2014年6月英语六级模拟冲刺试卷(2)

　　Section B

　　Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived.

　　You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.

　　47、根据以下内容回答47-56题

　　Technology, Costs, Lack of Appeal Slow E-Textbook Adantian

　　[ A] Textbooks are often a luxury for college senior Vatell Martin. The accounting major at Virginia State University got by in several courses with study groups and professors' lectures. "It's not that I didn't want to buy,"he says. "Sometimes, I just didn't have the money for a $ 200 book. "VSU knows Martin isn't the only one. More than half of its students routinely skip buying textbooks. For a solution, the school is turning to e-textbooks.

　　[ B ] VSU partnered with Flat World Knowledge, a start-up publisher that produces exclusively written e-books with "open" content that can be modified by professors. In a trial with 14 business courses,students would be required to pay $20 and receive a Flat World e-book and digital learning supplements. The university and a local grant have been covering the cost, so far. "That's nothing.It's what I put in my gas tank," says Martin, who participated in the trial. "If I was walking into a discussion on a topic, I can just download and take out the book and read it on my phone. "

　　[ C] With their promise of ubiquity (无处不在), convenience and perhaps affordability, e-textbooks have arrived in fits and starts throughout college campuses. And publishers and book resellers are spending millions attracting students to their online stores and e-reader platforms as mobile technology improves the readability of the material on devices such as tablet computers. Silicon Valley start-ups,such as Inkling and Kno, are also aggressively reinventing textbooks with interactive graphics, videos and social-media features.

　　[ D] Despite emerging attempts at innovation, the industry has been slowed by clumsy technology, the lasting appeal of print books, skeptical students who search online for cheaper alternatives, and customer confusion stemming from too many me-too e-textbook platforms that have failed to stand out.

　　[ E ] The late Steve Jobs, founder of Apple, believed textbooks to be an $ 8 billion market ripe for "digital destruction," biographer Walter Issacson writes in Steve Jobs. Apple is expected to make an announcement Thursday about its new education products. The market is small but growing. Sales for e-textbooks in the U. S. higher education market grew 44. 3% to $267. 3 million in 2011,according to Simba Information, a publishing industry research firm.

　　Print still rules

　　[ F] So far, students have been less than impressed and more likely to choose print books. About 11% of college students have bought e-textbooks, according to market research firm Student Monitor.Availability isn't the chief problem. Most popular textbooks have a digital version, and they're available online. But students have largely stayed away because the most readily available technology today -- PDF (portable docmnent format) or other document reader versions of the print book—is clumsy and eye-straining to read.

　　[ G ] When Andrea Soto, a freshman biology major at the University of Maryland, bought Principles of Biology, the $192 price tag came with a free online version. She prefers the touchable presence of a thick book on her lap. "You can't highlight or underline things in the e-book. I find it more of a trouble," she says. However, digital books aren't necessarily cheaper, either. While priced lower than new print books, they're often more expensive than buying or renting used books online, says Kathy Mickey, an analyst at Simba. A federally funded pilot study at Daytona State College in Florida found that some students who rented an e-textbook paid only a dollar less than students who bought a print edition. And e-textbook users couldn't sell the book back after the class ended.

　　[ H ] Despite e-textbooks' shortcomings, most agree that the print market is ripe for a technological overhaul (彻底改革). Prices of new books are rising sharply. Authors complain about used book sales that don't generate royalties. Professors and students axe annoyed at new editions that seemingly add little in content VS the previous one.

　　[ I] "This is an industry that's failing everyone--parents, authors, professors, and students," says Brad Wheeler, chief information officer at Indiana University, which is running a program that distributes cheaper e-textbooks but requires all students in the class to buy. Publishers are eager for a quicker transition to the format because e-textbooks cost less to publish and would generate income from every student who buys one. Digital books can't be resold, at least, not legally. "We'd prefer that all of it to go digital," says Vineet Madan, senior vice President of new ventures at McGraw-Hill Education. "There isn't a secondary market for e-books. "

　　Seeking market niche (商机)

　　[ J ] If current e-textbooks are mostly unappealing, what's next? Like online music in its infancy, the textbook industry's key players--publishers, resellers, bookstores, tech companies, even some universities--are all scrambling to offer their digital solutions, an effort that has only intensified with the arrival of tablet computers and app stores. "Everybody and their brothers are coming out with an e-book platform," says I am Williams, director of strategic learning solutious at Wiley, a textbook publisher.

　　[ K] They all agree on one thing: The quality of e-textbooks must improve dramatically. More value added, interactive features will keep students interested and spur sales, they say. Tablet computers are a key stimulus in this endeavor. At Kno, tablets have allowed the Santa Clara, Calif.-based company to embed interactive tools onto an existing e-textbook in a more intuitive way, for example, the ability to write directly on the book with a finger stroke or tap on a keyword for notes. "Tablet was a needed development," says Kno's founder Osman Rashid. Despite threats to their print book sales, university bookstores are also coming around to embracing e-books. Follett, which runs 930 university bookstores in North America, launched Follett CafeScribe last year, a cloud-based digital textbook platform.

