大学英语6级考试听力直通249分 MODEL TEST6

　　[00:12.32]MODEL TEST 6

　　[00:15.03]Section A

　　[00:16.93]Directions: In this section,

　　[00:20.20]you will hear 8 short conversations

　　[00:22.80]and 2 long conversations.

　　[00:25.27]At the end of each conversation,

　　[00:27.78]one or more questions

　　[00:29.52]will be asked about what was said.

　　[00:32.18]Both the conversation

　　[00:33.74]and the questions

　　[00:34.75]will be spoken only once.

　　[00:37.16]After each question

　　[00:38.99]there will be a pause.

　　[00:41.02]During the pause,

　　[00:42.44]you must read the four choices

　　[00:44.53]marked A), B), C) and D),

　　[00:48.47]and decide which is the best answer.

　　[00:51.42]Then mark the corresponding letter

　　[00:54.25]on Answer Sheet 2

　　[00:56.23]with a single line

　　[00:57.66]through the center.

　　[00:59.48]Now let's begin with

　　[01:01.09]the 8 short conversations.

　　[01:04.65]11. M: I didn't know till recently

　　[01:08.29]that Mike was going to

　　[01:09.58]move to New York.

　　[01:11.14]W: That took us all by surprise.

　　[01:13.27]Q: What does the woman say about Mike?

　　[01:32.32]12. M: If it rains on Saturday,

　　[01:36.80]the party will be ruined.

　　[01:38.62]W: What does it matter?

　　[01:40.25]We can always hold it indoor.

　　[01:42.85]Q: What are the man

　　[01:44.61]and the woman hoping to do?

　　[02:01.52]13. M: How much is the rent?

　　[02:06.23]W: It's a hundred

　　[02:07.06]and fifity dollars a month unfurnished

　　[02:09.75]or two hundred dollars a month furnished.

　　[02:12.84]Utilities are twenty-five dollars extra.

　　[02:16.50]Q: How much will it cost the man

　　[02:19.01]to rent an unfurnished apartment,

　　[02:21.16]including utilities?

　　[02:39.14]14. M: Peter was given a medal for

　　[02:42.63]helping to put out the forest fire.

　　[02:44.89]W: He certainly showed

　　[02:46.52]a lot of courage.

　　[02:48.55]Q: What did the woman

　　[02:50.38]say about Peter?

　　[03:06.82]15. M: Have you filled out

　　[03:10.81]your tax forms yet?

　　[03:12.57]W: Don't remind me of them!

　　[03:14.42]They're so confusing that

　　[03:16.20]I'm discouraged before I start.

　　[03:19.41]Q: How does the woman feel?

　　[03:36.65]16. W: Bob, are you ready?

　　[03:41.31]What on earth are you doing?

　　[03:43.10]Don't you know the curtain

　　[03:44.63]goes up at exactly seven?

　　[03:47.12]M: My shirt's caught in the zipper.

　　[03:49.91]Could you give me a hand?

　　[03:51.34]Q: Where are the speakers going?

　　[04:09.14]17. W: Why are you so tired and upset?

　　[04:15.16]M: I've been taking a history course

　　[04:17.43]this term. But the trouble is

　　[04:19.67]that I'll never

　　[04:20.55]get through the reading list.

　　[04:21.90]I justdon't know whether

　　[04:22.94]I could survive the final.

　　[04:24.92]Q: What does the man imply?

　　[04:42.70]18. M: Mark was looking for you

　　[04:47.36]this morning.

　　[04:48.61]He wanted to know

　　[04:49.50]if you had decided

　　[04:50.39]when to go to the museum.

　　[04:52.08]And he seemed quite eager to meet you.

　　[04:54.59]W: My goodness,

　　[04:55.89]I don't know how many times

　　[04:57.56]he's talked about it.

　　[04:59.20]When did he become such a nagger?

　　[05:01.86]Q: What does the woman mean?

　　[05:18.78]Now you will hear

　　[05:21.65]the two long conversations.

