2004年3月上海市英语中级口译真题

2004年3月上海市英语中级口译资格证书第一阶段考试SECTION 1: LISTENING TEST (40 minutes)Part A: Spot DictationDirections: In this part of the test, you will hear a passage and read the same passage with blanks in it. Fill in each of the blanks with the ward or words you have heard on the tape. Write your answer in the corresponding space in you ANSWER BOOKLET. Remember you will hear the passage only once.What is a gesture ? A gesture is a movement of the hand or body that expresses ______ (1) or intention. It is an action that sends a ______ (2) from one person to another. To become a gesture, an act has to be seen by someone else and has to ______ (3) some piece of information to them.There are some gestures, however, that have ______ (4) depending on when and where they are used. When an American wants to signal that something is OK, ______ (5), he raises his hand and makes a circle with his thumb and forefinger. This circle-sign has ______ (6) for him, and he might be surprised to ______ (7) that in other countries it can mean something very different. In Japan, for instance, it is the gesture for money. ______ (8), it means zero or worthless. Such differences can, of course, lead to ______ (9)when foreigners meet, But why is it that the same gesture basso many different meanings? When some people want to show that something is ______ (10), they make a sign to show they are holding ______ (11) between the tips of their thumb and forefinger. Many people from all over the world ______ (12 when emphasizing a certain point as they speak.The object they hold is ______ (13), and they simply perform the action of holding it. In this way, they ______ (14) with the thumb and forefinger. In America, this unconscious gesture grew into a ______ (15) meaning exactly right or perfect. This was how the ______ (16) was born. The Japanese sign for money comes from a completely different source. ______ (17), and coins are round. Therefore, making a ______ (18) came to .symbolize money. It is as simple as that. The French sign for nothing or worthless also ______ (19) a simple source. This time, however, the circle does not represent a coin, it only indicates nought. Nought means nothing, ______ (20).Part B: Listening ComprehensionDirections: In this part of the test, you will hear several short statements. These statements will be spoken ONLY ONCE, and you will not find them written on the paper; so you must listen carefully. When you hear a statement, read the answer choices and decide which one is closest in meaning to the statement you have heard.Then write the letter of the answer you have chosen in the corresponding space in your ANSWER BOOKLET.1.(A) Doris pointed out where the key was. (B) Doris doesn't want to be appointed.(C) Doris is usually a punctual person. (D) Doris doesn't know she has an appointment.2.(A) Even though the car arrived early, the meeting began late.(B) The meeting was postponed, although we set off early today.(C) We left early today for the meeting, but we were delayed.(D) We started our journey early, so we were early for the meeting.3. (A) Three years later, the stock market crashed.(B) Half of the stocks in the market were devalued within five years.(C) About 50 % of rite products were more expensive than they had been 3 years before.(D) The country's GNP was reduced by nearly 50% in three years.4. (A) Tony won't receive additional payment, no matter how hard he works.(B) Tony couldn't understand why his boss is not satisfied with his success(C) Tony is unable to meet his sales quota this year because of the extra load of work.(D) Tony is confident that his work will save the firm from bankruptcy.5. (A) Everyone knew that Jennifer was the CEO's secretary in Detroit.(B) Jennifer didn't meet the well-known CEO from the headquarters,(C) The CEO was away to meet Jennifer in our headquarters in Detroit.(D) The Detroit headquarters had decided to appoint Jennifer to be a CEO.6. (A) The manager has refused to see you off at the airport.(B) The manager will be dealing with something urgent in prison.(C) The manager will be attending a welcome party at the airport.(D) The manager has to cancel her previous arrangement.7. (A) The director told the secretary to finish the survey report on time.(B) The director told the secretary to wind the clock in the office.(C) The director told the secretary to take the report home.(D) The director told the secretary not to rush for the survey report.8. (A) We intend to withdraw fund on that project, for it is necessary to do so.(B) We should proceed with the project, although we have difficulties.(C) We decide to give up the project, so that we can work on a new one.(D) We have to reject the gift and continue to raise money for that project of ours.9. (A) High productivity may have negative effects on our own existence.(B) More and better goods and services can raise our living standards.(C) The rising prices of goods and services may lead to the damage of our environment.(D) We should produce high-quality goods to protect our natural resources.10.(A) After three years of hard work, I have been promoted to department head.(B) After years of work, I think I need to talk with someone about my career.(C) The department head has ruthlessly turned down my request for a salary raise.