2020届高三英语上学期半期联考试题（新版）人教版

2020届高三英语上学期半期联考试题（新版）人教版

‎2019学年第一学期半期联考 ‎ 高三 英语试卷 ‎【完卷时间：120分钟；满分：150分】‎ 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. What has happened to the air-conditioner?‎ ‎ A. It doesn’t work.          B. It has been fixed.    C. It has been sold. 2. Why does the man look happy?   A. He has bought a new book.                 ‎ ‎ B. He has finished his new book. C. His poem is being published.  3. Where are the speakers? A. In a classroom.     B. In a library.          C. In a book shop. 4. How did the woman know her husband? A. On the Internet.     B. By newspaper.      C. By a friend.‎ ‎5. How does the man feel about the woman’s suggestion?‎ ‎ A. Worried B. Interested C. Disappointed 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。‎ 19‎ ‎6. What does the man think of the lecture? A. Easy.             B. Boring.             C. Difficult. 7. What does the man ask the woman to do? A. Lend him her notes.  ‎ ‎ B. Look over his notes. ‎ ‎ C. Prepare for the discussion. 听第7段材料，回答第8、9题。‎ ‎8. What are the speakers doing?   A. Writing the invitations.   B. Planning the menu.   C. Making the salad. 9. What did the woman forget to do?   A. Buy chicken.               B. Call the cook.            C. Invite Linda. 听第8段材料，回答第10至12题。‎ ‎10. Where did the woman go last night before getting home?  A. To a cinema.       B. To a friend’s.           C. To a store. 11. What happened when the woman came at the door?   A. The door opened.   B. She heard a noise.   C. Her key was missing. 12. Who was Karl? A. The gatekeeper.     ‎ ‎ B. The woman’s neighbor.  ‎ ‎ C. The woman’s workmate. 听第9段材料，回答第13至16题。‎ ‎13. How did the man get the cat? A. He bought him from a pet store.        ‎ ‎ B. He got him from his neighbour.             ‎ C. He found him on the street. 14. How old was the man when the cat saved his life?  A.36.          B. 35.             C. 40. ‎ 19‎ ‎15. Where did the man’s wife find him?   A. In the bedroom.   B. In the bathroom.        C. In the dining room. 16.What can we know from the conversation?  A. The cat woke the man up.         ‎ B. The woman doesn’t like pets.     ‎ C. The man has heart trouble. 听第10段材料，回答第17至20题。‎ 17. What does the speaker say about the dolphin?   A. It is man’s most intelligent friend.               ‎ ‎ B. It is man’s favorite animal.   C. It is man’s largest friend. 18. What were those dolphin paintings mainly made of?     A. Glass.            B. Stone.                 C. Wood. 19. How many dolphin themes were there in the exhibition?    A. About 100.        B. About 150.              C. About 750. 20. Who is Pandora?     A. An organizer.      B. A dolphin.              C. A reporter.‎ 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 ‎ Choose Your One-Day-Tours!‎ Tour A - Bath &Stonehenge: including entrance fees to the ancient Roman bathrooms and Stonehenge -￡37 until 26 March and ￡39 thereafter.‎ Visit the city with over 2,000 years of history and Bath Abbey, the Royal Crescent 19‎ ‎ and the Costume Museum. Stonehenge is one of the world's most famous prehistoric monuments dating back over 5,000 years.‎ Tour B - Oxford & Startford : including entrance fees to the University St Mary's Church Tower and Anne Hathaway's house----￡32 until 12 March and ￡36 thereafter.‎ ‎ Oxford: Includes a guided tour of England's oldest university city and colleges. Look over the "city of dreaming spires(尖顶）" from St Mary’s Church Tower. Stratford: Includes a guided tour exploring much of the Shakespeare wonder.‎ Tour C - Windsor Castle &Hampton Court : including entrance fees to Hampton Court Palace -￡34 until 11 March and ￡37 thereafter.‎ Includes a guided tour of Windsor and Hampton Court, Henry VILL's favorite palace. Free time to visit Windsor Castle (entrance fees not included).With 500 years of history, Hampton Court was once the home of four Kings and one Queen. Now this former royal palace is open to the public as a major tourist attraction. Visit the palace and its various historic gardens, which include the famous maze(迷宫)where it is easy to get lost!‎ Tour D –Cambridge: including entrance fees to the Tower of Saint Mary the Great -￡33 until 18 March and ￡37 thereafter.