上海市中级口译笔试试题与详细答案解析(2008年3月+9月)(春季+秋季)

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年春季上海外语口译考试中级口译笔译真题

SECTION 1: LISTENING TEST

Part A: Spot Dictation

Direction: In 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 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.

How did the Olympic Games start? In ancient Greece athletic festivals were very important and

had strong ________ (1). Originally the Festival was held in honour of .Zeus, the supreme god

in Greek Mythology. Eventually the Olympian athletic festival had lost its ________ (2) and

became an international event. No one knows exactly ________ (3) the Olympic Games go, but

some scholars recorded date from 776 B.C.

According to some scholars, at first the only Olympic event was ________ (4), called a stadium

and that was the only event until 724 B.C. After that, other ________ (5) were added and sixteen

years later in ________ (6) the pentathlon was added and wrestling became part of the games.

This pentathlon was a five-event match which ________ (7) running, wrestling, leaping,

throwing the discus, and hurling the javelin.

The games were held ________ (8) and after an uninterrupted history of 1170 years, the games

________ (9) in A.D. 394, the Christian era, because of their pagan origin.

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It was over ________ (10) before there was another such international athletics gathering. In

1896, the first of the modern ________ (11) opened in Athens, Greece.

Nowadays, the Games are held in different countries ________ (12). The host country provides

vast facilities such as stadiums and ________ (13).Many more sports are represented, including

the very celebrated event: ________ (14).

The Olympics start with the arrival in the stadium of a torch, ________ (15) on Mount Olympus

by the sun's rays. The torch is carried by ________ (16) to the stadium. The Olympic flame

symbolizes the ________ (17) of the ancient Greek athletic ideals, and it burns throughout the

Games until ________ (18). The well-known Olympic flag, however, is ________ (19): the five

interlocking rings symbolize the uniting of all five continents ________ (20).

Part B: Listening Comprehension

1. 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

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) Diana is fond of outdoor activities.

(B) Diana is well-paid for her hard work.

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(C) Diana dislikes her job because it is tough.

(D) Diana considers her income to be mediocre.

2.(A) I'm not sure if you are responsible.

(B) I'm not content with the result of the meeting.

(C) I know the delay is not your fault.

(D) I think the flame of that fire is too high.

3.(A) The refrigerator was repaired by an old man.

(B) The refrigerator will be fixed if it is under warranty.

(C) Mrs. Green had her refrigerator fixed for nothing.

(D) Mrs. Green would have had the refrigerator repaired if she had warranty.

4.(A) George always tells the truth.

(B) George lives too far to visit us.

(C) It is kind of George to assist me in the filling station.

(D) It is worthwhile to make friends with George.

5.(A) The company's budget must be reduced reasonably next year.

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(B) The company's production cost is expected to rise next year.

(C) The company has to stabilize its production cost.

(D) The company is likely to go bankrupt because of its limited budget.

6.(A) Prompt delivery of the goods before Christmas is the most important.

(B) Top priority should be given to the competitive and reasonable price of the goods

(C) During Christmas, there will be a shopping craze for goods with good quality.

(D) Nothing is more important than the quality and price of the goods for Christmas.

7.(A) Let's continue the talk over dinner at 9 o'clock tonight.

(B) We have to work something out before 9 o'clock tomorrow.

(C) I propose a break until 9 o'clock tomorrow morning.

(D) I'm sure we'll all calm down before 9 o'clock tomorrow morning.

8.(A) Our products cannot compete on the international market because of their higher prices.

(B) Our products exhibit greater competitiveness even though they lack advanced technology.

(C) Advanced technology will increase our expense to compete on the international market.

(D) Advanced technology contributes to the excellence and competitiveness of our products.

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9 (A) Mr Parkinson never gives free investment consultations.

(B) Don't consult Mr Parkinson if your problem is about finance or investment

(C) The advice Mr Parkinson offers is often of great importance to our investment.

(D) We should not invest in the company where Mr Parkinson is the CEO.

10(A) Aging population is expected to double within decades.

(B) By 2020, 45% of the people in the country will be over sixty-five.

(C) Old people in this country can expect to live a longer life.

(D) In less than 20 years, 23 million more people will have to retire.

2. 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.

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(A) ?400.

(B) ?450.

(C) ?500.

(D) ?600.

12.

(A) It is very near his working place.

(B) It is a rather crowded residential area.

(C) It is convenient for transportation and shopping.

