2011年12月六级

全国大学英语六级考试2011年12月

Part I Writing (30 minutes)

Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on the topic of The Way to Success. You should write at least 120 words following the outline given below:

Part II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) (15 minutes)

Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the

questions on Answer Sheet 1. For questions 1-7, choose the best answer from the four choices marked [A],

[B], [C] and [D]. For questions 8-10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage. Google's plan for world's biggest online library: philanthropy or act of piracy?

Google has already scanned 10 million books in its bid to digitise the contents of the world's major

libraries, but a copyright battle now threatens the project, with Amazon and Microsoft joining authors and publishers opposed to the scheme.

In recent years the world's most venerable libraries have played host to some incongruous visitors. In dusty nooks and far-flung stacks, teams of workers dispatched by Google have been beavering away to make digital copies of books. So far, Google has scanned more than 10 million titles from libraries in America and Europe – including half a million volumes held by the Bodleian in Oxford. The exact method it uses is unclear; the company does not allow outsiders to observe the process.

Why is Google undertaking such a venture, so seemingly out-of-kilter with its snazzy, hi-tech image? Why is it even interested in all those out-of-print library books, most of which have been gathering dust on forgotten shelves for decades? 1.The company claims its motives are essentially public-spirited. Its overall mission, after all, is to "organise the world's information", so it would be odd if that information did not include books. Like the Ancient Egyptians who attempted to build a library at Alexandria

containing all the known world's scrolls, Google executives talk of constructing a universal online archive, a treasure trove of knowledge that will be freely available – or at least freely searchable – for all. The company likes to present itself as having lofty, utopian aspirations. "This really isn't about making money" is a mantra. "We are doing this for the good of society." As Santiago de la Mora, head of Google Books for Europe, puts it: "2.By making it possible to search the millions of books that exist today, we hope to expand the frontiers of human knowledge."

Dan Clancy, the chief architect of Google Books, offers an analogy with the invention of the Gutenberg press – Google's book project, he says, will have a similar democratising effect. He talks of people in far-flung parts being able to access knowledge as never before, of search queries leading them to the one, long out-of-print book they need.

And he does seem genuine in his conviction that this is primarily a philanthropic exercise. "Google's core business is search and find, so obviously what helps improve Google's search engine is good for Google," he says. "But we have never built a spreadsheet outlining the financial benefits of this, and I have never had to justify the amount I am spending to the company's founders."

It is easy, talking to Clancy and his colleagues, to be swept along by their missionary zeal. But Google's book-scanning project is proving controversial. Several opponents have recently emerged, ranging from rival tech giants such as Microsoft and Amazon to small bodies representing authors and publishers across the world. In broad terms, these opponents have levelled two sets of criticisms at Google.

First, they have questioned whether the primary responsibility for digitally archiving the world's books should be allowed to fall to a commercial company. 3.In a recent essay in the New York Review of Books, Robert Darnton, the head of Harvard University's library, argued that because such books are a common 1

resource – the possession of us all – only public, not-for-profit bodies should be given the power to control them.

The second, related criticism is that Google's scanning of books is actually illegal. This allegation has led to Google becoming mired in a legal battle whose scope and complexity makes the Jarndyce and Jarndyce case in Bleak House look straightforward.

At its centre, however, is one simple issue: that of copyright. The inconvenient fact about most books, to which Google has arguably paid insufficient attention, is that they are protected by copyright.

Copyright laws differ from country to country, but in general protection extends for the duration of an author's life and for a substantial period afterwards, thus allowing the author's heirs to benefit. (In Britain and America, this post-death period is 70 years.) This means, of course, that almost all of the books published in the 20th century are still under copyright – and last century saw more books published than in all previous centuries combined. Of the roughly 40 million books in US libraries, for example, an estimated 32 million are in copyright. Of these, some 27 million are out of print.

Outside the US, Google has made sure only to scan books that are out of copyright and thus in the "public domain" (works such as the Bodleian's first edition of Middlemarch, which anyone can read for free on Google Books Search).

But, within the US, the company has scanned both in-copyright and out-of-copyright works. 5.In its defence, Google points out that it displays only snippets of books that are in copyright – arguing that such displays are "fair use". But critics allege that by making electronic copies of these books without first seeking the permission of copyright holders, Google has committed piracy.

