2009专八真题范文
2009年专八满分作文范例
2009年专八满分作文范例Ambition is the decision one makes and the resolution with which he carries out that decision. It provides us with the required driving force to accomplish any undertakings in our life. Just ...Ambition is the decision one makes and the resolution with which he carries out that decision. It provides us with the required driving force to accomplish any undertakings in our life. Just as Joseph Epstein, a famous American writer put it, “And as we decide and choose, so are our lives formed.” Indeed, once we make up our minds to choose to do something, then our life becomes meaningful and specifically orientated. This notion of life, as far as I observe, is closest to truth and does apply to almost all aspects of life.First things first, ambition renders us a sense of mission. No matter what decision you make you have to be responsible for your choice. Your choice procures you a sense of orientation, or more specially a sense of mission. And only a strong mission may enable one to accomplish greatness. Caesar of the ancient Roman Empire was urged by his ambition “I came, I saw, I conquered.” And became an unrivaled empire builder in the history of Rome. John Milton, stimulated always by his ambition that aimed at writ ing some “mighty lines” which England would unwillingly forget, had in due time secured his position as the second Shakespeare in the history of English literature.In the second place, ambition can bring one’s potentials to the full. Ambition may well serve as a catalyst activating one’s dormant potentials. Without ambition one’s potentials will remain slumbering like a dormant volcano. A case in point is Ms Zhang Haidi, a Chinese Helen Keller. It was her ambition to be a useful person has turned the almost paralyzed Zhang Haidi into a well-accomplished figure whose achievements would dwarf those of some normal people aim at the sun, though, at worst, they may probably land on the moon.Influential as it is upon us, however, ambition must be channeled in the right direction. If wrongly directed, one’s ambition may bring havoc on him and others. Hitler, whose ambition was to conquer Europe by whatever evil means, finally turned him into a demon. It was this demon that almost cast Europe into an unfathomable abyss of anguish and suffering. Another case is Macbeth whose ambition was to become the king of Scotland. However, his ambition was materialized by the murder of King Duncan. Consequently, unbearable guilt and psychological agony drove him to his tragic doom.To sum up, ambition can benefit us tremendously if wisely and correctly channeled, otherwise it may ruin others and ourselves. A poet says: life can be bad; life can be good; life can be dirty; life can be sad,; life can even be painful. In my mind’s eye, a person can make his life beautiful, meaningful and rewarding and stand out as a respectable personage if he is motivated by a well-orientated ambition.。
09专八作文真题及参考答案
09专八作文真题及参考答案Are Dialects Just as Acceptable in Public PlacesInstruction:Mandarin, or putonghua, is the standard service sector language in China. However lately some employees of a metropolis subway company start using dialects to cater to the requirements of people from different areas in order to render better service. Opponents sees the countering effects of such movement to the national policy of promoting mandarin across China. Write in 400 words your opinion and support your argument and bring youressay to a natural conclusion.作文参考范文China's State Administration of Radio Film and Television (SARFT) recently issued a notice banning domestic radio and TV stations from translating foreign radio and TV programmes into any local dialect. The notice said that such dialect translation contradicts the national initiative to promote Putonghua, or Mandarin, around the country. Foreign programmes that have been translated into dialects must be removed from television and radio immediately. The notice evoked a mixed response from experts and audio and video producers, as well as the general public. Many voiced their concerns that local dialects would be fornidden in public places. Mandarian, which means "common language", is the country's predominant language and is widely used by more than 70 percent of the population. However, local dialects still enjoy pupularity for relatively less-educated people in some occasions. The dialects do make unique role and should be tolerated for existence in public places.Though promoted widely in public places, dialects are acceptable in public places. First, it is more than a mere tool for communication. It is, most importantly, the messenger of its respective culture. If the dialect was eliminated from daily use, the culture will be broken. Second, Mandarian can absorb the elit part of local dialect to enrich its vovabulary and usuge. This is the perfection of Mandartian from thousands of years blend and contact. The dialects can also be popular in the public. Along with the famous short play by comic actors in NE China, the local dialect came into the splotlight, and enjoyed more pupulatity throughoutChina. Such a cultural phenomenon represents the audience an attitude to local dialects which cater to the taste of the majority. Third, dialectis the only mean of communication to some undereducated local people. If local dialects are fobbiden in the public places, they can not communicate.To sum up, local dialects should be tolerated in public places for its unique role which Mandarian can not substitute. We should guartee its survival because dialects stand for our spiritual land. From a long-term perspective, dialects should not and would not be wiped out. There is no need for any purposeful and deliberate attempt to protect dialects. Just let dialects take their natural course. The best way to protect a dialectis to use it in daily life and pass it down from generation to generation.。
2009年考研英语阅读理解经典范文八
2009年考研英语阅读理解经典范文八A report consistently brought back by visitors to the US is how friendly, courteous, and helpful most Americans were to them. To be fair, this observation is also frequently made of Canada and Canadians, and should best be considered North American. There are, of course, exceptions. Small-minded officials, rude waiters, and ill-mannered taxi drivers are hardly unknown in the US. Yet it is an observation made so frequently that it deserves comment.For a long period of time and in many parts of the country, a traveler was a welcome break in an otherwise dull existence. Dullness and loneliness were common problems of the families who generally lived distant from one another. Strangers and travelers were welcome sources of diversion, and brought news of the outside world.The harsh realities of the frontier also shaped this tradition of hospitality. Someone traveling alone, if hungry, injured, or ill, often had nowhere to turn except to the nearest cabin or settlement. It was not a matter of choice for the traveler or merely a charitable impulse on the part of thesettlers. It reflected the harshness of daily life: if you didn't take in the stranger and take care of him, there was no one else who would. And someday, remember, you might be in the same situation.Today there are many charitable organizations which specialize in helping the weary traveler. Yet, the old tradition of hospitality to strangers is still very strong in the US, especially in the smaller cities and towns away from the busy tourist trails. "I was just traveling through, got talking with this American, and pretty soon he invited me home for dinner - amazing." Such observations reported by visitors to the US are not uncommon, but are not always understood properly. The casual friendliness of many Americans should be interpreted neither as superficial nor as artificial, but as the result of a historically developed cultural tradition.As is true of any developed society, in America a complex set of cultural signals, assumptions, and conventions underlies all social interrelationships. And, of course, speaking a language does not necessarily mean that someone understands social and cultural patterns. Visitors who fail to "translate" cultural meanings properly often draw wrong conclusions. For example, when an American uses the word"friend", the cultural implications of the word may be quite different from those it has in the visitor's language and culture. It takes more than a brief encounter on a bus to distinguish between courteous convention and individual interest. Yet, being friendly is a virtue that many Americans value highly and expect from both neighbors and strangers.【。
2009年英语专业八级考试原题
2009年英语专业八级考试原题PART V TRANSLATION (60 MIN)SECTION A CHINESE TO ENGLISH我想不起来哪一个熟人没有手机。
今天没有手机的人是奇怪的，这种人才需要解释。
我们的所有社会关系都储存在手机的电话本里，可以随时调出使用。
古代只有巫师才能拥有这种法宝。
手机改变了人与人之间的关系。
会议室门口通常贴着一条通告：请与会者关闭手机。
可是会议室里的手机铃声仍然响成一片。
我们都是普通人，并没有多少重要的事情。
尽管如此，我们也不会轻易关掉手机。
打开手机象征我们与这个世界的联系。
手机反映出我们的“社交饥渴症”。
最为常见的是，一个人走着走着突然停下来，眼睛盯着手机屏幕发短信。
他不在乎停在马路中央还是厕所旁边。
为什么对于手机来电和短信这么在乎？因为我们迫切渴望与社会保持联系。
SECTION B ENGLISH TO CHINESEWe, the human species, are confronting a planetary emergency – a threat to the survival of our civilization that is gathering ominous and destructive potential even as we gather here. But there is hopeful news as well: we have the ability to solve this crisis and avoid the worst – though not all – of its consequences, if we act boldly, decisively and quickly.However, too many of the world's leaders are still best described in the words of Winston Churchill applied to those who ignored Adolf Hitler's threat: "They go on in strange paradox, decided only to be undecided, resolved to be irresolute, all powerful to be impotent."So today, we dumped another 70 million tons of global-warming pollution into the thin shell of atmosphere surrounding our planet, as if it were an open sewer. And tomorrow, we will dump a slightly larger amount, with the cumulative concentrations now trapping more and more heat from the sun.。
2009英语专业八级真题及答案
TEST FOR ENGLISH MAJORS (2009)-GRADE EIGHT-TIME LIMIT: 195 MIN PART I LISTENING COMPREHENSION (35 MIN) SECTION A MINI-LECTUREIn this section you will hear a mini-lecture. You will hear the lecture ONCE ONLY While listening, take notes on the important points. Your notes will not be marked, but you will need them to complete a gap-filling task after the mini-lecture. When the lecture is over, you will begiven two minutes to check your notes, and another ten minutes to complete the gap-filling task on ANSWER SHEET ONE. Use the blank sheet for note-taking.Writing Experimental ReportsI.Content of an experimental report, e.g.--- study subject/ area--- study purpose--- ____1____II.Presentation of an experimental report--- providing details--- regarding readers as _____2_____III.Structure of an experimental report--- feature: highly structured and ____3____--- sections and their content:INTRODUCTION ____4____; why you did itMETHOD how you did itRESULT what you found out____5____ what you think it showsIV. Sense of readership--- ____6____: reader is the marker--- ____7____: reader is an idealized, hypothetical, intelligent person with little knowledge of your study--- tasks to fulfill in an experimental report:⏹introduction to relevant area⏹necessary background information⏹development of clear arguments⏹definition of technical terms⏹precise description of data ____8____V. Demands and expectations in report writing--- early stage:⏹understanding of study subject/area and its implications⏹basic grasp of the report’s format--- later stage:⏹____9____ on research significance--- things to avoid in writing INTRODUCTION:⏹inadequate material⏹____10____ of research justification for the studySECTION B INTERVIEWIn this section you will hear everything ONCE ONLY. Listen carefully and then answer the questions that follow. Mark the correct answer to each question on your coloured answer sheet.Questions 1 to 5 are based on an interview. At the end of the interview you will be given 10 seconds to answer each of the following five questions.Now listen to the interview.1. Which of the following statements is CORRECT?A. Toastmasters was originally set up to train speaking skills.B. Toastmasters only accepts prospective professional speakers.C. Toastmasters accepts members from the general public.D. Toastmasters is an exclusive club for professional speakers.2. The following are job benefits by joining Toastmasters EXCEPTA. becoming familiar with various means of communication.B. learning how to deliver messages in an organized way.C. becoming aware of audience expectations.D. learning how to get along with friends.3. Toastmasters' general approach to training can be summarized asA. practice plus overall training.B. practice plus lectures.C. practice plus voice training.D. practice plus speech writing.4. Toastmasters aims to train people to be all the following EXCEPTA. public speakers.B. grammar teachers.C. masters of ceremonies.D. evaluators.5. The interview mainly focuses onA. the background information.B. the description of training courses.C. the requirements of public speaking.D. the overall personal growth.SECTION C NEWS BROADCASTIn this section you will hear everything ONCE ONLY. Listen carefully and then answer the questions that follow. Mark the correct answer to each question on your coloured answer sheet.Questions 6 and 7 are'based on the foUowing news. At the end of the news item, you will be given 20 seconds to answer the questions.Now listen to the news.6. Which of the following is the main cause of global warming?A. Fossil fuel.B. Greenhouse gases.C. Increased dryness.D. Violent storm patterns.7. The news item implies that ______ in the last report.A. there were fewer studies doneB. there were fewer policy proposalsC. there was less agreementD. there were fewer objectivesQuestions 8 and 9 are based on the following news. At the end of the news item, you will be given 20 seconds to answer the questions.Now listen to the news.8. The cause of the Indian train accident wasA. terrorist sabotage.B. yet to be determined.C. lack of communications.D. bad weather.9. Which of the following statements is CORRECT?A. The accident occurred on a bridge.B. The accident occurred in New Delhi.C. There were about 600 casualties.D. Victims were rescued immediately.Question 10 is based on the following news. At the end of the news item, you will be given 10 seconds to answer the question.Now listen to the news.10. What is the main message of the news item?A. Young people should seek careers advice.B. Careers service needs to be improved.C. Businesses are not getting talented people.D. Careers advice is not offered on the Intemet.PART II READING COMPREHENSION (30 MIN)In this section there are four reading passages followed by a total of 20 multiple-choice questions.Read the passages and then mark your answers on your coloured answer sheet.TEXT AWe had been wanting to expand our children's horizons by taking them to a place that was unlike anything we'd been exposed to during our travels in Europe and the United States. In thinking about what was possible from Geneva, where we are based, we decided on a trip to Istanbul, a two-hour plane ride from Zurich.We envisioned the trip as a prelude to more exotic ones, perhaps to New Delhi or Bangkok later this year, but thought our 11- and 13-year-olds needed a first step away from manicured boulevards and pristine monuments.What we didn't foresee was the reaction of friends, who warned that we were putting our children "in danger," referring vaguely, and most incorrectly, to disease, terrorism or just the unknown. To help us get acquainted with the peculiarities of Istanbul and to give our children achance to choose what they were particularly interested in seeing, we bought an excellent guidebook and read it thoroughly before leaving.Friendly warnings didn't change our planning, although we might have more prudently checked with the U.S. State Department's list of troublespots. We didn't see a lot of children among the foreign visitors during our six-day stay in Istanbul, but we found the tourist areas quite safe, very interesting and varied enough even to suit our son, whose oft-repeated request isthat we not see "every single" church and museum in a given city.Vaccinations weren't needed for the city, but we were concemed about adapting to the water for a short stay. So we used bottled water for drinking and brushing our teeth, a precautionthat may seem excessive, but we all stayed healthy.Taking the advice of a friend, we booked a hotel a 20-minute walk from most of Istanbul'smajor tourist sites. This not only got us some morning exercise, strolling over the Karakoy Bridge, but took us past a colorful assortment of fishermen, vendors and shoe shiners.From a teenager and pre-teen's view, Istanbul street life is fascinating since almost everything can be bought outdoors. They were at a good age to spend time wandering the labyrinth of the Spice Bazaar, where shops display mounds of pungent herbs in sacks. Doing thiswith younger children would be harder simply because the streets are so packed with people; itwould be easy to get lost.For our two, whose buying experience consisted of department stores and shopping mall boutiques, it was amazing to discover that you could bargain over price and perhaps end up withtwo of something for the price of one. They also learned to figure out the relative value of the Turkish lira, not a small matter with its many zeros.Being exposed to Islam was an important part of our trip. Visiting the mosques, especially the enormous Blue Mosque, was our first glimpse into how this major religion is practiced. Ourchildren's curiosity already had been piqued by the five daily calls to prayer over loudspeakersin every corner of the city, and the scarves covering the heads of many women.Navigating meals can be troublesome with children, but a kebab, bought on the street or in restaurants, was unfailingly popular. Since we had decided this trip was not for gourmets, kebabsspared us the agony of trying to find a restaurant each day that would suit the adults' desire to trysomething new amid children's insistence that the food be served immediately. Gradually, we branched out to try some other Turkish specialties.Although our son had studied Islam briefly, it is impossible to be prepared for every awkward question that might come up, such as during our visits to the Topkapi Sarayi, the Ottoman Sultans' palace. No guides were available so it was do-it-yourself, using our guidebook,which cheated us of a lot of interesting history and anecdotes that a professional guide could provide. Next time, we resolved to make such arrangements in advance.On this trip, we wandered through the magnificent complex, with its imperial treasures, itscourtyards and its harem. The last required a bit of explanation that we would have happily lef~to a learned third party.11. The couple chose Istanbul as their holiday destination mainly becauseA. the city is not too far away from where they lived.B. the city is not on the list of the U.S. State Department.C. the