Section B
Directions: In this section, you will hear two passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1with a single line through the centre.

Passage One

In today’s personality stakes, nothing is more highly valued than a sense of humor. We seek it out in others and are proud to claim it in ourselves, perhaps even more than good looks or intelligence. If someone has a great sense of humor, we reason, it means that they are happy, socially confident and have a healthy perspective on life.

This attitude would have surprised the ancient Greeks, who believed humor to be essentially aggressive. And in fact, our admiration for the comically gifted is relatively new, and not very well-founded, says Rod Martin, a psychologist at the University of Western Ontario. Being funny isn’t necessarily an indicator of good social skills and well-being, his research has shown. It may just as likely be a sign of personality flaws.

He has found that humor is a double-edged sword. It can forge better relationships and help you cope with life, or it can be corrosive, eating away at self-esteem and irritating others. “It’s a form of communication, like speech, and we all use it differently,” says Martin. We use bonding humor to enhance our social connections, but we also may employ it as a way of excluding or rejecting an outsider.

Though humor is essentially social, how you use it says a lot about your sense of self. Those who use self-defeating humor, making fun of themselves for the enjoyment of others, tend to maintain that hostility toward themselves even when alone. Similarly, those who are able to view the world with amused tolerance are often equally forgiving of their own shortcomings.

Questions 9 to 11 are based on the passage you have just heard.

9. How do people today view humor according to the speaker?
10. What did the ancient Greeks think of humor?
11. What has psychologist Rod Martin found about humor?

Passage Two (female voice)

And now, if you’ll walk this way, ladies and gentlemen, the next room we’re going to see is the room in which the family used to hold their formal dinner parties and even occasionally entertain heads of state and royalty. However, they managed to keep this room friendly and intimate and I think you’ll agree it has a very informal atmosphere, quite unlike some grand houses you visit. The curtains were never drawn, even at night, so guests got a view of the lake and fountains outside, which were lit up at night. A very attractive sight.

As you can see, ladies and gentlemen, the guests were seated very informally around this oval table, which would add to the relaxed atmosphere. The table dates from the eighteenth century and is made of Spanish oak. It’s rather remarkable for the fact that although it is extremely big, it’s supported by just six rather slim legs. However, it seems to have survived like that for two hundred years, so it’s probably going to last a bit longer. The chairs which go with the table are not a complete set—there were originally six of them. They are interesting for the fact that they are very plain and undecorated for the time, with only one plain central panel at the back and no arm-rests. I myself find them rather uncomfortable to sit in for very long, but people were used to more discomfort in the past.

And now, ladies and gentlemen, if you’d like to follow me into the Great Hall …

Questions 12 to 15 are based on the passage you have just heard.
12. What do we learn about the speaker?
13. What does the speaker say about the room they are visiting?
14. What is said about the oval table in the room?
15. What does the speaker say about the chairs?

Section C

Directions: In this section, you will hear recordings of lectures or talks followed by some questions. The recordings will be played only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.

Now listen to the following recording and answer questions 16 to 19.

Moderator:
Hello Ladies and Gentleman, it gives me great pleasure to introduce our keynote speaker for today’s session, Dr. Howard Miller. Dr. Miller, Professor of Sociology at Washington University, has written numerous articles and books on the issues facing older Americans in our graying society for the past 15 years.?

Dr. Miller:
Thank you for that introduction. Today, I’d like to preface my remarks with a story from my own life which I feel highlights the common concerns that bring us here together. Several years ago when my grandparents were well into their eighties, they were faced with the reality of no longer being able to adequately care for themselves. My grandfather spoke of his greatest fear, that of leaving the only home they had known for the past 60 years. Fighting back the tears, he spoke proudly of the fact that he had built their home from the ground up, and that he had pounded every nail and laid every brick in the process. The prospect of having to sell their home and give up their independence, and move into a retirement home was an extremely painful experience for them. It was, in my grandfather’s own words, like having a limb cut off. He exclaimed in a forceful manner that he felt he wasn’t important anymore.

For them and some older Americans, their so-called “golden years” are at times not so pleasant, for this period can mean the decline of not only one’s health but the loss of identity and self-worth. In many societies, this self-identity is closely related with our social status, occupation, material possessions, or independence. Furthermore, we often live in societies that value what is “new” or in fashion, and our own usage of words in the English language is often a sign of bad news for older Americans. I mean how would your family react if you came home tonight exclaiming, “Hey, come to the living room and see the OLD black and white TV I brought!” Unfortunately, the word “old” calls to mind images of the need to replace or discard.

Now, many of the lectures given at this conference have focused on the issues of pension reform, medical care, and the development of public facilities for senior citizens. And while these are vital issues that must be addressed, I’d like to focus my comments on an important issue that will affect the overall success of the other programs mentioned. This has to do with changing our perspectives on what it means to be a part of this group, and finding meaningful roles the elderly can play and should play in our societies.

First of all, I’d like to talk about . . .
16. What does the introduction say about Dr. Howard Miller’s articles and books?
17. What is the greatest fear of Dr. Miller’s grandfather?
18. What does Dr. Miller say the “golden years” can often mean?
19. What is the focus of Dr. Miller’s speech?