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未得到监考教师指令前，不得翻阅该试题册！
2023年12月大学英语六级考试真题（第一套）
Part ⅠⅠ Writing (30 minutes)
（请于正式开考后半小时内完成该部分，之后将进行听力考试）
Directions: F or this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay that begins with the sentence
“Nowadays parents are increasingly aware that allowing kids more freedom to explore
and learn on their own helps foster their independence and boost their confidence.” You
can make comments, cite examples or use your personal experiences to develop your essay. You
should write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words (not including the sentence given).
Part ⅡⅡ Listening Comprehension (30 minutes)
Section A
Directions: I n this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each conversation, you will
hear four questions. Both the conversation 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 1 with a single line through the centre.
Questions 1 to 4 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
1. A) Renting a car instead of driving their own.
B)Surfing online to check out the best deals.
C)Exploring more summer holiday resorts.
D)Spending their holidays in a novel way.
2. A) He once owned a van. C)He did not find holiday homes appealing.
B)He was well travelled. D)He did not like to be locked into one place.
3. A) Ensure the safety of passengers.
B)Drive under any weather condition.
C)Receive instructions via computers.
D)Generate their own electricity.
4. A) Having one’s basic needs covered while away from home.
B)Enjoying the freedom to choose where to go and work.
C)Slowing down in one’s increasingly hectic life.
D)Riding one’s mountain bike on vacation.
1大学英语6级真题详解及速刷狂练
Questions 5 to 8 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
5. A) She has missed several important appointments lately.
B) Her job performance has worsened over the past month.
C) She has lagged behind most of her co-workers in output.
D) Her physical health has deteriorated these past few weeks.
6. A) Serious health issues. C) Some problems at home.
B) Disturbance of her mind. D) Penalty for curtailed output.
7. A) The woman’s work proficiency.
B) The woman’s whole-hearted support.
C) His engaging personality.
D) His management capability.
8. A) The woman will resume her work in two weeks.
B) The man will be back at his 100% in a couple of weeks.
C) The woman will be off work on the next two Mondays.
D) The man will help the woman get back to her usual self.
Section B
Directions: In this section, you will hear two passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear three 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 marked A), B), C) and D). Then
mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.
Questions 9 to 1l are based on the passage you have just heard.
9. A) It can have an impact on our moods and emotions.
B) It can enable us to live a healthier and longer life.
C) It can improve our financial status significantly.
D) It can help us achieve better work performance.
10. A) One’s health tends to differ before and after marriage.
B) One’s health status is related to one’s social background.
C) The wealthier one’s spouse is, the healthier one becomes.
D) The spouse’s level of education can impact one’s health.
11. A) They benefited a lot from their career achievements.
B) They showed interest in their spouse’s occupations.
C) They had much in common with their spouses.
D) They had more education than their spouses.
Questions 12 to 15 are based on the passage you have just heard.
12. A) Eliminating their root cause.
B) Forecasting flood risks accurately.
C) Identifying the cities’ geological features.
D) Finding out the changing climate patterns.
22023年12月大学英语六级考试真题（第一套）
13. A) To validate his hypothesis about the gravity of floods.
B) To determine the frequency of high tides causing floods.
C) To improve his mathematical flooding model.
D) To see the feasibility of his project on flooding.
14. A) To study the consequences of high tides on flooded areas.
B) To teach local citizens how to collect data of incoming floods.
C) To forecast rapid floods in real time.
D) To classify the flooding data processed.
15. A) They set up Internet-connected water-level sensors.
B) They tracked the rising tides with video-cameras.
C) They used newly-developed supercomputing facilities.
D) They observed the direction of water flow on the spot.
Section C
Directions: In this section, you will hear three recordings of lectures or talks followed by three or four
questions. The recordings will be played 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 1 with a single line through the centre.
Questions 16 to 18 are based on the recording you have just heard.
16. A) To argue about the value of a college degree.
B) To debate the validity of current survey data.
C) To account for the drastic decline in employment among men.
D) To compare men without college degrees with those who have.
17. A) The increase in women taking up jobs. C) The factor of wages.
B) The issue of changing job requirements. D) The impact of inflation.
18. A) Men’s unwillingness to accept low wages in times of growing inflation.
B) The wage gap between those with college degrees and those without.
C) More jobs requiring their holders to have a college degree nowadays.
D) The sharp decline in marriage among men with no college degrees.
Questions 19 to 21 are based on the recording you have just heard.
19. A) More and more people attach importance to protecting endangered animals.
B) More and more people prioritize animal welfare when buying things to wear.
C) An increasing number of people demand to free animals being kept in cages.
D) An increasing number of people follow the latest trend of becoming vegetarians.
20. A) Avoided the use of leather and fur.
B) Labelled all their products as vegan.
C) Refrained from using chemicals in their products.
D) Utilized a silk substitute made from mushrooms.
3大学英语6级真题详解及速刷狂练
21. A) Whether they actually signify a substantial change.
B) Whether they effectively protect animals at large.
C) Whether they can be considered sustainable.
D) Whether they can be regarded as ethical.
Questions 22 to 25 are based on the recording you have just heard.
22. A) The era we live in is the most peaceful in history.
B) The world has seen more violence in recent years.
C) The environmental welfare has worsened in the world.
D) The belief is less prevalent that the world is going to hell.
23. A) They were actually not in their right mind.
B) They believed the world was deteriorating.
C) They did not wish to live in the previous century.
D) They were convinced by the statistics presented to them.
24. A) The subjectivity of mass media.
B) The current state of affairs.
C) Our psychological biases.
D) Our ancestors’ influence.
25. A) Spreading exciting news around us far and wide.
B) Vacuuming up depressing or enraging stories.
C) Calculating dangerous risks to our survival.
D) Paying attention to negative information.
Part ⅢⅢ Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)
Section A
Directions: I n 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.
The desert is deceiving. At first glance it looks lifeless, barren, and bone-dry. For most passersby
humming through the Mojave on their way to try their luck in Las Vegas or heading towards the Grand
Canyon, it’s just a 26 stretch of land with some mountains in the distance and more 27 to be a
setting for a movie that takes place on Mars. The desert, however, is 28 with life, mystery, and magic.
The Mojave desert sees less than two inches of rain a year, and like most deserts, is a land of 29 .
Temperature fluctuations vary from freezing to 30 hot, not only between seasons, but even within the
same day.
At the heart of this vast, 25,000-square-mile desert is Mojave National Preserve. The folks managing and
42023年12月大学英语六级考试真题（第一套）
working there wear the wide-brimmed (宽边的) hats that have become 31 with places like Yosemite.
The preserve is rich with history, culture, biodiversity, and endless opportunities to 32 your interest,
especially for anyone who loves the outdoors. For a photographer, it requires patience and 33 a few
spare tires to maneuver the network of unpaved “roads”, but the rewards are plenty.
Photographing here requires a good, 34 pair of shoes and a lot of preparation. Plenty of water,
spare tires, and a full tank of gas are needed to explore this unit of the national park system, which is the third
largest in the country.
Like all deserts, though, if you are patient, you will be rewarded, as they often reveal their secrets
slowly. During my last outing, I was surprised to see how much of the area was shaped by ancient volcanoes
and geological forces, much of which remains today, giving the area a 35 feel and painting a colorful
background for great photographs.
A) apt I) sparingly
B) burning J) sprinkle
C) extremes K) steer
D) flat L) stimulate
E) fractions M) sturdy
F) overflowing N) synonymous
G) parasites O) unique
H) probably
Section B
Directions: I n 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.
Can Learning a Foreign Language Prevent Dementia?
[A] You may have heard that learning another language is one method for preventing or at least postponing
the onset of dementia. Dementia refers to the loss of cognitive abilities, and one of its most common
forms is Alzheimer’s disease ( 阿尔茨海默氏病 ). At this time, the causes of the disease are not well
understood, and consequently, there are no proven steps that people can take to prevent it. Nonetheless,
some researchers have suggested that learning a foreign language might help delay the onset of dementia.
[B] To explore this possibility more deeply, let’s look at some of the common misconceptions about dementia
and the aging brain. First of all, dementia is not an inevitable part of the normal aging process. Most older
adults do not develop Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. It is also important to remember
that dementia is not the same thing as normal forgetfulness. At any age, we might experience difficulty
finding the exact word we want or have trouble remembering the name of the person we just met. People
with dementia have more serious problems, like feeling confused or getting lost in a familiar place. Think
5大学英语6级真题详解及速刷狂练
of it this way: If you forget where you parked your car at the mall, that’s normal; if you forget how to
drive a car, that may be a signal that something more serious is going on.
