2006年度英语专业八级考试真题及答案

2006年度英语专业八级考试真题及答案PARTIIREADINGCOMPREHENSION(30MIN)Inthissectiontherearefourreadingpassagesfollowedbyatotalof20multiple-choicequestions.Readthepassagesandthenmarkyouranswersonyourcolouredanswersheet.TextATheUniversityinTransformation,editedbyAustralianfuturistsSohailInayatullahandJenniferGidley,presentssome20highlyvariedoutlooksontomorrow’suniversitiesbywritersrepresentingbothWesternandnon-Westernperspectives.Theiressaysraiseabroadrangeofissues,questioningnearlyeverykeyassumptionwehaveabouthighereducationtoday.ThemostwidelydiscussedalternativetothetraditionalcampusistheInternetUniversity—avoluntarycommunitytoscholars/teachersphysicallyscatteredthroughoutacountryoraroundtheworldbutalllinkedincyberspace.Acomputerizeduniversitycouldhavemanyadvantages,suchaseasyscheduling,efficientdeliveryoflecturestothousandsorevenmillionsofstudentsatonce,andreadyaccessforstudentseverywheretotheresourcesofalltheworld’sgreatlibraries.YettheInternetUniversityposesdangers,too.Forexample,alineoffranchisedcourseware,producedbyafewsuperstarteachers,marketedunderthebrandnameofafamousinstitution,andheavilyadvertised,mighteventuallycometodominatetheglobaleducationmarket,warnssociologyprofessorPeterManicasoftheUniversityofHawaiiatManoa.Besidesenforcingarigidlystandardizedcurriculum,sucha“collegeeducationinabox”couldunderselltheofferingsofmanytraditionalbrickandmortarinstitutions,effectivelydrivingthemoutofbusinessandthrowingthousandsofcareeracademicsoutofwork,noteAustraliancommunicationsprofessorsDavidRooneyandGregHearn.Ontheotherhand,whileglobalconnectivityseemshighlylikelytoplaysomesignificantroleinfuturehighereducation,thatdoesnotmeangreateruniformityincoursecontent—orotherdangers—willnecessarilyfollow.Counter-movementsarealsoatwork.Manyinacademia,includingscholarscontributingtothisvolume,arequestioningthefundamentalmissionofuniversityeducation.Whatif,forinstance,insteadofreceivingprimarilytechnicaltrainingandbuildingtheirindividualcareers,universitystudentsandprofessorscouldfocustheirlearningandresearcheffortsonexistingproblemsintheirlocalcommunitiesandtheworld?FeministscholarIvanaMilojevicdarestodreamwhatauniversitymightbecome“ifwebelievedthatchildchildhoodeducationshouldbeoneofthehighest(ratherthanlowest)paidprofessionals?”Co-editorJenniferGidleyshowshowtomorrowandconductingindependentresearch,maytakeonthreenewroles.Somewouldactasbrokers,assemblingcustomizeddegree-creditprogrammesforindividualstudentsbymixingandmatchingthebestcourseofferingsavailablefrominstitutionsallaroundtheworld.Asecondgroup,mentors,wouldfunctionmuchliketoday’sfacultyadvisers,butarelikelytobeworkingwithmanymorestudentsoutsidetheirownacademicspecialty.Thiswouldrequirethemtoconstantlybelearningfromtheirstudentsaswellasinstructingthem.Athirdnewroleforfaculty,andinGidley’sviewthemostchallengingandrewardingofall,wouldbeasmeaning-makers:charismaticsagesandpractitionersleadinggroupsofstudents/colleaguesincollaborativeeffortstofindspiritualaswellasrationalandtechnologicalsolutionstospecificreal-worldproblems.Moreover,thereseemslittlereasontosupposethatanyoneformofuniversitymustnecessarilydriveoutallotheroptions.Studentsmaybe“enrolled”incoursesofferedatvirtualcampusesontheInternet,between—orevenduring—sessionsatarealAsco-editorSohailInayatullahpointsoutinhisintroduction,nofutureisinevitable,andtheveryactofimaginingandthinkingthroughalternativepossibilitiescandirectlyaffecthowthoughtfully,creativelyandurgentlyevenadominanttechnologyisadaptedandapplied.Eveninacademia,thefuturebelongstothosewhocareenoughtoworktheirvisionsintopractical,sustainablerealities.11.WhenthebookreviewerdiscussestheInternetUniversity,[A]heisinfavourofit.[B]hisviewisbalanced.[C]heisslightlycriticalofit.[D]heisstronglycriticalofit.12.WhichofthefollowingisNOTseenasapotentialdangeroftheInternetUniversity?[A]Internet[B]Teachersintraditionalinstitutionsmaylosetheirjobs.[C]Internett.[D]TheInternetUniversitymayproduceteacherswithalotofpublicity.13.Accordingtothereview,whatisthefundamentalmissionoftraditionaluniversityeducation?[A]Knowledgelearningandcareerbuilding.[B]Learninghowtosolveexistingsocialproblems.[C]Researchingintosolutionstocurrentworldproblems.[D]Combiningresearcheffortsofteachersandstudentsinlearning.14.Judgingfromthethreenewrolesenvisionedfortomorrowteachers[A]arerequiredtoconductmoreindependentresearch.[B]arerequiredtooffermorecoursestotheirstudents.[C]aresupposedtoassumemoredemandingduties.[D]aresupposedtosupervisemorestudentsintheirspecialty.15.Whichcategoryofwritingdoesthereviewbelongto?[A]Narration.[B]Description.[C]Persuasion.[D]ExpositionTextBEverystreethadastory,everybuildingamemory.Thoseblessedwithwonderfulchildhoodscandrivethestreetsoftheirhometownsandhappilyrollbacktheyears.Therestarepulledhomebydutyandleaveassoonaspossible.AfterRayAtleehadbeeninClanton(hishometown)forfifteenminuteshewasanxioustogetout.Thetownhadchanged,butthenithadn’t.Onthehighwaysleadingin,thecheapmetalbuildingsandmobilehomesweregatheringastightlyaspossiblenexttotheroadsformaximumvisibility.Thistownhadnozoningw