2004年6月英语六级真题及答案

　　2004年6月英语六级真题试卷B卷

　　Part I Listening Comprehension (20 minutes)

　　Section A

　　Directions: In this section, you will hear 10 short conversations. At the end of each conversation, a question will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the question will be spoken only once. After each question the re will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A), B), C) and D), and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.

　　Example:

　　You will hear:

　　You will read:

　　A) 2 hours.

　　B) 3 hours.

　　C) 4 hours.

　　D) 5 hours.

　　From the conversation we know that the two are talking about some work they will start at 9 o’clock in the morning and have to finish by 2 in the afternoon. Therefore, D) “5 hours” is the correct answer. You should choose [D] on the Answer Sheet and mark it with a single line through the centre.

　　Sample Answer [A] [B] [C] [D]

　　1. A) Dick has bad taste in clothes.

　　B) The color of Dick’s jacket is too dark.

　　C) Dick’s trousers don’t match his jacket.

　　D) Dick looks funny in that yellow jacket.

　　2. A) Get the wallet for the man.

　　B) Call the police station.

　　C) Show the man her family pictures.

　　D) Ask to see the man’s driver’s license.

　　3. A) She is afraid the new epidemic SARS will soon spread all over town.

　　B) The temperature is not as high as the man claims.

　　C) The room will get cool if the man opens the windows.

　　D) She is following instructions not to use the air-conditioning.

　　4. A) She was never persistent in anything she did.

　　B) She had a unique way of staying healthy.

　　C) She stopped exercising two years ago.

　　D) She lost a lot of weight in two years.

　　5. A) The application arrived a week earlier than expected.

　　B) The job has been given to someone else.

　　C) The man is not suitable for the position,

　　D) She had received only one application letter.

　　6. A) He thinks his mother should get the clothes back.

　　B) He will go before the laundry is closed.

　　C) He’s unwilling to fetch the laundry.

　　D) He has already picked up the laundry.

　　7. A) At an international trade fair.

　　B) At an electronics company.

　　C) At a DVD counter in a music store.

　　D) At a shopping center.

　　8. A) The woman regrets going to the movie.

　　B) The woman prefers light movies before sleep.

　　C) The woman saw a comedy instead of a horror movie.

　　D) The woman hated the man talking throughout the movie.

　　9. A) He is a man with professional expertise.

　　B) He is not likely to get the job.

　　C) He is not easy to get along with.

　　D) He is the fight man to get the job done.

　　10. A) It is a very good place to relax.

　　B) It should revolutionize its technology.

　　C) It should change its concept of operation.

　　D) It is being forced out of the entertainment industry.

　　Section B

　　Directions: In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choice marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.

　　Passage One

　　Questions 11 to 13 are based on the passage you have just heard.

　　11. A) He was the most distinguished diplomat in American history.

　　B) He set up the first university in America.

　　C) He was one of the earliest settlers in America.

　　D) He can best represent the spirit of early America.

　　12. A) He represented Washington in negotiations with Britain.

　　B) He provided Washington with a lot of money.

　　C) He persuaded France to support Washington.

　　D) He served as a general in Washington’s army.

　　13. A) As one of the founding fathers of the United States.

　　B) As one of the greatest American scholars.

　　C) As one of America’s most ingenious inventors.

　　D) As one of the most famous activists for human rights.

　　Passage Two

　　Questions 14 to 17 are based on the passage you have just heard.

　　14. A) Because we might meet many successful executives in the media industry.

　　B) Because we might be offered a dish of insects.

　　C) Because nothing but freshly cooked insects are served.

　　D) Because some yuppies like to horrify guests with insects as food.

　　15. A) On the Internet.

　　B) In the supermarket.

　　C) In the seafood market.

　　D) From yuppie clubs.

　　16. A) It’s safe to eat.

　　B) It’s easy to prepare.

　　C) It’s exotic in appearance.

　　D) It’s tasty and healthful.

　　17. A) It is unlikely to be enjoyed by most People.

　　B) It will have to be changed to suit local tastes.

　　C) It will become the first course at dinner parties.

　　D) It will be consumed by more and more young people.

　　Passage Three

　　Questions 18 to 20 are based on the passage you have just heard.

　　18. A) They don’t have enough service windows.

　　B) Their business hours are limited.,,

　　C) Their safety measures are inadequate.

