1、专业英语八级模拟试卷 362及答案与解析 0 For many years it was common in the United States to associate Chinese Americans with restaurants and laundries. People did not realize that the Chinese had been driven into these occupations. The first Chinese to reach the United States came during the California Gold Rush of
2、 1849. Like most of the other people there, they had come to search for gold. In that largely unoccupied land, the men staked a claim for themselves by placing marks in the ground. However, either because the Chinese were so different from the others or because they worked so patiently that they som
3、etimes succeeded in turning a seemingly worthless mining claim into a profitable one, they became the scapegoats of their envious competitor. They were harassed in many ways. Often they were prevented from working their claims; some localities even passed regulations forbidding them to own claims. T
4、he Chinese, therefore, started to seek out other ways of earning a living. Some of them began to do the laundry for the white miners; others set up small restaurants. (There were almost no women in California in those days, and the Chinese filled a real need by doing this “womans work“. ) Some went
5、to work as farmhands or as fishermen. In the early 1860 s many more Chinese arrived in California. This time the men were imported as work crews to construct the first transcontinental railroad. They were sorely needed because the work was so strenuous and dangerous, and it was carried on in such a
6、remote part of the country that the railroad company could not find other labourers for the job. As in the case of their predecessors, these Chinese were almost all males; and like them, too, they encountered a great deal of prejudice. The hostility grew especially strong after the railroad project
7、was complete, and the imported labourers returned to Californiathousands of them, all out of work. Because there were so many more of them this time, these Chinese drew even more attention than the earlier group did. They were so very different in every respect: in their physical appearance, includi
8、ng a long “pigtail“ at the back of their otherwise shaved heads; in the strange, non-Western clothes they wore; in their speech (few had learned English since they planned to go back to China); and in their religion. They were contemptuously called “heathen Chinese“ because there were many sacred im
9、ages in their houses of worship. When times were hard, they were blamed for working for lower wages and taking jobs away from white men, who were in many cases recent immigrants themselves. Anti-Chinese riots broke out in several cities, culminating in arson and bloodshed. Chinese were barred from u
10、sing the courts and also from becoming American citizens. Californias began to demand that no more Chinese be permitted to enter their state. Finally, in 1882, they persuaded Congress to pass the Chinese Exclusion Act, which stopped the immigration of Chinese labourers. Many Chinese returned to thei
11、r homeland, and their numbers declined sharply in the early part of this century. However, during the World War II, when China was an ally of the United States, the exclusion laws were ended; a small number of Chinese were allowed to immigrate each year, and the Chinese could become American citizen
12、s. In 1965, in a general revision of our immigration laws, many more Chinese were permitted to settle here, as discrimination against Asian immigration was abolished. Chinese Americans retain many aspects of their ancient culture, even after having lived here for several generations. For example, th
13、eir family ties continue to be remarkably strong (encompassing grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins and others). Members of the family lend each other moral support and also practical help when necessary. From a very young age children are imbued with the old values and attitudes, including respect
14、for their elders and a feeling of responsibility to the family. This helps to explain why there is so little juvenile delinquency among them. The high regard for education which is deeply embedded in Chinese culture, and the willingness to work very hard to gain advancement, are other noteworthy cha
15、racteristics of theirs. This explains why so many descendants of uneducated labourer have succeeded in becoming doctors, lawyers, and other professionals. (Many of the most outstanding Chinese American scholars, scientists, and artists are more recent arrivals, who come from Chinas former upper clas
16、s and who represent its high cultural traditions. ) 1 Why would so many Chinese Americans in California be involved in the occupations of restaurants and laundries in the 19th century? （ A） Because they were good at these jobs. （ B） Because there were few women to do those jobs at that time. （ C） Be
17、cause of the prejudice and discrimination against the Chinese, they had no other choices. （ D） Because they could not find gold in mines. 2 Whats the meaning of the italicized word “heathen“ in Paragraph 3 according to the passage? （ A） It means something or somebody that is sacred. （ B） It means a
