2022年湖南省衡阳市大学英语6级大学英语六级重点汇总（含答案）

2022年湖南省衡阳市大学英语6级大学英语六级重点汇总（含答案）学校:________班级:________姓名:________考号:________

一、2.ReadingComprehension(SkimmingandScanning)(20题)1.

Theprimarypurposeofthetextistodiscussdangersofsmoking.

A.YB.NC.NG

2.

Apersonwithsleepapneawillpossiblyhavethesymptomlike______.

A.failingtowakeupinthemorning

B.stoppingbreathingrepeatedly

C.failingtoconcentrateonhisthinking

D.stayingawakeallthenight

3.

Duringthe1960s,FTCrequiredailcigarettepackagesandadvertisingtoprintanexplicitwarningof______.

4.

Ifyou'reconsideringalargeuniversity,besuretofindout______andhowmanyaretaughtbyprofessors.

5.

InthefirstyearofChina'sentryintoWTO,0.3%ofChina'sactualGDPgrowthwillbesubmittedtothisorganizationasstatedby______.

6.Whatdoestheresultofthefacechoosingexperimentsreveal?

A.Peoplecouldexplainwellwhytheymadetheirchoices.

B.Onlyafewofparticipantshadchoiceblindnessinmakingdecision.

C.Usuallyparticipantswereawareofthelimitsoftheirskills.

D.Mostparticipantsdidn'trealizethattheirchoiceshadbeenswitched.

7.

Educationalandemploymentopportunitiesforwomenisa______thatstimulatessmallfamilies.

8.

Oneofthemainfindingsofevaluatingtheuseofinterventionprogrammeis_______ingeneral

9.

HispanicwomeninAmericahavethehighestTFRamongalltheethnicgroups.

A.YB.NC.NG

10.

Wheatcerealsaresuggestedtogivetobabiesweanedfrombreastmilkinordertoobtainiron.

A.YB.NC.NG

11.

Accordingtothepassage,theonlyform.ofInternethoaxesise-mailhoax.

A.YB.NC.NG

12.

Themobilehandsethascompletelyturnedintothenextcomputer.

A.YB.NC.NG

13.

Howoldarethosebabieswithoutautismwhentheystarttosaysinglewords?

A.By6or8months.

B.By12months.

C.By16months.

D.By24months.

14.

InsomeAsiancountriesknownforstrictdisciplinesuchasJapanandSingapore,youngpeoplesufferseriouspsychologicalproblems.

A.YB.NC.NG

15.

ValMacDonaldpointsoutthatbabyboomers______.

A.aremorewillingtotalktotheirparents

B.oftentakeadvantageoftheirparentsfinancially

C.seldomthinkofsendingtheirparentsaway

D.arelikelytoforcetheirparentstoaccepttheirviews

16.

ItcanbeinferredfromthepassagethatCherwas______.

A.apopsinger

B.astudioengineer

C.asoundtechnician

D.acomputerprogrammer

17.

Itisessentialthatelectricitybeproducedatjusttheright______tobecompatiblewithautilitygrid.

18.

Creativejusticeisappliedto______.

19.

TheBBCadopts"hammocking"techniqueinorderto______.

A.widenitsaudience

B.addyouthappealtoitsprograms

C.concealpublicservicethemesbeneathentertainment

D.getpeopletowatchworthystuff

20.Thenetworksofcommunicationsystemwhicharepeer-to-peerareonepropertyof4Gwirelesscommunication.

二、3.ListeningComprehension(20题)21.听力原文：W：Howwasyourtalkwiththemanagerofthehumanresourcesdepartment?

M：Itneverreallygotofftheground.

Q：Whatdoesthemanmean?

(14)

A.Theydidn'ttalkatall.

B.Theydecidedtogobyplane.

C.Theplanefailedtotakeoff.

D.Theyweren'tabletotakeawalk.

22.听力原文：M:SayPhil.Howaboutdonating$15or$20tothescholarshipfund?

W:IwishIcould.But$10isallIcanspare.

Q:WhatdidyoulearnaboutPhilandthescholarshipfund?

(18)

A.Sheaskedfor$15.

B.Shedonated$50.

C.Sherequested$20.

D.Shegave$10.

23.(35)

A.Thebuyerhastherighttoreprintit.

