2013年高三年级第一次质量检测（英语）

2013年黄山市第一次质量检测（英语）第一卷（三部分，共115分）   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、How many countries has the woman been to so far?A、3       B. 4       C. 52.  What are the two speakers talking about?A、The size of the room.B、Long working hours.C｜The hot weather.3、Where does the man want to go?A、To the city hospital.   B. To the police station.    C. To the supermarket.4、What is the man doing?A. Asking for help.     B. Making suggestions.     C. Asking for permission.5.  What is “War in Space”?    A. A film.        B. A play.             C. A magazine.    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。 A. 2.                 B. 3.             C. 4.请听第9段材料，回答第13--16题。13.  What was the man doing?A. He was searching for some information.     B. He was dealing with his e-mail.   C. He was repairing his computer.14.  Where is the woman from?A. Italy.    B. Australia.    C. New Zealand.15.  What was the woman’s phone bill last month?A. $116.       B. $160.       C. $106.16.  What does the woman decide to buy?A. A typewriter.   B. A new phone.       C. A computer.请听第10段材料，回答第17--20题。17.  When was an icy dessert enjoyed according to paintings?A. In the 12th century.     B. In the 14th century.C. In the 16th century.18.  What did Charles do concerning ice cream?A. He raised ice cream’s price.     B. He cut off a chef’s head.C. He made a law for it.19.  Which of the following American presidents is mentioned in the talk?A. George Washington.    B. John Adams.C. Abraham Lincoln.20.  Who made it possible for ordinary people to enjoy ice cream?A. A British.           B. An American.        C. A Canadian.    第二部分   英语知识运用(共两节．满分45分)     第一节   语法和词汇(共15小题；每小题1分，满分15分) 从A、B、C和D四个选项中, 选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。l21. Care of the soul is a gradual process ______ even the small details of life should be considered.    A. in which     B. during where     C. in what     D. in where 22. According to the Nobel Prize organization, Mo Yan’s work displays “a mixture of fantasy and reality, ______ historical and social aspects.A. conducting    B. combining     C. conflicting      D. concluding23. I think he must be writing his essay at home now, ______?A. is he    B. isn’t he      C. do I       D. mustn’t he24. --- What attracted you to our university?   --- You have a great basketball team and I can _______ for it.    A. work out     B. look out      C. try out       D. carry out25. Our new English teacher, who is said to have moved back to China, ______ in America for almost ten years.    A. lived      B. has lived      C. was living       D. had lived26. --- Do you enjoy the moves of Gangnam Style?   --- ______ . I just do it to keep fit.A. Of course      B. Not really      C. Not likely      D. Not a little27．______ nobody else at hand, I had to carry the heavy box to the eighth floor by myself.A. It having      B. It has     C. There was       D. There being28. He is very ______ and well-qualified, so he should reach the top of his profession.    A. proud      B. jealous     C. ambitious       D. enthusiastic29. ______ nearly all behavior is learned behavior is a basic assumption ______ has been put forward by the social scientists.    A. What, that   B. That, what    C. What, what    D. That, that30. “The moment ______ soon,” he thought to himself, waiting nervously.    A. is coming     B. was coming      C. came       D. has come31. --- Albert, I have a favor to ask you.   --- _______.   A. It’s a pleasure   B. Go ahead     C. Help yourself     D. It doesn’t matter32. ______ in color, the garden looks dull in this late fall.   A. Lack      B. Lacked    C. Lacking      D. To lack33. Everyone wants to live in a beautiful, comfortable and “livable” place, but not ______ know where it is.A. all     B. some      C. either       D. both34 Since people are fond of humor, it is as welcome in conversation as _______ else.   A. anything     B. something     C. anywhere     D. somewhere35. All the photographs in this book, _______ stated otherwise, date from the 1970s.   A. until      B. once       C. if          D. unless    第二节：完形填空（共20小题，每小题1. 5分，满分30分）    阅读下面短文，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。   This is a part from US President Barack Obama’s speech on May 14 at Bamard College in New York.   … My last piece of advice – this is simple, but perhaps most important: 36. Nothing worthwhile is easy. No one of achievement has avoided failure – sometimes catastrophic failures. But they keep at it. They learn from mistakes. They don’t 37.   When I first arrived on this 38, I was with little money, fewer options. But it was here that I tried to find my place in this world. I knew I wanted to make a difference, but it was 39 how in fact I’d go about it. But I wanted to do my part to 40 a better world.   So even as I worked after graduation in a few 41 jobs here in New York, even as I went from motley (鱼龙混杂的)apartment to motley apartment, I 42.   … And I wish I could say that this perseverance came from some innate (天生的)toughness in me. But the truth is, it was 43. I got it from 44 the people who raised me. I grew up as the son of a single mom who struggled to put herself through 45 and make ends meet. She had a marriage that fell apart; 46 went on food stamps at one point to help us 47. But she didn’t quit. And she earned her degree, and made sure that 48 scholarships and hard work, my sister and I earned 49.  And 50, I met a woman who was assigned to advise me on my first summer job at a law firm. And she gave me such good advice that I married her. And Michelle and I gave everything we had to balance our careers and a 51 family. We made that marriage work.  … So 52 it’s starting a business, or running for office, or 53 an amazing family, remember that making your 54  on the world is hard. It takes patience. It takes commitment. It comes with plenty of 55 and it comes with plenty of failures. 36. A. compete  B. persevere   C. struggle   D. preservation37. A. rest   B. decline   C. quit    D. regret38. A. campus  B. downtown  C. farm    D. country 39. A. confident  B. uncertain   C. ambitious   D. proud40. A. shape   B. instruct   C. organize   D. lead41. A. amazing  B. disturbing   C. meaningful  D. unsatisfactory42. A. reached out B. put out   C. gave out   D. made out43. A. presented   B. structured    C. learned   D. created44. A. copying   B. detecting    C. persuading  D. watching 45. A. life    B. work     C. school   D. business46. A. yet    B. even     C. still    D. also47. A. get by    B. come by    C. get along   D. come along48. A. during   B. through    C. across   D. over 49. A. mine    B. us     C. ours    D. hers50. A. for the time being B. long before   C. up to now   D. later on51. A. young    B. poor     C. weak    D. strong52. A. as if    B. if     C. whether   D. unless   53. A. rising    B. raising    C. arousing   D. arising54. A. view    B. stay     C. remark   D. mark 55. A. goals    B. advantages   C. shortcomings  D. setbacks 第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题，每题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。AIt's not a new phenomenon, but have you noticed how many nouns are being used as verbs? We all use them, often without noticing what we're doing.   I was arranging to meet someone for dinner last week, and I said “I’ll pencil it in my diary”, and my friend said “You can ink it in”, meaning that it was a firm arrangement not a tentative one!   Many of these new verbs are linked to new technology. An obvious example is the word fax. We all got used to sending and receiving faxes, and then soon started talking about faxing something and promising we'd fax it immediately. Then along came email, and we were soon all emailing each other madly. How did we do without it? I can hardly imagine life without my daily emails.    Email reminds me, of course, of my computer and its software, which has produced another couple of new verbs. On my computer I can bookmark those pages from the World Wide Web that I think I'll want to look at again, thus saving all the effort of remembering their addresses and calling them up from scratch. I can do the same thing on my PC, but there I don't bookmark; I favorite—coming from “favorite pages”, so the verb comes from an adjective not a noun.    Now my children bought me a mobile phone, known simply as a mobile and I had to learn yet more new verbs. I can message someone, that is, I can leave a message for them on their phone. Or I can text them, write a few words suggesting when and where to meet, for example. How long will it be before I can mobile them, that is, phone them using my mobile? I haven’t heard that verb yet, but I’m sure I will soon. Perhaps I’ll start using it myself! 　56. “I’ll pencil it in my diary” in the second paragraph probably means          .   A. it was a firm arrangement　　　　　       B. he prefers a pencil to a pen   C. the arrangement should be written as a diary  D. it was an uncertain arrangement57. A website address can be easily found if it has been______.   A. favorited    B. messaged    C. emailed      D. texted58. Which of the following has not been used as a verb yet?   A. message    B. mobile        C. email         D. page59. The best title for this passage is____.    A. Technology and Language.　　    　 　B. Development of the English language   C. New Technology and New words        D. New Verbs from Nouns BThis Teaching Assistant Level 3 course is designed for people who either are, or wish to become a teaching assistant. Teaching assistants carry out their tasks under the direction of the class teacher. This is a fully supported home study course, and the help is available whenever you need it --- either online or over the phone. There is a huge demand for teaching assistants around the country but also many thousands of applicants for these positions. Having this Teaching Assistant Level 3 qualification will help you stand out from other applicants. Our Level 3 Teaching Assistant course is similar to the NVQ (National Vocational Qualification) Level 3 because it is an equivalent (同等的) level of learning.The teaching assistant is able to contribute in four main areas:Supporting the teacherSupporting the pupilSupporting the schoolSupporting the curriculumThe salary a teaching assistant is expected to