专业八级-475及答案解析.doc

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1、专业八级-475 及答案解析(总分：99.96，做题时间：90 分钟)一、READING COMPREHENSIO(总题数：5，分数：100.00)The biggest problem facing Chile as it promotes itself as a tourist destination to be reckoned with, is that it is at the end of the earth. It is too far south to be a convenient stop on the way to anywhere else and is much fa

2、rther than a relatively cheap half-day“s flight away from the big tourist markets, unlike Mexico, for example. Chile, therefore, is having to fight hard to attract tourists, to convince travellers that it is worth coming halfway round the world to visit. But it is succeeding, not only in existing ma

3、rkets like the USA and Western Europe but in new territories, in particular the Far East. Markets closer to home, however, are not being forgotten. More that 50% of visitors to Chile still come from its nearest neighbour, Argentina, where the cost of living is much higher. Like all South American co

4、untries, Chile sees tourism as a valuable earner of foreign currency, although it has been far more serious than most in promoting its image abroad. Relatively stable politically within the region, it has benefited from the problems suffered in other areas. In Peru, guerrilla warfare in recent years

5、 has dealt a heavy blow to the tourist industry and fear of street crime in Brazil has reduced the attraction of Rio de Janeiro as a dream destination for foreigners. More than 150,000 people are directly involved in Chile“s tourist sector, an industry which earns the country more than US $950 milli

6、on each year. The state-run National Tourism Service, in partnership with a number of private companies, is currently running a word-wide campaign, taking part in trade fairs and international events to attract visitors to Chile. Chile“s great strength as a tourist destination is its geographical di

7、versity. From the parched Atacama Desert in the north to the Antarctic snowfields of the south, it is more than 5,000km long. With the Pacific on one side and the Andean mountains on the other, Chile boasts natural attractions. Its beaches are not up to Caribbean standards but resorts such as Vina d

8、el Mar are generally clean and unspoilt and have a high standard of services. But the trump card is the Andes mountain range. There are a number of excellent ski resorts within one hour“s drive of the capital, Santiago, and the national parks in the south are home to rare animal and plant species. T

9、he parks already attract specialist visitors, including mountaineers, who come to climb the technically difficult peaks, and fishermen, lured by the salmon and trout in the region“s rivers. However, infrastructural development in these areas is limited. The ski resorts do not have as many lifts as t

10、heir European counterparts and the poor quality of roads in the south means that only the most determined travellers see the best of the national parks. Air links between Chile and the rest of the world are, at present, relatively poor. While Chile“s two largest airlines have extensive networks with

11、in South America, they operate only a small number of routes to the United States and Europe, while services to Asia are almost non-existent. Internal transport links are being improved and luxury hotels are being built in one of its national parks. Nor is development being restricted to the Andes.

12、Easter Island and Chile“s Antarctic Territory are also on the list of areas where the Government believes it can create tourist markets. But the rush to open hitherto inaccessible areas to mass tourism is not being welcomed by everyone. Indigenous and environmental groups, including Greenpeace, say

13、that many parts of the Andes will suffer if they become over-developed. There is a genuine fear that areas of Chile will suffer the cultural destruction witnessed in Mexico and European resorts. The policy of opening up Antarctica to tourism is also politically sensitive. Chile already has permanent

14、 settlements on the ice and many people see the decision to allow tourists there as a political move, enhancing Santiago“s territorial claim over part of Antarctica. The Chilean Government has promised to respect the environment as it seeks to bring tourism to these areas. But there are immense comm

15、ercial pressures to exploit the country“s tourism potential. The Government will have to monitor developments closely if it is genuinely concerned in creating a balanced, controlled industry and if the price of an increasingly lucrative tourist market is not going to mean the loss of many of Chile“s

16、 natural fiches.（分数：20.00）(1).Chile is disadvantaged in the promotion of its tourism by -|_|-.（分数：4.00）A.geographical locationB.guerrilla warfareC.political instabilityD.street crime(2).Many of Chile“s tourists used to come from EXCEPT -|_|-.（分数：4.00）A.U.S.AB.the Far EastC.Western EuropeD.her neighb