B.Thebuyerisallowedtochangeit.

C.Theartistcontinuestoholdthecopyrightforit.

D.TheartistmustreportthesaletotheUnitedStates'CopyrightOffice.

24.

【B11】

25.(32)

A.WearingjacketsisnotacustomofThailand.

B.WearingshirtsleeveshasbecomeafashioninThailand.

C.PeopleusuallywearjacketstoworkinThailand.

D.Thegovernmenthasencounteredanenergycrisis.

26.

【B8】

27.

【B9】

28.听力原文：M:Won'tyoustopinforafewminutes?Laurawouldliketoseeyou.

W:Thanks,George.Iwanttoseehertoo.ButBettywillbehomefromschoolat4,andImustgetsomemoneyfromthebankbeforethen.

Q:Whatisthewomanprobablygoingtodonow?

(18)

A.SheisgoingtoseeLaura.

B.She'llgotothebank.

C.SheisgoingtoseeBetty.

D.She'llgohome.

29.【B7】

30.听力原文：M:Didyougetcutoff?Iseeyouarebusyingwiththetelephone.

W:No,theaskedmetohangupandtryagainlater.WhatamessthatIcouldn'tknowhowtohandleit.

Q:Whathasthewomanbeendoing?

(13)

A.Eatinginacafeteria.

B.Buyingsomethinginastore.

C.Talkingonthetelephone.

D.Gettingmoneyatabank.

31.(28)

A.Theyarechangedtomakethesitemoreinteresting.

B.Theyareexpandedtolimittheamountofconstruction.

C.Theyareintegratedintothedesignofthebuilding.

D.Theyareremovedforconstruction.

32.SectionB

Directions:Inthissection,youwillhear3shortpassages.Attheendofeachpassage,youwillhearsomequestions.Boththepassageandthequestionswillbespokenonlyonce.Afteryouhearaquestion,youmustchoosethebestanswerfromthefourchoicesmarkedA,B,CandD.

听力原文：It'scommonknowledgethatmusiccanhaveapowerfuleffectonouremotions.Infact,sincethe1930s,musictherapistshavereliedonmusictocalmpatientsandhelpcontrolpain.Nowpsychologistsareconfirmingthatmusiccanalsohelprelievedepressionandimproveconcentration.Forinstance,inarecentstudy,50surgeonsweregivensomehigh-stressedmathproblemstosolve.Theyweredividedintothreegroups:oneworkedinsilence,andinanother,thesurgeonslistenedtomusicoftheirchoiceonheadphones;thethirdgrouplistenedtoclassicalmusicchosenbytheresearchers.Theresultsofthestudymaysurpriseyou.Thedoctorswhogottochoosetheirownmusicexperiencedlessstressandscoredbetterthantheothers.OnepossibleexplanationisthatlisteningtothemusicyoulikestimulatesAlfawavesinthebrain,increasesheartrateandexpandsbreathing.Thathelpstoreducestressandsharpenconcentration.Otherresearchsuggestsasecondrelationshipbetweenmusicandthebrain:Byexaminingthebloodofstudentsaftertheylistenedtoavarietyofclassicalmusicselections,researchersfoundthatsomestudentsshowedalargeincreaseinendorphin,anaturalpainreliever.Thissupportswhatmusictherapistshaveknownforyears:Musiccanhelprevitalizeorcalmthepatient.Questions26to29arebasedonthepassageyouhavejustheard．

(27)

A.Workersontheplatformsandtrainswerereplacedbymachines.

B.Acompletelyautomaticlinewasaddedtoitsnetwork.

C.Itbecamethefirstcompletelyautomaticrailwayintheworld.

D.Itstrainsbecamemanual-controlled.

33.(46)

34.听力原文：W:Haveyougotthenewsthatthemanagerwillbetransferredtotheheadquartersofourcompany?

M:Really?Whowillbeournewmanager?

Q:Whatdoesthemanwanttoknow?

(14)

A.Wherethemanagerisnow.

B.Whowillbehisnewmanager.

C.Whetherhismanagerisiii.

D.Whenthemanagerwillgototheheadquarters.

