2009 年 6 月英语六级真题及答案
Part I Writing (30 minutes)
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay
entitled On the Importance of a Name. you should write at least 150 words
following the outline given below.
1. 有人说名字或名称很重要
2. 也有人觉得名字或名称无关紧要
3. 我认为
On the Importance of a Name
Part II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) (15 minutes)
Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage
quickly and answer the questions on Answer Sheet 1. For questions 1-7,
choose the best answer from the four choices marked A ., B., C.and D..
For questions 8-10, complete the sentences with the information given in the
passage.
Helicopter Moms vs. Free-Range KidsWould you let your fourth-grader ride
public transportation without an adult? Probably not. Still, when Lenore
Skenazy, a columnist for the New York Sun, wrote about letting her son take
the subway alone to get back to "Long story short :my son got home from a
department store on the Upper East Side, she didn’t expect to get hit with a
wave of criticism from readers.
“ Long story short: My son got home, overjoyed with independence,”
Skenazy wrote on April 4 in the New York Sun. “Long story longer: Half the
people I’ve told this episode to now want to turn on in for child abuse. As if
keeping kids under lock and key and cell phone and careful watch is the right
way to rear kids. It’s not. It’s debilitating (使虚弱)—for us and for them.”
Online message boards were soon full of people both applauding and
condemning Skenazy’s decision to let her son go it alone. She wound up
defending herself on CNN (accompanied by her son) and on popular blogs like
the buffing ton post, where her follow-up piece was ironically headlined “More
From America’s Worst Mom.”
The episode has ignited another one of those debates that divides parents
into vocal opposing camps. Are Modern parents needlessly overprotective, or
is the world a more complicated and dangerous place than it was when
previous generations were allowed to wander about unsupervised?
From the “she’s an irresponsible mother” camp came: “Shame on you for
being so careless about his safety,” in Comments on the buffing ton post. And
there was this from a mother of four: “How would you have felt if he didn’t
come home?” But Skenazy got a lot of support, too, with women and men
writing in with stories about how they were allowed to take trips all by them
selves at seven or eight. She also got heaps of praise for bucking the
“helicopter parent” trend: “Good for this Mom,” one commenter wrote on the
buffing ton post. “This is a much-needed reality check.”
Last week, encouraged by all the attention, Skenazy started her own blog
—Free Range, kids—promoting the idea that modern children need some of
the same independence that her generation had. In the good old days nineyear-old baby boomers rode their bikes to school, walked to the store, took
buses—and even subways—all by themselves. Her blog, she says, is
dedicated to sensible parenting. “At Free Range Kids, we believe in safe kids.
We believe in car seats and safety belts. We do NOT believe that every time
school-age children go outside, they need a security guard.”
So why are some parents so nervous about letting their children out of
their sight? Are cities and towns less safe and kids more vulnerable to crimes
like child kidnap and sexual abuse than they were in previous generations?
Not exactly. New York City, for instance, is safer than it’s ever been; it’s
ranked 36th in crime among all American cities. Nationwide, stringer kidnaps
are extremely rare; there’s a one-in-a-million chance a child will be taken by a
stranger, according to the Justice Department. And 90 percent of sexual abuse
cases are committed by someone the child knows. Mortality rates from all
causes, including disease and accidents, for American children are lower now
than they were 25 years’ ago. According to Child Trends, a nonprofit research
group, between 1980 and 2003 death rates dropped by 44 percent for
children aged 5 to 14 and 32 percent for teens aged 15 to 19.
Then there’s the whole question of whether modern parents are more
watchful and nervous about safety than previous generations. Yes, some are.
Part of the problem is that with wall to wall Internet and cable news, every
missing child case gets so much airtime that it’s not surprising even normal
parental anxiety can be amplified. And many middle-class parents have
gotten used to managing their children’s time and shuttling them to various
enriching activities, so the idea of letting them out on their own can seem like
a risk. Back in 1972, when many of today’s parents were kids, 87 percent of
children who lived within a mile of school walked or biked every day. But
today, the Centers for Disease Control report that only 13 percent of children
bike, walk or otherwise t themselves to school.
The extra supervision is both a city and a suburb phenomenon. Parents
are worried about crime, and they are worried about kids getting caught in
traffic in a city that’s not used to pedestrians. On the other hand, there are
still plenty of kids whose parents give them a lot of independence, by choice
or by necessity. The After School Alliance finds that more than 14 million kids
aged 5 to 17 are responsible for taking care of themselves after school. Only
6.5 million kids participate in organized programs. “Many children who have
working parents have to take the subway or bus to get to school. Many do this
by themselves because they have no other way to get to the schools,” says
Dr. Richard Gallagher, director of the Parenting Institute at the New York
University Child Study Center.
For those parents who wonder how and when they should start allowing
their kids more freedom, there’s no clear-cut answer. Child experts discourage
a one-size-fits-all approach to parenting. What’s right for Skenazy’s nine-yearold could be inappropriate for another one. It all depends on developmental
issue, maturity, and the psychological and emotional makeup of that child.
Several factors must be taken into account, says Gallagher. “The ability to
follow parent guidelines, the child’s level of comfort in handling such
situations, and a child’s general judgment should be weighed.”
