Long Conversations

　　Conversation 1

　　M: I got two letters this morning with job offers, one from the Polytechnic, and the other from the Language School in Pistoia, Italy.

　　W: So you are not sure which to go for?

　　M: That's it. Of course, the conditions of work are very different: The Polytechnic is offering two-year contract which could be renewed, but the language school is only offering a year's contract, and that's a different minus. It could be renewed, but you never know.

　　W: I see. So it's much less secure. But you don't need to think too much about steady jobs when you are only 23.

　　M: That's true.

　　W: What about the salaries?

　　M: Well, the Pistoia job pays much better in the short term. I'll be getting the equivalent of about ￡22,000 a year there, but only ￡20,000 at the Polytechnic. But then the hours are different. At the Polytechnic I'd have to do 35 hours a week, 20 teaching and 15 administration, whereas the Pistoia school is only asking for 30 hours teaching.

　　W: Mmm…

　　M: Then the type of teaching is so different. The Polytechnic is all adults and mostly preparation for exams like the Cambridge certificates. The Language School wants me to do a bit of exam preparation, but also quite a lot of work in companies and factories, and a couple of children's classes. Oh, and a bit of literature teaching.

　　W: Well, that sounds much more varied and interesting. And I'd imagine you would be doing quire a lot of teaching outside the school, and moving around quite a bit.

　　M: Yes, whereas with the Polytechnic position, I'd be stuck in the school all day.

　　Questions 19 to 21 are based on the conversation you have just heard:

　　Q19. What do we learn about the man from the conversation?

　　Q20. What do we learn about the students at the Polytechnic?

　　Q21. What does the woman think of the job at the Language School?

　　Conversation 2

　　W: Good evening and welcome to tonight's edition of Legendary Lives. Our subject this evening is James Dean, actor and hero for the young people of his time. Edward Murray is the author of a new biography of Dean. Good evening, Edward.

　　M: Hello Tina.

　　W: Edward, tell us what you know about Dean's early life.

　　M: He was born in Indiana in 1931, but his parents moved to California when he was five. He wasn't there long though because his mother passed away just four years later. Jimmy's father sent him back to Indiana after that to live with his aunt.

　　W: So how did he get into acting?

　　M: Well, first he acted in plays at high school, then he went to college in California where he got seriously into acting. In 1951 he moved to New York to do more stage acting.

　　W: Then when did his movie career really start?

　　M: 1955. His first starring role was in East of Eden. It was fabulous. Dean became a huge success. But the movie that really made him famous was his second one, Rebel Without a Cause, that was about teenagers who felt like they didn't fit into society.

　　W: So how many more movies did he make?

　　M: Just one more, then he died in that car crash in California in 1955.

　　W: What a tragedy! He only made three movies! So what made him the legend he still is today?

　　M: Well I guess his looks, his acting ability, his short life, and maybe the type of character he played in his movies. Many young people saw him as a symbol of American youths.

　　Q22 What is the woman doing?

　　Q23 Why did James Dean move back to Indiana when he was young?

　　Q24 What does the man say James Dean did at college in California?

　　Q25 What do we know about James Dean from the conversation?

　　2010年12月英語六級成績查詢