Tài liệu Bulding skill for the toefl ibt transcripts part 4 pdf

Transcripts
667
P
ractice
T
est
---
L
istening
01 Campus Life
M: We don’t have nearly enough things to do for fun on campus.
Why can’t we have more plays and art fairs and dances?
W: You’re right. But did you know about the new student activity
fee?
M: So what! What’s the good of it?
W: Well, it means a lot more money for things like that.
M: You don’t think our drama club will really get any of the money,
do you?
W: Well, it could.
M: What do you mean?
W: Well, I was looking at the university web site. They’re giving $500
to each registered student organization. So, if it’s not already,
we should get our drama club registered. Then, we can ask for
$3,500 more after that! We just have to come up with a special
program.
M: Wow! Let’s do it! What is the web site again?
W: It’s the Ohio Union Activities Board. In fact, they’re looking for
student organizations right now.
M: Really! How come they have so much money?
W: Well, every new student at our university pays $15 into the
fund. It starts this year. That wouldn’t be very much money for

another couple of years, so our university president is putting in
a bunch more money. It’s coming from other programs at the
university.
M: Oh, I get it. So we can do some cool stuff with our drama club!
Remember that idea we had to do Shakespeare plays in present
day settings?
W: Yes, of course! That’s why I was looking on the website!
M: Good thinking, Sandy! How do we officially register our club?
W: There’s a form we fill out on the web site.
02 Art
M: Embroidery is today’s topic. EM-BROY-DUH-REE. What is it?
Embroidery is needlework in which designs and pictures are
created by stitching strands of some material onto a layer of
another material. Most embroidery uses strands of thread or
wool, but embroidery could use different materials, such as
wire or leather strands. Embroidery designs are usually stitched
into a woven fabric, such as blankets or carpets, but designs
can be embroidered onto many materials, including leather,
felt, and plastic.
Embroidery has traditionally been used to decorate clothing
and household furnishings such as tablecloths, towels and
bedding. But you can embroider anything as long as it is made
from an evenly woven fabric and can be held firmly in the hand
or in a special embroidery hoop.
Embroidery has also been used as an art form and for decoration.
One of the most famous embroidered artworks is called the
Bayeux Tapestry --- B-A-Y-E-U-X. It was made in England in the
year 1077. This tapestry is like a huge blanket. It’s 70 meters
long and 0.5 meters wide. It has 58 scenes that tell the story
of the events leading to the Battle of Hastings in 1066. In the

Battle of Hastings, you’ll recall, French soldiers from the region
of Normandy defeated the English army under King Harold.
The Bayeux Tapestry used wool that had been colored with
vegetable dyes. The colors of mustard yellow, olive-green, dark
brown and off-white can be found in cloth traditionally woven
in the region.
Another famous embroidered artwork is the Bradford Carpet.
It was made in England in the late 17th Century. The Bradford
Carpet covers an entire wall, but it was originally made not as
a carpet, but as a table covering. It was stitched on a canvas ---
like a painting --- and uses silk thread. We call this style Elizabethan
embroidery, in honor of Queen Elizabeth. The carpet shows
countryside life in a simple, realistic way.
There are many different embroidery styles and stitching
techniques. Unfortunately, machines embroider most of our
clothing today. Hand embroidery has become more of a hobby
than a regular occupation.
03 Health
W: We are always sweating, even when we don’t notice it. It’s the
major way that our bodies get rid of extra heat. Body heat
comes from moving or from taking in food. We sweat different
amounts at different times. When the weather is hot or if we
move a lot, we sweat more. When we have very strong
feelings, we might sweat more, too.
Inside our bodies are small things called glands. These glands
get water and other materials from our blood. They use it to
make sweat. We know that sweat is mainly water because it
feels wet. It has salt and some other materials in it, too. We all
know the salty taste of sweat.
Now, look at the picture of a sweat gland. The bottom part is

coiled. It goes around in circles. Then, it has a straight part. The
glands bring in sweat in the coiled part. Then, it moves from
the coiled part up to the straight part. There, if it’s not needed
to keep us cool, it can be taken back in again.
So, not much sweat reaches our skin when it’s cool, and that’s
a good thing, too! Can you see yourself in the winter, putting
on heavy clothing to keep warm? But there you are, sweating.
It would be very hard to get warm!
Now, when it’s hot or we are exercising --- well, that’s another
story. The glands make a lot more sweat. So, they can’t take as
much of it back in again. A lot more comes out onto our skin.
Of course, this is very good for us. As it dries, it helps us stay
cool. Can you see yourself at the gym working out --- lifting
weights maybe? How would you feel if you didn’t sweat at all?
People who live in cold places only sweat about one liter per
hour, but if they move to a hot place, their bodies change. In
about six weeks, they’ll sweat as much as two to three liters per
hour. That seems to be the most that people can sweat.
04 Biology
M
1
: Look closely at this picture. Is it a mouse or a rat?
W: It’s a mouse.
M
2
: Rat!
M
1
: How about this one?
W: Rat!

