12月六级英语考试模拟试题

　　单项选择题

　　1、Questions are based on the following passage.

President Obama signed a legislation to provide twenty-six billion dollars to the States for education and measures include ten billion dollars for education and sixteen billion for Medicaid, the jointstate-federal government medical program for the legislation will help one hundred and sixty thousand teachers and one hundred and fifty thousand police and public service workers keep their ,

the measures are good news for them.

The House of Representatives has approved the e members had already begun a six-week holiday when the Senate approved the measure last ker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, took the rare step of calling House lawmakers back to Washington to vote on the bill and send it to President Obama without is obvious that the House of Representatives are also very concerned with the progress.

President Obama has stressed the importance of education for all said this is necessary for the "country to compete among some of the world's fastest growing a speech given at the University of Texas, the president talked about the decrease in college graduation rates in the United States.

"In a single generation, we've fallen from first place to twelfth place in college graduation rates for young is unacceptable, but it is not can retake the lead. President Obama said educational success and economic well-being are linked, especially in a world economy driven by information and technology,His goal is to increase the percentage of college graduates from forty percent to sixty percent by the year president said the federal government has already

reformed the student loan system and increased tax credits for families struggling to pay college education is hoped that those measures would be effective.

Democrats in Congress say spending for the new bill will not add to the federal budget some Republican lawmakers criticized the e Republican leader John Boehner dismissed the emergency jobs measure as more wasteful spending aimed at pleasing the Democrats' traditional union allies.

"The American people are screaming at the top of their lungs, ' Stop! ' And Washington continues to spend, spend, spend."

Hours before the vote, President Obama told reporters at the White House that education and the safety of communities should not be a political party issue."Those interests are widely shared throughout this country.A challenge that affects parents, children and citizens in almost every community in America should not be a Democratic problem or a Republican is an American problem.

Which of the following would NOT benefit from the new legislation?

hers.

cemen.

ic service workers.

ors.

2、Strategies for calling it a day

A) Grant Freeland began to worry about the amount of hours he put in at work when a number of talented consultants in his Boston office left. They were burnt out and desperate to have a life outside work. Serendipitously( 偶然地), he was contacted by Leslie Perlow, professor of leadership in organisational behaviour at Harvard Business School. She had a question that he too wanted answering: could consultants, at the beck and call of(唯命是从) clients' demands, ever have anything approaching a work-life balance?

B) For a year she studied his team at Boston Consulting Group and came back with the verdict that the biggest problem was a lack of predictability." People could never make a plan because of client demands," recalls Mr. Freeland. So they came up with a scheme called "predictable time off", or PTO.

It gave employees an evening or a day between Mondays and Thursdays when they would not be contacted and could switch off the phone and email. "Most efforts fail if we aim for work-life balance as it's superficial unless you change how work is done", says Mr. Freeland, senior partner, today responsible for BCG's people and organisation practice. It was a tricky sell, he reflects. "Some thought long hours were a rite of passage; others didn't think we needed PTO. "

C) The most important aspect of the initiative, which was rolled out from 2008, was that it made people talk and plan. "It forced teams to prioritise. We found that teams that had predictable time off worked fewer hours overall and worked smarter. It had forced them to discuss behavioural norms," he says. "If you promote people who work 20 hours a day, then people think to get a promotion you need to work 20hours. "

D) Among those teams that adopt PTO, the retention rate has increased, he insists. On average he thinks he works 60 hours a week. However, if doing due diligence on a company, "all bets are off", he says :people have to put the hours in.

E) Despite BCG's ambitions to change working practices, the most common complaints on Glassdoor, a website that allows former employees to post reviews of companies and jobs, is long hours. As one reviewer writes: "There is a powerfully-entrenched long-hours sessions really just turn into grumbling sessions that don't change expectations. "

F) Yet BCG is at least trying to tackle the issue, unusual in a sector that assigns great social importance to long hours. Consultancy is far from unique : many bankers, lawyers and medics see excessive hours as a badge of honour. Alexandra Michel, a banker turned academic, found that even when bankers moved to other sectors for a better work-life balance, they had internalised banking's ethos to such an extent that they increased the working day for their new colleagues.

