13 . Woman: Why won’t you let Heather find herself? You can’t make her decisions forever. Man: I’m just not ready to let go, to admit that she’s an adult now. Woman: Well she is, and I think she is ready to show it. Narrator: What does the woman suggest that the man do? 14 . Man: I need to talk to you. I’m going into the hospital for a few days. You’ll need to take over management. Woman: Oh, I’m sorry. Sure, I’ll be happy to help. But I hope you will return as good as ever very soon. Man: I’m optimistic. But I know you’ll take care of things one way or the other. Narrator: What do the speakers mean? 15 . Man: Don’t bring up the topic we discussed last night while Jeff is here. He doesn’t agree with the decision at all. Woman: I’d like to hear his point of view. The subject isn’t closed yet. Man: You’ll be sorry. Narrator: What does the man mean about Jeff? Practice Test I Part A CD A, Track 2 1. Man: I thought you had already been accepted at the university. Woman: If I had I certainly wouldn’t be still submitting applications. But I’m not giving up yet. 380 CliffsTestPrep TOEFL CBT For more material and information, please visit Tai Lieu Du Hoc at www.tailieuduhoc.org Man: There’s still plenty of time. Narrator: What does the woman mean? 2. Woman: I haven’t been able to decide which class to take. The topics in basic linguistics are interesting, but I don’t care for the professor. Man: Why not take the literature class? Professor Stafford is teaching it. Woman: Is she really? That’s an idea. Narrator: What will the woman probably do? 3. Woman: This computer, which has the most RAM and speed of all the products, also has a good price. Man: I’m not sure. I don’t recognize the brand name. Woman: It’s manufactured by the same company as this one, but it’s sold under a different name. Narrator: What does the woman suggest that the man do? 4. Man: I was wondering what happened to the application I submitted to build a fence in my backyard. Woman: The architectural control committee was disbanded by the board, so there is nobody to approve it. You’ll need to wait till the next election. Man: I think the rules will allow me to consider it approved since it hasn’t been disallowed. Narrator: What does the man mean? 5. Man: You don’t seem pleased. Woman: I can’t believe my advisor told me to drop trigonometry. I haven’t had a chance yet to show that I can do it. Man: Well, you don’t have to do what your advisor says. It’s just advice, isn’t it? Narrator: What is the woman’s problem? 381 Appendix: On the CDs For more material and information, please visit Tai Lieu Du Hoc at www.tailieuduhoc.org 6. Woman: This computer has received good reviews, hasn’t it? Man: It used to. But lately it’s been looked down upon. Service is the issue, I think. Woman: That’s the most important thing of all. Narrator: What does the man mean? 7. Woman: I haven’t seen you at the gym lately. Are you still working out? Man: I’ve been out of town a lot, and I’m really out of shape. Woman: It’s not too late to get back into it. Narrator: What does the man mean? 8. Man: I saw a program last night about mummies found in very cold or very dry areas, like high mountains. It was unbelievable. Woman: I thought mummies were created intentionally. Man: Me too, but these were created naturally with the protection from the elements caused by the extreme cold or extreme dryness. Narrator: What are the speakers talking about? 9. Woman: Never before have I been so insulted. I’m not going to buy any car from them. Man: What happened? I thought he explained things okay. Woman: He paid no attention to me and only looked at you. He thought I couldn’t get it. Narrator: What does the woman mean? 10 . Man: Okay, your eyes are fine. Take this form over to that counter and fill it out with the pencil provided. Woman: Okay, then what? 382 CliffsTestPrep TOEFL CBT For more material and information, please visit Tai Lieu Du Hoc at www.tailieuduhoc.org Man: Give it to the man at that desk; he’ll take your old license and your money. Narrator: What is the woman probably doing? 11. Woman: You haven’t had much success trying to convince the buyers to let you stay for a while after closing, have you? Man: On the contrary, they called last night and agreed to it. Narrator: What had the woman assumed about the man? 12 . Woman: I wish I hadn’t taken that job. Now I’ve got to cancel the trip. Man: Can’t you just ask for time off? Woman: I think that would be frowned upon. Narrator: What is the woman’s problem? 13 . Man: Celine Dion is taking a hiatus from her career because she wants to spend time with her husband. Woman: He’s quite a bit older than she is, isn’t he? Man: Yes, and I imagine that her concerts took her away from home a lot. Narrator: What do the speakers imply about Celine Dion? 14 . Man: We updated our computer billing system last week. Now there’s a problem with the system. Woman: That happened in our office, too. Sometimes I think updating technology is a waste of time. Man: You take one step forward and two back. Narrator: What does the man mean? 383 Appendix: On the CDs For more material and information, please visit Tai Lieu Du Hoc at www.tailieuduhoc.org 15 . Woman: Please return this book to the shelf while you’re up. Man: Sure. Anything else? Woman: Well, I could use the volume of Britannica with the letter R. Narrator: What will the man probably do? Part B CD A, Track 3 Narrator: Listen to the following discussion between an attorney and client. Woman: I hope you can help me with this. I’m not sure what to do. You specialize in elder law, right? What