Model Test 8

[00:07.50]Model Test Eight
[00:10.31]Part Ⅲ Listening Comprehension
[00:14.95]Section A
[00:16.53]Directions: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations
[00:22.38]and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation,
[00:26.88]one or more questions will be asked about what was said.
[00:31.00]Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once.
[00:35.47]After each question there will be a pause.
[00:38.78]During the pause, you must read the four choices
[00:42.81]marked A), B), C) and D), and decide which is the best answer.
[00:48.47]Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2
[00:53.35]with a single line through the centre.
[00:56.19]Now, let’s begin with the eight short conversations.
[01:00.70]11. M: Do you still have to run some tests on me?
[01:06.85]W: Yes. And I’ll tell the dietician to include some chocolate cake
[01:10.47]and some barbecue in your meals before the operation.
[01:13.94]Q: What’s the probable relationship between the two speakers?
[01:33.95]12. M: Hey, Alice, I’ve got a used copy of
[01:38.19]our chemistry textbook for half price.
[01:40.41]W: I’m afraid you wasted your money.
[01:42.60]Yours is the first edition,
[01:44.76]but we’re supposed to be using the third edition.
[01:48.00]Q: What do we learn about the man from the conversation?
[02:07.81]13. W: What are your plans for today, Mark?
[02:11.93]Nick and I are going shopping. Do you want to come too?
[02:15.52]M: Well, as a matter of fact, I’m meeting Steve.
[02:19.02]He’s writing an article and he’s asked me
[02:21.70]to take some photographs for it.
[02:23.55]Q: What does Mark plan to do today?
[02:41.16]14. M: Lucy, aren’t you going to the concert in the park tonight?
[02:47.41]W: Even if I didn’t have a paper to write
[02:50.26]I’d rather spend an evening at school.
[02:52.23]Q: What does the woman imply?
[03:11.04]15. M: I feel so useless just hanging around with nothing to do.
[03:17.07]W: Don’t worry. In a couple of days there’ll be too much to do.
[03:20.89]Then you’ll want to be back in these lazy days.
[03:23.60]Q: What does the woman mean?
[03:42.09]16. W: Did you see the movie on channel 6 last night?
[03:46.87]It had been made especially for television.
[03:49.34]M: No. I missed it.
[03:51.42]I read the preview in yesterday’s paper and hoped to watch it,
[03:54.72]but Meg called me to go shopping with her. So I went.
[03:58.18]Q: What can we learn about the man?
[04:18.35]17. W: You’re not looking very cheerful.
[04:22.62]What’s the matter with you?
[04:24.28]M: Oh, nothing special.
[04:25.97]I’m just a bit fed up with catching the same train every morning,
[04:29.88]sitting in the same office all day
[04:32.47]watching the same television programs.
[04:34.84]Q: What do we learn about the man?
[04:56.02]18. M: Do English students have to pay for their education?
[05:00.55]W: No, the fees are usually paid by the state.
[05:04.28]And most of them can also get a grant
[05:06.87]although it’s very difficult for them to live on it.
[05:09.59]Q: What do we learn about English students from the conversation?
[05:30.33]Now you’ll hear two long conversations.
[05:33.14]Conversation One
[05:36.39]M: Hi, I’ve been looking for you since the morning.
[05:40.27]Where have you been?
[05:41.58]W: Yeah, I don’t feel like hanging out with the crowd any more,
[05:44.36]especially since Jane stopped coming to school.
[05:47.70]M: It’s such a pity about her parents:
[05:50.45]losing one parent is bad enough,
[05:53.11]but losing them both on the same day and in such an accident …
[05:57.79]It’s terrible! Have you seen her since?
[06:01.24]W: No. I tried talking to her on the phone.
[06:04.11]But she refused to talk. She’s quite down.
[06:06.70]M: The other day, I talked to Mr. Smith –
[06:09.27]you know that tall guy
[06:11.37]who works in the Dean’s Office.
[06:13.27]Apparently, Jane is thinking of dropping out of school.
[06:16.55]She has almost no money.
[06:18.74]Her parents didn’t have much savings.
[06:21.49]W: Yeah, I’ve been quite worried about her.
