1999年英语专八听力原文文本

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　　PART Ⅰ LISTENING COMPREHENSION

　　SECTION A TALK

　　As we all know, when machines work they give off a lot of noise, and the noise can sometimes be very unpleasant, or annoying. As a result, people have been trying to find ways to reduce noise. Although it may sound a bit strange to you all, one of the best ways to make machines quieter, in cars for example, may be to make them noisier. The source of this paradox is electronic anti-noise which creates sound waves to cancel out unwanted noise, such as rattles, blare, etc.

　　Now although the idea dates back to the 1930s, it’s only recently that advances in computer technology have made anti-noise a commercial possibility. Take Franc e for example. Here industry spends a fortune to get rid of noise. We all know how unpleasant it is. Both people working in factories and ordinary people at home enjoying their leisure can be affected by noise. Delicate machines are affected by noise as well. The government has passed a lot of regulations concerning acceptable levels of noise. 

　　Noise is costly to industry. In the first place, just following a single regulation can cost 1 to 2 billion US dollars in the textile industry, they say.

　　Then secondly, of course, vibration can cause damage to machinery. Even very small vibrations can cause parts to wear out and equipment to fail. And naturally enough, this gets added on to the price of the products. About $ to 15% of the price of a product comes from noise and vibration costs, it’s estimated.

　　At present, methods used to dampen down noise and vibrations rely on techniques that are 30 or 40 years old. These usually involve wrapping the noisy or vibrating component in anything from cotton to concrete. But this is often expensive and inefficient.

　　The modern electronic anti-noise devices don’t reduce sound. Instead, sound is used to attack sound. The trick is to hit these sound waves with other waves in a carefully controlled way. It may not be possible to eliminate noise completely, but engineers can build systems to eliminate specific kinds of noise and vibration. The new systems can deal with repetitive noise. This unfortunately means that there is not much that can be done about one-off noise, like someone try ing to learn to play a trumpet. But they can handle fairly regular things like engine noise.

　　A French company has developed a technique which uses a microphone and a microprocessor. The processor measures the sound and directs a speaker to broadcast sound waves that are out of phase with the engine noise. The company claimed t hat it will make a car engine quieter, if not completely 100% silent. There are a number of other areas of application in the noisy, industrial environment of today. One system which the company is developing, aims to minimize the noise of aircraft engines and helicopter vibrations. Now anti-noise systems would be able to reduce noise in the cabin of an airplane to mere acceptable levels. 

　　Another area which affects ordinary households nowadays concerns the noise which electricity and gas suppliers create. The electricity companies spend a lo t of money each year, cutting the harm of transformers, trying to quiet the noise and maintaining equipment that is constantly affected by vibration. If they can get rid of or even stop the vibrations, manufacturers can increase

　　production speeds. But, of course, people working in noisy workplaces are perhaps mere affected than anything by the effects of noise. Anti-noise can also create “zones of quiet” in noisy workplaces. To create such a zone, you do two things.

　　First, microphones are suspended around the workplace. Then speakers that produce out-of-phase sound waves can then be put close to the worker under the desk o r the machine. A company working in this area has tested this system and says that it cuts noise levels enough for somebody inside the zone to hear a conversation from another part of the work place. Yet, this is only one-way; shouts from t he quiet zone could not be heard over the factory noise by those outside it, because the rest of the workplace remains noisy. This is one of the anti-noise measures experimented with today. If this proves to be feasible in many workplaces, I’m sure it can contribute to the reduction of noise in factory workshops in the future.

　　SECTION B INTERVIEW

　　W: First of all, when do people start work in American offices?

　　M: Right, well, the official work day starts at 9:00 am. This really mea ns 9 o’clock-not ten past or half past nine.

　　W: Would you say that people work very hard in offices in America?

　　M: Well, I don’t know about employees in your country. But some nations have a philosophy that you work when the “boss” is around. And any time he’s not there, one can relax by reading the newspaper or whatever one likes doing in a personel way.

　　W: And things are different in the States, you’re saying?

　　M: Well, in America one is being paid for one’s time. So employees are expected to find other work if their own desks are clear, or to help someone else with

　　his or her work. But you never sit idle doing nothing.

　　W: Yes, as the saying goes: “Time is money.”

　　M: Exactly. Your employer“ owns” your time while he is paying you for it. That is precisely what “Time is money” means. And anyway the boss doesn’t ask mo re of you than he is doing himself: he ...he will probably work through the lunch hour himself and even take work home at night.

　　W: Talking about lunch hours. What about them? Do you have to take them seriously?

　　M: Oh, yes, sure, of course. An employee’s lunch hour should he taken within t h e period allowed, unless you are officially discussing company business-say ... en ... on a business lunch. It’s the same too with the end of the day. I mean, e n, work until the day officially ends at five o’clock, unless you are in an off ice where“flextime”is the accepted practice.

　　W: Oh, so you have the flextime system, do you? I wasn’t sure about that.

　　M: Oh yes, sure. Flexible working hours, that is, en ... starting or ending work earlier or later I ... I know it’s still relatively new. However, there are mo r e and more Americans on the system today. Well, for the same reasons as in Europe-to keep traffic and commuting problems down. And as more women now work it gives more family time.

　　W: Er ... could you say something about contracts or hiring in America, please?

　　M: Well, it’s different in America from, say, European countries like Germany or France, perhaps Japan, too, I’m not sure. I know that in some countries people relax once they have got a job, because they know that they will almost never be fired-unless they do something wrong.

