Model Test One
Section A
1 W I hear that your brother is planning to transfer to another university
M Not if I can talk him out of it And believe me I’m trying
Q What does the man imply
2 W We should probably think about selecting someone to lead our study group you know
somebody really organized
M Then you can count me out
Q What does the man mean
3 W I’m sorry I need to work late tonight So you should probably cancel our reservation at the
restaurant
M Oh actually I’ve never got round to making one in the first place
Q What does the man mean
4 M How do I look in this new sweater I bought yesterday I was in a hurry so didn’t have a
chance to try it on
W Well I really like the style But it looks a little tight You might want to take it back and get
the next size up
Q What does the woman suggest the man do
5 M You were also wearing a blue scarf when you came in weren’t you I think I grabbed yours
by accident
W No you didn’t Mine’s still hanging by the door I can see it from here
Q What does the woman mean
6 W Hey Dan do you think you might hurry up just a bit You’ve been standing in front of that
sandwich counter forever And you know I got class in ten minutes and so do you by the
way
M Sorry oh I just wish they didn’t give me so many choices
Q What does the man imply
7 M You know that summer internship I’m applying for They want an official copy of all my
grades But the records office charges 20 dollars for an official grade report That’s a lot
don’t you think so
W It really is I only had to pay six for mine last year
Q What does the woman mean
8 M I’d think twice about taking a history class next year There’s not a single good professor in
the whole history department
W Look that’s what you said last term about the sociology department and I’m very glad I
didn’t pay any attention to what you said
Q What does the woman mean
Conversation One
M What’s that you’re eating Samantha not a piece of steak is it I thought you were vegetarian
W It is steak But it’s organic I was never vegetarian I just like eating natural food
M How can meat be organic
W It means the animal don’t eat things that have been genetically modified or sprayed with pesticides
M And I suppose it has had a good time walking around the fields not shut inside all its life
W That’s right
M But can you taste the difference
W I think so Anyway I’m not filling myself with all sorts of chemicals that might give me
cancer
M Yes but there’s no proof that pesticides give you cancer
W So why do the scientists who monitor these things prefer to eat organic food too Pesticides
are only tested on animals Companies don’t have to spend millions on trials with human
volunteers Small quantities of chemicals do get into your food
M Some food Look if the newspapers found a company was deliberately selling an unsafe
product their share price would crash and they’d be out of business in no time
W They may go out of business soon if they don’t start selling organic food themselves They say
sales of organic food have risen by 25
M It’s still more expensive You’ve got to compare the price which is at least double with the
risk you’re running which is absolutely minimal if you ask me
W Well this is prime organic beef from the Scottish Highlands So if you don’t mind I’d like to
finish my lunch
9 Q What can we learn about the woman’s eating habit
10 Q What is said about organic animals
11 Q How do companies test pesticides
12 Q What is the man’s opinion on organic food’s price
Conversation Two
W Professor Bevan how important is motivation for a manager
M Oh motivation is extremely important I’d say it’s the most important aspect of a manager’s
job A manager’s job is to get the job done So he has to motivate the workers—as a team and
also on an individual basis
W So how do managers go about doing this It doesn’t sound very easy
M No it is a complicated issue But managers have special tools They are trained to use them to
boost motivation and increase production to a maximum
W Tools
M Yes such as praise approval recognition trust and expectation
W And money What about money
M Yes money is a factor but you might be surprised to learn that it comes out last on the list of
these tools
W What are more important for workers
M Well all of the things that I have already mentioned and then job enrichment and good
communication
W And have you got any examples of real life situations to back up your claims
M One good example is the firm Western Electric When managers started to talk to the workers
and encouraged them to get involved in decision making workers began to feel that their
contributions were important And it paid off
W Productivity increased
M Yes hugely W So let’s get this straight Are you saying that workers are not interested in earning more
money
M I’m saying they’re not just interested in money There are other things that are just as
important
13 Q What is extremely important for a manager to do
14 Q What does the man think of money
15 Q In what way did motivation work in the example of Western Electric
Section B
Passage One
Have you ever heard of tobacco toothpaste That’s just one of many tobacco products that are
popular in India the world’s second most populous nation Cigarettes are the most widely used
form of tobacco of course but Indians also are fond of a wide selection of smokeless chewable
varieties—despite the fact that India has the world’s highest rate of tobaccorelated diseases such
as cancer and emphysema Because many children and adolescents chew tobacco from morning
till night the incidence of mouth cancer has skyrocketed
Leading a campaign to warn India’s youth of the dangers of tobacco is Ruby Bhatia who
gives many speeches and television interviews Bhatia was born in Alabama grew up in Canada
and majored in philosophy at the University of Toronto She moved to India a few years ago
already fluent in Hindi and English (two of India’s major languages) and quickly became one of
India’s most popular TV talkshow hosts
Bhatia says that her TV experience helps her create antitobacco speeches that are short and
