2023年英語(yǔ)專業(yè)八級(jí)真題與詳細(xì)解析

專業(yè)英語(yǔ)八級(jí)真題2023年

PARTⅠLISTENINGCOMPREHENSION

Inthissectionyouwillhearamini-lecture.YouwillhearthelectureONCEONLY.Whilelistening,takenotesontheimportantpoints.Yournoteswillnotbemarked,butyouwillneedthemtocompleteagap-fillingtaskafterthemini-lecture.Whenthelectureisover,youwillbegiventwominutestocheckyournotes,andanothertenminutestocompletethegap-fillingtaskonANSWERSHEETONE.SomeofthegapsmayrequireamaximumofTHREEwords.Makesuretheword(s)youfillinis(are)bothgrammaticallyandsemanticallyacceptable.Youmayrefertoyournoteswhilecompletingthetask.Usetheblanksheetfornote-taking.

SECTIONA

Completethegap-fillingtask.SomeofthegapsbelowmayrequireamaximumofTHREEwords.Makesuretheword(s)youfillinis(are)bothgrammatically&semanticallyacceptable.Youmayrefertoyournotes.

ParalinguisticFeaturesofLanguage

Inface-to-facecommunicationspeakersoftenaltertheirtonesofvoiceorchangetheirphysicalposturesinordertoconveymessages.Thesemeansarecalledparalinguisticfeaturesoflanguage,whichfailintotwocategories.

I.Firstcategory:vocalparalinguisticfeatures

A.(1)______:toexpressattitudeorintention

(1)______

B.examples

1.whispering:needforsecrecy

2.breathiness:deepemotion

3.(2)______:unimportance

4.nasality:

anxiety

5.extralip-rounding:

greaterintimacy

(2)______

II.Secondcategory:physicalparalinguisticfeatures

A.facialexpressions

1.(3)______

--smiling:signalofpleasureorwelcome

(3)______

2.lesscommonexpressions

--eyebrowraising:surpriseorinterest

--lipbiting:(4)______

(4)______

B.gesture

Gesturesarerelatedtoculture.

1.Britishculture

--shruggingshoulders:(5)______

--scratchinghead:puzzlement

(5)______

2.othercultures

--placinghanduponheart:(6)______

--pointingatnose:secret

(6)______

C.proximity,postureandechoing

1.proximity:physicaldistancebetweenspeakers

--closeness:intimacyorthreat

--(7)______:formalityorabsenceofinterest

(7)______

Proximityisperson-,culture-and(8)______-specific.

(8)______

2.posture

--hunchedshouldersorahanginghead:toindicate(9)______

--directleveleyecontact:toexpressanopenorchallengingattitude

(9)______

3.echoing

--definition:imitationofsimilarposture

--(10)______:aidincommunication

--consciousimitation:mockery

(10)______

SECTIONB

InthissectionyouwillheareverythingONCEONLYListencarefullyandthenanswerthequestionsthatfollow.Markthecorrectanswertoeachquestion.

Questions1to5arebasedonaninterview.Attheendoftheinterviewyouwillbegiven10secondstoanswereachofthefollowingfivequestions.

1、AccordingtoDrJohnson,diversitymeans

[A]mergingofdifferentculturalidentities.

[B]moreemphasisonhomogeneity.

[C]embracingofmoreethnicdifferences.

[D]acceptanceofmorebranchesofChristianity.

2、Accordingtotheinterview,whichofthefollowingstatementsisCORRECT?

[A]Someplacesaremorediversethanothers.

[B]Townsarelessdiversethanlargecities.

[C]Diversitycanbeseeneverywhere.

[D]Americaisatrulydiversecountry.

3、AccordingtoDrJohnson,whichplacewillwitnessaradicalchangeinitsracialmakeupby2025?

[A]Maine.

[B]Selinsgrove.

[C]Philadelphia.

[D]California.

4、DuringtheinterviewDrJohnsonindicatesthat

[A]greaterracialdiversityexistsamongyoungerpopulations.

[B]botholderandyoungerpopulationsareraciallydiverse.

[C]agediversitycouldleadtopensionproblems.

[D]olderpopulationsaremoreraciallydiverse.

