[专八试题]99年英语专业八级考试历年全真试卷(阅读A）
Part Ⅲ Reading Comprehension (40 min)
SECTION A READING COMPREHENSION (30 min )
In this section there are four reading passages followed by a total of fifteen m ultiple-choice questions. Read the passages carefully and then mark your answers on your Coloured Answer Sheet.
TEXT A
Ricci’s “Operation Columbus”
Ricci, 45, is now striking out on perhaps his boldest venture yet. He plan s to market an English language edition of his elegant monthly art magazine, FMR , in the United States. Once again the skeptice are murmuring that the successfu l Ricci has headed for a big fall. And once again Ricci intends to prove them wr ong.
Ricci is so confident that he has christened his quest “Operation Columbu s ” and has set his sights on discovering an American readership of 300,000. That goal may not be too far-fetched. The Italian edition of FMR — the initials, of course, stand for Franco Maria Ricci-is only 18 months old. But it is already the second largest art magazine in the world, with a circulation of 65,000 and a profit margin of US $ 500,000. The American edition will be patterned after th e Italian version, with each 160-page issue carrying only 40 pages of ads and no more than five articles. But the contents will often differ. The English-langua ge edition will include more American works, Ricci says, to help Americans get o ver “an inferiority complex about their art.” He also hopes that the magazine will become a vehicle for a two -way cultural exchange — what he likes to think of as a marriage of brains, culture and taste from both sides of the Atlantic.
To realize this vision, Ricci is mounting one of the most lavish, enterpris ing — and expensive-promotional campaigns in magazine — publishing history. Between November and January, eight jumbo jets will fly 8 million copies of a sample 16-page edition of FMR across the Atlantic. From a warehouse in Michigan, 6.5 million copies will be mailed to American subscribers of various cultural, art and business magazines. Some of the remaining copies will circulate as a spe cial Sunday supplement in the New York Times. The cost of launching Operation Co lumbus is a staggering US $ 5 million, but Ricci is hoping that 60% of the price tag will be financed by Italian corporations.“ To land in America Columbus had to use Spanish sponsors,” reads one sentence in his promotional pamphlet. “We would like Italians.”
Like Columbus, Ricci cannot know what his reception will be on foreign shor es. In Italy he gambled — and won — on a simple concept: it is more important to show art than to write about it. Hence, one issue of FMR might feature 32 fu ll-colour pages of 17th-century tapestries, followed by 14 pages of outrageous e yeglasses. He is gambling that the concept is exportable. “I don’t expect that more than 30% of my reader... will actually read FMR,” he says. “The magazine is such a visual delight that they don’t have to.” Still, he is lining up an impr es sive stable of writers and professors for the American edition , including Noam Chomsky, Anthony Burgess, Eric Jong and Norman Mailer. In addition, he seems to be pursuing his won eclectic vision without giving a moment’s thought to such e s tablished competitors as Connosisseur and Horizon. “The Americans can do almost everything better than we can,” says Rieci, “But we(the Italians)have a 2,000 year edge on them in art.”
16. Ricci intends his American edition of FMR to carry more American art works in order to___.
A. boost Americans’ confidence in their art
B. follow the pattern set by his Italian edition
C. help Italians understand American art better
D. expand the readership of his magazine
17. Ricci is compared to Columbus in the passage mainly because___.
A. they both benefited from Italian sponsors
B. they were explorers in their own ways
C. they obtained overseas sponsorship
D. they got a warm reception in America
18. We get the impression that the American edition of FMR will probably ___.
A. carry many academic articles of high standard
B. follow the style of some famous existing magazines
C. be mad by one third of American magazine readers
D. pursue a distinctive editorial style of its own
TEXT B
My mother’s relations were very different from the Mitfords. Her brother, Uncle Geoff, who often came to stay at Swimbrook, was a small spare man with th oughtful blue eyes and a rather silent manner. Compared to Uncle Tommy, he was a n intellectual of the highest order, and indeed his satirical pen belied his mil d demeanor. He spent most of his waking hours composing letters to The Times and other publications in which he outlined his own particular theory of the develo pment of English history. In Uncle Geoff’s view, the greatness of England had r isen and waned over the centuries in direct proportion to the use of natural man ure in fertilizing the soil. The Black Death of 1348 was caused by gradual loss of the humus fertility found under forest trees. The rise of the Elizabethans tw o centuries later was attributable to the widespread use of sheep manure.
