福安一中2023—2024第二学期高二第三次月考
英 语 试 题
（考试时长：120分钟；满分：150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. What will the speakers do on Thursday
A. Play football. B. Watch a movie. C. Go hiking.
2. What does the man want to do
A. Place an order. B. Design a uniform. C. Form a team.
3. What is Sally’s favorite city
A. Paris. B. Madrid. C. Venice.
4. Where will the speakers go
A. To a cafe. B. To a dessert shop. C. To a bookstore.
5. What relation is Mr. Gomez to the man
A. His teacher. B. His client. C. His boss.
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。每段对话或独自读两遍。
听下面一段对话，回答第 6 和第 7 两个小题。
6. What is the man doing
A. Driving a car. B. Repairing a car. C. Borrowing a car.
7. How does the man sound in the end
A. Confused. B. Hesitant. C. Confident.
听下面一段对话，回答第 8至第 10 三个小题。
8. What are the speakers discussing
A. A job candidate. B. A new workmate. C. Travel arrangements.
9. How does Steven Johnson impress the man
A. By his working experiences.
B. By his communication skills.
C. By his international background.
10. When will the speakers meet Steven Johnson
A. Tomorrow. B. Next week. C. The week after next.
听下面一段对话，回答第 11 至第 13 三个小题。
11. What will the man do on Monday
A. Start a new position. B. Pack his belongings. C. Attend a meeting.
12. What is the man busy doing now
A. Moving to his new office.
B. Checking off office supplies.
C. Preparing for a promotion campaign.
13. What does the woman offer to do
A. Review an expense report.
B. Provide the man with supplies.
C. Arrange a company celebration.
听下面一段对话，回答第 14 至第 17 四个小题。
14. Where will the event take place
A. At a coffee shop. B. At a music hall. C. At a park.
15. Why did the woman choose the location
A. It’s private. B. It’s family friendly. C. It’s requested by the charity.
16. What does the woman ask the man to do
A. Organize some activities.
B. Contribute some money.
C. Contact some bands.
17. What is the event’s purpose
A. To hear some live music.
B. To help an animal shelter.
C. To have some family fund.
听下面一段独白，回答第 18 至第 20 三个小题。
18. Why did the speaker learn Arabic
A. She wanted to study in Cairo.
B. She was inspired by her teacher.
C. She became interested in the culture.
19. What is the biggest challenge of learning Arabic for the speaker
A. Suffering from culture shock.
B. Finding a hotel and accommodation.
C. Mastering written and spoken Arabic.
20. What excites the speaker most
A. Being invited to a meal.
B. Shopping at a local market.
C. Getting to know the locals.
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 和 D 四个选项中, 选出最佳选项。
A
Best Poetry Writing Contests in 2024
The Poetry. com Contest
Poetry.com offers monthly contests for poets worldwide to build passion and enjoyment for the creative poem writing process! Poems remain anonymous (匿名) before applicants vote on what they believe should be the winning entry.
Top Prize: $500
Additional prizes: personalized Poetry.com gifts for runners-up
Entry fee: $25
Deadline: December 31, 2024
Wine Country Writers’ Festival Writing Contest
Welcome to the 4th annual Wine Country Writers’ Festival (WCWF) writing contest. Three categories and over $1,800 total value in cash and prizes are to be awarded. Enter your short fiction or nonfiction (2,000 words max) or up to 48 lines of poetry. Judged blindly by professional writers. No previously published works.
Top Prize: $200
Additional prizes: free registration package to the Wine Country Writers’ Festival
Entry fee: $11
Deadline: June 02, 2024
Tom Howard Poetry Contest
Welcome to the 20th annual Tom Howard Poetry Contest. Submit your published or unpublished work, a poem in any style, whether it rhymes or not.
Top Prize: $3,000
Additional prizes: $200 for 10 honorable mentions
Entry fee: $20
Deadline: October 01, 2024
The One Page Poetry Contest
One Page Poetry focuses on the art of expressing a poetic theme on a single page, whether your poem is four lines or forty, whether yours is a love poem, inspirational poem, or just one that is fun. We welcome all poetic forms, as long as they fit on a single page.
