高三英语试卷 第 页（共 11 页）1
成都外国语学校 2019-2020 学年度上学期期中考试
高三英语试卷
注意事项:
1.试题分第Ｉ卷（选择题）和第Ⅱ卷（非选择题）两部分。
2.本堂考试 120 分钟，满分 150 分。
3.答题前，考生务必先将自己的姓名、考号填写在答题卡上，并使用 2B 铅笔填涂。
4.考试结束后，将答题卡交回。
第 I 卷
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。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. Where does Bob come from?
A. France. B. America. C. Australia.
2. What is the woman going to do first?
A. Go to the cinema. B. Attend a party. C. Go to the post office.
3. What do we know about Jim?
A. He has lost his job. B. He is very lazy. C. He has got a new job.
4. How many postcards will the two speakers probably buy in total?
A. Ten. B. Twenty. C. Fourteen.
5. Why does Jimmy stay up late?
A. Because his mother wants him to do his homework.
B. Because he has to finish his homework.
C. Because he is too tired to sleep at this hour.
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。每段对话成独白后有几个小题，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 至 7 题。
6. What will the man most probably do locally?
A. Have a sightseeing tour. B. Attend a conference. C. Have a business talk.高三英语试卷 第 页（共 11 页）2
7. What do we know about the man's booking?
A. From the 17th to 20th.
B. A double room with a private bathroom.
C. Check-in around 7:30 a.m. Friday.
听第 7 段材料，回答第 8 至 10 题。
8. What does the man like to do after work?
A. Play table tennis and golf, and go for a run.
B. Play tennis and golf, and go fishing.
C. Play tennis and golf, and go for a run.
9. How often does the man play golf?
A. About once a week. B. About once a month. C. About once a year.
10. What time will the two speakers meet at the clubhouse?
A. At 1:30. B. At 1:13. C. At 2:30.
听第 8 段材料，回答第 11 至 14 题。
11. What does Jane think of her trip to the West Coast?
A. It was wonderful. B. It was terrible. C. It was tiresome.
12. What's the disadvantage of Los Angeles?
A. It is noisy and highly polluted.
B. The weather is hot and humid.
C. There is no subway and the bus service is bad.
13. What's the weather like in San Francisco?
A. Warm and nice. B. Cool but comfortable. C. A little cold.
14. Why is it easy to go around in San Francisco?
A. Because of the small size and good transportation.
B. Because of the extensive subways.
C. Because of the small population.
听第 9 段材料，回答第 15 至 17 题。
15. How many credits should the man get for a master degree in education?
A. 15. B. 30. C. 45.
16. Why does the man want a lighter program at the beginning?
A. Because he doesn't want to fail any classes.
B. Because he wants to have time for social experience.
C. Because he doesn't need to take more courses.
17. What do we know about the man?
A. He has got a Bachelor of Science.高三英语试卷 第 页（共 11 页）3
B. He can get 3.5 credits for each course.
C. He has taken English Literature.
听第 10 段材料，回答第 18 至 20 题。
18. Where can one probably see a spider?
A. 23,000 feet above sea level.
B. 2,200 feet below the earth's surface.
C. On Mount Qomolangma.
19. What can we conclude from the talk?
A. Spiders deserve more respect of us.
B. Spiders are dying out of the earth.
C. People should raise spiders to destroy insects.
20. Why would human life be in danger if there's no spider?
A. Because spiders catch and eat insects.
B. Because spiders can protect our environment.
C. Because spiders can help reduce air pollution.
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
Bright Side did some research on many places throughout the world where you can buy a
house for 1 dollar or for free!
Roubaix, France
If you like France, Roubaix located in the north of France is just for you. The local
authorities want it to be populated and attractive. You can buy a small house in the industrial
district for just $1. The buyer is supposed to live in this house for 3 years.
Buffalo. USA
Buffalo offers whoever qualifies to buy a house for $1. All you need is to be a lawful citizen
of the city and invest amount of money into its decoration. Doing this, the authorities are hoping
to make the city beautiful again without spending money.
Liverpool, Great Britain
In Liverpool, most of houses were abandoned by the working class during the years of
unemployment. The government is trying to sell the houses for just $1. If you want to buy such a
house, it has to be your first deal on buying property .
