小马过河托福听力MINI练习
新托福听力Mini练习
马骏
Mini Test 1.............................................................................................................................................................2
Section 1: Consultation Delayed Paper .........................................................................................................4
Section 2: Geography Crater Formation........................................................................................................5
Mini Test 2.............................................................................................................................................................7
Section 1: Consultation finding books ..........................................................................................................9
Section 2: Literature—Gone with the Wind ................................................................................................ 11
Mini Test 3...........................................................................................................................................................12
Section 1: Consultation Theory by Anderson ..............................................................................................14
Section 2: Botany Cacao Tree .....................................................................................................................15 Mini Test 4...........................................................................................................................................................16
Section 1: Consultation Honors Program ....................................................................................................18
Section 2: Psychology Multimillionaires ....................................................................................................19
Mini Test 5...........................................................................................................................................................20
Section 1: Consultation Research Project....................................................................................................23
Section 2: American History “Yankee Doodle” ..........................................................................................24
Mini Test 6...........................................................................................................................................................26
Section1: Consultation Attendance and Participation .................................................................................28
Section 2: Geography Mississippi Earthquakes ..........................................................................................29
Mini Test 7...........................................................................................................................................................31
Section 1: Consultation Group Project ........................................................................................................33
Section 2: English Noah Webster ................................................................................................................34
Mini Test 8...........................................................................................................................................................36
Section1: Consultation Placement Test .......................................................................................................38
Section 2: Linguistics the Continents ..........................................................................................................39
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Mini Test 1
Questions:
Section 1:
1. Why does the student go to see the professor? A. To tell the professor that he is getting married. B. To find out when the research project is due. C. To get permission to postpone the project due date. D. To explain why he was late turning in the paper.
2. What excuse does the student use?
A. He is getting married.
B. He has an important family event to attend. C. The due date for the project is too soon. D. The project is much harder than he had expected.
3. How does the professor seem to feel about this? ? Missing a few days of class for the wedding is OK. ? Missing a few days of class for the wedding is not OK. ? Delaying the research project is OK.
? Delaying the research project is not OK.
4. Which of the following might the professor say? A. “You have plenty of time to complete the project before the wedding.”
B. “Maybe the wedding could be postponed.”
C. “That seems like a good reason to delay the project.”
D. “I can’t believe that the wedding is so soon.”
5. What does the professor mean?
A. I’m not really doing you a big favor, but I’m telling you it is.
B. I’m sure you don’t believe this because you never believe what I say.
C. It certainly seems like a big favor, but it’s not.
D. You’re not going like this now, but you’ll appreciate it later.
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Section 2:
6. What is the professor discussing?
A. The various causes of a particular geographical formation B. The role of meteors in forming craters.
C. How craters have an impact on their surroundings. D. The differences between various types of volcanic craters.
7. Which did the professor NOT mention as a possible cause of craters? A. Volcanic collapse
B. Earthquake activity
C. Volcanic explosion
D. Collision of a meteor with Earth
8. Why does the professor ask this:
A. To point out that the students do not know the answer B. To find out if the students have read the chapter C. To encourage the students to think about something throughout the lecture.
D. To reinforce an earlier point that he made.
9. What is Mount Mazama?
A. A mountain now towering over Oregon.
B. The name of a mountain that used to exist.
C. A volcanic mountain that regularly erupts.
D. A mountain destroyed by the impact of a meteor.
10. The professor indicates how each of these craters was formed. Indicate which crater
each of these descriptions of the formation matches.
CRATER LAKE MT. ST. METEOR
HELENS CRATER
Formed when a volcanic
mountain exploded
Formed when a volcanic
Mountain collapsed
Not formed as part of a
volcanic mountain
11. What does the professor imply about the number of volcanic craters? A. It is not as large as the number of impact craters. B. It is approximately the same as the number of impact craters. C. It is most likely around eighty.
D. It is far greater than the number of impact craters.
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Listening Script:
Section 1: Consultation Delayed Paper
(student) Hi, Professor Harley. Could I talk with you for a moment? I have a
question for you.
(professor) Sure, Tom. What’s your question?
(student) Well, I’m in your class, the Eastern Cultures class at 9:00. (professor) Yes, I know.
(student) And we have that big research project due next month.
(professor) Yes, you do.
(student) And I was wondering... wondering… if … uh…
(professor) What’s your question, Tom? Aren’t you sure what you’re supposed to be
doing for the research project?
(student) No, it’s not that.
(professor) Well, what’s your question?
(student) I was wondering if it would be possible to…um…turn in the
project late.
(professor) You want to turn the project in late? But you’ve got more than a month to
finish it. You have plenty of time to get it done before the due date…
(student) Well, you see, I’m going to be missing a few days of school next month…
(professor) You are? Why’s that?
(student) I have a really good reason for missing school…and delaying the project.
You see, my brother…my older brother…well…he’s getting married then.
It’s going to be a really big wedding and I’m going to part of the
wedding…so…. I’ll have to, to miss a few days of school next month…for
the wedding.
(professor) Well, your brother’s wedding sounds like a good reason to miss a couple of
days of school…. But…well…what’s that got to do with the research paper? (student) You see, the research paper’s due on one of the days I’m going to be
gone…for my brother’s wedding.
(professor) Uh-huh…
(student) So I’d really appreciate it if I didn’t have to finish the research project until
after the wedding... maybe a week… or two weeks…or so…after the
wedding.
(professor) But the wedding’s not for another month from now. You have plenty of
time to get the project done before you leave for the wedding. (student) I was hoping I could put it off until after the wedding…so I wouldn’t have to
worry about it until then.
(professor) Listen, I’m going to do you a big favor, though you might not believe right
now that it actually is a big favor. I want you to get the project done now,
get it done early before the wedding. That way, you won’t have it hanging
over you head during the wedding.
(student) That doesn’t really sound like much of a favor.
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(professor) You might not appreciate it now, but I’m sure you’ll appreciate it later.
Section 2: Geography Crater Formation
(professor) Today we’re going to be talking about the geological formation
called a crater. Do you know what a crater is? It’s a bowl-or
elliptical-shaped depression in the surface of the earth, or in the surface of
any other celestial body for that matter.
We’re going to be looking at two tremendously different types of craters.
One type of crater’s formed by internal forces, during volcanic
activity that causes a mountain to either collapse or explode. The other
type of crater is formed by an external force, from the impact of a
with the surface of the earth. Do you know which kind of crater is more
common on Earth, volcanic craters or impact craters? I’m not going to tell
you now, but keep the question in your mind as we’re going over the
information in the lecture, and we’ll come back to it later.
The first type of crater we’re going to look at has been formed as a result of
volcanic activity. Volcanic craters are actually formed in two different ways,
either from collapse or from explosion.
(professor) Let’s look first at a collapse crater. Do any of you recognize it?...The crater
in this photo is Crater Lake, in the Cascade Mountains in southern Oregon.
Geologists believe that Crater Lake was once part of a towering volcanic
mountain. They’re named this mountain of yesteryear Mount Mazama.
Sometime around 7,000 years ago, a tremendous mass of lava flowed out
of the mountain, and the unsupported peak of the huge mountain
collapsed, leaving a crater six miles wide. What we have left today from
this huge mountain from thousands of years ago is this six-mile-wide
crater.
(professor) Now we’ll look at the other type of volcanic crater, an explosive crater. Let
me be clear about this, that there are two different kinds of volcanic
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craters, but they’re both formed from volcanoes. This is the second type of volcanic crater, in addition to the collapse volcanic crater we already discussed. This type of crater is formed not because of an inward collapse, as Crater Lake was formed, but because of a sudden and forceful explosion. Can you recognize the mountain in this photograph? Of course, you can! This is, I’m sure you know, Mount St. Helens, or actually the crater that remain atop Mount St. Helens. It was during a violent volcanic eruption on May 18, 1980, that tons of ash and debris were blown into the atmosphere and a mile-wide crater was formed.
