2022年河南省安陽市大學(xué)英語6級大學(xué)英語六級真題(含答案)學(xué)校:________班級:________姓名:________考號:________

一、2.ReadingComprehension(SkimmingandScanning)(20題)1.

Theeconomyandjobmarketaresogoodthatmoregraduatesaredeterminedtofindthebestjob.

A.YB.NC.NG

2.

WhatcanyoulearnaboutthePrincesStreet?

A.Itisagardenwithablazeofcolor.

B.Itisamile-longstreetofpalaces.

C.Itisastreetfamousforitsshops.

D.Itisamonumentalmemorial.

3.

Amongdevelopedcountries,______spendsthegreatestshareofGDPonthepublicbroadcasting.

A.USgovernment

B.Britishgovernment

C.Germangovernment

D.Frenchgovernment

4.

Theauthorwasquiteproudof______thatmorningofinterview.

5.

RebellosaidthattheAmazondroughtcouldbelinkedto______.

6.

Accordingtothepassage,theonlyform.ofInternethoaxesise-mailhoax.

A.YB.NC.NG

7.

______wantstodeveloptheHealtheon/WebMDtosavehundredsofbillionsofdollars.

A.BillGatesB.CharlesSchwabC.MichaelDertouzosD.JimClark

8.SuggestionsforYourWork

Annieisalongtimesecretary/receptionistfortwoseniorvicepresidentsatabigcompany.Theyhavebeendoingalotofhiringlately,andalmostallofthenewmiddle-managementpersonnelhavebeeninterviewedbyoneortheotherofAnnie'stwobosses,sonaturallytheycomethroughherofficefirst.

Someofthesepeopleareunbelievablyrude.EithertheytreatAnnielikeapieceoffurniture(nohello,noeyecontact)ortheythinksheistheirerrand(差使)girl.Lately,Annie'stwobosseshavestartedaskingherforherimpressionsofjobcandidates.Sofarthisweek,twohavebeendiscourteous(失禮的)anddismissive,soAltairgaveboththethumbs-down.Neitherisgettingcalledbackforthenextroundofinterviews.

Nooneknowshowcommonthisis,butifyouarejobhunting,it'snecessarytobeawarethatthedummyatthereceptiondeskmaybeanythingbutnot"justasecretary".

SuggestionstoJobHunters

AccordingtoAnnieStevensandGregGostanian,twopartnersataBoston-basedexecutivecoachingfirmcalledClearRock,it'snotunusualthesedaysforahiringmanagertoaskeveryonewhomeetsapotentialnewhiretogiveanopinionofhimorher."Oneofthebiggestreasonssomanynewlyrecruitedmanagersfailinanewjobistheirinabilitytofitinandgetalongwiththepeoplewhoarealreadythere,"saysStevens."Soemployersnowwanttogetstaffers'impressionsrightatthestart."

AddsGostanian:"Alotcanbelearnedfromhowcandidatestreatreceptionists.Ifthejobseekerisrude,condescending,orarrogant,thismightbeanindicationofhowheorshewouldtreatcoworkersordirectreports."

Obviously,anyonelookingforanewjobwoulddowellnottoalienatethepersonwhositsoutsidetheinterviewer'sdoor.StevensandGostanianofferthesesixtipsfurgettingofftotherightstart:

?Introduceyourselfasyouwouldtoanyotherpotentialnewcolleague.Smile,shakehands,andsoon.Itseemsoddthatthishastobespelledout,butapparentlyitdoes;and,besidesbeingamatterofcommoncourtesy,ordinaryfriendlinessoffersapracticaladvantage."Learningandrememberinganinterviewer'sreceptionist'snamecanonlyhelpasyouadvanceintheinterviewingprocess,"Stevensnotes.

?Don'tregardareceptionistorotherassistantasanunderling(部下)—atleast,notasyourownpersonalunderling."Alwaysasktheinterviewerifyouneedhelpfromanyoneelseintheofficewhereyou'reinterviewing,insteadofseekingthisdirectlyyourself,"saysGostanian.Inotherwords,ifyou'dliketoleaveanextracopyofyourresume,refrainfromsendingtheinterviewer'sassistanttotheXeroxmachine.

