1、专业英语八级（阅读）模拟试卷 88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 (1)Kim
2、iyuki Suda should be a perfect customer for Japans carmakers. Hes a young(34), successful executive at an Internet-services company in Tokyo and has plenty of disposable income. He used to own Toyotas Hilux Surf, a sport utility vehicle. But now he uses mostly subways and trains. “Its not inconvenie
3、nt at all,“ he says. Besides, “having a car is so 20th century.“ (2)Suda reflects a worrisome trend in Japan; the automobile is losing its emotional appeal, particularly among the young, who prefer to spend their money on the latest electronic gadgets. While minicars and luxury foreign brands are st
4、ill popular, everything in between is slipping. Last year sales fell 6.7 percent if you dont count me minicar market. There have been larger one-year drops in other nations: sales in Germany fell 9 percent in 2007 thanks to a tax hike. But analysts say Japan is unique in that sales have been eroding
5、 steadily over time. Since 1990, yearly new-car sales have fallen from 7.8 million to 5.4 million units in 2007. (3)Alarmed by this state of decay, the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association launched a comprehensive study of the market in 2006. It found a widening wealth gap, demographic changes
6、 fewer households with children, a growing urban populationand general lack of interest in cars led Japanese to hold their vehicles longer, replace their cars with smaller ones or give up car ownership altogether. “Japans automobile society stands at a crossroad,“ says Ryuichi Kitamura, a transport
7、expert and professor at Kyoto University. He says he does not expect the trend to be reversed, as studies show that the younger Japanese consumers are, the less interested they are in having a car. JAMA predicts a further sales decline of 1.2 percent in 2008. Some analysts believe that if the trend
8、continues for much longer, further consolidation in the automotive sector(already under competitive pressure)is likely. (4)Japanese demographics have something to do with the problem. The countrys urban population has grown by nearly 20 percent since 1990, and most city dwellers use mass transit(the
9、 countrys system is one of the best developed in the world)on a daily basis, making it less essential to own a car. Experts say Europe, where the car market is also quite mature, may be in for a similar shift. (5)But in Japan, the “demotorization“ process, or kuruma banare, is also driven by cost fa
10、ctors. Owning and driving a car can cost up to $500 per month in Japan, including parking fees, car insurance, toll roads and various taxes. Taxes on a $17,000 car in Japan are 4.1 times higher than in the United States, 1.7 times higher than in Germany and 1.25 times higher than in the U.K., accord
11、ing to JAMA. “Automobiles used to represent a symbol of our status, a Western, modern lifestyle that we aspired for,“ says Kitamura. For todays young people, he argues, “such thinking is completely gone.“ (6)Cars are increasingly just a mobile utility; the real consumer time and effort goes into pic
12、king the coolest mobile phones and personal computers, not the hippest hatchback. The rental-car industry has grown by more than 30 percent in the past eight years, as urbanites book weekend wheels over the Internet. Meanwhile, government surveys show that spending on cars per household per year fel
13、l by 14 percent, to $600, between 2000 and 2005, while spending on Net and mobile-phone subscriptions rose by 39 percent, to $1,500, during the same period. (7)For Japanese car companies, the implications are enormous. “Japan is the worlds second largest market, with a 17 to 18 percent share of our
14、global sales. Its important,“ says Takao Katagiri, corporate vice president at Nissan Motor Co. The domestic market is where Japanese carmakers develop technology and build their know-how, and if it falters, it could gut an industry that employs 7.8 percent of the Japanese work force. (8)While surgi
15、ng exports, particularly to emerging markets, have more than offset the decline in domestic sales so far, companies are looking for ways to turn the tide. Nissan, for example, is trying to appeal to the digital generation with promotional blogs and even a videogame. A racing game for Sonys PlayStati
16、on, for example, offers players the chance to virtually drive the companys latest sporty model, the GT-R a new marketing approach to create buzz and tempt them into buying cars. Toyota Motors has opened an auto mall as part of a suburban shopping complex near Tokyo, hoping to attract the kinds of sh
17、oppers who have long since stopped thinking about dropping by a car dealership. Its a bit akin to the Apple strategy of moving electronics out of the soulless superstore, and into more appealing and well-trafficked retail spaces. It worked for Apple, but then Apple is so 21st century. 1 It can be in
