2017-2018学年福建省莆田市莆田第六中学高二下学期期中考试英语试题(A)（word版）

2017-2018学年福建省莆田市莆田第六中学高二下学期期中考试英语试题(A)（word版）

莆田六中2017-18高二下学期期中考英语试卷（奥赛班）‎ 本试卷分第一卷(选择题)和第二卷(非选择题)两部分。满分150分。考试时间120分钟。‎ 第Ⅰ卷 (选择题 共100分) ‎ 第一部分 听力（共两节，满分 30 分）‎ 第一节（共5小题；每小题1.5分，满分7.5分）‎ 听下面5段对话。每段对话后有一个小题，从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项，并标在试卷的相应位置。听完每段对话后，你都有10秒钟的时间来回答有关小题和阅读下一小题。每段对话仅读一遍。 ‎ ‎1. Where does the conversation probably take place?‎ ‎ A. At a coffee shop. B. At a theatre. C. At a hotel.‎ ‎2. Why do people prefer traditional food?‎ A. It is delicious. B. It does good to people.‎ C. It is cheap and convenient.‎ ‎3. What does the man suggest the woman do?‎ ‎ A. Open the door carefully. B. Have John fix the lock. C. Fix the door in time.‎ ‎4. What can we learn about the man?‎ ‎ A. He is a boss. B. He is a clerk. C. He’s unemployed.‎ ‎5. What’s the most important clue according to the inspector?‎ ‎ A. The dog hairs. B. The victim’s coat. C. The murderer’s blood type.‎ 第二节 （共15小题；每小题1.5分，满分22.5分）‎ 听下面5段对话或独白。每段对话或独白后有几个小题，从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项，并标在试卷的相应位置。听每段对话或独白前，你将有时间阅读各个小题，每小题5秒钟；听完后，各小题将给出5秒钟的作答时间。每段对话或独白读两遍。‎ 听下面一段对话，回答第6和第7两个小题。‎ ‎6. What did the man do?‎ ‎ A. He forgot to take the woman’s order. B. He wrote down the wrong order. ‎ ‎ C. He mistook the table.‎ ‎7. What is the woman like?‎ ‎ A. Kind. B. Mean. C. Rude.‎ 听下面一段对话，回答第8和第9两个小题。‎ ‎8. Why does the man apologize?‎ ‎ A. He ran into the woman. B. He was late for the appointment.‎ ‎ C. He couldn’t offer help to the woman.‎ ‎9. What will the man do next?‎ ‎ A. Go shopping. B. Take the bus. C. Pack some bags. ‎ 听下面一段对话，回答第10至12三个小题。‎ ‎10. How does the woman feel right now?‎ ‎ A. Surprised. B. Upset. C. Cheerful.‎ ‎11. What will the woman have to pay for?‎ ‎ A. Her plane ticket. B. Her meals. C. Her hotel fees.‎ ‎12. What day is it today?‎ ‎ A. Wednesday. B. Thursday. C. Friday.‎ 听下面一段对话，回答第13至16四个小题。‎ ‎13. Why does the man see the doctor?‎ ‎ A. He catches a cold. B. His wife is sick. C. He feels tired. ‎ ‎14. What did the man do with the cold six months ago?‎ ‎ A. He saw a doctor. B. He just stayed at home. ‎ ‎ C. He continued to work as usual.‎ ‎15. What causes the man’s problem according to the doctor?‎ ‎ A. His job. B. His wife. C. His operation.‎ ‎16. What will the man do tomorrow morning?‎ ‎ A. Take an English test. B. Leave the hospital.‎ ‎ C. Do a further examination.‎ 听下面一段独白，回答第17至20四个小题。‎ ‎17. What is common about public schools in most developed countries？‎ ‎ A. They are paid by the government. B. They are not as good as private ones.‎ ‎ C. They are paid by parents.‎ ‎18. What attracts teachers to private school most?‎ ‎ A. High wages. B. Low pressure. C. Pleasant environment.‎ ‎19. What do parents think of the competition?‎ ‎ A. Fierce. B. Helpful. C. Unfair.‎ ‎20. What can we learn from the passage?‎ ‎ A. A few countries have private education.‎ ‎ B. Public schools are better equipped.‎ ‎ C. Children have different opinions in choosing schools.‎ ‎ ‎ 第二部分 阅读理解（共两节，满分40分）‎ 第一节（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）‎ 阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。‎ ‎ A ‎ As the sixth What Kids Are Reading report bemoans（哀叹）about a tendency among secondary school students to read books that are too easy—suggesting that teachers and librarians aren’t pushing challenging titles strongly enough to older kids—the organizers of World Book Day have announced a list that might serve as a corrective, or at least a useful source of ideas.‎ Satellite by Nick Lake ‎ Leo was born in space, living all his life on space station Moon 2 with fellow space-children Libra and Orion. Now, at 15,he is almost due to go to Earth for the first time, but more awaits him there. An extraordinary science fiction, as diverse as lain M Banks at his best.‎ The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas ‎ A standout debut（首次创作）, this US novel is the Black Lives Matter (BLM)-inspired story of Starr Carter, whose friend Khalil is shot dead by a police officer as she watches and whose divided life awakes in the fallout. Full of vivid detail and dry humour, with a charming narrator, it reads like a typical text.