英语卷·2018届江西省临川二中、新余四中高三1月联合考（2018-01）

英语卷·2018届江西省临川二中、新余四中高三1月联合考（2018-01）

‎2018 届新余四中、临川二中1月联考英语试卷 命题人：胡琼 审题人:于琼 第一部分 听力(共两节，满分 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。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 the boy still need to do?‎ A. Hang up his clothes. B. Put away his toys.‎ C. Sweep the floor.‎ ‎2. What is the woman doing?‎ A. Making the bed. B. Fixing the chair. C. Driving to school.‎ ‎3. Why is the woman sad?‎ A. She lost her homework.‎ B. The man deleted her essay.‎ C. She forgot to send some emails.‎ ‎4. What does the man want to know?‎ A. What time it is.‎ B. When his train is supposed to leave. C. Where he can find the boarding hall.‎ ‎5. Who might Freddy be?‎ A. The speakers’ son. B. The speakers’ pet.‎ C. The speakers’ landlord.‎ 第二节 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. Why does Rusty think the new student is poor?‎ A. She’s not fashionable.‎ B. Her jeans have holes in them. C. Her mom gave her old clothes.‎ ‎7. What does Sally think of Rusty?‎ A. He is helpful.‎ B. He is too curious.‎ C. He is a little behind the times.‎ 听第 7 段材料，回答第 8、9 题。‎ ‎8. How did Harriet know the time?‎ A. From her iPhone. B. From her watch. C. From the sun.‎ ‎9. What does Don think about Harriet’s explanation?‎ A. It’s wrong. B. It’s funny. C. It’s too scientific.‎ 听第 8 段材料，回答第 10 至 12 题。‎ ‎10. What is the conversation mainly about?‎ A. How Alexa killed her plants.‎ B. Where Alexa planted her plants. C. Why Alexa kept her house green.‎ ‎11. What did Alexa do with her yellow plant?‎ A. She put it in the sunlight.‎ B. She returned it to the shop. C. She gave it too much water.‎ ‎12. What does the man suggest Alexa do?‎ A. Find out more about plants online. B. Move all her plants out of the sun. C. Throw all her plants away.‎ 听第 9 段材料，回答第 13 至 16 题。‎ ‎13. Why doesn’t Sue have the cake?‎ A. She dislikes it.‎ B. She’s trying to lose ‎ weight.‎ C. She’s trying to control a medical problem.‎ ‎14. Who brought the sandwiches?‎ A. Jill. B. Tom. C. Sharon.‎ ‎15. What does Sue really want?‎ A. A salad. B. Some seafood. C. Some hot soup.‎ ‎16. What will Bill do in a few hours?‎ A. See a doctor. B. Go to a restaurant. C. Talk with the guests.‎ 听第 10 段材料，回答第 17 至 20 题。‎ ‎17. What is the main purpose of the loud noises?‎ A. To warn people outdoors to get inside.‎ B. To get people’s attention inside their homes.‎ C. To inform people without radios about danger.‎ ‎18. Who decides to turn on the warning system?‎ A. Local media. B. Local officials. C. The national weather service.‎ ‎19. Where should people go when they hear a warning?‎ A. To a window. B. To a public shelter. C. To the middle of a building.‎ ‎20. What is the main topic of the talk?‎ A. A weather report. B. A warning system. C. The safety steps in bad weather.‎ 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 A、B、C 和 D 四个选项中。选出最佳选项。‎ A My mother died in August 2005．Eight months later，I began to come out of the fog of sadness and depression to find a new purpose for my life．‎ Like many of my generation ， I had lived only for myself —traveling ， acquiring possessions ， rising to a position of importance and seeking financial rewards ． I was“charitable”and“volunteered”for various causes，‎ but really didn’t give of myself．‎ In the spring after my mom’s death，I found myself waking in the middle of the night with one thought ． I felt forced to offer myself as a living kidney donor ． My husband Robb had received the gift of life through a kidney transplant(移植)from a dead donor in 1999，so I was familiar with the enormous need for donors and knew several people who were waiting for a lifesaving transplant．I decided to offer myself to be matched with the most compatible(互不 排斥的)person on the waiting list at my local transplant center．‎ I was paired with 71-year-old Dee from New Jerse who had survived for six years on peritoneal dialysis(腹腔透析)．At her 70th birthday，her family threw a big party as they did not expect her to live much longer．Dee has become my very good friend．Almost two years after the transplant ， I was privileged to celebrate her 50th wedding anniversary with her husband，their five children and their extended family．‎ In donating my kidney，I extended myself in a way far beyond what I ever believed was possible．I did so in honor of my mother who sacrificed so much for me and my sisters，and in memory of my husband’s donor who extended her 1ife through him．‎ I encourage all who enjoy the gift of good health to share with others，either as a living donor or by appointing organ donation upon death ． By extending yourself through organ donation ， you will live on through others in an extraordinary way and give comfort to your loved ones．