Part II 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

The shores of this resort city are usually packed during the holiday season.

But after a Russian plane which had taken off from here crashed in late October,

killing all 224 people on board in an apparent terrorist attack,

business has plummeted.

Business owners say most of their income used to come from Russian and British tourists.

But both countries have suspended direct flights to Sharmel Sheikh.

Officials had hoped 2015 would see the complete recovery

of the industry after a nearly 30 percent increase in 2014.

But the plane crash and the killing of eight Mexican tourists,

who were mistaken for militants by the Egyptian military

while on a desert safari in September,

have left many attractions across Egypt desolate.

Officials trying to revive the industry say they are hopeful 2016 will be better.

Egypt`s natural and ancient treasures

may attract different groups at different times,

they say, but in the end, the visitors will always come back.

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

News Item 2

The World Bank has warned that 100 million more people could

be pushed into poverty by 2030 unless action is taken to prevent global warming.

It says global warming will ravage crops

and fuel the spread of malaria and other diseases.

Laura Becca reports from Washington.

The World Bank says that climate change is already having an effect

on the poorest people who are struggling to raise crops

in extreme weather and low rainfall.

They say the world`s poorer receive fewer resources

and are woefully unprepared to deal with further climate shocks suck

as rising seas or severe drought.

They`re calling for more to be done to help those in need and they want

world leaders to act to reduce carbon emissions.

That report had been released just

a few weeks before a UN climate summit in Paris.

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

News Item 3

Migrants had been pouring into Europe for months,

but these images of a drowned Syrian boy on a Turkish beach

in September shocked the world and drew Western sympathy

for those fleeing a worsening conflict in Syria.

A gap in the fence between Serbia and Hungary saw a thousand cross on a single day.

Hungary, overwhelmed, put up a raze wire fence in October to close its border.

In Austria, the gate wait western Europe,

trains arriving from Hungary were met by applause.

Young Austrian women welcomed the migrants

and refugees with candies and cigarettes.

But signs of strain came quickly for Europe.

Sweden introduce border controls.

Skepticism grew even more after the terrorist attacks in Paris.

Two of the attackers had traveled to Europe undetected, posing as refugees.

Germany`s leader welcomed the migrants earlier,

but that change by years end.

“We want to and we will reduce the number of refugees.”

2015 ended with discussions on beefing up borders,

but Europe has no comprehensive plan on dealing with this tide of humanity,

a phenomenon that leaders say it`s a test for the region.

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 hear two long conversation.

Conversation One

M: Hi, Mary, I was wondering if you`re free tomorrow night.

W: Well, Mike, I guess I am. Why do you ask?

M: I have just gotten a pair of pre sale

“Star Wars” movie tickets from a friend and was thinking

of inviting you along for the opening premier. Are you interested?

W: Yeah, definitely! Thanks for inviting me!

M: It`s a pleasure.

W: I hear that the film is directed by George Lucas.

The story goes that Luke Skywalker leaves his home planet,

teams up with other rebels, and tries to save Princess Leia

from the evil clutches of Darth Vader.

M: Yeah. The conclusion is culminated as the Rebels,

including Skywalker and flying ace Wedge Antilles make an attack

on the Empire`s most powerful and ominous weapon, the Death Star.

W: I really wanted to watch “Star Wars” on the opening day

but the pre sale tickets were sold out.

How did you manage to get hold of them?

M: A friend of mine works at the corporate headquarters of “Pepsi”,

which is a major sponsor of the movie.

He was able to get the tickets for free,

and then he sold 2 to me for $50 a piece.

W: You paid $50 for each ticket?

That`s a huge premium over the regular price!

M: Not really, considering the fact that other people are paying

as high as $200 each on the “black market”.

Besides, I knew you were really looking forward to watching

“Star Wars” on the opening day.

W: Wow, I`m really honored you went through all this trouble just for my sake.

I really appreciate that. So, what time are we going?

M: Well, let me see. The movie starts at 10 p. m.

We should get there at least 1 hour earlier because there`ll be a big line.

I could pick you up at your house at 8, if that`s OK with you.

W: 8 o`clock? That`s fine with me.

M: Okay.

W: So I`ll see you tomorrow at 8. Bye.

M: See you. Bye.

Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.

8.How much did Mike pay for the 2 tickets?

9.Which of the following is right according to this conversation?

10.How did Mike manage to get hold of the “Star Wars” movie tickets?

11.What is the regular price of each “Star Wars” movie ticket?

Conversation Two

W: Steve, in which year did you come to Japan?

M: Uh, let me see, 1969, yeah. More than thirty years ago.

W: 59, 69, 79, 89, 99…79, 89, 99, 2009 would be forty.

And you`re from the States?