‎ Things a Bright Girl Can Do by Sally Nicholls ‎ Nicholls’ exciting narrative follows May, the free-thinking daughter of a Quaker, and Nell, the tough, capable mainstay of her poor family. As the ghost of war appears ever closer, what will they sacrifice and what will be taken from them? An unforgettable historical novel.‎ The Book of Dust Vol 1:La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman ‎ Pullman’s long-awaited return to the world of His Dark Materials is, at times, dark indeed. As Malcolm and Alice convey the baby Lyra down a flooded river in Malcolm’s boat, the coming threats are fierce and frightening. To the reader absorbed in it, whatever their age, it affords the enjoyment of watching a master storyteller at work.‎ ‎21. Why do the organizers announce the book list?‎ A. To attract students’ attention to World Book Day.‎ B. To promote the sales of the books recommended.‎ C. To meet the requirements of teachers and librarians.‎ D. To encourage secondary students to read challenging books.‎ ‎22. Which book might attract a history lover?‎ A. Satellite. B. The Hate U Give.‎ C. Things a Bright Girl Can Do. D. The Book of Dust Vo1 1:La Belle Sauvage.‎ ‎23. What can be learned from the text?‎ A. Nick‎ ‎Lake is an expert in space exploration.‎ B. Angie Thomas stands out in writing textbooks.‎ C. May has an influence on Sally Nicholls’ writing.‎ D. It took a long time for Pullman to publish his new book.‎ ‎ B ‎ Traffic jams seem a sure companion of national holidays. On May 1, there were constant traffic jams on highways leading out of the several metropolises, the longest, according to reports, was 55 kilometers. Some blame the jams on the two-year-old policy that allows cars with no more than seven seats to use the highways for free on public holidays, but a Beijing News editorial said this is not the real cause of the jams.‎ ‎ The growing automobile culture is doubtlessly among the causes. Data shows that China’s production and sales of automobiles both went up by 20 million in 2013. But over the same period there has been no breakthrough in highway construction, and when there are too many birds the nest will naturally become crowded.‎ ‎ Growing tourism also leads to the jams. At the 2014 global summit of the World Travel and Tourism Council, which ended last week, it was reported that Chinese people spent almost 3 trillion yuan on tourism in 2013, which took up more than 90 percent of hotel income and more than 80 percent of air and railway ‎ use.‎ ‎ Worse, Chinese have to travel during the same periods. As employees’ rights to paid leave often fail to be protected, many have no choice but to travel on the limited public holidays. From Oct 1 to 7, the so-called Golden Week, almost every tourist site will be full of visitors. Therefore it is wrong to blame the free-pass policy.‎ ‎ That does not mean the government should stand idle doing nothing. As traffic jams during the holidays are predictable, they could develop more public transport and strengthen legal supervision to ensure that every employee enjoys their entitlement to a paid vacation or offer free passes on other days to encourage people to travel on days other than public holidays. The measures might not prevent traffic jams, but they may at least ease the jams.‎ ‎24. How many factors are mentioned in the passage accounting for the traffic jam on the highway?‎ ‎ A. two B. three C. four D. five ‎25. What can we infer from the passage?‎ ‎ A. Traffic jams often happen on highways on national holidays. ‎ ‎ B. People prefer to stay at home because of traffic jams.‎ ‎ C. Chinese people spent over 3 trillion yuan on tourism in 2013.‎ ‎ D. There is nothing the government can do to prevent traffic jams.‎ ‎26. What does the underlined sentence (Para.2) mean?‎ ‎ A. highway construction cannot meet the demand of increasing cars.‎ ‎ B. the more highways are built, the less crowded it will become.‎ ‎ C. the rapid increase of cars is the direct cause of traffic jam on highways.