2010年12月英语六级真题仔细阅读原文与解析

2010年12月英语六级真题仔细阅读原文与解析

Part IV Reading Comprehension (Reading in Depth) (25 minutes)

Section A

Directions: In this section, there is a short passage with 5 questions or incomplete statements. Read the passage carefully. Then answer the questions or complete the statements in the fewest possible words. Please write your answers on Answer Sheet 2.

Questions 47 to 51 are based on the following passage.

Most young boys are trained to believe that men should be strong, tough, cool, and detached. Thus, they learn early to hide vulnerable emotions such as love, joy, and sadness because they believe that such feelings are feminine and imply weakness. Over time, some men become strangers to their own emotional lives. It seems that men with traditional views of masculinity are more likely to suppress outward emotions and to fear emotions, supposedly because such feelings may lead to a loss of composure (镇定). Keep in mind, however, that this view is challenged by some researchers. As with many gender gaps, differences in emotionality tend to be small, inconsistent, and dependent on the situation. For instance, Robertson and colleagues found that males who were more traditionally masculine were more emotionally expressive in a structured exercise than when they were simply asked to talk about their emotions.

Males difficulty with tender emotions has serious consequences. First, suppressed emotions can contribute to stress-related disorders. And worse, men are less likely than women to seek help from health professionals. Second, mens emotional inexpressiveness can cause problems in their relationships with partners and children. For example, men who endorse traditional masculine norms report lower relationship satisfaction, as do their female partners. Further, children whose fathers are warm, loving, and accepting toward them have higher self-esteem and lower rates of aggression and behavior problems. On a positive note, fathers are increasingly involving themselves with their children. And 30 percent of fathers report that they take equal or greater responsibility for their children than their working wives do.

One emotion males are allowed to express is anger. Sometimes this anger translates into physical aggression or violence. Men commit nearly 90 percent of violent crimes in the United States and almost all sexual assaults.

47. Most young boys have been trained to believe that men who show tender feelings are considered to be ______________.

48. Some men believe that if they expressed their emotions openly they might ______________.

49. According to the author, men who suppress their emotions may develop ______________.

50. Men who observe traditional masculine norms are said to derive less satisfaction from ______________.

51. When males get angry, they can become ______________ or even commit violence.

Section B

Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. 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 Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.

Passage One

Questions 52 to 56 are based on the following passage.

In the early 20th century, few things were more appealing than the promise of scientific knowledge. In a world struggling with rapid industrialization, science and technology seemed to offer solutions to almost every problem. Newly created state colleges and universities devoted themselves almost entirely to scientific, technological, and engineering fields. Many Americans came to believe that scientific certainty could not only solve scientific problems, but also reform politics, government, and business. Two world wars and a Great Depression rocked the confidence of many people that scientific expertise alone could create a prosperous and ordered world. After World War Ⅱ, the academic world turned with new enthusiasm to humanistic studies, which seemed to many scholars the best way to ensure the survival of democracy. American scholars fanned out across much of the worldwith support from the Ford Foundation, the Fulbright program, etc.to promote the teaching of literature and the arts in an effort to make the case for democratic freedoms.

In the America of our own time, the great educational challenge has become an effort to strengthen the teaching of what is now known as the STEM disciplines (science, technology, engineering, and math). There is considerable and justified concern that the United States is falling behind much of the rest of the developed world in these essential disciplines. India, China, Japan, and other regions seem to be seizing technological leadership.

At the same time, perhaps inevitably, the humanitieswhile still popular in elite colleges and universitieshave experienced a significant decline. Humanistic disciplines are seriously underfunded, not just by the government and the foundations but by academic institutions themselves. Humanists are usually among the lowest-paid faculty members at most institutions and are often lightly regarded because they do not generate grant income and because they provide no obvious credentials (资质) for most nonacademic careers.

Undoubtedly American education should train more scientists and engineers. Much of the concern among politicians about the state of American universities today is focused on the absence of real world educationwhich means preparation for professional and scientific careers. But the idea that institutions or their students must decide between humanities and science is false. Our society could not survive without scientific and technological knowledge. But we would be equally impoverished (贫困的) without humanistic knowledge as well. Science and technology teach us what we can do. Humanistic thinking helps us understand what we should do.

