1、专业英语八级模拟试卷 193 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 Going Underground Because of the【 1】 _associations with the dark 【 1】 _ underground, living underground
3、in the future may not seem a good idea. But there are advantages to an underground living. First, the【 2】 _would cease to be a trouble. There 【 2】 _ is no problem of keeping a【 3】 _temperature. So it can 【 3】 _ save much energy. We are also safe from the【 4】 _ 【 4】 _ caused by bad weather. Second, t
4、here would be no【 5】 _time. As the daylight【 5】 _ is man-made, it could be【 6】 _to meet our needs. 【 6】 _ Third, the【 7】 _stability could be ensured. Human 【 7】 _ habitation damages the wild and【 8】 _many species of 【 8】 _ their natural habitat. Moving underground would turn the Earths surface back
5、to wilderness and greenery. Fourth, nature would be【 9】 _Instead of a 【 9】 _ withdrawal from the natural world, living underground would make us easier to reach countryside than living above ground. The countryside is just a few hundred yards【 10】 _the 【 10】 _ 1 【 1】 2 【 2】 3 【 3】 4 【 4】 5 【 5】 6 【
6、6】 7 【 7】 8 【 8】 9 【 9】 10 【 10】 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 you will be given 10 seconds to answer each of the
7、following five questions. Now listen to the interview. 11 An oculist is a (an) _. （ A） eye disease sufferer （ B） eye doctor （ C） cheap product seller （ D） sunglasses seller 12 Which of the following is NOT a reason for the increasing number of eye complaints? （ A） The ultra-violet rays become strong
8、er （ B） The ozone layer is expanding （ C） Many people buy low-.price sunglasses （ D） More people go to the solarium to get tanned 13 According to Mr. Johnson, sunglasses for kids are even more important because kids eyes _. （ A） are less sensitive （ B） open and close more quickly （ C） take in more r
9、ays （ D） filter out ultra-violet rays less sufficiently 14 Which of the following is TRUE about low-price sunglasses? （ A） They cannot protect the eyes. when the sun is strong. （ B） They can be used as fashionable toys for kids. （ C） They are all fashionable. （ D） They do not effectively filter out
10、harmful rays. 15 Which of the following is TRUE about good quality sunglasses? （ A） Those for kids are more expensive than for adults. （ B） They are all made of optical glass. （ C） They are becoming more and more expensive. （ D） They can be made much lighter than before. SECTION C NEWS BROADCAST Dir
11、ections: In this section you will hear everything 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 According to the reports, Libya _. （ A） was responsible for the killing of the Saudi Prince
12、（ B） Planned violence against the Saudi royal family （ C） helped Saudi terrorists kill the Saudi Prince （ D） plotted to overthrow the Saudi ruler 17 How did the U.S. respond to the reports? （ A） It condemned Libya. （ B） It broke diplomatic ties with Libya. （ C） It would not normalize relations with
13、Libya. （ D） It was investigating the matter. 18 According to the news, what did a top UN official talk about? （ A） A new schedule for Africas development. （ B） The slow progress in Africas poverty reduction. （ C） The prediction of Africas economic trend. （ D） The lack of funds for a UN development p
14、rogram. 19 According to the current trends, the goal set 4 years ago is expected to be reached by _. （ A） 2015 （ B） 2047 （ C） 2050 （ D） 2147 20 What can be inferred from the news? （ A） The number of terrorist attacks last year was more than 190. （ B） Colin Powell didnt trust CIA （ C） The report exag
15、gerated the number of terrorist attacks last year. （ D） CIA made corrections on the report before its release. 20 Prior to 1905, space and time were comfortable absolutes. Over 250 years of practical experience and experimentation had firmly established the supremacy of the physics of Sir Isaac Newt
16、on. The picture of the universe painted by Newton was one of amazing clarity and practical value. The motions of projectiles, pendulums, steam engines, and even distant planets could be readily explained using the brilliant 17th century physicists theories. However, certain phenomena, including how
17、light was able to travel in a vacuum and the exact nature of gravity continued to elude satisfactory scientific explanation. While searching for a solution to the failure of the now famous Michelson-Morey experiment, Albert Einstein( who left Germany when the Nazis took power, and became an American
18、 citizen in 1940 ) discovered his Special Theory of Relativity. A few years later, he expanded his theory into an all-encompassing grand view of the universe. His General Theory of Relativity was the first to describe the nature of gravity. The General Theory describes a four dimensional universe in
