英语卷·2018届江西师范大学附属中学高三4月月考（2018-04）

英语卷·2018届江西师范大学附属中学高三4月月考（2018-04）

江西师大附中高三年级英语考试卷 ‎ 命题人：谢卫星 罗倩 徐水 审题人：傅国珍 2018. 4.‎ ‎（全卷共计150分，考试时间120分钟）‎ 第I卷 第一部分：听力（共两节，满分30分）‎ 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。每段对话后有一小题，从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项，并标出试卷的相应位置。听完每段对话后，你都有10秒钟的时间回答有关小题和阅读下一小题。每段对话仅读一遍。‎ ‎1. What will the man do first?‎ A. Send the woman to the airport. ‎ B. Pick up his daughter. ‎ C. Buy a birthday gift.‎ ‎2. Where are the speakers probably?‎ A. At home. B. In a supermarket. C. In a restaurant.‎ ‎3. What did the advisor think of Mary’s report?‎ A. It was acceptable.‎ B. It should be improved. ‎ C. It went beyond his expectations.‎ ‎4. What does the man mean?‎ A. He doesn’t know Dr. Jeffery very well. ‎ B. He thought Dr. Jeffery would get the position.‎ C. He’s not sure Dr. Jeffery will be a good chairperson.‎ ‎5. How does the woman want to deal with the jeans?‎ A. Change them for a smaller size. ‎ B. Have them shortened. ‎ C. Return them.‎ 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。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。‎ 听下面一段对话，回答第6和第7两个小题。‎ ‎6. How does the woman feel?‎ A. Tired. B. Excited. C. Angry.‎ ‎7. What did the woman just do?‎ A. She went shopping.‎ B. She came across a fight. ‎ C. She watched news about a tornado.‎ 听下面一段对话，回答第8和第9两个小题。‎ ‎8. What are the speakers mainly talking about?‎ A. A restaurant. B. A job offer. C. An interview.‎ ‎9. What’s the man’s nationality?‎ A. English. B. Italian. C. American.‎ 听下面一段对话，回答第10至第12三个小题。‎ ‎10. What does the man say about “The Sambodromo Parade”?‎ A. Everyone can join in it anytime. ‎ B. The ticket prices are rather high. ‎ C. Samba lovers are crazy about it.‎ ‎11. Which activity attracts many famous people?‎ A. The Sambodromo Parade.‎ B. The normal street parades. ‎ C. Masquerade Balls.‎ ‎12. How long does the carnival last?‎ A. One week. B. Five days. C. Three days. ‎ 听下面一段对话，回答第13至第16四个小题。‎ ‎13. Why does the man get up so early?‎ A. To finish a paper. B. To attend a class. C. To do some exercise.‎ ‎14. Where does the man probably stay?‎ A. In a dormitory. B. In a host family. C. In his own home.‎ ‎15. What does the man major in?‎ A. Sociology. B. Computer. C. English.‎ ‎16. Where will the woman go this afternoon?‎ A. The hospital. B. The mountains. C. The office.‎ 听下面一段独白，回答第17至第20四个小题。‎ ‎17. What percentage of students are absent each day in some large American city schools?‎ A. 10%~20%. B. 20%~40%. C. 40%~60%.‎ ‎18. Which reason for students’ absences is discussed in great detail?‎ A. Punishment by teachers. B. Their skipping classes. C. Illness.‎ ‎19. Who will benefit from the scheme being tried in Florida?‎ A. The board of education.‎ B. Principals of city schools.‎ C. Students with good attendance records.‎ ‎20. What meausre has been taken in San Francisco to protect school property?‎ A. Punishing students who damage school property.‎ B. Rewarding schools that have decreased the destruction.‎ C. Cutting down the budget for repairs and replacements.‎ 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中（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。‎ A About Old Faithful – The Most Famous Geyser(间歇性喷泉) in the World Discovered in 1870 by the Washburn Expedition, Old Faithful geyser was named for its frequent eruptions — which number more than a million since Yellowstone became the world’s first national park in 1872.‎ When does Old Faithful erupt?‎ Basic prediction of Old Faithful is dependent upon the duration of the previous eruption.‎ ‎ During visitor center hours, geyser statistics and predictions are maintained by the naturalist staff. People speak of the average time between eruptions. This is misleading. The mathematical average between eruptions of Old Faithful is currently 74 minutes, but it doesn’t like to act average! Intervals can range from 60-110 minutes. Visitors can check for posted prediction times in most buildings in the Old Faithful area.‎ How high does Old Faithful erupt and how long will it last?‎ Old Faithful can vary in height from 100-180 feet with an average near 130-140 feet. This has been the historical range of its recorded height. Eruptions normally last between 1.5 to 5 minutes.‎ I heard Old Faithful isn’t as faithful as it used to be. Is it slowing down?