[00:18.34]This section is designed to test your ability to understand spoken English.
[00:25.73]You will hear a selection of recorded materials
[00:30.54]and you must answer the questions that accompany them.
[00:35.03]There are three parts in this section,Part A,Part B and Part C.
[00:43.44]Remember,while you are doing the test,
[00:48.82]you should first put down your answers in your test booklet.
[00:53.71]At the end of the listening comprehension section,
[00:58.41]you will have 5 minutes to transfer all your answers
[01:03.22]from your test booklet to ANSWER SHEET I.
[01:08.21]If you have any questions,you may raise your hand NOW
[01:14.92]as you will not be allowed to speak once the test has started.
[01:20.40]Now look at Part A in your test booklet.
[01:26.02]Part A Listen and complete the sentences in questions 1-5.
[01:35.82]with the information you have heard.
[01:39.42]Write not more than 3 words in each numbered box.
[01:45.01]You will hear the recording twice.
[01:48.72]You now have 25 seconds to read the questions.
[01:54.60]It has been said that farming in America today
[02:00.19]is three fourths paper work and one fourth physical labor.
[02:05.88]Because of this,American farmers are now able to work for more years.
[02:12.39]In the past,most were old and tired by the time they were about 40.
[02:19.18]Today,however,the average age of the American farmer is 48
[02:26.00]five years older than the average of the other American workers.
[02:31.69]Almost all new farmers in the United States
[02:36.19]have completed at least 12 years of school,
[02:40.57]and many young Americans study agriculture at a state university.
[02:46.77]The federal government provided for the establishment of these schools
[02:52.25]in a law signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1862.
[02:59.04]Today there is a so-called land-grant university in each state.
[03:05.63]The land-grant law also created the co-operative extension service.
[03:11.92]This is a series of local offices around the country
[03:16.91]that inform farmers about the latest developments in agriculture.
[03:22.71]Extension agents test soil,give advice and answer questions.
[03:30.00]They help big farmers,small farmers,
[03:34.18]and people in cities who just want to grow some fruitsand vegetables
[03:39.09]behind their homes.
[03:41.88]In addition to the co-operative extension service ,
[03:46.38]American farmers also get information
[03:50.66]from the many agricultural publications in the Unites States.
[03:56.36]Farmers also join organization
[04:00.77]where they and their families can exchange information.
[04:05.55]Today's Agriculture Report was written by Chris Johnson.
[04:10.72]Questions 1-5 according to Part A
[04:14.90]1.Farming in American today is three-fourths paper work
[04:20.31]and one-fourth ( )labor.
[04:24.31]2.Today,average American farmers can work ( )years longer.
[04:30.11]3.Many young Americans study agriculture at a ( ) university.
[04:35.62]4.The land-grant law created the co-operative ( ).
[04:41.31]5.In 1862,the law that provided for
[04:47.01]the ( )of the agriculture schools was signed by President Abraham Lincoln.
[04:53.51]Part B Answer questions 6-10 while you. Listen
[05:02.71]Use not more than 5 words for each answer.
[05:07.51]You will hear the recording twice.
[05:11.41]You now have 25 seconds to read the questions.
[05:17.20]Now the daily Special English Science Report.
[05:24.70]Doctors say as many as 20% of all children in the United States
[05:31.39]suffer from some form of the learning disorder called dyslexia.
[05:36.20]Experts on dyslexia say that the problem is not a disease.
[05:42.60]They say that persons with dyslexia
[05:46.70]use information in a different way.
[05:50.28]One of the world's great thinkers and scientists
[05:54.95]Albert Einstein was dyslexic.
[05:58.56]Einstein said that he never thought in words,
[06:02.27]he thought in pictures instead.
[06:05.66]Other famous persons who had dyslexia include Leonardo da Vinci,
[06:12.35]the American inventor Thomas Edison
[06:15.82]and former American Vice-President Nelson Rockefeller.
[06:21.00]Dyslexia first was recognized in Europe
[06:25.78]and the United States more than 80 years ago.
[06:30.79]Many years passed before doctors discovered
[06:34.58]that persons with the disorder were not mentally slow or disabled.
