[00:06.99]College English Test--Band Six
[00:10.71]Part III Listening Comprehension
[00:14.21]Section A
[00:16.51]Directions: In this section,
[00:19.90]you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations.
[00:23.95]At the end of each conversation,
[00:26.25]one or more questions will be asked about what was said.
[00:29.97]Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once.
[00:34.23]After each question there will be a pause.
[00:37.41]During the pause,
[00:39.49]you must read the four choices marked A), B), C) and D),
[00:45.07]and decide which is the best answer.
[00:47.58]Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2
[00:51.96]with a single line through the centre.
[00:54.69]Now, let’s begin with the eight short conversations.
[01:00.27]11. M: The dean just announced
[01:03.99]that Dr. Holden’s going to take over
[01:06.07]as Chairman of the History Department.
[01:08.48]W: I knew it all along! He’s the obvious choice.
[01:11.87]All the other candidates are no match for him!
[01:15.04]Q: What does the woman mean?
[01:33.99]12. W: Hey, let me know how your summer’s going!
[01:38.58]I’ll miss you guys while I’m here working in the library.
[01:42.08]M: I’ll be working, too!
[01:43.84]But I’ll send you an e-mail or call you once in a while.
[01:47.33]When we all get back to school, we can have a party or something.
[01:51.17]Q: What do we learn about the two speakers?
[02:08.28]13. M: The assignment on physics is a real challenge.
[02:16.38]I don’t think I can finish it on time all by myself.
[02:20.43]W: Why don’t we join our efforts together?
[02:23.49]It may be easier then.
[02:25.46]Q: What does the woman suggest?
[02:43.13]14. M: Jean really lost her temper
[02:48.16]in Dr. Brown’s class this morning.
[02:50.67]W: Oh? Did she? But I think her frankness is really
[02:54.83]something to be appreciated.
[02:58.44]Q: What does the woman mean?
[03:15.45]15. W: We heard that when you were a kid,
[03:20.59]you submitted a story to Reader’s Digest.
[03:24.21]M: Well, I don’t remember the story exactly,
[03:26.94]but my idea of a great time then was a pad of lined paper
[03:31.97]and a new blue pen. I thought myself as
[03:35.04]a Reader’s Digest staff member at the age of six.
[03:38.97]Q: What do we learn about the man from the conversation?
[03:59.27]16. M: Your son certainly shows a lot of enthusiasm
[04:04.41]on the tennis court.
[04:06.26]W: I only wish he’d show as much for his studies.
[04:09.77]Q: What does the woman imply about her son?
[04:28.64]17. W: We’re supposed to meet John here
[04:32.57]at the railway station.
[04:34.33]M: That’s like looking for a needle in a haystack.
[04:37.06]Q: What does that man imply?
[04:54.81]18. W: Our school has just built
[04:59.73]some new apartments near campus,
[05:02.36]but one bedroom runs for 500 dollars a month.
[05:05.65]M: That’s a bit beyond the reach of most students!
[05:09.04]Q: What does the man mean?
[05:27.20]Now you’ll hear the two long conversations.
[05:31.35]Conversation One
[05:33.76]W：So you are up to some tennis this afternoon or what?
[05:36.71]M: Well, to tell you the truth,
[05:38.68]I’m not feeling so hot today.
[05:40.87]W: Come on… How long has it been since we played？
[05:43.28]M: A couple of days.
[05:44.81]W: A couple of days? Come on.
[05:46.45]It’s been more than a couple of days.
[05:48.31]M: Yeah. I guess you’re right.
[05:50.83]It’s been almost a week.
[05:52.91]W: It’s been exactly a week.
[05:55.10]And we used to play at least three times this week.
[05:57.82]M: I know. Playing right after class
[06:00.67]was something to look forward to.
[06:02.64]W: Yeah. And it was right before dinner.
[06:04.72]So we built up our appetite.
[06:06.80]M: I’ve just been very busy. I guess.
[06:09.10]And my stomach is bothering me today.
[06:11.72]W: But you look ok to me.
[06:13.80]M: Well, I was up late with Steve
[06:16.10]in the library working on a project.
[06:18.07]We got to do it by tomorrow.