[06:24.00]But simply feeling sorry for her is far from enough;
[06:27.46]we have to think of some way to help her.
[06:29.65]Have any suggestion?
[06:31.53]M: Well, I could possibly give her some money.
[06:34.50]I’ve saved some up from my part-time job.
[06:37.18]W: You’re so generous!
[06:39.49]But that wouldn’t be a long-term solution.
[06:41.96]M: That’s true.
[06:43.24]Perhaps we could help her find a part-time job.
[06:45.96]W: Good idea!
[06:47.52]The lady who runs the shop next door could be helpful.
[06:50.28]If Jane is interested, I can introduce her to the lady.
[06:53.69]M: Great! Once she gets a regular income, things will be better.
[06:57.94]More than anything else, it will take her mind off her tragedy.
[07:01.73]W: Could we organize a fund-raiser for her?
[07:04.95]M: Well, I’m not sure how that would work.
[07:07.00]You know, talking help from us is one thing,
[07:10.16]but getting the whole school involved may not be a good idea.
[07:13.60]W: Yeah, you’re right. We’ll think of something else.
[07:17.35]Ok, let’s go ahead with what we’ve planned. Bye.
[07:20.52]M: Bye.
[07:22.17]Questions 19 to 22 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
[07:27.67]19. What are the two speakers talking about?
[07:49.52]20. Which is true about Jane’s parents according to the passage?
[08:12.80]21. What’s the matter with Jane?
[08:34.19]22. What does the man suggest to solve Jane’s problem?
[08:58.71]Conversation Two
[09:00.43]M: Oh, Jane, you’re early!
[09:02.86]I’m happy you’re here early today
[09:04.96]because I’d like to discuss your attendance for a moment.
[09:07.46]W: Oh, Dr. Green, I’m really sorry about missing yesterday.
[09:11.58]M: Actually, it’s been several days.
[09:14.30]Counting today, we’ve only had 6 classes,
[09:17.93]yet you’ve already missed 4.
[09:20.21]You won’t be able to pass if you’re constantly absent.
[09:23.80]W: I’m really sorry, but I’ve been extremely busy.
[09:26.75]I promise to attend the rest of the classes on time.
[09:30.18]M: Well, I hope you’re ready for today’s exam.
[09:32.61]W: Today? I thought it was Monday!
[09:34.80]M: Read the outline, Jane;
[09:36.62]this is precisely what I’m talking about.
[09:39.24]You should either make an effort to attend,
[09:41.84]or you should consider withdrawing
[09:43.89]while it’s still possible.
[09:45.27]W: What do you mean?
[09:46.27]M: Today’ the final day you can withdraw and get a full refund.
[09:50.05]W: Maybe I really should; what do you suggest?
[09:53.05]M: I wish you could attend classes regularly;
[09:55.80]however, if you don’t believe you’re capable of this,
[09:58.87]then don’t waste your money.
[10:00.39]W: Thanks, Dr. Green; I really appreciate your advice.
[10:03.67]If it’s okay, I suppose I’ll go ahead and drop the class.
[10:07.36]M: It’s entirely up to you, but that might be best
[10:10.70]if you don’t think things are going to change.
[10:12.96]Excuse me, the students are coming,
[10:15.77]and I’ve got to get ready for class,
[10:17.55]I wish you the very best of luck, Jane.
[10:19.89]W: Thank you, Dr. Green. Good bye.
[10:22.24]Questions 23 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
[10:27.36]23. What is the woman’s problem?
[10:47.92]24. What does the woman decide at last?
[11:10.62]25. What is the man going to do according to the end of the conversation?
[11:35.64]Section B
[11:36.78]Directions: In this section, you will hear 3 short passages.
[11:43.31]At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions.
[11:47.81]Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once.
[11:53.02]After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer
[11:58.30]from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D).
[12:02.64]Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2
[12:06.89]with a single line through the centre.
[12:09.49]Passage One
[12:11.83]The most surprising trend is the increasing use of
[12:15.49] illegal drugs, tobacco, and alcohol among youth.
[12:19.09]Children who use these substances increase
[12:22.49]the chance of acquiring life-long dependency problems.
[12:25.71]They also bring about greater health risks.
