TEST FOR ENGLISH MAJORS (2000)
—GRADE EIGHT—
PART I LISTENING COMPREHENSION(40 MIN.)
PART I LISTENING COMPREHENSION
In Section A, B and C you will hear everything ONCE ONLI~ Listen carefully and then answer the questions that follow. Mark the correct response to each question on the Colored Answer Sheet.
SECTION A TALK
Questions 1 to 5 refer to the talk in this section. At the end of the talk you will be given 15 seconds to answer each of the following five questions.
Now listen to the talk.
1. The rules for the first private library in the US were drawn up by
A. the legislature.B. the librarian.
C. John Harvard. D. the faculty members.
2. The earliest public library was also called a subscription library because books
A. could be lent to everyone.
B. could be lent by book stores.
C. were lent to students and the faculty.
D. were lent on a membership basis.
3. Which of the following is NOT stated as one of the purposes of free public libraries?
A. To provide readers with comfortable reading rooms.
B. To provide adults with opportunities of further education.
C. To serve the community’ s cultural and recreational needs.
D. To supply technical information on specialized subjects.
4. The major difference between modem private and public libraries lies in
A. readership.B. content.C. service. D. function.
5. The main purpose of the talk is
A. to introduce categories of books in US libraries.
B. to demonstrate the importance of US libraries.
C. to explain the roles of different US libraries.
D. to define the circulation system of US libraries.
SECTION B INTERVIEW
Question 6 to 10 are based on an interview. At the end of. the interview you will be given 15 seconds to answer each of the following questions.
Now listen to the interview.
6. Nancy became a taxi driver because
A. she owned a car.B. she drove well.
C. she liked drivers’ uniforms. D. it was her childhood dream.
7. According to her, what was the most difficult about becoming a taxi driver?
A. The right sense of direction.
B. The sense of judgment.
C. The skill of maneuvering.
D. The size of vehicles.
8. What does Nancy like best about her job?
A. Seeing interesting buildings in the city.
B. Being able to enjoy the world of nature.
C. Driving in unsettled weather.
D. Taking long drives outside the city.
9. It can be inferred from the interview that Nancy is a(n)
A. uncaring B. strictC. affectionateD. permissive
10. The people Nancy meets are
A rather difficult to please.
B. rude to women drivers.
C. talkative and generous with tips.
D. different in personality.
SECTION C NEWS BROADCAST
Question 11 is based on the following news. At the end of the news item you will be given 15 seconds to answer the question.
Now listen to the news.
11. The primary purpose of the US anti-smoking legislation is
A. to tighten control on tobacco advertising.
B. to impose penalties on tobacco companies.
C. to start a national anti-smoking campaign.
D. to ensure the health of American children.
Questions ! 2 and 13 are based on the following news. At the end of the news item you will be given 30 seconds to answer the questions. Now listen to the news.
12. The French President’ s visit to Japan aims at
A. making more investment in Japan.
B. stimulating Japanese businesses in France.
C. helping boost the Japanese economy.
D. launching a film festival in Japan.
13. This is Jacques Chirac’s visit to Japan
A. secondB. fourteenthC. fortiethD. forty-first
Questions 14 and 15 are based on the following news. At the end of the news item you will be given 30 seconds to answer the questions. Now listen to the news.
14. Afghan people are suffering from starvation because
A. melting snow begins to block the mountain paths.
B. the Taliban have destroyed existing food Stocks.
C. the Taliban are hindering food deliveries.
D. an emergency air4ift of food was cancelled.
15. people in Afghanistan are facing starvation.
A. 160,000B. 16,000C. 1,000,000D. 100,000
SECTION D NOTE-TAKING AND GAP.FILLING
In this section you will hear a mini-lecture. You will hear the lecture ONCE ONLY. While listening to the lecture, take notes on the important points. Your notes will not be marked, but you will need them to complete a 15-minute gap-filling task on ANSWER SHEET ONE after the mini-lecture. Use the blank sheet for note-taking.
ANSWER SHEET
SECTION D NOTE-TAKING AND GAP-FILLING (15MIN.)
Fill in each of the gaps with ONE word. You may refer to your notes. Make sure the word you fill in is both grammatically and semantically acceptable.
On Public Speaking
When people are asked to give a speech in public for
the first time, they usually feel terrified no matter how
well they speak in informal situations. In fact, public
speaking is the same as any other form of (1) that(1)
people are usually engaged in. Public speaking is a way
for a speaker to (2) his thoughts with the audience.(2)
Moreover, the speaker is free to decide on the
(3) of his speech.(3)
Two key points to achieve success in public speaking:
(4) of the subject matter.(4)
—good preparation of the speech.
To facilitate their understanding, inform your audience before
hand of the (5) of your speech and end it with a summary.(5)
Other key points to bear in mind:
—beware of your audience through eye contact.
