英語六級考試試題：聽力

　　Part I Writing范文

　　With the leaps and bounds in the development of IT technology, people come to face a virtual world filled with an excessive amount of information. Some people simply get lost in face of so much information online and so many views from all walks of life. When facing some problems in life, they tend to turn to the Internet for a way out. However, in my opinion, we should try our best to maintain our ability to think independently and to practice independent thinking as much as we could.

　　I have the following reasons to back up my support for independent thinking. Firstly, the ability of independent thinking will give a sense of direction when you face the huge virtual world. Secondly, independent thinking may provide you a new perspective to look at the events happening on the Internet, without following the crow blindly. Thirdly, independent thinking will help you to be a person as you are, instead of following others’ steps and becoming an ordinary person in the end.

　　Therefore, we can’t do without any skills at independent thinking, either in personal life or at the workplace. Instead, we should do something to enhance our awareness in maintaining the ability of independent thinking. Also, intentionally keeping away from the virtual world and giving ourselves time for deep thinking might help a lot. Only in this way can we stay what we are and achieve what we really desire.

　　Part II Listening Comprehension原文

　　Section A

　　Directions: In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each conversation, you will hear some questions. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.

　　Conversation One

　　M: At some point in our career, you’re likely to find a co-worker’s habits annoying because, well, we’re human. And it’s very tricky.

　　W: That’s inevitable. You know, there’s always such a person around you at work.

　　M: So, that’s a commonly seen problem happening in our life. But, how can we deal with such a person?

　　W: I think, first, you need to figure out how to live with the problem if you can. If you can’t, try confronting the person. If that still doesn’t work, you can approach your boss with the issue.

　　M: I must say, it takes much courage and time to confront a colleague like that. I will be the last one to confront him.

　　W: Yes, that’s right. So, before you decide to meet him directly, you’re advised to wait until you’re calm. If you find yourself irrationally angry at something a co-worker is doing, that’s not the time to confront him. Wait until you’re calmed down and have a clear mind.

　　M: Anyway, that’s the last method I will turn to.

　　W: Well, I agree with you on that. Surely, there’re many other ways to deal with an annoying colleague.

　　M: Please tell me. I want to know more about that. This really matters our feeling about our job, our career, even our whole life.

　　W: Ok, firstly, take the high road. It only matters what you should do.

　　M: What does it mean, “take the high road”?

　　W: It means, you should be extremely polite to the person no matter what he says or how annoying he is.

　　M: Why bother? Do we suddenly stop to believe in “eye for eye, tooth for tooth”?

　　W: If you engage, you’re only making the problem worse. Plus, maybe you could get into an argument with the person who gets you in trouble with your boss.

　　M: I understand now. Ok, maybe I should take your advice.

　　W: Secondly, you are supposed to ignore the problem, and to lay aside the argument, and blame it on the fact that you have work to do.

　　M: I’m afraid, it’s hard to ignore the problem.

　　W: Then, it’ll be easier if you blame it on work. If you need to ask a co-worker to turn down a song, you could blame it on the fact that you need to make a phone call……

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

　　1. What are the two speakers talking about?

　　2. What’s the woman’s first suggestion for dealing with an annoying co-worker?

　　3. What’s the meaning of “take the high road”?

　　4. What’s the man advised to do when trying to persuade a co-worker to turn down a song?

　　Conversation Two

　　W: I meant to read the novel Gone with the Wind during the winter vacation. But, it seems hard for me to concentrate on my reading, so I just finished reading less than half the book. I feel like a failure.

　　M: Were you quite busy with other things in that period of time? Going to parties with your former classmates? Going shopping with your best friends?

　　W: Not much, actually. Most of the time, I just stayed at home by myself, without any idea of going out or reading something. My parents have to go out and work to support the family.

　　M: Now, I know what problem you have. You lack motivation to finish what you planned to do.

　　W: Motivation! That’s a big word. But, I truly feel unmotivated during the whole vacation.

　　M: Don’t worry too much. Everyone experiences lack of motivation from time to time, such as, staring at a stack of books not wanting to study, or seeing a pile of dishes in the kitchen not feeling like doing them. That’s not a big deal.

　　W: Yes, that’s exactly what I feel when I see the novel. You’re very kind to comfort me by saying so. But, I still feel guilty, not making good use of the time.

　　M: Now you see, you understand what your problem is. In fact, that’s the first step to make changes. Then, you can take one more step to improve. Once you choose to remind yourself of your goal in finishing the novel, you’ll have time to make it. Trust me.

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

　　5. What did the woman plan to do at the beginning of her vacation?

　　6. What happened to the woman during the winter vacation?

　　7. How did the man consider the lack of motivation?

　　8. What does the man advise the woman to do?

　　Section B

　　Directions: In this section, you will hear two passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.

　　Passage One

　　The city of Chicago is most widely recognized as the ‘Windy City’. The earliest known reference to the ‘Windy City’ was actually to Green Bay in 1856. The first known repeated effort to label Chicago with this nickname is from 1876.

