语法英语2011年12月英语六级真题及答案详解

2021年1月8日发(作者：邢承国)

2011年12月大学英语六级真题及答案

Part I Writing (30 minutes)
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay
entitled The Way to Success by commenting on Abraham Lincoln's famous
remark, me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend, the first
four sharpening the should write at least 150 words but no more
than 200 words.
The Way to Success
注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。
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 on Answer Sheet 1. For questions 1-7, choose the best
answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). For questions 8-10,
complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.
Google's Plan for World's Biggest Online Library: Philanthropy Or Act of Piracy?
In recent years, teams of workers dispatched by Google have been working hard to
make digital copies of books. So far, Google has scanned more than 10 million titles from libraries
in America and Europe - including half a million volumes held by the Bodleian in Oxford. The
exact method it uses is unclear; the company does not allow outsiders to observe the process.
Why is Google undertaking such a venture? Why is it even interested in all those
out-of-printlibrary books, most of which have been gathering dust on forgotten shelves for decades?
Thecompany claims its motives are essentially public-spirited. Its overall mission, after all, is to

The company likes to present itself as having lofty aspirations.
money. We are doing this for the good of society.
Europe, puts it:
expand the frontiers of human knowledge.
Dan Clancy, the chief architect of Google Books, does seem genuine in his conviction that thisis
primarily a philanthropic (慈善的) exercise.
what helps improve Google's search engine is good for Google,
a spreadsheet (电子数据表) outlining the financial benefits of this, and I have neverhad to justify
the amount I am spending to the company's founders.
It is easy, talking to Clancy and his colleagues, to be swept along by their missionary passion. But
Google's book- scanning project is proving controversial. Several opponents have recently emerged,
ranging from rival tech giants such as Microsoft and Amazon to small bodies representing authors and
publishers across the world. In broad terms, these opponents have levelled two sets of criticisms at
Google.
First, they have questioned whether the primary responsibility for digitally archiving the
world's books should be allowed to fall to a commercial company. In a recent essay in the New
YorkReview of Books, Robert Darnton, the head of Harvard University's library, argued that because
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such books are a common resource – the possession of us all – only public, not-for-profit
bodiesshould be given the power to control them.
The second related criticism is that Google's scanning of books is actually illegal. This allegation
has led to Google becoming mired in (陷入) a legal battle whose scope and complexity makes the
Jarndyce and Jarndyce case in Charles Dickens' Bleak House look straightforward.
At its centre, however, is one simple issue: that of copyright. The inconvenient fact about
most books, to which Google has arguably paid insufficient attention, is that they are protected
by copyright. Copyright laws differ from country to country, but in general protection extends for
the duration of an author's life and for a substantial period afterwards, thus allowing the author's heirs
to benefit. (In Britain and America, this post-death period is 70 years.) This means, of course,
that almost all of the books published in the 20th century are still under copyright – and the last
century saw more books published than in all previous centuries combined. Of the roughly 40
million books in US libraries, for example, an estimated 32 million are in copyright. Of these, some
27 million are out of print.
Outside the US, Google has made sure only to scan books that are out of copyright and thus in the
Middlemarch, which anyone canread for
free on Google Books Search).
But, within the US, the company has scanned both in-copyright and out-of-copyright works. Inits
defence, Google points out that it displays only small segments of books that are in copyright– arguing
that such displays are
without first seeking the permission of copyright holders, Google has committed piracy.

