2018-2019学年福建省三明市第一中学高一下学期开学考试英语试题

2018-2019学年福建省三明市第一中学高一下学期开学考试英语试题

‎2018-2019学年福建省三明市第一中学高一下学期开学考试英语试题 ‎（时间：120分钟；满分：100分）‎ 第一部分听力（共两节，满分20分）‎ ‎ 做题时，先将答案标在试卷上。录音内容结東后，你将有两分钟的时间将试卷答案转涂到答题卡上。‎ 第一节（共5小题；每小题1分，满分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。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 does John find difficult in learning German?‎ ‎ A. Pronunciation. B. Vocabulary. C. Grammar.‎ ‎2. What is probable relationship between the speakers?‎ ‎ A. Colleagues. B. Brother and sister. C. Teacher and student. ‎ ‎3. Where does the conversation probably take place?‎ ‎ A. In a bank. B. At a ticket office. C. On a train.‎ ‎4. What are the speakers talking about?‎ ‎ A. A restaurant. B. A street. C. A dish.‎ ‎5. What does the woman think of her interview?‎ ‎ A. It was tough. B. It was interesting. C. It was successful.‎ 第二节（共15小题；每小题1分，满分15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。听每段对话或独白前，你将有时间阅读各个小题，每小题5秒钟；听完后，各小题将给出5秒钟的作答时间。每段对话或独白读两遍。‎ 听第6段材料，回答第6、7题 ‎6. When will Judy go to a party?‎ ‎ A. On Monday. B. On Tuesday. C. On Wednesday.‎ ‎7. What will Max do next?‎ ‎ A. Fly a kite. B. Read a magazine. C. Do his homework.‎ 听第7段材料，回答第8、9题 ‎8. What does the man suggest doing at first?‎ ‎ A. Going to a concert. ‎ B. Watching a move. ‎ C. Playing a computer game.‎ ‎9. What do the speakers decide to do?‎ ‎ A. Visit Mike. B. Go boating. C. Take a walk.‎ 听第8段材料，回答第10至12题 ‎10. Which color do cats see better than humans?‎ ‎ A. Red. B. Green. C. Blue.‎ ‎11. Why do cats bring dead birds home?‎ ‎ A. To eat them in a safe place.‎ ‎ B. To show off their hunting skills ‎ C. To make their owners happy.‎ ‎12. How does the man sound at the end of the conversation?‎ ‎ A. Grateful. B. Humorous. C. Curious.‎ 第9段材料，回答第13至16题 ‎13. Who is Macy?‎ ‎ A. Ed's mother. B. Ed's teacher . C. Ed's friend.‎ ‎14. How does Ed usually go to kindergarten?‎ ‎ A. By car. B. On foot. C. By bus.‎ ‎15. What does Ed enjoy doing at the kindergarten?‎ ‎ A. Telling stories. B. Singing songs. C. Playing with others.‎ ‎16. What do the teachers say about Ed?‎ ‎ A. He's clever. B. He's quiet. C. He's brave 听第10段材料，回答第17至20题。‎ ‎17. At what age did Emily start learning ballet?‎ ‎ A. Five. B. Six. C. Nine.‎ ‎18. Why did Emily move to Toronto?‎ ‎ A. To work for a dance school.‎ ‎ B. To perform at a dance theater.‎ ‎ C. To learn contemporary dance.‎ ‎19. Why did Emily quit dancing?‎ ‎ A. She was too old to dance.‎ ‎ B. She failed to get a scholarship.‎ ‎ C. She lost interest in it.‎ ‎20. How does Emily feel about stopping training?‎ ‎ A. she's pleased B. she's regretful C. she's upset.‎ 第二部分阅读理解（共两节，满分30分）‎ 第一节（共15小题；每小题1分，满分22.5分）‎ 读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D四个项中，出最选项 Welcome to Holker Hall & Garden Visitor Information How to Get to Holker By Car: Follow brown signs on A590 from J36, M6. Approximate travel times:‎ Windermere-20 minutes, Kendal-25 minutes, Lancaster-45 minutes, Manchester-1 hour 30minutes.‎ By Rail: the nearest station is Cark-in-Cartmel with trains to Carnforth. Lancaster and Preston for connections to major cities & airports. ‎ Opening times Sunday-Friday (closed on Saturday) 11:00 am-4:00 pm, 30 March-2nd November.‎ Admission Charges:‎ ‎ Hall & Gardens Gardens Adults: £12.00 £8.00‎ Groups: £9.00 £5.5‎ Special Events Producers’ Market 13th April.‎ ‎ Join us to taste a variety of fresh local food and drinks. Meet the producers and get some excellent recipe ideas.‎ Holker Garden Festival 30th May. ‎ ‎ The event celebrates its 22nd anniversary with a great show of the very best of gardening, making it one of the most popular events in the gardening.‎ National Garden Day 28th August. ‎ ‎ Holker once again opens its gardens in aid of the disadvantaged. For just a small donation you can take a tour with our garden guide.‎ Winter Market 8th November ‎ This is an event for all the family! Wander among a variety of shops selling gifts while enjoying a live music show and nice street entertainment.‎ ‎21. How long does it probably take a tourist to drive to Holker from Manchester?