earn a year:London fringe (外围):￡16,856 - ￡26,052Outer London: ￡18,789 - ￡27,992Inner London: ￡19,893 - ￡29,088Rest of England and Wales: ￡15,817 - ￡25,016The fee and the time of enrolment (入学)Enroll for only a ￡35 deposit. Teaching Assistant Level 3 is only ￡345. To help you on your way towards achieving your qualification, we are offering all of our potential students a ￡115 reduction in their enrolment fees for June. The normal fee for this course is ￡460 but for this month it has been reduced to only ￡345. There has never been a better time to start learning and take that first step towards a brighter future!100% money back guarantee, if you are not satisfied. That’s why we’ll happily give you your money back on any course returned within 7 days. It’s easy for you to enroll now by telephone 01223 923 913. You can get free friendly help and advice from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, on Monday to Friday. Call 01223 923 915. 60. How can people study this Teaching Assistant Level 3 course?A. Go to the night school.                B. Go to the full-time school.C. Study at home at any time.                D. Study at weekends or vacations.61. What’s the teaching assistant’s task?A. Listening to the teacher’s lecture all the time.      B. Only helping teachers prepare their lessons.C. Helping promote effective learning and teaching.D. Often giving lessons in place of the formal teacher.62. If a teacher assistant earns ￡28,000 a year , he probably works in ______.A. downtown Wales         B. the fringe of LondonC. outer London             D. downtown London63. How much should you pay in June if you have paid the deposit?A. ￡35       B. ￡310      C. ￡345       D. ￡460 CYou never see him, but they're with you every time you fly. They record where you are going, how fast you're traveling and whether everything on your airplane is functioning normally. Their ability to endure almost any disaster makes them seem like something out of a comic book. They're known as the black box.　When planes fall from the sky, as a Yemeni airliner did on its way to Comoros Islands in the India ocean on June 30, 2009, the black box is the best bet for identifying what went wrong. So when a French submarine (潜水艇) detected the box's homing signal five days later, the discovery marked a huge step toward determining the cause of a tragedy in which 152 passengers were killed.　In 1958, Australian scientist David Warren developed a flight-memory recorder that would track basic information like altitude and direction. That was the first mode for a black box, which became a requirement on all U.S. commercial flights by 1960. Early models often failed to withstand crashes, however, so in 1965 the box was completely redesigned and moved to the rear of the plane – the area least subject to impact – from its original position in the landing wells (起落架舱). The same year, the Federal Aviation Authority required that the boxes, which were never actually black, be painted orange or yellow to aid visibility.　Modern airplanes have two black boxes: a voice recorder, which tracks pilots' conversations, and a flight-data recorder, which monitors fuel levels, engine noises and other operating functions that help investigators reconstruct the aircraft's final moments. Placed in an insulated (隔绝的) case and surrounded by a quarter-inch-thick panels of stainless steel, the boxes can stand massive force and temperatures up to 2,000℉. When submerged, they're also able to emit signals from depths of 20,000 ft. Experts believe the boxes from Air France Flight 447, which crashed near Brazil on June 1,2009, are in water nearly that deep, but statistics say they're still likely to turn up. In the approximately 20 deep-sea crashes over the past 30 years, only one plane's black boxes were never recovered.64. What does the author say about the black box?　  A. It is an indispensable device on an airplane.　B. The idea for its design comes from a comic book.　         C. Its ability to avoid disasters is incredible.　         D. It ensures the normal functioning of an airplane.       65. What does the underlined word in the 3rd paragraph mean?　A. witness      B. experience     C. resist　  D. ensure66. Why was the black box redesigned in 1965?　 A. New materials became available by that time.　 B. Too much space was needed for its installation.　 C. The early models didn't provide the needed data.　 D. The early models often got damaged in the crash.67. What do we know about the black boxes from Air France Flight 447?　 A. There is an urgent need for them to be reconstructed.　 B. There is still a good chance of their being recovered.　        C. They have stopped sending homing signals.　        