08年英语专业八级全真试题(5)
英语专业八级考试模拟题5（3）
TEXT C In most of the human civilization of which we have any proper records, youth has drawn on either art or life for models, planning to emulate the heroes depicted in epics on the shadow —— play screen or the stage, or those known human beings, fathers or grandfathers, chiefs or craftsmen, whose every characteristic can be studied and imitated. As recently as 1910, this was the prevailing condition in the United States. If he came from a non-literate background, the recent immigrant learned to speak, move, and think like an American by using his eyes and ears on the labor line and in the homes of more acculturated cousins, by watching school children, or by absorbing the standards of the teacher, the foreman, the clerk who served him in the store. For the literate and the literate children of the non-literate, there was art —— the story of the frustrated artist in the prairie town of the second generation battling with the limitations of the first. And at a simpler level, there were the Western and Hollywood fairy tales which pointed a moral but did not, as a rule, reach table manners. With the development of the countermovement against Hollywood, with the efflorescence of photography, with Time-Life-Fortune types of reporting and the dead-pan New York manner of describing the life of an old-clothes dealer in a forgotten street or of presenting the "accurate", "checked" details of the lives of people whose eminence gave at least a sort of license to attack them, with the passion for "human documents" in Depression days —— a necessary substitute for proletarian art among middle-class writers who knew nothing about proletarians, and middle-class readers who needed the shock of verisimilitude —— a new era in American life was ushered in. It was the era in which young people imitated neither life nor art nor fairy tale, but instead were presented with models drawn from life with minimal but crucial distortions. Doctored life histories, posed carelessness, "candid" shots of people in their own homes which took hours to arrange, pictures shot from real life to script written months before supplemented by national polls and surveys which assured the reader that this hobby socks did indeed represent a national norm or a growing trend —— replaced the older models. 43. This article is based on the idea that ____ A) people today do not look for models to imitate. B) whom we emulate is not important. C) people generally pattern their lives after models. D) heroes are passed. 44. Stories of the second generation battling against the limitation of the first were often responsible for ____ A) inspiring literate immigrants. B) frustrating educated immigrants. C) preventing the assimilation of immigrants. D) instilling into immigrants an antagonistic attitude toward their forebears. 45. The counter movement against Hollywood was a movement ____ A) toward fantasy. B) against the teachings of morals. C) towards realism. D) away from realism. 46. The author attribute the change in attitude since 1920 to ____ A) a logical evolution of ideas. B) widespread of moral decay. C) the influence of the press. D) a philosophy of plenty. TEXT D During the holiday I received no letter from Myrtle and when I returned to the town she had gone away. I telephoned each day until she came back, and then she said she was going to a party. I put up with her new tactics patiently. The next time we spent an evening together there was no quarrel. To avoid it I took Myrtle to the cinema. We did not mention Haxby. On the other hand it was impossible to pretend that either of us was happy. Myrtles expression of unhappiness was deepening. Day by day I watched her sink into a bout of despair, and I concluded it was my fault —— had I not concluded it was my fault, the looks Myrtle gave me would rapidly have concluded it for me. The topic of conversation we avoidedabove all others was the project of going to America. I cursed the tactlessness of Robert and Tom in talking about it in front of her before I had had time to prepare her for it. I felt aggrieved, as one does after doing wrong and being found out. I did not know what to do. When you go to the theatre you see a number of characters caught in a dramatic situation. What happens next? They then everything is changed. My life is different I never have scenes, and I if I do, they are discouragingly not dramatic. Practically no action arises. And nothing what so ever is changed. My life is not as good as a play. Nothing like it. All I did with my present situation was try and tide it over. When Myrtle emerged from the deepest blackness of despair —— nobody after all, could remain there definitely —— I tried to comfort her. I gradually unfolded all my plan, including those for her. She could come to America, too. She was a commercial artist. She could get a job and our relationship could continue as it was. And I will not swear that I did not think:" And in America she might even succeed in marrying me." It produced no effect. She began to drink more. She began to go to parties very frequently; it was very soon clear that she had decided to see less of her. I do not blame Myrtle. Had I been in her place I would have tried to do the same thing. Being in my place I tried to prevent her. I knew what sort of parties she was going to: they were parties at which Haxby was present. We began to wrangle over going out with each other. She was never free at the times I suggested. Sometimes, usually on a Saturday night, she first arranged to meet me and then changed her mind. I called that rubbing it in a little too far. But her behavior, I repeat, perfectly sensible. By seeing less of me she stood a chance of finding somebody else, or of making me jealous, or of both. Either way she could not lose. 47. When Myrtle was avoiding the author he ____ A) saw through her plan and behave calmly. B) became angry and could not put her out of his mind. C) was worried and uncomprehending. D) decided that he could not bear the way she treated him. 48. The author felt guilty and angry because ____ A) his friends had discovered that he had not told Myrtle anything. B) Tom and Robert had told Myrtle about their plans. C) Myrtle had found out their plans when Tom and Robert talked. D) he had told Myrtle their plans before Tom and Robert mentioned them. 49. The author complains that his life was not like a play in which ____ A) the characters solve their problems by violence. B) the violence that follows action solves their problems. C) the action that follows quarrels solves their problems. D) the characters solved their problems in spite of violence. 50. The real reason why Myrtle was angry and upset was that ____ A) she had never wanted to go to America with the author. B) the author would not agree to take her as his wife. C) she did not want him to go to America with his enemies. D) she did not want to be felt behind in America.。
2008年英语专八真题及解析
TEST FOR ENGLISH MAJORS (2008)-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.The Popularity of EnglishI. Present status of EnglishA. English as a native/first languageB. English as a lingua franca: a language for communication among peoplewhose (1)______ are different (1)_______C. Number of people speaking English as a first or a second language:— 320-380 million native speakers— 250- (2) _____ million speakers of English as a second language (2)_______II. Reasons for the popular use of EnglishA. (3) ____ reasons (3)_______ —the Pilgrim Fathers brought the language to America;— British settlers brought the language to Australia; — English was used as a means of control in(4)_____ (4)_______B. Economic reasons— spread of (5) _____ (5)_______— language of communication iii the international business community C. (6)______ in international travel (6)_______ — use of English in travel and tourism— signs in airports— language of announcement— language of (7) ______ (7)_______ D. Information exchange— use of English in the academic world— language of (8) _____ or journal articles (8)_______ E. Popular culture— pop music on (9)______ (9)_______ — films from the USAIII. Questions to think aboutA. status of English in the futureB. (10) ______ of distinct varieties of English (10)_______SECTION B CONVERSATIONIn 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 a conversation. At the end of the conversation you will be given 10 seconds to answer each of the following five questions.Now listen to the conversation.1. Mary doesn't seem to favour the idea of a new airport because ________.A. the existing airports are to be wastedB. more people will be encouraged to travelC. more oil will be consumedD. more airplanes will be purchased2. Which of the following is NOT mentioned by Mary as a potential disadvantage?A. More people in the area.B. Noise and motorways.C. Waste of land.D. Unnecessary travel.3. Freddy has cited the following advantages for a new airport EXCEPTA. more job opportunitiesB. vitality to the local economyC. road construction,D. presence of aircrew in the area4. Mary thinks that people don't need to do much travel nowadays as a result of ________.A. less emphasis on personal contactB. advances in modern telecommunicationsC. recent changes in people's conceptsD. more potential damage to the area5. We learn from the conversation that Freddy is Mary's ideas,A. strongly in favour ofB. mildly in favour ofC. strongly againstD. mildly againstSECTION 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.Question 6 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.6. What is the main idea of the news item?A. A new government was formed after Sunday's elections.B. The new government intends to change the welfare system.C. The Social Democratic Party founded the welfare system.D. The Social Democratic Party was responsible for high unemployment.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. The tapes of the Apollo-11 mission were first stored in ________.A. a U.S. government archives warehouseB. a NASA ground tracking stationC. the Goddard Space Flight CentreD. none of the above places8. What does the news item say about Richard Nafzger?A. He is assigned the task to look for the tapes.B. He believes that the tapes are probably lost.C. He works in a NASA ground receiving site.D. He had asked for the tapes in the 1970s.Questions 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 questions.Now listen to the news.9. The example in the news item is cited mainly to show ________.A. that doctors are sometimes professionally incompetentB. that in cases like that hospitals have to pay huge compensationsC. that language barriers might lower the quality of treatmentD. that language barriers can result in fatal consequences10. According to Dr. Flores, hospitals and clinics ________.A. have seen the need for hiring trained interpretersB. have realized the problems of language barriersC. have begun training their staff to be bilingualsD. have taken steps to provide accurate diagnosisPART 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 AAt the age of 16, Lee Hyuk Joon's life is a living hell. The South Korean 10th grader gets up at 6 in the morning to go to school, and studies most of the day until returning home at 6 p. m. After dinner, it's time to hit the books again – at one of Seoul's many so-called cram schools. Lee gets back home at 1 in the morning, sleeps less than five hours, then repeats the routine – five days a week. It's a grueling schedule, but Lee worries that it may not be good enough to get him into a top university. Some of his classmates study even harder.South Korea's education system has long been highly competitive. But for Lee and the other 700,000 high-school sophomores in the country, high-school studies have gotten even more intense. That's because South Korea has conceived a new college-entrance system, which will be implemented in 2008. This year's 10th graders will be the first group evaluated by the new admissions standard, which places more emphasis on grades in the three years of high school and less on nationwide SAT-style and other selection tests, which have traditionally determined which students go to the elite colleges.The change was made mostly to reduce what the government says is a growing education gap in the country: wealthy students go to the best colleges and get the best jobs, keeping the children of poorer families on the social margins. The aim is to reduce the importance of costly tutors and cram schools, partly to help students enjoy a more normal high-school life. But the new system has had the opposite effect. Before, students didn't worry too much about their grade-point averages; the big challenge was beating the standardized tests as high-school seniors. Now students are competing against one another over a three-year period, and every midterm and final test is crucial. Fretful parents are relying even more heavily on tutors and cram schools to help their children succeed.Parents and kids have sent thousands of angry online letters to the Education Ministry complaining that the new admissions standard is setting students against each other. "One can succeed only when others fail," as one parent said.Education experts say that South Korea's public secondary-school system is foundering, while private education is thriving. According to critics, the country's high schools are almost uniformly mediocre – the result of an egalitarian government education policy. With the number of elite schools strictly controlled by the government, even the brightest students typically have to settle for ordinary schools in their neighbourhoods, where the curriculum is centred on averagestudents. To make up for the mediocrity, zealous parents send their kids to the expensive cram schools.Students in affluent southern Seoul neighbourhoods complain that the new system will hurt them the most. Nearly all Korean high schools will be weighted