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Script:

Listen to part of a lecture in an anthropology class.

M: Every human society has developed some interest in activities that could be considered sports. The more complex the culture, the more various the range of sporting behavior. There are certain elements in all human sports that are clues to the common underlying structure of sports. Sports tell us a great deal about the kinds of behavior that our prehistoric ancestors evolved—activities that were basic survival skills. Now, let me ask you—what skills were most important to the survival of our ancestors? Yes, Lynne?

W: The ability to find food?

M: Yeah.... But what skills were necessary to find food?

W: Um ... good eyesight?

M: OK. What else?

W: Well, if they were hunters, they also had to be fast runners ... and they had to have good eyes and a good arm—I mean a good aim—so they could kill game.

M: Yes! And isn′t it interesting that you just used the word “game"? Our prehistoric ancestors were gamers—they hunted game animals to survive. Look at the number of sports that originated in hunting. First, hunting itself. But for some societies, the ancient pattern of killing prey is kept alive in the form of blood sports—these are sports that involve the killing of an animal. Even in places where the killing is no longer a matter of survival, it still survives as a sport. The animals—like ducks or pheasant, certain fish—are often eaten as luxury foods. It′s the personal sense of mastery, the sort of delight in the skills of the hunter... these are more important than the food itself. For our prehistoric ancestors, the climax of the hunt was always a group celebration, with songs of praise for the hunters. As hunting sort of became more symbolic, spectators became more important. The ancient Romans brought the hunt to the people by confining it to an arena— the Coliseum. The Coliseum made the hunting field smaller, and this sort of intensified the activity for the entertainment of the spectators. The systematic killing of animals for sport still survives in parts of the world today - think of bullfights and cock fights. But animal sports are only part of the picture. Today, people find human competition more satisfying than competition involving just animals. Take track and field sports. These don’t involve animals, but they did originate in hunting. The earliest sports meetings—or meets, as we call them—were probably ritualized competitions of important skills. Think of how many Olympic sports there are that involve aiming, throwing, and running—which are all hunting skills.

The difference is that now the hunting has become totally symbolic. In some sports, there’s still a strong symbolic element of the kill. Wrestling, boxing, fencing, martial arts all these are examples of ritualized fighting. Even tennis is kind of a fight— of course, an abstract one. There are lots of direct references to fighting in the language of sports, too. For example, what do soccer and chess players do? They “attack" or "defend.”

Today, even the most violent fighting sports have strict rules that are designed to prevent serious injury. There′s also some kind of referee to make sure that the rules are observed. In sports, the objective is victory, not the actual destruction of your opponent. Another objective is to impress and entertain the spectators—not to shock or offend them. Because sports contain such a powerful negative element, most have an ideal of acceptable behavior — something we call "sportsmanship." There′s also a universal convention in sports where the winner honors the defeated opponent with a handshake, with words of praise, or some token of respect.

4. What point does the professor make about track and field sports?

A.

They involve skills originally used by hunters.

B.

They are shocking because an animal is killed.

C.

They are the most popular sporting events today.

D.

They were performed in the Coliseum of Rome.

5. Which sports contain a symbolic element of the kill? Click on TWO answers.

A.

Fencing

B.

Baseball

C.

Boxing

D.

Running

6. What does the professor imply about the negative element of sports?

A.

The concept of sportsmanship makes sports less negative.

B.

People prefer sports with a strong negative element.

C.

Today, only blood sports contain a negative element.

D.

Sports will become even more negative in the future.

Script:

Listen to part of a lecture in a geology class.

Mount St. Helens is in the Cascade Range, a chain of volcanoes running from southern Canada to northern California. Most of the peaks are dormant what I mean is, they’re sleeping now, but are potentially active. Mount St. Helens has a long history of volcanic activity, so the eruptions of 1980 weren′t a surprise to geologists. The geologists who were familiar with the mountain had predicted she would erupt.

The eruption cycle had sort of a harmless beginning. In March of 1980, seismologists picked up signs of earthquake activity below the mountain. And during the next week, the earthquakes increased rapidly, causing several avalanches. These tremors and quakes were signs that large amounts of magma were moving deep within the mountain. Then, suddenly one day there was a loud boom, a small crater opened on the summit. St. Helens was waking up.

The vibrations and tremors continued. All during April, there were occasional eruptions of steam and ash. This attracted tourists and hikers to come and watch the show. It also attracted seismologists, geologists, and—of course -the news media.

By early May. the north side of the mountain had swelled out into a huge and growing bulge. The steam and ash eruptions became even more frequent. Scientists could see that the top of the volcano was sort of coming apart. Then there were a few days of quiet, but it didn’t last long. It was the quiet before the storm.

On the morning of May 18—a Sunday at around eight o’clock, a large earthquake broke loose the bulge that had developed on the north face of the mountain. The earthquake triggered a massive landslide that carried away huge quantities of rock. Much of the north face sort of swept down the mountain.

The landslide released a tremendous sideways blast.

Super heated water in the magma chamber exploded, and a jet of steam and gas blew out of the mountain’s side with tremendous force. Then came the magma, sending up a cloud of super-heated ash. In only 25 seconds, the north side of the mountain was blown away. Then, the top of the mountain went too, pouring out more ash, steam, and magma. The ash cloud went up over 60.000 feet in the air. blocking the sunlight.

Altogether, the eruptions blew away three cubic kilometers of the mountain and devastated more than 500 kilometers of land. The energy of the blast was equivalent to a hydrogen bomb of about 25 megatons. It leveled all trees directly to the northeast and blew all the water out of some lakes. The blast killed the mountain′s goats, millions of fish and birds, thousands of deer and elk and around sixty people. The ash cloud drifted around the world, disrupting global weather patterns.

For over twenty years now. Mount St. Helens has been dormant. However, geologists who’ve studied the mountain believe she won’t stay asleep forever. The Cascade Range is volcanically active. Future eruptions are certain and— unfortunately we can’t prevent them.

7. According to the professor, how did the cycle of volcanic eruptions begin?

A.

The volcano erupted suddenly without warning.

B.

Magma poured out of the top of the mountain.

C.

A cloud of ash traveled around the world.

D.

Several earthquakes and avalanches occurred.

8. Why does the professor say this:

A.

To criticize the media for interfering with the scientists

B.

To show that the eruptions interested a lot of people

C.

To tell of his own experience of watching the mountain

D.

To explain why the events were a surprise to geologists

9. Listen again to part of the lecture. Then answer the question.

What does the professor mean when he says this:

A.

The small eruptions paused briefly just before the major eruption.

B.

Scientists took a few days off before continuing their work.

C.

It had been a long time since the previous eruption of St. Helens.

D.

The public suddenly lost interest in watching the eruptions.

10. What can be concluded about Mount St. Helens?

A.

It is likely to erupt in the future.

B.

It is no longer of interest to geologists.

C.

It is the largest volcano in the world.

D.

It is a harmless inactive volcano.

11. What were some effects of the eruption? Click on TWO answers.

A.

The ash cloud affected weather around the world.

B.

Tourists were afraid to visit the Cascade Range.

C.

Large numbers of animals and people were killed.

D.

Geologists were criticized for failing to predict it.

12. The professor explains what happened when Mount St. Helens erupted. Choose THREE sentences were part of the event.

A.

The mountain's side and top exploded.

B.

Ash and steam rose from the mountain.

C.

An earthquake caused a huge landslide.

D.

The mountain gained sixty feet in height.

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.

13. What is the purpose of the conversation?

A.

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

B.

The woman wants to enroll in the communications program.

C.

The woman is requesting an interview with the dean.

D.

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

14. Why does the man say this:

A.

To let the woman know the dean is very busy

B.

To express regret that the dean is not available

C.

To apologize for the dean's confusing behavior

D.

To state that the dean cannot change his schedule

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

A.

To learn about his ideas and vision

B.

To ask for a letter of recommendation

C.

To tell him that she enjoyed his lecture

D.

To request a change in the school calendar

16. What can be inferred about the dean?

A.

He is in his office two days a week.

B.

He has been dean for only a short time.

C.

He generally does not give interviews.

D.

He is an excellent public speaker.

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

A.

In three weeks

B.

In two weeks

C.

The next week

D.

The next day

Script:

Listen to a conversation between a student and a professor.

Professor: Sandy, how′s class been going for you this semester?

Female Student: (genuine enthusiasm) Oh, it′s great. I really like your business psychology class, but I have one major concern about the last assignment, you know—the one where we have to interview a local business owner, uh, I mean entrepreneur?

Professor: Are you having trouble coming up with interview questions?

Female Student: Well, that′s just it. I mean, I worked on my high school newspaper for years, so I actually have great questions to ask. The thing is . . . I′m new to the area, and I don′t know people off campus . . . So, I was wondering if . . . well, could you possibly give me the name of someone I could interview . . . ?

Professor: You don′t know anyone who owns a business?

Female Student: Well, yeah, back home . . . my next-door neighbors—they own a shoe store, and they′re really successful—but they′re not local.

Professor: Well, it wouldn′t be fair to the other students if I gave you the name of a contact—but I could help you figure out a way to find someone on your own. Let′s see . . . Do you read the local newspaper?

Female Student: Sure, whenever I have the time.

Professor: Well, the business section in the paper often has stories about local business people who′ve been successful. If you find an article, you could call the person who is profiled.

Female Student: You mean, just call them up . . . out of the blue . . . and ask them if they′ll talk to me?

Professor: Sure, why not?

Female Student: Well, aren′t people like that awfully busy? Too busy to talk to a random college student.

Professor: Many people enjoy telling the story of how they got started. Remember, this is a business psychology class, and for this assignment, I want you to get some real insight about business owners, their personality, what drives them to become an entrepreneur.

Female Student: Like, how they think?

Professor: And what motivates them. Why did they start their business? I′m sure they′d talk to you, especially if you tell them you might start a business some day.

Female Student: I′m not sure I′d have the guts to do that. Opening a business seems so risky, so scary.

Professor: Well, you can ask them if they felt that way too. Now you just need to find someone to interview to see if your instincts are correct.

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

A.

For suggestions on how to write interview questions

B.

To schedule an interview with him

C.

To ask for advice on starting a business

D.

For assistance in finding a person to interview

19. Why does the student mention her high school newspaper?

A.

To explain why the assignment is difficult for her

B.

To inform the professor that she plans to print the interview there

C.

To show that she enjoys writing for school newspapers

D.

To indicate that she has experience with conducting interviews

20. How does the professor help the student?

A.

He allows her to interview business owners in her hometown.

B.

He suggests that she read the business section of the newspaper.

C.

He gives her more time to complete the assignment.

D.

He gives her a list of local business owners.

21. What does the professor want the students to learn from the assignment?

A.

Why writing articles on local businesses is important

B.

That starting a business is risky

C.

What personality traits are typical of business owners

D.

How to develop a detailed business plan

22. Listen again to part of the conversation. Then answer the question. What does the student imply?

A.

The professor has guessed correctly what her problem is.

B.

The professor has not quite identified her concern.

C.

She does not want to finish the assignment.

D.

She is surprised by the professor's reaction.

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.

23. What is the talk mainly about?

A.

Nature's services to farmers

B.

The economic importance of bees

C.

A decline in pollinator populations

D.

How flowers are pollinated

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

A.

Hunting

B.

Farm chemicals

C.

Air pollution

D.

Parasites

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

A.

To show how stones improve a garden

B.

To describe nectar-producing plants

C.

To show the effect of agriculture on pollinators

D.

To describe effects of plant disease

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

A.

Their diet consists mainly of other butterflies.

B.

They are the most common butterflies in North America.

C.

They have lived on Earth for several million years.

D.

Their population has been reduced because of herbicides.

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

A.

It feeds on the nectar of cactus flowers.

B.

It has been mistaken for a similar animal.

C.

It returns to the same site every year.

D.

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

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

A.

It feeds on the nectar of cactus flowers.

B.

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

C.

It has been mistaken for a similar animal.

D.

It returns to the same site every year.

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

A.

It returns to the same site every year.

B.

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

C.

It has been mistaken for a similar animal.

D.

It feeds on the nectar of cactus flowers.

Script:

Listen to part of a lecture in an Art History class. The professor has been talking about colossal statues.

Professor: We′ve been looking at colossal statues—works of exceptionally huge size—and their essentially public role, in commemorating a political or religious figure. We′ve seen how some of these statues date back thousands of years . . . like the statues of the Pharaohs of ancient Egypt—which you can still visit today . . . and how others, though surviving only in legend, have fired the imagination of writers and artists right up to our own time, such as the Colossus of Rhodes, that 110-foot statue of the Greek god Helios (HEE-lee-us). Remember, this same word, "colossus"—which means a giant or larger-than-life-size statue—is what today′s term "colossal" derives from.

Now, it was one thing to build such statues, at an equally colossal cost, when the funds were being allocated by ancient kings and pharaohs. But if we′re going to think about modern-day colossal statues, we need to reexamine more closely their role as social and political symbols—in order to understand why a society today—a society of free, tax-paying citizens—would agree to allocate so much of its resources to erecting them. A good example to start out with would be Mount Rushmore.