Well, that’s all we’re going to discuss about volcanic craters…but the two
different types of volcanic craters should be clear. One kind, like Crater Lake, is formed when a mountain collapses, and the other, like Mount St. Helens, is formed when a mountain explodes.
(professor) Now we’ll move on to the other radically different type of crater, the kind that’s caused by the impact of an external force such as a meteor rather than as part of a volcanic mountain. The crater in this photograph was caused when a meteor collided with Earth. This crater, which is located in north-central Arizona, has the rather appropriate name of Meteor Crater. This huge crater is more than three-quarters of a mile across. Because it wasn’t formed during volcanic activity, the walls of the crater are composed of sedimentary rather than volcanic rock. The meteor that caused the crater was almost totally destroyed on impact, although a number of tiny fragments of the meteor have been found in the vicinity of the crater.
(professor) Let’s return now to the question I posed at the beginning of the lecture. Which type of crater, from volcanoes or from impact, is the most common on Earth? If you thought the answer was volcanic craters, you’re right. At
least 80 impact craters are known to exist on Earth. However, this number’s nothing like the number of volcanic craters that exist on our geologically active planet. Well, that’s all for today. See you next week.
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Mini Test 2
Questions:
Section 1:
1. What is the student’s problem?
A. She needs help using the computerized research station. B. She cannot check out three books that have already been checked out. C. She does not know where the reference section is.
D. She is having difficulty in finding books in the library.
2. What step has the student NOT taken by the end of the conversation? A. She has asked the librarian for help.
B. She has searched for the books at the computerized research station. C. She has printed out a list of the books she had found at the research station. D. She has asked for the books at the main desk.
3. What does the librarian mean when he says this:
A. It will take only half as long to find the book.
B. Half of what you said is correct, and half is not.
C. You were successful in finding half of the books.
D. You can check the book out for half as long as you wanted.
4. Indicate what is true about the various types of books in the library.
Click in the correct box
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YES NO
A book on limited loan cannot be checked ?
A reference book can be checked out for a few days ?
only
A book with a hold on it cannot be checked out ?
until it is returned.
One can place a hold on a reserve book ?
5. What does the student need to do at the main desk?
(Click 2 answers)
? Ask for a book that has been placed on limited loan ? Place a hold on a book that has been check out ? Find out when a book that has been checked out will be returned.
? Check a book out from the reference section
Section 2:
6. This lecture is part of which course?
A. The Works of Margaret Mitchell
B. The History of the Civil War
C. Famous American Novels
D. The Culture of the South
7. What does the professor say about Gone with the Wind?
A. It look place in the South
B. It was relatively short.
C. It was written during the Civil War.
D. It described Margaret Mitchell’s family
8. What is true about the success of Gone with the Wind?
(Click 2 answers)
? The novel took several years to become successful. ? Fifty thousand copies of the novel were sold in one day. ? The novel was translated into 25 languages. ? The novel sold three and a half million copies in its first year.
9. What can be inferred from the lecture about Margaret Mitchell’s upbringing? A. It had little effect on her as an adult. B. It was based on the idea that it is important to live in the present.
C. It encouraged her to dream of becoming a famous actor. D. It had considerable impact on the theme of Gone with the Wind.
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10. How could Margaret Mitchell’s efforts in making Gone with the Wind successful be
characterized?
A. She refused to have the novel published.
B. She seemed rather indifferent toward having a successful novel. C. She took a number of steps to try and get the book published. D. She devoted all of her energy to making the novel successful.
11. Which of the following might Margaret Mitchell have said about her earlier novel set
during World War I?
A. “I am so unhappy with it that I want to make sure no one ever sees it.”
B. “I hope it can be as successful as Gone with the Wind”
C. “I actually think it’s a better novel than Gone with the Wind”
D. “It is really different from Gone with the Wind because it is set during a war.”
Listening Script:
Section 1: Consultation finding books
(student) Hello, can you help me, please?
(librarian) That’s what I’m here for. Do you need help finding something in the
library?
(student) Actually, I need help finding a number of books. (librarian) Well, first you should start at one of the computerized research stations.
You can search for books as well as other types of sources there. (student) I did that. I went to one of the computerized research stations, and I
searched for the books there.
(librarian) You found the books you needed there? And you printed out a list of these
books from the research station?
(student) Yes.
(librarian) It sounds like you’re well on your way.
(student) Well, I got that far, but then it’s the next step that’s a problem.
(librarian) Why? What’s the problem?
(student) Well, I’ve got a list of the three books that look good to me, but I’ve actually
not been able to find any of them.
(librarian) You haven’t found any of them? Where’ve you been looking?
(student) I’ve been looking in the stacks...you know, I’ve been looking at the books on
the shelves.
(librarian) And you didn’t find any of them there?... Alright, then, let me see your
printout and maybe I can figure out where they are… um … I see… OK… For
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the first book on your list, do you see the letters LL next to the call number? (student) Yes, I do.
(librarian) Well, that LL refers to limited loan.
(student) Alright, and what does that mean?
(librarian) Limited-loan books’re books that can be checked out for only a short time,
just three days. Usually a professor puts a book on limited loan when a
number of students in a class need to check out the same book. Did your
professor tell you this book would be on limited loan?
(student) I think he said something like that in class, but I’m not sure.
(librarian) OK, so this book’s on limited loan, and that means you have to go ask for it
at the main desk. Then if it’s there you’ll be able to check it out for only
three days.
(student) OK, so I’ll go ask at the main desk for the book that’s on limited loan.
(librarian) Good. Now for the second book on the list. For this one, you see the R in
front of the call number?
(student) Yes, I do. What does the R stand for?
(librarian) R stands for reference. You’ll have to go to the reference section of the
library to find this book.
(student) And I should be able to find the book there and check it out the library? (librarian) Well, 50 percent’s not bad. You should be able to find the book there, but
you won’t be able to check it out.
(student) Why not?
(librarian) Because reference books can’t be checked out. They can be used only in the
library.
(student) At least that means I should probably be able to find it. (librarian) That’s right. Now for the third book on the list.
(student) Can you help me with that one, too?
(librarian) I sure can. Look, you see that it lists a due date here? (student) Yes, I see the due date. Does that mean it’s checked out?
(librarian) It does, and the due date indicates when it should be turned in. (student) The due date’s in four days, so the person who has it needs to turn it in four
days? So do I have to check back in four days to see if it’s been returned yet?
(librarian) There’s something easier to do. You can just go to the main desk and put a
hold on the book.
(student) What does that mean?
(librarian) You can put what’s called a hold on any book that’s been checked out. This
means that as soon as the book is returned to the library, you can check it
out next.
(student) That sounds good, and I can put a hold on the book today. (librarian) OK, now, is that it? Do you understand all of this now? (student) I think so. It’s LL for limited loan, R for reference, and a due date for a book
that’s checked out.
(librarian) That’s exactly right.
(student) Great, and thanks for all your help.
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Section 2: Literature—Gone with the Wind
(narrator) Listen to a talk in literature class. The professor is discussing the novel
Gone with the Wind.
(professor) The next novel in this course on well-known American novels is the novel
Gone with the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell. This 1057-page novel set in the
South during the American Civil War and the period of Reconstruction in
the South at the end of the war was first published in the summer of 1936.
it was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in, uh, 1937, and it reached an
unprecedented level of popularity throughout the United States and the
world. It set sales records of 50,000 copies in one day and one and a half
million copies in its first year of publication. Uh… the immense initial
popularity of the book was further enhanced with the release in 1939 of the
Technicolor motion picture starring Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Olivia de
Havilland, and Leslie Howard.
By… uh… 1941, five years after its initial publication, it had sold three and
a half million hard-bound copies in the English language and had been
translated into 25 other languages, including Arabic, Japanese, and
Chinese.