once authors have expressly given their permission,
agency in London. – it has simply copied all these works without bothering
toask.
In 2005, the Authors Guild of America, together with a group of US publishers, launched aclass
action suit (集团诉讼) against Google that, after more than two years of negotiation, endedwith an
announcement last October that Google and the claimants had reached an out-of-courtsettlement.
The full details are complicated - the text alone runs to 385 pages– and trying tosummarise it is no
easy task.
settlement's most vocal British critics.
Broadly, the deal provides a mechanism for Google to compensate authors and
publishers whose rights it has breached (including giving them a share of any future revenue it generates
fromtheir works). In exchange for this, the rights holders agree not to sue Google in future.
This settlement hands Google the power - but only with the agreement of individual rights
holders – to exploit its database of out-of-print books. It can include them in subscription deals sold
to libraries or sell them individually under a consumer licence. It is these commercial provisions that
are proving the settlement's most controversial aspect.
Critics point out that, by giving Google the right to commercially exploit its database,
thesettlement paves the way for a subtle shift in the company's role from provider of information to
seller.
on the basis of the traffic this generates,
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York Law School. Now, he says, because of the settlement's provisions, Google could become a
significant force in bookselling.
Interest in this aspect of the settlement has focused on
noknown copyright holder – these make up an estimated 5-10% of the books Google has
scanned. Under the settlement, when no rights holders come forward and register their interest in a
work, commercial control automatically reverts to Google. Google will be able to display up to 20%
oforphan works for free, include them in its subscription deals to libraries and sell them to
individual buyers under the consumer licence.
It is by no means certain that the settlement will be enacted (执行) – it is the subject of
afairness hearing in the US courts. But if it is enacted, Google will in effect be off the hook as far
as copyright violations in the US are concerned. Many people are seriously concerned by this - and
the company is likely to face challenges in other courts around the world.
No one knows the precise use Google will make of the intellectual property it has gained
byscanning the world's library books, and the truth, as Gleick, an American science writer and member
of the Authors Guild, points out, is that the company probably doesn't even know itself. But what is
certain is that, in some way or other, Google's entrance into digital bookselling will have a significant
impact on the book world in the years to come.
注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。
1. Google claims its plan for the world's biggest online library is _____.
A)

to serve the interest of the general public
B)

to encourage reading around the world
C)

to save out-of-print books in libraries
D)

to promote its core business of searching
2. According to Santiago de la Mora, Google's book-scanning project will _____.
A)

broaden humanity's intellectual horizons
B)

help the broad masses of readers
C)

revolutionise the entire book industry
D)

make full use of the power of its search engine
3. Opponents of Google Books believe that digitally archiving the world's books should be
controlled by _____.
A)

non-profit organisations C) multinational companies
B)

the world's leading libraries D) the world's tech giants
4. Google has involved itself in a legal battle as it ignored _____.
A)

the copyright of authors of out-of-print books
B)

the copyright of the books it scanned
C)

the interest of traditional booksellers
D)

the differences of in-print and out-of-print books
5. Google defends its scanning in- copyright books by saying that _____.
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A)

it displays only a small part of their content
B)

it is willing to compensate the copyright holders
C)

making electronic copies of books is not a violation of copyright
D)

the online display of in-copyright books is not for commercial use
6. What do we learn about the class action suit against Google?
A)

It ended in a victory for the Authors Guild of America.
B)

It was settled after more than two years of negotiation.
C)

It failed to protect the interests of American publishers.
D)

It could lead to more out-of-court settlements of such disputes.
7. What remained controversial after the class action suit ended?
A)

The compensation for copyright holders.
B)

The change in Google's business model.
C)

Google's further exploitation of its database.
D)

The commercial provisions of the settlement.
8. While _____, Google makes money by selling advertising.
9. Books whose copyright holders are not known are called _____.
10. Google's entrance into digital bookselling will tremendously _____ in the future.
Part III Listening Comprehension (35 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the
end of each conversation, 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. Then mark the corresponding letter
on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.
注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
11. A) Cancel the trip to prepare for the test.
B)

Review his notes once he arrives in Chicago.
C)

Listen to the recorded notes while driving.
D)

Prepare for the test after the wedding.
12. A) The woman will help the man remember the lines.
B)

The man lacks confidence in playing the part.
C)

The man hopes to change his role in the play.
D)

The woman will prompt the man during the show.
13. A) Preparations for an operation. C) Arranging a bed for a patient.
B) A complicated surgical case. D) Rescuing the woman's uncle.
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14. A) He is interested in improving his editing skills.
B)

He is eager to be nominated the new editor.
C)

He is sure to do a better job than Simon.
D)

He is too busy to accept more responsibility.
15. A) He has left his position in the government.
B)

He has already reached the retirement age.
C)

He made a stupid decision at the cabinet meeting.
D)

He has been successfully elected Prime Minister.
16. A) This year's shuttle mission is a big step in space exploration.
B)

The man is well informed about the space shuttle missions.
C)

The shuttle flight will be broadcast live worldwide.
D)

The man is excited at the news of the shuttle flight.
17. A) At an auto rescue center. C) At a suburban garage.
B) At a car renting company. D) At a mountain camp.
18. A) He got his speakers fixed. C) He listened to some serious music
B) He went shopping with the woman. D) He bought a stereo system.
Questions 19 to 21 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
19. A) Providing aid to the disabled.
B)

