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2023 年 3 月英语六级真题第 1 套
Part I Writing (30 minutes)
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay that begins with the sentence
"People are now increasingly aware of the danger of 'appearance anxiety' or being obsessed with one's
looks." 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.
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) In a restaurant. C) In a food store.
B) In a kitchen. D) In a supermarket.
2. A) She eats meat occasionally. C) She is allergic to seafood.
B) She enjoys cheeseburgers. D) She is a partial vegetarian.
3. A) Dealing with one's colleagues. C) Following the same diet for years.
B) Changing one's eating habit. D) Keeping awake at morning meetings.
4. A) They enjoy perfect health. C) They only eat organic food.
B) They are both animal lovers. D) They are cutting back on coffee.
Questions 5 to 8 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
5. A) The man got a poor evaluation from his colleagues.
B) The man made little contribution to the company.
C) The man paid attention to trivial things.
D) The man had an attitude problem.
6. A) They make unhelpful decisions for solving problems.
B) They favor some employees' suggestions over others'.
C) They use manipulative language to mask their irrational choices.
D) They reject employees' reasonable arguments for work efficiency.
7. A) It is a must for rational judgment. C) It is a good quality in the workplace.
B) It is more of a sin than a virtue. D) It is more important now than ever.
8. A) Smoothing relationships in the workplace.
B) Making rational and productive decisions.
C) Focusing on employees' career growth.
D) Preserving their power and prestige.
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) They show genius which defies description. C) They create very high commercial value.
B) They accomplish feats many of us cannot. D) They bring great honor to their country.
10. A) They take part in kids' extra-curricular activities.
B) They work in spare time to teach children sports.
2023年3月英语六级真题第1套 第1页，共8页C) They try to be positive role models to children.
D) They serve as spokespersons for luxury goods.
11. A) Separating an athlete's professional life from their personal life.
B) Preventing certain athletes from getting in trouble with the law.
C) Keeping athletes away from drug or alcohol problems.
D) Being super sports stars without appearing arrogant.
Questions 12 to 15 are based on the passage you have just heard.
12. A) They always cost more than expected. C) They should be paid up by the attendees.
B) They are joyous and exciting occasions. D) They are dreams coming true to the brides.
13. A) It cost $60,000. C) It had eight guests only.
B) It was cancelled. D) It was held in Las Vegas.
14. A) Postpone her wedding. C) Keep to her budget.
B) Ask her friends for help. D) Invite more guests.
15. A) She called it romantic. C) She said she would think about it.
B) She welcomed it with open arms. D) She rejected it flatly.
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) It determines people's moods. C) It is closely related to people's emotions.
B) It can impact people's wellbeing. D) It can influence people's personalities.
17. A) They make people more reproductive. C) They tend to produce positive feelings.
B) They increase people's life expectancy. D) They may alter people's genes gradually.
18. A) The link between temperature and personality is fairly weak.
B) People share many personality traits despite their nationalities.
C) People in the same geographical area may differ in personality.
D) The Americans are apparently more outgoing than the Chinese.
Questions 19 to 21 are based on the recording you have just heard.
19. A) The number of older Americans living alone is on the rise.
B) Chronic loneliness does harm to senior citizens in particular.
C) Correlations have been found between loneliness and ill health.
D) A growing number of US seniors face the risk of early mortality.
20. A) Medication is available for treating loneliness. C) Being busy helps fight loneliness.
B) Loneliness rarely results from living alone. D) Loneliness is probably reversible.
21. A) Living with one's children. C) Meaningful social contact.
B) Meeting social expectations. D) Timely medical intervention.
Questions 22 to 25 are based on the recording you have just heard.
22. A) She had a successful career in finance. C) She made regular trips to Asian countries.
B) She wrote stories about women travelers. D) She invested in several private companies.
23. A) Buy a ranch. C) Travel round the world.
B) Start a blog. D) Set up a travel agency.
24. A) Work hard to attract attention from publishers. C) Try to find a full-time job in the travel business.
2023年3月英语六级真题第1套 第2页，共8页B) Gain support from travel advertising companies. D) Create something unique to enter the industry.
