英语卷·2017届河北省衡水市冀州中学高三上学期12月月考（2016-12） 15页

‎ 河北冀州中学 ‎ ‎2016---2017学年上学期高三年级英语月四试题 考试时间120分钟 试题分数150分 第I卷(100分)‎ 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，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. Why will the woman stay at home? ‎ ‎ A. She’s not feeling well. ‎ B. She’s having a friend over.‎ C. She wants to watch a movie on TV.‎ ‎2. Where is Samantha? ‎ A. In a meeting. B. In the car. C. In her office.‎ ‎3. Who might the woman be?‎ A. An agent.(代理人) ‎ B. The owner of the house. ‎ C. Someone looking for a house.‎ ‎4. How much was the discount on the dress? ‎ A. 75% off. B. 50% off. C. 25% off.‎ ‎5. What has the man recently been doing at night? ‎ A. Reviewing reports. ‎ B. Having meetings. ‎ C. Reading books.‎ 第二节(共15小短: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. Who might Mickey be? ‎ A. Molly’s older brother. B. Molly’s father. C. Molly’s friend.‎ ‎7. What did Mickey ask Molly to do? ‎ A. Clean the kitchen. ‎ B. Make him dinner. ‎ C. Bring something to his room.‎ 听第7段材料,回答第8至9题 ‎8. What did the woman do in England? ‎ A. She visited her friends.‎ B. She did some shopping.‎ C. She visited various museums.‎ ‎9. How many times has the woman been to Paris in total? ‎ A. Twice. B. Three times. C. Four times.‎ 听第8段材料，回答第10至12题。‎ ‎10. How many miles will Ben Hopper swim? ‎ A. Around two thousand miles. ‎ B. Around twelve thousand miles.‎ C. About one hundred and twenty miles a day.‎ ‎11. Where is Ben Hopper currently training? ‎ A. In Africa. ‎ B. In South America. ‎ C. In the United States.‎ ‎12. What does Ben Hopper plan to do during the challenge? ‎ A. Wear a suit that keeps sharks away.‎ B. Swim in a straight line.‎ C. Swim without any breaks.‎ 听第9段材料,回答第13至16题。‎ ‎13. What do we know about the boy’s homework? ‎ A. He forgot to do it. ‎ B. He didn’t bring it to school.‎ C. He did it very poorly. ‎ ‎14. How will the boy get home? ‎ A. His mother will pick him up.‎ B. He’ll get a ride with his brother.‎ C. His dad will get him.‎ ‎15. What does the woman tell the boy? ‎ A. She wants to speak to his parents.‎ B. He can go home to get his homework.‎ C. He should always make sure he brings his homework.‎ ‎16. How does the boy probably feel? ‎ A. Relieved. B. Unconcerned. C. Frustrated.‎ 听第10段材料,回答第17至20题。‎ ‎17. What happened in 2007? ‎ A. The book was first published.‎ B. The film came out.‎ C. The play opened at the Nottingham Playhouse.‎ ‎18. Where did Amir visit Hassan to ask for forgiveness? ‎ A. In Afghanistan. B. In Russia. C. In America.‎ ‎19. How long was the book No. 1 on The New York Times Best-seller List? ‎ A. For seven weeks. B. For four weeks. C. For one week.‎ ‎20. What did Matthew Spangler do? ‎ A. He directed a film. B. He wrote a novel. C. He wrote a play.‎ 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 Oxford’s Department for Continuing Education runs over 1000 courses per year, offered on a part-time basis. Programmes include Oxford awards and degrees at undergraduate and postgraduate level, online short courses, weekly classes, day and weekend events, continuing professional development and summer schools. ‎ Oxford awards & degrees ‎ Over 50 undergraduate and postgraduate Oxford qualifications: certificates, diplomas, advanced diplomas, Master’s and Doctoral degrees, offered part-time, in the arts, social sciences, diplomatic studies, human rights law, health care and biomedical sciences, which involve overseas students. Course duration ranges from one year to several years part-time. The Department also runs a Graduate School to provide the support and guidance needed by those following part-time graduate programmes. ‎ www.conted.ox.ac.uk/qualifications ‎ Online & distance learning ‎ Choose from over 90 courses across a range of disciplines. Most are short courses of 5-10 weeks, accredited (officially approved). A few longer courses result in Oxford qualifications. ‎ www.conted.ox.ac.uk/online ‎ Weekly classes ‎ Approximately 500 part-time accredited classes, open to all, and held in Oxford, Reading and other locations. Topics are studied in