2001年英语专业八级考试真题（附听力mp3及答案）

　　TEXT F

　　First read the question.?

　　32. The writer of the passage mainly intends to___.?

　　A. criticize Germany’s tax system?

　　B. help companies ease their tax burden?

　　C. examine the current corporate tax rates?

　　D. propose ways to reform the tax system?

　　Now go through TEXT F quickly to answer question32.?

　　One major reason for Germany’s high unemployment and the evident weakness o f businessinvestment is the nature of the tax system, which tends to discourage both individual effortand investment. Nominal corporate tax rates are, in fact , very high and it is these rates thatpotential investors primarily look at. Ho wever, the actual burden borne by companies is not asgreat as it might seem, be cause the tax base is fairly narrow. This combination in itself tendto encourag e tax avoidance at both the personal and corporate levels. Moreover, by international standards, firms in Germany are still taxed quite heavily.?

　　A reform of corporate taxation, therefore, should start by, reducing tax r ates, cuttingsubsidies and broadening the taxable base. The resulting positive impact on growth would bereinforced if there were also a substantial easing of the net burden.?

　　How do the current plans for a reform of corporate taxation measure up to these goals?The overall tax burden on companies is to be brought down significa ntly, with the ceiling of35 % being set. To this end, a dramatic reduction in t he corporate tax on retained earningsis planned. The related drop in revenues i s to be offset by changes in the rules governing taxbreaks.?

　　An approach incorporating these basic features would be a welcome step. I f realized in itspresents form, it should ensure that the objective of making t ax rates more attractive forbusinesses is achieved. At the same time, however, it would be unfortunate if an excessivebroadening of the taxable base made it i mpossible to attain the equally important goal ofproviding relief.?

　　Comprehensive tax reform is needed in Germany to spur investment and to cre ate new jobs,thus putting the economy on a higher growth path. The drop in reve nues caused by the taxrelief granted to both companies and households would, in time, be at least partially offset bythe larger volume of tax receipts produce d by economic growth. The gaps that remainedshould primarily be closed through spending cuts. If measure of this sort proved inadequate,then, as a last resort , an increase in indirect taxes could perhaps be considered.?

　　TEXT G

　　First read the question.?

　　33. The following passage emphasizes the role of ___ in health conservation.?

　　A. advertising B. research C. governments D. taxation

　　Now go through TEXT G quickly to answer question 33.?

　　Most of the ill health we suffer could be prevented if people made more effo rt to change theirlife styles. Instead many people continue to smoke, to drink excessively and to eat unbalanceddiets. How can governments help people conserv e their health and avoid premature death??

　　Well, many of the measures which need to be taken are primarily a matter of new legislationand need not be expensive. One of the first preventive health m easures should be an increasein taxes on tobacco to the point at which consumpt ion falls off. The aim should be to raise thesame amount of revenue from a decr easing number of people. In the short term such a policycould even raise extra money which should then be spent on subsidizing sport so thatadvertising tobacc o through sports sponsorship could be banned.?

　　Legislation is badly needed to ban all advertising of tobacco products as i t persuades people tosmoke more and so is in a large part responsible for the i ll health and thousands of prematuredeaths caused by cancer of the lung. Other measures should be enforced, such as a muchtougher health warning on cigarette packets, and tobacco companies should be made tocontribute to research into a c ure for lung cancer.?

　　Alcoholism could be prevented by making wines, spirits and strong beers mor e expensive andthe revenue raised could be used to set up clinics to help the p eople who already have a drinkproblem and want to give up. Similarly all advert ising of alcohol should be banned andcompensation paid to families of alcoholic s who die of cirrhosis of the liver.? A country’s foodand agricultural policy should also be based on a coheren t health policy. For political reasons itis considered important to have a relat ively cheap supply of eggs, cheese and milk, the veryfoods which are blamed as the cause of heart disease when eaten in excess. And even if it isdisputed that excess animal fat is detrimental to health, foods could be labelled with the average percentage of different fats so that consumers who wanted to reduce their saturated fatintake would be able to do so easily.?

　　Much more could be done to improve people’s diet in Britain and everyone s h ould beencouraged to eat the types of food which are good for health. Current r esearch on thenutritional value of foods should be freely available and the gov ernment should control theadvertising of “rubbish” food. A programme of healt h education and lessons on sensibleeating could be started in the schools with th e Government’s backing. ?

　　TEXT H

　　First read the question.?

　　34. The passage is primarily ___ in the development of the thesis.?

　　A. persuasive B. descriptive?C. narrative D. expository?

　　Now go through TEXT H quickly to answer question 34.?

