英语卷·2017届浙江省温州市九校协作体高三上学期期末联考（2017-01）

英语卷·2017届浙江省温州市九校协作体高三上学期期末联考（2017-01）

第Ⅰ卷 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。‎ 例：How much is the shirt?‎ A.₤19.15. B.₤9.15. C.₤9.18.‎ 答案是B。‎ ‎1.What musical instrument can the woman play?‎ A.The guitar. B.The piano. C.The violin.‎ ‎2.What will the woman probably do on Thursday?‎ A.Have a dinner with the man. B.Prepare for a job interview. C.Go to a concert.‎ ‎3.Where is the man?‎ A.In his office. B.At school. C.At home.‎ ‎4.How did the man feel about the football game?‎ A.Disappointed. B.Excited. C.Confused.‎ ‎5.What are the speakers probably doing?‎ A.Unpacking a box. B.Loading a car. C.Buying a suitcase.‎ 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.Where does the woman want to go?‎ A.To the public library. B.To the national museum. C.To the department store.‎ ‎7.How much should the woman pay in all?‎ A.Seventy-five cents. B.Fifty cents. C.Twenty-five cents.‎ ‎ 听第7段材料，回答8~9题 ‎8.Why is the boy back home early today?‎ A.To have a short break. B.To prepare for a lecture. C.To get away from the noise.‎ ‎9.What will the boy do to help his mother?‎ A.Wash the potatoes. B.Boil the water. C.Do the dishes.‎ ‎ 听第8段材料，回答第10~12题 ‎10.What does the man suggest the woman do?‎ A.Spend the day in a cool place. B.Buy an air conditioner. C.Drink more coffee.‎ ‎11.Why doesn't the woman go to the cafe?‎ A.She can't stand the heat there. B.She can't stay there for long. C.She has to spend much ‎ money there.‎ ‎12.What are the speakers talking about?‎ A.Where to enjoy the cool. B.What to do this afternoon. C.When to go to the library.‎ ‎ 听第9段材料，回答第13~16题 ‎13.Where does the conversation take place?‎ A.In the woman's house. B.In a repair center. C.In a store.‎ ‎14.What is wrong with the woman's iPad?‎ A.It was dropped on the ground. B.Its screen is not clear. C.It does not play songs.‎ ‎15.What does the man ask the woman to show him?‎ A.The receipt. B.The package. C.He telephone number.‎ ‎16.How soon can the woman get her iPad back?‎ A.In three weeks. B.In two weeks. C.In one week.‎ ‎ 听第10段材料，回答17~20题 ‎17.What is the speaker?‎ A.A guide. B.A teacher. C.An interpreter.‎ ‎18.What is the main topic of the talk?‎ A.The history of Fairhaven. B.An introduction to Manjiro's life. C.The attractions in Fairhaven.‎ ‎19.When did Manjiro leave Japan?‎ A.In 1827. B.In 1841. C.In 1851.‎ ‎20.What does the Festival celebrate?‎ A.The achievements of Manjiro. B.The official status of sister cities. C.The economic value of Fairhaven.‎ 第二部分：阅读理解（共两节，满分35分）‎ 第一节（共10个小题；每小题2.5分，满分25分）‎ ‎ 阅读下列短文，从每题所给的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。‎ A ‎ As Charlotte arrived at the big living room,her mother Sarah and her new stepfather（继父）Robert Graham turned from the window and faced her.We shall never have mom to ourselves again,Charlotte thought.If only she were just a kid,and could cry wildly in anger on the floor!‎ ‎ Instead,she forced a smile.She rushed forward and threw her arms round Sarah and kissed her wildly,knocking her hat crooked（歪的）and making her cry out.‎ ‎ "Darling!You'll knock me down!"‎ ‎ "You look great,mom!"Charlotte cried and knew she was shouting.She was hot again,red and untidy and looking like the last kind of girl any man would want to have as a stepdaughter.‎ ‎ Her brother Nicholas,however,went to the other extreme.He was so calm that he was positively rude,and Charlotte knew before he started it that he was going to act like a bad schoolboy.