2009年英语六级最新模拟试题卷（第5组）阅读

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

America is a country that now sits atop the cherished myth that work provides rewards, that working people can support their families. It's a myth that has become so divorced from reality that it might as well begin with the words "Once upon a time". Today 1.6 million New Yorkers suffer from "food insecurity", which is a fancy way of saying they don't have enough to eat. Some are the people who come in at night and clean the skyscrapers that glitter along the river. Some pour coffee and take care of the aged parents of the people who live in those buildings. The American Dream for the well-to-do grows from the bowed backs of the working poor, who too often have to choose between groceries and rent。

In a new book called "The Betrayal of Work", Beth Shulman says that even in the booming 1990s one out of every four American workers made less than $8. 70 an hour, an income equal to the government's poverty level for a family of four. Many, if not most, of these workers had no health care, sick pay or retirement provisions。

We ease our consciences, Shulman writes, by describing these people as "low skilled", as though they're not important or intelligent enough to deserve more. But Iow-skilled workers today are better educated than ever before, and they constitute the linchpin (SYNC) of American industry. When politicians crow (得意洋洋地说) that happy days are here again because jobs are on the rise, it's these jobs they're really talking about. Five of the 10 occupations expected to grow big in the next decade are in the lowest-paying job groups. And before we sit back and decide that's just the way it; is, it's instructive to consider the rest of the world. While the bottom 10 percent of American workers earn just 37 percent of our average wage, their counterparts in other industrialized countries earn upwards of 60 percent. And those are countries that provide health care and child care, which eases the economic pinch considerably。

Almost 40 years ago, when Lyndon Johnson declared war on poverty, a family with a car and a house in the suburbs felt prosperous. Today that same family may well feel poor, overwhelmed by credit card debt, a second mortgage and the cost of the stuff that has become the backbone of American life. When the middle Class feels poor, the poor have little chance for change, or even recognition。

47. By saying "it might as well begin with the words 'Once upon a time'"(Line 3,Para. 1)， the author suggests that the American myth is ______。
48. What is the American Dream of the well-to-do built upon?
49. Some Americans try to make themselves feel less guilty by attributing the poverty of the working people to ______。
50. We learn from the passage that the difference in pay between the lowest paid and the average worker in America is ______ than. that in other industrialized countries。
51. According to the author, how would an American family with a car and a house in the suburbs probably feel about themselves today?

Section B
Passage One

As a wise man once said, we are all ultimately alone. But an increasing number of Europeans are choosing to be so at an ever earlier age. This isn't the stuff of gloomy philosophical contemplations, hut a fact of Europe's new economic landscape, embraced by sociologists, real- estate developers and ad executives alike. The shift away from family life to solo lifestyle, observes a French sociologist, is part of the "irresistible momentum of individualism" over the last century. The communications revolution, the shift from a business culture of stability to one of mobility and the mass entry of women into the workforce have greatly wreaked havoc on (扰乱) Europeans' private lives。

Europe's new economic climate has largely fostered the trend toward independence. The current generation of home-aloners came of age during Europe's shift from social democracy to the sharper, more individualistic climate of American-style capitalism. Raised in an era of privatization and increased consumer choice, today's tech-savvy (精通技术的) workers have embraced a free market in love as well as economics. Modern Europeans are rich enough to afford to live alone, and temperamentally independent enough to want to do so。

Once upon a time, people who lived alone tended to be those on either side of marriage-- twenty something professionals or widowed senior citizens. While pensioners, particularly elderly women, make up a large proportion of those living alone, the newest crop of singles are high earners in their 30s and 40s who increasingly view living alone as a lifestyle choice. Living alone was conceived to be negative dark and cold, while being together suggested warmth and light. But then came along the idea of singles. They were young, beautiful, strong! Now, young people want to live alone。

The booming economy means people are working harder than ever. And that doesn't leave much room for relationships. Pimpi Arroyo, a 35-year-old composer who lives alone in a house in Paris, says he hasn't got time to get lonely because he has too much work. "I have deadlines which would make life with someone else fairly difficult. "Only an ideal woman would make him change his lifestyle, he says. Kaufmann, author of a recent book called "The Single Woman and Prince Charming," thinks this fierce new individualism means that people expect more and more of mates, so relationships don't last long if they start at all. Eppendorf a blond Berliner with a deep tan, teaches grade school in the mornings. In the afternoon she sunbathes or sleeps, resting up for going dancing. Just shy of 50, she says she'd never have wanted to do what her mother did give up a career to raise a family. Instead, "I've always done what I wanted to do：live a self- determined life."

52. More and more young Europeans remain single because?
A) they are driven by an overwhelming sense of individualism
B) they have entered the workforce at a much earlier age
C) they have embraced a business culture of stability
D) they are pessimistic about their economic future

53. What is said about European society in the passage?
A) It has fostered the trend towards small families。
B) It is getting closer to American style capitalism。
C) It has limited consumer choice despite a free market。
D) It is being threatened by irresistible privatization。

54. According to Paragraph 3, the newest group of singles are ______。
A) warm and light hearted B) on either side of marriage
C) negative and gloomy D) healthy and wealthy

55. The author quotes Eppendorf to show that ______。
A) some modern women prefer a life of individual freedom
B) the family is no longer the basic unit of society in present-day Europe
C) some professional people have too much work to do to feel lonely
D) most Europeans conceive living a single life as unacceptable

56. What is the author's purpose in writing the passage?
A) To review the impact of women becoming high earners。
B) To contemplate the philosophy underlying individualism。
C) To examine the trend of young people living alone。
D) To stress the rebuilding of personal relationships。

Passage Two

Supporters of the biotech industry have accused an American scientist of misconduct after she testified to the New Zealand government that a genetically modified(GM) bacterium could cause serious damage if released。

The New Zealand Life Sciences Network, an association of pro-GM scientists and organizations, says the view expressed by Elaine Ingham, a soil biologist at Oregon State University in Corvallis, was exaggerated and irresponsible. It has asked her university to discipline her。

But Ingham stands by her comments and says the complaints are an attempt to silence her. "They're trying to cause trouble with my university and get me fired," Ingham told New Scientist。

The controversy began on 1 February, when Ingham testified before New Zealand's Royal Commission on Genetic Modification, which will determine how to regulate GM organisms. Ingham claimed that a GM version of a common soil bacterium could spread and destroy plants if released into the wild. Other researchers had previously modified the bacterium to produce alcohol from organic waste. But Ingham says that when she put it in soil with wheat plants, all of the plants died within a week。.

"We would lose terrestrial(陆生的)plants... this is an organism that is potentially deadly to the continued survival of human beings," she told the commission. She added that the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) canceled its approval for field tests using the organism once she had told them about her research in 1999.

But last week the New Zealand Life Sciences Network accused Ingham of "presenting inaccurate, careless and exaggerated information" and "generating speculative doomsday scenarios (世界末日的局面)that are not scientifically supportable". They say that her study doesn't even show that the bacteria would survive in the wild, much less kill massive numbers of plants. What's more, the network says that contrary to Ingham's claims, the EPA. was never asked to consider the organism for field trials。

The EPA has not commented on the dispute. But an e-mail to the network from Janet Anderson, director of the EPA's bio pesticides (生物杀虫剂)division, says "there is no record of a review and/or clearance to field test"。

Ingham says EPA officials had told her that the organism was approved for field tests, but says she has few details. It's also not clear whether the organism, first engineered by a German institute for biotechnology, is still in use。

Whether Ingham is right or wrong, her supporters say opponents are trying unfairly to silence her。

"I think her concerns should be taken seriously. She shouldn't be harassed in this way," says Ann Clarke, a plant biologist at the University of Guelph in Canada who also testified before the commission. "It's an attempt to silence the opposition."

57. The passage centers on the controversy ______。
A) between American and New Zealand biologists over genetic modification
B) as to whether the study of genetic modification should be continued
C) over the possible adverse effect of a GM bacterium on plants
D) about whether Elaine Ingham should be fired by her university

58. Ingham insists that her testimony is based on ______。
A) evidence provided by the EPA of the United States
B) the results of an experiment she conducted herself
C) evidence from her collaborative research with German biologists
D) the results of extensive field tests in Corvallis, Oregon

59. According to Janet Anderson, the EPA ______。
A) has canceled its approval for field tests of the GM organism
B) hasn't reviewed the timings of Ingham's research
C) has approved field tests using the GM organism
D) hasn't given permission to field test the GM organism

60. According to Ann Clarke, the New Zealand Life Sciences Network ______。
A) should gather evidence to discredit Ingham's claims
B) should require that the research by their biologists be regulated
C) shouldn't demand that Ingham be disciplined for voicing her views
D) shouldn't appease the opposition in such a quiet way

61. Which of the following statements about Ingham is TRUE?
A) Her testimony hasn't been supported by the EPA。
B) Her credibility as a scientist hasn't been undermined。
C) She is firmly supported by her university。
D) She has made great contributions to the study of GM bacteria。

