英语六级-阅读篇
目录
2023年12月大学英语真题（二）
十五选十（Section A）
单词表
短语表
译文
Passage Two（Section C）
单词表
短语表
译文
简介：其实我总结这篇文章就是平时记忆该阅读文章单词中出现的生词和短语，再去读读文章，练习练习语感，不阅读得多，做题总感觉不自然
2023年12月大学英语真题（二）
十五选十（Section A）
The desert is deceiving. At first glance it looks lifeless, barren, and bone-dry. For most passersby humming through the Mojave on their way to try their luck in Las Vegas or heading towards the Grand Canyon, it's just a flat stretch of land with some mountains in the distance, more apt to be a setting for a movie that takes place on Mars. The desert, however, is overflowing with life, mystery, and magic.
The Mojave desert sees less than two inches of rain a year, and like most deserts, is a land of extremes Temperature fluctuations vary from freezing to burning hot, not only between seasons, but even within the same day.
At the heart of this vast, 25,000-square-mile desert is Mojave National Preserve. The folks managing and working there wear the wide-brimmed (宽边的) hats that have become synonymous with places like Yosemite. The preserve is rich with history, culture, biodiversity, and endless opportunities to stimulate your interest, especially for anyone who loves the outdoors. For a photographer, it requires patience and probably a few spare tires to maneuver the network of unpaved "roads", but the rewards are plenty.
Photographing here requires a good, sturdy pair of shoes and a lot of preparation. Plenty of water, spare tires, and a full tank of gas are needed to explore this unit of the national park system, which is the third largest in the country.
Like all deserts, though, if you are patient, you will be rewarded, as they often reveal their secrets slowly. During my last outing, I was surprised to see how much of the area was shaped by ancient volcanoes and geological forces, much of which remains today, giving the area a unique feel and painting a colorful background for great photographs.
单词表
| 单词 | 词性 | 释义 |
|---|---|---|
| deceive | vi.vt | 欺骗，蒙骗，误导 |
| hum | vi.vt | 哼歌，发出嗡嗡声 |
| stretch | vi.vt | 拉长，撑大，伸展 绵延，延续 |
| n | 一段时间 | |
| apt | adj | 有...倾向的 |
| setting | n | 环境，背景，设置，档 |
| overflow | vi.vt | 溢出，漫出，充满 |
| fluctuation | n | 波动，上下浮动 |
| synonymous | adj | 同义的 |
| biodiversity | n | 生物多样性 |
| tire | vi.vt | 疲劳，疲倦 |
| n | 轮胎 | |
| maneuver | n | 策略，军事演习 |
| vi.vt | （谨慎或熟练地）移动，操纵 | |
| sturdy | adj | 牢固的，强壮的，坚定的 |
| reveal | vt | 揭示，揭露，展现 |
| force | n | 武力，部队，影响大的事物 |
| vt | 强迫，迫使，强行移动 | |
| flat | n | 公寓 |
| adj | 平的 | |
| adv | 平直地，平躺地 | |
| fraction | n | 少量，一点儿 |
| parasite | n | 寄生虫 |
| steer | vt.vi | 驾驶（船，汽车） 操纵，控制，引导 |
| sprinkle | vt | 使零星分布，点缀 |
| sparingly | adv | 一点点，节约地 |
| burning | adj | 燃烧着的，火辣辣的 |
短语表
| 短语 | 中午释义 |
|---|---|
| on one's way to | 在去...的路上 |
| on the way | 在路上，在行进中 |
| take place | 发生 |
译文
沙漠是具有欺骗性的。乍看上去，这一地区毫无生命气息，一片荒芜，且十分干燥。对大部分哼着小曲穿越莫哈韦沙漠，前往拉斯维加斯碰碰运气，或前往大峡谷的路人来说，这一区域不过是一大片平地，远处有一些山脉，更适于作为某部火星电影的背景。然而，沙漠是个充满生命、神秘和魔力的地方。
莫哈韦沙漠每年的降雨量不到两英寸，并且与大部分沙漠一样，是一个极端天气多发的地方。气温波动之大，可以低至零度，高到极度炎热，不仅在季节转换时如此，甚至在一天之内就能发生。
坐落在这片面积为25000平方英里的茫茫沙漠正中央的是莫哈韦国家保护区。这里的管理人员和工作人员都戴着宽边帽子，这与约塞米蒂国家公园这类地区的人如出一辙。该保护区历史文化丰富，生物多样，尤其对那些喜欢户外运动的人来说，这里还有着无数可以激发兴趣的可能。对于摄影师来说，在这一区域未经铺设的"路"网中穿行，需要具备耐心，很可能还需要多备几条轮胎，但回报是丰厚的。
