2005年12月24日六级试题及答案(A卷)_第2页

　　Passage one

　　Too many vulnerable child-free adults are being ruthlessly(无情的)manipulated into parent-hood by their parents, who think that happiness among older people depends on having a grand-child to spoil. We need an organization to help beat down the persistent campaigns of grandchildless parents. It's time to establish Planned Grandparenthood, which would have many global and local benefits.

　　Part of its mission would be to promote the risks and realities associated with being a grandparent. The staff would include depressed grandparents who would explain how grandkids break lamps, bite, scream and kick. Others would detail how an hour of baby-sitting often turns into a crying marathon. More grandparents would testify that they had to pay for their grandchild's expensive college education.

　　Planned grandparenthood's carefully written literature would detail all the joys of life grand-child-free a calm living room, extra money for luxuries during the golden years, etc. Potential grandparents would be reminded that, without grandchildren around, it's possible to have a conversation with your kids, who——incidentally——would have more time for their own parents .

　　Meanwhile, most children are vulnerable to the enormous influence exerted by grandchildless parents aiming to persuade their kids to produce children . They will take a call from a persistent parent, even if they're loaded with works. In addition, some parents make handsome money offers payable upon the grandchild's birth. Sometimes these gifts not only cover expenses associated with the infant's birth, but extras, too, like a vacation. In any case, cash gifts can weaken the resolve of even the noblest person.

　　At Planned Grandparenthood, children targeted by their parents to reproduce could obtain non-biased information about the insanity of having their own kids. The catastrophic psychological and economic costs of childbearing would be emphasized. The symptoms of morning sickness would be listed and horrors of childbirth pictured. A monthly newsletter would contain stories about overwhelmed parents and offer guidance on how childless adults can respond to the different lobbying tactics that would-be grandparents employ.

　　When I think about all the problems of our overpopulated world and look at our boy grabbing at the lamp by the sofa, I wish I could have turned to Planned Grandparenthood when my parents were putting the grandchild squeeze on me.

　　If I could have, I might not be in this parenthood predicament( 窘境) . But here's the crazy irony, I don't want my child-free life back . Dylan's too much fun.

　　21. What's the purpose of the proposed organization Planned Grandparenthood?

　　A) To encourage childless couples to have children.

　　B) To provide facilities and services for grandchildless parents.

　　C) To offer counseling to people on how to raise grandchildren.

　　D) To discourage people from insisting on having grandchildren.

　　22. Planned Grandparenthood would include depressed grandparents on its staff in order to____.

　　A) show them the joys of life grandparents may have in raising grandchildren

　　B) draw attention to the troubles and difficulties grandchildren may cause

　　C) share their experience in raising grandchildren in a more scientific way

　　D) help raise funds to cover the high expense of education for grandchildren

　　23. According to the passage, some couples may eventually choose to have children because_____.

　　A) they find it hard to resist the carrot-and-stick approach of their parents

　　B) they have learn from other parents about the joys of having children

　　C) they feel more and more lonely ad they grow older

　　D) they have found it irrational to remain childless

　　24.By saying “… my parents were putting the grandchild squeeze on me” (Line 2-3,Para. 6), the author means that _________.

　　A) her parents kept pressuring her to have a child

　　B) her parents liked to have a grandchild in their arms

　　C) her parents asked her to save for the expenses of raising a child

　　D) her parents kept blaming her for her child's bad behavior

　　25.What does the author really of the idea of having children?

　　A) It does more harm than good.

　　B) It contributes to overpopulation.

　　C) It is troublesome but rewarding.

　　D) It is a psychological catastrophe

　　Passage Two

　　Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage.

　　Ask most people how they define the American Dream and chances are they'll say, “Success.” The dream of individual opportunity has been home in American since Europeans discovered a “new world” in the Western Hemisphere. Early immigrants like Hector St. Jean de Crevecoeur praised highly the freedom and opportunity to be found in this new land. His glowing descriptions of a classless society where anyone could attain success through honesty and hard work fired the imaginations of many European readers: in Letters from an American Farmer (1782) he wrote. “We are all excited at the spirit of an industry which is unfettered (无拘无束的) and unrestrained, because each person works for himself … We have no princes, for whom we toil (干苦力活)，starve, and bleed: we are the most perfect society now existing in the world.” The promise of a land where “the rewards of a man's industry follow with equal steps the progress of his labor” drew poor immigrants from Europe and fueled national expansion into the western territories.

　　Our national mythology (神化) is full of illustration the American success story. There's Benjamin Franklin, the very model of the self-educated, self-made man, who rose from modest origins to become a well-known scientist, philosopher, and statesman. In the nineteenth century, Horatio Alger, a writer of fiction for young boys, became American's best-selling author with rags-to-riches tales. The notion of success haunts us: we spend million every year reading about the rich and famous, learning how to “make a fortune in real estate with no money down,” and “dressing for success.” The myth of success has even invaded our personal relationships: today it's as important to be “successful” in marriage or parenthoods as it is to come out on top in business.

　　But dreams easily turn into nightmares. Every American who hopes to “make it” also knows the fear of failure, because the myth of success inevitably implies comparison between the haves and the have-nots, the stars and the anonymous crowd. Under pressure of the myth, we become indulged in status symbols: we try to live in the “right” neighborhoods, wear the “right” clothes, eat the “right” foods. These symbols of distinction assure us and others that we believe strongly in the fundamental equality of all, yet strive as hard as we can to separate ourselves from our fellow citizens.

　　26. What is the essence of the American Dream according to Crevecoeur?

　　A) People are free to develop their power of imagination.

　　B) People who are honest and work hard can succeed.

　　C) People are free from exploitation and oppression.

　　D) People can fully enjoy individual freedom.

　　27.By saying “the rewards of a man's industry follow with equal steps the progress of his labor” (Line 10, Para. 1), the author means __________ .

　　A) the more diligent one is, the bigger his returns

　　B) laborious work ensures the growth of an industry

　　C) a man's business should be developed step by step

　　D) a company's success depends on its employees' hard work

　　28. The characters described in Horatio Alger's novels are people who _______.

　　A) succeed in real estate investment

　　B) earned enormous fortunes by chances

　　C) became wealthy after starting life very poor

　　D) became famous despite their modest origins

　　29. It can be inferred from the last sentence of the second paragraph that _________.

　　A) business success often contributes to a successful marriage

　　B) Americans wish to succeed in every aspect of life

　　C) good personal relationships lead to business success

　　D) successful business people provide good care for their children

　　30. What is the paradox of American culture according to the author?

　　A) The American road to success is full of nightmares.

　　B) Status symbols are not a real indicator of a person's wealth.

　　C) The American Dream is nothing but an empty dream.

　　D) What Americans strive after often contradicts their beliefs.