福建省福州八中2016-2017学年高二下学期期中考试英语试卷

　　福州八中2016—2017学年第二学期期中考试

　　高二英语 选修7

　　考试时间:120分钟

　　试卷满分:150分

　　2017.4.27

　　第I卷 （第一部：听力（共小题；每小题分，满分分）

　　听下面5段对话。每段对话后有一个小题，从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项，并标在试卷的相应位置。听完每段对话后，你都有10秒钟的时间来回答有关小题和阅读下一小题。每段对话仅读一遍。

　　1. When does the woman expect Mr Brown to be back?

　　A. At 3:00.

　　B. At 3:30.

　　C. At 4:00.

　　2. Where does the conversation probably take place?

　　A. In a hotel. B. In a hospital. C. In an office.

　　3. What are the speakers talking about?

　　A. Bank accounts. B. A computer crime. C. Computer games.

　　4. Where was the man born?

　　A. In Italy. B. In France. C. In Britain.

　　5. Whom did the man visit last summer?

　　A. His mother. B. His grandfather. C. His grandmother.

　　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，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. Where are the speakers?

　　A. In a garage. B. In a car park. C. In a car factory.

　　7. What will the woman do next week?

　　A. Sell her car. B. Pick up her car.

　　C. Have her car repaired.

　　听第7段材料，回答第8、9题。

　　8. What did the woman do just now?

　　A. She practised German with her friends online.

　　B. She learned some German idioms online.

　　C. She chatted with others online.

　　9. What made the woman feel foolish?

　　A. Nobody wanted to talk to her.

　　B. She was laughed at by others.

　　C. She couldn’t make herself understood.

　　听第8段材料，回答第10至12题。

　　10. What is the woman’s problem?

　　A. She spent all her allowance.

　　B. She lost her money.

　　C. She lent all her money to her friends.

　　11.What is the woman’s salary a month in the supermarket?

　　A. $250. B. $760. C. $950.

　　12.Why doesn’t the woman want to work more?

　　A. She’ll have no time to study.

　　B. She doesn’t like her job.

　　C. Her manager doesn’t like her.

　　听第9段材料，回答第13至16题。

　　13.Who is the electronic pet designed for?

　　A. Children. B. Old people. C. Doctors.

　　14.What is used to connect Health Care Centres with the home of the electronic pet owner?

　　A. A computer. B. A television. C. A telephone.

　　15.What can the electronic pet do to help its owner?

　　A. It can have a conversation with its owner.

　　B. It can call an ambulance if its owner is seriously ill.

　　C. It can report to the Health Care Centres about its owner’s physical condition.

　　16.How does the woman feel about the electronic pet?

　　A. Interested. B. Worried. C. Excited.

　　听第10段材料，回答第17至20题。

　　17.When did Hemingway publish his first collection of short stories?

　　A. In 1923. B. In 1929. C. In 1952.

　　18.What is The Sun Also Rises about?

　　A. People in New York. B. People in Paris. C. People in London.

　　19.What do we know about A Farewell to Arms?

　　A. It was published in 1924.

　　B. It was Hemingway’s third novel.

　　C. It describes something related to World War I.

　　20.What was The Old Man and the Sea based on?

　　A. An old fisherman’s experiences.

　　B. Hemingway’s experiences as a reporter.

　　C. Hemingway’s experiences and hobby of fishing.

　　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

　　Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, "Mum, you must come and see the daffodils(水仙花) before they are over."

　　I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from Lake Arrowhead. "I will go next Tuesday," I promised, a little unwillingly, on her third call. 

　　The next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy. Still, I had promised, and so I drove there. When I finally walked into Carolyn's house and hugged and greeted my grandchildren, I said, "Forget the daffodils, Carolyn! The road is invisible(看不见的) in the cloud and fog, and there is nothing in the world except you and these children that I want to see!" 

　　My daughter smiled calmly and said, "We drive in such weather all the time, Mum.You will never forgive yourself if you miss this experience." 

