浙江省宁波诺丁汉大学附属中学2018-2019学年高一下学期期中考试英语试题（实验班）

浙江省宁波诺丁汉大学附属中学2018-2019学年高一下学期期中考试英语试题（实验班）

www.ks5u.com 宁波诺丁汉大学附属中学 ‎2018-2019学年度第二学期期中考试 [高一]年级 [英语]试题卷 答卷时间：[120分钟] 满分：[150分] ‎ 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. What did the man do last Sunday?‎ ‎ A. He saw a play. B. He acted in a play. C. He went to the tea house.‎ ‎2. Where does the conversation take place?‎ ‎ A. In a wine shop. B. In a restaurant C. In a supermarket ‎3. When can the man see the headmaster?‎ A. At 9:30. B. AT 11:45. C. At 12:40.‎ ‎4. What does the girl mean?‎ ‎ A. Family holidays no longer interest her.‎ B. She doesn’t like travelling any more.‎ C. She has got too many holidays this year.‎ ‎5. Where are the woman’s keys?‎ A. In her pocket. B. On the floor. C. On the table.‎ 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至7题。‎ ‎6. What does the woman prefer to buy online?‎ A. Books. B. Shoes. C. Dresses.‎ ‎7. What does the woman think of buying clothes online?‎ A. Convenient. B. Unreliable（不可靠的） C. Cheap.‎ 听第7段材料，回答第8 至10题。‎ ‎8. What do we know about the woman’s apartment?‎ ‎ A. It’s on the eighth floor of the building. ‎ B. It is in the centre of the city. ‎ C. It is quite far from her college.‎ ‎9. How does the woman go to her college?‎ A. By subway. B. By train. C. By bus. ‎ ‎10. What does the woman think of the city life?‎ ‎ A. Colourful. B. peaceful. C. Tiring. ‎ 听第 8段材料,回答第 11至 13题。‎ ‎11. Where did Sue spend the nights in the country?‎ A. In a farm house. B. In the open air. C. At a hotel. [来源:学科网]‎ ‎12. What was the weather like in the country?‎ A. It snowed a lot. B. There was a lot of sunshine. C. It rained nearly every day.‎ ‎13. What did the man think of his weekend?‎ A. Not bad. B. Tired. C. Terrible.‎ 听第 9段材料,回答第 14至 17题。‎ ‎14. When does the woman prefer to take difficult classes?‎ A. Right after she gets up. ‎ B. After doing some exercising. ‎ C. Once she has a cup of coffee.‎ ‎15. What time does the speakers plan to meet on Friday?‎ A. At 8:00 a.m. B. At 9:00 a.m. C. At 8:00 p.m.‎ ‎16. What does the man plan to do with his roommate?‎ A. Have a meal. B. Get something to drink. C. Finish their math project. ‎ 听第10段材料，回答第17至20题。‎ ‎17. What is the speaker talking about?‎ ‎ A. A holiday plan. B. Books for holiday reading. C. NBA players ‎18. Who are the main characters of Shallow Earth?‎ ‎ A. A group of soldiers. B. Some sportsmen. C. Two teenagers.‎ ‎19. Who is the author of Give Me Shelter?‎ ‎ A. Alan Cooper. B. Kathleen Wang. C. Tracy McGrady.‎ ‎20. What is the third book about?‎ ‎ A. A romantic love story. B. A person’s life. C. A future war.‎ 第二部分:阅读理解(共两节，满分30分)‎ 第一节(共10个小题；每小题2.5分，满分25分)‎ 阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。‎ A Moksh Jawa, 16, a junior student in Washington High School in the US, has already become a hero among students. As a seventh-grader, he studied on the Internet and taught himself programming. As a high school freshman, he passed the AP Computer Science A exam with a 5, the highest score possible. Because his high school didn’t teach programming, he developed his own online course and helped classmates get through it.‎ Everything he did came from his interest. “I just fell in love with computer science.” Jawa said. Alone the way, he encouraged classmates to learn programming, too.‎ Trying to make the knowledge easy for anyone to learn on the internet, Jawa set about creating his own online course, with easy-to-follow lessons and invisible hands writing formulas(公式) on a board. He included quizzes and tests too.‎ The course has so far attracted 3,200 students across the Unites Stated and in 120 countries including China, Ukraine and Algeria. It shows, Jawa said, the huge need for programming lessons.‎ When video lecturing, “I deliver it like I’m talking from one high school student to another,” Jawa said, “It’s always great to make it as clear and fun as possible, and to try to keep my voice as energetic as possible.”‎ He does that, too, when teaching members of the computer science club he founded at Washington.‎ ‎ “He’s pretty amazing,” said Bob Moran, headmaster of Washington High School, who saw him lead the club. “He was just a fantastic teacher, clear, organized and entertaining. When a student got the right answer, he would throw them a piece of candy.”‎ ‎21. Which can be the main reason for Jawa creating the online course?‎ ‎ A. He has a great interest in teaching.‎ ‎ B. The online teaching can make him a hero.