depth over a period of 10 or 20 weeks. ‎ www.conted.ox.ac.uk/weekly ‎ Day & weekend events ‎ Courses of 1 or 2 days, usually held at weekends and taught by lecturers and speakers who are noted authorities in their field of research. Many courses are offered in combination with national organizations. Over 150 offered per year. ‎ www.conted.ox.ac.uk/dayweekend ‎ Professional development courses ‎ 200 courses per year, ranging from day schools to short refresher courses to full degree programmes. Subjects include health sciences, public policy, diplomatic studies, nanotechnology, electronics, historic conservation, environmental sciences, public administration, higher education leadership and more. ‎ www.conted.ox.ac.uk/cpd ‎ Summer schools ‎ Accredited and non-accredited courses of between one and three weeks, with over 120 to ‎ choose from. Most are designed for the general public; others are designed to allow professionals to update skills. www.conted.ox.ac.uk/summerschools ‎ ‎21. What type of writing is this text? ‎ A. A course guide. B. A book review. C. An advertisement. D. An official report. ‎ ‎22. Which programme will you choose if you want to learn from the famous top experts in your field? ‎ A. Summer schools. B. Online&distance learning. ‎ C. Day&weekend events. D. Professional development courses. ‎ ‎23. Which website is useful to foreign students? ‎ A. www.conted.ox.ac.uk/cpd B. www.conted.ox.ac.uk/qualifications ‎ C. www.conted.ox.ac.uk/dayweekend D. www.conted.ox.ac.uk/summerschools ‎ B Peter loved to shop used articles. Almost a month ago, he bought popular word game that used little pieces of wood with different letters on them. As he was purchasing it, the salesgirl said, “Uh, look, the game box haven’t even been opened yet. That might be worth some money. ” Peter examined the box, and, sure enough, it was completely covered in factory-sealed plastic. And he saw a date of 1973 on the back of the box. “You should put that up for auction (拍卖) on the Internet, and see what happens.” the salesgirl said. “Yes, you’re right. People like something rare.” Peter agreed, “I can’t imagine there being very many unopened boxes of this game still around 40 years later.” “Don’t forget to tell me if you sell it.” the salesgirl smiled. “No problem.” Peter said. After he got home, Peter went online to several auction websites looking for his game. But he couldn’t find it. Then he typed in the name of the word game and hit Search. The search result was 543 websites containing information about the changes of the game. Over the years, the game had been produced using letters in different sizes and game boards in different colors. He also found some lists of game fans looking for various versions of the game. Peter emailed some of them, telling them what he had. Two weeks later, Peter went back to the shop. “Hello. Do you still remember the unopened word game?” The salesgirl looked at him for a second, then recognized him and said, “Oh, hi!” “I’ve got something for you,” Peter said. “I sold the game and made $1,000. Thank you for your suggestion.” He handed her three $ 100 bills. “Wow!” the salesgirl cried out. “Thank you, I never expected it.” 24. Which of the following best describes Peter’s word game? A. It was made around 40 years ago. ‎ B. It had game boards in different sizes. C. It was kept in a plastic bag with a seal. ‎ D. It had little pieces of wood in different ‎ colors. 25. What did the salesgirl probably think of Peter’s word game? A. Old and handy. B. Rare and valuable. ‎ C. Classic and attractive. D. Colorful and interesting 26. Peter got the names of the game fans from _________. A. an auction B. the Internet ‎ C. a game shop D. the second-hand shop 27. What happened at the end of the story? A. Peter gave the girl $300 as a reward. ‎ B. The salesgirl became Peter’s friend. C. Peter returned the word game for $ 1,000. ‎ D. The salesgirl felt confused to see Peter again. C Daniel Anderson, a famous psychologist, believes it’s important to distinguish television’s influences on children from