1、专业八级-482 及答案解析(总分：100.00，做题时间：90 分钟)一、READING COMPREHENSIO(总题数：5，分数：100.00)Last month Hansen Transmissions International, a maker of gearboxes for wind turbines, was listed on the London Stock Exchange. Nothing noteworthy about that, you might say, despite the jump in the share price on the first da
2、y of trading and the handsome gain since: green technology is all the rage, is it not? But Hansen exemplifies another trend too, which should prove every bit as durable: the rise of multinational companies from emerging economies. Its parent is Suzlon, an Indian firm that began life as a textile man
3、ufacturer but is now among the world“s five leading makers of wind turbines. Along the way, Suzlon has acquired not only Hansen, originally Belgian, but also REpower, a German wind-energy firm, spending over $2 billion on the pair. The world is now replete with Suzlons: global companies from emergin
4、g economies buying businesses in rich countries as well as in poorer places. Another Indian company, Tata Motors, looks likely to add to the list soon, by buying two grand old names of British carmaking, Jaguar and Land Rover, from America“s enfeebled Ford. As a symbol of a shift in economic power,
5、this is hard to match. Economic theory says that this should not happen. Richer countries should export capital to poorer ones, not the other way round. Economists have had to get used to seeing this turned on its head in recent years, as rich countries have run large current-account deficits and bo
6、rrowed from China and other emerging economies (notably oil exporters) with huge surpluses. Similarly, foreign direct investment (FDI)the buying of companies and the building of factories and offices abroadshould also flow from rich to poor, and with it managerial and entrepreneurial prowess. It is
7、not yet time to tear up the textbook on FDI. According to the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), in 2006 the flow of FDI into developing economies exceeded the outflow by more than $200 billion. But the transfer of finance and expertise is by no means all in one direction. Developing e
8、conomies accounted for one-seventh of FDI outflows in 2006, most of it in the form of takeovers. Indian companies have done most to catch the eye, but firms from Brazil, China and Mexico, in industries from cement to consumer electronics and aircraft manufacture, have also gone global. Up to a point
9、, emerging-market multinationals have been buying Western know-how. But they have been bringing managerial and entrepreneurial skill, as well as just money, to the companies they buy: British managers bear grudging witness to the financial flair of Mexican cement bosses; Boeing and Airbus may have l
10、earnt a thing or two from the global supply chains of Brazil“s Embraer. Perhaps no one should be surprised. Half a century ago, Japan was a poor country: today Sony and Toyota are among the best-known and mightiest companies on the planet. South Korea is still listed as developing country in UNCTAD“
11、s tables, but that seems bizarrely outdated for the homes of Samsung. Now another generation is forming. To its critics, globalisation may be little more than a licence for giant Western companies to colonise the emerging world, yet more and more firms from poorer economies are planting their flags
12、in rich ground.（分数：20.00）(1).It can be inferred from the first paragraph that -|_|-.（分数：5.00）A.green technology is out of fashion at that timeB.green technology is useless at that timeC.green technology is irrational and unrealisticD.green technology is popular at a particular time(2).Which of the f
13、ollowing is NOT the reason why “the world is now replete with Suzlons“ in the second paragraph?（分数：5.00）A.Many companies from emerging economies buy business in rich countries.B.Many companies from emerging economies buy business in poor countries.C.Suzlon is the best and most powerful company in th
14、e world.D.There are many emerging companies like Suzlon in the world.(3).Which category of writing does this passage belong to?（分数：5.00）A.Editorial.B.Essay.C.Feature.D.News.(4).What does “emerging economies“ (in the first three paragraphs) mean?（分数：5.00）All around the world, shoppers flock to Wal-Ma
15、rt to buy everything from socks to sofa beds. In McKinney, Texas, they come for another reason: to see the wind turbine. Rising 120 ft. above the ground, it“s the tallest structure in town and supplies 5% of the store“s electricity. It“s not the only thing that makes this Wal-Mart a green giant. The
16、re are photovoltaic shingles on the roof, exterior walls coated with heat-reflective paint and a high-tech system that automatically dims or raises the lights depending on whether it“s sunny or overcast. Brent Allen, who manages the experimental store, says customers tell him all the time that “they
17、 drove out of their way to shop at this Wal-Mart.“ Which makes you wonder: If folks drive farther than they have to, aren“t they burning extra gasoline in their pickups and SUVs? And isn“t that offsetting the store“s energy savings? The laws of unintended consequences can be cruel for companies tryi
