SECTION A In this section you will hear a
mini-lecture. You will hear the lecture ONCE ONLY. While listening to the
lecture, take notes on the important points. Your notes will not be marked, but
you will need them to-complete a gap-filling task on ANSWER SHEET ONE after the
mini-lecture. Use the blank paper for note-taking. Now listen to
the mini-lecture. Ben Buchanan and A, Magic Book
The Texas teen is devouring the 672 pages of Harry Potter and the
Half-Blood Prince written by J. K. Rowling. When Buchanan got the first Harry
Potter book in 1998, he was struggling with difficulty in reading. But when
his mom read the first chapter aloud to him, he was determined to conquer his
first "real" book. I. The success of Rowling’s books:
1) over (1)______ of Rowling’s books printed in U.S..
(1) ______ 2)
kids’reading and (2)______ each title fervently.
(2) ______ However, whether all of this hype of
countdowns and midnight trips to book- stores translates into a
lifelong reading habit remains unclear. II. Our society now
needed a reading renaissance: 1) A study shows:
adult (3)______ have dropped 10 percentage points.
(3) ______ A.
the loss of readers possiblly (4)______ to the booming world of technology;
(4) ______ B. (5)______ offer
experience that can’t be gained from these other sources.
(5) ______ 2) Thr facts reflect: fewer kids
are reading for (6)______.
(6) ______
A. This (7)______ retreat from books not taken a toll on reading
ability. (7) ______
B. this indicates a poor future in reading ability
development—the very reason why many educators are hoping the Harry
Potter series can work some (8)______.
(8) ______ III. The Harry Potter
series has "broken the rules": 1) the book was as
exciting as a video game; 2) 59 percent of U.K.
kids think the books have (9)______ their reading skills;
(9) ______ 3) (10)______. say the books are
the reason they read more.
(10) ______ Part of the
allure of The Harry Potter is the thrilling story, with well-developed
characters and an avalanche of magical moments.