安徽省太和第一中学2019-2020学年高二下学期教学衔接调研考试英语试题

安徽省太和第一中学2019-2020学年高二下学期教学衔接调研考试英语试题

太和一中2019—2020学年度高二（下）教学衔接调研检测英语试卷 考试时间：120分钟 满分：150分 ‎ 注意事项：‎ 1. 本试卷分第I卷（选择题）和第II卷（非选择题）两部分。‎ 2. 本堂考试120分钟，满分150分。‎ 3. 答题前,考生务必先将自己的姓名、考号准确无误地填写在答题卡规定的位置上，并使用2B铅笔填涂。‎ 4. 考试结束后，将答题卡交回，答题卡不得折叠。‎ 第一部分：听力（共两节，满分30分）‎ 做题时，先将答案划在试卷上。录音内容结束后，你将有两分钟的时间将试卷上的答案转涂到答题卡上。‎ 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，从试题所给的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. What will Lucy do at 11:30 tomorrow?‎ A. Go out for lunch. B. See her dentist. C. Visit a friend.‎ ‎2. What is the weather like now?‎ A. It’s sunny. B. It’s rainy. C. It’s cloudy.‎ ‎3. Why does the man talk to Dr. Simpson?‎ A. To make an apology. B. To ask for help. C. To discuss his studies. ‎ ‎4. How will the woman get back from the railway station?‎ A. By train. B. By car. C. By bus.‎ ‎5. What does Jenny decide to do first?‎ A. Look for a job. B. Go on a trip. C. Get an assistant. ‎ 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。‎ 听第6段材料，回答第6、7题。‎ ‎6. What time is it now?‎ A. 1:45. B. 2:10. C. 2:15.‎ ‎7. What will the man do?‎ A. Work on a project.‎ B. See Linda in the library.‎ C. Meet with Professor Smith.‎ 听第7段材料，回答第8至10题。‎ ‎8. What are the speakers talking about?‎ A. Having guests this weekend.‎ B. Going out for sightseeing.‎ C. Moving into a new house.‎ ‎9. What is the relationship between the speakers?‎ A. Neighbors. B. Husband and wife. C. Host and visitor.‎ ‎10. What will the man do tomorrow?‎ A. Work in his garden. B. Have a barbecue. C. Do some shopping.‎ 听第8段材料，回答第11至13题。‎ ‎11. Where was the man born?‎ A. In Philadelphia. B. In Springfield. C. In Kansas.‎ ‎12. What did the man like doing when he was a child?‎ A. Drawing. B. Traveling. C. Reading.‎ ‎13. What inspires the man most in his work?‎ A. Education. B. Family love. C. Nature.‎ 听第9段材料，回答第14至17题。‎ ‎14. Why is Dorothy going to Europe?‎ A. To attend a training program. ‎ B. To carry out some research. ‎ C. To take a vacation. ‎ ‎15. How long will Dorothy stay in Europe?‎ A. A few days. B. Two weeks. C. Three months. ‎ ‎16. What does Dorothy think of her apartment?‎ A. It’s expensive. B. It’s satisfactory. C. It’s inconvenient. ‎ ‎17. What does Bill offer to do for Dorothy?‎ A. Recommend her apartment to Jim. ‎ B. Find a new apartment for her. ‎ C. Take care of her apartment. ‎ 听第10段材料，回答第18至20题。‎ ‎18. What are the tourists advised to do when touring London?‎ A. Take their tour schedule. ‎ B. Watch out for the traffic. ‎ C. Wear comfortable shoes. ‎ ‎19. What will the tourists do in fifteen minutes?‎ A. Meet the speaker. ‎ B. Go to their rooms. ‎ C. Change some money. ‎ ‎20. Where probably is the speaker?‎ A. In a park. B. In a hotel. C. In a shopping centre. ‎ 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。并在答题卡上将该选项涂黑。‎ A The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation [BMGF] said this week it will provide up to $100 million to support action against the 2019 novel coronavirus. It says the money will help strengthen efforts to test people for the virus, separate healthy individuals from the sick and find treatment for them.‎ Controlling the epidemic: The donation will help speed development of the “tools to bring this epidemic under control,” the chief executive officer of the Gates Foundation; Mark Suzman said.‎ Worldwide emergency: The Gates Foundation is giving money and working with other donors to help the World Health Organization (WHO), Chinese medical workers and others worldwide. It noted the need for an organized international effort to fight the virus.‎ Increased efforts to find and treat the coronavirus: The foundation promised $20 million right away to hurry the process of identifying those who are sick, keeping them separate, and helping them get better. The goal is to stop the disease from spreading to more people and places. Money is also going to public health officials in China and other countries with coronavirus patients to help them pay the start-up cost of medical workers and supplies.‎ Protecting at-risk groups in Africa and South Asia: Recent epidemics, such as the H1N1 influenza pandemic of 2009, have had a big effect on people living in extreme poverty. Most of those people live in African countries south of the Sahara Desert or parts of South Asia. Another $20 million is going to public health officials in these areas to improve their emergency operations and to treat confirmed cases. One partner is the African Field Epidemiology Network, a non-profit service that currently operates in more than 30 African countries.