云南省昆明市2008―2009學(xué)年上學(xué)期高三期末檢測(cè)

英 語 試 題

本試卷分為第Ⅰ卷（選擇題）和第Ⅱ卷（非選擇題）兩部分.共150分，考試時(shí)間120分鐘。

第I卷（選擇題，共115分）

注意事項(xiàng)：

1．答題前，考生務(wù)必用黑色碳素筆將自己的姓名、準(zhǔn)考證號(hào)、考場(chǎng)號(hào)、座位號(hào)在答題卡上填寫清楚，并認(rèn)真核準(zhǔn)條形碼上的準(zhǔn)考證號(hào)、考場(chǎng)號(hào)、座位號(hào)及科目，在規(guī)定的位置貼好條形碼。

2．每小題選出答案后，用2B鉛筆把答題卡上對(duì)應(yīng)題目的答案標(biāo)號(hào)涂黑。如需改動(dòng)，用橡皮擦擦干凈后，再選涂其它答案標(biāo)號(hào)。答在試卷上的答案無效。

第一部分：聽力（滿分30分）

    做題時(shí)，先將答案劃在試卷上。錄音內(nèi)容結(jié)束后，你將有兩分鐘的時(shí)間將試卷上的答案轉(zhuǎn)涂到答題卡上。

第一節(jié) （共5小題；每小題1.5分，滿分7.5分）

聽下面5段對(duì)話。每段對(duì)話后有一個(gè)小題，從題中所給的A、B、C三個(gè)選項(xiàng)中選出最佳選項(xiàng)，并標(biāo)在試卷的相應(yīng)位置。聽完每段對(duì)話后，你都有10秒鐘的時(shí)間來回答有關(guān)小題和閱讀下一小題。每段對(duì)話僅讀一遍。

例：How much is the shirt?

       A．￡19.5.                         B．￡9.15.                          C．￡9.18.

    答案是B。

1．What is the woman going to do?

       A．Ask for help.                 B．Leave the window open.  C．Shut the window.

2．Where are the speakers now?

       A．In a bookstore.               B．In a library.                   C．In the kitchen.

3．How was the concert?

       A．Boring.                         B．Exciting.                       C．Disappointing.

4．What is probably the relationship between the two speakers?

       A．Mother and son.             B．Husband and wife.          C．Renter and house owner.

5．What time does the flight take off?

       A．At 6:50.                        B．At 5:50.                         C．At 6:10.

第二節(jié) （共15小題；每題1.5分，滿分22.5分）

聽下面5段對(duì)話或獨(dú)白。每段對(duì)話或獨(dú)白后有幾個(gè)小題，從題中所給的A，B，C三個(gè)選項(xiàng)中選出最佳選項(xiàng)，并標(biāo)在試卷的相應(yīng)位置。聽每段對(duì)話或獨(dú)白前，你將有時(shí)間閱讀各個(gè)小題，每小題5秒鐘；聽完后，每小題將給出5秒鐘的作答時(shí)間。每段對(duì)話或獨(dú)白讀兩遍。

聽第6段材料，回答第6~8題。

6．When do they plan to give performances?

       A．These days.                    B．This month.                   C．On weekends.

7．What is Robert asked to do?

       A．To sing some songs.        B．To meet some people.     C．To play in the group.

8．Why is the man not sure of joining the group?

       A．He doesn’t think he is good enough.

       B．He doesn’t want to practise.

       C．He isn’t interested in performing.

聽第7段材料，回答第9―11題。

9．What is the woman?

       A．A student.                      B．A teacher.                      C．A tourist.

10．What will the woman help the foreigners practise?

       A．Reading.                        B．Speaking.                      C．Writing.

11．When will the woman take the part ? time job?

       A．In the summer vacation.  B．On weekends.                 C．Before exams.

聽第8段材料，回答第12―14題。

12．How does the woman keep in touch with her family?

       A．By writhing letters.         B．By sending email.           C．By making phone calls.

13．Why does the man like to be online?

       A．To get interesting information.

       B．To play games.

       C．To see films.

14．What does the man suggest the woman do?

       A．Make use of the Internet.

       B．Talk about music online.

       C．Make friends all over the world.

聽第9段材料，回答第15―17題。

15．What did the man study at first?

       A．Marketing.                     B．Chemistry.                     C．Language.

16．Why does the man want to give up his first job?

       A．He has to leave the company.

       B．He needs to earn more money.

