武城县第二中学2015-2016学年上学期考试
高三年级英语试题
本试卷分为第一卷(选择题)和第二卷(非选择题)两部分.
第一卷(共三部分, 共计 100分)
注意事项:
1. 答题前,考生在答题卡上务必用直径0. 5毫米黑色墨水签字笔将自己的姓名、准考证号填写清楚。
2.. 每小题选出答案后,用2B铅笔把答题卡上对应题目的答案标号涂黑,如需改动,用橡皮擦干净后,再选涂其他答案标号,在试题卷上作答无效。
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 will the man arrive?
A.At 8:15. B.At 8:30. C.At 8:45.
2.What is Maggie good at?
A.Handling problems. B.Finding out problems. C.Managing the team.
3.How did the woman feel about the notice?
A.Surprised. B.Delighted. C.Disappointed.
4.What does the man advise the woman to do?
A.Call Mr.Smith at once. B.Wait for the chance. C.Just give up.
5.What does the woman eat for breakfast once in a while?
A.Sandwiches. B.Eggs. C.Fruit.
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.Why did the manager go to New York?
A.On business. B.For fun. C.For an appointment.
7.When will the man meet the manager?
A.Next Monday. B.Next Tuesday. C.Next Thursday.
听第7段材料,回答第8、9题。
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8.What’s the woman expecting?
A.Mrs.Brown’s call. B.Mr.Brown’s call. C.Mr.White’s return.
9.What will happen in a couple of hours?
A.The man will send an email.
B.The postcards will be sent.
C.The woman will go out.
听第8段材料,回答第10至12题。
10.What happened to the man?
A.He got up late.
B.He lost his tickets.
C.He broke his alarm clock.
11.How will the two speakers go to the airport?
A.By train. B.By taxi. C.By bus.
12.What can be learned from the conversation?
A.The woman is very patient.
B.The wallet will never be found.
C.The man always forgets things.
听第9段材料,回答第13至16题。
13.When were there 7,063 McDonald’s in the world?
A.By 1982. B.By 1980. C.By 1960.
14.What’s McDonald’s like?
A.Crowded but cheap. B.Good and clean. C.Rude and careless.
15.Why do workers buy their lunches in McDonald’s?
A.They can relax there. B.The lunches taste better.C.They want to have a change.
16.Who bought the name of McDonald’s?
A.Maurice. B.Ray Kroc. C.Richard.
听第10段材料,回答第17至20题。
17.Whom did Marco Polo travel with?
A.His wife. B.His son. C.His father and uncle.
18.In which year did Marco Polo probably leave China?
A.1275. B.1285. C.1295.
19.What was Marco Polo’s opinion of China?
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A.It was very advanced. B.It was very poor. C.Its emperor was cruel.
20.What were those black stones used for?
A.Giving off light. B.Decorating homes. C.Heating houses.
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
Cleverness is a gift while kindness is a choice.Gifts are easy—they’re given after all.Choice can be hard.
I got the idea to start Amazon 16 years ago.I came across the fact that the Internet usage was growing at 2300 percent per year.I’d never seen or heard of anything that grew that fast,and the idea of building all online bookstore with millions of titles was very exciting to me. I had just turned 30 years old,and I’d been married for a year.I told my wife MacKenzie that I wanted to quit my job and go to do this crazy thing that probably wouldn’t work since most start-ups don’t and I wasn’t sure what to expect.MacKenzie told me I should go for it.As a young boy,I’d been a garage inventor.I’d always wanted to be all inventor,and she wanted me to follow my passion.
I was working at a financial firm in New York City with a bunch of very smart people and I had a brilliant boss that I much admired.I went to my boss and told him I wanted to start a company selling books on the Internet.He took me on a long walk in Central Park,listened carefully to me,and finally said,“That sounds like a really good idea,but it would be an even better idea for someone who didn’t already have a good job.”That 1ogic made some sense to me,and he convinced me to think about it for 48 hours before making a final decision.Seen in that light, it really was a difficult choice,but finally,I decided I had to give it a shot.I didn’t think I’d regret trying and failing.And I suspected I would always be haunted by a decision to not try at all.
After much consideration ,I took the less safe path to follow my passion ,and I’m proud of that choice.For all of us,in the end,we are our choice.
21.What inspired the author with the idea of building an online bookstore?
