大学英语六级第一次模考试题阅读

PassageOne

Questions52to56arebasedonthefollowingpassage.

The35percentofAfrican-Americanyouthlivinginpovertyarethemostvisiblevictimsofwhatisoftencalledtheachievementgap.Butblackchildrenofallsocioeconomiclevelsperformworseonnationaltestsandgraduateinfewernumbersthantheirwhitemiddle-classpeers.52

A2009studybytheU.S.DepartmentofEducation’sNationalCenterforEducationStatisticsfoundthatAfrican-Americanstudentsscored,onaverage,26pointslowerthanwhitestudentsontheirreadingandmathtests.

Somesay,asHarvardpsychologistRichardJ.HerrnsteinandAmericanEnterpriseInstitutepoliticalscientistCharlesMurraydidintheir1994book,TheBellCurve,thatthecauseisgenetic.53

AndthoughTheBellCurvehasbeendiscreditedinscientificcircles,theideathatIQissomehowlinkedtorace53

hasbeenslowtoretreat.

Others,likeCornellUniversityresearchersGaryEvansandMichelleSchamberg,believethat“physiologicalstressisaplausiblemodelforhowpovertycouldgetintothebrainandeventuallyinterferewithachievement,54，stress–brain–achievement==indirectly

”astheywroteinProceedingsoftheNationalAcademyofSciences.Ourbesteffortsatnarrowingthegapnationally—thinkNoChildLeftBehind—haven’tworked.

Butlocally,therearenowsignsofhope.AttheHarlemChildren’sZone’sPromiseAcademycharterschools,atleast97percentofthirdgradersscoredatorabovegradelevelonastatewidemathtestin2008,outperformingtheaveragescoresofbothblackandwhitechildreninNewYorkCityandNewYorkState.

WhattheHCZdoesisfirstrecognizethattheamelioration(改善)ofpovertydoesnotbeginandendwithanexcellenteducation,butalsorequiresafullbelly,parentaleducation,safety,advocacy,andtheexpectationthateverystudentwillsucceed.55,

“Wehelpparentsandkidsthroughthesystem,”HCZfounderGeoffreyCanadasays.“Wegetthempasteveryhindranceputintheirway,whetheritbeathomeorwithsocialservices.Wecanadvocateonachild’sbehalf,whetheritbeathomeorintheclassroomorwiththejuvenilejusticesystem.”

Indeed,theHCZstartsearly:itprovidesnewparentswithaBabyCollegetoteachparentingskillsduringthecrucialfirstthreeyearsofachild’slifeandapreschoolGemsprogram,wherekidslearnnotonlyFrenchandSpanishbuthealthyeatinghabitstocombatchildhoodobesity.

TheZonealsoofferstheHCZAsthmaInitiativetoprovidemedicalcareandeducationtofamilies,thusdrasticallycuttingdownonthenumberofschooldaysmissedbystudentssufferingfromasthma(哮´).Andithasanetworkofafterschoolprogramsthatteachmedialiteracy,karate(空手道),andcomputerskills.It’scalledthepipeline—oncefamiliesenter,it’shopedthatthey’llstayuntiltheirchildgraduatesfrom

becausetheydidnotliketheirboss.Whenmorejobsbecomeavailable,themillennialswillusetheirtechsavvytopromotethemselvesonFacebook,Twitter,andothersocialnetworks.Theywillhavenoproblemacceptingcontract,short-termworkinplaceofasteadierpaycheck.“Theeconomyisactuallycreatingatypeofworkthatsuitsmillennialswellanddoesnotsuitbabyboomers,”saysKarlAhlrichs,ahuman-resourcesconsultant.Inpart,that’sbecausetheeconomyisgeneratingjobsintechnology,computers,education,andhealthcarethatrequireserioustechnological,entrepreneurial,andcreativeskillsasopposedtoexpertiseinoperationsormanagement.60

Armedwiththeireducation,parentalsupport,orsavings,millennialsseemtohaveplentyofanswerswhenitcomestodealingwiththecurrenteconomy.Still,questionsremain.Intheir30sand40s,willtheystarttheirownbusinessesratherthanjoiningtheranksofmiddlemanagement?Willtheirinnovativeandentrepreneurialstreaksurviveastheymovethroughadultrites(仪式)ofpassagesuchasbuyinghouses,raisingchildren,orcaringforagingparents?Askamillennialandthey’lltellyouthatthey’llfindorinventnewanswerstosuchage-oldquestions.61

57.WhatdowelearnaboutAndrewBenton’sworkexperience?

