2009年英语专八考试人文知识预测

2009 年英语专八考试人文知识预测 录入者:tangigle | 时间:2008-11-24 20:27:00 | 作者: | 来源: | 浏览:3116 次 1.Where is Belfast? A.In Ireland. B. In Wales C. In Northern Ireland. D. In Scotland. 2.The capital of New Zealand is_ A.Canberra. B. Ottawa. C. Wellington. D. Washington. 3.Which of the following is NOT a U.K. newspaper? A.The Guardian. B. Christian Science Monitor. C. The Daily Telegraph. D. The Times. 4.The community college is a kind of_ college popular in_ to satisfy the needs of both the individual and the society. A.five-year; U.K. B. four-year; U.K. C. three-year; U.S. D. two-year; U.S. 5.James Joyce was a famous_ whose masterpiece Ulysses has been highly eulogized in the Western literary world as one of the greatest works in the 20th century. A.Essayist. B. novelist. C. poet. D. playwright. 6.George Gordon Byron was famous for the following works except_ A.Child Harolds Pilgrimage. B. Queen Mab. C. Hours of Idleness. D. Don Juan. 7.Which of the following is Nathaniel Hawthornes most noteworthy novel in the world? A.Gone with the Wind. B. For Whom the Bell Tolls. C. American Tragedy. D. The Scarlet Letter 8.The study of the rules whereby words or other elements of sentence structure are combined to form grammatical sentences is_. A.syntax B. semantics C. morphology D. sociolinguistics 9.Words like “Xerox” and ”Kodak” are formed by_ A.back-formation B. blending C. coinage D. acronym 10.Which of the following is NOT an approach for English language to enrich its vocabulary in the past several centuries? A.Borrowing B. Upgradation C. Narrowing D. Widening 参考答案： CCBDB BDACB The following is part of a business plan being discussed at a board meeting of the Perks Company. “It is no longer cost-effective for the Perks Company to continue offering its employees a generous package of benefits and incentives year after year. In periods when national unemployment rates are low, Perks may need to offer such a package in order to attract and keep good employees, but since national unemployment rates ape now high, Perks does not need to offer the same benefits and incentives. The money thus saved could be better used to replace the existing plant machinery with more technologically sophisticated equipment, or even to build an additional plant.“ Perks 公司董事会上讨论的一个商业计划： “Perks 公司年复一年地继续给他的员工慷慨地提供利益和奖励措施已不再有助 于有效地控制成本。当国家的失业率较低时，Perks 公司可能需要用一系列手段 吸引和留住好员工；但现在国家的失业率较高，因此 Perks 公司不再需要提供 同样的利益和激励措施，剩余的资金可以更好地用于将现有的车间设备更换为 技术上更有保证的设备，甚至是建立一个新的车间。” 【试题分析】 这是一个评论型作文题目。题目涉及的是一家公司就失业率的变化而调整对员 工的奖励措施的商业计划。本题目的评论有一定的难度，这就需要考生在写作 中很好的抓住题目的关键部分，即最后的结论部分。在结论部分展开评论可能 会更有力于考生对题目的深入认识，挖掘更深层次的问题。 【范文】 I agree with the above argument. When national employment rate are low, we should cancel the incentives rewards and reduce the average incomes of the employees. And this money saved can be used to do other important things. On the one hand, when national unemployment rates are high, we should stop offering the employees a generous package of benefits; or else, you cannot compete to your rivals for your high cost spent on labor. My previous company was a gas company which bought and so1d Liquefied Petroleum Gas. When the national employment rates were low, the competitors of our company condensed their employees wages greatly and thus they out their running cost significantly. But no employees in our company supported to reduce their incomes. So, their LPG unit prices were lower than those of our company. But, if our company wanted to sell the same price as other competitors, we would lose money. And then if we kept losing money, our company would be bankrupt. In the end all the employees would lose jobs and because the unemployment rates were high at that time, it was not easy for them to find other good jobs at all. Therefore, we must stop offering generous benefits to our employees and it would be beneficial to both our company and our employees. You know that if only our company is existed, our employees will have more or less incomes and of course it is much better than the losing of our jobs. On the other hand, in the time of high unemployment rates, if you stop offering your employees a considerable package of benefits and incentives, will the employees leave your company?. The answer is “No“ certainly. I give you the same example of our previous company. A lot of employees complained that their yearly income had been reduced and threatened to leave the company. But no