1、大学英语六级 51及答案解析(总分：448.02，做题时间：132 分钟)一、Part I Writing (3(总题数：1，分数：30.00)1.For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay entitled Starbucks Should/ Should Not Leave the Forbidden City. You should write at least 150 words following the outline given below: 1介绍人们争论的焦点和理由 2你的观点和理由 3你的
2、建议 Useful words and expressions: 分店：branchoutlet(n.) 故宫：the Forbidden Citythe Palace Museum 格格不入：be out of place （分数：30.00）_二、Part II Reading C(总题数：1，分数：71.00)Generation X Who are we? Why are we called “Generation X“? Where did we come from? Where are we going? Whats going on here? Wheres the Beef?
3、This passage offers some (but only some) of the answers, and points you to other internet sources that can help you find the rest of the answers. Heres a brief “FAQ“ (Frequently Asked Questions) on Generation X: How did we get this name, “Generation X“ anyway? Blame Douglas Coupland of British Colum
4、bia, Canada, for one. It was also the name of a British Punk group in the 1970s featuring 1980s soloist Billy Idol. In a 1995 interview, Coupland denied any connection, saying: “The books title came not from Billy Idols band, as many supposed, but from the final chapter of a funny sociological book
5、on American class structure titled Class, by Paul Fussell. In his final chapter, Fussell named an “X“ category of people who wanted to hop off the merry-go-round of status, money, and social climbing that so often frames modern existence.“ Whatever you say, Doug. When Coupland wrote his book in 1991
6、, the phrase was picked up by marketers desperately seeking a name for the “generation without a name“. Of course theres been much discussion about “slackers“ (懒惰的人) comes to mind. Other popular terms are “Thirteeners“ or “13th Generation“, which came from a book by Neil Howe and William Strauss cal
7、led “Generations“, in which we are listed as the 13th generation of the USA since 1620. Who exactly is Gen-X? This question is in hot dispute. In the mid-1980s the Gen-Xers had been labeled “Baby Busters“ (生育低谷期出生的人), due to the low birthrates of the 1965-1975 age bracket. Demographers (人口统计学家) noti
8、ced as early as 1966 that the “boom“ (婴儿潮) was over, and began planning and budgeting downward for this massive change from the “boom“ in birth between 1946-1964. (These “Boomer“ dates, by the way, have never been in doubt nor have they been doubted or tampered with by the media.) Today, however, ma
9、ny people lump (将.看作一体) those born in the years 1961-1981 together. Why 1961? Despite being Doug Couplands birthyear, it more likely began with the Howe & Strauss book “Generations“, which used those years. The 1961-1981 years are also being accepted and popularized by media like TIME magazine, whic
10、h has used those years in a Gen-X cover story. The years 1965-1979, 1964-1982, 1960-1970, 1966-1977, and 1970-1983 have also been used in articles on Gen-X, but these all seem very arbitrary, and as you can tell, are all over the map, demographically (人口统计学上). So, What is a “Generation“, anyway? A g
11、eneration, loosely defined, is a group of people who can be, 1) demographically identified by biological trends and 2) have shared experiences. These are the basis for my belief that the 1965-1975 timeframe works best, since the 1961-1981 years do not reflect birthrates as well as the 1965-1975 date
12、s do, and its really a mistake to try to see 40 year olds as having the same shared experiences as 20 year olds who barely remember who Ronald Reagan was! (HOWEVER: Its been argued that Boomers born from 1946-1958 see themselves as separate from later boomers. Thats certainly legitimate, but both gr
13、oups fall in the same BIOLOGICAL generation. The 1961-1981 dates are purely cultural, and are not biologically correct, and I contend that they should not be used but see the “comments“ section of this site for some spirited discussion on this issue.) Here are some general characteristics for Xers:
14、Value The Individual and Nurture Relationships. Although there doesnt seem to be one description of Generation X, most will agree that a defining characteristic is that they dont like to be characterized. They dont want to be treated as a single entity, but want to be looked at as individuals. In ad
15、dition, this is the first wave of latchkey kids to hit the work force. They are homesick for the home they never had (due to both parents working). Their focus on relationships over achievement is what leads Boomers to complain about their laziness. Isnt this strong sense of community and personal r
16、elationships in the workplace just what we need? Challenging Work. This generation has sometimes been called the MTV Generation because of their short attention span. Xers want new challenges and the opportunity to build new skills. Training is one of the best motivators. They have a tremendous capa
