Sample Item A

(Narrator): Listen to a school principal talking to a group of students.

(Woman): I was very pleased by your band’s performance at the holiday festival. I don’t often see students playing their own music. Student bands usually play something traditional, but you actually composed something original. That’s really impressive!

(Narrator): What did the principal like best about the band?

The students see in their tests books:

1. What did the principal like best about the band?

(A) The students wrote their own music.
(B) The band played several kinds of music.
(C) The band played during the whole festival.
(D) The students played many different instruments.

Sample Item A

(Narrator): Listen to a conversation between two students at school.
(Girl): Hi, Tommy. Are you on your way to the cafeteria?
(Boy): [answering, but distracted as he is looking for something] No—I was on way to the library to return a book, but now I’m looking for my watch. It must’ve fallen off somewhere here in the grass. It was a gift from my father, so I really want to find it.
(Girl): Hmm ... I’d like to help you look for it, but I’m heading to the art building—I made an appointment with my art teacher to talk about a homework assignment, and I don’t want to keep him waiting.
(Boy): That’s OK. The watch has got to be here somewhere. ... Oh, there it is. Hey, by the way, do you want to study for tomorrow’s history test with me and some other people from our class after school? We haven’t decided where we’re going to meet yet—probably at the city library.
(Girl): That sounds like a good idea. I’d like to join you.
(Boy): I’m having lunch with the others, so we’ll know where we’re meeting by the time I see you in science class.
(Girl): All right. I’ll see you then.
(Narrator): Now answer the questions.

The students see in their tests books:

03. Where is the conversation probably taking place?

(A) Near the entrance to the city library
(B) At a table in the cafeteria
(C) On a sidewalk at school
(D) Inside the art building

04. What did the boy lose?

(A) A watch
(B) A book bag
(C) A library book
(D) His homework assignment

Sample Item A

(Narrator): Listen to a teacher talking in a history class.

(Man): When people think of life in Europe hundreds of years ago, they often think of castles built of stone, with huge towers. Castles were the homes of kings and queens and other powerful people. Hundreds of relatives, soldiers, and workers also lived there.
The kitchen was a very important place in a castle. It was busy all day and every day. A castle’s kitchen was usually located a good distance away from other castle rooms and buildings, especially the great hall, a large room where people gathered for meals and other activities. This was because of the danger of fires. The kitchen staff needed to use fire for cooking, but sometimes kitchen fires accidentally grew out of control and could spread to other parts of the castle. That’s why the kitchen was usually far away.

Each kitchen also had a garden where vegetables were grown. Back then, food could not be frozen or kept in refrigerators like today. Some vegetables could be stored underground, but not for long, so most vegetables were picked fresh from the castle garden as they were needed. But, of course, a king’s dinner consisted of many other ingredients like bread, meat, and fish. To prepare a full meal, many cooks were needed.
The castle kitchen employed a whole team of people, some of whom made bread, and others who prepared desserts or cooked meat dishes. The chef was like a head manager who was responsible for making sure that the team of assistants did their job right.
Although chefs would also be involved in the cooking of some parts of the meal, their main task was to supervise the whole team.

(Narrator): Now answer the questions.

The students see in their tests books:

07. What is the main topic of the talk? (A) Unusual foods served in castles (B) The training of cooks in castles (C) The earliest known castle kitchen (D) The workings of a castle’s kitchen	09. What does the teacher say about vegetables? (A) They were expensive. (B) They were grown in the castle’s garden. (C) They were bought from nearby villages. (D) They were kept frozen in winter.
08. What was important about the location of a castle’s kitchen? (A) It was connected to the great hall. (B) It was below the chef’s living area. (C) It allowed food to be served hot. (D) It protected castle residents from fires.	10. According to the teacher, what was the chef’s main responsibility? (A) Managing the kitchen workers (B) Buying the ingredients for meals (C) Baking bread for everyone in the castle (D) Presenting the food to the king and queen