Final answer:
The bond interest expense for the year ended December 31 of the first year is $990.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the bond interest expense for the year ended December 31 of the first year, we need to determine the bond discount and the number of interest payments made during the year. The bond discount is the difference between the face value of the bond ($99,000) and the selling price ($97,020), which is $1,980. Since the bonds pay interest semiannually, there would be two interest payments made during the year. The bond interest expense would be the bond discount divided by the number of interest payments, which is $1,980 / 2 = $990.