[C] The idea that dementia can be prevented is based on the comparison of the brain to a muscle. When
people talk about the brain, they sometimes say things like “It is important to exercise your brain” or “To
stay mentally fit, you have to give your brain a workout.” Although these are colorful analogies, in reality
the brain is not a muscle. Unlike muscles, the brain is always active and works even during periods of
rest and sleep. In addition, although some muscle cells have a lifespan of only a few days, brain cells last
a lifetime. Not only that, but it has been shown that new brain cells are being created throughout one’s
lifespan.
[D] While it makes for a colorful analogy, comparing the brain to a muscle is inaccurate and misleading.
So, if the brain is not a muscle, can it still be exercised? Once again, researchers don’t know for sure.
There are now many computer, online, and mobile device applications that claim to be able to “train
your brain,” and they typically tap into a variety of cognitive abilities. However, research suggests that
although this type of training may improve one’s abilities at the tasks themselves, they don’t seem to
improve other abilities. In other words, practicing a letter-detection task will, over time, improve your
letter-detection skills, but it will not necessarily enhance your other perceptual abilities.
[E] However, there is some reason to believe that learning languages might be different. The best evidence
that foreign language learning confers cognitive benefits comes from research with those who are already
bilingual (双语的). Bilingualism most commonly occurs when children are exposed to two languages,
either in the home (mom speaks Dutch, dad speaks Spanish) or more formally in early schooling. But
bilingualism certainly occurs in adulthood as well.
[F] Bilingualism and multilingualism are actually more common than you might think. In fact, it has been
estimated that there are fewer monolingual speakers in the world than bilinguals and multilinguals.
Although in many countries most inhabitants share just one language, other countries have several
official languages. Switzerland, for example, has four official languages: German, French, Italian, and
Romansh. Throughout large pars of Africa, Arabic, Swahili, French, and English are often known and
used by individuals who speak a different, native language in their home than they do in the marketplace.
So bilingualism and multilingualism are to be found throughout the world. And with regard to cognitive
abilities, the research on those who speak more than one language paints an encouraging picture.
[G] For one thing, bilinguals are better at multitasking. One explanation of this superiority is that speakers
of two languages are continually inhibiting one of their languages, and this process of inhibition confers
general cognitive benefits to other activities. In fact, bilingual individuals outperform their monolingual
counterparts on a variety of cognitive tasks, such as following complex instructions, and switching to
new instructions. For the sake of completeness, it should be noted that the advantages of being bilingual
are not universal across all cognitive domains. Bilingual individuals have been shown to have smaller
vocabularies and to take longer in retrieving words from memory when compared to monolinguals. In
the long run, however, the cognitive and linguistic advantages of being bilingual far outweigh these two
drawbacks.
[H] If the benefits of being bilingual spill over to other aspects of cognition, then we would expect to see
62023年12月大学英语六级考试真题（第一套）
a lower incidence of Alzheimer’s disease in bilinguals than in monolinguals, or at least a later onset
of Alzheimer’s for bilinguals. In fact, there is evidence to support this claim. The psychologist Ellen
Bialystok and her colleagues obtained the histories of 184 individuals who had made use of a memory
clinic in Toronto. For those who showed signs of dementia, the monolinguals in the sample had an
average age of 71.4 years at time of onset. The bilinguals, in contrast, received their diagnosis at 75.5
years, on average. In a study of this sort, a difference of four years is highly significant, and could not
be explained by other systematic differences between the two groups. For example, the monolinguals
reported, on average, a year and a half more schooling than their bilingual counterparts, so the effect was
clearly not due to formal education.
[I] A separate study, conducted in India, found strikingly similar results: bilingual patients developed
symptoms of dementia 4.5 years later than monolinguals, even after other potential factors, such as
gender and occupation, were controlled for. In addition, researchers have reported other positive effects
of bilingualism for cognitive abilities in later life, even when the person acquired the language in
adulthood. Crucially, Bialystok suggested that the positive benefits of being bilingual were only found in
those who used both languages all the time.
[J] But encouraging as these kinds of studies are, they still have not established exactly how or why
differences between bilinguals and monolinguals exist. Because these studies looked back at the histories
of people who were already bilingual, the results can only say that a difference between the two groups
was found, but not why that difference occurred. Further research is needed to determine what caused the
differences in age of onset between the two groups.
[K] Other studies of successful aging suggest that being connected to one’s community and having plenty
of social interaction is also important in delaying or even preventing the onset of dementia. Once again,
however, the results are far less clear than the popular media might lead you to believe. Older individuals
who lead active social lives are, almost by definition, healthier than their counterparts who rarely leave
their homes or interact with others. So we can’t really say whether being socially active prevents the
onset of dementia, or if people who don’t have dementia are more likely to be socially active.
[L] But even if studying a foreign language is not a magical cure-all, there is one thing it will do: It will make
you a better speaker of a foreign language. Doing that confers a whole host of advantages we do know
about.
36. Research indicates that brain training is likely to boost one’s ability at specific tasks, but not one’s other
cognitive abilities.
37. According to estimates, the number of people who speak two languages or more is greater than those who
speak one language only.
38. For the time being, we do not know what causes people to lose their cognitive abilities, or what we can do
to prevent it.
39. It is hard to determine whether people who are free from dementia tend to have more social activities, or
more social activities keep people away from dementia.
40. There is evidence that learning foreign languages might be beneficial to boosting one’s cognitive abilities.
7大学英语6级真题详解及速刷狂练
41. It was suggested that only those who always spoke two languages could benefit from bilingualism.
42. The brain is different from muscles in that it keeps working even when the body is at rest.
43. People who speak two languages do better at a number of cognitive tasks than those who speak only one
language.
44. Dementia is different from being merely forgetful and entails more serious trouble.
45. It is claimed that more monolinguals suffer from Alzheimer’s disease than bilinguals.
Section C
Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished
statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide
on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line
through the centre.
Passage One
Questions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.
Research is meant to benefit society by raising public awareness and creating products and innovations
that enhance development. For research to serve its full purpose, the results must leave the confines of
research laboratories and academic journals.
Findings effectively communicated can go a long way to serve the interests of the public. They can help
address social injustices or improve treatments offered to patients.
Many researchers seem to be content with sharing the results of their studies in academic journals or at
conferences. But few journals allow everybody to read the findings. Even articles freely available are usually
written in academic language incomprehensible to the average reader.
For researchers in the tenure-track system, their main goal is winning tenure, which in part can be
achieved by getting a number of papers published in prominent journals. Pressures like this mean community-
level outreach is not prioritised.
Many researchers lack the writing skills to describe their results to a general audience. They may also
worry about whether the public will understand their findings, or about findings being used to influence
controversial policies. These concerns cause some researchers to shy away from communicating their
findings outside the academic community.
Propagating research findings beyond academic publications is particularly crucial for addressing certain
social discrepancies. It can help families, communities, healthcare providers, policymakers, government
agencies and other stakeholders to understand and respond to crises that plague society.
The benefits of sharing findings flow both ways. Engaging with other researchers and the public
can lead to unexpected new connections and new ideas that could suggest fruitful new directions for
research.
To benefit both researchers and the communities, the need to find innovative, accessible ways to share
the work cannot be overstated.
Institutions and funding organisations should support more researchers to publish in open access journals
82023年12月大学英语六级考试真题（第一套）
so that the public doesn’t have to pay to read them. Institutions and researchers should invest in partnerships
that expand capacity for sharing results more broadly.
Furthermore, ethics committees should make it mandatory for researchers to share their results with the
public. Every research participant should opt in or out of receiving results, as part of the process of giving
informed consent.
There could be misunderstanding of the findings presented by the researcher because of technical terms.
But this can be resolved by researchers engaging the services of professional writers or communication
officers to help with translating their study into more accessible language and share it widely with media
outlets and the public.
Sharing results with the people who are most affected by them makes us better researchers and ensures
that our work can be used to improve people’s lives. Institutions and collaborators must recognise the value
of doing so.
46. How can research serve its full purpose according to the author?
A) With researchers being aware of public interests.
B) With its findings published in prominent journals.
C) With researchers creating products that enhance social development.
D) With its findings properly communicated beyond the academic circle.
47. Why do ordinary readers find it difficult to access the results of researchers’ studies?
A) They cannot understand the academic language used for reporting these results.
B) They feel intimidated by the jargon researchers use to describe their findings.
C) They do not attend conferences where these results are freely available.
D) They have few chances to locate the journals that publish these findings.
