Professional Documents
Culture Documents
10
10
LISTENING
SECTION 1 Questions 1-10
Questions 1-3
Answer the following questions using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR NUMBERS for each
answer.
1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of sending things by air?
2. What might cause delays in transportation?
3. When will the customer arrive in Canada?
Questions 4-6
Complete the following sentences using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.
4. The costs on the price list include ______ .
5. The customer isn't sending ______ .
6. There is no extra charge for packing ______ .
Questions 7-10
Complete the following information.
Customer name
7 ______
Shipping from
Shipping to
Contact number
Collection date
19th
Crates
32 cubic metres
Total cost
360
Notes
10a.m.-6p.m. April-October
10a.m.-4p.m. November-March
Admission
Adults-4.75
Children 18 ______ -2.75
Family(2 adults+2 children)-13
Students/Pensioners-9.75
includes 2-hour guided dinosaur tour
Getting there
Groups
Contact details
Tel.-019 40434
Website-www.sandowndinosaur.com
33. The remains of the Tiktaalik rosae were found 600 miles from the ______ .
Questions 34-38
Label the diagram of Tiktaalik rosae using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR NUMBERS for each
gap.
Questions 39-40
Answer the following questions using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.
39. How long had the researchers been looking when they found the Tiktaalik remains?
40. Where were the late Devonian rocks originally created?
READING
READING PASSAGE 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13, which are based on Reading Passage 1 below.
Cleaner, Abundant Fuels Attracting Record Investment
A Renewable energy captured from the wind, sun, Earth's heat, tides, and from small dams is drawing record
levels of investment as poor villagers and entire nations alike seek clean, abundant ways to fuel economic growth.
Global investment in renewable energy set a new record of 30 billion in 2004, according to a new report from
the Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21). Technologies such as wind, solar, biomass,
geothermal, and small hydro now provide 160 gigawatts of electricity generating capacity--about four percent of
the world total--the report said. They are growing at rates of around 20-30 percent per year, however, compared to
two or three percent for oil and gas.
B "Renewable energy has become big business," said Eric Martinot, lead author of the study, "Renewables 2005:
Global Status Report." Martinot, a senior fellow at the Washington, D.C.--based think tank Worldwatch Institute
and a lecturer at Tsinghua University in Beijing, said renewable energy has attracted some of the world's largest
companies, including General Electric, Siemens, Sharp, and Royal Dutch Shell. The report estimated that nearly
40 million households worldwide heat their water with solar collectors, most of them installed in the last five
years. Altogether, renewable energy industries provide 1.7 million jobs, most of them skilled and well paid.
C Martinot and 100--plus researchers in more than 20 countries assessed several renewable technologies: small
hydro (meaning small dams), modern biomass (agricultural waste, for example), wind, solar, geothermal, and
biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel. These technologies now compete with conventional fuels in four distinct
markets: power generation, hot water and space heating, transportation fuels, and rural (off-grid) energy supplies.
D Renewable energy is gaining in popularity because it is considered to be in infinite supply--unlike oil, coal, and
gas--and because it involves little or no pollution compared to those fossil fuels. Scientists blame the burning of
fossil fuels for the release of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that stoke global climate changes, which
in turn are intensifying droughts in some parts of the world, floods and storms in others, and the spread of tropical
diseases to temperate zones.
E Additionally, renewable energies could empower millions of poor and vulnerable people who lack access to
reliable, affordable, and clean modern energy services, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said in a message to
the Beijing International Renewable Energy Conference, which opened Monday. Annan said that rising oil prices
have hit oil-importing developing countries especially hard and underscore the need for alternative energy
supplies. According to the REN21 report, government support for renewable energy is growing rapidly. At least 48
countries now have some type of renewable energy promotion policy, including 14 developing countries.
Typically, they include targets to ensure that renewable sources generate 5-30 percent of energy use in a given
country by around 2010-2012.
F The renewable sector's prospects appeared to receive a further boost Monday, when China announced it was
raising its target for reliance on renewable energy even as it acknowledged that coal would remain its primary
source for electricity for decades to come. Renewable energy should account for 15 percent of national
consumption by 2020. China had previously aimed to get 10 percent of its energy from renewable sources by
2020.
G Mandates for blending biofuels into vehicle fuels have been enacted in 20--plus states and provinces
worldwide as well as in three key countries--Brazil, China, and India--the report said. Government leadership has
ensured market success, according to REN21, which is composed of representatives of governments and nongovernmental organizations. Market leaders in renewable energy in 2004 included Brazil in biofuels, China in
solar hot water, Germany in solar electricity, and Spain in wind power, the report said.
