2008年9月高级口译资格证书笔试Spot Dictation原文

When you stop and think about your high school or college alma mater, were your experiences more positive or negative? Do your feelings of success or failure in that school have anything to do with whether or not your school was single-sex or coed? More and more Americans are  electing to send their children to single-sex schools, because they feel both boys and girls blossom when they study in the company of students of the same sex. They tend to achieve more.

For years, only parents who could afford to send their children to private schools or who had strong religious or cultural reasons chose single-sex education for their children. Single-sex schooling was out of reach for most American families. Today, however, along with costly private schools, public schools are experimenting with the idea of separating the sexes.

Girls may be the ones who benefit most from single-sex schooling. Studies have shown that many girls get short-changed in coed classrooms because teachers sometimes pay more attention to boys. Girls’ positive exuberate attitude toward their studies tends to disappear as they began to feel less successful. They start to watch their male peers outperform them in math and science. As boys begin to gain confidence, girls start to lose it. Moreover, adolescence is such a fragile time for girls. As they experience adolescent changes some girls become depressed, develop an addiction or suffer from an obsession with weight.

In the early 1990s, some influential people said that being in single-sex classes could raise a girl’s self-esteem. Schools across the country began creating single-sex classrooms and schools but many critics claim that all female schools may actually be detrimental to a girls’ education, because they reinforce the regressive notion of sex differences.

The renewed interest in single-sex schooling has fostered a controversy among Americans. Those who give it full endorsement believe girls need an all-female environment to take risks and find their own voices. Those who question the validity of single-sex schooling wonder whether students’ lack of achievement warrants returning to an educational system that divides the sexes. They believe there is no such thing as separate but equal.

Listening Translation听力原文

1.W are fortunate to have strong relationships with a wide variety of corporate partners in the US and worldwide. Our corporate partners hire our students for permanent jobs and summer internships.

2.Don’t give up your day job. Lack of money is the worst part of any artist career, and having another form of income is the best thing an artist could have.

3.In addition to health and environmental concerns, my primary reasons for being a vegetarian is animal rights and spirituality. With regards to animal rights, I shuddered to think of how animals are abused on today’s factory farms.

4.The local shares index has dropped sharply towards the 3000 mark. Dealers say that the market is a little depressed, and a lot of people have pulled out because they felt nervous about corporate profits.

5.A total of 442 manufacturers from over 10 countries, including Singapore, India, the Philippines, Germany, and the United Kindom set up 560 booths to showcase their latest range of merchandises.

1.Perhaps most of us would fly into a rage when hearing that we’re similar to a monkey. But in fact, we do share many fundamental characteristics with a monkey. From the point of view of evolution, men originated millions of years ago from the anthropoid, a species commonly referred to as the ape man. Besides, the resemblance of the social organizational pattern between man and monkey is conspicuous. Men are gregarious and generally live in groups, and monkeys also live, play and act together and are led by a monkey king, which has an absolute authority over the other monkeys.

2. There are different kinds of social relationships. These include relationships with spouses, close friends, siblings and work colleagues as well as relationships between work subordinates and their superiors. Sociologists have done a series of investigations in different countries in the world. These researchers discovered five universal rules that apply to over a half of all these relationships. One, respect the other’s privacy. Two, look the other person in the eye during conversation. Three, do not discuss what has been said in confidence with the other person. Four, do not criticize the other person publically. Five, repay debts, favors or compliments no matter how small.

NTGF原文

Ok, so we’ve been looking at the attitudes of various social and cultural groups towards the management of their personal finances; how important they feel it is to save money and what they save their money for.

One aspect that we haven’t yet considered is gender. So if when we considered gender issues, we are basically asking whether men and women have different attitudes towards saving money and whether they save money for different things.

Back in 1928, the British writer George Bernard Shaw wrote in his Intelligent Women’s Guide to Socialism and Capitalism that a man is supposed to understand politics, economics and finance, and is therefore unwilling to accept essential instruction. He also said a woman, having fewer pretensions, is far more willing to learn. Now, though these days people might question a lot of the assumptions contained in those statements, recent research does suggest that there are some quite fundamental differences between men and women in their attitudes to economic matters.

