专业英语八级考试试题与答案(5)

大学专业英语八级模拟考试卷PART ⅠLISTENING COMPREHENSIONSECTION 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 what you fill in is 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.Questioning Techniques—AskingQuestions EffectivelyⅠ. Successful communications: asking the right questions—improving many communication skills: e.g.1)collecting better 12)strengthening 23)dealing with people effectively4)helping others to learnⅡ. Techniques of putting forward questions and their effectsA. Open questions— 3 long answers—helping develop open conversation—including more 4—knowing the other's viewsB. Closed questions—answers being short, factual—being good for testing understandings, drawing a conclusion, and for 5—being avoided for 6C. Funnel questions—focusing on one point for more details—helping witnesses 7 the scene—arousing the interest and increasing the 8 of the listenerD. 9 questions—asking an example to help with understanding—asking extra information to 10 what is being said—making sure to get the whole story and 11 information from othersE. Leading questions—leading the hearer to your way of thinking e.g. adding a personal appeal ; giving a choice between two 12—getting your 13 without imposing the hearerF. 14 questions—statements being in question form actually—making the listener slip into 15 with youSECTION B INTERVIEWIn this section you will hear TWO interviews. At the end of each interview, five questions will be asked about what was said. Both the interviews and the questions will be spoken ONCE ONLY. After each question there will be a ten-second pause. During the pause, you should read the four choices of A, B, C and D, and mark the best answer to each question on ANSWER SHEET TWO.You have THIRTY seconds to preview the choices.16、A. Distance themselves from the patient.B. Be direct and concrete.C. Use euphemisms to tell the patients what's happening to them.D. Hide the truth from the patient.17、A. You will die soon.B. The cancer has come back.C. You have a malignancy.D. Your liver has hypo-densities.18、A. Patients should be hided from all the information.B. Doctors make all the decisions themselves.C. The family of the patients make the decisions for the patients.D. Patients emphasize on autocracy.19、A. His experience with many cancer patients.B. His suffering of the mother's death.C. His conversation with a senior physician.D. His experience as an oncology trainee.20、A. Advertisements.B. Business talks.C. Entertainments.D. News.21、A. It produces a visual effect and makes the talk more dynamic.B. It makes the talk well delivered and more attractive to the audience.C. It helps the audience build their confidence and get involved in the talk.D. It helps the speaker get more chance of being employed.22、 A. It provides feedbacks to the talk. B. It can raise the audience's interest.C. It gives the presenter a logic mind.D. It amuses both the presenter and audience.23、A. Entertain the audience by telling jokes. B. Outline your main points to the audience.C. Find a clear and memorable conclusion.D. Say something that relevant to the subject.24、A. It is not as significant as the first and last parts.B. It is the least enjoyable part for every audience.C. It is a make-or-break moment for the presenter.D. It is memorable to most of the audience.25、A. Well arranged structures plus clear and enjoyable talking.B. A good start and a clear conclusion plus a detailed script.C. A long time explanation plus indulged audiences.D. A speech full of various anecdotes and analogies.PART ⅡREADING COMPREHENSIONSECTION A MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONSIn this section there are several passages followed by fourteen multiple choice questions. For each multiple choice question, there are four suggested answers marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that you think is the best answer and mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET TWO.PASSAGE ONEHistorians tend to date the birth of modern capitalism to the late sixteenth and early seventeen centuries, but to understand what actually occurred an important distinction must be made. Here are basically two types of capitalism: commercial and industrial. In commercial capitalism the capitalist is usually a merchant who invests money both in buying the raw material and in marketing the finished product one produced. In the case of wool cloth, for example, the merchant buys the raw wool; then either the merchant or the agent carries the wool to the artisans who spin, weave, and dye it in their shops or homes. They usually work by the piece and own or rent their equipment. When the cloth is finished, the merchant then sells the product; the merchant's profit lies in the difference between what the cloth cost to produce and the purchase price of the finished goods.This form of capitalism, with the merchant as capitalist, began in the Middle Ages and remained the dominant form for the production of industrial goods down to the eighteenth century. The economic boom of the sixteenth century did not significantly affect the way the goods were produced: what did change was the number of people engaged in producing. The production of industrial goods significantly increased in the sixteenth century because so many more independent producers were working for the merchant.Industrial capitalism, on the other hand, refers to investment in the modes or means of production. In this case the capitalist is not the merchant but the factory or mine owner. Investment in machines means more productivity per worker and more variety in products. In the sixteenth century a rapid surge in the amount of investment in machinery occurred in such areas as metalworking, glass making, paper production, coal mining and firearms manufacture. Although the output of goods provided by industrial capitalism climbed significantly after 1550, until the end of the eighteenth century commercial capitalism was responsible for most of the industrial production of Europe.PASSAGE TWOFrom a hillside, Kamal Saadat looked forlornly at hundreds of potential customers, knowing he could not take them for trips in his boat to enjoy a spring weekend on picturesque Oroumieh Lake, the third largest saltwater lake on earth, which now lay encased by solidifying salt. Saadat lamented that he could not understand why the lake was fading away.The long popular lake, home to migrating flamingos, pelicans and gulls, has shrunken by 60 percent and could disappear entirely in just a few years—drained by drought, misguided irrigation policies, development and the damming of rivers that feed it.Until two years ago, Saadat supplemented his income from almond-and grape-growing by taking tourists on boat tours. But as the lake receded and its salinity rose, he found he had to stop the boat every 10 minutes to unfoul the propeller—and finally, he had to give up this second job that he'd used to support a five-member family. The visitors were not enjoying such a boring trip, for they had to cross hundreds of meters of salty lakebed just to reach the boat from the wharf.Other boatmen, too, have parked their vessels by their houses, where they stand as sad reminders of the deep-water days. And the lake's ebbing affects an ever-widening circle.The receding water has also weakened hotel business and tourism activities in the area, and planned hotel projects remain idle since investors are reluctant to continue.Beyond tourism, the salt-saturated lake threatens agriculture nearby in northwest Iran, as storms sometimes carry the salt far afield. Many farmers worry about the future of their lands, which for centuries have been famous for apples, grapes, walnuts, almonds, onions, potatoes, as well as aromatic herbal drinks, candies and tasty sweet pastes.Official reports blame the drying mainly on a decade-long drought, and peripherally on consumption of water of the feeding rivers for farming. They put 5 percent of the blame on construction of dams and 3 percent on other factors.The first alarm over the lake's shrinking came in late 1990s amid a nagging drought. Nonetheless, the government continued construction of 35 dams on the rivers which feed the lake; 10 more dams are on the drawing boards for the next few years. Also completed was a lake-crossing roadway. No environmental feasibility study was done in the planning for the road, and environmentalists believe the project worsened the lake's health by acting as a barrier to water circulation.In April, the Iranian government announced a three-prong effort to save the lake: a cloud-seeding program to increase rainfall in the area, a lowering of water consumption by irrigation systems, and supplying the lake with remote sources of water.Some experts termed the weather control portion of the program as only a "symbolic action" by government, saying the best answer would be to release more water currently being held back by dams. The evaporation rate has been three times the rainfall rate, making the rivers' historic role vital to sustaining the lake.In the green and beautiful city of Oroumieh, famous for peaceful coexistence between Azeri people, Kurds, Armenians, Assyrians as well as Muslims and Christians, talk about the fate of the lake is common among ordinary people in teahouses and on the streets. Some express happiness with the government decision to manipulate clouds in hopes of increasing rainfall. However, many locals called the cloud-seeding plan "a show", and the water held back by those dams was the solution.Beyond the debates by national and local authorities some folks here suggest another way Oroumieh could be saved. A local legend says wild purple gladiolas have had a miraculous role in doing just that. The flowers have grown every year for a thousand years in the spot where a princess of Oroumieh was killed as she warned the people of the city about an invading enemy. As a recent sunset turned the lake golden, Kamal the boatman tried to find some hope in the returning blossoms."You see, still wild purple gladiolas are appearing in the spring," he said. "The city and its lake can eventually survive."PASSAGE THREEEvery silver lining has its cloud. At the moment, the world's oceans absorb a million tonnes of carbon dioxide an hour. Admittedly that is only a third of the rate at which humanity dumps the stuff into the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels, but it certainly helps to slow down global warming. However, what is a blessing for the atmosphere turns out to be a curse for the oceans. When carbon dioxide dissolves in water it forms carbonic acid. At the moment, seawater is naturally alkaline—but it is becoming less so all the time.The biological significance of this acidification was a topic of debate among scientists. Many species of invertebrate have shells or skeletons made of calcium carbonate. It is these, fossilized, that form rocks such as chalk and limestone. And, as anyone who has studied chemistry at school knows, if you drop chalk into acid it fizzes away to nothing. Many marine biologists therefore worry that some species will soon be unable to make their protective homes. Many of the species most at risk are corals. The end of the Permian period, 252m years ago, was marked by the biggest extinction of life known to have happened on Earth. At least part of the cause of this extinction seems to have been huge volcanic eruptions that poured carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. But some groups of animals became more extinct than others. Sponges, corals and brachiopods were particularly badly hit.Rather than counting individual species of fossils, which vary over time, paleontologists who study extinction usually count entire groups of related species, called genera. More than 90% of Permian genera of sponges, corals and brachiopods vanished in the extinction. By contrast, only half of the genera of mollusks and arthropods disappeared.This is because mollusks and arthropods are able to buffer the chemistry of the internal fluids from which they create their shells. This keeps the acidity of those fluids constant. Sponges, corals and brachiopods, however, cannot do this.The situation at the moment is not as bad as it was at the end of the Permian. Nevertheless, calculations suggest that if today's trends continue, the alkalinity of the ocean will have fallen by half a pH unit by 2100. That would make some places, such as the Southern Ocean, uninhabitable for corals. Since corals provide habitat and food sources for many other denizens of the deep, this could have a profound effect on the marine food web.No corals, no sea urchins and no who-knows-what-else would be bad news indeed for the sea. Those who blithely factor oceanic uptake into the equations of what people can get away with when it comes to greenhouse-gas pollution should,perhaps, have second thoughts.PASSAGE FOURTransplanting organs brings life to the dying. But most donor organs are harvested from the dead. Shortfalls in the number of volunteer donors, the difficulty of gaining the consent of grieving relatives, and a reduction in most countries of the rate of fatal road accidents (the most reliable source of healthy organs), mean that there is a constant lack of them. Thousands die each year while on waiting lists for transplants. Researchers have, therefore, long sought ways to boost supply.One idea is to harvest animal organs. That is less mad than it sounds. A liver, a kidney or a cornea does the same job, regardless of species. And it works. In 1984 an American child lived for three weeks after receiving a baboon heart intended as a stopgap until a human donor could be found (unfortunately, one was not found in time). Conversely, human organs have been transplanted into animals for the purpose of research. Earlier this year, for example, a paper in the American Journal of Transplantation described moving kidneys from human fetuses into rats.Until now, though, two technical problems have stood in the way of routinely transplanting animal organs into people. One is that the recipient's immune system must be persuaded to tolerate a big chunk of foreign tissue. The other is that swapping tissues between species risks swapping diseases, too. This second problem may soon be addressed, if George Church of the Harvard Medical School has his way. For, as he and his colleagues describe this week in Science, genetic engineering can now be used to eliminate one of the most worrying types of pathogen that might be spread via transplants.The animal most commonly suggested as a donor is the pig. Pigs are roughly the size of human beings. They are reasonably well understood. And millennia of experience mean they are easy to breed. But they are not perfect. In particular, their DNA is full of retroviruses, known specifically as porcine endogenous retroviruses, or PERVs. The genes of these viruses hitch a lift from one pig generation to another as an integral part of the porcine genome, whence they can break out and cause infection. And tests in laboratories suggest that, given the opportunity, they can infect human cells as well. The existence of PERVs, then, has been one of the main obstacles to transplanting pig organs into people.Dr Church and his colleagues thought PERVs ideal candidates to test the mettle of one of the rising stars of biotechnology, CRISPR/Cas9. This is a gene-editing technique derived from bacteria, which use it as a sort of immune system. In nature, it recognises specific sequences of viral DNA and chops the DNA molecule apart at these points, protecting the bacterium from harm. Tweaked a bit in the laboratory, it can be made to recognise any DNA sequence and do likewise. This permits specific stretches of DNA to be deleted from genomes, and also allows new stretches to be inserted into the gap thus created.Dr Church and his fellow researchers analysed the genetic sequences of one family of PERVs, with a view to attacking them with CRISPR/Cas9. They found that the sequence of the gene which lets the virus integrate itself into its host's DNA is the same from one strain of virus to another. That allowed them to program aCRISPR/Cas9 system to look for this particular sequence and chop it out of the genome.The porcine kidney cells Dr Church used for his experiments had 62 PERVs embedded in their genomes. He and his colleagues tested their molecular scissors on several lines of these cells. In the most responsive, they managed to stop out all 62 copies of the integration gene.Since PERVs rely on this gene to infect human cells as well as porcine ones, deleting it should stop them jumping into human hosts. Sure enough, tests in Petri dishes showed that the modified pig cells did not infect human cells grown alongside them. And, despite the extensive edits made to their DNA, those pig cells seemed unharmed by the procedure.A single paper does not make a new medical procedure. In particular, the editing would need to be done to sex cells, or their precursors, if actual lines of "clean" pigs were to be bred for use as organ donors. But this is still a striking result. Not only does it demonstrate that it is possible to cleanse animal cells of unwanted viral passengers, thus helping remove one of the big barriers to cross-species organ transplants; it also shows the power of a genetic-engineering technique that has existed for only three years. However, the popularity of such techniques waxes and wanes. This year's favourite can be next year's also-ran. For now, though, CRISPR/Cas9 is on a roll.26、The phrase "work by the piece" in the first paragraph means ______.(PASSAGE ONE.A. mass productionB. efficient productionC. small-scale productionD. full production27、The first paragraph of this passage is mostly about ______.(PASSAGE ONE.A. products produced under industrial capitalismB. how commercial capitalism operatesC. how industrial capitalism operatesD. the economic boom of the sixteenth century28、According to the passage, commercial capitalism dominated the European economy until the ______.(PASSAGE ONE.A. Middle AgesB. sixteenth centuryC. beginning of the eighteenth centuryD. end of the eighteenth century29、The ebbing of the Oroumieh Lake does NOT affect ______.(PASSAGE TWO)A. the locals' second jobB. agricultureC. the salt productionD. hotel business and tourism activities30、The author's attitude towards the three-prong effort announced by the Iranian government is ______.(PASSAGE TWO)A. favorableB. ambiguousC. criticalD. reserved31、Kamal's words at the end of the passage imply that ______.(PASSAGE TWO)A. purple gladiolas were found around the lakeB. purple gladiolas could save the lakeC. the locals hoped the lake would not diminishD. the locals were sure of the lake's survival32、The message the author attempts to convey throughout the passage is that ______.(PASSAGE TWO)A. the Oroumieh Lake is in dangerB. the home to migrating animals is vanishingC. humans' behavior is harmful to natureD. local tourism business has been hurt33、The sentence "Every silver lining has its cloud" in the first paragraph probably means ______.(PASSAGE THREE.A. there is always a difficult side to a hopeful situationB. there is always a comforting side to a sad situationC. there is always a chink of light before the sun comes pouring inD. visible water vapor floating in the sky can join up to make a silver line34、The word "brachiopod" in the third paragraph means ______.(PASSAGE THREE.A. a kind of invertebratesB. a kind of marine mammalsC. a kind of colonial plantsD. a kind of aquatic vertebrates35、Which category of writing does the passage belong to?(PASSAGE THREE.A. Narration.B. Description.C. Persuasion.D. Exposition.36、The best title for the passage is ______.(PASSAGE THREE.A. Global WarmingB. Sour TimesC. Carbon DioxideD. Ocean Acidity37、Which of the following factors did NOT partially cause the shortage of donor organs?(PASSAGE FOUR)A. There is a decreasing number of volunteer donors.B. It's hard to gain the consent of grieving relatives of the dead.C. The rate of fatal road accidents is reducing.D. The number of healthy organs is decreasing.38、What does the word "swap" mean in the third paragraph?(PASSAGE FOUR)A. Exchange.B. Insert.C. Delete.D. Cure.39、Which of the following statements about CRISPR/Cas9 is true?(PASSAGE FOUR)A. It is a sort of immune system.B. It can be used to generate new genes.C. It can be used to edit genes by deleting specific stretches of DNA.D. It will help to remove all barriers in cross-species organ transplants.40、SECTION B SHORT-ANSWER QUESTIONSIn this section there are eight short-answer questions based on the passages in SECTION A. Answer each question in NO more than 10 words in the space provided on ANSWER SHEET TWO.What is the main idea of this passage?(PASSAGE ONE.41、In the eyes of many locals, what is the best way to save the Oroumieh Lake?(PASSAGE TWO)42、What does the word "alkaline" mean in the first paragraph?(PASSAGETHREE.43、Why are corals crucial to deep-sea ecosystems?(PASSAGE THREE.44、What is the author's main purpose of writing this passage?(PASSAGE THREE.45、What caused the death of the American child in 1984?(PASSAGE FOUR)46、Why are pigs most commonly suggested as organ donors?(PASSAGE FOUR)47、How does the author feel about the paper written by George Church and his colleagues?(PASSAGE FOUR)PART ⅢLANGUAGE USAGEThe passage contains TEN errors. Each indicated line contains a maximum of ONE error. In each case, only ONE word is involved. You should proofread the passage and correct it in the following way:For a wrong word, underline the wrong word and write the correct one in the blank provided atthe end of the line.For a missing word, mark the position of the missing word with a "∧" sign and write the wordyou 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 blankprovided at the end of the line.During interpretation, short-term memory operations occurcontinually. Some are due to the lag between the moment speech 48sounds heard and the moment they are interpreted: 49phonemic segments may have to be added up in memory and 50analyzed when they allow identification of a word or phoneme. To 51take only one example, when spelling an unknown foreign nameand saying "D as in Denmark," the phonetic elements carrying"D" may have to be held in memory until the word "Denmark" isrecognized, which in turns makes it possible to recognize it as a 52D opposed to a T. Other short-term memory operations are 53associated with the time it takes to produce speech, during whichthe idea or information to be worded is presented in memory. Still 54others may be due to specific characteristics of a given speaker orspeech: if the speech is unclear because of its logic, informationdensity, unusual linguistic structure, or speaker's accent,interpreters may wish to wait for a while before reformulating it(in simultaneous)or taking notes (in consecutive), so as to havemore time and a large context to deal with the comprehension and 55reformulation problems.Clearly, short-term memory operations fall under thecategory of automatic operations because they include the storage 56of information for later use. One might add that storedinformation changes both from one speech to another or during 57every speech as it unfolds, and that both stored informationquantities and storage duration can vary from moment tomoment, so that there is little chance for repetition of identicaloperations with sufficient frequency to allow automation of theprocesses.PART ⅣTRANSLATIONTranslate the following text from Chinese into English. Write your translation on ANSWER SHEET THREE.58、“干什么的?”老太太问。