18、ferred from the passage all of the following EXCEPT that _. （ A） Japanese carmakers develop technology in overseas market （ B） the young in Japan have little interest in having a car （ C） Japans minicar industry didnt lose its market share （ D） Japan can be regarded as a nation at the wheel 2 Which
19、of the following is NOT the hidden reason for Japans poor car market performance? （ A） A conspicuous disparity of wealth among countries. （ B） Changes of the distribution of population. （ C） Little interest in cars and relevant industry. （ D） Poor function of Japans public transportation. 3 Accordin
20、g to the passage, what can we learn about Japans car industry? （ A） Most young still regard automobiles as a symbol of status. （ B） Car-booking industry grows rapidly and is popular at weekends. （ C） Japans car companies develop technology mainly for overseas market. （ D） Exports cant compensate for
21、 the decrease of domestic sales. 3 (1)Pundits who want to sound judicious are fond of warning against generalizing. Each country is different, they say, and no one story fits all of Asia. This is, of course, silly: all of these economies plunged into economic crisis within a few months of each other
22、, so they must have had something in common. (2)In fact, the logic of catastrophe was pretty much the same in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and South Korea.(Japan is a very different story.)In each case investorsmainly, but not entirely, foreign banks who had made short-term loans all tried to pull
23、their money out at the same time. The result was a combined banking and currency crisis: a banking crisis because no bank can convert all its assets into cash on short notice; a currency crisis because panicked investors were trying not only to convert long-term assets into cash, but to convert baht
24、 or rupiah into dollars. In the face of the stampede, governments had no good options. If they let their currencies plunge, inflation would soar and companies that had borrowed in dollars would go bankrupt; if they tried to support their currencies by pushing up interest rates, the same firms would
25、probably go bust from the combination of debt burden and recession. In practice, countries split the differenceand paid a heavy price regardless. (3)Was the crisis a punishment for bad economic management? Like most cliches, the catchphrase “crony capitalism“ has prospered because it gets at somethi
26、ng real: excessively cozy relationships between government and business really did lead to a lot of bad investments. The still primitive financial structure of Asian business also made the economies peculiarly vulnerable to a loss of confidence. But the punishment was surely disproportionate to the
27、crime, and many investments that look foolish in retrospect seemed sensible at the time. (4)Given mat there were no good policy options, was the policy response mainly on the right track? There was frantic blame-shifting when everything in Asia seemed to be going wrong; now there is a race to claim
28、credit when some things have started to go right. The International Monetary Fund points to Koreas recovery and more generally to the fact that the sky didnt fall after all as proof that its policy recommendations were right. Never mind that other IMF clients have done far worse, and that the econom
29、y of Malaysia which refused IMF help, and horrified respectable opinion by imposing capital controls also seems to be on the mend. Malaysias Prime Minister, by contrast, claims full credit for any good news even though neighbouring economies also seem to have bottomed out. (5)The truth is that an ob
30、server without any ax to grind would probably conclude that none of the policies adopted either on or in defiance of the IMFs advice made much difference either way. Budget policies, interest rate policies, banking reform whatever countries tried, just about all me capital that could flee, did. And
31、when mere was no more money to run, me natural recuperative powers of the economies finally began to prevail. At best, the money doctors who purported to offer cures provided a helpful bedside manner; at worst, they were like medieval physicians who prescribed bleeding as a remedy for all ills. (6)W
32、ill me patients stage a full recovery? It depends on exactly what you mean by “full“. South Koreas industrial production is already above its pre-crisis level; but in the spring of 1997 anyone who had predicted zero growth in Korean industry over the next two years would have been regarded as a reck
33、less doomsayer. So if by recovery you mean not just a return to growth, but one that brings the regions performance back to something like what people used to regard as the Asian norm, they have a long way to go. 4 According to the passage, which of the following is NOT the writers opinion? （ A） Cou