‎ Includes a guided tour of Cambridge, the famous university town, and the gardens of the 18th century.‎ ‎21. Which tour will you choose if you want to see England’s oldest university city?‎ ‎ A. Tour A B. Tour B C. Tour C D. Tour D ‎22. Which of the following tours charges the lowest fee on 17 March?‎ ‎ A. Windsor Castle & Hampton Court ‎ ‎ B. Oxford & Stratford ‎ C. Bath & Stonehenge ‎ ‎ D. Cambridge ‎23. Why is Hampton Court a major tourist attraction?‎ ‎ A. It is a world-famous castle ‎ ‎ B. It used to be a well-known maze ‎ C. It is the oldest palace in Britain ‎ 19‎ ‎ D. It used to be the home of royal families ‎ ‎ B Parents often believe that they have a good relationship with their teenagers. But last summer, Joanna and Henry noticed a change in their older son: suddenly he seemed to be talking far more to his friends than to his parents. “The door to his room is always shut,” Joanna noted.‎ Tina and Mark noticed similar changes in their 14-year-old daughter. “She used to cuddle up(依偎)with me on the sofa and talk,” said Mark. “Now we joke that she does this only when she wants something. Sometimes she wants to be treated like a little girl and sometimes like a young lady. The problem is figuring out which time is which.”‎ Before age 11, children like to tell their parents what’s on their minds. “In fact, parents are first on the list,” said Michael Riera, author of Uncommon Sense for Parents with Teenagers. “This completely changes during the teen years,” Riera explained. “They talk to their friends first, then maybe their teachers, and their parents last.”‎ Parents who know what’s going on in their teenagers’ lives are in the best position to help them. To break down the wall of silence, parents should create chances to understand what their children want to say, and try to find ways to talk and write to them. And they must give their children a mental break, for children also need freedom, though young. Another thing parents should remember is that to be a friend, not a manager, with their children is a better way to know them.‎ ‎24. “The door to his room is always shut” suggests that the son________.　　‎ A. is always busy with his studies ‎ B. doesn’t want to be disturbed C. begins to dislike his parents ‎ D. keeps himself away from his parents ‎25. What troubles Tina and Mark most is that __________________.‎ A. their daughter isn’t as lovely as before 19‎ B. they can’t read their daughter’s mind exactly C. they don’t know what to say to their daughter D. their daughter talks with them only when she needs help ‎26. Which of the following best explains “the wall of silence” in the last paragraph?‎ A. Teenagers do not talk much with their parents.‎ B. Teenagers do not want to understand their parents.‎ C. Teenagers talk a lot with their friends. ‎ D. Teenagers talk little about their own lives.‎ ‎27. What can be learned from the passage?‎ A. Parents are unhappy with their growing children.‎ B. Parents have suitable ways to talk with their teenagers.‎ C. Parents should try to understand their teenagers.‎ D. Parents should be patient with their silent teenagers. ‎ C Instagram is containing so many photos of food — now a pop-up diner in London is taking advantage of this new trend by letting people settle the bill for their meals simply by uploading photos of their dishes to social networks.‎ I always thought people's taking pictures of their food was kind of silly, but at this new pop-up restaurant in the UK, I'd probably do it too. 'The Picture House' is the world's first pay-by-photo restaurant—you order, click a photo of the food, share on Instagram and eat for free!‎ The restaurant belongs to frozen food giant (巨人) Birds Eye, who came up with the idea to cash in on people's addiction to photographing food and sharing the pictures online. They conducted a survey and found that more than half of the British population regularly took pictures of their meals. So they realized it was a better way to advertise their new dining range.‎ The pop-up diner was open in Soho, London for three days in May, and is now moving to other major UK cities. They serve two-course meals that customers don't have to 19‎ ‎ pay for, if they photo and Instagram it.