[06:20.26]We've been working on it all weekend.
[06:22.99]And I was drinking a lot of coffee.
[06:25.18]I guess, I just drank too much.
[06:28.13]W: Listen. I took that class last semester.
[06:30.87]And I could meet you in the library later tonight
[06:33.39]and help you with it if you want.
[06:35.14]And then you have time to play tennis this afternoon.
[06:37.87]M: Yeah. I guess my stomach doesn’t hurt that bad.
[06:41.26]And I could certainly use your help. But it’s also….
[06:45.62]W: Is there something else bothering you?
[06:48.35]M: Well, to be honest.., I’m getting tired…
[06:52.95]W: Ok, don’t worry.
[06:55.14]You may take some time to rest.
[06:57.65]We will meet for tennis some time later.
[07:01.48]Questions 19 to 21 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
[07:06.95]19. What are the students mainly discussing?
[07:26.48]20. What does the man think is the reason for his stomach?
[07:45.89]21. What does the woman offer to do for the man?
[08:06.84]Conversation Two
[08:08.82]M: hi, Cathy. I am here because I visited caves
[08:12.21]all over North America. Since you are going to
[08:15.71]study cave formations, Dr. Bow asked me to
[08:18.99]come to share some of my experiences with you.
[08:21.50]W: Hi, Bill. So wonderful!
[08:23.47]I can’t wait to hear about it!
[08:25.22]M: Recently, I visited the La Chagire Cave in New Mexico,
[08:28.83]my dream has always been to discover a new passage way.
[08:32.45]I had a chance there, because La Chagire is so large
[08:36.49]that discoveries are frequently made there.
[08:39.12]W: Was it newly discovered?
[08:40.98]M: The cave was not even discovered until 1986.
[08:44.37]However, people in that area had figured
[08:47.65]that there must be a cave nearby,
[08:49.84]because of the strong wind that blew from
[08:52.03]behind the huge rock that covered the entrance.
[08:54.88]Enormous amount of air enter and exit the cave
[08:58.49]in order to maintain balance of the pressure
[09:01.11]with the inside air.
[09:02.32]W: You must have had to fight heavy wind
[09:04.17]when you were in the cave.
[09:05.81]M: Exactly, I had to fight 45 mile per hour winds.
[09:08.77]After all that effort, I had to be extremely careful
[09:12.49]maintaining my energy level.
[09:14.90]People who are tired tend to be careless,
[09:17.08]and may be more concerned about getting out of the cave
[09:20.04]than taking care of it.
[09:21.79]W: Anything interesting or thrilling in the cave?
[09:24.30]M: There are formations in La Chagire
[09:27.26]that look like ocean waves, Christmas trees
[09:29.67]and other stuff no one has ever seen before.
[09:32.62]W: Caves are normally created by carbonic acid, right?
[09:36.23]M: But this cave sculpted out by very powerful sulfuric acid
[09:40.72]that swells up from below.
[09:44.21]Questions22 to 25 are based on the conversation
[09:46.95]you have just heard.
[09:48.92]22. Why was the lecturer especially excited about
[09:53.95]visiting La Chagire cave?
[10:10.52]23. What did the speaker say about
[10:15.23]the entrance into the cave?
[10:31.68]24. What did the speaker say about the cavers who get tired?
[10:52.95]25. What makes the formations of La Chagire so unusual?

[11:13.03]Section B
[11:16.52]Directions: In this section, you will hear 3 short passages.
[11:23.09]At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions.
[11:26.70]Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once.
[11:31.62]After you hear a question,
[11:33.70]you must choose the best answer from the four choices
[11:37.20]marked A), B), C) and D).
[11:41.47]Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2
[11:45.74]with a single line through the centre.
[11:50.33]Passage One
[11:51.64]I had flown from San Francisco to Virginia to
[11:55.58]attend a conference on multiculturalism.
[11:58.76]Hundreds of educators from across the country
[12:01.71]were meeting to discuss the need for greater cultural diversity
[12:05.87]in the school curriculum.
[12:08.38]I took a taxi to my hotel. On the way,
[12:11.34]my driver and I chatted about the weather and the tourists.
[12:15.60]The driver was a white man in his forties.