city is between the familiar and the exotic.D. the city is more familiar than exotic.12. Which of the following statements is INCORRECT?A. The family found the city was exactly what they had expected.B. Their friends were opposed to their holiday plan.C. They could have been more cautious about bringing kids along.D. They were a bit cautious about the quality of water in the city.13. We learn from the couple's shopping experience back home thatA. they were used to bargaining over price.B. they preferred to buy things outdoors.C. street markets were their favourite.D. they preferred fashion and brand names.14. The last two paragraphs suggest that to visit places of interest in IstanbulA. guidebooks are very useful.B. a professional guide is a must.C. one has to be prepared for questions.D. one has to make arrangements in advance.15. The family have seen or visited all the following in Istanbul EXCEPTA. religious prayers.B. historical buildings.C. local-style markets.D. shopping mall boutiques.TEXT BLast month the first baby-boomers turned 60. The bulky generation born between 1946 and1964 is heading towards retirement. The looming "demographic cliff" will see vast numbers ofskilled workers dispatched from the labour force.The workforce is ageing across the rich world. Within the EU the number of workers aged between 50 and 64 will increase by 25% over the next two decades, while those aged 20-29 willdecrease by 20%. In Japan almost 20% of the population is already over 65, the highest share inthe world. And in the United States the number of workers aged 55-64 will have increased by more than half in this decade, at the same time as the 35- to 44-year-olds decline by 10%.Given that most societies are geared to retirement at around 65, companies have a looming problem of knowledge management, of making sure that the boomers do not leave before they have handed over their expertise along with the office keys and their e-mail address. A survey ofhuman-resources directors by IBM last year concluded: "When the baby-boomer generation retires, many companies will find out too late that a career's worth of experience has walked outthe door, leaving insufficient talent to fill in the void."Some also face a shortage of expertise. In aerospace and defence, for example, as much as 40% of the workforce in some companies will be eligible to retire within the next five years. Atthe same time, the number of engineering graduates in developed countries is in steep decline.A few companies are so squeezed that they are already taking exceptional measures. Earlier this year the Los Angeles Times interviewed an enterprising Australian who was staying in Beverly Hills while he tried to persuade locals to emigrate to Toowoomba, Queensland, to workfor his engineering company there. Toowoomba today; the rest of the developed world tomorrow?If you look hard enough, you can find companies that have begun to adapt the workplace to older workers. The AARP, an American association for the over-50s, produces an annual list ofthe best employers of its members. Health-care firms invariably come near the top because theyare one of the industries most in need of skilled labour. Other sectors similarly affected, says theConference Board, include oil, gas, energy and government.Near the top of the AARP's latest list comes Deere & Company, a no-nonsenseindustrial-equipment manufacturer based in Illinois; about 35% of Deere's 46,000 employees areover 50 and a number of them are in their 70s. The tools it uses to achieve that - flexible working, telecommuting, and so forth - also coincidentaUy help older workers to extend their working lives. The company spends "a lot of time" on the ergonomics of its factories, making jobs there less tiring, which enables older workers to stay at them for longer.Likewise, for more than a decade, Toyota, arguably the world's most advanced manufacturer, has adapted its workstations to older workers. The shortage of skilled labour available to the automotive industry has made it unusually keen to recruit older workers. BMWrecently set up a factory in Leipzig that expressly set out to employ people over the age of 45. Needs must when the devil drives.Other firms are polishing their alumni networks. IBM uses its network to recruit retired people for particular projects. Ernst & Young, a professional-services firm, has about 30,000 registered alumni, and about 25% of its "experienced" new recruits are former employees who return after an absence.But such examples are unusual. A survey in America last month by Ernst & Young found that "although corporate America foresees a significant workforce shortage as boomers retire, itis not dealing with the issue." Almost three-quarters of the 1,400 global companies questioned by Deloitte last year said they expected a shortage of salaried staff over the next three to five years. Yet few of them are looking to older workers to fill that shortage; and even fewer are looking to them to fill another gap that has already appeared. Many firms in Europe and Americacomplain that they struggle to find qualified directors for their boards - this when the pool ofretired talent from those very same firms is growing by leaps and bounds.Why are firms not working harder to keep old employees? Part of the reason is that the crunch has been beyond the horizon of most managers. Nor is hanging on to older workers the only way to cope with a falling supply of labour. The participation of developing countries in theworld economy has increased the overall supply - whatever the local effect of demographics inthe rich countries. A vast amount of work is being sent offshore to such places as China and India and more will go in future. Some countries, such as Australia, are relaxing their immigration policies to allow much needed skills to come in from abroad. Others will avoid theneed for workers by spending money on machinery and automation.16. According to the passage, the most serious consequence of baby-boomers approachingretirement would beA. a loss of knowledge and experience to many companies.B. a decrease in the number of 35- to 44- year-olds.C. a continuous increase in the number of 50-to 64-year-olds.D. its impact on the developed world whose workforce is ageing.17. The following are all the measures that companies have adopted to cope with the ageing workforce EXCEPTA. making places of work accommodate the needs of older workers.B. using alumni networks to hire retired former employees.C. encouraging former employees to work overseas.D. granting more convenience in working hours to older workers.18. "The company spends 'a lot of time' on the ergonomics of its factories" (Paragraph Seven) means thatA. the company attaches great importance to the layout of its factories.B. the company improves the working conditions in its factories.C. the company attempts to reduce production costs of its factories.D. the company intends to renovate its factories and update equipment.19. In the author's opinion American firms are not doing anything to deal with the issue of the ageing workforce mainly becauseA. they have not been aware of the problem.B. they are reluctant to hire older workers.C. they are not sure of what they should do.D. they have other options to consider.20. Which of the following best describes the author's development of argument?A. introducing the issue---citing ways to deal with the issue---~describing the actualstatus---offering reasons.B. describing the actual status--- introducing the issue---citing ways to deal with theissue---offering reasons.C. citing ways to deal with the issue---introducing the issue----describing the actualstatus---offering reasons.D. describing the actual status--offering reasons---introducing the issue---citing ways to deal with the issue.TEXT C(1) The other problem that arises from the employment of women is that of the working wife.It has two aspects: that of the wife who is more of a success than her husband and that of the wifewho must rely heavily on her husband for help with domestic tasks. There are various ways in which the impact of the first difficulty can be reduced. Provided that husband and wife are not in the same or directly comparable lines of work, the harsh fact of her greater success can be obscured by a genial conspiracy to reject a purely monetary measure of achievement as intolerably crude. Where there are ranks, it is best if the couple work in different fields so that the husband can find some special reason for the superiority of the lowest figure in his to the most elevated in his wife's.(2) A problem that affects a much larger number of working wives is the need to re-allocate domestic tasks if there are children. In The Road to Wigan Pier George Orwell wrote of the unemployed of the Lancashire coalfields: "Practically never ... in a working-class home, will yousee the man doing a stroke of the housework. Unemployment has not changed this convention,which on the face of it seems a little unfair. The man is idle from morning to night but the woman is as busy as ever - more so, indeed, because she has to manage with less money. Yet so far as myexperience goes the women do not protest. They feel that a man would lose his manhood if, merely because he was out of work, he developed in a 'Mary Ann'."(3) It is over the care of young children that this re-allocation of duties becomes reallysignificant. For this, unlike the cooking of fish fingers or the making of beds, is an inescapablytime-consuming occupation, and time is what the fully employed wife has no more to spare of than her husband.(4) The male initiative in courtship is a pretty indiscriminate affair, something that is tried on with any remotely plausible woman who comes within range and, of course, with all degrees oftentativeness. What decides the issue of whether a genuine courtship is going to get under way is the woman's response. If she shows interest the engines of persuasion are set in movement. The truth is that in courtship society gives women the real power while pretending to give it to men.(5) What does seem clear is that the more men and women are together, at work and awayfrom it, the more the comprehensive amorousness of men towards women will have to go, despiteall its past evolutionary services. For it is this that makes inferiority at work abrasive and, moreindirectly, makes domestic work seem unmanly, if there is to be an equalizing redistributionofeconomic and domestic tasks between men and women there must be a compensating redistribution of the erotic initiative. If women will no longer let us beat them they must allow us to join them as the blushing recipients of flowers and chocolates.21. Paragraph One advises the working wife who is more successful than her husband toA. work in the same sort of job as her husband.B. play down her success, making it sound unimportant.C. stress how much the family gains from her high salary.D. introduce more labour-saving machinery into the home.22. Orwell's picture of relations between man and wife in Wigan Pier (Paragraph Two) describes arelationship which the author of the passageA. thinks is the natural one.B. wishes to see preserved.C. believes is fair.D. is sure must change.23. Which of the following words is used literally, NOT metaphorically?A. Abrasive (Paragraph Five).B. Engines (Paragraph Four).C. Convention (Paragraph Two).D. Heavily (Paragraph One).24. The last paragraph stresses that if women are to hold important jobs, then they mustA. sometimes make the first advances in love.B. allow men to flirt with many women.C. stop accepting presents of flowers and chocolates.D. avoid making their husbands look like "Mary Anns".25. Which of the following statements is INCORRECT about the present form of courtship?A. Men are equally serious about courtship.B. Each man "makes passes" at many women.C. The woman's reaction decides the fate of courtship.D. The man leaves himself the opportunity to give up the chase quickly.TEXT DFrom Namche Bazaar, the Sherpa capital at 12,000 feet, the long line threaded south, dropping 2,000 feet to the valley floor, then trudged down the huge Sola-Khumbu canyon until itopened out to the lush but still daunting foothills of Central Nepal.It was here at Namche that one man broke rank and leaned north, slowly and arduously climbing the steep walls of the natural amphitheater behind the scatter of stone huts, then past Kunde and Khumjong.Despite wearing a balaclava on his head, he had been frequently recognized by the Tibetans, and treated with the gravest deference and respect. Even among those who knew nothing abouthim, expressions of surprise lit up their dark, liquid eyes. He was a man not expected to be there.Not only was his stature substantially greater than that of the diminutive Tibetans, but it was also obvious from his bearing - and his new broadcloak, which covered a much-too-tight army uniform - that he came from a markedly loftier station in life than did the average Tibetan.Among a people virtually bereft of possessions, he had fewer still, consisting solely of a roundedbundle about a foot in diameter slung securely by a cord over his shoulder. The material the bundle was wrapped in was of a rough Tibetan weave, which did not augur that the content wasof any greater value - except for the importance he seemed to ascribe to it, never for a momentreleasing his grip.His objective was a tiny huddle of buildings perched halfway up an enormous valley wall across from him, atop a great wooded spur jutting out from the lower lap of the 22,493-foot AmaDablum, one of the most majestic mountains on earth. There was situated Tengboche, the mostfamous Buddhist monastery in the Himalayas, its setting unsurpassed for magnificence anywhere on the planet.From the top of the spur, one's eyes sweep 12 miles up the stupendous Dudh Kosi canyon to the six-mile-long granite wall of cliff of Nuptse at its head. If Ama Dablum is the Gatekeeper,then the sheer cliff of Nuptse, never less than four miles high, is the Final Protector of the highest and mightiest of them all: Chomolongma, the Mother Goddess of the World, to the Tibetans; Sagarmatha, the Head of the Seas, to the Nepalese; and Everest to the rest of us. Andover the great barrier of Nuptse She demurely peaks.It was late in the afternoon - when the great shadows cast by the colossal mountains were descending into the deep valley floors - before he reached the crest of the spur and shuffled to astop just past Tengboche's entrance gompa. His chest heaving in the rarefied air, he removed hishand from the bundle--the first time he had done so - and wiped grimy rivulets of sweat from around his eyes with the fingers of his mitted hand.His narrowed eyes took in the open sweep of the quiet grounds, the pagoda-like monastery itself, and the stone buildings that tumbled down around it like a protective skirt. In the distancethe magic light of the magic hour lit up the plume flying off Chomolongma's 29,029-foot-highcrest like a bright, welcoming banner.His breathing calmed, he slowly, stiffly struggled forward and up the rough stone steps to the monastery entrance. There he was greeted with a respectful nameste -"I recognize the divinein you" - from a tall, slim monk of about 35 years, who hastily set aside a twig broom he had been using to sweep the flagstones of the inner courtyard. While he did so, the visitor noticed that the monk was missing the small finger on his left hand. The stranger spoke a few formal words in Tibetan, and then the two disappeared inside.Early the next morning the emissary - lightened of his load - appeared at the monastery entrance, accompanied by the same monk and the elderly abbot. After a bow of his head, whichwas returned much more deeply by the two ocher-robed residents, he took his leave. The two solemn monks watched, motionless, until he dipped over the ridge on which the monastery sat, and out of sight.Then, without a word, they turned and went back inside the monastery.26. Which of the following words in Paragraph One implies difficulty in walking?A. "threaded".B. "dropping".C. "trudged".D. "daunting".27. In the passage the contrast between the Tibetans and the man is indicated in all the followingaspects EXCEPTA. clothing.B. height.C. social status.D. personal belongings.28. It can be inferred from the passage that one can get ______ of the region from themonastery.A. a narrow viewB. a hazy viewC. a distant viewD. a panoramic view29. Which of the following details shows that the man became relaxed after he reached the monastery?A. "...he reached the crest of the spur and shuffled to a stop..."B. "...he removed his hand from the bundle..."C. "His narrowed eyes took in the open sweep of the quiet grounds..."D. "...he slowly, stiffly struggled forward and up the rough stone steps..."30. From how it is described in the passage the monastery seems to evokeA. a sense of awe.B. a sense of piety.C. a sense of fear.D. a sense of mystery.PART III GENERAL KNOWLEDGE (10 MIN)There are ten multiple-choice questions in this section. Choose the best answer to each question.Mark your answers on your coloured answer sheet.31. The Head of State of New Zealand is。
2009年英语专业八级考试试题原题及答案解析
