英语专八真题改错含答案

2005 The University as Business A number of colleges and universities have announced steeptuition increases for next year much steeper than the current, very low, rate of inflation. They say the increases are needed because of a loss in value of university endowments heavily investing in common 1 stock. I am skeptical. A business firm chooses the price that maximizes its net revenues, irrespective fluctuations in income; and increasingly the 2 outlook of universities in the United States is indistinguishable from those of 3 business firms. The rise in tuitions may reflect the fact economic uncertainty 4 increases the demand for education. The biggest cost of being in the school is foregoing income from a job (this is primarily a factor in 5 graduate and professional-school tuition); the poor ones job prospects, 6 the more sense it makes to reallocate time from the job market to education, in order to make oneself more marketable. The ways which universities make themselves attractive to students 7 include soft majors, student evaluations of teachers, giving students a governance role, and eliminate required courses. 8 Sky-high tuitions have caused universities to regard their students as customers. Just as business firms sometimes collude to shorten the 9 rigors of competition, universities collude to minimize the cost to them of the athletes whom they recruit in order to stimulate alumni donations, so the best athletes now often bypass higher education in order to obtain salaries earlier from professional teams. And until they were stopped by the antitrust authorities, the Ivy League schools colluded to limit competition for the best students, by agreeing not to award scholarships on the basis of merit rather than purely of need-just like business firms agreeing not to give discounts on their best 10 customer. 2006 We use language primarily as a means of communication with other human beings. Each of us shares with the community in which welive a store of words and meanings as well as agreeing conventions as 1 to the way in which words should be arranged to convey a particular 2 message: the English speaker has in his disposal vocabulary and a 3 set of grammatical rules which enables him to communicate his 4 thoughts and feelings, in a variety of styles, to the other English 5 speakers. His vocabulary, in particular, both that which he uses activelyand that which he recognizes, increases in size as he growsold as a result of education and experience. 6 But, whether the language store is relatively small or large, the systemremains no more, than a psychological reality for tike inpidual, unlesshe has a means of expressing it in terms able to be seen by another 7 member of his linguistic community; he bas to give tile system aconcrete transmission form. We take it for granted rice two most 8 common forms of transmission-by means of sounds produced by ourvocal organs (speech) or by visual signs (writing). And these are 9 among most striking of human achievements. 10 2007 From what has been said, it must be clear that no one can make very positive statements about how language originated. There is no material in any language today and in the earliest 1 _ _ records of ancient languages show us language in a new and 2 _ emerging state. It is often said, of course, that the language 3 _ _originated in cries of anger, fear, pain and pleasure, and the 4 _ necessary evidence is entirely lacking: there are no remote tribes, no ancient records, providing evidence of a language with a large proportion of such cries 5 _ than we find in English. It is true that the absence of such evidence does not disprove the theory, but in 6_ other grounds too the theory is not very attractive. People of all races and languages make rather similar noises in return to pain or pleasure. The fact that 7 such noises are similar on the lips of Frenchmen and Malaysians whose languages are utterly different, serves to emphasize on the fundamental difference 8 between these noises and language proper. We maysay that the cries