1、专业八级-511 及答案解析(总分：100.01，做题时间：90 分钟)一、READING COMPREHENSIO(总题数：8，分数：100.00)As a young child, Buffett was pretty serious about making money. He used to go door-to-door and sell soda pop. He and a friend used math to develop a system for picking winners in horseracing and started selling their “Stable
2、-Boy Selections“ tip sheets until they were shut down for not having a license. Later, he also worked at his grandfather“s grocery store. At the ripe age of 11, Buffett bought his first stock. When his family moved to Washington, D.C., Buffett became a paperboy for The Washington Post and its rival
3、The Times-Herald. Buffett ran his five paper routes like an assembly line and even added magazines to round out his product offerings. While still in school, he was making $175 a month, a full-time wage for many young men. When he was 14, Buffett spent $1,200 on 40 acres of farmland in Nebraska and
4、soon began collecting rent from a tenant farmer. He and a friend also made $50 a week by placing pinball machines in barber shops. They called their venture Wilson Coin Operated Machine Co. Already a successful albeit small-time businessman, Buffett wasn“t keen on going to college but ended up at Wh
5、arton at the University of Pennsylvaniahis father encouraged him to go. After two years at Wharton, Buffett transferred to his parents“ Alma Mater, the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, for his final year of college. There Buffett took a job with the Lincoln Journal supervising 50 paper boys in six
6、 rural counties. Buffett applied to Harvard Business School but was turned down in what had to be one of the worst ad missions decisions in Harvard history. The outcome ended up profoundly affecting Buffett“s life, for he ended up attending Columbia Business School, where he studied under revered me
7、ntor Benjamin Graham, the father of securities analysis who provided the foundation for Buffett“s investment strategy. From the beginning, Buffett made his fortune from investing. He started with all the money he had made from selling pop, delivering papers, and operating pinball machines. Between 1
8、950 and 1956, he grew his $9,800 kitty to $140,000. From there, he organized investment partnerships with his family and friends, and then gradually drew in other investors through word of mouth and very attractive terms. Buffett“s goal was to top the Dow Jones Industrial Average by an average of 10
9、% a year. Over the length of the Buffett partnership between 1957 and 1969, Buffett“s investments grew at a compound annual rate of 29.5%, crushing the Dow“s return of 7.4% over the same period. Buffett“s investment strategy mirrors his lifestyle and overall philosophy. He doesn“t collect houses or
10、cars or works of art, and he disdains companies that waste money on such extravagances as limousines, private dining rooms, and high-priced real estate. He is a creature of habitsame house, same office, same city, same sodaand dislikes change. In his investments, that means holding on to “core holdi
11、ngs“ such as American Express, Coca-Cola, and The Washington Post Co. “forever“. Buffett“s view of inherited money also departs from the norm. Critical of the self-indulgence of the superrich, Buffett thinks of inheritances as “privately funded food stamps“ that keep children of the rich from leadin
12、g normal, independent lives. With his own three kids, he gave them each $10,000 a yearthe tax-deductible limitat Christmas. When he gave them a loan, they had to sign a written agreement. When his daughter, also named Susie like her mother, needed $20 to park at the airport, he made her write him a
13、check for it. As for charity, Buffett“s strict standards have made it difficult for him to give much away. He evaluates charities the same way he looks for stocks: value for money, return on invested capital. He has established the Buffett Foundation, designed to accumulate money and give it away af
14、ter his and his wife“s deathsthough the foundation has given millions to organizations involved with population control, family planning, abortion, and birth control. The argument goes that Buffett can actually give away a greater sum in the end by growing his money while he“s still alive.（分数：12.00）
15、(1).According to the passage, Buffett _.（分数：3.00）A.developed the “Stable-Boy Selections“ tip sheets with his friend at age 11B.started to make money as a child working at his grandfather“s grocery storeC.worked full time as a paperboy for two rival newspapers in Washington D.C.D.had already started
16、to run their own business with his friend at the age of 14(2).The relationship between the fourth and fifth paragraphs is that _.（分数：3.00）A.the 4th generalizes and the 5th gives an exampleB.each presents one stage of the developmentC.the 5th is the logical result of the 4thD.both illustrate Buffett“
17、s academic life(3).Buffett“s investment strategy seems to reflect all of the following EXCEPT _.（分数：3.00）A.Benjamin Graham“s investment conceptionB.Buffett“s lifestyle and overall philosophyC.Buffett“s critical view of inheritancesD.Buffett“s evaluations of philanthropy(4).Which of the following is
