[00:08.98]Section A:
[00:57.65]11.
[01:00.00]M: I'm asked to pick up the guest speaker Bob Russel at the airport this afternoon,
[01:05.58]do you know what he looks like?
[01:07.53]W: Well, he's in his sixties, he stands out,
[01:12.06]he's bald, tall and thin and has a beard.
[01:15.75]Q: What do we conclude from the woman's remarks about Bob Russel?
[01:37.20]12.
[01:39.02]W: I'm considering dropping my dancing class. I'm not making any progress.
[01:44.25]M: If I were you, I'd stick with it. It's definitely worth time and effort.
[01:49.26]Q: What does the man suggest the woman do?
[02:08.39]13.
[02:11.69]W: You see I still have this pain in my back,
[02:15.04]this medicine the doctor gave me was supposed to make me feel better by now.
[02:19.82]M: Maybe you should've taken it three times a day as you were told.
[02:24.85]Q: What do we learn from the conversation?
[02:43.88]14.
[02:47.23]M: Frankly, when I sat at the back of the classroom,
[02:50.63]I can't see the words on the board clearly.
[02:53.28]W: Well, you've been wearing those same glasses as long as I've known you.
[02:58.09]Why not get a new pair, it won't cost you too much.
[03:02.68]Q: What does the woman imply about the man's glasses?
[03:23.05]15.
[03:25.82]W: How come the floor is so wet?
[03:28.18]I almost slipped, what happened?
[03:31.02]M: Oh, sorry! The phone rang the moment I got into the shower,
[03:35.30]anyway, I'll wipe it up right now.
[03:38.22]Q: Why was the floor wet according to the man?
[03:58.65]16.
[04:02.11]M: The instructions on the package say that you need to some assembly yourself.
[04:07.98]I've spent all afternoon trying in vain to put this bookcase together.
[04:13.14]W: I know what you mean, last time I tried to assemble a toy train for my son and I almost gave up.
[04:21.04]Q: What does the man find difficult?
[04:41.06]17.
[04:43.20]M: I'm getting worried about Jenny's school work.
[04:47.46]All she talks about these days is volleyball games and all she does is practice, training and things like that.
[04:55.89]W: Her grades on the coming exams will fall for sure.
[04:59.86]It's high time we talk(ed) some sense to her.
[05:03.02]Q: What are the speakers probably going to do?
[05:23.41]18.
[05:26.45]W: Do you understand why the local people are opposed to the new dam up the river?
[05:32.07]M: They are worried about the potential danger if the dam should break.
[05:36.18]The river is very wide above the proposed site.
[05:39.73]Q: What do we learn from the conversation?
[06:03.90]Conversation One
[06:06.19]W: Mr. White, what changes have you seen in the champagne market in the last ten to fifteen years?
[06:13.89]M: Well the biggest change has been the decrease in sales since the great boom years of the 1980s
[06:19.92]when champagne production and sales reached record levels.
[06:23.45]W: Which was the best year?
[06:25.83]M: Well the record was in 1989 when 249 million bottles of champagne was sold.
[06:34.18]The highest production level was reached in 1990 with a total of 293 million bottles.
[06:41.59]Of course since those boom years sales have fallen.
[06:46.25]W: Has the market been badly hit by the recession?
[06:49.65]M: Oh certainly, the economic problems in champagnes' export markets that's Europe,
[06:55.58]the United States, Japan, and of course the domestic market in France,
[07:00.08]the economic problems have certainly been one reason for the decrease in champagne sales.
[07:05.55]W: And the other reasons?
[07:07.59]M: Another important factor has been price.
[07:10.53]In the early 90s, champagne was very overpriced, so many people stop buying it.
[07:17.01]Instead they bought sparkling wines from other countries, in particular from Australia and Spain.
[07:24.12]And then there was another problem for champagne in the early 90s.
[07:28.62]W: What was that?
[07:30.10]M: There was a lot of rather bad champagne on the market.
[07:33.55]This meant the popularity of good sparkling wines increased even more.
[07:38.29]People was surprised by their quality and of course they were a lot cheaper than champagne.
[07:44.59]W: Do you think the champagne market will recover in the future?
[07:48.87]M: Oh, I'm sure it will. When the economic situation improves, I believe the market will recover.
