英语卷·2018届宁夏银川唐徕回民中学高三第一次模拟考试（2018-03） 14页

银川唐徕回民中学 2017～2018 学年度第一次模拟考试 高三年级英语试卷 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’s the weather like now? A. Sunny. B. Cloudy. C. Rainy. 2. Where does the conversation take place? A. Over the telephone. B. In a cinema. C. In an emergency room. 3. How would the woman like to go? A. By train. B. By taxi. C. By bus. 4. What does the woman advise the man to do? A. Be a host. B. Take a dance class. C. Exercise more. 5. Why do the speakers need to do extra housework? A. They break a window. B. They don’t tell the truth. C. They play basketball too much. 第二节（共 15 小题；每小题 1.5 分，满分 22.5 分） 听下面 5 段对话或独白。每段对话或独白后有几个小题，从题中所给的 A、B、C 三个 选项中选出最佳选项，并标在试卷的相应位置。听每段对话或独白前，你将有时间阅读各个 小题，每小题 5 秒钟；听完后，各小题将给出 5 秒钟的作答时间。每段对话或独白读两遍。 听第 6 段材料，回答第 6、7 题。 6. What’s the relationship between the speakers? A. Colleagues. B. Teacher and student. C. Boss and employee. 7. What’s wrong with the woman? A. She broke her ankle. B. Her mom had an accident. C. She doesn’t feel well. 听第 7 段材料，回答第 8、9 题。 8. When did Mr. Sharma pass away? A. Two weeks ago. B. Several days ago. C. Yesterday. 9. Who does the man represent to comfort the woman? A. The whole staff of the school. B. His own family. C. All his classmates. 听第 8 段材料，回答第 10 至 12 题。 10. What does “English weather in your body” mean? A. Having a cough. B. Catching a cold. C. Making a joke. 11. What does the doctor tell the man to do? A. Drink plenty of water and juices. B. Stop drinking lemon water. C. Change medicines. 12. What should the man take according to the doctor? A. His medical record. B. His health insurance. C. An umbrella. 听第 9 段材料，回答第 13 至 16 题。 13. What will the woman do for her holiday? A. Go for a picnic. B. Go to the coast. C. Go boating. 14. Why does the man suggest the woman watching the whales? A. It’s the right time. B. It’s not expensive. C. It’s for whale protection. 15. What had the woman better do to watch the whales? A. Rent a boat. B. Practise swimming. C. Make a reservation. 16. How does the woman feel about watching the whales? A. Satisfied. B. Scared. C. Inspired. 听第 10 段材料，回答第 17 至 20 题。 17. What can we learn about Beijing? A. A one-bedroom rent in Tongzhou is 2,500 yuan. B. The south’s rent is expensive than the north’s. C. Taking taxis is usually money-saving. 18. How far is Sanlitun from the center of Beijing? A. 5 km. B. 9 km. C. 22 km. 19. Why does Josh Ong come to Beijing? A. For study. B. For travel. C. For work. 20. What’s the speaker mainly talking about? A. How to travel in Beijing. B. Delicious food in Beijing. C. How to live well in Beijing. 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（A、B、 C 和 D）中选出最佳选项。 A A layover (临时滞留) or flight delay can be extremely fun in these international airports. Munich Airport, Germany Aviation (航空) lovers passing through Munich can take a behind－the－scenes tour to learn how the airport operates. Visitors can also tour three historic aircraft and a retired rescue helicopter, climb up to a 28－metre high observation platform for an up－close view of take－offs and landings, and watch films on aviation in the airport's 60－seat cinema. Travelers can also kill layover time at an 18－hole mini－golf course, or even stop in for a teeth cleaning at the airport dental office. Changi Airport, Singapore After a long flight to Singapore, travelers can relax in a Balinese－style swimming pool, work out at the airport gym, or enjoy a drink and live musical performances at the airport's Music Bar. The airport also boasts a tranquil butterfly garden, and a “fragrant garden” which is home to 15 species of plants and trees. Free movies at one of two airport cinemas also keep passengers entertained. Schiphol Amsterdam Airport, the Netherlands Schiphol is Europe's fifth－largest airport. Here passengers can view the works of Dutch masters free of charge, and try their luck at airport's casino (赌场). You can even have your wedding ceremony at Schiphol—couples can choose from four different wedding packages, including a 1930－style ceremony held on a Dakota military aircraft. San Francisco International Airport, California The airport's 24－hour AirTrain not only moves passengers between terminal, but also provides a fun view of the runways. There are three aquariums (水族馆) to explore, along with interactive play areas, an aviation museum, and a library. If that's not enough to keep the little ones busy, travelers can rent portable DVD players and movies for use in the airport. 