‎ ‎ D. limits should be set on the use of private cars. ‎ ‎27. Which of the following ways can ease the jams according to the passage?‎ ‎ A. People drive private cars to spend holiday. ‎ ‎ B. People take trains to spend their holiday.‎ ‎ C. Employees can have an expense-paid vacation. ‎ ‎ D. People make use of public holidays to enjoy themselves. ‎ ‎ C ‎ Whether in the home or the workplace, social robots are going to become a lot more common in the ‎ next few years. Social robots are about to bring technology to the everyday world in a more humanized way, said Cynthia Breazeal, chief scientist at the robot company Jibo. ‎ ‎ While household robots today do the normal housework, social robots will be much more like companions than mere tools. For example, these robots will be able to distinguish when someone is happy or sad. This allows them to respond more appropriately to the user.‎ ‎ The Jibo robot, arranged to ship later this year, is designed to be a personalized assistant. You can talk to the robot, ask it questions, and make requests for it to perform different tasks. The robot doesn’t just deliver general answers to questions; it responds based on what it learns about each individual in the household. It can do things such as reminding an elderly family member to take medicine or taking family photos.‎ ‎ Social robots are not just finding their way into the home. They have potential applications in everything from education to health care and are already finding their way into some of these spaces.‎ Fellow Robots is one company bringing social robots to the market. The company’s “Oshbot” robot is built to assist customers in a store, which can help the customers find items and help guide them to the product’s location in the store. It can also speak different languages and make recommendations for different items based on what the customer is shopping for.‎ ‎ The more interaction the robot has with humans, the more it learns. But Oshbot, like other social robots, is not intended to replace workers, but to work alongside other employees. “We have technologies to train social robots to do things not for us, but with us,” said Breazeal.‎ ‎28. How are social robots different from household robots?‎ A. They can control their emotions. B. They are more like humans.‎ C. They do the normal housework. D. They respond to users more slowly.‎ ‎29. What can Oshbot work as?‎ A. A language teacher. B. A tour guide.‎ C. A shop assistant. D. A private nurse.‎ ‎30. We can learn from the last paragraph that social robots will ______. ‎ A. train employees B. be our workmates ‎ C. improve technologies D. take the place of workers ‎31. What does the passage mainly present?‎ A. A new design idea of household robots. B. Marketing strategies for social robots.‎ C. Information on household robots. D. An introduction to social robots.‎ ‎ D ‎ Sharing E Umbrella, a new umbrella sharing company based in Shenzhen, China, recently announced that it had lost most of the 300, 000 umbrellas it made available since it launched in April.‎ ‎ China's sharing economy has been booming, with companies offering anything from bicycles and basketballs to smart phone battery banks on a rental basis. Customers make a small deposit(押金) and get to use the item for a set period of time for a daily fee, with penalty（惩罚）fees put in place for every day that they fail to return the product after the deadline. It's a simple business model, and market data shows that consumers see sharing as a cheap and convenient way to reduce waste. However, it doesn't always work out as well as those businessmen hope.‎ ‎ Inspired by the success of the bicycle sharing model and thinking that "everything on the street can now be shared", Zhao Shuping, a businessman from Shenzhen, founded the Sharing E Umbrella, an umbrella sharing service, in April. By the end of June, his business had already launched in 11 major Chinese cities, including Shanghai, Nanjing and Guangzhou. But while picking up the umbrellas was relatively simple, as they were made available at bus and subway stations, the return policy turned out to be a different matter entirely. ‎ ‎ "Umbrellas are different from bicycles," Mr. Zhao told Chinese news site ThePaper.cn. "Bikes can be parked anywhere, but with an umbrella you need bars or a fence to hang it on."