【英语】湖南省娄底市2019-2020学年高二下学期期末考试试题

【英语】湖南省娄底市2019-2020学年高二下学期期末考试试题

‎ 湖南省娄底市2019-2020学年高二下学期期末考试 英 语 试 题 时间：120分钟 总分： 150分 ‎ 第一部分 听力（共两节，每小题1.5分；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 will the woman do right after she types the letter?‎ A. Have a meal. B. Change her clothes. C. Take the car.‎ ‎2. How much will the woman pay for the Tshirt and the jeans?‎ A. $10. B. $20. C. $30.‎ ‎3. What do we know about the woman?‎ A. She has a fever.‎ B. She looks very tired now.‎ C. She fell asleep in an outdoor chair.‎ ‎4. What are the speakers mainly talking about?‎ A. The weather this year. B. Water conservation. C. The importance of washing.‎ ‎5. What is the man likely to do on Friday?‎ A. See the new exhibition. B. Watch a baseball game. C. Finish a report.‎ 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. Why does Mrs Thompson want to see the speakers according to the girl?‎ A. The class leaders reported them to her.‎ B. She will ask them to run for class monitor.‎ C. They were not very active this morning.‎ ‎7. What does the boy suggest they do?‎ A. Go to the hallway. B. Share the responsibility. C. Continue the class discussion.‎ 听第7段材料，回答第8、9题。‎ ‎8. What’s the relationship between the speakers?‎ A. Boss and secretary. B. Director and customer. C. Husband and wife.‎ ‎9. What does the man have to do at 2：00 p．m. tomorrow?‎ A. Make a phone call. B. Send an email. C. Look at some samples.‎ 听第8段材料，回答第10至12题。‎ ‎10. Where does the conversation take place?‎ A. On top of a mountain. B. In a parking lot. C. At a ticket booth.‎ ‎11. How far is the lake from the top?‎ A. About 20 minutes’ walk. B. About 40 minutes’ walk. C. About 3 hours’ walk.‎ ‎12. What color will the lake be when the speakers arrive?‎ A. Orange. B. Blue. C. Green.‎ 听第9段材料，回答第13至16题。‎ ‎13. Where is the art exhibition taking place?‎ A. At an art gallery. B. At a shopping mall. C. At an exhibition center.‎ ‎14. What does the man think of the place of the exhibition now?‎ A. It is strange. B. It is ordinary. C. It is cool.‎ ‎15. What is being shown in the painting section of the exhibition?‎ A. Mainly classical paintings. ‎ B. Largely contemporary paintings.‎ C. An equal number of classical paintings and contemporary paintings.‎ ‎ 16. Which section is the most popular?‎ A. The video section. B. The sculpture section. C. The photography section.‎ 听第10段材料，回答第17至20题。‎ ‎17. How old was Dave when his father passed away?‎ A. 15. B. 10. C. 5.‎ ‎18. What did Dave do in the evenings?‎ A. He earned some money.‎ B. He did housework for the family.‎ C. He drove his brother to some places.‎ ‎19. Who introduced Andrew at the graduation ceremony?‎ A. His soccer coach. B. The school headmaster. C. The head of the school district.‎ ‎20. What happened during Andrew’s speech?‎ A. His mother started crying. B. Andrew thanked his father.‎ C. Dave realized his hard work had paid off.‎ 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 It’s fun to dream about vacationing in Europe, but international flights are not always particularly affordable. If you’re looking to experience a taste of European culture, however, there are many places in the US with a European heritage(传统).‎ Founded by Spanish settlers in 1565, St. Augustine is full of Spanish-inspired architecture, historical sites and other attractions. The Colonial Quarter is a popular tourist area, and there are many places to grab traditional Spanish food.‎ Holland, Michigan Holland was settled in 1847 by Dutch Calvinist separatists, under the leadership of Dr Albertus van Raalte. Terrible economic conditions in the Netherlands forced them to emigrate(移居国外), while their desires for religious freedom led them to unite and settle together as a group. Much of the original architecture was destroyed in an 1871 fire, but the city still has many windmills, eateries, art and even an annual tulip festival and holiday market.‎ New Glarus, Wisconsin More than 160 years after it was founded, New Glarus has maintained much of its Swiss heritage and old world traditions. New Glarus’ Swiss immigrant roots are proudly on display with its Alpine architecture, Swiss Historical Village Museum and Yodel Club. The Wisconsin village also puts on cultural events like the Heidi Folk Festival and Swiss Volksfest.‎ Solvang, California Located near Santa Barbara, Solang is a charming California city with Danish roots. A group of immigrates from Denmark founded Solvang just over 100 years ago to create a Danish home away from home. As such, the city is full of Danish architecture, restaurants, shops and even a copy of Copenhagen’s famous Little Mermaid statue.‎ ‎21．Which US city might have the longest European origin ?