equally in the college-entrance process, and relatively weak students in provincial schools, who may not score well on standardized tests, often compile good grade-point averages.Some universities, particularly prestigious ones, openly complain that they cannot select the best students under the new system because it eliminates differences among high schools. They've asked for more discretion in picking students by giving more weight to such screening tools as essay writing or interviews.President Roh Moo Hyun doesn't like how some colleges are trying to circumvent the new system. He recently criticized "greedy" universities that focus more on finding the best students than faying to "nurture good students". But amid the crossfire between the government and universities, the country's 10th graders are feeling the stress. On online protest sites, some are calling themselves a "cursed generation" and "mice in a lab experiment". It all seems a touch melodramatic, but that's the South Korean school system.11. According to the passage, the new college-entrance system is designed to ________.A. require students to sit for more college-entrance testsB. reduce the weight of college-entrance testsC. select students on their high school grades onlyD. reduce the number of prospective college applicants12. What seems to be the effect of introducing the new system?A. The system has given equal opportunities to students.B. The system has reduced the number of cram schools.C. The system has intensified competition among schools.D. The system has increased students' study load.13. According to critics, the popularity of private education is mainly the result of ________.A. the government's egalitarian policyB. insufficient number of schools:C. curriculums of average qualityD. low cost of private education14. According to the passage, there seems to be disagreement over the adoption of the newsystem between the following groups EXCEPTA. between universities and the governmentB. between school experts and the governmentC. between parents and schoolsD. between parents and the government15. Which of the following adjectives best describes the author's treatment of the topic?A. Objective.B. Positive.C. Negative.D. Biased.TEXT BWilfred Emmanuel-Jones was a teenager before he saw his first cow in his first field. Born in Jamaica, the 47-year-old grew up in inner-city Birmingham before making a career as a television producer and launching his own marketing agency. But deep down he always nurtured every true Englishman's dream of a rustic life, a dream that his entrepreneurial wealth has allowed him to satisfy. These days he's the owner of a thriving 12-hectare farm in deepest Devon with cattle, sheep and pigs. His latest business venture: pushing his brand of Black Fanner gourmet sausagesand barbecue sauces. "My background may be very urban," says Emmanuel-Jones. "But it has given me a good idea of what other urbanites want."And of how to sell it. Emmanuel-Jones joins a herd of wealthy fugitives from city life who are bringing a new commercial know-how to British farming. Britain's burgeoning farmers' markets-numbers have doubled to at least 500 in the last five years –swarm with specialty cheesemakers, beekeepers or organic smallholders who are redeploying the business skills they learned in the city. "Everyone in the rural community has to come to terms with the fact that things have changed," says Emmanuel-Jones. "You can produce the best food in the world, but if you don't know how to market it, you are wasting your time. We are helping the traditionalists to move on."The emergence of the new class of superpeasants reflects some old yearnings. If the British were the first nation to industrialize, they were also the first to head back to the land. "There is this romantic image of the countryside that is particularly English," says Alun Howkins of the University of Sussex, who reckons the population of rural England has been rising since 1911. Migration into rural areas is now running at about 100,000 a year, and the hunger for a taste of the rural life has kept land prices buoyant even as agricultural incomes tumble. About 40 percent of all farmland is now sold to "lifestyle buyers" rather than the dwindling number of traditional farmers, according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.What's new about the latest returnees is their affluence and zeal for the business of producing quality foods, if only at a micro-level. A healthy economy and surging London house prices have helped to ease the escape of the would-be rustics. The media recognize and feed the fantasy. One of the big TV hits of recent years, the "River Cottage" series, chronicled the attempts of a London chef to run his own Dorset farm.Naturally, the newcomers can't hope to match their City salaries, but many are happy to trade any loss of income for the extra job satisfaction. Who cares if there's no six-figure annual bonus when the land offers other incalculable compensations?Besides, the specialist producers can at least depend on a burgeoning market for their products. Today's eco-aware generation loves to seek out authentic ingredients. "People like me may be making a difference in a small way," Jan McCourt, a onetime investment banker now running his own 40-hectare spread in the English Midlands stocked with rare breeds.Optimists see signs of far-reaching change: Britain isn't catching up with mainland Europe; it's leading the way. "Unlike most other countries, where artisanal food production is being eroded, here it is being recovered," says food writer Matthew Fort. "It may be the mark of the next stage of civilization that we rediscover the desirability of being a peasant." And not an investment banker.16. Which of the following details of Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones is INCORRECT?A. He was born and brought up in Birmingham.B. He used to work in the television industry.C. He is wealthy, adventurous and aspiring.D. He is now selling his own quality foods.17. Most importantly, people like Wilfred have brought to traditional British farming ________.A. knowledge of farmingB. knowledge of brand namesC. knowledge of lifestyleD. knowledge of marketing,18. Which of the following does NOT contribute to the emergence of a new class of farmers?A. Strong desire for country life.B. Longing for greater wealth.C. Influence of TV productions.D. Enthusiasm for quality food business.19. What is seen as their additional source of new income?A. Modern tendency to buy natural foods.B. Increase in the value of land property.C. Raising and selling rare live stock.D. Publicity as a result of media coverage.20. The sentence in the last paragraph "... Britain isn't catching up with mainland Europe; it'sleading the way" implies that ________.A. Britain has taken a different path to boost economy.B. more authentic foods are being produced in BritainC. the British are heading back to the countrysideD. the Europeans are showing great interest in country lifeTEXT CIn Barcelona the Catalonians call them castells, but these aren't stereotypical castles in Spain. These castles are made up of human beings, not stone. The people who perform this agile feat of acrobatics are called castellers, and to see their towers take shape is to observe a marvel of human cooperation.First the castellers form what looks like a gigantic rugby scrummage. They are the foundation blocks of the castle. Behind them, other people press together, forming outward-radiating ramparts of inward-pushing muscle: flying buttresses for the castle. Then sturdy but lighter castellers scramble over the backs of those at the bottom and stand, barefoot, on their shoulders – then still others, each time adding a higher "story".These human towers can rise higher than small apartment buildings: nine "stories", 35 feet into the air. Then, just When it seems this tower of humanity can't defy gravity any longer, a little kid emerges from the crowd and climbs straight up to the top. Arms extended, the child grins while waving to the cheering crowd far below.Dressed in their traditional costumes, the castellers seem to epitomize an easier time, before Barcelona became a world metropolis arid the Mediterranean's most dynamic city. But when you observe-them tip close, in their street clothes, at practice, you see there's nothing easy about what the castellers do-and that they are not merely reenacting an ancient ritual.None of the castellers can-give a logical answer as to why they love doing this. But Victor Luna, 16, touches me on the shoulder and says in English: "We do it because it's beautiful. We do it because we are Catalan."Barcelona's mother tongue is Catalan, and to understand Barcelona, you must understand two words of Catalan: seny and rauxa. Seny pretty much translates as common sense, or the ability to make money, arrange things, and get things done. Rauxa is reminiscent of our words "raucous" and "ruckus".What makes the castellers revealing of the city is that they embody rauxa and seny. The idea of a human castle is rauxa – it defies common sense – but to watch one going up is to see seny in action. Success is based on everyone working together to achieve a shared goal.The success of Carlos Tusquets' bank, Fibanc, shows seny at work in everyday life. The bank started as a family concern and now employs hundreds. Tusquets said it exemplifies how the economy in Barcelona is different.Entrepreneurial seny demonstrates why Barcelona and Catalonia –the ancient region of which Barcelona is the capital –are distinct from the rest of Spain yet essential to Spain's emergence, after centuries of repression, as a prosperous, democratic European country. Catalonia, with Barcelona as its dynamo, has turned into an economic powerhouse. Making up 6 percent of Spain's territory, with a sixth of its people, it accounts for nearly a quarter of Spain's production –everything from textiles to computers – even though the rest of Spain has been enjoying its own economic miracle.Hand in hand with seny goes rauxa, and there's no better place to see rauxa in action than on the Ramblas, the venerable, tree-shaded boulevard that, in gentle stages, leads you from the centre of Barcelona down to the port. There are two narrow lanes each way for cars and motorbikes, but it's the wide centre walkway that makes the Ramblas a front-row seat for Barcelona's longest running theatrical event. Plastic armchairs are set out on the sidewalk. Sit in one of them, and an attendant will come and charge you a small fee. Performance artists throng the Ramblas – stilt walkers, witches caked in charcoal dust, Elvis impersonators. But the real stars are the old women and happily playing children, millionaires on motorbikes, and pimps and women who, upon closer inspection, prove not to be.Aficionados (Fans) of Barcelona love to compare notes: "Last night there was a man standing on the balcony of his hotel room," Mariana Bertagnolli, an Italian photographer, told me. "The balcony was on the second floor. He was naked, and he was talking into a cell phone."There you have it, Barcelona's essence. The man is naked (rauxa), but he is talking into a cell phone (seny).21. From the description in the passage, we learn that ________.A. all Catalonians can perform castellsB. castells require performers to stand on each otherC. people perform castells in different formationsD. in castells people have to push and pull each other22. According to the passage, the4mplication of the performance is that ________.A. the Catalonians are insensible and noisy peopleB. the Catalonians show more sense than is expectedC. the Catalonians display paradoxical characteristicsD. the Catalonians think highly of team work23. The passage cites the following examples EXCEPT ________ to show seny at work.A. development of a bankB. dynamic role in economyC. contribution to national economyD. comparison with other regions24. In the last but two paragraph, the Ramblas is described as "a front-row seat for Barcelona'slongest running theatrical event". What does it mean?A. On the Ramblas people can see a greater variety of performances.B. The Ramblas provides many front seats for the performances.C. The Ramblas is preferred as an important venue for the events.D. Theatrical performers like to perform on the Ramblas.25. What is the main impression of the scenes on the Ramblas?A. It is bizarre and outlandish.B. It is of average quality.C. It is conventional and quiet.D. It is of professional standard.TEXT DThe law firm Patrick worked for before he died filed for bankruptcy protection a year after his funeral. After his death, the firm's letterhead properly included him: Patrick S. Lanigan, 1954-1992. He was listed up in the right-hand corner, just above the paralegals. Then the rumors got started and wouldn't stop. Before long, everyone believed he had taken the money and disappeared. After three months, no one on the Gulf Coast believed that he was dead. His name came off the letterhead as the debts piled up.The remaining partners in the law firm were still together, attached unwillingly at the hip by the bondage of mortgages and the bank notes, back when they were rolling and on the verge of serious wealth. They had been joint defendants in several unwinnable lawsuits; thus the bankruptcy. Since Patrick's departure, they had tried every possible way to divorce one another, but nothing would work. Two were raging alcoholics who drank at the office behind locked doors, but nevertogether. The other two were in recovery, still teetering on the brink of sobriety.He took their money. Their millions. Money they had already spent long before it arrived, as only lawyers can do. Money for their richly renovated office building in downtown Biloxi. Money for new homes, yachts, condos in the Caribbean. The money was on the way, approved, the papers signed, orders entered; they could see it, almost touch it