5、Accordingtotheinterview,religiousdiversity

[A]wasmostevidentbetween1990and2023.

[B]existsamongMuslimimmigrants.

[C]isrestrictedtocertainplacesintheUS.

[D]isspreadingtomorepartsofthecountry.

SECTIONC

InthissectionyouwillheareverythingONCEONLYListencarefullyandthenanswerthequestionsthatfollow.Markthecorrectanswertoeachquestionon.

6、Question6isbasedonthefollowingnews.Attheendofthenewsitem,youwillbegiven10secondstoanswerthequestion.

Whatisthemainideaofthenewsitem?

[A]Sonydevelopedacomputerchipforcellphones.

[B]Japanwillmarketitswalletphoneabroad.

[C]Thewalletphoneisoneofthewirelessinnovations.

[D]Readerdevicesareavailableatstoresandstations.

Questions7and8arebasedonthefollowingnews.Attheendofthenewsitem,youwillbegiven20secondstoanswerthequestions.

7、Whichofthefollowingismentionedasthegovernment'smeasuretocontrolinflation?

[A]Foreigninvestment.

[B]Donorsupport.

[C]Pricecontrol.

[D]Bankprediction.

8、AccordingtoKingdomBank,whatisthecurrentinflationrateinZimbabwe?

[A]20millionpercent.

[B]2.2millionpercent.

[C]11.2millionpercent.

[D]Over11.2millionpercent.

Questions9and10arebasedonthefollowingnews.Attheendofthenewsitem,youwillbegiven20secondstoanswerthequestions.

9、WhichofthefollowingisCORRECT?

[A]AbigfireeruptedontheNileRiver.

[B]Helicopterswereusedtoevacuatepeople.

[C]Fivepeopleweretakentohospitalforburns.

[D]Abigfiretookplaceontwofloors.

10、Thelikelycauseofthebigfireis

[A]electricalshort-circuit.

[B]lackoffire-safetymeasures.

[C]terrorism.

[D]notknown.

PARTⅡREADINGCOMPREHENSION

TEXTA

Inthissectiontherearefourreadingpassagesfollowedbyatotalof20multiple-choicequestions.ReadthepassagesandthenmarkyouranswersonANSWERSHEETTWO.

Amongthegreatcitiesoftheworld,Kolkata(formerlyspeltasCalcutta),thecapitalofIndia'sWestBengal,andthehomeofnearly15millionpeople,isoftenmentionedastheonlyonethatstillhasalargefleetofhand-pulledrickshaws.

Rickshawsarenottheretohaularoundtourists.It'sthepeopleinthelaneswhomostregularlyuserickshaws--notthepoorbutpeoplewhoarejustanotchabovethepoor.Theyarepeoplewhotendtotravelshortdistances,throughlanesthataresometimesinaccessibletoeventhemostdaringtaxidriver.Anolderwomanwithmarketingtodo,forinstance,canarriveinarickshaw,havetherickshawpullerwaituntilshecomesbackfromvariousstallstoloadherpurchases,andthenbetakenhome.Peopleinthelanesuserickshawsasa24-hourambulanceservice.Proprietorsofcafesorcomerstoressendrickshawstocollecttheirsupplies.Therickshawpullerstoldmetheirsteadiestcustomersareschoolchildren.Middle-classfamiliescontractwithapullertotakeachildtoschoolandpickhimup;thepulleressentiallybecomesafamilyretainer.

FromJunetoSeptemberKolkatacangettorrentialrains.Duringmystayitoncerainedforabout48hours.Entireneighborhoodscouldn'tbereachedbymotorizedvehicles,andthenewspapersshowedpicturesofrickshawsbeingpulledthroughwaterthatwasuptothepullers'waists.Whenit'sraining,thenormalcustomerbaseforrickshawpullersexpandsgreatly,asdoesthepriceofajourney.AwriterinKolkatatoldme,"Whenitrains,eventhegovernortakesrickshaws."

