1、专业英语八级（阅读）模拟试卷 124及答案与解析 SECTION A MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS In this section there are several passages followed by fourteen multiple-choice questions. For each multiple-choice question, there are four suggested answers marked A , B, C and D. Choose the one that you think is the best answer. 0 The U
2、. S. economy has been dragging along lately, but heres a small shot in the arm. Gasoline prices have fallen to their lowest level in 33 months. The average price of gasoline nationwide has dropped from $3. 74 per gallon in February to $3. 19 today. In states like Missouri and Texas, gasoline has sun
3、k below $3 per gallon at the pump, a price not seen in years. Economists tend to think a fall in gasoline prices can help stimulate the economy by giving people more money to spend on other goods. Think of it like a tax cut. Earlier this month, the forecasting firm Macroeconomic Advisers estimated t
4、hat falling gas prices could add 0. 3 percentage points to third-quarter GDP growth. But why is this happening? The reasons for the recent fall in gasoline prices are varied, but here are some of the big ones. Gasoline prices typically rise in the summer and go down in the winter. Thats because peop
5、le take more vacations when the weathers nice, and refiners have to put out a pricier “summer blend“ of gasoline thats mixed with butane and other ingredients to prevent evaporation in the heat. Once the summers over, gas prices typically fall again. So thats worth mentioning. But this isnt the only
6、 factor here. The supply of gasoline is up for odd reasons. U. S. stockpiles of gasoline were at 210 million barrels in the first week of November, up about 4 percent from the same period last year. Normally, refineries cut back when stockpiles are high. But there are other forces at play here. Many
7、 Gulf Coast refiners are taking advantage of the boom in shale-oil drilling in the Midwest and producing ever more diesel for export to Europe and Asia. Thats a lucrative business. And that refining process also produces more gasoline for domestic consumption. So, as The Wall Street Journal reports,
8、 refiners can still make a profit from exporting diesel abroad even if theyre creating a glut of gasoline here at home. Fewer refinery disruptions. Its been a fairly quiet hurricane season in the Atlantic this year with not a single hurricane making landfall. That means U. S. refineries have seen re
9、latively few disruptions of late, apart from Tropical Storm Karen in October and scheduled shutdowns for maintenance. Oil prices have declined moderately. The price of oil typically makes up about 70 percent of the cost of gasoline. And a barrel of West Texas Intermediate crude cost just $93.60 on T
10、uesday, down from around $110 in September. Oft-cited factors for the drop include growing U.S. crude supplies and an easing of tensions between the United States and Iran. This also isnt the whole story, but its a factor. Gasoline demand has been fairly restrained. In recent years, Americans have b
11、een buying more efficient cars and light trucks, in part due to new fuel-economy standards by the Obama administration. Thats helped keep a lid on prices. But this trend may not last for long if driving demand picks back up. A bet on weakened ethanol rules. Earlier this year, many refineries were bu
12、ying up renewable credits, known as “RINs,“ in anticipation that the Environmental Protection Agency would tighten its rule on how much ethanol needs to be mixed in with gasoline in 2014. The price of RINs soared, which, in turn, may have driven up gasoline prices. The opposite is happening now as m
13、any observers think the EPA could weaken its ethanol targets for 2014 (a leaked draft suggested as much). Partly as a result, the price of RINs has fallen sharply since July and with it, some analysts think, the price of gasoline. The big question is whether prices will keep dropping or whether they
14、ll eventually rebound sharply the way they did in 2011 and 2012 after temporary lulls. The winter drop in gasoline demand is obviously seasonal and temporary. And theres always the possibility that geopolitical unrest could send oil prices soaring. For now, however, the U. S. Energy Information Admi
15、nistration is predicting that U. S. gasoline prices will stay restrained in the year ahead falling from an average of $3. 50 per gallon in 2013 to $3. 39 per gallon in 2014. Thats still much higher than they were a decade ago. But it would count as a small bit of relief for the broader economy. 1 In
16、 which way do lower gasoline prices affect U. S. economy? （ A） It will lead to a little decrease of GDP growth in the third quarter. （ B） It will reduce the cost of transportation of products. （ C） It will raise the sale of gasoline and cars. （ D） It will promote the economy as a whole. 2 Which of t
17、he following is NOT a cause of the fall of gasoline price? （ A） Less people take vacations in winter. （ B） The cost for producing gasoline is lowered. （ C） The stock of gasoline is a little higher. （ D） There are few natural disruptions. 3 What does the word “glut“ in Paragraph Four mean? （ A） Exces