persuasive If you give a lot of ideas that are only loosely tied together you won’t win your case
Your ideas must have a logical sequence TV reports—which she says are a good model for
public speakers to follow—often use a chronological storytelling pattern or a problemsolution
pattern
16 Q What’s the result of many Indian children’s chewing tobacco from morning till night
17 Q What contributed to Ruby Bhatia’s becoming one of India’s most popular TV talkshow
hosts
18 Q What suggestions did Bhatia give in creating speeches
Passage Two
For many years now we have been referring to English as a global language Everybody
seems to be learning English and it isn’t uncommon to see English being used as a means of
communication between let’s say a German and an Italian Very soon English will be the second
language of all the people in the world
We can see evidence of changes in this all the time Let’s take the Eurovision Song Contest as
an example Whatever we might think of the contest itself one thing that has changed recently is
that now countries can opt to sing in English In the last festival fourteen of the twenty five
competing countries asked for the rules to be changed to allow them to sing in English They
argued that singing in their own language would put them at a disadvantage
And what exactly does all of this mean for native speakers of English Well we are already
in a minority In the future majority speakers—that are nonnative English speakers—might
outnumber native English speakers by four to one The two most important Englishes won’t be
British English and American English They’ll be Native English and Majority English So native
English speakers will be the only people in the world who speak just one language Because there won’t be much of a reason for native English speakers to learn a second language As more and
more people speak English it makes sense that they will become more competent It’s us not the
Majority English speakers will be the disadvantaged
19 Q What kind of people are often seen communicating in English as mentioned by the
speaker
20 Q Why did many competing countries ask to be allowed to sing in English in the contest
21 Q What is the speaker concerned about the most
Passage Three
At the beginning of a speech student speaker Kathie Aquila posed a question On what form
of entertainment do Americans spend the greatest amount of money I’ll give you some hints It’s
not recorded music nor sports events nor rock concerts nor theme parks
Then she revealed the answer legalized gambling on which Americans each year spend
340 billion—more money than they spend on all other forms of entertainment combined In the
body of the speech Aquila tried to persuade her audience that gambling is a waste of money and
time Then she closed the speech with a quotation by Mark Twain There are two times in your
life when you should not gamble when you can’t afford it and when you can’
Aquila’s speech was lively and impressive partly because she used an interesting
introduction and a memorable conclusion
Some speakers make no plans for the beginning and end of a speech preferring to wait until
speech time to let the mood of the moment determine what they say This strategy is a mistake If
you don’t have a lively introduction you can lose your audience People have remote controls in
their heads today says Myrna Marofsky a business executive If you don’t catch their interest
they just click you off And a conclusion that is weak or clumsy can damage the effectiveness of
what otherwise might have been a good speech
Since the introduction and conclusion are extremely important devote as much time and
energy to them as you give to the body of the speech
22 Q What did Aquila do at the beginning of her speech
23 Q How did Aquila conclude her speech
24 Q What mistake do some speakers make when they prepare a speech
25 Q What does the speaker suggest speechmakers do at the end of the passage
Model Test Two
Section A
1 M I’ve been running a mile every afternoon for the past month But I still haven’t been able to
lose more than a pound or two I wonder if this is worth it
W Oh don’t give up now It always seems hard when you just start out
Q What does the woman mean
2 W I just found out the registration of the creative writing class was full Now I have to wait
another whole year to get in
M Why don’t you check back after the first week Somebody might drop it
Q What does the man suggest the woman do
3 W John I really can’t afford any more interruptions right now I’ve got to finish this
assignment
M I’m sorry Cathy Just one more thing I forgot to ask you if you could give me a ride to school tomorrow
Q What can be inferred about the man
4 M Excuse me Could you direct me to Customer Service I need to have this gift wrapped
W We can take care of that right here sir and no charge You can choose either silver or gold
with the matching bow
Q What will the man probably do next
5 W Oh no I just picked up the pictures I took at Dan and Linda’s wedding and looked at them
and none of them came out
M They are dark aren’t they What a shame Oh well I’m sure the professional photographer
got everything
Q What does the man mean
6 M I have to give an oral presentation in history next week I’m really nervous about speaking
in front of everyone
W Try making a tape of yourself while you practise That might help you feel more
comfortable
Q What does the woman suggest the man do
7 W I’m amazed that you are still driving that old car of yours I thought you would have gotten
rid of it years ago
M It runs well and I’ve actually grown quite attached to it
Q What does the man mean
8 M I was going to get something to eat at the cafeteria but it seems to be closed
W Oh that’s because it’s Sunday Why don’t you come with me to a place I know on Canal
Street
Q What does the woman suggest they do
Conversation One
M Hi Sis I just came over to drop off the DVDs you wanted Wow Where did you get all of
this stuff
