2018年12月六级第3套听力原文及答案解析

Conversation 1.

对话1。

M: Hey, I just read a great book about physics.

嘿，我刚读了一本关于物理学的好书。

M: I think you'd like it.

我想你会喜欢它的。

M: It's called The Physics of the World.

书名叫《世界物理学》。

M: It's written by a scientist named Sylvia Mendez.

它是由一位名叫西尔维娅·门德斯的科学家写的。

F: Oh, I read that book.

哦，我读过那本书。

F: It was great.

它很棒。

F: The writer is a warm and competent guide to the mysteries of physics.

作者是一位热情且能干的向导，带领读者探索物理学的奥秘。

F: I think it promises enrichment for any reader, from those who know little about science to the career physicist.

我认为它承诺为任何读者提供充实，从科学知识匮乏的人到职业物理学家。

F: And it's refreshing to see a strong, curious, clever woman adding her voice to the scientific discourse in a field that has been traditionally dominated by men.

而且，看到一位坚强、好奇、聪明的女性在一个传统上由男性主导的领域为科学话语增添她的声音，这令人耳目一新。

M: I think she is to be commended for making an effort to include anecdotes about little-known female scientists.

我认为她努力包含关于鲜为人知的女性科学家的轶事，值得称赞。

M: You know, they were often victims of a generation firmly convinced that the woman's place was in the home.

你知道，她们常常是一代坚信女性应待在家中的观念的受害者。

F: I like how the book is clearly written, with each chapter brought to life by pieces of fascinating knowledge.

我喜欢这本书写得清晰明了，每一章都通过引人入胜的知识片段而生动起来。

F: For example, in one chapter, she exposes a myth that I've heard taught by university physics professors.

例如，在一章中，她揭露了一个我曾听大学物理教授讲授的神话。

F: I've often heard that medieval glass windows are thicker at the bottom because glass flows like a fluid.

我经常听说中世纪的玻璃窗底部更厚，因为玻璃像液体一样流动。

F: This, she shows, is not true.

她表明，这不是真的。

F: The distortion is actually thanks to a peculiarity of the glassmaker's process.

这种扭曲实际上归因于玻璃制造工艺的一个特性。

F: Yeah, I like how she cultivates scientific engagement by providing a host of do-it-yourself experiments that bring the same foundational principles of classical physics that govern everything from the solar system to your kitchen table.

是的，我喜欢她通过提供大量自己动手实验来培养科学参与度，这些实验带来了支配从太阳系到你的厨房桌子的所有事物的经典物理学基础原理。

F: From using complex laws of physics to test whether a spinning egg is cooked, to measuring atmospheric pressure by lifting a piece of cardboard, her hands-on examples make her book a truly interactive read.

从使用复杂的物理定律测试旋转的鸡蛋是否煮熟，到通过抬起一块纸板来测量大气压力，她的实践示例使她的书成为真正的互动读物。

M: Yes, I must say, this equation-free book is an ideal read for scientists of all stripes, anyone teaching science, and even people who dislike physics.

是的，我必须说，这本无方程的书是各类科学家、任何教授科学的人，甚至不喜欢物理的人的理想读物。

Questions 1 to 4 are based on the conversation you have just heard.

问题1至4基于你刚刚听到的对话。

Question 1. What does the woman say about the book the man recommended?

问题1。女士对男士推荐的书说了什么？

Question 2. What can we find in the book the man recommended?

问题2。在男士推荐的书中，我们可以找到什么？

Question 3. How does the author bring her book to life?

问题3。作者如何使她的书生动起来？

Question 4. How does the book cultivate readers' interest in physics?

问题4。这本书如何培养读者对物理学的兴趣？

Conversation 2.

对话2。

M: Hi, Professor.

你好，教授。

M: I was hoping I could have a moment of your time, if you're not too busy.

如果您不太忙的话，我希望占用您一点时间。

M: I'm having some problems getting started on my dissertation, and I was hoping you could give me some advice on how to begin.

我在开始写论文时遇到了一些问题，希望您能给我一些如何开始的建议。

F: Sure.

当然。

F: I have quite a few students, though, so can you remind me what your topic is?