‎ ‎21．What does the underlined phrase“give of”mean?‎ A．Relieve． B．Devote． C．Appreciate． D．Forgive．‎ ‎22．What can we infer from Paragraph 4?‎ A．Dee was the author’s old friend． B．The author attended Dee’s birthday party． C．Dee treated the author as a family member． D．The author’s donation made Dee live six years longer．‎ ‎23．What would be the best title for this text?‎ A．An old lady benefited from organ donation B．The memory of my beloved mother C．The deep meaning of love D．Extend yourself B A supermarket checkout operator was praised for striking a blow for modern manners and a return to the age of politeness after refusing to serve a shopper who was talking on her mobile phone.‎ The supermarket manager was forced to apologize to the customer who complained she was told her goods would not be scanned unless she hung up her phone. Jo Clark, 46, said, “I don’t know what she was playing at. I couldn't believe how rude she was. When did she have the right to give me a lecture on checkout manners? ‎ I won’t be shopping there again.”‎ But users of social media sites and Internet forums(论坛）were very angry that store gave in and the public appeared to be supporting the angry checkout worker. “Perhaps this is a turning point for mobile phone users everywhere. When chatting, keep your eyes on people around you. That includes people trying to serve you, other road users and especially people behind you in the stairs,” said a typical post.‎ ‎“It's time checkout staff fought back against these people constantly chatting on their phones. They can drive anyone crazy. It's rude and annoying. I often want to grab someone's phone and throw it as far as I can, even though I am not a checkout girl, just a passer-by,” said another.‎ Siobhan Freegard, founder of parenting site www.Netmums.com said, “While this checkout operator doesn't have the authority to order customers to switch off their phones, you can see clearly how frustrated and angry she felt. No matter how busy you are, life is nicer when you and those around you have good manners.”‎ ‎24. According to Jo Clark, the checkout operator .‎ A. lacked the knowledge of checkout manners. B. played with a mobile phone while at work.‎ C. deserved praise for her modern manners. D. had no right to forbid her from using her mobile phone.‎ ‎25. The third and fourth paragraphs imply that the public .‎ A. are used to chatting on their mobile phones. B. are driven crazy by constant mobile calls.‎ C. seem to support the checkout operator. D. ignore the existence of mobile phone users..‎ ‎26. What is the attitude of Siobhan Freegard towards the checkout operator? A. Disapproving B. Supportive C. Neutral D. Indifferent ‎27. The passage is mainly about .‎ A. whether we should talk on our phones while being served B. why we can talk on mobile phones while shopping.‎ C. what good manners checkout operators should ‎ have. D. how we can develop good manners for mobile phone.‎ C Once you find water, a major issue remains: Is it pure? Is it drinkable? And if not, how to make it drinkable? You can make a water filler(过滤器）from a cone of birch bark（桦树皮）. This cone is then filled with layers of sand, charcoal(木炭）, grasses, and other materials. Grasses and sand help to trap suspended particles (悬浮颗粒）. Charcoal helps to remove chemical impurities, but not bacteria. You may have to pass the water through the filter more than once, depending on the site of the filter and what it's made of. Generally speaking, the bigger the filler, and the more layers you have in it, the better.‎ The birch bark cone will need to have a fairy small hole in the bottom. The cone will have to be tied with cordage to keep it from opening up. Put a few stones in the very bottom, to help hold your filtering materials in place.‎ Then pour in layers of charcoal, grasses, sand, and possibly other materials that you feel will help to filter out suspended particles and perhaps even bacteria.‎ Once you have constructed the filter, simply pour impure water through the filer, catching it in another container at the bottom.‎ This is basically the “well” method of obtaining water. Dig a hole about 2 -4 feet from a water source, such as a river. Allow the hole to fill with water. The water in the hole will likely be reasonably pure.‎ ‎28. How do we get purer water?‎ A. Bigger filter and less layers. B. Smaller filler and more layers. C. Larger filter and more layers. D. Smaller filter and less layers.