[00:00.75]PART I DICTATION
[00:04.32]Listen to the following passage.
[00:06.91]Altogether the passage will be read to you four times.
[00:11.19]During the first reading, which will be done at normal speed,
[00:15.02]listen and try to understand the meaning.
[00:18.06]For the second and third readings,
[00:20.27]the passage will be read sentence by sentence,
[00:23.21]or phrase by phrase, with intervals of 15 seconds.
[00:27.65]The last reading will be done at normal speed again
[00:30.83]and during this time you should check your work.
[00:34.22]You will then be given 2 minutes
[00:36.19]to check through your work once more.
[00:38.87]Please write the whole passage on ANSWER SHEET ONE.
[00:43.18]Now, listen to the passage.
[00:47.84]Driving in America
[00:50.86]In America, if you don't have a car, it may make you a foreigner.
[00:56.51]Because one of the basic facts of American culture is that:
[01:00.79]Driving is a way of life.
[01:03.73]Although many American cities have taxis,
[01:06.92]buses and subways to help commuters get to and from work,
[01:12.03]and some large universities even have buses
[01:15.58]to take students to classes across campus,
[01:19.69]yet most people find it much more convenient to drive,
[01:24.20]even if they do have to deal with traffic.
[01:28.01]Nowadays, busy families often have more than one car.
[01:33.74]Many people view their car as a status symbol.
[01:37.76]But no matter what their social status is,
[01:41.88]people without wheels feel tied down.
[01:45.84]Driving is to Americans what flying is to birds.
[01:50.49]It's almost part of their nature.
[01:53.28]For many Americans, being behind the wheel
[01:56.63]is like their natural habitat.
[01:59.31]But if they don't drive carefully,
[02:01.98]they can become an endangered species.
[02:05.73]The second and third readings.
[02:08.41]You should begin writing now.
[02:12.63]In America, if you don't have a car, it may make you a foreigner.
[02:33.28]In America, if you don't have a car, it may make you a foreigner.
[02:53.42]Because one of the basic facts of American culture is that:
[03:12.68]Because one of the basic facts of American culture is that:
[03:32.02]Driving is a way of life.
[03:49.42]Driving is a way of life.
[04:06.85]Although many American cities have taxis, buses and subways
[04:11.63]to help commuters get to and from work,
[04:29.95]Although many American cities have taxis, buses and subways
[04:34.83]to help commuters get to and from work,
[04:53.09]and some large universities even have buses
[04:56.72]to take students to classes across campus,
[05:15.85]and some large universities even have buses
[05:19.63]to take students to classes across campus,
[05:38.51]yet most people find it much more convenient to drive,
[05:42.93]even if they do have to deal with traffic.
[06:01.08]yet most people find it much more convenient to drive,
[06:05.60]even if they do have to deal with traffic.
[06:24.02]Nowadays, busy families often have more than one car.
[06:44.25]Nowadays, busy families often have more than one car.
[07:04.56]Many people view their car as a status symbol.
[07:23.40]Many people view their car as a status symbol.
[07:41.89]But no matter what their social status is,
[08:00.82]But no matter what their social status is,
[08:19.52]people without wheels feel tied down.
[08:37.96]people without wheels feel tied down.
[08:56.40]Driving is to Americans what flying is to birds.
[09:15.67]Driving is to Americans what flying is to birds.
[09:34.91]It's almost part of their nature.
[09:52.42]It's almost part of their nature.
[10:09.98]For many Americans, being behind the wheel
[10:13.20]is like their natural habitat.
[10:30.82]For many Americans, being behind the wheel
[10:34.07]is like their natural habitat.
[10:51.54]But if they don't drive carefully,
[11:08.77]But if they don't drive carefully,
[11:26.02]they can become an endangered species.
[11:44.01]they can become an endangered species.
[12:02.20]The lasting reading.
[12:04.94]In America, if you don't have a car, it may make you a foreigner.
[12:10.31]Because one of the basic facts of American culture is that:
[12:14.91]Driving is a way of life.
[12:17.88]Although many American cities have taxis,
[12:20.88]buses and subways to help commuters get to and from work,
[12:26.14]and some large universities even have buses
[12:29.71]to take students to classes across campus,
[12:33.76]yet most people find it much more convenient to drive,
[12:38.31]even if they do have to deal with traffic.
[12:41.90]Nowadays, busy families often have more than one car.
