[00:00.65]Test 1
[00:04.26]Section A
[00:05.90]Directions: In this section,
[00:09.83]you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations.
[00:14.10]At the end of each conversation,
[00:16.73]one or more questions will be asked about what was said.
[00:20.45]Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once.
[00:25.15]After each question there will be a pause.
[00:28.64]During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A), B), C) and D),
[00:35.43]and decide which is the best answer.
[00:37.95]Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2
[00:42.86]with a single line through the centre.
[00:45.38]Now let's begin with the 8 short conversations.
[00:50.20]1. M: Here is your arrangement for this week.
[00:55.23]On Monday, there is a cross-cultural lecture.
[00:58.51]The charity dance is on Tuesday. And then on Wednesday,
[01:02.66]you are supposed to meet the president of Harvard University.
[01:05.95]W: It seems like a full week that I'll possibly have Thursday and Friday off.
[01:10.54]Q: What will the woman probably do on Tuesday?
[01:30.65]2. M: Did the professor give an assignment before Friday?
[01:34.04]W: Nothing to read in the textbook,
[01:36.34]but we have to see a movie and write a short comment on it.
[01:40.17]Q: What have the students been assigned to do before Friday?
[01:54.93]3. W: Professor, have you heard the morning news report?
[02:04.29]Thomas resigned his post as defense secretary.
[02:07.68]M: I didn't turn on the radio this morning, but I did see the headlines.
[02:12.27]If you remember, he threatened to leave office at the last cabinet meeting.
[02:17.52]Q: How did the professor know that Thomas had resigned?
[02:37.75]4. W: Does John know the class is having a surprise party
[02:41.88]for him when he turns twenty-one this week?
[02:44.94]M: No. He thinks we are giving a retirement party for the dean.
[02:49.31]We've hidden the presents for him.
[02:51.83]Q: What are the man and woman planning?
[03:10.67]5. M: Our summer vacation is coming, and I am planning to go to Tibet.
[03:16.91]But I am totally broke. How can I afford my summer vacation to Tibet?
[03:22.37]W: Why don't you tighten your belt a little? You have been scattering money.
[03:27.19]Q: What does the woman suggest the man do?
[03:45.69]6. M: I'm really getting worried about Mary.
[03:49.62]She was sitting in for the exam for the two weeks' time.
[03:53.78]But all she is talking about now is nothing but an upcoming concert.
[03:58.92]W: She may fail along that line. Let's try to talk some sense into her.
[04:03.95]Q: What are the speakers probably going to do?
[04:23.71]7. M: How did you find the food in the new restaurant I recommended?
[04:28.82]W: I haven't tried there yet.
[04:30.57]I drove all the way there only to find it's closed on Tuesday,
[04:35.17]so we had my dinner in the Korean restaurant on the opposite side of the road.
[04:41.73]Q: What did the woman say about the new restaurant?
[04:59.34]8. M: Hello, Linda. Have you seen Michael this morning?
[05:06.01]There is an urgent letter for him, waiting for his signature.
[05:09.73]W: Yes, he is in our dean's office, talking about the affairs to go abroad for further study.
[05:16.18]Q: What is Michael doing now?
[05:34.22]Now you'll hear two long conversations.
[05:37.71]Conversation One
[05:39.90]W: Hey Steve, got any plans for tonight?
[05:42.64]M: Hi, Jane. No, I don't think so. Why? Got any suggestions?
[05:47.11]W: In fact, I do. I just got two tickets
[05:50.62]to the opening of the exhibit of the reprints by Julia Emily Cameron.
[05:55.10]I would have to mention it earlier,
[05:57.18]but I was on the waiting list for these tickets and I wasn't sure I'd even get them.
[06:01.66]M: An exhibit, huh? I like such things. But I don't know who Julia...
[06:05.93]W: Emily Cameron! She was a photographer in the 1800s.
[06:10.75]She is interesting to art-historians in general
[06:14.02]and students of photography in particular because she...how should I say,
[06:18.62]change the aesthetics for photography.
[06:21.24]M: What do you mean?
[06:22.88]W: Well, her specialty was portraits and instead of
[06:26.05]just making a factual record of details like most photographers did,
[06:30.65]you know, just capturing what a person look like in a neutral and natural way.
[06:35.14]She, like a portrait painter, was interested in capturing her subject's personality.
[06:40.93]M: Interesting! How did she do that?
[06:43.55]W: She invented a number of techniques that affect the picture.
[06:46.84]Like one of those things she did was blur images slightly by using a soft focus on the subject.
[06:53.72]That's pretty common now. Her techniques brought great influence to the later photographers.