　　After about twenty minutes, we turned onto a small road and on the far side of a small church, I saw a hand-lettered sign that read "Daffodil Garden". We got out of the car and each took a child's hand, and I followed Carolyn down the path. Then, we turned a corner of the path, and I looked up amazed. Before me lay the most beautiful sight. Flows of flowers of different colors seemed poured down the peak and slopes. There were five acres of flowers! A sea of daffodil! It was like a fairyland all beyond description.

　　"But who has done this?" I asked Carolyn. "It's just one woman," Carolyn answered. That's her home. "Carolyn pointed to a well-kept A-frame house that looked small and modest in the midst of all that glory. We walked up to the house. On the patio(露台), we saw a poster. “Answers to the Questions I Know You Are Asking" was the headline.  The first answer was a simple one. "50,000 bulbs(鳞茎)" it read. The second answer was, "One at a time, by one woman." The third answer was, "Began in 1958." 

　　I thought of this woman whom I had never met, who, more than fifty years before, had begun—one bulb at a time—to bring beauty and joy to this remote mountain top. Just planting one bulb at a time, year after year, had changed the world where she lived and created something of magnificence, beauty, and inspiration.

　　When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small amounts of daily effort, we too can accomplish great things. Everyone can do something to change the world.

　　21. The writer wasn’t going to see the daffodils at first because ______.

　　A. she cared more about the children.

　　B. they were on a remote mountain top.

　　C. it was not easy for her to drive there.

　　D. the weather was not good enough.

　　22. What do we know from the passage about the woman who grew daffodil?

　　A. She must have been a modest woman.

　　B. She worked as a professional gardener. 

　　C. She grew the daffodils over 50 years by herself. 

　　D. Being poor, she made a living by selling daffodils.

　　23. What has the writer learned from this experience?

　　A. It's never too late to learn. 

　　B. Nothing is too difficult if you put your heart into it.

　　C. People can change the world where they live by growing flowers. 

　　D. Accumulation(积累) of small steps may lead to something magnificent.

　　24. Which may be the best title for the passage?

　　A. One bulb grown, magnificence dawns.

　　B. A woman and Daffodils. 

　　C. The Daffodil Garden.

　　D. An Unforgettable Experience.

　　B

　　Schedule a Tour

　　University of South Carolina （USC) is famous for its warm southern hospitality好客. Schedule a visit and feel it in person. Our walking tours are led by current students, called University Ambassadors, who are looking forward to telling you what it's like to live and study in USC. Our walking tours run Monday through Friday and most are around 2 hours. The university will be closed on Tuesday, July 4, 2017 in observance of the holiday. We welcome your visit year round and will be ready for you, rain or shine. Please refer to the list below to determine which tour is best for you and remember to book at least two weeks in advance.

　　25. Why is USC closed to visitors on July 4?

　　A. To prepare a tour.

　　B. To update its website.

　　C. To celebrate the holiday.

　　D. To encourage a self-guided walk.

　　26. Who does Admitted Student Day target at?

　　A. AU visitors to USC.

　　B. Those applying for fall 2017.

　　C. Independent consultants.

　　D. Those admitted for fall 2017.

　　27. If a 15-people group requests a summer visit, they need to

　　.

　　A. submit Group Visit interest Form

　　B. email visior@mailbox.sc.edu

　　C. call 800-922-9755

　　D. check out Virtual Tour

　　C

　　Why doesn’t the unemployment rate ever reach zero? Economists, who generally believe that supply tends to meet demand, have long thought about this question. Even in good times, i.e. not now, there are people who can’t find work. And even in bad times, i.e. now, there are job openings. With over 14 million people out of work and looking for a job, you would think every available job would be filled. But that’s not the case. Not now and not ever.

　　On Monday, the Nobel Prize committee awarded the prize for economics to the three scholars who have done the most to explain this phenomenon. Two of the winners are Americans, Peter Diamond of MIT and Dale Mortensen of Northwestern. The third winner is Christopher Pissarides, who teaches at the London School of Economics and was born on Cyprus.

