Intermediate Dialogues with Multiple Choice Questions - Flu Shot

Pragmatic Failures in InterculturalCommunication跨文化交际中的语用失误Abstract:With the globalization of economy and the rapid development of high technology, international communication has become a significant concern in the world nowadays. However, there is a great potential for communicators to suffer communication breakdowns in intercultural context because of the cultural differences. pragmatic failures are arisen therefrom. The thesis aiming at expounding pragmatic failures in international communication, explains the definitions of intercultural communication and of pragmatic failure, illustrates the expressing forms of pragmatic failure in the intercultural communication, analyzes the reasons of pragmatic failure in the intercultural communication, and deals with precaution strategies of pragmatic failure in the intercultural communication. All above can help foreign language learners acquire sound linguistic and communicative competence, and participate in international communication flexible and properly.Key words: pragmatic failure; intercultural communication; precaution strategiesTable of Contents Abstract (Ⅰ)Introduction………………………………………………………………………..() 1 Brief Review of Relevant Theories……………………………………………...() 1.1Intercultural Communication………………………………………………….()1.1.1 Culture and Communication……………………………………………..()1.1.2 Definition of Intercultural Communication………………………………()1.1.3 Three Elements of Intercultural Communication………………………...() 1.2 Pragmatic Failure in Intercultural Communication…………………………...()1.2.1 Definition of Pragmatic Failure…………………………………………..()1.2.2 Classification of Pragmatic Failure……………………………………….()2. Expressing Forms of Intercultural Pragmatic Failure………………………...() 2.1Pragma-linguistic Failure………………………………………………………...() 2.2 Socio-pragmatic Failure……………………………………………………….()2.3 The relationship between them………………………………………………..()3. The Causes of Intercultural Pragmatic Failure………………………………..() 3.1 Different Cultural Values and Norms………………………………………….()3.1.1 Modesty vs. Self-denigration……………………………………………...()3.1.2 Privacy vs. Mutual care…………………………………………………...()3.1.3 Directness vs. Indirect ness………………………………………………..()3.2 Inappropriate Transfer………………………………………………………………...()4.Precaution Strategies of Intercultural Pragmatic Failure…………………….() 4.1 Cultivating Our Pragmatic Competence………………………………………() 4.2Strengthening Cultural Awareness………………………………………………..() Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………..() References…………………………………………………………………………..()中文摘要……………………………………………………………………………() Acknowledgements…………………………………………………………………()IntroductionNowadays, the development of worldwide transportation and communication networks, the growth in foreign travel for pleasure, study and business, the expansion of international trade and the migration of people seeking work in the multinational companies have naturally led to a concomitant increase in contacts across national boundaries. The international and domestic changes in the past few decades have brought us into direct or indirect contact with people who, because of their cultural diversity, often behave in ways that we do not understand. It is no longer difficult to find social and professional situations in which members of once isolated groups of peoples communicate with members of other cultural groups. Now these people may live thousands of miles away or right next door to each other. In other words, intercultural communication prevails in the so-called global village.1 Brief Review of Relevant TheoriesIn this chapter, brief review of Intercultural Communication and Pragmatic Failure in Intercultural Communication will be made. This hopefully provides theoretical background for analyzing the causes of intercultural pragmatic failure in chapter four and dealing with precaution strategies of intercultural pragmatic failure in chapter five.1.1 Intercultural CommunicationIn this section, such concepts as culture, intercultural communication and pragmatic failure will be discussed one by one.1.1.1 Culture and CommunicationAccording to sociolinguists and anthropologists, culture refers to the total patterns of beliefs, customs, institutions, objects and techniques that characterize the life of a human community. In communicative process, culture is a critical factor. But what is culture? Culture is omnipresent. What people talk about, how they talk about it, what they see, attend to, or ignore, how they think and what they think about are influenced by their culture. Culture consists not only of such material things as cities, schools and organizations, but also of non-material things such as languages, ideas, family patterns and customs. Put it simply, culture refers to the entire way of life of a society, “the ways of a people” (Klineberg 1935). In order to suit the goal of this thesis, I adopt the concept of culture defined by Samovar, Porter and Stefani in their book Communication between Cultures (2000), that is, “We define culture as the deposit of knowledge, experience, beliefs, values, attitudes, meanings, hierarchies, religions, notions of time, roles, spatial relations, concepts of the universe and material objects and possessions acquired by a group of people in the course of generations through individual and group striving”(Samovar, Porter & Stefani, 2000:36).Everyday when people share ideas and emotions with others they are communicating, regardless of their gender, age, occupation, or even culture. Despitethe differences in culture, they are in fact performing the same communicative activity. The methods and the results may be different, but the process is the same. Communication occurs whenever meaning is attributed to behavior or the residue of behavior-those things that remain as a record of our actions (Samovar and Porter, 1994:8). It is also the basis of all human contact. But it is not enough, and this term needs further explanation. It is impossible for people to share their feelings and experiences by means of direct mind-to-mind contact. People all isolated from one another by the enclosure of their skin, so what they know and feel remains insides of them, unless they communicate. In fact, whenever people interact they must communicate.Hall once noted, “Culture is communication, and communication is culture” (Hall, 1977:14). The link between culture and communication is crucial to the understanding of intercultural communication. Culture and communication are inseparable. Communicative behavior is largely dependent on cultures, and culture is the foundation of communication. Whenever people interact they communicate. To live in societies and to maintain their cultures they have to communicate. Culture is learned, acted out, transmitted, and preserved through communication. Culture and communication act on each other. As the carrier of culture, communication influences the structure of a culture, and culture is necessarily manifested in our communication patterns by teaching us how we should talk and behave. The relationship between culture and communication is the key factor to understanding intercultural communication.1.1.2 Definition of Intercultural CommunicationOnce we understand the meaning of communication and culture it becomes clear that intercultural communication refers to the communication between people from two different cultures. (Chen Guoming & Starasta, 1998:28) Intercultural communication refers to communication between different socio-cultural groups. Samovar (1981:19) claims that intercultural communication occurs “whenever a message that must be understood is produced by a member of one culture for consumption by a member of another culture”. Precisely speaking, intercultural co mmunication is the communication between people whose cultural perceptions and symbols are distinct enough to change communication events.The term “intercultural communication” includes the entire range of communication across boundaries of groups or discourse systems, form cultural groups to the communication which takes place between men and women. In linguistic, one can explain intercultural communication as taking place whenever participants introduce different knowledge into the interaction which is specific to respective socio-cultural groups. Increasing the shared cultural knowledge is essential in communication, because language is intrinsically ambiguous. Since meanings are constructed jointly by the speaker and the listener, it is always necessary for the receiver to draw inferences about the intentions of the sender.1.1.3 Three Elements of Intercultural CommunicationCulture is very complex and influences people’s life in every aspect. There are many important elements contained in the study of intercultural communication. Among them, perceptual process, verbal process and nonverbal process are three main elements. Perception is the internal process by which people select, evaluate, and organize stimuli from the external environment. It is the process by which people construct their unique social realities by attributing meanings to social objects and events they encounter in their environment. It is an extremely important aspect in communications. There are three major elements that have direct influences on the development of people’s perception; they are belief/value/attitude systems, world view and social organization. As far as belief is concerned, there are no right or wrong judgments in matters of intercultural communication. If someone believes that voices in the wind can lead one’s behaviors in the right way, no one can say the belief is wrong. People should be able to recognize and to deal with different beliefs if they wish to obtain satisfactory and successful communications. Value is the valuative aspect of belief/value/attitude systems. Although everyone has his/her personal values, cultural values penetrate personal values. Cultural values are a set of organized rules for people to make choices, reduce uncertainty and conflicts within a certain society. These values are generally normative, which inform the member of a culture what is good and bad, right and wrong, true and false, etc. they also specify what behaviors are important and what should be avoided. Belief and value contribute to the development of attitudes. An attitude may be defined formally as a learned tendency to respond in a constant manner to a given object of orientation. In other words, people tend to avoid those things they dislike and to keep those they like.World view is one of the most important elements formed in the perceptual aspect of intercultural communication. It deals with a cultural orientation toward such philosophical issues as God, humanity, nature and the universe. World view has a deep influence on culture and intercultural communication. Social organization is the place in which a culture organized its institutes and affects how members of the culture perceive the world and how they communicate. Family and school are two dominant social organizations which influence the development of values and the pursuing of goals.The second element of intercultural communication is verbal process, which includes not only how people talk with each other, but the internal activities of thinking to interact with others. Verbal language is an organized