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Script:

Listen to part of a discussion in a botany class. The class is talking about flowers.

W1: In a perfect, idealized flower, its four organs are

arranged in four whorls, all attached to the receptacle at the end of the stem. Before we go on, let’s quickly go over the four parts of the flower. First, let’s start from the outside and work in. Which organ is on the outside, closest to the stem?

M: The sepal. That’s the part that kind of looks like a leaf ‘cause it’s usually green. The sepal protects the flower bud before it opens up.

W1: Right. Then what comes next?

W2: The petals, the colorful part of the flower. It’s the petals that make the flower attractive to insects and birds ... and people, too.

W1: Right. And inside the petal layers we have ...?

M: The flower’s reproductive parts — the stamens and carpels.

W1: That’s right. So we have the four parts of a flower: sepals, petals, stamens, and carpels. Now, during the millions of years in the history of flowering plants, numerous variations evolved. In certain flowers, one or more of the four basic floral organs—sepals, petals, stamens, and carpels—have been eliminated. Plant biologists distinguish between complete flowers—those with all four organs—and incomplete flowers—those lacking one or more of the four floral parts. For example, most grasses have incomplete flowers that lack petals.

There are many variations in the size, shape, and color of flowers. One important element in plant classification is the arrangement of flowers on their stalks. The large composite family, for example, which includes asters, daisies, and sunflowers, have flower heads that form a central disk. What appears to be a single flower is actually a collection of hundreds of flowers. The central disk consists of tiny, complete flowers. And what appear to be petals surrounding the central disk are actually imperfect flowers called ray flowers.

M: I’m not sure I got that. Could you say that again?

W1: Sure. The flower head the center part of the plant— actually consists of many tiny, tightly packed complete flowers that stand upright on a flat disk.

The whole arrangement looks like a single, symmetrical flower, but it’s actually a collection of hundreds of separate flowers. The petals—what look like petals—are actually larger flowers called rays that extend from the rim of the disk. Does that help? M: Uh, yeah. I guess so. What you’re saying is. a single sunflower is really hundreds of flowers put together.

W1: That’s right. This will make more sense in the lab this afternoon.

So ... in the composite family, there are about 19.000 different species worldwide. Many are grown as ornamentals—cosmos, zinnia, dahlia, marigold, and aster. Probably the most-recognized composite flower is the English daisy. The daisy was introduced from Europe and now is a wildflower found on lawns, in fields, and at roadsides throughout North America. The name of the daisy has an interesting origin. The word "daisy’’ means "day′s eye" and comes from an older Anglo-Saxon word. The English daisy folds up its rays at night and unfolds them again at dawn—the "eye of the day" or "day’s eye.’’ Several cultivated varieties of English daisy are popular as edging plants or in rock gardens. The English daisy comes in lots of colors rose, lavender, pink, and white. It has a long bloom time, from April to September. The plants are compact and attractive, with flower heads up to two inches across. In the lab, we’ll be looking at some different varieties of the daisy, and you’ll see for yourself why they’re so popular.

4. Based on the information in the discussion, choose TWO true sentences.

A.

Incomplete flowers do not have all four basic flower organs.

B.

All varieties of the English daisy are white with a yellow center.

C.

The sunflower has one large symmetrical flower on its stalk.

D.

The arrangement of flowers on the stalk can help identify the plant's family.

5. According to the professor, how did the daisy get its name?

A.

It blooms for only one day each year.

B.

Its flowers open at dawn, the “day's eye."

C.

It was named for an Anglo-Saxon chief.

D.

Its central disk resembles the human eye.

Script:

Listen to a conversation between a student and a professor.

M: Hi, Professor Reynolds.

W: Oh. hi, Jeff. I just read your note. You wanted to talk about something?

M: Uh, yeah, just an idea I have. I’ve been thinking— um. I was reading about what’s been going on with those houses on Fox Point.

W: You mean the slide?

M: Yeah, that’s right. The paper said a few days ago there was only one house that was affected, but this morning there was another article saying there were lots more houses involved than they previously thought, maybe as many as fifteen or twenty homes. A couple of houses have big cracks in the foundation.

W: I read the article too. It seems like nothing but bad news for the homeowners.