‎ ‎ "Oh Nicholas,do behave!" Sarah cried, "Robert,they're showing off!"‎ ‎ Although she was laughing,they both heard the little ring of disappointment in her voice,and both knew that they were letting her down.They had surely never had such a difficult moment.‎ ‎ It was Robert Graham who saved the situation.He came forward holding out both hands.‎ ‎ "I am deeply grateful to you two young people.You've had Sarah to yourselves for a long ‎ time.Thank you for agreeing to share her with me.I know it can't be easy."‎ ‎ And although this was just the sort of words they would call dull,the sincerity（真诚）gave it a guarantee.They knew he meant what he said.He was indeed thanking them.And by doing so he pulled them back to reality and made them themselves again.‎ ‎21.Upon entering the living room, Charlotte experienced .‎ A.a sudden sense of loss B.a curiosity to see her stepfather C.an urge to be more polite than Nicholas D.a feeling of anger directed at her stepfather ‎22.Sarah found the moment difficult because she was . ‎ A.deeply moved by Charlotte's greeting B.embarrassed by the children's behavior C.afraid Nicholas would leave her D.having doubts about remarrying ‎23.The text suggests that Sarah and Robert .‎ A.made the situation difficult on purpose B.found the children's responses amusing C.cared about the feelings of the children D.felt upset about the children's attitude B ‎ Dropping your smartphone when taking a selfie（自拍照）could soon be less risky,says specialty glass maker Corning.For more than 160 years,Corning has applied its unique technology in specialty glass to develop products that have created new industries and changed people's lives.Corning's work in specialty glass dates back to 1879, when the company produced the glass used in the famous Thomas Edison lightbulb（灯泡）.‎ ‎ The company's next generation of Gorilla Glass has come along-the material used in more than 70% of smartphone screens,including on Samsung and Apple products.Corning said Gorilla Glass 5 could survive more than 80% of drops from as high as 1.6 meters.‎ ‎ Broken or cracked screens are the number one cause of smartphone repairs and customer complaints globally, followed by overheat.The new glass was tested on rough surfaces-phone models were dropped from a height of 1.6 meters onto a sheet of sandpaper.Some of the phones tested survived over 20 hard drops in the lab.Typically,most phone drops are from between waist and shoulder height.As well as drops,the company said it was twice as good at resisting scratch（划痕）and other damage compared to what's currently on the market.‎ ‎ Smartphone producers are expected to market products with the new glass within the next few months."We've been working with our closest customers for quite some time now," Corning's vice president and general manager John Bayne said."And there's huge interest in this product for obvious reasons."‎ ‎24.What is paragraph 3 mainly talking about?‎ A.Tests on the new glass. B.Complaints from customers.‎ C.Causes of screen damage. D.Marketing of the new glass.‎ ‎25.What do we know about Gorilla Glass 5?‎ A.It's well received in the market. B.It began to be produced in 1879.‎ C.It has changed people's lives. D.It's strong and doesn't break easily.‎ ‎26.What is John Bayne's attitude towards the future of the new glass?‎ A.Doubtful. B.Optimistic. C.Defensive. D.Uncertain.