【英语】江苏省江阴市二中、要塞中学等四校2019-2020学年高一下学期期中考试试题 17页

江苏省江阴市二中、要塞中学等四校2019-2020学年高一下学期期中考试 英语试题 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A、B、C选项中选出最佳选项.‎ ‎1. Why does the man need a map?‎ A. To tour Manchester. B. To find a restaurant. C. To learn about China.‎ ‎2. What does the woman want to do for vacation?‎ A. Go to the beach. B. Travel to Colorado. C. Learn to snowboard.‎ ‎3. What will the man probably do?‎ A. Take the job. B. Refuse the offer. C. Change the working hours.‎ ‎4. What does the woman say about John?‎ A. He won’t wait for her.‎ B. He won’t come home today.‎ C. He won’t be on time for dinner.‎ ‎5. What will the speakers probably do next?‎ A. Order some boxes. B. Go home and rest C. Continue working.‎ 第二节（共15小题；每小题1.5分，满分22.5分）‎ 听下面5段对话或对白，从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项，‎ 听第6段材料，回答第6和第7题。‎ ‎6. How does the woman usually go to work?‎ A. By car. B. By bus. C. By train.‎ ‎7. What do the speakers agree about taking the train?‎ A. It is safer. B. It is faster. C. It is cheaper.‎ 听第7段材料，回答第8至第10题。‎ ‎8.What does the man suggest the woman do?‎ A. Save up for the car. ‎ B. Go to another car dealer. ‎ C. Ask someone to check the car.‎ ‎9. What is the salesman going to do?‎ A. Give a discount. ‎ B. Stick to a high price. ‎ C. Ask for cash payment.‎ ‎10. How will the man help the woman?‎ A. Lend money to her. B. Drive her car home. C. Take care of her car.‎ 听第8段材料，回答第11至第13题。‎ ‎11. What does the woman think of the living expenses in the city?‎ A. Fairly low. B. Just Okay. C. Very high.‎ ‎12. What does the woman spend most on?‎ A. Meals. B. Trains. C. Clothes.‎ ‎13. What does the woman do in her free time?‎ A. See films. B. Travel around. C. Go for a drink.‎ 听第9段材料，回答第14至16题。‎ ‎14. What will Rebecca do on June 12?‎ A. Go on a business trip.‎ B. Organize a trade exhibition.‎ C. Meet the people from Head Office.‎ ‎15. What is John preparing for the meeting?‎ A. A report. B. A timetable. C. a speech.‎ ‎16. When do the speakers decide to have the meeting?‎ A. On June 3. B. On June 10. C. On June 17.‎ 听第10段材料，回答第17至20题。‎ ‎17. What did the speaker decide to do after lunch that day?‎ A. Stay to help her friend. B. Walk alone to her car. C. Wait for the train to stop.‎ ‎18. What can we learn about the speaker then?‎ A. She worked at a hotel.‎ B. She had bought a new car.‎ C. She was having a baby soon.‎ ‎19. Where did the speaker meet the taxi passenger?‎ A. At a crossroads. B. In front of a hotel. C. Beside a car park.‎ ‎20. What does the speaker talk about?‎ A. An exciting lunch party.‎ B. A well-known short story.‎ C. An unforgettable experience.‎ 第二部分：阅读理解（共两节,满分40分）‎ 第一节（共15小题;每小题2分,满分30分）‎ 阅读下列短文,从每题所给的A、B、C和D四个选项中,选出最佳选项。‎ A Wet‘n’ Wild Gold Coast Welcome to Wet‘n’ Wild Gold Coast! At Wet‘n’ Wild Gold Coast, the summer is endless and so is the fun. Visit us for the perfect family day out.‎ Wet‘n’Wild Junior Experience Wet ‘n’Wild Junior, a huge new zone just for little adventure. Designed especially for kids, Wet‘n’ Wild Junior features various water slides including small versions of our larger thrill slides like Tornado and the Aqua Racers.‎ Giant Wave Pool The surf is always up at Giant Wave Pool! A consistent one-metre swell (浪涌) will bring you a lot of fun. With gently rolling waves in the shallows and constant lifeguard supervision (救生员监管), guests of all ages can hit the surfing safety. There is also necessary equipment for hire from the Beach Hut.‎ River Rapids Slip and slide your way down Whitewater Mountain on Wet ‘n’Wild’s all new River Rapids!‎ With a Rocky Mountain theme, River Rapids features four new body slides with something to please everyone. Speed lovers will enjoy the two new slides while the open air flumes (水槽) are perfect for the kids.‎ Whirlpool Springs For the first time ever, you can be Cool‘n’Calm in the new Whirlpool Springs at Wet‘n’ Wild Water World. These awesome cold spas ( 矿泉疗养浴池 ) will help you cool off after ‎ experiencing a series of sports activities at Wet‘n’Wild Water World. Whirlpool Springs is a great attraction especially in summer.