　　Publishers not on sidelines

　　[L] Textbook publishers are partnering with universities for exclusive trials, buying stakes in start-ups and developing their own technologies. Last year, publisher Cengage launched MindTap, an e-book/ digital learning website that is now being tried by about 50 professors, says Bill Rieders, Cengage's executive vice President of global new media. Instead of tables of content, MindTap provides "a learning path" that students can access for text, multimedia, self-assessment tools, quizzes and note sharing.

　　[ M] Pearson has introduced a competing product, OpenClass. The cloud-based website means students can access information wherever there's an online connection--features social networking, and works with Google Apps for Education. Reed College in Portland, Ore. , is one of several universities that will test OpenClass this fall.

　　[ N ] The CourseLoad trial has been in place since 2009 on a limited basis, with students receiving free books. It has been expanded to 130 courses this spring semester. Students now pay a discounted price for access to CourseLoad books and learning kits, typically "60% to70% " cheaper than new print books, Wheeler says. In exchange, students must pay a fee to enroll. Despite the lack of flexibility, school officials and students have embraced the low-cost approach, he says.

　　The development of tablet computers is necessary to improve the e-textbook's quality.

　　48、 It's difficult to make notes on the digital version, so Andrea Soto chose the print book.

　　49、 Due to the mobile technology, readability on electronic equipment becomes better.

　　50、 In MindTap, each function can be accessible through "a learning path" rather than the tables of content.

　　51、 Publishers like Vineet Madan prefer e-textbooks because they couldn't be resold legally.

　　52、 OpenClass allows students to get information wherever they can get connected to the Internet.

　　53、 Many students in VSU hate to buy expensive textbooks, thus the school promotes e-textbooks to students.

　　54、 Students can get a discounted price from CourseLoad books but they should pay the enrollment fee.

　　55、 The e-textbook publishers cooperate with universities to achieve sole tryouts.

　　56、 Although e-textbook industry makes an effort to innovate, it's still restricted from developing.

　　Section C

　　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.

　　57、 Questions57-66are based on the following passage.

　　Rumors have swirled for years about the mystical phone, which FacebooK introduced at its headquarters today. For the financial sake of Facebook, it's imperative that the new phone-- manufactured by HTC, carried by AT&T and sporting an Android operating system--sells well. It's the linchpin(关键) in the social-networking company's pursuit of mobile ads, The $ 99 phone goes on sale April l2.

　　The phone/service features Home (facebook, corn/home), downloadable software that brings the Facebook experience to several Android devices: HTC One X, HTC One X +, Samsnng Galaxy SIII and Samsumg Galaxy Note II.

　　At first blush, the new phone could find a receptive audience among the nnder-25 crowd, which is comfortable with having their mobile devices within reach at all times. Facebook chafes at suggestions that teens and twentysomethings are leaving the social network, so a phone immersed in news updates and other Facebook features might go over well.

　　Facebook, the No. 2 mobile-ad publisher in the U. S. behind Google, last year accounted for 9. 5% of the $ 4. 1 billion mobile ad market. It's expected to take I3% of the $ 7. 3 billion market this year,estimates researcher eMarketer.

　　A phone could "hard wire" the Facebook experience on a mobile device, increasing consumers' time on the service, analysts say. But the experience has to be more than a branded device, they say. Branded phones from Barclays and Mary Kay did not fare well.

　　"It can't be just about the hardware," says Phillip Redman, mobile analyst at Gartner. "It can do two things for success: Change the business model and give it away to its best users; or design it for low-cost or no-cost calls among Facebook friends. "

　　Facebook's entry is one in a glut(供过于求) of recent smartphone contestants. New models from Samsung (Galaxy $4), HTC (One) and BlackBerry (the Q10 keyboarD. highlight a bumper spring crop.Apple's rumored iPhone 5S or iPhone 6 lurks in the shadows,

　　"The handset market is very competitive," says Clark Fredricksen, vice president at eMarketer. "Samsung, Apple and Android all are gaining market share, and boast computing platforms to feed into (the) mobile market. It remains to be seen if Facebook will gain popularity. "

　　Facebook boasts 1 billion members, 30% of which are mobile-only users, according to market researcher ComScore.

　　It was also the No. 1 mobile app in the U. S. in February in terms of engagement, accounting for 24% of all time spent on mobile apps--27%, ff you include Instagram.

　　Why is the new phone so crucial to Facebook?

　　A.Because it helps make money.

　　B.Because it is essential to the company's goal of mobile ads.

　　C.Because it can help the company get out of the rumors about it.

