PART 1

Practice Passage 1: Why don‘t you treat yourself to a holiday at the Hotel
Hampton in Virginia? For just $225 per person, you can fly to sunny Virginia
and enjoy a wonderful 3-night stay. The Hotel Hampton is a 5-star resort with
great facilities including a swimming pool, a gymnasium, a business center and
an 18-hole golf course. This promotion is only available for a limited time, so
you‘d better reserve your place today! The number to call is 605-0317.

Passage 2: The Madeleine Hotel is proud to announce the completion of its new
Convention Center. With advanced audio-visual equipment, dining facilities,
and plenty of space, it‘s the perfect location for any corporate event. To reserve
the Madeleine Hotel Convention Center, simply call one of our friendly
customer service agents at 1-800-555-9973. You can also arrange a tour of the
facilities with the center manager, Jennifer. Call today!

Passage 3: Don't settle for just any old dinner. We can help guide you to the best
restaurants near our Chincoteague /ʃɪŋkəˈti:g/ hotel. With the Atlantic Ocean at
Chincoteague's back door, it's no wonder that seafood abounds (exists) in the
local fare. Chincoteague Island has long been renowned for its fresh, local
seafood - especially Tom's Cove Clams and Oysters. In Chincoteague, seafood
goes straight from the local waters to your plate. You can't get it any fresher than
that!

Passage 4: Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seat and fasten your seat belt.
If you are seated next to an emergency exit, please read carefully the special
instructions card located by your seat. If you do not wish to perform the
functions described in the event of an emergency, please ask a flight attendant to
reseat you. We remind you that this is a non-smoking flight. Smoking is
prohibited on the entire aircraft, including the lavatories. If you have any
questions about our flight today, please don‘t hesitate to ask one of our flight
attendants. Thank you.

Passage 5: Ladies and gentlemen, this is Christine and I‘m your chief flight
attendant. Welcome aboard British Airways bound for Florence. We are here to
make sure you have a relaxed, comfortable and enjoyable flight. Our flight time
will be of approximately 3 hours and 15 minutes. We will be flying at an altitude
of 30.000 feet. Your portable electronic devices must be set to ‗airplane‘ mode
until an announcement is made upon arrival. Now, we will be showing you
safety video so please give us your full attention. Thank you.

Passage 6: Let‘s look at the weather. Temperatures have gone down lower than
we expect at this time of year, and today it‘ll snow in most places. Eastern areas
will see particularly heavy snow. Many schools and offices have announced
closings due to the weather and public transportation is experiencing
cancellations. Government officials recommend that residents not travel far
away from home. Keep you updated by listening for more announcements
throughout the day.

Passage 7: Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. We are all here to thank one of
our most valued employees, Mike Smith, our Regional Marketing Manager in
Hong Kong, who is retiring next month. As you may all know, Mike was your
first Regional Marketing Rep. Thanks to Mike, we have had excellent sales in
Hong Kong and extended our wide network of regional sales offices around East
Asia. And now we want to sincerely thank Mike for his 35 years of service and
for all his contribution to overseas sales, which have become a central part of
our business today.

Passage 8: Good afternoon everyone and welcome to the Chinatown historic

district. My name is George and I‘ll be your guide today. The district was first
founded by Cantonese immigrants around 1920. Later, however, it received
immigrants from many other countries looking for work. During the tour, you‘re
allowed to take pictures. We will see many fine examples of Chinese
architecture, and many Chinese restaurants and grocery stores. We will also see
a Greek church and a Turkish mosque. Now let‘s start our tour.

Passage 9: At the company‘s anniversary dinner, you will all be sitting with
your departments. Company shuttle buses will be available at the main entrance
at 5 P.M. For those of you who will not take the shuttle bus, a map with
directions will be posted in the lobby and also on the third, ninth, and twelfth
floors. Remember, everyone is required to attend this ceremony. If for some
reason you are unable to attend, please contact the HR department and state your
reason.
Passage 10: And here is the weather report. Severe weather warnings have been
issued for Brunswick Province. In the coastal areas, there will be heavy rain, a
risk of floodings, and strong winds of up to 75 miles per hours. In Sherville, this
bad weather has already caused problems overnight and this morning. Several
trees have fallen, and fire crews had to be called to deal with the problems. Also,
parts of Finch seafront have been shut down because of high waves. Now stay
tuned for the traffic report.

