113月月中级口译笔试真题答案(阅读缺)

3月上海中级口译考试真题及答案解析Talks and ConversationsDirections: In this part of the test, you will hear several short talks and conversations. After each of these, you will hear a few questions. Listen carefully, because you will hear the talk or conversation and the questions ONLY ONCE. When you hear a question, read the four answer choices and choose the best answer to that question. Then write the letter of the answer you have chosen in the corresponding space in your ANSWER BOOKLET.Question 11—14M: I love this car; I think it’s really cool. It’s called the clean car.W: Where is it made?M: It was produced in Sweden. It was designed in Italy. The engine of the vehicle runs on electricity which is generated by water.W: so the fuel is plain H2O? Fantastic!M: this car was made for the city. It can be parked in a small space and it reaches a maximum speed of 80 kilometers per hour.W: It looks very light. What’s it made of?M : It is made of a special metal which is being used for airplanes and space shuttles.W: And what’s the price of the clean car?M : That’s the only problem. It’s still rather expansive.11. What is the man and the woman talking about?12. Where is the vehicle produced?13. Which of the following is true about the vehicle?14. What is the only problem with the vehicle?【解析】本对话讨论的是一种以新能源供能的汽车。

2014年秋季中级口译笔试真题阅读部分解析来源：昂立老师博客发布时间：2014-09-17热门推荐：·2015年上海基础、中高级口译考试培训正在招生查看详细课程阅读部分是英语中级口译笔试重要部分之一，考生在备考的时候应该练习过很多阅读试题，对大家来说关键是词汇量和理解能力问题。

2014年9月上海中级口译考试已于前两天结束，考生都希望在第一时间了解自己的考试成绩。

小编为各位考生整理了2014年秋季中级口译真题阅读部分，内容丰富，并且有针对性，供大家参考学习使用。

Question 1-51. Wild claims on labels of worthless medicines are much less frequent than there were years ago. But some over-the-counter drugs are still being promoted by tall stories, sometimes told in booklets or through advertising rather than on the label. //2. One tall story is that every American today suffers from a vitamin or mineral deficiency and needs vitamin supplements. This isn’t so. Vitamins and minerals are plentiful in our food supply. Eating a variety of foods makes it almost certain that you will get a full amount of these nutrients.3. Infants, pregnant women, the sick or convalescent and those who are dieting may need special supplements. But the family physician is the best authority on what vitamin supplements are needed.4. If your doctor does recommend supplements, take the suggested does —no more. Some people take or give vitamins on the principle that if a little is good, twice as much is better. Excessive doses of certain vitamins are known to be toxic.5. If you are overweight, don’t fall for a formula that promises you a slim, trim figure without dieting or calorie counting. To reduce, you must consume fewer calories than you use up in daily living. If calories are not used in producing heat or energy, they are stored to build fat. If you need to lose only a few pounds, you can probably work out your own diet. But if you need to lose many pounds, have your doctor plan a diet for you. Crash diets can break down your health, not your weight.6. Beware of cosmetics that make exaggerated claims or promises. There are no quick or easy cures for acne. Acne is a complex disease caused by a combination of factors. No cream that comes from a drugstore can cure it.7. Don’t trust any cream or gadget that promises to give you curves where you want them, or take them from where they are not wanted. Any cream that could do this would not be safe to use and there are no gadgets that are effective for spot reducing. The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act protects the consumer by prohibiting any statements on labels or packages that are false or misleading.1. What would be the best title for the passage?A. Nutrient DeficiencyB. Exaggerated ClaimsC. Food SupplementsD. Calorie Consumption2. Vitamin supplements may be recorded by____A. the elderlyB. the handicappedC. teenagersD. people on diets3. The phrase “fall for”(para 5) is closest in meaning to_____A. count onB. settle forC. turn downD. work out4. The author warns in the passage that acne______A. is the disease caused by a vitamin deficiencyB. is incurable by any cream from a drugstoreC. will break down health if left untreatedD. will not respond to any known treatment5. According to the passage, overstatements about products_____A. are prohibited by lawB. are made through advertisingC. are printed on parcels and packagesD. are currently few and far between文章难度：★★☆☆☆字数：370点评：本篇是关于健康类的文章，题目类型多样，但总体难度不大。

上海市英语中级口译证书第二阶段考试试题集锦(201009)口语题Directions:Talk on the following topic for at least 3 minutes. Be sure to make your points clear and supporting details adequate. You should also be ready to answer any questions raised by the examiners during your talk. You need to have your name and registration number recorded. Start your talk with “My name is…”，”My registration number is…”Topic: Can shopping vouchers increase consumption?Questions for Reference:1.To stimulate consumption, which is more effective, tax reduction or shoppingvouchers?2.What are the major purposes of issuing shopping vouchers?3.In what way can the shopping vouchers best be distributes? Shall every citizenbe given the same amount of shopping vouchers or should the vouchers be limited to the lower-income people only?口译题Part ADirections: In this part of the test, you will hear 2 passages in English. After you heard each paragraph, interpret it into Chinese. Start interpreting at the signal…and stop it at the signal…You may take notes while you are listening. Remember you will hear the passages ONLY ONCE. Now let’s begin Part A with the first passage.Passage 1As for us Americans, you may think that we give too much importance to individualism and personal gains, so much so that it might sacrifice collective benefits, and even bring harm to the harmony of the society.//Yes, but you don’t have to be worried. American work ethic is more individual-oriented. We often value the results and accomplishments of work more than its process.//If I am not mistaken, the traditional Chinese work ethic is based on Confucianism, which stresses the benefit of communal harmony rather than individual freedom.// It’s really very hard to say which is better because if the cultural differences. With the economic globalization, cultural exchanges have become more and more extensive and Americans and Chinese will know and understand each other better.至于我们美国人，你们会感到我们太看重个人主义，太看重个人利益，这样可能会牺牲集体的利益，甚至会损害社会的和谐。