WhileIwasinKolkata,amagazinecalledIndiaTodaypublisheditsannualrankingofIndianstates,accordingtosuchmeasurementsasprosperityandinfrastructure.AmongIndia's20largeststates,Biharfinisheddeadlast,asithasforfourofthepastfiveyears.Bihar,afewhundredmilesnorthofKolkata,iswherethevastmajorityofrickshawpullerscomefrom.OnceinKolkata,theysleeponthestreetorintheirrickshawsorinadera--acombinationofgarageandrepairshopanddormitorymanagedbysomeonecalledasardar.Forsleepingprivilegesinadera,pullerspay100rupees(about$2.50)amonth,whichsoundslikeaprettygooddealuntilyou'vevisitedadera.Theygrossbetween100and150rupeesaday,outofwhichtheyhavetopay20rupeesfortheuseoftherickshawandanoccasional75ormoreforapayoffifapolicemanstopsthemfor,say,crossingastreetwhererickshawsareprohibited.A2023studyfoundthatrickshawpullersarenearthebottomofKolkataoccupationsinincome,doingbetterthanonlythebeggars.Forsomeonewithoutlandoreducation,thatstillbeatstryingtomakealivinginBihar.

TherearepeopleinKolkata,particularlyeducatedandpoliticallyawarepeople,whowillnotrideinarickshaw,becausetheyareoffendedbytheideaofbeingpulledbyanotherhumanbeingorbecausetheyconsideritnotthesortofthingpeopleoftheirstationdoorbecausetheyregardthehand-pulledrickshawasarelicofcolonialism.Ironically,someofthosepeoplearenotenthusiasticaboutbanningrickshaws.TheeditoroftheeditorialpagesofKolkata'sTelegraph--RudrangshuMukherjee,aformeracademicwhostillwriteshistorybooks--toldme,forinstance,thatheseeshumanitarianconsiderationsascoiningdownonthesideofkeepinghand-pulledrickshawsontheroad."Irefusetobecarriedbyanotherhumanbeingmyself,"hesaid,"butIquestionwhetherwehavetherighttotakeawaytheirlivelihood."Rickshawsupporterspointoutthatwhenitconiestodemeaningoccupations,rickshawpullersarehardlyuniqueinKolkata.

WhenIaskedonerickshawpullerifhethoughtthegovernment'splantoridthecityofrickshawswasbasedonagenuineinterestinhiswelfare,hesmiled,withaquickshakeofhishead--agestureIinterpretedtomean,"Ifyouaresonaiveastoasksuchaquestion,Iwillanswerit,butitisnotworthwastingwordson."SomerickshawpullersImetwereresignedtotheimminentendoftheirlivelihoodandpintheirhopesonbeingofferedsomethinginitsplace.Asmigrantworkers,theydon'thavethepoliticalcloutenjoyedby,say,Kolkata'ssidewalkhawkers,who,aftersupposedlybeingscaledbackatthebeginningofthemodernizationdrive,stillclogthesidewalks,sellingabsolutelyeverything--or,asIfoundduringthe48hoursofrain,absolutelyeverythingbutumbrellas."Thegovernmentwasthegovernmentofthepoorpeople,"onesardartoldme."Nowtheyshakehandswiththecapitalistsandtrytogetridofpoorpeople."

ButothersinKolkatabelievethatrickshawswillsimplybeconfinedmorestrictlytocertainneighborhoods,outoftheviewofWorldBanktrafficconsultantsandCaliforniainvestmentdelegations--orthattheywillbeallowedtodieoutnaturallyasthey'resupplantedbymoremodemconveyances.BuddhadebBhattacharjee,afterall,isnotthefirsthighWestBengalofficialtosaythatrickshawswouldbeoffthestreetsofKolkatainamatterofmonths.Similarstatementshavebeenmadeasfarbackas1976.ThebandecreedbyBhattacharjeehasbeendelayedbyacourtcaseandbyawidelyheldbeliefthatsomeretrainingorsocialsecuritysettlementoughttobeofferedtorickshawdrivers.Itmayalsohavebeendelayedbyaquietreluctancetogiveupsomethingthathasbeenpartofthefabricofthecityformorethanacentury.Kolkata,aresidenttoldme,"hasdifficultylettinggo."Onedayacityofficialhandedmeareportfromthemunicipalgovernmentlayingoutoptionsforhowrickshawpullersmightberehabilitated.