W I bought it So what do you think of my new entertainment center The widescreen TV and
new DVD player
M But where did you get the money to buy all this You didn’t borrow money from mom and dad
again did you
W Of course not I got it with this It’s a student credit card
M A student credit card How did you get one
W I got an application in the mail
M Well why did you get one in the first place
W Listen Times are changing and having a credit card helps you build a credit rating control
spending and even buy things that you can’t pay with cash Like the plane ticket I got
recently
M What plane ticket
W Oh yeah my roommate and I are going to Hawaii over the school break and of course I need
some clothes
M I don’t want to hear it How does having a student credit card control spending And the
interest rates of student credit cards are usually skyhigh and if you miss a payment the rates
well just jump W Ah The credit card has a credit limit
M Yeah Oh don’t tell me Listen Hey I don’t think having a student credit card is a bad idea
but this is ridiculous And how are you going to pay off your credit card bill
W Um with my birthday money It’s coming up in a week
M Hey let’s sit down and talk about how you’re going to pay things back and maybe we can
come up with a budget that will help you get out of this mess That’s the least I can do
9 Q According to the woman which items were purchased with credit card
10 Q Why did the woman get a student credit card
11 Q What does the woman plan to do with her credit card problems
12 Q What is the man going to do to help the woman out
Conversation Two
M Honey the basketball game is about to start And could you bring some chips and a bowl of ice
cream And a slice of pizza from the fridge
W Anything else
M No that’s all for now Hey you know they’re organizing a company basketball team and I’m
thinking about joining What do you think
W Humph
M Humph What do you mean Humph I was the star player in high school
W Yeah twentyfive years ago LookI just don’t want you to have a heart attack running up and
down the court
M So what are you suggesting Should I just abandon the idea I’m not that out of shape
W Well you ought to at least have a physical plan before you begin I mean it has been at least
five years since you played at all
M Well okay
W And you need to watch your diet and cut back on the fatty foods like ice cream And you
should try eating more fresh fruits and vegetables
M Yeah you’re probably right
W And you should take up a little weight training to strengthen your muscles or perhaps try
cycling to build up your heart function Oh and you need to go to bed early instead of
watching TV half the night
M Hey you’re starting to sound like my personal fitness instructor
W No I just want you to be around for a long long time
13 Q What does the man want to do
14 Q What is the woman’s main concern
15 Q What does the woman advise about the man’s diet
Section B
Passage One
You have probably noticed that many speakers at business and professional meetings start off
by saying something like this I’m glad to have a chance to speak to you today They are giving
an icebreaker—a polite little prologue to break the ice before getting into their speech
When you give speeches in the community an icebreaker is helpful because it eases your
nervous tension and it lets the audience get accustomed to your voice You don’t need an
icebreaker for classroom speeches because your audience has already settled down and is ready to
listen I don’t like Hello how are you as an icebreaker It leaves a question as to whether the
speaker wants the audience to roar a response like Fine thank you It is much better to say I
appreciate the opportunity to speak to you tonight But you might object phrases like this have
been used so often they are meaningless Nevertheless they are valuable aids to smooth social
relationships Such expressions are dull but they are necessary because they lubricate the wheels
of human discourse
In addition to expressing appreciation for the invitation to speak you can include a thankyou
to the person who introduced you or a reference to the occasion Some speakers also use the
icebreaker to formally greet the audience This custom however has fallen out of fashion
An icebreaker should be very brief—just a sentence or two If you are too slow getting into
the attention material of your introduction you may cause some listeners to tune you out
16 Q Why is an icebreaker helpful according to the speaker
17 Q Why doesn’t the speaker like Hello how are you as an icebreaker
18 Q What warning does the speaker give at the end of the passage
Passage Two
Honesty may well be the policy but it often deserts us when no one is watching
psychologists report today Experiments with an honesty box to collect payments for hot drinks
show that people are better at paying up when under the gaze of a pair of eyes The surprise was
that the eyes were not real but photographed
Researchers at Newcastle University set up the experiment in secret They attached a poster
to a cupboard of mugs above an honesty box alongside a kettle with tea coffee and milk Over 10
weeks they alternated each week between images of eyes and pictures of flowers
Dr Bateson a biologist and leader of the study said that even though the eyes were not real
they still seemed to make people behave more honestly The effect may arise from behavioral
characteristics that developed as early humans formed social groups that increased their chances
of survival Individuals had to cooperate for the good of the group rather than act selfishly
If nobody is watching us it is in our interests to behave selfishly But when we think we’re
being watched we should behave better so people see us as cooperative and behave the same way
towards us Dr Bateson said
We thought we’d get a slight effect with eyes but it was quite striking how much difference
they made Even at a subconscious level it seems people respond to eyes and that might be
because eyes send a strong biological signal we have evolved to respond to
