2003年英语专业八级考试真题（附听力mp3及答案）

　　TEXT G

　　First read the question.

　　33. The reviewer's comments on Henry Kissinger'snew book are basically ____.

　　A. negative B. noncommittal C. unfounded D.positive

　　Now go through TEXT G quickly to answer question33.

　　Whatever you think of Henry Kissinger, you have toadmit: the man has staying power. With a new book- Does America Need a Foreign Policy? -onthe shelves, Kissinger is once again helping to shape American thinking on foreign relations.This is the sixth decade in which that statement can be said to be true.

　　Kissinger's new book is terrific. Plainly intended as an extended tutorial on policy for the newAmerican Administration, it is full of good sense and studded with occasional insights that willhave readers nodding their heads in silent agreement. A particularly good chapter on Asiarebukes anyone who unthinkingly assigns China the role once played by the Soviet Union as thenatural antagonist of the U.S.

　　Kissinger's book can also be read in another, and more illuminating, light. It is, in essence, anextended meditation on the end of a particular way of looking at the world: one where theprincipal actors in international relations are nation-states, pursuing their conception of theirown national interest, and in which the basic rule of foreign policy is that one nation does notintervene in the internal affairs of another.

　　Students of international relations call this the "Westphalian system," after the 1648 Peace ofWestphalia that ended Europe's Thirty Years War, a time of indescribable carnage waged in thename of competing religions. The treaties that ended the war put domestic arrangements-likereligion-off limits to other states. In the war's aftermath a rough-rand-ready commitment to abalance of power among neighbours took shape. Kissinger is a noted school of the balance ofpower. And he is suspicious of attempts to meddle in the internal business of others.

　　Yet Kissinger is far too sophisticated to attempt to recreate a world that is lost. "Today," hewrites, "the Westphalian order is in systematic crisis."In particular, nation-states are nolonger the sole drivers of the international system. In some cases, groups of states-like theEuropean Union or Mercosur-have developed their own identities and agendas. Economicglobalization has both blurred the boundaries between nations and given a substantialinternational role to those giant companies for whom such boundaries make little sense. Intoday's world, individuals can be as influential as nations; future historians may consider thesupport for public health of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to be more noteworthy thanlast week's United Nations conference on AIDS. And a large number of institutions arepremised on the assumption that intervention in the internal affairs of others is oftendesirable. Were that not the case, Slobodan Milosevic would not have been surrendered lastweek to the jurisdiction of the war crimes tribunal in the Hague.

　　The consequences of these changes are profound. Kissinger is right to note that globalizationhas undermined the role of the nation-state less in the case of the U.S. (Why? Because it'smore powerful than anyone else.) Elsewhere, the old ways of thinking about the "nationalinterest"-that guiding light of the Westphalian system-have fewer adherents than they oncedid.

　　TEXT H

　　First read the question

　　34. In the passage the author expresses his concern about ____.

　　A. the survival of small languages

　　B. globalization in the post-Cold War era

　　C. present-day technological progress

　　D. ecological imbalance

　　Now go through TEXT H quickly to answer question 34.

　　During the past century, due to a variety of factors, more than 1 000 of the world's languageshave disappeared, and it is possible to foresee a time, perhaps 100 years from now, whenabout half of today's 6 000 languages will either be dead or dying.

　　This startling rate of linguistic extinction is possible because 96 per cent of the world'slanguages are now spoken only by 4 per cent of the world's population.

　　Globalization in the post-Cold War era has witnessed the coming of the information age, whichhas played an important role in promoting economic co-operation but which has, at the sametime, helped facilitate the assimilation of smaller cultural systems into a larger, mostly English-speaking whole.

　　Internet and other forms of mass media have succeeded in making English the worldwidestandard.? In 1998, the Seminar on Technological Progress & Development of the Present-day World was held in China. At the seminar, many participants expressed concern over thepotential risks associated with excessive dependency on information technology. Thesecritics claimed a move from "information monopoly" to "information hegemony" could possiblybecome just another way for the strong to dominate the weak, culturally as well aseconomically.

　　In other words, life in a technology-and information-based global society may lead to a newsocial stratification, in which linguistic assimilation will lead to cultural assimilation and socialinjustice will abound.

　　In the 20th century, human society's over-development caused the deterioration of theenvironment and ecological imbalance. The extinction of myriad biological species arouseddeep concern which led people to an understanding of the special importance of protecting rareanimals and plants on the brink of extinction.

　　Now we face the question, is the maintenance of cultural and linguistic diversity as importantas the preservation of pandas and Chinese white-flag dolphins

　　Given the open society in which we live, or wish to live, this question becomes complicated. Abalance must be struck between promoting international exchanges on the one hand, andtaking measures to protect "small" languages on the other hand.