Printing labels for manufactured goods.
C)

Promoting products for manufacturers.
D)

Selling products made for left-handers.
20. A) Most of them are specially made for his shop.
B)

All of them are manufactured in his own plant.
C)

The kitchenware in his shop is of unique design.
D)

About half of them are unavailable on the market.
21. A) They specialise in one product only. C) They run chain stores in central London.
B) They have outlets throughout Britain. D) They sell by mail order only.
Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
22. A) It publishes magazines. C) It runs sales promotion campaigns.
B) It sponsors trade fairs. D) It is engaged in product design.
23. A) The ad specifications had not been given in detail.
B)

The woman's company made last- minute changes.
C)

The woman's company failed to make payments in time.
D)

Organising the promotion was really time-consuming.
24. A) Extend the campaign to next year. C) Run another four-week campaign.
B) Cut the fee by half for this year. D) Give her a 10 percent discount.
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25. A) Stop negotiating for the time being. C) Reflect on their respective mistakes
B) Calm down and make peace. D) Improve their promotion plans.
Section B
Directions: In this section, you will hear 3 short 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 2 with a single line through the centre.
注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
Passage One
Questions 26 to 29 are based on the passage you have just heard.
26. A) They look spotlessly clean throughout their lives.
B)

They are looked after by animal-care organizations.
C)

They sacrifice their lives for the benefit of humans.
D)

They are labeled pet animals by the researchers.
27. A) They may affect the results of experiments.
B)

They may behave abnormally.
C)

They may breed out of control.
D)

They may cause damage to the environment.
28. A) When they become escapees. C) When they get too old.
B) When they are no longer useful. D) When they become ill.
29. A) While launching animal protection campaigns, they were trapping kitchen mice.
B)

While holding a burial ceremony for a pet mouse, they were killing pest mice.
C)

While advocating freedom for animals, they kept their pet mouse in a cage.
D)

While calling for animal rights, they allowed their kids to keep pet animals.
Passage Two
Questions 30 to 32 are based on the passage you have just heard.
30. A) They take it for granted. C) They contribute most to it.
B) They are crazy about it. D) They often find fault with it.
31. A) Heat and light. C) Historical continuity.
B) Economic prosperity. D) Tidal restlessness.
32. A) They find the city alien to them.
B)

They are adventurers from all over the world.
C)

They lack knowledge of the culture of the city.
D)

They have difficulty surviving.

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Passage Three
Questions 33 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.
33. A) A political debate. C) A documentary.
B) A football game. D) A murder mystery.
34. A) It enhances family relationships. C) It helps broaden one’s horizons.
B) It is a sheer waste of time. D) It is unhealthy for the viewers.
35. A) He watches TV programs only selectively.
B)

He can't resist the temptation of TV either.
C)

He doesn't like watching sports programs.
D)

