2015专八真题.doc

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阅读理解 A
What we know of prenatal development makes all this attempt made by a mother to mold the character of her unborn child by studying poetry, art, or mathematics during pregnancy seem utterly impossible. How could such extremely complex influences pass from the mother to the child? There is no connection between their nervous systems. Even the blood vessels of mother and child do not join directly. An emotional shock to the mother will affect her child, because it changes the activity of her glands and so the chemistry her blood. Any chemical change in the mother’s blood will affect the child for better or worse. But we can not see how a looking for mathematics or poetic genius can be dissolved in blood and produce a similar liking or genius in the child.
In our discussion of instincts we saw that there was reason to believe that whatever we inherit must be of some very simple sort rather than any complicated or very definite kind of behavior. It is certain that no one inherits a knowledge of mathematics. It may be, however, that children inherit more or less of a rather general ability that we may call intelligence. If very intelligent children become deeply interested in mathematics, they will probably make a success of that study.
As for musical ability, it may be that what is inherited is an especially sensitive ear, a peculiar structure of the hands or the vocal organs connections between nerves and muscles that make it comparatively easy to learn the movements a musician must execute, and particularly vigorous emotions. If these factors are all organized around music the child may become a musician. The same factors, in other circumstance might be organized about some other center of interest. The rich emotional equipment might find expression in poetry. The capable fingers might develop skill in surgery. It is not the knowledge of music that is inherited, then nor even the love of it, but a certain bodily structure that makes it comparatively easy to acquire musical knowledge and skill. Whether that ability shall be directed toward music or some other undertaking may be decided entirely by forces in the environment in which a child grows up.

1. Which of the following statements is not true?
A. Some mothers try to influence their unborn children by studying art and other subjects during their pregnancy.
B. It is utterly impossible for us to learn anything about prenatal development.
C. The blood vessels of mother and child do not join directly.
D. There are no connection between mother’s nervous systems and her unborn child’s.

2. A mother will affect her unborn baby on the condition that ____.
A. she is emotionally shocked
B. she has a good knowledge of inheritance
C. she takes part in all kind of activities
D. she sticks to studying

3. According to the passage, a child may inherit____.
A. everything from his mother
B. a knowledge of mathematics
C. a rather general ability that we call intelligence
D. her mother’s musical ability

4. If a child inherits something from his mother, such as an especially sensitive ear, a peculiar structure of the hands or of the vocal organs, he will ____.
A. surely become musician
B. mostly become a poet
C. possibly become a teacher
D. become a musician on the condition that all these factors are organized around music

5. Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
A. Role of Inheritance. B. An Unborn Child.
C. Function of instincts. D. Inherited Talents.

答案：BACDA

B
Computers monitor everything in Singapore from soil composition to location of manholes. At the airport, it took just 15 seconds for the computerized immigration system to scan and approve my passport. It takes only one minute to be checked into a public hospital.
By 1998, almost every household will be wired for interactive cable TV and the Internet, the global computer network. Shoppers will be able to view and pay for products electronically. A 24-hour community telecomputing network will allow users to communicate with elected representatives and retrieve information about government services. It is all part of the government’s plan to transform the nation into what it calls the “Intelligent Island”.
In so many ways, Singapore has elevated the concept of efficiency to a kind of national ideology. For the past ten years, Singapore’s work force was rated the best in the world-ahead of Japan and the U.S.-in terms of productivity, skill and attitude by the Business Environment Risk Intelligence service.
Behind the “Singapore miracle” is a man Richard Nixon described as one of “the ablest leaders I have met,” one who, “in other times and other places, might have attained the world stature of a Churchill.” Lee Kuan Yew led Singapore’s struggle for independence in the 1950s, serving as Prime Minister from 1959 until 1990. Today (1995), at 71, he has nominally retired to the office of Senior Minister, where he continues to influence his country’s future. Lee offered companies tax breaks, political stability, cheap labor and strike-free environment.
Nearly 90 percent of Singaporean adults now own their own homes and thanks to strict adherence to the principle of merit, personal opportunities abound. “If you’ve got talent and work hard, you can be anything here,” says a Malaysian-born woman who holds a high-level civil-service position.
Lee likes to boast that Singapore has avoided the “moral breakdown” of Western countries. He attributes his nation’s success to strong family ties, a reliance on education as the engine of advancement and social philosophy that he claims is superior to America’s.
In an interview with Reader’s Digest, he said that the United States has “lost its bearings” by emphasizing individual rights at the expense of society. “An ethical society,” he said, “is one which matches human rights with responsibilities.”