1103 中口单句理解语气判断1. This report is urgent. I have to finish typing it by Monday morning, so there goesmy sleep this weekend.1. (A) I‟d like to make an appointment Monday morning.(B) I must finish typing before going to bed.(C) I have to work overtime this weekend.(D) I decide to sleep this weekend away.在周一前要完成报告，因而周末需要加班。

习惯表达2. What this office needs is better sound-proofing. I can‟t concentrate here with all that traffic passing by on the street below.2. (A) I am interested in the vehicles on the street.(B) I don‟t want to complain ab out the noise here.(C) The noise of traffic disturbs my work.(D) Traffic never stops passing by.关键词:sound-proofing(声音改善),因为traffic太吵闹.习惯表达3. Learning a language is a laborious process, and adjusting to this subtle cultural differences require much more time and patience than anyone can imagine.3. (A) It requires imagination in learning a language.(B) It takes time and effort to learn a language.(C) The cultural differences are more important.(D) Learning a language can be easier than anyone thinks.学习语言是一个laborious的过程，因此需要时间和耐心。

2011年上海口译考试中级口译笔试（全真试题+答案）完整版SECTION 1: LISTENING TEST(45 minutes)Part A: Spot DictationDirections: In this part of the test, you will hear a passage and read the same passage with blanks in it. Fill in each of the blanks with the word or words you have heard on the tape. Write your answer in the corresponding space in your ANSWER BOOKLET. Remember you will hear the passage ONL Y ONCE.British people are far more sophisticated about beverages than they were 50 years ago. Witness the Starbucks revolution and you’ll know where ___________ (1) goes. However, spurred on by recent studies suggesting that it can cut the risk of ___________ (2) and retard the aging process, tea is enjoying a ___________ (3).Although tea is available in more places than ever, it remains to be _____________ (4) of a typical British family.If you are invited to an English home, _____________ (5) in the morning you get a cup of tea. It is either brought in by a heartily _____________ (6) or an almost malevolently silent maid. When you are _____________ (7) in your sweetest morning sleep you must not say: ‘Go away, you _____________ (8).’ On the contrary, you have to declare with your best five o’clock smile: ‘Thank you very much. I _____________ (9) a cup of tea, especially in the morning.’ If they leave you alone with the liquid you may pour it _____________ (10)!Then you have ___________ (11); then you have tea at 11 o’clock in the morning; _____________ (12); then you have tea for tea; then after supper; and agai n at eleven o’clock _____________ (13).You must not refuse any additional cups of tea under the _____________ (14): if it is hot; if it is cold; if you are _____________ (15); if you are nervous; if you are watching TV; _____________ (16); if you have just returned home; if you feel like it; if you do not feel like it; if you have had no tea ______________ (17); if you have just had a cup.You definitely must not ______________ (18). I sleep at five o’clock in the morning; I have coffee for breakfast; I drink innumerable _____________ (19) during the day; I have the _____________ (20) even at tea-time!Part B: Listening Comprehension1. StatementsDirections: In this part of the test, you will hear several short statements. These statements will be spoken ONL Y ONCE, and you will not find them written on the paper; so you must listen carefully. When you hear a statement, read the answer choices and decide which one is closest in meaning to the statement you have heard. Then write the letter of the answer you have chosen in the corresponding space in your ANSWER BOOKLET.1. (A) The program on Channel Eight reminds me of TV commercials.(B) The product advertised in the TV commercial cannot help cure my illness.(C) I don’t watch TV that much, be cause of the omnipresent advertisements.(D) I have to sit on the sofa, because I am too sick to stand in front of the television.2. (A) The plane arrived at 7:30.(B) The plane arrived at 8:00.(C) The plane arrived at 9:00.(D) The plane arrived at 10:00.3. (A) I’ll ask someone else to read and check this agreement for errors.(B) I’ll think more about the agreement before making a decision.(C) It’s obvious that I’ll discuss the agreement with my assistant first.(D) It’s out of que stion that I should get into any agreement with you.4. (A) The better members decided to cancel the meeting.(B) Less than half of the committee was away on business trips.(C) It’d be better if no one had attended this morning’s committee meeting..(D) The meeting was cancelled because of low attendance.5. (A) Supermarkets in the inner city and the suburbs are usually owned by the same company.(B) Products in grocery stores are more expensive than those in supermarkets.(C) There is a price difference for the same product even in shops run by the same company.(D) People prefer to shop in supermarkets, which are mostly located in the suburbs, with free parking space.6. (A) Many Americans cannot afford higher education because of the soaring college tuition fees and expenses.(B) Sending their children to college is no longer a bigger challenge for millions of Americans.(C) The American government has set the goal that it will eventually stop funding higher education institutions.(D) Nowadays, American parents have to pay more to send their children to college.7. (A) For many university graduates, the jobs they take will not be related to their academic achievements.(B) Because of economic recession, the number of university students majoring in liberal arts is declining.(C) University students who are interested in liberal arts will have more job opportunities upon graduation.