翻译硕士考试《英语翻译基础》样题[1]

东华大学2012年硕士学位研究生招生考试试题考试科目：英语翻译基础____________答题要求：1、答题一律做在答题纸上，做在本试卷上无效2、考试时间180分钟3、本试卷不得带出考场，违者作零分处理"■■■■■■----- ~~~-~^T77JI >' ■■ ' ■_ -------------------------------------------i U-----------------------------------------------------^ITw-n r ■：-................................................j=SJ=r»y=--..-Jag»fi --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------—rr—«inn ■mv_ ■_ I. (30 points) Directions: Translate the following words, abbreviations or terminology into their target language respectively. There are altogether 30 items in this part of the test, 15 in English and 15 in Chinese, with one point for each.1. C. I. F.2.NNP3.UNESCO4.D0F5.IQ6.R. U.7.ZPG8.House Bill9. Mobil Oil Corporation10.Bill of Exchange11.Customhouse Broker12.Revocable Letter of Credit13.packed weight14.Export License15.Date of Expiration16.单价17.关税未付18.证券交易所19.输出港20.承运人21.投保金额22.石油输出国组织23.花旗银行24.运输方式25.船上交货26.交易费用27.见票即付（即期汇票）28,发展中国家29.净利润率O G O第1页/共3 !ii30.出口价格指数II. (120 points) Directions: Translate the following two source texts into their target language respectively.Source Text 1:This Contract signed in_________(month) on______(date), _______(year), by and between_____(hereinafter referred to as the “Seller” ) and_______________(hereinafter referred to as the “Buyer” ) on the other hand.The Seller shall sell and deliver to the Buyer_______________units of products eachunit to contain__________kilograms of product. The product delivered under thisAgreement sna丄丄conform to the standard specifications for the product adopted by the ___________Trade Association.The price shall be_________dollars per unit, F. 0. B__________(place).The price specified above is based on freight rates on the goods between the warehouse of the Buyer and the factory of the Seller. If such freight rates increase or decrease, the price specified shall be adjusted accordingly.Payment shall be made by net cash against sight draft with bill of lading attached showing the shipment of t.h e goods. Such payment shall be made through the--------(bank) of ------- (place). The bill of lading shall not be delivered to the Buyer until such draft is paid.If the Buyer is unable to sell out the amount of goods which he has agreed to purchase from the Seller, the Buyer may reduce the quantity of goods to be delivered to him by giving notice thereof to the Seller before the shipment is made. If the Seller refuses to agree to the reduction of the amount of goods to be delivered, the Seller may cancel this Agreement.The Buyer shall give shipping instructions in time and provide necessary shipping space, otherwise, the Seller shall not be under the obligation to make the shipment within the stipulated time.In case any party fails to perform any of its obligations under this Agreement, the other party reserves the right to cancel the Agreement after the demand in writing addressed to the defaulting party. If the defaulting party has not complied with the demand, the Agreement shall immediately terminate.(345 words)Source Text 2:杭州位于浙江省北部，钱塘江北岸，大运河的南端，是中国古老的风景名城。

词汇翻译（30分）英译汉：从10个terms 里面挑5个translate and define them briefly in Chinese (共15分，一个3分）1 added value tax增值税增值税是以商品（含应税劳务）在流转过程中产生的增值额作为计税依据而征收的一种流转税。

从计税原理上说，增值税是对商品生产、流通、劳务服务中多个环节的新增价值或商品的附加值征收的一种流转税。

实行价外税，也就是由消费者负担，有增值才征税没增值不征税。

2 annual financial report年度财务报告年度财务报告是指年度终了对外提供的财务报告。

通常将半年度，季度和月度财务报告统称为中期财务会计报告。

年度财务报告作为综合反映企业单位年末财务状况、全年经营成果和现金流量的报告，在沟通企业单位管理层与财务会计报告使用者之间起着十分重要的桥梁作用。

3 bull market牛市，旺市；多头市场。

牛市，旺市指交易旺盛的市场形势，和"淡市'相对。

多头市场又称买空市场，是指股价的基本趋势持续上升时形成的投机者不断买进证券，需求大于供给的市场现象。

4 11 2016284 law of diminishing marginal returns 边际收益递减规律又称边际效益递减规律，或边际产量递减规律，指在短期生产过程中，在其他条件不变（如技术水平不变）的前提下，增加某种生产要素的投入，当该生产要素投入数量增加到一定程度以后，增加一单位该要素所带来的效益增加量是递减的，边际收益递减规律是以技术水平和其他生产要素的投入数量保持不变为条件的条件下进行讨论的一种规律。

5 angel investment天使投资是权益资本投资的一种形式，是指富有的个人出资协助具有专门技术或独特概念的原创项目或小型初创企业，进行一次性的前期投资。

