2014年大学英语六级模拟试题

　　Part Ⅰ Writing (30 minutes)

　　Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay entitled To Curb Spending? You should write at least 150 words following the outline given below:

　　1. 现在许多大学生花钱大手大脚

　　2. 有人认为社会整体生活水平提高了，大学生花钱多一些无可厚非

　　3. 你的看法

　　To Curb Spending?

　　Part Ⅱ Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) (15 minutes)

　　How Marketers Target Kids

　　Kids represent an important demographic to marketers because they have their own purchasing power, they influence their parents’ buying decisions and they are the adult consumers of the future. Industry spending on advertising to children has exploded in the past decade, increasing from a mere $100 million in 1990 to more than $2 billion in 2000.

　　Parents today are willing to buy more for their kids because trends such as smaller family size, dual incomes and postponing children until later in life mean that families have more disposable income. As well, guilt can play a role in spending decisions as time-stressed parents substitute material goods for time spent with their kids. Here are some of the strategies marketers employ to target kids:

　　Pester(纠缠)Power

　　Today’s kids have more autonomy and decision-making power within the family than in previous generations, so it follows that kids are vocal about what they want their parents to buy. “Pester power” refers to children’s ability to nag their parents into purchasing items they may not otherwise buy. Marketing to children is all about creating pester power, because advertisers know what a powerful force it can be.

　　According to the 2001 marketing industry book Kidfluence, pestering or nagging can be divided into two categories—“persistence” and “importance.” Persistence nagging (a plea, that is repeated over and over again) is not as effective as the more sophisticated “importance nagging.” This latter method appeals to parents’ desire to provide the best for their children, and plays on any guilt they may have about not having enough time for their kids.

　　The Marriage of Psychology and Marketing

　　To effectively market to children, advertisers need to know what makes kids tick. With the help of well-paid researchers and psychologists, advertisers now have access to in-depth knowledge about children’s developmental, emotional and social needs at different ages. Using research that analyzes children’s behaviour, fantasy lives, art work, even their dreams, companies are able to craft sophisticated marketing strategies to reach young people.

　　The issue of using child psychologists to help marketers target kids gained widespread public attention in 1999, when a group of U.S. mental health professionals issued a public letter to the American Psychological Association (APA) urging them to declare the practice unethical. The APA is currently studying the issue.

　　Building Brand Name Loyalty

　　Canadian author Naomi Klein tracks the birth of “brand” marketing in her 2000 book No Logo.According to Klein, the mid-1980s saw the birth of a new kind of corporation—Nike, Calvin Klein,Tommy Hilfiger, to name a few—which changed their primary corporate focus from producing products to creating an image for their brand name. By moving their manufacturing operations to countries with cheap labour, they freed up money to create their powerful marketing messages. It has been a tremendously profitable formula, and has led to the creation of some of the most wealthy and powerful multi-national corporations the world has seen.

　　Marketers plant the seeds of brand recognition in very young children, in the hopes that the seeds will grow into lifetime relationships. According to the Center for a New American Dream, babies as young as six months of age can form mental images of corporate logos and mascots. Brand loyalties can be established as early as age two, and by the time children head off to school most can recognize hundreds of brand logos. While fast food, toy and clothing companies have een cultivating brand recognition in children for years, adult-oriented businesses such as banks and automakers are now getting in on the act.

　　Buzz or Street Marketing

　　The challenge for marketers is to cut through the intense advertising clutter ( 杂乱) in young people’s lives. Many companies are using “buzz marketing” —a new twist on the tried-and-true “word of mouth” method. The idea is to find the coolest kids in a community and have them use or wear your product in order to create a buzz around it. Buzz, or “street marketing,” as it’s also called, can help a company to successfully connect with the elusive ( 难找的) teen market by using trendsetters to give them products “cool” status.

　　Buzz marketing is particularly well-suited to the Internet, where young “Net promoters” use chat rooms and blogs to spread the word about music, clothes and other products among unsuspecting users.