　　[05:24.71]Conversation One

　　[05:28.22]M: Hi, Queenie,

　　[05:29.99]how are you enjoying yourself

　　[05:31.67]at university?

　　[05:32.82]W: Hi, Jack, it's a lot of work.

　　[05:35.49]But I am having a good time.

　　[05:37.20]Are you planning to

　　[05:38.35]attend college next year?

　　[05:39.90]M: Yeah. Can you tell me

　　[05:41.89]what facilities they have

　　[05:43.60]for disabled students?

　　[05:44.87]My wheelchair doesn't always allow me to

　　[05:47.36]get into buildings.

　　[05:48.62]W: You should inquire

　　[05:49.94]at Student Services.

　　[05:51.42]They can discuss your medical history

　　[05:53.70]with you confidentially and

　　[05:55.80]make allowances.

　　[05:57.38]My friends Shannon

　　[05:58.61]and Rosie use computers

　　[06:00.61]to do their exams,

　　[06:02.10]so in your case, I'm sure it

　　[06:04.41]would not be a problem.

　　[06:05.85]M: What about the wheelchair access?

　　[06:07.63]W: The newer buildings have elevators

　　[06:10.64]and wide doors,

　　[06:12.58]but the older buildings

　　[06:13.78]have not been upgraded to

　　[06:15.54]accommodate handicapped people

　　[06:17.42]as far as I know.

　　[06:19.00]What faculty are you planning to go into?

　　[06:21.74]M: I am thinking of doing engineering.

　　[06:23.91]W: Hmm. Engineering is

　　[06:25.78]in the old Adams building.

　　[06:27.94]I don't know if there is an elevator.

　　[06:30.67]M: Do the buses that go out to campus

　　[06:33.08]have facilities to bring wheelchairs

　　[06:35.55]on board?

　　[06:36.39]W: Yes, that I know for sure.

　　[06:38.32]All the buses are equipped

　　[06:39.96]with electronic lifts,

　　[06:41.69]and there are seats that fold back.

　　[06:44.24]M: What about the sidewalks?

　　[06:46.48]W: I think most of the sidewalks

　　[06:48.35]have been leveled at the corners,

　　[06:50.67]so you could probably use your wheelchair,

　　[06:53.41]but I am not sure.

　　[06:55.06]In fact, if you would like,

　　[06:56.63]why don't you come with me?

　　[06:58.09]I'll be taking the bus and I could show

　　[07:00.03]you around once we got there.

　　[07:02.29]M: That's really nice of you, Queenie.

　　[07:04.42]I'd really like that.

　　[07:06.10]W: Okay, I will come to your house

　　[07:08.39]about 8:30 in the morning

　　[07:10.27]and we can take the commuter train into town,

　　[07:13.18]then catch the bus up to the university.

　　[07:15.90]M: Great, I look forward to it.

　　[07:18.02]Questions 19 to 22 are based on

　　[07:21.90]the conversation you have just heard.

　　[07:24.96]19. What would the Student Services

　　[07:29.67]do with the man?

　　[07:45.90]20. What are the differences

　　[07:49.56]between the new teaching buildings

　　[07:51.64]and the old ones, according to the woman?

　　[08:09.68]21. What is the feature of buses

　　[08:14.08]that go to the campus?

　　[08:30.81]22. What's the purpose of

　　[08:34.30]Queenie's appointment with Jack?

　　[08:52.39]Conversation Two

　　[08:54.33]W: Could I see the Manager, please?

　　[08:56.01]I have a complaint. I have to see him.

　　[08:58.64]M: Can I help you, madam?

　　[09:00.46]W: Yes. Did you have this room checked

　　[09:03.36]before we moved in?

　　[09:05.12]There's not a scrap of lavatory paper

　　[09:07.79]and the toilet doesn't flush properly,

　　[09:10.27]the water doesn't run away in the shower

　　[09:12.58]and I would like an extra pillow.

　　[09:14.40]What have you to say to that?

