湖北省荆门市2014-2015学年高一英语下学期期末考试试题.doc

荆门市2015年高一英语下学期期末试题（带答案）‎ 本试卷共 10 页。全卷满分150分。考试用时120分钟。‎ 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. Where does the conversation take place?‎ A. In a store. B. In a restaurant. C. In a library.‎ ‎2. What do the speakers see in the sky?‎ ‎ A. A kite. B. A bird. C. A plane.‎ ‎3. How much should the speakers pay each if they had student cards?‎ ‎ A.10 dollars. B. 8 dollars. C. 2 dollars.‎ ‎4. Where does the conversation take place?‎ ‎ A. At the ticket office. B. On the train. C. In the street.‎ ‎5. What are the speakers talking about?‎ ‎ A. TV station. B. TV series. C. TV ads 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至7题。‎ ‎6. Which flight does the woman’s cousin take?‎ ‎ A. Flight MU202. B. Flight MU212. C. Flight MU220.‎ ‎7. How does the woman describe her cousin?‎ ‎ A. A man of medium height and heavy weight.‎ ‎ B. A man of above –average height and average weight.‎ ‎ C. A man with short hair and a beard.‎ 听第7段材料，回答第8至9题。‎ ‎8. Why does the woman come to Boston?‎ ‎ A. To take some courses. B. To have a holiday. C. To have a business trip.‎ ‎9. What do we know about the woman?‎ ‎ A. She has been to Boston before. B. She will stay in Atlanta for three months.‎ - 14 -‎ ‎ C. She has run out of her money.‎ 听第8段材料，回答第10至12题。‎ ‎10. What does the first apartment have?‎ ‎ A. A bedroom, a dining room, a kitchen and a bathroom.‎ ‎ B. A bedroom, a living room, a bathroom and a study.‎ ‎ C. A bedroom, a living room, a kitchen and a bathroom.‎ ‎11. Where is the second apartment located?‎ ‎ A. On Tongchuan Road. B. Beside Meichuan park. C. Near Yunan Road.‎ ‎12. What does the woman think of the owner of the second apartment?‎ ‎ A. Stubborn. B. Mean. C. Easy-going.‎ 听第9段材料，回答第13至16题。‎ ‎13. What does the woman say about foreigners?‎ ‎ A. They usually don’t have much time at night.‎ ‎ B. They like mahjong as much as their old card games.‎ ‎ C. They are still very poor at playing mahjong.‎ ‎14. What was the man crazy about?‎ ‎ A. Stamp collecting and reading.‎ ‎ B. Driving and riding bicycles.‎ ‎ C. Playing computer games and surfing.‎ ‎15. How does the woman feel about the man’s hobbies?‎ ‎ A. Popular. B. Boring. C. Beneficial.‎ ‎16. Where is the woman right now?‎ ‎ A. In her office. B. In her house. C. At the restaurant.‎ 听第10段材料，回答第17至20题。‎ ‎17. What made Houdini’s career take off?‎ ‎ A. Magical escapes. B. Theater acting. C. Traditional magic.‎ ‎18. Where did Houdini first introduce his escape?‎ ‎ A. In New York. B. In St.Louis. C. In England.‎ ‎19. What do we know about Houdini’s second escape mentioned in the text?‎ ‎ A. He was put under water, upside down and locked.‎ ‎ B. He freed himself and escaped from the milk can.‎ ‎ C. His arms were fastened by a piece of string.‎ ‎20. When did Houdini make an elephant disappear from stage?‎ ‎ A. In 1908. B. In 1903. C. In 1918. ‎ 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）‎ - 14 -‎ 阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。‎ A A nine-year-old kid was sitting at his desk when suddenly there was a puddle (some water or liquid) between his feet and the front of his trousers was wet. He thought his heart was going to stop because he couldn’t possibly imagine how this had happened. It had never happened before, and he knew that when the boys found out he would never hear the end of it. When the girls found out, they would never speak to him again as long as he lived. ‎ He prayed this prayer, “Dear God, I need help now! Five minutes from now I’m dead meat! ” He looked up from his prayer and here came the teacher with a look in her eyes that said he had been discovered. As the teacher was walking toward him, a classmate named Susie was carrying a goldfish bowl full of water. Susie tripped（绊倒）in front of the teacher and dumped （倒）the bowl of water in the boy’s lap. The boy pretended to be angry, but all the while he was saying to himself, “Thank you. God! ”‎ Now all of a sudden, instead of being the object of ridicule(嘲笑), the boy was the object of sympathy（同情）. The teacher rushed him downstairs and gave him gym shorts to put on while his trousers dried out. All the other children were on their hands and knees cleaning up around his desk. The sympathy was wonderful. But as life would have it, the ridicule that should have been his had been transferred（转移）to someone else—Susie. She tried to help, but they told her to get out. ‎ When school was over, the boy walked over to Susie and whispered, “You did that on purpose, didn’t you?” Susie whispered back, “I wet my trousers once, too!”‎ ‎21. The underlined sentence in Paragraph 1 means ________. ‎ A. the boys would never play with him B. the boys would treat him as usual C. he would hardly hear any praise from the boys D. he would be laughed at by the boys endlessly ‎22. After Susie dumped water in his lap, the boy was in a state of _________. ‎ A. excitement B. relief C. anxiety D. anger ‎23. What did the other kids do after the incident? ‎ A. They offered him dry clothes. B. They laughed at the boy rudely. ‎ C. They helped the boy do the cleaning. D. They urged the boy to get out angrily. ‎ ‎24. Why did Susie dump water in the boy’s lap? ‎ A. The boy asked her to do so. B. She just did it by accident. ‎ C. The teacher tripped her on purpose. D. She knew the boy’s embarrassment.‎ B - 14 -‎ Most teens I meet these days lack basic social courtesy when dealing with people. My own son, who basically grew up with his grandmother, the original manners expert, has perfect table manners. This is partly because he was exposed to manners at a very young age. However, when we eat at home, he would not practice manners. So I asked him why. He said, “I behave the way I am supposed to behave when I’m out, but when I am at home I want to be comfortable.”‎ That’s when I realized that most parents, myself included, do teach their children the proper way to behave outside the home, but they are also brought up to believe that at home, anything goes.‎ My answer to him was “good behavior has nothing to do with where you are or whom you are with”. Then he answered, “But I behave properly when I’m with others so that they think better of me .” And that is when I realized that I was doing things all wrong. I explained to him that it had nothing to do with what people think. This confused him even more.‎ So I went on to explain that behavior, whether in your everyday interaction（互动）with people or at the dining table at home, is an expression of who you are. Well, at the age of 13, he got it.‎ So basically, what I am saying is that teaching your children manners comes with the underlying lesson that it is not about what to do or not to do, but rather , who they are. This way it is not mechanical（机械教条的）: it comes from within. ‎ Teach your teens or children the basic courtesy of greeting their friends’ parents and introducing themselves when they go to someone’s home. Teach teenage boys to open the door of a car, or any door for that matter, for any girl, whether they are their girlfriends or not. This includes holding elevator doors or letting women step out of the elevator first.‎ Just remember that teenage boys who practice good manners and courtesy grow up to become men who respect people in general. ‎ ‎25. What does the underlined word “courtesy” in Paragraph 1 mean?‎ A. responsibility B. principle C. manners D. interaction ‎26. Why did “my son” behave differently at home and out of home?‎ A. He wanted to be a special boy.‎ B. He wanted to be more comfortable at home.‎ C. He just followed what his grandmother’s said.‎ D. He thought that behavior was very cool.‎ ‎27. What do most parents do with their children’ manners?‎ A. Most parents often stress their children’ good manners outside the home.‎ B. Most parents pay more attention to their children’ manners at home.