M: Yeah. My old boss lives out there on Fox Point. I don’t know if his house is one that’s affected. Anyway ... I was ... um ... I was sort of thinking I could write a paper on it. I remember how in your Intro to Geology course we studied gravity movements. I thought maybe ... um ... the slide on Fox Point was a case of subsidence ... um ... when the earth sinks ‘cause there′s a weakening of support. I was thinking this might be an example of settlement.

W: Settlement happens from the more or less gradual compacting of underlying material—for example, when wet soil at the surface dries and shrinks, and creates a depression. It can also happen when frozen ground melts.

M: In class you talked about the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

W: Yes. The settlement that’s caused the Tower of Pisa to lean is due to the failure of a clay layer beneath it. Engineers have been working on it for decades but still haven’t been able to stop the process.

M: There was another kind of settlement you talked about ... um ... when groundwater is removed.

W: Yes. That′s what happened in the San Joaquin Valley in California. Part of the valley floor sank 30 feet because of the removal of groundwater for irrigation. But the problem on Fox Point may not be subsidence at all. This probably has more to do with the slope, and with the amount of rain we’ve been having lately.

M: So ... it’s just a regular old mudslide, not like the Leaning Tower?

W: It’s probably not like the Leaning Tower.

M: The article did say the houses were on a slope, but it’s only slight, it’s not steep at all.

W: Mudslides are most common on intermediate slopes - 27 to 45 degrees — because these slopes are gentle enough for sediment to accumulate and steep enough for sliding. One suggestion I have is to take a look at the county’s Web site. There’s a page on the geology of the region. This area has a history of slides. There was one on Johnson Island about ten, twelve years ago.

M: Oh, really? I didn′t know that. Maybe there’s a connection.

W′: Possibly. It’s an idea to work on.

M: Well, this gives me a place to start. Thanks, Professor Reynolds. I appreciate your input.

6. Why does the student go to see the professor?

A.

He is confused about an article that he read.

B.

He needs advice about a problem with his house

C.

He would like to enroll in her geology course.

D.

He wants to discuss an idea for a paper.

7. What topic is the man mainly interested in?

A.

Some houses that are sliding

B.

Why a famous tower is leaning.

C.

How to build a sturdy home

D.

Effects of groundwater removal

8. Why does the student say this?

A.

He would like to visit the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

B.

He needs information that he missed

C.

He thinks the local slide may have a similar cause.

D.

He wants to work as an engineer in tall buildings.

9. According to the professor, where are mudslides most common?

A.

In the San Joaquin Valley of California

B.

In places where frozen ground melts

C.

On slopes of 27 to 45 degrees

D.

30 feet beneath the earth's surface

10. What will the man probably include in his research? Click on TWO answers.

A.

A visit to a leaning tower

B.

A study of the area's geology

C.

an article about groundwater removal

D.

A search for other mudslides in the area

Script:

Listen to a conversation between a student and an advisor.

Advisor: Yes, Sean, what can I do for you? Do you have a question?

Student: Yes, I do.

Advisor: Then come on in and take a seat. . . . OK, what’s your question?

Student: I’m working on planning my schedule for next quarter, and I’m trying to decide which biology class to take. There seem to be two that are quite similar.

Advisor: Which two courses are you considering? Student: One is Introduction to Biological Science and the other is Biology 101. I thought that a 101-numbered course was a beginning course, so Biology 101 should be an introductory-level course, but then Introduction to Biological Science also seems to be an introductory-level course. Advisor: Well, uh, there’s a difference between the courses. Introduction to Biological Science is an overview of biology in a more general way, and Biology 101 is a more detailed and scientific view of the material.

Student: I′m sorry, but I don’t quite understand the difference. . . .

Advisor: Well, uh, a clear example of the difference is the fact that there’s work in the lab as part of Biology 101, but there’s no lab work in Introduction to Biological Science. Introduction to Biological Science is a lecture class, while Biology 101 includes both lecture and lab.

Student: You mean that in Introduction to Biological Science, the students read about science, and in Biology 101, the students actually take part in science experiments in the lab.

Advisor: Mmhm. You could put it that way.

Student: It seems like Biology 101 is a lot more work than Introduction to Biological Science, with the lab work and all.

Advisor: It certainly is. That’s why Biology 101 is a four-unit course, and Introduction to Biological Science is only a three-unit course. . . . Um, listen, there’s another really important difference between these two courses, and it has to do with what your major is. What is your major, by the way?

Student: I′m not actually sure, yet.... Is that . . . um ... a problem?

