Conversation One

　　W: Why is it that some children perform better than others at school?

　　M: Obviously, certain children are brighter than others. But it is not that simple. A lot of emphasis is placed on intelligence measured by tests。

　　W: The so-called IQ tests?

　　M: Yes. Basically they are intended to test language and numerical ability, so some children are bound to suffer. This is very unfortunate. A child with an average IQ may turn out to be successful when he grows up。

　　W: What you are saying is that some children have abilities that are not easy to measure。

　　M: Exactly. If these abilities are not discovered early, they cannot be developed. That’s why there are so many unhappy parents in the world. They are not doing the things they are best at。

　　W: I see。

　　M: But at school, only those who are good with words and numbers will probably do well in exams。

　　W: Right. Is there anything a parent can do to help in this case?

　　M: Yes. In my opinion, a child should be judged on his individual talents. After all, being happy in life is putting your skills to good use, no matter what they are.

　　Questions 19 to 22 are based on the conversation you have just heard。

　　19. What is the basic purpose of IQ tests?

　　20. According to the conversation, why are there so many unhappy parents in the world?

　　21.According to the conversation, why can’t some children do well in school examinations?

　　22. Which of the following statements is true according to the conversation?

　　Conversation Two

　　W: How was this street before?

　　M: There were so many people around. We had 3 to 4 guesthouses. People from the surrounding villages came to do different businesses。

　　W: So, obviously there were more shops here. What kind of shops were they?

　　M: Any kind. That was the biggest town in this region。

　　W: When did the population start declining?

　　M: About 50 years ago, when the river to the south gradually dried up, and people began to face a serious shortage of water。

　　W: So a lot of people started to move out of this town, right?

　　M: Yes, what else could they do?

　　W: Has the local government tried to do something?

　　M: They have been trying to build this dam for 7-8 years。

　　W: If the dam is built, the situation here will be improved。

　　M: That’s what we hope for. But the local government hasn’t been able to finish it。

　　W: Why?

　　M: They said they were short of money. I really don’t know how long before the dam will be built。

　　W: Is there anything that can be done?

　　M: Nothing has been done. Without money how could one do business? I think life here will continue to be as difficult as always。

　　Questions 23 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard。

　　23. Which of the following statements is not true about the town in the past?

　　24. Why did people move out of the town?

　　25. What is the man’s attitude toward the construction of the dam?