35.SectionB

Directions:Inthissection,youwillhear3shortpassages.Attheendofeachpassage,youwillhearsomequestions.Boththepassageandthequestionswillbespokenonlyonce.Afteryouhearaquestion,youmustchoosethebestanswerfromthefourchoicesmarkedA,B,CandD.

听力原文：Althoughthefirstcomputerswereproducedforuseingovernmentandindustry,theyhavebecomecommoninotherareasduringthepast25years.

Inbusiness,computersperform.manyfunctions.Theyareusedtoperform.thedataprocessingoperationsofrecording,classifying,sorting,computing,storing,retrieving,reporting,reproducing,andcommunicatinginformation.Theyhavetheadvantageofbeingabletocompletetheseprocessesatveryhighspeeds.Computersalsocanprocessdatainasizeinvisibletothehumaneye,makingstorageofmaterialasimplertaskthanitoncewas.

Universitiesutilizecomputersinseveralways.Justasbusinessstoresstatisticaldata,universitiesstorestatisticsaboutstudentsbyusingcomputers.Registrationalsohasbeenaidedbythecomputer.Byputtingtheirprogramsofstudiesonthecomputer,studentscanfindoutimmediatelywhichclassesareopenforadditionalstudentsandwhichalreadyhavethenumberthatareallowedtoregister.Manyprofessorsusecomputersintheirresearch,andexperimentationhasbeendoneonteachingbymeansofthecomputer.

Inthepast5yearscomputershavebeenaffectingourdailylivesmoreandmore.Mostlargedepartmentandgrocerystoresnowhavecomputerizedcashregisters.Almosteveryoneisfamiliarwiththecomputerizedbillingthatisdonebycreditcardcompanies.InChicagocomputersarebeingusedtocontroltrafficonthelargeexpressways.Itisevenpossibletodaytobuyyourowncomputeranduseitinyourhome.

(27)

A.Inourdailylife.

B.Inbusinessanduniversities.

C.Ingovernmentandindustry.

D.BothAandB.

36.(26)

A.Warmerclothes.

B.Moreaggressiveclothes.

C.Brightercolorsofclothes.

D.Morecasualclothes.

37.(36)

A.Naturechangedourenvironmentovertheyears.

B.Wemustavoidwastingresourcesandpollutingourenvironment.

C.Ourresourcesarenearlyusedup.

D.Tripstootherplanetswillhelpeliminatepollution.

38.听力原文：AndnowfortheMondayMorningweatherreport.RightnowtheskiesovertheChicagoareaaresunnyandclear.Weareexpectingwarmdryweathertocontinuethroughoutthedaywithtemperaturesinthemiddletoupper80℃.Windswillcontinuetobeslightlyvariableashighastenmilesperhour.Wearegoingtohavefairweathercontinuingoverthenextcoupleofdayssothatmeansclearandsomewhatcoolerweathertonight,Tomorrowwillbesunnyagainandquitewarm.Noprecipitationisexpectedforatleastthreeorfourdays.

(33)

A.AnEnglishreporter.

B.AnAmericanreporter.

C.AnEnglishscientist.

D.AnAmericanscientist.

39.

【B6】

40.听力原文：W:Mike!Longtimenosee.What'sup?

M:Hey,Lydia.Fancymeetingyouhere.Areyoukeepingbusy?

W:Alittlebit.Well,someonetoldmeyou'vegotbunchesofgoodstamps,likeamuseum.

M:Idohavealot.I'minterestedinstampcollecting.Iguessit'sactuallyapartofmylife.

W:Theycostalotthough.Howcanyouaffordthem?

M:SometimesIdohavehardtimewiththem.I'vetosaveeverypenny.Butit'sworthy.And,whenbigdayssuchasmybirthdayorChristmascome,mostofmyfriendsgivemestampsasgifts.

W:That'sgood.Stampcollectingisalsoalong-terminvestment.Thepricekeepsgoingup.Youcanearnalotbybringingthemtothemarket.

M:I'mafraidnot.Forme,stampcollectingismerelyabobby,apersonalfondness.I'dbesadifI'deverhavetosellthem.

W:Icanimagine.Keepingahobbyislikehavingafriend,bothenjoyableandrewarding.Yougetgreatpleasurebyattendingthem.

M:Icouldn'tagreemore.

W:Bytheway,haveyoueverbeentoothercountries?