D. They were destroyed somewhere near Brazil. DAs the railroads and the highways shaped the American West in the past centuries, a new electrical generating(发电)and transmission (输送) system for the 21st century will leave a lasting mark on the West, for better or worse. Much of the real significance of railroads and highways is not in their direct physical effect on the scenery, but in the ways that they affect the surrounding community. The same is true of big solar plants and the power lines that will be laid down to move electricity around.The 19 th century saw land grants(政府拨地) offered to railroad companies to build the transcontinental railroads, leaving public land in between privately owned land. In much of the West, some of the railroad sections were developed while others remained undeveloped, and in both cases the landownership has presented unique challenges to land management. With the completion of the interstate highway system, many of the small towns, which sprang up as railway stops and developed well, have lost their lifeblood and died.Big solar plants and their power lines will also have effects far beyond their direct footprint in the West. This is not an argument against building them. We need alternative energy badly, and to really take advantage of it we need to be able to move electricity around far more readily than we can now.So trade-offs will have to be made. Some scenic spots will be sacrificed. Some species(物种) will be forced to move, or will be carefully moved to special accommodations. Deals will be struck to reduce the immediate effects.The lasting effects of these trade-offs are another matter. The 21st century development of the American West as an ideal place for alternative energy is going to throw off a lot of power and money in the region. There are chances for that power and money to do a lot of good. But it is just as likely that they will be spent wastefully and will leave new problems behind, just like the railroads and the highways.The money set aside in negotiated trade-offs and the institutions that control it will shape the West far beyond the immediate footprint of power plants and transmission lines. So let’s remember the effects of the railroads and the highways as we construct these new power plants in the West.68. What was the problem caused by the construction of the railways?A. Small towns along the railways became abandoned.B. Land in the West was hard to manage.C. Some railroad stops remained underused.D. Land grants went into private hands.69. What is the major concern in the development of alternative energy according to the last two paragraphs?A. The use of money and power.B. The transmission of power.C. The conservation of solar energy.D. The selection of an ideal place.70. What is the author’s attitude towards building solar plants?A. Disapproving.  B. Approving.   C. Doubtful.   D. Cautious. 71. Which is the best title for the passage?A. How the Railways Have Affected the WestB. How the Effects of Power Plants Can Be ReducedC. How Solar Energy Could Reshape the WestD. How the Problems of the Highways Have Been Settled ESeveral recent studies have found that being randomly (随机地) assigned to a roommate of another race can lead to increased tolerance but also to a greater likelihood (可能性) of conflict.Recent reports found that lodging with a student of a different race may decrease prejudice and force students to engage in more ethnically diverse friendships.An Ohio State University study also found that black students living with a white roommate saw higher academic success throughout their college careers. Researchers believe this may be caused by social pressure.In a New York Times article, Sam Boakye – the only black student on his freshman year floor -said that "if you're surrounded by whites, you have something to prove."Researchers also observed problems resulting from pairing interracial students in residences.According to two recent studies, randomly assigned roommates of different races are more likely to experience conflicts so strained that one roommate will move out.An Indiana University study found that interracial roommates were three times as likely as two white roommates to no longer live together by the end of the semester.Grace Kao, a professor at Penn said she was not surprised by the findings. "This may be the first time that some of these students have interacted, and lived, with someone of a different race," she said.At Penn, students are not asked to indicate race when applying for housing."One of the great things about freshman housing is that, with some exceptions, the process throws you together randomly," said Undergraduate Assembly chairman Alec Webley. "This is the definition of integration.""I've experienced roommate conflicts between interracial students that have both broken down stereotypes(模式化形象) and strengthened stereotypes," said one Penn resident advisor (RA). The RA of two years added that while some conflicts "provided more multicultural acceptance and melding (融合)," there were also "jarring cultural resistance."The RA said that these conflicts have also occurred among roommates of the same race.Kao said she cautions against forming any generalizations based on any one of the studies, noting that more background characteristics of the students need to be studied and explained.72. What can we learn from some recent studies?A. Conflicts between students of different races are unavoidable.   B. Interracial lodging may have diverse outcomes.   C. Students of different races are prejudiced against each other.   