17、city to process lots of information and concentrate on multiple tasks. They dont want to spend a lot of time talking about things or having meetings. They want to get in, do the work, and move on to the next thing. If youre looking for someone to deliver a report every week, you dont want an Xer. I
18、recently brought up the subject of understanding twenty somethings during a coaching workshop. Immediately a manager complained, with a lot of emotion, that kids today dont want to work and will only stay for a week or so and then leave. Well, the job was very repetitive and offered little challenge
19、. No wonder! Freedom to Manage Time and Work. Xers dont want over-your-shoulder, in-your-face managers who constantly check what theyre doing. Perhaps as a result of their latchkey childhood, these young workers are not used to being closely supervised and are remarkably good at working on their own
20、. Do we have a Generational Identity? Just like most Boomers werent pot-smoking hippies, most Gen-Xers arent “slackers“. Most are decent, pragmatic, creative, strongly independent, self-reliant, and hard-working. We have a surprisingly good work ethic including a strong sense of company loyalty, as
21、long as its reciprocal, and we want to get ahead, even though we arent as concerned with the trappings of “success“ as earlier generations were. However, were very concerned with financial and emotional security. Were hopeful that the future will be good to us, but were also shockingly realistic and
22、 honest about the struggles were going to face in a rapidly changing world of diminishing resources, an elderly society, and a culture dominated by, and designed for, “Baby Boomers“. Then whats the 1976-1981 crowd called? “Generation Y“ comes to mind. Also known as the “Baby Boomlet“, because birthr
23、ates went up again in those years, what the media often mis-names “Gen-X“ are the “grunge“ kids that would be as alien to a high school campus in 1985 as we would have been in at high school in the 1970s. As a side note, its ironic how this “Boomlet“ group is being molded into little clones of the B
24、oomers as they were in their youth, as if they were re-living their youth vicariously THROUGH them, which is, of course, exactly whats happening. The bell-bottoms, drug use, and even the revival of “folk“ music though most dont recognize it as such looks and sounds shockingly similar, and its not an
25、 accident. (Their young minds are being shaped to mimic Boomers political and social values, too, but thats another story for another time.) How many of us are there? Not many. There are about 47 million of us. Census Bureau (人口调查局) figures show that we will finally outnumber the Boomers, in 2040, b
26、y 39.6 to their 37.1 million. Of course, by then the Boomlet/Y-Generation will amount to 73.4 million, so we will be always an “in-between“ group. So get used to it!. Will us American Gen-Xers ever see social security benefits? Seriously? No. Its not likely, since the Baby Boom generation is about t
27、o plow through the system, which will require HUGE subsidies (补助金) to manage. Add to that the new “goodies“ like prescription drug benefits, and its not bloody likely anything will be left. (Not that there isnt a cost-effective way of doing all this, by the way. But not with bloated (浮肿的) government
28、 programs) Politicians, thanks to the AARP lobby, cant be bothered to restrict benefits to non-millionaire seniors or make other common-sense steps to set aside funds for the day when theyre needed. Others have tried to sound the alarm, but they have failed, up to now. （分数：71.00）(1).In an interview
29、in 1995, Douglas Coupland confirmed the connection between the term “Generation X“ in his book with a British Punk group in the 1970s featuring 1980s soloist Billy Idol.（分数：7.10）A.YB.NC.NG(2).“Generation X “, “Thirteeners“ and “13th Generation“ are all popular term for describing a “generation witho
30、ut a name“.（分数：7.10）A.YB.NC.NG(3).The 13th generation of the USA is more selfish and materialized than its previous generations.（分数：7.10）A.YB.NC.NG(4).It is generally accepted and popularized that “Generation X“ refers to people born between 1961 and 1981.（分数：7.10）A.YB.NC.NG(5).“FAQ“ stands for_.（分数
31、：7.10）_(6).In the mid-1980s the Gen-Xers had been labeled “Baby Busters“, due to the _of the 1965-1975 age bracket.（分数：7.10）_(7).The author of this passage believes that most Gen-Xers are decent, pragmatic, creative, _, self-reliant, and hard-working.（分数：7.10）_(8).“Generation Y“ and “_“ all refer to
32、 people born between 1976 and 1981.（分数：7.10）_(9).A generation, loosely defined, is a group of people who can be, 1)_ and 2)_.（分数：7.10）_(10).Were hopeful that the future will be good to us, but were also_about the struggles were going to face in a rapidly changing world of diminishing resources.（分数：7
