1998年英语专业八级考试真题听力MP3下载附试题和答案文本

In Texas, Oklahoma, Eastern Colorado and Western Kansas, the lack of rainfall fairly crushed the 1996 winter-wheat crop. It also led to a significant shortfall in the supply of cattle feed, which forced many ranchers to cut back their herds. "Cattle is a US $5 billion-a-year industry in Texas," says Texas agriculture commissioner Rick Perry. "The turmoil this industry is going through is causing a liquidation of historic proportions," Perry says the damage to Texas agribusiness has already reached US $2.4 billion and could rise to US $6. 5 billion — which would make the '96 drought the most costly natural disaster in the state's history.

TEXT L
First read the following questions.
39. The city that doesn't have a Lord Mayor is .
A. Melbourne     B. Brisbane C. Adelaide D. Devonport
40. In  council members are elected to serve a two-year term.
A. South Australia B. Tasmania
C. New South Wales D. Victoria
Now go through TEXT L quickly and answer questions 39 and 40.
State Details in Australia New South Wales (NSW)
NSW local government is divided into city, municipal and shire councils. The three largest cities: Sydeny, Parramatta. Newcastle and Wollongong are run by Lord Mayors; cities and municipalities are run by Mayors; and shires by Shire Presidents. The members of the city and municipal councils are known as aldermen. Members of shire councils are known as Councilors.
Council members are elected for a term of four years and voting in council elections is compulsory. The voting system used is proportional representation in wards with three or more seats and preferential in the others. Victoria (VIC)
VIC has the highest number of councils of any State and in some areas councils are being encouraged to amalgamate although there is often resistance to this.
The local government divisions in VIC are cities, towns, boroughs and shires.
Melbourne has a Lord Mayor while the other cities, towns and boroughs are run by Mayors. Shires are run by Shire Presidents.
Members of all councils are known as councilors.
Council members are elected for a three-year term and voting in council elections is compulsory. The voting system used is preferential.
Queensland (QLD)
Brisbane is the only capital city that is run by a single council. This council controls the entire metropolitan area, known as Greater Brisbane which covers an area of 1 000 km. (This compares with Sydney and Melbourne which have about 50 councils each.)
The local government divisions in QLD are known as cities, towns and shires. Brisbane is run by a Lord Mayor, other cities and towns by Mayors; and shires by Shire Chairmen.
Council members are elected for a three-year term and voting is compulsory. In Brisbane the preferential system is used while everywhere else, electors have as many votes as there are positions.
South Australia (SA)
In SA the divisions are cities, corporate towns and district council areas. Adelaide has a Lord Mayor and the cities and town are run by Mayors. Council district areas are run by Shire Presidents.
In SA council members are known as councilors but the positions of aldermen are held by councilors with experience elected for a whole area rather than within a ward.
Council members are elected for two-year terms; half of the members retiring each year at an annual election. Voting in council elections is voluntary and everyone, including those who are not Australians, is eligible to vote. Tasmania (TAS)
TAS has four city councils: Hobart, Launceston, Glenorchy and Devonport. Hobart has a Lord Mayor and the other three cities Mayors. The rest of the State is divided into districts known as municipalities and run by Wardens.
Council members serve a three-year term with a third of the members going to election each year.
Voting is voluntary and while it is restricted to Australian citizens and British subjects who own or occupy property,  alien owners are allowed to get a qualified elector to vote on their behalf.
Northern Territory (NT)
Darwin has the only city council in NT. It is run by a Lord Mayor. There are at present five town councils, one shire and one corporation. As well as this there are 48 community governments. Council elections are held each four years on the last Saturday in May.
Community governments differ from traditional councils in a number of ways. To adopt community government a petition with at least 10 signatures must be sent to the Northern Territory Minister for Local Government requesting that they consider the proposal. The minister and his department then help the community devise a tailored system of government within the outlines of the scheme.
In this way no two community governments will be exactly the same. There are five common policies behind the NT system of local government: community choice; community accountability; community management; community development; and self sufficiency.
Council members are elected by secret ballot in a first-past-the-post system. Terms run for one year and there must be eight weeks notice given for elections. The government is run by a President who is elected by the council members.
Community governments in general serve more functions than a traditional council, becoming more involved with local industry and management.

PAPER TWO
PART IV    TRANSLATION (60 MIN)
SECTION A    CHINESE TO ENGLISH
Translate the following underlined part of the TEXT into English. Write your translation on ANSWER SHEET THREE.

    1997年2月24日我们代表下榻日月潭中信大饭店，送走了最后一批客人，已是次日凌晨3点了。我躺在床上久久不能入睡，披衣走到窗前，往外看去，只见四周群峦叠翠，湖面波光粼粼。望着台湾这仅有的景色如画的天然湖泊，我想了许多，许多……
这次到台湾访问交流，虽然行程匆匆，但是，看了不少地方，访了旧友，交了新知，大家走到一起，谈论的一个重要话题就是中华民族在21世纪的强盛。虽然祖国大陆、台湾的青年生活在不同的社会环境中，有着各自不同的生活经历，但大家的内心都深国统一大业的早日完成。世纪之交的宝贵机遇和巨大挑战把青年推到了历史的前台。跨世纪青年一代应该用什么样的姿态迎接充满希望的新世纪，这是我们必须回答的问题。
  日月潭水波不兴，仿佛与我一同在思索……
SECTION B ENGLISH TO CHINESE
Translate the following underlined part of the TEXT into Chinese. Write your translation on ANSWER SHEET THREE.