不过我有相当多的学生，所以你能提醒我一下你的主题是什么吗？

M: The general topic I chose is aesthetics, but that's as far as I've got.

我选择的大致主题是美学，但到目前为止我只做到了这一步。

M: I don't really know where to go from there.

我真的不知道从那里开始该怎么做。

F: Yeah, that's much too large a topic.

是的，这个主题太大了。

F: You really need to narrow it down in order to make it more accessible, otherwise you'll be writing a book.

你真的需要缩小范围，以便更容易处理，否则你就是在写一本书了。

M: Exactly.

正是如此。

M: That's what I wanted to ask you about.

这正是我想问您的。

M: I was hoping it would be possible for me to change topics.

我希望有可能更换主题。

M: I'm really more interested in nature than beauty.

我对自然比对美学更感兴趣。

F: I'm afraid you have to adhere to the assigned topic.

恐怕你必须坚持指定的主题。

F: Still, if you're interested in nature, then that certainly can be worked into your dissertation.

不过，如果你对自然感兴趣，那当然可以融入到你的论文中。

F: We've talked about Hume before in class, right?

我们以前在课堂上讨论过休谟，对吧？

M: Oh, yeah.

哦，是的。

M: He's the philosopher who wrote about where our ideas of beauty come from.

他是一位哲学家，写过关于我们美感观念来源的文章。

F: Exactly.

正是如此。

F: I suggest you go to the library and get a copy of his biography.

我建议你去图书馆借一本他的传记。

F: Start from there, but remember to stick to the parameters of the assignment.

从那里开始，但要记住遵守作业的要求。

F: This paper is a large part of your cumulative grade, so make sure to follow the instructions.

这篇论文是你总成绩的很大一部分，所以一定要遵循指示。

F: If you take a look at his biography, you can get a good idea of how his life experiences manifest themselves in his theories of beauty.

如果你看看他的传记，你就能很好地了解他的生活经历如何体现在他的美学理论中。

F: Specifically, the way he looked towards nature as the origin of what we find beautiful.

具体来说，就是他如何看待自然作为我们美感的起源。

M: Great.

太好了。

M: Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions, Professor.

感谢您花时间回答我的问题，教授。

M: I'll let you get back to class now.

我现在让您回去上课了。

F: If there's anything else you need, please come see me in my office any time.

如果你还需要什么，请随时来我办公室找我。

Questions 5 to 8 are based on the conversation you have just heard.

问题5到8基于你刚刚听到的对话。

Question 5. What is the man's problem?

问题5。男士的问题是什么？

Question 6. What does the professor think of the man's topic?

问题6。教授对男士的主题有什么看法？

Question 7. What is the man really more interested in?

问题7。男士真正更感兴趣的是什么？

Question 8. What does the professor say the man has to do?

问题8。教授说男士必须做什么？

Passage 1.

篇章一。

The temperature on Greenland's northern tip reached 6 degrees Celsius.

格陵兰岛北端的气温达到了6摄氏度。

Climate scientists describe the phenomenon as stunning.

气候科学家将这一现象描述为惊人的。

Weather conditions that drive this bizarre temperature surge have visited the Arctic before.

导致这种异常气温飙升的天气状况此前也曾出现在北极。

They typically appear about once in a decade.

它们通常大约每十年出现一次。

However, the last such increase in temperature took place two years ago.

然而，上一次类似的气温上升发生在两年前。

This is troubling as climbing Arctic temperatures combined with rapid sea ice loss are creating a new type of climate feedback loop, which could accelerate Arctic warming.

这令人担忧，因为不断上升的北极气温，结合海冰的快速流失，正在形成一种新型的气候反馈循环，这可能会加速北极变暖。

Indeed, sea ice cover in the Arctic is melting faster than expected.

事实上，北极的海冰覆盖融化速度比预期的要快。

Without those masses of cooling sea ice, warm air brought to the Arctic can penetrate further inland than it ever did before.

没有了那些冷却海冰的阻挡，被带到北极的暖空气可以比以往任何时候都更深入地向内陆渗透。

The air can stay warmer longer too.

空气保持温暖的时间也更长。

This drives additional melting.

这引发了额外的融化。

Overall, Earth is warming at a rapid pace.

