2009年英语专业八级真题及答案.docVIP

TEST FOR ENGLISH MAJORS (2009)-GRADE EIGHT-TIME LIMIT: 195 MIN PART II READING COMPREHENSION (30 MIN)TEXT AWe had been wanting to expand our childrens horizons by taking them to a place that was unlike anything wed been exposed to during our travels in Europe and the United States. In thinking about what was possible from Geneva, where we are based, we decided on a trip toIstanbul, a two-hour plane ride from Zurich.We envisioned the trip as a prelude to more exotic ones, perhaps to New Delhi or Bangkok later this year, but thought our 11- and 13-year-olds needed a first step away from manicured boulevards and pristine monuments.What we didnt foresee was the reaction of friends, who warned that we were putting our children in danger, referring vaguely, and most incorrectly, to disease, terrorism or just the unknown. To help us get acquainted with the peculiarities of Istanbul and to give our children a chance to choose what they were particularly interested in seeing, we bought an excellentguidebook and read it thoroughly before leaving.Friendly warnings didnt change our planning, although we might have more prudently checked with the U.S. State Departments list of troublespots. We didnt see a lot of children among the foreign visitors during our six-day stay in Istanbul, but we found the tourist areas quite safe, very interesting and varied enough even to suit our son, whose oft-repeated request is that we not see every single church and museum in a given city.Vaccinations werent needed for the city, but we were concemed about adapting to the water for a short stay. So we used bottled water for drinking and brushing our teeth, a precaution that may seem excessive, but we all stayed healthy.Taking the advice of a friend, we booked a hotel a 20-minute walk from most of Istanbuls major tourist sites. This not only got us some morning exercise, strolling over the Karakoy Bridge, but took us past a colorful assortment of fishermen, vendors and shoe shine