哈师大青冈实验中学2023—2024学年度高一下学期期中考试英语试题
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. Why did the woman go to Mallorca
A. To teach Spanish. B. To look for a job. C. To see a friend.
2. What does the man ask the woman to do
A. Take him to hospital. B. Go to a class with him. C. Hand in a report for him.
3. Who will look after the children
A. Jennifer. B. Suzy. C. Marie.
4. What are the speakers going to do
A. Drive home. B. Go shopping. C. Eat out.
5. What are the speakers talking about
A. How to fry fish B. How to make coffee. C. How to remove a bad smell.
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。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。
听下面一段对话,回答第6、7小题。
6. When does Gomez watch a football game on TV
A. When he fails to get a ticket.
B. When the stadium is crowded.
C. When his friends are too busy.
7. How much did Gomez pay for the football game last time
A. $20. B. $25. C. $50.
听下面一段对话,回答8至10小题。
8. What did Alex do in the afternoon
A. He had a walk. B. He went hunting. C. He planted trees.
9. What did Alex bring back
A. Flowers. B. Leaves. C. Books.
10. What was Bob doing when Alex saw him
A. Fishing. B. Taking pictures. C. Swimming.
听下面一段对话,回答11至13小题。
11. What did David do on his most recent holiday
A. He had a boat trip. B. He took a balloon flight. C. He climbed a mountain.
12. What is on David’s list
A. Gifts he needed to buy. B. Things he wished to do. C. Dates he had to remember.
13. Where does the woman suggest David go for his next holiday
A. Australia. B. California. C. The Amazon.
听下面一段对话,回答14至17小题。
14. Why did Sarah make the phone call
A. To ask for help. B. To pass on a message. C. To make an appointment.
15. Where is Sarah now
A. In Brighton. B. At her home. C. At the Shelton Hotel.
16. What time is Michael leaving his place tomorrow morning
A. At 7:40. B. At 8:00. C. At 8:20.
17.What is the probable relationship between John and Sarah
A. Neighbors. B. Fellow workers. C. Husband and wife.
听下面一段独白,回答18至20小题。
18. What do most people think is very important in spoken communication
A. Pronunciation. B. Vocabulary. C. Grammar.
19. Why should you listen to experts according to the speaker
A. To develop your reading fluency.
B. To improve your note-taking skills.
C. To find out your mispronunciations.
20. What is the speaker’s last suggestion
A. Spell out the difficult words.
B. Check the words in a dictionary.
C. Practice reading the words aloud.
第二部分 阅读(共两节,满分50分)
第一节(共15小题;每小题2.5分,满分37.5分)
阅读下列短文,从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出最佳选项。
A
Activities for Families with Children
There are plenty of things to do and see around Cusco, Peru that children will enjoy.
Horse riding
Many children will enjoy the opportunity to ride a horse. The Happy Ranch horse farm organizes horse rides through the countryside passing wheat fields, small towns, wooden huts(小屋), open-air markets and cooking outside over a fire. The price for a horse ride is US $ 12 per person.
Cooking class
If you enjoy local food, taking a cooking class could be fun. Several restaurants offer classes, which start with a visit to a local market to buy fresh ingredients (原料). Wearing a cook's hat, children can help with washing and cutting. Prices for a three-hour class start at US $ 13 per person.
Hot-air balloon
A hot-air balloon ride will give you great views of the city. The balloon goes up about 200 meters if weather conditions are OK, less if conditions are windy. The balloon will stay at that altitude for about 10 minutes. Prices are US $ 20 for an adult, half price for children.
Ceramics class
A fun activity for kids is taking a ceramics class at the Fine Arts Center. With the help of an experienced potter, kids make their own creation on the potter's wheel from clay. The basic clay class costs US $ 15 per person and takes 1.5 hours.
21.Which activity takes you to view Cusco's village life
A.Horse riding. B.Cooking class. C.Hot-air balloon. D.Ceramics class.
22.How much does it take a couple with a kid to ride a hot-air balloon
A.US $20. B.US $ 40. C.US $ 50. D.US $60.
23.In which section of a magazine may the text appear
A.Schooling. B.Tourism. C.Science. D.Health.
B
When I was six, Dad brought home a dog one day, who was called “Brownie". My brothers and I all loved Brownie and did different things with her. One of us would walk her, another would feed her, and then there were baths, playing catch and many other games. Brownie, in return, loved each and every one of us. One thing that most touched my heart was that she would go to whoever was sick and just be with them. We always felt better when she was around.
