section 1: listening test (40 minutes)
part a: spot dictation
directions: in this part of the test, you will hear a passage and read the same passage with blanks in it. fill in each of the blanks with the ward or words you have heard on the tape. write your answer in the corresponding space in you answer booklet. remember you will hear the passage only once.
travelling by air is one of the major conveniences of modern times. so last summer when we planned a holiday abroad, we decided to take advantage of such a modern, convenient _______ (1).
we began preparations for our trip early by calling the airline and _______ (2). a few days later we received our tickets telling us our flight number and the _______ (3) from our city and arrival at our destination. we were advised to arrive at the airline terminal an hour before takeoff in order to _______ (4) for our flight, receive our _______ (5), and check our baggage. it is important not to be late, or you might miss the flight. on the day of the flight, we went to the _______ (6) where we were directed to the _______ (7) of the gate from which the airplane would depart. as we entered this area we were checked _______ (8). while we were waiting, i noticed how busy everyone was. the _______ (9) were checking the plane for last minute repairs, and a large truck was fueling the plane with gasoline to make it _______ (10).
when our flight was called we _______ (11). we were pleasantly greeted by the flight attendants and offered _______ (12), drinks and food. the weather was good, and there was no _______ (13) to cause us worry or discomfort. although our flight was _______ (14), during the holidays air travel becomes more hectic. often airlines sell to many tickets for a flight and are then _______ (15). some unlucky passengers will e bumped and _______ (16) on a later flight. bad weather might also cause a later takeoff, and this delay often _______ (17) at the next stop. one of the most annoying aspects of air travel at holiday season is the possibility of _______ (18). i always try to carry with me _______ (19) for several days. on the whole, however, traveling by air is _______ (20). it is fast, safe, and usually reliable.