单选题 At the European Commission in Brussels, they have a joke about the work interpreters do— "Languages", they say, "have nothing to do with interpretation, it helps to know them. "Anyone thinking of becoming an interpreter would bear this so well in mind. Translating languages, especially in a political context, involves far more than mere linguistic ability.
To work in an international organization, such as the United Nations, you need to be approved by one of the various international translators or 'interpreters' associations. To achieve this, you must experience rigorous and lengthy training, either at an accrediting organization's own school, or on a postgraduate course at university. But a qualification in languages is not the only route into the job. At London's University of Westminster, candidates get offered a place on the interpreter's course if they can show that they have "lived a bit", in the words of one lecture. Young people who have just left university often lack adequate experience of life.
The University also looks for candidates who have lived for long time in the countries where their acquired languages are spoken. They are also expected to have wide cultural interests and a good knowledge of current affairs. This broad range of interests are essential in a job which can require interpreting discussions of disarmament(裁军) on Monday, international fishing rights on Tuesday, multinational finance on Wednesday , and the building and construction industry on Thursday.
Interpreters also rely on adrenaline (肾上腺素)—which is caused by the stress and challenges of the job—to keep them going through their demanding schedules. Many admit that they enjoy the buzz of adrenaline they get from the job, and it's known that their heart rates speed up while they are working.
It's also a job with its own risks and excitement. Interpreters are needed in war zones as well as in centers of international diplomacy, like the U. N.

单选题 According to the passage, what does the underlined phrase "lived a bit "mean?

A. To be older than others.
B. To travel to more countries.
C. To have abundant life experience.
D. To have longer training in interpreting.

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】[解析] 由第二段“Young people who have just left university often lack adequate experience of life．”可知选C。

单选题 Candidates for the training course in London's University of Westminster need the following qualifications EXCEPT ______.

A. having wide cultural interests
B. having a good knowledge of current affairs
C. being familiar with the languages they translate
D. being eloquent lecturers

【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】[解析] 由文章第三段第二句可知选项A、B符合文意，由第二段可知选项C符合文意。

单选题 The interpreters rely on adrenaline because ______.

A. it can help finish their work quickly
B. it can make them excited
C. it can prevent them from heart disease
D. it can make them work harder

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】[解析] 第四段第一句“Interpreters also rely on adrenaline—which is caused by the stress and challenges of the job—to keep them going through their demanding schedules.”以及下句“It is known that their heart rates speed up while they are working.”推知adrenaline的作用是使他们处于一种兴奋状态之中。

单选题 According to the passage, we can infer that ______.

A. language has nothing to do with interpreting
B. only those postgraduates from the foreign language universities can work as interpreters
C. interpreters must live in the country where the required language is spoken
D. interpreters build the bridge for international communication

【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】[解析] 选项A、B、C均与本文描述的细节相违背。

单选题 The job as interpreter has the following characteristics EXCEPT ______.

A. funny
B. intrepid
C. dangerous sometimes
D. exciting

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】[解析] 末段中“It is also a job with its own risks and excitement.”说明翻译工作“dangerous sometimes，exciting”。B项intrepid意为“英勇的，大无畏的”。这是个生僻词汇，但是通过对上句话的理解，用排除法就可以得出结论。