[12:29.42]Every day, three thousand children begin smoking cigarettes regularly;
[12:33.21]as a result, a third of these youngsters will have their lives shortened.
[12:37.77]According to a study conducted by Columbia University on Addiction,
[12:42.53]children who smoke marijuana are 85 times more likely
[12:46.77]to use cocaine than ordinary people who never tried marijuana.
[12:51.36]The use of illegal drugs among eighth graders is up 150 percent
[12:56.11]over the past five years. While surprisingly high,
[12:59.27]the prevalence of drug use among today’s young people has returned
[13:03.67] to near-epidemic levels of the late 1970s.
[13:06.93] The most important challenge for drug policy is
[13:10.62]to change these dangerous trends.
[13:12.86]Early drug use often leads to other forms of unhealthy
[13:17.33]and unproductive behavior.
[13:19.11]According to some survey, experts believe that illegal drugs
[13:23.49]are associated with premature sexual activity.
[13:27.05]In 1995, 10.5 percent of all youngsters between twelve
[13:32.61]and seventeen years of age used illegal drugs on a past-month basis.
[13:37.68]This rate has risen notably compared to 8.2% in 1994, 5.7% in 1993,
[13:46.02]and 5.3 % in 1992—the historic low in the trend
[13:51.61]since the 1979high of 16.3%.
[13:55.39]The University of Michigan’s 1996 Monitoring the Future study
[14:01.01]found that more than half of all high school students use illegal drugs
[14:05.98]by the time they graduate. So now the illegal use of drugs
[14:09.95]by youngsters has become a big problem in the United States.
[14:13.64]Questions 26 to 28 are based on the passage you have just heard.
[14:19.45]26.What can we learn from the passage ?
[14:42.17]27. What is the important challenge for drug policy?
[15:04.18]28. What is the unproductive behavior mentioned in the passage
[15:09.68]caused by early drug use?
[15:28.63]Passage Two
[15:29.41]Finding a job in the United States takes specific skills.
[15:33.94]The following advice will help you find a job.
[15:37.26]Write a good resume. Describe your accomplishments.
[15:41.34]Avoid including unnecessary information.
[15:44.41]Your resume should be one page if possible.
[15:47.81]Find out about available jobs.
[15:50.73]One way is by looking in the newspaper or on the Internet.
[15:54.92]Another way is by networking.
[15:57.34]Networking means exchanging information with anyone you know:
[16:01.06]family, friends, neighbors, classmates, former coworkers,
[16:05.91]professional groups who might know of a job.
[16:08.78]These people might also be able to give you
[16:11.97]inside information about a company,
[16:13.53]such as who was in charge
[16:15.31]and what it is like to work in their company.
[16:17.53]According to an article in the Wall Street Journal,
[16:20.68]94 percent of people who succeed in finding a job say that
[16:25.05]networking was a big help. Practice the interview.
[16:28.12]The more prepared you are,
[16:30.18]the more relaxed you will feel.
[16:31.96]If you were worried about saying or doing the wrong thing,
[16:35.18]practice will help. Learn something about the company.
[16:39.03]You can find information by going to the library
[16:42.18]and looking in directories or finding the company’s website.
[16:45.71]Finding information takes time, but it pays off.
[16:49.27]You can get help in these skills: writing a resume, networking,
[16:53.96]preparing for an interview, researching a company,
[16:57.31]by seeing a career counselor.
[16:59.49]Most colleges and high schools have one
[17:02.31] who can help you get started.
[17:03.97]Finding a job is one of the most difficult jobs.
[17:07.55]Some people send out hundreds of resumes
[17:10.46]and go on dozens of interviews before finding a job.
[17:13.90]Questions 29 to 31 are based on the passage you have just heard.
[17:20.47]29. What is necessary in a good resume?
[17:42.41]30. Where can one find a career counselor?
[18:04.04]31. What does the speaker think of finding a job according to the passage?
[18:27.91]Passage Three
[18:28.87]City traffic is a great problem.
[18:32.53]More cars are produced every year and the streets are getting
[18:35.67]more and more crowded. So during “rush hours,”
[18:38.05]when people are going to or from their work,
[18:40.93]traffic is brought to a standstill.
[18:43.70]It has been suggested that commuters
[18:46.36]should share their cars and give each other lifts.
