六级考前冲刺试题三.doc

六级考前冲刺试题三Part I Writing (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay entitled Career or Marriage?. You should write at least 150 words following the outline given below.1. 目前许多大四女生不忙求职忙相亲2. 产生这种现象的原因3. 我的看法Career or Marriage?_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 17, choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). For questions 810, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.Auto-Tune: Why Pop Music Sounds PerfectIf you havent been listening to pop radio in the past few months, youve missed the rise of two seemingly opposing trends. In a medium in which mediocre (平庸的) singing has never been a bar to entry, a lot of pop vocals suddenly sound great. Better than great: note- and pitch-perfect, as if theres been an unspoken tightening of standards at record labels or an evolutionary leap in the development of vocal cords. At the other extreme are a few hip-hop singers who also hit their notes but with a precision so exaggerated that on first listen, their songs sound comically artificial, like a chorus of 50s robots singing Motown.The force behind both trends is an ingenious plug-in called Auto-Tune, a downloadable studio trick that can take a vocal and instantly nudge it onto the proper note or move it to the correct pitch. Its like Photoshop for the human voice. Auto-Tune doesnt make it possible for just anyone to sing like a pro, but used as its creator intended, it can transform a wavering (颤抖的) performance into something technically flawless. “Right now, if you listen to pop, everything is in perfect pitch, perfect time and perfect tune,” says producer Rick Rubin. “Thats how widespread Auto-Tune is.” Auto-Tunes inventor is a man named Andy Hildebrand, who worked for years interpreting seismic (i.e. relating to earthquakes) data for the oil industry. Using a mathematical formula called autocorrelation, Hildebrand would send sound waves into the ground and record their reflections, providing an accurate map of potential drill sites. Its a technique that saves oil companies lots of money and allowed Hildebrand to retire at 40. He was debating the next chapter of his life at a dinner party when a guest challenged him to invent a box that would allow her to sing in tune. After he worked on autocorrelation for a few months, Auto-Tune was born in late 1996.Almost immediately, studio engineers adopted it as a trade secret to fix flubbed (搞砸了的) notes, saving them the expense and trouble of having to redo sessions. The first time common ears heard Auto-Tune was on the immensely irritating 1998 Cher hit “Believe.” In the first verse, when Cher sings “I cant break through” as though shes standing behind an electric fan, thats Auto-Tune but its not the way Hildebrand meant it to be used. The programs retune speed, which adjusts the singers voice, can be set from zero to 400. “If you set it to 10, that means that the output pitch will get halfway to the target pitch in 10 milliseconds,” says Hildebrand. “But if you let that parameter go to zero, it finds the nearest note and changes the output pitch instantaneously” eliminating the natural transition between notes and making the singer sound jumpy and automated. “I never figured anyone in their right mind would want to do that,” he says.Like other trends set by Cher, the creative abuse of Auto-Tune quickly went out of fashion, although it continued to be an indispensable part of the engineers toolbox. But in 2003, T-Pain (Faheem Najm), a little-known rapper and singer, accidentally stumble onto the Cher effect while Auto-Tuning some of his vocals. “It just worked for my voice,” says T-Pain in his natural Tallahassee accent. “And there wasnt anyone else doing it.”Since his 2005 first album, T-Pain has sent a dozen mechanically cheery singles into the Top 10. He contributed to four nominated songs at this years Grammys on Feb. 8, and his influence is still spreading. When Kanye West was looking for an effect to match some heartbroken lyrics, he flew T-Pain to Hawaii to see how many ways they could adjust Auto-Tune. Diddy gave a percentage of his upcoming albums profits to T-Pain in exchange for some lessons. Even Prince is rumored to be experimenting with Auto-Tune on his new record. “I know Auto-Tune) better than anyone,” says T-Pain. “And even Im just figuring out all the ways you can use it to change the mood of a record.” Rubin, whos produced artists as diverse as the Dixie Chicks and Metallica, worries that the safety net of Auto-Tune is making singers lazy. “Sometimes a singer will do lots of takes when theyre recording a song, and you really can hear the emotional difference when someone does a great performance vs. an average one,” says Rubin. “If youre pitch-correcting, you might not bother to make the effort. You might just get it done and put it through the machine so its all in tune.” Rubin has taken to having an ethical conversation before each new recording session. “I encourage artists to embrace a natural process,” he says.With the exception of Milli Vanillis, pop listeners have always been fairly indulgent about performers ethics. Its hits that matter, and the average person listening to just one pop song on the radio will have a hard time hearing Auto-Tunes impact; its effectively deceptive. But when track after track has perfect pitch, the songs are harder to differentiate from one another which explains why pop is in a pretty serious lull (停滞) at the moment. It also changes the way we hear unaffected voices. “The other day, someone was talking about how Aretha Franklin at the Inauguration was a bit pitchy,” says Anderson. “I said, Of course! She was singing! And that was a musician talking. People are getting used to hearing things dead on pitch, and its changed their expectations.”Despite Randy Jacksons stock American Idol critique “A little pitchy, dawg” many beloved songs are actually off-pitch or out of tune. Theres Ringo Starr on “With a Little Help from My Friends,” of