‎ ‎29. Why should we put some stones in the very bottom? A. Killing bacteria. B. Removing chemicals.‎ C. Blocking water. D. Keeping the materials balanced.‎ ‎30. What does a water filter look like?‎ ‎31.The text is mainly intended to present a method of .‎ A. absorbing water B. cleaning water C. finding water D. boiling water D They say the average person makes 35，000 decisions a day．Yet in her new book，How Woman Decide，Therese Huston explores a widespread phenomenon that many women fail to notice ． “There’s a huge double standard when it comes to how men and women are viewed as decision makers ， ”explains Therese ， a psychologist from Seattle University．Therese decided to write the book after looking at her bookshelf：At one end， there were bestselling books about how to be a brilliant decision maker—all written by men and featuring interviews with men like athletes ． At the other end were books aimed at women on gaining leadership skills and confidence．‎ ‎“Once those women are at the table ， will their decisions be taken as seriously as men’s?”Therese wondered ． “Men are respected as decision makers more than women ， especially in the workplace，largely because there’s this cultural belief that women are unable to make smart choices at work．”‎ So ， Therese set out to pick apart the stereotypes( 固 有 印 象 )to see what scientific research had found ． “Scientific research shows that men and women struggle with decision-making equally ． The only disadvantage I found was that during the teenage years-teenage girls are more indecisive than teenage boys．Otherwise，there’s little difference between the genders(性别)．”‎ However ， there are some difINCLUDEPICTURE "../AppData/Local/Temp/ksohtml/wps1F20.tmp.jpg" MERGEFORMAT ferences．“Women are more collaborative( 协 作 的 ) ， ”says Therese ． “A female boss is more likely to ask the opinions of those around her when making a choice．Women ask for input，which helps make better decisions．However，this is often seen as a weakness rather than a strength．”‎ Therese also found that during times of stress ， men and women make different choices，and the outcomes are often better when women are involved．‎ Study after study backs this view up．Neuroscientists Mara Mather and Nicole Lighthall from the University of Southern California studied the way men and womenINCLUDEPICTURE "../AppData/Local/Temp/ksohtml/wps1F21.tmp.jpg" MERGEFORMAT make decisions and found that in times of stress ， they react very differently．‎ During their study，which involved playing a virtual gambling(赌博)game，they found that when the females became stressed ， they made smart decisions—quitting while they were ahead or taking safe bets ． But when tINCLUDEPICTURE "../AppData/Local/Temp/ksohtml/wps1F32.tmp.jpg" MERGEFORMAT he men became stressed，they did the opposite，risking everything for a slim chance of a big win．‎ ‎32．Why did Therese Huston write her book How Women Decide?‎ A．Women are less respected as decision makers ． B．Women are not equally treated in workplaces．‎ C ． Women are unable to make smart choices ． D ． Women are poor at making ‎ big decisions．‎ ‎33．What is women’s weakness in decision—making according to Therese Huston? A．Men can make quicker decisions than women．‎ B．Women easily get stressed when making decisions． C．Women are likely to ask for input when making decisions． D．Teenage girls are 1ess able to make decisions than teenage boys．‎ ‎34．What can we infer from the last paragraph?‎ A．Women show less confidence in times of stress． B．Men tend to make risky decisions in times of stress．‎ C．Men demonstrate great bravery in times of stress．D．Women quit making decisions when ahead in games．‎ ‎35．What’s Therese’s final conclusion according to the text? A．Women are brilliant as decision makers．‎ B．Men are weaker in making smart decisions．‎ C．We should give up all cultural beliefs about gender．‎ D．Great difference exists between the two genders in decision—making． 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 wanted to try an ebook? Has the cost of ebooks stopped you? Well，there are ebooks that you can download． 36 Others share information about where to find free or discounted ebooks．‎ There are several reasons some ebooks are free ． In some cases ， the book’s copyright(版权)has come to an end．In other cases，writers offer books for free to grow a readership ． 37 The writer hopes you will 1ike the first book enough to buy those that follow ． Similarly ， Amazon is fINCLUDEPICTURE "../AppData/Local/Temp/ksohtml/wpsC071.tmp.jpg" MERGEFORMAT illed with free books，with a list of the top 100 free ebooks．