H The fastest growing energy technology in the world is grid-connected solar photovoltaic (PV), existing
capacity of which blossomed by sixty percent per year from 2000-2004, to cover more than 400000 rooftops in
Japan, Germany, and the United States, it found. Wind power came second, with generating capacity growing by
28 percent last year with almost seventeen gigawatts installed as of 2004. Production of ethanol, biodiesel, and
other biofuels exceeded 33 billion liters in 2004, when ethanol displaced about three percent of the 1200 billion
liters of gasoline produced globally.
I An estimated 500 million goes to developing countries each year as development assistance for renewable
energy projects, training, and market support, with the German Development Finance Group (KfW), the World
Bank Group, and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) providing the majority of these funds, and dozens of
other donors and programs providing the rest, the report said. More than 4.5 million "green" power consumers in
Europe, the United States, Canada, Australia, and Japan purchased renewable electricity in 2004, it added. Asia is
seen as a vast market for renewable energy as it seeks to meet growing demand for power to feed rapid economic
expansion amid runaway oil prices.
Questions 1-4
The text has 9 paragraphs (A-I). Which paragraph contains each of the following pieces o fin formation?
1. Cases where the use of renewable fuels is in competition with non-renewable ones.
2. The membership of REN21.
3. The rates at which the use of renewable fuels is growing faster than the use of nonrenewable ones in the world.
4. The sources of funding for renewable fuels in developing countries.
Questions 5-8
Complete the following sentences using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the text.
5. Biomass technology can use ______ .
6. Governments with renewable energy policies usually set ______ for renewable energy use.
7. The most important source of energy for China in 2020 is expected to be ______ .
8. Economic expansion and high oil prices mean that Asian countries are ______ for renewable sources of energy.
Questions 9-13
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1?
In boxes 9-13 on your answer sheet write
TRUE
if the information in the text agrees with the statement
FALSE
if the information in the text contradicts the statement
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
9. Eric Martinot advises large companies on investing in renewable energy.
10. Eric Martinot has over 100 people working in his team.
11. Increases in oil prices hurt developing economies more than developed ones.
12. The use of solar power grew by 60% between the year 2000 and the year 2004.
13. "Green" power consumers only get part of their electricity from alternative energy sources.
READING PASSAGE 2
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 14-26, which are based on Reading Passage 2 below.
A Giode tp Womenomics
A In rich countries, girls now do better at school than boys, more women are getting university degrees than men
are and females are filling most new jobs. Arguably, women are now the most powerful engine of global growth.
In 1950 only one-third of American women of working age had a paid job. Today two-thirds do, and women make
up almost half of America's workforce. Since 1950 men's employment rate has slid by 12 percentage points, to
77%. In fact, almost everywhere more women are employed and the percentage of men with jobs has fallen-although in some countries the feminisation of the workplace still has far to go: in Italy and Japan, women's share
of jobs is still 40% or less.
B The increase in female employment in developed countries has been aided by a big shift in the type of jobs on
offer. Manufacturing work, traditionally a male preserve, has declined, while jobs in services have expanded. This
has reduced the demand for manual labour and put the sexes on a more equal footing. In the developing world,
too, more women now have paid jobs. In the emerging East Asian economies, for every 100 men in the labour
force there are now 83 women, higher even than the average in OECD countries. Women have been particularly
important to the success of Asia's export industries, typically accounting for 60-80% of jobs in many export
sectors, such as textiles and clothing.
C Of course, it is misleading to talk of women's "entry" into the workforce. Besides formal employment, women
have always worked in the home, looking after children, cleaning or cooking, but because this is unpaid, it is not
counted in the official statistics. To some extent, the increase in female paid employment has meant fewer hours of
unpaid housework. However, the value of housework has fallen by much less than the time spent on it, because of
the increased productivity afforded by dishwashers, washing machines and so forth. Paid nannies and cleaners
employed by working women now also do some work that used to belong in the non-market economy.
D The increase in female employment has also accounted for a big chunk of global growth in recent decades.
