听力原文： A new study says millions of the world' s children continue to live in poverty, disease and despair. VOA's correspondent Bmeck Ardery reports on the annual report from UNICEF, the United Nations Children' s Fund.

听力原文： Hello, my name is Tom Kim and I am a manager of Sales at the brand-new automobile dealership in Jackson. We are the first dealership in this area and our customer service is unsurpassed by any other luxury brand. To celebrate the opening of the initial automobile dealership, we are offering discounts on all models as well as competitive financing opportunities for one month. Also, every new model comes with a class-leading warranty of 80,000 kilometers over 4 years with 3 years of paid scheduled-maintenance. So please visit us and see the new model line up and experience the thrill of our brand-new premium models. What is being advertised？ A．A car dealership B．A repair shop C．A rental car agency D．A financial service

M: Well; Mr. Smith seems to be the wrong person to head that department. One more wrong step and he will be removed from that office. Q: What can we learn from the conversation？ (16) A．Mr. Smith will be replaced if he makes another mistake. B．Mr. Smith is an admirable chief of the Asian department. C．Mr. Smith's department is more successful than ail the others. D．Mr. Smith is seldom in his office.

M: I've never seen any point in losing my temper. Q: What does the man mean？ (17) A．He is a short-tempered person. B．It doesn't matter whether you have a good temper or bad temper. C．He thinks himself to be a patient person. D．He won't accept this position.

M: No. I haven't, but 1 don't like fish very much anyway. W: Not to worry. Although it's made primarily from fish, it actually doesn't have a fishy taste. In fact, it can be flavored with tomato, cheese, or chocolate for instance M: How can it not taste fishy？ Do you know how this snack food is made？ W: First the fish is minced and cooked and fermented. Then water and starch are added to make a dough. M: It sounds awful. W: Actually the dough is very bland al that point, so the flavorings are added to give it some taste. M: Well, it still sounds a little strange. But I suppose this product will at least be low calorie and high protein. like a health food. W: Yes, you could call it that. And it has a long shelf life, so it won't spoil quickly. It is also easy to digest and can ha made from types of fish that usually aren't eaten, or from high grade fish by-products, M: Mm, have you got any samples？ I might be willing to try the cheese-flavored variety. W: No, none of it seems to be available yet. As I understand it, this fish snack food probably won't be in the stores for another couple of years. So you'll have a while to get used to the whole idea. M: A couple of years, ah？ It may just take me that long. but thanks for telling me about it. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the conversation to flavor the new product with？ A．Tomato. B．Cheese. C．Chocolate. D．Fish.

M: I think they don't speak because their culture values modesty, and they don't want to appear to be showing off. Goes back to Confucius. Q: Why don't Chinese students say anything in class according to the man？ (14) A．They are too shy. B．They are not allowed to speak. C．They are modest. D．They don't dare to speak.

听力原文： Reports say Japan and US have reached an agreement on a dispute over air-cargo transport rights in Asia. The agreement means Washington and Tokyo will re-negotiate 1952 Aviation Treaty which allowed American airlines to fly on from Tokyo to other places of Asia but didn't allow Japanese airlines the same way to fly on from America to other destinations. Tokyo has always said that the treaty was unfair and Japan has always wanted it changed. According to the agreement, Japan will allow American airlines carrier Federal Express to fly on through Tokyo to seven other destinations in Asia. Now Japan has always said it was happy to allow that if the treaty was re-negotiated. It does seem very clear that Japan will come out of this one on top. This is certainly not the first dispute and certainly won't be the last dispute, either. There are several outstanding areas of friction between Japan and US. At the moment, they are negotiating about photographic film and photographic paper. It could take a year to resolve. But even where the two countries do reach an agreement, there is still room for argument. They reach the famous car agreement about a month ago. They are still bickering about it. Japan and the United States are now A．negotiating about photographic material. B．negotiating an automobile agreement. C．facing serious problems in trade. D．on the verge of a large-scale trade war.

