Spot Dictation
For centuries, people have been fighting over whether governments should allow trade between countries. There have been, and probably always will be two sides to the argument.
Some people argue that just letting everybody trade freely is best for both the country and the world. Others argue, that trade with other countries makes it harder for some people to make a good living.
Both sides are at least partly right. International trade matters a lot. It's a fact on the life of people are enormous. Imagine a world in which your country did not trade at all with other countries. Imagine what kind of job you would be likely to get. And what goods you could buy or not buy in such a world.
For the United States for example, start by imagining that it lived without its 70 billion dollars a year in imported oil, and cut back on its energy use because the remaining domestic oil and other energy sources were more expensive. Producers and consumers in other parts of the economy would feel the same if they were suddenly stripped a foreign-made goods like CD players and clothing.
On the export side, suppose that Boeing could sell airplanes, and farmers could sell their corps only within the United States, and that US universities could admit only domestic students. In each case, there are people who gain, and people who lose from cutting off international trade.
In any case, less or more international trade will have strong affects on your career, as well as your life. For years, American companies are often faced with the choice of buying American-made goods which are expensive, and foreign made goods which are cheap. If the company buys America goods, it may anger tax payers by feeling to keep prices low. But if they buy us foreign goods, it may endanger the jobs of American workers.
Recently, congress has passed a law compiling American companies with government contracts to give preference to domestic goods and services.
Statements
1. Are you looking for someone who can translate this contract into Portuguese? What about our new secretary, I hear she had stayed in Brazil for several years.
2. Finding employment is not easy these days even in big cities. If I were you, I would be delighted wih such a job offer.
3. Also present at the conference is Dr. Madison, who will join our discussion this afternoon to give an expert view on the current situation of global economy.
4. If you intend to try bungee jumping, most countries require that you be over the age of 18, and join a bungee jumping club, or be properly instructed for the sport.
5. Keeping a business firm running is far more difficult than starting it. According to current statistics, two thirds of new business firms will fail in the first five years.
6. Scientists report that hunting or eating wild animals not only destroy the balance of nature, but also run the risk of being infected by virus from animals.
7. We can never learn a foreign language in the same way as we acquire our first. For even a 3-year-old child can have thousands of hours of contact with his mother tongue.
8. Once you enroll in full or part-time courses at this college, our services are all free of charge, except that you pay 30 pence a copy for any photo copying made here.
9. If you have yet to appoint a new sales manager in charge of our L.A. office, Mrs. Coleman was born there and has good connections.
10. Suppose the gasoline tank of your car holds 20 gallons and you average 16 miles to the gallon, how far can you drive on a tank tull of gasoline?
Talks and Conversations
Q11-14
B: Hey Mary, you look depressed. Is everything OK?
G: It's my parents. They are not easy to put up with. They are so old fashioned and they never let me do anything. I go out at night only once in a while, and when I do, I have to be back by 10:00. What should I do?
B: Have you tried to talk to them?
G: They never have any time for me. My dad's work comes first, and my mum only sits down with me when she wants to show me off to her friends:” Marry gets straight As, and she made basketball team this year!" Er, I want to move out and live on my own!
B: Well, I get along with my parents, but we don't agree all the time. They worry too much about me. If I'm going away, it's always: "don't forget to call as soon as you arrive!", "take this medicine with you in case you get sick”,” you must stay away from drugs." They know I'm not into that. They should trust me.
G: I guess parents are all the same.
11: What does the woman think of her parents?
12: Which of the following is TRUE about the woman?
13: What do this man’s parents often ask him to do when he is going away?
14: What does the man think his parents should do?
Q15-18
Ladies and Gentlemen, we all know that even with the advances of science and technology in our modern society, it is very difficult for us to predict an earthquake, let alone, prevented. But people had long ago tried every possible means to record and in some way predict the occurrence of an earthquake.
The world's first instrument for recording earth quakes was invented in China in the second century AD. The instrument, today we would call it a seismoscope was designed by a Chinese astronomer, and geographer named Zhangheng. It was a vessel like device made of bronze and measured in 6 feet in diameter.
Inside the instrument, there was a pendulum that was swing from the movement of a trimmer that is too weak to be felt by a human being. When the pendulum swung, it will pull one of the attached bars. The bar will open the mouth of the dragon sculpture on the outside of the vessel. And a bronze ball will drop, and fall with a clang into the open mouth of a frog sculpture below. This seismoscope could not only record the movement of an earthquake, but also show from which direction of the earthquake came.
In AD 138, Zhangheng used his invention to announce that a major earthquake has struck 400 miles northwest of Luoyang, the Chinese capital. His report came long before massagers on horse back brought news of the earthquake to the capital city.
15. For what purpose was the vessel like seismoscope invented?
16. What is the function of the pendulum inside the instrument?
17. According to the talk, what happened in the year AD 138?
18. How was the news of earthquake brought to the capital city before the invention of such an instrument?
Q19-22
B: Hi Betty, nice to see you again! How long ago did we two meet in the student centre? I'm glad the final examinations are over, and we don't have to stay up all night to cram all the academic stuff into our minds.
G: Yes. I’m glad we can be here again to relax, and have fun with other fellow students. And now we can look forward to our summer holiday. I've been thinking of going to the States for some time.
B: I think it would be much better for you to go on holiday here in England than to the United States. To start with, it's a lot nearer, and so it would be much cheaper to get around. That means you will have far more money to spend.
