1、专业八级-408 及答案解析(总分：100.00，做题时间：90 分钟)一、READING COMPREHENSIO(总题数：0，分数：0.00)二、Passage 1(总题数：1，分数：20.00)When times are good, they are very, very good for consultants. But when they are bad, they are horrid. As the economy stalled in 2009, the global consulting industry shrank by 9.1%. It was the worst y
2、ear since at least 1982, according to Kennedy Information, an industry monitor. Now the kids are back in the conference rooms. Companies that shelved plans during the recession are dusting them off and looking for help. And the work is more cheerful. When bosses did hire consultants in 2009, 87% of
3、projects were aimed at cutting costs rather than boosting growth, says Kennedy. This year, just 47% of project spending will be on cutting costs. The rest will go on growth plans, from mergers to installing new computer systems. But not all will benefit equally. Consulting is a diverse industry. Bes
4、t known are the elite strategy consultancies such as Mc Kinsey externally it was weak by comparison with its nearest continental neighbors. Within less than twenty years it had been forcibly subjected to three different kinds of religion, a sort of Anglo-Catholicism under Henry , an extreme Protesta
5、ntism under Edward and the old orthodox Catholicism under Mary. Such a thing as toleration, each person worshipping according to his own conscience, was inconceivable; all had to worship the same way, and each change had been accompanied by persecution and left a legacy of hatred amongst those who p
6、referred another way. Whatever course the new Queen adopted she would make enemies, while to adopt none would be the worst course of all, since that would leave it to the various creeds to fight it out amongst themselves until one had crushed the rest. Apart from these religious quarrels there were
7、sectional differences. The West, including Wales and the North, had different ways of life and thought from those parts nearer the capital and did not want to be interfered with; while in Ireland, English domination over a hostile race could only be maintained by a constant expenditure of lives, mon
8、ey and watchfulness. Alongside and closely related to these perils threatening the country from within were the perils threatening it from without. France and Spain, the two great Powers, long locked in a struggle for the mastery of the Continent, could tolerate no neutrals: at least none like Engla
9、nd, which, because of her position, could close the vital passage through the Channel and the North Sea to either by becoming the ally of the other. Either, on the other hand, might endanger and perhaps entirely stop England“s trade with the Continent through those waters; France had already done it
10、 grave damage and might jeopardize it further by her recent seizure of Calais. Moreover, France virtually controlled Scotland, where the mother of the young Queen ruled as Regent for her daughter, lately married to the Dauphin in Paris, and where French troops lay encamped along England“s single lan
11、d frontier. Little as Englishmen like being attached to either of the two great powers, they could not very well avoid being bound to an extent to one or the other of them, since alone they would have succumbed to either; as they had discovered not long since that without Spain they could neither de
12、fend nor retake Calais. A visiting diplomat to the little island kingdom summing up his impressions, compared it to “a bone thrown between two dogs.“ The comparison was apt as far as it went, but it left two factors out of account. One was the bursting energy of the English people, who took by no me
13、ans so gloomy a view of their future as the facts seemed to justify. The other was their new Queen, on whom they had increasingly fixed their faith as things went from bad to worse under her predecessor. So great had her popularity grown before the end that not only had Mary not dared to prevent, bu
14、t had been compelled against her will to consent to her accession, which her subjects welcomed with an enthusiasm that was almost hysterical.（分数：20.00）(1).What problem did Elizabeth face domestically before she took the throne?（分数：4.00）A.Disagreement in opinion.B.Disagreement in worship.C.Quarrel ov
15、er the different social sections.D.Disagreement among people in religion.(2).If Queen Elizabeth didn“t believe in any of the three kinds of religion,（分数：4.00）A.people in different religion might fight out the result.B.she might become the enemy of those who believed in them.C.Protestantism would dom
16、inate the whole country.D.three kinds of religion might divide the country into three parts.(3).All of the following were the reasons why England dared not offend France EXCEPT that（分数：4.00）A.a part of the country was under the control of France.B.France might ally with other European countries to a
17、ttack England.C.French soldiers were stationed at the border of England.D.France might set up trade barriers between England and other countries.(4).It can be inferred from the last paragraph that（分数：4.00）A.English people began to rebel against Mary“s ruling.B.after Elizabeth ascended the throne, sh
