Part 2 Listening Comprehension(25 minutes)

Section A Directions:

In this section, you will hear three news reports.

At the end of each news report, you will hear two or three questions.

Both the news report 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.

Questions 1 and 2 will be based on the following news item.

News Item 1

Leaders of the world's twenty largest economies met this week in Seoul, South Korea. 

They agreed to try to let market forces drive currency exchange rates. 

Their declaration Friday also promised to avoid competitive devaluation of currencies. 

A weaker currency lowers the price of a country's exports. 

That angers other exporters with stronger currencies, 

and it can lead to socalled currency wars. 

Leaders from the Group of 20 urged “advanced economies” 

to guard against disorderly movements in exchange rates. 

At the same time, they rejected the idea of setting target amounts for national trade balances. 

The United States and South Korea supported the idea. 

Others, including China, Germany and Japan, opposed it.

Instead, the leaders said they will order their finance ministers 

to develop a set of “indicative guidelines” early next year. 

These will measure trade and economic balances, 

to signal when deficits or surpluses are becoming too large.

President Obama noted that the G20 leaders made progress 

in areas like approving reforms for the International Monetary Fund.

But he himself failed in efforts to secure a free trade agreement with South Korea. 

And he made little progress in his push to get China to let the value of its currency rise. 

Mr. Obama says the yuan is undervalued. 

He also said he believes China will continue to make progress on the issue.

1.What will the leaders ask their finance ministers to do early next year?

2.When did the twenty leaders make a declaration?

Questions 3 and 4 will be based on the following news item.

News Item 2

European finance ministers and officials are holding emergency 

talks in Brussels over the debt crisis facing Ireland and other vulnerable members of the eurozone. 

The European Commission is consulting global financial institutions hours after a leading EU figure, 

Herman Van Rompuy, warned that the European Union's future was at stake. 

Ireland and Portugal are widely seen as potential candidates for a bailout.

Police in Thailand have found the remains of more than 300 human foetuses hidden 

in a Buddhist temple in the capital Bangkok. 

The police say they suspect the foetuses came from illegal abortion clinics. 

Local news reports say a member of the temple staff confessed 

to being hired by several clinics to dispose of the remains.

Police in Egypt are reported to have sealed off an entire village 

following arson attacks on Christian homes by angry Muslims. 

Up to 10 homes were said to have been torched by a Muslim crowd 

in a small village in the south of the country.

3.What will European finance ministers discuss in the emergency talks in Brussels?

4.How many fetuses has the temple collected together?

Questions 5 and 7 will be based on the following news item.

News Item 3

An outbreak of cholera in Haiti continues to spread sickness and worry. 

Health officials are worried that the capital could suffer a major outbreak of the disease.

So far most cases in PortauPrince have been found in people 

who arrived in the city already sick. 

But now health officials have confirmed the first case in a boy 

who had not left the city for at least a year. 

And there are other suspected cases in the Haitian capital.

Cholera causes diarrhea and vomiting. 

It robs the body of fluids. 

People can get cholera if they eat foods or drink liquids 

containing the bacteria that cause the infection.

Cholera is not hard to treat. 

Basically, patients drink a solution of salt, sugar and water.

The problem is that help is not always available quickly. 

If cholera is not treated, it can kill within hours, 

especially in people already in weakened conditions.

5.What kind of people have cholera most been found in?

6.How will people get infected with cholera?

7.What is the problem now?

Section B

Directions:In this section, you will hear two long conversations.

At the end of each conversation, you will hear four 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 haer the two long conversations

Conversation 1

W: Good afternoon, Mr. Jones. I am Teresa Chen, and I'll be interviewing you. How are you today?

M: I am fine, thank you. And you, Miss Chen?

W: Good, Thanks. Can you tell me something about your experience in this kind of work?

M: Well, for several years, I managed a department for the Brownstone Company in Detroit, 

Michigan. Now I work part time because I also go to school at night. I'm getting a business degree.

W: Oh, how interesting. Tell me, why do you want to leave your present job?

M: I'll finish school in a few months, and I'd like a fulltime position with more responsibility.

W: And why would you like to work for our company?

M: Because I know your company's work and I like it.

W: Could you please tell me about your special skills and interests?

M: Of course, I'm good at computers and I can speak Spanish. 

I used to take classes in Spanish at the local college. And I like travelling a lot.

W: Can you give me any references?

M: Yes, certainly. You can talk to Mr. McCaw, my boss, at the Brownstone Company. 

I could also give you the names and numbers of several of my teachers.

W: All right, Mr. Jones, and would you like to ask me any questions?

M: Yes, I wonder when I'll be informed about my application for the job.

W: Well, we'll let you know as soon as possible. 

Let's stay in touch. Thank you very much for coming this afternoon.

M: Thank you.

Q 8:What does the man say about his working experience?

Q 9:Why does the man want to leave his present job?

Q 10：What is the man interested in?

Q 11：What question did the man ask the woman？Conversation 2

M: Lisa, Lisa! Over here, darling! It's wonderful to see you. Oh, Lisa, you look marvelous.

W: Oh, Paul, you look tired. 

Two months away in the capital? Paul, I think you've been working too hard.

M: I'm fine. The city is very hot at this time of the year. 

It's good to get back to some fresh air. 

You know, Lisa, what they say about pregnant women really is true.

