02.2023年12月六级真题第二套

2023年12月大学英语六级考试真题(二)PartⅠWriting(30minutes)Directions:Forthispart,youareallowed30minutestowriteanessaythatbeginswiththesentence“Nowadaysparentsareincreasinglyawarethatallowingkidsmorefreedomtoexploreandlearnontheirownhelpsfostertheirindependenceandboosttheirconfidence.”Youcanmakecomments,citeexamplesoruseyourpersonalexperiencestodevelopyouressay.Youshouldwriteatleast150wordsbutnomorethan200words(notincludingthesentencegiven).PartⅡListeningComprehension(30minutes)SectionADirections:Inthissection,youwillheartwolongconversations.Attheendofeachconversation,youwillhearfourquestions.Boththeconversationandthequestionswillbespokenonlyonce.Afteryouhearaquestion,youmustchoosethebestanswerfromthefourchoicesmarkedA),B),C)andD).ThenmarkthecorrespondingletteronAnswerSheet1withasinglelinethroughthecentre.Questions1to4arebasedontheconversationyouhavejustheard.1.A)Spendingtheirholidaysinanovelway.C)Surfingonlinetocheckoutthebestdeals.B)Exploringmoresummerholidayresorts.D)Rentingacarinsteadofdrivingtheirown.2.A)Hedidnotliketobelockedintooneplace.C)Hewaswelltravelled.B)Hedidnotfindholidayhomesappealing.D)Heonceownedavan.3.A)Generatetheirownelectricity.C)Receiveinstructionsviacomputers.B)Driveunderanyweathercondition.D)Ensurethesafetyofpassengers.4.A)Ridingone’smountainbikeonvacation.B)Slowingdowninone’sincreasinglyhecticlife.C)Enjoyingthefreedomtochoosewheretogoandwork.D)Havingone’sbasicneedscoveredwhileawayfromhome.Questions5to8arebasedontheconversationyouhavejustheard.5.A)Herphysicalhealthhasdeterioratedthesepastfewweeks.B)Shehaslaggedbehindmostofherco-workersinoutput.C)Herjobperformancehasworsenedoverthepastmonth.D)Shehasmissedseveralimportantappointmentslately.6.A)Penaltyforcurtailedoutput.C)Disturbanceofhermind.B)Someproblemsathome.D)Serioushealthissues.7.A)Thewoman’swhole-heartedsupport.C)Hismanagementcapability.B)Thewoman’sworkproficiency.D)Hisengagingpersonality.8.A)Themanwillhelpthewomangetbacktoherusualself.B)Themanwillbebackathis100%inacoupleofweeks.C)ThewomanwillbeoffworkonthenexttwoMondays.D)Thewomanwillresumeherworkintwoweeks.SectionBDirections:Inthissection,youwillheartwopassages.Attheendofeachpassage,youwillhearthreeorfourquestions.Boththepassageandthequestionswillbespokenonlyonce.Afteryouhearaquestion,youmustchoosethebestanswerfromthefourchoicesmarkedA),B),C)andD).ThenmarkthecorrespondingletteronAnswerSheet1withasinglelinethroughthecentre.Questions9to11arebasedonthepassageyouhavejustheard.9.A)Itcanhaveanimpactonourmoodsandemotions.B)Itcanimproveourfinancialstatussignificantly.C)Itcanhelpusachievebetterworkperformance.D)Itcanenableustoliveahealthierandlongerlife.10.A)One’shealthtendstodifferbeforeandaftermarriage.B)Thespouse’slevelofeducationcanimpactone’shealth.C)Thewealthierone’sspouseis,thehealthieronebecomes.D)One’shealthstatusisrelatedtoone’ssocialbackground.11.A)Theyhadmoreeducationthantheirspouses.B)Theyhadmuchincommonwiththeirspouses.C)Theybenefitedalotfromtheircareerachievements.D)Theyshowedinterestintheirspouses’occupations.Questions12to15arebasedonthepassageyouhavejustheard.12.A)Findingoutthechangingclimatepatterns.C)Forecastingfloodrisksaccurately.B)Identifyingthecities’geologicalfeatures.D)Eliminatingtheirrootcause.13.A)Tovalidatehishypothesisaboutthegravityoffloods.B)Todeterminethefrequencyofhightidescausingfloods.C)Toseethefeasibilityofhisprojectonflooding.D)Toimprovehismathematicalfloodingmodel.14.A)Toforecastrapidfloodsinrealtime.B)Toclassifythefloodingdataprocessed.C)Tostudytheconsequencesofhightidesonfloodedareas.D)Toteachlocalcitizenshowtocollectdataofincomingfloods.15.A)Theytrackedtherisingtideswithvideo-cameras.B)TheysetupInternet-connectedwater-levelsensors.C)Theyusednewly-developedsupercomputingfacilities.D)Theyobservedthedirectionofwaterflowonthespot.SectionCDirections:Inthissection,youwillhearthreerecordingsoflecturesortalksfollowedbythreeorfourquestions.Therecordingswillbeplayedonlyonce.Afteryouhearaquestion,youmustchoosethebestanswerfromthefourchoicesmarkedA),B),C)andD).ThenmarkthecorrespondingletteronAnswerSheet1withasinglelinethroughthecentre.Questions16to18arebasedontherecordingyouhavejustheard.16.A)Todebatethevalidityofcurrentsurveydata.B)Toargueaboutthevalueofacollegedegree.C)Toaccountforthedrasticdeclineinemploymentamongmen.D)Tocomparemenwithoutcollegedegreeswiththosewhohave.17.A)Theissueofchangingjobrequirements.C)Theimpactofinflation.B)Theincreaseinwomentakingupjobs.D)Thefactorofwages.18.A)Thesharpdeclineinmarriageamongmenwithnocollegedegrees.B)Thewagegapbetweenthosewithcollegedegreesandthosewithout.C)Morejobsrequiringtheirholderstohaveacollegedegreenowadays.D)Men’sunwillingnesstoacceptlowwagesintimesofgrowinginflation.Questions19to21arebasedontherecordingyouhavejustheard.19.A)Moreandmorepeopleattachimportancetoprotectingendangeredanimals.B)Anincreasingnumberofpeopledemandtofreeanimalsbeingkeptincages.C)Moreandmorepeopleprioritizeanimalwelfarewhenbuyingthingstowear.D)Anincreasingnumberofpeoplefollowthelatesttrendofbecomingvegetarians.20.A)Utilizedasilksubstitutemadefrommushrooms.B)Refrainedfromusingchemicalsintheirproducts.C)Labelledalltheirproductsasvegan.D)Avoidedtheuseofleatherandfur.21.A)Whethertheycanberegardedasethical.B)Whethertheycanbeconsideredsustainable.C)Whethertheyactuallysignifyasubstantialchange.D)Whethertheyeffectivelyprotectanimalsatlarge.Questions22to25arebasedontherecordingyouhavejustheard.22.A)Thebeliefislessprevalentthattheworldisgoingtohell.B)Theenvironmentalwelfarehasworsenedintheworld.C)Theworldhasseenmoreviolenceinrecentyears.D)Theeraweliveinisthemostpeacefulinhistory.23.A)Theydidnotwishtoliveinthepreviouscentury.B)Theywereconvincedbythestatisticspresentedtothem.C)Theybelievedtheworldwasdeteriorating.D)Theywereactuallynotintheirrightmind.24.A)Ourancestors’influence.C)Thecurrentstateofaffairs.B)Ourpsychologicalbiases.D)Thesubjectivityofmassmedia.25.A)Payingattentiontonegativeinformation.C)Vacuumingupdepressingorenragingstories.B)Calculatingdangerousriskstooursurvival.D)Spreadingexcitingnewsaroundusfarandwide.PartⅢReadingComprehension(40minutes)SectionADirections:Inthissection,thereisapassagewithtenblanks.Youarerequiredtoselectonewordforeachblankfromalistofchoicesgiveninawordbankfollowingthepassage.Readthepassagethroughcarefullybeforemakingyourchoices.