(D) It is the only good position he has in mind.

13.

(A) He has a big family.

(B) He has to work at home.

(C) His mother-in-law likes to have parties.

(D) His children are rather naughty.

14.

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(A) Its bedrooms are specious.

(B) Its rent is quite reasonable.

(C) It is located in a good position.

(D) It is well furnished.

Questions 15-1815.

(A) The orange juice can help treat indigestion.

(B) The orange in a supermarket is much cheaper.

(C) The orange is more nutritious than any other fruits.

(D) The orange is an essential part of a healthy diet

16.

(A) Orange.

(B) Chocolate.

(C) Vanilla.

(D) Sugar.

17.

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(A) It can keep your immune system strong.

(B) It can assist in your effort to reduce weight.

(C) It can easily replace the nutrition of a daily meal.

(D) It can help control the rising blood sugar levels.

18.

(A) The fruit sugar in oranges.

(B) The fibre in oranges.

(C) Vitamin C in oranges.

(D) Calcium in oranges.

Questions 19-2219.

(A) He is applying to a university in England.

(B) He is consulting a female professor.

(C) He is studying in a British university.

(D) He is helping the woman cook some food.

20.

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(A) It is awful.

(B) It is one of his favorite kinds.

(C) It is of a much greater variety.

(D) It is better than he expected.

21.

(A) He is fond of English dishes.

(B) He is tired of puddings and pies.

(C) He enjoys English strawberry yogurt.

(D) He seldom has breakfast at home.

22.

(A) Because it is properly cooked at home.

(B) Because it is a kind of Yorkshire pudding.

(C) Because he has never tasted it before.

(D) Because he has made it all by himself.

Questions 23-2623.

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(A) We should pay more attention to our history class.

(B) We generally fail to remember anything that was said.

(C) Sharks are necessary in the training of active listeners.

(D) Good listening skills are essential in our life.

24.

(A) They tolerate distractions.

(B) They often find themselves in hot water.

(C) They are generally lazy.

(D) They are critical to family life.

25.

(A) By taking notes.

(B) By remembering what was said.

(C) By getting up to shut the door.

(D) By asking questions.

26.

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(A) Seas.

(B) Sharks.

(C) Sponges.

(D) Students.

Questions 27-3027.

(A) He writes comic stories.

(B) He draws pictures for comic books.

(C) He teaches painting in an art school.

(D) He compiles comic books with other writers.

28.

(A) Give his drawings a more graphic look.

(B) Add variations to his works.

(C) Employ a chunky brush style.

(D) Move along a linear way.

29.

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(A) They are very popular.

(B) They are of the same style.

(C) They are fairly eclectic.

(D) They are influenced by other artists.

30.

(A) It is a new one with only 2 editors.

(B) It takes him on the permanent staff.

(C) It controls the final look of his works.

(D) It has a nurturing environment.

Part C: Listening and Translation

I. Sentence Translation

Directions: In this part of the test, you will hear 5 sentence in English. You will hear the

sentences ONLY ONCE. After you have heard each sentence, translate it into Chinese and write

your version in the corresponding space in your ANSWER BOOKLET.

(1)

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(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

II. Passage Translation

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

(1)

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(2)

SECTION 2: STUDY SKILLS

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 1-5

Last month, upon hearing that a neighbor had been burgled, my husband voiced a desire to beef

up our home security. I was largely unresponsive. The previous owners of our house installed a

burglar alarm system, but we never got it switched on, because, quoting Ed, I apparently care

more about the $$29 monthly fee than I do about our home security. In the end, I gave in.

The alarm company sent over a sales representative, a well-coiffed professional in a suit and

heels. She recommended adding some infrared motion sensors. I was not wild about this. I like

to keep things simple. My idea of home security is to hire cheap, disreputable painters who can

be counted upon to paint the windows shut.

pet?

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Ed leaned in close to the sales rep.

now'' I said.

person. We cancel each other out.

I pointed out that every now and then, the neighbors' cat, Sprinkles, will sneak into the house

when the back door is open. The alarm woman started talking about

feature of the motion sensor whereby it was set to cover the room from the waist up only.

We got the sensors, and we got the system switched on. We never got a pet, each of us practicing

his or her own particular brand of pet resistance, but we did, after many years of cost-based

bickering, get a housecleaner. Every other month, Natalia can be seen making her way through

the filth and cobwebs. I gave her the alarm code but promised to leave the alarm off the day she

came.