　　Like most economists, what they have found about why the jobless and ready-employers don’t find each other seems obvious. You have to find out there is job opening you are interested in. Employers need to get resumes. It takes a while for both employers and employees to make the decision that this is what they want. And these guys came up with a framework to study the problem of why people stay unemployed longer than they should and what can be done about it.

　　So what would today’s Nobel Prize winners do to solve the current problem of the unemployed? And does the awarding of the prize contribute to the politicians’ lowering joblessness?

　　Speaking from his north London home, Pissarides told The Associated Press the announcement came as “a complete surprise” though his work had already helped shape thinking on both sides of the Atlantic.

　　For example, the New Deal for Young People, a British government policy aimed at getting 18-24-year-olds back on the job market after long periods of unemployment, “It is very much based on our work,” he said.

　　“One of the key things we found is that it is important to make sure that people do not stay unemployed too long so they don’t lose their feel for the labor force,” Pissarides told reporters in London. “The ways of dealing with this need not be expensive training – it could be as simple as providing work experience.”

　　28. According to the writer, which is true about finding jobs?

　　A. It is always difficult to find a job.

　　B. Everyone can find a job in good times.

　　C. It is possible to find a job even in times as bad as now.

　　D. Contrary to popular belief, it is easier to find a job in bad times.

　　29. What is it that leads to their winning the prize?

　　A. They have found the reason for unemployment.

　　B. They have put forward a set of ideas to deal with unemployment.

　　C. They have found out why people don’t want to be employed.

　　D. They have long studied the problem of unemployment.

　　30. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?

　　A. Pissarides thinks his work surprising.

　　B. The work of Pissarides has influenced many economists.

　　C. Some of the winners’ ideas have been put into practice.

　　D. It is probable that unemployed young people in Britain benefit from Pissarides’ work.

　　31. What is effective in dealing with unemployment according to Pissarides?

　　A. Spending large sums of money on training.

　　B. Providing work experience.

　　C.Teaching some knowledge of economics.

　　D. Keeping people unemployed for some time.

　　D

　　What do literary tourists look for when they visit the British Isles? Often it’s the charmingly old-fashioned bookshops that provide the perfect excuse to read uninterruptedly and to disconnect from the world. Until recently, the trend for fine coffee and high-speed Wi-Fi was considered by some in the city’s bookish crowd to be ruining London’s centuries-old tradition of disconnected reading.

　　But a crop of bookshops is fighting against crazy online engagement and is creating environments where the real-life, Internet-free book reading is the most effective way to expand your social and professional networks. Leading the fighting is Libreria Books, which is in the company of Tenderbooks, Buchhandlung Wakther, Lutyens&Rubinstein etc., all independent bookshops without high-speed Wi-Fi and coffee.

　　Mr. Silva of Libreria was inspired to open his shop after experiencing a common suffering for London’s book-lovers—the repeated ring tones of smart phones ruining the peace of his bookshop experience. He wanted to get people reading without interruption. He said, “You can get Wi-Fi anywhere now, it’s not necessary in a bookshop.”

　　Their mantra(原则) has drawn a wise, brainy crowd. The bookshop should be an escape from an information overload. “ If someone gets a phone call, they leave the shop. It’s the same with the Internet—people just know this isn’t the space for being on line.” said Tamsin Clark, owner of Tender books. And in face of the Internet overload, some stores are proving to be among London’s hottest places.

　　Mr. Silva said “an old-fashioned space” is clearly appealing to book-lovers. He said his shop has had twice as many customers as expected, with visitors from as far as Australia and China. Faced with a bookshelf recommended by the Queen or surrounded by first editions, who wants to download a morning full of emails?

