Part II Listening Comprehension

Section A

Directions:

In this section, you will hear two long conversations.

At the end of each conversation, you will hear some questions.

Both the conversation 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 1 with a single line through the centre.

Now you will hear two long conversation.

Conversation One

M: I see on your resume that you worked as a manager

of a store called Computer Country,

could you tell me a little more about your responsibilities there?

W: Sure. I was responsible for overseeing about 30 employees.

I did all of the orderings for the store and I kept track of the inventory.

M: What was the most difficult part of your job?

W: Probably handling angry customers. We didn`t have them very often,

but when we did, I need to make sure they were well taken good care of.

 After all, the customer is always right.

M: That`s how we feel here, too. How long did you work there?

W: I was there for three and a half years. I left the company last month.

M: And why did you leave?

W: My husband has been transferred to Boston. And I understand that your company has an opening there, too.

M: Yes, that`s right. We do.

But the position won`t start until early next month. Would that be a problem for you?

W: No, not at all. My husband`s new job doesn`t begin for a few weeks,

so we thought we would spend some time driving to Boston and stop to see my parents.

M: That sounds nice. So, tell me, why are you interested in this particular position?

W: I know that your company has a great reputation and wonderful product.

I`ve thought many times that I would like to be a part of it.

When I heard about the opening in Boston, I jumped to the opportunity.

M: Well, I`m glad you did.

Questions 1 to 4 are based on the conversation you have just heard.

Questions 1

What was the woman`s previous job?

Questions 2

What does the woman say with the most difficult part of her job?

Questions 3

Why is the woman looking for a job in Boston?

Questions 4

When can the woman start to work if she gets the job?

Conversation Two

W: Today, in this studio, we have Alberto Cuties,

the well known Brazilian advocator of the anti global movement.

He`s here to talk about the recent report stating that by 2050,

Brazil will be one of the world`s wealthiest and most successful countries.

Alberto, what do you say about this report?

M: You know this isn`t the first time that people are saying Brazil

will be a great economic power. The same thing was said over 100 years ago,

but it didn`t happen.

W: Yes, but you must admit the world`s a very different place now.

M: Of course. In fact, I believe that there may be some truths

in the predictions this time around. First of all,

though, we must remember the problems facing Brazil at the moment.

W: Such as?

M: There`s an enormous gap between the rich and the poor in this country.

In San Paulo, you can see shopping malls full of designer goods right next door

to the slum areas without proper water or electricity supplies.

A lot of work needs to be done to help people in those areas improve their lives.

W: What needs to be done?

M: Education, for example. For Brazil, to be successful,

we need to offer education to all Brazilians.

Successful countries, like South Korea and Singapore have excellent education systems.

 Brazil needs to learn from these countries.

W: So you`re hopeful for the future?

W: As I said earlier, I`m hopeful. This isn`t an easy job.

We need to make sure that these important opportunities for Brazil aren`t wasted as they were in the past.

Questions 5-8 are based on the conversation you have just heard.

Questions 5

What does the recent report say about Brazil?

Questions 6

What problem does Alberto say Brazil faces now?

Questions 7

What does Alberto say about economically successful countries?

Questions 8

What do we know about the man according to the conversation?

Section B

Directions:

In this section, you will hear two 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 1 with a single line through the centre.

Passage One

One of the biggest challenges facing employers and

educators today is the rapid advance of globalization.

The market place is no longer national or regional,

but extends to all corners of the world. And this requires a global ready workforce.

Universities have a large part to play in preparing students for the 21st century labor

market by promoting international educational experiences.

The most obvious way universities can help develop a global workforce is by encouraging students

to study abroad as part of their course. Students who have experienced another

 culture firsthand are more likely to be global ready when they graduate.

Global workforce development doesn`t always have to involve travel abroad, however.

If students learn another language and study other cultures,

they will be more global ready when they graduate.

It is important to point out that students also need to have a deep understanding

of their own culture before they can begin to observe, analyze and evaluate other cultures.