‎ Developing Vaccines: Of the total donation, $60 million will go to speed the process of making vaccines to protect against the novel coronavirus. One organization working on developing the anti-coronavirus vaccines is the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations with Chinese public- and private-sector researchers; trying to find ways to stop the spread of the virus.‎ ‎21．The money donated by the BMGF will be used in the following aspects except______‎ A．to build a new hospital in China B．to separate the healthy from the sick C．to test people for the virus D．to find treatment for the virus -infected ‎22．Which of the following statements is true?‎ A．The money is specially donated to China’s public health department.‎ B．Another $20 million will be used to help African people suffering from starvation.‎ C．Most of the donated money will be put into the developing and innovating vaccines.‎ D．The African Field Epidemiology Network is a non- profit medical service organization only in western Africa. ‎ ‎23．The passage is most probably digested from ___.‎ A．a poster B．a magazine C．a text book D．a news report B ‎ The famous Spanish painter Pablo Picasso once said, “Every child is an artist. The problem he has is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” ‎ This is both encouraging and discouraging. The fact that we were all born to be artists is certainly exciting, and yet the reality has proven that remaining one is a task that many of us have failed.‎ Fortunately, some people have seen the problem and want to solve it. ‎ Western educators have suggested that we introduce the concept of “STEAM” instead of “STEM” — traditional “core majors” including science, technology, engineering, and math — since the “A”, which stands for “arts”, is just as important. ‎ And on April 11, China’s Ministry of Education issued a guideline. Colleges and universities are required to provide more art-related courses and students need to earn a certain number of art credits in order to graduate. ‎ These efforts came after many scientific studies had found that art education helps students develop self-confidence and teamwork skills, as well as habits of mind such as problem solving and critical thinking, according to The Washington Post. ‎ It’s true that none of these skills target specific jobs. But as former US ballet dancer Damian Woetzel told The Atlantic, the purpose of art is “to give kids the tools to become adults who are creative, adaptable, and expressive — capable of having their eyes and ears and senses alive”. ‎ And we can now see how we lost track of our born “artist self” on our way to growing up: We failed to keep our capabilities to see, hear and feel, and became blind, deaf and insensitive adults. Hopefully, art education can help turn things around. ‎ ‎24. What is the function of the first paragraph? ‎ A. To introduce a famous artist. B. To summarize the whole passage. ‎ C. To lead in the topic. D. To encourage us to be artists. ‎ ‎25. Why should the concept of “STEAM” be introduced according to western educators? ‎ A. Art is as important as traditional “core majors”. ‎ B. All of us should learn art in college. ‎ C. Traditional “core majors” are out of date. ‎ D. Western education is more helpful. ‎ ‎26. What can we predict from the guideline issued by China’s Ministry of education? ‎ A. More art-related courses will appear in all schools. ‎ B. College students will have to gain enough art credits to graduate. ‎ C. More students will major in art at colleges and universities. ‎ D. Art will become much more important than science. ‎ ‎27. What is the best title of the passage? ‎ A. Every child is an artist B. Bringing art to life ‎ C. Learning from the artists D. Life is art ‎ C If you expect to work in the future in the travel industry, you should begin learning Chinese. ‎ That's because Chinese people spent nearly$258 billion in total on international travel last year. That's more than twice the combined amount spent on international travel by people from the United States and Germany, the next two biggest-spending nations. The Chinese are relative(相对的) newcomers when it comes to traveling ‎ beyond their nation's borders and only a small percentage of them travel outside of China each year. Given the size of that ‎ nation's population. even that small percentage represents well over 100 million Chinese travelers to foreign destinations.‎ Yet Chinese citizens flew, on average, just 65 miles last year versus(与……相对) the 227 miles flown on average by US residents(居民), the 285 miles flown on average by Germans, the 271 miles flown on average场those from the United Kingdom, and the 632 miles flown by the average Canadian last year.