‎ - 14 -‎ C. Most parents pay no attention to their children’s good manners.‎ D. Most parents are too busy to be concerned about their children’s manners.‎ ‎28. The author has written this passage in order to ______.‎ A. show his/her son and the son’s good behavior to teenage boys B. introduce his/her son’s good manners to us C. tell teenage boys to form good manners and learn to respect people around ‎ D. tell parents good manners is about their children’s usual way of behavior and inner quality C As you grow older, you’ll be faced with some challenging decisions—like whether to cut class or try cigarettes. Making decisions on your own is hard enough, but when other people get involved and try to pressure you one way or another it can be even harder. People who are your age, like your classmates, are called peers. When they try to influence how you act, to get you to do something, it’s called peer pressure.‎ Peers can have a positive influence on each other. Maybe another student in your science class taught you an easy way to remember the planets in the solar system. Maybe you got others excited about your new favorite book, and now everyone’s reading it. These are examples of how peers positively influence each other.‎ Sometimes peers influence each other in negative ways. For example, a few kids in school might try to get you to cut class with them; your soccer friend might try to convince you to be mean to another player and never pass him the ball.‎ It is tough to be the only one who says “no” to peer pressure, but you can do it. Paying attention to your own feelings and beliefs about what is right and wrong can help you know the right thing to do.‎ You’ve probably had a parent or teacher advising you to “choose your friends wisely.” Peer pressure is a big reason why they say this. If you choose friends who don’t cut class, smoke cigarettes, or lie to their parents, then you probably won’t do these things either, even if other kids do.‎ ‎ If you continue to face peer pressure and you’re finding it difficult to handle, talk to someone you trust. Don’t feel guilty if you’ve made a mistake or two.‎ ‎29. For whom is the passage most probably written?‎ A. Students. B. Parents. C. Teachers. D. Doctors.‎ ‎30. In the last three paragraphs, the author mainly_____.‎ A. explains why friendship is so important B. gives advice on how to deal with peer pressure C. discusses how peers influence us - 14 -‎ D. shows how to make more good friends ‎31. Which of the following may help handle peer pressure?‎ A. Spending more time with classmates.‎ B. Taking up more relaxing hobbies.‎ C. Choosing friends with no bad habits.‎ D. Helping others who are in trouble.‎ ‎32. What is the topic of the passage?‎ A. Friendship. B. Making decisions C. Self-confidence D. Peer pressure D The Streisand Effect When Barbra Streisand discovered in 2003 that a photograph of her California beach house was among 12,000 photos on the Internet as part of a collection by a photographer Kenneth Adelman, she did what any famous person would do: hit him with a $50 million lawsuit (诉讼). But in trying to hold back the images, she caused a different result. Her legal actions led to almost half a million people visiting the website, viewing and copying the photos within a month.‎ Ever since then, the effect of letting public know something you are trying to keep secret has been called the “Streisand effect”. The problem for anyone trying to cover up information is that the Internet is the world’s biggest and most useful copying machine. Put a document (文件) on to a connected machine and it will spread. So when you want to be famous, you can’t, but if you find yourself receiving too much attention and want to remove yourself, you cannot. ‎ There are many examples of the Streisand effect. Nine-year-old Martha Payne created a simple blog, posting the meals her school served. She took a photo of what was hardly a satisfying meal by anyone’s standards. With the photo, she added a comment, “Now Dad understands why I am hungry when I get home.” The thing did not go too far, until the local authority (权威机构) banned (禁止) little Martha from doing that again. Martha posted a final post called “Goodbye”, explaining everything. Once the media found this out, things went from bad to worse for the authority. Now the blog has more than 9.5 million page views. Martha has even expanded her blog by including pictures of school meals taken by other kids from all over the world, like Germany and Japan.