‎ Price:‎ Wet‘n’Wild Gold Coast One Day Admission: Adult $65.00; Child (3-13 years old) $40.00‎ Operating Hours:‎ Monday—Friday from 10:00 am to 3:30 pm. Saturday& Sunday from 10:00am to4:00 pm.‎ Additional Information You can get a 10% discount when booking the tickets on the Internet. The tickets can be used within 12 months from time of purchase. Tickets will be delivered to your e-mail box within 60 minutes of purchase. Please print out all tickets and take them along with you to the attraction.‎ ‎21.According to the passage, Giant Wave Pool ____.‎ A.is not suitable for children B.is open to visitors all day long C.is the best place to learn surfing skills D.provides visitors with a surfing experience ‎22.To experience the cool feeling, the best place you can choose is ____.‎ A.Wet‘n’Wild Junior B.Whirlpool Springs C.Giant Wave Pool D.River Rapids ‎23.If a couple with a 10-year-old kid spend a day at Wet‘n’Wild Gold Coast, they should pay at least ____.‎ A.$153 B.$157 C.$166 D.$170‎ B You can’t see your sleeping pet’s brain waves, but its behavior can tell you when your cat might be dreaming. If you watch closely, you’ll see that as she falls asleep, her breathing becomes slow and regular with her body still. She has entered the first stage of sleep, called slowwave sleep. After about 15 minutes you’ll notice a change in her breathing. Her eyes move under her closed lids, her paws twitch(抽动) and she flicks(轻拂) an ear. She has entered dreaming. Although she twitches and makes little grunting noises, messages from her brain to the large muscles in her legs are blocked, so she can’t run about. She is in a state of “sleep paralysis(麻痹)”．‎ Michel Jouvet, a French scientist, interrupted their sleep paralysis. Even though they were completely asleep, the dreaming cats began to run for balls that Jouvet couldn’t see and arched ‎ their backs at unseen enemies. He figured he was watching them act out their dreams! Obviously, the dreaming cats seemed to be practising important cat skills: following, pouncing, and fighting.‎ In another study, Matt Wilson recorded rats’ brain waves while they learned mazes. One day, her left the brainwaverecording machine on while the rats fell asleep. The pattern of brain waves in the sleeping rats matched the pattern from the maze so closely that Wilson could figure out exactly which part of the maze each rat was dreaming about!‎ Many researchers now think that in both people and animals, one purpose of dreams is to practise important skills and figure out recent learning. This may explain why so many people dream about fighting and escaping, skills that were probably important to our ancestors, and why dreaming affects our ability to learn.‎ Do all animals dream? From looking at the brain waves of sleeping animals, how often animals dream seems to be tied to body size. Cats dream about every 15 minutes, mice every 9 minutes, and elephants every 2 hours. And though cows and horses usually sleep standing up, they only dream when lying down.‎ ‎24．What does Michel Jouvet find in his study?‎ A．The dreaming cats are in a state of body paralysis.‎ B．The dreaming cats often practise their important skills.‎ C．The eyes of dreaming cats move while bodies are still.‎ D．The legs of the dreaming cats can’t move.‎ ‎25．What can you know about dreaming from the passage?‎ A．Dreaming a lot can help humans learn more.‎ B．Learning mazes is the basic skill for cats to learn.‎ C．Rats often dream to work out their recent learning.‎ D．Fighting and escaping are not important skills for ancestors.‎ ‎26．How does the author develop his passage?‎ A．By developing of the time. B．By using figures.‎ C．By telling stories. D．By showing facts.‎ C This may sound like a joke about a lazy person's dream job: Earn big money by staying in bed and watching TV. But this is really happening, and it's a project of NASA and two European ‎ space agencies the Institute of Aerospace Medicine at the Cologne-based German Aerospace Center and the European Space Agency. It’s called Artificial Gravity Bed Rest Study, aimed at studying how the body adapts to weightlessness in space.