Listening Test 2

Part One (20 points)

Directions: Listen to a news report and write down the answers in each blank.
A new state law will soon require school districts in California to create new
rules (1) _________ student smartphone use. The legislation is aimed at reducing (2)
________ in the classroom. It is also meant to (3) _______ the mental health effects
that social media can have on children.
But some critics of such policies worry the rules will make it (4) _______ for
students to seek help if there is an (5) ________. Critics also (6) ______ that decisions
on phone bans should be made by school districts, and not (7) ______ governments.
The rules should limit or (8) ______ students from using smartphones on school
grounds or while students are under the (9) _______ of school employees. Some
parents have (10) ______ concerns that school cellphone bans could (11) _____
parents (12) ______ from their children if there is an emergency.
ShaKenya Edison is (13) ________ superintendent with the Santa Barbara
Unified School District. The district put in place a ban on student phone use in class
during the 2023 to 2024 school year. She said teachers have (14) ______ that their
students are paying (15) _______ attention in class since the start of the ban.
Tarik McFall is (16) _______ of Sutter Middle School in Folsom. He said that
before his school’s cellphone ban, students (17) _______ fights, (18) ______ TikTok
videos and spent lunchtime looking at their phones. The ban has “(19) ______
changed the culture” of the school, he said. Now, students spend more time talking to
one another. “To have them put away, to have them (20) ______ off...it has been a
great thing,” McFall said.
 Part Two News Reports (24 points)
Directions: Listen to 4 news reports and choose the best answer to each of the
following questions.
News Report 1
21. What do many mental health counsellors do during the coronavirus pandemic?
A) They do research at the laboratory.
B) They volunteer in the community.
C) They treat patients at the hospital.
D) They provide mental health care services.
22. Which company offered bilingual counselling services last week?
A) JD.com’s JD Health.
B) Alibaba Group’s Alibaba Health.
C) Baidu’s online doctor consultation platform.
D) Tencent-backed WeDoctor.
23. Which of the following CANNOT be inferred from this news report?
A) The coronavirus pandemic threatens people’s physical and mental health.
B) Some Internet companies in China offer free online counselling services.
C) Both Chinese at home and abroad can receive the online mental health service.
D) The online mental health service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
News Report 2
24. On what day is World Hearing Day held?
A) On May 3.
B) On March 13.
C) On March 3.
D) On May 13.
25. What is the theme for World Hearing Day 2020?
A) Hearing for Life.
B) Checking Your Hearing.
C) Hearing the Future.
 D) Making a Sound Investment.
26. Who are the target audience of “Questions for People with Hearing Loss”?
A) People wanting to know how to provide hearing care.
B) People curious about the day-to-day impact of hearing loss.
C) People who are suffering from hearing loss.
D) People working in hearing health-focused organizations.

News Report 3
27. What do we learn about online learning in the US?
A) Online courses are widely popular across higher education.
B) Online courses are more difficult to learn.
C) All students took at least one online course in fall 2018.
D) There were less than 20 million online learners in 2018.
28. What does “flexibility” in online learning mean according to Casey Evans?
A) It means that you should create a space for learning.
B) It means that you need to create a learning structure.
C) It means that you can do it on your own time.
D) It means that you need to plan for your own success.
29. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as important factors to student success
in online learning?
A) Financial support.
B) A dedicated space.
C) Appropriate technologies.
D) Specific goals.

News Report 4
30. What is the news report mainly about?
A) The effects of gaming.
B) The danger of gaming.
C) The gaming disorder.
 D) The drinking disorder.
31. According to WHO, when can a doctor say someone has a gaming disorder?
A) When they cannot stop playing games.
B) When they show symptoms of mental health problems.
C) When their only interest in life is playing games.
D) When their addiction to gaming lasts for at least a year.
32. What does the WHO spokesman imply by mentioning people drinking alcohol?
A) Most gamers may have a disorder.
B) Too much gaming can lead to health problems.
C) Drinking alcohol is harmless to most people.
D) Over drinking can cause harmful effects.

Part Three Short Conversations (14 points)

Directions: Listen to the following 7 short conversations. Each conversation is
followed by one question. After you hear the question, there will be a
pause. During the pause, you will read the following choices and decide
which one is the best answer.
33. What happened to the man yesterday?
A) He fell sick.
B) He lost his bag.
C) He was beaten.
D) He missed his bus.
34. What do you know about the woman from the conversation?
A) She will ask for a promotion.
B) She will get a salary increase.
C) She will talk to Mr. Thomas.
D) She will join in a discussion.
35. What do we know about the woman from this conversation?
A) She likes to play tennis.
 B) She likes to watch sports.
C) She likes to play all games.
D) She likes to run with the man.
36. What does the man mean?
A) Mothers learn from each other in childcare.
B) Mothers treat their children in different ways.
C) Mothers tend to criticize what their children do.
D) Mothers make mistakes in handling their children.
37. What do you learn from this conversation?
A) Diana is still angry with the woman.
B) The woman has apologized to Diana.
C) The woman is eager to make up with Diana.
D) Diana has refused to help the woman with her job.
38. What does the man mean?
A) He is going to take a long vacation.
B) He will not continue with the project.
C) He needs another leave to get enough rest.
D) He will work on the project in a few days' time.
39. What does the woman want to do?
A) Go shopping. B) Go to the lake.
C) Go for a drive. D) Go picnicking.