‎ ‎ C. He wants to help his classmates and others to learn the subject.‎ ‎ D. There is a huge need for programming lessons around the world. ‎ ‎22. What do we know about Jawa’s online lessons?‎ A. They are hard to understand.‎ B. They’ve attracted learners around the world. [来源:学.科.网Z.X.X.K]‎ C. They are taught in different languages.‎ D. They are easy and fun without quizzes and tests.‎ ‎23. What the headmaster said in the last paragraph shows that ______.‎ ‎ A. Jawa has always been a great club leader B. Jawa is a hero in Washington High School C. Jawa is very good at computer programming D. Jawa knows how to teach and encourage students ‎ B We all know that exercise is good for your health. But some kinds of exercise may be better than others.‎ Running, for example, may help to protect against heart disease and other health problems. Running may also help you live longer. Researchers say it is not important how far you run. It also does not matter how fast or even how often you run. As advertisements for the running shoes Nike say, “Just Do It.”‎ Recently researchers studied more than 55,000 adults. About one-fourth of the adults reported running regularly. The study found these runners were considerably less likely than non-runners to die of any form of disease, including heart disease. In fact, the runners lived, on average, three years longer than the non-runners.‎ This study lasted 15 years. During that time, more than 3,400 of the individuals died. About 1.200 of the deaths were linked to heart disease, hear, attack or stroke.‎ One of the researchers is a man named D. C. Lee, a professor of Iowa State University Compared to non-runners, he said, runners showed a much lower risk of dying from some diseases. “Compared to non-runners, runners showed 30 percent lower risk of death by any causes, including heart attack, stroke and cancer. Also, runners compared to non-runners showed 45 percent lower risk of death by cardiovascular diseases（心血管疾病）, including heart attack and stroke.”‎ D. C. Lee and the other researchers found that speed, distance and how often one runs made little difference in reducing the risk of death. The runners in the study averaged between 10 and 16 kilometers per hour. Mr. Lee said slower runners and those who only ran once or twice a week were helped nearly as much as those who ran faster and further. “And also we looked at the inning over time and we found that persistent runners (over six years) showed the biggest benefits, as well.”‎ ‎24．What does the author mean by quoting Nike’s ad. “Just Do it”?‎ A．It’s time for you to start running. B．Nike has always kept its promise.‎ C．You have to run as fast as possible. D．Running does you good whatever its form.‎ ‎25．The researchers got the results of their study mainly by ________.‎ A．analyzing numbers B．having interviews C．doing experiments D．doing field survey ‎ ‎26．What can we learn from Paragraph 5?‎ A．Heart disease is the biggest killer of mankind.‎ B．Runners are generally healthier than non-runners.‎ C．Heart disease has killed more people than cancer.‎ D．Running greatly reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease.‎ ‎27．What can we know according to Mr.Lee?‎ A．Slower runners and faster runners benefit equally from running.‎ B．You can benefit most if your speed is over 10km per hour.‎ C．You must control your speed properly while running.‎ D．The further you run, the more benefits you will get.‎ C I was wandering around the Albuquerque International Support airport. My flight had been delayed and I heard an announcement: “If anyone near Gate A-4 understands Arabic（阿拉伯语）, please come to the gate immediately.” Gate A-4 was my own gate. I went there.‎ An older woman was crumpled（蜷缩成一团的）on the floor, crying loud. In her traditional Palestinian dress, she reminded me of my grandmother.‎ ‎“Talk to her,” urged the flight agent. “We told her the flight was going to be late, and she did this.”‎ I bent over to put my arm around the woman and spoke uncertainly. “Shu-dow-a, shu-bid-uck, habibti? Stanischway, min fadlick, shu-bit-se-wee?” She stopped crying. She thought the flight had been called off. She needed to be in El Paso for a medical treatment the next day. I said, “You’ll get there, just late. Who is picking you up? Let’s call him.”‎ We called her son. In English, I told him that I would stay with his mother until we got on the plane. She talked with him. Then we called her other sons just for fun. Then we called my dad and they spoke for a while in Arabic and found out that they had several shared friends. After that, I called some Palestinian poets I knew and let them chat with her.