‎ The restaurant is a part of Birds Eye's 'Food for Life' campaign(活动), a new marketing project that aims at changing the way people look at frozen food. "Taking photos of food enables people to show off and to share their mealtime moments—from the everyday to the special," said marketing director Margaret Jobling.‎ The reaction to The Picture House has been great so far. And the pay-by-picture concept has proven to be an effective way. ‎ ‎28. Instagram probably is ____.‎ A. a restaurant free of charge ‎ B. a new marketing project ‎ C. a project used to share photos ‎ D. a campaign of “Food for Life”‎ ‎29. “The Picture House” encourages sharing photos of its food to _______.‎ A. attract more customers B. raise the price of frozen food C. create a new social media trend ‎ D. reward the regular customers 30. The writer’s attitude towards pay-by-picture concept is ___________.‎ ‎ A. negative B. neutral (中立的) C. positive D. angry ‎31. Which of the following can serve as the best title for the passage?‎ A. No Need to Pay. B. The Pop-up Diner.‎ C. Food for Life. D. Pay by Picture. ‎ D The loneliest chimp(黑猩猩)in the world just got the best surprise—a hug from a new friend．Ponso has been by himself for nearly three years，finding himself alone after his wife and children died on the island where they were abandoned by a medical testing company many years ago．‎ For years a nearby villager named Germain has been Ponso’s only company, visiting him so often to bring bananas and bread—the chimp’s only source of food on the 19‎ ‎ tiny island．It was clear how much Ponso missed companionship when he was recently visited by Chimpanzee Conservation Centre Director Estelle Raballand．The chimp immediately embraced Estelle Raballand in a huge hug and laughed as she reached out for him，with his smile from ear to ear．‎ For those who know Ponso’s backstory，his immediate ease and trust in humans might be surprising．Ponso was one of 20 chimps，all between the ages of 7 to 11 years old，relocated (重新安置) to an island off the Ivory Coast after being used for testing by the New York Blood Centre．After the tests were completed in 2005，the lab reportedly transferred the chimps to a string of islands，occasionally dropping off food and water because there was none in the chimps’ new homes．‎ Disease and hunger soon left only Ponso，his mate and their two children standing．But at the end of 2013 they died within days of each other and Ponso was now completely alone． ‎ A group called SOS PONSO is trying to raise money for the poor lonely chimp，already achieving its goal of $20，000—all of which will be used for Ponso’s care．‎ ‎32. What do we know about the chimp Ponso?‎ A. He was deserted by his family． ‎ B. He found many sources of food．‎ C. He came to the island for a test． ‎ D. He suffers from loneliness greatly．‎ ‎33. How did Ponso feel about the visit of Estelle Raballand?‎ A. Excited.     B. Frightened.     C. Embarrassed.         D. Confused.‎ ‎34. What is Paragraph 3 mainly about?‎ A. The chimps’ new settlement． ‎ B. Why Ponso was used for a test．‎ C. How Ponso came to the island． ‎ D. The medical test about chimps．‎ ‎35. What can be inferred from the text?‎ 19‎ A. Germain won’t visit Ponso any more．‎ B. Many people show concern for Ponso．‎ C. A new lab will be built on the island．‎ D. More chimps will be brought to the island．‎ 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,把答案写在答题卷上。‎ ‎ Happiness in not the absence of problems. 36 Here are a few reminders to help motivate you when you need it most:‎ 1. Pain is part of growing.‎ ‎ When times are tough, remind yourself that no pain comes without a purpose. 37 Every great success requires some type of worthy struggle to get there. Good things take time. Everything is going to come together; maybe not immediately, but eventually.‎ ‎2. 38 ‎ ‎ Every time it rains, it stops raining. Every time you get hurt, you heal(治愈). After darkness there is always light. So if things are good right now, enjoy it. It won’t last forever. If things are bad, don’t’ worry because it won’t last forever either.‎ 3. Worrying and complaining changes nothing.