"The key principle of copyright law has always been that works can be copied only once authors have expressly given their permission," says Piers Blofeld, of the Sheil Land literary agency in London. "Google has reversed this – it has simply copied all these works without bothering to ask."

In 2005, the Authors Guild of America, together with a group of US publishers and publishers, launched a class action suit against Google that, after more than two years of wrangling, ended with an announcement last October that Google and the claimants had reached an out-of-court settlement. The full details are staggeringly complicated – the text alone runs to 385 pages – and trying to summarise it is no easy task. "Part of the problem is that it is basically incomprehensible," says Blofeld, one of the settlement's most vocal British critics.

Broadly, the deal provides a mechanism for Google to reimburse authors and publishers whose rights it has breached (including giving them a share of any future revenue it generates from their works). In exchange for this, the rights holders agree not to sue Google in future.

The settlement stipulates that a body known as the Books Rights Registry will represent the interests of US copyright holders. Authors and publishers with a copyright interest in a book scanned by Google who make themselves known to the registry will be entitled to receive a payment – in the region of $60 per book – as compensation.

Additionally, the settlement hands Google the power – but only with the agreement of individual

rights holders – to exploit its database of out-of-print books. It can include them in subscription deals sold to libraries or sell them individually under a consumer licence. 7.It is these commercial provisions that are proving the settlement's most controversial aspect.

Critics point out that, by giving Google the right to commercially exploit its database, the settlement paves the way for a subtle shift in the company's role from provider of information to seller. "8.Google's business model has always been to provide information for free, and sell advertising on the basis of the traffic this generates," points out James Grimmelmann, associate professor at New York Law School. Now, he says, because of the settlement's provisions, Google could become a significant force in bookselling.

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Interest in this aspect of the settlement has focused on "orphan" works, where there is no known copyright holder – these make up an estimated 5% to 10% of the books Google has scanned. Under the settlement, when no rights holders come forward and register their interest in a work, commercial control automatically reverts to Google. Google will be able to display up to 20% of orphan works for free, include them in its subscription deals to libraries and sell them to individual buyers under the consumer licence.

"The deal has in effect handed Google a swath of intellectual copyright. It is a mammoth potential bookselling market," says Blofeld. He adds it is no surprise that Amazon, which currently controls 90% of the digital books market, is becoming worried.

But Dan Clancy of Google dismisses the idea that, by gaining control over out-of-print and orphan works, Google is securing for itself a significant future revenue stream. He points out that out-of-print books represent only a tiny fraction of the books market – between 1% and 2%. "This idea that we are gaining access to a vast market here – I really don't think that is true.

James Gleick, an American science writer and member of the Authors Guild, broadly agrees. He says that, although Google's initial scanning of in-copyright books made him uncomfortable, the settlement itself is a fair deal for authors.

"The thing that needs to be emphasised is that this so-called market over which Google is being given dominance – the market in out-of-print books – doesn't currently exist. That's why they're out of print. In real life, I can't see what the damage is – it's only good."

It is by no means certain that the settlement will be enacted – it is the subject of a fairness hearing in the US courts. But if it is enacted, Google will in effect be off the hook as far as copyright violations in the US are concerned. Many people are seriously concerned by this – and the company is likely to face challenges in other courts around the world.

Over the coming months, we will hear a lot more about the Google settlement and its ramifications. Although it's a subject that may seem obscure and specialised, it concerns one of the biggest issues affecting publishing and, indeed, other creative industries – the control of digital rights.

No one knows the precise use Google will make of the intellectual property it has gained by scanning the world's library books, and the truth, as Gleick points out, is that the company probably doesn't even know itself. 10.But what is certain is that, in some way or another, Google's entrance into digital bookselling will have a significant impact on the book world in years to come.

1. Google claims its plan for the world’s biggest online library is _____

A) to save out-of-print books in libraries.

B) to serve the interest of the general public

C) to reading around the world

D) to its business of searching

2. According to Santiago de la Mora, Google’s book-scanning project will

A) help the broad masses of readers

B) ’s horizons

C) make full use of the power of its search engine

D) revolutionise the entire book industry

3. Opponents of Google Books believe that digitally archiving the world's books should be

controlledby_______.

