2018-2019学年浙江省“温州十五校联合体”高一下学期期中考试英语试题

2018-2019学年浙江省“温州十五校联合体”高一下学期期中考试英语试题

‎ ‎ ‎2018-2019学年浙江省“温州十五校联合体”高一下学期期中考试英语试题 考生须知：‎ ‎1．本卷共8页满分120分，考试时间100分钟；‎ ‎2．答题前，在答题卷指定区域填写班级、姓名、考场号、座位号及准考证号并填涂相应数字。‎ ‎3．所有答案必须写在答题纸上，写在试卷上无效；‎ ‎4．考试结束后，只需上交答题纸。‎ 选择题部分 第一部分 听力 （满分20分）‎ 第一节（共5小题；每小题1分，满分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 time is it now?‎ ‎ A. 5:00. B. 4:45. C. 5:15.‎ ‎2. Why does the man refuse the woman?‎ ‎ A. He doesn’t have a car. B. He’ll be using his car. C. She is a bad driver.‎ ‎3. When will the woman go for a holiday?‎ ‎ A. After she gets a new job.‎ ‎ B. When her training is over.‎ ‎ C. She herself even doesn’t know.‎ ‎4. What are the speakers mainly talking about? ‎ ‎ A. Preparing for a test. B. Eating during an exam. C. Getting a medical exam.‎ ‎5. What is the relationship between the two speakers?‎ ‎ A. Teacher and student. B. Husband and wife. C. Mother and son.‎ 第二节（共15小题；每小题1分，满分15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至7题。‎ ‎6. What are the speakers going to do this weekend?‎ ‎ A. Go to the beach.‎ ‎ B. Go for a mountain climbing. ‎ ‎ C. Go for a bicycle-ride.‎ ‎7. What do we know about Paul and Mary? ‎ ‎ A. They might be the speakers’ friends. ‎ ‎ B. They’ve decided to join the speakers.‎ ‎ C. They did some riding yesterday.‎ 听第7段材料，回答第8至9题。‎ ‎8. What does the man think about fast food?‎ ‎ A. KFC isn’t included. B. Not worth trying. C. Unhealthy but tasty.‎ ‎9. Where will they probably go in the end?‎ ‎ A. KFC. ‎ B. The sushi shop. ‎ C. They haven’t decided yet.‎ 听第8段材料，回答第10至12题。‎ ‎10. What is probably the woman speaker?‎ ‎ A. A college student. B. A hotel waitress. C. A housewife.‎ ‎11. What kind of job would the woman most like to do?‎ ‎ A. Babysitting her neighbor’s kids. ‎ ‎ B. Typing letters in the office. ‎ ‎ C. Working for a road-building company.‎ ‎12. What is good with the job at the Friendship Hotel?‎ ‎  A. The pay is good.‎ ‎ B. Many tips are offered.‎ ‎ C. It is in the open air.‎ 听第9段材料，回答第13至16题。‎ ‎13. Where does the conversation take place?‎ ‎ A. At home. B. At school. C. At a store.‎ ‎14. How did the man get the mud? ‎ ‎ A. He went to the Dead Sea.‎ B. He dug it up from the backyard.‎ C. He bought it online.‎ ‎15. What is the main color of the mud in the backyard? ‎ A. Brown B. Grey. C. Black.‎ ‎16. Why does the girl agree to use the mud? ‎ A. She has some skin problems.‎ B. She wants her skin to feel younger.‎ C. She is starting to get wrinkles.‎ 听第10段材料，回答第17至20题。‎ ‎17. What can we learn from the news?‎ ‎ A. No villager was killed. ‎ ‎ B. 15 houses were badly damaged.‎ ‎ C. Over 200 people became homeless. ‎ ‎18. How many people were badly injured in the storm?‎ ‎ A. Seven. B. Nine. C. Ten.‎ ‎19. What do we know about the farmer?‎ ‎ A. His house was destroyed. B. His wife was missing. C. A child of his was killed.‎ ‎20. What did the woman do when she saw her house shaking?‎ A. She tried to take something out.‎ B. She rushed out with her children.‎ C. She told her husband not to leave. ‎ 第二部分 阅读理解（满分30分）‎ 第一节（共10小题；每小题2分，满分20分）‎ 阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题纸上将该项涂黑。‎ A Little Women is the best-known work of author Louisa May Alcott. Published after the end of the Civil War, the book is about the lives of the author and her sisters. Although it was her most successful work, it was not her first.‎ Alcott began writing at the age of 20, when she published her poem “Sunlight”. Throughout her early career, she wrote many poems and short stories for magazines. At the age of 22, she began to write fairy tales, romantic thrillers, and other novels, mostly to earn money. At a time when few opportunities were open to women, Alcott supported women’s right to work. With her small income, she had long provided for her family.‎ When the Civil War broke out, Alcott, at the age of 30, joined the war effort to fight against slavery. She had originally wished to serve as a soldier. However, women were not allowed in battle at that time. As a result, she became a Civil War nurse. Alcott’s work as a nurse served as a milestone (里程碑) in her writing career.