M
2
: Mouse!
M
1
: Ah! It’s hard to tell, isn’t it? The terms “mouse” and “rat” are
not scientific classifications. They’re words common people use
to distinguish these two rodents. We use “rat” to describe
medium- or large-sized rodents with long, thin tails. There are
many different kinds of rats: kangaroo rats, cotton rats, Norway
rats, black rats, pack rats, etc. We use “mouse” to describe tiny
rodents with long, thin tails. There are many different kinds of
mice: house mice, field mice, deer mice, etc. Some of these
different rodent species that we call rats and mice are closely
related, but other rodent species are not related to each other
at all!
668
Transcripts
Usually, when people refer to rats and mice they mean pet rats
and mice and pest rats and mice. This means Norway rats and
house mice. Norway rats and house mice belong to different
species. A species is a group of related individuals that can mate
and have babies. Humans and horses, for example, belong to
different species. Even though Norway rats and house rats are
different species, they are related to each other. They both
come from a common ancestor that lived millions of years ago.
The descendants of that ancestor evolved into different species.
So, how can we tell Norway rats and house mice apart? First
off, adult house mice are much smaller than adult Norway rats.
A house mouse weighs about 30 grams. Its body and tail are

both about three to four inches long. A Norway rat weighs
between 350 and 450 grams for females, and 450 to 650
grams for males. Their bodies are 9 to 11 inches long, and their
tails are seven to nine inches long. The heads of Norway rats are
heavy and chunky. The heads of house mice are triangular, with
pointed muzzles. Note, though, that Norway rats have smaller
ears relative to their heads than house mice.
Now, what’s this?
Class (in unison): Mouse!
M
1
: And this?
Class (unison): Rat!
P
ractice
T
est
---
S
peaking
Question 3
M: Wow, that’s great news. I really don’t want to go further into
debt with more student loans for next year.
W: I don’t know. I don’t like this kind of scholarship.
M: Why not? You’re an excellent student, Mary. I think you will get one.
W: Didn’t you hear? They’re not awarding them based on academic
performance. They’re awarding them based on financial need.
M: So? All university students are in financial need.
W: True, but they award this kind of scholarship based on the
income of the student’s parents, not on the grades earned by

the student.
M: I see. What do your parents do?
W: Well, my dad is just an editor, but my mom is a fairly successful
dentist. I don’t stand a chance.
M: Really? That’s a pity.
W: Not only does this kind of scholarship discriminate against
students with wealthy parents, but it rewards lazy students who
don’t work as hard. I think these scholarships should be based
on merit, not financial need.
M: I see your point, but someone has to reward lazy students like me.
Question 4
W: Good morning, class. Um, today we will be talking about the
Vikings and their drakkar, or longships. I’m sure most of you
know these ships were used over a millennium ago so the
Vikings could raid lands and steal riches, but what else do you
know about them?
Most people think these ships were only used to um, travel the
seas. This isn’t true. In fact, the drakkar ships could travel along
rivers that were only one meter deep. Can you imagine living in
a small village by a river and one of those massive ships suddenly
appearing in front of you with two hundred Viking warriors?
Pretty scary, huh?
Drakkar ships were usually owned by a nobleman because no
one else could afford to build one. The regular ships were um,
usually about 28 meters in length and had uh, about twenty or
thirty oarsmen. However, much larger ones have been found.
The biggest one ever uncovered was actually over seventy
meters long and was probably owned by a king.
Question 5
W: Hey, Paul, how are you?

M: Pretty good. I’m a little worried about the exams we have soon.
How about you?
W: Oh, I’m a bit stressed, to be honest.
M: Really? Are you worried about your exams?
W: Well, it’s because of my part-time job. My boss wants me to
work in the restaurant four weeknights each week. I just don’t
have the time, especially with the exams coming up. I don’t
know what to do. I need that job to buy books and meals.
M: Yeah, that sounds like a problem. Hmmm, I know. Why don’t
you ask your boss if you can work on the weekend instead.
That way you can study each night during the week and keep
your job at the restaurant.
W: Yeah, that’s a good idea, but I play a lot of sports on the weekend
and hang out with my friends. It’s when I like to relax.
M: I see. Well, why don’t you explain to your boss that you have
these exams coming up soon? Maybe you can just work two
weeknights. That way you have your weekend free, and you
still have your job.
W: Yeah, that’s a great idea. Thanks! I’ll say that to him tonight.
Question 6
M: Today, we’re continuing our series of lectures on the seven wonders
of the ancient world with an examination of the Hanging
Gardens of Babylon. As described by Greek historians, these
gardens were built by King Nebuchadnezzar for his wife, who
came from a land far from Mesopotamia. Now, from what
we’ve studied about the marriages of nobles, who can tell me
why Nebuchadnezzar might marry a woman from far away?
W: To help Babylon? Like to make powerful friends or trade partners
with another area.
M: Very good, Miss Andrews. That’s exactly right. So, one reason

