【英语】江苏省徐州市2019-2020学年高二下学期期中抽测试题 18页

江苏省徐州市2019-2020学年高二下学期期中抽测试题 本试卷由第一卷(选择题)和第二卷(非选择题)两个部分组成。满分150分。考试时间120分钟。‎ 第一卷(共100分)注意事项：‎ ‎1.答第一卷前，考生务必将自己的姓名、准考证号、考试科目用铅笔涂写在答题卡上。‎ ‎2.用铅笔把答题卡上对应题目的答案标号涂黑。不能答在试题卷上。‎ 一、听力部分(本题共20小题，每小题1.5分，共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 will John do after school tomorrow?‎ A. Watch a movie. B. Play badminton. C. Go to Grace's house.‎ ‎2. What color of shirt will the man choose?‎ A. Black. B. White. C. Blue.‎ ‎3. What are the speakers doing?‎ A. Decorating the bathroom. ‎ B. Buying new wallpaper. ‎ C. Complaining the house.‎ ‎4. What was the man's previous job?‎ A. A teacher. B. A journalist. C. A secretary.‎ ‎5. What does the woman offer the man?‎ A. A coat. B. A newspaper. C. An umbrella.‎ 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. What do the artists make the sculptures from?‎ A. Animals' fur. B. Garbage. C. Clay ‎7. What will the man probably do?‎ A. Study art. B. Go to a show. C. Pick up trash in the ocean.‎ 听第7段材料，回答第8、9题。‎ ‎8. When are the book club meetings usually held?‎ A. On Fridays. B. On Saturdays. C. On Sundays.‎ ‎9. Why was the woman absent from the meeting last week?‎ A. She was on holiday. ‎ B. She was seeing a doctor. ‎ C. She was visiting a sick relative.‎ 听第8段材料，回答第10至12题。‎ ‎10. Where are the speakers?‎ A. In Japan. B. In China. C. In America.‎ ‎11. What kind of food did the woman want to eat at first?‎ A. Fast food. B. Street food. C. Home-made food.‎ ‎12. What will the woman do next?‎ A. Start cooking. B. Get changed. C. Surf on the Internet.‎ 听第9段材料，回答第13至16题。‎ ‎13. How did the man feel at first?‎ A. Proud. B. Nervous. C. Excited.‎ ‎14. What is the man about to do?‎ A. Accept a prize. B. Make a speech. C. Receive a degree.‎ ‎15. Where will the speakers go for a holiday tomorrow?‎ A. London. B. Paris. C. Beijing.‎ ‎16. Who are the speakers?‎ A. Family members. B. Schoolmates. C. Teacher and student.‎ 听第10段材料，回答第17至20题。‎ ‎17. What did the students do on Monday?‎ A. They signed a booking form.‎ B. They handed in a booking form.‎ C. They were given a booking form.‎ ‎18. How long will the parents' meeting last?‎ A. About 30 minutes. B. About 20 minutes. C. About 15 minutes.‎ ‎19. What is the subject of the special advisor's lecture?‎ A. How to improve grades.‎ B. How to communicate with parents.‎ C. How to fill out university application forms.‎ ‎20. Who will benefit from Mr. Jones' talk?‎ A. Students who want to be athletes.‎ B. Students who want to study overseas.‎ C. Students who want to get a scholarship.‎ 二、完形填空(共20小题；每小题1.5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。‎ Why Thoughtful Gifts Are the Worst Gifts?‎ During all kinds of holidays, millions of people will buy gifts for loved ones, which is great- 21 that tons of those people make the same mistakes, and buy the 22 gifts.‎ Roughly 10 percent of gifts are 23 each year－and the percentage of unwanted gifts is surely higher given that nice people may not want to return presents.‎ What's going on?‎ Gift buying 24 a deceiving selfish pursuit. We don't actually look for things people want to receive. 25 , and to many of our gifts' detriments, we 26 look for things that we want to give. It's an important problem.‎ The research says 27 .‎ ‎"Gift givers want to prove how well they know a person by choosing a thoughtful gift," said Mary Steffel, an assistant professor at the University of Cincinnati 28 research has focused on gift-giving. "But people aren't very good at guessing what others want."‎ Research has shown that givers value the gifts they buy more than recipients(接受者). The result seems to come from a simple wrong belief 29 thoughtful presents are the best presents. They are not. In fact, they 30 just be the worst presents. The more thought you put into a present, the more likely you are to stray from buying what the person you're buying the ‎ present for actually wants.‎ ‎"Gift givers focus on what people are like instead of what people actually would like," said Steffel. "And it's most pronounced when they're shopping for people they are close to."‎ In other words, people let their gift-giving egos(自我)get 31 the way of great presents. Especially when the recipient is someone they want to show they know really well.