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2024年6月大学英语六级考试真题第1套
Part II 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) Reply to the man's last proposal within a short time.
B) Sign the agreement if one small change is made to it.
C) Make a sponsorship deal for her client at the meeting.
D) Give the man some good news regarding the contract.
2. A) They are becoming impatient.
B) They are afraid time is running out.
C) They are used to making alterations.
D) They are concerned about the details.
3. A) To prevent geographical discrimination.
B) To tap the food and beverage market.
C) To avoid any conflict of interest.
D) To reduce unfair competition.
4. A) It is a potential market for food and beverage.
B) It is very attractive for real estate developers.
C) It is a negligible market for his company.
D) It is very different from other markets.
Questions 5 to 8 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
5. A) They are thrilled by a rare astronomic phenomenon.
B) They are celebrating a big event on mountain tops.
C) They are enthusiastic about big science-related stories.
D) They are joined by astronomers all across North America.
6. A) It will be the most formidable of its kind in over a century.
B) It will come closest to Earth in more than one hundred years.
6 ・1C) It will eclipse many other such events in human history.
D) It will be seen most clearly from Denver5s mountain tops.
7. A) A blur. C) The edge of our galaxy.
B) Stars. D) An ordinary flying object.
8. A) Use professional eqxiipment. C) Fix their eyes due north.
B) Climb to the nearby heights. D) Make use of phone apps.
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 11 are based on the passage you have just heard.
9. A) Whether consumers should be warned against ultra-processed foods.
B) Whether there is sufficient scientific consensus on dietary guidelines.
C) Whether guidelines can form the basis for nutrition advice to consumers.
D) Whether food scientists will agree on the concept of ultra-processed foods.
10. A) By the labor cost for the final products.
B) By the degree of industrial processing.
C) By the extent of chemical alteration.
D) By the convention of classification.
11. A) Increased consumers5 expenses.
B) Greater risk of chronic diseases.
C) People's misunderstanding of nutrition.
D) Children's dislike for unprocessed foods.
Questions 12 to 15 are based on the passage you have just heard.
12. A) They begin to think of the benefits of constraints.
B) They try to seek solutions from creative people.
C) They try hard to maximize their mental energy.
D) They begin to see the world in a different way.
6 • 213. A) It is characteristic of all creative people.
B) It is essential to pushing society forward.
C) It is a creative person's response to limitation.
D) It is an impetus to socio-economic development.
14. A) Scarcity or abundance of resources has little impact on people's creativity.
B) Innovative people are not constrained in connecting unrelated concepts.
C) People have no incentive to use available resources in new ways.
D) Creative people tend to consume more available resources.
15. A) It is key to a company5s survival.
B) It shapes and focuses problems.
C) It is essential to meeting challenges.
D) It thrives best when constrained.
Section C
Directions ： In this section, you will hear three recordings of lectures or talks fallowed 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) Because they are learned.
B) Because they come naturally.
C) Because they have to be properly personalized.
D) Because there can be more effective strategies.
17. A) The extent of difference and of similarity between the two sides.
B) The knowledge of the specific expectation the other side holds.
C) The importance of one's goals and of the relationship.
D) The approaches one adopts to conflict management.
18. A) The fbx. C) The shark.
B) The owl. D) The turtle.
Questions 19 to 21 are based on the recording you have just heard.
19. A) Help save species from extinction and boost human health.
B) Understand how plants and animals perished over the past.
6 ・3C) Help gather information publicly available to researchers.
D) Find out the cause of extinction of Britain's 66,000 species.
20. A) It was once dominated by dinosaurs.
B) It has entered the sixth mass extinction.
C) Its prospects depend on future human behaviour.
D) Its climate change is aggravated by humans.
21. A) It dwarfs all other efforts to conserve, protect and restore biodiversity on earth.
B) It is costly to get started and requires the joint efforts of thousands of scientists.
C) It can help to bring back the large numbers of plants and animals that have gone extinct.
D) It is the most exciting, most relevant, most timely and most internationally inspirational.
Questions 22 to 25 are based on the recording you have just heard.
22. A) Cultural identity. C) The Copernican revolution.
B) Social evolution. D) Human individuality.
23. A) It is a delusion to be disposed of.
B) It is prevalent even among academics.
C) It is a myth spread by John Donne's poem.
D) It is rooted in the mindset of the 17th century.
24. A) He believes in Copernican philosophical doctrines about the universe.
B) He has gained ample scientific evidence at the University of Reading.
C) He has found that our imer self and material self are interconnected.
D) He contends most of our body cells can only live a few days or weeks.
25. A) By coming to see how disruptive such problems have got to be.
B) By realising that we all can do our own bit in such endeavours.
C) By becoming aware that we are part of a bigger world.
D) By making joint efforts resolutely and persistently.
Part in 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.
6 • 4Ifs quite remarkable how different genres of music can spark unique feelings, emotions, and
memories. Studies have shown that music can reduce stress and anxiety before surgeries and we are
all attracted toward our own unique life soundtrack.
If you're looking to 26 stress, you might want to give classical music a try.
The sounds of classical music produce a calming effect letting 27 pleasure-inducing
dopamine (多 巴胺)in the brain that helps control attention, learning and emotional responses. It can
also turn down the body's stress response, resulting in an overall happier mood. It turns out a pleasant
mood can lead to 28 in a person's thinking.
Although there are many great 29 of classical music like Bach, Beethoven and Handel, none
of these artists5 music seems to have the same health effects as Mozarfs does. According to
researchers, listening to Mozart can increase brain wave activity and improve 30 function.
Another study found that the distinctive features of Mozarfs music trigger parts of the brain that are
responsible for high-level mental functions. Even maternity 31 use Mozart to help newborn
babies adapt to life outside of the mother's belly.
It has been found that listening to classical music 32 reduces a person's blood pressure.
Researchers believe that the calming sounds of classical music may help your heart 33 from
stress. Classical music can also be a great tool to help people who have trouble sleeping. One study
found that students who had trouble sleeping slept better while they were listening to classical music.
Whether classical music is something that you listen to on a regular basis or not, it wouldn't
34 to take time out of your day to listen to music that you find 35 . You will be surprised at
how good it makes you feel and the potentially positive change in your health.
A) alleviate I) loose
B) clarity J) majestic
C) cognitive K) mandatory
D) composers L) recover
E) hurt M) significantly
F) inhibiting N) soothing
G) interrogation 0) wards
H) intrinsically
Section B
Directions ： In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each
statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from
which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each
paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter
on Answer Sheet 2.
6 ・5The Curious Case of the Tree That Owns Itself
A) In the city of Athens, Georgia, there exists a rather curious local landmark—a large white oak that
is almost universally stated to own itself. Because of this, it is considered one of the most famous
trees in the world. So how did this tree come to own itself and the land around it?
B) Sometime in the 19th century a Georgian called Colonel William Jackson reportedly took a liking
to the said tree and endeavored to protect it from any danger. As to why he loved it so, the earliest
documented account of this story is an anonymously written front page article in the Athens Weekly
Banner published on August 12, 1890. It states, Col. Jackson had watched the tree grow from his
childhood, and grew to love it almost as he would a human. Its luxuriant leaves and sturdy limbs
had often protected him from the heavy rains, and out of its highest branches he had many a time
gotten the eggs of the feathered singers. He watched its growth, and when reaching a ripe old age
he saw the tree standing in its magnificent proportions, he was pained to think that after his death
it would fall into the hands of those who might destroy it.”