‎ In December of 1862, she left New England to work in the Union Hotel Hospital in Washington, DC. There were few supplies, and doctors performed operations without painkillers. The conditions for patients and doctors were terrible. Within a few weeks, Alcott herself became so ill that she nearly died. She returned home and recovered slowly over a period of months.‎ As soon as her health improved, Alcott started a new project. The letters she had sent home became the basis of a newspaper series about her experience as a Civil War nurse. She wrote about her tasks, the wounded soldiers she looked after, and ‎ the difficulties they faced. The series, Hospital Sketches, was a success, which received praise from readers and critics (批评) at the same time. Although her best-known work was yet to come, the success of Hospital Sketches marked the achievement of her dream to become a popular author.‎ ‎21. In her early 20s, Alcott wrote mostly to ___.‎ A. make money to support her family ‎ B. fight against slavery C. remember her experiences in the war ‎ D. set up a milestone in her career ‎ ‎22. Why was Alcott’s experience as a nurse important to her writing?‎ ‎ A. Because she saved many wounded soldiers.‎ ‎ B. Because she almost lost her life in the hospital.‎ ‎ C. Because she won the right to fight against slavery.‎ ‎ D. Because she got many materials for her later book.‎ ‎23. What can we know about Alcott from the last two paragraphs?‎ ‎ A. Her hospital was well equipped. B. She didn’t return to the hospital after recovery.‎ ‎ C. She wrote letters for a newspaper. D. No one thought badly of her Hospital Sketches.‎ B When Joanne Morton and Lydia Shaw came across the Boston Public Market, which features only New England businesspersons, they knew they had to stop in. The women, visiting from southeastern Connecticut, always try to buy local. “We always try to support our local farmers and businessmen,” says Ms. Shaw. “We’re not into big companies,” adds Ms. Morton. ‎ They aren’t alone. A great number of Americans continue to be attracted by “local” food and to buy it, according to recent surveys from the International Food Information Council Foundation, the Pew Research Center, and British polling firm Ipsos. But what does it mean to shop local? For some, local is still a matter of geography. For others, it is about supporting their local economy (经济). And ‎ for still others, it is about knowing where their food comes from and how it is made, even if it is coffee shipped from a Costa Rican company. In 2008, Congress passed a bill that gave money to support local food. According to the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act, a product that can be considered local has to travel less than 400 miles. ‎ But Lydia Zepeda, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has found the largest agreement about what is local is any product that comes from within an hour’s drive. “But is that with or without traffic?” She asks. “What if it crosses state lines?” adds John Hayes, a food science professor at Pennsylvania State University. “A customer might like to buy local to help an old town,” he says. “Or maybe it’s just because local food tastes better.” It is for Kaitlin Bohon. “I taste a difference,” she says at the Boston Public Market. For Ms. Bohon, buying local is both about supporting New England business and knowing who grew and handled her food.‎ ‎24. What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 1 mean?‎ ‎ A. We never go into big companies.‎ ‎ B. We’re not interested in big companies.‎ ‎ C. Big companies don’t support local farmers.‎ ‎ D. Big companies are not good shopping places.‎ ‎25. According to the passage, buying local ___________ in America.‎ ‎ A. is becoming more and more popular ‎ B. is a way to support big companies ‎ C. means people will spend much less ‎ D. allows people to know about their food ‎26. What can be inferred about Kaitlin Bohon according to the text?‎ ‎ A. She is from New England. B. She knows every cook in her town.‎ ‎ C. She likes to taste different foods. D. She works at the Boston Public Market.‎ ‎27. The purpose of the passage is ___________.‎ ‎ A. to introduce how popular buying local is ‎ ‎ B. to attract more people to buying local ‎ C. to explain why people like buying local ‎ D. to discuss the meaning of buying local C Bees may soon need to add protein shakes to their diet. Pollen (花粉) normally provides their protein (蛋白质). But rising levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the air have reduced the protein in pollen. That’s what a new study finds.