Tapescript:

You now have 20 seconds to check your answers to Questions 1 - 10.
That is the end of Part A

Part B:
You will hear 3 conversations or talks and you must answer the questions by choosing A, B, C or D. You will hear the recording ONLY ONCE.
Questions 1 - 3 are based on the following talk. You now have 15 seconds to read Questions 1 - 3.

1. What does the speaker suggest that the students should do during the term?
[A] Consult with her frequently.
[B] Use the computer regularly.
[C] Occupy the computer early.
[D] Wait for one's turn patiently.

2. What service must be paid for?
[A] Computer classes.
[B] Training sessions.
[C] Laser printing.
[D] Package borrowing.

3. What is the talk mainly about?
[A] Computer lab services.
[B] College library facilities.
[C] The use of micro-computers.
[D] Printouts from the laser printer.

Tapescript

Right, everybody. Welcome to Central College library services. My name's Kathy Jenkins. I'll give you a brief introduction to the library. We have a well-stocked bank of resources which are in three main locations: the library itself, with books and periodicals; the self-access language centre, with audio and video material; and the micro-computer lab. I'll start with the micro-computer lab, or micro-lab as we call it. It is fitted with 24 personal computers.

If you are a member of the library, you may borrow CALL discs in French, German, Italian, Spanish and Russian as well as English. By the way, CALL stands for computer aided language learning: C A double L, "CALL", for short. You may also borrow a range of word processing and desktop publishing packages. All disks are, of course, strictly for use in the micro-lab only. If you wish to print anything you should use one of the five machines around the outside of the room. Four are connected to dot matrix printers, one is connected to the laser printer. If you want a top quality printout from the laser printer, come and see myself or any of the library staff. Dot-matrix printouts are free but there is a charge for using the laser printer.

There is always a queue to get to the terminals towards the end of term. Come in and get to know how to use the computers early in the term and use them regularly, rather than just before exams and essay deadlines, in order to avoid delay or disappointment. Training sessions are held on a regular basis, on the first and third Thursday of each month, and are free to full-time students of the college. See you there. Now, any questions?

You now have 30 seconds to check your answers to Questions 1 - 3.

Part C
You will hear a talk given by a university lecturer. As you listen, you must answer Questions 1 -10 by writing NO MORE THAN THREE words in the space provided on the right. You will hear the talk TWICE.
You now have 60 seconds to read Questions 1 to 10.

1. What's the average annual increase of foreign student population in the period between 1985 and 1990 in terms of percentage?   
2. Which part of the world contributed to an increase between 94/95 and 95/96?      
3. When will the speaker talk about the economic and political changes?   
4. What will the speaker discuss first?   
5. Where do the three largest groups of students come from?   
6. What's the number of students from Malaysia?   
7. Which is the most popular field of study?   
8. What's the percentage of students in business and management?   
9. In terms of academic levels, in which level do we find the smallest number?      
10. In summary, what did the speaker talk about?   

Tapescript

For those of you who are either already studying in the United States or plan to one day, it might be interesting to know something about the foreign student population in the United States. For the academic year 1995/96 there was a total of approximately 344,000 foreign students studying in the United States. This figure of 344,000 may seem like a very large number until you compare it with the total population of 241,000,000. The foreign student population has been growing for a number of years and is still growing, but the rate of increase has dropped sharply during the 1990s. During the 1980s, the population grew quite rapidly. For example, between 1985 and 1990, the average yearly increase was 12.5%. However, the picture in the 1990s is quite different. The rate of increase has declined quite noticeably. In fact, the rate of increase between 1994/95 and 1995/96 was only .5%, or one-half of one percent. Although the overall rate of increase has dropped to only .5%, the number of students from some parts of the world is increasing while the number of students from other areas is decreasing. For example, during this same time period, that is between the academic years 94/95 and 95/96, there was a decrease in the number of students from the Middle East, while the number of students from South and East Asia increased. These changes in the number of students coming from different parts of the world no doubt reflected changing economic and political situations. I'm sure you are aware of many of these changes, and perhaps we can discuss them at our next meeting. For today let's confine our talk to first, a discussion of the origin of these students, or, in other words, where they come from; second, the kinds of studies they pursue; and, finally, the academic levels they are found in. If we have a little time left, we might quickly discuss in which geographic areas most of them go to school.

