SECTION A In this section you will hear a
mini-lecture. You will hear the lecture ONCE ONLY. While listening, take notes
on the important points. Your notes will not be marked, but you will need
them to complete a gap-filling task after the mini-lecture. When the lecture is
over, you will be given two minutes to check your notes, and another ten minutes
to complete the gap-filling task on ANSWER SHEET ONE. Use the blank sheet for
note-taking. Now listen to the mini-lecture.
Complete the gap-filling task. Some of the gaps below require a maximum of
THREE words. Make sure the word(s)you fill in is (are) both grammatically and
semantically acceptable. You may refer to your notes.
Religion in American Life Diversity is
the chief feature of religion in the United States. Although Christianity
has always been the major American faith, the existence of more than 250
different religious sects here has made Americans (1)______of all forms of
worship—Christian and non-Christian.
1.______ Among the first
immigrants in America, quite a number of them were (2)______, whose purpose
of coming to this New World was to
2.______ pursue religious freedom. So the First
Amendment to the Constitution not only forbids the establishment of an
official (3)______religion but also
3.______ prohibits state or federal interference with religious
institutions or practices. There are generally three main
religions in the U.S. The combined (4)______sects form the largest religious
faith in the United States.
4.______ But Roman Catholicism is by far the largest (5)______ religious
5.______ body. The third biggest religion in the United States is (6)______
6.______
Although in the United States religion provides the ceremonies
that mark life’s most important events, religion has (7)______in importance
7.______ tance in terms of
influencing behavior and philosophical outlook. When Americans need personal
(8)______they usually turn to psychiatrists
8.______ or to professional counselors rather than to
religious leaders for help. Modern Americans have a strong faith in their
(9)______ to improve
9.______ conditions through their own efforts.
Influenced by the nontraditional religious fervor of the young Americans,
people in the U.S. are adopting new kinds of religious services. Now many
of the progressive churches draw crowds to their weekly services, while more
(10)______ones are half-empty.
10.______