course, and just about every blues song slides into notes as opposed to hitting them dead on. Even Norah Jones, the poster girl of pure vocals, isnt perfect. “Theres some wonderful imperfections of pitch on Dont Know Why from Come Away with Me,” says Anderson, “and most of the other tunes on the album as well. But I wouldnt want to change a single note.”Lets hope that pops fetish for uniform perfect pitch will fade, even if the spread of Auto-Tune shows no signs of slowing. A $99 version for home musicians was released in November 2007, and T-Pain and Auto-Tunes parent company are finishing work on an iPhone app. “Its gonna be real cool,” says T-Pain. “Basically, you can add Auto-Tune to your voice and send it to your friends and put it on the Web. Youll be able to sound just like me.” Asked if that might render him no longer unique, T-Pain laughs: “Im not too worried. I got lots of tricks you aint seen yet. Its everybody else that needs to step up their game.”1. What is the force of the rise of two trends which appear opposite to each other? A) The development of pop radio. B) Photoshop that can edit human voice.C) A vocal software called Auto-Tune. D) The popularity of a pop singer named Cher.2. Originally the creator intended to use Auto-Tune to _.A) change a poorly-sung song into a perfect oneB) make everyone sing like a professional singerC) inject some vitality into the pop industryD) bring the flaw of pop songs into public3. Before Andy Hildebrand retired at 40, he worked for _.A) the seismological bureau B) Auto-Tunes parent companyC) oil companies D) a tape-recorder factory4. Studio engineers benefit greatly from Auto-Tune in that _.A) they no longer need to correct wrong notesB) it helps them keep songs secret before going publicC) it is totally free and thus saves them lots of moneyD) they dont have to waste time on recording music again5. What does the author say about the craze for Auto-Tune which trendy Cher started?A) It faded soon. B) It lasted for many years.C) It made engineers lazy. D) It harmed peoples creativity.6. According to the passage, what happened to T-Pain since 2005?A) He had to give up Auto-Tune.B) He became very successful.C) He made a fortune working for the Prince.D) He won fame as teachers of well-known singers.7. According to Rubin, the effect of Auto-Tune on singers may be _.A) positive B) negative C) exaggerated D) underestimated8. During the recording session, singers are encouraged by Rubin to sing in a way.9. In general, when it comes to the issue of pop singers ethics, average listeners are .10. Although many songs in Norah Joness album were out of tune, Anderson would rather make no to the songs. Part III Listening Comprehension (35 minutes)Section ADirections: 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.11. A) She originally proposed it. B) Shes quite sure it will take place. C) Its success depends on the weather. D) She doesnt think it will be held as proposed.12. A) The library has already chosen some people to work there. B) The library is looking for more applicants. C) She is going to give the man a job offer. D) The man should hurry up.13. A) Antibiotics. B) Cough medicine. C) Honey and whisky. D) Over-the-counter medicines.14. A) The woman is a housewife. B) The woman is an excellent cook. C) Mary helped a lot in cooking the dish.D) The woman has never cooked before.15. A) She is not a very famous actress. B) She is not so fortunate as other actresses. C) She is not very much tempted by big money. D) She has no idea of how to make advertisements.16. A) The man should buy a new camera. B) The man can have his camera fixed here. C) She will probably fix the mans camera herself. D) The camera should have been brought in earlier.17. A) The so-early start-working hour. B) The advanced equipment in the laboratory. C) The terrible working habit of his colleagues. D) The interval between the start-working hours of two places.18. A) She thinks the man should stay with his sister at home. B) She invites the man and his sister to her party. C) She will go with the man to meet his sister. D) She will cancel her birthday party.Questions 19 to 22 are based on the conversation you have just heard.19. A) IT industry. B) Education industry.C) Medicine industry. D) Engineering industry.20. A) Health insurance, paid vacation, and a company vehicle.B) Paid vacation, opportunities for advancement, and medicare.C) Opportunities for advancement, insurance, and a free bus pass.D) Paid vacation, opportunities for promotion, and health insurance.21. A) Expanding and secure. B) Contracting, yet stable.C) Growing, yet uncertain. D) Promising, yet shrinking.22. A) He has a Bachelors degree. B) He didnt finish the college.C) He is now a college student. D) He is now studying in a night school.Questions 23 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.23. A) He has finished the first draft. B) He has just got started.C) He has finished the main body. D) He has handed the paper in.24. A) Strict and picky. B) Responsible and nice.C) Helpful and patient. D) Responsible but too direct.25. A) Have dinner with him. B) Write the paper for him.C) Go to classes with him. D) Help him with the paper.Section BDirections: 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.Passage OneQuestions 26 to 28 are based on the passage you have just heard.26. A) To write a business letter. B) To provide proof of the deal.C) To find out the mistakes of a letter.D) To finish reading the letter quickly.27. A) Students with higher SAT verbal scores who use the grammar and spelling software.B) Students with lower SAT verbal scores who use the grammar and spelling software.C) Students with higher SAT verbal scores who dont use the grammar and spelling software.D) Students with lower SAT verbal scores who dont use the grammar and spelling software.28. A) The technical specialist should improve the software.B) The software can not solve the students problems at all.C) The software is des