Candela, Italy高三英语试卷 第 页（共 11 页）4
If you still have any doubts about spending $1 on a house, you should know: the government
will pay you some money, if you move to Candela. In order to be paid, you need to become a
permanent citizen and have an income of $7500 per year. If moving alone, you will get $800, and
if you are going with your family, the pay can be four times as much as only one person.
For more information of other cities, please Click Here.
21. Why do the authorities of Buffalo provide a house for people with 1$?
A. To improve the lives of poor people.
B. To make the city attractive at no cost.
C. To solve the problems of employment.
D. To attract people to the industrial areas.
22. What is required to buy a house for 1 dollar in Liverpool?
A. You need to be an unemployed citizen.
B. You should live in the house for 3 years.
C. It must be your first house purchase.
D. You have to repair and decorate the house
23. How much money can you get if moving to Candela with a whole family?
A. $3200 B. $9600 C. $800 D. $7500
B
When I was a kid, I was the girl who kept the training wheels on my bike as long as possible.
Even my younger sister had got rid of them much earlier than me. But as I began to grow older,
this changed.
All this happened on the Bike Safety Day. It is supposed to be a fun day at school when all of
us kids bring our bikes to school and the school provides us with the opportunity to ride outside
and learn proper bike safety. Sounds like fun, right? No. In fact, it caused me to panic. What was I
going to say when my friends asked me about my training wheels?
With the pressure of everyone seeing my training wheels, I determined to let them go. This
was the first big change I’d ever made on my own.
I went to my parents and told them all about my dilemma. They were more than happy to
help. We went outside and got my bike. Instead of running away and hiding behind, I stood in
front of my bike and took great pride in my decision as my dad removed the training wheels.
I got on and steadied myself. My heart raced but my feet and hands were calm. My dad
started to push before my feet even moved and suddenly I was off. The fear faded away and a
relaxed mind came into its place. It was crazy to think how quickly I learned something that took
so long for me to even try!高三英语试卷 第 页（共 11 页）5
My confidence soared. This was going to be the start of a brand new world for me. My
accomplishment would carry me forth to new goals and wins. I realized that if I set my mind to
something, I could achieve it.
24. What does the school expect the students to do on Bike Safety Day?
A. Have their bikes checked. B. Ride outside for fun.
C . Acquire bike safety skills. D. Remove the training wheels.
25. What does the underlined word "them'’（in Paragraph 3）refer to?
A. The author's friends. B. The author's parents.
C. The safety problems. D. The training wheels.
26. What happened when the author finally rode without the training wheels?
A. She felt extremely embarrassed. B. Everything turned out to be easy.
C. She ended up flat on the ground. D. Her sisters followed her example.
27. What does the author think is necessary for her to achieve a goal?
A. Patience. B. Determination. C. Pressure. D. Concentration.
C
Empathy （同理心）is one of those strange qualities—something almost everyone wants, but
few know how to truly give or receive it. In a world where self-satisfaction is emphasized, it is in
short supply but high demand. This is all the more reason to teach the next generation what it
means to have empathy for those around them.
What Is Empathy?— Many people confuse sympathy and empathy, but they are two distinct
values. Empathy is not just the ability to understand someone's feelings; criminals often take
advantage of people by appearing to understand their feelings and subsequently gaining their trust.
Empathy is more than that. Not only is it the ability to recognize how someone feels, but it also
values and respects the feelings of another person. It means treating others with kindness, dignity,
and understanding.
Kids Need To See Adults Show Empathy—While some children are gifted with naturally
kind hearts, in most cases kids need to see empathy modeled by the adults around them. It begins
with the way parents relate to their children. Parents who show an interest in the things that matter
to their kids and respond to emotions in a positive and caring way are teaching the skill of
empathy.
Meet Emotional Needs—When children have their emotional needs met, two things happen.
They learn how to meet the emotional needs of others and they are anchored in what they are
receiving, meaning that they are secure enough to give to others when the need arises but first they
need to receive. An empty jug cannot fill a cup.高三英语试卷 第 页（共 11 页）6
It's a good idea to talk to kids about emotions and how other people experience them. Give
their emotions names (for example, jealousy, anger, and love) and teach them that these are
normal. Talk to them about how to handle emotions in a positive way and point out situations
where other people are experiencing emotions. Teach them about respecting the emotions of
others and show them how to act in a situation where a response is required.
28. Why is it that the next generation are taught to have empathy?
A. Because people tend to center themselves. B. Because everyone lacks empathy.
C. Because empathy is a strange quality. D. Because it's better to give than to receive.
29.Which situation can empathy be used in?
