2012年海淀二模英语试题+答案
海淀区高三年级第二学期期末练习
英语2012.05
本试卷共12页，共150分。考试时间120分钟。
第一部分：听力理解（共三节，30分）
第一节（共5小题；每小题1.5分，共7.5分）
听下面5段对话。每段对话后有一道小题，从每题所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项。听完每段对话后，你将有10秒钟的时间来回答有关小题和阅读下一小题。每段对话你将听一遍。
1. What sport does the man play now?
A. Basketball.
B. Football.
C. Badminton.
2. Where does the dialogue probably take place?
A. In a restaurant.
B. At a grocery store.
C. At a snack bar.
3. When will the man go for his holiday?
A. In June.
B. In July .
C. In August.
4. What are they mainly talking about?
A. Scholarship.
B. Major.
C. Travelling.
5. What does the woman think of the math puzzle?
A. Difficult.
B. So-so.
C. Easy.
第二节（共10小题；每小题1.5分，共15分）
听下面4段对话或独白。每段对话或独白后有几道小题，从每题所给的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5秒钟的时间阅读每小题。听完后，每小题将给出5秒钟的作答时间。每段对话或独白你将听两遍。
听第6段材料，回答第6至7题。
6. When is the woman available for the meeting?
A．In 4th week of May. B. In 3rd week of May. C. In 1st week of May.
7. Where is the meeting going to be held?
A．In Mexico City. B. In Chicago. C. In Toronto.
听第7段材料，回答第8至9题。
8. In which country are transport workers on strike?
A. France.
B. Australia.
C. Singapore.
9. Why are some of the farmers angry?
A. They are stricken by the worst drought.
B. The financial assistance is not enough.
C. The government reacts too late.
听第8段材料，回答第10至12题。
10. Which day(s) does the man finally make a reservation for?
A. November 10.
B. November 17.
C. November 17 and 18.
11. Which type of room does the man book?
A. Standard.
B. Deluxe.
C. Suite.
12. How much does the man have to pay to hold the room?
A. $ 220.
B. $ 160.
C. $ 50.
听第9段材料，回答第13至15题。
13. What is the woman doing?
A. Complaining about campus food.
B. Seeking comments on campus food.
C. Pushing for changes in campus food.
14. What does the man think of the campus food?
A. Acceptable.
B. Excellent.
C. Unsatisfied.
15. What is the man unhappy with?
A. The vegetable.
B. The closing time.
C. The soup.
第三节（共5小题；每小题1.5分，共7.5分）
听下面一段对话，完成第16至第20五道小题，每小题仅填写一个
．．词。听对话前，你将有20秒钟的时间阅读试题，听完后你将有60秒钟的作答时间。这段对话你将听两遍。
第二部分：知识运用（共两节，45分）
第一节单项填空（共15小题；每小题1分，共15分）
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，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
21. Reading books, _______ takes the reader to other worlds, is a wonderful way to enjoy life.
A. that
B. what
C. as
D. which
22. ---What makes you a history major?
---Interest. I _____ it because my high school history teacher influenced me a lot.
A. loved
B. had loved
C. love
D. have loved
23. The average Facebook user in the United States has 245 friends, according to a study ______ in
February.
A. publishing
B. published
C. publish
D. to publish
24. As the intelligence of robots increases to match ________ of humans，we may use them to
expand our frontiers.
A. it
B. that
C. which
D. them
25. ---Have you received your new shoes?
---Yes. And at the same time I got the jacket I _____.
A. had ordered
B. ordered
C. have ordered
D. order
26. A mistake _____ have been made on our bill. W e didn’t order any fish today.
A. should
B. would
C. must
D. could
27. One doesn’t have to look far to realize the direct co nnection smoking and cancer.
A. of
B. with
C. to
D. between
28. She came to Beijing on April 28, _____ Mayday's concert in the Bird’s Nest.
A. to expect
B. expecting
C. expected
D. expect
29. ---Is dinner ready?
---Not yet. The main course ______. It needs another ten minutes.
