1、大学英语六级模拟试卷 573及答案与解析 一、 Part I Writing (30 minutes) 1 For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay entitled Due Attention Should Be Given to Handwriting. You should write at least 150 words following the outline given below. 1如今很多 人的书写水平越来越低 2产生这种现象的原因是 3为了改善这一状况，我认为 Due Attentio
2、n Should Be Given to Handwriting 二、 Part II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) (15 minutes) Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions attached to the passage. For questions 1-4, mark： Y (for YES) if the statement agrees with
3、 the information given in the passage; N (for NO) if the statement contradicts the information given in the passage; NG (for NOT GIVEN) if the information is not given in the passage. 1 How to Manage an Ageing Workforce One of the side-effects of the Second World War was the most significant social
4、change of the past half-century. As men marched off to fight, women put aside their beauty magazines and gardening gloves and took their husbands places in factories and on the farms. They never looked back. Many people worry about the impact on family life of their entry into the labor force,but mo
5、st now take it for granted that women have as much to offer at work as men do. Another change as large as that one is now under way. It seems just as absurd, if not more, that Western societies today are content to press another potentially productive set of workers to stay at home sipping tea and p
6、otting plantsand to pay them for it,by the way. The question of how to deal with the growing number of retired people has recently been seen as chiefly a financial puzzle:how to pay for the leisure of those ageing layabouts (无事闲人 ). When pensions were first introduced, they kicked in at the age of 7
7、0, about 20 years more than the typical life span. Nowadays state and company pension schemes kick in at or before 65,almost 20 years less. But the issue is more than just a financial one: it raises social as well as economic questions, and its resolution will involve governments,employers and peopl
8、e. The baby-boom generation,which started to turn 65 this year,contains the largest number of people ever voluntarily to give up work in such a short time. Because it is far larger than the generation that follows itor any that preceded it,this casts a shadow over the companies it is set to leave be
9、hind. Japan expects its workforce to shrink by 18% (some 120 million people) over the next 15 years. Europe will see the number of workers nearing retirement grow by a quarter. Some companies are already complaining of a shortage of skills, even before they have started to give out carriage clocks a
10、nd fountain pens by the borrow-load. There are several ways of dealing with a falling supply of labor: work might be shifted offshore,to take advantage of abundant cheaper workers in poorer countries;laxer (更加宽松的 ) immigration rules might allow in more skilled labor from abroad;new equipment could e
11、nhance the productivity of a better educated workforce. But one of the readiest sources of skilled labor is closer to hand. If staying on at work were up to older employees alone, many would jump at the chance. That is partly because they will no longer be able to retire in the style that they have
12、been led to expect. Corporate pension schemes and health benefits are becoming ever less generous. Last week, General Motors joined the line of revisionists with an announcement that it will cap health-care spending by its retired workers. That will not be the last cut. Baby-boomers say they want to
13、 stay in the workforce for more than money. Many also want to carry on working beyond the standard retirement age for the mental stimulation (try that on the next bored-looking 20-year-old you meet in the lift). Their productivity may decline as they get olderalthough people gain in experience,their
14、 capacity for sharp thinking falls offbut the traditional pattern of retirement, in which one day an employee is in a bustling office busy as a bee and the next he is good only for the potting shed and the fireside chair does not make sense for the economy,for companies or for people. If baby-boomer
15、s want to work longer and companies want more skilled workers, whats the problem? Part of the answer is that labor markets work particularly badly for older workers. Pensions need to be unhooked from final salaries, so that workers are not heavily penalized if they take pay cuts to stay in employmen
16、t. That is already happening, with the decline of companies defined-benefit schemes. State and private pensions should encourage workers to postpone retirement. That is already happening in Sweden and Switzerland,which both have relatively high labor-participation rates among older people. Pensions