Top Prize: $2,000
Additional prizes: 2nd: 1,000; 3rd: 500
Entry fee: $25
Deadline: September 30, 2024
21. Which of the following offers the highest top prize
A. The Poetry. com Contest. B. WCWF Writing Contest.
C. Tom Howard Poetry Contest. D. The One Page Poetry Contest.
22. What is unique to Wine Country Writers’ Festival Writing Contest
A. It is held once a year. B. It has honorable mentions.
C. It judges entries blindly. D. It accepts other types besides poetry.
23. What do the Poetry.com Contest and the One Page Poetry Contest have in common
A. They charge $25 for entry fee.
B. They have professionals as judges.
C. They require poems on one page.
D. They offer tailored gifts as prizes.
B
When she was 61, Sian Davies decided to row across the Atlantic Ocean. In March 2021, she was one of the 12 crew members who set out on the 3,000-mile journey from Tenerife to battle sun, salt and fierce currents. “We would row in three-hour shifts and only sleep for an hour or so every six hours,” she says. “For the first 15 days, I was seasick, so I hardly ate anything. I was just rowing and collapsing. I went through some pretty dark times.”
But after 42 days on the water, Davies reached Antigua to become one of the only six women in the world over the age of 60 to have rowed across an ocean. “I was exhausted and I was also so proud of myself,” she says.
Davies began rowing when she was 53, after spotting a six-oar (桨) rowing boat in Bristol harbor. Attracted by its size and appearance, she spoke to the crew and was encouraged to do a trial run. “As soon as I got on the water, I fell in love with it,” she says. “Feeling your whole body working and the fresh air on your skin is amazing.”
It wasn’t until 2017, though, that her Atlantic plans were born. Suffering from a herniated disc (椎间盘突出), she was only able to crawl out of bed. “I began thinking of things I could look forward to after I had surgery,” she says. “One day I was reading about women adventurers when it hit me that once better, I would row across an ocean.”
After successful surgery, Davies began driving to meet other women who had undertaken rows. Hearing the experiences and advice of them gave Davies the confidence. Soon after, she heard that a new boat producer was organizing a team for a voyage across the Atlantic and she joined it immediately.
“In June, I’m planning to break a few world records by rowing around the UK when I’m 64, and I want to motorcycle through the Himalayas later in the year. After all, we need things to look back on.” she says.
24. What do we know about Davies’ journey across the Atlantic
A. She fell apart and abandoned the task.
B. She suffered a lot during the process.
C. She was the oldest woman to finish it.
D. She rowed along with six other women.
25. How did Davies feel about her first attempt to row
A. Painful. B. Frightened.
C. Confident. D. Impressed.
26. What inspired Davies to row across an ocean
A. A trial row on a six-oar rowing boat.
B. Support from a boat company.
C. Stories of some women adventurers.
D. Sufferings from her back pain.
27. Which of the following best describes Davies
A. Caring and open-minded. B. Humble and self-motivated.
C. Determined and easy-going. D. Strong-willed and ambitious.
C
Hummingbirds are small birds but they’re the Olympic gymnasts of the flying world. They have strongly muscled bodies and rather long wings. They fly around at remarkable speeds and fly in all directions, including backward and upside down.
To achieve such agility (敏捷), hummingbirds use distinct modes of visual processing to control different types of flight. Their brains can make rapid transitions from visual signals to motor outputs. They take in lots of complicated visual information and make a flight plan out of that. Recently, the researchers have uncovered a unique mode that guides hummingbirds’ speed when they are flying forward.
The findings come from an experiment of more than 3,500 hummingbird flights inside a 12-foot-long tunnel (通道) with a branch at one end and a feeder at the other. Moving light patterns cast on the tunnel walls influence how the hummingbirds see things while flying.
The researchers expected that if the hummingbirds were using visual clues to control their forward flight speed, they would see the birds speed or slow with lights cast on the side walls. But instead, it seemed that they had their own way of knowing how fast to go for forward flight. When moving up or down, however, the birds based their motor commands on the cast light patterns they saw.
This special ability helps hummingbirds fly safely and quickly. This knowledge could be useful for improving drone（无人机）technology, helping engineers develop better ways for drones to predict and respond to changes in their surroundings. “If we can develop a mathematical model for this visual processing, it could be very useful for drones.” says Bo Cheng, a mechanical engineer, at Pennsylvania State University.