它是风险投资的一种形式，在根据天使投资人的投资数量以及对被投资企业可能提供的综合资源进行投资。

2011年攻读硕士学位研究生入学试题学科、专业：英语笔译考试科目名称：英语翻译基础考试科目代码：357答案一律写在考点统一发的答题纸上，否则无效1.Lexical Translation(30 points)1.Translate the following lexical items into Chinese(15points)1)global warming2)free-trade zone3)subhealth state4)green house effect5)low-carbon economy6)foreign currency reserve7)intellectual property8)genetically modified food9)the Six Party Talks10)Secretary of Treasury11)Washington Post12)General Motors13)CBS14)GATT15)UNESCO2.Translate the following lexical items into English(15points)1)房地产2)经济危机3)空气污染4)绿色食品5)社区服务6)失业保险7)信息产业8)电子图书馆9)可持续发展10)计算机辅助翻译11)安理会12)外交部13)新华社14)英国广播公司15)香港特别行政区2.text translation(120points)1.Translate the following text into Chinese(60 points)What is the essence of Disney World? Much of it revolves around Disney’s effort to create the illusion for visitors that they have entered a perfect world,which more closely conforms to their desires.It creates this “perfect world”in various ways.For example,it encourages visitors to see the park through the eyes of a child and definesitself as a place t hat “brings dreams of life.”But most essentially it creates a fictionalized version of a perfect world by inviting visitors to run away from reality so that they are no longer limited by time,distance,size and physical laws.In various attractions,visitors seem to float through the human body and through DNA;they travel to the past and future,and leave the earth.On the thrill rides（惊险娱乐项目）,they resist gravity,moving at speeds and in ways that seem to violate what common sense tells them should be possible.Disney World also invites visitors to escape the fallen state of society and the self.It draws visitors into a world of endless celebration,full of parades and fireworks,with costumed performers and endless invitations to fun.The effect is not unlike participating in a 365-day-a-year holiday,in which negative emotions are discarded from life.When you pull all this together,it becomes obvious that Disney World offers visitors the fictionalized realization of humanity’s deepest dream:transcendence(超越).In Disney World,we transcend the mundane(世俗).In place of the world we normally find ourselves in,in which most opportunities are closed to us and most human motives are concealed,we go on a journey through symbolic worlds that are objective and material,but seemingly as weightless,carefree and fantastic as the imagination.2.Translate the following text into English.(60 points)中国2010年上海世界博览会于5月1日至10月31日举行，吸引了200多个国家和国际组织参展，参观者累计7000多万人次。

科目：英语翻译基础Part one. Translate following terms.1.eight-legged essay 16. 国际原子能组织2.Chinese New Year’s Eve 17. 全球定位系统3.Confucius Institute 18. 公共管理硕士4.temple title 19. 中心商务区5. social security system 20. 欧洲共同体6. the Scientific Outlook on Development 21. 相声7. Ministry of Foreign Affairs 22. 千年虫8. get ill by the mouth 23. 生产资料9. ICU 24. 党纲10. state-owned enterprises 25. 国会大厦11. acupuncture and moxibustion 26. 扶贫基金12. golden week 27.零和博弈13. heat island effect 28. 行话14 four treasures of study 29. 美联社15. Korean Penisula 30. 熊市Part two. Translate the following passage from English into Chinese中国有句名言，“上有天堂，下有苏杭”。

这话很吸引人，不过这两个人间天堂，苏州和杭州是否真能位居其一，只有实地查看查看了。

苏州海拔仅四米，水之风韵，融入苏州水乡古镇的将官，也见于作为世界文化遗产的苏州静谧的古典园林。

这一点，一到此地就能领略。

步行十分钟，从火车站到我落脚的临河旅馆，一路只见运河水道纵横交错。

苏州靠近长江入海口，洪涝多发，因此建运河沟渠无数，以稳定这一长江三角洲地带。

这个地区的其他几个城镇也跟着这么做，这就形成了中国的水乡区域。

除了有数不清的湖泊，35公里的河流，168座桥外，大运河也是这一地区重要的景点。

北京外国语大学硕士研究生入学考试试题（样卷）招生专业：英语笔译、英语口译科目名称：英语翻译基础（考试时间3小时，满分150分，全部写在答题纸上，答在试题页上无效）I. Translate the following terms into Chinese. (15 points, 1 point each)1.TPP2.AKA3.RSVP4.GUI5.CIF6.Grand Prix7.life expectancy8.national treatment9.cholesterol10.displaced person11.Interpol12.insurance policy13.Payable at sight14.No Loitering15.World Anti-Doping AgencyII. Translate the following terms into English. (15 points, 1 point each)1.21世纪海上丝绸之路2.阅兵3.传销4.抗日战争5.华侨6.和平共处五项原则7.川菜8.佣金9.人民币离岸市场10.转基因玉米11.农药残留12.不可抗力13.电磁炉14.消防通道15.天下为公III. Translate the following passage into Chinese. (60 points) Human history is the story of a species so skilled at exploiting and altering its environment that it now has the power to create new life forms genetically or destroy life on a vast scale and extinguish many species. As builders, colonists, and conquerors, humans have shown an astonishing capacity to invent, transform, and lay waste. "Wonders are many, but none is more wonderful than man," wrote the Greek playwright Sophocles. "Cunning beyond fancy's dream is the fertile skill which brings him, now to evil, now to good."Humans owe their phenomenal ability to alter the world for good or ill to a process of evolution that began in Africa more than four million years ago with the emergence of the first hominids: primates with the ability to walk upright. Early hominids stood only three or four feet tall on average and had brains roughly one-third the size of the modern human brain, which limited their capacity to reason or speak. But their upright posture and opposable thumbs (used to grip objects between fingers and thumb) allowed them to gather and carry food and process it using simple tools.IV. Translate the following passage into English. (60 points)孔子是中国古代最著名的思想家、教育家、哲学家，儒家学派创始人。

