2023年6月大学英语六级考试真题（第2套）

第页2023年6月大学英语六级考试真题（第2套）PartIWriting(30minutes)Directions:Forthispart,youareallowed30minutestowriteanessaythatbeginswiththesentence“Whenfacedwithdifferingopinions,weshouldtrytoreachagreementthrough

friendlydiscussionandreasonableargument.”Youcanmakecomments,citeexamplesoruseyourpersonalexperiencestodevelopyouressay.Youshouldwriteatleast150wordsbutnomorethan200words.PartⅡListeningComprehension(25minutes)SectionADirections:

Inthissection,youwillheartwolongconversations.Attheendofeachconversation,youwillhearfourquestions.Boththeconversationandthequestionswillbespokenonlyonce.Afteryouhearaquestion,youmustchoosethebestanswerfromthefourchoicesmarkedA),B),C)andD).Thenmarkthecorrespondingletteron

AnswerSheet1

withasinglelinethroughthecentre.Questions1and4arebasedontheconversationyouhavejustheard.1.A)Itwasspaciousandtranquil.B)Itwaswarmandcomfortable.C)Itwasshabbyandsolitary.D)Itwastinyandnoisy.2.A)Shenolongerhatespeopletalkingloudlyinthedorm.B)Shemissesherroommatessheusedtocomplainabout.C)Shebeginstoenjoythemoviessheoncefoundirritating.D)Shefindsthecrowdeddormascozyashernewapartment.3.A)Hefoundtheapartmentperfectlyfurnished.B)Hefeltthenewplacewaslikeparadise.C)Hehadasimilarfeelingtothewoman’s.D)Hefeltthenewplacewaslikeparadise.4.A)Gotoseethewoman’sapartment.B)Makeaphonecalltohisparents.C)Buysomefurnitureforthewoman.D)Decoratethewoman’sapartment.Questions5to8arebasedontheconversationyouhavejustheard.5.A)Heworksasaliterarycritic.B)Hehostsaneducationalprogram.C)Hehasinitiatedauniversityreform.D)Hehaspublishedabookrecently.6.A)Itfailstokeepupwiththeradicalchangesofsociety.B)Itfailstoensureuniversitiesgetsufficientresources.C)Ithasnotpreparedyoungpeopleforthejobmarket.D)Ithasnotfosteredthegrowthoftheartsdisciplines.7.A)Moreofthebudgetshouldgotoscienceandtechnology.B)Theunderfundedmusicdisciplineshouldbeprioritized.C)Subdisciplineslikesculptureshouldgetmorefunding.D)Literatureshouldgetasmuchfundingasengineering.8.A)Buildaprosperousnation.B)Makeskilledprofessionals.C)Createingeniousartists.D)Cultivatebettercitizens.SectionBDirections:

Inthissection,youwillheartwopassages.Attheendofpassage,youwillhearthreeorfourquestions.Boththepassageandthequestionswillbespokenonlyonce.Afteryouhearaquestion,youmustchoosethebestanswerfromthefourchoicesmarkedA)，B)，C)andD).Thenmarkthecorrespondingletteron

AnswerSheet1

withasinglelinethroughthecentre.Questions9to11arebasedonthepassageyouhavejustheard.9.A)Itisquitecommon.B)Itisrarelynoticed.C)Itseldomannoyspeople.D)Itoccurswhenoneisalone.10.A)Seeingthingsinblackandwhite.B)Engaginginregularcontemplation.C)Havingaspecialunderstandingofcreativity.D)Knowinghowtomaketheirmentalbatterieswork.11.A)Engaginginintenseactivity.B)Fantasizinginone’sdowntime.C)Workingonaparticularproject.D)Reflectingduringone’srelaxation.Questions12to15arebasedonthepassageyouhavejustheard.12.A)FarmershelpedNativeAmericansgrowcrops.B)Therewereexpansiveuniversitycampuses.C)Thereexistedpostoffices.D)Migrantsfoundgoldthere.13.A)IthelpedtoboosttheeconomyintheAmericanWest.B)Itprovidedjobopportunitiesformanygoldseekers.C)Itextendedtheinfluenceofthefederalgovernment.D)Itkeptpeopleinthedesertsandplainsconnected.14.A)ItemployedNativeAmericanstoworkaspostmen.B)Itcommissionedprivatewagonstocarrythemail.C)Itsubsidizedthelocalswhoactedaspostmasters.D)Itcentralizedpostalservicesinitsremoteareas.15.A)Heanalyzedinteractivemapsofmailroutes.B)Hereadalargecollectionofbooksonthetopic.C)Heexamineditshistoricaltrendswithdatascience.D)Hecollecteddataaboutitsimpactonlocalbusiness.SectionCDirections:

Inthissection,youwillhearthreerecordingsoflecturesortalksfollowedbythreeorfourquestions.Therecordingswillbeplayedonlyonce.Afteryouhearaquestion,youmustchoosethebestanswerfromthefourchoicesmarkedA),B),C)andD).Thenmarkthecorrespondingletteron

AnswerSheet1

withasinglelinethroughthecentre.Questions16to18arebasedontherecordingyouhavejustheard.16.A)Higherlevelsofanxietymayimprovepeople’smemory.B)Someexperiencesareeasiertorememberthanothers.C)Mostpeopletendtorememberthingsselectively.D)Simplethingsmayleaveadeepimpressiononone’smemory.17.A)Theyclassifiedtheparticipants’mindset.B)Theyshowedsomephotostotheparticipants.C)Theymeasuredtheparticipants’anxietylevels.D)Theytestedthesizeoftheparticipants’vocabulary.18.A)Anxietyhasbecomeaseriousproblemforanincreasingnumberofpeople.B)Extremelevelsofanxietycanadverselyaffectcognitiveperformance.C)Peoplediagnosedwithanxietydisordermayforgetthingsselectively.D)Thereisnodirectcorrelationbetweenmemoryandlevelsofanxiety.Questions19to21arebasedontherecordingyouhavejustheard.19.A)Theycompareproductsfromdifferentcompaniesbeforemakingachoice.B)Theygetinformationfromotherconsumers’postingsandcomments.C)Theylosepatiencewhentheirphonecallisnopromptlyanswered.D)Theyexpecttogetinstantaneousresponsestotheirinquiry.20.A)Givingthemrewardsonthespot.B)Broadeningtheirscopeofinterest.C)Speakingdirectlytotheiremotions.D)Focusingonthedetailsoftheproduct.21.A)Changetherulesofthegameinthemarketeveryyear.B)Keepupwiththelatesttechnologicaldevelopments.C)Learnfromtechnologicalinnovatorstodobusiness.D)Makegreatereffortstobuildupconsumers’confidence.Questions22to25arebasedontherecordingyouhavejustheard.22.A)Peoplehaveonlyonesocialengagementperweek.B)Workingtogetherenhancesfriendship.C)Fewpeoplehavedevotedfriends.D)Friendshipsbenefitwork.23.A)Theimpactoffriendsonpeople’sself-esteem.B)Howsupportivefriendscanbeintheworkplace.C)Howtoboostone’ssenseofvalueandworthiness.D)Theroleoffamilytiesinpeople’smentalwell-being.24.A)Theyshowlittleinterestintheirfriends’work.B)Theytendtobemuchmoredifficulttomake.C)Theyaremoretrustworthyandreliable.D)Theyincreasepeople’sjobsatisfaction.25.A)Allowemployeestohaveaflexibleworkschedule.B)Encourageemployeestobefriendswithcolleagues.C)Helpemployeesbalanceworkandfamilyresponsibilities.D)Organizeactivitiestonourishfriendshipsoutsideofwork.PartIIIReadingComprehension(40minutes)SectionADirections:

Inthissection,thereisapassagewithtenblanks.Youarerequiredtoselectonewordforeachblankfromalistofchoicesgiveninawordbankfollowingthepassage.Readthepassagethroughcarefullybeforemakingyourchoices.Eachchoiceinthebankisidentifiedbyaletter.Pleasemarkthecorrespondingletterforeachitemon

