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专八真题2015年TEST FOR ENGLISH MAJORS (2015)GRADE EIGHTTIME LIMIT：195 MINPART I LISTENING COMPREHENSION (35 MIN)SECTION A MINI-LECTUREIn this section you will hear a mini-lectureYou will hear the lecture ONCE ONLY. While listening, take notes on the important pointsYour notes will not be marked, but you will need them to complete a gap-filling task after the mini-lectureWhen 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 gapMake sure the word(s) you fill in is (are)both grammatically and semantically acceptableYou may refer to your notes while completing the taskUse the blank sheet for note-takingNow, listen to the mini-lectureUnderstanding Academic LecturesListening to academic lectures is an important task for university students. Then, how can we comprehend a lecture efficiently?I.Understand all (1) A.words B. (2) stress intonation (3) II.Adding information A.lectures:Sharing information with audience B.listeners: (4) C.sources of information knowledge of (5) (6) of the world D.listening involving three steps: hearing (7) adding III. (8) A.reasons overcome noise save time B. (9) content organization IV.Evaluating while listening A.help tp decide the (10) of notes B.help to remember informationSECTION B INTERVIEWIn this section you will hear everything ONCE ONLY. Listen carefully and then answer the questions that followMark the best answer to each question on ANSWER SHEET TWOQuestions 1 to 5 are based on an interviewAt the end of the interview you will be given 10 seconds to answer each of the following five questionsNow listen to the interview1. Theresa thinks that the present government is _.Adoing what they have promised to schoolsBcreating opportunities for leading universitiesCconsidering removing barriers for state school pupilsDreducing opportunities for state school pupils2. What does Theresa see as a problem in secondary schools now?AUniversities are not working hard to accept state school pupils.BThe number of state pupils applying to Oxford fails to increase.CThe government has lowered state pupils expectations.DLeading universities are rejecting state school pupils.3. In Theresas view, school freedom means that schools should _.A be given more funding from education authoritiesB be given all the money and decide how to spend itC be granted greater power to run themselvesD be given more opportunities and choices4. According to Theresa, who decides or decide money for schools at the present?A Local education authorities and the central government.B Local education authorities and secondary schools together.C Local education authorities only.D The central government only.5. Throughout the talk, the interviewer does all the following EXCEPT _.Aasking for clarificationBchallenging the intervieweeCsupporting the intervieweeDinitiating topicsSECTION C NEWS BROADCASTIn this section you will hear everything ONCE ONLYListen carefully and then answer the questions that followMark the best answer to each question on ANSWER SHEET TWOQuestions 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 questionsNow listen to the newsNews Item 16. What is the main idea of the news item?AFewer people watch TV once a week.BSmartphones and tablets have replaced TV.CNew technology has led to more family time.DBigger TV sets have attracted more people.News Item 27. How many lawmakers voted for the marijuana legalization bill?A50. B12.C46. D 18.8.The passing of the bill means that marijuana can be_.Abought by people under 18Bmade available to drug addictsCprovided by the governmentDbought in drug storesNews Item 39.What did the review of global data reveal?ADiarrhea is a common disease.BGood sanitation led to increase in height.CThere were many problems of poor sanitation.D African children live in worse sanitary conditions.10.The purpose of Dr. Alan Dangours study was most likely to _.Aexamine links between sanitation and death from illnessBlook into factors affecting the growth of childrenCinvestigate how to tackle symptoms like diarrheaDreview and compare conditions in different countriesPART 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 ANSWER SHEET TWOTEXT AIn 2011, many shoppers chose to avoid the frantic crowds and do their holiday shopping from the comfort of their computer. Sales at online retailers gained by more than 15%, making it the biggest season ever. But people are also returning those purchases at record rates, up 8% from last year.What went wrong? Is the lingering shadow of the global financial crisis making it harder to accept extravagant indulgences? Or that people shop more impulsively - and therefore make bad decisions - when online? Both arguments are plausible. However, there is a third factor: a question of touch. We can love the look but, in an online environment, we cannot feel the quality of a texture, the shape of the fit, the fall of a fold or, for that matter, the weight of an earring. And physically interacting with an object makes you more committed .When my most recent book Brandwashed was released, I teamed up with a local bookstore to conduct an experiment about the differences between the online and offline shopping experience. I carefully instructed a group of volunteers to promote my book in two different ways. The first was a fairly hands-off approach. Whenever a customer would inquire about my book, the volunteer would take them over to the shelf and point to it. Out of 20 such requests, six customers proceeded with the purchase.The second option also involved going over to the shelf but, this time, removing the book and then subtly holding onto it for just an extra moment before placing it in the customers hands. Of the 20 people who were handed the book. 13 ended up buying it. Just physically passing the book showed a big difference in sales. Why? We feel something similar to a sense of ownership when we hold things in our hand. Thats why we establish or reestablish connection by greeting strangers and friends with a handshake. In this case, having to then let go of the book after holding it might generate a subtle sense of loss, and motivate us to make the purchase even more.A recent study also revealed the power of touch, in this case