　　W: You mean that your employer can just fire you in America?

　　M: No, no, no. There are, of course, legal protections in the US. So employees cannot be unjustly fired without good reasons. Workers must do a good job, produce well, and get along with their colleagues-or they can be “let go”, as it is called.

　　W: From one day to the next, you mean?

　　M: Well, it’s rarely done without warning, but it is important to remember that in the US you are a member of a business firm and not a family. It makes a difference.

　　W: I wonder, is the physical or external appearances of office life different from European offices?

　　M: Well, I have heard people comment on the informality found in American offices. And this is certainly a little difficult for people who are more used to a hierarchical system, of course. But there are some very formal offices, too, say, in... in big banks, law firms and major corporations. But in many establishment s with fewer employees the atmosphere is loose and easy with a lot of joking, and teasing, and wandering in and out of offices among all levels of employees.

　　W: Well, that sounds quite interesting. I think that’s all I want to know really. Thank you very much.

　　M: My pleasure.

　　SECTION C NEWS BROADCAST

　　News Item 1(For Question 11)

　　President Clinton begins a 3-day campaign-styled trip to the western US later today to highlight his domestic agenda.

　　White House spokesman says crime, the most important issue for Americans t his election year according to public opinion polls, will be a key theme of President Clinton’s trips to California, Nevada and New Mexico. Mr. Clinton’s presumptive Republican challenger, retiring Senator Bob Dole, has repeatedly disapproved of Mr. Clinton’s record on fighting crime. The president is expected to argue that his policies have helped make American communities safer places. Mr. Clint on will also attend a number of political fund-raising events during his visits to California and Nevada.

　　News Item 2(For Questions 12-13)

　　Reports say Japan and the US have reached an agreement on their dispute over air-cargo transport rights in Asia.

　　The agreement will mean that Washington and Tokyo will renegotiate a 1952 Aviation Treaty which allowed American airlines to fly on from Tokyo to other pl aces in Asia but didn’t allow Japanese airlines the same rights to fly on from America to other destinations. Tokyo has always said that the treaty was unfair and Japan has always wanted it changed.

　　According to the agreement, Japan will allow the American airline carrier Federal Express to fly on through Tokyo to 7 other destinations in Asia. Now Japan has always said it was happy to allow that, if the treaty was renegotiated. It does seem very clear that Japan has come out of this one on top.

　　This is certainly not the first dispute and it certainly won’t be the last dispute, either. There are several outstanding areas of friction between Japan and the US. At the moment, they are negotiating about photographic film and photographic paper. It could take a year to resolve. But even where the two countries do reach agreement there is still room for argument. They reached this famous car agreement about a month ago. They are already bickering about it.

　　News Item 3(For Questions 14-15)

　　Scientists say they can tell what air and sea conditions were like hundreds of thousands of years ago. They say pieces of ice taken from Greenland provide such information.

　　Scientists took the ice from more than one-and-a-half mile deep in huge masses of ice that float on the sea. That is the deepest scientists ever have drilled for ice. The ice represents 25,000 years of history. It provides one of the clearest records of ancient weather. European and American scientific teams have been studying ice from the same area to confirm each other s findings. The scientists examine the ice that was formed each year. They measure the oxygen and carbon dioxide in the ice. These measurements tell about the year’s temperature.

　　From these measurements, the scientific teams say that the past 10,000 years is the only period during which the weather has not changed very much. Before that time, they believe very large, sudden changes in the weather were common. The ice appears to show that at some periods, earth’s weather changed from very hot to very cold in only ten years.

　　SECTION D NOTE-TAKING AND GAP-FILLING

　　It is common nowadays for companies and industries to sponsor big sports events. For example, many companies sponsored the 8th National Games held in Shanghai in 1997. Then, what exactly do companies and industries get out of sponsoring big sports events, such as international games? And why need they do so?

　　There is an obvious answer and a not so obvious one. The obvious answer is that they get known worldwide, particularly if they are the principal sponsor of an event. This is especially important when you consider the number of countries around the world that might show the event on TV. The not so obvious answer is that sponsorship can help firms to save money.

　　Then how can they save money in this way? Companies can claim expenditures on sponsorship or “support to sport and the arts” against the amount of tax that they owe. So, if they are going to have to pay tax anyway, why not spend the money on promoting their name or product?

　　However, sponsorship is surely a very expensive business. So, how does one decide which events or activities to support? Companies spend a lot of time making sure that they have a perfect match between the products to be represented and the activity that needs sponsorship. Basically, companies have to make sure that the image is right and that the product gets maximum coverage through the event. I mean, you wouldn’t expect a company whose product has a young international image to sponsor a sport that has a following among older people. There are all sorts of reasons behind sponsorship. That’s what the game’s about for those who are trying to sell it.

　　There are some important points to consider before agreeing to sponsor an event. First and foremost, I suppose, is the popularity of the event in go-between, I mean. Events like the World Cup and the Olympics have businesses queuing up to offer sponsorship. There are the big media event: hours and hours of TV and satellite coverage guaranteed all over the world, as well as press coverage and the possibility of photographs that in some way advertise your product. Most events aren’t quite like that though. I suppose you’ve got the national games every four years in China. But most events appeal to only a limited proportion of the potential audience-tennis, for example. Most of the audience there is young, so products for the young are the ones that you would associate with the event recently. Then how do you match up the product with the event? The most important thing with the smaller event is to identify the audience it’s going to appeal to in this instance, tennis and young people. That should attract drinks manufactures, sports fashion designers, cosmetics producers, and so on. Then you look at the potential coverage in the media. It’s the sort of event that might attract Coca-Cola or Pepsi maybe even McDonalds.

