月大学英语六级考试真题目

2009年12月大学英语六级考试真题/152009年12月大学英语六级考试真题PartⅠWriting(30minutes)Directions:Forthispart,youareallowed30minutestowriteashortessayentitledShouldParentsSendTheirKidstoArtClasses?Youshouldwriteatleast150wordsfollowingtheoutlinegivenbelow.1.现在有不少家长送孩子参加各种艺术班2.对这种做法有人表示支持，也有人并不赞成3.我认为……ShouldParentsSendTheirKidstoArtClasses?PartⅡReadingComprehension(SkimmingandScanning)(15minutes)Directions:Inthispart,youwillhave15minutestogooverthepassagequicklyandanswerthequestionsonAnswerSheet1.Forquestions1-7,choosethebestanswerfromthefourchoicesmarkedA),B),C)andD).Forquestions8-10,completethesentenceswiththeinformationgiveninthepassage.BossesSay“Yes”toHomeWorkRisingcostsofofficespace,timelosttostressfulcommuting,andaslowrecognitionthatworkershavelivesbeyondtheoffice—allarestrongargumentsforlettingstaffworkfromhome.Forthesmallbusiness,thereareadditionalbenefitstoo—staffaremoreproductive,andhappier,enablingfirmstokeeptheirheadcounts(员工数)andtheirrecruitmentcoststoaminimum.Itcanalsoprovidecompetitiveadvantage,especiallywhensmallbusinesseswanttoattractnewstaffbutdon’thavethebudgettoofferhugesalaries.Whilecompanymanagershaveknownaboutthebenefitsforalongtime,manyhavedonelittleaboutit,scepticalofwhethertheycouldtrusttheiremployeestoworktofullcapacitywithoutsupervision,orconcernedabouttheadditionalexpensesteleworkingpoliciesmightincurasstaffstartchargingtheirhomephonebillstothebusiness.Yetthisisnowchanging.WhencommunicationsproviderInter-Telresearchedtheuseofremoteworkingsolutionsamongsmall-and-medium-sizedUKbusinessesinAprilthisyear,itfoundthat28%morecompaniesclaimedtohaveintroducedflexibleworkingpracticesthanayearago.TheUKnetworkofBusinessLinksconfirmsthatittoohasseenagrowinginterestinremoteworkingsolutionsfromsmallbusinessesseekingitsadvice,andclaimsthatasmanyas60-70%ofthebusinessesthatcomethroughitsdoorsnowoffersomeformofremoteworkingsupporttotheirworkforces.Technologyadvances,includingthewidespreadavailabilityofbroadband,aremakingtheintroductionofremoteworkingapieceofcake.“Ifsystemsaresetupproperly,staffcanhaveaccesstoalltheresourcestheyhaveintheofficewherevertheyhaveaninternetconnection,”saysAndyPoulton,e-businessadvisoratBusinessLinkforBerkshireandWiltshire.“Therearesomeveryexcitingdevelopmentswhichhaveenabledthis.”Oneistheavailabilityofbroadbandeverywhere,whichnowcoversalmostallofthecountry(BTclaimsthat,byJuly,99.8%ofitsexchangeswillbebroadbandenabled,withalternativeplansinplaceforeventhemostremoteexchanges).“Thisistheenabler,”Poultonsays.Yetwhilebroadbandhascomedowninpricetoo,thoseserviceproviderstargetingthebusinessmarketwarnagainstconsumerservicesmasquerading(伪装)asbusiness-friendlybroadband.“Broadbandisavailableforaslittleas￡15amonth,butmanybusinessesfailtoappreciatethehiddencostsofsuchaservice,”saysNeilStephenson,salesandmarketingdirectoratOnyxInternet,aninternetserviceproviderbasedinthenorth-eastofEngland.