　　D) Their banking procedures are complicated.

　　19. A) People who have computers at home.

　　B) Young people who are fond of modern technology.

　　C) Young people who are wealthy and well-educated.

　　D) People who are in the habit of switching from one bank to another.

　　20. A) To provide services for distant clients.

　　B) To compete for customers.

　　C) To reduce the size of their staff.

　　D) To expand their operations at a lower cost.

　　Part II Reading Comprehension (35 minutes)

　　Directions: There tire 4 passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on the, Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.

　　Passage One

　　Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage.

　　Given the lack of fit between gifted students and their schools, it is not surprising that such students often have little good to say ‘about their school experience. In one study of 400 adults who had achieved distinction in all areas of life, researchers found that three-fifths of these individuals either did badly in school or were unhappy in school. Few MacArthur Prize fellows, winners of the MacArthur Award for creative accomplishment, had good things to say about their precollegiate schooling if they had not been placed in advanced programs. Anecdotal (名人轶事) reports support this. Pablo Picasso, Charles Darwin, Mark Twain, Oliver Goldsmith, and William Butler Yeats all disliked school. So did Winston Churchill, who almost failed out of Harrow, an elite British school. About Oliver Goldsmith, one of his teachers remarked, “Never was so dull a boy.” Often these children realize that they know more than their teachers, and their teachers often feel that these children are arrogant, inattentive, or unmotivated.

　　Some of these gifted people may have done poorly in school because their gifts were not scholastic. Maybe we can account for Picasso in this way. But most fared poorly in school not because they lacked ability but because they found school unchallenging and consequently lost interest. Yeats described the lack of fit between his mind and school: “Because I had found it difficult to attend to anything less interesting than my own thoughts, I was difficult to teach.” As noted earlier, gifted children of all kinds tend to be strong-willed nonconformists. Nonconformity and stubbornness (and Yeats’s level of arrogance and self-absorption) are likely to lead to Conflicts with teachers.

　　When highly gifted students in any domain talk about what was important to the development of their abilities, they are far more likely to mention their families than their schools or teachers. A writing prodigy (神童) studied by David Feldman and Lynn Goldsmith was taught far more about writing by his journalist father than his English teacher. High-IQ children, in Australia studied by Miraca Gross had much more positive feelings about their families than their schools. About half of the mathematicians studied by Benjamin Bloom had little good to say about school. They all did well in school and took honors classes when available, and some skipped grades.

　　21. The main point the author is making about schools is that ________.

　　A) they should enroll as many gifted students as possible

　　B) they should organize their classes according to the students’ ability

　　C) they are often incapable of catering to the needs of talented students

　　D) they should satisfy the needs of students from different family backgrounds

　　22. The author quotes the remarks of one of Oliver Goldsmith’s teachers ________.

　　A) to show how poor Oliver’s performance was at school

　　B) to illustrate the strong will of some gifted children

　　C) to explain how dull students can also be successful

　　D) to provide support for his argument

　　23. Pablo Picasso is listed among the many gifted children who ________.

　　A) could not cope with their studies at school successfully

　　B) paid no attention to their teachers in class

　　C) contradicted their teachers much too often

　　D) behaved arrogantly and stubbornly in the presence of their teachers

　　24. Many gifted people attributed their success ________.

　　A) less to their systematic education than to their talent

　　B) mainly to parental help and their education at home

　　C) both to school instruction and to their parents’ coaching

　　D) more to their parents’ encouragement than to school training

　　25. The root cause of many gifted students having bad memories of their school years is that ________.

　　A) they were seldom praised by their teachers

　　B) school courses failed to inspire or motivate them

　　C) their nonconformity brought them a lot of trouble

　　D) teachers were usually far stricter than their parents

　　Passage Two

　　Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage.

　　It’s hardly news that the immigration system is a mess. Foreign nationals have long been slipping across the border with fake papers, and visitors who arrive in the U.S. legitimately often overstay their legal welcome without being punished. But since Sept. 11, it’s become clear that terrorists have been shrewdly factoring the weaknesses of our system into their plans. In addition to their mastery of forging passports, at least three of the 19 Sept. 11 hijackers (劫机者) were here on expired visas. That’s been a safe bet until now. The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) (移民归化局) lacks the resources, and apparently the inclination, to keep track of the estimated 2 million foreigners who have intentionally overstayed their welcome.

