Part Ⅱ Listening Comprehension (30 minutes)

Section C

Directions: In this section, you will hear a passage three times. When the passage is read for the first time, you should listen carefully for its general idea. When the passage is read for the second time, you are required to fill in the blanks with the exact words you have just heard. Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should check what you have written.

Job seekers in Britain say employers are 26 applicants’ degrees and certificates. They are making their own entrance exams to test ability. They are concerned about decreasing 27 of job seekers, because many university graduates with good degrees have shown a terrible 28 to spell, and work out simple sums.

The chairman of the Standing Conference of Employers of Graduates, told our 29 : “We don’t look at the pieces of paper turned in to us, but we look at the people with real abilities.” A senior 30 with the Bank of

England said that many companies were making their own 31 tests so they could be sure that candidates were the right people for the job.

In the Civil Service, only about 200 out of 2,000 candidates are chosen after the rest have been 32 by the Service’s own examinations and interviews. Forged certificates, printed in Germany, have been 33 recently. These forged certificates are not easy to 34 the real ones, and can be bought at £25 apiece. Making fake degrees has also become a highly profitable business. Fake degrees and diplomas, including Ph. D. degrees, can be 35 for as little as £20. Some so-called “universities” and “colleges” are even selling these attractive diplomas.