[06:40.48]Doctors found that the brains of persons with dyslexia are different.
[06:46.28]In most people,the left side of the brain--
[06:51.09]the part that controls language,is larger than the right side.
[06:56.68]In persons with dyslexia,the right side of the brain is bigger.
[07:02.27]Doctors are not sure what causes this difference.
[07:06.66]However,research has shown
[07:10.37]that dyslexia is more common in males than in females,
[07:15.64]and it is found more often in persons who are left-handed.
[07:20.84]No one knows the cause of dyslexia,
[07:25.13]but some scientists believe it may result from chemical changes
[07:30.93]in a baby's body
[07:35.03]Doctor Samuel Orton fifty years ago was one of the first persons
[07:40.54]to develop ways to teach persons with dyslexia.
[07:44.64]In 1940,a year after his death,doctors,teachers
[07:51.14]and other experts formed the Orton Dyslexia Society to continue his work.
[07:58.12]Doctor Silvia Richardson is a member of the Orton Society ,
[08:04.31]She says that after dyslexic persons solve their problems with language,
[08:10.11]they often show themselves
[08:13.30]to be especially intelligent or creative.
[08:17.19]She said they think differently and need special kinds of teaching help.
[08:23.17]But Doctor Richardson said
[08:26.04]it is important to help these people develop skills in every area possible.
[08:32.52]Question 6-10 according to Part B
[08:36.34]6.What kind of disorder is dyslexia?( ).
[08:40.33]7.When was dyslexia first recognized in Europe and U.S.A.? ( ).
[08:44.93]8.In persons with dyslexia,which side of the brain is larger?( ).
[08:49.53]9.In what kind of people can dyslexia commonly be found? ( ).
[08:57.34]10.According to Dr.Silvia Richardson,
[09:03.14]what are the characteristics of the dyslexic persons?( )
[09:12.23]Part C You will hear three dialogues or monologues.
[09:19.93]Before listeningto each one,
[09:23.12]you will have time to read the questions related to it.
[09:27.69]While listening,answer each question by choosing(A)(B),(C) or(D).
[09:36.47]After listening,you will have time to check your answers.
[09:42.16]You will hear each piece once only.
[09:47.05]( 1 ) W:Exercise,exercise,exercise.
[09:54.96]We hear so much about it these days,
[09:58.54]yet even the experts can't agree on which exercises are best.
[10:04.24]Now some doctors are strongly encouraging arm exercises.
[10:09.93]M:Arm exercises? Is that because our arms are too fat or flabby?
[10:17.04]W:Actually,that's not the main reason.
[10:20.62]They say that arm exercises are an ideal way to become physically fit.
[10:27.91]M:But don't arm exercises raise your blood pressure?
[10:32.79]W:That they do.But the article I read mentioned ways to compensate for that
[10:39.48]M:How?W:By adding leg exercises,so the arms don't do all the work.
[10:46.09]Arm exercises alone aren't enough to increase metabolism before fatigue sets in.
[10:53.37]The more of the body that's involved in the exercises,the better.
[10:58.78]M:And in turn.
[11:01.08]I'm sure that there's a great chance of losing weight.
[11:05.36]W:Sounds right to me.
[11:07.85]M:So what exercises do the experts recommend?
[11:12.76]W:They mentioned quite a few,
[11:15.45]but some of the more popular ones are cycling with special bicycles
[11:20.86]that make you use both your arms and legs.
[11:24.46]And walking vigorously while you wear arm weights.
[11:29.06]M:I must try that.I like to walk a lot.
[11:32.95]Questions 11-13. according to Part C (1)
[11:37.05]11.According to the conversation,what is one problem with arm exercises?
[11:41.05](A)They don't get rid of flabby arms. (B)They can damage arm muscles.
[11:45.65](C)They are not acceptable to most people.
[11:50.84](D)They can raise one's blood pressure.
[11:55.13]12.How did the woman obtain the information about arm exercises?
[11:58.84](A)By talking to an expert.
[12:02.52](B)By reading an article.
[12:06.23](C)By attending an exercise class. while swing your arms back and forth.