[12:47.88]Many people view their car as a status symbol.
[12:52.14]But no matter what their social status is,
[12:55.97]people without wheels feel tied down.
[13:00.22]Driving is to Americans what flying is to birds.
[13:04.78]It's almost part of their nature.
[13:07.70]For many Americans, being behind the wheel
[13:11.00]is like their natural habitat.
[13:13.76]But if they don't drive carefully,
[13:16.37]they can become an endangered species.
[13:20.00]Now, you have two minutes to check through your work.
[15:27.02]That is the end of Part I DICTATION.
[15:33.06]PART II LISTENING COMPREHENSION
[15:37.29]In Sections A, B and C you will hear everything ONCE ONLY.
[15:45.02]Listen carefully and then answer the questions that follow.
[15:49.92]Mark the correct answer to each question on Answer Sheet Two.
[15:55.75]SECTION A CONVERSATIONS
[15:59.81]In this section you will hear several conversations.
[16:04.25]Listen to the conversations carefully
[16:07.37]and then answer the questions that follow.
[16:11.90]Questions 1 to 3 are based on the following conversation.
[16:18.30]At the end of the conversation, you will be given 15 seconds
[16:23.13]to answer the questions.
[16:25.72]Now, listen to the conversation.
[16:30.31]M: I like this piece of music so much! It's a nice tune.
[16:35.11]W: Yes, it is. I've never heard that piece before.
[16:39.48]Who wrote it?
[16:40.84]M: Beethoven. I think Beethoven's music is very touching.
[16:45.80]W: I agree. But I think symphonies are a bit heavy
[16:50.15]and complicated for me.
[16:52.32]Maybe I don't have a delicate ear for music as you do.
[16:56.06]M: It's all right.
[16:57.26]Everyone has his favorite.
[16:59.30]W: Did you watch the Singing Contest in the auditorium last night?
[17:04.08]M: Yes, I did, but just the first part.
[17:07.61]You know one of my roommates took part in the contest
[17:10.87]and I went to cheer him up.
[17:12.95]W: What do you think of it?
[17:14.67]M: Just for the part I watched, not bad.
[17:17.72]But two singers had rock music.
[17:20.74]I couldn't stand rock music because it's so loud,
[17:24.51]so I left very soon.
[17:26.71]W: What song did your roommate sing?
[17:29.19]M: Hand in Hand,
[17:30.56]the theme song of the 24th Olympic Games.
[17:33.95]W: But I didn't hear that song!
[17:36.10]M: Oh, he's the first one.
[17:38.74]W: So that was it!I was late and missed the first two singers.
[17:44.05]No wonder I heard someone sing that song
[17:46.94]in your dorm several days ago.
[17:49.47]Did he sing well?
[17:51.02]M: Very well, of course.
[17:53.37]He is the best singer in my apartment.
[17:56.15]It's a pity you were not there and didn't see the applause
[17:59.33]bring the house down.
[18:16.18]Questions 4 to 6 are based on the following conversation.
[18:21.22]At the end of the conversation, you will be given 15 seconds
[18:25.76]to answer the questions.
[18:28.05]Now, listen to the conversation.
[18:32.13]M: Can I help you, Miss?
[18:33.62]W: Oh, I'm sorry.
[18:36.06]I'm trying to find my luggage
[18:38.31]but I can't understand any of the announcements.
[18:41.62]M: It's all rather confusing
[18:43.32]when you've just stepped off the plane in a new place.
[18:46.39]Where are you from?
[18:47.85]W: Japan. I've got a job at Newcastle University
[18:52.13]as an assistant language teacher in the Japanese department.
[18:56.56]M: Is no one coming to meet you? I mean,
[18:59.40]this is Edinburgh Airport.
[19:01.52]It's a far way to Newcastle.
[19:03.97]W: That's the trouble.
[19:05.61]I missed my flight so I came on the next one
[19:09.11]and now there's no one here to collect me.
[19:11.86]M: Let me help you.
[19:13.26]You'll need to get a train to Newcastle and telephone from there.
[19:17.51]W: I've tried asking directions from the station
[19:20.80]but I can't understand anyone here.
[19:23.70]The accent is so different from everything I learned in Japan.
[19:28.20]M: There's always a big gap between what you learn
[19:30.81]and what you actually hear.