总体而言，地球正在快速变暖。

2014 through 2017 rank as the hottest years on record, and the Arctic is warming twice as fast as any place else on Earth.

2014年至2017年是有记录以来最热的年份，而北极的变暖速度是地球上其他任何地方的两倍。

This raises unique challenges for Arctic wildlife and indigenous people, who depend on Arctic ecosystems to survive.

这对北极野生动物和土著居民提出了独特的挑战，他们依赖北极生态系统生存。

Previously, climate forecasts predicted that Arctic summer ice would disappear entirely by around 2060.

此前，气候预测曾预计北极夏季海冰将在2060年左右完全消失。

But based on what scientists are seeing now, the Arctic may be facing summers without ice within 20 years.

但根据科学家目前的观测，北极可能在20年内面临无冰的夏季。

Questions 9 to 11 are based on the passage you have just heard.

问题9到11基于你刚刚听到的篇章。

Question 9. What did climate scientists describe as stunning?

问题9. 气候科学家将什么描述为惊人的？

Question 10. What does the passage say about the temperature surge in the Arctic?

问题10. 这篇篇章关于北极气温飙升说了什么？

Question 11. What may occur in 20 years according to scientists' recent observations?

问题11. 根据科学家最近的观测，20年后可能会发生什么？

Passage 2.

段落2。

A good dose of willpower is often necessary to see any task through, whether it's sticking to a spending plan or finishing a great novel.

足够的意志力通常是完成任何任务所必需的，无论是坚持消费计划还是完成一部伟大的小说。

And if you want to increase that willpower, a new study suggests you just simply have to believe you have it.

如果你想增强这种意志力，一项新研究表明，你只需要相信你拥有它。

According to this study, what matters most is what we think about our willpower.

根据这项研究，最重要的是我们如何看待自己的意志力。

If we believe it's a finite resource, we act that way.

如果我们认为意志力是有限的资源，我们的行为也会如此。

We feel exhausted and need breaks between demanding mental tasks.

我们会感到疲惫，在繁重的脑力任务之间需要休息。

However, people who view their willpower as a limitless resource get energized instead.

然而，那些将意志力视为无限资源的人反而会充满活力。

The researchers used a psychological assessment tool to test the validity of the study.

研究人员使用了一种心理评估工具来测试这项研究的有效性。

They asked 1,100 Americans and 1,600 Europeans to grade different statements such as, after a challenging mental activity, my energy is depleted and I must rest to get it refueled again.

他们请1,100名美国人和1,600名欧洲人对不同的陈述进行评分，例如：在一项具有挑战性的脑力活动之后，我的精力耗尽，必须休息才能重新充电。

Or, I can focus on a mental task for long periods without feeling tired.

或者，我可以长时间专注于脑力任务而不感到疲劳。

Although there was little difference between men and women overall, Americans were more likely to admit to needing breaks after completing mentally challenging tasks.

尽管总体上男女之间差异不大，但美国人更可能承认在完成具有挑战性的脑力任务后需要休息。

European participants, on the other hand, claimed they were able to keep going.

另一方面，欧洲参与者声称他们能够继续坚持。

Based on the findings, the researchers suggest that the key to boosting your willpower is to believe that you have an abundant supply of it.

基于这些发现，研究人员建议，增强意志力的关键是相信你拥有充足的意志力供应。

Your feelings about your willpower affect the way you behave, but these feelings are changeable, they said.

他们说，你对意志力的感受会影响你的行为方式，但这些感受是可以改变的。

Changing your beliefs about the nature of your self-control can have positive effects on character development.

改变你对自制力本质的信念可以对性格发展产生积极影响。

This leads to healthier behaviors and perceptions of other people.

这会导致更健康的行为和对他人更积极的看法。

Questions 12 to 15 are based on the passage you have just heard.

问题12到15基于你刚刚听到的段落。

Question 12. What is often necessary for carrying through a task?

问题12。完成一项任务通常需要什么？

Question 13. What is the finding of the new study?

问题13。新研究的发现是什么？

Question 14. What do we learn about European participants as compared with their American counterparts?

问题14。与美国参与者相比，我们了解到欧洲参与者的什么特点？

Question 15. What do the researchers say concerning people's feelings about willpower?

