福建省2015届高三英语摸底考试试卷及答案（安溪一中、德化一中）
福建省安溪一中、德化一中 2015届高三年摸底考试
英 语 试 题
考试科目：英 语 满分：150分 考试时间：2014.9.20 8:30—10:30
命 题 者：肖江波 陈为捷 审核者：肖江波 陈为捷
第I卷（选择题 满分115分）
第一部分 听力（共两节，满分30分）
做题时，先将答案标在试卷上。录音内容结束后，你将有两分钟的时间将试卷上的答案转涂到答题卡上。
第一节（共5小题；每小题1.5分，满分7.5分）
听下面5段对话，每段对话后有一个小题，从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项，并标在试卷的相应位置。听完每段对话后，你都有10秒钟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 conversation take place?
A. At the beginning of a term. B. At the end of a term. C. During a vacation.
2. Why can’t the man drive the woman tomorrow?
A. His car is being fixed.
B. He has a doctor’s appointment.
C. He will be working in a shop.
3. What will the woman do?
A. Charge her cell phone. B. Visit her mother. C. Make a call.
4. Who will throw a party for the woman next Sunday?
A. The woman herself. B. The man. C. Nancy.
5. What does the woman mean?
A. Her mother is a housewife.
B. Only 10% of American mothers work.
C. Most American mothers work.
第二节（共15小题；每小题1. 5分，满分22. 5分）
听下面5段对话或独白。每段对话或独白后有几个小题，从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项，并标在试卷的相应位置。听每段对话或独白前，你将有时间阅读各个小题，每小题5秒钟；听完后，各个小题将给出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 are the speakers mainly talking about?
A. A festival. B. A birthday party. C. A class reunion.
7. What does the woman decide to do?
A. Stay with her family.
B. Go to a party with the man.
C. Go on vacation.
听第7段材料，回答第8、9题。
8. How does the man feel?
A. Confident. B. Nervous. C. Excited.
9. What does the man want to do next?
A. Continue talking with the woman.
B. Go to the bathroom.
C. Drink some water.
听第8段材料，回答第10至12题。
10. Why does the girl want to have a car?
A. To travel with her friends. B. To show off. C. To be independent.
11. Where does the girl study?
A. In a middle school. B. In a high school. C. In a university.
12. Why doesn’t the man buy his daughter a car now?
A. He thinks his daughter is too young to drive.
B. He wants his daughter to earn a car.
C. He can’t afford another car.
听第9段材料，回答第13至16题。
13. With whom does the woman travel?
A. She is alone. B. Her family. C. Her business partner.
14. What do the speakers have in common?
A. They both live in New York.
B. They are both traveling on business.
C. They have both stayed in the hotel before.
15. What is the man’s favorite part of the hotel?
A. The service. B. The breakfast. C. The facilities.
16. What does the woman imply about the hotel?
A. The prices are reasonable.
B. It doesn’t seem like a nice hotel from the outside.
C. The service didn’t use to be anything special.
听第10段材料，回答第17至20题。
17. What is The Bookworm?
A. A literary festival. B. A café. C. A bookstore.
18. Who is Peter Hessler?
A. A photographer. B. A public speaker. C. A writer.
19. What was the speaker excited about?
A. Seeing someone give a speech.
B. Hearing a famous band play music.
C. Finding his favorite magazine.
20. What was the speaker’s mistake?
A. Mistaking the place. B. Mistaking the year. C. Mistaking the day.
第二部分：英语知识运用（共两节, 满分45分）
第一节：单项填空（共15小题，每小题1分，满分15分）
从A、B、C、D四个选项中，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。
21. The ASL Ice Bucket Challenge involves daring _____ person to dump _____ bucket of
ice water over their head within 20 hours, or donate money toward fighting ALS.
A. The; the B. A; x C. The; / D. A; A
22. We ______ for over 2 hours．Are you sure this is the right way?
A. have been driving B. were driving
C. had driven D. drove
23. Success partially depends on ______ you have the patience to do simple things perfectly．
A. that B. what C. whether D. when
24. The movie Gravity won seven awards at the Oscar night，which was ________ the
director"s wildest dream．
A. beyond B. about C. on D. across
25. President Xi Jingping urged traditional Chinese classics _______ in textbooks when visiting Beijing Normal University on the Eve of Teacher’s Day.