One day, as I was getting her food, she chewed up(咬破)one of Dad's shoes, which had to be thrown away in the end. I knew Dad would be mad and I had to let her know what she did was wrong. I looked at her and said, "Bad girl." She looked down at the ground and then went and hid. I saw tears in her eyes.
Brownie turned out to be more than just our family pet. She went everywhere with us. People would stop and ask if they could pet her. Of course she'd let anyone pet her. She was just the most lovable dog. There were many times when we'd be out walking and a small child would come over and pull her hair. She never barked (吠) or tried to get away. The funny thing is that she would smile. This frightened people because they thought she was showing her teeth. Far from the truth, she loved everyone.
Now many years have passed since Brownie died of old age. I still miss the days when she was with us.
24.What would Brownie do when someone was sick in the family
A.Look at them sadly. B.Stay with them.
C.Play games with them. D.Touch them gently.
25.What can we infer about Brownie from Paragraph 2
A.She would eat anything when hungry. B.She felt sorry for her mistake.
C.She loved playing hide-and-seek. D.She disliked the author's dad.
26.Why does the author say that Brownie was more than just a family pet
A.She wasn't treated as a member of the family. B.She played games with anyone she liked
C.She was loved by everybody she met. D.She chewed up Dad's shoe.
27.Which of the following best describes Brownie
A.Shy. B.Polite. C.Brave. D.Caring.
C
What’s the meaning of the “dark horse” It is someone who wins when no one expect it.
Han Xiaopeng took China’s first gold on snow. He became an Olympic “dark horse” by winning the gold medal in men’s freestyle skiing aerials (自由式滑雪空中技巧) at Turin in Italy. He made two almost perfect jumps for the highest score. Han had never won a world gold medal before, let alone(更不用说)in the Olympics!
“I never thought this would happen,” said Han Xiaopeng, “I feel like I’m in a dream.” It’s China’s second gold medal at the Turin Olympic Winter Games. But more important, Han’s gold was the country’s first ever in a snow sport. In 2002, China’s Yang Yang won the gold for speed skating at the Winter Olympic in Salt Lake City, US.
That Han’s win was unexpected doesn’t mean that he didn’t work hard.
Han grew up in Jiangsu Province. Before he started his training on snow, he used to be an acrobat (杂技演员) at a circus. In 1995, a coach found his talent. The coach, Yang Er’qi, said Han had the agility (灵活性) and courage to be a ski jumper. When Yang first took the 12-year-old boy to northern China, he couldn’t swim, skate or ski. But he wasn’t afraid of the high platform and kept on training.
Han almost left the sport after hurting his knee months before the Salt Lake Games. In that Olympics he only got 24th. “I was hopeless at that time, but my family and the coach stood behind me, helping me through,” he recalled.
Han Xiaopeng worked so hard that he won the gold medal in the Olympics at last. Because of his success, more and more people in China are becoming interested in skiing. We are proud of him.
28. What does the “dark horse” mean
A. Someone who is unexpected to win. B. A horse which is dark.
C. A horse which likes the dark. D. Someone whose win is expected.
29. Where did Han Xiaopeng take China’s first gold on snow
A. In China. B. In America. C. In Australia. D. In Italy.
30. What made the coach, Yang Er’qi, choose Han Xiaopeng to be a ski jumper
A. He had enough courage though he was only 13 years old.
B. He was born in the south of China and liked sports on snow.
C. He had the agility and wasn’t afraid of the high platform.
D. He had the talent and he had won a world gold medal before.
31. What is the best title for the passage
A. A wonderful Match B. A Dark Horse at the Winter Olympic
C. A Hopeful Snow Game D. An Exciting Skiing Race
D
Thirteen-year-old Kaylee has a lot of friends--532, actually , if you count up her online friends. And she spends a lot of time with them.
But is it possible that Kaylee's online friendships could be making her lonely That's what some experts believe. Connecting online is a great way to stay in touch, they say. However, some experts worry that many kids are so busy connecting online that they might be missing out on true friendships.
Could this be true During your parents' childhoods, connecting with friends usually meant spending time with them in the flesh. Kids played Scrabble around a table, not Words With Friends on their phones. When friends missed each other, they picked up the telephone. Friends might even write letters to each other.
Today, most communication takes place online. A typical teen sends 2,000 texts a month and spends more than 44 hours per week in front of a screen. Much of this time is spent on social media platforms.