Let’s look at what men and women actually save for. Research studies of women in North America have found that women are far more likely to save for their children’s education. And they are also more likely to save up to buy a house one day. The same studies have found that men, on the other hand, tend to save for a car, which by the way, takes a surprisingly large amount of the household budget in North America. But the other main priority for men when saving money is their retirement. When they are earning, they are far more likely to put their money aside for their old age than women are. Now this is rather disturbing because in fact the need for women to save for their old age is far greater than for men. Let’s consider this for a moment. To start with, it is a fact that, throughout the world, women are likely to live many years longer than men. So they need money to support them during this time. Since women are likely to be the ones left without a partner in old age, they may therefore have to pay for nursing care because they don’t have a spouse to look after them. Furthermore, the high divorce rates in North America are creating a poverty cycle for women. It is the divorced woman who will most often have to look after the children, and thus they need more money to look after not just themselves but others.

So what can be done about the situation? The population in North America is likely to contain an increasing number of elderly women. The research indicates that at present for women it takes a crisis to make them think about their future financial situation. But of course this is the very worst time for anyone to make important decisions. Women today need to look ahead, think ahead, not wait until they’re under pressure. Even women in their early twenties need to think about pensions, for example. And with increasing numbers of women in professional positions, there’re signs that this is beginning to happen. Then research also suggests that women avoid dealing effectively with their economic situation because of a lack of confidence. The best way for them to overcome this is by getting themselves properly informed, so they’re less dependent on other people’s advice. A number of initiatives have been set up to help them do this. This college, for example, is one of the educational institutions which offers night classes in Money Management, and increasing numbers of women are enrolling on such courses. Here they can be given advice on different ways of saving. Many women are unwilling to invest in stocks and shares, for instance, but these can be extremely profitable. It is usually advised that at least 70% of a person’s savings should be in low-risk investments. But for the rest, financial advisers often advise taking some well-informed risks. Initiatives such as this can give women the economic skills and knowledge they need for a comfortable, independent retirement.

高口NEWS原文:

New Delhi

Indian health officials say a Dengue fever outbreak has claimed at least 106 lives. Officials say more than 5700 people in 11 Indian states have been affected by the fever since early September. India’s capital, New Delhi, is the worst hit. Dengue is a violent infection transmitted to humans by mosquitoes. It can cause a severe flu-like illness and can lead to internal bleeding. Outbreaks of mosquito-borne illnesses are common in India during and after the monsoon season, which ended in September.

London

Pushed up by soaring oil prices, Britain’s trade deficits surged to a record high in the summer. But analysts predicted a slowly improving imbalance in the months ahead. The current account trade deficit increased 2.8% to an all-time high of 118.6 billion pounds in the July-September quarter. The trade department reported Monday that a third-quarter deficit was equaled to 6.8% of the total economy, up from 5.5% of GDP in the second quarter.

Gaza City

Palestinian gunmen in Gaza have kidnapped a Spanish photographer working for the Associated Press. Emilio Morenatti was abducted early Tuesday morning in Gaza city as he left an apartment building to get into an AP car. The driver of the car says four masked gunmen restrained him and shoved Morenatti into a white Volkswagen and drove away. No one has claimed responsibility so far.

South Africa

The hunting of lions and other big cats bred in captivity purely to die at the barrel of a gun will be outlawed under legislation that comes into force next year, the government said Wednesday. The Department of the Environment said the new regulations will make it illegal for anyone to kill large predators raised in an enclosed reserve to blunt their survival instincts. It said it would also ban the shooting of lions, cheetahs and leopards in a "controlled environment," where hunters had an unfair advantage over the beasts, as well as forbidding the killing of tranquilized animals.

Hawaii

The U.S. Pacific state of Hawaii has been declared a disaster area after a strong earthquake early Sunday, causing damage but no serious injuries. The disaster declaration by Hawaii's governor allows her to mobilize the state's National Guard and makes Hawaii eligible for federal emergency funds. The U.S. Geological Survey says Sunday's 6.6 magnitude earthquake was centered in the Pacific Ocean just off the sparsely-populated west coast of the island of Hawaii - the largest in the archipelago. The quake was felt in Honolulu, 250 kilometers away on the chain's most populated island of Oahu. The earthquake triggered landslides, and damaged numerous roads, bridges and buildings. Airports were closed to outgoing flights. Widespread electric outages across the state make communications difficult.