　　In sponsoring sports events, it is not just the media coverage that matters. The important question is whether the people who’ve either been to the event or read about it in the press will be more likely to buy your product as a result. A lot of the advantages of investment in sponsorship are longer-term. People who have possibly read about or watched an event on TV may not even be able to tell you who was sponsoring the event, yet will react favorably if asked to comment on products marketed by the sponsoring company. They have been conditioned in some way. Conditioning the mind is what advertising is about. Believe it or not, straight advertising is a far more expensive way of promoting your image than sponsorship, and what’s more, sponsorship is mostly tax-free.

　　To sum up, today we have talked about sponsorship of sports events by companies: the reasons behind and a few related points. I hope this will help you gain some insight into the issue.

　　1999年英语专业八级考试试卷真题

　　PartⅠ Listening Comprehension (40 min)

　　In Sections A, B and C you will hear everything ONCE ONLY. Listen carefully and then answer the questions that follow. Mark the correct response to each question on your Colored Answer Sheet.

　　SECTION A TALK

　　Questions 1 to 5 refer to the talk in this section. At the end of the talk you will be given 15 seconds to answer each of the following five questions. Now listen to the talk.

　　1. The technology to make machines quieter ___.

　　A. has been in use since the 1930’s

　　B. has accelerated industrial production

　　C. has just been in commercial use

　　D. has been invented to remove all noises

　　2. The modern electronic anti-noise devices ___.

　　A. are an update version of the traditional methods

　　B. share similarities with the traditional methods

　　C. are as inefficient as the traditional methods

　　D. are based on an entirely new working principle

　　3. The French company is working on anti-noise techniques to be used in all EXCEPT ___.

　　A. streets B. factories C. aircraft D. cars

　　4. According to the talk, workers in “zones of quiet” can ___.

　　A. be more affected by noise

　　B. hear talk from outside the zone

　　C. work more efficiently

　　D. be heard outside the zone

　　5. The main theme of the talk is about ___.

　　A. noise-control technology

　　B. noise in factories

　　C. noise-control regulations

　　D. noise-related effects

　　SECTION B INTERVIEW

　　Questions 6 to 10 are based on an interview. At the end of the interview you will be given 15 seconds to answer each of the following five questions. Now listen to the interview.

　　6. Employees in the US are paid for their time. This means that they are supposed to ___.

　　A. work hard while their boss is around

　　B. come to work when there is work to be done

　　C. work with initiative and willingness

　　D. work through their lunch break

　　7. One of the advantages of flexible working hours is that ___.

　　A. pressure from work can be reduced

　　B. working women can have more time at home

　　C. traffic and commuting problems can be solved

　　D. personal relationships in offices can be improved

　　8. On the issue of working contracts in the US, which statement is NOT correct?

　　A. Performance at work matters more than anything else.

　　B. There are laws protecting employees’ working rights.

　　C. Good reasons must be provided in order to fire workers.

　　D. Working contracts in the US are mostly short-term ones.

　　9. We can be assumed from the interview that an informal atmosphere might be found in ___.

　　A. small firms B. major banks C. big corporations D. law offices

　　10. The interview is mainly about ___ in the USA.

　　A. office hierarchies B. office conditions C. office roles D. office life

　　SECTION C NEWS BROADCAST

　　Question 11 is based on the following news. At the end of the news item, you will be given 15 seconds to answer the question. Now listen to the news.

　　11. Senator Bob Dole’s attitude towards Clinton’s anti-crime policy is that of ___.

　　A. opposition B. support C. ambiguity D . indifference

　　Questions 12 and 13 are based on the following news. At the end of the news item , you will be given 30 seconds to answer the questions . Now listen to the news.

　　12. Japan and the United States are now ___.

　　A. negotiating about photographic material

　　B. negotiating an automobile agreement

　　C. facing serious problems in trade

　　D. on the verge of a large-scale trade war

　　13. The news item seems to indicate that the agreement ___.

　　A. will end all other related trade conflicts

　　B. is unlikely to solve the dispute once and for all

　　C. is linked to other trade agreements

　　D. is the last of its kind to be reached

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

　　14. According to the news, the ice from Greenland provides information about ___.

　　A. oxygen B. ancient weather C. carbon dioxide D. temperature

　　15. Which of the following statements is CORRECT?

　　A. Drastic changes in the weather have been common since ancient times.

　　B. The change in weather from very cold to very hot lasted over a century.

　　C. The scientists have been studying ice to forecast weather in the future.

　　D. The past 10,000 years have seen minor changes in the weather.

　　SECTION D NOTE-TAKING AND GAP-FILLING

　　Fill in each of the gaps with ONE word. You may refer to your notes. Make sure the word you fill in is both grammatically and semantically acceptable.

　　At present companies and industries like to sponsor sports events. Two reasons are put forward to explain this phenomenon. The first reason is that they get (1)______ throughout the world. 

　　The second reason is that companies and industries (2)______money, as they get reductions in the tax they owe if they sponsor sports or arts activities.

　　As sponsorship is (3)______, careful thinking is required in deciding which events to sponsor.