[06:59.64]M: Yeah, she's great. Who did she photograph?
[07:02.70]W: Famous people of her day, Alfred Lord Tennyson,
[07:07.29]Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Charles Darwin..., I don't know who else. We'll see at the exhibition.
[07:14.61]M: You really pick my curiosity. I am going to enjoy this.
[07:18.66]W: I'll give you a call when I get the tickets.
[07:21.18]M: I bet we'll have great fun there.
[07:23.69]Questions 9 to 12 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
[07:29.16]9. What is the conversation mainly about?
[07:48.21]10. What did Julia Emily Cameron emphasize in her photographs?
[08:11.11]11. What unique photographic technique did Julia Emily Cameron use?
[08:33.95]12. What will be the subject of the pictures at the exhibit?
[08:53.46]Conversation Two
[08:55.31]W: Morning! Can I help you?
[08:57.28]M: Yes, I'm here to know about tomorrow's activities for freshmen.
[09:01.33]W： Well, firstly, let me give you this booklet. It tells you a bit more about the school,
[09:07.02]the courses and the social activities we offer.
[09:10.52]M: Thanks. I can see there's a tight schedule for tomorrow.
[09:14.02]W: Right. Now, on the first page, there's an outline of next morning's activities.
[09:19.82]At 10 o'clock, all the new students will gather in the Main Hall
[09:24.63]to meet the principal and the rest of the staff.
[09:27.37]M: Well, I see. I'll try not to be late.
[09:30.32]W: The principal's talk will last about fifteen minutes
[09:34.37]and then the director of studies will talk to you for half an hour
[09:38.08]about the courses and the different requirements for each.
[09:41.36]After that, the student adviser will tell you about the various services and activities we offer to students.
[09:48.80]M: I can see after that we'll go to the language lab at 11 o'clock. What will we do there?
[09:54.82]W: You'll have a test.
[09:56.02]M: A test?! I don't like the sound of that. What sort of test?
[10:00.07]W: Oh, don't worry about it.
[10:01.82]It's just a test to help us find your level of English,
[10:05.65]so that we can put you in the right class.
[10:07.94]M: We still have a couple of things to do in the afternoon.
[10:11.66]W: Yes. At 2 p.m., you'll watch a documentary about the school life in Classroom 521, Main Building.
[10:19.61]At 4, a lecture about course registration will be given,
[10:24.10]since you're all eager to know about it, which will be given at Lecture Theater.
[10:28.80]M: That'll be helpful. Thank you very much.
[10:31.43]W: You're welcome.
[10:32.63]Questions 13 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
[10:38.10]13. What will the student advisor talk to the freshmen?
[10:59.27]14. Which of the following is true about the test?
[11:19.82]15. What will the students do at Lecture Theater?

[11:39.65]Section B
[11:42.81]Directions: In this section, you will hear 3 short passages.
[11:49.49]At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions.
[11:54.08]Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once.
[11:59.22]After you hear a question,
[12:01.84]you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D).
[12:08.74]Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.
[12:15.19]Passage One
[12:17.07]Do you know that vegetables can be grown in climates they are not accustomed to?
[12:22.43]Cool climates vegetables are now able to be grown in places as hot as Hawaii.
[12:28.34]In Hawaii, engineers have been able to actually make those vegetables live in cooler climates.
[12:34.79]That way they grow faster and taste better.
[12:38.18]What these engineers have been using is cold seawater.
[12:41.90]The temperature of seawater is much lower than the air temperature.
[12:46.06]How do they use it? They place pipes in the soil and the cold water flowing
[12:51.20]through them cools the earth.
[12:52.95]This stimulates plant growth and enables gardeners
[12:56.23]in tropical climates to grow crops from cooler climates.
[13:00.38]Also, some of these pipes are exposed to the air and they make the moisture
[13:05.53]form little water drops and thus irrigate the gardens.
[13:09.46]What is especially appealing about this process
[13:12.42]is that nothing damaging to the natural environment is being used.
[13:17.44]Another innovative use for cold ocean water is to cool buildings.
[13:22.15]Engineers believe that, for example,
[13:24.99]the entire west coast of the United States could be air-conditioned using seawater.
[13:31.01]We all know there are certain types of chemicals used in air conditioner,
[13:35.27]which not only pollutes the air but also bring damage to the ozone.
[13:40.19]If we could cool the city by using seawater, the environment of the whole city
[13:45.34]will be improved and the ozone will be protected,
[13:48.51]which will be beneficial to ourselves in return.
[13:52.01]Questions 16 to 19 are based on the passage you have just heard.
[13:57.48]16. What is the report mainly about?
[14:17.81]17. How are the pipes used in Hawaii?
