Part C

Additional Listening

A Passage           How to Improve Listening Comprehension

Listen and answer the questions by filling in.

1.       What’s the speaker’s problem in learning English?

He finds listening most difficult, because he worries about the words he doesn’t know.

2.       How is he trying to overcome the difficulty now?

Now he’s trying to focus on the general idea first. Then he’ll listen again carefully and play the difficult parts again if he has any problems.

3.       Why is he happy with the method?

Because in this way he can understand better both the main idea and the details of the listening text.

Script

How to Improve Listening Comprehension

Among the four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing, I find listening most difficult, because I worry about the words I don’t know. Now I’m trying to focus on the general idea, not worrying about the new words. This makes me feel good, because I know I’ve understood something. Then, I listen again carefully and if I have any problems I play the difficult parts again. In this way I come to understand better both the main idea and the details of the listening context.

Movie Time

Watch a video clip. After watching it, choose the right answer to each of the following questions.

Word Bank

time capsule                 时代文物密藏容器（内中存放有时代特征的物品）

competition              n.  竞赛

dedication               n.  奉献（仪式）

burial                   n.  埋葬

incredible               a.   难以置信的

robot                   n.  机器人

esteemed                a.  受人尊敬的

descendant               n.  子孙，后代

vault                    n.  储藏室；地窖

Script

Time Capsule

- Lucinda. Lucinda, we are going in. Lucinda

- Now you remember, tomorrow is our official opening day, don’t you?

- Yes, Miss. Taylor.

- And you remember Principal Clark ran a competition last month to find the best ideas to celebrate this very special day?

- Me!

- Me!

- Well, yesterday the staff selected the winning idea and it came from this class. The winner is our own ... Lucinda Embry. Come on, everyone. We'll be closing our dedication ceremony with the burial of the time capsule.

- What's a time capsule?

- This is a time capsule.

- Wow, that's incredible.

- Now I need you to put your thinking caps on. Because I want each of you to draw what you think the future is going to look like. Then we'll put the pictures in the capsule, and 50 years from today, a group of children, just like yourselves, will open it up to see what you drew. Doesn't that sound exciting?

- Yes, Miss Taylor.

- Let’s begin.

- That is a lovely spaceship there, Dawn.

- Thank you, Miss Taylor.

- Well, done, and that is a nice robot, Andrew. Very good.

Time's up. Everyone hand your work in. And make sure you write your name on the envelope.

Thank you, Harold.

Thank you, Miss Taylor.

- Lucinda, you need to finish up now. Thank you.

- Thank you.

- Oh, Lucinda. The assignment was to draw a picture. This was your idea. Okay, I want you all to finish, please ...

- Welcome to all our friends and esteemed colleagues. We, the students and faculty of William Dawes Elementary, hereby bury this time capsule in dedication of our new school. And we charge our descendants to open this vault of history 50 years from today. To the future and the promise that it holds.

- Lucinda!

Exercise

1. What was the purpose of the competition held last month?

a.         To select the best ideas to celebrate the opening day.

b.        To find out the best picture drawn by students.

c.         To select the best student in the class.

d.        To find out the best design of the new building.

2. What was the time capsule?

a.         It was a tin box.

b.        It was a flying saucer.

c.         It was a sealed capsule about the future.

d.        It was a thinking cap.

3. When would the capsule be opened?

a.         Five years later.

b.        Ten years later.

c.         Fifty years later.

d.        A hundred years later.

4. What did the girl named Lucinda draw?

a.         She drew a robot.

b.        She drew a spaceship.

c.         She drew a computer program.

d.        She drew nothing but numbers.

Time to Talk

Look at these pictures and describe them one by one.

Hints:

  1. The main gate:

gate, Peking University, national key university, traditional Chinese architecture, pillar, tile, golden flat plate, Chinese characters

  2. The new teaching building:

the opening ceremony, remote rural area, banner, Care Project Foundation of Macau, Project Hope, official figure, donated 2.2 billion yuan

  3. New classroom:

classroom session, young woman teacher, look very contented with, brand-new, spacious, bright

Part D          

Test Your Listening                           Short Conversations

You’re going to hear five short conversations. Listen carefully and choose the right answers to the questions you hear.

1.

a.        Watching TV.

b.       Studying Chinese.

c.        Doing a Chinese test.

d.       Reviewing his Chinese lessons.

2.

a.        Write a history paper for the woman.

b.       Help the woman with her history lesson.

c.        Help the woman finish her history paper.

d.       Tell the woman how to write a history paper quickly.

3.

a.        The English Department.

b.       The French Department.

c.        The German Department.

d.       The school library.

4.

a.        After his class is over.

b.       After four o’clock today.

c.        In a few minutes.

d.       Sometime after four tomorrow afternoon.

5.

a.            His mother forgot to wake him up.

b.           He doesn’t have a clock to wake him up.

c.            He sleeps too late.

d.           He sleeps too much.

Script:

1. W:      John, why don’t you watch NBA games on TV?

  M:       Oh, I’m studying for a Chinese test tomorrow.

  Q :      What’s the man doing?

2. W:   Tom, if you can give me a hand, I will be able to get this history paper done quickly.

M:       Of course I can.

Q :      What’s Tom going to do?

3. M:      Excuse me, is this the French Department?

W:      No, it’s the English Department. The French Department is in the new building opposite the school library, right beside the German Department.

Q:       What’s the man looking for?

4. W:      Good morning, Professor Wang. Could I talk to you about my paper now?

M:      I have a class in a few minutes. How about coming to my office after four tomorrow afternoon?

  Q :   When will the woman see the professor?

5.  W:  Tim, why are you late for class again? You were late yesterday and the day before yesterday.

    M:  I’m sorry, Miss. My mother goes to work early. And I overslept because I don’t have an alarm clock.

    Q:    What does Tim say about his being late for class?