In fact, in many ways, online communication can make friendships stronger. “ There's definitely a positive influence. Kids can stay in constant contact, which means they can share more of their feelings with each other," says Katie Davis, co-author of The App Generation.
Other experts , however, warn that too much online communication can get in the way of forming deep friendships. " If we are constantly checking in with our virtual(虚拟的)worlds, we will have little time for our real-world friendships," says Larry Rosen, a professor at California State University. Rosen also worries that today's kids might mistake the “ friends” on the social media for true friends in life. However, in tough times, you don't need someone to like your picture or share your blogs. You need someone who will keep your secrets and hold your hand. You would like to talk face to face.
32.What is the purpose of the first paragraph
A.To summarize the text. B.To bring up a discussion.
C.To tell about true friends. D.To encourage online friendships.
33.What does the underlined part “in the flesh" mean in Paragraph 3
A.In person. B.In advance C.In silence. D.In a word.
34.What is Katie's attitude towards online communication
A.Worried. B.Positive. C.Confused. D.Unconcerned.
35.What view does Rosen hold
A.It's wise to turn to friends online.
B.It's easier to develop friendships in reality.
C.Social media help people stay closely connected.
D.Teenagers need focus on real-world friendships.
第二节(共5小题;每小题2.5分,满分12.5分)
阅读下面短文,从短文后的选项中选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
How many times have you complained, “There aren't enough hours in the day!"
Holly Gabrielle White, a vlogger who graduated from the University of Cambridge, probably disagrees. After she began school in August 2016, White started a channel(频道) on the video-sharing website YouTube. 36 . Now she has more than 270,000 subscribers(订阅者,用户)to her channel.
In her videos, the 22-year-old gets up at 6:30 am and goes to bed at 10:30 pm every day. In between, she balances studying, cooking, house cleaning and exercising. 37 .
A similar case happened to college students in China. Months ago, the official Tsinghua University microblog account showed pictures of students’ plans, study notes and daily schedules. In one of them, an undergraduate tightly arranges his daily life. He usually goes to bed at 1 :00 am and gets up at 6:00 am. Although he only takes 10 classes a week , the rest of his day will be fully booked. He starts his day by pre-reading his textbooks at 6: 40 am, and ends with a summary of his studies. 38 , he writes encouragements to himself, like, “You're the best”, and “Go for it”.
Both students' hard work has certainly paid off. White was at the top of her 152 other classmates and the Chinese undergraduate won a first-class scholarship four years in a row(连续地).
39 . They have regular schedules and get up early to study. They squeeze(挤出) as much time into the schedule as they can. More importantly, they learn a way of managing time well and efficiently.
Some may wonder how they can avoid exhaustion, stress and burnout(崩溃). White's video Time Management &Organization Tips All Students Should Know may provide an answer. She advises how to write our tasks in a set order on a to-do list. 40 , because,"Mental health is as important as our physical health." To White, dancing is something she takes as a reward after completing everything on the list. Then get enough sleep to rest her body and get ready to do a good job the next day.
Indeed, things must be carefully planned before we act, and then " twice as much can be accomplished with half the effort", as the old Chinese saying goes.
A.If he failed to follow the schedule
B.It records her daily life on campus
C.They all set good examples to us
D.The two have something in common
E.When he feels like it is hard to stick to his schedule
F.We should also know how to avoid and release stress
G.Sometimes she finds time to meet up with friends and speak to her family online
第三部分 语言运用(共两节,满分30分)
第一节(共15小题;每小题1分,满分15分)
阅读下面短文,从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。
High school students have a lot more power than they may realize.
Belscher saw a dollar on the floor when having his English class. When the school day 41 ,Belscher walked back to the classroom. He could easily have 42 it, for the wrinkled (皱巴巴的) bill was still there. 43 , he brought the old bill to his English teacher---Mattison.
Mattison was a little 44 he'd turned in the dollar, knowing a lot of people would have just kept it. She 45 that Belscher taped(贴)it to the whiteboard, where she always put lost things.
A day or two later, the school close down for the Easter 46 . Neither the teacher nor her students thought twice about the dollar. After school, a boy named Tom noticed the dollar on the whiteboard. "There was a 47 to it," Tom said. He asked Mattison why it was there. She replied, “I don't know." Then Tom 48 a second dollar.
The 49 of the two dollar bills side by side triggered(触发)something in Mattison's students.They started asking about the purpose of the money, to which Mattison always gave the 50 answer: She didn't know.
