2016年12月大学英语六级考试真题及答案(第一套).docx

2016年12月大学英语六级考试真题(第1套)
Part I Writing (30 minutes)
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on invention. Youressay should include the importance of invention and measures to be taken to encourageinvention. You are required to write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words.

Part Ⅱ Listening Comprehension (30 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of eachconversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation and thequestions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you mustchoose the best answer from the four choices marked A, B, C and D.
Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet I with a single linethrough the centre.
Questions 1 to 4 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
1. A. It tries to predict the possible trends of global climate change.
B. It studies the impacts of global climate change on people's lives.
C. It links the science of climate change to economic and policy issues.
D. It focuses on the efforts countries can make to deal with global warming.
2. A. It will take a long time before a consensus is reached on its impact.
B. It would be more costly to deal with its consequences than to avoid it.
C. It is the most pressing issue confronting all countries.
D. It is bound to cause endless disputes among nations.
3. A. The transition to low-carbon energy systems.
B. The cooperation among world major powers.
C. The signing of a global agreement.
D. The raising of people's awareness.
4. A. Carry out more research on it.
B. Cut down energy consumption.
C. Plan well in advance.
D. Adopt new technology.
Questions 5 to 8 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
5. A. When luck plays a role.
B. what determines success.
C. Whether practice makes perfect.
D. How important natural talent is.
6. A. It knocks at your door only once in a while.
B. It is something that no one can possibly create.
C. It comes naturally out of one's self-confidence.
D. It means being good at seizing opportunities.
7. A. Luck rarely contributes to a person's success.
B. One must have natural talent to be successful.
C. One should always be ready to seize opportunities.
D. Practice is essential to becoming good at something.
8. A. Putting time and effort into fun things is profitable.
B. People who love what they do care little about money.
C. Being passionate about work can make one wealthy.
D. People in need of money work hard automatically.
Section B
Directions: In this section, you will hear two passages. At the end of each passage, you will hearthree or four 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 markedA, B, C and D. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with asingle line through the centre
Questions 9 to 12 are based on the passage you have just heard.
9. A. The stump of a giant tree.
B. A huge piece of rock.
C. The peak of a mountain.
D. A tall chimney.
10. A. Human activity.
B. Wind and water.
C. Chemical processes.
D. Fire and fury.
11. A. It is a historical monument.
B. It was built in ancient times.
C. It is Indians' sacred place for worship.
D. It was created by supernatural powers.
12. A. By sheltering them in a cave.
B. By killing the attacking bears.
C. By lifting them well above the ground.
D. By taking them to the top of a mountain.
Questions 13 to 15 are based on the passage you have just heard.
13. A. They will buy something from the convenience stores.
B. They will take advantage of the time to rest a while.
C. They will have their vehicles washed or serviced.
D. They will pick up some souvenirs or gift items.
14. A. They can bring only temporary pleasures.
B. They are meant for the extremely wealthy.
C. They should be done away with altogether.
D. They may eventually drive one to bankruptcy.
15. A. A good way to socialize is to have daily lunch with one's colleagues.
B. Retirement savings should come first in one's family budgeting.
C. A vacation will be affordable if one saves 20 dollars a week.
D. Small daily savings can make a big difference in one's life.
Section C
Directions: In this section, you will hear three recordings of lectures or talks followed by three orfour questions. The recordings will be played only once. After you hear a question, youmust choose the best answer from the four choices marked A, B, C and D. Thenmark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.
Questions 16 to 18 are based on the recording you have just heard.
16. A. They should be done away with.
B. They are necessary in our lives.
C. They enrich our experience.
D. They are harmful to health.
17. A. They feel stressed out even without any challenges in life.
B. They feel too overwhelmed to deal with life's problems.
C. They are anxious to free themselves from life's troubles.
D. They are exhausted even without doing any heavy work. ~
18. A. They expand our mind.
B. They prolong our lives.
C. They narrow our focus.
D.They lessen our burdens
Questions 19 to 22 are based on the recording you have just heard.
19. A. It is not easily breakable.
B. It came from a 3D printer.
C. It represents the latest style.
D. It was made by a fashion designer.
20. A. When she had just graduated from her college.
B. When she attended a conference in New York.
C. When she was studying at a fashion design school.
D. When she attended a fashion show nine months ago.
21. A. It was difficult to print.
B. It was hard to come by.
C. It was hard and breakable.
D. It was extremely expensive.
22. A. It is the latest model of a 3D printer.
B. It is a plastic widely used in 3D printing.
C. It gives fashion designers room for imagination.
D. It marks a breakthrough in printing material.
Questions 23 to 25 are based on the recording you have just heard.
23. A. They arise from the advances in technology.
B. They have not been examined in detail so far.
C. They are easy to solve with modern technology.
D. They can't be solved without government support.
24. A It is attractive to entrepreneurs.
B. It demands huge investment.
C. It focuses on new products.
D. It is intensely competitive.
25. A.Cooperation with big companies.
B. Recruiting more qualified staff.
C. In-service training of IT personnel.
D. Sharing of costs with each other.
Part Ⅲ Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word foreach blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read thepassage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank isidentified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bankmore than once.
Questions 26 to 35 are based on the following passage.