‎ Scientists are seeking 12 women to spend two full months in bed in the fall at a German lab, plus an additional month there for preparation and recovery. The first 12 test subjects all men, already have started the study.‎ Participants spend two entire months in bed and remain lying down even to do everyday things like eating drinking and exercising. They also answer nature's call and shower but it's unclear from the NASA website how those tasks are accomplished in bed.‎ ‎"Daily routine showering getting dressed eating exercising takes much time when you cannot stand up to do them," says the website adding that there is “continuous data collection, including blood pressure, heart rate, nutrient absorption and also the participants' feelings. Study subjects will spend the 60 days with their heads tilted (倾斜) down six degrees which imitates(模仿)conditions in space.‎ Participants are encouraged to pass the time by watching TV, taking online courses reading and any other activities they can perform while lying down alone in bed to relieve what could be boredom. Family and friends are allowed to visit.‎ The high $18, 500 payment for two months of lazing about is probably a major motivation for people willing to go through something this extreme. However, if you're an American who really needs the money, you probably can't afford it. Candidates need to travel to Cologne four times at their own expense for the employment process between April and July. Plus they need strong German-speaking skills. Also participants need to be nonsmokers between ages 24 and 55 in good health, with normal body weight.‎ ‎27.What are participants expected to do during the study?‎ A.Report their feelings regularly. B.Complete their daily routines in bed.‎ C.Keep their bodies tilted down six degrees. D.Record their physical responses every day.‎ ‎28.What data about the participants will the researchers collect?‎ A.The changes in their weight. B.Their behaviors to weightlessness.‎ C.The ways they do their daily D.Their physical and mental reactions.‎ ‎29.What will be a challenge for the participants?‎ A.The language skills they need. B.The difficulty meeting family.‎ C.The possibility that they feel dull. D.The slow discovery of their health.‎ ‎30.The requirements for potential participants are______.‎ A.challenging for Americans B.tailored(订做) to thin persons C.easy for the youth to satisfy D.suitable for most people D John had been on the road visiting clients for more than three weeks. He couldn't wait to get back to Ohio to see his wife and children. It was coming on Mother's Day, and he usually tried to make it "back home", but this year he was just too tired. He was in a small town just outside of Little Rock when he drove by a flower shop. He said to himself, "I know what I will do, I'll send Mom some roses."‎ He went into the small shop and saw a young man talking to the clerk. "How many roses can I get for six dollars, madam?" the boy asked. The clerk was trying to explain that roses were expensive. Maybe the young man would be happy with carnations.‎ ‎"No. I have to have roses." He said, "My mom was sick so much last year and I didn't get to spend much time with her. I want to get something special. It has to be red roses, because that's her favorite." He was firm.‎ The clerk looked up at John and was just shaking her head. Something inside of John was touched by the boy's voice. He wanted to get those roses so badly. John had been blessed in his business, and he looked at the clerk and silently mouthed he would pay for the boy's roses.‎ The clerk looked at the young man and said, "OK, I will give you a dozen red roses for six dollars." The young man almost jumped into the air. He took the flowers and ran from the store. It was worth the extra thirty-five dollars just to see that kind of excitement.