Section B
Directions: In this section, you will hear 3 short 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 2 with a single line through the center。
Passage One
The American Civil War began on April 12, 1861 in South Carolina. The war took more than 600,000 lives, destroyed property valued at $5 billion and brought freedom to 4 million black slaves。
In November, 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected the 16th President of the United States. Since Lincoln had become well known throughout the country for his anti-slavery views, his election caused a panic among the slave owners in the South. Early in February, 1861, seven states that seceded from the Union formed the Confederate States of America, with Jefferson Davis as President. So shortly after Lincoln had taken office, it was decided by his Cabinet that the Union was to be kept by force。
The war went on for 4 bitter years, with ups and downs on both sides. In manpower, wealth, and resources, the North was much stronger. The south, however, had better generals and a better military position. So, the first two years of the Civil war went badly for the North. It was not until the summer of 1863 that the Union troops began to win decisive victories on the battlefields. On July 1, 1863, the Confederates met the Union army at the little town of Gettysburg in southern Pennsylvania. After three days of fighting, the southern forces weakened and were forced to retreat. The Battle of Gettysburg has been called the turning point of the war. Finally the Confederate army had to surrender, ending the war in May, 1865. As a result of the war, slavery was abolished and the Union was kept。
Questions 26 to 28 are based on the passage you have just heard。
26. How much property was destroyed in the war?
27. Why did the election of Lincoln cause a panic among the slave owners?
28. What is regarded as the turning point of the war?
Passage Two
During World War II, Great Britain and the United States tried to deal with the problem of an international agreement on money. The two countries tried to set up a formal system that everyone would use to exchange money between countries. The system they set up is usually called the Bretton Woods System. The system got this name from the town in New Hampshire in the United States where the international agreement was signed. The Bretton Woods Agreement was signed in 1944. When it was signed, it seemed to be a good system。
The Bretton Woods Agreement had two main parts. The first part concerned exchange rates. All of the countries that signed the agreement promised to regulate their exchange rates. The countries promised not to change their exchange rates too often. This was a very important part of the agreement. It helped to stabilize the international finance system. The second part of the Bretton Woods Agreement concerned a currency fund. The fund was supposed to help countries that needed currency. All the countries contributed some of their currency to the fund. They could borrow the necessary currency from the fund. This helped all of the member countries to do business with each other. This second part of the agreement was called the International Monetary Fund。
Questions 29 to 31 are based on the passage you have just heard。
29. How did the Bretton Woods System get its name?
30. What did countries that signed the agreement promise to do?
31. Who contributed money to the International Monetary Fund?
Passage Three
A good way to see the USA is by car. Americans love their automobiles and in the past fifty years they have developed a vast network of roads and freeways to help them reach their destinations。
As few visitors have their own cars, renting one is the next best thing. You will need a valid driver's license and either international credit cards, or a deposit。
You should start out with a working knowledge of the road. Regulations vary from state to state and this can be very confusing to a newcomer. For example, in some states it is legal to turn right at a red light if there is no approaching traffic, while in other states you will be fined for this action. Throughout the country it is forbidden to pass a school bus when it has stopped to let off children。
The size of the country may startle you at first and you may be surprised at the spectacular physical beauty. When the first pioneers began to expand west into the wildness, the natural resources of the land seemed inexhaustible. Nearly 1,000 million acres of land was covered by virgin forest. Much of this was burnt off for farmland and it soon became apparent that the government would have to take action or the natural beauty of the land would be lost forever。
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