D. Interracial lodging does more harm than good.73. What does the Indiana University study show?Few white students like sharing a room with a black peer.Roommates of different races just don't get along.Interracial roommates are more likely to fall out.Assigning students' lodging randomly is not a good policy.74. What does Alec Webley consider to be the "definition of integration"?The school randomly assigns roommates without regard to race.Students of different races are required to share a room.Interracial lodging is arranged by the school for freshmen.Lodging is assigned to students of different races without exception.75. What can be inferred from Grace Kao’s saying about interracial lodging?Schools should be cautious when making decisions about student lodging.Students' racial background should be considered before lodging is assigned.Experienced resident advisors should be assigned to handle the problems.It is unscientific to make generalizations about it without further study.   第二卷（二部分，共 35 分）第一部分：任务型阅读（共 10 小题，每小题 1 分，满分 10 分）阅读下面短文，根据所读内容在文后第76至第85小题的空格里填上适当的单词。注意：每空1个单词。When it comes to the world of computers, green computing is becoming popular. But what is green computing?The term “green computing” is one that is being used in many different markets and areas all over the world in today’s global technology. However, many computer users aren’t sure what it means. Green computing is actually quite easy to explain and to do—it is basically learning to use computer resources more efficiently to protect the environment as well as saving energy. The main goal is to reduce the use of energy and materials that harm the environment.Green computing started as early as 1992, when the EPA created Energy Star program that improved computing equipment and technologies. Because of this program sleep pattern appeared and many computer users began to adopt this policy to help save energy when they were not using their computers. In October of 2006, Energy Star made the requirements stricter for computers. Because of these new requirements, there are over 20 states that have now set up a special recycling program for old computers to help with green computing.Many of today’s IT systems are beginning to rely on both people and hardware to help push their computer systems toward a more green computing system to help both the company and others. This is a hard balance to achieve, as it has to satisfy users. Many companies are learning the best ways that they call go greener when it comes to their computing and also help their business in the process. While many home computer users may not be quite as familiar with green computing as large firms, this term is starting to become more mainstream all around the world.Green ComputingDefinition Learning to make (76) ________ use of computer resources in order to save energy and protect the environment.Main goal To reduce the use of energy and materials that do (77) _________ to the environment.(78) ________ In 1992 the EPA created Energy Star program , (79) _________ improved computing equipment and technologies.Then sleep pattern appeared and many computer users (80) ________ the policy to save energy.In 2006 Energy Star made the computer requirements (81) _________.At (82) ________, over 20 states have set up a special recycling program for old computers.Present (83) ________ Green computing has to make users (84) _________.Green computing is becoming more mainstream (85) ________ the world. 第二部分：写作（满分 25 分）假设你是黄山中学学生会主席李健。你校将于10月1至2日接待来自瑞士某中学的学生访问团。你受学校委托，负责安排他们在黄山市的2天交流参观活动。请根据以下提示，用英语给该团的领队Amman先生写一封电子邮件，介绍活动计划并简要说明理由，最后需征求对方意见。      10月1日：上午参观学校，与学校学生座谈（学校生活、文化差异等）；                 中午与我校学生共同进餐（ 自助形式，以中式菜肴为主）；                 下午与我校学生进行友谊篮球赛；      10月2日： 游览黄山(中国名山，2002年与瑞士少女峰结为姊妹山)。注意：1. 词数：100-120； 可适当加入细节，以使内容充实、行文连贯；信的开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。参考词汇：瑞士 Switzerland； 少女峰Jungfrau； 姊妹山twin-mountain Dear Mr. Amman,I am Li Jian, chairman of the Student Union, of Huangshan High School.  _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________.     KEYS1-5 BCABA     6-10 CBABB     11-15 ACBAB      16-20 CACAB21-25 ABBCA   26-30 BDCDA    31-35 BCACD36-40 BCABA   41-45DACDC    46-50 BABCD      51-55ACBDD56-60 DABDC   61-65 CDBAC    66-70 DBBAD     71-75 CBCAD76. better       77. harm/damage     78. History/Development     79. which80. adopted     81. stricter       82. present        83. situation    84. satisfied    85. throughoutPossible version:Dear Mr. Amman,I am Li Jian, chairman of the Student Union, from Huangshan High School. Glad to know that your delegation will visit our school on October 1st and 2nd, and I am responsible for arranging your activities here. My plan is as follows:On the morning of October 1st, we will show you around the school. Then a discussion will be held, which may cover the topics of school life, cultural differences, and etc, aiming to improve the mutual understanding. At noon, we will have a buffet lunch in the school dining room. To help you know more about our traditional customs and culture, we will be preparing some typical Chinese foods (rice, dumplings and noodles). The afternoon will see a friendly basketball match.The following day (October 2nd) will be an excursion day. Your delegation will go to the Yellow Mountain, one of the most famous scenic spots in China, which also enjoys the twin-mountain relationship with Jungfrau--- Top of Europe in Switzerland. How do you like the proposal? If you have some specific ideas, we will be glad to take them into consideration to make your trip more interesting and impressive! Looking forward to your early reply! Best wishes Sincerely Li Jian 听力材料:(Text 1)M: Have you ever been to Germany?W: I plan to go there someday. So far I’ve been to Japan, Korea and the USA, in addition to China.