[14:37.78]18. What are the other advantages of using seawater?
[14:59.02]19. Why does the speaker mention air-conditioning?
[15:18.72]Passage Two
[15:20.56]As a result of rising university costs,
[15:23.84]many students are finding it necessary to take on part-time job.
[15:28.00]To make finding those jobs easier,
[15:30.19]our services put together a listing of what's available locally.
[15:34.34]For some students, these part-time jobs could lead to full-time work after graduation,
[15:39.81]as they may offer experience in their own field,
[15:43.20]whatever in field of finance, marketing or even management.
[15:47.36]For example, National Saving Bank offers a job on a half time basis.
[15:52.93]That's twenty hours a week.
[15:54.79]Retail stores and restaurants have positions requiring fewer hours.
[15:59.72]Even less time is expected of those providing child-care.
[16:03.55]We have a number of families registered with us
[16:06.94]who were looking for baby sitters for as few as 4 hours a week.
[16:11.09]For students who prefer outdoor work,
[16:13.94]there are seasonal positions right on campus, working with the gardening teams.
[16:18.64]These often require the most time and are the least flexible in terms of scheduling.
[16:23.56]To see a complete list of these and other available jobs,
[16:27.39]including the salary offered and the hours required,
[16:30.78]stop by our office.
[16:32.42]Oh, and be sure to bring a resume with you.
[16:35.26]When you find something that interests you,
[16:37.89]we'll put you in touch with the person offering it.
[16:40.51]In addition, our counselors will give you hints about successful interviewing.
[16:45.55]We do hope you would like our service and get some help from us.
[16:49.59]We'll try to have more information to help you. Suggestions are welcomed.
[16:54.84]Questions 20 to 22 are based on the passage you have just heard.
[17:00.42]20. What is the purpose of the talk?
[17:19.71]21. What should students bring with them to the office?
[17:35.18]22. What do all of the jobs have in common?
[18:00.44]Passage Three
[18:02.17]In the late 1400s, when Christopher Columbus returned to Spain from the western part of the earth,
[18:09.28]he brought with him a sample of corn.
[18:11.80]Corn is a popular and nutritious type of food we have today in our daily diet.
[18:17.59]The corn that Columbus introduced to Europe was originally native to Mexico.
[18:22.73]The peoples of the Americans probably started to plant this grass as early as 5000 B.C.
[18:29.95]After about a thousand years, they had developed highly productive types of corn which later
[18:36.74]became the basis for the great pre-Columbian civilizations.
[18:41.11]Actually, many countries regarded corn as one of their basic crops.
[18:45.70]To certain degree, we can say that many ancient cities were built on corn.
[18:51.39]Corn is one of the major foods both for men and some domesticated animals,
[18:57.30]such as chicks and pigs. The corn and the people who cultivated it developed together.
[19:03.31]Without humans to care for it, corn could not survive.
[19:07.90]There were times when some natural disasters stroke corn planting.
[19:12.83]The people who planted corn made great effort to protect it from being destroyed.
[19:18.19]They tried to gather the seeds to enlarge the planting areas.
[19:22.23]The planting people tried various ways to enhance the production of corn.
[19:27.15]They tried to get rid of the weeds and fertilized corn at proper times.
[19:32.08]They also have to make sure corn is watered when there's a lack of rain.
[19:36.89]Questions 23 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.
[19:42.56]23. What is the main topic of this passage?
[20:03.46]24. Where was corn probably first cultivated?
[20:24.34]25. Why would corn die out without human care?

[20:40.40]Section C
[20:47.89]Directions: In this section, you will hear a passage three times.
[20:53.61]When the passage is read for the first time,
[20:56.56]you should listen carefully for its general idea.
[20:59.74]When the passage is read for the second time,
[21:02.47]you are required to fill in the blanks numbered from 26 to 33
[21:08.04]with the exact words you have just heard.
[21:10.78]For blanks numbered from 34 to 36 you are required to fill in the missing information.
[21:17.68]For these blanks, You can either use the exact words you have just heard
[21:22.59]or write down the main points in your own words.
[21:26.09]Finally, when the passage is read for the third time,
[21:30.14]you should check what you have written.
[21:32.22]Now listen to the passage.
[21:34.29]Considering how jazz is transcribed in Chinese, you may be misled into assuming that
[21:42.72]it is a cultural form belonging to those who have some elegant tastes.
[21:47.42]Nothing could be further from the truth.
[21:49.82]It originated among black Americans at the end of the 19th century,
[21:54.86]at a time when they occupied the very bottom of the American social heap.
[21:59.78]So how has something that was created
[22:02.64]by a once despised minority acquire a central place in today's American culture?