(professor) And uh, this is Margaret Mitchell, the author of this immensely popular
novel. She was born in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1900, years after the end of the
Civil War, to parents whose families had lived in the South for generations
and were firmly rooted in the culture of the South. Now, Margaret’s father
was an expert on Civil War military campaigns, and her mother was a
student of the social customs of that period. Margaret grew up in an
environment that reveled in the past, dreaming wistfully of the glory of the
cultured society of the pre-war South.
Now, in 1922, at the age of 22, Margaret Mitchell began writing
professionally for the Atlantic Journal Sunday Magazine, and … uh…over
the next four years she became known for her feature stories for the
magazine. Now, in 1926, an ankle injury made reporting difficult, and she
began working on Gone with the Wind, a novel written from the
perspective of the south, of southerners before, during, and after the Civil
War. She finished much of the writing of the lengthy novel over the next
three years, but she…uh…but she apparently gave little thought to its
publication. In 1935, an editor for Macmillan, who had heard about the
novel through a mutual friend, encouraged Mitchell to present her work to
the, uh, to the publisher. Though Mitchell at first seemed reticent to
submit the novel, she finally did so, and it was quickly accepted for
publication.
(professor) Now, have you ever heard of any other novels by Margaret Mitchell?
Anyone?... No?... Well, that’s because Gone with the Wind was Margaret’s
only published novel. But it’s not the only novel she worked on; she had
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attempted another novel before writing Gone with the Wind. That first
novel was set during World War I and described the impact of a military
base outside of Atlanta on the society of Atlanta. That novel was destroyed
by the author because of her doubts about its merits.
Well, that’s all for today. See you next week, and make sur e, um, you’ve
finished the next novel on the list before next week’s lecture.
Mini Test 3
Questions:
Section 1:
1. Why does the student go to see the professor?
A. To discuss something she read with the professor.
B. To ask about something the professor discussed in class. C. To ask what she should read for the next class.
D. To ask him to explain a particular test question.
2. How did the professor misunderstand the student?
A. He thought the student was asking how the theory came to be. B. He thought the student want to know what to read for the next class. C. He thought the student was asking him to explain a particular theory. D. He thought the student was asking why he discussed a particular theory
3. What did the student really want to know?
A. How the theory came to be
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B. What the main point of the theory is
C. Why the professor discussed this theory in class D. Where the theory could be found in the course materials.
4. What does the professor mean when he says this: A. “It’s really not important for you to understand this.”
B. “I’m quite sure you already understand this.”
C. “I’m not sure you understand this, and you should.”
D. “You don’t seem to understand this, and you don’t need to.”
5. What does the student say about what has happened in the past? A. She’s never had the same problem in the past. B. She thought it was the professor’s fault in the past, so she did not worry about it.
C. She knew what the problem was in the past and did not do anything about it.
D. She thought it was her own fault in the past, so she thought she would try harder in
the future.
Section 2:
6. What is the main topic of the discussion?
A. The common characteristics of evergreens
B. A certain tree and what comes from it
C. How cocoa and chocolate are different
D. Where cacao trees grow
7. Where is the cacao tree probably NOT found? A. In Europe
B. In Central America
C. In South America
D. In Africa
8. What is stated about the leaves of the cacao tree? ? They are long.
? They are thin.
? They are shiny.
? They are narrow.
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9. What does the instructor mean when she says this:
A. “I expect you to know more.”
B. “Let’s go over the topics of the previous lesson.”
C. “I don’t think you agree with what I just said.”
D. “Do you know what we’re discussing?”
10. How is chocolate made?
A. The fruit of the cacao plant is dried and chopped.
B. The seeds of the cocoa plant are mixed with the fruit and dried. C. The fresh leaves of the cacao tree are ground.
D. The seeds of the fruit of the cacao tree are roasted and then ground.
11. How are each of these items described in the discussion?
TREE HIGH-FAT PRODUCT DEFATTED PRODUCT
Cocoa
Chocolate
Cacao
Listening Script:
Section 1: Consultation Theory by Anderson (narrator) Listen to a conversation between a student and a professor. (student) Professor Kelly?
(professor) Yes?
(student) Do you have a minute? I have a question for you. (professor) Sure. What’s your question?
(student) It’s about your lecture this morning.
(professor) What about it?
(student) You were talking about a theory by Anderson. I couldn’t understand what
that theory was…or…uh…actually…where it came from.
(professor) What do you mean by where it came from? Are you asking how the theory
was developed?
(student) No, that’s not what I mean…it’s not what I’m asking…I’m asking where I
can find information about the theory. I always try to read the assigned
material in the text before I come to lectures so the lecture will be easier
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for me to understand. But when you started talking about a theory of
Anderson’s, I didn’t remember reading about it, and after the lecture, I
looked all through the text, and I couldn’t find any theory by Anderson in
the text.
(professor) Well, there’s a good reason why you couldn’t find that particular theory in
the textbook, and it’s that it’s not there.
(student) It’s not? But you were talking about it in the lecture.
(professor) You do understand that a certain amount of the material I cover in the
lectures isn’t in the text? My lectures don’t merely cover the information
in the text. In the lectures I refer to the material in the text, and then I
bring in related information, …information that expands on the material
in the text.
(student) Oh, I guess I hadn’t understood that before, but I do now.
(professor) And do you understand that all the material is covered on the exams, both
the material from the text and the supplemental material that I bring into
the lectures?
(student) I do understand that now.
(professor) By the way, is this the first time this’s happened to you, that you figured
out that material from the lecture wasn’t covered in the text? I certainly
hope it’s not because I do this quite often.
(student) Unfortunately, it’s not. It’s happened a number of other times before, but
then I just thought that I wasn’t reading carefully enough. So this time, I
read everything in the text very carefully and took detailed notes. When
you mentioned the theory by Anderson, I was quite sure it wasn’t in the
text, so this time I decided to ask you about it.
(professor) I’m glad you did because this is a key point of the course.
Section 2: Botany Cacao Tree
(narrator) Listen to a discussion in a botany class.
(instructor) Today, we have a topic I’m certain you’re going to enjoy. The topic for
today is one kind of tree and its products, products I’m sure most of you enjoy.
We’re going to talk about the cacao tree and some of the products we get from this
tree. Just what products do we get from the cacao tree? Joe?
(Joe) The products we get from the cacao tree are some of my favorites: cocoa and chocolate. (instructor) And where are cacao trees found? Yes. Ellen?
(Ellen) Um…cacao trees’re native to the coastal areas of, um, Mexico, Central America, and
South America. Today, in addition to Mexico, Central, and South America, cacao trees
are also found along the west coast of uh, Af-, of Africa and on a number of tropical
islands.
(instructor) Yes, it’s true that cacao trees’re found in coastal areas of Central and South America
as well as in Africa.
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(instructor) Let’s look at this cacao tree. Can you describe the cacao tree for me? Taylor? (Taylor) Well, you can see that the cacao tree has long, thick, shiny leaves; it’s a type of
evergreen tree.
(instructor) That’s right. It’s an evergreen. But what does it mean that it’s an evergreen tree? It
stays green all the time? Is that what you mean?
(Taylor) Ah…OK, I remember. An evergreen is any plant that keeps its leaves throughout the
year. Many people think that only pines and… firs are evergreens, but in reality, a lot
of plants with broad leaves are evergreens.
(instructor) And what about the fruit of the cacao tree? Joe?
(Joe) What about the fruit?
(instructor) You don’t know?
(Joe) I’m not sure…
(instructor) Come on, we’ve talked about this before. OK, what about you, Ellen? Can you tell me
about the fruit of the cacao tree?
