（Script for Listening Comprehension）

Section A

Directions:In this section, you will hear 6 short conversations. At the end of each conversation, a question will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the question will be read only once. After each question, there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A, B, C and D, and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.

1. M: Did you see the new film last night?

W: I’ve been in hospital for a few days.

Q: Why didn’t the woman see the new film?

2. W: Lots of people enjoy dancing, do you?

M: Believe it or not, that is the last thing I ever want to do.

Q: What does the man mean?

3. W: Bob, are you going straight home after school today?

M: No, I have a class until one o’clock, and after that I’m going to spend a couple of hours at the library before going home.

Q: When is Bob going home this afternoon?

4. W: The broadcast says there’s going to be a thunderstorm today.

M: I don’t believe it. Look, the sun is out.

Q: What are they discussing?

5. W: Hello, David. Fancy meeting you here in the zoo.

M: Hello, Jane. Nice to see you. Are these your kids?

Q: What can you infer from the conversation?

6. W: I’m really angry at John. He never listens to me.

M: Take it easy, Mary. Things will work out.

Q: What does the man advise the woman to do?

Section B

Directions:In this section, you will hear one long conversation. At the end of the conversation, 4 questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A, B, C and D, and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.

M: Hello, National Express Courier Company, Customer Service Department.

W: Hello, I have some questions about a package I’m going to send, can you help me?

M: Yes, ma’am. What would you like to know?

W: I have a box of homemade candy. And I want to send it to my sister, it’s a birthday present. Do you have any special rules about delivering food?

M: No, not in this case, ma’ma. If you were sending fruit or vegetables, they would have to be packed specially. But there are no rules about sending candy.

W: OK, I have another question. I’m very concerned about the package reaching my sister on time. Can you make it sure that it will be there by her birthday on Saturday?

M: Where does it have to go?

W:California.

M: Hmm. Saturday’s only four days away. We have a priority service that would guarantee delivery in three days but it’s more expensive than our regular rate.

W: Well, I don’t want to waste money, but it’s more important that the package be there on time.

M: OK. Bring your package to the office, and we’ll send it by priority service.

W: OK. I’ll do that.

Questions 7 to 10 are based on the long conversation you have just heard.

7. Why is the woman calling the delivery company?

8. What is the woman sending to her sister?

9. When is her sister’s birthday?

10. Which method will the woman probably use to send her package?

Section C

Directions:In this section, you will hear 10 short pieces of news from BBC or VOA. After each news item and question, there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the three choices marked A, B and C, and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.

11. The World Health Organization says that every year more than 1.7 million people die as a result of unsafe drinking water, making it the leading cause of death and disease around the world. Most of the victims are young children, the vast majority of whom die of illnesses caused by organisms that thrive in water sources contaminated by raw sewage.

Question: Who are the main victims of unsafe drinking water?

12. Six thousand delegates descended on the U.N.’s New York headquarters Monday for a high-level meeting to reaffirm commitments to women’s rights. The gathering—dubbed

Beijing plus Ten—is devoted to assessing the progress made since the Fourth Conference on Women in the Chinese capital in 1995.

Question: When and where was the Fourth Conference on Women held?

13. New York is the world capital for business and one of the bigger businesses is toys. This past week over 1,500 toymakers from 31 nations converged on the Big Apple to display their wares to retail surveyors. The sheer volume of toys on display at the four-day American International Toy

Fair in midtown Manhattan might weary the most energetic child, if any children had been allowed to attend the event, which they were not. The thousands of grown-ups who attended were there to size up the latest offerings from the $30 billion a year American toy industry.

Question: Were children allowed to attend the Toy Fair?

14. There are a record 691 US dollar billionaires, according to Forbes magazine. Between them they have a fortune of 2.2 trillion dollars. That figure is slightly more than the annual value of all goods and services produced in China and India, the two most populous countries. The highest concentration of the ultra-rich is in New York, followed by Moscow and San Francisco and then London and Los Angeles. But in total the very wealthy live in forty-seven different nations, with Iceland, Kazakstan, Ukraine and Poland entering the list for the first time.

Question: Which countries’ annual value of all goods and services is almost equal to the fortune of all the billionaires in the world?

15. Former Presidents George Bush and Bill Clinton have met Sri Lankan children who survived December’s devastating tsunami. The former political rivals are assessing how the U.S. can help rebuild affected countries. Young survivors of the deadly Tsunami sang and performed dances during the visit by George Bush and Bill Clinton to a trauma center on Sri Lanka’s southern coast.

Others drew crayon pictures of their terrifying experiences to show to the former U.S. presidents.

Question: Whom did the two former U.S. Presidents meet according to the news?

16. Moscow is widely regarded as having only an outside chance of staging the Games. Although the city is thriving, it suffers from a lack of hotel accommodation, transport problems, including an aging airport and questions of security. But the city and the Russian government are prepared to make major investments to secure the 2012 Olympics. Ten billion dollars would be available to transform the city’s infrastructure, including a new metro system.