A. must be kept B. must keep C. is kept D. be kept
26. The Most Beautiful Village Teacher, hosted by CCTV, honors the teachers __________
valuable contributions are worthy to be respected by every Chinese.
A. of whom B. of which C. that D. whose
27. — What’s the matter with John? He has been sitting there for hours.
— A postcard from his father_______ an attack of home-sickness in him.
A. took up B. set off C. brought in D. built up
28. As a good speaker, it is important that you get your message to listeners.
A. through B. across C. toward D. forward
29. She was clearly a customer at Scott" s, as she told the waiter that she would stick to her favorite．
A. casual B. common C. regular D. ordinary
30. Former Olympic hurdles champion Liu Xiang posted a photo of himself and a woman
________ on a hurdle with a note reading “My beloved; her and it” on Tencent Weibo.
A. leaned B. being leaning C. leaning D. having leaned
31. Russia holds the view that MH17 crash tragedy happened in Ukraine’s airspace and it should _________ full responsibility for that.
A. stand B. seem C. bear D. remain
32. With some technical problems to be solved, it may be a while ______ the system is put into use.
A. when B. after C. since D. before
33. Jackie would like to buy an iphone 6, but _____ was available in Chinese mainland.
A. none B. nothing C. no one D. neither
34.—The poor weather was _________ responsible for the crash.
—I’m with you on that. Carelessness was also to blame.
A. equally B. increasingly C. badly D. partly
35. English songs are fun. But ________ that, they’ll help you improve your English skills.
A. other than B. more than C. rather than D. or rather
第二节 完形填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，共30分）
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，从每题所给的 A、B、C、D 四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
My class and I visited Chris Care Center in Phoenix, Arizona to comfort the old people who needed a little cheering up during the holiday season.
The first two 36 there were for persons requiring help in taking care of themselves. We sang 37 for them. They loved our sweet songs and the flowers that we left with them.
As we were 38 on the third floor for old people with Alzheimer (老年痴呆症), most of them 39 off at the walls or floor. However, one lady 40 my eye. She was sitting by the door, in a wheelchair, singing songs to herself. They weren’t the songs that we were singing, at least they didn’t 41 like that. As we got 42 with each festive song, she did as well. The louder we got, the louder she got. 43 she was singing, she was also 44 out to us with her hands and body. I knew that I should have gone over to her, but I thought that my 45 were to my students. People who worked at the care center could 46 to her, I thought. Just when I stopped feeling 47 about not giving her the attention she needed, one of my students, Justin, showed me what the holiday season is really about.
Justin also 48 the same lady. The difference between us is that he 49 on her needs, but I didn’t. During the last song, “Silent Night,” Justin walked over to her and held her hand. He looked this aged lady in her 50 and with his actions said, “You are important, and I will take my 51 to let you know that.”
This tired, elderly lady stopped singing and held his hand. Then she touched his cheek with the other hand. Tears began to fall down her face. No 52 can completely describe that touching moment...
It 53 a boy to teach me, a man, about kindness and love. Justin’s example of a complete, selfless attitude toward another was a 54 that I will never forget. He was the teacher that day, and I consider myself 55 to have witnessed his lesson.
36. A. rooms B. buildings C. floors D. groups
37. A. bravely B. shyly C. madly D. beautifully
38. A. dancing B. meeting C. gathering D. singing
39. A. stared B. shut C. paid D. glared
40. A. looked B. caught C. escaped D. hurt
41. A. appear B. hear C. sound D. feel
42. A. louder B. nearer C. faster D. higher
43. A. Because B. As C. Since D. Though
44. A. moving B. reaching C. coming D. spreading
45. A. interests B. abilities C. feelings D. responsibilities
46. A. speak B. object C. attend D. compare
47. A. afraid B. sure C. guilty D. scary
48. A. feared B. avoided C. helped D. noticed
49. A. called B. acted C. insisted D. kept
50. A. tears B. hands C. eyes D. face
51. A. time B. flower C. body D. cheek
52. A. words B. poems C. expressions D. songs
53. A. took B. wasted C. caused D. made
54. A. message B. lesson C. activity D. class
55. A. clever B. foolish C. right D. lucky
第三部分: 阅读理解 (共20小题；每小题2分，满分40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
WASHINGTON The head of the World Bank says for the first time in human history, it is possible to end poverty around the world. Jim Yong Kim told a Washington audience Tuesday, he wants to make ending world poverty by 2030 a top goal for the bank and governments around the world.