‎ C ‎ If there's one thing everyone knows about the Dead Sea, it is that you can't sink in it.It is eight or nine times saltier than the oceans of the world-so mineral-rich that it doesn't even feel like ‎ normal water,more like olive oil mixed with sand.For decades,no holiday in the Holy Land or Jordan has been complete without a photograph of the bather sitting on the surface,usually reading a newspaper.‎ ‎ But the Dead Sea is also a unique ecosystem and a sensitive barometer（晴雨表）of the state of the environment in a part of the world where a dry climate and the need to irrigate farms combine to create a permanent shortage of water.‎ ‎ You may have read that the Dead Sea,whose surface is the lowest point on the planet,is dying.You can see why the idea appeals to headline writers but it isn't true.The truth is that as the level drops,the saltiness is rising and will eventually reach a point where the rate of evaporation（蒸发）will reach a kind of equilibrium,-the amount of water vapor that goes into the air equals that of rainfall.‎ ‎ The Dead Sea is,however,becoming smaller at an alarming rate-the surface level is dropping more than a meter a year.The surface of the Dead Sea is so deep that journeying along the road which winds down to the shore causes your ears to pop as they do on a landing plane.The other side of the coin,however,is the beautiful landscape and relief in the combination of mineral-rich water,comforting mud and abundant sunlight as your reward.‎ ‎ Tourists can choose to visit resorts in either Jordan or Israel and both countries also export makeup products made in this area.‎ ‎27.What do we know about the Dead Sea from the passage?‎ A.It is disappearing at a fast speed. B.It is of great economic value.‎ C.It results in the shortage of water. D.It looks a bit like normal water.‎ ‎28.What does the underlined word “equilibrium” in Paragraph 3 most probably mean?‎ A.extreme B.danger C.balance D.optimism ‎29.What can be the best title for the text?‎ A.The Truth behind Beauty B.A New Low-Point for Earth C.A Terrible Environmental Problem D.The Consequence of Climate Change ‎30.The passage is written mainly to .‎ A.promote the Dead Sea tourism B.present facts about the Dead Sea C.describe the beauty of the Dead Sea D.call for the protection of the Dead Sea 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的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。‎ ‎ Long bus rides are like television shows.They have a beginning,a middle,and an end with commercials thrown in every three or four minutes. 31 They happen whether you want them or not.Every couple of minutes a billboard passes by outside the bus window."Buy Super Clean Toothpaste.""Drink Good Wet Root Beer." "Fill up with Pacific Gas." Only if you sleep,which is equal to turning the television off,are you spared the unending cry of "You Need It! Buy It Now!"‎ ‎ The beginning of the ride is comfortable and somewhat exciting,even if you've traveled that way before.32 It is also fun to try to figure out the style of the driver. 33 Will the driver pass the truck in time? Will the driver move into the right,or the left-hand lane?After a while,of course,the excitement dies down.‎ ‎ 34 And food makes this part of bus rides more interesting.But you've got to be careful of what kind of food you eat.Too much salty food can make you very thirsty between stops.‎ ‎ The end of the ride is somewhat like the beginning.You know it will soon be over and there's ‎ a kind of expectation and excitement. 