‎ John ordered his own flowers and had the clerk be sure that delivery would include a note telling his mother how much he loved her. As he drove away from the shop, he was feeling very good. He caught a light about two blocks from the shop. As he waited at the light, he saw the young boy walking down the sidewalk. He watched him cross the street and enter a park through two huge gates. Suddenly he realized it wasn't a park. It was a cemetery (公墓). He could see the young man turn there by gate and walk along the fence.‎ The light changed, and John slowly crossed the crossing. He pulled over and on an impulse (冲动之下) got out and began to follow the boy down the fence line. John was on the sidewalk, thirty or forty steps behind the boy, who walked inside the cemetery fence. The young man stopped by a small monument and went on his knees. He carefully laid the roses on the tomb and began to sob. John felt like an intruder but he couldn't leave. He stared at the little boy's trembling body and listened to his silent crying.‎ As he cried, he heard the young man speak, "Mommy, Oh Mommy, why didn't I tell you how much I love you? Why didn't I tell you one more time? Jesus, please, find my mommy. Tell my Mommy I love her."‎ John turned, tears in his eyes, and walked back to his car. He drove quickly to the flower shop and told her he would take the flowers personally. He wanted to be sure and tell his mother one more time just how much he loved her.‎ ‎31. The young boy actually spent _____ getting the rose flowers.‎ A. 6 dollars B. 35 dollars C. 41 dollars D. more than 6 dollars ‎32. The underlined word "carnations" in the second paragraph probably _____________.‎ A. is a kind of tree B. is a kind of flower C. means solutions D. is a souvenir(纪念品）‎ ‎33. From the passage, we can infer _____________.‎ A. John would drive home in person to see his mother with the flowers B. John wanted to spend 35 dollars buying the roses for the young boy C. The young boy would have Jesus find his mommy D. The young boy would turn back to thank John ‎34. On the clerk's approval of giving the flowers, the young boy was wild with joy because _________.‎ A. he knew he wouldn't have got the flowers without John's help B. the clerk was very kind to help him C. he was able to show his love to his mother with the flowers D. he was successful in saving some money ‎35. The best title for this passage may be __________________.‎ A. Celebrate Mother's Day B. Buy flowers C. Deliver the roses D. Tell Mum I love her 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。选项中有两项为多于选项。 ‎ Rise and Shine All Day Making these easy tasks part of your morning schedule will improve your nutrition, energy, and mood today—and beyond.‎ Stretch in bed Try this even before you open your eyes. Lift one arm and begin by stretching each finger, then your hand, then your wrist, and then your whole arm.36.________. Then stretch your toes, feet, ankles, and legs. Finally, end with a neck and back stretch that pushes you out of bed. This“power pose” makes you feel more confident all day long.‎ ‎37．________‎ Working out before you eat encourages your body to burn more fat for energy rather than relying on carbohydrates(碳水化合物) from food. In a study, participants who exercised after breakfast still gained weight, but those who exercised on an empty stomach did not.‎ Turn on the music ‎38．________. If anyone plays an instrument, and if you have a little time, morning is the perfect time to practice, as it prepares your brain for learning. One study found that both playing and listening to music help improve academic performance in 16 different ways, including increasing focus and memory.‎ Enjoy some fun Many people fear to face a new day of work, school, or chores.39.________. This can be having a cup of coffee as you read your favorite blog, etc. Choose activities you enjoy and that set you on a good path for the day.‎ You’ve improved your state of mind, your health, and your productivity—all before the weekday has even begun.40.________．‎ A．Pick something energetic that you and others in the house enjoy and put it on while you get ready B．Now you’re ready to conquer your todo list for today and every day C．Do regular exercise in the morning D．Move on to the other arm E．Exercise a bit—on an empty stomach F．Take up the entire length of the bed when you stretch G．