1997.9上海市英语中级口译笔试

1997.9

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 Dictation

Directions: Is 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 word or words you have heard on the tape. Write your

answer in the corresponding space in your ANSWER BOOKLET. Remember you will hear the

passage only once.

Doctors are starting to believe that laughter not only improves your state of mind, but

actually affects your entire physical well-being. Britain's first laughter therapist, Robert Holden

says:“ Instinctively we know that laughing help us (1) and alive. Each time we

(2).”

A French newspaper found that in 1930 the French laughed (3) for nineteen

minutes per day. By 1980 this had fallen (4). Eight per cent of the people

laugh on average about (6) a day, but by the time they reach (7) this has

been reduced to about fifteen times. Somewhere in the process (8) we lose an

astonishing 385 laughs a day.

William Fry, a psychiatrist from California, studied the (9) on the body. He got

(10), heart rate and muscle tone.

He found that laughter has a similar effect to (11). It speeds up the heart rate,

(12) muscles

work. Fry thinks laughter is a type (13) in the spot. Laughter can even

provide a kind of (14). Fry had proved that laughter produces

endorphins—chemicals in the body that relieve pain. Researchers into four groups. The first group Listened to (16) for twenty minutes. The

other three groups listened to either an informative tape, or a cassette (17) hem,

or no tape at all. Researchers found that if they produce pain in the students, those who had

listened to the humorous tape could (18) much longer. Some doctors are convinced that

(19) should be a part of every medical consultation, as there is evidence to suggest that laughter

(20).

Part B: Listening Comprehension

Ⅰ.Statements

Directions: 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

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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. Florence's brother has four tickets.

B. Florence still has two tickets.

C. Florence's brother has to book two tickets.

D. Florence didn't keep any tickets.

2. A. You have to pay for the pool but not for towels.

B. There is no charge for the pool or for towels.

C. You must pay to use the pool and to rent a towel.

D. Towels cost money, but the pool is free.

3. A. Mr. Johnson lied.

B. Mr. Johnson denied that he had lied.

C. Mr. Johnson denied that he had lied.

D. Mr. Johnson insisted that he had not murdered the liar.

4. A. Fifteen students continued after the first two weeks.

B. forty students dropped out after the first week.

C. Twenty-five students continued after the second week.

D. Fifteen students dropped out after the first lecture.

5. A. You will have it well done if you cook it less than ten minutes.

B. If you don't want it well done, cook it more than ten minutes.

C. It won't take more than ten minutes to have it well done.

D. It will take over ten minutes to get it well done.

6. A. This week's holiday will be too late for trash collection.

B. Trash collection is always late on Mondays and Thursdays.

C. Trash will have to be collected earlier this week.

D. This week trash will be collected later than usual.

7. A. The desire to seek happiness is stronger than the desire to seek good health.

B. The desire to seek happiness is not strong.

C. The desire for food is stronger than the desire to be happy.

D. The desire for food is stronger than the desire to be happy.

8. A. I don't have a telephone.

B. I don't have to write Peter a letter.

C. I don't know Peter's telephone number.

D. I know Peter's telephone number, but not his address.

9. A. School children like to play with noisemakers.

B. Small children like toys that make noise.

C. Small children like to ride in noisy cars and trucks.

D. Small children like to have quiet toys to play with.

10. A. I got it right after he sent it.

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B. It took a long time to reach me.

