SECTION 1: LISTENING PAPER

VSTEP – LEVEL 3-5 EXAM (FOR ADULTS)

TIME: ABOUT 40 MINUTES
NUMBER OF QUESTIONS: 35

Directions: In this section of the test, you will have an opportunity to demonstrate your
ability to understand conversations and talks in English. There are three parts in this
section with special directions for each part. Answer all the questions on the basis of
what is stated or implied by the speakers in the recording.
There will be time for you to read the instructions, and you will have a chance to check
your work. The recording will be played ONCE only.
Time allowance is about 40 minutes, including 5 minutes to transfer your answers to
your answer sheet.

PART 1: Questions 1 to 8

Directions: In this part, you will hear EIGHT short announcements or instructions.
There is one question for each announcement or instruction. For each question, choose
the right answer A, B, C or D. Then, on the answer sheet, find the number of the question
and fill in the space that corresponds to the letter of the answer that you have chosen.
Now, let’s listen to an example. On the recording, you will hear:
Woman: Today, I am going to give you some advice about record-keeping.
Keeping accurate records is very important because if a patient is unhappy about his
treatment, he may want to make a complaint to the surgeon. These records will help us
to make a case. Always write your name, the date and the time on all the records. Don't
use pencils, or colored pens. Use black ink. If you make a mistake, just cross it out with
a single line. Don't use correction fluid. Don't try to file the records away yourself, or
they may get lost. Put them in this box here. The administration manager will make
sure they are filed away correctly.
On the test book, you will read:
What does the woman tell her colleagues to do with the records?
A. File them away
B. Give them to the administration manager
C. Put them in a box
D. Give them to the patient
The correct answer is C. Put them in a box.

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Now, let's begin with the first question.
1. What kind of site is being toured?
A. A museum
B. A factory
C. A safety inspection office
D. A chemical lab
2. Where does this announcement take place?
A. On a coach
B. At an airport
C. On a train
D. At a train station
3. Who presently owns the farm?
A. Speaker's family
B. Museum
C. Fado Produce Company
D. The government
4. What is being advertised?
A. A book
B. A course
C. A bank
D. A store
5. When is the flight expected to start boarding?
A. In 45 minutes
B. In an hour
C. In an hour and a quarter
D. In an hour and a half
6. Where is the Angel Room?
A. On this floor
B. On the next floor up
C. On the next floor down
D. Two floors down
7. What is NOT available on the ground floor of the library?
A. Computers
B. Information desk
C. Photocopying facilities
D. Books
8. What does the woman want the man to do first?
A. Read some information
B. Complete a quiz
C. Fix the computers

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 D. See the building
PART 2: Questions 9 to 20
Directions: In this part, you will hear THREE conversations. The conversations will not
be repeated. There are four questions for each conversation. For each question, choose
the correct answer A, B, C or D.
Questions 9 to 12 refer to the following conversation.
9. Who is the man?
A. A professor
B. An office worker
C. Professor Denton's assistant
D. A student
10. When does the man come to see Professor Denton?
A. During regular class hours
B. Just before class time
C. As soon as class is finished
D. During office hours
11. Why does the man come to see Professor Denton?
A. To turn in an assignment
B. To ask a question
C. To pick up a completed test
D. To explain why he did not attend class
12. What incorrect information did the man have?
A. The date the assignment was due
B. The page number of the assignment
C. The length of the assignment
D. The numbers of the assignment questions

Questions 13 to 16 refer to the following conversation

13. What is the woman's status at the university?
A. She is a junior.
B. She is a senior.
C. She's a graduate student.
D. She's a transfer student.
14. What does the man want to learn from the woman?
A. How to transfer to a junior college.
B. How to find his way around the campus.
C. Who won the campus election.

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 D. What courses are required for a literature major
15. How many courses in total must a student take for a literature major?
A. Three
B. Five
C. Eight
D. Ten
16. In which area will the man probably take his elective courses?
A. Surveying
B. World literature
C. Literary analysis
D. American literature

Questions 17 to 20 refer to the following conversation

17. Where did the woman learn about dolphins?
A. From a lecture
B. In a book
C. From a television program
D. During a trip that she has taken
18. Why do dolphins use clicks?
A. To communicate with other dolphins
B. To recognize objects in the water
C. To learn human language
D. To express fear
19. Approximately how many human commands have some dolphins learned?
A. Five hundred
B. Fifty
C. Fifteen
D. Five
20. What does the man say about dolphin intelligence?
A. It is limited.
B. It is greater than human intelligence.
C. It is less than previously thought.
D. It is initially being studied.

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 PART 3: Questions 21 to 35

Directions: In this part, you will hear THREE talks or lectures. The talks or lectures will
not be repeated. There are five questions for each talk or lecture. For each question,
choose the right answer A, B, C or D.

Questions 21 to 25 refer to the following lecture.

21. What is a pigment?

A. A chemical used for cleaning painting equipment
B. A cover to protect paintings from the effects of sunlight
C. A substance that gives its color to another material
D. A synthetic fabric that is suitable for painting on
22. According to the instructor, what characteristic should a pigment have?
A. No loss of strength when dissolved
B. No harmful reaction with other pigments
C. Ability to be applied at any temperature
D. Ability to dry quickly after application
23. How are pigments generally classified?
A. By origin
B. By texture
C. By color
D. By quality
24. Which natural pigment did the Romans obtain from a shellfish?
A. Ochre
B. Indigo
C. Raw umber
D. Tyrian purple
25. According to the instructor, why are synthetic pigments superior to natural
pigments?
A. They last for a longer time.
B. They have a smoother surface.
C. They're less expensive.
D. They don't provide brighter colors.

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Questions 26 to 30 refer to the following professor's talk

26. How does the professor develop the topic of tsunamis?

A. By comparing tsunamis and floods
B. By describing process of tsunamis
C. By giving examples of tsunamis
D. By sharing his experience of a tsunami

27. Why is the term "tidal wave" inaccurate for a tsunami?

A. Tsunamis occur only at high tide.
B. Tsunamis are not related to tides.
C. Tides cause only the worst tsunamis.
D. Waves do not have enough force to kill.

28. What causes tsunamis?

A. Movement of the waves
B. Heavy precipitation
C. Undersea earthquakes
D. The moon's gravity

29. What point does the professor make about the eruption of the volcano
Krakatoa?
A. The eruption caused thousands of fishing boat to sink.
B. Krakatoa erupts more frequently than any other volcano.
C. People could see the eruption from as far away as Hawaii.
D. A tsunami following the eruption killed thousands of people.

30. What is true of the tsunami that struck Japan in 1896?

A. It was caused by an undersea earthquake.
B. It occurred while people were sleeping.
C. It followed a series of volcanic eruptions.
D. It was first reported by fishermen at sea.

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Questions 31 to 35 refer to the following lecture.

31. What do the initials PWR stand for?

A. Potential water resource
B. Potential water reactor
C. Pressurized water resource
D. Pressurized water reactor

32. How many PWRs are there on Three-Mile island?

A. Two
B. Three
C. Four
D. Five

33. What does the lecture say about the PWRs during the accident?
A. There were no problems with the PWRs.
B. There was a problem with only one of the PWRs.
C. There were problems with one PWR after another.
D. There were problems in more than one PWR at the same time.

34. What errors did the operators make?

A. They thought that the water was too cold.
B. They thought that there was too little water.
C. They thought that there was too much water.
D. They thought that the water was too hot.

35. What events are the professor mentioned in the lecture?

A. The cooling water was open.
B. The cooling valve stuck shut off.
C. A partial meltdown occurred.
D. Instruments weren't misread.

This is the end of the listening paper.