A)Hehasnowanunsteadyjobwithoutcorporatewelfarebenefits.

B)WithoutaPh.D.,hewasatadisadvantagewhenapplyingforjob.

C)Hegaveupthechancetotakeatraditionalcorporatejob.

D)Ittakesaboutfouryearsforhimtorealizewhathewantstobe.

58.WhatisamainconcernofAndrewBenton?

A)Whethertheeconomyisgoingtopickupquickly.

B)Whenheshouldstartandrunanothersoftwarefirm.

C)Whetherthejobinterestshimandarouseshiscuriosity.

D)Howhecanfindanidealjobunaffectedbytherecession.

59.Accordingtothepassage,inthejobmarket,workersbornafter1980________.

A)earnmuchmorethantheirpredecessors

B)havebeenaffectedbytheeconomicdownturn

C)gainacompetitiveedgewithgoodeducation

D)areundoubtedlyidealworkersfortheeconomy

60.Whataccountsformillennials’beingsuitableforworkcreatedbythecurrenteconomy?

A)Theirdesiretopromotethemselves.

B)Theirstrongsenseoflookingafterfamilies.

C)Theirspecialskillsinrunningandmanagingfirms.

D)Theirembraceoftechskillsandinnovativeideas.

61.Whatcanweinferfromthepassageaboutmillennials’attitudetowardstheirfuture?

A)Negative. B)Uncertain. C)Positive.D)Conservative.

PartVCloze(15minutes)

Directions:Thereare20blanksinthefollowingpassage.ForeachblanktherearefourchoicesmarkedA),B),C)andD)ontherightsideofthepaper.YoushouldchoosetheONEthatbestfitsintothepassage.ThenmarkthecorrespondingletteronAnswerSheet2withasinglelinethroughthecentre.

Entertheinformationage.Informationistherawmaterialformanyofthebusinessactivities62thisnewera,justasironandsteelwerethebasiccommoditiesinthe63oftheindustrialage.

Theworld’sknowledgeissaidtobedoublingeveryeightyears.Thisknowledge64isstimulatingeconomicprogress.Theneedtocollect,analyze,andcommunicategreat65ofinformationisproducingnewproductsandservices,creatingjobs,and66careeropportunities.

Theinformationageis67consideredtobeaphenomenonoftheservicesectoroftheeconomy,68thanaproductofheavyindustry.Certainly,rocketinginformationtechnologiesarecreatingnewcapabilities69knowledge-basedservicespheres.70changesjustasdramaticare71industry,givingpeoplethe72todochallengingworkinexcitingnewways.

Manufacturingisfull73intheinformationage.Fromdesigntoproduction,themanufacturing74haslongbeeninformation-intensive.Italwayshasrequiredexactingcommunicationtodescribewhatgoesintoproductsandhowtomakethem.Now,computertechnologyisgivingfactorymanagersnew75togatherallofthisinformationanduseittocontrolproduction.

Telecommunicationsareproducingerror-freecommunicationbetweenthedesignofficeandthefactory.Computer-aideddesignisenablingengineersto76productperformancesandmanufacturingprocessonvideodisplays,beforeresourcesarecommittedtobuildandtestprototypes.Techniqueslikethesearebringing77newadvancesinmanufacturingproductivity.Justascoalfueledthe78toanindustrialsociety,somicroelectronicsispoweringthe79oftheinformationage.Microelectronicinformationmanagementtoolsare80U.S.industrialcapabilities,whichremains81toAmerica’seconomicwellbeingandnationalsecurity.

62.A)seeking B)stimulating

C)shaping D)securing

63.A)dawning B)origin

C)derivation D)foundation

64.A)inflation B)explosion

C)extension D)exploitation

65.A)extent B)number

C)ranges D)quantities

66.A)widening B)stretching

C)enlarging D)