历年英语六级阅读真题整理

1EnglishReadingComprehensionBand6CHAPTERONE1.PassageThree(2006.6)Questions31to35arebasedonthefollowingpassage.AgehasitsprivilegesinAmerica,andoneofthemoreprominentofthemistheseniorcitizendiscount.Anyonewhohasreachedacertainage—insomecasesaslowas55—isautomaticallyentitledtodazzlingarrayofpricereductionsatnearlyeverylevelofcommerciallife.Eligibilityisdeterminednotbyone’sneedbutbythedateonone’sbirthcertificate.Practicallyunheardofagenerationago,thediscountshavebecomearoutinepartofmanybusinesses—ascommonascolortelevisionsinmotelroomsandfreecoffeeonairliners.Peoplewithgrayhairoftenaregiventhediscountswithoutevenaskingforthem;yet,millionsofAmericansaboveage60arehealthyandsolvent(有支付能力的).Businessesthatwouldneverdareofferdiscountstocollegestudentsoranyoneunder30freelyofferthemtoolderAmericans.Thepracticeisacceptablebecauseofthewidespreadbeliefthat“elderly”and“needy”aresynonymous(同义的).Perhapsthatoncewastrue,buttodayelderlyAmericansasagrouphavealowerpovertyratethantherestofthepopulation.Tobesure,thereiseconomicdiversitywithintheelderly,andmanyolderAmericansarepoor.Butmostofthemaren’t.Itisimpossibletodeterminetheimpactofthediscountsonindividualcompanies.Formanyfirms,theyareastimulustorevenue.Butinothercasesthediscountsaregivenattheexpense,directlyorindirectly,ofyoungerAmericans.Moreover,theyareadirectirritantinwhatsomepoliticiansandscholarsseeasacomingconflictbetweenthegenerations.GenerationaltensionsarebeingfueledbycontinuingdebateoverSocialSecuritybenefits,whichmostlyinvolveatransferofresourcesfromtheyoungtotheold.Employmentisanothersorepoint.Buoyed(支持)bylawsandcourtdecisions,moreandmoreolderAmericansaredecliningtheretirementdinnerinfavorofstayingonthejob—therebylesseningemploymentandpromotionopportunitiesforyoungerworkers.Farfromakindofcharitytheyoncewere,seniorcitizendiscountshavebecomeaformidableeconomicprivilegetoagroupwithmillionsofmemberswhodon’tneedthem.Itnolongermakessensetotreattheelderlyasasinglegroupwhoseeconomicneedsdeservepriorityoverthoseofothers.Seniorcitizendiscountsonlyenhancethemyththatolderpeoplecan’ttakecareofthemselvesandneedspecialtreatment;andtheythreatenthecreationofanewmyth,thattheelderlyareungratefulandtakingforthemselvesattheexpenseofchildrenandotheragegroups.SeniorcitizendiscountsaretheessenceoftheverythingolderAmericansarefightingagainst—discriminationbyage.31.Welearnfromthefirstparagraphthat_______.A)offeringseniorcitizensdiscountshasbecomeroutinecommercialpracticeB)seniorcitizendiscountshaveenabledmanyoldpeopletoliveadecentlifeC)givingseniorcitizensdiscountshasboostedthemarketfortheelderlyD)seniorcitizenshavetoshowtheirbirthcertificatestogetadiscount32.Whatassumptionliesbehindthepracticeofseniorcitizendiscounts?A)Businesses,havingmadealotofprofits,shoulddosomethingforsocietyinreturn.B)Oldpeopleareentitledtospecialtreatmentforthecontributiontheymadetosociety.C)Theelderly,beingfinanciallyunderprivileged,needhumanehelpfromsociety.D)SeniorcitizendiscountscanmakeupfortheinadequacyoftheSocialSecuritysystem.233.Accordingtosomepoliticiansandscholars,seniorcitizendiscountswill_______.A)makeoldpeopleevenmoredependentonsocietyB)intensifyconflictsbetweentheyoungandtheoldC)haveadversefinancialimpactonbusinesscompaniesD)bringamarkedincreaseinthecompanies’revenues34.HowdoestheauthorviewtheSocialSecuritysystem?A)Itencourageselderlypeopletoretireintime.B)Itopensupbroadcareerprospectsforyoungpeople.C)Itbenefitstheoldattheexpenseoftheyoung.D)Itshouldbereinforcedbylawsandcourtdecisions.35.Whichofthefollowingbestsummarizestheauthor’smainargument?A)Seniorcitizensshouldfighthardagainstagediscrimination.B)Theelderlyareselfishandtakingseniordiscountsforgranted.C)Priorityshouldbegiventotheeconomicneedsofseniorcitizens.D)Seniorcitizendiscountsmaywellbeatypeofagediscrimination.acbcd2.PassageOne(2006.12/23)Questions21to25arebasedonthefollowingpassage.Itusedtobethatpeoplewereproudtoworkforthesamecompanyforthewholeoftheirworkinglives.They’dgetagoldwatchattheendoftheirproductiveyearsandadinnerfeaturingspeechesbytheirbossespraisingtheirloyalty/Buttoday’srichcapitalistshaveregressed(倒退)tothe“survivalofthefittest”ideasandtheirloyaltyextendsnottotheirworkersoreventotheirstockholdersbutonlytothemselves.Insteadofgivingoutgoldwatchesworthahundredorsodollarsforfortyorsoyearsofwork,theygrabtensandevenhundredsofmillionsofdollarsastheysellfortheirownprofitthecompanytheymayhavebeenwithforonlyafewyears.Thenewrichselfishlyactontheirowntounfairlygrabthewealththatthecountryasawholehasproduced.Thetoplpercentofthepopulationnowhaswealthequaltothewholebottom95percentandtheywantmore.Theirselfishnessismostshamelesslyexpressedindownsizingandoutsourcing(将产品包给外公司做)becausethesebusinessmaneuversdon’tacttocreatenewjobsasthefoundersofnewindustriesusedtodo,butonlytocutoutjobswhilekeepingthemoneyvalueofwhatthosejobsproducedforthemselves.Tokeepthemoneymachineworkingsmoothlytherichhaveboughtallthepoliticiansfromthetopdown.ThepresidenthimselfisconstantlyleavingWashingtonandthebusinessofthenationbecauseheissummonedto“fundraisingdinners”wherefatcatspay