GDP growth can come from three sources: employing more people; using more capital per worker; or an increase
in the productivity of labour and capital due to new technology. Since 1970 women have filled two new jobs for
every one taken by a man. Back-of-the-envelope calculations suggest that the employment of extra women has not
only added more to GDP than new jobs for men but has also chipped in more than either capital investment or
increased productivity. Carve up the world's economic growth a different way and another surprising conclusion
emerges: over the past decade or so, the increased employment of women in developed economies has contributed
much more to global growth. Women are becoming more important in the global marketplace not just as workers,
but also as consumers, entrepreneurs, managers and investors. Women have traditionally done most of the
household shopping, but now they have more money of their own to spend. Surveys suggest that women make
perhaps 80% of consumers' buying decisions--from health care and homes to furniture and food.
E Women's share of the workforce has a limit. In America it has already stalled. However, there will still be a lot
of scope for women to become more productive as they make better use of their qualifications. At school, girls
consistently get better grades, and in most developed countries well over half of all university degrees are now
being awarded to women. In America 140 women enrol in higher education each year for every 100 men; in
Sweden the number is as high as 150. (There are, however, only 90 female Japanese students for every 100
males.) In years to come better educated women will take more of the top jobs. At present, for example, in Britain
more women than men train as doctors and lawyers, but relatively few are leading surgeons or partners in law
firms. The main reason why women still get paid less on average than men is not that they are paid less for the
same jobs but that they tend not to climb so far up the career ladder, or they choose lower-paid occupations, such
as nursing and teaching. This pattern is likely to change.
F Making better use of women's skills is not just a matter of fairness. Plenty of studies suggest that it is good for
business, too. Women account for only 7% of directors on the world's corporate boards--15% in America, but less
than 1% in Japan. Yet a study by Catalyst, a consultancy, found that American companies with more women in
senior management jobs earned a higher return on equity than those with fewer women at the top. This might be
because mixed teams of men and women are better than single-sex groups at solving problems and spotting
external threats. Studies have also suggested that women are often better than men at building teams and
communicating.
G In poor countries too, the under-utilisation of women stunts economic growth. A study last year by the World
Economic Forum found a clear correlation between sex equality (measured by economic participation, education,
health and political empowerment) and GDP per head. Correlation does not prove the direction of causation.
However, other studies also suggest that inequality between the sexes harms long-term growth. In particular, there
is strong evidence that educating girls boosts prosperity. It is probably the single best investment that can be made
in the developing world. Not only are better educated women more productive, but they raise healthier, better
educated children. There is huge potential to raise income per head in developing countries, where fewer girls go
to school than boys. More than two-thirds of the world's illiterate adults are women.
H It is sometimes argued that it is short-sighted to get more women into paid employment. The more women go
out to work, it is said, the fewer children there will be and the lower growth will be in the long run. Yet the facts
suggest otherwise. Data shows that countries with high female labour participation rates, such as Sweden, tend to
have higher fertility rates than Germany, Italy and Japan, where fewer women work. Indeed, the decline in fertility
has been greatest in several countries where female employment is low.
Questions 14-17
The text has 8 paragraphs (A-H). Which paragraph does each of the following headings best fit?
14. New producers, new consumers
15. More work, fewer children?
16. A better educated workforce
17. Women in new, expanding industries
Questions 18-22
According to the text, FIVE of the following statements are true. Write the corresponding letters in answer boxes
18 to 22 in any order.
A A higher percentage of Italian women have jobs than Japanese women.
B More women than men work in Asia's textile industries.
C The value of housework is not included in official statistics.
D Research shows that men make more purchasing decisions than women.
E Most surgeons in Britain are women.
F Firms with more women in senior management offer higher investment returns.
G Most illiterate people in the world are women.
H Some people think that lower birth rates lead to lower economic growth.
Questions 23-26
According to the information given in the text, choose the correct answer or answers firm the choices given.
23. Since 1950, the percentage of
A. American women with jobs has increased.
B. American men with jobs has decreased.
C. Japanese and Italian women with jobs has remained stable.
24. Economies can get bigger by
details of a deal with the British Library, the country's main reference library, to digitise some 25 million pages,
these will be made available through MSN Book Search, which will be launched next year.
These companies are hoping for a return to the levels of interest in e-books seen when Stephen King, a bestselling horror writer, published "Riding the Bullet" exclusively on the internet in 2000. Half a million copies were
downloaded in the first 48 hours after publication. This proved to be a high-water mark rather than a taste of
things to come. While buyers were reluctant to sit in front of a computer screen to read the latest novels, dedicated
e-book-reading gadgets failed to catch on. Barnes and Noble, a leading American bookshop chain, began selling ebooks with fanfare in 2000 but quietly pulled the plug in 2003 as interest faded.
