英语卷·2017届河北省武邑中学高三下学期一模考试（2017-04）

英语卷·2017届河北省武邑中学高三下学期一模考试（2017-04）

河北武邑中学2016-2017学年高三年级第一次模拟考试 英语试题 ‎ 命题人：鲍海健 审阅人：魏军霞 第一部分听力部分（每小题1.5共30分）‎ 第一节 ‎　　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 is coming to Louise? ‎ ‎　　　A. Her big party. B. Her birthday. C. The first day of work.‎ ‎　　2. Where are the speakers?‎ ‎　　　A. In an office. B. At home. C. At a bus stop.‎ ‎　　3. What might the woman be? ‎ ‎　　　A. A parking attendant. B. A librarian. C. A teacher.‎ ‎　　4. What are the speakers mainly talking about? ‎ ‎　　　A. Children’s health. B. Normal hobbies. C. Their son’s bedtime.‎ ‎　　5. When does the man leave for the office on Tuesday? ‎ ‎　　　A. At 7:00. B. At 7:30. C. At 8:00.‎ ‎　　第二节 ‎ ‎　　　　听第6段材料，回答第6、7题。‎ ‎　　6. What did the woman do on her vacation?‎ ‎　　　A. She mainly sat by the pool.‎ ‎　　　B. She had to rest most of the time.‎ ‎　　　C. She stayed on land for the whole trip.‎ ‎　　7. What was Sam’s vacation like, according to the woman?‎ ‎　　　A. It was enjoyable. B. It was restful. C. It was a waste of time.‎ ‎　　听第7段材料，回答第8至10题。‎ ‎　　8. How does the man feel about movie reviews?‎ ‎　　　A. He has doubts about them.‎ ‎　　　B. He finds them ridiculous. ‎ ‎　　　C. He mostly agrees with them.‎ ‎　　9. According to the woman, what qualifies a person to be an expert?‎ ‎　　　A. The ability to speak out their opinion. ‎ ‎　　　B. Years of experience in their field.‎ ‎　　　C. Logic and influence on others.‎ ‎　　10. What does the man probably do for a living? ‎ ‎ A. He’s a judge. B. He’s a teacher. C. He’s a food critic.‎ ‎　　听第8段材料，回答第11至13题。‎ ‎　　11. Why is the man moving? ‎ ‎ A. He wants a smaller house. ‎ ‎ B. He can’t afford his old house. ‎ ‎ C. He has finished all his projects.‎ ‎　　12. What does the woman think about the plan? ‎ ‎ A. It’s great. B. It sounds comfortable. C. It’s crazy.‎ ‎　　13. What will probably be in the new house? ‎ ‎ A. Simple furniture. B. A big TV. C. A swimming pool.‎ ‎　　听第9段材料，回答第14至17题。‎ ‎　　14. How many suitcases does the woman want to deposit?‎ ‎ A. Two. B. Five. C. Six.‎ ‎　　15. What color is the suitcase containing the laptop?‎ ‎ A. Black. B. Red. C. Brown.‎ ‎　　16. What will the woman do with her digital products?‎ ‎ A. She’ll deposit them in Room 213.‎ ‎ B. She’ll deposit them there.‎ ‎ C. She’ll take them with her.‎ ‎　　17. Why will she go to the office on the second floor?‎ ‎ A. To check some baggage.‎ ‎ B. To wait for her friends.‎ ‎ C. To make complaints.‎ ‎　　听第10段材料，回答第18至20题。‎ ‎　　18. What is Ng’s first novel mainly about? ‎ ‎ A. Small-town America.‎ ‎ B. A family with a missing child.‎ ‎ C. The life of a teenager in America.‎ ‎　　19. What did Ng say about the Asian characters in her book? ‎ ‎ A. She wanted to write about race.‎ ‎ B. She was surprised she wrote about them.‎ ‎ C. She wanted people to know they were real people in her life.‎ ‎　　20. How do most people feel about the book? ‎ ‎ A. They think it’s mysterious.‎ ‎ B. They think it’s simple.‎ ‎ C. They think it’s sad.‎ 第二部分阅读部分（每小题2分 共40分）‎ ‎　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　A ‎　　What’s more exciting than having a fresh hot pizza delivered to your door How about having it brought to you by a robot Thanks to Domino’s Robotic Unit or DRU, that just became a reality! On March 8, the three-foot tall robot delivered its first pizza to some lucky residents in Brisbane, Australia.‎ ‎　　The fully autonomous DRU is the result of cooperation between Domino’s Pizza Australia and Marathon Robotics. The 450-pound machine that travels at a maximum speed of 12.4 miles an hour can traverse a distance of up to 12 miles and back, before requiring a battery recharge. LIDAR, a laser-based sensor technology similar to the one used in self-driving cars, enables DRU to detect and avoid obstacles, while traditional sensors, much like those used in vacuum robots ensure its path is safe as it heads to its destination.‎ ‎　　The robot can fit up to ten pizzas and even has a separate cold area to accommodate drink orders. To access their food, customers have to enter the unique code provided to them by the company. This not only ensures that they pick up the right pizza, but also prevents the pies from getting stolen.