1、2015年专业英语八级真题试卷及答案与解析 SECTION A MINI-LECTURE Directions: In this section you sill 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
2、. 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. Use the blank sheet for note-taking. 0 Understanding Academic Lectures Listening to academic lectures is an important task for university stude
3、nts. Then, how can we comprehend a lecture efficiently? I. Understanding all【 B1】 _【 B1】 _ A. words B.【 B2】 _【 B2】 _ stress intonation 【 B3】 _【 B3】 _ II. Adding information A. lecturers: sharing information with audience B. listeners:【 B4】 _【 B4】 _ C. sources of information knowledge of【 B5】 _【 B5】
4、_ 【 B6】 _of the world【 B6】 _ D. listening involving three steps: hearing 【 B7】 _【 B7】 _ adding III.【 B8】 _【 B8】 _ A. reasons: overcome noise save time B.【 B9】 _【 B9】 _ content organization IV. Evaluating while listening A. helps to decide the【 B10】 _of notes【 B10】 _ B. helps to remember information
5、1 【 B1】 2 【 B2】 3 【 B3】 4 【 B4】 5 【 B5】 6 【 B6】 7 【 B7】 8 【 B8】 9 【 B9】 10 【 B10】 SECTION B INTERVIEW Directions: In this section you will hear everything ONCE ONLY. Listen carefully and then answer the questions that follow. Questions 1 to 5 are based on an interview. At the end of the interview yo
6、u will be given 10 seconds to answer each of the following five questions. Now listen to the interview. 11 Theresa thinks that the present government is_. （ A） doing what they have promised to schools （ B） creating opportunities for leading universities （ C） considering removing barriers for state s
7、chool pupils （ D） reducing opportunities for state school pupils 12 What does Theresa see as a problem in secondary schools now? （ A） Universities are not working hard to accept state school pupils. （ B） The number of state pupils applying to Oxford fails to increase. （ C） The government has lowered
8、 state pupils expectations. （ D） Leading universities are rejecting state school pupils. 13 In Theresas view, school freedom means that schools should_. （ A） be given more funding from education authorities （ B） be given all the money and decide how to spend it （ C） be granted greater power to run t
9、hemselves （ D） be given more opportunities and choices 14 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.
10、 （ D） The central government only. 15 Throughout the talk, the interviewer does all the following EXCEPT_. （ A） asking for clarification （ B） challenging the interviewee （ C） supporting the interviewee （ D） initiating topics SECTION C NEWS BROADCAST Directions: In this section you will hear everythi
11、ng ONCE ONLY. Listen carefully and then answer the questions that follow. At the end of each news item, you will be given 10 seconds to answer the questions. 16 What is the main idea of the news item? （ A） Fewer people watch TV once a week. （ B） Smartphones and tablets have replaced TV. （ C） New tec
12、hnology has led to more family time. （ D） Bigger TV sets have attracted more people. 17 How many lawmakers voted for the marijuana legalization bill? （ A） 50. （ B） 12. （ C） 46. （ D） 18. 18 The passing of the bill means that marijuana can be_. （ A） bought by people under 18 （ B） made available to dru
13、g addicts （ C） provided by the government （ D） bought in drug stores 19 What did the review of global data reveal? （ A） Diarrhea is a common disease. （ B） Good sanitation led to increase in height. （ C） There were many problems of poor sanitation. （ D） African children live in worse sanitary conditi
14、ons. 20 The purpose of Dr. Alan Dangours study was most likely to_. （ A） examine links between sanitation and death from illness （ B） look into factors affecting the growth of children （ C） investigate how to tackle symptoms like diarrhea （ D） review and compare conditions in different countries 20
15、In 2011, many shoppers opted to avoid the frenetic 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
16、 went wrong? Is the lingering shadow of the global financial crisis making it harder to accept extravagant indulgences? Or do 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 th
17、e 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 the weight of an earring. And physically interacting with an object makes you more committed to your purchase. When my most recent book Brandwashed was released, I teamed up wit
18、h a local bookstore to conduct an experiment about the differences between the online and offline shopping. 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
19、 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 customer
20、s 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
21、 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 conducted by Bangor University together with the United Kingdoms Royal Mail service also revealed the
22、power of touch, in, this case when it came to snail 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. FMRIs(功能 性磁共振成像 )showed that, on touching the paper, the emotional centre of the brain was activated,
23、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. In other words, we simply feel more committed to possess and thus buy an item when weve first touched it. This sense of ownership is simply not part of t
24、he 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, i
25、s 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. 21 According to the author, shoppers are returning their purchases for all the following reasons EXCEPT that_. （ A） they are unsatisfied with the quali
26、ty of the purchase （ B） they eventually find the purchase too expensive （ C） they change their mind out of uncertainty （ D） they regret making the purchase without forethought 22 What is the purpose of the experiment in the bookstore? （ A） To see which promotion method is preferred by customers. （ B
27、） To 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. 23 Why does the author cite the study by Bangor University and the Royal Mail Service? （ A） To compare similar respons
28、es 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. 24 What can be inferred from the last paragraph? （ A） Real satisfaction depends on factors other th
29、an 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. 24 My professor brother and I have an argument about head and heart, about whether he overva
30、lues IQ while I lean more toward EQ. We typically have this debate about people can you 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 l
31、oyal and innocent heart. Theres already enough thinking going on in 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
32、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-dis
33、cipline 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 h
34、ow 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 livin
35、g 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
36、 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
37、 be spayed(切除卵巢 ). We turned her over to a stranger, who proceeded 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 already knew that we would not intenti
38、onally 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. Sh
39、e 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 fickleness and her willingness to give us a second chance are a daily lesson in gratitude. My friend
40、s 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 conspire
41、s to disrupt. An age that is all about growth and risk needs some anchors and weights, a model of steadfastness when all else is in flux. Sometimes I think Twists devotion keeps my girls on a benevolent leash, one that hangs quietly at their side as they trot along but occasionally yanks them back t
42、o safety and solid ground. Weve weighed so many decisions so carefully in raising our daughters what 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
43、have thought we would owe so much to its smallest member. 25 In the first paragraph, the author suggests that_. （ A） a person can either have a high IQ or a low EQ （ B） her professor brother cares too much about IQ （ C） we need examples of how to follow ones heart （ D） she prefers dogs that are clev
44、er and loyal 26 According to the passage, all the following are Twists characteristics EXCEPT_. （ A） resignation （ B） patience （ C） forgiveness （ D） tenacity 27 According to the context, the meaning of the word “square“ is closest to_. （ A） fast （ B） blindly （ C） straight （ D） stubbornly 28 That Twi
45、sts devotion keeps my girls on a benevolent leash means that_. （ A） Twist is capable of looking after the girls （ B） Twist and the girls have become friends （ C） Twist knows how to follow the girls （ D） Twists loyalty helps the girls grow up 29 What does the author try to express in the last paragra
46、ph? （ A） Difficulties in raising her children. （ B） Worries about what to buy for kids. （ C） Gratitude to Twist for her role. （ D） Concerns about schooling and religion. 29 Most West African lorries are not in what one would call the first flush of youth, and I had learnt by bitter experience not to
47、 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
48、camp, and I consigned myself and my loads to it with some fear. 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
49、 with the floor it sullenly refused to function. Secondly, I had to keep a stern eye on the clutch, a willful 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, I had to take over control o