34、ntries paid a heavy price for whichever measure taken. （ B） Countries all found themselves in an economic dilemma. （ C） Withdrawal of foreign capital resulted in me crisis. （ D） Most governments chose one of the two options. 5 The writer thinks that those Asian countries _. （ A） well deserved the pu
35、nishment （ B） invested in a senseless way at the time （ C） were unduly punished in the crisis （ D） had bad relationships between government and business 6 At the end of the passage, the writer seems to think that a full recovery of the Asian economy is _. （ A） due （ B） remote （ C） imaginative （ D） u
36、npredictable 6 (1)Cooperative competition. Competitive cooperation. Confused? Airline alliances have travellers scratching their heads over whats going on in the skies. Some folks view alliances as a blessing to travellers, offering seamless travel, reduced fares and enhanced frequent-flyer benefits
37、. Others see a conspiracy of big businesses, causing decreased competition, increased fares and fewer choices. Whatever your opinion, theres no escaping airline alliances: the marketing hype is unrelenting, with each of the two mega-groupings, Oneworld and Star Alliance, promoting itself as the best
38、 choice for all travellers. And, even if you turn away from their ads, chances are they will figure in any of your travel plans. By the end of the year, Oneworld and Star Alliance will between them control more than 40% of the traffic in the sky. Some pundits predict that figure will be more like 75
39、% in 10 years. (2)But why, after years of often ferocious competition, have airlines decided to band together? Lets just say the timing is mutually convenient. North American airlines, having exhausted all means of earning customer loyalty at home, have been looking for ways to reach out to foreign
40、flyers. Asian carriers are still hurting from the region-wide economic downturn that began two years ago just when some of the airlines were taking delivery of new aircraft. Alliances also allow carriers to cut costs and increase profits by pooling manpower resources on the ground(rather than each a
41、irline maintaining its own ground crew)and code-sharing the practice of two partners selling tickets and operating only one aircraft. (3)So alliances are terrific for airlines but are they good for the passenger? Absolutely, say the airlines: think of the lounges, the joint FFP(frequent flyer progra
42、mme)benefits, the round-the-world fares, and the global service networks. Then theres the promise of “seamless“ travel: the ability to, say, travel from Singapore to Rome to New York to Rio de Janiero, all on one ticket, without having to wait hours for connections or worry about your bags. Sounds u
43、topian? Peter Buecking, Cathay Pacifics director of sales and marketing, thinks that seamless travel is still evolving. “Its fair to say that these links are only in their infancy. The key to seamlessness rests in infrastructure and information sharing. Were working on this.“ Henry Ma, spokesperson
44、for Star Alliance in Hong Kong, lists some of the other benefits for consumers: “Global travellers have an easier time making connections and planning their itineraries.“ Ma claims alliances also assure passengers consistent service standards. (4)Critics of alliances say the much-touted benefits to
45、the consumer are mostly pie in the sky, that alliances are all about reducing costs for the airlines, rationalizing services and running joint marketing programmes. Jeff Blyskal, associate editor of Consumer Reports magazine, says the promotional ballyhoo over alliances is much ado about nothing. “I
46、 dont see much of a gain for consumers: alliances are just a marketing gimmick. And as far as seamless travel goes, Ill believe it when I see it. Most airlines cant even get their own connections under control, let alone coordinate with another airline.“ (5)Blyskal believes alliances will ultimately
47、 result in decreased flight choices and increased costs for consumers. Instead of two airlines competing and each operating a flight on the same route at 70% capacity, the allied pair will share the route and run one full flight. Since fewer seats will be available, passengers will be obliged to pay
48、 more for tickets. (6)The truth about alliances and their merits probably lies somewhere between the travel utopia presented by the players and the evil empires portrayed by their critics. And how much they affect you depends on what kind of traveller you are. (7)Those whove already made the elite g
49、rade in the FFP of a major airline stand to benefit the most when it joins an alliance: then they enjoy the FFP perks and advantages on any and all of the member carriers. For example, if youre a Marco Polo Club “gold“ member of Cathay Pacifics Asia Miles FFP, you will automatically be treated as a valuable customer by all members of Oneworld, of which Cathay Pacific is a membereven if youve never flown with them before. (8)For those who havent made the top grade in any FFP, alliances might be a way of simp