1.What characterizes Singapore’s advancement is its___.
A.computer monitoring. B.work efficiency.
C.high productivity. D.value on ethics.

2.From Nixon’s perspective, Lee is___.
A.almost as great as Churchill. B.not as great as Churchill.
C.only second to Churchill in being a leader. D.just as great as Churchill.

3.In the last paragraph, “lost its bearings” may mean___.
A.become impatient. B.failed to find the right position.
C.lost its foundation. D.grown band-mannered.

4.“You can be anything here”(Paragraph 5) may be paraphrased as___.
A.You can hope for a very bright prospect.
B.You may be able to do anything needed.
C.You can choose any job as you like.
D.You will become an outstanding worker.

5.In Singapore, the concept of efficiency___.
A.has been emphasized throughout the country.
B.has become an essential quality for citizens to aim at.
C.is brought forward by the government in order to compete with America.
D.is known as the basis for building the “Intelligent Island.”

Translation Chinese to English
茶花（Camellia）的自然花期在12月至翌年4月，以红色系为主，另有黄色系和白色系等，花色艳丽。本届花展充分展示了茶花的品种资源和科研水平，是近三年来本市规模最大的一届茶花展。为了广大植物爱好者有更多与茶花亲密接触的机会，本届茶花展的不沾范围延伸至整个园区，为赏花游客带来便利。此次茶花展历时2个月，展期内200多个茶花品种将陆续亮相。
参考答案
Camellia naturally blooms between December and April in the next year, mainly in red as well as in yellow and white, with its bright and gorgeous blossom. The Flower Show, which displays into full the varieties and technological research of the flower, marks the largest one in our city in recent three years. In order to enable the vegetation lovers to embrace Camellia, the flower show extends its place to the whole garden, making it more convenient for the visitors. The Flower Show lasts for two months and more than 200 types of camellia will make its appearance during the period.
Translation English to Chinese
At its heart, psycholinguistic work consists of two questions. One is, What knowledge of language is needed for us to use language? In a sense, we must know a language to use it, but we are not always fully aware of this knowledge. A distinction may be drawn between tacit knowledge and explicit knowledge. Tacit knowledge refers to the knowledge of how to perform various acts, whereas explicit knowledge refers to the knowledge of the processes or mechanisms used in these acts. We sometimes know how to do something without knowing how we do it. For instance, a baseball pitcher (投手) might know how to throw a baseball 90 miles an hour but might have little or no explicit knowledge of the muscle groups that are involved in this act. Similarly, we may distinguish between knowing how to speak and knowing what processes are involved in producing speech. Generally speaking, much of our linguistic knowledge is tacit rather than explicit.
参考答案：
心理语言学的研究包括两个核心问题。第一，我们使用语言需要什么语言知识？从某种意义上说，我们必须拥有某种语言的知识才能使用该语言，但却并不总是能完全意识到这种知识。我们可能要对隐性知识和显性知识加以区分。隐性知识是指如何执行各种动作所拥有的知识，而显性知识是指在这些动作中使用的过程或者机制所蕴含的知识。有时，我们知道如何做某事，却无法说出我们是怎么做的。比如，一名棒球投手可能知道如何以每小时90英里的速度把球抛出去，但对有关参与此活动的肌群的显性知识却知之甚少，或一无所知。同样地， 我们知道如何说话，但却不清楚言语产生包含哪些过程。总的来说， 我们的大多数语言知识都是隐性知 识而非显性知识。

Part Ⅵ Writing
There has been a new trend in economic activity- the sharing economy. The biggest sector of the sharing economy is travel. You find a potential host through a website. If you both get along and they are available during your planned trip, you stand a chance of getting a place for free. In addition, people also use website and apps to rent out their cars, houses, tools, clothes and services to one another. Time magazine has included this trend in a list titled “10 ideas that will change the world.” It said, “ In an era when families are scattered and we may not know the people down the street, sharing things-even with strangers we’ve met just online-allow us to make meaningful connections.” What do you think of Time’s comment?

