2009年英语专业八级口语与口译考试真题
2009年专八口语答案
2009年专八口语答案第一部分英译汉1. On behalf of the foreign teachers at Nanping University, I want to take this opportunity to thank all of the staff of Nanping University, especially the Foreign Affairs Office staff and our colleagues in our various departments, for all the ways you’ve assisted us during the 2007-2008 academic year and made us feel at home.--借此机会我代表南平大学的所有外教，感谢南平大学的所有教职工，特别是外办的工作人员和各个院系的同事，感谢你们在2007至2008学年对我们的帮助，使我们在这里就象在家一样。
--我谨代表所有的外籍教师，借此机会向南平大学的各位老师，尤其是外办的工作人员和各系的同仁表示感谢。
在过去的一年里，你们为我们提供了各种帮助，让我们感受到家的温暖。
2. Unlike Chinese teachers, we require a lot of orientation and assistance when we first arrive, and you’re called on to do everything from guiding us to the local department store to helping us get our computers set up.—与中国教师不同，我们刚到这里的时候需要很多的指导和帮助。
从带我们去商场购物，到帮我们调试电脑,你们都有求必应。
—与中国教师不同，我们刚到这里的时候需要很多的指导和帮助。
2009年英语专业八级真题最全
TEST FOR ENGLISH MAJORS (2009)-GRADE EIGHT-TIME LIMIT: 195 MINPART II READING COMPREHENSION (30 MIN)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 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'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, webranched 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 theworkforce 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 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 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 the need 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 ageingworkforce 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 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 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 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 roadcloak, 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 Ama Dablum, 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 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-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 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 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 themonastery?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.- THE END -阅读部分参考答案11-15 CADBD 16-20 DCBDB 21-25 BDCAA 26-30 DDDDA （周玉亮版本）人文知识参考答案31-35 DBACD 36-40 BCDCA （周玉亮版本）。
英语专业八级汉译英试题真题
英语专业八级汉译英试题真题2009年英语专业八级考试--翻译部分（附参考译文）C-E原文：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。
手机刷新了人与人的关系。
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。
参考译文：Cell phone has altered / renovated human relations / relationships. There is usually a note on the door of conference room, which reads “close your handset / cell phone.” However, the rings are still resounding in the room. We are all common people and have few urgencies to do. Still, we are reluctant to turn off the phone. Cell phone symbolizes our connection with the world and reflects our “thirst for socialization.” We are familiar with the scene that a person stops his steps to edit short messages with eyes glued at his phone, regardless of his location, whether in road center or beside restroom.注：中文作者：张帆标题：《我们生活在机器中》为上海艺术人文频道《世说新语》栏目所作的演讲稿E-C原文：We, 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.参考译文：My translation:我们人类正面临着一场星球灾难，这是一场威胁整个人类文明的危机。
2009年秋季的口试真题及答案汉译英
2009年秋季的口试真题及答案汉译英：（此题摘自江总书记于一九九九年十月二十二日在英国剑桥大学的演讲）Passage 1:中华民族历来尊重人的尊严和价值。
还在遥远的古代，我们的先人就已提出“民为贵”的思想，认为“天生万物，唯人为贵”，社会的发展和进步，取决于人的发展和进步，取决于人的尊严的维护和价值的发挥。
今天中国所焕发出来的巨大活力，是中国人民拥有广泛自由、民主的生动写照。
中国确保十三亿多人的生存权和发展权，是对世界人权事业的重大贡献。
集体人权与个人人权、经济文化权利与公民政治权利紧密结合和协调发展，这适合中国国情，是中国人权事业发展的必然道路。
The Chinese nation has always respected human dignity and value. Even in the anci ent days, our ancestors came up with the idea of “people being the most importan t,” believe that “man is the most valuable among all the t hings that heaven foster s.” The progress and development of a society hinge on human progress and devel opment and depend on how well human dignity is maintained and how much huma n value is realized. The immense vitality displayed by China today is a vivid reflecti on of the broad freedoms and democtatic rights enjoyed by the Chinese people.Chins has a population of over 1.3 billion, and to ensure our people the rights to s ubsistence and development is in itself a major contribution to the progress of the world human rights cause. Collective and individual human rights should be consider ed together and their coordinated development should be pursued, and the same co nsiderations should be given to the development of economic and cultural rights on the one hand and of civil and political rights on the other. This is dictated by Chin a’s specific national conditions and therefore, is the only way to progress in human rights cause in Chins.英译汉：Passage 2:On behalf of all the membership of the United Nations, I hereby reaffirm the r ole of this international organization. When ti was created more than 60 years ago, the United Nations reflected humanity’s greatest hopes for a just and peaceful glob al community. It still embodies that dream. We remain the only world institution wit h the legitinacy and scope that derive from global membership, and a mandate that encompasses development, secutiry and human rights as well as the envoronment.I restate that we are an organization without independent military capability, and we dispose of relatively modest resources in the economic realm. Yet our influence and impact on the world is far greater than many believe to be the case, and of ten more than we ourselves realize. This influence derives not from any exercise of power, but from the force of the values we represent. Among these values are th e maintenance of the world order and the establishment of world harmony.（参考答案）我谨代表联合国所有成员国，在此重申这个国际组织的作用。
