LISTENING TEST
Part A Spot Dictation
        Directions:In this part of the test, you will hear a passage and read the same passage with blanks in it. Fill in each of the blanks with the word or words you have heard on the tape. Write your answer in the corresponding space in your ANSWER BOOKLET.Remember you will hear the passage ONLY ONCE.
        Today, we'll talk about what other effects watching TV might produce on children. Children should be  (1)a lot of television, many experts and parents agree, but there is at least one circumstance when it might be beneficial:  (2). A recent study
conducted by Italian researchers found hat children  (3)immediately preceding and during blood tests experienced less pain than children whose mothers (4) during the procedure, or children whose mothers were present but  (5) .The research, led by Carlo Brown, MD, at the University of Siena, is published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.  (6)the study. None receivedany type of anesthesia; the children and their mothers  (7). Both the group whose mothers attempted to distract them from the blood tests and those whose mothers simply observed reported  (8)
than the group who watched cartoons. For that group, the levels of pain were less andthe children were better able to  (9) .One of the possible explanations is that children might have  (10)during the procedures, exacerbating their perception of pain. "The higher pain level reported by children during  (11)shows the difficulty mothers have in interacting positively  (12) in their children's life," the authors write.However, they stressed that  (13)still provided benefits, noting that the children would  (14)during the procedures. "Indeed, children state that having their parent present  (15) when in pain," say the authors.Another possibility offered for consideration is the notion that the  (16)might release painquelling endorphins. Endorphins,  (17)produced by the pituitary gland, resemble opiates in their ability to produce analgesia and a sense of well-being. In other words, they might  (18) .In any case, the study results suggest that health workers should  (19) to watch television during painful procedures  (20)

Part B Listening Comprehension
     Directions: In this part of the test there will be some short talks and conversations. After each one, you will be asked some questions. The talks, conversations and questions will be spoken ONLYONCE. Now listen carefully and choose the right answer to each question you have heard and write the letter of the answer you have chosen in the corresponding space in your ANSWER BOOKLET.

_____

(A) A change in French eating habits.
(B) A boom in long-hour meals in France.
(C) The origin of hamburgers.
(D) The home of the sit-down mid-day meal.

_____

(A) A variation in food supply.

(B) A change in the workforce.

(C) A rise in food prices.

(D) A fall in white-collarization.

_______

(A) Bakeries now offer a limited range of albeit excellent products.
(B) There are about four kinds of bread, breakfast and dessert pastries.
(C) Bakeries sell sandwiches mainly in the working-class areas.
(D) France is currently witnessing a boom in sandwich business.

________

(A) Men usually like to eat more hamburgers than women do in France.
(B) Men, more likely to be working behind a jackhammer, need to eat so much.
(C) Women make up almost half the labor force in France now.
(D) Women have to pick up the children late from the day-care center.

________

(A) Because the bakeries have adapted the idea of fast food and made it French products.
(B) Because the bakeries have offered something that's very close to what is called fast food.
(C) Because the hamburgers have ham and butter in them.
(D) Because the hamburgers do not cost so much as those offered by McDonald.

_______

(A) Three.

(B) Four.

(C) Eleven.

(D) Eighteen.

_______

(A) To intensify Tokyo's role in peacekeeping missions abroad.
(B) To stop the country's air force transport mission in Iraq.
(C) To override the lower house's decision.
(D) To approve the Democratic Party's bill to continue the mission.

_________

(A) Worsening water scarcity.

(B) Increasing risks of diseases.

(C) Triggering mass displacement.

(D) Reducing the population in Asia.

________

(A) To resume peace talks which have been halted for a long time.
(B) To forge and sign a peace treaty pledged by both sides.
(C) To dispel his skepticism over chances for a deal before he leaves office.
(D) To open a 44-nation conference over the Middle East issue.

_______

(A) 60%

(B) 26%

(C) 21%

(D) 20%

_______

(A) What to do to control crime.
(B) What role a lawyer plays in a court case.
(C) How to tell a hardened criminal from a first-time offender.
(D) How to convict a criminal and put him in prison.

_____

(A) Deterrence.

(B) Quick conviction.

(C) The social structure.

(D) The economy.

________

(A) Education programs are not so effective as required.
(B) Drug treatment programs are insufficiently funded.
(C) Some rehabilitation programs inside prisons have been stopped.
(D) More people are convicted than prison space can accommodate.

__________

(A) These programs are mainly intended for the kingpins of drug deals to get rehabilitated.
(B) These programs are currently carried out in most states in the country.
(C) These programs aim to develop a culture inside the prisons.
(D) These programs have psychological and educational components.