‎ ‎ A. 20 minutes. B. 25 minutes. C. 45 minutes. D. 90 minutes.‎ ‎22. How much should a member of a tour group pay to visit Hall Gardens?‎ ‎ A. £12.00. B. £9.00. C. £8.00. D. £ 5.50.‎ ‎23. Which event will you go to if you want to see a live music show?‎ ‎ A. Producers’ Market. B. Holker Garden Festival.‎ ‎ C. National Garden Day. D. Winter Market.‎ B ‎ Cities usually have a good reason for being where they are, like a nearby port or river. People settle in these places because they are easy to get to and naturally suited to communications and trade. New York City, for example, is near a large harbour at the mouth of the Hudson River. Over 300 years its population grew gradually from 800 people to 8 million. But not all cities develop slowly over a long period of time. Boom towns grow from nothing almost overnight. In 1896, Dawson, Canada, was unmapped wilderness(荒野). But gold was discovered there in 1897, and two years later, it was one of the largest cities in the West, with a population of 30,000.‎ ‎ Dawson did not have any of the natural conveniences of cities like London or Paris. People went there for gold. They travelled over snow-covered mountains are sailed hundreds of miles up icy rivers. The path to Dawson was covered with thirty feet of wet snow that could fall without warning. An avalanche(雪崩) once closed the path, killing 63 people. For many who ‎ made it to Dawson, however, the rewards were worth the difficult trip. Of the first 20000 people who dug for gold, 4,000 got rich. About 100 of these stayed rich men for the rest of their lives.‎ ‎ But no matter how rich they were, Dawson was never comfortable. Necessities like food and wood were very expensive. But soon, the gold that Dawson depended on had all been found. The city was crowded with disappointed people with no interest in setting down, and when they heard there were new gold discoveries in Alaska, they left Dawson City as quickly as they had come. Today, people still come and go to see where the Canadian gold rush happened. Tourism is now the chief industry of Dawson City — its present population is 762.‎ ‎24. What attracted the early settlers to New York City?‎ ‎ A. Its business culture. B. Its small population.‎ ‎ C. Its geographical position. D. Its favorable climate.‎ ‎25. What do we know about those who first dug for gold in Dawson?‎ ‎ A. Two-thirds of them stayed there. B. One out of five people got rich.‎ ‎ C. Almost everyone gave up. D. Half of them died.‎ ‎26. What was the main reason for many people to leave Dawson?‎ ‎ A. They found the city too crowded. ‎ B. They wanted to try their luck elsewhere.‎ ‎ C. They were unable to stand the winter.‎ ‎ D. They were short of food.‎ ‎27. What is the text mainly about?‎ ‎ A. The rise and fall of a city. B. The gold rush in Canada.‎ ‎ C. Journeys into the wilderness. D. Tourism in Dawson.‎ C ‎ While famous foreign architects are invited to lead the designs of landmark buildings in China such as the new CCTV tower and the National Center for the Performing Arts, many excellent Chinese architects are making great efforts to take the center stage.‎ ‎ Their efforts have been proven fruitful. Wang Shu, a 49-year-old Chinese architect, won the 2012 Pritzker Architecture Prize -which is often referred to as the Nobel Prize in architecture-on February 28. He is the first Chinese citizen to win this award.‎ ‎ Wang serves as head of the Architecture Department at the China Department at the China Academy of Art (CAA). His office is located at the Xiangshan campus（校园）of the university in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. Many buildings on the campus are his original creations.‎ ‎ The style of the campus is quite different from that of most Chinese universities. Many visitors were amazed by the complex(复杂的) architectural space and abundant(丰富) building types. The curves（曲线）of the buildings perfectly match the rise and fall of hills, forming a unique view.