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听力材料在试题答案后面！

听力试题：

Section A

Directions:In this section,you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations.At the end of each conversation,one or more questions will be asked about what was said.Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once.after each question there will be a pause.During the pause,you must read the four choices marked A), B), C) and D),and decide which is the best answer.Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.

11.A.He thinks this problem is easy to solve.

B.He has already guessed what the woman's problem was.

C.He has met this kind of problem before with other people.

D.He has talked about the similar problem with the woman.

12.A.The woman knows the person in charge of housing arrange.

B.Now it is already the end of this term.

C.It's easier to change house arrangement at the beginning of the term.

D.The man will not change the woman's house arrangement.

13.A.Tokyo will be chosen as the location of their new office.

B.The necessary fator for their choice is money.

C.The expenses in Singapore are very low.

D.They already have an office in Taipei.

14.A.They are bothered by not knowing where cuts are to be made.

B.They are concernd about the taxes increase.

C.They are upset about what they will have to suffer.

D.They are worried about the proposed cuts in education budget.

15.A.Visit a nearby town.

B.Set up a meeting for Saturday morning.

C.Have a meeting in a beautiful community.

D.Ride the bicycle in the nearly town.

16.A.She may not be able to bring his insurance card.

B.She will take longer than a week to show her card.

C.She is worried that her seat will be cancelled.

D.She is too late to choose one of the courses.

17.A.Phil has been assigned a nice office.

B.Phil deserves the assignment of the office.

C.Phil cannot get the nice office on the second floor.

D.Phil is not the best person for the nice office.

18.A.Let her staff work as it is.

B.Ask her staff to work until it is finished.

C.Give her staff a deadline.

D.Hold her staff back with their work.

Questions 19 to 21 are based on the conversation you have just heard.

19.A.The deadline for the outline.

B.The topic the woman chose for paper.

C.What the man taught at class.

D.The definition of thesis statement.

20.A.He has flexible office hours.

B.He doesn't give the woman classes.

C.He has no confidence in the woman's paper.

D.He doesn't like students dropping by anytime.

21.A.She tried to cover too much.

B.Her thesis statement is wrong.

C.SHe didn't adopt the subject discussed at class.

D.Her approch used is different from that discussed.

22.A.Examine a new topic on technologies.

B.Find a new much more manageable topic.

C.Add more information about technologies.

D.Redefine the content to be included.

Questions 23 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.

23.A.A term for a type of bank.

B.A special place for pigs.

C.A king of iron.

D.A theory about the economy of the Middle Ages.

24.A.It held dirt well.

B.It was soft.

C.It symbolizedwealth.

D.It was inexpensive.

25.A.Money.

B.Pottery.

C.Bricks.

D.Nests.

Section B

Directions: In this section,you will hear 3 short passages.At the end of each passage,you will hear some questions.Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once.After you hear a question,you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D).Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.

Passage One

Questions 26 to 28 are based on the passage you have just heard.

26.A.From Novermber 8th to December 22nd.

B.From Novermber 18th to December 2nd.

C.From Novermber 22nd to 8th.

D.From Novermber 2nd to 18th.

27.A.They paid them by themselves.

B.Local taxpayers helped them.

C.the Olympic Committee funded them.

D.Loctal business paid the costs.

28.A.The city's planned new international airport.

B.The agreeable south hemisphere climate.

C.The excellent transport infrastructure.

D.The exceptional advertisement.

29.A.It was USA.

B.It was USSR.

C.It was Commonwealth.

D.It was Australia.

Passage Two

Questions 30 to 32 are based on the passage you have just heard.

30.A.To play woodwind instrument.

B.To play jazz music.

C.To write movies.

D.To read comic books.

31.A.Writing poems to newspater columnists.

B.Writing scripts for some movies.

C.Telling jokes in comedy clubs.

D.Being a comedian actor to some movies.

32.A."What's New,Pussycat?"

B."Sleeper" and "bananas".

C."War and Peace".

D."Love and Death".

Passage Three

Questions 33 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.

33.A.It was founded in 1972.

B.It was founded in 1982.

C.It was founded in 1753.

D.It was founded in 1973.

34.A.Charles Dickens.

B.George Bernard Shaw.

C.Karl Marx.

D.Sir Anthony Panizzi.

