Section 1: Listening Test

Part A: Spot dictation

Americans have four primary avenues for making friends-- at work, at school, through a hobby or a common interest such as volunteer work and discussion group or through a family or mutual friend connection. In American culture, a job is more than the work that one performs between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Work becomes a major socializing influence. Many young mothers who sacrifice their jobs to care for small children remark on the loneliness of their new lifestyles because they have lost their forum for adult interaction. A great number of American employers recognize business social potential and use it to build a family atmosphere on the job so that employees will feel comfortable and secure in their work environment. Some employers arrange company get-togethers in their home or at a local restaurant. American companies have at least one major function annually, usually at Christmas time. Many corporations have annual summer picnics where employees and administrators alike dress in jeans and T-shirts to play games, such as baseball and volleyball.

Top American administrators often hold social gatherings in their own homes. Depending upon the size of the employer’s home and the number of his employees, these social gatherings may be picnics, pool parties, or formal banquets. If the company is large, an employer may hold what Americans call an open house. For an open house, the employer will invite his employees to come to his home anytime between 1 p.m and 6 p.m. on a certain day. Those invited usually stay for  one to two hours, chatting with the other guests and their host. People come and go as they please during the designated hours, and the host keeps refreshments, usually light snacks or hors d’oeuvres and beverages, available for all who come. For such social gatherings, it is considered poor practice to refuse the invitation unless you have an excellent reason.

Part B: Listening Comprehension

ents

1.B For me, taking a rest is better than surfing the Internet or shopping

2.C Usually new employees will not take such initiatives as Mr. Johnson does

3.B Could you say something on the subject of cost-effective publicity?

4.A Children will directly or indirectly affect what their parents purchase

5.C Although it is sugar-containing, the apple is a kind of healthy fruits.

6.D The camera we bought is more expensive than I expected

7.A The problem of inflation could be worsened due to rising unemployment and wage explosion

8.D the tariff is a government tax on imported goods

9.A We had planned to sell $120000 worth of this new product

10.A The committee voted against the proposed projiect

2.Talks and Conversations

11. D Studying in a foreign country

12. C The rising cost of living through inflation

13. B The university bookstore

14. A She will use her study time more effectively

15. D A teacher

16. C She was anxious

17. B 120

18. D Her success

19. B He was on a business trip

20. C Agents and customers

21. A 220

22. D The lunch menu

23. C In driving, it is always safety that comes first

24. A because they may no judge speeds very well

25. D The handicapped

26. B slow down or stop to let people cross

27. C Programme writing

28. A A good self-controlled personality

29. B scientists and intellectuals

30. C The wide spaces between the words

Part C: Listening and Translation

1.Sentence Translation

1. Our online courses are open to the public for immediately enrolment. They include everything our students need for study. Our students love the quality as well as the convenience.

2. In 1986, there were over 40 million computers in the world, while by 2006, that number climbed to about 800 million, a twenty-fold increase in two decades.

3. In an age of fast communication via telephone and computer, face-to-face meetings might seem like wasting our time and energy. However, they are still an important part of doing business.

4. There are ten clubs here representing foreign students on campus. Their main purpose is to get students from the same countries together, so we won’t get too homesick and can help each other.

5. Listening is what we do first and most. The average person spends 45% of his daily communication time in listening, with the rest 55% in writing, reading and speaking.