‎ ‎ So instead of bothering to return the umbrellas back to a station, a lot of people just took them home, and Sharing E Umbrella has reportedly lost track of most of the 300,000 umbrellas it had in circulation. Considering that borrowing umbrellas requires a 19 yuan deposit, with a fee of 0.50 yuan per half an hour usage, and Zhao estimates that he loses 60 yuan per lost umbrella, the company is now in the red, but Zhao is not ready to call it quits just yet.‎ ‎ Zhao claims that despite the unforeseen setback, Sharing E Umbrella still plans to roll out 30 million nationwide by the end of the year.‎ ‎32. About sharing economy, which of the following sentences is not consistent with the text?‎ ‎ A. Users can share anything in China nowadays with the booming sharing economy.‎ ‎ B. Sharing economy has its advantages as to saving resources.‎ ‎ C. Not all the results of sharing economy turn out as expected.‎ ‎ D. Users will face a fine if they don't return the item within the due time.‎ ‎33. Contrary to other booming sharing businesses, what problems is facing Sharing E Umbrella?‎ ‎ A. Sharing E Umbrella fails to compete with its competitors. ‎ ‎ B. The model of Sharing E Umbrella doesn't meet customers' needs perfectly.‎ ‎ C. Sharing E Umbrella turns out to be a failure for lack of money.‎ ‎ D. The customers' lack of social responsibility.‎ ‎34. With the company in the red, what measures does Zhao take then?‎ ‎ A. He decides to take all the lost Umbrellas back.‎ ‎ B. He is going to change the renting model of the E Umbrellas.‎ ‎ C. He continues to put more Umbrellas on the market.‎ ‎ D. It's not stated in the text.‎ ‎35. What does the text mainly talk about?‎ ‎ A. The booming development of Chinese sharing economy.‎ ‎ B. An introduction of the situation of a sharing company.‎ ‎ C. The drawbacks facing Sharing E umbrella industries in China.‎ ‎ D. Many customers failed to return the umbrella for its inconvenience.‎ 第二节（共5小题；每小题2分，满分10分）‎ ‎ 根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项，选项中有两项为多余选项。‎ Global Positioning System (GPS) is now a part of everyday driving in many countries. It is a space-based system that provides position and time information in all weather conditions. GPS can help people get to where they want to go. 36 When this happens, the driver is often to blame. Sometimes a GPS error is responsible. Most often, it is a combination of the two.‎ ‎ 37 Barry Brown, a GPS technologist, took an incident as an example. His friend once flew to an airport in the eastern United States. There he borrowed a GPS-equipped car to use. He wrongly plugged in the home address in the west. It wasn't until he was driving for thirty minutes that he realized it. Mr. Brown says this is a common human error. But he says, “One problem is that GPS has a very small screen and it can just tell you the next turn. ‎‎38 ”‎ ‎“The Normal and Natural Troubles of Driving with GPS” lists several areas where GPS can cause ‎ difficulties. They include maps that are outdated, incorrect or difficult to understand. 39 GPS may fail due to these reasons and then lead to confusion for the drivers.‎ Although GPS sometimes causes difficulties when people are driving, the most attractive point of this system is its 100% coverage on the planet. It is important for you to have to know what you are doing when you use GPS. You need to have the “ability” to be able to use GPS because it sometimes goes wrong. 40 ‎ A. There are quite a few situations showing the problems of using GPS.‎ B. That means that it is not really telling you about going to the wrong place.‎ C. This space-based system is an important tool for civil and commercial users.‎ D. They also contain timing problems related to when GPS commands are given.‎ E. But sometimes it sends you to the wrong place or leaves you completely lost.