TEST FOR ENGLISH MAJORS (2009)-GRADE EIGHT-TIME LIMIT: 195 MIN PART I LISTENING COMPREHENSION (35 MIN) SECTION A MINI-LECTUREIn this section you will hear a mini-lecture. You will hear the lecture ONCE ONLY While listening, take notes on the important points. Your notes will not be marked, but you will need them to complete a gap-filling task after the mini-lecture. When the lecture is over, you will begiven two minutes to check your notes, and another ten minutes to complete the gap-filling task on ANSWER SHEET ONE. Use the blank sheet for note-taking.Writing Experimental ReportsI.Content of an experimental report, e.g.--- study subject/ area--- study purpose--- ____1____II.Presentation of an experimental report--- providing details--- regarding readers as _____2_____III.Structure of an experimental report--- feature: highly structured and ____3____--- sections and their content:INTRODUCTION ____4____; why you did itMETHOD how you did itRESULT what you found out____5____ what you think it showsIV. Sense of readership--- ____6____: reader is the marker--- ____7____: reader is an idealized, hypothetical, intelligent person with little knowledge of your study--- tasks to fulfill in an experimental report:⏹introduction to relevant area⏹necessary background information⏹development of clear arguments⏹definition of technical terms⏹precise description of data ____8____V. Demands and expectations in report writing--- early stage:⏹understanding of study subject/area and its implications⏹basic grasp of the report’s format--- later stage:⏹____9____ on research significance--- things to avoid in writing INTRODUCTION:⏹inadequate material⏹____10____ of research justification for the studySECTION B INTERVIEWIn this section you will hear everything ONCE ONLY. Listen carefully and then answer the questions that follow. Mark the correct answer to each question on your coloured answer sheet.Questions 1 to 5 are based on an interview. At the end of the interview you will be given 10 seconds to answer each of the following five questions.Now listen to the interview.1. Which of the following statements is CORRECT?A. Toastmasters was originally set up to train speaking skills.B. Toastmasters only accepts prospective professional speakers.C. Toastmasters accepts members from the general public.D. Toastmasters is an exclusive club for professional speakers.2. The following are job benefits by joining Toastmasters EXCEPTA. becoming familiar with various means of communication.B. learning how to deliver messages in an organized way.C. becoming aware of audience expectations.D. learning how to get along with friends.3. Toastmasters' general approach to training can be summarized asA. practice plus overall training.B. practice plus lectures.C. practice plus voice training.D. practice plus speech writing.4. Toastmasters aims to train people to be all the following EXCEPTA. public speakers.B. grammar teachers.C. masters of ceremonies.D. evaluators.5. The interview mainly focuses onA. the background information.B. the description of training courses.C. the requirements of public speaking.D. the overall personal growth.SECTION C NEWS BROADCASTIn this section you will hear everything ONCE ONLY. Listen carefully and then answer the questions that follow. Mark the correct answer to each question on your coloured answer sheet.Questions 6 and 7 are'based on the foUowing news. At the end of the news item, you will be given 20 seconds to answer the questions.Now listen to the news.6. Which of the following is the main cause of global warming?A. Fossil fuel.B. Greenhouse gases.C. Increased dryness.D. Violent storm patterns.7. The news item implies that ______ in the last report.A. there were fewer studies doneB. there were fewer policy proposalsC. there was less agreementD. there were fewer objectivesQuestions 8 and 9 are based on the following news. At the end of the news item, you will be given 20 seconds to answer the questions.Now listen to the news.8. The cause of the Indian train accident wasA. terrorist sabotage.B. yet to be determined.C. lack of communications.D. bad weather.9. Which of the following statements is CORRECT?A. The accident occurred on a bridge.B. The accident occurred in New Delhi.C. There were about 600 casualties.D. Victims were rescued immediately.Question 10 is based on the following news. At the end of the news item, you will be given 10 seconds to answer the question.Now listen to the news.10. What is the main message of the news item?A. Young people should seek careers advice.B. Careers service needs to be improved.C. Businesses are not getting talented people.D. Careers advice is not offered on the Intemet.PART II READING COMPREHENSION (30 MIN)In this section there are four reading passages followed by a total of 20 multiple-choice questions.Read the passages and then mark your answers on your coloured answer sheet.TEXT AWe had been wanting to expand our children's horizons by taking them to a place that was unlike anything we'd been exposed to during our travels in Europe and the United States. In thinking about what was possible from Geneva, where we are based, we decided on a trip to Istanbul, a two-hour plane ride from Zurich.We envisioned the trip as a prelude to more exotic ones, perhaps to New Delhi or Bangkok later this year, but thought our 11- and 13-year-olds needed a first step away from manicured boulevards and pristine monuments.What we didn't foresee was the reaction of friends, who warned that we were putting our children "in danger," referring vaguely, and most incorrectly, to disease, terrorism or just the unknown. To help us get acquainted with the peculiarities of Istanbul and to give our children achance to choose what they were particularly interested in seeing, we bought an excellent guidebook and read it thoroughly before leaving.Friendly warnings didn't change our planning, although we might have more prudently checked with the U.S. State Department's list of troublespots. We didn't see a lot of children among the foreign visitors during our six-day stay in Istanbul, but we found the tourist areas quite safe, very interesting and varied enough even to suit our son, whose oft-repeated request isthat we not see "every single" church and museum in a given city.Vaccinations weren't needed for the city, but we were concemed about adapting to the water for a short stay. So we used bottled water for drinking and brushing our teeth, a precautionthat may seem excessive, but we all stayed healthy.Taking the advice of a friend, we booked a hotel a 20-minute walk from most of Istanbul'smajor tourist sites. This not only got us some morning exercise, strolling over the Karakoy Bridge, but took us past a colorful assortment of fishermen, vendors and shoe shiners.From a teenager and pre-teen's view, Istanbul street life is fascinating since almost everything can be bought outdoors. They were at a good age to spend time wandering the labyrinth of the Spice Bazaar, where shops display mounds of pungent herbs in sacks. Doing thiswith younger children would be harder simply because the streets are so packed with people; itwould be easy to get lost.For our two, whose buying experience consisted of department stores and shopping mall boutiques, it was amazing to discover that you could bargain over price and perhaps end up withtwo of something for the price of one. They also learned to figure out the relative value of the Turkish lira, not a small matter with its many zeros.Being exposed to Islam was an important part of our trip. Visiting the mosques, especially the enormous Blue Mosque, was our first glimpse into how this major religion is practiced. Ourchildren's curiosity already had been piqued by the five daily calls to prayer over loudspeakersin every corner of the city, and the scarves covering the heads of many women.Navigating meals can be troublesome with children, but a kebab, bought on the street or in restaurants, was unfailingly popular. Since we had decided this trip was not for gourmets, kebabsspared us the agony of trying to find a restaurant each day that would suit the adults' desire to trysomething new amid children's insistence that the food be served immediately. Gradually, we branched out to try some other Turkish specialties.Although our son had studied Islam briefly, it is impossible to be prepared for every awkward question that might come up, such as during our visits to the Topkapi Sarayi, the Ottoman Sultans' palace. No guides were available so it was do-it-yourself, using our guidebook,which cheated us of a lot of interesting history and anecdotes that a professional guide could provide. Next time, we resolved to make such arrangements in advance.On this trip, we wandered through the magnificent complex, with its imperial treasures, itscourtyards and its harem. The last required a bit of explanation that we would have happily lef~to a learned third party.11. The couple chose Istanbul as their holiday destination mainly becauseA. the city is not too far away from where they lived.B. the city is not on the list of the U.S. State Department.C. the city is between the familiar and the exotic.D. the city is more familiar than exotic.12. Which of the following statements is INCORRECT?A. The family found the city was exactly what they had expected.B. Their friends were opposed to their holiday plan.C. They could have been more cautious about bringing kids along.D. They were a bit cautious about the quality of water in the city.13. We learn from the couple's shopping experience back home thatA. they were used to bargaining over price.B. they preferred to buy things outdoors.C. street markets were their favourite.D. they preferred fashion and brand names.14. The last two paragraphs suggest that to visit places of interest in IstanbulA. guidebooks are very useful.B. a professional guide is a must.C. one has to be prepared for questions.D. one has to make arrangements in advance.15. The family have seen or visited all the following in Istanbul EXCEPTA. religious prayers.B. historical buildings.C. local-style markets.D. shopping mall boutiques.TEXT BLast month the first baby-boomers turned 60. The bulky generation born between 1946 and1964 is heading towards retirement. The looming "demographic cliff" will see vast numbers ofskilled workers dispatched from the labour force.The workforce is ageing across the rich world. Within the EU the number of workers aged between 50 and 64 will increase by 25% over the next two decades, while those aged 20-29 willdecrease by 20%. In Japan almost 20% of the population is already over 65, the highest share inthe world. And in the United States the number of workers aged 55-64 will have increased by more than half in this decade, at the same time as the 35- to 44-year-olds decline by 10%.Given that most societies are geared to retirement at around 65, companies have a looming problem of knowledge management, of making sure that the boomers do not leave before they have handed over their expertise along with the office keys and their e-mail address. A survey ofhuman-resources directors by IBM last year concluded: "When the baby-boomer generation retires, many companies will find out too late that a career's worth of experience has walked outthe door, leaving insufficient talent to fill in the void."Some also face a shortage of expertise. In aerospace and defence, for example, as much as 40% of the workforce in some companies will be eligible to retire within the next five years. Atthe same time, the number of engineering graduates in developed countries is in steep decline.A few companies are so squeezed that they are already taking exceptional measures. Earlier this year the Los Angeles Times interviewed an enterprising Australian who was staying in Beverly Hills while he tried to persuade locals to emigrate to Toowoomba, Queensland, to workfor his engineering company there. Toowoomba today; the rest of the developed world tomorrow?If you look hard enough, you can find companies that have begun to adapt the workplace to older workers. The AARP, an American association for the over-50s, produces an annual list ofthe best employers of its members. Health-care firms invariably come near the top because theyare one of the industries most in need of skilled labour. Other sectors similarly affected, says theConference Board, include oil, gas, energy and government.Near the top of the AARP's latest list comes Deere & Company, a no-nonsenseindustrial-equipment manufacturer based in Illinois; about 35% of Deere's 46,000 employees areover 50 and a number of them are in their 70s. The tools it uses to achieve that - flexible working, telecommuting, and so forth - also coincidentaUy help older workers to extend their working lives. The company spends "a lot of time" on the ergonomics of its factories, making jobs there less tiring, which enables older workers to stay at them for longer.Likewise, for more than a decade, Toyota, arguably the world's most advanced manufacturer, has adapted its workstations to older workers. The shortage of skilled labour available to the automotive industry has made it unusually keen to