2004年英语专业八级考试真题（附听力mp3及答案）

2004年英语专业八级考试真题（附听力mp3及答案）

　　听力原文

　　PART Ⅰ LISTENING COMPREHENSION?

　　SECTION A TALK?

　　Language is used for doing things. People use it ineveryday conversation for transacting business,planning meals and vacations, debating politics, andgossiping. Teachers use it for instructing students,and comedians use it for amusing audiences. All these are instances of language use - that isactivities in which people do things with language. As we can see, language use is really a formof joint action. ?

　　What is joint action? I think it is an action that is carried out by a group of people doing thingsin coordination with each other. As simple examples, think of two people waltzing, or playing apiano duet. When two dancers waltz, they each move around the ballroom in a special way.But waltzing is different from the sum of their individual actions. Can you imagine these twodancers doing the same steps, but in separate rooms, or at separate times? So waltzing is, infact, the joint action that emerges as the two dancers do their individual steps incoordination, as a couple. ?

　　Similarly, doing things with language is also different from the sum of the speaker speaking andthe listener listening. It is the joint action that emerges when speakers and listeners, orwriters and readers, perform their individual actions in coordination, as ensembles. Therefore,we can say that language use incorporates both individual and social processes. Speakers andlisteners, writers and readers, must carry out actions as individuals, if they are to succeed intheir use of language. But they must also work together as participants in the social units Ihave called ensembles. In the example I mentioned just now, the two dancers perform bothindividual actions, moving their bodies, arms, and legs, and joint actions, coordinating thesemovements, as they create the waltz. In the past, language use has been studied as if it wereentirely an individual process. And it has also been studied as if it were entirely a social process.For me, I suggest that it belongs to both. We cannot hope to understand language usewithout viewing it as joint actions built on individual actions. In order to explain how all theseactions work, I'd like to review briefly settings of language use. By settings, I mean the scene inwhich language use takes place, plus the medium - which refers to whether language use isspoken or written. And in this talk, I'll focus on spoken settings. ?

　　The spoken setting mentioned most often is conversation - either face to face, or on thetelephone. Conversations may be devoted to gossip, business transactions or scientificmatters, but they're all characterized by the free exchange of terms among the twoparticipants. I'll call these personal settings. Then we have what I would call nonpersonalsettings. A typical example is the monologue. In monologues, one person speaks with little orno opportunity for interruption, or turns by members of the audience. Monologues come inmany varieties too, as a professor lectures to a class, or a student giving a presentation to aseminar. These people speak for themselves, uttering words they formulated themselves for theaudience before them, and the audience isn't expected to interrupt. In another kind of settingwhich are called institutional settings, the participants engage in speech exchanges that looklike ordinary conversation, but they are limited by institutional rules. As examples, we canthink of a government official holding a news conference, a lawyer cross?questioning awitness in court, or a professor directing a seminar discussion. In these settings, what is saidis more or less spontaneous, even though turns at speaking are allocated by a leader, or arerestricted in other ways. ?

　　The person speaking isn't always the one whose intentions are being expressed. We have theclearest examples in fictional settings. Vivian Leigh plays Scarlett O'Hara in "Gone with theWind", Frank Sinatra sings a love song in front of a live audience, the speakers are eachvocalizing words composed by someone else - for instance a playwright or a composer - andare openly pretending to be expressing opinions that aren't necessarily their own. Finally thereare private settings when people speak for themselves without actually addressing anyone else,for example, I might explain silently to myself, or talk to myself about solving a researchproblem, or rehearsing what I'm about to say in a seminar tomorrow. What I say isn't intendedto be recognized by other people, it is only of use to myself. These are the features of privatesettings.??

　　SECTION B TALK?

　　W: Good evening, I'm Nancy Johnson. The guest onour radio talk this evening is Professor WangGongwu. Hello, Professor Wang.

　　M: Hello.?

　　W: Professor Wang, you're now professor emeritusof Australia National University, and in your longacademic career, you've worn many hats as tutor,lecturer, department head, dean, professor, andvice chancellor. However, as I know, you're still veryfond of your university days as a student.?

　　M: That's right. That was in 1949. The university that I went to was a brand?new universitythen, and the only one in the country at that time. When I look back, it was an amazingly smalluniversity, and we knew everybody.?

　　W: How did the students like you, for example, study then??

　　M: We didn't study very hard, because we didn't have to. We didn't have all this fantasticcompetition that you have today. Mmm. We were always made to feel that getting a firstdegree in the Arts faculty was not preparation for a profession. It was a general education. Wewere not under any pressure to decide on our careers, and we had such a good time. We wereleft very much on our own, and we were encouraged to make things happen. ?

　　W: What do you see as the most striking difference in university education since then??