‎ China's high total spending on international travel and its low average number of miles flown on international travel may show that while only a small percentage of China's residents actually travel outside their homeland, those who do spend a lot of money and don't go that far. But there are reasons for China's low average of miles travel on international trips. A small percentage of Chinese now have enough money to travel internationally, though the number of people who do travel outside of China is growing fast every year. Besides, a large percentage of Chinese people traveling abroad stay close to home.‎ However, as more and more Chinese gain the financial ability to travel internationally and as Chinese become more and more interested in visiting destinations farther and farther away from home, their spending on international travel and the average distances flown will both rise rapidly.‎ ‎28. Why does the author suggest learning Chinese for the future work in travel industry?‎ A. Being good at Chinese is a must for future work.‎ B. Chinese is most commonly used in travel industry.‎ C. Travel industry requires employees to learn Chinese.‎ D. China is a big-spending nation in international travel ‎29. What can we infer from paragraph 3?‎ A. People from different countries have different preferred destinations.‎ B. China has a relatively low average number of miles flown on travel.‎ C. Chinese people are more willing to travel abroad compared with Canadians.‎ D. People going on a journey around the world hate taking international planes.‎ ‎30. What are many Chinese people who travel abroad likely to do?‎ A. Try to save their money. B. Improve their ability to travel.‎ C. Choose to stay close to home. D. Travel in America and Germany.‎ ‎31. What does the last paragraph say about the future of Chinese people's traveling abroad?‎ A. It's bright. B. It's confusing. C. It's hopeless. D. It's unclear.‎ D Sleep is essential for a person’s wellbeing. Researchers have found that sleep loss increases a person’s risk of developing serious medical conditions. Now, a new study has found that getting enough sleep is also the key to improving academic performance.‎ Jeffrey Grossman, who led the research, was not trying to find the correlation (相关性) between sleep and grades when he distributed Fitbits to the students in his class. Instead, the professor hoped the popular wrist-worn electronic device (装置), which tracks a person’s activity 24/7, would how a connection between physical exercise and academic achievement.‎ As part of the research, a quarter of the participants chose a fitness class specially created for the study. After the school term ended, the researchers carefully analyzed the data. Much to Grossman’s surprise, they found no measurable difference in test performance between the group that had been physically active and the group that had not.‎ However, the study presented a surprising viewpoint in the journal Science of Learning. Going through the large amount of data, Grossman noticed an interesting trend (走向) from the participants sleep patterns. There was a straight-line relationship between the average amount of sleep and his/her grade on the exams.‎ Besides, it was not enough for students to just head to bed early the night before a test. Grossman says: “We’ve heard the phrase ‘Get a good night’s sleep, you’ve got a big day tomorrow.’ It turns out this does not relate at all to test performance. Instead, it’s the sleep you get during the days when learning is happening that matters most.”‎ The time students went to bed each night was similarly important. Those who went to bed in the early hours of the morning performed poorly, even if the total sleep time was the same as a higher-performing student.‎ The research does not prove that sleep is the only component that helps improve academic performance. However, Grossman says the results are a strong indication that sleep really matters. Who knew getting A’s just required some extra ZZZ’s?‎ ‎32．Which of the following can replace the underlined part “distributed” in Paragraph 2？‎ A．handed out B．found out C．broke out D．turned out ‎33．What’s Grossman’s original purpose by using Fitbits in the research?‎ A．To improve students’ sleep patterns.‎ B．To find effects of physical exercise on grades.‎ C．To monitor students’ physical condition.‎ D．To regulate students’ daily behavior.‎ ‎34．What did Grossman think of the research result?‎ A．It was unreliable. B．It was changeable C．It was unexpected. D．It was fruitless.‎ ‎35．What plays a more important part in test performance?‎ A．Average amount of sleep during tests. B．Sleep in the learning stage.‎ C．Sleep quality the night before the test. D．A regular bedtime.‎ ‎ ‎ 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。