when their dead partner –Patrick – snatched it at the last possible second.He was dead. They buried him on February 11, 1992. They had consoled the widow and put his rotten name on their handsome letterhead. Yet six weeks later, he somehow stole their money.They had brawled over who was to blame. Charles Bogan, the firm's senior partner and its iron hand, had insisted the money be wired from its source into a new account offshore, and this made sense after some discussion. It was ninety million bucks, a third of which the firm would keep, and it would be impossible to hide that kind of money in Biloxi, population fifty thousand. Someone at the bank would talk. Soon everyone would know. All four vowed secrecy, even as they made plans to display as much of their new wealth as possible. There had even been talk of a firm jet, a six-seater.So Bogan took his share of the blame. At forty-nine, he was the oldest of the four, and, at the moment, the most stable. He was also responsible for hiring Patrick nine years earlier, and for this he had received no small amount of grief.Doug Vitrano, the litigator, had made the fateful decision to recommend Patrick as the fifth partner. The other three had agreed, and when Patrick Lanigan was added to the firm name, he had access to virtually every file in the office. Bogan, Rapley, Vitrano, Havarac, and Lanigan, Attorneys and Counselors-at-Law. A large ad in the yellow pages claimed "Specialists in Offshore Injuries." Specialists or not, like most firms they would take almost anything if the fees werelucrative. Lots of secretaries and paralegals. Big overhead, and the strongest political connections on the Coast.They were all in their mid-to late forties. Havarac had been raised by his father on a shrimp boat. His hands were still proudly calloused, and he dreamed of choking Patrick until his neck snapped. Rapley was severely depressed and seldom left his home, where he wrote briefs in a dark office in the attic.26. What happened to the four remaining lawyers after Patrick's disappearance?A. They all wanted to divorce their wives.B. They were all heavily involved in debts.C. They were all recovering from drinking.D. They had bought new homes, yachts, etc.27. Which of the following statements contains a metaphor?A. His name came off the letterhead as the debts piled up.B.…they could see it, almost touch it when their dead partner...C.…, attached unwillingly at the hip by the bondage of mortgages...D.…, and for this he had received no small amount of grief.28. According to the passage, what is the main cause of Patrick stealing the money?A. Patrick was made a partner of the firm.B. The partners agreed to have the money transferred.C. Patrick had access to all the files in the firm.D. Bogan decided to hire Patrick nine years earlier.29. The lawyers were described as being all the following EXCEPTA. greedyB. extravagantC. quarrelsomeD. bad-tempered30. Which of the following implies a contrast?A.…, and it would be impossible to hide that kind of money in Biloxi, population fi ftythousand.B. They had been joint defendants in several unwinnable lawsuits; thus the bankruptcy.C. There had even been talk of a firm jet, a six-seater.D. His name came off the letterhead as the debts piled up.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 sheet31. The largest city in Canada is ________.A. Vancouver.B. Montreal.C. Toronto.D. Ottawa.32. According to the United States Constitution, the legislative power is invested in ________.A. the Federal GovernmentB. the Supreme CourtC. the CabinetD. the Congress33. Which of the following is the oldest sport in the United States?A. Baseball.B. Tennis.C. Basketball.D. American football.34. The head of the executive branch in New Zealand is ________.A. the PresidentB. the Governor-GeneralC. the British monarch,D. the Prime Minister35. The Canterbury Tales, a collection of stories told by a group of pilgrims on their way toCanterbury, is an important poetic work by ________.A. William Langland.B. Geoffrey Chaucer.C. William Shakespeare.D. Alfred Tennyson.36. Who wrote The American?A. Herman Melville.B. Nathaniel Hawthorne.C. Henry James.D. Theodore Dreiser.37. All of the following are well-known female writers in 20th-century Britain EXCEPTA. George Eliot.B. Iris Jean Murdoch.C. Doris Lessing.D. Muriel Spark.38. Which of the following is NOT a design feature of human language?A. Arbitrariness.B. Displacement.C. Duality.D. Diachronicity.39. What type of sentence is "Mark likes fiction, but Tim is interested in poetry."?A. A simple sentence.。
专业八级TEM-8习题练习
PAPER ONE （TIME LIMIT: 95 MIN. ）PART I LISTENING COMPREHENSION [略]PART II PROOFREADING & ERROR CORRECTION [15 MIN.] The following passage contains TEN errors. Each indicated line contains a maximum of ONE error. In each case, only ONE word is involved. You should proof-read the passage and correct it in the following way: For a wrong word, underline the wrong word and write the correct one in 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 missing in the blank provided at the end of the line. For an unnecessary word, cross the unnecessary word with a slash "/" and put the word in the blank provided at the end of the line. Classic Intention Movement In social situations, the classic Intention Movement is "the chair- grasp". Host and guest have been talking for some time, but now the host has an appointment to keep and can get away. His urge (1) to go is held in check by his desire not be rude to his guest. If he (2) did not care of his guest’s feelings he would simply get up out of (3) his chair and to announce his eparture. This is what his body (4) wants to do, therefore his politeness glues his body to the chair (5) and refuses to let him raise. It is at this pint that he performs (6) the chair as about to push himself upwards. This is the first act (7) he would make if he were rising. If he were not hesitating, it (8) would only last a fraction of the second. He would learn, push, (9) rise, and be up. But now, instead, it lasts much longer. He holds his "readiness-to-rise" post and keeps on holding it. It is as (10) if his body had frozen at the get-ready moment.PART III READING COMPREHENSION [40 MIN.]SECTION A READING COMPREHENSION [30 MIN.] In this section there are four reading passages followed by a total of fifteen multiple-choice questions. Read the passages carefully and then write your answers on the space given.TEXT A A magazine’s design is more than decoration, more than simple packaging. It expresses the magazine’s very character. The Atlantic Monthly has long attempted to provide a design environment in which two disparate traditions -- literary and journalistic -- can co-exist in pleasurable dignity. The redesign that we introduce with this issue -- the work of our art director, Judy Garlan -- represents, we think, a notable enhancement of that environment. Garlan explains some of what was in her mind as she began to create the new design:" I saw this as an opportunity to bring the look closer to matching the elegance and power of the writing which the magazine is known for. The overall design has to be able to encompass a great diversity of styles and subjects -- urgent pieces of reporting, serious essays, lighter pieces, lifestyle-oriented pieces, short stories, poetry. We don’t want lighter pieces to seem too heavy, and we don’t want heavier pieces to seem too pretty. We also use a broad range of art and photography, and the design has to work well with that, too. At the same time, the magazine needs to have a consistent feel, needs to underscore the sense that everything in it is part of one Atlantic world. The primary typefaces Garlan chose for this task are Times Roman, for a more readable body type, and Bauer Bodoni, for a more stylish and flexible display type (article titles, large initials, and so on). Other aspects of the new design are structural. The articles in the front of the magazine, which once flowed into one another, now stand on their own, to gain prominence. The Travel column, now featured in every issue, has been moved from the back to the front. As noted in this space last month, the word "Monthly" rejoins "The Atlantic" on the cover, after a decade-long absence. Judy Garlan came to the Atlantic in 1981 after having served as the art director of several other magazines. During her tenure here the Atlantic has won more than 300 awards for visual excellence. from the Society of illustrators, the American Institute of Graphic Arts, the Art Directors Club, Communication Arts, and elsewhere. Garlan was in various ways assisted in the redesign by the entire art-department staff: Robin Gilmore, Barnes, Betsy Urrico, Gillian Kahn, and Lisa Manning. The artist Nicholas Gaetano contributed as well: he redrew our colophon (the figure of Neptune that appears on the contents page) and created the symbols that will appear regularly on this page (a rendition of our building), on the Puzzler page, above the opening of letters, and on the masthead. Gaetano, whose work manages to combine stylish clarity and breezy strength, is the cover artist for this issue.11. Part of the new design is to be concerned with the following EXCEPT ______A. variation in the typefaces.B. reorganization of articles in the front.C. creation of the travel column.D. reinstatement of its former name.12. According to the passage, the new design work involves ______A. other artists as well.B. other writers as well.C. only the cover artist.D. only the art director.13. This article aims to ______A. emphasize the importance of a magazine’s design.B. introduce the magazine’s art director.C. persuade the reader to subscribe to the magazine.D. inform the reader of its new design and features.。
英语专业专八口语考试2008年真题
英语专业专八口语考试2008年真题2008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.A Toast by an American Professor at a Farewell Banquet for Foreign TeachersGood evening, ladies and gentlemen:I know that it will be hard to keep everyone’s attention while such a fine buffet awaits us, so I’ll attempt to be very brief.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.I know that it’s 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. 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. 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. Of course, on top of all this are all the extra things you do to host us while we’re in China—celebrating Chinese holidays with us, taking us to visit interesting scenic sites, and introducing us to China’s find food tradition. Then at the end of theacademic year, many of us leave, and you have to get through the whole process again with the next new group of foreign teachers. Yet, year after year, you do all of this with diligence and grace.So tonight we wish to thank you for all the wonderful ways you host us—such as providing this fine banquet tonight. We also want to express our gratitude for the 100,000 yuan upgrade of our internet services that you paid for this year. However, we especially want to thank you for the many little things—and not so little things—that you do every day to help us in our lives here.May I propose a toast to Nanping University and to all of the people who make this a great place to live and work.When you listen this time, begin interpreting when you heara beep.1.On behalf of the foreign teachers at Nanping University, I want to take this opportunity to thankall 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.2.Unlike Chinese teachers, we require a lot of orientation and assistance when we first arrive, andyou’re call ed on to do everything from guiding us to the local department store to helping us get our computers set up.3.Of course, on top of all this are all the extra things you do to host us while we’re inChina—celebrating Chinese holidays with us, taking us to visit interesting scenic sites, and introducing us to China’s find food tradition.4.Then at the end of the academic year, many of us leave, andyou have to get through the wholeprocess again with the next new group of foreign teachers. Yet, year after year, you do all of this with diligence and grace.5.So tonight we wish to thank you for all the wonderful ways you host us—such as providing thisfine banquet tonight. We also want to express our gratitude for the 100,000 yuan upgrade of our internet services that you paid for this year.Task Two: Interpreting from Chinese into EnglishDirections: Please do not do interpreting when you listen to the speech this time.北京奥运经济研究会会长谈“北京奥运与北京经济”各位媒体记者朋友，大家上午好！非常高兴有这个机会和大家做个交流，谈谈奥运对北京经济的作用。
2008年英语专业八级改错练习题及答案解析
改错题出现的错误经常包括：语法；词汇；语篇1. 语法包括英语的时态，语态，倒装句，虚拟语气，主，谓，宾在数，格，人称上的一致。
2 .词汇方面，短文改错在用词上的错误主要集中在以下几个方面：名次单复数，可数名词和不可数名词的差异，形容词与副词，连词与介词的误用，同义词的混淆等。
3. 语篇的改错旨在测试做题者在具体语境上下文中使用语法和词汇的能力。
从逻辑的意义上看，句与句之间的关系可以分为顺序，并列，时间，空间，层递，对比，转折，解释，因果，过渡，推论等。
最好的做法是先通读全文，结合上下文的逻辑关系回答问题。