18、person who cant bear heat. （ C） It means a person who does not believe in any of the worlds chief religions. （ D） It means a person who is superstitious. 3 Which of the following statements about Chinese immigrants in America is NOT TRUE? （ A） Before 1880s, Chinese people were allowed to come to the
19、 United States but they were denied the right of becoming American citizens. （ B） From 1882 to 1965 no Chinese were permitted to come to United States because of the Chinese Exclusion Act. （ C） The general revision of American immigration laws which allow more Chinese to settle in US was the outcome
20、 of World War II. （ D） During the World War II, Chinese were allowed to immigrate again, but the number was controlled. 4 Which can explain the low rate of juvenile delinquency among Chinese children? （ A） Members of the family lend practical help when necessary, so its not necessary for children to
21、 break the law. （ B） Chinese children are introverted and their personality prevent them from breaking the law. （ C） Chinese parents are particularly strict in cultivating their children, which leads to the low rate of juvenile delinquency. （ D） Chinese families regard the traditional values and att
22、itudes highly, which teach children to be responsible. 5 Which of the following Chinese characteristics is NOT mentioned in the passage? （ A） Patience. （ B） Willingness to work hard. （ C） Sense of responsibility. （ D） Modesty. 5 The concern throughout the world in 1988 for those three whales that we
23、re locked in the Arctic ice was dramatic proof that whales, several species of which face extinction, have become subjects of considerable sympathy. These are the recorded voices of whales. These monstrous creatures have been trumpeting their songs, one to another, in the worlds oceans since the daw
24、n of time, while overhead, great empires and civilizations have come and gone. Now, their time of decline has come. It began a long time ago. Four-thousand-year-old rock carvings show that the people who lived in what is now Norway were probably the first to seek out and kill whales in the sea. By a
25、round 890 AD, 3,000 years later, the practice had spread to the Basque people of France and Spain, who hunted whales from boats in the Bay of Biscay. In the centuries that followed, whaling became an important industry in Denmark, England, Germany, the Netherlands, and, finally, in what would become
26、 America. Whaling went into dramatic decline, beginning around 1900. Today, whales are hunted commercially only by Norway, Iceland and Japan. The worlds fascination with them, however, is at an all-time high, because so few of them are left, given their tragic history. Richard Ellis writes about wha
27、les, takes pictures of whales in the open sea, and sketches whales stranded on the beach. He says its a 20-year obsession that began in the mid-1960s, when he designed a model of a great blue for the Museum of Natural History in New York. “As I began to do the research. I realized that nobody knew a
28、nything about whales. And I couldnt really find any pictures of what they looked like: all I could find was pictures of dead whales. And I became very excited at the prospect of doing what seemed to be original research on something that was so peculiar, which was the largest animal that has ever li
29、ved on earth. “ So large, he discovered, that the largest dinosaur weighed only half as much as the female blue whale. As he continued his research he boarded scientific vessels. Dove with whales in the Pacific, and even watched whales die at the hands of modern, explosive-tipped harpoons. His sketc
30、hes appeared in magazines and encyclopedias and at the center of what was then the beginning of a movement to save the whales. “I was one of those people who used to stand on street corners and ask for people to sign petitions, which at that time were directed towards the Japanese and the Soviets. B
31、ecause in that period of timelate 60s, early 70sthe Japanese and the Soviets were killing tens of thousands of sperm particularly in the North Pacific, And we thought that getting the worlds opinion on paper would make them say, Oh look, all these people dont like what we are doing. We will stop. We
32、ll, of course, they didnt stop. “ Not at first, commercial whaling peaked in the mid-1960s, with more than 60,000 whales killed each year. The International Whaling Commission, a group of member nations aimed at regulating the industry, began to make recommendations to end commercial whaling entirel
33、y. Why kill whales for soap, or fuel or paints and vernishes, even margarine, if we had substitutes for all those products? The seemingly senseless slaughter focused the worlds attention on the whale and consequently the International Whaling Commission or IWC. “And since its said nowhere in the con