‎ ‎ Wang collected more than 7 million abandoned bricks of different ages. He asked the workers to use traditional techniques to make the bricks into walls, roofs and corridors. This creation attracted a lot of attention thanks to its mixture of modern and traditional Chinese elements. ‎ ‎ Wang’s works show a deep understanding of modern architecture and a good knowledge of traditions. Through such a balance, he had created a new type of Chinese architecture, said Tadao Ando, the winner of the1995 Pritzker Prize.‎ ‎ Wang believes traditions should not be sealed in glass boxes at museums. “That is only evidence that traditions once existed,” he said.‎ ‎ “Many Chinese people have a misunderstanding of traditions. They think tradition means old things from the past. In fact, tradition also refers to the things that have been developing and that are still being created,” he said.‎ ‎ “Today, many Chinese people are learning Western styles and theories rather than focusing on Chinese traditions. Many people tend to talk about traditions without knowing what they really are,” said Wang.‎ ‎ The study of traditions should be combined(结合), with practice. Otherwise(否则), the recreation of traditions would be artificial and empty, he said. ‎ ‎28. Wang's winning of the prize means that Chinese architects are__________.‎ ‎ A. following the latest world trend B. getting international recognition ‎ C. working harder than ever before D. relying on foreign architects ‎29. What impressed visitors to the CAA Xiangshan campus most?‎ ‎ A. Its hilly environment. ‎ B. Its large size.‎ ‎ C. Its unique style. ‎ D. Its diverse(多样化的) functions(功能).‎ ‎30. What made Wangs architectural design a success?‎ ‎ A. The mixture of different shapes.‎ ‎ B. The balance of East and west.‎ ‎ C. The use of popular technique.‎ ‎ D. The harmony of old and new.‎ ‎31. What should we do about Chinese traditions according to Wang?‎ ‎ A. Spread them to the world.‎ ‎ B. Preserve them at museums.‎ ‎ C. Teach them in universities.‎ ‎ D. Recreate them in practice.‎ D ‎ Adults understand what it feels like to be flooded with objects. Why do we often assume that more is more when it comes to kids and their belongings? The good news is that I can help my own kids learn earlier than I did how to live more with less.‎ ‎ I found the pre-holidays a good time to encourage young children to donate less-used things, and it worked. Because of our efforts, our daughter Georgia did decide to donate a large bag of toys to a little girl whose mother was unable to pay for her holiday due to illness. She chose to sell a few larger objects that were less often used when we promised to put the money into her school fund(基金)(our kindergarten daughter is serious about becoming a doctor).‎ ‎ For weeks, I've been thinking of bigger, deeper questions. How do we make it a habit for them? And how do we train ourselves to help them live with, need, and use less? Yesterday, I sat with my son, Shepherd, determined to test my own theory on this. I decided to play with him with only one toy for as long as it would keep his interest. I expected that one toy would keep his attention for about five minutes, ten minutes, max. I chose a red rubber ball- simple, universally available. We passed it, he tried to put it in his mouth, he tried bouncing it, rolling it, sitting on it, throwing it. It was totally, completely enough for him. Before I knew it an hour had passed and it was time to move on to lunch.‎ ‎ We both became absorbed in the simplicity of playing together. He had my full attention and I had his. My little experiment to find joy in a single object worked for both of us.‎ ‎32. What do the words “more is more” in paragraph 1 probably mean?‎ ‎ A. The more, the better. B. Enough is enough ‎ C. More money, more worries. D. Earn more and spend more.‎ ‎33. What made Georgia agree to sell some of her objects?‎ ‎ A. Saving up for her holiday. ‎ B. Raising money for a poor girl money.‎ ‎ C. Adding the money to her fund. ‎ D. Giving the money to a sick mother.‎ ‎34. Why did the author play the ball with Shepherd?‎ ‎ A. To try out an idea. B. To show a parent's love.