18、s. （ B） Portion. （ C） Range. （ D） Type. 4 Which of the following words is used metaphorically, not literally? （ A） Vacations (Paragraph Three). （ B） Boom (Paragraph Four). （ C） Lid (Paragraph Five). （ D） Opposite (Paragraph Six). 4 Digital wallets and mobile payment solutions are now a dime a dozen,
19、 but hardly anyone uses them in place of credit cards or old-fashioned cash. That could soon change with a little help from of an old, familiar technology: Bluetooth. The latest iteration, Bluetooth 4.0, comes with a low power variant called Bluetooth LE, which allows two nearby devices like a cash
20、register and smartphone to connect when theyre in range of one another. Its so low-powered, in fact, that a Bluetooth LE device could potentially last years on a single cell battery. Like the geofencing technology that Square uses, you dont even need to take your phone out of your pocket to make a p
21、urchase. But unlike Square, Bluetooth LE promises to be much easier on your smartphone battery. Now that Bluetooth LE has finally made it into a critical mass of smartphones, computers, and other devices, it could dethrone the once-promising Near Field Communication (NFC) as the standard for mobile
22、payments. The problem with NFC is that wireless carriers wont support any solution other than their own, and a single standard hasnt risen to prominence. So digital wallet companies werent able to persuade consumers that taking your phone out of your front pocket to make a payment was more convenien
23、t than taking your wallet out of your back pocket. With its ultra-low power and convenience, Bluetooth LE might actually be something consumers want to use. One of the first big backers to use the technology for mobile payments will be eBays PayPal. Its “Beacon“ service will let retailers set up a l
24、ow power Bluetooth module in their shop. This module initiates and facilitates communication with a customers smartphone the moment its within range, and should said customer accept the connection, it can be set up to automatically connect in the future. Apple is also working on building similar sof
25、tware support for Bluetooth LE transmitters into iOS 7. Called iBeacon, the utility allows any iOS app and any iBeacon-compatible sensor to seamlessly talk to one another. Apple has been a longstanding NFC holdout many smartphones powered by Googles Android have had NFC capabilities for years. And o
26、ne of the most talked about startups, Coin, is using Bluetooth LE to power the communications between its digital credit card and users smartphones. The company estimates the card will last two years before the battery runs out. It would even be possible to store your payment information on a wearab
27、le device, such as a bracelet. Because Bluetooth LE sensors can last so long on a single charge, the fears people have of their smartphone dying and not having access to their credit cards would be a virtual non-issue. And you wouldnt have to worry about getting accidentally charged by walking past
28、a storefront. Bluetooth 4.0 is extremely accurate at tracking distance between devices, so a cash register could be set to ignore all customers except the one standing right in front of counter. Bluetooth LE also offers more than just payment possibilities. A Bluetooth LE transmitter can beam deals
29、and digital coupons to shoppers or pedestrians. It can even navigate people to specific items in a store. But getting there wont be without its challenges. Retailers will need to update their point-of-sale systems with Bluetooth LE capable devices. And the convenience factor of Bluetooth still doesn
30、t solve the problem of banks, carriers, credit card companies and retailers all picking and choosing which apps theyre compatible with. A mobile payments standard needs to emerge. Bluetooth 4.0 has everything working in its favor to become the new mobile payments standard. It enables a frictionless
31、experience, it is power efficient, it already exists in millions of devices, and its relatively secure. 5 Which of the following statements does NOT contain a personification? （ A） .Bluetooth LE, which allows two nearby devices.to connect. （ B） .and any iBeacon-compatible sensor to seamlessly talk t
32、o one another. （ C） .the fears people have of their smartphone dying. （ D） .so a cash register could be set to ignore all customers. 6 What is the role of the 3rd paragraph in the development of the topic? （ A） Giving supportive details on Bluetooth LEs strengths. （ B） Showing examples of how well B
33、luetooth LE is accepted. （ C） Illustrating the bright future of Bluetooth LE. （ D） Explaining how Bluetooth makes its way into big companies. 7 Which of the following is NOT mentioned as an advantage of Bluetooth LE? （ A） Power efficiency. （ B） Accurate positioning. （ C） Good compatibility. （ D） Cus