He is not a man who can keep his promise.
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 second time, you are required to fill in
the blanks numbered from 36 to 43 with the exact words you have just heard.
For blanks numbered from 44 to 46 you are required to fill in the missing
information. For these blanks, you can either use the exact words you have
just heard or write down the main points in your own words. Finally, when
the passage is read for the third time, you should check what you have
written.
注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
In the past, one of the biggest disadvantages of machines has been their inability to work on
a micro- scale. For example, doctors did not have devices allowing them to go inside the human body to
(36) _____ health problems or to perform (37) _____ surgery. Repair crews did not have a way of
(38) _____ broken pipes located deep within a high-rise (39) _____ building. However, that's about
to change. Advances in computers and biophysics have started a microminiature (超微) (40) _____that
allows scientists to envision – and in some cases actually build – microscopic machines. These devices
promise to (41)_____ change the way we live and work.
Micromachines already are making an impact. At Case Western Reserve University in
Cleveland,Ohio, research scientists have designed a 4-inch silicon chip that holds 700 tiny
(42) _____motors. At Lucas NovaSensor in Fremont, California, scientists have perfected the
world's first
microscopic blood-pressure sensor. Threaded through a person's blood (43) _____, the sensor can
provide blood pressure readings at the valve of the heart itself.
(44) _________________________________ _____________________________________.
Auto manufacturers, for example, are trying to use tiny
devices_______________________________________ ________________
(45)_________________________ __________________________________________________ .
Some futurists envision nanotechnology (纳米技术) also being used to explore the deep sea in small
submarines, or even to launch finger- sized rockets packed with microminiature instruments.
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There is an explosion of new ideas and applications. So, (46) _____________________________
________________ ____________________________________________.
Part IV Reading Comprehension (Reading in Depth) (25 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section, there is a short passage with 5 questions or incomplete
statements. Read the passage carefully. Then answer the questions or
complete the statements in the fewest possible words. Please write your
answers on Answer Sheet 2.
Questions 47 to 51 are based on the following passage.
Leadership is the most significant word in today's competitive business environment because
it directs the manager of a business to focus inward on their personal capabilities and style.
Experts on leadership will quickly point out that
the outcomes and indicates a right way and a wrong way to do things. When a noted leader on the
art of management, Peter Drucker, coined the phrase
leadership is doing the right things,
the terms.
When Stephen Covey, founder and director of the Leadership Institute, explored leadership
styles in the past decade, he focused on the habits of a great number of highly effective individuals.
His Seven Habits of Highly Effective People became a popular bestseller very quickly. His ideas
forced a reexamination of the early leadership paradigm (范例), which he observed centered on
traits found in the character ethic and the personality ethic. The former ethic suggested success
was founded on integrity, modesty, loyalty, courage, patience, and so forth. The personality ethic
suggested it was one's attitude, not behavior, that inspired success, and this ethic was founded on a
belief of positive mental attitude. In contrast to each of these ideas, Covey advocates that leaders
need to understand universal principles of effectiveness, and he highlights how vital it is for
leaders to first personally manage themselves if they are to enjoy any hope of outstanding success
in their work environments. To achieve a desired vision for your business, it is vital that you have
a personal vision of where you are headed and what you value. Business leadership means that
managers need to
clear on your own values, abilities, and strengths and be seen as trustworthy.
注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
47.

To be good leaders, managers must pay close attention to their own _____.
48.

According to Peter Drucker, leaders should be good at _____.
49.

The personality ethic suggests that people are likely to succeed if they have _____.
50.

According to Stephen Covey, leaders who hope to achieve outstanding success need first of
all to _____.
51.

Good leadership requires one to know one's own strengths and be able to win people's _____.
Section B
Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some
questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices
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marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark
the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the
centre.
Passage One
Questions 52 to 56 are based on the following passage.
What's the one word of advice a well-meaning professional would give to a recent college
graduate? China How about trade!
When the Commerce Department reported last week that the trade deficit in June approached
$$50 billion, it set off a new round of economic doomsaying. Imports, which soared to $$200.3
billion in the month, are subtracted in the calculation of gross domestic product. The larger the
trade deficit, the smaller the GDP. Should such imbalances continue, pessimists say, they could
contribute to slower growth.
But there's another way of looking at the trade data. Over the past two years, the figures on
imports and exports seem not to signal a double-dip recession – a renewed decline in the broad
level of economic activity in the United States – but an economic expansion.
The rising volume of trade – more goods and services shuttling in and out of the United
States – is good news for many sectors. Companies engaged in shipping, trucking, rail freight,
delivery,
and logistics (物流) have all been reporting better than expected results. The rising numbers sig-
nify growing vitality in foreign markets – when we import more stuff, it puts more cash in the
hands of people around the world, and U.S. exports are rising because more foreigners have the
ability to buy the things we produce and market. The rising tide of trade is also good news for
people who work in trade-sensitive businesses, especially those that produce commodities for
which global demand sets the price – agricultural goods, mining, metals, oil.
And while exports always seem to lag, U.S. companies are becoming more involved in the
global economy with each passing month. General Motors sells as many cars in China as in
America each month. While that may not do much for imports, it does help GM's balance sheet
– and hence makes the jobs of U.S.-based executives more stable.
One great challenge for the U.S. economy is slack domestic consumer demand. Americans
are
paying down debt, saving more, and spending more carefully. That's to be expected, given what
we've been through. But there's a bigger challenge. Can U.S.-based businesses, large and small,
figure out how to get a piece of growing global demand? Unless you want to pick up and move to
India, or Brazil, or China, the best way to do that is through trade. It may seem obvious, but it's no
longer enough simply to do business with our friends and neighbors here at home.
Companies and individuals who don't have a strategy to export more, or to get more involved
in foreign markets, or to play a role in global trade, are shutting themselves out of the lion's share
of economic opportunity in our world.
注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
52. How do pessimists interpret the U.S. trade deficit in June?
A)