World Bank President Jim Yong Kim says that the problems of poverty, hunger and inequality are wide, urgent and a matter of survival of millions.
“We know that despite the great successes of the last decade, there are still about 1.3 billion people living in extreme poverty, 870 million who go hungry every day, and 6.9 million children under five dying every year,” he said.
But Kim told a Washington audience that the previous successful efforts to cut the number of people living in extreme poverty by half give them hope.
“We are at an auspicious moment in history, when the successes of past decades and an increasingly favourable economic outlook combine to give developing countries a chance－for the first time ever－to end extreme poverty within a generation,” he said in a speech at Georgetown University. “Our duty now must be to ensure that these favourable circumstances are matched with deliberate decisions to realize this historic opportunity.”
Kim says success will require increasing the speed of economic growth, particularly in South Africa and South Asia.
But he warned that civil unrest could happen if economic growth does not help people at all income levels, and also include women and youth．
Kim says that the World Bank and other development agencies will have more resources to get this job done right. “Meeting this 2030 goal will take extraordinary effort,” he said.
However, Kim warned that all the progress in fighting poverty could be destroyed by climate disasters unless the nations of the world do more to prevent climate change.
56. In the opinion of Jim Yong Kim, world poverty _____．
A. is difficult but hopeful to end by 2030 B. exists only in Africa and Asia
C. is not quite hard to end by 2030 D. will be sure to disappear by 2030
57. Which of the following gives Jim Yong Kim the hope to end world poverty?
A. Economic growth is increasing in developing countries．
B. Great successes have been achieved in science and technology．
C. A decreasing number of people are living in poverty．
D. All countries have started to fight poverty．
58. The underlined word 'auspicious' in Paragraph 5 most probably means '_____'．
A. unforgettable B. lucky
C. disappearing D. important
59. What’s the passage mainly about?
A. The key of ending world poverty is preventing climate change.
B. A top goal--ending world poverty will possibly be achieved by 2030.
C. The success of ending poverty－economic growth.
D. The progress in fighting poverty.
B
At Blossom End Railroad Station, 22-year-old Stanley Vine sat, waiting for his new employer. The surrounding green fields were so unlike the muddy landscape of war-torn France. After four horrible years as an army private fighter in Europe, Stanley had returned to England in February, 1946. Armed now with some savings and with no prospects for a job in England, he answered a newspaper ad for farm help in Canada. Two months later he was on his way.
When the old car rumbled toward the tiny station, Stanley rose to his feet, trying to make the most of his five feet and four inch frame. The farmer, Alphonse Lapine, shook his head and complained, “You’re a skinny thing.” On the way to his dairy farm, Alphonse explained that he had a wife and seven kids. “Money’s tight. You’ll get room and board. You’ll get up at dawn for milking, and then help me around the farm until evening milking time again. Ten dollars a week. Sundays off.” Stanley nodded. He had never been on a farm before, but he took the job.
From the beginning Stanley was treated horribly by the whole family. They made fun of the way he dressed and talked. He could do nothing right. The humourless farmer frequently lost his temper, criticizing Stanley for the slightest mistake. The oldest son, 13-year-old Armand, constantly played nasty tricks on him. But the kind-hearted Stanley never responded.
Stanley never became part of the Lapine family. After work, they ignored him. He spent his nights alone in a tiny bedroom. However, each evening before retiring, he lovingly cared for the farmer’s horses, eagerly awaiting him at the field gate. He called them his gentle giants. On Saturday nights he hitch-hiked into the nearest town and wandered the streets or enjoyed a restaurant meal before returning to the farm.