　　It is important that the event to be sponsored (4)______ the product(s) to be promoted. That is, the right (5)______ and maximum product coverage must be guaranteed in the event.

　　Points to be considered in sports sponsorship.

　　Popularity of the event.

　　International sports events are big (6)______ events, which get extensive coverage on TV and in the press. Smaller events attract fewer people.

　　Identification of the potential audience

　　Aiming at the right audience is most important for smaller events. The right audience would attract manufacturers of other related products like (7)______ , etc.

　　Advantages of sponsorship,

　　Advantages are longer-term.

　　People are expected to respond (8)______ to the products promoted. And be more likely to buy them.

　　Advertising is (9)______the mind. 

　　Sponsorship is better than straight advertising: a) less (10) ___ ___ ; b) tax-free

　　(1) ______ (2) ______ (3) ______ (4) ______ ( 5 ) ______

　　(6) ______ (7) ______ (8) ______ (9) ______ (10) ______

　　PART II PROOFREADING AND ERROR CORRECTION (15 MIN)

　　The following passage contains TEN errors. Each line contains a maximum of one error and three are free from error. In each case, only one word is involved. You should proofread the passage and correct it in the following way.

　　For a wrong word, underline the wrong word and write the correct one in the blank provided at the end of the line.

　　For a missing word, mark the position of the missing word with a “∧” sign and write the word you believe to be missing in the blank provided at the end of the line.

　　For an unnecessary word, cross out the unnecessary word with a slash “/” and put the word in the blank provided at the end of the line.

　　If the line is correct, place a V in the blank provided at the end of the line

　　Example

　　When ^ art museum wants a new exhibit, (1) an

　　It never buys things in finished form and bangs (2) never

　　them on the wall. When a natural history museum (3) v

　　wants an exhibition, it must often build it. (4) exhibit

　　The hunter-gatherer tribes that today live as our prehistoric 1.___

　　human ancestors consume primarily a vegetable diet supplementing 2.___

　　with animal foods. An analysis of 58 societies of modem hunter-

　　gatherers, including the Kung of southern Africa, revealed that one 

　　half emphasize gathering plant foods, one-third concentrate on fishing

　　and only one-sixth are primarily hunters. Overall, two-thirds

　　and more of the hunter-gatherer’s calories come from plants. Detailed 3.___

　　studies of the Kung by the food scientists at the University of

　　London, showed that gathering is a more productive source of food

　　than is hunting. An hour of hunting yields in average about 100 4.___

　　edible calories, as an hour of gathering produces 240. 5.___

　　Plant foods provide for 60 percent to 80 percent of the Kung 6.___

　　diet, and no one goes hungry when the hunt fails. Interestingly, if

　　they escape fatal infections or accidents, these contemporary

　　aborigines live to old ages despite of the absence of medical care. 7.___

　　They experience no obesity, no middle-aged spread, little dental

　　decay, no high blood pressure, on heart disease, and their blood

　　cholesterol levels are very low( about half of the average American 8.___

　　adult), if no one is suggesting what we return to an aboriginal life 9.___

　　style, we certainly could use their eating habits as a model for 10.___

　　healthier diet.

　　Part Ⅲ Reading Comprehension (40 min)

　　SECTION A READING COMPREHENSION (30 min )

　　In this section there are four reading passages followed by a total of fifteen multiple-choice questions. Read the passages carefully and then mark your answers on your Colored Answer Sheet.

　　TEXT A

　　Ricci’s “Operation Columbus”

　　Ricci, 45, is now striking out on perhaps his boldest venture yet. He plan s to market an English language edition of his elegant monthly art magazine, FMR , in the United States. Once again the skeptics are murmuring that the successful Ricci has headed for a big fall. And once again Ricci intends to prove them wrong.

　　Ricci is so confident that he has christened his quest “Operation Columbus ” and has set his sights on discovering an American readership of 300,000. That goal may not be too far-fetched. The Italian edition of FMR — the initials, of course, stand for Franco Maria Ricci-is only 18 months old. But it is already the second largest art magazine in the world, with a circulation of 65,000 and a profit margin of US $ 500,000. The American edition will be patterned after the Italian version, with each 160-page issue carrying only 40 pages of ads and no more than five articles. But the contents will often differ. The English-language edition will include more American works, Ricci says, to help Americans get over “an inferiority complex about their art.” He also hopes that the magazine will become a vehicle for a two -way cultural exchange — what he likes to think of as a marriage of brains, culture and taste from both sides of the Atlantic.

　　 To realize this vision, Ricci is mounting one of the most lavish, enterprising — and expensive-promotional campaigns in magazine — publishing history. Between November and January, eight jumbo jets will fly 8 million copies of a sample 16-page edition of FMR across the Atlantic. From a warehouse in Michigan, 6.5 million copies will be mailed to American subscribers of various cultural, art and business magazines. Some of the remaining copies will circulate as a special Sunday supplement in the New York Times. The cost of launching Operation Columbus is a staggering US $ 5 million, but Ricci is hoping that 60% of the price tag will be financed by Italian corporations.“ To land in America Columbus had to use Spanish sponsors,” reads one sentence in his promotional pamphlet. “We would like Italians.”

