Questions 8 to 11 are based on theconversation you have just heard.
8. A) Informative.
B) Inspiring.
C) Dull.
D) Shallow.
9. A) She types on a keyboard.
B) She does recording.
C) She takes photos.
D) She takes notes.
10. A) It keeps her mind active.
B) It makes herstay awake.
C) It enables her to think hard.
D) It helps her kill time.
11. A) It enables her to improve her pronunciation.
B) It helps her better remember what shelearns.
C) It turns out to be an enjoyable way of learning.
D) It proves to be far more effective than writing.
M: [8]Mr.Brown’s lectures are so boring.
W: Yes, he is not a very exciting speaker. But the subject is interesting.
M: During every one of his lectures, I try to listen. I really try. But after about 10 minutes my mind begins to wander and I lose concentration. But Isee that you seem to be OK. How do you stay focused through the entire hour?
W: [9]Well, what I do is keep my pen moving.
M: What do you mean?
W: It’s a method of active concentration I read about. [9]One of the mosteffective ways to concentrate is to write things down. But it has to be done by hand, not typing on a keyboard. You see writing by hand forces you to actually engage with what you’re learning in a more physical way.
M: Do you review your notes afterwards then?
W: Sometimes but that’s not important. My notes may or may not be useful but the point is that by writing down what Mr.Brand says I can follow his line of thinking more easily. In fact, sometimes I draw a little too.
M: [10]You draw in class and that helps you pay attention?
W: [10]Yes, honestly it works for me. I just draw little lines and nonsense really. It was also in that article I read. It can keep the mind active, prevent getting bored and help to concentrate. Again, the point is to listen hard while keeping the pen moving. [11] If I’m at home and I need to study what I do is read out loud. It has a similar effect to writing by hand. It helps memorize information in a physical way.
Questions 12 to 15 are based on theconversation you have just heard.
12. A)To spend her honeymoon.
B) To tryauthentic Indian food.
C) To takephotos of the Taj Mahal.
D) To trace theorigin of a love story.
13. A)In memory of a princess.
B) In honorof a great emperor.
C) To markthe death of an emperor of the 1600s.
D) Tocelebrate the birth of a princess’s 14th child.
14. A)It looks older than expected.
B) It isbuilt of wood and bricks.
C) It storeslots of priceless antiques.
D) It haswalls decorated with jewels.
15. A)Their streets are narrow.
B) They aremostly crowded.
C) Each onehas a unique character.
D) Life canbe tedious in some places.
M: And where is this?
W: These photos are from the Taj Mahal in India. [12]We went there about ten years ago for our honeymoon.
M: Was it romantic?
W:Yeah. The Taj Mahal was a very romantic place. The guide told us there is a famous love story behind this building that all Indians learn in school. [13] I think it was during the 1600s and the princess at that time died while giving birth to her 14th child. The Emperor loved the princess so much and was so sad when she died that he ordered the palace to be built in her honor.
M: Wow! That sounds very romantic. It looks amazing!
W: [14]Yes it’s gorgeous. It’s also larger in real life than it looks in the photos. The building is very tall and there are gardens in a wall around it all. It’s all built in this white stone and some walls of the building are decorated with jewels.
M: It must have been very crowded when you were there.
W: Yes it’s a very famous tourist destination. So there are thousands of visitors every day.
M: Was the rest of India crowded?
W: [15]Yes, very crowded in many cities. It was sometimes so crowded that it was difficult to walk along the streets especially through busy markets. And there are so many cars. Traffic was terrible but the people are friendly. The culture is amazing and we had a great time.
M:What about the food?
W: Indian food is great. There are lots of different dishes to try and every region has its own special food.