C) Towards this end, Jackson transferred by means of a deed ownership of the tree and a little land
around it to the tree itself. The deed read, "W. H. Jackson for and in consideration of the great
affection which he bears the said tree, and his great desire to see it protected has conveyed unto
the said oak tree entire possession of itself and of all land within eight feet of it on all sides.”
D) In time, the tree came to be something of a tourist attraction, known as The Tree That Owns Itself.
However, in the early 20th century, the tree started showing signs of its slow death, with little that
could be done about it. Father time comes for us all eventually, even our often long lived, tall and
leafy fellow custodians ( ) of Earth. Finally, on October 9, 1942, the over 30 meter tall and
200-400 year old tree fell, rumor has it, as a result of a severe windstorm and/or via having
previously died and its roots rotted.
E) About four years later, members of the Junior Ladies Garden Club (who'd tended to the tree before
its unfortunate death) tracked down a small tree grown from a nut taken from the original tree.
And so it was that on October 9, 1946, under the direction of Professor Roy Bowden of the
College of Agriculture at the University of Georgia, this litde tree was transplanted to the location
of its ancestor. A couple months later, an official ceremony was held featuring none other than the
Mayor of Athens, Robert L McWhorter, to commemorate the occasion.
F) This new tree became known as The Son of the Tree That Owns Itself and it was assumed that, as
the original tree's heir, it naturally inherited the land it stood on. Of course, there are many dozens
of other trees known to exist descending from the original, as people taking a nut from it to grow
elsewhere was a certainty. That said, to date, none of the original tree's other children have
6・6petitioned the courts for their share of the land, so it seems all good. In any event, The Son of the
Tree That Owns Itself still stands today, though often referred to simply as The Tree That Owns
Itself.
G) This all brings us around to whether Jackson ever actually gave legal ownership of the tree to
itself in the first place and whether such a deed is legally binding.
H) Well, to begin with, it turns out Jackson only spent about three years of his life in Athens, starting
at the age of 43 from 1829 to 1832, sort of dismissing the idea that he loved the tree from
spending time under it as a child and watching it grow, and then worrying about what would
happen to it after he died. Further, an extensive search of land ownership records in Athens does
not seem to indicate Jackson ever owned the land the tree sits on.
I) He did live on a lot of land directly next to it for those three years, but whether he owned that land
or not isn't clear. Whatever the case, in 1832 a four acre parcel, which included the land the tree
was on and the neighboring land Jackson lived on, among others, was sold to University professor
Malthus A Ward. In the transaction, Ward was required to pay Jackson a sum of $ 1,200 (about
$31,000 today), either for the property itself or simply in compensation for improvements
Jackson had made on the lot. In the end, whether he ever owned the neighboring lot or was
simply allowed to use it while he allegedly worked at the University, he definitely never owned
the lot the tree grew on, which is the most important bit for the topic at hand.
J) After Professor Ward purchased the land, Jackson and his family pxirchased a 655 acre parcel a few
miles away and moved there. Ten years later, in 1844, Jackson seemed to have come into financial
difficulties and had his little plantation seized by the Clarke County Sheriffs office and auctioned
off to settle the mortgage. Thus, had he owned some land in Athens itself including the land the
tree sat on, presumably he would have sold it to raise funds or otherwise had it taken as well.
K) And whatever the case there, Jackson would have known property taxes needed to be paid on the
deeded land for the tree to be truly secure in its future. Yet no account or record indicates any
trust or the like was set up to facilitate this.
L) On top of all this, there is no hard evidence such a deed ever existed, despite the fact that deed
records in Athens go back many decades before Jackson's death in 1876 and that it was supposed
to have existed in 1890 in the archives according to the original anonymous news reporter who
claims to have seen it.
M) As you might imagine from all of this, few give credit to this side of the story. So how did all of
this come about then?
6・7N) It is speculated to have been invented by the imagination of the said anonymous author at the
Athens Weekly Banner in the aforementioned 1890 front page article titled u Deeded to Itselfv,
which by the way contained several elements that are much more easily proved to be false. As to
why the author would do this, ifs speculated perhaps it was a 19th century version of a click-bait
thought exercise on whether it would be legal for someone to deed such a non-conscious living
thing to itself or not.
O) Whatever the case, the next known instance of the Tree That Owns Itself being mentioned wasn't
until 1901 in the Centennial Edition of that same paper, the Athens Weekly Barmer. This featured
another account very clearly just copying the original article published about a decade before, only
slightly reworded. The next account was in 1906, again in the Athens Weekly Banner, again very
clearly copying the original account, only slightly reworded, the 19th century equivalent of
re-posts when the audience has forgotten about the original.
36. Jackson was said to have transferred his ownership of the oak tree to itself in order to protect it
from being destroyed.
37. No proof has been found from an extensive search that Jackson had ever owned the land where
the oak tree grew.
38. When it was raining heavily, Jackson often took shelter under a big tree that is said to own itself.
39. There is no evidence that Jackson had made arrangements to pay property taxes for the land on
which the oak tree sat.
40. Professor Ward paid Jackson over one thousand dollars when purchasing a piece of land
from him.
41. It is said the tree that owned itself fell in a heavy windstorm.
42. The story of the oak tree is suspected to have been invented as a thought exercise.
43. Jackson's litde plantation was auctioned off to setde his debt in the mid-19th century.
44. An official ceremony was held to celebrate the transplanting of a small tree to where its ancestor
had stood.
45. The story of the Tree That Owns Itself appeared in the local paper several times, with slight
alterations in wording.
6 • 8Section C
Directions ： There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is fallowed 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.
It is irrefutable that employees know the difference between right and wrong. So why don't more
employees intervene when they see someone exhibiting at-risk behavior in the workplace?
There are a number of factors that influence whether people intervene. First, they need to be able
to see a risky situation beginning to unfold. Second, the company's culture needs to make them feel
safe to speak up. And third, they need to have the communication skills to say something effectively.
This is not strictly a workplace problem; it's a growing problem off the job too. Every day
people witness things on the street and choose to stand idly by. This is known as the bystander
effect—the more people who witness an event, the less likely anyone in that group is to help the
victim. The psychology behind this is called diffusion of responsibility. Basically, the larger the
crowd, the more people assume that someone else will take care of it—meaning no one effectively
intervenes or acts in a moment of need.
This crowd mentality is strong enough for people to evade their known responsibilities. But it's
not only frontline workers who don't make safety interventions in the workplace. There are also
instances where supervisors do not intervene either.
When a group of employees sees unsafe behavior not being addressed at a leadership level it
creates the precedent that this is how these situations should be addressed, thus defining the safety
culture for everyone.
Despite the fact that workers are encouraged to intervene when they observe unsafe operations,
this happens less than half of the time. Fear is the ultimate factor in not intervening. There is a fear of
penalty, a fear that they'll have to do more work if they intervene. Unsuccessful attempts in the past
are another strong contributing factor to why people don't intervene- they tend to prefer to defer that
action to someone else for all future situations.
On many worksites, competent workers must be appointed. Part of their job is to intervene when
workers perform a task without the proper equipment or if the conditions are unsafe. Competent
workers are also required to stop work from continuing when there5s a danger.
Supervisors also play a critical role. Even if a competent person isn't required, supervisors need a
broad set of skills to not only identify and alleviate workplace hazards but also build a safety climate
within their team that supports intervening and open communication among them.