　　The question remains: must we conform? Or can we, somehow, resist the power s thatconspire to domesticate us? And if so, with what arms are we to redeem ou r almost-lostmanhood? Where are we to find the weapons of resistance??

　　I believe that the question of conformity, in the long run, answers itself. I think that if therewas a possibility, once, of a yes or no——if at one time humans could decide “we mustconform” or “we must not” —— that possibilit y ha s been lost in the long reaches ofevolution, far back along the corridors of Ti me. The simple truth is that we cannot conform.?Built into man, is an instinct. I have chosen to call it the “instinct of rebellion”, since it revealsitself as a drive or urge toward mastery over ever y obstacle, natural or man-made, thatstands as a barrier between man and his dis tant, perhaps never-to-be-achieved but alwaysstriven after goals. It is this in stinct that underwrites his survival, this instinct from which hederives his na ture: a great and powerful dynamic that makes him what he is——restless,seekin g, curious, forever unsatisfied, eternally straggling and eventually victorious. Becauseof the instinct of rebellion man has never been content with the limits of his body; it has ledhim to extend his senses almost infinitely, so that his fingers now probe space, his eyesmagnify the nuclei of atoms, and his ears det ect whispers from the bottoms of seas. Becauseof the instinct of rebellion man has never been content with the limits of his mind; it has ledhim to inquire th e secrets of the universe, to gather and learn and manipulate the fabulousinven tory of the cosmos, to seek the very mysteries of creation.?

　　Man is a rebel. He is committed by his biology not to conform, and herein lies the paramountreason for the awful tension he experiences today in relation to Society. Unlike other cream ofearth, man cannot submit, cannot surrender hi s birthright of protest, for rebellion is one ofhis essential dimensions. He ca n not deny it and remain man. In order to live he must rebel.Only total annihila tion of humanity as a species can eliminate this in-built necessity. Onlywith t he death of the last man will the revolt that is the essence of his nature also die.?

　　TEXT I

　　First read the questions.?

　　35. According to the census prediction, the average male Americans will b e expected to liveup to ___ years of age by 2050.?

　　A.73.3 B.75.1 C.81.3 D. 83.6?

　　36. Crime experts predict that in the near future crime rates will first decrease in ___.

　　A. South and Southwest B. North and Northeast? C. Southwest and Midwest D. Northeast andMidwest

　　Now go through TEXT I quickly to answer questions 35 & 36.?

　　If past is prologue, then it ought to be possible to draw some modest concl usions about thefuture from the wealth of data about America’s present. Will t h e rate continue to fall? Willsingle-person households actually swamp the tradit ional family??

　　All projections, of course, must be viewed with a healthy dose of skeptici sm. Nonetheless, theurge to make sense of what lies ahead is inescapable. After the 1980 census, the CensusBureau decided for the first time to venture some f orecasts of its own for the decades tocome. Working from what America already k nows about itself, the bureau’s experts and otherdemographers offer an irresis tible, if clouded, crystal ball among their visions.?

　　According to the census projections, female life expectancy will increase from 78.3 years in1981 to 81.3 in the year 2005. The life expectancy of America n men will grow from 70.7 forbabies born in 1981 to 73.3 years in 2005.And by t he year 2050, women will have a lifeexpectancy of 83.6 years and men of at leas t 75.1. ?

　　Annual population growth will slow to almost nothing by 2050. In fact, the Census Bureaupredicts that the rate of natural increase will be negative after 2035; only continuingimmigration will keep it growing after that. The total pop ulation will be 268 million in 2000 and309 million—an all-time high—in 2050. After that, it will start to decline.?

　　The American population will grow steadily older. From 11.4 percent in 198 1, the proportionof the population that is 65 and over will grow to 13.1 percen t in 2000 and 21.7 percent in2050. The percentage of the population that lives beyond the age of 85 will mere thanquintuple over the same period. Meanwhile th e median age—30.3 in 1981— will rise to 36.3 by2000 and 41.6 50 years later.

　　? When it comes to the quality of life, more prognosticators are fairly cauti ous. John Hopkinssociologist Andrew Cherlin observes that “as we enter the 198 0 s, the pace of change appearsto have slowed.” For the next few decades, he pre d icts, there may be only modest swings inthe marriage, birth and divorce rates—giving society time to adjust to the new patterns thathave formed in recent y ears. “We are in a plateau in our family patterns that will likely lastawhile, ”Cherlin maintains. Crime expert Alfred Blumstein, who foresees a drop in crime over thecoming decade, predicts that the Northeast and Midwest, with stable but aging populations,will see the falloff first; for the South and Southwest, wit h their large proportions of youngerpeople, the improvement will come less quic kly.?