Part Four Long Conversations (24 points)

Directions: Listen to 3 long conversations and choose the best answer to each of the
following questions.
Conversation1
40. Why hasn’t the man started studying?
A) Because he is preparing for the 2nd term final.
 B) Because he is getting up early for work.
C) Because he is having a break after the exam.
D) Because he is trying something new this term.
41. What is the man’s attitude towards study?
A) He studies in order to satisfy himself.
B) He studies in order to get a scholarship.
C) He studies in order to get good grades.
D) He studies for fun.
42. What will the woman do to help the man?
A) She will give him more suggestions.
B) She will make a timetable for him.
C) She will help him with his studying.
D) She will do exercises with him.
43. What is the conversation mainly about?
A) The benefits of self-discipline.
B) The benefits of living a happy life.
C) The importance of time.
D) The importance of a daily routine.
Conversation2
44. What are the man and woman talking about?
A) Loneliness. B) Anxiety.
C) Depression. D) Emotional problems.
45. Which age group suffers most from loneliness?
A) 16 to 24-year-olds. B) 26 to 34-year-olds.
C) 56 to 64-year-olds. D) 66 to 74-year-olds.
46. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a reason why young people are
getting lonely these days?
A) They are trying to understand the world.
B) They are trying to figure out what to do with their lives.
C) They are going through a time of identity change.
 D) They haven't yet learned how to control their emotions..
47. What is the possible relationship between the man and the woman?
A) Teacher and student. B) Husband and wife
C) Radio host and hostess. D) Employer and employee.
Conversation3
48. What are the two speakers talking about?
A) How to educate girls in school.
B) How to understand girls' education.
C) Why girls in developing countries drop out of school.
D) Why boys learn better than girls in primary school.
49. Which of the following factors does NOT contribute to girls dropping out of
school?
A) Early marriages. B) Early childbirth.
C) Traffic accidents. D) Diseases.
50. Who should help to get more girls in school?
A) Governments B) Communities.
C) Families. D) Charity.
51. What is the key to a better future?
A) Community. B) Health.
C) The economy. D) Education.

Part Five Passages (18 points)

Directions: Listen to 3 passages and choose the best answer to each of the following
questions.

Passage 1
52. What is the passage mainly about?
A) Should school ban the use of mobile phones.
B) Should teachers use phones in class.
 C) Should students have mobile phones.
D) Should parents buy phones for their children.
53. How much does the cellphone lock-up equipment cost?
A) $2,000 a year for a school.
B) $12 a year for a student.
C) $2,018 a year for a school.
D) $15 a year for a student.
54. Who is Brian Toth?
A) He is a salesman of a cellphone company in a small district.
B) He is a student growing up with a cellphone in a small district.
C) He is an administrator of education in a small district.
D) He is a parent of a student from a small district. .

Passage 2
55. What’s the main idea of the passage?
A) People debate whether video games are good or bad.
B) Video games can have positive effects on people’s brains.
C) Video games are viewed as violent and a waste of time.
D) Playing video games can improve people’s memory.
56. What do we learn about the dyslexic children playing regular video games?
A) They have improved memory.
B) They are better at strategic planning.
C) They have improved fine motor skills.
D) They have improved attention skills.
57. What suggestion does the speaker offer to gamers at the end of the passage?
A) Play more video games and get smarter.
B) Quit video games in favour of outdoors activities.
C) Relax by playing games in your spare time.
D) Keep a balance between gaming and outdoors activities.
Passage 3
58. How can students engage actively in class according to the passage?
A) Turn in homework in time.
B) Actively participate in discussions.
C) Ask as many questions as possible.
D) Use as little body language as possible.
59. What do we learn about office hours?
A) Office hours are only for those who succeed in class.
B) Office hours are only for those who are behind.
C) Your professor prefers sitting there alone during office hours.
D) You should feel free to attend office hours more than once.
60. Why should you learn to form your own opinions?
A) Because you are responsible for your own choices and actions.
B) Because other people’s opinions are different from yours.
C) Because otherwise you’ll get confused by your coursework.
D) Because it’s the only way to get good grades.