C. He sent it only yesterday.

D. I sent him the telegram on Monday.

Ⅱ.Talks and Conversations

Directions: 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 11～14

11. A. A beautiful plant. B. A poisonous plant.

C. A delicious plant. D. A fast-growing plant.

12. A. In vegetable gardens. B. Only in the United States.

C. In supermarkets. D. In many different places.

13. A. Its leaves resemble parsley. B. It grows next to carrots.

C. Its leaves are shaped like carrots. D. It does not have roots.

14. A. The person may die.

B. The person may get lots of healthful nutrients.

C. The person may enjoy it and want more.

D. The person may become dangerous.

Questions 15～18

15. A. At one o'clock. B. At two o'clock.

C. At three o'clock. D. At four o'clock.

16. A. Ski. B. Read books on skiing.

C. Buy skiing equipment. D. Plan ski trips.

17. A. He doesn't know how to ski.

B. He doesn't know where the meeting is.

C. He doesn't know what time the meeting starts.

D. He is afraid of skiing.

18. A. Leave on a skiing trip.

B. Go with the woman to the meeting.

C. Try on some skis.

D. Give a lecture to the ski club.

Questions 19～22

19. A. To the Grand Canyon. B. To a jewelry show.

C. To a deserted stone building. D. To the Petrified Forest.

20. A. To the Grand Canyon. B. To the Colorado River.

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C. To a tree house. D. To the Petrified Forest.

21. A. They have fallen in the river. B. They have turned to stone.

C. They have grown larger. D. They have gotten softer.

22. A. Swim in the river. B. Walk through the trees.

C. Stay at a distance. D. Take any petrified wood.

Questions 23～26

23. A. From the radio. B. From a book.

C. From the newspaper. D. From a lecture.

24. A. You can eat it.

B. It is used only for burgers and fries.

C. It is inexpensive.

D. You cannot see it.

25. A. Paper. B. Fries.

C. Com. D. Burgers.

26. A. It is not as good as paper.

B. It should not be used for food.

C. It should be faster than paper.

D. It might be healthier than the food.

Questions 27～30

27. A. Training dogs to use smell.

B. Techniques of dog trainers.

C. The smells of various types of food.

D. How dog breeds are different.

28. A. Most have no sense of smell.

B. They are all unable to smell drugs.

C. They have equally good senses of smell.

D. Most are quite untrainable.

29. A. Drugs B. People.

C. Luggage D. Explosives.

30. A. Because they are small.

B. Because they are friendly.

C. Because they react quickly.

D. Because they work well in the cold.

Part C: Listening and Translation

Ⅰ. Sentence Translation

Directions: In this part of the test. you will hear 5 English sentences. You will hear the sentences

only once. After you have heard each sentence, translate it into Chinese and write your version in

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the corresponding space in your ANSWER BOOKLET.

(2)

Ⅱ. Passage Translation

Directions: In this part of the test, you will hear 2 passages. 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.

SECTION 2: STUDY SKILLS (50 minutes)

Directions: In this section, you will read several passages. Each passage is followed 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 following 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 corresponding

space in your ANSWER BOOKLET.

Questions 1～6

Most people picture sharks as huge, powerful, frightening predators, ready at any moment

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to use their sharp teeth to attack unwary swimmers without provocation. There are numerous fallacies, however, in this conception of sharks. First, there are about 350 species of shark, and not all of them are large. They range in size from the dwarf shark, which can be only 6 inches (0.5 feet) long and can be held in the palm of the hand, to the whale shark, which can be more than 55 feet long.

A second fallacy concerns the number and type of teeth, which can vary tremendously among the different species of shark. A shark can have from one to seven sets of teeth at same time, and some types of shark can have several hundred teeth in each jaw. It is true that the fierce and predatory species do possess extremely sharp and brutal teeth used to rip their prey apart; many other types of shark, however, have teeth more adapted to grabbing and holding than to cutting and slashing.

Finally, not all sharks are predatory animals ready to strike out at humans on the least whim. In fact, only 12 of the 350 species of shark have been known to attack humans, and shark needs to be provoked in order to attack. The types of shard that have the worst record with humans are the tiger shark, the bull shark, and the great white shark. However, for most species of shark, even some of the largest types, there are no known instances of attacks on humans.

1.The author's main purpose in the passage is to.