M: Yeah, Michigan. Michigan is famous for lakes.

It has many lakes the Land of 10,000 Lakes.

Unfortunately, pollution enters and moves through the Great Lakes region.

The mission of the Michigan Great Lakes Protection Fund

is to provide a source of reliable funding for new research

and demonstration projects to preserve, enhance,

and restore the Great Lakes and its component ecosystems.

W: Yeah, emphasis is placed on work that results in needed policy development

or significant near term improvement in water quality,

environmental health, and ecosystem restoration.

By the way, is Michigan up on the Canadian border?

M: Right.

W: The Northeast.

M: North—well, Midwest. It`s called the Midwest.

W: But it`s the Northeast of the country. Why is that?

M: Well, originally the West the country wasn`t so big.

And so Michigan was not quite all the way west,

but it was pretty far west, yeah, when it became a state.

W: Hang on a minute, hang on a minute.

M: Yeah?

W: What do you mean “the country wasn`t so big?”

The country`s always been the same size, hasn`t it?

M: No. It started off real little.

It was just a little strip on the East coast,

and it started kind of, uh, spreading like a fungus or a virus,

or something. And it spread across. And when Michigan became a state,

it was pretty far west, but it wasn`t all the way west,

so they called that part of the country the Midwest.

And the other parts out there would be the Far West,

and California was just something altogether different, I guess.

W: So, the idea of “west” shifted gradually west, with time.

M: Yeah, originally, you know,

the Appalachian mountains would`ve been the west side of the country and now,

it`s way far east. And the Frontier. That was called the Frontier.

It was a big deal.

W: When you say America was a thin sliver on the East Coast,

where did it start? Was it New York or Philadelphia?

M: A bit north of there, Massachusetts.

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

12.Where are the two speakers now?

13.Where is Michigan located?

14.What has perplexed the government of Michigan?

15.What are the two speakers mainly talking about?

Section C

In this section, you will hear three 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

In phone booths in the U.S. there are usually directions for using the telephone.

All phone numbers have seven digits,

though letters and numbers are sometimes used in combination.

There may be phone books or directories under the telephones.

There are two main kinds of long distance calls:

direct dial and operator assisted.

You can direct dial calls in most parts of the U.S.

Look in the white pages directory for long distance rates

or for more information on making long distance calls.

Or you can call the operator for help.

If you need a phone number that`s not in your phone book,

call Directory Assistance.

To make a long distance call, you`ll need to know the three digit area code.

Dial 1 plus the area code plus the number,

and an operator or a computer voice will tell you how much money to deposit.

On operator assisted calls,

the operator will ask you to deposit more money before your time is up.

On direct dial calls you`ll be cut off at the end of the time

you paid for unless you put more money in the slot.

Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.

16.What can you find in the white pages of a telephone book?

17.When do you need to call Directory Assistance?

18.What should you do to make a long distance call?

Passage Two

Most ants are hard workers and often work from six in the morning until ten at night.

The work is divided among the worker ants so that each one has a certain amount to do.

We do not know how they decide what each one is to do, for they do not talk.

Some people think ants follow each other by their sense of smell.

Ants often live to be a year old,

and some have been known to live six or seven years.

One way they get their food is from plant insects which we might call their cows.

The ants milk these “cows” by tapping the insects gently until a drop of honey comes out.

Then they eat the honey. Ants take very good care of these plant insects

and often build a covering over them so that they will be protected from the rain.

Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.

19.How many hours do ants usually work at one time?

20.What is the longest time that ants have been known to live?

21.Which of the following best describes the ant`s method of getting food?

Passage Three

Martin is a medical student.

Every summer vacation he works as a guide for a travel agency.

In order to get as many customers as possible,

Martin prepared a speech to attract them.

On the morning of the first day,

when he saw a woman coming towards the door of the agency,

he immediately opened the door for her and began to describe the tour.

“The bus leaves Fairfield at 9∶30.

It`s air conditioned and very comfortable.

We first take you down to the old harbor.

From there we drive along the coast and through an old residential area.

At 12∶30, we go to the Park Restaurant for a first class meal.

Then we go to the zoo in the park.

From 3 till 5 we show you the shops in the old town,

where you can buy traditional handicrafts,

jewellery and pottery.

We then go to the area where you can visit the natural history museum

and the art gallery. Finally we come back along 8th Avenue,

past the concert hall and theaters.

You can count on a really wonderful day.”

At last he stopped. The woman smiled and thanked him very much.

Then she said she had lived in the town all her life

and thought his description was very good.

However, she only wanted to know what time the next bus left for Green Valley.

Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.

22.What did Martin do on the first day of his work?

23.Which of the following activities was not included on the itinerary?

24.How long did the tour last?

25.Which of the following is true of the woman?