问答题Practice 11　　If you ask an Englishman about the Press in his country, he will almost certainly begin talking about the morning daily and Sunday “national newspapers”, all of which now have their head offices in London. Later, almost as an afterthought,

Practice 8　　You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.　　Write about the following topic:　　Some people think people have benefited from modern communications technology, but other people think some people have not benefited at all. To what extent do you agree or disagree?　　You should write at least 250 words.

Practice 12　　● You work in a company which deals with industrial waste. You have read about a new kind of pump which could save your company thousands of dollars in servicing and maintenance costs.　　● Write a memo of 30—40 words to your Head of Department saying:　　● where you read about the new pump,　　● why you think it could be a good investment,　　● how you might get more information about it.

Practice 1　　Broadly speaking, the Englishman is a quiet, shy, reserved person who is fully relaxed only among people he knows well. In the presence of strangers or foreigners he often seems inhibited, even embarrassed. You have only to witness a commuter train any morning or evening to see the truth of this. Serious-looking businessmen and women sit reading their newspapers or dozing in a comer: no one speaks. In fact, to do so would seem most unusual. An English wit, pretending to be giving advice to overseas visitors, once suggested, “On entering a railway compartment, shake hands with all the passengers.” Needless to say; he was not being serious. There is an unwritten but clearly understood code of behavior which, if broken, makes the person immediately the object of suspicion.　　It is a well-known fact that the English have an obsession with their weather and that, given half a chance, they will talk about it at length. Some people argue that it is because English weather defies forecast and hence is a source of interest and speculation to everyone. This may be so. If a foreigner wants to start a conversation with an Englishman (or woman) but is at a loss to know where to begin, he could-do well to mention the state of the weather. It is a safe subject which will provoke an answer from even the most reserved of Englishmen.

Practice 1　　You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.　　Write about the following topic:　　Multi-cultural societies, in which there is a mixture of different ethnic peoples, bring more benefits than drawbacks to a country. To what extent do you agree or disagree?　　You should write at least 250 words.

Practice 11　　If you ask an Englishman about the Press in his country, he will almost certainly begin talking about the morning daily and Sunday “national newspapers”, all of which now have their head offices in London. Later, almost as an afterthought, he may go to talk about the provincial morning dailies, the London and provincial evening papers, and finally the weekly local papers. The dominating position of the national daily morning papers is due to the smallness of the country, with every large town in England and Wales able to be reached by train in less than five hours from London.  A paper printed in London around midnight can be at any breakfast table in England the next morning, except in remote country districts. All over the country, most people read the same newspapers and the dominant position of the London papers may reflect a lack of regional identity. The national dailies are generally classed as either “quality” (The Times, the Guardian and the Daily Telegraph) or “popular”.

Directions: In this part of the test, you will answer three questions. For each question, begin responding immediately after you hear a beep. No preparation time is provided.Practice 1Imagine that an Irish marketing firm is doing research in your country. You have agreed to participate in a telephone interview about vegetables in your diet.Question: Do you regularly eat vegetables?

Practice 3　　Discussion—about 5 minutes　　In this part of the test you are given a discussion topic. You have 30 seconds to look at the task promptly, an example of which is below, and then about three minutes to discuss the topic with your partner. After that the examiner will ask you more questions related to the topic.　　For two candidates　　Satisfaction Survey　　The company you work for has conducted a satisfaction survey. We all know customer satisfaction is essential to the survival of our businesses.　　You have been asked to find out whether customers are satisfied.　　Discuss the situation together, and decide:　　● how to find out whether the customers are satisfied　　● what to ask in a customer satisfaction survey.

Practice 3Imagine that an Irish marketing firm is doing research in your country. You have agreed to participate in a telephone interview about vegetables in your diet.Question: Why do you eat vegetables?

Now I’d like you to spend five minutes talking about the topic: What _____ you do if you _____ President?