"Whichoptionhasbeenchosen?"Iasked,notingthatthereportwasdatedalmostexactlyayearbeforemyvisit.

"Thathasn'tbeendecided,"hesaid.

"Whenwillitbedecided?"

"Thathasn'tbeendecided,"hesaid.

11、Accordingtothepassage,rickshawsareusedinKolkatamainlyforthefollowingpurposesEXCEPT

[A]takingforeigntouristsaroundthecity.

[B]providingtransporttoschoolchildren.

[C]can-yingstoresuppliesandpurchases.[D]carryingpeopleovershortdistances.

12、WhichofthefollowingstatementsbestdescribestherickshawpullersfromBihar?

[A]Theycomefromarelativelypoorarea.

[B]Theyareprovidedwithdecentaccommodation.

[C]TheirlivingstandardsareverylowinKolkata.

[D]Theyareoftencaughtbypolicemeninthestreets.

13、That"Forsomeonewithoutlandoreducation,thatstillbeatstryingtomakealivinginBihar"(4thparagraph)meansthatevenso,

[A]thepoorprefertoworkandliveinBihar.

[B]thepoorfromBiharfarebetterthanbackhome.

[C]thepoornevertrytomakealivinginBihan

[D]thepoorneverseemtoresenttheirlifeinKolkata.

14、Wecaninferfromthepassagethatsomeeducatedandpoliticallyawarepeople

[A]hold,nixedfeelingstowardsrickshaws.

[B]stronglysupportthebanonrickshaws.

[C]callforhumanitarianactionsforrickshawpullers.

[D]keepquietontheissueofbanningrickshaws.

15、Whichofthefollowingstatementsconveystheauthor'ssenseofhumour?

[A]"...--notthepoorbutpeoplewhoarejustanotchabovethepoor."(2ndparagraph)

[B]"...,whichsoundslikeaprettygooddealuntilyou'vevisitedadera."(4thparagraph)

[C]Kolkata,aresidenttoldme,"hasdifficultylettinggo."(7thparagraph)

[D]"...or,asIfoundduringthe48hoursofrain,absolutelyeverythingbutumbrellas."(6thparagraph)

16、Thedialoguebetweentheauthorandthecityofficialattheendofthepassageseemstosuggest

[A]theuncertaintyofthecourt'sdecision.

[B]theinefficiencyofthemunicipalgovernment.

[C]thedifficultyoffindingagoodsolution.

[D]theslownessinprocessingoptions.

TEXTB

Dependingonwhomyoubelieve,theaverageAmericanwill,overalifetime,waitinlinesfortwoyears(saysNationalPublicRadio)orfiveyears(accordingtosomecustomer-loyaltyexperts).

Thecrucialwordisaverage,aswealthyAmericansroutinelyavoidlinesaltogether.Oncethemostdemocraticofinstitutions,linesarerapidlybecomingtheexclusiveprovinceofsuckers(peoplewhostillbelieveinandpracticewaitinginlines).Poorsuckers,mostly.

AirportsresembleFrancebeforetheRevolution:first-classpassengersenjoy"élite"securitylinesandpriorityboarding,anddisembarkbeforetheunwashedincoach,heldatbaybyaflightattendant,areallowedtofoultheJet-way.

Atamusementparks,too,youcannowbuyyourwayoutofline.ThissummerIhaplesslywatchedkidsusea$52GoldFlashPasstojumpthelinesatSixFlagsNewEngland,andsimilarsystemsareinuseinmostmajorAmericanthemeparks,fromUniversalOrlandotoWaltDisneyWorld,wherethehavesgettowatchthehave-moresbreezepastontheirwaytotheirseats.

FlashPassteacheschildrenavaluablelessoninreal-worldeconomics:thatthericharemoreimportantthanyou,especiallywhenitcomestowaiting.AnNBAplayeroncesaidtome,withabemusedchuckleofdisbelief,thatwhenplayinginCanada--getthis--"Wehavetowaitinthesamecustomslineaseverybodyelse."

