2012年12月英语六级真题Word版

PartIWriting(30minutes)Directions:Forthispart,youareallowed30minutestowriteanessayentiMandandComputerbycommentingonthesaying,“Therealdangerisnotthatthecomputerwillbegintothinklikeman,butthatmanwillbegintothinklikethecomputer.”Youshouldwriteatleast150wordsbutnomorethan200words.ManandComputerPartIIReadingComprehension(SkimmingandScanning)(15minutes)Directions:Inthispart,youwillhave15minutestogooverthepassagequicklyandanswerthequestionsonAnswerSheet1.Forquestions1-7,choosethebestanswerfromthefourchoicesmarkedA),B),C)andD).Forquestions8-10,completethesentenceswiththeinformationgiveninthepassage.ThirstgrowsforlivingunpluggedMorepeoplearetakingbreaksfromtheconnectedlaifelthestillnessandquietoftreatsliketheJesuitCenterinWernersville,Pennsylvania.Aboutayearago,IflewtoSingaporetojointhewriterMalcolmGladwell,thefashiondesignerMarcEckoandthegraphicdesignerStefanSagmeisterinaddressingagroupofadvertisingpeopleon“MarketingtotheChildofTomorrow.”SoonafterIarrived,thechiefexecutiveoftheagencythathadinvitedustookmeaside.Whathewasmostinterestedin,hebegan,wasstillnessandquiet.Afewmonthslater,Ireadaninterviewwiththewell-knowncutting-edgedesignerPhilippeStarck.Whatallowedhimtoremainsoconsistentlyaheadofthecurve?“IneverreadanymagazinesorwatchTV,"hesaid,perhapswithalittleexaggeration.“NordoIgotococktailparties,dinnersoranythinglikethat.”Helivedoutsideconventionalideas,heimplied,because“Ilivealonemostly,inthemiddleofnowhere."Aroundthesametime,Inoticedthatthosewhopartwith$2,285anighttostayinacliff-toproomatthePostRanchInninBigSur,California,paypartlyfortheprivilegeofnothavingaTVintheirrooms;thefutureoftravel,I'mreliablytold,liesin“black-holeresorts,"whichchargehighpricespreciselybecauseyoucan'tgetonlineintheirrooms.Hasitreallycometothis?Themorewayswehavetoconnect,themoremanyofusseemdesperatetounplug.InternetrescuecampsinSouthKoreaandChinatrytosavekidsaddictedtothescreen.WriterfriendsofminepaygoodmoneytogettheFreedomsoftwarethatenablesthemtodisabletheveryInternetconnectionsthatseemedsoemancipatingnotlongago.EvenIntelexperimentedin2007withconferringfouruninterruptedhoursofquiettime(nophoneore-mail)everyTuesdaymorningon300engineersandmanagers.Workerswerenotallowedtousethephoneorsende-mail,butsimplyhadthechancetocleartheirheadsandtohearthemselvesthink.TheaverageAmericanspendsatleasteightandahalfhoursadayinfrontofascreen,NicholasCarrnotesinhisbookTheShallowsTheaverageAmericanteenagersendsorreceives75textmessagesaday,thoughonegirlmanagedtohandleanaverageof10,000every24hoursforamonth.Sinceluxuryisafunctionofscarcity,thechildrenoftomorrowwilllongfornothingmorethanintervalsoffreedomfromalltheblinkingmachines,streamingvideosandscrollingheadlinesthatleavethemfeelingemptyandtoofullallatonce.Theurgencyofslowingdown一tofindthetimeandspacetothink一isnothingnew,ofcourse,andwisersoulshavealwaysremindedusthatthemoreattentionwepaytothemoment,thelesstimeandenergywehavetoplaceitinsomelargercontext.