2008年英语专业八级改错练习题及答案解析(1)About half of the infant and maternal deaths in developing countries couldbe avoided if women had used family planning methods to prevent high risk ____1____pregnancies, according to a report publishing recently by the Johns Hopking ____2____University.The report indicates that 5.6 million infant deaths and 2,000,000 maternal Deaths could be prevented this year if women chose to have theirs children ____3____within the safest years with adequate intervals among births and limited their ____4____families to moderate size.This amounts to about half of the 9.8 million infant and 370.000 maternal deaths in developing countries, excluded China, estimated for this year by ____5____the United Nation’s Children’s Fund and the US Centers for Disease Control respectably. China was excluded because very few births occur in the high ____6____risk categories.The report says that evidences from around the world shows the risk of ____7____maternal or infant ill and death is the highest in four specific types of ____8_____ pregnancy; pregnancies before the mother is 18 year old; those after the ____9____mother is 35 years old; pregnancies after four births; and those lesser than ____10____two years apart.2008年英语专业八级改错练习题及答案解析(2)“Home, sweet home” is a ph rase that express an essential attitude in the United States. Whether the reality of life in the family house is sweet or no sweet, the cherished ideal of home _____1_____has great importance for many people.This ideal is a vital part of the American dream. This dream, dramatized in the history of nineteenth century European settlers of American West, was to find a piece of place, build a house _____2_____for one’s family, and started a farm. These small households were _____3_____portraits of independence: the entire family- mother, father, children, even grandparents-live in a small house and working together to _____4_____ support each other. Anyone understood the life-and-death importance _____5_____of family cooperation and hard work. Although most people in the United States no longer live on farms, but the ideal of home ownership _____6_____is just as strong in the twentieth century as it was in the nineteenth. When U.S soldiers came home before World WarⅡ, for example, _____7_____they dreamed of buying houses and starting families. But there was _____8_____a tremendous boom in home building. The new houses, typically in the suburbs, were often small and more or less identical, but it satisfied _____9_____a deep need. Many regarded the single-family house the basis of their _____10_____way of life.2008年英语专业八级改错练习题及答案解析(3)We live in a society which there is a lot of talk about science, but I would say _____1_____that there are not 5 percent of the people who are equipped with school, including college, to understand scientific reasoning. We are more ignorant of science as people _____2_____with comparable education in Western Europe. There are a lot of kids who know everything about computers—how to build them, how to take them apart, and how to write programs for games. So if you ask _____3_____them to explain about the principles of physics that have gone into creating the _____4_____computer, you don’t have faintest idea. _____5_____The failure to understand science leads to such things like the neglect of human _____6_____ creative power. It also takes rise to blurring of the distinction between science and _____7_____technology. Lots of people don’t differ between the two. Science i s the production of _____8_____new knowledge that can be applied or not, and technology is the application of knowledge to the production of some products, machinery or the like. The two are really different, and people who have the faculty for one very seldom have a faculty for the others. _____9_____Science in itself is harmless, more or less. But as soon as it can provide technology, it’s not necessarily harmful. No society has yet learned to forecast the consequences of _____10_____new technology, which can be enormous.2008年英语专业八级改错练习题及答案解析(4)What is a black hole? Well, it is difficult to answer the question,as the terms we would normally use to describe a scientific phenomenon __1__are adequate here. Astronomers and scientists think that a black hole is __2__a region of space which matter has fallen and from which nothing can __3__ escape—not even light. But we can’t see a black hole. A black hole __4__exerts a strong gravitational pull and yet it has no matter. It is only space—or thus we think. How can this happen? __5__The theory is that some stars explode when their density increasesto a particular point; they “collapse” and sometimes a supernova occurs.The collapse of a star may produce a “White Dwarf” of a “neutronstar”—a star which matter is so dense that if continually shrinks by the force of __6___its own gravity. But if the star is very large, this process of shrinking maybe so intense that a black hole results in. Imagine the earth reduced to the __7__size of a marble, but still having the same masses and a stronger __8__ gravitational pull, and you have some ideas of the force of a black hole. __9__And no matter near the black hole is sucked in. __10__2008年英语专业八级改错练习题及答案解析(5)The great whales are among the most fascinating creatures which __1__have ever lived on the earth, and one of them, the blue whale, is thelargest. People in ancient times thought whales as fearsome __2__monsters of the ocean depths. So to hunt a whale, when oneoccasionally swam toward shore, he was high adventure. People __3__found the adventure was rewarding, too, for the oil and meat fromone whale alone could heat and feed a village for a whole winter.Whales resemble huge fish. They were referred by the ancients as __4__“great fish,” and any whale beaching along the coasts of Englandwas designated “the King’s fish” because it automa tically belongedto the Crown. Ever since those early times, human have felt whales a sense of __5__ wonder mixed with an intense desire to capture, slaughter, andexploit. Now the slaughter has reached alarming proportions. __6__Even though some species are protected by the regulations ofthe International Whaling Commission and theoretically all whalehunting is regulated, but the earth’s stock of whales is still being __7__ depleted. In fact, some scientists worry that 100 years since now __8__there may be no whales left. If this happens, mankind willbe blame for removing from the earth forever a remarkable and __9__awe-inspiring creature that always fed man’s imagination and __10__made the world a more exciting place2008年英语专业八级改错练习题及答案解析(6)We use language every day. We live in a world of words. Hardly anymoment passes with someone talking, writing or reading. Indeed, __1__ languages is most essential to mankind. Our lives increasingly dependon fast and successful use of language. Strangely enough, we know __2__more about things around us than on ourselves. For example, language __3__is species specific, that is, it is language that differs human from __4__animals. However, we do not know yet how exactly we inquire language __5__ and how it is possible for us to perceive through language; nor we __6__ understand precisely the combinations between language and thought, __7__ language and logic, or language and culture; still less, how and whenlanguage started. One reason for this inadequate knowledge of languageis that we, like language users, take too many things for granted. __8__ Language comes to every normal person so naturally that a few __9__of us stop to question what language is, much less do we feel thenecessity to study it. Language is far more complex than most peoplehave probably imagined and the necessity to study it is far greater thansome people may have assured. Linguistic is a branch of science which __10__ takes language as its object of investigation.2008年英语专业八级改错练习题及答案解析(7)Whenever you see an old film, even one made as little asten years before, you can’t help being strucked by the __1__appearance of the women taking part. Their hair styles andmake-up look date; their skirts look either too long or too __2__short; their general appearance is, in fact, slightly ludicrous.The men taking part, on other hand, are clearly recognizable. __3__There is nothing about their appearance to suggest thatthey belong to an entire different age. This illusion is created __4__by changing fashions. Over the years, the great minority of men __5__have successfully resisted all attempts to make it change their __6__style of dress. The same cannot be said for women. Each year,a fewer so-called top designers in Paris and London lay down __7__on the law and women around the world run to obey. The __8__decrees of the designers are unpredictable and dictatorial.Sometime they decide arbitrarily, that skirts will be short and __9__waists will be height; hips are in and buttons are out. __10__2008年英语专业八级改错练习题及答案解析(8)Demographic indicators show that Americans in the post war period were more eager than ever to establish families. They quickly brought down the age at marriage for both men and women and brought the birth rate to a twentieth century height __1_ after more than a hundred years of a steady decline, producing the “baby boom.” __2_ These young adults established a trend of early marriage and relatively large families that went for more than two decades and caused a major but temporary __3__ reversal of long-term demographic patterns. From the 1940s through the early1960s, Americans married at a high rate and at a younger age than their __4__ Europe counterparts. __5__Less noted but equally more significant, the men and women who formed __6__ families between 1940 and 1960 nevertheless reduced the divorce rate after a __7__ postwar peak; their marriages remained intact to a greater extent than did that of __8_ couples who married in earlier as well as later decades. Since the United States __9__ maintained its dubious distinction of having the highest divorce rate in the world,the temporary decline in divorce did not occur in the same extent in Europe. __10__ Contrary to fears of the experts, the role of breadwinner and homemaker was not abandoned.2008年英语专业八级改错练习题及答案解析(9)When you start talking about good and bad manners you immediately startmeeting difficulties. Many people just cannot agree what they mean. We asked a lady, who replied that she thought you could tell a well-mannered person on the __1_ way they occupied the space around them—for example, when such a person walks d own a street he or she is constantly unaware of others. Such people never __2_ bump into other people. However, a second person thought that this was more a questi on of civilized behavior as good manners. Instead, this other person told us a story_3_ it he said was quite well-known, about an American who had been invited __4__to an Arab meal at one of the countries of the Middle East. The American __5__ hasn’t been told very much about the kind of food he might expect. If he had __6__ known about American food, he might have behaved better. __7__Immediately before him was a very flat piece of bread that looked, tohim, very much as a napkin. Picking it up, he put it into his collar, so that __8__it falls across his shirt. His Arab host, who had been watching, __9__said of nothing, but immediately copied the action of his guest. __10__And that, said this second person, was a fine example of good manners.2008年英语专业八级改错练习题及答案解析(10)A great many cities are experiencing difficulties which are nothingnew in the history of cities, except in their scale. Some cities have lost theiroriginal purpose and have not found new one. And any large or rich city is __1__ going to attract poor immigrants, who flood in, filling with hopes of __2__ prosperity which are then often disappointing. There are backward towns on the edge of Bombay or Brasilia, just as though there were on the edge of __3__ seventeenth-century London or early nineteenth-century Paris. This is new is __4__ the scale. Descriptions written by eighteenth-century travelers of the poor of Mexico City, and the enormous contrasts that was to be found there, are very __5__ dissimilar to descriptions of Mexico City today—the poor can still be numbered __6_ in millions.The whole monstrous growth rests on economic prosperity, but behind it lies __7__ two myths; the myth of the city as a promised land, that attracts immigrants __8__ from rural poverty and brings it flooding into city centers, and the myth of the __9__ country as a Garden of Eden, which, a few generations late, sends them flood __10__ -ing out again to the suburbs.（一）参考答案及解析:1 将had used 改为used。
08年英语专业八级全真试题（3）
TEXT B Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones was a teenager before he saw his first cow in his first field. Born in Jamaica, the 47-year-old grew up in inner-city Birmingham before making a career as a television producer and launching his own marketing agency. But deep down he always nurtured every true Englishmans dream of a rustic life, a dream that his entrepreneurial wealth has allowed him to satisfy. These days hes the owner of a thriving 12-hectare farm in deepest Devon with cattle, sheep and pigs. His latest business venture: pushing his brand of Black Fanner gourmet sausages and barbecue sauces. “My background may be very urban,” says Emmanuel-Jones. “But it has given me a good idea of what other urbanites want.” And of how to sell it. Emmanuel-Jones joins a herd of wealthy fugitives from city life who are bringing a new commercial know-how to British farming. Britains burgeoning farmers markets -numbers have doubled to at least 500 in the last five years —swarm with specialty cheesemakers, beekeepers or organic smallholders who are redeploying the business skills they learned in the city. "Everyone in the rural community has to come to terms with the fact that things have changed." Says Emmanuel-Jones. "You can produce the best food in the world, but if you dont know how to market it, you are wasting your time. We are helping the traditionalists to move on." The emergence of the new class of superpeasants reflects some old yearnings. If the British were the first nation to industrialize, they were also the first to head back to the land. "There is this romantic image of the countryside that is particularly English," says Alun Howkins of the University of Sussex, who reckons the population of rural England has been rising since 1911. Migration into rural areas is now running at about 100,000 a year, and the hunger for a taste of the rural life has kept land prices buoyant even as agricultural incomes tumble. About 40 percent of all farmland is now sold to "lifestyle buyers" rather than the dwindling number of traditional farmers, according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. Whats new about the latest returnees is their affluence and zeal for the business of producing quality foods, if only at a micro-level. A healthy economy and surging London house prices have helped to ease the escape of the would-be rustics. The media recognize and feed the fantasy. One of the big TV hits of recent years, the "River Cottage" series, chronicled the attempts of a London chef to run his own Dorset farm. Naturally, the newcomers cant hope to match their City salaries, but many are happy to trade any loss of income for the extra job satisfaction. Who cares if theres no six-figure annual bonus when the land offers other incalculable compensations? Besides, the specialist producers can at least depend on a burgeoning market for their products. Todays eco-aware generation loves to seek out authentic ingredients. "People like me may be making a difference in a small way," Jan McCourt, a onetime investment banker now running his own 40-hectare spread in the English Midlands stocked with rare breeds.Optimists see signs of far-reaching change: Britain isnt catching up with mainland Europe; its leading the way.