[12:10.83](D)By listening to the radio.
[12:14.93]13.Which of the following exercises is suggested?
[12:19.13](A)Wearing arm weights while you are swimming.
[12:23.63](B)Jogging vigorously in one place for a long time.
[12:27.83](C)Using bicycles that require you to use both your arms arid legs.
[12:32.33](D)Walking slowly while swing your arms back and forth.
[12:36.92]( 2 )The British Museum originated in the private collections of Sir Hans Sloane,
[12:48.03]which he left to the nation on his death in 1753.
[12:53.62]He was a rich physician who devoted his whole life
[12:58.40]to collecting curiosities from all parts of the world.
[13:03.70]These curiosities,together with George the Second's library,
[13:08.90]were reopened to the public as the British Museum in 1759.
[13:15.51]Many valuable legacies,especially private libraries and collections of art,
[13:22.19]have been left to the Museum at different times.
[13:26.48]An entire reconstruction of the original building of the Museum
[13:32.38]was begun in 1828,and was finished in 1852.
[13:39.49]Within the building is a large hall,
[13:43.77]from which opens out passages and stairways to the various departments.
[13:49.67]The treasures of the British Museum are so numerous
[13:54.48]that even so large a building could not hold everything,
[13:58.97]and the scientific and zoological collections
[14:03.89]have been housed in a separate building in Kensington,
[14:08.48]known as the Natural History Museum.
[14:12.38]Within the British Museum itself housed the archaeological departments
[14:18.07]and the library,consisting of more than two million printed volumes
[14:24.37]with thousands of manuscripts.
[14:27.76]Questions14-16.according to Part C (2)
[14:32.15]14.What is the origin of the British Museum?
[14:36.36](A)The private collection of Sir Hans Sloane.
[14:40.95](B)The royal library of George.
[14:44.35](C)The national library.(D)The national history museum.
[14:50.46]15.When was it opened to the public?
[14:56.16](A)in1753(B)in1759(C)in1828(D)in1852
[15:02.06]16.Where are the scientific and zoological collections?
[15:08.04](A)in the British Museum(B)in the library
[15:14.44](C)in the house of Sir Hans Sloane(D)in the National History Museum
[15:20.92]( 3 )Before a new airliner goes into service,
[15:28.00]every part of it is tested again and again.
[15:32.49]But there are two tests that are more important than all the others.
[15:38.27]One of them is very strange and the other is very dangerous.
[15:43.26]The first of these is called the "tank test" .
[15:47.85]A model airliner must fly at very high altitudes.
[15:53.26]Air must be pumped into the plane so that the passengers can breathe.
[15:59.16]The metal structure of the plane has to be very strong for this reason.
[16:05.46]When the plane is filled with air,
[16:08.75]the air presses against the skin of the plane.
[16:12.64]The pressure on a small window,for example,
[16:16.72]is like a huge, giant foot that is trying to get out.
[16:21.60]If a small part of the plane were to crack,
[16:26.31]the plane would explode in the sky.
[16:29.81]This is what happened to the first Comets.
[16:33.70]In order to test the structure of the plane,
[16:37.80]it is lowered into a huge tank of water.Then it is filled with air.
[16:43.99]The pressure inside the plane
[16:47.39]is greater than it ever will be when it is in the air.
[16:51.88]Finally,there is an explosion.
[16:55.77]This doesn't cause so much damage inside the water tank
[17:00.58]as it would anywhere else.
[17:03.48]Engineers can discover which part of the plane cracked.
[17:08.99]This part is made stronger.
[17:11.89]The most dangerous test
[17:14.79]happens when the new plane goes through test flights in the air.
[17:20.38]The test pilot must find out exactly what happens
[17:25.29]when the engines are shut off suddenly.
[17:28.87]He takes the plane up very hight.
[17:32.55]Then he shuts the engines off.
[17:36.44]The plane begins to fall like a stone.
[17:40.23]It is the pilot's job to find out how he can get control of the plane again.
[17:46.63]These two tests are examples of how planes are made safe
[17:51.83]before they ever carry passengers. |