19 Q What is this passage mainly about
20 Q Why do people behave honestly under the watch of eyes
21 Q Before the experiment what did the researchers expect about the result
Passage Three
Before children go into a hospital for surgery their parents need to know how to prepare
them emotionally and intellectually What should they tell the children about pain and recovery
How can they ease fears and provide comfort
To help parents with this task the pediatrics department at a large metropolitan hospital asked
Jessica Trujillo a student nurse to prepare a presentation and deliver it once a week to parents
Trujillo knew some information from her experiences working with children in the peds
ward but she realized that her presentation would be much stronger if she researched the topic
She interviewed children who had undergone surgery and she talked with parents and health professionals She read books and journal articles and she explored the Internet
I came up with some insights that I never would have discovered without doing research
she said Her most surprising find Many children think they are being sent to the hospital as
punishment for bad behavior This just blew my mind I wouldn’t have guessed this in a hundred
years So of course in my presentation I emphasize to parents that they should reassure their kids
that they’ve done nothing wrong and aren’t being punished
Trujillo’s experience illustrates the value of research in speechmaking Even if you already
know a lot about a topic research can yield valuable information and insights
22 Q What do parents need to do before sending their children to a hospital for surgery
23 Q What did Trujillo do to make her presentation stronger
24 Q What is the most surprising find in Trujillo’s research
25 Q What do we learn from Trujillo’s experience
Model Test Three
Section A
1 M I’m trying to find someone to come with me to the spring fashion show in the art museum
on Saturday Want to come along
W Well I’m not too crazy about fashion but what about Lora She’s taking a fashion design
course and seems to be enjoying it
Q What does the woman suggest the man do
2 W I walk past the coffee house every day and I always see Leo there either playing a game or
reading the paper
M Well Leo knows more ways to kill time than anyone
Q What does the man say about Leo
3 M Can you believe I can’t get a plane ticket for the Christmas holidays I mean it’s only
November
W Well I wouldn’t worry about it too much You know people cancel their reservations all the
time
Q What does the woman imply the man should do
4 W It’s a long time since you left the company Where are you working now
M In a fast food restaurant It’s a real pain But I can’t complain Many people are out of work
these days
Q What do we learn about the man
5 M Look the trees on our campus are really beautiful
W Yeah and they are useful too They cut down on our needs for air conditioning don’t you
think so
Q What does the woman mean
6 M Jenny would you like to go to the concert with me this weekend or do you have to prepare
for your finals
W In fact I still have a lot to do for the exams but maybe a break would do me good
Q What will the woman probably do
7 W What do you think of my new hat honey It’s bright but awfully simple don’t you think
so
M Well if you really want my opinion I should not say awfully simple but simply awful Q How does the man feel about the woman’s hat
8 M Has Larry finished his term paper for chemistry It will be due the day after tomorrow and
Professor Johnson has never been happy with late papers
W As far as I know he seems to put everything off until the last minute
Q What do we learn about Larry from the conversation
Conversation One
M You like living in the city don’t you
W Oh I love it It’s so convenient I can take the bus to work or the subway or the taxi And
there’s so much to do
M I know what you mean I’d like to live in the city too but living in the suburbs is better for
children
W Well there are a lot of good things about suburban living But as a working woman I think a
city has all the conveniences including the best food and latest news
M But there are more trees grass and fresh air in the suburbs
W You can take them to the suburbs on the weekends Living in a city you’ll have so much fun
Movie houses theatres museums and so many great places
M Yeah children are the right age There are lots of things for them here
W You’re right Today is the perfect example They are at the aquarium in Brooklyn now They
come back home for lunch and then go uptown to the Museum of Natural History There’s so
much for young people to see and do It’s just incredible
M Not just for young people What about me I’ve never been to the aquarium or the Museum of
Natural History
W Neither have I When I was a child I used to go to the Museum of Arts
M I’ve been there several times Twice with children
W Well I have an idea Next weekend we go to the Museum of Natural History
M OK that’s really a very good idea
9 Q What are the two speakers mainly talking about
10 Q What does the man think of living in the suburbs
11 Q What is the man’s opinion of the city
12 Q What do we learn about the woman from the conversation
Conversation Two
M Right I guess you’ve got some ideas for our product promotion
W Well first we must win over the medical circle so I thought we should launch a campaign in
all the specialist medical journals to promote our drugs antibiotics and so on
M That’s a very good idea
W Then TV commercials
M Just a moment are you sure we’re allowed to advertise medicines on TV
W Oh yes provided they are not drugs which need a prescription You can advertise
overthecounter products We can get users of our products to recommend them like It cured
my disease in six days
M Now hold on It is forbidden to claim any positive cure for a disease And we mustn’t offer
any drugs for illness which should be treated by a doctor
W OK What about this A series of full page newspaper ads with the message that most doctors
