词汇的辐射作用
一。写作
The Digital Age
1. 如今数字化产品得到越来越广泛的使用，例如……
2. 数字化产品的使用对人们工作、学习和生活产生的影响。
Nowadays, digital products are enjoying growing popularity among people. Take my own daily routine as an example. The first thing I do right after waking up is turn on my cell phone to see if there’s any new message. Then I turn on my computer to keep myself informed of the latest news. On my way to school, I listen to music on my iPod. At the end of the day, hardly have I got back to dormitory when I turn on my computer again to surf the internet。
Why are we so fond of those digital products which we didn’t possess one of two decades ago? The answer is simple—they are doing us good; they are making our lives comfortable and convenient. As I have mentioned, the internet provides us with latest news much faster than newspapers; likewise, cell phone provides us with a convenient means to talk to the person we want wherever we are. To draw a conclusion, comfort and convenience, the two key words characterizing the trend of new inventions of modern times, are the main reason for the wide-use of digital products。
二。听力
English is the leading international language. In different countries around the globe, English is acquired as the mother (36) ________, in others it’s used as a second language. Some nations use English as their (37) ________ language, performing the function of (38) ________; in others it’s used as an international language for business, (39) ________ and industry。
What factors and forces have led to the (40) ________ of English? Why is English now considered to be so prestigious that, across the globe, individuals and societies feel (41) ________ if they do not have (42) ________ in this language? How has English changed through 1,500 years? These are some of the questions that you (43) ________ when you study English。
You also examine the immense variability of English and (44) ________. You develop in-depth knowledge of the intricate structure of the language. Why do some non-native speakers of English claim that it’s a difficult language to learn, while (45) ________? At the University of Sussex, you are introduced to the nature and grammar of English in all aspects. This involves the study of sound structures, the formation of words, the sequencing words and the construction of meaning, as well as examination of the theories explaining the aspects of English usage. (46) ________, which are raised by studying how speakers and writers employ English for a wide variety of purposes。
36. tongue 37. official 38. administration39. commerce40. spread
41. disadvantaged42. competence43. investigate
44. come to understand how it's used as a symbol of individual identity and social connection
45. infants born into English speaking communities acquire their language before they learn to use forks and knives
46. You are encouraged to develop your own individual responses to various practical and theoretical issues来源：考试大-英语六级考试
三。阅读
There are few more sobering online activities than entering data into college-tuition calculators and gasping as the Web spits back a six-figure sum. But economists say families about to go into debt to fund four years of partying, as well as studying, can console themselves with the knowledge that college is an investment that, unlike many bank stocks, should yield huge dividends。
A 2008 study by two Harvard economists notes that the “labor-market premium to skill”—or the amount college graduates earned that’s greater than what high-school graduate earned—decreased for much of the 20th century, but has come back with a vengeance (报复性地) since the 1980s. In 2005, The typical full-time year-round U.S. worker with a four-year college degree earned $50,900, 62% more than the $31,500 earned by a worker with only a high-school diploma。
There’s no question that going to college is a smart economic choice. But a look at the strange variations in tuition reveals that the choice about which college to attend doesn’t come down merely to dollars and cents. Does going to Columbia University (tuition, room and board $49,260 in 2007-08) yield a 40% greater return than attending the University of Colorado at Boulder as an out-of-state student ($35,542)？ Probably not. Does being an out-of-state student at the University of Colorado at Boulder yield twice the amount of income as being an in-state student ($17,380) there? Not likely。
No, in this consumerist age, most buyers aren’t evaluating college as an investment, but rather as a consumer product—like a car or clothes or a house. And with such purchases, price is only one of many crucial factors to consider。
As with automobiles, consumers in today’s college marketplace have vast choices, and people search for the one that gives them the most comfort and satisfaction in line with their budgets. This accounts for the willingness of people to pay more for different types of experiences (such as attending a private liberal-arts college or going to an out-of-state public school that has a great marine-biology program). And just as two auto purchasers might spend an equal amount of money on very different cars, college students (or, more accurately, their parents) often show a willingness to pay essentially the same price for vastly different products. So which is it? Is college an investment product like a stock or a consumer product like a car? In keeping with the automotive world’s hottest consumer trend, maybe it’s best to characterize it as a hybrid (混合动力汽车)； an expensive consumer product that, over time, will pay rich dividends。