2004年英語專業八級考試全真試卷
part ⅰ listening comprehension (40 min)
in sections a,b and c 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.
section a talk
questions 1 to 5 refer to the talk in this section. at the end of the talk you will be given 75 seconds to answer the questions.
now listen to the talk.
1.
a) the coordination based on individual actions b) the number of individual participants c) the necessity of individual actions d) the requirements for participants
2.
a) individual b) combined c) distinct d) social
3.
a) the manner of language use
b) the topic and content of speech
c) the interactions between speaker and audience
d) the relationship between speaker and audience
4.
a) hide their real intentions
b) voice others’ intentions
c) play double roles on and off stage
d) only imitate other people in life
5.
a) the absence of spontaneity
b) the presence of individual actions
c) the lack of real intentions
d) the absence of audienceお
section b interview
questions 6 to 10 are based on an interview. at the end of the interview you will be given 75 seconds to answer the questions.
now listen to the interview.
6.
a) students worked very hard.
b) students felt they needed a second degree.
c) education was not career瞣riented.
d) there were many specialized subjects.
7.
a) to turn out an adequate number of elite for the society.
b) to prepare students for their future career.
c) to offer practical and utilitarian courses in each programme.
d) to set up as many technical institutions as possible.
8.
a) require good education
b) are secondary to education
c) don’t call for good education
d) don’t conflict with education
9.
a) shifting from one programme to another.
b) working out ways to reduce student number.
c) emphasizing better quality of education.
d) setting up stricter examination standards.
10.
a) those who can adapt to different professions
b) those who have a high flexibility of mind
c) those who are thinkers, historians and philosophers
d) those who possess only highly specialized skillsお
section c news broadcast
questions 11 to 13 are based on the following news. at the end of the news item, you will be given 45 seconds to answer the questions.
now listen to the news.
11. which of the following regions in the world will witness the sharpest
drop in life expectancy?
a) latin america.
b) sub瞫aharan africa.
c) asia.
d) the caribbean.
12. according to the news, which country will experience small life expectancy drop?
a) burma.
b) botswana.
c) cambodia.
d) thailand.
13. the countries that are predicted to experience negative population growth are mainly in ____
a) asia.
b) africa.
c) latin america.
d) the caribbean.お
14. the trade dispute between the european union and the us was caused by ____.
a) us refusal to accept arbitration by wto
b) us imposing tariffs on european steel
c) us refusal to pay compensation to eu
d) us refusal to lower import duties on eu products
15. who will be consulted first before the eu list is submitted to wto?
a) eu member states.
b) the united states.
c) wto.
d) the steel corporations.お
section d note-taking and gap-filling
in this section you will hear a mini瞝ecture. you will hear the lecture once only. while listening to the lecture, take notes on the important points. your notes will not be marked, but you will need them to complete a 15瞞inute gap瞗illing task on answer sheet one after the mini lecture. use the blank sheet for note taking.
part ⅱ proofreading and error correction (15 min)
the passage contains ten errors. each indicated line contains a maximum of one error. in each case, only one word is involved. you should proofread the passage and correct it in the following way:
for a wrong word, underline the wrong word and write the correct one in the blank provided at the end of the line.
for a missing word, mark the position of the missing word with a “∧” sign and write the word you believe to be missing in the blank provided at the end of the line.
for an unnecessary word, cross the unnecessary word with a slash “/”and put the word in the blank provided at the end of the line.お
example
when ∧ art museum wants a new exhibit, (1) an
it never buys things in finished form and hangs (2) never
them on the wall. when a natural history museum
wants an [zz(z]exhibition[zz)], it must often build it. (3)exhibit
proofread the given passage on answer sheet two as instructed.
one of the most important non-legislative functions of the u.s congress
is the power to investigate. this power is usually delegated to committees - either
standing committees, special committees set for a specific (1)____
purpose, or joint committees consisted of members of both houses. (2)____
investigations are held to gather information on the need for
future legislation, to test the effectiveness of laws already passed,
to inquire into the qualifications and performance of members and
officials of the other branches, and in rare occasions, to lay the (3)____
groundwork for impeachment proceedings. frequently, committees
rely outside experts to assist in conducting investigative hearings (4)____
and to make out detailed studies of issues. (5)____
there are important corollaries to the investigative power. one
is the power to publicize investigations and its results. most (6)____
committee hearings are open to public and are reported (7)____
widely in the mass media. congressional investigations
nevertheless represent one important tool available to lawmakers (8)____
to inform the citizenry and to arouse public interests in national issues.