09年八级口译试题
• I know that it is not always easy to host foreign teachers, because we’re strangers in China, we inevitably wind up creating a lot of extra work for all of you. • 我知道招待外籍教师并不是件容易的事情，因为我们对中 国一点都不熟悉，难免让你们所有人做很多额外的工作。 • Wind up: 最终达到
• 其中一个重要的因素是北京利用了奥运的筹办之机，加大 了产业结构的调整。 • One of the important factors is that Beijing has taken good advantage of the preparation for the Olympic Games and speeded up/strengthened the adjustment of its industrial structure.
• 北京 2001 年人均 GDP 只有 3262 美元，到 2007 年已经达到了 7654美元，到2008年年底预计将超过人均8000美元。 • In 2001, the per capita GDP of Beijing was just 3262 US dollars, while in 2007 it amounts to 7654 dollars. What’s more, it is expected to exceed 8000 dollars by the end of 2008.
• Then, as the semester starts, you have to answer endless questions about our courses and how we fit into the educational program here, questions that Chinese teachers wouldn’t need to ask. • 然后，新学期开始，你们需要回答有关我们的课程以及我 们如何才能融入到这里的教育程序中的无休无止的问题， 这些问题中国教师都是无需要问的。
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.。
2009-2010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 physi cal 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. whi spering: need for secrecy2. breathiness: deep emotion3. (2)_______: unimportance (2)_______4. nasality: anxiety5. extra lip-rounding: greater intimacySecond category: physi cal 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 ethni c 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 radi cal 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 di stances, 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 ri ckshaw 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 ri ckshaws 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 vehi cles, and the newspapers showed pictures of ri ckshaws 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 ri ckshaw 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 ri ckshaw 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 academi c 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, ri ckshaw pullers are hardly unique in Kolkata.When I asked one rickshaw puller if he thought the government's plan to rid the city of ri ckshaws was based on a genuineinterest in his welfare, he smiled, with a qui ck 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 ri ckshaws 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 offici al 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, ri ckshaws 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 di stances.12. Which of the following statements best describes the ri ckshaw 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 i ssue 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 diffi culty 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 Ameri can 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 instituti ons, 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 pri ce. In several U.S. cities thi s 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 hi s offi ce literally stood in for the mayor while he conducted offi cial 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 unethi cal 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 i ces, were a few men who went to work juggling with fractions of a farthing, who knew how many units of electri city 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 gol den, 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 al ways 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 ri chest 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 percei ved, 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 servi ce industri es. It also was a way for Iceland to develop expertise that potentially could be sold to the rest of the world; diversify an economy histori cally 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 deci sions made by courts of law.D. The British constitution includes one single written constitution.32. The first city ever founded in Canada is _______.。
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年英语专业八级口语与口译考试真题
2009年12月考题Task One: Interpreting from English into ChineseDirections: Please do not do interpreting when you listen to the speech this time.1.Together with my colleges from chang’an and Ford, I want to thankyou for joining us during the inauguration of the most advanced automotive manufacturing plant in China.我携长安福特的全体同仁对莅临中国最先进的汽车制造厂的落成典礼（开幕式）的各位嘉宾表示衷心的感谢。
2.In just four short years, Chang’an Ford Automobile has madephenomenal progress in delivering great market success. This is a result of the shared vision and determination of the partners.在短短的四年间，长安福特汽车在占有市场份额中取得了骄人的进步。
这要归功于股东们的高瞻远瞩和正确决策。
3.The world’s first automobile assembly line began operation at Ford’splant over 106 years ago. And what a journey it has been since then—bringing us all the way here to celebrate this milestone today.世界上第一条汽车生产线在福特公司启动已逾106年，这是怎样辉煌的一段历程，使我们今天有机会为这样一个里程碑似的日子举行庆典。
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 _______.。
2006-2009年英语专业八级考试真题与参考答案
