2015 EL SA2 P3 Ans

English Language Listening Comprehension Examination Secondary 4 Express (SA2) 2015 Instructions to candidates. (CD Duration: 45 mins) (byeileeneditedbykrtc/2nd) Answer all questions. Write your answers in the spaces provided on the Question Paper. You may take notes as you listen to the recording. Part 1 　 You will hear three different extracts. For questions 1 to 6, tick the answer (A, B, C or D) which fits best according to what you hear. There are two questions for each extract. You will hear each extract twice. Extract 1 Text for Questions 1 and 2 (Listen to extract 1 again) Extract 2 F I am so glad that the office has a good bicycle parking area. I plan to cycle to work two to three times a week, starting from next week. I was afraid to do it previously because the office didn’t have a proper parking area. I didn’t want my precious bicycle to get stolen! M Good for you! One of my close colleagues cycles twice a week. He leaves his home just after 7am. He claims it’s a pleasant ride because there is minimal traffic at that time going into the Central Business District. F There are even shower facilities in Asia Square Tower 1. I plan to shower in my gym. M Maybe I should go and buy a bicycle too. It will be good exercise and a stress reliever. What’s more. There are several park connectors I can use from home. F Remember to buy a good helmet when you purchase your bicycle. Consider your budget carefully too. M I was horrified to hear my colleague’s bicycle cost $5000! Can’t a good bicycle be bought for less money? F Of course! Bicycles can be as cheap as sixty dollars! I can help you if you

Text for Questions 3 and 4 (Listen to extract 2 again) Extract 3 Text for Questions 5 and 6 (Listen to extract 3 again) F I have been having chest pains recently. I have visited the doctor and he tells me there seems to be nothing physically wrong with me. He believes it is stress related! M Have you been extremely stressed and anxious at work recently? F Yes, I have. I had some important deadlines to meet in the past two months. I was working long hours at the office and at home. Now that I think about it, my chest pains started at about the same time. M Actually, I read about this because my father was going through it last year. There is an imbalance in your body’s subconscious nervous system. As a result of your anxiety and stress going out of control, you are suffering from an anxiety condition called hyperventilation – this shallow quick breathing is probably what you are experiencing as chest pains. F Oh dear, is there a cure for it? M There is a natural anti-anxiety drug you can take. I can’t remember its name but you may want to consult your doctor first. However, it is better if you Slovakia’s High Tatra Mountains, which form a natural border between Slovakia and Poland, are reknown for a myriad of winter sports. The mountain range is 53 kilometres and the width is about thirty kilometres. Tourists flock to the area for the breath-taking views and because it is an economical place to ski. The place is so cold that the water in the lake freezes to form clear ice. A hiker, Tomas Nunuk, posted a video that went viral, where it appears he is walking on water. Meteorologist Meghan Mussoline, explains that clear ice is two times as strong as white ice. Since the whole region experiences low temperatures from the middle of November, it is not surprising that the clear ice formed is thick and strong enough for people to walk on. Snow blankets the higher slopes for seven or more months in the year. The mountain range is home to 10,000 plant and animal species. There are deciduous riparian-type forests, beach wood forests and some pine trees. There are also spruce and fir forests, rowanberry and Swiss stone pines. The brown bear, chamois, alpine marmot, lynx and golden eagle are some of the mountain’s famous inhabitants.

Part 2 You will hear six short recordings. In each recording, a citizen shares what he or she loves about the eco-city he or she lives in. For questions 7 -12 choose from the list (A-G) why the citizens enjoy living in their particular eco-city. There is one extra letter which you do not need to use. DO NOT USE ANY LETTER MORE THAN ONCE. You will hear the six recordings twice.

Texts for Questions 7 to 12 (Listen to the 6 recordings again) Part 3 You will hear a recording on the use of social media and its effect on young people. Speaker 1 I love I love living in Vancouver. With its towering mountains, residents have a concrete daily reminder that they have a responsibility to protect the environment. Granville Island, which I live close to, was developed with eco-living in mind and I thoroughly enjoy its public market and art studios. There is a wonderful network of bicycle routes that encourages people to use bicycles and electric scooters. Speaker 2 Few would associate Brazil with great environmental awareness, yet Curitiba, a southern city, enjoys one of the purest air in South America. It has an elaborate rapid transit bus system which began operation in the 1960s. I take the bus to work every day. In the 1980s, the city developed an outstanding recycling programme. The city has grand plans for a metro system and expanding the existing bicycle routes. Speaker 3 Copenhagen enjoys being ranked as Europe’s greenest city. The carbon dioxide emissions of the city are extremely low in spite of its enormous size. Accessible public transportation and the fact that more than half of its residents use a bicycle to commute ensure that the city remains green. We are avid about recycling and composting, believing firmly in our responsibility to take care of nature. Speaker 4 In S In San Francisco, we are extremely concerned about our food production. We endeavour to consume food produced close by. Local farms are well supported. Many neighbourhoods have distinctive farmers’ markets. We boast a 77% recycling rate, one of the highest in the world. The city enforces that normal refuse should be separated from materials that can be recycled or composted. Speaker 5 Capetown is South Africa’s second largest city but that has not stopped it from making great progress in energy conservation. They use energy from South Africa’s first commercial wind farm. By 2020, it has the lofty ambition of getting 10% of its energy from renewable resources. While cycling is popular, locals are also eating more local produce. Many even have their own vegetables in their gardens and utilize solar energy in their homes. Speaker 6 Adelaide is a lovely city to live in and is home to the first solar-powered bus in the world, the Tindo. There is even wireless internet and air-conditioning on board. In our effort to be green, our market has successfully recycled more than 85% of its waste. To promote sustainable development, many buildings have solar panels. You can even hire a bicycle

For Question 13, choose from the list (A-F) four pieces of information which are stated or implied in the recording. Put a tick (√ ) for each piece of information. No marks will be awarded if you tick more than four pieces of information. You will hear the recording twice. Text for Question 13 (Listen to the text again) Social media has invaded our lives. Sites like Facebook and MySpace may appeal to the individual’s narcissistic side. However they can also be utilised by professionals. They may be a good avenue to form networks and even provide business opportunities. Finding a contractor for your house may be easier with a simple post for recommendations on your social media site. Friends and family members may easily give recommendations, include comments and useful reviews. On the flip side, cyber- bullying can be multiplied. Personal information is also too readily disclosed. Many youths are unaware of dangers like identity theft or co