‎ Scientists compared recently collected flowers from Canada goldenrod. Then they compared pollen in them to pollen in goldenrod reserved at a museum in Washington, DC. They found today's plants have less protein. Protein levels in pollen from the older flowers were 18 percent. Today's goldenrod pollen has only about 12 percent protein. That's about one-third less than 172 years ago. Over that same period, CO2 levels have gone up by more than one-third. Back more than 170 years ago, they were about 280 parts per million in air. Today they are about 398 ppm.‎ To test whether CO2 changes had played a role in the falling protein levels, the researchers did some tests. They grew goldenrod for two years at CO2 levels of up to 500 ppm. More CO2 in the air led to lower levels of protein in the flowers’ pollen. ‎ Joan Edwards, one of the researchers, says that this drop in pollen protein could affect a bee’s diet and health. It would be like eating junk food, tasting good but offering less nutrition (营养).‎ Honeybees need to eat lots of protein. They use it to feed their young. They also need it to keep their immune systems healthy, says Cédric Alaux, a bee biologist at the French agricultural research agency.‎ Bee populations have been decreasing worldwide in recent years. A drop in their food quality might play a role, Edwards says. And that drop might affect crops too. “The health of the bee population is not just for the flowers and the bees and biodiversity.” She worries it also could play a role in “human health and well-being.”‎ ‎28. The second paragraph is mainly developed by __________.‎ A. giving examples B. following the time order ‎ C. explaining reasons D. providing numbers ‎29. According to the text, Joan Edwards might agree that ____________.‎ ‎ A. the drop of protein in pollen has a good influence on bees ‎ B. today’s flowers can provide bees with enough nutrition ‎ C. the drop of protein in pollen leads to a smaller population of bees ‎ D. the smaller population of bees has nothing to do with the human race ‎30. What is the main idea of the text?‎ ‎ A. Today’s flowers contain more protein. ‎ ‎ B. Protein levels in pollen connect with CO2 levels.‎ ‎ C. Drop of protein in pollen affects bees.‎ ‎ D. Bee population is becoming smaller recently.‎ 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。‎ Body language provides a lot of information on what other people are thinking. A research has shown that 55% of communication comes from body language. 31 Next time you’re in a meeting, watch for these cues (暗示):‎ Real smiles crinkle (使起皱纹) the eyes. When it comes to smiling, the mouth can lie but the eyes can’t. Real smiles reach the eyes, crinkling the skin to create crow’s feet around them. People often smile to hide what they’re really thinking and feeling, so the next time you want to know if someone’s smile is real, look for crinkles at the corners of their eyes. 32 ‎ ‎ 33  Have you ever been in a meeting with someone and noticed that every time you cross or uncross your legs, they do the same? Or perhaps they lean their head the same way as yours when you’re talking? That’s actually a good sign. It means that the conversation is going well and that the other party accepts your message. ‎ Eyes that lie. Most of us believe that it’s difficult to hold someone’s gaze (凝视) when they’re lying. But that’s such common knowledge that people will often try to hold eye contact, hoping to cover up the fact that they’re lying. 34 If you’re talking with someone whose gaze is making you uncomfortable, something is up and they might be lying to you.‎ Even if you can’t read a person’s exact thoughts, you can learn a lot from their body language. 35 ‎ ‎ A. Copying your body language is a good thing.‎ ‎ B. If they aren’t there, that smile is hiding something.‎ ‎ C. Good sings lead to good conversations in a meeting.‎ ‎ D. You’ll have to find out how long they have looked at you.‎ ‎ E. Learning how to understand that 55% can give you a lot of help.‎ ‎ F. That’s especially true when words and body language don’t match.‎ ‎ G. The problem is that most of them will hold eye contact until it feels uncomfortable.