21. What can travelers do at the Munich Airport? A. They can have their teeth cleaned. B. They can watch free films in the 28－seat cinema. C. They can visit one of three aquariums. D. They can relax in a swimming pool. 22. Which is the unique feature of the Schiphol Amsterdam Airport? A. Passengers can play golf there. B. Passengers can get married there. C. Passengers can see a retired rescue helicopter. D. Passengers can visit a Munich military aircraft. 23. Which airport was designed with kids in mind? A. Munich Airport. B. Changi Airport. C. Schiphol Amsterdam Airport. D. San Francisco International Airport. B Billie Holiday was an American jazz singer and songwriter. Nicknamed Lady Day by her loyal friend and musical partner, Lester Young, Holiday had a great influence on jazz and pop singing. Her voiced style, strongly inspired by jazz instrumentalists, pioneered a new way of controlling tempo (节奏). Above all, she was admired for her deeply personal and direct approach to singing. She co-wrote a few songs, and several of them have become jazz standards, notably God Bless the Child, Don’t Explain, and Lady Sings the Blues. She also became famous for singing jazz standards written by others, including Easy Living and Strange Fruit. Her early career is hard to track down with accuracy. But she later gained work singing in local jazz clubs before being spotted by a talent scout (星探), John Hammond in 1933. Her voice and recordings were loved for the depth of emotion and intensity she could bring to classic standards. Her range of voice was not the greatest, but her extraordinary low rough voice was soon to become very famous and influential. She was an important icon (偶像) of the jazz era and influential in the development of jazz singing. In the late 1930s, she began singing a civil rights song called Strange Fruit, a song which told the tale of a lynching (用私刑处死) of a black man in the Deep South. It was very controversial for that period and it was not played on radios. It was recorded for Commodore Records and she performed it many times over the next 20 years. Billie Holiday had a difficult upbringing which influenced her attitude toward life. She experienced many violent relationships. She also became increasingly dependent on various drugs which contributed to her early death in 1959, aged just 44. 24. What made Holiday develop a new way of controlling tempo? A. Her musical partner. B. Her voiced style. C. Jazz instrumentalists. D. Her direct approach to singing. 25. Why was the song Strange Fruit banned on radios? A. It was about a cruel story. B. It was recorded very badly. C. It concerned civil rights. D. It was performed many times. 26. It can be learned from the text that Holiday _____. A. had the greatest range of voice B. was gifted and had a happy childhood C. wrote a few songs including Easy Living D. was famous for her voice and way of singing 27. Which of the following had a great effect on Holiday? a. John Hammond b. Her independence c. Jazz instrumentalists d. Her hard experiences of growing A. a, b, c B. a, b, d C. a, c, d D. b, c, d C As the world’s population grows, farmers will need to produce more and more food. And large farms are increasingly using precision farming to increase yields (产量), reduce waste, and reduce the economic and security risks that inevitably accompany agricultural uncertainty. Traditional farming relies on managing entire fields—making decisions related to planting, harvesting, irrigating, and applying pesticides and fertilizer ( 农 药 和 化 肥 )—based on regional conditions and historical data. Precision farming, by contrast, combines sensors, robots, GPS, mapping tools and data-analytics software to customize（量身定制）the care that plants receive without increasing labor. Robot-mounted sensors and camera-equipped drones ( 无 人 机 ) wirelessly send images and data on individual plants to a computer, which looks for signs of health and stress. Farmers receive the feedback in real time and then deliver water, pesticide or fertilizer in adjusted doses（剂量）to only the areas that need it. The technology can also help farmers decide when to plant and harvest crops. As a result, precision farming can improve time management, reduce water and chemical use, and produce healthier crops and higher yields—all of which benefit farmers’ bottom lines and conserve resources while reducing chemical runoff. Many small businesses are developing new software, sensors, and other tools for precision farming, as are large companies such as Monsanto, John Deere, Bayer, Dow and DuPont. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration all support precision farming, and many colleges now offer course work on the topic. In a related development, seed producers are applying technology to improve plant characteristics. By following individual plants over time and analyzing which ones flourish in different conditions, companies can relate the plants’ response to their environments with their genomics (基因组学). That information, in turn, allows the companies to produce seed varieties that will grow well in specific soil and weather conditions. This advanced technology may also help to improve crop nutrition. Farmers do not universally welcome precision agriculture for various reasons, such as high equipment costs and lack of access to the Internet. The technology may bring great challenges to experienced farmers who are not good at computers. And large systems will also be beyond the reach of many small farming operations in developing nations. But less expensive, simpler systems could potentially be applied. For others, though, cost savings in the long run may reduce the financial concerns. And however reticent some farmers may be to adopt new technology, the next generation of farmers are likely to warm to the approach. 28. Precision farming differs from traditional farming partly because it ________. A. guarantees high yields with more labor B. relies on regional conditions and historical data C. offers plenty of water, pesticides and fertilizer D. provides real time information about target crops 29. About precision farming, we can learn that________. A. the government holds a cautious attitude B. it draws positive responses from businesses C. seed producers have already made huge profits D. large systems will soon be built in developing nations 30. The underlined word “reticent” in the last paragraph probably means ________. A. disappointed B.confused C. unwilling D. shocked 31. What is the best title for the passage? A. Precision Farming Increases Crop Yields B. More Challenges Faced by Modern Farmers C. Development of Farming Systems in the U.S. D. Traditional Farming is Gradually Disappearing D The human beings seem to be facing a crisis （危机）． After Our best Go players were defeated one by one by the artificial intelligence (AI) AlphaGo, we lost our pride of being at the top of the intelligence chain. And in October，when Saudi Arabia gave citizenship to a robot named Sophia, another privilege of being human was take away．It looks like everything that separates humans and AI is at risk fight now． But we keep hoping that instead of “everything ”, there’s still something left in us that makes us irreplaceable. To Hao Jingfang, winner of the 2016 Hugo Award for Best Novelette, that “something” is our consciousness. “AlphaGo is intelligent in a certain way, but not intelligent enough to ask the important questions – Do I like playing Co? Do I want to play Go today? Why do I have to play Go when you tell me to?” she once said．In other words, computer programs don’t have a choice to say “no”． They probably don’t even know what a “choice” is – all they ever do is calculate． And to He Huaihong，a philosophy (哲学) professor at Peking University，imagination and creativity are also what make us special. A machine couldn’t have come up with the theory of gravity just because it was hit by a falling apple，he said．It’s human imagination that connects what seem to be completely random and irrelevant concepts，something that a machine—which works by fixed rules only—can't do，at least for now． This is why BBC reporter Viktor Mayer-Schonberger suggested that instead of focusing on how computers have overshadowed us on calculating abilities than humans，we should probably “consider our quality at a different end of the spectrum (光谱)：creativity，originality (原创性)， even plain illogical craziness，instead of hard-nosed (顽固的) logic”，he wrote． So maybe in the future，as artificial intelligence becomes even more intelligent，humans and A1 will learn to use each other’s talents for good．If AI can handle the boring tasks like calculating and driving for us，we’ll have more time to create，think，and be busy with “being human”． 32．What can we learn about AlphaGo，according to Hao Jingfang? A．It will be taught to say no in the future． B．It will be more intelligent than humans one day． C．It has difficulty answering personal questions． D．It is unable to think independently as humans do． 33．What does He Huaihong believe is unique to humans? A．Intelligence． B．Originality． C．The ability to make rules． D．The ability to make choices． 34．What does the underlined word “overshadowed” in paragraph 5 probably mean? A．Competed with B．