Part I DICTATION (15MIN)
Limiting the Growth of Technology
Throughout history man has changed his physical environment to improve his way of life. /With the tools of technology,/ man has altered many physical features of the earth. /He has transformed woodland into farmland. /He has modified the face of the earth by cutting through mountains to build roads and railways. /However, these changes in the physical environment have not always had beneficial results./ Today, pollution of the air and water is a danger to the health of the planet./ Each day thousands of tons of gases come out of vehicles./ Smoke from factories pollutes the air of industrialized areas and the surrounding countryside. /The air in cities is becoming increasingly unhealthy. /The pollution of water is equally harmful./ In the sea pollution from oil is killing a lot of sea plants and fish. /It is now necessary for man to limit the growth of technology in order to survive on earth.
PART Ⅱ LISTENING COMPREHE (20 MIN)
SECTION A CONVERSATIONS
Questions 1 to 3 are based on the following conversation.
M: 1) We have to move the company to a new office.
W: I think that's a great idea, Tim.
M: Good.
W: We should be in the centre of town. We'll be nearer to our customers.
M: Jane, I...
W: The transport is better...
M: Jane, I...
W: ... and there are lots of good restaurants.
M: Jane, I think we should move to the country.
W: Oh!
M: For... against. 2) For: cheaper rent, cheaper houses, cleaner air. It's quieter. There's not so much noise. And parking's easier. Do you agree that these are all good reasons for moving?
W: Yes, I agree. But let's talk about the things against moving. Number one. A long way from some clients.
M: Yes, but that's not a problem.
W: What about communications?
M: There's an airport near the new location as well as a motorway. And there are fast trains to everywhere from there.
W: So communications are better than they are from here?
M: I think so.
W: 3) But what do we do with our spare time? I know we can go for walks in the country. Perhaps go horse-riding. But we can only do that in summer. What do we do in winter? When it's cold and wet. It's not like here in the city, is it?
M: I agree. But in the town over there---twenty minutes by car---there are cinemas, theatres, good restaurants and there's a jazz club. So, I think our company should move to the country. Do you agree?
W: I am afraid I don't.
Questions 4 to 7 are based on the following conversation.
M: So, Miss Parkinson, you organize fitness training and beauty treatments for working women?
W: That's right, Mr. Cruise.
M: Could you tell me how you first got the idea for the business?
W: Certainly. 4) I suppose it all started about 5 years ago. I was on holiday and had a very bad skin accident. I found that the only thing that helped the pain was massage and gentle exercise, like yoga or stretching exercises. So I used to go to therapists and classes after work.
M: Where did you work at that time?
W: In the training department of a media company.
M: I see.
W: 5) But then I got a promotion to training manager. That meant I worked longer hours and was difficult to get to classes. I asked some of my teachers if they would come to my house instead, and most of them agreed. It was more expensive but I thought it was worth it. Lots of my friends loved the idea too. So I recommended people to them. That's when I began to realize that maybe I could make a business out of it.
M: Did you give up your job then?
W: 6) No, not immediately. The idea was too scary. I had a good job with a good salary, and starting my own business seemed a bit risky. So I just did it at a hobby really.
M: So why did you leave your job in the end?
W: 7) Well, the decision was made for me really. My company decided to relocate to a different town. They offered me the choice of relocating with them or quite a large sum of money if I preferred to leave. I know an opportunity when I see it. So I took the money!
M: Good for you.
Questions 8 to 10 are based on the following conversation.
M: Good afternoon, madam.
W: Good afternoon. I'd like to buy a camera.
M: We have all kinds of cameras here, madam. What sorts of camera are you thinking you are buying?
W: Well, I don't know anything about cameras. But my friend tells me that 35-millimeter cameras are the best.
M: Well, they are certainly the much popular. Would you like a rangefinder type or a single-lens reflex?
W: What's the difference?
M: 8) With a single-lens reflex, you actually look through the lens when you're taking a photo. So you can see exactly what you are taking.
W: That seems a good idea.
M: 8) Yes, focusing is easier, too. Try this one. It's a good mate.
W: Yes, I see what you mean. The image is very clear and bright.
