11. M: I’m asked to pick up the guest speaker Bob Russel at the airport this afternoon, do you know what he looks like?
W: Well, he’s in his sixties, he stands out, he’s bald, tall and thin and has a beard.
Q: What do we conclude from the woman’s remarks about Bob Russel?
12. M: I am considering dropping my dancing class. I am not making any progress.
W: If I were you, I stick with it. It’s definitely worth time and effort.
Q: What does the man suggest the woman do?
13. W: You see I still have this pain in my back, this medicine the doctor gave me was supposed to make me feel better by now.
M: Maybe you should’ve taken it three times a day as you were told.
Q: What do we learn from the conversation?
14. M: Frankly, when I sat the back of the classroom, I can’t see the words on the board clearly.
W: Well, you’ve been wearing those same glasses as long as I’ve known you. Why not get a new pair? It wouldn’t cost you too much.
Q: What does the woman imply about the man’s glasses?
15. W: How come the floor is so wet? I almost slipped, what happened?
M: Oh, sorry! The phone rang the moment I got into the shower, anyway, I’ll wipe it up right now.
Q: Why was the floor wet according to the man?
16. M: The instructions on the package say that you need to some assembly yourself. I’ve spent all afternoon trying in vain to put this bookcase together.
W: I know what you mean, last time I tried to assemble a toy train for my son and I almost gave up.
Q: What does the man find difficult?
17. M: I’m getting worried about Jenny’s school work. All she talks about these days is volleyball games and all she does is practice, training and things like that.
W: Her grades on the coming exams will fall for sure. It’s high time we talk(ed) some sense to her.
Q: What are the speakers probably going to do?
18. W: Do you understand why the local people are opposed to the new dam up the river?
M: They are worried about the potential danger if the dam should break. The river is very wide above the proposed site.
Q: What do we learn from the conversation?
Now you’ll hear the two long conversations:
Conversation One
W: Mr. White, what changes have you seen in the champagne market in the last ten to fifteen years?
M: Well the biggest change has been the decrease in sales since the great boom years of the 1980s when champagne production and sales reached record levels.
W: Which was the best year?
M: Well the record was in 1989 when 249 million bottles of champagne was sold. The highest production level was reached in 1990 with a total of 293 million bottles. Of course since those boom years sales have fallen.
W: Has the market been badly hit by the recession?
M: Oh certainly, the economic problems in champagnes’ export markets that’s Europe, the United States, Japan, and of course the domestic market in France, the economic problems have certainly been one reason for the decrease in champagne sales.
W: And the other reasons?
M: Another important factor has been price. In the early 90s, champagne was very overpriced, so many people stop buying it. Instead they bought sparkling wines from other countries, in particular from Australia and Spain. And then there was another problem for champagne in the early 90s.
W: What was that?
M: There was a lot of rather bad champagne on the market. This meant the popularity of good sparkling wines increased even more. People was surprised by their quality and of course they were a lot cheaper than champagne.
W: Do you think the champagne market will recover in the future?
M: Oh, I’m sure it will. When the economic situation improves, I believe the market will recover.
Questions 19 to 21 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
19. What does the man say about champagne in the 1980s?
20. Why did sparkling wines become more popular than champagne in the early 90s?
21. What does the man think of the champagne market in the future?
Conversation Two
W: Right, well, in the studio this morning, for our interview spot is Peter Wilson. Peter works for Green Peace. So, Peter, welcome.
M: Thanks a lot. It’s good to be here.
W: Great! Now, Peter, perhaps you can tell us something about Green Peace and your job there.
M: Sure. Well, I’ll start by telling you roughly what Green Peace is all about. I actually work in London for the Green Peace organization. We’ve been going for a few decades and we’re a non-violent, non-political organization. We’re involved in anti-nuclear activity, conservation and protection of animals and protection and support of our eco-system. I’m the action organizer and arrange any protests.
W: Right! A pretty important role, Peter. What sort of protest would you organize?
M: Well, recently we’ve been involved in anti-nuclear campaigns. I, personally arranged for the demonstration against radioactive waste dumping in the Atlantic Ocean. We’ve got a few small Green Peace boats that we harass the dumping ship with.
W: Say? Hold on, Peter. I thought you said your organization was non-violent. What do you mean by "harass"?
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. We talk to the men and try to change, you know, yell at them to stop. We generally make ourselves as much of a nuisance as possible.
M: Well, people may think differently of your methods, but there’s no doubt you’re doing a great job. Keep it up and good luck. And thanks for talking with us.
Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversations you have just heard.
22. What is the man’s chief responsibility in the Green Peace organization?
23. What has Green Peace been involved in recently?
24. How does Green Peace try to stop people from dumping nuclear waste?
25. What is the woman’s attitude towards the Green Peace’s campaigns?
Section B
Directions: In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.
Passage One
To find out what the weather is going to be, most people go straight to the radio, television, or newspaper to get an expert weather forecast. But if you know what to look for, you can use your own senses to make weather predictions. There are many signs that can help you. For example, in fair weather the air pressure is generally high, the air is still and often full of dust, and far away objects may look vague. But when the storm is brewing, the pressure drops, and you are often able to see things more clearly. Sailors took note of this long ago, and came up with the saying, “The farther the sight, the nearer the rain.” Your sense of smell can also help you detect the weather changes. Just before it rains, odors become stronger, this is because odors are repressed in a fair high pressure center. When a bad weather low moves in, air pressure lessens and odors are released. You can also hear an approaching storm. Sounds bounce off heavy storm clouds and return to earth with increased force. An old saying describes it this way, “Sounds traveling far and wide a stormy day will be tied”. And don’t laugh at your grandmother if she says she can feel a storm coming. It is commonly known that ma