‎ We can find similar examples throughout history. Man has experienced the Streisand effect ever since the birth of mass communication. Why does it exist? Every time you are told not to see what’s in the secret shiny box wrapped in gift paper, you’re going to do everything in your power to do exactly that! Just realizing that knowing ‎ - 14 -‎ something about someone is harmful to their status, we will want to know that piece of information. This is exactly the human nature. This is what lawyers and authorities should be familiar with. Unfortunately, a few of them fail to understand it. ‎ ‎33. What speeded up the spread of Martha’s story? ‎ A. Parents’ reaction. B. The authority’s order. ‎ C. Martha’s comment. D. Supporting from the school. ‎ ‎34. What is the last paragraph mainly about? ‎ A. The root of Streisand effect. B. The influence of Streisand effect. ‎ C. People’s reaction to Streisand effect. D. Historical examples of Streisand effect.‎ ‎35. What can be inferred from the passage? ‎ A. Streisand effect does good to most famous people.‎ B. It’s not a good idea to argue against authorities.‎ C. The ban on something may have opposite effect.‎ D. Turning to the law is a perfect way to get one out of trouble. ‎ 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，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。选项中有两项为多余选项。‎ ‎ Smiling is a great way to make yourself stand out while helping your body to function better. Smile to improve your health, your stress level, and your attractiveness. ‎ ‎ 36 ‎ We are drawn to people who smile. There is an attraction factor. We want to know a smiling person and figure out what is so good because anxieties can push people away, but a smile draws them in. ‎ Smiling changes our mood ‎ Next time you are feeling down, try putting on a smile. 37 Smiling can trick the body into helping you change your mood. ‎ Smiling relieves stress ‎ Stress can really show up in our faces. Smiling helps to prevent us from looking tired or worn down. 38 The stress should be reduced and you'll be better able to take action.‎ Smiling lowers your blood pressure. ‎ When you smile, there is a measurable reduction in your blood pressure. Give it a try if you have a blood pressure monitor (血压计) at home. Sit for a few minutes and take a reading. Then smile for a minute and read it again while still smiling. 39 ‎ - 14 -‎ Smiling lifts the face and makes you look younger.‎ The muscles we use to smile lift the face, making a person appear younger. Don't go for a face lift, just try smiling your way through the day --- you'll look younger and feel better. ‎ ‎ 40 ‎ Try this test: Smile. Now try to think of something negative without losing the smile. It's hard. When we smile, our body is sending the rest of us a message that “Life is good!"‎ A. Smiling helps you stay positive.‎ B. Smiling makes us attractive.‎ C. Do you notice the difference?‎ D. Smiling can bring you luck and sorrow.‎ E. When you are stressed, take time to put on a smile.‎ F. There's a good chance that your mood will change for the better.‎ G. As long as you try smiling daily, it can make you look younger.‎ 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，掌握其大意，然后从41-60各小题所给的四个选项A、B、C和D中，选出一个最佳答案。