问题15。研究人员就人们对意志力的感受说了什么？

Recording 1.

录音1。

Here is my baby niece, Sarah.

这是我的小侄女，莎拉。

Her mum is a doctor and her dad is a lawyer.

她妈妈是医生，爸爸是律师。

By the time Sarah goes to college, the jobs her parents do are going to look dramatically different.

到莎拉上大学时，她父母从事的工作将会发生巨大变化。

In 2013, researchers at Oxford University did a study on the future of work.

2013年，牛津大学的研究人员对工作的未来进行了一项研究。

They concluded that almost one in every two jobs has a high risk of being automated by machines.

他们得出结论，几乎每两个工作中就有一个面临被机器自动化的高风险。

Machine learning is the technology that is responsible for most of this disruption.

机器学习是造成这种颠覆的主要技术。

It is the most powerful branch of artificial intelligence.

它是人工智能最强大的分支。

It allows machines to learn from data and copy some of the things that humans can do.

它允许机器从数据中学习，并复制人类能做的一些事情。

My company, Kaggle, operates on the cutting edge of machine learning.

我的公司，Kaggle，在机器学习的前沿运作。

We bring together hundreds of thousands of experts to solve important problems for industry and academia.

我们汇集数十万专家，为工业和学术界解决重要问题。

This gives us a unique perspective on what machines can do, what they can't do, and what jobs they might automate or threaten.

这使我们对机器能做什么、不能做什么，以及它们可能自动化或威胁哪些工作有了独特的视角。

Machine learning started making its way into industry in the early 90s.

机器学习在90年代初期开始进入工业界。

It started with relatively simple tasks.

它始于相对简单的任务。

It started with things like assessing credit risk from loan applications, sorting the mail by reading handwritten zip codes.

它始于诸如评估贷款申请的信用风险、通过阅读手写邮政编码分拣邮件等事情。

Over the past few years, we have made dramatic breakthroughs.

在过去几年里，我们取得了显著的突破。

Machine learning is now capable of far, far more complex tasks.

机器学习现在能处理远为复杂的任务。

In 2012, Kaggle challenged its community to build a program that could grade high school essays.

2012年，Kaggle挑战其社区构建一个能给高中作文评分的程序。

The winning programs were able to match the grades given by human teachers.

获胜的程序能够与人类教师给出的分数相匹配。

Now, given the right data, machines are going to outperform humans at tasks like this.

现在，给定正确的数据，机器在类似任务上将超越人类。

A teacher might read 10,000 essays over a 40-year career.

一位教师在40年的职业生涯中可能阅读10,000篇作文。

A machine can read millions of essays within minutes.

一台机器可以在几分钟内阅读数百万篇作文。

We have no chance of competing against machines on frequent, high-volume tasks.

在频繁、大量的任务上，我们没有机会与机器竞争。

But there are things we can do that machines cannot.

但有些事情是我们能做而机器不能的。

Where machines have made very little progress is in tackling novel situations.

机器在处理新情况方面取得的进展非常小。

Machines can't handle things they haven't seen many times before.

机器无法处理它们以前没有见过很多次的事情。

The fundamental limitation of machine learning is that it needs to learn from large volumes of past data.

机器学习的根本限制是它需要从大量过去数据中学习。

But humans don't.

但人类不需要。

We have the ability to connect seemingly different threads to solve problems we've never seen before.

我们有能力连接看似不同的线索，解决我们以前从未见过的问题。

Questions 16 to 18 are based on the lecture you have just heard.

问题16到18基于你刚刚听到的讲座。

Question 16. What did the researchers at Oxford University conclude?

问题16。牛津大学的研究人员得出了什么结论？

Question 17. What do we learn about Kaggle Company's winning programs?

问题17。关于Kaggle公司的获胜程序，我们了解到什么？

Question 18. What is the fundamental limitation of machine learning?

问题18。机器学习的根本限制是什么？

Recording 2.

第二段录音。

We've talked recently about the importance of sustainable energy.

我们最近讨论了可持续能源的重要性。

We've also talked about the different theories on how that can be done.

我们也讨论了实现这一目标的不同理论。

So far, our discussions have all been theoretical.

到目前为止，我们的讨论都是理论性的。

Now, I have a practical question for you all.

