1. Identifying rhyming words and homonyms;

2. Understanding two news items and doing all the exercises;

3. Understanding two conversations and doing all the exercises;

4. Understanding two passages and doing all the exercises.

A. Rhyming refers to a pair or series of words, or lines of poetry, which end with the same vowel-consonant sound, such as “house” and “mouse,” “school” and “fool.” Listen and choose the word from each group that is read aloud.

 1) a. meat        b. neat        c. beat

 2) a. not       b. lot        c. got

 3) a. pet        b. bet        c. set

 4) a. sing        b. thing        c. ring

 5) a. pull        b. bull        c. full

 6) a. road        b. load        c. fold

 7) a. town        b. down        c. gown

 8) a. lap        b. rap        c. tap

 9) a. dear        b. tear        c. beer

10) a. bare        b. hair        c. pair

B. Listen and write down the word you hear in each blank; then choose the letter beside the word that rhymes with what you hear.

 1) ride        a. hide        b. kite        c. light

 2) sleep        a. slip        b. sheep        c. seat

 3) high         a. right          b. sign        c. fly

 4) slow        a. through          b. blow        c. now

 5) night        a. light         b. signed        c. kind

 6) rain        a. bring      b. brain        c. wind

 7) blue         a. loose        b. cruel        c. grew 

 8) listen         a. tighten        b. fasten        c. fan

 9) cheese        a. geese        b. seats        c. keys 

10) cow        a. wow        b. tow        c. know

C. Listen to the following poem and underline the rhymed words; then read along.

Little Bears

Once two little brown bears

Found a pear-tree full of pears;

But they could not climb up there

"If I only had a chair,"

Said the elder brown bear,

"I would get the biggest pear

That is hanging in the air,"

"If you do not spoil my hair,"

Said the younger little bear,

"I will serve you as a chair,

And you can get the biggest pear."

A. Homonyms are words that are pronounced the same but have different spellings and meanings. Listen to the following ten sentences, choose the word you hear.

 1)  a. hour         b. our

 2)  a. meat           b. meet

 3)  a. bear           b. bare

 4)  a. two           b. too

 5)  a. right           b. rite

 6)  a. read           b. red

 7)  a. weight         b. wait

 8)  a. weather        b. whether

 9)  a. way           b. weigh

10)  a. hole           b. whole

* Script:

 1) The meeting will begin in one hour.    

 2) Most Westerners like to eat meat. 

 3) I just can’t bear his smoking.    

 4) He was one of my students, too.  

 5) You’ve made the right decision.   

 6) Red is the color that the little girl likes best.  

 7) Wait a moment. I need to pick up my luggage.   

 8) Whether you like English or not shows in your performance.  

 9) By the way, why not try your luck at marketing?  

10) The whole world is now watching how the U.S. will respond to the report. 

B. In this part you’ll hear ten sentences. Listen carefully and write down the homonyms you hear.

 1) sea      see

 2) write      right

 3) sail      sale

 4) by      buy 

 5) new      knew 

 6) here      hear 

 7) for      four 

 8) fair      fare

 9) there      their 

10) past      passed

* Script:

 1) Can you see the trees?

 2) It is on the right side of the street.

 3) Excuse me, is it on sale?

 4) I want to buy three cassettes.

 5) Tom knew everything about it.

 6) I can’t hear your voice!

 7) There are four bedrooms in this house.

 8) What’s the fare? I don’t think I can afford it.

 9) Pay attention to their answers.

10) Time passed so fast.

A. News Item One

●  Listen to the following news item and then, for each question, select the best answer from among the four choices given.

1) What is the main idea of the news report?

a. Americans use the color orange to protest gun violence.

b. A group of teenagers in Chicago launched a fruit campaign. 

c. Many famous American buildings were lit up in orange.

d. Many famous Americans opposed the orange movement. 

2) Who is Hadiya Pendleton according to the news?

a. A victim of gun violence.

b. A designer of American buildings.

c. A famous American organizer.

d. A supporter of strong gun controls.

      * Script:

      Gun violence has become very common in the United States. Some Americans want stronger gun controls. Others say people should be free to carry guns to protect themselves.

      Three years ago, a group of teenagers in Chicago launched a campaign. The group asked their classmates to honor Hadiya Pendleton, a victim of gun violence, by wearing orange shirts. The color orange represents the value of human life.

      Many famous American buildings were lit up in orange to help spread public awareness of the movement. Many famous Americans and organizations expressed support for the movement.

B. News Item Two

●  Listen to the following news item and then, for each question, select the best answer from among the four choices given.

3) How long is the Gotthard Railway Tunnel?

a. 5.7 kilometers. 

b. 57 kilometers. 

c. 2.3 kilometers. 

d. 23 kilometers.

4) How much money was spent to build the tunnel?

a. $12 thousand. 

b. $12 million.

c. $12 billion. 

d. $12 trillion.

5) What is the news report mainly about?

a. Switzerland is not a member of the European Union.

b. A new tunnel is tested by the EU railway network.

c. The traffic problems in Germany and Italy are serious.

d. The world’s longest and deepest rail tunnel in Switzerland is open.

