Task 1

A. interest rates, third time, shrunk, first time, A fall, employment, higher
B.
1. 0.25 percent, 5.5 percent, 0.25 percent, 5 percent, inflation
2. four tenths of 1 percent (0.4 percent)
3. two points, More jobs
4. 1 percent, 89; 10,205; under control

Task 2

A.
1. F
2. F
3. T
B.
manned, third, the Soviet Union, a person, Shenzhou 5, the Gobi Desert, Inner Mongolia, Thursday, 14, about 20, importance, modernity

Task 3

A.
1. D
2. B
3. A
4. A
B. skip
C. skip

Task 4
values, community, national pride, problems, solutions, economic stability, welfare reform, crime, left and right, new politics

Task 5

A. skip
B.
1. e
2. f
3. b
4. d
5. a
6. c
C. skip

Task 6

A.
1. because of the outbreak of dengue fever
2. more than 80,000
3. severe headaches, fever, and vomiting
4. He considers it his countries biggest political weakness.
B.
1. The EU has banned all imports of animal products from the Netherlands.
2. The Dutch government has confirmed four cases of foot-and-mouth disease.
3. Only Britain and France have been affected by the disease.
4. Officials have seized some sheep suspected of having mad cow disease.

Task 7 skip

Task 8

A.
1. C
2. C
3. A
B. signed, withdrawn, weaken/harm the American economy, push/persuade, flexible, plant more trees, pollution, weaker, foreign investment, clean
C. skip

Task 9
Septemeber 19th, three days, child activists, non-governmental organizations, actions, a good education for all children, the chance for all children to become an important part of their communities, the progress, seventy-one heads of state and government, a treaty aimed at improving the lives of children around the world, the rights of children, (former) world leaders, creators, educating children, protecting them from war, fighting AIDS, get involved, take action, work for change

Task 10 dictation

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Association says hunger kills millions of people each year, especially children. The UN organization says millions more people will die unless more money is invested to fight against hunger. This is based on the results of a new UN study called “The State of Food Insecurity in the World, 2002”. If found that more than nine million people die each year from hunger. Six million of them are children younger than age five. Researchers also found that the number of starving people is growing in some parts of the world. The report says that about eight hundred and forty million people around the world are not getting enough food to eat. Ninety-five percent of these people are in developing countries.