(Ellen) I…yeah… I think so…um…the fruit of the cacao tree is the size of a large cucumber and
can be a variety of colors, depending on the type of tree. (instructor) And where does chocolate come from? From which part of the tree? Ellen? (Ellen) Chocolate actually comes from the seeds of the fruit. Each piece of fruit contains a
number of seeds. The seeds are roasted and then ground, and this gives us chocolate. (instructor) And what is cocoa? How does cocoa differ from chocolate? Taylor? (Taylor) Well, as Ellen explained, chocolate is the product that comes from the seeds of the
cacao tree. To get chocolate, the seeds’re first roasted and then ground. Cocoa’s made
from chocolate. Chocolate has a high fat content, and cocoa is chocolate that’s had
most of the fat removed.
(instructor) It’s very easy to confuse the words cacao, cocoa and chocolate. Can you summarize
what cacao, cocoa, and chocolate are, Joe?
(Joe) Yes, I think I can. Cacao, which is spelled C-A-C-A-O, is the name of the
tree, chocolate is the roasted and ground seeds of the cacao tree, and
cocoa, which is spelled C-O-C-O-A, is a product that results when much
of the fat is removed from chocolate.
(instructor) Very good. You all seem to understand this material very well. Mini Test 4
Questions:
Section 1:
1. What does the advisor want to tell the student?
A. That he should apply for a particular program.
B. That he needs to attend a meeting of the academic committee C. That he has been admitted to a special program
D. That a program he has applied for has accepted him.
2. What is true about the Honors Program?
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(Click on 2 answers)
? The students in the program take all of their classes together. ? The students in the program take some more in-depth classes. ? Admission to the program entitles students to attend some special events. ? The students in the program are given a large amount of money.
3. Why is the student concerned?
A. He is worried that he might not have high enough grades.
B. He is concerned that he will not like being in classes with the other students in the
program.
C. He is afraid that the program will not be competitive enough. D. He thinks he does not need the program because he is not going to graduate school.
4. How does the advisor seem to feel about the student’s concern?
A. She thinks he is right to be concerned.
B. She believes that the program is not good for the student. C. She thinks it is better for him to go to graduate school than join the program. D. She thinks that the program would be really good for him.
5. What does the advisor promise to do for the student?
A. Give him plenty of time to make a decision.
B. Make arrangements for him to talk with other students in the program. C. Let him join in on some of the program courses before making a decision. D. Arrange for him to talk with the Academic Committee about why he was selected.
Section 2:
6. What main point is the professor trying to make about people’s perceptions?
A. They are generally accurate.
B. They change often.
C. They are often wrong.
D. They very strange.
7. How is the information in the lecture organized?
A. A concept is supported by and extended example.
B. An example that contradicts a concept is presented.
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C. Several examples are presented to support a concept. D. Several concepts related to a single example are presented.
8. What do most people think about American multimillionaires?
They eat simple food. ?
? They wear clothes that cost a lot.
? They are unconcerned about small amounts of money ? They drive inexpensive cars.
9. What does the professor mean when he says this:
A. You go to the same ballpark as most people.
B. You have similar possessions as most people.
C. You are in the same social group as most people. D. Your ideas are similar to those of most people.
10. According to the lecture, which comment would most likely be made by the average
American multimillionaire?
A. “Oh, no! I won’t have time to buy a new silk evening gown!”
B. “Oh, no! I hate the thought of buying a new car!”
C. “Oh, no! I forgot to order the champagne for the gala on Friday.”
D. “Oh, no! Our car is almost a year old. We’ve got to start looking for a new one!”
11. What conclusion can be drawn from the information provided by the professor
concerning multimillionaires?
A. That the perception of them is generally similar to reality. B. That they do not have a clear perception of reality. C. That the perception of them often differs from reality. D. That their perception of other people matches with reality.
Listening Script:
Section 1: Consultation Honors Program (narrator) Listen to a conversation between a student and an advisor (student) You wanted to see me?
(advisor) Yes, I did, Carl. I have some good news for you, I think. (student) Good news? I like that. What is it?
(advisor) Well, the academic committee met last week to discuss which students
should be admitted to the Honors Program, and,…guess what… you were
selected!
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(student) I was? Really? I didn’t even know I was being considered!
(advisor) You certainly were. The academic committee meets and discusses which
students have achieved the most and then selects the top candidates. You
were one of those who were selected, and I think I can also safely say that
you were the top candidate.
(student) Can you…um…tell me more about the Honors Program? It sounds like
something good, but I’d like to know more about it.
(advisor) Well,… the students who are admitted to the program—and I must say that
they are some pretty accomplished students-take some of their classes
together and are able to delve more deeply into course material. They
belong to the Honors Program association and can take part in a number
of Honors Program events. They also, uh, do receive a small
scholarship…it’s not too much, but I’m sure it helps… So, what do you
think?
(student) Well, first of all, a scholarship, even a small one, would be quite welcome.
With even a small scholarship, I might not have to work quite so many
hours, and I would have more time for my studies, so that would, of course,
be quite nice…I do have some concerns about the honors courses, about
competing for grades with such strong students…I really want to go to
graduate school, to a top graduate school, so I’m very focused on getting
high grades.
(advisor) I don’t think that’s something to worry about. Graduate programs are
always looking for students who take part in programs like this. I think it
could be really good for you to be in this program now, both for what it’ll
do for you now and for how it’ll benefit you in getting into, … and
succeeding in…, graduate school. So… do you think it’s something you’d
like to do?
(student) it certainly is something I’d like to consider. Maybe I should talk with
some students who are already in the program; I’d like to discuss the
program with them.
(advisor) Oh, I can arrange that for you. I’ll set something up and then let you know
about it.
(student) Thanks so much. I look forward to hearing from you about it.
Section 2: Psychology Multimillionaires
(narrator) Listen to a lecture in a psychology class.
(professor) We’ve been reading about how people’s perceptions often differ
from reality. What does this mean, that perceptions differ from reality?
Yes?
(student) Well, it means that people may think something’s true when, in
reality, it’s not…I mean, when the opposite is true.
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(professor) Yes, that’s what it means when perceptions differ from reality. Now, today
we’re going to look at a really clear case where certain perceptions held by
Americans can differ considerably from reality. The example I’m using
today is about what Americans think about multimillionaires and what
researchers have discovered to be true about multimillionaires. (professor) For class today you were supposed to answer the short questionnaire about
millionaires that I handed out last week. Do you have your questionnaires
with you? Let’s take a look at them. How many of you felt that the typical
American multimillionaire would drive a new car? How about a
five-year-old car? How many of you thought the typical American
multimillionaire would prefer to eat caviar or other expensive foods? How
many of you guessed club sandwiches? How many of you felt that a typical
American multimillionaire spent over $1000 on a suit? How many of you
guessed it was under $400? And finally, how many of you felt that the
off coupons when buying typical American multimillionaire used cents-
food and household products? And, how many did not? Let’s see a show of
hands…wow…not too many of you have your hands up…Well, you’re in the
same ballpark with most people. Most people think that the typical
American multimillionaire has the most expensive car, the most expensive
food, and the most expensive clothes, and doesn’t worry about pennies,
and you seem to have the same idea.
Now, remember our main point, that perceptions can differ from reality.
Several studies’ve been done about how perceptions of really wealthy
Americans differ from real American multimillionaires. Across the board,
Americans have an image of multimillionaires spending a whole lot of
money, perhaps quite carelessly. Although there is a certain percentage of
wealthy people who fit this image or parts of it, studies have shown that
the majority of American multimillionaires look like ordinary people. They
drive old vehicles, eat everyday American food, shop at discount stores,
use coupons, and are very, very frugal. In fact, typical wealthy Americans
live under their means. They save money when everyone else is spending. (professor) Today, I’m going to give you five case studies of typical American
multimillionaires. For next week, I’d like you to read the case studies and
see if they more closely fit the general American perception of the
American perception of the American multimillionaire or the findings of
the studies we read about this week. See you Monday.
