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12008英语专业八级真题及答案PARTIIREADINGCOMPREHENSION(30MIN)Inthissectiontherearefourreadingpassagesfollowedbyatotalof20multiple-choicequestions.ReadthepassagesandthenmarkyouranswersonyourcolouredanswersheetTEXTAAttheageof16,LeeHyukJoon'slifeisalivinghell.TheSouthKorean10thgradergetsupat6inthemorningtogotoschool,andstudiesmostofthedayuntilreturninghomeat6p.m.Afterdinner,it'stimetohitthebooksagain—atoneofSeoul'smanyso-calledcramschools.Leegetsbackhomeat1inthemorning,sleepslessthanfivehours,thenrepeatstheroutine—fivedaysaweek.It'sagruelingschedule,butLeeworriesthatitmaynotbegoodenoughtogethimintoatopuniversity.Someofhisclassmatesstudyevenharder.SouthKorea'seducationsystemhaslongbeenhighlycompetitive.ButforLeeandtheother700,000high-schoolsophomoresinthecountry,high-schoolstudieshavegottenevenmoreintense.That'sbecauseSouthKoreahasconceivedanewcollege-entrancesystem,whichwillbeimplementedin2008.Thisyear's10thgraderswillbethefirstgroupevaluatedbythenewadmissionsstandard,whichplacesmoreemphasisongradesinthethreeyearsofhighschoolandlessonnationwideSAT-styleandotherselectiontests,whichhavetraditionallydeterminedwhichstudentsgototheelitecolleges.Thechangewasmademostlytoreducewhatthegovernmentsaysisagrowingeducationgapinthecountry:wealthystudentsgotothebestcollegesandgetthebestjobs,keepingthechildrenofpoorerfamiliesonthesocialmargins.Theaimistoreducetheimportanceofcostlytutorsandcramschools,partlytohelpstudentsenjoyamorenormalhigh-schoollife.Butthenewsystemhashadtheoppositeeffect.Before,studentsdidn'tworrytoomuchabouttheirgrade-pointaverages;thebigchallengewasbeatingthestandardizedtestsashigh-schoolseniors.Nowstudentsarecompetingagainstoneanotheroverathree-yearperiod,andeverymidtermandfinaltestiscrucial.Fretfulparentsarerelyingevenmoreheavilyontutorsandcramschoolstohelptheirchildrensucceed.ParentsandkidshavesentthousandsofangryonlineletterstotheEducationMinistrycomplainingthatthenewadmissionsstandardissettingstudentsagainsteachother.Onecansucceedonlywhenothersfail,”asoneparentsaid.EducationexpertssaythatSouthKorea'spublicsecondary-schoolsystemisfoundering,whileprivateeducationisthriving.Accordingtocritics,thecountry'shighschoolsarealmostuniformlymediocre—theresultofanegalitariangovernmenteducationpolicy.Withthenumberofeliteschoolsstrictlycontrolledbythegovernment,eventhebrighteststudentstypicallyhavetosettleforordinaryschoolsintheirneighbourhoods,wherethecurriculumiscentredonaveragestudents.Tomakeupforthemediocrity,zealousparentssendtheirkidstotheexpensivecramschools.2StudentsinaffluentsouthernSeoulneighbourhoodscomplainthatthenewsystemwillhurtthemthemost.NearlyallKoreanhighschoolswillbeweightedequallyinthecollege-entranceprocess,andrelativelyweakstudentsinprovincialschools,whomaynotscorewellonstandardizedtests,oftencompilegoodgrade-pointaverages.Someuniversities,particularlyprestigiousones,openlycomplainthattheycannotselectthebeststudentsunderthenewsystembecauseiteliminatesdifferencesamonghighschools.They'veaskedformorediscretioninpickingstudentsbygivingmoreweighttosuchscreeningtoolsasessaywritingorinterviews.PresidentRohMooHyundoesn'tlikehowsomecollegesaretryingtocircumventthenewsystem.Herecentlycriticizedgreedyuniversitiesthatfocusmoreonfindingthebeststudentsthanfayingtonurturegoodstudents.Butamidthecrossfirebetweenthegovernmentanduniversities,thecountry's10thgradersarefeelingthestress.Ononlineprotestsites,somearecallingthemselvesa“cursedgeneration”and“miceinalabexperiment”.Itallseemsatouchmelodramatic,butthat'stheSouthKoreanschoolsystem.11.Accordingtothepassage,thenewcollege-entrancesystemisdesignedtoA.requirestudentstositformorecollege-entrancetests.B.reducetheweightofcollege-entrancetests.C.selectstudentsontheirhighschoolgradesonly.D.reducethenumberofprospectivecollegeapplicants.12.Whatseemstobetheeffectofintroducingthenewsystem?A.Thesystemhasgivenequalopportunitiestostudents.B.Thesystemhasreducedthenumberofcramschools.C.Thesystemhasintensifiedcompetitionamongschools.D.Thesystemhasincreasedstudents'studyload.13.Accordingtocritics,thepopularityofprivateeducationismainlytheresultofA.thegovernment'segalitarianpolicy.B.insufficientnumberofschools:C.curriculumsofaveragequality.D.lowcostofprivateeducation.14.Accordingtothepassage,thereseemstobedisagreementovertheadoptionofthenewsystembetweenthefollowinggroupsEXCEPTA.betweenuniversitiesandthegovernment.B.betweenschoolexpertsandthegovernment.C.betweenparentsandschools.D.betweenparentsandthegovernment.315.Whichofthefollowingadjectivesbestdescribestheauthor'streatmentofthetopic?A.Objective.B.Positive.C.Negative.D.Biased.TEXTBWilfredEmmanuel-Joneswasateenagerbeforehesawhisfirstcowinhisfirstfield.BorninJamaica,the47-year-oldgrewupininner-cityBirminghambeforemakingacareerasatelevisionproducerandlaunchinghisownmarketingagency.ButdeepdownhealwaysnurturedeverytrueEnglishman'sdreamofarusticlife,adreamthathisentrepreneurialwealthhasallowedhimtosatisfy.Thesedayshe'stheownerofathriving12-hectarefarmindeepestDevonwithcattle,sheepandpigs.Hislatestbusinessventure:pushinghisbrandofBlackFannergour