Advisor: You’re a freshman, aren’t you? You′re in your first year?

Student: Yes, I am.

Advisor: OK, so you actually don’t need to declare your major until the end of your second year. But, you would be better off making certain decisions a bit earlier than that, and, uh, right now you’re making one of them. One really important difference between Biology 101 and Introduction to Biological Science has to do with majors. Biology 101 is required for students who’re majoring in science, while Introduction to Biological Science satisfies a general education requirement in science for students who’re majoring in subjects outside of science. ... I know you haven’t decided on your major, but have you at least decided whether you’ll be majoring in some area within the sciences or an area outside of science?

Student: No, I haven’t even gotten that far in deciding on a major. I may want to major in science, or maybe not.

Advisor: OK, well, what I can suggest to you is that you really should start narrowing down your choices for a major area of studies. Perhaps if you’re considering a major in science, you should take Biology 101 as a way of helping you to decide whether or not you enjoy studying science.

Student: If I take Biology 101 and then decide not to major in science, will I still need to take Introduction to Biological Science after Biology 101 to satisfy the general education requirement in science?

Advisor: No, absolutely not! If you take Biology 101, that’ll also satisfy the general education requirement for non-science majors. Student: OK, that makes sense. It’ll be a good way to help me either to decide that I want to major in science or to find out that I really don’t like science.

11. What problem does the student have?

A.

Deciding whether or not to study biology

B.

Deciding whether or not to take an introductory-level course

C.

Deciding whether to take a 100- or 200- level course

D.

Deciding between two seemingly similar courses

12. What differentiates Biology 101 from the other course?

A.

Biology 101 is a more general course.

B.

Biology 101 has fewer units.

C.

Biology 101 has a laboratory component.

D.

Biology 101 has more lectures.

13. Listen again to part of the passage. Then answer the question. What does the advisor mean when she says this?

A.

“You have your opinion, and I have mine.”

B.

“You really should have said it differently.”

C.

“It would have been better to have said something else.”

D.

“It's not how I would say it, but it's close in meaning.”

14. What decision does the advisor seem to think that the student should make fairly soon?

A.

Exactly what his major is

B.

Whether or not to study biology

C.

How he should fulfill the general education requirements

D.

Whether his major will be within the sciences or not

15. What can be concluded from the conversation?

A.

That the student has made a decision on a major

B.

That the student really does not like science

C.

That the student has decided which course to take

D.

That the student has completed his general education requirements

Script:

Listen to a conversation in a university office.

M: Good afternoon. May I help you?

W: Yes, I hope so. My name is Jennifer Taylor, and I’m in the communications program. Our class is doing a radio program, and we’ll have interviews with a lot of people from all pans of campus life. We’d like to interview the new Dean of Students, if he’s willing.

M: Hmm. That sounds interesting.

W: I hope Dean Evans will agree to meet with us, and let us tape the conversation for the radio. It would be a way for the whole community to get to know him, get to know his ideas and everything ... like the kind of vision he has for the university.

M: How much time would you need?

W: Oh, probably about an hour, no more than that.

M: Hmm. I’m sure the dean would like to participate, but ... uh ... you know, his schedule is pretty tight.

W: Oh, I was afraid of that. Um ...

M: He’s tied up all this week. Everybody wants to. you know, get acquainted. But we can probably work something in. When would you like to do the interview?

W: The radio station can air the show on either the 16th or the 23rd, so we’d have to work around that.

M: Let me look at the dean’s schedule ... Let’s see ... it looks like he’s got a lot of meetings this week, and, well, most of next week, too. What about the week after that? He doesn’t have anything scheduled on Tuesday or Wednesday afternoon. Would either of those days work for you?

W: Um, yeah. I think so. How about Tuesday afternoon?

M: On Tuesday, he’s free from two o′clock till four- thirty.

W: Let’s see. I’ll be in class until two-thirty, so how about three?

M: All right. Three o’clock. Tuesday. April 15.

W: OK, that will be great. Thank you so much. This will be a great way for everyone to learn about our new dean. We really appreciate the opportunity to do this.

M: You′re really quite welcome. It’s our pleasure. In fact, I’ve put it on the dean’s calendar, and we will see you on the 15th.

W: The 15th. OK. Thank you very much.

16. What is the purpose of the conversation?

A.

The woman wants to enroll in the communications program.

B.