Many of Uncle Geoff’s letters-to-the-editor have fortunately been preserv ed in a privately printed volume called Writings of a Rebel. Of the collection, one letter best sums up his views on the relationship between manure and freedom
. He wrote:
Collating old records shows that our greatness rises and falls with the li ving fertility of our soil. And now, many years of exhausted and chemically murd ered soil, and of devitalized food from it, has softened our bodies and still wo rse, softened our national character. It is an actual fact that character is lar gely a product of the soil. Many years of murdered food from deadened soil has m ade us too tame. Chemicals have had their poisonous day. It is now the worm’s t urn to reform the manhood of England. The only way to regain our punch, our char acter, our lost virtues, and with them the freedom natural to islanders, is to c o mpost our land so as to allow moulds, bacteria and earthworms to remake living s oil to nourish Englishmen’s bodies and spirits.
The law requiring pasteurization of milk in England was a particular targe t of Uncle Geoff’s. Fond of alliteration, he dubbed it “Murdered Milk Measure ”, and established the Liberty Restoration League, with headquarters at his house i n London, for the specific purpose of organizing a counteroffensive. “Freedom n o t Doctordom” was the League’s proud slogan. A subsidiary, but nevertheless imp or tant, activity of the League was advocacy of a return to the “unsplit, slowly s m oked fish” and bread made with “English stone-ground flour, yeast, milk, sea s alt and raw cane-sugar.”
19. According to Uncle Geoff, national strength could only be regained by ___.
A. reforming the manhood of England
B. using natural manure as fertilizer
C. eating more bacteria-free food
D. granting more freedom to Englishmen
20. The tone of the passage can most probably be described as___.
A. facetious B. serious C. nostal gic D. factual
TEXT C
Interview
So what have they taught you at college about interviews? Some courses go t o town on it, others do very little. You may get conflicting advice. Only one th ing is certain: the key to success is preparation.
There follow some useful suggestions from a teacher training course co-ordi nator, a head of department and a headteacher. As they appear to be in complete harmony with one another despite never having met, we may take their advice seri ously.
Oxford Brookes University’s approach to the business of application and in t erview focuses on research and rehearsal. Training course co-ordinator Brenda St evens speaks of the value of getting students “to deconstruct the advertisement , see what they can offer to that school, and that situation, and then write the letter, do their CVs and criticize each other’s.” Finally, they role play inte rviewer and interviewee.
This is sterling stuff, and Brookes students spend a couple of weeks on it. “The better prepared students won’t be thrown by nerves on the day, ”says Ms St evens. “They’ll have their strategies and questions worked out. ” She also sa ys, a trifle disconcertingly, “the better the student, the worse the interviewee. ” She believes the most capable students are less able to put themselves forward. Even if this were tree, says Ms Stevens, you must still make your own case.
“Beware of infernality,” she advises. One aspirant teacher, now a head of d epartment at a smart secondary school, failed his first job interview because he took his jacket off while waiting for his appointment. It was hot and everyone in the staffroom was in shirtsleeves but at the end of the day they criticized h is casual attitude, which they had deduced from the fact that he took his jacket off in the staffroom, even though he put it back on for the interview.
Incidentally, men really do have to wear a suit to the interview and women really cannot wear jeans, even if men never wear the suit again and women teach most days in jeans. Panels respond instantly to these indicators. But beware: it will not please them any better if you are too smart.
Find out about the people who will talk to you. In the early meetings they are likely to be heads of departments or heads of year. Often they may be concer ned with pastoral matters. It makes sense to know their priorities and let them hear the things about you that they want to hear.
During preliminary meetings you may be seen in groups with two or three oth er applicants and you must demonstrate that you know your stuff without putting your companions down. The interviewers will be watching how you work with a team .
But remember the warning about informality: however friendly and co-operat ive the other participants are, do not give way to the idea that you are there j ust to be friends.
Routine questions can be rehearsed, but “don’t go on too long,” advises th e department head. They may well ask: “What have been your worst/best moments w h en teaching?”, or want you to “talk about some good teaching you have done. ” The experts agree you should recognize your weaknesses and offer a strategy for over coming them. “I know I’ve got to work on classroom management — I would hope fo r some help,” perhaps. No one expects a new teacher to know it all, but they ho pe for an objective appraisal of capabilities.