system used to represent human experiences within a geographic or cultural community. In fact, language is the primary vehicle by which one culture transmits its beliefs, values, and norms.The third element of intercultural communication is nonverbal process. Although verbal process is the primary means for communication, nonverbal process is important in intercultural communication as well. Nonverbal process consists of thefollowing topics: gestures, facial expressions, eye contact, silence, space, time and paralanguage.1.2 Pragmatic Failure in Intercultural CommunicationLearning a foreign language well means more than merely mastering the pronunciation, grammar, words and idioms. It means learning also to see the world as native speakers of that language see it, learning the ways in which their language reflects the ideas, customs and behavior of their society, learning to understand their ”language of mind”.Because of cultural differences, misunderstandings and miscommunications may arise in spite of grammatically correct utterances. The same words or expressions may not mean the same thing to people from different cultures.A serious question may not cause seriousness, and a happy statement may cause unhappiness or anger because of cultural differences. Among these errors, pragmatic failures derived from cultural transfer are more serious in that they contribute to communicative failure directly in intercultural communication.1.2.1 Definition of Pragmatic FailureIf people fail to achieve the desired communicative effect in communication, pragmatic failure will be likely to occur. It can be summarized that they are unable to understand what is meant by what is said. Jenny Thomas (1983:91-94) defines pragmati c failure as “the inability to understand what is meant by what is said” and she notes that pragmatic failure has occurred on any occasion ”on which the hearer perceives the forces of the speaker’s utterances as other than the speaker intended he or she s hould perceive it”. Li Yuansheng (2004: 27) defines pragmatic failure as follows: Pragmatic failure is those failures (excluding linguistic errors such as ungrammaticality and misspelling) committed in the process of understanding or expressing utterances (both verbal and non-verbal).The definition of pragmatic failure can be understood from four aspects. Firstly, pragmatic failure can be studied in two senses. In a broad sense, it includes all the errors in language use, such as spelling mistakes, grammatical mistakes and discourse mistakes. In a narrow sense, it indicates not grammaticality but acceptability of language use. Secondly, "Appropriateness is the most important principle of language use"(Li, R. H., No. 3, 1994), therefore pragmatic failure can be considered as the result of language users' violation of the principle of appropriateness. In other words, language users violate interpersonal norms and neglect social cultural context and concrete communicative occasions out of unconsciousness or for the purpose of obtaining certain effect. Thirdly, the judgment of pragmatic failure is speaker-oriented without consideration of the hearer's comprehensive ability and process, though the ultimate judgment of failure depends on perlocutionary act. Thus, whether communication is successful or not depends on whether the communicative value (A) of the language used is equivalent to the intended meaning (B) of the speaker. If C isused to stand for the unintended meaning of the speaker, pragmatic failure can be formulated as: A=B+C or A=C (Sun Y and Dai L., No. 3, 2002). Finally, the categorization of pragmatic failure is in terms of different criteria. In intercultural communication, according to Jenny Thomas's theory, pragmatic failure is often divided into pragmalinguistic failure (on account of language users' improper assurance of linguistic context) and sociopragmatic failure (on account of language users' improper assurance of social cultural context). Pragmalinguistics, in Leech’s definition, refers to our linguistic knowledge of language use, and sociopragmatics is related with how our sociological knowledge influences our interaction (Leech, 1983:10). In China, according to the criterion of whether communication occurs in the same cultural context or in cross-cultural context, pragmatic failure is divided into intralingual pragmatic failure and interlingual pragmatic failure. Since this thesis mainly deals with intercultural communication, Jenny Thomas's theory is adopted. 1.2.2 Classification of Pragmatic FailureAs Thomas pointed out, pragmatic failure refers to the inability to understand “what is meant by what is said”. She further divided pragmatic failures into two types: pragmalinguistic failure and sociopragmatic failure (Thomas, 1983:95). This distinction can, of course, cover any sort of pragmatic failures and therefore is adopted by many scholars (e.g. Hu Wenzhong, Huang Cidong, etc.) in their study of pragmatic failures. Sun Ya and Dai Lin (2002) distinguished pragmatic failure in the broad sense and in the narrow sense in their survey of pragmatic studies in china. Qian Guanlian (2001) noticed that pragmatic failure can be divided into pragmatic failure in intercultural communication and pragmatic failure within the same mother tongue communi cation, or in SunYa’s term inter-lingual pragmatic failure and intra-lingual pragmatic failure. Based on their research findings, the author arranged and grouped the data collected into 3 categories, namely, pragmalinguistic failure, sociopragmatic failure, and value-related behavioral failure.2 Expressing Forms of Intercultural Pragmatic FailureThere are various expressing forms of pragmatic failure. And we will discuss some of them in this section.2.1Pragma-linguistic FailurePragmalinguistics and sociopragmatics belong to two sub-branches of general pragmatics. Leech (1983:11) points out the distinction between pragmalinguistics and sociopragmatics. In Leech’s definition, the term pragmalinguistics “can be applied to the study of the more linguistic end of pragmatics- where we consider the particular resources which a given language provides for conveying particular illocutions”. Pragmalinguistic failure occurs “when the pragmatic force mapped by a speaker ontoa given utterance is systematically different from the most frequently assigned to it by a native speaker of the target language, or when speech act strategies are inappropriately transferred from L1 to L2”(Thomas, 1983:95). To make it easier, pragmalinguistic failures are caused by people’s different understanding on a linguistic token or structure. They have something to do with linguistic features such as sentence structure and lexical connotations. Pragmalinguistic failure may arise from two identifiable sources: teaching-induced errors and pragmalinguistic transfer. The latter refers to “the inappropriate transfer of speech act strategies from one language to another, or the transferring from the source language to the target language of utterances which are semantically/syntactically equivalent, but which, because of ‘interpretive bias’, tend to convey a different pragmatic force in the target language.” (Thomas, 1983:101)2.2 Socio-pragmatic FailureCompared to pragmalinguistic failure, sociopragmatic failure involves not only students’linguistic knowledge of the target language but also students’ culture knowledge of the target language. Sociopragmatic failure is caused by mistakes which arise from intercultural different assessments within the social parameters affecting linguistic choice--size of imposition, social distance between speaker and hearer, relative rights and obligations, etc. Because of the different cultural backgrounds and social conventions, people respond to the same utterance differently. Chinese culture has been rooted in our mind so that we always behave according to the rules and principles of the society. The standards to judge what is right and what is wrong have been acquired since we were born. It’s safe to say that we do things unconsciously under the control of our own culture. So when two cultures meet, the differences will result in many failures in communication. It seems like we play international chess by the rules of Chinese chess.2.3 The relationship between themPragmatic failures appear in the process of using language. Pragmalinguistic failures approximate grammatical errors, while sociopragmatic failures communicative errors. The distinctions between them are those of language and culture, although the sources of contradictions are utterly not alike. These two kinds of pragmatic failures cannot be clear-cut in that they are closely connected and overlapped. An inappropriate utterance may be regarded as pragmalinguistic failure from one angle, or sociopragmatic one from another angle, which relies on different contexts, different intention and understanding of interlocutors. Seen from the general tendency of language and culture, they are a pair of contradictions that are not only linked but also differentiated, they are linked because they both belong to language in use and deal with speakers’ meaning of utterances. They are differentiated for the relationship between them embodies the differences of language and culture. Like verbal communication, non-verbal communication cannot be separated from culture, either.There exist very marked differences in non-verbal communication across culture. These differences are very often derived from different perception of values and in most cases cause pragmatic failures. The following example is an illustration of this kind of failures.Example:On the first day of the five-day course, many students were late because of the heavy rain. These students occasionally knocked at the door and asked, “May I come in?” loudly. After class, professor Brian asked me to tel l the students not to enter the classroom in that manner when they are late. Instead, he suggests, they should open the door and get to their seats silently. In this case, the students said, “May I come in?” in order to show respect to the professor, which is regarded as good manners in China. However, the professor thought otherwise. He didn’t want to be interrupted during his lecture, because he valued time more.3 The Causes of Intercultural Pragmatic FailureVarious causes can result in pragmatic fail ure. Learner’ lack of the knowledge of cultural differences can cause pragmatic failure. Different cultural values and norms among countries can cause pragmatic failure. Learner’ inappropriate transfer of language itself, of cultural meanings, and of situation meanings can cause pragmatic failure.3.1Different Cultural Values and NormsDifferent cultures have different cultural conventions, and different languages have different conversational norms, hence different people under different cultural backgrounds have different cultural values and norms. These cultural differences in values and norms have a great influence on intercultural communication for foreign language learners. In fact, cultural differences can cause many problems in intercultural communication and in foreign language teaching. If Chinese students cannot distinguish cultural differences, they cannot truly achieve a desired result in intercultural communication. In China, on the one hand, Chinese students