“Distractionistheonlythingthatconsolesusforourmiseries,”theFrenchphilosopherBlaisePascalwroteinthe17thcentury,“andyetitisitselfthegreatestofourmiseries.Healsofamouslyremarkedthatallofman'sproblemscomefromhisinabilitytositquietlyinaroomalone.Whentelegraphsandtrainsbroughtintheideathatconveniencewasmoreimportantthancontent,HenryDavidThoreauremindedusthat“themanwhosehorsetrots(奔跑)，amileinaminutedoesnotcarrythemostimportantmessages."MarshallMcLuhan,whocamecloserthanmosttoseeingwhatwascoming,warned,“Whenthingscomeatyouveryfast,naturallyyoulosetouchwithyourself.”Wehavemoreandmorewaystocommunicate,butlessandlesstosay.Partlybecausewearesobusycommunicating.Andwearerushingtomeetsomanydeadlinesthatwehardlyregisterthatwhatweneedmostarelifelines.Sowhattodo?MoreandmorepeopleIknowseemtobeturningtoyoga,ormeditation（沉思），ortaichi（太极）；thesearen'tNewAgefads（时尚的事物）somuchaswaystoconnectwithwhatcouldbecalledthewisdomofoldage.Twofriendsofmineobservean“Internetsabbath（安息日）"everyweek,turningofftheironlineconnectionsfromFridaynighttoMondaymorning.Otherfriendstakewalksand“forget"theircellphonesathome.Aseriesoftestsinrecentyearshasshown,Mr.Carrpointsout,thatafterspendingtimeinquietruralsettings,subjects“exhibitgreaterattentiveness,strongermemoryandgenerallyimprovedcognition.Theirbrainsbecomebothcalmerandsharper."Morethanthat,empathy（同感，共鸣），aswellasdeepthought,depends（asneuroscientistslikeAntonioDamasiohavefound）onneuralprocessesthatare“inherentlyslow.”IturntoeccentriemeasurestotrytokeepmymindsoberandensurethatIhavetimetodonothingatall（whichistheonlytimewhenIcanseewhatIshouldbedoingtherestofthetime）.IhaveyettouseacellphoneandIhaveneverTweetedorenteredFacebook.Itrynottogoonlinetillmydayswritingisfinished,andImovedfromManhattantoruralJapaninpartsoIcouldmoreeasilysurviveforlongstretchesentirelyonfoot.Noneofthisisamatterofasceticism（苦行主义）；itisjustpureselfishness.Nothingmakesmefeelbetterthanbeinginoneplace,absorbedinabook,aconversation,ormusic.Itisactuallysomethingdeeperthanmerehappiness:itisjoy,whichthemonk（僧侣）DavidSteindl-Rastdescribesas“thatkindofhappinessthatdoesrftdependonwhathappens.”Itisvital,ofcourse,tostayintouchwiththeworld.Butitisonlybyhavingsomedistancefromtheworldthatyoucanseeitwhole,andunderstandwhatyoushouldbedoingwithit.Formorethan20years,therefore,Ihavebeengoingseveraltimesayear—oftenfornolongerthanthreedays一toaBenedictinehermitage（修道院），40minutesdowntheroad,asithappens,fromthePostRanchInn.IdohtattendserviceswhenIamthere,andIhavenevermeditated,thereoranywhere;Ijusttakewalksandreadandlosemyselfinthestillness,recallingthatitisonlybysteppingbrieflyawayfrommywifeandbossesandfriendsthatIwillhaveanythingusefultobringtothem.ThelasttimeIwasinthehermitage,threemonthsago,Ihappenedtomeetwithayoungish-lookingmanwitha3—year—oldboyaroundhisshoulders.“You'rePico,aren'tyou?"themansaid,andintroducedhimselfasLarry;wehadmet,Igathered,19yearsbefore,whenhehadbeenlivinginthehermitageasanassistanttooneofthemonks.“Whatareyoudoingnow?"Iasked.Wesmiled.Nowordswerenecessary."ItrytobringmykidshereasoftenasIcan,”hewenton.Thechildoftomorrow,Irealized,mayactuallybeaheadofus,intermsofsensingnotwhatisnew,butwhatisessential.WhatisspecialaboutthePostRanchInn?Itsroomsarewellfurnishedbutdimlylit.Itmakesguestsfeellikefallingintoablackhole.Thereisnoaccesstotelevisioninitsrooms.Itprovidesalltheluxuriesitsguestscanthinkof.Whatdoestheauthorsaythechildrenoftomorrowwillneedmost?Convenienceandcomfortineverydaylife.Timeawayfromallelectronicgadgets.Moreactivitiestofillintheirleisuretime.Greaterchancesforindividualdevelopment.WhatdoestheFrenchphilosopherBlaisePascalsayaboutdistraction?Itleadsustolotsofmistakes.Itrendersusunabletoconcentrate.Ithelpsreleaseourexcessenergy.Itisourgreatestmiseryinlife.AccordingtoMarshallMcLuhan,whatwillhappenifthingscomeatusveryfast?Wewillnotknowwhattodowithourownlives.Wewillbebusyreceivingandsendingmessages.Wewillfinditdifficulttomeetourdeadlines.Wewillnotnoticewhatisgoingonaroundus.Whatdoestheauthorsayaboutyoga,meditationandtaichi?Theyhelppeopleunderstandancientwisdom.Theycontributetophysicalandmentalhealth.Theyarewaystocommunicatewithnature.Theykeeppeoplefromvariousdistractions.WhatisneuroscientistAntonioDamasio'sfinding?Quietruralsettingscontributealottolonglife.One'sbrainbecomessharpwhenitisactivated.Eccentriemeasuresareneededtokeepone'smindsober.Whenpeoplethinkdeeply,theirneuralprocessesareslow.TheauthormovedfromManhattantoruralJapanpartlybecausehecouldstayawayfromthenoiseofthebigcity.livewithoutmoderntransportation.enjoythebeautifulviewofthecountryside.practiceasceticisminalocalhermitageInordertoseetheworldwhole,theauthorthinksitTheauthortakeswalksandreadsandloseshimselfinInordertoseetheworldwhole,theauthorthinksitTheauthortakeswalksandreadsandloseshimselfinandbossesandfriends.necessaryto.thestillnessofthehermitagesothathecanbringhiswifeTheyoungish-lookingmantakeshislittleboytothehermitagefrequentlysothatwhenhegrowsuphewillknowPartIIIListeningComprehension(35minutes)PartIIIListeningComprehension(35minutes)SectionADirections:Inthissection,youwillhear8shortconversetionsand2longconversations.Attheendofeachconversation,oneormorequestionswillbeaskedaboutwhatwassaid.Boththeconversationandthequestiowillbespokenonlyonce.Aftereachquestiontherewillbeapause.Duringthepause,youmuseadthefourchoicesmarkedA,B),C)andD,anddecidewhicHsthebestanswer.ThemarkthecorrespondingletteroAnswerSheet2withasinglelinethroughthecentre.A)Askhisbossforalighterschedule.Tradeplaceswithsomeoneelse.Accepttheextraworkwillingly.Lookforamoresuitablejob.A)Itisunusualforhiswifetobeathomenow.Heisuncertainwherehiswifeisatthemoment.Itisstrangeforhiswifetocallhimatwork.Hedoesnotbelievewhatthewomanhastoldhim.A)Themanisgoingtosendoutthememotomorrow.Themanwilldrivethewomantothestation.Thespeakersaretravelingbytraintomorrowmorning.Thewomanisconcernedwiththeman'shea1th.A)Thesuitebookedwasforadifferentdate.Theroombookedwasonadifferentfloor.Theroombookedwasnotspaciousenough.Asuitewasbookedinsteadofadoubleroom.A)Thereasonforlowprofits.Thecompany'ssalespolicy.Thefiercecompetitiontheyface.Thelackofeffectivepromotion.A)Goandgetthegroceriesatonce.Managewithwhattheyhave.Dosomeshoppingontheirwayhome.Havethegroceriesdeliveredtothem.A)Thehotweatherinsummer.Theproblemwiththeairconditionezr.Theridiculousrulesoftheoffice.Theatmosphereintheoffice.A)Setanewstoneinherring.Findthepricelessjewelshelost.Buyaringwithpreciousdiamond.ShoponOxfordStreetforadecentgift.Questions19to22arebasedontheconversationyouhavejustheard.A)Damagingpublicfacilities.Destroyingurbanwildlife.Organisingralliesinthepark.Hurtingbabyanimalsinthezoo.A)Hehadbribedtheparkkeeperstokeepquiet.Peoplehaddifferingopinionsabouthisbehaviour.Theseriousconsequencesofhisdoingswerenotfullyrealised.Hisbehaviourwasthoughttohaveresultedfrommentalillness.A)Brutal.Justifiable.Tooharsh.Well-deserved.A)Encouragingotherstofollowhiswrong-doing.Stealingendangeredanimalsfromthezoo.Organisingpeopleagainsttheauthorities.Attackingtheparkkeepersinbroaddaylight.Questions23to25arebasedontheconversationyouhavejustheard.A)Shehasalreadyleftschool.Sheworksforthehandicapped.Sheisfondofpracticalcourses.Sheisgoodatforeignlanguages.A)Heisinterestedinsciencecourses.Heattendsaboardingschool.HespeaksFrenchandGerman.Heisthebrightestofherthreekids.A)Comprehensiveschoolsdonotofferqualityeducation.Parentsdecidewhatschoolstheirchildrenaretoattend.Publicschoolsareusuallybiggerinsizethanprivateschools.