现在，我给大家提一个实际问题。

Can you run a 140,000 kg train on just the steam generated by solar power?

你能仅用太阳能产生的蒸汽驱动一列140,000公斤的火车吗？

Well, one engineer, Tim Castleman, believes it's possible.

嗯，一位工程师，Tim Castleman，认为这是可能的。

And his home city of Sacramento, California, should see the technology's first test.

他的家乡加利福尼亚州萨克拉门托应该会看到这项技术的首次测试。

As part of the upgrading of its rail yard, Castleman, who is an inventor and self-proclaimed steam visionary, is campaigning for a new steam train that runs without any fire and could run on an existing 10 km line, drawing tourists and perhaps offering city commuters a green alternative to their cars.

作为其铁路场地升级的一部分，Castleman——一位发明家兼自诩的蒸汽愿景家——正在推广一种无需明火的新型蒸汽火车，这种火车可以在现有10公里线路上运行，吸引游客，并可能为城市通勤者提供一种绿色的汽车替代方案。

Castleman wants to build an array of solar magnifying mirrors at one end of the line to collect and focus heat onto water-filled tubes.

Castleman想在线路一端建造一系列太阳能聚光镜，以收集并将热量聚焦到充水管上。

This would generate steam that could be used to fill tanks on a small steam train without the use of fire.

这将产生蒸汽，可以在不使用明火的情况下填充小型蒸汽火车的储罐。

Supplying power to trains in this way would offer the shortest distance from well to wheels, he says, with the least amount of energy lost.

他说，以这种方式为火车提供动力将提供从源头到车轮的最短距离，能量损失最小。

According to Harry Valentin, a Canadian engineer who is researching modern steam technology, a special tank measuring 2 by 10 meters could store over 750 kWh of energy as high-pressure steam, enough to pull a two-car train for an hour or so.

根据研究现代蒸汽技术的加拿大工程师Harry Valentin的说法，一个2米乘10米的特殊储罐可以储存超过750千瓦时的高压蒸汽能量，足以拉动一列两节车厢的火车运行约一小时。

Energy to drive a steam locomotive can be stored in other materials besides water.

驱动蒸汽机车的能量可以储存在除水以外的其他材料中。

For example, a team at Tohoku University in Japan has studied materials that can store large amounts of heat.

例如，日本东北大学的一个团队研究了能储存大量热量的材料。

When heated, these materials turn from a solid into a liquid, absorbing energy as they change phase.

当加热时，这些材料从固体转变为液体，在相变过程中吸收能量。

The liquid is maintained above its melting point until steam is required, at which point the liquid is allowed to turn back into a solid, releasing its stored energy.

液体保持在其熔点以上，直到需要蒸汽时，此时液体被允许变回固体，释放其储存的能量。

Another team at Nagoya University in Japan has tested calcium compound as an energy storage material.

日本名古屋大学的另一个团队测试了钙化合物作为储能材料。

Heating this chemical compound dries off carbon dioxide gas, leaving calcium oxide.

加热这种化学化合物会释放二氧化碳气体，留下氧化钙。

The gas can be stored under pressure in a tank.

气体可以在压力下储存在储罐中。

To recover the energy, the gas is fed back over the calcium oxide.

为了回收能量，气体被反馈到氧化钙上。

In theory, says Valentin, this can create a high enough temperature to generate superheated steam.

Valentin说，理论上，这可以产生足够高的温度来产生过热蒸汽。

Questions 19 to 22 are based on the lecture you have just heard.

问题19到22基于你刚刚听到的讲座。

Question 19. What has the speaker previously talked about?

问题19。演讲者之前谈到了什么？

Question 20. What is Tim Castleman trying to do in Sacramento?

问题20。Tim Castleman在萨克拉门托试图做什么？

Question 21. What has a Japanese research team tried to do?

问题21。一个日本研究团队试图做什么？

Recording 3.

录音3。

Today's crisis in care for older people in England has two main causes.

当今英格兰老年人护理危机有两个主要原因。

First, people are living longer with a lot more complex needs.

首先，人们的寿命延长，需求也变得更加复杂。

Second, they rely on a system that has long been marked by a poor relation between national health and social care services.

