(完整版)历年6级阅读真题(整理版)

1历年英语六级阅读真题(2012,6---2006,12)2012年12月英语六级阅读真题(1)PassageOneAmidallthejoblossesoftheGreatRecession,thereisonecategoryofworkerthattheeconomicdisruptionhasbeengoodfor:nonhumans.Fromself-servicecheckoutlinesatthesupermarkettoindustrialrobotsarmedwithsawsandtaughttocarveupanimalcarcassesinslaughter-houses,theseever-more-intelligentmachinesarenownotjustassistingworkersbutactuallykickingthemoutoftheirjobs.Automationisn’tjustaffectingfactoryworkers,either.Somelawfirmsnowuseartificialintelligencesoftwaretoscanandreadmountainsoflegaldocuments,workthatpreviouslywasperformedbyhighlypaidhumanlawyers.“Robotscontinuetohaveanimpactonblue-collarjobs,andwhite-collarjobsareunderattackbymicroprocessors,”saysEdwardLeamer,aneconomicsprofessoratUCLA’sAndersonSchoolofManagementanddirectoroftheUCLAAndersonForecast,asurveyoftheU.S.andCaliforniaeconomies.Leamersaystherecessionpermanentlywipedout2.5millionjobs.U.S.grossdomesticproducthasclimbedbacktopre-recessionlevels,meaningwe’reproducingasmuchasbefore,onlywith6percentfewerworkers.Tobesure,roboticsarenottheonlyjobkillersoutthere,withoutsourcingstealingfarmore2gigsthanautomation.JeffBurnstein,presidentoftheRoboticsIndustryAssociation,atradegroupinAnnArbor,Mich.,arguesthatrobotsactuallysaveU.S.jobs.Hislogic:companiesthatembraceautomationmightusefewerworkers,butthat’sstillbetterthanfiringeveryoneandmovingtheworkoverseas.It’snotthatrobotsarecheaperthanhumans,thoughoftentheyare.It’sthattheyarebetter.“Insomecasesthequalityrequirementsaresostringentthatevenifyouwantedtohaveahumandothejob,youcouldn’t,”Burnsteinsays.Samegoesforsurgeons,whoareusingroboticsystemstoperformanever-growinglistofoperations—notbecausethemachinessavemoneybutbecause,thankstothegreaterprecisionofrobots,thepatientsrecoverinlesstimeandhavefewercomplications,saysDr.MyriamCuret.Surgeonsmaysurvivetherobotinvasion,butothersatthehospitalmightnotbesolucky,asiRobot,makeroftheRoomba,arobotvacuumcleaner,hasbeenshowingoffAva,athree-foot-talldroidonwheelsthatcarriesatabletcomputer.iRobotreckonsAvacouldbeusedasacourierinahospital.Andonceyou’rehome,recovering,Avacouldletyoutalktoyourdoctor,sothere’snoneedtosendsomeonetoyourhouse.That“mobiletelepresence”couldbeusefulattheoffice.Ifyou’reawayonatrip,youcanstillattendameeting.Justconnectviavideoconferencingsoftware,soyourfaceappearsonAva’sscreen.3Isanyjobsafe?Iwashopingtosay“journalist,”butresearchersarealreadydevelopingalgorithmsthatcangatherfactsandwriteanewsstory.Whichmeansthatafewyearsfromnow,arobotcouldbewritingthiscolumn.Andwhowillreadit?Well,theremightbealotofushangingaroundwithlotsoffreetimeonourhands.(2)PassageTwoYou'venowhearditsomanytimes,youcanprobablyrepeatitinyoursleep.PresidentObamawillnodoubtmakethepointpubliclywhenhegetstoBeijing:theChineseneedtospendmore;theyneedtoconsumemore;theyneed—believeitornot—tobecomemorelikeAmericans,forthesakeoftheglobaleconomy.Andit'salltrue.ButtheothersideofthatequationisthattheU.S.needstosavemore.Forthemoment,Americanhouseholdsactuallyaredoingso.Afterthepersonal-savingsratedippedtozeroin2005,theshockoftheeconomiccrisislastyearpromptedpeopletosnapshuttheirwallets.InChina,thehousehold-savingsrateexceeds20%.Itispartlyforpolicyreasons.Aswe'veseen,wageearnersareexpectedtocarefornotonlytheirchildrenbutalsotheiragingparents.Andthereis,todate,onlytheflimsiest（脆弱的）ofpublicly-fundedhealthcareandpensionsystems,whichincreasesincentivesforindividualstosavewhiletheyareworking.ButChinaisasocietythathaslongesteemedpersonalfinancialprudence（谨慎）forcenturies.Thereisnochancethatwill4changeanytimesoon,evenifthegovernmentcreatesabettersocialsafetynetandsuccessfullyencouragesgreaterconsumerspending.WhydoestheU.S.needtolearnalittlefrugality(节俭).Becausehealthysavingsratesareoneofthesurestindicatorsofacountry'slong-termfinancialhealth.Highsavingslead,overtime,toincreasedinvestment,whichinturngeneratesproductivitygains,innovationandjobgrowth.Inshort,savingsaretheseedcornofagoodeconomicharvest.TheU.S.governmentthusneedstoactaswell.Byrunningconstantdeficits,itisdis-saving,evenashouseholdssavemore.PeterOrszag,Obama'sBudgetDirector,recentlycalledtheU.S.budgetdeficitsunsustainableandhe'sright.Todate,theU.S.hasseemedunabletohavewhatIndianaGovernorMitchDanielshascalledanadultconversationabouttheconsequencesofspendingsomuchmorethanistakenin.Thatneedstochange.AndthoughHuJintaoandtherestoftheChineseleadershiparen'tinclinedtolecturevisitingPresidents,hemightgentlyhintthatBeijingisgettingalittlenervousaboutthevalueofthedollar—whichhasfallen15%sinceMarch,inlargepartbecauseofincreasingfearsthatAmerica'sdebtloadisbecomingunmanageable.That'swhathappenswhenyou'retheworld'sbiggestcreditor:yougettodrophintslikethat,whichwouldbeenoughbythemselvestocreateinternationaleconomicchaosiftheywereeverleaked.(EverytimeanyofficialinBeijingdeliberatelypubliclyaboutseekingan5alternativetotheU.S.dollarforthe$2.1trillionChinaholdsinreserve,currencytradershaveaheartattack.)IfAmericanssavedmoreandspentless,consistentlyovertime,theywouldn'thavetoworryaboutallthat.2012年6月英语六级阅读真题(3)PassageOneAsanyonewhohas