(Text 2)M: It’s so hot today. I simply can’t work. I wish there were a fan in this room.W: I know! I’m going to fall asleep if I stay here any longer.(Text 3)M: Excuse me, could you please tell me the way to the city hospital?W: I’m sorry. I’m a stranger here myself, but if you ask at the police station which is beside the supermarket, I’m sure they will help you.(Text 4)M: Why don’t you go to a show or something tonight?W: As a matter of fact, I thought Katie might like to go to a concert.M: Let’s look and see what’s on. You might try the concert at the Capital Hall.W: That sounds great.(Text 5)M: Why do you look so emotional, with tears running down your face?W: I just saw a great video called War in Space. It was so touching.M: Oh, yeah. I loved that movie! It really reminds me of my childhood.W: I had heard about it long before, and I finally managed to see it today.(Text 6)W: I am sorry to keep you waiting, but the traffic was so heavy.M: That’s all right. It’s really pretty today.W: Yeah. This is the best time to take a stroll through the park.M: I feel the same way.W: Look, how nice the mountains in the distance look today!M: Yeah. All the flowers are booming.W: There’s a man selling ice cream.M: Would you like some?W: Yes, I would. And I will get some for you.M: You’re so sweet. Thank you!(Text 7)W: Do you ever get homesick?M: Not too much, but I do miss my mother’s cooking sometimes.W: Where is your hometown?M: It’s in Germany, in a town called Cologne.W: What’s life like there?M: It’s a world away from here —  a very quiet place with a beautiful cathedral and lots of nice parks.W: Do your parents live there?M: Yes. They are both retired. They enjoy a quiet life now especially since all the kids have flown the nest.W: Sounds perfect. Do you plan to go back there?M: Not in the near future --- its way’s too boring for me!(Text 8)W: Any plans for today, Jerry?M: Yes. I was thinking of calling on Maurice. I haven’t been to his house for a long time.W: Does he know you’re coming?M: Yes, but I told him I’d call him first because I wasn’t sure what time I would be coming. How about you? What are you doing today?W: I’m not sure yet. Why don’t we go visit Mark together?M: Oh, yeah! That reminds me! I haven’t seen him since he got back from the hospital. I have been meaning to visit him, but I just haven’t gotten around to it.M: It would be a good idea if you did see him. He still doesn’t feel well. Why don’t you give Maurice a call and see if he’d like to go over to Mark’s?W: OK. We can have a little party there.M: It will have to be a quiet one. Remember, Mark’s still sick.(Text 9)M: Come in!W: Am I interrupting?M: No, I was just checking my e-mail. What’s up?W: I need your advice. My composition teacher said all our writings have to be typed.M: So what’s the problem?W: Well, you know, I don’t own a computer, and I don’t feel like spending all that money just on typing.M: Well, you should just buy a typewriter. But I’d get a computer if I were you. Then you could use e-mail to keep in touch with your family and your friends back in Italy.W: I know… but to tell you the truth, I’d rather talk to them by phone.It’s more personal that way.M: Yeah, I noticed your phone bill was $160 last month. But seriously, Anna, there are lots of other things you can do with a computer.W: It seems that you surf the Net all the time.M: Sometimes. But mostly I use the Internet to get information.W: Sounds great! Would you mind helping me pick out a computer?M: Not at all.(Text 10)For hundreds of years, people have enjoyed ice cream. No one is sure when people first started to eat this frozen food. But paintings show an icy dessert being enjoyed as far back as the twelfth century. Ice cream as we know became popular among the rich and powerful in Europe during the 1500s. King Charles I of England liked ice cream so much. He made a law that said that it could be served only at his table. He even said that he would have his chef’s head cut off if the chef gave his secret ice cream recipe to anyone. To Charles, the food was much too precious to share. In the United States, too, ice cream was eaten on special occasions by the country’s richest people. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison were all big fans of the frozen dessert. However, ice cream did not reach the rest of the nation until 1845. At that time, a New Jersey woman made a hand-held ice cream maker. Thanks to that machine, ice cream in the modern world is not just for kings and presidents. Now it’s for all of us!