Mini Test 5
Questions:
Section 1:
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1. What are the student and the professor discussing? A. Two characters from a story the student has read. B. The student’s plan for a research assignment
C. A research study the student has read.
D. Ways for the student to improve.
2. What point does the professor make about the student’s work?
A. The thesis could be stronger.
B. The thesis is a very ordinary idea.
C. The student will have to work very hard to prove the thesis. D. The thesis should be easy to prove.
3. What is the student’s thesis?
A. One character appears in two different novels. B. Two characters that seem alike are not really alike. C. One character acts in two extremely different ways. D. Two characters who do not seem to resemble each other actually have a lot in
common.
4. How does the professor seem to feel about the student’s work?
A. She is unsure what the student is doing.
B. She is completely disgusted with the student’s work.
C. She thinks the student’s work may have potential
D. She is really impressed with the student’s work.
5. What will the student most likely do next?
A. Work on ways to support his thesis and then share his ideas with the professor.
B. Stop working on this thesis and start on another. C. Write down new ideas and submit his written ideas to the professor. D. Work on his thesis to improve it.
Section 2:
6. Why is the professor discussing “Yankee Doodle”?
A. To make the point that American music developed from British music. B. To prepare the students to teach the song to children.
21
C. To provide an example of a song that glorifies war. D. To demonstrate that the song has historical significance.
7. The professor explains various terms in the lecture. Indicate for each term how it
can be explained.
INSULT ABOUT AMERICAN MISGUIDED ATTEMPT
IMPROPER DRESS COLONIST TO BE FASHIONABLE
Yankee
Doodle
Macaroni
8. How do the drawings help the students to understand the message of the song?
A. The message of the song is about how similar the British and Americans were.
B. The drawings would help the students understand how it felt to be living at them
time of the Revolution.
C. The message of the song was based on how the soldiers looked. D. The drawings show clearly why the British soldiers were called “Doodles”.
9. When did the song “Yankee Doodle” first appear?
A. Prior to the colonization of American
B. Before the Revolutionary War.
C. During the Revolutionary War.
D. After the Revolutionary War.
10. How was the song “Yankee Doodle” developed?
(Click on 2 answers)
? It was written by the British.
? It was written by the Americans
? It was intended to show honor.
? It was intended to be offensive.
11. What conclusion can be drawn from this lecture? A. A simple children’s song can actually have historical significance. B. It is important for children to learn to sing. C. Music was very important at the time of the Revolution. D. American music differs considerably from British music.
Listening Script:
22
Section 1: Consultation Research Project
(narrator) Listen to a conversation between a student and a professor. (professor) Come on in, Bill.
(student) Thanks for seeing me, Professor Stevens.
(professor) What did you want to talk about?
(student) I have a few questions about my outline for the research project,…and…
well…I was hoping you could give me a few pointers.
(professor) No problem. You have your outline with you?
(student) Yes, it’s right here.
(professor) OK, let me see what you’ve got…OK…um...well…I see that you’ve got an
interesting thesis here. I like the point you’re trying to make…I mean, I
think it’s quite interesting that you’re trying to make the point that these
two characters are really quite similar in spite of the fact that they seem so
different. But, well, there just doesn’t seem to be quite enough support for
this thesis…I mean, there’s really not enough support for this at all. if
you’re going to make such a strong thesis that…uh…two such opposite
characters really have a lot in common…you’re definitely going to have to
come up with very strong ideas to support this.
(student) OK, I understand that. I need to clearly outline the ways that the characters
resemble each other.
(professor) That’s exactly right.
(student) I guess what I wanted to know from you was…well…whether this thesis is
OK, I mean, whether it’s a good thesis to try and prove.
(professor) I do think your thesis has possibilities. I mean, it can be a really strong
thesis.
(student) If I have strong enough support for it.
(professor) Exactly.
(student) So now I need to come up with ideas about how these two characters
resemble each other.
(professor) And then develop these ideas thoroughly.
(student) So now I need to come up with ideas about how these two characters
resemble each other.
(professor) And then develop these ideas thoroughly.
(student) Would it be OK if I stopped by in a few days to show you my ideas for how
to support this thesis?
(professor) Absolutely. Any time during my regular office hours is fine. (student) See you in a few days…hey…and thanks for your help.
(professor) You’re quite welcome.
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Section 2: American History “Yankee Doodle”
(narrator) Listen to a lecture in an American history class.
(professor) Hello, everyone. Today we’ll be talking about the historical
background of the song “Yankee Doodle.” Now, this is, of course, a
song that American children learn in the nursery. It does have a pleasant
rhyme and rhythm that make it easy to learn, and it also provides an
interesting perspective on attitudes at the time of the American
Revolution.
Now let’s think about the words to “Yankee Doodle.” How many of you
know the words to this song? You all should. Let’s see a show of hands. Yes,
everyone seems to know the words. Now,…would anyone like to sing it for
us? Let’s see a show of hands on this. Any volunteers? No one? There’s not
a single hand up. OK, then, if no one wants to sing it for us, let me put up
the words for you.
(professor) Here’re the words to “Yankee Doodle,” and let’s think about the
perspective these words provide on the prevailing attitudes at
the time of the American Revolution. This refrain should be quite
familiar to you: Yankee Doodle came to town/Riding on a pony;/ He
stuck a feather in his cap/ And called it macaroni. Now, we’ll focus on
three words in this song:Yankee, Doodle, and macaroni. The word Yankee
in this song refers to an American colonist; it probably comes from the
Dutch word for Johnney. The word Doodle pretty clearly seems to be some
kind of insult about the American colonists’ manner of dress and behavior.
Now, the word macaroni was a slang term was used in eighteenth-century
England; this term was used to describe a person who dressed
extravagantly in order to look fashionable but ended up looking silly
instead.
(professor) Now, let’s look at some drawings of a typical American colonist and typical
British soldier as we try to understand the message of the song. OK, first of
all, how does the British soldier on the left look to you? (student1) The British soldier looks nice and neat, very well-groomed. (professor) Yes, you can see that the British soldier takes a lot of pride in dressing
neatly and correctly. Now, what about the American colonist? How does
he look?
(Student2) He certainly looks a lot sloppier, not at all like the British soldier. (professor) Yeah, that’s right; he looks quite ragged and unconcerned about his, um,
his appearance. Now, as you look at these two pictures, the message of the
song should seem quite clear: the British considered themselves quite
fashionable and neat, and they considered the American colonists
unfashionable and sloppy. An American might stick a feather in his cap in
order to appear more fashionable, but to British eyes, this was just
24
“macaroni.”
(professor) Now that we’ve talked about the meaning of the song, let’s look
at the song’s rather unusual history. Clearly, this song was invented
by the British to be insulting to Americans. The song came about in the period prior to the American Revolution. It was sung by British soldiers in the American colonies to mock the colonists before the Revolution. Uh, then a surprising thing happened with this song during the course of the Revolution. You see, during the war, the Americans heard the British singing this song as an insult, but the Americans took this insulting song over and began singing it right back at the British. According to a traditional story about the ending of the war, after the British ceremoniously surrendered to the Americans at Yorktown, the Americans even played and sang a lusty chorus of “Yankee Doodle” to the defeated
British soldiers. I’m not quite sure this story is historically accurate, but it is certainly does make a nice story, doesn’t it?
25
Mini Test 6
Questions:
Section1:
1. Why does the student go to see the professor?
A. She wants to ask why her exam grade was slow.
B. She wants to ask the professor about the course syllabus. C. She wants to find out how she could participate better in class. D. She wants to find out why the unit grade did not reflect her exam grade.
2. What is the situation?
(Click on 2 answers)
? The student’s exam grade was high.
? The student’s exam grade was low.
? The student’s unit grade was high.
? The student’s unit grade was low.
3. Why does the professor mention the syllabus that he gave out on the first day of class?
A. Because the syllabus explains the professor’s system of grading.
B. Because the syllabus indicates what is in each of the three units. C. Because the syllabus explains exactly what is on the exams. D. Because the syllabus indicates that participation is an important part of the exam
grade.
4. How could the student’s problem best be described?
A. She had not learned the material well for the exam.
B. She had not attended class at all.
C. She knew the material but did not apply what she knew in class. D. She liked to participate, but what she said was not very accurate.