A. was not done
B. had not done
C. is not done
D. has no t done
30. House prices vary from place to place and are usually high _____ there are famous schools.
A. where
B. since
C. when
D. whether
31. You don’t need to make fancy foods to impress guests—it is something simple but good
_____ will do.
A. what
B. that
C. which
D. who
32. More than ten people _____ in their own homes during the first 3 months of this year.
A. were gassed
B. had been gassed
C. are gassed
D. have been
gassed
33. I actually believe that we _____ in Xi’an now if you hadn’t been caught drunk driving last
month.
A. why
B. how
C. that
D. when
第二节完形填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，共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。
Education from My Father
My memories of my father are slim because he was so sick in the last years of his life. But there are 36that I am often reminded of and which may have had some bearing on my love of 37.
When I was small I was somewhat 38of lightning and thunder. My father explained it. The explanation was in 39that a child could understand but was basically correct. I gained
a better 40later, but I didn’t have to unlearn anything.
What he said was that there was electricity in the clouds 41it travelled to the ground like a spark. When it travelled 42the air it made the air so hot that it 43. Then there was nothing where the air had been and the air all around rushed in to 44the space. He clapped his hands together very loud, 45to be the air rushing in, and said that makes the thunder. When I hear thunder, I can still hear that 46.
He explained why if it was cloudy in the winter the night was warmer than if it was 47. It was one of those nights when the sky was full of stars: no moon, no town lights. But there were more stars than you could 48and they had color too. He said that if there were no clouds, we had no blankets and were 49to the universe. Our warmth was going to 50the whole universe. When there were clouds, they were like blankets and we were not exposed to the universe. I 51feel on the edge of space on a very clear night.
I am sure there were many other lessons that I 52but no longer remember. What I did 53, in general, was that there were explanations and that the more I understood them, the more comfortable the world was to live in. I was not taught that there were 54but that there was understanding if you looked for it. This may be why I have always been 55in science.
36. A. others B. few C. some D. all
37. A. science B. nature C. weather D. universe
38. A. sure B. fond C. tired D. afraid
39. A. depth B. words C. gestures D. data
B. knowledge
C. command
D. confidence
40. A.
understanding
41. A. but B. and C. for D. or
42. A. above B. to C. along D. through
43. A. shone B. burned C. expanded D. broke
44. A. fill B. make C. avoid D. break
45. A. trying B. proving C. hoping D. pretending
46. A. clap B. remark C. voice D. crash
47. A. cold B. bright C. clear D. foggy
48. A. explore B. foresee C. imagine D. identify
49. A. committed B. exposed C. related D. led
50. A. heat B. protect C. extend D. light
51. A. ever B. also C. even D. still
52. A. selected B. arranged C. absorbed D. delivered
53. A. consider B. promise C. explain D. learn
54. A. memories B. blankets C. mysteries D. thunders
55. A. engaged B. interested C. successful D. skillful
第三部分：阅读理解（共两节，40分）
第一节（共15小题；每小题2分，共30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，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A
Until last spring, Nia Parker and the other kids in her neighborhood went to school on Bus 59. But as fuel prices rose, the school district needed to find a way to cut its transportation costs. So the school’s busing company redrew its route map, cancel ing Nia’s bus. Now Nia and her neighbors travel the half mile to school via a “walking school bus”—a group of kids, supervised (监护) by an adult or two, who make the walk together.
Many parents are delighted to see their kids walking to school, partly because many did so themselves. According to a 1979 survey, nearly half of school kids walked or biked to school, compared with only 16 percent in 2011. Modern parents have been unwilling to let kids walk to school for fear of traffic, crime or simple bullying, but with organized adult supervision, those concerns have reduced.
Schools and busing companies are finding other ways to save. In rural areas where busing is a must, some schools have even chosen four-day school weeks. Busing companies instruct drivers to cancel extra stops from routes and to turn off the engine while idling(挂空挡). They are also using computer software to determine the most fuel-efficient routes, which aren’t always the shortest ones.