one really quit his job because our staffs incomes were still a bit high than that of other companies and it was not easy for a person to find another good job. In conclusion, the above reasoning for its arguments is logical. When national employment rates are low, you must reduce your employees income to compete youre your competitors. The money saved can be used to reduce the price of your products, replace old equipment and do other investments to build up your business. “To be successful, companies should trust their workers and 8ive them as much freedom as possible. Any company that tries to control employees behavior through a strict system of rewards and punishments will soon find that such controls have a negative effect on employee morale and, consequently, on the companys success.“ 译文： “企业为了成功，就应该相信他们的工人并给他们尽可能多的自由。任何试 图通过严格的奖惩制度控制雇员行为的公司将很快发现这种控制对员工的士气 进而是公司的成功有着负面影响。” 【试题分析】 本题目是一道关于企业成功和员工自由之间关系问题的立论型题 目。题目的主张是建立自由的、有利于鼓舞员工士气的公司管理制度，而不是 通过严格的奖罚制度来控制员工的行为。针对于该评论型作文，考生自然会分 成支持题目观点和反对题目观点的两派。如果同意文中观点的话，考生在写作 时更多要注重论述的应该是自由的宽松管理制度对鼓舞员工士气的作用，以及 严格的奖惩制度带给员工的压力和一些负面影响。而如果是反对题目观点的话， 自当是要论述自由的管理制度的弊病，带给公司的损失，对员工的害处，以及 奖惩制度能带给企业和员工的好处等。 【范文】 The above stated attitude is that success in business is promoted by giving employees the greatest possible freedom and trust them, and avoiding the strict systems of punishment and reward. Even though I agree with the speakers standpoint, I would qualify It somewhat. Employee freedom must be balanced against sound systems of managerial control and accountability. And certain rewards and punishments are appropriate, and are effective incentives employee to work harder and better. First of all, current many researches suggest that employee freedom is much better for business than the strict system. For instance, employees are given the freedom to develop their own methods for completing tasks. Additionally, employees with a larger role in company in decision-making processes experience a sense of greater investment in their jobs and, in turn, become more creative and productive. Nevertheless, employee freedom cannot be unlimited. To keep projects successfully on track, some system of managerial control is needed also. Secondly, employers who want to motivate worker by the rigid systems of reward and punishment are finding that this method often backfires. For one thing, people show antipathy and resist being driven by the whip, sc to speak. For another thing, employees who focus on the promise of an external reward tend to be less personally committed to the task at hand. It is obvious that the reward would become more important than their work. In both above given instances, quality and productivity are likely to suffer. Nonetheless, employees who hope to be retained or promoted should expect to be held accountable for their job performance. In addition, there should be special payment for work done creatively, or especially well. For example, an unexpected additional benefit at the end of a successful project is a fitting reward that provides an encouragement for future effort without risking the pitfalls of a stricter system. In sum, it is better for business to avoid controlling employees by rigorous and Inflexible systems, including firm punishments and reward. People work more creatively and productively when given a measure of freedom on their jobs. Certainly, this does not mean that company should abandon systems of accountability, or managerial control over projects. 1 _is the largest city and the chief port of the United States. A Washington D.C. B Los Angeles C San Francisco D New York City 2 _ enjoys the worst social and economic conditions. A Blacks B Hispanics C Indians D Asian Americans 3 Washington D.C. is named after_. A the U.S. President George Washington B Christopher Columbus C both George Washington and Christopher Columbus D none of them 4 American and British English are two_ of the English language. A varieties B elements C parts D form 5 The first American president to be elected from the Republican Party was_. A Thomas Jefferson B James Monroe C James Madison D Abraham Lincoln 6 Of the fifty states, the smallest state in area is_. A Rhode Island B Virginia C Texas D Montana 7 The national flag of the United States is known as_. A the Star-Spangled Banner B Uncle Sam C Hot Dog D Union Jack 8 The number of the Representatives from each American state depends on the _. A contribution a state has made to the nation B population C size D none of the above 9 The tern “Father of Waters” is used to refer to _. A the Amazon River B the Mississippi River C the Nile River D the Hudson River 10 The statue of liberty was given to American people by_ as a gift in 1884. A France B Spain C Italy D Britain 参考答案： 1 D, 纽约是美国最大的城市同时也是最重要的经济中心和最主要的港口。 