G) In the technology industry, coders work around the clock. Moreover, the industry's bias towards youth, says Jim Hart, chief executive of Senn Delaney, an organisational-culture consulting firm, "encourages people to think they can work hard while they are fit and young, and make money".

H) While there is evidence that overworking hampers productivity--for example, a Stanford University study that showed that those doing 60-hour weeks produced less high-quality code than those doing 40 hours--there is also research by the Graduate School of Management, University of California, Davis, that shows the more one is seen at the office, the more others perceive you as "dependable" and "committed".

I) A recent report by Oxford university identified the emergence of a new "super" working class of wealthy professionals who ratchet up(逐渐升高) hours in the office. The study says the best-educated used to work much shorter hours, yet by the start of the 21st century they were working the longest hours.

J) Some companies are experimenting with curbing the use of technologies that have blurred the lines between home and office. Volkswagen, the German carmaker, prevents emails being issued from 30 minutes after the end of an employee's shift until the server is switched on the next day, issuing emails again half an hour before the new working day begins. Daimler recently announced that employees can opt to have any emails they receive while they are on holiday automatically deleted.

K) Dr. Michel believes that even bankers can curb long hours if their employers give feedback on skills and abilities that decline with overwork, such as judgment and creativity. "Many firms interview clients in formally about the creativity of a team's solutions. This information is passed along to employees on a weekly basis and allows them to witness first-hand the correlation between overwork and the dimensions that are critical to high performance. " Such feedback, she says, is more effective than merely telling people what can happen when they work too much or rules about not working on weekends.

L) Almuth McDowall, an occupational psychologist who specialises in work-life balance, says it is possible to change a culture. She has worked with some British tech companies that peg(挂钩)bonuses to sensible hours. If a developer achieves his or her goal within prescribed hours, they are rewarded financially but not if they work excessively.

M) She believes that we are not good at recognising "what good work looks ing long hours has become a proxy for good performance". Some banks have attempted to curb the long hours for junior employees by doing more than giving clear days off. They are also engaging the juniors with meaningful work to display their ability, so they do not feel they can only prove their worth by slogging away untildawn. Moreover, tasks need to be realistic and allocated coherently. "We need to see duty of care aspart of the role of manager," says Ms McDowall. "And sensible hours needs to be championed by middie managers as well as senior leaders. "

N) Don Serratt, who left banking to start a company treating behavioural health problems, says blanket policies do not work. "It has to start with the individual. Some people have more stamina(耐力)and get energy from working more than others. Others continue to work hard in spite of the negative consequences. " The warning signs, he says, are if you are neglecting your health, missing your children

growing up or ignoring your partner.

O) Google's long-term study of working cultures has revealed that some people are better equipped than others to leave the office behind at the end of the working day. Laszlo Bock, who heads the tech company's people operations division, describes two types of working personality: "segmentors", a minority who are able to draw a psychological line between work stress and home, and "integrators", for whom work lurks constantly in their heads, leading them to check their emails constantly. As Mr. Serratt acknowledges: ultimately, knowing when to call it a day comes down to self-awareness.

A research shows that thosae working more hours in the office are considered more reliable and dedicated.

3、根据材料，回答题

Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from 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 the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.

Why Are Airlines Withholding Seats?

A. A few months ago I booked a flight for two and then went to select seats on the airline's site. Based on the destination and time of year, I was surprised to find only two adjacent seats were available without paying a premium (额外费用). But I was even more surprised a few weeks later, when we boarded the aircraft and a flight attendant announced that only 30% of seats were occupied, so we should all feel free to stretch out.

B. So how could a flight that looked nearly full a month earlier wind up with seven out of ten seats empty? That's a question only the airlines can answer, and they're not eager to provide many details.

C. Are some carriers intentionally holding back seat assignments, in the hope we'll all pay for "premium" seats?It's a fair question, and the evidence is intriguing.