17、ours(3).The objection to the development of Chile“s tourism might be all EXCEPT that it -|_|-.（分数：4.00）A.is ambitious and unrealisticB.is politically sensitiveC.will bring harm to cultureD.will cause pollution in the area(4).According to the author, what is Chile“s greatest attraction?（分数：4.00）(5).A

18、ccording to the passage, in which area improvement is already under way?（分数：4.00）This month Singapore passed a bill that would give legal teeth to the moral obligation to support one“s parents. Called the Maintenance of Parents Bill, it received the backing of the Singapore Government. That does not

19、 mean it hasn“t generated discussion. Several members of the Parliament opposed the measure as un-Asian. Others who acknowledged the problem of the elderly poor believed it a disproportionate response. Still others believe it will subvert relations within the family; cynics dubbed it the “Sue Your S

20、on“ law. Those who say that the bill does not promote filial responsibility, of course, are fight. It has nothing to do with filial responsibility. It kicks in where filial responsibility fails. The law cannot legislate filial responsibility any more than it can legislate love. All the law can do is

21、 to provide a safety net where this morality proves insufficient. Singapore needs this bill not to replace morality, but to provide incentives to shore it up. Like many other developed nations, Singapore faces the problems of an increasing proportion of people over 60 years of age. Demography is ine

22、xorable. In 1980, 7.2% of the population was in this bracket. By the turn of the century, that figure will grow to 11%. By 2030, the proportion is projected to be 26%. The problem is not old age per se. It is that the ratio of economically active people to economically inactive people will decline.

23、But no amount of government exhortation or paternalism will completely eliminate the problem of old people who have insufficient means to make ends meet. Some people will fall through the holes in any safety net. Traditionally, a person“s insurance against poverty in his old age was his family. This

24、 is not a revolutionary concept. Nor is it uniquely Asian. Care and support for one“s parents is a universal value shared by all civilized societies. The problem in Singapore is that the moral obligation to look after one“s parents is unenforceable. A father can be compelled by law to maintain his c

25、hildren. A husband can be forced to support his wife. But, until now, a son or daughter had no legal obligation to support his or her parents. In 1989, an Advisory Council was set up to look into the problems of the aged. Its report stated with a tinge of complacency that 95% of those who did not ha

26、ve their own income were receiving cash contributions from relations. But what about the 5% who aren“t getting relatives“ support? They have several options: (a) get a job and work until they die; (b) apply for public assistance (you have to be destitute to apply); or (c) starve quietly. None of the

27、se options is socially acceptable. And what if this 5% figure grows, as it is likely to do, as society ages? The Maintenance of Parents Bill was put forth to encourage the traditional virtues that have so far kept Asian nations from some of the breakdowns encountered in other affluent societies. Thi

28、s legislation will allow a person to apply to the court for maintenance from any or all of his children. The court would have the discretion to refuse to make an order if it is unjust. Those who deride the proposal for opening up the courts to family lawsuits miss the point. Only in extreme cases wo

29、uld any parent take his child to court. If it does indeed become law, the bill“s effect would be far more subtle. First, it will reaffirm the notion that it is each individual“snot society“sresponsibility to look after his parents. Singapore is still conservative enough that most people will not obj

30、ect to this idea. It reinforces the traditional values and it doesn“t hurt a society now and then to remind itself of its core values. Second, and more important, it will make those who are inclined to shirk their responsibilities think twice. Until now, if a person asked family elders, clergymen or

31、 the Ministry of Community Development to help get financial support from his children, the most they could do was to mediate. But mediators have no teeth, and a child could simply ignore their pleas. But to be sued by one“s parents would be a massive loss of face. It would be a public disgrace. Few

32、 people would be so thick-skinned as to say, “Sue and be damned“. The hand of the conciliator would be immeasurably strengthened. It is far more likely that some sort of amicable settlement would be reached if the recalcitrant son or daughter knows that the alternative is a public trial. It would be

33、 nice to think that Singapore doesn“t need this kind of law. But that belief ignores the clear demographic trends and the effect of affluence itself on traditional bonds. Those of us who pushed for the bill will consider ourselves most successful if it acts as an incentive not to have it invoked in

34、the first place.（分数：19.98）(1).By quoting the growing percentage points of the aged in the population, the author seems to imply that -|_|-.（分数：3.33）A.the country will face mounting problems of the old in futureB.the social welfare system would be under great pressureC.young people should be given mo