Beyond competent workers and supervisors, ifs important to educate everyone within the
organization that they are obliged to intervene if they witness a possible unsafe act, whether you're a
designated competent person, a supervisor or a frontline worker.
6 ・946. What is one of the factors contributing to failure of intervention in face of risky behavior in the
workplace?
A) Slack supervision style.
B) Unfavorable workplace culture.
C) Unforeseeable risk.
D) Blocked communication.
47. What does the author mean by u diffusion of responsibility” (Line 4, Para. 3)?
A) The more people are around, the more they need to worry about their personal safety.
B) The more people who witness an event, the less likely anyone will venture to participate.
C) The more people idling around on the street, the more likely they need taking care of.
D) The more people are around, the less chance someone will step forward to intervene.
48. What happens when unsafe behavior at the workplace is not addressed by the leaders?
A) No one will intervene when they see similar behaviors.
B) Everyone will see it as the easiest way to deal with crisis.
C) Workers have to take extra caution executing their duties.
D) Workers are left to take care of the emergency themselves.
49. What is the ultimate reason workers won5t act when they see unsafe operations?
A) Preference of deferring the action to others.
B) Anticipation of leadership intervention.
C) Fear of being isolated by coworkers.
D) Fear of having to do more work.
50. What is critical to ensxiring workplace safety?
A) Workers be trained to operate their equipment properly.
B) Workers exhibiting at-risk behavior be strictly disciplined.
C) Supervisors create a safety environment for timely intervention.
D) Supervisors conduct effective communication with frontline workers.
Passage Two
Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.
The term “environmentalist” can mean different things. It used to refer to people trying to
protect wildlife and natural ecosystems. In the 21st century, the term has evolved to capture the need
to combat human-made climate change.
The distinction between these two strands of environmentalism is the cause of a split within the
scientific community about nuclear energy.
On one side are purists who believe nuclear power isn't worth the risk and the exclusive solution
6 • 10to the climate crisis is renewable energy. The opposing side agrees that renewables are crucial, but
says society needs an amount of power available to meet consumers5 basic demands when the sun
isn't shining and the wind isn't blowing. Nuclear energy, being far cleaner than oil, gas and coal, is a
natural option, especially where hydroelectric capacity is limited.
Leon Clarke, who helped author reports for the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change, isn5t an uncritical supporter of nuclear energy, but says it's a valuable option to have if we're
serious about reaching carbon neutrality.
“ Core to all of this is the degree to which you think we can actually meet climate goals with
100% renewables/* he said. "If you don't believe we can do it, and you care about the climate, you
are forced to think about something like nuclear.n
The achievability of universal 100% renewability is similarly contentious. Cities such as
Burlington, Vermont, have been “100% renewablefor years. But these cities often have small
populations, occasionally still rely on fossil fuel energy and have significant renewable resources at
their immediate disposal. Meanwhile, countries that manage to run off renewables typically do so
thanks to extraordinary hydroelectric capabilities.
Germany stands as the best case study for a large, industrialized country pushing into green
energy. Chancellor Angela Merkel in 2011 announced Energiewende, an energy transition that would
phase out nuclear and coal while phasing in renewables. Wind and solar power generation has
increased over 400% since 2010, and renewables provided 46% of the country's electricity in 2019.
But progress has halted in recent years. The instability of renewables doesn?t just mean energy is
often not produced at night, but also that solar and wind can overwhelm the grid during the day,
forcing utilities to pay customers to use their electricity. Lagging grid infrastructure struggles to
transport this overabundance of green energy from Germany's north to its industrial south, meaning
many factories still run on coal and gas. The political limit has also been reached in some places, with
citizens meeting the construction of new wind turbines with loud protests.
The result is that Germany's greenhouse gas emissions have fallen by around 11.5% since
2010—slower than the EU average of 13.5%.
51. What accounts for the divide within the scientific community about nuclear energy?
A) Attention to combating human-made climate change.
B) Emphasis on protecting wildlife and natural ecosystems.
C) Evolution of the term “green energy” over the last century.
D) Adherence to different interpretations of environmentalism.
52. What is the solution to energy shortage proposed by purists5 opponents?
A) Relying on renewables firmly and exclusively.
B) Using fossil fuel and green energy alternately.
C) Opting for nuclear energy when necessary.
D) Limiting people's non-basic consumption.
6・1153. What point does the author want to make with cities like Burlington as an example?
A) It is controversial whether the goal of the whole world5s exclusive dependence on renewables
is attainable.
B) It is contentious whether cities with large popxilations have renewable resources at their
immediate disposal.
C) It is arguable whether cities that manage to run off renewables have sustainable hydroelectric
capabilities.
D) It is debatable whether traditional fossil fuel energy can be done away with entirely throughout
the world.
54. What do we learn about Germany regarding renewable energy?
A) It has increased its wind and solar power generation four times over the last two decades.
B) It represents a good example of a major industrialized country promoting green energy.
C) It relies on renewable energy to generate more than half of its electricity.
D) It has succeeded in reaching the goal of energy transition set by Merkel.
55. What may be one of the reasons for Germany5s progress having halted in recent years?
A) Its grid infrastructure^ capacity has fallen behind its development of green energy.
B) Its overabundance of green energy has forced power plants to suspend operation during
daytime.
C) Its industrial south is used to running factories on conventional energy supplies.
D) Its renewable energy supplies are unstable both at night and during the day.
Part IV 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.
中国的传统婚礼习俗历史悠久，从周朝开始就逐渐形成了一套完整的婚礼仪式，有些一直
沿用至今。如今的中式婚礼习俗已有很大变化，但婚礼庆典仍然十分隆重。婚礼场地经过精心
装饰,以象征融(jubilance)的红色为主色调,摆放着许多祝愿新人幸福的物件。在婚礼上，新
人要拜天地(bow to Heaven and Earth)、拜父母和相互对拜，然后设宴招待宾客，并向宾客敬酒致
谢。今天,许多年轻人依然钟情于传统的中式婚礼，体验独特而美好的中国式浪漫。
6 - 12未得到监考教师指令前,不得翻阅该试题册!
Part I 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 Nowadays, cultivating independent learning ability is becoming
increasingly crucial for personal development.M You can make comments, cite
examples or use your personal experiences to develop your essay. You should write at
least J50 words but no more than 200 words.
You should copy the sentence given in quotes at the beginning ef your essay.
请用黑色签字笔在答题卡1指定区域内作答作文题，在试题册上的作答无效!
请认真填写以下信息:
I l l i ——
准考证号：
姓 名:________________________________
错填、未填以上信息，按违规处理！2024年6月大学英语六级考试真题第2套
Part II 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) Read numerous comments users put online.
微信扫码获音频
B) Blended all his food without using a machine.
C) Searched for the state-of-the-art models of blenders.
D) Did thorough research on the price of kitchen appliances.
2. A) Eating any blended food. C) Using machines to do her cooking.
B) Buying a blender herself. D) Making soups and juices for herself.
3. A) Cooking every meal creatively in the kitchen.
B) Paying due attention to his personal hygiene.
C) Eating breakfast punctually every morning.
D) Making his own fresh fruit juice regularly.
4. A) One-tenth of it is sugar.
B) It looks healthy and attractive.
C) One's fancy may be tickled by it.
D) It contains an assortment of nutrients.
Questions 5 to 8 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
5. A) How he has made himself popular as the mayor of Berkton.
B) How the residents will turn Berkton into a tourist attraction.
C) How charming he himself considers the village of Berkton to be.