翻译硕⼠考试样题及参考答案全⽇制翻译硕⼠专业学位（MTI）研究⽣⼊学考试⼤纲总则全国翻译硕⼠专业学位教育指导委员会在《全⽇制翻译硕⼠专业学位研究⽣指导性培养⽅案》（见学位办[2009]23号⽂）中指出，MTI教育的⽬标是培养⾼层次、应⽤型、专业性⼝笔译⼈才。

MTI教育重视实践环节，强调翻译实践能⼒的培养。

全⽇制MTI的招⽣对象为具有国民教育序列⼤学本科学历（或本科同等学⼒）⼈员，具有良好的双语基础。

根据《全⽇制翻译硕⼠专业学位研究⽣指导性培养⽅案》以及教学司[2009]22号⽂件精神，现制定全⽇制翻译硕⼠专业学位研究⽣⼊学考试⼤纲。

.⼀、考试⽬的本考试旨在全⾯考查考⽣的双语（外语、母语）综合能⼒及双语翻译能⼒，招⽣院校根据考⽣参加本考试的成绩和《政治理论》的成绩总分（满分共计500分），参考全国统⼀录取分数线来选择参加复试的考⽣。

⼆、考试性质与范围本考试是全国翻译硕⼠专业学位研究⽣的⼊学资格考试，除全国统考分值100分的第⼀单元《政治理论》之外，专业考试分为三门，分别是第⼆单元外国语考试《翻译硕⼠X语》（含英语、法语、⽇语、俄语、韩语、德语等语种），第三单元基础课考试《X语翻译基础》（含英汉、法汉、⽇汉、俄汉、韩汉、德汉等语对）以及第四单元专业基础课考试《汉语写作与百科知识》。

《翻译硕⼠X 语》重点考查考⽣的外语⽔平，总分100分；《X语翻译基础》重点考查考⽣的外汉互译专业技能和潜质，总分150分；《汉语写作与百科知识》重点考查考⽣的现代汉语写作⽔平和百科知识，总分150分。

