到专八阅读真题及答案.docx

到专八阅读真题及答案.docx

《到专八阅读真题及答案.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《到专八阅读真题及答案.docx（55页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

到专八阅读真题及答案

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.Littl