在这里进行拍摄需要准备一双结实的好鞋，还需要做很多准备。想要来探索这个美国第三大国家公园系统的一部分，你需要带上充足的水、备用轮胎，并把油箱加满。
不过，所有的沙漠都一样，它们通常会慢慢地展现自己的秘密，如果你足够耐心，就会收获颇丰。上次出行时，我就震惊于眼前看到的古老的火山和地质力量对这一区域的影响之大，这些影响大部分保留到了今天，赋予这一地区独一无二的氛围感，绘制出了出产摄影大片的多彩背景。
Passage Two（Section C）
Psychologists have long been in disagreement as to whether competition is a learned or a genetic component of human behavior. Whatever it is, you cannot but recognize the effect competition is exerting in academics and many other areas of contemporary life.
Psychologically speaking, competition has been seen as an inevitable consequence of human drives. According to Sigmund Freud, humans are born screaming for attention and full of organic drives for fulfillment in various areas. Initially, we compete for the attention of our parents. Thereafter, we are at the mercy of a battle between our base impulses for self-fulfillment and social and cultural norms which prohibit pure indulgence.
Current work in anthropology (人类学) has suggested, however, that this view of the role of competition in human behavior may be incorrect. Thomas Hobbes, one of the great philosophers of the seventeenth century, is perhaps best remembered for his characterization of the "natural world," that is, the world before the imposition of the will of humanity, as being "nasty, brutish, and short." This image of the pre-rational world is still widely held, reinforced by Charles Darwin's highly influential work, The Origin of Species, which established the doctrine of natural selection. This doctrine, which takes for granted that those species best able to adapt to and master the natural environment in which they live will survive, has suggested that the struggle for survival is an inherent human trait which determines a person's success. Darwin's theory has even been summarized as "survival of the fittest"—a phrase Darwin himself never used—further highlighting competition's role in success. As it has often been pointed out, however, there is nothing in the concept of natural selection that suggests that competition is the most successful strategy for "survival of the fittest." Darwin asserted in The Origin of Species that the struggles he was describing should be viewed as metaphors and could easily include dependence and cooperation.
Many studies have been conducted to test the importance placed on competition as opposed to other values, such as cooperation—by various cultures, and generally conclude that Americans uniquely praise competition as natural, inevitable, and desirable. In 1937, the world-renowned anthropologist Margaret Mead published Cooperation and Competition among Primitive Peoples, based on her studies of several societies that did not prize competition, and, in fact, seemed at times to place a negative value on it. One such society was the Zuni Indians of Arizona, and they, Mead found, valued cooperation far more than competition. After studying dozens of such cultures, Mead's final conclusion was that competitiveness is a culturally created aspect of human behavior, and that its prevalence in a particular society is relative to how that society values it.