17、should be designed so that they allow part-time workers to continue to contribute even after their official retirement age. Since governments benefit if people work longer (because they pay more in tax and cost less in benefits) they should be eagerly enacting such measures. But instead of freeing u
18、p labor markets to help older people work, governments are focusing on legislating to ban discrimination on grounds of age. European Union member countries and Australia are introducing such laws, even though experience in America,where they are already in force,suggests that making older people har
19、d to fire discourages companies from hiring them. Companies,as well as governments,need to be flexible. Thats beginning to happen,partly because employers are keen to attract more women,and the part-time jobs that often appeal to them are attractive to the old as well. Big, well managed companies te
20、nd to offer that sort of flexibility ; others will have to learn. Lastly, older workers need to adapt. In many cultures, age is related to seniority, and therefore to pay. The older the worker,the more expensive he or she is. Boomers will find work only if they accept that their wages will be based
21、on what they are worth to the companyrather than their salary at the top of their career. Although a shortage of skills might well push up wages for all workers, older workers may nevertheless have to accept a relative decline in salary and status. Given that most societies are geared to retirement
22、at around 65, companies have a looming problem of knowledge management, of making sure that the boomers do not leave before they have handed over their expertise. When the baby-boomer generation retires, many companies will find out too late that a careers worth of experience has walked out the door
23、,leaving insufficient talents to fill the void. Some also face a shortage of expertise. In aerospace and defense, for example, as much as 40% of the workforce in some companies will be eligible (有资格 ) to retire within the next two or three years. At the same time,the number of engineering graduates
24、in developed countries is in steep decline. Baby-boomers have been changing the world since the 1960s. Theyre about to do it again by turning the world of work upside down. This social upheaval may be quieter than the last one they were responsible for,but its consequences will be more profound and
25、longer lasting. 2 According to the author,the responsibility of managing an ageing workforce falls to_. （ A） political parties and labor unions （ B） the society as a whole （ C） social groups and the business community （ D） both employers and employees 3 What kind of pressing issue are Japanese compa
26、nies facing because of the ageing workforce? （ A） Shortage of cheap labor supplies. （ B） Burdens on new staff training. （ C） Recruitments of qualified workers. （ D） Vacancies in technical positions. 4 Which would be a solution to the problem of a shrinking workforce according to the author? （ A） Out
27、sourcing labor to poorer countries. （ B） Introducing skilled foreign workers. （ C） Enhancing older workers productivity. （ D） Shifting more manageable policies. 5 Many older employees would happily postpone their retirement partly because they_. （ A） want to keep themselves busy with things they enj
28、oy doing （ B） hope to enjoy better pension schemes and health benefits （ C） have been led to set very high expectations for retirement （ D） have to continue to work because of financial reasons 6 What would happen to baby-boomers if they carry on working beyond standard retirement age? （ A） They wil
29、l assume mental stimulation. （ B） They may lose their thinking ability. （ C） They will no longer gain any experience. （ D） They may not be as productive as before. 7 In which case do labor markets work to the advantage of older workers? （ A） Workers take cuts in pay to stay in work. （ B） Pensions ar
30、e decided by final salaries. （ C） Companies abolish defined-benefit schemes. （ D） Retirement is encouraged by policies. 8 Whats the problem with the legislations on age discrimination? （ A） Governments have discrepancies in carrying out such laws. （ B） Evidences in the U. S. show such laws are diffi
31、cult to enforce. （ C） It made companies take more risks if they hire older people. （ D） It left out old people who are fired for reasons other than age. 9 Boomers will find jobs much more easily if they are willing to accept relatively lower_. 10 Companies have a looming problem of making sure that
32、older employees arent leaving before passing on_. 11 After the baby-boomers retire,many companies will eventually find themselves left with unqualified successors to_. Section A Directions: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation
33、, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A, B, C and D, and decide which is the best answer. （ A） The woman cannot ta