‎ ‎ C. To train his attention. D. To help him start a hobby.‎ ‎ 35. What can be a suitable title for the text?‎ ‎ A. Take it or Leave it B. A Lesson from Kids ‎ C. Live More with Less D. The Pleasure of Giving 第二节（共5小题；每小题1.5分，满分7.5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。‎ ‎ Before there was the written word, there was the language of dance. Dance expresses love and hate, joy and sorrow, life and death, and everything else in between.‎ ‎ 36 We dance from Florida to Alaska, from north to south and sea to sea. We dance at weddings, birthdays, office parties and just to fill the time.‎ ‎ “I adore dancing," says Lester Bridges, the owner of a dance studio in Iowa. “I can't imagine doing anything else with my life.” Bridges runs dance classes for all ages. “Teaching dancing is wonderful. 37 It's great to watch them. For many of them, it's a way of meeting people and having a social life.‎ ‎ 38 “I can tell you about one young couple, says Bridges. “They’re learning to traditional dances. They arrive at the class in low spirits and they leave with a smile. 39 ”‎ ‎ So, do we dance in order to make ourselves feel better, calmer, and healthier? Andrea Hillier says, “Dance, like the pattern of a beating heart, is life. Even after all these years, I want to get better and better. 40 I find it hard to stop! Dancing reminds me I'm alive. ”‎ A. So why do we dance?‎ B. Dance in the U.S. is everywhere.‎ ‎ C. If you like dancing outdoors, come to America.‎ ‎ D. My older students say it makes them feel young.‎ ‎ E. I keep practicing even when I'm extremely tired.‎ ‎ F. Dancing seems to change their feeling completely.‎ ‎ G. They stayed up all night long singing and dancing.‎ 第三部分语言知识运用(共两节，满分30分)‎ 第一节(共20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。‎ ‎ When most of us get a text message on our cell phone from an unknown person, we usually say “sorry, 41 number!” and move on. But when Dennis Williams 42 a text that clearly wasn't intended for him, he did something 43 .‎ ‎ On March 19, Dennis got a group text 44 him that a couple he didn't know were at the hospital, waiting for the 45 of a baby.‎ ‎ “Congratulations! But I think someone was mistaken,” Dennis 46 . The baby was born and update texts were 47 quickly from the overjoyed grandmother, Teresa. In her 48 , she didn't seem to realize that she was 49 the baby’s photos with a complete stranger. “Well, I don't 50 you all but I will get there to take pictures with the baby”, replied Dennis before asking which room the new 51 were in. ‎ ‎ Much to the family’s surprise, Dennis stuck to his 52 ! He turned up at the hospital 53 gifts for the new mother Lindsey and her baby boy. Lindsey’s husband was totally 54 by the unexpected visit. “I don't think we would have randomly invited him over but we 55 it and the gifts.”‎ ‎ Teresa 56 a photo of the chance meeting on a social networking website 57 by ‎ the touching words: “What a 58 this young man was to our family! He was so 59 and kind to do this. “The post has since gained the 60 of social media users all over the world, receiving more than 184, 000 shares and 61,500 likes in just three days.‎ ‎41. A. unlucky B. secret C. new D. wrong ‎42. A. received B. translated C. copied D. printed ‎43. A. reasonable B. special C. necessary D. practical ‎44. A. convincing(使相信)B. reminding C. informing D. warning ‎45. A. wake-up B. recovery C. growth D. arrival ‎46. A. responded B. interrupted C. predicted D. repeated ‎47. A. coming in B. setting out C. passing down D. moving around ‎48. A. opinion B. anxiety C. excitement D. effort ‎49. A. comparing B. exchanging C. discussing D. sharing ‎50. A. accept B. know C. believe D. bother ‎51. A. parents B. doctors C. patients D. visitors ‎52. A. dream B. promise C. agenda D. principle ‎53. A. bearing B. collecting C. opening D. making ‎54. A. discouraged B. relaxed C. astonished D. defeated ‎55. A. admit B. need C. appreciate D. expect ‎56. A. found B. selected C. developed D. posted ‎57. A. confirmed B. simplified C. clarified D. accompanied ‎58. A. pity B. blessing C. relief D. problem ‎59. A. smart B. calm C. sweet D. fair ‎60. A. sympathy B. attention C. control D. trust 第二节（共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分）‎ ‎ 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。