when it came to conventional mail. A deeper and longer-lasting impression of a message was formed when delivered in a letter, as opposed to receiving the same message online. Brain imaging showed that, on touching the paper, the emotional center of the brain was activated, thus forming a stronger bond. The study also indicated that once touch becomes part of the process, it could translate into a sense of possession. This sense of ownership is simply not part of the equation in the online shopping experience. As the rituals of purchase in the lead-up to Christmas change, not only do we give less thought to the type of gifts we buy for our loved ones but, through our own digital wish lists, we increasingly control what they buy for us. The reality, however, is that no matter how convinced we all are that digital is the way to go, finding real satisfaction will probably take more than a few simple clicks.11. According to the author, shoppers are returning their purchases for all the following reasons EXCEPT that _.A they are unsatisfied with the quality of the purchaseBthey eventually find the purchase too expensiveC they change their mind out of uncertaintyD they regret making the purchase without forethought12. What is the purpose of the experiment in the bookstore?A To see which promotion method is preferred by customers.BTo find out the strengths and weaknesses of both methods.C To try to set up a new retailer-customer relationship.D To see the effect of an approach on customers decisions.13. Why does the author cite the study by Bangor University and the Royal Mail Service?ATo compare similar responses in different settings.B To provide further evidence for his own observation.C To offer a scientific account of the brains functions.D To describe emotional responses in online shopping.14. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?AReal satisfaction depends on factors other than the computer.B Despite online shopping we still attach importance to gift buying.C Some people are still uncertain about the digital age.D Online shopping offers real satisfaction to shoppers.Text B My professor brother and I have an argument about head and heart about whether he overvalues IQ while I learn more toward EQ. We typically have this debate about peoplecan we be friends with a really smart jerk（怪物）?but theres corollary to animals as well. Id love it if our dog could fetch the morning paper and then read it to me over coffee, but I actually care much more about her loyal and innocent heart. Theres already enough thinking going on is our house, and we probably spend too much time in our heads, where we need some role modeling is in instinct, and thats where a dog is a roving revelation. I did not grow up with dogs, which meant that my older daughters respectful but unyielding determination to get one required some adjustment on my part. I often felt she was training me: from ages of 6 to 9, she gently schooled me in various breeds and their personalities, whispered to the dogs we encountered so they would charm and persuade me, demonstrated by her self-displine that she was ready for the responsibility. And thus came our dog Twist, whom I sometimes mistake for a third daughter.At first I thought the challenge would be to train her to sit, to heel, to walk calmly beside us and not go wildly chasing the neighbourhood rabbits. But I soon discovered how much more we had to learn from her than she from us.If it is true, for example, that the secret to a childs success is less rare genius than raw persistence, Twists ability to stay on task is a model for us all, especially if the task is trying to capture the sunbeam that flicks around the living room as the wind blows through the branches outside. She never succeeds, and she never gives up. This includes when she runs square into walls.Then there is her unfailing patience, which breaks down only when she senses that dinnertime was 15 minutes ago and we have somehow failed to notice. Even then she is more eager than indignant, and her refusal to whine shows a restraint of which Im not always capable when hungry.But the lesson I value most is the one in forgiveness, and Twist first offered this when she was still very young. When she was about 7 months old, we took her to the vet to be sprayed(切除卵巢). We turned her over to a stranger, who procceeded to perform a procedure that was probably not pleasant, But when the vet returned her to us, limp and tender, there was no recrimination(反责)，no how could you do that to me? It was as though she really knew that we could not intentionally cause her pain, and while she did not understand, she forgave and curled up with her head on my daughters lap.I suppose we could have concluded that she was just blindly loyal and docile. But eventually we knew better. She is entirely capable of disobedience, as she has proved many times. She will ignore us when there are more interesting things to look at, rebuke us when we are careless, bark into the twilight when she has urgent messages to send. But her patience with our failings and frickleness and her willingness to give us a scond chance are a daily lesson in gratitude.My friends who grew up with dogs tell me how when they were teenagers and trusted no one in the world, they could tell their dog all their secrets. It was the one friend who would not gossip or betray, could provide in the middle of the night the soft, unbegrudging comfort and peace that adolescence conspires to disrupt. An age that is all about growth and risk needs some anchors and weigths, a model of steadfastness when all else is in flux. Sometimes I think Twists devotion keeps my girls on a benevolent lash, one that hangs quietly at their side as they trot along but occasionally yanks them back to safety and solid ground.Weve weighed so many decisions so carefully in raising our daughterswhat school to send them to and what church to attend, when to give them cell phones and with what precautions. But when it comes to what really shapes their character and binds our family, I never would have thought we would owe so much to its smallest member.15. In the first paragraph, the author suggests that_.Aa person can either have a high IQ or a