Practice 9　　The British are the most voracious newspaper readers in the world. They read newspapers at breakfast; they walk to the bus reading a newspaper; they read a newspaper on the bus, as they go to work; and on the way back home, after work, they are engrossed in an evening newspaper. There are many “morning papers”, both national and provincial. The most famous is The Times. Contrary to what many foreigners believe, this is not a government newspaper. The various newspapers usually have their own views on politics, but they are not organs of the political parties, with the exception of the Communist Morning Star.　　Bold headlines and a variety of photographs are features of the British press. Some newspapers, such as the sober Daily Telegraph and The Times (which belong to the “quality press'') use photographs sparingly. The more “popular” newspapers, using the small or “tabloid” format, such as the Daily Express, the Daily Mail, the Daily Mirror and The Sun,  use pictures extensively and also run strip-cartoons and humorous drawings, some of which present striking pictorial comment on politics.

Practice 8　　● You have ordered some new office equipment. However, some of this equipment will arrive a week later than planned.　　● Write a memo to all staff:　　● saying which equipment will be delayed　　● explaining when it will arrive　　● apologizing for the delay.　　● Write about 30-40 words on your Answer Sheet.　　Memo　　To:All Staff　　From:SuppliesManager　　Date:1 March2002　　Subject:New Equipment

Passage 2　　Broadly  1 , the Englishman is a quiet, shy, reserved person who is fully relaxed only among people he knows 2 .　　In the presence of strangers or foreigners he often seems inhibited,  3 embarrassed. You have only to witness a commuter train any morning or evening to see the truth of this. Serious-looking businessmen and women sit  4 their newspapers or dozing in a corner:  5 one speaks. Obviously, there is here an unwritten but clearly understood code of behavior  6 , if broken, makes the person immediately the object of suspicion.　　It is a well-known fact that the English have a passion  7 the discussion of their weather and that, given half a chance, they will talk about it at  8 . Some people argue that it is because English weather defies forecast and hence is a source of interest and speculation to everyone. This may be so. Certainly Englishmen cannot have much faith in the 9 , who, after promising fine, sunny weather for the following day, are often proved  10 when a cloud over the Atlantic brings rainy weather to all districts! The man in the street seems to be as accurate -- or as inaccurate -- as the weathermen in his predictions. The overseas visitors may be excused for showing surprise at the number of references to weather that the English  11 to each other in the course of a single day. Very often conversational greetings are replaced by comments  12 the weather. “Nice day, isn’t it? Beautiful!” may well be heard instead of “Good morning, how are you?” Although the foreigner may consider this exaggerated and comic, it is worthwhile pointing out that it could be used  13 his advantage. If he wants to start a conversation with an Englishman but is  14 a loss to know where to begin, he could do well to mention the state of the weather. It is a safe  15 which wills provoke an answer from even the most reserved of Englishmen.

