Section C
Directions: In this section, you will hear three passages. At the end of each passage, youwill hear some questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. Afteryou hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C)and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through thecentre.
Passage One
In today’s class, we’ll discuss Toni Morrison’s novel Beloved. As I’m sure you all know,Morrison is both a popular and a highly respected author, and it’s not easy to be both. Bornin 1931, Morrison has written some of the most touching and intelligent works on the African-American experience ever written by anyone, and yet to call her an “African-American writer”doesn’t seem to do her justice. In many ways, she’s simply an American writer—and certainlyone of our best.
Beloved is a truly remarkable work. It was recommended for nearly every major literaryprize, including the National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award, and it infact won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1988. Morrison herself is distinguished for having wonthe Nobel Prize for literature in 1993.
What makes Beloved unique is the skillful, sure way in which Morrison blends intenselypersonal storytelling and American history, racial themes and gender themes, the experience ofBlacks with the experience of all people everywhere, the down-to-earth reality of slavery with asense of mysterious spirituality.
We’ll be paying special attention to these themes as we discuss this work. I’m particularlyinterested in your views on the relative importance of race and gender in this book. Is it moreimportant that Sethe, the main character, is black or that she’s a woman? Which contributesmore to her being? What does Morrison tell us about both?
Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.
16. What do we learn about Toni Morrison?
17. What honor did Toni Morrison receive in 1993?
18. What does the speaker tell us about Sethe, the main character in Morrison’s novelBeloved?
Passage Two
The topic of my talk today is gift-giving. Everybody likes to receive gifts, right? So you maythink that gift-giving is a universal custom. But actually, the rules of gift-giving vary quite alot, and not knowing them can result in great embarrassment. In North America, the rules arefairly simple. If you’re invited to someone’s home for dinner, bring wine or flowers or a smallitem from your country. Among friends, family, and business associates, we generally don’t givegifts on other occasions except on someone’s birthday and Christmas. The Japanese, on theother hand, give gifts quite frequently, often to thank someone for their kindness. Thetradition of gift-giving in Japan is very ancient. There are many detailed rules for everythingfrom the color of the wrapping paper to the time of the gift presentation. And while Europeansdon’t generally exchange business gifts, they do follow some formal customs when visitinghomes, such as bringing flowers. The type and color of flowers, however, can carry specialmeaning.
Today we have seen some broad differences in gift-giving. I could go on with additionalexamples. But let’s not miss the main point here: If we are not aware of and sensitive tocultural differences, the possibilities for miscommunication and conflict are enormous.Whether we learn about these differences by reading a book or by living abroad, our goal mustbe to respect differences among people in order to get along successfully with our globalneighbors.
Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.
19. What does the speaker say about gift-giving of North Americans?
20. What do we learn about the Japanese concerning gift-giving?
21. What point does the speaker make at the end of the talk?
Passage Three
Hetty Green was a very spoilt, only child. She was born in Massachusetts, USA, in 1835. Herfather was a millionaire businessman. Her mother was often ill, and so from the age of two herfather took her with him to work and taught her about stocks and shares. At the age of six shestarted reading the daily financial newspapers and opened her own bank account.
Her father died when she was 21 and she inherited $7.5 million. She went to New York andinvested on Wall Street. Hetty saved every penny, eating in the cheapest restaurants for 15cents. She became one of the richest and most hated women in the world. At 33 she marriedEdward Green, a multi-millionaire, and had two children, Ned and Sylvia.
Hetty’s meanness was well known. She always argued about prices in shops. She walked tothe local grocery store to buy broken biscuits which were much cheaper, and to get a free bonefor her much loved dog. Once she lost a two-cent stamp and spent the night looking for it. Shenever bought clothes and always wore the same long, ragged black skirt. Worst of all, when herson Ned fell and injured his knee, she refused to pay for a doctor and spent hours looking forfree medical help. In the end Ned lost his leg.
When she died in 1916 she left her children $100 million. Her daughter built a hospital withher money.
Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.
22. What do we learn about Hetty Green as a child?
23. How did Hetty Green become rich overnight?
24. Why was Hetty Green much hated?
25. What do we learn about Hetty’s daughter?