‎ ‎ 39 It’s always better to attempt to do something great and fail than to attempt to do nothing and succeed. It’s not over if you’ve lost: it’s over when you do nothing but complain about it. If you believe in something, keep trying. Don’t let the shadows of the past darken the doorstep of your future.‎ ‎4. Your scars are symbols of your strength.‎ ‎ 40 A scar means the hurt is over and the wound is closed. It means you conquered the pain, learned a lesson, grew stronger, and moved forward. You can start seeing your scars as a sign of strength and not pain.‎ 19‎ A. But it is the ability to deal with them.‎ B. Rarely do people do things because of you.‎ C. Those who complain the most, accomplish the least. ‎ D. Everything in life is going on only for a short time. ‎ E. Never be ashamed of the scars life has left you with.‎ F. Move on from what hurt you, but never forget what it taught you.‎ G. Change yourself because it makes you a better person and leads you to a ‎ ‎ brighter future.‎ 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。‎ ‎ A few weeks ago, our pet dog, had to be put down(药死). First, she was very 41 because of a tumor. Then, the pain in her back got so bad that sometimes she 42 lie down in the middle of a walk and couldn't take another 43 .‎ ‎ I was very sad. She was more like a sister to me than a 44 . But I was also angry at my stepfather, Steve, who told us the 45 a week after it happened. He 46 until my exams were over. I just thought she was 47 at the animals' hospital.‎ ‎ I think you know all the 48 that went through my head: She was my dog！Why didn't he tell us earlier? People in my family have a 49 of keeping things from me to protect me, such as only telling me my aunt had cancer 50 she had already improved health.‎ ‎ I 51 to my mum, and she said, “I know. I'm 52 , too. I'm so angry with Steve that he had to 53 through all this on his own.” Hearing my mum's words, I shut up my mouth. I had been so 54 about myself. I hadn't thought about 55 Steve was going through. He'd had her for longer than he'd had us—and he had to decide to 56 her life, and then kept in silence for an entire 57 . All my anger melted away, and all I felt was 58 .‎ 19‎ ‎ I realize that we focus so much on ourselves that we 59 the pain of others. At that moment, my mum's words were a wonderful 60 that I'll never forget. ‎ ‎41. A. lazy B. lonely ‎ C. painful ‎ D. shameful ‎42. A. should B. would C. might ‎ D. could ‎ ‎43. A. break B. breath C. foot ‎ D. step ‎ ‎44. A. pet B. toy ‎ C. baby ‎ D. tool ‎45. A. plan B. accident C.joke D. truth ‎46. A. lied B. waited C. rested D. hesitated ‎ ‎47. A. still B. once ‎ C. even D. never ‎48. A. facts B. thoughts C. opinions ‎ D. doubts ‎ ‎49 A. story B. secret ‎ C. habit ‎ D. hobby ‎ ‎50. A. though B. before ‎ C. while ‎ D. after ‎ ‎51. A. led ‎ B. related ‎ C. contributed D. turned ‎ ‎52. A. angry B. cheerful ‎ C. guilty D. anxious ‎53. A. break ‎ B. look ‎ C. go ‎ D. cut ‎ ‎54. A. pleased B.excited C.annoyed D. concerned ‎55. A. that ‎ B. what C. where ‎ D. which ‎ ‎56. A. save B. end ‎ C. begin ‎ D. spare ‎57. A. year B. month C. week D. day ‎58. A. regret ‎ B. blame C. sorrow D. sympathy ‎59. A. shared B. stood C. reminded D. ignored ‎60.A. experience B. command C. gift ‎ D. suggestion 第II卷 第II卷 非选择题 第三部分 英语知识运用（共两节，满分45分）‎ 第二节 （共10小题；每小题1.5分，满分15分）‎ 19‎ 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。将答案填写在答题卡的相应位置。‎ ‎ Crying marriage? It is   61    (surprise), isn’t it? Actually, the custom of crying marriage existed a long time ago in many areas of Southwest China’s Sichuan Province, and   62  (remain) in fashion until the end of the Qing Dynasty. Though not so popular as before, the custom is still observed by people in many places, 63 (especial) Tujia people,    64  view it as a necessity to marriage procedure.‎ ‎ It is very much    65    same in different places of the province. According to elderly people, every bride(新娘) had to cry at the wedding. Otherwise, the bride’s neighbors would look down upon    66    (she) as a poorly cultivated(有教养的) girl and she would become the laughingstock of the village. In fact, there were cases   67    which the bride   68   (beat) by her mother for not crying at the wedding ceremony.