is elder law? Man: Sure. I am certified by the Bar in that area. It is really a combination of several areas of law, including regular matters like real estate and estate planning, with special issues involving older people. It can also include financial assistance for nursing home residents as well as helping out in the case of abuse. Woman: Well, uh, my problem involves my grandmother. She has been diag- nosed with Alzheimer’s. She seems okay right now, at least most of the time. But sometimes she gets really confused. I go to school, and I’ve been leaving her at home. The other day I came home and she’d put on water for tea and forgotten about it. The pot was completely empty and still on high. I’m worried about her. Man: Well, is she still aware of who you are? Does she know what she owns? Woman: Oh, yeah. She, uh, really, her problem is just beginning. Most of the time she’s fine. She just forgets. Sometimes she gets a little irritable. Man: Has she signed a durable power of attorney to you? Woman: What’s that? Man: A document that assigns power to a person, so the person can make deci- sions, sign documents, and take care of everything for the incapacitated person. We suggest that everybody sign a durable power of attorney while they are competent. Otherwise, a guardianship would be needed, and it’s not a pleasant way to handle things. “Durable” means it’ll remain valid even if later she loses her capacity. Woman: Okay, I’m sure she’ll sign one. How do we do that? 384 CliffsTestPrep TOEFL CBT For more material and information, please visit Tai Lieu Du Hoc at www.tailieuduhoc.org Man: We’ll make another appointment. Bring her in. I need to talk to her to see that she understands what it is and is willing to sign it. We’ll also talk about docu- ments to handle health care decisions. Next, you’re going to have to make a deci- sion about what to do with her. You can probably keep her at home for a while, but you need to do something to keep her safe. You may consider a day facility for people with Alzheimer’s or dementia. She would be safe during the day there. Eventually, she may need to enter an adult living facility. You just may not be able to keep her if it progresses, and you can’t feel guilty about that. There may be a time that such a facility is better for her. But for now, I think it’s great that you are taking care of her. She is very lucky. 16 . Narrator: What are the speakers discussing? 17. Narrator: Why does the lawyer require a meeting with the grandmother? 18 . Narrator: What did the woman describe as an example of the grandmother’s failing capacity? 19 . Narrator: Which of the following is not an example of Elder Law? 20. Narrator: According to the man, a power of attorney will do which two of the following? 21. Narrator: What does the man suggest for the grandmother’s safety? 22. Narrator: What does the man imply? CD A, Track 4 Narrator: Listen to the following talk about cabbage. Woman: Today, we continue talking about vegetable and fodder plants. We spoke of other types of these, including kale and collards, previously. Today we will re- view what is normally referred to as cabbage in common conversation. Cabbage is a common vegetable native to England and northwestern France but now grown in many parts of Europe, Asia, and the American continents. There are three kinds of cabbage, all with the same basic characteristic: The leaves grow very close together, forming a hard, round head. The three types of cabbage are white, savoy, and red. While the white and red cabbages have prominent veins in their leaves, savoy has wrinkled and blistered leaves. All forms of cabbage have succulent leaves covered with a waxy coating. They are low in calories, have little fat, and are an excellent source of ascorbic acid, minerals, and bulk, which helps digestion. 385 Appendix: On the CDs For more material and information, please visit Tai Lieu Du Hoc at www.tailieuduhoc.org Cabbage seeds are quite small. Farmers normally sow the seeds in rows that are about 36 inches apart. After young plants have sprouted, the rows are thinned to allow a space of 18 to 24 inches between plants. Cabbage is a biennial, meaning that it grows vegetatively one season, and its flowering and seed production occurs in the second season, after which the plant dies. Cabbage plants grow best in mild to cool climates, although they will toler- ate frost and maybe even colder climates. Very hot weather affects the quality of the cabbage and impairs growth. Please read the materials provided, and then we will discuss brussels sprouts, cau- liflower, and broccoli. 23. Narrator: According to the speaker, what is a biennial? 24. Narrator: According to the speaker, where was cabbage originally found? 25. Narrator: According to the speaker, what is the main difference between the types of cabbage mentioned? 26. Narrator: According to the speaker, which of the following is not a characteristic of all cabbage types? 27. Narrator: Which type of plant does the speaker say was discussed previously? CD A, Track 5 Narrator: Listen to the following discussion about a new type of camera. First Man: This camera is special; it does much more than just photograph things. See, it looks normal enough, it’s smaller than a regular video camera, and it doesn’t weigh much, but you can use it to photograph the unseen. Do you know what I mean by that? Woman: It photographs through solids. First Man: That’s right, it’s a technological breakthrough that can scan objects as deep as 25 feet underground or inside walls. It works much like radar. Second Man: How does it do that? First Man: It’s thermal. That means it can make distinctions based on the compo- sition of different materials underground. Does that sound useful? Can anybody tell us how this could be used? Woman: Looking for bodies underground? 