of pain or chortles of amusement are largely reflex actions, instinctive to large extent, 9 whereas language proper does not consist of signsbut of these that have to be learnt and that are 10 wholly conventional.08The desire to use language as a sign of national identity is avery natural one, and in result language has played a prominent _1_part in national moves. Men have often felt the need to cultivate _2_a given language to show that they are distinctive from another _3_ race whose hegemony they resent. At the time the United States _4_split off from Britain, for example, there were proposals thatindependence should be linguistically accepted by the use of a _5_different language from those of Britain. There was even one _6_ proposal that Americans should adopt Hebrew. Others favouredthe adoption of Greek, though, as one man put it, things wouldcertainly be simpler for Americans if they stuck on to English _7_ and made the British learn Greek. At the end, as everyone _8_ knows, the two countries adopted the practical and satisfactorysolution of carrying with the same language as before. _9_Since nearly two hundred years now, they have shown the world _10_that political independence and national identity can be completewithout sacrificing the enormous mutual advantages of a commonlanguage.09专八改错原题Proofreading & Error Correction:The previous section has shown how quickly a rhyme passesfrom one school child to the next and illustrates the further difference (1)_between shcool lore and nursery lore. In nursery lore a verse, learnt in early childhood, is not usually passed on again when the little listener (2)_has grown up, and has children of their own, or even grandchildren. (3)_The period between learning a nursery rhyme and transmitting It may be something from twenty to seventy years. With the playground (4)_lore, therefore, a rhyme may be excitedly passed on within the very hour (5)_it is learnt; and in the general, it passes between children of the (6)_same age, or nearly so, since it is uncommon for the difference in age between playmates to be more than five years. If therefore, a playgroundrhyme can be shown to have been currently for a hundred years, or (7)_even just for fifty, it follows that it has been retransmitting overand over; very possibly it has passed along a chain of two or three (8)_hundred young hearers and tellers, and the wonder is that it remains live (9)_after so much handling, to let alone that it bears resemblance to the (10)_2010年专八真题改错原文So far as we can tell, all human languages are equally complete and perfect as instruments of communication: that is, every language appears to be as well equipped as any other to say the things its speakers want to say. It may or may not be appropriate to talk about primitive peoples or cultures, but that is another matter. Certainly, not all groups of people are equally competent in nuclear physics or psychology or the cultivation of rice or the engraving of Benares brass. But this is not the fault of their language. The Eskimos can speak about snow with a great deal more precision and subtlety than we can in English, but this is not because the Eskimo language (one of those sometimes miscalled primitive) is inherently more precise and subtle than English. This example does not bring to light a defect in English, a show of unexpected primitiveness. The position is simply and obviously that the Eskimos and the English live in different environments. The English language would be just as rich in terms for different kinds of snow, presumably, if the environments in which English was habitually used made such distinction important.Similarly, we have no reason to doubt that the Eskimo language could be as precise and subtle on the subject of motor manufacture or cricket if these topics formed part of the Eskimos life. For obvious historical reasons, Englishmen in the nineteenth century could not talk about motorcars with the minute discrimination which is possible today: cars were not a part of their culture. But they had a host of terms for horse-drawn vehicles which send us, puzzled, to a historical dictionary when we are reading Scott or Dickens. How many of us could distinguish between a chaise, a landau, a victoria, a brougham, a coupe, a gig, a diligence, a whisky, a calash, a tilbury, a carriole, a phaeton, and a clarence ?2005 答案解析：1. investing应改为invested。