2008年12月英语六级星火预测试卷听力理解
发布时间：2013-11-04 共6页
Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
22. What is the conversation mainly about?
B)。【解析】四个选项均为概括性比较强的短语，由此可以推测，本题考查的内容很有可能是对话的主题。由metals，measuring weight，metric等词推测，对话可能与金属或其他某种事物的度量有关系。 女士说她想问男士几个关于新度量衡的问题(new official standard weight)，由此揭示对话谈论的主题是关于衡量重量标准的单位。
23. What was the standard weight used to do?
A)。【解析】四个选项均为不定式，由此可以推测，本题考查的内容可能是目的或行为。 男士说他们用新标准度量衡来检测全国的天平(scales)，他们有责任利用它来确保所有的天平都能够准确地测量1公斤的重量(measure a kilogram accurately)。
24. Why was it necessary to replace the old standard weight?
C)。【解析】四个选项均描述某件事物的缺点或问题，由此可以推测，本题考查的内容可能是某件事物的弊端。 男士说旧天平会被取代是因为它不够精准(imprecise)，制造材料低劣(made of poor quality metal)。故正确答案为C)。
25. What does Dr.Thomas probably think about the cost of the new weight?
C)。【解析】四个选项均为对某件事物价值的描述，由此可以推测，本题考查的内容可能是对某件事物价值的评价。女士问男士新度量衡是否物有所值(worth that much)，男士说确定如此。由此可以推断男士认为新度量衡是物有所值的。故正确答案为C)。
Section B
Passage One
Jim Thorpe was an American Indian, born on May 28, 1888 in Oklahoma.(26) When he had his education at the Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania,his athletic coach considered him a splendid athlete and encouraged him to concentrate on sports. From then on, Thorpe participated in almost every aspect of athletics. Whenever he competed in any event, he easily won first place.
In the years that followed, he took part in football games against such renowned teams as Harvard and West Point. Thorpe again and again brought his team to victory. In 1912 he was invited to compete in the Olympic Games in Stockholm. There he excelled in several tack events and was presented with first place gold medals. He was the first athlete to capture first place awards in so many track events.
When Thorpe returned home from the Olympic Games,(27)he was welcomed with parades and celebration. The president called him the highest type of citizen.(28)However, this was all short-lived because it was found out that at one time Thorpe had been a professional athlete. Since an athlete must be an amateur in order to participate in the Olympic Games, Thorpe did not qualify. Therefore, all of his medals were taken away from him.
In later years, Thorpe played baseball and football professionally. His admirers often tried to have his medals returned to him, but in vain. Thorpe died a lonely man in California on May 28, 1953.Today, as always, many still believe Thorpe was the best athlete that ever lived.
Questions 26 to 28 are based on the passage you have just heard.
26. Where was Thorpe's athletic talent discovered?
C)。【解析】四个选项都是表示地点的状语，由此可以推测，本题的内容可能跟某件事情发生的地点有关。
早在Thorpe还在Carlisle Indian School上学的时候(had his education at the Carlisle Indian School)，他的体育教练(athletic coach)就发现了他卓越的运动才能(splendid athlete)，并鼓励他专心从事运动(concentrate on sports)。故正确答案为C)。
27. How did American people receive Thorpe when he came back from Stockholm in 1912?
B)。【解析】四个选项都是They开头，都是对待某人的态度，由此可以推测，本题的内容可能是关于一些人怎么对待某个人的。 当Thorpe 1912年从Stockholm回来的时候，美国人民为他举行了游行(parades)和庆祝(celebration)。故正确答案为B)。
28. Why were Thorpe's medals taken away from him?
D)。【解析】四个选项都是Because开头的，由此可以推测，本题的内容是关于某件事情发生的原因。按照当时的规则，参加奥林匹克运动会的运动员必须是业余选手(an amateur)，Thorpe曾经是职业选手(professional athlete)，这并不符合规定，所以他的奖牌被收回(taken away)。故正确答案为D)。
Passage Two
About three hundred words in the English language come from the names of people. Many of these words are technical words. When there is a new invention of discovery, a new word may be coined after the inventor or scientist.
It is interesting to observe how many common English words have found their way into the language from the names of people. For example, "sandwich", you may eat everyday. Lord Sandwich who lived from 1718 to 1792 used to sit at the gambling table eating slices of bread with meat in between. This kind of eating tastes delicious.(29)As the Lord was the only one among his friends who ate bread in that way, his friends began to call the"bread-Sandwich"for fun. Later on the word became part of the English language.
The word "boycott" means to refuse to have anything to do with somebody or something. This word is another example. The word comes from a man called Captain Boycott. He was a land agent in 1880 and he collected rents and taxes for an English landowner in Ireland.(30)But the Captain was a very harsh man. He treated his poor tenants very badly. His tenants decided not to speak to him at all. (31)Eventually word got back to the landowner and the Captain was removed. The word "boycott" became popular and was used by everyone to mean the kind of treatment that was received by Captain Boycott.