　　Commercialization in Education

　　School used to be a place where children were protected from the advertising and consumer messages that permeated their world—but not anymore. Budget shortfalls ( 亏空，差额) are forcing school boards to allow corporations access to students in exchange for badly needed cash, computers and educational materials.

　　Corporations realize the power of the school environment for promoting their name and products.A school setting delivers a captive youth audience and implies the endorsement of teachers and the educational system. Marketers are eagerly exploiting this medium in a number of ways, including:

　　● Sponsored educational materials.

　　● Supplying schools with technology in exchange for high company visibility.

　　● Advertising posted in classrooms, school buses, on computers in exchange for funds.

　　● Contests and incentive programs: for example, the Pizza Hut reading incentives program in which children

　　receive certificates for free pizza if they achieve a monthly reading goal.

　　● Sponsoring school events.

　　The Internet

　　The Internet is an extremely desirable medium for marketers wanting to target children. It’s part of youth culture. This generation of young people is growing up with the Internet as a daily and routine part of their lives. Kids are often online alone, without parental supervision. Unlike broadcasting media, which have codes regarding advertising to kids, the Internet is unregulated. Sophisticated technologies make it easy to collect information from young people for marketing research, and to target individual children with personalized advertising.

　　Marketing Adult Entertainment to Kids

　　Children are often aware of and want to see entertainment meant for older audiences because it is actively marketed to them. In a report released in 2000, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) revealed how the movie, music and video games industries routinely market violent entertainment to young children.

　　The FTC studied 44 films rated “Restricted,” and discovered that 80 per cent were targeted to children under 17. Marketing plans included TV commercials run during hours when young viewers were most likely to be watching. The FTC report also highlighted the fact that toys based on characters from mature entertainment are often marketed to young children. Mature rated video games are advertised in youth magazines; and toys based on “Restricted” movies and M-rated video games are marketed to children as young as four.

　　1. Guilt can play a role in parents’ spending decisions because _________.

　　A) they don’t earn as much money as before

　　B) they don’t have enough time for their kids

　　C) they postpone children until later in life

　　D) they think time is more precious than money

　　2. According to Kidfluence, persistence nagging is ____________.

　　A) as effective as importance nagging

　　B) more effective than importance nagging

　　C) more sophisticated than importance nagging

　　D) less effective than importance nagging

　　3. A group of U.S. mental health professionals think that __________.

　　A) it is unethical to use child psychologists to help marketers target kids

　　B) it is wise for marketers to use knowledge about children psychology for marketing

　　C) children’s behavior, fantasy lives, and even their dreams should be analyzed

　　D) APA should punish marketers for the marriage of psychology and marketing

　　4.According to the Center for a New American Dream, brand loyalties can be established as early as _______________.

　　A) six months of age B) eighteen months of age

　　C) age two D) age three

　　5. Buzz marketing is well-suited to the Internet because ____________.

　　A) the Internet is an unregulated medium

　　B) the interactive environment can spread messages effectively

　　C) kids can get access to up-dated information from the Internet

　　D) kids are always online without parental supervision

　　6. School boards allow corporations access to students because _______________.

　　A) they take bribes from the corporations

　　B) they need money and educational materials

　　C) the corporations help to increase reputation of the schools

　　D) the corporations are concerned about education

　　7. According to the Pizza Hut reading incentives program, children receive certificates for free pizza if they _______________.

　　A) achieve a monthly reading goal

　　B) like reading books at the Pizza Hut

　　C) win the reading contest organized by the Pizza Hut

　　D) eat out frequently at the Pizza Hut

　　8. For this generation of young people, the Internet is a ____________ part of their lives.

　　9. According to a report released by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, the movie, music and video games industries routinely market to young children.

　　10. The FTC report also highlighted the fact that toys based on ___________ are often marketed to young children.

　　Part Ⅲ Listening Comprehension ( 35 minutes)

　　Section A

　　11. [A] $80. [B] $60. [C] $90. [D] $15.

　　12. [A] He loves his present work. [B] He is going to open a store.

　　[C] He is about to retire. [D] He works in a repair shop.