19、 which the three spatial dimensions are coupled with a fourth, time. Any object in the universe with mass is described as causing a warp, or curve into the very structure of spacetime itself. Gravity is shown to be a result, not of some unforeseen, mysterious force, but as a function of the curvatur
20、e of space itself. All matter, from the tiniest sub-atomic particle to the most massive of galaxies, will induce this curvature. This idea is frequently explained by describing space as a rubber sheet, and a body such as the sun as a bowling hall. If the hall is placed on the rubber sheet, the sheet
21、 will bend under the weight of the ball, forming a gravity well. Thus, the orbits of the planets can be seen to result from them “rolling“ around the mouth of the suns gravity well. Of course, this analogy is but a shadow of the tree nature of space. In reality, this gravity well is a four dimension
22、al structure. Shortly after publication of the General Theory, physicists began to explore this strange new world. 21 What does the passage mainly discuss? （ A） Albert Einsteins life and achievements. （ B） How Einstein changed the way we look at the universe. （ C） The Special Theory of Relativity. （
23、 D） Landmarks in understanding the universe. 22 According to the passage, which of the following phenomena did Einstein describe in his General Theory of Relativity, that was not explained by Newtons theory? （ A） A solution to the Michelson-Morley experiment. （ B） The motions of distant planets. （ C
24、） How light could travel in a vacuum. （ D） The nature of gravity. 23 According to the passage, the General Theory describes gravity as a function of_. （ A） time （ B） mass （ C） curvature （ D） unknown forces 24 It can be inferred from the simplicity of the example of the bowling ball and rubber sheet
25、to describe Einsteins theory that_. （ A） this was how Einstein reached his conclusions （ B） Einstein used this example to explain his theory to students （ C） the theory is so complex that a more detailed example would not allow most people to quickly understand the general idea （ D） any theory is ju
26、st a way of trying to explain something for which there is no certainty, so a simple example is sufficient 24 Patent medicine used in America dates back to the early days of the Republic, when drugs imported from Europe were sold by postmasters, goldsmiths, grocers, and tailors. Their use expanded d
27、uring the Jacksonian era as Americans rebelled against traditional doctors and enthusiastically endorsed quackery. Increasing urbanization and industrialization also fed the market for patent medicines, as new drugs were needed to combat epidemics. But these sales, by mid-century, were due to two no
28、n-medical events. Patent legislation in 1793 made it possible for manufactures to protect their product against counterfeiters. But most manufacturers did not seek patents on the formulas for their medicines, since these were often combinations of common products like alcohol and vegetable extracts
29、which they preferred not to reveal. Instead, they sought patents on the shape of the bottle, promotional materials, and label information. The number of newspapers published in the country grew from 200 during Jeffersons administration to over 4000 at the time of Lincolns presidency. The Penny Press
30、, begun by Benjamin Day in 1833, was marketed at a mass audience and cost just one cent per issue. To recover revenue lost from subscription prices, Day and others sought profits through advertising. Patent medicine was the perfect product to advertise in penny papers since its sensational claims bu
31、ttressed the sensational bent of the news and stories in them. “Lydia Pinkhams Vegetable Compound“ was the most successful patent medicine of the century, and Mrs. Pinkhams face was known across the country. Like most Americans, she was convinced that Divine Providence had stocked the promised land
32、with vegetables and herbs unknown elsewhere, which could cure disease. Mrs. Pinkham received the basic formula for her nostrum as payment for a debt owed her husband. As a result of severe economic hardships for her family, she began heavy promotion of the medicine in Boston newspapers in 1876, and
33、her son attached his mothers picture to the product. Thus was born modem advertising. Mrs. Pinkham was popular with her female followers for her feminist bent, and for the fact that she encouraged them to write her for advice. An analysis of the compound by the AMA in 1914 revealed it was 20 percent
34、 alcohol, with the rest made of vegetable extracts. 25 What aspect of patent medicine does the passage mainly discuss? （ A） The danger. （ B） Why it was so popular. （ C） Whether it was an example of quackery. （ D） The disadvantages. 26 Which of the following did patent medicine and the penny press ha