18、e won her popularity quickly.C.her predecessor didn“t expect Elizabeth to come to the throne.D.English people forced Mary to abdicate the throne.(5).The author“s attitude towards Elizabeth“s accession is（分数：4.00）A.enthusiastic.B.admiring.C.ambivalent.D.objective.四、Passage 3(总题数：1，分数：20.00)If you wan
19、t to see what it takes to set up an entirely new financial center (and what is best avoided), head for Dubai. This tiny, sun-baked patch of sand in the midst of a war-torn and isolated region started with few advantages other than a long tradition as a hub for Middle Eastern trade routes. But over t
20、he past few years Dubai has built a new financial center from nothing. Dozens of the world“s leading financial institutions have opened offices in its new financial district, hoping to grab a portion of the $2 trillion-plus investment from the Gulf. Some say there is more hype than business, but few
21、 big firms are willing to risk missing out. Dealmaking in Dubai centers around The Gate, a cube-shaped structure at the heart of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). A brainchild of the ruling AI-Maktoum family, the DIFC is a tax-free zone for wholesale financial services. Finns licensed
22、 for it are not approved to serve the local financial market. The DIFC aims to become the leading wholesale financial centre in the Gulf, offering one-stop shopping for everything from stocks to sukuk (Islamic) bonds, investment banking and insurance. In August the Dubai bourse made a bid for a big
23、stake in OMX, a Scandinavian exchange operator that also sells trading technology to many of the world“s exchanges. Dubai may have generated the biggest splash thus far, but much of the Gulf region has seen a surge of activity in recent years. Record flows of petrodollars have enabled governments in
24、 the area to spend billions on infrastructure projects and development. Personal wealth too is growing rapidly. According to Capgemini and Merrill Lynch, the number of people in the Middle East with more than $1m in financial assets rose by nearly 12% last year, to 300,000. Qatar, Bahrain and Abu Dh
25、abi also have big aspirations for their financial hubs, though they keep a lower profile than Dubai. They, too, are trying to learn from more established financial centers what they must do to achieve the magic mix of transparent regulation, good infrastructure and low or no taxes. Some of the fierc
26、est competition among them is for talent. Most English-speaking professionals have to be imported. Each of the Gulf hubs, though, has its own distinct characteristics. Abu Dhabi is trying to present itself as a more cultured, less congested alternative to neighboring Dubai, and is building a huge Gu
27、ggenheim museum. Energy-rich Qatar is an important hub for infrastructure finance, with ambitions to develop further business in wealth management, private equity, retail banking and insurance. Bahrain is well established in Islamic banking, but it is facing new competition from London, Kuala Lumpur
28、 and other hubs that have caught on to Islamic finance. “If you“ve got one string to your bow and suddenly someone takes it away, you“re in trouble,“ says Stuart Pearce of the Qatar Financial Centre about Bahrain. Saudi Arabia, by far the biggest economy in the Gulf, is creating a cluster of its own
29、 economic zones, including King Abdullah City, which is aimed at foreign investors seeking a presence in the country. Trying to cut down on the number of “suitcase bankers“ who fly in from nearby centers rather than live in the country, the Saudis now require firms working with them to have local bu
30、siness licenses. Yet the bulk of the region“s money is still flowing to established financial centers in Europe, America and other parts of Asia. The financial hubs there offer lessons for aspiring centers in other parts of the developing world. Building the confidence of financial markets takes mor
31、e than new skyscrapers, tax breaks and incentives. The DIFC, for instance, initially suffered from suspicions of government meddling and from a high turnover among senior executives. Trading on its stock market remains thin, and the government seems unwilling to float its most successful companies t
32、here. Making the desert bloom was never easy.（分数：20.00）(1).According to the passage, Dubai has built a new financial center（分数：4.00）A.because of its innate advantages over other countries.B.thanks to the $2 trillion-plus investment from the Gulf.C.from its past tradition as a trade center in the Gul
33、f.D.for it“s a war-torn and isolated region in the world.(2).According to the passage, which of the following about Dubai is INCORRECT?（分数：4.00）A.It enjoys record flows of petrodollars.B.Personal wealth too is growing rapidlyC.It is the biggest economy in the Gulf.D.Billions are spent on infrastruct
