A Debate on the English Language

　　A measure declaring English the national language is under intense debate in the United States.The US Senate passed two declarations last week.One calls English the nation's official language and the other says it is the “common and unifying（统一的）”tongue.But Americans found themselves divided on the issue.

　　Since people worldwide know that most Americans speak only English,many can't understand why the issue is so controversial（有争议的）.

　　“The discussion is related to fears of immigration issues,”says Dick Tucker,a social scientist at Pittsburgh's Carnegie Mellon University.“It's related to a worry about the changing demography（人口统计）of the US.It's a worry about who will continue to have political and economic influence.”

　　In fact,the notion of protecting the language has been kicked around almost since the nation's founding.John Adams lobbied（游说）in 1780 for the creation of a national academy to correct and improve the English language.But his proposal died,since lawmakers saw it as a royalist（保皇主义者）attempt to define personal behavior.

　　Since then,the country hasn't had a national language,but the idea of recognizing the special status of English lived on.

　　The emotions surrounding language resurface（再次浮现）not because people feel comfortable with English.It is more about the discomfort many Americans feel with the new languages,says Walt Wolfram,a professor at North Carolina State University.

　　“Language is never about language,”he says.

　　According to the 2000 US Census Bureau report,of 209 million Americans over 18 years old,172 million speak only English at home.About 37 million speak languages other than English.Among them,6.5 million speak poor English and 3.1 million don't speak English at all.

　　41.What are the two declarations concerned with?
　　A.The status of the English language.
　　B.The protection of new languages.
　　C.The rights to speak one's mother tongue.
　　D.The improvement of the English language.

　　42.Who suggested in the 18th century that English should be protected?
　　A.Walt Wolfram.
　　B.John Adams.
　　C.Royalists.
　　D.Dick Tucker.

　　43.Which of the following is the current debate NOT related to?
　　A.The immigration issues.
　　B.The changing demography.
　　C.The worry about the new languages.
　　D.The US's military strength.

　　44.Which statement is true according to the 2000 US Census Bureau report?
　　A.172 million Americans speak only English in their work places.
　　B.37 million Americans speak English.
　　C.209 million Americans are above the age of 18.
　　D.6.5 million Americans speak good English.

　　45.The phrase“kicked around”（paragraph 4）could be best replaced by
　　A.“invented”.
　　B.“formed”.
　　C.“shaped”.
　　D.“discussed”.

　　第5部分：补全短文（第46~50题，每题2分，共10分）
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Farmers' Markets

　　Charlotte Hollins knows she faces a battle.The 23-year-old British farmer and her 21-year-old brother Ben are fighting to save the farm from developers that their father worked on since he was 14.（46）

　　“You don't often get a day off.Supermarkets put a lot of pressure on farmers to keep prices down.With fewer people working on fams it can be isolating,”she said.“There is a high rate of suicide and farming will never make you rich!”

　　Oliver Robinson,25,grew up on a farm in Yorkshire.（47）“I'm sure dad hoped I'd stay,”he said.“I guess it's a nice,straightforward life,but it doesn't appeal.For young,ambitious people,farm life would be a hard world.”For Robinson,farming doesn't offer much“in terms of money or lifestyle.”Hollins agrees that economics stops people from pursuing farming rewards:“providing for a vital human need,while working outdoors with nature.”

　　Farming is a big political issue in the UK.（48）The 2001 foot and mouth crisis closed thousands of farms,stopped meat exports,and raised public consciousness of troubles in UK farming.

　　Jamie Oliver's 2005 campaign to get children to eat healthily also highlighted the issue.This national concern spells（带来）hope for farmers competing with  powerful supermarkets.（49）

　　“I started going to Farmers' Markets in direct defiance（蔑视）of the big supermarkets.

　　（50）It's terrible,“said Londoner Michael Samson.