　　M: University education has changed dramatically since those days. Things are very specializedtoday. ?

　　W: Yes, definitely so. And, in your subsequent career experience as an educator and lateradministrator in various institutions of higher education in Asia and elsewhere, ProfessorWang, you have repeatedly noted that one has to look at the development of education in oneparticular country in a broad context. What do you mean by that??

　　M: Well, the whole world has moved away from elite education in universities to meet the needsof mass education, and entering universities is no longer a privilege for the few. Anduniversities today are more concerned with providing jobs for their graduates in a way thatuniversities in our time never had to be bothered about. Therefore, the emphasis of universityprograms today is now on the practical and the utilitarian, rather than on a general education oron personal development.?

　　W: Do you think that is a welcome development??

　　M: Well, I personally regret this development. But the basic bachelor's education now has tocater to people who really need a piece of paper to find a decent job.?

　　W: So you're concerned about this development.?

　　M: Yes, I'm very concerned. With technical changes, many of the things that you learn aretechnical skills, which don't require you to become very well educated. Yet, if you can masterthose skills, you can get very good jobs. So the technical institutions are going to beincreasingly popular at the expense of traditional universitites.?

　　W: Professor Wang, let's look at a different issue. How do you comment on the currentphenomenon because of the fees they pay?

　　M: Well, once you accept students on financial grounds, one wonders whether you have to passthem as well. But this is the development in education that we have to contend with. Yet, if weare concerned about maintaining standards, what we can do is to concentrate on improvingthe quality of education.?

　　W: Yes, you're right. A university is judged by the quality of education it offers. ProfessorWang, let's turn to the future. What type of graduates, in your view, to universities of thefuture need to produce, if they are to remain relevant??

　　M: I think their graduates must be able to shift from one profession to another, because theyare trained in a very independent way. If you can do that, you raise the level of the flexibilityof the mind. Today's rapid changes in technology demand this adaptability. And you see thebest universities in the world are already trying to guarantee that their students will not onlybe technically trained, but will be the kind of people that can adapt to any changing situation.?

　　W: I guess many people would agree with you on that point. University education should focuson both personal and professional development of students. But still some might believe thereis a definite place for education in a broader sense - that is, in personal intellectualdevelopment. ?

　　M: No doubt about that. We need people who will think about the future, about the past, andalso people who will think about society. If a society doesn't have philosophers, or people whothink about the value of life, it's a very sad society indeed.

　　W: Professor Wang, my last question: do you see any common ground in education betweenyour generation and the young generation now??

　　M: Adapting to new challenges is perhaps the true cornerstone of our generation's legacy toeducation. And the future of education in a country rests not so much on the construction ofbetter buildings, labs, etc., but in the development of an ever?adaptable mind.?

　　W: That's true. The essence of education is the education of the mind. Okay, thank you verymuch, Professor Wang, for talking to us on the show about the changing trends in education.?

　　M: You're welcome??

　　SECTION C ?

　　A new data shows that the global AIDS pandemic will cause a sharp drop in life expectancy indozens of countries, in some cases, declines of three decades. Several nations are losing acentury's progress in extending the length of life. Nations in every part of the world, 51 in all,are suffering declining life expectancies because of an increasing prevalence of HIV infection.The increase is occurring in Asia, Latin America, and the Carribbean, but is greatest in sub?Saharan Africa, a region with only 10% of the world's population but 70% of the world's HIVinfections. Seven African countries have life expectancies of less than 40 years. For example, inBotswana, where 39% of the adult population is infected with HIV, life expectancy is 39 years.But by 2010, it will be less than 27 years. Without AIDS, it would have been 44 years. Lifeexpectancy throughout the Carribbean and some Central American nations will drop into the60's by 2010, when they would otherwise have been in the 70's without AIDS. In Cambodia andBurma, they are predicted to decline to around 60 years old, to what otherwise would havebeen in the mid 60's. Even in countries where the number of new infections is dropping, such asThailand, Uganda, and Senegal, small life expectancy drop is forecast. Back in the early 1990's,we never would have suspected that population growth would have turned negative becauseof AIDS mortality. In less than 10 years, we expect that 5 countries will be experiencingnegative population growth because of AIDS mortality, including South Africa, Mozambique,Lesotho, Botswana and Swaziland.??

　　Questions 14 and 15 are based on the following news. At the end of the news item, you will begiven 30 seconds to answer the questions. Now listen to the news.?

　　The European Union has drafted a list of US products to be hit with import taxes in retaliationfor tariffs the United States has imposed on European steel. EU member governments willreview the list before the EU submits it to the World Trade Organization, which arbitratesinternational trade disputes. EU officials will not say which American products will be hit by theEU sanctions. But diplomats monitoring the most recent trans?Atlantic trade dispute say theyinclude textiles and steel products.?