‎ ‎　　Scientists expect additional DRU’s to be ready for service in their various Queensland ‎ locations within the next six months. But don’t expect these super cute robots to replace humans anytime soon. According to Domino’s the DRU still needs extensive testing, which the company believes could take up to two years.‎ ‎　　And then there is also the issue of regulations. The public use of autonomous vehicles is still banned in most countries. But Don Meij, the CEO and Managing Director of Domino’s Pizza Australia New Zealand Ltd, is not worried. He is "confident that one day DRU will become an integral part of the Domino’s family."‎ ‎21. What’s the function of LIDAR ‎ ‎ A. Recharging DRU’s battery. B. Keeping DRU free of obstacles. ‎ ‎ C. Helping DRU find its destination. D. Protecting DRU from bad weather.‎ ‎22. What does the underlined word “accommodate” in paragraph 3 probably mean ‎ ‎ A. Hold. B. Sell. C. Heat. D. Show.‎ ‎23. What can we infer about future of DRU ‎ ‎ A. It will replace humans soon. B. It will be applied worldwide.‎ ‎ C. It may be banned in Australia. D. It may need some improvements. ‎ ‎　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B ‎ One day, I was invited to an important event, and I wanted to wear something special for it. I looked through my suitcase but couldn't find anything to wear. I was lucky to be at the technology conference then, and I had access to 3D printers. So I quickly designed a skirt on my computer, and I loaded the file on the printer. It just printed the pieces overnight. The next morning, I just took all the pieces, assembled them together in my hotel room, and this is actually the skirt that I'm wearing right now.‎ ‎　　It wasn't the first time that I had printed clothes. For my senior collection at fashion design school, I decided to try and 3D print an entire fashion collection from my home. The problem was that I hardly knew anything about 3D printing, and I had only nine months to figure out how to print five fashionable looks. I always felt most creative when I worked from home. I loved experimenting with new materials, and I always tried to develop new techniques to make the most unique textiles for my fashion projects.‎ ‎　　One summer break, I came here to New York to do practice at a fashion house in Chinatown. We worked on two incredible dresses that were 3D printed. They were amazing. But I had a few ‎ problems with them. They were made from hard plastics and that's why they broke easily. The models couldn't sit in them, and they even got hurt from the plastics under their arms. So now the main challenge was to find the right material for printing clothes with. I mean the material you feed the printer with.‎ ‎ The breakthrough came when I was introduced to Filaflex, which is a new kind of printing material. It's strong, yet very flexible. And with it, I was able to print the first garment, a red jacket that had the word "freedom" printed into it. And actually, you can easily download this jacket, and change the word to something else, for example, your name or your sweetheart's name. So I think in the future, materials will be better, and they will look and feel like fabrics we know today, like cotton or silk.‎ ‎24. What does the writer mean by mentioning the skirt she is wearing now ‎ ‎　A. It is not easily breakable. B. It represents the latest style. ‎ ‎　C. It came from a 3D printer. D. It was made by a fashion designer. ‎ ‎25. When did the writer start experimenting with 3D printing ‎ ‎　A. When she attended a conference in New York. ‎ ‎　B. When she had just graduated from her college. ‎ ‎　C. When she was studying at a fashion design school. ‎ ‎　D. When she attended a fashion show nine months ago. ‎ ‎26. What was the problem with the material at New York fashion house ‎ ‎　A. It was hard and easy to break. B. It was hard to come by. ‎ ‎　C. It was difficult to print. D. It was extremely expensive. ‎ ‎27. What can we know about Filaflex ‎ ‎　A. It is the latest model of a 3D printer. B. It gives fashion designers room for imagination.