[19:33.33]W: You're right. When I heard I was flying to Scotland
[19:37.17]I thought all the men would be wearing skirts
[19:40.17]and it would be raining all the time.
[19:42.52]M: You can't believe everything you read in textbooks.
[19:45.73]W: I know. That's why I'm so excited about being here.
[20:05.10]Questions 7 to 10 are based on the following conversation.
[20:09.90]At the end of the conversation, you will be given 20 seconds
[20:14.34]to answer the questions.
[20:16.47]Now, listen to the conversation.
[20:20.29]M: Hi, Susan, do you mind if I have lunch with you?
[20:23.79]W: No, Mr. Smith, not at all.
[20:26.80]M: Thanks. I just heard you're studying Nutrition
[20:30.75]and you've got quite a bit of experience serving in the cafeteria,
[20:35.16]so I was wondering
[20:36.71]if you'd be interested in doing a small project this term.
[20:40.42]W: What's the project about?
[20:42.73]M: More and more students have been deciding
[20:44.99]not to buy the meal plan and we want to get them back.
[20:49.25]I want you to hear what the students would like.
[20:52.01]Of course I'd like to hear your own ideas.
[20:55.30]W: Well, if the menus were changed,
[20:58.24]then maybe I wouldn't have to listen to
[21:00.27]so much criticism this term.
[21:03.05]You know I have taken several Nutrition classes
[21:06.34]every Wednesday this whole year.
[21:08.75]And they always complain to me about the food.
[21:12.21]M: That makes you perfect for the job.
[21:14.82]Would you be interested?
[21:16.67]W: I'm not sure.
[21:18.35]What sort of changes are you thinking of?
[21:21.54]M: I'd like to make some changes
[21:23.18]in the way we prepare our food.
[21:25.39]For example, just look at what we had to choose from today.
[21:29.84]You got fries and burgers with too much oil
[21:33.56]and I got fried chicken,
[21:35.13]which also contains too much fat.
[21:38.16]W: You'd better not get rid of them.
[21:40.37]They're everybody's favorite.
[21:42.59]M: Well, we can certainly keep them
[21:44.92]but we need to give people some choices.
[21:47.95]What's your opinion?
[21:49.92]W: Well, I like fat.
[21:52.04]But you are right, you'd better find out
[21:54.32]what others think.
[22:15.84]SECTION B PASSAGES
[22:19.75]In this section, you will hear several passages.
[22:24.26]Listen to the passages carefully
[22:26.65]and then answer the questions that follow.
[22:30.53]Questions 11 to 14 are based on the following passage.
[22:36.36]At the end of the passage,
[22:38.34]you will be given 20 seconds to answer the questions.
[22:42.54]Now, listen to the passage.
[22:47.23]Some desert animals
[22:49.00]can survive the very strong summer heat and dryness
[22:53.04]because they have very unusual characteristics.
[22:57.07]The camel, for example, can bear an increase in the temperature
[23:01.26]of its body and its blood of 9℃.
[23:05.93]In addition, it can drink an enormous
[23:08.40]amount of water at one time,
[23:11.02]and then store sufficient water
[23:12.97]in its red blood cells and other parts of its body
[23:17.12]to supply its needs for two weeks or more.
[23:20.87]However, most animals need to maintain
[23:24.17]a fairly constant body temperature,
[23:26.96]and will die if it rises more than 5℃.
[23:31.44]Therefore, they need to find some ways to avoid the strong sun rays.
[23:37.00]Nor can many animals either store or produce water
[23:41.19]in their bodies as the camel can.
[23:44.18]So they must find ways to reduce water loss from their bodies
[23:48.64]to the lowest degree.
[23:50.93]Because very few desert animals can survive the high rays
[23:55.70]and the temperature, most of them are active during the night.
[24:00.84]Only after the sun has set does the desert fully come to life.
[24:06.62]The night is relatively cool, and the darkness provides protection,
[24:11.72]not only from the sun but also from other animals and from the birds.
[24:17.57]So the coming of darkness is the signal for the large majority
[24:21.56]of animals and insects to continue their search for water and food.
[24:27.00]When morning comes, most of them seek shelter again.
[24:51.42]Questions 15 to 17 are based on the following passage.
[24:57.61]At the end of the passage,
[24:59.72]you will be given 15 seconds to answer the questions.
[25:04.41]Now, listen to the passage.
