Part A
Directions: In this part of the test, you will hear 2 passages in English. After you have heard each sentence or paragraph, interpret it into Chinese. Start interpreting at the signal…and stop it at the signal…You may take notes while you are listening. Remember you will hear the passages only once. Now let us begin Part A with the first passage.
Passage 1 is about the gap between rich and poor people.
Passage 1:
As we all know, there are more rich people than ever before, including some 7 million millionaires, and over 400 billionaires. They are getting plenty of pleasure, though they have worries, too. // As for the poor, the gap between them and the rich is widening, even in the industrialized countries where for much of the 20th century the gap had narrowed. In 2004, income inequality in Britain reached its widest level in 45 years.//
Helping the poor, the truly poor，is a much worthier goal than merely narrowing inequality. If the rich ger poorer due to high taxation, some people may feel pleased but few are better off. //
If the poor people get richer, however, the whole country will benefit. Focusing resources and policy on poverty would be worthwhile simply on humanitarian grounds. And helping the underclass rejoin society is in the interests of all.//
(参考答案)
众所周知，当今世界上富人之多超过以往任何时候，百万富翁有700万左右，亿万富翁有400多人。尽管他们也有忧虑，但他们享尽了快乐。//
而对穷人来说，他们与富人之间差距正在扩大，甚至在20世纪的很长一段时间内这种差距曾经缩小过的工业化国家，情况也是如此。2004年，英国人的收入不均衡达到了45年来的最高水平。//
帮助穷人——真正的穷人，是个比仅仅缩小不平等更有价值的目标。如果由于高税收而富人财产减少，某些人或许感到高兴，但几乎没人会因此而变富。//
可是如果穷人变富了，那整个国家将从中受益。即使是简单地基于人道主义考虑，集中资源和政策优势解决贫困也是值得的。帮助下层(社会)人士重归社会是符合所有人利益的。
Passage 2 is about the changes of the American family, its traditions and its values.
Passage 2:
It is our common belief that we American people want to build an ideal society on the basis of harmonious families. But the real picture is that the American families are suffering a crisis of collapsing. //A high divorce rate, an increase in single-parent households, a rise in the number of unmarried parents, all this suggests that American families are no longer what they used to. The traditional high value of family life is gone, gone with the wind!//
Not long ago, we Americans had pretty good idea of what family meant. Traditional relationships among parents, children and siblings were identified as the most important aspect of life.\\ Now it is time for us Americans to restore our belief in family and re-embrace our traditional value on family life. Let’s give our first priority to family, our second priority to family and our third priority to family as well.
(参考答案)
我们美国人都认识到我们要在和睦的家庭基础上建立一个理想的社会。真实情况是，美国家庭正面临着一场崩溃的危机。//
离婚率高居不下，单亲家庭直线上升，未婚父母数量剧增，这些现象都足以表明美国家庭不再像以前那样。传统的家庭生活的很高价值亦已消失，不复存在(随风而去)。//
不久前，我们美国人还很清楚家庭意味着什么。父母、孩子和兄弟姐妹之间的传统关系被视为生活中最重要的一个方面。//
现在是时候了，我们美国人要恢复家庭理念，重新奉行传统的家庭生活价值观。让我们第一优先考虑家庭，第二优先考虑家庭，第三还是优先考虑家庭。