Let's discuss the origins of the foreign student population in the United States for the academic year 1995/96. Let's discuss it in order from those areas sending the most students to those areas sending the fewest students. If we look at the figures provided by the annual census of foreign students in the United States for the year 1995/96, we see that most of the foreign students studying in the United States during this year were from South and East Asia. This is a rather large geographical area which includes such countries as China, Korea, Pakistan, India, Malaysia, and Indonesia. The total number of students from this area, South and East Asia was 156,830. In other words, roughly 2 out of every 5 foreign students come from South and East Asia. Almost 24,000 of this total were from China. Malaysia was close behind with just a little over 23,000 students. The next largest number of students came from the Middle East. The number of students from the Middle East came to about one-third the number from South and East Asia. The fourth largest number came from South America. Next came Europe, Africa, North America, and Oceania. Let's recapitulate what we've said. The largest number of students studying in the United States during the academic year 1995/96 were from South and East Asia, followed by the Middle East, South America, Europe, Africa, North America, and Oceania.

What fields are these large numbers of foreign students studying in? It probably won't surprise you to learn that the largest number are in the field of engineering. In fact, 21.7% of the total number are studying engineering. Business and management is close behind, however, with a total of 18.9%. The third most popular field was mathematics and computer sciences with 10.3%. As you can see, engineering with 21.7%, business and management with 18.9%, and mathematics and computer sciences with 10.3% comprise about one half of the total number of foreign students.

Let's talk about which academic levels these students can be found in. Foreign students can be found studying at all levels of higher education. As you might expect, the greatest number of them are studying at the undergraduate level ? approximately 158,000. The second largest group study at the graduate level and that number is just under 122,000. The rest study at junior colleges or in non-degree programs. It is at the graduate level that foreign students have the most impact. While foreign students comprise only 2.7% of the total U.S. student population, they account for 8.7% of all the graduate students studying at U. S. institutions. Let me give you those percentages again so you can get a better feel for the overall picture. Foreign students make up only 2.75 of the total U. S. student population, but they make up 8.7% of the total graduate student population.

Well, I see that's all the time we have today. We'll have to leave discussions of the geographic areas these students study in until another time.

Now you are going to hear the talk a second time.

REPEAT THE TEXT

You now have 3 minutes to check your answers to Questions 1 - 10.

That is the end of Part C. You now have 5 minutes to transfer all your answers from your test booklet to ANSWER SHEET 1.

That is the end of Listening Comprehension.

SECTION II: Use of English
Read the following text and fill each of the numbered spaces with ONE suitable word. Write your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1.

Children who grip their pens too close to the writing point are likely to be at a disadvantage in examinations, (1) _____ to the first serious investigation into the way in which writing technique can dramatically affect educational achievement.
The survey of 643 children and adults, aged from pre-school to 40-plus, also suggests (2) _____ pen-holding techniques have deteriorated sharply over one generation, with teachers now paying far (3) ______ attention to correct pen grip and handwriting style.
Stephanie Thomas, a learning support teacher (4) ______ findings have been published, was inspired to investigate this area (5) _______ she noticed that those pupils who had the most trouble with spelling (6) ______ had a poor pen grip. While Ms. Thomas could not establish a significant statistical link (7) ______ pen-holding style and accuracy in spelling, she (8) ______ find huge differences in technique between the young children and the mature adults, and a definite (9) ________ between near-point gripping and slow, illegible writing.
People who (10) ______ their pens at the writing point also show other characteristics (11) ______ inhibit learning, (12) _______ as poor posture, leaning too (13) ______ to the desk, using four fingers to grip the pen (14) ______ than three, and clumsy positioning of the thumb (which can obscure (15) ______ is being written.
Ms. Thomas believes that the (16) ______ between older and younger writers is (17) ________ too dramatic to be accounted for simply by the possibility that people get better at writing as they grow (18) ________. She attributes it to a failure to teach the most effective methods, pointing out that the differences between (19) _______ groups coincides with the abandonment of formal handwriting instruction in classrooms in the sixties. "The 30-year-olds showed a huge range of grips, (20) ________ the over 40s group all had a uniform 'tripod' grip."

SECTION III: Reading Comprehension

Part A
Read the following texts and answer the questions which accompany them by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1.