‎ A．Solvang B．Holland C．New Glarus D．St. Augustine ‎22．Why did Dutch Calvinist separates decide to emigrate?‎ A．To pursue religious freedom and economic opportunities.‎ B．To found a Dutch community with united power.‎ C．To seek for a US state with better social welfare.‎ D．To reveal the dark side of their native place.‎ ‎23．Which of the following originates from Denmark?‎ A．Yodel Club. B．The Little Mermaid statue.‎ C．The Colonial Quarter. D．The Heidi Folk Festival.‎ B It was an autumn day, and 1 was standing in the kitchen, hanging my head over the counter and trying to figure out how many calories were in a bowl of homemade yogurt and fruit. And I felt annoyed.‎ I was 16, and my best friend and I had gone to our first Weight Watchers meeting. It was the trend in the mid-1980s，and even though I was an athlete, like many teen girls, I didn’t necessarily like what I saw in the mirror. But after a week or so of recording every meal and snack and calculating the calories, I had had enough. I went back to my routine of chowing whatever I wanted, running and skiing, and let that be that. And it’s still pretty much what I do; as long as the workouts are regular and the food is whole and balanced, my body’s set point hasn’t varied for years.‎ The weight loss trend of three decades ago−full of scales and counting calories−has fallen away. Now fasting is popular. The ways to keep fit vary: on the 5:2 diet a person eats for five days and fasts for two days each week, while the 18:6 refers 10 fasting for 18 hours and then eating within a six-hour window each day.‎ In this issue, Associate Editor Mark Barna tries to understand the science behind the fasting plans. Researchers have found that animals like monkeys age more slowly after years of eating less, and in the lab in humans, they saw improvements in a number of signs that indicate risk of some hard to cure diseases. The hope for healthy weight loss isn’t over yet, but at least now the calculators don’t have to be out at every meal.‎ ‎24．What made the author annoyed?‎ A．She had to work out the calories in every meal and snack.‎ B．There were too many calories in the yogurt and fruit.‎ C．The Weight Watches meeting was not necessary for her.‎ D．Her body was not as strong as an athlete’s.‎ ‎25．Which of the following can replace the underlined word “chowing”?‎ A．Choosing. B．Doing C．Cooking. D．Eating.‎ ‎26．How do people keep fit now?‎ A．They limit the calories they take in. B． They fast daily or weekly.‎ C．They lose weight only. D．They eat enough every day.‎ ‎27．What do we know about the researchers’ finding in this passage?‎ A．People grow more slowly if they eat less. B．People are healthier if they eat less.‎ C．People have stopped losing weight now. D．People calculate their food for every meal.‎ C There’ s a word of wellness I’ve loved for years. It’s HALT: the idea that if you want to be calm and content, never let yourself get too hungry, angry, lonely or tired. Researchers are increasingly looking more closely at the “L”in“HALT”，with one report presented to the American Psychological Association finding that long-term loneliness might be a greater public health risk than obesity.‎ Loneliness is a problem with many faces. Some people are alone most of the time—data collected by the United Kingdom found that 200,000 people over the age of 75 had not had a conversation with a friend or a relative in more than a month. But some people feel lonely even in a crowded room, disconnected from meaningful relationships even though their days are filled with people.‎ To me, walking a positive path means walking alongside others—people who lift our spirits, share our values, challenge us to grow and learn and bring us joy. But social satisfaction doesn’t come automatically or even easily to too many people. And in our age of individualized electronic devices, social media and text-based communication, it can be harder than ever to feel truly connected to others.‎ I was so heartened to read that recently the British Parliament (议会) has created a “Minister for Loneliness” position to promote research, education and principles so as to cure what some researchers call “the loneliness disease”. More and more doctors in America are also screening adult patients for loneliness at annual physical examinations, which is another promising sign.‎ With proper social support and community participation, loneliness can be prevented from happening. If you are feeling lonely, make a list of your daily routines and ask yourself how you could add more social interactions to each day. Try reaching out for volunteer opportunities, clubs and organizations to join and old friendships to renew. If you are struggling, ask a consultant to help you identify your social obstacles and overcome them.