Childrenfromlowincomefamiliescan'treallychooseschools.SectionBquestions.bestanswerlineDirections:Inthissection,youwillhear3shortpassages.Attheendofeachpassage,youwillhearsomeBoththepassageandthequestionswillbespokenonlyonce.Afteryouhearaquestion,youmustchoosethefromthefourchoicesmarkedA),B),C)andD).ThenmarkthecorrespondinglettAaiquestions.bestanswerlinePassageOneQuestions26to29arebasedonthepassageyouhavejustheard.A)Encouragethestudentstodocreativethinking.Helpthestudentstodevelopcommunicationskills.Cultivatethestudents'abilitytoinspireemployees.Focusonteachingthevariousfunctionsofbusiness.A)HisteachingcareerattheHarvardBusinessSchool.Hispersonalinvolvementinbusinessmanagement.Hispresidencyatcollegeandexperienceoverseas.HiseducationandprofessorshipatBabsonCollege.A)Developmentoftheirrawbrainpower.Exposuretotheliberalartsandhumanities.Improvementoftheirabilityincapitaimanagement.Knowledgeofup—to—dateinformationtechnology.A)Reportsonbusinessandgovernmentcorruption.Hiscontactwithgovernmentandbusinesscircles.DiscoveriesofcheatingamongMBAstudents.Theincreasinginfluenceofthemassmedia.PassageTwoQuestions30to32arebasedonthepassageyouhavejustheard・A)Theyhavebetteroptionsfortheirkidsthancolleges.Theunreasonablyhightuitionisbeyondtheirmeans.Thequalityofhighereducationmaynotbeworththetuition.Theythinkthattheirkidsshouldpayfortheirowneducation.A)Theydotoomanyextracurricularactivities.Theytendtoselectlessdemandingcourses.Theytakepart-timejobstosupportthemselves.Theythinkfewofthecoursesworthstudying.A)Itssamplesarenotrepresentativeenough.Itssignificanceshouldnotbeunderestimated.Itsfindingscomeasasurprisetomanyparents.Itscriteriaforacademicprogressarequestionable.PassageThreeQuestions33to35arebasedonthepassageyouhavejustheard.A)Anewlymarriedcouple.Abusinessacquaintance.Someonegoodatcooking.Someoneyoubarelyknow.A)Obtainnecessaryinformationaboutyourguests.Collectacoupleofunusualorexoticrecipes.Buythebestmeatandthefreshestfruit.Trytoimproveyourcookingskills.A)Losingweight.Entertainingguests.Makingfriends.Cookingmeals.SectionCDirections:Inthissection,youwillhearapassagethreetimes.Whenthepassageisreadforthefirsttime,youshouldlistencarefullyforitsgeneradea.Whenthepassageiseadforthesecondtimeyouarerequiredtofillintheblanksnumberedfrom36to43withtheexactwordsyouhavejustheard.Forblanksnumberedfrom44to46youarerequiredtofillinthemissinginformation.Fortheseblanks,youcaneitherusetheexactwordsyouhavejustheardorwritedownthemainpointsinyourownwords.Finally,whenthepassageisreadforthethirdtime,youshouldcheckwhatyouhavewritten.Peoplewithdisabilitiescomprisealargebutdiversesegmentofthepopulation.Itis(36)thatover35millionAmericanshavephysical,mental,orotherdisabilities.(37)halfofthesedisabilitiesare“developmental,”i.e.,theyoccurpriortotheindividual'stwenty-secondbirthday,oftenfrom(38)conditions,andaresevereenoughtoaffectthreeormoreareasofdevelopment,suchas(39),communicationandemployment.Mostotherdisabilitiesareconsidered(40),i.e.,causedbyoutsideforces.Beforethe20thcentury,onlyasmall(41)ofpeoplewithdisabilitiessurvivedforlong.Medicaltreatmentforsuchconditionsasstrokeorspinalcord(42)wasunavailable.Peoplewhosedisabilitiesshouldnothaveinherentlyaffectedtheirlifespanwereoftensomistreatedthatthey(43).Advancementsinmedicineandsocialserviceshavecreatedaclimateinwhich(44).Unfortunately,thesebasicsareoftenallthatisavailable.Civillibertiessuchastherighttovote,marry,getaneducation,andgainemploymenthavehistoricallybeendeniedonthebasisofdisability.