Question No. 6: How many lives has the Dengue fever outbreak claimed in India?

Question No.7: Which of the following statements best describes Britain’s current economic situation?

Question No. 8: What is reported to have happened in Gaza city early Tuesday morning?

Question No.9: What do the new regulations stipulate according to South African Department of the Environment？

Question No. 10: Which of the following statements is true about Hawaii’s disaster early Sunday?

听力Question 1---5原文

Man: Hello, my name is Hudson, Dick Hudson.

Woman: I’m Pamela Ann Gable….

Man: Well, take a seat please. Miss Gable, it is “miss”, isn’t it？Well, let me just check that I’ve got these particulars right. Your surname is Gable, spelled G-a-b-l-e, and your first names are Pamela Ann. Fine. You live at 147 Corriden Road, Croindain, your telephone number is 2468008. You were born on 18th July, 1975 and, that’s about it, okay? Fine, let’s see. What are you working with at the moment?

Woman: I’m personal assistant to the manager of a modeling agency.

Man: Oh, really? And what does that involve?

Woman: A bit of everything, really. I have to keep the accounts, write a few letters, answer the telephone, and that sort of things.

Man: You work with people a lot, do you?

Woman: Oh, yes. I have to look after all the models who work for us, you know, keep them happy, lend an understanding ear to their heartaches, you know.

Man: Have you ever done anything to do with hotels or conferences, hotel management, for instance?

Woman: No, not really. I did work for a short time as a courier for a tour operator, taking foreigners on guided tours of London, perhaps that’s the sort of the thing you mean?

Man: Yes, I think it is. Do you speak any languages?

Woman: Yes, I do. I speak French and Italian. You see, I spent several years abroad when I was younger.

Man: Oh, did you? That’s very interesting. And what about any exams you’ve taken?

Woman: Well, I left school at 16. You know, there didn’t seem to be any point in staying on somehow, I was sure I could learn much more by getting a job and a bit of experience and independence.

Man: So you have no formal qualification at all? I see. Well, I don’t suppose it matters.

Woman: I was wondering if perhaps you can tell me a bit more about the job? You know, it’s said in the ad. that you wanted a go-ahead girl with a car and imagination, but that’ not very much to go on.

Man: No, it isn’t. Well, we run conferences in your job as conference coordinator would-be. Well, much the same as the one you have now I suppose: meeting people, transporting them from one place to another, making sure they are comfortable, a bit of telephoning and so on.

Woman: It sounds just the sort of thing I want to do.

Man: There is the question of salary of course.

Woman: Well, my present salary is 18,000, so I couldn’t accept any less than that, especially if I have to use my car.

Man: Ah, we have something like 15,000 in mind, plus of course, a generous allowance for the car. But look, if I were you, I’d take a quick look around the office here, see if you like the look of the people who work here

1.What is the woman’s present job?

2.Which of the following is not involved in the woman’s present job?

3.What foreign languages does the woman speak?

4.What salary does the woman expect from her perspective of employer?

5.Which of the following statements is true about the woman according to the conversation?

听力Question 11---15原文

Questions 11 to 15 are based on the following interview.

WOMAN：Good morning, Harry! Good to see you!

MAN: How common is it for people to go to work even though they know they are sick?

WOMAN: Well, Harry, it is so common that there is actually a term for it.  It’s called presenteeism versus absenteeism. And a lot of employees actually go to work because they are afraid people are gonna think they are lazy. They are afraid they are gonna get into trouble with their boss. They don’t wanna use their sick days or they are particularly dedicated to their job. But it’s really a good idea to stay home when you are sick because you are less likely to be productive at work, you are more likely to spread your germs to your co-workers. And studies have suggested that presenteeism costs more productivity for company than actually absenteeism. So it’s a big problem.

MAN:Here is the question though. Because I think a lot of people feel like ‘I have to go to work.’ There is so much pressure to go to work, to actually show up. How do employers by and large feel about this?

WOMAN: Well, CCH is a corporate service which has conducted a dozen annual surveys, and they asked employers “is there a problem?” 56% of organizations actually say that presenteeism is a problem in the work place, which is up from 39% two years ago. So more and more companies are seeing it as a problem.