　　13. [A] Mary is going to Hawaii. [B] Mary has been to many countries.

　　[C] Mary likes postcards. [D] Mary is traveling on business.

　　14. [A] To save the money for a long time. [B] To buy a new car.

　　[C] To purchase a used car. [D] To get a second car.

　　15. [A] Delivery service manager and driver. [B] Teacher and student.

　　[C] Lawyer and client. [D] Doctor and patient.

　　16. [A] New shopping centers are very common. [B] The shopping center is very old.

　　[C] The city needs more shopping centers. [D] The old house should be turned into stores.

　　17. [A] They are having a party. [B] They are playing the piano.

　　[C] Someone else is having a party. [D] Someone else is funny.

　　18. [A] She was hurt by the man. [B] She lost her temper.

　　[C] She didn't speak to her husband. [D] She missed the dinner party.

　　Conversation One

　　19. [A] Computer sales negotiations. [B] A preliminary interview.

　　[C] An Internet seminar meeting. [D] Computer games.

　　20. [A] He managed the sales department. [B] He gave seminars on the Internet.

　　[C] He worked as a custodian. [D] He designed software.

　　21. [A] A web page authoring program. [B] A kind of beverage. [C] A computer game. [D] A kind of software.

　　22. [A] She will call Mr. Taylor in the next few days. [B] She will talk over their discussion with others.

　　[C] She will ask her colleagues to call Mr. Taylor. [D] She will not contact him for further consideration.

　　Conversation Two

　　23. [A] Raising money. [B] Gathering support from others.

　　[C] Giving speeches. [D] Choosing the official candidate for each political party.

　　24. [A] Interviews. [B] Television ads. [C] Playing with children. [D] Speeches.

　　25. [A] There are several small parties in the U.S.

　　[B] There are only two parties in the U.S.

　　[C] The most powerful party in the U.S. is the Democrats.

　　[D] The most powerful party in the U.S. is the Republicans.

　　Section B

　　Passage One

　　26. [A] British. [B] Americans. [C] Germans. [D] Japanese.

　　27. [A] Entirely effective. [B] Totally incorrect. [C] A complete failure. [D] Quite difficult.

　　28. [A] Have a greater sense of duty. [B] Can get higher pay.

　　[C] Can avoid working hard. [D] Can avoid busy traffic.

　　Passage Two

　　29. [A] A housewife. [B] A singer. [C] A teacher. [D] A musician.

　　30. [A] The violin was too heavy for her. [B] She was too young to play the violin.

　　[C] The violin was too expensive. [D] Her mother wanted her to play the piano.

　　31. [A] To play the violin on a concert. [B] To go to New York City.

　　[C] To apply for a scholarship. [D] To have her performance taped.

　　32. [A] In 1928. [B] In 1982. [C] In 1980. [D] In 1920.

　　Passage Three

　　33. [A] Winter in Alaska. [B] The brave Alaskan people.

　　[C] Alaskan transportation today. [D] A dog sled race.

　　34. [A] Every year in March. [B] Every other year. [C] From two to three weeks. [D] The winter of 1925.

　　35. [A] Winning. [B] Finding gold. [C] Just to finish. [D] Being able to participate.

　　Section C

　　Many workers depend on plans(36) by their employers to help pay for their retirement. There are two major kinds of retirement plans. One is defined by what is paid out, the other by what is paid in.

　　The first is called a defined (37) plan, or pension. It provides set (38) based on the number of years an (39) has worked. These plans often pay for health care and other costs. They might also provide money to family members when the (40) dies.

　　Pensions, however, can be a big cost to employers. In the United States, the change from a (41)_______ economy to a service economy has resulted in fewer and fewer (42) plans.

　　The other major kind of retirement plan is called a defined (43) plan. Two things define how much a worker will get at retirement. (44)

　　One popular version is a four-oh-one-k plan, named after a part of the tax law. (45)

　　But some plans are very complex. An easier way for small employers to offer retirement savings is through a Savings Incentive Match Plan. (46) .