A.When a mathematician is calculating the area of a farmland.
B.When a teacher is comforting a student about his failure in exams.
C.When a criminal is cheating a victim.
D.When a dancer is dancing to music.
30. What does the underlined sentence "An empty jug cannot fill a cup" mean?
A. An empty jug is too small to hold a cup.
B. It's a must to talk to kids about emotions.
C. Adults should set an example to kids.
D. Kids give empathy with their emotional needs met first.
31. What is the main topic of the passage?
A. How to train kids to have empathy.
B. How to distinguish sympathy and empathy.
C. How to help kids finish empathy-related tasks.
D. Whether kids can be trained to be more empathetic.
D
Suppose you become a leader in an organization. It’s very likely that you’ll want to have
volunteers to help with the organization’s activities. To do so, it should help to understand why
people undertake volunteer work and what keeps their interest in the work.
Let’s begin with the question of why people volunteer. Researchers have identified several
factors that motivate people to get involved. For example, people volunteer to express personal
values related to unselfishness, to expand their range of experiences, and to strengthen social
relationships. If volunteer positions do not meet these needs, people may not wish to participate.
To select volunteers, you may need to understand the motivations of the people you wish to
attract.
People also volunteer because they are required to do so. To increase levels of community 高三英语试卷 第 页（共 11 页）7
service, some schools have launched compulsory volunteer programs. Unfortunately, these
programs can shift people’s wish of participation from an internal factor (e.g., “I volunteer
because it’s important to me”) to an external factor (e.g., “I volunteer because I’m required to do
so”). When that happens, people become less likely to volunteer in the future. People must be
sensitive to this possibility when they make volunteer activities a must.
Once people begin to volunteer, what leads them to remain in their positions over time? To
answer this question, researchers have conducted follow-up studies in which they track volunteers
over time. For instance, one study followed 238 volunteers in Florida over a year. One of the most
important factors that influenced their satisfaction as volunteers was the amount of suffering they
experienced in their volunteer positions. Although this result may not surprise you, it leads to
important practical advice. The researchers note that attention should be given to “training
methods that would prepare volunteers for troublesome situations or provide them with strategies
for coping with the problem they do experience”.
Another study of 302 volunteers at hospitals in Chicago focused on individual differences in
the degree to which people view “volunteer” as an important social role. It was assumed that those
people for whom the role of volunteer was most part of their personal identity would also be most
likely to continue volunteer work. Participants indicated the degree to which the social role
mattered by responding to statements such as “Volunteering in Hospital is an important part of
who I am.” Consistent with the researchers’ expectations, they found a positive correlation (正相
关) between the strength of role identity and the length of time people continued to volunteer.
These results, once again, lead to concrete advice: “Once an individual begins volunteering,
continued efforts might focus on developing a volunteer role identity.... Items like T-shirts that
allow volunteers to be recognized publicly for their contributions can help strengthen role
identity”.
32. People volunteer mainly out of ______.
A. academic requirements B. social expectations
C. financial rewards D. internal needs
33. What can we learn from the Florida study?
A. Follow-up studies should last for one year. B. Volunteers should get mentally prepared.
C. Strategy training is a must in research. D. Volunteers are provided with concrete
advice.
34. What is most likely to motivate volunteers to continue their work?
A. Individual differences in role identity. B. Publicly identifiable volunteer T-shirts.
C. Role identity as a volunteer. D. Practical advice from researchers.
35. What is the best title of the passage?高三英语试卷 第 页（共 11 页）8
A. How to Get People to Volunteer B. How to Study Volunteer Behaviors
C. How to Keep Volunteers’ Interest D. How to Organize Volunteer Activities
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。
Does a Dog Help a Teen with Low Self-esteem?
A dog is known as man's best friend for good reason. Loyal and affectionate, a dog
companion can enrich its owner's life in many ways. _______36________ Many teenagers
suffer from periods of low self-esteem( 自 尊 ) as they try to navigate the wavy waters of
adolescence and deal with all of its associated highs and lows.
A teenager who lacks self-esteem may feel isolated from his peers and unable to tell his
parents about personal issues. The company of a dog can be a huge comfort and ease feelings of
loneliness and awkwardness. A dog offers genuine unconditional love.