D) How he has led people of Berkton to change the village radically.
6. A) It was developed only to a limited extent.
B) It was totally isolated as a sleepy village.
C) It was relatively unknown to the outside.
D) It was endowed with rare natural resources.
6 ・17. A) All the properties in Berkton were designed by the same architect.
B) The majority of residents lived in harmony with their neighbors.
C) The majority of residents enjoyed cosy housing conditions.
D) All the houses in Berkton looked aesthetically similar.
8. A) They have helped boost the local economy.
B) They have made the residents unusually proud.
C) They have contributed considerably to its popularity.
D) They have brought happiness to everyone in the village.
Section B
Directions ： In this section, yow 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 Sheer 1 with a single line
through the centre.
Questions 9 to 11 are based on the passage you have just heard.
9. A) They have created the smallest remote-controlled walking robot in the world.
B) They are going to publish their research findings in the journal Science Robotics.
C) They are the first to build a robot that can bend, crawl, walk, turn and even jump.
D) They are engaged in research on a remote-controlled robot which uses special power.
10. A) It changes its shape by complex hardware.
B) It is operated by a special type of tiny motor.
C) It moves from one place to another by memory.
D) It is powered by the elastic property of its body.
11. A) Replace humans in exploratory tasks.
B) Perform tasks in tightly confined spaces.
C) Explore the structure of clogged arteries.
D) Assist surgeons in highly complex surgery.
Questions 12 to 15 are based on the passage you have just heard.
12. A) She threw up in the bathroom.
B) She slept during the entire ride.
C) She dozed off for a few minutes.
D) She boasted of her marathon race.
6 ・213. A) They are mostly immune to cognitive impairment.
B) They can sleep soundly during a rough ride at sea.
C) They are genetically determined to need less sleep.
D) They constitute about 13 percent of the popxilation.
14. A) Whether there is a way to reach elite status.
B) Whether it is possible to modify one's genes.
C) Whether having a baby impacts one5s passion.
D) Whether one can train themselves to sleep less.
15. A) It is in fact quite possible to nurture a passion for sleep.
B) Babies can severely disrupt their parents5 sleep patterns.
C) Being forced to rise early differs from being an early bird.
D) New parents are forced to jump out of bed at the crack of dawn.
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) We have poor awareness of how many controversial issues are being debated.
B) No one knows better than yourself what you are thinking about at the moment.
C) No one can change your opinions more than those who speak in a convincing tone.
D) We are likely to underestimate how much we can be swayed by a convincing article.
17. A) Their belief about physical punishment changed.
B) Their memory pushed them toward a current belief.
C) The memory of their initial belief came back to them.
D) Their experiences of physical punishment haunted them.
18. A) They apparently have little to do with moderate beliefs.
B) They don't reflect the change of view on physical punishment.
C) They may not apply to changes to extreme or deeply held beliefs.
D) They are unlikely to alter people's position without more evidence.
6 ・3Questions 19 to 21 are based on the recording you have just heard.
19. A) American moms have been increasingly inclined to live alone.
B) The American population has been on the rise in the past 25 years.
C) American motherhood has actually been on the decline.
D) The fertility rates in America have in fact been falling sharply.
20. A) More new mothers tend to take greater care of their children.
B) More new mothers are economically able to raise children.
C) A larger proportion of women take pride in their children.
D) A larger proportion of women really enjoy motherhood.
21. A) The meaning of motherhood has changed considerably.
B) More and more mothers go shopping to treat themselves.
C) More mothers have adult children celebrating the holiday.
D) The number of American mothers has been growing steadily.
Questions 22 to 25 are based on the recording you have just heard.
22. A) Add to indoor toxic pollutants.
B) Absorb poisonous chemicals.
C) Beautify the home environment.
D) Soak up surrounding moisture.
23. A) NASA did experiments in sealed containers resembling the super insulated offices of 1970s.
B) It was based on experiments under conditions unlike those in most homes or offices.
C) NASA conducted tests in outer space whose environment is different from ours.
D) It drew its conclusion without any contrastive data from other experiments.
24. A) Natural ventilation proves much more efficient for cleaning the air than houseplants.
B) Houseplants disperse chemical compounds more quickly with people moving around.
C) Natural ventilation turns out to be most effective with doors and windows wide open.
D) Houseplants in a normal environment rarely have any adverse impact on the air.
25. A) The root cause fbr misinterpretations of scientific findings.
B) The difficulty in understanding whafs actually happening.
C) The steps to be taken in arriving at any conclusion with certainty.
D) The necessity of continually reexamining and challenging findings.
6 • 4Part HI 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.
The Sun Is Also a Star is a truly lovely story of love, romance, fate, and destiny.
Natasha is a Jamaican-born immigrant living 26 in America, not by choice exactly. Her
parents brought her over and created the situation she 27 to be out of.
Daniel is an American bom of Korean immigrants. He believes in true love, fate, and all that
other nonsense that Natasha 28 through scientific reasoning.
Daniel and Natasha meet by 29 on the streets of New York on the day that she is to be
30 . She doesn't tell him that but does allow him to keep her company while he tries to get her to
fall in love with him over the course of the day.
Natasha is me. I found her so similar to myself. She's scientifically-minded, practical, somewhat
cynical, and always 31 Her obsession with the universe through a scientific lens is infectious
and I 32 Daniel seeing that too.
Daniel is charming and passionate and has a way with words that even 33 Natasha's tough
outer shell. By the end of the book I fell in love with both of them.
I used to find romance stories to always be cheap or laughable. I think now I can see the value
in escaping into a story of pure optimism. I got 34 in The Sun Is Also a Star and finished it cover
to cover in a weekend. I couldn't wait to get to what I hoped would be a happy ending.
It5s nice every once in a while to give in to magic. It doesn't have to be a hard fantasy novel
with actual spells, it can be the magic found between two people who just have that special
something. That 35 that causes them to react and spark when they're near each other.
A) adore I) illegally
B) appraise J) lost
C) assaults K) perpetually
D) chemistry L) prescribed
E) coincidence M) shrewd
F) cracks N) skeptical
G) deported O) strives
H) dismisses
6・5Section B
Directions ： In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each
statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from
which the information is derived. You Tnay 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.
These are the habits to avoid if you want to make a behavior change
A) According to recent research, behavioral change involves physical changes in the brain. In the past
decade, researchers have shown that when it comes to the duration of making a new behavior a
deep-rooted habit there is not a simple answer. Even for the most productive and disciplined
among us, undoing something that has become an automatic part of who we are takes more than
an overnight effort. Once we've successfully made that change, we then have to make other
adjustments to our lives to ensure that we continue to maintain it, which is often a whole other
challenge in itself.
B) At its core, success in changing and maintaining a behavior rarely occurs without the introduction
of some sort of system. When there isn't the right framework in place, we face a greater likelihood
of derailing our hard-earned progress. To ensure success in changing and maintaining a behavior,
we should stay away from some detrimental habits.
C) The first one to avoid is relying on willpower. Think about the last time you vowed to resist a
temptation. Perhaps you didn't want to check your phone every 15 minutes, or you were
determined not to reach for a chocolate bar at 3 p.m. Think about how difficult it must have been
not to glance at your phone when it was within reach, or not to walk to the vending machine
when your afternoon slump hit.
D) The research on whether we have finite or infinite willpower is inconclusive, but experts do
generally agree that you can't change and sustain a habit if you rely on your willpower alone. The
old military saying “You never rise to the occasion, you only sink to the level of trainingn also
applies to behavior change. The idea is simple—you repeat something so many times that it
becomes automatic.