A. categorize the different kinds of sharks throughout the world

B. warn humans of the dangers posed by sharks

C. describe the characteristics of shark teeth

D. clear up misconceptions about sharks

2. The longest shark is probably the.

A. whale shark B. great white shark

C. bull shark D. tiger shark

3. Which of the following is NOT true about a shark's teeth?

A. All sharks have teeth.

B. A shark can have six rows of teeth.

C. A shark can have hundreds of teeth.

D. All sharks have extremely sharp teeth.

4. A “jaw” (paragraph 3) is

A. a part of the shark's tail B. a part of the stomach

C. a backbone D. a bone in the mouth

5. The passage indicates that a shark attacks a person.

A. for no reason B. every time it sees one

C. only if it is bothered D. only at night

6. It can be inferred from the passage that a person should probably be the least afraid of.

A. a dwarf shark B. a tiger shark

C. a bull shark D. a great white shark

Questions 7～11

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Quite different from storm surges are the giant sea waves called tsunamis, which derive their name from the Japanese expression for “high water in a harbor”. These waves are also referred to by the general public as tidal waves, although they have relatively little to do with tides. Scientists often refer to them as seismic sea waves, far more appropriate in that they do result from undersea seismic activity.

Tsunamis are caused when the sea bottom suddenly moves, during an underwater earthquake or volcano for example, and the water above the moving earth is suddenly displaced. This sudden shift of water sets off a series of waves. These waves can travel great distances at speeds close to 700 kilometers per hour. In the open ocean, tsunamis have little noticeable amplitude, often no more than one or two meters. It is when they hit the shallow waters near the coast that they increase in height, possibly up to 40 meters.

Tsunamis often occur in the Pacific because the pacific is an area of heavy seismic activity. Two areas of the Pacific well accustomed to the threat of tsunamis are Japan and Hawaii. Because the seismic activity that causes tsunamis in Japan often occurs on the ocean bottom quite close to the islands, the tsunamis that hit Japan often come with little warning and can therefore prove disastrous. Most of the tsunamis that hit the Hawaiian Islands, however, originate thousands of miles away near the coast of Alaska, so these tsunamis have a much greater distance to travel and the inbabitants of hawaii generally have time for warning of their imminent arrival.

Tsunamis are certainly not limited to Japan and Hawaii. In 1755, Europe experienced a calamitous tsunami, when movement along the fault lines near the Azores caused a massive tsunami to sweep onto the Portuguese coast and flood the heavily populated area around Lisbon. The greatest tsunami on record on the other side of the world in 1883 when the krakatoa volcano underwent a massive explosion, sending waves more than 30 meters high onto nearby Indonesian islands; the tsunami from this volcano actually traveled around the world and was witnessed as far away as the English Channel.

7. The paragraph preceding this passage most probably discusses.

A. tidal waves B. tides

C. storm surges D. underwater earthquakes

8. According to the passage, all of the following are true about tidal waves EXCEPT that.

A. they are the same as tsunamis

B. they are caused by sudden changes in high and low tides

C. this terminology is not used by the scientific community

D. they refer to the same phenomenon as seismic sea waves

9. It can be inferred from the passage that tsunamis.

A. cause severe damage in the middle of the ocean

B. generally reach heights greater than 40 meters

C. are far more dangerous on the coast than in the open ocean

D. are often identified by ships on the ocean

10. A. main difference between tsunamis in Japan and in Hawaii is that tsunamis in Japan are 7

more likely to.

A. arrive without warning B. come from greater distances

C. be less of a problem D. originate in Alaska

11. The passage suggests that the tsunami resulting from the Krakatoa volcano.

A. caused volcanic explosions in the English Channel

B. was far more destructive close to the source than far away

C. was unobserved outside of the Indonesian islands

D. resulted in little damage.

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12. This passage consists of advice on fire safety primarily for.