2 A, 黑人在美国的经济和社会地位都最为低下。 3 C, 首都命名为华盛顿是为了纪念美国的第一任总统乔治华盛顿，而联邦直辖区 命名为哥伦比亚特区是为了纪念第一位从欧洲横渡大西洋到达西半球的探险家克里 斯多拂哥伦布。 4 A, 美国英语和英国英语是英语语言的两种变体。 5 D, 美国历史上的第一位共和党总统是亚伯拉罕林肯。 6 A, 美国国土面积最小的是罗得岛。 7 A, 美国的国旗是星条旗。 8 B, 美国每个州派往众议院的代表人数应与本州人口成比例。 9 B, 美国的“众河之父”指的是密西西比河。 10 A, 美国的自由女神像是法国人赠予的礼物。 Uncle Lot And so I am to write a story -but of what, and where? Shall it be radiant with the sky of Italy or eloquent with the beau ideal of Greece? Shall it breathe odor and languor from the orient, or chivalry from the occident? or gayety from France? or vigor from England? No, no; these are all too old-too romance-like -too obviously picturesque for me. No; let me turn to my own land-my own New England; the land of bright fires and strong hearts; the land of deeds, and not of words; the land of fruits, and not of flowers; the land often spoken against, yet always respected; “The latchet of whose shoes the nations of the earth are not worthy to unloose.“ Now from this very heroic apostrophe, you may suppose that I have something very heroic to tell. By no means. It is merely a little introductory breeze of patriotism, such as occasionally brushes over every mind, bearing on its wings the remembrance of all we ever loved of cherished in the land of our early years; and if it should seem to be rodomontade to any people in other parts of the earth, let them only imagine it to be said about “Old Kentucky,“ old England, or any other corner of the world in which they happened to be born and they will find it quite rational. But, as touching our story, it is time to begin. Did you ever see the little village of Newbury, ii1 New England? I dare say you never did; for it was just one of those out-of-the-way places where nobody ever came unless they came on purpose: a green little hollow, wedged like a birds nest between half a dozen high hills, that kept off the wind and kept out foreigners; so that the little place was as straitly sui generis as if there were not another in the world. The inhabitants were at! of that respectable old steadfast family who make it a point to be born, bred, married, to die, and be buried all in the selfsame spot. There were just so many houses, and just so many people lived in them; and nobody ever seemed to be sick, or to die either, at least while I was there. The natives grew old till they could not grow any older, ant/then they stood still, and lasted from generation to generation. There was, too, an unchangeability about all the externals of Newbury. Here was a red house, and there was a brown house, and across the way was a yellow house; and there was a straggling rail fence or a tribe of mullein stalks between. The minister lived here, and Squire Moses lived them, and Deacon Hart lived under the hill, and Messrs. Nadab and Abihu Peters lived by the crossroad, and the old “widder“ Smith lived by the meeting-house, and Ebenezer Camp kept a shoemakers shop on one side, and Patience Mosely kept a milliners shop in front; and there was old Comfort Scran, who kept store for the whole town, and sold axeheads, brass thimbles, licorice balls, fancy handkerchiefs, and everything else you can think of. Here, too, was the general post- office, where you might see letters marvelously folded, directed wrong side upward, stamped with a thimble, and superscribed to some of the Dollys, or Pollys, or Peters, or Moseses aforenamed or not named. For the rest, as to manners, morals, arts, and sciences, the people in Newbury always went to their parties at three oclock in the afternoon, and came home before dark; always stopped all work the minute the sun was down on Saturday night; always went to meeting on Sunday; had a schoolhouse with all the ordinary inconveniences; were in neighborly charity with each other; read their Bibles, feared: their God, and were content with such things as they had-the best philosophy, after all. 31. In the first paragraph the author contrasts the East and the West as A. indolent and gallant. B. charming and rude. C. foreign and familiar. D. passive and aggressive. 