25. A) Attracting sufficient investment. C) Avoiding too much advertising early on.
B) Creating an exotic corporate culture. D) Refraining from promoting similar products.
Part III 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.
Unthinkable as it may be, humanity, every last person, could someday be wiped from the face of
the Earth. We have learned to worry about asteroids (小行星) and super volcanoes, but the more likely
___26___, according to Nick Bostrom, a professor of philosophy at Oxford, is that we humans will
destroy ourselves.
Professor Bostrom, who directs Oxford's Future of Humanity Institute, has argued over the course
of several papers that human ___27___ risks are poorly understood and, worse still, ___28___
underestimated by society. Some of these existential risks are fairly well known, especially the natural
ones. But others are ___29___ or even exotic. Most worrying to Bostrom is the subset of existential
risks that ___30___ from human technology, a subset that he expects to grow in number and potency
over the next century.
Despite his concerns about the risks ___31___ to humans by technological progress, Bostrom is no
luddite (科技进步反对者). In fact, he is a longtime ___32___ of trans-humanism-the effort to improve
the human condition, and even human nature itself, through technological means. In the long run he sees
technology as a bridge, a bridge we humans must cross with great care, in order to reach new and better
modes of being. In his work, Bostrom uses the tools of philosophy and mathematics, in ___33___,
probability theory, to try and determine how we as a ___34___ might achieve this safe passage. What
follows is my conversation with Bostrom about some of the most interesting and worrying existential
risks that humanity might ___35___ in the decades and centuries to come, and about what we can do to
make sure we outlast them.
A) advocate I) particular
B) arise J) posed
C) emphasized K) scenario
D) encounter L) severely
E) essential N) species
F) evaporation M) shrewdly
G) extinction O) variety
H) obscure
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
2023年3月英语六级真题第1套 第3页，共8页letter. Answer the questions by making the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.
San Francisco Has Become One Huge Metaphor for Economic Inequality in America
A) The fog still chills the morning air and the cable cars still climb halfway to the stars. Yet on the ground,
the Bay Area has changed greatly since singer Tony Bennet left his heart here. Silicon Valley and the
tech industry have led the region into a period of unprecedented wealth and innovation. But existing
political and land limits have caused an alarming housing crisis and astronomical rise in social and
economic difference.
B) While the residents of most cities display pride and support for their home industries, drastic market
distortions in the San Francisco Bay Area have created boiling resentment in the region towards the tech
industry. A vocal minority is even calling on officials to punish those who are benefitting from the
economic and housing boom. If this boom and its consequences are not resolved, a drastic increase in
social and economic difference may have a profound impact on the region for generations. A history and
analysis of this transformation may hold invaluable insights about the opportunities. Perils of tech cities
are currently being cultivated across the US, and indeed around the world.
C) According to a recent study, San Francisco ranks first in California for economic difference. The average
income of the top 1% of households in the city averages $3.6 million. This is 44 times the average
income of those at the bottom, which stands at $81,094. The top 1% of the San Francisco peninsula's
share of total income now extends to 30.8% of the region's income. This was a dramatic jump from 1989,
where it stood at 15.8%.
D) The region's economy has been fundamentally transformed by the technology industry springing from
Silicon Valley. Policies pushed by Mayor Ed Lee provided tax breaks for tech companies to set up shop
along the city's long-neglected Mid-Market area. The city is now home to Twitter, Uber, Airbnb,
Pinterest, Dropbox and others. In short, the Bay Area has become a global magnet for those with
specialized skills, which has in turn helped fuel economic enthusiasm, and this economic growth has
reduced unemployment to 3.4%, an admirable feat.
E) In spite of all that, the strength of the recent job growth, combined with policies that have traditionally
limited housing development in the city and throughout the peninsula, did not help ease the affordability
crisis. In 2015 alone, the Bay Area added 64,000 in jobs. In the same year, only 5,000 new homes were
built.