A.His dream of being an inventor. B.The support of his wife.
C.The greatly increasing usage of the Internet. D.Millions of exciting titles,
22.Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined sentence?
A.The idea of not trying would keep coming to his mind and disturb him.
B.He would be very excited if he tried it out.
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C.He would be always having a doubt if he didn’t try.
D.The decision to not try the online bookstore would terrify him.
23.Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A.Cleverness and Kindness B.The Starting of Amazon
C.Following My Passion D.We Are What We Choose
24.We can know from the passage that_______.
A.the boss thought the idea was suitable for the author
B.the author wanted someone else to try the idea
C.the author might not regret if he failed the idea
D.the author might go back to his boss if he failed
B
Since Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay climbed Mount Everest, Mount Qomolangma’s peak is no longer a lonely place and is turning into a trash heap.
So far, more than 350 climbers have successfully reached the peak. And they have complained about waiting for hours in the bottlenecks (狭窄路段) on the way to the peak, a situation that isn’t just uncomfortable — it’s cold and windy up there — but downright dangerous. If bad weather strikes, climbers can and do die.
As a matter of fact, the dangerous crowds aren’t the only problem on Qomolangma. All those climbers need to bring a lot of gear—and much of them ends up being left on the mountain, sometimes even the peak itself. Mount Qomolangma is becoming the world’s largest dump. Here’s mountaineer Mark Jenkins writing in National Geographic about the state of Qomolangma: “The two standard routes, the Northeast Ridge and the Southeast Ridge, are disgustingly polluted with oxygen cans and torn tents everywhere.”
But the good news is that some mountaineers are taking it upon themselves to clean up Qomolangma. Mountianeer Paul Thelen and his friend Eberhard Schaaf are part of the annual Eco Everest Expedition, which has been cleaning up rubbish from base camps to the peak since 2008. So far they’ve collected over 13 tons of garbage.
Some of that rubbish is even being used for a higher purpose. As part of the Mount Everest 8844 Art Project, a group of 15 artists from Nepal collected 1.5 tons of garbage brought down the mountain by climbers. They’ve transformed the cans and oxygen tanks—and in one case, part of the remains of a helicopter—into 74 pieces of art that have already gone on exhibition in Nepal’s capital. Part of the profit from sales will go to the Everest Peakers Association, which has helped collect tons of rubbish on the slopes of the mountain.
25. What does the underlined word “gear” mean?
A. Equipment for climbing mountains.
B.. The food climbers brought onto the mountain.
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C. Some important machines used for the bottlenecks.
D. Some rubbish found on the mountain.
26. The group of 15 Nepali artists_________.
A. created works of art using rubbish from Qomolangma
B. were employed by the Everest Peakeers Association
C. climbed Qomolangma and collected 1.5 tons of trash
D. painted 74 beautiful pictures of Mount Qomolangma’s peak
27.What can be the best title for the text?
A. Eco Everest Expedition Proves Successful
B. Qomolangma Has Become A Huge Mess
C. Test Yourself Against Qomolangma
D. Recycle Rubbish On Qomolangma
C
The bed should be reserved as a place for sleep, but people tend to read an iPad a lot in bed before they go to sleep.
Charles Czeisler, a professor at Harvard Medical School, and his colleagues got a small group of people for an experiment. For five days in a row, the people read either a paper book or an iPad for four hours before sleep. Their sleep patterns were monitored all night. Before and after each trial period, the people took hourly blood tests to paint a day-long picture of just how much melatonin (褪黑激素) was in their blood at any given time.
When subjects read on the iPad as compared to the paper books, they reported feeling less sleepy at night and less active the following morning. People also took longer to fall asleep on the iPad nights, and the blood tests showed that their melatonin secretion (分泌) was delayed by an hour and a half.
The researchers conclude in today's journal article that given the rise of e-readers and the increasingly widespread use of e-things among children and adolescents, more research into the long-term consequences of these devices on health and safety is urgently needed. Czeisler and colleagues go on, in the research paper, to note:“Reading an iPad in bed may increase cancer risk.”
However, software has been developed that can reduce some of the blue light from the screens of phones and computers according to time of day, and there are also glasses that are made to filter (过滤) short wavelengths. While they seem like a logical solution for the nighttime tech users, it needs more research.