Early one November morning Alphonse Lapine discovered that Stanley had disappeared, after only six months as his farmhand. The railway station master, when questioned later that week, said he had not seen him. In fact no one in the community ever heard of him again. That is, until one evening, almost 20 years later, when Armand opened an American sports magazine and came across a shocking headline, “Millionaire jockey, Stanley Vine, ex-British soldier and 5-time horse riding champion, began life in North America as a farmhand in Canada.”
60. Stanley Vine decided to go to Canada because ________.
A. he wanted to escape from war-torn France
B. he wanted to serve in the Canadian army
C. he couldn’t find a job in England
D. he loved working as a farmhand
61. What did Stanley like doing after work each day?
A. Hitch-hiking to different towns.
B. Caring for the farmer’s horses.
C. Wandering around the farm alone.
D. Preparing meals on the farm.
62. What can we infer from the passage?
A. When Stanley first met his employer, he tried to impress him but failed.
B. Stanley had never worked on a farm, so he made few mistakes.
C. Stanley’s weekly salary was not enough for him to live on.
D. Stanley left the farm by train, without telling anyone why he did so.
63. Why was Armand so astonished when he read about Stanley in the magazine?
A. He didn’t know Stanley had been a British soldier.
B. He had no idea Stanley had always been a wealthy man.
C. He didn’t know his father paid Stanley so little money.
D. He didn’t expect Stanley to become such a success.
C
Summer Holiday Fun 2014!
The summer holidays are upon us again.Here is our guide to summer holiday fun in Peterborough!
Peterborough Museum
The Age of the Dinosaurs’ is the museum’s main attraction this summer．Get up close to prehistoric creatures via some great hands—on exhibits! Watch out for monsters lurking around every ember! The museum is open from 10：00am to 5：00pm Monday to Saturday，and from 12：00pm to 4：00 pm on Sundays in August．
Call 01733 864663 for details
Saxon Youth Club
School holiday fun：Young people aged 13—19 will be able to produce their own music, compete in spots activities，or try their hand at cooking at Saxon Youth Club，Saxon Community Centre, Norman Road．Peterborough every Monday and Wednesday from 3：00pm．PLUS an aero ball tournament will take place on Thursday 12th August between 3：30pm and 6：30pm．
Call 01 353 720274 for details
Houghton Mill
The new play Alice through the Looking Class—a new production of the family favorite on Monday 30th August．Bring rugs or chairs to sit on and a picnic if you wish to eat during the play．Gates open 5：30pm，performance 6：30pm—8：30pm．Tea room will be open until end of the interval．Adult ￡10．Child￡7．Family ￡20．
Booking advisable on 0845 4505157．
Farmland Museum and Denny Abbey
Farmland Gaines：From Wellie Wanging to Pretend Ploughing matches，come and join the Farmland Team．Collect your sporting stickers and create a colorful rosette that is fit for a winner！No need to book，just turn up between 12：00pm and 4：00pm on Thursday 19th August Suitable for children aged four and above，each child should be accompanied by an adult and all activities are included in the normal admission price Tickets Cost￡7 per child．
For further information，call 01223 810080．
64. If you are interested in cooking, you can go to .
A. Peterborough Museum B. Houghton Mill
C. Saxon Youth Club D. Farmland Museum
65. You want to watch the new play Alice through the Looking Class with your parents，so it will cost you ．
A.￡7 B.￡17 C.￡27 D.￡20
66. Which of the following activities needs parents’company?
A. Playing farmland games B. Watching a new play．
C. Competing in spots activities． D. Visiting the dinosaur exhibition．
67. If Tom comes to Peterborough for amusement on August 19，he will have activities to
choose from for himself．
A. one activity B. two activities
C. three activities D. four activities
D
While working with troubled teens, I used to have them do the Ten Years in the Future exercise. I asked them to write a letter to a friend as if it was ten years in the future. Most of these boys and girls didn’t think about the next week, much less ten years to come. Like the Cheshire cat says in Alice in Wonderland, “If you don’t know where you want to go, then it doesn’t really matter what road you take!” We had some great conversations as they really thought about what they wanted. For most of them, this was the first time they had ever thought this way!
But the real story is what happened to me. I did the exercise right along with them on many occasions, writing my dreams and visions(远景规划) in detail. In my letter to a friend, I had moved to the country, built my own home, authored a book, and started my own business. Over the next ten years, something magic happened. All my dreams and visions became a reality, almost as if arranged by an unseen hand. I did write books and start my business. We did move to the country and I did build my own home.