‎ F. Advances in technology play an active role in modernizing GPS in many ways.‎ G. To make GPS well used, you need a good understanding of how drivers and GPS work.‎ 第三部分 英语知识运用（共两节，满分45分）‎ 第一节 完形填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）‎ 阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D)中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。‎ When my aunt, Holly, was 15 years old, she suffered from MS, a disease that attacks the central nervous system. What is scary is that it is not clear what causes MS or when it will 41 . When it first struck Holly, she had just finished her political science degree and held an admirable 42 . Her leg weakened, and she 43 that she felt like she was a little child again, relearning to 44 . We kept our fingers crossed so that by 45 her legs regularly, she could return to normal. But soon, she lost both her job and her long-time boyfriend. ‎ The girl, 46 happy and active, became moody and quiet, 47 to go out because her hands 48 so much when she held anything. It is a completely 49 feeling to watch a healthy relative take a turn for the 50 . But we, the whole extended family, all held on 51 Holly’s illness. Instead of going golfing every week, Grandfather worked around the house. Grandmother, almost 70, continued to work to help pay 52 ‎ bills. My parents remained 53 all the time through my aunt’s worst mood changes. Even my sister and I were there just for her 54 .‎ The hardest part was the feeling that Holly was unable to 55 anything we did for her, complaining about everything and everybody. Finally came the day when we saw her 56 , when we all went to cheer her on in the annual MS walkathon(a walk that MS patients take to recover). Despite the freezing wind, I 57 the rest of my family. When the walk was over, Holly 58 introduced my sister and me to her friends who had come along to support her, I was able to see how just a little care can mean more than physical 59.‎ Most importantly, I have learned through this whole 60 with my family that, whatever we have to suffer, we have a wonderful support group around us that will always catch us before any of us falls.‎ ‎41. A. strike B. disappear C. gain D. lose ‎42. A. record B. job C. baby D. ambition ‎43. A. warned B. predicted C. told D. joked ‎44. A. run B. walk C. think D. speak ‎45. A. treating B. moving C. resting D. stretching ‎46. A. once B. later C. forever D. never ‎47. A. surprised B. discouraged C. disappointed D. embarrassed ‎48. A. waved B. seized C. clapped D. shook ‎49. A. strange B. happy C. meaningless D. helpless ‎50. A. better B. worse C. more D. less ‎51. A. to B. through C. with D. after ‎52. A. individual B. extra C. private D. medical ‎53. A. concerned B. relaxed C. active D. crazy ‎54. A. profit B. comment C. relief D. reward ‎55. A. notice B. receive C. believe D. appreciate ‎56. A. change B. devotion C. attitude D. pain ‎57. A. persuaded B. left C. joined D. searched ‎58.A. quickly B. unwillingly C. enthusiastically D. forgetfully ‎59. A. treatment B. punishment C. beauty D. excitement ‎60. A. accident B. experience C. training D. movement 第Ⅱ卷 (非选择题 共50分)‎ 第二节（共10小题；每小题1.5分，满分15分）‎ 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。‎ ‎ Jo worked at a bush school whose classrooms were made of bamboo and the roof of grass. There's no electricity 1. __________water . 2.____________ took the students about two hours to get to the school. It's very difficult for newcomers to adapt to the 3.______________ (condition). Jo hoped to make some difference to the children's lives by teaching them. The other day, Jo visited Tombe's home with another teacher. When they arrived at the village, Tombe's mother 4.___________had been working in her garden, 5.____________(start) crying "ieee ieee". Tombe's father led them to his house, a low bamboo hut with grass 6.__________(stick) out of the roof, where she could only see one broom, a few tin plates and cups and a couple of jars.7.___________ they eat were sweet potatoes, corn and greens. That night Jo and Jenny slept on a 8.