“Unlike most other countries, where artisanal food production is being eroded, here it is being recovered," says food writer Matthew Fort. ”It may be the mark of the next stage of civilization that we rediscover the desirability of being a peasant.“ And not an investment banker. 16. Which of the following details of Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones is INCORRECT? A. He was born and brought up in Birmingham. B. He used to work in the television industry. C. He is wealthy, adventurous and aspiring. D. He is now selling his own quality foods. 17. Most importantly, people like Wilfred have brought to traditional British farming A. knowledge of farming. B. knowledge of brand names. C. knowledge of lifestyle. D. knowledge of marketing, 18. Which of the following does NOT contribute to the emergence of a new class of farmers? A. Strong desire for country life. B. Longing for greater wealth, C. Influence of TV productions. D. Enthusiasm for quality food business. 19. What is seen as their additional source of new income? A. Modern tendency to buy natural foods. B. Increase in the value of land property. C. Raising and selling rare live stock. V D. Publicity as a result of media coverage. 20. The sentence in the last paragraph “……Britain isnt catching up with mainland Europe; its leading the way" implies that A. Britain has taken a different path to boost economy. B. more authentic foods are being produced in Britain. C. the British are heading back to the countryside. D. the Europeans are showing great interest in country life.。
英语专业八级口译考试真题08-10年
英语专业八级口译考试真题08-10年081. I believe that the research we have conducted as part of this project will prove important to our field, both here in China and in the US. 我相信，作为此项目的一个组成部分，我们所作的研究对于我们在中国和美国的研究领域都具有重大的意义。
082. By working closely with my colleagues from China and Canada, I’ve come to realize how important it is to understand and learn from different perspectives. Diversity adds rather than detracts. 通过与我的中加同僚紧密合作，我意识到了从不同的视角来了解和学习的重要性。
差异是有益无害的。
083. Without the expertise of our Chinese and Canadian fellow researchers, my American colleagues and I would never have been able to get this far. 如果没有中国和加拿大研究同行的专业技术，我和我的美国同事不可能取得今天的成就（永远不会取得现在这样的进展）。
084. I’m happy to be able to announce, on behalf of my university, that we have received a grant of about $158, 000 US dollars that allows us to organize a six-week research session in Dallas, Texas, next summer. 我非常荣幸地代表我校宣布，我们已经获得了约15万8千美金的拨款/资助。
2008年专八真题听力原文
听力原文2008Part 1, Listening ComprehensionSECTION A MINI-LECTUREThe popularity of EnglishGood morning, everyone. Today's lecture is about the popularity of English.As we all know, English is widely used in the world. Althpugh English is not the language with the largest number of native or first language speakers, it has really become a lingua franca. Then what is a lingua franca? The term refers to a language which is widely adopted for communication be¬tween two speakers whose native languages are different from each others and where one or both speakers are using it as a second language ( Q1). For example, when an Indian talks to a Singapore¬an using English, then English is the lingua franca.Then actually how many people speak English as either a first or a second language? Some re¬searches suggested that a few years ago that between 320 , 000 , 000 to 380 , 000 , 000 people spoke English as a first language. And anyway between 250 , 000 , 000 to 350 , 000 , 000 as a second lan¬guage ( Q2 ) . And of course , if we include people who are learning English as a foreign language all over the world, that number may increase dramatically. Then we may ask a question, how did Eng¬lish get there? That is how did English gain the present status of popularity?There are in fact a number of interlocking reasons for the popularity of English as a lingua fran¬ca. Many of the reasons are historical , but they also include economic and cultural factors that influ¬enced and sustained this spread of the language. Let's go through the reasons one by one. First, it's the historical reason ( Q3) . This is related to the colonial history. As we know, when' the Pilgrim Fathers landed on the Massachusetts coast in 1620 after their journey from England, they brought with them not just a set of religious beliefs, a pioneering spirit or a desire for colonization, but also their language. Although many years later, the Americans broke away from their colonial master, the language of English remained and still does. It was the same in Australia too. When Commander Philippe planted the British flag in Sydney curve on the 26th of January 1788 , it was not just a bunch of British convicts and their guardians but also a language. In other parts of the former British Empire, English rapidly became a unifying or dominating means of control. For example, it became a lingua franca in India where a variety of indigenous languages made the use of any one of them as a whole country system problematic ( Q4). So the imposition of English as the one language of a ministration helps maintain the colonizers' control and power. Thus English traveled around many parts of the world in those days and long after that colonial empire has faded away. It is too widely used as a main or at least an institutional language in countries as far apart as Jamaica and Pakistan, \ Uganda and New Zealand. That is the first factor.Now the second major factor. in the spread of English has been the spread of commerce through¬out the world. The spread of international commerce has taken English along with it ( Q5 ) . This is the 20111 century phenomenon of globalization. Therefore, one of the first sights many travelers see when arriving in countries as diverse as Brazil, China for example, it's the yellow, twin art sign of a Macdonald's fast food restaurant or some other famous brand's outlets. And without doubt, English is used as the language of communication in the international business community.And the third factor related to the popular use of English is the boom in international travel ( Q6).And you will find that much travel and tourism is carried on around the world in English. Of course this is not always the case. As the multi-lingualism of many tourism workers in different coun¬tries demonstrate. But a visit to most airports on the globe will show signs not only in the language of that country but also in English. Just as many airline announcements are broadcast in English too. Whatever the language of the country the airport is situated in. So far, English is also the preferred language of air-traffic control in many countries and it is used widely in sea travel communication ( Q7 ).Another factor has something to do with the information exchange around the world. As we all know, a great deal of academic discourse around the world takes place in English. It is often a lingua franca of conferences, for example. And many journal articles in fields as diverse as astronomy, trial psychology and zoology have English as a kind of default language ( Q8).The last factor I cite here concerns popular culture. In the western world at least, English is a dominating language in popular culture. Pop music in English can be heard on many radios ( Q9). Thus many people who are not English speakers can sing words from their favorite English medium songs. And many people who are regular cinema-goers or TV viewers can frequently hear English in sub-titled films coming out of the USA.Now, to sum up, in today's lecture, we have reviewed some of the reasons or factors that lie be¬hind the popular use of English as the NO. 1 world language. Before we finish, I would like to leave a few questions for you to think about. Is the status of English as the NO. 1 world language assured in the future? Will it split into varieties that become less mutually intelligible? Or some other language or languages take the place of English as the world language in future ( Q1 ). These questions are not easy to answer, I know, but they are definitely worth pondering over after the lecture. OK, let's bring us to the end of today's lecture. Thank you for your attention. SECTION B CONVERSATIONW Hello! Freddy.NI: Hello! Marry. How nice to see you again! How is everything going?W Fine. Busy these days?M : Yeah. With lots of things to do. Would you like to join me for a drink?W: Ok! Thanks!M: Any news recently?W Oh! Well , I read in the local paper the other day that the government is planning to build an air¬port here. You knew that?M Afraid not.My real objection to this idea of a new airport is... is that the whole thing is so wasteful. I mean, we know we are currently in a fuel crisis. We know that we've got to conserve oil and fuel and all the rest of it and yet here the government seems quite deliberately to be encouraging people to travel, to use. And these jets use a heck of a lot of oil. I mean it takes a ton of oil, a ton of pet¬rol before one of this big jets even takes off (Q1).M: Hmmm.W: It seems so completely short-sighted to me, quite apart from all the waste of land and so on. I can't see, I can't see the rational behind really wanting an... an airport at all.M: Well, surely you must admit the existing airport nearby are becoming swarmed. I mean, why should people...NV: Well, they are being swarmed.111: be treated like cattle when there's a chance of a new airport here.W: But, but really, people shouldn't be traveling as much. That's, that's why most of the journeys, I mean, they are swarmed, because there is far too much unnecessary tourism and so on. It isn't necessary for people to travel so fast, or still, even so often ( Q2).M: Well. You take the climate here in this country. Now, just before Christmas, there 'was this dreadful cold spell and there was a tremendous increase in the number of people who wanted to leave and spend Christmas and the New Year in a reasonable climate of sun and a certain mild climate. And in summer, the same situation occurs. It is unbearably hot here and people want go somewhere cool.W: Yes, I can sympathize with that. But it is still not really necessary to do or as it is necessary to conserve fuel and it is necessary to ... well not to waste land, I mean, land for new airport could be used for far more important things which would benefit the people here far more ( Q2). I mean, it could be used for farming, for instance.M: True.W: It could also be used for housing, or it could be used for parks, you know. People then, could come and enjoy themselves without having to travel far.Mi But, airports do bring some local advantages. They bring roads, there's obviously extra employ¬ment, for instance, new hotels, shops, restaurants will have to be built, this means, more jobs for the locals and it is good for local economy ( Q3).W: But, you ask the people, you ask those who are now living near the airports, for instance, whether they reckon that airports are bringing them advantages or the airport is bringing noise and vast motorways and the whole area is desolated, isn't it? ( Q2)M: But, the airport infrastructure relies on housing and other facilities for the great number of people who would be employed in the airport, the pilot even, the stewardnesses. They have to live somewhere near the airport, right?W: Yeah, but it's, it's just so damaging to the whole area. I think, airports, from my point of view, the whole concept is outdated really. With modern technology, we're going to make a lot of travel unnecessary, really (Q4). For example, it won't be necessary for businessman to fly out to a foreign country to talk to somebody. They can just lift up telephone in the office, press the but¬ton and see the person they want to do business with. You see, business deals can be made with¬out having to travel back and forth, right?M: Yes, you're right. But, for a lot of people, 'personal contact is important. And this means travel, and means quick travel, air 'travel and we just need a new airport (Q5).SECTION C NEWS BROADCASTNews Item 1 (for question 6)The New Moderates Party began forming the new Swedish government on Monday. In Sunday's Elections , the New Moderates Party defeated the Social Democrats. The Social Democratic Party has controlled Sweden for all but nine years since 1932 , building up the country's generous welfare state. But the New Moderates wants to change it. ( Q6 ) Sweden's welfare system is famed around the world, but the system encourages people to be lazy and unemployment is also high in Sweden. One reason is the high tax on companies which makes it difficult to employ new people.News Item 2 (for questions 7 and 8)Much of the world was watching on television when the command of the Apollo-11 mission Neal Armstrong tookthe first steps on the moon in July 1969. The pictures of that historic footstep and • everything else about that and subsequent of Apollo moon landings were recorded on magnetic tape at three NASA ground tracking stations around the world. The tapes were then shipped to a NASA operation centre near Washington—the Goddard Space Flight Centre. ( Q7 ) In late 1969 , the space a¬gency began transferring them and tens of thousands of tapes from other space missions to a nearby U. S. government archives warehouse: NASA says it asked for them back in the 1970s, but now does not know where they are. "I probably am overly sensitive to the word `lost' . I did not feel they are lost. " said Richard Nafzger, a Goddard Space Flight Centre engineer who was in charge of television processing from all of NASA's ground receiving sites. The Space Agency has authorized him to set a¬side his other duties for the foreseeable future and devote his time to the hunt for the tapes. Nafzger says- they are stored somewhere. ( Q8 )News Item 3 (for questions 9 and 10)More than 22 million people who live in the Unite State don't speak or understand English very well and that can be deadly. In a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Doctor Glan Flores highlights some cases where language barriers prevented patients from communicating with health-care providers with serious consequences. ( Q9 ) Doctor Flores records one incident in which English-speaking doctors `thought a Spanish-speaking man was suffering from a drug over-doze. "He was in the hospital basically for two days being worked up for drug abuse " , Flores says. " They finally did a head CT scan and realized he had had a major bleed into his brain. He ended up being paralyzed and he got a 71 million dollars settlement award from the hospital. " Doctor Flores , a pro¬fessor at the Medical College of Wisconsin, says that despite examples like that, the majority of US health-care facilities still do not have trained interpreters on sight, but he acknowledges that increas¬ing numbers of health care workers are bilingual and that more clinics and hospitals do make sure their staff and patients understand each other. ( Q10)。