Practice 1The relationship between politicians and the press　　In the seaside town of Brighton in southern England the ruling Labour Party’s annual conference is getting underway. It’s a time for both Mps and grassroots members to take stock of how the party is doing, to discuss policy and to hear, hopefully inspiring speeches. The party delegates will be hoping too for plenty of coverage from the media assembled there.　　Newspapers in Britain have long had great influence over Governments, much to the resentment of the politicians. Almost seventy-five years ago, the then Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin accused the two big press barons, Lords Beaverbrook and Rothermere, of running their papers as “engines of propaganda” for the “personal wishes and personal dislikes of two men”. He famously accused them of seeking “power without responsibility—the prerogative of the harlot throughout the ages.” It’s hard to imagine the current Prime Minister Tony Blair attacking the tabloid press so publicly.　　The former editor of the Daily Mirror Piers Morgan claimed earlier this year that he met the Labour leader no fewer than fifty-eight times for lunches, dinners or interviews, a statistic which astonished many in Government and the media, who thought a party leader and Prime Minister should have had better ways to spend his time. But Tony Blair has good reason to court the press. In Britain, Labour, left-of-centre governments, have always had problems with national newspapers, most of whose owners traditionally supported the right-of-centre Conservative Party. This came to a head on Election Day in 1992 when Labour seemed set to win power for the first time in eighteen years.　　In those days, Britain’s biggest-selling daily paper, the sun, part of Rupert Murdoch’s media empire, was no friend of Labour, indeed it had been Margaret Thatcher’s biggest cheerleader. That morning, on its front page, it depicted the bald head of the then Labour leader Neil Kinnock as a light bulb. Alongside ran the headline: “If Kinnock wins today, will the last person to leave Britain please turn out the lights?” Labour lost. By the next election, Tony Blair was the party’s leader and determined to win over, or at least neutralize, The Sun and its owner. He succeeded, moving the Labor Party towards the center ground, and gaining The Sun’s endorsement at the last three elections.　　Once in Government, Labour played hardball with the media, relishing its power, and aware that if it did not take charge of the agenda, the media would. Its key figure was the former political editor of the Daily Mirror, Alasdair Campbell, who took charge not just of the Prime Minister’s press office but all government press officers, trying to ensure the Government spoke with one voice. Journalists who reported favorably were given privileged access; those who didn’t were frozen out.　　Mr. Blair maintained his close links with R Murdoch and his newspapers; doing everything he could to maintain their support. Lance Price claims in his diaries that the Government assured the tycoon and his editors that it wouldn’t change its policy on Europe without asking them.

Practice 2Imagine that an Irish marketing firm is doing research in your country. You have agreed to participate in a telephone interview about vegetables in your diet.Question: What are your favorite vegetables?

Now I’d like you to spend five minutes talking about the topic: What ______ you do if you ______ President?

Practice 4　　You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.　　Write about the following topic:　　As global trade increases, many goods, even some daily goods, are exported to another country, which includes long-distance transport during shipping. Do you think its benefits outweigh its drawbacks?　　You should write at least 250 words.

Practice 2　 Suppose your neighbor Uncle Li feeds many pigeons in his corridor, which interferes with your daily life quite a lot. You have communicated with Uncle Li, but he refused to move away the pigeons. Write a letter of complaint to the neighborhood committee. Your letter should include:　 (1) a description of the situation　 (2) complaint about the situation　 (3) your request　 You should write approximately 100 words. Do not sign your own name at the end of the letter. Use Wang Lin instead. You don’t need to write the address.

With about（）daily and Sunday newspapers published nationwide,the British public reads more newspapers than virtually any other country in the world.

The relationship between politicians and the press　　In the seaside town of Brighton in southern England the ruling Labour Party’s annual conference is getting underway. It’s a time for both Mps and grassroots members to take stock of how the party is doing, to discuss policy and to hear, hopefully inspiring speeches. The party delegates will be hoping too for plenty of coverage from the media assembled there.　　Newspapers in Britain have long had great influence over Governments, much to the resentment of the politicians. Almost seventy-five years ago, the then Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin accused the two big press barons, Lords Beaverbrook and Rothermere, of running their papers as “engines of propaganda” for the “personal wishes and personal dislikes of two men”. He famously accused them of seeking “power without responsibility—the prerogative of the harlot throughout the ages.” It’s hard to imagine the current Prime Minister Tony Blair attacking the tabloid press so publicly.　　The former editor of the Daily Mirror Piers Morgan claimed earlier this year that he met the Labour leader no fewer than fifty-eight times for lunches, dinners or interviews, a statistic which astonished many in Government and the media, who thought a party leader and Prime Minister should have had better ways to spend his time. But Tony Blair has good reason to court the press. In Britain, Labour, left-of-centre governments, have always had problems with national newspapers, most of whose owners traditionally supported the right-of-centre Conservative Party. This came to a head on Election Day in 1992 when Labour seemed set to win power for the first time in eighteen years.　　In those days, Britain’s biggest-selling daily paper, the sun, part of Rupert Murdoch’s media empire, was no friend of Labour, indeed it had been Margaret Thatcher’s biggest cheerleader. That morning, on its front page, it depicted the bald head of the then Labour leader Neil Kinnock as a light bulb. Alongside ran the headline: “If Kinnock wins today, will the last person to leave Britain please turn out the lights?” Labour lost. By the next election, Tony Blair was the party’s leader and determined to win over, or at least neutralize, The Sun and its owner. He succeeded, moving the Labor Party towards the center ground, and gaining The Sun’s endorsement at the last three elections.　　Once in Government, Labour played hardball with the media, relishing its power, and aware that if it did not take charge of the agenda, the media would. Its key figure was the former political editor of the Daily Mirror, Alasdair Campbell, who took charge not just of the Prime Minister’s press office but all government press officers, trying to ensure the Government spoke with one voice. Journalists who reported favorably were given privileged access; those who didn’t were frozen out.　　Mr. Blair maintained his close links with R Murdoch and his newspapers; doing everything he could to maintain their support. Lance Price claims in his diaries that the Government assured the tycoon and his editors that it wouldn’t change its policy on Europe without asking them.