‎ ‎28．What is paragraph 2 mainly talking about?‎ A．Aging population in Britain. B．Different types of loneliness.‎ C．Strange behavior of people. D．Social communication in Britain.‎ ‎29．What does the author think makes people feel lonely?‎ A．Popularity of digital devices. B．Living far away from each other.‎ C．Fewer visits to relatives. D．Pressure from challenging work.‎ ‎30．How does the author feel about “the loneliness disease”？‎ A．It is hard to cure. B．It is avoidable.‎ C．It needs official support most. D．It relies on doctors’ work.‎ ‎31．What can be a suitable title for the text?‎ A．Building a Close Relationship B．Measures of Avoiding Loneliness C．The Risk of Being Lonely D．Fighting Against Loneliness D Babies made from three people approved in UK Babies made from two women and one man have been approved by the UK’s fertility regulator. The historic and controversial move is to prevent children from being born with deadly genetic ‎ diseases.‎ Doctors in Newcastle — who developed the advanced form of In Vitro Fertilization or IVF (人工授精) — are expected to be the first to offer the procedure and have already appealed for donor eggs. The first such child could be born, at the earliest, by the end of 2017.‎ Some families have lost multiple children to incurable mitochondrial (线粒体的) diseases, which can leave people with insufficient energy to keep their heart beating.‎ The diseases are passed down from only the mother, so a technique using a donor egg as well as the mother’s egg and father’s sperm has been developed.‎ The resulting child has a tiny amount of their DNA from the donor, but the procedure is legal and reviews say it is ethical (伦理的) and scientifically ready.‎ ‎“It is a decision of historic importance,” said Sally Cheshire, chairwoman of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA). “I’m sure patients will be really pleased by what we’ve decided today.”‎ But some scientists have questioned the ethics of the technique, saying it could open the door to genetically-modified(转基因) ‘designer’ babies.‎ The HFEA must approve every clinic and every patient before the procedure can take place. Three-person babies have been allowed only in cases where the risk of a child developing mitochondrial disease is very high.‎ Prof Mary Herbert, from the Newcastle Fertility Centre, said, “It is enormously pleasing that our many years of research in this area can finally be applied to help families affected by these devastating diseases”.‎ ‎“Now that we are moving forward towards clinical treatments, we will also need donors to donate eggs for use in treatment to prevent affected women transmitting disease to their children.”‎ Prof Sir Doug Turnbull, the director of the Welcome Centre for Mitochondrial Research at Newcastle University, said, “We are delighted by today’s decision. We will also provide long-term follow up of any children born.”‎ NHS England has agreed to fund the treatment costs of the first trial of three-person IVF for those women who meet the HFEA criteria, as long as they agree to long-term follow up of their children after they are born.‎ ‎32．Why is it historically important to approve babies made from three people?‎ A．It helps couples who lose the ability to give birth to a baby.‎ B．It marks a foundation stone to change babies’ appearances before birth.‎ C．It turns out to be an advanced form of in Vitro Fertilization.‎ D．It stops deadly genetic diseases passing down to newly-born babies.‎ ‎33．Which of the following is TRUE about mitochondrial diseases?‎ A．They pass down on to babies from their parents.‎ B．They prevent people’s heart from functioning normally.‎ C．Some children infected can be cured with proper treatment.‎ D．Babies can be infected with them through a donor’s egg.‎ ‎34．How can a clinic or a patient be approved of applying the three-person baby technique?‎ A．Only when the baby to be born needs it to survive.‎ B．Only when the patient gets financially prepared.‎ C．Only when the clinic gets scientifically ready.‎ D．Only when the technique is ethnically accepted.‎ ‎35．What is the author’s attitude towards the approval of babies made from three people?‎ A．Supportive B．Indifferent C．Worried D．Objective 第二节 七选五(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。‎ In a study recently published in the journal Neuron, researchers found that super memorizers don’t have unusually large brain regions that allow them to remember a lot of information. 36 Here are a few of their favorite tricks that can help you to remember things in your everyday life.