Naturally, I forgot. Later that morning, my work phone rang. It was Natalia, yelling in harmony

with the shrieking of the alarm. She couldn't find the code. On top of all this, my cell phone

started ringing. This was the alarm company, responding to the alarm and calling me to get the

secret password-which was different from the shutoff code-required for them to shut off the

system and prevent the police from rushing over to arrest Natalia for breaking and entering.

Some weeks back, Ed and I had spent 15 minutes arguing over the secret password for the alarm.

Ed is a fan of the complicated, hacker-proof, identity-theft- foiling password, the kind that

involves alternating capital and lowercase letters with obscure foreign accent marks, whereas I'll

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use my name. I had no recollection of what we'd settled on.

continued to go off. This went on for some time.

Meanwhile, Natalia had dug through her bag, found the piece of paper I'd given her with the

shutoff code and quieted the screaming alarm. I don't know how effective these alarms are

against burglars, but Sprinkles hasn't been seen on the property in weeks.

1.

Why didn't the writer get the burglar alarm system switched on?

(A) Because she didn't like its design.

(B) Because the burglar alarm system had broken down.

(C) Because she considered monthly fee unnecessary.

(D) Because she thought their home security was not a problem.

2.

The family didn't have a pet because _______.

(A) they didn't like pets

(B) they didn't like each other's favorite animal

(C) they took their neighbors' pet as their own.

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(D) it cost a lot to have a pet.

3.

According to the sales representative, the motion sensor _______.

(A) is pet resistant

(B) is set to cover the room floor

(C) could be set off by a pet if it was near

(D) could be set off by a pet if it jumped high enough

4.

The word

(A) arguing

(B) considering

(C) persuading

(D) consulting

5.

Ed preferred their password for the alarm to be _______.

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(A) complicated

(B) interesting

(C) easy to remember

(D) his own name

Questions 6-10

An article published recently in the prestigious scientific journal Nature is shedding new light on

an important, but hitherto little has been appreciated, aspect of human evolution. In this article,

Professors Dennis Bramble and Daniel Lieberman suggest that the ability to run was a crucial

factor in the development of our species. According to the two scientists, humans possess a

number of anatomical features that make them surprisingly good runners. 'We are very confident

that strong selection for running-which came at the expense of the historical ability to live in

trees-was instrumental in the origin of the modern human body form,' says Bramble, a biology

professor at the University of Utah.

Traditional thinking up to now has been that the distinctive, upright body form of modern

humans has come about as a result of the ability to walk, and that running is simply a by-product

of walking. Furthermore, humans have usually been regarded as poor runners compared to such

animals as dogs, horses or antelopes. However, this is only true if we consider fast running, or

sprinting, over short distances. Even an Olympic athlete can hardly run as fast as a horse can

gallop, and can only keep up a top speed for fifteen seconds or so. Horses, antelopes and

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greyhounds, on the other hand, can run at top speed for several minutes, clearly outperforming

us in this respect. But when it comes to long-distance running, humans do astonishingly well.

They can maintain a steady pace for miles, and their overall speed compares favourably with that

of horses or dogs.

Bramble and Lieberman examined twenty-six anatomical features found in humans. One of the

most interesting of these is the nuchal ligament, a band of tissue that extends from a ridge on the

base of the skull to the spine. When we run, it is this ligament that prevents our head from

pitching back and forth or from side to side. Therefore, we are able to run with steady heads,

held high. The nuchal ligament is not found in any other surviving primates, although the fossil

record shows that Homo erectus, an early human species that walked upright, much as we do,

also had one. Then there are our Achilles tendons at the backs of our legs, which connect our

calf muscles to our heel bones-and which have nothing to do with walking. When we run, these

tendons behave like springs, helping to propel us forward. Furthermore, we have low, wide

shoulders, virtually disconnected from our skulls, another anatomical adaptation which allows us

to run more efficiently. Add to this our light forearms, which swing out of phase with the

movement of our legs to assist balance, and one begins to appreciate the point that Bramble and

Lieberman are trying to make.

But what evolutionary advantage is gained from being good long-distance runners? One

hypothesis is that this ability may have permitted early humans to obtain food more effectively.

'What these features and fossil facts appear to be telling us is that running evolved in order for

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our direct ancestors to compete with other carnivores for access to the protein needed to grow

the big brains that we enjoy today,' says Lieberman.

