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到专八阅读真命题及答案解析
第二部分2007年----2012年英语专业八级阅读真题
2007年
TextA
TheWelshlanguagehasalwaysbeentheultimatemarkerofWelshidentity,butagenerationagoitlookedasifWelshwouldgothewayofManx.OncewidelyspokenontheIsleofManbutnowextinct.Governmentsfinancingandcentralplanning,however,havehelpedreversethedeclineofWelsh.RoadsignsandofficialpublicdocumentsarewritteninbothWelshandEnglish,andschoolchildrenarerequiredtolearnbothlanguages.WelshisnowoneofthemostsuccessfulofEurope’sregionallanguages,spokenbymorethanahalf-millionofthecountry’sthreemillionpeople.
Therevivalofthelanguage,particularlyamongyoungpeople,ispartofaresurgenceofnationalidentitysweepingthroughthissmall,proudnation.LastmonthWalesmarkedthesecondanniversaryoftheopeningoftheNationalAssembly,thefirstparliamenttobeconvenedheresince1404.TheideabehinddevolutionwastorestorethebalancewithintheunionofnationsmakinguptheUnitedKingdom.Withmostofthepeopleandwealth,Englandhasalwayshadbraggingrights.ThepartialtransferoflegislativepowersfromWestminster,implementedbyTonyBlair,wasdesignedtogivetheothermembersoftheclub-Scotland,NorthernIreland,andWales-abiggersayandtocountercentrifugalforcesthatseemedtothreatentheveryideaoftheunion.
TheWelshshowedlittleenthusiasmfordevolution.WhereastheScotsvotedoverwhelminglyforaparliament,thevoteforaWelshassemblyscrapedthroughbylessthanonepercentonaturnoutoflessthan25percent.Itspowerswereproportionatelylimited.TheAssemblycandecidehowmoneyfromWestminsterortheEuropeanUnionisspent.Itcannot,unlikeitscounterpartinEdinburgh,enactlaws.Butnowthatitishere,theWelsharegrowingtoliketheirAssembly.Manypeoplewouldlikeittohavemorepowers.Itsimportanceasfigureheadwillgrowwiththeopeningin2003,ofanewdebatingchamber,oneofmanynewbuildingsthataretransformingCardifffromadecayingseaportintoaBaltimore-stylewaterfrontcity.MeanwhileagrantofnearlytwomilliondollarsfromtheEuropeanUnionwilltacklepoverty.WalesisoneofthepoorestregionsinWesternEurope-onlySpain,Portugal,andGreecehavealowerstandardofliving.
NewspapersandmagazinesarefilledwithstoriesaboutgreatWelshmenandwomen,boostingself-esteem.TofamiliarfacessuchasDylanThomasandRichardBurtonhavebeenaddednewiconssuchasCatherineZeta-Jones,themoviestar,andBrynTerfel,theoperasinger.Indigenousfoodslikesaltmarshlambareinvogue.AndWalesnowboastsanationalairline.AwyrCymru.Cymru,whichmeans“landofcompatriots,”istheWelshnameforWales.Thereddragon,thenation’ssymbolsincethetimeofKingArthur,iseverywhere-onT-shirts,rugbyjerseysandevencellphonecovers.
“UntilveryrecenttimesmostWelshpeoplehadthisfeelingofbeingsecond-classcitizens,”saidDyfanJones,an18-year-oldstudent.Itwasawarmsummernight,andIwassittingonthegrasswithagroupofyoungpeopleinLlanelli,anindustrialtowninthesouth,outsidetherockmusicvenueoftheNationalEisteddfod,Wales’sannualculturalfestival.ThedisusedfactoryinfrontofusechoedtothesoundsofnewWelshbands.
“Therewasalmostagenetictendencyforlackofconfidence,”Dyfancontinued.EquallycomfortableinhisWelshnessasinhismembershipintheEnglish-speaking,globalyouthcultureandthenewfederalEurope,Dyfan,liketherestofhisgeneration,isgrowingupwithasenseofpossibilityunimaginabletenyearsago.“Weusedtothink.Wecan’tdoanything,we’reonlyWelsh.NowIthinkthat’schanging.”
11.Accordingtothepassage,devolutionwasmainlymeantto
A.maintainthepresentstatusamongthenations.
B.reducelegislativepowersofEngland.
C.createabetterstateofequalityamongthenations.
D.grantmoresaytoallthenationsintheunion.
12.Theword“centrifugal”inthesecondparagraphmeans
A.separatist. B.conventional.
C.feudal. D.political
13.WalesisdifferentfromScotlandinallthefollowingaspectsEXCEPT
A.people'sdesirefordevolution.
B.locals'turnoutforthevoting.
C.powersofthelegislativebody.
D.statusofthenationallanguage.
14.WhichofthefollowingisNOTcitedasanexampleoftheresurgenceofWelshnationalidentity
A.Welshhaswitnessedarevivalasanationallanguage.
B.Poverty-relieffundshavecomefromtheEuropeanUnion.
C.AWelshnationalairlineiscurrentlyinoperation.
D.Thenationalsymbolhasbecomeafamiliarsight.
15.AccordingtoDyfanJoneswhathaschangedis
A.people'smentality. B.popculture.
C.town'sappearance. D.possibilitiesforthepeople.