‎ She was, laughing a lot but then, patting my knee and answering questions. She pulled a bag of ‎ homemade cookies filled with dates and nuts and topped with sugar from her bag and offered them to the people at the gate. To my amazement, no one declined. It was like a sacrament（圣餐）. The traveler from Argentina, the mom from California, the lovely woman from Laredo--- We were all smiling, covered with the same sugar.‎ I looked around the gate and thought, “This is the world I want to live in, one with no anxiety. This can still happen anywhere”, I thought. Not everything is lost.‎ ‎28．Why did the old woman burst into tears at the boarding gate?‎ A．She thought she couldn’t make it for her treatment.‎ B．Her flight was called off because of bad weather.‎ C．She couldn’t make herself well understood.‎ D．Her flight ticket seemed to have got lost.‎ ‎29．What can we learn about the author?‎ A．Her father was a relative of the older woman B．She took the same flight with the older woman.‎ C．She was highly skilled in speaking Arabic.‎ D．Her grandmother saw her off at the airport.‎ ‎30．Which words can best describe the author?‎ A．Outstanding and generous. B．Clever and brave.‎ C．Patient and creative. D．Warm-hearted and thoughtful.‎ 第二节(共5个小题；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。‎ Conflict (矛盾) is pretty much unavoidable when you work with others.‎ ‎31 How you handle that conflict determines whether it works to the team’s advantage.‎ You can choose to ignore it, complain about it, blame someone for it, or try to deal with it through suggestions; or you can be direct, clarify what is going on, and attempt to reach a settlement through common techniques like negotiation or compromise (妥协). 32 It has to be dealt with positively and ‎ with a plan, or it’s too easy to get pulled into the argument and create an even larger mess.‎ ‎33 Healthy and constructive conflict is a part of high-functioning teams. Conflict arises from differences between people; the same differences that often make diverse teams more effective than those made up of people with similar experience. When people with varying viewpoints, experiences, skills, and opinions are tasked with a project or challenge, the combined effort can far surpass what any group of similar individual could achieve. 34[‎ Understanding and appreciating the various viewpoints involved in conflict are key factors in its settlement. 35 The important thing is to keep a healthy balance of constructive difference of opinion, and avoid negative conflict that’s destructive (破坏性的).‎ Getting to, and keeping that balance requires well-developed team skills, particularly the ability to settle conflict when it does happens, and the ability to keep it healthy and avoid conflict in the day-to-day course of team working.‎ A. Conflict isn’t necessarily a bad thing, though.‎ B. These are key skills for all team members to develop.‎ C. You should look at conflict solution first, then at preventing it.‎ D. The negative experiences will be replaced by positive ones.‎ E. It’s clear that conflict has to be dealt with, but the question is how.‎ F. People have different viewpoints and those differences may become conflict.‎ G. Team members must be open to these differences and not let them rise into serious arguments.‎ 第三部分:语言运用(共三节，满分45分)‎ 第一节:完形填空(共20个小题；每小题1分，满分20分)‎ 阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C和D四个选项中，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 looking at some photo albums today. That is where we old folks used to 36 our pictures before smartphones were invented. Anyway as I was 37 them I found a worn and dusty one at the bottom of a pile and opened it 38 . Slowly turning the pages, I suddenly saw a 39 of my beautiful daughter Beth, which instantly grabbed my heart and 40 me back in time.‎ It was 25 41 ago at Christmas. The little children were all waiting for Santa to 42 . My daughter was only two and a half years old and this was her first time to 43 Saint Nick. Most of ‎ the other young children seemed scared and 44 when he first walked into the room 45 my daughter’s eyes lit up. She clapped her hands and laughed. She 46 up and down. She sparkled（闪耀）with 47 . Maybe it was that she was 48 to beards（胡须） because one of her grandpas had one. Maybe it was that it was her uncle under the red, Santa suit. 49 the reason at just that instant, we took the picture and 50 seized that moment of simple joy, sweet innocence, and 51 love.