AnswerSheet2

withasinglelinethroughthecentre.Youmaynotuseanyofthewordsinthebankmorethanonce．Youmightnotknowyourselfaswellasyouthink.Accordingtoanewstudy,peopleare26accuratejudgesofonlysomeoftheirbehaviors.Whilemostpreviousstudiesonhowwellpeopleknowthemselveshavebeendoneonlong-termpersonalitytraits,thisnewstudy27howwellpeopleunderstandhowtheyareactingfromonemomenttothenext.Researchersaskedparticipantstowearaudiorecordersthatautomatically28every9.5minutesbetween7a.m.and2a.m.torecord30secondsofaudio.Theseparticipantswerethenemailedsurveysfourtimesadayaskingthemto29howoutgoing,agreeable,orconscientioustheywereduringaparticularhouroftheday.Thestudyuseddatafrom248participants,allofwhomansweredquestionsabouttheirbehaviorfortwo30weeksandworetheaudiodeviceforoneofthoseweeks.Sixlaboratoryassistantsratedeachparticipant’saudioclipstoseehowtheirobservationscomparedwithpeople’s31ofthemselves.Thesixassistantsweregenerallyinagreementwithoneanotherabouthowthepeopletheywereobservingacted.Further,participants’ratingsoftheirownbehaviorsagreedwithobservers’forhowoutgoingandhowconscientioustheywerebeing.Buttheagreementbetweenparticipantsandoutsideobserverswasmuchsmallerforagreeableness.Someofthis32couldbebecausetheobserversusedonlyaudioclips,andthuscouldnotread33likebodylanguage,butthereare34otherexplanations,aspeopleshouldbeabletohearwhenaparticipantisbeingkindversusbeingrude.Theweakagreementbetweenhowparticipantsthoughttheywereactingandwhatobserversheardcouldbebecausepeoplewouldrather35rudebehavior.A)activated F)deny K)recallB)articulates G)discrepancy L)relativelyC)assessment H)probably M)saturatedD)consecutive I)probes N)symptomsE)cues J)random O)terminateSectionBDirections:

Inthissection,youaregoingtoreadapassagewithtenstatementsattachedtoit.Eachstatementcontainsinformationgiveninoneoftheparagraphs.Identifytheparagraphfromwhichtheinformationisderived.Youmaychooseaparagraphmorethanonce.Eachparagraphismarkedwithaletter.Answerthequestionsbymarkingthecorrespondingletteron

