Passage 2
In Britain the biggest number of working foreigners comes from the odd system know as ‘au pair’. Every week hundreds of girls arrive from strange capitals to live with English families. They are called au pairs. An au pair girl stays with the family and has free food and lodging. In return she does light work in the house. This system began as a genuine exchange, but now has become a commercial bargain between families who need help and girls who need to learn English. As learning languages has become more important, so the numbers involved have gone up.
The system succeeds fairly well so far as teaching the girls English is concerned. But it is debatable how far it increases international friendship. There is a basic conflict of objectives—the hosts want cheap labor, the girls want leisure and language. The girls often find it hard to meet English people of their own school ages, for the language schools and clubs are made up of other foreigners.
In spite of its shortcomings, the au pair system has probably played some role in breaking down frontiers. The British Vigilance Society estimates that 15 percent of the girls are very happy, 15 percent very happy, and 70 percent more or less content; but only a small minority keep in touch after they go back home.
Questions 5 to 7 are based on the passage you’ve just heard.
5. What does the au pair system mean now?
6. What is NOT mentioned as an advantage of the au pair system for the girls?
7. How do the girls feel about the system?
Questions 1 to 4 are based on the lecture you’ve just heard.
1.
A) The increase in beachfront property value.
B) An experimental engineering project.
C) The erosion of coastal areas.
D) How to build seawalls.
2.
A) To protect beachfront property.
B) To reduce the traffic on beach roads.
C) To provide privacy for homeowners.
D) To define property limits.
3.
A) By sending water directly back to sea with great force.
B) By reducing wave energy.
C) By reducing beach width.
D) By stabilizing beachfront construction.
4.
A) Protect roads along the shore.
B) Build on beaches with seawalls.
C) Add sand to beaches with seawalls.
D) Stop building seawalls.
Questions 5 to 7 are based on the lecture you’ve just heard.
5.
A) A kind of exchange.
B) A kind of business.
C) A commercialized exchange.
D) An international friendship association.
6.
A) Free food and lodging.
B) Learning English.
C) Staying with English families.
D) Meeting young people.
7.
A) Most of them are satisfied.
B) Most of them are very happy.
C) Most of them are unhappy.
D) Most of them are not satisfied.
C C B D C D A
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