　　[09:16.29]M: I'm extremely sorry to hear that.

　　[09:18.41]I'll attend to it right away.

　　[09:21.18]The housekeeper usually checks every room

　　[09:23.47]before new guests move in.

　　[09:25.25]We have been extremely

　　[09:26.91]busy with a large conference.

　　[09:29.06]W: That's no way to run a hotel.

　　[09:31.74]One doesn't expect this sort of thing

　　[09:34.27]in a well-run hotel.

　　[09:35.97]M: No, madam.

　　[09:37.07]I really feel very sorry about it.

　　[09:39.22]Here I really want to apologize

　　[09:41.31]for some disorder here.

　　[09:43.13]It's most unusual.

　　[09:44.57]We do try to check the rooms

　　[09:46.77]as thoroughly as possible.

　　[09:48.25]Just the one pillow, was it?

　　[09:50.85]Is there anything else?

　　[09:52.09]W: Well, your thermostatically-controlled

　　[09:55.00]air-conditioning doesn't

　　[09:56.60]seem to be working too well.

　　[09:58.41]It's as hot as hell up there.

　　[10:00.79]I really can't bear it.

　　[10:02.73]M: OK, do not worry about it.

　　[10:04.81]I'll just the regulator for you

　　[10:07.28]and I think you'll find it a little cooler

　　[10:09.04]in a short time. I'll also send someone

　　[10:11.54]along right away to look at the toilet

　　[10:13.24]and shower. Here I want to apologize

　　[10:15.35]to you again for the troubles

　　[10:17.15]we have brought to you.

　　[10:18.31]Questions 23 to 25 are based on

　　[10:22.18]the conversation you have just heard.

　　[10:24.96]23. What is the woman complaining about?

　　[10:44.30]24. Which of the following is not a problem

　　[10:49.30]mentioned by the woman?

　　[11:05.79]25. Which of the following is not a measure

　　[11:10.96]taken by the hotel?

　　[11:27.49]Section B

　　[11:29.54]Directions:

　　[11:31.11]In this section,

　　[11:32.83]you will hear 3 short passages.

　　[11:36.07]At the end of each passage,

　　[11:38.12]you will hear some questions.

　　[11:40.55]Both the passage

　　[11:41.84]and the questions will be spoken only once.

　　[11:46.14]After you hear a question,

　　[11:47.99]you must choose the best answer

　　[11:50.35]from the four choices

　　[11:52.15]marked A), B), C) and D).

　　[11:56.15]Then mark the corresponding letter

　　[11:59.00]on Answer Sheet 2

　　[12:01.17]with a single line through the center.

　　[12:04.34]Passage One

　　[12:06.24]So—uh—as Jim said,

　　[12:09.20]James Polk was the eleventh president.

　　[12:12.24]And, well, my report's about

　　[12:14.62]the next president Zachary Taylor.

　　[12:17.22]Taylor was elected in 1849,

　　[12:19.84]it's surprising

　　[12:21.18]because he was the first president

　　[12:22.79]who didn't have any previous

　　[12:23.96]political experience.

　　[12:25.57]The main reason he was chosen

　　[12:27.34]as a candidate was because

　　[12:29.10]he was a war hero. In the army,

　　[12:31.66]his man called him Old Rough and Ready.

　　[12:34.56]I guess that was

　　[12:35.72]because of his rough edges.

　　[12:37.33]He was kind of blunt

　　[12:39.08]and didn't look like a military hero.

　　[12:41.34]He liked to do things

　　[12:42.86]like wearing civilian clothes

　　[12:44.87]instead of uniform even in battle.

　　[12:47.48]And he was so short and plump

　　[12:49.73]that he had to be lifted up

　　[12:51.40]on to his horse.

　　[12:53.01]But he did win a lot of battles

　　[12:54.82]and he became more and more popular.

　　[12:57.47]So the Whig party

　　[12:59.46]decided to nominate him

　　[13:00.93]for the presidency

　　[13:02.15]even though no one knew anything about

　　[13:04.12]where he stood on the issues.

