英语专业八级试题.docx

英语专业八级试题.docx

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英语专业八级试题

2008专八

PARTII  READINGCOMPREHENSION（30MIN）

Inthissectiontherearefourreadingpassagesfollowedbyatotalof20multiple-choicequestions.Readthepassagesandthenmarkyouranswersonyourcolouredanswersheet

TEXTA

Attheageof16,LeeHyukJoon'slifeisalivinghell.TheSouthKorean10thgradergetsupat6inthemorningtogotoschool,andstudiesmostofthedayuntilreturninghomeat6p.m.Afterdinner,it'stimetohitthebooksagain—atoneofSeoul'smanyso-calledcramschools.Leegetsbackhomeat1inthemorning,sleepslessthanfivehours,thenrepeatstheroutine—fivedaysaweek.It'sagruelingschedule,butLeeworriesthatitmaynotbegoodenoughtogethimintoatopuniversity.Someofhisclassmatesstudyevenharder.

SouthKorea'seducationsystemhaslongbeenhighlycompetitive.ButforLeeandtheother700,000high-schoolsophomoresinthecountry,high-schoolstudieshavegottenevenmoreintense.That'sbecauseSouthKoreahasconceivedanewcollege-entrancesystem,whichwillbeimplementedin2008.Thisyear's10thgraderswillbethefirstgroupevaluatedbythenewadmissionsstandard,whichplacesmoreemphasisongradesinthethreeyearsofhighschoolandlessonnationwideSAT-styleandotherselectiontests,whichhavetraditionallydeterminedwhichstudentsgototheelitecolleges.

Thechangewasmademostlytoreducewhatthegovernmentsaysisagrowingeducationgapinthecountry:

wealthystudentsgotothebestcollegesandgetthebestjobs,keepingthechildrenofpoorerfamiliesonthesocialmargins.Theaimistoreducetheimportanceofcostlytutorsandcramschools,partlytohelpstudentsenjoyamorenormalhigh-schoollife.Butthenewsystemhashadtheoppositeeffect.Before,studentsdidn'tworrytoomuchabouttheirgrade-pointaverages;thebigchallengewasbeatingthestandardizedtestsashigh-schoolseniors.Nowstudentsarecompetingagainstoneanotheroverathree-yearperiod,andeverymidtermandfinaltestiscrucial.Fretfulparentsarerelyingevenmoreheavilyontutorsandcramschoolstohelptheirchildrensucceed.

ParentsandkidshavesentthousandsofangryonlineletterstotheEducationMinistrycomplainingthatthenewadmissionsstandardissettingstudentsagainsteachother."Onecansucceedonlywhenothersfail,”asoneparentsaid.

EducationexpertssaythatSouthKorea'spublicsecondary-schoolsystemisfoundering,whileprivateeducationisthriving.Accordingtocritics,thecountry'shighschoolsarealmostuniformlymediocre—theresultofanegalitariangovernmenteducationpolicy.Withthenumberofeliteschoolsstrictlycontrolledbythegovernment,eventhebrighteststudentstypicallyhavetosettleforordinaryschoolsintheirneighbourhoods,wherethecurriculumiscentredonaveragestudents.Tomakeupforthemediocrity,zealousparentssendtheirkidstotheexpensivecramschools.

StudentsinaffluentsouthernSeoulneighbourhoodscomplainthatthenewsystemwillhurtthemthemost.NearlyallKoreanhighschoolswillbeweightedequallyinthecollege-entranceprocess,andrelativelyweakstudentsinprovincialschools,whomaynotscorewellonstandardizedtests,oftencompilegoodgrade-pointaverages.

Someuniversities,particularlyprestigiousones,openlycomplainthattheycannotselectthebeststudentsunderthenewsystembecauseiteliminatesdifferencesamonghighschools.They'veaskedformorediscretioninpickingstudentsbygivingmoreweighttosuchscreeningtoolsasessaywritingorinterviews.

PresidentRohMooHyundoesn'tlikehowsomecollegesaretryingtocircumventthenewsystem.Herecentlycriticized"greedy"universitiesthatfocusmoreonfindingthebeststudentsthanfayingto"nurturegoodstudents".Butamidthecrossfirebetweenthegovernmentanduniversities,thecountry's10thgradersarefeelingthestress.Ononlineprotestsites,somearecallingthemselvesa“cursedgeneration”and“miceinalabexperiment”.Itallseemsatouchmelodramatic,butthat'stheSouthKoreanschoolsystem.

 11.  Accordingtothepassage,thenewcollege-entrancesystemisdesignedto

A.requirestudentstositformorecollege-entrancetests.

B.reducetheweightofcollege-entrancetests.

C.selectstudentsontheirhighschoolgradesonly.

D.reducethenumberofprospectivecollegeapplicants.

12.  Whatseemstobetheeffectofintroducingthenewsystem?

A.Thesystemhasgivenequalopportunitiestostudents.

B.Thesystemhasreducedthenumberofcramschools.

C.Thesystemhasintensifiedcompetitionamongschools.

D.Thesystemhasincreasedstudents'studyload.

13.  Accordingtocritics,thepopularityofprivateeducationismainlytheresultof

A.thegovernment'segalitarianpolicy.B.insufficientnumberofschools:

C.curriculumsofaveragequality.D.lowcostofprivateeducation.