_______

(A) Because gangs start in prisons and make prison a repressive experience.
(B) Because criminals tend to be repeat offenders.
(C) Because there is no stigma attached to most criminals.
(D) Because society doesn't look at released prisoners with disdain.

_____

(A) How to interact with colleagues and clients face to face.
(B) How to make effective telephone conversations.
(C) What skills are needed to get and hold down a job.
(D) What makes for an excellent ability to express yourself.

________

(A) Managerial.

(B) Technological.

(C) Financial.

(D) Social.

_______

(A) Basic to advanced knowledge of computer application.
(B) Ability to calculate all transactions, profits and costs.
(C) Creativity in making presentations to clients.
(D) Proficiency in at least one foreign language.

________

(A) To create your own databases on the computer.
(B) To enhance your social skills by holding parties with your friends.
(C) To use the computer in free time and become familiar with its operation.
(D) To store as many telephone numbers and addresses as you can.

_____

(A) Graduating students.

(B) Trainee managers.

(C) Professional secretaries.

(D) Low-level administrative staff.

READING TESTREADING TEST
  Directions: In this section you will read several passages. Each one is followed by several questions about it. You are to choose ONE best answer, (A), (B), (C) or (D), to each question. Answer all the questions following each passage on the basis of what is stated or implied in that
passage and write the letter of the answer you have chosen in the corresponding space in your ANSWER BCOKLET.
       Life expectancy in the richest countries of the world now exceeds the poorest by more than 30 years, figures show. The gap is widening across the world, with Western countries and the growing economies of Latin America and the Far East advancing more rapidly than Africa and the countries of the former Soviet Union. Average life expectancy in Britain and similar countries of the OECD was 78.8 in 2000-2005, an increase of more than seven years since 1970-1975 and almost 30 years over the past century. In sub-Saharan Africa, life expectancy has increased by just four months since 1970, to 46.1 years. Narrowing this "health gap" will involve going beyond the immediate causes of diseasepoverty, poor sanitation and infection—to tackle the "causes of the causes" —the social hierarchies in which people live, says the report published by the Global Commission on the Social Determinants of Health established by the WHO in 2005.
       Professor Sir Michael Marmot, chairman of the commission, who first coined the term "status syndrome", said social status was the key to tackling health inequalities worldwide. In the 1980s, in a series of ground-breaking studies among Whitehall civil servants, Professor Marmot showed that the risk of death among those on the lower rungs of the career ladder was four times higher than those at the top, and that the difference was linked with the degree of control the individuals had over their lives.
        He said yesterday that the same rule applied in poorer countries. If people increased their status and gained more control over their lives they improved their health because they were less vulnerable to the economic and environmental threats. "When people think about those in poor countries they tend to think about poverty, lack of housing, sanitation and exposure to infectious disease. But there is another issue, the social gradient in health which I called status syndrome. It is not just those at the bottom of the hierarchy who have worse health; it is all the way along the scale. Those second from the bottom have worse health than those above them but better health than those below."
        The interim report of the commission, in the online edition of The Lancet, says the effects of status syndrome extend from the bottom to the top of the hierarchy, with Swedish adults holding a PhD having a lower death rate than those with a master's degree. The study says.. "The gradient is a worldwide occurrence, seen in low-income, middle-income and high- income countries. It means we are all implicated. "
         The result is that even within rich countries such as Britain there are striking inequalities in life expectancy. The poorest men in Glasgow have a life expectancy of 54, lower than the avera in India. The answer, the report says, is empowerment, of individuals, communities and whole
countries. "Technical and medical solutions such as medical care are without doubt necessary. But they are insufficient." Professor Marmot said: "We talk about three kinds of empowerment. If people don't have the material necessities, they cannot be empowered. The second kind is psycho-social empowerment: more control over their lives. The third is political empowerment, having a voice."
         The commission's final report, to be published soon, will identify the ill effects of low status and make recommendations for how they can be tackled. In Britain a century ago, infant mortality among the rich was about 100 per 1,000 live births compared with 250 per 1, 000 among the
poor. Infant mortality is still twice as high among the poor in Britain, but the rates have come down dramatically to 7 per 1,000 among the poor and 3.5 among the rich. Professor Marmot said: "We have made dramatic progress, but this is not about abolishing the rankings, but by identifying the ill effects of hierarchies we can make huge improvement."

Which of the following CANNOT be found from the passage?