consider our products the best M That depends on whether it’s true
W Sure it is But here is another suggestion We could offer to return the purchase price to anyone
who’s not satisfied with one of our products It’s possible to do that isn’t it
M No I’m afraid not Manufacturers of medical products are not allowed to promise a return for
a price in their ads
W Well it looks as though I’ll have to come up with something else I never realize the
regulations were so rigid
13 Q What are the two speakers talking about
14 Q Which suggestion of the woman’s is possible according to the man
15 Q What can we learn about the woman from the conversation
Section B
Passage One
Throughout history people have been the victims of pickpockets Today pickpocketing is one
of the most rapidly increasing crimes Pickpockets are increasing in number and developing better
methods to practice their skill About one million Americans lose money to pickpockets every year
and no one is really safe from a skilled pickpocket His victims can be rich or poor young or old
During the 18th century pickpockets were hanged in England Large crowds of people would
gather to watch the hanging which was supposed to be a warning to other pickpockets However
in time the practice was discontinued The reason while people were attentively watching the
hanging of a pickpocket other pickpockets skillfully stole the money of the spectators
Police officials say that most efficient pickpockets come from South America Many of them
are trained in special schools called Jingle Bell School A pickpocket graduates from a JBS
when he is able to steal a wallet from a dressed model that has bells inside its pockets
Even the most welldressed respectable person may be a pickpocket Some of the favorite
places of pickpockets are banks airports supermarkets and train and bus stations Another kind of
pickpocket works outside or inside bars and specializes in stealing from persons who have had too
much alcohol To avoid being the victim of pickpockets it is important to be very cautious and
alert in the midst of large gatherings of people
16 Q What is the characteristic of the pickpockets today
17 Q Why did the hanging of pickpockets come to an end
18 Q Where do most expert pickpockets come from
19 Q How to avoid being the victims of pickpockets
Passage Two
In the north of Scotland there is a deep dark lake surrounded by mountains This is Loch
Ness—loch is the Scottish word for lake A big and mysterious creature was said to live there
Although no one ever got a good look at it local people believed in this creature They thought it
must be some kind of fish since it lived in the lake
Before the 1930s few outsiders had heard of the beast Then a road was built along Loch
Ness Many visitors began seeing the loch and hearing about the beast Some believed they had
caught sight of it Many papers printed stories about the monster
These stories made the monster famous But many readers thought it was a joke To them a
monster was a makebelieve animal something they might see in a movie
Accounts of the Loch Ness monster also sounded like jokes Many people thought they had
seen part of it The parts added up to a very strange creature indeed It was said to be 20 or 30 or 50 feet long The body was thick in the middle but it thinned out toward the ends There was a
long neck with a small head Sometimes the back looked like a boat turned upside down At other
times it had one two or three humps like a camel Some people saw two or four flippers The
monster seemed shy It never attacked boats or people Any noise causes it to disappear
20 Q What does the word loch mean in English
21 Q Which of the following best describes the creature in Lake Ness
22 Q What can we infer from the passage
Passage Three
For teenagers it can seem very important to fit in Teens are very concerned about their
images and they are worried about what others think about them As a result peer pressure is very
influential in many teens’ lives
Peer pressure is basically the influence that people of your age have on you For teenagers it
is the influence that other teens have on their behavior dress attitude and practices Often
teenagers do what others are doing so that they can fit in—or at least not stand out Teens like to
do what their friends are doing and be accepted Peer pressure may be fairly straightforward with
some teens pressuring others to take part in certain activities In some cases though peer pressure
is a little more subtle with clues given to teens that they won’t be cool if they don’t participate
even without the deliberate pressure to do what everyone else is doing Peer pressure though
can lead to undesirable behaviors which may not be healthy physically or emotionally for the
teenagers While some teens choose some behaviors when they are ready many feel rushed into
decisions that they are not quite ready to make Many end up overwhelmed by the consequences
of their efforts to fit in with their peer group
Teens naturally want to project the right image However parents can reduce the influence
that peer pressure has on their teenagers It is vitally important that parents help their teenagers
develop the self confidence to withstand peer pressure and make their own decisions
23 Q Why is peer pressure very influential on teen’s lives
24 Q What is the reason for teens to do the same as their peers
25 Q What should parents do to reduce the influence peer pressure has on their teenagers
Model Test Four
Section A
1 M If you are in a hurry you are suggested to take a taxi or else you can take the bus
W The meeting won’t be held until 200 pm There’s no need to be hurry
Q What will the woman probably do
2 W Did you see Mary’s performance in the party last night It’s her debut
M How she could be so calm in front of such a large audience is really beyond me
Q What does the man imply
3 W I’m having trouble making ends meet It looks like I have to get some help from my parents
M I think you can manage it well if you just cut down your expense on clothes
Q What does the man imply