In recent years, there has been a steady assault on salt from the doctors: salt is bad for you ? regardless of your health. Politicians also got on board. "There is a direct relationship," US congressman Neal Smith noted, "between the amount of sodium a person consumes and heart disease, circulatory disorders, stroke and even early death."
Frightening, if true! But many doctors and medical researchers are now beginning to feel the salt scare has gone too far. "All this hue and cry about eating salt is unnecessary," Dr. Dustan insists. "For most of us it probably doesn't make much difference how much salt we eat." Dustan's most recent short-term study of 150 people showed that those with normal blood pressure experienced no change at all when placed on an extremely low-salt diet, or later when salt was reintroduced. Of the hypertensive subjects, however, half of those on the low-salt diet did experience a drop in blood pressure, which returned to its previous level when salt was reintroduced.
"An adequate to somewhat excessive salt intake has probably saved many more lives than it has cost in the general population," notes Dr. John H. Laragh. "So a recommendation that the whole population should avoid salt makes no sense."
Medical experts agree that everyone should practice reasonable "moderation" in salt consumption. For the average person, a moderate amount might run from four to ten grams a day, or roughly 1/2 to 1/3 of a teaspoon. The equivalent of one to two grams of this salt allowance would come from the natural sodium in food. The rest would be added in processing, preparation or at the table.
Those with kidney, liver or heart problems may have to limit dietary salt, if their doctor advises. But even the very vocal "low salt" exponent, Dr. Arthur Hull Hayes, Jr. admits that "we do not know whether increased sodium consumption causes hypertension." In fact, there is growing scientific evidence that other factors may be involved: deficiencies in calcium, potassium, perhaps magnesium; obesity (much more dangerous than sodium); genetic predisposition; stress.
"It is not your enemy," says Dr. Laragh. "Salt is the No. 1 natural component of all human tissue, and the idea that you don't need it is wrong. Unless your doctor has proven that you have a salt-related health problem, there is no reason to give it up."

1. According to some doctors and politicians, the amount of salt consumed
[A] exhibits as an aggravating factor to people in poor health.
[B] cures diseases such as stroke and circulatory disorders.
[C] correlates highly with some diseases.
[D] is irrelevant to people suffering from heart disease.

2. From Dr. Dustan's study we can infer that
[A] a low-salt diet may be prescribed for some people.
[B] the amount of salt intake has nothing to do with one's blood pressure.
[C] the reduction of salt intake can cure a hypertensive patient.
[D] an extremely low-salt diet makes no difference to anyone.

3. In the third paragraph, Dr. Laragh implies that
[A] people should not be afraid of taking excessive salt.
[B] doctors should not advise people to avoid salt.
[C] an adequate to excessive salt intake is recommended for people in disease.
[D] excessive salt intake has claimed some victims in the general population.

4. The phrase "vocal ... exponent" (line 2, para. 4) most probably refers to
[A] eloquent doctor.
[B] articulate opponent.
[C] loud speaker.
[D] strong advocate.

5. What is the main message of this text?
[A] That the salt scare is not justified.
[B] That the cause of hypertension is now understood.
[C] That the moderate use of salt is recommended.
[D] That salt consumption is to be promoted.

Part B
In the following article some paragraphs have been removed. For Questions 1 - 5, choose the most suitable paragraph from the list A - F to fit into each of the numbered gaps. There is one paragraph which does not fit in any of the gaps.
Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1.

From her vantage point she watched the main doors swing open and the first arrivals pour in. Those who had been at the head of the line paused momentarily on entry, looked around curiously, then quickly moved forward as others behind pressed in. Within moments the central public area of the big branch bank was filled with a chattering, noisy crowd. The building, relatively quiet less than a minute earlier, had become a Babel. Edwina saw a tall heavyset black man wave some dollar bills and declare loudly, "I want to put my money in the bank"

It seemed as if the report about everyone having come to open an account had been accurate after all.

Edwina could see the big man leaning back expansively, still holding his dollar bills. His voice cut across the noise of other conversations and she heard him proclaim, "I'm in no hurry. There's something I'd like you to explain."
Two other desks were quickly manned by other clerks. With equal speed, long wide lines of people formed in front of them.
Normally, three members of staff were ample to handle new account business, but obviously were inadequate now. Edwina could see Tottenhoe on the far side of the bank and called him on the intercom. She instructed, "Use more desks for new accounts and take all the staff you can spare to man them."