Passage 11: Welcome to ABC Radio‘s Traffic Update. I‘m Gavin Sanders. This
morning, there is some bad news. The bus service has been reduced and this is
causing significant traffic delays. There is currently a one-hour delay on
Highway 5 to Northern Avenue. Please take Highway 35 as an alternative route.
We expect this delay to increase until around 9 o‘clock. Eventually, cars will be
backed up on all the major highways. Please come back for an update. You‘ll
hear more detailed traffic information in fifteen minutes.

Passage 12: Are you interested in temporary work over the summer? Do you
like meeting people from different cultures and working on a team? If your
answer to these questions is ―yes‖, why don‘t you apply to work at an Excite
Summer Camp? Excite receives thousands of teenagers from around the world
every summer. We‘re looking for staff to fill a number of positions, such as
activity leaders and camp counselors. Applicants must be between the ages of 17
and 25, and must provide references from a teacher or previous employer. If you
are interested, please visit www.excitecamps.com for more information.
Application closing date: Friday, May 14.

Passage 13: Don‘t miss Hudson department store‘s famous summer event! There
will be huge reductions on all items throughout all our stores across the country.
It‘s true– reductions on all items, including sportswear, men‘s and ladies‘
fashions, cosmetics and jewelry. And for the very first time, we will offer up to
30% off all electrical items. Check labels in store for individual prices. So, don‘t
miss out. Visit your closest Hudson department store from Friday to take part in
this fantastic once-a-year event. Offer ends Sunday.

Passage 14: If you have been planning your dream vacation, there is no better
place than Crystal Beach Resort on beautiful Jewel Island. At Crystal Beach
Resort, our convenient facilities, friendly staff, and wonderful location are sure
to provide the best vacation of your life. We have 100 private villas along the
beach, all of which are designed in an elegant contemporary style. This is a
place where anything is possible, and your days will be filled with moments of
magic

Passage 15: You'll love working out at the Atlas Health Center, and you'll love
what it does for you! We have state-of-the-art exercise equipment in large, air-
conditioned rooms. You can work out alone or with the help of one of our
professional personal trainers. If you like exercising with friends, join an
aerobics or swimming class - or even try kickboxing! Our staff nutrition experts
are always on hand to talk with you about health issues. When you've finished,
you can relax with a whirlpool bath or sauna. Come and exercise with us at
Atlas, and you'll soon be feeling strong and looking good.
Passage 16: Are you interested in losing weight but don‘t want to spend all of
your valuable time stuck inside a gym? Fortunately, Hard Line Fitness is now
accepting new members for discounted rates. If you and a friend register for a
six-month membership within the next five weeks you will only have to pay
50% of the regular membership fee. Hard Line Fitness has expert trainers who
are fit, enthusiastic and friendly, and our fitness equipment is top-of-the-line.
Call now to get more information about us at 1-800-988-3355
Passage 17: Hello, you have reached the Customer Service Department at Neo
Industries Incorporated. Our customer service center is temporarily unavailable
due to technical difficulties with our computer system. We are currently working
in the problem, and we hope to have the system up and running again within the
hour. If you‘re calling to find out about your order status, our new products, or
any other information, please visit our website and click on the appropriate link.
We apologize for any inconvenience, and thank you for calling Neo Industries
Incorporated.
Passage 18: The company is setting up a new e-mail system, so beginning this
Thursday, there will be no e-mail service for 24 hours. Instead, you‘ll have to
reply on phone messages and faxes to communicate with your clients
immediately about this change so that if they need to get in contact with you
they will be able to. We‘ll have the information technology team up here
Wednesday night to begin installing the software and e-mail should be restored
by Friday morning. You‘ll receive a memo later today that will explain all of
this in more detail.
Passage 19: Rock Radio is proud to present an hour-long interview with Collin
Taylor, world famous singer and song writer. The interview will be broadcast
live on Rock Radio, 98.7, on March 18th at 7 P.M. We‘ll discuss the music
industry, Mr. Taylor early career, and his latest album. After the interview, Mr.
Taylor will be answering questions from listeners who call in. You won‘t want
to miss this one. 7 P.M., March 18th, on Rock Radio.