[25:09.78]It is common knowledge that music
[25:12.39]can have a powerful effect on our emotions.
[25:15.94]In fact, since 1930s, music therapists have relied on music
[25:22.12]to alleviate patients and help control pain.
[25:26.16]Now psychologists are confirming that music can also help
[25:30.89]relieve depression and improve concentration.
[25:34.86]For instance, in a recent study,
[25:38.34]15 surgeons were given some highly stressed math problems to solve.
[25:44.07]They were divided into three groups: one worked in silence,
[25:48.99]and in another, the surgeons listened to music of their choice on headphones;
[25:55.32]the third listened to classic music chosen by the researchers.
[26:00.66]The results of the study may surprise you.
[26:04.47]The doctors who got to choose their music experienced less stress
[26:09.41]and scored better than the others.
[26:12.43]One possible explanation is that listening to music you like stimulates
[26:18.11]the Alfa-wave in the brain,
[26:20.57]increases the heart rate and expands the breathing.
[26:24.77]That helps to reduce stress and sharpen concentration.
[26:29.74]Other research suggests a second relation
[26:32.74]between the music and the brain:
[26:35.45]by examining the students' blood after they listened to
[26:39.21]a variety of classic music collections,
[26:42.65]the researchers found that some students
[26:45.73]showed a large increase in endorphin,
[26:48.65]a natural pain reliever.
[26:51.33]This supports what music therapists have known for years:
[26:55.91]Music can help refresh or soothe the patient.
[27:15.03]Questions 18 to 20 are based on the following passage.
[27:20.70]At the end of the passage,
[27:22.70]you will be given 15 seconds to answer the questions.
[27:27.09]Now, listen to the passage.
[27:31.81]Mass media are tools of communication.
[27:35.40]They allow us to record and pass information rapidly to a large,
[27:39.88]scattered audience.
[27:42.03]They extend our ability to talk to each other by helping us
[27:45.92]overcome barriers caused by time and space.
[27:50.03]There are various ways in which mass media make daily life easier.
[27:55.66]First, they inform and help us keep a watch on our world.
[28:00.65]They gather and pass on information
[28:03.66]we would be unable to obtain on our own.
[28:07.20]Second, mass media help us arrange our time and life.
[28:12.59]What we talk about and what we think about are greatly
[28:16.15]influenced by the media.
[28:18.65]When people get together, they tend to talk about certain happenings
[28:23.00]in the newspapers or on TV.
[28:26.55]Because we are exposed to different points of view
[28:29.76]through different kinds of media every day,
[28:32.70]we are able to evaluate all sides of a certain issue.
[28:37.59]Third, the media are used to persuade people.
[28:41.64]Newspapers, magazines and TV are filled with all kinds of colorful
[28:47.46]and persuasive advertisements.
[28:50.38]Though many advertisements may not say openly
[28:54.00]that they want you to buy a certain product,
[28:57.08]they describe their products in such a way that you may want to buy them.
[29:02.46]Fourth, the media make some effort to try to entertain their audience.
[29:08.60]It is estimated that in the future,
[29:11.20]the entertainment function of mass media
[29:14.19]will become even more important than it is now.
[29:33.11]SECTION C NEWS BROADCAST
[29:37.45]In this section, you will hear several news items.
[29:42.32]Listen to them carefully and then answer the questions that follow.
[29:47.94]Question 21 is based on the following news.
[29:52.36]At the end of the news item,
[29:54.69]you will be given 5 seconds to answer the question.
[29:58.93]Now, listen to the news.
[30:03.16]Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told an audience
[30:07.67]in the town of Kerman that Tehran is preparing a new package
[30:12.28]of proposals for the West,
[30:14.33]aimed at resolving a lengthy international dispute
[30:17.52]over its nuclear program.
[30:20.16]Supporters cheered and waved flags as Mr. Ahmadinejad
[30:24.55]addressed the open-air crowd in Kerman.
[30:27.99]Iranian TV showed Mr. Ahmadinejad being swarmed
[30:32.30]by supporters trying to shake his hand as his motorcade
[30:36.40]made its way into the city before he spoke.
[30:45.11]Questions 22 to 24 are based on the following news.
[30:50.63]At the end of the news item,
[30:53.31]you will be given 15 seconds to answer the questions.
[30:58.12]Now, listen to the news.