35.A.Because the general public demanded.

B.Because it is not open to the general public.

C.Because the stock of books and newspaters are small.

D.Because too many people go there.

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 numbered from 36 to 43 with the exact words you have just heard.For blanks numbered from 44 to 46 you are required to fill in the missing information.For these blanks, you can either use the exact words you have just heard or write down the main points in your own words.Finally, when the passage is read for the third time,you should check what you have written.

The founding of New China put an end to the feudal marital and family system that had endured for several millennia.Independent marriage based on (36)______love and family in which husband and wife are (37)______ have become the main current in contemporary Chinese Society.

Women have gained the right of (38)______ in marriage.In old China, over 95 percent of marriages were arranged on a (39)______ basis.Over the last 40-odd years, the degree of freedom in choosing a partner has increased (40)______.Sample investigations show that 74 percent of young couples make the decision themselves to (41)______ or do so after consultation with their parents,and 80 percent of marriages of women under 40 years old are based on their own choice.Women’s rights with regard to (42)______and remarriage are also duly and properly (43)______.This is a warmly welcome change to most women.(44)_________________________________.In fact Chinese women have gained the important personal right of being able to retain their maiden names.(45)________________________________.They adopted their husband’s surname after they wed and children used their father's surnames.(46)_________________________________.In cities, quite a few children take their mother’s surname.

参考答案：

Section A

11.D 12.C 13.B 14.A 15.A 16.C 17.D 18.C

19.B 20.D 21A 22.D

23.A 24.D 25.B

Section B

Passage One 26.C 27.A 28.B 29.D

Passage Two 30.D 31.C 32.A

Passage Three 33.C 34.D 35.D

Section C

36.mutual

37.equal

38.self-determination

39.monetary

40.significantly

41.wed

42.divorce

43.guaranteed

44.This fact has helped improve the equality of marriage and enhance family stability;moreover, it lays an emotional foundation for equality between husband and wife in the family

45.In old China, however, surnames symbolized the continuity of a clan,and most women had no formal name before marriage

46.In New China, both husband and wife have equal right to use their own names and children do not have to adopt their father’s surname as was the former custom

听力材料：

[00:00.00]Model Test Ten

[00:11.36]Part Ⅲ Listening Comprehension

[00:15.40]Section A

[00:17.59]Directions: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations.

[00:25.25]At the end of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said.

[00:31.16]Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once.

[00:35.97]After each question there will be a pause. During the pause,

[00:41.00]you must read the four choices marked A),B),C) and D),and decide which is the best answer.

[00:49.20]Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.

[00:56.56]Now let's begin with the 8 short conversations.

[01:01.05]11. W: I just had another argument with my father over my choice of major.

[01:10.23]He says if I don’t change to something more practical than what I’m studying now,

[01:14.83]I’ll be on my own as far as tuition is concerned.

[01:18.11]M: I should’ve known it was something like that.

[01:21.39]It sounds like it’s pretty serious this time.

[01:24.56]Q: What can be inferred about the man?

[01:44.25]12. W: Excuse me. Who should I see about changing my housing arrangements?

[01:50.37]M: I am the person. But I have to tell you,

[01:53.54]making a change in the middle of the term is not all that easy to do.

[01:58.14]You have got to have a pretty good reason.

[02:00.87]Q: What can we learn from the conversation?

[02:19.96]13. W: Because we are new in the Pacific region,

[02:24.66]we want to choose the location for our regional office very carefully.

[02:28.92]M: Well, Tokyo, Taipei and Singapore are all attractive,

[02:33.85]but all also have certain disadvantages.

[02:37.02]What’s more, cost of living is important,

[02:39.86]because we’ll be sending out a number of executives.

[02:43.14]Q: What does the man imply?

[03:01.08]14. W: Everyone is worried about the proposed cuts in the education budget.

[03:06.99]M: I know, but people are more concerned about where cuts are to be made,

[03:11.69]rather than the fact of the cuts themselves.

[03:14.65]However, what no one seems to understand is that unless taxes increase, education,

[03:21.65]like everything else, will have to suffer.

[03:24.49]Q: What are people upset about according to the man?

[03:43.46]15. W: How far outside the city is that town you were talking about?

[03:48.60]M: It’s only a 20-minute ride, and it’s such a beautiful little community.

