2007年英语专业八级考试听力真题MP3附试题及答案

2007年英语专业八级考试听力真题MP3附试题及答案SECTION A Mini-lecture

In this section you will hear a mini-lecture. You willhear the lecture once only. While listening, takenotes on the important points. You notes will not be marked, but you will need them tocomplete a gap-filling task for after the mini-lecture. When the lecture is over, you will be giventwo minutes to check your notes, and another ten minutes to complete the gap-filling task onAnswer sheet one. Use the blank sheet for note-tanking.

What Can We Learn from Art?

I. Introduction

A. Differences between general history and art history

— Focus:

— general history: (1)_____

— art history: political values, emotions, everyday life, etc.

B. Significance of study

More information and better understanding of human society and civilization II. Types of information

A. Information in history books is (2)_____

— facts, but no opinions

B. Information in art history is subjective

— (3)_____ and opinions

e.g. — Spanish painter's works: misuse of governmental power

— Mexican artists' works: attitudes towards social problems

III. Art as a reflection of religious beliefs

A. Europe: (4)_____ in pictures in churches

B. Middle East: pictures of flowers and patterns in mosques, palaces Reason: human and (5)_____ are not seen as holy

C. Africa and the Pacific Islands: masks, headdresses and costumes in special ceremonies

Purpose: to seek the help of (6)_____ to protect crops, animals and people. IV. Perceptions of Art

How people see art is related to their cultural background.

A. Europeans and Americans

— (7)_____

— expression of ideas

B. People in other places

— part of everyday life

— (8)_____ use

V. Art as a reflection of social changes

A. Cause of changes: (9)_____ of different cultures.

B. Changes

— tribal people: effects of (10)_____ on art forms

— European artists: influence of African traditional art in their works

— American and Canadian artists: study of Japanese painting

SECTION A MNNI-LECTURE

In this section you will hear a mini-lecture.You willhear the lecture ONCE ONLY. While listening, takenotes on the important points. Your notes will not be marked, but you will need them tocomplete a gap-filling task after the mini-lecture.When the lecture is over, you will be given two minutes to check your notes, and another ten minutes to complete the gap-filling task onANSWER SHEET https://www.wendangku.net/doc/1018099134.html,e the blank sheet for note-taking.

Now listen to the Mini-lecture.

Good morning, today’s lecture is the very first of a series of lectures on art history, so I’d liketo spend some time discussing with you the following topic: Why do we need to study arthistory? And what can we learn from it?

First of all, I’d say, if you study art history, this might be a good way to learn more about aculture than it’s possible to learn in general history classes. You know, most typical historycourses concentrate on politics,economics and war, but art history focuses on much morethan this. Because art reflects not only the political values of a people, but also their religiousbeliefs, emotions etc. In addition, information about the daily activities of our ancestors can beprovided by art, like what people did for a living, what kind of dress they wore, what ceremoniesthey held etc. In short, art can express the essential qualities of a time and a place, and thestudy of it clearly offers us a deeper understanding than can be found in most history booksand enables us to learn more things about human society and civilization.

The second point I’d like to make is about the type of information. In history books, informationis objective, that is facts about political economic life of a country are given,but opinions arenot expressed.Art, on the other hand, is

subjective.It reflects personal emotions andopinions. For example, Francisco Goya was a great Spanish painter and also perhaps the firsttruly political artist. In his famous painting, The Third of May 1808, he showed soldiers shootinga group of simple people. His description of soldiers and their victims has become a symbol ofthe enormous power or the misuse of this power that the government can have over itspeople. Over 100 years later, on another continent, the powerful paintings of Mexican artistsdepicted their deep anger and sadness about social problems.In summary, through art youcan find a personal and emotional view of history.