32. In the second paragraph we can see that the author assumes her readers A. prefer rigorous arguments. B. share similar feelings. C. need a lot of persuading. D. dislike figurative language, 33. The author chooses New England as her subject matter because she knows it well because its inhabitants are _ A. talkative rather than diligent. B. productive rather than self- indulgent. C. romantic rather than serious. D. charming rather than admired. 34. The facts in the passage indicate that village of Newbury is A. accustomed to seeing vagabonds. B. a densely populated area. C. socially and politically progressive. D. located in a remote part of the country. 35. The authors view of Newbury is _ A. retrospective. B. detached. C. impartial. D. skeptical. New Spin on Tracking Destructive Tornadoes As spring unfolds across North America, tornadoes once again are in the news. Its are minder that the United States is the severe-storm capital of the world. Describing this status recently in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, Elbert W. Friday Jr National Weather Service director, observed that the United States experiences more severe local storms and flooding than any other country in the world. He added that a typical year brings some 10,000 violent thunderstorms, 5,000 floods, and 1,000 tornadoes. Yet the country is not helpless before this onslaught. Thanks to advances in meteorological knowledge and in the forecast and warning system, the tornado death rate, for example, has been cut in half in recent decades. Its down from nearly 2,000 per decade 60 years ago to less than 1,000 per decade today. Now the weather service is poised for what Mr. Friday calls “a meteorological revolution. Sharp-eyed new radars, more vigilant weather satellites, and computerized-information handling will bring what he calls dramatic improvements in . forecasts and . detection of and warnings for severe weather. This is particularly true for tornadoes. These funnel-shaped circulations develop in association with severe thunderstorms. As the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colo., explains the funnels often form at the thundercloud base. But tornado spotters also have to watch whats happening on the ground. The first clue may be swirling dust and debris. Of the 710 to 1.000 tornadoes reported annually in the US, about American Meteorological Society calls “weak“. About 20 percent are “strong.“ About 1percent are violent. Weak funnels last under !0 minutes and have wind speeds on the order of 11O miles per hour (m.p.h.) They leave ground tracks less than a mile long and 100 yards wide. Although called “weak,“ they are potentially dangerous, while their short lifetimes make timely warnings difficult. Strong tornadoes last from 10 minutes to more than two hours. Maximum winds, as estimated from damage surveys, range up to 280 mph or higher. A single thunderstorm cell may produce these powerful tornadoes in cycles. Each such sequence may last for tens of minutes. It can leave damage trails over 100 miles long by 1,000 yards wide. Tornadoes have touched down throughout North America in every month of the But NCAR notes that they occur predominantly over the Great Plains and Midwest and are common in Eastern states and the Gulf of Mexico. Their region of most frequent occurrence begins near the Gulf Coast in March and shifts toward Kansas, Iowa, and Nebraska by May and June. A weather satellite launched April 13 will help forecasters monitor this tornado “season”. The $ 220 million GOES-8 (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite), the first of five improved weather “eyes,“ can pinpoint storms to within 1.2 miles, compared with 6.2 to 12.4 miles for the old system, A new class of radars is also part of the meteorological “revolution. Unlike their predecessors, they sense motion of clouds, rain, and wind-borne debris. There will be 150 such radar sites. The National Weather Service will have 12.4 miles. The Federal Aviation Agency and the Department of Defense will operate the other installations and share data with the Weather Service. 26. When compared to other countries, the passage states that the United States A. has a greater number of serious storms. B. fails to predict most violent thunderstorms. C. never experiences typhoons. D. is often hit by hurricanes. 27. According to paragraph four, the U.S. Weather Service is A. reluctant to chang