Passage 20: I‘d like to inform everyone that the employee cafeteria will be
closed next week for renovations. The work will begin this Saturday and
continue until next Saturday. The purpose of the renovation is to upgrade the
kitchen, redecorate the dinning area, and provide a more pleasant dining
atmosphere for our employees. In addition, the kitchen staff will be expanding
the menu with more delicious and healthy dishes. The new menu will be
available starting on Monday, May 15. We apologize for any inconvenience this
work may cause.

Passage 21: Gartner and Associates is seeking an Executive Assistant to support

the Managing Director. This position will require some backup support for three
analysts as well. The ideal candidate will have strong communication and
organizational skills. The candidate should also have 2 years‘ experience related
to administrative and/ or managerial/ˌmænəˈdʒɪriəl/office work. Duties include
managing the director‘s calendar, making travel arrangements, and
prioritizing /praɪˈɒrətaɪz/ items. A fouryear college degree is preferred. Working
hours are 8 a.m. to 4p.m., and the assistant can expect a salary of about $35,000
with full benefits.

Passage 22: Few spots in the city are as beloved as City Park. Over ten million
visitors play, relax, or enjoy outings with their friends and families in the park
every year. Each spring and summer the park offers a wide variety of activities.
This weekend there will be an outdoor jazz concert, a nature program, and
special events for children. Most visitors explore the park on foot, although it
can also be explored by bike or on horseback. Maps and information on park
activities are available at the visitor‘s center, which is open daily from nine to
five o‘clock.
ÔN TRANG 61
2. Bank
Banks are not only places in which to save money or to transact your financial
business, but also institutions from which people can borrow money. Every day,
people look to banks for loans, such as mortgage for new homes. A loan is
essentially a contract that binds the borrower to a schedule of payments, so both
parties should be cautious and not enter into the arrangement without thinking.
Banks will look at such factors as how much people saved towards a down
payment in determining whether to make a loan.
Banks have different kinds of accounts. Some pay high quarterly dividends.
Some accounts even severely restrict the number of times, if any, that you can
access your account or the amount of cash you can take out.
Today, electronic banking can be used to check the balance on an account, or to
see if automatic deductions have been made. This can all be done from your
home or office computer. When you go to the bank, be sure to bring
identification. Usually a bank will only accept a photo ID; a signature is not a
valid ID.
TRANG 63
6. Hotel
When we plan for a trip, it is necessary to book for accommodation. There are 2
kinds of tour that we could consider: foreign tour or international package and
domestic tour. No matter what tour will we reserve, we have to pay for the
service charge and tax. At some hotels, especially 5-star hotel, we have to leave
a deposit when we check in. This money will be sent back to us when we check
out. If we plan to have a trip in peak season, we have to pay for a certain amount
of surcharge. Naturally, it is advised to book a room several months in advance.
If the rooms are rented out, we should register to have our name on the waiting
list or we have to find another hotel for our holiday. In contrast, when we have a
vacation in normal season, we may receive some discount and we can have a
good room at an affordable rate.
Nowadays, many companies conduct tours to grant their employees. They
usually ask for a specific plan from a travel agent instead of buy a package tour
for their employees. They combine meeting, workshop and rest to their vacation
and we usually call them a MICE (Meeting Incentive Conference Event) trip.
Normally, the travel representative will offer an all-inclusive tour to their
customers. By this way, they can better serve their clients and earn more profit.
This is because the resort will offer better service to their regular customer and
easily customized their requirement. Moreover, the resorts will supply a more
reasonable price for customers who book the rooms for groups (GITGroup
Inclusive Tour).
Another type of customer is Free Independent Traveler (FIT). They usually have
a short trip to a destination and like free and easy tour which means that they
only pay for bed and breakfast and they can do anything by themselves. Usually,
the resorts provide half board (including bed + breakfast + dinner) and full board
service (including bed and 3 meals) to attract more customers. They can also get
a coupon if they stay at a hotel for a certain room night. FIT customers are
usually families, so they expect the resort to have babysitting service and
playground for their kids. Also, they want to enjoy their time so they anticipate
that all kinds of activities such as gym, spa and massage are available at the
place they reserve.