[12:19.44]“How long have you been in this country?” he asked.
[12:23.16]“All my life!” I replied, “I was born in the United States.”
[12:27.42]With a strong southern accent, he remarked,
[12:31.03]“I was wondering because your English is excellent.”
[12:34.97]Then I explained as I had done many times before.
[12:38.58]“My grandfather came here from China in the 1880s.
[12:43.07]My family has been here in America for over a hundred years. ”
[12:47.88]He glanced at me in the mirror.
[12:50.40]Somehow, I didn’t look American to him.
[12:53.68]My appearance looked foreign. Questions like the one my taxi driver
[12:59.48]asked make me feel uncomfortable.
[13:02.54]But I can understand why he could not see me as an American.
[13:06.80]He had a narrow but widely shared sense of the past:
[13:11.62]a history that has viewed Americans as descendants of Europeans.
[13:16.43]Race has functioned as something necessary
[13:20.48]to the construction of American character and quality.
[13:24.64]In the creation of our national identity—
[13:28.57]American has been defined as white.
[13:31.86]But America has been racially diverse
[13:36.12]since our very beginning on the Virginian shore,
[13:38.59]where the first group of Englishmen
[13:40.99]and Africans arrived in the 17th century.
[13:44.50]And this reality is increasingly becoming visible everywhere.
[13:49.96]Questions 26 to 28 are based on the passage you have just heard.
[13:57.96]26. What was the theme of the conference the speaker was to attend?
[14:20.76]27. Why did the taxi driver ask the speaker
[14:27.65]how long he had been in the US?
[14:45.87]28. What message does the speaker wish to convey?
[15:05.72]Passage Two
[15:08.23]Laws have been written to govern the use of
[15:12.71]the American national flag,
[15:14.57]and to ensure proper respect for the flag.
[15:17.53]Custom has also governed the common practice in
[15:21.25]regard to its use. All the armed services
[15:24.42]have precise regulations on
[15:27.16]how to display the national flag.
[15:29.78]This may vary somewhat from the general rules.
[15:32.84]The national flag should be raised and lowered by hand.
[15:36.79]Do not raise the flag while it is folded.
[15:39.96]Unfold the flag first,
[15:42.36]and then hoist it quickly to the top of the flagpole.
[15:45.65]Lower it slowly and with dignity.
[15:49.48]Place no objects on or over the flag.
[15:53.85]Do not use the flag as part of a costume or athletic uniform.
[15:59.21]Do not print it upon cushions, handkerchiefs,
[16:03.04]paper napkins or boxes. A federal law provides that
[16:08.51]a trademark cannot be registered if it comprises the flag,
[16:12.12]coat of arms or badges of the United States.
[16:15.62]When the flag is used in unveiling a statue or monument,
[16:20.44]it shouldn’t serve as a covering of
[16:23.17]the object to be unveiled.
[16:25.47]If it is displayed on such occasions,
[16:28.31]do not allow the flag to fall to the ground,
[16:31.05]but let it be carried high up in the air to
[16:34.55]form a feature of the ceremony.
[16:36.30]Take every precaution to prevent the flag from becoming soiled.
[16:41.11]It should not be allowed to touch the ground or floor,
[16:45.38]nor to brush against objects.
[16:48.34]Questions 29 to 32 are based on the passage you have just heard.
[16:55.67]29. How do Americans ensure proper respect for the national flag?
[17:19.34]30. What is the regulation regarding the raising of
[17:23.72]the American national flag?
[17:40.23]31. How should the American national flag
[17:46.35]be displayed at an unveiling ceremony?
[18:05.34]32. What do we learn about the use of the American national flag?
[18:25.30]Passage Three
[18:27.81]In some large American city schools,
[18:31.43]as many as 20-40% of the students are absent each day.
[18:36.13]There are two major reasons for such absences:
[18:40.39]one is sickness, and the other is truancy, that is ,
[18:44.55]staying away from school without permission.
[18:48.71]Since school officials can’t do much about illness,
[18:53.20]they are concentrating on reducing the number of truants.
[18:57.14]One of the most promising schemes has been tried in Florida.
