TEST FOR ENGLISH MAJORS (2005)
GRADE FOUR
PART II LISTENING COMPREHENSION
In Sections A, B and C you will hear everything ONCE ONLY. Listen carefully and then answer the questions that follow. Mark the correct answer to each question on your answer sheet.
SECTION A CONVERSATIONS
In this section you will hear several conversations. Listen to the conversations carefully and then answer the questions that follow.
Questions 1 to 3 are based on the following conversation. At the end of the conversation, you will be given 15 seconds to answer the questions.
Now, listen to the conversation.
Employer: Good morning. Sit down, please, Mr Johnson.
Johnson: Thank you, ma’am.
E: I have read your letter here. You seem to have done very well at school. Can you tell me something about your school work?
J: As you can see, my strongest subjects were arts subjects. My best subject was history and my second best was geography. However, my favourite subject was math, and the results I got in the math paper were quite reasonable.
E: That’s true. Now can you tell me why you think these subjects will help you in this job?
J: Well, ma’am, I understand that you manufacture computers, prepare software and advise clients on how to use them. Is that right?
E: That’s right.
J: And I’ve been told that working with computers needs a logical mind rather than great skills in mathematics. That’s especially true, I believe, when it comes to writing programmes. So I think my results show that I have some ability in logic and in mathematics as well.
E: So you would like to write material for computers, would you?
J: Yes, ma’am. That’s what interests me most about computers, writing programmes. But I think the computer industry itself is still expanding enormously. I’m sure that career prospects in the industry would be very good no matter what sort of job I went into.
E: I see. Well, thank you. I’ve enjoyed our talk. We’ll be writing to you.
J: Thank you, ma’am. Good morning.
Questions 4 to 7 are based on the following conversation. At the end of the conversation, you will be given 20 seconds to answer the questions.
Now, listen to the conversation.
Woman: Excuse me. Could I ask you some questions?
Man : Of course.
W: I work for an advertising agency, and I’m doing some research. It’s for a new magazine for people like you.
M: People like me. What do you mean?
W: People between twenty-five and thirty-five years old.
M: OK.
W: Right. Um, what do you do at the weekend?
M: Well, on Fridays, my wife always goes to her exercise class. Then she visits friends.
W: Don’t you go out?
M: Not on Fridays. I never go out on Fridays. I stay at home and watch television.
W: And on Saturdays?
M: On Saturdays my wife and I always go sailing together.
W: Really?
M: Mm. We love it. We never miss it. And then in the evening we go out.
W: Where to?
M: Different places. We sometimes go and see friends. We sometimes go to the cinema or a restaurant. But we always go out on Saturday evenings.
W: I see. And now Sunday. What happens on Sundays?
M: Nothing special. We often go for a walk. And I always cook a big Sunday lunch.
W: Oh. How often do you do the cooking?
M: Um, twice a week, three times a week.
W: Thank you very much. All I need now are your personal details – your name, job and so on. What’s your surname?
M: Robinson.
Questions 8 to 10 are based on the following conversation. At the end of the conversation, you will be given 15 seconds to answer the questions.
Now, listen to the conversation.
Employee: Parcel Express. Good morning. How can I help you?
Woman: Good morning. I’m thinking of sending a parcel to New York next week. Can you tell me what the procedure is, please?
E: Certainly. When you ring us, we need the following information: the invoice address – that’s probably your own address, isn’t it? – and then the pick-up address if that’s different. And a contact phone number …
W: Just a moment … I’m taking notes. Phone number … right.
E: Then we need the full name, address and phone number of the person you’re sending the parcel to.
W: OK. Anything else?
E: Yes, the weight and dimensions of the parcel – that’s height, width and length … and the value of the goods … and a full description.
W: … value….description.
E: Yes, but don’t seal the parcel. You need to leave it open so that the driver can check the contents when he collects it. After the recent bombing, the airlines said that we’d have to check all parcels; they told us we had to do it.
W: Fine. Now, last question, how long will the parcel take to get to New York?
E: One to two working days. There are daily flights at midday. And if we collect the parcel from you at 10:15, then your parcel catches that flight, and it’ll arrive within 24 hours.
W: Right. Thank you very much. You’ve been very helpful.
E: Not at all. Goodbye.
W: Goodbye.
SECTION B PASSAGES
In this section, you will hear several passages. Listen to the passages carefully and then answer the questions that follow.
Questions 11 to 13 are based on the following announcement. At the end of the announcement, you will be given 15 seconds to answer the questions.
Now, listen to the announcement.
Attention, all passengers. Platform change – this is a platform change. The train now standing at Platform 9 is the 10.48 train calling at all stations to Nanjing. Please note. The train on Platform 9 is not the 10.52 train to Jinan. It’s the 10.48 train calling at all stations to Nanjing. The 10.52 to Jinan will now leave from Platform 7.
Train announcement. The 11.20 train to Zhengzhou from Platform 8 will be subject to a fifteen minute delay. I repeat, there will be a fifteen-minute delay for the Zhengzhou train on Platform 8. It will now leave at 11.35, not 11.20.
The 11.28 train to Hangzhou has been cancelled. We apologize to customers, but due to signal problems the 11.28 train to Hangzhou from Platform 15 has been cancelled.
The 11.32 train to Tianjin is now standing at Platform 13. Please note --- there will be no restaurant car on this train. I repeat, there will be no restaurant car on the 11.32 to Tianjin now standing at Platform 13.
Questions 14 to 16 are based on the following passage. At the end of the passage, you will be given 15 seconds to answer the questions.
Now, listen to the passage.
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum was opened in Geneva in 1988. It tells the story of men and women who, in the course of the major events of the last 150 years, have given assistance to victims of wars and natural disasters.
The organisation was established in 1863, and was based on an idea by a Swiss businessman called Henry Durant. He had witnessed the heavy casualties at the Battle of Solferino in Italy four years earlier, in which 40,000 people were killed, wounded or missing. He had seen the lack of medical services and the great suffering of many of the wounded, who simply died from lack of care. The International Red Cross or Red Crescent exists to help the victims of conflicts and disasters regardless of their nationalities.
The symbol of the organization was originally just the red cross. It has no religious significance; the founders of the movement adopted it as a tribute to Switzerland. However, during the Russo-Turkish War, the Turks felt that the cross could be seen as offensive to Muslim soldiers and a second symbol, the red crescent, was adopted for use by national organizations in the Islamic world. Both are now official symbols.
Questions 17 to 20 are based on the following passage. At the end of the passage, you will be given 20 seconds to answer the questions.
Now, listen to the passage.
At major college or high school sports events, cheerleaders, both male and female, jump and dance in front of the crowd and shout the name of their team, running around yelling "Go, team, Go!"
The first cheerleader ever was a man. In 1898, Johnny Campbell jumped in front of the crowd at the University of Minnesota and shouted for his team. He shouted, “Hoo-rah Minn-e-so-tah!” This was the first organized shout, or “yell.” For the next thirty-two years cheerleaders were men only.
Cheerleading is not just about cheering. They practice special shouts, dances, and athletic shows. The men throw the women high in the air and catch them. The team members climb on each other’s shoulders to make a human pyramid. They yell and dance too. It is like human fireworks. Of course, they may often suffer serious knee and wrist injuries and bloody noses.
Cheerleaders have their own contests every year at local, state, and national levels. And the crowd shouts for them. It is not fair to think cheerleading is just being cheerful and lively and having a loud voice. Cheerleading is a sport in itself.
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