【英语专八】98-08年英语专业八级考试真题翻译及参考译文
9808英语专业八级考试真题翻译及参考译文1998年英语专业八级考试--翻译部分参考译文C-E原文：1997年2月24日我们代表团下榻日月潭中信大饭店，送走了最后一批客人，已是次日凌晨3点了。
我躺在床上久久不能入睡，披衣走到窗前，往外看去，只见四周峰峦叠翠，湖面波光粼粼。
望着台湾这仅有的景色如画的天然湖泊，我想了许多，许多……这次到台湾访问交流，虽然行程匆匆，但是，看了不少地方，访了旧友，交了新知，大家走到一起，谈论的一个重要话题就是中华民族在21世纪的强盛。
虽然祖国大陆、台湾的青年生活在不同的社会环境中，有着各自不同的生活经历，但大家的内心都深深铭刻着中华文化优秀传统的印记，都拥有着振兴中华民族的共同理想。
在世纪之交的伟大时代，我们的祖国正在走向繁荣富强，海峡两岸人民也将加强交流，共同推进祖国统一大业的早日完成。
世纪之交的宝贵机遇和巨大挑战将青年推到了历史前台。
跨世纪青年一代应该用什么样的姿态迎接充满希望的新世纪，这是我们必须回答的问题。
日月潭水波不兴，仿佛与我一同在思索……参考译文：The current visit to Taiwan for exchange, brief and cursory as it is, has enabled us to see many places, to visit old friends while making new acquaintances. Whenever people gather together, an important topic of discussion has been how the Chinese nation can become prosperous and powerful in the 21st century. Although the young people on the Mainland and in Taiwan live in different social contexts (environments / milieus), with their individually different experiences of life, in the innermost recesses of their hearts are wrought an indelible mark by the fine traditions of the Chinese culture. They all cherish the same ideal to rejuvenate the Chinese nation (They share the same ideal to rejuvenate the Chinese nation). In this great epoch at the turn of the century, our motherland is developing toward greater prosperity and powerfulness. People across the Taiwan Straits are bound to strengthen their exchanges and will mutually promote the earliest possible achievement of the great cause of reunification of the motherland. The precious opportunities and the tremendous challenges at the turn of the century have pushed the young people to the foreground (forefront) of the historical arena (stage). At this transitional phase between the two millennia, in what way the young generation should embrace the forthcoming new century replete with hopes is a question to which we have to seek an answer.E-C原文：I agree to some extent with my imaginary English reader. American literary historians are perhaps prone to view their own national scene too narrowly, mistaking prominence for uniqueness. They do over-phrase their own literature, or certainly its minor figures. And Americans do swing from aggressive over phrase of their literature to an equally unfortunate, imitative deference. But then, the English themselves are somewhat insular in their literary appraisals. Moreover, in fields where they are not pre-eminent — e. g. in painting and music —they too alternate between boasting of native products and copying those of the Continent. Howmany English paintings try to look as though they were done in Paris; how many times have we read in articles that they re ally represent an “English tradition” after all.To speak of American literature, then, is not to assert that it is completely unlike that of Europe. Broadly speaking, America and Europe have kept step. At any given moment the traveler could find examples in both of the same architecture, the same styles in dress, the same books on the shelves. Ideas have crossed the Atlantic as freely as men and merchandise, though sometimes more slowly. When I refer to American habit, thoughts, etc., I intend some sort of qualification to precede the word, for frequently the difference between America and Europe (especially England) will be one of degree, sometimes only of a small degree. The amount of divergence is a subtle affair, liable to perplex the Englishman when he looks at America. He is looking at a country which in important senses grew out of his own, which in several ways still resembles his own —and which is yet a foreign country. There are odd overlappings and abrupt unfamiliarities; kinship yields to a sudden alienation, as when we hail a person across the street, only to discover from his blank response that we have mistaken a stranger for a friend.参考译文：那么，要谈论美国文学，倒并非意欲断言，它与欧洲文学全然大相径庭。
2008年英语专业八级真题及详解【圣才出品】
2008年英语专业八级真题及详解TEST FOR ENGLISH MAJORS(2008)-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.The Popularity of English【答案与解析】(1)native/first languages细节题。
讲座主要是关于英语流行的主要原因，讲座一开始主要从三方面陈述了英语的使用现状，本题主要针对英语作为一种通用语(lingua franca）的使用情况设题。
讲座中第一段的最后一句提到通用语指的是一种广泛地应用于两个不同的本国语者之间的语言，说话者双方或其中一方把该语言作为第二语言来使用。
08年英语专业八级全真试题(4)
08年英语专业八级全真试题(4)TEXT CIn Barcelona the Catalonians call them castells, but these arent stereotypical castles in Spain. These castles are made up of human beings, not stone. The people who perform this agile feat of acrobatics are called castellers, and to see their towers take shape is to observe a marvel of human cooperation.First the castellers form what looks like a gigantic rugby scrummage. They are the foundation blocks of the castle. Behind them, other people press together, forming outward-radiating ramparts of inward-pushing muscle: flying buttresses for the castle. Then sturdy but lighter castellers scramble over the backs of those at the bottom and stand, barefoot, on their shoulders—then still others, each time adding a higher “story”.These human towers can rise higher than small apartment buildings: nine “stories”, 35 feet into the air. Then, just When it seems this tower of humanity cant defy gravity any longer, a little kid emerges from the crowd and climbs straight up to the top.Arms extended, the child grins while waving to the cheering crowd far below.Dressed in their traditional costumes, the castellers seem to epitomize an easier time, before Barcelona became a world metropolis arid the Mediterraneans most dynamic city. But when you observe-them tip close,in their street clothes, at practice, you see theres nothing easy about what the castellers do - and that they are not merely reenacting an ancient ritual.None of the castellers can-give a logical answer as to why they love doing this. But Victor Luna, 16, touches me on the shoulder and says in English: “We do it because its beautiful. We do it because we are Catalan.”Barcelona’s mother tongue is Catalan, and to understand Barcelona, you must understand two words of Catalan: seny and rauxa. Seny pretty much translates as common sense, or the ability to make money, arrange things, and get things done. Rauxa is reminiscent of our words “raucous” and “ruckus”.What makes the castellers revealing of the city is that they embody rauxa and seny. The idea of a human castle is rauxa—it defies common sense—but to watch one going up is to see seny in action. Success is based on everyone working together to achieve a shared goal.The success of Carlos Tusquets bank, Fibanc, shows seny at work in everyday life. The bank started as a family concern and now employs hundreds. Tusquets said it exemplifies how the economy in Barcelona is different.Entrepreneurial seny demonstrates why Barcelona and Catalonia—the ancient region of which Barcelona is the capital—are distinct from therest of Spain yet essential to Spains emergence, after centuries of repression, as a prosperous, democratic European country. Catalonia, with Barcelona as its dynamo, has turned into an economic powerhouse. Making up 6 percent of Spain’s territory, with a sixth of its people, it accounts for nearly a quarter of Spains production—everything from textiles to computers—even though the rest of Spain has been enjoying its own economic miracle.Hand in hand with seny goes rauxa, and theres no better place to see rauxa in action than on the Ramblas, the venerable, tree-shaded boulevard that, in gentle stages, leads you from the centre of Barcelona down to the port. There are two narrow lanes each way for cars and motorbikes, but it’s the wide centre walkway that makes the Ramblas a front-row seat for Barcelonas longest running theatrical event. Plastic armchairs are set out on the sidewalk. Sit in one of them, and an attendant will come and charge you a small fee. Performance artists throng the Ramblas—stilt walkers, witches caked in charcoal dust, Elvis impersonators. But the real stars are the old women and happily playing children, millionaires on motorbikes, and pimps and women who, upon closer inspection, prove not to be.Aficionados （Fans）of Barcelona love to compare notes: “Last night there was a man standing on the balcony of his hotel room,” Mariana Bertagnolli, an Italian photographer, told me. “The balcony was on thesecond floo r. He was naked, and he was talking into a cell phone.”There you have it, Barcelonas essence. The man is naked （rauxa）, but he is talking into a cell phone （seny）.21. From the description in the passage, we learn thatA. all Catalonians can perform castells.B. castells require performers to stand on each other.C. people perform castells in different formations.D. in castells people have to push and pull each other.22. According to the passage, the4mplication of the performance is thatA. the Catalonians are insensible and noisy people.B. the Catalonians show more sense than is expected.C. the Catalonians display paradoxical characteristics.D. the Catalonians think highly of team work.23. The passage cites the following examples EXCEPT __________ to show seny at work.A. development of a bankB. dynamic role in economyC. contribution to national economyD. comparison with other regions24. In the last but two paragraph, the Rambla s is described as “a front-row seat for Barcelona’s longest running theatrical event”. Whatdoes it mean?A. On the Ramblas people can see a greater variety of performances.B. The Ramblas provides many front seats for the performances.C. The Ramblas is preferred as an important venue for the events.D. Theatrical performers like to perform on the Ramblas.25. What is the main impression of the scenes on the Ramblas?A. It is bizarre and Outlandish.B. It is of average quality.C. It is conventional and quiet.D. It is of professional standard.。
2005 2008专八真题 翻译部分与答案
2005—2008年专八真题翻译部分原题及答案2005 年真题 Section A Chinese to English一个人的生命究竟有多大意义，这有什么标准可以衡量吗？提出一个绝对的标准当然很困难；但是，大体上看一个人对待生命的态度是否严肃认真，看他对待劳动、工作等等的态度如何，也就不难对这个人的存在意义做出适当的估计了。
古来一切有成就的人，都很严肃地对待自己的生命，当他活着一天，总要尽量多劳动、多工作、多学习，不肯虚度年华，不让时间白白地浪费掉。
我国历代的劳动人民及大政治家、大思想家等等都莫不如此。
参考译文：How significant is a person s life? Is there any standard to measure it? It will be verydifficult to put forward an absolute standard, but in general, the significance of one s existencecan be estimated by how he treats his life, by what attitude he takes to work and what ways hechooses to live.From ancient times up to now, all the accomplished people treat their lives very seriously.They work and, learn as much as possible. They hate to spend the best of their lives in vain,they do not want to let their time slip by. All the laboring people, great statesmen and thinkersof our country at all ages treasure their time in this way.Section B English to ChineseIt is simple enough to say that since books have classes fiction, biography, poetry—weshould separate them and take from each what it is right that each should give us. Yet few peopleask from books what books can give us. Most commonly we come to books with blurred anddivided minds, asking of fiction that it shall be true, of poetry that it shall be false, of biographythat it shall be flattering, of history that it shall enforce our own prejudices. If we could banish allsuch preconception when we read, that would be an admirable beginning. Do not dictate to yourauthor. try to become him. Be his fellow worker and accomplice. If you hang back, and reserveand criticize at first, you are preventing yourself from getting the fullest possible value fromwhat you read. But if you open your mind as widely as possible, then signs and hints of almostimperceptible finess, from the twist and turn of the first sentences, will bring you into thepresence of a human being unlike any other. Steep yourself in this, acquaint yourself with this,and soon you will find that your author is giving you, or attempting to give you, something farmore definite.参考译文：然而几乎没有什么人会从书中提问：书能给我们什么。
星火英语2008英语专业8级考试人文知识与改错