M:Notyet.

W:Thenhowdothoseforeignstampscomefrom?

M:Well,I'vesomefriendsstudyingabroad.Theysendmesomeattimes.

W:Isee.Myfriendstravelaloteveryyear.LfyoulikeIcouldaskthemtohelpyouwiththat.

M:Thatwouldbetoogoodifit'snottroubleforthem.

W:Notatall.

M:Now,I'mheadingforthepostoffice.IheardanewsetofstampsisforsalefortheWorldCup.Doyouhaveinteresttogowithme?

W:I'dloveto.ButI'vetomeetmyfriendat4o'clockattheairport.He'scomingbackforvacation.Anyway,I'llcallyoulater.

M:Allright.Thenseeyousoon.

W:Seeyou.

(20)

A.Becausehehasenoughmoneytobuystamps.

B.Becauseheusedtoreceivestampsasgifts.

C.Becausestampcollectingishishobby.

D.Becauseheinvestsinstamps.

三、4.ReadingComprehension(ReadinginDepth)(20题)41.

Ina"primarysuccession",whatmakesitpossibleformossestotakeroot?

A.Thetypeofrock.

B.Theamountofsunlight.

C.Theamountofmoisture.

D.Theeffectoflichens.

42.

AccordingtoMarkKanttrowitz,whatisthepreferredlenderforstudents?

43.OnDecember21st,justintimefortheseasonalfestivities,theBushadministrationraisedtheterroralertfrom"elevated"to"high".Thisisthefifthtimethatthealerthasbeenraisedto"codeorange"—butitlooksasifitcouldbekeptatthislevelforquitesometime.Officialsseemedtobemorenervousthanusual,sinceunlikepreviousdecisionstoraisethethreatlevel,thisonewasapparentlyunanimousamongofficialsintheUnitedStatesDepartmentofDefense.Askedwhetherthealertwas"trulyserious",DonaldRumsfeld,thedefensesecretary,replied"yes,youbetyourlife".

Theauthoritieshavenoticedamarkedincreasein"chatter".Theyhavealsopickedupspecificthreats—someofthem,itseems,todowithhijackingaircraftandcrashingthemintobuildings.Thetargetsreportedlyincludedsomebigcities,forexample,LasVegasisaparticularworry,butmoreobscureplaceswerealsochatteredabout,includingRappahannockCounty,orperhapsthetownofTappahannock,bothinruralVirginia,andValdez,inAlaska.ThepointofanysuchterrorismwouldbetomakesurethatnoAmericananywherefeltsafe.

Aparticularfocusofconcernhasbeenflightsfromabroad.AirFrancecanceledsixflightsbetweenParisandLosAngelesatAmericangovernment'srequest.Frenchauthoritiesquestionedandreleasedadozenorsopassengersbutseveralpeoplewithtickets,includingonewhowasreportedlyatrainedpilot,failedtoturnupfortheflight.OnDecember29thsomeinternationalairlineswereorderedtoplacearmedairmarshalsonflightsovertheUnitedStates.

Ontopofallthis,therehavealsobeenmorefamiliarsignsofsecuritybeingbeefedupatnuclearplants,portsandotherpossibletargets.Surface-to-airmissileshaveonceagainbeenconspicuouslydeployedinWashington,DC.

Inevitably,somepeoplehavebeguntoquestionwhetherputtingthecountryonsuchahighstateofreadinessisworthit.Theprocesscostsabout$1billionaweek.Criticsworrythatpeoplewillbecomeunconcernedaboutrepeatedsecurityalerts.Theyalsocomplainaboutthegovernmentsendingmixedsignals:tellingAmericanstheyareingreatjeopardy(危险)butalsothattheyshouldgoabouttheirbusinessasnormal.However,thecriticsmaybetoofussy(挑剔的).Itisextremelyhardtoseewhatelsethegovernmentcouldhavedonewithouteitherignoringcrediblethreatsorcreatingmasspanic.Thismaybetheonlywaytofacethepossiblethreats.

Whydidofficialsappearmoreworriedabouttheterroralertthistime?

A.Becausetheraiseofterroralertwasintheseasonalfestivitiesthistime.

B.Becauseitwasthefifthtimetoraisetheterroralerttocodeorange.

