Section one conversation

1.     W: Simon, oh, well, could you return the tools I lend you for building the bookshelf last month?

M: Oh, I hate to tell you this, but I can’t seem to find them.

Q: What do we learn from the conversation?

2.     W: I found an expensive diamond ring in the restroom this morning.

M: If I were you, I would turn it in to the security office. It is behind the administration building.

Q: What does the man suggest the woman do?

3.     W: I am going to Martha’s house. I have a paper to complete. And I need to use her computer.

M: Why don’t you buy one yourself? Think how much time you could save.

Q: What does the man suggest the woman do?

4.     W: Daddy, I have decided to give up science and go to business school.

M: Well, it is your choice as long as pay your own way, but I should warn you that not everyone with a business degree will make a successful manager.

Q: What do we learn from the conversation?

5.     W: I just read in the newspaper that Lord of the Rings is this year’s greatest hit. Why don’t we go and see it at the Grand Cinema?

M: Don’t you think that cinema is a little out of the way?

Q: What does the man mean?

6.     W: Bob said that Seattle is a great place for conferences.

M: He is certainly in the position to make that comment. HE has been there so often.

Q: What does the man say about?

7.     W: Mr. Watson, I wonder whether it’s possible for me to take a vacation early next month?

M: Did you fill out a request form?

Q: What is the probable relationship between the two speakers?

8.     M: Do you want to go to the lecture this weekend? I heard that the guy who is going to deliver the lecture spent a year living in the rainforest.

W: Great, I am doing a report on the rain forest. Maybe I can get some new information to add it.

Q: What does the woman mean?

9.     W: Wow, I do like this campus. All the big trees, the green lawns, and the old buildings with tall columns. It’s really beautiful.

M: It sure is. The architecture of these buildings is in the Greek style. It was popular in the 18th century here.

Q: What are the speakers talking about?

10. M: This article is nothing but advertising for housing developers. I don’t think the houses for sale are half that good.

W: Come on, David. Why so negative? We are thinking of buying a home, aren’t we? Just a trip to look at the place won’t cist us much.

Q: What can be inferred form the conversation?

Section Two passages

Passage 1

  In the next few decades, people are going to travel very differently from the way they do today. Everyone is going to drive electrically-powered cars, so in the few years, people won’t worry about running out of gas. Some of the large automobile companies are really moving ahead with this new technology. F&C Motors, a major auto company, for example, is holding a press conference next week. After the press conference, the company will present its new electronically-operated models. Transportation in the future won’t be limited to the ground, many people predict that traffic will quickly move to the sky. In the coming years, instead of radio reports about road  conditions and highway traffic, news reports will talk about traffic jams in the sky. But the sky isn’t the limit. In the future, you will probably even be able to take a trip to the moon. Instead of listening to regular airplane announcements, you will hear someone say: the spacecraft to the moon leaves in 10 minutes. Please check your equipment. And remember no more than 10 ounces of carry-on baggage are allowed.

11. What will be used to power cars in the next few decades?

12. What will future news reports focus on when talking about transportation?

13. What will passengers be asked to do when they travel to the moon?

Passage 2

  County fairs are a tradition in New England towns. They offer great entertainment. One popular event is the pie-eating contest. If you want to take part in the contest, it is a good idea to remember these guidelines: first, make sure your stomach is nearly empty of food. Eating a whole pie can be hard if you have just finish a meal. Next, it is helpful to like the pie you are going to eat. The cream types are a good choice. They slide down the throat more easily. Placing your hands in the right position adds to the chances of winning. There is a temptation to reach out and help the eating process. This will result in becoming disqualified. Don’t just sit on your hands, if your hands are tied behind your back, you will not be tempted to make use of them.

  Now you are ready to show your talent  at eating pies. The object of course, is to get the bottom of the pie plate before the other people. It is usually better to start at the outside and work toward the middle. This method gives you a goal to focus on. Try not to notice what the other people near your are doing. Let the cheers from the crowd spur you on. But don’t look up. All you should think about is eating that pie.

14. Where is pie-eating contest usually held?

15. What should a person do before entering into the pie-eating cxontest?

16. Where is person advised to put his hands during the contest?

17. What suggestion is offered for eating up the pie quickly?

Passage 3

  The period of engagement is the time between the marriage proposal and the wedding ceremony. Two people agree to marry when they decided to spend their lives together. The man usually gives the woman a diamond engagement ring. That tradition is said to have started when an Austrian man gave a beauty. He placed it on the third finger of her left hand. He chose that finger because it was thought that the blood vessel in that finger went directly to the heart. Today we know that this is not true, yet the tradition continues.

  Americans   generally are engaged for a period of about one year, if they are planning a wedding ceremony and a party. During this time, friends of the bride may hold a party at which women friends and family members give the bride gifts that she will need as a wife. These could include cooking equipment  or new clothing. Friends of the man who is getting married may have a bachelor party for him. This usually takes place the night before the wedding. Only man are invited to the bachelor party.

  During the marriage ceremony, the bride and her would-be husband usually exchange gold rings that represent the idea that their union will continue forever. The wife often wears both the wedding ring and the engagement ring on the same finger. The husband wears his ring on the third finger on his left hand. Many people say the purpose of the engagement period is to permit enough time to plan the wedding. But the main purpose is to let enough time pass so the two people are sure that they want to marry each other. Either person may decide to break the engagement, if this happens, the woman usually returns the ring to the man. They also return any wedding gifts they have received.

18. What was the diamond ring said to represent?

19. Why did the Austrian man place the diamond ring on the third finger of the left hand of his would-be wife?

20. What is the chief advantage of having the engagement period?