‎ 第三部分 语言知识运用（满分30分）‎ 第一节 完形填空（共20小题；每小题1分，满分20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。‎ Like millions of people around the world, I used to spend every December making a New Year’s resolution or two. However, by February, like clockwork, exactly 36 would be achieved.‎ When I was younger, this didn’t 37 me all that much. But in my 20s I realized that trying to keep a 38 New Year’s resolution was like writing a novel or climbing a mountain — it just wasn’t achievable. ‎ So, 39 focusing on one large thing and giving up when I didn’t succeed, I decided to make a 40 of little things I wanted to work on during the year. So far this has 41 things like keeping my house a little bit 42 , spending more time with my dog and even dropping a few pounds. My 43 has been to focus on taking small steps every day.‎ I’m now making 44 toward those goals without feeling 45 pressured or disappointed that I haven’t done more. Simple upgrades like wiping down my bathroom sink every day after 46 my makeup (化妆品) have become second 47 to me. While losing weight, I focus on cutting just a pound at a time.‎ I don’t even 48 these New Year’s resolutions, and that helps to make my small goals feel more achievable. They’re just little goals I’ve set to be happier and healthier over time. I also 49 myself once in a while along the way. For example, I 50 myself a new pair of sneakers when I ran three weeks out of the month. And then there’s the free time I naturally have in tidying the bathroom sink every day, which takes less time than a deep 51 on a Sunday.‎ If keeping your New Year’s resolution is harder than you thought, the 52 to success might be giving up the idea of resolutions 53 . Instead, 54 your goals into small milestones you can easily reach daily or weekly—and enjoy the 55 feeling of meeting each and every mini goal. ‎ ‎36. A. something B. anything C. everything D. nothing ‎37. A. bother B. spoil C. help D. harm ‎38. A. logical B. huge C. artificial D. magical ‎39. A. along with B. instead of C. except for D. long before ‎40. A. list B. number C. group D. total ‎41. A. suggested B. studied C. included D. described ‎42. A. bigger B. securer C. tidier D. stronger ‎43. A. future B. revolution C. attention D. plan ‎44. A. progress B. signals C. information D.‎ ‎ turns ‎45. A. silently B. happily C. distantly D. painfully ‎46. A. leaving behind B. putting on C. thinking about D. pointing to ‎47. A. nature B. chance C. interest D. challenge ‎48. A. discuss B. consider C. realize D. expect ‎49. A. excuse B. respect C. treat D. appreciate ‎50. A. passed B. paid C. found D. bought ‎51. A. clean B. breath C. sleep D. thought ‎52. A. road B. key C. way D. direction ‎53. A. quietly B. hopefully C. completely D. sadly ‎54. A. turn down B. put down C. write down D. break down ‎55. A. bored B. empty C. proud D. inspired 非选择题部分 第三部分 语言知识运用 第二节（共10小题：每小题1分，满分10分）‎ A few days ago some of the world’s most famous musicians gathered in Paris and New Orleans to celebrate the first International Jazz Day. UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) recently set April 30 as a day 56_____ (raise) awareness (认识) of jazz music and its importance across ____57_____ (culture).‎ ‎ 58 (actual) in America the jazz audience continues to decrease and grow older, and the music has failed to connect with younger generations.‎ It’s Jason Moran’s job to help change that. As the Kennedy Center’s artistic 59 (advise) for jazz, Moran hopes to help more people appreciate jazz and preserve its history and culture.‎ Moran says one of the problems 60 jazz today is that the music can’t entertain people. In his opinion, the music can’t 61 (present) today the way it was in 1908 or 1958. It has to continue to move, because the way the world works is not 62 same.‎ Last year, Moran 63 (arrange) Fats Waller’s music, 64 was generally considered to be concert music, for a dance party. What he wants is that people understand how we humans talk about 65 (we) through music and how music gets us into a dialog about our emotions and our thoughts.‎ 第四部分 单词拼写（共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分）‎ ‎66. My family will go to attend the wedding at the i____________ of my uncle.