‎ Whenever the problems of the holidays start to bother me, I think back to that 52 with my baby daughter and remember again the 53 of the season. It is that fearless love that a(n) 54 so long ago came here to teach us. It is that fearless love that we can 55 in our hearts not only at Christmas but all the year long. ‎ May our hearts always be free of fear and full of love.‎ ‎36. A. hide   B. store     C. seek     D. inspect ‎ ‎37. A. going through  B. getting over    C. turning around    D. searching for ‎ ‎38. A. slowly    B. sincerely      C. gently       D. patiently ‎ ‎39. A. picture  B. journal C. story D. scene ‎ ‎40. A. attached  B. changed C. gathered  D. transported ‎ ‎41. A. decades  B. years  C. months  D. weeks ‎ ‎42. A. spot  B. glare  C. arrive  D. occur ‎ ‎43. A. meet  B. touch  C. remind  D. admire ‎44. A. unbearable  B. unbelievable  C. unusual  D. uncertain ‎ ‎45. A. however  B. and C. but D. then ‎46. A. looked  B. inspected  C. turned  D. jumped ‎ ‎47. A. congratulation  B. relief  C. happiness  D. curiosity ‎ ‎48. A. used  B. sensitive  C. familiar D. connected[来源:Z|xx|k.Com]‎ ‎49. A. However  B. Whenever  C. Wherever  D. Whatever ‎ ‎50. A. briefly   B. forever  C. certainly  D. almost ‎ ‎51. A. powerful   B. confident   C. fearless  D. attractive ‎ ‎52. A. moment  B. season  C. holiday  D. day ‎ ‎53. A. friendliness  B. manner  C. trick  D. spirit ‎ ‎54. A. uncle  B. baby  C. daughter  D. elder ‎ ‎55. A. gain  B. carry   C. develop   D. contain 第 Ⅱ 卷 第二节 (共10小题；每小题1.5分，满分15分)‎ 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。‎ There are various festivals throughout the world, festivals to satisfy and please the 56 (ancestor), to honor some famous people or important events, and 57 (express) people’s thanks to the God 58 bringing them harvest. For example, in Mexico people observe the Day of the Dead in early November, 59 people eat food in the shape of skulls and cakes with “bones” on them. In India, October 2 is 60 national festival to honour Mohandas Gandhi who helped India become a(n) 61 (depend) country. And in China, the Spring Festival, which 62 (celebrate) in January or February, is the most 63 (energy) and important because it is a festival that looks forward to the coming of spring. 64 are there all these festivals? Because during the festivals, people can get together to eat, drink and have fun with each other, 65 (forget) all the daily struggle and demands for a while.‎ 第三节:单词拼写(共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分)‎ 根据下面各句句意及所给单词的首字母，写出该单词的正确形式(每空一词)。‎ ‎66．Sometimes the musicians may play to passers-by in the street or subway so that they can earn some extra money for themselves or to pay for their i_________.[‎ ‎67．The passers-by showed great m_________ to the beggars in the street on a cold night, offering some food and money.‎ ‎68．India has a national festival on October 2 to honor Mohandas Gandhi, the leader who helped gain India’s i__________ from Britain.‎ ‎69．If time p__________, we may go out and have a picnic.‎ ‎70．I don’t think she’s ever f__________ me for lying to her that time.‎ ‎71．A b_________ diet is important for healthy growth.‎ ‎72. The city was f_________ attacked. A lot of people were killed.‎ ‎73．I believe learning shouldn’t be l__________ to the textbooks.‎ ‎74．Many people like the film because it has c__________ education with recreation.‎ ‎75．The teacher told him not to s_________ over the failure of yesterday’s test.‎ 第四部分:写作(共两节，满分40分)‎ 第一节:应用文写作(共1小题，满分15分)‎ 假定你是李华，你的朋友李越面对即将到来的高一期中考试，感到学习压力很大，不知如何排解，写信求助于你。请你用英语写一封信给她，提出一些合理的建议，‎ 内容包括：1.正确对待考试；2.正常休息；3.其他建议。‎ 注意：1.词数80左右；2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；3.开头语和结束语已为你写好，不计入总词数。‎ ‎_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________‎ ‎_______________________________________________________________________________‎ 第二节：读后续写(共1小题，满分25分)‎ Justin and Mary woke up early, even though they were vacationing at their uncle's lake house. The night before, Uncle Thomas told them about the Foggy Figure that haunts (经常出没于) the lake. Justin and Mary were determined to see the ghostly creature before their vacation was over.‎ ‎“Is it foggy outside?” Mary asked, as Justin carefully looked out of the window.[来源:学+科+网]‎ ‎“Yup! Let's go!” Justin let go of the curtain and rushed to the door with Mary.