TextB
GettingtotheheartofKuwaitidemocracyseemshilariouslyeasy.Armedonlywithadog-earedNEWSWEEKID,IambledthroughthegatesoftheNationalAssemblylastweek.Unscanned,unsearched,mysatchelcouldeasilyhaveheldtheoddgrenadeorananthrax-stuffedlunchbox.Theonlypersonwhostoppedmewasaguardwhogrinnedandinvitedmetotakeaswigoforangejuicefromhisplasticbottle.
WereIaKuwaitiwomanwieldingaballot,Iwouldhavebeenaclearerandmorepresentdanger.ThatverydayParliamentblockedabillgivingwomenthevote;29M.P.Svotedinfavorand29against,withtwoabstentions.Unabletodecidewhetherthebillhadpassedornot,thegovernmentscheduledanothervoteintwoweeks-toolateforwomentoregisterforJune'smunicipalelections.Thenextsuchelectionsaren'tuntil2009.Insidetheelegant,marbledParliamentitself,aseaofmustachioedmeninwhiterobessatingreenseats,debatingfuriously.Therulingemirhaspushedforwomen'spoliticalrightsforyears.Ironically,thedemocraticallyelectedlegislaturehasthwartedhim.Traditionalistsandtriballeadersareopposed.Liberalsfret,too,thatIslamistswilllettheirmultiplewivesvote,swellingconservativeranks.“WhenIcametoParliamenttoday,peoplewhovotedyesdidn'tevenshakehandswithme,”saidoneShiaclerc.“Whycan'twerespecteachotherandworktogether?
”Whynotindeed?
ByGulfstandards,Kuwaitisademocraticsuperstar.Itscitizensenjoyfreespeech(aslongastheydon'tinsulttheiremir,naturally)andboastaParliamentthatcanactuallypasslaws.UnliketheirSaudisisters,Kuwaitiwomendrive,workandtravelfreely.Theyrunmultibillion-dollarbusinessesandserveasambassadors.Theiracademicsuccessissuchthatcollegeshaveactuallyloweredthegradesrequiredformakestudentstogetintomedicalandengineeringcourses.Eventhen,70percentofuniversitystudentsarefemales.
InKuwait,theWesternobsessionwiththehigabfindsitsequivalent.AtafancypartyforNEWSWEEK'sArabicedition,someKuwaitiwomenworethem.Othersoptedfortight,spangled,sheerlittlenumbersinpeacockblueorparrotorange.Fortheparty'sentertainment,NancyAjram,theArabworld'sanswertoBritneySpears,sangpassionatesongsofloveinawhitemini-dress.Shecouldn'tdanceforus,alas,sinceshakingone'sbodyonstageisillegalinKuwait.Thatdidn'tstopwholetablesofmenfromraisingtheircamera-enabledmobilephonesandclickingherpicture.You'dthinknotbeingabletovoteordanceinpublicwouldangerKuwait'syoungergenerationofwomen.Tofindout,Iheadedtothemalls-Kuwait'sarchipelagoofcivicfreedom.Eagertoduckstrictparentsandthesocialtaboosofdatinginpublic.YoungKuwaitishavetakentocafes,beamingflirtatiousinfrarede-mailstooneanotherontheircellphotos.AtStarbucksintheglitteringAlSharqMall,Ifoundonlytablesofmen,puffingcigarettesandgrumblingabouttheservice.AtPizzaHut,IthoughtI'dgotananswerafterencounteringayoungwomanwholookedeveryinchthemodernsuffragette—drainpipejeans,strappysliverhigh-heeledsandalsandahigabstuddedwithpurplerhinestones.But,no,MiriamAl-Enizi,20,studyingbusinessadministrationatKuwaitUniversity,doesn'tthinkwomenneedthevote.”Menarebetteratpoliticsthanwomen,”sheexplained,addingthatwomeninKuwaitalreadyhaveeverythingtheyneed.Welcometodemocracy,Kuwaitstyle.
16.Accordingtothepassage,whichofthefollowinggroupsofpeoplemightbeviewedasbeingdangerousbytheguards?
A.Foreigntourists. B.Womenprotestors.
C.Foreignjournalists. D.MembersoftheNationalAssembly.
17.Thebillgivingwomenthevotedidnotmanagetopassbecause
A.Differentinterestgroupshelddifferentconcerns.
B.Liberalsdidnotreachconsensusamongthemselves.
C.Parliamentwascontrolledbytraditionalists.
D.Parliamentmemberswereallconservatives.
18.Whatistheroleofthe4thand5thparagraphsinthedevelopmentofthetopic?
A.ToshowhowKuwaitiwomenenjoythemselves.
B.TodescribehowwomenworkandstudyinKuwait.
C.Toprovideacontrasttotheprecedingparagraphs.
D.Toprovideacontrasttotheprecedingparagraphs.
19.WhichofthefollowingisNOTtrueaboutyoungKuwaitiwomen?
A.Theyseemtobequitecontented.
B.TheygoinforWesternfashions.
C.Theydesiremorethanmodernnecessities.
D.Theyfavourtheuseofhi-techproducts.
TextC
Richard,KingofEnglandfrom1189to1199,withallhischaracteristicvirtuesandfaultscastinaheroicmouldisoneofthemostfascinatingmedievalfigures.Hehasbeendescribedasthecreatureandembodimentoftheageofchivalry,Inthosedaysthelionwasmuchadmiredinheraldry,andmorethanonekingsoughttolinkhimselfwithitsrepute.WhenRichard'scontemporariescalledhim"CoeurdeLion"(TheLionheart),theypaidalastingcomplimenttothekingofbeasts.Li