28. In Charles Czeislers experiment, all the subjects were asked to______.
A. sit in a row and receive the strict tests
B. have their sleep patterns observed all night
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C. read a paper book and an iPad at the same time
D. have their blood tested per hour during the trial
29 The third paragraph tells us the iPad readers were likely to____________.
A. feel less sleepy and tired in the day B. fall asleep more easily after reading
C. become less energetic the next morning D. have a lot more melatonin secretion
30. The special software recently developed can______.
A. remove the blue light from your devices completely
B. help prevent eyes being harmed by short wavelength
C. weaken the harm done by doing nighttime e-reading
D. be used in all the e-things widely and safely
31. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
A. No e-reading in bed before sleep B. New software for night e-readers
C. Wrong behaviors before bedtime D. No games on iPad in bed
D
See a cellphone cover that you like on Taobao? Forget about placing an order, paying the bill online and waiting for days for it to be delivered to you. In the near future, you'll be able to get it in minutes just by hitting “print” on your computer.
You might find it hard to believe that you could actually “print” an object like you would a picture. But it is not that hard to understand how it would work. Just as a traditional printer sprays ink onto paper line by line, modern 3D printers spread material onto a surface layer by layer, from the bottom to the top, gradually building up a shape.
Instead of ink, the materials the 3D printer uses are mainly plastic, resin(树脂) and certain metals. The thinner each layer is—from a millimetre to less than the width of a hair—the smoother and finer the object will be.
This may sound like a completely new technology, but the truth is that 3D printing has been around since the late 1980s. Back then, it was barely affordable for most people, so few knew about it.
Last year, though, saw a big change in the 3D printing industry—printers became much cheaper. For example, 10 years ago a desktop 3D printer might have cost £20,000, while now they cost only about £1,000, according to the BBC.
Taken out of the factory and introduced to more diverse and common uses, 3D printing can create just about anything you can think of—flutes , bikinis, jewelry, aircraft parts and even human organs. In fact, scientists from Cornell University in New York have just made an artificial ear using a 3D printer, according to Science Daily. The
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fake ear looks and acts exactly like a natural one.
However, as 3D printing becomes more common, it may bring about certain problems—such as piracy. “Once you can download a coffee maker, or print out a new set of kitchen utensils (餐具) on your personal 3D printer, who will visit a retail store again?” an expert in 3D printing told Forbes News. Even more frightening, what if anyone in the world could use a 3D printer to print out a fully functioning gun?
32. According to the article, in the future, the 3D printing technology will _______.
A. enable people to make better purchases online
B. change the way we make many products
C. be applied as widely in our daily life as computers
D. shorten the time it takes for people to get what they buy online
33. What happened in the 3D printing industry last year?
A. The 3D printing technology was taken out of the factory.
B. The 3D printing technology began to be used in various fields.
C. The 3D printer was used for medical treatment for the first time.
D. The 3D printer became more affordable for consumers.
34. What is the best title of the passage?
A. Great Demand for 3D Printers B. Technology in the Future
C. Online Shopping Disappearing D. Printing out Everything
35. How is the last paragraph developed?
A. By giving examples. B. By making comparisons.
C. By analyzing the cause and effect. D. By presenting research findings.
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。
Of the many unpleasant emotions we can experience, fear may top the list. 36 . Fear can also keep us from pursuing the things in life that really matter -- like following our dreams, and developing important relationships. I have some ideas, though, of how to be free from fear.
l Experience fear.
I used to be very afraid of speaking in front of people. I would get sweaty palms and my stomach would be so tied up that I wouldn't be able to eat. However, each time I spoke, I noticed afterwards that it wasn't that bad. Things I fear are never as bad in reality as I make them out in my mind. 37 .
l Create space.
The first and most important step to being fearless is to create some space between ourselves and the emotion of fear. This isn't accomplished by ignoring the fear, or
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trying to talk ourselves out of it. 38 . In fact, a recent research shows that by simply admitting the emotion we actually begin to reverse the "fight or flight(逃避)" response in the body.
l Control the breath and feel the fear.
Once we acknowledge the presence of fear, the second step is to control the breathing so that it becomes slower and gentler. We try to make the breath just a little bit longer, and feel how fear manifests(展现) in the body. 39 .
