1、专业英语八级模拟试卷 396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 Clocks through Time It took human being a long time to invent diverse ways for telling time. About 3000 y
3、ears ago people first made a circle with a stick in the center of it to【 1】 the passage of time by noticing various marks on the circle the shadow of the stick fell across. Since these kinds of circles that are called【 2】 did not work without the sun, men had to find other ways to keep track of time
4、, including a【 3】 candle on which each stripe took about one hour to melt, a water clock which had a line with a number beside it for every hour and an【 4】 which followed the invention of glass blowing. The first clock with a face and an hour hand was invented about 600 years ago for few people. Wit
5、h the gradually【 5】 use of clocks, they were beautifully【 6】 , though they could not keep correct time. Scarcely had clocks been made small enough to be carried when watches came into use. As the beginning of the style of “grandfather clocks, “ which were enclosed in tall wooden boxes, the【 7】 clock
6、 was made in 1657. In 1700, there were clocks with minute and second hands. About 200 years later, a clock is commonly used in every house and a watch is almost used by every【 8】 gentleman. A newly created clock that shows the time exactly is so - called【 9】 clock. Nowadays such a clock has more and
7、 more complicated functions. 【 10】 as clocks and watches are, time means different things to different nations. 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.
8、At the end of the interview you will be given 10 seconds to answer each of the following five questions. Now listen to the interview. 11 What are the speakers mainly discussing? （ A） Memberships in a food co - up. （ B） The benefits of health food. （ C） Shopping in the supermarket. （ D） The current c
9、ost of foo 12 What change does the woman suggest the co - up make? （ A） Lowering its prices. （ B） Selling more household necessities. （ C） Changing its membership rules. （ D） Opening up more checkout lines. 13 What is one thing the members of the co - up must do? （ A） Avoid junk food. （ B） Attend mo
10、nthly meetings. （ C） Buy cleaning supplies at the co - up. （ D） Work at the co - up. 14 Why might the man join the co - up? （ A） To save money on food. （ B） To buy food without additives. （ C） To do all his shopping in one place. （ D） To meet other health - conscious peopl 15 Whats the advantage for
11、 the people who join the co - up for 6 month period? （ A） The membership fee is lower. （ B） They can help choose the products that will be sold. （ C） They may attend fewer meetings. （ D） They may go to the co -up more times per week. SECTION C NEWS BROADCAST Directions: In this section you will hear
12、 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 _ will replace _ to become chief Executive of Manchester PIC. （ A） Martin Edwards, Peter Kenyon （ B） Peter Kenyon, Martin Edwards
13、（ C） Martin Kenyon, Peter Edwards （ D） Peter Edwards, Martin Kenyon 17 Edwards had been expected to leave _. （ A） on August 1,2000 （ B） on July 14,2000 （ C） in September, 2000 （ D） in September, 2001 18 EMI is _. （ A） the worlds first major music company （ B） the worlds third largest record company
14、（ C） the worlds largest on -line music provider （ D） the worlds largest software company 19 EMIs downloading trial was between _. （ A） the recording industry and on - line record companies （ B） the recording industry and downloading -program operators （ C） EMI and on -line music providers （ D） EMI a
15、nd MP3 20 The popular MP3 technology _. （ A） allows fans to copy songs once or twice （ B） allows consumers to turn the song to a CD three times （ C） allows consumers to send the song to a portable device twice （ D） is a compression format that turns music on compact discs into small computer files 2
16、0 Im Margery Hooper, your course coordinator, Id like to welcome you all to Grange Manor Summer Music School. I hope you 11 enjoy your life here. If you have anything unclear, dont hesitate to ask. As you know, we are running three - weekly courses currently this year: History of Music, Principle Tu
17、tor professor Hepworth; Choral Singing, conducted by Archibald Blake from the Royal Institute of Music; and, last but not least, a new departure for us, classical Guitar for Beginners, Tutor Clive Mortimer. Now you all know-at least I hope you do what course you are registered for. As soon as youve
18、had tea, wed like you to report to our secretary, Miss Mathews-youll find her in the office on the first floor. Shell give you your course number and timetable and explain where the various classrooms are, what books youll need, and whether they are available in the library. Besides, shell give you