（考试科⽬名称及代码参见教学司[2009]22号⽂件）三、考试基本要求1. 具有良好的外语基本功，掌握6,000个以上的选考外语积极词汇。

2. 具有较好的双语表达和转换能⼒及潜质。

3. 具备⼀定的中外⽂化以及政治、经济、法律等⽅⾯的背景知识。

对作为母语（A语⾔）的现代汉语有较强的写作能⼒。

四、考试时间与命题每年1⽉份举⾏，与全国硕⼠研究⽣⼊学考试同步进⾏。

翻译硕士考试样题及参考答案翻译硕士考试《英语翻译基础》样题I. Directions: Translate the following words, abbreviations or terminology into their target language respectively. There are altogether 30 items in this part of the test, 15 in English and 15 in Chinese, with one point f or each. (30’)1. APEC2. ASEAN3. CFO4. CPI5. EMS “Express Mail Service”)，邮政特快专递服务6. FBI7. GPS8. IPO全称Initial public offerings(首次公开募股)，9. NATO10. International Monetary Fund11. most favored nations12. Intellectual Property Rights13. Certified Public Accountant注册会计师14. European Free Trade Association欧洲自由贸易联盟15. International Atomic Energy Agency 国际原子能总署16. 按揭贷款mortgage17. 保健食品health food18. 保税区bonded area19. 不正之风unhealthy tendency20. 春运Spring Festival travel21. 第三产业tertiary /service sector22. 法制国家a state with an adequate legal system23. 国际惯例international common practice24. 货到付款cash on delivery25. 亏损企业enterprises running in the red/under deficit26. 减员增效reduce staff for greater efficiency27. 联合兼并conglomeration and merger of enterprises28. 留职停薪retain the job but suspend the salary29. 特别提款权special drawing rights (SDR; SDRs) ; paper gold30. 市场准入market access, market admittanceII. Directions: Translate the following two source texts into their target language respectively. Ifthe source text is in English, its target language is Chinese. If the source text is in Chinese, its target language is English. (120’)Source Text 1:A physician starts playing a harsh mental tape in her head every time a new patient calls: What if I make the wrong diagnosis? I’m a terrible doctor. How did I get into medical school? An executive loses his job despite 25 productive years, he tells hims elf: I’m a loser. I can’t provide for my family, and I’ll never be able to do it again. If these real-life examples sound familiar, you may have a caustic commentary running in your head, too. Psychologists say many of their patients are plagued by a harsh Inner Critic—including some extremely successful people who think it’s the secret to their success.An Inner Critic can indeed roust you out of bed in the morning, get you on the treadmill (literally and figuratively) and spur you to finish that book or symphony or invention. But the desire to achieve can get hijacked by harsh judgment and unrelenting fear. Unrelenting self-criticism often goes hand in hand with anxiety, and it may even predict depression. Self-criticism is also a factor in eating disorders, and body disorder—that is, preoccupation with one’s perceived physical flaws.Many people’s Inner Critic makes an appearance early in life and is such a constant companion that it’s part of their personality. Psychologists say that children, particularly those with a genetic predisposition to depression, may internalize and exaggerate the expectations of parents or peers or society. One theory is that self-criticism is anger turned inward, when sufferers are filled with hostility but too afraid and insecure to let it out. Other theories hold that people who scold themselves are acting out guilt or shame or subconsciously shielding themselves against criticism from others: You can’t tell me anything I don’t already tell myself, even in harsher terms.Techniques from cognitive behavioral therapy can be helpful in changing patterns of thought that have become painful. There are many patients, such as doctors, lawyers—who believed that if they didn’t flog themselves, they wouldn’t be successful. And par t of psychologists’ work is to break through that belief by telling the patients that they usually succeed in spite of their Inner Critics, not because of them. (360 words)【Key words】depression 抑郁症cognitive behavioral therapy 认知行为疗法Source Text 2:农业是多哈谈判的核心。

英语翻译基础（英汉互译）模拟试卷一1.In these times when market forces appear increasingly complicated and more volatile, it is all the more important to understand the professional jargon and terminology in the market place in order to be able to better make our investment and business decisions. Understanding key-economic indicators will assist in the decision making process, providing a snapshot of the current situation and an insight into the future.Each economic indicator tells us something about the economy or inflation. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is probably the most important report as it is the whole framework where other economic indicators fall under. Using the textbook formula where Gross National Product = Consumption + Investment + Government Spending + Exports - Imports, some of the indicators will fall into the above-mentioned category e. g. retail sales figures will fall under consumption, construction spending under investment, to name a few.There are also indicators that are broader that tell us about the economy itself rather than the component, e. g. employment figures, leading indicators, money supply figures ( M3 ). Inflation figures, Produce Price Index ( PPI) and the Consumer Price Index ( CPI) will, in short, inform us of the changes in wholesale prices, cost of consumer ( retail) goods and services respectively.An indicator that is useful must be accurate, timely and reliable. It depends entirely on the integrity of the national statistical system responsible. It is vital to know the accurate components of an indicator. We have to be mindful of the limitation of these statistical figures too.Some indicators can be historic or extremely volatile, and therefore their value are reduced. It is better to compare the most recent data with earlier months, or take a moving average for the past 3, 6 or 12 months to smooth the data. It will tell us if there has been a significant change in trend and whether a new direction is under way.标准答案在目前这种时期，市场越来越变幻莫测、动荡不定，要做出明智的商业投资决策，理解市场相关的专业术语变得尤为重要。