those of the family. We tend to blame TV, he says, for problems it doesn’t really cause, overlooking our own roles in shaping children’s minds. One traditional belief about television is that it reduces a child’s ability to think and to understand the world. While watching TV, children do not merely absorb words and images (影像). Instead, they learn both explicit and hidden meanings from what they see. Actually, children learn early the psychology of characters in TV shows. Furthermore, as many teachers agree, children understand far more when parents watch TV with them, explaining new words and ideas. Yet, most parents use an educational program as a chance to park their kids in front of the set and do something in another room. Another argument against television is that it replaces reading as a form of entertainment. But according to Anderson, the amount of time spent watching television is not related to reading ability. TV doesn’t take the place of reading for most children; it takes the place of similar sorts of recreation, such as listening to the radio and playing sports. Things like parents’ educational background have a stronger influence on a child’s reading. “A child’s reading ability is best predicted by how much a parent reads.” Anderson says. Traditional wisdom also has it that heavy television-watching lowers IQ (智商) scores and affects school performance. But here, too, Anderson notes that no studies have proved it. In fact, research suggests that it’s the other way around. “If you’re smart young, you’ll watch less TV when you’re older,” Anderson says. Yet, people of lower IQ tend to be lifelong television viewers. For years researchers have attempted to show that television is dangerous to children.‎ ‎ However, by showing that television promotes none of the dangerous effects as conventionally believed, Anderson suggests that television cannot be condemned without considering other influences. 28. By watching TV, children learn _________. A. images through words B. more than explicit meanings C. more about images than words D. little about people’s psychology 29. An educational program is best watched by a child _________. A. on his own B. with other kids C. with his parents D. with his teachers 30. Which of the following is most related to children’s reading ability? A. Radio-listening B. Television-watching C. Parents’ reading list D. Parents’ educational background 31. What is the main purpose of the passage? A. To advise on the educational use of TV. B. To describe TV’s harmful effects on children. C. To explain traditional views on TV influences. D. To present Anderson’s unconventional ideas. D Group exercise is one of the most effective ways to improve physical fitness and sustain(保持) a healthy lifestyle. Group exercise is challenging, yet fun and empowering! Of course everyone knows that exercise is good for the body. However, studies have shown that when exercise is performed in groups, it's not only great for improving physical health but for psychological health. It's an opportunity to be social, release endorphins（内啡肽）,and improve your strength. Additionally, group exercise creates a community feel and the shared common goal motivates participants to work hard. The instrumental support of taking on a fitness journey with ‎ others proves more effective than going to the gym alone. Another beneficial aspect of group exercise is the informational support participants receive from the instructor. Many people fear the gym because they feel lost and don't want to embarrass themselves. If you feel you can relate, then group training is an even better option for you. It's a great opportunity to learn more about fitness through the clear instruction and supervision (监管) of a fitness instructor. If you're tired of wandering around the gym wasting time and becoming bored, you can attend an upbeat group fitness class that'll keep your workout on track. Don't let fitness frighten you! If you're serious about wanting to live a healthy lifestyle, it's extremely important to surround yourself