　　TEXT J

　　First read the questions.?

　　37. The formal diplomatic relations between China and the United States w ere established on___.?

　　A. February 28,1972 B. January 28,1979? C. December 16,1978 D. January 1,1979

　　38. The Five Principles for the establishment of a new type of Sino -US r elationship were putforward by Chinese President Jiang Zemin in ___.?

　　A. Seattle B. Jakarta ?C. Manila D. New York

　　Now go through TEXT J quickly to answer questions 37 & 38.?

　　The following is a list of some of the major events in Sino-US relations fr om February 1972 toMay 1998.?

　　February 21 — 28, 1972 : The US President Richard Nixon paid an official vi sit to China, duringwhich a Sino-US joint communique was issued in Shanghai.?

　　May 1, 1973 : The liaison offices set up by China and the US in each other’ s capital startedfunctioning.?

　　December 16, 1978 : China and the US issued a joint communique which called for theestablishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries on Janua ry 1,1979.?

　　January 1, 1979 : China and the US formally established diplomatic ties.?

　　January 28—February 5,1979 : Then Chinese vice-Premier Deng Xiaoping paid a n official visit tothe US, during which two agreements were signed on scientifi c , technological and cultural co-operation between the two countries.?

　　August 17, 1982 : The Chinese and the US governments issued a joint communiq ue underwhich the US promised to gradually reduce its sales of weapons to Taiwa n until the completesettlement of the problem.?

　　April 26—May 1, 1984 : Then US President Ronald Reagan visited China, durin g which the twocountries signed four agreements on avoiding double-taxation and tax evasion and initiatedan agreement on co-operation on the peaceful use of n uclear energy.?

　　July 23 —31, 1985 :Then Chinese President Li Xiannian visited the US, the first visit by aChinese head of state since the founding of the People’s Repub lic of China in 1949.?

　　February 25 — 6, 1989 : Then US President George Bush paid a working visit to China.?November 19, 1993 : Chinese President Jiang Zemin held talks with US Preside nt Bill Clintonduring the informal Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) le adership meeting in Seattle.?

　　November 14, 1994 : Chinese President Jiang Zemin, on the sidelines of atten ding an informalAPEC leadership meeting in Bogor, met US President Bill Clinton in Jakarta and put forward theFive Principles for the establishment of a new t ype of Sino-US relationship.? October 24, 1995 : Chinese President Jiang Zemin met US President Bill Clin ton in New York while attending thespecial conference held for marking the 50a anniversary of the founding of the UnitedNations.?

　　November 24, 1996 : Chinese President Jiang Zemin met US President Bill Cli nton at aninformal APEC leadership meeting in Manila.?

　　February 24, 1997 : US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright visited China.

　　October 26—November 3, 1997 : Chinese President Jiang Zemin paid a state v isit to the US,the first by a Chinese president in 12 years. A joint communique , issued on October 29, calledon the two countries to strengthen co-operation a nd strive for the establishment of aconstructive strategic partnership oriented to the 21(th) century, in a bid to promote worldpeace and development.?

　　March 14, 1998 : The US declared that the US-Chinese Agreement on Co-operat ion on thePeaceful Use of Nuclear Energy, which had been dormant for 13 years, could now come intoeffect.?

　　April 29—May 1, 1998 : US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright visited Ch ina. An agreementwas signed between the two countries on the establishment of a direct secure telephone link.?

　　TEXT K

　　First read the questions.?

　　39. Whose works would you most probably choose to read if you were intere sted in satire?A.Alexander Pope. B. Oliver Goldsmith.? C. R. B. Sheridan. D.W.M. Thackeray.? 40. Which of thefollowing writers was a Nobel-Prize winner??

　　A. Alexander Pope. B. John Galsworthy.? C. Thomas Hardy. D.W.M. Thackeray.?

　　Now go through TEXT K quickly to answer questions 39 & 40.?

　　JOHN GALSWORTHY ( 1867 — 1933) Although John Galsworthy wrote many good p lays, it isas a novelist and creator of the Forsyte family that he is best reme mbered. The whole progressand background of the Forsyte family over a period of forty years is told with great skill andcharm in a series of novels. Galsworth y was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1932.?