48. What is one of the reasons some researchers won’t prioritise communicating their findings to the public?
A) They can thrive on the papers published.
B) Their top consideration is to win tenure.
C) Their main goal is gaining recognition in their field.
D) They have to struggle to reach out to the community.
49. How can sharing findings benefit researchers themselves?
A) By helping them to identify new research directions.
B) By enabling them to understand crises plaguing society.
C) By enabling them to effectively address social discrepancies.
D) By helping them to forge ties with government agencies.
50. Why are researchers advised to engage the services of professional writers or communication officers?
A) To satisfy ethics committees’ mandatory requirements of researchers.
B) To translate their study into languages accessible to readers overseas.
C) To make their publications correctly understood by the public.
D) To render their findings acceptable by prominent journals.
9大学英语6级真题详解及速刷狂练
Passage Two
Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.
Spiders make their presence felt in late August and through early autumn. This is the mating season of
some of the most common varieties, when male house spiders come out of hidden corners to look for females,
and garden spiders reach adult size and spin their most dazzling webs.
Yet while the spider is a familiar fixture of nursery poems or songs and Halloween decorations, its
relationship with humans is complicated. Fear of spiders is common and has serious impacts on the lives of
sufferers. Its prevalence appears unrelated to any rational assessment of risk. Spiders in the UK are almost
all harmless. Farmland species perform valuable ecosystem services, by preying on insects that are our
competitors for crops. But they are a constant source of human anxieties—with a cultural association with
witches and wickedness dating back to the middle ages.
Does this perhaps explain, in part, the lack of data about how spiders are faring in our age of ecological
crisis? British butterflies are the most studied group of insects in the world, due to the long tradition of
collecting and observing them. But spider conservationists point out that it was only in the 1980s that the
classification of house spiders was properly sorted out. And while information about insect populations is
gathered by experiments that measure the numbers hitting windscreens or traps, there have been few attempts
to count spiders.
The huge reductions in the numbers of flying insects can only mean a reduction in spiders’ food supply.
A recent landmark study identified a 75% fall in insect populations between 1989 and 2016, with pesticide
use thought to be to blame along with the destruction of wild areas for development. This means the overall
picture for spiders is worrying, as it is for most creatures. But conservationists are most concerned about
those varieties that are threatened due to habitat loss and fragmentation, which makes it impossible for them
to migrate.
Of around 650 spider species regularly recorded in the UK, the majority thrive in marshes and
wasteland. Conservation efforts, often led by determined individuals, have helped some species to recover by
reintroducing them to new areas. With rewilding now firmly on the environmental policy agenda, the hope is
that in future, spiders will be enabled to migrate by themselves, adapting to climate change by moving along
wildlife corridors.
It seems unlikely that spiders will ever attract the same level of human enthusiasm as bees, birds or
butterflies, in spite of their unique status as nature’s spinners. But as they reveal themselves in all their
splendour this autumn, it would be a good thing if more animal lovers recognised the ways in which spiders
are simply terrific.
51. What do we learn about spiders in the UK since the middle ages?
A) They have been generally misconceived.
B) They have adversely impacted crop growth.
C) They have been a constant reminder of bad luck.
D) They have made their presence felt when spinning webs.
102023年12月大学英语六级考试真题（第一套）
52. What have spiders been associated with in the UK for centuries?
A) Harm. C) Suffering.
B) Evil. D) Aggression.
53. What partly accounts for the reduction in spiders’ food supply?
A) The long tradition of collecting insects.
B) Fast reproduction of their competitors.
C) Chemicals used for killing insects.
D) The extinction of a lot of wildlife.
54. What does the passage say is conservationists’ biggest worry?
A) A variety of spiders are threatened due to pollution of marshes and wasteland.
B) Certain species of spiders are endangered due to loss of their natural homes.
C) An increasing number of spiders are being killed by deadly pesticides.
D) More and more spider species are found losing their ability to migrate.
55. What wish does the author express close to the end of the passage?
A) More people would recognise spiders’ unique status in the ecosystem.
B) People would show greater enthusiasm for spiders than for butterflies.
C) There would be sufficient corridors for spiders to move along.
D) There would be more people appreciating spiders’ splendour.
Part ⅣⅣ Translation (30 minutes)
Directions: F or this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into English. You
should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.
在中国，随着老龄化社会的到来，养老受到普遍关注。人们谈论最多的是应当采取什么样的养老模
式。多数人认为，养老模式需要多元化。可以通过政府引导和社会参与，建立更多更好的养老服务机构，
改进社区服务中心，鼓励居家自助养老，还可以推行家庭养老与社会养老相结合的模式。随着政府和社
会对养老服务事业投入的持续增加，养老设施将不断升级，服务质量逐步改进，老年人的生活将会更加
方便舒适、健康快乐。
11大学英语6级真题详解及速刷狂练
答案速查
Part Ⅰ Writing
Nowadays parents are increasingly aware that allowing kids more freedom to explore and learn on
their own helps foster their independence and boost their confidence. Indeed, gaining independence is a key
element of child development and an essential parenthood requirement.
Giving kids more freedom to explore and learn on their own is a boon for both kids and parents. For
children, more freedom and autonomy offer more than independence, but with self-confidence, resilience,
and problem-solving ability. It can also allow kids to become good decision-makers as they have the freedom
to consider various options before choosing the one they feel is best. For parents, anxiety can be relieved
and personal time would be increased as their children gain self-reliance and confidence, for most parents
unintentionally restrict their children’s independent activities due to the worry that something bad would
happen to their child without an adult present.
The majority endorse the idea that “helicopter parents” can impede the children from gaining
independence and confidence, while children would benefit from free time without parental supervision.
Parents can look for opportunities to encourage their children to practice new skills and experience a self-
determined life, particularly in terms of grocery shopping, meal preparation, clean-up, pocket money
management, or other daily tasks.
Part Ⅱ Listening Comprehension
Section A 1. D 2. A 3. D 4. B 5. B 6. C 7. A 8. C
Section B 9. B 10. D 11. D 12. B 13. C 14. C 15. A
Section C 16. A 17. C 18. D 19. B 20. A 21. D 22. A 23. B 24. C 25. D
Part Ⅲ Reading Comprehension
Section A 26. D 27. A 28. F 29. C 30. B 31. N 32. L 33. H 34. M 35. O
Section B 36. D 37. F 38. A 39. K 40. E 41. I 42. C 43. G 44. B 45. H
Section C 46. D 47. A 48. B 49. A 50. C 51. A 52. B 53. C 54. B 55. D
Part Ⅳ Translation
As China is facing an aging society, elderly care has caused widespread concern. What is frequently on
people’s lips is what kind of elderly care model should be adopted. The majority of people think that the care
model for the elderly should be diverse. Through governmental guidance and social engagement, more and
better service agencies for caring for the elderly should be established; community service centers should
be improved; and self-care for the elderly at home should be encouraged. In addition, the model combining
family and social care can be introduced. As the government and society continuously increase investment in
care services for the elderly, the care facilities and service quality will be further improved, and the elderly
will enjoy a more convenient and comfortable life with health and happiness.
12未得到监考教师指令前，不得翻阅该试题册！
2023年12月大学英语六级考试真题（第二套）
Part ⅠⅠ Writing (30 minutes)
（请于正式开考后半小时内完成该部分，之后将进行听力考试）
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay that begins with the sentence “With
their valuable skills and experience, elderly people can continue to make significant
contributions to society.” You can make comments, cite examples or use your personal
observations to develop your essay. You should write at least 150 words but no more than 200
words (not including the sentence given).
Part ⅡⅡ Listening Comprehension (30 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each conversation, you will
hear four questions. Both the conversation 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 1 with a single line through the centre.
Questions 1 to 4 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
1. A) It is clear that he is expected to enjoy a healthy life.
B) There is nothing wrong with his digestive system.
C) There is some indication of an issue with his blood circulation.
D) He doesn’t know he has long been suffering from poor health.
2. A) Mistaking symptoms of illness for stress.
B) Complaining they are being overworked.
C) Being unaware of the stress they are under.
D) Suffering from illness without recognising it.
3. A) Prescribe some medication for him.
B) Give him another physical check-up.
C) Explain to him the common consequence of stress.
D) Buy some sleeping pills for him from the drugstore.
4. A) It calls for responsible management. C) It is remarkably promising.
13大学英语6级真题详解及速刷狂练
B) It proves to be quite profitable. D) It is full of competition.
Questions 5 to 8 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
5. A) To avoid being in the limelight. C) To pursue a less competitive career.
B) To seek medical help for his injury. D) To stay away from his hostile teammates.