want to practice their English, they are eager to speak; on the other hand, they do not know the rules of some cultural conventions and differences for native English speakers. They often violate these rules unconsciously and commit some pragmatic errors in interacting with native English speakers.3.1.1 Modesty vs. Self-denigrationIt is universally acknowledged that to be modest is a way to show politeness, but how people in different cultural backgrounds think of “modesty” is another question. In Chinese culture, the “Modesty Maxim” is valued much more highly than in western cultures, so the Chinese rank “modesty and humility” over “honesty quality”. That’s why the Chinese would like to respond to a compliment with a kind of modest attitude. Chinese “modesty” involves putting down onese lf and elevating others, while“modesty” as Leech’s Politeness Principles puts, is to avoid self-praise. Therefore, Chinese politeness is built whereas “modesty” functions as a strategy of minimizing self-praise (Hu, 1999: 348-349). When being complimented, English people tend to accept the compliment frankly, with a remark like “Thank you” to show his/her acknowledgement of self-worth as well as his/her appreciation to the compliment. In contrast, Chinese speakers usually tend to deny the praise by saying something like “哪里，哪里，您过奖了”, which is equivalent to “Oh, it’s nothing. You are flattering me”. As Deng and Liu (1989) note that such different reactions stem from their different cultural assumptions and values: in English culture, it is generally assumed that the praise is sincere and/or the praise is for some not unworthy achievement or something else, and thus, there should be no false humility or no pretended modesty; however, to Chinese, acceptance of a praise will be assumed to be self-conceited or lack of good manners. So, the Chinese would like to underrate what he himself has achieved and deny the truth of a complimentary remark to show “modesty. For example, (10) Foreign guest: You’ve done a good job. Chinese attendant: No, there are many defects. (Wang Jianhua 1998:20) (11) Foreign teacher: Your handwriting is beautiful! Chinese student: No, no, not at all. You’re joking.(He Zeran 1988: 96)To sum up, English “modesty” stresses other-elevating, but not necessarily and very rarely self-denigrating whereas Chinese “modesty” emphasizes both self-denigrating but other elevating, stresses more on self-denigrating. To denigrate the self is to show respect to the other. (He 1995: 4).3.1.2 Privacy vs. Mutual CarePrivacy is valued in all cultures but it is more highlighted in English culture than in Chinese culture. The perception of “privacy” in Chinese culture and English culture is quite different, for the reason of the differences between individualism and collectivism. Chinese culture might be sometimes viewed intrusive for native English speakers. Chinese culture attaches great importance to human feelings and interpersonal relationships. Therefore, it is usual for the Chinese to initiate their conversation by asking some questions such as age, martial status, income, and occupation when they meet each other for the first time. For example, (12) a. How old are you? b. Are you married/single? c. How much do you earn each month? d. How many people in your family? e. What’s your father/mother/husba nd/wife? f. Are you a Christian? In Chinese Culture, asking the above questions can show your concern for others and will shorten the social distance between the interlocutors. Hence, harmonious relationship is maintained. “The concept of privacy” is har d for Chinese students to grasp when they are communicating with native English speakers, for what is regarded “privacy” in western culture is often no “privacy” in China. In fact, in western culture, such topics like age, income, marital status, politics and religion are taboo and unacceptable. When they hear such questions, they may feel uncomfortable and offended. For native English speakers, the natural way to start a conversation is to choose some public topics to talk about, such as weather, traveling,sports, etc. Their sense of privacy is so strong that they are easily offended by such common Chinese greetings as “Where are you going?” or “Where have you been?” In this case, the natural response of most native English speakers is most likely to be like “It is none of your business” (Deng & Liu 1989: 29).The above study doesn’t mean the Chinese have no privacy, but implies that their conception of privacy is quite different from that in English culture. Indeed, Chinese “privacy" has changed a lot with the development of China’s reform and opening up. Those, which were not taken as one’s privacy in the past, are gradually regarded as privacy now, including age, income and marital status. In a broad sense, Chinese privacy is somewhat similar to that in western culture, while in a strict sense, they are still quite different. In addition to the above conversations, the Chinese tend to care about others by saying some caring words while the westerners regard it as another kind of invasion of their privacy. These questions may be asked for some specific contexts. For example, (13) a. The weather is changeable, put on more clothes. b. Remember to take some medicine. c. Drink more boiled water. d. Eat more fresh vegetable. e. You are old. You sit here.3.1.3 Directness vs. IndirectnessIn Chinese culture, people prefer to talk something else before getting to the point. The reason is, in Chinese culture, it seems a little rude to say anything directly, either to ask for help or to make complaints. But, in western culture, if you do so, they will think that either you have mental disturbance or you intend to slide over the key point. They may misunderstand what you mean. For example, (14) (a Chinese student wants to ask his English teacher for help) A: Are you very busy? B: Yes, I’ve been very busy recently. In the above example, the student wanted to ask for help, and according to Chinese cultural norms, he asked “Are you very busy?” Its equivalent Chinese is “现在忙吗?” In Chinese, if somebody says “现在忙吗?” the most likely answer is “有什么事? (Anything I can do for you?)” But in western culture, they would like to come straight to the point, so the English teacher responded the Chinese student in terms of the western sense of value, i.e. to consider something as it stands. As a result, A may feel uncomfortable because of B’s direct refusal. In this case, A should ask his/her English teacher for help directly, like “Could you give me a hand now?” Such dialogues often occur in students’ textbooks. In fact, these dialogues are the combination of the Chinese thought and the English form. Some textbooks designed pay less attention to cultural and psychological differences. Students just imitate what they learn in the classroom and remember mechanically. Asking such questions seems that you are an immigration officer. It sounds uncomfortable for the westerners, for it is an invasion of their privacy.3.2 Inappropriate TransferWhen people from different cultural backgrounds interact with each other, they must transfer from their mother tongue to the target language and vice versa, for there。

dialogue language understandingDialogue Language Understanding (对话语言理解) is the ability of a computer system to understand and interpret human conversation. This involves analyzing and processing natural language input in a conversation to extract meaning,意图, and context. With the advancements in artificial intelligence and natural language processing, Dialogue Language Understanding has become an important area of research and development.One of the key challenges in Dialogue Language Understanding is dealing with ambiguity and vagueness in language. Humans often use pronouns, ellipsis, and implicit references in conversation, which can be difficult for computers to interpret accurately. Additionally, conversations often involve multiple participants with different backgrounds, agendas, and perspectives, making it challenging to identify the intended meaning and purpose.To address these challenges, Dialogue Language Understanding systems typically employ a combination of techniques, including natural language processing, machine learning, and deep learning. These techniques help in tasks such as speech recognition, lexical analysis, syntactic analysis, semantic understanding, and pragmatic understanding.One application of Dialogue Language Understanding is in the development of chatbots and virtual assistants. These systems can engage in conversations with humans, answering questions, providing information, and assisting with tasks. By understanding the user's intentions and语境, these systems can provide personalized and relevant responses.Another application is in the field of customer service and support. Dialogue Language Understanding can be used to analyze customer inquiries and complaints, extract key information, and route them to the appropriate department or agent for resolution.Furthermore, Dialogue Language Understanding is crucial for building voiceassistants and speech-based interfaces. These systems need to understand and interpret spoken conversations to perform tasks such as voice commands, navigation instructions, and media control.In conclusion, Dialogue Language Understanding is a complex and challenging field that requires the integration of various natural language processing techniques and machine learning algorithms. Ongoing research and development in this area aim to improve the accuracy, robustness, and generalizability of Dialogue Language Understanding systems, enabling more seamless and natural interactions between humans and computers.。