This list changes constantly，based on how well the books are“selling”and whether they become or remain free．‎ When you find a free ebook you want to read，get it right away． 38 If you wait too long，you may discover the book now has a price attached.‎ ‎ 39 They offer free ebook files to download directly from the sites．These files could have bad software designed to infect your computer．It is best not to download ebooks，or any file，from an unknown site．‎ Some free ebook sites offer referral(推荐)links to other websites． 40 These referral sites help you find free ebooks of interest to you．They also let you know when an ebook is free or goes on sale．‎ A．Be careful of some websites． B．So visit Amazon’s list quickly． C．Several websites offer free ebooks．‎ D．Referral links provide lists of best ‎ sellers． E．Often the offer is open only for a short time． F．Often a free book will be the first in a series． G．Therefore，you can download free ebooks there．‎ 第三部分 语言知识运用(共两节，满分 45 分)‎ 第一节 (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 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 I first met my new parrot, Chico, his wings had been cut short and he was stuck on the earth just like us humans. When the weather turned nice, I would take Chico outside. I ‎41 him on a branch of a tree, hoping to make him happier. At first he seemed confused. He walked back and forth on the branch looking 42 . He didn’t even flap his wings in an/a 43 to fly. Somehow he knew he was incapable.‎ One day Chico got especially excited . He paced back and forth and made an 44 amount of noise. Then all of a sudden he stopped and let out an even louder scream. He started 45 flapping his wings for the first time ever － then he lifted off the 46 like a space shuttle! I was amazed and 47 . Little did I know his feathers had been growing back, and Chico had been waiting until the moment was ripe for 48 !‎ Two days later Chico returned . First I tried to 49 him back with food, but he would not come near me. Then I took his 50 and put it away—still he would not come. Finally, I made him a firm promise that I would let him out every day if the weather was nice as long as he did come back. 51 , he flew onto my shoulder.‎ From that day on, whenever the weather was good I would let him 52 early and he would fly around and be back before dark. The routine lasted for two months 53 suddenly Chico became 54 . The vet said that he had been infected with a disease from the pigeons in the ‎55 . Within a few days he died.‎ I was very sad. The 56 crossed my mind that if I had not set him free to fly, he would be still alive. But what 57 is there in being a bird if you can’t fly?‎ Chico made his first 58 for freedom on a late Monday afternoon in April. When ‎ ‎ will you make yours? You too can take a 59 when the conditions are right, knowing you too, in your own way, were built to fly. If you don’t set yourself free, what will be the 60 of your life?‎ ‎41 A．brought B．seated C．caught D．chased ‎.‎ ‎42 A．comfortable B．painful C．patient D．anxious ‎.‎ ‎43 A．attempt B．stage C．journey D．path ‎.‎ ‎44 A．acute B．initial C．incredible D．accessible ‎.‎ ‎45 A．slowly B．gently C．madly D．gracefully ‎.‎ ‎46 A．ground B．branch C．window D．house ‎47 A．moved B．shocked C．delighted D．excited ‎.‎ ‎48 A．patience B．exchange C．rescue D．escape ‎.‎ ‎49 A．trick B．fasten C．seize D．expect ‎.‎ ‎50 A．cage B．chain C．food D．feather ‎.‎ ‎51 A．At last B．As usual C．Once in a while D．In the meantime ‎52 A．out B．off C．away D．alone ‎.‎ ‎53 A．until B．while C．since D．although ‎.‎ ‎54 A．active B．weak C．annoying D．miserable ‎.‎ ‎55 A．forest B．community C．countryside D．neighbourhood ‎.‎ ‎56 A．fact B．thought C．concern D．detail ‎.‎ ‎57 A. problem B．meaning C. interest D．mistake ‎.‎ ‎58 A．relief B．willingness C．communication D. breakthrough ‎.‎ ‎59 A．breath B．look C．holiday D．chance ‎.‎ ‎60 A．success B．purpose C．contribution D．importance ‎.‎ 第二节 (共 10 小题；每小题 1．5 分，满分 15 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。‎ Did you grow up in one culture，your parents came from another，and you are now living in a 61 (total)different country? If so，then you are a third-culture kid．‎ The term“third—culture kid” 62 (use)in the 1960s for the first time by Dr．Ruth．She first came across this phenomenon while 63 (research)North American children living in India．In general，third-culture kids benefit from 64 (they)intercultural experience and they often reach excellent academic results．‎ Yet many 65 (difficulty)may arise from this phenomenon．Third-culture kids may not be able to adapt themselves completely 66 their new surroundings．