There could be disadvantages, however, to the busing cutbacks. If every formerly bused student begins walking to school, it’s an environmental win—but if too many of their parents decide to drive them instead, the overall carbon footprint can grow. Replacing buses with many more parent-driven cars can also increase safety risks. A 2011 report concluded students are 13 ti mes safer on a school bus than in a passenger car, since buses have fewer accidents and withstand them better due to their size. And some students complain about the long morning hikes, particularly when the route contains a really big hill.
56. In regards to walking to school, modern parents seem much concerned with the _____.
A. safety of their kids
B. kids’ physical strength
C. time spent on the way
D. changes in the route
57. To save money, some schools choose to _____.
A. shorten the school week
B. take the shortest routes
C. stop using school buses
D. use fuel-efficient buses
58. Busing cutbacks may lead to _____.
A. fewer complaints about long morning hikes
B. more students taking public transportation
C. an increase in carbon dioxide emissions
D. a decrease in the safety of school buses
B
A metaphor is a poetic device that deals with comparison. It compares similar qualities of
two dissimilar objects. With a simple metaphor, one object becomes the other: Love is a rose. Although this does not sound like a particularly rich image, a metaphor can communicate so much about a particular image that poets use them more than any other type of figurative language. The reason for this is that poets compose their poetry to express what they are experiencing emotionally at that moment. Consequently, what the poet imagines love to be may or may not be our understanding of love. Therefore, the poet’s job is to enable us to experience it, to feel it the same way as the poet does.
Let’s analyze this remarkably simple metaphor concerning love and the rose to see what it offers. Because the poet uses a comparison with a rose, first we must examine the characteristics of that flower. A rose is impressive in its beauty, its petals（花瓣）are nicely soft, and its smell is pleasing. It’s possible to say that a rose is actually a feast to the senses of sight, touch, and smell. The rose’s appearance seems to border on perfection, each petal seemingly equal in form. Isn’t this th e way one’s love should be？A loved one should be a delight to one’s senses and seem perfect.
However, there is another dimension added to the comparison by using a rose. Roses have thorns. The poet wants to convey the idea that roses can be tricky. So can love, the metaphor tells us. When one reaches out with absolute trust to touch the object of his or her affection, ouch, a thorn can cause great harm! “Be careful,” the metaphor warns, “Love is a feast to the senses, but it can overwhelm us, and it can al so hurt us and cause acute suffering.” This is the poet’s understanding of love—an admonition (劝诫). What is the point？Just this: It took almost 14 sentences to clarify what a simple metaphor communicates in only four words! That is the artistry and the joy of the simple metaphor.
59. According to the passage, a metaphor is a ________.
A. description of two similar objects in a poetic way
B. literary device specially employed in poetry writing
C. contrast between two different things to create a vivid image
D. comparison between two different objects with similar features
60. As is meant by the author, thorns of a rose ________.
A. add a new element to the image of love
B. protect the rose from harm
C. symbolize reduced love
D. cause acute suffering
61. It can be inferred from the passage that a metaphor is _______.
A. difficult to understand
B. rich in meaning
C. simple to use
D. perfect in form
62. The main idea of this passage is that ________.
A. love is a rose in metaphor
B. a rose is a good image in poetry
C. a metaphor is a great poetic device
D. a poet should be careful to use a metaphor
C
On my first job as a sports editor for the Montpelier Leader Enterprise, I didn’t get a lot of fan mail, so I was intrigued by a letter plopped on my desk one morning. The envelope bore the logo of the closest big-city paper, the Toledo Blade.
When I opened it, I read:
“Sweet piece of writing on the Tigers. Keep up the good work.”
It was signed by Don Wolfe, the sports editor. Because I was a teenager (being paid the grand total of 15 cents a column inch), his words could not have been more exciting. I kept the letter in my desk drawer until it got rag-eared. Whenever I doubted I had the right stuff to be a writer, I would reread Don’s note and walk on air again.
Later, when I got to know him, I learned that Don made a habit of writing a quick, encouraging word to people in all walks of life. “When I make others feel good about themselves,” he told me, “I feel good, too.”