recruit older workers. BMWrecently set up a factory in Leipzig that expressly set out to employ people over the age of 45. Needs must when the devil drives.Other firms are polishing their alumni networks. IBM uses its network to recruit retired people for particular projects. Ernst & Young, a professional-services firm, has about 30,000 registered alumni, and about 25% of its "experienced" new recruits are former employees who return after an absence.But such examples are unusual. A survey in America last month by Ernst & Young found that "although corporate America foresees a significant workforce shortage as boomers retire, itis not dealing with the issue." Almost three-quarters of the 1,400 global companies questioned by Deloitte last year said they expected a shortage of salaried staff over the next three to five years. Yet few of them are looking to older workers to fill that shortage; and even fewer are looking to them to fill another gap that has already appeared. Many firms in Europe and Americacomplain that they struggle to find qualified directors for their boards - this when the pool ofretired talent from those very same firms is growing by leaps and bounds.Why are firms not working harder to keep old employees? Part of the reason is that the crunch has been beyond the horizon of most managers. Nor is hanging on to older workers the only way to cope with a falling supply of labour. The participation of developing countries in theworld economy has increased the overall supply - whatever the local effect of demographics inthe rich countries. A vast amount of work is being sent offshore to such places as China and India and more will go in future. Some countries, such as Australia, are relaxing their immigration policies to allow much needed skills to come in from abroad. Others will avoid theneed for workers by spending money on machinery and automation.16. According to the passage, the most serious consequence of baby-boomers approachingretirement would beA. a loss of knowledge and experience to many companies.B. a decrease in the number of 35- to 44- year-olds.C. a continuous increase in the number of 50-to 64-year-olds.D. its impact on the developed world whose workforce is ageing.17. The following are all the measures that companies have adopted to cope with the ageing workforce EXCEPTA. making places of work accommodate the needs of older workers.B. using alumni networks to hire retired former employees.C. encouraging former employees to work overseas.D. granting more convenience in working hours to older workers.18. "The company spends 'a lot of time' on the ergonomics of its factories" (Paragraph Seven) means thatA. the company attaches great importance to the layout of its factories.B. the company improves the working conditions in its factories.C. the company attempts to reduce production costs of its factories.D. the company intends to renovate its factories and update equipment.19. In the author's opinion American firms are not doing anything to deal with the issue of the ageing workforce mainly becauseA. they have not been aware of the problem.B. they are reluctant to hire older workers.C. they are not sure of what they should do.D. they have other options to consider.20. Which of the following best describes the author's development of argument?A. introducing the issue---citing ways to deal with the issue---~describing the actualstatus---offering reasons.B. describing the actual status--- introducing the issue---citing ways to deal with theissue---offering reasons.C. citing ways to deal with the issue---introducing the issue----describing the actualstatus---offering reasons.D. describing the actual status--offering reasons---introducing the issue---citing ways to deal with the issue.TEXT C(1) The other problem that arises from the employment of women is that of the working wife.It has two aspects: that of the wife who is more of a success than her husband and that of the wifewho must rely heavily on her husband for help with domestic tasks. There are various ways in which the impact of the first difficulty can be reduced. Provided that husband and wife are not in the same or directly comparable lines of work, the harsh fact of her greater success can be obscured by a genial conspiracy to reject a purely monetary measure of achievement as intolerably crude. Where there are ranks, it is best if the couple work in different fields so that the husband can find some special reason for the superiority of the lowest figure in his to the most elevated in his wife's.(2) A problem that affects a much larger number of working wives is the need to re-allocate domestic tasks if there are children. In The Road to Wigan Pier George Orwell wrote of the unemployed of the Lancashire coalfields: "Practically never ... in a working-class home, will yousee the man doing a stroke of the housework. Unemployment has not changed this convention,which on the face of it seems a little unfair. The man is idle from morning to night but the woman is as busy as ever - more so, indeed, because she has to manage with less money. Yet so far as myexperience goes the women do not protest. They feel that a man would lose his manhood if, merely because he was out of work, he developed in a 'Mary Ann'."(3) It is over the care of young children that this re-allocation of duties becomes reallysignificant. For this, unlike the cooking of fish fingers or the making of beds, is an inescapablytime-consuming occupation, and time is what the fully employed wife has no more to spare of than her husband.(4) The male initiative in courtship is a pretty indiscriminate affair, something that is tried on with any remotely plausible woman who comes within range and, of course, with all degrees oftentativeness. What decides the issue of whether a genuine courtship is going to get under way is the woman's response. If she shows interest the engines of persuasion are set in movement. The truth is that in courtship society gives women the real power while pretending to give it to men.(5) What does seem clear is that the more men and women are together, at work and awayfrom it, the more the comprehensive amorousness of men towards women will have to go, despiteall its past evolutionary services. For it is this that makes inferiority at work abrasive and, moreindirectly, makes domestic work seem unmanly, if there is to be an equalizing redistributionofeconomic and domestic tasks between men and women there must be a compensating redistribution of the erotic initiative. If women will no longer let us beat them they must allow us to join them as the blushing recipients of flowers and chocolates.21. Paragraph One advises the working wife who is more successful than her husband toA. work in the same sort of job as her husband.B. play down her success, making it sound unimportant.C. stress how much the family gains from her high salary.D. introduce more labour-saving machinery into the home.22. Orwell's picture of relations between man and wife in Wigan Pier (Paragraph Two) describes arelationship which the author of the passageA. thinks is the natural one.B. wishes to see preserved.C. believes is fair.D. is sure must change.23. Which of the following words is used literally, NOT metaphorically?A. Abrasive (Paragraph Five).B. Engines (Paragraph Four).C. Convention (Paragraph Two).D. Heavily (Paragraph One).24. The last paragraph stresses that if women are to hold important jobs, then they mustA. sometimes make the first advances in love.B. allow men to flirt with many women.C. stop accepting presents of flowers and chocolates.D. avoid making their husbands look like "Mary Anns".25. Which of the following statements is INCORRECT about the present form of courtship?A. Men are equally serious about courtship.B. Each man "makes passes" at many women.C. The woman's reaction decides the fate of courtship.D. The man leaves himself the opportunity to give up the chase quickly.TEXT DFrom Namche Bazaar, the Sherpa capital at 12,000 feet, the long line threaded south, dropping 2,000 feet to the valley floor, then trudged down the huge Sola-Khumbu canyon until itopened out to the lush but still daunting foothills of Central Nepal.It was here at Namche that one man broke rank and leaned north, slowly and arduously climbing the steep walls of the natural amphitheater behind the scatter of stone huts, then past Kunde and Khumjong.Despite wearing a balaclava on his head, he had been frequently recognized by the Tibetans, and treated with the gravest deference and respect. Even among those who knew nothing abouthim, expressions of surprise lit up their dark, liquid eyes. He was a man not expected to be there.Not only was his stature substantially greater than that of the diminutive Tibetans, but it was also obvious from his bearing - and his new broadcloak, which covered a much-too-tight army uniform - that he came from a markedly loftier station in life than did the average Tibetan.Among a people virtually bereft of possessions, he had fewer still, consisting solely of a roundedbundle about a foot in diameter slung securely by a cord over his shoulder. The material the bundle was wrapped in was of a rough Tibetan weave, which did not augur that the content wasof any greater value - except for the importance he seemed to ascribe to it, never for a momentreleasing his grip.His objective was a tiny huddle of buildings perched halfway up an enormous valley wall across from him, atop a great wooded spur jutting out from the lower lap of the 22,493-foot AmaDablum, one of the most majestic mountains on earth. There was situated Tengboche, the mostfamous Buddhist monastery in the Himalayas, its setting unsurpassed for magnificence anywhere on the planet.From the top of the spur, one's eyes sweep 12 miles up the stupendous Dudh Kosi canyon to the six-mile-long granite wall of cliff of Nuptse at its head. If Ama Dablum is the Gatekeeper,then the sheer cliff of Nuptse, never less than four miles high, is the Final Protector of the highest and mightiest of them all: Chomolongma, the Mother Goddess of the World, to the Tibetans; Sagarmatha, the Head of the Seas, to the Nepalese; and Everest to the rest of us. Andover the great barrier of Nuptse She demurely peaks.It was late in the afternoon - when the great shadows cast by the colossal mountains were descending into the deep valley floors - before he reached the crest of the spur and shuffled to astop just past Tengboche's entrance gompa. His chest heaving in the rarefied air, he removed hishand from the bundle--the first time he had done so - and wiped grimy rivulets of sweat from around his eyes with the fingers of his mitted hand.His narrowed eyes took in the open sweep of the quiet grounds, the pagoda-like monastery itself, and the stone buildings that tumbled down around it like a protective skirt. In the distancethe magic light of the magic hour lit up the plume flying off Chomolongma's 29,029-foot-highcrest like a bright, welcoming banner.His breathing calmed, he slowly, stiffly struggled forward and up the rough stone steps to the monastery entrance. There he was greeted with a respectful nameste -"I recognize the divinein you" - from a tall, slim monk of about 35 years, who hastily set aside a twig broom he had been using to sweep the flagstones of the inner courtyard. While he did so, the visitor noticed that the monk was missing the small finger on his left hand. The stranger spoke a few formal words in Tibetan, and then the two disappeared inside.Early the next morning the emissary - lightened of his load - appeared at the monastery entrance, accompanied by the same monk and the elderly abbot. After a bow of his head, whichwas returned much more deeply by the two ocher-robed residents, he took his leave. The two solemn monks watched, motionless, until he dipped over the ridge on which the monastery sat, and out of sight.Then, without a word, they turned and went back inside the monastery.26. Which of the following words in Paragraph One implies difficulty in walking?A. "threaded".B. "dropping".C. "trudged".D. "daunting".27. In the passage the contrast between the Tibetans and the man is indicated in all the followingaspects EXCEPTA. clothing.B. height.C. social status.D. personal belongings.28. It can be inferred from the passage that one can get ______ of the region from themonastery.A. a narrow viewB. a hazy viewC. a distant viewD. a panoramic view29. Which of the following details shows that the man became relaxed after he reached the monastery?A. "...he reached the crest of the spur and shuffled to a stop..."B. "...he removed his hand from the bundle..."C. "His narrowed eyes took in the open sweep of the quiet grounds..."D. "...he slowly, stiffly struggled forward and up the rough stone steps..."30. From how it is described in the passage the monastery seems to evokeA. a sense of awe.B. a sense of piety.C. a sense of fear.D. a sense of mystery.PART III GENERAL KNOWLEDGE (10 MIN)There are ten multiple-choice questions in this section. Choose the best answer to each question.Mark your answers on your coloured answer sheet.31. The Head of State of New Zealand is。