6.

The human ability to run ______.

(A) was only recently described in a scientific journal

(B) played an important part in human evolution

(C) is now regarded as more important than the ability to climb trees

(D) is surprising when we consider evolutionary trends

7.

According to the passage, humans ______.

(A) are better runners than most other animals

(B) are not good at running short distances

(C) compare unfavorably with horses and dogs

(D) cannot run at top speed over long distances

8.

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It appears that the nuchal ligament _______.

(A) is found only in modern primates

(B) enables us to run with steady heads

(C) prevents the head from moving

(D) is a unique anatomical feature among all species

9.

The passage suggests that _______.

(A) we do not need calf muscles in order to walk

(B) without shoulders we could not run very fast

(C) the movement of our forearms is out of phase

(D) our Achilles tendons are an adaptation for running

10.

According to the passage, early humans _______.

(A) killed animals by exhausting them

(B) may have evolved big brains for running

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(C) competed with other animals for food

(D) could probably run before they could walk

Questions 11-15

People value money desperately because they value one another desperately; thus the cause of

panic in the stock-market plunge is not that people will lose their dollars but that they will lose

their sense of community. For the past couple of weeks, the nation has watched itself roll toward

ruin because people were losing their money in bales. If one were tasteless enough to ask a big

loser what exactly he was losing, he would sputter,

home! My children's educations! My clothes! My dinner! My dollars!

have been mourning the passing of their money for all the things that money can do, and what

money can do is impressive. Money can build cities, cure diseases, and win wars. The sudden

acquisition of the stuff can toss our spirits into the air like a hat.

Money can do considerably more. It offers power, an almost unique form of power, not simply

because it allows us to acquire and possess things but because it is we who determine its worth;

we who say a ruby costs more than an apple; we who decide that a tennis court is more valuable

than a book. Paradoxically, money creates a deep sense of powerlessness as well, since

technically we cannot provide money for ourselves; someone or something else must do that for

us-our employers or, until recently, our stocks. All that, money can do: and when such essential,

familiar functions are snatched from one's life, small wonder that people may grow wild, frantic,

and even murderous.

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What money can do, however, is not the same as what money is. Let's return for a moment to the

theory: people value money because they value one another. In other words, the usefulness of

money is directly related to and established by continuous mutual need. People work for money

to buy things that other people make or do, things that they cannot or will not make or do for

themselves but that they deem necessary for some definition of self-improvement.

Abstractly, money is one of the ways, indeed a universally accepted way, by which we make

connections. Cash is cold. So the connections may feel cold, but real blood flows through them.

These connections constitute one of the central means by which societies cohere; by which they

sustain and characterize themselves.

When the coin begins to wobble, as it has in the past weeks, a fear seizes the mind that is

disorienting. The fear is not merely that of the loss of possessions but of self- possession, which

in some sense is bought and sold from person to person in infinite daily bargains. To lose money

is frightening. To lose touch with others is more frightening still. Losing touch may cause the

panic of the times.

11.

This passage mainly discusses _______.

(A) the functions of money

(B) the stock-market plunge

(C) a new theory of investment

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(D) a cold characteristic of cash

12.

According to the author, what can be a regular source of money provided for us?

(A) Possessions.

(B) Bargains.

(C) Stocks.

(D) Employers.

13.

According to the passage, money can do all the following EXCEPT _______.

(A) build cities and cure diseases

(B) enhance relationships among people

(C) create a sense of powerlessness

(D) prove the morality of people

14.

Under what circumstances are connections related to cash said to be cold in the passage?

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(A) When they are not established for societies to cohere.

(B) When they are not compared to

(C) When their functions are snatched from people's life.

(D) When their worth is hard to determine and not valued.

15.

It can be learned from the passage that ______.

(A) people worry about the dollars they have more than the sense of community

(B) money can lubricate the social machine but it cannot prove the value of people

(C) in daily transactions one's self-possession is gained or lost

(D) losing money is more frightening than losing touch with others

Questions 16-20

At first glance, why anyone would want to save California condors is not entirely clear. Unlike

the closely related Andean condors with their white neck fluff or king vultures with their

brilliant black-and-white colour, California condors are not much to see. Their dull black

colour-even when contrasted with white underwings-featherless head and neck, oversized feet

and blunt talons are hardly signs of beauty or strength. Their appeal begins to become evident

when they take flights. California condors can soar almost effortlessly for hours, often covering

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hundreds of miles a day- far more than other creatures of the air. Only occasionally do they need

to flap their wings-to take off, change direction or find a band of warm air known as thermal to

carry them higher.