2009年专八真题及答案In this section you will hear a mini-lecture. You will hear the lecture ONCE ONLY While listening, take notes on the important points. Your notes will not be marked, but you will need them to complete a gap-filling task after the mini-lecture. When the lecture is over, you will be given two minutes to check your notes, and another ten minutes to complete the gap-fillingtask on ANSWER SHEET ONE. Use the blank sheet for note-taking.Writing Experimental ReportsI.Content of an experimental report, e.g.--- study subject/ area--- study purpose--- ____1____II.Presentation of an experimental report--- providing details--- regarding readers as _____2_____III.Structure of an experimental report--- feature: highly structured and ____3____--- sections and their content:INTRODUCTION ____4____; why you did itMETHOD how you did itRESULT what you found out____5____ what you think it showsIV. Sense of readership--- ____6____: reader is the marker--- ____7____: reader is an idealized, hypothetical, intelligent person with little knowledge of your study--- tasks to fulfill in an experimental report:? introduction to relevant area? necessary background information? development of clear arguments? definition of technical terms? precise description of data ____8____V. Demands and expectations in report writing--- early stage:? understanding of study subject/area and its implications? basic grasp of the report's format--- later stage:? ____9____ on research significance--- things to avoid in writing INTRODUCTION:? inadequate material? ____10____ of research justification for the studySECTION B INTERVIEWIn this section you will hear everything ONCE ONLY. Listen carefully and then answer the questions that follow. Mark the correct answer to each question on your coloured answer sheet. Questions 1 to 5 are based on an interview. At the end of the interview you will be given 10seconds to answer each of the following five questions.Now listen to the interview.1. Which of the following statements is CORRECT?A. Toastmasters was originally set up to train speaking skills.B. Toastmasters only accepts prospective professional speakers.C. Toastmasters accepts members from the general public.D. Toastmasters is an exclusive club for professional speakers.2. The following are job benefits by joining Toastmasters EXCEPTA. becoming familiar with various means of communication.B. learning how to deliver messages in an organized way.C. becoming aware of audience expectations.D. learning how to get along with friends.3. Toastmasters' general approach to training can be summarized asA. practice plus overall training.B. practice plus lectures.C. practice plus voice training.D. practice plus speech writing.4. Toastmasters aims to train people to be all the following EXCEPTA. public speakers.B. grammar teachers.C. masters of ceremonies.D. evaluators5. The interview mainly focuses onA. the background information.B. the description of training courses.C. the requirements of public speaking.D. the overall personal growth.SECTION C NEWS BROADCASTIn this section you will hear everything ONCE ONLY. Listen carefully and then answer the questions that follow. Mark the correct answer to each question on your coloured answer sheet. Questions 6 and 7 are'based on the foUowing news. At the end of the news item, you will be given 20 seconds to answer the questions.Now listen to the news.6. Which of the following is the main cause of global warming?A. Fossil fuel.B. Greenhouse gases.C. Increased dryness.D. Violent storm patterns.7. The news item implies that ______ in the last report.A. there were fewer studies doneB. there were fewer policy proposalsC. there was less agreementD. there were fewer objectivesQuestions 8 and 9 are based on the following news. At the end of the news item, you will be given 20 seconds to answer the questions.Now listen to the news.8. The cause of the Indian train accident wasA. terrorist sabotage.B. yet to be determined.C. lackof communications.D. bad weather.9. Which of the following statements is CORRECT?A. The accident occurred on a bridge.B. The accident occurred in New Delhi.C. There were about 600 casualties.D. Victims were rescued immediately.Question 10 is based on the following news. At the end of the news item, you will be given 10seconds to answer the question.Now listen to the news.10. What is the main message of the news item?A. Young people should seek careers advice.B. Careers service needs to be improved.C. Businesses are not getting talented people.D. Careers advice is not offered on the Intemet.PART II READING COMPREHENSION (30 MIN)In this section there are four reading passages followed by a total of 20 multiple-choice questions. Read the passages and then mark your answers on your coloured answer sheet.TEXT AWe had been wanting to expand our children's horizons by taking them to a place that was unlike anything we'd been exposed to during our travels in Europe and the United States. In thinking about what was possible from Geneva, where we are based, we decided on a trip toIstanbul, a two-hour plane ride from Zurich.We envisioned the trip as a prelude to more exotic ones, perhaps to New Delhi or Bangkok later this year, but thought our 11- and 13-year-olds needed a first step away from manicured boulevards and pristine monuments.What we didn't foresee was the reaction of friends, who warned that we were putting our children "in danger," referring vaguely, and most incorrectly, to disease, terrorism or just the unknown. To help us get acquainted with the peculiarities of Istanbul and to give our children a chance to choose what they were particularly interested in seeing, we bought an excellentguidebook and read it thoroughly before leaving.Friendly warnings didn't change our planning, although we might have more prudently checked with the U.S. State Department's list of troublespots. We didn't see a lot of children among the foreign visitors during our six-day stay in Istanbul, but we found the tourist areas quite safe, very interesting and varied enough even to suit our son, whose oft-repeated request is that we not see "every single" church and museum in a given city.Vaccinations weren't needed for the city, but we were concemed about adapting to the water for a short stay. So we used bottled water for drinking and brushing our teeth, a precaution that mayseem excessive, but we all stayed healthy.Taking the advice of a friend, we booked a hotel a 20-minute walk from most of Istanbul's major tourist sites. This not only got us some morning exercise, strolling over the Karakoy Bridge, but took us past a colorful assortment of fishermen, vendors and shoe shiners.From a teenager and pre-teen's view, Istanbul street life is fascinating since almost everything can be bought outdoors. They were at a good age to spend time wandering the labyrinth of the Spice Bazaar, where shops display mounds of pungent herbs in sacks. Doing thiswith younger children would be harder simply because the streets are so packed with people; itwould be easy to get lost.For our two, whose buying experience consisted of department stores and shopping mall boutiques, it was amazing to discover that you could bargain over price and perhaps end up with two of something for the price of one. They also learned to figure out the relative value of the Turkish lira, not a small matter with its many zeros.Being exposed to Islam was an important part of our trip. Visiting the mosques, especially the enormous Blue Mosque, was our first glimpse into how this major religion is practiced. Our children's curiosity already had been piqued by the five daily calls to prayer over loudspeakers in every corner of the city, and the scarves covering the heads of many women.Navigating meals can be troublesome with children, but a kebab, bought on the street or in restaurants, was unfailingly popular. Since we had decided this trip was not for gourmets, kebabs spared us the agony of trying to find a restaurant each day that would suit the adults' desire to try something new amid children's insistence that the food be served immediately. Gradually, we branched out to try some other Turkish specialties.Although our son had studied Islam briefly, it is impossible to be prepared for every awkward question that might come up, such as during our visits to the Topkapi Sarayi, the Ottoman Sultans' palace. No guides were available so it was do-it-yourself, using our guidebook,which cheated us of a lot of interesting history and anecdotes that a professional guide could provide. Next time, we resolved to make such arrangements in advance.plex, with its imperial treasures, its courtyards and its harem. The last required a bit of explanation that we would have happily lef~to a learned third party.11. The couple chose Istanbul as their holiday destination mainly becauseA. the city is not too far away from where they lived.B. the city is not on the list of the U.S. State Department.C. the city is between the familiar and the exotic.D. the city is more familiar than exotic.12. Which of the following statements is INCORRECT?A. The family found the city was exactly what they had expected.B. Their friends were opposed to their holiday plan.C. They could have been more cautious about bringing kids along.D. They were a bit cautious about the quality of water in the city.13. We learn from the couple's shopping experience back home thatA. they were used to bargaining over price.B. they preferred to buy things outdoors.C. street markets were their favourite.D. they preferred fashion and brand names.14. The last two paragraphs suggest that to visit places of interest in IstanbulA. guidebooks are very useful.B. a professional guide is a must.C. one has to be prepared for questions.D. one has to make arrangements in advance15. The family have seen or visited all the following in Istanbul EXCEPTA. religious prayers.B. historical buildings.C. local-style markets.D. shopping mall boutiques.TEXT BLast month the first baby-boomers turned 60. The bulky generation born between 1946 and1964 is heading towards retirement. The looming "demographic cliff" will see vast numbers ofskilled workers dispatched from the labour force.The workforce is ageing across the rich world. Within the EU the number of workers aged between 50 and 64 will increase by 25% over the next two decades, while those aged 20-29 willdecrease by 20%. In Japan almost 20% of the population is already over 65, the highest share inthe world. And in the United States the number of workers aged 55-64 will have increased bymore than half in this decade, at the same time as the 35- to 44-year-olds decline by 10%.Given that most societies are geared to retirement at around 65, companies have a loomingproblem of knowledge management, of making sure that the boomers do not leave before theyhave handed over their expertise along with the office keys and their e-mail address. A survey ofhuman-resources directors by IBM last year concluded: "When the baby-boomer generationretires, many companies will find out too late that a career's worth of experience has walked outthe door, leaving insufficient talent to fill in the void."Some also face a shortage of expertise. In aerospace and defence, for example, as much as40% of the workforce in some companies will be eligible to retire within the next five years. At the same time, the number of engineering graduates in developed countries is in steep decline.A few companies are so squeezed that they are already taking exceptional measures. Earlierthis year the Los Angeles Times interviewed an enterprising Australian who was staying inBeverly Hills while he tried to persuade locals to emigrate to Toowoomba, Queensland, to workfor his engineering company there. Toowoomba today; the rest of the developed world tomorrow?If you look hard enough, you can find companies that have begun to adapt the workplace to older workers. The AARP, an American association for the over-50s, produces an annual list ofthe best employers of its members. Health-care firms invariably come near the top because they are one of the industries most in need of skilled labour. Other sectors similarly affected, says the Conference Board, include oil, gas, energy and government.Near the top of the AARP's latest list comes Deere & Company, a no-nonsenseindustrial-equipment manufacturer based in Illinois; about 35% of Deere's 46,000 employees areover 50 and a number of them are in their 70s. The tools it uses to achieve that –flexible working, telecommuting, and so forth - also coincidentaUy help older workers to extend their working lives. The company spends "a lot of time" on the ergonomics of its factories, making jobs there less tiring, which enables older workers to stay at them for longer.Likewise, for more than a decade, Toyota, arguably the world's most advanced manufacturer, has adapted its workstations to older workers. The shortage of skilled labour available to the automotive industry has made it unusually keen to recruit older workers. BMW recently set up a factory in Leipzig that expressly set out to employ people over the age of 45.Needs must when the devil drives.Other firms are polishing their alumni networks. IBM uses its network to recruit retired people for particular projects. Ernst & Young, a professional-services firm, has about 30,000 registered alumni, and about 25% of its "experienced" new recruits are former employees who return after an absence.But such examples are unusual. A survey in America last month by Ernst & Young found that "although corporate America foresees a significant workforce shortage as boomers retire, it is not dealing with the issue." Almost three-quarters of the 1,400 global companies questioned by Deloitte last year said they expected a shortage of salaried staff over the next three to five years. Yet few of them are looking to older workers to fill that shortage; and even fewer are looking to them to fill another gap that has already appeared. Many firms in Europe and America complain that they struggle to find qualified directors for their boards - this when the pool of retired talent from those very same firms is growing by leaps and bounds.Why are firms not working harder to keep old employees? Part of the reason is that the crunch has been beyond the horizon of most managers. Nor is hanging on to older workers the only way to cope with a falling supply of labour. The participation of developing countries in the world economy has increased the overall supply - whatever the local effect of demographics in the rich countries. A vast amount of work is being sent offshore to such places as China and India and more will go in future. Some countries, such as Australia, are relaxing their immigration policies to allow much needed skills to come in from abroad. Others will avoid the need for workers by spending money on machinery and automation.16. According to the passage, the most serious consequence of baby-boomers approaching retirement would beA. a loss of knowledge and experience to many companies.B. a decrease in the number of 35- to 44- year-olds.C. a continuous increase in the number of 50-to 64-year-olds.D. its impact on the developed world whose workforce is ageing.17. The following are all the measures that companies have adopted to cope with the ageing workforce EXCEPTA. making places of work accommodate the needs of older workers.B. using alumni networks to hire retired former employees.C. encouraging former employees to work overseas.D. granting more convenience in working hours to older workers.18. "The company spends 'a lot of time' on the ergonomics of its factories" (Paragraph Seven) means thatA. the company attaches great importance to the layout of its factories.B. the company improves the working conditions in its factories.C. the company attempts to reduce production costs of its factories.D. the company intends to renovate its factories and update equipment.19. In the author's opinion American firms are not doing anything to deal with the issue of theageing workforce mainly becauseA. they have not been aware of the problem.B. they are reluctant to hire older workers.C. they are not sure of what they should do.D. they have other options to consider.20. Which of the following best describes the author's development of argument?A. introducing the issue---citing ways to deal with the issue---~describing the actualstatus---offering reasons.B. describing the actual status--- introducing the issue---citing ways to deal with theissue---offering reasons.C. citing ways to deal with the issue---introducing the issue----describing the actualstatus---offering reasons.D. describing the actual status--offering reasons---introducing the issue---citing ways todeal with the issue.TEXT C(1) The other problem that arises from the employment of women is that of the working wife.It has two aspects: that of the wife who is more of a success than her husband and that of the wife who must rely heavily on her husband for help with domestic tasks. There are various ways in which the impact of the first difficulty can be reduced. Provided that husband and wife are not in the same or directly comparable lines of work, the harsh fact of her greater success can be obscured by a genial conspiracy to reject a purely monetary measure of achievement as intolerably crude. Where there are ranks, it is best if the couple work in different fields so that the husband can find some special reason for the superiority of the lowest figure in his to the most elevated in his wife's.(2) A problem that affects a much larger number of working wives is the need to re-allocate domestic tasks if there are children. In The Road to Wigan Pier George Orwell wrote of the unemployed of the Lancashire coalfields: "Practically never ... in a working-class home, will you see the man doinga stroke of the housework. Unemployment has not changed this convention,which on the face of it seems a little unfair. The man is idle from morning to night but the woman is as busy as ever - more so, indeed, because she has to manage with less money. Yet so far as myexperience goes the women do not protest. They feel that a man would lose his manhood if, merely because he was out of work, he developed in a Mary Ann3) It is over the care of young children that this re-allocation of duties becomes really significant. For this, unlike the cooking of fish fingers or the making of beds, is an inescapably time-consuming occupation, and time is what the fully employed wife has no more to spare of than her husband.