with people who'll provide you with the proper emotional support. I wouldn't scold anyone for deciding to party on weekends and in turn I wouldn't expect anyone to give offence to me for focusing on my health. Surround yourself with people who uplift, encourage and understand you! Make fitness even more fun by trying something new or any group fitness class, with a friend. Plan to go for a jog together. Then try a fun healthy restaurant or fresh juice bar! Fitness can be both fun and social! Surrounding yourself with people who'll provide you with respect support can be very beneficial while working towards reaching health and fitness goals. First, decide to do it for yourself and work towards staying positive. Then make sure the people you surround yourself with are supportive. Don't let negativity ruin your motivation. 32. The first paragraph focuses on _________. A. the greatest challenge of group exercise B. the most effective way to improve physical fitness C. the contribution of group exercise to psychological health D. the shared common goal in performing exercise in groups 33. The underlined word "upbeat" in the second paragraph probably means " _______”. A. cheerful B. average C. serious D. temporary 34. When it comes to emotional support, the author thinks it necessary_________ . A. to sustain a colorful lifestyle ‎ B. to party on weekends with positive people C. to try a fun healthy restaurant regularly ‎ D. to surround yourself with supportive people 35. What would be the best title for the passage? A. Seeking Support B. Supporting Health ‎ C. Improving Your Strength D. Building Up Fitness 第二节（共5小题；每小题2分，共10分）‎ 根据短文内容，从短文后的七个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。‎ ‎ Nowadays, there is a trend that more and more people spend their holidays In foreign countries. ___36 So read our travel tips that are simple and practical, and you can always enjoy your travels.‎ ‎ On a business card, write down the eemergency contact information and place it in your wallet. __37 Give your emergency contact a copy of your travel plan, a passport data page, and the visa information. Give each piece of your luggage a unique look: tie a bright handkerchief to a handle or purchase a colored luggage tag. ___38 If you don't speak the local language, carry a matchbox, or a brochure with the name and address of your destination. 39___‎ ‎ To avoid being a target of crime, don't wear eye-catching clothing: dress conservatively（保守地）, and don't wear or carry obvious signs of wealth (gold watches, expensive jewelry and etc.)and don't carry more cash than necessary.____40 ‎ ‎ To make sure of a safe journey and avoid some unnecessary trouble when traveling in foreign countries, you could never be too careful.‎ A. Also，don't accept packages from strangers.‎ B. Once your wallet is stolen, youcan let them know.‎ C. Good preparations can always help you out as well.‎ D. You can show it to taxi drivers or when asking for directions.[来源:Z_xx_k.Com]‎ E. It will be easier for you to keep track of your bag from a distance.[来源:学+科+网Z+X+X+K]‎ F. Of course everyone wants his travels to be trouble-free and enjoyable.‎ G. Include the name of anyone who should be contacted in an emergency.‎ 第三部分 英语知识运用 （共两节，满分45）‎ 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。‎ Since finishing my studies at Harvard and Oxford, I've watched one friend after another land high-ranking, high-paying Wall Street jobs. As executives(高级管理人员) with banks, consulting firms, established law firms, and major corporations, many are now __41_ on their way to impressive careers. By society’s _42 _, they seem to have it made. On the surface, these people seem to be very lucky in life. As they left student life behind, many had a __43_ drink at their cheap but friendly local bar, shook hands with long time roommates, and __44_ out of small apartments into high buildings. They made reservations at restaurants where the cost of a bottle of wine ___45___ a college year's monthly rent. They replaced their beloved old car with expensive new sports