[07:56.32]Questions 19-21 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
[08:03.04]Question 19: What does the man say about champagne in 1980s?
[08:26.82]Question 20: Why did sparkling wines become more popular than champagne in the early 90s?
[08:51.31]Question 21: What does the man think of the champagne market in the future?
[09:13.65]Conversation Two
[09:16.76]W: Right, well, in the studio this morning, for our interview spot is Peter Wilson.
[09:23.24]Peter works for Green Peace. So, Peter, welcome.
[09:27.61]M: Thanks a lot. It's good to be here.
[09:29.66]W: Great! Now, Peter, perhaps you can tell us something about Green Peace and your job there.
[09:35.91]M: Sure. Well, I'll start by telling you roughly what Green Peace is all about.
[09:41.52]I actually work in London for the Green Peace organization.
[09:45.85]We've been going for a few decades and we're a non-violent, non-political organization.
[09:52.03]We're involved in anti-nuclear activity,
[09:55.39]conservation and protection of animals and protection and support of our eco-system.
[10:00.98]I'm the action organizer and arrange any protests.
[10:05.10]W: Great! A pretty important role, Peter. What sort of protest would you organize?
[10:11.42]M: Well, recently we've been involved in anti-nuclear campaigns.
[10:16.04]I, personally arranged for the demonstration against radioactive waste dumping in the Atlantic Ocean.
[10:23.24]We've got a few small Green Peace boats that we harass the dumping ship with.
[10:28.50]W: Hey? Hold on, Peter. I thought you said your organization was non-violent.
[10:34.29]What do you mean by "harass"?
[10:36.55]M: Well, we circle round and round the ships and get in the way when they try to dump the drums of nuclear waste in the sea.
[10:43.97]We talk to the men and try to change, you know, yell at them to stop.
[10:49.28]We generally make ourselves as much of a nuisance possible.
[10:53.36]M: Well, people may think differently of your methods but there's no doubt you're doing a great job.
[10:59.89]Keep it up and good luck.
[11:02.47]And thanks for talking with us.
[11:04.63]W: Thanks for having me.
[11:06.82]Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversations you have just heard.
[11:14.12]22. What is the man's chief responsibility in the Green Peace organization?
[11:37.64]23. What has Green Peace been involved in recently?
[12:00.68]24. How does Green Peace try to stop people from dumping nuclear waste?
[12:24.62]25. What is the woman's attitude towards the Green Peace's campaigns?
[12:47.48]SectionB:
[13:21.05]Passage One
[13:22.98]To find out what the weather is going to be, most people go straight to the radio, television,
[13:29.24]or newspaper to get an expert weather forecast.
[13:32.79]But if you know what to look for, you can use your own senses to make weather predictions.
[13:39.36]There are many signs that can help you.
[13:42.49]For example, in fair weather the air pressure is generally high,
[13:47.51]the air is still and often full of dust, and far away objects may look vague.
[13:53.91]But when the storm is brewing, the pressure drops, and you are often able to see things more clearly.
[14:01.30]Sailors took note of this long ago, and came up with the saying, "The farther the sight, the nearer the rain."
[14:10.32]Your sense of smell can also help you detect the weather changes.
[14:15.60]Just before it rains, odors become stronger, this is because odors are repressed in a fair high pressure center.
[14:25.73]When a bad weather low moves in, air pressure lessens and odors are released.
[14:32.65]You can also hear an approaching storm.
[14:36.51]Sounds bounce off heavy storm clouds and return to earth with increased force.
[14:42.42]An old saying describes it this way, "Sounds traveling far and wide a stormy day will be tied".
[14:52.44]And don't laugh at your grandmother if she says she can feel a storm coming.
[14:57.97]It is commonly known that many people feel pains in their bones or joints while the humidity rises,
[15:04.58]the pressure drops, and bad weather is on the way.
[15:09.25]Questions 26 to 28are based on the passage you've heard.
[15:16.30]26: Why does the speaker say we can see far away objects more clearly as a storm is approaching?
[15:41.32]27: What does the speaker want to show by quoting a couple of old sayings?
[16:05.14]28:What does the passage mainly talk about?
[16:27.57]Passage Two
[16:29.46]Many days seem to bring numerous tasks and responsibilities,
[16:33.51]all of which apparently must be tackled right away.