(D) With high unemployment rate, many university students will have to opt for transferring to other majors.8. (A) Good business negotiators will never repeat what other people have already restated.(B) Restating by good business negotiators is not an effective way to check the information.(C) Good business negotiators are sometimes curiou s about other people’s restatements.(D) Restating what others have said is a good strategy for confirming understanding.9. (A) We cannot reach an agreement, let alone a spoken promise.(B) We’d better draft and then sign a written agreement.(C) We generally keep our promises in business transactions.(D) We hope you understand why we are unable to keep our promises.10. (A) I don’t think you have more to say on that topic.(B) I think we’d better talk about that in detail sometime later.(C) I am truly appreciative if you can elaborate on that topic after lunch.(D) I am busy right now, so we might as well discuss it over lunch today2. Talks and ConversationsDirections: In this part of the test, you will hear several short talks and conversations After each of these, you will hear a few questions. Listen carefully because you will hear the talk or conversation and questions ONL Y ONCE. When you hear a question, read the four choices and choose the best answer to that question. Then write the letter of the answer you have chosen in the corresponding space in your ANSWER BOOKLET.Questions 11—1411. (A) Two (B) Three (C) Four (D) Five12. (A) A profit-making private school.(B) A non-profit-making independent school.(C) A state school that is funded by non-governmental sources.(D) A secondary school that is open to the majority of British students.13. (A) Many children are no longer placed in schools according to their academic abilities.(B) Many children can afford to study in private schools, as they become part of the state system.(C) Children from wealthy families no longer choose to go and study in public schools.(D) Cleverer children will be sent to the best private schools in the country for a better development.14. (A) Clever and less bright children will mix well with each other.(B) School authorities will receive more funds from the government.(C) Most students will do well in their entrance examination for the higher education.(D) Every child will have an equal opportunity to go on to higher education.Questions 15—1815. (A) One that is unabridged with detailed definitions.(B) One that contains fewer words and emphasizes on special words.(C) One that contains a broad range of words in common usage.(D) One that spans several volumes and has extensive word histories16. (A) The New Oxford Picture Dictionary(B) The American Heritage Dictionary(C) The Dictionary of Legal Terms(D) The Drinking Water Dictionary17. (A) It lists abbreviations, proper nouns, and tables of measures.(B) It is an unabridged edition providing as many as 500,000 entries.(C) It was randomly compiled and contains as many foreign words as possible.(D) It provides detailed information of famous people and places.18. (A) A school dictionary. (B) A college dictionary.(C) A general dictionary. (D) A specialized dictionary.Questions 19—2219. (A) He’s bought his wife a present. (B) He’s missed an important phone call.(C) He’s dismissed his new secretary. (D) He’s popped out shopping.20. (A) Talking about the latest fashion.(B) Offering special reductions.(C) Giving bigger discounts to female customers.(D) Pressing on the customer to make a decision.21. (A) Upside down and inside out. (B) Inside out and back to front.(C) With its sleeves as trouser legs. (D) With its pattern upside down.22. (A) A V-necked pullover with short sleeves.(B) A high-necked pullover with long sleeves.(C) A white pullover with a pattern.(D) A blue pullover with a high neck.Questions 23—2623. (A) That of a creator. (B) That of a re-creator.(C) That of a receiver. (D) That of a performer.24. (A) Because we need to concentrate for our quiet thought.(B) Because we want to give full attention to the driving.(C) Because we try to avoid being caught by the patrolling police.(D) Because we intend to be as casual as possible in the driving.25. (A) In the elevator. (B) In the car.(C) In the bathroom. (D) In the church.26. (A) By perceptive and analytical listening.(B) By taking a sonic bath.(C) By attending classical concerts.(D) By listening to an emotional piece of music.Questions 27—3027. (A) His grandfather’s house. (B) His parents’ remarks.(C) A magazine. (D) A coursebook.28. (A) Enjoying visiting zoos. (B) Driving a car.(C) Making money. (D) Taking kids to a museum.29. (A) It died a few years ago. (B) It killed several tourists.(C) It is only a legend. (D) It is a living dinosaur.30. (A) No one has provided an accurate description of the animal.(B) No dead bodies of the animal have ever been found.(C) There are only 500 species living in Loch Ness.(D) The lake is not deep enough for such a huge animal.SECTION 2: STUDY SKILLS(45 minutes)Directions: In this section, you will read several passages. Each passage is followed by several questions based on its content. You are to choose ONE best answer, (A), (B), (C) or (D), to each question. Answer all the questions following each passage on the basis of what is stated or implied in that passage and write the letter of the answer you have chosen in the corresponding space in your ANSWER BOOKLET.Questions 1—5The purpose of the American court system is to protect the rights of the people. According to American law, if someone is accused of a crime, he or she is considered innocent until the court proves that the person is guilty. In other words, it is the responsibility of the court to prove that a person is guilty. It is not the responsibility of the person to prove that he or she is innocent.In order to arrest a person, the police have to be reasonably sure that a crime has been committed. The police must give the suspect the reasons why they are arresting him and tell him his rights under the law. Then the police take the suspect to the police station to “book” him. “Booking means that the name of the