Also，they ‎ often find it hard 67 (develop)new friendship．Additionally，for a third-culture kid，it is often easier to move to a new country 68 to return to his homeland．For example，after living in Australia for many years，Louis finally returned to the country 69 she was born．She didn’t know anything about current TV shows 70 fashion trends ． And she didn’t share the same values as other teens of her age．‎ 第四部分 写作(共二节，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 处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。 增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧ )，并在其下面写出该加的词。 删除：把多余的词用斜线(＼)划掉。 修改：把错的词下划一横线，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。‎ Everyone tends have many problems while gaining knowledge ． Therefore ， your willingness to deal with these problems will eventually enable you to work it out．What I’d like to share is my approaches to solve the problems．‎ First，you must focus on which you are faced with．There seems to be a lot of attractive things，like computers or game．To stay focused，you can list these things and tell yourself you should touch them after finishing your work．Second，believe to yourself．Though there is no doubt that each of us might make mistakes or come across some tough problems in learning，but it can never be a reason for the loss of confidence．‎ Last ， keep modest ． Never fee1 embarrassing to turn to your teachers or classmates．Everyone in your surroundings can be your teacher．‎ 第二节 书面表达（满分 25 分）‎ 假如你是李华，你的英国朋友 Edward 正在学习汉语，希望你推荐一个适合他的学习汉语 的站。请你根据以下内容，给他回复邮件。‎ 推荐站：www.edchinese.com 站内容：1. 中文情景对话，中国风俗，中国电影，中文歌曲、成语和唐诗等；‎ ‎2. 有在线老师答疑解惑。‎ 注 意：1. 词数 100 左右；‎ ‎2. 可适当增加细节，以使内容充实，行文连贯；‎ ‎3. 开头结尾已给出，不计入总词数。‎ Dear Edward,‎ I’m more than pleased to know that you are learning Chinese. Yours,‎ Li Hua ‎2018 届新余四中、临川二中联考英语答案 听力 ‎1～5 CBAAB 6～10 BCABA 11～15 CACAC 16～20 BABCB 阅读：‎ ‎21-23 BCD 24-27 DCBA 28-31 CDAB 32-35 ADBD 36-40 CFEAG 完形：‎ ‎41-45 BDACC 46-50 BBDAA 51-55 AAABD 56-60 BBDDB 语法填空：‎ ‎61. totally 62. was used ‎63. researching 64. their ‎65. difficulties ‎66. to 67. to develop ‎68. than 69. where ‎70. or Everyone tends˄ have many problems while gaining knowledge．Therefore，your willingness to deal with these to However problems will eventually enable you to work it out ． What I’d like to share is my approaches to solve the solving problems．‎ Them First，you must focus on which you are faced with．There seems to be a lot of attractive things，like what seem computers or game．To stay focused，you can list these things and tell yourself you should touch them after games finishing your work．Second，believe to yourself．Though there is no doubt that each of us might make mistakes in or come across some tough problems in learning ，but it can never be a reason for the loss of confidence．‎ Last ， keep modest ． Never fee1 embarrassing to turn to your teachers or classmates．Everyone in your embarrassed surroundings can be your teacher．‎ 书面表达：‎ Dear Edward,‎ I’m more than pleased to know that you are learning ‎ Chinese. I’d like to recommend www.edchinese.com to you. It’s a good website for non-Chine se speakers who are learning Chinese, especially for beginners.‎ Firstly, it provides you with a variety of online courses, such as Chinese idioms, dialogues and customs. Besides, it will help you learn Chinese in interesting and effective ways. Here you can learn to sing Chinese songs, enjoy Tang poems and watch Chinese movies. More importantly, there are teachers online whom you can turn to for help. And all this is free of charge.‎ I hope you will find this website attractive and helpful.‎ Wish you a happy learning time.‎ Yours, Li Hua Text 1‎ 听力材料 W: I thought you were going to clean up in here!‎ M: I did! My toys are in the toy box, and all my clothes are in the closet. W: But what about the dirt on the floor?‎ Text 2‎ M: What are you doing now? I told you to get to bed early so you’d be on time for your first day of school.‎ W: This loud chair is driving me crazy. I’m just trying to fix it. Text 3‎ W: I can’t find my research essay file anywhere on here. Did you delete it?‎ M: Of course not. I don’t even know your password. Have you saved a copy anywhere?‎ W: No. I wish I had emailed it to myself. Argh! I did my work on time, but the teacher will never believe that.‎ Text 4‎ M: Do you have a watch, by any chance? My phone battery is dead and I think I’ve missed my train.‎ W: Sorry, I don’t. But I think there’s a big clock by the boarding hall. Text 5‎ M: Oh, no! Where’s little Freddy?