[16:37.45]You spend a day putting out fires, but by the end of the day,
[16:41.90]you haven't accomplished any of the really important things you set out to do.
[16:47.32]In desperation, you draft a "to-do" list.
[16:51.20]But most days, you can make little progress with it.
[16:54.75]When you look at the list each morning, a big fat cloud of doom is right at the top
[17:01.57]—those difficult, complex, important tasks that are so crucial to get done and so easy to avoid.
[17:09.40]Plenty of us create a "to-do" list to address feelings of being overwhelmed,
[17:15.45]but we rarely use these tools to their best effect.
[17:19.22]They wind up being guilt-provoking reminders of the fact that we are over-committed,
[17:25.09]and losing control of our priorities.
[17:27.85]According to Timothy Pikle, professor of a psychology at Carlton University in Ottawa.
[17:35.02]People often draw up a "to-do" list and then that's it.
[17:39.34]The list itself becomes the day's achievement,
[17:42.69]allowing us to feel we've done something useful without taking on any real work.
[17:48.28]In fact, drawing up the list becomes a way of avoiding the work itself.
[17:54.15]"Too often, the list is seen as the accomplishment for the day,
[17:58.89]reducing the immediate guilt of not working on the tasks at hand by investing energy in the list," says Pikle,
[18:07.75]"when a list is used like this, it's simply another way in which we lie to our selves."
[18:15.90]Questions 29 to 31 are based on the passage you've heard.
[18:21.27]29. What is the problem that troubles many people nowadays according to the speaker?
[18:45.74]30. According to the speaker, what do many people do to cope with their daily tasks?
[19:10.31]31. According to psychologist Timothy Pikle what do people find by the end of the day?
[19:35.44]Passage Three
[19:37.47]In many stressful situations the body's responses can improve our performance.
[19:44.07]We become more energetic, more alert, better able to take effective action.
[19:50.01]But when stress is encountered continually, the body's reactions are more likely to be harmful than helpful to us.
[19:58.09]The continual speeding up of bodily reactions
[20:02.61]and the production of stress-related hormones seem to make people more susceptible to heart disease.
[20:08.64]And stress reactions can reduce the disease-fighting effectiveness of body"s immune system,
[20:15.05]thereby increasing susceptibility to illnesses, ranging from colds to cancer.
[20:21.74]Stress may also contribute to disease in less direct ways by influencing moods and behavior.
[20:30.41]People, under stress, may become anxious or depressed and as a result may eat too much or too little,
[20:38.70]have sleep difficulties, or fail to exercise.
[20:42.55]These behavioral changes may in turn be harmful to their health.
[20:48.09]In addition, people are more likely to pay attention to certain bodily sensations
[20:54.72]such as aches and pains when they are under stress and to think they are sick.
[20:59.98]If the person were not under stress,
[21:04.10]the same bodily sensations might not be perceived as symptoms and the person might continue to feel well.
[21:11.47]Some researchers have suggested that assuming the role of a sick person is one way
[21:18.47]in which certain people try to cope with stress.
[21:21.88]Instead of dealing with the stressful situation directly, these people fall sick.
[21:28.14]After all, it is often more acceptable in our society to be sick
[21:32.90]and to seek medical help than it is to admit that one can not cope with the stresses of life.
[21:39.98]Questions 32 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.
[21:46.68]Question 32:What does the speaker say about people who encounter stress once in a while?
[22:11.72]Question 33:What does speaker say frequent stress reactions may lead to?
[22:35.06]Question 34:What are people more likely to do when they are under stress?
[22:57.47]Question 35:What does the passage mainly talk about?
[23:19.56]SectionC:
[24:12.16]One of the most common images of advanced Western-style culture is that of a busy traffic-filled city.
[24:19.66]Since their first appearance on American roadways,
[24:23.53]automobiles have become a symbol of progress,
[24:27.09]a source of thousands of jobs and almost an inalienable right for citizens' personal freedom of movement.
[24:35.17]In recent decades, our love affair with the car is being exported directly
[24:41.04]to the developing world and it is increasingly apparent that this transfer is leading to disaster.
[24:48.07]America's almost complete dependence on automobiles has been a terrible mistake.
[24:56.10]As late as the 1950s, a large percentage of the American public used mass transit.