‎ ‎67. The students are asked to write a b__________ description, no more than 80 words.‎ ‎68. After e____________ the old parts of the town, they were given a guided tour of the palace.‎ ‎69. After years’ efforts, Zhang Kai was finally a___________ to Zhejiang University and became a university student.‎ ‎70. P____________, I don’t care what I can get from playing music. I just love music.‎ ‎71. At the end of the 17th century, London was on the rise, starting to ___________ (取代) Amsterdam as the center of world trade.‎ ‎72. I went and sat in a cafe and watched the ____________ (路人). ‎ ‎73. A group of officials from Beijing are ____________ (视察) our school.‎ ‎74. Ten years ago, the house was ________ (做广告) for sale at 500,000 yuan. Now it has doubled.‎ ‎75. The climbers were trapped by a ________ (猛烈的) storm which went on for days.‎ 第五部分 翻译填空（共5小题，20空；每空0.5分，满分10分）‎ ‎76. 这只篮球队到目前为止还没被击败过，他们也没想过被击败。‎ So far the basketball team _________ _________ ________ defeated, nor _________ they expected defeat.‎ ‎77. 很多植物物种面临着和许多濒危动物一样多的危险。‎ Many species of _________ are facing as __________ _________ as many _________ animals.‎ ‎78. 那位作家，我弟弟跟他很熟悉的，上个月接替他父亲担任公司的董事长。‎ The writer, _______ ________ my brother is familiar, _______ his father ________ president of the company last month.‎ ‎79. 为了安慰他妈妈，Joshua装作没有受伤。‎ ‎ To comfort his mother, Joshua ________ _________ __________ __________ injured.‎ ‎80. 看到这些问题正在被简化，主管如释重负地笑了。‎ Seeing the problems were _______ _______, the man in charge smiled ________ ________.‎ 第六部分 应用文写作（满分20分）‎ 假设你是李华。你和美国笔友David经常有电子邮件往来，相互了解中美学生的学习、生活情况。近期他来信向你了解你们学校学生的体育开展情况。请你用英语写一封电子邮件，内容包括：‎ ‎1. 你们学校受学生欢迎的体育项目；‎ ‎2. 你所喜欢的体育项目。‎ 注意：‎ ‎1. 词数80左右；‎ ‎2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。‎ ‎2018学年第二学期“温州十五校联合体”期中考试联考 高一年级英语学科参考答案 第一部分 听力（共20小题；每小题1分，满分20分）‎ ‎1-5 BBCBC 6-10 BACBA 11-15 CBACA 16-20 ACBAB 第二部分 阅读理解（满分30分）‎ 第一节（共10小题；每小题2分，满分20分）‎ ‎21-23 ADB 24-27 BAAD 28-30 DCC 第二节（共5小题；每小题2分，满分10分）‎ ‎31-35 EBAGF 第三部分 语言知识运用（满分30分）‎ 第一节 完形填空（共20小题；每小题1分，满分20分）‎ ‎36-40 DABBA 41-45 CCDAD 46-50 BABCD 51-55 ABCDC 第二节（共10小题：每小题1分，满分10分）‎ ‎56. to raise 57. cultures 58. Actually 59. adviser 60. with ‎61. be presented 62. the 63. arranged 64. which 65. ourselves 第四部分 单词拼写（共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分）（大小写出错不给分）‎ ‎66. invitation 67. brief 68. exploring 69. admitted 70. Personally ‎71. replace 72. passers-by 73. inspecting 74. advertised 75. fierce 第五部分 翻译填空（共5小题，20空；每空0.5分，满分10分）‎ ‎76. has/have never been; have 77. plants; much danger; endangered ‎78. with whom; succeeded; as 79. pretended not to be ‎80. being simplified; in relief 第六部分 应用文写作（满分20分）‎ 该题具体要求：‎ ‎（一）内容要点 ‎1. 简要评价此次征集活动；‎ ‎2. 你的建议；‎ ‎（二）应用词汇和语法结构的情况 ‎1. 根据需要使用相应的时态；‎ ‎2. 使用与主题相关的词汇；‎ ‎3. 能够使用恰当的语法结构。‎ ‎（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法使文章内容连贯。‎ ‎（四）词数少于60和多于100的，从总分中减去2分。‎ One possible version: ‎ Dear David,‎ I’m really glad that you asked about sports in my school, which is also a popular topic among students here. Here’s some information for you.‎ The most popular sports in my school is basketball. Not only boys but also many girls will play basketball when they can find time. Second to basketball is table tennis. As you know, Chinese people are good at pingpong.‎ As for me, I like badminton best. I started playing badminton in Grade One and have been practicing for almost ten years. ‎ If you want to know more, just tell me.‎ Yours,‎ Li Hua 听力原文 Text 1‎ W: Oh, no. It’s five o’clock already, and I haven’t finished my homework.‎ M: Don’t worry. That clock is fifteen minutes fast. You still have time to do it.‎ Text 2‎ W: Would you mind if I borrow your car just over the weekend?‎ M: I’m sorry, but it’s just not possible, because I’m visiting my mother this weekend.‎ Text 3‎ M: When are you leaving for your planned holiday in Tibet?‎ W: Forget it. I've got a new job. I may not be free even when my training is over.‎ Text 4‎ W: Can we eat food during the test?‎ M: Only drinks are allowed, unless you have a medical excuse. ‎ W: I need to eat every hour, or my blood pressure will drop.‎ Text 5‎ W: Honey, you don’t have to get up so early and do all the housework by yourself. You’re so sweet.‎ M: Well, don’t you love it? Yesterday in class, Miss Green told everyone to do something for their moms because today is Mother’s Day.