18、ng to do the right thing. The laws of economics suggest that Wal-Mart is so big, with 5,200 stores worldwide, that it influences everything from the price of lumber to the size of the container your laundry detergent comes in. And if this retailing giant throws its weight behind environmental respon
19、sibility, the impact could be profound: less air pollution at factories in China, mass-market sales of organic products, cereal boxes that aren“t half filled with air. “One little change in product packaging could save 1,500 trees,“ says Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott. “If everybody saves 1,500 trees or 50
20、barrels of oil, at the end of the day you have made a huge difference.“ Scott wants Wal-Mart to do its part too. He has promised to cut greenhouse-gas emissions at existing stores 20% over the next few years and pledged to construct new stores that are 25% to 30% more efficient. He wants Wal-Mart“s
21、fleet of more than 7,000 trucks to get twice as many miles per gallon by 2015. Factories that show Wal-Mart they“re cutting air pollutioneven those in Chinawill get preferential treatment in the supply chain. Wal-Mart says it“s working with consumer-product manufacturers to trim their packaging and
22、will reward those that do so with prime real estate on the shelves. Scott has pledged to enlist Wal-Mart“s army of lobbyists to push for pro-environmental policy changes in Washington, including incentives for utilities to cut greenhouse gases. Cynics might call it a “greenwash“, a bid to deflect at
23、tention from Wal-Mart“s controversial labor and health-insurance practices. But it“s not just window dressing, because Wal-Mart sees profit in going green. “We are not being altruistic,“ says Scott. “This is a business philosophy, not a social philosophy.“ Some top environmentalists seem convinced h
24、e“s serious, including Amory Lovins, head of the Rocky Mountain Institute, who is a paid adviser. “We don“t go where we don“t think there“s a genuine interest in change,“ says Lovins. There“s no question that soaring energy costs are fueling Wal-Mart“s conservation drive. The company now insists tha
25、t truckers shut off their engines when stopping for a break, yielding estimated savings of $25 million a year. By doubling the gas mileage of the fleet through better aerodynamics and lower-friction tires, Wal-Mart expects to pocket $310 million a year. One of the biggest items on its energy bill is
26、 lighting. Instead of going with the cheapest bulbs, the company is experimenting with costlier LED strips for refrigeration units that last longer and use less energy. Scott also wants to sell more organically grown food and cotton clothing, partly because it“s good for the planet, partly because h
27、e believes he can get prices down and boost sales to low- income customers. Like Bill Gates, who started his charitable foundation shortly after Microsoft“s antitrust trial, Scott happens to be burnishing Wal-Mart“s image at a time when his company“s reputation is under siege. He acknowledges that h
28、e launched the plan partly to shield Wal-Mart from bad press about its contribution to global warming. “By doing what we“re doing today you avoid the headline risks that are going to come for people who did not do anything,“ he says. “At some point businesses will be held accountable for the actions
29、 they take.“ Meanwhile, should Wal-Mart succeed at shrinking its environmental footprint and lowering prices for green products, both the planet and the company will profit. Sam Walton would have liked that.（分数：20.00）(1).The relationship between the third and fourth paragraphs is that -|_|-.（分数：5.00
30、）A.each presents one side of Wal-MartB.the fourth is the logical result of the thirdC.the third generalizes and the fourth gives examplesD.both present Wal-Mart“s success in business(2).As for Wal-Mart itself, it can be inferred that -|_|-.（分数：5.00）A.there are 5,200 stores all over the worldB.Wal-Ma
31、rt has more than 7,000 trucks over the worldC.Wal-Mart has great influence on world marketD.Lee Scott is Wal-Mart“s CEO and decision-maker(3).Which of the following is NOT Wal-Mart“s future plan?（分数：5.00）A.Reduce emissions of greenhouse-gas in current stores.B.Establish newly efficient stores in dif
32、ferent places.C.The fleet of trucks used more fuels than before.D.Give preferential treatment to certain factories.(4).What“s the main idea of the last paragraph?（分数：5.00）Kimiyuki Suda should be a perfect customer for Japan“s carmakers. He“s a young (34), successful executive at an Internet-services
33、 company in Tokyo and has plenty of disposable income. He used to own Toyota“s Hilux Surf, a sport utility vehicle. But now he uses mostly subways and trains. “It“s not inconvenient at all,“ he says. Besides, “having a car is so 20th century.“ Suda reflects a worrisome trend in Japan; the automobile