[25:02.98]A combination of public policy decisions and corporate scheming saw to it
[25:08.13]that countless convenient and efficient urban streetcar and intra-city rail systems were dismantled.
[25:15.54]Our air quality now suffers from the effects of the pollutants emitted directly from our cars.
[25:21.80]Our lives have been planned along a road grid--homes far from work,
[25:28.00]shopping far from everything, with ugly stretches of concrete and blacktop in between.
[25:34.59]Developing countries are copying Western-style transportation systems down to the last detail.
[25:41.82]The problems caused by motorized vehicles in the West are often magnified in developing nations.
[25:49.79]Pollution-control measures are either not strict or nonexistent, leading to choking clouds of smog.
[25:57.83]Gasoline still contains lead, which is extremely poisonous to humans.
[26:04.46]Movement in some cities comes to a virtual standstill,
[26:08.32]as motorized traffic competes with bicycles and pedestrians.
[26:13.38]In addition to pollution and traffic jams, auto safety is a critical issue in developing countries.
[26:26.88]One of the most common images of advanced Western-style culture is that of a busy traffic-filled city.
[26:35.14]Since their first appearance on American roadways,
[26:38.39]automobiles have become a symbol of progress,
[26:42.25]a source of thousands of jobs and almost an inalienable right for citizens' personal freedom of movement.
[26:50.06]In recent decades, our love affair with the car is being exported directly
[26:55.80]to the developing world and it is increasingly apparent that this transfer is leading to disaster.
[27:03.14]America's almost complete dependence on automobiles has been a terrible mistake.
[27:10.45]As late as the 1950s, a large percentage of the American public used mass transit.
[27:17.35]A combination of public policy decisions and corporate scheming saw to it
[27:23.60]that countless convenient and efficient urban streetcar and intra-city rail systems were dismantled.
[27:30.86]Our air quality now suffers from the effects of the pollutants emitted directly from our cars.
[28:43.08]Our lives have been planned along a road grid--homes far from work,
[28:48.93]shopping far from everything, with ugly stretches of concrete and blacktop in between.
[28:55.82]Developing countries are copying Western-style transportation systems down to the last detail.
[29:03.30]The problems caused by motorized vehicles in the West are often magnified in developing nations.
[30:16.14]Pollution-control measures are either not strict or nonexistent, leading to choking clouds of smog.
[30:23.92]Gasoline still contains lead, which is extremely poisonous to humans.
[30:29.51]Movement in some cities comes to a virtual standstill,
[30:33.73]as motorized traffic competes with bicycles and pedestrians.
[31:44.77]In addition to pollution and traffic jams, auto safety is a critical issue in developing countries.
[31:57.44]One of the most common images of advanced Western-style culture is that of a busy traffic-filled city.
[32:04.59]Since their first appearance on American roadways,
[32:08.26]automobiles have become a symbol of progress,
[32:11.75]a source of thousands of jobs and almost an inalienable right for citizens' personal freedom of movement.
[32:19.95]In recent decades, our love affair with the car is being exported directly to the developing world
[32:26.92]and it is increasingly apparent that this transfer is leading to disaster.
[32:32.59]America's almost complete dependence on automobiles has been a terrible mistake.
[32:40.43]As late as the 1950s, a large percentage of the American public used mass transit.
[32:47.77]A combination of public policy decisions and corporate scheming saw to it
[32:53.31]that countless convenient and efficient urban streetcar and intra-city rail systems were dismantled.
[32:59.78]Our air quality now suffers from the effects of the pollutants emitted directly from our cars.
[33:06.48]Our lives have been planned along a road grid--homes far from work,
[33:12.71]shopping far from everything, with ugly stretches of concrete and blacktop in between.
[33:19.41]Developing countries are copying Western-style transportation systems down to the last detail.
[33:26.66]The problems caused by motorized vehicles in the West are often magnified in developing nations.
[33:35.27]Pollution-control measures are either not strict or nonexistent, leading to choking clouds of smog.
[33:42.52]Gasoline still contains lead, which is extremely poisonous to humans.
[33:48.44]Movement in some cities comes to a virtual standstill,
[33:53.68]as motorized traffic competes with bicycles and pedestrians.
[33:58.26]In addition to pollution and traffic jams, auto safety is a critical issue in developing countries.