Taken control of C．Been more successful than D．Influenced 35．What could be the future of AI according to the author? A．It will be used to help humans，rather than compete with us． B．It may develop creativity besides better logical thinking． C．It might be very dangerous to humans in different fields． D．It will be applied to provide driving service for humans． 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。 A kiln (窑) is a type of oven or furnace used to cure (加工处理), harden, or burn certain materials. Depending on which materials are heated in it, a kiln may be square, tunnel shaped, or beehive shaped, and usually made of brick or stone. 36 It may be set as low as sixty-five degrees to cure grain or as high as 3,200 degrees to transform limestone to quicklime (熟石灰). 37 They have a variety of purposes. The cement (水泥) industry uses revolving kilns to heat and separate raw materials. Bricks, pottery, and china made from clay must be fired, or hardened, in kilns. Certain kinds of coal and wood must be kiln-dried （在窑里烘干的）before they can be used. Hobbyists use small kilns to fire a variety of ceramic (陶瓷) objects. There are two main types of kilns. A periodic kiln, used to fire certain kinds of delicate china, is raised to a high temperature and then completely cooled before its contents are removed. A continuous, or tunnel kiln contains several chambers, or zones, which heat, bake, and cool a product. Stacks of clay bricks move through a tunnel kiln on tracks. 38 Gas, oil, and coal are all used to heat modern kilns. 39 But for special jobs, where cleanliness and careful heat（绝热）are important, kilns must be heated by electricity oven though it is more expensive. Small kilns used in the home or in craft shops are also heated electrically because electricity is clean and convenient. 40 When ancient people discovered that heat hardened some materials, they were able to make durable household objects such as jugs and bowls. Today our museums display many kinds of ancient statues and art objects that have lasted because they had been kiln-dried. They come from lands as far apart as China and Greece. A. Its temperature may vary. B. Then they come out, hardened, and cooled. C. Kilns are used in industry and in craft-making. D. Kilns have been in use for thousands of years. E. An electric kiln is a heating chamber used to transform materials. F. Most manufacturers use whichever material is cheapest in their area. G. Clay, when heated properly, becomes hard enough to form bowls and plates. 第三部分 语言知识应用（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，从短文后所给的 A、B、C 和 D 选项中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。 From a young age, my parents have taught me the importance of giving generously to the less fortunate. Out of 41 , whenever there is something I can 42 , I give it to someone on the street. Last week, 43 I left the house to run a few errands (差事)，I carried with me some old clothes, some food and a handbag to hand over to someone 44 . As the car 45 at the traffic signal, I saw a girl of five or six asking for money. I 46 her to come to me and quickly 47 all the things I had. As I started handing them over, she seemed 48 . She looked up at me with a sweet smile on her face and asked what was in the 49 . I told her there were some clothes and food for her. 50 she looked up at me and asked, “Can you give me some water?” It was then that I noticed her 51 lips. It seemed as if she had not had a drop of water all day. I 52 my bottle of water that I always carried with me and helped her to drink from it. She finished it quickly and gave me a heartwarming smile of 53 . I was thankful that I could 54 her simple wish! I realized once again that day that you don’t necessarily have to make big 55 to help someone. This experience 56 once again my belief in the 57 acts of kindness and how they can make someone’s 58 . The next time you want to do something nice for someone, don’t 59 , waiting for the right chance. 60 and do it. 41. A. habit B. respect C. sympathy D. kindness 42. A. afford B. get C. spare D. serve 43. A. until B. as C. once D. before 44. A. needy B. sick C. disabled D. sad 45. A. parked B. stared C. turned D. paused 46. A. phoned B. signaled C. advised D. allowed 47. A. collected B. fetched C. packed D. threw 48. A. ashamed B. upset C. embarrassed D. astonished 49. A. car B. bag C. bottle D. clothes 50. A. Then B. Next C. Again D. But 51. A. dirty B. pale C. thick D. dry 52. A. pointed out B. took out C. gave out D. picked out 53. A. happiness B. pleasure C. appreciation D. welcome 54. A. satisfy B. attain C. promise D. realize 55. A. differences B. ambitions C. achievements D. donations 56. A. found B. doubted C. proved D. showed 57. A. unique B. simple C. reliable D. polite 58. A. day B. fortune C. dream D. life 59. A. hold on B. hold up C. hold down D. hold back 60. A. Speed up B. Take care C. Go ahead D. Look out 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。 