E) Think about what else you can change about your surrounding that makes it easier for you to
perform this change on a daily basis. This is called your "cue." Basically, ifs a trigger to perform
that particular habit. If you don't want to reach for a sugary treat at 3 p.m., have a box of herbal
tea ready at your desk. When 3 p.m. comes around, thafs your cue to pour yourself a cup of hot
water and drink that tea, instead of walking to the vending machine.
6 • 6F) The second one to avoid is focusing on negative goals. Sometimes, ifs not your process that lets
you down, but the habit that you want to change in the first place. For starters, not eating
chocolate to beat your afternoon slump is a harder goal than swapping chocolate for herbal tea
when you reach the designated time. Your brain wants to find routines that have succeeded in the
past and allow you to repeat those actions again in the future without having to think about them
explicitly. However, this habit-learning system isn't so efiective when it comes to learning not to
do something. Thafs why rather than giving up something, think about introducing something in
its place. Focus on actions you are going to take that will ultimately conflict with the behaviors
you want to stop. When your attention is on doing something new, you give your habit system a
chance to operate.
G) The third one to avoid is using the same strategies in different circumstances. Because we are
creatures of habit, ifs natural to assume that when we do manage to adopt and sustain a desirable
behavior, that same strategy will work when we want to make another behavior change. But thafs
not always the case. Sometimes, the system that got you to change one behavior might not work
for another.
H) Sometimes we become accustomed to relying on our guts when it comes to decision-making. This
serves us well in certain situations, but can hinder us in others especially when we need to
consider metrics and data, rather than letting our instinct override everything. For example, if you
want to stop checking your email first thing in the morning, you might decide to substitute another
activity in its place. But if you want to stop indulging in video games, simply deciding you will
go for a run might not be as effective. You might need to introduce another reinforcement, such as
meeting a friend and booking an exercise class together.
I) The fourth one to avoid is not forgiving ourselves for slipping up. Of course, even the best-laid
plans fail sometimes. You might have stuck to your screen-free nighttime routine for five days, and
then a big project landed on your desk and you found yourself in bed with your laptop before you
went to sleep. Or you prepared meals on Sunday and stuck to eating healthy dimers at home, but
by Friday you found yourself so exhausted and opted to order greasy takeout. Life happens and
even if your behavior change is small, every single day can prove pretty inflexible, and at some
point your luck may run out, even if just for a day. The perfectionist in you might be screaming to
abandon your goals altogether, but try to see it in the bigger picture. Just because you might have
temporarily strayed ofF course doesn't mean you can't start afresh the next day.
J) The final one to avoid is discounting small progress. There's a habit that many perfectionists tend
to fall into when they try to establish a behavior change. They focus too much on the big goal and
don't take the time to celebrate the small progress they make in the process. Your brain responds to
rewards. The basal ganglia, the brain region linked to our performance of habits, is most active at
the beginning of a behavior, when the habit is cued, and at the end, when ifs rewarded. Say your
6・7goal is to run five miles three times a week, and this week you ran one mile on Monday,
Wednesday, and Friday. Rather than focusing on how far you've gone toward your goal, think
about how you can reward yourself for the progress you've made. It doesn't have to be big or
expensive; it can be something as simple as making your favorite fruit juice after your run.
Whatever your reward, it has to be more than just the activity itself to get you going.
K) Initiating a new behavior usually seems like the hardest part of the process of change. However,
people often fail to adequately prepare for maintaining it. One of the reasons for this is because
we mistakenly believe the strategies we used to initiate the change will be equally effective in
helping us continue the change. But they won't. Where changing a strongly deep-rooted habit
requires changing our belief about that habit that penetrates deeply into our lives, continually
manifesting that wisdom requires that we maintain a positive outlook. If our mood is low, the
wisdom to behave differently seems to disappear and we go back to eating more and exercising
less. The key, then, to maintaining new behaviors is to be happy! Which is why ifs so hard to
maintain new behaviors.
L) Remember, overcoming the behavioral inertia that prevents us from implementing new changes,
like eating a healthy diet or exercising, can benefit us in the long run and can improve our
physical and mental health. No one was bom with habits. They were all learned, and can all,
therefore, be unlearned. The question is: how badly do you really want to change?
36. There is general consensus among experts that willpower alone cannot guarantee one's success in
changing and maintaining a habit.
37. One need not abandon their goals completely just because they missed their target temporarily;
they can start anew.
38. Research shows it is quite another challenge to maintain a behavioral change after you have
initiated it.
39. It is wrong to assume the strategies we use to start a change of behavior will work equally well in
helping maintain it.
40. Sometimes, it may not be successful to simply substitute one activity with another to effect a
change of habit; you may need extra reinforcement.
41. One should introduce something new to replace an old habit instead of simply kicking it.
42. Perfectionists focus too much on their big target and neglect celebrating the small gains they make
in the process.
6 • 843. It is of great benefit to us in the long term to conquer the inertia that stops us from making
behavioral changes.
44. The strategy that successfiilly changed one of your behaviors may not work for some other
behavior of yours.
45. Without a happy mood, it seems that our wisdom to adopt a different behavior vanishes.
Section C
Directions ： There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is fallowed 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.
The “ American Dream^^ promises that in the Land of Opportunity, any individual can climb the
economic ladder and prosper through hard work and ambition alone. And yet, young Americans
today are struggling to earn more than their parents did at the same age, and upward mobility in the
US actually compares unfavourably to that of other industrialised nations.
So why does the idea of the American Dream persist? A new study in the American Journal of
Political Science identifies one factor that has been overlooked: the influence of reality TV.
Reality shows have come to dominate US television over the past 20 years, notes Eunji Kim
from Widerbilt University. And the overwhelming majority of these have a “ rags-to-riches ”
storyline: they feature ordinary Americans who work hard to achieve great economic success. And
while these programmes are regularly among the most-watched shows, news broadcasts—which paint
a more realistic view of the economic hardship faced by millions of Americans- get a much smaller
proportion of the viewership.
Rags-to-riches stories are ubiquitous (无处不在的)on TV—but does watching these programmes
actually convince people that economic mobility is easily attainable? Ib find out, Kim's team had
participants watch a 5-minute clip from a reality show with a rags-to-riches storyline. Control participants
watched a clip from a reality show that didn't have a rags-to-riches story. After watching the shows,
participants rated how much they agreed with four statements relating to the American Dream.
The results showed that those who'd watched a rags-to-riches clip did indeed have a significantly
greater belief in the American Dream. Interestingly, when participants were separated by party
affiliation, this effect was significant among Republicans but not Democrats, suggesting that the kind
of messages implicit in these TV shows may play into people's existing socioeconomic beliefs.
Kim also conducted a survey of 3,000 US residents. They also rated the extent to which they
believed success in life is related to various internal factors (such as ambition) and external factors
6・9(such as family wealth). Finally, they read a list of TV programmes and indicated which they
regularly watched.
Participants who were heavy viewers of rags-to-riches programmes or frequent viewers had a
stronger belief in the American Dream than those who never watched such shows.
Kim concludes that “ rags-to-riches entertainment media are an important cultural force that
promotes and perpetuates beliefs in upward mobility”. And here's the problem: if people mistakenly
believe that hard work is all that is needed for individuals to make a better life for themselves, they
may be less supportive of policies that could actually combat inequality.