‎ It depends on what you call faithful. The famous geyser currently erupts around 20 times a day and can be predicted with a 90 percent confidence rate within a 10 minute variation. Prior to the 1959 earthquake, Old Faithful erupted 21 times per day. That’s a significant decrease in activity for geologists tracking each eruption, but to visitors seeing one or two eruptions . . . it looks just fine.‎ How many gallons of water are expelled during an eruption?‎ It depends on the duration of the eruption. Scientists estimate that the amount ranges from 3,700 gallons (for a short duration of 1.5 minutes) to 8,400 gallons (for a longer duration of 4.5 minutes).‎ How hot is the water in Old Faithful?‎ During an eruption, the water temperature at the vent has been measured at 204°F (95.6°C). The steam temperature has been measured above 350°F!‎ ‎21. You and your friend just watched the eruption of Old Faithful at 12:26 p.m., at what time is it possible for you to enjoy the next one?‎ A. 13:10 B. 14:06 C. 15:06 D. 13:16‎ ‎22. Which one of the following statement about Old Faithful is true?‎ A. The geyser’s name gives people an indication that it always erupts regularly, about 20 times each day, once every 74 minutes.‎ B. When it is erupting, people should keep a safe distance from that due to the huge amount of water it expels as well as its freezing coldness.‎ C. If visitors want to check the eruption time, they may refer to the posted timetables, on which the predictions are calculated by the naturalists.‎ D. Old Faithful is a well-known geyser which can expel at least 3700 gallons water each time and it’s located in the world’s largest national park.‎ ‎23. Where does the article most probably appear?‎ A. Local travel pamphlets introducing Yellowstone. ‎ B. The Yellowstone official website.‎ C. A recently-issued guide book on Yellowstone. ‎ D. A travel magazine column about Yellowstone.‎ B If your in-box is currently reporting unread messages in the hundreds or thousands, you might have a hard time believing the news: e-mail is on the decline.‎ At first thought, that might seem to be the case. The incoming generation, after all, doesn’t do e-mail. Oh, they might have an account. They use it only as we would use a fax machine: as a means to communicate with old-school folks like their parents or to fulfill the sign-up requirements of Web sites. They rarely check it, though.‎ Today’s instant electronic memos — such as texting and Facebook and Twitter messages— are more direct, more concentrated, more efficient. They go without the salutation (称呼语) and the signoff (签收); we already know the “to” and “from”. Many corporations are moving to messaging networks for exactly that reason: more signal, less noise and less time. This trend is further evidence that store-and-forward systems such as e-mail and voicemail are outdated. Instead of my leaving you a lengthy message that you pick up later, I can now send you an easily-read message that you can read — and respond to — on the go.‎ The coming of the mobile era is responsible for the decline of e-mail. Instant written messages bring great convenience to people. They can deal with them at about any time: before a movie, in a taxi, waiting for lunch. And because these messages are very brief, they’re suitable for smart phone typing.‎ Does this mean e-mail is on its way to the dustbin of digital history? Not necessarily. E-mail still has certain advantages. On the other hand, tweets and texts feel ephemeral — you read them, then they’re gone, into an endless string, e-mail still feels like something you have and that you can file, search and return to later. It’s easy to imagine that it will continue to feel more appropriate for formal communications: agreements, important new and longer explanations.‎ So, e-mail won’t go away completely. Remember, we’ve been through a transition (过度) like this not so long ago: when e-mail was on the rise, people said that postal mail was dead. That’s not how it works. Postal mail found its smaller market, and so will e-mail. New technology rarely replaces old one completely; it just adds new alternatives.‎ ‎24. What would the incoming generation like to do with their e-mail accounts?‎ A. Fill in some forms. B. Send long messages.