2009年英语专业八级考试真题与参考答案PARTI LISTENING COMPREHENSION (35 MIN)SECTION A MINI-LECTUREIn this section you will hear a mini-lecture. You will hear the lecture ONCE ONL Y Whilelistening, take notes on the important points. Your notes will not be marked, but you will needthem 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-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 ONL Y. Listen carefully and then answer thequestions 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. 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 ONL Y. 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 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 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.V accinations 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.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 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 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, kebabs spared 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, 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 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. 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 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 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-nonsenseindustrial-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 the need 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 ageingworkforce 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 wifewho must rely heavily on her husband for help with domestic tasks. There are various ways inwhich the impact of the first difficulty can be reduced. Provided that husband and wife are not in thesame or directly comparable lines of work, the harsh fact of her greater success can be obscured by agenial conspiracy to reject a purely monetary measure of achievement as intolerably crude. Wherethere are ranks, it is best if the couple work in different fields so that the husband can find somespecial 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-allocatedomestic tasks if there are children. In The Road to Wigan Pier George Orwell wrote of theunemployed 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 isas 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, merelybecause 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 thanher husband.(4) The male initiative in courtship is a pretty indiscriminate affair, something that is tried onwith 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 thewoman's response. If she shows interest the engines of persuasion are set in movement. The truth isthat 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 redistribution ofeconomic and domestic tasks between men and women there must be a compensating redistributionof the erotic initiative. If women will no longer let us beat them they must allow us to join them asthe 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 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 Ama Dablum, 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 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 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 themonastery?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 andLovers 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.39. A special language variety that mixes languages and is used by speakers of different languagesfor purposes of trading is calledA. dialect.B. idiolect.。
2009英语专业八级答案
2009年专业八级真题参考答案PART I LISTENING COMPREHENSIONSECTION A1. Study result/ findings2. unknowledgeable audiences3. disciplined4. what you did5. DISCUSSION6. a common mistake7. in reality8. collection and analysis9. focus / emphasis10. LackSECTION B1-5 CDABA6-10 BCBABPART II & III11-15 CADBD16-20 DCBDB21-25 BDCAA26-30 DDDBA31-35 DBACD36-40 BCDCAPART IV1.the – a2.when ---- until3.their ---- his4.something ---- anything5.therefore ---- however6.“the”去掉7.currently ---- current8.“over”后面加上again9.live ---- alive10.“to”去掉PART VSECTION A CHINESE TO ENGLISHCell phone has altered the relationship among people. There is usually a notice on the door of conference room, which reads "Please turn off your handset." However, phones ring now and then when the conference goes on. We are but ordinary people and have few urgencies to tackle with.Nevertheless, we will not switch off our phones easily. Phones-on symbolizes our contacting with this world. Obviously, cell phone has been reflecting our “thirst for socialization”. We are very familiar with the scene when a person suddenly stops his/her steps to edit some messages with eyes glued at the phone, not caring about his/her stopping in the middle of the road or beside the restroom.SECTION B ENGLISH TO CHINESE我们人类正面临一场全球性的危机----人类文明的存续正受到威胁。
09年专八翻译真题
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。
• Cell phone symbolizes our connection with the world and reflects our "thirst for socialization." We are familiar with the scene when a person stops his steps to edit short messages with eyes glued at his phone, disregard of his location, whether in road center or beside restroom. • Turning on the mobile phone represents our contact with the outside world. It is also a symptom of our “socializing mania”. It is a frequent scene that a man, walking in the street, suddenly stops to gaze on the screen of his phone and send short messages unaware of where he is, whether in the middle of the road or near the public restroom.
