英语卷·2017届湖南省衡阳市高三下学期第二次联考试题 （2017-04）

英语卷·2017届湖南省衡阳市高三下学期第二次联考试题 （2017-04）

‎2017届高中毕业班联考(二)‎ 英语能力测试 注意事项：‎ ‎1．本试卷分第I卷(选择题)和第Ⅱ卷(非选择题)两部分。时量120分钟，满分150分。‎ ‎2．答题前，考生务必将自己的姓名、准考证号填写在本试卷相应的位置。‎ ‎3．全部答案在答题卡上完成，答在本试卷上无效。‎ ‎4．考试结束后，将本试卷和答题卡一并交回。‎ 第I卷 第一部分听力(共两节，满分30分)‎ ‎ 做题时，先将答案标在试卷上，录音内容结束后，你将有两分钟的时间将试卷上的答案转涂到答题卡上。‎ 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．Where does the conversation most probably take place?‎ A．In a restaurant． B．In the woman’s house． C．In a sch001．‎ ‎2．What is the woman supposed to find quickly?‎ A．The restaurant． B．A clinic． C．Lady’s room．‎ ‎3．Why doesn’t the Care usually accept large parties?‎ A．Small tables． B．Poor service C．Lack of waitresses．‎ ‎4．What keeps the woman so busy?‎ A．She can’t feel her neck for hours．‎ B．She wants to scold Sarah for such a short notice．‎ C．She has to finish the report before noon ‎5．How many brothers and sisters are younger than the woman?‎ A．Nine． B．Eight． C．Seven．‎ 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．What can we learn about the speakers?‎ A．They’re friends． B．They’re strangers． C．They’re relatives．‎ ‎7．What makes the man feel tired?‎ A．Working in the sun．B．Carrying the woman’s books．C．Going over his English．‎ 听第7段材料，回答第8、9题。‎ ‎8．How will the speakers redecorate their house?‎ A．By painting the wall in blue B．By repainting the living room C．By drawing a picture on the curtain．‎ ‎9．What will the two speakers do first?‎ A．Buy some paint． B．Make a plan． C．Visit a country—style house．‎ 听第8段材料，回答第10至12题。‎ ‎10．What does the woman major in?‎ A．Music． B．Maths． C．Computer．‎ ‎11．What is the man worried about?‎ A．Distance learning． B．Maths problems． C．Musical knowledge．‎ ‎12．What is necessary for the optional course?‎ A．Reading music． B．Computer skills． C．Attendance．‎ 听第9段材料，回答第13至16题。‎ ‎13．What is the man’s departure date?‎ A．The 24th． B．The 23rd． C．The 22nd．‎ ‎14．How long is the man’s short stop between flights?‎ A．Less than 2 hours． B．Less than 1 hour． C．More than 3 hours．‎ ‎15．What request did the man make regarding his flight?‎ A．He requested certain departure and arrival times．‎ B．He asked for a specially—prepared dinner．‎ C．He wanted a seat near the front of the plane ‎16．What is the price of the booked flight?‎ ‎ A．$980． B．$1070． C．$1090．‎ 听第10段材料，回答第17至20题。‎ ‎17．What’s the talk mainly about?‎ ‎ A．The development of the bicycle．‎ ‎ B．The materials of making the bicycle．‎ ‎ C．The process of bicycle’s becoming popular．‎ ‎18．What is the disadvantage of the bicycle before MacMillan’s design?‎ ‎ A．The bicycle couldn’t change directions．‎ ‎ B．The wheels of the bicycle weren’t well fixed．‎ ‎ C．The rider’s feet couldn’t leave the ground．‎ ‎19．When was the size of the bicycle’s wheels changed?‎ ‎ A．In 1817． B．In 1839． C．In 1869．‎ ‎20．What happened in 1884 7‎ ‎ A．Bicycles first had rubber tires．‎ ‎ B．The“safety bicycles”appeared．‎ ‎ C．Bicycles could Fun faster．‎ 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 A HEARTFEIT STORY OF HUMAN INGENUITY ‎ Now Playing In IMAX@ and Giant Screen Theatres!‎ ‎ Narrated by Academy Award@ winner Jeff Bridges，edited by Stephen Judson and directed by Greg MacGillivray，Dream Big：Engineering Our World is a first of its kind film for IMAX@ and giant screen theatres that will transform how we think about engineering．From the Great Wall of China and the world’s tallest buildings，to underwater robots， solar ears and smart， sustainable cities，Dream Big celebrates the human ingenuity(独创性)behind engineering marvels big and small．and reveals the heart that drives engineers to create better lives for people around the world．The film is aimed at exposing teenagers from all backgrounds to what engineering is．The film hits IMAX theaters nationwide on February 17．‎ The film reveals that engineering has been at its core far more than math and science；‎ it is just as much about getting creative ,and about helping people and changing the world –Shaun Macgillivray Producer EXPERIENCE DREAM BIG in a theatre near you! Theatre Listings More About Dream Big The project is so big，it is more than a movie—it’s part of a movement aimed at bringing engineering into the forefront of our culture．Dream Big is the first giant—screen film to answer the call of the STEM(Science，Technology，Engineering，Math)initiative，which aims to inspire kids of diverse backgrounds to become the innovators who will improve the lives of people across our entire planet as we head into the 21st Century and beyond．That’s why the film will be accompanied by ongoing educational，museum and community efforts…‎ ‎ Today’s young dreamers will engineer tomorrow’s future—what a great time to start dreaming BIG! The Dream Big project encompasses(包含)resources and programs designed for students，‎ teachers．engineers and science centers，including 50+hands—on activities，lesson plans，design challenge exhibits，videos and more．‎ ‎ Educational Resources GET IN TOUCH P．O．Box 205 Laguna Beach，CA 92652 U．S．A．‎ Tel：949—494—1055‎ contact@ macfreefilms．com ‎21．The film Dream Big is probably a___________‎ A．cartoon film B．documentary film C．comedy film D．science fiction film ‎22．The stories in the film are told by__________‎ A．Jeff Bridges B．Stephen Judson C．Greg MacGillivray D．Shaun Macgillivray ‎23．You can get in touch by the following means EXCEPT________‎ A．by writing letters B．by making a call C．by sending short messages D．by writing an email B Recalling their college days，friends Miguel Amaro，Ben Grech and Mariano Kostelec all say that their biggest problem was finding somewhere to live in the first place．‎ As an international student from Argentina，Mariano had to pay 1 2 months’rent in advance to get his place in London．Dutchman Miguel booked some super—-expensive residence in Nottingham because he didn’t know any better．Ben from the UK was looking around the streets of Nottingham knocking on doors trying to find a place．‎ A year after graduating from universities respectively，the three men realized that there was a business opportunity．They came up with a plan to create an online marketplace matching students with accommodation．So in 2011 the three started work on their business and website Uniplaces．‎ They invested around￡50，000．Later that year they won first round funding of 200，000 euros led by the founder of UK property website Zoopla．‎ From there it was down to business，getting a permanent office in Lisbon，Portugal and attracting landlords(房东)to join the site and checking properties(房产)．The Uniplaces website was then officially launched in 2013，with an initial 50 properties in the Portuguese capital listed onthe site．‎ Mariano，28，says：“We picked Lisbon as our first city as it totally made sense to stay here．It is a low—cost，good location with access to great talent such as good engineers，and people with excellent language skills，which is great when dealing with so many international students．”‎ Students using Uniplaces pay one month’S rent in advance via the website，and the sum goes through to the landlord 24 hours after they move in．Thereafter they pay directly to the landlord Uniplaces takes a service fee of 20—25％of the student’S first month’s rent．‎ Since its launch，three million nights have been booked through the platform，which currently lists over 40，000 properties．The company has now employed 132 employees．Revenues grew four—fold in 2016 compared to the previous year．But it hasn’t been all plain—sailing for the three entre—preneurs·‎ ‎24．We can learn that Miguel Amaro comes from____________‎ A．Portugal B．the Netherlands C．the U．K． D．Argentina ‎25．What is the possible relationship among the three people?‎ A．Classmates． B．Roommates． C．Competitors． D．Partners．‎ ‎26．The website Uniplaces is intended to________‎ A．find accommodation for students B．rent rooms for tourism visitors C．sell properties for the landlords D．evaluate properties for residents ‎27．Which of the following is most likely to be talked about after the last paragraph?‎ A．Tendencies of the online accommodation industry．‎ B．Advantages of making full use of the Internet．‎ C．Obstacles in the course of starting the business．‎ D．The development of the company in the future．‎ C While the world is still debating the safety of self—driving Cars，Dubai，in the United Arab Emirates(UAE)，is preparing to launch autonomous aerial(空中的)taxi．Starting in July，passengers will be able to take the world’S first passenger drone，the EHang 184，to transport them to their desired destination without having to deal with Dubai’S crowded freeways．‎ The pilot—less drone weighs 440 pounds and Can fly at heights of up to 11，500 feet．Powered by eight propellers，the four—legged，egg—shaped vehicle has room for a single passenger weighing up to 220 pounds and a small suitcase．The aerial taxi can reach speeds of up to 100 mph．‎ Riders can ask for the flying taxi to pick them up from designated zones using the company’s smart—phone app．When the drone arrives，he／she straps into the seat，selects one of the pre—pro—grammed destinations on the touchscreen，and sits back and enjoys the flight．To ensure the passenger’s safety，all flights are monitored remotely by a control room on the ground．‎ In the unlikely event that any of the components malfunction，the EHang 184 will make an emergency landing in the closest possible area to ensure the customer’s safety．The drone is also programmed to conduct complex calculations to ensure its route won’t collide with that of another drone．While having no control over the remotely piloted vehicle may appear scary，the manufacturer，China—based EHang，says，“It is the safest，smartest and eco—friendly low altitude autonomous aerial vehicle．”The only drawback? The EHang 184 has a flight range of just 31 miles，which means that those with longer commutes(通勤)are out of luck．Also unknown，is the cost of each fide．‎ Though the aerial taxi is radical，it is not the first driver—less transportation option available to Dubai’s residents．As part of its goal to have 25％of public transit be automated by 2030，the authorities have built the world’s first driver—less subway and introduced the world’s first self—‎ navigating shuttles to transport visitors and residents in downtown Dubai．‎ ‎28．What do you learn about the EHang 1847‎ A．It looks like a typical plane in appearance B．It is powered by four powerful propellers．‎ C．It can carry only one passenger at a time D．It can travel at the speed of up to 100 kph．‎ ‎29．The underlined word“malfunction”in the fourth paragraph means“________”‎ A．go wrong B．get stuck C．become worn D．stay normal ‎30．According to the passage，which of the following is one of the disadvantages of the EHang 1847？‎ A．The high ride cost． B．A smaller flight range．‎ C．A shorter battery life． D．Unknown safety concern ‎31．What words can be used to best describe Dubai in terms of autonomous transportation?‎ A．A navigator． B．A follower． C．A victim． D．A pioneer D In my own quest to temporarily avoid whatever bothers me，I find a respite(喘息)in a particular kind of television：teen dramas．‎ Every Thursday night lately I find myself a seat at the diner of Pop’s Chock’Lit Shoppe and watch“Riverdale”．It tells the story of some teenagers who’ve been around for more than 75[来源]‎ years．Airing on the CW，“Riverdale”holds my attention even when they get unrealistic Teen dramas like “Riverdale” have gradually become popular with fans of all ages around the world．In 2014，a comedy series called“Jane the Virgin”first aired on the CW。and though viewers were slow to catch on，the show quickly gained recognition，including a Golden Globe nomination for best musical and a win for its star，Gina Rodriguez．‎ Television has long been considered as a place where we can explore lives so unlike our own．Whether discovering the fantastical battles for power in the seven kingdoms of“Game of Thrones”or following four friends as they navigate romance in“Sex in the City”．television is a place where we can be anyone but ourselves and stay away from boring daily routines．‎ Teen dramas have a function to surprise and delight viewers，and that’S what makes them the perfect watching experience．At a time when SO much of the future seems uncertain，teen dramas like“Riverdale”provide US with a temporary comfort．‎ I want my television time to be a period of comfort and ease．For the briefest moment，1 want to pretend to live in a town where the only news of the day is whether Veronica Lodge and Archie Andrews really kissed during seven minutes in heaven．‎ Maybe as an adult，I should be more invested in the political news．But at a time when we’re always connected to the news around US and everything is moving at the pace of 4G，teen dramas are exactly what I need and love now．I look forward to that one hour each night where I can get relaxed，turn off my smartphone and pretend to be somewhere else．‎ ‎32．What may be the best title for the text?‎ A．Teen Dramas：My Cup of Tea B．Teen Dramas：A Piece of Cake C．Teen Dramas：A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing D．Teen Dramas：A White Lie ‎33．Pop’S Chock’Lit Shoppe is probably a________‎ A．cinema B．theater C．restaurant D．comedy ‎34．What can we infer about“Jane the Virgin”?‎ A．It became a hit overnight． B．It is a classic tragedy series．‎ C．It won a Golden Globe prize． D．It was little known initially．‎ ‎35．ne writer tends to___________‎ A．1ive close to nature B．escape from reality C．hate comedy series D．watch political news 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人空白处的最佳选项，选项中有两项为多余选项。‎ With the Internet growing larger and larger，the amount of reading material grows larger as well．Therefore，if you have any intention of reading a lot of material，then it is important that you learn how to absorb what you read efficiently and quickly．‎ ‎◆ 36 Your mind will be able to focus better at certain times of the day，and being able to focus is an important aspect of retaining(保留)information．Go to find a place to read where your mind is able to concentrate．This may be someplace secret where no one will bother you，or simply your home at a time when it is quiet．‎ ‎◆Get relaxed．If you’re in a rush to finish reading，you’re not going to be able to give it your full attention． 37 When you want to retain what you’re reading，make sure that you have enough time distributed．‎ ‎◆Separate the important details from the unimportant details．Unless you’re reading a very dense(密集的)article，you’ll likely encounter a lot of words and phrases that aren’t very important．‎ ‎38‎ ‎◆Pause every once in a while to take in what you’re reading．Instead of reading the article straight through from beginning to end，pause for a while to think back on what you’ve just read．In particular，you should pause and reflect when you’ve just read all important passage that you know you’ll want to retain． 39‎ ‎◆Take notes as you read．When reading all article，taking notes might seem like a strange thing to do 40 You’ll be reinforcing the concepts a second time．This aids extremely with retention and memory．‎ A．Read when you are available．‎ B．Read when you are absorbed．‎ C．Details will enter your mind but will not be committed to memory D．However，writing down information uses a different area of your brain than reading does．‎ E．Skim through your reading and focus on the parts that are interesting or important F．By reading the material a second time，you’ll know exactly what to expect and what to focus on．‎ G．By reflecting，you’re essentially taking in the information twice，and that helps to commit it to memory．‎ 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。‎ I was standing at the corner of 66th and Broadway，waiting to cross．A woman 41 from my right，pushing a baby—car．I watched the mother push it into the busy street，and I 42 ，“Oh，‎ no，she’s going to get hit．” 43 before reaching out to her，I 44 for five seconds．‎ In my mind，I could see the woman losing hold of the baby—car， 45 the child falling from it．I also could feel the 46 of not knowing what to do，what to say.‎ ‎“What are you doing?”a man shouted．His 47 brought me back to 48 the man had come out of nowhere，and pulled her 49 just in time to 50 the speeding taxi. The woman was 51 ．as she had been unaware of her near death．The man glared at her．Was he 52 that the woman seemed so absent—minded? Was he unhappy that she did not even 53 him? He merely grumbled(发牢骚) under his breath．And the woman just 54 from her savior after pulling her arm loose．‎ ‎ I，the silent stranger，who saw everything，just stood there and did 55 ．And the 56 ‎ came to me；Why did I wait for five seconds? Why didn’t I do anything 57_? But then I realized that I was 58 ．What if I had pulled her back but she was going to stop anyway? What if she got annoyed by my action?‎ ‎ Hours later．1 was in the subway and looked around， 59 empty seats between people，and all those who chose to stand 60 sit next to strangers．I felt the dead silence in the subway car，‎ screaming．“You leave me alone and I’11 leave you alone．”‎ ‎41．A．returned B．approached C．1eft D．turned ‎42．A．thought B．stopped C．forgot D．remembered ‎43．A．so B．Or C．Yet D．For ‎ 44．A．hid B．checked C．reviewed D．paused ‎45．A．but B．and C．while D．nor ‎ 46．A．horror B．joy C．surprise D．excitement ‎ 47．A．voice B．name C．gesture D．identity ‎ 48．A．health B．reality C．dream D．work ‎49．A．away B．on C．back D．in ‎ 50．A．call B．catch C．create D．avoid ‎ 51．A．angry B．tired C．active D．shocked ‎ 52．A．shy B．excited C．annoyed D．calm ‎ 53．A．support B．thank C．encourage D．believe ‎ 54．A．moved away B．put away C．took away D．threw away ‎ 55．A．something B．everything C．anything D．nothing ‎ 56．A．attention B．invitation C．question D．information ‎ 57．A．immediately B．fortunately C．surprisingly D．angrily ‎ 58．A．sad B．disappointed C．afraid D．satisfied ‎ 59．A．showing B．noticing C．saying D．finding ‎ 60．A．aside form B．other than C．better than D．rather than 第Ⅱ卷 注意事项：‎ ‎ 用0．5毫米黑色笔迹的签字笔将答案写在答题卡上。写在本试卷上无效。‎ 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)‎ ‎ 阅读下面材料，在空白处填人适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。‎ ‎ Last summer，61．_______most Chinese college students were dazzled by 62．_______‎ ‎(choose)of holiday plans，Wang Chaodi jumped into one of the hottest travel trends，“voluntour-‎ ism”for an unconventional holiday．“Voluntourism”，also known as volunteer tourism，‎ ‎63．_____(combine)volunteer work with travel．Now，it is becoming a global phenomenon and gaining popularity among young Chinese，especially college students．‎ The Yunnan University junior spent three weeks studying African culture while 64．_____‎ ‎(participate)in community service in Nairobi，Kenya．“I’d like to go to the 65．_________(far)‎ end of the Earth to help those who 66．______(be)most in need，”said the 22一year—old law student．‎ ‎67．______weekdays，he taught elementary courses at a poor inner—city orphanage—a ‎300一square—meter space 68．_________(pack)with houses，a feedlot(饲育场)and a ragged teaching shed一69．______“skinny students”，as Wang described，had only a single outdated textbook to study from．During weekends，Wang went on a safari to tourist sites by 70．_____‎ ‎(he)，including Masai Mara National Reserve and Amboseli Park，and he could observe exotic ‎8nimals there．‎ 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。‎ ‎ Good morning，everyone! What I’d like to share it with you today is my source of strength. My grandmother died of the incurable illness last year，and I still miss her terribly. I will never her again, never share a laugh with her and buy her a new scarf．The older I get，the more I realize that love，unconditional love, is rarely．When you lose a grandparent，you lose one of the few persons who love you．So much has happened from my grandmother’s death．Time keeps rushed forward.‎ Sometimes I wish I can make it stop．In the chaos of these changing times，my grandmother gave me numerous sweet memory that I can hold on to．I may not always know I’m going，but I will always know where I came．To me，that was a source of great strength·‎ 第二节书面表达 假设你是李华，你将在学校即将举行的主题为“chinese FestiVals，Chinese Taste(中国节 ‎．中国味)”的中外学生联欢会上发言。请你用英语写一篇发言稿。内容如下：从下列传统佳节食品中任选一种，介绍这种食品，它的寓意，及其相应的传统佳节。‎ ‎ 注意：1．词数100左右；‎ ‎2．文章的开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数；‎ ‎ 3．可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。‎ Good morning，everyone! I feel greatly honored to speak here. What I’d like to introduce to you is ___________________________________________________‎ ‎__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________‎ That’s all．Thank you for listening.‎ 衡阳市2017届高三联考（二）‎ 参考答案 第一部分 听力（共两节，每小题1.5分，满分30分）‎ ‎01-05：BCACA 06-10：ACBBB 11-15：CBCAB 16-20：AACCB 第二部分 阅读理解（共两节，每小题2分，满分40分）‎ ‎21-25：BACBD 26-30：ACCAB 31-35：DACDB 36-40：BCEGD 第三部分 英语知识运用 （共两节，每小题1.5分，满分45分）‎ ‎41-45：BACDB 46-50：AABCD 51-55：DCBAD 56-60：CACBD ‎61. when / while 62. choices 63. combines 64. participating ‎ ‎65. farthest 66. are 67. On 68. packed ‎ ‎69. where 70. himself 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）‎ 第二节：（满分25分）‎ One Possible Version Good morning, everyone! I feel greatly honored to speak here. What I’d like to introduce to you is Nian’gao, which is one of the most popular and typical dishes eaten during the Spring Festival. Nian’gao is a kind of rice pudding and it can be roasted, fried, or steamed. As the name suggests, Nian’gao symbolizes abundance, wealth and prosperity for both the family and the country.‎ In the Chinese New Year, eating Nian’gao, people may think of “Nian”. Then what is “Nian”? Nian was originally the name of a monster beast that started to prey on people the night before the beginning of a new year. But Nian was frightened of red color and cracker sound. So our ancestors would put up red paper decorations on their windows and doors, and set off fire-crackers to scare away Nian. Today we still keep these traditions, feeling the red color and the cracker sound add to the excitement and atmosphere of the celebration.‎ ‎ That’s all. Thank you for listening.‎ 听力原文 ‎ Text 1:[‎ W: Dinner is ready!‎ M: It is so nice of you. You needn’t have prepared so many dishes. ‎ W: Please help yourself! Compared with fast food and eating in restaurants, I prefer home cooking. ‎ M: You are really good at it. Would you like to teach me how to cook?‎ W: I’d love to.‎ Text 2:‎ W: I have a stomachache. I think I got some bad food at lunch today.‎ M: Really? But we ate together. How come my stomach is fine?‎ W: You have an iron stomach! Mine is not that strong.‎ M: So what should we do now?‎ W: I’ve got to find .... Ah, be quick! I think I’ve got the runs.‎ Text 3:‎ W: Hello, Old Tree Cafe. Can I help you?‎ M: Yes, I’d like to book a table for ten of us tonight.‎ W: Ten? We don’t usually accept large parties, sir.‎ M: I know, but we are regular customers. Can you figure out a solution for me? ‎ W: Emm. All right! We’ll put two tables together.‎ Text 4:‎ M: Let’s take a coffee break, shall we?‎ W: I wish I could, but I can’t. ‎ M: What keeps you so busy? You’ve been sitting there for hours. ‎ W: Well, I’m up to my neck in work. Sarah needs the report at noon, so if I can’t finish my work by the deadline, I will be scolded.‎ M: Poor you! But you’d feel better if you took a break, even for just a few minutes.‎ Text 5:‎ W: Hi, Mason!‎ W: Oh, hi, Phoebe!‎ M: Hey, in class today I heard you have a big family.‎ W: That’s right. I’ve got five brothers and six sisters.‎ M: Wow! That’s pretty big! Are you the eldest or the youngest?‎ W: Neither. I’m the third eldest.‎ Text 6:‎ W: It seems you’ve burned yourself out.‎ M: Pardon. I’m afraid I didn’t quite catch you.‎ W: You look tired. You must have overworked yourself.‎ M: Yes, a little bit. I’ve been hitting the books all these days.‎ W: Why have you been studying so hard?‎ M: I need to review my English.‎ W: So that’s what keeps you so busy recently!‎ M: Yes, I’ve been tied up with my studies. Now, what worries me a lot is my English.‎ W: But why? Your English is very good.‎ M: Thank you. You are very kind.‎ W: No, I’m telling the truth. As an American, I understand you quite well.‎ M: It’s very kind of you to say so.‎ ‎ ‎ Text 7:‎ W: Honey, how long have we been living here?‎ M: About 10 years. What’s wrong?‎ W: I am thinking about redecorating our house.‎ M: That would cost a lot of money. But we do need to do some changes to the house.‎ W: Right. What about repainting the living room in yellow?‎ M: Good idea. I like the countryside style.‎ W: Great minds think the same. And we can also ask someone to draw a picture on the wall.‎ M: It sounds great. And the curtain should be changed too.‎ W: OK. Maybe we should make a blue program first.‎ ‎ ‎ Text 8:‎ W: You said you wanted to talk to me about that course I’m doing this term. Music?‎ M: Actually I was a bit confused because I thought you were majoring in maths.‎ W: That’s right, I am. I’m doing four months courses this year. Music is an optional course — you just choose it if you’re interested. Why? Are you thinking about doing it?‎ M: Well, I’m not sure. What are the requirements?‎ W: Well, for a start, it’s distance learning — you don’t actually have to be at the university to do it.‎ M: I’m more worried about the actual musical things. Like, I don’t know how to read music.‎ W: That doesn’t matter. You’ll learn as you go along. What about computer skills? You’re OK there?‎ M: Yes, of course. Does that matter?‎ W: Yes, I’d say they’re necessary. Like I said, it’s all distance learning, so it’s computer-based.‎ ‎ ‎ Text 9:‎ W: Freedom Travel. How may I help you?‎ M: Yes, I'd like to make a flight reservation for the twenty-third of this month. ‎ W: Okay. What is your destination?‎ M: Well. I'm flying to Helsinki, Finland. ‎ W: Okay. Let me check what flights are available? And when will you be returning?‎ M: Uh, well, I'd like to catch a return flight on the twenty-ninth. Oh, and I'd like the cheapest flight available.‎ W: Okay. Let me see. Um, hmm…‎ M: Yeah?‎ W: Well, the price for the flight is almost double the price you would pay if you leave the day before.‎ M: Whoo. Let's go with the cheaper flight. By the way, how much is it?‎ W: It's only $980.‎ M: Alright. Well, let's go with that.‎ W: Okay. That's flight 1070 from Salt Lake City to New York, Kennedy Airport, transferring to flight 90 from Kennedy to Helsinki.‎ M: And what are the departure and arrival times for each of those flights? ‎ W: It leaves Salt Lake City at 10:00 AM, arriving in New York at 4:35 PM, then transferring to flight 90 at 5:55 PM, and arriving in Helsinki at 8:30 AM the next day.‎ M: Alright. And, uh, I'd like to request a vegetarian meal.‎ W: Sure, no problem. And could I have your name please?‎ ‎ ‎ Text 10:‎ The first bicycle appeared in France in the 1790s. It was a little wooden horse with a fixed front wheel. Because the wheel was fixed, it could not be turned right or left. The only way it could be controlled was by the rider pushing against the ground with his or her feet. In 1817, a German replaced the fixed front wheel with one that could be turned. Now the wooden horse could be directed right or left. The rider still needed to push it with his or her feet on the ground. In 1839, a Scottish MacMillan designed the first bicycle-like machine with foot board and rode it for 40 miles in only 5 hours. The bicycle got more comfortable in 1869 when rubber tires were introduced. Around the same time, the front wheels began to grow larger while the back wheels got smaller. During the 1880s, bicycles enjoyed a sudden growth in popularity. However, they weren’t very safe. Sitting high up towards the front of the bicycle and traveling very fast, the rider could be easily thrown over the front wheel if the bicycle hit a small stone. Fortunately, the “safety bicycle” was invented in 1884. The safety bicycle had equal-sized wheels and tires with air in them. And more improvements quickly followed. No doubt there will be further improvements in design and materials in the future.‎