Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.

Directions:In this section, you will hear three passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear three or four questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A, B, C and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.

    16.
  • A How space research benefits people on Earth.
  • B When the International Space Station was built.
  • C How many space shuttle missions there will be.
  • D When america's earliest space program started.
    17.
  • A They tried to make best use of the latest technology.
  • B They tried to meet astronauts' specific requirements.
  • C They developed objects for astronauts to use in outer space.
  • D They accurately calculated the speed of the orbiting shuttles.
    18.
  • A They are expensive to make.
  • B They are extremely accurate.
  • C They were first made in space.
  • D They were invented in the 1970s.