(4) The male initiative in courtship is a pretty indiscriminate affair, something that is tried on with any remotely plausible woman who comes within range and, of course, with all degrees of tentativeness. What decides the issue of whether a genuine courtship is going to get under way is the woman's response. If she shows interest the engines of persuasion are set in movement. The truth is that in courtship society gives women the real power while pretending to give it to men. (5) What does seem clear is that the more men and women are together, at work and awayfrom it, the more the comprehensive amorousness of men towards women will have to go, despiteall its past evolutionary services. For it is this that makes inferiority at work abrasive and, more indirectly, makes domestic work seem unmanly, if there is to be an equalizing redistribution of economic and domestic tasks between men and women there must be a compensating redistribution of the erotic initiative. If women will no longer let us beat them they must allow us to join them as the blushing recipients of flowers and chocolates.21. Paragraph One advises the working wife who is more successful than her husband toA. work in the same sort of job as her husband.B. play down her success, making it sound unimportant.C. stress how much the family gains from her high salary.D. introduce more labour-saving machinery into the home.22. Orwell's picture of relations between man and wife in Wigan Pier (Paragraph Two) describes a relationship which the author of the passageA. thinks is the natural one.B. wishes to see preserved.C. believes is fair.D. is sure must change.23. Which of the following words is used literally, NOT metaphorically?A. Abrasive (Paragraph Five).B. Engines (Paragraph Four).C. Convention (Paragraph Two).D. Heavily (Paragraph One).24. The last paragraph stresses that if women are to hold important jobs, then they mustA. sometimes make the first advances in love.B. allow men to flirt with many women.C. stop accepting presents of flowers and chocolates.D. avoid making their husbands look like "Mary Anns".25. Which of the following statements is INCORRECT about the present form of courtship?A. Men are equally serious about courtship.B. Each man "makes passes" at many women.C. The woman's reaction decides the fate of courtship.D. The man leaves himself the opportunity to give up the chase quickly.TEXT DFrom Namche Bazaar, the Sherpa capital at 12,000 feet, the long line threaded south,dropping 2,000 feet to the valley floor, then trudged down the huge Sola-Khumbu canyon until it opened out to the lush but still daunting foothills of Central Nepal.It was here at Namche that one man broke rank and leaned north, slowly and arduouslyclimbing the steep walls of the natural amphitheater behind the scatter of stone huts, then past Kunde and Khumjong.Despite wearing a balaclava on his head, he had been frequently recognized by the Tibetans,and treated with the gravest deference and respect. Even among those who knew nothing about him, expressions of surprise lit up their dark, liquid eyes. He was a man not expected to be there. Not only was his stature substantially greater than that of the diminutive Tibetans, but itwas also obvious from his bearing - and his new broadcloak, which covered a much-too-tightarmy uniform - that he came from a markedly loftier station in life than did the average Tibetan. Among a people virtually bereft of possessions, he had fewer still, consisting solely of a rounded bundle about a foot in diameter slung securely by a cord over his shoulder. The material the bundle was wrapped in was of a rough Tibetan weave, which did not augur that the content wasof any greater value - except for the importance he seemed to ascribe to it, never for a moment releasing his grip.His objective was a tiny huddle of buildings perched halfway up an enormous valley wallacross from him, atop a great wooded spur jutting out from thelower lap of the 22,493-foot AmaDablum, one of the most majestic mountains on earth. There was situated Tengboche, the most famous Buddhist monastery in the Himalayas, its setting unsurpassed for magnificence anywhere on the planet.From the top of the spur, one's eyes sweep 12 miles up the stupendous Dudh Kosi canyonto the six-mile-long granite wall of cliff of Nuptse at its head. If Ama Dablum is the Gatekeeper,then the sheer cliff of Nuptse, never less than four miles high, is the Final Protector of the highest and mightiest of them all: Chomolongma, the Mother Goddess of the World, to the Tibetans; Sagarmatha, the Head of the Seas, to the Nepalese; and Everest to the rest of us. And over the great barrier of Nuptse She demurely peaks.It was late in the afternoon - when the great shadows cast by the colossal mountains were descending into the deep valley floors - before he reached the crest of the spur and shuffled to a stop just past Tengboche's entrance gompa. His chest heaving in the rarefied air, he removed his hand from the bundle--the first time he had done so - and wiped grimy rivulets of sweat from around his eyes with the fingers of his mitted hand.His narrowed eyes took in the open sweep of the quiet grounds, the pagoda-like monastery itself, and the stone buildings that tumbled down around it like a protective skirt. In the distance the magic light of the magic hour lit up the plume flying off Chomolongma's 29,029-foot-high crest like a bright, welcoming banner.His breathing calmed, he slowly, stiffly struggled forward and up the rough stone steps tothe monastery entrance. There he was greeted with a respectful nameste -"I recognize the divinein you" - from a tall, slim monk of about 35 years, who hastily set aside a twig broom he had been using to sweep the flagstones of the inner courtyard. While he did so, the visitor noticedthat the monk was missing the small finger on his left hand. The stranger spoke a few formal words in Tibetan, and then the two disappeared inside.Early the next morning the emissary - lightened of his load - appeared at the monastery entrance, accompanied by the same monk and the elderly abbot. After a bow of his head, which was returned much more deeply by the two ocher-robed residents, he took his leave. The two solemn monks watched, motionless, until he dipped over the ridge on which the monastery sat, and out of sight.Then, without a word, they turned and went back inside the monastery.26. Which of the following words in Paragraph One implies difficulty in walking?A. "threaded".B. "dropping".C. "trudged".D. "daunting".27. In the passage the contrast between the Tibetans and the man is indicated in all the following aspects EXCEPTA. clothing.B. height.C. social status.D. personal belongings.28. It can be inferred from the passage that one can get ______ of the region from the monastery.A. a narrow viewB. a hazy viewC. a distant viewD. a panoramic view29. Which of the following details shows that the man became relaxed after he reached the monastery?A. "...he reached the crest of the spur and shuffled to a stop..."B. "...he removed his hand from the bundle..."C. "His narrowed eyes took in the open sweep of the quiet grounds..."D. "...he slowly, stiffly struggled forward and up the rough stone steps..."30. From how it is described in the passage the monastery seems to evokeA. a sense of awe.B. a sense of piety.C. a sense of fear.D. a sense of mystery.PART III GENERAL KNOWLEDGE (10 MIN)There are ten multiple-choice questions in this section. Choose the best answer to each question. Mark your answers on your coloured answer sheet.31. The Head of State of New Zealand isA. the governor-general.B. the Prime Minister.C. the high commissioner.D. the monarch of the United Kingdom.32. The capital of Scotland isA. Glasgow.B. Edinburgh.C. Manchester.D. London.33. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence and later became the U.S. President?A. Thomas Jefferson.B. George Washington.C. Thomas Paine.D. John Adams.。
2009年英语专业八级真题及解析
C. Because they are organizing their thoughts.
D. Because they are not interested in the talking.
Now, listen to Part Two of the interview. Questions 6 to 10 are based on Part Two of the interview.
and museum in a given city.
(5)Vaccinations weren't needed for the city, but we were concerned about adapting to the water for a
(4) Friendly warnings didn't change our planning, although we might have more prudently checked with
the U.S. State Department's list of troublespots. We didn't see a lot of children among the foreign visi
3. A. Individuals who wish to become professional speakers.
B. Individuals who wish to improve their public speaking.
C. Individuals who want to increase their self-confidence.
专八 2009 - 1
8. A. Serving as toastmaster of the meeting. C. Monitoring use of filler words or phrases.
2009年英语专业八级考试真题（2）
2009年英语专业八级考试真题（2）Text BGetting to the heart of Kuwaiti democracy seems hilariously easy. Armed only with a dog-eared NEWSWEEK ID, I ambled through the gates of the National Assembly last week. Unscanned, unsearched, my satchel could easily have held the odd grenade or an anthrax-stuffed lunchbox. The only person who stopped me was a guard who grinned and invited me to take a swig of orange juice from his plastic bottle.Were I a Kuwaiti woman wielding a ballot, I would have been a clearer and more present danger. That very day Parliament blocked a bill giving women the vote; 29 M.P.s voted in favour and 29 against, with two abstentions. Unable to decide whether the bill had passed or not, the government scheduled another vote in two weeks- too late for women to register for June’s municipal elections. The next such elections aren’t until 2009. Inside the elegant, marbled Parliament itself, a sea of mustachioed men in white robes sat in green seats, debating furiously. The ruling emir has pushed for women’s political rights for years. Ironically, the democratically elected legislature has thwarted him. Traditionalists and tribal leaders are opposed. Liberals fret, too, that Islamists will let their multiple wives vote, swelling conservative ranks. “When I came to Parliament today, people who voted yes didn’t even shake hands with me,” said one Shia clerc. “Why can’t we respect each other and work together?”Why not indeed? By Gulf standards, Kuwait is a democratic superstar. Its citizens enjoy free speech (as long as they don’t insult their emir, naturally) and boast a Parliament that canactually pass laws. Unlike their Saudi sisters, Kuwaiti women drive, work and travel freely. They run multibillion-dollar businesses and serve as ambassadors. Their academic success is such that colleges have actually lowered the grades required for make students to get into medical and engineering courses. Even then, 70 percent of university students are females.In Kuwait, the Western obsession with the higab finds its equivalent. At a fancy party for NEWSWEEK’s Arabic edition, some Kuwaiti women wore them. Others opted for tight, spangled, sheer little numbers in peacock blue or parrot orange. For the par ty’s entertainment, Nancy Ajram, the Arab world’s answer to Britney Spears, sang passionate songs of love in a white mini-dress. She couldn’t dance for us, alas, since shaking one’s body onstage is illegal in Kuwait. That didn’t stop whole tables of men from raising their camera-enabled mobile phones and clicking her picture. You’d think not being able to vote or dance in public would anger Kuwait’s younger generation of women. T o find out, I headed to the malls-Kuwait’s archipelago of civic freedom. Eager to duckStrict parents and the social taboos of dating in public. young Kuwaitis have taken to cafes, beaming flirtatious infrared e-mails to one another on their cell photos. At Starbucks in the glittering Al Sharq Mall, I found only tables of men, puffing cigarettes and grumbling about the service .At Pizza Hut, I thought I’d got an answer after encountering a young woman who looked every inch the modern suffragette—drainpipe jeans,strappy sliver high-heeled sandals and a higab studded with purple rhinestones. But, no, Miriam Al-Enizi, 20,studying business administration at Kuwait University, doesn’t think women need the vote.” Men are better at politics than women,”she explained,adding that women in Kuwait already have everything they need. Welcome to democracy, Kuwait style.16. According to the passage, which of the following groups of people might be viewed as being dangerous by the guards?A. Foreign tourists.B. Women protestors.√C. Foreign journalists.D. Members of the National Assembly.17. The bill giving women the vote did not manage to pass becauseA. Different interest groups held different concerns.√B.Liberals did not reach consensus among themselves.C. Parliament was controlled by traditionalists.D.Parliament members were all conservatives.18. What is the role of the 4th and 5th paragraphs in the development of the topic?A. To show how Kuwaiti women enjoy themselves.B. To describe how women work and study in Kuwait.C. To provide a contrast to the preceding paragraphs.√D. To provide a contrast to the preceding paragraphs.19. Which of the following is NOT true about young Kuwaiti women?A. They seem to be quite contented.B. They go in for Western fashions.C. They desire more than modern necessities.√D. They favour the use of hi-tech products.Text CRichard, King of England from 1189 to 1199, with all his characteristic virtues and faults cast in a heroic mould, is one of the most fascinating medieval figures. He has been described asthe creatureand embodiment of the age of chivalry, In those days the lion was much admired in heraldry, and more than one king sought to link himself with its repute. When Richard's contemporaries called him" Coeur de Lion"(The Lion heart), they paid a lasting compliment to the king of beasts. Little did the English people owe him for his services, and heavily did they pay for his adventures. He was in England only twice for a few short months in his ten years' reign; yet his memory has always English hearts, and seems to present throughout the centuries the pattern of the fighting man. In all deeds of prowess as well as in large schemes of war Richard shone. He was tall and delicately shaped strong in nerve and sinew, and most dexterous in arms. He reioiced in personal combat, and regarded his opponents without malice as necessary agents in his fame He loved war, not so much for the sake of glory or political ends, but as other men love science or poetry, for the excitement of the struggle and the glow of victory. By this his whole temperament was toned; and united with the highest qualities of the military commander, love of war called forth all the powers of his mind and body.Although a man of blood and violence, Richard was too impetuous to be either treacherous on habitually cruel. He was as ready to forgive as he was hasty to offend; he was open-handed and munificent to profusion; in war circumspect in design and skilful in execution; in political a child, lacking in subtlety and experience. His political alliances were formed upon his likes and dislikes; his political schemes had neither unity nor clearness of purpose. The advantages gained for him by military geoids were flung away through diplomatic ineptitude. When, on the jouthey to the East, Messina in Sicily was won by his arms hewas easily persuaded to share with his polished, faithless ally, Philip Augustus, fruits of a victory which more wisely used might have foiled the French King's artful schemes. The rich and tenable acquisition of Cyprus was cast away even more easily than it was won. His life was one magnificent parade, which, when ended, left only an empty plain.In 1199, when the difficulties of raising revenue for the endless war were at their height, good news was brought to King Richard. It was said there had been dug up near the castle of Chaluz, on the lands of one of his French vassals, a treasure of wonderful quality; a group of golden images of an emperor, his wife, sons and daughters, seated round a table, also of gold, had been unearthed. The King claimed this treasure as lord paramount. The lord of Chaluz resisted the demand, and the King laid siege to his small, weak castle. On the third day, as he rode daringly, near the wall. confident in his hard-tried luck, a bolt from a crossbow struck him in the left shoulder by the neck. The wound, already deep, was aggravated by the necessary cutting out of the arrow-head. Gangrene set in, and Coeur de Lion knew that he must pay a soldier’s debt. He prepared for death with fortitude and calm, and in accordance with the principles he had followed. He arranged his affairs, he divided his personal belongings among his friends or bequeathed them to charity. He declared John to be his heir, and made all present swear fealty to him. He ordered the archer who had shot the fatal bolt, and who was now a prisoner, to be brought before him. He pardoned him, and made him a gift of money. For seven years he had not confessed for fear of being compelled to be reconiled to Philip, but now he received the offices of the Church with sincere and exemplary piety, and died in the forty-second year of his age onApril 6, 1199, worthy, by the consent of all men, to sit with King Arthur and Roland andother heroes of martial romance at some Eternal round Table, which we trust the Creator of the Universe in His comprehension will not have forgotten to provide.The archer was flayed alive.20 “ little did the English people own him for his service” (paragraph one) means that the EnglishA. paid few taxes to him.B. gave him little respect.C. received little protection from him.D. had no real cause to feel grateful to him.√21. To say that his wife was a “ magnificent parade’( paragraph Two) implies that it was to some extent.A . spent chiefly at war.B. impressive and admirable.C. lived too pompouslyD. an empty show.√22. Richard’s behaviour as death approached showed.\A. bravery and self-control.B. Wisdom and correctnessC. Devotion and romanceD. Chivalry and charity√23. The point of the last short paragraph is that Richard wasA. cheated by his own successorsB. determined to take revenge on his enemies.C. more generous to his enemies than his seccesors.D unable to influence the behavior of his successors.√24. Which of the following phrase best describes Richard as seen by the author?A. An aggressive king, too fond of war.B. A brave king with minor faults.√C. A competent but cunning soldier.D. A kind with great political skills.25. The relationship between the first and second paragraphs is thatA. each presents one side of the picture. √B. the first generalizes the second gives examples.C. the second is the logical result of the first.D. both present Richard’s virtues and faults.TEXT DThe miserable fate of Enron’s employees will be a landmark in business history, one of those awful events that everyone agrees must never be allowed to happen again. This urge is understandable and noble: thousands have lost virtually all their retirement savings with the demise of Enron stock. But making sure it never happens again may not be possible, because the sudden impoverishment of those Enron workers represents something even larger than it seems. It’s the latest turn in the unwinding of one of the most audacious promise of the 20th century.The promise was assured economic security-even comfort- for essentially everyone in the developed world. With the explosion of wealth, that began in the 19th century it became possible to think about a possibility no one had dared to dream before. The fear at the center of daily living since caveman days- lack of food warmth, shelter- would at last lose its power to terrify. That remarkable promise became reality in many ways. Governments created welfare systems for anyone in need and separate programmes for the elderly (Social Security in the U.S.). Labour unions promised not only better pay for workers but alsopensions for retirees. Giant corporations came into being and offered the possibility- in some cases the promise- of lifetime employment plus guaranteed pensions.? The cumulative effect was a fundamental change in how millions of people approached life itself, a reversal of attitude that most rank as one of the largest in human history. For millennia the average person’s stance toward providing for himself had been. Ultimately I’m on my own. Now it became, Ul timately I’ll be taken care of.The early hints that this promise might be broken on a large scale came in the 1980s. U.S. business had become uncompetitive globally and began restructuring massively, with huge Layoffs. The trend accelerated in the 1990s as the bastions of corporate welfare faced reality. IBM ended it’s no-layoff policy. AT&T fired thousands, many of whom found such a thing simply incomprehensible, and a few of whom killed themselves. The other supposed guarantors of our economic security were also in decline. Labour-union membership and power fell to their lowest levels in decades. President Clinton signed a historic bill scaling back welfare. Americans realized that Social Security won’t provide social security for any of us.。
2009年英语专八考试真题及参考答案(完整版)