19、detailed information about how you are scored. If books are not available in the library, you can try in the bookstore. Our bookstore is next to the reception in the main hall. Its open from 9 to 10 a.m. daily. Now about meals-breakfast 8:30 to 9 a. m., full evening meal 6:30 to 8:30 p. m. in the di
20、ning room. Im afraid you have to make your own arrangements about lunch, but the cafeteria in the canteen is open from 10 to 4 for sandwiches and coffee. Classes finish at 5. If you look at the notice board in the main hall, youll see that we have arranged a variety of evening entertainments for you
21、, and Saturday excursions. Anyone who wants to go on an excursion should inform the secretary as soon as possible as the coach company need to know numbers. I hope youll all have a very enjoyable time, and make a lot of new friends. 21 Margery Hooper is _. （ A） at a music conference （ B） on a holida
22、y course （ C） at a holiday resort （ D） on a training course 22 _ is NOT run in the Summer Music School. （ A） Music History （ B） Chorus （ C） Elementary Guitar course （ D） Classic Music 23 The guitar course _. （ A） will not be held at Grange Manor （ B） will involve some travelling （ C） is an innovatio
23、n at Grange Manor （ D） will last less than three weeks 24 Students requiring course materials should _. （ A） buy them from the secretary （ B） buy them in the main hall （ C） register with the secretary （ D） go to the bookstore after 10a. m. 25 Students wishing to go on excursions are requested to _.
24、（ A） book in good time （ B） produce their course number （ C） book the coach direct （ D） note the coach number 25 Family Matters This month Singapore passed a bill that would give legal teeth to the moral obligation to support ones parents. Called the Maintenance of Parents Bill, it received the back
25、ing of the Singapore Government. That does not mean it hasnt generated discussion. Several members of the Parliament opposed the measure as un -Asian. Others who acknowledged the problem of the elderly poor believed it a disproportionate response. Still others believe it will subvert relations withi
26、n the family; cynics dubbed it the “Sue Your Son“ law. Those who say that the bill does not promote filial responsibility, of course, are right. It has nothing to do with filial responsibility. It kicks in where filial responsibility fails. The law cannot legislate filial responsibility any more tha
27、n it can legislate love. All the law can do is to provide a safety net where this morality proves insufficient. Singapore needs this bill not to replace morality, but to provide incentives to shore it up. Like many other developed nations, Singapore faces the problems of an increasing proportion of
28、people over 60 years of age. Demography is inexorable. In 1980, 7.2% of the population was in this bracket. By the turn of the century, that figure will grow to 11%. By 2030, the proportion is projected to be 26%. The problem is not old age per se. It is that the ratio of economically active people
29、to economically inactive people will decline. But no amount of government exhortation or paternalism will completely eliminate the problem of old people who have insufficient means to make ends meet. Some people will fall through the holes in any safety net. Traditionally, a persons insurance agains
30、t poverty in his old age was his family. This is not a revolutionary concept. Nor is it uniquely Asian. Care and support for ones parents is a universal value shared by all civilized societies. The problem in Singapore is that the moral obligation to look after ones parents is unenforceable. A fathe
31、r can be compelled by law to maintain his children. A husband can be forced to support his wife. But, until now, a son or daughter had no legal obligation to support his or her parents. In 1989, an Advisory Council was set up to look into the problems of the aged. Its report stated with a tinge of c
32、omplacency that 95% of those who did not have their own income were receiving cash contributions from relations. But what of the 5% who arent getting relatives support? They have several options: (a) get a job and work until they die; (b) apply for public assistance (you have to be destitute to appl
33、y); or (c) starve quietly. None of these options is socially acceptable. And what if this 5% figure grows, as it is likely to do, as society ages? The Maintenance of Parents Bill was put forth to encourage the traditional virtues that have so far kept Asian nations from some of the breakdowns encoun
34、tered in other affluent societies. This legislation will allow a person to apply to the court for maintenance from any or all of his children. The court would have the discretion to refuse to make an order if it is unjust. Those who deride the proposal for opening up the courts to family lawsuits mi