It reflects Americans' preference for imported goods.
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B)

It signifies a change in American economic structure.
C)

It is the result of America's growing focus on domestic market.
D)

It could lead to slower growth of the national economy.
53. What does the author say about the trade data of the past two years?
A)

It indicates that economic activities in the U.S. have increased.
B)

It shows that U.S. economy is slipping further into recession.
C)

It signals decreasing domestic demand for goods and services.
D)

It reflects the fluctuations in the international market.
54. Who particularly benefit from the rising volume of trade?
A)

People who have expertise in international trade.
B)

Consumers who favor imported goods and services.
C)

Producers of agricultural goods and raw materials.
D)

Retailers dealing in foreign goods and services.
55. What is one of the challenges facing the American economy?
A)

Competition from overseas. C) Slack trade activities.
B)

People's reluctance to spend. D) Decreasing productivity.
56. What is the author's advice to U.S. companies and individuals?
A)

To import more cheap goods from developing countries.
B)

To move their companies to where labor is cheaper.
C)

To increase their market share overseas.
D)

To be alert to fluctuations in foreign markets.
Passage Two
Questions 57 to 61 are based on the following passage.
A recurring criticism of the UK's university sector is its perceived weakness in translating
new knowledge into new products and services.
Recently, the UK National Stem Cell Network warned the UK could lose its place among the
world leaders in stem cell research unless adequate funding and legislation could be assured.
We should take this concern seriously as universities are key in the national innovation system.
However, we do have to challenge the unthinking complaint that the sector does not do enough in
taking ideas to market. The most recent comparative data on the performance of universities and research
institutions in Australia, Canada, USA and UK shows that, from a relatively weak startingposition, the
UK now leads on many indicators of commercialisation activity.
When viewed at the national level, the policy interventions of the past decade have
helpedtransform the performance of UK universities. Evidence suggests the UK's position is much
stronger than in the recent past and is still showing improvement. But national data masks the very
largevariation in the performance of individual universities. The evidence shows that a large number
ofuniversities have fallen off the back of the pack, a few perform strongly and the rest chase
theleaders.
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This type of uneven distribution is not peculiar to the UK and is mirrored across other economies. In
the UK, research is concentrated: less than 25% of universities receive 75% of the research funding.
These same universities are also the institutions producing the greatest share of PhD graduates,
science citations, patents and licence income. The effect of policies generating long-term resource
concentration has also created a distinctive set of universities which are research-led and commercially
active. It seems clear that the concentration of research and commercialisation work creates
differences between universities.
The core objective for universities which are research-led must be to maximise the impact oftheir
research efforts. These universities should be generating the widest range of social, economic and
environmental benefits. In return for the scale of investment, they should share their expertise in order
to build greater confidence in the sector.
Part of the economic recovery of the UK will be driven by the next generation of research
commercialisation spilling out of our universities. There are three dozen universities in the UKwhich
are actively engaged in advanced research training and commercialisation work.
If there was a greater coordination of technology transfer offices within regions and a simultaneous
investment in the scale and functions of our graduate schools, universities could, and should, play a key
role in positioning the UK for the next growth cycle.
注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
57. What does the author think of UK universities in terms of commercialisation?
A)

They fail to convert knowledge into money.
B)

They do not regard it as their responsibility.
C)

They still have a place among the world leaders.
D)

They have lost their leading position in many ways.
58. What does the author say about the national data on UK universities' performance in
commercialisation?
A)

It masks the fatal weaknesses of government policy.
B)

It does not rank UK universities in a scientific way.
C)

It does not reflect the differences among universities.
D)

It indicates their ineffective use of government resources.
59. We can infer from Paragraph 5 that
A)

government aid to non-research- oriented universities
B)

compulsory cooperation between universities and industries
C)

fair distribution of funding for universities and research institutions
D)

concentration of resources in a limited number of universities
60. What does the author suggest research-led universities do?
A)

Publicise their research to win international recognition.
B)

Fully utilise their research to benefit all sectors of society.
C)

Generously share their facilities with those short of funds.
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