　　Like Columbus, Ricci cannot know what his reception will be on foreign shores. In Italy he gambled — and won — on a simple concept: it is more important to show art than to write about it. Hence, one issue of FMR might feature 32 full-color pages of 17th-century tapestries, followed by 14 pages of outrageous eyeglasses. He is gambling that the concept is exportable. “I don’t expect that more than 30% of my reader... will actually read FMR,” he says. “The magazine is such a visual delight that they don’t have to.” Still, he is lining up an impressive stable of writers and professors for the American edition , including Noam Chomsky, Anthony Burgess, Eric Jong and Norman Mailer. In addition, he seems to be pursuing his won eclectic vision without giving a moment’s thought to such established competitors as Connosisseur and Horizon. “The Americans can do almost everything better than we can,” says Rieci, “But we(the Italians)have a 2,000 year edge on them in art.”

　　16. Ricci intends his American edition of FMR to carry more American art works in order to___.

　　A. boost Americans’ confidence in their art

　　B. follow the pattern set by his Italian edition

　　C. help Italians understand American art better

　　D. expand the readership of his magazine

　　17. Ricci is compared to Columbus in the passage mainly because___.

　　A. they both benefited from Italian sponsors

　　B. they were explorers in their own ways

　　C. they obtained overseas sponsorship

　　D. they got a warm reception in America

　　18. We get the impression that the American edition of FMR will probably ___.

　　A. carry many academic articles of high standard

　　B. follow the style of some famous existing magazines

　　C. be mad by one third of American magazine readers

　　D. pursue a distinctive editorial style of its own

　　TEXT B

　　Uncle Geoff

　　 My mother’s relations were very different from the Mitfords. Her brother, Uncle Geoff, who often came to stay at Swimbrook, was a small spare man with thoughtful blue eyes and a rather silent manner. Compared to Uncle Tommy, he was a n intellectual of the highest order, and indeed his satirical pen belied his mild demeanor. He spent most of his waking hours composing letters to The Times and other publications in which he outlined his own particular theory of the development of English history. In Uncle Geoff’s view, the greatness of England had risen and waned over the centuries in direct proportion to the use of natural manure in fertilizing the soil. The Black Death of 1348 was caused by gradual loss of the humus fertility found under forest trees. The rise of the Elizabethans two centuries later was attributable to the widespread use of sheep manure. 

　　Many of Uncle Geoff’s letters-to-the-editor have fortunately been preserved in a privately printed volume called Writings of a Rebel. Of the collection, one letter best sums up his views on the relationship between manure and freedom . He wrote:

　　Collating old records shows that our greatness rises and falls with the living fertility of our soil. And now, many years of exhausted and chemically murdered soil, and of devitalized food from it, has softened our bodies and still worse, softened our national character. It is an actual fact that character is largely a product of the soil. Many years of murdered food from deadened soil has made us too tame. Chemicals have had their poisonous day. It is now the worm’s t urn to reform the manhood of England. The only way to regain our punch, our character, our lost virtues, and with them the freedom natural to islanders, is to compost our land so as to allow moulds, bacteria and earthworms to remake living s oil to nourish Englishmen’s bodies and spirits.

　　The law requiring pasteurization of milk in England was a particular target of Uncle Geoff’s. Fond of alliteration, he dubbed it “Murdered Milk Measure ”, and established the Liberty Restoration League, with headquarters at his house in London, for the specific purpose of organizing a counteroffensive. “Freedom not Doctordom” was the League’s proud slogan. A subsidiary, but nevertheless important, activity of the League was advocacy of a return to the “unsplit, slowly smoked fish” and bread made with “English stone-ground flour, yeast, milk, sea s alt and raw cane-sugar.”

　　19. According to Uncle Geoff, national strength could only be regained by ___.

　　A. reforming the manhood of England

　　B. using natural manure as fertilizer

　　C. eating more bacteria-free food

　　D. granting more freedom to Englishmen

　　20. The tone of the passage can most probably be described as___.

　　A. facetious B. serious C. nostalgic D. factual

　　TEXT C

　　Interview

　　So what have they taught you at college about interviews? Some courses go t o town on it, others do very little. You may get conflicting advice. Only one thing is certain: the key to success is preparation.

　　There follow some useful suggestions from a teacher training course coordinator, a head of department and a head teacher. As they appear to be in complete harmony with one another despite never having met, we may take their advice seriously.

　　Oxford Brookes University’s approach to the business of application and interview focuses on research and rehearsal. Training course coordinator Brenda Stevens speaks of the value of getting students “to deconstruct the advertisement , see what they can offer to that school, and that situation, and then write the letter, do their CVs and criticize each other’s.” Finally, they role play interviewer and interviewee. 

　　This is sterling stuff, and Brookes students spend a couple of weeks on it. “The better prepared students won’t be thrown by nerves on the day, ”says Ms St evens. “They’ll have their strategies and questions worked out. ” She also says, a trifle disconcertingly, “the better the student, the worse the interviewee. ” She believes the most capable students are less able to put themselves forward. Even if this were tree, says Ms Stevens, you must still make your own case.

　　“Beware of infernality,” she advises. One aspirant teacher, now a head of department at a smart secondary school, failed his first job interview because he took his jacket off while waiting for his appointment. It was hot and everyone in the staffroom was in shirtsleeves but at the end of the day they criticized his casual attitude, which they had deduced from the fact that he took his jacket off in the staffroom, even though he put it back on for the interview.

　　Incidentally, men really do have to wear a suit to the interview and women really cannot wear jeans, even if men never wear the suit again and women teach most days in jeans. Panels respond instantly to these indicators. But beware: it will not please them any better if you are too smart.