35 By now you've sat with your legs crossed,with your hands in your lap,with your hands on the armrests,and even with your hands behind your head.The end comes just at no more ways to sit.‎ A.Usually some things have changed: new houses,new buildings,sometimes even a new road.‎ B.Each part has its own characteristic.‎ C.The commercials are unavoidable.‎ D.Sleeping for a while helps pass the middle hours of the ride.‎ E.The seat,of course,has become harder as the hours have passed.‎ F.It is so boring that you need something to refresh you.‎ G.If the driver is particularly adventurous,the ride can be as thrilling as an exciting story.‎ 第三部分：语言运用（共两节，满分45分）‎ 第一节：完形填空（共 20个小题；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A、B、C和D四个选项中，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 mother passed away a few years ago,my father was left alone in the large house they had shared for 50 years.Without her to 36 him,he worried about who would help him 37 "something happened".‎ ‎ My sister and I live in other states,so we 38 the idea that Dad could send us an e-mail every morning when he awoke. 39 was born the Morning Report.‎ ‎ He's usually up 40 ,and his half a dozen or so sentences are waiting in my email box when I wake up.If there's no e-mail,I 41 him,or my sister does,to make sure 42 is fine.The reports have become 43 a daily check,though: They're a catalyst（催化剂）for more extended conversations,and a source of deep understanding 44 his life.‎ ‎ Through them,Dad tells us about his 45 routines.He might either be heading to the grocery store for bananas46 going to his exercise activities.‎ ‎ Each e-mail 47 with “All my love,Dad".When my mother was alive,that strong feeling was 48 kept for her.Now he 49 those feelings and his experiences with us.For me,what was regarded as a 50 security measure has resulted in a deeper 51 .‎ I'm grateful my father is still able to manage his 52 .I know the day will come 53 he'll no longer be able to write the 54 , and we'll have to find other ways to keep records on one another.But until then,they are our way of knowing that another normal day 55 .‎ ‎36.A.look forward to B.watch out for C.keep up with D.get along with ‎37.A.unless B.because C.whether D.if ‎38.A.came up B.advocated for C.hit on D.took up ‎39.A.Thus B.Now C.And D.That ‎40.A.at dusk B.at dawn C.at noon D.at night ‎4l.A.wake B.urge C.call D.help ‎42.A.everything B.everybody C.nothing D.something ‎43.A.rather than B.other than C.more than D.less than ‎44.A.of B.at C.to D.for ‎45.A.daily B.busy C.common D.ordinary ‎46.A.and B.but C.or D.then ‎47.A.begins B.communicates C.chats D.closes ‎48.A.luckily B.hardly C.almost D.usually ‎49.A.expresses B.shows C.shares D.has ‎50.A.difficult B.simple C.casual D.proper ‎51.A.closeness B.confidence C.attitude D.trust ‎52.A.life B.house C.computer D.meals ‎53.A.when B.where C.since D.before ‎54.A.ideas B.feelings C.activities D.reports ‎55.A.has begun B.had begun C.began D.is begun 第Ⅱ卷 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。‎ Say “I Can”‎ ‎ The power of an“I can”attitude is amazing.A guy named Danny who tried out for The Biggest Loser weighed more than anyone I'd ever seen at his age-19 years old and 450 pounds.He couldn't even close his hands 56 (make)a fist.I usually think anyone can do anything, 57 I had my doubts about him."You scare me",I said to him.‘‘ 58 (honest),I don't think you can do it.And by the way,where are your shoes?"