提高英语对话能力的书籍Improving English conversation skills is an essential aspect of language learning, as it enables fluent and natural communication. To aid in this process, there are numerous books available that provide valuable resources and strategies. Here are some recommended books that can help you enhance your English dialogue abilities:1. "Cambridge English In Use" Series: This comprehensive series covers various levels from beginner to advanced, making it suitable for learners of all levels. The books are based on real-life situations, providing ample opportunities for dialogue practice and useful expressions. They are ideal for improving speaking and communication skills.2. "Fluent in English: Perfect Natural Speech, Sharpen Your Grammar, Master Idioms, Speak Fluently" by Barbara Raifsnider: This book is tailored for intermediate to advanced learners who aim to enhance their fluency andnaturalness in English. It features dialogues centered around various topics such as travel, work, and social life. Additionally, it includes a wealth of idioms and phrases, helping readers sound more natural and confident in their speech.3. "English Conversation Practice" by Grant Taylor:This popular guide is suitable for beginners tointermediate learners. It offers a range of engaging and practical dialogues and exercises, covering various dailylife and social scenarios. The examples guide readers in practicing correct pronunciation, intonation, and sentence structure, along with relevant vocabulary and phrases.4. "The Ultimate Guide to Speaking English Fluently": This book provides practical tips and strategies to overcome barriers in spoken English, increasing fluency and confidence. It covers a wide range of topics, including pronunciation, vocabulary expansion, and grammar refinement.5. "English Speaking Training Manual": This book offersa comprehensive collection of exercises and dialogues,designed to enhance English speaking skills through practice. It covers various aspects of conversation, including listening comprehension, speaking skills, and language structure.6. "English Speaking Course": This textbook, authored by experienced English teachers, contains a wealth of dialogues, exercises, and grammar explanations. It is ideal for learners who want to quickly improve their English speaking abilities, covering a range of topics from basic greetings to complex discussions.7. "The Secret to Speaking English Like a Native": This book shares valuable insights and techniques to help learners speak English more naturally, like a native speaker. It covers areas such as pronunciation, vocabulary usage, and cultural nuances, providing a holistic approach to improving conversation skills.In addition to these books, there are also numerous online resources and apps available that provide additional practice and support in English conversation. These includeplatforms like Duolingo, Rosetta Stone, and Babbel, which offer interactive lessons and speaking practice with native speakers.Remember, improving conversation skills requires regular practice and exposure to the language. By utilizing these resources, along with speaking to native speakers and participating in conversation clubs or language exchange events, you can significantly enhance your English dialogue abilities.。

1.11.Different from personal writings, academic writings must be professional, objective, formal and logical. (对)1.21.What are the main features of academic writing? 全选Objectivity formality explicitness responsibility hedging2.You’d better make strong claims in your academic writing. (错)1.31. IMRad structure is good for all the journal articles in all the disciplines. (错)2. IMRaD structure includes the following parts:(全选)Methods Results discussion introduction第一章章节测试General introduction1.The structure of the journal article in all disciplines is the same.(错)2.If you are writing a paper in order to answer a specific question subjectively, the IMRaD structure willmost likely serve your purposes best.（错）3.The goal of using the IMRaD format is to present facts objectively, demonstrating a genuine interestand care /in developing new understanding about a topic. (对)4.Many disciplines tend to combine the results and discussion section, instead of dividing findings frominterpretations of these findings. (对)5.The tone of academic writing can be very different depending on the discipline you are writing for.(对)6.Discussion illustrates ().what the findings mean.7.To be objective, which is the best choice in academic writing? ()It is a very challenging study.8.The main purpose of the method section is to tell () you did it . how9.Which are the features of academic ? (全选)formality explicitness responsibility objectivity10. The Introduction tells () and () you did the research, What why2.1.11. The title is the most-read and first-read part of an academic paper. (对)2. A good title for a research paper should accomplish the following goals :(全选)A good title predicts the content of the research paper. A good title should be interesting to the reader. A good title should reflect the tone of the writing. A good title contains keywords that will make it easy to access by a computer search.2.1.2A long title with too many descriptive words or terms with multiple meanings may lead to misunderstandings. (对)2.2.1The title is the first-read part of the paper , so it is better to create the title first and then write the article. (错)“COVID-19 face masks: A potential source of microplastic fibers in the environment” is not a good titl e, because we can never use abbreviations or acronyms in the research paper titles. (错)One of the rules of title writing is to use the right capitalization, which is the best choice for you when submitting your paper? ()The guidelines to the authors of your target journal are the best directions for you to make the decision. So follow them strictly.2.2.2We usually have () steps to create a good title.5The questions we usually ask ourselves when start to create a final title are (), (), () and ().全选What is my research paper about? What methods/techniques were used? What or who was the subject of my study? What were the results?第二章章节测试Title1.A wrong title choice can break the quality of the paper you submit.. (对)2.The general title is much better than the detailed one. (错)3.“AE and Related NDE techniques in the fracture mechanics of concrete” is not a good title, because we can never use abbreviations or acronyms in the research paper titles. (错)4.It is not good to contain keywords in the title, because they are usually too difficult to understand. (错)5.We usually use the parallel structure to make the title unified. (错)6.()is the most frequent structures occurred in the research paper titles in sciences. The nominal group construction7.To make the title easier to access by a computer search, we usually contain () in the title. important key words8.We’d better create the final title () the paper writing. After9.The main functions of the title are: ()Attracting the readers Presenting the core contents Indexing10.The requirements to make a good title are: (全选)Being descriptive Being brief and interesting Being standard Being unified.3.1.11.The abstract covers the following sections: Introduction, Method, Result, Discussion and conclusion,just the same of IMRaD structure. (对)2.An abstract is “a concise summary of the whole paper”,An abstract is “a concise summary of the wholepaper”, providing readers with a quick overview of the paper and its organization. (对)3.1.21.The main types of the abstracts are:(全选)Descriptive abstracts Informative abstracts Structuredabstracts All of the above2.The main features of the abstract are: (), (), and ().conciseness objectivity completeness3.1.31. An descriptive abstract is the condensed version of the whole paper, it usually has four key elements in the body of an abstract. They are: Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion and Conclusion.错2.The () part should be the longest part of the informative abstract. Results3.2.11.Write the abstract after the draft is done. (对)2.Active voice should be avoided in an abstract writing, because it is too subjective. (错)3.The abstract is text-only writing. So never include Images, illustration figures and tables.对3.2.21.Reveal your findings by listing all the results from your Results section. This part will include thedescription of the results ofReveal your findings by listing all the results from your Results section.This part will include the description of the results of your research, whether you supported or rejecteda hypothesis.(错)2.The questions that you usually try to answer in the abstract are: (全选).What did you do and why?How did do? What did you find? What do the findings mean?第三章章节测试Abstract1.The abstract section can work as the decided part of a research paper to be published or not. (对)2.The abstract works as a marketing tool. It is selling your paper to the editors and readers, helpingthem to decide “whether there is something in the body of the paper worth reading”. (对)3.The abstract is text-only writing. So never include Images, illustration figures and tables. (对)4.The descriptive abstract includes information about the purpose, scope and methods , the majorfindings , results and conclusions of your research.(错)5.The informative abstract includes the results and discussions of the research, but the descriptive onedoes not. (对)6.The sequence of questions that you usually try to answer in the abstract are: (A )1）What did you do and why?2）How did do?3）What did you find?4）What do the findings mean? A. 1）-2) - 3) -4）7. Which kind of the abstract is it? () “Various studies in inspection have demonstrated the usefulness of feedforward and feedback in improving performance. However, these studies have looked at the search and decision making components separately. Hence, it is difficult to draw generalized conclusions on the effects of feedforward and feedback for inspection tasks that have both search and decision making components. In response to this need, this study evaluates the individual and collective effect of feedforward and feedback on an inspection task that has both the search and decision-making components. For this purpose, the study used a computer simulated inspection task generated by the VisIns program. Twenty-four subjects, randomly assigned to various conditions, performed an inspection task wherein the feedforward and the feedback conditions were manipulated between subjects. Defect probability and the number of defects were also manipulated within subjects. Subsequently, the search and decision-making performances were analyzed and interpreted .”descriptive8.Which kind of the abstract is it? (). As humans accelerate the pace of marine development, autonomous underwater vehicles () are increasingly attracting worldwide attention. Due to the limitations of carrying energy and battery technology, AUV's endurance is nonideal. Therefore, designers usually make AUVs more streamlined to reduce drag. Here we show that when a layer of porous material is attached to an AUV's surface, the AUV's drag changes significantly. In this paper, simulations of the basic body of a REMUS100 and SUBOFF submarine model were carried out under multiple conditions. It is found that the drag increases as the porous viscosity coefficient or the thickness of the porous material increases. When REMUS100 and SUBOFF models are attached to the porous material with suitable porous viscosity coefficient, their drag becomes smaller. Boundary layer theory is also used to explain and analyze the phenomenon of the proportional increase of viscous pressure drag when using porous material, which is verified by vertical plate numerical simulations. Finally, we tested the mechanical properties of porous nickel and aluminum alloy 6061, and found that the porous material does have an effect of drag reduction, and can reduce the fluctuation range of the drag during the movement. Informative9.The () part should be the second-longest part of the informative abstract ? Methods10.The abstract should express your central idea and your key points, including the () or () of the researchyou discuss in the paper. Implications Applications4.1.11.Based on introduction, the readers can know the clues of your critical thinking. (对)2.Introduction cannot show the purpose clearly. (错)4.1.21. Introduction includes () parts in an academic paper. 52. In background, we need to introduce the general situation of the research field. (对)4.2.11. Even a broad opening needs to be clearly related to your topic. (对)2. We usually use three tenses in the section of Introduction. They are (), (), and (). simple present simple past present perfect4.2.21. In literature review, we’d better develop it from the more general context to the more specific topic. (对)2. The words like () and () are used to express people’s interest and significance of the study.Attention importance4.2.31. The sentence like “… has been studied extensively in recent years” is usually used to show () in Introduction. Background2. The sentence like “The present study will mainly explore…” is usually used to describe () in Introduction. purpose第四章章节测试Introuduction1. Introduction leads the audience from a general topic area to a certain topic of inquiry.