Be warned against inexpert questioning. You may be asked questions in such a way that it seems impossible to present your best features. Some questions may be plain silly, asked perhaps by people on the panel who are from outside the s ituation. Do not be thrown, have ways of circumnavigating it, and never, ever le t them see that you think they have said something foolish.
You will almost certainly be asked how you see the future and it is import ant to have a good answer prepared. Some people are put off by being asked what they expect to be doing in five or ten years’ time. On your preliminary visit, s ays the department head, be sure to give them a bit of an interview of your own, to see the direction the department is going and what you could contribute to i t.
The headteacher offers his thoughts in a nine-point plan. Iron the application form! Then it stands out from everyone else’s, which have been folded and battered in the post. It gives an initial impression which may get your application to the top of the pile. Ensure that your application is tailored to the particular school. Make the hea d feel you are writing directly to him or her. Put yourself at ease before you meet the interviewing panel: if you are nervous , you will talk too quickly. Before you enter the room remember that the people are human beings too; take away the mystique of their roles. Listen. There is a danger of not hearing accurately what is being said. Make ey e contact with the speakers, and with everyone in the room. Allow your warmth and humanity to be seen. A sense of humour is very important.
Have a portfolio of your work that can link theory to practice. Many schools wa nt you to show work. For a primary appointment, give examples from the range of the curriculum, not just art. (For this reason, taking pictures on your teaching practice is important. ) Prepare yourself in case you are asked to give a talk. Have prompt cards ready, and don’t waffle.
Your speech must be clear and articulate, with correct grammar. This is importa nt: they want to hear you and they want to hear how well you can communicate wit h children. Believe in yourself and have confidence.
Some of the people asking the questions don’t know much about what you do. B e ready to help them.
Thus armed, you should have no difficulty at all. Good luck and keep your jac ket on!
21. Ms. Brenda Stevens suggests that before applying job applicants shoul d ___.
A. go through each other’s CVs
B. rehearse their answers to questions
C. understand thoroughly the situations
D. go to town to attend training course
22. Is it wise to admit some of your weaknesses relating to work?
A. Yes, but you should have ideas for improvement in the future.
B. Yes, because it is natural to be weak in certain aspects.
C. No, admitting weaknesses may put you at a disadvantage.
D. No, it will only prompt the interviewees to reject you.
23. The best way to deal with odd questions from the interviewers is to ___.
A. remain smiling and kindly point out the inaccuracies
B. keep calm and try to be tactful in your answers
C. say frankly what you think about the issues raised
D. suggest something else to get over your nervousness
24. The suggestions offered by the headteacher are ___.
A. original B. ambiguousC. practical D. co ntroversial
TEXT D
Family Matters
This month Singapore passed a bill that would give legal teeth to the moral obligation to support one’s parents. Called the Maintenance of Parents Bill, i t received the backing of the Singapore Government.
That does not mean it hasn’t generated discussion. Several members of the P arliament opposed the measure as un-Asian. Others who acknowledged the problem o f the elderly poor believed it a disproportionate response. Still others believe it will subvert relations within the family: cynics dubbed it the “Sue Your So n” law.
Those who say that the bill does not promote filial responsibility, of cour se, are right. It has nothing to do with filial responsibility. It kicks in wher e filial responsibility fails. The law cannot legislate filial responsibility an y 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 repla ce morality, but to provide incentives to shore it up.
Like many other developed nations, Singapore faces the problems of an incre asing proportion of people over 60 years of age. Demography is inexorable. In 19 80, 7.2% of the population was in this bracket. By the end of the century that fi gure will grow to 11%. By 2030, the proportion is projected to be 26%. The probl em 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 elim inate the problem of old people who have insufficient means to make ends meet. S ome people will fall through the holes in any safety net.
Traditionally, a person’s insurance against poverty in his old age was his family, lifts is not a revolutionary concept. Nor is it uniquely Asian. Care an d support for one’s parents is a universal value shared by all civilized societ ies.