‎ ‎ “It's too hard to get them on", he replied."Name it.I’ll do anything to be on this show. 59do you want me to prove that I can do it?"‎ ‎ “OK”,I said, 60 (figure) I'd scare him off."Go out of this room,and take the first door on your right.It's the 61(stair).Take them down to the bottom"-we were on the 20th floor-"then climb back up."Without 62 (hesitate),he walked out of the room,still shoeless.‎ ‎ After 20 minutes,he 63 (burst)through the door,barefoot,sweating all over,hardly able to speak.The place erupted with applause.Then the kid appeared 64 the show and lost almost 250 pounds over two seasons.‎ ‎ When you become 65 “I can”person,a world of possibility opens.‎ 第四部分 写作（共两节，满分40分）‎ 第一节：应用文写作（满分15分）‎ ‎ 假定你是李华。你下周四因故不能出席外教Smith的英语文学课，打算向他请假。请给Smith写一封邮件，内容包括：‎ ‎ 1.写信目的； 2.原因及歉意； 3.弥补措施； 4.希望批准。‎ 注意：‎ ‎ l.词数 80左右； 2.可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 第二节：概要写作（满分25分）‎ 阅读下列短文，根据其内容写一篇60词左右的内容概要 ‎ How do you feel about silence and pauses in conversations? Do they make you anxious or uneasy? Or do you enjoy silence in the presence of others sometimes? Whatever your answer is, we can sometimes run into such a situation where the listener remains silent.‎ ‎ There can be silence in conversations.But the meaning of silence varies among cultural groups.Some cultural groups may think that it is extremely uncomfortable;therefore,attempts may ‎ be made to fill every gap with conversation.Persons in other cultural groups value silence and view it as necessary for understanding a person's needs.‎ ‎ Many traditional Asians think that it is a basic part of communicating among people.Therefore,when a person from one of these cultures is speaking and suddenly stops,what may be implied is that the person wants the listener to consider what has been said before continuing.In these cultures,silence is a call for reflection.‎ ‎ Other cultures may use silence in other ways,particularly when dealing with conflicts among people or in relationships of people with different amounts of power.For example,Russian,French,and Spanish persons may use silence to show agreement between parties about the topic under discussion.Similarly,Mexicans may use silence when instructions are given by a person in authority rather than be rude to that person by arguing with him or her.‎ ‎ Nurses and other care-givers need to be aware of the possible meanings of silence when they come across the personal anxiety their patients may be experiencing.Nurses should recognize their own personal and cultural construction of silence so that a patient's silence is not interrupted too early or allowed to go on unnecessarily.A nurse who understands the healing（有治疗功效的）value of silence can use this understanding to assist in the care of patients from their own and from other cultures as well.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 浙江省温州市九校2017高三上学期期末联考 英语试题答案 第一部分：‎ ‎1—5 CBACB 6—10 CACCA 11—15 BACCA 16—20 BABBA 第二部分：‎ ‎21—23 ABC 24—26 ADB 27—30 BCBB 31—35 CAGDE 第三部分：‎ ‎36—40 BDCAB 41—45 CACAA 46—50 CDDCB 51—55 ACADA ‎56. to make 57. but/yet 58. Honestly 59. How 60. figuring ‎ ‎61. stairs 62. hesitation 63. burst 64. on 65. an ‎ 第四部分：‎ 第一节：应用文写作（满分15分）‎ 一、评分原则 ‎1）总分15分，按照五个档次给分 ‎2）评分时，先根据文章的内容和语言初步确定其所属档次，然后以该档次的要求来衡量、确定或调整档次，最后给分；‎ ‎3）词数少于60和多于100的，从总分中减去2分；‎ ‎4）评分时，应注意的主要内容为：内容要点、应用词汇和语法结构的丰富性和准确性及上下文的连贯性。‎ ‎5）拼写与标点符号是语言准确性的一个方面。评分时应视其对交际的影响程度予以考虑。‎ ‎6）如书写较差，以致影响交际，降低一个档次。