—vary the speed of (6) (6)
—use the microphone skillfully to (7) yourself in speech.(7)
—be brief in speech; always try to make your message (8) (8)
Example: the best remembered inaugural speeches of the
US presidents are the (9) ones.(9)
Therefore brevity is essential to the (10) of a speech.(10)
2000年专业英语八级考试试题答案、解析及录音原文
PARTL LISTENING COMPREHENSION
SECTION A 1. B 2. D 3. D 4. A 5. C
SECTION B 6. D 7. B 8. B 9. C 10. D
SECTION C 11. D 12. C 13. D 14. C 15. A
SECTION D 1. talk 2. share 3. subject 4. knowledge
5. theme/idea 6. speaking 7. comfort
8. short 9. shortest 10. success
参考录音原文
PARTL LISTENING COMPREHENSION
SECTION A TALK
The earliest libraries existed thousands of years ago m China and Egypt where collections of records on tablets of baked clay were kept in temples and royal palaces. In the western world, libraries were first established in Ancient Greece. For example, Aristotle once had a research library in the 3rd century BC.
The 1st library in the United States was a private library, which could be used only by authorized readers. In 1633, John Harvard gave money and more than 300 books to a newly established college in Massachusetts. In return for his generosity, the legislature voted that the school be named HarvardCollege. The librarian there set the rules for the new library. Only college
students and faculty members could use the books. No book could be lent for more than one month.
The earliest public library was established in Philadelphia in 1731. Although this library was open to everyone, all readers had to pay membership or subscription fee in order to borrow books. Very few subscription libraries exist today. Some book and stationery stores maintain small rental libraries where everyone may borrow a book for a dally charge. The 1st truly free public library that circulated books to everyone at no cost was started in a small New England town in 1833. Today there are more than 7,000 free public libraries throughout the U. S. They contain about 160 million books, which are circulated to over a 52 million readers.
Historically, the major purpose of free public libraries was educational. They were expected to provide adults with the opportunity to continue their education after they left school. So the function of a public library was once described as lesser reservoir than a fountain. In other words, emphasis was to be placed on wide circulation rather than on collecting and storing books. Over the years, public library services have greatly expanded. In addition to their continuing and important educational role, public libraries provide culture and recreation, and they are trying to fill many changing community needs. Most libraries offer browsing rooms where readers can relax on comfortable chairs and read current newspapers and magazines. Many also circulate music records. Library programs of films, lectures, reading clubs and concerts also attract library users.
In addition to books, records, periodicals and reference material, libraries provide technical information such as books and pamphlets on gardening, carpentry and other specialized fields of interest. The largest public library in the U.S. is the Library of Congress. It was originally planned as a reference library for the Federal legislature. Today, in addition to that important function, it serves as a reference library for the public, and sends out many books to other libraries on an inter-library loan system.
Unlike free public libraries, which are open to everyone, private libraries can only be used by authorized readers. Many industrial and scientific organizations and business firms have collections of books, journals and research data for their staffs. Several private historical associations have research collections of special interest to their members. In addition, many elementary and secondary schools operate libraries for use by students and teachers. Prisons and hospitals maintain libraries, too.
The largest and most important private libraries are operated by colleges and universities and are used by students, faculty members, and occasionally by visiting scholars. Many universities have special libraries for research in particular fields such as law, medicine and education. Recent surveys report that more than 300 million books are available in these academic libraries and they are regularly used by over 8 million students.
SECTION B INTERVIEW
Interviewer: Hello, Nancy. I know you are one of the few women taxi drivers in the city now and you drive for a living. made you want to become a taxi driver in the first place?
Nancy: I took pride in driving well even when I was young, for I had to wait until I had a car to learn to drive. When I finally learned, it was something I really enjoyed and still enjoy. I remember how smart those taxi drivers had seemed driving so well and dressed so neatly in their uniforms. And I thought I’d like to do that myself.
Interviewer: You really enjoy driving, I see. And how long have you been a taxi driver?
Nancy: Err... altogether 12 years.
Interviewer: Mm... It has been quite some time already, hasn’t it?
Nancy: Yeah.
Interviewer: Then, what did you find the most difficult about becoming a taxi driver?
Nancy: I can still remember when I was learning to drive. It was scary. I did not yet know how to judge distance, and when a truck came near, it seemed like its wheels would just come right over me. Anyway, soon I learned to judge distance, I began looking ahead, stopped worrying about the trucks and about what was moving on either side;
Interviewer: In your opinion, what does it take to become a good taxi driver?
Nancy: Err... besides driving well, the most important thing a taxi driver needs to know is the streets, and I knew the city well because I’d lived there for a long time. I knew all the main streets and even the side streets. And, of course, you have to keep up-dating your knowledge of the streets because the city changes. There might be a new road appearing somewhere one day.