But if the first thing you do is pleasant, you’ll find it much easier to get going 第三部分：语言知识运用（共三节,满分55分）‎ 第一节（共20小题；每小题1.5分,满分30分）‎ I have learnt a lot about Chinese life and culture while teaching in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province and found them very interesting．‎ First, family life quite 41 in China from that in the USA．In the USA, many young people 42 home after they finish their education and start working. However, in China, it is 43 for people to live with their parents until they get married. 44_______, many of my Chinese friends told me that their 45_______ lived with them and helped take care of them when they were children. It seems that Americans think independence is more important 46 _______ the Chinese think family relationships are more important.‎ Bargaining(讨价还价）is another 47_______that I have tried to learn. In the USA, prices are 48______ and you can’t ask for a lower price. However. in some small Chinese stores and tourist places, you are 49_______ to bargain. My Chinese friends taught me to ask for 40 percent or 50 percent 50________ the original(原来的）price. If the salesperson doesn’t agree to my price, I should 51________ to leave and he might let me come back and sell me the item. It is a skill that you have to 52_______if you live in China.‎ Tipping hasn’t been easier to 53________. In the USA, many people in the service 54_______ want to get 55_______ money for serving customers. Tipping is not a part of Chinese culture. 56________ I tried to tip a taxi driver. He looked a little 57______and refused to take the money. In dinners, perhaps what surprises an American visitor most is that some of the Chinese hosts like to put food into the plates of their 58______. Actually, this is a 59 ______ of true friendship and politeness. My Chinese friend told me if I didn’t want to eat it, I should just 60________ the food in the plate.‎ ‎41．A．unique B．different C．private D．harmonious ‎42．A．come B．build C．leave D．interrupt ‎43．A．regular B．true C．common D．usual ‎44．A．Also B．However C．Therefore D．Although ‎45．A．parents B．relatives C．sisters D．grandparents ‎46．A．while B．since C．when D．If ‎47．A．way B．custom C．lesson D．habit ‎48．A．made B．agreed C．charged D．set ‎49．A．expected B．taught C．suggested D．required ‎50．A．up B．away C．off D．on ‎51．A．promise B．Pretend C．decide D．hope ‎52．A．tolerate B．understand C．practice D．consider ‎53．A．adjust to B．turn to C．refer to D．lead to ‎54．A．area B．department C．battle D．industry ‎55．A．easy B．extra C．pocket D. prize ‎56．A．Often B．Once C．Sometimes D. Before ‎57．A．excited B．satisfied C．frightened D. confused ‎58．A．own B．children C．neighbors D. guests ‎59．A．signal B．access C．sign D. look ‎60．A．leave B．take C．put D．taste 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。‎ China _____61____(launch) a national cloud learning platform since Feb.3 and started broadcasting primary school classes _____62____(make) sure the country’s 180 million students can still keep learning even though schools are closed, according to state-run news agency Xinhua. A new school semester,_____63_____(schedule) to start today, has been postponed indefinitely as part of_____64_____(measure) to combat the coronavirus. China authorities have encouraged people to stay at home to help reduce _____65_____ (it) spread.‎ The approach differs by age. Primary school classes are being broadcast on one of China’s state TV channels. Junior and senior high school students in China can use an online learning platform _____66_____has 169 lessons covering 12 subjects for the first week, based on the ‎ national curriculum. Teachers will keep ______67____ (update) the platform with new materials as needed.‎ The government has enlisted the China's three ____68______(big) telecoms operators—China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom—plus tech companies like Huawei, Baidu and Alibaba to back up the platform with 90 terabytes of bandwidth and 7,000 servers, ____69_____(ensure) up to 50 million students can use it simultaneously, according to state broadcaster CCTV News. About 600,000 teachers have also been using a live streaming service called Dingtalk, built by Alibaba, to conduct online classes, the company said, although it has _____70_____(apparent) not gone down so well with many students.