14.  Accordingtothepassage,thereseemstobedisagreementovertheadoptionofthenewsystembetweenthefollowinggroupsEXCEPT

A.betweenuniversitiesandthegovernment.

B.betweenschoolexpertsandthegovernment.

C.betweenparentsandschools.

D.betweenparentsandthegovernment.

15.  Whichofthefollowingadjectivesbestdescribestheauthor'streatmentofthetopic?

A.Objective.B.Positive.C.Negative.D.Biased.

TEXTB

WilfredEmmanuel-Joneswasateenagerbeforehesawhisfirstcowinhisfirstfield.BorninJamaica,the47-year-oldgrewupininner-cityBirminghambeforemakingacareerasatelevisionproducerandlaunchinghisownmarketingagency.ButdeepdownhealwaysnurturedeverytrueEnglishman'sdreamofarusticlife,adreamthathisentrepreneurialwealthhasallowedhimtosatisfy.Thesedayshe'stheownerofathriving12-hectarefarmindeepestDevonwithcattle,sheepandpigs.Hislatestbusinessventure:

pushinghisbrandofBlackFannergourmetsausagesandbarbecuesauces.“Mybackgroundmaybeveryurban,”saysEmmanuel-Jones.“Butithasgivenmeagoodideaofwhatotherurbaniteswant.”

Andofhowtosellit.Emmanuel-Jonesjoinsaherdofwealthyfugitivesfromcitylifewhoarebringinganewcommercialknow-howtoBritishfarming.Britain'sburgeoningfarmers'markets-numbershavedoubledtoatleast500inthelastfiveyears—swarmwithspecialtycheesemakers,beekeepersororganicsmallholderswhoareredeployingthebusinessskillstheylearnedinthecity."Everyoneintheruralcommunityhastocometotermswiththefactthatthingshavechanged."SaysEmmanuel-Jones."Youcanproducethebestfoodintheworld,butifyoudon'tknowhowtomarketit,youarewastingyourtime.Wearehelpingthetraditionaliststomoveon."

Theemergenceofthenewclassofsuperpeasantsreflectssomeoldyearnings.IftheBritishwerethefirstnationtoindustrialize,theywerealsothefirsttoheadbacktotheland."ThereisthisromanticimageofthecountrysidethatisparticularlyEnglish,"saysAlunHowkinsoftheUniversityofSussex,whoreckonsthepopulationofruralEnglandhasbeenrisingsince1911.Migrationintoruralareasisnowrunningatabout100,000ayear,andthehungerforatasteoftherurallifehaskeptlandpricesbuoyantevenasagriculturalincomestumble.About40percentofallfarmlandisnowsoldto"lifestylebuyers"ratherthanthedwindlingnumberoftraditionalfarmers,accordingtotheRoyalInstitutionofCharteredSurveyors.

What'snewaboutthelatestreturneesistheiraffluenceandzealforthebusinessofproducingqualityfoods,ifonlyatamicro-level.AhealthyeconomyandsurgingLondonhousepriceshavehelpedtoeasetheescapeofthewould-berustics.Themediarecognizeandfeedthefantasy.OneofthebigTVhitsofrecentyears,the"RiverCottage"series,chronicledtheattemptsofaLondoncheftorunhisownDorsetfarm.

Naturally,thenewcomerscan'thopetomatchtheirCitysalaries,butmanyarehappytotradeanylossofincomefortheextrajobsatisfaction.Whocaresifthere'snosix-figureannualbonuswhenthelandoffersotherincalculablecompensations?

Besides,thespecialistproducerscanatleastdependonaburgeoningmarketfortheirproducts.Today'seco-awaregenerationlovestoseekoutauthenticingredients."Peoplelikememaybemakingadifferenceinasmallway,"JanMcCourt,aonetimeinvestmentbankernowrunninghisown40-hectarespreadintheEnglishMidlandsstockedwithrarebreeds.

Optimistsseesignsoffar-reachingchange:

Britainisn'tcatchingupwithmainlandEurope;it'sleadingtheway.“Unlikemostothercountries,whereartisanalfoodproductionisbeingeroded,hereitisbeingrecovered,"saysfoodwriterMatthewFort.“Itmaybethemarkofthenextstageofcivilizationthatwerediscoverthedesirabilityofbeingapeasant.”Andnotaninvestmentbanker.

16.  WhichofthefollowingdetailsofWilfredEmmanuel-JonesisINCORRECT?

A.HewasbornandbroughtupinBirmingham.

B.Heusedtoworkinthetelevisionindustry.

C.Heiswealthy,adventurousandaspiring.

D.Heisnowsellinghisownqualityfoods.

17.  Mostimportantly,peoplelikeWilfredhavebroughttotraditionalBritishfarming

A.knowledgeoffarming.B.knowledgeofbrandnames.

C.knowledgeoflifestyle.D.knowledgeofmarketing,

18.  WhichofthefollowingdoesNOTcontributetotheemergenceofanewclassoffarmers?

A.Strongdesireforcountrylife.B.Longingforgreaterwealth,

C.InfluenceofTVproductions.D.Enthusiasmforqualityfoodbusiness.

19.  Whatisseenastheiradditionalsourceofnewincome?

A.Moderntendencytobuynaturalfoods.

B.Increaseinthevalueoflandproperty.

C.Raisingandsellingrarelivestock.V

D.Publicityasaresultofmediacoverage.

20.   Thesentenceinthelastparagraph“...Britainisn'tcatchingup