　　A　But he never considered staying on his father and grandfather's land.
　　B　While most people buy food from the big supermarkets,hundreds of independent Farmers' Markets are becoming popular.
　　C　While confident they will succeed,she lists farming's many challenges:
　　D　Young people prefer to live in cities.
　　E　I seriously objected to the super-sizing of everything-what exactly DO they put on our apples to make them so big and red?
　　F　"Buy British" campaigns urge（鼓励）consumers not to buy cheaper imported foods.

　　第6部分：完形填空（第51~65题，每题1分，共15分）
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London Cabbies（出租车司机）

　　Every city in the world has taxis to take tourists to interesting places.London is the only city in the world where taking a taxi is an （51）experience for tourists.This is partly because of the special black cabs,which are found in no other country.But it is also because of the drivers themselves.（52）British people are famous for being polite and reserved,London cabbies are well-known（53）their willingness to talk.

　　Some customers say that once the door shuts and the cab（54）off they are a captive（监禁了的）audience.It is impossible to get the taxi driver to stop （55）.“They're self-confident and free thinking,”said Malcolm Linskey,the author of a history of taxi drivers in London.

　　They are also expensive.London has the most expensive taxis of any city in the world except Tokyo.That's why Ken Livingstone,the Mayor of London,is planning to make taxi drivers negotiate their fares with（56）before they take a ride.

　　Drivers agree that their fares are expensive.That's because their black taxis（57）more than other cars,they say.And the customer is also paying for more driving expertise（专门知识）than anywhere else in the world.

　　Before someone can qualify as a London taxi driver,that person has to pass a test （58）simply as “The Knowledge”.This involves（59）the name and location of every street within six miles of a point in the exact centre of London.The trainee（受训者）must also learn the exact location of every important building within these streets.Finally he or she must be able to use this knowledge to work out the （60）distance between any two destinations within this area.

　　It can（61）up to three years to pass“The Knowledge”.Every day it is possible to see trainee taxi drivers on the streets of London,taking careful notes of popular destinations before tracing the route to their next stop.Cab driving is a job often（62）down in families.Many taxi drivers take their children out in their spare time to memorize（63）they need to know when it is their turn to do “The Knowledge”.

　　London cabbies also have bigger brains.Recent research found that the part of the brain that remembers things was larger and more（64）in cab drivers.They have to fit the whole of London into their heads,so their brains grow bigger.So perhaps it is not（65）that taxi drivers have lots to say.

　　51.A.rewarding　　B.interesting　　C.happy　　D.delightful
　　52.A.Before　　 B.After　　C.When　　D.While
　　53.A.for　　B.as　　C.of　　D.at
　　54.A.departs　　B.leaves　　C.moves　　D.takes
　　55.A.arguing　　B.saying　　C.teling　　D.talking
　　56.A.customers　　B.hosts　　C.guests　　D.bosses
　　57.A.buy　　B.cost　　C.sell　　D.consume
　　58.A.called　　B.entitled　　C.known　　D.understood
　　59.A.to memorize　　B.memorize　　C.memorized　　D.memorizing
　　60.A.shortest　　B.shortish　　C.shortened　　D.short
　　61.A.spend　　B.take　　C.give　　D.bring
　　62.A.inherited　　B.sent　　C.handed　　D.given
　　63.A.numbers　　B.routes　　C.shapes　　D.people
　　64.A.constructed　　B.concentrated　　C.devoted　　D.developed
　　65.A.surprising　　B.wondering　　C.doubting　　D.suspecting

2007年度职称外语等级考试标准答案

英语—综合类A卷（C级）

　　1.B　2.A　3.A　4.D　5.C　6.B　7.C　8.D　9.A　10.C　11.A
　　12.C　13.D　14.B　15.B　16.A　17.A　18.B　19.C　20.A　21.B
　　22.C　23.C　24.A　25.E　26.F　27.C　28.E　29.B　30.D　31.D
　　32.A　33.C　34.B　35.D　36.C　37.B　38.D　39.A　40.B　41.A
　　42.B　43.D　44.C　45.D　46.C　47.A　48.F　49.B　50.E　51.B
　　52.D　53.A　54.C　55.D　56.A　57.B　58.C　59.D　60.A　61.B
　　62.C　63.B　64.D　65.A

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