person and the charges against him are formally listed at the police station.The next step is for the suspect to go before a judge. The judge decides whether the suspect should be kept in jail or released. If the suspect has no previous criminal record and the judge feels that he will return to court rather than run away—for example, because he owns a house and has a family—he can go free. Otherwise, the suspect must put up bail. At this time, too, the judge will appoint a court layer to defend the suspect if he can’t afford one.The suspect returns to court a week or two later. A lawyer from the district attorney’s office presents a case against the suspect. This is called a hearing. The attorney may present evidence as well as witnesses. The judge at the hearing then decides whether there is enough reason to hold a trial. If the judge decides that there is sufficient evidence to call for a trial, he or she sets a date for the suspect to appear in court to formally plead guilty or not guilty.At the trial, a jury of 12 people listens to the evidence from both attorneys and hears the testimony of the witnesses. Then the jury goes into a private room to consider the evidence and decide whether the defendant is guilty of the crime. If the jury decides that the defendant is innocent, he goes free. However, if he is convicted, the judge sets a date for the defendant to appear in court again for sentencing. At this time, the judge tells the convicted person what his punishment will be. The judge may sentence him to prison, order him to pay a fine, or place him on probation.The American justice system is very complex and sometimes operates slowly. However, every step is designed to protect the rights of the people. These individual rights are the basis, or foundation, of the American government.1. What is the main idea of the passage?(A) The American court system requires that a suspect prove that he or she is innocent.(B) The US court system is designed to protect the rights of the people.(C) Under the American court system, judge decides if a suspect is innocent or guilty.(D) The US court system is designed to help the police present a case against the suspect.2. What follows ‘in other words’ (para.1)?(A) An example of the previous sentence.(B) A new idea about the court system.(C) An item of evidence to call for a trial.(D) A restatement of the previous sentence.3. According to the passage, ‘he can go free’ (para.3) means _________.(A) the suspect is free to choose a lawyer to defend him(B) the suspect does not have to go to trial because the judge has decided he is innocent(C) the suspect will be informed by mail whether he is innocent or not(D) the suspect does not have to wait in jail or pay money until he goes to trial4. What is the purpose of having the suspect pay bail?(A) To pay for the judge and the trial.(B) To pay for a court lawyer to defend the suspect.(C) To ensure that the suspect will return to court.(D) To ensure that the suspect will appear in prison.5. According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?(A) The American justice system sometimes operates slowly.(B) The police can arrest a suspect without giving any reasons.(C) It is the responsibility of the suspect to prove he is innocent.(D) The jury considers the evidence in the court room.Questions 6—10S o you’ve got an invention—you and around 39,000 others each year, according to 2002 statistics!The 64,000-dollar question, if you have come up with a device which you believe to be the answer to the energy crisis or you’ve invented a lawnmower which cut s grass with a jet of water (not so daft, someone has invented one), is how to ensure you’re the one to reap the rewards of your ingenuity. How will all you garden shed boffins out there keep others from capitalizing on your ideas and lining their pockets at your expense?One of the first steps to protect your interest is to patent your invention. That can keep it out of the grasp of the pirates for at least the next 20 years. And for this reason inventors in their droves beat a constant trail from all over the country to the doors of an anonymous grey-fronted building just behind London’s Holborn to try and patent their devices.The first ‘letters patent’ were granted as long ago as 1449 to a Flemish craftsman by the name of John Utynam. The letters, written in Latin, are still on file at the office. They were granted by King Henry VI and entitled Utynam to ‘import into this country’ his knowledge of making stained glass windows in order to install such windows at Eton College.Present-day patents procedure is a more sophisticated affair than getting a go-ahead note from the monarch. These days the strict procedures governing whether you get a patent for your revolutionary mouse-trap or solar-powered back-scratcher have been reduced to a pretty exact science.From start to finish it will take around two and a half years and cost £165 for the inventor to gain patent protection for his brainchild. That’s if he’s lucky. By no means all who apply to the Patent Office, which is a branch of the Department of Trade, get a patent.A key man at the Patent Office is Bernard Partridge, Principal Examiner (Administration), who boils down to one word the vital ingredient any inventor needs before he can hope to overcome the many hurdles in the complex procedure of obtaining a patent—‘ingenuity’.6. People take out a patent because they want to __________.(A) keep their ideas from being stolen(B) reap the rewards of somebody else’s ingenuity(C) visit the patent office building(D) come up with more new devices7. The phrase ‘the brain-children of inventors’ (para.5) means _________.(A) the children with high intelligence(B) the inventions that people come up with(C) a device that a child believes to be the answer to the energy crisis(D) a lawnmower that an individual has invented to cut grass8. What have the 1600’s machine gun and the present-day laser in common?(A) Both were approved by the monarch.(B) Both were granted by King Henry VI.(C) Both were rejected by the Department of Trade.