我们人类，正面临全球性的危机，我们的生 存和文明受到威胁。尽管我们聚在一起共商 对策，而灾难却在扩大，形式不容乐观。
2009年英语专八真题及答案
TEST FOR ENGLISH MAJORS (2009)-GRADE EIGHT-TIME LIMIT: 115 MIN PART I LISTENING COMPREHENSION [25 MIN] SECTION A MINI-LECTUREIn this section you will hear a mini-lecture. You will hear the lecture ONCE ONLY. While listening to the mini-lecture, please complete the gap-filling task on ANSWER SHEET ONE and write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each gap. Make sure the word(s) you fill in is(are) both grammatically and semantically acceptable. You may use the blank sheet for note-taking.You have THIRTY seconds to preview the gap-filling task.Now listen to the mini-lecture. When it is over, you will be given THREE minutes to check your work.SECTION B INTERVIEWIn this section you will hear ONE interview. The interview will be divided into TWO parts. At the end of each part, five questions will be asked about what was said. Both the interview and the questions will be spoken ONCE ONLY. After each question there will be a ten-second pause. During the pause, you should read the four choices of A, B, C, and D, and mark the best answer to each question on ANSWER SHEET TWO.You have THIRTY seconds to preview the questions.Now, listen to Part One of the interview.1. A. It was founded in 1942. B. It aims to develop writing skills.C. It is located in California.D. The location of its branches.2. A. To maximize its interests. B. To improve one’s public speaking skills.C. To improve people’s mental health.D. To help people to become sociable.3. 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.4. A. 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.5. A. Listening to others’ opinions. B. Waiting for your turn to speak.C. Speak out your ideas in an organized way.D. Getting useful feedback.Now listen to Part Two of the interview.6. A. Practice plus B. Practice plus C. Practice plus D. Practice plus7. A. A basic menu will be provided to students.B. People can learn how to use different tones or volumes of sounds when giving a speech.C. The assignments exclude preparing speeches and presenting speeches.D. It is designed to serve different purposes.8. A. Public speakers. B. Grammar teachers. C. Masters of ceremonies.D. Evaluators.9. A. Self-confidence. B. Better communication skills.C. Special techniques of delivering speeches.D. Skills of leadership.10. A. The background information. B. The description of training courses.C. The requirements of public speaking.D. The overall personal growth.PART II READING COMPREHENSION [45 MIN] SECTION A MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONSIn this section there are several passages followed by fourteen multiple choice questions. For each multiple choice question, there are four suggested answers marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that you think is the best answer and mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET TWO.PASSAGE ONEWe 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 l3-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 trouble-spots. 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.V accinations weren’t needed for the city, but we were concerned 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.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 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 left to a learned third party.11. 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.12. W e learn from the couple’ s shopping experience back home that ____________.A. they were used to bargaining over priceB. they preferred to buy things outdoorsC. street markets were their favouriteD. they preferred fashion and brand names13. T he last two paragraphs suggest that to visit places of interest in Istanbul ____________.A. guidebooks are very usefulB. a professional guide is a mustC. one has to be prepared for questionsD. one has to make arrangements in advance14. T he family have seen or visited all the following in Istanbul EXCEPT ____________.A. religious prayersB. historical buildingsC. local-style marketsD. shopping mall boutiquesPASSAGE TWOLast 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, atthe 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 BM 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 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 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 coincidentally 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. BM uses its network to recruit retired people for particular projects. Ernst & Y oung, 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 & Y oung 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. Y et 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 ofwork 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.15. A ccording to the passage, the most serious consequence of baby-boomers approaching retirementwould be ____________.A. a loss of knowledge and experience to many companiesB. a decrease in the number of 35- to 44-year-oldsC. a continuous increase in the number of 50- to 64-year-oldsD. its impact on the developed world whose workforce is ageing16. T he following are all the measures that companies have adopted to cope with the ageing workforceEXCEPT ____________.A. making places of work accommodate the needs of older workersB. using alumni networks to hire retired former employeesC. encouraging former employees to work overseasD. granting more convenience in working hours to older workers17. I n the author’ s opinion American firms are not doing anything to deal with the issue of the ageingworkforce mainly because ____________.A. they have not been aware of the problemB. they are reluctant to hire older workersC. they are not sure of what they should doD. they have other options to consider18. W hich 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 dealwith the issue.PASSAGE THREEThe 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.