[03:53.74]I know you will just love it. And we can be able to fit it in on Saturday morning,

[03:59.54]before my eleven o’clock meeting.

[04:02.06]Q: What are the speakers planning to do?

[04:20.31]16. W: What if one of the courses I have chosen fills up before I bring my insurance card in?

[04:27.31]M: There is no need to worry about that.

[04:29.71]Your seat in each is reserved and that won’t change unless you take longer

[04:35.08]than a week to show us your insurance card.

[04:37.70]Q: What is the woman concerned about?

[04:55.30]17. W: Did you hear that Phil is being assigned that really nice office on the second floor?

[05:03.07]M: Yes, just this morning.

[05:05.14]To tell the truth, I think it was a question of who yelled the loudest.

[05:10.17]Q: What can be inferred from the conversation?

[05:28.32]18. W: I am really discouraged by the lack of progress my staff is making,

[05:34.99]although I know the work will get done eventually.

[05:37.73]M: It might get done faster if you were to give them a deadline and hold them to it.

[05:43.41]Q: What does the man suggest the woman do?

[06:03.63]Now you will hear two long conversations.

[06:06.03]Conversation One

[06:07.46]W: Professor Barnes, I’ve run into problems with the outline for my term paper.

[06:12.49]I know I’m here outside of the office hours, but I really need to talk with you.

[06:17.52]M: Well, I guess I can make an exception to my normal rule about that.

[06:22.11]Come on in and have a seat Sandy. What’s wrong and how can I help?

[06:27.26]W: The whole idea seems to be expanding out of control.

[06:30.53]There’s no way I can cover it all in twenty pages.

[06:34.26]M: A good way to start might be to look at your thesis statement.

[06:38.31]Hmm, I think your problem begins right here.

[06:41.91]Do you remember what a thesis statement should consist of?

[06:45.74]W: I understood that it should contain the subject that will be discussed

[06:50.01]and the approach that you will take in discussing it. Is that right?

[06:54.05]M: Yes, it is. But you have to understand that the thesis statement defines the scope of your paper.

[07:00.72]I warned the class if you make a mistake with your thesis statement,

[07:05.21]you’ll be in trouble from the very beginning.

[07:07.84]W: I remember. And that’s what I’ve done. I’ve made it too broad.

[07:12.65]I’ve bitten off more than I can chew.

[07:14.94]M: I’m afraid so. So, what do you think you can do to save your paper?

[07:19.86]W: I guess the most obvious solution would be to limit my discussion.

[07:24.13]M: Exactly. But how are you going to do that?

[07:27.41]W: I suppose I could examine just one of those technologies;

[07:31.24]the one that I think will have the greatest impact.

[07:34.19]M: Good idea. If you do that,

[07:36.60]I think you will find your task will become much more manageable.

[07:40.32]Questions 19 to 22 are based on the conversation you have just heard.

[07:46.11]19. What are the two speakers talking about?

[08:07.10]20. What can be inferred from the conversation about the man?

[08:27.65]21. What was the problem with the woman’s outline?

[08:46.05]22. What should the woman do to make her outline proper?

[09:06.46]Conversation Two

[09:08.76]W: Today Professor Hall will talk about where the term piggy bank comes from.

[09:14.45]M: Today the simple piggy bank is seen anywhere as the symbol of saving and thrift,

[09:20.68]for putting away funds for a rainy day or for life sudden needs,

[09:25.93]such as paying college expenses, buying a home or financing retirement.

[09:31.61]W: But why a pig? Dogs bury bones for a rainy day. Why not a dog shaped bank for coins?

[09:38.95]Squirrels are well known hoarders too and we talk about squirreling away valuables.

[09:44.30]Why not a bank in the shape of a squirrel?

[09:46.71]M: Well, nevertheless, for 300 years, children’s banks have been imitation pigs with slots in the back.

[09:55.46]Charles Bernardy, the author of Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things,

[10:01.58]tells how the symbol came about by coincidence.

[10:04.86]According to Bernardy, during the Middle Ages, mined medal was scarce and expensive.

[10:11.53]Therefore, it was rarely used in the manufacture of household utensils.

[10:16.57]The type of orange clay known as pygg, spilt “P-Y-G-G”,

[10:23.13]was more abundant and economical throughout western Europe.