这里说“投资于”普通股中的捐赠金价值损失惨重，既然是投资，就是指人去投资，即endowments (that were)heavily invested in括号内的部分是被省略的部分，本句形式上是主动，实际意义上为被动，因此应该把investing改为invested，否则逻辑上和语法上都是说不通的。2. 在irrespective和fluctuations之间加上介词of。irrespectiveOf是一固定用法，意指“不论，不管，不顾，”等，如：irrespective Of the cost不惜工本，irrespective of the consequences不顾后果，irrespective of duty status不论职位高低。此处指公司不顾收入的波动变化。3. 把those改为that。本句的后半部分主要强调的是大学里的“看法或观点”(outlook)与企业公司的看法或观点不一样，即着眼点在于对两种不同团体看法的对比。既然前面用的是单数形式，后面也应用单数形式，基本语法规则是前后应一致，本句为代词those的误用，所以应把those改为that。4在fact和economic之间力口上关系代词that。这是一个同位语从语，that在同位语从句中是不能省略的，否则就很可能出现意思所指不清的麻烦，所以此处必须加上关系代词that。5把定冠词the去掉。定冠词与一名词连用，表示某个或某些特定的人或物或机构等，而此处的in the school，一则意思不清，二则可能指在某人正在某个具体学校做某事。这一层意思与本文上下文不相吻合。比较之下，in school是一固定说法，表示“在上学或求学”、“在校读书”正符合本文上下文的意思。因此应把定冠词去掉。6把形容词poor改为其比较级poorer。这句中的poor与后面的more形成一对比较关系，表示“越越”，根据这一思路，我们应把形容词poor改为其比较级poorer，以表达一种对称关系。7在ways和which之间加上一个介词in。在ways和which之间加上一个介词in，表示in these ways，即指通过前面提到的这些方法。相似的句子较多，如：Not all sounds made by animals serve as language，and we have only to turn to that extra ordinary discovery of echo-location in bats to see a case in which the voice plays a strictly utilitarian role(动物发出的声音并不是都能当作语言，因此我们只好求助于蝙蝠回声定位的这种非凡的发展，探究一下语音在何种情况下起着绝对有用的作用。)8这里应该用动词的lng形式，即eliminating，以便使句型结构与前面的giving(students a governance role)保持一致，否则句子结构和意思都显得不正确。9将shorten(缩短；使变短)改为reduce或weaken。此处属于用词不当。应将shorten(缩短；使变短)改为reduce(使精神垮下来；使身体瘦弱)或weaken(使削弱；使衰减)，可表示文中所表示的“减弱竞争的残酷性”。10将to give discounts on改为to give discounts to their best customer。意为实业公司给最好的客户提供优惠。而give discount on something则指就某一商品打折扣，显然与本文的上下文是相悖的。因为本文一直在讨论就如何避免为抢最好的生源而展开恶性竞争，为抢好学生捉供优厚奖学金，与公司为抢客源，给最好的客户提供优惠道理是一样的。所以应做上述改动。 2006 1. agreeing-agreed2. 加these/ those 在words前3. in his disposal- at his disposal4.enables-enable5.the other English speakers-other English speakers6.old-older7.seen-understood/ perceived/ comprehended 8.take it for granted- take for granted9.or-and 10. 加the 在most 前2007 (1)and or (2) show showing (3)去掉 the (4)and but_(5) large lager_ (6) in on_(7) return response_(8) 去掉on(9) _a_(10) these those_2008 1. in result 改成in fact，2 moves改成movements.3 distinctive改成distinct或different4 At改成When5 by 改成with6 those改成that7 删除on,8 At 改成In9 carrying with 改成 carrying on with10 Since 改成 For09 answer(1)illustrate改为illustrated（与前文的shown保持一致）(2) the 改为a （此次应该用不定冠词表示泛指）(3)their改为his（代词与前文a little listener在单复数上保持一致）(4)something 改为anything（这里anything from.to.表示大约在.之间）(5)therefore改为however （根据上下文逻辑关系）(6) in the general去掉the （习惯用法in general 表示总的来说，一般不用冠词）(7) currently 改为current （这里起的是表语的作用，需要形容词而不是副词）(8) it has passed改为 it has been passed （主动改为被动，与前文保持一致）(9) live 改为 alive （live作形容词讲为“现场直播的”意思，这样显示需要用alive)(10) to let alone改为 let alone (let alone 为习惯搭配，意思是“更不2010年专八真题改错参考答案1 be后插入 as; 2 their改为its; 3 There改为It; 4 Whereas改为But 5 further 改为much6 come改为bring; 7 similar改为different; 8 will改为would; 9 as important去掉as; 10 the part去掉the2004改错One of the most important non-legislative functions of the U.S Congressis the power to investigate. This power is usually delegated to committees - eitherstanding committees, special committees set for a specific (1)_purpose, or joint committees consisted of members of both houses. (2)_Investigations are held to gather information on the need forfuture legislation, to test the effectiveness of laws already passed,to inquire into the qualifications and performance of members andofficials of the other branches, and in rare occasions, to lay the (3)_groundwork for impeachment proceedings. Frequently, committeesrely outside experts to assist in conducting investigative hearings (4)_and to make out detailed studies of issues. (5)_There are important corollaries to the investigative power. Oneis the power to publicize investigations and its results. Most (6)_committee hearings are open to public and are reported (7)_widely in the mass media. Congressional investigationsnevertheless represent one important tool available to lawmakers (8)_to inform the citizenry and to arouse public interests in national issues.