　　32. What would literary tourists like to find in an old-fashioned bookshop?

　　A. Free coffee.

　　B. Social networks.

　　C. High-speed Wi-Fi.

　　D. Peaceful reading time.

　　33. Why did Mr. Silva of Libreria decide to open his own bookshop?

　　A. He saw the trend of running bookshops.

　　B. He aimed at banning Wi-Fi in bookshops.

　　C. He was inspired by other bookshop owners.

　　D. He had an unpleasant reading in a bookshop.

　　34. What do London’s bookish crowd think of the Internet-free bookshops?

　　A. Outdated.

　　B. Attractive. C. Fashionable.

　　D. Professional.

　　35. What does the underlined part in the last paragraph mean?

　　A. People prefer reading to being connected.

　　B. Emails keep coming in all morning.

　　C. You can still work efficiently.

　　D. People have no access to downloading emails.

　　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。

　　Social media and the mobile web have given rise to a strange phenomenon called the selfie．It refers to a picture of yourself, usually shared on any social networking website． 36.________ Some selfies are extreme close-ups, and others show part of an arm held straight outward．A few of them even feature the subject standing in front of a bathroom mirror．

　　Everyone takes selfies, but the younger crowd seems to be especially involved in the trend．Young people are relatively heavier digital users．They are interested in staying connected to their friends． 37.________ There are also kinds of psychological factors driving people to take a selfie and upload it to a social networking site． 38.________ A quick and easy way to attract other's attention is to get "likes" and comments from friends．Secondly, it's human nature to show off your own great achievements．When you feel good about yourself or look good, it's far too easy to take out your phone and document it all through one or several selfies． 39.________ That's right．Sometimes people are bored at work, bored at school, bored at home and even bored on the toilet．Last but not least, social media is about being social! If that means uploading as many selfies as possible, then so be it．It's fun, and it's a cool way to sort of document your own life．

　　Finally, there are things to be mindful of when you're posting．It's easy to think you're sharing a photo with a few people． 40.________ So don't post anything online, selfie especially．

　　A. There are lots of selfie styles．

　　B. The rise of selfies has become universal．

　　C. Social media, to some extent, is the driving force of their selfie activity．

　　D. The desire to take, post and get "likes" on selfies goes back to a biological

　　behavior．

　　E. But the whole world of social media is public and every individual can get

　　access to it．

　　F. There are also people who will take selfies because they have nothing else better

　　to do．

　　G. The leading factor is that people want to get attention from as many people as

　　possible．

　　第三部分

　　英语知识运用（共两节，满分30分）

　　第一节：根据汉语提示完成句子(每空一词，每空1分； 满分20分)

　　1. 在许多方面，我的残疾使我在心理上变得更加坚强、更加独立。

　　In many ways my 41.________ has helped me grow stronger 42.________ and become more 43.________ .

　　2. 理科对我来说是最富有挑战性的课，因为我的学生对做实验没有概念。

　　Science is my most 44.________ subject as my students have no 45.________ of doing

　　46 .

　　3. 阿西莫夫拥有超凡的想象力，这给予了他探索未来的能力，他还拥有惊人的智慧，使他能对现在和过去的一切事物做出解释。

　　Asimov had both an 47.________

　　48

　　that gave him the ability to explore future worlds and an amazing mind with which he searched for 49.________ of everything.

　　4. 二十年前，我被委任为一名火山学家。如今我仍然对火山的美丽景色以及它们那潜在的巨大破坏力惊愕不已。

　　I was 50.________ as a volcanologist twenty years ago. After so many years, I am still amazed at their beauty as well as their 51.________ to cause great damage.$

　　5. 我们跑到岸边，看到对面有个庞然大物猛力跃出水面，然后又坠落到水里。

　　We ran down to the shore in time to see an 52.________ animal 53.________ us throwing out of the water and then 54.________ down again.

　　6. 我一直忙于工作， 以至于没有时间去参加社会活动。

　　I have been so 55.________ with work that I haven’t had time for 56.________ activities.

　　7. 克莱尔觉得，机器人向她表示同情，这是荒谬可笑的。

　　Clair thought it was 57.________ to be offered 58.________ by a robot.