‎ W: Johnny forgot to feed him while we were at work. I think he chewed a hole through his box and ran around.‎ M: Don’t tell the landlord we’ve got a mouse in our apartment! Let’s catch him now.‎ Text 6‎ M: Did you see the new student in Miss Foley’s class, Sally? I think she’s from a poor family.‎ W: Poor? Why would you think that?‎ M: She had pieces of cloth on her jeans. I’ll bet she has holes in them, and she can’t afford to buy new ones. Her mom had to sew on the pieces of cloth to fix her old jeans.‎ W: Rusty, you’re a little behind the times. That’s the fashion nowadays. Half of our class has pieces sewn on their jeans. If her parents are really poor, we certainly will help her.‎ M: That’s great. Anytime we should help the poor. Text 7‎ M: What time is it, Harriet? I’m starving, but I guess it’s not time for lunch yet. W: Let’s see…according to my iPhone, it’s just a few minutes past noon.‎ M: What? I thought my watch was wrong. Shouldn’t the sun be overhead if it’s noon?‎ W: Oh, Don. I can tell you weren’t listening in science class last week. The sun is only overhead at noon for two days a year.‎ M: Ha-ha. Very funny.‎ W: No, really. Mrs. Sorenson explained it. The earth goes around the sun at an angle, and that changes where the sun is at noon.‎ M: But…then those old clocks that measured time by the sun’s shadow are all wrong?‎ W: Um, not exactly. They’re just not the same as the time we keep on our computers.‎ M: I wish I were sitting at a computer right now instead of out here. I’m starting ‎ to hate nature.‎ M: Oh, no. What happened in here, Alexa? Why are there some dead plants?‎ W: I know. Every plant comes in alive and ends up dead. I definitely do not have a green thumb.‎ M: People always say that, but it’s not that hard to keep house plants. What did you do to care for this one?‎ W: That one had a big flower on it, so I put it in the sunlight.‎ M: This is a winter plant from north China. It doesn’t do well in direct sunlight.‎ Just move it here. Didn’t you look up how to care for it when you got it? W: No. I just thought it was pretty, and it was doing OK in the shop.‎ M: And this one here is all yellow. That means you gave it too much water.‎ W: Too much water? I think if it doesn’t need the water, it doesn’t have to drink it. M: That’s not how plants work. I’m afraid the root system under the dirt of this one is destroyed. You’ll have to throw this one away. Look, here’s an app with plant information.‎ Text 9‎ M: Why don’t you have some of my cake, Sue? I made it just for this party.‎ W: Sorry, Bill. I’m not into cake at the moment. I thought you knew about my diet. M: On your birthday? Surely you can eat whatever you want on your birthday. You can start your diet tomorrow. And anyway, you look great.‎ W: Well, thanks, Bill. I am not on a diet to lose weight, actually. My doctor told me to stop eating certain foods. I’m trying to avoid being allergic to something.‎ M: I didn’t know food could help with that. I also noticed you didn’t eat any of ‎ the sandwiches Jill brought.‎ W: Yeah. And you and Tom and Sharon all brought different cakes. I’m dying to try them!‎ M: Why don’t I go get you a salad? I’m sure you’ll feel better if you eat something. W: All right. It’s the only thing here I can eat. What I really want is some hot soup. M: Why don’t I go and get some soup from the restaurant across the street for you?‎ W: That’s awfully nice of you, but I’m enjoying my party. Maybe we could go afterwards.‎ M: OK. You go back in the house and chat with the guests, and I’ll call the restaurant and tell them we’ll be there in a few hours Thank you for attending this public hearing on our new Severe Weather Warning System. I’m Mayor Dunley. First, I’d like to remind everyone that the main purpose of a weather warning system is to tell people outdoors to move inside. Now, it’s important to remember that we will test the system every Saturday at noon, so don’t worry about the noise at that time. It’s a good idea to go outside and listen when we test the system and make sure you can hear them in your neighborhood. Remember that the loud noise is only one part of the warning system. The loud noises are activated by city officials after we receive alerts from the national weather service. In other words, you might hear an alert on the national news before you hear the warning here. If you do hear one, what should you do? First, take cover. Our city doesn’t have public shelters, so go to the inside of any building, away from windows. Second, wait for reports on local media. Finally, stay indoors until you hear the all-clear signal.‎