星火英语2008英语专业8级考试人文知识与改错星火英语《2008英语专业8级考试人文知识与改错》1．The Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Second Continental Congress on July 4,______.A.1774 .B 1778 C.1775 D.17762. The largest lake in Britain is _________.A. Loch LomondB. the Lough NeaghC. WindermereD. Ullswater3. The origin of the American party system can be traced to______.A. the struggle between the Royalists and revolutionaries in the War of Independence.B. the constitutional debate between the Federalists and the anti- Federalists.C. the struggle between those who upheld slavery and those who opposed slavery.D. the struggle between the elections of President4.The Hundred Years' War between Britain and France was fought ____A. from 1327 to 1453B. from 1337 to 1453C. from 1347 to 1453D. from 1357 to 14535. The second largest state of the United States is _________.A. TexasB. AlaskaC. CaliforniaD. Haw6. American presidents are elected _________.A. every two yearsB. every four yearsC. every five yearsD. every six years7. Australia is the world's largest exporter of_________.A. wheatB. dairy productsC. meatD. wool8. Britain is separated from the rest of Europe by the English Channel in the_____ and the North Sea in the east.A. eastB. southC. westD. north9. Which of the following statements is NOT true about the Prime Minister in Britain?A. He is appointed by the Queen.B. He is Minister for the Civil Service.C. He sits in the House of Commons.D. He is elected every four years10. In 1608, French explorer, Samuel de Champlain established his habitation in _____.A. MontrealB. OttawaC. QuebecD. Toronto11. In America the judicial is headed by _________.B. CongressC.. the Supreme CourtD. the Secretary General12. The English Parliament is originated from _________.A. Model ParliamentB. All Estates ParliamentC. Great CouncilD. Long Parliament13. The world’s largest freshwater lake is Lake______.A. SuperiorB. OntarioC. VictoriaD. Michigan14. The British people hold ______ as the festival to remember the people who died in the two World WeA. Easter MondayB. Armistice DayC. Guy Fawkes DayD. Boxing Day15. The 1920's in the United States has been described as a period of_____.A. culture revivalB. loss of purposeC. development of science and technologyD. material success and spiritual frustration16. Oxford is on _____A. the Thames RiverB. River ClydeC. the Severn River17. What is NOT true for Britain's temperature?A. It is generally mild and temperate.B. It has frequent changes.C. It is of the maritime type.D. It often has extremes of temperature.18 The third largest political party in Australia is _________.A. the Australian Labor PartyB. the Liberal Party of AustraliaC. the National Party of AustraliaD. the Democratic Party of Australia19. Which of the following languages is NOT spoken in Scotland?A. English.B. Scottish.C. Gaelic.D. Danish.20. Among the most typical English sports. _________has been in existence since the 16th centurv.A. rugbyB. soccer G. cricket D. boxing21. The earliest institution of higher learning set up in America was____.A. California UniversityB. Yale UniversityC. Harvard CollegeD. Chicago University22.Which of the following tribes first came to Britain?A. AnglosB. Saxons C .Jutes D Celts23. On the island of Great Britain, there are _________________.A. four political divisions, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern IrelandB. four political divisions, England, Scotland, Wales and IrelandC. three political divisions, England, Scotland and WalesD. three political divisions, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland24. The theme of Thanksgiving has always been _________.A. friendship and happinessB. peace and plenty, health and happinessC. cooperation and rich rewardD. love and happiness25.In Britain only about _________ of the population are farmers but they manage70% of the land area.A. 2%B. 3%C. 4%D. 5%26._______ brought the new religion, Christianity to Britain.A. The CeltsB. The Anglo-SaxonsC. JutesD. The Romans27. The Grand Canyon in north-western _________ is one of nature's most impressive sights.A. UtahB. ArizonaC. NevadaD. Idaho28. The Bill of Rights is the term used for _________ to the Constitution of the United States.A. the first ten amendmentsB. the last five amendmentsC. the tenth amendmentD. the most important amendment29. The "basics" taught in the American elementary schools are _________.A. social studies, arithmetic and readingB. science, reading, writing and arithmeticC. reading, writing and arithmeticD. physical education, reading and writing30. The largest lake situated entirely in Canada is _________.A the Great Lakes B. Great Bear LakeC Great Slave Lake /doc/6616277450.html,ke Winnipeg31. The Norman Conquest of _____ is perhaps the best –known event in English history.A.1063 B 1064 C 1065 D 106632. The "New Deal" was advanced by President_________.A. Franklin D. RooseveltB. Theodore RooseveltC. William McKinleyD. Thomas Woodrow Wilson33. The smallest state of the United States is _________.A. Rhode IslandB. MaineC. TexasD. Alaska34. Which of the following statements is TRUE about The Commonwealth of Nations?A. It is a voluntary, free association of 50 independent sovereign states.B. There are a large number of British immigrants in each of the Nations.C. All the countries lived under the British law and government.D. All the countries fought on the side of Britain in the two world wars.35. Each of the fifty states of the USA elects _________ senators.A.10B. 4C. 3D. 236. The last war between the United States and Britain began in _________.A. 1879B. 1945C.1812D.194137. The Republic of Ireland became independent in the year _________.A. 1918B. 1920C. 1945D. 1949 ,38 The English Civil War is also called _________.A. the Puritan RevolutionB. the second Magna CartaC. the Long ParliamentD. the Anglican War39. Australia has always been a continent with few people mainly because_________A. Australia is too far away from EuropeB. Australia is the least mountainous and most level of the world's continentsC. Australia is separated from the rest of the world by seasD. Most of the continent is hot and dry40.______ came into the throne at the age of 25 and reined the country for 45years while remaining single.A. Elizabeth IB. Elizabeth IIC. MaryD. Victoria41. When was the referendum on Quebec's future status held in Canada?A. 1994.B. 1995.C. 1996.D. 1997.42. The goal of Roosevelt's New Deal was _________.A. to save the American economic and political systemB. to get America out of the depressionC. to weaken monopoly interests in AmericaD. to strengthen the power of the president43. London's Metropolitan Police Force is directly under the control ofA. the Lord ChancellorB. the Home SecretaryC. the Attorney GeneralD. the Prime Minister44. In area, the United States is the _________largest country in the weA. 2ndB. 3rdC. 4thD. 5th45. The Black Death, which ravaged England in 1348-1349, carried off______.A. three fourths of the populationB. one fourth of the populationC. one fifth of the populationD. one half of the population.46. What is the most important economic activity in CanadaA. Manufacturing.B. Farming.C. Mining.D. Forestry47. The Backbone of North America refers to the _________.A. Appalachian MountainsB. Rocky MountainsC. Cascade MountainsD. Sierra Nevada Mountains48. Apart from a break during the Second World War, the BBC has been providing regular television broadcasts since _________.A. 1935B. 1936C. 1937D. 193849. In the 1960s pop music underwent a revolution when _________ became famous and turned their hometown of Liverpool into a place of pilgrimageA. the Beach BoysB. the Rolling StoneC. the AnimalsD. the Beatles50. The principal author of The Declaration of Independence was_______.A. Benjamin FranklinB. George WashingtonC. Thomas JeffersonD. John Adams51. Who is chiefly responsible for education in the US?A. The federal government.B. The state governmentC. The county government.D. The Ministry of Education52. Which of the following is NOT a national daily newspaper?A. Financial TimesB. The GuardC.The TimesD. The Observer53. The longest river in Britain is the _________.A. SevernB. ThamesC. ClydeD. Tees.54.Christopher Columbus who first discovered the New Continent came from_________. .A. EnglandB. IrelandC. Spain D Italy55. Which day is Lincoln's Birthday?A. February 12.B. February 22.C. July 4.D. October 12.56. In the United Kingdom, the party, which wins the _______ number of seatsin the House of Commons, becomes the official opposition.A. largestB. second largestC. third largestD. fourth largest57. At first, Australia was settled by the British as a colony_____.A. to receive free settlersB. to supply Britain with wool and foodC. to receive convicts from BritainD. to expand the British imperial power58. The emblem of the Democratic Party isA. elephantB. donkeyC. bearD. bull59. The Mississippi, which is sometimes called _________, has played a vital role in the history of the United States.A. "Old Man River"B. "Moon River"C. "Old Father River"D. "Mother of the United States"60. The last one of the 13 colonies was______ , which was established in 1733A. North CarolinaB. South CarolinaC. GeorgiaD. Maryland61. Australia is located in _________.A. the southern hemisphereB. the northern hemispher(C. the Atlantic OceanD. the Arctic62. Nearly _________ of the land in Canada has no permanent populationA. 68%B. 79%C. 89%D. 98%63. The election of _________made Margaret Thatcher to power and she became the first woman Prime Minister.A. 1979B. 1980C. 1982D. 199264. The Canada Council mainly concerns with _________.A. art . education C. business D. diplomacy65. Of all the symbols, which are considered to representfertility and new lifeare most frequently associated with Easter?A. The pumpkin and the turkey.B. The lamb and the beef.C. The spring peas and the potatoes.D. The egg and the rabbit.66. To its full sense, the British Parliament consists of _________.A. the House of Lords and the House of CommonsB. the House and the SenateC. the Queen and the House of LordsD. the Sovereign, the House of Lords and the House of Commons67. The United States has less than 6% of the world's population; yet it produces about _________ of the total world output.A. 20%B. 25%C. 30%D. 35%68. Which is NOT a British News Agency?A. ReutersB. The Press Association LtdC. AFX News LtdD. United Press International69. The US formally entered the Second World War in ________.A. 1937B. 1939C. 1941D. 194370.JWhen Oliver Cromwell died in 1658, and was succeededby his soithe regime began immediately to collapse.A. HenryB. HamiltonC. RichardD. Charles71. Which of the following statements is NOT true about the National Health Service in Britain?A. It provides for every resident a full range of medical services.B. It is administered by the local government.C. It was established in 1948.D. It is based on the principle that there should be a full range of publicly provided services designed to help the individual stay healthy.72. The tenure of office of federal judges is _________ in U. S.A. 4 years longB. for lifeC. 8 years longD. 5 years long73. In America, the three biggest newspapers are of the following EXCEPTA. New York TimesB. Reader's DigestC. Washington PostD. Los Angels Times74. Natural gas was discovered in _________ in Britain.A. English ChannelB. Irish SeaC. Lake Noah75. For electoral purposes Britain is divided into 651 constituencies, each of which returns __ to the House of Commons.A. one memberB. two membersC. three membersD. four members76. Sears Tower is in _________.A. BostonB. New YorkC. ChicagoD. Los Angeles77. Britain was by 1830 the "workshop of the world" because of _________.A. agricultural revolutionB. industrial revolutionC. colonial expansionD. invention of steam engine78. The typical organizational pattern for elementary and secondary schools in the United States is that of_________.A. classified schoolsB. vocational schoolsC. graded schoolsD. public schools79. With regard to its size, Australia is _________ country in the world.A. the third largestB. the fourth largestC. the fifth largest80. China and America established diplomatic relations in January _________.A. 1972B. 1976C. 1978D. 1979.81 _______ is the home of golf.A. EnglandB. ScotlandC. WalesD. Ireland 82．