Thirdly, art can reflect a culture’s religious beliefs. For hundreds of years in Europe, religiousart was almost the only type of art that existed. Churches and other religious buildings werefilled with paintings that showed people and stories from the Bible. By contrast, one of themain characteristics of art in the Middle East was (and still is), its absence of human andanimal images. This reflects the Islamic belief that these images are unholy. Thus, on palaces,mosques and other buildings, Islamic artists have created unique decoration of great beautywith images of flowers of geometric forms, for example, circles, squares and triangles. The sameis true of other places, like Africa and Pacific Islands. Art also reflects the religious beliefs of traditional cultures in these places. As a matter of fact, religion is the purpose for this art andit’s, therefore, absolutely essential to it. Traditional art in Africa and Pacific Islands is differentfrom Christian art. Christian art influences people’s religious feelings towards God. But the goalof traditional art in Africa and Pacific Islands is the influence of spiritual powers, That is godsto enter people’s lives. Each tribe or village there had special ceremonies with songs and dancesto make sure that crops, animals and people are healthy and increasing in number. The dancersin the ceremonies wear masks，Head dresses and costumes that they believe are necessary toinfluence gods. So these masks, head dresses themselves, are revelry part of the art. As wesaid, art depends on culture, different forms of art result from different cultures. Similarly, theway that people view art also depends on their cultural background. This is my fourth point. Formost Europeans and Americans, art is mainly for decoration. It is something on a museum wallor in a glass case. It makes their homes more attractive. People look at it and admire it: "Oh,what a beautiful painting!" Besides, ideas are expressed in this art. This is a wonderful statue,and admiring it,I might say: "It makes such a strong anti-war statement." But in

other places,art is not considered to be separated from everyday existence. It has a function, it has apractical role to play in people’s lives. A person in a tribal society might look at a mask and say: "Oh, this is a good mask. It would keep my house safe." In brief, the way in which people enjoyor appreciate art depends on their culture. To conclude my lecture, we can say that art is a reflection of various cultures. But at the same time, we have to remember that art also reflectsthe changes in society that take place when different cultures influence one another. As peoplefrom tribal societies move to urban areas, their values and beliefs change accordingly and their traditional art forms begin to lose their function. At the same time, urban artists begin tolearn a lot from traditional art. For example, African masks and figures had a great influence onPicasso’s works. And many American and Canadian artists study the simplicity of Japanesepainting. The result is that as the world gets smaller, the art of each culture becomes moreinternational.

OK, this brings us to the end of our lecture. I hope that after today’s lecture, you’ll understand better the significance of the study of art history. Art enables us to know moreabout human history, for example,people’s views and opinions about certain historical events,and what’s more important, about different cultures, their religious beliefs, perception of artetc.

Now you have 2 minutes to check your notes. And then please complete the gap-filling task onAnswer Sheet 1 in 10 minutes.

Section B interview

In this section you will hear everything once only.Listen carefully and then answer the questions thatfollow. Mark the correct answer to each question on your colored answer sheet.

Questions 1 to 5 are based on an interview. At the end of the interview you will be given 10seconds to answer each of the following five questions.

Now listen to the following five questions.

Now listen to the interview

1. According to Nigel, most problems of air travel are caused by

A. Unfavorable weather conditions.

B. Airports handling capacity.

C. Inadequate ticketing service.

D. Overbooking.

2. Which of the following is not mentioned as compensation for volunteers for the next fightout?

A. Free ticket.

B Free phone call

C. Cash reward

D. Seat reservation

3. Why does Niget suggest that business travelers avoid big airports?

A Because all flights in and out of there are full.

B. Because the volume of traffic is heavy.

C. Because there are more popular flights.

D. Because there are more delays and cancellations.

4. According to Nigel, inexperience travelers are likely to make the following mistakes except.

A Booking on less popular flights.

B. buying tickets at full price.

C. carrying excessive luggage.

D. planning long business trips.

5. Which of the following statements is INCORRECT?

A. The possibility of discounts depends on a travel agent’s volume of business.

B. Longer flights to the same destination maybe cheaper.

C. It is advisable to plan every detail of a trip in advance.

D. arranging for stopovers can avoid overnight travel.

SECTION B INTERVIEW

In this section you will hear everything ONCE ONLY.Listen carefully and then answer the questions thatfollow. Mark the correct answer to each question on your coloured answer sheet.Questions l to5 are based on an interview. At the

end of the interview you will be given 10 seconds toanswer each of the following five questions.