‎ To help you understand what ‎5G is, and what it means to you, we've put together a handy guide here. ‎ What is ‎5G?‎ ‎ 36 . At its most basic level, ‎5G will be used to make calls, send texts, and to simply get online. But it’s going to be significantly faster than previous generations, and could open the door up to a range of exciting new uses. ‎ ‎ 37 ‎ ‎5G‎ will use new higher radio frequencies to send out data, which carry information much faster. While these higher bands are faster, they don't carry information as far. That's to say, smaller multiple input and ‎ output antennas(天线) will be used-promoting both signals and capacity(容量). 38 ‎ Why is it better than ‎4G?‎ ‎5G‎ is expected to be faster than ‎4G, with some firms claiming it could be as much as 100 times quicker. The ‎ fastest ‎4G networks can deliver peak download speeds of around 300 Mbit/s. 39 . In real life, this could allow you to download a full HD film in less than 10 seconds!‎ ‎ 40 . It means there will be very little delay when you carry out tasks on a device. While this will help improve things like gaming experiences, it could also pave the way for safer self-driving cars-in which even a short delay could be life-saving. ‎ Finally, ‎5G will have a larger capacity, meaning networks will be able to deal with several apps at once. Generally, this should mean that devices have a faster, more stable connection. ‎ A. How does ‎5G work?‎ B. How will ‎5G affect you?‎ C. This means ‎5G will support up to 1, 000 more devices per meter than ‎4G. ‎ D. In comparison, ‎5G could offer download speeds of over 1 Gb/s. ‎ E. Therefore, the similarity between ‎5G and ‎4G technology is huge. ‎ F. ‎5G is short for "5th generation mobile network."‎ G. ‎5G is also expected to have a shorter time lag(时间差). ‎ 第三部分 英语知识运用（共两节，满分45分）‎ 第一节 (共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）‎ 请认真阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。‎ Electronic games are often seen as a distraction from schoolwork, but now, there's a school course to study them---since this semester, Peking University has     41     an optional course called General Theory of Electronic Games, which has gained     42     among students. It was      43     designed to accept 120 students, but around 200 attended the first two lessons.‎ However, the new course has caused a heated public debate. Some people think that as the celebrated Peking University has opened a course on electronic games, students may believe it's      44     to play games rather than      45     the research.‎ In response to these      46     , the course teacher explained that the course isn’t designed to      47     conventional view. “I like playing games, but fully      48     of the problems that the games have brought about,” he said. “I have a sense of      49     . I want more students to know what electronic games are---their benefits and harms.”‎ Instead of teaching students how to play electronic games, the new course will__50__ issues related to electronic games, such as research and development, technology and     51    psychology.‎ This new course at Peking University arrives at a time when China’s game industry is      52     . China’s video game market is the world’s largest and is expected to continue to      53     .‎ And the flourishing industry has      54     influenced many Chinese people, especially the young. More than 38 percent of Chinese people younger than 26 said their ideal job would be to work as a(n)      55     electronic gamer.‎ Despite this, a professor from Shenzhen University said it is      56     for universities and individuals to keep a      57     head in face of the market. “I hope the public can view electronic games as      58     activity and leave enough room for      59     development,” he said. “Parents and teachers should also help students choose majors that can give full play to their      60     .”‎ ‎41. A. ignored     B. offered    C. cancelled      D. changed ‎42. A. confusion     B. hatred     C. popularity    D. doubt ‎ ‎43. A. hopefully   B. specially     C. mostly     D. originally ‎ ‎44. A. conservative     B. acceptable     C. continual     D. offensive ‎45. A. dive into     B. adjust to     C. put off     D. withdraw from ‎46. A. instructions     B. assessments    C. concerns     D. suggestions ‎47. A. challenge     B. spread     C. respect     D. obey ‎48. A. conscious     B. suspicious     C. ignorant     D. ashamed ‎49. A. humor     B. mission     C. belonging     D. security ‎50. A. avoid      B. reject    C. confuse     D. address ‎ ‎51. A. researchers     B. players     C. lecturers     D. designers ‎52. A. fading     B. declining    C. booming     D. sewing ‎53. A. decrease    B. fall     C. sink     D. grow ‎54. A. by coincidence     B. in turn     C. at random     D. on time ‎55. A. casual     B. intelligent    C. desperate     D. professional ‎ ‎56. A. compulsory     B. controversial     C. essential     D. evident ‎57. A. hesitant    B. clear     C. sensitive     D. anxious ‎58. A. leisure     B. economic   C. physical     D. cultural ‎59. A. fierce     B. recent     C. healthy     D. chaotic ‎60. A. possession     B. position     C. privilege     D. potential 第二节 （共10小题；每小题1.5分，满分15分）‎ 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。