Section 1 Audio script: Tom: good morning. Harry: good morning, tom. How are you?

T: how are you Harry? Its been long since i called you. H: so where have you been all these days? T: i went to visit the Scottish highlands recently. H: how was your journey? T: it was very nice. I always like the place. H: what did you see there? Can you tell me something about the place? T: yes of course. The area is generally sparsely populated, with many mountain ranges dominating the region, and includes the highest mountain in the British Isles, Ben Nevis. Before the 19th century the Highlands was home to a much larger population, but due to a combination of factors including the outlawing of the traditional Highland way of life following the Jacobite Rising of 1745, the infamous Highland Clearances, and mass migration to urban areas during the Industrial Revolution, the area is now one of the most sparsely populated in Europe. The average population density in the Highlands and Islands is lower than that of Sweden, Norway, Papua New Guinea and Argentina. H: all right. I have never been there. T: The Scottish Highlands lie to the north and west of the Highland Boundary Fault, which runs from Arran to Stonehaven and contains some of the most interesting geology in Europe. This part of Scotland is largely composed of ancient rocks from the Cambrian and Precambrian periods which were uplifted during the later Caledonian Orogeny. Smaller formations of Lewisian gneiss in the north west are up to 3,000 million years old and amongst the oldest found anywhere on Earth. The overlying rocks of the Torridonian sandstone form spectacular mountains in the Torridon Hills such as Liathach and Beinn Eighe in Wester Ross. H: that is interesting. T: i also visited the Balmoral Estate. H: what is that? T: The Balmoral Estate began as a home built by Sir William Drummond in 1390.[2] The estate was formerly owned by King Robert II (13161390), who had a hunting lodge in the area. After Drummond, the estate was sold to Alexander Gordon, the 3rd Earl of Huntly, in the 15th century. The estate remained in the family's hands until it was sold in 1662 to the Farquharsons of Invery, who sold the estate in 1798 to the 2nd Earl Fife. The estate formed part of the coronation activities of King George IV in 1822. Balmoral is today best known as a royal residence, the summer retreat of Queen Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh. Its history as a royal residence dates back to 1848, when the house was leased to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert by the trustees of Sir Robert Gordon (who had obtained a long-term lease of the castle in 1830 and died in 1847). They very much enjoyed their stay in the house, and paid just over 30,000 for full ownership in 1852. Prince Albert immediately started making plans with William Smith to extend the existing 15th century castle, and make a new and bigger castle fit for the

royal family. The new building Prince Albert ordered to be built within a hundred yards of the old castle was planned and designed partly by himself and completed in 1856. H: that sounds great. So you had a nice time for you. T: yes, absolutely. Well; call you later. Bye. H: bye.

Fill in the blanks with the correct data. A. Tom went to the _____1_____. B. The area is generally _____2_____ populated, with many mountain ranges dominating the region, and includes the highest mountain in the _____3_____, _____4_____ C. He also visited the _____5_____ estate. It is today best known as a _____6_____ residence, the summer retreat of ____7_____ and The Duke of _____8_____. D. This part of Scotland is largely composed of ancient rocks from the _____9_____ and _____10_____ periods. Section 2 Audio script: MABEL CHILTERN: Well, Tommy has proposed to me again. Tommy really does nothing but propose to me. He proposed to me last night in the music-room, when I was quite unprotected, as there was an elaborate trio going on. I didn't dare to make the smallest repartee, I need hardly tell you. If I had, it would have stopped the music at once. Musical people are so absurdly unreasonable. They always want one to be perfectly dumb at the very moment when one is longing to be absolutely deaf. Then he proposed to me in broad daylight this morning, in front of that dreadful statue of Achilles. Really, the things that go on in front of that work of art are quite appalling. The police should interfere. At luncheon I saw by the glare in his eye that he was going to propose again, and I just managed to check him in time by assuring him that I was a bimetallist. Fortunately I don't know what bimetallism means. And I don't believe anybody else does either. But the observation crushed Tommy for ten minutes. He looked quite shocked. And then Tommy is so annoying in the way he proposes. If he proposed at the top of his voice, I should not mind so much. That might produce some effect on the public. But he does it in a horrid confidential way. When Tommy wants to be romantic he talks to one just like a doctor. I am very fond of Tommy, but his methods of proposing are quite out of date. I wish, Gertrude, you would speak to him, and tell him that once a week is quite often enough to propose to any one, and that it should always be done in a manner that attracts some attention. The following is the summary of the speech that you have heard right now. There is certain information missing in the passage. Fill in with those information and complete the summary. MABEL CHILTERN: Well, _____11_____ has proposed to me again. _____12_____ really does nothing but propose to me.