‎ C. Contact close friends. D. Communicate with their colleagues.‎ ‎25. Which of the following is mainly discussed in paragraphs 3 and 4?‎ A. The rapid development of e-communication channels.‎ B. The likes and dislikes of the young generation.‎ C. The possible reasons behind the decline of e-mail.[‎ D. Evidence about the uncertain future of easily-consumed messages.‎ ‎26. What does the underlined word “ephemeral” in paragraph 5 mean?‎ A. Automatically-sending. B. Shortly-appearing. ‎ C. Hardly- recognized. D. Randomly-written.‎ ‎27. According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?‎ A. It’s too early to determine the decline of e-mail.‎ B. We should feel sorry for the decline of e-mail.‎ C. E-mail, just like postal mail has come to its end.‎ D. E-mail has reasons to exist on its own advantages.‎ C Bigger isn’t always better. People who are skeptical about this argument just need to look at personal computers. It is the continual shrinkage of components that have brought about the explosion of computing power and enabled these computers to be accessible to people across the world.‎ Inspired by this, researchers have been working on areas where making things small may mean big results. And this year, the Nobel Prize has challenged the convention of celebrating big by presenting the biggest prizes to discoveries on the smallest scales. ‎ The committee presented the Nobel Prize for medicine to Yoshinori Ohsumi of the Tokyo Institute of Technology, for his research on “autophagy” , which is a “self-eating process seen in cells”.‎ What’s more, in recognition of their working on the unique nature of matter in extreme states and taking their research all the way down to an atomic scale, the Nobel Prize for physics was awarded to three British-born scientists who presently work in the US. ‎ Another exceptional new field is that of nanotechnology (纳米技术). The Nobel prize for chemistry was awarded to a scientist who managed to build the world’s tiniest machines out of molecules (分子), including a nano-sized car, which are so small that they are not seen by the human eye.‎ Small as the subjects are, the benefits of the scientists’ research are set to be huge. More importantly, their inventions may even eventually be turned into products that benefit mankind. ‎ Ohsumi’s research on “autophagy” shines a light on common diseases such a Parkinson’s and diabetes. As for the molecular motors, they’re preparing to bring huge potential to the fields of medicine and energy. “The ground-breaking discoveries in physics have lighted a firestorm of research, and it’s only a matter of time before their research leads to advances as unimaginable to us now as computer chips were a hundred years ago,” Laura H. Greene, president-elect of the ‎ American physical society told The New York Times. ‎ ‎28. The underlined word “shrinkage” in paragraph 1 probably means ____. ‎ A. cutting down the cost B. strengthening the function C. improving the quality D. reducing the size ‎29. What can be inferred from the passage?‎ A.Nano-sized cars are now popular all over the world. ‎ B.The Nobel Prize used to have a preference for findings on big scales.‎ C.Three scientists have made a great breakthrough in atomic energy. ‎ D.Ohsumi’s research has helped cure some common diseases.‎ ‎30. What is Laura H. Greene’s attitude to the new discoveries in physics? ‎ A. Doubtful. B. Positive. C. Reserved. D. Concerned. ‎ ‎31. What is the message the passage conveys?‎ A. Small things make a big difference.‎ B. Great minds think alike.‎ C. Many small streams make a great river.‎ D. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.‎ D An artificial intelligence chatbot (聊天机器人) called TacoBot from fast food chain Taco Bell now lets you order a meal in a smartphone text exchange that might look something like this:‎ TacoBot: Hello there. I’m your TacBot. I can help you order a meal for you or your team.‎ You: Can I order one soft taco (墨西哥煎玉米卷) with beef?‎ TacoBot: Sounds good. Do you want to keep adding stuff? Maybe some bacon?‎ Brands like Taco Bell and some tech companies are betting that more and more people will start using this conversational way of interacting online instead of clicking through on-screen menus.