[18:49.61]It is an excellent idea, however,
[18:52.74]so far nobody has been able to think of
[18:55.39]a way to compel people to do so.
[18:57.73]To discourage motorists from leaving their cars
[19:01.17]in the streets all day, parking meters are used.
[19:03.89]When you park at a meter, you will pay a coin.
[19:06.96]This pays for a certain amount of time.
[19:09.89]The meter records this and it shows
[19:13.05]when the time that you have paid for is finished.
[19:16.08]If the car is still there then, you have to pay a fine.
[19:19.42]Traffic wardens look after the meters.
[19:22.45]They walk around the streets and check that every meter shows
[19:26.54]that money has been paid for the car parked there.
[19:29.01] If a meter registers “time expired,”
[19:31.58]the motorist who has left his car there is fined.
[19:35.30]Of course, the traffic warden cannot wait for the owner of the car to return.
[19:40.26] He carries a block of printed forms,
[19:43.11]and on one of these he writes down all the details,
[19:46.83]such as the registration number of the car,
[19:49.79]where it is parked, how much the driver must pay
[19:53.43]and where he must send the money.
[19:55.57]He leaves this form on the car where
[19:58.46]the driver will be able to see it easily;
[20:01.17]he usually pushes it under one of the windscreen wipers
[20:05.17]so that it will not blow away.
[20:07.39]And in case it rains before the motorist returns,
[20:10.92]the form is put in a little plastic envelope to protect it.
[20:14.79]When the driver comes back, he gets an unpleasant surprise,
[20:18.67]but it is his own fault for leaving his car too long at a parking meter.
[20:24.14]Questions 32 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.
[20:29.42]32. What is “rush hours” according to the passage?
[20:51.69]33. What are parking meters used for?
[21:13.71]34. What will happen if the parking meter registers “time expired”?
[21:36.26]35. How do the traffic wardens protect the form
[21:43.04]they give to the motorist from rain?
[22:02.20]Section C
[22:03.42]Directions: In this section, you will hear a passage three times.
[22:09.27]When the passage is read for the first time,
[22:12.17]you should listen carefully for its general idea.
[22:16.45]When the passage is read for the second time,
[22:18.89] you are required to fill in the blanks numbered from 36 to 43
[22:23.79]with the exact words you have just heard.
[22:26.83]For blanks numbered from 44 to 46
[22:31.61]you are required to fill in the missing information.
[22:34.85]For these blanks, you can either use the exact words you have just heard
[22:40.61]or write down the main points in your own words.
[22:44.13]Finally, when the passage is read for the third time,
[22:48.70]you should check what you have written.
[22:51.08]Now listen to the passage.
[22:54.23]There are many expenses included in military operations.
[22:58.35]The more lively the military is, the more costs are involved.
[23:03.04]Where does a country get the money to go to war?
[23:06.73] During World War II,
[23:08.76]it was through the sale of war bonds.
[23:11.11]It was in the spring of 1941.
[23:14.64]And it became increasingly obvious that the U.S.
[23:18.23]would be drawn into the European conflict.
[23:20.48] In May, the series E Defense Bonds were issued.
[23:24.26]When war was declared, the name of the bonds
[23:27.48]was changed from defense to war
[23:29.67] to enlist the patriotism of the people.
[23:32.33]The War Bonds not only raised money for the government
[23:35.91] but also acted as an investment for the general public.
[23:39.35]A ten dollar bond was purchased for ＄7. 50 or 75% of its face value.
[23:47.01] In ten years the bond would reach maturity
[23:50.54]and be worth its face value.
[23:52.36] Ten dollars might not seem like much money now,
[23:55.57]but it represented a week’s wages or more to many people.
[23:59.38]Many people could not afford even the least expensive bonds,
[24:03.60]yet they wanted to participate.
[24:06.10]The key to selling the bonds and paying the cost of the war
[24:10.32]rested upon the Federal government’s ability to get the word out.
[24:13.57]People wouldn’t know how they could help
[24:16.36]if they didn’t know about the bonds.
[24:18.16]So the War Finance Committee thought of advertising,
[24:21.86]and turned to the newspapers and radio networks for help.