It is important that scientists be seen as normal people asking and answering important questions.Good, sound science depends on 26, experiments and reasoned methodologies. It requires awillingness to ask new questions and try new approaches. It requires one to take risks and experiencefailures. But good science also requires 27 understanding,clear explanation and concisepresentation.
Our country needs more scientists who are willing to step out in the public 28 and offer theiropinions on important matters. We need more scientists who can explain what they are doing inlanguage that is 29 and understandable to the public. Those of us who are not scientists should alsobe prepared to support public engagement by scientists, and to 30 scientific knowledge into ourpublic communications.
Too many people in this country, including some among our elected leadership, still do notunderstand how science works or why robust, long-range investments in research vitally matter. In the1960s, the United States 31 nearly 17% of discretionary (可酌情支配的) spending to research anddevelopment,32 decades of economic growth. By 2008, the figure had fallen into the single33 This occurs at a time when other nations have made significant gains in their own researchcapabilities.
At the University of California (UC), we 34 ourselves not only on the quality of our research,but also on its contribution to improving our world. To 35 the development of science from the labbench to the market place, UC is investing our own money in our own good ideas.

A. Arena B. contextual
C. Convincing D. devoted
E. Digits F. hasten
G. Hypotheses H. impairing
I. Incorporate J. indefinite
K. Indulge L. inertia
M. Pride N. reaping
O. Warrant

Section B
Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Eachstatement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraphfrom which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once.Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking thecorresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.
Are We in an Innovation Lull?
[A] Scan the highlights of this year's Consumer Electronics Show ( CES ), and you may get a slightfeeling of having seen them before. Many of the coolest gadgets this year are the same as thecoolest gadgets last year--or the year before, even. The booths are still exciting, and the demosare still just as crazy. It is still easy to be dazzled by the display of drones (无人机),3D printers,virtual reality goggles ( 眼镜) and more "smart" devices than you could ever hope to catalog.Upon reflection, however, it is equally easy to feel like you have seen it all before. And it is hardnot to think: Are we in an innovation lull ( 间歇期) ?
[B] In some ways, the answer is yes. For years, smartphones, televisions, tablets, laptops anddesktops have made up a huge part of the market and driven innovation. But now these segmentsare looking at slower growth curves--or shrinking markets in some cases--as consumers are notas eager to spend money on new gadgets. Meanwhile, emerging technologies--the drones,3Dprinters and smart-home devices of the world--now seem a bit too old to be called "the next bigthing. "
[C] Basically the tech industry seems to be in an awkward period now. "There is not any one-hitwonder, and there will not be one for years to come," said Gary Shapiro, president and chiefexecutive of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA). In his eyes, however, that doesn'tnecessarily mean that innovation has stopped. It has just grown up a little. "Many industries aregoing out of infancy and becoming adolescents," Shapiro said.
[D] For instance, new technologies that are building upon existing technology have not found theirfooting well enough to appeal to a mass audience, because, in many cases, they need to workeffectively with other devices to realize their full appeal. Take the evolution of the smart home,for example. Companies are pushing it hard but make it almost overwhelming even to dip a toe inthe water for the average consumer, because there are so many compatibility issues to thinkabout. No average person wants to figure out whether their favorite calendar software works withtheir fridge or whether their washing machine and tablet get along. Having to install a different appfor each smart appliance in your home is annoying; it would be nicer if you could manageeverything together. And while you may forgive your smartphone an occasional fault, youprobably have less patience for error messages from your door lock.
[E] Companies are promoting their own standards, and the market has not had time to choose awinner yet as this is still very new. Companies that have long focused on hardware now have tothink of ecosystems instead to give consumers practical solutions to their everyday problems."The dialogue is changing from what is technologically possible to what is technologicallymeaningful," said economist Shawn DuBravac. DuBravac works for CTA--which puts on theshow each year--and said that this shift to a search for solutions has been noticeable as heresearched his predictions for 2016.
[F] "So much of what CES has been about is the cool. It is about the flashiness and the gadgets,"said John Curran, managing director of research at Accenture. "But over the last couple of years,and in this one in particular, we are starting to see companies shift from what is the largest screensize, the smallest form factor or the shiniest object and more into what all of these devices do thatis practical in a consumer's life. " Even the technology press conferences, which have been high-profile in the past and reached a level of drama and theatrics fitting for a Las Vegas stage, have adifferent bent to them. Rather than just dazzling with a high cool factor, there is a focus on thepractical. Fitbit, for example, released its first smartwatch Monday, selling with a clearpurpose--to improve your fitness--and promoting it as a "tool, not a toy. " Not only that, itsupports a number of platforms: Apple's iOS, Google's Android and Microsoft's Windows phone.
[G] That seems to be what consumers are demanding, after all. Consumers are becoming increasinglybored with what companies have to offer: A survey of 28,000 consumers in 28 countries releasedby Accenture found consumers are not as excited about technology as they once were. Forexample, when asked whether they would buy a new smartphone this year, only 48 percent saidyes--a six-point drop from 2015.
[H] And when it comes to the hyper-connected super-smart world that technology firms are paintingfor us, it seems that consumers are growing more uneasy about handing over the massive amountsof consumer data needed to provide the personalized, customized solutions that companies needto improve their services. That could be another explanation for why companies seem to bestrengthening their talk of the practicality of their devices.
[I] Companies have already won part of the battle, having driven tech into every part of our lives,tracking our steps and our very heartbeats. Yet the persistent question of " Why do I needthat?"--or, perhaps more tellingly, "Why do you need to know that?"--dogs the steps of manynew ventures. Only 13 percent of respondents said that they were interested in buying asmartwatch in 2016, for example--an increase of just one percent from the previous year despite ayear of high-profile launches. That is bad news for any firm that may hope that smartwatches canmake up ground for maturing smartphone and tablet markets. And the survey found flat demandfor fitness monitors, smart thermostats (恒温器) and connected home camer