《翻译硕士英语》样题I. Vocabulary and grammar (30’)Multiple choiceDirections: Beneath each sentence there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C and D. Choose the answer that best completes the sentence. Mark your answers on your answer sheet.1. Thousands o f people turned out into the streets to _________ against the local authorities’ decision to build a highway across the field.A. contradictB. reformC. counterD. protest2. The majority of nurses are women, but in the higher ranks of the medical profession women are in a _________.A. minorityB. scarcityC. rarityD. minimum3. Professor Johnson’s retirement ________ from next January.A. carries into effectB. takes effectC. has effectD. puts into effect4. The president explained that the purpose of taxation was to ________ government spending.A. financeB. expandC. enlargeD. budget5. The heat in summer is no less _________ here in this mountain region.A. concentratedB. extensiveC. intenseD. intensive6. Taking photographs is strictly ________ here, as it may damage the precious cave paintings.A. forbiddenB. rejectedC. excludedD. denied7. Mr. Brown’s condition looks very serious and it is doubtful if he will _________.A. pull backB. pull upC. pull throughD. pull out8. Since the early nineties, the trend in most businesses has been toward on-demand, always-available products and services that suit the customer’s _________ rather than the company’s.A. benefitB. availabilityC. suitabilityD. convenience9. The priest made the ________ of the cross when he entered the church.A. markB. signalC. signD. gesture10. This spacious room is ________ furnished with just a few articles in it.A. lightlyB. sparselyC. hardlyD. rarely11. If you explained the situation to your solicitor, he ________ able to advise you much better than I can.A. would beB. will have beenC. wasD. were12. With some men dressing down and some other men flaunting their looks, it is really hard to tell they are gay or _________.A. straightB. homosexualC. beautifulD. sad13. His remarks were ________ annoy everybody at the meeting.A. so as toB. such as toC. such toD. as much as to14. James has just arrived, but I didn’t know he _________ until yesterday.A. will comeB. was comingC. had been comingD. came15. _________ conscious of my moral obligations as a citizen.A. I was and always will beB. I have to be and always will beC. I had been and always will beD. I have been and always will be16. Because fuel supplies are finite and many people are wasteful, we will have to install _________ solar heating device in our home.A. some type ofB. some types of aC. some type of aD. some types of17. I went there in 1984, and that was the only occasion when I ________ the journey in exactly two days.A. must takeB. must have madeC. was able to makeD. could make18. I know he failed his last test, but really he’s _________ stu pid.A. something butB. anything butC. nothing butD. not but19. Do you know Tim’s brother? He is _________ than Tim.A. much more sportsmanB. more of a sportsmanC. more of sportsmanD. more a sportsman20. That was not the first time he ________ us. I think it’s high time we ________ strong actions against him.A. betrayed…takeB. had betrayed… tookC. has betrayed…tookD. has betrayed… takeII. Reading comprehension (40’)Section 1 Multiple choice (20’)Directions: In this section there are reading passages followed by multiple-choice questions. Read the passages and then mark your answers on your answer sheet.Passage AThe Welsh language has always been the ultimate marker of Welsh identity, but a generation ago it looked as if Welsh would go the way of Manx, once widely spoken on the Isle of Man but now extinct. Government financing and central planning, however, have helped reverse the decline of Welsh. Road signs and official public documents are written in both Welsh and English, and schoolchildren are required to learn both languages. Welsh is now one of the most successful of Europe’s regional languages, spoken by more than a half-million of the coun try’s three million people.The revival of the language, particularly among young people, is part of a resurgence of national identity sweeping through this small, proud nation. Last month Wales marked the second anniversary of the opening of the National Assembly, the first parliament to be convened here since 1404. The idea behind devolution was to restore the balance within the union of nations making up the United Kingdom. With most of the people and wealth, England has always had bragging rights. The partial transfer of legislative powers from Westminster, implemented by Tony Blair, was designed to give the other members of the club—Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales—a bigger say and to counter centrifugal forces that seemed to threaten the very idea of the union.The Welsh showed little enthusiasm for devolution. Whereas the Scots voted overwhelmingly for a parliament, the vote for a Welsh assembly scraped through by less than one percent on a turnout of less than 25 percent. Its powers were proportionately limited. The Assembly can decide how money from Westminster or the European Union is spent. It cannot, unlike its counterpart in Edinburgh, enact laws. But now that it is here, the Welsh are growing to like their Assembly. Many people would like it to have more powers. Its importance as figurehead will grow with the opening in 2003, of a new debating chamber, one of many new buildings that are transforming Cardiff from a decaying seaport into a Baltimore-style waterfront city. Meanwhile a grant of nearly two million dollars from the European Union will tackle poverty. Wales is one of the poorest regions in Western Europe—only Spain, Portugal, and Greece have a lower standard of living.Newspapers and magazines are filled with stories about great Welsh men and women, boosting self-esteem. To familiar faces such as Dylan Thomas and Richard Burton have been added new icons such as Catherine Zeta-Jones, the movie star, and Bryn Terfel, the opera singer. Indigenous foods like salt marsh lamb are in vogue. And Wales now boasts a national airline, Awyr Cymru. Cymru, which means “land of compatriots”, is the Welsh name for Wales. The red dragon, the nation’s symbol since the time of King Arthur, is everywhere—on T-shirts, rugby jerseys and even cell phone covers.“Until very recent times most Welsh people had this feeling of being second-class citizens,” said Dyfan Jones, an 18-year-old student. It was a warm summer night, and I was sitting on the grass with a group of young people in Llanelli, an industrial town in the south, outside the rock music venue of the National Eisteddfod, Wales’s annual cultural festival. The disused factory in front ofus echoed to the sounds of new Welsh bands.