　　8. 当我想家时，房东家代替我家，和他们在一起给了我很大的安慰。

　　When I miss my family, it’s a great 59.________ to have a 60.________ family to be with .

　　第二节：单句语法填空（每小题1分；满分10分）

　　It remains _________(see) whether the new policy can be put into practice.

　　62. Five people are reported _________(kill) in the accident.

　　63. __________(not receive) the reply letter, I wrote another letter to the editor.

　　64. When we saw the road____(block）with snow, we decided to spend the holiday at home.

　　It is you rather than I that are _________ (blame) for the mistake.

　　66. Anyone, once _______ (test) positive for H7N9 flu virus, will receive free medical treatment from our government.

　　67. _________(be) more careful, and you can make fewer mistakes in English.

　　68. I lost a book, _____ which the title I can't remember now.

　　69. He reached Beijing in 1998, ____, some time later，he became a professor．

　　In my opinion, ______ plays, eats or sleeps in class should be criticized severely

　　第II卷（满分50分）

　　第四部分：完形填空（共20小题；每小题1分，满分20分）

　　90各题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。

　　I remember arriving at my college accommodation for the first time. I 71.________ my things, and then sat on the bed and burst into tears.

　　This 72.________ for a year. The lectures and exams were both 73.________ with sorrow. I had a terrible feeling that I must be doing something 74.________ since everyone else seemed to be happy.

　　It was my mum who finally gave me the 75.________ to leave. I was home for the weekend and we were talking about how much 76.________ I was putting on myself. Finally she 77.________ said, "How about just not going back on Monday?" At the time, I didn't think of this as 78.________ . It felt like falling back into a deep 79.________ without a ladder.

　　It was hard to climb out. My depression(沮丧) was far more 80.________ than anyone had ever thought. But I know now that my decision to leave school wasn't about 81.________ . It was about stepping back from the 82.________ that wasn’t right for me. And it was about moving forward by 83.________ past depression.$

　　I can' t say enough about how

　　84 stepping back was for me. After I left university, I was 85.________ to move forward. I 86.________ my own company. Almost five 87.________ years have passed and my little company is doing well.

　　88 , now I find myself with another 89.________ to expand or to stay small for another year. I may step back

　　90 , but then I will move forward.

　　71. A. bought

　　B. unpacked

　　C. saw

　　D. considered

　　72. A. worked out

　　B. took up

　　C. went on D. turned over

　　73. A. filled

　　B. concerned

　　C. covered

　　D. connected

　　74. A. reasonable

　　B. proper

　　C. honest

　　D. wrong

　　75. A. courage

　　B. schedule

　　C. honor

　　D. chance

　　76. A. trust

　　B. pressure

　　C. confidence

　　D. balance

　　77. A. equally

　　B. nearly

　　C. simply

　　D. privately

　　78. A. turning down. B. moving forward

　　C. bringing up

　　D. going by

　　79. A. sleep

　　B. cut

　　C. breath

　　D. hole

　　80. A. anxious

　　B. difficult

　　C. serious

　　D. boring

　　81. A. giving in B. giving away

　　C. giving out

　　D. giving off

　　82. A: relationship B. education C. progress

　　D. position

　　83. A. expecting

　　B. following

　　C. adapting

　　D. pushing

　　84. A. useless

　　B. convenient

　　C. valuable

　　D. interesting

　　85. A. ready B. worried

　　C. confused

　　D. afraid

　　86. A. turned up

　　B. opened up

　　C. put up

　　D. set up

　　87. A. disappointing B. successful

　　C. uncertain

　　D. doubtful

　　88. A. Otherwise

　　B. Therefore

　　C. Besides

　　D. However

　　89. A. choice

　　B. dream

　　C. possibility

　　D. order

　　90. A. at once

　　B. at most

　　C. at first

　　D. at least

　　第五部分：写作 （共两节 满分 30）

　　第一节 短文改错（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。

　　I almost didn’t wake up in time for school this morning. I stayed up late last night, prepare my lessons. The alarm clock does go off, but I didn’t hear them because I was too tired. It was already 7 o’clock when I opened my eye. The first thing I was aware was that I would be late. Terrified, I ran to school and without having breakfast. I didn’t want to be criticized by the teacher, nor I want to be laughed at by my classmates. Lucky, I rushed into the classroom in the last minute. We had a test today, for that I was well-prepared and it was so easy a exam that I got high marks. What an exciting experience!  