“In this era of choice, entertainment media is what captures hearts and minds,“ Kim writes. uIts
political consequences are anything but triviaT.
46. What do we learn from the passage about young Americans of today?
A) They have greater ambitions than their parents.
B) They find it difficult to achieve upward mobility.
C) They have overtaken their parents in terms of earnings.
D) They envy the opportunities in other industrialised nations.
47. What does Kim's team find about reality TV shows in America?
A) They reinterpret the essence of the popular rags-to-riches culture.
B) They urge people to achieve economic success through hard work.
C) They help strengthen people's conviction in the American Dream.
D) They feature ordinary Americans striving for social recognition.
48. What does the author say about news broadcasts in America?
A) They attract far fewer viewers than reality TV.
B) They are bent on reporting the dark side of life.
C) They stand in striking contrast with reality TV.
D) They focus on Americans' economic hardships.
49. What can we infer from the passage about Republicans in general?
A) They believe strongly in the American Dream.
B) They strive to climb the socio-economic ladder.
C) They have a very strong affiliation with their party.
D) They tend to watch more rags-to-riches TV shows.
50. What is stated about people who believe in upward mobility?
A) They are likely to blame the government for their plight.
B) They regard political consequences as anything but trivial.
C) They respect individuals striving to climb the social ladder.
D) They are less likely to approve of policies to fight inequality.
6 • 10Passage Two
Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.
When someone asks us ' what do you do?' we nearly always reply with our occupation. Work,
for many of us, is much more than a job. It is the defining aspect of our identity. For many of us it is
through our job that we can define ourselves.
Without my job I don't know who I am,“ is a sentence that has been uttered on more than a
handfUl of occasions from my office chair. Indeed, it can be one of the most challenging aspects I
work on with clients who have lost or been forced into changing their jobs. This loss provokes an
identity crisis much greater than the loss of the job itself.
One of the things I have come to understand, however, is that our identity is much more
complex than we recognise at first glance. If we take the time to reflect we might recognise that as
well as our work we can also identify as a friend, a spouse, a son or daughter, a parent, a member of
a sports team or religious community. We may recognise that we feel and act difierently in these roles
and relationships than we do at work. The passive daughter becomes an assertive leader at work.
Furthermore, our identities at work are not static. They change over time. I myself have been a shop
assistant, a waitress, a student, a graduate, and a clinical psychologist. At each stage my ability to
adapt to and develop my career identity has been crucial to my wellbeing. Whilst we like to eliminate
uncertainty in our lives at some level we have to manage uncertainty, especially in today's volatile and
ever-shifting job market.
How we see ourselves is central to the issue of our identity. When we tell ourselves "I'm good at
starting projects but not so great at seeing them through” it can become part of our belief system. But
if you have the unfortunate experience of an enforced job change you will need to examine those
beliefs to see how grounded in reality they are. You will be required to ask yourself how helpful these
beliefs are and consider personal change. We can change our beliefs, behaviours and emotional
experience at any time through experimentation, practice and conscious self-discipline. In an age
where career progression may lead us into new sectors it is ever more important to challenge our
sense of self and explore whether you can create a new experience of your identity by changing the
beliefs you hold about yourself in order to expand your career options. Ultimately it is you who
define who you are. You are only your job if you let it be so.
51. What do we learn from the passage about one5s loss of a job?
A) It compels them to visit a clinical psychologist.
B) It offers them a chance to play different roles.
C) It renders them puzzled about who they are.
D) It forces them to redefine their life5s goals.
52. What has the author come to understand about our identity?
A) It is crucial to our emotional wellbeing.
B) It plays a big role in many facets of life.
6・11C) It reflects our changing status in society.
D) It is more complicated than it appears.
53. What does the passage say about our identities at work?
A) They are essential to our self-esteem.
B) They evolve with the passage of time.
C) They overrule all other self-perceptions.
D) They are key to understanding ourselves.
54. What do we have to do in today's ever-changing job market?
A) Strive to develop our social identity.
B) Prepare for different career paths.
C) Try to be assertive at all times.
D) Learn to manage uncertainty.
55. What should we do to expand our career options?
A) Alter our perceptions of ourselves.
B) Compare various job opportunities.
C) Look into newly emerging sectors.
D) Exercise self-discipline consciously.
Part IV 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.
中国盛产竹子，是最早开发利用竹资源的国家。竹子在中国分布广泛，品种丰富。竹子实
用性强，用于生产和生活的许多方面,如筷子、桌椅的制作和桥梁、房屋的建造。中国人爱竹，自
古以来就有无数文人以竹为主题，创作了绚丽多彩的文学和绘画作品。竹 子 班 (stem)笔直，象
征正直的品格。竹子具有强大的生命力和适应能力,无论环境多么恶劣，都能够顽强生存，因而
寓意坚韧不拔的精神。几千年来，竹子一直被视为中华民族品格的象征。
6 - 12未得到监考教师指令前,不得翻阅该试题册！
Part I 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 Nowadays more and more college students have come to realize social
practice and academic learning are equally important.n You can make comments,
cite examples or use your personal experiences to develop your essay. You should write at
least J50 words but no more than 200 words.
You should copy the sentence given in quotes at the beginning ef your essay.
请用黑色签字笔在答题卡1指定区域内作答作文题，在试题册上的作答无效!
请认真填写以下信息:
I l l i ——
准考证号：
姓 名:________________________________
错填、未填以上信息，按违规处理！2024年6月大学英语六级考试真题第3套
Listening Comprehension (30 minutes)
I
特别说明
j
I
\ 六级考试每次仅考两套听力
I
\ 第三套听力试题同第一套或第二套试题一致
^ » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » 7 1
Part HI 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 fallowing 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.
A rainbow is a multi-colored, arc-shaped phenomenon that can appear in the sky. The colors of a
rainbow are produced by the reflection and 26 of light through water droplets ( 小滴)present in
the atmosphere. An observer may 27 a rainbow to be located either near or far away, but this
phenomenon is not actually located at any specific spot. Instead, the appearance of a rainbow depends
entirely upon the position of the observer in 28 to the direction of light. In essence, a rainbow is
an 29 illusion.
Rainbows present a 30 made up of seven colors in a specific order. In fact, school children
in many English-speaking countries are taught to remember the name "Roy G. Biv“ as an aid for
remembering the colors of a rainbow and their order. "Roy G. Biv" 31 for: red, orange, yellow,
green, blue, indigo, and violet. The outer edge of the rainbow arc is red, while the inner edge is
violet.
A rainbow is formed when light (generally sunlight) passes through water droplets 32 in the
atmosphere. The light waves change direction as they pass through the water droplets, resulting in two
processes: reflection and refraction (折射). When light reflects off a water droplet, it simply 33
back in the opposite direction from where it 34 . When light refracts, it takes a different direction.
Some individuals refer to refracted light as “bent light waves." A rainbow is formed because white
light enters the water droplet, where it bends in several different directions. When these bent light
waves reach the other side of the water droplet, they reflect back out of the droplet instead of 35
passing through the water. Since the white light is separated inside of the water, the refracted light
appears as sq)arate colors to the human eye.
6・1A) bounces I) permeates
B) completely J) ponder
C) dispersion K) preceding
D) eccentric L) recklessly
E) hanging M) relation
F) optical N) spectrum
G) originates 0) stands
H) perceive
Section B
Directions ： In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each
statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from
which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each
paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter
on Answer Sheet 2.