he had these gardens built was to keep his wife happy and help
maintain Babylon’s strong relationship with her homeland. Can
anyone think of another reason he might build a great green
garden in the middle of the hot dry Middle East?
W: To impress and attract people from other cities? Like tourism?
M: That’s a good thought. I doubt it was for tourism, but I think it
was to impress and attract others. Like the giant cathedrals built by
Christians in Europe, these gardens were a show of power-- a
show of wealth that advertised the Babylon way was the right,
or at least, the powerful way. Indeed, the advertising might
have carried over to the historians who reported the gardens.
Early reports described the gardens as 400 feet by 400 feet and
as tall as 320 feet. In the late 19
th
century, however, archaeologists
excavated Babylon and found the base of the garden building
to be only 100 by 150 feet.
Transcripts
669
P
ractice
T
est
---
W
riting
M: OK, today’s topic is acupuncture. Do you all know what that is?
W: Yeah, it’s when they stick needles in your body.
M: Correct. Doctors vibrate the needles, and this relieves pain and
promotes healing. China has used acupuncture for over 2,000

years, but it wasn’t well known in America until 1971, when a
reporter for the New York Times wrote about how it helped
him recover from surgery. Today, acupuncture has become a
popular trend. People are trying it to cure everything from
toothaches to cancer. My uncle used it last year for his arthritis.
He swears it’s the greatest thing since sliced bread.
Well...maybe it is, but in truth, we don’t know exactly how
acupuncture works or why it’s effective. We also don’t know
much about the risks involved in acupuncture treatment. Some
studies have shown that acupuncture is safe --- If it’s performed
by well-trained people. Hmm. What if it’s not? In a Norwegian
survey of 197 acupuncturists, there were 132 cases of fainting,
eight cases of punctured lungs, and 26 cases where pain actually
increased after treatment. If acupuncture is performed improperly,
it can cause many different problems, including nerve damage,
infections, and hepatitis B. Acupuncturists are usually not medical
doctors. Can we trust their diagnoses? The National Council
Against Health Fraud doesn’t think so. It warns us that acupuncture
is a quote-unquote “unproven”treatment based on quote-unquote
“primitive”ideas. If you want to try it, the Council suggests you
should talk with your family doctor first.
Beginning READING
Building Skills for the TOEFL
®
iBT
ANSWER KEY
Reading Section / Listening Section / Speaking Section / Writing Section
Reading
Chapter
1

672
Answer Key
Skill A
01 Australia
1. (B) 2. (C) 3. (C)
4. The passage says that 70% live in cities near the
coast; this leaves 30% of the population.
02 Classical Music
1. (C) 2. (C) 3. (B)
4. A group of four musicians in the classical period
would most likely play chamber music.
03 Chemical Equations
1. (C) 2. (D) 3. (A)
4. will vary
04 Wilderness First Aid
1. (C) 2. (B) 3. (D)
4. something for cuts, medicine for bites/pain, a first
aid book
05 Pottery
1. (C) 2. (D) 3. (C)
4. Grind it into fine powder; Let it dry
Skill B
01 Baseball
1. (C) 2. (A) 3. (A)
4. How baseball is different from most sports
02 Biographies
1. (B) 2. (B) 3. (A)
4. will vary
03Geology
1. (B) 2. (C) 3. (B)

4. Geology is a young branch of science.
04 Milk
1. (B) 2. (D) 3. (B)
4. (B) How and when milk became an important
food for people.
05 Exposure
1. (C) 2. (B) 3. (D)
4. (A) Why? B only states the topic of the
second paragraph, while A combines the
topics of both paragraphs.
Skill C
01 Learning Vocabulary
1. (A) 2. (D) 3. (C)
4. (B) Why? The word “transportation” is used as an
example of how to use word parts to increase
vocabulary; increasing vocabulary is the main
idea of the reading.
02Polar Regions
1. (B) 2. (A) 3. (D)
4. (A) Why? Sentence A expresses the main idea of
the paragraph, while sentence B only expresses
one detail.
03 The United Nations
1. (B) 2. (B) 3. (D)
4. The pronouns “him” and “her” give the clue. It
should come after mentioning the secretary.
04Television
1. (C) 2. (B) 3. (C)
4. (A) Why? Choice A is best because it deals with
information already introduced in the

reading; choice B would disrupt the
coherence of the reading by introducing a
new idea, the Internet.
05 Sunlight
1. (A) 2. (B) 3. (B)
4. (A) Why? Choice A could be removed because it
does not give us information about the parts
of sunlight, which is the main topic of the
reading. Choice B does give information
about one part of sunlight.