6. A) It has ups and downs. C) It does not last long.
B) It proves rewarding. D) It is not so profitable.
7. A) He was a financial advisor. C) He became a basketball coach.
B) He suffered from poor health. D) He was back in the news.
8. A) Study issues of public health. C) Raise sufficient public funding.
B) Alleviate the obesity problem. D) Train young basketball players.
Section B
Directions: I n this section, you will hear two passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear three 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 marked A), B), C) and D). Then
mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.
Questions 9 to 11 are based on the passage you have just heard.
9. A) When she started teaching at Edinburgh University in Scotland.
B) While she was doing her doctoral studies on American Literature.
C) After publishing her first novel Behind the Scenes at the Museum.
D) After winning the 1986 Woman’s Own Short Story Competition.
10. A) The themes of love and loss. C) The sins and flaws of eccentrics.
B) The code of human behaviour. D) The manners of fashionable circles.
11. A) They are usually ignorant of complex human relations.
B) They successfully imitate the manners of celebrities.
C) They often get rewarded instead of being punished.
D) They are generally looked down upon in society.
Questions 12 to 15 are based on the passage you have just heard.
12. A) It is what members use to alleviate tension in a team.
B) It is what employers are increasingly seeking after.
C) It is conducive to getting over a recession.
D) It is necessary for learning a new task.
13. A) Make better choices. C) Achieve recognition duly.
B) Follow innovative ideas. D) Accumulate work experience.
14. A) Workers show more emotional intelligence. C) People usually work flexible hours.
B) Workers use brains more than muscles. D) People often work in teams.
15. A) Leave the group as soon as possible. C) Decide on new priorities speedily.
B) Anticipate setbacks well in advance. D) Stick to original goals confidently.
142023年12月大学英语六级考试真题（第二套）
Section C
Directions: I n this section, you will hear three recordings of lectures or talks followed by three or four
questions. The recordings will be played 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 1 with a single line through the centre.
Questions 16 to 18 are based on the recording you have just heard.
16. A) What differentiates people from animals. C) Where humans’ great cognitive capacity originates.
B) Why philosophers disagree with scientists. D) When being creative becomes a biological mandate.
17. A) It is what tells apart two adjacent generations. C) It is something only geniuses can achieve.
B) It is what sharpens our appetite for novelty. D) It is something every human being can do.
18. A) It seeks inspiration for novel inventions. C) It uses existing ideas to create new ones.
B) It constantly absorbs new information. D) It repeats precedent on a regular basis.
Questions 19 to 21 are based on the recording you have just heard.
19. A) Dogs know when their owners are not feeling well.
B) Dogs have the cognition for telling right from wrong.
C) Dogs have an aptitude for developing skills to interact with humans.
D) Dogs know when their human companions can no longer stand them.
20. A) They can readily detect different ill smells of viruses.
B) They can easily tell what bacteria cause odor change.
C) They are particularly sensitive to strange smells.
D) They have an extremely powerful sense of smell.
21. A) It can ensure owners suffer fewer chronic diseases.
B) It can benefit owners both physically and mentally.
C) It can reduce owners’ risk of getting cancer or diabetes.
D) It can alert owners to the seriousness of their conditions.
Questions 22 to 25 are based on the recording you have just heard.
22. A) Crack down on courses like science, technology, engineering and math.
B) Restrict the ability of creative arts courses to recruit new students.
C) Look at how to reform technical and vocational education.
D) Ensure creative arts students get better value for money.
23. A) Seemingly reasonable. C) Extremely irrational.
B) Clearly well-grounded. D) Apparently simplistic.
24. A) A high proportion of them haven’t tried to save money.
B) Most of them never hope to buy a house or to retire.
C) Forty percent of them earn less than £25,000 a year.
D) The majority of them have fairly well-paying jobs.
25. A) The context of a bank balance. C) The specific degree a student earns.
B) Britain’s economy as a whole. D) Britain’s defective educational system.
15大学英语6级真题详解及速刷狂练
Part ⅢⅢ Reading Comprehension (40 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.
Modern U.S. cities were designed to make exercise unnecessary. Cars and elevators once symbolized
urban areas as machines for more efficient living. Now it is clear that these improvements provide great
benefits but also 26 health costs. Recent studies show that urban 27 encourages more driving and
is associated with heavier weight. This 28 suggests that the layout and design of cities can hinder or
promote healthier lifestyle choices and it is 29 that urban planners bear this in mind.
Unfortunately, urban planning still centers in large part on solving the problems of the past. Of course
cities still need to 30 standard public health practices, such as separating toxic facilities from homes
and restricting heavy truck traffic through 31 residential areas. But it’s also important to create healthier
cities—and the discussion is already underway. More and more city planners are paying increasing attention
to encouraging physical activity by making it easier and safer for people to recreate, walk, bike and take
public transportation. Many studies of 32 show that people live the longest in environments where
physical activity is part of everyday life.
Providing more walkable spaces, better protected bike lanes and more 33 spaces are important
steps. But even smaller changes can be effective.
Cities can close off streets on weekends to encourage communities to get out and walk. They also can provide
more seating in public places, so that less-fit residents can rest during their journeys. Using public spaces in cities
as places where people can exercise promotes 34 , rather than allowing physical activity to become restricted
to private gyms with often-expensive monthly fees that 35 less wealthy people from joining.
A) correlation I) longevity
B) dense J) navigate
C) deter K) recreational
D) equity L) rotten
E) foster M) sprawl
F) imperative N) vibrate
G) impose O) vicinity
H) irrespective
Section B
Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement
162023年12月大学英语六级考试真题（第二套）
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.
Treasure Fever
[A] M ost visitors come to Cape Canaveral, on the northeast coast of Florida, for the tourist attractions. It’s
home to the second-busiest cruise ship port in the world and is a gateway to the cosmos. Nearly 1.5
million visitors flock here every year to watch rockets, spacecraft, and satellites blast off into the solar
system from Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Nearly 64 kilometers of undeveloped beach and
648 square kilometers of protected refuge fan out from the cape’s sandy shores.
[B] Yet some of Cape Canaveral’s most legendary attractions lie unseen, wedged under the sea’s surface in
mud and sand, for this part of the world has a reputation as a deadly ship trap. Over the centuries, dozens
of majestic Old World sailing ships smashed and sank on this irregular stretch of windy Florida coast.
They were vessels built for war and commerce, crossing the globe carrying everything from coins to
cannons, boxes of silver and gold, chests of jewels and porcelain, and pearls from the Caribbean.
[C] Cape Canaveral contains one of the greatest concentrations of colonial shipwrecks in the world. In recent
years, advances in radar, diving, detection equipment, computers, and GPS have transformed the hunt.
The naked eye might see a pile of rocks, but technology can reveal the precious artifacts ( 人工制品 )
that lie hidden on the ocean floor.
[D] As technology renders the seabed more accessible, the hunt for treasure-filled ships has drawn a fresh
tide of salvors (打捞人员) and their investors—as well as marine archaeologists (考古学家) wanting
to bring to light the lost relics. But of late, when salvors have found vessels, their rights have been
challenged in court. The big question: who should have control of these treasures?
[E] High-stakes fights over shipwrecks pit archaeologists against treasure hunters in a vicious cycle of
accusations. Archaeologists regard themselves as protectors of history, and they see salvors as careless
destroyers. Salvors feel they do the hard work of searching for ships, only to have them stolen from
under them when discovered. This kind of clash inevitably takes place on a grand scale. Aside from the
salvors, their investors, and the maritime archaeologists who serve as expert witnesses, the battles sweep
in local and international governments and organizations like UNESCO that work to protect under-water
heritage. The court cases that ensue stretch on for years. Are finders keepers, or do the ships belong to
the countries that made them and sent them sailing centuries ago? Where once salvors and archaeologists
worked side by side, now they belong to opposing, and equally contemptuous, tribes.
[F] Nearly three million vessels lie wrecked on the Earth’s ocean floor—from old canoes to the Titanic—
and likely less than one percent have been explored. Some—like an ancient Roman ship found off
Antikythera, Greece, dated between 70 and 60 BC and carrying astonishingly sophisticated gears and
dials for navigating by the sun—are critical to a new understanding of our past. No wonder there is an
eternal stirring among everybody from salvors to scholars to find them.
