wilma Subra’s efforts had in the part two decades? 29. What does the speaker say has contributed to Wilma Subra’s success? Passage 2 One of the biggest challenges facing employers and educators today is the rapid advance of globalization. The market place is no longer national or regional, but extends to all corners of the world. And this requires a global ready workforce. Universities have a large part to play in preparing students for the 21st century labor market by promoting international educational experiences. The most obvious way universities can help develop global workforce is by encouraging students to study abroad as part of their course. Students who have experienced another culture first hand are more likely to be global ready when they graduate. Global workforce development doesn’t always have to involve travel abroad however. If students learn another language and study other cultures, they will be more global ready when they graduate. It is important to point out that students also need to have a deep understanding of their own culture before they can begin to observe, analyze and evaluate other cultures. In multi-cultural societies, people can study each other’s cultures, to develop intercultural competencies, such as critical and reflective thinking, and intellectual flexibility. This can be done both through the curriculum and through activities on campus, outside of the classroom, such as art exhibitions, and lectures from international experts. Many universities are already embracing this challenge, and providing opportunities for students to become global citizens. Students themselves, however, may not realize that when they graduate, they will be competing in a global labor market, and universities need to raise awareness of these issues amongst undergraduates. Questions 30-32 Q30: What is one of the biggest challenges facing employers and educators today? Q31: What should students do first before they can really understand other cultures? Q32: What should college students realize according to the speaker? Passage 3 To see if hair color affects a person’s chances of getting a job, researchers at California State University asked 136 college students to review the resume and photograph of a female applicant for a job as an accountant. Each student was given the same resume. But the applicant’s picture was altered, so that in some photos her hair was golden, in some red and in some brown. The result? With brown hair, the woman was rated more capable, and she was offered a higher salary than when she had golden or red hair. Other studies have found similar results. Many respondents rate women with golden hair with less intelligent than other people, and red heads as more temperamental. Women with red or golden hair are victims of the common practice of stereotyping. A stereotype is a simplistic or exaggerated image that humans carrying in their minds about groups of people. For example, lawyers are shrewd and dishonest is a popular stereotype. Stereotyping can occur in public speaking classes. When trying to choose a speech topic, some males think that women are uninterested in how to repair cars, while some females think that men are uninterested in creative hobbies, such as knitting ??忼妛?塒??版权所有沪江网??塒? 妛忼??and needle point. We should reject stereotypes, because they force all people in a group into the same simple pattern. They fail to account for individual differences, and the wide range of characteristics among members of any group. Some lawyers are dishonest, yes! But many are not. Some women are uninterested in repairing cars, yes! But some are enthusiastic mechanics. Questions 33-35 Q33: What did researchers at California State University find? Q34: What is the popular stereotype of lawyers? Q35: Why does the speaker say we should reject stereotypes? Section C The ancient Greeks developed basic memory systems called mnemonics. The name is derived from their Goddess of memory "Mnemosyne". In the ancient world, a trained memory was an immense asset, particularly in public life. There were no convenient devices for taking notes, and early Greek orators delivered long speeches with great accuracy because they learned the speeches using mnemonic systems. The Greeks discovered that human memory is largely an associative process that it works by linking things together. For example, think of an apple. The instant your brain registers the word "apple", it recalls the shape, color, taste, smell and texture of that fruit. All these things are associated in your memory with the word "apple". This means that any thought about a certain subject will often bring up more memories that are related to it. An example could be when you think about a lecture you have had. This could trigger a memory about what you're talking about through that lecture, which can then trigger another memory. Associations do not have to be logical. They just have to make a good link. An example given on a website I was looking at follows, "Do you remember the shape of Austria? Canada? Belgium? Or Germany? Probably not. What about Italy though? If you remember the shape of Italy, it is because you have been told at some time that Italy is shaped like a boot. You made an association with something already known, the shape of a boot. And Italy shape could not be forgotten once you had made the association." th something already known, the shape of a boot. And Italy shape could not be forgotten once you had made the association."