(45).Disabledpeopleformedgrassrootscoalitionstoadvocatetheirrightstointegrationandmeaningfulequalityofopportunity.(46).Inthemid-1970s,criticallegislationmandated(规定)accesstoeducation,publictransportation,andpublicfacilities,andprohibitedemploymentdiscriminationbyfederalagenciesoremployersreceivingfederalfunds.PartWReadingComprehension(ReadinginDepth)(25minutes)SectionADirections:Inthissection,thereisashortpassagewith5questionsorincompletestatements.Readthepassagecarefully.Thenanswerthequestionsorcompletethestatementsinthefewestpossiblewords.PleasewriteyouransWerswenSheet2Questions47to54arebasedonthefollowingpassage・Akeyprocessininterpersonalinteractionisthatofsocialcomparison,inthatweevaluateourselvesintermsofhowwecomparetoothers.Inparticular,weengageintwotypesofcomparison.First,wedecidewhetherwearesuperiororinferiortoothersoncertaindimensions,suchasattractiveness,intelligence,popularity,etc.Here,theimportantaspectistocomparewithanappropriatereferencegroup.Forexample,modestjoggersshouldnotcomparetheirperformancewithOlympicstandardmarathon（马拉松）runners.Second,wejudgetheextenttowhichwearethesameasordifferentfromothers.Atcertainstagesoflife,especiallyadolescence,thepressuretobeseenassimilartopeersisimmense.Thus,wearingtherightbrandofclothesorshoesmaybeoftheutmostimportance.Wealsoneedtoknowwhetherourthoughts,beliefsandideasareinlinewiththoseofotherpeople.Thisispartoftheprocessofself-validationwherebyweemployself-disclosurestoseeksupportforourself-concept.Peoplewhodonothaveaccesstoagoodlistenermaynotonlybedeniedtheopportunitytoheightentheirself-awareness,buttheyarealsodeniedvaluablefeedbackastothevalidityandacceptabilityoftheirinnerthoughtsandfeelings.Bydiscussingthesewithothers,wereceivefeedbackastowhethertheseareexperienceswhichothershaveaswell,orwhethertheyarelesscommon.Furthermore,bygaugingthereactionstoourself-disclosureswelearnwhattypesareacceptableorunacceptablewithparticularpeopleandinspecificsituations.Onoccasionsitisthefearthatcertaindisclosuresmaybeunacceptabletofamilyorfriendsthatmotivatesanindividualtoseekprofessionalhelp.Counsellorswillbefamiliarwithclientstatementssuchas:“Ijustcouldn'ttalkaboutthistomyhusband.",“Ireallycan'tletmymotherknowmytruefeelings."Anotheraspectofsocialcomparisoninthecounsellingcontextrelatestoatechniqueknownasnormalising.Thisistheprocesswherebyhelpersprovidereassurancetoclientsthatwhattheyareexperiencingisnotabnormaloratypical（非典型的），butisanormalreactionsharedbyotherswhenfacingsuchcircumstances.Patientdisclosure,facilitatedbythetherapist,seemsalsotofacilitatetheprocessofnormalising.TOC\o"1-5"\h\zToevaluateourselves,theauthorthinksitimportantforustocompareourselveswith.Duringadolescence,peoplegenerallyfeelanimmensepressuretoappear.Itisoftendifficultforpeopletoheightentheirself-awarenesswithout.Whatcanpeopledoiftheyfindwhattheythinkorsayunacceptabletofamilyorfriends?Counsellorsoftenassuretheirclientsthatwhattheyexperiencethemselvesisonly.SectionBDirections:Thereare2passagesinthissection.Eachpassageisfollowedbysomequestionsorunfinishedstatements.Foreachofthemtherearefourchoicesmarke),AB),C)andD).YoushoulddecideonthebestchoiceandmarkthecorrespondingletteroiAnswerSheet2withasinglelinethroughthecentre.PassageOneQuestions52to56arebasedonthefollowingpassage・Amidallthejoblosses,therdsonecategoryofworkerthattheeconomicdisruptionhasbeengoodfor:nonhumans.Fromself-servicecheckoutlinesatthesupermarkettoindustrialrobotsarmedwithsawsandtaughttocarveupanimalbodiesinslaughter—houses,theseever-more-intelligentmachinesarenownotjustassistingworkersbutactuallykickingthemoutoftheirjobs.Automationisn'tjustaffectingfactoryworkers,either.Somelawfirmsnowuseartificialintelligencesoftwaretoscanandreadmountainsoflegaldocuments,workthatpreviouslywasperformedbyhighly-paidhumanlawyers.