The problem in Singapore is that the moral obligation to look after one’s parents is unenforceable. A father can be compelled by law to maintain his child ren. A husband can be forced to support his wife. But, until now, a son or daugh ter 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 ag ed. 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 about the 5% who aren’t getting relatives’ support? They have several options : (a) get a job and work until they die; (b) apply for public assistance(you hav e to be destitute to apply); or(c) starve quietly. None of these options is soci ally acceptable. And what if this 5% figure grows, as it is likely to do, as soc iety 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 encounte red in other affluent societies. This legislation will allow a person to apply t o the court for maintenance from any or all of his children. The court would hav e 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 miss the point. Only in extreme cases would any parent take his child to court. If it does indeed become law, the bill’s effect would be far more subtle.
First, it will reaffirm the notion that it is each individual’s—not soci ety’s—responsibility to look after his parents. Singapore is still conservativ e enough that most people will not object to this idea. It reinforces the tradit ional values and it doesn’t 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 th eir responsibilities think twice. Until now, if a person asked family elders, cl ergymen or the Ministry of Community Development to help get financial support f rom his children, the most they could do was to mediate. But mediators have no t eeth, and a child could simply ignore their pleas.
But to be sued by one’s 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 more likely that some sort of amicable settlement would be reached if th e recalcitrant son or daughter knows that the alternative is a public trial.
It would be nice to think Singapore doesn’t need this kind of law. But th at belief ignores the clear demographic trends and the effect of affluence itsel f on traditional bends. Those of us who pushed for the bill will consider ourselv es most successful if it acts as an incentive not to have it invoked in the firs t place.
25. The Maintenance of Parents Bill ___.
A. received unanimous support in the Singapore Parliament
B. was believed to solve 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
26. By quoting the growing percentage points of the aged in the populatio n, 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. young people should be given more moral education
D. the old should be provided with means of livelihood
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 acceptable practice for the old to continue working.
D. The Advisory Council was dissatisfied with the problems of the old.
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
C. are very important in preserving Asian uniqueness
D. are significant in helping the Bill get approved
29. The author thinks that if the Bill becomes law, its effect would be ___.
A. indirect B. unnoticed C. apparent D. straightforward
30. 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
答案与详解
SECTION A
TEXT A
短文大意：本文介绍的是艺术月刊FMR打算在美国出版的原因以及该杂志的特点。
16.答案：A
【参考译文】Ricci为何计划在美国版的FMR上登载更多美国艺术品？
【试题分析】本题为细节题。