Blame your worthless workdays on meeting recovery syndrome
A) Phyllis Hartman knows what ifs like to make one5s way through the depths of office meeting hell.
Managers at one of her former human resources jobs arranged so many meetings that attendees
would fall asleep at the table or intentionally arrive late. With hours of her day blocked up with
unnecessary meetings, she was often forced to make up her work during overtime. UI was actually
working more hours than I probably would have needed to get the work done,“ says Hartman,
who is founder and president of PGHR Consulting in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
B) She isn't alone in her frustration. Between 11 million and 55 million meetings are held each day in
the United States, costing most organisations between 7% and 15% of their personnel budgets.
Every week, employees spend about six hours in meetings, while the average manager meets for a
staggering 23 hours.
C) And though experts agree that traditional meetings are essential for making certain decisions and
developing strategy, some employees view them as one of the most unnecessary parts of the
workday. The result is not only hundreds of billions of wasted dollars, but an annoyance of what
organisational psychologists call u meeting recovery syndrome (MRS)”: time spent cooling off and
regaining focus after a useless meeting. If you run to the office kitchen to get some relief with
colleagues after a frustrating meeting, you're likely experiencing meeting recovery syndrome.
D) Meeting recovery syndrome is a concept that should be familiar to almost anyone who has held a
formal job. It isn't ground-breaking to say workers feel fatigued after a meeting, but only in recent
decades have scientists deemed the condition worthy of further investigation. With its links to
6 • 2organisational efficiency and employee wellbeing, MRS has attracted the attention of psychologists
aware of the need to understand its precise causes and cures.
E) Today, in so far as researchers can hypothesise, MRS is most easily understood as a slow renewal
of finite mental and physical resources. When an employee sits through an ineflective meeting
their brain power is essentially being drained away. Meetings drain vitality if they last too long,
fail to engage employees or turn into one-sided lectures. The conservation of resources theory,
originally proposed in 1989 by Dr Stevan Hobfbll, states that psychological stress occurs when a
person's resources are threatened or lost. When resources are low, a person will shift into defence
to conserve their remaining supply. In the case of office meetings, where some of employees, most
valuable resources are their focus, alertness and motivation, this can mean an abrupt halt in
productivity as they take time to recover.
F) As humans, when we transition from one task to another on the job—say from sitting in a meeting
to doing normal work- it takes an effortful cognitive switch. We must detach ourselves from the
previous task and expend significant mental energy to move on. If we are already drained to
dangerous levels, then making the mental switch to the next thing is extra tough. Ifs common to
see people cyber-loafing after a frustrating meeting, going and getting coffee, interrupting a
colleague and telling them about the meeting, and so on.
G) Each person's ability to recover from horrible meetings is different. Some can bounce back
quickly, while others carry their fatigue until the end of the workday. Yet while no formal MRS
studies are currently underway, one can loosely speculate on the length of an average employee's
lag time. Switching tasks in a non-MRS condition takes about 10 to 15 minutes. With MRS, it
may take as long as 45 minutes on average. Ifs even worse when a worker has several meetings
that are separated by 30 minutes. "Not enough time to transition in a non-MRS situation to get
anything done, and in an MRS situation, not quite enough time to recover for the next meeting,“
says researcher Joseph Allen. "Then, add the compounding of back-to-back bad meetings and we
may have an epidemic on our hands.”
H) In an effort to combat the side effects of MRS, Allen, along with researcher Joseph Mroz and
colleagues at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, published a study detailing the best ways to
avoid common traps, including a concise checklist of do's and don'ts applicable to any workplace.
Drawing from around 200 papers to compile their comprehensive list, Mroz and his team may
now hold a remedy to the largely undefined problem of MRS.
I) Mroz says a good place to start is asking ourselves if our meetings are even necessary in the first
place. If all thafs on the agenda is a quick catch-up, or some non-urgent infbnnation sharing, it
may better suit the group to send around an email instead. " The second thing I would always
recommend is keep the meeting as small as possible,“ says Mroz. "If they don't actually have
6・3some kind of immediate input, then they can follow up later. They don5t need to be sitting in this
hour-long meeting." Less time in meetings would ultimately lead to more employee engagement
in the meetings they do attend, which experts agree is a proven remedy for MRS.
J) Employees also feel taxed when they are invited together to meetings that don't inspire
participation, says ClifF Scott, professor of organisational science. It takes precious time for them
to vent their emotions, complain and try to regain focus after a pointless meeting—one of the
main traps of MRS. Over time as employees find themselves tied up in more and more
unnecessary meetings- and thus dealing with increasing lag times from MRS- the waste of
workday hours can feel insulting.
K) Despite the relative scarcity of research behind the subject, Hartman has taught herself many of the
same tricks suggested in Mroz's study, and has come a long way since her days of being stuck
with unnecessary meetings. The people she invites to meetings today include not just the essential
employees, but also representatives from every department that might have a stake in the issue at
hand. Managers like her, who seek input even from non-experts to shape their decisions, can find
greater support and cooperation from their workforce, she says.
L) If an organisation were to apply all 22 suggestions from Mroz and Allen's findings, the most
noticeable difference would be a stark decrease in the total number of meetings on the schedule,
Mroz says. Less time in meetings would ultimately lead to increased productivity, which is the
ultimate objective of convening a meeting. While none of the counter-MRS ideas have been tested
empirically yet, Allen says one trick with promise is for employees to identify things that quickly
change their mood from negative to positive. As simple as it sounds, finding a personal happy
place, going there and then coming straight back to work might be key to facilitating recovery.
M) Leaders should see also themselves as stewards of everyone else5s valuable time"，adds Steven
Rogelberg, author of The Surprising Science of Meetings. Having the skills to foresee potential traps
and treat employees* endurance with care allows leaders to provide effective short-term deterrents
to MRS.
N) Most important, however, is for organisations to awaken to the concept of meetings being flexible,
says Allen. By reshaping the way they prioritise employees' time, companies can eliminate the
very sources of MRS in their tracks.
36. Although employees are said to be fatigued by meetings, the condition has not been considered
worthy of further research until recently.
37. Mroz and his team compiled a list of what to do and what not to do to remedy the problem
of MRS.
38. Companies can get rid of the root cause of MRS if they give priority to workers' time.
6 • 439. If workers are exhausted to a dangerous degree, it is extremely hard for them to transition to the
next task.
40. Employees in America spend a lot of time attending meetings while the number of hours
managers meet is several times more.
41. Phyllis Hartman has learned by herself many of the ways Mroz suggested in his study and made
remarkable success in freeing herself from unnecessary meetings.
42. When meetings continue too long or don5t engage employees, they deplete vitality.
43. When the time of meetings is reduced, employees will be more engaged in the meetings they do
participate in.
44. Some employees consider meetings one of the most dispensable parts of the workday.
45. According to Mroz, if all his suggestions were applied, a very obvious change would be a steep
decrease in the number of meetings scheduled.
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.
Sarcasm and jazz have something surprisingly in common: You know them when you hear them.
Sarcasm is mostly understood through tone of voice, which is used to portray the opposite of the
literal words. For example, when someone says, “Well, that's exactly what I need right now," their
tone can tell you ifs not what they need at all.
Most frequently, sarcasm highlights an irritation or is, quite simply, mean.
If you want to be happier and improve your relationships, cut out sarcasm. Why? Because
sarcasm is actually hostility disguised as humor.