[31:02.29]Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus of Bangladesh
[31:07.07]is developing a health care network for the poor in his country
[31:11.82]that will operate at low cost using mobile phone technology.
[31:17.52]Yunus is working with U.S. medical experts to help
[31:21.76]Bangladeshi villagers transmit their medical information
[31:26.23]to doctors in far-away cities for better treatment.
[31:30.75]Muhammad Yunus won the Nobel Peace Prize
[31:33.75]in 2006 for setting up a bank in his native Bangladesh
[31:39.02]to provide small loans to impoverished women
[31:42.66]to help them to become entrepreneurs.
[31:45.80]In recent years, he has expanded the work of his Grameen Bank
[31:50.73]to focus on improving health care for the 40 percent of Bangladeshis
[31:56.11]who live on less than a dollar a day.
[32:14.50]Question 25 is based on the following news.
[32:18.94]At the end of the news item,
[32:21.20]you will be given 5 seconds to answer the question.
[32:25.18]Now, listen to the news.
[32:29.10]Thousands of people in northwest Pakistan
[32:32.03]are fleeing a renewed offensive
[32:34.16]by Pakistani forces against Taliban militants.
[32:38.61]With the army saying it has killed more than 45 militants
[32:42.93]since the operation began Sunday,
[32:46.02]the fighting casts further doubt on the viability
[32:49.74]of the region's peace deal
[32:51.63]that has been widely criticized by U.S. officials.
[32:56.25]Pakistani media broadcast shots of thousands of people
[33:00.75]walking out of the Lower Dir region,
[33:03.94]fleeing helicopter gunship attacks and artillery strikes
[33:08.24]against Taliban militants accused of attacking security forces.
[33:18.38]Questions 26 and 27 are based on the following news.
[33:24.23]At the end of the news item,
[33:26.36]you will be given 10 seconds to answer the questions.
[33:30.42]Now, listen to the news.
[33:35.24]The latest victim of climate change is not
[33:38.03]the polar bear or melting ice caps—it is food.
[33:43.05]Food scarcity is an old phenomenon,
[33:46.33]but a new study warns that warming temperatures
[33:49.58]could leave more than half the world's population
[33:53.23]facing food shortages by 2100.
[33:57.85]Using direct observation and climate models,
[34:01.60]the study's authors found there was a 90-percent probability
[34:06.23]that by 2100 the lowest temperatures during growing season
[34:11.89]in the tropics and subtropics will be higher than any recorded to date.
[34:27.62]Question 28 is based on the following news.
[34:32.30]At the end of the news item,
[34:34.70]you will be given 5 seconds to answer the question.
[34:38.85]Now, listen to the news.
[34:43.06]President Barack Obama and Mexican President Felipe Calderon
[34:48.22]have pledged to mend their countries' bilateral relationship
[34:52.32]to confront urgent challenges ranging from security threats
[34:56.90]to environmental dangers.
[34:59.63]The two leaders spoke at Mexico's presidential residence
[35:03.69]ahead of a one-on-one meeting.
[35:06.66]President Obama described Mexico's battle
[35:10.26]against drug traffickers as courageous and said
[35:14.02]the United States must be a full partner
[35:17.15]in that arena and many others.
[35:20.56]Standing alongside his Mexican counterpart,
[35:24.04]Mr. Obama said U.S.-Mexican ties
[35:27.04]are strong but can still be stronger.
[35:35.21]Questions 29 and 30 are based on the following news.
[35:40.82]At the end of the news item,
[35:43.24]you will be given 10 seconds to answer the questions.
[35:47.44]Now, listen to the news.
[35:51.68]According to a new study,
[35:54.12]the populations of several animal species
[35:57.58]in Kenya's most famous wildlife park have declined dramatically
[36:02.60]during the past 15 years.
[36:05.65]The study's authors point to the growing presence
[36:09.00]of human settlements on the outskirts
[36:11.86]of the Masai Mara National Reserve.
[36:15.69]The study, conducted by the International Livestock Research Institute
[36:20.54]in Nairobi, and the World Wide Fund for Nature,
[36:25.23]monitored the population of six animal species
[36:28.94]each month between 1989 and 2003.
[36:34.37]The declines in the Masai Mara National Reserve were dramatic,
[36:39.45]with the population of giraffes dropping by 95 percent,
[36:44.13]warthogs by 85 percent, and impala by 67 percent.
[37:00.05]This is the end of listening comprehension.