‎ It was only 5:00 a. m., so everyone else in the house was still asleep. As they moved quietly through the kitchen to the back door, Mary sniffed the air. It had the faint scent (气味) of coffee and something sweet. A sense of hunger struck her. "Maybe we should first have a breakfast, "she thought. But she still followed Justin out the door, down the back steps, and out onto the boat dock (码头). The fog had settled over the lake, making it impossible to see anything.‎ ‎"Do you see anything?" Mary asked, moving forward for a closer look.‎ ‎"Nothing. Do you think Uncle Thomas was just trying to scare us with that story?”‎ Uncle Thomas did have a good imagination. He'd been telling Justin and Mary stories for years, but this was the first scary story. Mary had a feeling it wasn't made up.‎ Mary shook her head. “Remember what Uncle Thomas said? The Foggy Figure haunts the lake. We're on the dock. Maybe that's why we can't see him. The people in the story were in boats.”‎ ‎“You want to take a boat ride on the water?” Justin asked.‎ Mary looked around, trying to find Uncle Thomas's boat, but the fog was too thick.‎ ‎“Mom and Dad will be really angry if we go out on the lake alone in this fog,” Justin said.‎ Mary shrugged (耸肩). “Maybe we don't have to go anywhere. We could sit in the boat while it's docked. That wouldn't be dangerous.”‎ ‎“Okay.” Justin moved toward the end of the dock. He could barely see the outline of the boat. “I’ll go first.”‎ 注意 ‎1.所续写短文的词数应为150左右；‎ ‎2.应使用5个以上短文中标有下划线的关键词语；‎ ‎3.续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；‎ ‎4.续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。‎ Paragraph 1‎ Justin carefully lowered himself into the boat and then reached for Mary’s hand.‎ ‎______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________‎ Paragraph 2‎ Justin and Mary hugged each other in fear, but then…‎ ‎______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________‎ ‎2018-2019学年度第二学期期中考试 [高一][英语]参考答案 第一部分：听力（共两节，共20个小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）‎ ‎1-5 ABCAB 6-10 ABCCA 11-15 BBAAC 16-20 ABABB 第二部分：阅读理解 第一节（共10个小题；每小题2.5分，满分25分）‎ ‎21-23 CBD 24-27 DADA 28-30 ABD 第二节（共5个小题；每小题2分，满分10分）‎ ‎31-35 FEAGB 第三部分：语言运用 第一节：完型填空（共20个小题；每小题1分，满分20分）‎ ‎36-40 BACAD 41-45 BCADC 46-50 DCADB 51-55 CADBB ‎ ‎ 第二节：语法填空（共10个小题；每小题1.5分，满分15分）‎ ‎56．ancestors 57．to express 58．for 59．when 60．a ‎61．independent 62．is celebrated 63．energetic 64．why 65．forgetting 第三节:单词拼写(共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分)‎ ‎66．instruments 67．mercy 68．independence 69．permits 70．forgiven ‎71．balanced 72．fiercely 73．limited 74．combined 75．sigh 第四部分:写作(共两节，满分40分)‎ 第一节:应用文写作(共1小题，满分15分)‎ Dear Li Yue, [来源:学*科*网]‎ I am sorry to hear that you are under such great pressure due to the approaching examination. I’d like to offer some suggestions.‎ Firstly, it’s important to have a positive attitude towards exams, which to some extent helps figure out your problems. Moreover, you’d better kick your habit of staying up late and try to keep good hours. Lastly, why not turn to your teachers, friends and classmates for help when things don’t work out as you expected.‎ Just relax and believe in yourself. I am firmly convinced that you can make it.‎ Yours truly,‎ Li Hua 第二节：读后续写(共1小题，满分25分)‎ Justin carefully lowered himself into the boat and then reached for Mary’s hand. Mary climbed into the boat and sat beside him. She was getting nervous now that they were on the water. “See anything?” They looked around, and gradually, the fog began to lift. Mary turned around and screamed. “The Foggy Figure!” It was in the boat with them!‎ Justin and Mary hugged each other in fear, but then they heard a laugh. Justin moved toward the Foggy Figure. “Uncle Thomas?” “I knew that story would get you two out of bed early enough to take a boat ride with me.” Mary sighed, happy there was no Foggy Figure after all. Justin looked relieved, too. Uncle Thomas laughed. “What do you say? I packed a breakfast for us.” Mary smiled. She had smelled the scent of coffee. And Uncle Thomas had packed sweet cakes for them, too. “Let’s do it,” Mary and Justin said.‎ 附听力原文：‎ ‎ ‎ ‎(Text 1)‎ W: Did you go to the theatre last Sunday?‎ ‎ M: Yes, I saw “The Tea House”. The acting was excellent.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎(Text 2)‎ M: Here’s the menu, Madame. Would you like something to drink?‎ W: Yes, please. May I see the wine list?‎ M: Certainly. Here you are.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ (Text 3)‎ M：Do you think the headmaster could see me before nine thirty?