Almosteverylinecanbebreachedforaprice.InseveralU.S.citiesthissummer,earlyarriversamongtheearlyadopterswaitingtobuyiPhonesofferedtoselltheirspotsinthelines.OnCraigslist,prospectiveiPhonepurchasersofferedtopay"waiters"or"placeholders"towaitinlineforthemoutsideApplestores.

Inevitably,somesemi-populistpoliticianshaveseenthevalueofsort-ofwaitinginlineswiththeordinarypeople.ThissummerPhiladelphiamayorJohnStreetwaitedoutsideanAT&Tstorefrom3:30a.m.to11:30a.m.beforeastand-infromhisofficeliterallystoodinforthemayorwhileheconductedofficialbusiness.AndbillionaireNewYorkmayorMichaelBloombergoftenwaitsforthesubwaywithhisfellowcitizens,thoughhe'sfirstdrivenbymotorcadepastthestopnearesthishousetoastation22blocksaway,wherethewait,oratleasttheride,isshorter.

Asearlyaselementaryschool,we'retoldthatjumpingthelineisanunethicalact,whichiswhysomanyU.S.lawmakershaveframedtheimmigrationdebateasakindoffundamentalsinoftheschoollunchline.AlabamaSenatorRichardShelby,tocitejustonelegislator,saidamnestywouldallowillegalimmigrants"tocutinlineaheadofmillionsofpeople."

Nothingannoysanationallawmakermorethanapersonwhowillnotwaitinline,unlessthatlineisinfrontofanelevatorattheU.S.Capitol,whereSenatorsandRepresentativesuseprivateelevators,lesttheyhavetoqueuewiththeirconstituents.

Butcompromisingtheintegrityofthelineisnotjustantidemocratic,it'sout-of-date.TherewassomethingabouttheorderlyboardingofNoah'sArk,twobytwo,thatseemedtorestorenotjustcivilizationbutcivilityduringtheGreatFlood.

Howcivilwasyourlastflight?SouthwestAirlineshasfirst-come,first-servedfestivalseating.Butfor$5perflight,anunaffiliatedcompanycalledBoardFirstwillsecureyouacoveted"A"boardingpasswhenthatairlineopensforonlinecheck-in24hoursbeforedeparture.Thus,thesavvytravelerdoesn'tevenwaitinlinewhenheorsheisonline.

Someculturesarenotrenownedforliningup.Thenagain,someculturesaretooadeptatliningup:acitizenoftheformerSovietUnionwouldjoinaqueuejustsohecouldgettotheheadofthatqueueandseewhateveryonewasqueuingfor.

AndthenthereistheU.S.,wheresocietyseemstobecleavingintotwogroups:VeryImportantPersons,whodon'twait,andVeryImpatientPersons,whodo--unhappily.

Forthoseofusinthelattergroup--consignedtocoach,bereftofFlashPass,toopoororpropertopayaplaceholder-whatdowedo?WedowhatVladimirandEstragondidinWaitingforGodot："Wewait．Wearebored．"

17、Whatdoesthefollowingsentencemean?“Oncethemostdemocraticofinstitutions，linesarerapidlybecomingtheexclusiveprovinceofsuckers…Poorsuckers，mostly．”(2ndparagraph)

[A]LinesaresymbolicofAmerica’sdemocracy．

[B]LinesstillgiveAmericansequalopportunities．

[C]LinesarenowforordinaryAmericansonly．

[D]Linesareforpeoplewithdemocraticspiritonly．

18、WhichofthefollowingisNOTcitedasanexampleofbreachingtheline?

[A]GoingthroughthecustomsataCanadianairport．

[B]UsingGoldFlashPassesinamusementparks．

[C]First-classpassengerstatusatairports．

[D]Purchaseofaplaceinalinefromaplaceholder．

19、Wecaninferfromthepassagethatpoliticians(includingmayorsandCongressmen)

[A]prefertostandinlineswithordinarypeople．

[B]advocatethevalueofwaitinginlines．

[C]believeinandpracticewaitinginlines．

[D]exploitwaitinginlinesfortheirowngood．

20、Whatisthetoneofthepassage?