对2. Introduction tells the readers why they make the investigation, where they start, and where they intend to go to. (对)3. Even a broad opening needs to be clearly related to the topic. (对)4. In the section of literature review, we’d better develop it from the more specific topic to the more general context. (错)5. We can use logical connectives to relate the information into a whole part. (对)6. The section of purpose clearly indicates the specific () that guides the research. Objective7. Literature review is about the () studies. Previous8. In the part of research gap, we display the points that (). are not studied yet9. Which are the functions of Introduction? () creating a first impression highlighting the topiclimiting the research scope10. The research background is usually presented with ( ) and ( ). reviewed literature recent development5.1.11. There are () common types of literature reviews. 22. A literature review usually has () functions. 65.1.21.The four organizational methods in literature review are (), (), () and ().全选by chronological orderby theoretical perspective by the themes to be addressed by methodology5.2.11. Criticizing other’s work without any basis can be beneficial to your paper. (错)2. There are () steps to develop a literature review. 45.2.21. “Summarizing” is a good way to avoid plagiarism. (对)2. To avoid using convoluted sentences can help us to achieve coherence.(对)5.2.31. The sentence like “… have been developed to do…” can be used to emphasize th at certain topic is used for certain purpose. (对)2. We usually use three tenses in writing a literature review. They are: (), (), and (). simple present simple past present perfect第五章章节测试Literature review1. Literature reviews are aimed to summarize some sources and provideLiterature reviews are aimed to summarize some sources and provide necessary information about a topic. (对)2. To organize the literature review by chronological order is to trace the development of the topic over time from the latest work to the earliest. (错)3. A well-written literature review is about a simple summary of prior works. (错)4. We must point out the shortcomings of previous works. (错)5. We need to avoid too much direct quoting. (对)6. When we summarize the main idea, () is a good and common method. Paraphrasing7. To make our review cohesive, we can repeat (), or use some addition connectors. key words8. There are () central techniques to show attitude or stance. 59. In the section of literature review, we collect information and sources of relevant topics from (), (), (), and so on.scholarly articles academic conference speeches dissertations/theses10. The two types of citations are () and (). information prominent citation author prominent citation6.1.11. The investigation method is used to collect materials about the current situation or historical situation of the research topic. (对)2. Academic norms are some basic procedures, methods and requirements that researchers should follow in the process of scientific research. (对)6.1.21. We need to describe the procedure employed in chronological order. (对)2. The three moves for writing Materials and methods are (), (), and (). contextualizing study methodsdescribing the study analyzing data.6.2.11. If you use anyone else's work to help you apply your methodology, discuss those works and show how they contribute to your own work. (对)2. We don’t need to discuss the weaknesses or criticisms of the methods you've chosen. (错)6.2.21. The description of the research procedure and the various materials used in each step is usually used with the simple past tense. (对)2. According to Ben Mudrak, there are () rules to write a good Materials and methods section. 4第六章章节测试Materials and methods1. The section of Materials and methods is a description of what was actually done. (对)2. The investigation method is used to just collect materials about the current situation. (错)3. Research methods in arts and science are different. (对)4. You must include enough detail that your study can be replicated by others in your field. (对)5. Reading other research papers is a good way to identify potential problems that commonly arise with various methods. (对)6. In terms of Data Analysis, it tells the reader how the () were analyzed. Data7. The description of the research procedure and the various materials used in each step is usually used with (). the simple past tense8. If the research material is conventional and not a specific material reported in the paper, we use (). the simple present tense9. The qualitative method refers to use (), (), and () to process the obtained materials. induction and deduction analysis and synthesis abstraction and generalization10. The three moves for writing Materials and Methods include (), (), and ().contextualizing study methods describing the study analyzing data7.1.11. 1. Results section in a journal paper is about“what was found” in the experiment.对2. Common non-textual elements may include ().graph histogram matrix7.1.21. Non-textual elements may be used as many as you like. (错)2. Non-textual elements should follow the following guideline: () cite the source7.2.11. Non-textual elements may be used as many as you like. (错)2. Non-textual elements should follow the following guideline: () cite the source7.2.21. In results section, abbreviations are not preferred to be used frequently. (对)第七章章节测试Results1. Figures and tables are the main aids in illustrating the results section . (对)2. A chart or a table may help you highlight the important pieces of information in your paper. (对)3. Data listed in the results section should be carefully selected and revised in the journal paper. (错)4. In results section, background information should be reported again in order to facilitate the comparison or contrast of those specific results. (错)5. How to design your graphs in your journal paper?() Make each line on a graph as easily distinguishable as possible6. Non-textual elements are used for _____. () a certain purpose7. It is necessary to ______ your results in detail in the results section. () list8. Embedding a chart, a table or other non-textual elements into the paper can bring added _____to the research. () clarity9. Results section includes the following elements: () an introductory context a summary of the key findings an inclusion of non-textual elements10. For most research paper formats, there are the following ways to present and organize the results. ()Presenting the results followed by a short explanation of the findings. Presenting a section and discussing it.8.11. We learned that the result section answers the question“W-H-A-T”, and then the discussion section answers the most important question, namely, ____. SO WHAT2. In some papers, results section and discussion section are combined into one. (对)8.2.11. You may repeat the information you have already got in the results section once again in the discussion section in detail. (错)8.2.21. An effective way to develop your discussion section is to _____. () acknowledge the limitations2. An effective writing style of limitations in discussion section is to assess the impact of each limitation. (对)8.2.31. All Discussion sections are analytical, but not descriptive.对8.2.41. When we want to interpret the results, which tense is preferred? () past tense2. In this lecture , we mainly focus on the following aspects: (全选)tense voice diction第八章章节测试Discussion1. The discussion section can most effectively show your ability as a researcher to think critically about the issue studied. ()The discussion section can most effectively show your ability as a researcher to think critically about the issue studied. (对)2. The discussion section helps to engage the readers in thinking critically about issues based upon an evidence-based interpretation of findings.(对)3. It is not necessary to identify the relationship, patterns and corralations among the received data. (错)4. It is not necessary to discuss the reasons why you have got some unexpected data and defin their importance. (错)5. According the IMRAD format, discussion section is the _____ part of the body. () fourth6. Discussion section usually presents the underlying meaning of your research, which means_____?() Making the implications7. While we summarize the main findings in the discussion section, what should be done? () Present a comparison or a contrast with the published studies.8. Which of the following expression is true? () If access is denied or limited in some way , describe the reasons.9. When we focus on the discussion section, we mainly talk about the following elements?(全选) interpretation implication limitation and recommendation10. When discussing th limitations of your research, make sure to _____? (全选) explain why each limitation exists describe each limitation in detailed but concisely provide the reasons why each limitation could not be overcome9.11. The writing of introduction goes from specific to general, while the writing of conclusion goes from general to specific. (错)2. What would you do after evaluating the research results in conclusion?() restate the research purpose9.21. Present tense is often used by the author to restate the aim of the paper of tell readers his work done earlier. (错)2. The writers ought to ______ the major points already mentioned in the introduction of the synthesize第九章章节测试Conclusion1. You need to write a long and complex conclusion with enough details in order to make the paper appear professional。