‎ ‎ In a word, crying at wedding is a way by custom to set off the  69  (happy) of the wedding through falsely sorrowful words. However, in the    70  (arrange) marriages of the old days of China, there were indeed quite a lot of brides who cried over their unsatisfactory marriage and even their miserable life.‎ 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。‎ During the summer holidays, my parents and I paid visit to my grandparents 19‎ ‎ by train. There was a large number of people and the train was crowd, but everyone helped those who had lots of baggage and behaved politely. Along the way, we enjoyed beautifully views. At first, we saw one hill after other. Then where came into view were fields with green crops. Before a six-hour trip, we arrived at my grandparents’ house. Although I felt tired, but I was happy to see my grandparents, whom I hadn’t seen for a long time. It’s really an exciting trip because it was the first time that I have taken so a long-distance train.‎ 第二节 书面表达 （满分25分）‎ ‎ 假设你是高三（1）班的班长李华，你们班的美籍教师Mr. Green到你校任教两年，工作努力，严格要求，教学生动有趣，现在已经结束本学期的教学工作，即将回国，请代表全班同学给他写一封感谢信。感谢信内容包括：‎ ‎ 1. 回顾外教课上的收获；‎ ‎ 2. 表达对他的感谢和祝福。‎ 注意：‎ ‎ 1. 词数100左右；‎ ‎ 2. 感谢信的开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。‎ Dear Mr. Green,‎ ‎________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ‎ ‎____________________________________________________________ ‎ ‎____________________________________________________________ ‎ ‎____________________________________________________________ ‎ ‎____________________________________________________________ ‎ ‎____________________________________________________________ ‎ 19‎ ‎____________________________________________________________ ‎ ‎ Yours,‎ ‎ Li hua 19‎ 福州市八县（市）协作校2016-2017学年第一学期半期联考 高三英语参考答案及听力录音材料 第I卷（选择题 共100分）‎ 第一部分：听力（共两节，20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）‎ ‎1. A ‎2.C ‎3.B ‎4.C ‎5.B ‎6.C ‎7.A ‎8.B ‎9.C ‎10.A ‎11.B ‎12.C ‎13.C ‎14.A ‎15.B ‎16.C ‎17.A ‎18.C ‎19.A ‎20.B 第二部分 阅读理解 (共两节，满分40分)‎ 第一节 阅读（共15 小题，每小题2分，满分30分）‎ ‎21.B ‎22.D ‎23.D ‎24.D ‎25.B ‎26.A ‎27.C ‎28.C ‎29.A ‎30.C ‎31.D ‎32.D ‎33.A ‎34.C ‎35.B 第二节 七选五(共5小题，每小题2分，满分10分)‎ ‎36.A ‎37.F ‎38.D ‎39.C ‎40.E 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.C ‎42.B ‎43.D ‎44.A ‎45.D ‎46.B ‎47.A ‎48.B ‎49.C ‎50.D ‎51.D ‎52.A ‎53.C ‎54.D ‎55.B ‎56.B ‎57.C ‎58.A ‎59.D ‎60.C 第II卷（非选择题 共50分）‎ 第三部分 英语知识运用（共两节，满分45分）‎ 第二节 语法填空（共10小题；每小题1.5分，满分15分）‎ ‎61. surprising ‎62. remained ‎63. especially ‎64.who ‎65.the ‎66. her ‎ ‎67.in ‎68. was beaten ‎69.happiness ‎70. arranged 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）‎ During the summer holidays, my parents and I paid ∧ visit to my ‎ 19‎ ‎ a grandparents by train. There was a large number of people and the train was ‎ ‎ were crowd, but everyone helped those who had lots of baggage and behaved ‎ crowded politely. Along the way, we enjoyed beautifully views. At first, we saw one ‎ ‎ beautiful hill after other. Then where came into view were fields with green crops. ‎ ‎ another what Before a six-hour trip, we arrived at my grandparents’ house. Although I felt ‎ After tired, but I was happy to see my grandparents, whom I hadn’t seen for a ‎ long time. It’s really an exciting trip because it was the first time that I have ‎ ‎ had taken so a long-distance train.‎ such 第二节 书面表达 (25分)‎ ‎【参考范文】‎ Dear Mr. Green, ‎ ‎ How time flies! It is already two years since you came to teach us. How we miss the days we spent together.‎ ‎ In the past two years, you have worked hard and you were strict with us. Your teaching was lively and interesting. Therefore, we have not only benefited a lot from your lessons but also become good friends. We improved our oral English and became more confident to express ourselves. ‎ ‎ On behalf of my class, I would like to thank you for coming to teach us English! We wish you a good journey home and good health!‎ ‎ Yours,‎ 19‎ ‎ Li Hua ‎【听力材料录音原稿】‎ ‎(Text 1) W: The heat is unbearable! Didn’t you turn on the air-conditioner? M: Oh no, but we need to have it fixed as soon as possible. I’ve called someone and they’re on the way.