“Providersofferingbroadbandforrock-bottompricesarenotoriousforpoorservice,withregularbreakdownsandheavilycongested(拥堵的)networks.Itisalwaysadvisableforbusinessestolookbeyondthepricetagandlookforabusiness-onlyproviderthatcanoffermorereliability,withgoodsupport.”Suchservicesdon’tcosttoomuch—qualityservicescanbefoundforupwardsof￡30amonth.Thebenefitsofbroadbandtotheoccasionalhomeworkerarethattheycanaccessemailinrealtime,andtakefulladvantageofservicessuchasinternet-basedbackuporeveninternet-basedphoneservices.Internet-basedtelecoms,orVoIP(VoiceoverIP)togiveititstechnicaltitle,isaninterestingtooltoanybusinesssupportingremoteworking.Notnecessarilybecauseofthepromiseoffreeorreducedpricephonecalls(whichexpertspointoutismisleadingfortheaveragebusiness),butbecauseofthesophisticatedvoiceservicesthatcanbeexploitedbytheremoteworker—facilitiessuchasvoicemailandcallforwarding,whichprovideacontinuityofthecompanyimageforcustomersandbusinesspartners.Bylaw,companiesmust“considerseriously”requeststoworkflexiblymadebyaparentwithachildundertheageofsix,oradisabledchildunder18.ItwastheneedtoaccommodateemployeeswithyoungchildrenthatmotivatedaccountancyfirmWrightVigartobeginpromotingteleworkingrecently.Thecompany,whichneededtoupgradeitsITinfrastructure(基础设施)toprovideconnectivitywithanew,secondoffice,decidedtointroducesupportforremoteworkingatthesametime.MarketingdirectorJackO’Hernexplainsthatthecompanyhasarelativelyyoungworkforce,manyofwhomareparents:“Oneofthetriggerswaswhenoneofourtaxmanagersreturnedfrommaternityleave.Shewasintendingtoworkparttime,butcouldonlymanageonedayaweekintheofficeduetochildcare.Byofferinghertheabilitytoworkfromhome,wehavedoubledhercapacity—nowsheworksadayaweekfromhome,andadayintheoffice.Thisisgreatforher,andforusasweretainsomeonehighlyqualified.”ForWrightVigar,whichhasnowequippedallofitsfee-earnerstobeabletoworkatmaximumproductivitywhenawayfromtheoffices(whetherthat’sfromhome,orwhileontheroad),thisstrategyisnotjustaboutsavingoncommutetimeorcuttingthemloosefromtheoffice,butenablingthemtoworkmoreflexiblehoursthatfitaroundtheirhomelife.O’Hernsays:“Althoughmostofourworkisclient-basedandmustfitaroundthis,wecan’tseeanyreasonwhyaparentcan’tbeonhandtodealwithsomethingimportantathome,iftheyhavetheabilitytocompleteaprojectlaterintheday.”Supportingthisnewwayofworkingcamewithaprice,though.Althoughthefirmwasupdatingitssystemsanyway,thecompanyspent10-15%moreperusertoequipthemwithalaptopratherthanaPC,andaboutthesametoupgradetoaserverthatwouldenableremotestafftoconnecttothecompanynetworksandaccessalltheirusualresources.AlthoughWrightVigarhasn’tyetquantifiedthebusinessbenefits,itclaimsthat,inadditiontobeingabletoretainkeystaffwithyoungfamilies,itisabletosavefee-earnersasubstantialamountof“dead”timeintheirworkingdays.Thatstaffcandothiswithoutneedingafixedtelephonelineprovidesevenmoreefficiencysavings.“WithWi-Fi(fast,wirelessinternetconnections)poppingupallovertheplace,evenontrains,ourfee-earnerscanbeproductiveastheytravel,andbetweenmeetings,insteadofhavingtokilltimeattheshops,”headds.Thecompanywillalsobeabletoavoidtheexpenseofhavingtorelocatestafftotemporaryofficesforseveralweekswhenitbeginsdisruptiveofficerenovationssoon.FinancialrecruitmentspecialistLynneHargreavesknowsexactlyhowmuchherfirmhassavedbyadoptingateleworkingstrategy,whichhasinvolvedhandinghercompany’sdatamanagementovertoaremotehostingcompany,Datanet,soitcanbeaccessiblebyallthecompany’sconsultantsoverbroadbandinternetconnections.Ithasenabledthecompanytodispensewithitsbusinesspremisesaltogether,followingtherealisationthatitjustdidn’tneedthemanymore.“Themainmotivationbehindadoptinghomeworkingwastoincreasemyownproductivity,asasinglemumtoan11-year-old,”saysHargreaves.