(D) The department head has postponed the promotion campaign for months.2. Talks and ConversationsDirections: In this part of the test,you will hear Several short talks and conversations.After each of these, you will hear a few questions.Listen carefully because you will hear the talk or conversation and questions Only ONCE. When you hear a question, read the four answer choices and choose the best answer to that question. Then write the letter of the answer you have chosen in the corresponding space in your ANSWER BOOKLET.Questions 11-1411.(A) In her office. (B) In a cinema. (C) In her home. (D) In a restaurant.12.(A) The assistant manager has made an appointment with her.(B) Mr. Brown is going to pay a visit to her house.(C) The man has been late for a couple of times.(D) She has to return home first to change her dress.13.(A) They will go to a party. (B) They will attend a fashion show.(C) They will see a film. (D) They will go home.14.(A) Because it is their only night together. (B) Because it is the last night for the film show.(C) Because it is their wedding anniversary. (D) Because it is a chance to see the woman in uniform. Questions 15-1815.(A) Its long history. (B) Its large library. (C) Its college system. (D) Its admission qualifications.16.(A) The accommodation. (B) The award of degrees. (C) The examinations. (D) The programme of studies.17.(A) They are better than those of other universities.(B) They are open to all the students of the university.(C) They can be attended by students of a particular study.(D) They are given once a week, according to the tutor's advice.18.(A) In the Fellows' Club. (B) At the restaurant. (C) In the college chapel. (D) On college campus. Questions 19-2219.(A) Because she was not in a hurry. (B) Because she wanted to save money.(C) Because she could enjoy sightseeing. (D) Because she lived near the bus stop.20.(A) Taxis. (B) The railway. (C) The tube. (D) Double-deckers.21.(A) To show the excellence of its international air service.(B) To stress the importance of its strategic position.(C) To contrast it with internal air service of other cities.(D) To provide an answer to the problem of traffic congestion.22.(A) Its advanced technology. (B) Its geographical location.(C) Its changing climate. (D) Its demand for oil in the North Sea.Questions 23-2623.(A) President Roosevelt's death. (B) President Johnson's last days.(C) Eleanor Roosevelt's retirement. (D) Presidents after World War II.24.(A) Poor people. (B) Migrant workers. (C) Female journalists. (D) Civil rights activists.25.(A) Because of his old age. (B) Because of his health.(C) Because of his position as US president. (D) Because of his noble family tradition.26.(A) How to defeat the enemy in the war. (B) How to score more in a poker game.(C) What to say to make others laugh. (D) What to drink to replenish oneself.Questions 27-3027.(A) Because he doesn't want to stay in Bangkok. (B) Because he is tired of surface transport.(C) Because he is afraid of getting sea sickness. (D) Because he has to be back by next Tuesday.28.(A) They have debts to pay off. (B) They live in a small flat(C) They both work in a firm. (D) They both enjoy travel by air.29.(A) Reading newspapers and magazines. (B) Watching surface transport on the sea and ground.(C) Lunching on a special kind of fish pie. (D) Eating and drinking his favorites.30.(A) It is a popular means of transport. (B) It is no better than surface transport.(C) It is safer than other means of transport. (D) It is no longer enjoyable and convenient.Part C: Listening and Translation1. Sentence TranslationDirections:In this part of the test, you will hear 5 sentences in English. You will hear the sentences ONLY ONCE. After you have heard each sentence, translate it into Chinese and write your version in the corresponding space in your ANSWER BOOKLET.(1)(2)(3)(4)(5)2. Passage TranslationDirections: In this part of the test, you will hear 2 passages in English. You will hear the passages ONLY ONCE. After you have heard each passage, translate it into Chinese and write your version in the corresponding space in your ANSWER BOOKLET. You may take notes while you are listening.(1)(2)SECTION 2: STUDY SKILLS (50 minutes)Directions: In this section, you will read severalpassages. Each passage is f ollowed by several questions based on its content. You are to choose ONE best answer, (A) , (B), (C) or (D) , to each question. Answer all the questions f ollowing each passage on the basis of what is stated or implied in that passage and write the letter of the answer you have chosen in the correspond ing space in your ANSWER BOOKLET.Questions 1-5Faces, like fingerprints, are unique. Did you ever wonder how it is possible for us to recognize people? Even a skilled writer probably could not describe all the features that make one face different from another. Yet a very young child—or even an animal, such as a pigeon—can learn to recognize faces. We all take this ability for granted.We also tell people apart by how they behave. When we talk about someone's personality, we mean the ways in which he or she acts, speaks, thinks and feels that make that individual different from others.Like the human face, human personality is very complex. But describing someone's personality in words is somewhat easier than describing his face. If you were asked to describe what a "nice face" looked like, you probably would have a difficult time doing so. But if you were asked to describe a "nice person," you might beginto think about someone who was kind, considerate, friendly, warm, and so forth.There are many words to describe how a person thinks, feels and acts. Gordon Ports, an American psychologist, found nearly 18000 English words characterizing differences in people's behavior. And many of us use this information as a basis for describing, or typing, his personality. Bookworms, conservatives, military types—people are described with such terms.People have always tried to "type" each other. Actors in early Greek drama wore masks to show the audience whether they played the villain's or the hero's role. In fact, the words "person" and "personality" come from the Latin persona, meaning "mask". Today, most television and movie actors do not wear masks. But we can easily tell the "good guys" from the "bad guys" because the two types differ in appearance as well as in actions.1. The main idea of this passage is ______.