28. What contributes most to hummingbirds’ agility in flight
A. Their small size and light body.
B. Their strong muscles and long wings.
C. Their strong sense of direction.
D. Their own way to handle what they see.
29. How did the researchers test the hummingbirds’ response
A. By placing barriers in the tunnel.
B. By changing the position of the feeder.
C. By projecting moving light patterns.
D. By adjusting the brightness of the tunnel.
30. What did the researchers think of hummingbirds’ reaction
A. Surprising. B. Discouraging. C. Satisfactory. D. Amusing.
31. Which field is more likely to benefit from the research
A. Wild bird protection. B. Math-based game design.
C. Behavioral and brain science. D. Bio-inspired technology application.
D
Sensory-based food education given to 3-5 year-old children in the kindergarten increases their willingness to choose vegetables and fruit, according to a new study from the University of Eastern Finland.
The researchers used the sensory-based food education method Sapere, which makes use of children’s natural way of relying on all of the five senses when learning new things. In the Sapere method, children are given an active role around food, and they are encouraged to share their sensory experiences. For example, kindergartens can introduce different vegetables and fruit to children in hands-on sessions, they can involve children in baking and cooking, and they can offer children opportunities for growing their own vegetables in the kindergarten backyard. Food-related themes can also be included in books and games.
“There are several different ways to do this. However, it always starts from sensory-based learning and child engagement. Doing and experiencing things together is also an important aspect,” says Kaisa K hk nen, a researcher and nutritionist from the University of Eastern Finland.
The researchers compared children in different kindergarten groups. Some were offered sensory-based food education, while others weren’t. Children were offered a snack buffet containing different vegetables and fruit to choose from, and the researchers took photos of their plates to analyze their willingness to choose and eat these food items.
The findings show that sensory-based food education increased children’s willingness to choose vegetables and fruit, especially among children whose mothers have a lower educational background. On average, children of lower educated parents tend to eat less vegetables and fruit. This is how food education given in the kindergarten can help even out dietary gap between families.
“Another interesting finding is that the Sapere food education method also seems to improve the eating atmosphere in kindergarten groups. This encouraged children who were picky eaters to choose a more diverse selection on their plate,” K hk nen explains.
Positive and personal food-related experiences gained in the kindergarten can help adjust dietary preferences in a direction that is beneficial for health. Dietary preferences learned in early childhood often stick with a person all the way to adolescence and adulthood.
32. What can we know about the Sapere method
A. It improves kids’ five senses.
B. It enables kids to read more books.
C. It supplies various healthy food to kids.
D. It involves kids in active food-related activities.
33. What is paragraph 4 mainly about
A. The research purpose. B. The research process.
C. The research findings. D. The research evaluation.
34. What does the underlined part “even out” in paragraph 5 probably mean
A. Narrow. B. Identify. C. Analyze. D. Examine.
35. What might be the best title for the text
A. Benefits of eating fruit and vegetables.
B. Differences in family dietary preferences.
C. Necessity for kids to form learning habits.
D. New method to promote kids’ healthy eating.
第二节（共5小题；每小题2.5分，满分12.5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。
Loud noise can be very damaging to your hearing, whether it’s a loud burst or years of exposure. Approximately 15 percent of adults 18 years of age or older report some trouble hearing.
36 The good news is that taking action now may protect you from hearing loss later in life.
Get a baseline hearing test. Most people have never had a hearing test. 37 At your next physical, ask for a hearing test as part of your routine checkup. A hearing test gives your audiologist a baseline that they can compare with future results to monitor the progression of hearing loss.
38 While you are watching TV or using mobile devices, keep the volume at a comfortable level. It should be loud enough to make sure you can hear very well, but not so loud that when you leave the room, you can still hear it from another part of your home.
Wear protective hearing devices. Think ear protection before you’re exposed to any noisy environment, such as rock concerts or airports. When you are in a noisy environment, wear protective hearing devices such as earplugs or protective earphones. 39
Have proper earphones. If you often listen to music on earphones using a portable music or video device, it’s a good idea to have earphones that fit the unique shape of your ear canal, and block outside noise. 40
A. The risk rises as we age.
B. Monitor the volume of your devices.
C. However, it benefits you to go against that trend.
D. Meanwhile, you will find the sound truly superior.
E. You can find them at your local drugstore or music supply shop.
F. Think about buying appliances and devices that have low noise ratings.
G. You must do something to keep age-related hearing loss from getting worse.
第三部分 语言知识运用
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。
Dreaming of photographing the world’s beauty, I wrote a travel wish list and hung it on my wall, not expecting to actually go anywhere. However, a local photo contest gave me a 41 . I chose the Grand Canyon, one of my bucket list places to visit, since I got my first camera.