　　[13:06.16]I couldn't find much

　　[13:07.29]about his accomplishments probably

　　[13:09.66]because he was only

　　[13:10.57]in office about a year

　　[13:11.53]and half before he died.

　　[13:13.28]But one thing he pushed

　　[13:14.76]for was the development of

　　[13:16.55]transcontinental railroad

　　[13:18.52]because he thought it was important to

　　[13:20.17]form a link with the west coast.

　　[13:22.53]There was a lot of wealth in California

　　[13:25.01]and Oregon from commerce and minerals

　　[13:28.08]and stuff.

　　[13:29.06]Also he established an agricultural bureau

　　[13:32.10]in the Department of the Interior

　　[13:33.72]and promoted more

　　[13:35.34]government aid to agriculture.

　　[13:37.50]Well, that's about all I found.

　　[13:40.35]Like I said, he died in office in 1850,

　　[13:43.21]so his vice president took over.

　　[13:45.68]And that's the next report.

　　[13:47.95]So thank you.

　　[13:49.39]Questions 26 to 29 are based on

　　[13:53.40]the passage you have just heard.

　　[13:55.41]26. Why was Zachary Taylor chosen

　　[14:00.57]by his party

　　[14:02.04]as a candidate for president?

　　[14:18.78]27. According to the speakers,

　　[14:22.87]why is it surprising that

　　[14:25.01]Taylor was elected president?

　　[14:41.85]28. Why did Taylor accomplish

　　[14:46.19]relatively little as president?

　　[15:03.45]29. What will the class probably do next?

　　[15:23.71]Passage Two

　　[15:25.94]During a state of deep relaxation,

　　[15:28.86]several physiological changes take place

　　[15:31.91]in the body: the body's

　　[15:33.51]oxygen consumption is reduced;

　　[15:35.84]the heart beat decreases;

　　[15:37.80]muscle tension and sweating ease,

　　[15:40.55]and there is decreased

　　[15:42.09]sympathetic nervous system activity.

　　[15:45.32]This restful state

　　[15:46.73]not only allows the body to repair

　　[15:49.06]and restore itself,

　　[15:50.68]but it has a calming effect

　　[15:52.76]on the consciousness.

　　[15:54.13]How to achieve this state of relaxation,

　　[15:56.92]however, is a matter of opinion.

　　[15:59.59]A recent report by Dr.

　　[16:01.21]David Holmes of the University of Kansas

　　[16:04.24]in the journal American Psychologist

　　[16:06.82]said that simply sitting

　　[16:08.49]in an armchair has just

　　[16:10.42]as many beneficial characteristics

　　[16:12.49]for the body as meditation does.

　　[16:15.24]Researchers of other

　　[16:16.54]relaxation techniques disagree.

　　[16:18.89]These experts believe

　　[16:20.73]that more structured techniques,

　　[16:23.02]such as meditation,

　　[16:24.53]lead to a condition of deep relaxation.

　　[16:27.76]The debate goes on,

　　[16:29.42]but one thing appears to be clear:

　　[16:31.68]the relaxation response

　　[16:33.53]can be reached by a number of methods,

　　[16:36.11]and the methods themselves

　　[16:37.56]are not as important as getting there.

　　[16:40.38]One day, one method may work best;

　　[16:43.27]on another day,

　　[16:44.35]an alternative method

　　[16:45.91]may be more appropriate.

　　[16:47.53]Once you are aware of all the methods,

　　[16:50.23]you can find the one

　　[16:51.68]that works best for you.

　　[16:53.41]Some of the relaxation techniques

　　[16:55.88]are meditation, self-analysis

　　[16:58.47]and progressive muscle relaxation.

　　[17:01.55]Although these techniques may not,

　　[17:03.63]in the end, produce more of

　　[17:05.56]a relaxation response

　　[17:07.25]than just sitting quietly in a chair,

　　[17:09.16]they have the added benefit

　　[17:11.05]of structure and discipline,

　　[17:12.91]and for these reasons appear to

　　[17:15.09]be more effective for most individuals.