　　Earlier this month, the Bush administration imposed tariffs of up to 30 percent on some steelimports, including European products.?

　　The EU has appealed to the World Trade Organization to get those duties overturned. But aWTO decision on the matter could take up to a year or more. EU officials say that, under WTOrules, the EU has the right to impose retaliatory measures in June. But they say the UnitedStates can avoid the EU's possible countermeasures if it pays more than two billion dollars incompensation to the EU for imposing the steel tariffs in the first place. The officials sayWashington could also escape retaliation by lowering U.S. import duties on other EU products. ?

　　The Bush administration says it will not pay compensation.??

　　SECTION D TALK?

　　Good morning. Today's lecture will focus on how to make people feel at ease in conversations. Iguess all of you sitting here can recall certain people who just seem to make you feelcomfortable when they are around. You spend an hour with them and feel as if you've knownthem half your life. These people who have that certain something that makes us feelcomfortable have something in common, and once we know what that is, we can go aboutgetting some of that something for ourselves. How is it done? Here are some of the skills thatgood talkers have. If you follow the skills, they will help you put people at their ease, make themfeel secure, and comfortable, and turn acquaintances into friends. ?

　　First of all, good talkers ask questions. Almost anyone, no matter how shy, will answer aquestion. In fact, according to my observation, very shy persons are often more willing toanswer questions than extroverts. They are more concerned that someone will think themimpolite if they don't respond to the questions. So most skillful conversationalistsrecommend starting with a question that is personal, but not harmful. For example, once afamous American TV presenter got a long and fascinating interview from a notoriouslyprivate billionaire by asking him about his first job. Another example, one prominent womanexecutive confesses that at business lunches, "I always ask people what they did that morning.It's a dull question, but it gets things going." From there, you can move on to other matters,sometimes to really personal questions. Moreover, how your responder answers will let youknow how far you can go. A few simple catchwords like "Really?" "Yes?" are clear invitations tocontinue talking. ?

　　Second, once good talkers have asked questions, they listen for answers. This point seemsobvious, but it isn't in fact. Making people feel comfortable isn't simply a matter of making idleconversation. Your questions have a point. You're really asking, "What sort of person areyou?" and to find out, you have to really listen. There are at least three components of reallistening. For one thing, real listening means not changing the subject. If someone sticks to onetopic, you can assume that he or she is really interested in it. Another component of reallistening is listening not just to words but to tones of voice. I once mentioned D.H. Lawrence toa friend. To my astonishment, she launched into an academic discussion of the imagery inLawrence's works. Midway through, I listened to her voice. It was, to put it mildly, unanimated,and it seemed obvious that the imagery monologue was intended solely for my benefit, andI quickly changed the subject. At last, real listening means using your eyes as well as your ears.When your gaze wanders, it makes people think they're boring your, or what they are saying isnot interesting. Of course, you don't have to stare, or glare at them. Simply looking attentivewill make most people think that you think they're fascinating. ?

　　Next, good talkers are not afraid to laugh. If you think of all the people you know who makeyou feel comfortable, you may notice that all of them laugh a lot. Laughter is not only warmingand friendly, it's also a good way to ease other people's discomfort. I have a friend who mightenjoy watching at gathering of other people who do not know each other well. The first fewminutes of talk are a bit uneasy and hesitant, for the people involved do not yet have a senseof each other. Invariably, a light comment or joke is made, and my friend's easy laughterappears like sunshine in the conversation. There is always then a visible softening that takesplace. Other people smile, and loosen in response to her laughter, and the conversation goeson with more warmth and ease.?

　　Finally, good talkers are onces who cement a parting. That is, they know how to make use ofparting as a way to leave a deep impression on others. Last impressions are just as importantas first impressions in determining how a new acquaintance will remember you. People whomake others really feel comfortable take advantage of that parting moment to close the deal.Men have had it easier. They have done it with a smile, and a good firm handshake. Whatabout women then? Over the last several years, women have started to take over that customwell between themselves or with men. If you're saying goodbye, you might want to give him orher a second extra hand squeeze. It's a way to say, I really enjoyed meeting you. But it's notall done with body language. If you've enjoyed being with someone, if you want to see thatperson again, don't keep it a secret. Let people know how you feel, and they may walk awayfeeling as if they've known you half their life. ?

　　Okay, just to sum up. Today, we've talked about four ways to make people feel at ease inconversations. These skills are important in keeping conversations going, and in formingfriendships later on. Of course, these skills are by no means the only ones we can use. the listis much longer. I hope you will use these four skills, and discover more on your own in yourconversations with other people. ?

　　Now you have two minutes to check your notes, and then please complete the 15 minute gapfilling task on Answer Sheet One.?

　　This is the end of listening comprehension.

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