Listening practice (24.
3)
Part 1: For questions 1-5, listen to a piece of news about which country has the best
healthcare and decide whether the following statements are True (T), False (F) or Not
Given (NG).
1. In June 2017, the United States Senate rejected a first attempt under President Donald Trump
to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
2. Spain ranked first among the top three ranking countries which countries get the most out of
their healthcare in 2016
3. In Singapore, care is provided free as this country in order to avoid wasteful use of the system.
4. Hong Kong is the country with the best and most efficient healthcare system.
5. As a country with a population of over 320 million, the US finds it difficult to implement
centralized or single payer healthcare without serious complications.
Part 2: For questions 6-10, listen to the recording about the History of Chocolate and give
short answers to the questions.
1. Who might be able to imagine life without chocolate? –
_____Those born before before the 16th century__________
2. Who thought a god gifted human beings cacao? -
_____Mesoamerican__________________________
3. What was considered a must-have in every aristocratic home? –
______Dedicated chocolate ware__________
4. Why do many major chocolate companies partner with African nations? –
______To reduce child and indentured labor pratices _____________________
5. What can chocolate be described as today? –
______sensual, decadent and forbidden_________
Part 3: For questions 11-15, listen to a talk by Doctor Jane Clark, who is one of the most
respected authorities on the technologies of ancient civilisations in the Mediterranean basin
and write the letter A, B, C, or D in the numbered boxes provided to indicate the correct
answer to each of the following questions according to what you hear.
11. What does Dr. Clark think when he compares our civilisation to that of Ancient Greece?
A. There's very little similarity because we have advanced technology.
B. Our system of knowledge and thinking is derived from the Greeks.
C. The Greeks were concerned with new things but we tend to like old ones.
D. Our civilisation could have come into existence without Ancient Greece.
12. What does Dr. Clark tell the story of the complicated bronze object for?
A. To prove that Ancient Greece was in the Bronze Age
B. To reveal that shipping was hazardous
C. To determine that important finds have been made at sea
D. To demonstrate that the technology in Ancient Greece was advanced
13. What did the strange object work by?
A. Atomic power
B. Clockwork
C. Solar energy
D. Water pressure
14. Which of the following is TRUE about the experts at the time of the 1950s?
A. They could not believe that anyone could publish a conclusion about the fragments
B. They assumed that the device was from the Middle Ages
C. They could not believe that the ancients were capable of constructing such a device
D. They ridiculed the British physicist
15. What does Dr. Clark say we should do with the knowledge that the ancients were
advanced?
A. We should use it to our advantage.
B. We should try to emulate the Ancient Greeks.
C. We should learn a lot more about ancient civilisations.
D. We should study the implications of our earlier beliefs.
Part 4: For questions 16-25, listen to a conversation and complete the following summary.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS taken from the recording for each blank.
Australia possesses a(n) 16._enviable economic record__ as it hasn’t had a recession in nearly
three decades. But the deadly wildfires raging through large parts of the country are
17.__threatening key part__ of the country’s economy. The 18.__campground___ run by
Fiona Austin is usually full in January, but tourists were ordered to evacuate, and only a few
people remain. Things are becoming so volatile and people are still unsure as to whether they
could 19.___flare up _____ again. Australia calls itself the 20._lucky country___, a nation so
fortunate in geography and natural resources that the economy has been growing steadily since
1991. The wildfires have destroyed both residences and 21._prime farmland____. Besides,
ferry service in the city’s world-famous harbor has sometimes been canceled because of
22.__poor visibility____. The Australian Open and the Tour Down Under 23._Bike races____
are mentioned as major events that may be 24.__rescheduled____. Housing prices, which have
been 25.__skyrocketing____ in recent years, have fallen to a deep low.