When it was discovered that the condor population was becoming dangerously small, scientists

and zookeepers sought to increase condor numbers quickly to preserve as much of the species'

genetic diversity as possible. From studying wild condors, they already knew that if a pair lost an

egg, the birds would often produce another. So the first and sometimes second eggs laid by each

female in captivity were removed, artificially incubated, and the chicks raised using hand-held

puppets made to look like adult condors. Such techniques quickly proved effective.

Despite these successes, the effort to save California condors continues to have problems, evoke

criticisms and generate controversy. Captive-hatched condors released to the wild have died at

what to some people are alarmingly high rates. Others have had to be recaptured after they acted

foolishly or became ill. As a result, the scientists, zookeepers and conservationists who are

concerned about condors have bickered among themselves over the best ways to rear and release

the birds.

Some of the odd behavior on the part of these re-released birds is hard to explain. At times they

landed on people's houses and garages, walked across roads and airport runways, sauntered into

park visitor centers and fast food restaurants, and took food offered by picnickers and fishermen.

None are known to have died by doing so, though. Most recently, some of the first chicks

hatched in the wild died after their parents fed them bottle caps, glass shards, pieces of plastic

and other man-made objects that fatally perforated or blocked their intestines. These deaths may

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be due to the chicks' parents mistaking man-made objects for bone chips eaten for their calcium

content.

Mike Wallace, a wildlife specialist at the San Diego Zoo, has suggested that some of the

condors' problems represent natural behavior that helps them survive as carrion eaters. The real

key to successful condor reintroduction, he believes, lies in properly socializing young condors

as members of a group that follow and learn from older, preferably adult birds. That, he argues,

was missing from earlier condor releases to the wild. Typically, condors hatched in the spring

were released to the wild that autumn or winter, when they were still less than a year old. Now,

condor chicks at several zoos are raised in cave-like nest boxes. The chicks can see older

condors in a large flight pen outside their box but cannot interact with them until they are about

five months old. Then the chicks are gradually released into the pen and the company of the

social group. The group includes adult and older juvenile condors that act as mentors for

younger ones.

16.

According to the passage, the most impressive feature of the California condor is _______.

(A) its resemblance to Andean condor

(B) its ability to glide

(C) its colorful plumage

(D) its blunt talons

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17.

In the first stage of the conservation program _______.

(A) eggs were removed from the nests of wild condors

(B) female condors were captured and studied carefully

(C) scientists and zookeepers tried to create genetic diversity

(D) condors were induced to lay more than one egg

18.

Which of the following is true about the attempts to save these birds from extinction?

(A) There is disagreement about the methods employed.

(B) The majority of condors released into the wild became ill.

(C) Attempts to breed condors in captivity have failed,

(D) Condors reintroduced into the wild are unable to hunt.

19.

Some chicks hatched by re-released condors died because _______.

(A) they fell into pools of water

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(B) they fell prey to other animals

(C) they had odd drinking habits

(D) they swallowed dangerous objects

20.

According to Mike Wallace, there will be fewer problems _______.

(A) if young condors are taught not to eat so much carrion

(B) if the chicks are kept in cave-like nest boxes for five months

(C) if young condors can learn appropriate behavior from older birds

(D) if the chicks can have older birds for company when they hatch

Questions 21-25

We are not who we think we are.

The American self- image is suffused with the golden glow of opportunity. We think of the

United States as a land of unlimited possibility, not so much a classless society but as a place

where class is mutable-a place where brains, energy and ambition are what counts, not the

circumstances of one's birth.

29

The Economic Mobility Project, an ambitious research initiative led by Pew Charitable Trusts,

looked at the economic fortunes of a large group of families over time, comparing the income of

parents in the late 1960s with the income of their children in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Here is the finding:

Main Street. Only 6 percent of children born to parents with family income at the very bottom

move to the top.

That is right, just 6 percent of children born to parents who ranked in the bottom fifth of the

study sample, in terms of income, were able to bootstrap their way into the top fifth. Meanwhile,

an incredible 42 percent of children born into that lowest quintile are still stuck at the bottom,

having been unable to climb a single rung of the income ladder.