The market for e-books is growing again, though from a tiny base. According to the International Digital
Publishing Forum, which collates figures from many of the world's top publishers, in the third quarter of 2004
worldwide sales were 25% higher than the year before. Unfortunately, this only amounted to a paltry 3.2
million split between 23 publishers in an industry that made sales worth over 100 billion that year.
Both retailers and publishers reckon they will eventually be able to persuade consumers to do a lot more of their
reading on the web. Some even hope they can become to online books what Apple's iTunes is to online music.
There are crucial differences between downloading fiction and downloading funk. Online music was driven from
the bottom up: illegal file-sharing services became wildly popular, and legal firms later took over when the pirates
were forced (by a wave of lawsuits) to retreat; the legal providers are confident that more and more consumers
will pay small sums for music rather than remain beyond the law. The iPod music player and its like have proved
a fashionable and popular new way to listen to songs. The book world has no equivalent.
So the commercial prospects for sellers of online books do not yet look very bright. They may get a lift from some
novel innovations. The ability to download mere parts of books could help, for instance: sections of manuals,
textbooks or cookery books may tempt some customers; students may wish to download the relevant sections of
course books; or readers may want a taste of a book that they subsequently buy in hard copy. The ability to
download reading matter onto increasingly ubiquitous hand-held electronic devices and 3G phones may further
encourage uptake. In Japan, the value of e-books (mainly manga comic books) delivered to mobile phones has
jumped, though it will be worth only around 6 billion (5! million) in 2005, according to estimates.
Questions 27-30
For each question, only ONE of the choices is correct. Write the corresponding letter in the appropriate box on
your answer sheet.
27. A few years ago, it was widely thought that
A. people would read fewer 'paper' books.
B. companies like Amazon would go bankrupt.
C. the dotcom boom would soon end.
28. Publishers are unhappy with Google because
A. Google is only publishing extracts, not complete books.
B. they think Google is in breach of copyright.
C. Google is co-operating with leading research libraries.
29. Amazon will
A. sell books that previously only Google sold online.
B. buy the copyright for many books it sells online.
C. allow people to buy only parts that they want to read from books.
30. It is clear that most readers, if given the choice, prefer
A. 'paper' books.
B. reading from computer screens.
C. using dedicated e-book readers.
Questions 31-35
Complete the following sentences using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the text.
31. If companies publish books online that are not covered by copyright, they avoid ______ .
32. The ______ is very small but getting larger.
33. The ______ expect that they will be able to convince more people to read online.
34. The ______ has nothing similar to an iPod.
35. In Japan, most of the publications sent to mobile phones are ______ .
Questions 36-40
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 3?
In boxes 36-40 on your answer sheet write
TRUE
if the information in the text agrees with the statement
FALSE
if the information in the text contradicts the statement
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
36. Books that are out of print are not covered by copyright law.
37. Amazon began by selling books online.
38. Microsoft signed deal with the British Library on the same day as Google and Amazon made their
announcements.
39. Barnes and Noble published Riding the Bullet online.
40. The ability to sample a book online before buying it might help sales.
WRITING
WRITING TASK 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The table shows the proportion of Australian families that owned certain household appliances in 1995 and
2002.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and by making comparisons where
relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
Personal
Computers
TV sets
stereos
Washing
Refrigera
machines
-tors
Hairdryers
1995
33%
18%
79%
67%
78%
44%
2002
45%
76%
93%
80%
96%
67%
WRITING TASK 2
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
In many countries, the proportion of older people is steadily increasing.
Does this trend have positive effects or negative effects on society?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
SPEAKING
PART 1
The examiner asks the candidate about him/herself, his/her home, work or studies and other familiar topics.
EXAMPLE
Work
What work do you do?
Why did you choose that kind of work?
How do you feel about your job?
What is the most interesting thing about your job?
Animals
Do you have a pet?
Do people in your country often keep pets?
Are wild animals protected in your region/country?
Do you often visit zoos or wildlife parks?
Which is your favourite animal?
Are there any animals that you are afraid of?
Birthdays
How do people celebrate birthdays in your culture?
Do people in your family celebrate birthdays in different ways?
Tell me a little about the best birthday celebration you have been to?
PART 2
Describe a recent news story that you have heard or read about.
You should say:
what the news was and where you heard or read it
if it was significant for many people
how it has changed, or will change, people's lives and explain how you felt when you heard or read this
news.