AnswerSheet2.WhyweneedtinycollegesWe’reexperiencingtherebirthofsmallness.Farmersmarkets,tinyhomes,andbrewpubsallexemplifyourloveofsmallness.Sodocharterschools,coffeeshops,andlocalbookstores.Smallisoften(butnotalways)moreaffordable,healthier,andsustainable,butitsfinestcharacteristic,theonethatturnscharmintolove,isthatgoingsmallallowsustobemorefullywhoweare.Inhighereducationthetrendismostlyintheoppositedirection:Universitieswith20,000or30,000studentsareconsidered“mid-sized”.Thenation’slargestuniversity,ArizonaStateUniversity,has80,000studentsoncampusandaimstoenrollanother100,000studentsonline.Attheotherendofthespectrumisahandfulofcollegesthathavefewerthanahundredstudentsoncampusandnoonlinecourses:collegessuchasSterlingCollege,ThomasMoreCollegeofLiberalArts,andDeepSpringsCollege.Thesecollegesaresosmallthattheycanonlybecalled“tiny”.Tinycollegesfocusnotjustonayoungperson’sintellect,butontheyoungpersonasawhole.Equallyimportant,tinycollegesask,“Howcaneducationcontributetohumanflourishingandthewell-beingoftheworld?”Andtheyshapeacollegeexperiencetoaddressthatquestion.Theyreplaceconcernsaboutinstitutionalgrowthwithattentiontothegrowthofstudentsasfullydevelopedparticipantsintheircommunities.I’vehadtheprivilegeofteachingatthreedifferentinstitutionsofhigherlearningduringmycareer—asmallliberalartscollegeandtwomid-sizedpublicuniversities.I’vealsobeenprofoundlydisappointedineachoftheseinstitutions,andinmanyofmycolleagues,especiallywhenitcomestohelpingstudentsandpreparingthemforthemanyresponsibilitiesofadulthood.Administratorsfocusonthebusinessofrunningauniversity,andmostfacultyfocusontheirscholarshipandteachingtheirdiscipline.Littledeliberateattentionisgiventohowstudentsmatureasindividualsandsocialbeings.Havingjustretiredfromteachingatapublicuniversity,I’mnowreturningtomyhometownofFlagstaff,Arizona,toestablishatinycollege—FlagstaffCollege.I’mconvincedthatthere’saneedforanothertypeofeducation,onedevotedtohelpingstudentscomeintotheirownandintothisbeautifulandtroubledworld.Youngpeopleneedaneducationthatwillprovidethemwithmeaning,hope,courage,andpassion,aswellasinformationandskills.Largeinstitutions,Ibelieve,areparticularlyill-suitedtothistypeofeducation.There’sno“bestof”listwhenitcomestotinycolleges,atleastnotyet.Butaroundthecountrypeoplearecreatingnewcollegesthatprovideanalternativetosmallliberalartscolleges,largepublicuniversities,andonlineeducation.Withonly26students,DeepSpringsisthesmallestcollegeinthecountryand,quitelikely,themostatypical(非典型的).LocatedonaworkingcattleranchontheCalifornia-Nevadaborder,DeepSpringsisaprivate,residential,two-yearcollegeformen,committedtoeducatingstudentsfor“alifeofservicetohumanity.”Foundedbytheelectricitytycoon(大亨)L.L.Nunnin1917,DeepSprings’“curriculum”revolvesaroundacademics,labor,andself-governance.Inadditiontotheircourses,studentsarechargedwithrunningthe155-acreranchandoverseeingthefunctioningofthecollege.Studentschairboththeadmissionsandthecurriculumcommittees.“Livinginclosecommunitywithone’steachersandfellowstudents,andbeingforcedtotakeonadultresponsibilities,makesforone’sgrowthasaperson,”saysWilliamHunt,whograduatedlastyear.“Toexistforverylonginacommunitylikethat,youhavetogetoverthequestionofwhetheryou’resufficientlytalentedorprincipledandgetstartedworryingabouthowyoucanstretchyourselfandyourpeers,howmuchyoucanmanagetolearnwiththem.”SterlingCollege,inCraftsburyCommon,Vermont,isalsoverysmall—fewerthan100students.UnlikeDeepSprings,Sterlingfocusesitscurriculumonenvironmentalandsocialjusticeissues,butlikeDeepSpringsitplacesahighvalueonpersonalresponsibilityandmanuallabor.Accordingtoitscatalog,acollegeeducationatSterlingcombines“rigorousacademics,roll-up-your-sleeveschallenges