‎ ‎ To Remember: New words ‎ Technique: Change routine ‎ In a study, a group of students studied a list of words in two separate sessions. Some studied in a messy room and some in a neat space. One group of students spent both sessions in the same room, while the other split the sessions between the two environments. During a test, the students who studied in multiple places remembered much more. 37 That includes the time of day, the music in the background, whether you sit or stand, etc.‎ To Remember: Your PIN Technique: Count it out ‎ You could use your birthday, or your phone number, but identity thieves have a way of figuring those numbers out. 38 Write a four-word sentence. Then count the number of letters in each word. For instance, “this is my PIN” =4223.‎ ‎ To Remember: Faces ‎ Technique: Focus on noses ‎ While some super memorizers specialize in associating names with faces, the memory-palace technique doesn’t work as well if the image of the face is changed in any way. Rather than focusing on eyes, as most people do, focus on the centre or to the left of a person’s nose. 39 ‎ ‎ To Remember: Facts & figures ‎ Technique: 40 ‎ ‎ To learn and remember statistics, reviewing the material repeatedly over a longer time is far more effective than repeating it in a shorter one. If your exam is in a week, study today and then again in a day or two. If it is a month away, study today and then wait a week before your second session.‎ ‎ A.Studies showed that varying other aspects of your environment can also help.‎ B.Value exams ‎ C.The theory is that your brain links the words to the environment around you.‎ ‎ D.This allows you to take in their whole face.‎ ‎ E.Their brain structures are in fact the same as the rest of ours.‎ ‎ F. Instead, try this tip from Dominic, an eight-time World Memory Champion.‎ ‎ G. Give yourself time 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。‎ Cats have no emotions. At least, that’s what my husband once claimed（声称）. I 41 that my two cats experience emotions. They feel anger, fear, and 42 . He agreed with me, but 43 his opinion that cats don’t feel love. 44 , my tuxedo cat, Sebastian, would teach him otherwise.‎ When my next-door neighbor moved in, he had a she cat named Juliet. She was an indoor lady, always watching 45 through the window.‎ Then one day when I 46 my cat to the backyard for his playtime, Sebastian 47 Juliet staring at him behind the window. It soon became 48 that they were attracted by each other. So every day there after, whenever I let Sebastian out, he would rush 49__to the backyard next-door and they would sit staring 50 at each other through the screen, she inside, and he outside. Even my husband watched 51 , and he would murmur, "But cats can’t feel love... can they?"‎ Five months later, my neighbor had to 52 because of work. My heart sank. I wondered how Sebastian would 53 to Juliet’s leaving. For months after Juliet moved away and the new neighbor moved in, I often 54 Sebastian sitting by Juliet’s window, looking into the apartment 55 his lady. The new neighbor didn’t mind having the "Peeping Sebastian" after I 56 his reason for being there.‎ ‎ Sebastian 57 the small area outside that window as his territory(领土). Other male cats were allowed in the 58 , but not near Juliet’s window, which he guarded until his 59 .‎ Even now, when my husband and I walk through the backyard and see that window, he 60 me of the lesson Sebastian taught him that cats do indeed fall in love.‎ ‎41. A. quarreled B. discussed C. suggested D. argued ‎42. A. energy B. power C. happiness D. strength ‎43. A. referred to B. stuck to C. prepared for D. approved of ‎44. A. Therefore B. However C. Besides D. Meanwhile ‎45. A. the environment B. the sky C. her owner D. her boyfriend ‎46. A. forbade B. accompanied C. prevented D. left ‎47. A. called attention to B. caught sight of C. took charge of D. paid a visit to ‎48. A. innocent B. doubtful C. skillful D. clear ‎49. A. secretly B. quietly C. straight D. worriedly ‎50. A. lovingly B. angrily C. hungrily D. greedily ‎51. A. in trouble B. in sorrow C. in amazement D. in horror ‎52. A. move B. travel C. come D. stay ‎53. A. react B. reply C. reduce D. replace ‎54. A. took B. sensed C. met D. caught ‎55. A. in place of B. on the basis of C. in search of D. on account of ‎56. A. explained B. requested C. blamed D. asked ‎57. A. discovered B. marked C. preserved D. persuaded ‎58. A. street B. village C. window D. backyard ‎59. A. birthday B. survival C. death D. arrival ‎60. A. reminds B. informs C. tells D. cures 第二节 短文填空（共10小题；每小题1.5分，满分15分）‎ 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入合适的内容（一个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。‎ Can you imagine the world full of crying and shouting, 61 (cover) in darkness? However, it’s not just a joke. It’s a real description of a world without happiness and 62 (laugh).‎ If you compare our life ‎63 a pie, what would you put in if you were in charge of making the pie? 64 (obvious), many people would add as much happiness as possible. Do you know why? It’s 65 happiness stands for sweetness in most people’s minds.‎ Don’t think of it just as a comparison. Happiness is a flower living in the sunshine, and 66 is not difficult to reach for it. We have a variety of 67 (emotion) like sadness, anger, fear, enthusiasm and happiness, and they all appear naturally when something 68 (affect) our feelings. So, if we can change our attitude to things in the world, we can certainly adjust our emotions. It means that we can choose to be happy if we want to, as long as we view everything in 69 positive way.‎ If we can be happy, why not choose to be? Let’s try together to create a world filled with 70 (smile) faces and sunshine.‎ 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）‎ 文中共有10处语言错误，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：在错的词下画一横线，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。‎ Last term, I went to America for a student exchange programme. Before go, I was quite proud in my English. But everyone in America spoke so fast that I couldn’t make out that what they were saying. Being in completely different culture was frightened and I even wanted to go straight back home.‎ However, thing soon got better and better. The host family was very king. Fortunately, the boy that I stay with was crazy about football, that made my stay enjoyable. Beside, being an exchange student offered me a chance improve my English.‎ 第二节 书面表达（满分25分）‎ 假定你是李华，你的留学生朋友James来信询问你市即将举办的中国民谣节（the Chinese Balled Festival）的情况，请给他回信。‎ 内容包括：‎ ‎1.举办的时间和地点；2.活动内容和目的；3.邀请James一同前往。‎ 注意：‎ ‎1.词数l00左右；2.可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。‎ ‎【参考答案】‎ 第一部分 听力（每小题1.5分，共30分）‎ ‎1—5 BCCBC　　　　6—10 BBAAB 11—15 BCBCB　　　16—20 CAACC 第二部分阅读理解（每小题2分，共40分）‎ ‎21—23 DAB 24—27 ADBB 28—-31 BABD 32—35 DBAD ‎ ‎36-40 EAFDG 第三部分 语言知识运用 第一节 完形填空（每小题1.5分，共30分）‎ ‎41-45DC BBA 46-50 BBDCA 51-55 CAADC 56-60 ABDCA 第二节 语法填空（每小题1.5分，共15分）‎ ‎61. covered 62. laughter 63. to 64. Obviously 65. because ‎ ‎66. it 67. emotions 68. affects 69. a 70. smiling 第四部分 写作 第一节 短文改错（10 分）‎ ‎1. before →going 2. proud →of 3. 去掉make out 后面的that ‎ ‎4. completely 前面加a 5. frightened →frightening 6. thing →things ‎ ‎7. with 前面的stay →stayed 8. made前的that →which 9. Beside →Besides ‎ ‎10. improve 前面加to 第二节 书面表达（满分25分）‎ Dear James, ‎ I’m really glad to tell you something about the Chinese Ballad Festival which is to be held in our city.‎ The festival will be held from 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm this Sunday at the People’s Art Theatre downtown. In order to promote Chinese folk culture, some famous Chinese ballad masters will give us eight excellent ballad shows, many of which will be on the stage for the first time. What is the most important expectation of the festival is an interactive activity between the audience and performers. I think the evening will be a feast for ballad lovers who are bound to enjoy themselves.‎ So I’d like to invite you to enjoy the ballad feast together. Looking forward to your reply.‎ ‎ Yours, ‎ Li Hua 听力原文 Text 1 ‎ W: I’m going to change my clothes as soon as I’ve finished typing this letter. ‎ M: Okay. Then we’ll take my car and go out for a meal.‎ Text 2 ‎ M: Hello, Madam. We have some really nice Tshirts on sale… Let me see. What about these dark blue jeans? They will look great with that Tshirt. And they are only $20.‎ W: How much is the Tshirt? I love both the Tshirt and the jeans! ‎ M: The Tshirt is $10. ‎ Text 3 ‎ M: I see you fell asleep in the lawn chair again. ‎ W: That chair is very comfortable. Do my eyes look really tired? ‎ M: No, but your face is very sunburned.‎ Text 4 ‎ W: It’s a very dry year. Are you using less water at your home? ‎ M: I do. But my wife doesn’t. She thinks our children need a daily bath. ‎ W: Water is very important for kids, but maybe she could give them a bath every other day. ‎ Text 5 ‎ W: The museum is open late on Fridays. We could see the new exhibition after work. ‎ M: The weekend would be a lot better. I have to work late this week to finish a report.‎ W: No problem. I told my nephew I’d take him to a baseball game on Saturday, though. ‎ Text 6 ‎ W: Mrs Thompson wants to see us, Jason.‎ M: Why? We shouldn’t be in trouble or anything. In fact, we were super active during the entire class discussion this morning.‎ W: That’s just it. I don’t think it’s a bad thing at all. I think she is going to ask us to run for class monitor! ‎ M: Whoa, really? That’s a lot of responsibility. ‎ W: Well, I think you’d be great at it! Besides, it’s a big honor to be asked to do it. It means that Mrs Thompson sees us as leaders.‎ M: I’m not sure if I can do it by myself, though. Could we do it together?‎ W: Let’s ask Mrs Thompson. I hear her coming in from the hallway now … ‎ Text 7 ‎ W: Mr Jones, I just got off the phone with Mr Dawson. He wants to schedule a meeting with you for later today or tomorrow. ‎ M: What does he want to talk about?‎ W: One of the factories that makes his products. He said it was pretty urgent. ‎ M: Well, I don’t want to stay too late like last night. My wife was not happy with me!‎ W: How about tomorrow at 11：‎00 a．m.? I checked your schedule, and the only thing you have that day is a phone call at 2：00 p．m. ‎ M: 11：00 tomorrow sounds fine. Can you set everything up and then email me all the information, please?‎ W: Of course. I was just about to go to lunch, actually. Do you want to join me?‎ M: I’d love to, but I have to look at some samples from a new customer. I’ll join you next time!‎ Text 8 ‎ M: Did you grab everything from the car? We should check before we leave this area. We have a long day of hiking ahead of us. ‎ W: Yes, I did it already. Where should we go now?‎ M: We’re going up to the top part of the mountain.‎ W: Is that where we get the tickets?‎ M: Yeah. It’s about a 20minute walk from here. ‎ W: That’s not so bad.‎ M: Just wait till we get the tickets. It’s a threehour hike from there to the top. ‎ W: How far is the lake from the top?‎ M: Another 40 minutes. We can have lunch at the top, or down by the water.‎ W: We had a late breakfast, so I can wait. I’m excited to see this lake. The guidebook says it changes color throughout the year.‎ M: That’s true. In the fall and winter, it’s sky blue because of the light reflecting off tiny pieces of ice in the lake. At this time of year, it turns green because of the plants that grow under ‎ the water. ‎ W: That’s so cool. It’s a good thing I brought my camera.‎ Text 9 ‎ M: Do you know there is a new art exhibition in the city?‎ W: No, I don’t. Is it being held at the City Exhibition Center?‎ M: I thought it was there at first, or at one of the popular art galleries. But no, and you would never guess where it is.‎ W: Come on, tell me.‎ M: It’s taking place inside the Metropolitan Shopping Center. ‎ W: Seriously? That’s so unusual. ‎ M: Yeah. I thought it was ridiculous, but now I find it kind of cool. ‎ W: What are they showing at the exhibition? Paintings? ‎ M: There’s a painting section, and most paintings are the works of contemporary artists. Only a few are painted by traditional painters. ‎ W: What’s the major difference between the two?‎ M: Well, contemporary artists’ works are more abstract compared with the classical style of traditional paintings.‎ W: I see. So what other sections are there?‎ M: There’s a photography section, a sculpture section and a video section. ‎ W: What’s being shown in the video section?‎ M: Short movies. It’s actually the second most popular section of all four after the photography section. ‎ W: Interesting. Which section is the least popular?‎ M: The sculpture one.‎ Text 10 ‎ Andrew had always looked up to his brother Dave, who was five years older. When Andrew turned 10, their father passed away after a long battle with cancer. Dave knew he was the only positive male role model for Andrew. The next year, Dave got his driver’s license and started driving his brother everywhere his father used to: school, soccer practice, friends’ houses, summer camp … anywhere Andrew needed to be. He also got a parttime job in the evenings to help his mother with ‎ the family expenses. Dave never thought about himself; he was always tired, but he knew he was doing the right thing. Several years later, Andrew was getting ready to graduate from high school at the top of his class. The headmaster asked him to give a speech in front of the whole school. The head of the entire school district was going to be there to introduce him. Andrew was honored, and he wrote his speech that night. The day of the graduation arrived. Dave was in the audience, along with his mother. Andrew said that he owed all his success to his older brother. He thanked Dave for showing him how to be a better person and a stronger man for his family. With tears in his eyes, he told Dave that their father was proud of both of them. Dave smiled through his own tears, because he finally knew it had all been worth it.‎