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has ordered quicker work to complete construction of Israel's West Bank separation barrier, especially in the area of Jerusalem. Israel began building the nearly 700 kilometer long barrier two years ago, but only a third has been completed. Israeli officials say that's way too slow. "Let's just get it done," said Cabinet Minister and former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu."This is a security fence, it is not a political border, it is not meant to keep people in like the Berlin Wall, it is meant to keep terrorists out." It is not clear how the government will speed up construction of the barrier in light of previous rulings by the Israeli Supreme Court. In the past, the Court has ruled that the government is illegally confiscating West Bank land and creating hardship for Palestinians. Israeli analyst Dan Schueftan told VOA that many Israelis believe the court is favoring the Palestinians over Israeli security. "And the more they take decisions in this direction, the more Israelis will question the wisdom of the Supreme Court." So by ordering rapid construction of the barrier, Mr. Sharon is responding to public opinion. But the Palestinians say it's a land grab. Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat: "The only thing that's growing on the ground now is more Israeli settlements, more walls, and more dictations and more harming of the Palestinian people." The International Court of Justice in the Hague ruled last year that the barrier is illegal and must be torn down. But after more than a hundred suicide bombings during the past four-and-a-half years of conflict, Israel is determined to build the barrier as quickly as possible. The Israeli Supreme Court has ruled that ______. A．building West Bank barrier is legal B．building West Bank barrier is illegal C．building West Bank barrier is reasonable D．building West Bank barrier is welcomed

W: I'd love to. But my best friend is getting married on Sunday. I won't miss it for anything. What is the woman going to do on Sunday？ A．Go to the museum. B．Attend a wedding. C．See an exhibition. D．Go to New Mexico.

听力原文： A United Nations report says sub-Saharan Africa is the only region in the world where extreme poverty continues to grow over a recent twenty-year period. In its annual report Tuesday, the UN Industrial Development Organization says forty-seven percent of all people living in sub-Saharan Africa subsist on less than one dollar a day. The group said that figure increased by five percentage points in the years between 1981 and 2001. In contrast, the group said the number of people worldwide living in absolute poverty fell from forty percent to twenty-one percent during that same time. How many people lived in extreme poverty in sub-Saharan Africa in 1981？ A．37% of all the people there. B．42% of all the people there. C．45% of all the people there. D．47% of all the people there.

W: Yes,I can suggest a hobby.Electronics might be fun,but you don't want a hobby that requires a lot of expensive equipment,do you？ M: No,I don't want to buy expensive equipment.I just want to do something that is relaxing and enjoyable. Do you think collecting umbrellas would be interesting？ W: Collecting umbrellas! I've heard of a lot of unusual hobbies,but I've never heard of that one. You don't play a musical instrument,do you？ M: Yes,I play the violin,but I want to do something different.What's your hobby？ W: My hobby is stamp collecting.I've just started collecting stamps and it's a lot of fun.Have you ever had a stamp collection？ M: No,I've never had a stamp collection.It takes a long time to build a good stamp collection.doesn't it？ W: Yes,building a good collection takes a long time, but a rare set of stamps can be very valuable. I can see that you're not interested in stamp collecting,but how about spots？ M: Yes, I am interested in sports.I want something I can do on weekends.Do you think golf or tennis would take my mind off my job？ W: Yes,I think they would. Why does the man need an outside interest？ A．To free his mind off work. B．To enrich himself. C．To make new friends. D．To kill the time.

W: I watched it and it was great! The first four contestants won only small prizes, but the fifth left with a new luxury car. Q: What happened last night？ (16) A．Four contestants failed to win prizes. B．The man ate during the show. C．The woman missed the show. D．Five contestants won cars.

What does the speaker mean？ A．Americans are worried about only two things. B．Americans are worried more about death than about taxes. C．Americans are as worried about death as about taxes. D．Americans are as sure of taxes as of death.

W: Nonsense! Nothing is more important than the arts. What can we learn from the conversation？ A．The man spends more than he makes. B．The man is not keen on arts. C．The woman is an artist. D．The woman looks down upon the man.