___________(new)made platform. They left the village the next morning after many goodbyes and firm9._____________( handshake). It was such a privilege to 10. _____________(spend)a day with Tombe's family.‎ 第四部分 写作（共二节，满分35分）‎ 第一节 短文改错（共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分)‎ 假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。‎ 增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧)，并在其下面写出该加的词。‎ 删除：把多余的词用(＼)划掉。]‎ 修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。‎ 注意：1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；‎ ‎2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。‎ ‎ I'm sitting in the warm night air with a cold drink in my hand and reflect on the day .It is a day of a pure magic! I went snorkelling on the reef offshore this morning. Seeing so extraordinary beauty, I think every cell in my body woke up. It was like discover a whole new dimension of life. The first thing I became aware was all the vivid colours surrounded me. And the fish didn't seem to mind myself swimming among them. However there were other creature that I don't want to get too close to. How a tiny spot I was in ‎ this enormous world! 　　‎ 第二节 书面表达（满分25分）‎ 假定你是李华，你的澳大利亚笔友George来信向你询问无线支付在中国的发展情况。请你给他写封回信，介绍相关信息。‎ ‎（1）政府大力支持无线支付。现在我们几乎在各个领域都有应用，引领了世界潮流。‎ ‎（2）主要有支付宝（Alipay）和微信（WeChat Pay）两种常用无线支付方式。极大地方便了我们的生活。我们对此感到很自豪。‎ 注意：词数100左右，开头和结尾给出的词不计入总数；可以适当增加细节，使行文连贯。‎ 参考词汇：无线支付；cashless payment Dear George,‎ I am very pleased to introduce to you__________________________________________________‎ ‎_______________________________________________________________________________‎ ‎_______________________________________________________________________________‎ ‎_______________________________________________________________________________‎ Yours,‎ LiHua ‎‎ ‎ 2017-18高二下英语期中考答案（奥赛班）‎ 一.听力 ‎1. C 2. B 3. B 4. C 5. A 6. C 7. A 8. A 9. B 10. C ‎ ‎11. B 12. A 13. C 14. B 15. A 16. C 17. A 18. A 19. B 20. C 二阅读、7选5 21-23 DCD 24-28 BAAB 28-31BCBD 32-35ABCB 36-40EABDG 三 完型 41-45ABDBA 46-50 ADDDB 51-55 BDACD 56-60 ACCAB ‎ ‎ 四 语法填空 ‎ 1.or 2. It 3.conditions 4.who/that 5. started ‎ ‎ 6.sticking 7.what 8.newly 9.handshakes 10.have spent 五 改错 ‎ 第一句reflect →reflecting 第二句 a去掉 第四句so→such ‎ ‎ 第五句 discover→discovering 第六句 aware后加of, surrounded→surrounding ‎ ‎ 第七句myself→me／my 第八句creature→creatures don't→t didn't第九句How→What 六写作 Dear George,‎ I am very pleased to introduce to you the cashless payment in China. As you know, Chinese authorities have been making efforts to support and regulate cashless payments to ensure a healthy business environment. As a result, China has now taken the lead in this global payment trend and promoted its economy.‎ Ever since WeChat Pay as well as Alipay was started, this two-dimensional technology has enjoyed a great boom and expanded to nearly all walks of life. Thanks to its convenience , there is no need to carry any cash. Consumers can simply use their phones to pay without any physical contact and they can use it for almost everything. Take me for example, I even buy breakfast at food stalls by this means. I feel proud of this fundamental change in our country.‎ Yours,‎ LiHua 普通高中毕业班第一次综合质量检测 英语测试听力录音原文 Text 1‎ W: Welcome to Bluebird Guesthouse! How may I help you?‎ M: We have a reservation for a double room for one week. ‎ Text 2‎ M: Do people prefer traditional food?‎ W: I suppose so. As modern people are paying more attention to their health，traditional food has become very popular for its nutrition.‎ Text 3‎ W: The lock on my front door is broken.‎ M: Why not have John fix it? He is an expert at fixing things. ‎ Text4‎ M: I’m my boss at last. Nobody will tell me what I should do and what I shouldn’t.‎ W: Wow. You have your own company?‎ M: Not really. I’ve just quit my job.‎ Text 5‎ W: Inspector, the murderer’s blood type helped you solve this confusing crime, didn’t it?‎ M: Yes, you could say that. But it wasn’t the most important clue.‎ W: It wasn’t? That’s puzzling.‎ M: No, what finally proved the most helpful were the dog hairs we found on the victim’s coat.‎ Text 6‎ W: Waiter!