翻译考试历年中级口译真题(15)_第6页

Extract 2
      Old bathrooms often contain a great deal of ugly pipework in need of disguising. This can either be done by boxing in the exposed pipes, or by fitting wood panelling over them.As wood panelling can be secured over almost anything—including old ceramic tiles and chipped walls— it is an effective way of disguising pipework as well as being an attractive form of decoration. The panelling can be vertical, horizontal or diagonal.

      An alternative way to approach the problem of exposed pipes is to actually make them a feature of the room by picking the pipework out in bright strong colours.

Extract 3 
      Cooking takes second place in this charming room which, with its deep armchairs, is more of a sitting-room than a kitchen, and the new Rayburn stove was a good choice, as it blends in well with the old brick and beamed fireplace. There are no fitted units or built-in appliances, so all food preparation is done at the big farmhouse table in the foreground, and the china, pots and pans have been deliberately left on show to make an attractive display. What about the kitchen sink?  It's  hidden  away  behind  an  archway  which  leads  into  a  small  scullery.  Here  there's  a second cooker and  —in the best farmhouse tradition a huge, walk-in larder for all food storage.

21. In what way does the colour of the carpet contribute to the stylishness of the dining room?
   A. It darkens the interior of the room.
   B. It provides a contrast to the furniture.
   C. It blends in with the tones of the funrniture.
   D. It gives the room a classical style.
22. What is the purpose of the archway described in Extract 1? 
   A. To hide an unattractive fireplace.
   B. To give the room an exotic eastern style.
   C. To Join the dining room with another room.
   D. to make room for the unusual seating arrangements.
23. Extract 2 is most probably taken from___________.
   A. a fashion magazine
   B. a plumber's manual
   C. a do-it  yourself magazine
   D. an advertisement for new bathrooms
24. Extracts 2 and 3 focus on____________.
   A. old furniture                          B. colour schemes
   C. cheap improvements             D. decorative approaches
25. Which of the following rooms is NOT described in the three extracts?             
      A. Dining-room.                             B. Siting-room.
      C. Bath-room.                               D. Kitchen.

Question 26～30
      If You Really Want to Read This, You'll Be too Busy

      NEW YORK—Pythagoras had his theorems, Einstein his theories and Murphy his laws. I have developed the maxim of inverse reciprocals.

      After years of research, I've determined inverse reciprocals affecting all human endeavors. Consider these categorized examples. 

      Travel There is an inverse reciprocal between:

       ·the amount of luggage you are carrying and the distance from curbside to the airline ticket counter. The more luggage, the greater the distance.

       ·the ammount of time you have left before the flight leaves and the distance you must go to reach the gate from which the plane leaves. If you have 30 minutes,  the gate is 25 feet from the ticket counter. If you have three minutes, the gate is on the other side of airport.

      Vacations These is an inverse reciprocal between:

       ·the  size  of  the  nonrefundable  deposit  you  have  already  made  and  the  health  of  the children(or spouse) the night before you are scheduled to leave.

       ·the time at  which  you  take  a  much  needed long weekend, and the weather  conditions during just those days.

      Entertainment There is an inverse reciprocal between:

       ·our desire to see a film to the spur of the moment and the length of the line in front of you (and, perforce, the possiblility of tickets being available when you are next). 

       ·the time left to reach a theather  for the opeining curtain (or, the start of movie) and the amount of traffic on the highway that you must take to get there (or, the number of red lights for which you must stop, if taking local roads).

      Home Care There is an inverse reciprocal between:

       ·the number  of plumbing parts removed, coupled with the importance of completing the new  assembly, and the availability  of  one key  nut  (or, more generally, the need for  a  specific product and the time the store closes).

       ·the volume of leaves gathered in a pile and the velocity of the wind immediately after the pile is made.

      Business There is an inverse reciprocal between:

    ·the importance of the guests you are entertaining, coupled with the size of the bill, and either the credit cards accepted at the restaurant (relative to the credit cards in your wallet), the amount of cash in your pocket or the balance in your checkbook. 

    ·the new baby-sitter's curfew and the time it will take you to make the round trip to the dinner party your boss is giving.

   In each instance, which of the following statements (A), (B), (C) or (D) offers the best advice or comment in view of what the author has to say on the five subjects?