F) With the average house in the city costing over $1. 25 million and average flat prices over $1.11million,
the minimum qualifying income to purchase a house has increased to $254,000. Considering that the
average household income in the city currently stands at around $ 80, 000, it is not an exaggeration to say
that the dream of home ownership is now beyond the grasp of the vast majority of today's people who
rent.
G) For generations, the stability and prosperity of the American middle class has been anchored by home
ownership. Studies have consistently shown that the value of land has overtaken overall income growth,
thus providing a huge advantage to property owners as a vehicle of wealth building. When home prices
soar above the reach of most households, the gap between the rich and the poor dramatically increases.
H) If contributing factors leading to housing becoming less than affordable are not resolved over multiple
generations, a small elite will control a vast share of the country's total wealth. The result? A society
where the threat of class warfare would loom large. A society's level of happiness is tied less to measures
of quantitative wealth and more to measures of qualitative wealth. This means that how a person judges
their security in comparison to their neighbors' has more of an impact on their happiness than their
objective standard of living. At the same time, when a system no longer provides opportunities for the
majority to participate in wealth building, it not only robs those who are excluded from opportunities, but
2023年3月英语六级真题第1套 第4页，共8页also deprives them of their dignity.
I) San Francisco and the Bay Area have long been committed to values which embrace inclusion and
rejection of mainstream culture. To see these values coming apart so publicly adds insult to injury for a
region once defined by its progressive social fabric. In the face of resentment, it is human to want
revenge. But deteriorating policies such as heavily taxing technology companies or real estate developers
are not likely to shift the balance.
J) The housing crisis is caused by two primary factors: the growing desirability of the Bay Area as a place to
live due to its excellent economy, and our limited housing stock. Although the city is experiencing an
unprecedented boom in new housing, more units are sorely needed. Protection policies were originally
designed to suppress bad development and boost historic preservation in our urban areas. Now, too many
developers are experiencing excessive delays. Meanwhile, there are the land limitations of the Bay Area
to consider. The region is surrounded by water and mountains. Local governments need to aid
development as well. This means increasing housing density throughout the region and building upwards
while streamlining the approval process.
K) Real estate alone will not solve the problem, of course. Transportation, too, needs to be updated and
infrastructure extended to link distant regions to Silicon Valley and the city. We need to build an
effective high-speed commuting system linking the high-priced and crowded Bay Area with the
low-priced and low-density Central Valley. This would dramatically reduce travel times. And based on
the operating speeds of hovering trains used in countries such as Japan or Spain, high-speed rail could
shorten the time to travel between San Francisco and California's capital, Sacramento, or from Stockton
to San Jose, to under 30 minutes. This system would bring once distant regions within reasonable
commute to heavy job centers. The city also needs to update existing transportation routes combined with
smart home-building policies that dramatically increase housing density in areas surrounding high-speed
rail stations. By doing so, we will be able to build affordable housing within acceptable commuting
distances for a significant bulk of the workforce.
L) Our threatening housing crisis forces the difficult question of what type of society we would like to be.
Will it be one where the elite command the vast bulk of wealth and regional culture is defined by an
aggressive business world? We were recently treated to a taste of the latter, when local tech employee
Justin Keller wrote an open letter to the city complaining about having to see homeless people on his way
to work.
M) It doesn't have to be this way. But solutions need to be implemented now, before angry crowds grow
from a nuisance to serious concern. It may take less than you might think. And in fact, the solutions to
our housing crisis are already fairly clear. We need to increase the density of housing units. We need to
use existing technology to shorten travel times and break the land limits. There is a way to solve complex
social and economic problems without abandoning social responsibility. This is the Bay Area's
opportunity to prove that it can innovate more than just technology.
36. The higher rate of employment, combined with limited housing supply, did not make it any easier to buy
a house.
37. One way to deal with the housing crisis is for the government to simplify approval procedures for
housing projects.
38. Residents of the San Francisco Bay Area strongly resent the tech industry because of the economic
inequality it has contributed to.
39. The fast rise in the prices of land and houses increases the economic inequality among people.
40. San Francisco city government offered tax benefits to attract tech companies to establish operations in a
less developed area.