“ButIsoonrealisedthat,asmostofourbusinessisdoneonthephone,emailandatoff-sitemeetings,wedidn’tneedourofficesatall.We’renowsaving￡16,000ayearonrent,plusthecostofutilities,nottomentionwhatwouldhavebeenspentoncommuting.”1. Whatisthemaintopicofthispassage?A)Howbusinessmanagersviewhi-tech.B)Relationsbetweenemployersandemployees.C)Howtocutdownthecostsofsmallbusinesses.D)Benefitsofthepracticeofteleworking.2. FromtheresearchconductedbythecommunicationsproviderInter-Tel,welearnthat.A)moreemployeesworktofullcapacityathomeB)employeesshowagrowinginterestinsmallbusinessesC)morebusinesseshaveadoptedremoteworkingsolutionsD)attitudestowardITtechnologyhavechanged3. WhatdevelopmenthasmadeflexibleworkingpracticespossibleaccordingtoAndyPoulton?A)Reducedcostoftelecommunications.B)Improvedreliabilityofinternetservice.C)AvailabilityoftheVoIPservice.D)Accesstobroadbandeverywhere.4. WhatisNeilStephenson’sadvicetofirmscontractinginternetservices?A)Theylookforreliablebusiness-onlyproviders.B)Theycontactproviderslocatednearesttothem.C)Theycarefullyexaminethecontract.D)Theycontractthecheapestprovider.5. Internet-basedtelecomsfacilitatesremoteworkingby__________.A)offeringsophisticatedvoiceservicesB)givingaccesstoemailinginrealtimeC)helpingclientsdiscussbusinessathomeD)providingcallscompletelyfreeofcharge6. TheaccountancyfirmWrightVigarpromotedteleworkinginitiallyinorderto__________.A)presentapositiveimagetoprospectivecustomersB)supportitsemployeeswithchildrentotakecareofC)attractyoungpeoplewithITexpertisetoworkforitD)reduceoperationalexpensesofasecondoffice7. AccordingtomarketingdirectorJackO’Hern,teleworkingenabledthecompanyto__________.A)enhanceitsmarketimageB)reducerecruitmentcostsC)keephighlyqualifiedstaffD)minimiseitsofficespace8. WrightVigar’spracticeofallowingformoreflexibleworkinghoursnotonlybenefitsthecompanybuthelpsimproveemployees’.9. Withfast,wirelessinternetconnections,employeescanstillbe__________whiletraveling.10. SinglemotherLynneHargreavesdecidedtoworkathomemainlyto__________.PartⅢListeningComprehension(35minutes)SectionADirections:Inthissection,youwillhear8shortconversationsand2longconversations.Attheendofeachconversation,oneormorequestionswillbeaskedaboutwhatwassaid.Boththeconversationandthequestionswillbespokenonlyonce.Aftereachquestiontherewillbeapause.Duringthepause,youmustreadthefourchoicesmarkedA),B),C)andD),anddecidewhichisthebestanswer.ThenmarkthecorrespondingletteronAnswerSheet2withasinglelinethroughthecentre.11. A)Theywouldrathertravelaroundthanstayathome.B)Theyprefertocarrycashwhentravelingabroad.C)Theyusuallycarrymanythingsaroundwiththem.D)Theydon’tliketospendmuchmoneyontraveling.12. A)Theselectionprocesswasalittleunfair.B)Hehadlongdreamedofthedean’sposition.C)Rodwaseliminatedintheselectionprocess.D)Rodwasinchargeoftheadmissionsoffice.13. A)Applauseencouragesthesinger.B)Sheregretspayingfortheconcert.C)Almosteveryonelovespopmusic.D)Theconcertisveryimpressive.14. A)Theyhaveknowneachothersincetheirschooldays.B)TheywerebothchairpersonsoftheStudents’Union.C)Theyhavebeeninclosetouchbyemail.D)Theyaregoingtoholdareunionparty.15. A)Cooktheirdinner.B)Restforawhile.C)Gettheircarfixed.D)Stopforthenight.16. A)Newly-launchedproducts.B)Consumerpreferences.C)Surveyresults.D)Surveymethods