35、re moral educationD.the old should be provided with means of livelihood(2).Which of the following statements is CORRECT?（分数：3.33）A.Filial responsibility in Singapore is enforced by law.B.Fathers have legal obligations to look after their children.C.It is an acceptable practice for the old to continu

36、e working.D.The Advisory Council was dissatisfied with the problems of the old.(3).The author thinks that if the Bill becomes law, its effect would be -|_|-.（分数：3.33）A.indirectB.unnoticedC.apparentD.straightforward(4).At the end of the passage, the author seems to imply that success of the Bill depe

37、nds upon -|_|-.（分数：3.33）A.strict enforcementB.public supportC.government assuranceD.filial awareness(5).What“s the purpose of the Maintenance of Parents Bill?（分数：3.33）(6).What does the author seem to suggest about traditional values?（分数：3.33）Despite Denmark“s manifest virtues, Danes never talk about

38、 how proud they are to be Danes. This would sound weird in Danish. When Danes talk to foreigners about Denmark, they always begin by commenting on its tininess, its unimportance, the difficulty of its language, the general small-mindedness and self-indulgence of their countrymen and the high taxes.

39、No Dane would look you in the eye and say, “Denmark is a great country.“ You“re supposed to figure this out for yourself. It is the land of the silk safety net, where almost half the national budget goes toward smoothing out life“s inequalities, and there is plenty of money for schools, day care, re

40、training programmes, job seminarsDanes love seminars: three days at a study center hearing about waste management is almost as good as a ski trip. It is a culture bombarded by English, in advertising, pop music, the Internet, and despite all the English that Danish absorbsthere is no Danish Academy

41、to defend against itold dialects persist in Jutland that can barely be understood by Copenhageners. It is the land where, as the saying goes, “Few have too much and fewer have too little,“ and a foreigner is struck by the sweet egalitarianism that prevails, where the lowliest clerk gives you a level

42、 gaze, where Sir and Madame have disappeared from common usage, even Mr. and Mrs. It“s a nation of recyclersabout 55% of Danish garbage gets made into something newand no nuclear power plants. It“s a nation of tireless planners. Trains run on time. Things operate well in general. Such a nation of ov

43、erachievers. A brochure from the Ministry of Business and Industry says,“Denmark is one of the world“s cleanest and most organized countries, with virtually no pollution, crime, or poverty. Denmark is the most corruption-free society in the Northern Hemisphere.“ So, of course, one“s heart lifts at a

44、ny sighting of Danish sleaze: skinhead graffiti on buildings (“Foreigners Out of Denmark!“), broken beer bottles in the gutters, drunken teenagers slumped in the park. Nonetheless, it is an orderly land. You drive through a Danish town, it comes to an end at a stone wall, and on the other side is a

45、field of barley, a nice clean line: town here, country there. It is not a nation of jaywalkers. People stand on the curb and wait for the red light to change, even if it“s 2 a.m. and there“s not a car in sight. However, Danes don“t think of themselves as a waiting-at-2-a.m.-for-the-green-light peopl

46、ethat“s how they see Swedes and Germans. Danes see themselves as jazzy people, improvisers, more free spirited than Swedes, but the truth is (though one should not say it) that Danes are very much like Germans and Swedes Orderliness is a main selling point. Denmark has few natural resources, limited

47、 manufacturing capability; its future in Europe will be as a broker, banker, and distributor of goods. You send your goods by container ship to Copenhagen, and these bright, young, English-speaking, utterly honest, highly disciplined people will get your goods around to Scandinavia, the Baltic State

48、s, and Russia. Airports, seaports, highways, and rail lines are ultramodern and well-maintained. The orderliness of the society doesn“t mean that Danish lives are less messy or lonely than yours or mine, and no Dane would tell you so. You can hear plenty about bitter family feuds and the sorrows of

49、alcoholism and about perfectly sensible people who went off one day and killed themselves. An orderly society cannot exempt its members from the hazards of life. But there is a sense of entitlement and security that Danes grow up with. Certain things are yours by virtue of citizenship, and you shouldn“t feel bad for taking what you“re entitled to, you“re as good as anyone else. The rules of the welfare system are clear to everyone, the benefits you get if you lose your job, the steps you take to g