Eachchoiceinthebankisidentifiedbyaletter.PleasemarkthecorrespondingletterforeachitemonAnswerSheet2withasinglelinethroughthecentre.Youmaynotuseanyofthewordsinthebankmorethanonce.Thedesertisdeceiving.Atfirstglanceitlookslifeless,barren,andbone-dry.FormostpassersbyhummingthroughtheMojaveontheirwaytotrytheirluckinLasVegasorheadingtowardstheGrandCanyon,it’sjusta26stretchoflandwithsomemountainsinthedistanceandmore27tobeasettingforamoviethattakesplaceonMars.Thedesert,however,is28withlife,mystery,andmagic.TheMojavedesertseeslessthantwoinchesofrainayear,andlikemostdeserts,isalandof29.Temperaturefluctuationsvaryfromfreezingto30hot,notonlybetweenseasons,butevenwithinthesameday.Attheheartofthisvast,25,000-square-miledesertisMojaveNationalPreserve.Thefolksmanagingandworkingtherewearthewide-brimmed(宽边的)hatsthathavebecome31withplaceslikeYosemite.Thepreserveisrichwithhistory,culture,biodiversity,andendlessopportunitiesto32yourinterest,especiallyforanyonewholovestheoutdoors.Foraphotographer,itrequirespatienceand33afewsparetirestomaneuverthenetworkofunpaved“roads”,buttherewardsareplenty.Photographinghererequiresagood,34pairofshoesandalotofpreparation.Plentyofwater,sparetires,andafulltankofgasareneededtoexplorethisunitofthenationalparksystem,whichisthethirdlargestinthecountry.Likealldeserts,though,ifyouarepatient,youwillberewarded,astheyoftenrevealtheirsecretsslowly.Duringmylastouting,Iwassurprisedtoseehowmuchoftheareawasshapedbyancientvolcanoesandgeologicalforces,muchofwhichremainstoday,givingtheareaa35feelandpaintingacolorfulbackgroundforgreatphotographs.A)aptB)burningC)extremesD)flatE)fractionsF)overflowingG)parasitesH)probablyI)sparinglyJ)sprinkleK)steerL)stimulateM)sturdyN)synonymousO)uniqueSectionBDirections:Inthissection,youaregoingtoreadapassagewithtenstatementsattachedtoit.Eachstatementcontainsinformationgiveninoneoftheparagraphs.Identifytheparagraphfromwhichtheinformationisderived.Youmaychooseaparagraphmorethanonce.Eachparagraphismarkedwithaletter.AnswerthequestionsbymarkingthecorrespondingletteronAnswerSheet2.TreasureFeverA)MostvisitorscometoCapeCanaveral,onthenortheastcoastofFlorida,forthetouristattractions.It’shometothesecond-busiestcruiseshipportintheworldandisagatewaytothecosmos.Nearly1.5millionvisitorsflockhereeveryyeartowatchrockets,spacecraft,andsatellitesblastoffintothesolarsystemfromKennedySpaceCenterVisitorComplex.Nearly64kilometersofundevelopedbeachand648squarekilometersofprotectedrefugefanoutfromthecape’ssandyshores.B)YetsomeofCapeCanaveral’smostlegendaryattractionslieunseen,wedgedunderthesea’ssurfaceinmudandsand,forthispartoftheworldhasareputationasadeadlyshiptrap.Overthecenturies,dozensofmajesticOldWorldsailingshipssmashedandsankonthisirregularstretchofwindyFloridacoast.Theywerevesselsbuiltforwarandcommerce,crossingtheglobecarryingeverythingfromcoinstocannons,boxesofsilverandgold,chestsofjewelsandporcelain,andpearlsfromtheCaribbean.C)CapeCanaveralcontainsoneofthegreatestconcentrationsofcolonialshipwrecksintheworld.Inrecentyears,advancesinradar,diving,detectionequipment,computers,andGPShavetransformedthehunt.Thenakedeyemightseeapileofrocks,buttechnologycanrevealthepreciousartifacts(人工制品)thatliehiddenontheoceanfloor.D)Astechnologyrenderstheseabedmoreaccessible,thehuntfortreasure-filledshipshasdrawnafreshtideofsalvors(打捞人员)andtheirinvestors—aswellasmarinearchaeologists(考古学家)wantingtobringtolightthelostrelics.Butoflate,whensalvorshavefoundvessels,theirrightshavebeenchallengedincourt.Thebigquestion:whoshouldhavecontrolofthesetreasures?E)High-stakesfightsovershipwreckspitarchaeologistsagainsttreasurehuntersinaviciouscycleofaccusations.Archaeologistsregardthemselvesasprotectorsofhistory,andtheyseesalvorsascarelessdestroyers.Salvorsfeeltheydothehardworkofsearchingforships,onlytohavethemstolenfromunderthemwhendiscovered.Thiskindofclashinevitablytakesplaceonagrandscale.Asidefromthesalvors,theirinvestors,andthemaritimearchaeologistswhoserveasexpertwitnesses,thebattlessweepinlocalandinternationalgovernmentsandorganizationslikeUNESCOthatworktoprotectunder-waterheritage.Thecourtcasesthatensuestretchonforyears.Arefinderskeepers,ordotheshipsbelongtothecountriesthatmadethemandsentthemsailingcenturiesago?Whereoncesalvorsandarchaeologistsworkedsidebyside,nowtheybelongtoopposing,andequallycontemptuous,tribes.F)NearlythreemillionvesselsliewreckedontheEarth’soceanfloor—fromoldcanoestotheTitanic—andlikelylessthanonepercenthavebeenexplored.Some—likeanancientRomanshipfoundoffAntikythera,Greece,datedbetween70and60BCandcarryingastonishinglysophisticatedgearsanddialsfornavigatingbythesun—arecriticaltoanewunderstandingofourpast.Nowonderthereisaneternalstirringamongeverybodyfromsalvorstoscholarstofindthem.G)InMay2016,asalvornamedBobbyPritchett,presidentofGlobalMarineExploration(GME)inTampa,Florida,announcedthathehaddiscoveredscatteredremainsofashipburiedakilometeroffCapeCanaveral.Overthepriorthreeyears,heandhiscrewhadobtained14statepermitstosurveyanearly260-square-kilometerareaoffthecape;theyworked250daysayear,backedbyinvestorfundsof,heclaims,US$4million.Itwashardwork.Crewmemberswereupatdawn,draggingsensorsfromtheirexpeditionvesselsbackandforth,dayinanddayout,yearafteryear,todetectmetalofanykind.Usingcomputertechnology,Pritchettandhiscrewcreatedintricate,color-codedmapsmarkedwiththeGPScoordinatesofthousandsoffinds,allinvisibleunderameterofsand.H)Onedayin2015,themagnetometer(磁力计)pickedupmetalthatturnedouttobeanironcannon;whenthediversblewthesandaway,theyalsodiscoveredamorepreciousbronzecannonwithmarkingsindicatingFrenchroyaltyand,notfaroff,afamousmarblecolumncarvedwiththecoatofarmsofFrance,knownfromhistoricalpaintings.Thediscoverywascauseforcelebration.TheartifactsindicatedthedivershadlikelyfoundthewreckofLaTrinity,a16th-centuryFrenchvesselthathadbeenatthecenterofabloodybattlebetweenFranceandSpainthatchangedthefateoftheUnitedStatesofAmerica.I)Andthenthelegalstormbegan,withGMEandPritchettpittedagainstFloridaandFrance.TheSunkenMilitaryCraftActof2004,aUSfederalact,protectsanyvesselthatwasonamilitarymission,allowingtheoriginatingcountrytoclaimtheirshipevencenturieslater.In2018,twolongyearsafterPritchett’sdiscovery,thefederaldistrictcourtruledinfavorofFrance.ForPritchett,thedecisionwasdevastating.Millionsofdollarsofinvestorfundingandyearsoflaborwerelost.J)Butthisisfarfromthefirsttimeasalvorhaslostallrightstoadiscovery.In2012,forinstance,Spainwonafive-yearlegalbattleagainstOdysseyMarineExploration,whichhadhauled594,000goldandsilvercoinsfromaSpanishwreckoffthecoastofPortugalacrosstheAtlantictotheUnitedStates.