2017-2018学年江西省赣州市十四县（市）高二下学期期中联考英语试题 Word版 13页

‎2017—2018学年第二学期赣州市十四县（市）期中联考 高二年级英语试卷 ‎ ‎ ‎ 第Ⅰ卷 （选择题， 共100分）‎ 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. Where does the conversation probably take place? ‎ ‎ A. In a library. B. In a restaurant. C. On a bus.‎ ‎2. How does the woman feel about her work? ‎ ‎ A. She is disappointed with it. B. She is excited about it. C. She is satisfied with it. ‎ ‎3. What kind of music does the woman like? ‎ ‎ A. Jazz. B. Classical. C. Folk. ‎ ‎4. Why will the man go to Edinburgh? ‎ ‎ A. To drive the woman there. ‎ B. To have a meeting in Glasgow.‎ ‎ C. To meet some important people.‎ ‎5. What will the girl do tonight? ‎ ‎ A. Prepare for an exam. B. Watch TV. C. Go to a movie. ‎ 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 does the man suggest doing? ‎ ‎ A. Going for a walk. B. Having a cup of tea. C. Mailing a letter.‎ ‎7. What is the woman doing? ‎ ‎ A. Writing a letter. B. Cooking dinner. C. Exercising. ‎ 听第7段材料，回答第8、9题。‎ ‎8. What is the date today? ‎ ‎ A. October 22nd. B. October 23rd. C. October 24th. ‎ 9. How old is the United Nations in 2010? ‎ ‎ A. 70 years. B. 65 years. C. 60 years. ‎ 听第8段材料，回答第10至12题。‎ ‎10. Who is Thomson? ‎ ‎ A. Linda’s husband. B. The man’s cousin. C. A cook. ‎ ‎11. What is the relationship between the two speakers? ‎ ‎ A. Teacher and student. B. Mother and son. C. Husband and wife. ‎ ‎12. What do we know about Linda? ‎ ‎ A. She won’t be invited to the party. ‎ ‎ B. She doesn’t eat chicken. ‎ ‎ C. She is a good cook. ‎ 听第9段材料，回答第13至16题。‎ ‎13. What are the speakers talking about? ‎ ‎ A. Friends. B. Pictures. C. Stories.‎ ‎14. Why does the woman think it is stressful to go to the dentist? ‎ ‎ A. It is out of your control. B. It is too expensive. C. It hurts.‎ ‎15. What does the man think is the most stressful? ‎ ‎ A. Being late. B. Having an exam. C. Moving to a new place.‎ ‎16. What does the woman think of interviews? ‎ ‎ A. They are challenging. B. They are stressful. C. They are terrible.‎ 听第10段材料，回答第17至20题。‎ ‎17. Where is the finish line? ‎ ‎ A. Outside London. B. Near Buckingham Palace. C. At Greenwich.‎ ‎18. What was last year’s record time? ‎ ‎ A. 2 hours 17 minutes 16 seconds. ‎ B. 2 hours 22 minutes 16 seconds.‎ ‎ C. 2 hours 48 minutes.‎ ‎19. Who was the youngest person to finish the race so far? ‎ ‎ A. Betty Omary. B. Shelly Mortimer. C. Ian Britton. ‎ ‎20. When will the full report about the event be? ‎ ‎ A. At 7:15. B. At 7:30. C. At 7:55. ‎ 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，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。 A ‎ Four Wild Animal Species Were Endangered Maybe you can still see them at the zoo. But that doesn’t mean they’re doing alright in the wild.‎ Tigers All six tiger species are endangered, with Sumatran tigers and South China tigers at a seriously endangered status. The main reasons for their population decline are illegal hunting and destroyed habitats(栖息地), as humans clear forests to gather timber（木材）and build roadways. Only about 3890 tigers presently live in the wild.‎ Ground squirrels That’s right, even squirrels are endangered, specifically the San Joaquin ground squirrel. Native to California, USA, these guys have been disappearing since 1979 on account of the construction and human development going through their habitat. Their total population is unknown, but it could be anywhere between 124000 and 413000.‎ Giraffes The International Union for the Conservation of Nature recently put giraffes at a vulnerable(脆弱的) status, the level just before endangered. The giraffe population has declined 40 percent in the last 30 years, primarily due to loss of habitat and illegal hunting. Some giraffes are killed just for their tails, which are considered status symbols in Africa.‎ Asian elephants The main threat to Asian elephants, one of the most intelligent animals, is their shrinking habitat. As the human population grows, people invade their land to build roads and railway tracks. Elephants in Myanmar are at an especially high risk for being captured and traded or used illegally in the tourist industry. Fewer than 50000 are left on the entire continent.‎ ‎21. What is the total population of tigers living in the wild?‎ A. Around 3890. B. 50000. C. 124000. D. 413000.‎ ‎22．Which of the following is considered one of the most intelligent animals?