(A) how to distinguish people's faces(B) how to describe people's personality(C) how to distinguish people both inwardly and outwardly(D) how to tell good persons from bad persons without wearing masks2. The author is most probably a ______.(A) linguist (B) plastic surgeon (C) manager (D) sociologist3. Which of the following statements is NOT true?(A) People may have different personalities. (B) People differ from each other in appearance.(C) People can learn to recognize human faces. (D) People can describe all human features of others.4. The reason that it is easier to describe one's personality in words than one's face is that ______.(A) many words are available to describe personality (B) a person's personality is easily distinguished(C) people's personalities are very much alike (D) a person's face is more complex than his personality5. We learn from the passage that people are classified according to ______.(A) their way of wearing masks (B) their way of speaking and playing(C) their knowledge and behavior (D) their physical appearance and personalityQuestions 6-10Before, whenever we had health, we stated discussing poverty. Why no now? Why is the current politics of wealth and poverty seemingly about wealth alone? Eight years ago, when Bill Clinton first ran for president, the Dow Jones average was under 3,500, yearly federal budget deficits were projected at hundreds of billions of dollars forever and beyond, and no one talked about the "permanent boom" or the "new economy." Yet in that more straitened time, Clinton made much of the importance of "not leaving a single person behind." It is possible that similar "compassionate" rhetoric might yet play a role in the general election.But it is striking how much less talk there is about the poor than there was eight years ago, when the country was economically uncertain, or in previous eras, when the country felt flush. Even last summer, when Clinton spent several days on a remarkable, Bobby Kennedy-like pilgrimage through impoverishedareas from Indian reservations in South Dakota to ghetto neighborhoods in East St. Louis, the administration decided to refer to the effort not as a poverty tour but as a "new markets initiative."What is happening is partly a logical, policy-driven reaction. Poverty really is lower than it has been in decades, especially for minority groups. The most attractive solution to it—a growing economy—is being applied. The people who have been totally left out of this boom often have medical, mental or other problems for which no one has an immediate solution. "The economy has sucked in anyone who has any preparation, any ability to cope with modern life," says Franklin D. Raines, the former director of the Office of Management and Budget who is now head of Fannie Mae. When he and other people who specialize in the issue talk about solutions, they talk analytically and long-term:education, development of work skills, shifts in the labor market, adjustment in welfare reform.But I think there is another force that has made this a rich era with barely visible poor people. It is the unusual social and imaginative separation between prosperous America and those still left out. ... It's simple invisibility, because of increasing geographic, occupation, and social barriers that block one group from the other's view.6. The main idea of the passage is that ______.(A) The county is enjoying economic growth(B) The poor are benefiting from today's good economy(C) We were more aware of the poor than we are today(D) There were many more poor people tan there are today7. The organizational pattern of the first two paragraphs of this passage is______.(A) order of importance (B) comparison and contrast (C) chronological order (D) classification and division8. In line 6 of the first paragraph, the word straitened means ______.(A) prosperous (B) difficult (C) relaxing (D) significant9. From this passage, we can conclude that ______.(A) the status quo of the rich and the poor has changed(B) the good and prosperous economy will soon end(C) poverty will be removed as a result of increased wealth(D) all people benefit from good economic conditions10.According to the author, one important reason that we do not talk muchabout poverty is that ______.