________37________.
All dogs need exercise, so taking his dog for a walk is the perfect opportunity for a teenager
to get outdoors and benefit from fresh air and physical activity. Exercise allows people to take
control of their bodies, which is often the first step toward regaining control of other aspects of
their life, says mental health specialist Dr. Alan Cohen. ________38________ Exercise releases
chemicals called endorphins(内啡肽) into the brain, which create positive responses in the body,
including improved self-esteem.
Dogs can help teenagers be more sociable and make new friends, suggests HELPGUIDE.
________39________ A dog is a great ice-breaker, avoiding awkward social situations and
putting the teenager at ease with people he meets. The more confident the teen becomes when out
and about with his dog, the more his self-esteem will improve.
________40________If a teenager is suffering from depression or developing dangerous
habits such as alcohol and drug abuse, more extreme action may be required. In these cases,
professional help should be sought and all treatment plans considered. Parents who suspect that
their teen's low self-esteem is a sign of a far more serious problem should ask a suitably qualified
health professional for advice.
A. In some cases, having a dog will not help with a teenager's low self-esteem.
B. It simply accepts its owner for who he is and doesn't judge, question or criticize.
C. Pets offer an unconditional love that can be very helpful to people with depression.
D. You don't have to worry about hurting your pet's feelings or getting advice you don't want.高三英语试卷 第 页（共 11 页）9
E. In particular, someone with low self-esteem may find a pet dog to be extremely beneficial.
F. A teen may meet his peers while walking his dog in the park or taking part in a dog training
class.
G. Many forms of exercise besides walking can be enjoyed with a dog, such as cycling, jogging
and throwing a ball.
第三部分 英语知识运用（共两节，满分 45 分）
第一节 完形填空（共 20 小题；每小题 1.5 分，满分 30 分）
阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项中选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。
Ever since I can remember, I’ve been told I was the apple of my daddy’s eye. When I was
growing up, my dad had a (n) 41 at home. It seemed huge to me, 42 dark wood. I used
to 43 under that desk, hiding for hours.
Why was I 44 to that old desk? Beside the books on the desk, there was also a polished
wooden apple with a frame 45 a picture of me. It was a physical representation of 46
my father felt about me. This 47 how precious I was to my dad.
This saying was 48 , and I’d heard many people refer to others as the apple of their eye.
Many years later I began to 49 about the origin of this saying and learned the apple of the
eye is the pupil ( 瞳 孔 ) of the eye and that this saying was 50 a word picture about
relationship. It’s a picture of being so 51 to someone that you can see yourself reflected in
the pupil of their eye.
That picture brought 52 to my own eyes, as I remembered how much I meant to my
father. How does that 53 to the time my son spent as a soldier in Iraq? One day, when I was
struggling with fear over his 54 , I read the poetry where a 55 refers to his people as the
apple of his eye. It reminded me that 56 my son was special to me, he was considerably
more 57 to the country.
As I read the poetry, I found myself 58 . Not only did I care about what happened to my
son, 59 my country cared. And more importantly, my country could and would take 60
of my son.
41.A.desk B.picture C.frame D.apple
42.A.taken on B.run into C.rushed to D.made of
43.A.mature B.adjust C.play D.crowd
44.A.known B.drawn C.exposed D.compared
45.A.using B.holding C.opening D.masking
46.A.how B.why C.where D.when
47.A.ensured B.explained C.learned D.showed高三英语试卷 第 页（共 11 页）10
48.A.ordinary B.average C.common D.normal
49.A.care B.talk C.wonder D.bring
50.A.directly B.importantly C.plainly D.actually
51.A.close B.familiar C.easy D.good
52.A.regrets B.tears C.pleasure D.pride
53.A.attend B.relate C.see D.add
54.A.safety B.health C.independence D.future
55.A.family B.society C.country D.company
56.A.as if B.only if C.what if D.even if
57.A.precious B.necessary C.admirable D.positive
58.A.in surprise B.in confusion C.at peace D.at a loss
59.A.and B.so C.or D.but
60.A.advantage B.care C.note D.place
第 II 卷
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。
Scientists say crocodiles have outlived dinosaurs 61 some 65 million years. One reason
why they are such good 62 (survive) is that they can go for a very long time without
eating. And they are expert hunters, 63 (use) their strong jaws to bite their prey（猎物）
and then swallow it whole. When they lose a tooth they grow one right back. A crocodile can go
through 8,000 64 (tooth) in one lifetime!