[A]Instructive．

[B]Humorous．

[C]Serious．

[D]Teasing．

TEXTC

AbustookhimtotheWestEnd，where，amongthecrazycolouredfountainsofillumination，shatteringtheblueduskwithgreenandcrimsonfire，hefoundthecaf4ofhischoice，atea-shopthathadgonemadandturnedBabylonian，awhitepalacewithtenthousandlights．Ittoweredabovetheolderbuildingslikeacitadel，whichindeeditwas，theoutpostofanewage，perhapsanewcivilization，perhapsanewbarbarism；andbehindthethinmarblefrontwereconcreteandsteel，justasbehindthecarelessprofusionofluxuryweremillionsofpence，balancedtothelasthalfpenny．Somewhereinthebackground，hiddenaway,behindthetenthousandlightsandacresofwhitenaperyandbewilderingglitteringrowsofteapots，behindthethousandwaitressesandcash-boxgirlsandblack-coatedfloormanagersandtemperamentallong-hairedviolinists，behindthemoundsofcauldronsofstewedsteak，thevanloadsofices，wereafewmenwhowenttoworkjugglingwithfractionsofafarthing，whoknewhowmanyunitsofelectricityittooktofinishasteak-and-kidneypuddingandhowmanyminutesandsecondsawaitress(fivefeetfourinheightandinaveragehealth)wouldneedtocarryatrayofgivenweightfromthekitchenlifttothetableinthefarcomer．Inshort，therewasawarm，sensuous，vulgarlifefloweringintheupperstoreys，andacoldscienceworkinginthebasement．Suchwasthegigantictea-shopintowhichTurgismarched，insearchnotofmererefreshmentbutofalltheenchantmentofunfamiliarluxury．Perhapsheknewinhisheartthatmenhaveconqueredhalftheknownworld．lootedwholekingdoms，andneverarrivedinsuchluxury．Theplacewasbuiltforhim．

Itwasbuiltforagreatmanyotherpeopletoo，and，asusual，theywereallthere．Itsteamedwithhumanity．Themarbleentrancehall，pileddizzilywithbonbonsandcakes，wasascrowdedandbustlingasarailwaystation．Thegloomandgrimeofthestreets，therawair，allNovember，wereatonceleftbehind，forgotten：theatmosphereinsidewasgolden，tropical，belongingtosomehighmid-summerofconfectionery．Disdainingthelifts，Turgis，oncemoreexcitedbythesight，sound，andsmellofitall，climbedthewidestaircaseuntilhereachedhisfavoritefloor，whereanorchestra，ledbyayoungJewishviolinistwithwanderinglustrouseyesandapassionfortremoloeffects，actedasamagnettoathousandgirls．Thedoorwasswungopenforhimbyapage；thereburst，likeasugarybomb，theclatterofcups，theshrillchatterofwhite-and-vermiliongirls，and，cleavingthegolden，scentedair,thesensuousclamourofthestrings；and，ashestoodhesitatingamoment，halfdazed，therecame，bowing，asleekgraveman，olderthanhewasandfarmoredistinguishedthanhecouldeverhopetobe，whomurmureddeferentially：“Forone，sir?Thisway，please．"Shyly，yetproudly,Turgisfollowedhim．

21、That"behindthethinmarblefrontwereconcreteandsteel"suggeststhat

[A]modemrealisticcommercialismexistedbehindtheluxuriousappearance．

[B]therewasafundamentalfalsenessinthestyleandtheappealofthecafe．

[C]thearchitecthadmadeasensibleblendofoldandnewbuildingmaterials．

[D]thecaf6wasbasedonphysicalfoundationsandrealeconomicstrength．

22、Thefollowingwordsorphrasesaresomewhatcriticalofthetea-shopEXCEPT

[A]"...turnedBabylonian".

[B]"perhapsanewbarbarism".

[C]"acresofwhitenapery".

[D]"balancedtothelasthalfpenny".

23、Initscontextthestatementthat"theplacewasbuiltforhim"meansthatthecardwasintendedto

[A]pleasesimplepeopleinasimpleway.[B]exploitgulliblepeoplelikehim.

[C]satisfyademandthatalreadyexisted.[D]providerelaxationfortiredyoungmen.