‎ I’m not sure 61. is more frightened，me or the female gorilla（大猩猩）that suddenly appears out of nowhere. I’m walking on a path in the forest in the Central African Republic. Unexpectedly, I’m face-to-face with the gorilla, who begins screaming at 62. top of her lungs. That makes her baby scream, and then a 400-pound male appears. He screams the 63. (loud) of all. The noise shakes the trees as the male beats his chest and charges toward me. I ‎ quickly lower myself, ducking my head to avoid 64. (look) directly into his eyes so he doesn't feel 65. (challenge).‎ My name is Mireya Mayor. I’m a 66. (science) who studies animals such as apes and monkeys. I was searching 67. these three western lowland gorillas I’d been observing. No one had seen them for hours, and my colleagues and I were worried.‎ ‎ When the gorillas and I frightened each other, I was just glad to find 68. (they) alive. True to a gorilla’s unaggressive nature, the huge animal 69. (mean) me no real harm. He was just saying: “I’m king of this forest, and here is your reminder!" Once his message was delivered, he allowed me 70. (stay) and watch.‎ 第四部分写作（共两节，满分20分）‎ 第一节完成句子（共10小题；每空0.5分，满分10分）‎ ‎71. 人们越来越担心电视上的暴力内容。‎ There is a growing ________ violence on television.‎ ‎72. 他在美国留过学，精通英语。‎ He studied in the US and has a good _________ ________ English.‎ ‎73. 你是否注意到我安排的最后一天的晚餐？‎ Did you notice the dinner I s ___________ the final evening?‎ ‎74. 他表现得像个大人，这把我们逗乐了。‎ He __________ ____________ if he was a grown-up, which amused us.‎ ‎75. 他埋头工作没注意到我。‎ He b himself ___________ his work, so he didn’t notice me.‎ ‎76. 从她的口音判断，她一定是四川人。‎ ‎___________ __________ her accent, she must be from Sichuan.‎ ‎77. 我给了他们爱，他们也以爱来回报我。‎ I give them love, and they give me love __________ _________.‎ ‎78. 你收了两次我们买牛奶的钱。‎ You c us twice __________ the milk.‎ ‎79. 这张CD就是我梦寐以求的那张。‎ The CD is just the one that I’ve been ___________ ___________.‎ ‎80. 我非常重视这项研究并相信我们一定会成功。‎ I __________ great ___________ to this research and believe that we can make it.‎ 第二节书面表达（满分10分）‎ ‎ 假定你是李华，你的英国朋友 Peter来信询问你校学生体育运动情况。请给他回信，内容包括:‎ ‎ 1. 学校的体育场馆；‎ ‎ 2. 主要的运动项目 ‎ 3. 你喜欢的项目。‎ 注意：‎ ‎ 1. 词数100左右 ‎ 2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。‎ 三明一中高一下学期开学考英语试题参考答案（2019.2）‎ 第一部分 听力（1题1分，满分20分）‎ ‎1-5 CABAC 6-10 BBACC 11-15 ABABC 16-20 ABCCA 第二部分 阅读理解（1题1.5分，满分30分）‎ ‎21-25DBDCB 26-30 BABCD 31-35 DACAC 36-40 BDAFE 第三部分 语言知识运用（1题1分，满分30分）‎ 完形填空 ‎41-45 DABCD 46-50AACDB 51-55 ABACC 56-60 DDBCB 语法填空 ‎61. who 62. the 63. loudest 64. looking ‎ ‎65. challenged 66. scientist 67. for 68. them ‎ ‎69. meant 70. to stay 第四部分 写作 第一节 完成句子（每空0.5分，满分10分）‎ ‎71. concern about 72. command of 73. scheduled for 74. acted as ‎75. buried; in 76. Judging from 77. in return 78. charged; for ‎ ‎79. dreaming of/about 80. attach; importance 第二节书面表达（满分10分）‎ Dear Peter, ‎ ‎ I am exceedingly delighted to hear from you. You asked me in your last letter about the physical exercise in our school and the following information may give you a rough sketch.‎ ‎ To begin with, a fabulous new stadium has been built up, which has become the new landmark in our school. Moreover, with the stadium set up, a wide range of sports events are able to be held, of which ping-pong, football as well as running competitions enjoy great popularity. As for me, I’m intoxicated with basketball since it has been giving me strength to ‎ confront the challenges in my life.‎ ‎ All in all, I sincerely invite you to come to our school and see for yourself.‎ Yours, ‎ Li Hua Text 1 ‎ W: So, how is your German class going, John?‎ M: Well, not bad. The pronunciation is fine with me, and its vocabulary is similar to English. But I’m finding the grammar awful. ‎ W: Well, it takes a while to get it right.‎ Text 2 ‎ W: I hope you can come to the party on Saturday.