18、NOT true, according to the passage?（分数：3.00）A.People usually tend to think of inheritances as being normal.B.Buffett“s three kids are kept from leading normal, independent lives.C.Buffett has strict standards for using the money of his Foundation.D.The Foundation has been intended to grow before Buf
19、fett“s death.New York and London may rule the roost, but other financial hubs in America and Europe have managed to carve out useful specialist niches for themselves. Chicago, for instance, consolidated its position as the world“s derivatives center earlier this year with the merger of CME (formerly
20、 the Chicago Mercantile Exchange) and the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT). Now known as the CME Group, the former cross-town rivals trade everything from Treasury bond futures to pork bellies. But in recent years the colorful open-outcry trading floors have gradually ceded business to electronic trans
21、actions. Houston, the largest city in Texas, is home to America“s biggest energy farms, which have spawned an active cluster of energy traders and hedge funds. And Boston, with plenty of serious wealth, has become a center for asset management and private equity. Europe has developed a diverse set o
22、f financial centers ranging from big cities to island havens such as Jersey and niche markets such as Luxembourg and Dublin. Edinburgh, an established banking centre, is now touting itself as a low-cost alternative for financial operations. Among the larger hubs, Frankfurt is an important center for
23、 banking and derivatives trading through Eurex, a German-Swiss exchange, with significantly lower costs than London. It is also home to the European Central Bank. Fifteen years ago Frankfurt aspired to become a global financial center, but these days German financial giants such as Deutsche Bank and
24、 Allianz do much more business in London than in Frankfurt. The exchange has had a difficult few years, including a couple of failed forays abroad. Switzerland“s twin financial centers, Geneva and Zurich, have done well in their specialties of private banking, wealth management and, in Zurich, insur
25、ance. About 40% of the banks operating there are foreign. Hedge funds, private equity and traders in structured products are also moving in. The main attractions are low taxes, stability and a reputation for discretion. Urs Roth, of the Swiss Bankers Association, says that given its tiny domestic ma
26、rket, Switzerland has had to fight for open markets on an international scale. But it is now facing competition from places such as Singapore. Paris has long lagged far behind London, dogged by a reputation for excessive regulation and high taxes. The new government of Nicolas Sarkozy is aware that
27、some of France“s best financial brains have crossed the Channel for more lucrative careers in the City. Yet Paris has many advantages: a large number of international banks, from BNP-Padbas to Crdit Agricole; more international companies than Frankfurt; and easy access to regulators. It also has the
28、 largest market in Europe for trading in mutual funds. Few would dispute that it offers an attractive quality of life, and it has good transport links. But its labor market is not as international as London“s. What makes Paris a place to watch just now is the NYSE“s recent merger with Euronext. The
29、combined group will base its international equities business in the French capital. Euronext, which operates exchanges in five European countries, also illustrates the importance of a common language. Although senior European executives at the merged exchange are based in Pads, it has adopted Englis
30、h as its official language. But several financiers lament that French government ministers tend to stick to French in public. One honorable exception to this French rule is Christine Lagarde, the new finance minister. She spent some years in Chicago and sprinkles her speeches with English phrases. F
31、inancial executives around the world increasingly view Europe as a single market. On November 1st a new European rule called MiFID (Markets in Financial Instruments Directive) is due to be implemented. This aims to increase competition among and transparency within financial markets. Financiers in o
32、ther parts of the world are wondering how to achieve a similar degree of cross-border financial integration.（分数：12.00）(1).Which of the following sentences contains a synecdoche?（分数：3.00）A.financial hubs in America and Europe have managed to carve out useful specialist niches.B.a diverse set of finan
33、cial centers ranging from big cities to island havens such as.C.far behind London, dogged by a reputation for excessive regulation and high taxes.D.that some of France“s best financial brains have crossed the Channel for more.(2).All of the following are advantages of Switzerland“s financial centers