Now listen to the interview

W: Nigel Linge is editor of Business Travel Weekly. Nigel, thanks for being on the show. Now,what kind of problems do airline passengers face nowadays?

M: Well, most of the problems are caused by the heavy volume of traffic. You know, all airportshave a limit to the number of take-offs and landings they can handle.

W: So what seems to be the problem?

M: All flights from a busy airport arrive and leave at more or less the same time. If 60 aircraft are scheduled to take off between 5 p. m. and 5:15, and the airport can only handle120 anhour, that means some will always be late landing or taking-off. And if the weather is bad, oh,you can imagine what the situation is like. So passengers have to be loaded into each plane,and then the planes have to line up to take off.

W: So waiting at the lounge or on the plane is quite common.

M: Certainly. And another problem that’s very common is over-booking. Quite often you hearan announcement on the airport loudspeakers: "We have over sold on this flight and wouldlike volunteers to go on the next flight out." If you decide to volunteer, you may get a cashbribe or free-trip voucher, but make sure you get a guaranteed seat on the next flight and afree phone call to whoever is meeting you on the other end. And worse still, you arrive with confirmed reservation and you discover you’ve been bumped off the flight.

W: Presumably, if you choose to travel at off-peak times, there are few problems.

M: Well, there are no off-peak times, All flights seem to be full except Saturday.

I don’t quite understand why this is so. You know, if there is a public holiday, things are likely to beespecially busy. The special fare systems on the airline’s computers encourage more people tofly on less popular flights and this means that as a result all flights are equally full.

W: So, what advice would you give to business travelers?

M: I’d say "Avoid big airports if you can". The reason is there are too many

flights there. Then,remember not to check your baggage if you can help it. Another thing is "Be prepared fordelays". Take something to eat and drink in your hand luggage.

W: Nigel, what kind of mistakes do inexperienced travelers make?

M: The first mistake business travelers make is to take far too much luggage. Remember, takeonly carry-on luggage, because at most airports, you can get away with two small bags.

W: Oh, I see.

M: Another mistake people make is to think that you have to pay full price for air tickets. Youshould find out about the different ticket options. For example, an RTW fare can save up to40% on normal fare.

W: Excuse me, what is RTW?

M: Round the World. For example, if you’re going to Australia from the USA, you could go outvia Singapore, and come back via North America. And another way to save money is to see ifthe ticket to a destination beyond it’s cheaper. For example, a ticket from Amsterdam fromLondon to New York may be cheaper than one straight from London to New York.

W: Oh, that’s very useful information.

M: And another mistake is to go away for too long. Most people’s efficiency and energy startto fall off after two weeks away. So my advice is "Keep your trip short",only go for two weeksand never for a longer than three. Another point is "Don’t expect everything to go according toplan". You need to learn to expect the unexpected. There may be a typhoon in summer oryour taxi may break down on the way to the airport. In other words, don’t be optimistic aboutplans and don’t schedule important meetings too closely together. You need to allow time fordelays and break-downs.

W: Yeah, this is something travelers have to remember when they plan their trips.

M: And another thing, get to know a good travel agent and make sure he gives you the bestpossible service. T ake discounts for example, a good travel agent can get first-class ticket forthe price of business-class. This is because he does enough volume of business and he can getdiscounts with airlines on his own behalf. He should pass them on to you. So make sure heindeed does.

W: I think the worst part of a trip is having to travel overnight or being stuck for a weekend insome dreadful place. Are there any ways avoiding that?

M: Yes. We can break or stop over in a more relaxing or lively place. It’s often available atspecial cheap weekend rate. Various airlines and hotel chains offer these. And it’s always morepleasant to stay a night in a hotel than on a plane even if you travel business-class.

W: Yes. OK, thank you, Nigel, for all the useful information and advice.

M: Pleasure!

SECTION C NEWS BROACAST

In this section you will hear everything once only.Listen carefully and then answer the questions thatfollow. Mark the correct answer to each question on your coloured answer sheet.

Question 6 is based on the following news. At the end of the news item, you will be given 10seconds to answer the questions.