You will have to talk about the topic for one to two minutes.
You have one minute to think about what you're going to say.
You can make some notes to help you if you wish.
PART 3
Discussion topic:
Example questions:
Media
How do most people in your country get the news?
Compare newspapers and TV as news sources.
Do you think that the different media (newspapers, TV, radio, the Internet) are reliable sources of news?
What are the qualities of a good journalist or reporter?
How do you think most people will get the news in the future?
Tapescripts
TEST 1
SECTION 1
Salesman: Good afternoon, madam. How may I help you?
Customer: Good afternoon. I'd like to ship some possessions to Canada and was hoping you could answer a few of
my questions.
Salesman: Certainly. Please take a seat. Where exactly are you going to ship the goods?
Customer: To Toronto. I'm taking a job there at the end of next month.
Salesman: Right. We can ship your possessions by air or by sea and land. Shipping by air is faster but is obviously
more expensive.
Customer: I understand. That's what I expected. If I want the things there by the 25th of next month, do I still have
Salesman: I'll make a note of that. Right, I'll just deal with the payment...
SECTION 2
Presenter: Good morning, everyone. I'm very happy to be here to give you a brief introduction to some of the
places you can visit in the locality of your university. I hope that you can take some time out from your studies to
pay a visit to at least a few of them. First, I'd like to tell you about Dinosaur Isle and Fossil Walk. It's one of my
favourite days out.
I remember my first visit there. We were walking along a beautiful sandy beach when our palaeontologist guide
stops suddenly and points at a rock perhaps sixty centimetres across. "That," he says, "is the cast of a dinosaur's
footprint." At first I thought he was joking, but he goes on to point out the three vast toes and to explain that this
stone was moulded in the footprint of an Iguanodon some 125 million years ago. From the size of the "foot", he
adds, this particular herbivorous biped would have been about eight metres long and perhaps 2.5 metres tall to the
hip. This area is one of the most prolific and accessible sites in Europe for dinosaur fossils . Bits of bone are
regularly found on the beaches and the Dinosaur Isle Museum has a collection of international importance--and is
thoroughly family-friendly to boot.
At the museum, you can walk back in time, via the last Ice Age and the Eocene to the late cretaceous to the
heyday of the dinosaurs, to which the main hall is dedicated. The information is accessibly presented and there is
enough to satisfy even the most ardent "dinophile" of any age. The collection sensibly majors on the dinosaurs
that once roamed this area, with full-size reconstructions as well as fossils ranging from huge vertebrae to toothed
jaws and long leg bones. Many of the specimens were found by amateur fossil hunters, including two families on
holiday here in the 1970s who found some bones on a beach in the southwest of the island; they turned out to
belong to an iguanodon and another completely new dinosaur, subsequently called Neovenator, meaning "new
hunter".
On my first Fossil Walk a piece of dinosaur rib bone was found, and the day before, four dinosaur bones were
discovered as well as a large prehistoric crocodile tooth. Even if you are not lucky enough to find bits of dinosaur,
there are 110 million-year-old shells and fossilised wood to be collected. Our guide was not only extremely
knowledgeable but also endlessly patient as he identified a steady stream of sandstone and flint with a few fossils
thrown in.
Back at the museum there is stacks for kids to do: three different activity sheets and lots of interactive exhibits.
The touchy-feely game was a big hit. It revealed a sauropod claw, fossilised dinosaur poo. It's great fun for the
kids to make their parents feel this! And then there is the cast of a Tyrannosaurus' brain, which is remarkable for
its smallness. Smells from the dinosaurs' world were much enjoyed too--rotting corpse, pine forest, swamp and
carnivore breath. The last was particularly yucky in my opinion.
An interactive map shows where the locality's five main dinosaurs were found, along with a second map
indicating their global spread. Upstairs, there is a reconstruction of the Sandown pterosaur, which was unearthed
close to the museum and its fossils, along with information about the area's own tyrannosaurus, discovered in
1995--about half the size of T Rex and called Eotyrannus Lengi--as well as loads of dino-related art activities.
Unfortunately, there are currently no refreshments available on site, but there is a mini-golf course next to the
museum which has a cafe. The museum is fully wheelchair accessible. Let me just give you the admission details.
Dinosaur Isle and Fossil Walk are both open daily 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., April to October, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.,
November--March. Adult tickets are4.75, children under 15 pay 2.75. There's also a family ticket available
for two adults and two children, which costs 13. Students and retirees pay 3.75. The two-hour guided
dinosaur walk is included in the ticket price.