‎ ‎(Text 2) W : You look pleased with yourself. What’s happened? M: I’m having a poem published in a new book. W: Congratulations! (Text 3) W: Good afternoon. Can I help you? M: Yes. I want to borrow a reference book. But I can’t find it. W: Try the card catalog.  (Text 4) M: I heard you married. How did you meet your husband? Did you use the Internet as I told you? W: No, I posted an ad in the newspaper. There were dozens of e-mail responses. But it wasn’t until my friend introduced him to me that I found my Mr Right. (Text 5) W: There is a traditional lion dance performance tonight. Do you want to watch it? M: Oh, good! I’ve been wanting to see one for a long time. (Text 6) M: Jenny, wait up! W: So what did you think of the professor’s lecture? M: I think most of what he said just went over my head. W: That’s all right. A lot of what he said is explained in the reading. M: Hey, would you mind if I borrowed your notes tonight to look them over? W: No problem. We don’t have class until Wednesday. Here you go. ‎ 19‎ M: Thanks. I just want to make sure I’m prepared for the discussion. W: Yeah, participation in the discussion is an important part of the education here. (Text 7) W: I sent out the invitations to the dinner party. M: That’s good. Now what should we do? W: We’ve got to plan the menu. M: Oh. That’s right. Do you have anything in mind? W: I think I’m going to make the chicken salad we had at the party. Remember I asked the chef for the recipe? M: Yeah, but did you forget that Linda doesn’t eat chicken? W: Linda? Oh, my gosh. I forgot to invite Linda! She’ll be mad at me. M: Well, everyone is gonna forget something sometimes. It’s not late yet. I’ll make a phone call. Don’t worry. W: Thanks! You see, I think I’m getting old! M: Looks like you are, sweetheart. W: Thank you. (Text 8) M: Morning, Julia. Did you go to the cinema last night? W: Yes, it was a good film. But the strangest thing happened when I got home. M: What? W: Well, when I got home, I came up the stairs and started to put my key in the door. And I heard a noise in my flat. I thought it was a thief. M: So what did you do? W: I ran into the street and phoned the police from the phone box on the corner. They came very quickly. But while they were walking up the stairs, my door opened. I thought: Oh, no. But it wasn’t a thief. M: Who was it? W: It was Karl. You know, who sits next to me in the office. M: How did he get in? W: The gatekeeper let him in. ‎ 19‎ ‎(Text 9) W: What a lovely cat! How long have you had it, Mr. Brown? There’re several cats in our neighbourhood. M: I found him when I was just thirty-five, so five years now. W: What do you mean by saying you found him? You didn’t buy him from a pet store? M: No. I found him on the street. He was homeless and very dirty. I took him home and cleaned him up. I’m so lucky to have found him. W: What do you mean? M: Well, he saved my life just one year after I brought him home. W: How did he save your life? M: I’ve suffered from heart disease since I was a teenager, and it has put my life in danger at times. One night I suddenly fainted when I was taking a shower in the bathroom. W: And you said your cat saved your life? M: Yes, he went into the bedroom and woke up my wife. She immediately took action and saved my life. W: So you saved the cat and in return it saved your life. M: Yes. I guess kindness really pays off.‎ ‎(Text 10) W: A recent art exhibition in Florida honoured the animal often seen as man’s most intelligent friend, the dolphin. The exhibition in the Florida Keys featured life-sized dolphin paintings made of wood and other materials. The dolphins were shown at area businesses and along the beach. Organizers paid $750 to cover the artists’ fees and the cost of the materials. There were about 100 dolphin themes. They showed the works of local artists, as well as the beach atmosphere the Keys are famous for. Probably the most unique was its artist, Pandora. Pandora, the dolphin painter, is a real dolphin, at the Dolphin Research Centre. The playful artist streaks colours across a dolphin painting, holding a brush in its mouth. The exhibition will be held by the Monroe Council of the Arts as part of a plan to make the Keys an international arts centre. ‎ 19‎