口语考试说明及试题

2016级的同学们：

为引导学生重视口语，提高英语应用能力，外国语学院本学期举行2016级大学英语口语考试，口语考试成绩将占期末考核总评成绩的15%。

口试题型为段落朗读及话题对话，要求考生按顺序朗读所抽到的材料展，限时3分钟。考官将按照评分标准根据学生朗读及对话的语音、语调、语速、意群停顿、流利程度等综合打分。

按每个考场学生名单序号，考生在考务人员的安排下提前5-10分钟抽取朗读材料，要求考生在考场后一排座位处安静准备。考试前，考生需要向监考老师出示学生证。考完所抽题签必须交回抽签处，禁止考生对题签做任何标记或折叠。考完后请迅速、安静地离开考场，切勿讨论或喧哗。

考试范围：book 1 unit 1 – unit 8

时间：2016年12月24日（17周周六）

各班具体时间、地点和名单安排另行通知。

请老师们各班安排的副考务于考试开始之前10分钟到达考场，主动跟考官老师联系。为了保证考试顺利进行，请通知上下午第二场考试的学生提前40分钟到达备考。

以下为20个口语考试题签，请同学们认真准备。祝大家考试成功！

外国语学院大学外语教学部

2016年11月

Part I Paragraph Reading (50 points)

Directions: Read the following paragraph loudly and pay attention to your pronunciation and intonation.

The businessman scoffed, ―I am a Harvard MBA and I could help you. You should spend more time fishing, and with the proceeds buy a bigger boat. With the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats; eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman, you would sell directly to the processor and eventually open your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually New York City where you would run your expanding enterprise. ‖

Part II Making a Dialogue (50 points)

Directions:Make a dialogue on the following topic with your partner.

Some college students prefer to attend classes regularly because they believe that only in the class atmosphere can they focus on the reading. Others, however, believe that the best reading can only be done outside the classroom. Which reading method do you think is better? Why?

Part I Paragraph Reading (50 points)

Directions:Read the following paragraphs loudly and pay attention to your pronunciation and intonation.

On the last night before they were to return home, we had arranged a family get-together. When the doorbell rang, Cheryl scampered to answer. My sister-in-law Carol stood in the doorway with a large bowl in her hands.

―What’s that?‖ Cheryl immediately wanted to know.

―It’s banana pudding.‖ Carol offered proudly.

Cheryl took a closer look, then shook her head from side to side and said, ―Karen doesn’t make it that way.‖

I dissolved in laughter that no one else understood. Suddenly, my tension and anxiety disappeared, and I knew that when those kids got back home, their mother would be hearing a lot about how ―Karen doesn’t do it that way.‖

Part II Making a Dialogue (50 points)

Directions:Make a dialogue on the following topic with your partner.

Failure is the mother of success. Everyone has experienced failure. In your opinion, how to turn failure into success?

Test 3

Part I Paragraph Reading (50 points)

Directions:Read the following paragraphs loudly and pay attention to your pronunciation and intonation.

I will not avoid the tasks of today and charge them to tomorrow for I know that tomorrow never comes. Let me act now even though my actions may not bring happiness or success for it is better to act and fail than not to act. Happiness, in truth, may not be the fruit picked by my action yet without action all fruit will die on the vine.

I will act now.

From now on, I will repeat these words again and again and again, each hour, each day, every day, until the words become as much a habit as my breathing and the actions which follow become as natural as the blinking of my eyelids.

Part II Making a Dialogue (50 points)

Directions:Make a dialogue on the following topic with your partner.

Having good friendship network is of great benefit to everyone. However, it is very difficult to have a real friend. In your opinion, what qualities are important in a real friend?

Test 4

Part I Paragraph Reading (50 points)

Directions:Read the following paragraphs loudly and pay attention to your pronunciation and intonation.

You’ve probably already wondered what college will be like. Will it be like your high school experience? Will you be able to handle it? Will it be fun or frightening? Well, hopefully a glimpse at a day in the life of a college student will help sort some things out!

The college schedule is very different than the traditional high school schedule. Generally, there is a lot more flexibility with your college classes. In high school, you were probably told that you had to take U. S. History, which was offered every day at 10:00 a.m.. In college, you’ll probably need to take a history class, but you could have 10 choices.