　　Find out about the people who will talk to you. In the early meetings they are likely to be heads of departments or heads of year. Often they may be concerned with pastoral matters. It makes sense to know their priorities and let them hear the things about you that they want to hear.

　　During preliminary meetings you may be seen in groups with two or three other applicants and you must demonstrate that you know your stuff without putting your companions down. The interviewers will be watching how you work with a team

　　. But remember the warning about informality: however friendly and co-operative the other participants are, do not give way to the idea that you are there just to be friends.

　　Routine questions can be rehearsed, but “don’t go on too long,” advises the department head. They may well ask: “What have been your worst/best moments w h en teaching?”, or want you to “talk about some good teaching you have done. ” The experts agree you should recognize your weaknesses and offer a strategy for over coming them. “I know I’ve got to work on classroom management — I would hope for some help,” perhaps. No one expects a new teacher to know it all, but they hope for an objective appraisal of capabilities.

　　Be warned against inexpert questioning. You may be asked questions in such a way that it seems impossible to present your best features. Some questions may be plain silly, asked perhaps by people on the panel who are from outside the situation. Do not be thrown, have ways of circumnavigating it, and never, ever le t them see that you think they have said something foolish.

　　You will almost certainly be asked how you see the future and it is import ant to have a good answer prepared. Some people are put off by being asked what they expect to be doing in five or ten years’ time. On your preliminary visit, says the department head, be sure to give them a bit of an interview of your own, to see the direction the department is going and what you could contribute to it.

　　The head teacher offers his thoughts in a nine-point plan.

　　Iron the application form! Then it stands out from everyone else’s, which have been folded and battered in the post. It gives an initial impression which may get your application to the top of the pile.

　　Ensure that your application is tailored to the particular school. Make the head feel you are writing directly to him or her.

　　Put yourself at ease before you meet the interviewing panel: if you are nervous , you will talk too quickly. Before you enter the room remember that the people are human beings too; take away the mystique of their roles.

　　Listen. There is a danger of not hearing accurately what is being said. Make eye contact with the speakers, and with everyone in the room.

　　Allow your warmth and humanity to be seen. A sense of humor is very important.

　　Have a portfolio of your work that can link theory to practice. Many schools want you to show work. For a primary appointment, give examples from the range of the curriculum, not just art. (For this reason, taking pictures on your teaching practice is important. )

　　Prepare yourself in case you are asked to give a talk. Have prompt cards ready, and don’t waffle.

　　Your speech must be clear and articulate, with correct grammar. This is important: they want to hear you and they want to hear how well you can communicate wit h children. Believe in yourself and have confidence. Some of the people asking the questions don’t know much about what you do. Be ready to help them.

　　Thus armed, you should have no difficulty at all. Good luck and keep your jacket on!

　　21. Ms. Brenda Stevens suggests that before applying job applicants should ___.

　　A. go through each other’s CVs

　　B. rehearse their answers to questions

　　C. understand thoroughly the situations

　　D. go to town to attend training course

　　22. Is it wise to admit some of your weaknesses relating to work?

　　A. Yes, but you should have ideas for improvement in the future.

　　B. Yes, because it is natural to be weak in certain aspects.

　　C. No, admitting weaknesses may put you at a disadvantage.

　　D. No, it will only prompt the interviewees to reject you.

　　23. The best way to deal with odd questions from the interviewers is to ___.

　　A. remain smiling and kindly point out the inaccuracies

　　B. keep calm and try to be tactful in your answers

　　C. say frankly what you think about the issues raised

　　D. suggest something else to get over your nervousness

　　24. The suggestions offered by the headteacher are ___.

　　A. original B. ambiguousC. practical D. controversial

　　TEXT D

　　Family Matters

　　This month Singapore passed a bill that would give legal teeth to the moral obligation to support one’s parents. Called the Maintenance of Parents Bill, it received the backing of the Singapore Government.

　　That does not mean it hasn’t generated discussion. Several members of the Parliament opposed the measure as un-Asian. Others who acknowledged the problem of the elderly poor believed it a disproportionate response. Still others believe it will subvert relations within the family: cynics dubbed it the “Sue Your Son”law.

　　Those who say that the bill does not promote filial responsibility, of course, are right. It has nothing to do with filial responsibility. It kicks in where filial responsibility fails. The law cannot legislate filial responsibility an y more than it can legislate love. All the law can do is to provide a safety net where this morality proves insufficient. Singapore needs this bill not to replace morality, but to provide incentives to shore it up.

　　Like many other developed nations, Singapore faces the problems of an increasing proportion of people over 60 years of age. Demography is inexorable. In 19 80, 7.2% of the population was in this bracket. By the end of the century that figure will grow to 11%. By 2030, the proportion is projected to be 26%. The problem is not old age per se. It is that the ratio of economically active people to economically inactive people will decline.

　　But no amount of government exhortation or paternalism will completely eliminate the problem of old people who have insufficient means to make ends meet. Some people will fall through the holes in any safety net.

　　Traditionally, a person’s insurance against poverty in his old age was his family, lifts is not a revolutionary concept. Nor is it uniquely Asian. Care an d support for one’s parents is a universal value shared by all civilized societies.

　　The problem in Singapore is that the moral obligation to look after one’s parents is unenforceable. A father can be compelled by law to maintain his children. A husband can be forced to support his wife. But, until now, a son or daughter had no legal obligation to support his or her parents.