However, the students, among themselves, decided and understood Mattison had some good 51 final plan and goal. So, they wanted to be part of whatever this was. They dug into their savings(动用储蓄)and the amount continued to grow. As for the 52 dollar, the person who lost it never came looking for it.
That left Mattison to make the best decision. She thought of her brother-in-law, Jack Hains, who had died of ALS, a 53 and deadly disease. His sister died of the same condition. Mattison asked the teens whether they 54 if they donated (捐赠) the money. Their answer was that they definitely didn't. Then, they 55 peeled (剥开)the cash off the board and made the donation to the ALS Institute established to find a cure for the disease.
41.A.started B.ended C.arrived D.passed
42.A.discovered B.ignored C.kept D.accepted
43.A.Therefore B.Besides C.Instead D.Meanwhile
44.A.excited B.surprised C.frightened D.interested
45.A.realized B.commanded C.recognized D.suggested
46.A.break B.dinner C.meeting D.activity
47.A.signal B.response C.key D.mystery
48.A.earned B.taped C.missed D.recovered
49.A.sight B.discussion C.idea D.story
50.A.same B.brief C.secure D. different
51.A.unknown B.unchanged C.unspoken D.unexplored
52.A.previous B.important C.valuable D.new
53.A.born B.rare C.common D.mild
54.A.wondered B.minded C.agreed D.regretted
55.A sadly B.calmly C.carefully D. skillfully
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。
Last summer, my family 56 (plan) a trip to Shanghai City. Besides my hometown, Hong Kong, I had never been to such a great city.
I 57 (impress) by what I saw there. There were many more ways than my hometown for one to get to one place from 58 . Everywhere people were driving, riding shared bikes, waiting for buses, 59 rushing underground to the subway stations.
In addition to the people and transportation, I found the buildings were 60 (amaze) . Each street was filled with buildings 61 were built side by side and a number of skyscrapers were present throughout the city as well. 62 (stand) on the top of the Oriental Pearl Tower(东方明珠塔), I could hold almost the entire city from this view. Some stores were also as large or even larger than the ones in my hometown.
My visit to Shanghai City was like discovering a new way of life. I felt anxious 63 (grow) up and I dream about moving to such a great city. My 64 (one) trip to Shanghai City was one of the most unforgettable 65 (experience) of my life.
第四部分 写作(共两节,满分40分)
第一节(满分15分)
假定你是李华,美国交换生John刚来你校就读,但是他朋友很少,感觉非常孤独,希望得到同学们的帮助。你听说后决定用英语给他写一封信沟通一下。
内容要点如下:
1.表示关心;2.就如何交朋友给出自己的建议;3.邀请 John 来家里做客。
注意:
1.词数 80左右; 2.可适当增加细节,以使行文连贯;
3.开头和结尾已给出,不计入总词数。
Dear John,
Yours,
Li Hua
第二节(满分25分)
阅读下面材料,根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段,使之构成一篇完整的短文。
As he lay awake that night, Tony could hear his parents discussing his sister Alice’s birthday. It was just two days away. Birthdays were always a lot of fun, even though there was no money for store-bought gifts. Nearly all of toys he and his sister had were homemade. There was nothing wrong with that, he knew. Like many families in this part, they were poor.
This birthday would be different, though. Alice was older now, and he’d seen how her eyes lit up when she saw the new doll(洋娃娃)at a neighborhood toy store just down the road from their house.
How Tony longed(渴望)for his little sister to have it! An idea finally came to him just before he went to bed. After a quick breakfast the following morning, he tied a bag to the handlebars(车把手)of his bike and headed toward a village hill.
After a long journey, he reached his destination, the mango(芒果)forest. There were already two other boys there. Tony grabbed(抓起)his bag and set to work immediately.
The sun was high overhead. The weather was hot and nearly all of the taller trees held ripe mangoes but they were well beyond reach. Tony struggled to climb the trees to pick mangoes, though he fell off many times.
His efforts were sometimes rewarded when a mango dropped into the bag. After a while his neck ached from looking upward, and his arms grew sore(酸的). He kept at it, though, and by late afternoon his bag was nearly full.