[10:27.40]It was used in making dishes, cups, pots and jars.

[10:31.44]And so these pottery items were referred to as pygg.

[10:36.04]Although a pygg jar was not originally shaped like a pig, the name persisted.

[10:41.29]W: I guess P-Y-G-G jar later became pig, P-I-G jar or pig bank.

[10:49.16]M: Right, potters had simply begun to cast the bank in the shape of its common name.

[10:54.96]In the United States, the popular piggy bank has always been a symbol of saving money.

[11:00.65]Questions 23 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.

[11:07.76]23. What do the speakers mainly discuss?

[11:27.35]24. Why did craftspeople of the Middle Ages use the clay?

[11:49.29]25. What was first made with the clay?

[12:09.15]Section B

[12:10.35]Directions: In this section, you will hear 3 short passages.

[12:17.25]At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions.

[12:21.03]Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once.

[12:25.40]After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D).

[12:35.54]Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the center.

[12:42.43]Passage One

[12:44.62]The 1956 Olympic Games were held in Melbourne from 22nd November until 8th December,

[12:52.94]and were a huge success, launching the Australian city,

[12:56.54]and to some extent the whole country, on the world stage with a whole new image.

[13:01.14]The bid process for winning the games started in around 1948,

[13:05.73]the year of the London Olympic Games.

[13:07.92]After that, two former Lord Mayors of Melbourne,

[13:11.86]convinced that their city could cope with the demands of staging the world’s most famous sporting festival,

[13:17.11]decided to lobby intensively on behalf of the city they loved.

[13:20.94]Funding the trips from their own pockets,

[13:23.78]without even asking for help from local taxpayers, local businesses or the Olympic Committee,

[13:29.46]they set off on a long drawn-out tour that was eventually to take in 15 countries,

[13:34.83]concentrating particularly on Commonwealth and European countries.

[13:38.98]When they were lobbying members of the Olympic Committee,

[13:42.48]who would be voting to decide which city secured the 1956 games,

[13:46.31]and the main advantages they pushed were the city’s planned new international airport,

[13:51.24]the large amount of space available to stage the Olympics,

[13:54.51]and the agreeable south hemisphere climate,

[13:57.25]but it was the latter two factors that really swayed the Olympic Committee voters.

[14:01.51]At the games themselves, Australian athletes achieved extraordinary success,

[14:06.66]third in the medal table only to the USA and USSR.

[14:10.81]The Melbourne Olympic Games were a genuine sporting success and of long-term benefit to the city itself.

[14:16.94]The event proved to be attractive to hundreds of thousands of visitors during and after the games,

[14:22.41]with the city’s already excellent transport infrastructure.

[14:25.80]The games were also an exceptional advertisement for Australian goods and services and the tourism industry.

[14:32.36]Questions 26 to 29 are based on the passage you have just heard.

[14:39.91]26. When were the Melbourne Olympics held in 1956?

[15:02.12]27. Who paid travel costs for the former Lord Mayors of Melbourne?

[15:24.28]28. What advantage won the Olympic Committee voters?

[15:44.24]29. Which country won the third most medals in 1956 Olympic Games?

[16:04.87]Passage Two

[16:07.82]One of the leading scriptwriters, stand-up comedians and film-makers of his era,

[16:13.84]Woody Allen was born in Allen Stewart Konigsberg on 1st December 1935.

[16:21.71]Born and brought up in Brooklyn in New York, he loved reading comic books and watching movies

[16:28.71]and he proved to be a natural writer.

[16:31.44]At school he was noted for his extraordinarily high IQ,

[16:35.60]but school is said to have held little interest for him.

[16:39.43]When he was fifteen he took up the woodwind instrument and become an accomplished player,

[16:46.32]particularly of jazz music.

[16:48.72]Allen began selling jokes to newspaper columnists,

[16:52.66]and in the early 1960s began appearing in comedy clubs telling his own jokes,

[16:58.68]and is now known as one of the greatest stand-up comedians ever.

[17:02.73]In the mid-sixties, Allen moved into the world of film-making, at first as a writer and actor.

[17:09.51]“What’s New, Pussycat?” came out in 1965.

[17:13.34]Woody Allen proved himself a productive writer as well as movie scriptwriter,

[17:19.46]he had two hit theatre shows on Broadway.