Gallagher agrees with Skenazy that many nine-year-olds are ready for
independence like taking public transportation alone. “At certain times of the
day, on certain routes, the subways are generally safe for these children,
especially if they have grown up in the city and have been taught how to be
safe, how to obtain help if they are concerned for their safety, and how to
avoid unsafe situations by being watchful and on their toes.”
But even with more traffic and fewer sidewalks, modern parents do have
one advantage their parents didn’t: the cell phone. Being able to check in with
a child anytime goes a long way toward relieving parental anxiety and may
help parents loosen their control a little sooner. Skenazy got a lot of criticism
because she didn’t give her kid her cell phone because she thought he’d lose
it and wanted him to learn to go it alone without depending on mom—a major
principle of free-range parenting. But most parents are more than happy to
use cell phones to keep track of their kids.
And for those who like the idea of free-range kids but still struggle with
their inner helicopter parent, there may be a middle way. A new generation of
GPS cell phones with tracking software make it easier than ever to follow a
child’s every movement via the Internet—without seeming to interfere or
hover. Of course, when they go to college, they might start objecting to being
monitored as they’re on parole (假释).
注意:此部分试题请在答题卡 1 上作答。
1. When Lenore Skenazy’s son was allowed to take the subway alone, he
________.
A.was afraid that he might get lost
B.enjoyed having the independence
C.was only too pleased to take the risk
D.thought he was an exceptional child
2. Lenore Skenazy believes that keeping kids under careful watch
A.hinders their healthy growth
B.adds too much to parents’ expenses
C.shows traditional parental caution
D.bucks the latest parenting trend
3. Skenazy’s decision to let her son take the Subway alone has net
with________.
A.opposition from her own family
B.share parenting experience
C.fight against child abuse
D.protect children’s rights
4. Skenazy started her own blog to ________.
A.promote sensible parenting
B.share parenting experience
C.fight against child abuse
D.protect children’s rights
5. According to the author, New York City ________.
A.ranks high in road accidents
B.is much safe than before
C.ranks low in child mortality rates
D.is less dangerous than small cities
6. Parents today are more nervous about their kids’ safety than previous
generations because________.
A.there are now fewer children in the family
B.the number of traffic accidents has been increasing
C.their fear is amplified by media exposure of crime
D.crime rates have been on the rise over the years
7. According to child experts, how and when kids may be allowed more
freedom depends on ________.
A.the traditions and customs of the community
B.the safety conditions of their neighborhood
C.their parents’ psychological makeup
D.their maturity and personal qualities
8. According to Gallagher and Skenazy, children who are watchful will be
better able to stay away from Unsafe situations.
9. Being able to find out where a child is anytime helps lessen parents’
Their anxiety and control.
10. Nowadays with the help of GPS cell phones, parents can, from a
distance, track their children’s Movements.
Part III Listening Comprehension (35 minutes)
Section A
注意:此部分试题请在答题卡 2 上作答。
11. A.Fred forgot to call him last night about the camping trip.
B.He is not going to lend his sleeping bag to Fred.
C.He has not seen Fred at the gym for sometime.
D.Fred may have borrowed a sleeping bag from someone else.
12. A.Summer has become hotter in recent years.
B.It will cool down a bit over the weekend.
C.Swimming in a pool has a relaxing effect.
D.He hopes the weather forecast is accurate.
13. A.Taking a picture of Prof. Brown.
B.Commenting on an oil-painting.
C.Hosting a TV program.
D.Staging a performance.
14. A.She can help the man take care of the plants.
B.Most plants grow better in direct sunlight.
C.The plants need to be watered frequently.
D.The plants should be placed in a shady spot.
15. A.Change to a more exciting channel.
B.See the movie some other time.
C.Go to bed early.
D.Stay up till eleven.
16. A.Both of them are laymen of modern art.
B.She has beamed to appreciate modem sculptures.
C.Italian artists’ works are difficult to understand.
D.Modern artists are generally considered weird.
17. A.They seem satisfied with what they have done.
B.They have called all club members to contribute.
C.They think the day can be called a memorable one.
D.They find it hard to raise money for the hospital.
18. A.The man shouldn’t hesitate to take the course.
B.The man should talk with the professor first.
C.The course isn’t open to undergraduates.
D.The course will require a lot of reading.
Questions 19 to 21 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
19. A.Current trends in economic development.
B.Domestic issues of general social concern.
C.Stories about Britain’s relations with other nations.
D.Conflicts and compromises among political parties.
20. A.Based on the poll of public opinions.
B.By interviewing people who file complaints.
C.By analyzing the domestic and international situation.
D.Based on public expectations and editors’ judgment.
21. A.Underlying rules of editing.
B.Practical experience.
C.Audience’s feedback.
D.Professional qualifications.
Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
22. A.The average life span was less than 50 years.
B.It was very common for them to have 12 children.
C.They retired from work much earlier than today.
D.They were quite optimistic about their future.
23. A.Get ready for ecological changes.
B.Adapt to the new environment.
C.Learn to use new technology.
D.Explore ways to stay young.
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