“There was almost a genetic tendency for lack of confidence,” Dyfan co ntinued. Equally comfortable in his Welshness as in his membership in the English-speaking, global youth culture and the new federal Europe, Dyfan, like the rest of his generation, is growing up with a sense of possibility unimaginable ten years ago. “We used to think. We can’t do anything, we’re only Welsh. Now I think that’s changing.”1. According to the passage, devolution was mainly meant toA. maintain the present status among the nations.B. reduce legislative powers of England.C. create a better state of equality among the nations.D. grant more say to all the nations in the union.2. The word “centrifugal” in the second paragraph meansA. separatist.B. conventional.C. feudal.D. political3. Wales is different from Scotland in all the following aspects EXCEPTA. people’s desire for devolution.B. locals’ turnout for the voting.C. powers of the legislative body.D. status of the national language.4. Which of the following is NOT cited as an example of the resurgence of Welsh national identity?A. Welsh has witnessed a revival as a national language.B. Poverty-relief funds have come from the European Union.C. A Welsh national airline is currently in operation.D. The national symbol has become a familiar sight.5. According to Dyfan Jones what has changed isA. people’s mentality.B. pop culture.C. town’s appearance.D. possibilities for the people.Passage BThe miserable fate of Enron’s employees will be a landmark in business history, one of those awful events that everyone agrees must never be allowed to happen again. This urge is understandable and noble: thousands have lost virtually all their retirement savings with the demise of Enron stock. But making sure it never happens again may not be possible, because thesudden impoverishment of those Enron workers represents something even larger than it seems. It’s the latest turn in the unwinding of one of the most audacious promise s of the 20th century. The promise was assured economic security—even comfort—for essentially everyone in the developed world. With the explosion of wealth, that began in the 19th century it became possible to think about a possibility no one had dared to dream before. The fear at the center of daily living since caveman days—lack of food, warmth, shelter—would at last lose its power to terrify. That remarkable promise became reality in many ways. Governments created welfare systems for anyone in need and separate programs for the elderly (Social Security in the U.S.). Labour unions promised not only better pay for workers but also pensions for retirees. Giant corporations came into being and offered the possibility—in some cases the promise—of lifetime employment plus guaranteed pensions? The cumulative effect was a fundamental change in how millions of people approached life itself, a reversal of attitude that most rank as one of the largest in human history. For millennia the average person’s stance toward providing for himself had been. Ultimately I’m on my own. Now it became, ultimately I’ll be taken care of.The early hints that this promise might be broken on a large scale came in the 1980s. U.S. business had become uncompetitive globally and began restructuring massively, with huge Layoffs. The trend accelerated in the 1990s as the bastions of corporate welfare faced reality. IBM ended its no-layoff policy. AT&T fired thousands, many of whom found such a thing simply incomprehensible, and a few of whom killed themselves. The other supposed guarantors of our economic security were also in decline. Labour-union membership and power fell to their lowest levels in decades. President Clinton signed a historic bill scaling back welfare. Americans realized that Social Security won’t provide social security for any of us.A less visible but equally significant trend affected pensions. To make costs easier to control, companies moved away from defined benefit pension plans, which obligate them to pay out specified amounts years in the future, to defined contribution plans, which specify only how much goes into the play today. The most common type of defined-contribution plan is the 401(k). the significance of t he 401(k) is that it puts most of the responsibility for a person’s economic fate back on the employee. Within limits the employee must decide how much goes into the plan each year and how it gets invested—the two factors that will determine how much it’s worth when the employee retires.Which brings us back to Enron? Those billions of dollars in vaporized retirement savings went in employees’ 401(k) accounts. That is, the employees chose how much money to put into those accounts and then chose how to invest it. Enron matched a certain proportion of each employee’s 401(k) contribution with company stock, so everyone was going to end up with some Enron in his or her portfolio; but that could be regarded as a freebie, since nothing compels a company to match employee contributions at all. At least two special features complicate the Enron case. First, some shareholders charge top management with illegally covering up the company’s problems, prompting investors to hang on when they should have sold. Second, Enron’s 401(k) accounts were locked while the company changed plan administrators in October, when the stock was falling, so employees could not have closed their accounts if they wanted to. But by far the largest cause of this human tragedy is that thousands of employees were heavily overweighed in Enron stock. Many had placed 100% of their 401(k) assets in the stock rather than in the 18 other investment option s they were offered. Of course that wasn’t prudent, but it’s what some of them did.The Enron employees’retirement disaster is part of the larger trend away from guaranteed economic security. That’s why preventing such a thing from ever happening again ma y be impossible. The huge attitudinal shift to I’ll-be-taken-care-of took at least a generation. The shift back may take just as long. It won’t be complete until a new generation of employees see assured economic comfort as a 20th-century quirk, and understand not just intellectually but in their bones that, like most people in most times and places, they’re on their own.6. Why does the author say at the beginning “The miserable fate of Enron’s employees will be a landmark in business history…”?A. Because the company has gone bankrupt.B. Because such events would never happen again.C. Because many Enron workers lost their retirement savings.D. Because it signifies a turning point in economic security.7. According