Why are upbeat note writers in such short supply? My guess is that many who shy away from the practice are too self-conscious. They are afraid they will be misunderstood, sound old-fashioned or flattering. Also, writing takes time and it is far easier to pick up the phone. The drawback with phone calls, of course, is that they do not last. A note attaches more importance to our well-wishing. It is a matter of record, and our words can be read more than once, appreciated, and treasured.
What does it take to write notes that lift spirits and warm hearts? Perhaps just a desire and a willingness to express our appreciation. The most successful people write notes that are short on words and long on feeling, sincere, short, specific, and usually spontaneous in nature.
It is difficult to be spontaneous, however, when you have to hunt for letter writing materials; so, keep paper, envelopes, and stamps c lose at hand, even when you travel. Fancy stationery is not necessary; it’s the thought that counts.
So, who around you deserves a note of thanks or approval? A neighbor, your librarian, a relative, your mate, a teacher, or your doctor? You do not need to be poetic. If you need a reason, look for a milestone, the anniversary of a special event you shared, a birthday, or holiday, and do not hold back your prais e. Such words as: “greatest,”“smartest,”“prettiest” make us all feel good. Even if your praises run a little ahead of reality, remember that expectations are often the parents of dreams fulfilled.
63. On seeing the letter on the desk, the author felt _____.
A. annoyed
B. curious
C. doubtful
D. shocked
64. According to the author, many people don’t write upbeat notes mainly because they are _____.
A. afraid of being out of date
B. too shy to flatter others
C. prepared to make phone calls
D. too concerned about what others think
65. It can be learned from the last paragraph that ______.
A. praises often run ahead of reality
B. praises help in pursuing a dream
C. parents often write upbeat notes
D. parents expect children’s success
66. What might be the suitable title for the passage?
A. The Power of a Positive Note
B. Notes Help to Fulfill Dreams
C. The Necessity of Writing Notes
D. Note or Phone, Your Own Choice
D
Homeownership has let us down. For generations, Americans believed that owning a home was undoubtedly good. Our political leaders hammered home the point. Franklin Roosevelt held that a country of homeowners was “unconquerable.” Homeownership could even save babies, save children, save families and save America. A house with a lawn and a fence wasn’t just a nice place to live in or a risk-free investment; it was a way to transform a nation. No wonder leaders of all political types wanted to spend more than $100 billion a year on subsidies and tax breaks to encourage people to buy.
But the dark side of homeownership is now all too apparent: Indeed, easy lending stimulated by the cult of homeownership may have triggered the financial crisis. Housing remains a drag on the economy. Existing-home sales in April dropped 27% from the prior month, worsening fears of a double-dip. And all that is just the obvious tale of a housing bubble and what happened when it popped. The real story is deeper and darker still.
For the better part of a century, politics, industry and culture lined up to create a fetish of the idea of buying a house. Homeownership has done plenty of good over the decades; it has provided stability to tens of millions of families. Yet by idealizing the act of buying a home, we have ignored the downsides. In the bubble years, lending standards slipped dramatically, allowing many Americans to put far too much of their income into paying for their housing. And we ignored longer-term phenomena too. Homeownership contributed to the hollowing out of cities and kept renters out of the best neighborhoods. It fed America’s overuse of energy and oil. It made it more difficult for those who had lost a job to find another. Perhaps worst of all, it helped us become casually self-deceiving: By telling ourselves that homeownership was a pathway to wealth and stable communities and better test scores, we avoided dealing with these frightening issues head-on.
Now, as the U.S. recovers from the biggest housing bust（破产）since the Great Depression, it is time to rethink how realistic our expectations of homeownership are—and how much money we want to spend chasing them. Many argue that homeownership should not be a goal pursued at all costs.