G: That may be true. But thinking about when you get there. There are much more to do in the United States. There are so many different things to see, and places to go. Imagine you could go to New York, San Francisco, the Grand Canyon, and Disney World!
B: Exactly! Disney World! I have been dreaming of going there ever since my childhood.
G: So, you are changing your mind, aren't you?
B: I'm still worrying about the cost of taking a trip to the States. Meanwhile, if you stay here in England, you can probably take up some part-time jobs. That way, you can earn extra money to support your study next semester.
G: Maybe you are right. I’ll think it over, and talk about it with my parents while I'm home. Anyway, it is they who pay for my study here in the university.
19. What has the man been doing recently?
20. Why does the man wants to spend his holiday in England?
21. Where is this conversation taking place?
22. At the end of the conversation, what does the woman decide to do?
Q23-26
All humans experience stress. It is a necessary part of life. Generally speaking, a person's ability to deal with stress is affected by his or her feelings, attitude and outlook on life. To start with, my topic for this week's lecture is teenage stress.
Parents tend to think that their children's adolescence is a carefree period of life. However, study show that teenagers can experience the most stress of all people. They can experience stress related to money, family problems, self-esteem, acceptance by their peers, getting accepted into college, choosing a career, and pressure to do well in school, sports or clubs. One reason for such stress is that childhood has gotten shorter, and the perception of children has changed. With the rapid advance of information technology, children can get messages that in the past, were probably meant only for adults. And the dividing line between childhood and adulthood ceases to exist. Children do not play as many as their games as we used to. And most of their games and sports nowadays are those usually performed by adults. Youngsters are encouraged to use adult language that was once never to be heard around a child.
Today, our people are under tremendous pressure to achieve and succeed. It seems to me that the higher our living standard is, the more stress our children experience. In any case, the way by which we live today definitely has something to do with the increase of the level of stress.
23. According to the talk, how would parents view their children's adolescence?
24. Which of the following is not a stress-related phenomenon for teenagers?
25. According to the speaker, what kind of messages can children get today?
26. What has contributed to the increase of the level of stress?
Q27-30
A: Good afternoon, Mr. Brown. Won't you take a seat? That's an attractive shirt, is that new?
B: Fairly, I got it last month for my birthday.
A: It's very nice. Mr. Brown, I've been enjoying working with you, and you certainly have made some significant contributions. Today, however, I need to speak with you about a problem I have observed. When we are done speaking, I anticipate that we will have a solution worked out for this problem. Does that sound reasonable to you?
B: Sure, this must be serious. You are so formal.
A: Yes, Mr. Brown. During the past month, I have observed you returning late from lunch on 5 different occasions. I have the specific deeds listed here.
B: Hey, I wasn't late, I was running errands.
A: Mr. Brown, I'm going to give you a chance to respond in just a minute. I need you to listen first. If we interrupt each other, we aren't going to get anywhere.
B: Okay.
A: I first observed this change in behavior last month, but I ignored it, assuming that you were engaging in work related activities. However, the end of the month reports came in, and they reviewed a definite drop in your productivity, and significant increase in errors. I spoke with you on the 3rd, and the 17th. On each occasion, the smell of alcohol was obvious. Today, the smell of alcohol is obvious. Drinking while on the job is strictly against company policy. Is there a reason for this change in your behavior?
B: There is no change in behavior. I only had one beer at lunch. That's not a crime, is it?
A: I'd like this to be a problem solving session, not a warning session. You are a valuable employee, and I'd like it to stay that way. I'd like to help you, but you have to be willing to be truthful. Would you like to talk about this with a professional councilor?
B: If you think that would help.
A: I don't know if it will help. That part is up to you. But I'm willing to work with you. Here's the telephone number of Dr. Laurence. I'd like you to call him and set up an appointment. In the mean time, you must understand that alcohol during working hours is strictly forbidden. Failure to observe this rule will lead to dismissal. May I count on you to observe this rule?
B: I'll do my best.
27. What does the man think of the woman's opening remark?
28. According to the conversation, what has the woman observed recently?
29. What does the woman suggest to help solve the problem?
30. What is the company rule according to the woman?
Sentence Translation
1. Workers who can still demonstrate their capacity to carry out their work should not be asked to retire, simply because they have reached a certain age.
2. We had only expected around 20 people to apply for that post, but twice as many showed up. So we had to work overnight for the arrangement of interviews.
3. Many American companies now understand that they must study Chinese laws, trade practices and culture in order to be more effective in doing business with their new trading parnters.
4. Not long ago, people were still arguing over whether or not climate change was actually taking place. Now there is broad consensus that it is happening, and that human activities are largely to blame.
5. It is known that human intelligence is attributable to both heredity and environment, but the genetic factors are more important than the environmental ones.
Passage Translation
1. I think examinations are much better than homework. I prefer having exams at the end of a school year to doing homework every week. For me, the problem with homework is that the pressure is on you all the time, and everything you do counts towards your final result. With examinations you can work really hard only in the final stages. I also like to get up early and go through my notes on the day of the exam. That way, everything is fresh in my mind.
2. Listening is one of the things we do most. Yet listening isn't easy. First we are surrounded by noise. People talking or shouting, the sound of traffic, or the roar of airplanes overhead, which makes any listening job a challenge. Second, we often don't seem to remember even when we do listen. By the time the speaker has finished a 10-minutes' speech, the average person has already forgotten half of what was said. Within 48 hours, another 50% has been forgotten. In other words, we quickly forget nearly all of what we hear.