A) the world’s tech giants

B)the world’s leading libraries

C)non-profit organizations

D)multinational companies

4. Google has involved itself in a legal battle as it ignored______.

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A) the copyright of authors of out-of -print books

B) the interest of traditional sellers

C) the copyright of the books it scanned

D) the differences of in-print and out-of-print books.

5. Google defends its scanning in-copyright books by saying that __________.

A) making electronic copies of books is not a violation of copyright

B) the online display of in-copyright books is not for commercial use

C) it is willing to compensate the copyright holders

D) it displays only a small part of their content

6. What do we learn about the class action suit against Google？

A) It ended in a victory for the Authors Guild of America.

B) It was settled after more than two years of negotiations.

C) It failed to protect the interest of American publishers.

D) It could lead to more out-of-court settlements of such disputes.

7. What remained controversial after the class action suit ended？

A) The compensation for copyright holders.

B) The change in Google’s business model.

C) Google‘s further exploitation of its database.

D) The commercial provisions of the settlement.

8. While_______， Google makes money by selling advertising.

9. Books whose copyright holders are not known are called_______.

10. Google’s entrance into digital bookselling will tremendously _______ in the future.

Part III Listening Comprehension (35 minutes)

Section A

Directions: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked [A], [B], [C] and [D], and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.

11.A)Listen to the recorded notes while driving.

B)Cancel the trip to prepare for the test.

C)Prepare for the test after the wedding.

D)Review his notes ones he arrives in Chicago.

12.A)The woman will help the man remember the lines.

B)The woman will prompt the man during the show.

C)The man lacks confidence in playing the part.

D)The man hopes to change his role in the play.

13.A)Arranging a bed for a patient. C)A complicated surgical case.

B)Rescuing the woman's uncle. D)Preparations for an operation.

14.A)He is too busy to accept more responsibility.

B)He is interested in improving his editing skills.

C)He is easer to be nominated the new editor.

D)He is sure to do a better job than Simon.

15.A)He has been successfully elected Prime Minister.

B)He has already reached the retirement age.

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C)He has left his position in the government.

D)He made a stupid decision at the cabinet meeting.

16.A)This year's shuttle mission is a big step in space exploration.

B)The shuttle flight will be broadcast live worldwide.

C)The man is excited at the news of the shuttle flight.

D)The man is well informed about the space shuttle missions.

17.A)At an auto rescue center. C)At a mountain camp.

B)At a car renting company. D)At a suberban garage.

18.A)He listened to some serious music. C)He got his speakers fixed.

B)He bought a stereo system. D)He went shopping with the woman

Questions 19 to 21 are based on the conversation you have just heard.

19.A)Providing aid to the disabled.

B)Selling products made for left-handers.

C)Promating products for manufacturers.

D)Printing labels for manufactured goods.

20.A)About half of them are unavailable on the market.

B)The kitchenware in his shop is of unique design.

C)All of them are manufactured in his own plant.

D)Most of them are specially made for his shop.

21.A)They specialise in one product only. C)They run chain stores in central London.

B)They have outlets throughout Britain. D)They sell by mail order only.

Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.

22.A)It publishes magazines. C)It sponsors trade fairs.

B)It is engaged in product design. D)it runs sales promotion campaigns.

23.A)The woman's company failed to make payments in time.

B)The ad specifications had not been given in detail.

C)The woman's company made last-minute changes.

D)Organising the promotion was really time-consuming.

24.A)Run another four-week campaign. C)Extend the campaign to next year.

B)Give her a 10 percent discount. D)Cut the fee by half for this year.

25.A)Calm down and make peace. C)Stop negotiating for the time being.

B)Improve their promotion plans. D)Reflect on their respective mistakes.

Section B

Directions: In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked [A], [B], [C] and [D]. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.

Passage One

Questions 26 to 29 are based on the passage you have just heard.

26.A)They are looked after by animal-care organization.

B)They sacrifice their lives for the benefit of humans.

C)They look spotlessly clean throughout theit lives.

D)They are labeled pet animals by the researchers.

27.A)They may cause damage to the environment.

B)They may breed out of control.

C)They may behave abnormally.

D)They may affect the results of experiments.

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