　　But this laxness (马虎) toward immigration fraud may be about to change. Congress has already taken some modest steps. The U.S.A. Patriot Act, passed in the wake of the Sept. 11 tragedy, requires the FBI, the Justice Department, the State Department and the INS to share more data, which will make it easier to stop watch-listed terrorists at the border.

　　But what’s really needed, critics say, is even tougher laws and more resources aimed at tightening up border security. Reformers are calling for a rollback of rules that hinder law enforcement. They also want the INS to hire hundreds more border patrol agents and investigators to keep illegal immigrants out and to track them down once they’re here. Reformers also want to see the INS set up a database to monitor whether visa holders actually leave the country when they are required to.

　　All these proposed changes were part of a new border-security bill that passed the House of Representatives but died in the Senate last week. Before Sept. 11, legislation of this kind had been blocked by two powerful lobbies: universities, which rely on tuition from foreign students who could be kept out by the new law, and business, which relies on foreigners for cheap labor. Since the attacks, they’ve backed off. The bill would have passed this time but for congressional maneuverings and is expected to be reintroduced and to pass next year.

　　Also on the agenda for next year: a proposal, backed by some influential law-makers, to split the INS into two agencies-a good cop that would tend to service functions like processing citizenship papers and a bad cop that would concentrate on border inspections, deportation and other functions. One reason for the division, supporters say, is that the INS has in recent years become too focused on serving tourists and immigrants. After the Sept, 11 tragedy, the INS should pay more attention to serving the millions of ordinary Americans who rely on the nation’s border security to protect them from terrorist attacks.

　　26. Terrorists have obviously taken advantage of ________.

　　A) the irresponsibility of the officials at border checkpoints

　　B) the legal privileges granted to foreigners

　　C) the excessive hospitality of the American people

　　D) the low efficiency of the Immigration and Naturalization Service

　　27. We learn from the passage that coordinated efforts will be made by various U.S. government agencies to ________.

　　A) limit the number Of immigrants to the U.S.

　　B) prevent the forgery of immigration papers

　　C) ward off terrorist suspects at the border

　　D) refuse the renewing of expired visas

　　28. It can be inferred from the passage that before Sept. 11, aliens with expired visas ________.

　　A) might stay on for as long as [hey wished

　　B) would be closely watched by FBI agents

　　C) would live in constant fear of deportation

　　D) might have them extended without trouble

　　29. It is believed by many that all these years the INS ________.

　　A) has been serving two contradictory functions

　　B) has ignored the pleas of the two powerful lobbies

　　C) has over-emphasized its service functions at the expense of the nation’s security

　　D) has been too liberal in granting visas to tourists and immigrants indiscriminately

　　30. Before Sept. 11, the U.S. Congress had been unable to pass stricter immigration laws because ________.

　　A) education and business circles cared little about national security

　　B) resources were not available for their enforcement

　　C) it was difficult to coordinate the efforts of the congressmen

　　D) they might have kept away foreign students and cheap labor

　　Passage Three

　　Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage.

　　It was the worst tragedy in maritime (航海的) history, six times more deadly than the Titanic. When the German cruise ship Wilhelm Gustloff was hit by torpedoes (鱼雷) fired from a Russian submarine in the final winter of World War II, more than 10,000 people-mostly women, children and old people fleeing the final Red Army push into Nazi Germany-were packed aboard. An ice storm had turned the decks into frozen sheets that sent hundreds of families sliding into the sea as the ship tilted and began to go down. Others desperately tried to put lifeboats down. Some who succeeded fought off those in the water who had the strength to try to claw their way aboard. Most people froze immediately. I’ll never forget the screams,” says Christa Ntitzmann, 87, one of the 1,200 survivors. She recalls watching the ship, brightly lit, slipping into its dark grave-and into seeming nothingness, rarely mentioned for more than half a century.

　　Now Germany’s Nobel Prize-winning author Gtinter Grass has revived the memory of the 9,000 dead, including more than 4,000 children-with his latest novel Crab Walk, published last month. The book, which will be out in English next year, doesn’t dwell on the sinking; its heroine is a pregnant young woman who survives the catastrophe only to say later: “Nobody wanted to hear about it, not here in the West (of Germany) and not at all in the East.” The reason was obvious. As Grass put it in a recent interview with the weekly Die Woche: “Because the crimes we Germans are responsible for were and are so dominant, we didn’t have the energy left to tell of our own sufferings.”