‎ A. Tigers. B. Giraffes.‎ C. Ground squirrels. D. Asian elephants.‎ ‎23．What is the common threat to the four wild animals?‎ A. Illegal hunting. B. Disturbed habitat. ‎ C. Developing tourism. D. Unnecessary construction.‎ B One evening last summer, when I asked my 14-year-old son, Ray, for help with dinner, his response shocked me. “What’s a colander (漏勺)?” he asked.‎ I could only blame myself. In the family, nobody else helped me in the kitchen. But that night, as I explained with a touch of panic that a colander is the thing with holes in it, I wondered what else I hadn’t prepared Ray for.‎ As parents, while we focus on our sons’ confidence and character, we perhaps don’t always consider that we are also raising someone’s future roommates, boyfriends, husbands, or fathers. I wanted to know that I’d raised a boy who would never ask the woman in his life, “What’s for dinner?” So I came up with a plan: I would offer Ray a private home course. I was delighted to find that he didn’t say no. For two hours, three days a week, Ray was all mine.‎ I knew that he would rather have been playing in the driveway than learning to mend socks with his mother----he tried to beg not to have sewing lessons, even though I insisted that one day, someone would find the sight of him fixing his own shirt very attractive, but it couldn’t be denied that he was learning, and more than just housekeeping. “I appreciate what you do as a mom,” he told me one day. Ray now understands the finer points of cooking, and more importantly, he realizes there’s nothing good about being helpless.‎ Now, not only can he make his own dinner, but also he can make a big meal for his family. That’s what I call a man. I’m glad that I prepared so great a present for my future daughter-in-law.‎ ‎24. Why was the author shocked at her son’s response?‎ A. Because he was not well behaved.‎ B. Because he refused to help with dinner.‎ C. Because he was very curious about kitchen tools.‎ D. Because he didn’t know the common kitchen tools.‎ ‎25. In the author’s opinion, some parents pay little attention to_______ .‎ A. making children live a hard life. B. preparing children for their future life C. telling kids what is right and wrong D. building up children’s confidence ‎26. After learning to do housework, Ray______ .‎ A. fell in love with sewing. B. did other work in the house.‎ C. acknowledged his mother’s efforts. D. began to be more hard-working. ‎ ‎27. What would be the best title for the text?‎ A. Useful education for boys. B. Boys should be involved in housework． ‎ C. The importance of housework. D. Cooking and sewing make boys manly．‎ C The world’s first “Sky Pool” has been uncoated, and it’ll give anyone a touch of dizziness, unless he or she is not bothered by heights.‎ Situated in the capital’s new riverside district beside Battersea Power Station, the glass pool, hanging 10 storeys, or 110 feet up as a bridge between two apartment buildings, is 25m long, 5m wide and 3m deep with a water depth of 1. 2m. Swimmers will be able to look down 35 metres to the street below as they take a dip, with only 20cm of glass between them and the outside world. It’s even got a bar, folding chairs and an orange garden.‎ The pool will be part of Embassy Gardens at Nine Elms, a huge billion building project beside the new American Embassy in south-west London. The project is creating thousands of apartments, the smallest of which are expected to cost nearly $ 1 million, and the pool will only be open to the apartments’ owners.‎ Embassy Gardens takes design inspiration from the Meatpacking District of New York with floor to ceiling windows and brick frontages. The designer, Sean Mulryan, desired to push the boundaries in the capability of construction and engineering and do something that had never been done before. The Sky Pool’s transparent（透明的）structure is the result of significant advancements in technologies over the last decade.‎ The experience of the pool will be truly unique and it will feel like floating through the air in Central London.‎ Those people lucky enough to swim there will have a great view of the Palace of Westminster and the London Eye. It will be a selling point for developers when the second stage of the development is released to market.‎ ‎28. Who can swim in the Sky Pool?