　　[17:18.11]Questions 30 to 32 are based on

　　[17:23.00]the passage you have just heard.

　　[17:25.31]30. What will happen

　　[17:29.50]when a person is in a state

　　[17:31.48]of deep “relaxation”?

　　[17:48.22]31. What did Dr.

　　[17:51.84]David Holmes say about “relaxation”

　　[17:54.91]in American Psychologists?

　　[18:12.64]32. What do the opponents of

　　[18:17.04]Dr. David Holmes believe?

　　[18:33.98]Passage Three

　　[18:36.47]London is a city sitting

　　[18:37.85]on a meandering river,

　　[18:40.33]with palaces overlooking barges

　　[18:43.14]sailing on the clear water of the Thames.

　　[18:45.39]Each year the Cambridge

　　[18:47.36]and Oxford boat race

　　[18:48.74]is run on the river.

　　[18:50.42]Such a boat has eight oarsmen,

　　[18:52.68]each using an oar of 3.7 metres.

　　[18:56.32]A trained crew can work up great speed

　　[18:59.42]and shoot away like a rocket.

　　[19:01.62]The victor of the race

　　[19:03.06]is front-page news

　　[19:04.38]of the evening paper.

　　[19:05.96]Many bridges span

　　[19:07.51]the Thames in London.

　　[19:09.04]Of these the most famous

　　[19:10.88]is probably the Westminster Bridge.

　　[19:13.44]If you happen to be

　　[19:14.76]in London one of these days,

　　[19:16.20]do take a look from that bridge.

　　[19:18.03]On your right

　　[19:19.36]you will see the house of Commons

　　[19:20.83]and the House of Lords,

　　[19:22.28]and the Big Ben, which strikes

　　[19:24.38]every quarter of an hour.

　　[19:26.08]In the busy traffic on the bridge,

　　[19:27.85]you will notice

　　[19:28.75]the red double-decker buses,

　　[19:30.38]which roll past quite smoothly

　　[19:32.88]in spite of their huge bodies.

　　[19:35.34]Two bridges, Waterloo Bridge

　　[19:37.89]and Tower Bridge,

　　[19:39.00]are visible in the distance.

　　[19:40.94]Fifty years ago London suffered

　　[19:43.49]from smoke and fog. Londoners

　　[19:46.03]called it pea-soup fog,

　　[19:48.16]because it looked so thick.

　　[19:49.87]Today the smog is gone,

　　[19:52.27]and the air remains clean,

　　[19:54.18]and fish has returned to the Thames,

　　[19:56.83]thanks to the Clean Air Act

　　[19:59.10]and other measures.

　　[20:01.57]Questions 33to 35 are based on

　　[20:05.11]the passage you have just heard.

　　[20:07.22]33. What river is London sitting on?

　　[20:26.72]34.According to the passage,

　　[20:30.94]which of the following is not true?

　　[20:48.51]35. What legislation

　　[20:52.50]helps clean the air?

　　[21:09.78]Section C

　　[21:11.52]Directions:

　　[21:13.07]In this section,

　　[21:14.85]you will hear a passage three times.

　　[21:18.48]When the passage is read

　　[21:19.73]for the first time,

　　[21:21.15]you should listen carefully

　　[21:22.79]for its general idea.

　　[21:24.83]When the passage is read

　　[21:26.32]for the second time,

　　[21:27.70]you are required to fill

　　[21:29.38]in the blanks numbered

　　[21:31.42]from 36 to 43

　　[21:34.13]with the exact words

　　[21:36.01]you have just heard.

　　[21:37.67]For blanks numbered

　　[21:38.98]from 44 to 46

　　[21:41.48]you are required to fill

　　[21:42.99]in the missing information.

　　[21:44.98]For these blanks,

　　[21:46.76]you can either use the exact words

　　[21:49.28]you have just heard

　　[21:50.43]or write down the main points

　　[21:52.91]in your own words.