Practice 2　　The British are the most voracious newspaper readers in the world. They read newspapers at breakfast; they walk to the bus reading a newspaper; they read a newspaper on the bus, as they go to work; and on the way back home, after work, they are engrossed in an evening newspaper. There are many “morning papers”, both national and provincial. The most famous is The Times. Contrary to what many foreigners believe, this is not a government newspaper. The various newspapers usually have their own views on politics, but they are not organs of the political parties, with the exception of the Communist Morning Star.　　Bold headlines and a variety of photographs are features of the British press. Some newspapers, such as the sober Daily Telegraph and The Times (which belong to the “quality press’’) use photographs sparingly. The more “popular” newspapers, using the small or “tabloid” format, such as the Daily Express, the Daily Mail, the Daily Mirror and The Sun,  use pictures extensively and also run strip-cartoons and humorous drawings, some of which present striking pictorial comment on politics.　　Besides offering features common to newspapers all over the world, British newspapers specialize in pages devoted to criticism of the arts and a woman’s page.  One feature found in many foreign newspapers is missing in British papers: the serial.　　Nearly all papers pay special attention to the reporting of sport and athletics. The evening newspapers (the first editions of which appear in the morning!) are often bought because the purchaser wants to know the winner of a race, or to get a good tip for a race that is still to be run.　　There is no censorship of the press in Britain (except in wartime), though of course all newspapers-like private persons-are responsible for what they publish, and be sued for libel for publishing articles that go beyond the bounds of decency, or for “contempt for court” (e. g. calling man a murderer while he is still being tried). Such lawsuits are infrequent.　　The population of the United Kingdom is now over 55,000,000. About 17,500,000 newspapers are sold every day. The British people, therefore, are great readers of newspapers. There are few homes to which one newspaper is not delivered every morning.  Many households have two, or even three, newspapers every day. One newspaper may be delivered at the house, a member of the family may buy one at the station bookstall to read in the train as he goes to town, and someone else in the family may buy an evening newspaper later in the day.

Practice 6　　● In your company twenty employees receive, at the company’s expense, a personal copy of a daily financial newspaper, which they collect from reception each day. There have been disputes with the newspaper deliveryman about the correct number that should be delivered.　　● Your manager has asked you to investigate and you have discovered:　　● Employees who are not entitled to newspapers take them from reception.　　● The newspapers are delivered. And taken, before the receptionist arrives for work.　　● There are spare copies when employees are absent or away on business trips.　　● Write a short report of 200—250 words to your manager suggesting how to make sure that the correct number of newspapers is delivered each day and that the right person receive them.

Practice 2　　● You work in a company which deals with industrial waste. You have read about a new kind of pump which could save your company thousands of dollars in service and maintenance costs.　　● Write a memo to your Head of Department saying:　　● where you read about the new pump　　● why you think it could be a good investment　　● how you might get more information about it.　　● Write 40—50 words on a separate sheet.