Tottenhoe grumbled in reply, "You realize we can't possibly process all these people today, and however many we do will tie us up completely."
"I've an idea," Edwina said, "that's what someone has in mind. Just hurry the processing all you can."

First, an application form called for details of residence, employment, social security, and family matters. A specimen signature was obtained. Then proof of identity was needed. After that, the new accounts clerk would take all documents to an officer of the bank for approval and initialing. Finally, a savings passbook was made out or a temporary checkbook issued.
Therefore the most new accounts that any bank employee could open in an hour were five, so the three clerks presently working might handle a total of ninety in one business day, if they kept going at top speed, which was unlikely.

Still the noise within the bank increased. It had become an uproar.

A further problem was that the growing mass of arrivals in the central public area of the bank was preventing access to tellers' counters by other customers. Edwina could see a few of them outside, regarding the milling scene with consternation. While she watched, several gave up and walked away.
Inside the bank some of the newcomers were engaging tellers in conversation and the tellers, having nothing else to do because of the melee, chatted back. Two assistant managers had gone to the central floor area and were trying to regulate the flood of people so as to clear some space at counters. They were having small success.

She decided it was time for her own intervention.

Edwina left the platform and a railed-off staff area and, with difficulty, made her way through the milling crowd to the main front door.

A. Yet she knew however much they hurried it would still take ten to fifteen minutes to open any single new account. It always did. The paperwork required that time.

B. But still no hostility was evident. Everyone in the now jam-packed bank who was spoken to by members of the staff answered politely and with a smile. It seemed, Edwina thought, as if all who were here had been briefed to be on best behavior.

C. A security guard directed him, "Over there for new accounts." The guard pointed to a desk where a clerk ? a young girl ? sat waiting. She appeared nervous. The big man walked toward her, smiled reassuringly, and sat down. Immediately a press of others moved into a ragged line behind him, waiting for their turn.

D. Even leaning close to the intercom, it was hard to hear above the noise.

E. Even tripling the present complement of clerks would permit very few more than two hundred and fifty accounts to be opened in a day, yet already, in the first few minutes of business, the bank was crammed with at least four hundred people, with still more flooding in, and the line outside, which Edwina rose to check, appeared as long as ever.

F. Obviously someone had alerted the press in advance, which explained the presence of the TV camera crew outside. Edwina wondered who had done it.

Part C
Answer questions 1-10 by referring to the comments on 3 different cars in the following magazine article.
Note: Answer each question by choosing A, B or C and mark it on ANSWER SHEET 1. Some choices may be required more than once.
A=Audi A3 B=Honda Civic C=Rover 216

Which car...

Audi A3
Most of our drivers said the A3 was their clear favourite in this group. They described it as refined and comfortable with good handling characteristics and light, precise steering.
All the seats were comfortable and the front ones were easy to adjust. Most drivers liked the driving position, helped by a good range of steering wheel and seat height adjustments. The main instruments were clear and dashboard controls were well positioned.
Mirror coverage was very good but our drivers complained that the view out of the rear was badly hindered by the high rear window line and thick pillars.
Getting into the back seats was easy, thanks to a clever seat mechanism, which moves the seat up and forward as well as tilting the backrest. Rear legroom was reasonable but the rear seat was only barely wide enough for three adults.
Luggage space was average for this class of car but you have to remove the rear head restraints to fold the rear seat. There were plenty of useful interior stowage spaces.
All A3s come with an alarm and immobiliser as standard. Our 'thief' got in through the doors in 20 seconds, But the radio was a non-standard fit, which is likely to deter thieves.
The hinges of the rear seats could release in an accident, allowing luggage to crash through into the passenger compartment. Also, the driver's knees could be damaged by stiff structures under the dash.
Some parts of the fuel system and electrics would be vulnerable to damage in a frontal collision.

Honda Civic
Honda says its special VTEC engine has a winning combination of economy and performance, but our drivers found it a bit of a curate's egg. It was the most economical of the cars on test, but drivers found it sluggish at low revs, and its acceleration in fifth gear was slow, so overtaking normally meant having to shift down to fourth gear.
The driving position was acceptable, but our panel criticised the restricted rear visibility ? the rear window was quite small. Drivers found the back rest supportive but it was not possible to make fine adjustments to the angle. The ride comfort was acceptable, but it wasn't as good as the Audi's or Rover's.
The driver's seat didn't slide forward when it was tilted, making rear access awkward from this side. In the back, headroom and legroom was excellent but testers didn't find the seats particularly comfortable.
The luggage space was small for this class of car, especially with the rear seats in place. However, folding the rear seat to increase luggage space was easy.
Other points identified by our panel included well-placed minor controls, good mirror coverage, but fiddly radio controls.
All Civics come with an immobiliser but no alarm. You may want to consider paying extra for an alarm, as our 'thief' broke into through the doors in 13 seconds, and into the engine bay in just five seconds.
There were stiff structures under the dash which could damage the driver's knees in an accident, though there was no problem on the passenger's side. The handbook (like the Audi's) provided advice on using child restraints.

