2013年12月大学英语六级考试真题及答案（第一套）

　　Passage One

　　Questions 56 to 60 are based on the following passage.

　　There was a time not long ago when new science Ph.D.s in the United States were expected to pursue a career path in academia (学术界). But today, most graduates end up working outside academia, not only in industry but also in careers such as science policy, communications, and patent law. Partly this is a result of how bleak the academic job market is, but there’s also a rising awareness of career options that Ph.D. scientists haven’t trained for directly—but for which they have useful knowledge, skills, and experience. Still, there’s a huge disconnect between the way we currently train scientists and the actual employment opportunities available for them, and an urgent need for dramatic improvements in training programs to help close the gap. One critical step that could help to drive change would be to require Ph.D. students and postdoctoral scientists to follow an individual development plan (IDP).

　　In 2002, the U.S. Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology recommended that every postdoctoral researcher put together an IDP in consultation with an adviser. Since then, several academic institutions have begun to require IDPs for postdocs. And in June, the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) Biomedical Research Workforce Working Group recommended that the NIH require IDPs for the approximately 32,000 postdoctoral researchers they support. Other funding agencies, public and private, are moving in a similar direction.

　　IDPs have long been used by government agencies and the private sector to achieve specific goals for the employee and the organization. The aim is to ensure that employees have an explicit tool to help them understand their own abilities and aspirations, determine career possibilities, and set (usually short-term) goals. In science, graduate students and new Ph.D. scientists can use an IDP to identify and navigate an effective career path.

　　A free Web application for this purpose, called myIDP, has become available this week. It’s designed to guide early-career scientists through a confidential, rigorous process of introspection (内省) to create a customized career plan. Guided by expert knowledge from a panel of science-focused career advisers, each trainee’s self-assessment is used to rank a set of career trajectories(轨迹). After the user has identified a long-term career goal, myIDP walks her or him through the process of setting short-term goals directed toward accumulating new skills and experiences important for that career choice.

　　Although surveys reveal the IDP process to be useful, trainees report a need for additional resources to help them identify a long-term career path and complete an IDP. Thus, myIDP will be most effective when it’s embedded in larger career-development efforts. For example, universities could incorporate IDPs into their graduate curricula to help students discuss, plan, prepare for, and achieve their long-term career goals.

　　56. What do we learn about new science Ph.D.s in the United States today?

　　A) They lack the skills and expertise needed for their jobs.

　　B) They can choose from a wider range of well-paying jobs.

　　C) They often have to seek jobs outside the academic circle.

　　D) They are regarded as the nation’s driving force of change.

　　57. What does the author say about America’s Ph.D. training?

　　A) It should be improved to better suit the job market.

　　B) It is closely linked to future career requirements.

　　C) It should be re-oriented to careers outside academia.

　　D) It includes a great variety of practical courses.

　　58. What was recommended for Ph.D.s and postdoctoral researchers?

　　A) They meet the urgent needs of the corporate world.

　　B) A long-term career goal be set as early as possible.

　　C) An IDP be made in consultation with an adviser.

　　D) They acquire an explicit tool to help obtain jobs.

　　59. Government agencies and the private sector often use IDPs to ______.

　　A) bring into full play the skills and expertise of their postdoctoral researchers

　　B) help employees make the best use of their abilities to achieve their career goals

　　C) place employees in the most appropriate positions

　　D) hire the most suitable candidates to work for them

　　60. What do we know about myIDP?

　　A) It is an effective tool of self-assessment and introspection for better career plans.

　　B) It enables people to look into various possibilities and choose the career they love.

　　C) It promises a long-term career path.

　　D) It is part of the graduate curricula.

　　Passage Two

　　Questions 61 to 65 are based on the following passage.

　　Just over a decade into the 21st century, women’s progress can be celebrated across a range of fields. They hold the highest political offices from Thailand to Brazil, Costa Rica to Australia. A woman holds the top spot at the International Monetary Fund; another won the Nobel Prize in economics. Self-made billionaires in Beijing, tech innovators in Silicon Valley, pioneering justices in Ghana—in these and countless other areas, women are leaving their mark.

　　But hold the applause. In Saudi Arabia, women aren’t allowed to drive. In Pakistan, 1,000 women die in honor killings every year. In the developed world, women lag behind men in pay and political power. The poverty rate among women in the U.S. rose to 14.5% last year.

　　To measure the state of women’s progress, Newsweek ranked 165 countries, looking at five areas that affect women’s lives: treatment under the law, workforce participation, political power, and access to education and health care. Analyzing data from the United Nations and the World Economic Forum, among others, and consulting with experts and academics, we measured 28 factors to come up with our rankings.

　　Countries with the highest scores tend to be clustered in the West, where gender discrimination is against the law, and equal rights are constitutionally enshrined (神圣化). But there were some surprises. Some otherwise high-ranking countries had relatively low scores for political representation. Canada ranked third overall but 26th in power, behind countries such as Cuba and Burundi. Does this suggest that a woman in a nation’s top office translates to better lives for women in general? Not exactly.“Trying to quantify or measure the impact of women in politics is hard because in very few countries have there been enough women in politics to make a difference,” says Anne-Marie Goetz, peace and security adviser for U.N. Women.

　　Of course, no index can account for everything. Declaring that one country is better than another in the way that it treats more than half its citizens means relying on broad strokes and generalities. Some things simply can’t be measured. And cross-cultural comparisons can’t account for differences of opinion.

　　Certain conclusions are nonetheless clear. For one thing, our index backs up a simple but profound statement made by Hillary Clinton at the recent Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. “When we liberate the economic potential of women, we elevate the economic performance of communities, nations and the world,” she said. “There’s a stimulative effect that kicks in when women have greater access to jobs and the economic lives of our countries: Greater political stability. Fewer military conflicts. More food. More educational opportunity for children. By harnessing the economic potential of all women, we boost opportunity for all people.”

　　61. What does the author think about women’s progress so far?

　　A) It still leaves much to be desired. C) It has greatly changed women’s fate.

　　B) It is too remarkable to be measured. D) It is achieved through hard struggle.

　　62. In what countries have women made the greatest progress?

　　A) Where women hold key posts in government.

　　B) Where women’s rights are protected by law.

　　C) Where women’s participation in management is high.

　　D) Where women enjoy better education and health care.

　　63. What do Newsweek rankings reveal about women in Canada?

　　A) They care little about political participation.

　　B) They are generally treated as equals by men.

　　C) They have a surprisingly low social status.

　　D) They are underrepresented in politics.

　　64. What does Anne-Marie Goetz think of a woman being in a nation’s top office?

　　A) It does not necessarily raise women’s political awareness.

　　B) It does not guarantee a better life for the nation’s women.

　　C) It enhances women’s status.

　　D) It boosts women’s confidence.

　　65. What does Hillary Clinton suggest we do to make the world a better place?

　　A) Give women more political power. C) Allow women access to education.

　　B) Stimulate women’s creativity. D) Tap women’s economic potential.

　　Part IV Translation (30 minutes)

　　Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.

　　中国人自古以来就在中秋时节庆祝丰收。这与北美地区庆祝感恩节的习俗十分相似。过中秋节的习俗于唐代早期在中国各地开始流行。中秋节在农历八月十五，是人们拜月的节日。这天夜晚皓月当空，人们合家团聚，共赏明月。2006年，中秋节被列为中国的文化遗产， 2008年又被定为公共假日。月饼被视为中秋节不可或缺的美食。人们将月饼作为礼物馈赠亲友或在家庭聚会上享用。传统的月饼上带有“寿(longevity)”、“福”或“和”等字样。