Part II Making a Dialogue (50 points)

Directions:Make a dialogue on the following topic with your partner.

All students want to have a good vacation after a hard and busy semester. What do you plan to do during the next summer vacation? Why?

Part I Paragraph Reading (50 points)

Directions:Read the following paragraphs loudly and pay attention to your pronunciation and intonation.

Our first loves taught us the good, the bad and the ugly. After the ―lovey-dovey‖ stage passed, the disagreements came. The once perfect love didn’t seem so perfect any longer. Young and innocent, some people stuck through it and tried to make it last as long as possible, while others just took the heartache and learned from it. Two young people in love endure experiences and learn lessons. Having a first sweetheart is a warm feeling, but thinking about the downs of the relationship can bring much pain to one’s soul.

Dennis, sophomore communication major, said, ―My girlfriend and I were passionate about everything — loving and fighting with each other as well as hurting each other with jealousy and greed.‖

Part II Making a Dialogue (50 points)

Directions:Make a dialogue on the following topic with your partner.

The Internet is one of the greatest inventions of our generation. The internet has changed the way we communicate with each other, shop and etc. Please explain how the internet makes our life better and more efficient.

Part I Paragraph Reading (50 points)

Directions:Read the following paragraph loudly and pay attention to your pronunciation and intonation.

The college schedule can seem crazy at times. Doing homework until midnight is not easy at all, but I love what I do and all that I learn. The best and worst part of college is the flexibility it offers. You are able to choose everything: your classes, extracurricular activities, friends, etc.. A great deal of responsibility and time management is needed, but with a bit of planning and coffee you can be very successful. Surviving college takes hard work! However, at the end of all this, you will have your degree, and no one can take that away from you. How cool is that?

Part II Making a Dialogue (50 points)

Directions:Make a dialogue on the following topic with your partner.

Some students prefer the internet-based teaching. Others prefer to study in traditional classrooms. Which method of studying do you prefer? Why?

Part I Paragraph Reading (50 points)

Directions:Read the following paragraphs loudly and pay attention to your pronunciation and intonation.

Finally, it’s important for students to remember that it’s okay to be single. In fact, it’s highly preferable to be single than to be in a bad relationship. At some schools and in some groups of friends, students feel pressured to be in relationships and sometimes even to be engaged. College is a time for learning, for making friends, for having fun, and for exploring future and present possibilities. None of that requires a romantic relationship.

College dating comes with some unique advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, it may never again be so easy to meet potential partners. On the other hand, the college environment is not necessarily the healthiest one for a relationship to develop.

Part II Making a Dialogue (50 points)

Directions:Make a dialogue on the following topic with your partner.

What is your favorite method to relax? Please explain why it is your favorite.

Part I Paragraph Reading (50 points)

Directions:Read the following paragraphs loudly and pay attention to your pronunciation and intonation.

All the same, even when Western parents think they’re being strict, they usually don’t come close to being Chinese mothers. For example, my Western friends who consider themselves strict make their children practice their instruments thirty minutes every day. An hour at most. For a Chinese mother, the first hour is the easy part. It’s hours two and three that get tough.

There are tons of studies showing great differences between Chinese and Westerners when it comes to parenting. In one study, almost 70% of the Western mothers said that ―parents need to foster the idea that learning is fun.‖ By contrast, roughly 0% of the Chinese mothers felt the same way.

Part II Making a Dialogue (50 points)

Directions:Make a dialogue on the following topic with your partner.

Everyone has a goal to fulfill. What’s your goal and explain why you want to fulfill this goal.

Part I Paragraph Reading (50 points)

Directions:Read the following paragraphs loudly and pay attention to your pronunciation and intonation.

―Money never made a man happy yet, nor will it. The more a man has, the more he wants. Instead of filling a vacuum, it makes one. ‖ Wealth may help us to escape emptiness for a short while; it cannot cure it.

The businessman accumulated money to support his retirement. It was wise to plan for the future. Yet, what sort of life was he living in the present? The businessman was so future oriented that he hadn’t taken sufficient time to question what the future looked like. The businessman was living for what the Mexican already enjoyed — a simple life well lived.