‎ ‎“I will never forget you,” the old man said in tears. “I’m getting old. I can’t 41 ‎ you anymore. Soon, I’ll move to an old-age home and you can’t come along. They don’t 42 dogs there. We’ll find a nice new 43 for you. With your good looks, we’ll have no 44 at all. Anyone would be 45 to own such a fine dog.”‎ With great difficulty, the old man tied a 46 to Monsieur DuPree’s neck. It says, “Merry Christmas! My name is Monsieur DuPree. For breakfast, I like bacon and eggs. For dinner, I prefer potatoes and some meat. I eat just two meals a day. 47 , I will be your most loyal friend.”‎ Then the old man 48 the dog’s leash （绳索）, opened the door and stepped outside, pulling the dog behind. Monsieur DuPree pulled 49 . He didn’t want to go. “Don’t make this any 50 for me. I promise you, you’ll be much better off with someone else.”‎ After a very long time in the snow, they 51 an old house. The old man 52 ‎ and looked at the house 53 . Lights decorated every window, 54 the sound of a Christmas song was carried on the wind. “This will be a nice home for you,” the old man unleashed his dog. “ 55 now. Go up the steps and scratch （抓）at the door.” Monsieur DuPree thought his master didn’t love him anymore. Slowly he moved toward the 56 . He scratched at the front door. “Woof!”‎ - 14 -‎ A little boy 57 . When he saw Monsieur DuPree, he shouted in 58 , “Mom and Dad, come and see what Santa brought!”‎ Through teary eyes, the old man 59 from behind a tree. He saw the mother 60 ‎ the note, and gently pull the dog inside.‎ Smiling, the old man wiped his eyes, saying, “Merry Christmas, my friend.”‎ ‎41. A. take pity on B. take care of C. wait for D. believe in ‎42. A. allow B. need C. buy D. respect ‎43. A. center B. present C. meal D. home ‎44. A. time B. money C. trouble D. business ‎45. A. proud B. kind C. curious D. worried ‎46. A. letter B. photo C. note D. list ‎47. A. In general B. In short C. In fact D. In return ‎48. A. gave up B. reached for C. handed in D. left out ‎49. A. in B. away C. back D. off ‎50. A. poorer B. harder C. colder D. funnier ‎51. A. came across B. thought of C. came out D. picked up ‎52. A. fell B. laughed C. stopped D. cried ‎53. A. strangely B. carefully C. helplessly D. sadly ‎54. A. because B. so C. but D. and ‎55. A. Go on B. Back away C. Get up D. Lie down ‎56. A. tree B. snow C. house D. shop ‎57. A. appeared B. asked C. jumped D. smiled ‎58. A. joy B. anger C. fear D. pain ‎59. A. spoke B. watched C. listened D. stepped ‎60. A. recognize B. understand C. write D. read 第二节 语法填空（共10小题；每小题1.5分，满分15分）‎ 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式(不多于3个单词)。‎ Keeping a diary in English is one of the effective ways to improve our English writing ability.‎ Compared with other forms of writing, it is shorter and takes 61 (little) time. It can help us to develop the habit of thinking in English. If we persist in this practice, gradually we’ll learn how 62 （express）ourselves in English. In keeping a diary in English, we certainly run up against many 63 (difficult). In the first place, it often happens that we have trouble in 64 (find) appropriate words and phrases to give expression to our mind. Secondly, there 65 (be) many idiomatic ways of saying things in Chinese. And it is extremely hard for us to put them into English 66 (proper).‎ - 14 -‎ As far as I am 67 (concern), my suggestion is 68 we should always have a notebook and a Chinese-English dictionary within easy reach. Whenever something beats us, we can first put it down in our notebook and then consult our dictionary. We can also ask our English teacher 69 help, if necessary. In short, I believe that it is of great use to keep a diary in English for 70 development of our writing skills.‎ 第四部分：写作（共2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。错误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。‎ Last summer I had a chance to visit Paris. That attracted me most was the Eiffel Tower, where has become a symbol of France. I was deeply impressed by their height. I have never seen such tall building before! It is made of iron and it is about 7000 tons heavy. There have 1711 steps from the bottom to the top. Climb the tower made me very tired, but I was very exciting. I took a lot of photo in Paris.