to the passage, the combined efforts by governments, layout unions and big corporations to guarantee economic comfort have led to a significant change inA. people’s outlook on life.B. people’s life styles.C. people’s living standa rd.D. people’s social values.8. Changes in pension schemes were also part ofA. the corporate lay-offs.B. the government cuts in welfare spending.C. the economic restructuring.D. the warning power of labors unions.9. Thousands of employees chose Enron as their sole investment option mainly becauseA. the 401(k) made them responsible for their own future.B. Enron offered to add company stock to their investment.C. their employers intended to cut back on pension spending.D. Enron’s offer was simil ar to a defined-benefit plan.10. Which is NOT seen as a lesson drawn from the Enron disaster?A. The 401(k) assets should be placed in more than one investment option.B. Employees have to take up responsibilities for themselves.C. Such events could happen again as it is not easy to change people’s mind.D. Eco nomic security won’t be taken for g ranted by future young workers.Section 2 Answering questions (20’)Directions: Read the following passages and then answer IN COMPLETE SENTENCES the questions which follow each passage. Use only information from the passage you have just read and write your answer in the corresponding space in your answer sheet.Questions 1～3For 40 years the sight of thousands of youngsters striding across the open moorland has been as much an annual fixture as spring itself. But the 2,400 school pupils who join the grueling Dartmoor Ten Tors Challenge next Saturday may be among the last to take part in the May tradition. The trek faces growing criticism from environmentalists who fear that the presence of so many walkers on one weekend threatens the survival of some of Dartmoor’s internationally rare bird species.The Ten Tors Challenge takes place in the middle of the breeding season, when the slightest disturbance can jeopardize birds’chances of reproducing successfully. Experts at the RSPB and the Dartmoor National Park Authority fear that the walkers could frighten birds and even crush eggs. They are now calling for the event to be moved to the autumn, when the breeding season is over and chicks should be well established. Organisers of the event, which is led by about 400 Territorial Army volunteers, say moving it would be impractical for several reasons and would mean pupils could not train properly for the 55-mile trek. Dartmoor is home to 10 rare species of ground-nesting birds, including golden plovers, dunlins and lapwings. In some cases, species are either down to their last two pairs on the moor or are facing a nationwide decline.Emma Parkin, South-west spokeswoman for the PASPB, took part in the challenge as a schoolgirl. She said the society had no objections to the event itself but simply wanted it moved to another time of year. “It is a wonderful activity for the children who take part but, having thousands of people walking past in one weekend when birds are breeding is hardly ideal,” she said. “We would prefer it to take place after the breeding and nesting season is over. There is a risk of destruction and disturbance. If the walkers put a foot in the wrong place they can crush the eggs and if there is sufficient disturbance the birds might abandon the nest.” Helen Booker, an RSPB upland conservation officer, said there was no research into the scale of the damage but there was little doubt the walk was detrimental. “If people are tramping past continually it can harm the chances of successful nesting. There is also the fear of direct trampling of eggs.”A spokesman for the Dartmoor National Park Authority said the breeding season on the moor lasted from early March to mid-July, and the Ten Tors Challenge created the potential for disturbance for March, when participants start training.To move the event to the autumn was difficult because children would be on holiday during the training period. There was a possibility that some schools in the Southwest move to a four-term year in 2004, “but until then any change was unlikely. The authority last surveyed bird life on Dartmoor two year ago and if the next survey showed any further decline, it would increase pressure to move the Challenge,” he said.Major Mike Pether, secretary of the army committee that organises the Challenge, said the event could be moved if there was the popular will. “The Ten Tors has been running for 42 years and it has always been at this time of the year. It is almost in tablets of stone but that’s not to say we won’t consider moving if there is a consensus in favour. However, although the RSPB would like it moved, 75 per cent of the people who take part want it to stay as it is,” he said. Major Pether said the trek could not be moved to earlier in the year because it would conflict with the lambing season, most of the children were on holiday in the summer, and the winter weather was too harsh.Datmoor National Park occupies some 54 sq km of hills topped by granite outcrops knownas “Tors” with the highest Tor-capped hill reaching 621m. The valleys and dips between the hills are often sites of bogs to snare the unwary hiker. The moor has long been used by the British Army as a training and firing range. The origin of the event stretches back to 1959 when three Army officers exercising on the moor thought it would provide a challenge for civilians as well as soldiers. In the first year 203 youngsters took up the challenges. Since then teams, depending on age and ability, face hikes of 35, 45 or 55 miles between 10 nominated Tors over two days. They are expected to carry everything they need to survive.1. What is the Ten Tors Challenge? Give a brief introduction of its location and history.2. Why is it suggested that the event be moved to the autumn or other seasons?3. What are the difficulties if the event is moved to the autumn or other seasons?Questions 4～5Mike and Adam Hurewitz grew up together on Long Island, in the suburbs of New York City. They were very close, even for brothers. So when Adam’s liver started failing, Mike offered to give him half of his. The operation saved Adam’s life. But Mike, who went into the hospital in seemingly excellent health, developed a complication—perhaps a blood colt—and died last week. He was 57. Mike Hurewitz’s death has prompted a lot of soul searching in the transplant community. Was it a tragic fluke or a sign that transplant surgery has reached some kind of ethical limit? The Mount Sinai Medical Center, the New York City hospital where the complex double operation was performed, has put on hold its adult