It is almost impossible to imagine our society without thinking of the extraordinary achievements of scientists and engineers in building our complicated world. But try to imagine our world as well without the remarkable works that have defined our culture and values. We have always needed, and we still need, both.。

52. In the early 20th century Americans believed science and technology could _______.

[A] solve virtually all existing problems [C] help raise peoples living standards

[B] quicken the pace of industrialization [D] promote the nations social progress

53. Why did many American scholars become enthusiastic about humanistic studies after World WarⅡ?

[A] They wanted to improve their own status within the current education system.

[B] They believed the stability of a society depended heavily on humanistic studies.

[C] They could get financial support from various foundations for humanistic studies.

[D] They realized science and technology alone were no guarantee for a better world.

54. Why are American scholars worried about education today?

[A] The STEM subjects are too challenging for students to learn.

[B] Some Asian countries have overtaken America in basic sciences.

[C] America is lagging behind in the STEM disciplines.

[D] There are not enough scholars in humanistic studies.

55. What accounts for the significant decline in humanistic studies today?

[A] Insufficient funding. [C] Shortage of devoted faculty.

[B] Shrinking enrollment. [D] Dim prospects for graduates.

56. Why does the author attach so much importance to humanistic studies?

[A] They promote the development of science and technology.

[B] They help prepare students for their professional careers.

[C] Humanistic thinking helps define our culture and values.

[D] Humanistic thinking helps cultivate students creativity.

Passage Two

Questions 57 to 61 are based on the following passage.

Will there ever be another Einstein? This is the undercurrent of conversation at Einstein memorial meetings throughout the year. A new Einstein will emerge, scientists say. But it may take a long time. After all, more than 200 years separated Einstein from his nearest rival, Isaac Newton.

Many physicists say the next Einstein hasnt been born yet, or is a baby now. Thats because the quest for a unified theory that would account for all the forces of nature has pushed current mathematics to its limits. New math must be created before the problem can be solved.

But researchers say there are many other factors working against another Einstein emerging anytime soon.

For one thing, physics is a much different field today. In Einsteins day, there were only a few thousand physicists worldwide, and the theoreticians who could intellectually rival Einstein probably would fit into a streetcar with seats to spare.

Education is different, too. One crucial aspect of Einsteins training that is overlooked is the years of philosophy he read as a teenagerKant, Schopenhauer and Spinoza, among others. It taught him how to think independently and abstractly about space and time, and it wasnt long before he became a philosopher himself.

The independence created by philosophical insight isin my opinionthe mark of distinction between a mere artisan (工匠) or specialist and a real seeker after truth, Einstein wrote in 1944.

And he was an accomplished musician. The interplay between music and math is well known. Einstein would furiously play his violin as a way to think through a knotty physics problem.

Today, universities have produced millions of physicists. There arent many jobs in science for them, so they go to Wall Street and Silicon Valley to apply their analytical skills to more practicaland rewardingefforts.

Maybe there is an Einstein out there today, said Columbia University physicist Brian Greene, but it would be a lot harder for him to be heard.

Especially considering what Einstein was proposing.

The actual fabric of space and time curving? My God, what an idea! Greene said at a recent gathering at the Aspen Institute. It takes a certain type of person who will bang his head against the wall because you believe youll find the solution.

Perhaps the best examples are the five scientific papers Einstein wrote in his miracle year of 1905. These thought experiments were pages of calculations signed and submitted to the prestigious journal Annalen der Physik by a virtual unknown. There were no footnotes or citations.

What might happen to such a submission today?

We all get papers like those in the mail, Greene said. We put them in the junk file.

57. What do scientists seem to agree upon, judging from the first two paragraphs?

[A] Einstein pushed mathematics almost to its limits.

[B] It will take another Einstein to build a unified theory.

[C] No physicist is likely to surpass Einstein in the next 200 years.

[D] It will be some time before a new Einstein emerges.

58. What was critical to Einsteins success?

[A] His talent as an accomplished musician.

[B] His independent and abstract thinking.

[C] His untiring effort to fulfill his potential.

[D] His solid foundation in math theory.

59. What does the author tell us about physicists today?

[A] They tend to neglect training in analytical skills.

[B] They are very good at solving practical problems.

[C] They attach great importance to publishing academic papers.

[D] They often go into fields yielding greater financial benefits.

60. What does Brian Greene imply by saying ... it would be a lot harder for him to be heard (Lines 1-2, Para. 9)?

[A] People have to compete in order to get their papers published.

[B] It is hard for a scientist to have his papers published today.

[C] Papers like Einsteins would unlikely get published today.

[D] Nobody will read papers on apparently ridiculous theories.

