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[Microphone check, delivered before Speaking section directions] Adjusting the Microphone In order to adjust your microphone volume, please answer the practice question below, using your normal voice tone and volume. The microphone volume will be automatically adjusted as you speak. Begin speaking after the beep. Continue speaking until a message appears. "Describe the city you live in."
Speaking Section Directions In this section of the test, you will be able to demonstrate your ability to speak about a variety of topics. You will answer six questions by speaking into the microphone. Answer each of the questions as completely as possible. In questions one and two, you will speak about familiar topics. Your response will be scored on your ability to speak clearly and coherently about the topics. In questions three and four, you will first read a short text. The text will go away and you will then listen to a talk on the same topic. You will then be asked a question about what you have read and heard. You will need to combine appropriate information from the test and the talk to provide a complete answer to the question. Your response will be scored on your ability to speak clearly and coherently and on your ability to accurately convey information about what you read and heard. In questions five and six, you will listen to part of a conversation or a lecture. You will then be asked a question about what you heard. Your response will be scored on your ability to speak clearly and coherently and on your ability to accurately convey information about what you heard. You may take notes while you read and while you listen to the conversations and lectures. You may use your notes to help prepare your response. Listen carefully to the directions for each question. The directions will not be written on the screen. For each question you will be given a short time to prepare your response. A clock will show how much preparation time is remaining. When the preparation time is up, you will be told to begin your response. A clock will show how much response time is remaining. A message will appear on the screen when the response time has ended.
Please Listen Carefully
Narrator Describe a class you have taken in school and explain why the class was important to you. Include details and examples to support your explanation. Please begin speaking after the beep.
[2 secs beep] [Appearing on screen] 1. Describe a class you have taken in school and explain why the class was important to you. Include details and examples to support your explanation.
Preparation time: | 15 seconds | Response time: | 45 seconds |
Please Listen Carefully
Narrator You may begin to prepare your response after the beep.
[2 secs beep] Narrator Some universities require first-year students to live in dormitories on campus. Others allow students to live off campus. Which policy do you think is better for first-year students and why? Include details and examples in your explanation. Please begin speaking after the beep.
[2 secs beep] [Appearing on screen] 2. Some universities require first-year students to live in dormitories on campus. Others allow students to live off campus. Which policy do you think is better for first-year students and why? Include details and examples in your explanation.
Preparation time: | 15 seconds | Response time: | 45 seconds |
Please Listen Carefully
Narrator You may begin to prepare your response after the beep.
[2 secs beep] Narrator City University is planning to increase tuition and fees. Read the announcement about the increase from the president of City University. You will have 45 seconds to read the announcement. Begin reading now. Reading Time: 45 seconds Announcement from the president The university has decided to increase tuition and fees for all students by approximately 8 percent next semester. For the past 5 years, the tuition and fees have remained the same, but it is necessary to increase them now for several reasons. The university has many more students than we had five years ago, and we must hire additional professors to teach these students. We have also made a new commitment to research and technology, and will be renovating and upgrading our laboratory facilities to better meet our students’ needs. Narrator Now listen to two students as they discuss the announcement.
[2 seconds]
Student A Oh great, now we have to come up with more money for next semester. Student B Yeah, I know, but I can see why. When I first started here, classes were so much smaller than they are now. With this many students, it’s hard to get the personal attention you need... Student A Yeah, I guess you’re right. You know, in some classes I can’t even get a seat. And I couldn’t take the math course I wanted to because it was already full when I signed up. Student B And the other thing is, well, I am kind of worried about not being able to get a job after I graduate. Student A Why? I mean you’re doing really well in your classes, aren’t you? Student B I’m doing ok, but the facilities here are so limited. There are some great new experiments in microbiology that we can’t even do here... there isn’t enough equipment in the laboratories, and the equipment they have is out of date. How am I going to compete for jobs with people who have practical research experience? I think the extra tuition will be a good investment.
[2 seconds] Narrator The woman expresses her opinion of the announcement made by the university president. State her opinion and explain the reasons she gives for holding that opinion. Please begin speaking after the beep.
[2 secs beep]
[Appearing on screen] 3. The woman expresses her opinion of the announcement made by the university president. State her opinion and explain the reasons she gives for holding that opinion.
Preparation time: | 30 seconds | Response time: | 60 seconds |
Narrator Please Listen Carefully
Narrator You may begin to prepare your response after the beep.
[2 secs beep] Narrator Now read the passage about animal domestication. You have 45 seconds to read the passage. Begin reading now. Reading Time: 45 seconds Animal Domestication For thousands of years, humans have been able to domesticate, or tame, many large mammals that in the wild live together in herds. Once tamed, these mammals are used for agricultural work and transportation. Yet some herd mammals are not easily domesticated. A good indicator of an animal’s suitability for domestication is how protective the animal is of its territory. Non-territorial animals are more easily domesticated than territorial animals because they can live close together with animals from other herds. A second indicator is that animals with a hierarchical social structure, in which herd members follow a leader, are easy to domesticate, since a human can function as the “leader”. Narrator Now listen to part of a lecture on this topic in an ecology class.
