1. Letter in the Centerville College News
Author
admin
Reading (45 seconds)
Letter in the Centerville College News
The administration has plans to acquire a new sculpture for campus. We should all oppose this plan. The university’s poor financial condition led it to increase the price for campus housing and tuition by 15% this past year. Surely then it is no financial position to purchase such an expensive sculpture. Moreover, just look at the sculpture: several 60-foot ling steel plates, jutting out of the earth at odd angles! It’s so large, it’ll take up all the green space in front of the campus center! This is public space that should be reserved for students to use.
Listening
Preparation time: 30 seconds
speaking time: 1 minute
Listening texts
M: Did you see Paul’s letter in the paper about the new sculpture?
W: Yeah, but it was totally unconvincing. His reasons for opposing the plan are just totally off. I’m glad we’ll finally have some nice art on campus. I’d like to shake the donor’s hand and say thank you.
M: What do you mean “the donor”?
W: You didn’t know? An anonymous donor is paying the bill for most of the sculpture.
M: Not the university?
W: No. His assumptions about who is paying for it are all wrong.
M: Still, I wonder if he has a point about the space it will take up.
W: Well, you know why Paul is upset? He and his friends are always out there on the lawn right where the sculpture will be, kicking around the soccer ball. Now they’ll just have to use another part of the campus to play.
M: Oh, so he just doesn’t want to have to move.
W: Yeah, for him it’s sculpture versus convenience.
(Explanation)
Reading part summary
The claim in the letter
We should oppose the administration’s plans to acquire a new sculpture for the campus.
The first reason: It will increase the price of campus housing and tuition by 15% compared to last year.
The second reason: The acquisition of a new sculpture will occupy all the green space that ought to be reserved for student use.
Listening part summary
The female student’s opposition: His reasons for opposing the plan are completely unfounded.
The first reason: An anonymous donor is paying for most of the sculpture.
The second reason: He and his friends are always out there on the lawn, right where the sculpture will be, kicking around the soccer ball. Now, they’ll have to find another part of the campus to play.
(Sample answer)
The reading passage outlines a letter urging students to protest the administration’s proposal to install a new sculpture on campus. However, in the ensuing conversation, a woman challenges the stance presented in the letter.
Her initial argument contends that students need not fret about potential rises in housing and tuition fees, as the bulk of the sculpture’s funding is being provided by an anonymous benefactor.
Furthermore, she critiques the motivation behind the letter, suggesting that the author’s opposition stems primarily from personal inconvenience rather than genuine concern. She notes that the individual and their friends regularly utilize the lawn earmarked for the sculpture as a soccer pitch, leading to resistance against the university’s plan solely to avoid seeking an alternative location for their recreational activities.
Letter in the Centerville College News
The administration has plans to acquire a new sculpture for campus. We should all oppose this plan. The university’s poor financial condition led it to increase the price for campus housing and tuition by 15% this past year. Surely then it is no financial position to purchase such an expensive sculpture. Moreover, just look at the sculpture: several 60-foot ling steel plates, jutting out of the earth at odd angles! It’s so large, it’ll take up all the green space in front of the campus center! This is public space that should be reserved for students to use.
Listening
Preparation time: 30 seconds
speaking time: 1 minute
Listening texts
M: Did you see Paul’s letter in the paper about the new sculpture?
W: Yeah, but it was totally unconvincing. His reasons for opposing the plan are just totally off. I’m glad we’ll finally have some nice art on campus. I’d like to shake the donor’s hand and say thank you.
M: What do you mean “the donor”?
W: You didn’t know? An anonymous donor is paying the bill for most of the sculpture.
M: Not the university?
W: No. His assumptions about who is paying for it are all wrong.
M: Still, I wonder if he has a point about the space it will take up.
W: Well, you know why Paul is upset? He and his friends are always out there on the lawn right where the sculpture will be, kicking around the soccer ball. Now they’ll just have to use another part of the campus to play.
M: Oh, so he just doesn’t want to have to move.
W: Yeah, for him it’s sculpture versus convenience.
(Explanation)
Reading part summary
The claim in the letter
We should oppose the administration’s plans to acquire a new sculpture for the campus.
The first reason: It will increase the price of campus housing and tuition by 15% compared to last year.
The second reason: The acquisition of a new sculpture will occupy all the green space that ought to be reserved for student use.
Listening part summary
The female student’s opposition: His reasons for opposing the plan are completely unfounded.
The first reason: An anonymous donor is paying for most of the sculpture.
The second reason: He and his friends are always out there on the lawn, right where the sculpture will be, kicking around the soccer ball. Now, they’ll have to find another part of the campus to play.
(Sample answer)
The reading passage outlines a letter urging students to protest the administration’s proposal to install a new sculpture on campus. However, in the ensuing conversation, a woman challenges the stance presented in the letter.
Her initial argument contends that students need not fret about potential rises in housing and tuition fees, as the bulk of the sculpture’s funding is being provided by an anonymous benefactor.
Furthermore, she critiques the motivation behind the letter, suggesting that the author’s opposition stems primarily from personal inconvenience rather than genuine concern. She notes that the individual and their friends regularly utilize the lawn earmarked for the sculpture as a soccer pitch, leading to resistance against the university’s plan solely to avoid seeking an alternative location for their recreational activities.