Behind the screen indeed

D. An awful plot goes on behind airline and travel booking screens, and much of it is strictly off-limits to consumers. What we do know is that for decades now airlines have become masters of what the industry calls yield management, offering millions of combinations of fares based on advance purchase patterns and other booking trends, so nearly everyone pays a different price based on when they buy. But now that paying extra for your seat selection has become common practice, securing your reservation is just half the battle.

industry experts have connected the dots. "They're trying to get people to buy premium seats," says George Hobica, 's Fly Guy columnist and the founder of . "They want to increase revenue. And we're getting more complaints about it. " He notes that it "really annoys" passengers who want to sit together, particularly when traveling with small children.

's echoed by Kevin Mitchell, chairman of the Business Travel Coalition (联盟): "With yield management,consumers are aware and they know that airlines are constantly changing prices on seats. But if this is true, it is unethical--they're grossly misleading us. The thing that I find so offensive is conveying to me that I have no options, but if I wait a week or two then I do have options. "

G. According to the airlines, the reason for ancillary ( 附加的 ) revenue is unbundling (分类计价) ticket prices,so passengers who desire a given service--say checking a bag or ordering a soft drink--pay for it, while those who don't are spared the cost. But as Mitchell notes, "There's another twist to this. The airlines are saying fees are for 'optional services.' Well, seats aren't optional! "

H. Of course, securing a good seat isn't an issue if you're in first class or you're an elite member of a frequent flyer program. But what about the rest of us? As I've pointed out repeatedly in recent columns, we're faced with record-high load factors, the highest for the U.S. airline industry since World War II. But even with the average percentage of occupied seats for domestic flights at 82.7%, it's still an average--some flights will be fuller but others will not, particularly weeks in advance. Yet searching for seats keeps getting harder and harder.

　Seats for sale

ca cites the major airlines as the prime culprits (起因), but he also notes even low-cost carriers can make securing seats difficult. On the flip side, he credits JetBlue and Virgin America for providing customers with clear policies. And then there is British Airways, which allows passengers in economy and business classes to select seats only 24 hours in advance. I asked an airline representative if seeing fewer free seats is a trend, and the response was: "That's going to vary because there are so many variables. "

J.I decided to check on seat availability at . I inquired about economy-class availability for two seats on a busy route--Atlanta to Chicago--and conducted an apples-to-apples search for the same morning departure seven days in advance, and again 14 days in advance. For the flight one week out, a total of only eight seats were available, one preferred and seven standard, but only one set of two seats together. For the flight two weeks out, a total of 29 seats were available, consisting of 20 preferred and only nine standard, and still with only one set together. Remarkable how even twice the booking time still produced so few "free" seats, separately or together, yet there were plenty of seats that could be bought for the fight price.

K. I contacted Delta and a spokesman said the price for preferred economy varies "depending on a number of different factors," so customers need to compare the costs on a flight-by-flight basis. The preferred seats are reserved primarily for Medallion ( 大勋章 ) members, and become available without additional charge 24 hours prior to departure. When asked if Delta has received complaints about a dearth of free seats, he stated,"Overall, our seat program has been received very well. "

L. But my findings dovetailed ( 吻合 ) with recent complaints filed with Airfarewatchdog:(1) When (my husbanD. tried to get a seat assignment on the first flight there was just one "complimentary (免费的 ) seat"(near the back in the middle) available.., the other available seats had to be purchased for $69. On the connecting flight there were no "complimentary seats" at all! Is this legal? He bought and paid for a ticket on these flights and now he is supposed to "buy" a seat! (2) (After) paying for the flight, a message popped up and said that I could only get a seat assignment when I checked in. In order to get a confirmed seat, I had to pay $129 extra! Unless I pay, without a confirmed seat, I am the first one to be bumped from the flight if they are overbooked. How do they get away with this? (3) Does checking in online at the 24-hour mark before the flight give me a number in line or let me select seats then? Or do we all rush the gate with our boarding passes (and no seat assignment) in order to get the seat assignment?

　How to respond?