W: What's that Paul?

M: They say they look beautiful.

W: Well, I have had a lot of attention while you've been studying hard on your course in D.C.

M: Oh?

W: Oh, don't worry, of a man over 50. 

Father has told all his business friends the good news about the baby. 

And the phone hasn't stopped ringing.

M: Oh, look, darling. There's a taxi.

W: Paul, tell me about the special project you mentioned on the phone. 

You sounded very excited about it!

M: You know, I've learned a lot from the project. 

I'm surprised that was still in business.

W: That's because we have a wonderful sales manager—you!

M: Thanks. But that's not the problem at all. Lisa, 

our little company, and it is little compared to the giants in the city. 

Our little company's in danger. We are out of date. 

We need to expand. If we don't, we will be swallowed up by one of the giants.

Q 12:What do we learn about Lisa?

Q 13:What do we learn about the man from the conversation?

Q 14:What does the man say about his company?

Q 15:Which is correct according to the conversation?

Section C. Directions:

In this section, you will hear three 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 1 

with a single line through the centre.

Passage One 

Farmington, Utah, is a more pleasant community since a local girl's 4H club improved Main Street. 

Six 4H girls worked to clean the 72 foot curbside that was covered with weeds, rocks and trash. 

Each member volunteered to clean up and to dig in plot, five flats of flowers. 

They also took terms in watering, weeding and maintaining the plot. 

Participation in this project helped the girls developed a new attitude towards their parents of their own homes; 

they've learned how to work with tools, and improve their work habits. 

One mother said that before her daughter was involved in this project, 

she would not even pour a weed. 

The experience on Main Street stimulated selfimprovement, 

and encouraged members to take pride in their home grounds and the total community. 

City officials cooperated with the 4H members in planting trees, building cooking facilities, 

pickme tables, swings and public rest rooms. 

The 4H girls planted trees and took care of them during the early stages of growth. 

The total park project needed more plantings in the following years. 

Members of the 4H club agreed to follow the project through to completion, 

because they receive satisfaction from the results of constructive work. 

The project is a growing one and is spread from the park to the school and the shopping center. 

Trees and flowers have all been planted in the shopping center, making the atmosphere pleasant.

Questions 16 to 19 are based on the passage you have just heard.

Q 16:What do we learn about Main Street in Farmington?

Q 17:What do the 4H club members do about the curbside?

Q 18:What have the 4H girls learned from the project?

Q 19:Why do the 4H girls agree to follow the park project through to completion?

Passage 2

According to a survey on reading conducted in 2001 by the U.S. National Education Association (NEA), 

young Americans say reading is important, more important than computers and science. 

Over 50% of the 12 to 18 years old interviewed say they enjoy reading a lot. 

79% find it stimulating and interesting.

And 87% think it is relaxing. 

About 68% of those surveyed disagreed with the opinion that reading is boring or oldfashioned.

Over half teenagers interviewed said they read more than ten books a year. 

The results also show that middle school students read more books than high schoolers. 

Over 66% of teens like to read fiction, such as novels and stories. 

Only 26% were interested in nonfiction, 

such as history books.64% of students listed reading stories about people my own age. 

That's a favorite topic. Mysteries and detective stories came second on the list at 53%. 

Just under 50% said they were interested in reading about their own culture and tradition. 

Of the teenagers who participated in the survey, 

49% said that libraries are where they get most of their books. 

However, many complain that their school libraries do not have enough

 uptodate interesting books and magazines. 

Even though many teenagers in the US enjoy reading, they still have other interests. 

When asked which activity would be the most difficult to give up for a week, 48%

 said listening to music. 

TV would be difficult to give up for 25% of those surveyed.

Questions 20 to 22 are based on the passage you have just heard.

Q 20:What does the survey on teenager reading show?

Q 21:What books are most popular among teenagers according to the survey?

Q 22:What activity do teenagers find the most difficult to give up for a week?

Passage 3

Thank you for coming, everyone. 

Today's presentation will show how we see the development of the motor car in the short to medium term, 

and that is why we have invited all of you here today. 

Let's start with power. It's clear that petroldriven engines have no future. 

Already there are many alternative fuel vehicles on the market,

powered by anything from solar power to natural gas. 

Some independent thinkers have even produced cars that run on vegetable oil. But as we all know, 

of all these alternative fuel vehicles, the most practical are electric vehicles. 

Sure, in the past electric vehicles have their problems, namely, a limited driving range, 

and very few recharging points, which limited their use. 

Now, however, recent developments in electric vehicle technology mean 

they can match conventional petrol engines in terms of performance and safety. 

Let's not forget that electric vehicles are cleaner. 

Plus, importantly, the power source is rechargeable, so this does not involve using any valuable resources. 

Moving on to communications, very soon, cars will be linked to GPS satellites, 

so they'll do all the driving for you. 

What controls remain for the users will be audiobased, so, 

for example, you'll just have to say “a bit warmer”, 

and the air conditioning will adjust automatically. 

You'll also be able to receive email, music and movies, all via an internet link. 

So just type in the destination you want, sit back, sleep, watch your movie, whatever.

Questions 23 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.

Q 23:What is the presentation mainly about?

Q 24:What used to restrict the use of electric vehicles?

Q 25:What does the speaker say about electric vehicles of today?