　　In 1989, an Advisory Council was set up to look into the problems of the aged. Its report stated with a tinge of complacency that 95% of those who did not have their own income were receiving cash contributions from relations. But what about the 5% who aren’t getting relatives’ support? They have several options : (a) get a job and work until they die; (b) apply for public assistance (you have to be destitute to apply); or (c) starve quietly. None of these options is socially acceptable. And what if this 5% figure grows, as it is likely to do, as society ages?

　　The Maintenance of Parents Bill was put forth to encourage the traditional virtues that have so far kept Asian nations from some of the breakdowns encountered in other affluent societies. This legislation will allow a person to apply to the court for maintenance from any or all of his children. The court would have the discretion to refuse to make an order if it is unjust.

　　Those who deride the proposal for opening up the courts to family lawsuits miss the point. Only in extreme cases would any parent take his child to court. If it does indeed become law, the bill’s effect would be far more subtle.

　　First, it will reaffirm the notion that it is each individual’s—not society’s—responsibility to look after his parents. Singapore is still conservative enough that most people will not object to this idea. It reinforces the traditional values and it doesn’t hurt a society now and then to remind itself of its core values.

　　Second, and more important, it will make those who are inclined to shirk their responsibilities think twice. Until now, if a person asked family elders, clergymen or the Ministry of Community Development to help get financial support from his children, the most they could do was to mediate. But mediators have no teeth, and a child could simply ignore their pleas.

　　But to be sued by one’s parents would be a massive loss of face. It would be a public disgrace. Few people would be so thick-skinned as to say, “Sue and be damned”. The hand of the conciliator would be immeasurably strengthened. It is far more likely that some sort of amicable settlement would be reached if the recalcitrant son or daughter knows that the alternative is a public trial.

　　It would be nice to think Singapore doesn’t need this kind of law. But that belief ignores the clear demographic trends and the effect of affluence itself on traditional bends. Those of us who pushed for the bill will consider ourselves most successful if it acts as an incentive not to have it invoked in the firs t place.

　　25. The Maintenance of Parents Bill ___.

　　A. received unanimous support in the Singapore Parliament

　　B. was believed to solve all the problems of the elderly poor

　　C. was intended to substitute for traditional values in Singapore

　　D. was passed to make the young more responsible to the old

　　26. By quoting the growing percentage points of the aged in the population, the author seems to imply that ___.

　　A. the country will face mounting problems of the old in future

　　B. the social welfare system would be under great pressure

　　C. young people should be given more moral education

　　D. the old should be provided with means of livelihood

　　27. Which of the following statements is CORRECT?

　　A. Filial responsibility in Singapore is enforced by law.

　　B. Fathers have legal obligations to look after their children.

　　C. It is an acceptable practice for the old to continue working.

　　D. The Advisory Council was dissatisfied with the problems of the old.

　　28. The author seems to suggest that traditional values ___.

　　A. play an insignificant role in solving social problems

　　B. are helpful to the elderly when they sue their children

　　C. are very important in preserving Asian uniqueness

　　D. are significant in helping the Bill get approved

　　29. The author thinks that if the Bill becomes law, its effect would be ___.

　　A. indirect B. unnoticed C. apparent D. straightforward

　　30. At the end of the passage, the author seems to imply that success of the Bill depends upon ___.

　　A. strict enforcement B. public support C. government assurance D. filial awareness

　　SECTION B SKIMMING AND SCANNING (10 min)

　　In this section there are seven passages with ten multiple-choice questions. Ski m or scan them as required and then mark your answers on your Colored Answer Sheet.

　　TEXT E

　　First read the question.

　　31. The primary purpose of the letter is to ___.

　　A. illustrate the World Bank’s efforts in poverty-relief programmes

　　B. call for further efforts by nations in sustainable development

　　C. provide evidence for the World Bank’s aid to the private sectors

　　D. clear up some misunderstanding about the World Bank

　　Now go through TEXT E quickly to answer question 31.

　　August 18th 1991

　　Dear Sir,

　　In your July 28th article you noted that the Bank’s own internal analysis rated one third of the projects completed in 1991 as unsatisfactory. But that statement fails to take account of the Bank’s criteria for ‘success’, which are exceptionally strict. For instance, before a project can be considered successful, it must have at least a 10% rate of return. This rate is far higher than the minimum demanded by many bilateral aid donors, many of which require a return of only 5% or 6%. Thus, projects rated unsatisfactory under the Bank’s standards still yield many benefits.

　　You imply that, because it deals mainly with governments, the Bank does not sufficiently support private sector development. Here are the facts. The World Bank has:

　　supported reforms in mere than 80 countries aimed at opening up trade, making prices realistic and dismantling state monopolies which stifle individual enterprise;

　　invested in infrastructure to facilitate business activity;

　　assisted and advised over 200 privatization-related operations involving nearly US $ 25 billion in loans;

　　provided mere than US $ 12 billion through an affiliate, the International Finance Corp. over the last 30 years to mere than 1,000 private companies in the dev eloping world; and through another affiliate, the Multi lateral Investment Guarantee Agency, offered insurance against non-commercial risk to encourage foreign investment in poor countries.

　　The record shows that, over the past generation, more progress has been mad e in reducing poverty and raising living standards than during any other comparable period in history. In the developing countries:

　　life expectancy has been increased from 40 to 63 years;

　　infant mortality has been reduced by 50% ;and

　　per capita income has doubled.