其次，他们依赖的系统长期以来以国家健康服务和社会护理服务之间关系不佳为特征。

Current services originate in two key measures.

当前的服务源于两项关键措施。

They are the National Health Service and the 1948 National Assistance Act.

它们是国家健康服务和1948年的《国家援助法》。

This required local governments to provide residential accommodation for older people and supervise care homes run by independent organizations.

这要求地方政府为老年人提供住宿设施，并监督由独立组织运营的养老院。

They also provided home and community services, including meals, day centres and home helpers, and other subsidized services.

他们还提供家庭和社区服务，包括餐食、日间中心和家庭助手，以及其他补贴服务。

The National Health Service was free and wholly publicly provided.

国家健康服务是免费的，并且完全由公共提供。

It delivered the best health care for all.

它为所有人提供了最好的医疗保健。

No such vision guided residential and community care, though.

然而，住宿和社区护理却没有这样的愿景指导。

The care was substantially provided by voluntary services, which worked together with local authorities as they long had, with eligibility based on income.

护理主要由志愿服务提供，这些服务与地方政府合作已久，资格基于收入。

Today, life expectancy has risen from 66 for a male at birth in 1948 to around 80 now.

如今，男性出生时的预期寿命已从1948年的66岁上升到现在的约80岁。

In addition, there is better overall health and improved medical knowledge in care.

此外，整体健康状况更好，护理中的医学知识也有所提高。

This means an unprecedented number of people are surviving longer in conditions requiring expert support.

这意味着前所未有数量的人们在需要专业支持的条件下存活时间更长。

Families provide at least as much care as they ever did.

家庭提供的护理至少和以往一样多。

Even so, they can rarely, without subsidized support, address serious personal needs.

即便如此，没有补贴支持，他们很少能解决严重的个人需求。

Care for older people faced persistent criticism as these trends became apparent.

随着这些趋势变得明显，老年人护理面临持续的批评。

From the early 1960s, local authorities were required to plan health and welfare services.

从20世纪60年代初开始，地方政府被要求规划健康和福利服务。

The aim was to enable older people to remain in their own homes for as long as possible.

目标是让老年人尽可能长时间地留在自己的家中。

But this increased concern about the lack of coordination between free health and paid-for social care.

但这增加了对免费健康服务和付费社会护理之间缺乏协调的担忧。

Through the 1970s, a number of measures sought to improve matters.

在整个20世纪70年代，许多措施试图改善情况。

However, at a time of financial crisis, funding diminished and little changed.

然而，在金融危机时期，资金减少，情况几乎没有改变。

In the 1980s, the government cut spending.

在20世纪80年代，政府削减了开支。

Meanwhile, preference for private over public services made management even more difficult.

同时，偏好私营服务而非公共服务使得管理更加困难。

Simultaneously, the number of sick older people grew.

同时，生病的老年人数量增加了。

Governments emphasized the need to improve services.

政府强调了改善服务的必要性。

They did so, though, while doing little to stop the erosion of available aid.

然而，他们这样做时，却几乎未采取措施阻止可用援助的侵蚀。

Services were irregular across authorities.

各当局之间的服务不均衡。

Unless you were prepared to pay, they were increasingly difficult to obtain for any but the most severely disabled.

除非你准备付费，否则除了最严重残疾者外，获得这些服务越来越困难。

Why has 60 years of criticism produced so little change?

为什么60年的批评只产生了如此少的改变？

Discrimination against older people has a long history.

对老年人的歧视有着悠久的历史。

Additionally, those affected by inadequate health and social care are too vulnerable to launch the protests that have addressed other forms of discrimination.

此外，那些受健康和社会护理不足影响的人过于脆弱，无法发起针对其他形式歧视的抗议。

Questions 23 to 25 are based on the lecture you have just heard.

问题23至25基于你刚刚听到的讲座。

Question 23. What does the speaker say about residential and community care?

问题23. 关于住宿和社区护理，说话者说了什么？

Question 24. What made management of care for the elderly more difficult in the 1980s?

问题24. 是什么使得老年人护理管理在20世纪80年代更加困难？

Question 25. What does the speaker say about older people in England?

问题25. 关于英格兰的老年人，说话者说了什么？