34、stitution of the IWC that you had to be whaling nation to join, you have countries like Kenya and the Seychelles. Switzerland is a member of the IWC, a country not known for its whaling history. Countries joined because they felt that this was something that needed to be done. “ By 1986, the Commiss
35、ion had passed a moratorium on commercial whaling. But since the organization had no enforcement powers, it could and can not impose sanctions on violators. Only a few nationsJapan, Iceland and Norwaycontinue to hunt whales commercially. Richard Ellis says there is something magical about this anima
36、l caught in the net of life and time and we must continue to fight to preserve it, because in the end we are really protecting a small part of ourselves and our earth. 6 According to the passage, which country has the longest history of whaling? （ A） Danmark. （ B） Norway. （ C） Netherlands. （ D） Icel
37、and. 7 Which of the following words can best replace the word “obsession“ in Paragraph 5? （ A） enchantment （ B） avocation （ C） fascination （ D） rapturousness 8 We can learn all the following information about whales from the passage EXCEPT_. （ A） some of them are so large, even larger than dinosaurs
38、 （ B） they have lived on the earth much longer than human beings （ C） we didnt have a picture of a living whale until mid-1960s （ D） they went into decline around 1900 9 Which statement is the true description about IWC? （ A） The purpose of the foundation of IWC is to protect whales from being kille
39、d. （ B） All the members of IWC have a history of whaling. （ C） IWC decided to stop commercial whaling in the mid-1960s. （ D） IWC has no right to exert any punishment on Japan even if Japan continues the slaughter. 10 We can infer from the passage that Richard Ellis is a_. （ A） researcher （ B） writer
40、 （ C） painter （ D） scientist 10 The world seems increasingly divided into those who favor genetically modified (GM) foods and those who fear them. Advocates assert that growing genetically altered crops can be kinder to the environment and that eating foods from those plants is perfectly safe. And,
41、they say, genetic engineeringwhich can induce plants to grow in poor soils or to produce more nutritious foodswill soon become an essential tool for helping to feed the worlds burgeoning population. Skeptics contend that GM crops could pose unique risks to the environment and to healthrisks too trou
42、bling to accept placidly. Taking that view, many European countries are restricting the planting and importation of GM agricultural products. Much of the debate hinges on perceptions of safety. But what exactly does recent scientific research say about the hazards? Advocates of GM, or transgenic, cr
43、ops say the plants will benefit the environment by requiring fewer toxic pesticides than conventional crops. But critics fear the potential risks and wonder how big the benefits really are. “We have so many questions about these plants,“ remarks Guenther Stotzky, a soil microbiologist at New York Un
44、iversity. “Theres a lot we dont know and need to find out. “ As GM crops multiply in the landscape, unprecedented numbers of researchers have started fanning into the fields to get the missing information. Some of their recent findings are reassuring; others suggest a need for vigilance. Every year
45、U. S. growers shower crops with an estimated 971 million pounds of pesticides, mostly to kill insects, weeds and fungi. But pesticide residues linger on crops and the surrounding soil, leaching into groundwater, running into streams and getting gobbled up by wildlife. The constant chemical trickle i
46、s an old worry for environmentalists. In the mid-1990s agribusinesses began advertising GM seeds that promised to reduce a farmers use of toxic pesticides. Today most GM cropsmainly soybean, corn, cotton and canolacontain genes enabling them to either resist insect pests or tolerate weed-killing her
47、bicides. The insect-resistant varieties make their own insecticide, a property meant to reduce the need for chemical sprays. The herbicidetolerant types survive when exposed to broad-spectrum weed killers, potentially allowing farmers to forgo more poisonous chemicals that target specific weed speci
48、es. Farmers like to limit the use of more hazardous pesticides when they can, but GM crops also hold appeal because they simplify operations (reducing the frequency and complexity of pesticide applications) and, in some cases, increase yields. But confirming environmental benefit is tricky. Virtuall
49、y no peer-reviewed papers have addressed such advantages, which would be expected to vary from plant to plant and place to place. Some information is available, however. According to the U. S. Department of Agriculture, farmers who plant herbicidetolerant crops do not necessarily use fewer sprays, but they do apply a more benign mix of chemicals. For instance, those who grow herbicide-tolerant soybeans typically avoid the most noxious weed killer, turning instead to glyphosate herbicides, which are less toxic and degrade more quickly. Insect-re