35、ve in common, according to the passage? （ A） An approach to gaining attention of the public. （ B） A belief in advertising. （ C） The need to recover money. （ D） A mass audience. 27 Women were attracted to Mrs. Pinkham because_. （ A） of her photo （ B） of her product （ C） of her interest in them （ D） o
36、f her son 27 The traditional image of cave dwellers is probably ape-like creatures clad in skimpy animal skins, complete with clubs and matted hair and chewing unidentifiable bones. But in the region around Saumur, living in caves is making a comeback. Not that it ever completely disappeared. In a r
37、egion famous for its wine production( Anjou), it is hardly surprising that caves form a part of local life, but it was the nineteenth century quarries cut into the local tuffeau stone which provided an impetus for cave dwellers. Excavating the stone for building purposes left arched caverns, and loc
38、al inhabitants found that these provided cheap living quarters. If you wanted to extend them, all you had to do was to hack away a bit more of the easily worked rock. Build a wall across the front, with a door and windows and you had a home. “Its possible to drive through this area without seeing it
39、 properly because so much is underground,“ says Michel Renou, director of a recently opened study center at Doue la Fontaine. Until recently many cave houses were used for storage, for maturing wine and for growing mushrooms rather than for habitation, but now there is a definite trend back to cave
40、dwelling. Caves are proving particularly popular with painters, sculptors and craft workers. There is even a building firm that specializes in restoring and making safe disused cave houses. Bernard Foyer, once an electronics executive, moved to a cave this summer, selling his conventional home. “Its
41、 more tranquil,“ he explains. “It suits my state of mind: I like to be left alone in my cave.“ He claims that the authorities pay little attention to cave dwellers and, knowing that they often have small incomes, the tax collectors by and large leave them be. “And theyre a lot cheaper to buy than an
42、y normal house,“ says Mr. Foyer. “I bought my first cave 15 years ago. It had five rooms, a lot of storage space and cost me 1,000 francs (about 100).“ 28 What has the writer found in Saumur? （ A） Traces of prehistoric cave dwellers. （ B） Caves inhabited since prehistoric times. （ C） People who dres
43、s in animal skins. （ D） People who choose to live in caves. 29 How did cave dwelling start in this region7 （ A） It is an ancient tradition. （ B） The wine producers lived near their stores. （ C） Local people moved into holes made when rock was cut. （ D） Persecution made it necessary for people to liv
44、e secretly. 30 Why did Bernard Foyer move to a cave? （ A） He wanted to live among artists and craft workers. （ B） He wanted somewhere peaceful to live. （ C） He was short of money. （ D） He wanted to avoid paying taxes. 30 A scientist who does research in economic psychology and who wants to predict t
45、he way in which consumers will spend their money must study consumer behavior. He must obtain data both on the resources of consumers and on the motives that tend to encourage or discourage money spending. If an economist were asked which of three groups borrow must people with rising incomes, stabl
46、e incomes, or declining incomeshe would probably answer: those with declining incomes. Actually, in the years 1947 -1950, the answer was: people with rising incomes. People with declining incomes were next and people with stable incomes borrowed the least. This shows us that traditional assumptions
47、about earning and spending arc not always reliable. Another traditional assumption is that if people who have money expect prices to go up, they will hasten to buy. If they expect prices to go down, they will postpone buying. But research surveys have shown that this is not always true. The expectat
48、ions of price increases may not stimulate buying. One typical attitude was expressed by the wife of a mechanic in an interview at a time of rising prices. “In a few months,“ she said, “well have to pay more for meat and milk; well have less to spend on other things.“ Her family had been planning to
49、buy a new car but they postponed this purchase. Furthermore, the rise in prices that has already taken place may be resented and buyers resistance may be evoked. This is shown by the following typical comment:“ I just dont pay these prices; they are too high.“ Traditional assumptions should be investigated carefully, and factors of time and place should be considered. The investigations mentioned above
