National English Level Test Textbook.4

Author: Xie Jiangnan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-11-01
Features: The Public English Test System (PETS), abbreviated as PETS, is one of a series of exams designed and developed by the National Education Examination Center. The PETS exam is open to the public and consists of five levels. Its purpose is to reasonably set the evaluation standards for each level based on the actual situation of English teaching in China and the needs of social development, using the same ability scale. It focuses on testing listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills, ensuring the equivalence of exam scores across different sessions at the same level. Gradually, it connects with related aspects of college entrance exams, study abroad, and self-study exams, making exam scores more versatile in their application. The fourth level of PETS is the intermediate-to-high level among the five levels. Candidates who pass this level have an English proficiency that generally meets the requirements for pursuing postgraduate studies (non-English major) in higher education institutions. This textbook consists of 12 chapters, each with a specific theme: technology, economy, politics, culture, education, etc. Each chapter includes:
1. Dialogues: Two dialogue materials are designed based on the chapter theme. The dialogues aim for realistic contexts and natural, appropriate language, primarily used to train listening and speaking skills.
2. Texts: Each chapter features a main text that reflects the chapter theme.
3. Vocabulary and Phrases: New words and phrases appearing in the dialogues and texts of each chapter are provided, along with their international phonetic symbols, parts of speech, Chinese definitions, and Chinese definitions of phrases.
4. Notes: The notes focus on the text, mainly covering two aspects: (1) Highlighting difficulties in the dialogues and texts from grammatical and lexical perspectives; (2) Introducing relevant cultural background knowledge to deepen candidates' understanding of the text.
5. Exercises: The exercises are carefully designed for each chapter's theme, with question types aligned with the PETS Level 4 exam syllabus to aid learners in preparation.
6. Supplementary Reading: To help learners gain a deeper understanding of related topics and improve reading skills, a supplementary reading passage is provided at the end of each chapter.
At the end of the textbook, there are five appendices, including:
(1) Functional Notions Table;
(2) Language Skills Table;
(3) Listening Exercise Scripts;
(4) After-Class Exercise Answers;
(5) Vocabulary and Phrases Summary.
The accompanying MP3 CD includes dialogues, texts, new words, after-class listening materials, and scripts for supplementary reading passages. These can be played on computers, as well as CD players, VCD players, and DVD players with MP3 functionality.