‎ C. It is a plastic widely used in 3D printing. D. It marks a breakthrough in printing material. ‎ ‎　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　C ‎　　In its early history, Chicago had floods frequently, especially in the spring, making the streets so muddy that people, horses, and carts got stuck. An old joke that was popular at the time went something like this: A man is stuck up to his waist in a muddy Chicago street. Asked if he needs help, he replies, "No, thanks. I've got a good horse under me."‎ ‎　　The city planner decided to build an underground drainage (排水) system, but there simply ‎ wasn't enough difference between the height of the ground level and the water level. The only two options were to lower the Chicago River or raise the city.‎ ‎　　An engineer named Ellis Chesbrough convinced me the city that it had no choice but to build the pipes above ground and then cover them with dirt. This raised the level of the city's streets by as much as 12 feet.‎ ‎　　This of course created a new problem: dirt practically buried the first floors of every building in Chicago. Building owners were faced with a choice: either change the first floors of their buildings into basements, and the second stories into main floors, or hoist the entire buildings to meet the new street level. Small wood-frame buildings could be lifted fairly easily. But what about large, heavy structures like Tremont Hotel, which was a six-story brick building?‎ ‎　　That's where George Pullman came in. He had developed some house-moving skills successfully. To lift a big structure like the Tremont Hotel, Pullman would place thousands of jackscrews (螺旋千斤顶) beneath the building's foundation. One man was assigned to operate each section of roughly 10 jackscrews. At Pullman's signal each man turned his jackscrew the same amount at the same time, thereby raising the building slowly and evenly. Astonishingly, the Tremont Hotel stay open during the entire operation, and many of its guests didn't even notice anything was happening. Some people like to say that every problem has a solution. But in Chicago's early history, every engineering solution seemed to create a new problem. Now that Chicago's waste water was draining efficiently into the Chicago River, the city's next step was to clean the polluted river.‎ ‎28 The author mentions the joke to show ______.‎ ‎ A. horses were fairly useful in Chicago B. Chicago's streets were extremely muddy ‎ C. Chicago was very dangerous in the spring D. the Chicago people were particularly humorous ‎29. The underlined word "hoist" in Paragraph 4 means "_______".‎ ‎ A. change B. lift C. repair D. decorate ‎30. What can we conclude about the moving operation of the Tremont Hotel?‎ ‎ A. It went on smoothly as intended. B. It interrupted the business of the hotel.‎ ‎ C. It involved Pullman turning ten jackscrews.D. It separated the building from its foundation.‎ ‎31. The passage is mainly about the early Chicago's ______.‎ ‎ A. popular life styles and their influences B. environmental disasters and their causes C. engineering problems and their solutions D. successful businessmen and their achievements D ‎　　Many Beijing residents go to great lengths to avoid breathing the city’s smoggy air, especially when it reaches critical pollution levels, but one local businessman decided that canning and selling this poor quality air as a souvenir would be a great idea. Believe it or not, he was right.‎ ‎　　After seeing a number of companies achieve commercial success by canning fresh air from countries like France, Canada or Australia and selling it in China, Dominic Johnson-Hill, a British-born citizen of Beijing and owner of the Plastered 8（创可贴8）souvenir shop, decided to turn the idea on its head and sell canned Beijing air throughout China and abroad.‎ ‎　　“I’d seen people going crazy to buy canned air from Canada and Australia, so I thought it was time to push business the other way,” the businessman said. “They’re perfect gifts! What else are you going to take home when you go home from Beijing? A roast duck? A Plastered T-shirt? These cans are light, easily carried home. You can just imagine someone’s face when they unwrap it for Christmas.”