‎ A. Visitors to London. ‎ B. Anyone at Nine Elms. ‎ C. Those who are not terrified of heights.‎ D. People living in Embassy Gardens. ‎ ‎29. What can the swimmers enjoy according to the paragraph 2?‎ A. Having fun surfing online. ‎ B. Appreciating the views below. ‎ C. Drinking orange juice for free.‎ D. Experiencing diving and surfing.‎ ‎30. What do we know about the pool from the text?‎ A. It lies in the centre of London. ‎ B. It is helpful for selling apartments in Embassy Gardens.‎ C. It is 25 metres above the ground. ‎ D. It was similar to New York’s modern constructions.‎ ‎31. We can infer from the text that .‎ ‎ A. building the pool is not a complex job.‎ ‎ B. the new American Embassy has been moved away.‎ ‎ C. Nine Elms is a street in Embassy Gardens.‎ ‎ D. the apartments of Embassy Garden are fairly expensive.‎ D Something I enjoy doing most in my leisure time is going to the cinema to watch a great film. It’s two hours of relaxation and escapism from real life. But when I kick back in my seat to enjoy the film and tuck into (大口吃) my box of popcorn, I’m often irritated by seeing someone next to me texting on their mobile phone or worse still, talking to someone. ‎ ‎ It’s no surprise that a proposal by a US cinema chain to let people use their phones during some film screenings was met with such anger, that the company had to withdraw the idea. People ‎ said it was the worst idea ever! Surely, going to watch the latest film is just that — watching not multi-screening. And if you’re out with a friend it seems very antisocial or just rude. I certainly get distracted(分心的) by the click-click on someone’s mobile keyboard as they text and the glow of the bright small phone screen — why aren’t they concentrating on the big screen?‎ ‎ But with the availability of streaming films at home and cheap DVDs, cinemas are struggling to keep their customers. Some places now offer comfortable seats with free snacks and drinks so maybe trying to attract a younger audience by allowing the use of mobile phones is the way forward. A survey in 2012 found that a majority of 18-to-34-year-olds believed using social media while watching a movie would add to their experience. ‎ ‎ However, not every young person wants to multi-task at the movies. Many of us still get annoyed by the theatre staff who appear not to do anything about it. Of course, we could ask the offenders to turn their phones off but as Adam Aron, head of AMC Entertainment, said in Variety magazine, “when you tell a 22-year-old to turn off the phone, don’t ruin the movie, they hear ‘please cut off your left arm above the elbow’.” Clearly this is not what I would like to see but if you want to use your mobile phone in the cinema that I’m at, please don’t sit next to me! What do you think is the right thing to do?‎ ‎32. The underlined word “irritated” in Paragraph 1 means _________.‎ A. annoyed B. depressed C. terrified D. embarrassed ‎ ‎33. Which of the following is True of the US cinema chain’s original advice?‎ A. They forbade people to use the phone. ‎ B. The advice was carried out smoothly.‎ C. The advice was very popular with people.‎ D. They permitted people to use the phone. ‎ ‎34. What can we infer from Paragraph 3?‎ A. People prefer to watch films and DVD at home.‎ B. The cinema needn’t worry about their customers.‎ C. Young people use their social media frequently.‎ D. Sending messages is the best experience for young people.‎ ‎35. What is the author’s attitude towards multi-task at the movies?‎ A. Sympathy. B. Disapproval. C. Enthusiasm. D. Encouragement. ‎ ‎ 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。‎ How to Be Good at Sports If sports are something that interests you, it stands to reason that you would want to be good at them. Here are some tips that can help you become a good player.‎ Set ambitious but realistic goals. If you want to be great at sports, you need to set your aims high. 36 Instead, you should take a look at what you are, and figure out where you think you would like to be. Give yourself a suitable amount of time to achieve that goal.‎ Be patient. 37 Impatient athletes tend to make poor ones. If you’re not patient, you’ll try to jump into advanced techniques long before you're ready. You’ll feel discouraged when you don’t see immediate improvement.