[17:23.18]He became a film director in the late sixties

[17:27.01]and produced some hugely successful film comedies, notably “Sleeper”,

[17:32.26]a comedy set in the future, “Bananas”, a comedy set in a Banana Republic,

[17:38.27]and “Love and Death”, his classic satire of Tolstoy’s “War and Peace”.

[17:43.74]As the 70s progressed, Allen found his voice as a filmmaker.

[17:49.43]In 1977, his film, “Annie Hall”,

[17:53.15]was a huge success and won him praise from audiences and critics alike,

[17:57.97]and it won three Oscars, for director, screenplay and best picture.

[18:03.76]Questions 30 to 32 are based on the passage you have just heard.

[18:09.67]30. What was Allen’s favorite childhood hobby?

[18:30.36]31. What did Allen do to earn money before becoming a stand-up comedian?

[18:50.77]32. Which one of the following movies was not directed by Allen?

[19:12.31]Passage Three

[19:13.51]Following the passing of the British Library Act by Parliament in 1972,

[19:19.42]the British Library came into operation with effect from 1st July 1973.

[19:26.10]Subsequently, two other major institutions were integrated into the British Library,

[19:31.67]expanding the depth and breadth of its collections:

[19:35.06]the India Office Library and Records (in 1982) and the British Institute of Recorded Sound (in 1983).

[19:43.05]The British Library has a number of components.

[19:46.54]The major sections of the organization known as the British Library are the Library of the British Museum,

[19:53.44]Patent Office Library, National Central Library, and the British Library Document Supply Centre.

[20:00.44]The Department of Printed Books of the British Museum was founded in the same year of the foundation of the British museum,

[20:07.98]in 1753. The Library has the privilege of legal store,

[20:13.34]which means that a copy of a large proportion of all printed material in the UK goes to the British Library.

[20:20.02]These include not only books, journals and magazines, but also newspapers, maps and printed music.

[20:27.12]The British Museum’s domed Reading Room is well known in intellectual circles,

[20:33.14]and was designed in the 1850s at the urge of Sir Anthony Panizzi, then Chief Librarian.

[20:38.83]Originally the Reading Room was open to the general public, but due to overcrowding,

[20:43.97]a pass was required for admission.

[20:46.48]In addition to Vladimir Lenin, other famous readers in this exclusive place of study included Karl Marx,

[20:53.59]and the writers Charles Dickens and George Bernard Shaw.

[20:56.87]The British Library Document Supply Centre administers a stock of over 260,000 journal titles,

[21:04.97]over 3 million books, almost 500,000 conference proceedings, nearly 5,000,000 scientific reports.

[21:12.85]Its 20,000 customers from all over the world make about 4,000,000 requests every year.

[21:18.86]Questions 33 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.

[21:24.87]33. When was the British museum founded?

[21:44.21]34. At whose demand was the British Museum’s domed Reading Room designed?

[22:06.24]35. Why does the Library require a pass for admission?

[22:27.12]Section C

[22:28.40]Directions: In this section, you will hear a passage three times.

[22:34.30]When the passage is read for the first time,

[22:37.37]you should listen carefully for its general idea.

[22:40.21]When the passage is read for the second time,

[22:43.60]you are required to fill in the blanks numbered from 36 to 43 with the exact words you have just heard.

[22:51.36]For blanks numbered 44 to 46 you are required to fill in the missing information.

[22:58.80]For these blanks, you can either use the exact words you have just heard

[23:03.94]or write down the main points in your own words.

[23:07.44]Finally, when the passage is read for the third time,

[23:11.60]you should check what you have written.

[23:13.79]Now listen to the passage.

[23:17.62]The founding of New China put an end to the feudal marital and family system

[23:23.96]that had endured for several millennia.

[23:26.69]Independent marriage based on mutual love and family

[23:30.09]in which husband and wife are equal have become the main current in contemporary Chinese Society.

[23:36.65]Women have gained the right of self-determination in marriage.

[23:41.13]In old China, over 95 percent of marriages were arranged on a monetary basis.

[23:47.26]Over the last 40-odd years, the degree of freedom in choosing a partner has increased significantly.