Rover 216
The 1.6-litre engine had good power delivery at both high and low revs but some drivers complained that it was noisy at high revs. The brakes didn't have very good progression, but drivers like their positive feel.
Ride comfort and the handling were praised. But drivers found it difficult to achieve a comfortable driving position. The driver's seat was not height-adjustable, and there was only limited space to rest your clutch foot. Some testers also found the seat backrest uncomfortable. Visibility was marred by the small mirrors. The rear view was also restricted by thick pillars and the small rear window.
Getting into the back was tricky because the front seats did not slide forward when tilted. Once in the back, legroom and headroom were poor, and testers complained that their rear seat base was unsupportive.
Luggage space was smaller than average for this class of car ? this was compounded by a high boot sill and difficulties in folding the rear seat. But there were large pockets in the doors and rear side panels.
The main radio controls were more convenient; they were mounted on the steering wheel so drivers didn't have to take their hands off the wheel to use them.
Our Rover 200s came with an alarm, though this isn't standard on all versions. Our 'thief' broke in through the doors in 15 seconds.
Some of the electrics would be vulnerable in a frontal impact. The rear seat hinges could release in an accident, allowing luggage to crash through into the passenger compartment. Also, information in the handbook on using child restraints was inadequate.

SECTION IV: Writing

You have read an article in a magazine with the following statement in it. Write an article for the same magazine. You should use your own ideas, knowledge or experience to generate support for your argument and include an example. You should write about 250 words. Write your article on ANSWER SHEET 2.

Oral Test
(For examiner)
Part A: Self-introduction (This task will take about 2 minutes.)
Interlocutor:
Good morning (afternoon / evening). Could I have your mark sheets, please? Thank you.
(Hand over the mark sheets to the Assessor.)
My name is … and this is my colleague….
He / she is not going to ask you any questions, but he / she is just going to be listening to us.
So, your name is … and …? Thank you.
First of all we'd like to know something about you, so I'm going to ask you some questions about yourselves. (Begin with candidate A, then move on to candidate B) Now (say the name of the candidate and ask the questions).

Home Town
· Where are you from?
· How long have you lived there?
· What's it like living there?
· How does your home town compare with (place where candidate is currently living)?
· Well, that's interesting.

Family
l What about your family? Could you tell us something about them?

Work/ Study
· What do you do in (candidate's home town), do you work or study?
(If candidate already working)
· What does your work involve?
· Is your job something you had always wanted to do?
· How long do you think you will stay in this job?
(If candidate still at school, college or university)
· What are your favourite subjects at school? What exactly are you studying?
· What type of work are you hoping to do in the future?
· What qualifications will you need to do that?

Part B: Collaboration    (This part will take about 5 minutes.)
(For examiner)

Discussion

Topic: Regional Poverty

Now, (say the names of Candidate A and Candidate B), here is a list of causes for regional poverty. (Hand out the list to the candidates and let them read it through.) What do you think are the main causes for regional poverty? I'd like each of you to choose three from the list and tell each other why. If you hold different opinions you may argue and you may also add your own ideas that are not listed here. You just talk to each other and I won't join you. You have 5 minutes.
All right. Would you begin? (The interlocutor may sit back and intervene only when necessary.)

Causes for Regional Poverty:

· lack of natural resources   
· disorganisation of the economy
· out-of-date conventions
· climate
· geographical position
· poor leadership
· overpopulation
· lack of education

(For candidate)

What do you think are the main causes for regional poverty? Choose three from the list and tell each other why.

Causes for Regional Poverty:

· lack of natural resources   
· disorganisation of the economy
· out-of-date conventions
· climate
· geographical position
· poor leadership
· overpopulation
· lack of education

Part C: Presentation (This part will take about 8 minutes.)
(For examiner)