4 M The fabric is comfortable and the style is fashionable but the sleeves are really too long for
me don’t you think so
W The sleeves are not a problem I can alter them for you
Q What does the woman imply 5 W The term paper is due soon but all the books I need are checked out
M There are tens of thousands of books but I can never get the one that I need most
Q What can we learn from the conversation
6 W Did you have different opinion with the group arrangement
M I do not feel like working with Jane in the discussion group If she is in the group other
members just couldn’t have the opportunity to get a word in
Q What does the man think about Jane
7 W I’m moving to a new apartment but I have too much luggage So could you do me a favor
M Sure Why not go and see if your roommates are free too
Q What does the man imply
8 W Could you give me a ride to the class tonight
M I’d love to but I’m meeting Jack tonight so maybe I have to skip tonight’s class
Q What does the man mean
Conversation One
W Steve you look pale Do you get ill
M No I’m not ill I just didn’t sleep a wink last night
W Oh Did you have something on your mind You look so concerned Tell me what happened
and maybe I can help you
M Well I’m under a lot of pressure My boss is very pushy He assigned me three projects Now
the deadlines are near and I still haven’t finished all of my projects
W Three projects It’s a lot of work load Is there anything I can do to help you
M Well I guess no one can help me but myself For the moment I just need someone to talk to so
that I can relieve my stress
W I’d like to listen to you if that can make you feel any better
M You’re really considerate I appreciate your help
W Nothing serious I think you’d also need to have a talk with your boss It’s not a good idea to
take all the workload by yourself silently It’s not fair you know
M It’s totally in vain to talk to my boss He only cares his own profits rather than the employees’
W Then I think you’d better change your job It’s not wise to work for such a selfish boss
M Maybe you are right I’d better call the headhunters
W Don’t worry It’s not difficult for you to find a new job since you have been in this line for
such a long time
9 Q Why does the man look pale
10 Q Why does the man feel stressful
11 Q What does the woman suggest the man do
12 Q Why does the woman think the man can easily find another job
Conversation Two
W Hey You got a new television
M Yeah It was delivered yesterday What do you think of it
W It’s huge It practically takes up the entire side of the room
M I know I know You don’t think it’s well excessive do you
W I didn’t say that I mean if you enjoy it why not What happened to your old TV anyhow
M It just stopped working last Friday It was pretty old and didn’t work well I thought I can
afford it Why not get a new one W It must be expensive
M Well not as much as you might think I got it on sale for 50 off
W Really Where
M At the Stereo City on Route 20 You know at first I just wanted to replace what I had A TV of
about the same size and quality but the salesman was pushing these because they were 50 off
W Yeah But 50 off what
M 2400 dollars
W You spent 1200 on a TV
M It’s got a lot of special features Look at this remote control
W I am sure But that’s still a lot of money for a television I didn’t think you watched TV that
much
M Well I don’t Do you think I ought to return it If I do it within a week of purchase I can get
my money back
W Honestly yes and you know that I think you ought to read the catalogue first and choose the
model you want before you go to the store That way you will get what you want
M I think you are right
13 Q What is the woman’s attitude towards the man’s new television
14 Q What does the woman suggest the man do
15 Q What will the man probably do as a result of the conversation
Section B
Passage One
Of the many people who supported systems of efficient production the most influential was
Frederick W Taylor As a foreman and engineer for the Midvale Steel Company in the 1880s
Taylor observed that the company—in fact all companies—would always have fixed costs of
taxes insurance interest on loans and depreciation of buildings and equipment He concluded
that the only way to lessen the impact of fixed costs and thus increase profits was to base
production on scientific studies of how quickly the various kinds of work ought to be done
The ought was crucial because it signified the goal of producing more for a lower cost per
unit—meaning reducing labor costs by eliminating unnecessary workers The how quickly
meant that time and money were equivalent
In 1898 Taylor took his stopwatch to the Bethlehem Steel Company where he undertook a
fivemonth study to illustrate how his principles of scientific management worked His
experiments he explained involved identifying the elementary operations of motions used by
specific workers eliminating all useless movements selecting better tools and devising a series
of motions which can be made quickest and best Applying the technique to the shovelling of
ore Taylor eventually designed fifteen kinds of different tasks and prescribed the proper motions
for using each shovel As a result he reduced a crew of 600 men to 140 and cut company costs in
half The remaining shovelers received higher wages
16 Q What do we know about Frederick W Taylor
17 Q What was the purpose of Taylor’s study at the Bethlehem Steel Company
18 Q How did Taylor cut half of the company costs
Passage Two
Are electric cars the way of the future Automobile manufacturers are under pressure to
develop cars that do not pollute One powerful motive is a California law requiring that by the year 2012 ten percent of new car sold in the state be socalled zeroemission vehicles These cars
must put no pollutants whatsoever into the atmosphere California is a huge market for the
automobile companies so they are working hard to meet these standards So far the electric car
seems to be the best alternative So the big advantage of electric cars is that they don’t pollute