Finally, I'll let you know how to get there. Despite the name, Dinosaur Isle isn't actually an island. From the
university, take bus number 30, which I believe stops right outside the main gate. Is that right? Yes? Thank you.
The bus stops almost directly in front of the museum, and you can't miss that be, cause it has a big plastic T Rex
outside! If you're going as a group of more than eight, please telephone in advance. A group discount is available
if you do, but not if you arrive unannounced. The phone number is 019 40434, and there's a website too
www.sandowndinosaur.com.
SECTION 3
Interviewer: Welcome to our University Radio programme entitled "Leaping the Language Barrier". My guests
today are Tony Wu, a Master's student from China, Susan Hall, International Student Liaison, and Wendy Clark,
Head of the ESL Unit here at the university. Tony, you're starting your Master's degree in a few weeks, aren't you?
Tony Wu: Yes, I am. I'll be taking a Master's in Computing. Like many overseas students, I found the selection
process tough. Making the transition from undergraduate studies to postgraduate research is hard enough for a
native speaker, but my lack of fluency in English was a bigger hurdle. So, I decided to take a pre-Master's course.
Interviewer: Susan, are these courses popular?
Susan Hall: Not at the moment, but each year, over 100000 overseas students apply to study for a postgraduate
degree in this country. Many of these students, like Tony, need to work on their English to get the maximum
benefit from their time here. Paying full fees, these students represent a significant source of income for the
universities. As a result, a growing number of universities and private colleges are offering foundation or preMaster's courses. The pre-Master's courses are designed to bridge the gap between undergraduate studies and a
postgraduate degree taught in English.
Tony Wu: That's right. I won my place on the Master's course after attending a nine-month pre-masters
programme at the International Foundation College, a private language and study skills school approved by
universities in this country.
Interviewer: Wendy, you're an ESL professional. How useful are these courses?
Wendy Clark: Very useful indeed. As Susan said, many students come here with some English, but not really
enough to take full advantage of having an education in an English-speaking country. Pre-Master's courses bring
language proficiency up to a more acceptable level. Students develop language skills through classroom
interaction and by being part of the wider community, living among native English speakers.
Interviewer: Tony, how successful were the other students on your course?
Tony Wu: The IFC pre-Master's course started in January with 28 students, all from China. All but five gained
places on university Master's courses. The IFC was very happy with the success rate.
Interviewer: Wendy, Tony didn't do his course here, but this university does have a pre-Master's course, doesn't it?
Wendy Clark: Yes, it does. In this country, at least a dozen universities now run courses specially designed to cater
for the needs of students from overseas regions--particularly Russia, Japan, China, East and South Asia. On top of
that, private colleges are starting to enter the market, although most stick to what they do best--improving
students' English language test scores. Last year, we prepared 80 foreign students--mostly from China, South East
Asia, Iran and the, former Soviet republics-for masters degrees at universities in this country. Studied over an
academic year, the course is demanding. Students from a range of disciplines are taught by a subject specialist,
with an English language teacher working alongside to review students' comprehension and written work. The
course culminates in a mini dissertation prepared over four months.
Interviewer: Did you find that difficult, Tony?
Tony Wu: I certainly did!
Wendy Clark: I believe that a pre-Master's course should do a lot more than boost language skills. It's also about
preparing students from different cultural backgrounds to succeed in the academic world. We prepare them to look
at a variety of sources, anal-yse the pros and cons, put forward their own ideas, challenge their tutors and take part
in rigorous discussion.
Interviewer: Wendy, has the course nm at this university been successful?
Wendy Clark: The results here speak for themselves. The one-year pre-Master's programme has a 90% success
rate and a smattering of students go on to Harvard, Yale, Oxford and Cambridge as well as other prestigious
institutions. However, at 9000, the course fee is on a par with the full fee for a Master's programme itself.
to do so. This exciting discovery is providing a much deeper understanding of this evolutionary milestone.
Previous fossils representing this evolutionary event have really been fish with a few land characteristics, or land
vertebrates with a few residual fish characteristics. These fossils show an animal that sits bang in the middle.
Now, let's move on to...