‎ If the trend catches on — as firms like Facebook and Microsoft expect — it could transform the digital landscape by allowing smartphone users to find information or make purchases with simple text messages, ignoring apps and search engines. Among the companies already developing or launching chatbots are the Wall Street Journal, CNN and retail giants Sephora and H&M.‎ ‎“I believe we are headed to a shift where this will become one of the primary ways we interact with the digital world,” says Mark Beccue of Mark Beccue Consulting, who follows trends in the messaging market. “The chat user interface(界面) is what makes sense for a mobile-first world. You can be more specific and be quicker.”‎ Messaging services have become a natural place for chatbots to reside(居住), since their usage is growing: at least 1.4 billion people used a messaging app last year. According to Business ‎ Insider Intelligence, messaging apps have overtaken the largest social networks in the world.‎ The messaging service Kik meanwhile launched its own “bot shop”, with partners including retailers and game developers. Kik said the move was a response to the trend people using fewer apps and spending more time on chat platforms. “There’s nothing to download, no new registration required, and you can use an interface you’re already familiar with: chat,” Kik said in a statement.‎ However, some analysts remain skeptical on chatbots as the wave of the future. Jan Dawson of Jackdaw Research said the movement is largely driven by Microsoft and Facebook, two firms which would like a greater presence in mobile even though they don’t control the biggest smartphone operating systems. “There’s a lot of hype (炒作) around chatbots,” Dawson said.‎ Artificial intelligence has come a long way with systems like Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa and Microsoft’s Cortana, but still cannot deal with all possible situations, says Roger Kay of Endpoint Technologies Associates. “There’s a kind of hubris (自大) that someone could expand the one-to-many communication method to every human interaction,” Kay said.‎ ‎32. Why does the author mention the smartphone text exchange at the beginning?‎ A. To indicate that more and more people begin to hate ordering food by clicking online.‎ B. To reflect that Taco Bell is turning to a new sales method to compete in the market.‎ C. To show that chatbot will become more and more popular among people.‎ D. To inform the readers of a convenient way to purchase what they want online.‎ ‎33. We can learn from the passage that ____.‎ A. using chatbots has been a main way we interact with the digital world B. messaging apps still haven’t taken the place of social networks at present C. Microsoft thinks that tech companies should no longer develop search engines.‎ D. people could use chatbots by downloading messaging apps on the Internet.‎ ‎34. The messaging service Kik launched its own “bot shop” for the following reasons EXCEPT ‎ that ____.‎ A. more and more people tend to use fewer apps B. some tech companies have developed their own chatbots C. chatbots are more convenient to use than some apps D. people are accustomed to chatting in an interactive way ‎35. Jan Dawson thinks that regarding chatbots as the wave of the future is ____.‎ A. ambitious B. ridiculous C. commercial D. theoretical ‎ 第二节 （共5小题；每小题2分，满分10分）‎ ‎ 根据短文内容，从短文后的七个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。‎ Have you met your “other” self? 36 Lately, she has come alive in 3D and is stronger than ‎ ever.‎ She is insecure. When she sees others succeed, she begins to compare me to them. 37 What’s my purpose in life? What am I good at? Will anyone want to hire me?‎ She is afraid, so I lose my confidence and anxiety creeps in. I want to stay in bed all day, watch a movie, and forget I exist. I don’t want to be acknowledged, so I walk around campus with my head down, looking at the pavement. ‎ ‎ 38 She makes me feel that if I give, I lose. She questions everyone’s intentions. She doesn’t want to share. Favors make her feel uncomfortable. She doesn’t deserve them.‎ She makes me feel that everyone is against me, but how could that be? I realized I sounded paranoid(偏执的). 39 So, I followed advice from the CEO of General Electric, Jeff Immelt. He says he sometimes goes to bed feeling like a failure, but he has a private practice. Every morning in front of the bathroom mirror, he gracefully says to himself, “Hello handsome,” and is reborn.