江西省宜春市高安中学2019-2020高一下学期期中考试英语（A）试卷

江西省宜春市高安中学2019-2020高一下学期期中考试英语（A）试卷

www.ks5u.com 英语试卷（A卷）‎ 第一节（共5小题；每小题1.5分，满分7.5分）‎ ‎ 听下面五段对话。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 does the man think of the woman?‎ A. She can make money. B. She doesn't like money.‎ C. She is careless with money.‎ ‎2. What would the man probably do?‎ A. To save 500 dollars. B. To have the engineer fix the computer.‎ C. To buy a new computer.‎ ‎3. Why is the man worried?‎ A. He must read a lot of books. B. He doesn’t like literature.‎ C. He can't get the books he needs.‎ ‎4. What does the man mean?‎ A. He likes to put money in the bank for security.‎ B. He doesn 't like to put money in the bank at all.‎ C. He doesn ' t like to save money.‎ ‎5. What is the man’s meaning?‎ A. He doesn't agree with her.‎ B. He tells her to be more careful.‎ C. He tells her not to worry too much.‎ 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. According to the conversation, what do they need?‎ A. Some turnips. B. Some help. C. A good attitude.‎ ‎7. Which of the statement is NOT right?‎ A. The woman thinks there is little hope to get help from Gail.‎ B. The man thinks Gail may give them some help.‎ C. They got help from Gail last year.‎ 听第7段材料，回答第8、9题。‎ ‎8. What is the woman expecting?‎ A. An important telephone. B. Her neighbor’s telephone.‎ C. An important guest.‎ ‎9. What's the man's suggestion?‎ A. He suggests the woman go out to find the people she is expecting.‎ B. He suggests the woman stay indoors.‎ C. He suggests the woman go out to relax.‎ 听第8段材料，回答第10至12题。‎ ‎10. What are they talking about?‎ A. The problem of aging population. B. Family planning.‎ C. The retirement age.‎ ‎11. What will the government do to settle the problem according to the conversation?‎ A. The government might need to encourage people to have more babies.‎ B. The government might need to increase the retirement age.‎ C. The government might need to increase working time.‎ ‎12. What may be the bad effect of an aging population?‎ A. There are more and more children in the world.‎ B. The population decreases greatly.‎ C. There are not enough workers to support the young and the elderly.‎ 听第9段材料，回答第13至16题。‎ ‎13. When does the woman think it is a good age to have a child?‎ A. When you are in your early twenties.‎ B. When you are in your late thirties.‎ C. When you are approximately thirty.‎ ‎14. Does the man have any child?‎ A. Yes. B. No. C. We are not sure of that.‎ ‎15. Which statement about teenagers is true?‎ A. Teenagers are often rebellious. B. They often succeed.‎ C. They get used to traditional life.‎ ‎16. Which is the best way to get along with teenagers?‎ A. To be as strict as possible. B. To be as lenient as possible.‎ C. To balance between A and B.‎ 听第10段材料，回答第17至20题。‎ ‎17. Why does the speaker say you are good at languages?‎ A. You already speak your own language very well.‎ B. You have been studying your own language since you were born.‎ C. You can speak different languages.‎ ‎18. How did you learn your own language according to the speaker?‎ A. By studying it.‎ B. By speaking it.‎ C. By hearing it.‎ ‎19. Of the following people, whose spoken English is probably the best?‎ A. A 10-year-old student who has lived in London for two years.‎ B. A 40-year-old Chinese who has studied English for three years.‎ C. A Chinese professor who is good at English grammar.‎ ‎20. What suggestion does the speaker give on learning English?‎ A. Speaking English as much as you can.‎ B. Listening to English as much as you can.‎ C. Learning English words as many as you can.‎ 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）‎ A If native speakers of English are not to become international corporate pariahs（社会遗弃者），they will need to learn how to speak global English—in other words, to communicate with non-native speakers.‎ Displeasure at the complexity of native speakers’ English is widespread in international business. During a study carried out at Kone Elevators of Finland, one Finnish manager complained, “The British are the worst... It is much more difficult to understand their English than that of other nationalities. When we non-native speakers of English talk, it is much easier to understand. We have the same limited vocabulary.”‎ How can native speakers of English make themselves more comprehensible and more likeable? The most obvious way is to learn someone else's language. The great benefit of learning other languages is that you have some idea of what non-native speakers are up against.‎ So what should native English-speakers do to make themselves better understood? First, slow down, but not to the point where members of your audience think you are patronizing them Second, avoid idiomatic and metaphorical expressions: such as the cookie crumbles, people in glass houses, and the like.‎ Jokes are a difficult area. You will not forget the silence that follows one that is found baffling. On the other hand, when jokes work, they can be a huge success with a non-native speaking audience.‎ It is often unnecessary to avoid longer words such as association and nationality , which are common to the Romance languages and will be widely understood in Europe and Latin America.‎ Listen to verbal responses for signs of whether you have been understood or not. Make sure your non-native speaking colleagues have the chance to talk; they will often be paraphrasing(解释) your words in an attempt to satisfy themselves that they have grasped what you said.‎ Always remember that the greatest friend of the non-native speakers is repetition. Find more than one way of getting your point across and summarize frequently.‎ ‎21. What does this passage show us?‎ A. The complexity of English.‎ B. How native speakers of English should learn.‎ C. How native speakers of English should improve.‎ D. The English is getting more and more important.‎ ‎22. From the passage what isn’t one of the best ways for native speakers of English to make themselves more comprehensible?‎ A. To decrease the vocabulary of English.‎ ‎ B. To slow down the speed of English properly.‎ C. To avoid using metaphorical expressions.‎ D. To try to tell some Jokes.‎ ‎23. Why do non-native speakers repeat the same words?‎ A. Because they want to keep them in mind.‎ B. Because they don’t understand them.‎ C. Because they wish to draw more attention.‎ D. Because they want to say they have understood.‎ B To many children, they feel anxious when it comes to mathematics. Children now, more than ever are struggling with math. What is the cause for concern and what can you do to fix it?‎ Studies show that students should learn math concepts in a spiral process. This has benefits, but also disadvantages. This means that a topic is introduced, opportunities for practice and response occur between the students and teachers, and then they move on to the next topic, As long as the skills are introduced, the children should (and will) see them again, and again. They are given enough opportunity to review what they learned as the teacher continues on with a specific unit. While this sounds great in theory, if students are truly struggling with a skill and they do not master it over time, nor do they seek help to understand the topic; there is no way they are going to be able to“use it”and apply it in order to build on another skill.‎ Math is loaded with vocabulary words, which can be terrifying to children if they don't understand what these math concepts mean. In some cases, teachers don't spend enough time discussing the terms or they don’t offer enough practice when using and applying the words in real life situations. Besides, memorizing terms is not enough. Students must be able to understand the words’ meaning and context.‎ The spiral approach to teaching math seems to be the preferred way but math is and should be systematic with learning basic facts. Children aren’t practicing repetitively at home with the basics in order to build speed. Also, older children tend to watch and listen to their teachers present their math lessons in class, and they go home and think they truly understand what was taught. But, for many students, when they pick up the pencil and paper to try a math problem on their own, they can't complete the problem independently.‎ ‎24. What topic does this text focus on?‎ A. The problem with math learning.‎ B. How to develop interest in math learning.‎ C. How to deal with fear and anxiety in learning.‎ D. The relationship between learning and teaching.‎ ‎25. What can we learn about the right approach to learning math from the text?‎ A. Making the concepts clear.‎ B. Remembering terms repeatedly.‎ C. Keeping moving on to the next topic.‎ D. Applying the new knowledge in imaginary situations.‎ ‎26. What useful information can we get from math learning from Paragraph 3?‎ A. Practice is far enough.‎ B. Using and applying is unnecessary.‎ C. Deep understanding is a key point.‎ D. Vocabulary learning is the most important for math.‎ ‎27. What is the best title for the text?‎ A. Concepts and vocabulary in math.‎ B. Doubt about spiral process in math.‎ C. How to help children learn independently.‎ D. Advice on helping children struggling with math.‎ C Who’s the boss？ Many workers say they have more than one, and that’s causing frustration and confusion in the office.‎ More than two-thirds of employees around the world say they have to consult with more than one boss to get their jobs done, according to a Gartner survey, and almost as many waste significant amounts of time waiting for guidance from senior leaders.The lack of clear goals has caused some employees to try to manage their managers.‎ A few years ago at a prior job, Girish Rishi had a boss who got distracted by every minor crisis or victory, leading to confusion for his subordinates, says Mr. Rishi, now CEO of JDA Software of Scottsdale, Arizona.‎ ‎“If there was news about a competitor, it would take up half a day,” he says. “If there was a customer win, the celebration would go on too long. Focusing on priorities was missing.”‎ ‎　Mr. Rishi says he tried his best to isolate his team from the chaos. He also developed his own management system based on efficiency. At JDA, a maker of supply-chain software, he requires meetings to be intensely focused and only eight or 30 minutes long, and he asks participants to submit materials 48 hours in advance.‎ While that isn’t always possible, Mr. Rishi says, he finds that for roughly 70% of all meetings, “people come prepared, they’ve summarized their thoughts and they’ve given us adequate information.”‎ Bosses now manage, on average， nine employees directly, up from five in 2008, according to Gartner, which can spread leaders so thin that they don’t have a close grasp of what their employees are doing. Only about 35% of employees surveyed in the Gartner poll last year say their manager understands their day-to-day work.‎ ‎“Managers are less likely to provide good feedback and coaching when they don’t understand what that employee’s workflow is,” says Brian Kropp, human resources leader at Gartner.‎ ‎28.What was the problem of Girish Rishi’s previous boss?‎ A. He asked all the subordinates to talk with him about their work.‎ B. He gave unclear guidance to his subordinates.‎ C. He required his subordinates to manage their managers.‎ D. He didn't know what should be given top priority.‎ ‎29. What did Girish Rishi do to solve the problem caused by his boss?‎ A. He developed his own management system focusing on efficiency.‎ B. He tried to get a grasp of his subordinate’s workflow.‎ C. He asked the participants to provide feedback after meetings.‎ D. He limited the meeting time to 30 minutes.‎ ‎30. What is the result of bosses managing more employees directly?‎ A. They are so busy that they are becoming thin.‎ B. They have less understanding of the employees' day-to-day work.‎ C. They can 't submit good materials in meetings.‎ D. Their work efficiency is greatly reduced.‎ ‎31. What is the best title for the passage?‎ A. Understanding Employees' Work Is Important.‎ B. Work Efficiency Means Working Hard.‎ C. Limiting Meeting Time Is Necessary.‎ D. Too Many Bosses Means Too Little Time.‎ D Born in the Netherlands in 1853, van Gogh led a simple life in a small town until the age of 16. He then left school and joined a firm of art dealers in the large city of The Hague. He eventually realized that dealing with others’ artwork was not his profession. His true love was to become an artist himself.‎ He devoted much of his time to learning the fundamentals of drawing. Van Gogh believed that to become a great painter, one must first master the ability to draw. It was only after he was comfortable in this area that he began to use oil paints. That is when he developed a style and talent for color that made him one of the most respected artists of all time.‎ Van Gogh’s paintings are amazing representations of his view of the world. The colors jump off the canvas（画布）, not only because of their brightness but also because of the brush strokes（笔画）. Van Gogh avoided light, feathery strokes, which would portray typical subjects. Instead, he used his brush and oils to make layers that built the painting until it was almost three-dimensional.‎ Perhaps one of the most memorable examples of van Gogh’s use of color and brush style is his painting The Starry Night. The sky swirls（打旋）across the canvas, while the stars shine with unearthly brightness. Each brush stroke creates the image of movement. Under the sky rests a village painted with smaller strokes and finer detail, giving the impression of peace. A large tree in the foreground suggests that the view is enjoyed from the top of a hill, which offers a glance of the beauty of the night sky. The Starry Night shows van Gogh’s great ability to create a powerful image with simple subjects.‎ Van Gogh spent only the last ten years of his life painting. He is believed to have sold only one of the 900 paints he created during those years. Yet van Gogh today is considered one of the greatest artists of all time. His influence is evident; many painters mimic his style and use of color. His artwork can be found in museums all over the world and is valued in the millions of dollars,an evidence for Vincent Van Gogh’s talent.‎ 32. According to the text, van Gogh learned how to paint by .‎ A. reading many books about art.‎ B. closely observing the world around him.‎ C. carefully studying the techniques of others.‎ D. familiarizing himself with basic techniques.‎ ‎33. Which of the following does the author seem to admire most about van Gogh’s paintings?‎ A. The brushwork. B. The mood. C. The images. D. The themes.‎ ‎34. Why does the author refer to The Starry Night?‎ A. To praise van Gogh’s ability.‎ B. To show van Gogh’s respect of nature.‎ C. To show van Gogh’s style for painting.‎ D. To indicate van Gogh’s feelings about his art.‎ ‎35. What does the underlined word “mimic”in the last paragraph probably mean?‎ A. Copy B. Praise C. Acknowledge D. Improve 第二节（共5小题，每小题2分，满分10分）‎ Perhaps at one point in time, it is acceptable to start any letter or e-mail with “To Whom It May Concern”. 1. Starting your cover letter or e-mail for a job this way might give the impression that you didn’t do your research on who you’re writing to. 2. After all, people who address other people by their names when writing and speaking to them tend to be more pleasant.‎ ‎3. It can be used in letters of recommendation or reference, formal complaints（抱怨）made to a company, letters of introduction, and letters of interest.‎ Grammarly uses the example of needing to write a letter of recommendation for a colleague who will have to make several copies to distribute to interviewers. 4. “In most cases, though, try to narrow your focus rather than cast a broad net,” notes Grammarly. “Ask yourself ‘Who does this e-mail concern?’ If you can honestly answer ‘Anyone’, then feel free to use “To Whom It May Concern”.（These are the things you should never say in your cover letter.）‎ If you do happen to find that using “To Whom May Concern” is appropriate , don’t make grammar mistakes, for example , letters or punctuation. 5. .‎ A. You might want to take note of other common errors you might be committing, too.‎ B. But according to Grammarly, there are four times when it’s OK to use this greeting.‎ C. Making mistakes in writing will surely get you low scores.‎ D. It’s also very impersonal, and some employers might not appreciate it.‎ E. In that circumstance, sending and receiving letters is more of a formal greeting.‎ F. However, it may be interesting.‎ G. Those times have changed, though.‎ 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）‎ Since I became a mother, I can’t remember the last time I had spare time to myself. All my spare time ___41___ taking care of the family, doing chores and working. I guess that is part of ___42___. Of course, I take responsibility for being a mother and try my best to maximize my time.‎ ‎ But as the years passed, I realized that the chores soon seemed ___43___. It seems I can never finish my to-do list. Even if I try to ___44___ all of it, new tasks always come up. I try to prioritize my tasks but still feel ___45___ at the end of the day. I try to share the ___46___ with my family, but I still have little time to myself.‎ ‎ I always hoped for “me time”. And when I say me time, I only ___47___ being able to have a shower without rushing or watching a movie without being ___48___ by my kids. But I didn’t give much ___49___ about that “me time” until recently.‎ ‎ After long years of ___50___, my visa application was approved and I had to travel to a new country all by myself to start a new job. ___51___ the company only paid for my airfare, my family will have to ___52___ at a later date.‎ ‎ So now, I’m alone in an apartment and I can do whatever I want. But ___53___ it hasn’t made me happy. I feel ___54___ without my family. No more daily routine of nagging the kids to help me with the chores. I also feel like something in me is ___55___. I spend nights crying myself to sleep to ___56___ the loneliness.‎ ‎ I came to ___57___ that making time for me doesn’t mean being away from those I love. I can still have “me time”, even if I have my ___58___ around. I can prioritize and plan. I can ___59___ my attitude and approach toward chores. Life wouldn’t be the same without the people you love near you. I hope my family can ___60___ me soon.‎ ‎41. A. went by B. turned out C. referred to D. dealt with ‎42. A. motherhood B. growth C. adventure D. faith ‎43. A. interesting B. unusual C. endless D. important ‎44. A. accept B. complete C. gather D. evaluate ‎45. A. ashamed B. accomplished C. exhausted D. nervous ‎46. A. plans B. idea C. experience D.responsibilities ‎47. A. mean B. enjoy C. keep D. practice ‎48. A. accompanied B. interrupted C. required D. complained ‎49. A. thought B. care C. advice D. doubt ‎50. A. checking B. studying C. working D. waiting ‎51. A. If B. Unless C. Although D. Since ‎52. A. continue B. approach C. follow D. return ‎53. A. suddenly B. surprisingly C. certainly D. naturally ‎54. A. annoyed B. confused C. guilty D. lonely ‎55. A. missing B. rising C. shining D. appearing ‎56. A. avoid B. remember C. ease D. feel ‎57. A. imagine B. decide C. admit D. realize ‎58. A. son B. friends C. family D. dream ‎59. A. choose B. change C. maintain D. express ‎60. A. join B. help C. contact D. protect 第二节（共10分；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（不多于3个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。‎ A trip is worth a thousand toys My son had just gotten home from school and 61 (wander)about the house, deciding how he might occupy himself. I figured it was as good a time as any 62 (turn) my 4-year-old into a guinea pig(实验对象), if just for a few seconds. I asked my son, kneeling down to his level, if he could have the best toy in the world 63 the best one-day trip in the world, which would he pick? He replied quickly, 64 (flash) his usual smile, “I would go on a trip because I love taking trips. ”Good answer, kid.‎ People gain greater happiness even from the absolute expectation of an experience 65 the expectation of buying goods. But when it comes to 66 (make)children happy, often our money is better spent elsewhere: on trips to the museum,the zoo and other ‎ places 67 the emphasis is on doing, not just having. Of course, parents can also provide 68 (meaning) experiences for their kids without spending anything at all.‎ We're fortunate to live near a number of 69 (park) and we do our best to take advantage of them, weather permitting. I wouldn't be surprised if 70 a lazy Saturday morning, he tapped me on the shoulder and asked, “Mommy, are we going on the best trip in the world today?”‎ 第四部分写作（共两节：满分35分）‎ 第一节 短文改错（共十小题：每小题1分，满分10分）‎ 假定英语课上老师要求同学之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，要求你在错误的地方增加、删除或修改某个单词。增加：在缺词处加一个漏词符号（/），并在该句下面写出该加的词。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。‎ More than one American child dislike getting advice from their family member.They turn to “strangers”.When they need advice, they don't usually go to people they know them.Instead many of them wrote letters to newspapers and magazines that give advice in many different subjects. Most newspapers regular print letters from readers with problems. Along with letters there are answers. The answers are written by people who are supposing to know how to solve so difficult problems. Some of these writers are doctors, and others are lawyers or educators. So two of the most famous writers of advice are women without special training for this kind of work.‎ 第二节 书面表达（满分25分）‎ ‎ 假定你是星光中学高二学生李华。最近你所在的城市开始使用英语双语指示路牌。请你根据以下提示给你英国的好友Jerry 写一封英文邮件，大概介绍一下这件事情。‎ 要点提示：‎ ‎1. 所在城市的主要交通要道和景点都更换成了双语指示路牌；‎ ‎2. 更换路牌的原因；3. 使用双语路牌的好处。‎ 注意：1. 词数100左右；2. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。 ‎ 参考词汇：双语的-bilingual 路牌-road signs 景点-hot tourist attractions 高一英语A卷答案:‎ 听力：1-5 C C A B A 6-10 B C A C A 11-15 B C C B A 16-20 C A C A B ‎ 阅读理解：21-23 C A D 24-27 A A C D 28-31 D A B D 32-35 D A C A ‎ 七选五：36-40 G D B E A 完形填空：41-45 B A C B C 46-50 D A B A D 51-55 D C B D A 56-60 C D C B A ‎ 语法填空 ‎61. was wandering 62.to turn 63. or 64. flashing 65. than ‎66.making 67. where 68.meaningful 69.parks 70.on 短文改错 More than one American child dislike getting advice from their family ‎ ‎ dislikes member.They turn to “strangers”.When they need advice, they don't ‎ members usually go to people they know them.Instead many of them wrote letters to ‎ write ‎ newspapers and magazines that give advice in many different subjects. Most ‎ ‎ on newspapers regular print letters from readers with problems. Along with ∧‎ ‎ regularly the letters there are answers. The answers are written by people who are supposing ‎ ‎ supposed to know how to solve so difficult problems. Some of these ‎ such ‎ writers are doctors, and others are lawyers or educators. So two of the most ‎ ‎ But famous writers of advice are women without special training for this kind of work.‎ 写作 Dear Jerry,‎ How is everything ? I write to you to tell you about what changes have taken place in my city. By the end of last month, many roads signs, which used to appear in Chinese Pinyin, had been replaced by bilingual ones, standing along the main traffic roads and in the hot tourist attractions in our city.‎ In the past, with the road signs in Chinese only, many foreigners didn’t know Chinese well and lost their way frequently in our city. As more and more foreigners have come to our city, the city government has changed the words on those signs into both Chinese and English. The efforts will make it more convenient for foreigners to travel, live and study. Meanwhile, the efforts can help the city develop much better and faster.‎ Next time you are in our city, you’ll have no difficulty getting around in it.‎ ‎ Yours truly,‎ ‎ Li Hua 听力原文 Text I W: I would certainly like to buy the brown suit I saw in the store, but I don t have enough money.‎ M: Well, if you would cut down some of your expenses, you would be able to buy it.‎ Text 2‎ W: The engineer said it would cost 500 dollars to have the computer fixed.‎ M: We might as well spend 500 dollars more to buy a new one then.‎ Text 3‎ M: I think this literature course is interesting, but it's very difficult. I’ll never get through the reading list.‎ W: Don't worry. You’ll find the time somehow.‎ Text 4‎ W: Many people put their money in the bank because it leads to no risk.‎ M: Put money in the bank? That’s the last thing I would do.‎ Text 5‎ W: I' m worried about sending Jim to college. Most college students are so wild nowadays.‎ M: Only a few are, Mrs.Green. Most students are too busy studying to have time to get into trouble.‎ Text 6‎ W: They'll never help us. You know that old saying, "You can't get blood out of a turnip.”‎ M: I know. I know. But that’s no reason not to ask them.‎ W: We asked them last year and what did they say?‎ M: Actually, they didn't say anything.‎ W: Yeah. They didn’t say anything and they didn't do anything.‎ M: I think they might do something this year. I was talking to Gail last week and I thought I detected a more friendly attitude.‎ W: There you go with your optimism! Don't get your hopes too high!‎ M: I won't, but it doesn’t hurt to expect the best. Sometimes you get it!‎ Text 7‎ W: Did you hear the telephone ring?‎ M: I didn't hear anything.‎ W: I thought I heard it ring two or three times.‎ M: Sometimes when the windows are open you can hear the neighbor’s phone.‎ W: Well, I'm expecting an important phone call, and I don't want to miss it.‎ M: Is it anything I should know about?‎ W: Not really. It has something to do with work and doesn't really affect us here at home.‎ M: Well, why don't you go out and do what you wanted to do outside I'Il call you if the phone rings for you.‎ W: Thanks. I think I will. I've been waiting so long, now I'm getting nervous. I need to relax outdoors.‎ Text 8‎ M: What’s the life expectancy in your country?‎ W: I’m not sure, but probably about 75 years. How about in your country?‎ M: About 70, I think. This newspaper article talks about the problems of an aging population. It’s a problem that will soon affect most of the world.‎ W: I heard that the government might need to increase the retirement age, because otherwise there will not be enough workers to support the young and the elderly.‎ M: Perhaps we need to have more babies! Tina gave birth to a baby boy yesterday.‎ W: Did she? That’s great. However, if we have too many children, that will have a ‎ bad effect on the environment.‎ Text 9‎ M: How’s your son these days?‎ W: Oh, he’s fine. Kids seem to grow up very quickly nowadays.‎ M: He’ll be a teenager before you know it! Teenagers are often rebellious! When do you think it is a good age to have a child?‎ W: I had mine when I was 24. That’s a little young. I’d suggest you wait until you are in your late twenties or even in your early thirties if you have a good career.‎ M: Yes, I think you’re right. I’m thinking about having a child, but not just yet.‎ W: Is there a big generation gap between parent and their children in your country?‎ M: Yes, there is. Teenagers do not want to live traditional lives. They want to go out, have fun, and explore the world. They want to develop their own view of life. Parents usually try to discourage them, but they don’t often succeed.‎ W: Parents usually give their children more freedom in my country. Sometimes they give them too much freedom.‎ M: It’s almost impossible to get the right balance. If you are too strict, kids might ignore you. If you are too lenient, they might go wild.‎ Text 10‎ ‎ You are good at languages. That’s obvious, because you already speak one language very well – your own language. And if you can learn and speak one language well, you can certainly learn and speak other languages well.‎ ‎ But have you ever asked yourself, “How did I learn my own language?” In fact, you never really “learned” it at all – you just started speaking it. When you were two or three years old, you started speaking a few words at first. But you spoke, and very soon you made progress without even thinking about it.‎ ‎ It was the result of hearing. Before you spoke, you heard people speaking your language all day and maybe all night. Maybe you listened to people, but more importantly you heard them. Then you started to speak. All that hearing was necessary for you to start speaking. For two or three years, words went into your head. Then words came out of your head! This is why listening to English as much as possible is so important to you. The more English you put in, the more you will get out.‎