24、WhichofthefollowingstatementsaboutthesecondparagraphisNOTtrue?

[A]Thecaféappealedtomostsensessimultaneously.

[B]Thecaféwasbothfullofpeopleandfullofwarmth.

[C]Theinsideoftheeaféwascontrastedwiththeweatheroutside.

[D]Itstressedthecommercialdeterminationofthecaféowners.

25、ThefollowingarecomparisonsmadebytheauthorinthesecondparagraphEXCEPTthat

[A]theentrancehalliscomparedtoarailwaystation.

[B]theorchestraiscomparedtoamagnet.

[C]Turgiswelcomedtheliftlikeaconqueringsoldier.

[D]theinteriorofthecaféiscomparedtowarmcountries.

26、Theauthor'sattitudetothecaféis

[A]fundamentallycritical.

[B]slightlyadmiring.

[C]quiteundecided.

[D]completelyneutral.

TEXTD

Nowelsewhereintheworld,Icelandmaybespokenof,somewhatbreathlessly,aswesternEurope'slastpristinewilderness.ButtheenvironmentalawarenessthatissweepingtheworldhadbypassedthemajorityofIcelanders.Certainlytheywereconnectedtotheirland,thewayoneiscomplicatedlyconnectedto,orencumberedby,familyonecan'tdoanythingabout.Butthetruthis,onceyou'reoffthebeatenpathsofthelow-lyingcoastalareaswhereeveryonelives,theroadsarefew,andthey'reallbad,soIceland'snaturalwondershavebeenoutofreachandunknowneventoitsowninhabitants.Forthemthelandhasalwaysjustbeenthere,somethingthathadtobedealtwithand,ifpossible,exploited--themind-setbeingoneoflandascommodityratherthanlandas,well,pricelessartonthescaleofthe"MonaLisa."

Whentheopportunityarosein2023forthenationalpowercompanytoenterintoa40-yearcontractwiththeAmericanaluminumcompanyAlcoatosupplyhydroelectricpowerforanewsmelter(冶煉廠),thosewhohadbeendreamingofsomethinglikethisfordecadesjumpedatitandneverlookedback.Icelandmayatthemomentbeoneoftheworld'srichestcountries,witha99percentliteracyrateandlonglifeexpectancy.Buttheproject'sadvocates,someofthemgettingoninyears,weremoreemotionallyattunedtothecountry'scenturyuponcenturyofwant,hardship,andcolonialservitudetoDenmark,whichofficiallyendedonlyin1944andwhosepsychologicalimprintremainedrelativelyfresh.Forthelongesttime,lifeherehadmeantlittlemorethanahut,darkallwinter,cold,nohope,childrendyingleftandright,earthquakes,plagues,starvation,volcanoeseruptinganddestroyingallvegetationandlivestock,allspirit--aworldrevolvingalmostentirelyaroundthewelfareofone'ssheepand,later,onhowgoodthecodcatchwas.Intheoutlyingregions,itstilllargelydoes.

Ostensibly,theAlcoaprojectwasintendedtosaveoneofthesedyingregions-theremoteandsparselypopulatedeast--wherethewayoflifehadsteadilydeclinedtoapointofdesperationandgloom.Afterfishingquotaswereimposedintheearly1980stoprotectfishstocks,manyindividualboatownerssoldtheirallotmentsorgavethemaway,fishingrightsendedupmostlyinthehandsofafewcompaniesandsmallfishermenwerevirtuallywipedout.Technologicaladvancesdrainedawayevenmorejobspreviouslydonebyhumanhands,andthepeoplewereseeingeverythingtheyhadworkedforalltheirlivesturnupworthlessandtheirchildrenmoveaway.Withtheoldwayoflifedoomed,aluminumprojectslikethisonehadcometobeperceived,wiselyornot,asalastchance."Smelterordeath."

ThecontractwithAlcoawouldinfusetheregionwithforeigncapital,anestimated400jobs,andspin-offserviceindustries.ItalsowasawayforIcelandtodevelopexpertisethatpotentiallycouldbesoldtotherestoftheworld;diversifyaneconomyhistoricallydependentonfish;and,in