1、专业英语八级模拟试卷 589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. 1 In business, many places adopt a credit system, which dates back to ancient times. At present, purchases
3、can be made by using credit cards. They fall into two categories: one has 【 L1】 _ use, while the other is accepted almost everywhere. The application for the use of the latter one must be made at a 【 L2】 _ . Once the customer starts using the card, he will be provided with a monthly statement of 【 L
4、3】 _ by the credit company. He is required to pay one quarter to half of his credit 【 L4】 _ every month. ADVANTAGES. 1). With a card, it is not【 L5】 _ to save up money before an actual purchase. 2) If the card is lost, its owner is protected. 3). A 【 L6】 _ and complete list of purchase received from
5、 the credit company helps the owner to remember the time and 【 L7】 _ of his purchase. 4). The cards are accepted in a(n) 【 L8】_ by professional people like dentists, etc. MAJOR DISADVANTAGE. The card owner is tempted to 【 L9】 _ his money. If this is the case, it will become increasingly difficult fo
6、r the user to keep up with the required 【 L10】 _ , which will result in the credit card being cancelled by the credit company. 1 【 L1】 2 【 L2】 3 【 L3】 4 【 L4】 5 【 L5】 6 【 L6】 7 【 L7】 8 【 L8】 9 【 L9】 10 【 L10】 SECTION B INTERVIEW Directions: In this section you will hear everything ONCE ONLY. Listen
7、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 following five questions. Now listen to the interview. 11 Simon Fanshawe presents different peoples opinions on British mann
8、ers because （ A） he wants to let the audience know how people think of manners （ B） he proves that the issue of manners is a question of individual taste （ C） he thinks how people think of social manners should be diversified （ D） he hopes to bring the attention of the audience to the public opinion
9、 12 According to Simon, what is the truth concerning numerous rules of dos and donts? （ A） They indicate class and status. （ B） They are trip-wires for everybody. （ C） They should be known by all. （ D） They are complicated and dull. 13 According to Simon, which of the following is NOT the purpose in
10、 keeping table manners? （ A） To share food. （ B） To reduce violence. （ C） To bring about comfort. （ D） To show off cultivation. 14 According to Simon, what is the influence of bad manners on people? （ A） People do not feel a big deal. （ B） People feel rather humiliated. （ C） People feel shocked and
11、hurt. （ D） People feel angry and exasperate 15 According to Simon, when anybody is to stay in any other culture, he should do the following EXCEPT_. （ A） make clear all the detailed customs （ B） be curious and asking questions （ C） remember the fundamentals （ D） seek ways to defuse conflict SECTION
12、C NEWS BROADCAST Directions: 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 The sharp rise of European stock markets is a result of （ A） the prevent
13、ion of the spreading of Greece crisis. （ B） the announcement of a one-trillion-dollar international financial package. （ C） the large gains European stock markets have made. （ D） the European deal to provide loans to Europe countries. 17 Why has the euro gained an interest rate? （ A） It is the resul
14、t of the rise of stock markets. （ B） Because bank shares have risen especially strongly. （ C） Because the debts of governments such as Greece and Portugal have fallen. （ D） Because the central banks began to buy governments debts in the markets. 17 This month Singapore passed a bill that would give
15、legal teeth to the moral obligation to support ones parents. Called the Maintenance of Parents Bill, it received the backing 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 p
16、roblem of the elderly poor believed it a disproportionate response. Still others believe it will subvert relations within 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 re
17、sponsibility. It kicks in where filial responsibility fails. The law cannot legislate filial responsibility any more than 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 in
18、centives to shore it up. Like many other developed nations, Singapore faces the problems of an increasing proportion of 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 p
19、roportion is projected to be 26%. The problem is not old age per se. It is that the ratio of economically active people 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
20、 to make ends meet. Some people will fall through the holes in any safety net. Traditionally, a persons insurance against 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 civiliz
21、ed societies. The problem in Singapore is that the moral obligation to look after ones parents is unenforceable. A father 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 par
22、ents. In 1989, an advisory council .was set up to look into the problems of the aged. Its report stated with a tinge of complacency 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
23、several options: (a) get a job and work until they die; (b) apply for public assistance (you have to be destitute to apply); 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
24、 was put forth to encourage the traditional virtues that have so far kept Asian nations from some of the breakdowns encountered 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
25、 to refuse to make an order if it is unjust. Those who deride the proposal for opening up the courts to family lawsuits miss 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
26、 notion that it is each individuals - not societys - responsibility to look after his parents. Singapore is still conservative 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. Sec
27、ond, and more important, it will make those who are inclined to shirk their responsibilities think twice. Until now, if a 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 mediato
28、rs have no teeth, and a child could simply ignore their pleas. But to be sued by ones parents would be a massive loss of 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