‎ ‎　　The few mouth-fulls of Beijing air come in standard tin cans featuring a couple of famous city landmarks as well as a bitter description of the contents: “a unique mix of nitrogen（氮气）, oxygen and probably some unknown stuff”. The ironic（讽刺的） souvenirs cost 28 RMB (US$4) and are available at the Plastered 8 shop, as well as in its online shop. But if you’re actually considering buying some, you’d better ask the shop in advance, as they are always flying off the shelves. Johnson-Hill said that his shop is selling hundreds of Beijing air cans every day.‎ ‎　　Personally, the well-sold can probably is an awakening for the public to be concerned about the living conditions. Yet one thing that’s not particularly clear is whether the air is really collected from Beijing, because the cans are labeled as “Made in Shenzhen”. There’s a big chance that it is just a kind of “Plastered 8 humor”, as they also list “Choking Risk” and “May have unidentified objects inside” as warnings.‎ ‎　　Anyway, it is probably a unique way to arouse public awareness of protecting the environment.‎ ‎32. What are many people in Beijing likely to do with the smoggy air?‎ ‎　　A. Try to get used to it.‎ ‎　　B. Can it as a souvenir.‎ ‎　　C. Sell it all over the world.‎ ‎　　D. Try their best to avoid.‎ ‎33. How may one feel when receiving canned Beijing air for Christmas?‎ ‎　　A. Satisfied.‎ ‎　　B. Surprised.‎ ‎　　C. Frightened.‎ ‎　　D. Refreshed.‎ ‎34. Which of the following can replace the underlined word “stuff” in paragraph 4?‎ ‎　　A. liquids ‎　　B. objects ‎　　C. minerals ‎　　D. risks ‎35. What can we infer from the passage?‎ ‎　　A. There are unidentified objects in the canned Beijing air.‎ ‎　　B. The Plastered 8 souvenir shop is famous for its humuor.‎ ‎　　C. The writer may expect us to care more about the environment.‎ ‎ D. Dominic Johnson-Hill is a British man who lives in Beijing.‎ ‎　 ‎ 七选五部分 ‎　　Today, some traditional methods are unfashionable, particularly in the fast changing world of technology. A person who relies only on formal education may be cheated. ‎ ‎ 36 Self-learning is still considered the best. You know yourself best, and you can learn at your own pace. ‎ ‎　　A self-learner has his own freedom. It is a choice between the things that you may want to learn more and improving your abilities. It can also lead you to great personal satisfaction. 37 ‎ ‎　　Then, what you should pay attention to when you are teaching yourself? Well, first of all, you must realize what you will do and achieve. 38 Whether it is learning a new language, a new ‎ subject or a hobby, it can be a great start in teaching yourself.‎ ‎　　 39 It can be harder than a typical classroom situation. One should have the ability to keep on trying, especially during times when you want to give up.‎ ‎　　Learning the basics is very important before starting a new approach. It may become easy if you master the basics and its advanced skills.‎ ‎　　Give yourself some space when problems are at hand. Timing out may renew your mindset and energies, particularly in solving problems.‎ ‎　　Involve yourself in a group of people who have the skills that you want to achieve. 40 ‎ ‎　　A. So ask yourself what you want to do.‎ ‎　　B. A person also has to help himself learn.‎ ‎　　C. Learning on your own is more enjoyable.‎ ‎　　D. Be patient while you are learning on your own.‎ ‎　　E. Be brave to turn to others for advice outside class.‎ ‎　　F. Forums (论坛) are the best way to get valuable information.‎ ‎　　G. Don’t try to spend a lot of time researching learning methods.‎ 第三部分 完型填空（满分30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，选出可以填人空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。‎ ‎　　　True leadership is not just the ability to identify the talent and skill of the polished individuals around you. It involves being able to dig beneath the surface and discover__41__．‎ ‎　　Once there was a boy who constantly sat and talked in his math class，and seemed__42__in group activities. Most teachers would__43__think of him as a problem student.‎ ‎　　However，Anna was different. She believed the student was above__44__in other areas so she created a strategy to find out.