The journey was 42 , with unique touches like aspen trees towering and lizards (蜥蜴)rushing about. After a day’s 43 , I decided to have a good rest and start fresh the next day for the mission to 44 the Canyon’s grandeur.
The next morning, I woke up early to capture (拍摄) the 45 . Reaching the overlook, I found an elderly man alone on a bench. After exchanging 46 , he noticed my camera and 47 if I’d captured any favorites. I 48 shared a couple of photos, not anticipating any further conversation that followed. He 49 , revealing that he and his late wife, Betty, visited the Grand Canyon annually for their anniversary. Her 50 the previous year marked his first return without her and he spent each sunrise reflecting on their treasured 51 . His heartfelt tales 52 me deeply, as I, too, had experienced a recent loss, making the moment 53 .
Returning home with numerous photos, I 54 the best from my adventures for the contest. This journey taught me the value of chasing dreams, embracing challenges, and 55 with others through shared moments, making it a truly enriching experience.
41. A. favor B. break C. suggestion D. push
42. A. tiring B. puzzling C. refreshing D. encouraging
43. A. traveling B. meeting C. talking D. picnicking
44. A. shoot B. paint C. describe D. video
45. A. trees B. sunrise C. lizards D. birds
46. A. gifts B. ideas C. numbers D. greetings
47. A. doubted B. inquired C. considered D. checked
48. A. elegantly B. purposefully C. hesitantly D. gratefully
49. A. opened up B. dressed up C. hurried up D. cheered up
50. A. running away B. passing away C. breaking down D. settling down
51. A. possessions B. collections C. memories D. qualities
52. A. entertained B. inspired C. concerned D. touched
53. A. available B. comfortable C. admirable D. unforgettable
54. A. purchased B. guaranteed C. selected D. made
55. A. competing B. connecting C. discussing D. cooperating
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1个合适的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
The Chinese Qingming Festival, also known as Tomb Sweeping Day, celebrates the beginning of spring and is the day 56 families show respect to their ancestors by visiting and cleaning their tombs. The festival takes place on the 15th day after the Spring Equinox (春分), which falls on April 4th 57 5th. As Qingming comes, temperature rises and rainfall increases, 58 (indicate)an important time for sowing seeds.
The Qingming Festival 59 (date) back more than 2,500 years and it originated from Hanshi Day, meaning “a day with cold food only”. One story has it that Jie Zitui, who was a loyal man to his lord Duke Wen, died in a fire in 636 BCE. So Duke Wen ordered three days without fire 60 memory of Jie. The next year, he ordered that the day after Hanshi Day should be the Qingming Festival, a day to honor 61 dead. Over time, the two festivals 62 (eventual) combined and the traditions of eating cold food and honoring ancestors became 63 (attach) to the Qingming Festival.
While there is much sadness surrounding Tomb Sweeping Day, there is also 64 (celebrate) , happiness and a festive atmosphere. Nowadays, the Qingming Festival is a time of multiple 65
(activity) , such as tomb sweeping, spring outing, flying kites and eating festive food like Qingtuan.
第四部分 写作（满分 40分）
第一节 （满分15分）
假定你是李华，你去英国旅游时在某餐厅就餐，对该餐厅的服务不满意，请根据以下内容给餐厅的经理写一封投诉信，内容包括：
1.投诉内容（食物不新鲜，服务态度不好等）。
2.希望得到妥善的处理。
注意：1. 写作词数应为80词左右；
请按如下格式在答题卡相应位置作答。
Dear Sir or Madam,
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours.
Li Hua
第二节 (满分25分)
阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。
When I was seven years old, my family moved from Mexico to America. In Mexico, I was a cheerful girl who loved making people laugh with my jokes and inventing fun games to play with my friends. However, when I arrived in America, I found it hard to fit in, and I became quieter.
We lived in a small house with a modest yard where we grew vegetables-my responsibility. While I took pride in watching them grow, there were times when I dreamed of having a beautiful garden like my schoolmate Luella's, with its delicate tulips (郁金香).Although Luella lived in the same neighborhood as me, we barely knew each other.