　　Chicago has been called the ‘windy’ city, the term being used metaphorically to mean that people in Chicago tend to exaggerate things. The city gets this reputation, for the reason that as people got used to it they found most of her claims to be backed up by facts. But, it’s not the case anymore. When one tells a visitor almost anything about Chicago today, and the visitor chooses to believe it.

　　But in another sense Chicago is actually earning the title of the ‘windy’ city. It is one of the effects of the tall buildings which engineers and architects apparently did not foresee that the wind is sucked down into the streets. Walk past a talk building even though it may be perfectly calm elsewhere, and you will meet with a lively breeze at the base of the building that will compel you to put your hand to your hat.

　　An explanation for Chicago being a naturally breezy area is that it is on the shores of Lake Michigan. Chicago is believed by locals as a Summer Resort, and they proudly declare that people of this city are enjoying cool breezes from the lake, with frequent hints of the grass, flowers, wheat and corn of the prairies.

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

　　9. When did Chicago begin to be labeled as the windy city?

　　10. What’s mentioned of tall buildings in Chicago?

　　11. What does Lake Michigan bring to Chicago?

　　Passage Two

　　Street food vendors may be located outdoors or under a roof which is easily bought from the street. Urban population growth has stimulated a rise in the number of street food vendors in many cities throughout the world. People moving from rural areas to urban centres has created a daily need among many working people to eat outside the home as well. In addition, demand for relatively inexpensive, ready-to-eat food has increased as people, especially women, have less time to prepare meals.

　　However, there’re problems with street food. In some sense, regulations can make street food safer: Once policy-makers have decided that street foods are here to stay, there are numerous small ways to make life easier for both vendors and inspectors while ensuring that food is safer for the consumers. Fair licensing and inspections, combined with educational drives, are the best long-term measures to safeguard the public.

　　Customers and consumer organizations also have a role to play together with government authorities, vendors’ associations and scientists. Better consumer information and education regarding food hygiene can help authorities to take quick remedial action and preventive measures.

　　Also, the consumer’s needs should be taken into account when establishing policies and regulations. Low-income consumers can get benefit from some polices. For example, more licenses might be allowed for vendors selling low-cost, nutritionally sound foods or for those with good records of hygiene. Therefore, street foods deserve the attention of policy-makers and vendors should be given opportunities to improve their situation and develop their enterprises into city food establishments.

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

　　12. What does urban population growth bring about?

　　13. How can problems with street food be solved?

　　14. What’s said of low-income consumers of street food?

　　15. What does the speaker feel about the future of street food?

　　Section C

　　Directions: In this section, you will hear recordings of lectures or talks followed by some questions. The recordings will be played only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.

　　Now listen to the following recording and answer questions 16 to 19.

　　Here are a few more details from Kathleen’s email to me. She has been married 2.5 year, and she can’t get her husband to start a joint savings account. He keeps saying they do not have enough money at the end of each month to start saving. Kathleen also said that the couple also has no sort of savings, no emergency fund, etc. Nothing!

　　And, every time she brings it up, her husband says that they have student loans and car loans to pay back, and they can’t afford to start a savings account, open a credit union account, or even get a secured credit card.

　　She ends her email by saying that she knows that the couple needs a savings plan and an emergency fund, but she does not know how to convince her husband. So, what is the best way of handling finances in marriage with a reluctant spouse?

　　There are many different schools of thought about paying off debt and investing at the same time. Many people like Dave Ramsey says that you should focus on debt repayment immediately after you have an initial emergency fund of $1,000 set up and before any investing takes places.

　　So, my number one piece of advice for Kathleen is to get her emergency fund set up as soon as possible before anything else. You will never be able to get out of the cycle of debt without a sufficient amount of savings that you can go to when the car breaks down or the kids are sick. It is imperative that you have that initial emergency fund. Dave Ramsey has found that $1,000 handles 99% of most true emergencies that people have.

　　Secondly, one great way to get your reluctant spouse involved with the family’s finances is to hold meetings. Monthly meetings where you discuss the family’s budget, your paycheck especially if you’re living paycheck to paycheck, your financial goals, or the family’s financial plan is a great starting point.

　　You might also have to discuss the priority of which bills to pay if it comes down to that. Maybe a good exercise is to list out both of your short and long-term financial goals. I also use monthly or quarterly meetings to show my wife our net worth calculations as well.

　　Thirdly, the biggest thing with handling finances in marriage with your spouse is communication. Like all issues in marriage, it often comes down to communicating. So, you have to have that heart to heart talk without fighting and yelling.

　　You have to let your spouse know just how important his or her involvement in the family’s finances is to you. You also have to keep trying to get through to them so that they understand the family’s financial plan and support that plan.