M: That's right. 8) Moreover, you can use a number of different lenses. Let me put a telephoto lens on for you to try.
W: My world! That's very good. I can see the people across the street as if they are inside the shop!
M: 9) Being able to change the lens is very important, in my opinion. You can't do that with most rangefinder cameras though they smaller and cheaper.
W: How much is this camera?
M: The list price is 5,000.But I can let you have it for 4,500.
W: 10) That's far too much! Did you say that rangefinder cameras are cheaper?
M: Yes, they are much cheaper.
W: 10) Good! Show me some, please.
SECTION B PASSAGES
Questions 11 to 13 are based on the following passage.
This is a picture. In the foreground there's a house built into the side of a bare hill. 11) The house is actually cut out of the rock, and the front is painted white. There's a single window with a pink curtain across it and a wooden door. This rock house is clearly inhabited because in front of the house there is washing hanging on a washing line in what looks like the front yard. Then, above the painted front of the house, they've built a chimney. It's quite possible that at the back of this same hill there's another door---or the front of another house, perhaps. 12) At the side of the house, to the left there's a flat area. They've got chairs there and one person appears to be serving food. They're wearing casual summer clothes. Further to the left is another chimney, which probably belongs to a different house. 13) In the background of the picture, a long way from this particular bare hill, there's another hill. Then, in between there's a relatively flat plain, and then there's a small town. It looks like a town because there are a lot of white houses and each one is quite close to the next building. This must be a hot country because the sky is blue and there isn't much vegetation. I should think that rock houses are actually really cool and pleasant to live in.
Questions 14 to 17 are based on the following passage.
14) Ben became interested in Mongolia early in life. When he was nine years old he read a book about Marco Polo, about how Marco Polo traveled with his uncles on the ultimate business trip to the Mongol Empire at its height. Marco Polo's trip lasted almost a quarter of a century, during which he grew up, mastered Mongolian, gained the confidence of the Mongol emperor, and then eventually returned home with fantastic tales of strange lands and stranger people. The story of Marco Polo fascinated Ben. Ben tried to save money from his first job delivering newspapers with an eye toward a $3,000 trip to Mongolia. But in those days it would take him years to have the money ready. 15) So he continued to read about Mongolia in the meantime but spent most of his teenage years in the Arab world, where he learned the language and became interested in journalism. 16) He took courses in classical and modern Mongolian while studying for his master's degree and found it very difficult. But he still wants to visit Mongolia 17) in the spring or summer, he said." Mongolian winters, when temperatures drop to -30 °C are not for me." The price today with an upscale company is reasonable, Ben said, "compared to the $3,000 it was back in 1971.Today the same trip is around $5,000,which though still a large sum, is, in terms of inflation, a good bargain."
Questions 18 to 20 are based on the following passage.
Less than 20 miles from Singapore's skyscrapers is a completely different set of high-rise towers. 18) Much smaller in scale but with a big ambition, over 100 nine-meter tall towers at Sky Greens vertical farm offer a new vision of urban sustainability. 19) Green vegetables like Chinese cabbage are grown, stacked in greenhouses, and sold at local supermarkets. The farm was built in 2009 and since October this year the fully operating farm has been supplying one of city's supermarkets with weekly deliveries of its greens. 19) The Sky Greens produce costs around 40% more than an imported equivalent. However, the small amount of energy and water needed to grow the vegetables, and the close proximity to the consumer, means that carbon dioxide emitted in production and transportation is kept to a minimum. 20) The Sky Greens venture is supported by the Singaporean government and has another advantage over other urban farms around the world: abundant natural heating and light. Singapore has year-round temperatures of around 30 degrees Celsius and the farm is set in an open area designated by the government as an agro-technology park, miles away from the shadow of city skyscrapers. And there are plans for the current site to expand to produce up to two tons of greens a week next year and build over 2,000 towers in the next few years.