M. So what can you do? It's a tough proposition. Usually I would offer strategies for countering such airline initiatives, but in this case the options are limited. That's why some believe the U.S. Department of Transportation should investigate these practices. As Mitchell says, "The airlines are holding all the cards with this one. There is a sore need for transparency on this. When people are confused, they make bad decisions. "

N. That said, consider the following: (1) When budgeting your airfares, make sure you consider not just baggage fees but the added cost of seat selection--for all travelers and in both directions.(2) If possible, book early,when there should be more seats available, and check in early too. Why the qualifier "should"? Because if availability is artificially manipulated, it's hard to be certain.(3) Book airlines that offer more transparent seat-selection policies. Of course, this is not an issue with Southwest and other carriers that offer "open seating" policies. (4) Finally, the last resort is what Hobica calls "horse trading": negotiating seat swaps with other passengers. But this has become a risky and undesirable option with flights so full, overhead bins (行李仓) so crammed and fellow passengers who may have paid for premium seats in advance.

Behind the airline and travel booking screens, a terrible plot is being carried out, much of which is rigorously kept confidential from passengers.

4、根据材料，回答题

Questions 36 to 45 are based on the following passage.

In the second half of the twentieth century, many countries of the South began to send students to the industrialized countries for further education. They36needed supplies of highly trained personnel to37 a concept of development based on modernization. But many of these students decided to stay on in the developed

countries when they had finished their training.

In the 1960s, some Latin American countries tried to solve this problem by setting up special "return"programs to encourage their professionals to come back home. These programs received support from international bodies such as the International Organization for Migration, which in 1974enabled over 1,60038scientists and technicians to return to Latin America.

In the 1980s and 1990s, "temporary return" programs were set up in order to make the best use of trained personnel39strategic positions in the developed countries. This gave rise to the United Nations Development Program's Transfer of Knowledge through Expatriate Nationals, which encourages technicians and scientists to work in their own countries for short periods. But the brain drain from these countries may well increase in40 to the new laws of the international market in knowledge.

Recent studies 41 that the most developed countries are going to need more and more highly qualified professionals around twice as many as their educational systems will be able to produce, or so it is thought. As a 42there is an urgent need for developing countries which send students abroad to give43to fields where they need competent people to give muscle to their own institutions, instead of encouraging the training of people who may not come back because there are no professional outlets for them. And the countries of the South must not be content with institutional structures that simply take back professionals sent abroad; they must introduce 44administrative procedures to encourage them to return. If they do not do this, the brain drain is45to continue.

A. forecast

B. flexible

C. neutrally

D. preference

chM

F. bound

G. implement

H. consequence

I. qualified

J. dismissing

K. result

pying

M. urgently

N . skeptical

O . response

36.__________

5、Questions are based On the conversation you have just heard.

第9题答案为

use his lecture notes weren't very good.

use he didn't understand the lecture.

use he didn't attend the lecture.

use his research was on the same topic as the lecture.

6、 The Works Project Administration could __________.

eve the burden of both the unemployed and the government

sfy the need of people from various fields of the society

the need of most people who were once white-collars

offer people jobs which would support them for a whole life

　　简答题

7、 Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay entitled Human and Environ ment. The essay should start with a brief description of the picture. Write your essay on Answer Sheet 1. You should write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words.

8、 Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay commenting on the remarks "The greatest use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it." You can give examples to illustrate your point and then explain what you will do to make your life more meaningful. You should write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words.

9、中国建筑具有悠久的历史传统和光辉的`成就。从陕西半坡遗址(Shaanxi Banpo Village Remains)发掘的方形或圆形浅穴式房屋发展到现在，已有六、七千年的历史。修建在崇山峻岭之上的万里长城，是人类建筑史上的奇迹;建于隋代的河北赵县的安济桥，在科学技术同艺术的完美结合上，早已走在世界桥梁科学的前列;我国的古典园林，它独特的艺术风格，使它成为中国文化遗产中的一颗明珠。这些技术高超、艺术精湛的建筑，是我国古代灿烂文化的重要组成部分。

10、You should write a short essay entitled What Electives to Choose.

　　写作导航

1.各大学为大学生开设了多种多样的选修课;

2.学生出于各种原因选择不同的选修课;

3.以我自己为例做总结。