　　The long silence about the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff was probably unavoidable-and necessary. By unreservedly owning up to their country’s monstrous crimes in the Second World War, Germans have managed to win acceptance abroad, marginalize (使…不得势) the neo-Nazis at home and make peace with their neighbors. Today’s unified Germany is more prosperous and stable than at any time in its long, troubled history. For that, a half century of willful forgetting about painful memories like the German Titanic was perhaps a reasonable price to pay. But even the most politically correct Germans believe that they’ ye now earned the right to discuss the full historical record. Not to equate German suffering with that of its victims, but simply to acknowledge a terrible tragedy.

　　31. Why does the author say the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff was the worst tragedy in maritime history?

　　A) It was attacked by Russian torpedoes.

　　B) It caused the largest number of casualties.

　　C) Most of its passengers were frozen to death.

　　D) Its victims were mostly women and children.

　　32. Hundreds of families dropped into the sea when ________.

　　A) the badly damaged ship leaned toward one side

　　B) a strong ice storm tilted the ship

　　C) the cruise ship sank all of a sudden

　　D) the frightened passengers fought desperately for lifeboats

　　33. The Wilhelm Gustloff tragedy was little talked about for more than half a century because Germans ________.

　　A) were eager to win international acceptance

　　B) had been pressured to keep silent about it

　　C) were afraid of offending their neighbors

　　D) felt guilty for their crimes in World War II

　　34. How does Gunter Grass revive the memory of the Wilhelm Gustloff tragedy?

　　A) By describing the ship’s sinking in great detail.

　　B) By giving an interview to the weekly Die Woche.

　　C) By presenting the horrible scene of the torpedo attack.

　　D) By depicting the survival of a young pregnant woman.

　　35. It can be learned from the passage that Germans no longer think that ________.

　　A) the Wilhelm Gustloff tragedy is a reasonable price to pay for the nation’s past misdeeds

　　B) Germany is responsible for the horrible crimes it committed in World War II

　　C) they will be misunderstood if they talk about the Wilhelm Gustloff tragedy

　　D) it-is wrong to equate their sufferings with those of other countries

　　Passage Four

　　Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage.

　　When we worry about who might be spying on our private lives, we usually think about the Federal agents. But the private sector outdoes the government every time. It’s Linda Tripp, not the FBI, who is facing charges under Maryland’s laws against secret telephone taping. It’s our banks, not the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), that pass our private financial data to telemarketing firms.

　　Consumer activists are pressing Congress for better privacy laws without much result so far. The legislators lean toward letting business people track our financial habits virtually at will.

　　As an example of what’s going on, consider U.S. Bancorp, which was recently sued for deceptive practices by the state of Minnesota. According to the lawsuit, the bank supplied a telemarketer called Member Works with sensitive customer data such as names, phone numbers, bank-account and credit-card numbers, Social Security numbers, account balances and credit limits.

　　With these customer lists in hand, Member Works started dialing for dollars-selling dental plans, videogames, computer software and other products and services. Customers who accepted a “free trial offer” had 30 days to cancel. If the deadline passed, they were charged automatically through their bank or credit-card accounts. U.S. Bancorp collected a share of the revenues.

　　Customers were doubly deceived, the lawsuit claims. They, didn’t know that the bank was giving account numbers to MemberWorks. And if customers asked, they were led to think the answer was no.

　　The state sued MemberWorks separately for deceptive selling. The company denies that it did anything wrong. For its part, U.S. Bancorp settled without admitting any mistakes. But it agreed to stop exposing its customers to nonfinancial products sold by outside firms. A few top banks decided to do the same. Many other banks will still do business with MemberWorks and similar firms.

　　And banks will still be mining data from your account in order to sell you financial products, including things of little value, such as credit insurance and credit-card protection plans.

　　You have almost no protection from businesses that use your personal accounts for profit. For example, no federal law shields “transaction and experience” information-mainly the details of your bank and credit-card accounts. Social Security numbers are for sale by private firms. They’ve generally agreed not to sell to the public. But to businesses, the numbers are an open book. Self-regulation doesn’t work. A firm might publish a privacy-protection policy, but who enforces it?