C.Becauseterroralertwouldbekeptatthislevelforaperiodoftime.

D.BecauseofficialsintheDepartmentofDefenseallagreedonthedecision.

44.

Theaveragelifeexpectancyin21stcenturywillbe______.

45.

SomeAmericanstrytomakethemselvesfeellessguiltybyattributingthepovertyoftheworkingpeopleto______.

46.

Whatdoestheauthorthinkabouttheprocessesofthepaperlessofficeenvironmentincom-parisonwiththepaper-fullofficeenvironment?

47.

WhatdoesthepassagesayabouttheoraltraditioninChicanoculture?

A.Itisveryimportant.

B.Itisnolongerrelevant.

C.Itisbeingreplacedbythewrittenword.

D.Itisprimarilyrural.

48.

Theessentialfunctionofphotosynthesisintermsofplantneedsis______.

A.toderiveenergyfromlight

B.topreservewater

C.tocombinecarbondioxidewithwater

D.toform.sugars

49.

Whycan'tbatsandadultowlsseecolorsaccordingtothepassage?

50.SectionA

Directions:Inthissection,thereisashortpassagewith5questionsorincompletestatements.Readthepassagecarefully.Thenanswerthequestionsorcompletethestatementsinthefewestpossiblewords.

IfenvironmentaltrendsinWesternnationscontinueonapositivetrack,somedaychildrenmayask,"Mommy,whatwaspollution?"Butbetweenthatdayandoursstandstheultimateenvironmentalproblem:globalwarming.Fightinganartificialgreenhouseeffectisthegreatestofenvironmentalchallenges,becausethecurewillnotbepossibleunlessalmosteverynationonEarthparticipates.

Inthelastcentury,globaltemperatureshaverisen1degreeFahrenheit(华氏温度).Somescientistsremainskepticalaboutprojectedfuturewarming,butanoft-heardclaim,thattheideaofglobalwarmingisbeingpromo-tadonlybyfringefanatics,isnottrue.InDecember2004,Science,oneoftheworld'sleadingtechnicaljournals,declaredinanessay,"Withoutsubstantialdisagreement,scientistsfindhumanactivitiesareheatingEarth'ssurface."

Willglobalwarmingcauseharm?Somecomputermodelssuggesttheworldmightwarmby5degreesormoreduringthiscentury,whichmightbedangerous.Meltingpolaricecouldraisesealevels,whileglobalwarmingmightcausemoreintensestormsanddisrupttheweatherpatternsthatbringraintoagriculturalregions.Computermodelsarespeculative,ofcourse,butwhenthefarmingareasthatwealldependuponforfoodrelyoncurrenttemperatures,rollingthedice(筛子)withtheclimatecannotbewise.YettodaytheUnitedStateshasnonationallegislationregulatinggreenhousegases.

Whatcanwedorightnow?Therearemethodstoreduceglobalwarming.Forinstance,individualscanmakelifestyle.changes.ReplacetheSUVwitharegularcar;anSUVthatgets14milestothegallonemits100tonsofgreenhousegasesoveritslifetime.Checkoutthenewhybridcars,whichget45mpgorbetter.Moderateyouruseofhomeheatingandairconditioning,mostofwhichispoweredbyfossilfuels,andupgradeappliancestoEnergyStarmodels.

Onalargerlevel,thereishope:emissionstrading.In1990,risinglevelsofacidrainwereconsideredanemergencyproblem.Congresspassedanemissions-tradingprogram,whichallowedindustrialmanagerstobuyandsellpermitstoemitalimitedamountofpollutantsthatcauseacidrain.Theacid-raintradingprogramcreatedafinancialincentive(动机)toinventtechnologytoreduceacidrain;ifafactoryorpowerplantcutitsemissionsbelowthelimit,itcouldselltheextracreditsataprofit.Oncetherewasmoneytobemadebyreducingacidrain,humancreativitycameintoplay.Theresultswerespectacular.

Accordingtothepassage,fightingagainstgreenhouseeffectsuccessfullyrequires______.

51.SectionA

Directions:Inthissection,thereisashortpassagewith5questionsorincompletestatements.Readthepassagecarefully.Thenanswerthequestionsorcompletethestatementsinthefewestpossiblewords.