‎ I have much memories and experiences to share. I will remember my trip to the France forever!‎ 第二节 书面表达（满分25分）‎ 假定你是高中毕业生李华，母校将为高一新生举办主题为“What to learn in senior high school?”的英语沙龙活动，特邀请你结合自身经历谈谈自己的体会。请根据以下提示准备一份英语发言稿。‎ ‎ 1.学会学习：方法，习惯等；‎ ‎ 2.学会做人：真诚，友善；‎ ‎ 3.学会其他：考生自拟。‎ 注意：‎ ‎1.词数100左右；‎ ‎ 2.发言稿开头和结尾已给出，不计入总字数。‎ ‎ Good morning, everyone! It is my honor to be here to share with you my opinions on what to learn in senior high school.‎ ‎ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________‎ Thank you!‎ - 14 -‎ 荆门市2014-2015学年度期末质量检测 高一英语参考答案及评分说明 第一部分：听力（共20小题,每小题1.5，满分30分）‎ ‎ 1-5 BACAC 6-10 CBBAC 11-15 BABAC 16-20 BABAC 第二部分：阅读理解（共20小题,每小题2分，满分40分）‎ ‎21-24 DBCD 25-28 CBAD 29-32 ABCD 33-35 BAC 36-40 BFECA 第三部分 英语知识运用 第一节: 完形填空（共20小题，每小题1.5分，满分30分）‎ ‎41-45 BADCA 46-50 CDBCB 51-55 ACBDA 56-60 CAABD 第二节:语法填空（共10小题；每小题1.5分，满分15分）‎ ‎61. less 62.to express 63. difficulties 64. finding 65. are ‎66. properly 67. concerned 68. that 69. for 70. the 第四部分：写作 第一节: 短文改错 （共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分）‎ ‎71.That→What 72.where→which 73. their→ its 74. such ∧ a ‎ ‎75. have →are 76. Climb→ Climbing 77. exciting→ excited 78. photo→ photos ‎ ‎79. much→ many 80. the→ the 第二节 书面表达（满分25分）‎ 参考范文：‎ Good morning, everyone! It is my honor to share with you my opinions on what to learn in senior high school。‎ In the coming three years, our school life will be challenging. Firstly, we should learn to learn efficiently. Personally, I used to try effective methods to achieve my academic goals. Developing a good habit is also of importance. It really benefited me a lot to preview lessons, get actively involved in class, and review what had been taught after class.‎ In addition, we should learn how to get along well with others. In school, I respected teachers and was friendly with classmates. It was with sincerity and faithfulness that we created a harmonious atmosphere.‎ Finally, we should take part in sports and outdoor activities frequently. They were really helpful to build up my body and enrich my school life.‎ No pains no gains, I am sure that with your great efforts, you will enjoy a colorful and fruitful life here.‎ Thank you!‎ 命题人：胡虹霞（钟祥一中） 刘萍（市教研室）‎ 听力材料 第一节:‎ - 14 -‎ 请听下面5段对话，选出最佳选项。每段对话仅读一遍。‎ ‎ (Text 1) ‎ W: Anything else, gentlemen?‎ M: A salad and potatoes with that.‎ W: What kind of potatoes do you want?‎ M: French fried. ‎ ‎ (Text 2) ‎ W: What are you looking at?‎ M: Can’t you see that kite high up in the sky?‎ W: Where? You have good eyesight.‎ M: Come close to the window. Can you see it now?‎ W: Oh. Yes. ‎ ‎ (Text 3) ‎ W: The admission price of the gallery is $10 per person. I think that’s pretty expensive for a single exhibit.‎ M: But if we have student cards, we can get in for two dollars.‎ W: Really?‎ M: Well, I heard that. Let’s go see. ‎ ‎ (Text 4)‎ M: Excuse me, when does the next train for Princeton leave?‎ W: Let’s see … There’s one leaving in fifteen minutes, and another one in an hour. Both will leave from Gate 5.‎ M: I’d like two tickets for the earlier train.‎ W:OK. ‎ ‎(Text 5) ‎ W: Why are you angry, Tom?‎ M: I can’t stand it when they show the same commercials twice in a row. It drives me crazy.‎ W: Oh, the thing that bothers me the most is when they interrupt the TV series at the most exciting moment to show some stupid commercial.‎ M: I know! ‎ ‎(Text 6) ‎ M: What’s the matter, Lisa?‎ W: My cousin is coming to see me tonight from Europe and I’m supposed to pick him up at the airport at seven. But I have to work late tonight. Can you possibly pick him up for me?‎ M: Sure. But what’s his flight number?‎ W: Flight MU220.‎ M: OK. But how will I recognize him in the crowd?‎ W: Well, he is tall and average weight. He wears glasses.