(A) Life expectancy in Latin America and the Far East is increasing faster than Africa.
(B) In Africa, life expectancy had only increased by four years since 1970 to 46.1 years.
(C) There is a gap of more than 30 years in life expectancy between the richest countries and the poorest countries.
(D) Within rich countries there are also great inequalities in life expectancy between the rich and the poor.

According to the passage, the term "status syndrome" ______.

(A) was first accepted by the World Health Organisation in 2005
(B) was proposed by Professor Marmot to describe social changes
(C) is used to expose the major causes of health inequalities
(D) is used to show the correlation between sanitation and infection

According to the passage, the effects of status syndrome ______.

(A) can only be found from those living at the bottom of the society
(B) usually are greater among those from the lower classes
(C) are the same on people from each ladder of the social hierarchy
(D) extend universally from the bottom to the top of the social hierarchy

Professor Marmot proposed that "empowerment" should ______.

(A) mainly include technical and medical advancement
(B) be equal to access to material necessities
(C) be material, psycho-social and political
(D) be the final answer to the social problem of "health gap"

What can be concluded from the passage?

(A) Health inequality is closely related to social hierarchies.
(B) The "causes of the causes" of health gap lie in the differences between rich and poor countries.
(C) Social ranking should be ultimately abolished.
(D) The rich countries should give more assistance to poor countries to fill the health gap.

     In Idaho's Snake River Valley, where potato farmers depend on electric pumps to water their crops, the state's largest power company hopes to stand tradition on its head and profit by selling farmers less, not more, electricity. To do that, Idaho Power is vastly expanding its energy-efficiency
programs for 395,000 residential customers, small businesses, and farmers. Usually the more customers save, the less utilities make. But under an innovative deal with state regulators in March, Idaho Power gets paid for its plants and equipment and boosts profits by winning incentive
payments for reducing electric demand.
    It's an idea that appears to be catching on as legislatures fret about global warming and utilities scramble to meet rising demand without the increasing harassment and cost of building new power plants. Idaho is among 13 states whose regulators have either adopted or proposed measures in
the past year to decouple utility profit from electricity production. Decoupling is advancing even faster for natural-gas utilities, with 25 states either adopting or proposing decoupling plans in recent years. "This wave toward 'decoupling' is clearly gathering momentum," says Martin Kushler of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy in Washington. "More states seem to be calling every week to find out about this."
     Although California pioneered the idea 25 years ago—and strengthened incentives and penalties last month—interest is picking up again because of global warming, experts say. The main idea is that by rearranging the incentive structure, regulators can give utilities clear incentives to push energy efficiency and conservation without hurting their bottom lines. Under the new rules in California, for example, electric utilities could make as much as $150 million extra if they can persuade Californians to save some $2 billion worth of power, according to the Natural Resources
Defense Council.
      "This is a vital step in the global-warming fight," says Audrey Chang, an NRDC researcher. "It represents, we hope, a historic shift toward decoupling that is going to help bend the energy demand curve downwards." Beside Idaho, states that this year adopted decoupling for some or all of its
electric power industry include New York, Connecticut, and Vermont. At least nine other states have seen major decoupling proposals this year.
        Idaho Power is happy that its key fixed costs—plants and equipment—are now separated from variable costs of electricity sales such as fuel. Regulators annually readjust those fixed rates—up or down—a maximum of 3 percent to ensure that the company gets no more or less than it has been
regulated to receive. But customers should benefit, too, as utility efficiency programs cut energy use and energy bills—something the company is trying hard to do so it can win a bonus if it meets or exceeds energy—cutting goals. "Before there was almost a disincentive to go hard at efficiency because we weren't recovering our fixed costs," says Mike Youngblood, an analyst for Idaho Powe "Now the anticipation is that we will recover our fixed cost, no more or less. And our customers will see their bill go down if they invest in energy efficiency."
        One key reason utilities are often willing to decouple or even leading proponents of the proposals is because the costs of building a power plant has risen dramatically. A 500- megawatt coal-fired plant that cost $1 billion just a few years ago might cost $1.5 billion today, industry experts say. Add to that growing uncertainty about future costs. Global- warming legislation could put a price of $ 30 per ton on carbon-dioxide emissions from power plants. That could make coal, the cheapest power today, more costly. Another factor is the rising community opposition to coal-fired
power plant construction.
(1)

What is the main idea of the passage?

(A) Electric utilities lose more profits from reducing electric demand.
(B) Electric utilities gain more profits from increasing electric demand.
(C) The more electricity customers save, the less profits utilities make.
(D) The more electricity customers save, the more incentive payments utilities get.

Which of the following gives the best definition of the expression "to stand tradition on its head" (para. 1) ?

(A) To criticize tradition.