PART I LISTENING COMPREHENSION (35 MIN)SECTION A MINI-LECTUREIn this section you will hear a mini-lecture. You will hear the lecture ONCE ONLY. While listening, take notes on the important points. Your notes will not be marked, but you will need them to complete a gap-filling task after the mini-lecture. When the lecture is over, you will be given two minutes to check your notes, and another ten minutes to complete the gap-filling task on ANSWER SHEET ONE. Use the blank sheet for note-taking.Writing Experimental ReportsI. Content of an experimental report, e.g.--- study subject/ area--- study purpose--- ____1____II.Presentation of an experimental report--- providing details--- regarding readers as _____2_____III.Structure of an experimental report--- feature: highly structured and ____3____--- sections and their content:INTRODUCTION ____4____; why you did itMETHOD how you did itRESULT what you found out____5____ what you think it showsIV. Sense of readership--- ____6____: reader is the marker--- ____7____: reader is an idealized, hypothetical, intelligent person with little knowledge of your study--- tasks to fulfill in an experimental report:nintroduction to relevant areanecessary background informationnndevelopment of clear argumentsdefinition of technical termsnprecisendescription of data ____8____V. Demands and expectations in report writing--- early stage:nunderstanding of study subject/area and its implicationsbasic grasp of thenreport's format--- later stage:____9____ on researchnsignificance--- things to avoid in writing INTRODUCTION:inadequatenmaterial____10____ of research justification for the studynSECTION B INTERVIEWIn this section you will hear everything ONCE ONLY. Listen carefully and then answerthe questions that follow. Mark the correct answer to each question on your coloured answer sheet.Questions 1 to 5 are based on an interview. At the end of the interview you will be given 10 seconds to answer each of the following five questions.Now listen to the interview.1. Which of the following statements is CORRECT?A. Toastmasters was originally set up to train speaking skills.B. Toastmasters only accepts prospective professional speakers.C. Toastmasters accepts members from the general public.D. Toastmasters is an exclusive club for professional speakers.2. The following are job benefits by joining Toastmasters EXCEPTA. becoming familiar with various means of communication.B. learning how to deliver messages in an organized way.C. becoming aware of audience expectations.D. learning how to get along with friends.3. Toastmasters' general approach to training can be summarized asA. practice plus overall training.B. practice plus lectures.C. practice plus voice training.D. practice plus speech writing.4. Toastmasters aims to train people to be all the following EXCEPTA. public speakers.B. grammar teachers.C. masters of ceremonies.D. evaluators.5. The interview mainly focuses onA. the background information.B. the description of training courses.C. the requirements of public speaking.D. the overall personal growth.SECTION C NEWS BROADCASTIn this section you will hear everything ONCE ONLY. Listen carefully and then answer the questions that follow. Mark the correct answer to each question on your coloured answer sheet.Questions 6 and 7 are'based on the foUowing news. At the end of the news item, you will be given 20 seconds to answer the questions.Now listen to the news.6. Which of the following is the main cause of global warming?A. Fossil fuel.B. Greenhouse gases.C. Increased dryness.D. Violent storm patterns.7. The news item implies that ______ in the last report.A. there were fewer studies doneB. there were fewer policy proposalsC. there was less agreementD. there were fewer objectivesQuestions 8 and 9 are based on the following news. At the end of the news item, you will be given 20 seconds to answer the questions.Now listen to the news.8. The cause of the Indian train accident wasA. terrorist sabotage.B. yet to be determined.C. lack of communications.D. bad weather.9. Which of the following statements is CORRECT?A. The accident occurred on a bridge.B. The accident occurred in New Delhi.C. There were about 600 casualties.D. Victims were rescued immediately.Question 10 is based on the following news. At the end of the news item, you will be given 10seconds to answer the question.Now listen to the news.10. What is the main message of the news item?A. Young people should seek careers advice.B. Careers service needs to be improved.C. Businesses are not getting talented people.D. Careers advice is not offered on the Intemet.PART II READING COMPREHENSION (30 MIN)In this section there are four reading passages followed by a total of 20 multiple-choice questions.Read the passages and then mark your answers on your coloured answer sheet.TEXT AWe had been wanting to expand our children's horizons by taking them to a place that was unlike anything we'd been exposed to during our travels in Europe and the United States. In thinking about what was possible from Geneva, where we are based, we decided on a trip toIstanbul, a two-hour plane ride from Zurich.We envisioned the trip as a prelude to more exotic ones, perhaps to New Delhi or Bangkok later this year, but thought our 11- and 13-year-olds needed a first step away from manicured boulevards and pristine monuments.What we didn't foresee was the reaction of friends, who warned that we were putting our children "in danger," referring vaguely, and most incorrectly, to disease, terrorism or just the unknown. To help us get acquainted with the peculiarities of Istanbul and to give our children a chance to choose what they were particularly interested in seeing, we bought an excellent guidebook and read it thoroughly before leaving.Friendly warnings didn't change our planning, although we might have more prudently checked with the U.S. State Department's list of troublespots. We didn't see a lotof children among the foreign visitors during our six-day stay in Istanbul, but we found the tourist areas quite safe, very interesting and varied enough even to suit our son, whose oft-repeated request is that we not see "every single" church and museum in a given city.Vaccinations weren't needed for the city, but we were concemed about adapting to the water for a short stay. So we used bottled water for drinking and brushing our teeth, a precaution that may seem excessive, but we all stayed healthy.T aking the advice of a friend, we booked a hotel a 20-minute walk from most of Istanbul's major tourist sites. This not only got us some morning exercise, strolling over the Karakoy Bridge, but took us past a colorful assortment of fishermen, vendors and shoe shiners.From a teenager and pre-teen's view, Istanbul street life is fascinating since almost everything can be bought outdoors. They were at a good age to spend time wandering the labyrinth of the Spice Bazaar, where shops display mounds of pungent herbs in sacks. Doing this with younger children would be harder simply because the streets are so packed with people; it would be easy to get lost.For our two, whose buying experience consisted of department stores and shopping mall boutiques, it was amazing to discover that you could bargain over price and perhaps end up with two of something for the price of one. They also learned to figure out the relative value of the Turkish lira, not a small matter with its many zeros.Being exposed to Islam was an important part of our trip. Visiting the mosques, especially the enormous Blue Mosque, was our first glimpse into how this major religion is practiced. Our children's curiosity already had been piqued by the five daily calls to prayer over loudspeakers in every corner of the city, and the scarves covering the heads of many women.Navigating meals can be troublesome with children, but a kebab, bought on the street or in restaurants, was unfailingly popular. Since we had decided this trip was not for gourmets, kebabs spared us the agony of trying to find a restaurant each day that would suit the adults' desire to try something new amid children's insistence that the food be served immediately. Gradually, we branched out to try some other Turkish specialties.Although our son had studied Islam briefly, it is impossible to be prepared for every awkward question that might come up, such as during our visits to the Topkapi Sarayi, the Ottoman Sultans' palace. No guides were available so it was do-it-yourself, using our guidebook,which cheated us of a lot of interesting history and anecdotes that a professional guide could provide. Next time, we resolved to make such arrangements in advance.On this trip, we wandered through the magnificent complex, with its imperial treasures, its courtyards and its harem. The last required a bit of explanation that we would have happily lef~to a learned third party.11. The couple chose Istanbul as their holiday destination mainly becauseA. the city is not too far away from where they lived.B. the city is not on the list of the U.S. State Department.C. the city is between the familiar and the exotic.D. the city is more familiar than exotic.12. Which of the following statements is INCORRECT?A. The family found the city was exactly what they had expected.B. Their friends were opposed to their holiday plan.C. They could have been more cautious about bringing kids along.D. They were a bit cautious about the quality of water in the city.13. We learn from the couple's shopping experience back home thatA. they were used to bargaining over price.B. they preferred to buy things outdoors.C. street markets were their favourite.D. they preferred fashion and brand names.14. The last two paragraphs suggest that to visit places of interest in IstanbulA. guidebooks are very useful.B. a professional guide is a must.C. one has to be prepared for questions.D. one has to make arrangements in advance.15. The family have seen or visited all the following in Istanbul EXCEPTA. religious prayers.B. historical buildings.C. local-style markets.D. shopping mall boutiques.TEXT BLast month the first baby-boomers turned 60. The bulky generation born between 1946 and 1964 is heading towards retirement. The looming "demographic cliff" will see vast numbers of skilled workers dispatched from the labour force.The workforce is ageing across the rich world. Within the EU the number of workers aged between 50 and 64 will increase by 25% over the next two decades, while those aged 20-29 will decrease by 20%. In Japan almost 20% of the population is already over 65, the highest share in the world. And in the United States the number of workers aged 55-64 will have increased by more than half in this decade, at the same time as the 35- to 44-year-olds decline by 10%.Given that most societies are geared to retirement at around 65, companies have a looming problem of knowledge management, of making sure that the boomers do not leave before they have handed over their expertise along with the office keys and their e-mail address. A survey of human-resources directors by IBM last year concluded: "When the baby-boomer generation retires, many companies will find out too late that a career's worth of experience has walked out the door, leaving insufficient talent to fill in the void."Some also face a shortage of expertise. In aerospace and defence, for example, as much as 40% of the workforce in some companies will be eligible to retire within the next five years. At the same time, the number of engineering graduates in developed countries is in steep decline.A few companies are so squeezed that they are already taking exceptional measures. Earlier this year the Los Angeles Times interviewed an enterprising Australian who was staying in Beverly Hills while he tried to persuade locals to emigrate to Toowoomba, Queensland, to work for his engineering company there. Toowoomba today; the rest of thedeveloped world tomorrow?If you look hard enough, you can find companies that have begun to adapt the workplace to older workers. The AARP, an American association for the over-50s, produces an annual list of the best employers of its members. Health-care firms invariably come near the top because they are one of the industries most in need of skilled labour. Other sectors similarly affected, says the Conference Board, include oil, gas, energy and government.Near the top of the AARP's latest list comes Deere & Company, a no-nonsense industrial-equipment manufacturer based in Illinois; about 35% of Deere's 46,000 employees are over 50 and a number of them are in their 70s. The tools it uses to achieve that –flexible working, telecommuting, and so forth - also coincidentaUy help older workers to extend their working lives. The company spends "a lot of time" on the ergonomics of its factories, making jobs there less tiring, which enables older workers to stay at them for longer.Likewise, for more than a decade, Toyota, arguably the world's most advanced manufacturer, has adapted its workstations to older workers. The shortage of skilled labour available to the automotive industry has made it unusually keen to recruit older workers. BMW recently set up a factory in Leipzig that expressly set out to employ people over the age of 45. Needs must when the devil drives.Other firms are polishing their alumni networks. IBM uses its network to recruit retired people for particular projects. Ernst & Young, a professional-services firm, has about 30,000 registered alumni, and about 25% of its "experienced" new recruits are former employees who return after an absence.But such examples are unusual. A survey in America last month by Ernst & Young found that "although corporate America foresees a significant workforce shortage as boomers retire, it is not dealing with the issue." Almost three-quarters of the 1,400 global companies questioned by Deloitte last year said they expected a shortage of salaried staff over the next three to five years. Yet few of them are looking to older workers to fill that shortage; and even fewer are looking to them to fill another gap that has already appeared. Many firms in Europe and America complain that they struggle to find qualified directors for their boards - this when the pool of retired talent from those very same firms is growing by leaps and bounds.Why are firms not working harder to keep old employees? Part of the reason is that the crunch has been beyond the horizon of most managers. Nor is hanging on to older workers the only way to cope with a falling supply of labour. The participation of developing countries in the world economy has increased the overall supply - whatever the local effect of demographics in the rich countries. A vast amount of work is being sent offshore to such places as China and India and more will go in future. Some countries, such as Australia, are relaxing their immigration policies to allow much needed skills to come in from abroad. Others will avoid theneed for workers by spending money on machinery and automation.16. According to the passage, the most serious consequence of baby-boomers approachingretirement would beA. a loss of knowledge and experience to many companies.B. a decrease in the number of 35- to 44- year-olds.C. a continuous increase in the number of 50-to 64-year-olds.D. its impact on the developed world whose workforce is ageing.17. The following are all the measures that companies have adopted to cope with the ageing workforce EXCEPTA. making places of work accommodate the needs of older workers.B. using alumni networks to hire retired former employees.C. encouraging former employees to work overseas.D. granting more convenience in working hours to older workers.18. "The company spends 'a lot of time' on the ergonomics of its factories" (Paragraph Seven) means thatA. the company attaches great importance to the layout of its factories.B. the company improves the working conditions in its factories.C. the company attempts to reduce production costs of its factories.D. the company intends to renovate its factories and update equipment.19. In the author's opinion American firms are not doing anything to deal with the issue of the ageing workforce mainly becauseA. they have not been aware of the problem.B. they are reluctant to hire older workers.C. they are not sure of what they should do.D. they have other options to consider.20. Which of the following best describes the author's development of argument?A. introducing the issue---citing ways to deal with the issue---~describing the actual status---offering reasons.B. describing the actual status--- introducing the issue---citing ways to deal with the issue---offering reasons.C. citing ways to deal with the issue---introducing the issue----describing the actual status---offering reasons.D. describing the actual status--offering reasons---introducing the issue---citing ways to deal with the issue.TEXT C(1) The other problem that arises from the employment of women is that of the working wife. It has two aspects: that of the wife who is more of a success than her husband and that of the wife who must rely heavily on her husband for help with domestic tasks. There are various ways in which the impact of the first difficulty can be reduced. Provided that husband and wife are not in the same or directly comparable lines of work, the harsh fact of her greater success can be obscured by a genial conspiracy to reject a purely monetary measure of achievement as intolerably crude. Where there are ranks, it is best if the couple work in different fields so that the husband can find some special reason for the superiority of the lowest figure in his to the most elevated in his wife's.(2) A problem that affects a much larger number of working wives is the need to re-allocate domestic tasks if there are children. In The Road to Wigan Pier George Orwell wrote of the unemployed of the Lancashire coalfields: "Practically never ... in aworking-class home, will you see the man doing a stroke of the housework. Unemployment has not changed this convention, which on the face of it seems a little unfair. The man is idle from morning to night but the woman is as busy as ever - more so, indeed, because she has to manage with less money. Yet so far as myexperience goes the women do not protest. They feel that a man would lose his manhood if, merely because he was out of work, he developed in a 'Mary Ann'."(3) It is over the care of young children that this re-allocation of duties becomes really significant. For this, unlike the cooking of fish fingers or the making of beds, is an inescapably time-consuming occupation, and time is what the fully employed wife has no more to spare of than her husband.(4) The male initiative in courtship is a pretty indiscriminate affair, something that is tried on with any remotely plausible woman who comes within range and, of course, with all degrees of tentativeness. What decides the issue of whether a genuine courtship is going to get under way is the woman's response. If she shows interest the engines of persuasion are set in movement. The truth is that in courtship society gives women the real power while pretending to give it to men.