[24:24.95]The radio station, newspaper,
[24:27.83]and later magazine publishers chose to run the ads
[24:31.16]for free as part of their contribution to the war effort.
[24:35.16]They considered it their patriotic duty.
[24:37.38]After the first month of advertising,
[24:39.95]polls showed that 90% of the public knew
[24:43.13]about the different ways to buy War Bonds.
[24:47.62]Now the passage will be read again.
[24:49.80]There are many expenses included in military operations.
[24:54.83]The more lively the military is, the more costs are involved.
[24:59.65]Where does a country get the money to go to war?
[25:03.06] During World War II,
[25:05.65]it was through the sale of war bonds.
[25:08.37]It was in the spring of 1941.
[25:11.40]And it became increasingly obvious that the U.S.
[25:15.27]would be drawn into the European conflict.
[25:17.30] In May, the series E Defense Bonds were issued.
[25:20.68]When war was declared, the name of the bonds
[25:24.00]was changed from defense to war
[25:26.34] to enlist the patriotism of the people.
[25:28.90]The War Bonds not only raised money for the government
[25:32.34] but also acted as an investment for the general public.
[25:35.93]A ten dollar bond was purchased for ＄7. 50 or 75% of its face value.
[25:43.68] In ten years the bond would reach maturity
[25:47.06]and be worth its face value.
[25:48.99] Ten dollars might not seem like much money now,
[25:51.89]but it represented a week’s wages or more to many people.
[26:45.62]Many people could not afford even the least expensive bonds,
[26:50.40]yet they wanted to participate.
[26:52.43]The key to selling the bonds and paying the cost of the war
[26:56.15]rested upon the Federal government’s ability to get the word out.
[27:00.61]People wouldn’t know how they could help
[27:02.68]if they didn’t know about the bonds.
[27:55.16]So the War Finance Committee thought of advertising,
[27:57.61]and turned to the newspapers and radio networks for help.
[28:00.98]The radio station, newspaper,
[28:03.61]and later magazine publishers chose to run the ads
[28:07.51]for free as part of their contribution to the war effort.
[29:01.30]They considered it their patriotic duty.
[29:04.33]After the first month of advertising,
[29:05.96]polls showed that 90% of the public knew
[29:08.86]about the different ways to buy War Bonds.
[29:11.18]Now the passage will be read for the third time.
[29:15.76]There are many expenses included in military operations.
[29:20.70]The more lively the military is, the more costs are involved.
[29:25.39]Where does a country get the money to go to war?
[29:28.55] During World War II,
[29:31.14]it was through the sale of war bonds.
[29:33.67]It was in the spring of 1941.
[29:37.95]And it became increasingly obvious that the U.S.
[29:40.51]would be drawn into the European conflict.
[29:42.86] In May, the series E Defense Bonds were issued.
[29:46.40]When war was declared, the name of the bonds
[29:48.99]was changed from defense to war
[29:52.05] to enlist the patriotism of the people.
[29:54.71]The War Bonds not only raised money for the government
[29:58.14] but also acted as an investment for the general public.
[30:01.77]A ten dollar bond was purchased for ＄7. 50 or 75% of its face value.
[30:09.48] In ten years the bond would reach maturity
[30:13.08]and be worth its face value.
[30:14.95] Ten dollars might not seem like much money now,
[30:17.89]but it represented a week’s wages or more to many people.
[30:21.80]Many people could not afford even the least expensive bonds,
[30:25.89]yet they wanted to participate.
[30:28.39]The key to selling the bonds and paying the cost of the war
[30:32.30]rested upon the Federal government’s ability to get the word out.
[30:35.98]People wouldn’t know how they could help
[30:38.70]if they didn’t know about the bonds.
[30:40.55]So the War Finance Committee thought of advertising,
[30:44.11]and turned to the newspapers and radio networks for help.
[30:47.46]The radio station, newspaper,
[30:49.96]and later magazine publishers chose to run the ads
[30:53.43]for free as part of their contribution to the war effort.
[30:56.98]They considered it their patriotic duty.
[31:00.05]After the first month of advertising,
[31:02.46]polls showed that 90% of the public knew
[31:05.81]about the different ways to buy War Bonds.
[31:09.18]This is the end of listening comprehension.