‎ Fortunately, the answer to our 32 on guessing what people want is simple: stop it.‎ ‎"People want 33 it is they happen to want in the moment, which can be very specific," Steffel said. "You are much better off 34 people what they want."‎ There is another helpful 35 of thumb. Buy gifts that can be used more broadly. People prefer gift cards to actual gifts, and cash to 36 . Here is an example. 37 you have a friend, and your friend really likes margarita(玛格丽特鸡尾酒). You might think of buying that friend a margarita-maker.‎ But a margarita-maker, 38 it speaks to a specific quality in that friend, is actually a pretty 39 present. Better yet? Give the friend enough cash to buy the device, 40 it, and then accept the reality that they are probably going to buy something else they want much more.‎ ‎( )21. A. given B. except C. since D. besides ‎( )22. A. wrong B. precious C. valuable D. right ‎( )23. A. accepted B. received C. welcome D. returned ‎( )24. A. has become B. had become C. will become D. becomes ‎( )25. A. Therefore B. Instead C. However D. Yet ‎( )26. A. have to B. lead to C. tend to D. happen to ‎( )27. A. so B. it C. such D. this ‎( )28. A. where B. whose C. who D. which ‎( )29. A. which B. that C. as D. whose ‎( )30. A. might B. must C. have to D. should ‎( )31. A. on B. by C. in D. with ‎( )32. A. difference B. dependence C. insistence D. existence ‎( )33. A. whatever B. wherever C. whichever D. whenever ‎( )34. A. asking B. asked C. to ask D. ask ‎( )35. A. law B. rule C. restriction D. regulation ‎( )36. A. none B. all C. both D. neither ‎( )37. A. Saying B. Said C. To say D. Say ‎( )38. A. even if B. as if C. even now D. if only ‎( )39. A. terrible B. nice C. comfortable D. enjoyable ‎( )40. A. avoid B. desert C. command D. suggest 三、阅读理解(共4篇，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 A motorcyclist should generally follow the driving rules which apply to all motor vehicles. However, because of the nature of the vehicle, the following additional safety measures should apply to the operation of a motorcycle.‎ ‎1. Because of instability in case of sudden stops, following distances should be greater than for cars.‎ ‎2. The proper position of the foot while the motorcycle is moving is resting on peg(脚蹬)and keeping foot straight.‎ ‎3. Helmets must be worn for head protection in case of an accident.‎ ‎4. Allow the engine to warm up before starting.‎ ‎5. Drive slowly and use extreme caution on surfaces which are slippery because of ice, snow, sand, mud, etc. to guard against falling.‎ ‎6. When operating a motorcycle at night you should travel near the center of the right-hand lane at reduced speed.‎ ‎7. A passenger shall not be carried unless the vehicle is equipped with a seat designed to carry two persons.‎ ‎8. Avoid going between the cars. A passenger may suddenly open the door to leave the car.‎ ‎9. Drive in traffic only after developing skill in the control of the motorcycle away from traffic.‎ ‎10. A screen must be used or eye glasses worn to protect the eyes.‎ ‎41. From the contents and the writing style, we can infer it is a(an) .‎ A. note B. instruction C. notice D. advertisement ‎42. When we operate a motorcycle, we should .‎ A. do some warm-up exercises first. B. wear helmets just in case.‎ C. avoid driving in traffic. D. never carry a passenger.‎ ‎43. Which of the following can best summarize this passage?‎ A. Good Driving Habits B. Enjoy Driving Motorcycles C. Functions of Motorcycles D. Avoid Using Motorcycles B One of the most successful, influential and beloved women in American history, Eleanor Roosevelt once said that she had one regret: she wished she had been prettier. Who hasn't felt the same way? We are all too aware of our physical imperfections. To overcome them, we spend billions upon billions every year. Why do we care so much about how we look? Because it matters. Because beauty is powerful. Because even we learn to value people mostly for being kind and wise and funny, we are still moved by beauty.