(5) What does seem clear is that the more men and women are together, at work and away from it, the more the comprehensive amorousness of men towards women will have to go, despite all its past evolutionary services. For it is this that makes inferiority at work abrasive and, more indirectly, makes domestic work seem unmanly, if there is to be an equalizing redistribution of economic and domestic tasks between men and women there must be a compensating redistribution of the erotic initiative. If women will no longer let us beat them they must allow us to join them as the blushing recipients of flowers and chocolates.21. Paragraph One advises the working wife who is more successful than her husband toA. work in the same sort of job as her husband.B. play down her success, making it sound unimportant.C. stress how much the family gains from her high salary.D. introduce more labour-saving machinery into the home.22. Orwell's picture of relations between man and wife in Wigan Pier (Paragraph Two) describes a relationship which the author of the passageA. thinks is the natural one.B. wishes to see preserved.C. believes is fair.D. is sure must change.23. Which of the following words is used literally, NOT metaphorically?A. Abrasive (Paragraph Five).B. Engines (Paragraph Four).C. Convention (Paragraph Two).D. Heavily (Paragraph One).24. The last paragraph stresses that if women are to hold important jobs, then they mustA. sometimes make the first advances in love.B. allow men to flirt with many women.C. stop accepting presents of flowers and chocolates.D. avoid making their husbands look like "Mary Anns".25. Which of the following statements is INCORRECT about the present form of courtship?A. Men are equally serious about courtship.B. Each man "makes passes" at many women.C. The woman's reaction decides the fate of courtship.D. The man leaves himself the opportunity to give up the chase quickly.TEXT DFrom Namche Bazaar, the Sherpa capital at 12,000 feet, the long line threaded south,dropping 2,000 feet to the valley floor, then trudged down the huge Sola-Khumbu canyon until it opened out to the lush but still daunting foothills of Central Nepal.It was here at Namche that one man broke rank and leaned north, slowly and arduously climbing the steep walls of the natural amphitheater behind the scatter of stone huts, then past Kunde and Khumjong.Despite wearing a balaclava on his head, he had been frequently recognized by the Tibetans, and treated with the gravest deference and respect. Even among those who knew nothing about him, expressions of surprise lit up their dark, liquid eyes. He was a man not expected to be there.Not only was his stature substantially greater than that of the diminutive Tibetans, but it was also obvious from his bearing - and his new broadcloak, which covered a much-too-tight army uniform - that he came from a markedly loftier station in life than did the average Tibetan. Among a people virtually bereft of possessions, he had fewer still, consisting solely of a rounded bundle about a foot in diameter slung securely by a cord over his shoulder. The material the bundle was wrapped in was of a rough Tibetan weave, which did not augur that the content was of any greater value - except for the importance he seemed to ascribe to it, never for a moment releasing his grip.His objective was a tiny huddle of buildings perched halfway up an enormous valley wall across from him, atop a great wooded spur jutting out from the lower lap of the 22,493-foot AmaDablum, one of the most majestic mountains on earth. There was situated Tengboche, the most famous Buddhist monastery in the Himalayas, its setting unsurpassed for magnificence anywhere on the planet.From the top of the spur, one's eyes sweep 12 miles up the stupendous Dudh Kosi canyon to the six-mile-long granite wall of cliff of Nuptse at its head. If Ama Dablum is the Gatekeeper,then the sheer cliff of Nuptse, never less than four miles high, is the Final Protector of the highest and mightiest of them all: Chomolongma, the Mother Goddess of the World, to the Tibetans; Sagarmatha, the Head of the Seas, to the Nepalese; and Everest to the rest of us. And over the great barrier of Nuptse She demurely peaks.It was late in the afternoon - when the great shadows cast by the colossal mountains were descending into the deep valley floors - before he reached the crest of the spur and shuffled to a stop just past Tengboche's entrance gompa. His chest heaving in the rarefiedair, he removed his hand from the bundle--the first time he had done so - and wiped grimy rivulets of sweat from around his eyes with the fingers of his mitted hand.His narrowed eyes took in the open sweep of the quiet grounds, the pagoda-like monastery itself, and the stone buildings that tumbled down around it like a protective skirt. In the distance the magic light of the magic hour lit up the plume flying off Chomolongma's 29,029-foot-high crest like a bright, welcoming banner.His breathing calmed, he slowly, stiffly struggled forward and up the rough stone steps to the monastery entrance. There he was greeted with a respectful nameste -"I recognize the divine in you" - from a tall, slim monk of about 35 years, who hastily set aside a twig broom he had been using to sweep the flagstones of the inner courtyard. While he did so, the visitor noticed that the monk was missing the small finger on his left hand. The stranger spoke a few formal words in Tibetan, and then the two disappeared inside.Early the next morning the emissary - lightened of his load - appeared at the monastery entrance, accompanied by the same monk and the elderly abbot. After a bow of his head, which was returned much more deeply by the two ocher-robed residents, he took his leave. The two solemn monks watched, motionless, until he dipped over the ridge on which the monastery sat, and out of sight.Then, without a word, they turned and went back inside the monastery.26. Which of the following words in Paragraph One implies difficulty in walking?A. "threaded".B. "dropping".C. "trudged".D. "daunting".27. In the passage the contrast between the Tibetans and the man is indicated in all the following aspects EXCEPTA. clothing.B. height.C. social statusD. personal belongings.28. It can be inferred from the passage that one can get ______ of the region from the monastery.A. a narrow viewB. a hazy viewC. a distant viewD. a panoramic view29. Which of the following details shows that the man became relaxed after he reached the monastery?A. "...he reached the crest of the spur and shuffled to a stop..."B. "...he removed his hand from the bundle..."C. "His narrowed eyes took in the open sweep of the quiet grounds..."D. "...he slowly, stiffly struggled forward and up the rough stone steps..."30. From how it is described in the passage the monastery seems to evokeA. a sense of awe.B. a sense of piety.C. a sense of fear.D. a sense of mystery.PART III GENERAL KNOWLEDGE (10 MIN)There are ten multiple-choice questions in this section. Choose the best answer to each question. Mark your answers on your coloured answer sheet.31. The Head of State of New Zealand isA. the governor-general.B. the Prime Minister.C. the high commissioner.D. the monarch of the United Kingdom.32. The capital of Scotland isA. Glasgow.B. Edinburgh.C. Manchester.D. London.33. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence and later became the U.S. President?A. Thomas Jefferson.B. George Washington.C. Thomas Paine.D. John Adams.34. Which of the following cities is located on the eastern coast of Australia?A. Perth.B. Adelaide.C. Sydney.D. Melbourne.35. Ode to the West Windwas written byA. William Blake.B. William Wordsworth.C. Samuel Taylor Coleridge.D. Percy B. Shelley.36. Who among the following is a poet of free verse?A. Ralph Waldo Emerson.B. Walt Whitman.C. Herman MelvilleD. Theodore Dreiser.37. The novel Sons and Lovers was written byA. Thomas Hardy.B. John Galsworthy.C. D.H. Lawrence.D. James Joyce.38. The study of the mental processes of language comprehension and production isA. corpus linguistics.B. sociolinguistics.C. theoretical linguistics.D. psycholinguistics.。
2009英语专八作文真题范文
2009英语专八作文真题范文英文回答：In 2009, the English Proficiency Test for EnglishMajors (TEM-8) asked candidates to write an essay on the topic of "The Impact of the Internet on People's Lives". This is a topic that I find particularly interesting and relevant, as the Internet has become an integral part ofour daily lives.The Internet has had a profound impact on the way we communicate, work, and access information. For example, social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter have revolutionized the way we connect with friends and family, allowing us to stay in touch with people from all over the world. In terms of work, the Internet has made it possible for people to work remotely, which has greatly increased flexibility and efficiency in many industries. Additionally, the Internet has made it easier than ever to access information on a wide range of topics, from academicresearch to DIY tutorials.中文回答：2009年英语专八考试要求考生就“互联网对人们生活的影响”这个话题写一篇文章。
2009年英语专业八级考试真题（4）
2009年英语专业八级考试真题（4）英译中Good bye and good luck Scientific and technological advances are enabling us to comprehend the furthest reaches of the cosmos, the most basic constituents of matter, and the miracle of life.At the same time, today, the actions, and inaction, of human beings imperil not only life on the planet, but the very life of the planet.Globalization is making the world smaller, faster and richer. Still, 9/11, avian flu, and Iran remind us that a smaller, fatster world is not necessarily a safer world.Our world is bursting with knowledge - but desperately in need of wisdom. Now, when sound bites are getting shorter, when instant messages crowd out essays, and when individual lives grow more frenzied, college graduates capable of deep reflection are what our world needs.For all these reasons I believed - and I believe even more strongly today - in the unique and irreplaceable mission of universities.科技进步正在使我们能够探索宇宙的边陲、物质最基本的成分及生命的奇迹.与此同时，今天，人类所做的及没能做到的事情，不仅危害到这个星球上的生命，也危害到该星球的寿命。
2009-2010年专八(TEM8)真题、答案及听力原文(整理打印版)
TEST FOR ENGLISH MAJORS (2010)-GRADE EIGHT-TIME LIMIT: 195 MIN PART I LISTENING COMPREHENSION (35 MIN)SECTION A MINI-LECTUREIn this section you will hear a mini-lecture. You will hear the lecture ONCE ONLY While listening, take notes on the important points. Your notes will not be marked, but you will need them to complete a gap-filling task after the mini-lecture. When the lecture is over, you will be given two minutes to check your notes, and another ten minutes to complete the gap-filling task on ANSWER SHEET ONE. Use the blank sheet for note-taking.Paralinguistic Features of LanguageIn face to face communication speakers often alter their tones of voices or change their physical posture in order to convey messages. These means are called paralinguistic features of language, which fall into two categories.First category: vocal paralinguistic features(1)_____: to express attitude or intention examples (1)_______1. whispering: need for secrecy2. breathiness: deep emotion3. (2)_______: unimportance (2)_______4. nasality: anxiety5. extra lip-rounding: greater intimacySecond category: physical paralinguistic featuresA. facial expressions(3)____________ (3)_______— smiling: signal of pleasure or welcome less common expressions— eyebrow raising: surprise or interest— lip biting: (4)_________________ (4)_______ B. gestureGestures are related to culture.British culture— shrugging shoulders: (5)_______ (5)_______ — scratching head: puzzlement other cultures— placing hand upon heart: (6)_______ (6)_______ — pointing at nose: secretC. proximity, posture and echoing1. proximity: physical distance between speakers— closeness: intimacy or threat—(7)_______: formality or absence of interest (7)_______ Proximity is person-, culture- and (8)_______ -specific. (8)_______2. posture— hunched shoulders or a hanging head: to indicate (9)_______ (9)_______ — direct level eye contact: to express an open or challenging attitude3. echoing— definition: imitation of similar posture—(1)_______: aid in communication (10)_______ SECTION B INTERVIEWIn this section you will hear everything ONCE ONLY. Listen carefully and then answer the questions that follow. Mark the correct answer to each question on your coloured answer sheet.Questions 1 to 5 are based on an interview. At the end of the interview you will be given 10 seconds to answer each of the following five questions. Now listen to the interview.1. According to Dr. Johnson, diversity means _______.A. merging of different cultural identitiesB. more emphasis on homogeneityC. embracing of more ethnic differencesD. acceptance of more branches of Christianity2. According to the interview, which of the following statements is CORRECT?A. Some places are more diverse than others.B. Towns are less diverse than large cities.C. Diversity can be seen everywhere.D. America is a truly diverse country.3. According to Dr. Johnson, which place will witness a radical change in its racial makeup by 2025?A. Maine.B. Selinsgrove.C. Philadelphia.D. California.4. During the interview Dr. Johnson indicates that _______.A. greater racial diversity exists among younger populationsB. both older and younger populations are racially diverseC. age diversity could lead to pension problemsD. older populations are more racially diverse5. According to the interview, religious diversity _______.A. was most evident between 1990 and 2000B. exists among Muslim immigrantsC. is restricted to certain places in the USD. is spreading to more parts of the countrySECTION C NEWS BROADCASTIn this section you will hear everything ONCE ONLY. Listen carefully and then answer the questions that follow. Mark the correct answer to each question on your coloured answer sheet.Questions 6 is based on the following news. At the end of the news item, you will be given 10 seconds to answer the questions.Now listen to the news.6. What is the main idea of the news item?A. Sony developed a computer chip for cell phones.B. Japan will market its wallet phone abroad.C. The wallet phone is one of the wireless innovations.D. Reader devices are available at stores and stations.Questions 7 and 8 are based on the following news. At the end of the news item, you will be given 20 seconds to answer the questions.Now listen to the news.7. Which of the following is mentioned as the government's measure to control inflation?A. Foreign investment.B. Donor support.C. Price control.D. Bank prediction.8. According to Kingdom Bank, what is the current inflation rate in Zimbabwe?A. 20 million percent.B. 2.2 million percent.C. 11.2 million percent.D. Over 11.2 million percent.Question 9 and 10 are based on the following news. At the end of the news item, you will be given 20 seconds to answer the question. Now listen to the news.9. Which of the following is CORRECT?A. A big fire erupted on the Nile River.B. Helicopters were used to evacuate people.C. Five people were taken to hospital for burns.D. A big fire took place on two floors.10. The likely cause of the big fire is _______ .A. electrical short-circuitB. lack of fire-safety measuresC. terrorismD. not knownPART II READING COMPREHENSION (30 MIN)In this section there are four reading passages followed by a total of 20 multiple-choice questions.Read the passages and then mark your answers on your coloured answer sheet.TEXT AWe had been wanting to expand our children's horizons by taking them to a place that was unlike anything we'd been exposed to during our travels in Europe and the United States. In thinking about what was possible from Geneva, where we are based, we decided on a trip to Istanbul, a two-hour plane ride from Zurich.Among the great cities of the world, Kolkata (formerly spelt as Calcutta), the capital of India's West Bengal, and the home of nearly 15 million people, is often mentioned as the only one that still has a large fleet of hand-pulled rickshaws.Rickshaws are not there to haul around tourists. It's the people in the lanes who most regularly use rickshaws — not the poor but people who are just a notch above the poor. They are people who tend to travel short distances, through lanes that are sometimes inaccessible to even the most daring taxi driver. An older woman with marketing to do, for instance, can arrive in a rickshaw, have the rickshaw puller wait until she comes back from various stalls to load her purchases, and then be taken home. People in the lanes use rickshaws as a 24-hour ambulance service. Proprietors of cafes or corner stores send rickshaws to collect their supplies. The rickshaw pullers told me their steadiest customers are school children. Middle-class families contract with a puller to take a child to school and pick him up; the puller essentially becomes a family retainer.From June to September Kolkata can get torrential rains. During my stay it once rained for about 48 hours. Entire neighborhoods couldn't be reached by motorized vehicles, and the newspapers showed pictures of rickshaws being pulled through water that was up to the pullers' waists. When it's raining, the normal customer base for rickshaw pullers expands greatly, as does the price of a journey. A writer in Kolkata told me, "When it rains, even the governor takes rickshaws."While I was in Kolkata, a magazine called India Today published its annual ranking of Indian states, according to such measurements as prosperity and infrastructure. Among India's 20 largest states, Bihar finished dead last, as it has for four of the past five years. Bihar, a few hundred miles north of Kolkata, is where the vast majority of rickshaw pullers come from. Once in Kolkata, they sleep on the street or in their rickshaws or in a dera — a combination of garage and repair shop and dormitory managed by someone called a sardar. For sleeping privileges in a dera, pullers pay 100 rupees (about $2.50) a month, which sounds like a pretty good deal until you've visited a dera. They gross between 100 and 150 rupees a day, out of which they have to pay 20 rupees for the use of the rickshaw and an occasional 75 or more for a payoff if a policeman stops them for, say, crossing a street where rickshaws are prohibited. A 2003 study found that rickshaw pullers are near the bottom of Kolkata occupations in income, doing better than only the beggars. For someone without land or education, that still beats trying to make a living in Bihar.There are people in Kolkata, particularly educated and politically aware people, who will not ride in a rickshaw, because they are offended by the idea of being pulled by another human being or because they consider it not the sort of thing people of their station do or because they regard the hand-pulled rickshaw as a relic of colonialism. Ironically, some of those people are not enthusiastic about banning rickshaws. The editor of the editorial pages of Kolkata's Telegraph —Rudrangshu Mukherjee, a former academic who still writes history books — told me, for instance, that he sees humanitarian considerations as coming down on the side of keeping hand-pulled rickshaws on the road. "I refuse to be carried by another human being myself," he said, "but I question whether we have the right to take away their livelihood." Rickshaw supporters point out that when it comes to demeaning occupations, rickshaw pullers are hardly unique in Kolkata.When I asked one rickshaw puller if he thought the government's plan to rid the city of rickshaws was based on a genuineinterest in his welfare, he smiled, with a quick shake of his head — a gesture I interpreted to mean, "If you are so na?ve as to ask such a question, I will answer it, but it is not worth wasting words on." Some rickshaw pullers I met were resigned to the imminent end of their livelihood and pinned their hopes on being offered something in its place. As migrant workers, they don't have the political clout enjoyed by, say, Kolkata's sidewalk hawkers, who, after supposedly being scaled back at the beginning of the modernization drive, still clog the sidewalks, selling absolutely everything —or, as I found during the 48 hours of rain, absolutely everything but umbrellas. "The government was the government of the poor people," one sardar told me. "Now they shake hands with the capitalists and try to get rid of poor people."But others in Kolkata believe that rickshaws will simply be confined more strictly to certain neighborhoods, out of the view of World Bank traffic consultants and California investment delegations —or that they will be allowed to die out naturally as they're supplanted by more modern conveyances. Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, after all, is not the first high West Bengal official to say that rickshaws would be off the streets of Kolkata in a matter of months. Similar statements have been made as far back as 1976. The ban decreed by Bhattacharjee has been delayed by a court case and by a widely held belief that some retraining or social security settlement ought to be offered to rickshaw drivers. It may also have been delayed by a quiet reluctance to give up something that has been part of the fabric of the city for more than a century. Kolkata, a resident told me, "has difficulty letting go." One day a city official handed me a report from the municipal government laying out options for how rickshaw pullers might be rehabilitated."Which option has been chosen?" I asked, noting that the report was dated almost exactly a year before my visit."That hasn't been decided," he said."When will it be decided?""That hasn't been decided," he said.11. According to the passage, rickshaws are used in Kolkata mainly for the following purposes EXCEPT _______.A. taking foreign tourists around the city.B. providing transport to school children.C. carrying store supplies and purchases.D. carrying people over short distances.12. Which of the following statements best describes the rickshaw pullers from Bihar?A. They come from a relatively poor area.B. They are provided with decent accommodation.C. Their living standards are very low in Kolkata.D. They are often caught by policemen in the streets.13. That "For someone without land or education, that still beats trying to make a living in Bihar" (4th paragraph) means that even so, _______.A. the poor prefer to work and live in Bihar.B. the poor from Bihar fare better than back home.C. the poor never try to make a living in Bihar.D. the poor never seem to resent their life in Kolkata.14. We can infer from the passage that some educated and politically aware people _______.A. hold mixed feelings towards rickshaws.B. strongly support the ban on rickshaws.C. call for humanitarian actions for rickshaw pullers.D. keep quiet on the issue of banning rickshaws.15. Which of the following statements conveys the author's sense of humour?A. "...— not the poor but people who are just a notch above the poor." (2nd paragraph)B. "..., whic h sounds like a pretty good deal until you’ve visited a dera." (4th paragraph)C. Kolkata, a resident told me, "has difficulty letting go." (7th paragraph)D. "...or, as I found during the 48 hours of rain, absolutely everything but umbrellas." (6th paragraph)16. The dialogue between the author and the city official at the end of the passage seems to suggest _______.A. the uncertainty of the court's decision.B. the inefficiency of the municipal government.C. the difficulty of finding a good solution.D. the slowness in processing options.TEXT BDepending on whom you believe, the average American will, over a lifetime, wait in lines for two years (says National Public Radio) or five years (according to some customer-loyalty experts).The crucial word is average, as wealthy Americans routinely avoid lines altogether. Once the most democratic of institutions, lines are rapidly becoming the exclusive province of suckers (people who still believe in and practice waiting in lines). Poor suckers, mostly.Airports resemble France before the Revolution: first-class passengers enjoy "élite" security lines and priority boarding, and disembark before the unwashed in coach, held at bay by a flight attendant, are allowed to foul the Jet-way.At amusement parks, too, you can now buy your way out of line. This summer I haplessly watched kids use a $52 Gold Flash Pass to jump the lines at Six Flags New England, and similar systems are in use in most major American theme parks, from Universal Orlando to Walt Disney World, where the haves get to watch the have-mores breeze past on their way to their seats.Flash Pass teaches children a valuable lesson in real-world economics: that the rich are more important than you, especially when it comes to waiting. An NBA player once said to me, with a bemused chuckle of disbelief, that when playing in Canada —get this — "We have to wait in the same customs line as everybody else."Almost every line can be breached for a price. In several U.S. cities this summer, early arrivers among the early adopters waiting to buy iPhones offered to sell their spots in the lines. On Craigslist, prospective iPhone purchasers offered to pay "waiters" or "placeholders" to wait in line for them outside Apple stores.Inevitably, some semi-populist politicians have seen the value of sort-of waiting in lines with the ordinary people. This summer Philadelphia mayor John Street waited outside an AT&T store from 3:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. before a stand-in from his office literally stood in for the mayor while he conducted official business. And billionaire New York mayor Michael Bloomberg often waits for the subway with his fellow citizens, though he's first driven by motorcade past the stop nearest his house to astation 22 blocks away, where the wait, or at least the ride, is shorter.As early as elementary school, we're told that jumping the line is an unethical act, which is why so many U.S. lawmakers have framed the immigration debate as a kind of fundamental sin of the school lunch line. Alabama Senator Richard Shelby, to cite just one legislator, said amnesty would allow illegal immigrants "to cut in line ahead of millions of people."Nothing annoys a national lawmaker more than a person who will not wait in line, unless that line is in front of an elevator at the U.S. Capitol, where Senators and Representatives use private elevators, lest they have to queue with their constituents.But compromising the integrity of the line is not just antidemocratic, it's out-of-date. There was something about the orderly boarding of Noah's Ark, two by two, that seemed to restore not just civilization but civility during the Great Flood.How civil was your last flight? Southwest Airlines has first-come, first-served festival seating. But for $5 per flight, an unaffiliated company called will secure you a coveted "A" boarding pass when that airline opens for online check-in 24 hours before departure. Thus, the savvy traveler doesn't even wait in line when he or she is online.Some cultures are not renowned for lining up. Then again, some cultures are too adept at lining up: a citizen of the former Soviet Union would join a queue just so he could get to the head of that queue and see what everyone was queuing for.And then there is the U.S., where society seems to be cleaving into two groups: Very Important Persons, who don't wait, and Very Impatient Persons, who do — unhappily.For those of us in the latter group — consigned to coach, bereft of Flash Pass, too poor or proper to pay a placeholder — what do we do? We do what Vladimir and Estragon did in Waiting for Godot: "We wait. We are bored."17. What does the following sentence mean? "Once the most democratic of institutions, lines are rapidly becoming the exclusive province of suckers ... Poor suckers, mostly." (2nd paragraph)A. Lines are symbolic of America's democracy.B. Lines still give Americans equal opportunities.C. Lines are now for ordinary Americans only.D. Lines are for people with democratic spirit only.18. Which of the following is NOT cited as an example of breaching the line?A. Going through the customs at a Canadian airport.B. Using Gold Flash Passes in amusement parks.C. First-class passenger status at airports.D. Purchase of a place in a line from a placeholder.19. We can infer from the passage that politicians (including mayors and Congressmen) _______.A. prefer to stand in lines with ordinary people.B. advocate the value of waiting in lines.C. believe in and practice waiting in lines.D. exploit waiting in lines for their own good.20. What is the tone of the passage?A. Instructive.B. Humorous.C. Serious.D. Teasing.TEXT CA bus took him to the West End, where, among the crazy coloured fountains of illumination, shattering the blue dusk with green and crimson fire, he found the café of his choice, a tea-shop that had gone mad and turned Babylonian, a white palace with ten thousand lights. It towered above the older buildings like a citadel, which indeed it was, the outpost of a new age, perhaps a new civilization, perhaps a new barbarism; and behind the thin marble front were concrete and steel, just as behind the careless profusion of luxury were millions of pence, balanced to the last halfpenny. Somewhere in the background, hidden away, behind the ten thousand lights and acres of white napery and bewildering glittering rows of teapots, behind the thousand waitresses and cash-box girls and black-coated floor managers and temperamental long-haired violinists, behind the mounds of cauldrons of stewed steak, the vanloads of ices, were a few men who went to work juggling with fractions of a farthing, who knew how many units of electricity it took to finish a steak-and-kidney pudding and how many minutes and seconds a waitress (five feet four in height and in average health) would need to carry a tray of given weight from the kitchen lift to the table in the far corner. In short, there was a warm, sensuous, vulgar life flowering in the upper storeys, and a cold science working in the basement. Such was the gigantic tea-shop into which Turgis marched, in search not of mere refreshment but of all the enchantment of unfamiliar luxury. Perhaps he knew in his heart that men have conquered half the known world, looted whole kingdoms, and never arrived in such luxury. The place was built for him.It was built for a great many other people too, and, as usual, they were all there. It steamed with humanity. The marble entrance hall, piled dizzily with bonbons and cakes, was as crowded and bustling as a railway station. The gloom and grime of the streets, the raw air, all November, were at once left behind, forgotten: the atmosphere inside was golden, tropical, belonging to some high mid-summer of confectionery. Disdaining the lifts, Turgis, once more excited by the sight, sound, and smell of it all, climbed the wide staircase until he reached his favourite floor, where an orchestra led by a young Jewish violinist with wandering lustrous eyes and a passion for tremolo effects, acted as a magnet to a thousand girls. The door was swung open for him by a page; there burst, like a sugary bomb, the clatter of cups, the shrill chatter of white-and-vermilion girls, and, cleaving the golden, scented air, the sensuous clamour of the strings; and, as he stood hesitating a moment, half dazed, there came, bowing, a sleek grave man, older than he was and far more distinguished than he could ever hope to be, who murmured deferentially: "For one, sir? This way, please." Shyly, yet proudly, Turgis followed him.21. That "behind the thin marble front were concrete and steel" suggests that _______.A. modern realistic commercialism existed behind the luxurious appearance.B. there was a fundamental falseness in the style and the appeal of the café.C. the architect had made a sensible blend of old and new building materials.D. the cafe was based on physical foundations and real economic strength.22. The following words or phrases are somewhat critical of the tea-shop EXCEPT _______.A. "... turned Babylonian".B. "perhaps a new barbarism".C. "acres of white napery".D. "balanced to the last halfpenny".23. In its context the statement that "the place was built for him" means that the café was intended to _______.A. please simple people in a simple way.B. exploit gullible people like him.C. satisfy a demand that already existed.D. provide relaxation for tired young men.24. Which of the following statements about the second paragraph is NOT true?A. The café appealed to most senses simultaneously.B. The café was both full of people and full of warmth.C. The inside of the café was contrasted with the weather outside.D. It stressed the commercial determination of the café owners.25. The following are comparisons made by the author in the second paragraph EXCEPT that _______.A. the entrance hall is compared to a railway station.B. the orchestra is compared to a magnet.C. Turgis welcomed the lift like a conquering soldier.D. the interior of the café is compared to warm countries.26. The author's attitude to the café is _______.A. fundamentally critical.B. slightly admiring.C. quite undecided.D. completely neutral.TEXT DNow elsewhere in the world, Iceland may be spoken of, somewhat breathlessly, as Western Europe's last pristine wilderness. But the environmental awareness that is sweeping the world had bypassed the majority of Icelanders. Certainly they were connected to their land, the way one is complicatedly connected to, or encumbered by, family one can't do anything about. But the truth is, once you're off the beaten paths of the low-lying coastal areas where everyone lives, the roads are few, and they're all bad, so Iceland's natural wonders have been out of reach and unknown even to its own inhabitants. For them the land has always just been there, something that had to be dealt with and, if possible, exploited — the mind-set being one of land as commodity rather than land as, well, priceless art on the scale of the "Mona Lisa."When the opportunity arose in 2003 for the national power company to enter into a 40-year contract with the American aluminum company Alcoa to supply hydroelectric power for a new smelter (冶炼厂), those who had been dreaming of something like this for decades jumped at it and never looked back. Iceland may at the moment be one of the world's richest countries, with a 99 percent literacy rate and long life expectancy. But the project's advocates, some of them getting on in years, were more emotionally attuned to the country's century upon century of want, hardship, and colonial servitude to Denmark, which officially ended only in 1944 and whose psychological imprint remained relatively fresh. For the longest time, life here had meant little more than a hut, dark all winter, cold, no hope, children dying left and right, earthquakes, plagues, starvation, volcanoes erupting and destroying all vegetation and livestock, all spirit — a world revolving almost entirely around the welfare of one's sheep and, later, on how good the cod catch was. In the outlying regions, it still largely does.Ostensibly, the Alcoa project was intended to save one of these dying regions — the remote and sparsely populated east —where the way of life had steadily declined to a point of desperation and gloom. After fishing quotas were imposed in the early 1980s to protect fish stocks, many individual boat owners sold their allotments or gave them away, fishing rights ended up mostly in the hands of a few companies and small fishermen were virtually wiped out. Technological advances drained away even more jobs previously done by human hands, and the people were seeing everything they had worked for all their lives turn up worthless and their children move away. With the old way of life doomed, aluminum projects like this one had come to be perceived, wisely or not, as a last chance. "Smelter or death."The contract with Alcoa would infuse the region with foreign capital, an estimated 400 jobs, and spin-off service industries. It also was a way for Iceland to develop expertise that potentially could be sold to the rest of the world; diversify an economy historically dependent on fish; and, in an appealing display of Icelandic can-do verve, perhaps even protect all of Iceland, once and for all, from the unpredictability of life itself."We have to live," Halldor Asgrimsson said. Halldor, a former prime minister and longtime member of parliament from the region, was a driving force behind the project. "We have a right to live."27. According to the passage, most Icelanders view land as something of _______.A. environmental value.B. commercial value.C. potential value for tourism.D. great value for livelihood.28. What is Iceland’s old-aged advocates' feeling towards the Alcoa project?A. Iceland is wealthy enough to reject the project.B. The project would lower life expectancy.C. The project would cause environmental problems.D. The project symbolizes an end to the colonial legacies.29. The disappearance of the old way of life was due to all the following EXCEPT _______.A. fewer fishing companies.B. fewer jobs available.C. migration of young people.D. imposition of fishing quotas.30. The 4th paragraph in the passage ________.A. sums up the main points of the passage.B. starts to discuss an entirely new point.C. elaborates on the last part of the 3rd paragraph.D. continues to depict the bleak economic situation.PART ⅢGENERAL KNOWLEDGE（10 MIN）There are ten multiple-choice questions in this section. Choose the best answers to each question. Mark your answers on your colored answer sheet.31. Which of the following statements is INCORRECT?A. The British constitution includes the Magna Carta of 1215.B. The British constitution includes Parliamentary acts.C. The British constitution includes decisions made by courts of law.D. The British constitution includes one single written constitution.32. The first city ever founded in Canada is _______.。
Are Dialects Just as Acceptable in Public Places (2009专八真题作文)