‎ M: I didn’t know I was invited.‎ W: Sure you are. Everyone in our office is invited.‎ Text 3‎ W: May I help you?‎ M: Yes. When is the next train to London?‎ W: Oh, let me check. It leaves in twenty minutes.‎ M: One ticket, please.‎ Text 4 ‎ W: Charlie, do you know a restaurant called Bravo?‎ M: Bravo…I know the name. But I’m not sure where it is.‎ W: It’s on George Street. The food there is excellent.‎ Text 5‎ W: Brian, I just had an interview. They said they would make a decision soon. ‎ M: What are your chances of getting the job?‎ W: Quite good. I think the interview went very well.‎ Text 6 ‎ M: Let’s go kite flying, Judy. It’s such a lovely day. ‎ W: Okay, but let me finish my chemistry homework first. Would you mind waiting for half an hour, Max? There are a few sports magazines on the table.‎ M: Isn’t the chemistry homework due next Wednesday?‎ W: Yeah, but I have a full day of classes on Monday and a birthday party to attend on Tuesday.‎ M: All right, then. You go ahead, and I’ll catch up on some sports news while waiting.‎ Text 7 ‎ W: We’ve been on the computer all the time lately. Why don’t we do something different Sunday afternoon?‎ M: Well, we could go to a concert.‎ W: But I don’t think we can get the tickets this late. ‎ M: Then what about playing a computer game? There’s a really cool new one we could download.‎ W: Hmm, I don’t know. I feel like I need to do some exercise. We could probably just walk by the lake, and I’ll ask Mike to join us. ‎ M: That sounds like fun. Let’s do it!‎ Text 8 ‎ W: Welcome to our program, Dr. Peterson. Let’s see what questions we’ve got for you today. Here’s one: Can cats see color?‎ M: Sort of. In the wild, many cats hunt at night because their eyes are designed for low light. Your cat can’t see bright colors such as red and green. But it picks up more shades of blue, ‎ yellow, and grey than humans do. ‎ W: And why do cats give dead birds to their owners?‎ M: When your cat drops a dead bird at your feet, she isn’t bringing you a present. Most cats just drag food home because it’s a safe place to eat. A cat’s mom also brings home things to her children to help them practice hunting. So, a female cat without children may bring these “treats” to her owner instead. You may not like them, but at least you don’t have to write her a thank-you note.‎ Text 9 ‎ W: How is little Ed doing at the kindergarten, Jack?‎ M: Oh, he’s doing fairly well. It’s been three weeks since he first started going, so Macy and I are pretty used to it now. You should have seen Macy cry when Ed was about to set off on the first day, though. ‎ W: I think that’s a normal reaction for mothers. You live quite close to the kindergarten, don’t you? How does he get there?‎ M: Macy walks there with him every morning unless the weather is bad. When it rains, they’ll drive.‎ W: And is Ed enjoying kindergarten?‎ M: Yeah, he loves to have other kids to play with. He keeps telling us things they do together.‎ W: What do the teachers at the kindergarten say about him?‎ M: They said he’s bright, and that he’s starting to learn how to tell time. Isn’t that fantastic?‎ W: That is fantastic. It sounds like everything goes well.‎ Text 10 ‎ My name is Emily. I had been a dancer for quite a long time. I started studying ballet when I was six years old. By the time I was nine, I was dancing five days a week. When I was eighteen, I decided that I really preferred contemporary dance and that I wanted to do it professionally. So I applied successfully for the training program at the School of Toronto Dance Theatre, and moved to Toronto to attend the program. That was the period of time I enjoyed most in Toronto. I ‎ graduated on scholarship and danced professionally for ten years. But after all those years, I found that dance was gradually becoming something that felt like more of a burden than a joy. I found myself increasingly unwilling to drag myself to dance performances, so I quit. I do miss dance, often. But it makes me happy to think that I’ll never have to go to another training session again.‎