‎ Aristotle said, "Beauty is a greater recommendation than any letter of introduction." It's not fair, but it's true. We simply treat beautiful people better than we do others. Attach a photograph of a beautiful author to an essay, and people will think that it is more creative and more intelligently written than exactly the same essay accompanied by the photo of a homely author. As children, beautiful people are more likely to become favorites with parents and teachers. Later, they are more likely to get good jobs. Attractive people in need are more likely to receive help from strangers.‎ These days, women and men both rely on advanced technology to improve their beauty. Wrinkles can be stretched away with a face lift. Special injections can make lips look young and plump(丰满的). Besides being a sign of youth, good skin also means that the person is likely to be healthy. Still, it is possible to go too far. At the end of the 1911 century, some women even had their ribs(肋骨)removed so they'd have that perfect narrow waist.‎ Our sensitivity to physical beauty is not something we can control at will. We are born with it. Experiments showed that even small infants prefer to look at attractive faces. Before they have met a single supermodel, before they have watched a single TV show, before they have opened up a single fashion magazine, they are drawn to the same faces which adults have judged to be attractive.‎ There are more important things in life than beauty. But as Nancy Etcoff says, "We have to understand beauty, or we will always be enslaved by it." If you aim to be wise and kind and funny, it doesn't mean that you can't also try your best to look beautiful. There's no reason to feel guilty about being moved by beauty's power. It moves us all.‎ ‎44. Which of the following proverbs has the opposite meaning of Aristotle's sentence in Paragraph 2?‎ A. Never judge a book by its cover. B. Act on second thoughts.‎ C. Leave your luck while winning. D. Great minds think alike.‎ ‎45. The underlined word "homely" in Paragraph 2 can be replaced by .‎ A. attractive B. plain C. beautiful D. handsome ‎46. According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?‎ A. People are all slaves to beauty. ‎ B. Beauty can ensure good jobs.‎ C. Advanced technology helps improve beauty. ‎ D. People value beauty over other virtues.‎ ‎47. What's the best title of this passage?‎ A. The Power of Beauty B. Huge Costs of Beauty C. Bad Effects of Beauty D. Various Ways to Beauty C It was April 14, 2016. It was the first full day of Kobe Bryant's new chapter as a retired NBA player. All he had done the night before was score 60 points in his farewell game, not getting out of Staples Center until around midnight.‎ His staff at Kobe, Inc. were certain they would beat their boss to the office that morning. They were wrong. He beat everyone there by two hours. "We have a lot of work to do," Bryant told them. Even in retirement, Bryant found no substitute for hard work. Kobe Bean Bryant was many things: one of the greatest players in basketball history, a five-time NBA champion, Olympic gold medalist, a fluent speaker of multiple languages, a resident of the world, an Oscar winner, the self-described Black Mamba that started as a nickname and became his brand, someone so good he had two numbers retired by the Los Angeles Lakers.‎ Tears, as would be expected once the news broke of Bryant's death in a helicopter crash in ‎ Southern California on Sunday, flowed freely in the NBA world. The best ones, the ones like James and Leonard and Ionescu and Neymar, were all like Bryant. Driven. Obsessed with their skill. Those are the sort of people Bryant enjoyed most. He didn't have much patience for anything else.‎ His toughness was legendary(享有盛名的). Bryant hurt his knees on a play in 2013 but he played through the game because the game was so important in the playoff race. "We were down two. Had to tie the game first." Bryant said years later, when asked why he stayed in the game.‎ His commitment(敬业)was legendary. There was a game in 2011 in Miami where the Lakers lost by six, and Bryant was so displeased with his performance that he went back to the court for 90 minutes of uninterrupted shooting that went on until after midnight. His teammates were on Miami Beach for dinner. Bryant was working instead. "It's my job," Bryant said.