注意:
1.所续写短文的词数应为150左右。
2.续写部分分两段,每段的开头语已为你写好。
Paragraph 1:Tony rushed back to the toy store, out of breath, only to find the owner of the store was going to close the door.______________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:The following morning, Alice walked into the kitchen and took a seat at the breakfast table. ________________________________________________________________
参考答案
一、听力:1-5 CCBAC 6-10 ABABA 11-15 CBCAB 16-20 ACBCC
二、阅读:21-23 ACB 24-27 BBCD 28-31 ADCB 32-35 BABD 36-40 BGEDF
三、完形:41-45 BCCBD 46-50 ADBAA 51-55 CABBC
四、语法填空:56. planned 57. was impressed 58.another 59.or 60.amazing
61.which/that 62.Standing 63.to grow 64.first 65.experiences
五、写作
第一节
写作提示
1. 本文要求考生以“帮助同学排解孤独”为主题写一封信。写作时要注意文体特点,语言要真诚、亲切,给出的建议具有实际意义,写作时不必追求过分花哨的词汇和过于复杂的句型;
2. 行文时态以一般现在时为主;
3. 文章可采用“三段式”写作模式:第一段以关心的口吻直接进入正题(听说你感到孤独、给建议);第二段详写建议并邀请 John 来做客;第三段表达祝愿。
Possible version
Dear John,
I am sorry to hear that you are lonely in this new school. Now I'd like to offer you some suggestions.
It's normal for you to feel lonely because you are living in an entirely new environment. You'd better play an active part in class and after-school activities. What's more, don't be afraid to show people what you are really good at. It's easier to make friends when you have similar interests with others. To be frank, I'd like to be your friend and I invite you to come to my house on Sunday.
I hope everything will be fine with you in the future.
Yours, Li Hua
高级词汇
offer sb. some suggestions 给某人提供一些建议normal adj.正常的 entirely adv.完全地
play an active part in 积极参加 what's more 此外,而且to be frank老实说,坦率地说
高级句式
原句1:It's normal for you to feel lonely because you are living in an entirely new environment.
分析:本句属于“it’s+adj.+for sb.+ to do”句型;it为形式主语,to do 不定式作真正的主语。
原句 2:What’s more, don't be afraid to show people what you are really good at.
分析:what you are really good at 是what引导的宾语从句,what在从句中作 at 的宾语。
第二节
One possible version:
Paragraph 1:
Tony rushed back to the toy store, out of breath, only to find the owner of the store was going to close the door. Seeing Tony, he told him to come the next day. But Tony didn’t give up and explained all to the owner. Hearing Tony’s explanation, the owner opened the bag to check the mangoes. To Tony’s disappointment, they were not enough to exchange a lovely doll. He was walking out with tears rolling down his face when the owner stopped him and finally agreed because of his love for his sister. After giving many thanks, Tony got his sister a dream present.
Paragraph 2:
The following morning, Alice walked into the kitchen and took a seat at the breakfast table. She noticed a beautiful box on the table. Curious, she opened the box carefully. To her great surprise, she found the doll she had been dreaming of for a long time. When Tony said happy birthday to her, Alice couldn’t help crying and hugged him tightly. Touched by the warm atmosphere, their parents smiled with pleasure, knowing their son had grown up and was reliable enough to take care of his sister.
【解析】
【分析】本文以人物为线索展开,讲述了Tony想给妹妹Alice买一个新娃娃作为生日礼物,于是想要通过芒果来换取礼物,最终店主同意芒果换新娃娃,Alice得到了梦寐以求的娃娃,他们的父母被温暖的氛围感动了,高兴地笑了,知道儿子已经长大了,可以放心地照顾妹妹了。
【详解】
1.段落续写:
①由第一段首句内容“Tony上气不接下气地跑回玩具店,却发现店主正要关门。”可知,第一段可描写Tony到店里买娃娃的经过。
②由第二段首句内容“第二天早上,Alice走进厨房,在早餐桌旁坐下。”可知,第二段可描写Alice收到礼物后的反应。
2.续写线索:Tony来到商店买礼物——店主同意芒果交换娃娃——Alice收到礼物——Alice感动——父母感动
3.词汇激活
行为类
回去:rush back to/ go back to
放弃:give up/ quit
照顾:take care of /attend to
情绪类
可爱:lovely /cute
快乐:pleasure / joy
【点睛】[高分句型1] Tony rushed back to the toy store, out of breath, only to find the owner of the store was going to close the door. (运用了不定式作结果状语)
[高分句型2] When Tony said happy birthday to her, Alice couldn’t help crying and hugged him tightly. (运用了when引导时间状语从句)
听力录音原文
第一节
Text 1
W: I was in Mallorca last week.
M: Oh, what were you doing there
W: My best friend worked there and I went to visit her. It was a good chance to practice my Spanish.
