翻译考试历年中级口译真题(11)_第5页

Questions 16~20 
      With rapid growth identified as the most pressing of global population problems, the scene shifts immediately to villages in rural Kenya or urban slums in Karaas or bedrooms in Sedale where couples are making decisions about their reproductive behavior.Unlike other global issues which can be shaped directly by the actions of national and international power brokers, resolution of the problems posed by the magnitude and pace of contemporary population growth in the world ultimately depends upon the actions and behavior of a very large number of individual actors.Rapid  population growth is the direct result of regular decistions made in private by literally many millions of persons throughout the world.

      Hence, we are all actors in the population drama. Each of us has the potential to aggravate the problem of rapid growth just as each of us can change the distribution of populations simply by moving. Population trends therefore represent nothing more than the combined decisions of many  individuals, couples,and  families.And,because these decisions  are shaped and conditioned by commonly held values, goals, and aspirations, there are patterns to them and the actors appear to follow the broad outlines of a script.

      It is then evident that efforts to decrease the rate of population growth must eventually influence the decisions and behavior of many millions of couples if they are to be successful. Values and attitudes — the script that guides this behavior — must be a altered. To be even more specific, it means that couples, overwhelmingly poor and predominantly rural, in Africa, Asia, and Latin America where population growth is so high, must choose to limit the number of their children to fewer than three and must have the means to accomplish their goal.Similarly, couples in  Europe, North America,and other low-fertility regions must continue to maintain their present patterns of having small families. Each couple must stick to its decision for some twenty to thirty years,or throughout  their reproductive life span.In the economically less-developed world, this decision will be one that  stands in stark contrast  to those made by their parents and to the weight of cultural tradition.

16.   It can be concluded from the passage that                .
      (A) large families may be considered as a heavy burden by the rural poor
      (B) the actions of national and international power brokers have an important effect upon the decision made by the rural poor
      (C) the actions of those with the highest  fertility, the rural poor, ultimately determine the rate of population growth
      (D) having large families had more advantages than disadvantages in those poor areas
17.   The word “aggravate” (para 2) is closest in meaning to “                      ”.
      (A) make clear                                 (B) encounter
      (C) settle                                         (D) make serious
18.   According to the author, the most effective way to decrease the rate of population growth is                       .
      (A) by making it a national policy that each couple must not give birth to more than three children
      (B) by exerting more international pressure upon those high-fertility regions
      (C) by modifying the widely held values which guide the actions of many individuals and couples
      (D) by providing the rural poor with means for limiting the family size
19.   It is obvious that the author of the passage                   .
      (A) shows indifference to the situation in the developed countries
      (B)  is very concerned about global population problems
      (C)  feels confident that the problem of population growth can be soon resolved
      (D) is pessimistic about the future of those high-fertility
20.   The author has written the passage mainly for                            .
      (A) general readers                            (B) power brokers
      (C) economists                                   (D) decision makers

Questions 21~25 
      Sixty percent of all ethnic minorities in Britain live in London. Ethnic minorities only make up a small fraction of Britain's population as a whole, but  coming to London you could quite easily be mistaken for thinking there were many more.I  have taken this for granted having grown up with this fantastic diversity of culture, background and influence. I have people all around me who talk with varying accents,speak different  languages,share distinct foods and celebrate special festivals. However, London is far from being without its racial problems.

      The Campaign Against Racism and Fascism (CARF), a London based group,tells me that there is little doubt that,with the massive upsurge of xenophobia against asylum-seekers too, the fallout is affecting anyone perceived to be foreign or  different. Recent attacks on black people have a  ferocity that appalls police and community organizers a like. On March 4th this year, a 19-year-old  Sudanese  student,unconcernedly chatting to his white friend on a bus traveling through Wardsworth in south London, was  suddenly stabbed in the stomach three times by a white youth brandishing a knife.

      Police investigations on this and other racist  attacks have left  many doubting the police's supposed commitment to tackling racial crime.Some say it has all been talk  about  target indicators with few results on the ground. But on March 24th  this year, the Met. Police's Racial and  Violent Crimes Task Force,drawing on the slow,painstaking   intelligence on racial harassment gathered by their 32 Community Safety Units,carried out its first large-scale operation.In dawn raids on homes in all over London,one hundred people were arrested  for offenses including racially aggravated criminal damage, grievous bodily harm, distributing racist literature and threats to kill. Over thirty people have been charged with racial offenses.

     Every year on our August public holiday,London, especially Notting Hill, comes alive for the Carnival. This celebration of variety, difference and the end of slavery—where I have seen people of all backgrounds,mixing,laughing and dancing together —is,I hope,the future of inter-racial relations in London.

20.  The word “this” in “I have taken this for granted” (para. 1) refers to which of the following?
      (A) Sixty percent of all ethnic minorities in UK live in London.
      (B) Minorities only constitute a small part of UK's population.
      (C) There are more minority people in Britain than it appears.
      (E) It is unwise for many more to come to London.
21.  The killing of the Sudanese student is to illustrate            .
      (A) the brutality of attacks on black people
      (B) the fallout affecting anyone in poverty
      (C) the traffic problems in south London
      (D) the unconcerned attitude of police
23.  The word “xenophobia” (para. 2) means “                .”
      (A) partiality                       (B) arbitariness
      (C) discrimination               (D) antipathy
24.   The word “intelligence” (para. 3) is closest in meaning to “             .”
      (A) mentality                        (B) aptitude
      (C) information                     (D) interpretation
25.  What is the main topic of this passage?
      (A) The increasing rate of crime in London.
      (B) The center of England's cultural diversity.
      (C) The people's criticism of London police.
      (D) The poor inter-racial relations in London.