With practice, we can create enough space between us and the emotion of fear so that we're able to replace a fearful thought with a positive one. 40 . For instance, before I get up to speak in front of a group of people, I imagine that the audience is positively impressed by what I say and that I manage to complete the speech successfully.
A. Space is created only when we can honestly acknowledge that fear exists.
B. We can imagine a positive outcome for whatever we're about to do.
C. Fear, if left uncontrolled, can even destroy our life.
D. So one way to get rid of fear is to simply push ourselves to do things that we fear.
E. When we can see a positive outcome in our mind, fear no longer holds us back.
F. But fear is more than just physically unpleasant.
G. As we pay attention to the physical symptoms of fear, we can see fear objectively.
第三部分:完形填空(共20小题;每小题1.5分,满分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。
Life becomes easier when you learn to accept an apology you never got. I’ve always tried to keep my 41 from people who are rude, aggressive and mean. But sometimes we 42_ become tied to people who might not have our best 43 at heart.
Last summer, I became involved with a(n) 44 coworker who was at a bad spot in his life. I had a lot of 45 for him and decided to help him 46 this tough time, so I tried my best to 47 his rudeness when he lost his temper. However, just like a swimmer drowning in a pool, he grabbed on and ended up drowning me when I reached out and tried to 48 him. His rudeness gradually was out of 49 . One night, when I got up to get a glass of water, he started yelling at me to get back into my bedroom. I did as I was told but I was not happy about it. He 50 my shift in mood and asked what was wrong. But when I told him his behavior toward me was 51 and that I was very hurt by the way he had treated me, he was 52 . He could not understand his actions had 53 impacted me. He told me he didn’t have anything against me that there w
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as no need for me to 54 it. I used examples from his life of things that had hurt him and then tried to make the 55 that the same things also made me 56 . I said, “ I always treat you with compassion, patience and understanding, but you haven’t treated me with 57 respect.” He was silent after listening to my words. What I had said might 58 him.
People only change if they want to change. I didn’t know whether he would shift his 59 or not in the future, but I would continue to 60 him through my patience, understanding and kindness.
41. A. difference B. distance C. pressure D. absence
42. A. luckily B. expectantly C. unwillingly D. unavoidably
43. A. decisions B. performances C. interests D.consequences
44. A. co-operative B. kind-hearted C. easy-going D. bad-tempered
45. A. advice B. sympathy C. permission D. selection
46. A. get across B. get out of C. get through D. get off
47. A.control B.tolerate C. criticize D. explain
48. A.rescue B. persuade C. entertain D. drag
49. A. practice B. action C. control D. danger
50. A. forgave B. ignored C. understood D. noticed
51. A. unacceptable B. appropriate C. unnecessary D. traditional
52. A. surprised B. scared C. anxious D. shamed
53. A. properly B. directly C. deliberately D. equally
54. A. accept B. doubt C. refuse D. mind
55. A. summary B. analysis C. comparison D. expectation
56. A. upset B. unfriendly C. puzzled D. selfish
57. A. promised B. deserved C. proven D. intended
58. A. annoy B. satisfy C. touch D. inspire
59. A. ambition B. involvement C. requirement D. perspective
60. A. convince B. trust C. praise D. comfort
第II卷(共50分)
第一节 语法填空 (共10小题,每小题1.5分,共15分)
阅读下面短文,按照句子结构的语法性和上下文连贯的要求,在空格处填入一个适当的词或使用括号中词语的正确形式填空,并将答案填写在答题卡标号为61~70的相应位置上。
A CCTV journalist succeeded in arousing a heated discussion among netizens by asking people whether they were happy. The responses to the question were various,
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even some quite funny ones 61 ___ (include). Although people played jokes 62 the answers, it did not take long 63 __ they began to figure out the true meanings of happiness.
It is certain that people’s views on happiness 64 ___(affect) greatly by their own life experience. Unfortunately, too many people refer to being rich as happiness and there is no sign of 65 decrease in the number of those who are voluntarily at the mercy of wealth. Some people whose 66 ____(intend) is to make big money appreciate being given any chance to multiply their income, believing that is __67_____ their happiness lies. Some are eager to inherit their parents’ property, especially those who 68 __(be) known as silver-spoon kids. Even worse, some would rather break the law to satisfy their financial desire or seek their fortune __69_____(legal).