(D) Both were patented.9. Why is John Utynam still remembered?(A) He is the first person to get a patent for his revolutionary mouse-trap.(B) He is the first person to be granted an official patent.(C) He is the first person to be an officer in the Patent Office.(D) He is the first person to have invented a lawnmower.10. According to the passage, how would you describe the complex procedure of obtaining a patent for an invention?(A) It is rather expensive(B) It is an impossible task.(C) It is extremely difficult.(D) It is very tricky..Questions 11—15All living cells on earth require moisture for their metabolism. Cereal grains when brought in from the field, although they may appear to be dry, may contain 20 per cent of moisture or more. If they are stored in a bin thus, there is sufficient moisture in them to support several varieties of insects. These insects will, therefore, live and breed and, as they grow and eat the grain, it provides them with biological energy for their life processes. This energy will, just as in man, become manifest as heat. Since the bulk of the grain acts as an insulator, the temperature surrounding the colony of insects will rise so that, not only is part of the grain spoiled by the direct attack of the insects but more may be damaged by the heat. Sometimes, the temperature may even rise to the point where the stored grain catches fire. For safe storage, grain must be dried until its moisture content is 13 per cent or less.Traditional arts of food preservation took advantage of this principle in a number of ways. The plant seeds, wheat, rye, rice, barley millet, maize, are themselves structures evolved by nature to provide stored food. The starch of their endosperm is used for the nourishment of the embryo during the time it over-winters (if it is a plant of the Temperate Zone) and until its new leaves have grown and their chlorophyll can trap energy from the sunlight to nourish the new-grown plant. The separation by threshing and winnowing is, therefore, to some degree part of a technique of food preservation.The direct drying of other foods has also been used. Fish has been dried in many parts of the world besides Africa. Slices of dried meat are prepared by numerous races. Biltong, a form of dried meat, was a customary food for travelers. The drying of meat or fish, either in the sun or over a fire, quite apart from the degree to which it exposes the food to infection by bacteria and infestation by insects, tends also to harm its quality. Proteins are complex molecular structures which are readily disrupted. This is the reason why dried meat becomes tough and can, with some scientific justification, by likened to leather.The technical process of drying foods indirectly by pickling them in the strong salt solutionscommonly called ‘brine’ does less harm to the protein than straightforward drying, particularly if this is carried out at high temperatures. It is for this reason that many of the typical drying processes are not taken to completion. That is to say, the outer parts may be dried leaving a moist inner section. Under these circumstances, preservation is only partial. The dried food keeps longer than it would have undried but it cannot be kept indefinitely. For this reason, traditional processes are to be found in many parts of the world in which a combination of partial drying and pickling in brine is used. Quite often the drying involves exposure to smoke. Foods treated in this way are, besides fish of various sorts, bacon, hams and numerous types of sausages.11. According to the passage, insects spoil stored cereals by ________.(A) consuming all the grain themselves(B) generating heat and raising the surrounding temperature(C) increasing the moisture content in the grain(D) attacking each other for more grain12. In speaking of the traditional methods of food preservation, the writer ________.(A) expresses doubts about direct smoking(B) describes salting and pickling as ineffective(C) condemns direct drying(D) mentions threshing and winnowing13. Direct drying affects the quality of meat or fish because ________.(A) it exposes them to insects(B) it makes them hard(C) it damages the protein(D) it develops bacteria14. We can learn from the passage that salting preserves food by ________.(A) destroying the protein(B) drawing away moisture from the food(C) drying the food in the sun(D) dressing the food15. According to the passage, partial drying is useful because ________.(A) it damages the protein less(B) it can be combined with pickling(C) it leaves the inside moist(D) it makes the food softQuestions 16—20We are moving inexorably into the age of automation. Our aim is not to devise a mechanism which can perform a thousand different actions of any individual man but, on the contrary, one which could by a single action replace a thousand men.Industrial automation has moved along three lines. First there is the conveyor belt system of continuous production whereby separate operations are linked into a single sequence. The goods produced by this well-established method are untouched by the worker, and the machine replaces both unskilled and semiskilled. Secondly, there is automation with feedback control of the quality of the product: here mechanisms are built into the system which can compare the output with a norm, that is, the actual product with what it is supposed to be, and then correct any shortcomings. The entire cycle of operations dispenses with human control except in so far as monitors areconcerned. One or two examples of this type of automation will illustrate its immense possibilities. There is a factory in the U.S.A. which makes 1,000 million electric light bulbs a year, and the factory employs three hundred people. If the preautomation techniques were to be employed, the labour force required would leap to 25,000. A motor manufacturing company with 45,000 spare parts regulates their entire supply entirely by computer. Computers can be entrusted with most of the supervision of industrial installations, such as chemical plants or oil refineries. Thirdly, there