‎ ‎　　Anna didn’t __45__the parents. Instead she organized a handful of activities in the class to get more information. In place of calling out for volunteers in class she created a__46__for each Friday：Girls vs. Boys.‎ ‎　　The first week the class was totally__47__．Everyone wanted to win. Even the boy had his hand up the whole time trying to get a turn.__48__，Anna waited，and waited，and waited. Finally ‎ the__49__teacher paired the boy with the most__50__girl student in class.‎ ‎　　Now the two teams had a__51__score，all the students sat back eager to see the result. As the teacher placed the question on the board，most of the students began to__52__their heads：this was a question they had never__53__in class.‎ ‎　　“__54__！” the teacher yelled. Both students started doing it__55__ thinking of how to solve the complex question. Their classmates，full of __56__，exclaimed，“Hurry，hurry，hurry！” The boy finished it just seconds before the girl and spun around with his__57__raised，“I won！” Almost nobody could believe the student they admired failed until Anna__58__the result.‎ ‎　　This was what Anna tried to get. It turned out that the student wasn’t bad，he was__59__．So we can see that__60__hidden abilities is not always easy but the end results can be magical. Try your hand at this quality of leadership now and report your results.‎ ‎41．A. truth B．treasure C．motivation D．potential ‎ ‎42．A. active B．disconnected C．discouraged D．cautious ‎43．A. immediately B．appropriately C．abnormally D．scarcely ‎44．A. limit B．prejudice C. average D．value ‎45．A. contact B．comfort C．warn D．blame ‎46．A. dilemma B．debate C．game D．competition ‎47．A. creative B．enthusiastic C． noisy D．curious ‎48．A. Yet B．Still C．Somehow D．Therefore ‎49．A. arbitrary B．puzzled C．ridiculous D．wise ‎ ‎50．A. elegant B．careless C．hardworking D．considerate ‎51．A. rare B．close C．poor D．different ‎52．A. turn B．lift C．shake D．nod ‎53．A. covered B．feared C．overlooked D．raised ‎54．A. Try B．Hurry C．Look D．Go ‎55．A. skillfully B．slowly C．casually D．abruptly ‎56．A. chaos B．anxiety C．courage D．excitement ‎57．A. arms B．hopes C．confidence D．eyes ‎58．A. obtained B．analyzed C．confirmed D．adjusted ‎59．A. upset B．spoiled C．tired D．bored ‎60．A. foreseeing B．recognizing C．appreciating D．assessing ‎　　　　　　　　　第II卷 非选择题（共50分）‎ ‎【一】语法填空（每空1.5分，共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。‎ ‎　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（不多于三个单词）或括号内单词的适当形式。‎ ‎　　For you, the “Clear and Bright” day that falls in every April might be no more than just another holiday — the fact that it comes with three days off school matters to most students 61 (much) than the fact that it is part of the 24 solar terms (二十四节气).‎ ‎　　But this ancient system that Chinese people have used 62 (keep) track of the time of year was added to the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity(人类非物质文化遗产) on Nov. 30. ‎ ‎　　To be fair, the terms do sound old; they 63 (invent) thousands of years ago to offer weather information for agricultural 64 (activity). But the truth is 65 they still have an influence on our lives today, even if we don’t realize it most of the time. For example, people from 66 (north) China are in the habit of eating dumplings 67 the day of Winter Solstice (冬至). And on Start of Autumn, some treat 68 (they) to a big feast, especially of meat, something they call “putting on autumn weight”, or tieqiubiao. According to Chinese writer and academic Yu Shicun, the system is a philosophy of time, 69 applies to everything. And this means they are 70 (likely) to die out.‎ 第二节 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短文。短文中共有10处错误，每句中最多有两处。错误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(∧), 并在此符号下面写出该加的词。‎ 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　　‎ ‎　　I live in a distant village in the mountains, there people like raising dogs. I have an adult dog ‎ and he was big in size. Last week, the relative sent me two little dogs. They were unable to walk well, even fall to the ground now and then. They moved like two fur balls, funny and lovely.