‎ M: My goodness. That could be almost anyone.‎ W: Well, his hair is long. He has a beard. I almost forgot! His name is Simon.‎ M: OK, no problem. I’ll find him by holding up a sign with his name on it.‎ W: Thank you very much. ‎ - 14 -‎ ‎ (Text 7) ‎ M: Welcome to Boston. May I see your passport? Oh, I see, you’ve been here before.‎ W: I’ve been here a couple of times.‎ M: What’s the purpose of your visit?‎ W: Um, it’s a holiday.‎ M: Where are you going to go?‎ W: I’m going from here to Atlanta, then, across to California, the Midwest and then back to Boston.‎ M: Where are you going to stay?‎ W: Well, mainly with friends.‎ M: And how long are you going to be here?‎ W: About three months or until the money runs out.‎ M: What’s the date of your return?‎ W: I’ve got an open ticket.‎ M: Thank you. Have a nice day! ‎ ‎(Text 8) ‎ W: Good morning. Can I help you?‎ M: Yes, I want to rent an apartment.‎ W: How much do you want to pay?‎ M: About two thousand yuan a month.‎ W: Well, I’ve got one here on Yunan Road. It’s exactly two thousand yuan a month.‎ M: Yunan Road … that’s fine. How big is it?‎ W: It has a bedroom, a living room, a kitchen and a bathroom.‎ M: I’m afraid it is not big enough. Besides, Yunan Road is in the noisy downtown district, a little far from my workplace. I’d like something a bit bigger if possible. Do you have anything near Tongchuan Road?‎ W: Yes, I think so. Here is a good one in a quiet area. It’s beside Meichuan‎ ‎Park. It has two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen and a bathroom. But the rent is a bit higher. It’s three thousand yuan each month.‎ M: Well, it sounds like what I’m looking for.‎ W: That’s great.‎ M: But can the rent be lowered a little?‎ W: I’m afraid not. The owner is a stubborn person. ‎ ‎ (Text 9) ‎ W: Mike, this is Mary. I want to know if you have anything particular going on this evening.‎ M: No, I’ve got a lot of time to kill.‎ W: Well, then. Won’t you come over to dinner and have a game of mahjong afterwards?‎ M: Good idea. I’d like to come.‎ W: I don’t remember you being interested in mahjong before.‎ M: That’s because I didn’t know how fun it was. Why is mahjong such a popular game?‎ W: I don’t know. I only know that foreigners are beginning to take an interest in it, and they like it as much as their old card games.‎ M: Right. Some of them are already experts.‎ - 14 -‎ W: Indeed they are. But the trouble about mahjong is once you’re interested in it, you can’t stop playing. They’ll waste a lot of time, I think.‎ M: I agree. I used to be crazy about other hobbies such as stamp collecting and reading, but I find them very boring now.‎ W: Oh, really? But I think your hobbies were more beneficial.‎ M: I can’t deny that.‎ W: Oh, the doorbell’s ringing. That must be our mahjong partners. I have to open the door for them now.‎ M: Wait, wait! Who are they?‎ W: You’ll have to come here to find out! Ha-ha. See you soon. ‎ ‎ (Text 10) (M)‎ Known as a magician, Harry Houdini didn’t have much success with traditional magic at first. He even once considered giving up. In 1899, following the advice of a theater manager to focus on escapes, his career took off. In 1908, in St. Louis, Houdini first introduced his escape from a giant milk can filled with water. It soon became popular and he took it on tour through the US, England, and Germany.‎ For his next escape, performed in 1913, Houdini came up with something more exciting and impressive than the Giant Milk Can Escape. In this trick, Houdini’s ankles were fastened and he was put under water, upside down and locked in place in full view of the audience. From this position he freed himself and escaped from the water cell.‎ In 1918, in the middle of the brightly lit stage of the Hippodrome Theater in New York City, when Houdini fired a pistol, he made a 10,000-pound elephant named Jennie disappear from view. This trick helped make Houdini a world-famous magician. ‎ - 14 -‎