‎ Join a sports team. Most of the sports teams are free to join. If you go to school, you should go for team tryouts when they’re happening. 38 ‎ Accept criticism. When you play sports, you will unavoidably receive criticism, whether from a coach or other players. 39 Are they angry because you missed a pass, or do they sincerely ‎ want to help you improve? In a lot of cases, you can use criticism as motivation to get better.‎ ‎ 40 A skill become mastered when you’re able to do it without thinking. Given enough time and practice, a skill will eventually fall under this category. When in a game, you won't have time to think everything through, so practice until it's all automatic.‎ A. Skills are often slow to build.‎ B. This does not mean being unrealistic.‎ C. You need to take most of it with a grain of salt.‎ D. Practice until your skills become second nature.‎ E. You also need to be clear about what you are good at.‎ F. If you're not in school, you can find a sports club online.‎ G. An important reason people join sports teams is to make friends.‎ 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，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。‎ The most important lesson I learned in high school had nothing to do with math or American history. It came at graduation, several minutes 41 I left Miramonte High School． ‎ I was rather shy back then, content to hang around with my few friends and to concentrate on my 42 . I was doing so well that by the end of senior year I had perfect 43 and enough credits to go to college.  But my good record soon became a fear to my well-being．In early June of senior year, the headmaster called me into his office．He asked me to give a leave-taking speech at graduation．I looked at him, my heart 44 fast. This was the reward for my hard work? I said something, but not very clearly, and hurried away from the office.  I was 45 about the decision, though finally agreeing to take up the task. I wasn't the only speaker—I would 46 the honor with five other students．Still, I was uncertain whether the task was beyond me．How in the world would I give a speech to hundreds of people? Graduation day soon arrived and, as 47 , I was nervous. I’d been practicing my speech for days, and I had it 48 . But I had 49 been so terrified in my life. The first half hour of the 50 passed, and then my 51 came. My name was announced. I 52 to reach the platform without falling down．But within minutes, I finished my speech, 53 back to my seat．  Now I still have the 54 of that speech．My voice trembled a little, but 55 it was clear and strong．I'm proud of that tape．I achieved 56 I'd never dreamed — I spoke in front of hundreds of people．Although I didn't realize it at the time, the successful completion of that speech gave me the 57 to participate in class at college, to give oral reports, and to eventually break free of my 58 . I never would have chosen to give a speech at graduation. But I'm 59 I did. I know it may well 60 to be one of my shining moments．  41. A. after B. before C. when D. while 42. A. subjects B. interests C. games D. hobbies 43. A. manners B. relationship C. characters D. scores 44. A. beating B. breaking C. aching D. burning 45. A. hesitant B. optimistic C. generous D. doubtful ‎ ‎46. A. bring B. share C. spare D. give 47. A. intended B. hoped C. planned D. expected ‎ ‎48. A. thrown B. printed C. completed D. memorized 49. A. ever B. always C. never D. hardly ‎50. A. lesson B. task C. match D. ceremony 51. A. day B. moment C. chance D. decision ‎52. A. tried B. managed C. wanted D. succeeded ‎53. A. passing B. handing C. heading D. sitting 54. A. photo B. paper C. tape D. word 55. A. mostly B. immediately C. honestly D. partly 56. A. something B. anything C. nothing D. everything 57. A. respect B. freedom C. confidence D. excuse 58. A. pride B. shyness C. stupidity D. courage ‎59. A. scared B. disappointed C. puzzled D. delighted ‎60. A. work out B. figure out C. turn out D. set out ‎ ‎ ‎ 第Ⅱ卷（非选择题， 共50 分）‎ 第二节 语法填空（共10小题；每小题1.5分，满分15分） ‎ 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入适当的内容或者括号内单词的正确形式。‎ Stephen Hawking, who tried 61 (explain) some of the most complicated questions of life while himself working under the shadow of a poor physical condition, has died at the age of 76. ‎ He died 62 (peace) at his home in Cambridge in the early hours of Wednesday. The UK’s Press Association reported his 63 (die), citing (引用)a spokesman for the family.