67. Political leaders wanted to spend money encouraging people to buy houses because ______.
A. owning a home was undoubtedly good
B. homeownership was unconquerable
C. houses could save families and America
D. homeownership could shape a country
68. The underlined sentence in Para. 2 means ______.
A. homeownership has quite a lot of bad effects
B. there might be another housing breakdown in the U.S.
C. the existing-home sales will keep decreasing in the U.S.
D. the result of homeownership is much worse than it appears
69. It can be inferred from Para. 3 that ______.
A. it is hard for Americans to get a home loan
B. it is the way to wealth to have one’s own house
C. many Americans choose to live out of urban areas
D. homeownership has made many people out of work
70. What is the author’s attitude towards homeownership?
A. Favorable.
B. Ambiguous.
C. Cautious.
D. Optimistic.
第二节（共5小题；每小题2分，共10分）
根据短文内容，从短文后的七个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。
“Look it up in the dictionary”is the usual comment when people are in doubt about the meaning or spelling of a word. Dictionaries are considered the final authority on these matters as well as on pronunciations and other facts about a word.
Until a few hundred years ago, however, people could not “look it up” because there were no English dictionaries. The ancient Greeks and Romans and the scholars of the Middle Ages had made lists of Latin and Greek words. 71 The first great English dictionary listing both common and uncommon words was written by Samuel Johnson in 1755.
In America, the most famous name in dictionary writing is that of Noah Webster. He stressed American rather than British ways of speaking. His great dictionary, which first appeared in 1828, has been republished many times. 72 The latest edition is still considered “the”dictionary. It defines over 450,000 words, including radar, television and many others undreamed of by Webster.
73 The huge ones that rest on stands in libraries are called unabridged, meaning “not shortened.”They tell not only a word’s meaning and spelling but also its pronunciation, origin, history, part of speech, grammatical forms, and ways of use. The smaller ones do not provide all this information.
74 A bilingual dictionary, such as a Spanish-English dictionary, translates words from one language into another. A thesaurus lists other words that mean the same as each listed word. A gazetteer lists place names, and a glossary is a small dictionary in a book defining technical words in that book. There are also dictionaries of scientific terms and ones on many other topics. There is even a dictionary of slang. 75 The dictionary is one of our most valuable language tools.
A. Each time, it has been updated.
B. General dictionaries are not the only kind.
C. Thus there are many kinds of special dictionaries.
D. In a general dictionary, each word may have multiple meanings.
E. Dictionaries that list all kinds of words are known as general dictionaries.
F. Over the previous 150 years more than 20 dictionaries had been published.
G. But it was not until 1604 that a book of uncommon English words appeared.
第四部分：书面表达（共两节，35分）
第一节情景作文（20分）
假设你是某校高二(1)班学生李华。下面是你校布告栏里张贴的“征集接待家庭”的通知，请根据其内容用英语写一封申请信。词数不少于60。
注意：信的开头和结尾已经给出（不计入词数）。
Dear Sir/ Madam,
I am Li Hua from Class One, Senior Two. _________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ __
I would appreciate it if my application is taken into account.
Yours sincerely,
Li Hua
(请务必将情景作文写在答题卡指定区域内)
第二节开放作文（15分）
请根据下面提示，写一篇短文。词数不少于50。
In your spoken English class, your teacher shows you the following picture. You are asked to describe the picture and explain how you understand it.
海淀区高三年级第二学期期末练习
英语
参考答案及评分标准2012. 05
第一部分：听力理解（共三节，30分）
第一节（共5小题；每小题1.5分，共7.5分）
1. C
2. B
3. C
4. B
5. A
第二节（共10小题；每小题1.5分，共15分）
6. A
7. B
8. A
9. C 10. C 11. A 12. C 13. B 14. A 15. B
第三节（共5小题；每小题1.5分，共7.5分）
16.11(Eleven) 17. Wednesday 18. kitchen 19. detail(s) 20. place
第二部分：知识运用（共两节，45分）
第一节单项填空（共15小题；每小题1分，共15分）
21. D 22. C 23. B 24. B 25. A 26. C 27. D 28. B 29. C 30. A 31. B 32. A 33. A 34. D 35. D
