口语表达 A. That's right, John.
B. Why should we believe you this time?
C. But Mrs. Faulkes, you said that five years ago when you were campaigning for the last general election.
D. How's the campaign going?
Interviewer: In our radio car we have Geraldine Faulkes who is on the campaign trail in the constituency of Liverpool north-east. Good morning, Mrs. Faulkes. Mrs. Faulkes: Good morning, John. Interviewer: Now, Mrs. Faulkes. It's only three weeks till the general election. 【D7】______
Mrs. Faulkes: I'm fully confident that the Conservative Party will win this general election and that the people of this country will welcome five more years of good Conservative Government.
Interviewer: I see. Now I believe that your party is promising tax cuts if it wins the election.
Mrs. Faulkes: 【D8】______ We are the party of low taxation and we believe that our economic policies over the past five years have been the right policies. Our economy is growing stronger and now is the right time for income tax cuts.
Interviewer: 【D9】______You said you would lower taxes five years ago, bud you didn't, did you?
Mrs. Faulkes: Our economic policies over the last five years have given us one of the strongest economies in Europe with some of the lowest interest rates. We said that we were going to lower interest rates at the last election and we have delivered our promise. And what's more we believe that interest rates will remain low if we are elected for another term.
Interviewer: But I don't think low interest rates are the same as lower taxes. You said you would lower taxes and you didn't. 【D10】______
Mrs. Faulkes: The economy of the country is now very healthy thanks to good government , and I believe that now is the time for tax cuts.

【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】 这段对话是电台主持人对正在参与利物浦东北选区竞选的候选人的采访。首先，应该明确四个答案选项的语法功能和语义。A选项是完整句，对对方的观点表示赞同；语义是：是这样的，约翰。B选项是特殊疑问句，意思是：我们这次为什么要相信你?C选项是完整句，意思是：但是，福克斯夫人，在五年前您上次竞选的时候，您说过的。D选项是特殊疑问句，意思是：选举进展情况如何?
其次，可以判断说话人的身份。B、C、D选项应该都是Interviewer说的；A选项应该是Mrs．Faulkes说的。由于7～10题中，只有第8题是Mrs．Faulkes说的，因此，先可以确定本题的答案是A。第三，认真阅读对话，特别是仔细体会空白处的上下文的语义。第7题是采访的开始，根据上下文，特别是Mrs．Faulkes的具体回答，正确答案应该是D。第9题是对前面Mrs．Faulkes说的now is the right time for income tax cuts(现在是降低收入税的恰当时机)的反应，而且根据第9题后面的You said you would lower taxes five years ago(你五年前就说要减税)，本题的正确答案应该是C；而B的语气放在这太过强烈，所以不合适。第10题正确答案是B，B在此处表达的是对Mrs．Faulkes给出的解释的不满。
此外，这段对话特别值得一提的是涉及了政治方面的话题，这是前些年同等学力的英语考试真题中很少出现的话题。在本段对话里出现的大量的政治经济方面的术语值得考生总结和学习，包括：on the campaign trail(正在参与竞选)；constituency(选区，选民)；the general election(大选)；the Conservative Party(保守党)；Conservative Government(保守党政府)；tax cuts(减税)；income tax(所得税)；interest rates(利率)；deliver our promise(兑现承诺)。