　　… …

　　16. What is Kathleen’s husband’s excuse for not starting a joint savings account?

　　17. What is the problem with Kathleen’s plan?

　　18. What is the speaker’s first advice for Kathleen?

　　19. What’s one possible topic for the couple’s monthly family financial meetings?

　　Now listen to the following recording and answer questions 20 to 22.

　　Ah, fall. The air turns cooler. Leaves are falling. And thousands of college students are partying, snacking 24/7... and about to be on their way to college. However, a new trend among college students could be a bigger problem than parents or college students realize. A new study finds that 70% of college students gain weight and body fat by graduation.

　　In examining weight changes during four years of college, however, researchers at Auburn University in Alabama suggest that weight gain during the pursuit of higher education may go well beyond the first year, and could be a bigger health threat than parents, students, or scientists thought.

　　Researchers followed 131 students over four years of college and found that a surprising 70% of them put on pounds by graduation, an average of 12, and up to 37 pounds. The overall percentage of students found to be overweight increased from 18% to 31%. And, the researchers noted gains in body fat composition and waist circumference as well.

　　The new study, published in Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, is quite opposite to findings in previous studies. Those studies wrongly claimed the average student gains merely 2.5 to 3.5 pounds and accused the media of falsely saying about the “Freshman 15 Myth, that is, 15 pounds of weight gain among freshmen.”

　　But the researchers in the Auburn study observed that the “growth” they found in the college students consisted primarily of fat mass. They attributed the weight gain to late night study habits, often enhanced by vending machine snacks; fattening choices in college cafeterias, and a lack of activity.

　　Here, anyway, I want to talk about five ways in which college students can eat healthily and avoid gaining weight:

　　Keep healthy snacks handy. Dorm room refrigerators should be stocked with healthy, satisfying snacks, such as fruit, string cheese, Greek yogurt, and baby carrots.

　　Drink water. Too many calories from sugary drinks and alcoholic beverages can lead to weight gain. These drinks can also cause an increase in blood sugar that can increase hunger.

　　Stay active. Exercise plays a key role in staying fit and healthy. Boost your daily activity levels by walking to class, going to the gym, or participating in safe sports.

　　Eat regular meals. Skipping meals can lead to overeating and weight gain. Eating breakfast can also quicken your metabolism and help you concentrate in class and on tests.

　　Get enough sleep. People who do not get enough sleep tend to choose high-calorie junk food the body can quickly break down for energy. So, go and get enough sleep from now on.

　　20. What does the Auburn study find about college students?

　　21. According to the Auburn study, what causes the weight gain among college students?

　　22. What measures could help college students to avoid gaining weight?

　　Now listen to the following recording and answer questions 23 to 25.

　　These days, smartphones are a one-stop payment, personal health, work, gaming, productivity, texting, tweeting, Facebook-checking machine. We use them to do just about everything, from mobile banking to navigating new places, to emailing out last minute notes on a project.

　　But whether it’s hacked browsers, thieves at the coffee shop, or your own tendency to lose electronics in cabs, using your smartphone as a main source for all of your information comes with big risks, and the more you’ve connected and stored, the more you stand to lose. In fact, in the last year alone, at least 7.1 million phones were lost or stolen.

　　That’s bad news, not only for individuals but for countless businesses as well, because each individual phone and carrier really varies in their level of security. It’s no wonder, then, that so many individuals and businesses are starting to take mobile security seriously. Let’s take a look at few steps you can take to keep your phone—and its wealth of personal data—secure.

　　1. Use a Passcode

　　This may sound obvious, but according to a Consumer Reports survey, 64% of us don’t use our passcodes. For the record, using the factory set passcode totally doesn’t count. Quite frankly, not using a passcode is a horrible idea. You’re essentially handing over all of your personal information to anyone who swipes your phone.

　　When you set up your passcode, use the same security measures you would on any other device, such as not using your birthday or social security number for your passcode, and definitely not “1234.” Never share your passcode with anyone, even if they ask nicely or give you sad, puppy eyes. Don’t reuse passwords from other sites or devices.

　　While this is a subject of debate, most experts think it’s best to go with a pin rather than the swipe patterns, as the chances of guessing a pin are much lower than guessing a pattern. But hey, if it gets you locking your phone, either choice is fine.

　　2. Be Selective with Your Apps

　　That new app might look great, but with so many unknown third party providers out there, it can be difficult to know how private and secure it may be. For that reason, it’s best to go through a trusted app store like iTunes, Android Market or Amazon, and to thoroughly check reviews before downloading any app and entering your personal information.

　　……

　　23. Why is mobile banking mentioned at the very beginning?

　　24. What should you do when setting up a passcode for your phone?

　　25. What measures should be taken when downloading any app to your phone?

　　聽力答案：

　　1. D 2. B 3. A 4.A 5. C

　　6. A 7. D 8. C 9. C 10. A

　　11. C 12. B 13. B 14. D 15. C

　　16. B 17. C 18. C 19. B 20. A

　　21. C 22. B 23. D 24. A 25. B