2007年12月英语六级考试题卷及答案

 Passage Two

 Western doctors are beginning to understand what traditional healers
 have always known that the body and the mind are inseparable. Until
 recently, modern urban physicians heal the body, psychiatrists the
 mind and priests the soul. However, the medical world is now paying
 more attention to holistic medicine, which is an approach based on a
 belief that people’s state of mind can make them sick or speed the
 recovery from sickness.

 Several studies show that the effectiveness of a certain drug often
 depends on the patients expectations of it. For example, in one
 recent study, psychiatrists at a major hospital try to see how
 patients could be made calm. They divided them into two groups; one
 group was given a drug while the other group received a harmless
 substance instead of medicine without their knowledge. Surprisingly,
 more patients in the second group showed the desired effects than
 those in the first group.

 In study after study, there is a positive reaction in almost one
 third of the patients taking harmless substances. How is this
 possible? How can such a substance have an effect on the body?
 Evidence from a 1997 study at the University of California shows
 that several patients who receive such substances were able to
 produce their own natural drug, that is, as they took the substance,
 their brains released natural chemicals that act like a drug.
 Scientists theorize that the amount of these chemicals released by a
 person’s brain quite possibly indicates how much faith the person
 has in his or her doctor.

 Questions 30-32 are based on the passage you have just heard.
 30. According to the speaker, what are western doctors beginning to
 understand?
 31. What does the recent study at a major hospital seem to prove?
 32. What evidence does the 1997 study of the University of
 California produce?

30.
a)There can be no speedy recovery for mental patients.
b)Approaches to healing patients are essentially the same.
c)The mind and body should be taken as an integral whole.
d)There is no clear division of labor in the medical profession.

31.
a)A doctor's fame strengthens the patients;s faith in them.
b)Abuse of medicines is widespread in many urban hospitals.
c)One third of the patients depend on harmless substances for cure.
d)A patient's expectations of a drug have an effect on their recovery.

32.
a)Expensive drugs may not prove the most effective.
b)The workings of the mind may help patients recover.
c)Doctors often exaggerate the effect of their remedies.
d)Most illnesses can be cured without medication

 Passage Three

 So we’ve already talked a bit about the growth of extreme sports
 like rock-climbing. As psychologists, we need to ask ourselves “Why
 is this person doing this?”, “Why do people take these risks and put
 themselves in danger when they don’t have to?” One common trait
 among risk-takers is that they enjoy strong feelings or sensations.
 We call this trait “sensation seeking”. A sensation-seeker is
 someone who is always looking for new sensations. What else do we
 know about sensation seekers? Well, as I said, sensation-seekers
 like strong emotions. You can see this trait in many parts of a
 person’s life not just in extreme sports. For example, many
 sensation seekers enjoy hard rock music. They like the loud sound
 and strong emotions of the songs. Similarly, sensation-seekers enjoy
 frightening horror movies. They like the feeling of being scared and
 horrified while watching the movie. This feeling is even stronger
 for extreme sports where the person faces real danger.
 Sensation-seekers feel that danger is really exciting. In addition,
 sensation-seekers like new experiences that force them to push their
 personal limits. For them, repeating the same things everyday is
 boring. Many sensation-seekers choose jobs that involve risk, such
 as starting a new business or being an Emergency Room doctor. These
 jobs are different everyday, so they never know what will happen.
 That’s why many sensation-seekers also like extreme sports. When you
 do rock-climbing, you never know what will happen. The activity is
 always new and different.
 Questions 33 to 35 are based on the passage you’ve just heard.

 33. According to the speaker, what is a common trait among
 risk-takers?
 34. What do sensation-seekers find boring?
 35. What is the speaker’s profession?

 33.
 a) Enjoying strong feelings and emotions.
 b) Defying all dangers when they have to.
 c) Being fond of making sensational news.
 d) Dreaming of becoming famous one day.

 34.
 a) Working in an emergency room.
 b) Watching horror movies.
 c) Listening to rock music.
 d) Doing daily routines

 35.
 a) A rock climber.
 b) A psychologist.
 c) A resident doctor.
 d) A career consultant.

 上海新东方参考答案：
 ====================
 11. C Compromise with his colleague.
 12. B Nancy regrets buying the dress.
 13. A Wash the dishes.
 14. C She is eager to share news with the woman.
 15. B A mechanic.
 16. D There isn’t much business downtown nowadays.
 17. B The lounge is not a place for him to study in.
 18. C To prevent mosquito bites.
 19. A In a studio.
 20. B To stay there for half a year.
 21. A Designing fashion items for several companies.
 22. B It has become much more competitive.
 23. D It enables her to understand people better.
 24. B Positively.
 25. C It vanishes the moment she steps into her role.
 26. D To set up an express train network throughout Europe.
 27. C Traveling time by train between major European cities will be
 cut by half.
 28. D Traveling by train may be as quick as, or even quicker than by
 air.
 29. A In 1981.
 30. C The mind and body should be taken as an integral whole.
 31. D A patient’s expectations of a drug have an effect on their
 recovery.
 32. B The workings of the mind may help patients recover.
 33. A Enjoying strong feelings and emotions.
 34. D Doing daily routines.
 35. B A psychologist.
 36. squarely
 37. floating
 38. Occasionally
 39. dutifully
 40. witty
 41. humorous
 42. guilt
 43. material
 44. the instructor’s talking about road construction in ancient
 Rome, and nothing could be more boring
 45. Your blank expression, and the faraway look in your eyes are the
 cues that betray you inattentiveness.
 46. they automatically start daydreaming when a speaker begins
 talking on something complex or uninteresting.