What does the expression “crocodile tears” mean? Simply put, “crocodile tears”
are fake sadness. You pretend 65 (cry) and feel bad for something when in fact you could
not care 66 (little). A great word to describe it is insincere. The phrase “crocodile tears”
comes from an old myth that crocodiles would shed tears while eating their prey. A religious
worker wrote that 67 a crocodile found a man by the water, it would kill him if it could.
Then the crocodile would cry tears on the man, but then finally swallow 68 (he). Another
myth suggests 69 crocodile is very clever indeed. Crocodiles, the story goes, would cry tears
as a false show of guilt or sadness to trick their prey. The prey would come closer and then
become dinner.
Scientists explain that crocodiles DO create tears, but they do not cry. The tears help to clean
their eyes. Crying is purely emotional and it 70 (reserve) for us humans.高三英语试卷 第 页（共 11 页）11
第四部分 写作（共两节，满分 35 分）
第一节 短文改错（共 10 小题：每小题 1 分，满分 10 分）
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共
有 10 处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在错的词下画一横线，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。
Hello, everyone. It's nice to speak about that we can do for our school, and I think small
actions can make big difference. The first thing we can do is to make our campus more
beautifully. Every one of them may plant a tree in the school or to organize a thorough cleaning on
the campus. We can also form a good habit of putting rubbishes into trashcans. Never forget to
turn off the lights and close the doors. We should not leave the tap water run or waste any
materials in the laboratory class. In that case, I believe we'll turn our school in a better place to
study and live in. How I wish we can enjoy a better school life!
Thank you for listening!
第二节 书面表达（满分 25 分）
假定你是高中生李华，你曾在美国做交换生时的学校校报写信给你约稿。“Foreign
Culture”栏目拟刊登介绍中国高中生学习生活及梦想的短文。请根据下列要点完成你的短文。
1. 介绍中国高中生的学习生活（学年，学科，假期，爱好)。
2. 介绍中国高中生的梦想。
注意：
1.词数 100 字左右。
2.增加细节，以使行文连贯。
3.高考：CEE (College Entrance Examination)高三英语试卷 第 页（共 11 页）12
高三英语半期考试答案
听力（共 30 分 每小题 1.5 分）：
1-5 BCBCB 6-10 ABCBA 11-15 ACBAB 16-20 ACCAA
阅读理解（共 30 分 每小题 2 分）：
21-23 BCA 24-27 CDBB 28-31ABDA 32-35 DBCA
七选五（共 10 分 每小题 2 分）：
36-40 EBGFA
完形填空（共 30 分 每小题 1.5 分）：
41-45 ADCBB 46-50 ADCCD 51-55 ABBAC 56-60 DACDB
语法填空（共 15 分 每小题 1.5 分）：
61.by 62. survivors 63. using 64. teeth 65. to cry 66. less
67. if/when/once 68. him 69. the 70. is reserved
短文改错（共 10 分 每小题 1 分）：
1.that--what 2. make∧ a big difference 3. beautifully--beautiful 4. them--us
5.去掉 organize 前的 to 6. rubbishes--rubbish 7. and--or 8. run--running 9. in--into
10. can--could
书面表达（共 25 分）：
The high school life in China is fulfilling. It takes us 3 years to study various subjects,
including Chinese, Math, English, Physics, History, PE and so on. From the second year, we
should choose to study arts or science. We must finish many study assignments every day. Finally,
we will take the CEE. Meet the colleges’ qualifications, and we’ll attend our dream colleges.
In addition, as you, we have the summer and winter vacation, when we could do whatever we
like, such as traveling, writing and so on.
There are many excellent students around me, who have a constructive philosophy of life and
colorful dreams, among which are architect, artist and many creative ones.
听力原文：
Text 1
M: Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Tony Burton from the United States. And I am a
new student here in the Biology Department.
W: I'm glad to meet you, Tony. My name is Lucy. I'm from Pads. I'm studying physics in the
university.
M: And this is my roommate, Bob. He's also my town fellow.
Text 2
M: Mary, how about going to the cinema tonight?
W: I'd love to, but I have to go to the post office and then my sister and I must attend my aunt's
birthday party tonight.
M: What a pity! It's really a good film.
Text 3
W: Why did Jim lose his job?
M: I didn't say he had lost his job. All I said was that if he was as lazy as he used to be, he might 高三英语试卷 第 页（共 11 页）13
find himself looking for a new job soon.
