Question 8 is based on the conversation you have just heard.

Conversation One

M: Good morning. What can I do for you?

W: Good morning. Could I talk to Jeffry Harding please?

M: Speaking.

W: Hello, Jeff. It’s Helen.（8）I got your message on the answering machine. What’s the problem?

M: Oh, Helen. Well, it’s the Grimsby plant again, I’m afraid. The（9）robots on Line 3 have gone wrong. And the line is at a standstill.

W: Can’t you replace them with the stand-ins?

M: I’m afraid not. The stand-ins are already in use on Line 6. And the ones from Line 6 are being serviced.

W: When did this happen, Jeff?

M: Well, they’ve been making a low continuous sound for a day or two. But they finally went dead at 2:30 this afternoon.

W: I see. What did you do? Have you tried the whole plant?

M: Not yet, Helen.（10）I thought I’d better get your OK first.

W: OK. Get on the phone to Tom, and try to get their stand-ins over tonight. We have to be back at full capacity tomorrow morning. Is it a major job to repair our robots?

M: About a week. That’s what the maintenance engineer says.

W: Right. Well, if you can get the ones from Tom, please ask Tom to inform Sheffield that he may need their stand-ins in case of emergency during the next week.

M: OK. Thank you very much, Helen.

W: You are most welcome.

M: （11）Sorry to spoil your day off.

W: It doesn’t matter.

8. What did the man do before the telephone conversation?

解析：B。该题目为推理题。问题是：这位男士打电话前做了什么？答案在对话开头的第一个话题寒暄和介绍处。“I got your message on the answering machine. Whats the problem? ”，女士表示她在电话留言机上听到了男士的留言。选项B） He called the woman and left her a message，他打电话给女士留言了，与此相符。与新闻听力不同，长对话以听懂对话场景和分话题为核心原则，结合视听一致原则，“message”再现。因此，此题目正确答案为B。