However they will be in competition with gaspowered cars and that’s where the weaknesses come
out The big problem is that the batteries that power electric cars weigh a lot relative to the amount
of power they deliver For example in one prototype electric car the batteries weighed 400
kilograms And they provide enough energy to go 250 kilometers before recharging which takes
eight hours Compare that to a moderately fuelefficient conventional car it can go 600 to 700
kilometers on a tank of gas and refilling takes just minutes If there are other drains on an electric
car’s batteries besides the motor headlights airconditioning or a heater its already limited range
will be significantly reduced So automobile engineers are trying to make more powerful batteries
that would increase the cars’ range and make them more attractive to buyers
19 Q What promotes the development of electric cars in California
20 Q What is the main advantage of electric cars over gaspowered cars
21 Q Which of the following is not one of the drawbacks of the electric car
Passage Three
Vitamin D helps bones and muscles grow strong and healthy Low levels of vitamin D can
lead to many diseases Research in the last several years has shown that low levels of vitamin D
may increase the risk of heart attacks in men and deaths from some cancers
The easiest way to get vitamin D is from sunlight The sun’s ultraviolet rays react with skin
cells to produce vitamin D But many people worry about getting skin cancer and skin damage
from the sun As a result they cover their skin or wear sunblock or stay out of the sun
Also darker skinned people produce less vitamin D than lighter skinned people Production
also decreases in older people and those living in northern areas that get less sunlight
Not many foods naturally contain vitamin D Foods high in this vitamin include oily fish such
as salmon and fish liver oils Boston University researchers reported last year that farmed salmon
had only about onefourth as much vitamin D as wild salmon
Small amounts of D are found in beef liver cheese and egg yolks And some people take
dietary supplements containing the vitamin But most of the vitamin D in the American diet comes
from foods with D added like milk
More doctors are now having their patients tested for their vitamin D levels But as research
continues some experts worry that if people take too much vitamin D it might act as a poison
22 Q What is the easiest way to get vitamin D
23 Q Which kind of people produce the most vitamin D
24 Q How did researchers in Boston University report about salmon
25 Q Where does most of the vitamin D come from in American diet
Model Test Five
Section A
1 W I was sorry I had to leave early How did the rest of the meeting go
M You missed the best part Things got really hot between Jim and Mr Kendrick
Q What does the man mean
2 M Can you come to the lake with me this weekend You’ll find great fun there W Let me see if I can get out of helping my brother paint his house
Q What does the woman want to do
3 W The department store on Center Street is having a sale They’re advertising discounts of up
to 80 on a lot of their goods
M Yeah I was there when they opened this morning It was so packed I didn’t even go inside
Q What does the man mean
4 W James did you hear Richard talk about the landing on the moon
M Yeah To hear him say it you would think that he was part of the operation
Q What does the man mean
5 W Robert do you know the local residents have been protesting against the oil spill since last
week in front of the City Hall
M Yes I heard about that But I don’t know how much good it will do
Q What does the man imply
6 W Steve called to see whether we can give him a lift to the beach this weekend
M Well I’ll see to that but whether or not we’ll have any room for him is unclear
Q What does the man mean
7 M I can’t believe how much work professor Garcia assigns I don’t see how I can possibly get
it all done
W Oh but he’s great isn’t he You’ll learn so much in his class
Q What can be inferred about Professor Garcia
8 W What a fascinating speaker It was really good for thought
M Oh I’m not sure I’d go along with you there I kept dozing off quite a few times
Q What did the man think of the speaker
Conversation One
W Hey Taxi
M Where to
W Well I’m going to the National Museum of Art and
M Sure Get in Hang on
W Uh Excuse me How long does it take to get there
M Well that all depends on the traffic but it shouldn’t take more than twenty minutes for the
average driver And I’m not average I have driving down to an art so we should be able to get
there in less than twelve minutes
W Thanks
M ErThis is your first time to the city right
W Yeah How did you know
M Well you can tell tourists from a mile away in this city because they walk down the street
looking straight up at the skyscrapers
W Was it that obvious
M Well
W Oh before I forget can you recommend any good restaurants downtown that offer meals at a
reasonable price
M Umm Well the Chinese restaurant Quanjude is fantastic It’s not as expensive as other
places I know but the flavor is very authentic and the portions are larger than most places I’ve
been to W Sounds great How do I get there from the museum
M Well you can catch the subway right outside the museum There are buses that run that way
but you would have to transfer a couple of times And there are taxis too but they don’t run by
the museum that often
W OK Thanks
9 Q How long will it take the driver to get to the destination
10 Q How does the driver figure out that the passenger is a firsttime visitor to the city
11 Q What is one item the driver did not mention about the restaurant
12 Q Which is the best way to get to the restaurant from the Museum
Conversation Two
W Hi Welcome to Rental Property Management How may I help you
M Hi yes I’m interested in renting a twobedroom apartment
W Okay So that we will be able to match your needs better I would like to ask you a few
questions before I show you what we have available First what price range are you interested