‎ The day after I learned about this practice, I started to remind myself to say no to my “other” self. I also found my “happy place” on campus: the lawn between Kresge Auditorium and the Student Center. 40 I am at MIT, my dream school. I look up at the dome, carrying a cup of coffee in the morning, ready for class. Hello handsome!‎ A. She is selfish.‎ B. She is ashamed.‎ C. If so, what is she like?‎ D. I begin to question myself.‎ E. I wanted this struggle to end.[‎ F. It’s a place that reminds me where I really am. ‎ G. No one likes to admit they have one, but I am starting to become well-acquainted with mine.‎ 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，掌握其大意，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。‎ ‎ Have you ever been tempted to cut a corner or to take the easiest route, though you know it may not necessarily be the best one? Or have you ever made a 41 because it was quick and simple, knowing that it might come back to bite you later?‎ I appreciate a parable(寓言) Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard told about the 42 of taking the easy route. It is a story about a 43 duck. Though life was difficult 44 , the beautiful creature 45 the boundless heavens and the endless stretches of wilderness. Soaring above treetops and towns, the duck was a symbol of freedom to its tame counterparts(相对物), who could not 46 .‎ One evening during fall migration, he 47 to enter a barnyard where a farmer was feeding his ducks. The beautiful creature ate the 48 the farmer sprinkled(撒) about and liked it ‎ so much that he stayed the night in a bed of 49 straw. He ate the duck’s corn again the next day. And the next. And the next...‎ When 50 came, he heard his old companions flying overhead and an almost forgotten longing deep 51 him awoke. The duck had reduced his instinct for freedom over the 52 winter. Now he longed to 53 his comrades in the sky, but he had grown fat and indolent and unable to fly. The wild duck had become a tame duck. The easy way through our problems, though 54 , may not be the best way. Always remember. The only place you will find success before 55 is in the dictionary! It’s always easier to borrow than to 56 ; easier to jump in now than to do the hard work of planning; easier to 57 than to do it right; easier to 58 the same than to make changes. ‎ ‎ 59 you want to fly, you may have to pay a price. But 60 is worth it — at any cost! Are you ready to soar?‎ 41. A. bet B. difference C. decision D. suggestion 42. A. results B. conditions C. benefits D. dangers 43. A. fat B. wild C. clever D. brave 44. A. at one time B. at times C. at once D. at night 45. A. ignored B. admired C. hated D. disliked 46. A. think B. dream C. fly D. run 47. A. attempted B. intended C. happened D. decided 48. A. bread B. wheat C. bean D. corn 49. A. warm B. thin C. hard D. damp 50. A. winter B. fall C. spring D. summer 51. A. within B. beyond C. to D. for 52. A. bitter B. cold C. comfortable D. tough 53. A. join B. visit C. welcome D. greet 54. A. interesting B. surprising C. instructive D. attractive 55. A. pay B. effort C. reward D. prize 56. A. save B. lend C. waste D. spend 57. A. tell lies B. take risks C. make mistakes D. cut corners 58. A. go B. remain C. get D. become 59. A. Before B. If C. Although D. Since 60. A. adventure B. experience C. justice D. freedom 第II卷 第三部分 英语知识运用（共两节，满分45分）‎ 第二节 语法填空（共10小题，每小题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。‎ A young man in Wuhan, Hubei Province has become the latest Internet sensation after a video showing his heart-warming act on a subway train went viral on social media 61.________ (recent).‎ In the video, the man can be seen 62.________ (hold) his mobile phone in his hand after falling asleep on a Metro, with a message in large font on the screen which reads, “Please wake me if you need my seat.”‎ The video 63.________ (capture) by a fellow passenger who posted it on Weibo. The video, 64.________ was just 7 seconds long, has been viewed more than 19 million times in just two days. Chinese netizens were greatly touched by the young man’s act and applauded him for his 65.________ (kind). A web user even commented, “I only needed 7 seconds to fall 66.