PartⅡ Listening Comprehension (30 minutes)

　　Section A

　　Directions: In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A)，B)，C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.

　　Questions 1 to 4 are based on the conversation you have just heard.

　　1. A) It can benefit professionals and non-professionals alike.

　　B) It lists the various challenges physicists are confronting.

　　C) It describes how some mysteries of physics were solved.

　　D) It is one of the most fascinating physics books ever written.

　　2. A) Physicists’ contribution to humanity.

　　B) Stories about some female physicists.

　　C) Historical evolution of modern physics.

　　D) Women’s changing attitudes to physics.

　　3. A)By exposing a lot of myths in physics.

　　B) By describing her own life experiences.

　　C) By including lots of fascinating knowledge.

　　D) By telling anecdotes about famous professors.

　　4. A) It avoids detailing abstract concepts of physics.

　　B) It contains a lot of thought-provoking questions.

　　C) It demonstrates how they can become physicists.

　　D)It provides experiments they can do themselves.

　　Questions 5 to 8 are based on the conversation you have just heard.

　　5. A) He is too busy to finish his assignment in time.

　　B) He does not know what kid of topic to write on.

　　C) He does not understand the professor’s instructions.

　　D) He has no idea how to proceed with his dissertation.

　　6. A) It is too broad.

　　B) It is outdated.

　　C) It is challenging.

　　D) It is interesting.

　　7. A) Biography.

　　B) Nature.

　　C) Photography.

　　D) Beauty.

　　8. A) Improve his cumulative grade.

　　B) Develop his reading ability.

　　C) Stick to the topic assigned.

　　D) List the parameters first.

　　Section B

　　Directions:In this section, you will hear two passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear three or four questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A)，B)，C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.

　　Questions 9 to 11 are based on the passage you have just heard.

　　9. A) The unprecedented high temperature in Greenland.

　　B) The collapse of ice on the northern tip of Greenland.

　　C) The unusual clod spell in the Arctic area in October.

　　D) The rapid change of Arctic temperature within a day.

　　10.A) It has created a totally new climate pattern.

　　B) It will pose a serious threat to many species.

　　C) It typically appears about once every ten years.

　　D) It has puzzled the climate scientists for decades.

　　11.A) Extinction of Arctic wildlife.

　　B) Iceless summers in the Arctic.

　　C) Emigration of indigenous people.

　　D) Better understanding of ecosystems.

　　Questions 12 to 15 are based on the passage you have just heard.

　　12.A) A good start.

　　B) A detailed plan.

　　C) A strong determination.

　　D) A scientific approach.

　　13.A) Most people get energized after a sufficient rest.

　　B) Most people tend to have finite source of energy.

　　C) It is vital to take breaks between demanding mental tasks.

　　D) It is most important to have confidence in one’s willpower.

　　14. A) They could keep on working longer.

　　B) They could do more challenging tasks.

　　C) They found it easier to focus on work at hand.

　　D) They held more positive attitudes toward life.

　　15. A) They are part of their nature.

　　B) They are subject to change.

　　C) They are related to culture.

　　D) They are beyond control.

　　Section C

　　Directions: In this section, you will hear three recordings of lectures or talks followed by three or four questions. The recordings will be played only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.

　　Questions 16 to 18 are based on the recording you have just heard.

　　16. A) About half of current jobs might be automated.

　　B) The jobs of doctors and lawyers would be threatened.

　　C) The jobs market is becoming somewhat unpredictable.

　　D) Machine learning would prove disruptive by 2013.

　　17. A) They are widely applicable for massive open online courses.

　　B) They are now being used by numerous high school teachers.

　　C) They could read as many as 10,000 essays in a single minute.

　　D) They could grade high-school essays just like human teacher.

　　18. A) It needs instructions throughout the process.

　　B) It dose poorly on frequency, high-volume tasks.

　　C) It has to rely on huge amounts of previous data.

　　D) It is slow when it comes to tracking novel things.

　　Questions 19 to 22 are based on the recording you have just heard.

　　19. A) The engineering problems with solar power.

　　B) The generation of steam with the latest technology.

　　C) The importance of exploring new energy sources.

　　D) The theoretical aspects of sustainable energy.

　　20. A) Drive trains with solar energy.

　　B) Upgrade the city’s train facilities.

　　C) Build a new ten-kilometre railway line.

　　D) Cut-down the city’s energy consumption.

　　21. A) Build a tank for keeping calcium oxide.

　　B) Find a new material for storing energy.

　　C) Recover super-heated steam.

　　D) Collect carbon dioxide gas.

　　22. A) The lack of supervision by both the nation and local government.

　　B) The impact of the current economics crisis at home and abroad.

　　C) The poor management of day centres and home help services.

　　D) The poor relation between national heath and social care services.

　　Questions 23 to 25 are based on the recording you have just heard.

　　23. A) It was mainly provided by voluntary services.

　　B) It mainly caters to the need of privileged.

　　C) It called for a sufficient number of volunteers.

　　D) It has deteriorated over the past sixty years.

　　24. A) Their longer lifespans.

　　B) Fewer home helpers available.

　　C) Their preference for private services.

　　D) More of them suffering serious illness.

　　25. A) They are unable to pay for health services.

　　B) They have long been discriminated against.

　　C) They are vulnerable to illness and diseases.

　　D) They have contributed a great deal to society.