is computer automation, for banks, accounting departments, insurance companies and the like. Here the essential features are the recording, storing, sorting and retrieval of information.The principal merit of modern computing machines is the achievement of their vastly greater speed of operation by comparison with unaided human effort; a task which otherwise might take years, if attempted at all, now takes days or hours.One of the most urgent problems of industrial societies rapidly introducing automation is how to fill the time that will be made free by the machines which will take over the tasks of the workers. The question is not simply of filling empty time but also of utilizing the surplus human energy that will be released. We are already seeing straws in the wind: destructive outbursts on the part of youth whose work no longer demands muscular strength. While automation will undoubtedly do away with a large number of tedious jobs, are we sure that it will not put others which are equally tedious in their place? For an enormous amount of sheer monitoring will be required. A man in an automated plant may have to sit for hours on and watching dials and taking decisive action when some signal informs him that all is not well. What meaning will his occupation bear for the worker? How will he devote his free time after a four or five hour stint of labor? Moreover, what, indeed, will be the significance for him of his leisure? If industry of the future could be purged of its monotony and meaninglessness, man would then be better equipped to use his leisure time constructively.16. The main purpose of automation is _________.(A) to devise the machine which could replace the semi-skilled(B) to process information as fast as possible(C) to develop an efficient labor-saving mechanism(D) to make an individual man perform many different actions17. The chief benefit of computing machines is ________.(A) their greater speed of operation(B) their control of the product quality(C) their conveyor belt system of continuous production(D) their supervision of industrial installations18. One of the problems brought about by automation in industrial societies is _________.(A) plenty of information(B) surplus human energy(C) destructive outbursts(D) less leisure time19. Which of the following best explains the use of ‘stint’ (para.4)?(A) Effort.(B) Force.(C) Excess.(D) Period.20. According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?(A) There is no automation with feedback control of the quality of the product.(B) Computers are reliable in any supervision of industrial installations.(C) The essential features for banks are the recording and sorting of information.(D) Automation will undoubtedly eliminate numerous tedious jobs.Questions 21—25The city water pipes in Rome were usually of baked clay or lead; copper was sometimes used and also hollowed stone. For the large supply conduits leading to the city the Romans used covered channels with free water surfaces, rather than pipes. Perhaps this choice was a matter of economics, for apparently they could make lead pipes up to 15 inches in diameter. While pipes can follow the profile of undulating ground, with the pressure increasing in the lower areas, channels cannot. They must slope continuously downwards, because water in channels does not normally flow uphill; and the grade must be flat, from 1 in 60 in small channels to perhaps 1 in 3,000 in large ones, to keep the water speed down to a few feet per second. Thus the main supply channels or aqueducts had long lengths of flat grade and where they crossed depressions or valleys they were carried on elevated stone bridges in the form of tiered arches. At the beginning of the Christian era there were over 30 miles of these raised aqueducts in the 250 miles of channels and tunnels bringing water to Rome. The channels were up to 6 feet wide and 5 to 8 feet high. Sometimes channels were later added on the tops of existing ones. The remains of some of these aqueducts still grace the skyline on the outskirts of Rome and elsewhere in Europe similar ruins are found.Brick and stone drains were constructed in various parts of Rome. The oldest existing one is the Cloaca Maxima which follows the course of an old stream. It dates back at least to the third century B.C. Later the drains were used for sewage, flushed by water from the public baths and fountains, as well as street storm run-off.The truly surprising aspect of the achievements of all the ancient hydraulic artisans is the lack of theoretical knowledge behind their designs. Apart from the hydrostatics of Archimedes, there was no sound understanding of the most elementary principles of fluid behaviour. Sextus Frontinus, Rome’s water commissioner around A.D. 100, did not fully realize that in order to calculate the volume rate of flow in a channel it is necessary to allow for the speed of the flow as well as the area of cross-section. The Romans’ flow standard was the rate at which water would flow through a bronze pipe roughly 4/3 inch in diameter and 9 inches long. When this pipe was connected to the side of a water-supply pipe or channel as a delivery outlet, it was assumed that the outflow was at the standard rate. In fact, the amount of water delivered depended not only on the cross-sectional area of the outlet pipe but also on the speed of water flowing through it and this speed depended on the pressure in the supply pipe.21. The Romans used all of the following to make water pipes EXCEPT _________.(A) earth (B) wood (C) copper (D) stone22. Covered channels were used instead of pipes to supply large quantities of water probably because _________.(A) the Romans could build them more cheaply(B) these channels could follow uneven ground more easily(C) the Romans could not build large pipes。