【详细解答】短文第二段倒数第二句说“The English-language edition will include more American works, Ricci says, to help Americans get over ‘an inferiority complex about their art’.”由此可知，登载更多美国艺术品是为了帮助美国人树立自信心，因 为他们对其没有太长历史的文化艺术而感到自卑。故选项A为正确答案。
17.答案：B
【参考译文】本文将Ricci和哥伦布相比的主要原因是什么？
【试题分析】本题为推理题。
【详细解答】众所周知，哥伦布是一位探险家，他发现了美洲大陆，而Ricci是想要开拓美国 的艺术杂志市场，是一位商业探索者。因此他们同是探索者，故答案选B。
18.答案：D
【参考译文】我们对美国杂志FMR的印象如何？
【试题分析】本题为推理题。
【详细解答】短文倒数第二段说“In addition, he seems to be pursuing his won eclecti c vision without giving a moment’s thought to such established competitors as Co nnosisseur and Horizon.”即该杂志的编辑方式不同于其他艺术杂志，故选项D“追求自己 独特的艺术风格”为正确答案。
TEXT B
短文大意：本文主要介绍了Geoff舅舅对于英国发展史的看法。
19.答案：B
【参考译文】根据Geoff舅舅的观点，只有怎样做才能恢复国力？
【试题分析】本题为细节题。
【详细解答】 Geoff舅舅在写给报社的信中提到“The only way to regain our punch, our character, our lost virtues, and with them the freedom natural to islanders, is to compost our land so as to allow moulds, bacteria and earthworms to remake liv ing soil to nourish Englishmen’s bodies and spirits.”由此可知，Geoff舅舅认为英 国的兴衰与使用天然肥料是成正比的，故选项B“使用天然肥料”为正确答案。
20.答案：A
【参考译文】本文作者很可能是什么语气？
【试题分析】本题为推理题。
【详细解答】通读全文可知，作者在描述Geoff舅舅时用的语言幽默风趣，充满了诙谐、嘲弄 的语气。故选项A“滑稽可笑的”为正确答案。
TEXT C
短文大意：本文主要介绍的是面试者如何做好面试的准备工作。
21.答案：C
【参考译文】Brenda Stevens女士建议求职者在求职前应该怎样？
【试题分析】本题为细节题。
【详细解答】短文第三段第二句说“Brenda Stevens speaks of the value of getting stud ents‘to deconstruct the advertisement, see what they can offer to that school, and that situation, and then write the letter, do their CVs and criticize each o ther’s.’”由此可知，面试训练班的目的是让学生对所处场面的了解，故Brenda Stevens 女士建议求职者在求职前应该是C“彻底了解所处的场面”。
22.答案：A
【参考译文】承认自己工作中的一些弱点是否明智？
【试题分析】本题为推理题。
【详细解答】短文第十段第三句说“The experts agree you should recognize your weaknes ses and offer a strategy for overcoming them.”这里以专家的观点说明应聘者应该正 视自己的弱点，并且要有克服它们的策略。故答案选A。
23.答案：B
【参考译文】对于面试者提出的古怪问题，应聘者最好的应对方法是什么？
【试题分析】本题为推理题。
【详细解答】短文第十一段谈到如果面试者提出愚蠢问题时，应聘者应该“Do not be thrown , have ways of circumnavigating it, and never, ever let them see that you think they have said something foolish.” 即应试者应从侧面巧妙地避开问题，并且千万不要 让面试者看出你认为他们问了愚蠢的问题。故选项B为正确答案。
24.答案：C
【参考译文】校长所提的建议如何？
【试题分析】本题为归纳总结题。
【详细解答】短文中共列出了校长提出的九点建议，均是关于具体处理问题的办法，故选项C “实用的”为最佳答案。
TEXT D
短文大意：本文主要对新加坡的“赡养父母议案”的讨论。
25.答案：D
【参考译文】“赡养父母议案”如何？
【试题分析】本题为细节理解题。
【详细解答】短文首句说“This month Singapore passed a bill that would give legal t eeth to the moral obligation to support one’s parents.”由此可知，选项D“该议案 的通过是为了让年轻人对老年人更尽义务”为正确答案。
26.答案：A
【参考译文】作者引用老年人比例不断上升，似乎是在暗示什么？
【试题分析】本题为推理题。
【详细解答】短文通过具体数字告诉我们，在新加坡确实存在老龄人口比例增大的问题，这所 带来的影响是：“It is that the ratio of economically active people to economical ly inactive people will decline.”即国家将面临严重的经济问题。故选项A为正确答案 。
27.答案：B
【参考译文】下列哪一种说法是正确的？
【试题分析】本题为细节题。
【详细解答】短文第七段第二句说“A father can be compelled by law to maintain his c hildren.”这与B的说法一致，故选项B为正确答案。
28.答案：C
【参考译文】作者似乎在暗示传统价值观怎样？
【试题分析】本题为细节题。
【详细解答】短文第九段首句说“The Maintenance of Parents Bill was put forth to enc ourage the traditional virtues that have so far kept Asian nations from some of the breakdowns encountered in other affluent societies.”这里是说亚洲国家的传统 美德使得他们有别于那些富有的国家，这表明传统美德在保持亚洲国家的特色方面起着重要 作用，故答案选C。
29.答案：A
【参考译文】作者认为如果这项议案成为法律的话，它将会产生怎样的效果？
【试题分析】本题为推理题。
【详细解答】短文第十段最后一句说“If it does indeed become law, the bill’s effect would be far more subtle.” 在接下来的几段里，作者讲到赡养父母是个人的责任，并非 社会的责任。而有些人碍于情面，不得不重新考虑赡养父母的问题。因此该议案起到了间接 的作用。故选项A为正确答案。
30.答案：D
【参考译文】在文章的结尾部分，作者似乎在暗示该议案的成功有赖于什么？
【试题分析】本题为总结题。
【详细解答】文章的最后一句说“Those of us who pushed for the bill will consider ou rselves most successful if it acts as an incentive not to have it invoked in the first place.” 这句话表明该议案是否成功要看它能否激励人们维护传统道德观念，而不 是首先考虑对簿公堂，故选项D“孝顺意识”为正确答案。