cars. The thing is, a number of them have __46__ that despite their success, they aren’t happy. Some __47_ of unfriendly coworkers and feel sad for eight-hour workweeks devoted to tasks they __48_ . Some do not respect the companies they work for and talk of feeling tired and __49__ . However, instead of devoting themselves to their work, they find themselves working to support the __50__ to which they have so quickly become __51__ . People often speak of trying a more satisfying path, and __52___ in the end the idea of leaving their jobs to work for something they ___53___ or finding a position that would give them more time with their families almost always leads them to the same conclusion: it’ s __54__ . They have loans, bills, a mortgage（抵押贷款）to _55__ , retirement to save for. They recognize there’s something _56__ in their lives , but it’s 57 to step off the track. In a society that tends to __58__ everything in terms of dollars and cents, we learn from a young age to consider the costs of our __59__ in financial terms. But what about the personal and social costs _60__ in pursuing money over meaning? There are exactly the kinds of costs many of us tend to ignore — and the very ones we need to consider most. 41. A. much B. never C. seldom D. well 42. A. policies B. standards C. experiments D. regulations 43. A. last B. least C. second D. best 44. A. cycled B. moved C. slid D. looked 45. A. shared B. paid C. equaled D. collected ‎ ‎46. A. advertised B. witnessed C. admitted D. demanded 47. A. complain B. dream C. hear D. approve 48. A. distribute B. hate C. applaud D. neglect 49. A. calm B. guilty C. warm D. empty 50. A. family B. government C. lifestyle D. project 51. A. accustomed B. appointed C. unique D. available 52. A. yet B. also C. instead D. rather 53. A. let out B. turn in C. give up D. believe in 54. A. fundamental B. practical C. impossible D. unforgettable 55. A. take off B. drop off C. put off D. pay off 56. A. missing B. inspiring C. sinking D. shining 57. A. harmful B. hard C. useful D. normal 58. A. measure B. suffer C. digest D. deliver 59. A. disasters B. motivations C. campaigns D. decisions 60. A. assessed B. involved C. covered D. reduced 第II卷 共50分 单词拼写（共10小题，每小题1分，共10分）注意：写必修五词汇.‎ ‎61.The book gives a short_____(描述)of the city.‎ ‎62. He slowed the bleeding by ___________(apply) pressure to the wounds.‎ ‎63. We will have a further discussion before we draw a final ___________.(结论)‎ ‎64. The company ________________(consist ) of 15 small factories is facing a serious financial crisis.‎ ‎65. I am very _________(delight) to tell you something about the college entrance examination.‎ ‎66. We could hardly believe what she says because she is _______ (连续不断的) changing her mind.‎ ‎67. A person, when___________(challenge), can often do what is normally beyond his ability.‎ ‎68. The dustman ____________(sweep) up all the fallen leaves on this street yesterday.‎ ‎69. Though ____________(lack) money, his parents managed to send him to a university.‎ ‎70. The lemon looks dry to me, but you may be able to ______(榨,挤) a few drops.‎ 语法填空 （共10小题，每小题1分，共10分）‎ 阅读下面材料，在空格处填入适当的内容（不多于3个单词）或使用括号中单词的正确形式。‎ Mr. Johnson lived in the woods with his wife and children. He owned ___71___ farm, which looked almost abandoned. ___72__ (lucky), he also had a cow which produced milk every day. He sold or exchanged some of the milk in the towns nearly ___73__ other food and made cheese and ‎ butter for the family with what __74__ (leave). The cow was their only means of support, in fact. One day, the cow was eating grass ___75___ it began to rain heavily. While making great efforts to run away, she ___76___ (fall) over the hill and died. Then the Johnson tried to make a living __77___ the cow. In order to support his family, Mr. Johnson began to plant herbs and vegetables. Since the plants took a while to grow, he started cutting down trees __78__ (sell) the wood. Thinking about his children’s clothes, he started growing cotton too. When harvest came around, he was already selling herbs, vegetables and cotton in the market ___79___ people from the town met regularly. Now it occurred to ___80___ that his farm had much potential and that the death of the cow was a bit of luck.