I agree to some extent with my imaginary English reader. American literary historians are perhaps prone to view their own national scene too narrowly, mistaking prominence for uniqueness. They do over-phrase their own literature, or certainly its minor figures. And Americans do swing from aggressive overphrase of their literature to an equally unfortunate, imitative deference. But then, the English themselves are somewhat insular in their literary appraisals. Moreover, in fields where they are not preeminent — e. g. in painting and music — they too alternate between boasting of native products and copying those of Continent. How many English paintings try to look as though they were done in Paris; how many times have we read in articles that they really represent an "English tradition" after all.
To speak of American literature, then, is not to assert that it is completely unlike that of Europe. Broadly speaking, America and Europe have kept step. At any given moment the traveler could find examples in both of the same architecture, the same style in dress, the same books on the shelves. Ideas have crossed the Atlantic as freely as men and merchandise, though sometimes more slowly. When I refer to American habit, thoughts, etc., I intend some sort of qualification to precede the word, for frequently the difference between America and Europe (especially England) will be one of degree, sometimes only of a small degree. The amount of divergence is a subtle affair, liable to perplex the Englishman when he looks at America. He is looking at a country which in important senses grew out of his own, which in several ways still resembles his own — and which is yet a foreign country. There are odd overlappings and abrupt unfamiliarities; kinship yields to a sudden alienation, as when we hail a person across the street, only to discover from his blank response that we have mistaken a stranger for a friend.
PART V    WRITING (60 MIN)
Nowadays with the development of economy, existing cities are growing bigger and new cities are appearing. What do you think is ONE of the major problems that may result from this process of urbanization? Write an essay of about 300 words on the topic given below.
ONE MAJOR PROBLEM IN THE PROCESS OF URBANIZATION

In the first part of your writing you should present your thesis statement. and in the second part you should support the thesis statement with appropriate details. In the last part you should bring what you have written to a natural conclusion or a summary.
Marks will be awarded for content, organization, grammar and appropriacy. Failure to follow the above instructions may result in a loss of marks.
Write your response on ANSWER SHEET FOUR.

参考答案
PART I
Section A 1—5 CADCA
Section B 6—10 ADCDA
Section C 11-15 CBDBD
Section D
1. dialect  2. merchants/ businessmen  3. Middle/ Medieval
4. distinctive/ unique/ special  5. public  6. accent/ pronunciation
7. higher/ upper  8. expansion/ growth  9. regional/ local  10. American/ US

PART II
1. any infant → any other infant  2. have → has 3. pay → draw/ call
4. on → to    5. in → at 6. them → themselves   7. the others → others
8. be → is  9. genetic → genetically  10. in such way → in such a way
PART III
16—20 CACAB  21—25 ACBCA  26—30 DACCD  31—35 BDDCA   36—40 ADCDA
PART IV
Section A
Hasty as it was, the short visit to Taiwan with an aim of interchange has enabled us to see quite a few places, meet old friends and make new ones. When we came together, a major topic we talked about was the prosperity of the Chinese nation in the coming 21st century. Although the youth in Mainland and in Taiwan are living in different social circumstances and have different life experiences, their hearts are all imprinted with the splendid tradition of the Chinese civilization and filled with the common ideal to invigorate the Chinese nation. At the great meeting time of two centuries, our motherland is heading for prosperity and is becoming stronger and stronger, and the exchange between the two sides of Taiwan Straits will promote their contacts and work together to realize the reunification of their motherland as soon as possible. The precious opportunity and great challenge at the turn of the centuries will push the young people to the front of the history. What attitude should be adopted by the younger generation at the turn of the centuries to usher in the new century of hope? This is the question that we must answer.

Section B
    然而，谈到美国文学，我们不能断言它与欧洲文学完全不同。从广义上说，美国与欧洲并驾齐驱。在任何特定的时候，旅行者都可以发现两地有着相同的建筑、相同式样的服装、相同的书籍。思想观点如同人和商品一样，自由地穿过大西洋，虽然有时会慢些。当我谈及美国的人习惯、思维等方面时，我打算使用某种限定性的词语，因为美欧(尤其是英美)之间的差别通常只是程度上的差别，有时差别甚微。差别的程度是一种微妙的事情，它能使看着美国的英国人困惑不解。他看到的这个国家在某些重要意义上源于自己的国家，在很多方面又酷似自己的国家，但他又不是自己的国家。两地有奇怪的相似处，又有突然的陌生感。例如，当我们和街道对面的人打招呼时，他却一脸茫然，此时才觉察到我们把陌生人当成了朋友。疏远之感立刻取代了亲密的感觉。

PART V
One Major Problem in the Process of Urbanization
From the ancient time until now, economy has always been regarded as the foundation of all other matters. Nowadays, it is easier for one to sense the urgency of economic development. As a result, existing cities are growing bigger and bigger and new cities are appearing. Obviously, developing economy brings people a big profit. However, some problems emerge. In my opinion, pollution is a major problem.
Everyday people go through cars, buses, trucks and other vehicles which give out a lot of poisonous gas. In the office building, people are nearly closed in a tin. Day and night, people are surrounded by central air-conditioners. Fresh air is not allowed in. What's more, there appear a lot of factories with large chimneys. Some chemical gases come out into the air constantly. The waste gas further worsens the air quality.
In the past, bird chipping, bee humming and other pleasant sound could be heard. Now trees are cut down, fields are covered and animals have no home land. On the contrary, machines howl, vehicles horn and people quarrel. One hears nothing but noise. The noise bothers people's mind and interrupt the harmonious living space.
With the development of economy, people's life tempo is growing faster and faster in accordance with the rapid going of machine. People have no more time to think of others, and they only care about themselves. They can discard rubbish anywhere. They turn the radio up enough to be unbearable to others. They can fight against others violently in order to relax their busy nerves.
To sum up, the urbanization has a lot of negative effects. Here only pollution in air, noise and mind are listed. Besides economic profit, other elements such as living environment should be taken into consideration based on a long-time development.