第二节完形填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，共30分）
36. C 37. A 38. D 39. B 40. A 41. B 42. D 43. B 44. A 45. D 46. A 47. C 48. C 49. B 50. A 51. D 52. C 53. D 54. C 55. B
第三部分：阅读理解（共两节，40分）
第一节（共15小题；每小题2分，共30分）
56. A 57. A 58. C 59. D 60. A 61. B 62. C 63. B 64. D 65. B 66. A 67. D 68. D 69. C 70. C
第二节（共5小题；每小题2分，共10分）
71. G 72. A 73. E 74. B 75. C
第四部分：书面表达（共两节，35分）
第一节情景作文（20分）
一、评分原则：
1．本题总分为20分，按5个档次给分。
2．评分时，先根据文章的内容和语言质量初步确定其档次，然后以该档次的要求来衡量，确定或调整档次，最后给分。
3．评分时应考虑：内容要点的完整性、上下文的连贯、词汇和句式的多样性及语言的准确性。
4．拼写、标点符号或书写影响内容表达时，应视其影响程度予以考虑。英、美拼写及词汇用法均可接受。
5．词数少于60，从总分中减去1分。
二、各档次的给分范围和要求：
但为尽可能表达丰富的内容所致
三、One possible version:
Dear Sir/ Madam,
I am Li Hua from Class One, Senior Two. I’m writing in reply to the notice for host families. I think I have several reasons to accommodate one foreign friend. First, I believe my English is good enough to communicate with foreigners. Also, my good communication skills enable me to keep a good relationship with others. As for accommodation, my family live in a 4-room apartment and there is always a spare room for the guest. In addition, my home is very convenient in transportation. Its location makes it easy to take either subways or buses to most places. I have also got support from my parents, who said yes without hesitation when informed of my wish.
I would appreciate it i f my application is taken into account.
Yours sincerely,
Li Hua
第二节开放作文（15分）
一、评分原则：
1．本题总分为15分，按4个档次给分。
2．评分时，先根据文章的内容和语言质量初步确定其档次，然后以该档次的要求来衡量，确定或调整档次，最后给分。
3．评分时应考虑：文章是否扣题，结构是否完整，内容是否充实、健康，思维是否活跃，逻辑是否清晰，语言是否规范，交际是否得体。
4．拼写、标点符号或书写影响内容表达时，应视其影响程度予以考虑。英、美拼写及词汇用法均可接受。
5．词数少于50，从总分中减去1分。
三、Possible Version 1
In the picture, along the tracks come three runners. The one who takes the lead wears a smile on his face, despite the great distance he has covered. The other two, with sweat streaming down their faces, are clearly tired from running.
What the picture tries to convey is that success belongs to those who can keep up a good state of mind faced with life challenges. The smile on the face of the runner in the lead suggests that he enjoys the race, regardless of the hard work he has to devote. This definitely makes him stand out among the other competitors, who wear serious and painted expressions on their faces. Life is sometimes like a race with tracks stretching long. A good state of mind can actually bring out our best.
Possible Version 2
In the picture, three boys are running along the tracks. The first boy is running with ease and confidence. The last boy falls far behind, but he is still going all out for the race, with his teeth clenched.
It dawns on me that whatever situation we find ourselves in, never should we lose hope but press ahead. Standing a slim chance of catching up with the other two ahead of him, the persistent boy in the last place shows no sign of giving up and works even harder. His perseverance demonstrates a profound meaning in life. It often happens that hard as we may try, our efforts do not yield satisfying results. However, as long as we persevere in our determination and efforts, we are the champion of our own lif e “race”.
听力录音文本
Text 1
W: What sports do you like?
M: Actually, I really enjoy basketball and football.
W: Do you often play them?
M: I used to, but now I only play badminton when I’m free.
Text 2
M: What would you like to have, Madam?
W: I want a kilo of carrots, some fish and a dozen matches.
Text 3
W: Hi, Richard! Are you going to start your holiday in June?
M: I was thinking about going to Africa in July, but my parents suggested August because they wanted to go with me. So I have to wait longer.
Text 4
W: I’m going to apply for a scholarship when I finish senior high. I intend to get a degree in art.
How about you?
M: I haven’t decided yet. I may try biology. But also I fancy traveling.
Text 5
M: This math puzzle is really beyond me.
W: Wel l, if you can’t solve it, I won’t stand a chance.
Text 6
M: Hello, may I speak to Mrs. Shaw, please?
W: Yes, this is Anne Shaw speaking.