________ love with this young man.”‎ The humble man 67.________ (refuse) an interview invitation after becoming an Internet star and said that he just did what he felt he should. In a Weibo post, he thanked netizens for 68.________ (they) love and praise. He said he would always fall asleep when he had nothing to do on the train but worried others may need the seat, so he got 69.________ idea of making a message on his phone screen.‎ He added that he hopes the positive energy can spread 70.________ (far).‎ 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 Sir / Madam,‎ I’m writing in response to your advertisement in the Bingley Times in March 2nd. I’m very interesting in joining your Dance classes and would be grateful unless you could answer a few questions I have.‎ Your advertisement states that a number in the classes was kept to a minimum. How much people are there in each class? As I work every day until 5 o’clock, I would also like to know the times of the classes. In addition, I’d like to know if I need any special shoes for the classes, and I’d greatly appreciate if you could tell me where to buy any necessary equipments. Finally, as it’s my ‎ intention to attend to these classes regularly, could you also send me details of prices or membership fees?‎ Thank you for your kind attention. Please reply at your earliest convenience.‎ Yours faithfully,‎ Elaine Richards 第二节 书面表达（满分25分）‎ ‎ 假定你是李华，你的外教Mr. Pick回国前向你推荐了American School Life站，希望你借此提高英语水平。请你用英语给他写一封电子邮件，告诉他你的收获。‎ 注意：1. 词数100词左右； ‎ ‎ 2. 可适当发挥，以使行文连贯；‎ ‎ 3. 开头和结尾已为你写好，不计入总词数。 ‎ Dear Mr. Pick,‎ ‎________________________________________________________________________‎ ‎ Yours, ‎ ‎ Li Hua Answers to the test ‎1-5 ACBBC 6-10 AABCC 11-15 CBABA 16-20 ABBCB ‎21-23 BCB 24-27 ACBD 28-31 DBBA 32-35 CDBC 36-40 GDAEF ‎41-45 CDBBB 46-50 CCDAC 51-55 ACADB 56-60 ADBBD ‎61. recently 62. holding 63. was captured 64. which 65. kindness ‎ ‎66. in 67. refused 68. their 69. the 70. further ‎ Dear Sir / Madam,‎ I’m writing in response to your advertisement in the Bingley Times in March ‎ ‎ on ‎2nd. I’m very interesting in joining your Dance classes and would be grateful ‎ ‎ interested unless you could answer a few questions I have.‎ ‎ if Your advertisement states that a number in the classes was kept to a minimum. ‎ ‎ The is ‎ How much people are there in each class? As I work every day until 5 o’clock, I ‎ ‎ many would also like to know the times of the classes. In addition, I’d like to know if I ‎ need any special shoes for the classes, and I’d greatly appreciate if you could tell ‎ ‎ it me where to buy any necessary equipments. Finally, as it’s my intention to attend to ‎ ‎ equipment these classes regularly, could you also send me details of prices or membership ‎ ‎ and fees?‎ Thank you for your kind attention. Please reply at your earliest convenience.‎ Yours faithfully,‎ Elaine Richards One possible version:‎ Dear Mr. Pick,‎ It’s a fairly long time since you left our school. I miss you very much. Is everything going well?‎ The website you’ve recommended to me is very beneficial to my English study. It has abundant reading materials that I need most, greatly broadening my horizons. Now I has become more interested in English. Besides, I’ve made many new friends and we communicate a lot about school life, cultures, science, and so on. Now I can express myself much better than ever.‎ ‎ Thanks to your kindness and consideration, I’ve made rapid progress in English study. I owe all my achievements to you. I’m looking forward to more advice from you!‎ Yours,‎ Li Hua Listening materials Text 1‎ W: You are driving too fast! Slow down, sir.‎ M: Sorry, I have to admit I’m a little nervous. It’s my daughter’s birthday today and I want to buy her a gift after driving you to the airport.‎ Text 2‎ M: Some more fruit? Wow! You really like fruit, huh? You’ve already had 3 plates!‎ W: Yeah, it’s funny. I usually don’t eat fruit.‎ M: Well, whatever suits your fancy. I’ll press the service button again.‎ Text 3‎ M: Mary, how’s your report coming along?‎ W: Oh, my report... I finished a draft one month ago. But my advisor said I should use more references if I want to meet his expectations.‎ Text 4‎ W: The dean just announced that Dr. Jeffery is going to take over as Chairperson of the English Department.