It is noted that even in Britain-a nation we think of as burdened with a hidebound class

system-children who are born poor have a better chance of moving up. When the three studies

were released, most reporters focused on the finding that African-Americans born to

middle-class or upper middle-class families are earning slightly less, in inflation- adjusted dollars,

than did their parents.

One of the studies indicates, in fact, that most of the financial gains white families have made in

the past three decades can be attributed to the entry of white women into the labor force. This is

much less true for African-Americans.

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The picture that emerges from all the quintiles, correlations and percentages is of a nation in

which, overall,

studies notes.

The median income of the families in the sample group was $$55,600 in the late 1960s; their

children's median family income was measured at $$71,900. However, this rising tide has not

lifted all boats equally. The rich have seen far greater income gains than have the poor.

Even more troubling is that our notion of America as the land of opportunity gets little support

from the data. Americans move fairly easily up and down the middle rungs of the ladder, but

there is

and four out often who are born rich will stay rich.

21.

What did the Economic Mobility Project find in its research?

(A) Children from low-income families are unable to bootstrap their way to the top.

(B) Hollywood actors and actresses are upwardly mobile from rags to riches.

(C) The rags to riches story is more fiction than reality.

(D)The rags to riches story is only true for a small minority of whites.

22.

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The word

(A) the bottom fifth

(B) the study data

(C) the sample group

(D) the lowest family income

23.

It can be inferred from the undertone of the writer that America, as a classless society, should

_______.

(A) perfect its self-image as a land of opportunity

(B) have a higher level of upward mobility than Britain

(C) enable African-Americans to have exclusive access to well-paid employment

(D) encourage the current generation to work as hard as the previous generation

24.

Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

(A) The US is a land where brains, energy and ambition are what counts.

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(B) Inequality persists between whites and blacks in financial gains.

(C) Middle-class families earn slightly less with inflation considered.

(D) Children in lowest-income families manage to climb a single rung of the ladder.

25.

What might be the best title for this passage?

(A) Social Upward Mobility.

(B) Incredible Income Gains.

(C) Inequality in Wealth.

(D) America Not Land of Opportunity.

Questions 26-30

I am always a little puzzled when I hear people complain about the difficulties of finding a good

job. Young people in their 20s express dissatisfaction that all the good jobs have been taken by

those in their 40s. People in their 40s, trapped in the middle groups of the workforce, complain

about waiting for their elders to make room for them at the top. Older employees worry about

being forced out of the job market prematurely by younger people willing to work at entry-level

wages. It is not a pretty picture.

33

But I do not buy it. In my view, differences between generations are not a problem but an

opportunity-if you remember to apply some basic principles of self-marketing. Most of us

learned from Marketing 101 textbooks that there are four phases in the life cycle of a product or

brand. The names may differ, but essentially the four phases are Introduction, Growth, Maturity

and Decline. As a manager of high-profile athletes for more than 30 years, I know that these four

phases certainly apply to the career and marketability of an athlete.

An athlete's introduction or start-up phase is when he or she starts competing, does well and

captures the attention of people in the sport. Introduction turns into the growth phase when the

athlete goes from being a promising performer to an established star. That's when everybody

wants a piece of the athlete's time and he must stay focused on his primary talent and not get

distracted by side issues.

For an athlete, the toughest thing about the mature phase may simply be recognizing that he or

she is in it. If you're marketing a bar of soap it is easy to tell if the product is mature. It is there in

the stagnant or shrinking sales figures. It is different with athletes. Not only do they think the

growth phase will never end, but they often deny that there is any decrease in their athletic skills

or marketability, no matter what the numbers say.

The decline phase for an athlete may sound harsh, but it doesn't have to be if he or she thinks of

it as a reflective phase. In this phase an athlete can have tremendous future as a legendary figure

who functions as an ambassador for his or her sport. If you substitute

these examples, these four phases apply to any individual's career.

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I genuinely believe that whenever people face a career crisis, a big reason is because they are

massive downsizing of corporate America, there are tens of thousands of talented men and

women over the age of 50 who feel shut out of the work-place. To me, these people are a gold

mine-not because they are available but rather because they possess the qualities that employees

in the introduction and growth phases lack, namely wisdom and experience. And since many of

them received generous early-retirement packages, money is not their sole motivation. In other

words, they are affordable.

If I were marketing myself in the mature phase, I'd focus on these qualities. Wisdom, experience

and affordability make up a potent package. But you can not do that unless you first recognize

and fully appreciate the phase you are in.