(9)____
congressional committees also have the power to compel
testimony from unwilling witnesses, and to cite for contempt
of congress witnesses who refuse to testify and for perjury
these who give false testimony. (10)____
part ⅲ reading comprehension (30 min) (開始part ⅲ reading comprehension (30 min)計時)
in this section there are four reading passages followed by a total of fifteen multiple瞔hoice questions. read the passages and then mark your answers on your coloured answer sheet.
text a
farmers in the developing world hate price fluctuations. it makes it hard to plan ahead. but most of them have little choice: they sell at the price the market sets. farmers in europe, the u.s. and japan are luckier: they receive massive government subsidies in the form of guaranteed prices or direct handouts. last month u.s. president bush signed a new farm bill that gives american farmers $190 billion over the next 10 years, or $83 billion more than they had been scheduled to get, and pushes u.s. agricultural support close to crazy european levels. bush said the step was necessary to “promote farmer independence and preserve the farm way of life for generations”. it is also designed to help the republican party win control of the senate in november’s mid瞭erm elections.
agricultural production in most poor countries accounts for up to 50% of gdp, compared to only 3% in rich countries. but most farmers in poor countries grow jus
t enough for themselves and their families. those who try exporting to the west find their goods whacked with huge tariffs or competing against cheaper subsidized goods. in 1999 the united nations conference on trade and development concluded that for each dollar developing countries receive in aid they lose up to $14 just because of trade barriers imposed on the export of their manufactured goods. it’s not as if the developing world wants any favours, says gerald ssendwula, uganda’s minister of finance. “what we want is for the rich countries to let us compete.”
agriculture is one of the few areas in which the third world can compete. land and labour are cheap, and as farming methods develop, new technologies should improve output. this is no pie瞚n瞭he瞫ky speculation. the biggest success in kenya’s economy over the past decade has been the boom in exports of cut flowers and vegetables to europe. but that may all change in 2008, when kenya will be slightly too rich to qualify for the “least瞕eveloped country” status that allows african producers to avoid paying stiff european import duties on selected agricultural products. with trade barriers in place, the horticulture industry in kenya will shrivel as quickly as a discarded rose. and while agriculture exports remain the great hope for poor countries, reducing trade barriers in other sectors also works: americas african growth and opportunity act, which cuts duties on exports of everything from handicrafts to shoes, has proved a boon to africa’s manufacturers. the lesson: the third world can prosper if the rich world gives it a fair go.
this is what makes bush’s decision to increase farm subsidies last month all the
more depressing. poor countries have long suspected that the rich world urges rade liberalization only so it can wangle its way into new markets. such suspicions caused the seattle trade talks to break down three years ago. but last november members of the world trade organization, meeting in doha, qatar, finally agreed to a new round of talks designed to open up global trade in agriculture and
textiles. rich countries assured poor countries, that their concerns were finally being addressed. bush’s handout last month makes a lie of america’s commitment to those talks and his personal devotion to free trade.
16. by comparison, farmers ____ receive more government subsidies than others.
a) in the developing world
b) in japan
c) in europe
d) in america
17. in addition to the economic considerations, there is a ____ motive behind bush’s signing of the new farm bill.
a) partisan
b) social
c) financial
d) cultural
18. the message the writer attempts to convey throughout the passage is that ____.
a) poor countries should be given equal opportunities in trade
b) “the least瞕eveloped country” status benefits agricultural countries
c) poor countries should remove their suspicions about trade liberalization
d) farmers in poor countries should also receive the benefit of subsidies
19. the writer’s attitude towards new farm subsidies in the u.s. is ____.
a) favourable
b) ambiguous
c) critical
d) reservedお
text boscar wilde said that work is the refuge of people who have nothing better to do. if so, americans are now among the world’s saddest refugees. factory workers in the united states are working longer hours than at any time in the past half瞔entury. america once led the rich world in cutting the average working week—from 70 hours in 1850 to less than 40 hours by the 1950s. it seemed natural that as people grew richer they would trade extra earnings for more leisure. since the 1970s, however, the hours clocked up by american workers have risen, to an average of 42 this year in manufacturing.several studies suggest that something similar is happening outside manufacturing: americans are spending more time at work than they did 20 years ago. executives and lawyers boast of 80瞙our weeks. on holiday, they seek out fax machines and phones as eagerly as germans bag the best sun瞝oungers. yet working time in europe and japan continues to fall. in germany’s engineering industry the working week is to be trimmed from 36 to 35 hours next year. most germans get six weeks’ paid annual holiday; even the japanese now take three weeks. americans still make do with just two.germany responds to this contrast with its usual concern about whether people’s aversion to work is damaging its competitiveness. yet german workers, like the japanese, seem to be acting sensibly: as their incomes rise, they can achieve a better standard of living with fewer hours of work. the puzzle is why america, the world’s richest country, sees things differently. it is a puzzle with sinistersocial implications. parents spend less time with their children, who may be left alone at home for longer. is it just a coincidence that juvenile crime is on the rise?some explanations for america’s time at work fail to stand up to scrutiny. one blames weak trade unions that leave workers open to exploitation. are workers being forced by cost瞔utting firms to toil harder just to keep their jobs? a recent study by two american economists, richard freeman and linda bell, suggests not: when asked, americans actually want to work longer hours. most german workers, in contrast, would rather work less.then, why do americans want to work harder? one reason may be that the real earnings of many americans have been stagnant or falling during the past two decades. people work longer merely to maintain their living standards. yet many higher瞫killed workers, who have enjoyed big increases in their real pay, have been working harder too. also, one reason for the slow growth of wages has been the rapid growth in employment—which is more or less where the argument began.taxes may have something to do with it. people who work an extra hour in america are allowed to keep more of their money than those who do the same in germany. falls in marginal tax rates in america since the 1970s have made it all the more profitable to work longer.none of these answers really explains why the century瞝ong decline in working hours has gone into reverse in america but not elsewhere (though britain shows signs of following america’s lead). perhaps cultural differences—the last refuge of the defeated economist—are at play. economists used to believe that once workers earned enough to provide for their basic needs and allow for a few luxuries, their incentive to work would be eroded, like lions relaxing after a kill. but humans are more susceptible to advertising than lions. perhaps clever marketing has ensured that “basic needs”—for a shower with built瞚n tv, for a rocket瞤ropelled car—expand continuously. shopping is already one of america’s most popular pastimes. but it requires money—hence more work and less leisure.or try this: the television is not very good, and baseball and hockey keep being wiped out by strikes. perhaps wilde was right. maybe americans have nothing better to do.
