Part III        Listening Comprehension        (35 minutes)

Section A

Directions: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked [A], [B], [C] and [D], and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.

11. A) He is quite easy to recognize

   B) He is an outstanding speaker

  C) He looks like a movie star

  D) He looks young for his age

12. A) consult her dancing teacher

  B) take a more interesting class

   C) continue her dancing class

  D) improve her dancing skills

13. A) the man did not believe what the woman said

  B) the man accompanied the woman to the hospital

  C) the woman may be suffering from repetitive strain injury

   D) the woman may not followed the doctor’s instructions

14. A) they are not in style any more

  B) they have cost him far too much

   C) they no longer suit his eyesight

  D) they should be cleaned regularly

15. A) he spilled his drink onto the floor

  B) he has just finished wiping the floor

   C) he was caught in a shower on his way home

   D) he rushed out of the bath to answer the phone

16. A) fixing some furniture

  B) repairing the toy train

  C) reading the instructions

   D) assembling the bookcase

17. A) urge Jenny to spend more time on study

   B) help Jenny to prepare for the coming exams

  C) act towards Jenny in a more sensible way

  D) send Jenny to a volleyball training center

18. A) The building of the dam needs a large budget

   B) The proposed site is near the residential area

   C) The local people feel insecure about the dam

   D) The dam poses a threat to the local environment

Questions 19 to 21 are based on the conversation you have just heard.

19. A. It saw the end of its booming years worldwide

 B. Its production and sales reached record levels.

  C. It became popular in some foreign countries

  D. Its domestic market started to shrink rapidly.

20. A. They cost less.           C. They were in fashion.

   B. They tasted better.        D. They were widely advertised.

21. A. It is sure to fluctuate.      C. It will remain basically stable.

   B. It is bound to revive.      D. It will see no more monopoly

Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.

22. A. Organising protests        C. Acting as its spokesman.

   B. Recruiting members       D. Saving endangered animals.

23. A. Anti-animal-abuse demonstrations   B. Anti-nuclear campaigns

   C. Surveying the Atlantic Ocean floor   D. Removing industrial waste.

24. A. By harassing them.     C. By taking legal action.

   B. By appealing to the public   D. By resorting to force.

25. A. Doubtful     C. Indifferent.

   B. Reserved     D. Supportive 

Section B

Directions: In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked [A], [B], [C] and [D]. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.

Passage One

Questions 26 to 28 are based on the passage you have just heard.

26. A. The air becomes still.       C. The clouds block the sun.

   B. The air pressure is low.      D. The sky appears brighter.

27. A. Ancient people were better at foretelling the weather.

  B. Sailors’ saying about the weather are unreliable.

  C. People knew long ago how to predict the weather.

  D. It was easier to forecast the weather in the old days.

28. A. Weather forecast is getting more accurate today.

  B. People can predict the weather by their senses

  C. Who are the real experts in weather forecast.

  D. Weather changes affect people’s life remarkably

Passage Two

Questions 29 to 31 are based on the passage you have just heard.

29. A. They often feel insecure about their jobs.

   B. They are unable to decide what to do first.

   C. They feel burdened with numerous tasks every day.

   D they feel burdened with numerous tasks every day

30. A. Analyze them rationally.     C. Turn to others for help.

   B. Draw a detailed to-do list.    D. Handle them one by one.

31. A. They have accomplished little.   C. They have worked out a way to relax.

   B. They feel utterly exhausted.     D. They no longer feel any sense of guilt.

Passage Three

Questions 32 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.

32. A. Their performance may improve.

   B. Their immune system may be reinforced

   C. Their blood pressure may rise all of a sudden.

   D. Their physical development may be enhanced.

33. A. Improved mental functioning         C. Speeding up of blood circulation

   B. Increased susceptibility to disease     D. Reduction of stress-related hormones

34. A. Pretend to be in better shape.         C. Turn more often to friends for help

   B. Have more physical exercise.        D. Pay more attention to bodily sensations.

35. A. Different approaches to coping with stress.

   B. Various causes for serious health problems.

   C. The relationship between stress and illness.

   D. New finding of medical research on stress.

Section C

Directions: In this section, you will hear a passage three times. When the passage is read for the first time, you should listen carefully for its general idea. When the passage is read for the second time, you are required to fill in the blanks numbered from 36 to 43 with the exact words you have just heard. For blanks numbered from 44 to 46 you are required to fill in the missing information. For these blanks, you can either use the exact words you have just heard or write down the main points in your own words. Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should check what you have written.

One of the most common images of an advanced, Western-style culture is that of a busy, traffic-filled city. Since their first (36) ______ on American roadways, automobiles have become a (37) ______ of progress, a source of thousands of jobs and an almost inalienable right for citizens’ personal freedom of movement. In recent (38) _______, our “love affair” with the car is being (39) ________ directly to the developing world, and it is increasingly (40) _______ that this transfer is leading to disaster.

American’s almost complete dependence on automobiles has been a terrible mistake. As late as the 1950s, a large (41) ________ of the American public used mass transit. A (42) ________ of public policy decisions and corporate scheming saw to it that countless (43) ________ and efficient urban streetcar and intra-city rail systems were dismantled. (44) _____________________________________. Our lives have been planned along a road grid—homes far from work, shopping far from everything, with ugly stretches of concrete and blacktop in between.

Developing countries are copying Western-style transportation systems down to the last detail. (45) ___________________________________. Pollution control measures are either not strict or nonexistent, leading to choking clouds of smog. Gasoline still contains lead, which is extremely poisonous to humans. (46) ___________________________.

In addition to pollution and traffic jams, auto safety is a critical issue in developing nations.