　　OLIVER GOLDSMITH ( 1728 — 1774) Born and educated in Ireland, Oliver Gold smith travelledwidely in his earlier years and the knowledge and experience he accumulated were later put togood use. He arrived in London where he made the a cquaintance of Samuel Johnson, whohelped him sell a short novel, The Vicar of W akerfield. His drama She Stoops to Conquer,produced in 1773, was a great succes s.?

　　THOMAS HARDY ( 1840 — 1928) The wild heaths of mid-Dorset are Thomas Hardy country; hewas born here, the Wessex of his novels. Hardy’s impressions of th e countryside and of naturewere the staple of much of his writing. Tess of the D 'Urbervilles, The Return of the Native andFar from the Madding Crowd are his best-known books. Hardy is also remembered for hispoetry and drama.?

　　ALEXANDER POPE (1688- 1744) Alexander Pope, poet and satirist, was born in the City ofLondon. He was largely self-educated and at an early age showed the satirical skill and metricalingenuity on which much of the fame rests. The Rape of the Lock, published in1712,established Pope’s reputation .He occupies a hi gh place among English poets.?

　　R. B. SHERIDAN (1751 - 1816) Richard Brinsley Sheridan, dramatist and poli tician, was born inIreland but educated in England. Although at first unsuccess ful, when Sheridan came toLondon he made his name as the writer of such comedie s as The Rivals, The School for Scandaland The Critic, which brilliantly expose d the intellectual and social pretensions of the time.These place Sheridan in t he forefront of the great English dramatists. He also shone as anorator in Parl iament.

　　翻译

　　试卷二 (120 min)?

　　Part Ⅳ Translation (60 min)

　　SECTION A CHINESE TO ENGLISH?

　　Translate the following underlined part of the text into English. Write your t ranslation onANSWER SHEET THREE.??

　　乔羽的歌大家都熟悉。但他另外两大爱好却鲜为人知，那就是钓鱼和喝酒。晚年的乔羽喜爱垂钓，他说：“有水有鱼的地方大都是有好环境的，好环境便会给人好 心情。我认为最好的钓鱼场所不是舒适的、给你准备好饿鱼的垂钓园，而是那极其有吸引力 的大自然野外天成的场所。”钓鱼是一项能够陶冶性情的运动，有益于身心健康。乔羽说： “钓鱼可分三个阶段：第一阶段是吃鱼;第二阶段是吃鱼和情趣兼而有之;第三阶段主要是 的趣，面对一池碧水，将忧心烦恼全都抛在一边，使自己的身心得到充分休息。”?

　　SECTION B ENGLISH TO CHINESE?

　　Translate the following underlined part of the text into Chinese. Writer your translation onANSWER SHEET THREE.?

　　Possession for its own sake or in competition with the rest of the neighbo rhood would havebeen Thoreau’s idea of the low levels. The active discipline o f heightening one’s perception ofwhat is enduring in nature would have been his idea of the high. What he saved from the lowwas time and effort he could spend on the high. Thoreau certainly disapproved of starvation,but he would put into feeding himself only as much effort as would keep him functioning formore impor tant efforts.?

　　Effort is the gist of it. There is no happiness except as we take on life- engaging difficulties.Short of the impossible, as Yeats put it, the satisfactio n we get from a lifetime depends onhow high we choose our difficulties. Robert Frost was thinking in something like the same termswhen he spoke of “The pleas u re of taking pains”. The mortal flaw in the advertised version ofhappiness is in the fact that it purports to be effortless.?

　　We demand difficulty even in our games. We demand it because without diffi culty there can beno game. A game is a way of making something hard for the fun of it. The rules of the game arean arbitrary imposition of difficulty. When someone ruins the fun, he always does so byrefusing to play by the roles. It is e asier to win at chess if you are free, at your pleasure, tochange the wholly ar bitrary roles, but the fun is in winning within the rules. No difficulty, nofun.

　　写作

　　Part Ⅴ Writing (60 min)

　　The Internet is about to take off in China. As many as 9 million people are online, a number thatis estimated to hit 20 million by the end of 2000. It is predicted that this phenomenal growthwill have great impact on our society and economy. Choose ONE aspect of our society oreconomy where you think the impact will be most strongly felt, and write an essay of about300 words entitled.??

　　THE IMPACT OF THE INTERNET ON ...?

　　In the first part of your writing you should present your thesis statement, and in the secondpart you should support the thesis statement with appropriate deta ils. In the last part youshould bring what you have written to a natural conclu sion or a summary.? Marks will beawarded for content, organization, grammar and appropriacy. Failur e to follow the aboveinstructions may result in a loss of marks.?

　　Write your composition on ANSWER SHEET FOUR.

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