‎ ‎“Mr. Hawking and his contribution will be remembered forever, ” Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said on Wednesday. “He was an outstanding scientist and a fighter who struggled against the disease and contributed greatly 64 mankind’s understanding of science”.‎ ‎ 65 (bear) in Oxford, England on 8 January,1942，the British theoretical physicist 66 ( know) for his groundbreaking work with black holes and relativity, and was the author of several popular science books , 67 (include )A Brief History of Time.‎ His 68 (child), Lucy, Robert and Tim, said: “We are deeply saddened that our beloved father passed away today. He was a great scientist and 69 extraordinary man, 70 work and legacy（遗产）will live on for many years.” They praised his courage and persistence and said his talent and humor inspired people across the world.‎ 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。 Wechat is becoming increasing popular. The other day, when I was walking by a food shop, I notice an old woman buying some food. She didn’t pay in cash. Instead of, she paid with WeChat. WeChat payment is becoming more and more popular. Why do people like to use WeChat payment? The main reason is because it is simple and convenience. What we need to do are to take out the cellphone, scan the QR code and pay the goods we buy. We don’t have to carry wallets with me any longer. WeChat payment, that has changed the way we shop, is created by Chinese. We each should be proud of be a Chinese. It shows to the world that Chinese people are creative.‎ 第二节 书面表达（满分25分） ‎ 最近，董卿主持的《朗读者》掀起一股全民读书热潮。你校决定也借此机会鼓励同学们开展读书周（Reading Week）活动。假如你是某学校学生会主席李华，为配合学校的这次活动，你打算倡议同学们多读书，读好书。根据以下提示给同学们写封倡议信。‎ ‎1读书周活动的目的； 2. 读书的好处； 3. 你的建议。‎ 注意：‎ ‎1.词数100左右； 2.可以适当增加内容，以使行文连贯。 ‎ Dear friends,‎ ‎ I’m Li Hua, president of the Students’ Union.________________________________‎ ‎_________________________________________________________________________ ‎ Yours Li Hua ‎2017-2018第二学期赣州市高二英语期中联考答案 一、 听力 ‎1-5 BAACB 6-10 AABBC 11-15 CBBAB 16-20 ABABA 二、阅读理解 ‎ ‎21-23ADB 24-27DBCB 28-31 DBBD 32-35 ADCB ‎36-40 BAFCD 三、完型填空 ‎41-45BADAA 46-50BDDCD 51-55BBCCA 56-60ACBDC 四、语法填空 ‎ ‎61. to explain 62. peacefully 63.death 64. to 65. Born ‎66. was known 67.including 68.children 69.an 70.whose 五、改错 Keys:Wechat is becoming increasing popular. The other day, when I was walking by a food shop, I ‎ ‎ 1 increasingly ‎ notice an old woman buying some food. She didn’t pay in cash. Instead of, she paid with ‎ ‎2 noticed 3去of ‎ WeChat. WeChat payment is becoming more and more popular. Why do people like to use ‎ WeChat payment? The main reason is because it is simple and convenience. What we need to ‎ ‎ 4 that 5 convenient do are to take out the cellphone, scan the QR code and pay ∧the goods we buy. We don’t have to ‎ ‎ 6 is 7 for carry wallets with me any longer. WeChat payment, that has changed the way we shop, is ‎ ‎ 8 us 9 which created by Chinese. We each should be proud of be a Chinese. It shows to the world that Chinese ‎ ‎ 10 being people are creative.‎ 六、书面表达 Dear friends,‎ I’m Li Hua, president of the Students’ Union. I’m writing to appeal to you to do some reading.‎ ‎ Reading Week is launched to promote more reading from us students. As is known to all, reading is of much benefit to us in many ways. Above all, reading is a perfect way to spend our spare time. Meanwhile, reading broadens our horizons and enriches ‎ our life as well. Apart from these, reading allows us to learn from great minds and live a better life.‎ ‎ Here are some tips on how to do some reading. First, it is advised that we form a good habit of reading. Second, we can change books with our friends, which can add more pleasure to both. Besides, we can exchange our opinions about books we read with others, making it easier to start a conversation while chatting.‎ ‎ Yours Li Hua ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 听力录音材料 Text 1‎ M: Excuse me, is this seat taken?‎ W: I don’t think so. The man finished his lunch and left a few minutes ago.‎ Text 2‎ M: Do you like this kind of work?‎ W: Well, the working hours are too long, and I’m also the only woman in the department. ‎ Text 3‎ M: What’s your favorite kind of music?‎ W: I love jazz. I have over 50 jazz CDs. What about you?