[19:01.84]The pupils there with good attendance
[19:04.69]have been given free hamburgers, toys and T-shirts.
[19:08.62]Classes are told that if they show improved rates of attendance,
[19:13.54]they can win additional gifts.
[19:16.61]At the same time, teachers are being encouraged to
[19:20.00]inspire their students to come to school regularly.
[19:23.06]When those teachers are successful, they are also rewarded.
[19:28.10]“We’ve been punishing truants for years,
[19:32.14]but that hasn’t brought them back to school, ”
[19:34.88]one school principal said.
[19:36.85]“Now we are trying the positive approach.
[19:39.69]Not only do you learn by showing up every day,
[19:43.74]but you earn. ”In San Francisco,
[19:47.24]the Board of Education has had a somewhat similar idea.
[19:51.29]Schools that show a decrease in deliberate destruction of property
[19:56.54]can receive the amount of money
[19:58.63]that would’ve been spent on repairs and replacements.
[20:01.90]For example, 12, 000 dollars had been set aside for
[20:06.63]a school’s property damages every year.
[20:09.81]Since repair expenses of damaged property
[20:12.87]required only 4, 000 dollars,
[20:15.93]the remaining 8, 000 dollars was turned over
[20:19.32]to the Student Activities’ Fund.
[20:21.51]“Our democracy operates on hope and encouragement,”
[20:26.54]said a school board member.
[20:29.06]“Why not provide some positive goals for students
[20:32.56]and teachers to aim at?”
[20:37.16]Questions 33 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.
[20:43.29]33. Which reason for students’ absences is discussed in great detail?
[21:06.64]34. Who will benefit from the scheme being tried in Florida?
[21:27.26]35. What measure has been taken in San Francisco to
[21:34.14]reduce destruction of school property?

[21:51.93]Section C
[21:54.12]Directions: In this section,
[21:57.18]you will hear a passage three times.
[22:00.24]When the passage is read for the first time,
[22:02.98]you should listen carefully for its general idea.
[22:06.05]When the passage is read for the second time,
[22:09.10]you are required to fill in the blanks
[22:11.95]numbered from 36 to 43 with the exact words
[22:15.78]you have just heard. For blanks numbered from 44 to 46
[22:21.14]you are required to fill in the missing information.
[22:24.42]For these blanks, you can either use the exact words
[22:28.47]you have just heard or write down the main points
[22:31.64]in your own words. Finally,
[22:34.38]when the passage is read for the third time,
[22:37.00]you should check what you have written.
[22:40.39]Now listen to the passage.
[22:44.88]Natural resources provide a living and shelter
[22:47.61]for hundreds of millions of people in the developing world.
[22:51.23]As those life supporting natural resources come
[22:54.39]under threat so does the personal security of millions
[22:58.12]who rely on them. Climate change,
[23:00.74]water shortage and population growth
[23:02.93]are some of the most powerful and least
[23:05.99]understood environmental hazards.
[23:07.97]Using the subjects of water, climate, land,
[23:10.81]forests and minerals, the exhibition demonstrates
[23:14.31]not only the ways in which environmental deterioration
[23:17.70]can lead to conflicts and new security threats,
[23:20.76]but also how environmental cooperation
[23:23.72]can contribute to security and stability.
[23:26.78]The exhibit, assembled by Adelphi Research,
[23:29.63]focuses on how man-made environmental changes
[23:33.01]affect both foreign and domestic policy.
[23:36.52]“It draws a direct connection between natural resources,
[23:40.02]poverty and stability in various parts of the world,”
[23:43.41]Adelphi Research Director Alexander Carius explained.
[23:47.13]In addition, the exhibition displays the link
[23:50.52]between environment and security in Central Asia,
[23:53.80]the area of the southern provinces of the former Soviet Union.
[23:57.96]The exhibition also shows that the sustainable use of
[24:02.12]natural resources across national borders
[24:04.64]can contribute to conflict prevention and confidence building.
[24:08.35]Speakers at the exhibition predict that climate change
[24:11.86]will alter our lives. Great climate pattern changes
[24:15.14]will alter available water resources,
[24:17.87]as well as the availability of usable agricultural land.