　　Part Ⅳ Reading Comprehension (Reading in Depth) ( 25 minutes)

　　Section A

　　Directions: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.

　　By the mid-nineteenth century, the term "icebox" had entered the American language, but ice was still only beginning to affect the diet of ordinary citizens in the United States. The ice trade grew with the growth of cities. Ice was used in hotels, taverns (酒馆), and hospitals, and by some forward-looking city dealers in fresh moat, fresh fish, and butter. After the Civil War (1861-1865), as ice was used to refrigerate freight cars, it also came into household use. Even before 1880, half of the ice sold in New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore, and one-third of that sold in Boston and Chicago, went to families for their own use. This had become possible because a new household convenience, the icebox, a precursor of the modem fridge, had been invented.

　　Making an efficient icebox was not as easy as we might now suppose. In the early nineteenth century, the knowledge of the physics of heat, which was essential to a science of refrigeration, was rudimentary (未发展的). The commonsense notion that the best icebox was one that prevented the ice from melting was of course mistaken, for it was the melting of the ice that performed the cooling. Nevertheless, early efforts to economize ice included wrapping up the ice in blankets, which kept the ice from doing its job. Not until near the end of the nineteenth century did inventors achieve the delicate balance of insulation and circulation needed for an efficient icebox.

　　But as early as 1803, and ingenious Maryland farmer, Thomas Moore, had been on the right track. He owned a farm about twenty miles outside the city of Washington, for which the village of Georgetown was the market center. When he used an icebox of his own design to transport his butter to market, he found that customers would pass up the rapidly melting stuff in the tubs of his competitors to pay a premium price for his butter, still fresh and hard in neat, one-pound bricks. One advantage of his icebox, Moore explained, was that farmers would no longer travel to travel to market at night in order to keep their produce cool.

　　47. What is the topic of the passage?________________________________________________________________

　　48. Where was ice used after the Civil War? __________________________________________________________

　　49. What was essential to a science of refrigeration according to the passage?________________________________

　　50. It can be inferred from the passage that the theoretical foundation of ice box should be that ________________________________.

　　51. Without an ice box, farmers had to go to the market at night because ___________________________________.

　　Section B

　　Passage One

　　Racket, din clamor, noise. Whatever you want to call it, unwanted sound is America's most widespread nuisance. But noise is more than just a nuisance. It constitutes a real and present danger to people's health. Day and night, at home, at work, and at play, noise can produce serious physical and psychological stress. No one is immune to this stress. Though we seem to adjust to noise by ignoring it, the ear, in fact, never closes and the body still responds--sometimes with extreme tension, as to a strange sound in the night.

　　The annoyance we feel when Paced with noise is the most common outward symptom of the stress building up inside us. Indeed, because irritability is so apparent, legislators have made public annoyance the basis of many noise abatement (消除) programs. The more subtle and more serious health hazards associated with stress caused by noise traditionally have been given much less attention. Nevertheless, when we are annoyed or made irritable by noise, we should consider these symptoms fair warning that other things may be happening to us, some of which may be damaging to our health.

　　Of the many health hazards related to noise, heating loss is the most clearly observable and measurable by health professionals. The other hazards are harder to pin down. For many of us, there may be a risk that exposure to the stress of noise increases susceptibility to disease and infection. The more susceptible among us may experience noise as a complicating factor in heart problems and other diseases. Noise that causes annoyance and irritability in healthy persons may have serious consequences for those already ill in mind or body.

　　Noise affects us throughout our lives. For example, there are indications of effects on the unborn child when mothers are exposed to industrial and environmental noise. During infancy and childhood, youngsters exposed to high noise levels may have trouble falling asleep and obtaining necessary amounts of rest.

　　Why, then, is there not greater alarm about these dangers? Perhaps it is because the link between noise and many disabilities or diseases has not yet been conclusively demonstrated. Perhaps it is because we tend to dismiss annoyance as a price to pay for living in the modem world. It may also be because we still think of hearing loss as only an occupational hazard.