Now listen to the news.

6 what happened on Monday?

A. A train crash occurred causing minor injuries.

B. Investigator found out the cause of the accident.

C Crews rescued more passengers from the site.

D A commuter train crashed into a building.

Question 7 and 8 are based on the following news. At the end of the news item, you will begiven 20 seconds to answer the questions.

7. Which of the following was not on the agenda of the G20 meeting?

A. Iraq debts

B. WTO talks

C. Financial disasters

D. Possible sanctions

8. The G20 is a (n) ________ organization.

A. International

B European

C Regional

D Asian

Question 9 and 10 are based on the following news. At the end of the news item, you will begiven 20 seconds to answer the questions

9.The UN Charter went into effect after

A It was signed by the 50 original member countries.

B It was approved by the founders and other member countries.

C It was approved by the founding members

D It was signed by the founding members.

10. Which of the following best describe the role of the charter?

A. the Charter only describes powers of the UN bodies.

B the Charter mainly aims to promote world economy.

C The charter is a treaty above all other treaties.

D TheSECTION C NEWS BROADCAST

In this section you will hear everything ONCE ONLY.Listen carefully and then answer the questions thatfollow. Mark the correct answer to each question on your coloured answer sheet. Question 6 isbased on the following news. At the end of the news item，you will be given 10 seconds toanswer the question

Now listen to the news.

The death toll rose to 74 on Tuesday in Japan’s deadliest rail crash in decades as crews pulledmore victims from the wreckage. Investigators focused on whether excessive speed or thedriver’s inexperience had caused the train to derail and slam into an apartment building. The7-car commuter train carrying 580 passengers left the rails Monday morning in Amagasaki, asuburb of Osaka, about 250 miles west of Tokyo, it injured more than 440 people.

Questions 7 and 8 are based on the following news. At the end of the news item，you will begiven 20 seconds to answer the questions.

Now listen to the news.

20 of the world’s top economies promised to help Iraq lower its debt and to help restart global trade talks after a 2-day meeting in Mexico on Monday. Officials from the group of 20, G20Nations, also discussed the possibility of sanctioning countries that refused to cooperate in thefight against terrorism. Possible sanctions were not outlined at the meeting. In a declaration released at the end of the meeting, ministers called on World Trade Organization, WTOmembers, to restart the trade talks that collapsed in Kankoon last month. Nations must quicklyreenergize the negotiation process, recognizing that flexibility and political will from all areurgently needed, it said. G20 ministers also talked about the possibility of creating a VoluntaryCode of Conduct to govern negotiations between creditors and countries on the verge ofdefaulting on debt. The code would outline the steps that should be taken to prevent afinancial crisis. Created in 1999 to avoid financial disasters and to keep the global economy stable, the G20 is made up of the European Union and 19 other countries including Australia,Brazil, China, Japan and the US.

Questions 9 and 10 are based on the following news. At the end of the news item, you will begiven 20 seconds to answer the questions.

Now listen to the news.

The United Nations celebrated the 60th anniversary of its Charter on Monday, the speakersaddressing the UN General Assembly. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said the UN had bothsuccesses and failures in carrying out the pledges in the Charter. The UN Charter is the constitution of the organization. It was signed in San Francisco on June 26th, 1945 by the 50original member countries. It took effect on October 24th, 1945 after being improved by the 5founding members: China, France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and the United Statesand the majority of the other countries that signed the Charter. The Charter is a constitution on trading or countries that signed it are bound by its articles. It states that the Charter comesfirst above all other treaties. Its main purposes include the prevention of new conflict, buildingpeace and protecting human rights and social progress. The most important chapters arethese dealing with enforcement powers of UN bodies. They describe, for example, the SecurityCouncil’s power to investigate and mediate disputes. They also describe its power to authorize economic, diplomatic and military sanctions as well as the use of military force to resolve disputes. The UN, late last year, revealed a proposal to overhaul the organization,including the Security Council. This could be the most

comprehensive UN reform since its foundation. This is the end of listening comprehension, please proceed to the next part.

charter authorizes reforms in UN bodies.