5. What might this professor say?
A. “Attendance is not important as long as you learn the material.”
B. “Being able to discuss issues with other students is a vital part of this class.”
C. “You don’t seem to understand that I put a huge amount of emphasis on exam grades
in this course.”
D. “It’s better to listen more and speak less in class.”
26
Section 2:
6. Why are the students discussing this material?
A. They are preparing to attend a lecture.
B. They are going over material presented by a professor. C. They are reviewing material on an exam.
D. They are working on a report.
7. Where was the center of the earthquakes discussed by the students? A. Near the Missouri River in the state of Mississippi B. In the Mississippi river valley in the state of Mississippi C. In the Mississippi river valley in the state of Missouri D. Near the Missouri River in the state of Mississippi.
8. Based on the information in the discussion, indicate whether the statements below
are true about the Mississippi earthquakes.
YES NO
They took place in the eighteenth century
They took place over a three-month period
They were extremely strong
They were felt only along the Mississippi River
9. According to the students, what topographical changes occurred as a result of the
Mississippi earthquakes?
? Rivers disappeared
? Land sank
? Volcanic craters formed
? New lakes formed
10. What can be concluded from the discussion about 5 percent of the world’s
earthquakes?
A. They occur in Mississippi.
B. They are not explained by the theory of plate tectonics. C. They develop in the middle of the North American plate. D. They result from movement along the borders of tectonic plates.
11. Why did the professor most likely discuss these earthquakes and plate tectonics in
the same lecture?
A. The earthquakes support the theory of plate tectonics.
27
B. The earthquakes occurred where two huge plates crashed together. C. The earthquakes led to the theory of plate tectonics.
D. The earthquakes fail to support the theory of plate tectonics.
Listening Script:
Section1: Consultation Attendance and Participation (narrator) Listen to a conversation between a student and a professor. (professor) Hi, Anna. How are you today?
(student) Just fine, thank you.
(professor) Did you want to see me about something? Do you have a question? (student) Yes.
(professor) OK…well…what’s your question?
(student) Well, it’s…um…about the unit grade…you know…you just gave out unit
grades…for the first unit of the public policy class.
(professor) Yes, I did.
(student) And…well…I guess I was kind of surprised at the unit grade. (professor) You…You were? Why?...it wasn’t the grade you were expecting?
(student) Um, not quite.
(professor) Ah, but my grading system is very clear, I think. There shouldn’t have been
any surprises.
(student) Well, you see, I got a high grade on the unit exam. I mean…it was a 95, and
I think you said the highest grade on the exam was a 97, and I had almost
the top grade, you know, a 95…
(professor) Yes?
(student) So I was kind of surprised to get a C for a unit grade. I was expecting an
A…because of the exam grade.
(professor) Oh, I see what the problem is…well, I thought my grading system was clear,
but I guess it’s not so clear after all. You know, my grading system was on
the syllabus I gave out on the first day of class…You were in class on the
first day, weren’t you?
(student) Yes, I was.
(professor) And you did get the syllabus?
(student) Yes, I did.
(professor) And I discussed the grading system the first day…the grading system that
was on the syllabus…that wasn’t clear to you?
(student) Um…I guess not, because I thought that if I got a grade of 95 on the exam,
an A on the exam, then I thought I’d be getting an A for the unit grade. (professor) Ah, you see, that’s what the problem is. If you look on the syllabus, it says
that the exam grade is only 50 percent of the unit grade. (student) Only 50 percent?
(professor) That’s right. The other 50 percent of the grade comes from attendance and
participation during class. You see, only part of your grade is learning the
28
course material for the exam. The other really important part is to be able
to use the information…to…ah…apply the information by interacting with
the other students in class. You know what, let me look at my grade
book…You were absent twice? You missed two class meetings?
(student) Um…yes, I did, but I got notes from one of my friends, so I know what was
covered in the two class meetings I missed…well, that’s why I was able to
do so well on the exam.
(professor) But class isn’t just about getting information from me by taking notes of
what I say. It’s about discussions of the material, applying it to various
situations…Now, when you were in class, just how often did you join in
discussing, you know, comment on the material, uh…debate with other
students about how the course material can be applied to various
situations?
(student) Well, not much…not at all, I guess.
(professor) So your grade for attendance and participation was very low, because you
didn’t attend regularly, and when you did attend you didn’t take part in the
class discussions…and that was 50 percent of your grade. Do you
understand now why your unit grade was a C and not an A?
(student) Yeah I see that now.
(professor) Uh-hmm. And…and you understand what you need to do in the text two
units?
(student) Yes, I actually do now.
Section 2: Geography Mississippi Earthquakes
(narrator) Listen to a discussion by a group of students taking a geography course. (man 1) The professor sure spent a lot of time discussing those huge earthquakes
near the Mississippi.
(woman1) Yeah, well, that’s because they were such big earthquakes, the biggest
known to have occurred on the North American continent.
(man 2) And when did they take place?
(woman2) In the eighteenth century, I believe. Is that what you heard? (woman 1) No, they were in the early 1800s, in the winter of 1811 to 1812. there were
big earthquakes in December, in January, and then again in February. (man 2) So that would be the early part of the nineteenth century, then. (man 1) Exactly!
(woman1) Now, there was something I didn’t understand. Where did the earthquakes
take place, was it in Mississippi or in Missouri? The professor mentioned
both.
(man 2) Oh, now that was more than a bit confusing. The quakes were centered in
the state of Missouri and not Mississippi, but they were in the Mississippi
river valley in Missouri. That’s why the professor mentioned both
Mississippi and Missouri.
(woman 2) Look, there’s a map here in our text. You can see that the earthquakes were
29
centered in New Madrid, Missouri, which is located alongside the
Mississippi River. So the earthquakes were centered in the state of
Missouri rather than the state of Mississippi, but they were along the
Mississippi River.
(woman 1) Huh, and these circles indicate how far away the earthquakes could be felt? (man 1) Yeah, these were supposedly the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded
in North America. They were so strong they could be felt all the way up the
East Coast.
(man 2) The professor said they could be felt over an area of more than a million
square miles.
(woman 2) And they were strong enough to cause topographical changes in the area. (woman 1) Topographical changes? Those’re changes in the physical features of a
region, aren’t they?
(man 1) Yes, they are. And these quakes had a really unusual degree of effect on the
topography of the area, didn’t they?
(man 2) They did. Over 30,000 square miles of land sank. In these areas of sinking
land, lakes were formed, including Reelfoot Lake in Tennessee. In other
areas, the elevation of the land increased enough to make lakes there
disappear. Thousands of acres of prairie were created, and thousands of
craters of empty sand were formed. The earthquakes were so powerful that
they even changed the course of the Mississippi.
(woman 2) So those earthquakes had a huge effect on the topography of the area. They
caused land to rise and fall, lakes to form, and rivers to change direction. (woman 1) That’s incredible. Now, in addition to topography, the professor also talked
about the theory of plate tectonics. Hmm, exactly what is the theory of
plate tectonics?
(man 1) According to the theory of plate tectonics, earthquakes can occur when the
large plates that make up the crust of the earth move and push up against
each other. Look, you can see the world’s major tectonic plates on this
map.
(man 2) How valid is the theory of plate tectonics? Do earthquakes always occur
along the edges of plates?
(woman 2) Well, it explains about 95 percent of the earthquakes that occur in the
world. However, the remaining 5 percent of the earthquakes occur in the
middle of large plates, so the theory of plate tectonics doesn’t explain them.
These earthquakes are called intraplate earthquakes.
(man 2) So they must be caused in a different way.
(woman 1) Oh, was that why the professor was talking about the theory of plate
tectonics in relation to the Mississippi earthquakes? After all, Mississippi
is far from the edges of large plates.