[G] In May 2016, a salvor named Bobby Pritchett, president of Global Marine Exploration (GME) in Tampa,
Florida, announced that he had discovered scattered remains of a ship buried a kilometer off Cape
17大学英语6级真题详解及速刷狂练
Canaveral. Over the prior three years, he and his crew had obtained 14 state permits to survey a nearly
260-square-kilometer area off the cape; they worked 250 days a year, backed by investor funds of, he
claims, US $4 million. It was hard work. Crew members were up at dawn, dragging sensors from their
expedition vessels back and forth, day in and day out, year after year, to detect metal of any kind. Using
computer technology, Pritchett and his crew created intricate, color-coded maps marked with the GPS
coordinates of thousands of finds, all invisible under a meter of sand.
[H] One day in 2015, the magnetometer ( 磁力计 ) picked up metal that turned out to be an iron cannon;
when the divers blew the sand away, they also discovered a more precious bronze cannon with markings
indicating French royalty and, not far off, a famous marble column carved with the coat of arms of
France, known from historical paintings. The discovery was cause for celebration. The artifacts indicated
the divers had likely found the wreck of La Trinité, a 16th-century French vessel that had been at the
center of a bloody battle between France and Spain that changed the fate of the United States of America.
[I] A nd then the legal storm began, with GME and Pritchett pitted against Florida and France. The Sunken
Military Craft Act of 2004, a US federal act, protects any vessel that was on a military mission, allowing
the originating country to claim their ship even centuries later. In 2018, two long years after Pritchett’s
discovery, the federal district court ruled in favor of France. For Pritchett, the decision was devastating.
Millions of dollars of investor funding and years of labor were lost.
[J] B ut this is far from the first time a salvor has lost all rights to a discovery. In 2012, for instance, Spain
won a five-year legal battle against Odyssey Marine Exploration, which had hauled 594,000 gold and
silver coins from a Spanish wreck off the coast of Portugal across the Atlantic to the United States.
“Treasure hunters can be naive,” says attorney David Concannon, who has had several maritime
archaeologists as clients and represented two sides in the battles over the Titanic for 20 years. “Many
treasure hunters don’t understand they are going to have to fight for their rights against a government that
has an endless supply of money for legal battles that treasure hunters are likely to lose.”
[K] Putting an inflated price on artifacts rather than viewing them as cultural and historical treasures that
transcend any price is what irritates many archaeologists. For the archaeologist, everything in a wreck
matters—hair, fabric, a fragment of a newspaper, rat bones—all things speak volumes. Archaeologists
don't want artifacts ending up in a private collection instead of taking humanity on a journey of
understanding.
[L] G eorge Bass is one of the pioneers of under-water archaeology, and a researcher at Texas A&M
University. He has testified in court against treasure hunters, but says archaeology is not without
its own serious problems. He believes archaeologists need to do a better job themselves instead of
routinely criticizing treasure hunters. “Archaeology has a terrible reputation for not publishing enough
on its excavations ( 发掘 ) and finds,” he says. Gathering data, unearthing and meticulously preserving
and examining finds, verifying identity and origin, piecing together the larger story, and writing and
publishing a comprehensive paper or book can take decades. A bit cynically, Bass describes colleagues
who never published because they waited so long they became ill or died. Who is more at fault, Bass
asks, the professional archaeologist who carefully excavates a site and never publishes on it or the
treasure hunter who locates a submerged wreck, salvages part, conserves part, and publishes a book on
182023年12月大学英语六级考试真题（第二套）
the operation?
[M] Pritchett concedes that his find deserves careful excavation and preservation. “I think what I found should
go in a museum,” he says. “But I also think I should get paid for what I found.” Indeed, it’s a bit of a
mystery why governments, archaeologists, and treasure hunters can’t work together—and why salvors
aren’t at least given a substantial finder’s fee before the original owner takes possession of the vessel and
its artifacts.
36. Exploration of shipwrecks on the sea floor is crucial in updating our understanding of humanity’s past.
37. Quite a number of majestic ships sailing from Europe to America were wrecked off the Florida coast over
the centuries.
38. Pritchett suffered a heavy loss when a US district court ruled against him.
39. Recently, people who found treasures in shipwrecks have been sued over their rights to own them.
40. Pritchett claims he got support of millions of dollars from investors for his shipwreck exploration.
41. One pioneer marine scientist thinks archaeologists should make greater efforts to publish their findings.
42. With technological advancement in recent years, salvors now can detect the invaluable man-made objects
lying buried under the sea.
43. According to a lawyer, many treasure hunters are susceptible to loss because they are unaware they face a
financially stronger opponent in court.
44. Salvors of treasures in sunken ships and marine archaeologists are now hostile to each other.
45. Archaeologists want to see artifacts help humans understand their past instead of being sold to private
collectors at an outrageous price.
Section C
Directions: T here are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished
statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide
on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line
through the centre.
Passage One
Questions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.
Could you get by without using the internet for four and a half years? That’s exactly what singer and
actress Selena Gomez has done in a bid to improve her mental health.
She has spoken extensively about the relationship between her social media usage and her mental
wellbeing, recalling feeling like “an addict” when she became Instagram’s most followed user in 2016. “Taking
a break from social media was the best decision that I’ve ever made for my mental health”, says she. “The
unnecessary hate and comparisons went away once I put my phone down.”
Ditching the web at large, however, is a far more subtle and complicated prospect. The increasing
digitisation of our society means that everything from paying a gas bill to plotting a route to a friend’s house
and even making a phone call is at the mercy of your internet connection. Actively opting out of using the
19大学英语6级真题详解及速刷狂练
internet becomes a matter of privilege.
Ms Gomez’s multi-millionaire status has allowed her to take the “social” out of social media, so she
can continue to leverage her enormous fame while keeping the trolls ( 恶意挑衅的帖子 ) at bay. The fact
that she’s still the second most-followed woman on Instagram suggests it’s entirely possible to maintain a
significant web profile to promote various projects—by way of a dedicated team—without being exposed to
the cruel comments, hate mail and rape or death threats.
It goes without saying that this is fundamentally different from how the rest of us without beauty deals
and films to publicise use the likes of Instagram, TikTok and Twitter, but even the concept of a digital detox (戒
瘾) requires having a device and connectivity to choose to disconnect from.
The UK's digital divide has worsened over the past two years, leaving poorer families without broadband
connections in their homes. Digital exclusion is a major threat to wider societal equality in the UK, so
witnessing companies like Facebook championing the metaverse (元宇宙) as the next great frontier when
school children are struggling to complete their homework feels particularly irritating.
Consequently, it’s worth bearing in mind that while deleting all social media accounts will undoubtedly
make some feel infinitely better, many other people benefit from the strong sense of community that sharing
platforms can breed.
Internet access will continue to grow in importance as we edge further towards web 3.0, and greater
resources and initiatives are needed to provide the underprivileged with the connectivity they desperately
need to learn, work and live. It’s crucial that people who feel that social media is having a detrimental effect
on their mental health are allowed to switch off—and for those living in digital exclusion to be able to switch
on in the first place.
46. What do we learn about singer and actress Selena Gomez in the past four and a half years?
A) She has had worsening mental problems.
B) She has won Instagram’s most followers.
C) She has refrained from using social media.
D) She has succeeded in a bid on the internet.
47. Why does actively opting out of using the internet become a matter of privilege?
A) Most people find it subtle and complicated to give up using the internet.
B) Most people can hardly ditch the web while avoiding hate and comparisons.
C) Most people can hardly get by without the internet due to growing digitisation.
D) Most people have been seriously addicted to the web without being aware of it.
48. Why does the author say “witnessing companies ... feels particularly irritating” (Lines 3-5, Para. 6)?
A) The UK digital divide would further worsen due to the metaverse.
B) The concept of the metaverse is believed to be still quite illusory.
C) School children would be drawn farther away from the real world.
D) Most families in the UK do not have stable broadband connections.
49. What is worth bearing in mind concerning social media platforms?
A) They are conducive to promoting societal equality.
202023年12月大学英语六级考试真题（第二套）
B) They help many people feel connected with others.
C) They provide a necessary device for a digital detox.
D) They create a virtual community on the internet.
50. What does the author think is really important for those living in digital exclusion?
A) Having access to the internet.
B) Edging further towards web 3.0.
C) Getting more educational resources.
D) Opening more social media accounts.
Passage Two
Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.
Psychologists have long been in disagreement as to whether competition is a learned or a genetic
component of human behavior. Whatever it is, you cannot but recognize the effect competition is exerting in
academics and many other areas of contemporary life.
Psychologically speaking, competition has been seen as an inevitable consequence of human drives.