26.

What can be concluded from the passage?

(A) Most young people cannot find a job if they don't study the four phase theory.

(B) Young people with good jobs have studied the four phase theory.

(C) Job seekers should fully understand the phase they are in.

(D) Older employees will be forced out of job market by the young.

27.

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Who are complaining about the difficulties of getting a good job at the top?

(A) Young people hopping from job to job.

(B) People in their forties.

(C) Older employees with the likelihood of early retirement.

(D) People not completing the four phases in their career cycle.

28.

Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the author?

(A) One generation's ambition will sooner or later become a reality.

(B) Finding a good job mainly depends on one's age.

(C) Differences between generations are more an opportunity than a problem.

(D) The marketability of a product can be compared with that of an athlete.

29.

According to the author, in which of the four phases can an athlete have a tremendous appeal?

(A) Introduction phase.

(B) Growth phase.

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(C) Mature phase.

(D) Decline phase.

30.

The author thinks highly of older employees because _______.

(A) they are good at marketing themselves

(B) they are obedient and can be easily controlled

(C) they possess better qualities in the growth phase

(D) they have more wisdom, experience and affordability

SECTION 3: TRANSLATION TEST (1)

Direction: Translate the following passage into Chinese and write your version in the

corresponding space in your ANSWER BOOKLET.

Imagine you have two candidates for a job. Their CVs are equally good, and they both give good

interview. You cannot help noticing, though, that one is pug-ugly and the other is handsome. Are

you swayed by their appearance?

If you were swaye

d by someone?s looks, would that be wrong? In the past, people often equated

beauty with virtue and ugliness with vice.

37

Even now, the expression “as ugly as sin” has not quite passed from the language. There is, of

course, the equally famous expression “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”, to counter it. Most

beholders agree what is beautiful-and modern biology suggests there is a good reason for that

agreement. Biology also suggests that beauty may, indeed, be a good rule of thumb for assessing

someone of either sex. Not an infallible one, and certainly no substitute for an in-depth

investigation. But, nevertheless, an instinctive one, and one that is bound to contribute to the

advantage of the physically well endowed.

SECTION 4: TRANSLATION TEST (2)

Direction: Translate the following passage into English and write your version in the

corresponding space in your ANSWER BOOKLET.

我国首次月球探测工程的成功

,

,

开启了中国人走 向深空探

索宇宙奥秘的时代

,

标志着我 国已经进入世界具有深空探测能力的国家行列。

这是我国推进

自 主创新、建设创新型国家取得的又一标志性成果，是中华民族在攀登世界科技高峰征程

上 实现的又一历史性跨越，是中华民族为人类和平开发利用外层空间作出的又一重大贡

献。 全体中华儿女都为我们伟大祖国取得的这一辉煌成就感到骄傲和自豪！

2008.3

上海市英语中级口译资格证书第一阶段考试

38

参考答案

:

SECTION

1

：

LISTENING TEST

Part A: Spot Dictation

1.

religious associations

社团

2.

local and national characters

特征

3.

how far back

4.

a 200-yard dash

5.

field events

田赛

6.

708 BC

7.

consisted of

8.

every 4 years

9.

were abolished

10. 1,500 years

11. summer games

12. in turn

13. living accommodation

14. the marathon races

15. lighted

16. a succession of

一连串

runners

17. continuation

18. the closing ceremony

典礼

19. a modern conception

概念

20. participating in the games

39

Part B: Listening Comprehension

1

—

5

BCCDC

6

—

10

ACDBA

11

—

14

BCAB

15

－

18

DBAD

19

－

22

CDCC

23

－

26

DADC

27

－

30

BACD

Part C: Listening and Translation

I. Sentence Translation

(1)

大多数人在考试时过于紧张

/

焦虑。

这种紧张

/

焦虑使他们发挥欠正常。

结果是，

他们

的得分比预料的要低（的多）

。

(2)

著名实业家

/

工业家

Arthur Tigers

先生的办公室周末被撬 窃。

少量的钱被偷。

办公室

里（被翻箱 倒柜搞的）一团糟。

(3)

招聘面试时双向选择的：

在一方面 ，

雇主在对话过程中评估

/

测评

/

考量

（经过筛选的）

面试者。另一方面，未来的雇员可以（作出）判定

/

决断：正 在应聘的工作是否适合他们。

(4)

股票指数在