34、 EXCEPT its _.（分数：3.00）A.low taxationB.stable political environmentC.reputation for prudenceD.broad domestic market(3).Which of the following is NOT true about Paris, according to the passage?（分数：3.00）A.The excessive regulation and high taxes have lagged its financial development.B.It has many advan
35、tages that may help in its future financial development.C.Merger of NYSE with Euronext makes it a new financial center in Europe.D.A common language is seen as an important factor in its financial development.(4).The last paragraph implies that _.（分数：3.00）A.Europe has always been viewed as a single
36、market by financiersB.Europe has the highest degree of cross-border financial integrationC.the MiFID has intensified competition among financial marketsD.the MiFID will increase transparency within American financial marketsWe have all been instructed to wash our hands before eating to avoid ingesti
37、ng “germs.“ Microorganisms (bacteria, protozoa, and yeast) seem to have a bad reputation when it comes to food! The nasty ones make headlines and the TV news, and some cause us a little discomfort. But this downside of germs is not the whole story! Beneficial microbes far outnumber the harmful (path
38、ogenic) ones, and we depend on all their good deeds for our nutritional well-being and health! It“s high time the “good“ bacteria get the credit they deserve! We all prefer to think of ourselves as individuals, but it would be much more accurate if we pictured ourselves as thriving communities! Righ
39、t now, there are more microbes living on you than there are cells in your body! Of course, they are not actually part of you, but the bacteria alone add up to approximately 10 percent of your dry weight (you minus the water)! Microorganisms may be small, but their numbers make up for their size. On
40、every surface of your body there are tiny microbes going about their business. The surface of the digestive system takes the award for the largest populationby farof microorganisms. Here, their numbers reach astronomical proportions. More individuals of the bacterial species Escherichia coli will in
41、habit your intestine during your lifetime than the number of people who have ever lived on the Earth! E. coli is but one of the 400 or so species that are common members of the intestinal community. A few yeast and protozoa species top off the list. But wait! Not to worry! This may seem like a creep
42、y, crawly mess, but the majority of your intestinal microorganisms are not nasty intruders. They are important and invited guests: your personal microbes. As well as helping you to digest and process your food and providing you with essential vitamins, they make it their business also to protect you
43、 against those nasty sorts. All of this, simply in exchange for food, warmth, and a space to multiply! (This kind of relationship in which everyone benefits is called mutualism.) As long as this arrangement is functioning properly, you remain largely unaware of your microbes and their business. But
44、when it is notthat“s another story! The microbes of your large intestine make their living by breaking down the discards of the small intestine, material that your human system has rejected as indigestible. Equipped with their own set of enzymes and metabolic pathways, they proceed to further tear a
45、part the organic compounds that remain. Most of them get to work disassembling the plant carbohydrates. The majority of microbes of the large intestine are anaerobic, meaning that they live in the absence of oxygen. Instead of breathing in and out, they are able to derive all of their energy by spli
46、tting large carbohydrates into smaller fatty acid molecules and carbon dioxide, in a process known as fermentation. Some of the fatty acids are reabsorbed through the intestinal walls, providing us with a bonus energy source. The rest help the bacteria to grow rapidly, rapidly enough to reproduce th
47、emselves as often as every twenty minutes! Synthesizing more of some of the B vitamins and vitamin K than they need for their own growth, they kindly make the surplus available to other creatures in their community, and to you, their host. Although you are unable to manufacture these vitamins yourse
48、lf, you can count on your friendly microbes for an unfailing supply. Scientists are just beginning to understand the complex relationships between the different microorganisms of this community and their interactions with a human host. It is a dynamic system, which constantly adjusts to a host“s cha
49、nges in age and diet. Right after your birth, you begin to assemble your own select group of species. As your diet moves from mother“s to cow“s milk and then to different solid foods, new species dominate the population. Microbes that colonize the walls of the large intestine are survivors of a very difficult journey! From the mouth through the small intestine, they are attacked by digestive enzymes and strong acids. Those that complete the trip intact face more obstacles on their arrival. To grow, they must compete successfully with those already there f