A. people using a new kind of equipment

B. workers in an engineering factory

C. university teachers

D. students at college

13. When a person discovers a fire, what is the first thing he should do?

A. Attempt to put it out himself.

B. Telephone the switchboard operator.

C. Start the alarm bells ringing.

D. Contact the fire brigade.

14. People in the block where the fire bell has rung must gather for a check of names.

A. in another block B. in the administration office

C. in one of the playing fields D. in the sports hall

15. Imagine you are in the administration office, when a fire breaks out in the sports hall. What

should you do, according to the fire instructions?

A. Look for the fire-fighting equipment.

B. Go quickly to the assembly area.

C. Go to the reception desk.

D. Carry on with the work you are doing.

16. According to the instructions, what is a teacher supposed to do first in case of a fire?

A. To check the names of your students from a list.

B. To lead your students out of the building.

C. To get detailed instructions from your Head of Department.

D. To patrol the stairways and landings.

Questions 17～21

“It's not what you know but who you know that counts.” People who get on in life may be successful not because they deserve it, but because of influential friends or the right background. We say “Ah yes, he must have gone to the right school”. or “She must come from a good family.” We may suspect that some people in positions of authority are there because they belong to the right group or party. To get something done—a signature on a document. or a quick decision—it helps to know someone “on the inside”. At least, this is the widespread belief.

It is a comforting belief too. If your boss strikes you as incompetent, it is tempting to believe that he only got the job because his father pulled some strings. If someone else gets the 9

job which you should have had, well, the “old boy network” must be operating. And yet, if we can get what we want by “having a word” with so-and-so, or by getting so-and-so to put in a good word for us, which of us would not take advantage of the opportunity?

Often it is quite harmless. For instance, when Miguel went with Julia to visit Michelle in hospital, he bumped into someone he knew, a doctor who had been at medical school with his father. As a result of this chance meeting, Miguel was able to find out a great deal about Michelle's condition. Julia was not only grateful to him for making use of his connection, but delighted that she was able to learn so much by this means which she of his connection, but delighted that she was able to learn so much by this means which she might never have found out otherwise.

At the other extreme it can be very destructive. I once met a brilliant young engineer who worked in a chemical plant. Because of her knowledge and experience, she should have been promoted to Production Manager. Instead, the job went to a man who was totally unsuited for the post. Everyone knew that he only got it because he was politically acceptable to his superiors. This injustice demoralized the young engineer and many of her colleagues. It also meant that the factory was much less efficient than it could have been.

All the same, we should not be pessimistic. More and more, the modem world depends on having people who are in the job because they are good enough, not just because heir face fits. There is a story of a factory owner who sent for an engineer to see to a machine which would not go. He examined it, then took out a hammer and tapped it, once. The machine started up immediately. When he presented his bill, the owner protested, “This can't be fight! 100 pounds just for tapping a machine with a hammer?” The engineer wrote out a new bill: “For tapping a machine, 1 pound; for knowing where to tap it, 99 pounds.”

Maybe it is what you know that really counts, after all.

17. It is believed that people have succeeded in life because_________.

A. they are influential B. they feel superior to others

C. they are from rich families D. they have some special advantage

18. Which of the following is the best definition of the expression “old boy network” (para. 2)?

A. People who were at school together help each other to get good jobs.

B. Older people help younger people, especially if they are the children of friends.

C. People of the same family background help each other to get ton in life.

D. The best jobs often go to people who have the right political connections.

19. Miguel took advantage of the fact that he knew the doctor in order to get more information

about Michelle's condition. According to the writer, Miguel's action is.