‎ He was as driven in his storytelling life as he was in his playing days. Kobe, Inc. wasn't just a cool name. It was his world. He wanted to inspire kids through books that combined the worlds of sports and story. He was considering the idea of taking his stories to Broadway. He won an Oscar for "Dear Basketball," a short film in 2018 that had been converted from a poem that he penned when he decided it was time to retire from playing the game.‎ He wasn't joking when talking to his staff on April 14, 2016. Kobe Bryant still had a lot of work to do. The tribute(悼念)will continue, though at last fade away. The influence will be forever.‎ ‎48. The underlined word "converted" in paragraph 6 can be replaced by .‎ A. adapted B. adopted C. accepted D. achieved ‎49. Why did Kobe Bryant have two numbers retired by the Los Angeles Lakers?‎ A. It was the common practice to do so in NBA.‎ B. It was the reward for his excellent performance.‎ C. The numbers once used are not accepted by others.‎ D. The numbers are forever in memory of his death.‎ ‎50. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?‎ A. Kobe's spirits will be long-lasting after his death.‎ B. Kobe never goes out dining with his teammates.‎ C. Kobe got the nickname Black Mamba from his fans.‎ D. Kobe had a good relax after his farewell game.‎ ‎51. Suppose this passage is from a magazine, which column do you think it belongs to?‎ A. Current Affairs B. Global Personage ‎ C. Financial window D. Culture Online D I first visited China in 1979, a few months after our countries normalized relations. China was just beginning to remake its economy, and I was in the first Senate Delegation(参议院代表团)to witness it. Traveling through the country last month, I could see how much China had changed 32 years.‎ Then, as now there were concerns about what a growing China meant to America and the world. Some here see China's growth as a threat. Some Chinese worry our aim in the Asia-Pacific is to contain China's rise. I don't agree to these views. We are clear about concern like China's growing military abilities. That is why we are working with the Chinese military to understand and shape their thinking. It is why the president has directed the United States to keep a strong position in the area. I am sure that a successful China can make our country more prosperous(繁荣的), not less. We share common challenges and responsibilities. The Chinese leaders I met with know their country must shift from an economy driven by exports, investment and heavy industry to one driven more by consumption and services. As Americans save more and Chinese buy more, this change will speed up, opening opportunities for us. Even as the United States and China cooperate, we also compete. I strongly believe that the United States can and will benefit from this competition.‎ Maybe more important, the nature of 2111 century competition favors the United States. In the 20th century, we measured a nation's wealth mainly by its natural resources, its land mass, its population and its army. In the 21st century, the true wealth of a nation is found in the creative minds of its people and their ability to innovate(创新). As I told students in Chengdu, the United States is born for innovation. Competition is the base of our society. We owe our strength to our political and economic system and to the way we educate our children. We not only tolerate but celebrate free expression and debate. Our universities remain attractive to the world's students and scholars.‎ Fundamental rights are universal. Liberty unlocks a people's full potential，while its absence causes unrest. Open and free societies are best at promoting long-term growth. We have our own ‎ work to do. We need to ensure that any American willing to work can find a good job. We need to keep attracting the world's top talent. I've traveled half a million miles around the world. I always come home feeling the same confidence in our future. Some may warn of America's failure, but I'm not among them. And let me reassure you：based on my time in China, neither are the Chinese.‎ ‎52. In the author's eyes, .‎ A. the growing China has become a threat to America.‎ B. there's only competition between China and America.‎ C. Chinese universities have surpassed American ones.‎ D. a bright future is waiting for both China and America.‎ ‎53. After reading the passage, we can infer this passage is a (an) .