Part II Making a Dialogue (50 points)

Directions:Make a dialogue on the following topic with your partner.

Everyone has to leave home sometimes. What do you miss the most when you are away from home? Please include some specific examples and details in your explanation.

Part I Paragraph Reading (50 points)

Directions:Read the following paragraphs loudly and pay attention to your pronunciation and intonation.

Minutes later a doctor took me aside and told me Ilaria was showing signs of major brain damage and they didn’t expect her to live. I didn’t know which of you to turn to first.

I went to see Ilaria in her incubator. Half an hour later doctors told me the news that would change my life forever. There had been massive bleeding and as they tried to operate you’d had a cardiac arrest.

My world fell apart. I remember shouting, ―Why?‖You were just 27, healthy as can be, and now you were gone. An aneurysm had caused the bleeding.

Part II Making a Dialogue (50 points)

Directions:Make a dialogue on the following topic with your partner.

Do you agree or disagree with the statement ―People should always tell the truth‖? Please explain your opinion.

Part I Paragraph Reading (50 points)

Directions:Read the following paragraph loudly and pay attention to your pronunciation and intonation.

The other cool thing about the college schedule is that you usually have more opportunities to explore your interests and passions. For example, you will be picking a major that will determine the types of classes you will specialize in. In high school, you have a set curriculum of classes you have to take across all subject areas. In college, think about your schedule as a pyramid. During your freshman and sophomore year, you’ll take more general education classes and a few classes in your major. But during your junior and senior year, you’ll take fewer general education classes and more classes in your major.

Part II Making a Dialogue (50 points)

Directions:Make a dialogue on the following topic with your partner.

What factors contribute to success? Do you think one can finally succeed in whatever he is doing by never giving up? Please explain your opinion.

Test 12

Part I Paragraph Reading (50 points)

Directions:Read the following paragraphs loudly and pay attention to your pronunciation and intonation.

Thankfully, most employers don’t enforce these same academic standards on their applicants. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers’ ―Job Outlook 2005‖ survey, 70 percent of hiring managers do report screening applicants based on their GPA, but the largest group say they use a 3.0 as their bottom line.

All other factors being equal, an employer is more likely to choose the candidate with high grades, but that doesn’t mean a so-so student can’t land a competitive job with a big company. Employers understand that students have different circumstances. Employers do take a university’s reputation into consideration, but they also understand working to pay your way through school.

Part II Making a Dialogue (50 points)

Directions:Make a dialogue on the following topic with your partner.

Who is the person you admire the most? Please give specific details and examples in your explanation.

Part I Paragraph Reading (50 points)

Directions:Read the following paragraph loudly and pay attention to your pronunciation and intonation.

Everything I’ve been talking about is based on a very traditional account of the ―family‖: siblings, kids, parents. But the 21st-century family is cut from a very different cloth than previous generations. Nick Henry, managing director of the recently created National Family Week, describes the modern family as being ―a lot more flexible than it has been: it covers those who are closest to you who support you through difficult times and decisions.‖ This broader family church, unrecogni zed by governments, is undoubtedly supported in online interactions. New technologies actually provide family-like social integration rather than encourage isolation.

Part II Making a Dialogue (50 points)

Directions:Make a dialogue on the following topic with your partner.

What is the meaning of the statement ―you are what you think you a re‖? Do you agree or disagree with the statement? Please explain your opinion.

Part I Paragraph Reading (50 points)

Directions:Read the following paragraph loudly and pay attention to your pronunciation and intonation.

Technology does give us a greater capacity to learn more about people quickly and maintain more casual friends. But let’s go a step further. Carrying Capacity is the maximum population size of the species that the environment can sustain. Given that people also have limited time and resources, I’ll bet that this holds true with interpersonal relationships, too. That is, there’s only a certain number of relationships we can sustain at one time, otherwise the health of those relationships are affected. If we’re not careful, having a huge network of ―casual friends‖ may cut into the deep, meaningful time we have with people we REALLY care about.

Part II Making a Dialogue (50 points)

Directions:Make a dialogue on the following topic with your partner.