　　Most widely used languages, such as the six working languages-including English and Chiese-used in the United Nations, have little to fear and need no special protection.

　　But for other, more marginal languages some measures should be taken. Professionals shouldbe trained to study and use them in order to keep them alive. Effective measures such asbilingual or multilingual education should also be implemented to protect them fromextinction.

　　To some, 6 000 may seem like an inexhaustible number of languages. To those same people,it may seem irrelevant if one or two of those languages cease to be used.

　　But what many fail to realize is that language and culture are linked. Without one, the otherdies, and so with the death of different languages we have the death of different cultures. Theextinction of languages is equal to animal extinction in this respect. The fading away of alanguage, no matter how small, causes real damage to the "ecological balance" in the field ofculture.

　　TEXT I

　　First read the questions.

　　35. The work of Project Manager is chiefly concerned with ____.

　　A. emergency relief programmes

　　B. agricultural rehabilitation

　　C. helicopter assisted surveys

　　D. strategic planning

　　36. The working contract is offered on a ____ basis.

　　A. two-month B. twenty-month C. ten-month D. twelve-month

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

　　Project Manager AGRICULTURAL REHABILITATION PROJECT, NORTHERN ETHIOPIA

　　SCF started work in Ethiopia in 1973 with an emergency relief programme in response to thefamine of that year. Since then SCF has been involved in a range of longer-term relief anddevelopment programmes to secure lasting benefits for children.

　　As a result of a helicopter assisted survey undertaken in the northem highlands of Ethiopia in2000, SCF has been involved in a number of interventions aimed at engaging with theagricultural sector in order to promote food security in the most vulnerable areas of NorthWollo.

　　As Project Manager your key task will be to manage, promote and develop all SCF's activities inthe agriculture / livestock and natural resources sectors in Wollo. You will also play a major rolein developing policy at national level.

　　To meet the challenge of this exciting new post you will need a relevant post graduatequalification; substantial experience in managing agricultural development projects in Africawith an emphasis on providing institutional support to the capacity of extension serviceswhile prompting farmer participation; ability to think and plan strategically; proven teammanagement skills; report writing and financial skills; willingness to travel extensively and liveand work in an isolated location.

　　This post is offered on a twelve-month contract with a salary of ￡ 19 294(normally tax-free).You can also expect a generous benefits package including all flights and reasonable living andaccommodation expenses.

　　For further details and an application form please apply with CV to Jenny Thomas, OverseasPersonnel Administrator, SCF, 17 Grove Lane, London SE5 8RD

　　Closing date: 30th November 2001.

　　TEXT J

　　First read the questions.

　　37. Who have found a protein called M2

　　A. Scientists from a Belgium University.

　　B. Drug-makers in Belgium.

　　C. Doctors in a Belgium hospital.

　　D. It is not mentioned.

　　38. How many causes of bad breath does the passage cite

　　A. One. B. Two. C. Three. D. Four.

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

　　The Common Cold

　　The conventional wisdom says no, but by mid-century that assessment-along with thesniffles-may well be ancient history. Colds are considered incurable today because it would takemonths to come up with a vaccine for every new strain. That's fine for the flu, which breeds inanimals and only jumps over to humans every year or two. But colds mutate even while they'reinfecting you, and new strains pop up so often that by the time drug-makers create a vaccineagainst one variation, the serum is already out of date.

　　The flu may yet point the way toward a cold cure though. Scientists at the University of Ghent,in Belgium, have found a protein called M2 that seems to be present in virtually every flu strainknown to man. Using that knowledge, they have made a vaccine that they think could protectagainst all flus-old, new and those not yet in existence.

　　If a similar protein is found in cold viruses-a protein that's present no matter what strain isinvolved-then it is possible that by 2025 or so, children could be getting a universal coldvaccine. And then they will have to listen to us old geezers reminsice about the days when weused to carry a small white cloth called a handerchief.

　　Bad Breath

　　Afraid not. Bad breath isn't an illness; it's merely a symptom of something else. In somecases, the something else really is an illness-some kidney disorder or an infection. Infectionscan usually be cured, and if you're suffering from an incurable one or from another seriouscondition, bad breath is the least of your problems.

　　Another cause is foods like onions or garlic, in which case you're out of luck: essential oils fromsuch foods get into the blood, then into the lungs, then out with each exhaled breath. Even inthe 21st century, if you want the flavour, you risk disflavour.

　　The most common reason for bad breath, though, is, to put it delicately, food moleculesrotting in the mouth. Mouthwash masks te smell, but ultimately you have to get rid of thestuff. Brushing removes larger particles, but dentists suggest brushing the back of the tongueas well, where food residues and bacteria congregate. The microscopic bits that remain mustbe flushed down by drink or saliva. But if you're waiting for a true cure, it won't happen untilwe eat all our food in pill form. In other words, don't hold you breath.

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