‎ A. speech B. notice C. announcement D.script ‎54. The author's opinion of the cooperation between China and America is .‎ A. critical B. optimistic C. pessimistic D. indifferent ‎55. According to the passage, the author may be a (an) .‎ A. senior official of America B. businessman of China C. senior official of China D. actor of America 四、补全短文(共5空；每空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。‎ I was seventeen, working as a waiter. 56 . Families had been coming on the same week each summer for generations. Many of the employees were regulars too, so we knew a lot of the guests by sight. Some we knew by name. Others by reputation. The guests arrived on Saturday to stay the week. The waiters lined up, ready to carry bags and earn the standard one-dollar tip. Sometimes it was fifty cents. If we got lucky, two dollars. 57 . This was the week the Fish Man was to arrive. We didn't know his real name. It was said he made a fortune in some sort of fish-related business. But more importantly, he was a twenty-dollar tipper.‎ There were five waiters and only one Fish Man per year. If it was your turn in line, it was like winning a small lottery(彩票). That summer, I got the Fish Man. He was a big man, bright red hair, easy smile, and a big belly. I didn't talk to the Fish Man much. None of his bags were unusually heavy, so I did the job easily. He drew a twenty from the wallet, smiled and said, "thanks." ‎ ‎58 .‎ Soon the money was spent. But I never forgot the Fish Man. The whole point of tipping was lost at the twenty dollar level. 59 . It was as if he was giving a riddle: "Why did I give you so much money?" I worked on the riddle for years. Sometimes I thought I had the answer, but the thought always changed.‎ I am the same age as the Fish Man now. I often think of him. I'm sure all the waiters have found different answers by now. The one thing I can say for sure is that the Fish Man got his money's worth from me. Maybe this holiday season would be a good time to save your words of wisdom and lust be the Fish Man. 60 .‎ A. Do something nice for someone who hasn't done anything to earn it.‎ B. Most of the guests were regulars.‎ C. There was something else going on.‎ D. I thought the Fish Man was showing off.‎ E. There was no explanation for the huge over-tip.‎ F. But this week was special.‎ G. I went back to my office, eager to celebrate my luck.‎ 第二卷(共50分)注意事项：请将第二卷上的答案写在答题纸上!‎ 五、单词拼写(共10空，每空1分，满分10分)‎ ‎61. Much of the crime in this area is related to drug a .‎ ‎62. Exercise is a good method of releasing t that builds up in work.‎ ‎63. The government took another step on the road to political r .‎ ‎64. I couldn't r telling him the secret.‎ ‎65. It's an interesting scientific p , but of no practical use whatever.‎ ‎66. Colors like red c a sense of energy and strength.‎ ‎67. I repeat that we cannot u the task due to the tight budget.‎ ‎68. The earth makes one r around the sun in about 365 days.‎ ‎69. He gave me very e direction on how to get there.‎ ‎70. His words and actions do not c .‎ 六、书面表达(共两大题，应用文写作15分，读后续写25分，总计40分)‎ 写作一：应用文写作(15分)‎ 假设你是李华，李教授邀请你去参观他任教的大学并热情款待你，你写这封感谢信表示谢意。要点如下：‎ ‎1.谈谈此次大学之行总体给你的印象及启迪；‎ ‎2.谈谈给你留下最深刻印象的人或事(一至两点)；‎ ‎3.再次致谢。‎ 注意：‎ ‎1.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；‎ ‎2.文中不要出现具体学校和个人信息。‎ ‎3.词数100左右，开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数；‎ Dear Professor Li,‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Yours sincerely,‎ Li Hua 写作二：读后续写(25分)‎ Everyone in our neighborhood knew who Ugly was. Ugly was a wild cat. Ugly loved three things in this world: fighting, eating garbage, and, shall we say, love. All these things had their effect on Ugly. He had only one eye and where the other should have been was a hole. He was also missing his ear on the same side, his left foot broke at one time, making him look like he was always turning the corner. Every time someone saw Ugly there was the same reaction. "That's one UGLY cat!"