,andgoodoldhardwork.”Theaveragetuitionatasmallliberal-artscollegeis$30,000to$40,000ayear,notincludingthecostoflivingoncampus,ascomparedto$8,000to$10,000ayearfortuitionaloneatapublicuniversity.Ofthetinycolleges,onlyDeepSpringsdoesn’tchargetuitionorroomandboard;studentspayonlyforbooksandthecostoftravelingtoandfromcollege.Iftinyschoolsaretobecomeaplayeronthehighereducationscene,theywillneedtofindawaytobetrulyaffordable.Doingsomaynotbethatdifficultsolongastheydonotpatternthemselvestoocloselyonexistingnorms.We’vecometobelievethatagoodcollegeshouldhavemanyacademicprogramsandexcellentfacilities,posh(豪华的)dorms,anarrayofathleticprograms,andaworld-classstudentactivitycenter.Imagineagoodcollegewithoutaclimbingwall!Wealsohaveacceptedtheideathatcollegepresidents,andtheirmanyvice-presidents,shouldbepaidliketheircounterpartsinthebusinessworldandthathighereducationrequiresanelaborate,up-to-datetechnologyinfrastructure.Allofthisdrivesupthecostofeducation.The“trick”tomakingtinycollegesaffordable,ifthat’stherightword,issimplicity.Atitscore,educationisahuman-to-humaninteraction.Reflectingonhisowncollegeeducation,PresidentGarfieldoncecommentedthatanidealcollegewouldconsistofnothingmorethanthelegendaryteacherMarkHopkinsononeendofalogandastudentontheother.Theeconomicsofatinycollege,inotherwords,mightbesimilartothatofatinyhouse.Becauseitissmall,atinyhousecostslesstobuildandlesstofurnish,insure,andmaintain.Buttheeconomicbenefitsofasmallhousedon’tendthere.Tinyhomesdiscouragehomeownersfrombuyingstuffthattheyreallydon’tneed,becausethere’snoplacetoputit.I’malateconverttotheideaoftinycolleges,andIfullyunderstandtheneedformanydiversetypesofeducationalinstitutions.Academicresearchandjobtrainingareimportant,buttinycollegesaren’tsuitedforeither.Theeducationalneedsofacomplexsocietyarethemselvescomplex,andnosinglemodelcanmeetalloftheseneeds.ButI’mnowconvincedthere’saneducationalneedthat’snowgoingalmostcompletelyunmet:namely,theneedtohelpyoungpeopletransitionintoadulthood.Tinycollegescandothisbetterthananyothertypeofeducationalinstitution.Theultimatejustificationforatinycollegeistheconvictionthateachofuscomesintoourfullhumanitybycloseinteractionwiththosewhoknowandcareforus,andthatoneofthebasicpurposesofhighereducationissocial.Althoughwegivelipservicetotheideathatacollegeeducationwillmakeusbetterpeople,whenall’ssaidanddone,wethinkofhighereducationprimarilyineconomicterms.We’vecometothinkofhighereducationasameanstomakealivingratherthanmakealife.We’vealsocometoseehighereducationasaprivategoodratherthanapublicone.Tinycollegesarenottheanswertoallofoureducationalrequirements,butthey’reananswertooneofourmostbasiceducationalnecessities:theneedtoproducethoughtful,engaged,andcompassionatehumanbeings.36.OnetinyAmericancollegesituatedonacattlefarmisdevotedtoeducatingstudentstoservemankindthroughouttheirlives.37.Muchtotheauthor’sdisappointment,thethreeinstitutionsofhigherlearningwhereshetaughtlargelyignorestudents’growthassocialbeings.38.Tinycollegesmustbemadeaffordableinordertoplayaroleinhighereducation.39.Accordingtoarecentgraduatefromatinycollege,livingtogetherwithfacultyandfellowstudentsisconducivetoastudent’sgrowthasaperson.40.Ratherthangoingsmall,mostAmericanuniversitiesaretryingtogobig.41.Inacertaintinycollege,rigorousacademicworkandtraditionalmanuallaborareintegrated.42.Tinycollegesfocusoneducatingstudentstobecomewell-roundedcitizensinsteadofseekingtheirownexpansion.43.Theessenceofeducationliesintheinteractionbetweenpeople.44.Afterherretirement,theauthorhasdecidedtosetupatinycollegeinherhometown.45.Tinycollegesarejustifiedasitisbelievedthatourgrowthintofullhumanitycomesthroughinteractionwithpeoplenearanddeartous.SectionCDirections:

Thereare2passagesinthissection.Eachpassageisfollowedbysomequestionsorunfinishedstatements.ForeachofthemtherearefourchoicesmarkedA),B),C)andD).YoushoulddecideonthebestchoiceandmarkthecorrespondingletteronAnswerSheet2withasinglelinethroughthecentre.PassageOneQuestions46to50arebasedonthefollowingpassage.Ifyou’resomeonewhohasturnedtosnackingonjunkfoodmoreinthepandemic(大流行病),you’renotalone.InvestigativereporterMichaelMosssaysprocessedfoodisengineeredtohookyou,notunlikealcohol,cigarettes,orotherharmfulsubstances.His2013book,SaltSugarFat,exploredfoodcompanies’aggressivemarketingofthoseproductsandtheirimpactonourhealth.Inhisnewbook,Hooked,Mossupdatesthefoodgiants’effortstokeepuseatingwhattheyserve,andhowthey’rerespondingtocomplaintsfromconsumersandhealthadvocates.Processedfoodisinexpensive,it’slegal,andit’severywhere.Companies’advertisingiscueingustorememberthoseproductsandwewantthoseproductsconstantly.Sothefoodenvironmentisoneofthosekeythingsthatmakesfoodevenmoreproblematicforsomanypeople.Memory,nostalgia(怀旧)inparticular,playsabigroleinthefoodswecrave.Sodacompaniesdiscoveredthatiftheyputasodainthehandsofachildwhenthey’reataballgamewiththeirparents,thatsodawillforeverbeassociatedwiththatjoyousmoment.Laterinlife,whenthatchildwantstoexperienceajoyousmoment,they’regoingtothinkofsoda.Manypeopleseekcomfortinthesnackstheyrememberfromchildhood.Mossexaminesthewaycompaniescapitalizeonourmemories,cravingsandbrainchemistrytokeepussnacking.OneofthereasonsIcametothinkthatsomeofthesefoodproductsareevenmorepowerful,moretroublesomethandrugscanbeismemory.Whatweeatisallaboutmemory.Andwebeginformingmemoriesforfoodatareallyearlyage.Andwekeepthosememoriesforalifetime.Knowingthis,thefoodindustryspendslotsoftimetryingtoshapethememoriesthatwehavefortheirproducts.Oneofthefeaturesofaddictionthatscientistsstudyingdrugaddictiondiscoveredbackinthe1990swasthatthefasterasubstancehitsthebrain,themoreaptweareasaresulttoactimpulsively.There’snothingfasterthanfoodinitsabilitytohitthebrain.ForMoss,thisputsthenotionof“fastfood”inanentirelynewlightasthisisn’tlimitedtofastfoodchains—almost90%offoodproductsingrocerystoresareprocessedfoods.Everythingintheindustryisaboutspeed,frommanufacturingtopackaging.Overall,Mossoutlinestheindustry’sdependenceonmakingtheirproductsinexpensive,superdelicious,andincrediblyconvenientforconsumers.Nowthatmoreandmorepeoplecareaboutwhattheyputintheirbodiesandarewantingtoeathealthier,thesecompaniesarefindingitreallydifficulttomeetthatnewdemandbecauseoftheirownaddictiontomakingtheseconveniencefoods.46.InwhatwaydoesMichaelMossthinkprocessedfoodiscomparabletoalcoholand