　　第二节 书面表达 （满分20分）

　　假设你是高二学生李华，从学校布告栏获悉新的超市即将开业。请你给超市经理写一封信，就超市的管理方面提一些建议。建议内容包括：

　　1.商品价格合理；

　　品种多样，满足住宿生需求；

　　保证食品质量。

　　注意：1.词数100左右；

　　2.开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。

　　提示词：住宿生boarding students

　　Dear Manager,

　　I am delighted to have learned that a new school supermarket is to open soon.

　　Sincerely,

　　Li Hua

　　福州八中2016—2017学年第二学期期中考试

　　高二英语 选修7 试卷参考答案及评分标准

　　第I卷（满分100分）

　　第一部听力（满分）

　　1. B

　　2. C

　　3. B

　　4. A

　　5. C

　　6. A

　　7. C

　　8. C 9. A

　　10. A

　　11. B 12. A 13. B 14. B 15. C

　　16. B 17. A

　　18. B 19. C 20. C

　　第二部分 阅读理解(共两节，满分0分)

　　21-24 CCDA

　　25-27.CDA

　　28-31CBAB

　　32-35 DDBA

　　第二节（共5小题，每小题分，共分）ACGFE

　　第三部分

　　（共节，满分0分）

　　第一节：

　　41 disability

　　42 psychologically

　　43 independent

　　44 challenging

　　45 concept

　　46 experiments

　　47 .extraordinary

　　48 imagination

　　49 explanations

　　50 appointed

　　51potential

　　52 enormous

　　53 opposite 54 crashing

　　55 occupied

　　56 social

　　57 ridiculous

　　58 sympathy

　　59 comfort

　　60 substitute

　　第节每小题1分；满分10分）

　　第II卷（满分50分）

　　第部（）

　　1-75 BCADA

　　76-80 BCBDC

　　81-85 ABDCA

　　86-90 DBDAC

　　第部

　　第一节 短文改错（10 分）

　　1. prepare → preparing

　　2. does → did

　　3. them→ it

　　4. eye → eyes5. aware 后加上of6. 删除without and

　　7. nor 后加上did8. LuckyLuckily

　　9. for 后面的that which

　　10. a → an

　　第二节书面表达 （满分20分）

　　I am delighted to have learned that a new school supermarket is to open soon. I hope you will not mind me writing to ask if you have thought about the needs of us students. In particular, I wonder if you have considered the following things.

　　.

　　First, it is expected that the price of goods should be reasonable. Then, a great variety of goods will be greatly appreciated as it is pleasant for boarding students to leave with everything needed bought. Last but not least, the quality of the food you offer ought to be guaranteed. We students are growing to maturity, during which period healthy and safe foods are required.

　　Thank you for reading my letter. I hope my suggestions will meet with your approval. I am sure your supermarket will be praised if you meet our demands.

　　Yours sincerely,

　　Li Hua

　　听力材料

　　(Text 1)

　　M: When do you think Mr Brown will be back?

　　W: Any minute now. When he left at three o’clock he said he would be back in half an hour. But now it’s four o’clock.

　　(Text 2)

　　M: I have a doctor’s appointment this afternoon. Are you going to be here, or do you have a meeting?

　　W: I’ll be here, so I’ll handle all of your calls.

　　(Text 3)

　　W: More and more people are paying attention to the problem of computer crime. Have you heard about it?

　　M: Of course. A month ago one of my colleagues was arrested because she transferred funds at our bank to accounts she had set up in other banks.