SECTION C NEWS BROADCAST
News Item 1 (For Questions 21 and 22)
The family of Sarai Sierra, an American woman who went missing in Istanbul nearly two weeks ago, is in mourning after learning that Turkish police found her body Saturday. Turkish police found the woman's body near ancient stone walls in Istanbul's Sarayburnu district. Police suspected she had been killed at another location. 21) Police told CNN's sister network CNN Turk that the body of the 33-year-old mother of two showed signs of stab wounds. However, the police chief of Istanbul, Huseyin Capkin, said Sierra died from a blow to her head. 22) Nine suspects had been detained in connection with the woman's disappearance and death. Sierra's family and friends first sounded the alarm last week after she did not arrive on a return flight from Istanbul on January 22.
News Item 2 (For Questions 23 and 24)
23) French forces say they have entered Kidal in the north of Mali, the last major town they have yet to secure in their drive against Islamist militants. French forces now control Kidal airport after a number of aircraft, including helicopters, landed there last night. Islamist militants were reported to have already left the town and it was unclear who was in charge. 24) France --- the former colonial power in Mali--- launched a military operation this month after Islamist militants appeared to be threatening the south. French army spokesman confirms that "French troops were deployed overnight in Kidal". One regional security source told the Press that French aircraft had landed at Kidaland that protection helicopters are in the sky. Kidal, 930 miles north-east of the capital Bamako, was until recently under the control of the Islamist militants.
News Item 3 (For Questions 25 and 26)
US President Barack Obama has said the time has come for a review on the US immigration system. 25) He made his case at a high school in Las Vegas, Nevada, a day after a group of senators outlined a framework for reform. The White House and senators envisage a path to citizenship for many of an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the US. He noted that the current system was "out of date and badly broken". Mr Obama's case for an immigration reform reflects a blueprint he rolled out in 2011, though that did not go far. Mr Obama now backs the Senate plan including making illegal immigrants pay taxes and fines, and sending them to the back of the queue before they can become American citizens. His 2011 blueprint also focused on a path to permanent residency and eventual citizenship. 26) After eight years, individuals would be allowed to become legal permanent residents and would eventually become citizens five years later, according to his 2011 blueprint.
News Item 4 (For Questions 27 and 28)
In a suburb in northern Johannesburg South Africa, Lorraine Melvillis running around trying to organize hospital visits for her clients staying in her guest house. 27) She started her business," Surgeon and Safari," back in 2000 and since then she has had people from all over the world come to her to facilitate their cosmetic procedures, and perhaps go on safari too." For most people in the first-world economies like the UK, and especially in America, their biggest desire is to go on African safari," she explains," and yet their greatest want in their life was to have plastic surgery, so why not put the two together?" 28) Like most companies, however, Surgeon and Safari was hit by the global financial crisis, particularly as a number of Melvill's clients were borrowing money to afford their procedures. However, whilst the United States and eurozone economies may have languished, Melvill says that she has benefited from the growth of some African countries' economies. "There is a huge emergence of local Africans that chose to come to South Africa for elective surgery, whether it be breast reduction, tummy tucks," she says.
News Item 5 (For Question 29)
The bloodshed at In Amenas has left the oil and gas industry struggling to come to terms with what it might mean for investment in risky countries. Bob Dudley, BP's chief executive says the company is "reviewing security" at its other facilities in the region and around the world. The attack is the worst tragedy of its kind in living memory despite the energy industry's presence in many unstable regions. BP has "never experienced an attack on this scale before", Mr Dudley says. Security remains a top priority in countries such as Iraq, where there have been instances of workers being kidnapped. The perception of risk for foreign oil workers and their families in North Africa, has soared.
News Item 6 (For Question 30)
Shopping is a serious business in London whatever the season--- but it doesn't get much more serious than this time of year. The UK's capital January sales sees throngs of dedicated shopaholics cram its countless department stores, quirky boutiques and market stalls, keen to get their hands on the latest fashion trends and product offers. But it's not just domestic spending that's keeping the tills ringing in London. 30) While the vibrant city's high-end stores are no strangers to overseas visitors, with those from the Middle East typically spending the most, a surprising new contender has emerged in recent times as a big spender in the international market --- Nigeria. Nigeria's economic growth has averaged about 7.4% annually over the past decade, creating a wealthier Nigerian elite with a large spending power. At the same time, however, robust economic growth has not reduced poverty in the country, with about two thirds of its population living on less than $1 per day.
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