‎ ‎　　However, I feared that if the adult dog might dislike them and even attack them. So I kept the two little one in a box. One day, I was astonishing to see the adult dog lying in the box. Under them comfortably lay the two little dogs! Now the three dogs get along well one another and live happy together.‎ 第二节 书面表达（满分25分）‎ ‎　　最近你班就高三学生是否应该组织集体春游进行了讨论。以下是讨论的情况。请你用英语写一篇短文，反映讨论结果并谈谈自己的看法，然后发表在你　　‎ ‎　　‎ ‎　　校英语论坛上。‎ 赞成(62%)的理由 反对(38%)的理由 ‎1. 亲近大自然，拓宽视野； ‎ ‎2. 增强沟通、合作能力；‎ ‎3. 结交新朋友。‎ ‎1. 占用宝贵的学习时间；‎ ‎2. 安全很难保证。‎ 注意：词数100左右（开头已给出，但不计入总词数）。‎ Recently, our class has had a discussion about whether Senior Three students should go on a group spring outing.‎ 答案 ‎1—5 BCBCA 6—10 ACABB 11—15 ACACA 16—20 CABBC ‎ BAD CCAD BBAC DBBC BCADF ‎41-45. D B A C A 46-50. D B A D C ‎51-55. B C A D B 56-60. D A C D B ‎61. more 62. to keep 63. were invented 64. activities ‎ ‎65. that ‎66. northern 67. on 68. themselves 69. which 70. unlikely I live in a distant village in the mountains, there people like raising dogs. I have an adult ‎ ‎ where dog and he was big in size. Last week, the relative sent me two little dogs. They were unable to ‎ ‎ is a walk well, even fall to the ground now and then. They moved like two fur balls, funny and ‎ ‎ falling ‎ lovely.‎ ‎??However, I feared that if the adult dog might dislike them and even attack them. So I kept the two little one in a box. One day, I was astonishing to see the adult dog lying in the box. ‎ ‎ ones astonished ‎ Under them comfortably lay the two little dogs! Now the three dogs get along well ? one ‎ it with another and live happy together.‎ ‎ happily Recently, our class has had a discussion about whether Senior Three students should go on a group spring outing. They take different attitudes towards it.‎ ‎??62% of the students say yes. In their opinion, going on a group spring outing can not only enable them to get close to nature and broaden their horizons, but also help improve communication and cooperation skills. Furthermore, it gives more opportunities to make new friends. However, 38% of the students hold the opposite opinion. They think that they are supposed to concentrate their energies on studying, because the university entrance examinations are around the corner. The outing is a waste of time. Meanwhile, they can’t prepare for every emergency.‎ As for me, we can benefit a lot from the activity only if safety measures ‎ are adopted properly. On the whole, I am in favour of the former.‎ 听力材料 Text 1 ‎ M: Happy Birthday, Louise. Do you have any big plans? (1)‎ W: No, I’m afraid it’s just going to be the same old boring Monday at work.‎ Text 2 ‎ W: Oh, no. I’m going to be in trouble with Mr. Jones if I’m late again. Excuse me. Have you been waiting here long?‎ M: No, I’ve only been here a few minutes. The last bus was just leaving when I arrived, so we’ll probably just have to wait three minutes for the next one. (2)‎ Text 3 ‎ M: Can you help me? I’m done studying, but I can’t seem to get out of this building. I push the button for “1” on the elevator, but it takes me to a big dark room.‎ W: That’s where we store our old books. (3) Try the second floor for the parking lot.‎ Text 4 ‎ W: Did you put John to bed yet? He’s been so tired lately.‎ M: No, but it’s Friday night. And I don’t think he’s tired. He is out playing with his friends, like any normal kid. Let’s give him another few minutes. (4)‎ Text 5 ‎ W: What time do you leave for the office in the morning?‎ M: I leave at 7:30 every day except on Tuesday. I leave home half an hour earlier on Tuesday, because I’m on duty that day. (5)‎ Text 6‎ M: How was your trip? You certainly look tan.‎ W: It was great. I just sat by the pool for the whole cruise. (6) I only went on land two times, just to shop.‎ M: But Sam doesn’t look tan at all. Wasn’t he with you?‎ W: Ha! Well, funny thing about that. He got seasick as soon as we stepped on the ship.‎ M: That’s terrible! Did he get to enjoy any of the trip?‎ W: I’m afraid the whole thing was a waste of time for him. (7) He just stayed in the cabin and slept.‎ M: What a shame!‎ W: He claims he enjoyed it. He’s usually exhausted, and he got a lot of down time on this trip.