Text 4
W: Oh, so many postcards here!
M: This one is really beautiful and the one with a mouse is also very nice.
W: Yes. Let's each buy four, shall we?
M: I think I will buy ten myself.
Text 5
W: Why don't you go to bed, Jimmy? You look so tired.
M: I have to finish the exercises. It's giving me a hard time.
W: They are not as important as sleep at this hour.
Text 6
W: The Four Seasons. Can I help you?
M: Yes, I' d like to book a room for next week, in the name of Johnson.
W: Fine. Could you give me the exact dates, sir?
M: Friday the 17th to Sunday the 19th.
W: OK. Single or double room, sir?
M: Double — my wife will be with me. We'd like a private bathroom, too, if possible.
W: I'll have to check that, sir. What time will you be here on Friday?
M. Around 7:30 p.m. Can we book a table for dinner?
W: Certainly.
M: Do you book things like theater tickets and local tours?
W: We can do that.
M: Thank you.
W: Thanks for calling.
Text 7
W: Hi, Mark, haven't seen you for ages. How are you doing?
M: I'm busy with my experiments in the lab, but after work I often play some sports.
W: Like what?
M: Like tennis, running, and golf.
W: Golf? That's my favorite sport. How often do you play it?
M: I usually play it about once a month. What about you?
W: I play every Sunday.
M: Where do you go?
W: The Country Club. Do you know it?
M: Yes, I went there once. You're going to play next Sunday, I suppose.
W: Certainly. Listen, why don't you come with me? We can play together.
M: I'd love to. What time shall we meet?
W: Let's meet at the clubhouse at 1:30.
M: Sounds good. See you then.
Text 8
M: Hi, Jane. Welcome back. How was the West Coast?
W: Terrific. I had a wonderful time. It was really nice to get away from the city for a while.
M: What did you think of Los Angeles?
W: It was all right. I liked it better than I thought I would. It's very clean and spacious, and it's got 高三英语试卷 第 页（共 11 页）14
a lot of trees. The problem is transportation. The bus service is terrible, and of course, they don't
have any subway, so it's a little difficult to get around. We had to rent a car.
M: And was the weather good?
W: Oh, yes. It was nice and warm in Los Angeles and cool but comfortable in San Francisco.
M: Cool in San Francisco? That's surprising.
W: Yeah, it surprised me a bit, too. We didn't take any sweaters or anything, and they say it's
always like that in August. Anyway, I love it. It's probably the most beautiful city in the US — all
those hills, the bay, and those charming old Victorian houses.
M: So, you like it better than Los Angeles?
W: Oh. Yes. There's much more to see and do. And because it's smaller than Los Angeles, it's a bit
easier to get around. There are lots of buses and streetcars, and of course, the cable cars, too.
Text 9
W: Take a seat, please.
M: Thank you.
W: You’ve got your Bachelor of Arts in English and now you want to get your Master's in
education, is that right?
M: That's right.
W: You'll need 30 credits, 15 from the English Department and 15 from the Education
Department.
M: I have no idea about it. Could you explain it in more detail?
W: Well, since you have had English Literature, you should also take American Literature. Your
transcript indicates that your English background is strong, so I don't think you will have any
problem with it.
M: How many credits can I get for each course?
W: Three credits for each course.
M: Frankly speaking, I don't want to fail any classes, so I prefer a somewhat lighter program at the
beginning.
W: You are quite right. In fact, you must maintain a "B" average to earn your Master's Degree.
M: What happens if I get a "C"?
W: You will need an "A" to balance it.
M: I'd better go slowly but surely.
W: That's a good idea.
Text 10
Most people hate spiders. But few consider that spiders are intelligent, inventive and good
friends to people. Spiders have highly developed nervous systems. Their brains are capable of
remembering, and they are remarkable engineers. They can be found living anywhere from 22,000
feet above sea level, on Mount Qomolangma, to 2,000 feet below the earth's surface, in caves. The
silk that spiders spin for their webs has a stretching strength superior to most flexible products
made by people. These webs have been known to catch and hold animals as large as mice. Any
insect that gets stuck in the swinging web becomes the spider's next meal. Many scientists feel that
without the spider, human life would be in danger. You see, most of a spider's energies are
devoted to catching and eating insects. Without spiders, insects would multiply and cover the
earth, destroying the vegetation. It has been estimated that each year spiders in England destroy an
amount of insects equal in weight to the human population of the country.
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