Despite smiling outwardly, many people who receive sarcastic comments feel put down and
often think the sarcastic person is rude, or contemptible. Indeed, ifs not surprising that the origin of
the word sarcasm derives from the Greek word “sarkazein” which literally means “to tear or strip the
flesh off." Hence, ifs no wonder that sarcasm is often preceded by the word “cutting“ and that it
hurts.
Whafs more, since actions strongly determine thoughts and feelings, when a person consistently
acts sarcastically it may only serve to heighten their underlying hostility and insecurity. After all,
6 ・5when you come right down to it, sarcasm can be used as a subtle form of bullying—and most bullies
are angry, insecure, or cowardly.
Alternatively, when a person stops voicing negative comments, especially sarcastic ones, they
may soon start to feel happier and more self-confident. Also, other people in their life benefit even
more because they no longer have to hear the emotionally hurtful language of sarcasm.
Now, Pm not saying all sarcasm is bad. It may just be better used sparingly—like a potent spice
in cooking. Too much of the spice, and the dish will be overwhelmed by it. Similarly, an occasional
dash of sarcastic wit can spice up a chat and add an element of humor to it. But a big or steady
serving of sarcasm will overwhelm the emotional flavor of any conversation and can taste very bitter
to its recipient.
So, tone down the sarcasm and work on clever wit instead, which is usually without any hostility
and thus more appreciated by those you're communicating with. In essence, sarcasm is easy while
true, harmless wit takes talent.
Thus, the main difference between wit and sarcasm is that, as already stated, sarcasm is often
hostility disguised as humor. It can be intended to hurt and is often bitter and biting. Witty statements
are usually in response to someone's unhelpful remarks or behaviors, and the intent is to untangle and
clarify the issue by emphasizing its absurdities. Sarcastic statements are expressed in a cutting manner;
witty remarks are delivered with undisguised and harmless humor.
46. Why does the author say sarcasm and jazz have something surprisingly in common?
A) Both are recognized when heard.
B) Both have exactly the same tone.
C) Both mean the opposite of what they appear to.
D) Both have hidden in them an evident irritation.
47. How do many people feel when they hear sarcastic comments?
A) They feel hostile towards the sarcastic person.
B) They feel belittled and disrespected.
C) They feel a strong urge to retaliate.
D) They feel incapable of disguising their irritation.
48. What happens when a person consistently acts sarcastically?
A) They feel their dignity greatly heightened.
B) They feel increasingly insecure and hostile.
C) They endure hostility under the disguise of humor.
D) They taste bitterness even in pleasant interactions.
49. What does the author say about people quitting sarcastic comments?
A) It makes others happier and more self-confident.
B) It restrains them from being irritating and bullying.
C) It benefits not only themselves but also those around them.
D) It shields them from negative comments and outright hostility.
6 • 650. What is the chief difference between a speaker's wit and sarcasm?
A) Their clarity. C) Their emphasis.
B) Their appreciation. D) Their intention.
Passage Two
Question 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.
Variability is crucially important for learning new skills. Consider learning how to serve in
tennis. Should you always practise serving from the exactly same location on the court, aiming at the
same spot? Although practising in more variable conditions will be slower at first, it will likely make
you a better tennis player in the end. This is because variability leads to better generalisation of what
is learned.
This principle is found in many domains, including speech perception and learning categories.
For instance, infants will struggle to learn the category “ dog ” if they are only exposed to
Chihuahuas, instead of many different kinds of dogs.
“There are over ten different names for this basic principle,“ says Limor Raviv, the senior
investigator of a recent study. " Learning from less variable input is often fast, but may fail to
generalise to new stimuli.”
To identify key patterns and understand the underlying principles of variability effects, Raviv and
her colleagues reviewed over 150 studies on variability and generalisation across fields, including
computer science, linguistics, categorisation, visual perception and formal education.
The researchers discovered that, across studies, the term variability can refer to at least four
different kinds of variability, such as set size and scheduling. "These four kinds of variability have
never been directly compared- which means that we currently don't know which is most effective for
learning,M says Raviv.
The impact of variability depends on whether it is relevant to the task or not. But according to
the ' Mr. Miyagi principle', practising seemingly unrelated skills may actually benefit learning of
other skills.
But why does variability impact learning and generalisation? One theory is that more variable
input can highlight which aspects of a task are relevant and which are not.
Another theory is that greater variability leads to broader generalisations. This is because
variability will represent the real world better, including atypical (非典型的)examples.
A third reason has to do with the way memory works: when training is variable, learners are
forced to actively reconstruct their memories.
Understanding the impact of variability is important for literally every aspect of our daily life.
Beyond affecting the way we learn language, motor skills, and categories, it even has an impact on
our social lives,“ explains Raviv. "For example, face recognition is affected by whether people grew
up in a small community or in a larger community. Exposure to fewer faces during childhood is
associated with diminished face memory.w
“We hope this work will spark people's curiosity and generate more work on the topic/*
concludes Raviv. "Our paper raises a lot of open questions. Can we find similar effects of variability
beyond the brain, for instance, in the immune system?”
6・751. What does the passage say about infants learning the category “ dog ” if they are exposed to
Chihuahuas only?
A) They will encounter some degree of difficulty.
B) They will try to categorise other objects first.
C) They will prefer Chihuahuas to other dog species.
D) They will imagine Chihuahuas in various conditions.
52. What does Raviv say about the four different kinds of variability?
A) Which of them is most relevant to the task at hand is to be confirmed.
B) Why they have an impact on learning is far from being understood.
C) Why they have never been directly compared remains a mystery.
D) Which of them is most conducive to learning is yet to be identified.
53. How does one of the theories explain the importance of variability for learning new skills?
A) Learners regard variable training as typical of what happens in the real world.
B) Learners receiving variable training are compelled to reorganise their memories.
C) Learners pay attention to the relevant aspects of a task and ignore those irrelevant.
D) Learners focus on related skills instead of wasting time and effort on unrelated ones.
54. What does the passage say about face recognition?
A) People growing up in a small community may find it easy to remember familiar feces.
B) Face recognition has a significant impact on literally every aspect of our social lives.
C) People growing up in a large community can readily recognise any individual faces.
D) The size of the community people grow up in impacts their face recognition ability.
55. What does Raviv hope to do with their research work?
A) Highlight which aspects of a task are relevant and which are not to learning a skill.
B) Use the principle of variability in teaching seemingly unrelated skills in education.
C) Arouse people's interest in variability and stimulate more research on the topic.
D) Apply the principle of variability to such fields of study as the immune system.
Part IV 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.
扇子自古以来就深受中国人喜爱，但现在已不只是消暑纳凉的工具，而更多地作为艺术品
供人欣赏。许多扇子造型优美、做工精良，并绘有山水、花鸟、人物等精美图案，具有很高的艺术
价值。中国许多著名画家和书法家喜欢在扇子上作诗绘画，展示其艺术品味。扇子常作为礼物
赠予他人，表达美好的祝福和真挚的情感。如今,扇子的实用功能已大为减弱，但作为一种文化
符号和艺术形式，扇子仍然在中国传统文化中扮演着重要角色。
6 - 8未得到监考教师指令前,不得翻阅该试题册!
Part I 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 a There is a growing awareness of the importance of digital literacy and
skills in today's world.n 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.
You should copy the sentence given in quotes at the beginning ef your essay.
请用黑色签字笔在答题卡1指定区域内作答作文题，在试题册上的作答无效!
请认真填写以下信息:
I l l i ——
准考证号：
姓 名:________________________________
错填、未填以上信息，按违规处理！