‎ Text 7‎ W: Did you check out the ratings for the new movie this weekend, or were you too busy grading papers? (10)‎ M: I saw the reviews, but I don’t always agree with the movie critics. (8) I’d rather be my own judge. I don’t need their opinions.‎ W: Yeah, but they make a living doing what they do. If someone spends most of their life doing a certain thing, doesn’t that make them an expert in it? (9) ‎ M: I’ve heard that argument before. But based on that logic, I’m an expert in eating. And I don’t call myself a food critic.‎ W: That’s a bit ridiculous. Do you write columns for the newspaper on food? Have you studied the arts of cooking?‎ M: True, but I don’t use my personal judgment to influence others, either.‎ Text 8 ‎ W: Bill! How’ve you and Sandy been doing? I haven’t seen you around the neighborhood recently.‎ M: We’re fine. We’ve been busy with our new project.‎ W: What is it this time? Surely the pool and garden shed were enough for this year!‎ M: We’re reducing costs, actually. We’re building a tiny house.‎ W: Why would you want a smaller place to live? Your place is perfect. (11)‎ M: We think it’s too much for one family. (11) ‎ W: That’s crazy. (12) What will you do with all your things? And how will you live without comfortable furniture, books, entertainment systems, and all the necessities of modern life?‎ M: I don’t think those things are really needed. At the end of the day, you just need a bed to sleep in and a chair to sit on. We’re selling almost everything we own now. (13)‎ W: And Sandy went along with this?‎ M: Well, it took some discussion, but she understands now. ‎ Text 9 ‎ M: Good evening. May I be of service?‎ W: Yeah, I want to have my baggage deposited.‎ M: OK. How many pieces of baggage do you have in all? (14)‎ W: Here they are. That’s all of it. ‎ M: One, two... six, six pieces? (14)‎ W: Yes. (14) By the way, there is a laptop in the black suitcase. (15) Please handle with care!‎ M: Laptop? Wait a minute, please. ‎ W: Is there anything wrong?‎ M: Sorry, madam. I’m afraid that digital products are not allowed to be deposited. ‎ W: Then what can I do with them?‎ M: Could you take them with you? (16)‎ W: It’s so heavy and will be a burden. ‎ M: It’s the best choice to protect your personal property. (16)‎ W: That sounds reasonable. I’ll take your advice! (16) Thank you. ‎ M: That’s the least I can do for you. Well. Is there anything else breakable in your baggage?‎ W: A digital camera in the red bag. ‎ M: It’s the same as the laptop. Any other questions?‎ W: What’s the price of it? ‎ M: It’s 8 yuan per hour for your two big suitcases, and 5 yuan per hour for the four small ones. (14)‎ W: I have some other baggage to check. Where should I go? (17)‎ M: You can go to the office in the waiting room. It’s Room 213 on the 2nd floor. (17)‎ W: Thank you. I’ll get my suitcases before I leave.‎ Text 10 ‎ ‎??Celeste Ng, a new writer, has gained recognition for her first novel, Everything I Never Told You. Ng’s parents emigrated from Hong Kong in the 1960s. Ng grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania. Although her novel is not about race, the characters are Asian. The story is about Lydia, a teenage girl, who is the favorite of three children born to a white mother and a Chinese-American father. The story is about Lydia’s disappearance, and the emotions the family goes through as the mystery unfolds. The whole family deals with grief, regret, and exposed secrets as they search for their lost daughter. (18) Though the characters in this story are Asian, Ng says she didn’t really want to include Asian characters. She was afraid people would think the story was about real people in her life. Because she grew up in Pennsylvania and doesn’t speak Chinese, she was actually surprised that she included Asian characters in the book. (19) The book has taken off, especially on Amazon, where it won the Editor’s Pick for No.1 Best Book of the Year in 2014. With so many readers, it’s safe to say this is a book you should read. But if you’re looking for a simple mystery, this book might not be for you. Most readers warn that you should not read this book unless you’re prepared to cry. (20)‎