2013年3月中级口译真题：阅读部分汇编（含解析）第二部分阅读SECTION 2: STUDY SKILLS (50 MINUTES)Direction:In this section, you will read several passages. Each one is followed by several questions about it. You are to choose ONE best answer, (A), (B), (C) or (D), to each question. Answer all the questions following each passage on the basis of what is stated or implied in that passage and write the letter of the answer you have chosen in the corresponding space in your ANSWER BOOKLET.Questions 1~5（2013年春季中级口译阅读第一篇解析）The largest animal that ever lived on land or in water still exists. Not even the giant dinosaurs were as large as some whales. One sulphur-bottom whale caught in the Antarctic was 110 feet long, and weighed between 90 and 100 tons.注:最高级和数字是阅读时关注的重点.Whales can grow to such enormous size because their bodies are supported by the water. An animal that lives on land can only grow to a size that his legs can support, while a bird's size is limited by its wing size. A whale has none of these difficulties.Millions of years ago, whales lived on land and walked on four legs. Today, whales still have small bones that are the remains of their hind legs, but these bones can only be seen on the inside of the whale. No one knows why whales left the land to live in the water. however, scientists can surmise that when the whales changed their environment, their bodies underwent a change -- taking on a more fish-like appearance. This new form. offered less resistance to the water,enabling the whales to swim faster.Despite their fish-like form, whales are not fish. A whale will drown, just as a man will, if it stays under water too long. When a whale is under water, it closes its nostrils tightly and holds its breath. The air in its lungs becomes very hot and full of water vapour. When the whale rises to the surface and exhales, its hot breath produces a column of water vapor that rises high in the air. A man produces the same effect when he exhales warm air on a cold morning.注:转折关系是阅读时需重点关注的逻辑关系,阅读重点应该在despite后面所引导的信息.Whales are classified as mammals because they bear their young, rather than laying eggs,, and because the mother whales give the babies milk. Like other mammals, whales have warm blood.Their blood stays at the same temperature, even when they move from hot to cold water. They keep warm in cold water because they have a thick layer of fat just under their skins. This fat is called blubber, and it is thicker on whales that spend their lives in cold water. Almost all land mammals, except man, have hair on their bodies to keep them warm, but whales, which have very few hairs, are kept warm by their fat.注:因果关系,转折关系并存的句子作为考点的可能性很大，需重点关注及阅读.Whales do not bear young more often than every two years. The births are usually single births, but there have been instances of whale twins Mother whales show a great deal of affection for their! young. If the baby whale is killed, the mother will stay close to it for a long time. The young grow very rapidly during their first three or four years. And, although no one is certain how long a whale lives, the normal life span is probably less than 100 years.Questions 6~10（2013年春季中口阅读第二篇解析）第二篇文章选自The New York Times.原文题目是Near Cambodia's Temple Ruins, a Devotion to Learning。

上海市英语中级口译笔试与答案.9上海市英语中级口译资格证书第一阶段考试SECTION 1：LISTENING TEST （40 minutes）Part A: Spot DictationDirections: In this part of the test, you will hear a passage and read the same passage with blanks in it. Fill in each of the blanks with the word or words you have heard on the tape. Write your answer in the corresponding space in your ANSWER BOOKLET. Remember you will hear the passage ONLY ONCE.It is common knowledge that computers can also produce something stupid, as some(1) put it, GIGO, or ’garbage in, garbage out’. This means that if inaccurate information is(2) a computer, the machine will produce the wrong information(3).The reason for this is that computers cannot think (4). For example, imagine that a computer is given the information that (5) has hour legs and that a dog has four legs. The machine might well (6) when producing a list of suggested living-room and dining-room furniture.But today, groups of (7) in the United States, Japan and Europe (8) a new type of computer. These new models will be incapable of making such (9). Instead of being programmed with lots of unrelated (10), the new computers will contain knowledge of subjects that are(11). The machines will then(12) items of information, and will be able to reject conclusions that do not (13). These new computers will already know that dogs are animals that (14), bark,wag their tails and chase other animals. By (15) with features of living-room anddining-room furniture, the computer will conclude that a dog is an (16). Even a present-day computer could(17) if given enough information and enough time. But it has to consider(18) one at a time before selecting the best. This means that it would (19) for even the most powerful computer to reach a (20).Part B: Listening ComprehensionⅠ. StatementsDirections: In this part of the test, you will hear several short statements. These statements will be spoken ONLY ONCE, and you will not find them written on the paper; so you must listen carefully. When you hear a statement, read the answer choices and decide which one is closestin meaning to the statement you have heard. Then write the letter of the answer you have chosen in the corresponding space in your ANSWER BOOKLET.1. (A) Michelle wanted to work in London.(B) Michelle quitted his job in London.(C) Michelle asked for a vacation in London.(D) Michelle transferred his money to the London branch.2. (A) Doctor Carter avoids the company of others whenever possible.(B) Doctor Carter is too busy to have a cup of coffee.(C) Doctor Carter is a quite sociable person.(D) Doctor Carter is a lonely man, according to his colleagues.3. (A) Tom checked his embarrassment.(B) Tom bounced the ball against the telephone box.(C) Tom felt embarrassed when he was askedto have a physical check.(D) Tom was embarrassed when his check was returned as worthless.4. (A) We couldn’t have opened five supermarkets there.(B) To think that we have opened only five supermarkets there.(C) We thought that you wanted to open five supermarkets there.(D) We didn’t think that five supermarkets there were quite enough.5. (A) Mrs. Green had to rush to the airport to meet the CEO from Chicago.(B) Mrs. Green refused to attend the opening ceremony in Chicago last Tuesday.(C) Mrs. Green was scheduled to see someone from Chicago last Tuesday.(D) Mrs. Green didn’t accept the CEO’s invitation to work in Chicago at last.6. (A) I’ve never been a cooperative person.。