He proposed to me last night in the _____13_____, when I was quite unprotected, as there was an _____14_____ going on. Then he proposed to me in _____15_____ this morning, in front of that dreadful statue of _____16_____. At _____17_____ I saw by the glare in his eye that he was going to propose again, and I just managed to check him in time by assuring him that I was a _____18_____. But the ______19______ crushed Tommy for ten minutes. He looked quite shocked. When Tommy wants to be romantic he talks to one just like a ______20______.

Section 3 Audio script: Joyce: Excuse me can you tell me the route to the railway station, please. Stranger: yes, madam. Please take the road to the north from here. After a few yards you will see a church. There is a four point junction. Take right from there. J: ok. S: walk a few more yards when you see the post office. Take left from there. Right after a couple of minutes walk, you will find the local bank. Walk straight until you see the womens college. J: ok. S: Take right from there. Walk for another two minutes until you see the boys school. Take no turn there. Walk straight to reach the railway station. The station will be another couple of minutes walk from there. J: it seems a long distance. S: yes, madam. J: can I get a bus from here for the station, now? S: yes a bus goes to the station from here. But the next bus will come after a half an hour. It is number 6. J: can I get a taxi to reach the station? S: today is an off for the taxis as they are on a strike today. You have to either walk the way over or wait for the bus to come. J: thank you. S: youre welcome.

The statements are either true or false or not given in the passage. Write the correct answer against them. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. It is a long journey to the railway station. There are no buses that go to the station from the spot where the lady is standing. The taxi drivers are on a strike for a fare hike demand. There is a fire brigade on the way to the post office. There is only one school in the place. The college that comes on the way is meant for boys. The lady is too old to walk to the railway station. The stranger is very helpful to the lady. He guides the lady to railway station along with him. The lady is quite familiar with the place.

Section 4 Audio script: The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects,[3] are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its beginnings to the present.[a] The British Museum was established in 1753, largely based on the collections of the physician and scientist Sir Hans Sloane. The museum first opened to the public on 15 January 1759 in Montagu House in Bloomsbury, on the site of the current museum building. Its expansion over the following two and a half centuries was largely a result of an expanding British colonial footprint and has resulted in the creation of several branch institutions, the first being the British Museum (Natural History) in South Kensington in 1887. Some objects in the collection, most notably the Elgin Marbles from the Parthenon, are the objects of intense controversy and calls for restitution to their countries of origin. Until 1997, when the British Library (previously centred on the Round Reading Room) moved to a new site, the British Museum was unique in that it housed both a national museum of antiquities and a national library in the same building. The museum is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and as with all other national museums in the United Kingdom it charges no admission fee.[4] Since 2002 the director of the museum has been Neil MacGregor.[5] Conservative Peer Lord Sainsbury has pledged to donate 25 million to the Museum to aid funding for a large scale extension, set to make it the world's largest museum by collection upon completion. Like other publicly funded national museums in the United Kingdom, the British Museum does not levy an admission charge.

On 7 June 1753, King George II gave his formal assent to the Act of Parliament which established the British Museum.[b] The Foundation Act, added two other libraries to the Sloane collection. The Cottonian Library, assembled by Sir Robert Cotton, dated back to Elizabethan times and the Harleian library, the collection of the Earls of Oxford. They were joined in 1757 by the Royal Library, assembled by various British monarchs. Together these four "foundation collections" included many of the most treasured books now in the British Library[9] including the Lindisfarne Gospels and the sole surviving copy of Beowulf.[c] The British Museum was the first of a new kind of museum national, belonging to neither church nor king, freely open to the public and aiming to collect everything. Sloane's collection, whilst including a vast miscellany of objects, tended to reflect his scientific interests.[10] The addition of the Cotton and Harley manuscripts introduced a literary and antiquarian element and meant that the British Museum now became both national museum and library. The summary of the passage is having some information missing. Fill in with the correct data to complete it. The British Museum is a museum of _____31_____ and culture in _____32_____. The museum first opened to the public on _____33______ in Montagu House in ____34_____, on the site of the current museum building. Until _____35______, when the British Library (previously centred on the _____36_____ Room) moved to a new site, the British Museum was unique in that it housed both a _____37_____ museum of antiquities and a national library in the same building. Like other publicly funded national museums in the United Kingdom, the _____38_____ does not levy an admission charge. On _____39______, King George II gave his formal assent to the _____40______ which established the British Museum. [b] The Foundation Act, added two other libraries to the Sloane collection.