Answer key
TEST 1
LISTENING
Section 1, Questions 1-10
1. faster, more expensive
2. logistics, weather (conditions)
3. 19th next month
4. tax (and) insurance
5. furniture
6. fragile items/things
7. Debra Whealing
8. PT6 2JA
9. 42a Lake View
10. 1 o'clock/13:00
Section 2, Questions 11-20
11. dinosaur's footprint
12. dinosaur fossils
13. full-size/full size
14. new hunter
15-17 IN ANY ORDER
B
E
F
18. under 15
19. main gate
20. discount
Section 3, Questions 21-30
21. D
22. lack of fluency
23. significant source
24. develop language skills
25. C
26. B
27. B
28. challenge
29. full
30. nationwide benchmark
Section 4, Questions 31-40
31. missing link
32. 375 million years
33. North Pole (NB capital letters not required)
34. sharp teeth
35. 1.2-2.7
36. clearly defined
37. strong
38. wrist joint
39. 5/five years
40. near (the) equator
ACADEMIC READING
Reading Passage 1, Questions 1-13
1. C
2. G
3. B
4. I
5. agricultural waste
6. targets
7. coal
8. a vast market
9. Not Given
10. Not Given
11. True
12. False
13. Not Given
Reading Passage 2, Questions 14-26
14. D
15. H
16. E
17. B
18-22 INANY ORDER
B
C
F
G
H
23. AB
24. AC
25. B
26. B
Reading Passage 3, Questions 27-40
27. A
28. B
29. C
30. A
31. legal problems
32. market for e-books
33. retailers and publishers
34. book world
35. manga comics
36. False
37. True
38. False
39. Not Given
40. True
Model and sample answers for
TEST 1
writing tasks
TEST 1, WRITING TASK 1
MODEL ANSWER
The table tells us the percentages of Australian families that had six different household items--personal stereos,
computers, TV sets, washing machines, refrigerators and hairdryers--in the years 1995 and 2002.
We can see that TV sets and refrigerators were the most widespread of the six items in 1995 and remained so in
2002. In 1995, 79% of families a TV set and 78% of them had a refrigerator. By 2002, these figures had risen to
93% and 96%, meaning that refrigerators had overtaken TV sets as the most common of the six items in
Australian family households.
Washing machines were in two-thirds (67%) of Australian family households in 1995 and this percentage had
risen to 60% in 2002. Almost half (44%) of Australian families had hairdryers in 1995. By 2002, two out of every
three (67%) did. This rise of 23 percentage points was second only to the rise in the presence of computers. A third
(33%) of Australian families had personal stereos in 1995 and by 2002 this had increased to a little under half
(45%).
The biggest increase was in the number of families with computers. The figure for 1995 was 18%, but this had
more than quadrupled by 2002 to 76%.
Overall, the figures show that all six household appliances were more common in households in 2002 than in
1995.
TEST 1, WRITING TASK 2
MODEL ANSWER
Discussion about the effects of an aging population has become topical in many countries, including my own, in
recent years. Many people are concerned about the relative increase in the number of people who have retired and
therefore have to be supported by a relatively smaller number of working people. I think that this trend has both
positive and negative effects on society.
The main negative effect is that supporting retired people, either through direct financial support from children or
through the tax and benefits system, will become more expensive. This means that either financial support for
retired people has to be cut or more money has to be found, either through workers paying more or by finding
more workers. In Europe and the trend is towards importing workers from other countries. This has led to heated
debates about whether the immigrants can, or even should, integrate fully into European society. Some people
believe that allowing mass immigration will undermine the values of the host country whereas others believe that
having a variety of cultures aids social development. Japan has decided to import workers, but has also invested a
lot of money in developing robots that can take over basic jobs done by humans. This, they hope, will reduce their
reliance on foreign workers and avoid any cultural problems.
There are also advantages to having an older population and these are often overlooked. Older people in
developed countries where the proportion of the retired population is increasing fastest, are generally healthier
than even This means that one way of increasing the number of workers and reduce the costs of having a large
retired population is to increase the retirement age. A recent report in Britain suggested that the retirement age for
men be increased from 65 to 68. One result might be more respect for older workers, who are also more
experienced, particularly in dealing with people. Another way of increasing the work force is to get more women
into full-time employment. Most British women work, but less than half work full-time. Using this resource
would increase the status of women in society.
In conclusion, an aging population can have both positive and negative effects on society, largely depending on
how we react to it.
Model answers for speaking tests
Speaking Test 1
PART 1
Work
I'm a low-level civil servant, working at the Ministry of Transport. I help to assess pollution levels in Beijing. My
office is very near to Xizhimen, which is a little ironic as that area has one of the highest levels of pollution in
Beijing.