This letter to a friend will become a magnetic(有吸引力的) factor in your life. Your vision will guide you in your yearly goals, your monthly goals, and your daily activities. For example:
“Leslie, I just wanted to make contact again and tell you about my life. I started my own gardening business in 2020 and it’s really taken off.”
Remember to describe all the details as if they have already happened. Write to a real person who you think may still know in ten years. This will help make it more real for you.
Sit down and write your Ten Years in the Future letter today.
72. The underlined sentence in Paragraph 1 indicates that __________.
A. you should have a goal
B. you had better not copy others
C. you may do what you want to do
D. you may have different ideas
73. It seems that the writer’s dreams and visions became a reality because the writer _______.
A. had put something magic in the letter
B. could foresee what would happen
C. was experienced in writing the Ten Years letter
D. took what was written in the letter as a guide in life
74. According to the writer, “Leslie” in your letter should be the person that _________.
A. does the same exercise as you
B. will become your friend in ten years
C. you know now and may still know in the future
D. you can imagine when you write your letter
75. The writer advises you to write the Ten Years in the Future letter _________.
A. as soon as possible B. in ten years’ time
C. when you have time D. as often as possible
E
The globe is facing a “tidal wave” of cancer, and restrictions on alcohol and sugar need to be considered, say World Health Organization scientists. It predicts the number of cancer cases will reach 24 million a year by 2035, but half could be prevented. The WHO said there was now a “real need” to focus on cancer prevention by cutting down smoking, obesity and drinking.
The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) said there was an “alarming” level of ignorance about diet’s role in cancer. Fourteen million people a year are diagnosed with cancer, but that is predicted to increase to 19 million by 2025, 22 million by 2030 and 24 million by 2035. The developing world will bear the worst of the extra cases.
Dr Chris Wild, the director of the WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer, told the BBC: “The global cancer burden is increasing quite markedly, due mainly to the ageing of the populations and population growth. If we look at the cost of treatment of cancers, it is increasing out of control, even for the high-income countries. Prevention is absolutely critical and it’s been somewhat neglected.”
The WHO’s World Cancer Report 2014 said the major sources of preventable cancer included: smoking, infections, alcohol, obesity and inactivity, radiation, both from the sun and medical scans, air pollution and other environmental factors, delayed parenthood, having fewer children and not breastfeeding.
For most countries, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. However, cervical cancer (子宫颈癌) dominates in large parts of Africa.
One of the report’s editors, Dr Bernard Stewart from the University of New South Wales in Australia, said prevention had a “critical role in fighting the tidal wave of cancer which we see coming across the world”. He said human behaviour was behind many cancers such as the sunbathe “until you’re cooked evenly on both sides” approach in his native Australia. There was a similar argument to be something with sugar fuelling obesity, which in turn affected cancer risk.
Meanwhile, a survey of 2,046 people in the UK by the WCRF suggested 49% do not know that diet increases the risk of developing cancer. A third of people said cancer was mainly due to family history, but the charity said no more than 10% of cancers were down to inherited genes.
Amanda McLean, general manager for the WCRF, said: “It’s very alarming to see that such a large number of people don’t know that there’s a lot they can do to significantly reduce their risk of getting cancer. In the UK, about a third of the most common cancers could be prevented through being a healthy weight, eating a healthy diet and being regularly physically active.”
“People can cut their risk of cancer by making healthy lifestyle choices, but it’s important to remember that the government and society are also responsible for creating an environment that supports healthy lifestyles.”
72. What’s the main reason for the increasing of cancer according to Dr Chris Wild?
A. The lack of the cost of treatment of cancers.
B. The problems of population ageing and growth.
C. The high rate of cancer of high-income countries.
D. The over-prevention of various cancers.
73. What can we learn from Paragraph 6?
A. Radiation from the sun won’t lead to any cancer.
B. In order to find cancer early one should receive as many medical scans as possible.
C. It is better to feed babies with cow milk instead of breastfeeding.
D. A healthy diet and regular exercise are helpful to prevent cancer.
74. What is the best title of the passage?
A. The Tidal Wave of Cancer is Coming
B. Stopping Smoking Helps Stop Cancer
C. Healthy Lifestyles to Prevent Cancer
D. Healthy Eating, Away from Cancer
75. How can we prevent cancer according to the passage?
a. By stopping smoking. b. By drinking less alcohol.
c. By eating a healthy diet. d. By putting off giving birth to babies.
e. By taking exercise regularly.