In multi cultural societies,

people can study each other`s cultures to develop intercultural competencies,

such as critical and reflective thinking and intellectual flexibility.

This can be done both through the curriculum and through activities

 on campus outside of the classroom,

such as art exhibitions and lectures from international experts.

Many universities are already embracing this challenge

and providing opportunities for students to become global citizens.

Students themselves, however, may not realize that when they graduate,

they will be competing in a global labor market.

And universities need to raise awareness of these issues amongst undergraduates.

Questions 9 to 11 are based on the passage you have just heard.

Questions 9

What is one of the biggest challenges facing employers and educators today?

Questions 10

What should students do first before they can really understand other cultures?

Questions 11

What should college students realize according to the speaker?

Passage Two

Wilma Subra had no intention of becoming a public speaker.

After graduating from college with degrees in chemistry and microbiology,

she went to work at Gulf South Research Institute in Louisiana.

As part of her job, she conducted field research on toxic substances in the environment,

 often in minority communities located near large industrial polluters.

She found many families were being exposed to high,

sometimes deadly levels of chemicals and other toxic substances.

But she was not allowed to make her information public.

Frustrated by these restrictions, Subra left her job in 1981,

created her own company and has devoted the past two decades to helping people fight back

 against giant industrial polluters.

She works with families and community groups to conduct environmental tests and hybrid test results,

and organize for change. Because of her efforts,

dozens of toxic sites across the country have been cleaned up.

And one chemical industry spokesperson calls her “a top gun” for the environmental movement.

How has Subra achieved all this? Partly through her scientific training,

partly through her commitment to environmental justice.

But just as important is her ability to communicate with people through public speaking.

“Public speaking,” she says, “is the primary vehicle I use for reaching people.”

 If you had asked Subra before 1981, do you see yourself as a major public speaker?

 She would have laughed at the idea.

Yet today she gives more than one hundred presentations a year. Along the way,

she`s lectured at Harvard, testified before congress,

and addressed audiences in 40 states, as well as in Mexico, Canada, and Japan.

Questions 12 to 15 are based on the passage you have just heard.

Questions 12

What did Wilma Subra do as part of her job while working at Gulf South Research Institute?

Questions 13

Why did Wilma Subra leave her job in 1981?

Questions 14

What results have Wilma Subra`s efforts had in the past two decades?

Questions 15

What does the speaker say has contributed to Wilma Subra`s success?

Section C

Directions:

In this section, you will hear recordings of lectures or talks followed by some questions.

The recordings will be played 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 1 with a single line through the centre.

Now listen to the following recording and answer questions 16 to 19.

Let`s talk about Jeans. Jeans are pants,

or trousers, made from denim. Mainly designed for work,

they became popular among teenagers starting in the1950s.

Historic brands include Levi`s and Wrangler.

Jeans are now a very popular form of casual dress around the world,

and have been so for decades. They come in many styles and colors;

 however, “blue jeans” are particularly identified with American culture,

especially the American Old West.

The American population spent more than $14 billion on jeans in 2004.

Trousers made from corduroy or canvas are sometimes incorrectly called jeans.

 However, traditionally the word “jeans” referred to trousers made exclusively out of denim.

The word “jeans” comes from the French phrase bleu de Genes, literally the blue of Genoa.

Jeans fabric, or denim, originated independently in two places: the French town of Nimes,

to which “denim” owes its name; and in India,

where trousers made of denim material were worn by the sailors of Dhunga,

which came to be known as dungarees. At around the same time,

denim trousers were made in Chieri,

a town near Turin (Italy), during the Renaissance,

and were popularized in the 16th century.

These trousers were sold through the harbour of Genoa,

which was the capital of the independent Republic of Genoa.

Early examples of these trousers were made for the Genoese Navy,

which required all purpose pants for its sailors.

They required pants that could be worn wet or dry,

the legs of which could easily be rolled up to wear while swabbing the deck.

These jeans were laundered by dragging them in large mesh nets behind the ship,

and the exposure to sea water and sun would gradually bleach them to white.