历年英语翻译资格考试中级口译阅读部分真题出自(BEC中级)第三辑真题Next month a large group of British business people are going to America on a venture which maygenerate export earnings for their companies’ shareholders in years to come.A long list of sponsors will support the initiative, which will involve a ￡3-million media campaign and afortnight of events and exhibitions. The ultimate goal is to persuade more Americans that British companies have something to interest them.While there have been plenty of trade initiatives in the past, the ifference this time round is that considerable thinking and planning have gone into trying to work out just what it is that Americans look for in British products. Instead of exclusively promoting the major corporations, this time there is more emphasis on supporting the smaller, more unusual, niche businesses. Fresh in the memories of all those concerned is the knowledge that America has been the end of many a large and apparently successful business. For Carringtons, a retail group much respected by European customers and investors, America turned out to be a commercial disaster and the belief that they could even show some of the great American stores a retailing trick or two was hopelessly over-optimistic.Polly Brown, another very British brand that rode highfor years on good profits and huge city confidence, also found that conquering America, in commercial and retailing terms, was not as easy as it had imagined. When it positioneditself in the US as a niche, luxury brand, selling shirtsthat were priced at $40 in the UK for $125 in the States, the strategy seemed to work. But once its management decided it should take on the middle market, this success rapidlydrained away. It was a disastrous mistake and the high costof the failed American expansion plans played a large role in its declining fortunes in the mid-nineties.Sarah Scott, managing director of Smythson, the upmarket stationer, has had to think long and hard about what it takes to succeed in America and she takes it very seriouslyindeed. ’Many British fir ms are quite patronising about the US,’ she says. They think that we’re so much more sophisticated than the Americans. They obviously haven’t noticed Ralph Lauren, an American who has been much moreskilled at tapping into an idealised Englishness than any English company. Also, many companies don’t bother to study the market properly and think that because something’s successful in the UK, it’s bound to be successful over there. You have to look at what you can bring them that theyhaven’t already got. On the whole, American companies are brilliant at the mass, middle market and people who’ve tried to take them on at this level have found it very difficult.’This time round it is just possible that changing tastes are running in Britain’s favour. The enth usiasm for massive, centralised retail chains has decreased. People want things with some sort of individuality; they are fed up with the banal, middle-of-the-road taste that America does so well. They are now looking for the small, the precious, the ’real thing’, and this is precisely what many of the companies participating in the initiative do best.。

3月上海中级口译考试真题及答案解析Talks and ConversationsDirections: In this part of the test, you will hear several short talks and conversations. After each of these, you will hear a few questions. Listen carefully, because you will hear the talk or conversation and the questions ONLY ONCE. When you hear a question, read the four answer choices and choose the best answer to that question. Then write the letter of the answer you have chosen in the corresponding space in your ANSWER BOOKLET.Question 11—14M: I love this car; I think it’s really cool. It’s called the clean car.W: Where is it made?M: It was produced in Sweden. It was designed in Italy. The engine of the vehicle runs on electricity which is generated by water.W: so the fuel is plain H2O? Fantastic!M: this car was made for the city. It can be parked in a small space and it reaches a maximum speed of 80 kilometers per hour.W: It looks very light. What’s it made of?M : It is made of a special metal which is being used for airplanes and space shuttles.W: And what’s the price of the clean car?M : That’s the only problem. It’s still rather expansive.11. What is the man and the woman talking about?12. Where is the vehicle produced?13. Which of the following is true about the vehicle?14. What is the only problem with the vehicle?【解析】本对话讨论的是一种以新能源供能的汽车。

Dolphins, like whales, must surface to breathe air through a blowhole on top of their heads. Dolphins are social animals and love company. Many of them, in fact, even enj oy being around humans. It is not uncommon to hear of dolphins giving rides through the water to humans.In addition to being playful, dolphins are helpful to men. For example, as 400 B. C. the Greek poet Arion was saved from drowning by a dolphin. From then until now, dolphins have been helping swimmers who are in trouble. Swimmers, however, are not the only humans they help. In some parts of the world, they can be counted on to help men catch fish.Moreover, dolphins are very intelligent. A dolphin's brain resembles a human brain, but it is larger. Consequently, some people claim that dolphins are really smarter than men. Of course, there is no way of proving this point. Brain size is not an absolute measure of intelligence. Furthermore, measuring dolphins' intelligence in other ways is not possible since men cannot fully communicate with them. Apparently, however, dolphins communicate with each other. At any rate, they make whistling, clicking and buzzing sounds which seem to be at least a form of language. So far, however, men have not been able to figure out the communication code the dolphins use.每年春季，数以万计的中外客商云集申城，参加一年一度的华东出口品交易会。