大学专业英语八级考试模拟试题PART ⅠLISTENING COMPREHENSIONSECTION 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 what you fill in is 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.Non-Verbal Communications Across CulturesNon-verbal communications can affirm, complement or even contradict what is being verbally transmitted. In addition to this, non-verbal communications vary from country to country.Ⅰ. Gesture—Pointinga) Pointing with a single finger is considered 1 in Asiab) American people use 2 fingers to pointc) German people use pinky to pointd) In UK, flashing a peace sign with the back of one's hand is an3 of flipping someone the bird—Greetinga)USA: 4b) Somewhere else: a kissⅡ. Eye Contact—West: direct eye contact is 5—African-Americans: more eye contact when speaking, less when listening—Anglo-Americans: 6 African-Americans—Northern Europe: more flirtatious facets—Middle East: prolonged eye contact means to show 7—Some Asian countries: avoiding eye contact means to show 8Ⅲ. Physical Contact—Americans will shake hands, 9 , upon encountering someone—Islamic cultures: 10 is not allowed—Asian cultures: touching the head is considered 11 the soulⅣ. 12—Some cultures think Americans do not bathe 13—Some think Americans over-bathe themselvesⅤ. Time—14 is highly valued in Switzerland, Germany and Sweden—Europeans: 15 of vacation is the norm—Americans: 2 weeks is the normSECTION B INTERVIEWIn this section you will hear TWO interviews. At the end of each interview, five questions will be asked about what was said. Both the interviews and the questions will be spoken ONCE ONLY. After each question there will be a ten-second pause. During the pause, you should read the four choices of A, B, C and D, and mark the best answer to each question on ANSWER SHEET TWO.You have THIRTY seconds to preview the choices.16、A. He never feels road rage when he is out driving.B. He sometimes is aggressive when he is out driving.C. He manages to stay in the car when he feels road rage.D. He always tries to keep away from minor accidents.17、A. 68%. B. 23%. C. 40%. D. 50%.18、A. Around 13,333-20,000. B. Around 13,333-26,666.C. Around 20,000-26,666.D. Around 26,666-40,000.19、A. Drivers lose their cool and change lanes carelessly.B. Drivers lock their vehicle and refuse to leave the highways.C. Drivers get angry at other motorists and move into physical confrontation.D. Drivers aggressively pursue other cars with their own and smash into them.20、A. It involved a father of two. B. The father was shot.C. The father changed lanes carelessly.D. The father refused to get out of the car.21、A. A super flexible body.B. A tremendously strong body.C. An independent personality with strong will power.D. A peaceful mind.22、A. Because we feel healthy enough.B. Because they are less important than making money.C. Because they cause no visible impact on our daily routine.D. Because we are feeling tired and have no time to exercise.23、A. It was caused by yoga exercise. B. Yoga helped alleviate it.C. It was caused by cardio exercise.D. Yoga helped exacerbate it.24、A. Because yoga provides stress relief. B. Because yoga is easy.C. Because yoga is fashionable.D. Because yoga is cool.25、A. They are good for all people. B. They are as good as yoga.C. They may not be suitable for old people.D. They help lose weight.PART ⅡREADING COMPREHENSIONSECTION A MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONSIn this section there are three passages followed by fourteen multiple choice questions. For each multiple choice question, there are four suggested answers marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that you think is the best answer and mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET TWO.PASSAGE ONE26When I was 10 years old one of my father's customers had caught a bigcatfish on a weekend trip to the Colorado River. It weighed 86 pounds, a swollen, gasping, grotesque netherworld creature pulled writhing and fighting up into the bright, hot, dusty world above.27The man had brought the fish, wrapped in wet burlap, all the way out to my father's service station in the back of his car. We were to have a big barbecue that weekend, and I was given the job of keeping the fish watered and alive until the time came to kill and cook it.28All day long that Friday—in late August, school had not yet started—I knelt beside the gasping fish and kept it hosed down with a trickle of cool water, giving the fish life one silver gasp at a time, keeping its gills and its slick gray skin wet: the steady trickling of that hose, and nothing else, helping it stay alive. We had no tub large enough to hold the fish, and so I squatted beside it in the dust, resting on my heels, and studied it as I moved the silver stream of water up and down its back.29The fish, in turn, studied me with its eyes, which had a gold lining to their perimeter, like pyrite. The fish panted and watched me while the heat built all around us, rising steadily through the day from the fields, giving birth in the summer-blue sky to towering white clouds. I grew dizzy in the heat, and from the strange combination of the unblinking monotony and utter fascination of my task, until the trickling from my hose seemed to be inflating those clouds—I seemed to be watering those clouds as one would water a garden. Do you ever think that those days were different—that we had more time for such thoughts, that time had not yet been corrupted? I am speaking less of childhood than of the general nature of the world we are living in. If you are the age I am now—mid-50s—then maybe you know what I mean.30The water pooled and spread across the gravel parking lot before running in wandering rivulets out into the field beyond, where bright butterflies swarmed and fluttered, dabbing at the mud I was making.31Throughout the afternoon, some of the adults who were showing up wandered over to examine the monstrosity. Among them was an older boy, Jack, a 15-year-old who had been kicked out of school the year before for fighting. Jack waited until no adults were around and then came by and said that he wanted the fish, that it was his father's—that his father had been the one who had caught it—and that he would give me five dollars if I would let him have it.32"No," I said, "my father told me to take care of it."33Jack had me figured straightaway for a Goody Two-Shoes. "They're just going to kill it," he said. "It's mine. Give it to me and I'll let it go. I swear I will," he said. "Give it to me or I'll beat you up."34As if intuiting or otherwise discerning trouble—though trouble followed Jack, and realizing that did not require much foresight—my father appeared from around the corner, and asked us how everything was going. Jack, scowling but saying nothing, tipped his cap at the fish but not at my father or me, and walked away.35"What did he want?" my father asked.36"Nothing," I said. "He was just looking at the fish." I knew that if I told on Jack and he got in trouble, I would get beaten.37"Did he say it was his fish?" my father asked. "Was he trying to claim it?"38"I think he said his father caught it."39"His father owes us $67," my father said. "He gave me the fish instead. Don't let Jack take that fish back."40"I won't," I said.41I can't remember if I've mentioned that, while not poor, we were right at the edge of poor.42The dusty orange sky faded to the cool purple-blue of dusk. Stars appeared and fireflies emerged from the grass. I watched them, and listened to the drum and groan of the bullfrogs in the stock tank in the field below, and to the bellowing of the cattle. I kept watering the fish, and the fish kept watching me, with its gasps coming harder. From time to time I saw Jack loitering, but he didn't come back over to where I was.43Later in the evening, before dark, but only barely, a woman I thought was probably Jack's mother—I had seen her talking to him—came walking over and crouched beside me. She was dressed as if for a party of far greater celebration than ours, with sequins on her dress, and fiat leather sandals. Her toenails were painted bright red, but her pale feet were speckled with dust, as if she had been walking a long time. I could smell the whiskey on her breath, and on her clothes, I thought, and I hoped she would not try to engage me in conversation, though such was not to be my fortune.44"This's a big fish," she said.45"Yes, ma'am," I said, quietly. I dreaded that she was going to ask for the fish back.46"My boy and my old man caught that fish," she said. "You'll see. Gonna have their pictures in the newspaper." She paused and stared at the fish as if in labored communication with it. "That fish is worth a lot of money, you know?" she said.47I didn't say anything. Her diction and odor were such that I would not take my first sip of alcohol until I was 22.PASSAGE TWO26Improving the balance between the working part of the day and the rest of it is a goal of a growing number of workers in rich Western countries. Some are turning away from the ideals of their parents, for whom work always came first; others with scarce skills are demanding more because they know they can get it. Employers, caught between a falling population of workers and tight controls on immigration, are eager to identify extra perks that will lure more "talent" their way. Just now they are focusing on benefits (especially flexible working) that offer employees more than just pay.27Some companies saw the change of mood some time ago. IBM has more than 50 different programmes promoting work-life balance and Bank of America over 30. But plenty of other firms remain unconvinced and many lack the capacity to cater to such ideas even if they wanted to. Helen Murlis, with Hay Group, a human-resources consultancy, sees a widening gap between firms at the creative endof employment and those that are not.28The chief component of almost all schemes to promote work-life balance is flexible working. This allows people to escape rigid nine-to-five schedules and work away from a formal office. IBM says that 40% of its employees today work off the company premises. For many businesses, flexible working is a necessity. Globalization has spread the hours in which workers need to communicate with each other and increased the call for flexible shifts.29Nella Barkley, an American who advises companies on work-life balance, says that large firms are beginning to understand the value of such schemes, "but only slowly". For most of them, they still mean little more than child care, health care and flexible working.30Yet some schemes go well beyond these first steps. American Century Investments, an investment manager in Kansas City, pays adoption expenses and the cost of home-fitness equipment for its employees. Rob Marcolina, a consultant with Bain & Company based in Los Angeles, was allowed time off to marry his partner in Canada. Mr Marcolina, who has an MBA from the high-ranked Kellogg business school, says his employer's understanding makes him want to be "part of Bain for some time".31Businesses have other good reasons for improving employees' work-life balance. Wegmans Food Markets, a grocery chain based in Rochester, New York, frequently appears near the top of lists of the best employers in America. It has a broad range of flexible-work programmes, which gives it one of the lowest rates of employment turnover in its industry—8% a year for full-tinge workers, compared with 19% across the industry.32Simple programmes can be surprisingly cost-effective. IBM, for instance, is spending $50m over five years on "dependant-care" facilities for its employees. Although that sounds generous, it is the equivalent of little more than $30 for each IBM employee every year. That is far cheaper than a pay rise and probably a better way to retrain talented mothers and fathers. Ernst & Young, a global accounting firm, has a low-cost range of initiatives called "People First". It provides breaks for people to provide care and has over 2,300 flexi-time employees in the United States. James Freer, a senior executive, says he is "absolutely convinced" the initiatives help produce better financial results.33DeAnne Aguirre, a mother of four and a senior partner in San Francisco with Booz Allen Hamilton (BAH), says "it is easy to make the business case" for work-life balance programmes at the consultancy by looking at attrition rates. BAH calculated that it was investing more than $2m in turning a raw recruit into a partner, an investment it should be reluctant to write off. Coming, an American glass company, reckons that it costs 1.5 times a worker's salary and benefits to replace him. If it can retain just 20 workers a year who would otherwise have left, Corning reckons it would produce annual savings of $2.6m.34The spread of flexible work has come about at least partly as a result of initiatives to keep women workers. Companies have had to offer extended periods of leave for them to look after dependants (young and old), and flexible working inbetween. At BAH, women partners take an average of eight-and-a-half extended breaks during their careers. Men take an average of one-and-a-half. Ernst & Young, keen to show that part-time workers can also become partners, recently made the first such appointment in Houston, Texas.35Some of these initiatives are spreading even to the