　　52. The phrase "immune to" (Line 3, Para. 1) are used to mean ______.

　　[A] unaffected by [B] hurt by [C] unlikely to be seen by [D] unknown by

　　53. The author's attitude toward noise would best be described as ______.

　　[A] unrealistic [B] traditional [C] concerned [D] hysterical

　　54. Which of the following best states the main idea of the passage?

　　[A] Noise is a major problem; most people recognize its importance.

　　[B] Although noise can be annoying, it is not a major problem.

　　[C] Noise is a major problem and has not yet been recognized as such.

　　[D] Noise is a major problem about which nothing can be done.

　　55. The author condemns noise essentially because it ______.

　　[A] is against the law [B] can make some people irritable

　　[C] is a nuisance [D] is a danger to people's health

　　56. The author would probably consider research about the effects noise has on people to be ______.

　　[A] unimportant [B] impossible [C] a waste of money [D] essential

　　Passage Two

　　Freshwater life itself has never come easy in the Middle East. Ever since The Old Testament (旧约全书), God punished man with 40 days and 40 nights of rain. Water supplies here have been dwindling The rainfall only comes in winter and drains quickly through the semiarid land, leaving the soil to hake and to thirst for next November.

　　The region's accelerating population, expanding agriculture, industrialization, and higher living standards demand more freshwater. Drought and pollution limit its availability. War and mismanagement waste it. Said Joyce Start of the Global Water Summit Initiative, based in Washington, D.C. "Nations like Israel and Jordan are swiftly sliding into that zone where they are suing all the water resources available to them. They have only 15 to 20 years left before their agriculture, and ultimately their food security, is threatened."

　　I came here to examine this crisis in the making, to investigate fears that "water wars" are imminent, that water has replaced oil as the region's most contentious commodity. For more than two months I traveled through three river valleys and seven nations--from southern Turkey down the Euphrates River to Syria, Iraq, and on to Kuwait; to Israel and Jordan, neighbors across the valley of the Jordan; to the timeless Egyptian Nile.

　　Even amid the scarcity there are haves and have-nots. Compared with the United States, which in 1990 had freshwater potential of 10,000 cubic meters (2.6 million gallons) a year for each citizen, Iraq had 5,500, Turkey had 4,000, and Syria had more than 2,800. Egypt's potential was only 1,100. Israel had 460. Jordan had a meager 260. But these are not firm figures, because upstream use of river water can dramatically alter the potential downstream.

　　Scarcity is only one clement of the crisis, Inefficiency is another, as is the reluctance of some water-poor nations to change priorities from agriculture to less water-intensive enterprises. Some experts suggest that if nations would share both water technology and resources, they could satisfy the region's population, currently 159 million. But in this patchwork of ethnic and religious rivalries, water seldom stands alone as an issue. It is entangled in the politics that keep people from trusting end seeking help from one another. Here, where water, like truth, is precious, each nation tends to find its own water end supply its own truth.

　　As Israeli hydrology professor Uri Shamir told me: "If there is political will for peace, water will not be a hindrance. If you want reasons to fight, water will not be a hindrance. If you want reasons to fight, water will give you ample opportunities."

　　57. Why does the author use the phrase "for next November" (Line 3, Para. 1)?

　　[A] According to the Old Testament freshwater is available only in November.

　　[B] Rainfall comes only in winter starting from November.

　　[C] Running water systems will not be ready until next November.

　　[D] It is a custom in that region that irrigation to crops is done only in November.

　　58. What is NOT the cause for the imminent water war?

　　[A] Lack of water resources. [B] Lack of rainfall. [C] Inefficient use of water. [D] Water has replaced oil.

　　59. One way for the region to use water efficiently is to ______.

　　[A] develop other enterprises that cost less water [B] draw a plan of irrigation for the various nations

　　[C] import water from water-rich nations [D] stop wars of any sort for good and all

　　60. Uri Shamir's viewpoint is that ______.

　　[A] nations in that region are just fighting for water [B] people there are thirsty for peace instead of water

　　[C] water is no problem as long as there is peace [D] those nations have every reason to fight for water

　　61. The author's tone in the article can be described as ______.

　　[A] depressing [B] urgent [C] joking [D] mocking

　　Part Ⅴ Cloze ( 15 minutes)

　　Directions: There are 20 blanks in the following passage. For each blank there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D) on the right of the paper. You should choose the ONE that best fits into the passage. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center.?