Questions 29 to 31 are based on the passage you have just heard.
29. Who coined the word "sandwich"?
【解析】C)。四个选项都是关于人物的词，由此可以推测，本题内容与人物有关。 由于Lord Sandwich是他的朋友里面唯一一个那样吃面包的人(only one among his friends who ate bread in that way)，他的朋友们开始叫这种食物"bread-Sandwich"(Sandwich面包)。可见最初使用sandwich这个词的人是Lord Sandwich的朋友们。
30. What didn't the tenants like?
【解析】B)。四个选项中有两个是不定式，有两个是人物身份，由此可以推测，本题的内容可能与人物的态度有关系。佃农们都不喜欢Boycott，因为他对待佃农的态度很差(treated his poor tenants very badly)，佃农们于是决定不和他说话(not to speak to him)。故正确答案为
B)。
31. What did the landowner do when he found out that the tenants were boycotting his agent?
【解析】A)。四个选项都是He开头描述某人的行动，由此可以推测，本题的内容是关于某个人采取的行动。 当地主发现佃农抵制Captain Boycott后，地主就把他换掉了(the Captain was remove D)，故正确答案为A)。
Passage Three
The family is changing.(32) In the past, grandparents, parents, and children used to live together, and they had an extended family. Sometimes two or more brothers with their wives and children were part of this large family group. But family structure is changing throughout the world. The nuclear family consists of only one father, one mother, and children; it is becoming the main family structure everywhere.
(33)The nuclear family offers married women some advantages: they have freedom from their relatives, and the husband does not have all the power of the family. Studies show that in nuclear families men and women usually make an equal number of decisions about family life.
But wives usually have to "pay" for the benefits of freedom and power. When women lived in extended families, sisters, grandparents, and aunts helped one another with housework and childcare. In addition, older women in a large family group had important positions. Wives in nuclear families do not often enjoy this benefit, and they have another disadvantage, too :(34)women generally live longer than their husbands, so older women from unclear families often have to live alone.
(35)Studies show that women are generally less satisfied with marriage than men are. In the past, men worked outside the home and women worked inside. Housework and childcare were a full-time job, and there was no time for anything else. Now women work outside and have more freedom than they did in the past, but they still have to do most of the housework. The women actually have two full time jobs, and they have not much free time.
22. What is the conversation mainly about?
B)。【解析】四个选项均为概括性比较强的短语，由此可以推测，本题考查的内容很有可能是对话的主题。由metals，measuring weight，metric等词推测，对话可能与金属或其他某种事物的度量有关系。 女士说她想问男士几个关于新度量衡的问题(new official standard weight)，由此揭示对话谈论的主题是关于衡量重量标准的单位。
23. What was the standard weight used to do?
A)。【解析】四个选项均为不定式，由此可以推测，本题考查的内容可能是目的或行为。 男士说他们用新标准度量衡来检测全国的天平(scales)，他们有责任利用它来确保所有的天平都能够准确地测量1公斤的重量(measure a kilogram accurately)。
24. Why was it necessary to replace the old standard weight?
C)。【解析】四个选项均描述某件事物的缺点或问题，由此可以推测，本题考查的内容可能是某件事物的弊端。 男士说旧天平会被取代是因为它不够精准(imprecise)，制造材料低劣(made of poor quality metal)。故正确答案为C)。
25. What does Dr.Thomas probably think about the cost of the new weight?
C)。【解析】四个选项均为对某件事物价值的描述，由此可以推测，本题考查的内容可能是对某件事物价值的评价。女士问男士新度量衡是否物有所值(worth that much)，男士说确定如此。由此可以推断男士认为新度量衡是物有所值的。故正确答案为C)。
Section B
Passage One
Jim Thorpe was an American Indian, born on May 28, 1888 in Oklahoma.(26) When he had his education at the Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania,his athletic coach considered him a splendid athlete and encouraged him to concentrate on sports. From then on, Thorpe participated in almost every aspect of athletics. Whenever he competed in any event, he easily won first place.
In the years that followed, he took part in football games against such renowned teams as Harvard and West Point. Thorpe again and again brought his team to victory. In 1912 he was invited to compete in the Olympic Games in Stockholm. There he excelled in several tack events and was presented with first place gold medals. He was the first athlete to capture first place awards in so many track events.
When Thorpe returned home from the Olympic Games,(27)he was welcomed with parades and celebration. The president called him the highest type of citizen.(28)However, this was all short-lived because it was found out that at one time Thorpe had been a professional athlete. Since an athlete must be an amateur in order to participate in the Olympic Games, Thorpe did not qualify. Therefore, all of his medals were taken away from him.