(9)_Congressional committees also have the power to compeltestimony from unwilling witnesses, and to cite for contemptof Congress witnesses who refuse to testify and for perjurythese who give false testimony. (10)_1.答案： special committees or special committees【详细解答】多项并列用句型either.or.or。2.答案：consisted consisting【详细解答】consist of 意思是“由.构成”，故该处应用现在分词短语。3.答案：in on【详细解答】固定搭配on .occasions4.答案：rely rely on【详细解答】固定搭配rely on sb. to do something5.答案：make out make【详细解答】make out 意思是“辨认出”，而此处意思是“对.做详细的研究”，故用“make detailed studies of.” 即可。6.答案：its their【详细解答】此处指代的是“investigations”, 故用复数。7.答案： public the public【详细解答】the +adj. 可表示某一类人，此处意思是“面向公众”，故应用“the public”。8.答案：nevertheless therefore (thus)【详细解答】此处不是表示意思的转折，而是与前文构成因果关系，故可改为therefore 或thus。9.答案：citizenry citizens【详细解答】citizenry 为集体名词，意为“全体公民”，且为旧用法；citizens指公民，强调具体的群体。10.答案：these those【详细解答】those 指代witnesses , 即指代名词复数做定语从句的先行词，而these不行2003改错Demographic indicators show that Americans in the postwar period were more eager than ever to establish families. They quickly brought down the age at marriage for both men and women and brought the birth rate to a twentieth century height after more than a hundred (1)_ years of a steady decline, producing the “baby boom.” These young (2)_ adults established a trend of early marriage and relatively large families that Went for more than two decades and caused a major (3)_ but temporary reversal of long-term demographic patterns. From the 1940S through the early 1960s, Americans married at a high rate (4)_ and at a younger age than their Europe counterparts.(5)_ Less noted but equally more significant, the men and women on who (6)_ formed families between 1940 and 1960 nevertheless reduced the (7)_ divorce rate after a postwar peak; their marriages remained intact to a greater extent than did that of couples who married in earlier as well (8)_ as later decades. Since the United States maintained its dubious (9)_ distinction of having the highest divorce rate in the world, the temporary decline in divorce did not occur in the same extent in (10)_ Europe. Contrary to fears of the experts, the role of breadwinner and homemaker was not abandoned.1. 答案： heighthigh【详细解答】 height为不可数名词，意为“高度，身高，海拔，顶点”等，故此处应改为可数名词high。2 答案：a【详细解答】 此处steady decline指稳定下降的行为、过程而不是其结果，为不可数名词，故应去掉定冠词a。3 答案：wenton【详细解答】 go on为固定搭配，意为“持续”。4 答案：highhigher【详细解答】 根据上下文，此处应为比较级。5 答案：EuropeEuropean【详细解答】 根据上下文，此处应用形容词作定语修饰名词counterparts。6 答案： more【详细解答】 由上下文可知，more与equally矛盾，故应去掉。7 答案：neverthelessalso【详细解答】 由上下文可知，此处讲的内容与前部分内容之间为递进关系，而非转折关系。8 答案： thatthose【详细解答】 由上下文可知，此处所指代的应为前面复数形式的marriages，故指示代词也应该用复数形式。9 答案： SinceAlthough（或While）【详细解答】 从逻辑上讲，此处应表达让步关系，而非因果关系。10 答案：into【详细解答】 toextent为固定搭配，意为“到程度”2002改错There are great impediments to the general use of a standard in pronunciation comparable to that existing in spelling (orthography). One is the fact that pronunciation is learntnaturally and unconsciously, and orthography is learnt1._deliberately and consciously. Large numbers of us, in fact, remain throughout our lives quite unconscious with what our2._speech sounds like when we speak out, and it often comes as a3._shock when we firstly hear a recording of ourselves. It is not a4._voice we recognize at once, whereas our own handwriting is something which we almost always know. We begin the5._natural learning of pronunciation long before we start learning to read or write, and in our early years we went on unconsciously6._ imitating and practicing the pronunciation of those around us for many more hours per every day than we ever have to spend7._ learning even our difficult English spelling. This is natural,8._therefore, that our speech-sounds should be those of our immediate circle; after all, as we have seen, speech operates as a means of holding a community and giving a sense of9._belonging. We learn quite early to recognize a stranger,someone who speaks with an a