(A) no one knows what to do about it (B) poverty really is lower than in the past(C) no one has been left out of the current boom (D) the president is not concerned about the poor Questions 11-15Our visit to the excavation of a Roman fort on a hill near Coventry was of more than archaeological interest. The year's dig had been a fruitful one and had assembled evidence of a permanent military camp much larger than hadat first been conjectured. We were greeted on the site by a group of excavators, some of them filling in a trench that had yielded an almost complete pot the day before, others enjoying the last-day luxury of a cigarette in the sun, but all happy to explain and talk about their work. If we had not already known it, nothing would have suggested that this was a party of prisoners from the nearby prison. This is not the first time that prison labour has been used in work of this kind, but here the experiment, now two years old,has proved outstandingly satisfactory.From the archaeologists' point of view, prisoners provide a steady force of disciplined labour throughout the entire season, men to whom it is a serious day's work, and not the rather carefree holiday job that it tends to be for the amateur archaeologist. Newcomers are comparatively few, and can soon be initiated by those already trained in the work. Prisoners may also be more accustomed to heavy work like shovelling and carting soil than the majority of students, and they also form a fair cross-section of the population and can furnish men whose special skills make them valuable as surveyors, draughtsmen of pottery restorers. When Coventry's Keeper of Archaeology went to the prison to appeal for help, he was received cautiously by the men, but when the importance of the work was fully understood, far more volunteers were forthcoming then could actually be employed. When they got to work on the site, and their efforts produced pottery and building foundations in what until last year had been an ordinary field, their enthusiasm grew till they would sometimes work through their lunch hour and tea break, and even carry on in the rain rather than sit it out in the hut. This was undoubtedly because the work was not only strenuous but absorbing, and called for considerable intelligence.The men worked always under professional supervision, but as the season went on they needed less guidance and knew when an expert should be summoned.Disciplinary problems were negligible: the men were carefully selected for their good conduct and working on a party like this was too valuable a privilege to be thrown away.The Keeper of Archaeology said that this was by far the most satisfactory form of labour that he had ever had, and that it had produced results, in quantity and quality, that could not have been achieved by any other means. A turf and timber fort built near the Roman highway through the middle of England in the first century A.D. had been excavated over an area of 14,000 square feet, and a section of turf rampart and palisade fully reconstructed by methods identical to those employed by the Roman army.The restoration of the Roman fort is being financed by Coventry Corporation as part of a plan to create a leisure amenity area. To this project prisoners have contributed work which otherwise would not have been performed and which benefits the whole community.11.The visit to the excavation site was ______.(A) of purely archaeological interest (B) fruitful because a complete pot was discovered(C) interesting in more than one way (D) made by a group of prisoners12.It can be assumed that archaeologists ______.(A) found that the prisoners worked far better than students(B) did not like the prisoners' carefree attitude to work(C) were willing to take only a few prisoners to work on the site(D) were often forced to discipline the prisoners13.Prisoners demonstrated their attitude to work by ______.(A) spending most of their time sitting in a hut (B) insisting on professional guidance(C) taking no initiative (D) working voluntarily14.When prisoners were selected for the work ______.(A) many of them refused to co-operate (B) their previous behaviour was taken into account(C) they were told they must work in all weathers (D) they were warned that there would be no privileges15.The Keeper of Archaeology said that ______.(A) he had expected more of the fort to be revealed(B) the palisade was very primitive(C) only prison labour could produce such good results(D) the methods to construct the Roman fort were proved identicalQuestions 16-20Flats were almost unknown in Britain until the 1850s when they were developed, along with other industrial dwellings, for the laboring classes. These vast blocks were plainly a convenient means of easing social conscience by housing large numbers of the ever-present poor on compact city sites. During the 1880s, however, the idea of living in comfortable residential chambers caught on with the affluent upper and upper middle classes, and controversy as to the advantages and disadvantages of flat life was a topic of conversation around many a respectable dinner-table. In Paris and other major European cities, the custom whereby the better-off lived in apartments, or flats, was well established. Up to the late nineteenth century in England only bachelor barristers had established the tradition of living in rooms near the Law Court: any self-respecting head of household would insist upon a West End town house as his London home, the best that his means could provide.The popularity of flats for the better-off seems to have developed for a number of reasons. First, perhaps, through the introduction of the railways, which had enabled a wide range of people to enjoy a holiday staying in a suite at one of the luxury hotels which had begun to spring up during the previous decade. Hence, no doubt, the fact that many of the early luxury flats were similar to hotel suites, even being provided with communal dining-rooms and central boilers for hot water and heating. Rents tended