‎ M: I knew it all along. He was the obvious choice. All the other candidates are no match for him!‎ Text 5‎ M: So what was the problem with your purchase?‎ W: These jeans don’t fit right. They’re too long.‎ M: Would you like to have them shortened? Or would you like a different size?‎ W: No. I want my money back.‎ Text 6‎ W: Ahhh! I’m beat!‎ M: What happened to you? You look like you got hit by a tornado!‎ W: I just got back from fighting the crowds.‎ M: You mean at the mall? Was there a sale?‎ W: Yeah. For five minutes, everything was half off. It was total chaos...‎ Text 7‎ M: I’d love that. I’m so glad I quit. It’s time for a change. Now I’m looking for a position as a chef.‎ W: I might be able to help... We’d like to open another restaurant... with you as the head chef and manager...‎ M: Really? You have that much faith in me? And Giovanni agreed to it? Does he know who I am?‎ W: Yes. But you know him. He’s just worried that you’re not Italian...‎ M: Ah! I know a way to convince him that Americans can make good Italian food!‎ W: How’s that?‎ M: You’ll see next week. I’ll come by one day at lunchtime.‎ Text 8‎ W: I’m doing something amazing. I’m going to the Rio Carnival!‎ M: You are so lucky. It’s the world’s most famous street party.‎ W: Yes, millions of people come from everywhere and it goes on for several days. But the best part is called “The Sambodromo Parade”.‎ M: You had better get your tickets early, then. I heard it’s famous for people dancing the samba and goes on all night.‎ W: Yes. Another interesting part is the “Masquerade Balls”.‎ M: Oh, I’ve heard of these too. Lots of famous people attend, so ticket prices are sky high.‎ W: Yes, so I don’t know if I can go to one. But, the street parades, apart from “Sambodromo”, are all free. Everyone joins in together, with the real dancers and marching bands.‎ M: I think that sounds even more interesting. How many days does it last?‎ W: Erm... I think from Saturday to Wednesday.‎ M: Oh, so is Tuesday what we know as Mardi Gras?‎ W: Yes, it means “Fat Tuesday”, so that should be a clue about the food!‎ Text 9‎ M: Good morning, Mrs. Schmidt! I see you’re standing on your head again. ‎ W: Hi, Kim! I’m just doing my morning yoga! You’re up awfully early today.‎ M: I have to finish preparing a paper for my Western Civilization class.‎ W: How has school been going? You come home so late every night! You’re really a hard worker... ‎ M: Actually, I study a lot less here than I did in Taiwan! My classes are great, though. Sociology is the perfet major for me.‎ W: Your English has really improved in the two months you’ve been here, too.‎ M: Do you have to work late at the computer company again tonight?‎ W: No, I’m not going to the office today. My annual medical check-up is this afternoon.‎ M: How much longer will Mr. Schmidt be up in the mountains?‎ W: He’s on a week-long vacation and won’t be back until this weekend.‎ Text 10‎ W: In some large American city schools, as many as 20~40% of the students are absent each day. There are two major reasons for such absences: one is sickness, and the other is skipping classes, that is staying away from school without permission. Since school officials can’t do much about the illness, they are concentrating on stopping students from skipping classes. One of the most promising schemes has been tried in Florida. The pupils there with good attendance have been given free hamburgers, toys and T-shirts. Classes are told if they show improved rates of attendance, they can win additional gifts. At the same time, teachers are encouraged to inspire their students to come to school regularly. When those teachers are successful, they are also rewarded. “We’ve been punishing students’ skipping classes for years, but that hasn’t brought them back to school,” one school principal said. “Now we are trying the positive approach. Not only do you learn by showing up every day, but you earn.” In San Francisco, the board of education has had a somewhat similar idea. Schools that show a decrease in intentional destruction of property can receive the amount of money that would be spent on repairs and replacements. “Our democracy operates on hope and encouragement,” said the school board member. “Why not provide some positive goals for students and teachers to aim at?”‎