M: Hi, Mrs. Shaw. This is Eric from London.
W: Hi, Eric. How can I help you?
M: I'm arranging our next project team meeting, and I just want to check some possible dates with you.
W: Fine, let me just get my diary. Okay, which dates are you looking at?
M: I've spoken to the others, and they will be available in the first, third and fourth week of May. Which one would you prefer?
W: Well, I prefer the last week if possible.
M: I think there is no problem with that.
W: OK, great, by the way, where is the meeting taking place this time?
M: It was going to be in London. But I spoke to Carlos in Mexico City, and he suggested
Chicago. He thinks it will be more convenient for most of the team.
W: He's probably right. It'll certainly be much easier for me as well. Because I can fly from Toronto, and I'm sure you can find a meeting room somewhere near the airport.
M: That's a good idea.
Test 7
W: This is the 6 o’clock international news. And first the headlines. In Australia, the Prime Minister has promised to help the drought stricken farmers in the northern part of the country who haven’t seen rain for nearly two yea rs. And in Singapore a group of school children are successfully rescued from a plane which landed in the sea shortly after take-off.
Next, transport workers in Paris are on strike over wages and the strike looks set to spread to other cities.
The details. Australia Prime Minister has promised today that he will make two hundred and fifty million dollars available to help the drought stricken farmers who have not seen rain for years get through the next five years. Farmers are to receive financial assistance to help see them through the worst drought in over 50 years. Many farmers feel that while the money is welcome, it has come too late to save them and are angry that the government did not act sooner…
Text 8
W: Thanks for calling Quality Inn. Morine speaking.
M: Hello. I’d like to make a reservation for this Friday.
W: This Friday？November the tenth?
M: Yes.
W: I’m afraid we’re totally booked for that weekend.
M: What about the weekend after that?
W: So... Friday the seventeenth?
M: Yes. Friday and Saturday.
W: All right Sir. We have 3 types of room, standard, deluxe, and suite. The price of the standard room is $160 per night, deluxe room is $220 per night, and the suite is $380 per night.
Which type of room would you like to book?
M: I want to book a standard room.
W: All right Sir, we still have standard room available for November the seventeenth and eighteenth.
M: Good. Can we pay when we arrive?
W: Yes, but we do require a fifty dollar credit card deposit to hold the room.
M: That′s fine.
W: Who′s the booking for, please, sir?
M: Mr. Ryefield.
W: Okay, Mr. Ryefield. Thank you for choosing Quality Inn. Goodbye.
Text 9
W: Excuse me. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?
M: No, I guess not.
M: Great! This is for a student council report; we want to find out what students think of the campus food service. First, how often do you eat in the cafeteria?
M: Almost every day.
W: What’s your general impression of the food here?
M: Well, people complain a lot, but basically I think it’s OK.The vegetables are usually overcooked, but I mean they have to feed hundreds of people here. You are not going to get something freshly prepared just for you.
W: If I just put down generally satisfactory, is that OK?
M: Sure.
W: So you think the other things, like soup and dessert are okay?
M: Yeah, that’s about right.
W: Is there anything you’d like to change about the cafeteria?
M: Yes, the hours. Sometimes it’s a real rush for me to get back here before 6:30.
Text 10
W: So… what time do you sta rt your work, Steve?
M: I start my work at 9 in the morning, and I keep working for 6 hours till 3 o’clock in the afternoon. Then I start again at 5:30 pm and work until 10:30 pm. Six days a week. So I have to work very odd hours.
W: And do you have to work on the weekend?
M: Oh, yes, that’s our busiest time. I get Wednesdays off.
W: What are the things you have to do, and the things you don’t have to do?
M: Eh, I don’t have to do the washing-up, so that’s good. I have to wear white and I have to keep everything in the kitchen totally clean.
W: How did you learn the profession?
M: Well, I did a two-year course at college. In the first year, we had to learn the basics. And then we had to take the exams.
W: And what’s the secret to being good at your job?
M: Attention to detail and you have to love it. You have to show passion for it.
W: And what are your plans for the future?
M: I want to have my own place when the time is right.