in
M Somewhere between 400—450 a month
W Okay Did you have a specific location in mind
M Well I would like to live somewhere near the campus Or at least on a bus line
W And when would you like to move in
M On the first of the month
W Okay Are there any other amenities which you would like to have For example a dishwasher
a balcony a swimming pool or central air conditioning
M I would definitely like to have a dishwasher and with summers like these central air A
balcony is not that important Oh yes and two bathrooms would be nice
W Okay Here are photos of the apartments we have available which fit your preferences
M Thank you This one on Broadway Avenue looks nice I would like to see that one And the one
on Main Street
W Sure Let me get the keys and we will go look at them If you choose to rent one of them we
will need a damage deposit of 250 You will be responsible for all the utilities You can sign a
lease today if you like
M Great Thank you
13 Q Where does the conversation most probably take place
14 Q Where does the man prefer to live
15 Q Which of the following is not important for the man in choosing an apartment
Section B
Passage One
If you have a friend who can imitate anybody he can’t compare with a parrot Wild parrots
developed highly flexible vocal organs over thousands of years They can imitate any sound from
a leaky tap to an opera singer But do they understand what exactly they’re saying
Scientists used to assume what parrots said amounted to no more than repetition But a
scientist named Irene Pepperberg has spent the last 20 years disapproving old myths about parrots
She does so by training and observing parrots and her work has suggested something interesting
indeed It’s as if parrot brains are IBMs and our brains are Macs she says They may be
organized differently but the same information comes out Alex an African parrot who is Irene’s best student speaks and responds to 100 words
Experiments show he can name 5 shapes and 7 colors and knows the difference between bigger
and smaller same or different How many blue keys Irene asks showing a tray of red and blue
keys and blocks One Alex answers correctly Alex has to process an amazing amount of
information to come up with the right answer Alex learns the way young children do He practices
new words in private before using them in conversation just like any 2yearold child Most
impressive of all Alex can make his own wishes known When he is tired of Irene’s exercises he
says I want to go away
16 Q What was scientists’ assumption of parrots
17 Q Why does Irene compare human’s and parrot’s brains to computers
18 Q What is the most impressive act of Alex
Passage Two
Millions of dollars are spent every year in fighting tooth decay Despite better education and
a higher standard of living the number of people needing dental treatment increases every year A
British dentist Mr R V Tait has thought about why this is the case and has made some
suggestions about what could be done to improve the situation
He has pointed out that our thirtytwo teeth evolved in the past to deal with a much tougher
diet than we have now Our ancestors ate tough gritty food and so they needed many teeth Our
teeth however do not have to cope with such a diet because we eat much softer food Unless
therefore we are prepared to eat the diet of our ancestors we should get rid of some of our teeth
Instead of thirtytwo teeth it would be better if we had a wellspaced set of twenty to twentyfour
This would force the rest to work harder and make them healthier
Another advantage would be that with larger spaces between our teeth caries could not
develop as it does now between teeth that are very close together Furthermore most extractions
would be done during childhood when teeth can be extracted easily and sockets heal with little
pain
Mr Tait’s theory is original and convincing It is a remarkable piece of work because most
dentists believe we should keep as many of our teeth as possible It is unlikely unfortunately that
they will be persuaded by his ideas
19 Q Why don’t we need so many teeth as our ancestors
20 Q What is Mr Tait’s suggestion to fight tooth decay
21 Q Which of the following is not an advantage of a wellspaced set of twenty to twentyfour
teeth
22 Q What do most dentists think of Mr Tait’s theory
Passage Three
In every major city young men and sometimes young women try to earn a living by driving
taxis London has the most knowledgeable taxi drivers Paris the most political Sydney has the
most modern taxis None however are more famous than the men who drive the yellow and black
taxis of New York
Movies TV shows books and songs about New York city must include something about its
taxi drivers New York taxi drivers come from over 80 countries about 40 of them are from
India Many others come from the West Indies Russia Israel and increasingly from China A
mere 10 of the city’s taxi drivers were born in America One thing that makes New York drivers
different from those in other major cities is their cultural creativity Besides their constant appearance in the media taxi drivers have written books about their work and lives Many sing
songs and write poetry using their own vivid and distinctive speech Much of their art is about
loneliness sadness at personal failures or arguments with customers
There are large social gaps between New York taxi drivers and their passengers Conflicts
frequently arise For instance the taxi drivers are often rude to middleclass women Sometimes
the conflicts are made worse by a language barrier as quite a few immigrant drivers have trouble
with basic English The conflicts that arise over unimportant matters often reveal the driver’s
anger at the social gaps
23 Q Where does the largest group of New York taxi drivers come from
24 Q What makes New York drivers different from those in other major cities
25 Q What is the major reason for the conflicts between New York taxi drivers and passengers
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