?It'sfinetoacceptifyou'reofferedabeverage,butkeepitsimple."Don'taskforparticularbrandnamesorexpecttobebrewedafreshpotofcoffee,"Stevenssays.Andofcourse,needweaddthatdispatchinganybodytoStarbucksisoutofthequestion?

?Feelfreetomakesmalltalk,butknowthatanythingyousaymaywellgetbacktotheinterviewer."Don'taskprobingquestionsaboutthecompanyorofferunsolicitedopinions,"Gostanianadvises.Nomatterhowhideoustheofficedoor,endlessthehikefromtheparkinglot,orinconvenientthewaittoseetheinterviewer,keepittoyourself.Plentyoftimeforwhining(抱怨)andgrumblingafteryou'rehired.

?Don'ttalkonyourceilphoneinfrontofthereceptionist,andtrytoputyourBlackBerryaside."Ifyouhavetomakeortakeacall,leavethereceptionarea,"Stevenssays.Preoccupationwithwirelessdeviceswillmarkyou,shesays,as"acoldandfixatedperson".

?Don'tforgettosaygood-bye."Failuretosaygood-byetosomeoneyou'vejustmetreflectsnegativelyonyou,"Gostaniannotes."You'llcomeacrossasimpersonalanduncaring

A.YB.NC.NG

9.

ThebeggarsinLondon______speakwithanyonewhotalkedaboutAmerica.

10.

Insteadofanaspectofnature,sportsbelongtothefieldof______.

11.

Whencompaniesstartedlosinglawsuitsregardingtheirchemicalemissions,theideaoftoxicreductionbecameratherpopularin______.

12.HowdoesRobertFeldmanseelittlewhitelies?

A.Theydoharmtobothpeopleandthesociety.

B.Theyaremoreacceptablethanhabituallies.

C.Theyarenecessaryinthesocialrelationships.

D.Theyaregood-intentionedandthusharmless.

13.

AccordingtoJohnMaynardKeynes,whycangovernmentsusedevaluationofcurrencytotakeinpeople?

A.Valueisinherentinmoney.

B.Metalcurrencyhasbecomeatoken.

C.Cashisconsideredaspureinformation.

D.Thetruthisbeyonddoubt.

14.

Indecisionmaking,theFedExExpressalwaysfollowsthecorporatephilosophyof______.

15.OriginallythecreatorintendedtouseAuto-Tuneto______.

A.changeapoorly-sungsongintoaperfectone

B.makeeveryonesinglikeaprofessionalsinger

C.injectsomevitalityintothepopindustry

D.bringtheflawofpopsongsintopublic

16.ThegovernmentandBPhasbeenincreasingly______bythescientificcommunityfortheirresponsestotheGulfoilspill.

17.

Mostofparentstoleratedtheconstructivistprogramforitsfirstseveralyears,buttheyweregreatlyinfluencedbythetraditionalmaththattheyurgedteachertoteachtraditionalexams.

A.YB.NC.NG

18.

Theanimalslivinginextremeoceanicenvironmentshavetofeedoncertainbacteriathathelpthemgetenergyfrom______.

19.EndYourBackPain

Likeanexpensivebuttemperamentalsportscar,thehumanspinisbeautifullydesignedandmaddeninglyunreliable.Ifyouarealiving,breathinghumanbeing,youhaveprobablysufferedtheagonyofbackpain.Andaslongaspeoplecontinuetoleadoverweight,sedentaryandstressfullives,thenumberofsufferersisunlikelytogoanywhereotherthanup.

Asitdoes,armiesofnewback-painsufferers,manydesperateandevendisabled,willseekrelief.Whentheydo,they'llquicklydiscoverjusthowcomplicatedtheirproblemreallyis,withitsmystifyingmixofphysicalsymptomsandpsychologicalunderpinnings.Therealityisthattheagonywilloftengoawayonitsown—impossibleasthatmayseemwhenyouarewrithing(痛苦扭曲)onthekitchenfloor.TheGreatPainMystery

Backpaincanoriginateanywhereintheelaboratespinalarchitecture.Degenerateddiscs(椎間盤),whichmanyleadtoherniation(突出)andcompressednerves,areacommonproblem.Thentherethosewrenchingpainprovokedbymuscleinjuries,whichcandropgrownmentothefloor.What'smostmysteriousaboutbackproblemsisthefrequentdisconnectbetweenanatomicaldefectsandpain.Unlikebloodpressureandcholesterol(膽固醇),whichcouldbemeasuredwitharmcuffsandbloodtests,lower-backpainhasnoobjectiveway—thevolumeoftears?theintensityofagrimace?—tobegauged.