MAN:Alright! What can be done then to prevent people from coming to work when they are sick?

WOMAN: Well, they asked employers that too! So what do you do to keep employees at home? Actually as many as 72% of employers say that they actually will send a sick employee home. 40% say that they try to educate their workers about the importance of staying home when you are sick. 22% actually let people telecommute so that they can stay at home instead of coming into the work place. And some companies actually say that they try to foster an environment to encourage: pay a co-worker to stay home. Well, a lot of employees disagree. 46% of employees say that they are still afraid they are gonna be disciplined. So much pressure on the employees to show up.

MAN: You should talk a little bit about just how easy it is to spread the germs. If I was working with a flu, it’s somebody else who can get it.

WOMAN: They are. It’s incredibly easy when someone is sick, coughs or sneezes these little respiratory droplets into the air. And so if you breathe those things in, you can introduce germs into your body that way. Or if you touch something, something as simple as a telephone, a computer keyboard, a doorknob someone sick has touched, and then you touch your hands to your eyes, or to your nose, then you are likely to get sick as well. That’s really easy!

Q11: What is meant in the interview by the term ‘presenteeism’?

Q12: For what reason is ‘presenteeism’ considered as a problem for companies?

Q13: What percentage of employers will actually send an employee home when finding him/her sick?

Q14: Employers do several things to prevent sick people from coming to work. Which of the following is not one of these things?

Q15: According to the interview, which of the following are the primary carrier of germs?

听力Question 16---20原文

Questions 16 to 20 are based on the following talk.

Opinion polls have shown that Americans view the widespread use of illegal drugs as the No.1 problem in the United States. Every year, the United States spends 15 billion dollars on its war on drugs, mostly on the cost of law enforcement and prohibition. Most illegal drugs are expensive. Black market prices for heroin and cocaine, for example, are estimated to be 100 times greater than the cost of production. With such prices, drug pushers can earn billions of dollars each year by pushing their wares in even the poorest neighborhoods.

Most people agree that the so-called drug war is far from being won in the United States. They find some solution to the drug problem. One repeated proposal is to fight the problem by making drugs legal. This proposal has in fact been the cause of a lengthy and unresolved debate.

Ever since the 1970s the Americans have argued whether taking the extreme measure of legalizing drugs would in fact decrease drug use. People who support this proposal believe that the current policies of prosecution and punishment are a waste of money. They feel that more money should be spent on education and treatment, arguing that the black market drives the prices of drugs too high, providing an incentive to get into the drug business. They point to the gangsters of the 1920s and the 1930s who disappeared with the end of prohibition of alcohol and America. As it is now, they say, anyone who is caught using drugs is treated as criminal not as an addict who needs help.

This proposal for legalization has been supported by a variety of leaders from the most conservative to the most liberal, from Secretary of the State to federal district judges who advocated the sale of drugs as prices resembling their costs.

The proposal to legalize drugs has not being accepted easily by all Americans, however. In fact, it has taken a lot of flag over the years. Those who oppose the legalization of drugs feel that decriminalizing drugs would be a surrender in a drug war that has not really even begun. For them, the solution is not to decriminalize drug crime but to make law more severe. They point out that legalization would lead to greater drug use, explaining that with drugs such as crack being so common in our cities. There would be an increase in cases of violent crime and child abuse and an even greater spreader of AIDS. Opponents of legalization also point to China. When opium was made legal there in the mid-19th century, the selling of opium increased and funded the drug trade rather than spoiled it down.

Those who were opposed the legalization also raised an important question such as which drugs would be legalized with the black market really disappear with the legalization of drugs? So is it time to recognize that the current war on drugs is not working and accept that the legalization maybe the only solution? Every few years voters are asked to cast their votes for politicians who claimed to have answers to this question. But as of yet, Americans have not chosen legalization as a solution to their country’s drug problems.

16. Which of the following best describes the drug problem in the U.S.?

17. How much is spent each year in fighting against the use of illegal drugs in the U.S.?

18.  Which of the following is cited as evidence in support of the proposal to make drugs legal?

19. There are several arguments against legalizing drugs, which of the following is not one of these arguments?

20. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

来源：昂立教育

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