In the United States, the first largest immigration movement took place _______.A. right after the War of IndependenceB. in the mid-1810sC. at the turn of the 20th centuryD. right after the Civil War83. Where do the majority of people in Scotland live?A. In the Highlands.B. In the central Lowlands.C. In the Uplands.D. In the west of Scotland.84. Rock-and-roll in the early 1960s in the United States was music for _________.A. teenagersB. black audienceC. white adult audienceD. people of all ages85. Two main tiers of local authority through Enplane] and Wales are: _________A. counties and the smaller districtsB. states and countiesC. states and provincesD. provinces and towns86. The financial, manufacturing and transportation center of the United State'A. New YorkB. Washington D.C.C. PhiladelphiaD. Chicago87. In Britain, children from the age of 5 to 16 ________ .A. can legally receive partly free educationB. can legally receive completely free educationC. can not receive free education at allD. can not receive free education if their parents are rich88. In the U. S. , Constitutional Amendment can go into effect after it is approvedby________.A. a two-thirds vote of both housesB. three-fourths of the statesC. two-third of the statesD. half of the states89. The most famous leaders of black movements in the U. S. were _________.A. DouglasB. Martin Luther KingC. Malcolm XD. Garrison90. The real power of the British government lies in _________.A. the House of CommonsB. the cabinet headed by the Prime MinisterC. the Prime MinisterD. the Queen91. Most of the colleges and universities in the U. S. are located _________.A. in only 5 or 6 states along the Atlantic coastB. in the SouthC. in states with a large populationD. along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts92.Britain became a world leader in ______during the middle of the 19th century.A. iron and steel industryB. textile industryC. shipbuildingD. farming93. What forms a natural boundary between Mexico and the United States?A. The Rio Grande River.B. The southern Rocky Mountains.C. The Colorado River.D. The Gulf of California.94. The Bill of Rights was introduced by _____.A. JeffersonB. WashingtonC. James MadisonD. John Adams95. The Great Barrier Reef is included on the World Heritage listbecause it has______.A. the most beautiful seascape in the worldB. the greatest number of islands in the worldC. the most diverse and complex marine life in the worldD. the longest coast in the world96. The two very important crops in Britain are _________.A. barley and cornB. wheat and riceC. barley and oatsD. wheat and barley97. Canada and _________share a 6,378-kilometer boundary.A. United StatesB. MexicoC. FranceD. Spain98. Compulsory education extends from _____ years old in Britain.A. 5 to 15B. 5 to l6C. 6 to 16D. 6 to 1799. The first President was ___ in American history.A. George WashingtonB. Abraham LincolnC. Thomas JeffersonD. Andrew Jackson100.Edinburgh is the capital of________.A. EnglandB. ScotlandC. WalesD. Northern Ireland 101. Church of England archbishops andbishops are appointed by _________.A. the Prime MinisterB. the Lord ChancellorC. the MonarchD. the Parliament102. Reuters was founded in _________.A. 1715B. 1751C. 1851D. 1815 103. When the president of the U. S. signs an act passed by Congress into law, it still can be cancelled if_________.A. the lower federal court decides that it goes against previous lawsB. the Supreme Court decides that it goes against previous lawsC. the lower federal court decides it is unconstitutionalD. the Supreme Court decides it is unconstitutional104.Where is the chief agricultural land in Britain".A. In the east and southeastB. In the northeastC. In the southD. In the north105. The following are the factors that have contributed to the development U. S. economy EXCEPT _________.A. the vast space and resources of the landB. the ideals of freedom and economic opportunityC. English as its national languageD. hard work by the people106. Which branch of the American government has the power of final interpretationof the constitution?A. The Supreme Court.B. The PresidentC. The House of RepresentativesD. The Senate.107. The Tower of London, a historical sight, located in the center of London,was built by _________.A. King HaroldB. Robin HoodC. Oliver CromwellD. William the Conqueror108. The United States is _________.A. the most populous country in the worldB. the second most populous country in the worldC. the third most populous country in the worldD. the fourth most populous country in the world109. The Royal National Eisteddfod is a(n)_________ festival of poetry, muother arts.A. EnglishB. ScottishC. WelshD. Irish110. _________is the favored language of Irish nationalists who wish to preserve cultural apartness from Britain.A. EnglishB. IrishC. FrenchD. Celtic111. The largest city in Canada is _________.A. VancouverB. OttawaC. TorontoD. Montreal112. The cultivated land in the U. S. makes up _________ of the total land.A. 21%B. 31%C. 41%D. 51%113. All the following universities are located in New England EXCEPT_____.A. YaleB. HarvardC. MITD. Berkeley114. Which of the following is NOT in the east part of U. S.A.?A. Massachusetts.B. Maine.C. North Carolina.D. Louisiana.115. Richard Nixon resigned in 1974 because of _________.A. the Great DepressionB. the Black Power MovementC. the Watergate ScandalD. his Isolation policy116. On which day is Halloween celebrated?A. 5 November.B. 31 October.C. 17 March.D. 25 December. 117. In Australia, April 25th is known as _________.A. Australia DayB. Independence DayC. Anzac DayD. ANZUS118. _______has the world's oldest written constitution.A. AmericanB. CanadaC. EnglandD. Australia119. Which of the following is NOT considered a characteristic of London?A. The cultural center.B. The business center.C. The financial center.D. The sports center. 120. Where is the international tennis championships held?A. Wembley.B. Wimbledon.C. St. Andrews.D. Clapham. 121. Mauna Loa, the world's largest active volcano, is located in _________.A. HawaiiB. AlaskaC. TexasD. the Arctic 122. ____is the largest city in Australia and is one of the world's greatest sea ports.A. SydneyB. MelbourneC. BrisbaneD. Perth 123. The origins of the most Canadians are _________.A. the EskimosB. IndiansC. BritishD. French 124.Which of the countries doesn't recognize Britain's monarch, Queen Elizabeth II as Head of State?A. Canada.B. Australia.C. New Zealand.D. United States. 125._______ is America's most important food crop.A. CornB. WheatC. RiceD. Barley126. The headquarter of the United Nations is located in _________.A. Washington D. C.B. GenevaC. New YorkD. Boston127. Which of the following is not a top American magazine?A. Reader's DigestB. USA TodayC. TV GuideD. National Geographic 128. Among the Great Lakes, which one is entirely in the United States?A. Lake SuperiorB. Lake MichiganC. Lake HuronD. Lake Erie129. The Gilded Age, borrowing the title of an 1873 novel by Mark Twain, to _________.A. the years between the Civil War and the start of the 20th centuryB. the years before the Civil WarC. the years after the 1920sD. the years between 1873 and the Second World War130. Many aspects of Australia are similar to those of Britain EXCEPT___A. languageB. system of governmentC. the Australian flagD. plants and animals131. During World War II, the leaders of the United States, _________ an met three times.A. CanadaB. AustraliaC. the Soviet UnionD. China132. _____is America's leading center of heavy industry.A. The MidwestB. The NortheastC. The American SouthD. Pacific Coast133. It was during _________reign that the name Great Britain came into bA. Mary'sB. Anne'sC. James 11'sD. Oliver Cromwell134. In Canada, laws must be passed by both Houses and signed by ____A. the Governor-GeneralB. the Prime MinisterC. Queen Elizabeth IID. Head of the Supreme Court135. With the greatest concentration of colleges and universities, _______is producing the highly skilled labor.A. New YorkB. ChicagoC. BostonD. Atlanta136. _________ is a national symbol in New Zealand.A. The kiwiB. KangarooC. A unique flowerD. Koala137. New Zealand is sometimes called the world's biggest farm. It is the world’s largest exporter of _________.A. beefB. lamb and mutton.G. wheat D. corn138. Which of the following is NOT true for Canadian Prime Minister?A. He sits in the House of Commons.B. He is one member of the cabinet.C. He is elected every 4 years.D. He is the leader of the majority party.139. One of the most far-reaching consequences of the Second World War brought to Britain was that _________.A. it hastened the end of Britain's empireB. it made the country fall into economic depressionC. it stimulated the development of the countryD. it made the country become the world's leading country140. The original New Zealand residents are _______.A. EskimosB. MaorisC. IndiansD. Inuits 141. Valentine's Day on February 14 is a day _________.A. for family unionB. for university studentsC. to memorize those killed by the Roman EmperorD. for lovers142. In 1801, ________became the first president to be inaugurated in Washington D. C.A. Thomas JeffersonB. George WashingtonC. LincolnD. John Adams143. The largest city in New Zealand is _________.A. AucklandB. WellingtonC. ChristchurchD. Dunedin 144. The 50th state in America is ________.A. AlaskaB. TexasC. HawaiiD. Rhode Island145. _______birthday is a great event in Britain since it marks the beginning of full manhood or womanhood.A. The twenty-firstB. The eighteenthC. The nineteenthD. The twentieth146. In 1620, 201 Pilgrims, to escape religious persecution, sailed to the New World in a ship called Mayflower. They arrived at _________.A. New YorkB. GeorgiaC. VirginiaD. Plymouth147. In Australia, the Constitution can be changed only by____A. referendumB. British QueenC. the Prime MinisterD. the Supreme Court148. _________ is the eldest of Australian parties.A. The Liberal Party of AustraliaB. The Australian Labor Party (ALP)C. The National Party of AustraliaD. The Australian Democrats149. Which of the following is NOT one of the most populous states in America? A. California B. Texas C. Florida D. Arizona 150. Which of the following is a famous magazine in Australia?A. The AgeB. The Australian Financial ReviewC. The Australian Woman's WeeklyD. The Sydney Morning HeraldKey:1.D2.B3.B4.B5.A6.B7.D8.B9.D10.C11.C 12. C 13.A 14.B 15.D 16. A 17. D 18.C 19.D 20. C 21. C 22.D 23. C 24. B 25. A 26.D 27. B 28. A 29. C 30. B31.D 32. A 33. A 34. A 35. D 36. C 37. D 38. A 39. D 40. A 41.B 42. B 43. B44.C 45.D 46. A 47. B 48. B49.D 50. C51. B 52. D 53. A 54. D 55. A 56.B 57.C 58.B. 59.A 60.C61. A 62. C 63. A 64. A 65.D 66.D 67. B 68.D 69. C 70. C71.B 72.B 73.B 74.D 75.A 76.C 77. B 78.C 79. D 80. D81. B 82. B 83. B 84. A 85. A 86. A 87. B 88.B 89. B90. B91.D 92. C 93. A 94. C 95. C 96. D 97. A 98.B 99. A 100. B 101.C 102. C103.D 104. A 105. C 106. A 107. D l08 C 109. C 110. B 111.C 112.A 113.D114.D 115.C 116.B 117.C118. A119.D 120.B 121 A 122 B 123 C124D 125 B126. C 127. B 128. B 129. A 130. D 131. C132 A 133. B134. A 135. C 136.A 137.B138.C 139. A 140.B 141.D 142.A 143.A 144.C 145.A146. D 147. A 148. B 149.D 150. C。
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08年英语专业八级全真试题(5)TEXT DThe law firm Patrick worked for before he died filed for bankruptcy protection a year after his funeral. After his death, the firms letterhead properly included him: Patrick S. Lanigan, 1954-1992. He was listed up in the right-hand corner, just above the paralegals. Then the rumors got started and wouldnt stop. Before long, everyone believed he had taken the money and disappeared. After three months, no one on the Gulf Coast believed that he was dead. His name came off the letterhead as the debts piled up.The remaining partners in the law firm were still together, attached unwillingly at the hip by the bondage of mortgages and the bank notes, back when they were rolling and on the verge of serious wealth. They had been joint defendants in several unwinnable lawsuits; thus the bankruptcy. Since Patricks departure, they had tried every possible way to divorce one another, but nothing would work. Two were raging alcoholics who drank at the office behind locked doors, but nevertogether. The other two were in recovery, still teetering on the brink of sobriety.He took their money. Their millions. Money they had already spent long before it arrived, as only lawyers can do. Money for their richly renovated office building in downtown Biloxi. Money for new homes, yachts, condos in the Caribbean. The money was on the way, approved,the papers signed, orders entered; they could see it, almost touch it when their dead partner—Patrick—snatched it at the last possible second.He was dead. They buried him on February 11, 1992. They had consoled the widow and put his rotten name on their handsome letterhead. Yet six weeks later, he somehow stole their money.They had brawled over who was to blame. Charles Bogan, the firms senior partner and its iron hand, had insisted the money be wired from its source into a new account offshore, and this made sense after some discussion. It was ninety million bucks, a third of which the firm would keep, and it would be impossible to hide that kind of money in Biloxi, population fifty thousand. Someone at the bank would talk. Soon everyone would know. All four vowed secrecy, even as they made plans to display as much of their new wealth as possible. There had even been talk of a firm jet, a six-seater.So Bogan took his share of the blame. At forty-nine, he was the oldest of the four, and, at the moment, the most stable. He was also responsible for hiring Patrick nine years earlier, and for this he had received no small amount of grief.Doug Vitrano, the litigator, had made the fateful decision to recommend Patrick as the fifth partner. The other three had agreed, and when Patrick Lanigan was added to the firm name, he had access to virtually every file in the office. Bogan, Rapley, Vitrano, Havarac, andLanigan, Attorneys and Counselors-at-Law. A large ad in the yellow pages claimed “Specialists in Offshore Injuries.” Specialists or not, like most firms they would take almost anything if the fees were lucrative. Lots of secretaries and paralegals. Big overhead, and the strongest political connections on the Coast.They were all in their mid- to late forties. Havarac had been raised by his father on a shrimp boat. His hands were still proudly calloused, and he dreamed of choking Patrick until his neck snapped. Rapley was severely depressed and seldom left his home, where he wrote briefs in a dark office in the attic.26. What happened to the four remaining lawyers after Patricks disappearance?A. They all wanted to divorce their wives.B. They were all heavily involved in debts.C. They were all recovering from drinking.D. They had bought new homes, yachts, etc.27. Which of the following statements contains a metaphor?A. His name came off the letterhead as the debts piled up.B. …they could see it, almost touch it when their dead partner……C. …, attached unwillingly at the hip by the bondage of mortgages……D. …, and for this he had received no small amount of grief.28. According to the passage, what is the main cause of Patrick stealing the money?A. Patrick was made a partner of the firm.B. The partners agreed to have the money transferred.C. Patrick had access to all the files in the firm.D. Bogan decided to hire Patrick nine years earlier.29. The lawyers were described as being all the following EXCEPTA. greedy.B. extravagantC. quarrelsome.D. bad-tempered.30. Which of the following implies a contrast?A. …, and it would be impossible to hide that kind of money in Biloxi, population fifty thousand.B. They had been joint defendants in several unwinnable lawsuits; thus the bankruptcy.C. There had even been talk of a firm jet, a six-seater.D. His name came off the letterhead as the debts piled up.。