‎ 第三节 根据所给首字母或中文提示单词填空 （共10小题;每小题1分,满分10分）‎ ‎71. His family didn’t smile in ___________(宽慰) until the boy was saved.‎ ‎72.If ______(雇佣), Tom plans to work in this small company for at least two years to gain some experience.‎ ‎73.In the 1950s the Chinese government introduced _____________(简化) Chinese characters.‎ ‎74.In the past 25 years, the city centre has changed beyond r____________.(认出）‎ ‎75.You can come and have a chat with me whenever you feel it is __________ to you.（方便）‎ ‎76.With parents a_______ importance to art education, the museum has decided to provide free admission to all the students in the city.‎ ‎77.Even the newly-built tower was d__________in this terrible earthquake.‎ ‎78.J___________from what you say in your letter, you are not content with your present life ‎79.Human fingerprints are u_______, making them suitable as long-term markers of human identity(身份).‎ ‎80.Keeping himself o________in doing his experiment, he didn’t notice we take the books away.‎ 第四部分：作文（满分25分）‎ ‎81.假如你是李华，请根据以下表中提示给某报社写一封信，谈谈农村儿童失学的主要原因及你的个人看法。‎ 失学原因 ‎1．学费太高，使许多贫困家庭的孩子不得不辍学；‎ ‎2．许多家长希望孩子能帮助大人早点赚钱；‎ ‎3．一少部分人认为女孩上学无用。‎ 你的看法 ‎1．儿童是祖国的未来，社会和家长都要重视儿童的学校教育。‎ ‎2．…… （自拟）‎ 注意：1. 不要逐字逐句翻译；2. 词数在120左右；3. 信的开头结尾已经给出。‎ ‎(辍学drop out of school)‎ Dear Editors,‎ Now in the countryside, ______________________________________________________‎ ‎__________________________________________________________________________‎ ‎_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________‎ ‎【参考答案】‎ 第一部分. 听力（共两节，每题1.5分，满分30分）‎ ‎1-5 BAACB  6-10 ABCAB  11-15 CBACA 16-20 CBCAC 第二部分 阅读理解(共两节,满分40分）‎ 第一节 ‎(每题2分,共30分)‎ ‎21-23 DBA 24-26 BCD 27-30 BDCA 31-35 ABACD 第二节 ‎(每题2分，共10分)‎ ‎36-40 DEAGB 第三部分 语言知识运用 第一节(每题1.5分，共30分)‎ ‎41-45 BCCAD   46-50 ABDAC  51-55 BCADB  56-60 BDDCA 第二节（共10小题；每小题1.5分,满分15分）‎ ‎61.has launched 62. to make 63. scheduled 64.measures 65.its ‎66.which/that 67.updating 68.biggest 69. ensuring 70.apparently 第三节 根据所给首字母或中文提示单词填空 （共10小题;每小题1分,满分10分）‎ 71. relief 72.employed 73.simplified 74.recognition 75.convenient 76. attaching 77.destroyed 78.Judging 79.unique 80.occupied 第四部分：作文（满分25分）‎ Now in the countryside, many children are dropping out of school, which has raised concern nationally. There are several reasons accounting for this phenomenon, one of which is that school fees are too high for many poor families. They can hardly afford to send their children to school, even if they want to. What’s more, some parents are so short-sighted that they are eager to let their children help earn money for the family. Still, there are even some parents who hold the view that it is useless for girls to go to school. As a result, many girls have to stay at home and do housework instead of studying at school.‎ In my opinion/ As far as I am concerned, children will play an important part in the future of our country. The whole society, especially parents, should place emphasis on the education of children, whether boys or girls, and give them the right to be educated in school. Meanwhile, laws should be passed to ensure their rights.‎ 英语听力原文 Text 1‎ M: Jane, do you have a map of Manchester? I want to find a good place to eat.‎ W: Why not try Chinatown? There are plenty of good Chinese restaurants there, and it's near here.‎ Text 2‎ M: Let's do something different for vacation this year. Oh, let's go to Colorado. I want to learn to snowboard.‎ W: Oh, Paul, you know I don't like cold weather. Can't we go some place warm, like the beach?‎ Text 3‎ W: This job is for three days a week: Monday, Friday, and Saturday. Are you Okay with that?‎ M: Mmm... I was hoping to have Saturday free. But I need the job, so... can you tell me what exactly I will do?‎ Text 4‎ M: Do you know if John's coming home for dinner?‎ W: He'll be late. He said not to wait for him.‎ Text 5‎ W: I'm really tired from packing all these boxes for three hours. It's about time to call it a day.