Manytimes,theprecisecauseofpainremainsunknown.Imagingtestsfoundthattwopeoplewithherniateddiscscanleadradicallydifferentlives:Onespendshisdayspoppingpainkillers,theotherwaltzesthroughlife.Inawell-knownstudy,researcherschecked98healthypeople:Two-thirdshadabnormaldiscseventhoughnonecomplainedofpain.Therealissueiswhysomepeoplehaveamildbackacheandsomehavereallycripplingpain.Inanotherresearch,expertscomparedagroupofpatientswhoreportedbackpainwithacontrolgroupwhodidnot.Closetotwo-thirdsifthepainpatientshadcracksintheirdiscs,so-calledhigh-intensityzones,orHIZs.Butsodid24percentofthenon-complainers.

Theanswerhasasmuchtodowiththemindaswiththebody.IntheHIZstudy,thebestpredictorofpainwasnothowbadthedefectlooked,butthepatient'spsychologicaldistress.Depressionandanxietyhavelongbeenlinkedtopain;arecentCanadianstudyfoundthatpeoplewhosufferfromseveredepressionarefourtimesmorelikelytodevelopintenseordisablingneckorlow-backpain.AtNewYork'sHospitalforSpecialSurgery,psychiatristGregoryLutzsaysheoftenseesmenwhohavetwothingsincommon:cripplingsciatica(坐骨神經(jīng)痛)andanupcomingweddingdate.Theproblemintheirback,possiblyadegeneratedorherniateddisc,likelyalreadyexisted,saysDr.Lutz,butwasintensifiedbythepre-marriagejitters.

SpineSurgeryBreakthrough

Painispain,andmanywantaquickfixandthatmeanssurgery.Spinal-fusionsurgery,oneofthemostinvasiveandcostlyformsoftherapy(about＄42,000)hasmorethandoubledintheUSsince1993,toabout350,000in2003.Discectomy,whichisdonelessinvasively,hasalsospikedto342,000surgeriesperyear.Buttheseproceduresdon'tworkforeveryone.

Theincreaseinallspinalsurgeryhasbeenpromotedinpartbytechnicaladvancespromisingbetteroutcomes.Perhapsthemostintriguingnewdevelopmentistheartificialcobalt-chromedisc.InOctober2004,theUSFoodandDrugAdministration(FDA)approvedthefirstsuchdisc,theCharite,forpatientswithdegenerativediscdisease.Thethree-piecedevicehasaslidingmedical-gradeplasticcoresandwichedbetweentwometalplates,whichallowsthespinetomove.Itisbelievedthat,suchdiscs,likekneereplacements,willgivepatientsmoremobilitythantraditionalfusionsurgery.Andtheywillgetoutofbedalotsoonertoo.Thekeyistobev

A.plainageing

B.spinedefects

C.surgicalfailures

D.mentalstress

20.ACleanWorldoraPollutedWorld?

Consume,consume,consume!Oursocietyisconsumer-orienteddangerouslyso.Tokeepthewheelsofindustryturning,wemanufactureconsumergoodsinendlessquantities,and,intheprocess,arerapidlyexhaustingournaturalresources.Butthisisonlyhalftheproblem.Whatdowedowithmanufacturedproductswhentheyarewornout?Theymustbedisposedof,buthowandwhere?Unsightlyjunkyardsfullofrustingautomobilesalreadysurroundeverycityinthenation.Americansthrowaway80billionbottlesandcanseachyear,enoughtobuildmorethantenstackstothemoon.Thereisn'troomformuchmorewaste,andyetthefactoriesgrindon.Theycannotstopbecauseeveryonewantsajob.Ourstandardofliving,oneofthehighestintheworld,requirestheconsumptionofmanufacturedproductsinever-increasingamounts.Man,abouttobeburiedinhisownwaste,iscaughtinaviciouscycle."Stoptheworld,Iawanttogetoff,"isthewayapopularsongputman'sdilemma.