34、ure.(3).The fiercest competition among the countries aspiring for their financial hubs is（分数：4.00）A.regulation.B.infrastructure.C.tax.D.talent.(4).Which of the following is NOT true about Saudi Arabia?（分数：4.00）A.It is building a cluster of its own economic zones.B.It is trying to decrease the number
35、 of “suitcase bankers“.C.It is very strict about granting local business licenses.D.It can“t attract the bulk of the region“s money to flow in.(5).By saying “making the desert bloom was never easy“ in the last paragraph, the author means（分数：4.00）A.new skyscrapers need to be built to guarantee the co
36、nfidence of financial markets.B.cutting on taxes and giving more incentives brings the confidence of financial markets.C.the government is trying to bring the confidence of financial markets down.D.it takes great efforts to build the confidence and prosperity of financial markets.五、Passage 4(总题数：1，分
37、数：20.00)Margaret Spellings, the secretary of education, announced a pilot reform to the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), George Bush“s education law, which was passed in 2002. Up to ten states, she said, would be allowed to target their resources at the most severely struggling schools, rather than
38、at the vast number needing improvement. The change drew a predictable mix of praise and censure. Above all, though, it was a reminder of utter inaction elsewhere. Congress, which was supposed to re-authorize the law last year, has made little progress. On the campaign trail, concerns over Iraq and t
39、he economy have made education a minor issue. Contrary to appearances, the law“s main tenets are unlikely to be abandoned completely. But for the Democratic candidates in particular, a proper debate on NCLB is to be avoided like political quicksand. Most politicians agree that the law has the right
40、goalsto raise educational standards and hold schools accountable for meeting them. NCLB requires states to test pupils on math and reading from third to eighth grade (that is, from the ages of eight to 13), and once in high school. Some science testing is being added. Schools that do not make “adequ
41、ate yearly progress“ towards meeting state standards face sanctions. Pupils in failing schools can supposedly transfer to a better one or get tutoring. Most also agree that NCLB has big flaws that must be fixed. Few pupils in bad schools actually transfer less than 1% of those eligible did so in the
42、 2003-2004 school year. Teachers“ unions say the tests are focused too narrowly on math and reading, fail to measure progress over time and encourage “teaching to the test“. They also complain that the law lacks proper funding. The Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, a conservative policy group, has expos
43、ed wide gaps in state standards. Test-data reflect this. In Mississippi 90% of fourth-graders were labeled “proficient“ or better in the state reading test in 2006-2007. Only 19% reached that level in a national test. John McCain, the Republican presidential nominee, offers NCLB tepid support but fa
44、ils to elaborate. At Democratic rallies, NCLB is little more than a whipping-boy. Hillary Clinton proclaims that she will “end the unfunded mandate known as No Child Left Behind“. But though she and Barack Obama deride NCLB publicly, each endorses the idea of accountability. They favor using more so
45、phisticated “assessments“ in place of tests, want to value a broader range of skills, punish schools less and support them more. How these ideas would be implemented remains unclear. Not surprisingly, more controversial proposals can be found among those not running for president. Chester Finn of Fo
46、rdham thinks the federal government needs greater power to set standards, while states should have more leeway in meeting them. A bipartisan commission on NCLB has issued a slew of proposals. Particularly contentious is a plan to use pupils“ test scores to help identify ineffective teachers as in ne
47、ed of retraining. Of course, standards alone do not improve education. Both Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Obama propose a host of new programs for schools, described on their websites if rarely on campaign. But accountability is likely to remain a big part of school reform. Last April a group of philanthropi
48、sts announced a $60m effort to make education the top domestic issue of 2008. So far, it looks like money ill spent.（分数：20.00）(1).According to the passage, NCLB mainly aimed to（分数：5.00）A.provide tests for pupils on maths and reading from third to eighth grade.B.add some science testing in schools fo
49、r pupils aged from 8 to 13.C.enhance teaching standards which schools should be responsible for meeting.D.transfer pupils in failing schools to a better one or get them some tutoring.(2).The word “sanctions“ in the third paragraph means（分数：5.00）A.approval.B.punishment.C.support.D.decree.(3).Which of the following is NOT a weakness of NCLB?（分数：5.00）A.The law has been properly funded.B.Only a few pupils in bad schools transfer.C.The tests are focused on nothing but maths and reading.D.The tests actually encourage “teaching to the test“.(4).From the description in the passage, we learn that（分