34、 is losing its emotional appeal, particularly among the young, who prefer to spend their money on the latest electronic gadgets. While minicars and luxury foreign brands are still popular, everything in between is slipping. Last year sales fell 6.7 percentif you don“t count the minicar market. There
35、 have been larger one-year drops in other nations: sales in Germany fell 9 percent in 2007 thanks to a tax hike. But analysts say Japan is unique in that sales have been eroding steadily over time. Since 1990, yearly new-car sales have fallen from 7.8 million to 5.4 million units in 2007. Alarmed by
36、 this state of decay, the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association launched a comprehensive study of the market in 2006. It found a widening wealth gap, demographic changesfewer households with children, a growing urban populationand general lack of interest in cars led Japanese to hold their vehi
37、cles longer, replace their cars with smaller ones or give up car ownership altogether. “Japan“s automobile society stands at a crossroad,“ says Ryuichi Kitamura, a transport expert and professor at Kyoto University. He says he does not expect the trend to be reversed, as studies show that the younge
38、r Japanese consumers are, the less interested they are in having a car. JAMA predicts a further sales decline of 1.2 percent in 2008. Some analysts believe that if the trend continues for much longer, further consolidation in the automotive sector (already under competitive pressure) is likely. Japa
39、nese demographics have something to do with the problem. The country“s urban population has grown by nearly 20 percent since 1990, and most city dwellers use mass transit (the country“s system is one of the best developed in the world) on a daily basis, making it less essential to own a car. Experts
40、 say Europe, where the car market is also quite mature, may be in for a similar shift. But in Japan, the “demotorization“ process, or kuruma banare, is also driven by cost factors. Owning and driving a car can cost up to $500 per month in Japan, including parking fees, car insurance, toll roads and
41、various taxes. Taxes on a $17,000 car in Japan are 4.1 times higher than in the United States, 1.7 times higher than in Germany and 1.25 times higher than in the U.K., according to JAMA. “Automobiles used to represent a symbol of our status, a Western, modern lifestyle that we aspired for,“ says Kit
42、amura. For today“s young people, he argues, “such thinking is completely gone.“ Cars are increasingly just a mobile utility; the real consumer time and effort goes into picking the coolest mobile phones and personal computers, not the hippest hatchback. The rental-car industry has grown by more than
43、 30 percent in the past eight years, as urbanites book weekend wheels over the Internet. Meanwhile, government surveys show that spending on cars per household per year fell by 14 percent, to $600, between 2000 and 2005, while spending on Net and mobile-phone subscriptions rose by 39 percent, to $1,
44、500, during the same period. For Japanese car companies, the implications are enormous. “Japan is the world“s second largest market, with a 17 to 18 percent share of our global sales. It“s important,“ says Takao Katagiri, corporate vice president at Nissan Motor Co. The domestic market is where Japa
45、nese carmakers develop technology and build their know-how, and if it falters, it could gut an industry that employs 7.8 percent of the Japanese work force. While surging exports, particularly to emerging markets, have more than offset the decline in domestic sales so far, companies are looking for
46、ways to turn the tide. Nissan, for example, is trying to appeal to the digital generation with promotional blogs and even a videogame. A racing game for Sony“s PlayStation, for example, offers players the chance to virtually drive the company“s latest sporty model, the GT-Ra new marketing approach t
47、o create buzz and tempt them into buying cars. Toyota Motors has opened an auto mall as part of a suburban shopping complex near Tokyo, hoping to attract the kinds of shoppers who have long since stopped thinking about dropping by a car dealership. It“s a bit akin to the Apple strategy of moving ele
48、ctronics out of the soulless superstore, and into more appealing and well-trafficked retail spaces. It worked for Apple, but then Apple is so 21st century.（分数：20.00）(1).It can be inferred from the passage all of the following EXCEPT that -|_|-.（分数：5.00）A.Japanese carmakers develop technology in over
49、seas marketB.the young in Japan have little interest in having a carC.Japan“s minicar industry didn“t lose its market shareD.Japan can be regarded as a nation at the wheel(2).Which of the following is NOT the hidden reason for Japan“s poor ear market performance?（分数：5.00）A.A conspicuous disparity of wealth among countries.B.Changes of the distribution of population.C.Little interest in cars and relevant industry.D.Poor function of Japan“s public transportation.(3).According to the passage, what can we learn about Japan“s car i