low EQBher professor brother cares too much about IQCwe need examples of how to follow ones heartDshe prefers dogs that are clever and loyal16. According to the passage, all the following are Twists characteristics EXCEPT_.AresignationBpatienceCforgivenessDtenacity17. According to the context, the meaning of the word squareis closest to_.AfastBblindlyCstraight Dstubbornly18.ThatTwists devotion keeps my girls on a benevolent leash means that_. ATwist is capable of looking after the girls BTwist and the girls have become friends CTwist knows how to follow the girls DTwists loyalty helps the girls grow up19. What does the author try to express in the last paragraph? ADifficulties in raising her children. BWorries about what to buy for kids. CGratitude to Twist for her role. DConcerns about schooling and religion.Text CMost West African lorries ate not in what one would call the first flush of youth, and I had learnt by bitter experience not to expect anything very much of them. But the lorry that arrived to take me up to the mountains was worse than anything I had seen before: it tottered on the borders of senile decay. It stood there on buckled wheels, wheezing and gasping with exhaustion from having to climb up the gentle slope to the camp, and I consigned myself and my loads to it with some trepidation. The driver, who was a cheerful fellow, pointed out that he would require my assistance in two very necessary operations: first, I had to keep the hand brake pressed down when travelling downhill, for unless it was held thus almost level with the floor it sullenly refused to function. Secondly, I had to keep a stern eye on the clutch, a wilful piece of mechanism, that seized every chance to leap out of its socket with a noise like a strangling leopard. As it was obvious that not even a West African lorry driver could be successful in driving while crouched under the dashboard in a pre-natal position, I had to take over control of these instruments if I valued my life. So, while I ducked at intervals to put on the brake, amid the rich smell of burning rubber, our noble lorry jerked its way towards the mountains at a steady twenty miles per hour; sometimes, when a downward slope favoured it, it threw caution to the winds and careered along in a madcap fashion at twenty-five. For the first thirty miles the red earth road wound its way through the lowland forest, the giant trees standing in solid ranks alongside and their branches entwined in an archway of leaves above us. Flocks of hornbills flapped across the road, honking like the ghosts of ancient taxis, and on the banks, draped decoratively in the patches of sunlight, the agama lizards lay, blushing into sunset colouring with excitement and nodding their heads furiously. Slowly and almost imperceptibly the road started to climb upwards, looping its way in languid curves round the forested hills. In the back of the lorry the boys lifted up their voices in song: Home again, home again, When shall I see ma home? When shall I see ma mammy? Ill never forget ma home . . . The driver hummed the refrain softly to himself, glancing at me to see if I would object. To his surprise I joined in, and so while the lorry rolled onwards trailing a swirling tail of red dust behind it, the boys in the back maintained the chorus while the driver and I harmonized and sang complicated twiddly bits, and the driver played a staccato accompaniment on the horn. Breaks in the forest became more frequent the higher we climbed, and presently a new type of undergrowth began to appear: massive tree-ferns standing in conspiratorial groups at the roadside on their thick, squat, and hairy trunks, the fronds of leaves sprouting from the tops like delicate green fountains. These ferns were the guardians of a new world, for suddenly, as though the hills had shrugged themselves free of cloak, the forest disappeared. It lay behind us in the valley, a thick pelt of green undulating away into the heat-shimmered distance, while above us the hillside rose majestically, covered in a coat of rippling, waist-high grass, bleached golden by the sun. The lorry crept higher and higher, the engine gasping and shuddering with this unaccustomed activity. I began to think that we should have to push the wretched thing up the last two or three hundred feet, but to everyones surprise we made it, and the lorry crept on to the brow of the hill, trembling with fatigue, spouting steam from its radiator like a dying whale. We crawled to a standstill and the driver switched off the engine.“We must wait small-time, engine get hot, he explained, pointing to the forequarters of the lorry, which were by now completely invisible under a cloud of steam. Thankfully I descended from the red-hot inside of the cab and strolled down to where the road dipped into the next valley. From this vantage point I could see the country we had travelled through and the country we were about to enter.20. That it tottered on the borders of senile decay means that the lorry was_.about to break downa very old vehicleunable to travel the distanceD a dangerous vehicle Which of the following words in the first paragraph is used literally?Flush.Borders.Operations.Gasping.We learn from the first paragraph that the author regards the inadequacies of the lorry as _. Ainevitable and amusingB.dangerous and frighteningC novel and unexpectedD welcome and interesting23. All the following words in the last but one paragraph describe the lorry as a humanEXCEPT.tremblingspoutingshudderingcrept24. We can infer from the passage that the author was _. bored by the appearance of the grasslands aheadreluctant to do any walking in so hot a climateunfriendly towards the local driver and boysa little surprised to have to help drive the lorry25. A suitable title for the passage would be _. A journey that scared meA journey to rememberThe wild West African lorryA comic journey in West AfricaText DHave you ever noticed a certain similarity in public parks and back gardens in the cities of the West? A ubiquitous woodland mix of lawn grasses and trees has found its way throughout Europe and the United States, and its now spread to other citie
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