‎ 二、各档次给分范围和要求 第五档 ‎（13-15分）‎ ‎ 完全完成了试题规定的任务。‎ ‎—覆盖所有的内容要点。‎ ‎—应用了较多的语法结构和词汇。‎ ‎—语法结构和词汇方面有些许错误，但为尽力使用较复杂结构或较高级词汇所致；具备较强的语言运用能力。‎ ‎—有效的使用了语句间的连接成分，使全文结构紧凑。‎ 完全达到了预期的写作目的。‎ 第四档 ‎（10-12分）‎ ‎ 完全完成了试题规定的任务。‎ ‎—虽漏掉1,2个次重点，但覆盖所有主要内容。‎ ‎—应用的语法结构和词汇能满足任务的要求。‎ ‎—语法结构和词汇运用基本准确，些许错误主要是因尝试较复杂语法结构和词汇所致。‎ ‎—应用简单的语句间连接成分，使全文结构紧凑。‎ 达到了预期的写作目的。‎ 第三档 ‎（7-9分）‎ ‎ 基本完成了试题规定的任务。‎ ‎—虽漏掉一些内容，但覆盖所有主要内容。‎ ‎—应用的语法结构和词汇能满足任务的要求。‎ ‎—有一些语法结构和词汇方面的错误，但不影响理解。‎ ‎—应用简单的语句间连接成分，使全文内容连贯。‎ 整体而言，基本达到了预期的写作的目的。‎ 第二档 ‎（4-6分）‎ ‎ 未适当完成试题规定的任务。‎ ‎—漏掉或未描述清楚一些主要内容，写了一些无关内容。‎ ‎—语法结构单调，词汇项目有限。‎ ‎—有一些语法结构或词汇方面的错误，影响了对写作内容的理解。‎ ‎—较少使用语句间的连接成分，内容缺少连贯性。‎ ‎—信息未能充分的传达给读者。‎ 第一档 ‎（1-3分）‎ 未完成试题规定的任务。‎ ‎—明显漏掉主要内容，写了一些无关内容，原因可能是未能理解试题要求。‎ ‎—语法结构单调，词汇项目有限。‎ ‎—；较多语法结构和词汇方面的错误，影响对写作内容的理解。‎ ‎—缺乏语句间的连接成分，内容不连贯。‎ 信息未能传达给读者。‎ ‎0‎ 未能传达给读者任何信息：内容太少，无法评判；写的内容均与所要求内容无关或所写内容无法看清。‎ 三、该题具体要求 ‎（一）内容要求 ‎ （二）应用词汇和语法结构的情况 ‎（三）上下文的连贯性 ‎ 按照内容要点展开写作，使用恰当的连接词或表达使文章内容连贯。‎ ‎（81W）‎ 第二节：概要写作（共25分）‎ 一、评分原则 ‎1）总分25分，按五个档次给分；‎ ‎2）评分时，先根据所写概要内容和语言初步确定其所属档次，然后以该档次的要求来衡量、确定或调整档次，最后给分；‎ ‎3）词数少于40的和多于80的，总分中减去2分；‎ ‎4）评分时，主要按下面四个方面考虑：‎ ‎（1）对原文要点的理解和呈现情况；（2）应用语法结构和词汇的准确性；（3）上下文的连贯性；（4）对各要点表达的独立性情况；‎ ‎5）拼写与标点的准确性情况；‎ ‎6）书写较差降低一个档次 二、各档次给分范围和要求 第五档（21-25分）理解准确，涵盖全部要点；能准确使用相应的语法结构和词汇；有效的使用了语句间的连接成分，使所完成的概要结构紧凑；完全使用自己的语言。‎ 第四档（16-20分）理解准确，涵盖绝大部分要点；所使用语法结构和词汇可能有些许错误，但完全不影响意义表达；比较有效的使用了语句间的连接成分，使所完成的概要结构紧凑；有个别整句抄自原文。‎ 第三档（11-15分）理解较为准确，涵盖大部分要点；所使用语法结构和词汇虽有些错误，但不影响意义表达；应用简单的语句间连接成分，使上下文内容连贯；出现2句以上整句抄自原文现象；‎ 第二档（6-10分）理解有误差，仅涵盖半数要点；有些语法结构和词汇方面的错误，影响了意义的表达；较少使用语句间的连接成分，全文内容缺少连贯性；出现2句以上整句抄自原文现象；‎ 第一档（1-5分）没有理解原文，造成概要内容与原文主题不符；有较多语法结构和词汇方面的错误，严重影响了意义表达；缺乏语句间的连接成分，全文内容不连贯；多个句子抄自原文。‎ ‎0分：白卷、内容太少、所写内容与所给材料无关。‎ 三、该题具体要求 ‎（一）内容要求 ‎ （二）应用词汇和语法结构的情况 ‎（三）上下文的连贯性 ‎ 按照内容要点展开写作，使用恰当的连接词或表达使文章内容连贯。‎ Tape script Text1‎ W: I heard that Ben is very good at guitar and he is forming his own band.‎ M: That’s right. Can you play the piano? If you can, he might ask you to join the band.‎ W: No, I can only play the violin.‎ Text2‎ M: Would you like a dinner with me on Tuesday?‎ W: Sorry. I promised to go to a classical concert with my sister.‎ M: What about Thursday then?‎ W: But I have a job interview on Friday morning. I guess I have to prepare for it.‎ Text3‎ M: Hello, Linda, this is Jack. Can you pick up our daughter today? I have to work overtime.‎ W: I’m waiting for her now at the school gate.‎ Text4‎ M: My boss took me to a football game after work. I had never seen a professional football game before.‎ W: That was nice of him. Did you enjoy it?‎ M: Not particularly. I’ve never understood how the game works.‎ Text5‎ W: Is there room for that box up there?‎ M: I can fit it in the trunk. And this suitcase should fit in the back seat.‎ Text 6‎ W: Excuse me. Does the No. 235 bus go by the department store?‎ M: No, it doesn’t, but you can change to No. 325 bus at the national museum by taking No. 226 bus from here, or you can take the 105 to the public library and change to No. 325 bus there.‎ W: Oh, it sounds far from here. How much does it cost?‎ M: Yeah, it is really far. The bus fare is fifty cents for you and twenty-five cents for your child.‎ W: OK. Thank you.‎ Text 7‎ M: Hi, Mom.‎ W: Hi, Robbie. You’re home from school so early today.‎ M: Yeah, they’re getting the lecture hall ready for the graduation ceremony, so we all went home early. Too noisy to study.‎ W: Well, now that you’re here, can you help me with dinner? I need those potatoes washed and the water boiled.