‎ I’m not sure when I started to love qipaos. I just remember that when I saw Zhao Wei and other stars 61 (wear) qipaos in the TV series Romance in the Rain, I 62 (impress). Although Chinese women are fond of wearing qipaos for special events, for example, red ones for weddings, I wear them more 63 (frequent), not only for parties but also sometimes even in the office.‎ I’ ve collected some qipaos, 64 (buy) at a store in one of Beijing’s historical neighborhoods. A Chinese friend of mine recently gave me one of her old qipaos, which almost reaches my ankles. The qipao fits well at the shoulders, 65 it was simply too tight（紧的）at the waist.‎ Many foreigners’ 66 (body) differ from those of the Chinese, which makes 67 hard for some foreigners to take off qipaos. Because I am not too short, and pretty thin, I can often buy ready-made qipaos in China.‎ In my native United States, non-Asians 68 (be) sometimes blamed on social media for wearing qipaos because of 69 (culture) differences, but in China, people have what I consider a more ‎ reasonable and open-minded approach: If foreigners wear qipaos, it is seen 70 an attitude of appreciation for Chinese culture.‎ 第四部分 写作（共两节，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：把多余的词用斜线（）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。‎ Yesterday I think of a friend who had been ill recent. So I sent her a text message to comfort for her. In the evening, her mother, strict teacher, called me. My first thought was that she was going to give me a hard time for send her daughter the text message. With my surprise, her mother thanked me for that I had done. She said her daughter was in low spirit because of her illness and that my text message had cheered his daughter up. It was at that moment that I realized the important of a simple text message.‎ 第二节 书面表达（满分25分）‎ 假如你是李华，你的美国笔友Jack在网上看到中国老爷爷老奶奶清晨在公园打太极，计划来中国学习太极，他写信向你求助，请你根据下列要点给对方写一封回信：‎ ‎1.介绍太极(中国传统武术)及学太极好处；‎ ‎2.负责联系学习地点和老师。‎ 注意：‎ ‎1.词数100左右；‎ ‎2.可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。‎ 提示词：太极：Tai Chi 武术：martial art Dear Jack,‎ It is amazing to know that you show great preference for Tai Chi... ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Yours,‎ Li Hua 太和一中2019—2020学年度高二（下）教学衔接调研检测理科飞跃班英语试卷 答案 第一部分：听力（每小题1.5分，共30分）‎ ‎1-20 BCACB ACABC BACAC BACAB 第二部分 阅读理解（共20小题，每小题2分，满分40分）‎ ‎21-23 ACD 24–27.CABB 28—31 DBCA 32-35 ABCB 36—40 FACDG 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）‎ ‎41-45 BCDBA 46-50 CAABD 51-55 BCDBD 56-60 CBACD 第二节 语法填空 （共10小题；每小题1.5分，满分15分）‎ ‎61. wearing 62. was impressed 63. frequently 64. bought 65. but ‎66. bodies 67. it 68. are 69. cultural 70. as 第四部分 写作（共两节，满分35分）‎ 第一节 短文改错（共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分）‎ Yesterday I think of a friend who had been ill recent. So I sent her a text message to comfort ‎ ‎ thought recently for her. In the evening, her mother, ∧strict teacher, called me. My first thought was that she ‎ ‎ a was going to give me a hard time for send her daughter the text message.” With my surprise, ‎ ‎ sending To her mother thanked me for that I had done. She said her daughter was in low spirit because of ‎ ‎ what spirits her illness and that my text message had cheered his daughter up. It was at that moment that I ‎ ‎ her realized the important of a simple text message.‎ ‎ importance 第二节 书面表达（满分25分）‎ One possible version Dear Jack，‎ It is amazing to know that you show great preference for Tai Chi after watching videos and are willing to learn it soon. I’m quite sure that I can give you a hand gladly.‎ Tai Chi is not only an ancient martial art, but has also been widely acknowledged as an effective health exercise. Famous/known for its graceful and well-balanced movements, Tai Chi provides the mental relaxation and physical fitness that are so essential in our modern stressful lives Concerning your learning location and instructor, I'm so proud to tell you that I have the ability to recommend the best school and best trainer in our city to you, for actually my uncle is a master of Tai Chi who 1s always invited to instruct others all over the country. As a result, you can rely on me.