A. abcd B. abce C. abde D. acde
第II卷 （非选择题 共35分）
第四部分 写作（共两节，满分35分）
第一节 短文填空：（共10小题，每小题1分，满分10分）
阅读下面短文，根据以下提示：l)汉语提示，2)首字母提示，3)语境提示，在每个空格内填入一个适当的英语单词。所填单词要求意义准确，拼写正确, 并将该词完整地写在相应的横线上。
Many Americans have found the cell phone valuable in providing help in emergencies and free time entertainment. (76)M________， it has also brought up (77) p________ in careless driving, irritating behaviors in public and high expenses.
Cell phones are also (78)________ (流行的) in China, and many students own them. The question is (79)________ students should be allowed to use them at school. Some parents support it just for the need to communicate with their children, (80)w________ some others think it a bad idea, worrying that it will disturb usual educational (81)________ (环境).
In my opinion, (82)________ is not that necessary for us to have cell phones in school. Busy with studies and after-class (83)________ (活动), we do not have much time to call others. (84)________， it is true that parents and students have a need to talk to each other from time to time. I suggest schools provide more pay phones on campus so that parents and students can have easier access (85)________ each other.
第二节 书面表达（满分25分）
请认真阅读下面的引语(quotation), 按要求写一篇短文。
I never see what has been done; I only see what remains to be done.
--Madame Curie
内容要求：1. 你对该引语的理解；2. 你的相关经历；3. 恰当的结尾。
注意：①文中不能出现考生的具体信息；
②词数不少于120，如引用提示语则不计入总词数。
福建省安溪一中、德化一中 2015届高三年摸底考试答案
听力 1—5AACBC 6—10AABBC 11—15BBACB 16—20ABCAB
单选
21-25 DACAD 26-30 DBBCC 31-35 CDADA
第二节 完形填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，共30分）
36．C 37．D 38．D 39．A 40．B
41．C 42．A 43．B 44．B 45．D
46．C 47．C 48．D 49．B 50．C
51．A 52．A 53．A 54．B 55．D
56-59 ACBB 60-63 CBAD 64-67CDAB 68-71 ADCA 72-75 BDCB
76. Meanwhile 77. problems 78. popular 79. whether 80. while
81. environment/surroundings 82. it 83. activities 84. However 85. to
In my opinion, the quotation from Madame Curie convey the message that during our years of school life, we should learn to look at what I need to do in the future, rather than being lost in what I’ve done before.
When I was luckily admitted into this key senior high school three years ago with good grades, I was wild with joy, thinking that the good grades might guarantee me enough time for relaxation before I acted up. Therefore, I found myself hanging around with some other students rather than devoting myself to my studies. It didn’t take long before I realized that I fell behind sharply in my studies, sometimes even with my homework unfinished. Fully aware of the fact that I still had a long way to go before I relaxed, I began to catch up.
We tend to be content with what we’ve achieved, forgetting all about our road ahead, which may actually put us at a disadvantage. Only when we keep in mind what remains for us to do can we make continuous progress.
录音原文：
英语听力模拟试题（一）
Text 1
M: It’s strange being back in school.
W: What do you mean?
M: I think it’s tough to get used to studying, meeting new people, and taking notes again after being on vacation for so long.
Text 2
W: Could you drive me to my doctor’s appointment tomorrow, Jesse?
M: I’d love to, Theresa, but the problem is that my car is in the shop.
Text 3
W: Uh oh, I think my cell phone is about to die.
M: Don’t worry. I charged mine before we left the house.
W: Thank goodness. My mother called me three times. I don’t want her to worry.
Text 4
W: Next Sunday, I want to have a party for my birthday.
M: A birthday party? Nancy wanted to throw one for you, but I told her I would do it, so don’t worry about it.