They were especially worn by Genoese sailors and stevedores who woriced in France.

Initially, blue jeans were simply sturdy trousers worn by workers,

especially in the factories during World War II. During this period,

men`s jeans had the zipper down the front,

 whereas women`s jeans had the zipper down the right side.

By the 1960s, both men`s and women`s jeans had the zipper down the front.

After James Dean popularized them in the movie,

Rebel Without a Cause, wearing blue jeans by teenagers and young adults

became a symbol of youth rebellion during the 1950s.

Because of this, they were sometimes banned in theaters, restaurants and schools

Now listen to the following recording and answer questions 20 to 22.

Every language has common words that are used in uncommon ways.

Today we focus on the word “bridge.”

A bridge is a structure that provides passage over something such as a river,

train tracks, a highway or a deep, wide opening in the ground.

The word “bridge” can also be used to join things you can`t touch,

such as cultures or activities. For example,

 you could say music and art can bridge cultures.

And language can be a bridge between two people.

But let`s get back to the bridges you can actually cross or drive a tank over.

Bridges often play an important role in warfare.

An army that attacks across a river may decide to burn the bridge after crossing it.

By burning the bridge, the army prevents its enemy from using it.

However, the army also destroys its own chance to go back across the river.

Burning a bridge leaves the army open to attack.

The expression “burning your bridges” means to act in a way

that destroys any chance of returning to the way things were.

When you burn your bridges, there is no going back.

Let`s put this expression in the workplace.

You decide to take a new job. Now, you must tell your boss you are leaving your current job.

During that conversation you tell him how much you hated your job,

how much you hated working for him and how glad you are to finally leave.

You have just burned your bridge.

You have destroyed your relationship with that boss.

If things do not work out with your new job,

there is no way on earth your old boss will take you back. Ever.

 And you can also forget about any good recommendation.

Burning your professional bridges can be foolish or it can be a bold career move.

It is even bolder if you do it in a public manner.

For example, in 2014 a woman named Charlo Greene was a reporter on a news television show in Anchorage,

Alaska. One night she reported on a business called the Alaska Cannabis Club.

“Cannabis” is another word for marijuana.

Marijuana is currently illegal in most U.S. states.

At the end of her report, Greene announced that she owned the Alaska Cannabis Club.

 She told the audience that she wanted to spend her time fighting for “freedom and fairness,

which begins with legalizing marijuana here in Alaska.”

Now listen to the following recording and answer questions 23 to 25.

Now, Words and Their Stories from VOA Learning English.

In an earlier program, we talked a lot about the Devil.

In many religions, the Devil is the most powerful spirit of evil.

Religious leaders teach that hell is where the Devil lives.

They also say hell is the place where bad people go after they die.

You can hear many Americans using the words “Devil” and “hell” in everyday expressions.

But the list of expressions is just too long for one show.

 So, get ready for the sequel what we`re calling “Part 2: Hell, the Devil`s Hangout!”

Many people think of hell as a hot place full of fire.

So, a snowball would not have much of a chance there.

 And that is where this expression comes from: a snowball`s chance in hell.

Let`s say you applied for a promotion at work.

But so did your boss`s daughter.

You do not have a snowball`s chance in hell.

Your boss is not going to hire you over his daughter.

It will be a cold day in hell and when hell freezes over also mean the same thing:

there is no chance that something will happen.

For example, if you have a fight with a friend and never want to talk to him again, you could say,

“It will be a cold day in hell before I ever call him again. Our friendship is over!”

 Or “Sure, I`ll call him … when hell freezes over!”

But be careful. These expressions are very informal and very strong. You would only use them with your close friends and peers.

So if your boss asks if your work will be done before you go home, you would never say,

“It`ll be a cold day in hell when that happens...” unless you want to lose your job.

Sometime, we just use the expression “hell” like this: She`s a hell of a dancer.

He`s a hell of a writer. That was a hell of good time.

“Hell of a” runs together as if it`s one word hell of a. Again,

this is very slang and very informal.