33、.10）_三、Listening Comprehens(总题数：1，分数：15.00)A.She was approving.B.She was apologetic.C.She was annoyed.D.She was careless.A.A visitor has borrowed it.B.She had given it to her guide.C.A friend took it to the West.D.Bill gave it back to his friend.A.She agrees with the man.B.She hasnt seen Kevin recen
34、tly.C.She thinks Kevin will be late.D.She doesnt know what the man means.A.Anthony fixed it.B.The plumber fixed it.C.It was left leaking.D.It was removed.A.In a clothing store.B.In a garden.C.At a cleaners.D.At a printing shop.A.Being too hot.B.Being delayed.C.Catching the beach ball.D.Getting up ea
35、rly.A.It looks better than the other one.B.The man needs more wall space for it.C.It should be put on another wall.D.It makes the wall a little more attractive.A.The experiment will take a long time.B.The students should count their time in the lab.C.Dr. Walters teaches biology in the afternoon.D.Bi
36、ology lab is open one hour every afternoon.四、Section A(总题数：2，分数：10.00)A.What the mans plans are for tonight.B.Why the man does not want to play tennis.C.Why they do not have time to play tennis after class today.D.What time they can meet in the library.A.He drank too much coffee last night.B.He has
37、the flu.C.He is nervous about his anthropology project.D.He missed dinner last night.A.Let him win a tennis game.B.Help him finish his anthropology project.C.Give him some medicine for his stomach.D.Lend him her anthropology book.A.The distance-learning course is free of charge.B.The distance-learni
38、ng course is taught by professors overseas.C.There is no regular class in the distance-learning course.D.There is no exam in the distance-learning course.A.The tuition fee is lower.B.It is more flexible.C.The professors are more famous.D.It helps to reduce traffic jams.A.Because he wants to learn mo
39、re about computer.B.Because he has a tight schedule.C.Because he wants to save money.D.Because he is a good friend of the womans.A.Being unable to communicate face to face with others.B.Having exams and tests.C.Phone calls are expensive.D.Professors are tough.五、Section B(总题数：3，分数：30.00)A.How to suff
40、er pain.B.How to avoid pain.C.How to handle pain.D.How to stop pain.A.How we look at pain.B.To feel pain as much as possible.C.To show an interest in pain.D.To accept the pain reluctantly.A.Pessimistic.B.Optimistic.C.Radical.D.Practical.A.Only breakfast.B.Only lunch.C.Only night-meals.D.All of the a
41、bove.A.Two ways.B.Three ways.C.Four ways.D.Five ways.A.Diners existed before fast-food restaurants.B.The menu included more food than sandwiched and coffee.C.Burger King is a fast-food restaurant.D.Sandwiches became bigger.A.Punishment by teachersB.Poor academic performanceC.TruancyD.IllnessA.The Bo
42、ard of EducationB.Principals of city schoolsC.Students with good academic recordsD.Students with good attendance recordsA.Punishing students who damage school propertyB.Rewarding schools that have decreased the destructionC.Promoting teachers who can prevent the destructionD.Cutting the budget for r
43、epairs and replacements六、Section C(总题数：1，分数：10.00)Video recorders and photocopiers, even ticket machines on the railways, often seem unnecessarily difficult to use. Last December I bought myself a Video cassette recorder (36) 1as “simple to use“. In the first three weeks I failed (37) 2to program th
44、e machine to record from the TV, and after months of practice I still made mistakes. I am not alone. According to a (38) 3last year by Ferguson, the British manufacturer, more than one in four VCR owners never use the timer on their machines to record a programmer: they dont use it because theyve fo
45、und it far too hard to operate. So why do manufacturers keep on designing and producing VCRs that are (39) 4 to use if the problems are so obvious? First, the problems we notice are not obvious to (40) 5 minded designers with years of experience and trained to understand how (41) 6work. Secondly, de
46、signers tend to add one or two features at a time to each model, (42) 7 you or I face all a machines features at once. Thirdly, although finding problems in a finished product is easy, it is too late by then to do anything about the design. Finally, if manufacturers can get away with selling product
47、s that are difficult to use, it is not worth the (43) 8of any one of them to make improvements. (44) 9. But that gives rise to the question, “why cant you have features that are easy to use?“ The answer is you can. (45) 10. For a start, designers should build an original model of the machine and try it out on typical members of the public not on colleagues in the development laboratory. (46) 11.