(man 1) Yeah, most huge earthquakes occur where plates meet, but the Mississippi
earthquakes were huge earthquakes that occurred in the middle of plates,
so they’re exceptions to the theory that earthquakes occur where giant
plates meet.
30
(woman 2) Yeah, that’s true. The Mississippi earthquakes are intraplate earthquakes.
They’re part of the 5 percent of earthquakes that occur in the middle of
plates and not part of the 95 percent of earthquakes that occur along the
edges of plates. These earthquakes, huge though they were, did not occur
at the point where two huge plates came crashing together. (man 2) This is all much clearer to me now. I’m really glad we got together and
discussed all of this.
(woman 1) You can say that again!
Mini Test 7
Question:
Section 1:
1. Why does the student go to see the professor?
A. To find out how she did on a project.
B. To discuss how a project is to be completed.
C. To talk about how she could do better in the political science class. D. To discuss who should be her partner on a project.
2. What does the professor seem to think?
A. That it is not a good time to ask a question.
B. That the project was already completed in class.
C. That he will answer any questions in class tomorrow. D. That the student should already understand what to do.
3. The professor has described an assignment. Indicate whether each of these is part of
the assignment.
YES NO
To find a partner
To select an issue
To present the issue
To debate the issue
4. What does the student want?
A. To postpone the project.
B. To have a debate with another student.
C. To work without a partner.
D. To discuss several issues.
5. What reasons does the professor give to say no?
? He wants the students to debate an issue.
? He wants the students to work together.
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? He wants the students to select several partners each. ? He wants each to work alone.
Section2:
6. What main point does the professor make about these works by Webster? A. They are both extremely well known today.
B. They both describe the actual state of American English at the time they were written.
C. They were the only books that Webster wrote.
D. They accurately describe both American and British English.
7. What is true of Webster’s works?
A. He wrote only two books.
B. His works are all largely unknown today.
C. His writings were all advanced, scholarly dissertations. D. His books had an impact on modern American English.
8. Why does the professor discuss a book that is so unfamiliar to the student? A. Because it is such a contrast to the really famous dictionary. B. Because it was extremely important in the early history of American English. C. Because it contains the most complete list of American English words. D. Because it accurately showed the correct British English forms of words.
9. Which words were mentioned by the lecturer as new added to the dictionary by
Webster?
? Skunk
? Orthography
? Shower
? Hickory
10. What were Webster’s purposes in writing these two books?
? To standardize American and British meanings of words.
? To weed out purely American vocabulary
? To help Americans understand that their language is their own ? To standardize Americanized spellings of words.
11. Which of the following best expresses the professor’s view of these works by
Webster?
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A. They accurately describe the lifestyle of early America.
B. They were important in the development of American English.
C. They served to reinforce differences between America and Britain. D. They caused changes in American English.
Listening Script:
Section 1: Consultation Group Project
(narrator) Listen to a conversation between a student and a professor. (student) Hi, Professor Scott. Could I talk with you for a moment? (professor) Certainly. I have office hours now, so this’s the perfect time to talk with me.
What’s your question?
(student) Well, I’d like…uh…like to talk about the…uh…project for your
political science class.
(professor) You have a question? But we talked about the project quite a bit today in
class. OK…well…what’s your question?
(student) Well, what you said was clear, but I’d…uh…like to do it a bit differently if I
could.
(professor) What did you want to change?
(student) Well, you said we should get together with another student for the project,
that two of us should work together, but I would rather work alone. I’d
rather do the project by myself.
(professor) Well, I don’t think that would work out very well because you know you’re
supposed to choose an issue, one that’s interesting to you…and then
present the issue clearly so everyone understands it. Then I want you to
have debate, where each one of you presents a different side of the issue
and you each argue on the issue from a different perspective. (student) I was thinking I could present the issue and then discuss each side of the
issue myself…talk about one side of the issue very thoroughly and then
talk about the other side just as thoroughly.
(professor) I don’t think that would work out too well because I want you not just to
present each side of the issue; I want you to actually discuss the issue-to
debate it-and you really can’t debate an issue yourself.
(student) But I really want to work on this myself, and I’m willing to prepare both
sides of the issue in order to work on it alone.
(professor) Well, that raises another argument because I really want you to work with
another student. This assignment isn’t just about learning about an issue;
it’s about being able to work with another student to debate an issue
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convincingly with someone else.
(student) So I really need to find a partner to work with? (professor) Yes, that’s the assignment, and I’d really like you to do it as I assigned it.
Here’s a list of students from the class who’re looking for partners for the
project. Why don’t you talk with some of them and see if you can find
someone you’d like to work with?
Section 2: English Noah Webster
(professor) Today, we’re going to be talking about two books that have had a
tremendous impact in shaping American English. Both of these books
were written by Noah Webster. Do any of you recognize the name Noah
Webster? He wrote a number of books, but we’ll be discussing only two of
them today. One of Webster’s two books will most probably be quite
familiar to you, while the other most probably will not. (professor) While teaching in New York in 1782, Webster wrote an elementary
spelling book which was published in later editions under the title The
American Spelling Book. Is this book familiar to you?...Have any of you
ever heard of it?...No…this is, of course, the book that is not so familiar to
you. You can probably understand from the title that this book
contained Americanized spellings of English words rather than
British spellings. Even in the eighteenth century, the orthographies of
words in these two versions of English were already beginning to show
marked differences.
(professor) Of the two books that we’re going to discuss, this is the less familiar one.
Although this little speller isn’t familiar to most people today, it was
hugely successful in its time. By the time of Webster’s death in 1843,
more than 15 million copies of the book had been printed, and by the
beginning to the twentieth century, the number had risen to more than
60 million. Through the different editions of the speller, various
orthographic reforms were introduced, and they speller and much to do
with the standardization of spelling throughout the young United States.
(professor) The second of Noah Webster’s important works should be more than a
little familiar to you. This second of his works that we’re discussing today
is dictionary, An English Dictionary of the American Language…….oh…
Excuse me, did I really say that? I have it backward…it’s not An English
Dictionary of the American Language, it’s An American Dictionary of
the English Language. Now that I’ve got it straight, An American
Dictionary of the English Language was completed in 1825. This huge
dictionary was an ambitious scholarly achievement. In this work,
Webster wanted to show the actual state of the American
English language. He added numerous words to the dictionary that
had come into the English language in America and were not part of
British English at the time. Let me give you a few examples. A few of the
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words that were added to the English language in America were the animal called a skunk, the soup known as chowder, and the type of tree
named hickory. Webster included the American meanings of words
whose meanings differed on opposite sides of the Atlantic, and he spelled words as they were commonly spelled in the United States rather than in England.
(professor) Webster’s purpose in describing the English language as it was used in the United States in these two books was twofold. He wanted, first, to help Americans realized that they did not need to look to England for a standard of correctness in their own language; this was because the thought that America should look to its mother country England for a standard of good and bad, right and wrong, correct and incorrect was prevalent in the country at the time. Second, Webster wanted to foster a reasonable amount of uniformity in American English, something that he felt was quite necessary because of the lack of standardization in the language at the time.
I’m sure that you can see from all of this just what a vital role these books by Webster played in establishing American English as a language of its own. Well, that’s all for today’s class. Tomorrow, we’ll be discussing some
other important influences on early American English.
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Mini Test 8
Questions:
Section 1:
1. Why is the student meeting with his advisor? A. To find out how he scored on some placement tests. B. To retake the math skills test.
C. To plan his schedule of classes.
D. To see his scores on some final exams.
2. What is true about the student’s placement test scores?
(Click on 2 answers)
He did well on the language skills test and can take a credit English class. ?
? He did poorly on the language skills test and cannot take a credit English class.
? He did well on the math skills test and can take a credit math class.
? He did poorly on the math skills test and cannot take a credit math class.