castles of binge working, such as investment banks. Business schools are now climbing on the bandwagon, too. In October Tuck School at Dartmouth, New Hampshire, will start a course on returning to corporate life after an extended absence. Called "Back in Business", the 16-day, $12,000 re-entry programme is open only to students with "'work experience in a high-potential career".36The majority will inevitably be mothers wanting to rejoin the workforce. But fathers are also asking for sabbaticals (公休假). Work-life balance "is not just a women's issue" any more, says Ted Childs, who is in charge of workforce diversity at IBM. "Men, too, are very concerned about it."37The demand is being stoked by the "Generation Y", the tmder-28s. They look sceptically at the idea of lifetime employment within a single organisation and they are wary of the commitment they believe too often drove their parents to the divorce courts. Hay's Ms Murlis says that today's business-school graduates are "looking for a workstyle to go with their lifestyle", not the other way round. They are happy to binge-work for a while, but in return want extended sabbaticals.38Many of the more imaginative schemes come from organisations that are not under pressure to report quarterly to Wall Street. Wegmans and American Century Investments are family-controlled businesses and the big accounting firms and consultancies, such as Ernst & Young, KPMG, Bain and BAH, are partnerships. This allows them to take a longer-term view of growth and costs.39To some extent, the proliferation of work-life-balance schemes is a function of today's labour market. Companies in knowledge-based industries worry about the shortage of skills and how they are going to persuade talented people to work for them. Although white-collar workers are more likely to be laid off nowadays, they are also likely to get rehired. Unemployment among college graduates in America is just over 2%. The same competition for scarce talent is evident in Britain.40For some time to come, talented people in the West will demand more from employers, and clever employers will create new gewgaws to entice them to join. Those employers should note that for a growing number of these workers the most appealing gewgaw of all is the freedom to work as and when they please.PASSAGE THREE26The blind, overweight patient in the wheelchair has terrible pain in her back and burning pain in her legs. She also has advanced arthritis in her knees and end-stage circulatory disease, which have left her with two useless legs that are red, swollen and infected. Now her shoulder has started to hurt. She can't raise her arm to comb her hair. Five or six other things are wrong with her—she tells me about each. Some we can help; most we can't. I tell her as much.27In my office, she listens carefully. I hardly ever have to repeat myself with Doris (not her real name). She asks questions—mostly good ones. She needs lots oftests, various therapies. I ultimately recommend an operation on her shoulder. Sick, weakened by multiple symptoms and with lousy insurance, Doris is—surprise—a really good patient. She communicates efficiently with her doctors and treats us with respect and trust. She has reasonable expectations. I can tell she looks things up, but her knowledge is helpful—never challenging. I've talked about her with other doctors, and we agree on this: when you see Doris' name on your day's list, you know you're going to work hard. But you're usually glad her name is there.28Few patients realize how deeply they can affect their doctors. That is a big secret in medicine—one doctors hate to admit. We think about, talk about, dream about our patients. We went into clinical medicine because we like dealing on a personal, even intimate level with people who have chosen to put their bodies in our hands. Our patients make or break our days.29Take the compliment. Our career choice means we really do think that you —with your aches and pains—are more interesting than trading hot securities, more fun than a courtroom full of lawyers. Massaging the ego is the key to manipulating responsible types like doctors. When we feel your trust, you have us.30The most compelling reasons to be a good patient are selfish ones. You will get more than free drug samples if your doctor is comfortable and communicates easily with you. You'll get more of the mind that you came for, a mind working better because it's relaxed—recalling and associating freely, more receptive to small, even unconscious clues. That means better medical care. But you should try to be a good patient for unselfish reasons too. We worry about you 60 hours a week. We gave up our 20s for you. Why not show us some love? It's not hard.31The medical relationship is intrinsically one-sided. It's about you and your problem. I am going to find out more about you in the next 20 minutes than you will find out about me. Don't fret about that. We don't expect you to ask much about us. Good patients answer questions accurately and completely. They ask questions too.32But many patients talk too much. You might notice that we are writing when we see you—we are creating your chart. We need specific facts but not every fact in your life. Here's a classic exchange:33How long has your shoulder hurt, Beatrice? "Oh, for quite some time now." But for how long? How many months? "Oh, at least since the wedding—well, then again it did act up a bit when Margaret came back from Ireland..."34All I want to do is write something like "Right shoulder, 6 months, no trauma" on my chart. Although I lack the heart to tell her, Beatrice would be a better patient if she tried to be a bit more concise. There are lots of Beatrices.35Here's another classic:36"Well, I don't need to have good mariners—I'm sick—and I'm not going to be a patsy for some smooth talker in a white coat. The squeaky wheel gets the grease, you know."37That is the mind-set of many patients who abuse their doctors; my bet is they abuse other people as well. Any good doctor knows when you're too sick to be polite and will let it roll off his back. The squeaky wheel we don't like is the one playing a dominance game. That big wheel is likely to get a shorter, less sensitiveexamination and more tests, and then still more tests to follow up the abnormalities in the first tests, followed by extra consultations with specialists—anything to relieve the doctor's responsibility for a bad patient.38Are doctors good patients? Others may disagree, but I think they are. Medical terms don't faze them, so communication is easier, and their expectations tend to be more reasonable. Anyone in medicine is painfully aware that there are plenty of problems for which we have no good answer. Nurses tend to be even better patients, being adept at following doctors' orders—a virtue lacking in doctors.39Doctors and nurses also know when to respect an educated opinion. When the MRI says one thing and I want to do another, they are more likely to be on my side. But you need not be a medical professional, or educated at all, to be a great patient. It's pretty much the same strain of human decency— a truthful consideration of who the people around you are and of what they are trying to do—that infects a good patient and any good person.26、The author's behavior of guarding the fish showed (PASSAGE ONE.A. bravery and serf-control.B. wisdom and responsibility.C. devotion and romance.D. chivalry and charity.27、From the fourth paragraph, we get the impression that (PASSAGE ONE.A. the author cherished his childhood memories.B. the author spent much time in daydreaming.C. the author may not have a happy childhood.D. the author can't remember his childhood days.28、"Jack had me figured straightaway for a Goody Two-Shoes." (Paragraph Eight) means that (PASSAGE ONE.A. I was not the boy as Jack supposed to be.B. I was much stingier than Jack thought.C. I was viewed as virtuous and righteous.D. I was irritating and foolish in Jack's eyes.29、It can be inferred from the passage that Jack was all EXCEPT (PASSAGE ONE.A. cunning.B. bad-tempered.C. rude.D. considerate.30、Employees tend to demand more from their employers because (PASSAGE TWO)A. they always give priority to their work.B. they are pursuing a more balanced lifestyle.C. they are equipped with special skills.D. they focus on benefits rather than salary.31、The current situation about the work-life balance problem is that (PASSAGE TWO)A. many companies launch varying programmes for the problem.B. most companies are ready to take effective solutions.C. companies are at two extremes in solving the problem.D. most companies are indifferent to the problem.32、IBM is cited as an example in the third paragraph to show that (PASSAGE TWO)A. IBM has many different programmes enhancing work-life balance.B. the tendency of large firms to improve employee's work-life balance.C. flexible working includes allowing employees to work outside offices.D. flexible working is adopted to meet the new demand of communication.33、Which of the following is NOT the cause for the spread of flexible work? (PASSAGE TWO)A. Low turnover rate.B. Initiatives to stabilise workforce.C. General thirst for talents.D. Labour force competition.34、The word gewgaws in the last paragraph probably means (PASSAGE TWO)A. jewelry.B. positions.C. strategies.D. payment.35、The first two paragraphs in the passage (PASSAGE THREE.A. cite an example as a hook to start the issue.B. bring out the theme with strong argument.C. provide ways to deal with the issue.D. introduce the issue with an extreme case.36、The expression "massaging the ego" in Paragraph Four most probably means (PASSAGE THREE.A. affecting doctors deeply.B. praising doctors sincerely.C. showing interest in doctors.D. staying in touch with doctors.37、The benefit for one to be a good patient is that (PASSAGE THREE.A. his doctor will be receptive to all clues.B. his doctor will undercharge him for medicine and operation.C. he can get free drug samples and better care.D. he can get more time to talk with his doctor.38、If one intends to become a good patient, he should learn (PASSAGE THREE.A. to find out more about his doctor.B. to respect both doctors and nurses.C. to become as unselfish as possible.D. to accurately follow his doctor's orders.39、The text is mainly about (PASSAGE THREE.A. what makes a good patient.B. how deeply patients can affect their doctors.C. the relationship between patients and doctors.D. the most significant reasons to be a good patient.40、SECTION B SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONSIn this section there are eight short answer questions based on tire passages in SECTION A. Answer each question in NO more than 10 words in the space provided on ANSWER SHEET TWO.Why did the author water the fish? (PASSAGE ONE.41、What created the towering clouds? (PASSAGE ONE.42、Why did the author hope Jack's mother not to engage him in conversation? (PASSAGE ONE.43、What do the examples of American Century Investments and Bain & Company in Para.5 show? (PASSAGE TWO)44、Why does IBM invest money for employees? (PASSAGE TWO)45、What are the characteristics of today's business-school graduates? (PASSAGE TWO)46、What does the first classic exchange show? (PASSAGE THREE.47、What might happen to the big wheel style patients? (PASSAGE THREE.PART ⅢLANGUAGE USAGEThe passage contains TEN errors. Each indicated line contains a maximum of ONE error. In each case, only ONE word is involved. You should proofread the passage and correct it in the following way:For a wrong word, underline the wrong word and write the correct one in the blank provided atthe end of the line.For a missing word, mark the position of the missing word with a "∧" sign and write the wordyou 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 blankprovided at the end of the line.For centuries, immigrants have come to America seeking thepromise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Some camefleeting religions persecution. Others came for the possibility of a 48better life. But all were inspired by the freedoms that exist in theUnited States because of the rule of law.Throughout our history, immigrants have contributed toAmerican society and help build the American dream. But today 49 we face with an immigration crisis. Lax enforcement of our 50immigration laws threatens the promise of life, liberty, and thepursuit of happiness that has made America that it is today. In 51order to protect the American dream, we must enforce ourimmigration laws.According to a report by the Government AccountabilityOffice, only 44 percent of the U.S.-Mexico border is under the"operational control" of the U.S. Border Patrol. Forty-four percentis a failure grade. Holes in the security of our borders threaten 52American lives. The first promise of the American dream is "life."In order to protect that promise, we must secure the U.S.-Mexicoborder.We must also do more to prohibit Americans from criminal 53illegal immigrants. Despite the Obama administration has 54increased the deportation of criminal immigrants, two SupremeCourt rulings created a safe haven for dangerous criminalimmigrants who can be removed. Because these rulings prohibit 55 criminal immigrants from detained longer than six months 56when they cannot be deported, federal officials have been forced to 57。