　　Most worthwhile careers require some kind of specialized training. Ideally, therefore, the choice of an __ 62 __ should be made even before the choice of a curriculum in high school. Actually, __ 63 __ , most people make several job choices during their working lives, __ 64__ because of economic and industrial change and partly to improve __ 65 __ positions. The “one perfect job” does not exist. Young people should __ 66 __ enter into a broad flexible training program that will __ 67 __ them for a field of work rather than for a single __ 68 __. Unfortunately many young people have to make career plans __ 69 __ benefit of help from a competent vocational counselor or psychologist. Knowing __ 70 __ about the occupational world, or themselves for that matter, they choose their lifework on a hit-or-miss __ 71 __. Some drift from job to job. Others __ 72 __ to work in which they are unhappy and for which they are not flitted.?

　　One common mistake is choosing an occupation for __73 __ real or imagined prestiges. Too many high-school students-or their parents for them-choose the professional field, __ 74 __ both the relatively small proportion of workers in the profit and the extremely high educational and personal __ 75 __ . The imagined or real prestige of a profession or a “white-collar” job is __ 76 __ good reason for choosing it as a life’s work. __ 77 __ , these occupations are not always well paid. Since a large proportion of jobs are in mechanical and manual work, the __ 78__ of young people should give serious __ 79 __ to these fields.?

　　Before making an occupational choice, a person should have a general idea of what he wants __ 80 __ life and how hard he is willing to work to get it. Some people desire social prestige, others intellectual satisfaction. Some want security; others are willing to take __ 81__ for financial gain. Each occupational choice has its demands as well as its rewards.?

　　62.A) identification

　　B) entertainment?

　　C) occupation

　　D) accommodation?

　　63.A) therefore

　　B) however?

　　C) though

　　D) thereby

　　64.A) entirely

　　B) mainly?

　　C) largely

　　D) partly?

　　65.A) its

　　B) his?

　　C) their

　　D) our?

　　66.A) therefore

　　B) since?

　　C) furthermore

　　D) forever?

　　67.A) fit

　　B) make?

　　C) take

　　D) leave?

　　68.A) way

　　B) job?

　　C) means

　　D) company?

　　69.A) to

　　B) for?

　　C) with

　　D) without?

　　70.A) few

　　B) little?

　　C) much

　　D) a lot?

　　71.A) basis

　　B) chance?

　　C) purpose

　　D) opportunity?

　　72.A) apply

　　B) appeal?

　　C) turn

　　D) stick?

　　73.A) its

　　B) our?

　　C) your

　　D) their?

　　74.A) concerning

　　B) following?

　　C) disregarding

　　D) considering?

　　75.A) requirements

　　B) preferences?

　　C) tendencies

　　D) ambitions?

　　76.A) a

　　B) any?

　　C) the

　　D) no?

　　77.A) Therefore

　　B) However?

　　C) Moreover

　　D) Nevertheless

　　78.A) mass

　　B) majority?

　　C) minority

　　D) multitude

　　79.A) proposal

　　B) suggestion?

　　C) appraisal

　　D) consideration

　　80.A) towards

　　B) against?

　　C) without

　　D) out of

　　81.A) turns

　　B) parts?

　　C) risks

　　D) choices

　　Part Ⅵ Translation (5 minutes)

　　82. The Grand Canyon is ________________________________________________________ (最宽处达两万四千米).

　　83. If you had followed my advice, _______________________________________________ (你现在就能完成工作了).

　　84. In view of the practical need of society, _________________________________________ (有越来越多的人对学习英语感兴趣).

　　85. A good book is a best friend ___________________________________________________ (从不拒绝我们).

　　86. It was not until last Friday ________________________________________________________ ( 他读完了他妈妈送给他的那本书).