35、xes the point. Only in extreme cases would any parent take his child to court. If it does indeed become law, the bills effect would be far more subtle. First, it will reaffirm the notion that it is each individuals - not societys - responsibility to look after his parents. Singapore is still conserv
36、ative enough that most people will not object to this idea. It reinforces the traditional values and it doesnt hurt a society now and then to remind itself of its core values. Second, and more important, it will make those who are inclined to shirk their responsibilities think twice. Until now, if a
37、 person asked family elders, clergymen or the Ministry of Community Development to help get financial support from his children, the most they could do was to mediate. But mediators have no teeth, and a child could simply ignore their pleas. But to be sued by ones parents would be a massive loss of
38、face. It would be a public disgrace. Few people would be so thick - skinned as to say, “Sue and be damned. The hand of the conciliator would be immeasurably strengthened. It is far more likely that some sort of amicable settlement would be reached if the recalcitrant son or daughter knows that the a
39、lternative is a public trial. It would be nice to think that Singapore doesnt need this kind of law. But that belief ignores the clear demographic trends and the effect of affluence itself on traditional bonds. Those of us who pushed for the bill will consider ourselves most successful if it acts as
40、 an incentive not to have it invoked in the first place. 26 By quoting the growing percentage points of the aged in the population, the author seems to imply that _. （ A） the country will face mounting problems of the old in future. （ B） the social welfare system would be under great pressure. （ C）
41、young people should be given more moral education. （ D） the old should be provided with means of livelihoo 27 Which of the following statements is CORRECT? （ A） Filial responsibility in Singapore is enforced by law. （ B） Fathers have legal obligations to look after their children. （ C） It is an acce
42、ptable practice for the old to continue working. （ D） The Advisory Council was dissatisfied with the problems of the ol 28 The author seems to suggest that traditional values _. （ A） play an insignificant role in solving social problems. （ B） are helpful to the elderly when they sue their children.
43、（ C） are very important in preserving Asian uniqueness. （ D） are significant in helping the Bill get approve 29 The author thinks that if the Bill becomes law, its effect would be _. （ A） indirect. （ B） unnoticeable. （ C） apparent. （ D） straightforwar 30 At the end of the passage, the author seems t
44、o imply that success of the Bill depends upon _. （ A） strict enforcement. （ B） public support. （ C） government assurance. （ D） filial awareness. 30 Although the distribution of recorded music went digital with the introduction of the compact disc in the early 1980s, technology has had a large impact
45、 on the way music is made and recorded as well. At the most basic level, the invention of MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface), a language enabling computers and sound synthesizers to talk to each other, has given individual musicians powerful tools with which to make music. “The MIDI interfa
46、ce enabled basement musicians to gain power which had been available only in expensive recording studios, “ One expert observed. “It enables synthesis of sounds that have never existed before, and storage and subsequent simultaneous replay and mixing of multiple sound tracks. Using a moderately powe
47、rful desktop computer running a music composition program and a 500 synthesizer, any musically literate person can write - and play! - a string quartet in an afternoon. “ Whereas many musicians use computers as a tool in composing or producing music, Tod Machover uses computers to design the instrum
48、ents and environments that produce his music. As a professor of music and media at the MIT Media Lab, Machover has pioneered hyper - instruments: hybrids of computers and musical instruments that allow users to create sounds simply by raising their hands, pointing with a “virtual baton, “ or moving
49、their entire body in a “sensor chair. “ Similar work on a “virtual orchestra“ is being done by Geoffrey Wright, head of the computer music program at John Hopkins Universitys Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore, Maryland. Wright uses conductors batons that emit infrared light beams to generate data about the speed and direction of the batons, data that can then be translated by computers into instructions for a synthesizer to produce music. In Macho