‎ Looking forward to your coming.‎ ‎ Yours,‎ ‎ Li Hua 听力原文 Text 1‎ M: Lucy, would you like to have lunch with me tomorrow?‎ W: Oh, I’d really love to, but I have an appointment with my dentist at 11:30. Thanks for inviting me.‎ Text 2‎ W: Peter, how is the weather now? Is it still raining?‎ M: No, but there’s still lots of clouds. The weatherman said the sun wouldn’t come out until next week. ‎ Text 3‎ M: I’m sorry I was late for class today, Dr. Simpson. ‎ W: Well, I’ll let it go this time. But you saw it disturbed the rest of the class. ‎ M: Yes, I realized that. I won’t let it happen again.‎ Text 4‎ W: Hi, Mike. Listen, I’m coming back this afternoon, and I’ll take a bus from the railway station. So, you don’t need to come and pick me up.‎ M: OK, take care, and see you soon. ‎ Text 5‎ M: Jenny, there’s an opening for an assistant manager in our company. You should give it a try. ‎ W: Thank you George, but I’ve decided to travel a bit before finding another job. ‎ Text 6‎ M: By the way, do you know what time it is?‎ W: Well, it’s a quarter to two.‎ M: Oh, I’ve got to go. ‎ W: See Linda in the library? ‎ M: No. Actually I’m going to meet with Professor Smith at ten past two. You may continue our project discussion with Michael. ‎ W: All right. ‎ Text 7‎ W: Harry, guess what? I’ve just received an email from Pamela. She and Peter are coming down to see us this weekend.‎ M: Oh, that’s good news! We haven’t seen them for ages. ‎ W: Yeah. The last time we met them was at our wedding three years ago. ‎ M: Did Pamela mention how long they’ll stay?‎ W: About one week.‎ M: Great! I can’t wait to show them around our new house. ‎ W: Me too. We haven’t had any guests since we moved in here. If the weather is fine, we can have a barbecue in the garden. ‎ M: Good idea. I’ll go to the market tomorrow to buy all the things we’ll need. ‎ Text 8‎ W: Hello, everyone. Welcome to our program. Today, we are fortunate to have a special guest with us. Some of you may have heard of him before. He’s an artist. His works have received many prizes and have been shown in over one hundred exhibitions across the country — Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, to name just a few. His name is Chris Cucksy. So Chris, tell us a bit about yourself. ‎ M: Well, I was born in Springfield, Missouri, and grew up in Kansas. I didn’t come from a family with wealth or position, but I did manage to get a master’s degree in fine arts.‎ W: When did you first start to make art? And what was the turning point in your life that made you an artist?‎ M: I always liked drawing as early as I can remember, so right from then, I knew what I was going to be: an artist. ‎ W: What is it that always inspires you to create?‎ M: Nature is the biggest inspiration. I’m always inspired by things of beauty and harmony. ‎ Text 9‎ M: You must be pretty excited about your trip to Europe, Dorothy. When are you leaving?‎ W: In just two weeks, and I am excited. I’ve been looking forward to this training program for a long time. But there are still a few things I need to do before I go. ‎ M: Like what? ‎ W: Like renewing my passport and figuring out what to do with my apartment while I’m gone. ‎ M: You are not going to give it up, are you?‎ W: No way! I’ll never find another apartment like it around here. But I don’t like the idea of paying three months for an empty apartment, either. So, I’m looking for someone to take it while I’m away. ‎ M: Um, let me think. Oh, I know just a person. An old colleague of mine, Jim Thomas. He is coming here to do some research this summer, from June to August. ‎ W: Well, that’s exactly when I’ll be away! ‎ M: Tell you what: I’ll be calling Jim late this week anyway, so I’ll mention it to him. ‎ W: Well, thanks, Bill. ‎ Text 10‎ W: I hope I’ve given you a clear idea of the schedule for your London weekend. And, before I finish, let me just give you some advice which should make your stay more enjoyable. Firstly, please do remember to put on some comfortable shoes. London is a big place, and whatever you do, you’ll ‎ find yourself doing quite a lot of walking. So, comfortable shoes are really necessary. And secondly, let me ask you to please look after your money. Keep it safe at all times, and then you will not have any unpleasant accident, which could ruin your whole weekend. You’ll find a copy of your weekend’s schedule in your room. Take a look at it, and make sure you’re clear about everything. Well, that’s all from me for now. Go and leave your luggage in your rooms. I’ll be seeing you here again in fifteen minutes. Goodbye for now!‎