[24:21.92]A number of extreme weather events may render cities
[24:25.21]and tidal regions uninhabitable, resulting in mass migration.
[24:29.58]They believe that the traditional patterns of our lifestyle
[24:32.76]must change and that we have to accept
[24:35.49]that we live in a global village dependent on each other.
[24:41.18]Now the passage will be read again.
[24:43.58]Natural resources provide a living and shelter
[24:47.20]for hundreds of millions of people in the developing world.
[24:51.13]As those life supporting natural resources come under threat
[24:54.85]so does the personal security of millions who rely on them.
[24:59.12]Climate change, water shortage and population growth
[25:02.89]are some of the most powerful
[25:04.75]and least understood environmental hazards.
[25:07.71]Using the subjects of water, climate, land, forests and minerals,
[25:12.08]the exhibition demonstrates not only the ways
[25:15.25]in which environmental deterioration
[25:17.44]can lead to conflicts and new security threats,
[25:20.61]but also how environmental cooperation
[25:23.46]can contribute to security and stability.
[25:26.31]The exhibit, assembled by Adelphi Research,
[25:29.47]focuses on how man-made environmental changes
[25:32.87]affect both foreign and domestic policy.
[25:36.26]“It draws a direct connection between natural resources,
[25:39.76]poverty and stability in various parts of the world,”
[25:43.04]Adelphi Research Director Alexander Carius explained.
[25:46.76]In addition, the exhibition displays the link
[25:50.15]between environment and security in Central Asia,
[25:53.44]the area of the southern provinces of the former Soviet Union.
[25:57.48]The exhibition also shows that the sustainable use of
[26:01.20]natural resources across national borders
[26:04.16]can contribute to conflict prevention and confidence building.
[27:19.00]Speakers at the exhibition predict that climate change
[27:21.63]will alter our lives. Great climate pattern changes
[27:24.91]will alter available water resources,
[27:27.43]as well as the availability of usable agricultural land.
[28:39.01]A number of extreme weather events may render cities
[28:45.14]and tidal regions uninhabitable, resulting in mass migration.
[28:49.84]They believe that the traditional patterns of our lifestyle
[28:52.80]must change and that we have to accept that
[28:55.32]we live in a global village dependent on each other.
[30:10.68]Now the passage will be read for the third time.
[30:13.52]Natural resources provide a living and shelter
[30:17.46]for hundreds of millions of people in the developing world.
[30:21.51]As those life supporting natural resources come under threat
[30:25.01]so does the personal security of millions who rely on them.
[30:29.28]Climate change, water shortage and population growth
[30:33.10]are some of the most powerful
[30:35.18]and least understood environmental hazards.
[30:38.03]Using the subjects of water, climate, land, forests and minerals,
[30:42.51]the exhibition demonstrates not only the ways
[30:45.36]in which environmental deterioration
[30:47.76]can lead to conflicts and new security threats,
[30:50.83]but also how environmental cooperation
[30:53.56]can contribute to security and stability.
[30:56.74]The exhibit, assembled by Adelphi Research,
[30:59.69]focuses on how man-made environmental changes
[31:03.19]affect both foreign and domestic policy.
[31:06.14]“It draws a direct connection between natural resources,
[31:09.64]poverty and stability in various parts of the world,”
[31:13.37]Adelphi Research Director Alexander Carius explained.
[31:17.41]In addition, the exhibition displays the link
[31:20.48]between environment and security in Central Asia,
[31:23.76]the area of the southern provinces of the former Soviet Union.
[31:27.70]The exhibition also shows that the sustainable use of
[31:31.42]natural resources across national borders
[31:34.48]can contribute to conflict prevention and confidence building.
[31:38.53]Speakers at the exhibition predict that climate change
[31:41.81]will alter our lives. Great climate pattern changes
[31:44.99]will alter available water resources,
[31:47.94]as well as the availability of usable agricultural land.
[31:51.99]A number of extreme weather events may render cities
[31:55.16]and tidal regions uninhabitable, resulting in mass migration.
[31:59.42]They believe that the traditional patterns of our lifestyle
[32:02.82]must change and that we have to accept that
[32:05.66]we live in a global village dependent on each other.
[32:09.06]This is the end of listening comprehension.