In my opinion, happiness is not about pursuing wealth merely but about admiring the beautiful things in life. Therefore, live your life ___70_____the fullest and be happy.
第二节 短文改错 (共10小题;每小题1分,满分10分)
下面短文中有10处语言错误。请在有错误的地方增加、删除或修改某个单词。
增加:在缺调处加一个漏字符号(∧)),并在其下面写上该加的词。
删除:把多余的词用斜线(\)划掉。
修改:在错的词下划一横线,并在该词下面写上修改后的词。
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。
This summer I visited Yandangshan. When arriving by bus, I caught a sight of many mountains by looking through the mist, one of what was just like a sleeping baby from an angle. Later it looked like a strong man seeing from another.
What impressed me was the sunrise. Stood on the top of the mountain, I saw the sunshine giving out all directions. The green mountain in our eyes, the clouds in the sky, and the shocking expressions on people's faces formed a beautiful picture. As for me, nature hold me totally with its power.
The sceneries there made a great impression to me. I hope to go there again one day.
第三节 书面表达(满分25分)
假定你叫李华,是我校高三(2)班的学生。你在校报英语专栏看到了学校“英语文化节”的一则招募启事,请阅读启事,并根据写作要点和写作要求写一封应征邮件。
Volunteers Wanted
Our annual English Festival, which will be held on November 12,2015, , is now looking for 20 student volunteers to provide service for Talent Show, Speech Contest,
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and English Debate. If you are interested, please send an application email at your earliest convenience to Ms Chen at chenlaoshi@aef.com.
写作要点: 1.表明意图;2.陈述应征目的;3.说明应征条件(性格、能力等)。
写作要求: 1.词数:100词左右; 2.开头和结尾部分已写好,不计入总词数;
3.可适当增加细节,使行文连贯。
Dear MS Chen,
I’m a student from Class 2,Grade 3.
Looking forward to your reply.
Yours,
Li Hua
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班级 姓名 考号 考场
装 订 线
武城县第二中学2015-2016学年上学期考试
高三年级英语试题·答题卷
第一节 语法填空(共10小题,每小题1.5分,满分15分)
61. 62. 63. 64.
65. 66. 67. 68.
69. 70.
第二节 短文改错 (共10小题;每小题1分,满分10分)
This summer I visited Yandangshan. When arriving by bus, I caught a sight of many mountains by looking through the mist, one of what was just like a sleeping baby from an angle. Later it looked like a strong man seeing from another.
What impressed me was the sunrise. Stood on the top of the mountain, I saw the sunshine giving out all directions. The green mountain in our eyes, the clouds in the sky, and the shocking expressions on people's faces formed a beautiful picture. As for me, nature hold me totally with its power.
The sceneries there made a great impression to me. I hope to go there again one day.
书面表达:
Dear MS Chen,
I’m a student from Class 2,Grade 3.
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Looking forward to your reply.
Yours,
Li Hua
座 号
考场号
武城县第二中学2015-2016学年上学期考试
高三年级英语试题·答案
听力 1—5ACBAC 6—10 ACBBA 11—15 BCCBA 16—20 BCCBA
阅读理解 21-24 CADC 25-27 AAB 28--31 BCCA 32-35 BDDA
36-40 FDAGB
完形填空41-45 BDCDB 46-50 CBACD 51-55 AABDC 56-60 ABCDD
语法填空: 61. included 62. on 63. before 64. are affected 65. a 66. intention 67. where 68. are 69. illegally 70.to
短文改错
1.去掉sight 前的a 2.what→ which 3.seeing →seen 4.Stood →Standing 5.all前加 in
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6.our →my 7.shocking →shocked 8.hold → held 9.sceneries →scenery
10.impression后的to改为on
书面表达
Dear Ms Chen,
I’m ,a student from Class 2,Grade 3. I’m writing to apply for the position as a student volunteer.
I really want to obtain this precious opportunity because, by offering my service, I will be able to improve my organizational ability, communication skills as well as my confidence in speaking English in public.
As an outgoing girl, I get along well with my classmates .Besides, I have such a good command of English that I am elected as an assistant to my English teacher. Successfully, I have lent a helping hand to her in several English activities of my class, which have been appreciated by both teachers and classmates.
I am sure that I can perfectly live up to your expectations. I would appreciate it you could take me into consideration.