　　The World Bank consistently stresses that most of the credit for these advances should go to the countries themselves. Nevertheless, the Bank and organizations with which it collaborates-bilateral and international agencies and non-governmental organizations-have played a valuable role in this progress. In the future the Bank will continue to do its utmost to support its member countries in t heir efforts to achieve sustainable development.

　　LEANDRO V. CORONEL

　　Public Affairs

　　The Worm Bank

　　Washington

　　TEXT F

　　First read the question.

　　32. The author’s main argument is that ___.

　　A. most farmers in developing countries face unemployment

　　B. developing countries need agricultural aid to boost economy

　　C. agricultural aid hints the economy in developing countries

　　D. a well-developed agricultural sector provides a domestic market

　　Now go through TEXT F quickly to answer question 32.

　　Ours is an agrarian economy. We must become serf-sufficient in food to feed a rapidly growing population at an annual growth rate of more than 3 million people. A well-developed agricultural sector would offset the need for food import and play an important role in the development process by providing a home market for the products of the industrial sector. This implies that the rate of industrialization itself depends upon how fast agricultural incomes are rising. Development in the agricultural sector in our country means a rise in the income level of 70 percent of the population who are related to this sector. Their increase d income in turn will give us mere voluntary savings and investment and thus a source of revenue through taxation and potential capital formation by the government plus reduction in income inequalities between the urban population and rural masses. In this sense, aid received in the form of agricultural commodities hurts the developing countries and benefits developed countries mere than proportio nately. Because most of the farmers in developing countries are already at a mere subsistence level with a high rate of unemployment, disguised-unemployment and underemployment.

　　The Chinese experience with rural development has demonstrated that agricultural modernization via labour-intensive techniques is a highly promising way t o create extra jobs without extensive geographic displacement of the farmers. Regarding the impact of transfer of agricultural commodities on the long-term growth rate in the recipient country, it can be said that transfer of agricultural commodities under confessional terms may resuit in an ultimate lowering of the recipient countries long-term growth rate.

　　TEXT G

　　First read the question.

　　33. The passage is most probably from ___.

　　A. a review of a book on cowboys

　　B. a study of cowboy work culture

　　C. a novel about cowboy life and culture

　　D. a school textbook on the cowboy history

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

　　A cowboy is defined by the work that he does. Any man can lay claim to that name if he lives on a ranch and works—— drives, brands, castrates, or murmurs ——a cattleman’s herd. In addition, working accounts for ways in which cowboys portray themselves in their art: in 19th-century poems that they orally compose d and sang on the ranch, in 20th-century poems that they write, in books that they publish, and in art objects that they fashion, cowboys always represent themselves as engaging in some form of labour. This book’s three fold purpose is, first, to look at art that cowboys produce——art, that has never been studied before——and, second, to demonstrate that cowboy art values historically document labour routines that cowboys have traditionally acted out in their work culture.

　　I use the term work culture not only to suggest that cowboys are defined b y the work that they do, but also to argue that they are serf-represented in culture by poems, prose, and art that ail reveal cowboys to be men who are culturally unified by engaging in labour routines that they think of as cowboy work. Art deals with cowboy work, as well as with concerns about economics, gender, religion, and literature, even though these thoughts sometimes express themselves as concerns about cattle branding, livestock castration, and other tasks. The book ‘ s third and most important function is, therefore, to show that artistic self-re presentations of labour also formulate systems of thought which cowboys use as a metaphor for discussing economies, gender, religion, and literature, sometimes equating branding with religious salvation, at other times defining spur making as freedom, and so on.

　　TEXT H

　　First read the question.

　　34. The writer of this letter attempts to ___ the views in the editorial.

　　A. refute B. illustrate C. support D. substantiate

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

　　October 3rd 199 _

　　Dear Sir,

　　In your editorial on August 31st, there seems to be some confused thinking in attempting to establish a direct relationship between the desire of the OAA airlines to negotiate more equitable agreements with the United States for air-traffic rights and the cost of air travel for the public.

　　It is simply untrue that the Asian carriers are not looking for increased access to the U.S. market, including its domestic market; they are, as part of balanced agreements that provide equality of opportunity. So long as the U. S. takes the inequitable arrangements enshrined in current agreements as a starting point for negotiation, however, there is no chance that U.S. carriers will be granted more regional rights which further unbalance the economic opportunities available to each side. Most importantly from the consumer viewpoint, it has yet to be demonstrated that in those regional sectors where U.S. carriers currently operate-such as Hong Kong/Tokyo-they have added anything in terms of price, quality of service, innovation or seat availability in peak seasons.

　　Turning to cost, I am not sure to which Merrill Larrych study you are referring, but it would be simplistic to compare seat-mile costs of narrow-body operation over U. S. domestic sectors with wide-body operation over international sectors; comparative studies of seat-mile costs are valid only if they compare similar aircraft operating over identical sectors. On this basis, International Civil Aviation Organization figures show that Asian carriers are highly competitive. O f course, given its operating environment Japan Air Lines will have high seat-mi le costs, while a carrier based in Southeast Asia, such as Singapore Airlines, w ill have relatively low costs. But it is a fallacy to assume this means ‘higher ticket prices or higher taxes’ for the ‘hapless Asian air traveller’ if he travels on JAL.

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