M: [23]Some decades ago my mother was replaced by a computer. Her job was pressing buttons on a machine to work out electricity bills. In my generation I am faced with just how far this growth of technology will go in replacing not just jobs but more fundamental aspects of being human. W: A Deloitte report published today suggests that 60% of jobs here in the North East are at medium to high risk of being replaced by robots and artificial intelligence. Yet the implications are complex. [24]Brynjolfsson and McAfee in The Second Machine Age argue that while some jobs will disappear, others will be created and some existing jobs will become more valuable. This plot is extremely important for education, training and financial sustainability. M: But are there wider implications for spirituality? Will these intelligent machines become conscious and what might this mean for our self-understanding of what it means to be human? W: Here we need to be careful in navigating the complex relationship of science and science fiction. An almost inevitable emergence of human-like consciousness in artificial intelligence has been presented in a TV program. Yet the science is still uncertain about this possibility, even if the fiction poses useful questions. Equally, those who categorically rule it out by asserting that human beings will always be unique because of a mysterious soul need to take the rate of scientific advance seriously. There are of course no intelligent machines in the Bible but it does have a lot to say on what it means to be human and created in the image of God. Human beings are created for community, and within that given the gifts of intimate relationship with God, responsibility and creativity—which for me includes the gift of science. In the New Testament the image of God is seen supremely in Jesus, showing that at the heart of being human is love. M: My mother found more fulfillments with children as a school dinner lady rather than typing rows of figures. [25]I welcome intelligent machines taking away the hard and routine part in work, but also want to engage in the discussion of how we structure our world so that all can experience what it means to be fully human. And if the intelligent machines which come from our God given creativity eventually emerge as self-aware and with a capacity to love, then why should they not be loved by God? Questions 23 to 25 are based on the recording you have just heard. 23. What happened to the man’s mother some decades ago? 24. What is mentioned in The Second Machine Age? 25. What is the man’s attitude to intelligent machines? She found her first job working with a computer. She lost her job owing to the use of computers. She was electric-shocked when pressing a button. She was replaced by an intelligent robot at work.

W: Good evening! Welcome to our program. Our guest today is Mr. Tennant, who had the experiences of studying abroad for seven years and then returning back home. Well, Mr. Tennant, do you think going abroad was the hard part? M: I don’t think so, but returning back home was really hard. W: Why? M: Well, for many students, [5]/[8]returning back to their home countries can be a very confusing experience called Re-entry Shock. W: [8]Re-entry Shock! That sounds quite interesting. Can you explain it? M: For example, many students who come to the UK experience freedom they have never enjoyed in their country. W: Sure, [6]such as freedom from family, from cultural norms they didn’t like and freedom from the pressures of working in a real job. M: However, too much freedom and unstructured life can lead to other problems. Students sometimes skip classes, stay out late, and engage in activities that their family and culture might not approve of, but students want to enjoy “freedom” while it lasts. W: So when students return back to their countries, they can struggle with fitting back into the cultural norms and family expectations of the past. M: Yes, naturally, depression is possible and a loss of self can be resulted. W: What can be done to minimize this Re-entry Shock? M: First of all, keep in contact with your family and friends while you are abroad. They will be your first source of advice and support once you return. W: What else? M: Second, [7]have a clear plan of what you will do when you return. Start looking for a job now or apply to enter a school months before you return. Re-entry Shock can be greatest when you have nothing to do when you return. Questions 5 to 8 are based on the conversation you have just heard. 5. What can be really hard for students studying abroad according to the man? 6. What freedom can students enjoy in the UK according to the conversation? 7. What should students do when they return from abroad according to the man? 8. What are the two speakers talking about? Studying in a foreign environment. Living far away from family. Returning back to home country. Fitting into a foreign culture.

We all scream for water when thirsty. [9]But do you know in very hot, dry weather, plants also make faint sounds—as if they are crying out for help? You see, in a plant’s stem, there are hundreds of water pipes that bring water and minerals from the soil all the way up to the leaves. As the ground turns dry, it becomes harder and harder for the plants to do this. In severe droughts, plants have to fight to pull out any water available. Scientist Robert Winter has found out that when it is really bad, their water pipes snap from the tension like rubber bands. When that happens, the whole plant vibrates a little. The snapping pipes make noises 10,000 times more quiet than a whisper. Robert knows that healthy, well-watered plants are quiet. [10]He also knows that many insects prefer attacking dry plants rather than healthy plants. How do the insects know which are healthy plants and which are not? Robert thinks that the insects may listen for the plants that cry. And then they may buzz in to kill. To test this theory, Robert is using a device that can imitate plant cries. He attaches it to a quiet, healthy plant so the plant sounds thirsty. Then he watches the insects to see if they attack more often than usual. If he is right, scientists could use the insects’ ability against them. [11]They could build traps that imitate crying plants, so when the insects buzz in to eat, they won’t buzz out. Questions 9 to 11 are based on the passage you have just heard. 9. What do plants do when they are thirsty? 10. What plants do many insects tend to attack? 11. What could scientists do if Robert’s theory proves to be true? They extend their water pipes. They give out faint cries. They make noises to drive away insects. They become elastic like rubber bands.

[19]I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. I never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is the closest I’ve ever gotten to a college graduation. Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That’s it. No big deal. Just three stories. The first story is about connecting the dots. I dropped out of Reed College after the first 6 months, but then stayed around as a drop-in for another 18 months or so before I really quit. So why did I drop out? It started before I was born. My biological mother was a young, unmarried college graduate student, and she decided to put me up for adoption. She felt very strongly that I should be adopted by college graduates, so everything was all set for me to be adopted at birth by a lawyer and his wife. Except that when I popped out they decided at the last minute that they really wanted a girl. So my parents, who were on a waiting list, got a call in the middle of the night asking: “We have an unexpected baby boy; do you want him?” They said: “Of course.” My biological mother later found out that [20]my mother had never graduated from college and that my father had never graduated from high school. She refused to sign the final adoption papers. She only agreed a few months later when my parents promised that I would someday go to college. And 17 years later I did go to college. But I naively chose a college that was almost as expensive as Stanford, and all of my working-class parents’ savings were being spent on my college tuition. After six months, [21]I couldn’t see the value in it. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to help me figure it out. And here I was spending all of the money my parents had saved their entire life. [21]So I decided to drop out and trust that it would all work out OK. It was pretty scary at the time, but looking back it was one of the best decisions I ever made. The minute I dropped out I could stop taking the required classes that didn’t interest me, and begin dropping in on the ones that looked interesting. [22]It wasn’t all romantic. I didn’t have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in my friends’ rooms, I returned coke bottles for the deposits to buy food with. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. I have always wished that for myself. And now, I wish that for you. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. Questions 19 to 22 are based on the recording you have just heard. 19. Where did the speaker make the speech? 20. Who adopted the speaker when he was born? 21. Why did the speaker quit college? 22. What was the speaker’s life like after he quit college? At a commencement of a first-class college. At a freshmen orientation in a college. At a recruitment presentation in a college. At a college speech competition.

W: And when did you begin this sort of work? M: Let’s see now... um. Yes, six years ago this March. W: And you enjoy it? M: Oh yes, very much. [2]It is very tiring with long hours on the job, sometimes... uh... as much as 12 hours. Well uh, but it’s exciting to meet people from all over the world. It really is. W: What exactly do you do? M: Well, [1]I take tourists to the famous places in the city, tell them the history of the places, talk about why they’re famous. But, uh, there’s the other side. W: What do you mean? M: Well, you know, when foreigners come to this country, things are very different. So, it is my job to give them advice, help them with problems, and make them feel comfortable. W: And what special qualifications are necessary for people who want to be in this profession? M: Well, they have to enjoy meeting new people. And they must take special courses in the history of the city and things like that. W: And do you have to know foreign languages? M: Yes, that’s a must. Otherwise, a tour company can use you only for the groups that speak English. [3]And most of the tourists come from South America. W: [3]South America. I see. So they speak Spanish? M: That’s right, Spanish. And my company will hire only people who speak at least two foreign languages. W: And you? How many languages do you speak? M: Me? [4]I speak three. Spanish, French, and Italian. W: Three languages? Then I can see why your work is so easy for you. Questions 1 to 4 are based on the conversation you have just heard. 1. What job does the man take? 2. What is the disadvantage of the man’s job? 3. What do we know about the man’s company? 4. What can we learn about the man? An interpreter. A foreign language teacher. A tour guide. A journalist.

The world’s smartest adolescents in mathematics and science are in Singapore, according to a global survey of educational achievement. In the 3rd International Mathematics and Science Study, 13-year-olds from Singapore achieved the best scores in standardized tests of maths and science that were administered to 287,896 students in 41 countries. The survey suggests that science and maths education is especially strong in the Far East. [12]While well behind those top scores, students from Australia earned higher marks in maths than their counterparts in England, who in turn did better than American students. The study collected information on the students, teachers and homes. Not surprisingly, [13]the highest-scoring students had well-educated parents or came from homes containing study aids such as computers, dictionaries or even such elemental facilities as desks. The study shows that boys did generally better than girls in science, but there was little difference between them in maths. [15]Boys scored better than girls in physics and chemistry. There were no sex differences in the life and environmental sciences. In addition to being tested, students in the project were asked how proficient they thought they were in maths and science. [14]Students in some countries, such as Columbia and Kuwait, had an overly optimistic view of their skills. Meanwhile, some of the best students from Japan and Korea for example were needlessly pessimistic even though they did far better in maths than almost all the other students. Questions 12 to 15 are based on the passage you have just heard. 12. Of the 4 groups of students, who scored the lowest in maths according to the survey? 13. What kind of students are most likely to become top scorers? 14. In what way do Columbian students differ from Japanese students? 15. In which subject did boys score higher than girls? Students from America. Students from England. Students from Australia. Students from Japan.

[16]Leonard Bernstein said that to achieve great things, you need a plan and not quite enough time. Isn’t that true? So what do you think happens when you pat a twentysomething on the head and you say, “You have 10 extra years to start your life”? Nothing happens. You have robbed that person of his urgency and ambition, and absolutely nothing happens. And then every day, smart, interesting twentysomethings like you or like your sons and daughters come into my office and say things like this: “I know my boyfriend’s no good for me, but this relationship doesn’t count. I’m just killing time.” Or they say, “Everybody says as long as I get started on a career by the time I’m 30, I’ll be fine.” But then it starts to sound like this: “My 20s are almost over, and I have nothing to show for myself. I had a better résumé the day after I graduated from college.” And then it starts to sound like this: “Dating in my 20s was like musical chairs. [17]Everybody was running around and having fun, but then sometime around 30 it was like the music turned off and everybody started sitting down. I didn’t want to be the only one left standing up, so sometimes I think I married my husband because he was the closest chair to me at 30.” Where are the twentysomethings here? Do not do that. Okay, make no mistake, the stakes are very high. When a lot has been pushed to your 30s, there is enormous thirtysomething pressure to jump-start a career, pick a city, and have two or three kids in a much shorter period of time. Many of these things are incompatible, simply harder and more stressful to do all at once in our 30s. [18]The midlife crisis in the 21st century isn’t buying a red sports car. It’s realizing you can’t have that career you now want. It’s realizing you can’t have that child you now want. Too many thirtysomethings and fortysomethings look at themselves, and at me, sitting across the room, and say about their 20s, “What was I doing? What was I thinking?” Questions 16 to 18 are based on the recording you have just heard. 16. What did Leonard Bernstein say about achieving great things? 17. What do the twentysomethings usually do? 18. What is the midlife crisis in the 21st century according to the speaker? A plan should not be made until you are 30. A plan of ten years of time is the key to success. A plan is necessary but not a lot of time. A plan needs a lot of time to carry out.