It was after a tornado that Luella and I finally became close friends.
The tornado struck on a Sunday afternoon. The gentle breeze transformed into a strong wind, and thick gray clouds filled the sky, Gradually, the tornado took shape, starting as a thin rope and growing into a large black funnel (漏斗).My entire family gathered in the bathroom, seeking shelter from the storm. Terrified, I sat close to my mom, knees in my chest. After the storm had passed, our worries and fears were replaced by relief that we were unharmed and that our house had remained undamaged.
As I stepped outside, I witnessed the extent of the damage the tornado had caused to our neighborhood. Across the street, a tall tree had fallen, crushing Luella's garden in front of her yellow house. We hurried over to check on it. Fortunately, her family seemed to be away at the time, and no one was injured. However, her once-beautiful garden was in ruins, with the fallen tree destroying the tulips and debris (碎片) spread everywhere. I could only imagine how heartbroken they must feel seeing this.
Then my mom's usual words rang in my ear, “It is more blessed to give than to receive,” and my family started to think about how we could help.
续写要求：
1. 续写词数应为 150 左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Just at that moment, Luella’s family returned in their car. _____________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Even after the debris was cleared, I could still sense Luella’s sorrow for her lost garden. _____
_______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
福安一中2023—2024学年（下）高二第三次月考
英语参考答案
1-5BACBC 6-10BCAAC 11-15AABAB 16-20 CBBCA
21-23 CDA 24-27 BDCD 28-31 DCAD 32-35 DBAD 36-40 ACBED
41-45 DCAAB 46-50 DBCAB 51-55 CDDCB
56. when 57. or 58. indicating 59. dates 60. in
61. the 62. eventually 63. attached 64. celebration 65. activities
第四部分 写作
第一节 （满分15分）
Dear Sir or Madam,
I'm Li Hua, one of your customers, writing to make a complaint about the poor service of your restaurant.
Last Friday, when dining in your restaurant, we found the food not fresh, which was so upsetting. What annoyed us most was that when we explained it to the waitress, instead of helping us solve the problem, she shouted at us rudely.
Therefore, I'd like you to investigate the matter seriously and make a formal apology to me. I'd appreciate it if you could give due attention to the matter.
Yours.
Li Hua
.
第二节 (满分20分)
Possible version1:
Just at that moment, Luella's family returned in their car. Empathy surged within me as I saw their shock and disbelief. Approaching Luella, I tightly held her hands and said, “I'm so sorry for your loss, but thankfully you're all right. " She weakly nodded, still puzzled by the devastating scene. My family volunteered to help clean up the mess , cutting down the branches and removing the fallen trees. To uplift Luella's spirits and bring her comfort, I tried my best to cheer her up while tidying the garden with her, during which my own joyful personality seemed to revive a bit.
Even after the debris was cleared, I could still sense Luella's sorrow for her lost garden. My heart went out to her, knowing her devotion to those tulips she had nurtured. Determined to restore the beauty that once thrived,I suggested that we rebuild the garden， which Luella delightedly embraced. With each bulb carefully planted and watered, the new tulip seedlings filled the garden once again, which symbolized the sprouting of a new friendship between us, as well as the turning that I finally got embraced by this new environment. My mom was right: It's more blessed to give than to receive because when you give, you may receive something unexpected in return.
Possible version 2:
Just at that moment, Luella's family returned in their car. Empathy surged within me as I saw the shock and disbelief on their faces. I couldn't help but approach Luella,tightly holding her hands and saying,“I'm so sorry for your loss, but thankfully you're all right. "She weakly nodded at me, still appearing puzzled by the devastating sight. My family volunteered to help her clean up the mess, cutting down the branches and removing the fallen trees from the yard. To uplift Luella's spirits and bring her comfort, I tried my best to cheer her up while tidying the garden with her, during which my own joyful personality seemed to revive a bit.
Even after the debris was cleared, I could still sense Luella's sorrow for her lost garden. My heart went out to her, knowing how much she had cherished those tulips that she had devoted so much energy to. Yet now, they were all gone. Determined to restore the beauty that once thrived, I suggested that we rebuild the garden. Luella agreed delightedly. With each bulb carefully planted and watered, the new tulip seedlings filled the garden once again , which symbolized the sprouting of a new friendship between us, as well as the turning that I finally got embraced by this new environment. My mom was right: It's more blessed to give than to receive because when you give, you may receive something unexpected in return.