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 doing a strokeof 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. Y et so far as my experience 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’”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.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.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.19. W hich 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).20. T he last paragraph stresses that if women are to hold important jobs, then they must ____________.A. sometimes make the first advances in loveB. allow men to flirt with many womenC. stop accepting presents of flowers and chocolatesD. avoid making their husbands look like “Mary Anns”21. W hich 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.PASSAGE FOURFrom 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 broad-cloak, 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 Ama Dablum, 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 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 29029-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 bro0m 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.22. W hich of the following words in Paragraph One implies difficulty in walking?A. “threaded”.B. “dropping”.C. “trudged”.D. “daunting”.23. I n the passage the contrast between the Tibetans and the man is indicated in all the following aspectsEXCEPT ____________.A. clothingB. heightC. social statusD. personal belongings24. W hich 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 …”SECTION B SHORT-ANSWER QUESTIONSIn this section there are eight short-answer questions based on the passages in SECTION A. Answer each question in NO MORE THAN 10 WORDS in the space on ANSWER SHEET TWO.PASSAGE ONE25. W hy did the couple choose Istanbul as their holiday destination?PASSAGE TWO26. What does “The company spends ‘a lot of time’ on the ergonomics of its factories” (Paragraph Seven)mean?PASSAGE THREE27. W hat’s the author’s advice to the working wife who is more successful than her husband?28. W hat does “Mary Ann” in the second paragraph probably mean?29. W hat’s the author’s attitude towards the relationship between man and wife in Wigan Pier pictured byOrwell?PASSAGE FOUR30. W hat does “daunting” in the first paragraph probably mean?31. W hat kind of view can we get about this region from the monastery?32. A ccording to the description of the monastery, what kind of sense can we get about it?PART III LANGUAGE USAGE [15 MIN] The passage contains Ten errors. Each indicated line contains a maximum of ONE error. In each case, only ONE word is involved. You should proofread the passage and correct it in the following way: For a wrong word, underline the wrong word and write the correct onein the blank provided at the end of the line.For a missing word, mark the position of the missing word with a “∧”sign and write the word you believe to be missingin the blank provided at the end of the line.For an unnecessary word, cross the unnecessary word with a slash “ / ” and putthe word in the blank provided at the end of the line. EXAMPLEWhen ∧art museum wants a new exhibit, (1) anit never buys things in finished form and hangs (2) never them on the wall. When a natural history museumwants an exhibition, it must often build it. (3) exhibitProofread the given passage on ANSWER SHEET THREE as instructed.PART IV TRANSLATION [25 MIN]Translate the underlined part of the following text into English. Write your translation on ANSWER SHEET THREE.我想不起来哪一个熟人没有手机。
2009年英语专业八级真题及详解【圣才出品】
2009年英语专业八级真题及详解TEST FOR ENGLISH MAJORS(2009)-GRADE EIGHT-TIME LIMIT:150MIN PART I LISTENING COMPREHENSION(25MIN)SECTION A MINI-LECTUREIn this section you will hear a mini-lecture.You will hear the mini-lecture ONCE ONLY.While listening to the mini-lecture,please complete the gap-filling task on ANSWER SHEET ONE and write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each gap. Make sure the word(s)you fill in is(are)both grammatically and semantically acceptable.You may use the blank sheet for note-taking.You have THIRTY seconds to preview the gap-filling task.Now,listen to the mini-lecture.When it is over,you will be given THREE minutes to check your work.Writing Experimental Reports【答案与解析】(1)study result/findings细节题。
这篇演讲稿主要是介绍如何写实验报告。
在第二段中，作者提到“All report is,...like what you did，why you did it，what you found out in the process and so on”，从中可以得出实验报告的内容包括研究主题(what you did）、研究目的(why youdid it）以及研究结果(what you found out）。
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。
09年英语专业八级全真试题（4）
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 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 my experience 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 to A. 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 passage A. 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 must A. 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.。
英语专业八级 口译真题
TEM 8 - 200412
• English to Chinese
• 1. Britain has a lot to offer China. 42 of Europe’s top 100 companies are British. We are increasingly strong in the knowledge-based industries of the future.
TEM 8 - 200612
• English - Chinese
• 1. Also, since 1974 I have been undertaking research on the varieties of English spoken in Singapore and the functions of English in that highly multilingual nation .
• 互联网出现不到5年时间，全世界就有了约 9千万用户，很快用户将会数以亿计。
• 5. Here in China, the number of Internet users has nearly doubled since last October, and I’ve seen statistics that say your Internet population will exceed 7 million people by the year 2002.