The Spring Festival, also known as the Lunar New Year, is the most important 61 (tradition) festival in China, which falls in late January or early February. The historical reason for beginning the New Year in such a time is 62 it is the time between autumn harvest and spring plowing and planting. In other words, it is the time for rest, relaxation and celebration after a year's hard work. Except this practical reason for celebrating the Spring Festival, a popular Chinese legend offers another 63 (explain), which is 64 (general) accepted in China. In ancient times, a devil called “Nian” that lived under the sea would attack people once a year on the eve of the New Year. It jumped out from the sea and attacked villages, 65 (eat) people, animals and plants. As they could no longer bear Nian's cruel persecution（迫害）, the villagers gathered 66 (discuss) how to deal with Nian and some people suggested that the devil was afraid of loud noises, red color and flame. So people 67 (light) firecrackers and fireworks, put up red couplets on 68 (they) gates and beat drums to drive Nian away. The idea worked 69 Nian ran away. Since ever, the custom and tradition of celebrating the Spring Festival has formed and the practices of putting up red couplets on gates, setting 70 firecrackers and fireworks, etc. have been passed down. 第四部分：写作（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一下作文。文中共 有 10 处语言错误，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：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. 每处错误里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。 The bell rang. Our English teacher Miss Chen came in. Everything went smooth in her class. All of us listened attentively but answered questions correctly. The smile on her face suggested that she be satisfied with our performance. Towards the end of the class, she asked which one of you would like to come up to the front and repeat the story. While said these words, she looked at all the students with expression of hope in her eyes. I step to the front quickly and began to repeat the story with confident. After I finished, I returned back to my seat. My heart rate was fast that ever until Miss Chen said “Well done”. 第二节 书面表达（满分 25 分） 假设你是某高中的学生会主席李华。一批来自英国的高中生与你校学生开展了为期两周 的交流活动。现在，他们即将回国，你将在欢送会上致辞。请根据以下提示写一篇发言稿: ① 回顾双方的交流活动(如学习、生活、体育、文艺等方面)； ② 谈谈收获或感想； ③ 表达祝愿与期望。 注意： ① 词数不少于 100； ② 可适当加入细节，使内容充实、行文连贯。 Dear friends， _______________________________________________________________________________ ______ _______________________________________________________________________________ ______ _______________________________________________________________________________ ______ _______________________________________________________________________________ ______ Thank you. 高三英语一模参考答案 听力（共 20 小题，每小题 1.5 分，满分 30 分） 1-5 BACBA 6-10 CBCAB 11-15 ACBAC 16-20 BABCC 阅读理解（共 20 小题，每小题 2 分，满分 40 分） 21- 23:ABD 24-27: BCDC 28-31: DBCA 32-35: DBCA 36-40:ACBFD 完形填空（共 20 小题，每小题 1.5 分，满分 30 分） 41-60 :ACBAD BADBC DBCAD CBADC (注释：58 题，make one’s day 给某人带来幸 福） 语法填空（共 10 小题，每小题 1.5 分，满分 15 分） 61. traditional 62. that 63. explanation 64. generally 65. eating 66. to discuss 67. lighted/lit 68. their 69. and 70. off 短文改错（共 10 小题；每小题 1 分，满分 10 分） The bell rang. Our English teacher Miss Chen came in. Everything went smooth in her class. All of us smoothly listened attentively but answered questions correctly. The smile on her face suggested that she be satisfied and was with our performance. Towards the end of the class, she asked which one of you would like to come up to us the front and repeat the story. While said these words, she looked at all the students with ∧ expression of saying an hope in her eyes. I step to the front quickly and began to repeat the story with confident. After I finished, stepped confident I returned back to my seat. My heart rate was fast that ever until Miss Chen said “Well done”. 删除 back faster 第二节：书面表达（满分 25 分） 评卷要求：1. 要求写一篇在欢送会上的发言稿。人称以第一人称为主。2. 正文要点： 回顾双方的交流活动（过去时态）→谈谈收获或感受（现在时态） →表达祝福与期望（将 来时）。 Dear friends， How time flies！