参考范文
My Views on the Sharing Economy
The sharing economy refers to the economic pattern in which people share access to resources, such as goods, services and data. This newly emerging trend would be impossible without the development of technology. It is the Internet that makes the sharing cheaper and easier and helps to strike a balance between supply and demand. Time magazine has listed the sharing economy as one of the “10 ideas that will change the world”. As far as the comment is concerned, I cannot agree with Time more.
As one of the greatest benefits of the digital age, the sharing economy arises from our oldest instinct as human beings. There is always an urge for us to connect with others, especially in an era when families are scattered and we do not really know the people who live nearby. It has been said that “Joys shared with others are more enjoyed.” However, in my eyes, the resources shared with others are more beneficial to our society.
On the one hand, sharing economy leads to a more efficient use of resources. Some items are expensive to buy but widely owned by people who do not make the best use of them. Occasional sharing may provide extra income for the owners and can be less costly for the borrowers. If managed well, a win-win situation is achieved for both parties in the process. Besides, sharing economy contributes to environmental protection. Take accommodation for example. The more hotels are built, the more resources are required, which might in turn result in a decrease in arable land and public green space. On the other hand, the transaction cost is reduced due to the use of Internet and various apps. With a smart phone in your hand, it is not difficult to find a potential host in the neighboring area. People are meeting increasingly on screens, discussing online and purchasing goods domestic and overseas, paying through Internet payment system.
To summarize, although the sharing economy is not perfect at present because of concerns in insurance, legal liability, safety and the like, I believe, quite firmly, that it represents the future trend and has the power to change the world for the convenience and flexibility it brings to us. Just as the old Chinese saying goes, the defects cannot obscure the virtues of a splendid jade, and I assume it also applies to the sharing economy

　　PART III GENERAL KNOWLEDGE (10 MIN)

31. Which of the following is the French-speaking city in Canada?
A. Vancouver B. Ottawa C. Montreal D. Toronto
32. Which of the following are natives of New Zealand?
A. The Maoris B. The Aboriginals C. The Red Indians D. The Eskimos
33. The established or national church in England is
A. the Roman Catholic Church B. the United Reformed Church
C. the Anglican Church D. the Methodist Church
34. The 13 former British colonies in North America declared independence from Great Britain in
A. 1774 B. 1775 C. 1776 D. 1777
35. “Grace under pressure” is an outstanding virtue of ____ heroes.
A. Scott Fitzgerald’ s B. Ernest Hemingway’s
C. Eugene O’Neill’ s D. William Faulkner’s
36. Widowers’ House was written by
A. William Butler Yeats B. George Bernard Shaw C. John Galsworthy D. T. S. Eliot
37. Who wrote The Canterbury Tales?
A. William Shakespeare B. William Blake C. Geoffrey Chaucer D. John Donne
38. Which of the following pairs of words are homophones?
A. wind (v.) / wind (n.) B. suspect (v.) / suspect (n.)
C. convict (v.) / convict (n.) D. bare (adj.) / bear (v.)
39. Which of the following sentences has the “S+V+O” structure?
A. He died a hero. B. I went to London. C. Mary enjoyed parties. D. She became angry.
40. Which of the following CAN NOT be used as an adverbial?
A. The lion’s share B. Heart and soul. C. Null and void. D. Hammer and tongs.

　　PART IV PROOFREADING & ERROR CORRECTION (15 MIN)

　　There is widespread consensus among scholars that second language acquisition (SLA) emerged as a distinct field of research from the late 1950s to early 1960s.
There is a high level of agreement that the following questions (1) ______
have possessed the most attention of researchers in this area: (2) ______
Is it possible to acquire an additional language in the
same sense one acquires a first language? (3) ______
What is the explanation for the fact adults have (4) ______
more difficulty in acquiring additional languages than children have?
What motivates people to acquire additional language?
What is the role of the language teaching in the (5) ______
acquisition of additional languages?
What social-cultural factors, if any, are relevant in studying the
learning of additional languages?
F