Publicityoffersseveralbenefits.Therearenocostsformessagetimeorspace.Anadinprimetimetelevisionmaycost$250,000to$500,000ormoreperminute,whereasafive-minutereportonanetworknewscastwouldnotcostanything.However,therearecostsfornewsreleases,apublicitydepartment,andotheritems.Aswithadvertising,publicityreachesamassaudience.Withinashorttime,newproductsorcompanypoliciesarewidelyknown.

Credibilityaboutmessagesishigh,becausetheyarereportedinindependentmedia.Anewspaperreviewofamoviehasmorebelievabilitythananadinthesamepaper,becausethereaderassociatesindependencewithobjectivity.Similarly,peoplearemorelikelytopayattentiontonewsreportsthanads.Readersspendtimereadingthestories,buttheyflipthroughtheads.Furthermore,theremaybe10commercialsduringahalf-hourtelevisionprogramorhundredsofadsinamagazine.Featurestoriesaremuchfewerinnumberandstandoutclearly.

Publicityalsohassomesignificantlimitations.Afirmhaslittlecontrolovermessages,theirtiming,theirplacement,ortheircoveragebyagivenmedium.Itmayissuedetailednewsreleasesandfindonlyportionscitedbythemedia;andmediahavetheabilitytobemuchmorecriticalthenacompanywouldlike.Forexample,in1982,P&Gfacedasubstantialpublicityproblemoverthemeaningofits123-year-oldcompanylogo(标识语).Afewministersandcitizensbelievedthatthesymbolwassacrilegious(渎圣的).Thesebeliefswerecoveredextensivelybythemediaandresultedinthefirmreceiving15,000phonecallsabouttherumorinJunealone.Tocombatthisnegativepublicity,thefirmissuednewsfeaturingprominentclergythatrefutedtherumors,andthreatenedtosuethosepeoplespreadingthestories.Themediacooperatedandthefalserumorwastemporarilyputtorest.However,in1985,negativepublicitybecamesodisruptive(制造混乱的)thatP&Gdecidedtoremovethelogofromitsproducts.

Afirmmaywantpublicityduringcertainperiods,suchaswhenanewproductisintroducedornewstoreopened,butthemediamaynotcovertheintroductionoropeninguntilafterthetimeitwouldaidthefirm.Similarly,mediadeterminetheplacementofastory;itmayfollowareportoncrimeorsports.Finally,themediaascertainwhethertocoverastoryatallandtheamountofcoverage.Acompany-sponsoredjobsprogrammightgounreportedorreceivethreesentencecoverageinalocalnewspaper.

Publicitycancoverlargenumbersofaudiencesinashorttimeanditscostsarelowerthan______.

52.Whilelearninghowtorunabakery,CordiaHarringtontriedtomakehereffortknownby______.

53.

【C3】

54.

Thefood-bornediseasemaycausefever,vomiting,diarrheaandeven______.

55.SectionB

Directions:Thereare2passagesinthissection.Eachpassageisfollowedbysomequestionsorunfinishedstatements.ForeachofthemtherearefourchoicesmarkedA,B,CandD.Youshoulddecideonthebestchoice.

Ifyoubelievethemacroeconomists,Europe'snewcommoncurrencywillbringeithereconomicchaosorthedawnofaneweragrowth,restructuring,andprosperity.Butforthosewhowillbedealingwiththeeuroonadailybasis,thenewcurrencyleadstoamuchmorepragmaticdilemma:justhowtoputapriceoneverythingfrombuttertoBigMacs.

There'slittledoubtthatconsumerdemandwillleadtosomepricingchanges,especiallyafterpricingineurosbeginsinEurope.InFrancetheycostabout$2.50,whileintheNetherlandstheycost$1.0.Pricedinguildersandfrancs,thedifferenceisn'tsonoticeable.Butwhenpricingineurosbeginsnextyear,Frenchice-creamloverswillsoonfigureoutthattheyarepaying2.5timeswhattheDutcharepaying.Thesameistrueforavastnumberofproducts."Currentlywehavedifferentpricesindifferentcountries,whichisn'tsovisiblewithdifferentcurrencies,"saysGuntherMoisleofGermanmailorderhouseQuelleSchickendanz,"Themomentyoupriceineuros,youcanseeit."