The man wants to discuss a change in the course schedule.

C.

The man is interviewing the woman for a job in the office.

D.

The woman is requesting an interview with the dean.

17. Why does the man say this:

A.

To apologize for the dean's confusing behavior

B.

To express regret that the dean is not available

C.

To let the woman know the dean is very busy

D.

To state that the dean cannot change his schedule

18. Why does the woman want to meet with the dean?

A.

To ask for a letter of recommendation

B.

To request a change in the school calendar

C.

To tell him that she enjoyed his lecture

D.

To learn about his ideas and vision

19. What can be inferred about the dean?

A.

He generally does not give interviews.

B.

He is an excellent public speaker.

C.

He has been dean for only a short time.

D.

He is in his office two days a week.

20. When will the meeting with the dean take place?

A.

The next week

B.

The next day

C.

In two weeks

D.

In three weeks

Script:

Listen to a conversation between a student and an advisor.

Advisor: Thanks for coming in, Beth.

Student: You wanted to see me? Is there some sort of problem?

Advisor: Well, not exactly a problem, but there is something we need to discuss. I asked you to come here because I want to talk with you about your schedule. I mean about the courses you’ve already taken and the courses you′ve signed up to take next year.

Student: Is there something wrong?

Advisor: It’s not exactly wrong, but it’s something we need to deal with. Let me lay it out for you . . . here it is. . . . You’ve declared that your major is sociology?

Student: Yes, that’s right.

Advisor: But you haven’t been taking too many sociology courses.

Student: No, I guess I haven’t.

Advisor: There are some required courses for a sociology major that you should’ve taken but you haven’t. If you want to graduate on time with a degree in sociology, then you’re behind . . . you haven’t taken some courses that you should’ve taken by now.

Student: I guess I understand that, I mean, I know I haven′t taken some courses I need for a sociology major, but let me tell you what I’ve done and why. When the new schedule of classes comes out each semester, I like to sign up for courses that seem interesting to me ... so I take a whole bunch of really interesting classes, and I don’t seem to sign up for the required classes, particularly the ones I need for a sociology major.

Advisor: Well, if you aren′t really interested in the courses that’re required for sociology, maybe you’re not in the right major.

Student: I think I was coming to that conclusion . . . each time the class schedule comes out, the courses that’re offered in sociology don’t seem very interesting to me.

Advisor: Is there some other major that interests you? Have you thought about that?

Student: Well, you can see from the list of courses I’ve already taken that I’m not very interested in a single subject. I seem to enjoy courses in a bunch of different areas.

Advisor: Well, then, I have something to suggest to you. There’s a major in General Studies at this university. To get a degree in General Studies, you need to take courses from four different departments, so you need to take a wide variety of courses.

Student: That sounds like it might be the best thing for me.

Advisor: Let me give you some information about the General Studies degree, and you can look it over and see what you think.

Student: I′ll do that....

Advisor: And then come back to see me after you’ve made a decision about it.

Student: I′ll do that, too!

21. Listen again to part of the passage. Then answer the question. What does the advisor mean when he says this?

A.

“I'm telling you the truth.”

B.

“I'm going to say it directly.”

C.

“i need to put it down.”

D.

“It's no big deal.”

22. What problem does the student have?

A.

She has not taken some courses she needs for her major.

B.

She has taken too many courses in her major.

C.

She does not know what the required courses for her major are.

D.

She has not yet declared a major field of study.

23. What is stated about the courses the student has taken?

A.

She has taken only required courses.

B.

She has taken only courses she finds interesting.

C.

She has taken a wide variety of courses.

D.

She has taken only courses in her major.

24. Which sentence best describes what the advisor seems to think?

A.

“I'm really not sure what you've been doing; why don't you tell me?”

B.

“You seem to have a bit of a problem; let's look for a solution.”

C.

“I'm extremely impressed with what you've been doing; keep doing it!”

D.

“This is really terrible; you'll never be able to graduate.”

25. What does the advisor suggest?

A.

Taking the required courses for her major as soon as possible

B.

Moving into different classes now

C.

Changing the way that she chooses courses

D.

Changing to a major with broader requirements

Script:

Listen to part of a talk in a biology class.