听力原文
Text1.
M: Hey, that new superhero movie is out this weekend! But we’re going hiking. Maybe we can go during the week
W: Okay. It’s showing on Tuesday and Thursday.
M: Let’s go on Thursday. I play football on Mondays and Tuesdays.
W: Perfect, let’s do it!
Text2.
M: Good afternoon. I’m calling about ordering some uniforms for my baseball team.
W: OK. Do you have a design in mind If not, you can use our website to view different styles. Then you can submit your order through the site, too.
Text 3.
W: Jeremy, Europe is amazing!
M: Oh Sally, that’s so cool. What’s the best place that you went to
W: It’s hard to choose. I really love Paris and Madrid but it has to be Venice as the architecture is just breath-taking.
Text 4.
W: Hey Tom! Are you going to the cafe downstairs to get a cup of coffee
M: No, that’s closed. I’m going to the dessert shop by the bookstore on the next street.
W: Do you mind if I go with you
M: Not at all. I feel lonely going by myself anyway.
Text5.
W: Jack, Mr. Gomez wants to see you in his office.
M: Do you know why I hope I haven’t done anything wrong.
W: Relax. He just wants to go over some client data.
Text 6.
W: I can’t believe my car died! Thanks for giving me a hand.
M: Anytime.
W: You look like you know what you’re doing.
M: My dad’s a mechanic, so he taught me a few tricks of the trade.
W: Do you think it’ll make much longer
M: Just another couple of minutes, and you’ll be able to hit the road.
Text 7.
M: Have you reviewed the application letter of Steven Johnson His experiences are pretty impressive.
W: I have noticed he won pretty big contracts from a big international trader last year. Do you think he would be a good fit for our company
M: Well, we have to see him in person before making any decisions. Should I arrange a formal interview with him
W: Actually, I’ll be out of town next week, so why don’t we set up a schedule in the following week
Text 8
W: Pablo, I heard about your promotion in today’s regular meeting. Congratulations! When do you start your new position
M: Thanks very much! I start on Monday. Things are a little busy at the moment, though, because my new office is on a different floor, and I have to move all my personal belongings there.
W: I just took charge of the office supplies, so if you need anything to help you pack, let me know.
M: That would actually be very helpful. I can’t believe how many things I’ve collected over the years! Do you think I can get some cardboard boxes and tape
W: Sure you can. Oh, I’m supposed to give an expense report in five minutes. I’ll come back to you later.
Text 9
W: Hey Terry, this charity fundraiser I’m organizing, it’s going to be a big event!
M: Where are you hosting it, Mary
W: Here in this coffee shop. There’s space for live music, food, and lots of activities for kids.
M: Oh, I assumed you would do it at a music hall.
W: We considered it. But it wasn’t available then. Then we decided either here or the park. Finally, we chose this shop as it’s more family friendly.
M: Yeah, that makes sense, and I suppose this is more private compared to the park. What charity is it
W: A local animal shelter. I thought this would be a great way to raise awareness and funds. They always need a little support.
M: That’s awesome. What can I do to help
W: Well, I was actually hoping you could lend me a hand with the music. You know a lot of bands, and I was thinking maybe you could help me book some acts for the event.
M: Sure, I’d be happy to help out. I’ll see what I can do.
Text 10
W: Good evening, everyone. I recently learnt Arabic in Cairo as part of my degree. My interest in the language was due to the passion of our Arabic lecturer and as the course progressed, my interest in the culture also grew with it. I considered studying in the Middle East, but ultimately decided on Cairo due to its energetic cultural scene. However, in the city, we faced some challenges, including difficulties finding a hotel and accommodation as we were a group of unmarried individuals. Once settled, the culture shock was intense for some of us. One member of our group returned home within the first week. Luckily I became accustomed to the life in Cairo gradually. The biggest challenge of learning Arabic is the disconnection between the written and the spoken forms. Despite these challenges, learning Arabic has been a rewarding experience, including absorbing myself in the culture and getting to know the locals and even negotiating at a local market. Highlights were being invited to a traditional Arabic meal at one of the locals’ home and being able to confidently communicate. Overall, this experience was outside of my comfort zone and allowed me to learn and grow in interesting ways. I encourage others to consider involving themselves in new cultures and languages. Thanks for listening.