It was recommended to me by a professor at university. I had done some research on pollution levels whilst at
university and he thought it might be something that would interest me.
Generally, I like it. It's not very stressful and I like my colleagues. Most of the work is routine, so it can get a
little boring. After three years, I'm beginning to think that I need a change.
For me, the most interesting thing is measuring pollution levels and comparing them to the data we collected on
other days. It might not sound too interesting to other people, but I enjoy it.
Animals
I have a pet rabbit. My friends often joke about when I'll finally to cook it for dinner. Of course, I have no
intention of doing that! I call him Fluffy, because I heard that it is quite a common name for a rabbit. I feed him
fruit and vegetables and sometimes get him some grass, though he doesn't seem to like that too much.
A lot of people keep dogs and some people prefer cats. I often see people outside, walking their dogs, but of
course, I've never seen anyone walking a cat! Other people keep fish in an aquarium. Some children keep mice or
hamsters.
Yes. We have plenty of laws to protect wild animals, but they are not always enforced properly. People
occasionally kill wild animals for their fur, to eat, or to use in medicine. If they are caught, they can be punished
very harshly, but that doesn't often happen.
I go once or twice a year with my nephew. Like most kids, he likes watching the animals and sometimes tries to
copy them. I think he's best at copying monkeys! Zoos are useful for teaching people, especially kids, about wild
animals, but often the conditions are not very good.
I like tigers. In China, we call this animal the king of animals and we believe that it has special powers.
Unfortunately, that's why a few people hunt them. I like the way they move and their fur looks very smooth,
though I've never actually touched one.
No, although I'm not sure I'd like to be in the sea with a shark or in a cage with a tiger! I mean, tigers are my
favourite animal, but I know how dangerous they can be if they are hungry or if they feel threatened.
Birthdays
People usually have a party with their family perhaps with their friends if they live in a different city to their
family, like I do. The kind of party depends on the age of the person. Children have some friends join them at
home. Adults prefer a meal at a nice restaurant. A birthday cake is common, but not everybody likes sweet things
so much.
The children often have a party at home whereas the adults go out to an expensive restaurant. We tend to spend a
lot of money on birthdays in my family.
I think my 21st birthday was the best one. I was still at university and my friends planned a party for me in our
dormitory. Afterwards, we went out to a bar nearby. It was quite interesting because there was a group of girls at
the bar, also celebrating a birthday, so we spent the evening with them.
PART 2
I read a news story recently about climate change and how it could affect the world. I read it online, but I can't
remember exactly where. The article looked at the causes of climate change first of all, focussing on greenhouse
gases that could cause the world to get warmer over time. Then, the article moved on to examine the different
ways in which this problem could be solved. Many of the methods focussed on how people could reduce their
consumption of fuels like oil and coal, which are the main causes of the problem. These suggestions ranged from
switching to more energy efficient light bulbs through using public transport rather than cars, to persuading the
government to invest more in alternative fuels. I found the article interesting because it is connected to my work. I
should also say that the article was in English, so it helped me to learn some useful new vocabulary.
PART 3
I think that most people buy a daily newspaper to get the news. A lot of people also watch the news in the
evening on TV. Many people get the local news either from a local newspaper or from the radio. The radio is
especially popular with people who want to get traffic news, so you can often find people listening to the radio in
their cars. If a person has a computer in their office, they probably read some news on the web.
TV is much faster and also sometimes shows live stories. Both TV and newspapers use experts to discuss issues,
but on TV they usually only have a few minutes to summarise a situation or argument. Newspapers can deal with
issues in more depth. Many people in my country see certain newspapers as being more reliable than the TV news.
Another thing to remember is that newspapers can be read almost anywhere, at anytime.
I think that quality newspapers are generally reliable. They look at news stories in depth and from different
angles. Some people say that TV is more reliable because you can see a situation. The problem is that you only get
to see a limited amount of footage. I think that the Internet is the least reliable became often there is no control
over what is posted on it.
A good journalist or reporter should be independent. I mean that they should present both sides of a story. They
also need to be observant, noticing things that other people might not see. Most of all, a good journalist or reporter
needs to be inquisitive. They need to be able to continue investigating good stories. I almost forgot to mention
something else--a journalist or reporter should be good with words. I think we will see more and more people
using the Internet, especially as hand-held devices become more popular. I think that TV will continue to be
popular, but the future seems less certain for newspapers. My guess is that they will survive online, but that there
may be fewer printed newspapers.