2008 National English Contest for College Students(Level C- Preliminary)Part I Listening Comprehension (25 minutes, 30 marks)Section A (5 marks)In this section, you will hear five short conversations. At the end of each conversation, a question will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the question will be read only once. After each question, there will be a pause. During the pause, read the three choices marked A, B and C, and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center.1. A. To buy a newspaper. B. To find a chemist. C. To post a letter.2. A. Their billing system has been efficient. B. Their old billing system is outdated.C. Hes unimpressed with the new billing system.3. A. Shes been on vacation. B. Shes been at the grocery store. C. Shes been on a business trip.4. A. To go to the market. B. To have coffee. C. To have a discussion.5. A. Changing a flight reservation. B. Canceling a hotel reservation. C. Reserving an extra hotel room.Section B (10 marks)In this section, you will hear two long conversations. Each conversation will be read only once. At the end of each conversation, there will be a one-minute pause. During the pause, read the five questions, each with three choices marked A, B and C, and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center.Conversation one6. Whats Tanias phone number? A. 506-6178B. 501-6678 C. 501-66877. Who is going shopping at Harrods? A. Tania.B. Karl. C. Karls mother.8. How is Tania going to get to Harrods? A. On foot. B. By taxi. C. By tube.9. Which street plan shows the way from the station?10. What kind of wine does Karl want? A. Red Merlot. B. White Bordeaux. C. Rose Chianti.Conversation Two11. Which drawing shows the position of the handle?12. What other product features are included? A. A range of handle sizes. B. A variety of color combinations. C. A set of rings for different-sized tins.13. Whats the purpose of the V-clip?To hold the paint brush so it drips in the can.To prevent paint from getting onto the painted surfaces.To prevent the brush drying out if the painter is interrupted.14. Who will probably use the can-holder?A. Artists. B. Decorators. C. Soldiers.15. How much does the product cost?A. 4. B. 5. C. $4.Section C (5 marks)In this section, you will hear five short news item. Each item will be read only once. After each item, there will be a pause. During the pause, read the question and the three choices marked A, B and C, and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center.16. What has prompted the new administration to review the Australias citizenship test?A. Its out of date. B. Higher immigration rates. C. Many applicants failing it.17. Which train provides the easiest way to see Mount Fuji?A. From Tokyo to Yokohama. B. From Osaka to Yokohama.C. From Tokyo to Osaka.18. How many U.N. employees were killed in 2007?A. 17. B. 42. C. 59.19. What have studies found out about severe pneumonia treatment?No medication works in developing countries.It can be effectively treated at home with oral antibiotics.It can only be treated in the hospital with injectable antibiotics.20. What was the bars business like before the smoking ban? A. Almost empty every day. B. Usually crowded at midday.C. Empty on Wednesdays.Section D (10 marks)In this section, you will hear a short passage. There are ten missing words or phrases. Fill in the blanks with the exact words you hear on the tape. Remember to write the answers on the Answer Sheet.Crime isnt rising because the laws are not strict enough, or because the (21) _ are not tough enough, or simply because there arent enough policemen on the beat. It is rising because the agencies and individuals who can have a (22) _ effect on crime are not pulling together or in the same (23) _. The police are one of those agencies, of course. But crime prevention is also a matter for (24) _ who are content to see mass (25) _ turn into a way of life, for councils who prefer to shout yah-boo at the police, (26) _ getting on with making life safer for local people, for architects who design exposed and indefensible buildings, for parents who dont take enough interest in what their teenage children are getting up to and for (27) _ who sit inside and moan (28) _ do anything about the state of the neighborhood or the street. Crime prevention has been neglected for too many by too many. Over the last ten years it has been willfully neglected in defiance of mounting (29) _ that