      * Script:

      Switzerland has opened the world’s longest and deepest railway tunnel. The Gotthard Railway Tunnel is 57 kilometers long. Trains passing through it will be about 2.3 kilometers underground at the deepest point.

      The tunnel cost $12 billion to build under the Alps of central Switzerland. The tunnel will reduce the time it takes trains to travel between northern and southern Europe. 

      Switzerland is not a member of the European Union. But some EU member countries have helped pay for, design and build the tunnel. The tunnel is expected to help the EU railway network, especially traffic between Germany and Italy.

●  Listen to the following long conversation and then, for each question, select the best answer from among the four choices given.

1) Where does this conversation most likely take place?

a. In a motel.        

b. In a restaurant.

c. In the post office.  

d. In the railway station.

2) How long will the woman wait according to the man?

a. 15 minutes.    

b. 5 minutes.        

c. 10 minutes. 

d. 50 minutes.

3) Why does the man apologize the first time?

a. Because he doesn’t recognize the woman.

b. Because the woman has a reservation.

c. Because there are no vacancies left.

d. Because he hurts the woman’s feeling.

4) Why does the man apologize the second time?

a. Because he smokes in front of the woman.

b. Because he shouts at the woman.

c. Because he made a little mistake.

d. Because he doesn’t understand the woman.

5) How does the woman feel about the man’s apology?

a. Uncomfortable. 

b. Indifferent.      

c. Negative.        

d. Understanding.

 * Script:

Waiter: Good evening, madam. Do you have a reservation?

Ms. Baker:  No, I don’t.

Waiter:  Awfully sorry, there are no vacancies left now. 

Ms. Baker:  How long a wait do you think there’ll be?

Waiter:  About 15 minutes, I think.

Ms. Baker:  15 minutes! That’s too bad.

Waiter:  I am sorry, Ms….

Ms. Baker:  Are you sure there aren’t any vacancies left?

Waiter:  Well, I’ll check again for you.

Ms. Baker:  Okay, I will wait for a moment.

Waiter:  Oh, I am so sorry for my mistake. There is a table available in the smoking section. 

Ms. Baker:  Good.

Waiter:  But it is in the smoking section. Do you mind, Ms.? 

Ms. Baker:  I think I have no choice now.

Waiter:  Please follow me then. I will show you to your table.

Ms. Baker:  Thanks.

Waiter:  You’re welcome. Your server will be with you right away to take your order. Sorry again for my carelessness.

Ms. Baker:  Don’t mention it. 

A. Passage One

●  Listen to the following passage and then, for each question, select the best answer from among the four choices given. 

1) How did Louis remember the people he knew?

a. By smelling them.  

b. By touching them.

c. By recognizing their voices.  

d. By remembering the description of them.

2) When did Louis go to the school for blind boys?

a. In 1812.    

b. In 1821.  

c. In 1891.    

d. In 1819.

      * Script:

      In 1812, in a village near Paris, a little boy hit himself in the eye with one of his father’s sharp tools, and became blind. His name was Louis Braille, and he was only four years old.  

      He was a clever little boy, and he soon learned to “see” without his eyes. He touched things, or smelled them, or tasted them. His family described things to him. Although he couldn’t see people’s faces, he learned to recognize their voices.  

      In 1819, the village teacher told Louis Braille’s story to the director of a famous school for blind boys. At this school, boys learned math, grammar, geography, history, and music. And they learned to read.  

      Louis went to the school in Paris in February 1819. He loved his classes and received high grades. He learned to play the piano. And he learned to read with his ingers.

B. Passage Two

●  Listen to the following passage and then, for each question, select the best answer from among the four choices given. 

1) Why did English people get a last name?

a. Because they liked to do so.

b. Because they wanted to tell others what their parents did.

c. Because they found it very difficult to tell who was who only by the first names.

d. Because they wanted to tell the differences between their fathers.

2) Where might the English people have got their last names from?

a. The place where they lived. 

b. The people they lived with.

c. Their mothers’ names. 

d. The beautiful people.

3) What did the English people have for their names a long time ago?

a. They had no names.

b. They only had family names.

c. They only had first names.

d. They had no first names but family names.

      * Script:

      English names are made up of at least two parts: a first name and a last name. Many people in England are called William or Mary or John or Joy. These are their first names. But there was a time in England when there were no last names. 

      In a town, a father might have been called William, and a mother, Mary, William’s wife. A boy’s name might have been Fred, son of William. When another William who was a tailor moved into the town, he might have been called William too. They found it very difficult to tell who was who only by the first names. So the tailor’s name would then become William Tailor and his family would have the last name Tailor. This is how family names came into being.

      There were many ways in which family names were named. People were named for their jobs, where they lived, or how they looked. Some people even took the names of the things that were beautiful in their eyes. Other people took such names as Prince or King, because they admired these people. Names were also related to the father’s names. When the father was John, the son might be called Johnson, and such names as Williamson, Richardson, and Harrison came into being. There were many ways that people got their last names.