to be high to cover overheads, but savings were made possible by these communal amenities and by tenants being able to reduce the number of family servants.One of the earliest substantial London developments of flats for the well-to-do was begun soon after Victoria Railway Station was opened in 1860, as the train service provided an efficient link with both the City and the South of England. Victoria Street, adjacent to both the Station and Westminster, had already been formed, and under the direction of the architect, Henry Ashton, was being lined, with blocks of residential chambers in the Parisian manner.These flats were commodious indeed, offering between eight and fifteen rooms apiece, including appropriate domestic offices. The idea was an emphatic departure from the tradition of the London house and achieved immediate success.Perhaps the most notable block in the vicinity was Queen Anne's Mansions, partly designed by E. R. Robson in 1884 and recently demolished. For many years, this was London's loftiest building and had strong claims to be the ugliest. The block was begun as a wild speculation, modelled on the Americanskyscraper, and was nearly 200 feet high. The cliff-like walls of dingy brick completely overshadowed the modest thoroughfare nearby.Although bleak outside, the mansion flats were palatial within,with sumptuously furnished communal entertaining and dining rooms, and lifts to the uppermost floors. Thesuccess of these tall blocks of flats could not have been achieved, of course, without the invention of the lift, or 'ascending carriage' as it was called when first used in the Strand Law Courts in the 1870s.16.Flats first appeared in Britain in the middle of the 19th century when ______.(A) they were principally built for those families with several servants(B) people were not conscious of the crowded housing of the less well-to-do(C) there was increasing concern over accommodation for the poor(D) people became conscious of the social needs of the rural population17.English upper-middle-class families preferred to ______.(A) live mainly outside London, where it was healthier and cheaper (B) live near their working place(C) live in the West End (D) live in London, but mainly not in the West End18.One effect of the railways coming to central London was to stimulate the building of ______(A) large and well-appointed hotels (B) blocks of self-contained flats(C) rows of elegant town houses (D) flats similar to hotel suites19.The immediate success of the flats in Victoria Street could be attributed to ______.(A) their French style of architecture (B) their revolutionary style of architecture(C) the ease with which they could be used as offices (D) the unusual number of rooms each flat contained20.How does the writer refer to the interior and exterior of Queen Anne's Mansions?(A) They were elegantly decorated both inside and outside.(B) They were grim from the outside and had a modest decor inside.(C) They were flashy from the street but nondescript inside.(D) They were plain outside but with lavish interiors.Questions 21-25Troubled by the poor performance of their investments, many people are taking steps to halt erosion of their savings and rethink their financial plans .They are not sure what to do to maximize returns in light of stock market fluctuations, new tax laws, low interest rates and skyrocketing real estatevalues. "On an emotional level, people are petrified of making a mistake and losing more money," says financial counselor Denise Hughes. "The do-it-yourself investor of the 1990s is more comfortable now doing nothing." But doing nothing isn't better than doing something smart, especially as college, weddings and retirement loom. Here's what financial advisors are recommending to their clients:Plan for financial aidMost parents don't save nearly enough for children's education. They assume that investing in a 529 collegeplan is the best place for your savings, While a 529 plan offers tax-free growth and withdrawals for college costs—and in some cases a tax deduction—colleges look at these savings when sizing upeligibility and how much they will fork over. The same scrutiny is given to funds saved in a Coverdell IRA and inan account opened in your child's name. Do save aggressively for college in a taxable account in your name if your household income is below $ 100,000. In this case, your child will likely qualify for some financial aid. Do investin a 529 savings plan if your income is higher than $100,000 and will likely remain at or above that level whenyour child enters college. In this case, the 529 plan is great because you probably won't qualify for financial aid anyway.Expect ups and downsStung by three straight years of stock market declines, many people have been shifting to lower-risk investments.But just as taking too much risk can hurt your portfolio's growth rate, so can hiding out in ultra, safe investments;paying 1% or less.Do consider investing in funds that you'll hold on to for more than a year. Under the new tax law, long-term capital gains are taxed at a maximum of 15%, down from 20%. Do look at stock funds that pay dividends. Dividends on stocks used to be taxed at your personal income tax rate, Under the new law, they are now taxed at no more than 15%. Investing in these funds will not only hold down taxes but also sustain your portfolio's value in tough times.Forget high feesOver the next ten years, achieving the kind of double-digit returns we experienced over the past 20。