[2 seconds]
Professor So we’ve been discussing the suitability of animals for domestication... particularly animals that live together in herds. Now, if we take horses, for example... in the wild, horses live in herds that consist of one male and several females and their young. When a herd moves, the dominant male leads, with the dominant female and her young immediately behind him. The dominant female and her young are then followed immediately by the second most important female and her young, and so on. This is why domesticated horses can be harnessed one after the other in a row. They’re “programmed” to follow the lead of another horse. On top of that, you often find different herds of horses in the wild occupying overlapping areas--they don’t fight off other herds that enter the same territory. But it’s exactly the opposite with an animal like the uh, the antelope... which... well, antelopes are herd animals too. But unlike horses, a male antelope will fight fiercely to prevent another male from entering its territory during the breeding season, ok--very different from the behavior of horses. Try keeping a couple of male antelopes together in a small space and see what happens. Also, antelopes don’t have a social hierarchy--they don’t instinctively follow any leader. That makes it harder for humans to control their behavior.
[2 seconds] Narrator The professor describes the behavior of horses and antelope in herds. Explain how their behavior is related to their suitability for domestication. Please begin speaking after the beep.
[2 secs beep]
[Appearing on screen] 4. The professor describes the behavior of horses and antelope in herds. Explain how their behavior is related to their suitability for domestication.
Preparation time: | 30 seconds | Response time: | 60 seconds |
Narrator Please Listen Carefully
Narrator You may begin to prepare your response after the beep.
[2 secs beep] Narrator Now listen to a conversation between two students.
Student A Hey Lisa, how’s it going? Student B Hi Mark. Uh, I’m OK, I guess, but my schoolwork is really stressing me out. Student A [sympathetically]
Yeah? What’s wrong? Student B Well, I’ve got a paper to write, and two exams to study for. And a bunch of math problems to finish. It’s just so much that I can’t concentrate on any of it. I start concentrating on studying for one of my exams, and then I’m like, how long’s it gonna take to finish that problem set? Student A Wow sounds like you’ve got a lot more work than you can handle right now. [Not wanting to sound too pushy] Look have you talked to some of your professors...I mean, you know , try to explain the problem. Look, you could probably get an extension on your paper, or on the math assignment... Student B You think? It would give me a little more time to prepare for my exams right now. Student A Well, I mean another thing that you might do ... I mean have you tried making yourself a schedule? I mean that’s what I do when I’m feeling overwhelmed. Student B What does that do for you? Student A Well, I mean it helps you to focus your energies. You know, you make yourself a chart that shows the next few days and the time till your stuff is due and... Student B Uh-huh [meaning “I’m listening”] Student A I mean think about what you need to do, and when you have to do it by. You know then start filling in your schedule--like, all right 9:00 [nine] to 11:30 [eleven-thirty] A.M., study for exam. 12:00 [twelve] to 3:00 [three], work on problem set. But I mean don’t make the time periods too long. Like, don’t put in eight hours of studying--you know, you’ll get tired, or start worrying about your other work again. But if you keep to your schedule, you know you’ll just have to worry about one thing at a time. Student B Yeah, that might work. [somewhat noncommitally] Narrator The students discuss two possible solutions to the woman’s problem. Describe the problem. Then state which of the two solutions you prefer and explain why. Please begin speaking after the beep.
[2 secs beep]
[Appearing on screen] 5. The students discuss two possible solutions to the woman’s problem. Describe the problem. Then state which of the two solutions you prefer and explain why.
Preparation time: | 20 seconds | Response time: | 60 seconds |
Narrator Please Listen Carefully
Narrator You may begin to prepare your response after the beep.
[2 secs beep] Narrator Now listen to part of a talk in a United States history class.
Professor Because the United States is such a large country, it took time for a common national culture to emerge. A hundred years ago there was very little communication among the different regions of the United States. One result of this lack of communication was that people around the United States had very little in common with one another. People in different parts of the country spoke differently, dressed differently, and behaved differently. But connections among Americans began to increase thanks to two technological innovations: the automobile and the radio. Now automobiles began to be mass produced in the 1920’s, which meant they became less expensive and more widely available. Americans in small towns and rural communities now had the ability to travel easily to nearby cities. They could even take vacations to other parts of the country. This increased mobility that automobiles provided changed people’s attitudes and created links that hadn’t existed before. For example, people in small towns began to adopt behaviors, clothes, and speech that were popular in big cities or in other parts of the country. As more Americans were purchasing cars, radio ownership was also increasing dramatically. Americans in different regions of the country began to listen to the same popular radio programs and the same musical artists. People repeated things they heard on the radio--some phrases and speech patterns they heard in songs and on radio programs began to be used by people all over the United States. People also listened to news reports on the radio. So they heard the same news throughout the country, whereas in newspapers much of the news tended to be local. So radio brought Americans together by offering them shared experiences and information about events all around the country. Narrator Using points and examples from the talk, explain how the automobile and the radio contributed to a common culture in the United States. Please begin speaking after the beep.
[2 secs beep]
[Appearing on screen] 6. Using points and examples from the talk, explain how the automobile and the radio contributed to a common culture in the United States.
Preparation time: | 20 seconds | Response time: | 60 seconds |
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发表于 2006-10-28 16:35:00
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