Now, many of you have probably seen pictures of Mount Rushmore; perhaps you′ve actually visited the place. Mount Rushmore, in South Dakota, is a colossal representation of the faces of four U.S. Presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln, carved directly into a mountain. Imagine: Each of those faces in the rock is over sixty feet high! Now, carving their faces took over six and a half years, and cost almost a million dollars. And this was in the 1930′s, during the worst economic depression in U.S. history! Does that strike any of you as odd?

Well, I personally think that the Great Depression of the 1930′s actually makes this more understandable, not less so. Often it′s the case that, precisely at times of hard-ship—when the very fabric of society seems to be unraveling and confidence is eroding—uh, that people clamor for some public expression of strength and optimism, perhaps as a way of symbolizing its endurance in the face of difficulty.

So, with that in mind, let′s go back to Mount Rushmore. Actually, the original motivation for a colossal monument in South Dakota had very little to do with all this symbolism . . . and everything to do with money: you see, it was first conceived of basically as a tourist attraction, and it was supposed to feature the images of legendary figures of the American West, like the explorers Lewis and Clark. The government of South Dakota thought it would bring lots of money into the state.

It was only later on that the sculptor—the artist who designed and oversaw the project, a man named Gutzon Borglum—decided the project should be a monument honoring four of the most-respected Presidents in U.S. history—much more than a tourist attraction . . . its very prominence and permanence became perceived as a symbol of the endurance of U.S. ideals and the greatness of the country′s early leaders. So, you see, what began as a tourist attraction became something far loftier.

Let′s look at another example of this phenomenon.

The Statue of Liberty is another colossal statue—(indicating by his tone of voice that his assumption is a near certainty) one that I assume a number of you are familiar with. But, umm, I would guess that—like many people today—you don′t realize that, when it was designed, over a century ago—by a French sculptor—it was intended to symbolize the long friendship between the people of France and the people of the United States—one which dated back to France′s support of the American colonies′ war for independence from the British.

But the shift in the statue′s meaning started soon after it was built. Back in 1883, Emma Lazarus wrote that famous poem—you know, the one that goes: "Give me your tired, your poor . . . ." (pause)and so on and so forth. That poem describes the Statue of Liberty as a beacon of welcome for the entire world. Well, in the early 1900′s, it was put on a plaque on the pedestal that the Statue of Liberty stands on.

From that point on, the Statue of Liberty was no longer perceived as just a gift between friendly republics. It now became a tribute to the United States′ history of immigration and openness.

This association was strengthened in the imagination of the general public just a few decades after the statue′s completion, with the immigration waves of the early 20th century . . . especially since the statue happened to be the first sign of America seen by those immigrants sailing into the port of New York. So, as with Mount Rushmore, the original motivation for this colossal statue was forgotten, and the statue is now valued for more important reasons.

30. What does the professor mainly discuss?

A.

The design and creation of the Statue of Liberty

B.

The creators of two colossal statues in the United States

C.

The cost of colossal statues in ancient versus modern times

D.

The purpose and symbolism of colossal statues

31. What evidence does the professor give that supports the idea that modern-day colossal statues are valued social and political symbols?

A.

They are studied in classrooms around the world.

B.

They are inspired by great poetry.

C.

They are very costly to build.

D.

They are designed to last for thousands of years.

32. According to the professor, what was one result of the Great Depression of the 1930′s?

A.

Immigration to the United States increased.

B.

The government could no longer provide funds for the arts.

C.

The public experienced a loss of confidence.

D.

International alliances eroded.

33. According to the professor, why did the state of South Dakota originally want to create a colossal monument?

A.

To symbolize the unity of society

B.

To commemorate the Great Depression

C.

To generate income from tourism

D.

To honor United States Presidents

34. Listen again to part of the lecture, then answer the question. Why does the professor discuss the poem by Emma Lazarus?

A.

To emphasize the close relationship between literature and sculpture

B.

To stress the importance of the friendship between France and the United States

C.

To point out a difference between Mount Rushmore and the Statue of Liberty

D.

To illustrate how the meaning associated with a monument can change

35. What does the professor imply about the poem by Emma Lazarus?

A.

Lazarus was not able to complete the poem.

B.

Few people have read the entire poem.

C.

It is one of his favorite poems.

D.

He does not need to recite the full text of the poem.

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