Itwasn'talwayslikethis.Only100yearsagomanlivedinharmonywithnature.Thereweren'tsomanypeoplethenandtheirwantswerefewer.Whateverwasteswereproducedcouldbeabsorbedbynatureandweresooncoveredover.Todaythisharmoniousrelationshipisthreatenedbyman'slackofforesightandplanning,andbyhiscarelessnessandgreed.Formanisslowlypoisoninghisenvironment.

Pollutionisa"dirty"word.Topollutemeanstocontaminate—tospoilsomethingbyintroducinginpuritieswhichmakeitunfitoruncleantouse.Pollutioncomesinmanyforms.Weseeit,smellit,tasteit,drinkit,andstumblethroughit.Weliterallyliveinandbreathepollution,and,notsurprisingly,itisbeginningtothreatenourhealth,ourhappiness,andourverycivilization.

Oncewethoughtofpollutionasmeaningsimplysmog—thechoking,stinging,dirtyairthathoversovercities.Butairpollution,whileitisstillthemostdangerous,Isonlyonetypeofcontaminationamongseveralwhichattackthemostbasiclifefunctions.

Throughtheuncontrolleduseofinsecticides,manhaspollutedtheland,killingthewildlife.Bydumpingsewageandchemicalsintoriversandlakes,wehavecontaminatedourdrinkingwater.Wearepollutingtheoceans,too,killingthefishandtherebydeprivingourselvesofaninvaluablefoodsupply.

Partoftheproblemisourexplodingpopulation.Moreandmorepeopleproducemorewastes.Butthisproblemisintensifiedbyour"throw-away"technology.EachyearAmericansdisposeof7millionautos,20milliontonsofwastepaper,25millionpoundsoftoothpastetubesand48millioncans.Wethrowawaygumwrappers,newspapers,andpaperplates.Itisnolongerfashionabletoreuseanything.Todayalmosteverythingisdisposable.Insteadofrepairingatoasteroraradio,itiseasierandcheapertobuyanewoneanddiscardtheold,eventhough93percentofitspartsmaystillbefunctioning.Babydiapers,whichusedtobemadeofreusablecloth,arenowpaperthrow-aways.Soonwewillwearclothingmadeofpaper:"Wearitonceandthrowitaway"willbethesloganofthefashionconscious.

Whereisthisalltoend?Areweturningtheworldintoagiganticdump,oristherehopethatwecansolvethepollutionproblem?Fortunately,solutionsareinsight.Afewofthemarepositivelyingenious.

Taketheproblemofdiscardedautomobiles,forinstance.Eachyearover40,000ofthemareabandonedinNewYorkCityalone.Eventuallythediscardsendupinajunkyard.Butcarsaretoobulkytoshipasscraptoasteelmill.Theymustfirstbeflattened.ThisisdoneinagiantcompressorwhichcanreduceaCadillactothesizeofatelevisionsetinamatterofminutes.Anyleftoverscrapmetalsmixedwithconcreteandmadeintoexceptionallystrongbricksthatareusedinbuil

A.YB.NC.NG

二、3.ListeningComprehension(20題)21.

【B10】

22.(13)

A.Asnowstorm.

B.Anearthquake.

C.Atrafficaccident.

D.Ahurricane.

23.(29)

A.Bystudyingthesignsaroundthemwitheyesandbrains.

B.Bychangingtheweather.

C.Bycontrollingtheweather.

D.Bylisteningtoothers'advice.

24.

【B4】

25.(21)

A.Theyshinebrightly.

B.Theyareextremelystrong.

C.Theycanstoreheat.

D.Theycanabsorbwater.

26.

【B3】

27.

【B9】

28.(47)

29.聽力原文：W:Hi,ProfessorHiggins.

M:Hi,Julia.

W:Wouldyoubeabletohelpmeorganizemyessay?

M:Certainly.Whattopichaveyouchosen?

W:WomeninPolitics.

M:Thattopicisverybroad.Ithinkyoushouldnarrowitdown.

W:DoyouthinkIcouldjustdowomeninEnglishspeakingcountries--saytheUnitedStates,Canada,Australia,NewZealandandBritain?

M:Well,thatwouldbebetter.

W:Iaminterestedinthepatternofpoliticalinvolvementofwomeninthosewesterndemocracies.WithNewZealandandAustralialeadingtheway,womeninthosecountrieshadthevotesoonaftertheendofWorldWarI.

