Talks and Conversations
Directions: In this part of the test, you will hear several short talks and conversations. After each of these, you will hear a few questions. Listen carefully, because you will hear the talk or conversation and the questions ONLY ONCE. When you hear a question, read the four answer choices and choose the best answer to that question. Then write the letter of the answer you have chosen in the corresponding space in your ANSWER BOOKLET.

Question 11—14
M: I love this car; I think it’s really cool. It’ s called the clean car.
W: Where is it made?
M: It was produced in Sweden. It was designed in Italy. The engine of the vehicle runs on electricity which is generated by water.
W: so the fuel is plain H2O? Fantastic!
M: this car was made for the city. It can be parked in a small space and it reaches a maximum speed of 80 kilometers per hour.
W: It looks very light. What’s it made of?
M : It is made of a special metal which is being used for airplanes and space shuttles.
W: And what’s the price of the clean car?
M : That’s the only problem. It’s still rather expansive.

11. What is the man and the woman talking about?
12. Where is the vehicle produced?
13. Which of the following is true about the vehicle?
14. What is the only problem with the vehicle?

Questions 15—18
Once every year for the last few years we visited our friends in a small tiny little village in the middle of France. And they bought a cowshed, and it was literally a cowshed not fit to live in. And they have gradually made it better and renovated it. And it’s in a beautiful position. It’s on the top of a hill. And for miles around you can see this beautiful countryside. And I think only one another house. So you do need a car and you take the car into the tiny little village where there are about 4 or 5 shops and a very nice restaurant where you can go and have a 5 course meal for very little money. And also near is a very big lake, because this place is in the DorDon, and there are lots of lakes there. And we go there most afternoons and wind surf and sail. Also there is a very nice market, French Market, there once a week, where you get lovely parties, lovely fresh fish, really good fresh fish and lovely bowls and baskets which the local people have made. I like this part of France very much. But I think it’s a shame that there are too many English people there.

15. In which part of France do the speaker’s friends live?
16. What was the house before they modernized it?
17. Where is the house located?
18. According to the passage, which of the following statements is not true?

Questions 19—22
W: I like that picture you put up on the wall．
M: Oh, thank you．It’s a photograph that I took on my vacation last year．
W: You took it yourself? I didn’t know you were a photographer．
M: Oh, yes．I’ve been taking pictures for years．
W: It sounds like an interesting hobby．Do you have any more of your pictures here?
M: I have some that I haven’t enlarged.
W: May I see them?
M: Yes, certainly．I haven’t really sorted them out yet. Some of them are faces, just faces of people whom I see when I’m walking around．
W: Do you let them know that you’re taking pictures of them?
M: I try not to．I don’t like pictures of people who pose for the camera．I like people who are going about their daily business without being aware of the camera．
W: And what are the rest of the pictures?
M: A few of them are landscapes. And the rest of them are still life studies that I took in my studio.
W: Oh, you have your own studio? But I suppose you need a lot of equipment．How many cameras do you have?
M: Well, I have several, but I use two of them more than the others．Here, this is the one that I use to get the portrait shots.
W: What’s your other favourite?
M: It’s the one I use for the pictures that I take in my studio. It’s too big to carry around.
W: When are you going to take a picture of me?
M: Some time when you don’t know that I am taking one.

19. What picture did the man put on the wall?
20. How does the man take pictures of people when he is walking around?
21. According to the man, when does he use the bigger camera?
22. What kind of pictures has the man not taken yet?

Questions 23—26
Traveling by air is one of the major conveniences of modern times. The whole field of aviation is geared to meet our needs for our safe, efficient and fast transportation. Let me give you an account of my recent trip on a major airline to illustrate my point.

I began preparations for my trip early by calling the airline and making a reservation. A few days later, I got the e-mail telling me my flight number and the times of departure from my city and arrival at my destination. I was advised to arrive at the airline terminal an hour before take-off in order to check in for my flight.

On the day of my flight, I went to the ticket counter for my boarding card, and then headed for the waiting area of the gate, from which my airplane will depart. Of course, you have to go through security system first. While I was waiting, I noticed how busy everyone was. The mechanics were checking the plane for last minute repairs, and a large truck was fueling the plane with gasoline to make it ready for take-off.

When my flight was called, I boarded the airplane. I was pleasantly greeted by the flight attendants and ordered light drinks and food. The weather was good, and there was no air turbulence to cause us worry or discomfort.

Although my flight was trouble-free, during the holidays, air travel becomes more hectic. Often, airlines sell too many tickets for a flight and are then overbooked. Some unlucky passengers will be bumped and asked to reschedule on a later flight. Bad weather might also cause a later take-off, and this delay often results in misconnections at the next stop.

On the whole, however, air travel is worth the expense. It is fast, safe and usually reliable.

23. How did the speaker make his flight reservation?
24. Why is the speaker advised to arrive an hour earlier?
25. How was his flight going according to the speaker?
26. Which of the following is not true about air travel?

Questions 27--30

W: Robert, I know you have strong feelings about the media.
M: I do. I’ve never had a television in my life. I grew up before television was really common. And I just don’t have time for it. I think you have to look at the “trade off” for whatever you do.
W: What do you mean by “trade off”?
M: What it costs, not only in money, but in terms what it does to your life. I have no real machines in my apartment. Well, I do have an FM radio.
W: What do you listen to?
M: Oh, weather reports, good music. And I have a telephone now. But I lived for eight years without one.
W: Eight years without a telephone?
M: Well, I discovered there were telephones on every street corner, and I really didn’t need one for anything.
W: Do you have a computer?
M: I do not own a computer. Because when I go on the Internet, I’m always disappointed. You see, I think modern technology destroys all the beauty and meaning in life. The machine gets in the way, and I don’t want to be part of a machine. That’s not the way I want to live my life.
W: Aren’t there any good things that the modern media bring us? I don’t know. Closer contact with other people?
M: Well, I do have a confession to make. The only modern form of media I really like is the jet plane. I mean, I know it’s not “the media”, but I really consider it to be a form of communication. It has allowed me to travel all over the world. I get great enjoyment out of travelling. I link up with people from foreign countries. I meet them. I talked to them. And so in that way, the jet plane has improved international communication much more than fax or e-mail will ever do.
W: What an interesting idea. Thank you, Robert.

27. Why has Robert never had a television in his life?
28. Which type of modern machine does Robert have now in his apartment?
29. What does Robert think of modern technology?
30. What does Robert enjoy most?