　　D.Because it is introduced at the company's headquarters.

　　58、 The under-25 group of people

　　A.are not the target customers of Facebook

　　B.know little about social network

　　C.use mobile phones all the time

　　D.spend more time on computers than on mobile devices

　　59、 What can be inferred from the figures presented by eMarketer this year?

　　A.The mobile ads market is shrinking.

　　B.Facebook will take over Google in the mobile ads market.

　　C.Facebook will still be the No. 2 mobile-ad publisher.

　　D.The mobile ads market is expanding.

　　60、 According to Clark Fredricksen, the prospect of the new phone

　　A.is surely bright

　　B.is not clear yet

　　C.is gloomy due to heated competition

　　D.interests all the phone users

　　61、 What can be inferred from the lass paragraph?

　　A.Instagram can be seen as part of the Facebook.

　　B.Mobile apps are very time-consuming.

　　C.Facebook has the largest number of users compared with other Mobile apps.

　　D.Instagram is the real No. 1 Mobile app.

　　62、 Questions62-71are based on the following passage.

　　The most promising effort in years to restore fairness and hope tb the immigration system begins Wednesday, when the Obama administration will start accepting applications from yoking, undocumented immigrants who want to be shielded from deportation(驱逐出境) so they can be free to work and go to school.

　　The program to halt deportations is limited, hedged by detailed rules and not to be confused with broad immigration reform, which is out of reach at a time when resentment against the undocumented runs high in Washington and in the states.

　　But any progress away from indiscriminate immigration enforcement, and toward opening pathways to a fuller involvement in society, is worth noting and celebrating.

　　Under the program, applicants must have been brought to the United States before turning 16, be under 31, have clean records and have lived here for at least the last five years. Those who are accepted will not be legalized, even if they are given permission to work. They will instead be granted two-year deferrals(延期) of deportation, which are renewable.

　　By one estimate, 1.7 million of the country's 11 million undocumented immigrants may qualify.

　　Announced by President Obama in June, the program is not the legalization or path to citizenship that millions are longing for and deserve. It's simply a decision by the Department of Homeland Security, at President Obama's instruction, to get its enforcement priorities right focusing on removing criminals and others who threaten community safety, not the law-abiding, hard-working young people who pose no threat and cannot be blamed for their unauthorized status.

　　There are two major worries as the program unfolds. One is whether Citizenship and Immigration Services, the agency that will run the program, can handle the administrative load. Alejandro Mayorkas,

　　the director, says his agency is investing in staffing and training, helped along by the $ 465 fee charged to each applicant. The agency depends entirely on fees.

　　The other fear is that applicants will fall prey to fraud. Immigration law is extremely complicated, which dishonest consultants, known as "notarios", take full advantage of. Applicants who are rejected

　　have no right to appeal and will still risk deportation, especially those whose paperwork was falsified(伪造的). The citizenship agency needs to do all it can to educate applicants and prevent frauds.

　　Then there will be the attacks from those who cannot stomach anything less than the ejection of every last immigrant who lacks legal status. This harshness is exemplified by Senator Jeff Sessions, Republican of Alabama, who denounced the program on Wednesday.

　　"I cannot overstate the tragedy of this," he said, doing just that. His inability to distinguish "criminal aliens" from the young strivers the United States needs is the reason the country has been forced into administrative half-measures, rather than real legislative reform.

　　According to the passage, the Obama administration will

　　A.protect undocumented immigrants from deportation

　　B.offer young immigrants free education and job training

　　C.undergo broad immigration reform across the states

　　D.make progress toward fair immigration enforcement

　　63、 Under the new immigration program, applicants that are accepted

　　A.can be brought to the United States before 16

　　B.can live in the United States for five years

　　C.will be allowed to seek jobs in the U. S.

　　D.will be entitled to U.S. citizenship in two years

　　64、 What does the author say about the new immigration program?

　　A.It opens up a legal path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

　　B.It grants authorized status to the hard-working young immigrants.

　　C.It endows President Obama with the enforcement priorities right.

　　D.It focuses on driving out the immigrants with criminal records.

　　65、 What is one major concern with the launch of the new immigration program?

　　A.Citizenship and Immigration Services has no enough funds to run the program.

　　B.Citizenship and Immigration Services will charge the applicants arbitrarily.

　　C.Immigration law can be too complicated to be explained to the applicants.

　　D.The applicants can easily fall into the trap of dishonest consultants.

　　66、 Why doesn't the United States take the real legislative imnu'gration reform?

　　A.The immigration agency cannot handle the administrative load.

　　B.The United States regards all the immigrants criminal aliens.

　　C.Senator Jeff Sessions highlights the losses illegal immigrants may incur.

　　D.Jeff Sessions bears resentment against all the undocumented immigrants.Part II Reading Comprehension