M:Itwouldbegoodtobeginwithadiscussionofwhenwomengottherighttovoteandhowtheyuseit.

W:Therecordofwomeninpoliticsinallthosecountrieshasbeensimilar.Noneofthemhaswomenrepresentedmorethan10percentofmembersofthenationallegislature.

M:Remember,itisnotwhatyouthink.Youmustbackupyouropinionswithfacts.Supportforallyourideasisessential.Ithinkyoushouldcheckthestatisticsonwhatpercentageofwomenholdpoliticalofficeinthenationalgovernments.

W:Okay,Ialsoplantodiscusstheroleoforganizedwomen'srights.

M:Thatisagoodidea,butrememberthisterm-paperisonly5,000wordssoyoumustkeepyourtopicfocused.

W:CouldIbringyouaroughdraftnextweek?

M:Iwouldpreferifyoubroughtanoutline,breakingdownyourmaintopicsandsubtopics.Itmaybeagoodideatobringsomeofyourreferencematerialsalong.

W:Sure,Iwilldothat.Thankyouverymuch.

(23)

A.Narrowdownthetopicofherarticle.

B.Readandreviseheressay.

C.Providesomefactsforheropinion.

D.Givehersomeadviceonwritingapaper.

30.

【B6】

31.(14)

A.Heisnotthatfarawayifshewantstovisit.

B.Hedoesn'tbelievethatshewillreallymisshim.

C.Hewelcomesherphonecallsanytime.

D.Hewilltelephoneherasoftenashecan.

32.(22)

A.Theyarepayingforhiseducation.

B.Theyinvitedhimtotheirparty.

C.Theytookhimonavacationwiththem.

D.Theylethimlivewiththemforfree.

33.(43)

34.(30)

A.Byprediction.

B.Byrecording.

C.Throughobservation.

D.Throughinterviewing.

35.(31)

A.Henryfooledthemanintobringingthebookstohishouse.

B.Henryboughtthemfromthefirstvisitor.

C.ThepolicefoundthemandgavethemtoHenry.

D.Henrygotthembackwiththehelpofthepolice.

36.(32)

A.Rape.B.Burglary.C.Aggravatedassault.D.Smuggling.

37.(40)

38.聽力原文：Ladiesandgentlemen,welcomeaboardyourScenicCruiserBustoSaintLouis,Memphis,andNewOrleanswithchangesinSaintLouisforKansasCityandpointswest.

ThiscoachisscheduledtoarriveinSaintLouisateighto'clock.YouwillhaveafifteenminutereststopatBloomingtonatthreeo'clockandahalfhourdinnerstopatSpringfieldatfive-thirty.

PassengersonthisCoacharescheduledtoarriveinMemphisatseveno'clocktomorrowmorningandinNewOrleansatfiveo'clocktomorrowafternoon.Pleasedon'tforgetthenumberofyourcoachwhenre-boarding.Thatnumberisfour-one-eight.

Letmeremindyouthatfederalregulationsprohibitsmokingcigarettesorcigarsanywhereinthecoach:

Thiscoachisrestroom-equippedforyourcomfortandconvenience.Pleasewatchyourstepwhenmovingaboutinthecoach.Relaxandenjoyyourtrip,andthankyoufortravelingScenicCruiserBusLines.

(33)

A.Atthreeo'clockintheafternoon.

B.Atfive-thirtyintheafternoon.

C.Atseveno'clockintheevening.

D.Ateighto'clockintheevening.

39.SectionB

Directions:Inthissection,youwillhear3shortpassages.Attheendofeachpassage,youwillhearsomequestions.Boththepassageandthequestionswillbespokenonlyonce.Afteryouhearaquestion,youmustchoosethebestanswerfromthefourchoicesmarkedA,B,CandD.

聽力原文：I'msureyourealizethatyourresearchpapersaredueinsixweeks.I'velookedatyourproposedtopicsandmadecommentsaboutthem.Themostfrequentproblemwasproposingtoobroadatopic-remember,thisisonlyafifteenpaper.