‎ W: Oh I almost forgot it! Thank you, sweetheart!‎ Text 6‎ M: What do you want to do this weekend?‎ W: Oh, I don’t know. Maybe go to the beach if weather permits.‎ M: But we did that last weekend. Let’s do something different.‎ W: Hum... Hey, I get it! Why not climb the Yandang Mountains?‎ M: Great idea! I’ve always wanted to do that!‎ W: Paul and Mary talked about a bicycle ride yesterday, but they haven’t made the final decision. Maybe we could persuade them to join us.‎ M: Wonderful! I’ll give them a call right now.‎ Text 7‎ W: Hey, what do you want for lunch?‎ M: I don’t know… how about fast food? You know, it’s fast, and tastes quite good, though it’s unhealthy. But just having a try won’t kill you.‎ W: You mean like KFC or McDonald’s?‎ M: You got it. I prefer McDonald’s and I know there’s one nearby.‎ W: Not McDonald’s. I’ve had a bad experience with them, which I’d rather not talk ‎ about because it makes me sick once.‎ M: Alright. So McDonald’s seems to be out of the question. And how about Japanese food? I know the best sushi restaurant in town.‎ W: Well, I wouldn’t say no.‎ Text 8‎ W: Jack, it’s almost vacation time. Have you found a summer job yet?‎ M: I think I can work at the boys’ camp where I worked last summer. But camp jobs don’t pay much.‎ W: I can get a job at the Friendship Hotel. A friend of Jeff was a waiter there last summer. The pay wasn’t good, but he got lots of tips.‎ M: A friend of my sister’s did that one summer.‎ W: What I want is a job outside. After sitting in college classes all winter. I’d like a job in the open air.‎ M: The high school kids earn a lot of money every summer by cutting grass. My brother is only fourteen,‎ but he gets five dollars every time he cuts somebody’s grass. It only takes him an hour.‎ W: That’s pretty good. I used to cut grass when I was in high school. But now I think I might work for a road-building company, or something like that.‎ M: It would be a good experience. You could learn a lot.‎ Text 9‎ W: What’s that on your face, Dad? You scared me! I thought you were someone who broke into the house! ‎ M: It’s mud. It’s good for your skin.‎ W: You mean, you just went out in the backyard and picked up some mud from the ground, and then put it on your face? ‎ M: No. I bought some mud online. It comes from the Dead Sea in the Middle East. Do you see the color? It’s a beautiful grey color because of its many minerals. ‎ The mud in the backyard is mainly brown. And the soil is black. The Dead Sea is famous for its health benefits. People go there from all over the world to swim in its water. Many companies ship the mud to people like me, who can’t take a trip there. ‎ W: Does your face really feel different after you take the mud off?‎ M: Yes, it feels my skin is many years younger. Some of my wrinkles are even going away. Do you want to try it?‎ W: Well, I’m only sixteen years old. I don’t think I need to feel younger.‎ M: But I’ve noticed your face is very oily sometimes, and that other times it’s very dry. This mud is sure to help you with that. It clears up your skin and leaves your face looking bright and fresh.‎ W: I’ll try it. I’ve been feeling bad about my looks lately. Maybe this will help! ‎ Text 10‎ Back to the news. Last Friday a storm hit two villages destroying fourteen houses. Seven others were so badly damaged that their owners had to leave them, and fifteen others had broken windows. One person was killed, and nine were badly injured and taken to hospital. A number of other people received small injuries. Altogether over two hundred were left homeless as a result of the storm. A farmer said the storm began early in the morning and lasted over an hour. He was in the kitchen with his wife and his children when they heard a loud noise. A few minutes later their house fell down on top of them. They managed to climb out but then he saw that one of his children was missing. He went back inside and found him safe but very frightened. A woman said that her husband had just left for work when she noticed that her house was shaking. She rushed outside immediately with her children. There was no time for her to take anything. A few minutes later, the roof came down. Soldiers went to the area to help the people in trouble.‎