Ofcourse,nobodyisgoingtodriveacrossbordersjusttobuycheapericecream.Buttheyalreadydosoforbig-ticketitemssuchascars.Moreover,saysJanHarts,Unilevretreasurer,"Theattitudeoftheconsumertowardsyourproductmaychangeifhefeelsicecreamistwiceasexpensiveathomeasitissomewhereelse."

Thus,mostpeoplethinktheeurowillforcepricestoconverge.Volkswagen,whichhasbeenslappedwithfinesbytheEuropeanCommissionfortryingtokeepGermansfrombuyingitscarsatlowerpricesinItaly,saysithasalreadynarrowedpricedifferentialsto10%.WolfgangHartung,headoftheeuroprojectatDaimlerBens,warnsthatanyonewhothinkstheycanmaintainvastlydifferentpricesintheeraoftheeuroisengagedinwishfulthinking."Peoplearetoowell-informed,"saysHatung.Quellesaysitisthinkingaboutraisingpricesinlessexpensivecountriestopreventmiddlemenfrombuying,say,inSpainandthensellinginGermany.

Companiesthatdon'tsettheirownpriceshaveamoredifficultproblem.UnileversaysonereasonMagnumbarscostmoreinFranceisthatFrenchretailersmakealargerprofitonthem.Onlyhalfofthe$1.50pricedifferenceisaccountedforbyhighertaxes,distributionandlaborcosts.IfFrenchandDutchretailmarginswereequal,Magnumbarswouldcostonly$1.75inFrance.Unileveristryingtopersuaderetailerstocutmarginsinordertokeepcustomers."Ifretailersdon'tdropmargins,theywillgooutofbusiness,"claimsHarrs.

Unileverfiguresithasafewyearstosortouttheseissuesbecausemostpeoplebuygrocerieswithcash.ThatmeansBigMacfansinFinlandwillkeeppaying53%morefortheirburgersthanfastfoodloversinPortugal.

Accordingtothemacroeconomists,thebeginningofusingeurowillbring______totheEUcountries.

A.somepricingchanges

B.moredifficultproblem

C.greatconvenience

D.economicproblemsaswellasanopportunityforgrowthandprosperity

56.EverySundaymorningmillionsofIndianssettledownwithacupofteaandthespecialweekendissuesoftheirnewspapers,justasAmericansdo.Buthere,withthemarriageseasonapproaching,manyofthemturnquicklytoaSundayfeaturethatisparticularlyIndian--thecolumnsandcolumnsofmarriageadvertisementsinwhichyoungpeoplelookforhusbandsorwives.

"BeautifulBrahmangirlwantedforbankofficerfromwell-connectedfamily,"onesays."Vegetarianman(doctor,engineerpreferred)forchurch-educatedgirlwithlightcomplexion,"saysanother."Solid25-year-old,salaryfourfigures,wantstall,charming,educatedPunjabi,"saysathird.

Thisisarelativelymodemchangeintheage-oldcustomofthearrangedmarriage.Thethousandsofadvertisementspublishedeachweekincreasinglyreflectsocialchangesthatarecomingtothistraditionalsociety.Forexample,althoughwomenarestillusuallydescribedintermsofappearance,orskillsin"thewifelyarts",informationabouttheirearningpowerisenteringmoreandmoreoftheadvertisements.ThisreflectsthearrivalinIndiaoftheworkingwife.

Divorce,whichusedtobealmostunheardofinIndia,issometimesnowmentionedintheadvertisementsasinthecaseofawomanwhoseadvertisementinaNewDelhinewspaperexplainedthatshehadbeen"theinnocentparty"whenhermarriagebrokeup.

Becausethecustomofthedowry(marriagepayment)isnowillegal,someadvertisementssay"nodowry",or"simplemarriage,"whichmeansthesamething.However,thefathersofmanybridegroomsstillrequireit.

Asasignoftheslightlooseningoftherigidcaste(socialclass)system,anumberofadvertisementspromise"castenotimportant",or"girl'sabilitieswillbemainconsideration".Themajorityofthem,however,stillrequirenotonlycaste,suchasBrahmanorKshatriya,butalsoacertainhomeregionorethnicorigin.

Inalandwherelightskinisoftenregardedassocially