Text 5
M: Do you mean that both of your parents work?
W: So what? Only 10% of American families have a traditional working father and a stay-at-home mother.
Text 6
M: I bought a pumpkin, and I am planning to make it into a lantern tomorrow.
W: Oh, that’s right. Halloween is coming!
M: Yeah, the school is letting us use the gym for the Halloween party. I am so excited about it, but I have not decided what to wear this year. I don’t want to wear a plain old vampire costume like last year. Have you decided what you’re going to wear? You looked so great in that Cat Woman costume last year.
W: Me? No, I’m still not sure. Last year’s party was great, but I will be at home with my family this year.
Text 7
W: Mr. Davidson, what is a leader in your opinion?
M: Uh, well, um, a leader is someone who... leads, I guess. It’s someone who, uh, sets a good example, uh... for others.
W: OK. What kinds of leadership qualities do you think this position requires?
M: Hmm, I would have to say that... uh, this position, uh... well, someone who is strong and can think quickly and...
W: Do you think you are qualified, Mr. Davidson?
M: Oh, yeah, I’m, like, totally qualified! I would do a great job, for sure, as long as I get paid enough. Can I, uh, ask one question?
W: Go ahead, Mr. Davidson.
M: Where is the bathroom? I must have had too much water today!
W: (Sigh) It’s right down the hall. Go ahead and see yourself out afterwards. We will let you know.
Text 8
W: Dad, can I have a car?
M: Sweetheart, we talked about this. Owning a car is a big responsibility. Gas is pretty expensive nowadays. You also have to maintain your car properly, and that means...
W: Yeah, I know, Dad! You’ve told me a thousand times! But how am I supposed to be independent if you always drive me places?
M: Well, I feel more comfortable knowing that you’re safe.
W: Do you know how embarrassing it is to have your father drop you off at the mall? All my friends have cars of their own already!
M: Don’t all of your friends have jobs of their own, too?
W: Well, yeah, I guess, but...
M: And haven’t your friends kept their grades up all through high school?
W: Uh... yeah.
M: Well, you show me a report card of straight A’s and two paychecks from a new job, and then we’ll talk about a car for you.
W: What? That’s so unfair!
M: Life isn’t fair sometimes. But you’ll appreciate your future car if you earn it. Why don’t we look through some car magazines so you can see what you are working toward?
Text 9
M: This is quite a nice pool, isn’t it?
W: I’ll say. Is this your first time in this hotel?
M: Oh, no. I stay here every time I’m in New York on business. What about you?
W: This is my first time here without my family. I decided that I just wanted some time for myself this weekend.
M: Good for you! My name is Bernard Smith, but you can call me Bernie.
W: Hi, Bernie! I’m Jane.
M: Nice to meet you. So, Jane, what do you think is the best part of this hotel? I mean, seeing as how you’re a bit of an expert and all...
W: Well, I wouldn’t say I’m an expert, but the service here is much better than at most other hotels. Considering the price of the rooms here, you might not expect the service to be anything special, but I feel like I am treated like a queen whenever I’m here.
M: I agree that the service is great, but my favorite thing about this place has got to be the breakfast. I mean, have you seen so many choices anywhere else?
W: Well, you have a point there, Bernie. I do love eating breakfast here, and I guess I usually talk about it whenever people ask me how my trip to New York was.
Text 10
So I was walking around Beijing the other day when I saw a sign for The Bookworm. It’s a really cool café that also has great food, and sometimes they have music and other special events. Well, it just so happened that there was a literary festival going on that featured writers and photographers working in China, and I saw that Peter Hessler was going to be speaking at the festival at 7:30 that very night! Peter Hessler is probably my favorite writer at the moment; he used to write about China for The New Yorker, a famous American magazine, and he also wrote three books about his experiences living and working in Beijing. His writing is really funny and super clever, and I was so excited to hear him speak that I went right over to The Bookworm, grabbed a seat at the bar, and waited for him to arrive. I waited and waited, but he still was a no-show. Finally, at 8:30, I asked one of the staff when he was supposed to be there. “Peter Hessler?” the guy replied. “He’s not supposed to be here tonight. He was here last year, though.” It was then that I realized my mistake. I had come on the right day, just not in the right year!