M: Until recently, we knew almost nothing about how important bees are in maintaining natural diversity. Now we know more about them. We know, for example, that honeybees are the dominant pollinators because they play a role in pollinating four out of five food crops in North America. We also know that honeybees along with the other insects, bats, and birds that transfer pollen between flowers—all together they contribute more than ten billion dollars a year to fruit and seed production on North American farms. Pollination is one of nature’s services to farmers. So think about this: if you eliminated the pollinators, it would take the food right out of our mouths. We biologists never imagined we′d see the day when wild plants or crops suffered from pollinator scarcity. But, unfortunately, that day has come. In fact, fanners in Mexico and the U.S. are suffering the worst pollinator crisis in history. So ... what happened? Any ideas? Alicia?

W: Is it ... um ... because of natural enemies? I read something about a kind of parasite that’s killed lots of bees.

M: It’s true. An outbreak of parasitic mites has caused a steep decline in North American populations of honeybees. But parasites aren′t the only factor.

W: What about the pesticides used on farms? All those chemicals must have an effect.

M: Most definitely, yes. Pesticides are a major factor. Both wild and domesticated bees are in serious trouble because of pesticides. In California, farm chemicals are killing around ten percent of all the honeybee colonies. Agriculture in general is part of the problem. Think about this for a minute: the North American continent is a vast collection of “nectar corridors“ made up of flowering plants. These corridors stretch for thousands of miles, from Mexico to as far north as Alaska. And every year, there′s an array of migratory pollinators flying north and south with the seasons, following the flowers. The migratory corridors the flyways—are like ... uh ... something like a path of stepping-stones for the pollinators, with each “stone” being a collection of flowering plants. But our system of large-scale agriculture has interfered. During the past fifty years, millions of acres of desert in western Mexico and the southwestern United States have been turned into chemically intensive farms, planted with exotic grasses, creating huge stretches of fly way that are devoid of nectar-producing plants for migratory pollinators. What we have now are huge gaps between the stepping-stones—patches of plants here and there. A couple of migratory pollinators are worth noting. One is the lesser long nosed bat, and another is the most famous pollinator what is our most famous pollinator? Or I should say our most beautiful pollinator.

W: Oh, I know. It’s the monarch butterfly!

M: The monarch butterfly—yes. Millions of monarchs from all over the U.S. and southern Canada fly south every year in late summer. The monarch is the only butterfly that returns to a specific site year after year. Unfortunately, the herbicides used on the milkweed in the Great Plains are taking a toll on monarchs. and fewer of them are reaching their winter grounds in Mexico. Another important pollinator is the long nosed bat. These amazing animals feed on cactus flowers. What they do is, they lap up the nectar at the bottom of the flower, and then when the bat flics off to another cactus, the pollen stuck to its head is transferred to that plants flower. But the long-nosed bat is having a tough time, too. Some desert ranchers mistake them for vampire bats, and they’ve tried to poison them, or dynamite the caves where they roost.

26. What is the talk mainly about?

A.

How flowers are pollinated

B.

The economic importance of bees

C.

Nature's services to farmers

D.

A decline in pollinator populations

27. According to the professor, what factors have affected pollinator populations? Click on TWO answers.

A.

Hunting

B.

Farm chemicals

C.

Parasites

D.

Air pollution

28. Listen again to part of the talk. Then answer the question. Why does the professor say this?

A.

To describe effects of plant disease

B.

To describe nectar-producing plants

C.

To show the effect of agriculture on pollinators

D.

To show how stones improve a garden

29. Listen again to part of the talk. Then answer the question. What can be inferred about monarch butterflies?

A.

Their population has been reduced because of herbicides.

B.

They are the most common butterflies in North America.

C.

They have lived on Earth for several million years.

D.

Their diet consists mainly of other butterflies.

30. Based on the information in the talk, choose TWO answers that describe long nosed bat.

A.

It has been mistaken for a similar animal.

B.

It returns to the same site every year.

C.

It pollinates four out of five food crops in North America.

D.

It feeds on the nectar of cactus flowers.

31. Based on the information in the talk, choose the answer that describes honey bee.

A.

It has been mistaken for a similar animal.

B.

It feeds on the nectar of cactus flowers.

C.

It pollinates four out of five food crops in North America.

D.

It returns to the same site every year.

32. Based on the information in the talk, choose the answer that describes monarch butterfly.

A.

It feeds on the nectar of cactus flowers.

B.

It returns to the same site every year.

C.

It has been mistaken for a similar animal.

D.

It pollinates four out of five food crops in North America.

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