living donor liver transplant program, pending a review of Hurewitz’s death. Mount Sinai has performed about 100 such operations in the past three years.A 1-in-100 risk of dying may not seem like bad odds, but there’s more to this ethical dilemma than a simple ratio. The first and most sacred rule of medicine is to do no harm. “For a normal healthy person a mortality rate 1% is hard to justify,”says Dr. John Fung, chief of transplantation at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. “If the rate stays at 1%, it’s just not going to be accepted.” On the other hand, there’s an acute shortage of traditional donor organs from people who have died in accidents or suffered fatal heart attacks. If family members fully understand the risks and are willing to proceed, is there any reason to stand in their way? Indeed, a recent survey showed that most people will accept a mortality rate for living organ donors as high as 20%. The odds, thankfully, aren’t nearly that bad. For kidney donors, for example, the risk ranges from 1 in 2, 500 to 1 in 4, 000 for a healthy volunteer. That helps explain why nearly 40% of kidney transplants in the U.S. come from living donors.The operation to transplant a liver, however, is a lot trickier than one to transplant a kidney. Not only is the liver packed with blood vessels, but it also makes lots of proteins that need to be produced in the right ratios for the body to survive. When organs from the recently deceased are used, the surgeon gets to pick which part of the donated liver looks the best and to take as much of it as needed. Assuming all goes well, a healthy liver can grow back whatever portion of the organ is missing, sometimes within a month.A living-donor transplant works particularly well when an adult donates a modest portion of the liver to a child. Usually only the left lobe of the organ is required, leading to a mortality rate for living-donors in the neighborhood of 1 in 500 to 1 in 1, 000. But when the recipient is another adult, as much as 60% of the donor’s liver has to be removed. “There really is very little marginfor error,”says Dr. Fung. By way of analogy, he suggests, think of a tree. “An adult-to-child living-donor transplant is like cutting off a limb. With an adult-to-adult transplant, you’re splitting the trunk in half and trying to keep both halves alive.”Even if a potential donor understand and accepts these risks, that doesn’t necessarily mean the operation should proceed. All sorts of subtle pressures can be brought to bear on such a decision, says Dr. Mark Siegler, director of the MacLean for Clinical Medical Ethics at the University of Chicago. “Sometimes the sicker the patient, the greater the pressure and the more willing the donor will be to accept risks.”If you feel you can’t say no, is your decision truly voluntary? And if not, is it the medical community’s responsibility to save you from your own best intentions?Transplant centers have developed screening programs to ensure that living donors fully understand the nature of their decision. But unexamined, for the most part, is the larger issue of just how much a volunteer should be allowed to sacrifice to save another human being. So far, we seem to be saying some risk is acceptable, although we’re still vaguer about where the cutoff should be. There will always be family members like Mike Hurewitz who are heroically prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice for a loved one. What the medical profession and society must decide is if it’s appropriate to let them do so.4. Describe in your own words the liver transplant between the two brothers Mike and Adam.5. What is the major issue raised in the article?III. Writing (30’)Some people see education simply as going to school or college, or as a means to secure good jobs; other people view education as a lifelong process. In your opinion, how important is education to people in the modern society?Write a composition of about 400 words on your view of the topic.《翻译硕士英语》样题参考答案I. Vocabulary and grammar (30’)1-10 DABAC ACDDB11-20 AABBD ACBBCII. Reading comprehension (40’)Section 1 Multiple choice (20’)1. C2. A3. D4. B5. A6. D7. A8. C9. B 10. BSection 2 Answering questions (20’)Key points1. located in Dartmoor Park／with 54 sq km of hills covered by “Tors”／an event starting from 1959／young people walking over a distance of 55-mile trek in two days／in Spring (May)／a kind of outdoor physical training2. environmentalism／threatening of some “internationally rare bird species”／breeding season ／nesting season／destroying eggs／frightening birds／declining of birds3. if moved to autumn／children “on holiday” during the training period／majority unwilling to change the time／if moved earlier: lambing season／winter: too harsh and cold4. Mike and Adam／one’s liver “failing”, Mike donated half of his liver／Adam survived／Mike, the healthy brother, due to the “complication”developed in the operation, died after the successful transplant5. when there is a risk of donors’ dying from organ transplant between family members／1 in 100 risk／higher or lower／Shall such transplant operations be encouraged?／different viewpoints／heated argumentIII. Writing (30’)Education as a Lifelong ProcessWhen we talk about education, we can easily think of schools, colleges and young people. As a matter of fact, education is so important in modern society that it can be viewed as a lifelong process.Firstly, it’s the requirement of fast-developing society to receive education despite of your age. Our world is changing dramatically with the development of new science and technology. A person who completed his education at school in the 1970s or the 1980s may have encountered new problems when he is working now. The problems might have something to do with his major or other aspects. For example an accountant now must master the skills of accounting through computers, which is a basic tool for him, so he should also learn how to apply his job in a computer no matter how old he is.Secondly, education creates human character and moralities. Through education, youth may learn how to make contributions to the world. And the old may learn new things to enrich their lives. Through education, a healthy person can become stronger and a disabled person can have a new hope on his life. Man can find great pleasure in education.Thirdly, our modem society has provided everyone with the chance to receive education. As long as you wish you could get education by attending night-schools, adult colleges, training centers and even long-distance education through Internet and TV.In a word, knowledge is boundless, and life is limited. So education is a lifelong process.。