Looking forward to your reply.
Yours,
Li Hua
附:听力录音稿
( Text 1 )
W:Isn't our appointment at 8: 30?
M:Yes, it is. But I'm afraid I will have to be 15 minutes late.
(Text 2 )
M:Maggie is a great help to the team.
W:Yes, she is clever, and she is always able to handle problems.
( Text 3 )
M:Did you see the notice from the landlord?
W:Yes. I was really shocked !
( Text 4 )
W:I want to get into Mr. Smith's class. But I guess chances are slim.
M:I wouldn't say that. Just wait.
( Text 5 )
M:What do you often eat for breakfast?
W:A cup of milk, an egg, and bread and butter. Once in a while a sandwich.
( Text 6 )
W:Good morning, Mr. Brown. I'm afraid there's been a change in today's appointment. I've just gotten word that our manager won't be able to keep his appointment with
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you this morning. He was asked to fly to New York on business.
M:When will he be back?
W:Next Monday.
M:Shall we meet next Tuesday then?
W:Certainly. How about Tuesday morning?
M:That'll be fine. Let's say 9 o'clock, all right?
W:OK.
( Text 7 )
W:I'm going out now, but I'm expecting an important business call from Mr. Brown. Could I ask you to take a message for me?
M:Certainly, Mrs. White.
W:Please ask him to call again around 5:00.
M:I'll be sure to tell him.
W:Oh, yes. One more thing: I'd like to have these postcards mailed right away.
M:I can mail them for you. They should go out in a couple of hours.
( Text 8 )
W:Would you hurry up? We're late!
M:I know. I'm coming...
W:Our flight leaves in less than two hours! Come on!
M:I can't find my wallet.
W:If you hadn't overslept, we wouldn't be so stressed out right now!
M:I'm sorry. I didn't hear my alarm it's not like I did it on purpose... It's not my fault!
W:Well, it's definitely not my fault!
M:Damn it! I can't find it! Do you see my wallet anywhere? It's made of brown leather.
W:Did you check your pockets?
M:Of course I did I'm not that dumb... Oh, wait a second... Ah, here it is.
W:Why am I not surprised? OK. Put on your shoes and let's get out of here!
M:Yeah, yeah... Say, why don't we take the express train to the airport? It'll be faster than a taxi.
W:Are you kidding me? A taxi will be faster! We don't have time to argue about this. Let's just grab the first cab when we get downstairs.
M:OK, OK... uh...
W:What is it now?
M:I can't find my keys.
( Text 9)
M:Is it true that fast food restaurants are very popular in the USA?
W:Yes, especially in the big cities.
M:Why?
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W:Because the food is good, the service is fast and the prices are low.
M:Oh, that's good. Then which restaurant is the most well-known?
W:McDonald's. By 1982 ,there were 7,063 McDonald's in the world, and about 1,280 of them were in other countries, such as Japan, West Germany, England and Australia.
M:I see. How about the service and the food?
W:Well, the employees are helpful and polite, and the tables and floors are clean enough. Most important, customers can get the same food at any McDonald's in any state of the country. The food, of course, is quite good. French fries, hamburgers, sandwiches, all are specially prepared. Workers buy their lunches there because they taste better than their lunches from home.
M:Who is the owner of McDonald's?
W:It was first owned by two brothers, Richard and Maurice McDonald. Then, in 1960, Ray Kroc, a 56-year-old salesman, bought the name and most of their restaurants with 2.7 million dollars.
( Text 10 )
W:One of the most famous travelers in all of history was Marco Polo. At the age of 17, he left Italy with his father and uncle. It took them over 3 years to cross the mountains and deserts of Asia. In the year 1275, they reached China. They stayed in China for almost 20 years, as guests of the emperor. He sent them on many trips around his empire. They found China far more advanced than Italy or any other countries in Europe. After he returned to Italy, Marco Polo told many of his stories to a friend. His book, Description of the World, became the most popular book in Europe. People found it difficult to believe his stories of people, animals, places, and things. These are a few of his descriptions: In one area of China, there were black stones. People dug them out of the mountains. They lit the black stones and they burned very slowly, giving off heat. The people used these stones to cook and to heat their homes. Most people believed Marco Polo's stories. But others told him that they did not believe his descriptions. He answered that he did not tell half of what he saw.
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