Read the following stories and retell them into the microphone. Your retold stories will be recorded. The story passages will be shown on screen. After the preset time the screen will go out, and you will begin to record.

Story One Reading time: 30 seconds

School Joke A professor was giving a big test one day to his students. He handed out all of the tests and went back to his desk to wait. Once the test was over the students all handed the tests back in. The professor noticed that one of the students had attached a $100 bill to his test with a note saying "A dollar per point." The next class the professor handed the graded tests back out. This student got back his test, his test grade, and $64 change.

Reading time is up. Now please tell the story in your words in 1 minute. Begin on instruction.

Recording... (1 minute)

Story Two Reading time: 30 seconds

Family joke A little girl asked her mother, "How did the human race appear?" The mother answered, "God made Adam and Eve and they had children, and so was all mankind made.." Two days later the girl asked her father the same question.. The father answered, "Many years ago there were monkeys from which the human race evolved." The confused girl returned to her mother and said, "Mom, how is it possible that you told me the human race was created by God, and Dad said they developed from monkeys?" The mother answered, "Well, dear, it is very simple. I told you about my side of the family and your father told you about his."

Reading time is up. Now please tell the story in your words in 1 minute. Begin on instruction.

Recording... (1 minute)

Story Three Reading time: 30 seconds

Empty the doctor's waiting room A patient goes to the doctor's office where, much to his surprise the doctor asks him, "Would you please help me with a problem I'm having?" "Sure, doctor, what can I do for you, " says the patient. "Would you scream in the most earsplitting, piercing screams you can manage? Try to make it sound as if you're in terrible pain." The doctor says. "But why, doctor, you've always been gentle with me and your treatments have never caused me any pain?" Asks the patient. "Yes," Says the doctor in a matter-of-fact tone, "but I have a 4 o'clock tee time at the golf course I don't want to miss, and my waiting room is still full of patients.“

Reading time is up. Now please tell the story in your words in 1 minutes. Begin on instruction.

Recording... (1 minute)

Now please stop recording. Get ready for Story 4. The reading time for story 4 is 1 minute. Begin.

Yo-yo Ma is no ordinary cello player. Born in 1955 in Paris to Chinese parents, his career began at the age of four. Later, he continued training in music at Harvard University. Today, he is the master of his instrument and one of the most successful musicians in the world, with fourteen Grammy awards. He also has recorded music for many movies; for “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” Ma performed the song “A Love Before Time” with Asian pop singer CoCo Lee. His music combines both Asian and Western cultural and artistic traditions. Critics particularly liked “The Silk Road Project,” which demonstrated the influence of Asian culture around the world.

Reading time is up. Now please tell the story in your words in 1 minute 30 seconds. Begin on instruction.

Recording...

Now please stop recording. This is the end of the test.