专八试题答案解析.doc

Skip navigation. 英语课程 博客/日记 英语视频 我的账户 班级/群组 英语论坛 窗体顶端窗体底端首页 大学英语专业四八级考试复习资料(Test of English Major Band 4-8) 大学英语专业八级考试历年试题集/TEM-82004年英语专业八级考试真题及答案试卷一 (95 min)Part 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 TALKQuestions 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.The parallel between waltzing and language use lies in _.A.the coordination based on individual actionsB.the number of individual participantsC.the necessity of individual actionsD.the requirements for participants2.In the talk the speaker thinks that language use is a(n) _ process.A.individualB.combinedC.distinctD.social3.The main difference between personal and nonpersonal settings is in _.A.the manner of language useB.the topic and content of speechC.the interactions between speaker and audienceD.the relationship between speaker and audience4.In fictional settings, speakers _.A.hide their real intentionsB.voice others intentionsC.play double roles on and off stageD.only imitate other people in life5.Compared with other types of settings, the main feature of private setting is _.A.the absence of spontaneityB.the presence of individual actionsC.the lack of real intentionsD.the absence of audienceSECTION B INTERVIEWQuestions 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.What was education like in Professor Wangs days?A.Students worked very hard.B.Students felt they needed a second degree.C.Education was not careeroriented.D.There were many specialized subjects.7.According to Professor Wang, what is the purpose of the presentday education?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.In Professor Wangs opinion, technical skills _.A.require good educationB.are secondary to educationC.dont call for good educationD.dont conflict with education9.What does Professor Wang suggest to cope with the situation caused by increasing numbers of feepaying students?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.Future education needs to produce graduates of all the following categories EXCEPT _.A.those who can adapt to different professionsB.those who have a high flexibility of mindC.those who are thinkers, historians and philosophersD.those who possess only highly specialized skillsSECTION C NEWS BROADCASTQuestions 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 sharpestdrop in life expectancy?A.Latin America.B.SubSaharan 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.Questions 14 and 15 are based on the following news. At the end of the news item, you will be given 30 seconds to answer the questions.Now listen to the news.14.The trade dispute between the European Union and the US was caused by _.A.US refusal to accept arbitration by WTOB.US imposing tariffs on European steelC.US refusal to pay compensation to EUD.US refusal to lower import duties on EU products15.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.SECTION D NOTE-TAKING AND GAP-FILLINGIn this section you will hear a minilecture. 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 15minute gapfilling task on ANSWER SHEET ONE after the minilecture. Use the blank sheet for notetaking.Conversation SkillsPeople who usually make us feel comfortable in conversations are good talkers. And they have something in common, i.e. skills to put people at ease.1. Skill to ask question1) be aware of the human nature: readiness to answer others questions regardless of (1)_ (1)_2) start a conversation with some personal but unharmfullquestions about ones (2)_ job (2)_questions about ones activities in the (3)_ (3)_3) be able to spot signals for further talk2. Skill to (4)_for answers (4)_1) dont shift from subject to subject sticking to the same subject: signs of (5)_in (5)_conversation2) listen to (6)_of voice (6)_ If people sound unenthusiastic, then change subject.3) use eyes and ears steady your gaze while listening3. Skill to laughEffects of laughter: ease peoples (7)_ (7)_ help start (8)_ (8)_4. Skill to part1) importance: open up possibilities for future friendship orcontact2) ways: men: a smile, a (9)_ (9)_ women: same as (10)_now (10)_ how to express pleasure in meeting someone.Part 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.ExampleWhen art museum wants a new exhibit, (1) anit never buys things in finished form and hangs (2) neverthem on the wall. When a natural history museumwants an ZZ(ZexhibitionZZ), it must often build it. (3)exhibitProofread the given passage on ANSWER SHEET TWO as instructed.One of the most important non-legislative functions of the U.S Congressis the power to investigate. This power is usually delegated to committees - eitherstanding 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 forfuture legislation, to test the effectiveness of laws already passed,to inquire into the qualifications and performance of members andofficials of the other branches, and in rare occasions, to lay the (3)_groundwork for impeachment proceedings. Frequently, committeesrely 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. Oneis 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 investigationsnevertheless 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 compeltestimony from unwilling witnesses, and to cite for contemptof Congress witnesses who refuse to testify and for perjurythese who give false testimony. (10)_Part Reading Comprehension (30 min)In this section there are four reading passages followed by a total of fifteen multiplechoice questions. Read the passages and then mark your answers on your coloured answer sheet.TEXT AFarmers 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 Novembers midterm 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 just 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. Its not as if the developing world wants any favours, says Gerald Ssendwula, Ugandas 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 pieinthesky speculation. The biggest success in Kenyas 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 “leastdeveloped 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 Africas manufacturers. The lesson: the Third World can prosper if the rich world gives it a fair go.This is what makes Bushs decision to increase farm subsidies last month all themore 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 andtextiles. Rich countries assured poor countries, that their concerns were finally being addressed. Bushs handout last month makes a lie of Americas 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 worldB.in JapanC.in EuropeD.in America17.In addition to the economic considerations, there is a _ motive behind Bushs signing of the new farm bill.A.partisanB.socialC.financialD.cultural18.The message the writer attempts to convey throughout the passage is that _.A.poor countries should be given equal opportunities in tradeB.“the leastdeveloped country” status benefits agricultural countriesC.poor countries should remove their suspicions about trade liberalizationD.farmers in poor countries should also receive the benefit of subsidies19.The writers attitude towards new farm subsidies in the U.S. is _.A.favourableB.ambiguousC.criticalD.reservedTEXT BOscar Wilde said that work is the refuge of people who have nothing better to do. If so, Americans are now among the worlds saddest refugees. Factory workers in the United States are working longer hours than at any time in the past halfcentury. America once led the rich world in cutting the average working weekfrom 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 80hour weeks. On holiday, they seek out fax machines and phones as eagerly as Germans bag the best sunloungers. Yet working time in Europe and Japan continues to fall. In Germanys 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 peoples 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 worlds 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 Americas 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 costcutting 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 higherskilled 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 employmentwhich 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 centurylong decline in working hours has gone into reverse in America but not elsewhere (though Britain shows signs of following Americas lead). Perhaps cultural differencesthe last refuge of the defeated economistare 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 builtin TV, for a rocketpropelled carexpand continuously. Shopping is already one of Americas most popular pastimes. But it requires moneyhence 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 industryB.a traditional practice in some sectorsC.prevalent in all sectors of societyD.favoured by the economists21.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 peoples living standards.D.Rise in competitiveness.22.Which of the following is the cause of working longer hours stated bythe writer?A.Expansion of basic needs.B.Cultural differences.C.Increase in real earnings.D.Advertising.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 woodedge were a darkish, brownish green in the full lightfor it was the end of August. Beyond, the naked, copperlike 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 aboutthe 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 distanceand 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 spellboundshe 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