According to Sigmund Freud, humans are born screaming for attention and full of organic drives for fulfillment
in various areas. Initially, we compete for the attention of our parents. Thereafter, we are at the mercy of a battle
between our base impulses for self-fulfillment and social and cultural norms which prohibit pure indulgence.
Current work in anthropology ( 人类学 ) has suggested, however, that this view of the role of
competition in human behavior may be incorrect. Thomas Hobbes, one of the great philosophers of the
seventeenth century, is perhaps best remembered for his characterization of the “natural world,” that is, the
world before the imposition of the will of humanity, as being “nasty, brutish, and short.” This image of the
pre-rational world is still widely held, reinforced by Charles Darwin’s highly influential work, The Origin of
Species, which established the doctrine of natural selection. This doctrine, which takes for granted that those
species best able to adapt to and master the natural environment in which they live will survive, has suggested
that the struggle for survival is an inherent human trait which determines a person’s success. Darwin’s
theory has even been summarized as “survival of the fittest”—a phrase Darwin himself never used—further
highlighting competition’s role in success. As it has often been pointed out, however, there is nothing in the
concept of natural selection that suggests that competition is the most successful strategy for “survival of the
fittest.” Darwin asserted in The Origin of Species that the struggles he was describing should be viewed as
metaphors and could easily include dependence and cooperation.
Many studies have been conducted to test the importance placed on competition as opposed to other
values, such as cooperation—by various cultures, and generally conclude that Americans uniquely praise
competition as natural, inevitable, and desirable. In 1937, the world-renowned anthropologist Margaret Mead
published Cooperation and Competition among Primitive Peoples, based on her studies of several societies
that did not prize competition, and, in fact, seemed at times to place a negative value on it. One such society
was the Zuni Indians of Arizona, and they, Mead found, valued cooperation far more than competition. After
studying dozens of such cultures, Mead’s final conclusion was that competitiveness is a culturally created
aspect of human behavior, and that its prevalence in a particular society is relative to how that society values it.
21大学英语6级真题详解及速刷狂练
51. What does the author think is easy to see in many areas of contemporary life?
A) The disagreement on the inevitability of competition.
B) The consequence of psychological investigation.
C) The effect of human drives.
D) The impact of competition.
52. According to psychology, what do people strive to do following the initial stage of their life?
A) Fulfill individual needs without incurring adverse effects of human drives.
B) Indulge in cultural pursuits while keeping their base impulses at bay.
C) Gain extensive recognition without exposing pure indulgence.
D) Satisfy their own desires while observing social conventions.
53. What do we learn about the “natural world” characterized by Thomas Hobbes?
A) It gets misrepresented by philosophers and anthropologists.
B) It gets distorted in Darwin’s The Origin of Species.
C) It is free from the rational intervention of humans.
D) It is the pre-rational world rarely appreciated nowadays.
54. What can we conclude from Darwin’s assertion in The Origin of Species?
A) All species inherently depend on others for survival.
B) Struggles for survival do not exclude mutual support.
C) Competition weighs as much as cooperation as a survival strategy.
D) The strongest species proves to be the fittest in natural selection.
55. What conclusion did Margaret Mead reach after studying dozens of different cultures?
A) It is characteristic of humans to be competitive.
B) Americans are uniquely opposed to cooperation.
C) Competition is relatively more prevalent in Western societies.
D) People’s attitude towards competition is actually culture-bound.
Part ⅣⅣ Translation (30 minutes)
Directions: F or this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into English. You
should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.
近年来，中国老龄人口持续增长。中国政府正采取各种措施，推进养老服务体系建设，使老年人晚
年生活健康幸福。全国兴建了各类养老服务机构。为了提升养老机构的服务质量，政府颁布了一系列标
准，加强对养老机构的监管。许多城市为方便老年人用餐，开设了社区食堂，为他们提供价格实惠的饭
菜。行动不便的老年人还能享受上门送餐服务。同时，中国还在积极探索居家和社区养老等其他养老模
式，以确保所有老年人老有所养。
222023年12月大学英语六级考试真题（第二套）
答案速查
Part Ⅰ Writing
With their valuable skills and experience, elderly people can continue to make significant contributions
to society. And that’s true. The elderly can play vital roles in all sectors of society.
First and foremost, some elderly people have a wealth of skills and experiences, and they know how to
do things that younger people don’t, such as wood carving, leather-working, embroidery, and other ancient
techniques. These are skills that aren’t widely taught but are the fruits of continuous experience accumulation
and are still valuable. Secondly, senior people have a real and unique perspective on the past that younger
generations do not, and have lived through situations that others cannot even imagine. Sharing their stories
can be an important way for younger people to learn about history. The last and often neglected one, older
people can also share part of the family responsibility by looking after their grandchildren so as to allow
children’s parents to go to work without worries.
Therefore, there should not be stereotypes that older age is synonymous with ill-health, inactivity and
decline. Young people should appreciate the valuable skills and experience of older people so that a greater
understanding between groups of people can be fostered.
Part Ⅱ Listening Comprehension
Section A 1. B 2. C 3. A 4. D 5. A 6. C 7. D 8. B
Section B 9. D 10. A 11. C 12. B 13. A 14. D 15. C
Section C 16. A 17. D 18. C 19. A 20. D 21. B 22. B 23. A 24. C 25. B
Part Ⅲ Reading Comprehension
Section A 26. G 27. M 28. A 29. F 30. E 31. B 32. I 33. K 34. D 35. C
Section B 36. F 37. B 38. I 39. D 40. G 41. L 42. C 43. J 44. E 45. K
Section C 46. C 47. C 48. D 49. B 50. A 51. D 52. D 53. C 54. B 55. D
Part Ⅳ Translation
In recent years, China’s graying population has continued to grow. The Chinese government is taking
various measures to promote the construction of a service system for elderly care so that the elderly can live
a happy and healthy life in their later stages of life. All types of service institutions for the elderly have been
established across the country. To improve the service quality of elderly care institutions, the government has
issued a series of standards to strengthen the supervision of senior care institutions. Many cities have opened
community canteens with affordable meals to make it convenient for the elderly to have a meal. Mobility-
impaired elderly individuals are available to the service of meals on wheels. At the same time, China is
actively exploring other care models for the elderly, such as at-home and community care, to ensure that all
the elderly can enjoy care support.
23未得到监考教师指令前，不得翻阅该试题册！
2023年12月大学英语六级考试真题（第三套）
Part ⅠⅠ Writing (30 minutes)
（请于正式开考后半小时内完成该部分，之后将进行听力考试）
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay that begins with the sentence “As is
known to all, gaining a sound knowledge of the basics is of vital importance for students
to master an academic subject.” You can make comments, cite examples or use your personal
experiences to develop your essay. You should write at least 150 words but no more than 200
words (not including the sentence given).
Part ⅡⅡ Listening Comprehension (30 minutes)
说明：由于2023年12月六级考试全国共考了两套听力，本套真题听力与前两套内容相同，只是选
项顺序不一样，因此在本套真题中不再重复出现。
Part ⅢⅢ Reading Comprehension (40 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.
Our brains respond to language expressing facts differently than they do to words conveying possibility,
scientists at New York University have recently found. Their work offers new insights into the impact word
choice has on how we 26 between statements expressing what is real versus what is merely possible.
The researchers assert their findings are important because we are presented with false information all the
time. Some of this is 27 , as is the case with deceptive advertisements, but the problem is 28 by
individuals who believe they are sharing correct information. Thus, it is more important than ever to separate
the factual from the possible or merely 29 in how we communicate. This is especially true as the study
makes clear that information presented as fact 30 special responses in our brains, which are distinct from
242023年12月大学英语六级考试真题（第三套）
when we process the same content with clear indicators of 31 .
In their new study, the scientists intended to 32 how the brain computes possibilities as expressed
by words such as “may,” “might,” and “if.” The researchers compared brain responses to statements
expressing factual 33 and those expressing possibility. “There is a monster under my bed” exemplifies
a factual statement. “I will stay home,” is also factual. This is opposed to statements that express possibility,
like “There might be a monster under my bed,” or “If it rains, I will stay home.” The results of the study
showed that factual language 34 a rapid increase in brain activity, with the brain responding more
powerfully and showing more engagement with factual phrases compared to those communicating possibility.
Thus, facts rule when it comes to the brain. Brain regions involved in processing 35 rapidly distinguish
facts from possibilities. Further, these regions respond in a much more robust fashion to factual statements.
A) activated I) manuscript
B) aggravated J) marvels
C) ascertain K) remnants
D) deliberate L) scenarios
E) differentiate M) speculative
F) discourse N) unanimous
G) evokes O) uncertainty
H) inhibit
Section B
Directions: I n 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.