A. an example of how badly everybody behaves in using such opportunities

B. an example of how some people have an unfair advantage over others

C. an example of the way we can use such opportunities without hurting anyone else

D. a good example of how to get something done by knowing someone “on the inside”.

20. The engineer at the chemical plant was not promoted because.

A. it is very difficult for a woman to get a promotion to a managerial position

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B. her bosses did not think she had the right qualifications for the job

C. the man who got the promotion was more experienced than she was

D. her bosses did not approve of her political opinions

21. The engineer who repaired the machine was right to charge 100 pounds because

A. he was the only person who could find out what was wring with it

B. he was charging for his knowledge and expertise

C. the factory owner could not have repaired it himself

D. he hit the machine to get it stared again

Questions 22～26

In the immediate post-war years, the city of Birmingham scheduled some 50,00 small working class cottages as slums due for demolition. Today that process is nearly complete. Yet it is clear that, quite apart from any question of race, an environmental problem remains. The expectation built into the planning policies of 1945 was that in the foreseeable future the city would be a better place to live in. But now that slum clearance has run its course, there seems to be universal agreement that the total environment where the slums once stood is more depressing than ever.

For the past ten years the slum clearance areas have looked like bomb sites. The buildings and places which survive do so on islands in a sea of rubble and ash. When the slums were there they supported an organic community life and each building, each activity, fitted in as part of the whole. But now that they have been destroyed, nothing meaningful appears to remain, or rather those activities which do go on do not seem to have any meaningful relation to the place. They happen there because it is an empty stage which no-one is using any more.

Typical of the inner-city in this sense is the Birmingham City Football Ground. Standing in un-splendid isolation on what is now wasteland on the edge of Small Heath, it brings into the area a stage army on twenty of so Saturdays a year who come and cheer and then go away again with little concern any more for the place where they have done their cheering. Even they, however, have revolted recently. “The ground” says the leader of the revolt, “is a slum”, thus putting his finger on the fact that the demolition of houses creates rather than solves problems of the inner city.

A new element has now come upon the scene in the inner-city in the form of the over block. Somehow it doesn't seem to be what Le Corbusier and the planners who wrote those post war Pelicans intended. The public spaces either haven't yet been developed or are more meanly conceived, and the corridors and lifts are places of horror. In fact these places were always suspect. They had no legitimacy in the minds of the public as suburban family housing had, and those who were placed there felt that they had been cheated. Along with the decaying elements, therefore, that which had been conceived as part of the brave new world was part of the problem.

22. The past few decades in Birmingham have proved that slum clearance___________.

A. takes longer time than expected

B. creates as many problems as it solves

C. often raises racial issues

D. has achieved its aims

23. According to the passage, now that the slum dwellings have gone_________,

A. no one does anythings at all in those areas

B. urban theatrical life has gone, too

C. rebuilding can start almost immediately

D. the area is extremely unattractive

24. According to the author, a number of Birmingham City football fans_________.

A. express their dissatisfaction about the slum clearance

B. are as rebellious as any other club's supporters

C. get necessary release from watching their team play

D. are concerned about the future of that part of Birmingham

25. What did people think about tower bocks when thy were first built?

A. Town planners thought they were badly conceived.

B. The public compared them with rural housing.

C. The man in the street didn't like them at all.

D. People thought them an improvement on suburban housing.

26. This passage is most probably taken from__________.

A. an official local planning report

B. a novel set in Birmingham

C. a history of the Industrial Revolution

D. a sociology textbook

Questions 27～30

MILESTONES IN ENGLISH

The inspectors suggest that the pupils should have achieved the following at each stage of their school career:

By the age of 7

Listening: Carry out simple, heard instructions; understand simple oral information; keep listening attentively for reasonably lengthy periods; follow and remember an uncomplicated story; respond to poetic rhythm.

Speaking: Speak clearly and audibly; narrate events; explain what they are doing; discuss with other children; express feelings to adults' ask relevant questions; describe what they have seen; converse confidently.

Reading: Understand lables, notices, and written instructions; read simple stories, rhymes, information passage; know the alphabet, consult dictionaries; enjoy books; use books as information sources.

Writing: Be able to write legibly; write personal experience in prose and poetry; link writing to pictures, graphs, and plans; record investigations; write simple stories and informal letters, descriptions, directions.

By the age of 11

All pupils should be able to embark on secondary schooling “without hindrance or handicap” in linguistic ability.