Text 2
M: Ruth, I’ve got this terrible cold, and I have to see a doctor. I’m afraid I can’t go to the class. Could you help me hand in my lab report to Dr Davidson
W: Sure, no problem. Just take care of yourself and don’t worry about the class.
Text 3
M: Marie, if no one takes care of your children while you’re away, Jennifer and I will be glad to have them stay with us.
W: That’s very kind of you, but they’ve already left for their grandma’s. You know, Suzy lives close by.
Text 4
M: Hurry up with your food, Sally. They say there’s a big storm coming. We’d better get home before that.
W: Okay, I’m done. Let’s get back to the car. Could you carry these shopping bags
M: Oh, sure.
Text 5
M: We deep fried fish three days ago in the kitchen, but the unpleasant smell stays.
W: There’s a method you can try. Every time you make coffee, dry the leftover coffee grounds and keep them in small balls, then place the balls in the kitchen.
第二节
Text 6
W: Are you a football fan, Gomez
M: Yes, I go to the stadium whenever there’s a good game. And if I can’t get a ticket, I watched the game on TV. That way they are less exciting, though.
W: Is the ticket expensive
M: It depends. It usually costs about twenty to fifty dollars. Last time I paid twenty five.
W: That’s not very expensive. Maybe we can go together sometime.
M: Great. It’ll be more fun to watch the game with a friend.
Text 7
W: You were out the whole afternoon, Alex, what did you do
M: I took a walk by myself.
W: You just kept walking and walking for four hours
M: Actually, it’s not so boring. Walking in the woods is a grand adventure. Your feet can take you to the most amazing places.
W: What did you do in the woods
M: I smelt the flowers, looked at the birds, and yeah, I picked many tree leaves. I will make bookmarks with them. Look!
W: Aren’t they beautiful
M: Then I met Bob at the lake. He was fishing while his kids were having a swim.
W: Did you talk to him
M: No, I walked on and took a lot of pictures. There’s just so much out there to see.
Text 8
W: David, how was your holiday
M: Great. I climbed Mount Fuji. It was really beautiful. Now I can check one more thing off my list.
W: Your list
M: Yes. When I was twelve, I made a list of things I wanted to do some day.
W: That’s interesting. How many of the things on your list have you done so far
M: Almost half. I have pictures. Would you like to see them
W: Yes, sure.
M: Here I am on top of Mount Fuji, and here I am in a hot air balloon.
W: When did you do that I’ve always wanted to go up in a hot air balloon.
M: It was two years ago, in August in California.
W: What are your plans for the next holiday
M: I’m thinking of deep sea diving in Australia. Do you have any other suggestions
W: You really ought to take a boat down the Amazon. You’ll see a lot of interesting animals and beautiful trees. It’s one of the best places I’ve been to.
M: Okay, I’ll put it on my list.
Text 9
W: Hello, Michael!
M: Hi, Sarah!
W: Are you attending the conference tomorrow morning at the Shelton Hotel
M: Yes, are you
W: Yeah, but when I arrived home five minutes ago, I found that my car wouldn’t start. And John is in Brighton on business.
M: Do you know what’s wrong with the car
W: I’m not exactly sure. I think there’s a problem with the engine. I wonder if you could give me a ride to the hotel tomorrow morning.
M: Sure, when shall I be at your place
W: Well, what about eight o'clock From my place to Shelton, we have to drive through the quarters, so we’d better leave early to avoid the traffic.
M: Okay, no problem, it takes twenty minutes to reach your place, so I’ll set off at seven forty. By the way, do you also need me to drive you home tomorrow afternoon
W: No, John will be back then, and he’ll get me home. Thank you, Michael.
M:That’s okay. See you tomorrow.
Text 10
Hello, everyone. Today I’ll talk about how to improve your pronunciation. Language researchers say pronunciation and fluency are the biggest barriers, followed by grammar in effective spoken English. However, most people don’t regard pronunciation as a very important part of communication skills. They’re more focused on vocabulary. One reason is that most people are not even aware of their mispronunciations. So it’s important to first find out the words you mispronounce. You should listen to experts. By experts, I mean those who are less likely to make pronunciation mistakes. When listening to them, pay attention to words that sound strange. Strange, because you pronounce the same words differently. When you come across such words, check a dictionary to confirm their exact pronunciations. You can also search for difficult-to-pronounce words and names and make a list of them. The last suggestion is to read aloud. Now you’ve got the correct pronunciations of the words. It’s time to practice reading them every day.