AsIreturnyourtopicpapers,I'dliketolookovertheschedulewhichsketchesoutwhatwe'lldoduringthenexttwoweeks.TodayisMonday;byFriday,Iwantyourpreliminaryoutlines.PleasebesuretoincorporatethesuggestionsI'vemadeonyourtopicsinyouroutlines.NextweekI'llhaveaconferencewitheachofyou.I'vepostedascheduleonmyofficedoor'-signyournametoindicatethetimeyou'reavailableforanappointment.Intheconference,we'lldiscussyourpreliminaryoutline.Thenyoucanmakethenecessaryrevisionsandhandinyourfinaloutline,whichisduetwoweeksfromtoday.

Usetheoutlinestyle.inyourtextbookandrememberitshouldbenomorethantwopageslong.Besuretobeginwithathesisstatement-thatis,withaprecisestatementofthepointyouintendtoprove-andincludeaconclusion.

Haveyougotallthat?Yourtwopreliminaryoutlinesaredueattheendofthisweekandthefinaloutlinesaredueafteryourconferences.Followthetextbookstyle.andincludeathesisstatementandaconclusion.

(27)

A.Immediately.

B.Thefollowingweek.

C.Intwoweeks.

D.Attheendofthesemester.

40.聽力原文：M:Ihaveneverseensuchaninterestingshow.IhopeyouenjoyeditasmuchasIdid.

W:ImustadmitthatIfeltsleepyduringthetwohours.

Q:Howdidthewomanfeelabouttheshow?

(13)

A.Enjoyable.B.Inspiring.C.Moving.D.Dull.

三、4.ReadingComprehension(ReadinginDepth)(20題)41.

Welearnedfromthepassagethat______.

A.evenin2030,obstaclesstillexistinreadingandinterpretinghumanthought

B.nowadayspeoplefeelangrywiththedominationofthehistorybyelites

C.bytheyear2050,humanbeingscanleadaneverlastinglifebiologically

D.peoplecanonly"livein"silicontogetanimmortallife

42.

Whichofthefollowingstatementsisbetterwhenadrivermakesanaccident?

A.He'dbetterstayuntilthepolicecome.

B.Itisnoneedforhimtowaitforthearrivalofthepolice.

C.Hehastofinishtheformalities.

D.Itiswisetogoawaywithoutnotinganything.

43.

TheauthormostprobablythinksthatPicasso'sartis______.

A.unprecedentedB.complicatedC.apprehensibleD.matchless

44.

Recessioninrichandemergingmarketsisnotonlyabadnews,butalsothreatens______.

45.ChristineBlowerheldthatthelonghoursofwork______.

A.wereanessentialrequirementofthesociety

B.hadaverybadeffectonteachershealth

C.werenecessaryforteachingandlearning

D.wereacceptabletomanyclassroomteachers

46.

Commercialscreatethesensationofloudnessbecause______.

A.TVstationsalwaysoperateatthehighestsoundlevels

B.theirsoundlevelsarekeptaroundpeaklevels

C.theirsoundlevelsarekeptinthemiddlefrequencyranges

D.unlikeregularprogramstheirintensityofsoundvariesoverawiderange

47.

Accordingtotheannualresearchreport,______.

A.theareawheremencanhaveaslightadvantagehasincreased

B.theareawheremencanshowtheirtalentshasdecreased

C.theareawherewomencanmakefulluseoftheirtalentsisexpanded

D.theareawherewomencannotcompetewithmenisreduced

48.WhydidBrendanBarberregardtheextensionofflexibleworkinghoursasgoodnews?

A.Itwillminimizeofficespaceandsavemoneyforthefirms.

B.Itwillsolvethecompanies'problemsduringtherecession.

C.Itwillmakeemployeesmoreefficientandbenefitthefirms.

D.Itwillmakeeveryonefeelmorerelaxedandcomfortable.

49.

Theauthoradvisesparents______.

A.totakemedicinesbeforechildren

B.toavoidtakingdragsinfrontofchildren

C.tothrowawayoldmedicines

D.toteachchildrenaboutmedicines

50.SectionA

Directions:Inthissection,thereisashortpassagewith5questionsorincompletestatements.Readthepassagecarefully.Thenanswerthequestionsorcompletethestatementsinthefewestpossiblewords.