专业英语八级历年翻译真题试题及答案一、问答题（共10题，共100分）1.汉译英;但是正如其他许多已经发生过的事情一样，当他们最终结婚后，发现最憧憬的生活变得再实际不过了。

他们非但没有分担各自原先的责任--- 正如那些学生们所说 " 一半一半 " ，相反却发现生活的重担加倍了。

这使得我们那两个结婚的朋友时常觉得沮丧;他们突然发现自己并没有过着天堂般的生活而是仍实实在在地生活在地球上，而且成为了新规则和新约束的奴隶。

生活并没有比以前更自由、更幸福，因为他们要去承担新的责任。

既然成立了一个新的家庭，那就无论如何也要尽一点家庭的义务。

他们深情地回想起订婚的那段时光，曾经如此地渴望拥有彼此而忘掉这个世界，然而现在最深切的感受却是自己仍是这个世界的一份子。

2.汉译英;我想不起来哪一个熟人没有手机。

今天没有手机的人是奇怪的，这种人才需要解释。

我们的所有社会关系都储存在手机的电话本里，可以随时调出使用。

古代只有巫师才能拥有这种法宝。

3.汉译英：流逝，表现了南国人对时间最早的感觉。

“子在川上曰，逝者如斯夫。

”他们发现无论是潺潺小溪，还是浩荡大河，都一去不复返，流逝之际青年变成了老翁而绿草转眼就枯黄，很自然有错阴的紧迫感。

流逝也许是缓慢的，但无论如何缓慢，对流逝的恐惧使人们必须用“流逝”这个词来时时警戒后人，必须急匆匆地行动，给这个词灌注一种紧张感。

4.汉译英：茶花(camellia)的自然花期在 12 月至翌年 4 月，以红色系为主，另有黄色系和白色系等，花色艳丽。

本届花展充分展示了茶花的品种资源和科研水平，是近三年来本市规模最大的一届茶花展。

为了使广大植物爱好者有更多与茶花亲密接触的机会，本届茶花展的布展范围延伸至整个园区，为赏花游客带来便利。

此次茶花展历时2个月，展期内 200 多个茶花品种将陆续亮相。

5.汉译英：生活就像一杯红酒，热爱生活的人会从其中品出无穷无尽的美妙。

将它握在手中仔细观察，它的暗红色中有血的感觉，那正是生命的痕迹。

英语专业八级考试模拟试题集一、单选题1、The old man should be treated with____.A.kindB.kindnessC.kindlyD.kinder答案：B2、By local doctors and nurses,we hope more people.A.train,helpB.training,helpingC.training,to helpD.train,helping答案：C3、I don’t have as______money as before,but my life is more______.A.many,usefulB.more,niceC.most,goodD.much,meaningful答案：D4、I hope you will spend as much time as you can______your English.A.to practiceB.practiceC.practicingD.on practice答案：C5、It’s necessary______us all to______.A.for,keeping learningB.to,keeping learningC.of,keep to learnD.for,keep learning答案：D6、All we want to do______to find enough water______the horses.A.are,toB.is,forC.be,asD.is,to give答案：B7、The car is______expensive______he can’t buy it.A.too,toB.so,thatC.such,thatD.enough,that答案：B8、How I______I could live on the moon.A.thinkB.hopeC.wantD.wish答案：D9、I’ve never been out of China_______.What about you?A.alreadyB.overC.beforeD.just答案：C10、Mrs.White has______that she is not able to get a job.A.so little educationB.such little educationC.so a little educationD.such a little education答案：A二、阅读理解短文一Whenever you see an old film,even one made as little as ten years before,you can’t help being struck by the appearance of the women taking part.Their hair styles and make-up look dated;their skirts look either too long or too short;their general appearance is,in fact,slightly ludicrous.The men taking part,on the other hand,are clearly recognizable.There is nothing about their appearance to suggest that they belong to an entirely different age.This illusion is created entirely by changing fashions.问题What is the main reason for the difference in appearance between men and women in old films?答案：The main reason is the changing fashions.短文二The gorilla is something of a paradox in the African scene.For a hundred years or more he has been killed,captured,and imprisoned in zoos.His bones have been mounted in natural history museums everywhere,and he has always exerted a strong fascination upon scientists and romantics alike.Yet the fact is we know very little about gorillas.No really satisfactory photograph has ever been taken of one in a wild state.问题What is the paradox about gorillas mentioned in the passage?答案：The paradox is that despite being studied for over a hundred years, we still know very little about gorillas.三、完形填空Read the following passage and fill in the blanks with the most suitable options.The company has been__________for its innovative products.Despite the challenges,she remained__________throughout the project.Blank1:A)recognized B)criticized C)ignored D)forgotten答案：ABlank2:A)optimistic B)indifferent C)skeptical D)pessimistic答案：A四、翻译中文句子翻译成英文随着经济的发展，人们对生活质量的要求越来越高。

Most earthquakes occur within the upper 15 miles of the earth's surface. But earthquakes can and d o occur at all depths to about 460 miles. Their n umber decreasesas the depth in creases. At about 460 miles one earthquake occurs only every few years. Near the surface earthquakes may run as hi gh as 100 in a mon th, but the yearly average does not vary much. In comparis on with the total nu mber of earthquakes each year, the number of disastrous earthquakes is very small.The extent of the disaster in an earthquake depends on many factors. If you carefully build a t oy house with an erect set, it will still stand no matter how much you shake the table. But if you build a toy house with a pack of cards, a slight shake of the table will make it fall. An earthqua ke in Agadir, Morocco, was not strong enough to be recorded on distant instruments, but it comple tely destroyed the city. Many stronger earthquakes have done comparatively little damage. If a build ing is well constructed and built on solid ground, it will resist an earthquake. Most deaths in earth quakes have been due to faulty building construction or poor building sites. A third and very seriou s factor is panic. When people rush out into narrow streets, more deaths will result.The United Nations has played an important part in reducing the damage done by earthquakes. It has sent a team of experts to all countries known to be affected by earthquakes. Working with local geologists and engineers, the experts have studied the nature of the ground and the type of m ost practical building code for the local area. If followed, these suggestions will make disastrous ear thquakes almost a thing of the past.There is one type of earthquake disaster that little can be done about. This is the disaster caus ed by seismic sea waves, or tsunamis. (These are often called tidal waves, but the name is incorrec t. They have nothing to do with tides.) In certain areas, earthquakes take place beneath the sea. Th ese submarine earthquakes sometimes give rise to seismic sea waves. The waves are not noticeable out at sea because of their long wave length. But when they roll into harbors, they pile up into waIls of water 6 to 60 feet high. The Japanese call them "tsunamis", meaning "harbor waves", becaus e theyreach a sizable height only in harbors.Tsunamis travel fairly slowly, at speeds up to 500 miles an hour. An adequate warning system is in use to warn all shores likely to be reached by the waves. But this only enables people to le ave the threatened shores for higher ground. There is no way to stop the oncoming wave.1. Which of the following CANNOT be concluded from the passage?A. The number of earthquakes is closely related to depth.B. Roughly the same number of earthquakes occur each year.C. Earthquakes are impossible at depths over 460 miles.D. Earthquakes are most likely to occur near the surfaces.2. The destruction of Agadir is an example of _________A. faulty building constructionB. an earthquake's strengthC. widespread panic in earthquakesD. in effective in strume nts3. The United Nations' experts are supposed to _______A. con struct stro ng build ingsB. put forward proposalsC. detect disastrous earthquakesD. monitor earthquakes4. The significanee of the slow speed of tsunamis is that people may __________A. notice them out at seaB. find ways to stop themC. be warned early en oughD. develop warning systems参考答案：1〜4 C ABC 1〜5 ADBDC 6〜10 ADBCA。