“Treasurehunterscanbenaive,”saysattorneyDavidConcannon,whohashadseveralmaritimearchaeologistsasclientsandrepresentedtwosidesinthebattlesovertheTitanicfor20years.“Manytreasurehuntersdon’tunderstandtheyaregoingtohavetofightfortheirrightsagainstagovernmentthathasanendlesssupplyofmoneyforlegalbattlesthattreasurehuntersarelikelytolose.”K)Puttinganinflatedpriceonartifactsratherthanviewingthemasculturalandhistoricaltreasuresthattranscendanypriceiswhatirritatesmanyarchaeologists.Forthearchaeologist,everythinginawreckmatters—hair,fabric,afragmentofanewspaper,ratbones—allthingsspeakvolumes.Archaeologistsdon’twantartifactsendingupinaprivatecollectioninsteadoftakinghumanityonajourneyofunderstanding.L)GeorgeBassisoneofthepioneersofunder-waterarchaeology,andaresearcheratTexasA&MUniversity.Hehastestifiedincourtagainsttreasurehunters,butsaysarchaeologyisnotwithoutitsownseriousproblems.Hebelievesarchaeologistsneedtodoabetterjobthemselvesinsteadofroutinelycriticizingtreasurehunters.“Archaeologyhasaterriblereputationfornotpublishingenoughonitsexcavations(发掘)andfinds,”hesays.Gatheringdata,unearthingandmeticulouslypreservingandexaminingfinds,verifyingidentityandorigin,piecingtogetherthelargerstory,andwritingandpublishingacomprehensivepaperorbookcantakedecades.Abitcynically,Bassdescribescolleagueswhoneverpublishedbecausetheywaitedsolongtheybecameillordied.Whoismoreatfault,Bassasks,theprofessionalarchaeologistwhocarefullyexcavatesasiteandneverpublishesonitorthetreasurehunterwholocatesasubmergedwreck,salvagespart,conservespart,andpublishesabookontheoperation?M)Pritchettconcedesthathisfinddeservescarefulexcavationandpreservation.“IthinkwhatIfoundshouldgoinamuseum,”hesays.“ButIalsothinkIshouldgetpaidforwhatIfound.”Indeed,it’sabitofamysterywhygovernments,archaeologists,andtreasurehunterscan’tworktogether—andwhysalvorsaren’tatleastgivenasubstantialfinder’sfeebeforetheoriginalownertakespossessionofthevesselanditsartifacts.36.Explorationofshipwrecksontheseaflooriscrucialinupdatingourunderstandingofhumanity’spast.37.QuiteanumberofmajesticshipssailingfromEuropetoAmericawerewreckedofftheFloridacoastoverthecenturies.38.PritchettsufferedaheavylosswhenaUSdistrictcourtruledagainsthim.39.Recently,peoplewhofoundtreasuresinshipwreckshavebeensuedovertheirrightstoownthem.40.Pritchettclaimshegotsupportofmillionsofdollarsfrominvestorsforhisshipwreckexploration.41.Onepioneermarinescientistthinksarchaeologistsshouldmakegreatereffortstopublishtheirfindings.42.Withtechnologicaladvancementinrecentyears,salvorsnowcandetecttheinvaluableman-madeobjectslyingburiedunderthesea.43.Accordingtoalawyer,manytreasurehuntersaresusceptibletolossbecausetheyareunawaretheyfaceafinanciallystrongeropponentincourt.44.Salvorsoftreasuresinsunkenshipsandmarinearchaeologistsarenowhostiletoeachother.45.Archaeologistswanttoseeartifactshelphumansunderstandtheirpastinsteadofbeingsoldtoprivatecollectorsatanoutrageousprice.SectionCDirections:Thereare2passagesinthissection.Eachpassageisfollowedbysomequestionsorunfinishedstatements.ForeachofthemtherearefourchoicesmarkedA),B),C)andD).YoushoulddecideonthebestchoiceandmarkthecorrespondingletteronAnswerSheet2withasinglelinethroughthecentre.PassageOneQuestions46to50arebasedonthefollowingpassage.Couldyougetbywithoutusingtheinternetforfourandahalfyears?That’sexactlywhatsingerandactressSelenaGomezhasdoneinabidtoimprovehermentalhealth.Shehasspokenextensivelyabouttherelationshipbetweenhersocialmediausageandhermentalwellbeing,recallingfeelinglike“anaddict”whenshebecameInstagram’smostfolloweduserin2016.“TakingabreakfromsocialmediawasthebestdecisionthatI’veevermadeformymentalhealth,”saysshe.“TheunnecessaryhateandcomparisonswentawayonceIputmyphonedown.”Ditchingthewebatlarge,however,isafarmoresubtleandcomplicatedprospect.Theincreasingdigitisationofoursocietymeansthateverythingfrompayingagasbilltoplottingaroutetoafriend’shouseandevenmakingaphonecallisatthemercyofyourinternetconnection.Activelyoptingoutofusingtheinternetbecomesamatterofprivilege.MsGomez’smulti-millionairestatushasallowedhertotakethe“social”outofsocialmedia,soshecancontinuetoleverageherenormousfamewhilekeepingthetrolls(恶意挑衅的帖子)atbay.Thefactthatshe’sstillthesecondmost-followedwomanonInstagramsuggestsit’sentirelypossibletomaintainasignificantwebprofiletopromotevariousprojects—bywayofadedicatedteam—withoutbeingexposedtothecruelcomments,hatemailandrapeordeaththreats.ItgoeswithoutsayingthatthisisfundamentallydifferentfromhowtherestofuswithoutbeautydealsandfilmstopubliciseusethelikesofInstagram,TikTokandTwitter,buteventheconceptofadigitaldetox(戒瘾)requireshavingadeviceandconnectivitytochoosetodisconnectfrom.TheUK’sdigitaldividehasworsenedoverthepasttwoyears,leavingpoorerfamilieswithoutbroadbandconnectionsintheirhomes.DigitalexclusionisamajorthreattowidersocietalequalityintheUK,sowitnessingcompanieslikeFacebookchampioningthemetaverse(元宇宙)asthenextgreatfrontierwhenschoolchildrenarestrugglingtocompletetheirhomeworkfeelsparticularlyirritating.Consequently,it’sworthbearinginmindthatwhiledeletingallsocialmediaaccountswillundoubtedlymakesomefeelinfinitelybetter,manyotherpeoplebenefitfromthestrongsenseofcommunitythatsharingplatformscanbreed.Internetaccesswillcontinuetogrowinimportanceasweedgefurthertowardsweb3.0,andgreaterresourcesandinitiativesareneededtoprovidetheunderprivilegedwiththeconnectivitytheydesperatelyneedtolearn,workandlive.It’scrucialthatpeoplewhofeelthatsocialmediaishavingadetrimentaleffectontheirmentalhealthareallowedtoswitchoff—andforthoselivingindigitalexclusiontobeabletoswitchoninthefirstplace.46.WhatdowelearnaboutsingerandactressSelenaGomezinthepastfourandahalfyears?A)Shehashadworseningmentalproblems.C)Shehasrefrainedfromusingsocialmedia.B)ShehaswonInstagram’smostfollowers.D)Shehassucceededinabidontheinternet.47.Whydoesactivelyoptingoutofusingtheinternetbecomeamatterofprivilege?A)Mostpeoplefinditsubtleandcomplicatedtogiveupusingtheinternet.B)Mostpeoplecanhardlyditchthewebwhileavoidinghateandcomparisons.C)Mostpeoplecanhardlygetbywithouttheinternetduetogrowingdigitisation.D)Mostpeoplehavebeenseriouslyaddictedtothewebwithoutbeingawareofit.48.Whydoestheauthorsay“witnessingcompanies…feelsparticularlyirritating”(Lines3-4,Para.6)?A)TheUKdigitaldividewouldfurtherworsenduetothemetaverse.B)Theconceptofthemetaverseisbelievedtobestillquiteillusory.C)Schoolchildrenwouldbedrawnfartherawayfromtherealworld.D)MostfamiliesintheUKdonothavestablebroadbandconnections.49.Whatisworthbearinginmindconcerningsocialmediaplatforms?A)Theyareconducivetopromotingsocietalequality.B)Theyhelpmanypeoplefeelconnectedwithothers.C)Theyprovideanecessarydeviceforadigitaldetox.D)Theycreateavirtualcommunityontheinternet.50.Whatdoestheauthorthinkisreallyimportantforthoselivingindigitalexclusion?A)Havingaccesstotheinternet.C)Gettingmoreeducationalresources.B)Edgingfurthertowardsweb3.0.D)Openingmoresocialmediaaccounts.PassageTwoQuestions51to55arebasedonthefollowingpassage.Psychologistshavelongbeenindisagreementastowhethercompetitionisalearnedorageneticcomponentofhumanbehavior.Whateveritis,youcannotbutrecognizetheeffectcompetitionisexertinginacademicsandmanyotherareasofcontemporarylife.Psychologicallyspeaking,competitionhasbeenseenasaninevitableconsequenceofhumandrives.AccordingtoSigmundFreud,humansarebornscreamingforattentionandfulloforganicdrivesforfulfillmentinvariousareas.Initially,wecompetefortheattentionofourparents.Thereafter,weareatthemercyofabattlebetweenourbaseimpulsesforself-fulfillmentandsocialandculturalnormswhichprohibitpureindulgence.Currentworkinanthropology(人类学)hassuggested,however,thatthisviewoftheroleofcompetitioninhumanbehaviormaybeincorrect.ThomasHobbes,oneofthegreatphilosophersoftheseventeenthcentury,isperhapsbestrememberedforhischaracterizationofthe“naturalworld”,thatis,theworldbeforetheimpositionofthewillofhumanity,asbeing“nasty,brutish,andshort.”Thisimageofthepre-rationalworldisstillwidelyheld,reinforcedbyCharlesDarwin’shighlyinfluentialwork,TheOriginofSpecies,whichestablishedthedoctrineofnaturalselection.Thisdoctrine,whichtakesforgrantedthatthosespeciesbestabletoadapttoandmasterthenaturalenvironmentinwhichtheylivewillsurvive,hassuggestedthatthestruggleforsurvivalisaninherenthumantraitwhichdeterminesaperson’ssuccess.Darwin’stheoryhasevenbeensummarizedas“survivalofthefittest”—aphraseDarwinhimselfneverused—furtherhighlightingcompetition’sroleinsuccess.Asithasoftenbeenpointedout,however,thereisnothingintheconceptofnaturalselectionthatsuggeststhatcompetitionisthemostsuccessfulstrategyfor“survivalofthefittest.”DarwinassertedinTheOriginofSpeciesthatthestruggleshewasdescribingshouldbeviewedasmetaphorsandcouldeasilyincludedependenceandcooperation.Manystudieshavebeenconductedtotesttheimportanceplacedoncompetitionasopposedtoothervalues,suchascooperation—byvariouscultures,andgenerallyconcludethatAmericansuniquelypraisecompetitionasnatural,inevitable,anddesirable.In1937,theworld-renownedanthropologistMargaretMeadpublishedCooperationandCompetitionamongPrimitivePeoples,basedonherstudiesofseveralsocietiesthatdidnotprizecompetition,and,infact,seemedattimestoplaceanegativevalueonit.OnesuchsocietywastheZuniIndiansofArizona,andthey,Meadfound,valuedcoope