‎ All the children were warned not to touch him, the adults threw rocks at him, shouted at him, watered him when he tried to come in their homes, or shut his paws in the door when he would not leave. Ugly always had the same reaction. If you watered him, he would stand there, getting wet all over until you gave up and quit. If you threw things at him, he would lie down crying for forgiveness. Whenever he saw children, he would come running, meowing, and bump his head against their hands, begging for their love. If you ever picked him up he would immediately ‎ suck(吮吸)on your shirt, hat, whatever he could find.‎ One day Ugly shared his love with the neighbor's dogs. They did not respond kindly, and Ugly was badly injured. From my apartment I could hear his screams, and I tried to rush to his aid. By the time I got to where he was lying, it was obvious Ugly's life was almost at an end. Ugly lay in a wet circle. He was bleeding badly. As I picked him up in my arms and tried to carry him home, I could hear him crying and could feel him struggling. It must be hurting terribly, I thought.‎ Then I felt a familiar sucking on my ear. Ugly, in so much pain, suffering and obviously dying, was trying to suck my ear. I pulled him closer to me, and he bumped my hand with his head, then he turned his one golden eye towards me. Even in the greatest pain, that ugly cat was asking only for a little love.‎ 注意：‎ ‎1.所续写短文的词数应为150左右；‎ ‎2.应使用5个以上(含5个)短文中标有下划线的关键词语；‎ ‎3.续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；‎ ‎4.续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。‎ Paragraph 1：‎ At that moment f thought Ugly was the most beautiful, loving creature I have ever seen. ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Paragraph 2：‎ Ugly died in my arms before I could get inside, but I sat and held him for a long time afterwards. ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎【参考答案】‎ 一、听力 ‎1-5 ABCAC 6-10 BBACA 11-15 ABBCB 16-20 ACACB 二、完形填空 ‎21-25BADAB 26-30CABBA 31-35CCAAB 36-40CDAAD 三、阅读理解 ‎41-45BBAAB 46-50CAABA 51-55BDABA 四、补全对话 ‎56-60BFECA 五、单词拼写 ‎61. abuse 62. tension 63. reform 64. resist 65. phenomenon ‎66. convey 67. undertake 68. revolution 69. explicit 70. correspond 六、书面表达 写作一：参考例文 Dear professor Li,‎ Permit me to thank you for the invitation to your college and for your kindness extended to me. The visit was not only a source of pleasure but an opportunity to know more about college life. I gained some fresh ideas, and I enjoyed getting to meet you and several colleagues whom I had known.‎ On the return flight, I asked myself what feature of my trip appealed to me most. Without a moment’s consideration I knew the answer: “the people.” Their selfless help left me a deep impression. Besides, I was completely lost in the beautiful campus. ‎ All the very best and thank you again. ‎ Yours sincerely,‎ Li Hua 写作二：参考例文 Paragraph 1:‎ At that moment I thought Ugly was the most beautiful, loving creature I have ever seen. Never once did he try to bite or scratch me, or even try to get away from me, or struggle in any way. Ugly was kind to everyone he met but now he was dying in my arms. Ugly just looked up at me completely trusting me to relieve his pain.‎ Paragraph 2:‎ Ugly died in my arms before I could get inside, but I sat and held him for a long time afterwards. I was thinking about how an ugly-looking cat could so change my opinion about what it means to have true pureness of spirit, to love so totally and truly. Ugly taught me more about giving and love than a thousand books, lectures, or talk show specials ever could, and for that I will always be thankful. He was ugly outside but nice inside. It was time for me to learn to love truly and deeply, to give my total to those I cared for. Many people want to be richer, more successful, well liked, beautiful, but for me, I will always try to be Ugly.‎ 录音原文：‎ Text 1 ‎ W: Hi, John. Would you like to go to a badminton game after school tomorrow?‎ M: I’d love to, Sandy, but I’ve already arranged to go to the cinema with Grace.‎ Text 2 ‎ M: I don’t think I should wear a dark shirt for a wedding. It just isn’t appropriate.‎ W: Well, the only clean shirts you have are the white one, the black one and the dark blue one.‎ M: So, there is only one choice.‎ Text 3‎ W: Look at the holes in the wall. It’s terrible. I can’t face having to repair it. And the bathroom really smells. ‎ M: Look at the floor! It is old and broken. I really want to move out of this house.