Interviewer: Now. What about annual leaves? Do you have them?
Nancy: Oh yes. When I first started, I had only l0 days. And now I have 3 weeks every year with pay.
Interviewer: Just out of curiosity, when you go on vacation to another place or city, do you drive there as well?
Nancy: In most cases not. I prefer to be driven by others if we go by car. I would also prefer to go by train or plane if there is a choice. I’ve already had too much driving in my life. So when on holiday, I just want to relax.
Interviewer: Um, I see. Let’s come back to your work. Are there any unpleasant aspects in your job?
Nancy: The only serious difficulty in this work is that sometimes it’s dangerous to drive at night. But you have a choice and I always choose to work days rather than nights.
Interviewer: Then, what’s the best part of your job?
Nancy: I soon found that what I liked the best about this job was being outdoors, seeing how the city changes from season to season, and there are places I’ve seen that I would probably ever have seen in another job. And I love all kinds of weather. I’d like to leave the window down in a fine rain. And when I have a long drive near the end of the day, I sometimes go past my home to tell my two little children, that I’ll be home soon. And they always want to come along in my car.
Interviewer: Oh, do they? I guess kids all like to be taken for a ride sometimes.
Nancy: Yeah, but you cannot take anyone along unless they pay or you pay for them. So I’ve to pay their fares one of these days and take them out in my taxi, because they really think it’s fun. Out in the countryside on a long drive, with the fresh air and sun shining, you just seem to want to drive forever. At least that’s how it’s for me.
Interviewer: Being a taxi driver, you have to meet all kinds of people. How do you feel about that?
Nancy: I enjoy meeting many different people. I might not have met some if not for this job, and I’ve learnt a lot about how people behave in these years.
Interviewer: Can you tell us a bit more about it?
Nancy: The biggest advantage is that you come across various characters in your work. Some people are interesting, some rushed, some pleasant, some funny, some talkative. Some are so pressed for time that they change their clothes in the taxi. Those who are in the greatest rush would sometimes forget to pay.
Interviewer: Have you ever met someone who didn’t like women drivers?
Nancy: Yes. Once a passenger really objected to having a woman driver, and t laughed at him so much that he stopped his fussing. Although there has been one or two cases like this, I still think most people are nice to women drivers. So this is really an interesting part of my work.
Interviewer: Now, my last question. Have you ever thought of changing your job?
Nancy: Not yet. I might in a few years time, but not at this moment, because I really enjoy my work and I do get a lot of satisfaction out of it. So, why should I?
Interviewer: OK. Our interview is coming to the end. I’d like to wind up our interview by wishing you good luck. Thank you very much for your time, Nancy.
Nancy: Pleasure.
SECTION C NEWS BROADCAST
News Item One (For Question 11)
President Clinton has renewed his attacks on the American tobacco industry, accusing it of delaying tactics to block anti-smoking legislation. The Lus Congress is considering a bill which would place tight restrictions on tobacco advertising and impose penalties on tobacco companies if they continue to sell cigarettes to children. Mr. Clinton said it was a fight with the lives of American children and he urged congress to move ahead with the bill. But a spokesman for one of the big tobacco companies called the legislation totally unreasonable and he said the process has become wholly politicized.
News Item Two (For Questions 12-13)
The French President Jacques Chirac is to discuss the efforts to stimulate the Japanese economy during a visit to Japan, which begins today. The French President is no stranger to Japan. He’s visited the country forty times before and this will be his second visit as president. Mr. Chirac will hold summit talks with the Japanese Prime Minister next Monday. He’s expected to discuss efforts to boost the Japanese economy as well as investments by Japanese companies in France. He’ll also meet the Emperor and the Empress at Long-long Tuesday. But perhaps the event will not draw most attention as the launch of a yearlong festival, of French arts and culture in Japan. A replica of the Arch de Triomphe that usually stands in Paris has been transported to TokyoBay for the festival and Mr. Chirac will unveil it, The festival includes films, theatrical performances, dance and exhibitions as well as promotions for French food and wine, both of which are very popular in Japan.
News Item Three (For Questions 14-15)
Officials of the World Food Program, WFP, have said they are receiving information that famine has gripped parts of Central Afghanistan. WFP officials say as the winter snow begins to melt and high mountain paths begin to clear, local leaders and international aid workers are reporting some people are dying of starvation. Officials say a major disaster affecting hundreds of thousands of people may be in the making. The Taliban are blocking food deliveries 1;o central Afghanistan. The UN has warned for several months that more than 1 million people are suffering from the blockade and 160,000 face starvation. An emergency airlift of food to central provinces was cancelled earlier this year when the Taliban bombed the local airport. WFP officials say existing food stocks in that area are exhausted and an emergency effort will be launched to bring wheat and potatoes into the area.