　　Take U.S. Bancorp again. Customers were told, in writing, that “all personal information you supply to us will be considered confidential.” Then it sold your data to MemberWorks. The bank even claims that it doesn’t “sell” your data at all. It merely “shares” it and reaps a profit. Now you know.

　　36. Contrary to popular belief, the author finds that spying on people’s privacy ________.

　　A) is practiced exclusively by the FBI

　　B) is more prevalent in business circles

　　C) has been intensified with the help of the IRS

　　D) is mainly carried out by means of secret taping

　　37. We know from the passage that ________.

　　A) the state of Minnesota is considering drawing up laws to protect private information

　　B) most states are turning a blind eye to the deceptive practices of private businesses

　　C) legislators are acting to pass a law to provide better privacy protection

　　D) lawmakers are inclined to give a free hand to businesses to inquire into customers’ buying habits

　　38. When the “free trial” deadline is over, you’ll be charged without notice for a product or service if ________.

　　A) you happen to reveal your credit card number

　　B) you fail to cancel it within the specified period

　　C) you fail to apply for extension of the deadline

　　D) you find the product or service unsatisfactory

　　39. Businesses do not regard information concerning personal bank accounts as private because ________.

　　A) it is considered “transaction and experience” information unprotected by law

　　B) it has always been considered an open secret by the general public

　　C) its sale can be brought under control through self-regulation

　　D) its revelation will do no harm to consumers under the current protection policy

　　40. We can infer from the passage that ________.

　　A) banks will have to change their ways of doing business

　　B) “free trial” practice will eventually be banned

　　C) privacy protection laws will soon be enforced

　　D) consumers’ privacy will continue to be invaded

　　Part III Vocabulary (20 minutes)

　　Directions: There are 30 incomplete sentences in this part. For each sentence there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Choose the ONE answer that best completes the sentence. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.

　　41. For many years the Japanese have ________ the car market.

　　A) operated

　　B) occupied

　　C) presided

　　D) dominated

　　42. The bank is offering a ________ to anyone who can give information about the robbery.

　　A) prize

　　B) reward

　　C) bonus

　　D) compliment

　　43. His illness first ________ itself as severe stomach pains and headaches.

　　A) manifested

　　B) displayed

　　C) expressed

　　D) reflected

　　44. These continual ________ in temperature make it impossible to decide what to wear.

　　A) fluctuations

　　B) transformations

　　C) transitions

　　D) exchanges

　　45. Before we move, we should ________ some of the old furniture, so that we can have more room in the new house.

　　A) cancel

　　B) conceal

　　C) discard

　　D) dissipate

　　46. As we know, computers are used to store and ________ information efficiently.

　　A) reclaim

　　B) reassure

　　C) reconcile

　　D) retrieve

　　47. It is a(n) ________ that the French eat so much rich food and yet have a relatively low rate of heart disease.

　　A) paradox

　　B) correlation

　　C) analogy

　　D) illusion

　　48. The police are trying to ________ what really happened.

　　A) assert

　　B) avert

　　C) ascertain

　　D) ascribe

　　49. The ________ they felt for each other was obvious to everyone who saw them.

　　A) adherence

　　B) affection

　　C) sensitivity

　　D) sensibility

　　50. The relatives of those killed in the crash got together to seek ________.

　　A) compensation

　　B) refund

　　C) premium

　　D) repayment

　　51. He tried to hide his patch by sweeping his ________ hair over to one side.

　　A) bleak

　　B) barren

　　C) bald

　　D) bare

　　52. Years after the accident he was still ________ by images of death and destruction.

　　A) submerged

　　B) dipped

　　C) twisted

　　D) haunted

　　53. In spite of the ________, it seemed that many of the invited guests would still show up.

　　A) comparison

　　B) controversy

　　C) distinction

　　D) deviation

　　54. The government ________ a heavy tax on tobacco, which aroused opposition from the tobacco industry.

　　A) imposed

　　B) complied

　　C) prescribed

　　D) pronounced

　　55. The subject of safety must be placed at the top of the ________.

　　A) routine

　　B) bulletin

　　C) agenda

　　D) timetable

　　56. The old couple now still ________ for their beloved son, 30 years after his death.

　　A) mourn

　　B) groan

　　C) cherish

　　D) immerse

　　57. The post-World War II baby resulted in a 43 percent increase in the number of teenagers ________ in the 1960s and 1970s.

　　A) production

　　B) boost

　　C) prosperity

　　D) boom

　　58. High grades are supposed to ________ academic ability, but John’s actual performance did not confirm this.

　　A) clarify

　　B) classify

　　C) certify

　　D) notify

　　59. You cannot imagine how I feel ________ with my duties sometimes.

　　A) overthrown

　　B) overwhelmed

　　C) overflowed

　　D) overturned

　　60. Coffee is the ________ of this district and brings local farmers a lot of money.

　　A) elite

　　B) majority

　　C) spice

　　D) staple

　　61. Although he was on a diet, the delicious food ________ him enormously.

　　A) distracted

　　B) stimulated

　　C) tempted

　　D) inspired

　　62. When construction can begin depends on how soon the ________ of the route is completed.

　　A) survey

　　B) identity

　　C) orientation

　　D) conviction

　　63. He said that ending the agreement would ________ the future of small or family-run shops, lead to fewer books being published and increase prices of all but a few bestsellers.

　　A) venture

　　B) jeopardize

　　C) legalize

　　D) expose

　　64. The boxer ________ and almost fell when his opponent hit him.

　　A) scattered

　　B) shattered

　　C) staggered

　　D) stamped

　　65. At first everything went well with the project but recently we have had a number of ________ with the machinery.

　　A) disturbances

　　B) distortions

　　C) outputs

　　D) setbacks

　　66. Anyone not paying the registration fee by the end of this month will be ________ to have withdrawn from the program.

　　A) deemed

　　B) anticipated

　　C) contemplated

　　D) acknowledged

　　67. It is generally known that New York is a city for ________ and a center for odd bits of information.

　　A) veterans

　　B) eccentrics

　　C) victims

　　D) pedestrians

　　68. In mountainous regions, much of the snow that falls is ________ into ice.

　　A) compiled

　　B) dispersed

　　C) embodied

　　D) compacted

　　69. Henry went through the documents again carefully for fear of ________ any important data.

　　A) relaying

　　B) revealing

　　C) overlooking

　　D) deleting

　　70. Elisabeth did not enter the museum at once, but ________ in the courtyard.

　　A) dwelled

　　B) lingered

　　C) resided

　　D) delayed

　　Part IV Error Correction (15 minutes)

　　Directions: This part consists of a short passage. In this passage, there are altogether 10 mistakes, one in each numbered line. You may have to change a word, add a word or delete a word. Mark out the mistakes and put the corrections in the blanks provided. If you change a word, cross it out and write the correct word in the corresponding blank. If you add a word, put an insertion mark (∧) in the right place and write the missing word in the blank. If you delete a word, cross it and put a slash (/) in the blank.

　　Example:

　　Culture refers to the social heritage of a people—the learned patterns for thinking, feeling and acting that characterize a population or society, include the expression of these patters in (S1) material things. Culture is compose of nonmaterial culture—(S2) abstract creations like values, beliefs, customs and institutional arrangements—and material culture—physical object like (S3) cooking pots, computers and bathtubs. In sum, culture reflects both the ideas we share or everything we make. In ordinary (S4) speech, a person of culture is the individual can speak another (S5) language—the person who is unfamiliar with the arts, music, (S6) literature, philosophy, or history. But to sociologists, to be human is to be cultured, because of culture is the common world (S7) of experience we share with other members of our group.

　　Culture is essentially to our humanness. It provides a kind (S8) of map for relating to others. Consider how you feel your way about social life. How do you know how to act in a classroom, or a department store, or toward a person who smiles or laugh (S9) at you? Your culture supplies you by broad, standardized, (S10) ready-made answers for dealing with each of these situations.

　　Therefore, if we know a person’s culture, we can understand and even predict a good deal of his behavior.

　　Part V Writing (30 minutes)

　　For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a letter to the editor of a newspaper complaining about the poor service of a bookstore. You should write at least 150 words according to the guidelines given below in Chinese.

　　设想你买了一本英文词典，发现有这样那样的质量问题，书店的服务态度又不好，因此给报社编辑写信。信中必须包括以下内容：

　　1. 事情的起因

　　2. 与书店交涉的经过

　　3. 呼吁服务行业必须提高服务质量

　　2004年6月六级参考答案

　　Part I

　　1. C 2. A 3. D 4. D 5. B

　　6. C 7. A 8. A 9. B 10. C

　　11. D 12. C 13. A 14. B 15. A

　　16. D 17. A 18. B 19. C 20. B

　　Part II

　　21. C 22. D 23. A 24. B 25. B

　　26. D 27. C 28. A 29. C 30. D

　　31. B 32. A 33. D 34. D 35. C

　　36. B 37. D 38. B 39. A 40. D

　　Part III

　　41. D 42. B 43. A 44. A 45. C

　　46. D 47. A 48. C 49. B 50. A

　　51. C 52. D 53. B 54. A 55. C

　　56. A 57. D 58. C 59. B 60. D

　　61. C 62. A 63. B 64. C 65. D

　　66. A 67. B 68. D 69. C 70. B

　　Part IV

　　1. include → including

　　2. compose → composed

　　3. object → objects

　　4. or → and

　　5. individual 后+ who

　　6. unfamiliar → familiar

　　7. of去掉

　　8. essentially → essential

　　9. laugh → laughs

　　10. by → with

　　Part V Writing

　　[参考范文]

　　June 19, 2004

　　Dear Editor,

　　I am writing this letter to reflect some problems I came across recently and, appeal to the improvement of the service industry.

　　This weekend I bought an English-Chinese dictionary in a bookstore near my home since its cover is elaborately designed. But when I went home and read carefully, I found that the several pages of the dictionary have been cracked and befouled. What is worse, the misprints spread everywhere in the dictionary and seriously affect my comprehension. Since there was such damage and misprint to the dictionary, I went to the bookstore to require for a replace. But to my surprise, the staff of the bookstore turn down my request rudely and even denied the poor quality of the dictionary.

　　It goes without saying that today’s face-paced and market-oriented economy calls for much higher standard for service industry. However, to my regret, many of the commercials fail to achieve this standard and the quality of the staff needs to be improved. It’s self-evident that the poor quality of practitioners in the service industry will not only deeply disappoint customers but also hamper the development of our country’s economy. As a result, I expect your newspaper to appeal to the service industry to attach more importance to the service improvement.

　　Thank you for your attention!

　　Sincerely yours,

　　Sam

　　2004年6月六级听力原文

　　1. W: Oh, Dick. You are wearing a black jacket but yellow trousers. It’s the strangest combination I’ve ever seen.

　　M: I know. I got up late and dressed in a hurry. I didn’t realize my mistake until I entered the office.

　　Q: What does the woman think of the way Dick dressed?

　　2. M: Excuse me. But has anyone turned in a brown leather wallet? I’ve lost my wallet. It contains my driver’s license and also some family pictures that are pretty important to me.

　　W: Oh, yes. We had a wallet brought in this morning. Wait here just a minute, please.

　　Q: What would the woman probably do?

　　3. M: Excuse me, Madam. Is the air-conditioning on? This room is as hot as a furnace.

　　W: Sorry, sir. A new epidemic called SARS is threatening us right now. As a preventative measure, we are told to let in fresh air by opening the windows and not to use the air conditioners.

　　Q: What does the woman mean?

　　4. M: You look quite different from what you used to.

　　W: Sure. I started exercising regularly two years ago and went from 253 pounds to a healthy 160 pounds and that is the only thing I did not give up halfway.

　　Q: What do we know about woman?

　　5. M: I wonder if you find my experience relevant to the job.

　　W: Yes, certainly. But if only you had sent your application letter a week earlier.

　　Q: What does the woman imply?

　　6. W: Shouldn’t someone go pick up the clothes form the laundry? They were ready three hours ago.

　　M: Don’t look at me, mom.

　　Q: What does the boy mean?

　　7. M: Er... Hi, could you tell me where electronic products are displayed? I want to see some TVs, digital video cameras, DVD players, that sort of thing.

　　W: Well. Several countries are displaying electronic products. China’s selection is very large this year. You might as well go to the east wing first to take a look at a Chinese booth.

　　Q: Where is the conversation most probably taking place?

　　8. M: Well, what did you think of the movie?

　　W: I don’t know why I let you talk me into going. I just don’t like violence. Next time you’d better choose a comedy.

　　Q: What can we infer from the conversation?

　　9. W: Who do you think should get the job? How about Mr. Becket?

　　M: Mr. Becket? I’m not sure. He is a nice fellow, of course, and easy to get along with. But I doubt his professional expertise. I want someone who can get the job done.

　　Q: What do we learn from the conversation about Mr. Becket?

　　10. M: Do you think home video players will replace movie theatres and force them out of the entertainment business?

　　W: We’re certainly faced with the grave challenge from the DVD industry. That’s why I think we have to revolutionize our concept of movie showing. As I see it, the movie theatre should not just be a place to watch a film, but a place to meet people.

　　Q: What does the woman think of the movie theatre?

　　Passage One

　　Few people can stand for the spirit of earlier America as much as Benjamin Franklin. He lived through almost the whole of the 18th century. He was born six years after the century began, and died ten years before it ended. During this time, he saw the American colonies grow from tiny settlements into a nation and he also contributed much to the new state. He was deeply interested in science and natural history and his experiments with electricity and lightning led directly to the invention of the lightning rod. He was also interested in improving the conditions of his fellow men. He was involved in a number of projects in his native Philadelphia, including the setting up of a library, and a university, a philosophical society and fire-prevention service. He worked hard to enable the American colonies to gain independence from Britain. As ambassador to France, he encouraged the French to help George Washington. After the war, he attended the American Constitutional Congress. This was his last contribution, for he died late that year. He is still fondly remembered by Americans as one of the creators of the United States.

　　Questions 11 to 13 are based on the passage you have just heard.

　　11. What did the speaker say about Benjamin Franklin?

　　12. How did Franklin help George Washington?

　　13. According to the passage, what is Franklin still well remembered as?

　　Passage Two

　　Yuppies are young people who earn a lot of money and live in a style that is too expensive for most people. If you’re invited to a yuppie dinner party, don’t be surprised if you’re offered freshly-cooked insects as a first course. While the idea of eating fried insects fills most of us with horror, insect-eating is becoming highly fashionable. For example, in the media industry, successful executives are often seen to eat fried or boiled insects from time to time while working at their desks. These safe-to-eat insects can be found and ordered on the Internet. And young people are logging on to exotic food websites and ordering samples of prepared insects to serve at their dinner parties. Although the idea of eating insects is probably disgusting to most of us, few people would claim that pigs, chickens, and some kind of seafood we often eat are examples of great beauty. One day, insects could be marketed and sold as food item in supermarket. According to their fans, they are not only high in protein and low in fat, but also very tasty. But until our attitudes to food change fundamentally, it seems that insect-eaters will remain a select few.

　　Questions 14 to 17 are based on the passage you have just heard.

　　14. Why did the speaker say we might be surprised at the yuppie dinner party?

　　15. Where can the people order the unusual food mentioned by the speaker?

　　16. Why are some yuppies attracted by the unusual food?

　　17. What does the speaker say about the future of this type of unusual food?

　　Passage Three

　　Many people dislike walking to the bank, standing in long lines and running out of checks. They are dissatisfied with that bank’s limited hours, too. They want to do some banking at nights and on weekends. For such people, their problems may soon be over. Before long, they may be able to do their banking from the comfort of their own home, any hour of the day, any day of the week. Many banks are preparing online branches or Internet offices, which means that people will be able to take care of much of their banking business through their home computers. This process is called “interactive banking”. At these online branches, customers will be able to view all their accounts, move money between their accounts, apply for a loan and get current information on product such as credit cards. Customers will also be able to pay their bills electrically and even email questions to their bank. Banks are creating online services for several reasons. One reason is that banks must compete for customers who will switch to another bank if they are dissatisfied with the service they receive. The convenience of online banking appeals to the kind of customer banks most want to keep. That is, people who are young, well-educated and have good incomes. Banks also want to take advantage of modern technology since they have moved to 21st century.

　　Questions 18 to 20 are based on the passage you have just heard.

　　18. What is one of the reasons for people’s dissatisfaction with traditional banks?

　　19. What kind of customers does online banking most appeal to?

　　20. Why do banks create online services according to the passage?