单词表
| 单词 | 词性 | 中文释义 |
|---|---|---|
| component | n | 成分，部件，组成成分 |
| exert | vt | 施加，运用，行驶 |
| inevitable | adj | 不可避免的，必然发生的 |
| derive | n | 本能需求 |
| vi.vt | 开车，驾驶 驱动，驱赶 | |
| compete | vi | 竞争，对抗，参加比赛 |
| indulgence | n | 沉溺，放纵，爱好 |
| convention | n | 习俗，惯例，大会，公约 |
| philosophy | n | 哲学，信条 |
| imposition | n | 强制实行 |
| nasty | adj | 不友善的，糟糕的 |
| brutish | adj | 残忍的，粗野的 |
| rational | adj | 合理的，理性的 |
| reinforce | vt | 增强，加强 |
| doctrine | n | 信条，主义，教义 |
| inherent | adj | 内在的，固有的，与生俱来的 |
| intervention | n | 干涉，介入 |
| area | n | 地区，区域，领域 |
| contemporary | adj | 当代的，现代的 |
| n | 同时代的人 | |
| fulfilment | n | 满足感，成就感 |
| observe | vt.vi | 观察，注视，注意到 遵守，评论 |
| dozen | n | 一打，许多，无数 |
| prevalence | n | 盛行，普遍 |
| assert | vt | 断言，坚持主张 |
| renowned | adj | 闻名的，受尊敬的 |
| praise | n.vt | 称赞，赞美 |
| impulse | n | 脉冲，冲动 |
| trait | n | 特性，特质 |
短语表
| 短语 | 中文释义 |
|---|---|
| as opposed to | （表示对比）而不是 |
| point out | （向某人）指出 |
| take...for granted | 认为...理所当然 |
| as to | 关于，至于 |
| you cannot but recognize | 你不得不承认 |
| base impulses for self-fulfillment | 自我实现的基本冲动 |
| at the mercy of | 任由...摆布 |
译文
对于竞争是人类行为的后天习得因素还是先天遗传因素，心理学家长期以来一直存在分歧。(51）不管是什么，你不得不承认竞争在学术界和当代生活许多其他领域中所产生的影响。
从心理学上来讲，竞争被视为人类驱使力的必然结果。根据西格蒙德·弗洛伊德的说法，人类生来就渴望获得关注，并且充满官能内驱力，渴望在各方面都取得成就感。最初，我们争夺父母关注。(52）此后，我们就受制于满足自我的低级冲动与禁止纯粹放纵的社会文化规范之间的斗争。
然而，目前的人类学研究已表明，关于人类行为中竞争作用的这种观点可能是不正确的。(53)17世纪伟大的哲学家之一托马斯·霍布斯最为人所铭记的或许是其将"自然界"（即人类意志强加之前的世界）描述为"糟糕、野蛮和短暂的"。前理性世界这一形象仍为人们广泛接受，并因《物种起源》得到进一步强化，这本查尔斯·达尔文极具影响力的著作创立了自然选择学说。该学说理所当然地认为，那些最能适应并掌握其自然生活环境的物种将会生存下来，这一学说表明，生存斗争是决定一个人能否成功的人类固有特征。达尔文的理论甚至被概括为"适者生存"﹣达尔文本人从未用过该表述﹣﹣这进一步强调了竞争在成功中的作用。然而，正如人们经常指出的那样，自然选择的概念中没有任何内容表明竞争是"适者生存"最成功的策略。(54）达尔文在《物种起源》中主张，他所描述的斗争应被视为隐喻，并能很容易地将依赖与合作涵盖其中。
(55-1）人们已开展了许多研究来测试不同文化对竞争（相对于合作等其他价值观）的重视程度，并普遍得出结论：唯有美国称赞竞争是自然的、不可避免的和可取的。1937年，世界知名的人类学家玛格丽特．米德出版了《原始民族之间的合作与竞争》，该书基于她对几个族群的研究，这些族群不重视竞争，事实上有时似乎还对竞争给予负面评价。亚利桑那州的祖尼印第安人就是这样一个族群，米德发现，他们对合作的重视远甚于竞争。(55-2）在研究了数十种此类文化之后，米德的最终结论是：竞争力是人类行为的文化创造方面，它在特定社会中的普遍性与该社会对其重视程度有关。