2013年TEM8真题及答案TEST FOR ENGLISH MAJORS (2013)-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, using no more than three words in each gap. Make sure the word(s) you fill in is (are) both grammatically and semantically acceptable. You may refer to your notes while completing the task. Use the blank sheet for note-taking.Now listen to the mini-lecture.What Do Active Learners Do?There are difference between active learning and passive learning.Characteristics of active learners:I. reading with purposesA. before reading: setting goalsB. while reading: (1) ________ (1) ________II. (2) ______ and critical in thinking (2) ________i.e. information processing, e.g.— connections between the known and the new information— identification of (3) ______ concepts (3) ________— judgment on the value of (4) _____. (4) ________III. active in listeningA. ways of note-taking: (5) _______. (5) ________B. before note-taking: listening and thinkingIV. being able to get assistanceA. reason 1: knowing comprehension problems because of(6) ______. (6) ________B. reason 2: being able to predict study difficultiesV. being able to question informationA. question what they read or hearB. evaluate and (7) ______. (7) ________VI. last characteristicA. attitude toward responsibility— active learners: accept— passive learners: (8) _______ (8) ________B. attitude toward (9) ______ (9) ________— active learners: evaluate and change behaviour— passive learners: no change in approachRelationship between skill and will: will is more important in(10) ______. (10) ________Lack of will leads to difficulty in college learning.SECTION B INTERVIEWIn this section you will hear everything ONCE ONLY. Listen carefully and then answer the questions that follow. Mark the correct answer to each question on your answer sheet.Questions 1 to 5 are based on an interview. At the end of the interview you will be given 10 seconds to answer each of the following five questions.Now listen to the interview.1.According to the interviewer, which of the following best indicates the relationship betweenchoice and mobility?A.Better education → greater mobility → more choices.B.Better education → more choices → greater mobility.C.Greater mobility → better education → more choices.D.Greater mobility → more choices → better education.2.According to the interview, which of the following details about the first poll isINCORRECT?A.Shorter work hours was least chosen for being most important.B.Choices for advancement might have been favored by young people.C.High income failed to come on top for being most important.D.Job security came second according to the poll results.3.According to the interviewee, which is the main difference between the first and the secondpoll?A.The type of respondents who were invited.B.The way in which the questions were designed.C.The content area of the questions.D.The number of poll questions.4.What can we learn from the respondents’ answers to items 2, 4, and 7 in the second poll?A.Recognition from colleagues should be given less importance.B.Workers are always willing and ready to learn more new skills.C.Psychological reward is more important than material one.D.Work will have to be made interesting to raise efficiency.5.According to the interviewee, which of the following can offer both psychological andmonetary benefits?A.Contact with many people.B.Chances for advancement.C.Appreciation from coworkers.D.Chances to learn new skills.SECTION C NEWS BROADCASTIn this section you will hear everything ONCE ONLY. Listen carefully and then answer the questions that follow. Mark the best answer to each question on your answer sheet.Questions 6 and 7 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.6.According to the news item, “sleepboxes” are designed to solve the problems of _________.A.airportsB.passengersC.architectspanies7.Which of the following is NOT true with reference to the news?A.Sleepboxes can be rented for different lengths of the time.B.Renters of normal height can stand up inside.C.Bedding can be automatically changed.D.Renters can take a shower inside the box.Question 8 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.8.What is the news item mainly about?A.London’s preparations for the Notting Hill Carnival.B.Main features of the Notting Hill Carnival.C.Police’s preventive measures for the carnival.D.Police participation in the carnival.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 news item reports on a research finding about _________.A.the Dutch famine and the Dutch womenB.early malnutrition and heart healthC.the causes of death during the famineD.nutrition in childhood and adolescence10.When did the research team carry out the study?A.At the end of World War II.B.Between 1944 and 1945.C.In the 1950s.D.In 2007.PART II READING COMPREHENSION (30 MIN)In this section there are four reading passages followed by a total of 20 multiple-choice questions. Read the passages and then mark the best answer to each question on your answer sheet.TEXT AThree hundred years ago news travelled by word of mouth or letter, and circulated in taverns and coffee houses in the form of pamphlets and newsletters. “The coffee houses particularly are very roomy for a free conversation, and for reading at an easier rate a ll manner of printed news,” noted one observer. Everything changed in 1833 when the first mass-audience newspaper, The New York Sun, pioneered the use of advertising to reduce the cost of news, thus giving advertisers access to a wider audience. The penny press, followed by radio and television, turned news from a two-way conversation into a one-way broadcast, with a relatively small number of firms controlling the media.Now, the news industry is returning to something closer to the coffee house. The internet is making news more participatory, social and diverse, reviving the distinctive characteristic of the era before the mass media. That will have profound effects on society and politics. In much of the world, the mass media are flourishing. Newspaper circulation rose globally by 6% between 2005 and 2009. But those global figures mask a sharp decline in readership in rich countries.Over the past decade, throughout the Western world, people have been giving up newspapers and TV news and keeping up with events in profoundly different ways. Most strikingly, ordinary people are increasingly involved in compiling, sharing, filtering, discussing and distributing news. Twitter lets people anywhere report what they are seeing. Classified documents are published in their thousands online. Mobile-phone footage of Arab uprisings and American tornadoes is posted on social-networking sites and shown on television newscasts. Social-networking sites help people find, discuss and share news with their friends.And it is not just readers who are challenging the media elite. Technology firms including Google, Facebook and Twitter have become important conduits of news. Celebrities and world leaders publish updates directly via social networks; many countries now make raw data available through “open government” initiatives. The internet lets people read newspapers or watch television channels from around the world. The web has allowed new providers of news, from individual bloggers to sites, to rise to prominence in a very short space of time. And it has madepossible entirely new approaches to journalism, such as that practiced by WikiLeaks, which provides an anonymous way for whistleblowers to publish documents. The news agenda is no longer controlled by a few press barons and state outlets.In principle, every liberal should celebrate this. A more participatory and social news environment, with a remarkable diversity and range of news sources, is a good thing. The transformation of the news business is unstoppable, and attempts to reverse it are doomed to failure. As producers of new journalism, individuals can be scrupulous with facts and transparent with their sources. As consumers, they can be general in their tastes and demanding in their standards. And although this transformation does raise concerns, there is much to celebrate in the noisy, diverse, vociferous, argumentative and stridently alive environment of the news business in the ages of the internet. The coffee house is back. Enjoy it.11.According to the passage, what initiated the transformation of coffee-house news tomass-media news?A.The emergence of big mass media firms.B.The popularity of radio and television.C.The appearance of advertising in newspapers.D.The increasing numbers of newspaper readers.12.Which of the following statements best supports “Now, the news industry is returning tosomething closer to the coffee house”?A.Newspaper circulation rose globally by 6% between 2005 and 2009.B.People in the Western world are giving up newspapers and TV news.C.Classified documents are published in their thousands online.D.More people are involved in finding, discussing and distributing news.13.According to the passage, which is NOT a role played by information technology?A.Challenging the traditional media.B.Planning the return to coffee-house news.C.Providing people with access to classified files.D.Giving ordinary people the chance to provide news.14.The author’s tone in the last paragraph towards new journalism is _________.A.optimistic and cautiousB.supportive and skepticalC.doubtful and reservedD.ambiguous and cautious15.In “The coffee house is back”, coffee house best symbolizes _________.A.the changing characteristics of news audienceB.the more diversified means of news distributionC.the participatory nature of newsD.the more varied sources of newsTEXT BParis is like pornography. You respond even if you don’t want to. You turn a corner and see a vista, and your imagination bolts away. Suddenly you are thinking about what it would be like tolive in Paris, and then you think about all the lives you have not lived. Sometimes, though, when you are lucky, you only think about how many pleasures the day ahead holds. Then, you feel privileged.The lobby of the hotel is decorated in red and gold. It gives off a whiff of 19th. century decadence. Probably as much as any hotel in Paris, this hotel is sexy. I was standing facing the revolving doors and the driveway beyond. A car with a woman in the back seat — a woman in a short skirt and black — leather jacket — pulled up before the hotel door. She swung off and she was wearing high heels. Normally, my mind would have leaped and imagined a story for this woman. Now it didn’t I stood there and told myself. Cheer up. You’re in Paris.In many ways, Paris is best visited in winter. The tourist crowds are at a minimum, and one is not being jammed off the narrow sidewalks along the Rue Dauphine. More than this. Paris is like many other European cities in that the season of blockbuster cultural events tends to begin in mid-to late fall and so, by the time of winter, most of the cultural treasures of the city are laid out to be admired.The other great reason why Paris in winter is so much better than Paris in spring and fall is that after the end of the August holidays and the return of chic Parisian women to their city, the restaurant-opening season truly begins hopping. By winter, many of the new restaurants have worked out their kinks(不足；困难) and, once the hype has died down, it is possible to see which restaurants are actually good and which are merely noisy and crowded.Most people are about as happy as they set their mind to being, Lincoln said. In Paris it doesn’t take much to be happy. Outside the hotel, the sky was pale and felt very high up. I walked the few blocks to the Seine and began running along the blue-green river toward the Eiffel Tower. The tower in the distance was black, and felt strange and beautiful the way that many things built for the joy of building do. As I ran toward it, because of its lattice structure, the tower seemed obviously delicate. Seeing it, I felt a sense of protectiveness.I think it was this moment of protectiveness that marked the change in my mood and my slowly becoming thrilled with being in Paris.During winter evenings, Paris’s streetlamps have a halo and resemble dandelions. In winter, when one leaves the Paris street and enters a cafe or restaurant, the light and temperature change suddenly and dramatically, there is the sense of having discovered something secret. In winter, because the days are short, there is an urgency to the choices one makes. There is the sense that life is short and so let us decide on what matters.16. According to the passage, once in Paris one might experience all the following feelings EXCEPT _________.A.regretB.condescensionC.expectationD.impulse17.Winter is the best season to visit Paris. Which of the following does NOT support thisstatement?A.Fashionable Parisian women return to Paris.B.More entertainment activities are staged.C.There are more good restaurants to choose from.D.There are fewer tourists in Paris.18.“Most people are about as happy as they set their mind to being.” This statement means thatmost people _________.A.expect to be happyB.hope to be as happy as othersC.would be happier if they wantedD.can be happy if they want19.In the eyes of the author, winter in Paris is significant because of _________.A.the atmosphere of its eveningsB.its implications for lifeC.the contrast it bringsD.the discovery one makes20.At the end of the passage, the author found himself in a mood of _________.A.excitementB.thoughtfulnessC.lonelinessD.joyfulnessTEXT CIf you want to know why Denmark is the world’s leader in wind power, start with a three-hour car trip from the capital Copenhagen — mind the bicyclists — to the small town of Lem on the far west coast of Jutland. You’ll feel it as you cross the 6.8 km-long Great Belt Bridge: Denmark’s bountiful wind, so fierce even on a calm summer’s day that it threatens to shove your car into the waves below. But wind itself is only part of the reason. In Lem, workers in factories the size of aircraft hangars build the wind turbines sold by Vestas, the Danish company that has emerged as the industry’s top manufacturer around the globe. The work is both gross and fine; employees weld together massive curved sheets of steel to make central shafts as tall as a 14-story building, and assemble engine housings (机器外罩) that hold some 18, 000 separate parts. Most impressive are the turbine’s blades, which scoop the wind with each sweeping revolution. As smooth as an Olympic swimsuit and honed to aerodynamic perfection, each blade weighs in at 7,000 kg, and they’re what help make Vestas’ turbines the best in the world. “The blade is where the secret is,” says Erik Therkelsen, a Vestas executive. “If we can make a turbine, it’s sold.”But technology, like the wind itself, is just one more part of the reason for Denmark’s dominance. In the end, it happened because Denmark had the political and public will to decide that it wanted to be a leader — and to follow through. Beginning in 1979, the government began a determined programme of subsidies and loan guarantees to build up its wind industry. Copenhagen covered 30% of investment costs, and guaranteed loans for large turbine exporters such as Vestas. It also mandated that utilities purchase wind energy at a preferential price — thus guaranteeing investors a customer base. Energy taxes were channeled into research centres, where engineers crafted designs that would eventually produce cutting-edge giants like Vestas’ 3-magawatt (MW) V90 turbine.As a result, wind turbines now dot Denmark. The country gets more than 19% of its electricity from the breeze (Spain and Portugal, the next highest countries, get about 10%) andDanish companies control one-third of the global wind market, earning billions in exports and creating a national champion from scratch. “They were out early in driving renewables, and that gave them the chance to be a technology leader and a job-creation leader,” says Jake Schmidt, international climate policy director for the New York City-based Natural Resources Defense Council. “They have always been one or two steps ahead of others.”The challenge now for Denmark is to help the rest of the world catch up. Beyond wind, the country (pop.5.5 million) is a world leader in energy efficiency, getting more GDP per watt than any other member of the E.U. Carbon emissions are down 13.3% from 1990 levels and total energy consumption has barely moved, even as Denmark’s economy continued to grow at a healthy clip. With Copenhagen set to host all-important U.N. climate change talks in December —where the world hopes for a successor to the expiring Kyoto Protocol — and the global recession beginning to hit environmental plans in capitals everywhere, Denmark’s example couldn’t b e more timely.“We’ll try to make Denmark a showroom,” says Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen. “You can reduce energy use and carbon emissions, and achieve economic growth.”It’s tempting to assume that Denmark is innately green, with the kind of Scand inavian good conscience that has made it such a pleasant global citizen since, oh, the whole Viking thing. But the country’s policies were actually born from a different emotion, one now in common currency: fear. When the 1973 oil crisis hit, 90% of Denmar k’s energy came from petroleum, almost all of it imported. Buffeted by the same supply shocks that hit the rest of the developed world, Denmark launched a rapid drive for energy conservation, to the point of introducing car-free Sundays and asking businesses to switch off lights during closing hours. Eventually the Mideast oil started flowing again, and the Danes themselves began enjoying the benefits of the petroleum and natural gas in their slice of the North Sea. It was enough to make them more than self-sufficient. But unlike most other countries, Denmark never forgot the lessons of l973, and kept driving for greater energy efficiency and a more diversified energy supply. The Danish parliament raised taxes on energy to encourage conservation and established subsidies and standards to support more efficient buildings. “It all started out without any regard for the climate or the environment,” says Svend Auken, the former head of Denmark’s opposition Social Democrat Party and the architect of the country’s environmental policies in the 1990s. “But today there’s a consensus that we need to build renewable power.”To the rest of the world, Denmark has the power of its example, showing that you can stay rich and grow green at the same time. “Denmark has proven that acting on climate can be a positive experience, not just painful,” says NRDC’s Schmidt. The real pain could come from failing to follow in their footsteps.21.Which of the following is NOT cited as a main reason for Denmark’s world leadership inwind power?A.Technology.B.Wind.ernment drive.D.Geographical location.22.The author has detailed some of the efforts of the Danish Government in promoting the windindustry in order to show _________.A.the government’s determinationB.the country’s subsidy and loan p oliciesC.the importance of export to the countryD.the role of taxation to the economy23.What does the author mean by “Denmark’s example couldn’t be more timely”?A.Denmark’s energy-saving efforts cannot be followed by other countries.B.Denmark can manufacture more wind turbines for other countries.C.Denmark’s energy-saving success offers the world a useful model.D.Denmark aims to show the world that it can develop even faster.24.According to the passage, Denmark’s energy-saving policies originated from _________.A.the country’s long tradition of environmental awarenessB.the country’s previous experience of oil shortageC.the country’s grave shortage of natural resourcesD.the country’s abundant wind resources25.Which of the following is NOT implied in the passage?A.Not to save energy could lead to serious consequences.B.Energy saving cannot go together with economic growth.C.Energy saving efforts can be painful but positive.D.Denmark is a powerful leader in the global wind market.TEXT DThe first clue came when I got my hair cut. The stylist offered not just usual coffee or tea but a complementary nail-polish change while I waited for my hair to dry. Maybe she hoped this little amenity would slow the growing inclination of women to stretch each haircut to last four months while nursing our hair back to whatever natural colour we long ago forgot.Then there was the appliance salesman who offered to carry my bags as we toured the microwave aisle. When I called my husband to ask him to check some specs online, the salesman offered a pre-emptive discount, lest the surfing turn up the same model cheaper in another store. That night, for the first time, I saw the Hyundai ad promising shoppers that if they buy a car and then lose their job in the next year, they can return it.Suddenly e verything’s on sale. The upside to the economic downturn is the immense incentive it gives retailers to treat you like a queen for a day. During the flush times, salespeople were surly, waiters snobby. But now the customer rules, just for showing up. There’s more room to stretch out on the flight, even in a coach. The malls have that serene aura of undisturbed wilderness, with scarcely a shopper in sight. Every conversation with anyone selling anything is a pantomime of pain and bluff. Finger the scarf, then start to walk away, and its price floats silkily downward. When the mechanic calls to tell you that brakes and a timing belt and other services will run close to $2,000,it’s time to break out the newly perfected art of the considered pause. You really d on’t even have to say anything pitiful before he’ll offer to knock a few hundred dollars off.Restaurants are also caught in a fit of ardent hospitality, especially around Wall Street. Trinity Place offers $3 drinks at happy hour any day the market goes d own, with the slogan “Market tanked? Get tanked!” —which ensures a lively crowd for the closing bell. The “21” Club has decided that men no longer need to wear ties, so long as they bring their wallets. Food itself is friendlier: you notice more comfort food, a truce between chef and patron that is easier to enjoynow that you can get a table practically anywhere. New York Times restaurant critic Frank Bruni characterizes the new restaurant demeanor as “extreme solicitousness tinged with outright desperati on.” “You need to hug the customer,” one owner told him.There’s a chance that eventually we’ll return all this kindness with the extravagant spending that was once decried but now everyone is hoping will restart the economy. But human nature is funny that way. In dangerous times, we clench and squint at the deal that looks too good to miss, suspecting that it must be too good to be true. Is the store with the supercheap flat screens going to go bust and thus not be there to honor the “free” extended warran ty? Is there something wrong with that free cheese? Store owners will tell you horror stories about shoppers with attitude, who walk in demanding discounts and flaunt their new power at every turn. They wince as they sense bad habits forming: Will people expect discounts forever? Will their hard-won brand luster be forever cheapened, especially for items whose allure depends on their being ridiculously priced?There will surely come a day when things go back to “normal”; retail sales even inched up in January after sinking for the six months. But I wonder what it will take for us to see those $545 Sigerson Morrison studded toe-ring sandals as reasonable? Bargain-hunting can be addictive regardless of the state of the markets, and haggling is a low-risk, high-value contact sport. Trauma digs deep into habits, like my 85-year-old mother still calling her canned-goods cabinet “the bomb shelter.” The children of the First Depression were saving string and preaching sacrifice long after the skies cleared. They cam e to be called the “greatest generation.” As we learn to be decent stewards of our resources, who knows what might come of it? We have lived in an age of wanton waste, and there is value in practicing conservation that goes far beyond our own bottom line.26.According to the passage, what does “the first clue” suggest?A.Shops try all kinds of means to please customers.B.Shops, large or small, are offering big discounts.C.Women tend to have their hair cut less frequently.D.Customers refrain from buying things impulsively.27.Which of the following best depicts the retailers now?A.Bad-tempered.B.Highly motivated.C.Over-friendly.D.Deeply frustrated.28.What does the author mean by “the newly perfected art of the considered pause”?A.Customers now rush to buy things on sale.B.Customers have got a sense of superiority.C.Customers have learned how to bargain.D.Customers have higher demands for service.29.According to the passage, “shoppers...flaunt their new power at every turn” means thatshoppers would _________.A.keep asking for more discountsB.like to show that they are powerfulC.like to show off their wealthD.have more doubts or suspicion30.What is the author’s main message in the last two paragraphs?A.Extravagant spending would boost economic growth.B.One’s life experience would turn into lifelong habits.C.Customers should expect discounts for luxury goods.D.The practice of frugality is of great importance.PART III GENERAL KNOWLEDGE (10 MIN)There are ten multiple-choice questions in this section. Mark the best answer to each question on your answer sheet.31.The full official name of Australia is _________.A.The Republic of Australia.B.The Commonwealth of Australia.C.The Federation of Australia.D.The Union of Australia.32.Canada is well known for all the following EXCEPT _________.A.its mineral resourcesB.its forest resourcesC.its fertile and arable landD.its heavy industries33.In the United States community colleges offer _________.A.two-year programmesB.four-year programmesC.postgraduate studiesD. B.A. or B.S. degrees34.In _________, referenda in Scotland and Wales set up a Scottish parliament and a Walesassembly.A.2000B.1946C.1997D.199035.Which of the following clusters of words is an example of alliteration?A. A weak seal.B.Safe and sound.C.Knock and kick.D.Coat and boat.36.Who wrote Mrs. Warren’s Profession?A.John GalsworthyB.William Butler YeatsC.T.S. EliotD.George Bernard Shaw37.Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser is a(n) _________.A.novelB.short storyC.poem。