34、ke part in the competition. （ B） The womans hard work wont be in vain. （ C） The woman shouldnt waste her time. （ D） The woman should prepare for it again. （ A） The woman has a very tight budget. （ B） He does not think the fur coat is worth buying. （ C） Hes willing to buy the woman the fur coat. （ D）
35、 The woman is poor at balancing the payments. （ A） It is based on a lot of research. （ B） It can be finished in a few weeks time. （ C） It has drawn criticism from lots of people. （ D） It falls short of her supervisors expectations. （ A） Karen is very forgetful. （ B） He knows Karen better now. （ C） K
36、aren is sure to pass the interview. （ D） Something is wrong with Karens ears. （ A） The man will go into business after high school. （ B） The woman is not happy with the mans decision. （ C） The man wants to be a business manager. （ D） The woman is working in a kindergarten. （ A） It stays closed until
37、 summer comes. （ B） It will get business season in summer. （ C） It is busy all the year round. （ D） It provides quality service to customers. （ A） Dicks trousers dont match his jacket. （ B） Dick looks funny in that yellow jacket. （ C） The color of Dicks jacket is too dark. （ D） Dick has bad taste in
38、 clothes. （ A） Call the police station. （ B） Get the wallet for the man. （ C） Show the man her family pictures. （ D） Ask to see the mans drivers license. （ A） She heard it from one friend. （ B） She saw it in one book. （ C） She watched it in a TV program. （ D） She knew it from radio. （ A） He keeps in
39、 touch with his ex-wife after divorce. （ B） He has another girlfriend besides the woman. （ C） He cannot forget his ex-wife completely. （ D） He treats the woman heartlessly and rudely. （ A） Most of them werent interested in the topic. （ B） Most of them were willing to tell their stories. （ C） Some of
40、 them refused her invitation directly. （ D） Some of them didnt give her any responses. （ A） The activities were not interesting at all. （ B） There were not enough participants. （ C） The course was not organized well due to few workers. （ D） They couldnt do as they planned on rainy days. （ A） Creativ
41、e art activities. （ B） Fun music classes. （ C） Interesting projects. （ D） New outdoor sports. （ A） They cannot afford the whole course. （ B） They will have to do the same activities. （ C） Their parents will want to spend time with them. （ D） The course is not attractive enough for the children. （ A）
42、 Pay the full amount immediately. （ B） Visit the registering office in person. （ C） Pay deposit after sending the application form. （ D） Send the application form with deposit. Section B Directions: In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear some quest
43、ions. 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. （ A） 11 percent of Asia-Pacific consumers always buy online. （ B） Japanese use 41% of monthly spending on online purchases. （ C） S
44、outh Koreans were the heaviest online buyers in Asia. （ D） Asia-Pacific consumers are reluctant to share opinions online. （ A） After-sale service. （ B） Opinions posted online. （ C） Lower prices. （ D） Reliable delivery. （ A） Opinions online will tell consumers everything about brands. （ B） Some of th
45、e comments online are not reliable. （ C） Businesses can promote their brands online easily. （ D） Blogging sites influence what people buy online. （ A） Things stored in all-metal cans should be discarded. （ B） Swollen or rusted cans can still be used after cleaned. （ C） Unopened cans cannot be used a
46、fter contact with flood water. （ D） Damaged metal cans should be thrown away. （ A） Because they are unable to be read after the flood. （ B） Because they may contain dirt and germs from the flood water. （ C） Because they will be used again after the cans are cleaned. （ D） Because they will be damaged
47、 when the cans are boiled later. （ A） Using eight drops of liquid bleach for every five liters of water. （ B） Using drinking water or the cleanest, clearest water available. （ C） Placing the cans in the solution for at least half an hour. （ D） Letting cleaned cans air-dry for at least one day before
48、 opening. （ A） More people are interested in classical music. （ B） The technology enables access to more music. （ C） Classical music faces great challenge from pop music. （ D） Classical music must be adapted to modern times. （ A） Playing trumpet. （ B） Writing music. （ C） Music study. （ D） Playing pi
49、ano. （ A） Traditional. （ B） Profound. （ C） Inflexible. （ D） Unrestrained. （ A） Music schools flourish in America. （ B） The requirements are strict to enter music schools. （ C） There are more foreigners than Americans in music schools. （ D） Music schools offer training to anybody who loves music. Section C Directions: In this section, you will hear a passage three times. When the passage is read for the first time, you should listen carefully for its general idea. When the passage is read for the se