2023年3月英语六级真题第1套 第5页，共8页41. Innovative solutions to social and economic problems should be introduced before it is too late.
42. When people compare their own living standard with others', it has a greater impact on their sense of
contentment.
43. San Francisco has been found to have the biggest income gap in California between the rich and the poor.
44. Improved transport networks connecting the city to distant outlying areas will also help solve the housing
crisis.
45. Average incomes in the Bay Area make it virtually impossible for most tenant families to buy a home.
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.
The ability to make inferences from same and different, once thought to be unique to humans, is
viewed as a cornerstone of abstract intelligent thought. A new study, however, has shown that what
psychologists call same-different discrimination is present in creatures generally seen as unintelligent:
newborn ducklings (小鸭).
The study, published Thursday in Science, challenges our idea of what it means to have a
birdbrain, said Edward Wasserman, an experimental psychologist at the University of Iowa who wrote
an independent review of the study.
"In fact, birds are extremely intelligent and our problem pretty much lies in figuring out how to get
them to "talk' to us, or tell us how smart they really are," he said.
Antone Martinho and Alex Kacelnik, co-authors of the new paper, devised a clever experiment to
better test bird intelligence.
First, they took 1-day-old ducklings and exposed them to a pair of moving objects. The two objects
were either the same or different in shape or color. Then they exposed each duckling to two entirely new
pairs of moving objects.
The researchers found that about 70% of the ducklings preferred to move toward the pair of objects
that had the same shape or color relationship as the first objects they saw. A duckling that was first
shown two green spheres, in other words, was more likely to move toward a pair of blue spheres than a
mismatched pair of orange and purple spheres.
Ducklings go through a rapid learning process called imprinting shortly after birth-it's what allows
them to identify and follow their mothers.
These findings suggest that ducklings use abstract relationships between sensory inputs like color,
shape, sounds and odor to recognize their mothers, said Dr. Kacelnik.
By studying imprinting, the authors of this study have shown for the first time that an animal can
learn relationships between concepts without training, said Jeffrey Katz, an experimental psychologist at
Auburn University who was not involved in the study.
Previous studies have suggested that other animals, including pigeons, dolphins, honeybees and
some primates (灵长类动物),can discern same from different, but only after extensive training.
Adding ducklings to the list—particularly untrained newborn ducklings suggests that the ability to
compare abstract concepts "is far more necessary to a wider variety of animals' survival than we
previously thought," Dr. Martinho said. He believes the ability is so crucial because it helps animals
consider context when identifying objects in their environment.
It's clear from this study and others like it that "animals process and appreciate far more of the
2023年3月英语六级真题第1套 第6页，共8页intricacies in their world than we've ever understood," Dr. Wasserman said. "We are in a revolutionary
phase in terms of our ability to understand the minds of other animals.”
46. In what way were humans thought to be unique?
A) Being a major source of animal intelligence. C) Being capable of same-different discrimination.
B) Being the cornerstone of the creative world. D) Being able to distinguish abstract from concrete.
47. What do we learn from the study published in Science?
A) Our understanding of the bird world was biased.
B) Our conception of birds' intelligence was wrong.
C) Our communication with birds was far from adequate.
D) Our knowledge about bird psychology needs updating.
48. What did the researchers discover about most ducklings from their experiment?
A) They could associate shape with color.
B) They reacted quickly to moving objects.
C) They preferred colored objects to colorless ones.
D) They could tell whether the objects were the same.
49. What was novel about the experiment in the study reported in Science?
A) The animals used received no training.
B) It used a number of colors and shapes.
C) It was conducted by experimental psychologists.
D) The ducklings were compared with other animals.
50. What do we learn from Dr. Wasserman's comment on the study of animal minds at the end of the
passage?
A) It is getting more and more intricate. C) It is attracting more public attention.
B) Research methods are being updated. D) Remarkable progress is being made.
Passage Two
Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.