Question: What problem is Moscow faced with in bidding for the 2012 Olympic Games?

17. Howard Stringer has already made a name for himself as head of Sony Corporation in the United States, and as chairman of its electronics unit. However, the company as a whole, best known for its Playstation portable video games console, its Walkman personal music machines and its Vaio computers, has been losing market share to innovative new ideas from competitors. These include Samsung of South Korea and Apple Computer, whose iPod personal music system strays right into the Walkman territory that Sony once claimed for itself.

Question: Which company does Howard Stringer work for?

18. The red carpet will be rolled out in Hollywood when the Academy Awards, known as the Oscars, are presented later this month. Oscars for scientific and technical achievements have already been handed out, with a little less fanfare but just as much excitement for the winners. This event was not in Hollywood but in nearby Pasadena, where engineers and scientists who make technical innovations in the movie industry get their acknowledgment.

Question: Who was awarded Oscars for scientific and technical achievements?

19. Scientists have known for some time that a severely reduced food intake makes some animals live longer. Now,researchers are getting closer to understanding why. They say the finding may also lead to a similar understanding in people, and a treatment for diseases like diabetes.

Question: What do we learn from the news?

20. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s talks with India’s foreign minister covered regional defense issues,including the possible sale of U.S. fighter jets to India’s long-standing rival, Pakistan. India is the first stop on Ms. Rice’s six-nation tour of Asia—her first trip to the region since becoming Secretary of State.

Question: Which country did Ms. Rice stop first in her six-nation tour of Asia since becoming US Secretary of State?

Section D

Directions：In this section, you will hear 3 passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear 3 or 4 questions. 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 the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.

Passage One

One of the oldest customs of mankind is the celebration of the New Year. Some people say the Chinese were the first to start it, others believe it was the ancient Germans, and still others claim it was the Romans.

We know that the Chinese have always had a great festival at the time of their New Year, which comes later than ours. The Chinese New Year festival lasts several days. The ancient Germans established a New Year festival because of the changing seasons. The German winter began in about the middle of November. It was the time when they gathered the harvest. Because everybody came together at this time for the happy occasion, and because it meant they would have a period of rest from work afterwards. They would make merry and have a great holiday. Even though it was November, they considered it the beginning of the New Year! When the Romans conquered Europe, they changed this time of celebration to the first of January.

From then on the coming of the New Year was a symbol of a new life with new hope for the future. This custom and this meaning have lasted to this day. We celebrate the New Year hoping it will bring us a good life.

Questions 21 to 23 are based on the passage you have just heard.

21. What is the author’s nationality?

22. Who are NOT mentioned to have started the celebration of New Year?

23. Why do people celebrate the New Year festival nowadays?

Passage Two

According to a recent poll, a large majority of Americans are in favor of retaining the present 55-mile-an-hour speed limit. This speed was imposed in 1973 when fuel shortages became crucial. Seventy-five percent of the persons surveyed think that the law is a good one. They point to the decrease in the highway death rate or to the saving of fuel as reasons for their opinion. Easterners and older people, rather than young adults, are more likely to argue for retention of the law.

Likewise, only 23 percent of the people surveyed favor a higher speed limit for trucks. The trucking industry contends that truck engines work more efficiently at higher speeds and that trucks traveling at higher speeds reach markets more quickly, thereby saving consumers money. Some of the persons polled argue that trucks on certain highways are already involved in a disproportionate number of fatal highway accidents.

Questions 24 to 26 are based on the passage you have just heard.

24. What was the principle reason for the original imposition of the 55-mile-per-hour speed limit?

25. Which of the following are less likely to favor retaining the 55-mile-per-hour speed limit?

26. Why do truckers want a higher speed limit for trucks?

Passage Three

Now, we’ll bring you a special news bulletin.

The three astronauts have splashed down safely in the Pacific Ocean, a hundred and forty-five miles southwest of Hawaii, only six miles from the aircraft carrier that was dispatched for the recovery mission. The space module floated down on three parachutes and landed right-side-up in the water.

Mission Control in Houston confirmed that Parachutes and landing systems had functioned properly. Mission Control has advised that the astronauts to remain inside the module until they are lifted aboard the aircraft carrier.

An air force helicopter is already hovering above the module and seven divers are in the process of attaching lines to the spacecraft.

The astronauts have returned after fifteen days in space. Possibly one of the most important accomplishments of this mission was the extensive photographing of the Sun’s surface.

After two days of physical examinations and observation, the astronauts will fly to Houston to reunite with their families.

Ladies and Gentlemen, we have confirmation that the astronauts are now aboard the aircraft carrier. They seem to be in very good conditions and they prepare for the welcoming ceremonies.

Questions 27 to 30 are based on the passage you have just heard.

27. According to the reporter, where did the spacecraft splash down?

28. How many divers were in the process of attaching lines to the spacecraft?

29. How long had the astronauts been in space?

30. According to the reporter, where are the astronauts now?