“Robotscontinuetohaveanimpactonblue-collarjobs,andwhite-collarjobsareunderattackbymicroprocessor”，sayseconomicsprofessorEdwardLeamer.Therecessionpermanentlywipedout2.5millionjobs.U.S.grossdomesticproducthasclimbedbacktopre-recessionlevels,meaningwereproducingasmuchasbefore,onlywith6%fewerworkers.Tobesure,roboticsarenottheonlyjobkillersoutthere,withoutsourcing（夕卜包）stealingfarmorejobsthanautomation.JeffBurnstein,presidentoftheRoboticsIndustryAssociation,arguesthatrobotsactuallysaveU.S.jobs.Hislogic:companiesthatembraceautomationmightusefewerworkers,butthatsstillbetterthanfiringeveryoneandmovingtheworkoverseas.It'snotthatrobotsarecheaperthanhumans,thoughoftentheyare.It'sthatthey'rebetter.“Insomecasesthequalityrequirementsaresoexactingthatevenifyouwantedtohaveahumandothejob,youcouldrt,”Burnsteinsays.Samegoesforsurgeons,who'reusingroboticsystemstoperformanever-growinglistofoperations—notbecausethemachinessavemoneybutbecause,thankstothegreaterprecisionofrobots,thepatientsrecoverinlesstimeandhavefewercomplications,saysDr.MyriamCuret.Surgeonsmaysurvivetherobotinvasion,butothersatthehospitalmightnotbesolucky,asiRobot,makeroftheRoomba,arobotvacuumcleaner,hasbeenshowingoffAva,whichcouldbeusedasamessengerinahospital.Andonceyou'rehome,recovering,Avacouldletyoutalktoyourdoctor,sothere'snoneedtosendsomeonetoyourhouse.That“mobiletelepresence"couldbeusefulattheoffice.Ifyou'reawayonatrip,youcanstillattendameeting.Justconnectviavideoconferencingsoftware,soyourfaceappearsonAva'sscreen.Isanyjobsafe?Iwashopingtosay“journalist,”butresearchersarealreadydevelopingsoftwarethatcangatherfactsandwriteanewsstory.Whichmeansthatafewyearsfromnow,arobotcouldbewritingthiscolumn.Andwhowillreadit?Well,theremightbealotofushangingaroundwithlotsoffreetimeonourhands.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。Whatdowelearnfromthefirstfewparagraphs?Theover-useofrobotshasdonedamagetoAmericaneconomy.Itishardforrobotstoreplacehumansinhighlyprofessionalwork.Artificialintelligenceiskeytofuturetechnologicalinnovations.Theroboticindustryhasbenefitedfromtheeconomicrecession.WhatcausedthegreatestlossofjobsinAmerica?Usingmicroprocessorsextensively.Movingproductiontoothercountries.Thebankruptcyofmanycompanies.Theinvasionofmigrantworkers.WhatdoesJeffBurnsteinsayaboutrobots?Theyhelpcompaniestorevive.Theyarecheaperthanhumans.Theypreventjoblossesinaway.Theycompetewithhumanworkers.WhyareroboticsystemsreplacingsurgeonsinmoreandmoreoperationsaccordingtoDr.MyriamCuret?Theysavelotsofmoneyforthepatients.Theybeathumansinprecision.Theytakelesstimetoperformasurgery.Theymakeoperationslesspainful.Whatdoestheauthorimplyaboutrobotics?Itwillgreatlyenrichliterarycreation.Itwillstartanewtechnologicalrevolution.Itwillrevolutionizescientificresearch.Itwillbeappliedinanyfieldimaginable.PassageTwoQuestions57to61arebasedonthefollowingpassage・You'venowhearditsomanytimes,youcanprobablyrepeatitinyoursleep.PresidentObamawillnodoubtmakethepointpubliclywhenhegetstoBeijing:theChineseneedtoconsumemore;theynee—believeitornot—tobecomemorelikeAmericans,forthesakeoftheglobaleconomy.Andit'salltrue.ButtheothersideofthatequationisthattheU.S.needstosavemore.Forthemoment,Americanhouseholdsactuallyaredoingso.Afterthepersonal-savingsratedippedtozeroin2005,theshockoftheeconomiccrisislastyearpromptedpeopletosnapshuttheirwallets.InChina,thehousehold-savingsrateexceeds20%.Itispartlyforpolicyreasons.AsWeveseen,wageearnersareexpectedtocarefornotonlytheirchildrenbuttheiragingparents.Andthereis,todate,onlytheflimsiest（脆弱的）ofpublicly-fundedhealthcareandpensionsystems,whichincreasesincentivesforindividualstosavewhiletheyareworking.ButChinaisasocietythathaslongesteemedpersonalfinancialprudence（谨慎）.Thereisnochancethatwillchangeanytimesoon,evenifthegovernmentcreatesabettersocialsafetynetandsuccessfullyencouragesgreaterconsumerspending.WhydoestheU.S.needtolearnalittlefrugality(节俭)?Becausehealthysavingsratesareoneofthesurestindicatorsofacountry'slong-termfinancialhealth.Highsavingslead,overtime,toincreasedinvestment,whichinturngeneratesproductivitygains,innovationandjobgrowth.Inshort,savingsaretheseedcornofagoodeconomicharvest.TheU.S.governmentthusneedstoactaswell.Byrunningconstantdeficits,itisdis-saving,evenashouseholdssavemore.PeterOrszag,Obama'sBudgetDirector,recentlycalledtheU.S.budgetdeficitsunsustainableandhe'sright.Todate,theU.S.hasseemedunabletoseetheconsequencesofspendingsomuchmorethanistakenin.Thatneedstochange.AndthoughHuJintaoandtherestoftheChineseleadershiparen'tinclinedtolecturevisitingPresidents,hemightgentlyhintthatBeijingisgettingalittlenervousaboutthevalueofthedollar—whichhasfallen15%sinceMarch,inlargepartbecauseofincreasingfearsthatAmerica'sdebtloadisbecomingunmanageable.That'swhathappenswhenyou'retheworld'sbiggestcreditor:yougettodrophintslikethat,whichwouldbeenoughbythemselvestocreateinternationaleconomicchaosiftheywereeverleaked.(EverytimeanyofficialinBeijingdeliberatespubliclyaboutseekinganalternativetotheU.S.dollarforthe$2.1trillionChinaholdsinreserve,currencytradershaveaheartattack.)IfAmericanssavedmoreandspentless,consistentlyovertime,theywouldn'thavetoworryaboutallthat.HowdidtheeconomiccrisisaffectAmericans?Theyhadtotightentheirbelts.Theirbanksavingsratedroppedtozero.Theirleadershipintheglobaleconomywasshaken.TheybecameconcernedaboutChina'sfinancialpolicy.WhatshouldbedonetoencourageChinesepeopletoconsume?Changingtheirtraditionalwayoflife.Providingfewerincentivesforsaving.ImprovingChina'ssocialsecuritysystem.Cuttingdowntheexpensesonchild-rearing.Whatdoestheauthormeanbysaying“savingsaretheseedcornofagoodeconomicharvest"(Line4,Para.4)?Themoreonesaves,themorereturnsonewillreap.Acountry'seconomyhingesonitssavingspolicy.Thosewhokeepsavingwillliveaneasylifeintheend.Ahealthysavingsratepromoteseconomicprosperity.Inwhatcircumstancesdocurrencytradersbecomescared?WhenBeijingallowsitscurrencyexchangeratestofloat.WhenChinastartstoreduceitscurrentforeignreserves.WhenChinatalksaboutswitchingitsdollarreservestoothercurrencies.WhenBeijingmentionsinpublicthehugedebtsAmericaowesChina.Whatistheauthor'spurposeofwritingthepassage?TourgetheAmericangovernmenttocutdeficits.ToencourageChinesepeopletospendmore.TotellAmericansnottoworryabouttheireconomy.TopromoteunderstandingbetweenChinaandAmerica.PartVCloze(15minutes)Directions:Thereare20blanksinthefollowingpassage.ForeachblanktherearefourchoicesmarkedA),B),C)andD)ontherightsideofthepaper.YoushouldchoosetheONEthatbestfitsintothepassage.ThenmarkthecorrespondingletteronAnswerSheet2withasinglelinethroughthecentre.“Myjobiskillingme.”Who