Nowadays, college students are facing more and more stress. State the possible reasons for this phenomenon and make some advices on how college students maintain a healthy mind in a healthy body.

Part I Paragraph Reading (50 points)

Directions:Read the following paragraph loudly and pay attention to your pronunciation and intonation.

Your first love is something intense, keen, and maybe even sad, and you will never forget it. It’s the first taste of what you believe is ―true love.‖ He or she was the one and only person who could make or break your world. It was the first time you opened your life, heart and soul to another person and trusted him/her not to hurt you. That’s a huge step in the relationship world. When you look through old things, hear certain songs or one day cross paths with your old flame, your heart will race and your emotions will still get the best of you.

Part II Making a Dialogue (50 points)

Directions:Make a dialogue on the following topic with your partner.

Reading is very important for college students. What is your opinion about benefits of reading?

Part I Paragraph Reading (50 points)

Directions:Read the following paragraphs loudly and pay attention to your pronunciation and intonation.

I felt totally lost. Then a nurse came to find me and said something amazing had happened and led me to I laria. She’d pulled all the tubes out of her chest and nose and was breathing on her own. The nurses said it was a miracle.

Suddenly, from feeling I had nothing left to live for, I had Ilaria. I changed her first nappy, gave her first bottle — I thought ab out how you’d have done it and tried to do it the same way.

That first night I lay in our bed, Ilaria beside me in her cradle and I talked to you. ―Jo, you should be here, I need you,‖ I said.

Part II Making a Dialogue (50 points)

Directions:Make a dialogue on the following topic with your partner.

Nowadays, more and more people even college students like shopping online. What are advantages and disadvantages of online shopping?

Part I Paragraph Reading (50 points)

Directions:Read the following paragraph loudly and pay attention to your pronunciation and intonation.

This brings me to my final point. Some might think that the American sports parent is an analog to the Chinese mother. This is so wrong. Unlike your typical Western overscheduling soccer mom, the Chinese mother believes that (1) schoolwork always comes first; (2) an A-minus is a bad grade; (3) your children must be two years ahead of their classmates in math; (4) you must never compliment your children in public; (5) if your child ever disagrees with a teacher or coach, you must always take the side of the teacher or coach; (6) the only activities your children should be permitted to do are those in which they can eventually win a medal.

Part II Making a Dialogue (50 points)

Directions:Make a dialogue on the following topic with your partner.

Why some kids don’t like their parents? Some people believe it is the generation gap that is responsible for such a phenomenon. What is your opinion for this question?

Part I Paragraph Reading (50 points)

Directions:Read the following paragraphs loudly and pay attention to your pronunciation and intonation.

When David turned back around and saw what had happened, he began to lose control. David had put a lot of time and effort into making those flower beds the envy of the neighborhood. As he began to raise his voice to his son, Jan walked quickly over to him, put her hand on his shoulder and said, ―David, please remember... we’re raising c hildren, not flowers!‖

Jan reminded me how important it is as a parent to remember our priorities. Kids and their self-esteem are more important than any physical object they might break or destroy. The window shattered by a baseball, a lamp knocked over by a careless child, or a plate dropped in the kitchen is already broken.

Part II Making a Dialogue (50 points)

Directions:Make a dialogue on the following topic with your partner.

With the development of new technology, college students have a variety of communication ways. Could you explain the common ways of communication among college students?

Part I Paragraph Reading (50 points)

Directions:Read the following paragraphs loudly and pay attention to your pronunciation and intonation.

Anytime I see banana pudding on a menu, I’m filled with a sense of happiness and taken back to a special moment in my life when I learned an important lesson about jealousy and love.

It all began when my stepchildren came for a visit shortly after their father and I were married. Cheryl was 8, and Chuck was 10. Our small apartment soon became an obstacle course littered with stuffed animals, toys, and games.

But I liked the kids from the start. They were everything I could have wanted in a son and daughter.

Of course, I wanted to win them over. They seemed to like me well enough, but I wasn’t sure, especially at mealtime.

Part II Making a Dialogue (50 points)

Directions:Make a dialogue on the following topic with your partner.

College students have more chances of doing part-time jobs. What are advantages and disadvantages of doing part-time job for college students?