386 CliffsTestPrep TOEFL CBT For more material and information, please visit Tai Lieu Du Hoc at www.tailieuduhoc.org First Man: Actually, yes, that is one way it’s useful. It’s been used to study how soldiers died in the United States Civil War. Thermal archaeology, it’s called. Scientists studied a prison camp cemetery where they had always thought that many, many prisoners died of malnutrition and exposure. They found instead that many of the prisoners died of dysentery, not mistreatment, and they found that there were significantly fewer bodies than previously thought. Woman: It’s unbelievable that they could tell all that from a photograph through dirt. First Man: It is, but the scientists were able to conclude what happened because of this camera. There are many possible uses, and historians should be able to ob- tain all kinds of information that they couldn’t get before. Second Man: Have they successfully used it on anything else? First Man: Yes. Archaeologists have obtained information on a bloody Civil War battle in Tennessee in 1862. They have even studied a culture that lived in 1200 A.D. on the same spot as that Civil War battle; they found the culture’s remains underneath evidence of the battle. Scientists have also determined the agricultural terrain in Egypt 2000 years ago, and they’ve found polar bear dens beneath the snow. And the same technology can be used to film night battles, locate leaking water within rock walls, and navigate smoky buildings. It does not replace good old-fashioned digging with a shovel and brush, but it narrows down the area and provides a lot of help. 28. Narrator: How does the man describe the physical features of the camera? 29. Narrator: What is the talk mainly about? 30. Narrator: Regarding the Civil War prison camp site that was studied, what does the man imply that the researchers learned? 31. Narrator: What does the man say about the culture that existed in the year 1200 A.D.? 32. Narrator: Which of the following was not stated as an example of uses of the technology? CD A, Track 6 Narrator: Listen to the following discussion between two students. Woman: I can’t stand it. How did I ever end up here in this old dormitory? I was sure I had been approved for the new building. Man: What do you mean? They switched you? 387 Appendix: On the CDs For more material and information, please visit Tai Lieu Du Hoc at www.tailieuduhoc.org Woman: Yeah, that’s right. I applied for the new dorm. I gave a deposit. They took the deposit. Then I showed up and they said it was never guaranteed that I would get it. It was just a request. Man: That’s annoying. But what’s wrong with it? It looks okay. Woman: The new buildings have central heat and air. These have window units, and they don’t work well. It’s sweltering in here. Bananas ripen in an hour. I run the air for hours, and it seems to get hotter. Man: Are you going to do anything about it? Woman: I filed a complaint, but it seems they don’t care. I’m stuck. 33. Narrator: What had the woman assumed? 34. Narrator: What does the woman indicate is the biggest problem with the old dormitory? 35. Narrator: What does the woman give as an example of the temperature problem? Practice Test 2 Part A CD A, Track 7 1. Man: We’re way over budget on this project. Woman: Somebody must have miscalculated the cost of the temporary staff. Narrator: What does the woman say about the project? 2. Woman: I thought you weren’t going to be able to attend the seminar. Man: I wouldn’t have if my employer hadn’t paid all the expenses. Narrator: What does the man say about his ability to attend the conference? 388 CliffsTestPrep TOEFL CBT For more material and information, please visit Tai Lieu Du Hoc at www.tailieuduhoc.org 3. Man: Who broke the copy machine? Woman: I don’t know. It was jammed when I tried it. Man: It bugs me when somebody does that and just leaves it that way. Narrator: What does the man imply? 4. Woman: When was the new administrator chosen? Man: I’m not sure, but it was announced yesterday late in the afternoon. Woman: I don’t think proper procedure was followed. Narrator: What does the man mean? 5. Man: I hear Ms. Nelson is an excellent professor. Woman: She’s really good at explaining difficult concepts. Man: I think I’m going to try to switch sections. Narrator: What is the man probably going to do? 6. Woman: Did you enjoy the exhibit? Man: It was okay, but I wish we hadn’t been so rushed. I didn’t get to spend as much time in some areas as I had hoped. Woman: We can go back again next week. Narrator: What does the man mean? 7. Woman: No sooner had the paramedics arrived than they rushed into the house. Man: Why, what happened? Woman: I don’t really know. The people who live there have a couple of kids and an older relative living with them. Narrator: What does the woman say about the paramedics? 389 Appendix: On the CDs For more material and information, please visit Tai Lieu Du Hoc at www.tailieuduhoc.org . still submitting applications. But I’m not giving up yet. 380 CliffsTestPrep TOEFL CBT For more material and information, please visit Tai Lieu Du Hoc at www.tailieuduhoc.org Man:. it out with the pencil provided. Woman: Okay, then what? 382 CliffsTestPrep TOEFL CBT For more material and information, please visit Tai Lieu Du Hoc at www.tailieuduhoc.org Man: