2017-2018学年福建省宁德市部分一级达标中学高二上学期期中联考英语试题

2017-2018学年福建省宁德市部分一级达标中学高二上学期期中联考英语试题

‎2017—2018学年宁德市部分一级达标中学第一学期期中联合考试 高二英语试卷 ‎ (满分：150分 时间：120分钟)‎ 命题人：魏锦云 李铭 杨小芳 叶锦华 韩宜金本试卷分为第Ⅰ卷和第Ⅱ卷两部分.‎ 注意事项： 1. 答卷前，考生务必将班级、姓名、座号填写清楚。‎ 2. 每小题选出答案后，填入答案卷中。‎ 3. 考试结束，考生只将答案卷交回，试卷自己保留。‎ 第Ⅰ卷（选择题，共100分）第一部分 听力（共两节，满分30分）‎ 回答听力部分时，请先将答案标在试卷上，听力部分结束前，你将有两分钟的时间将你的 答案转涂到客观题答题卡上。‎ 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，并标在试卷相应位置。听完每段对话前，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. When did the speakers last see each other?‎ A. Fifteen years ago. B. Five years ago.‎ ‎2. What does the man wish for the future?‎ C. One year ago.‎ A. All his dreams will come true.‎ C. He will be able to do his job from home.‎ ‎3. What will the woman do next?‎ B. Science will develop much faster.‎ A. Bring the man a salad.‎ C. Give the man some cheese.‎ ‎4. What is the relationship between the speakers?‎ B. Take away the man’s soda.‎ A. They are friends. B. They are cousins.‎ ‎5. What does the woman tell the man to do?‎ C. They are brother and sister.‎ A. Prepare for landing.‎ C. Put his chair back in fifteen minutes.‎ 第二节（共 15 小题，每小题 1.5 分，满分 22.5 分）‎ B. Take his headphones out.‎ 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，并标在试卷相应位置。听完每段对话或独白前，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 did the man like to do?‎ ‎ A. Hike. B. Swim.‎ ‎7. What does the woman suggest in the end? A. The man should go more camping.‎ C. Take photographs.‎ B. Life could be fun without social media. 听第 7 段材料，回答第 8 至 9 题。‎ 8. Why was the man worried?‎ ‎ A. His mother has been ill. B. He lost his wallet.‎ C. A policeman was in front of the shopping mall.‎ 9. What will the man have to do in the end?‎ C. Family activities are very important.‎ A. Pay the fine. B. Go to the hospital. 听第 8 段材料，回答第 10 至 l2 题。‎ ‎10. What does the boy want to eat?‎ C. Repair his car.‎ ‎ A. Peanut butter. B. Yoghurt.‎ C. Cookies.‎ 11. What does the boy imply about carrot cake?‎ ‎ A. It’s low in sugar. B. It contains some healthy ingredients.‎ C. It’s not as delicious as other types of cake.‎ 12. How does the boy probably feel in the end?‎ ‎ A. Surprised. B. Jealous.‎ 听第 9 段材料,回答第 13 至 16 题。‎ ‎13. Where does the conversation take place?‎ C. Angry.‎ ‎ A. At a school. B. At a radio station.‎ ‎14. What does the man think of sending emails?‎ C. At a TV station.‎ A. He has done that his whole life.‎ C. He is rather good at it.‎ ‎15. What does the job involve according to the woman?‎ B. He has no confidence in it.‎ ‎ A. A lot of traffic. B. Meeting the fans.‎ ‎16. Who is one of the man’s references?‎ C. Getting up early in the morning.‎ A. Someone he used to teach.‎ C. Someone he went to graduate school with. 听第 10 段材料,回答第 17 至 20 题。‎ ‎17. When are laundry places usually closed?‎ B. Someone he used to work with.‎ A. At six o’clock in the morning.‎ B. At eleven o’clock in the morning.‎ C. At seven o’clock at night.‎ 18. How many washers might a larger laundry place have?‎ A. ‎48. B. 24. C. 12.‎ 19. According to the talk, what do people often do while waiting in the laundry place?‎ A. Chat with the employee. B. Eat some food. C. Put their clothes out in the sun.‎ 20. Who met their husband at a laundry place?‎ A. The speaker’s sister. B. The speaker’s friend. C. The speaker.‎ 第二部分 阅读理解（共20小题，每小题2分，满分40分）第一节（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）阅读下面短文，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 Disasters almost always arrive unexpectedly. But there are apps to help people prepare for disasters. Some apps alarm users when a disaster has taken place. Other disaster apps can be used when people need rescue or other help.‎ SirenGPS Mobile The free SirenGPS Mobile app connects users to emergency services. The app will let emergency workers know where the person in need is. The app works over cell networks. But it also works on Wi-Fi if cell networks are down after an emergency. Users can create a personal health report on the app to share with emergency services. This will provide information important to treatment decisions.‎ Guardly Guardly is an app that can help keep people safer in places such as businesses and universities. This app permits workers and students to report about unsafe conditions. Reports can be made to an organization’s own security division as well as to government emergency services. The reporter’s location can be sent with the report so security or emergency services help can arrive more quickly. The app is free, but Guardly charges for its services.‎ Life360‎ The Life360 app provides a service to keep loved ones connected. Users can set up a network of people to share their location, chat, and get a warning when they are near someone in their network. The app helps users communicate when they are in a disaster. The location share function can be forbidden when desired. The Life360 app is free, with some services available for a fee.‎ Red Panic Button When a person is in a dangerous situation, the Red Panic Button app might help. This app can send a text message or email to chosen contacts providing the user’s location. You can also add a voice or video message or photo to your text and email. Red Panic Button is free, but extra functions are available for a fee.‎ 21. What does the SirenGPS Mobile app work on when cell networks are not available?‎ A. Emergency services. B. Wi-Fi.‎ ‎ C. A personal health report. D. Text messages and emails.‎ 22. When using Guardly, people can get timely security services because _________.‎ A. the app is a perfect tool B. the app causes little trouble ‎ C. the report can show where the reporter is D. the report can tell how to save the reporter 23. Which app can send video messages?‎ A. Life360. B. Guardly.‎ ‎ C. Red Panic Button. D. SirenGPS Mobile.‎ 21. Which of the following is TRUE about the four apps mentioned in the passage?‎ A. All of them are available for a free. B. All of their services are charged.‎ ‎ C. All of their extra functions are used for free. D. All of them can tell the user’s location.‎ B Every April I am troubled by the same concern -- that spring might not occur this year. The landscape looks dull, with hills, sky and forest appearing gray. My spirits ebb, as they did during an April snowfall when I first came to Maine 15 years ago. "Just wait," a neighbor advised. "You'll wake up one morning and spring will just be here."‎ And look, on May 3 that year I awoke to a green so amazing as to be almost electric, as if spring were simply a matter of flipping a switch. Hills, sky and forest revealed their purples, blues and green.‎ Leaves had unfolded and daffodils（水仙花）were fighting their way heavenward.‎ Then there was the old apple tree. It sits on an undeveloped lot in my neighborhood. It belongs to no one and therefore to everyone. The tree's dark twisted branches stretch out, unpruned（未经修剪的）. Each spring it blossoms so freely that the air becomes filled with the smell of apple.‎ Until last year, I thought I was the only one aware of this tree. And then one day, in a bit of spring madness, I set out with pruner to remove a few disorderly branches. No sooner had I arrived under the tree than neighbors opened their windows and stepped outside. These were people I barely knew and seldom spoke to, but it was as if I had come uninvited into their personal gardens.‎ My mobile-home neighbor was the first to speak. "You're not cutting it down, are you?" she asked anxiously. Another neighbor frowned as I cut off a branch. "Don't kill it, now," he warned. Soon half the neighborhood had joined me under the apple tree. It struck me that I had lived there for five years and only now was learning these people's names, what they did for a living and how they passed the winter. It was as if the old apple tree was gathering us under its branches for the purpose of both acquaintanceship and shared wonder. I couldn't help recalling Robert Frost's words:‎ The trees that have it in their pent-up buds To darken nature and be summer woods One thaw(解冻) led to another. Just the other day I saw one of my neighbors at the local store. He remarked how this recent winter had been especially long and complained of not having seen or spoken at length to anyone in our neighborhood. And then, he looked at me and said, "We need to prune that apple tree again."‎ 25. By saying that “my spirits ebb” (Para. 1), the author means that _________.‎ A. he feels blue B. he feels relieved C. he is surprised D. he is tired 26. According to Para. 4, why did the neighbors open their windows and step outside? A. They were surprised that someone unknown was pruning the tree.‎ B. They wanted to prevent the author from pruning the tree C. They were concerned about the safety of the tree D. They wanted to get to know the author 27. The apple tree mentioned in the passage is most likely to _________.‎ A. be attractive only to the author B. have been abandoned by its original owner C. be regarded as a delight in the neighborhood D. have been ignored by everyone in the community C BEIJING — Eating at a Beijing restaurant is usually an adventure for foreigners, and particularly when they get the chance to order “chicken without sex life” or “red burned lion head”.‎ Sometimes excited but mostly confused, embarrassed or even terrified, many foreigners have long complained about mistranslations of Chinese dishes. And their complaints are often valid, but such an experience at Beijing’s restaurants will apparently soon be history.‎ Foreign visitors will no longer, hopefully, be confused by oddly worded restaurant menus in the capital if the government’s plan to correctly translate 3,000 Chinese dishes is a success and the translations are generally adopted.‎ The government office of foreign affairs has published a book to introduce English translations of Chinese dishes, which aims to help restaurants avoid confusing translations. “It provides the names of main dishes of famous Chinese cuisines in plain English,” an official with the city’s Foreign Affairs office said. Restaurants are encouraged to use the proposed translations, but it will not be compulsory. It’s the city’s latest effort to bridge the culture gap for foreign travelers in China.‎ Coming up with precise translations is a daunting task, as some Chinese culinary ( 烹饪的 ) techniques are untranslatable and many Chinese dishes have no English-language equivalent (对应 词). The translators, after conducting a study of Chinese restaurants in English-speaking countries, divided the dish names into four categories: ingredients, cooking method, taste and name of a person or a place. For some traditional dishes, pinyin, the Chinese phonetic system, is used, such as mapo tofu (previously often literally translated as “bean curd made by woman with freckles”), baozi (steamed stuffed bun) and jiaozi (dumplings) to “reflect the Chinese cuisine culture,” according to the book.‎ ‎“The book is a benefit to tourist guides like me. Having it, I don’t have to rack my brains trying to explain Chinese dishes to foreign travelers,” said Zheng Xiaodong, a 31- year – old employee with a Beijing-based travel agency.‎ It is not clear if the book will be introduced to other parts of China. But on Tuesday, this was the most discussed topic on weibo.com, China’s most popular micro blogging site.‎ 28. ‎“chicken without sex life” or “red burned lion head” are mentioned in the beginning of the passage to show some Chinese dishes are _________.‎ A. mistranslated. B. hard to translate. C. not well received. D. not acceptable.‎ 29. What measure has the government office taken?‎ A. Introducing a book on Chinese dishes B. Publishing a book on China’s dietary habits C. Providing the names of main Chinese dishes A. Suggesting using accurate translation for Chinese dishes 29. What’s the meaning of the underlined word “daunting” in paragraph 5?‎ A. disappointing B. discouraging C. inspiring D. amazing 30. What’s the attitude of most people to the book according to the passage?‎ A. unconcerned B. negative C. divided D. favorable D If asked if space exploration should continue, most Americans would give an immediate response either in favor of continuing or in favor of ending space exploration. A common response would be that space exploration is a waste of money. An average American, uneducated on the subject, might believe that the government is wasting billions of dollars on the research that has no merit. Someone strange to the subject might say that a space shuttle goes up once in a while and that is about all that happens. Research is ongoing and continues when there are no shuttles being launched.‎ This also costs the government money. Does the extreme cost of space exploration make sense?‎ One argument is that the government is wasting money on the research not being used on Earth.‎ Actually, the money goes to workers and scientists that support National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) missions (任务), and goes to major companies that play important roles in major sectors of the US economy. Boeing is a partner of NASA for aircraft, the same company that makes commercial aircraft for the airline industry.‎ Another benefit to continuing space exploration is the many spinoff (衍生的) technologies it provides. The artificial heart resulted from experiments on the space shuttle. The handheld Jaws of Life used to save victims from car accidents originated from the system used to separate the space shuttle from its booster rockets. Insulation in homes that keeps them warm and energy efficient is based on the technology used to insulate the space shuttle.‎ There are direct benefits to the economy provided by NASA missions as well as spinoff technologies. These advances are found in food, building materials, medical procedures and the vehicles we drive. While it can be proven that billions of dollars that could be used elsewhere is being spent on space exploration, the benefits it provides outweigh the terrible aspects. As a matter of fact, the money spent helps to improve the quality of our lives.‎ ‎32. How is Paragraph 2 mainly developed?‎ ‎ A. By offering analyses.‎ B. By making comparisons.‎ C. By giving some examples.‎ ‎33. The function of Jaws of Life is to _____.‎ A. save people from traffic accidents D. By presenting research findings.‎ B. do experiments on the space shuttle C. keep houses warm and energy efficient D. separate the space shuttle from its booster rockets 34. In the author’s opinion, space exploration _____.‎ A. has changed our life completely B. costs too much of our time ‎ C. benefits us in many ways D. has nothing to do with us 34. What would be the best title for the text?‎ A. Benefits of Space Exploration B. Is Space Exploration Worth the Cost?‎ C. How to Make Space Exploration Affordable D. Missions of the NASA Space Shuttle Program 第二节 七选五阅读（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。‎ Everyone can benefit a lot from reading books. The following is about the various benefits of reading books.‎ ‎36 Whenever you read something, you learn information that you otherwise wouldn’t have known. It can be a fact about history or a theory you didn’t know existed. If you want to learn new words, reading books is a great way to enlarge your vocabulary.‎ Reading keeps your mind in good condition. Similar to solving puzzles, reading books allows your mind to practice its processing skills. 37 .‎ One of the primary benefits of reading books is its ability to develop your critical thinking skill. 38 Wherever you are faced with a similar problem in real life, your mind is able to put its mystery-solving skills to a test.‎ One of the real benefits of reading books is that the information in it can be accessed over and over again. For example, reading a cookbook allows you the luxury of reviewing the procedures whenever you need to. 39 Don’t even think about writing the information down because you may lose the paper you wrote down on sooner or later.‎ These are just some of the wonderful benefits of reading books. 40 If you can’t even go outside, you can download free e-books on line and read them on your computer. That way, you can set how advantageous reading can be for yourself. A. Reading books keeps your mind absent.‎ B. You can improve your memory by reading.‎ C. Reading books provides you with new knowledge.‎ D. Following a recipe from a cooking show will be difficult.‎ E. Reading mystery novels, for example, sharpens your mind.‎ F. Going without books for too long will turn your mind into a whirl (混乱).‎ G. Why don’t you drop by the bookstore or library and pick a book up?‎ 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。‎ When I decided to major in English in college, I thought it would be fun because I loved to read so much. It turned out to be a lot more 41 , though, than I thought it would be. The differences in the 42 over hundreds of years made many passages hard to comprehend. Trying to understand Shakespeare gave me headaches and Chaucer was even 43 . Reading Byron, Keats, Shelley, Emerson, and Thoreau was easier but still took a lot of 44 . There were times, however, when I read 45 that opened a door into my heart, and 46 their wisdom with my soul.‎ One of these was by William Wordsworth. It went, “The 47 part of a man’s life is the acts of kindness and love.” The first time I read that I could feel it speaking to the deepest part of 48. I began to build up the best part of my own life and 49 my days with acts of kindness and love. I didn’t always 50 , of course. But over the years I slowly but 51 _ began to love more and more. Over the years I did more and more to be 52 , to help others, and to live the 53 I wanted to live.‎ What would happen 54 everyone followed Wordsworth’s wisdoms and 55 the best part of themselves? What would happen if all of us filled our lives with acts of ‎56‎ and love? Would we stop 57 _? Would we put an end to war? Would we make sure that no child on this earth was 58 , lonely, or neglected? Would we all start to 59 together to make this world a beautiful, loving place? Let’s all fill our days with acts of kindness. Let’s fill our lives with 60 of love.‎ 41. A. interesting B. difficult C. essential D. convenient 42. A. custom B. game C. performance D. language 43. A. easier B. better C. stranger D. worse 44. A. deeds B. effects C. efforts D. feelings 45. A. scenes B. passages C. newspapers D. contents 46. A. shared B. impressed C. communicated D. talked 47. A. latest B. worst C. most D. best 48. A. himself B. herself C. myself D. themselves 49. A. fill B. take C. push D. respond 50. A. improve B. educate C. succeed D. control 51. A. surely B. hardly C. probably D. nearly 52. A. careful B. patient C. kind D. curious 53. A. tradition B. habit C. hobby D. way 54. A. because B. if C. so D. but 55. A. learned B. changed C. lived D. touched 56. A. kindness B. memory C. comfort D. support 57. A. observing B. behaving C. hating D. winning 58. A. happy B. lovely C. enjoyable D. hungry 59. A. eat B. live C. work D. play 60. A. words B. acts C. hopes D. wishes 第II卷 （非选择题，共50分）‎ 第三部分：英语知识运用第二节 语法填空（共10小题；每小题1.5分，满分15分）阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1 个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。将答案填写在答题卡的相应位置。‎ John Snow, a distinguished doctor in London, became inspired in helping ordinary people 61 (expose) to cholera. He wanted to find 62 effective cure for this disease, so he made a great effort.‎ He became interested in two 63 (theory). But the second theory 64 people absorbed this disease into their bodies 65 (catch) his attention. In 1854, another outbreak hit London. Snow began his enquiry. He marked on the map to show the deaths, which gave him a valuable clue. He discovered the water was 66 (blame) for it.‎ ‎67 (carry) out several investigations, Snow finally announced with certainty the disease had something to do 68 the polluted water. Later, Snow suggested that much 69 (clean) water be supplied to the blocks. 70 (fortune), the cholera was defeated.‎ 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, 每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。‎ 增加: 在缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧), 并在其下面写出该加的词。‎ 删除: 把多余的词用斜线(＼)划掉。修改: 在错的词下划一横线, 并在该词下面写出修改后的词。注意: 1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；‎ ‎2. 只允许修改 10 处, 多者(从第 11 处起)不计分。‎ Dear Jim,‎ I’m writing to show my sincere appreciation for the book you gave it me before you left China. This book is great help to me in vocabulary study, allowing me to memorize words and expressions quickly. You know, at one time in the past, I have difficulty remembering words exact. Much to my joys, the tips in the book is very efficient. By following the tips, I have enlarged my vocabulary and made many progress in my English study, that makes me feel proud of myself. Thank you again for your kind and precious gift. I’ m looking forward to see you again.‎ Yours,‎ Li Hua 第二节：书面表达（满分25分）‎ 假设你是李华，宁德市青年志愿者协会(Ningde Youth Volunteer Association)计划从宁德市各中学招募 500 名志愿者，进行急救知识普及活动，你想申请成为其中一员。请根据以下要点用英语写一封自我推荐信：‎ ‎1．个人情况：17 岁，男，出身医学世家。‎ ‎2．个人优势：掌握基本急救知识，有救援经验，身体素质好。.‎ ‎3．…… 注意：1. 词数 100 左右，格式已给出，不计入总词数；‎ ‎2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。‎ 参考词汇: 普及 promote Dear Sir/Madam,‎ Knowing that Ningde Youth volunteer Association plans to recruit 500 volunteers from every school,___________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________‎ Yours,‎ Li Hua ‎2017—2018学年宁德市部分一级达标中学第一学期期中联合考试 高二英语试卷参考答案 第一部分：听力（共20小题，每小题1.5分，满分30分）‎ ‎1—5 BCACA 6—10 CBAAC 11—15 BABCC 16—20 BABBA 第二部分：阅读理解（共20小题，每小题2分，满分40分）第一节（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）‎ A. 21-24: BCCD B. 25-27: ACC C. 28-31: ADBD D. 32-35: AACB 第二节 七选五阅读（共5小题；每小题2分，满分10分）‎ ‎36-40: CFEDG 第三部分：英语知识运用（共两节，满分45分）第一节 完形填空（共 20 小题，每小题 1.5 分，满分 30 分）‎ ‎41-45 BDDCB 46-50 ADCAC 51-55 ACDBC 56-60 ACDCB 第二节 语法填空（共10小题；每小题1.5分，满分15分）‎ ‎61. exposed 62. an 63. theories 64. that 65. caught 66. to blame ‎67. Having carried 68. with 69. cleaner 70. Fortunately 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)‎ Dear Jim,‎ I’m writing to show my sincere appreciation for the book you gaveit me before you left China.‎ This book is ∧great help to me in vocabulary study, allowing me to of/a memorize words and expressions quickly. You know, at one time in the past, I have had difficulty remembering words exact. Much to my joys, the tips in the book is very ‎ exactly joy are efficient. By following the tips, I have enlarged my vocabulary and made many much progress in my English study, that makes me feel proud of myself. Thank you again which for your kind and precious gift. I’ m looking forward to see you again. kindness seeing Yours,‎ Li Hua 第二节：书面表达（满分25分）参考范文：‎ Dear Sir/Madam,‎ Knowing that Ningde Youth Volunteer Association plans to recruit 500 volunteers from every school, I’m writing to express my sincere wish to become one of you to promote the knowledge of first aid.‎ My name is Li Hua, a boy of 17. Born in a doctor family, I have a good knowledge of first aid, which I’m convinced will make a big difference. When emergencies happen, my abundant experience in saving lives and attending to the injured will guarantee I am of great help. In addition, I am in good physical condition thanks to the constant exercises and bodybuilding.‎ On the whole, I believe I am qualified to be a volunteer. I would appreciate it if you could offer me the chance.‎ Looking forward to your early reply.‎ Yours, Li Hua 听力原文：‎ Text 1‎ M: You’re all grown up! How old are you now? Fifteen?‎ W: I was fifteen the last time you saw me! I’m twenty now.‎ M: Really? It seems like just last year that you and your brother came over to visit!‎ Text 2‎ M: Do you think, within a few years, many people could work at home instead of working in offices?‎ W: Yes, of course. Science and technology have developed really fast these past few years. And in the future, I believe almost all our ideas will become reality.‎ M: I’m looking forward to it.‎ Text 3‎ M: Excuse me. I asked for this salad without cheese on it, but this one is covered in it.‎ W: I’m sorry, sir. I’ll take it back and bring you out a new one. Can I get anything else for you? M: Just another soda, please. Thank you.‎ Text 4‎ M: What would you like for your birthday, Sis?‎ W: I want the iPhone 6S.‎ M: That’s a pretty expensive gift! Do you think Mom and Dad will buy it for you? W: No, but I’m hoping Aunt Janine will.‎ Text 5‎ W: Sir, you need to bring your chair back to its upright position and close your tray table. We’re touching down in fifteen minutes.‎ M: Sorry, I didn’t hear the announcement. I had my headphones in.‎ Text 6‎ W: Did you have a nice weekend, Charlie?‎ M: Not really. I went camping with my family.‎ W: That sounds fun!‎ M: It wasn’t. Camping is so boring. I didn’t have any service on my phone, so I couldn’t check Facebook or Twitter the whole weekend!‎ W: That doesn’t sound like a big deal. Didn’t you enjoy hiking or swimming with your family?‎ M: Not really. I enjoyed taking pictures of us fishing, but I couldn’t even post them until we got back on Monday.‎ W: Hmm... It sounds to me like you need to learn how to enjoy life without sharing every moment on social media.‎ Text 7‎ W: You look sad, Jason. What’s wrong?‎ M: I got a ticket just now.‎ W: Why?‎ M: I was driving slowly near the shopping mall when a policeman suddenly appeared from behind and asked me to pull over. I had to stop my car. He told me that I had stopped on the double yellow line while I was waiting for the light.‎ W: Why did you do that? You are not a new driver.‎ M: I was thinking about my mother. She’s been ill in bed. I was worrying about her, so I didn’t notice where I had stopped.‎ W: Then what did you say?‎ M: I said I was wrong, but the policeman wrote me a ticket anyway. That means I lost 425 dollars! W: Misfortunes often come in pairs.‎ Text 8‎ W: What did you just put in the basket?‎ M: Some peanut butter.‎ W: That is not a jar of peanut butter.‎ M: Okay, fine. They’re peanut butter cookies.‎ W: You know we don’t keep cookies in the house.‎ M: Mom, please?‎ W: I will buy you yoghurt instead. It’s much healthier.‎ M: I don’t like yoghurt. What about some chocolate pudding?‎ W: You can get the low sugar kind.‎ M: That kind doesn’t taste as good. What about some carrot cake? It has carrots in it.‎ W: Cake also has a lot of sugar.‎ M: This is so unfair! I’m the only kid at school who isn’t allowed to eat food that tastes good.‎ W: Okay, I’ll let you buy one chocolate bar, but that’s it.‎ M: Really? Are you serious? You’re the best, Mom!‎ Text 9‎ W: Thanks for coming in today. Please have a seat. Tell me a little bit about yourself. Why do you think you’re qualified for this job?‎ M: I’ve worked as a music teacher my whole life, mainly with children, and now I’m ready for a change.‎ Because I love music so much, I think working at a radio station would be perfect for me.‎ W: The duties of this job include answering the phones and sending emails. How are you with both of those things?‎ M: I’m experienced in sending emails, and I’m also fairly confident on the phone. When I was a teenager, I worked at a TV station answering phone calls, so this is probably pretty similar.‎ W: We also have some early mornings here in the studio. Sometimes you’ll have to be here around 4:00 or 5:00 a.m. How do you feel about that?‎ M: I’m an early riser, so that’s easy for me. It also means less traffic, which I’m always a fan of.‎ W: Do you have references I can call?‎ M: Yes, I have a list to give you. Two are people I worked with at my last job, and one is an old graduate school professor of mine.‎ W: Great. Well, I think that’s it. I’ll give you a call back in the next few days to let you know our decision.‎ M: Thank you so much.‎ Text 10‎ People who live in cities usually take their dirty clothes to a laundry place called a “laundromat”. These public businesses are usually open from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. A smaller laundromat might have a dozen washers and a dozen dryers, while a larger one might have twice that number. Most places do not have any employees there, as there are simple instructions posted near the machines and everything can be done without assistance. Most people bring their own washing soap, but there is often a machine that sells small packages in case you run out or forget yours. During the weekend, it can be hard to find an open machine but it is much easier during the week. Many laundry places have TVs, video games, magazines, or free Wi-Fi. Recently, many laundry places have added cafés or bars. Because people usually spend a few hours doing their laundry, having a drink or a meal is a convenient and fun way to pass the time. Of course, when so many people are washing their clothes close to each other, it is easy to make mistakes. My sister actually met her husband at a laundromat after he put her clothes in his basket by accident!‎