　　(Text 4)

　　M: I’m a French citizen, but I was born in Italy.

　　W: But you say your home is France, right?

　　M: Yes. I’ve lived there all my life.

　　(Text 5)

　　W: I’ve heard that you live in the city for many years. Have you ever been to the countryside?

　　M: Of course. My grandmother lives there. Last summer, my parents and I went to visit her.

　　W: Do you like the country life?

　　M: Yes. There is fresh air and lots of green fields.

　　(Text 6)

　　M: I’m sorry we won’t be able to fix it sooner. We’re booked up till next week.

　　W: Can I at least drive my car until you repair it?

　　M: Yeah, no problem. There’s no mechanical damage.

　　W: OK, then. I’ll bring it back next week.

　　M: See you then.

　　W: Hey, when you fix it, can you make it as expensive as possible?

　　M: Uh, if that’s what you want, we’ll do our best.

　　(Text 7)

　　M: Hey, Jenny. What’s the matter?

　　W: I was just online, in a chat room with three Germans. They used a lot of idioms on purpose, and I didn’t understand. So I asked them what they meant. Then they started to ignore me and after a while, I started to feel stupid.

　　M: Oh, you shouldn’t. Your German is really good.

　　W: But it seems they were using their German ability to have fun with each other. They didn’t really want to include me.

　　M: Well, some people are like that, that’s all. You can’t let them bother you. One nice thing about chat room is that you can leave and go to anther one.

　　(Text 8)

　　M: You look upset. What’s up?

　　W: Well, I’m trying to figure out where all my money has gone.

　　M: You’ve lost your money?

　　W: No, no. I seemed to have spent all my allowance for this month. Now I don’t even have money to go out and eat.

　　M: Hey, I thought you had a good part-time job in the supermarket.

　　W: I do. I work about twenty hours a week, and the pay’s not bad, $9.50 an hour.

　　M: Really? So that’s, what, $190 a week ... times four weeks ... so that’s $760 a month. Hey, that’s not a bad income for a student!

　　W: I know. But ...

　　M: And you can’t live on that?

　　W: No, I only manage to save about $10 a month.

　　M: It sounds like you have a budget problem. Simple, either work more or spend less.

　　W: I’m not going to work more. I’ll have no time to study.

　　(Text 9)

　　M: I just read that Los Angeles will begin using electronic pets to help monitor the health of elderly people. People who live alone can buy these stuffed toy animals that have a built-in computer.

　　W: How can they help elderly people?

　　M: Health Centres are linked to the home of the “pet” owner through a television. A microphone and a speaker attached to the pet can pass conversations between its owner and health officials. The pet can also summarise the owner’s physical condition and send the data to the centre. The pets are even capable of saying simple sentences such as “Good morning.”

　　W: But what happens if the person is seriously ill?

　　M: In case of emergencies, if no response is received, an ambulance will be sent immediately. In future society, everything will be controlled by computer.

　　W: I wouldn’t get too excited. Do you remember “Terminator” movies? At first computers were invented to serve mankind, but the computers ended up taking over the world!

　　(Text 10)

　　M: Today we’ll talk about Ernest Hemingway, the famous American writer.

　　Like many great authors, many of Hemingway’s books and stories were based on his personal experiences. In 1923, he published his first collection of short stories, and most of the stories were about his childhood. As we know, in his early twenties, Hemingway lived in Paris and knew many famous writers and artists there. So in his first novel, The Sun Also Rises, he wrote about those talented but lonely and angry people. In 1929, he published his fourth novel, A Farewell to Arms, which was based on his experiences during World War I. During World War II, he worked as a reporter in Europe, and after the war he used these experiences to write Across the River and into the Trees. In 1952, he wrote a short novel, The Old Man and the Sea. For this book, he won the Nobel Prize for Literature. Why is it the best? As I said, when he was younger, he used to go fishing with his father and in his later years, deep-sea fishing remained his favourite hobby. He was able to write a powerful story because of his own personal experiences.