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第二部分2007年----2012年英语专业八级阅读真题2007年TextATheWelshlanguagehasalwaysbeentheultimatemarkerofWelshidentity,butagenerationagoitlookedasifWelshwouldgothewayofManx.OncewidelyspokenontheIsleofManbutnowextinct.Governmentsfinancingandcentralplanning,however,havehelpedreversethedeclineofWelsh.RoadsignsandofficialpublicdocumentsarewritteninbothWelshandEnglish,andschoolchildrenarerequiredtolearnbothlanguages.WelshisnowoneofthemostsuccessfulofEurope’sregionallanguages,spokenbymorethanahalf-millionofthecountry’sthreemillionpeople.Therevivalofthelanguage,particularlyamongyoungpeople,ispartofaresurgenceofnationalidentitysweepingthroughthissmall,proudnation.LastmonthWalesmarkedthesecondanniversaryoftheopeningoftheNationalAssembly,thefirstparliamenttobeconvenedheresince1404.TheideabehinddevolutionwastorestorethebalancewithintheunionofnationsmakinguptheUnitedKingdom.Withmostofthepeopleandwealth,Englandhasalwayshadbraggingrights.ThepartialtransferoflegislativepowersfromWestminster,implementedbyTonyBlair,wasdesignedtogivetheothermembersoftheclub-Scotland,NorthernIreland,andWales-abiggersayandtocountercentrifugalforcesthatseemedtothreatentheveryideaoftheunion.TheWelshshowedlittleenthusiasmfordevolution.WhereastheScotsvotedoverwhelminglyforaparliament,thevoteforaWelshassemblyscrapedthroughbylessthanonepercentonaturnoutoflessthan25percent.Itspowerswereproportionatelylimited.TheAssemblycandecidehowmoneyfromWestminsterortheEuropeanUnionisspent.Itcannot,unlikeitscounterpartinEdinburgh,enactlaws.Butnowthatitishere,theWelsharegrowingtoliketheirAssembly.Manypeoplewouldlikeittohavemorepowers.Itsimportanceasfigureheadwillgrowwiththeopeningin2003,ofanewdebatingchamber,oneofmanynewbuildingsthataretransformingCardifffromadecayingseaportintoaBaltimore-stylewaterfrontcity.MeanwhileagrantofnearlytwomilliondollarsfromtheEuropeanUnionwilltacklepoverty.WalesisoneofthepoorestregionsinWesternEurope-onlySpain,Portugal,andGreecehavealowerstandardofliving.NewspapersandmagazinesarefilledwithstoriesaboutgreatWelshmenandwomen,boostingself-esteem.TofamiliarfacessuchasDylanThomasandRichardBurtonhavebeenaddednewiconssuchasCatherineZeta-Jones,themoviestar,andBrynTerfel,theoperasinger.Indigenousfoodslikesaltmarshlambareinvogue.AndWalesnowboastsanationalairline.AwyrCymru.Cymru,whichmeans“landofcompatriots,”istheWelshnameforWales.Thereddragon,thenation’ssymbolsincethetimeofKingArthur,iseverywhere-onT-shirts,rugbyjerseysandevencellphonecovers.“UntilveryrecenttimesmostWelshpeoplehadthisfeelingofbeingsecond-classcitizens,”saidDyfanJones,an18-year-oldstudent.Itwasawarmsummernight,andIwassittingonthegrasswithagroupofyoungpeopleinLlanelli,anindustrialtowninthesouth,outsidetherockmusicvenueoftheNationalEisteddfod,Wales’sannualculturalfestival.ThedisusedfactoryinfrontofusechoedtothesoundsofnewWelshbands.“Therewasalmostagenetictendencyforlackofconfidence,”Dyfancontinued.EquallycomfortableinhisWelshnessasinhismembershipintheEnglish-speaking,globalyouthcultureandthenewfederalEurope,Dyfan,liketherestofhisgeneration,isgrowingupwithasenseofpossibilityunimaginabletenyearsago.“Weusedtothink.Wecan’tdoanything,we’reonlyWelsh.NowIthinkthat’schanging.”11.Accordingtothepassage,devolutionwasmainlymeanttoA.maintainthepresentstatusamongthenations.B.reducelegislativepowersofEngland.C.createabetterstateofequalityamongthenations.D.grantmoresaytoallthenationsintheunion.12.Theword“centrifugal”inthesecondparagraphmeansA.separatist.B.conventional.C.feudal.D.political13.WalesisdifferentfromScotlandinallthefollowingaspectsEXCEPTA.people'sdesirefordevolution.B.locals'turnoutforthevoting.C.powersofthelegislativebody.D.statusofthenationallanguage.14.WhichofthefollowingisNOTcitedasanexampleoftheresurgenceofWelshnationalidentityA.Welshhaswitnessedarevivalasanationallanguage.B.Poverty-relieffundshavecomefromtheEuropeanUnion.C.AWelshnationalairlineiscurrentlyinoperation.D.Thenationalsymbolhasbecomeafamiliarsight.15.AccordingtoDyfanJoneswhathaschangedisA.people'smentality.B.popculture.C.town'sappearance.D.possibilitiesforthepeople.TextBGettingtotheheartofKuwaitidemocracyseemshilariouslyeasy.Armedonlywithadog-earedNEWSWEEKID,IambledthroughthegatesoftheNationalAssemblylastweek.Unscanned,unsearched,mysatchelcouldeasilyhaveheldtheoddgrenadeorananthrax-stuffedlunchbox.Theonlypersonwhostoppedmewasaguardwhogrinnedandinvitedmetotakeaswigoforangejuicefromhisplasticbottle.WereIaKuwaitiwomanwieldingaballot,Iwouldhavebeenaclearerandmorepresentdanger.ThatverydayParliamentblockedabillgivingwomenthevote;29M.P.Svotedinfavorand29against,withtwoabstentions.Unabletodecidewhetherthebillhadpassedornot,thegovernmentscheduledanothervoteintwoweeks-toolateforwomentoregisterforJune'smunicipalelections.Thenextsuchelectionsaren'tuntil2009.Insidetheelegant,marbledParliamentitself,aseaofmustachioedmeninwhiterobessatingreenseats,debatingfuriously.Therulingemirhaspushedforwomen'spoliticalrightsforyears.Ironically,thedemocraticallyelectedlegislaturehasthwartedhim.Traditionalistsandtriballeadersareopposed.Liberalsfret,too,thatIslamistswill