The suggestion that people should aim for dietary diversity by trying to eat a variety of foods has been a
basic public health recommendation for decades in the United States and elsewhere. Now, however, experts
are warning that aiming for a diverse diet may actually lead to just eating more calories, and, thus, to obesity.
One issue is that people may not interpret "variety" the way nutritionists intend. This problem is highlighted
by new research conducted by the American Heart Association. Researchers reviewed all the evidence
published related to dietary diversity and saw a correlation between dietary diversity and a greater intake of
both healthy and unhealthy foods. This had implications for obesity, as researchers found a greater
prevalence of obesity amongst people with a greater dietary diversity.
One author of the new study explained that their findings contradict standard dietary advice, as most
dietary guidelines around the world include a statement of eating a variety of foods. But this advice does not
seem to be supported by science, possibly because there is little agreement about the meaning of "dietary
diversity," which is not clearly and consistently defined. Some experts measure dietary diversity by counting
the number of food groups eaten, while others look at the distribution of calories across individual foods, and
still others measure how different the foods eaten are from each other.
Although the findings of this new study contradict standard dietary advice, they do not come as a
surprise to all of the researchers involved. Dr. Rao, one of the study authors, noted that, after 20 years of
experience in the field of obesity, he has observed that people who have a regimented lifestyle and diet tend
to be thinner and healthier than people with a wide variety of consumption. This anecdotal evidence matches
2023年3月英语六级真题第1套 第7页，共8页the conclusions of the study, which found no evidence that dietary diversity promotes healthy body weight or
optimal eating patterns, and limited evidence shows that eating a variety of foods is actually associated with
consuming more calories, poor eating patterns and weight gain. Further, there is some evidence that a greater
variety of food options in a single meal may delay people's feeling of fullness and actually increase how
much they eat.
Based on their findings, the researchers endorse a diet consisting of a limited number of healthy foods
such as vegetables, fruits, grains, and poultry. They also recommend that people simultaneously endeavor to
restrict consumption of sweets, sugar and red meat. The researchers stress, however, that their dietary
recommendations do not imply dietary diversity is never positive, and that, in the past, diversity in diets of
whole, unprocessed food may have actually been very beneficial.
51. What has been a standard piece of dietary advice for decades?
A) People should cultivate a healthy eating habit.
B) People should have a well-balanced diet.
C) People should diversify what they eat.
D) People should limit calorie intake to avoid obesity.
52. What did the new research by the American Heart Association find?
A) People seeking dietary diversity tend to eat more.
B) Big eaters are more likely to become overweight.
C) Dietary diversity is positively related to good health.
D) Unhealthy food makes people gain weight more easily.
53. What could help to explain the contradiction between the new findings and the common public health.
recommendation?
A) Most dietary guidelines around the world contradict one another.
B) Conventional wisdom about diet is seldom supported by science.
C) The methods researchers use to measure nutrition vary greatly.
D) There is little consensus on the definition of dietary diversity.
54. What did Dr. Rao find after 20 years of research on obesity?
A) Dietary diversity promotes healthy body weight.
B) Eating patterns and weight gain go hand in hand.
C) Diversified food intake may not contribute to health.
D) There is no clear definition of optimal eating patterns.
55. What does the passage say about people who eat a great variety of food?
A) They tend to consume more sweets, sugar and red meat.
B) They don't feel they have had enough until they overeat.
C) They don't have any problems getting sufficient nutrition.
D) They are more likely to eat foods beneficial to their health.
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.
张骞(Zhang Qian)是中国第一个伟大的探险家。他不畏艰险,克服重重困难,两次出使西城,开通了中国
同西亚和欧洲的通商关系,将中国的丝和丝织品运往西亚和欧洲,开拓了历史上著名的“丝绸之路”。同时,
他又将西城的风土人情、地理文化以及特有物种等介绍到中原,极大地开阔了人们的视野。
正如历史学家所指出的那样,如果没有张骞出使西域,就不可能有丝绸之路的开辟,也就不会有汉朝同
西域或欧洲的文化交流。
2023年3月英语六级真题第1套 第8页，共8页