听力原文： A little airplane has given new meaning to the term "going hyper". The Hyper-X recently broke the record for air-breathing jet planes when it traveled at a hypersonic speed of seven times the speed of sound. That's about 5,000 miles per hour. At this speed, you'd get around the world-- flying along the equator-- in less than five hours. The Hyper-X is an unmanned, experimental aircraft just 12 feet long. It achieves hypersonic speed using a special sort of engine. Actually, engineers have been experimenting with such an engine since the 1960s. For an engine to bum fuel and produce energy, it needs oxygen. A jet engine, like those on passenger airplanes, gets oxygen from the air. A rocket engine typically goes faster but has to carry its own supply of oxygen. This special engine goes as fast as a rocket, but it doesn't have to carry its own oxygen supply. Its design allows it to extract oxygen from the air that flows through the engine. And it does so without letting the fast-moving air put out the combustion flames. A booster rocket carried the Hyper-X to an altitude of about 100,000 feet for its test flight. The aircraft's record-beating flight lasted just 11 seconds. In the future, engineers predict, airplanes equipped with such engines could transport cargo quickly and cheaply to the edge of space. Hypersonic airliners could carry passengers anywhere in the world in just a few hours. (36) A．How to develop a new airplane technology. B．Features and possible usages of a special engine. C．How to do experiment with dangerous engines. D．How to do experiment with unmanned airplanes.

M: I think so. It’ll be especially helpful if you can check the same story in the newspaper. Q: What does the man mean？ (18) A．Watching TV is better than reading a newspaper. B．The newspaper may give more information. C．TV is more interesting than a newspaper. D．A combination of reading and listening is more effective.

According to the speaker, the need to learn a new language is A．exciting. B．frightening. C．necessary. D．debatable.

M: If you want your kids to be polite, you'll have to be polite to them. Q: What conclusion can be drawn from this conversation？ (17) A．Children learn by example. B．Children must not tell lies. C．Children don't like discipline. D．Children must control their temper.

B：Mm, normally I wouldn't, but I should as you recommend it so strongly. The woman's usual attitude towards films is______. A．mixed. B．fascinated. C．enthusiastic. D．disinterested.

W: But next to potatoes, I believe. Q: What does the woman mean？ (15) A．It's raining heavily. B．It's going to rain. C．It's raining slightly. D．He wants some cats and dogs.

(25) A．Donna should give her friends a chance to explain. B．Donna shouldn't bother to try to change her friends' opinion. C．Donna's friends are too deaf to give any attention to her suggestion. D．Donna should convince her brother to visit her friends.

听力原文： Recently a five-year study was conducted by the Center for Childhood Development in Los Angeles, California regarding the way babies react to different types of people. The findings of the study suggest that infant children seem to be more comfortable around other babies than they are with strange adults. The result confirm the ideas of Dr. Richard Perelman, a well-know pediatrician, who has written many books about raising children. Dr. Richard Perelman supports the findings of the study and adds that it is a sounder idea to keep children with other children, as in a day care center, than it is to have children cared for by a baby-sitter. According to the results of the study, infants benefit from being in the company of other babies on a daily basis. Whereas some babies seem to show fear of strange adults. They are likely to reach out to try to touch an unfamiliar baby. The study even suggests that children as young as one year old can form. friendships According to the study, what is the way the babies react to different people？ A．They seem to be more comfortable around other babies than with strange adults. B．They seem to be more nervous around other babies than with strange adults. C．They seem to be as comfortable around other babies as with strange adults. D．They have no special interest.

Gro Harlem Brundtland made her comments to the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland recently. She described a number of health programs expected in the coming years. However, Doctor Brundtland said the WHO' s 191 member countries must support the programs and put them into action. With this support, she said the WHO could reduce the number of deaths caused by malaria, AIDS, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases. She also said the death rate for pregnant women and babies could be reduced. Doctor Brundtland told W-H-O members that good health is linked to economic and social development. For example, she described how smoking tobacco threatens to reduce the resources of all countries, especially developing countries. The World Health Organization estimates that four million people die each year from diseases linked to smoking. The organization expects that number to rise to ten- million a year in the next thirty years. Most of these deaths are expected in developing countries. Which of the following infectious diseases is not mentioned in the report？ A．Malaria. B．Enteritis. C．AIDS. D．Tuberculosis.

W: At least. It used to be my most favorite song before ! had to hear it so often. Q: What did the two speakers say about Mike's album？ (18) A．It's their most favorite album. B．Both of them are already fed up with it. C．They're glad he has sung it thousands of times. D．They could listen to it another thousands of times.

W: A few？ It looks like you bought out the bookstore. Q: What does the woman mean？ (19) A．She didn't like the books the man bought. B．There wasn't a large selection at the bookstore. C．The man bought a lot of books. D．She wanted to see what the man bought.