61. When he submitted his papers in 1905, Einstein _______.

[A] forgot to make footnotes and citations

[B] was little known in academic circles

[C] was known as a young genius in math calculations

[D] knew nothing about the format of academic papers

答案解析

Section A

47.

答案：feminine and weak

解析：文中提到because they believe that such feelings are feminine and imply weakness. 要填在to be后面就应该转化成形容词形式。

48.

答案：lose composure

解析：文中提到may lead to a loss of composure。要用在主语后面就要把loss变成动词lose。

49.

答案：stress-related disorders

解析：文中提到can contribute to stress-related disorder。

50.

答案：their relationship with partners

解析：文中提到report lower relationship satisfaction as do their female partners.故这里要重新组合转换表达形式。

51.

答案：aggressive

解析：文中提到into physically aggression or violence，而此处在become后就要用aggression的形容词形式。

Section B

Passage One

52) A solve virtually existing all problems

细节题。抓住时间点In the early 2oth century 我们从第一句 offer solutions to almost every problem 便可知道答案。选择A选项。

53) D They realized that science and technology alone were no guarantee for a better world.

推论题。 我们首先比较容易排除A和C项。B项具有迷惑性，关键是看the stability of a society depended heavily on humanistic study这个选项仔细看就会发现说得太绝对了，社会的问题主要是靠人文主义的研究?显然不是很恰当。我们从下面那句也可以推断出选D比较恰当。 Two world wars and a Great Depression rocked the confidence of many people that scientific expertise alone could create a prosperous and ordered world.

54) C America is lagging behind in the STEMS disciplines.

细节题。主要在第二段里找答案。从段落后两句There is considerable and justified concern that the United States is falling behind much of the rest of the developed world in these essential disciplines. 我们可以推断出是选C选项。 A和D选项比较容易排除。不选B选项，因为文章中 India, China, Japan, and other regions seem to be seizing technological leadership. seem to 表明这几个国家只是有种趋势，但还没有have overtaken。

55) A Insufficient funding.

细节题。我们在第三段里可以找到答案。 从are seriously underfunded Humanists are usually among the lowest-paid faculty members 这些信息中，可以很快知道是A选项。

56) C Humanistic thinking helps cultivate and define our culture and values.

细节题。本题不难。作者为什么如此着重人文主义的研究，其他三项都是非常具体的，且都不是重点。只有C选项符合。且我们从最后这一句 But try to imagine our world as well without the remarkable works that have defined our culture and values. 及作者的语气可以更加确定是C选项。

Passage Two

57. D. It will be some time before a new Einstein emerges.

解析：这道题针对开头两节。A和C答案比较容易排除，A说爱因斯坦把数学推到了一个极限，C说在将来的两百年都不会有物理学家超过爱因斯坦，这两个都明显不合文章大意。B答案说需要一个爱因斯坦才能建立一种大一统理论，属于过度推理，并且细节性太强了。D答案是正确答案，很多同学不敢选D的原因是，因为有些科学家们认为爱因斯坦或许还没有诞生或许还是个小婴儿，他们认为这样一来就有可能爱因斯坦已经存在了。但是这句话里面的爱因斯坦是代表伟大的科学家的意思，那么这个题目选择D就是正确的，大家都同意的是像爱因斯坦那样伟大的科学家还需要一定的时间才会出现。

58. B. His independent and abstract thinking

解析：B他独立与抽象思维能力。这一段是文章中间部分的内容概括。根据上下文意思推断，爱因斯坦成功的原因，不能说是他在音乐方面的天分，也不能说他的努力或者他在数学方面的深厚基础，因此答案选择B。

59. D. They often go into fields yielding greater financial benefits.

解析：正确答案选择D。这段文章是在问今天的物理学家们的情况， A说他们缺乏分析能力，B说他们擅长处理实际问题，C说他们重视发表文章，都是从根据文章细节中捏造出来的错误选项。D是对于文章内容的一个总结概括，数量众多的物理学家进入了更有经济利益的领域。

60. D. Nobody will read papers on apparently ridiculous theories.

解析：正确答案选择D。结合Greene讲的话，他说What an idea!还说是需要把头往墙上撞的人才会相信能找到个解决方案呢!说明内容实在是比较荒诞。

61. B. was little known in academic circles

解析：正确答案选择B，说的是爱因斯坦在学术圈里面默默无闻，跟原文里面的by a virtual unknown相对应。有迷惑性的选择项是D,因为文中提到了爱因斯坦的文章没有配上脚注和注释footnote and citations.但是D选择项是说，爱因斯坦不懂得论文的格式，这个属于过度推理了。