Are Dialects Just as Acceptable in Public Places?Mandarin, or Putonghua, is the standard service sector language in our country. But recently, employees at a big city’s subway station have been busy learning dialects of other parts of the country. Proponents say that using dialects in the subway is a way to provide better service. But opponents think that encouraging the use of dialects in public counters the national policy to promote Putonghua. Dialects aren’t acceptable in public places.As we all know, China is a very big country. It is not only in the square but also the population of people. There are many people in China.Consequently; there are many kinds of dialects in our country. Just take Zhanjiang, a city near sea in Guangdong Province as an example, different sorts of dialects appear in daily life. There is Leizhou dialect, local Zhanjiang dialects and so on. The main dialects in Zhanjiang are Leizhou dialect and local Zhanjiang dialects. Many people in Guangdong can understand Baihua dialect but speak of Leizhou dialect, most of Cantonese have no idea what they are talking about when they gather together. Owing to so many dialects in our country, we have no enough time to learn it all and we should promote Putonghua. We are not giving up dialects but we should say Putonghua in the public. If people speak their own dialect when selling goods, buyers are difficult to bargain andbuy goods finally. Maybe worse, they will quarrel or fight for the bargain and the main reason for this is they speak different dialects.Sometimes; dialects may cause a sense of existence. People who speak the same dialect will talk together and have a good time but they are strict with others when they communicate. Speak dialects in public will lead to bad effect in the society.What’s more, if all people in a country speak the same language, they will easily get understood each other. We should promote Putonghua all over our country. It is convenient to communicate with others and avoid many unhappy accidents happening.We won’t let dialects disappear. They can speak their own dialect when they come back home. It can keep the dialect forever.However, there is no need to speak and learn dialects in public. The government should promote mandarin all over China. We should teach children Putonghua when they are in school. In public, we should encourage people to speak mandarin. If we do so, our society will be better and all of us can find harmony in the country.。
2009年英语专业八级考试真题（3）
2009年英语专业八级考试真题（3）A less visible but equally significant trend a affected pensions. To make costs easier to control, companies moved away from defined benefit pension plans, which obligate them to pay out specified amounts years in the future, to defined contribution plans, which specify only how much goes into the play today. The most common type of defined-contribution plan is the 401(k). the significance ofThe 401(k) is that it puts most of the responsibility for a person’s economic fate back on the employee. Within limits the employee must decide how much goes into the plan each year and how it gets invested- the two factors that will determine how much it’s worth when the emplo yee retires.Which brings us back to Enron? Those billions of dollars in vaporized retirement savings went in employees’ 401(k) accounts. That is, the employees chose how much money to put into those accounts and then chose how to invest it. Enron matched a certain proportion of each employee’s 401(k) contribution with company stock, so everyone was going to end up with some Enron in his or her portfolio; but that could be regarded as a freebie, since nothing compels a company to match employee contributions at all.At least two special features complicate the Enron case. First, some shareholders charge top management with illegally covering up the company’s problems, prompting investors to hang on when they should have sold. Second, Enron’s 401(k) accounts w ere locked while the company changed plan administrators in October, when the stock was falling, so employees could not have closed their accounts if they wanted to.But by far the largest cause of this human tragedy is that thousands of employees were heavily overweighed in Enron stock. Many had placed 100% of their 401(k) assets in the stock rather than in the 18 other investment options they were offered. Of course that wasn’t prudent, but it’s what some of them did.The Enron employees’’ retirement disa ster is part of the larger trend away from guaranteed economic security. That’s why preventing such a thing from ever happening again may be impossible. The huge attitudinal shift to I’ll-be-taken-care-of took at least a generation. The shift back may take just as long. It won’t be complete until a new generation of employees see assured economic comfort as a 20th- century quirk, and understand not just intellectually but in their bones that, like most people in most times and places, they’re on their own26. why does the author say at the beginning “The miserable fate of Enron’s employees will be a landmark in business history…”?A. Because the company has gone bankrupt.B. Because such events would never happen again.C. Because many Enron workers lost their retirement savings.D. Because it signifies a turning point in economic security.√27. According to the passage, the combined efforts by governments, layout unions and big corporations to guarantee economic comfort have led to a significant change inA. people’s outlook on life.√B. people’s life styles.C. people’s living standardD. people’s social values.28. Changes in pension schemes were also part ofA. the corporate lay-offs.B. the government cuts in welfare spending.√C. the economic restructuring.D. the warning power of labors unions.29. Thousands of employees chose Enron as their sole investment option mainly becauseA. The 401(k) made them responsible for their own future.B. Enron offered to add company stock to their investment.√C. their employers intended to cut back on pension spending.D. Enron’s offer was similar to a defined-benefit plan.30. Which is NOT seen as a lesson drawn from the Enron disaster?A. 401(k) assets should be placed in more than one investment option.B. Employees have to take up responsibilities for themselves.C. Such events could happen again as it is not easy to change people’s mind.D. Economic security won’t be taken for granted by future young workers.√PART Ⅲ GENERAL KNOWLEDGE(10 MIN)31. The majority of the current population in the UK are decedents of all the following tribes respectively EXCEPTA. the AnglosB. the CeltsC. the Jutes √D. the Saxons32. The Head of State of Canada is represented byA. the MonarchB. the PresidentC. the Prime MinisterD. the Governor-general √33. The Declaration of Independence was written byA. Thomas Jefferson √B. George WashingtonC. Alexander HamiltonD. James Madison34. The original inhabitants of Australia wereA. the Red IndiansB. the EskimosC. the Aborigines √D. the Maoris35. Which of the following novels was written by Emily Bronte?A. Oliver TwistB. MiddlemarchC. Jane EyreD. Wuthering Heights √36. William Butler Yeats was a(n) ______ poet and playwright.A. AmericanB. CanadianC. Irish √D. Australian37. Death of a Salesman was written byA. Arthur Miller √B. Ernest HemingwayC. Ralph EllisonD. James Baldwin38. _______ refers to the study of the internal structure of words and the rules of word formation.A. PhonologyB. Morphology √C. SemanticsD. Sociolinguistics39. The distinctive features of a speech variety may be all the following EXCEPTA. lexicalB. syntacticC. phonologicalD. psycholinguistic √40. The word tail once referred to “the tail of a horse”, but now it is used to mean “the tail of any animal.” This is an example ofA. widening of meaning √B. narrowing of meaningC. meaning shiftD. loss of meaning。
2009英语专八作文真题范文
2009英语专八作文真题范文英文回答：There are numerous ways that technology can be used to enhance the educational experience of students. Some of the most effective methods include:Access to information: Technology provides students with unprecedented access to information and resources. This can help them to learn more about the world around them, develop their critical thinking skills, and become more informed citizens.Personalized learning: Technology can be used to personalize learning experiences for each student. This can help them to learn at their own pace, focus on their individual strengths and weaknesses, and achieve their full potential.Collaboration: Technology can be used to facilitatecollaboration between students and teachers. This can help them to share ideas, work together on projects, and learn from each other.Assessment: Technology can be used to assess student learning in a variety of ways. This can help teachers to track student progress, identify areas where students need additional support, and provide feedback to students on their performance.Of course, there are also some challenges associated with using technology in education. These include:Cost: Technology can be expensive to purchase and maintain. This can make it difficult for schools to provide all students with access to the technology they need.Training: Teachers need to be trained on how to use technology effectively in the classroom. This can take time and resources.Reliability: Technology can be unreliable at times.This can be frustrating for students and teachers, and can disrupt the learning process.Despite these challenges, the benefits of using technology in education far outweigh the risks. By using technology effectively, schools can help students toachieve their full potential and prepare them for successin the 21st century.中文回答：技术可以提升学生教育水平的方式有很多，其中最有效的方法包括：获取信息，技术为学生提供了获取信息和资源的空前便利。
(完整word)2009专八听力原文
2009专业八级（TEM8）听力原文PART I: LISTENING COMPREHENSION—SECTION A MINI-LECTUREGood morning， everyone。
Today we’ll discuss some preliminaries concerning how to write experimental reports.When you first signed up for a course in university， like a psychology course, chances are that you didn’t really expect what was coming in your study; particularly, the course emphasis on methodology and statistics。
For a few of you, this may have come as a pleasant surprise, provided that you have already known something about the course. For most， however， I dare say, it will undoubtedly have been a shock to the system。
No doubt in other parts of your course study， you will read books and journals， examining， critically， models and theories， assumptions and hypotheses put forward by scholars and specialists. My task today is to help you understand some of the important features of experimental reports, because you will have to write up some kind of report of this nature if your course gives prominence to practical work， especially experimenting.Then what is an experimental report? All the report is, really, is the place in which you tell the story of your study, like what you did， why you did it, what you found out in the process and so on. In doing this， you're more like an ancient storyteller, whose stories were structured in accordance with widely recognized and long established conventions than a modern novelist who is free to dictate form as well as content. Moreover， like the storyteller of old, although you will invariably be telling your story to someone who knows quite a bit about it already, you are expected to present it as if it had never been heard before. This means that you will need to spell out the details and assume little knowledge of the area on the part of your audience。
2009 年专八作文
Are dialects just as acceptable in public places?Our country gets great development since reform and opening-up. Then, the government makes Mandarin, or Putonghua, become our standard language in order to reduce the difference between people from different places and encourage the development together. However, there are some big city’s subway stations asking their employees to learn dialects of other parts of the country. They think that it can be the proof of providing better service. As far as I am concerned, dialects can not be acceptable in public places.First of all, dialects can cause discrimination towards people from other cities, especially in some top-tier cities which have their own dialects. For instance, people living in Guangzhou or Shanghai always regard themselves head and shoulders above other people from different cities. They would look the people who speak Guangzhou dialects or Shanghai dialects as their friend. Thus, when some strangers who speak mandarin buy things in the local areas, they will ask a higher price than the original price. Sometimes, local people even ignore the other people’s asking for help, just because they are speaking mandarin. Obviously, these behaviors deepen the misunderstanding of different cities. Moreover, some dialects greatly distinguishing from the mandarin will create troubles to understand. Every area has its own cultural and language system. If we do not impose mandarin on the people who speakdialect, people from other places will not grasp their meaning and cannot get the efficient communication with them. Thus, speaking mandarin ensures normal contact between different people and promotes the development of communication in areas like culture, economy and science.At last, mandarin boosts the harmonious atmosphere as a whole. People speaking in one language can remove the obstacle during the working on the one hand. On the other hand, they would increase their working efficiency and self development. At the same time, the common language would also reduce the disagreement between different people. All people speak one language and you just do not know whether this person is outsider or not, so strangers from other cities would be treated in a just way. When the people are harmonious enough, the society will run in harmony. And when the society is harmonious enough, this country will become more united.All in all, mandarin should be spoken and dialects can not be acceptable in public places. From a long-term perspective, speaking mandarin would reduce discrimination, the disagreement and create harmonious environment in society. Hence, it is really need to be the standard in public places.。
- 1、下载文档前请自行甄别文档内容的完整性，平台不提供额外的编辑、内容补充、找答案等附加服务。
- 2、"仅部分预览"的文档,不可在线预览部分如存在完整性等问题,可反馈申请退款(可完整预览的文档不适用该条件!)。
- 3、如文档侵犯您的权益，请联系客服反馈,我们会尽快为您处理(人工客服工作时间：9:00-18:30)。
作文题目：Are dialects just as acceptable in public places?Instruction:Mandarin, or putonghua, is the standard service sector language in China. However lately some employees of a metropolis subway company start using dialects to cater to the requirements of people from different areas in order to render better service. Opponents sees the countering effects of such movement to the national policy of promoting mandarin across China. Write in 400 words your opinion and support your argument and bring your essay to a natural conclusion.范文一：China's State Administration of Radio Film and Television (SARFT) recently issued a notice banning domestic radio and TV stations from translating foreign radio and TV programmes into any local dialect. The notice said that such dialect translation contradicts the national initiative to promote Putonghua, or Mandarin, around the country. Foreign programmes that have been translated into dialects must be removed from television and radio immediately. The notice evoked a mixed response from experts and audio and video producers, as well as the general public. Many voiced their concerns that local dialects would be fornidden in public places. Mandarian, which means "common language", is the country's predominant language and is widely used by more than 70 percent of the population. However, local dialects still enjoy pupularity for relatively less-educated people in some occasions. The dialects do make unique role and should be tolerated for existence in public places.Though promoted widely in public places, dialects are acceptable in public places. First, it is more than a mere tool for communication. It is, most importantly, the messenger of its respective culture. If the dialect was eliminated from daily use, the culture will be broken. Second,Mandarian can absorb the elit part of local dialect to enrich its vovabulary and usuge. This is the perfection of Mandartian from thousands of years blend and contact. The dialects can also be popular in the public. Along with the famous short play by comic actors in NE China, the local dialect came into the splotlight, and enjoyed more pupulatity throughout China. Such a cultural phenomenon represents the audience an attitude to local dialects which cater to the taste of the majority. Third, dialect is the only mean of communication to some undereducated local people. If local dialects are fobbiden in the public places, they can not communicate.To sum up, local dialects should be tolerated in public places for its unique role which Mandarian can not substitute. We should guartee its survival because dialects stand for our spiritual land. From a long-term perspective, dialects should not and would not be wiped out. There is no need for any purposeful and deliberate attempt to protect dialects. Just let dialects take their natural course. The best way to protect a dialect is to use it in daily life and pass it down from generation to generation.范文二：Recently, China's State Administration of Radio Film and Television (SARFT) banned domestic radio and TV stations from translating foreign radio and TV programmes into any local dialect. According to the SARFT such dialect translation is of great damage for the national initiative to promote Mandarin all over the country. Therefore, foreign programmes that have been translated into dialects must be eliminated from television and radio as soon as possible.As a result, the opinion on this prohibition varys from person to person. Some people support this prohibition. While others express their concerns about this prohibition. These people who express their concern about this prohibition believe that the dialects still enjoy goodpopularity all over the country. The dialects do make unique role and should be toleratedfor existence in public places.From my point of view, I believe dialects are acceptable in public places.First of all, it is a kind of culture instead of a tool for communication. It is the messenger of its respective culture. If the dialect is totally eliminate from our life, the culture will be damaged and our life will be a little bit boring.Secondly, dailects can enrich the content of Mandarian and give a long-term development of Mandarian. The dialect in Northeast China also brings a lot of fun and happiness to the Chinese in recent years through the television and the internet. Such a cultural phenomenon represents the audience an attitude to local dialects which cater to the taste of the majority.Third, dialect is alsp the only way of communication to some undereducated local people. If local dialects are fobbiden in the public places, they can not communicate.Therefore, I safely come to the conclusion that local dialects should be tolerated in public places for its unique role which Mandarian can not replace. We should guartee its existance because dialects stand for our culture. From a long-term perspective, dialects should not and would not be prohibited. There is no need for any purposeful and deliberate attempt to protect dialects. Just let dialects take their natural course.。