‎ M: I love all kinds of music — jazz, rock, classical, and folk.‎ Text 4‎ W: Alex, do you have a meeting in Edinburgh?‎ M: Yes. I’m going to see some important people. Why?‎ W: I’m going to Glasgow on Wednesday and it’s quite near Edinburgh.‎ M: Ah... I’m going to drive there tomorrow, so you can go with me.‎ Text 5‎ M: What are you going to do tonight?‎ W: I’m going to watch TV with Paul.‎ M: You know we have an exam tomorrow. Aren’t you going to study?‎ W: No, I think I can pass it easily, so I don’t have to study.‎ Text 6‎ W: What did you say?‎ M: I said that it’s a lovely day. Why don’t we go for a walk?‎ W: Can you wait a few minutes? I have to finish this letter.‎ M: Don’t take too long. It would be a pity not to go out in such lovely weather.‎ W: I won’t be long. No more than ten minutes. Why don’t you go ahead and I’ll meet you at Lakeside Park.‎ M: Ok, I will. Look for me at the tea house in the park.‎ Text 7‎ W: What is so special about tomorrow?‎ M: Tomorrow is October 24th, United Nations Day.‎ W: Why is October 24th United Nations Day?‎ M: That’s the date in 1945 when the United Nations began.‎ W: How does your school celebrate United Nations Day?‎ M: The UN Day celebration includes the songs and dances of different countries in the United Nations and a traditional dress parade. Our school library displays students’ works of art from different countries and cultures. We also hold a “Tastes from Around the World” food festival.‎ W: What’s the purpose of the celebration?‎ M: To help us students learn about other cultures and understand and respect other cultures.‎ W: It is really worthwhile.‎ Text 8‎ W: I’ve sent out the invitations for the dinner party.‎ M: That’s good. Now what should we do?‎ W: We need to plan the menu.‎ M: Oh, that’s right. What do you have in mind?‎ W: I think I’m going to make the chicken salad we had at our 39th wedding anniversary. Remember, I asked Thomson, the chef of the restaurant where we often go, for the recipe?‎ M: Oh, yes. I remember. Time sure flies! Now we are celebrating our golden anniversary! And Thomson was very friendly. You know, chefs seldom tell people their recipes. They often keep them a secret.‎ W: I understand that. So you see, I have promised I will also keep the recipe a secret.‎ M: Well, Thomson will appreciate that. Oh, but did you forget that Linda doesn’t eat chicken?‎ W: Linda? Oh, my Gosh! I forgot to invite her! She’ll be mad at me. It just slipped my mind. Thanks for reminding me! I think I’m getting old!‎ M: Looks like you are!‎ Text 9‎ W: Hmm... Here’s one of a crowd of people moving. I think that’s pretty stressful.‎ M: Well, I don’t think it’s so bad. But I do think that going to the dentist is stressful.‎ W: Oh, so do I! It’s stressful because you have no control.‎ M: That’s right. Look at this one. This poor boy is sitting in an exam. I think exams are the most stressful. Sometimes you just can’t think of anything to write.‎ W: Yes, I agree with you there. What about these people here?‎ M: Mmm... I’m not sure. They seem to be in a hurry, don’t they? I think being late is stressful.‎ W: That’s true. It can be terrible, especially when you’re late for something important.‎ M: Like an interview. Look at this picture here: here’s someone in an interview. Do you think interviews are stressful?‎ W: No. I think they’re quite exciting, a challenge.‎ M: Oh, I hate interviews.‎ Text 10‎ Today’s London Marathon was won by two men, Chary Handel from Lich and Ian Britton from Auckland, New Zealand, who crossed the finish line just outside Buckingham Palace hand in hand in the time of 2 hours, 22 minutes, and 16 seconds, five minutes slower than last year’s record time. They had run the whole race side by side. The first woman to finish was 34-year-old Betty Omary from Belfast in 2 hours and 18 minutes. The youngest person to finish so far was 30-year-old Shelly Mortimer from Alcester. All together, more than 10500 runners took part in the just over 42-kilometer course that started from Greenwich this morning. It is still too early to see how many will actually finish. The organizers say very few runners have dropped out so far, perhaps because of the cold weather. The medical teams had very little to do. There will be a full report on the London Marathon in this evening’s sports report at 7:15 on Radio 2. And now for the rest of the news.‎