PET英语考试真题Introduction：The PET (Preliminary English Test) is an English language exam that assesses the ability of non-native English speakers at an intermediate level. In this article, we will explore some sample PET exam questions as well as provide helpful tips and strategies to prepare for the test.Reading Section:The reading section of the PET exam consists of three parts. Each part contains a text followed by multiple-choice questions. The texts are usually taken from magazines, newspapers, or books.Part 1: Multiple Choice QuestionsIn this part, you will read a short text, such as an advertisement or a notice, and answer multiple-choice questions based on the information provided. It tests your ability to understand the main idea and specific details.Part 2: Gap-FillIn this part, you will read a longer text, such as a magazine article, and complete the gaps with the correct word or phrase. This section assesses your ability to understand the overall meaning of the text and use contextual clues to fill in the missing information.Part 3: Multiple Choice QuestionsIn this part, you will read a longer text, such as an article or a letter, and answer multiple-choice questions based on the information provided. Thissection tests your ability to understand detailed information, opinions, and attitudes.Listening Section:The listening section of the PET exam consists of four parts. Each part involves listening to a spoken passage or conversation and answering multiple-choice questions or completing sentences based on the information heard.Part 1: Multiple Choice QuestionsIn this part, you will listen to short monologues or dialogues and select the correct answer from multiple choices. It tests your ability to understand everyday conversations, such as ordering food or giving directions.Part 2: Sentence CompletionIn this part, you will listen to a longer conversation and complete the sentences with the missing words. It assesses your ability to listen for specific information and understand the overall meaning of the conversation.Part 3: Multiple Choice QuestionsIn this part, you will listen to several short monologues or dialogues and answer multiple-choice questions. It tests your ability to understand information presented in different contexts, such as a radio announcement or an interview.Part 4: Multiple Choice QuestionsIn this part, you will listen to a longer monologue or an interview and answer multiple-choice questions. It tests your ability to understand more complex spoken language and extract detailed information.Writing Section:The writing section of the PET exam consists of two parts. It assesses your ability to write short texts in English.Part 1: Sentence TransformationIn this part, you are given a sentence with a prompt and you need to rewrite it using the prompt in a different way. It tests your ability to manipulate sentence structures and use different grammatical forms accurately.Part 2: Short Writing TaskIn this part, you are given a prompt and you need to write a short text, such as an email or a postcard, in response. It tests your ability to communicate your ideas effectively and use appropriate language and vocabulary.Speaking Section:The speaking section of the PET exam consists of four parts. It assesses your ability to communicate in English in various situations.Part 1: Personal InformationIn this part, the examiner will ask you questions about yourself, your interests, and your daily life. It tests your ability to give personal information and engage in a simple conversation.Part 2: Individual TaskIn this part, you will be given a topic and you have one minute to prepare and then speak for one to two minutes on the topic. It tests your ability to express your ideas and opinions clearly and coherently.Part 3: Collaborative TaskIn this part, you will have a conversation with your partner based on a visual prompt. It tests your ability to engage in a discussion, express and justify opinions, and negotiate with the other person.Part 4: DiscussionIn this part, the examiner will ask further questions related to the topic discussed in Part 3. It tests your ability to discuss abstract topics, express your opinions, and elaborate on your ideas.Conclusion:The PET exam is a comprehensive assessment of your English language skills at an intermediate level. By familiarizing yourself with the format and practicing the sample questions, you can improve your chances of success. Remember to develop your reading, listening, writing, and speaking abilities, and to pay attention to accuracy and fluency in your responses. Good luck with your PET exam preparation!。

英语专业本科生教材综合教程1学生用书English Major Undergraduate Textbook: Integrated Course 1 Student's BookIntroductionThe English Major Undergraduate Textbook: Integrated Course 1 Student’s Book is designed for students majoring in English at the undergraduate level. This comprehensive textbook covers a wide range of topics, including grammar, vocabulary, reading, writing, speaking, and listening. It is suitable for students at the beginner to intermediate levels and provides a solid foundation for further study in English.FeaturesThe Integrated Course 1 Student’s Book is divided into units, with each unit focusing on a specific aspect of the English language. The units are structured in a way that allows students to build upon their knowledge and skills as they progress through the book. Each unit contains a variety of activities, such as grammar exercises, vocabulary building exercises, reading comprehension passages, and speaking tasks. These activities are designed to help students improve their language skills in a systematic and engaging manner.In addition to the main textbook, the Integrated Course 1 Student’s Book also includes supplementary materials, such as audio recordings of dialogues and exercises, as well as a companion website with additional resources for students to practice their English outside of the classroom.Key TopicsSome of the key topics covered in the Integrated Course 1 Student’s Book include:- Basic grammar rules and structures- Common vocabulary words and phrases- Reading comprehension skills- Writing skills, including sentence and paragraph structure- Speaking and listening skills, including pronunciation and intonationOverall, the Integrated Course 1 Student’s Book provides a comprehensive and engaging introduction to the English language for undergraduate students majoring in English. It is a valuable resource for both classroom instruction and self-study, helping students develop their language skills in a structured and systematic way.。

英语评估表English Assessment FormName:Level: Beginner/Intermediate/AdvancedReading Skills:1. Can read and understand simple sentences and basic vocabulary.2. Can identify main ideas and key details in short, familiar texts.3. Can understand and interpret simple instructions and directions.4. Can read and comprehend short stories and narratives.5. Can understand the main ideas and supporting details in longer, more complex texts.Writing Skills:1. Can write simple sentences using basic vocabulary and grammar.2. Can write paragraphs with a clear topic sentence and supporting details.3. Can write a coherent and organized essay with an introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion.4. Can express opinions and provide reasons and examples to support them.5. Can use correct punctuation and spelling in writing.Listening Skills:1. Can understand and follow simple spoken instructions.2. Can comprehend and respond to basic questions in conversation.3. Can understand and follow short, familiar dialogues and conversations.4. Can understand and extract information from longer, more complex audio materials.5. Can understand and interpret spoken narratives and lectures. Speaking Skills:1. Can pronounce words and phrases clearly and accurately.2. Can engage in basic conversation using common greetings and introductions.3. Can participate in short dialogues and conversations on familiar topics.4. Can express opinions and provide explanations and examples to support them.5. Can deliver presentations and speeches on familiar topics with clarity and coherence.Vocabulary Skills:1. Can understand and use basic vocabulary related to everyday activities and topics.2. Can understand and use intermediate vocabulary related to various subjects.3. Can understand and use advanced vocabulary related to specialized fields.4. Can expand vocabulary through reading, listening, and studying new words.5. Can accurately use and understand idioms and expressions in appropriate contexts.Grammar Skills:1. Can use basic tenses (present, past, future) correctly.2. Can form and use simple sentences with correct subject-verb agreement.3. Can use and understand common prepositions and conjunctions accurately.4. Can use and understand more complex grammatical structures, such as conditional sentences and reported speech.5. Can consistently use correct grammar in speech and writing. Overall Language Proficiency Level:Beginner/Intermediate/AdvancedComments/Recommendations:。

G U A G E E X A M I N A T I O N S T O T H E C O M M O N E U R O P E A N F R A M E W O R K O F R E F E R E N C E F O R L A N G U A G E S : L E A R N I N G , T E A C H I N G , A S S E S S M E N T • R e a d i n g a n d L i s t e n i n g I t e m s a n d T a s k s : P i l o t S a m p l e sENGLISHKey English Test (KET) Reading7Key English Test (KET) Listening15ENGLISH G U A G E E X A M I N A T I O N S T O T H E C O M M O N E U R O P E A N F R A M E W O R K O F R E F E R E N C E F O R L A N G U A G E S : L E A R N I N G , T E A C H I N G , A S S E S S M E N T • R e a d i n g a n d L i s t e n i n g I t e m s a n d T a s k s : P i l o t S a m p l e sKey English Test (KET) ReadingKET – ReadingGeneral informationBackground to the ExaminationKey English Test (KET) is a general English qualification which is part of the Cambridge ESOL Main-suite examinations. Set at level A2 of the CEF , KET recognises the ability to cope with eve-ryday written and spoken communications at a basic level. KET is designed for learners who have basic English skills, of the kind needed when travelling in a foreign country.CandidatureKET is taken by more than 56,000 people each year in over 60 countries. Around 75% of KET candidates are aged 18 or under and a further 20% are in the 19-30 age group. Around 85% of candidates attend preparation classes.Structure of the TestKET tests the skills of Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking – with each skill equally weighted at 25%. KET is administered in three separate papers. Paper 1 Reading and Writ-ing, Paper 2 Listening and Paper 3 Speaking. There are four possible grades in KET: Two pass grades (pass with merit and pass) and two fail grades (narrow fail and fail). Results are based on candidates’ aggregate scores across the four skills.KET Reading and Writing PaperThe paper has a fixed format, with Parts 1-5 testing reading skills through a variety of texts ranging from very short notices to longer continuous texts. Candidates are assessed on their ability to understand written English at word, phrase, sentence, paragraph and whole text level. KET candidates should be able to understand the main message, and some detail, of a variety of short factual reading texts: for example, signs, notices, instructions, brochures, guides, personal correspondence and informative articles from newspapers and maga-zines. Other tasks on the paper include: reading for gist; understanding of real-world notices (matching task) ; reading and identifying appropriate vocabulary (multiple-choice sen-tences); reading and identifying appropriate functional responses (multiple-choice task) and reading for understanding of lexico-structural patterns in a text (multiple-choice cloze).ENGLISH G U A G E E X A M I N A T I O N S T O T H E C O M M O N E U R O P E A N F R A M E W O R K O F R E F E R E N C E F O R L A N G U A G E S : L E A R N I N G , T E A C H I N G , A S S E S S M E N T • R e a d i n g a n d L i s t e n i n g I t e m s a n d T a s k s : P i l o t S a m p l e sPart FourThis task focuses on reading for detailed understanding and main ideas. The text is always a short article, but one of two three-option objective task types may be used: either a Right/Wrong/Doesn’t say task as in this example, or a three-option multiple-choice task. The texts come from authentic sources, but are adapted to make them accessible to candidates at the level. They may include vocabulary which is unfamiliar to candidates, but this should not interfere with their ability to complete the task.Reading (CEFR A2)Test to be analysed Key English Test (KET) Target language EnglishTask Reading component (Part 4)Rubrics Target language ItemsTarget language Time to do total test 1 hr 10 m Target levels CEFR A2 ALTE 1Age-group sector Teenagers and adults DomainPublic