Two weeks went by, and our exchange activities ended. On behalf of my school, I would like to express my feelings. As scheduled, we participated in several instructive activities. We learnt many Chinese characters and took plenty of exercise together. We went to the restaurant to taste the Chinese traditional food. The food was very delicious. While visiting the art exhibition, we discussed the great artists’ works. In my opinion, everyone here is a member of our big family and we learn a lot from each other. And at last I sincerely wish you a pleasant trip back to your country. I hope we’ll get together again next year. Thank you. 听力原文：高中英语听力模拟试题（一） Text 1 M: I love the rains after the dry heat and the hot winds. W: I’m sure there’s going to be a heavy rain. Look at the sky. It’s so dark. Text 2 M: Finally I get through to you. The line just wasn’t connected when needed most. W: Anything urgent? M: Nothing really. Are you free for a movie tonight? Text 3 W: Excuse me. Could you please tell me how I can get to Manchester from England? M: You could take a bus, taxi or go by train. W: I prefer taking a bus. Text 4 M: Where do you take the dance class, Susan? W: Well, there is a super cool studio in town. Just come and practice with me, Pete. Text 5 W: We shouldn’t have played basketball in the house. Now the window is broken. M: As soon as Mom and Dad come home, we tell them the truth. And we’ll have to do extra housework for a month! Text 6 W: May I come in, Sir? M: Yes. W: Sir, I have come to request you to give me a three-day leave from July 6th to 9th. M: I hope all’s well, Alisa? W: My mother had an accident. She slipped and broke her ankle. M: Give me the application. If you need any help, just ask. Your colleagues and I will try to help. W: Thank you, Sir. That’s very kind of you. Text 7 M: Mrs. Sharma, I was sorry to hear that Mr. Sharma passed away last night. We knew he was unwell, but we didn’t expect his end would come so soon. W: Yes. He had been extremely unwell for the past two weeks. M: I just want to tell you that he was one of our finest teachers. His long and devoted work to the school will always be remembered. The entire staff conveys their deepest sympathies to you and your family. Text 8 W: I’m afraid you have “English weather in your body”. I mean you have got a cold. Nothing serious. Take this medicine with hot lemon and you’ll feel better by tomorrow afternoon. Drink plenty of water and juices. I am not going to give you any other medicines, you don’t need them right now. And don’t let the weather cheat you again. M: Thanks doctor. W: You’re welcome. Next time take your umbrella although you see the sun. M: I’ll do it for sure. Do you need my health insurance card? W: Well, it isn’t necessary in this country. M: Thank you, Doctor. Text 9 M: Wow, a three-day holiday! What are you planning on doing? W: I don’t know. I think I will go to the coast. Won’t you have a picnic? M: Yes. If you’re going to go to the coast, you need to watch the whales. This is a perfect time of the year for that. W: You know, I’ve heard that people had really good experiences... Is it expensive? M: No, it’s not. Usually, they have certain times they send out the boats to go. It’s better to make a reservation, check the forecast, and you’re expected to pay 25 to 30 dollars, probably. W: That’s not bad! But I’m afraid that the whale is going to accidentally hit the boat! M: Yeah, but that would be an exciting adventure. You can swim, right? W: Well, all right. It’s just such a cool thing that I’m...a little afraid of. Text 10 M: Much like in New York, being able to live comfortably in Beijing depends on how far from the city center you’re willing to live: a one-bedroom in Tongzhou, 22km east of the city center, rents for only RMB 2,500 per month. “But your best bet as a foreigner is finding a room a bit closer to the center for around RMB 4,000, which you can pretty much do in the ‘cool’ parts of town near Sanlitun (9km northeast from the centre) and Gulou (5km north of the center),” said Om Buffalo, an American who currently studies in Beijing. In general, south and west Beijing are cheaper than the north and east. Other ways to save money include taking the subway instead of taxis. “For medium to long-distance trips, taking a taxi in Beijing often takes longer and costs more than the subway,” said Josh Ong, director of global marketing and communications at Beijing-based Cheetah Mobile. His other suggestion is to eat like a local, using the website www.dianping.com to find the places real Beijingers are dining. “Western food in Beijing is expensive, but there are amazing noodle shops and dumpling houses just around the corner from you.”