‎ 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: 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。‎ ‎ When I first learn to write in English, I ran into much difficulties. The main problem was that I always thought in Chinese and tried to translate into my own language everything I came across it while I was reading. My teacher advised myself to keep a diary. I followed his advices and put down 100 words or so each day.‎ ‎ Soon I began to enjoy talk to myself as I was learning to express myself with simple English. One day I wrote a story and showed to my teacher. He liked it very much that he read it to the class. All said that the story was a good one. Their words were an great encouragement to me.‎ 书面表达 (满分20分)‎ ‎ 假设你是李华，外教Santos先生回国前今天最后一次给你班上课。现在，请你代表全班发言，内容包括：‎ ‎1．表达感激之情； 2．回忆各种收获； 3．表不舍与祝福。‎ 注意： ‎ ‎1．词数100字左右； 2．可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。‎ Dear Santos,‎ ‎____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ‎ Yours,‎ Li Hua ‎ ‎ ‎2016～2017学年度高三年级上学期月四英语试题答案 第一部分 听力每题1.5分 ‎1-5 ABABA 6-10 ACACA 11-15 CABBC 16-20 CBCBC 第二部分 阅读理解（每题2分）‎ ‎21-23 ACB 24-27 ABBA 28-31 BCDD 32-35 CADB 36-40 FGEDA 第三部分 完形填空（每题1.5分）‎ ‎41-45DBABC 46-50 CABDC 51-55 AADCD 56-60ABADB 单词拼写 ‎61.descrption 62. applying来:6 63. conclusion 64.consisting 65.delighted 66.constantly 67.challenged 68.swept 69. lacking 70. squeeze 语法填空(每题1分)‎ ‎ 71. a 72. Luckily 73. for 74.was left 75.whenxx§k.C76. fell 77. without 78.to sell 79. where 80. him 短文改错（1x10=10分） ‎ 第一句: learn改为learned much改为many 第二句: 去掉it 第三句: myself改为me 第四句: advices改为advice 第五句: talk改为talking with改为in 第六句: showed后加it 第七句: very改为so 第八句: an改为a ‎【范文】‎ Dear Mr. Santos,‎ ‎ I’m Luo Li. At this moment, I’m honored to express our sincere thanks to you on behalf of my classmates.‎ ‎ We do appreciate everything that you've done for us. We've been very lucky to have[ you as our English teacher in the past years. With your help, everybody has made progress both in English learning and school life. We’ve enjoyed your teaching and guidance a lot. Your humorous stories, big smiles and encouraging words have already rooted in our memories. Since you will leave soon. we wish you a pleasant journey back home and a happy life there. We'll miss you. Thanks again, Mr. Santos. (108 words)‎ ‎ Yours,‎ Li Hua Text 1 ‎ M: Do you want to see a movie tonight? I was thinking we could get some dinner before, and then maybe stop by Tracy’s house afterwards. She’s having a party.‎ W: I’m feeling sick, actually. I think I’m just going to stay at home and watch TV. (1)‎ Text 2‎ W: Can you call Samantha? She was supposed to be here an hour ago. I wonder why she’s so late. ‎ M: She said she’s stuck in traffic and we can start the meeting without her. (2)‎ W: Okay. Tell her to come into my office when she gets here.‎ M: No problem.‎ Text 3 (推断题)‎ M: I really like it. I think I’ll take it. How much is the rent?‎ W: It’s $2000 per month.‎ M: That’s a little expensive, but I’ll make it work. When can I move in?‎ W: The homeowner has asked that you move in on Friday.‎ Text 4 ‎ W: Thanks for buying me this dress. Oh, you left the price tag on. Wow, was it really $200? ‎ M: Yes, but it was on sale for $100. (4)‎ W: That’s still a lot. I don’t think I’ve ever purchased an item of clothing over $25!‎ Text 5 ‎ W: Have you read any good books lately?‎ M: No. To be honest, I haven’t had any time to myself.‎ W: Why is that?‎ M: I’ve been looking over other people’s reports every night until at least midnight. (5) We’ve got our annual meeting next week, you know.‎ Text 6 ‎ M: Molly, you get over here right now! (6)‎ W: What’s the problem, Mickey? (6)‎ M: Mom left me in charge, and she said you had to listen to me while she and dad were away at grandma’s house. (6)‎ W: And?‎ M: You haven’t done any of the things I’ve asked you to do!