34、tomer familiarity. 8 How does the author feel about the future of Bluetooth technology in mobile payment? （ A） Acceptable. （ B） Profitable. （ C） Ordinary. （ D） Promising. 8 Are comfort shoes always more healthful? Not necessarily, according to some foot doctors. Buying shoes from a store specializin
35、g in comfort shoes doesnt guarantee that they will be comfortable or good for you. What makes a shoe a “comfort shoe“? Generally speaking, it means cushioning under the foot and supportive features such as arch support. Birkenstock sandals, another comfort line, have a molded foot bed with an indent
36、ed heel cup and a bump under the forefoot the metatarsal pad, which deflects pressure away from the ball of the foot. “Theyre a really comfortable choice for many people,“ says Erika Schwartz, a foot specialist with DC Foot and Ankle. But for others, not so much. You know what they say about if the
37、shoe fits well, not all comfort shoes are comfortable or healthy for every foot. A small study of people with knee problems found that walking in clogs and so-called stability shoes was harder on the knees than walking barefoot or in flip-flops. This suggests that certain supportive shoes can alter
38、your manner of walking in a way thats unhealthy for joints above the ankle, at least temporarily and in people with arthritis. “What are the best shoes to wear? I hear this question 20 times a day,“ says Selene Parekh, a surgeon at Duke University Health System. Parekh says to look for a shoe thats
39、supportive and comfortable for you. That may not mean spending nearly $200 on a pair of loafers marketed to fit what one shoemaker calls the “anatomical footbed.“ If you are having foot problems, the best thing to do is figure out the type of foot you have and how you walk. Do you pronate rotate you
40、r foot so that the inner edge of the sole bears the bulk of your weight? How high or how flat are your arches? When a patient comes in with foot pain, Parekh looks at the wear pattern on her shoes. If the inner part of the sole is worn, hell look for flat feet overloading that area. Outer-sole wear
41、may indicate high arches. More wear on the heel or under the ball of the foot can show whether a person is a heel-striker or a forefoot-striker when he walks. These wear patterns are not problems in and of themselves. “If you dont have pain, your walking pattern is fine,“ Parekh says. If you do have
42、 pain, a foot expert either a foot and ankle orthopedic surgeon or a foot expert can help you understand shoe features to look for and to avoid. For example, if you have painful swellings, you want to look for a more box-shaped toe, Parekh says, “to not compress that part of the foot.“ What about mi
43、nimalist shoes, designed to honor the form and function of the foot? They are the contrary of the comfort shoe: Advocates say that cushioned supportive shoes encourage runners to land on their heels, which can lead to bad form and chronic injury. However, minimalist shoes are not right for everyone.
44、 “Weve seen enough patients with Achilles tendon issues and stress fractures from running in these,“ Schwartz says. And whether the purported benefits hold true for walking and standing has not been nearly as well studied. People with high arches are more likely than flat-foot types to roll an ankle
45、 in clogs, Schwartz says. Thats because arch height can affect which part of your foot bears the most weight as you walk. Properly aligned ankles sit directly over the heels. Feet are pronated when the heels tilt out from the body and the ankles roll in picture young children on ice skates a charact
46、eristic that is often linked to flat feet. When heels tilt in and the ankles roll out, the feet are supinated; this often occurs with very high arches. An orthotic insert that raise the outer edge of the foot can help stabilize a supinated foot within the clog, Schwartz says. Orthotic inserts, wheth
47、er purchased at the drugstore or custom-made, are designed to correct the alignment of the foot and ankle, which helps maintain proper positioning of the knees and hips and even the lower back. Clinical studies of orthotics demonstrate their usefulness in many serious foot problems, such as diabetic
48、 neuropathy. For the rest of us, with more everyday aches and pains of life on our feet, theres less applicable research. A 2008 review of research on easing foot pain found one small study in which custom orthotics helped people with high-arch, supinated feet. For other conditions, such as swelling
49、s, the evidence was equivocal. Foot experts recommend shopping at shoe stores with experienced staff who take the time to do a good fitting. Schwartz sends her patients to high-end running shoe stores with a description of what to look for and what to avoid. 9 It can be inferred from the passage that_. （ A） comfort shouldnt be the first factor to be considered when choosing shoes （ B） being barefoot is a good treatment for those with knee problems （ C） expensive shoes arent always worth a large amount of money （