In later years, Thorpe played baseball and football professionally. His admirers often tried to have his medals returned to him, but in vain. Thorpe died a lonely man in California on May 28, 1953.Today, as always, many still believe Thorpe was the best athlete that ever lived.
Questions 26 to 28 are based on the passage you have just heard.
26. Where was Thorpe's athletic talent discovered?
C)。【解析】四个选项都是表示地点的状语，由此可以推测，本题的内容可能跟某件事情发生的地点有关。
早在Thorpe还在Carlisle Indian School上学的时候(had his education at the Carlisle Indian School)，他的体育教练(athletic coach)就发现了他卓越的运动才能(splendid athlete)，并鼓励他专心从事运动(concentrate on sports)。故正确答案为C)。
27. How did American people receive Thorpe when he came back from Stockholm in 1912?
B)。【解析】四个选项都是They开头，都是对待某人的态度，由此可以推测，本题的内容可能是关于一些人怎么对待某个人的。 当Thorpe 1912年从Stockholm回来的时候，美国人民为他举行了游行(parades)和庆祝(celebration)。故正确答案为B)。
28. Why were Thorpe's medals taken away from him?
D)。【解析】四个选项都是Because开头的，由此可以推测，本题的内容是关于某件事情发生的原因。按照当时的规则，参加奥林匹克运动会的运动员必须是业余选手(an amateur)，Thorpe曾经是职业选手(professional athlete)，这并不符合规定，所以他的奖牌被收回(taken away)。故正确答案为D)。
Passage Two
About three hundred words in the English language come from the names of people. Many of these words are technical words. When there is a new invention of discovery, a new word may be coined after the inventor or scientist.
It is interesting to observe how many common English words have found their way into the language from the names of people. For example, "sandwich", you may eat everyday. Lord Sandwich who lived from 1718 to 1792 used to sit at the gambling table eating slices of bread with meat in between. This kind of eating tastes delicious.(29)As the Lord was the only one among his friends who ate bread in that way, his friends began to call the"bread-Sandwich"for fun. Later on the word became part of the English language.
The word "boycott" means to refuse to have anything to do with somebody or something. This word is another example. The word comes from a man called Captain Boycott. He was a land agent in 1880 and he collected rents and taxes for an English landowner in Ireland.(30)But the Captain was a very harsh man. He treated his poor tenants very badly. His tenants decided not to speak to him at all. (31)Eventually word got back to the landowner and the Captain was removed. The word "boycott" became popular and was used by everyone to mean the kind of treatment that was received by Captain Boycott.
Questions 29 to 31 are based on the passage you have just heard.
29. Who coined the word "sandwich"?
【解析】C)。四个选项都是关于人物的词，由此可以推测，本题内容与人物有关。 由于Lord Sandwich是他的朋友里面唯一一个那样吃面包的人(only one among his friends who ate bread in that way)，他的朋友们开始叫这种食物"bread-Sandwich"(Sandwich面包)。可见最初使用sandwich这个词的人是Lord Sandwich的朋友们。
30. What didn't the tenants like?
【解析】B)。四个选项中有两个是不定式，有两个是人物身份，由此可以推测，本题的内容可能与人物的态度有关系。佃农们都不喜欢Boycott，因为他对待佃农的态度很差(treated his poor tenants very badly)，佃农们于是决定不和他说话(not to speak to him)。故正确答案为
B)。
31. What did the landowner do when he found out that the tenants were boycotting his agent?
【解析】A)。四个选项都是He开头描述某人的行动，由此可以推测，本题的内容是关于某个人采取的行动。 当地主发现佃农抵制Captain Boycott后，地主就把他换掉了(the Captain was remove D)，故正确答案为A)。
Passage Three
The family is changing.(32) In the past, grandparents, parents, and children used to live together, and they had an extended family. Sometimes two or more brothers with their wives and children were part of this large family group. But family structure is changing throughout the world. The nuclear family consists of only one father, one mother, and children; it is becoming the main family structure everywhere.
(33)The nuclear family offers married women some advantages: they have freedom from their relatives, and the husband does not have all the power of the family. Studies show that in nuclear families men and women usually make an equal number of decisions about family life.
But wives usually have to "pay" for the benefits of freedom and power. When women lived in extended families, sisters, grandparents, and aunts helped one another with housework and childcare. In addition, older women in a large family group had important positions. Wives in nuclear families do not often enjoy this benefit, and they have another disadvantage, too :(34)women generally live longer than their husbands, so older women from unclear families often have to live alone.
(35)Studies show that women are generally less satisfied with marriage than men are. In the past, men worked outside the home and women worked inside. Housework and childcare were a full-time job, and there was no time for anything else. Now women work outside and have more freedom than they did in the past, but they still have to do most of the housework. The women actually have two full time jobs, and they have not much free time.