Part Ⅳ Reading Comprehension(Reading in Depth)
Section A
47.文章一开始作者讲到美国人一直相信这样一个神话：只要工作就有回报，工作的人完全可以养家。但紧接着作者说“It's a myth that has become so divorced from reality that it might as well begin with the words‘Once upon a time。”(这个神话和现实有如此大的差距以至于我们在这么说之前得加上“很久很久以前……”。)所以本题可以填写原文中的原词“divorced from reality”。这样要填写的句子的意思就符合原文了，作者说“我们最好在前面加上很久很久以前”，暗示美国神话已经脱离了现实。基于对这部分意思的理解，也可以填写“unrealistic”，表示这一神话般的说法是不现实的。
48.第一段最后一句“The American Dream for the well-to-do grows from the bowed backs of the working poor，who too often have to choose between groceries and rent。”中的grows from和问题中的is built upon是一个意思。因此，本题可以用“The bowed backs of the working poor，”来回答，也可以基于理解，回答成“The backbreaking labor of the working labor”。
49.第三段第一句“We ease our consciences，Shulman writes，by describing these people as ‘low skilled，’ as though they're not important or intelligent enough to deserve more。”中的“ease our consciences”就是“减轻负疚感”的意思。因此只要回答归咎于劳动者“技能低下”就可以了。原文用的是形容词“low skilled”，题目中在介词to后用名词。因此答案可以是“(their)lack of skill”或者“(their) low skill”。
50.第三段倒数第二句，“While the bottom 10 percent of American workers earn just 37 percent of our average wage，their，counterparts in other industrialized countries earn upwards of 60 percent。”中提到美国工资最低的10%的劳动者的收入占美国人均收入的37%，而在其他工业国家，这类劳动者的收入达到这些国家平均收入的60%。由此可见，美国劳动者的最低收入和人均收入的差距要比其他工业国家的大很多。因此，正确答案为“much greater”。
51.文章最后一段说“Almost 40 years ago，when Lyndon Johnson declared war on poverty，a family with a car and a house in the suburbs felt prosperous.Today that same family may well feel poor.。.”。可见正确答案是“Poor”。
Section B
52.因果推断题。由第一段前两句“Europeans are choosing to be so at an ever earlier age... The shift away from family life to solo lifestyle...is part of the‘irresistible momentum of individualism’”可知欧洲年轻人选择单身是个人主义使然，他们向往自由、向往个性因而选择single。
53.根据文中第二段开头“Europe...trend toward independence...shift from social democracy to the sharper，more individualistic climate of American-style capitalism。”可以判断应该选择B项。
54.细节推断题。根据第三段中“the newest crop of singles are high earners in their 30s and 40s who increasingly view living alone as a lifestyle choice...They were young，beautiful， strong! Now，young people want to live alone。”，可以推断the newest group of singles are high earners and strong，即 healthy and wealthy。
55.例证题。根据文章最后部分“Eppendorf...teaches grade school in the mornings.In the afternoon she sunbathes or sleeps，resting up for going dancing...she says she'd never...-- give up a career to raise a family.Instead.‘I've always done what I wanted to do：live a self- determined life.’”。可以推断现代的女性更喜欢个人的、独立的生活。
56.写作目的题。认真阅读文章前两句，就可以看出作者的keynote：“...we are all ultimately a lone. But an increasing number... are choosing to be so at an ever earlier age”，第三段再次提到“the newest crop of singles are high earners in their 30s and 40s who increasingly view living alone as a lifestyle choice....came along the idea of singles.They were young，beautiful，strong! Now，young people want to live alone”。因此，正确答案为C项。
57.主旨题。第一段提及“Supporters of the biotech industry have accused an American scientist of misconduct...genetically modified (GM) bacterium could cause serious damage if released”，即一位美国科学家认为GM细菌一旦释放即可能造成严重损害，而支持GM(pro- GM)的则认为对方发言“exaggerated and irresponsible”。第四段直接指出“The controversy began.。.”，由此可以推断本文主要讲述双方针对GM细菌是否会造成严重损害，各执一词。
58.细节推断题。根据文章第四段末“Ingham says that when she put it in soil with wheat plants，all of the plants died within a week。”以及第五段后半部分“She added that...canceled its approval for field tests...once she had told them about her research in 1999.”可推断是 Ingham自己做试验来印证她的观点。 59.细节判断题。根据第七段“The EPA has not commented on the dispute.But…Janet Anderson，director of the EPA...says‘there is no record of a review and/or clearance to field test’。”由此可以看出EPA没有field test的记录，也没有审核，消除field test的记录，意思是与该争论划清界限，表示并没有授权进行GM field test，也没有参与。
60.推断题。根据第十段…I think her concerns should be taken seriously.She shouldn't be harassed in this way，’says Ann Clarke...‘It's an attempt to silence the opposition.’”，Ann Clarke认为Ingham的担忧应该被慎重对待，反对她的人不应该通过起诉来骚扰她，反对者这么做是想让她对此事保持沉默。由此推断，Ann Clarke认为Ingham的观点应该被重视 (先甭管对否)，他方式来论证，而不是通过法律强制手段让她对此事保持沉默。
61.细节判断题。由第59题的详细解释可以看出EPA并不支持Ingham的观点，这一点显而易见。至于Ingham对GM细菌研究有多大贡献，Ingham的学校对此事持什么态度都没、有提及，由此排除B、C、D三项。