3. What does the advisor mean when she says this: A. “I need more information from you.”
B. “The solution isn’t so simple.”
C. “You seem to understand more than I thought.”
D. “It’s all really quite easy to understand.”
4. How does the student seem to feel about the results? A. Quite incredulous
B. Really angry
C. Truly delighted
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D. Rather accepting
5. What conclusion can be drawn from the conversation? A. The student will most likely have to take the math placement test more than twice.
B. The student’s score on the math placement test was not really very low. C. The student will most likely have to take both the language skills test and the math
skills test again.
D. The student will most likely have to take an extra class because he has to take a
non-credit class now.
Section 2:
6. Why are the man and woman talking?
A. They are reviewing information covered in class. B. They are preparing to attend a class.
C. They are reviewing information from a chapter they read. D. They are preparing to present information in class.
7. What are they discussing?
A. How the continents were discovered.
B. How the continents got their names.
C. How the continents differ
D. How the continents were formed.
8. The professor explains where the name of each continent came from. Indicate which
continent each of the explanations matches.
AFRICA AMERICA ANTARCTICA ASIA AUSTRALIA EUROPE
From the name
of an explorer
From the name
of a culture
From the name
of an animal
From a word
meaning “east”
From a word
meaning
“west”
From a word
meaning
“south”
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9. What misconception did the Greeks have about Europe and Asia? A. Whether their names came from Semitic or Greek
B. Which was located to the east and which was located to the west C. Whether they were one landmass or two.
D. Where the dividing line between Europe and Asia lay.
10. Which statements about the Arctic and Antarctica are true? ? The Arctic and Antarctica both have names based on “bear.”
? The Arctic is a continent that means “opposite Antarctica.
? The names of both the Arctic and Antarctica were derived from Greek. ? The ant-portion of the Antarctica means “before”.
11. Why does the woman say this:
A. To indicate to the man that she did not understand what he said. B. To let the man know that she would like to talk more about the previous topic C. To let the man know that they do not have much time left. D. To get the man to consider that there might be more to talk about. Listening Script:
Section1: Consultation Placement Test
(narrator) Listen to a conversation between a student and an advisor. (advisor) Hi, come on in. how are you today?
(student) Just fine, thank you.
(advisor) You’re here to see the results of your placement tests? (student) Yes, I am. Do you have them yet?
(advisor) As a matter of fact, I do. They just arrived a few minutes ago. (student) That’s great. I’d love to see them, I think.
(advisor) Well, let’s see…let me find yours…Your last name’s Martin?
(student) Yes.
(advisor) You’re John Martin?
(student) That’s right.
(advisor) OK…here are your results…um…let me see…All right now, we should
discuss these.
(student) They’re not very good?
(advisor) Well, let’s talk about them. You have two scores here. See? There are
scores in language skills and in math skills. Your score in language skills is
82…That’s pretty good, and it means you’re ready for the credit class,
English 101.
(student) Is that good? Is that a good course for me to take? English 101’s the right
course to start with?
(advisor) That’s just the right place for you to be now. You’ll be right on track走上正
轨 to graduate on time. Now let’s look at the math skills score. This score
isn’t as high; it’s only a 59.
(student) Oh, no, that’s not very good, is it?
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(advisor) Well, it means you’re not ready for Math 101.
(student) So which math course should I take?
(advisor) You’ll need to take a remedial math class, which is a non-credit class, and
work harder on your math and get a higher score on the math placement
test before you can take Math 101.
(student) OK, so you’re saying I need to take a remedial math class? Which class is
it?
(advisor) It’s called Math Review.
(student) And I need to take the Math Review course, and then I can take Math 101? (advisor) There’s more to it than that. After you take Math Review, you’ll have to
take the math placement test again before you can enroll in Math 101. and
if you don’t pass it…get at least a 75…the next time, you’ll have to take it
another time…take it over again until you pass it.
(student) OK, I think I need to work hard and get at least 75 next time around. (advisor) After you take the Math Review course.
(student) After I take the Math Review course. Listen…Can you please tell me, is
it a problem that I got such a low score on the math skills test? (advisor) It’s not too serious, but you really need to do well on the math skills test
next time around, so you’ll need to work hard in the Math Review class.
Because that class is a remedial class, you won’t get any credits for it.
You’ll most likely need to take a summer course or two in order to still
graduate on time.
(student) I think I can handle that.
Section 2: Linguistics the Continents
(narrator) Listen as two students discuss some material from a linguistics class. (woman) Did you get good notes from today’s lecture?
(man) The lecture on the names of the continents? I think so. Would
you like to compare notes and see if we got the same information?
(woman) That sounds like a good idea to me. I’d really like to make sure I
understood everything.
(man) I thought it was interesting how the names of the continents developed.
Now that I understand where the names came from, it’s easy to see why
there’s confusion today about the continents, about whether Europe and
Asia are two continents or one, for example.
(woman) Or whether the Americas, North and South America, are two continents or
one. Or why Antarctica is a continent, but the Arctic isn’t.
(man) Exatly.
(man) Now, here’s what I wrote in my notes. I listed each of the continents and
where its name came from.
(woman) I like how you’ve put the information in a chart like that. It makes it very
clear for me to understand. In my notes, I didn’t list everything in such an
organized way. Maybe that’s why the information in the lecture isn’t so
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clear to me.
(man) OK. Let’s go over the continents and see if we understand how each name
came about. First, we have Europe and Asia. Europe came form a Semitic
word ereb, which means “west”, and Asia came from the Semitic word
assu, which means “east”.
(woman) That’s right. The professor said that the words came from a Semitic
language, but the names were actually given to the areas by the Greeks.
The Greeks thought that Europe and Asia were two separate continents,
one to the west and one to the east, so they gave these two areas names
that meant “east” and “west”.
(man) And even though it was later determined that these two continents were
really one landmass, the tradition of identifying them as distinct
continents exists, ah, continues to this day. Now, on to the Americas. (woman) That’s easy. The Americas were named for the Italian explorer Amerigo
Vespucci.
(man) It’s interesting that Vespucci never actually made it to North America. He
explored the coasts of Brazi, Peru, and Uruguay. Did Amerigo Vespucci
actually name the continents after himself?
(woman) No. Vespucci wrote a lot about his travels and signed his works with his
name in Latin, Americus. It was a German cartographer who actually put
the name of Americus on the map he was making. He took the name from
descriptions written by Americus of this travels to the New World. Now
which continents do we still need to discuss?
(man) There’s Africa, Australia, and Antarctica.
(woman) What about the Arctic?
(man) The Arctic isn’t a continent, although the Greeks thought that the Arctic and
Antarctica were both continents. In reality, Antarctica has a landmass, so
it is a continent, but the Arctic is a landless mass of ice, so it’s not
considered a continent.
(woman) But the names of both places came from the same word, the word, uh,
arktikos in Greek, which means “bear”. The Arctic is the “land of the
bears.” And Antarctica is opposite the arctic on the globe, so it’s “opposite
the Arctic.” Now what can you tell me about the name of the African
continent?
(man) The name for the continent of Africa came from a Phoenician word. The
Phoenicians lived on the eastern shores of the Mediterranean some 3,000
years ago and often sailed along the northern coast of what is now called
Africa.
(woman) That’s right. They came into contract with the Ifri, a culture of people who
lived in this northern area, and the Phoenicians gave the homeland of the
Ifri the name Ifrikiya. Over time, the name evolved into Africa, and the
area that it included spread from just the Mediterranean coast to cover the
entire continent.
(man) So is that it? We’ve talked about Europe, and Asia, and the Americas, and
Antarctica and Africa?
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(woman) Whoa, hang on there, not so fast…Let’s not forget about Australia.
(man) Oh, that’s right, I did forget about Australia. Australia was given a Latin
name by Europeans: Terra Australis, which actually means “land of the
south.”
(woman) So the modern name of this continent comes from this much older Latin
name.
(man) That’s right. Now have we covered all the continents?
(woman) Yes, I think we’ve gotten all of them…and thanks for your help. I think I
understand all of this much better now.
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