[22:08.55]It's a mystery that many people would like to solve.
[22:11.76]Perhaps the essence of America is
[22:15.15]that you could never get two Americans to agree on just what that might be.
[22:19.42]After thinking about it for a while, we might utter,
[22:23.46]“Hmm, seems like being an American is a bit more complicated than we thought.”
[22:28.93]Certainly things like individualism, success, innovation and tolerance stand out.
[22:36.15]But these things come together because of our ability to work with one another
[22:40.53]and find common purpose no matter how diverse we might be.
[22:44.79]Some, like African-American writer Ralph Ellison,
[22:49.17]believes that jazz captures the intrinsic properties of America.
[22:53.10]The solos are a celebration of individual brilliance
[22:57.11]that can't take place without the group efforts of the rhythm section.
[23:01.27]They say jazz brought together elements from Africa and Europe,
[23:05.53]fusing them into a new culture, an expression unique to the Americans.
[23:10.90]Beyond that, though, jazz has a connection to the intrinsic properties of America
[23:16.80]in a much more fundamental way.
[23:18.88]It is an expression of the African roots of American culture,
[23:23.15]a musical medium exemplifying the domination of African culture in American culture.
[23:29.49]Now the passage will be read again.
[23:33.86]Considering how jazz is transcribed in Chinese, you may be misled into assuming that
[23:41.52]it is a cultural form belonging to those who have some elegant tastes.
[23:46.33]Nothing could be further from the truth.
[23:49.18]It originated among black Americans at the end of the 19th century,
[23:53.99]at a time when they occupied the very bottom of the American social heap.
[23:58.94]So how has something that was created
[24:01.68]by a once despised minority acquire a central place in today's American culture?
[24:07.58]It's a mystery that many people would like to solve.
[24:10.97]Perhaps the essence of America is that
[24:14.20]you could never get two Americans to agree on just what that might be.
[24:18.46]After thinking about it for a while, we might utter,
[24:22.51]“Hmm, seems like being an American is a bit more complicated than we thought.”
[24:27.97]Certainly things like individualism, success, innovation and tolerance stand out.
[24:35.09]But these things come together because of our ability to work with one another
[24:39.35]and find common purpose no matter how diverse we might be.
[25:53.37]Some, like African-American writer Ralph Ellison,
[25:57.31]believes that jazz captures the intrinsic properties of America.
[26:01.57]The solos are a celebration of individual brilliance
[26:05.73]that can't take place without the group efforts of the rhythm section.
[27:18.59]They say jazz brought together elements from Africa and Europe,
[27:23.29]fusing them into a new culture, an expression unique to the Americans.
[27:28.43]Beyond that, though, jazz has a connection to the intrinsic properties of America
[27:34.34]in a much more fundamental way.
[27:36.53]It is an expression of the African roots of American culture,
[27:40.68]a musical medium exemplifying the domination of African culture in American culture.
[28:55.63]Now the passage will be read for the third time.
[29:00.22]Considering how jazz is transcribed in Chinese, you may be misled into assuming that
[29:06.89]it is a cultural form belonging to those who have some elegant tastes.
[29:11.82]Nothing could be further from the truth.
[29:14.33]It originated among black Americans at the end of the 19th century,
[29:19.25]at a time when they occupied the very bottom of the American social heap.
[29:24.18]So how has something that was created
[29:27.13]by a once despised minority acquire a central place in today's American culture?
[29:32.93]It's a mystery that many people would like to solve.
[29:36.32]Perhaps the essence of America is that you
[29:39.59]could never get two Americans to agree on just what that might be.
[29:43.75]After thinking about it for a while, we might utter,
[29:47.99]“Hmm, seems like being an American is a bit more complicated than we thought.”
[29:53.57]Certainly things like individualism, success, innovation and tolerance stand out.
[30:00.45]But these things come together because of our ability to work with one another
[30:04.72]and find common purpose no matter how diverse we might be.
[30:09.32]Some, like African-American writer Ralph Ellison,
[30:13.36]believes that jazz captures the intrinsic properties of America.
[30:17.74]The solos are a celebration of individual brilliance
[30:21.68]that can't take place without the group efforts of the rhythm section.
[30:25.83]They say jazz brought together elements from Africa and Europe,
[30:30.20]fusing them into a new culture, an expression unique to the Americans.
[30:35.34]Beyond that, though, jazz has a connection to the intrinsic properties of America
[30:41.14]in a much more fundamental way.
[30:43.44]It is an expression of the African roots of American culture,
[30:47.60]a musical medium exemplifying the domination of African culture in American culture.
[30:54.05]This is the end of listening comprehension.