cigarettes?A)Theyarealladdictive.B)Theyareallnecessaryevils.C)Theyareallengineeredtobeenjoyed.D)Theyareallinincreasinglygreatdemand.47.Whatdoestheauthorsayplaysakeyroleinthefoodswecrave?A)Thefoodenvironment.B)Aggressivemarketing.C)Convenience.D)Memory.48.Whatdofoodcompaniesdotocapitalizeonconsumers’associationwiththeirfoodproducts?A)Theystrivetoinfluencehowconsumersremembertheirproducts.B)Theyattempttouseconsumers’long-termmemoriestopromoteaddiction.C)Theytrytoexploitconsumers’memoriesfortheirproductsasearlyaspossible.D)Theyendeavortofindwhatconsumersrememberabouttheirproducts.49.Howdoesthefoodindustryoperatefrommanufacturingtopackaging,accordingtoMoss?A)Placingtheideaoffastfoodinanentirelynewlight.B)Settingnolimittothenumberoffastfoodchains.C)Focusingonhowquicklytheworkisdone.D)Prioritizingthequalityoftheirproducts.50.Whyarecompaniesfindingitdifficulttosatisfyconsumers’demandforhealthierfood

products?A)Theythinkspeedofproductionoutweighsconsumers’health.B)Theybelievetheirindustrywouldperishwithoutfastfoods.C)Theyhavetostrikeabalancebetweentasteandnutrition.D)Theyarehookedonmanufacturingconveniencefoods.PassageTwoQuestions51to55arebasedonthefollowingpassage.Chimpanzees（黑猩猩）,humanbeings’closestanimalrelatives,shareupto98%ofourgenes.Yethumansandchimpanzeesleadverydifferentlives.Fewerthan300,000wildchimpanzeesliveinafewforestedcornersofAfricatoday,whilehumanshavecolonizedeverycorneroftheglobe.Atmorethan7billion,humanpopulationdwarfsthatofnearlyallothermammals—despiteourphysicalweaknesses.Whatcouldaccountforourspecies’incredibleevolutionarysuccesses?Oneobviousanswerisourbigbrains.Itcouldbethatourrawintelligencegaveusanunprecedentedabilitytothinkoutsidethebox,innovatingsolutionstothornyproblemsaspeoplemigratedacrosstheglobe.Butagrowingnumberofcognitivescientistsandanthropologists（人类学家）arerejectingthatexplanation.Theythinkthat,ratherthanmakingourlivingasinnovators,wesurviveandthrivepreciselybecausewedon’tthinkforourselves.Instead,peoplecopewithchallengingclimatesandecologicalcontextsbycarefullycopyingothers.Inafamousstudy,psychologistsVictoriaHornerandAndrewWhitenshowedtwogroupsoftestsubjects—childrenandchimpanzees—amechanicalboxwithatreatinside.Inonecondition,theboxwasopaque,whileintheotheritwastransparent.Theexperimentersdemonstratedhowtoopentheboxtoretrievethetreat,buttheyalsoincludedtheirrelevantstepoftappingontheboxwithastick.Oddly,thechildrencarefullycopiedallthestepstoopenthebox,evenwhentheycouldseethatthestickhadnopracticaleffect.Thatis,theycopiedirrationally:Insteadofdoingonlywhatwasnecessarytogettheirreward,childrenslavishlyimitatedeveryactionthey’dwitnessed.Ofcourse,thatstudyonlyincludedthree-andfour-year-olds.Butadditionalresearchhasshownthatolderchildrenandadultsareevenmorelikelytomindlesslycopyothers’actions,andinfantsarelesslikelytoover-imitate—thatis,topreciselycopyevenimpracticalactions.Bycontrast,chimpanzeesinthestudyonlyover-imitatedintheopaquecondition.Inthe

transparentcondition—wheretheysawthatthestickwasmechanicallyuseless—theyignored

thatstepentirely.Otherresearchhassincesupportedthesefindings.Whenitcomestocopying,chimpanzeesaremorerationalthanhumanchildrenoradults.Wheredoestheseeminglyirrationalhumanpreferenceforover-imitationcomefrom?AnthropologistJosephHenrichpointsoutthatpeoplearoundtheworldrelyontechnologiesthatareoftensocomplexthatnoonecanlearnthemrationally.Instead,peoplemustlearnthemstepbystep,trustinginthewisdomofmoreexperiencedeldersandpeers.Sothenexttimeyouhearsomeonearguingpassionatelythateveryoneshouldembracenonconformityandavoidimitatingothers,youmightlaughalittlebit.We’renotchimpanzees,afterall.51.Whatmightexplainhumans’havingthelargestpopulationofalmostallmammals?A)Theyareequippedwithrawstrengthforsolvingthemostchallengingproblems.B)Theycopewiththeoutsideworldmoreeffectivelythantheiranimalrelatives.C)Theypossessthemostoutstandingabilitytothink.D)Theyknowhowtosurviveeverywhereonearth.52.Whataccountsforhumans’evolutionarysuccessesaccordingtoagrowingnumberof

cognitivescientistsandanthropologists?A)Theyarebetteratinnovatingsolutions.B)Theythrivethroughcreativestrategies.C)Theyarenaturallyadaptivetoecologicalcontexts.D)Theymeetchallengesbyimitatingotherscarefully.53.WhatdoestheauthorthinkisoddaboutthefindingsofthestudybyVictoriaHornerand

AndrewWhiten?A)Childrenirrationallyimitatedeveryactionoftheexperimenters.B)Chimpanzeescouldtellthetransparentboxfromtheopaqueone.C)Chimpanzeescouldretrievethetreatmorequicklythanchildrendid.D)Childrenomittedthestepoftappingontheboxwithasticktoopenit.54.WhatisanthropologistJosephHenrich’sexplanationfo