‎ W：He won’t be in until eleven forty-five.‎ ‎ M:Istwelve forty any good?‎ ‎ W: Yes, I’ll write down the time.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎(Text 4)‎ ‎ M: I thought we could all go to France this year.‎ ‎ W: Oh, Dad, I am 18 now. I’m too old for family holidays.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ (Text 5)‎ ‎ M: Are you ready to go?‎ W: Wait a minute, I need to find my keys.‎ M: Aren’t they in your pocket?‎ W: No. Let me see… I remember putting them on the table this morning.‎ M: Oh, there they are. They dropped off onto the floor.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ (Text 6)‎ ‎ M: Have you ever bought anything online?‎ ‎ W: Yes, I usually buy books online. You know, there are always some sales for books online, so they’re very cheap.‎ ‎ M: What else do you buy online? What about clothes?‎ ‎ W: No. I prefer the bargaining with salespeople and seeing dresses and clothes and trying them on. You never know if they’re going to fit or not? But my friends often buy shoes and dresses online. They think it more convenient, fast and most importantly---cheap.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ (Text 7)‎ ‎ M: Can you describe the building you live in, Maria?‎ ‎ W: Yes, I live in an apartment. It’s got eight floors, and we’re on the second floor. It was built about 10 years ago. It’s far from the city center and there is no subway or trains. I’m studying at a college on the other side of the city, so I spend about two hours on the crowded bus every day.‎ ‎ M: Apart from the buses, do you like living in your city?‎ ‎ W: Yes. There’s always a lot going on, and all my friends are there. Its very lively in the evenings. There are a lot of good bars and restaurants, and people come from all around the city to get together with their friends. It has very good atmosphere.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎(Text 8)‎ ‎ M: Morning Sue. Did you enjoy your holiday in the country?‎ ‎ W: Yes, thanks. We had a great time. And some friends went with us.‎ ‎ M: Where did you stay? In a hotel? ‎ ‎ W: No. We camped in the mountains, near Snowdon. We cooked all our meals over an open fire.‎ ‎ M: Sounds wonderful. Was the weather good?‎ ‎ W: Yes, they were great. We met some farmers and had tea in their house.‎ ‎ M: When did you get back? Last night?‎ ‎ W: No. This morning. You’ll think we were mad. We got up at 4:30, left at 5 and arrived here at 9. I’m so tired. What about you? Did you have a good weekend? ‎ ‎ M: Yes, but I didn’t do much. I just stayed at home. The weather was terrible.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎(Text 9)‎ ‎ M: Do you want to meet for coffee time tomorrow morning?‎ ‎ W: No, I can’t. I have math class at eight o’clock.‎ ‎ M: I can’t believe you take such early classes.‎ ‎ W: I’d like to take my most difficult classes first in the morning. My mind is fresh right after I get up, so it is the perfect time for me to do hard math problems.‎ ‎ M: I feel the opposite way. I take afternoon classes because I can concentrate better. I prefer to spend my morning time sleeping or exercising.‎ ‎ W: Well, why don’t we meet for a drink after you finish your classes on Friday?‎ ‎ M: Hmm… I have dinner with my roommates, but I can meet you after that, say… eight o’clock?‎ ‎ W: Sounds great. See you then.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎(Text 10)‎ Hello and welcome to Book Talk. Today I’m going to talk about a couple of books you can read during the holidays. I have three suggestions for you this week. First, if you enjoy reading science fiction, there’s an exciting new book by Alan Cooper called Shallow Earth. It takes place in the future where Earth has almost been destroyed. The main characters are a group of soldiers who are fighting to save the Earth from total disaster. If you like something romantic, that’s Give Me Shelter, by Kathleen Wang. It’s a historical novel set in China, and tells a story of two teenagers growing up in Shanghai in the 1930s. They decided to run away together after the families tired to stop them seeing each other. Finally that’s Jump For The Stars, a biography of one of Houston Rocket’s most popular players Tracy McGrady. Find out how he started his NBA career, who had the greatest effect on his life, and how he’s made his fortune by doing what he loves. That’s all for Book Talk this week. See you next week and keep reading.‎