1. M: Hello, I’m a senior student. Could you tell me whether this reference room is only for faculty members?
W: No, it’s a also open to the postgraduates; and undergraduates can come too if they’re got professors’ written permission.
Q: Can the man study in the reference room?
2. W: Let’s talk about the preparations for the party.
M: Right. We really need to plan better this time. Remember what a mess it was at the last party!
Q: What do we know about the last party?
3. W: This has been the worst flood for the past 20 years. It has caused much damage and destruction.
M: Look at the prices of fruits and vegetables. No wonder they are so expensive.
Q: What are they talking about?
4. W: George. Where were you yesterday evening? I expected to see you at the concert.
M: Oh, I waited for you at the corner of your street. Then I looked for you at your flat, but the housekeeper said you were out.
Q: Why didn’t they meet that evening?
5. W: The place I’ve heard so much about is Los Angeles. The climate is pretty good. Year-round flowers, Year-round swimming. How do like it?
M: Well, the beaches are beautiful. But people there are terribly annoyed by the dirty air. I mean, the combination of fog, smoke and automobile exhaust. There is not enough wind to blow it away.
Q: What does the man think of Los Angeles?
6. M: I’d like to make an appointment to see Dr. Smith tomorrow.
W: I’m sorry. Dr. Smith went on a week vacation in Mexico, and on his way back he’ll be staying in California for 5 days. Let me see. He’ll probably be back the day after tomorrow.
Q: Where is Dr. Smith now?
7. M: Look, I’m sorry I didn’t turn up for the match yesterday, but it wasn’t really my fault, you know.
W: It’s all very well saying it wasn’t your fault, but thanks to you we lost 10 to 1.
Q: What do we learn from the conversation?
8. M: You call Henry a dreamer, but I think he’s got a lot of good ideas.
W: Good ideas are only useful if you make something out of them.
Q: Why does the woman think that Henry is a dreamer?
9. M: You’ll need 36 credit hours to get an M. A. degree. Fifteen must be from the English Department and fifteen from the Education Department. For the remaining six credit hours, you can either write a thesis or take two more selected courses.
W: Right now, this is very confusing to me, but I’m sure I’ll know what to do as I learn more about it.
Q: What are they talking about?
10. M: This TV set is getting worse and worse. Now it doesn’t work at all.
W: Here’s an advertisement about a big TV sale. There might be some good bargains in it.
Q: What does the woman suggest?

Passage One
Are you afraid to raise your hand in class, even when you know the answer? If you are, most people would say that you’re shy.
If you feel shy, you’re not alone. Nine out of ten people are at least a little shy. But however shy you are, scientific evidence seems to show that it isn’t your fault. You may have been born that way.
How do psychologists measure shyness? One way is by observation. They keep detailed records of people’s actions-like how often these people speak to others, or how long it takes someone to say hello to a stranger.
Another way to measure shyness is to ask people questions. The test only takes about 10 minutes. It asks questions like “Do you like going out a lot?” and “Do you have many friends?” People must answer either yes or no. These questions can predict how people actually behave in social situations. Suppose the test tells you that someone is shy. Chances are good that that person will act shy.
When scientists measure shyness, they’re really comparing degrees of shyness. In other words, when researchers say people are shy, they really mean they are more shy than others.
Questions 11 to 13 are based on the passage you have just heard.
11. Why does the speaker say that it isn’t a fault to be shy?
12. What is one of the ways suggested by psychologists for measuring shyness?
13. What is the purpose of the psychologists in asking questions?

Passage Two
When Midori was two years old, she often climbed onto the piano bench and reached for the violin that belonged to her mother, a 38-year-old professional musician.
“Please don’t touch, Midori,” her mother scolded. The violin was, after all, worth more than $20,000.
But Midori persisted, she longed to handle the graceful instrument that made beautiful sounds. Finally, on her third birthday, Midori was handed a package: a tiny violin, about half the normal size.
Almost from the moment Midori was born, her mother knew she was sensitive to music. For several years mother and daughter practised together day after day. She was eager to learn. Failure often led to tears, though she never once turned from the instrument. Instead, she persisted until the problem was overcome.
One day Johnston, an American musician, heard Midori playing the violin. He couldn’t believe she was just eight years old. “She must make a tape and I will take it to the United States.” the musician said.
A famous American violin teacher heard the tape. He, too, had difficulty believing his ears. The playing was absolutely astonishing. He immediately accepted her as a pupil and recommended her for a full scholarship. In 1982, Midori and her mother moved to New York City, leaving behind a comfortable life in Japan.

Questions 14 to 17 based on the passage you have just heard.
14. What was Midori’s mother?
15. Why was Midori not allowed to touch her mother’s violin when she was only two years old?
16. What did Johnston, the American, ask Midori to do?
17. Why did Midori move to the United States?

Passage Three
The British Broadcasting Corporation is rejecting more and more candidates applying for jobs, because they suffer from hearing loss. And this is due to a wide use of personal stereo systems. According to officials at the corporation, about three per cent of them fail to win jobs for this reason. The figure indicates that people suffering from hearing defects are more common that a decade age.
Candidates applying for jobs at the British Broadcasting Corporation have always had hearing tests, but the techniques for such tests were not standardized until five years ago. The corporation says officially that there is no proof to link personal stereos with hearing disabilities, but frequent exposure to high level of sounds can diminish a person’s understanding of speech. That will rule out his chances of being a engineer taking care of sound quality in recording.
So exerts are now calling for manufactures of personal stereos to provide a warning light. It flashes when the sound is too loud. One British manufacturer accepted this suggestion. And this manufacturer has made a device which switches itself off when the level of sound is too high.

Questions 18 to 20 are based on the passage you have just heard.
18. Why do more and more candidates fail to get jobs at the British Broadcasting Corporation?
19. When did the hearing test techniques become standardized?
20. What suggestions did the experts make to stereo manufacturers.