　　[21:54.73]Finally, when the passage

　　[21:56.58]is read for the third time,

　　[21:58.23]you should check

　　[21:59.40]what you have written.

　　[22:01.13]Now listen to the passage.

　　[22:04.57]Improving the balance

　　[22:07.74]between the working part

　　[22:09.22]of the day and the rest of

　　[22:10.82]it is a goal of a growing number of workers

　　[22:14.43]in rich Western countries.

　　[22:16.57]Some are turning away

　　[22:18.03]from the ideals of their parents,

　　[22:20.34]for whom work always comes first;

　　[22:23.41]others with scarce skills

　　[22:25.62]are demanding more because

　　[22:27.41]they know they can get it.

　　[22:29.88]Employers, caught between

　　[22:31.18]a falling population of workers

　　[22:33.48]and tight controls on immigration,

　　[22:35.93]are eager to identify extra payment

　　[22:39.07]that will lure more “talent”

　　[22:41.19]their way.

　　[22:42.22]Just now they are focusing

　　[22:43.74]on benefits that offer employees

　　[22:46.25]more than just pay. Some companies

　　[22:49.06]saw the change of mood some time ago.

　　[22:51.37]IBM has more than 50 different programs

　　[22:55.56]promoting work-life balance

　　[22:57.77]and Bank of America over 30.

　　[23:00.57]But plenty of other firms

　　[23:02.30]remain unconvinced and many

　　[23:04.72]lack the capacity to cater

　　[23:06.39]to such ideas even if they wanted to.

　　[23:09.88]Helen Murlis, with Hay Group,

　　[23:12.10]a human-resources consultancy,

　　[23:14.34]sees a widening gap between firms

　　[23:17.17]“at the creative end of employment”

　　[23:19.49]and those that are not.

　　[23:21.37]The chief component of almost

　　[23:23.63]all schemes to promote work-life

　　[23:26.28]balance is flexible working.

　　[23:29.10]This allows people to

　　[23:30.50]escape rigid nine-to-five schedules

　　[23:33.38]and work away from a formal office.

　　[23:36.28]The spread of flexible working

　　[23:38.25]has come about at least partly

　　[23:40.91]as a result of initiatives

　　[23:43.07]to keep women workers.

　　[23:45.19]Companies have had to

　　[23:46.68]offer extended periods of

　　[23:48.05]leave for them to look

　　[23:49.56]after dependants (young and old),

　　[23:52.25]and flexible working in between.

　　[23:54.99]Ernst & Young,

　　[23:56.10]keen to show that part-time workers

　　[23:58.69]can also become partners,

　　[24:00.81]recently made the first such appointment

　　[24:03.79]in Houston, Texas.

　　[24:06.14]Now the passage will be read again.

　　[24:10.30]Improving the balance

　　[24:13.50]between the working part

　　[24:14.89]of the day and the rest of

　　[24:16.50]it is a goal of a growing number of workers

　　[24:20.12]in rich Western countries.

　　[24:22.12]Some are turning away

　　[24:23.72]from the ideals of their parents,

　　[24:25.91]for whom work always comes first;

　　[24:29.09]others with scarce skills

　　[24:31.37]are demanding more because

　　[24:32.85]they know they can get it.

　　[24:35.30]Employers, caught between

　　[24:36.79]a falling population of workers

　　[24:39.17]and tight controls on immigration,

　　[24:41.64]are eager to identify extra payment

　　[24:45.01]that will lure more “talent”

　　[24:46.79]their way.

　　[24:48.00]Just now they are focusing

　　[24:49.39]on benefits that offer employees

　　[24:51.96]more than just pay. Some companies

　　[24:53.91]saw the change of mood some time ago.

　　[24:57.04]IBM has more than 50 different programs

　　[25:01.28]promoting work-life balance

　　[25:03.40]and Bank of America over 30.