29、 more likely that some sort of amicable settlement would be reached if the recalcitrant son or daughter knows that the alternative 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 affluenc
30、e itself on traditional bonds. Those of us who pushed for the bill will consider ourselves most successful if it acts as an incentive not to have it invoked in the first place. 18 The Maintenance of Parents Bill （ A） received unanimous support in the Singapore Parliament. （ B） was believed to solve
31、all the problems of the elderly poor. （ C） was intended to substitute for traditional values in Singapore. （ D） was passed to make the young more responsible to the old. 19 By quoting the growing percentage points of the aged in the population, the author seems to imply that （ A） the country will fa
32、ce mounting problems of the old in future. （ B） the social welfare system would be under great pressure. （ C） young people should be given more moral education. （ D） the old should be provided with means of livelihood. 20 Which of the following statements is CORRECT? （ A） Filial responsibility in Si
33、ngapore is enforced by law. （ B） Fathers have legal obligations to look after their children. （ C） It is an acceptable practice for the old to continue working. （ D） The Advisory Council was dissatisfied with the problems of the old. 21 The author seems to suggest that traditional values （ A） play a
34、n insignificant role in solving social problems. （ B） are helpful to the elderly when they sue their children. （ C） are very important in preserving Asian uniqueness. （ D） are significant in helping the bill get approved. 22 The author thinks that if the bill becomes law, its effect would be （ A） in
35、direct. （ B） unnoticeable. （ C） apparent. （ D） straightforward 23 At the end of the passage, the author seems to imply that success of the bill depends upon （ A） strict enforcement. （ B） public support. （ C） government assurance. （ D） filial awareness. 一、 PART III GENERAL KNOWLEDGE (10 MIN) Directio
36、ns: There are ten multiple-choice questions in this section. Choose the best answer to each question. 24 _is the birthplace of the worlds first Disneyland. （ A） Florida （ B） Las Vegas （ C） New York （ D） Los Angles 25 The lakesErie, Huron, Michigan, Ontario, and Superiorare the largest group of fresh
37、water lakes_. （ A） in the United States （ B） in North America （ C） in me Western Hemisphere （ D） in me world 26 Mrs. Gaskells works include the following EXCEPT （ A） Mary Barton. （ B） Cranford. （ C） Ruth. （ D） Silas Marner. 27 Which band is from Britain? （ A） MLTR （ B） Backstreet （ C） M2M （ D） U2 28
38、 The objective of the Chartist Movement was democratic rights for all men, and it took its name from“_“ （ A） The Bill of Rights （ B） The Agreement of the People （ C） The People s Charter （ D） The Great Charter 29 Who is famous for his historical novel of Rob Roy? （ A） Scott （ B） Richard Sheridan （ C
39、） Ben Johnson （ D） Bernard Shaw 30 Today, in Ireland about 93% of the population is _. （ A） Muslims （ B） Buddhists （ C） Roman Catholics （ D） Protestants 31 Easter is celebrated to remember _. （ A） the discovery of America （ B） the annexation of Hawaii （ C） the resurrection of Jesus （ D） the birth of
40、 Jesus Christ 32 The word “intolerable“ consists of _ morphemes. （ A） 1 （ B） 2 （ C） 3 （ D） 4 33 The expenditure in American public schools is guided or decided by _. （ A） teachers （ B） students （ C） headmasters （ D） boards of education 二、 PART IV PROOFREADING & ERROR CORRECTION (15 MIN) Directions:
41、Proofread the given passage. 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: (1)For a wrong word, underline the wrong word and write the correct one in
42、 the blank provided at the end of the line. (2)For a missing word, mark the position of the missing word with a “ “ sign and write t 33 As the merchantman class expanded in the eighteenth century North 1._. American Colonies, the silversmith and the coppersmith businesses rose to serve it. Quite a f
43、ew silversmiths were available in New York or Boston 2._ in the late seventeenth century, but in the eighteenth century they could be found in all main colonial cities. No other colonial artisans rivaled the 3._ silversmiths prestige. They handled the most expensive materials and possessed direct co
44、nnections to prosperous colonial merchants. Their products, primarily silver plates and bowls, reflected their exalting status 4._ and testified for their customers prominence. Silver stood as one of the 5._ surest ways to store wealth at a time after neighborhood banks existed. 6._ Unlike the silve
45、r coins from which they were made, silver articles were readily identifiable. Often formed to individual specifications, they always carried the silversmiths distinctive markings and consequently could be traced and retrieved. Customers generally secure the silver for the silver object they ordered.
46、 They saved coins, took them to smiths, and discussed the type of pieces they desired. Silversmiths complied to these requests 7._ by melting the money in a small furnace, adding a bit of copper to form a stronger alloy, and cast the alloy in rectangular blocks. They hammered 8. _ these ingots to th
47、e appropriate thickness by hand, shaped them and pressed designs into them for adornments. Engraving was also done by hand. 9._ In addition to plates and bowls, some customers sought more intricate products, such as silver teapots. These were made by shaping or casting parts separately and then sold
48、ering it together. 10._ SECTION A CHINESE TO ENGLISH Directions: Translate the following text into English. 44 在人际关系问题上我们不要太浪漫主义。人是很有趣的，往往在接触一个人时首先看到的都是他或她的优点。这一点颇像是在餐馆里用餐的经验。开始吃头盘或冷碟的时候，印象很好。吃头两个主菜时，也是赞不绝口。愈吃愈趋于冷静，吃完了这顿宴席，缺点就都找出来了。于是转喜为怒，转赞美为责备挑剔 ，转首肯为摇头。这是因为：第一，开始吃的时候你正处于饥饿状态，而饿了吃糠甜如蜜，饱了吃蜜也不甜。第二，你
49、初到一个餐馆，开始举筷时有新鲜感，新盖的茅房三天香，这也可以叫做 “陌生化效应 ”吧。 SECTION B ENGLISH TO CHINESE Directions: Translate the following text into Chinese. 45 Cell phones may help busy executives keep in constant touch with important business associates, but they may also increase their risk of high blood pressure, preliminary research suggests. A study of 10 German mobile phone users found that when they switched on their phone, their bl