.17. A)Hewouldratherthewomandidn’tbuytheblouse.B)Thewomanneedsblousesinthecolorsofarainbow.C)Theinformationinthecatalogisnotalwaysreliable.D)Hethinkstheblueblouseisbetterthantheredone.18. A)Thecourseisopentoallnextsemester.B)Thenoticemaynotbereliable.C)Thewomanhasnottoldthetruth.D)Hewilldrophiscourseinmarketing.Questions19to22arebasedontheconversationyouhavejustheard.19. A)Adirectorofasalesdepartment.B)Amanageratacomputerstore.C)Asalesclerkatashoppingcenter.D)Anaccountantofacomputerfirm.20. A)Handlingcustomercomplaints.B)Recruitingandtrainingnewstaff.C)Dispatchingorderedgoodsontime.D)Developingcomputerprograms.21. A)Shelikessomethingmorechallenging.B)Shelikestobenearertoherparents.C)Shewantstohaveabetter-paidjob.D)Shewantstobewithherhusband.22. A)Rightaway.B)Intwomonths.C)Earlynextmonth.D)Inacoupleofdays.Questions23to25arebasedontheconversationyouhavejustheard.23. A)Itwillfacechallengesunprecedentedinitshistory.B)Itisaresoluteadvocateoftheanti-globalmovement.C)Itisboundtoregainitsfullgloryofahundredyearsago.D)Itwillbeamajoreconomicpowerbythemid-21stcentury.24. A)Thelackofoverallurbanplanning.B)Thehugegapbetweenthehavesandhave-nots.C)Theinadequatesupplyofwaterandelectricity.D)Theshortageofhi-techpersonnel.25. A)Theyattachgreatimportancetoeducation.B)Theyareabletograspgrowthopportunities.C)Theyaregoodatlearningfromothernations.D)Theyhavemadeuseofadvancedtechnologies.SectionBDirections:Inthissection,youwillhear3shortpassages.Attheendofeachpassage,youwillhearsomequestions.Boththepassageandthequestionswillbespokenonlyonce.Afteryouhearaquestion,youmustchoosethebestanswerfromthefourchoicesmarkedA),B),C)andD).ThenmarkthecorrespondingletteronAnswerSheet2withasinglelinethroughthecentre.PassageOneQuestions26to29arebasedonthepassageyouhavejustheard.26. A)Shetaughtchemistryandmicrobiologycoursesinacollege.B)Shegavelecturesonhowtobecomeapublicspeaker.C)Shehelpedfamiliesmoveawayfromindustrialpolluters.D)Sheengagedinfieldresearchonenvironmentalpollution.27. A)Thejobrestrictedherfromrevealingherfindings.B)Thejobposedapotentialthreattoherhealth.C)Shefoundtheworkingconditionsfrustrating.D)Shewasofferedabetterjobinaminoritycommunity.28. A)Somegiantindustrialpollutershavegoneoutofbusiness.B)Moreenvironmentalorganizationshaveappeared.C)ManytoxicsitesinAmericahavebeencleanedup.D)Morebranchesofhercompanyhavebeensetup.29. A)HerwidespreadinfluenceamongmembersofCongress.B)Herabilitytocommunicatethroughpublicspeaking.C)Herrigoroustrainingindeliveringeloquentspeeches.D)Herlifelongcommitmenttodomesticandglobalissues.PassageTwoQuestions30to32arebasedonthepassageyouhavejustheard.30. A)Thefiercecompetitioninthemarket.B)Thegrowingnecessityofstafftraining.C)Theacceleratedpaceofglobalisation.D)Theurgentneedofadiverseworkforce.31. A)Gainadeepunderstandingoftheirownculture.B)Takecoursesofforeignlanguagesandcultures.C)Sharetheexperiencesofpeoplefromothercultures.D)Participateininternationalexchangeprogrammes.32. A)Reflectivethinkingisbecomingcritical.B)Labormarketisgettingglobalised.C)Knowingaforeignlanguageisessential.D)Globalisationwilleliminatemanyjobs.PassageThreeQuestions33to35arebasedonthepassageyouhavejustheard.33. A)Red-hairedwomenwereregardedasmorereliable.B)Brown-hairedwomenwereratedasmorecapable.C)Golden-hairedwomenwereconsideredattractive.D)Black-hairedwomenwerejudgedtobeintelligent.34. A)Theyaresmartandeloquent.B)Theyareambitiousandarrogant.C)Theyareshrewdanddishonest.D)Theyarewealthyandindustrious.35. A)Theyforcepeopletofollowtheculturalmainstream.B)Theyexaggeratetherolesofcertaingroupsofpeople.C)Theyemphasizediversityattheexpenseofuniformity.D)Theyhinderourperceptionofindividualdifferences.SectionCDirections:Inthissection,youwillhearapassagethreetimes.Whenthepassageisreadforthefirsttime,youshouldlistencarefullyforitsgeneralidea.Whenthepassageisreadforthesecondtime,youarerequiredtofillintheblanksnumberedfrom36to43withtheexactwordsyouhavejustheard.Forblanksnumberedfrom44to46youarerequiredtofillinthemissinginformation.Fortheseblanks,youcaneitherusetheexactwordsyouhavejustheardorwritedownthemainpointsinyourownwords.Finally,whenthepassageisreadforthethirdtime,youshouldcheckwhatyouhavewritten.TheancientGreeksdevelopedbasicmemorysystemscalledmnemonics.ThenameisEQ\X\BO(大36家)fromtheirGoddessofmemory“Mnemosyne”.Intheancientworld,atrainedmemorywasanEQ\X\BO(大37家)asset,particularlyinpubliclife.TherewerenoEQ\X\BO(大38家)devicesfortakingnotes,andearlyGreekorators(演说家)deliveredlongspeecheswithgreatEQ\X\BO(大39家)becausetheylearnedthespeechesusingmnemonicsystems.TheGreeksdiscoveredthathumanmemoryisEQ\X\BO(大40家)anassociativeprocess—thatitworksbylinkingthingstogether.Forexample,thinkofanapple.TheEQ\X\BO(大41家)yourbrainregisterstheword“apple”,itEQ\X\BO(大42家)theshape,color,taste,smellandEQ\X\BO(大43家)ofthatfruit.Allthesethingsareassociatedinyourmemorywiththeword“apple”.EQ\X\BO(大44家).Anexamplecouldbewhenyouthinkaboutalectureyouhavehad.Thiscouldtriggeramemoryaboutwhatyou’retalkingaboutthroughthatlecture,whichcanthentriggeranothermemory.EQ\X\BO(大45家).AnexamplegivenonawebsiteIwaslookingatfollows:DoyouremembertheshapeofAustria,Canada,Belgium,orGermany?Probablynot.WhataboutItaly,though?EQ\X\BO(大46家).Youmadeanassociationwithsomethingalreadyknown,theshapeofaboot,andItaly’sshapecouldnotbeforgottenonceyouhadmadetheassociation.PartⅣReadingComprehension(ReadinginDepth)(25minutes)SectionADirections:Inthissection,thereisashortpassagewith5questionsorincompletestatements.Readthepassagecarefully.Thenanswerthequestionsorcompletethestatementsinthefewestpossiblewords.PleasewriteyouranswersonAnswerSheet2.Questions47to51arebasedonthefollowingpassage.Manycountrieshavemadeitillegaltochatintoahand-heldmobilephonewhiledriving.Butthelatestresearchfurtherconfirmsthatthedangerlieslessinwhatamotorist’shandsdowhenhetakesacallthaninwhattheconversationdoestohisbrain.Evenusinga“hands-free”devicecandivertadriver’sattentiontoanalarmingextent.MelinaKunaroftheUniversityofWarwick,andToddHorowitzoftheHarvardMedicalSchoolranaseriesofexperimentsinwhichtwogroupsofvolunteershadtopayattentionandrespondtoaseriesofmovingtasksonacomputerscreenthatwerereckonedequivalentindifficultytodriving.Onegroupwasleftundistractedwhiletheotherhadtoengageinaconversationusingaspeakerphone.AsKunarandHorowitzreport,thosewhoweremakingtheequivalentofahands-freecallhadanaveragereactiontime212millisecondsslowerthanthosewhowerenot.That,theycalculate,wouldadd5.7metrestothebrakingdistanceofacartravellingat100kph.Theyalsofoundthatthegroupusingthehands-freekitmade83%moreerrorsintheirtasksthanthosewhowerenottalking.Totrytounderstandmoreaboutwhythiswas,theytriedtwofurthertests.Inone,membersofagroupwereaskedsimplytorepeatwordsspokenbythecaller.Intheother,theyhadtothinkofawordthatbeganwiththelastletterofthewordtheyhadjustheard.Thoseonlyrepeatingwordsperformedthesameasthosewithnodistraction,butthosewiththemorecomplicatedtaskshowedevenworsereactiontimes—anaverageof480millisecondsextradelay.Thisshowsthatwhenpeoplehavetoconsidertheinformationtheyhearcarefully,itcanimpairtheirdrivingabilitysignificantly.Punishingpeopleforusinghand-heldgadgetswhiledrivingisdifficultenough,eventhoughtheycanbeseenfromoutsidethecar.Persuadingpeopletoswitchtheirphonesoffaltogetherwhentheygetbehindthewheelmightbetheonlyanswer.Whoknows,theymightevencometoenjoynothavingtotakecalls.47. Carryingonamobilephoneconversationwhileoneisdrivingisconsidereddangerousbecauseitseriouslydistracts.48. Intheexperiments,thetwogroupsofvolunteerswereaskedtohandleaseriesofmovingtaskswhichwereconsidered.49. Resultsoftheexperimentsshowthatthosewhoweremakingtheequivalentofahands-freecalltooktoreactthanthosewhowerenot.50. Furtherexperimentsrevealthatparticipantstendtorespondwithextradelayiftheyarerequiredtodo.51. Theauthorbelievespersuasion,ratherthan,mightbetheonlywaytostoppeoplefromusingmobilephoneswhiledriving.SectionBDirections:Thereare2passagesinthissection.Eachpassageisfollowedbysomequestionsorunfinishedstatements.ForeachofthemtherearefourchoicesmarkedA),B),C)andD).YoushoulddecideonthebestchoiceandmarkthecorrespondingletteronAnswerSheet2withasinglelinethroughthecentre.PassageOneQuestions52to56arebasedonthefollowingpassage.Thereisnothinglikethesuggestionofacancerrisktoscareaparent,especiallyoneoftheover-educated,eco-conscioustype.SoyoucanimaginethereactionwhenarecentUSATodayinvestigationofairqualityaroundthenation’sschoolssingledoutthoseinthesmugly（自鸣得意的）greenvillageofBerkeley,Calif.,asbeingamongtheworstinthecountry.Thecity’spublichighschool,aswellasanumberofdaycarecenters,preschools,elementaryandmiddleschools,fellinthelowest10%.Industrialpollutioninourtownhadsupposedlyturnedstudentsintolivingscienceexperimentsbreathinginalaboratory’sworthofheavymetalslikemanganese,chromiumandnickeleachday.Thisinacitythatrequiresschoolcafeteriastoserveorganicmeals.Great,Ithought,organiclunch,toxiccampus.SinceDecember,whenthereportcameout,themayor,neighborhoodactivists（活跃分子）andvariousparent-teacherassociationshaveengagedinafiercebattleoveritsvalidity:overtheguiltofthesteel-castingfactoryonthewesternedgeoftown,overunionjobsversuschildren’shealthandoverwhat,ifanything,oughttobedone.Withallsidespresentingtheirownexpertsarmedwithconflictingscientificstudies,whomshouldparentsbelieve?Istheretrulyathreathere,weaskedoneanotheraswedroppedoffourkids,andifso,howgreatisit?Andhowdoesitcomparewiththeother,seeminglyperpetualhealthscaresweconfront,likepanicoverleadinsyntheticathleticfields?Ratherthanjustanotherweirdepisodeinthetownthatbroughtyouprotestingenvironmentalists,thislatestdramaisatrialforhowtoday’sparentsperceiverisk,howwetrytokeepourkidssafe—whetherit’spossibletokeepthemsafe—inwhatfeelslikeanincreasinglythreateningworld.Itraisesthequestionofwhat,inourtime,“safe”couldevenmean.“There’snowayaroundtheuncertainty,”saysKimberlyThompson,presidentofKidRisk,anonprofitgroupthatstudieschildren’shealth.