　　[25:06.50]But plenty of other firms

　　[25:08.00]remain unconvinced and many

　　[25:10.20]lack the capacity to cater

　　[25:12.35]to such ideas even if they wanted to.

　　[25:14.54]Helen Murlis, with Hay Group,

　　[25:17.80]a human-resources consultancy,

　　[25:20.18]sees a widening gap between firms

　　[25:22.94]“at the creative end of employment”

　　[25:25.18]and those that are not.

　　[25:27.34]The chief component of almost

　　[25:29.22]all schemes to promote work-life

　　[25:31.93]balance is flexible working.

　　[25:34.89]

　　[26:33.86]This allows people to

　　[26:36.34]escape rigid nine-to-five schedules

　　[26:39.27]and work away from a formal office.

　　[26:42.38]The spread of flexible working

　　[26:44.27]has come about at least partly

　　[26:46.92]as a result of initiatives

　　[26:48.83]to keep women workers.

　　[26:50.90]

　　[27:49.90]Companies have had to

　　[27:52.62]offer extended periods of

　　[27:54.31]leave for them to look

　　[27:55.65]after dependants (young and old),

　　[27:58.42]and flexible working in between.

　　[28:00.59]Ernst & Young,

　　[28:02.37]keen to show that part-time workers

　　[28:04.95]can also become partners,

　　[28:07.04]recently made the first such appointment

　　[28:10.57]

　　[29:08.73]in Houston, Texas.

　　[29:12.88]Now the passage will be read for the third time.

　　[29:17.49]Improving the balance

　　[29:20.06]between the working part

　　[29:21.61]of the day and the rest of

　　[29:23.81]it is a goal of a growing number of workers

　　[29:26.75]in rich Western countries.

　　[29:28.96]Some are turning away

　　[29:30.51]from the ideals of their parents,

　　[29:32.63]for whom work always comes first;

　　[29:35.79]others with scarce skills

　　[29:37.97]are demanding more because

　　[29:39.83]they know they can get it.

　　[29:41.76]Employers, caught between

　　[29:43.49]a falling population of workers

　　[29:45.83]and tight controls on immigration,

　　[29:48.20]are eager to identify extra payment

　　[29:51.58]that will lure more “talent”

　　[29:53.45]their way.

　　[29:54.70]Just now they are focusing

　　[29:56.05]on benefits that offer employees

　　[29:58.62]more than just pay. Some companies

　　[30:01.38]saw the change of mood some time ago.

　　[30:03.78]IBM has more than 50 different programs

　　[30:07.93]promoting work-life balance

　　[30:10.07]and Bank of America over 30.

　　[30:12.98]But plenty of other firms

　　[30:14.65]remain unconvinced and many

　　[30:16.81]lack the capacity to cater

　　[30:19.01]to such ideas even if they wanted to.

　　[30:22.22]Helen Murlis, with Hay Group,

　　[30:24.46]a human-resources consultancy,

　　[30:26.76]sees a widening gap between firms

　　[30:29.53]“at the creative end of employment”

　　[30:31.86]and those that are not.

　　[30:34.00]The chief component of almost

　　[30:36.03]all schemes to promote work-life

　　[30:38.62]balance is flexible working.

　　[30:41.45]This allows people to

　　[30:42.77]escape rigid nine-to-five schedules

　　[30:45.69]and work away from a formal office.

　　[30:48.66]The spread of flexible working

　　[30:50.62]has come about at least partly

　　[30:53.27]as a result of initiatives

　　[30:55.36]to keep women workers.

　　[30:57.51]Companies have had to

　　[30:58.60]offer extended periods of

　　[31:00.37]leave for them to look

　　[31:01.90]after dependants (young and old),

　　[31:04.57]and flexible working in between.

　　[31:07.44]Ernst & Young,

　　[31:09.30]keen to show that part-time workers

　　[31:11.02]can also become partners,

　　[31:13.04]recently made the first such appointment

　　[31:16.34]in Houston, Texas.

　　[31:19.35]This is the end of listening comprehension.