ThehistoryofEnglishsince1700isfilledwithmanymovementsandcounter-movements,ofwhichwecannoticeonlyacouple.Oneoftheseisthevigorousattemptmadeintheeighteenthcentury,andtheratherhalfheartedattemptsmadesince,toregulateandcontroltheEnglishlanguage.Manypeopleoftheeighteenthcentury,notunderstandingverywelltheforceswhichgovernlanguage,proposedtopolishandpruneandrestrictEnglish,whichtheyfeltwasproliferatingtoowildly.Therewasmuchtalkofanacademywhichwouldruleonwhatpeoplecouldandcouldnotsayandwrite.Theacademynevercameintobeing,buttheeighteenthcenturydidsucceedinestablishingcertainattitudeswhich,thoughtheyhaven'thadmucheffectonthedevelopmentofthelanguageitself,havecertainlychangedthenativespeaker'sfeelingaboutthelanguage.

Inpartaproductofthewishtofixandestablishthelanguagewasthedevelopmentofthedictionary.ThefirstEnglishdictionarywaspublishedin1603;itwasalistof2,500wordsbrieflydefined.Anotherproductoftheeighteenthcenturywastheinventionof"Englishgrammar."AsEnglishcametoreplaceLatinasthelanguageofscholarshipitwasfeltthatoneshouldalsobeabletocontrolanddissectit,parseandanalyzeit,asonecouldLatin.WhathappenedinpracticewasthatthegrammaticaldescriptionthatappliedtoLatinwasremovedandsuperimposedonEnglish.Thiswassilly,becauseEnglishisanentirelydifferentkindoflanguage,withitsownformsandsignalsandwaysofproducingmeaning.Nevertheless,EnglishgrammarsontheLatinmodelwereworkedoutandtaughtintheschools.Inmanyschoolstheyarestillbeingtaught.Thisactivityisnotoftenpopularwithschoolchildren,butitissometimesaninterestingandinstructiveexerciseinlogic.TheprincipalharminitisthatithastendedtokeeppeoplefrombeinginterestedinEnglishandhasobscuredtherealfeaturesofEnglishstructure.

Whatisthetopicofthispassage?

51.AscivilwarseruptedthroughouttheRomanRepublicinthe1stcenturyB.C.,countrydwellersmayhavefledtocities.Beforetheyleft,somepeopleburiedtheirvaluablestohidethemfromarmies.Nowsocialscientistshavestudiedthesecoinstorestoansweralong-standingRomanmystery.

HistorianshavelongdebatedRome'spopulationsizeduringthe1stcenturyB.C.Startingin28B.C.,censuses(人口普查)conductedundertilefirstRomanemperorshowedthepopulationatabout5million--a10-foldincreaseoverthatoftheRomanRepublicacenturyearlier.AboutathirdofthisjumpcanbeexplainedbytheextensionofcitizenshiptoRomanalliesacrossItaly.Butwheredidtherestofthepeoplecomefrom?Somehistorianssaytheanswerissimplypopulationexplosion.Othersarguethattheempireincludedwomenandchildreninitscensus,whereastherepubliconlycountedadultmales.

Tosettlethedebate,socialscientistPeterTurchinandhiscolleagueWalterScheidelturnedtocoinstores.Amateurantiquitieshuntersarmedwithmetaldetectorshavefoundhundredsofclaypotsfilledwithsilvercoins,calleddenarii(古羅馬便士),throughoutItalydatingbacktotheRomanEmpire.Turchinsaystheseburiedtreasurescanbeusedasasignalfortimesofsocialinstability.Peoplewouldhidetheirmoneyduringdangeroustimes,andiftheywerekilledordisplacedbywar,theynevertooktheirtreasure.

TurchinandScheidelcombinednumbersofcoinstoresfrom250B.C.to100B.C.withdatafromtheRomanRepubliccensusestochecktherelationshipbetweenthem.Forexample,populationdroppedduringtheSecondPunicWar(布匿戰(zhàn)爭),andthatcoincideswithajumpincoinstoresdatedtothattime.Then,fromdataoncoinsstoredfrom100B.C.to50C.E.,theresearchersinferredpopulationduringthatera.Therangepredictedbythecoinstoremodelisabouthalfthatofthehighestimate,indicatingthatcivilwarsreducedabout100000people,theresearchersreportonlinetoday."WeknowthisperiodwasextremelyviolentwithinternalwarfareacrossItaly,"saysTurchin.Inall.thefindingsstrengthenthehypothesisthattheAugustancensuseswerenotconfi