TEST FOR ENGLISH MAJORS (2011)PART I LISTENING COMPREHENSIONSECTION A MINI-LECTUREIn this section you will hear a mini-lecture. You will hear the lecture ONCE ONL Y. 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. Some of the gaps may require a maximum of THREE words. Make sure the word(s) you fill in is (are) both grammatically and semantically acceptable. You may refer to your notes while completing the task. Use the blank sheet for note-taking.Now, listen to the mini-lecture.Classifications of CulturesAccording to Edward Hall, different cultures result in different ideas about the world. Hall is an anthropologist. He is interested in relations between cultures.I. High-context cultureA. feature- context: more important than the message- meaning: (1)__________i.e. more attention paid to (2) ___________ than to the message itselfB. examples- personal space- preference for (3)__________- less respect for privacy / personal space- attention to (4)___________- concept of time- belief in (5)____________ interpretation of time- no concern for punctuality- no control over timeII. Low-context cultureA. feature- message: separate from context- meaning: (6)___________B. examples- personal space- desire / respect for individuality / privacy- less attention to body language- more concern for (7)___________- attitude toward time- concept of time: (8)____________- dislike of (9)_____________- time seen as commodityIII. ConclusionAwareness of different cultural assumptions- relevance in work and lifee.g. business, negotiation, etc.- (10)_____________ in successful communication参考答案：(1) context of message(2) what's happening / the context(3) closeness to people(4) body language(5) poly-chronic(6) message itself(7) the message(8) mono-chronic(9) lateness(10) great influence / significanceTIPS：(1) 根据原文中一句“A high-context culture is a culture in which the context of the message, or the action, or an event c arries a large part of its meaning and significance.”可知答案。

2018年英语专业八级真题及答案Mini-lecture1species2intellengence3learn from others4more elegant5wisdom6accumulation8efforts~~包~guo+扣扣21046907811benefits cooperation12establish identily14cooperation15solveMINI1.tradition2.subjective3.integrating4.more elegant5.profits of companies6.multipleMini-lecture1species2intellengence3learn from others4more elegant5wisdom包~guo+扣扣2104690786accumulation8efforts11benefits cooperation12establish identily14cooperation15solve改错1The.2 Like3 smaller 4 while 5 rise 6 But 7The 8are 9whil e 10Under Standing。

阅读，11A 12c 13b 14c 15d 16到20ABBDA 21到24 AABB 包~guo+扣扣21046907825. He think it‘s government’s responsibility26.Australia prefer British migrants27.Choosing differently between these two languages can havetotally different influence on the speaker28. There are two good reasons: asymmetrical ability and pr iming.包~guo+扣扣21046907811、澳大利亚人希望移民有很强的流动性，因为移民加速经济的增长，而失业率下降到一个低水平的移民，而外国的首都奥斯特拉西亚则和美国一样大。

2023年全国英语等级考试八级真题及答案2023年全国英语等级考试八级真题及答案考试已经结束，以下是2023年全国英语等级考试八级真题及答案的详细内容。

Section I: Listening Comprehension (30 marks)Part A: Short Conversations1. A) She is unable to go to the concert.B) She is going to the concert alone.C) She wants to invite the man to the concert.D) She doesn't like the style of music.2. A) Borrow a book from the library.B) Talk to the librarian.C) Renew her library card.D) Check out a newspaper.3. A) He doesn't have enough money.B) He wants to buy a new car.C) He plans to take a bus instead.D) He enjoys driving a car.4. A) She is taking a photography class.B) She has lost her camera.C) She needs the man's help with her assignment.D) She thinks photography is a waste of time.5. A) The man will be late for his class.B) The man should talk to his professor.C) The man's class has been canceled.D) The man needs a ride to his class.Part B: Passages6. A) How to manage time effectively.B) How to write a persuasive essay.C) How to prepare for a job interview.D) How to improve public speaking skills.7. A) By attending a music course.B) By playing an instrument.C) By listening to classical music.D) By watching live performances.8. A) It is advisable to visit the park during weekdays.B) The park is more crowded on weekends.C) The park has many picnic areas.D) The park has limited parking spaces.9. A) It was a challenging experience.B) It improved her cooking skills.C) It helped her develop new recipes.D) It taught her the importance of teamwork.10. A) They can help reduce anxiety.B) They can enhance creativity.C) They can boost productivity.D) They can improve memory.Section II: Reading Comprehension (40 marks) Part A: Multiple Choice Questions11. D) Innovations in technology.12. A) A positive and negative aspect.13. B) Influence of digital devices on creativity.14. D) The importance of human creativity.15. C) Paradigm shifts in the modern world. Part B: Cloze Test16. D) contribute17. B) vulnerable18. A) adapt19. C) embrace20. A) contrastPart C: Reading Passage21. The passage discusses the benefits of bilingual education and its positive impact on students' cognitive development, academic achievement, and career opportunities.Section III: Translation (15 marks)22. To enhance the communication and cooperation between our two countries, it is crucial to establish an effective platform for cultural exchange.Section IV: Writing (15 marks)Part A: Short Essay23. Online Learning - Advantages and DisadvantagesOnline learning has become increasingly popular in recent years. This essay will discuss some advantages and disadvantages of online learning, providing a balanced perspective on this topic.One significant advantage of online learning is its flexibility. Students can access course materials and complete assignments at their own pace, allowing for greater convenience and accommodating different schedules. Additionally, online learning eliminates geographical barriers, providing access to education for individuals who are unable to attend traditional classrooms.However, online learning also has its drawbacks. One major challenge is the lack of face-to-face interaction with instructors and peers, which can hinder meaningful discussions and collaborative learning experiences. Furthermore, online learning requires self-discipline and time management skills, as students need to stay motivated and organized without regular physical class meetings.In conclusion, online learning offers flexibility and accessibility, but it also poses challenges related to interpersonal communication and self-discipline. It is important for educators and learners to find a balance between the benefits and limitations of online learning.Part B: Letter Writing24. Write a letter to your favorite author expressing your admiration for their work and the impact it has had on your life.Dear [Author's Name],I am writing this letter to express my utmost admiration for your exceptional literary work. Your books have had a profound influence on my life, and I wanted to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude.I have been an avid reader since a young age, and I have encountered countless stories. However, your unique storytelling ability and captivating narratives stand out among the rest. Your characters feel so real, and through their experiences, I have gained new perspectives and insights into the world around us.Your writing style is incredibly descriptive and evocative, transporting me to different times and places with ease. I find myself fully immersed inyour stories, unable to put the book down until I reach the very last page. Your books have become my trusted companions, providing comfort, entertainment, and inspiration.Thank you for dedicating your time and talent to the literary world. Your work has left a lasting impact on me, igniting my passion for literature and evoking emotions that I never thought possible. You have shaped my imagination, broadened my horizons, and enriched my life.Once again, thank you for your profound contribution to the world of literature. Your words will forever resonate in my heart and mind. I eagerly await your future creations, knowing that each one will be a masterpiece in its own right.With deep admiration and gratitude,[Your Name]That concludes the 2023 National English Proficiency Test (Level 8) paper and answers. Best of luck to all the test-takers and may your English language skills continue to flourish!。