‎ Text 4 ‎ W: I was marking exam papers until midnight last night. You were right to quit teaching. It’s tiring.‎ M: Journalists work long hours as well, you know — just ask my secretary.‎ Text 5 ‎ M: It seems to be raining. I came out without a coat. The only thing that I can use to keep the rain off will be the newspaper.‎ W: Luckily, I brought my umbrella — and there’s a spare one in my bag that you can use.‎ Text 6‎ W: I’m going to an art show tonight. Do you want to go with me?‎ M: I’m not a huge fan of art. I don’t understand it most of the time.‎ W: You know some animals are at the risk of extinction, so the artists picked up trash in the ocean and made sculptures of those animals with that.‎ M: That’s not hard to understand. So they only used garbage? No clay? ‎ W: Yes. So far, they have cleaned up 26 tons of garbage. But that’s only a small part.‎ M: That’s so much! How sad! Now I’m interested in them.‎ Text 7 ‎ M: Where were you last Friday evening?‎ W: I had to be awake very early on Saturday morning, so I couldn’t come.‎ M: That’s the first time I’ve known you to miss a book club meeting in five years.‎ W: Well, some things can’t be avoided. In the past I planned holidays ahead of time so that they didn’t get in the way of Fridays.‎ M: So, what happened this time?‎ W: A family emergency. It took up the whole of Saturday and Sunday. My aunt wanted me there.‎ M: What’s the problem?‎ W: She was ill and wanted to see me. The doctor was there as well. He thought my aunt would be OK soon, though.‎ M: That’s good. I’m glad to hear it.‎ Text 8‎ W: I don’t want to cook. Let’s go out for fast food. ‎ M: Sure, but no McDonald’s. ‎ W: How about KFC?‎ M: Why do you want to have American fast food in Tokyo? ‎ W: When I think of fast food, that’s what comes to mind.‎ M: But you are in a country that has much better fast food than that! You can go to a small restaurant to get some soup. There is a lot of good street food, too. I think some of the best food here is street food! Didn’t you learn anything online before coming here?‎ W: Well, yes. I didn’t feel like going to McDonald’s even once, because the Chinese fast food was excellent. ‎ M: It’s the same here. Hurry up and get ready. I’ll take you on a tour of my favorite Japanese street food tonight. ‎ W: OK. Wait a moment. I will change my clothes.‎ Text 9‎ W: Your father and I are so proud of you.‎ M: But I am so frightened.‎ W: Don’t be silly. You don’t have to say anything on stage.‎ M: I know, but all these people will be looking at me.‎ W: Good. We want to tell everyone how clever our son is. It seems like a few years ago that your primary school teacher was telling us how bright you were.‎ M: Other schoolmates will be getting their degrees as well.‎ W: You are the only one we want to see. We have traveled a long way to see this. It takes about 13 hours to fly to London from Beijing.‎ M: I will be glad when this is over with.‎ W: Maybe we can say something to make you happier.‎ M: Like what?‎ W: Tomorrow, on our way back home, we are going to take you to Paris for a 3-day holiday. This is our gift to you for working so hard.‎ M: Thank you, but you needn’t have done that. I am just glad to have made you happy. Plus, my degree ensures I will have a good future.‎ Text 10 ‎ This coming Friday is parents’ evening. If you have not done so, please give your parents the booking form that was handed out on Monday and have them sign and return it before Wednesday, otherwise their appointment will not be made. Please come to the correct classroom 10 minutes before the scheduled time. The parents’ meeting will last about 30 minutes and discuss your grades in this year. Then, our special advisor will also be holding a lecture on application forms of the university you wish to attend. It will last 20 minutes. She will discuss best practices for filling out the form, what experience to list and who to ask for references. If you are part of the football team, you may apply for a sports scholarship. At last, Mr. Jones will spend 15 minutes discussing the different forms and requirements needed to study abroad. I know a few of you are eager to do so. I myself was a foreign student when I first came here. It is a great learning experience to spend time living in another country.‎