‎ M: I know. Maybe we could do it first thing tomorrow morning.‎ W: Why not? These orders are not urgent.‎ Text 6‎ M: Lisa? Hi!‎ W: Hi, Ned.‎ M: Don't you usually drive to work?‎ W: Usually, but not in bad weather.‎ M: Why is that?‎ W: The traffic gets a lot worse when it rains or snows.‎ M: I always take the train. It's a lot faster for me than driving.‎ W: It's faster for me, too, but the time isn't always convenient.‎ M: Yeah, but think of all the things you can do on the train, read a book or the newspaper.‎ W: Or answer my email. No thanks! My workday is long enough already.‎ Text 7‎ W: I think the car we saw yesterday would be a good deal. What do you think?‎ M: Yes, but I think you should ask someone to take a look at it just to be sure.‎ W: My friend Jack knows cars, and he helped me do the check this morning.‎ M: It was smart of you to think ahead. Have you and the salesman agreed on a price?‎ W: Yes, he finally agreed to accept the discounted price I asked.‎ M: Then have you thought about how to pay?‎ W: Well, I've saved up enough money to pay cash for this car.‎ M: Good. Let me go with you to make the payment and drive the car home for you.‎ W: Thank you. That would make it much easier for me.‎ M: You're welcome. Let's go take care of that right now.‎ Text 8‎ M: Being away from home for college can be stressful. Besides all the pressures of study, there's the pressure on your pocket. Today, let's go to a university to find out. Excuse me. Can I ask you a few questions?‎ W: Well, Okay.‎ M: How do you find the cost of living in the city?‎ W: Everything is expensive, including clothing, housing, and traveling.‎ M: So, what do you spend most on?‎ W: Transport, I think. For food, if I cook myself, it's not expensive at all. For clothing, I bring my clothes here from my home country, where they're nice and cheap. But every week, I have to spend more than 100 pounds on the trains.‎ M: Then what's the social life like?‎ W: I'm a very social person. I love hanging out with my friends and meeting new people. Thankfully, I don't drink nor smoke, so the only expense is maybe tickets to the cinemas, clubs, and so on.‎ Text 9‎ W: Can you fix a time for the next meeting, Alex? How about June 12th? That's after the trade exhibition.‎ M: I thought something was happening on that day, Rebecca.‎ W: Oh, yes. You're right. The people from Head Office are coming.‎ M: What time does their plane arrive? Can we have the meeting in the morning?‎ W: No, it's all arranged. I'm meeting them at half past ten, so I won't be available at all that day.‎ M: Well, let's have the meeting earlier in June, then. The trade exhibition finishes on the third, doesn't it?‎ W: Yes, but we need John's sales report for the meeting. How's it going?‎ M: I'm afraid John hasn't started yet. The figures won't be in place till next week.‎ W: Will it be ready early in June?‎ M: Well, not really. He told me that he will finish them by June 10th.‎ W: So, we're looking at the week starting the 17th. How about two o'clock on that day?‎ M: I think that's Okay. Let's meet here again then.‎ Text 10‎ Hello, everyone. In today's program, I'd like to share a true story of mine. One day, my friends and I had just finished lunch at a hotel when it started to rain heavily. When it became lighter, I decided to brave the rain to get my car and go home. It was parked three blocks away. My friends argued I shouldn't go because at that time, I was due to give birth in three months. I promised I'd be very careful. One of them wanted to come with me, but I insisted she stay with another friend who needed help with her baby. When I walked to the first crossroads, a taxi stopped and a passenger came out with an umbrella. Before I knew what was happening, he walked right beside me and told me he would walk with me to where I would go. I refused, but he insisted. During our walk, he kept telling me to walk slowly. When we got to the car park, I thanked him, and we parted ways. I did not get his name and may not even recognize him now. Did he purposely stop for me? I'll never know.‎