domainCommunicative activities:Overall reading comprehensionCan understand short, simple texts contain-ing the highest frequency vocabulary.Reading for information and argumentCan identify specific information in simple written materials, such as letters, brochures and short newspaper articles describing events.Mark DistributionEach of the seven items carries one mark, representing 20% of the marks available across the five reading tasks.Effective LevelAll KET Reading tasks are pre-tested using volunteer candidates. Typically, pre-test candi-dates are students preparing to take the exam in the near future. A range of age and nation-ality groups is represented in the pre-test population, which roughly corresponds to that of the live candidature.Pre-tested materials are then subject to statistical analysis at task and item level using both KET – ReadingENGLISH G U A G E E X A M I N A T I O N S T O T H E C O M M O N E U R O P E A N F R A M E W O R K O F R E F E R E N C E F O R L A N G U A G E S : L E A R N I N G , T E A C H I N G , A S S E S S M E N T • R e a d i n g a n d L i s t e n i n g I t e m s a n d T a s k s : P i l o t S a m p l e smine the level of difficulty. Each task, therefore, consists of items of measured difficulty, which are selected from within a specified range to determine the mean difficulty of the task.Tests are constructed from the tasks in the item bank. Each task, therefore, consists of items of measured (Rasch) difficulty, which are selected from within a specified range to determine the mean difficulty of the task.CalibrationTests are constructed from the calibrated tasks in the item bank. The one-parameter Rasch model is used for calibrating the items. For most routine analysis, Cambridge ESOL uses the BIGSTEPS analysis program supplemented by in-house programmes for formatting data and handling the output. The logit scale produced by BIGSTEPS is re-scaled to produce a conven-tional ESOL scale, which is used for test construction purposes. This is known as the common scale for item-based tests. The complete scale for Cambridge ESOL examinations, from KET (A2) to CPE (C2) covers a range from about 20 to 110. The expected ranges of values for KET on this scale is approximately 30-50, with a target mean of 41.Performance of this taskThis was one of the most challenging tasks on the paper and candidates found some ques-tions, particularly 28 and 32, quite difficult. The answer to Question 28 is B because the text states that the purpose of Peter Bloxham’s trip to China was business. Question 32 was the most difficult item. In order to get the correct answer, candidates have to process the last two sentences of the text. Yang says, ‘I don’t suppose there are many people in this place who have seen or heard a pipa before’. From this candidates need to realise that not everyone in the village knows her music.KET – ReadingENGLISH G U A G E E X A M I N A T I O N S T O T H E C O M M O N E U R O P E A N F R A M E W O R K O F R E F E R E N C E F O R L A N G U A G E S : L E A R N I N G , T E A C H I N G , A S S E S S M E N T • R e a d i n g a n d L i s t e n i n g I t e m s a n d T a s k s : P i l o t S a m p l e sReading ItemsInstructions to candidate:Read this article about a famous Chinese woman who plays music.Are sentences 26-32 ‘Right’ (A) or ‘Wrong’ (B)?If there is not enough information to answer ‘Right’ (A) or ‘Wrong’ (B), choose ‘Doesn’t say’ (C).For questions 26-32, mark A, B or C on the answer sheetChinese Music in an English VillageYang Jing usually plays her music in big halls in places like New York and Paris. Yang plays an old Chinese musical instrument called a pipa. She has been famous in China since 1986. Now she is 34 years old and the best pipa player in the world. She usually gets $3000 each time she plays.A businessman called Peter Bloxham saw Yang playing in China when he was on a business trip. Peter comes from Cheswardine, a village in England. After the show, he talked to Yang. He told her that his village needed to repair their old village hall, so Yang agreed to play there. “You can use all the ticket money for your hall,” she said. “You needn’t pay me anything.”Last week, Yang arrived in Cheswardine for hershow. She said: “I usually stay in big hotels where everything is fast and busy, so it is lovely to stay in a small place where everyone has time to talk to me and be so nice. I don’t suppose there are many people in this place who have seen or heard a pipa before. I hope they will like my music.”KET – ReadingItem 0. example item Yang Jing has played in New York A Right B Wrong C Doesn’t say Item 26 Yang became famous when she was 34. A Right B Wrong C Doesn’t say Item 27. Yang often plays with other people. A Right B Wrong C Doesn’t say Item 28. Peter Bloxham went to China to see Yang play. A Right B Wrong C Doesn’t say Item 29. Yang will not earn any money in Cheswardine. A Right B Wrong C Doesn’t say Item 30 Yang is staying in Cheswardine with Peter and his family. A Right B Wrong C Doesn’t say Item 31. Yang thinks Peter’s village is a friendly place. A Right B Wrong C Doesn’t say Item 32. Everyone in Cheswardine knows Yang’s music.ENGLISH G U A G E E X A M I N A T I O N S T O T H E C O M M O N E U R O P E A N F R A M E W O R K O F R E F E R E N C E F O R L A N G U A G E S : L E A R N I N G , T E A C H I N G , A S S E S S M E N T • R e a d i n g a n d L i s t e n i n g I t e m s a n d T a s k s : P i l o t S a m p l e sContent analysisReading componentThe tasks, instructions, rubrics and items are all in English, the target language.The time allocated to the complete test paper (paper 1) is 70 minutes. (Paper one consists of reading and writing tasks.) No time allocation is specified for individual tasks/components within the sub-test.Text Characteristics(Analysis of example tasks and items has been carried out in conjunction with the Dutch CEF Grid , the CEFR , the ALTE can-do statements and the DIALANG performance descriptors.)Test to be analysed KET (Paper 1)Task Part 4SkillReading Rubric in L1/Target language TL Target languageEnglish Item in L1/Target language TLTime to do total task Not specified (total test 70m)1. Text source Genuine, magazine 2. Authenticity Adapted /simplified 3. Discourse type Narrative4. Discourse subtype5. Domain Personal6. TopicFree time and entertainment 7. Nature of content Mostly concrete 8. Text length 200 words9. Vocabulary Only frequently occurring 10. GrammarSimple structures only Comprehensible by learner at CEF levelA2KET – ReadingENGLISH G U A G E E X A M I N A T I O N S T O T H E C O M M O N E U R O P E A N F R A M E W O R K O F R E F E R E N C E F O R L A N G U A G E S : L E A R N I N G , T E A C H I N G , A S S E S S M E N T • R e a d i n g a n d L i s t e n i n g I t e m s a n d T a s k s : P i l o t S a m p l e sItem CharacteristicsAll seven items relating to the text are in multiple choice format. The language of the text itself and of the items is adapted for A2 level comprehension, though some of the questions demand a higher level of linguistic inferencing skills. Rasch difficulties, facilities and discrim-ination indices are provided. All statistical information is based on a sample candidature of at least 4000.Item 0 – example item Yang Jing has played in New York.A RightB WrongC Doesn’t sayItem typeMCQ - three optionsOperations involved in answeringRecognise and retrieve information relating to a specific detail in the text.Intensive reading and detailed comprehen-sion.Item level estimatedA2Item 26 Yang became famous when she was 34. A RightB WrongC Doesn’t sayItem typeMCQ - three optionsOperations involved in answeringInferring from information implicit in the text.Intensive reading and detailed comprehen-sion.Item level estimatedA2Item 27 Yang often plays with other people.A RightB WrongC Doesn’t sayItem typeMCQ - three optionsOperations involved in answeringInferring from information implicit in the text.Intensive reading and detailed comprehen-sion.Item level estimatedA2KET – ReadingENGLISH G U A G E E X A M I N A T I O N S T O T H E C O M M O N E U R O P E A N F R A M E W O R K O F R E F E R E N C E F O R L A N G U A G E S : L E A R N I N G , T E A C H I N G , A S S E S S M E N T • R e a d i n g a n d L i s t e n i n g I t e m s a n d T a s k s : P i l o t S a m p l e sItem 28 Peter Bloxham went to China to see Yang play.A RightB WrongC Doesn’t sayItem typeMCQ - three optionsOperations involved in answering Inferring from information implicit in the text.Intensive reading and detailed comprehen-sion.Item level estimatedA2Item 29 Yang will not earn any money in Cheswardine.A RightB WrongC Doesn’t sayItem typeMCQ - three optionsOperations involved in answering Recognise and retrieve information relating to a specific detail in the text.Intensive reading and detailed comprehen-sion.Item level estimatedA2Item 30 Yang is staying in Cheswardine with Peter and his family.A RightB WrongC Doesn’t sayItem typeMCQ - three optionsOperations involved in answering Inferring from information implicit in the text.Intensive reading and detailed comprehen-sion.Item level estimatedA2Item 31 Yang thinks Peter’s village is a friendly place.A RightB WrongC Doesn’t sayItem typeMCQ - three optionsOperations involved in answering Inferring from information implicit in the text.Intensive reading and detailed comprehen-sion.KET – ReadingENGLISH G U A G E E X A M I N A T I O N S T O T H E C O M M O N E U R O P E A N F R A M E W O R K O F R E F E R E N C E F O R L A N G U A G E S : L E A R N I N G , T E A C H I N G , A S S E S S M E N T • R e a d i n g a n d L i s t e n i n g I t e m s a n d T a s k s : P i l o t S a m p l e sItem 32 Everyone in Cheswardine knows Yang’s music.A RightB WrongC Doesn’t sayItem typeMCQ - three optionsOperations involved in answering Recognise and retrieve information relating to a specific detail in the textIntensive reading and detailed comprehen-sion.Item level estimatedA2Answer Key1 = A 26 = B 27 = C 28 = B 29 = A 30 = C 31 = A 32 = BStatistical ReportStatistical Report (whole task)mean facility (p)0.69mean discrimination (Pb)0.37Statistical Report (individual items)item 0item 26item 27item 28item 29item 30item 31item 32Facility (p)e.g.0.80.770.630.720.680.720.54Discrimination (i.d.) e.g.0.410.340.410.430.320.350.36Sample size >5603KET – ReadingENGLISH G U A G E E X A M I N A T I O N S T O T H E C O M M O N E U R O P E A N F R A M E W O R K O F R E F E R E N C E F O R L A N G U A G E S : L E A R N I N G , T E A C H I N G , A S S E S S M E N T • R e a d i n g a n d L i s t e n i n g I t e m s a n d T a s k s : P i l o t S a m p l e sKey English Test (KET) ListeningKET – ListeningGeneral informationBackground to the ExaminationKey English Test (KET) is a general English qualification which is one of the Cambridge ESOL Main-Suite Examinations. Set at level A2 of the CEF , KET recognises the ability to cope with everyday written and spoken communications at a basic level. KET is designed for learners who have basic English skills, of the kind needed when travelling in a foreign country.CandidatureKET is taken by 56,000 candidates per year in 60 countries. Around 75% of KET candidates are aged 18 or under and a further 20% are in the 19-30 age group. Around 85% of candidates at-tend preparation classes.Structure of the TestKET tests the skills of Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking – with each skill equally weighted at 25%. KET is administered in three separate papers: Paper 1 Reading and Writ-ing, Paper 2 Listening and Paper 3 Speaking. There are four possible grades in KET: Two pass grades (pass with merit and pass) and two fail grades (narrow fail and fail). Results are based on the candidate’s aggregate scores across the four skills.KET Listening - Paper 2The paper has a fixed format, with Parts 1-5 testing listening skills in a variety of formats. There are 25 questions. Texts are written or adapted by item writers and recorded in a studio to simulate genuine spoken language. Candidates are expected to demonstrate listening strategies, such as separating out important information from redundant material and de-ducing meaning from context by focusing on important key words and ignoring unimportant unfamiliar terms.Part Three - Questions 11-15This task focuses on listening for detailed understanding. The text is a short informal dialogue (approx. one minute) between two people who know each other, talking about a topic of personal interest to both speakers. The candidates show their understanding of the conver-ENGLISH G U A G E E X A M I N A T I O N S T O T H E C O M M O N E U R O P E A N F R A M E W O R K O F R E F E R E N C E F O R L A N G U A G E S : L E A R N I N G , T E A C H I N G , A S S E S S M E N T • R e a d i n g a n d L i s t e n i n g I t e m s a n d T a s k s : P i l o t S a m p l e sare entirely scripted, and performed by actors speaking standard variations of English at a moderate pace with clear articulation.Listening (CEFR A2)Test to be analysed Key English Test (KET)Target language EnglishTask Listening component (Paper 2, part 3)Rubrics Target language ItemsTarget languageTime to do total test 30m (inc. 8 m transfer time) Target levels CEFR A2 ALTE 1Age-group sector Teenagers and adults DomainPublic domainCommunicative activities:Overall listening comprehensionCan understand general meaning andextract the essential information from short, recorded passages dealing with predictable everyday matters.Listening for information and argument Can retrieve specific information from a dialogue between two individuals provided that they are speaking clearly, at a moder-ate pace in standard English.Mark DistributionEach of the five items carries one mark, representing 20% of the marks available across the five listening tasks on this paper.Effective LevelAll KET listening tasks are pre-tested using volunteer candidates. Typically, pre-test candi-dates are students preparing to take the exam in the near future. A range of age and nation-ality groups is represented in the pre-test population which roughly corresponds to that of the live candidature.Pre-tested materials are then subject to statistical analysis at task and item level using both classical item analysis to establish that items are discriminating adequately, and Rasch KET – ListeningENGLISH G U A G E E X A M I N A T I O N S T O T H E C O M M O N E U R O P E A N F R A M E W O R K O F R E F E R E N C E F O R L A N G U A G E S : L E A R N I N G , T E A C H I N G , A S S E S S M E N T • R e a d i n g a n d L i s t e n i n g I t e m s a n d T a s k s : P i l o t S a m p l e sured (Rasch) difficulty, which are selected from within a specified range to determine themean difficulty of the task.CalibrationTests are constructed from the calibrated tasks in the item bank. The one-parameter Rasch model is used for calibrating the items. For most routine analysis, Cambridge ESOL uses the BIGSTEPS analysis program supplemented by in-house programmes for formatting data and handling the output. The logit scale produced by BIGSTEPS is re-scaled to produce a conven-tional ESOL scale, which is used for test construction purposes. This is known as the common scale for item-based tests. The complete scale for Cambridge ESOL examinations, from KET (A2) to CPE (C2) covers a range from about 20 to 110. The expected ranges of values for KET on this scale is approximately 30-50, with a target mean of 41.Candidate performance of this taskThis part focuses on the candidate’s ability to pick out specific information in the context of a dialogue and to answer 3-option multiple-choice questions (MCQ). Candidates generally had little difficulty with this particular part. They found Question 15 the easiest and Question 13 the most difficult. In question 13, many of the weaker candidates did not hear the negative in “They don’t make you wear a swimming hat” and mistakenly chose option B as the answer.KET – ListeningENGLISH G U A G E E X A M I N A T I O N S T O T H E C O M M O N E U R O P E A N F R A M E W O R K O F R E F E R E N C E F O R L A N G U A G E S : L E A R N I N G , T E A C H I N G , A S S E S S M E N T • R e a d i n g a n d L i s t e n i n g I t e m s a n d T a s k s : P i l o t S a m p l e sListening ItemsQuestions 11-15 Instructions (recorded)Now look at Part 3. Listen to Sue talking to her friend Jim about the new sports centre. For questions 11 -15 tick A, B or C. You will hear the conversation twice. Look at questions 11- 15 now. You have 20 seconds.KET – ListeningItem 0 – example item The new sports centre is A cheap. B big. C dark.Item 11Which bus goes to the sports centre? A 15 B 18 C 25Item 12From Monday to Saturday, the sports centre is open from A 6 a.m. B 7 a.m. C 9 a.m.Item 13If Sue goes swimming, she must take A soap. B a swimming hat. C a towel.Item 14At the sports centre, you can buy A sandwiches. B fruit. C drink.sItem 15Jim and Sue are going to the sports centre next A Wednesday. B Thursday. C Saturday.ENGLISH G U A G E E X A M I N A T I O N S T O T H E C O M M O N E U R O P E A N F R A M E W O R K O F R E F E R E N C E F O R L A N G U A G E S : L E A R N I N G , T E A C H I N G , A S S E S S M E N T • R e a d i n g a n d L i s t e n i n g I t e m s a n d T a s k s : P i l o t S a m p l e sContent analysisListening componentThe time allocated to the complete test paper (paper 2) is 30 minutes. (Paper Two consists of FIVE tasks.) No time allocation is specified for individual tasks/components within the test paper.Text Characteristics(Analysis of example tasks and items has been carried out in conjunction with the Dutch CEF Grid , the CEFR , the ALTE can-do statements and the DIALANG performance descriptors.)Test to be analysed KET (Paper 2) Listening TaskPart 3Rubric in L1/Target language Target language Item in L1/Target language Target languageTime to do total task Not specified (total test 30m)1. Text source Informal dialogue 2. Authenticity Scripted (synthetic)3. Discourse type Conversation 4. Discourse subtype Dialogue 5. Domain Personal6. TopicFree time and entertainment 7. Nature of content Concrete 8. Text length 1 minute9. Vocabulary Only frequently occurring 10. Grammar Simple structures only 11. Text speedModerate pace 12. Number of participants Two13. AccentStandard variations of English 14. Clarity of articulationClear 15. How often played (how many times?)Twice Comprehensible by learner at CEF levelA2KET – ListeningENGLISH G U A G E E X A M I N A T I O N S T O T H E C O M M O N E U R O P E A N F R A M E W O R K O F R E F E R E N C E F O R L A N G U A G E S : L E A R N I N G , T E A C H I N G , A S S E S S M E N T • R e a d i n g a n d L i s t e n i n g I t e m s a n d T a s k s : P i l o t S a m p l e sItem CharacteristicsAll questions (6 items, including the example) relating to the text are in multiple choice (three options) format. The language of the text itself and of the items is scripted for A2 level com-prehension. Facility values, discrimination indices, etc. are provided in the statistical section. Rasch difficulty values are calculated for each item to ensure consistency and the stability of the level across different test versions. All statistical information is based on a sample candi-dature of at least 4000.Item 0 – example item Item TypeMCQ – 3 options Operations involved in answeringRecognise and retrieveInformation explicit in text Specific detailItem level estimated A2Item 11Item TypeMCQ – 3 options Operations involved in answeringRecognise and retrieveInformation explicit in text Specific detailItem level estimated A2Item 12Item TypeMCQ – 3 options Operations involved in answeringRecognise and retrieveInformation explicit in text Specific detailItem level estimated A2Item 13Item TypeMCQ – 3 options Operations involved in answeringRecognise and retrieveInformation explicit in text Specific detailItem level estimatedA2KET – ListeningG U A G E E X A M I N A T I O N S T O T H E C O M M O N E U R O P E A N F R A M E W O R K O F R E F E R E N C E F O R L A N G U A G E S : L E A R N I N G , T E A C H I N G , A S S E S S M E N T • R e a d i n g a n d L i s t e n i n g I t e m s a n d T a s k s : P i l o t S a m p l e sENGLISH Item 14Item TypeMCQ – 3 options Operations involved in answering Recognise and retrieve Information explicit in text Specific detail Item level estimated A2Item 15Item TypeMCQ – 3 options Operations involved in answering Recognise and retrieve Information explicit in text Specific detail Item level estimatedA2Answer Key0 = B 11 = B 12 = A 13 = C 14 = A 15 = BStatistical ReportStatistical Report (whole task)mean facility (p)0.76mean discrimination0.44Statistical Report (individual items)item 0item 26item 27item 28item 29item 30Facility (p)0.760.720.710.630.810.93Discrimination (i.d.)0.440.540.370.510.440.35Sample size>4,000KET – Listening。

topik41届中高级听力原文英文回答：The 41st TOPIK (Test of Proficiency in Korean) is a listening test for intermediate and advanced levels. It consists of various audio clips that assess the testtaker's listening comprehension skills. The test is divided into three sections: short conversations, short talks, and long talks. Each section presents different scenarios and topics to evaluate the test taker's ability to understand spoken Korean.In the short conversation section, the test taker will listen to various dialogues between two or more people. These conversations typically involve everyday situations, such as ordering food at a restaurant or making plans with friends. The test taker needs to comprehend the dialogue and answer multiple-choice questions based on the information provided.Moving on to the short talk section, the test takerwill listen to brief monologues on different topics. These talks can cover a wide range of subjects, such as travel, health, or hobbies. The test taker must grasp the main points of the talk and answer questions accordingly. This section assesses the ability to understand spoken Korean in a more detailed and focused manner.Lastly, the long talk section presents more extensive audio clips, such as interviews or lectures. The test taker needs to follow along with the longer passages and answer questions that require a deeper understanding of the content. This section evaluates the ability to comprehend complex spoken Korean and extract essential information from longer conversations.Overall, the TOPIK 41st listening test challenges the test taker's ability to understand spoken Korean in various contexts. It assesses their comprehension skills in short conversations, short talks, and long talks. The test taker must demonstrate their ability to grasp the main ideas, understand detailed information, and extract essentialpoints from longer passages.中文回答：第41届TOPIK（韩语能力考试）是一个中高级听力考试。