African countries must get smarter with their agriculture
[A] On the hills of central Kenya, almost lime-green with the sparkle of tea bushes in the sunlight, farmers
know all about climate change. “The rainy season is no longer predictable,” says one. “When it is
supposed to rain it doesn’t, then it all comes at once.” Climate change is an issue that will affect everyone
on the planet. For Africans its consequences will be particularly bitter: whereas other regions were able
to grow rich by burning coal and oil, Africa will pay much of the human price without having enjoyed
the benefits. “Africa only represents 2% of global greenhouse-gas emissions but it is the continent that is
expected to suffer the most from climate impacts,” says Mafalda Duarte, who runs the World Bank’s $8bn
Climate Investment Funds.
[B] Although there are huge uncertainties as to the precise impacts of climate change, enough is known to say
that global warming represents one of the main threats to Africa’s prosperity. Parts of the continent are
already warming much more quickly than the average: temperatures in southern Africa have increased by
about twice the global rate over the past 50 years. Even if the world were to cut emissions enough to keep
global warming below 1.5℃, heat-waves would intensify in Africa and diseases would spread to areas
25大学英语6级真题详解及速刷狂练
not currently affected. Farming would also be hit hard. About 40% of the land now used to grow maize (玉
米) would no longer be suitable for it. Overall, it is estimated that maize yields would fall by 18-22%.
[C] Africa is particularly vulnerable, in part because it is already struggling to feed itself and it will have to
vastly increase yields and productivity if it is to put food on the plates of a fast-growing population, even
without climate change. The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation reckons that by 2050 global food
production would have to rise by about 70% over its level of 2009 to meet demand from a population that
is growing in numbers and appetite. Much of this new demand will be in Africa. Yet the continent already
imports about $50bn-worth of food a year and that figure is expected to more than double over the next
five years. Self-sufficiency is not Africa’s goal, but the fact that it spends more money importing food
than it does buying capital goods suggests it has room for improvement.
[D] Finding out why is not hard. Most farms are tiny, ploughed by hand and reliant on rain. More than half
of Africa’s people make their living from farming. Although its total harvest has climbed over the past
few decades, this is mainly because there are more people farming more land. But in many places there
is no spare land to farm. Plots in Rwanda are so small that you could fit 250 of them onto the average
American farm. And although output per worker has improved by more than half over the past 30 years
in Africa, that is still far behind the 2.5 times improvement in Asia. Yields of maize are generally less
than two tonnes per hectare, a fifth the level in America.
[E] The low productivity of African farmers is reflected in national economic statistics—despite absorbing
so much labour, farming generates just 15% of GDP. “They can’t even feed their families,” says Jennifer
Blanke, a vice-president of the African Development Bank in charge of agriculture. “Farm productivity
hasn’t improved in many parts of Africa for 100 years.”
[F] One reason is that in the first few decades of independence, many African governments neglected farming
as they focused on industrialising their economies. Others damaged it by pushing down the prices that
state monopolies paid for their crops in order to subsidise workers in cities with cheap food. Ghana taxed
cocoa ( 可可粉 ) exports so heavily that production collapsed by half between the 1960s and 1980s,
despite a jump in the global price of cocoa. Yet over the past two decades or so governments and donors
have begun to look again at farming as a way of providing jobs for the 13 million young people entering
the workforce each year. Much of the focus has been on getting small farmers to use fertiliser and, more
important, better seeds. The results can be impressive. Improved varieties of sorghum ( 高粱 ), for
instance, can produce a crop that is 40% larger than the usual variety. Infrastructure is important. A World
Bank irrigation project in Ethiopia helped farmers increase their potato harvest from about 8 tonnes per
hectare to 35 tonnes.
[G] Better techniques help, too. Small coffee farmers in Kenya are able to increase their incomes by 40%
by following a few simple guidelines on caring for their bushes, such as trimming all but three of their
stems. Many of their neighbours do not follow the advice, because it seems counter-intuitive. More
stems ought to lead to more coffee beans, they say. Yet after seeing those following the advice get bigger
harvests for a season or two, many others start doing the same.
[H] One way of spreading knowledge is to link farms to big buyers of their harvests. When Diageo, a British
drinks giant, built a brewery in western Kenya, it wanted to use local crops to make a beer cheap enough
262023年12月大学英语六级考试真题（第三套）
to compete with illicit home brew. It organised farmers into groups, improved supply chains for them
to get seeds and fertiliser and then agreed to buy their grain. It now provides a market to about 17,000
farmers. Across the region it has doubled its use of local raw material to about 80% over five years, says
John O’Keeffe, who runs its Africa business.
[I] An even more important change is the move from traditional farming to building businesses that can
profitably bring technology and investment to small farms. Taita Ngetich, a young Kenyan, was studying
engineering when he wanted to earn a little money on the side. He scraped together 20,000 Kenyan
shillings (about $200) to plant tomatoes. Everything went wrong. The crop was attacked by pests. “Then
there was a massive flood that swallowed all our capital,” he says. Mr Ngetich persevered by looking
into buying a greenhouse to protect his plants from bugs and rain. The cheapest ones cost more than
$2,500 each, so he designed his own for half the price. Soon neighbouring farmers started placing orders
with him, and now his firm, Illuminum Greenhouses, has sold more than 1,400 greenhouses that provide
livelihoods to about 6,000 people. The business does not stop there; he also supplies fertiliser, high-
quality seedlings and smart sensors that increase yields.
[J] Illuminum’s success shows how technology can help even small farms become more productive. Because
such a large share of Africa’s population earns a living from agriculture, even small improvements in
productivity can lift the incomes of millions of people. But over the longer run small-scale farming can
go only so far, especially in the face of climate change and population pressure.
[K] “If we really want to lift people out of poverty we have to finance projects that will get them an income
of at least $100 a month so that they can pay for health care and education,” says Mr Ngetich. “Projects
that give them an extra $2 a month from growing beans or maize aren’t going to get them there.” Getting
those big jumps will need better jobs in factories and cities.
36. It is said that agricultural productivity in many African countries has remained low for a century.
37. Building connections between farms and major purchasers of their produce can promote African farmers’
use of advanced farming techniques.
38. Parts of Africa are getting warmer much faster than the average, with southern Africa witnessing roughly
twice the global warming rate over the last half century.
39. Improved farming practices have enabled Kenyan farmers to increase farm produce remarkably.
40. Africa is especially susceptible to the effects of global warming partly because it has difficulty feeding its
increasing population even without climate change.
41. The use of fertiliser and improved seeds can help Africa’s small farmers impressively increase crop
yields.
42. It has proved even more important to shift from traditional farming to setting up businesses that can bring
technology and investment to small farmers in Africa.
43. Everyone in the world will have to bear the consequences of climate change, especially Africans.
44. Improvement in farm output per worker in Africa falls far short of that in Asia.
45. In the long term, the potential for small farms in Africa to increase productivity is quite limited, especially
owing to the warming climate and a growing population.
27大学英语6级真题详解及速刷狂练
Section C
Directions: T here are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished
statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide
on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line
through the centre.
Passage One
Questions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.
One of the great successes of the Republican Party in recent decades is the relentless propagation of a
simple formula for economic growth: tax cuts.
The formula doesn’t work, but that has not affected its popularity. And while the cult of tax cuts has
attracted many critics, it lacks for obvious rivals.
Democratic politicians have tended to campaign on helping people left behind by economic growth.
When Democrats do talk about encouraging economic growth, they often sound like Republicans.
This is not just a political problem for Democrats; it is an economic problem for the United States. The
nation needs a better story about the drivers of economic growth. The painful lessons of recent decades point
to a promising candidate: higher wages.
Raising the wages of American workers ought to be the priority of economic policymakers. We’d all be
better off paying less attention to quarterly updates on the growth of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP)
and focusing instead on the growth of workers’ paychecks.
Set aside, for the moment, the familiar argument for higher wages: fairness. The argument here is that
higher wages can fuel the engine of economic growth.
Perhaps the most famous illustration of the benefits is the story of Henry Ford’s decision in 1914 to
pay $5 a day to workers on his Model T assembly lines. He did it to increase production—he was paying a
premium to maintain a reliable workforce. The unexpected benefit was that Ford’s factory workers became
Ford customers, too.
The same logic still holds: Consumption drives the American economy, and workers who are paid more
can spend more.
Mainstream economists insist that it is impossible to order up a sustainable increase in wages because
compensation levels reflect the unerring judgment of market forces.