‎ M: Mom, give me a break, please. Alexandra’s coming over to help me study for my math final.‎ W: Well, in that case, you can wash the dishes after dinner.‎ M: OK. Can I invite Alexandra to stay for dinner?‎ W: Of course.‎ M: Thanks, Mom.‎ Text 8‎ W: This heat is awful. I wish we had an air conditioner here.‎ M: I know. But it’s supposed to cool off in a few days.‎ W: A few days! I can’t stand it even now.‎ M: Well, have you thought about spending your time somewhere cooler? Maybe this house isn’t the best place to be.‎ W: But where can I go?‎ M: You could go to an air-conditioned café and read for a while. You know, you don’t have to spend much money there.‎ W: No. Most cafes around here only allow you to use their table for two hours. Then they kick you out. I’ll be back in the heat again.‎ M: Well, the library downtown is nice and cool. And you can stay there for as long as you like.‎ W: That’s the best idea.‎ Text 9‎ M: Good morning. Can I help you?‎ W: Yes. I bought this iPad here three weeks ago, but now there is something wrong with it.‎ M: Let me have a look. The screen seems clear. It looks fine. What exactly seems to be the problem?‎ W: Well, it just doesn’t play songs.‎ M: Are you sure you have followed the instructions carefully?‎ W: Yes. And I had lent it to my brother, but he returned it to me a week ago. It was working well until last week.‎ M: Did you drop it on the ground or in water?‎ W: No. I’ve been very careful with it.‎ M: Well, are you sure you bought it here?‎ W: Yeah. Here is the package.‎ M: Sorry, I mean, do you have the receipt?‎ W: Sure, here you are.‎ M: OK, it will be sent to the service center to be checked. We should get it back in two weeks.‎ W: OK, my number is 67585235. Please call me when it has been repaired.‎ Text 10‎ M: Right, so here we are in Fairhaven. And we’re visiting Fairhaven because of its historical links with a man called Manjiro Nakahama. So I’ll begin by giving you a brief introduction to his life, and then you can take your time to explore the town.‎ ‎ Manjiro Nakahama was born in 1827 in a village by the sea in Tosashimizu, Japan. And like many people in that town, he became a fisherman when he was young. One day in 1841, he and some others were fishing far off the coast of Japan when they were caught in a storm. He was rescued by an American whale ship. And Manjiro became friends with the captain, William Whitfield, who came from the town of Fairhaven. That is where we are now. He chose to remain aboard, and to come with the boat to the USA. So Manjiro became the first Japanese to set foot on American soil. He studied Mathematics and Geography as well as shipbuilding in Fairhaven. But he missed his mother, and his own country. Eventually in 1851 he went back to Japan where he had a responsible position as a university teacher. He also served an invaluable role as an interpreter to build up and improve the relationship between Japan and the United States. Tosashimizu and Fairhaven now have the official status of sister cities. In Fairhaven there have been a number of visits by the people of Tosashimizu, in particular at the time of the Festival, which is held every two years to celebrate the life and achievements of Manjiro. It takes place in the fall, and there’s an ever-growing programme including drumming, singing, and small open shops selling Japanese and American food. So if you’re going to be in the area around then, it’s really worth a visit. ‎