[23:55.14]Sample investigations show that 74 percent of young couples make the decision themselves to wed

[24:03.55]or do so after consultation with their parents,

[24:06.73]and 80 percent of marriages of women under 40 years old are based on their own choice.

[24:12.52]Women’s rights with regard to divorce and remarriage are also duly and properly guaranteed.

[24:19.74]This is a warmly welcome change to most women.

[24:23.79]This fact has helped improve the equality of marriage and enhance family stability;

[24:29.59]moreover, it lays an emotional foundation for equality between husband and wife in the family.

[24:36.69]In fact Chinese women have gained the important personal right of being able to retain their maiden names.

[24:44.87]In old China, however, surnames symbolized the continuity of a clan,

[24:51.32]and most women had no formal name before marriage.

[24:55.15]They adopted their husband’s surname after they wed and children used their father's surnames.

[25:01.39]In New China, both husband and wife have equal right to use their own names

[25:07.07]and children do not have to adopt their father’s surname as was the former custom.

[25:12.43]In cities, quite a few children take their mother’s surname.

[25:18.01]Now the passage will be read again.

[25:22.17]The founding of New China put an end to the feudal marital and family system

[25:28.73]that had endured for several millennia.

[25:31.36]Independent marriage based on mutual love and family

[25:35.19]in which husband and wife are equal have become the main current in contemporary Chinese Society.

[25:41.20]Women have gained the right of self-determination in marriage.

[25:45.69]In old China, over 95 percent of marriages were arranged on a monetary basis.

[25:51.92]Over the last 40-odd years, the degree of freedom in choosing a partner has increased significantly.

[25:59.80]Sample investigations show that 74 percent of young couples make the decision themselves to wed

[26:08.00]or do so after consultation with their parents,

[26:11.28]and 80 percent of marriages of women under 40 years old are based on their own choice.

[26:17.51]Women’s rights with regard to divorce and remarriage are also duly and properly guaranteed.

[26:24.84]This is a warmly welcome change to most women.

[26:28.54]This fact has helped improve the equality of marriage and enhance family stability;

[26:34.67]moreover, it lays an emotional foundation for equality between husband and wife in the family.

[27:27.23]In fact Chinese women have gained the important personal right of being able to retain their maiden names.

[27:35.21]In old China, however, surnames symbolized the continuity of a clan,

[27:41.66]and most women had no formal name before marriage.

[28:30.85]They adopted their husband’s surname after they wed and children used their father's surnames.

[28:36.64]In New China, both husband and wife have equal right to use their own names

[28:42.44]and children do not have to adopt their father’s surname as was the former custom.

[29:34.13]In cities, quite a few children take their mother’s surname.

[29:37.64]Now the passage will be read for the third time.

[29:42.12]The founding of New China put an end to the feudal marital and family system

[29:49.67]that had endured for several millennia.

[29:51.75]Independent marriage based on mutual love and family

[29:55.03]in which husband and wife are equal have become the main current in contemporary Chinese Society.

[30:01.37]Women have gained the right of self-determination in marriage.

[30:06.18]In old China, over 95 percent of marriages were arranged on a monetary basis.

[30:12.53]Over the last 40-odd years, the degree of freedom in choosing a partner has increased significantly.

[30:20.18]Sample investigations show that 74 percent of young couples make the decision themselves to wed

[30:28.50]or do so after consultation with their parents,

[30:31.56]and 80 percent of marriages of women under 40 years old are based on their own choice.

[30:37.80]Women’s rights with regard to divorce and remarriage are also duly and properly guaranteed.

[30:44.79]This is a warmly welcome change to most women.

[30:48.95]This fact has helped improve the equality of marriage and enhance family stability;

[30:54.75]moreover, it lays an emotional foundation for equality between husband and wife in the family.

[31:02.07]In fact Chinese women have gained the important personal right of being able to retain their maiden names.

[31:10.17]In old China, however, surnames symbolized the continuity of a clan,

[31:16.29]and most women had no formal name before marriage.

[31:20.23]They adopted their husband’s surname after they wed and children used their father's surnames.

[31:26.47]In New China, both husband and wife have equal right to use their own names

[31:32.27]and children do not have to adopt their father’s surname as was the former custom.

[31:37.62]In cities, quite a few children take their mother’s surname.

[31:42.33]This is the end of listening comprehension.