(B) To go against tradition.

(C) To carry forward tradition.

(D) To integrate tradition.

According to the passage, when Idaho Power is building plants and purchasing equipment, such fixed costs ______.

(A) will no longer be treated as the costs of electricity sales
(B) will partially be covered by state regulators
(C) are still to be recovered by the companies
(D) are paid from customers' electricity bills

In the passage, the measures of decoupling used in utility efficiency programs refer to the practice of ______.

(A) separating the utility profits from power productio
(B) combining fixed costs with variable costs
(C) strengthening both incentives and penalties
(D) rearranging the incentive structure

All of the following are the reasons why electric utilities welcome decoupling EXCEPT ______.

(A) the rapidly rising cost of building power plants
(B) the uncertainty about future costs
(C) the community opposition to the building of coal-fired power plants
(D) the reservations consumer advocates have about energy-saving measures

    Historically, TV's interest in "green" issues has been limited to the green that spends and makes the world go round. (That, and Martians. ) As for environmentalism, TV is where people watch SUV ads on energy-sucking giant screens that are as thirsty as a Bavarian at Oktoberfest.
    But with the greening of politics and pop culture from A1 Gore to Leo DiCaprio to Homer and Marge in The Simpsons Movie—TV is jumping on the biodiesel-fueled bandwagon. In November, NBC (plus Bravo, Sci Fi and other sister channels) will run a week of green-themed episodes, from news to sitcoms. CBS has added a "Going Green" segment to The Early Show. And Fox says it will work climate change into the next season of 24. ("Dammit, Chloe, there's no time! The polar ice cap's going to melt in 15 minutes!")
    On HGTV's Living with Ed, actor Ed Begley Jr. offers tips for eco-living from his solar-powered house in Studio City, Calif.-see him energy-audit Cheryl Tiegs! —while Sundance airs its documentary block "The Green. " MTV will set The Real World: Hollywood in a "green" house. Next year Discovery launches 24-hour eco-lifestyle channel Planet Green, a plan validated this spring when the eco-minded documentary Planet Earth became a huge hit for Discovery. "Green is part of [Discovery's] heritage," says Planet Green president Eileen O'Neill. "But as pop culture was starting to recognize it, we realized we could do a better job positioning ourselves."
    Clearly this is not all pure altruism. Those popular, energy-stingy compact fluorescent bulbs? NBC's owner, General Electric, has managed to sell one or two. "When you have them being a market leader and saying this makes good business sense, people listen to that on (the TV) side," says Lauren Zalaznick, Bravo Media president, who is heading NBC's effort. And green pitches resonate with young and well-heeled viewers (the type who buy Priuses and $2-a-lb. organic apples), two groups the networks are fond of. NBC is confident enough in its green week's appeal to schedule it in sweeps.
     It's an unlikely marriage of motives. Ad-supported TV is a consumption medium: it persuades you to want and buy stuff. Traditional home shows about renovating and decorating are catnip for retailers like Lowe's and Home Depot. Of course, there are green alternatives to common purchases: renewable wood, Energy Star appliances, hybrid ears. But sometimes the greener choice is simply not to buy so much junk-not the friendliest sell to advertisers.
     The bigger hurdle, though, may be creative. How the NBC shows will work in the messages is still up in the air. (Will the Deal or No Deal babes wear hemp miniskirts? Will the Bionic Woman get wired for solar?) Interviewed after the 24 announcement, executive producer Howard Gordon hedged a bit on Fox's green promises. "It'll probably be more in the props. We might see somebody drive a hybrid."
     Will it work? Green is a natural fit on cable lifestyle shows or news programs—though enlisting a news division to do advocacy has its own issues. But commanding a sitcom like The Office to work in an earnest environmental theme sounds like the kind of high-handed p. r. directive that might be satirized on, well, The Office. Even Begley—formerly of St. Elsewhere—notes that the movie Chinatown worked because it kept the subplot about the water supply in Los Angeles well in the background. "It's a story about getting away with murder, and the water story is woven in.
     Of course, in an era of rampant product placement, there are worse things than persuading viewers to buy a less wasteful light bulb by hanging one over Jack Bauer as he tortures a terrorist. The greatest challenge—for viewers as well as programmers—is not letting entertainment become a substitute for action; making and watching right-minded shows isn't enough in itself. The 2007 Emmy Awards, for a start, aims to be carbon neutral, solar power, biodiesel generators, hybrids for the stars, bikes for production assistants—though the Academy cancelled Fox's idea to change the red carpet, no kidding, to green. The most potent message may be seeing Hollywood walk the walk, in a