‎ W: I’m sorry, but I’m not going to clean your bike or bring a sandwich up to your room ‎ from the kitchen. (7)‎ M: Fine. I’ll just tell them all about how you refused to do what I asked. ‎ W: Go for it. Your idea of “in charge” wasn’t exactly what they had in mind, I’m pretty sure.‎ Text 7 ‎ W: The last holiday I took was around Christmas, when I went on a five-day trip to Paris two weeks ago.‎ M: Cool.‎ W: I traveled by train from London to the south of England and then to France. My holiday was only a week long, and I had to spend two days visiting some of my friends in England. (8) We went on some short tours in Paris and stayed in a hotel near the center of the city. We did a lot there.‎ M: Was that your first time in Paris? (9)‎ W: No, I went there twice in 1992, and then a year later, I had a business trip there. But I didn’t see much at that time. So this time, we went to many different museums and other places of interest. (9)‎ M: Awesome. Did you do any shopping in Paris?‎ W: Not really. We spent most of our time visiting places.‎ Text 8 ‎ M: Have you heard about this man named Ben Hopper? He wants to be the first person to swim across the Atlantic Ocean, from Africa to South America.‎ W: Wow. How many miles is that? (10)‎ M: 1763 miles, but that’s only if he swims in a straight line, which is almost impossible because the ocean moves so much. (10) He said he is going to swim in an L-shape, and that the trip will likely take one hundred and twenty days. He wants to swim for eight or nine hours every day.‎ W: That just seems impossible. How much will he have to eat?‎ M: Around twelve thousand calories a day.‎ W: Has he been working out?‎ M: Yes. He’s been training in Florida for the past two years. (11)‎ W: What about sharks?‎ M: Those are a real possibility. He’s wearing an outfit that puts gas into the water that smells bad to sharks so they’ll stay away. (12)‎ W: Wow. Well, I wish him luck!‎ Text 9 ‎ W: Okay, it’s time to hand in your homework.‎ M: Oh, no! Mrs. Smith, I forgot my homework, but I did all of it! I left it sitting on my desk in my room. (13)‎ W: Even though you did it all, I still have to give you a zero. I told everyone at the beginning of the year that I don’t give any credit for late work. ‎ M: But I tried so hard on it! Can I please just bring it tomorrow instead?‎ W: Is there anyone at home during the day? If you can get one of your parents to bring it when they pick you up, I’ll give you full credit.‎ M: My older brother usually drives us home from school. (14) My mom is at work, and my dad is on a business trip.‎ W: I’m sorry, Billy, but rules are rules. It’s really important to check your backpack each morning before you come to school to make sure all of your assignments are in there. (15)‎ M: This is the one time I’ve forgotten something!‎ W: Well, I wouldn’t say that. Most of your assignments are late, and some you’ve just never turned in.‎ M: I mean this is the one assignment that I actually did on time and then forgot to bring… (16)‎ Text 10 ‎ The Kite Runner is Khaled Hosseini’s first novel and was published in 2003. The film version was released in 2007. (17) It tells the story of a young boy named Amir, who lives in Kabul, Afghanistan. Amir’s best friend Hassan is the son of his father’s servant. Although the two boys are from different social classes, they have a strong friendship. As the story continues, Amir feels that his father favors Hassan, so he tries very hard to shame him. Finally, he accuses Hassan of a crime that he didn’t commit, and Hassan and his father are forced to leave Kabul. Later, the guilty Amir heads to America when the Russians invade Afghanistan. He visits Hassan in California to seek forgiveness. (18) The story is set during many dramatic events in Afghanistan, from the fall of the former king through the Soviet army occupation and the rise of the Taliban. The book was No.1 on The New York Times Best-seller List for four weeks, with seven million copies sold in the United States. (19) In 2007, the novel was turned into a play by Matthew Spangler. (20) In 2013, the play opened at the Nottingham Playhouse in England.‎