The conventional wisdom held that productivity growth was the only route to higher wages. Through
that lens, efforts to negotiate higher wages were counterproductive. Minimum-wage laws would raise
unemployment because there was only so much money in the wage pool, and if some people got more, others
would get none.
It was in the context of this worldview that it became popular to argue that tax cuts would drive
prosperity. Rich people would invest, productivity would increase, wages would rise.
In the real world, things are more complicated. Wages are influenced by a tug of war between employers
and workers, and employers have been winning. One clear piece of evidence is the widening gap between
282023年12月大学英语六级考试真题（第三套）
productivity growth and wage growth since roughly 1970. Productivity has more than doubled; wages have
lagged far behind.
A focus on wage growth would provide an antidote (矫正方法) to the attractive simplicity of the belief
in the magical power of tax cuts.
46. Why does the formula of tax cuts remain popular though ineffective?
A) Its critics’ voice has not been heard throughout the country.
B) There seem to be no other options available to replace it.
C) The cult of tax cuts has been relentlessly propagated by all policymakers.
D) There appears to be a misunderstanding of the formula among the public.
47. What does the author think is a more effective measure for driving economic growth in the U.S.?
A) Aiding people left behind by economic growth.
B) Prioritizing the growth of the nation’s GDP.
C) Increasing the compensation for labor.
D) Introducing even more extensive tax cuts.
48. What is the logic underlying the author’s viewpoint?
A) The growth of workers’ paychecks ultimately boosts the nation’s economy.
B) Paying a premium to maintain a reliable workforce attracts more customers.
C) Consumption stimulates the desire for higher wages.
D) Familiar arguments for higher wages are outdated.
49. What is the basis for higher wages according to the conventional wisdom?
A) Fairness in distribution.
B) Increase in productivity.
C) The priority of economic policymakers.
D) The unerring judgment of market forces.
50. What do we learn about things in the real world in America for the past 50 years or so?
A) People have failed to see a corresponding increase in wages and in productivity.
B) People have been disheartened by the widening gap between the haves and have-nots.
C) People have witnessed a tug of war between Republicans and Democrats over tax cuts.
D) People have seen the link disappearing between productivity and workers’ well-being.
Passage Two
Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.
Journal editors decide what gets published and what doesn’t, affecting the careers of other academics
and influencing the direction that a field takes. You’d hope, then, that journals would do everything they can
to establish a diverse editorial board, reflecting a variety of voices, experiences, and identities.
Unfortunately a new study in Nature Neuroscience makes for disheartening reading. The team finds that
the majority of editors in top psychology and neuroscience journals are male and based in the United States: a
situation that may be amplifying existing gender inequalities in the field and influencing the kind of research
29大学英语6级真题详解及速刷狂练
that gets published.
Men were found to account for 60% of the editors of psychology journals. There were significantly more
male than female editors at each level of seniority, and men made up the majority of editors in over three
quarters of the journals. Crucially, the proportion of female editors was significantly lower than the overall
proportion of women psychology researchers.
The differences were even starker in the neuroscience journals: 70% of editors were male, and men held
the majority of editorial positions in 88% of journals. In this case, the proportion of female editors was not
significantly lower than the proportion of female researchers working in neuroscience—a finding that reveals
enduring gender disparities in the field more broadly.
Based on their results, the team concludes that “the ideas, values and decision-making biases of men
are overrepresented in the editorial positions of the most recognized academic journals in psychology and
neuroscience.”
Gender inequality in science is often attributed to the fact that senior academics are more likely to be
male, because historically science was male-dominated: it’s argued that as time goes on and more women
rise to senior roles, the field will become more equal. Yet this study showed that even the junior roles in
psychology journals tended to be held disproportionately by men, despite the fact that there are actually more
female than male junior psychology faculty.
This implies that a lack of female academics is not the problem. Instead, there are structural reasons
that women are disadvantaged in science. Women receive lower salaries and face greater childcare demands,
for instance, which can result in fewer publications and grants—the kinds of things that journals look for
when deciding who to appoint. Rather than simply blaming the inequality of editorial boards on tradition, we
should be actively breaking down these existing barriers.
A lack of diversity among journal editors also likely contributes to psychology’s WEIRD problem. If
journal editors are largely men from the United States, then they will probably place higher value on papers
that are relevant to Western, male populations, whether consciously or not.
51. What would we expect an editorial board of an academic journal to exhibit in view of its important
responsibilities?
A) Insight. B) Expertise. C) Integrity. D) Diversity.
52. What do we learn from the findings of a new study in Nature Neuroscience?
A) The majority of top psychology and neuroscience journals reflect a variety of voices, experiences and
identities.
B) The editorial boards of most psychology and neuroscience journals do influence the direction their
field takes.
C) The editorial boards of the most important journals in psychology and neuroscience are male-
dominated.
D) The majority of editors in top psychology and neuroscience journals have relevant backgrounds.
53. What fact does the author highlight concerning the gender differences in editors of psychology journals?
A) There were quite a few female editors who also distinguished themselves as influential psychology
302023年12月大学英语六级考试真题（第三套）
researchers.
B) The number of female editors was simply disproportionate to that of women engaged in psychology
research.
C) The proportion of female editors was increasingly lower at senior levels.
D) There were few female editors who could move up to senior positions.
54. What can we infer from the conclusion drawn by the team of the new study on the basis of their findings?
A) Women’s views are underrepresented in the editorial boards of top psychology and neuroscience
journals.
B) Male editors of top psychology and neuroscience journals tend to be biased against their female
colleagues.
C) Male researchers have enough representation in the editorial boards to ensure their publications.
D) Female editors have to struggle to get women’s research articles published in academic journals.
55. What does the author suggest we do instead of simply blaming the inequality of editorial boards on
tradition?
A) Strike a balance between male and female editors.
B) Increase women’s employment in senior positions.
C) Enlarge the body of female academics.
D) Implement overall structural reforms.
Part ⅣⅣ Translation (30 minutes)
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into English. You
should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.
随着经济与社会的发展，中国人口结构发生了显著变化，逐渐步入老龄化社会。中国老年人口将持
续增加，人口老龄化趋势将更加明显。为了应对人口老龄化带来的种种挑战，国家正积极采取措施，加
大对养老的支持。通过改革社会保障（social security）制度，政府不断增加社会保障经费，逐步扩大社会
保障覆盖范围，使更多老年人受益。政府还鼓励各种社会团体为老年人提供服务。在政府和社会团体的
共同努力下，老年人将生活得更加幸福。
31大学英语6级真题详解及速刷狂练
答案速查
Part Ⅰ Writing
As is known to all, gaining a sound knowledge of the basics is of vital importance for students to master
an academic subject. Therefore, the most important step for us to learn a subject is not to seek for shortcuts,
but to master the basic knowledge.
Many reasons can explain this. Firstly, basic knowledge involves the basic principles of a subject which
are the “building blocks” upon which more advanced knowledge is built. Taking learning a foreign language
as an example, a good mastery of vocabulary and grammar provides a strong foundation that will support our
advanced learning, such as literary works and related linguistic concepts. Secondly, learning the fundamentals
helps get to the crux of the matter in a more efficient way. When asked what makes him such an effective
learner, Elon Musk replied, “It is important to view knowledge as sort of a semantic tree—make sure you
understand the fundamental principles, i.e. the trunk and big branches, before you get into the leaves/details
or there is nothing for them to hang on to.”
In a word, gaining a sound knowledge of the basics is essential to success. It’s the difference between
stagnating and advancing. So if you’re seeking for academic success but feeling lost or stuck, you can try to
go back to basics.
Part Ⅱ Listening Comprehension （略）
Part Ⅲ Reading Comprehension
Section A 26. E 27. D 28. B 29. M 30. G 31. O 32. C 33. F 34. A 35. L
Section B 36. E 37. H 38. B 39. G 40. C 41. F 42. I 43. A 44. D 45. J
Section C 46. B 47. C 48. A 49. B 50. A 51. D 52. C 53. B 54. A 55. D
Part Ⅳ Translation
With advances in economy and society, China has witnessed significant changes in population structure,
gradually entering an aging society. The population of older people will continue to grow and the trend of
population aging will be more obvious. In order to come to grips with challenges brought by the population
aging, China is taking active measures to increase support for elderly care. By reforming the social security
system, the government has been increasing the social security funds and gradually expanding the coverage
of social security so as to benefit more older people. The government also encourages all kinds of social
organizations to provide services for the elderly. Through the collaborative efforts of the government and
social organizations, the elderly will live a happier life.
32