‎ M: Yes. What can I do for you, madam?‎ W: I didn’t order this.‎ M: I’m sorry. I made a mistake. This is Table ‎9’‎s order. I’m very sorry.‎ W: That’s okay. It’s pretty busy right now.‎ M: Thanks for your understanding.‎ W: What about my order?‎ M: I’ll check on your order right now. It should be ready any minute.‎ Text 7‎ W: Oh, dear!‎ M: I'm sorry. I do hope I haven't hurt you.‎ W: Oh, no. I was just a little scared. That's all right. It's quite all right.‎ M: But it isn't all right. I made you drop your shopping bags. Let me pick these bags up.‎ W: You must have been in a great hurry. Never mind.‎ M: I was only going to catch the bus. I'm afraid I wasn't looking where I was going. I hope nothing was ‎ destroyed.‎ W: Oh, no. Thank you very much.‎ M: I do apologize.‎ W: Don't worry about it. There is no need to apologize. Look! Here comes the bus. You'll catch it if you run.‎ M: Oh, so I shall.‎ Text 8‎ M: Look at your face. You must be in a really good mood.‎ W: That’s right. I’ve won a trip to the Bahamas.‎ M: Really? That’s amazing. How did you win that?‎ W: There was this competition run by a big company. I entered and won by luck, I think. All you had to do was to buy that company’s brand of orange juice when you went shopping. If you were lucky, you’d win a plane ticket to the Bahamas. The company would also pay your hotel fees, but you would have to pay for meals.‎ M: That’s awesome. How many other people won?‎ W: Actually only one other girl won.‎ M: I’m sure thousands of people were disappointed.‎ W: Yeah, but if they all won, the company would go broke.‎ M: True! So when do you leave for the Bahamas?‎ W: This Friday, the day after tomorrow.‎ M: Have fun! ‎ Text 9‎ M: Dr. Dicken, I just don’t know what’s wrong with me. I always feel tired and weak. My wife finally persuaded me to visit you to find out what the trouble is.‎ W: From your casebook I can see that you had a very bad cold three years ago and that you also had a small operation last year. Did you have any bad effect after that?‎ M: Well, I don’t remember.‎ W: For example, how long did you stay at home each time you were ill?‎ M: Just a couple of days, but about six months ago I was home for about two weeks with a cold or something.‎ W: Did you see a doctor at that time, or did you just stay at home?‎ M: No, I didn’t see a doctor. When I began to feel better, I returned to work.‎ W: And when did you start feeling so tired again？‎ M: It must have been about ten days ago. When I came home from work one night, there just seemed to be no reason to go back the next day.‎ W: Well, it sounds as if your problem may be the kind of work you do. The tests I just made don’t show anything really wrong. But I would like to make some further tests in the hospital.‎ M: That’s fine with me.‎ W: All right, you can check in tonight and I’ll make the tests tomorrow morning.‎ Text 10‎ In most developed countries like the UK, the government provides free education for children because it knows that educated citizens can make more contributions to the country. Most countries also have private education. This means that parents can pay to send their children to certain schools. People who agree with this system say that it gives parents a large choice of schools. Other people think that private schools give the children an unfair advantage over other children. It is a fact that most students go to public schools. However, in recent years, private schools have become more and more popular. Many teachers want to work in private schools because they are well-paid there. What’s more, the facilities in some private schools are really better than those in public schools. Therefore, there will be a competition between the two kinds of schools. Parents welcome this competition because they think it will do good to their children. They hope that their children can be educated well and they may pay less at the same time. What are the children’s opinions? Well, they also have different opinions. Some say they feel good about school while some others say the burden is heavy. ‎