Listening: Hear fairly complex instructions, and carry them out; follow story plots or broadcast plays; respond to poetry.

Speaking: Speak with expression and sensitivity to listener's response; show some ability to match vocabulary, syntax and style to various situations; converse; converse confidently and pleasantly; frame pertinent questions.

Reading: Have formed the habit of voluntary and sustained reading for pleasure and information; know how to find books in library.

Writing: Discribe personal feeling, thoughts, and experiences; produce vivid imaginative writing, accurate recording, persuasive writing, formal letters; have control over syntax, and good handwriting.

About Language: Rules of spelling: vowels and consonants, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, statements, questions, commands, exclamations, subject and object and tenses; should all be used and understood.

By the age of 16

Listening: Understand instructions of length and complexity; demonstrate ability to concentrate on oral discussion, taking notes; creticize attempts to persuade listener, “so as to recognize specious arguments and loaded language.”

Reading: Read full range of literature, whole long books; read newspapers and advertising critically, distinguish bias, criticize television and reporting; show ability to judge quality and value.

Writing: Explore and conclude issues; use stylistic effects; use direct and reported speech; write job application letters and curricula vitae.

About language: Know all the main part of speech, including prepositions and communications; use formal and informal styles; show knowledge of metaphor, simile, and cliche; demonstrate proper use of figurative language.

27. Which of these would a 7-year-old be expected to do?

A. Read for long periods for enjoyment.

B. Understand the rules of grammar.

C. Use certain reference books.

D. Write and persuade someone else to do something.

28. According to the document, which of these should an 11-yeaar-old have developed?

A. The skill of recording his or her own speech.

B. The ability to read literature.

C. A feeling for tone and appropriateness in speech.

D. A proper use of figurative language.

29. The document says that he 16-year-old listener should be able to__________.

A. concentrate on everything he or she listens to

B. see through false reasoning

C. answer cliches with cliches

D. write down accurately everything he or she hears

30. By 16, a student should have mastered all the following skills except__________.

A. reading extensively in classical literature

B. using appropriately figures of speech

C. presenting lectures to an audience

D. influencing a reader with his or her written English

SECTION 3: TRANSLATION TEST (1) (30 minutes)

Directions: Translate the following passage into Chinese and write your version in the corresponding space in your ANSWRE BOOKLET.

Dolphins, like whales, must surface to breathe air through a blowhole on top of their heads. Dolphins are social animals and love company. Many of them, in fact, even enjoy being around humans. It is not uncommon to hear of dolphins giving rides through the water to humans.

In addition to being playful, dolphins are helpful to men. For example, as 400 B. C. the Greek poet Arion was saved from drowning by a dolphin. From then until now, dolphins have been helping swimmers who are in trouble. Swimmers, however, are not the only humans they help. In some parts of the world, they can be counted on to help men catch fish.

Moreover, dolphins are very intelligent. A dolphin's brain resembles a human brain, but it is larger. Consequently, some people claim that dolphins are really smarter than men. Of course, there is no way of proving this point. Brain size is not an absolute measure of intelligence. Furthermore, measuring dolphins' intelligence in other ways is not possible since men cannot fully communicate with them. Apparently, however, dolphins communicate with each other. At any rate, they make whistling, clicking and buzzing sounds which seem to be at least a form of language. So far, however, men have not been able to figure out the communication code the dolphins use.

SECTION 4: TRANSLATION TEST (2) (30 minutes)

Directions: Translate the following passage into English and write your version in the corresponding space in your ANSWER BOOKLET.

每年春季，数以万计的中外客商云集申城，参加一年一度的华东出口品交易会。上海各类商品在这里与全国各地一比短长。上海的优势在于科技实力，因此高技术产口的出口应成为上海外贸出口增长的“排头兵”。

著名物理学家杨振宁教授曾说：“高科技战场是中国超越发达国家的主战场，也是最后的战场。”走发展高科技贸易之路，是历史的必然，也是末来的需要。