“Thatmeansyourchoicescanmatter,butitalsomeansyouaren’tgoingtoknowiftheydo.”A2004reportinthejournalPediatricsexplainedthatnervousparentshavemoretofearfromfire,caraccidentsanddrowningthanfromtoxicchemicalexposure.TowhichIsay:Well,obviously.Butsuchconcretehazardsarebesidethepoint.It’sthedangersparentscan’t—andmaynever—quantifythatoccurallofsudden.That’swhyI’veridmycupboardofmicrowavefoodpackedinbagscoatedwithapotentialcancer-causingsubstance,butalthoughI’velivedblocksfromamajorfaultline(地质断层)formorethan12years,Istillhaven’tboltedourbookcasestothelivingroomwall.52. WhatdoesarecentinvestigationbyUSATodayreveal?A)Heavymetalsinlabteststhreatenchildren’shealthinBerkeley.B)Berkeleyresidentsarequitecontentedwiththeirsurroundings.C)TheairqualityaroundBerkeley’sschoolcampusesispoor.D)ParentsinBerkeleyareover-sensitivetocancerriskstheirkidsface.53. WhatresponsedidUSAToday’sreportdraw?A)Aheateddebate.B)Popularsupport.C)Widespreadpanic.D)Strongcriticism.54. Howdidparentsfeelinthefaceoftheexperts’studies?A)Theyfeltverymuchrelieved.B)Theywerefrightenedbytheevidence.C)Theydidn’tknowwhotobelieve.D)Theyweren’tconvincedoftheresults.55. Whatistheviewofthe2004reportinthejournalPediatrics?A)Itisimportanttoquantifyvariousconcretehazards.B)Dailyaccidentsposeamoreseriousthreattochildren.C)Parentsshouldbeawareofchildren’shealthhazards.D)Attentionshouldbepaidtotoxicchemicalexposure.56. Ofthedangersineverydaylife,theauthorthinksthatpeoplehavemosttofearfrom__________.A)theuncertainB)thequantifiableC)anearthquakeD)unhealthyfoodPassageTwoQuestions57to61arebasedonthefollowingpassage.Cripplinghealthcarebills,longemergency-roomwaitsandtheinabilitytofindaprimarycarephysicianjustscratchthesurfaceoftheproblemsthatpatientsfacedaily.Primarycareshouldbethebackboneofanyhealthcaresystem.Countrieswithappropriateprimarycareresourcesscorehighlywhenitcomestohealthoutcomesandcost.TheU.S.takestheoppositeapproachbyemphasizingthespecialistratherthantheprimarycarephysician.ArecentstudyanalyzedtheproviderswhotreatMedicarebeneficiaries（老年医保受惠人）.ThestartlingfindingwasthattheaverageMedicarepatientsawatotalofsevendoctors—twoprimarycarephysiciansandfivespecialists—inagivenyear.Contrarytopopularbelief,themorephysicianstakingcareofyoudon’tguaranteebettercare.Actually,increasingfragmentationofcareresultsinacorrespondingriseincostandmedicalerrors.Howdidweletprimarycareslipsofar?Thekeyishowdoctorsarepaid.Mostphysiciansarepaidwhenevertheyperformamedicalservice.Themoreaphysiciandoes,regardlessofqualityoroutcome,thebetterhe’sreimbursed(返还费用).Moreover,theamountaphysicianreceivesleansheavilytowardmedicalorsurgicalprocedures.Aspecialistwhoperformsaprocedureina30-minutevisitcanbepaidthreetimesmorethanaprimarycarephysicianusingthatsame30minutestodiscussapatient’sdisease.Combinethisfactwithannualgovernmentthreatstoindiscriminatelycutreimbursements,physiciansarefacedwithnochoicebuttoincreasequantitytoboostincome.Primarycarephysicianswhorefusetocompromisequalityareeitherdrivenoutofbusinessortocash-onlypractices,furthercontributingtothedeclineofprimarycare.Medicalstudentsarenotblindtothisscenario.Theyseehowheavilythereimbursementdeckisstackedagainstprimarycare.Therecentnumbersshowthatsince1997,newlygraduatedU.S.medicalstudentswhochooseprimarycar