• 5. 郑和下西洋充分展示了中华民族的高超 智慧和非凡勇气，证明了中华民族在历史 上就致力于打开国门、走向世界。
• Zhenghe’s expeditions fully reflected Chinese people’s supreme wisdom and utmost courage, and proved Chinese nation’s early effort in opening up to the outside world.
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2009年12月考题
Task One: Interpreting from English into Chinese
Directions: Please do not do interpreting when you listen to the speech this time.
1.Together with my colleges from chang’an and Ford, I want to thank
you for joining us during the inauguration of the most advanced automotive manufacturing plant in China.
我携长安福特的全体同仁对莅临中国最先进的汽车制造厂的落成典礼（开幕式）的各位嘉宾表示衷心的感谢。
2.In just four short years, Chang’an Ford Automobile has made
phenomenal progress in delivering great market success. This is a result of the shared vision and determination of the partners.
在短短的四年间，长安福特汽车在占有市场份额中取得了骄人的进步。
这要归功于股东们的高瞻远瞩和正确决策。
3.The world’s first automobile assembly line began operation at Ford’s
plant over 106 years ago. And what a journey it has been since then—bringing us all the way here to celebrate this milestone today.
世界上第一条汽车生产线在福特公司启动已逾106年，这是怎样辉煌的一段历程，使我们今天有机会为这样一个里程碑似的日子举行庆典。
4.The pace of change will be unrelenting and we must be firm in our
determination to be a company that not only delivers excellent
products and services, but also strives to make the world a better place to live.
发展的步伐永远不会停歇，我们有坚强的信念，我们公司不仅会提供优良的产品和服务，还要致力于把我们生活的世界变得更美好（更适合人类居住）。
5.Let me close by expressing my sincere gratitude to all of our
employees, our partners, the Chinese government, and everyone who has given us such valuable support. It is only with your unwavering support that we are able to unleash our potential and achieve our common goals.
让我用最真诚的感谢来结束我的讲话，感谢全体员工，感谢我们的股东（合伙人），感谢中国政府为我们提供（有价值）的支持与帮助。
正是您坚定不移的支持才让我们有可能发挥潜能实现我们共同的愿望。
Task Two: Interpreting from Chinese into English.
Directions: Please do not do interpreting when you listen to the speech this time.
1.世界城市论坛是联合国三大论坛之一，重点关注世界城市发展动
态及其对经济、社会发展的影响。
World Urban Forum is one of the three forums run by the UN, whose concern is placed upon the trend of urban development, and its effect on economic and social development.
2.“和谐的城镇化”不仅包括社会、经济、环境的协调发展，也包
括了城与乡、以及不同社会阶层之间的和谐共融。
Harmonious Urbanization refers not only to the harmonious development of society, economy, and environment, but the harmonious coexistence of the people from city and country, or from different social statuses.
3.目前，我省城市化处于快速发展阶段，到2007年底，全省城镇人
口达到4056万，城市化水平约为53%。
At present, our province has entered a phase of rapid development in unbanization, in that by the year 2007, the unban population will have amounted to 40.56 million, and the urbanization level will have attained 53%.
4.我们深刻的认识到，快速城市化对保护生态环境、节约资源能源、
保障公共安全等提出了更高的要求。
We are very conscious that rapid unbanization laid(offered) higher demand (request) for protecting the ecological environment, saving resources and energy, and ensuring public security. （或去掉v）
5.本届世界城市论坛为我们提供了一个高端的交流平台，既有助于
对外宣传我省城市发展所取得的成就，又可以让我们借鉴各国城市可持续发展的经验。
This World Urban Forum provides us a high-end exchange platform, which contributes not only to the publicity of the achievement in
unban debelopment in our province, but the utilization of the experience of sustainable development in our countries.
Task Three: Making a comment on a given topic.
4 minutes preparation. 3 minutes comments.
Should the week-long labor day holiday be resumed?
Since 1999, Chinese people have enjoyed three week-long holidays (or so-called “golden weeks”): the lunar new year, the labor day, and the national day holiday. However, in 2008, the government shortened the labor day golden week to a three-day holiday and added three new holidays to celebrate the Qingming, Duanwu, and Autumn Festivals. Recently, there have been calls for resuming the week-long labor day holiday. Do you think the labor day golden week should be resumed?。