20. in the united states, working longer hours is ____.
a) confined to the manufacturing industry
b) a traditional practice in some sectors
c) prevalent in all sectors of society
d) favoured by the economists
21. according to the third paragraph, which might be one of the consequences of working longer hours?
a) rise in employees’ working efficiency.
b) rise in the number of young offenders.
c) rise in people’s living standards.
d) rise in competitiveness.
22. which of the following is the cause of working longer hours stated by
the writer?
a) expansion of basic needs.
b) cultural differences.
c) increase in real earnings.
d) advertising.お
text cthe fox really exasperated them both. as soon as they had let the fowls out, inthe early summer mornings, they had to take their guns and keep guard; and thenagain as soon as evening began to mellow, they must go once more. and he was so sly. he slid along in the deep grass; he was difficult as a serpent to see. and he seemed to circumvent the girls deliberately. once or twice march had caught sight of the white tip of his brush, or the ruddy shadow of him in the deep grass, and she had let fire at him. but he made no account of this.the trees on the wood瞖dge were a darkish, brownish green in the full light—for it was the end of august. beyond, the naked, copper瞝ike shafts and limbs of the pine trees shone in the air. nearer the rough grass, with its long, brownish stalks all agleam, was full of light. the fowls were round about—the ducks were still swimming on the pond under the pine trees. march looked at it all, saw it all, and did not see it. she heard banford speaking to the fowls in the distance—and she did not hear. what was she thinking about? heaven knows. her consciousness was, as it were, held back.she lowered her eyes, and suddenly saw the fox. he was looking up at her. his chin was pressed down, and his eyes were looking up. they met her eyes. and he knew her. she was spellbound—she knew he knew her. so he looked into her eyes, and her soul failed her. he knew her, he has not daunted.she struggled, confusedly she came to herself, and saw him making off, with slow leaps over some fallen boughs, slow, impudent jumps. then he glanced over his shoulder, and ran smoothly away. she saw his brush held smooth like a feather, she saw his white buttocks twinkle. and he was gone, softly, soft as the wind.she put her gun to her shoulder, but even then pursed her mouth, knowing it was nonsense to pretend to fire. so she began to walk slowly after him, in the direction he had gone, slowly, pertinaciously. she expected to find him. in her heart she was determined to find him. what she would do when she saw him again she did not consider. but she was determined to find him. so she walked abstractedly about on the edge of the wood, with wide, vivid dark eyes, and a faint flush in her cheeks. she did not think. in strange mindlessness she walked hither and thither...as soon as supper was over, she rose again to go out, without saying why.she took her gun again and went to look for the fox. for he had lifted his eyesupon her, and his knowing look seemed to have entered her brain. she did not somuch think of him: she was possessed by him. she saw his dark, shrewd, unabashedeye looking into her, knowing her. she felt him invisibly master her spirit. she knew the way he lowered his chin as he looked up, she knew his muzzle, the golden brown, and the greyish white. and again she saw him glance over his shoulder at her, half inviting, half contemptuous and cunning. so she went, with her great startled eyes glowing, her gun under her arm, along the wood edge. meanwhilethe night fell, and a great moon rose above the pine trees.
23. at the beginning of the story, the fox seems to the all except ____.
a) cunning
b) fierce
c) defiant
d) annoying
24. as the story proceeds, march begins to feel under the spell of ____.
a) the light
b) the trees
c) the night
d) the fox
25. gradually march seems to be in a state of ____.
a) blankness
b) imagination
c) sadness
d) excitement
26. at the end of the story, there seems to be a sense of ____ between march and the fox.
a) detachment
b) anger
c) intimacy
d) conflict
27. the passage creates an overall impression of ____.
a) mystery
b) horror
c) liveliness
d) contempt