       C．He doesn’t like a small company.

17．What job does the man hope to do?

       A．Company secretary.       

       B．International marketing manager.

       C．Software designer.

聽第10段材料，回答第18―20題。

18．Why did the young woman put her head out?

       A．She heard someone shout.

       B．She wanted to talk.

       C．She had nothing to do.

19．Why did the young woman get angry?

       A．The board nearly hit her.

       B．The man above shouted at her.

       C．She was disturbed.

20．How can a beginner understand a new idiom?

       A．By guessing the meaning of the words.

       B．By practicing it in everyday life.

       C．By referring to a dictionary.

第二部分：英語知識(shí)運(yùn)用（共兩節(jié), 滿分45分）

第一節(jié)   語法和詞匯知識(shí)（共15小題；每小題1分，滿分15分）

    從A、B、C、D四個(gè)選項(xiàng)中，選出可以填入空白處的最佳選項(xiàng)，并在答題卡上將該項(xiàng)涂黑。

21．--- It's nothing serious. But do remember to take this medicine three times a day.

   --- Thank you. ________.

     A．Got it          B．Heard it         C．Make it          D．Take it

22．As Senior 3 students, we find it important to        a good state of mind.

     A．stick to        B．a(chǎn)ttend to         C．keep up          D．stay up

23．______, I think, and the problem could be settled soon.

     A．Making more effort                       B．So long as you make more effort

     C．If you make more effort                     D．A bit more effort

24．It is said that this is a special book, which ____ many events not found in other history books.

    A．writes           B．instructs          C．covers            D．reads

25．--- Could I ride your car to the meeting next Monday?

    --- _______. I'm afraid there might be no space in the car.

A．You are welcome                           B．That depends    

C．Take it easy                                                                    D．No way

26．He has hurt her, so she won't forgive him _____ he makes an apology to her.

    A．a(chǎn)lthough          B．once             C．if                 D．unless

27．When ______ to make a list of universities in Britain, most people would start with Cambridge or Oxford.

    A．to ask            B．a(chǎn)sking            C．a(chǎn)sked             D．a(chǎn)sk

28．--- Bad luck! We lost to their team 80-82 in the final.

    --- Never mind --- it could be ________.

    A．worst             B．better             C．best              D．worse

29．--- I can't stand the loud music any longer. Could you turn down your radio?

   --- Pardon? What _______?

    A．had you said      B．did you say       C．have you said     D．a(chǎn)re you saying

30．--- Shall I book a table for the family reunion dinner ahead of time?

   --- Yes, you ______. The restaurant is always full, especially during the Spring Festival.

    A．will             B．might            C．must             D．can

31．There is no _____ in trying to persuade him to join us, for he enjoys being alone.

    A．doubt            B．wonder          C．difficulty         D．point

32．Our teacher seems unhappy. We don’t understand _______ it was that made him feel that way.

    A．which           B．what            C．why              D．how

33．--- Have you ever heard of the new model of computer, Tom?

   --- Yes, of course. But I haven’t decided whether to buy ________.

    A．this              B．it                C．one              D．that

34．Unfortunately, all the equipment, the computers and the printers included, ______ in the big earthquake.

A．was damaged                                  B．were damaged   

C．has been damaged                            D．have been damaged

35．This is an amazing area of study ______ new discoveries are being made almost every day.

A．from which                                   B．by which       

C．in which                                   D．through which

第二節(jié) 完型填空（共20小題；每小題1.5分，滿分30分）

閱讀下面短文，掌握其大意，然后從36―55各題所給的四個(gè)選項(xiàng)（A、B、C和D）中，選出最佳選項(xiàng)

When Don Richmond and his brother Mark stole their mother’s pocket address book one day, some 13 years ago, the two young men had nothing but good intentions.

Their   36   - Brian, a radio personality in Singapore and Suanne, a health advisor ? had   37   at a young age and didn’t have the means to have a big   38  . Don and his brother had heard their parents   39   several times that they wished they’d been able to   40   more people to share their joy. Since Mark was having great   41   following in his father’s footsteps as a radio host, he felt he was   42   to give his parents the perfect 25 th wedding   43   present ? the wedding they’d always wanted. Don was   44   in school at that time.

The Richmond boys got   45  . Going through the address book, they   46   family, old friends and colleagues, as well as made   47   to fly their grandmother in from England. At that point, Brian had not seen   48   mother for about seven years. On the evening of the August 1^st wedding anniversary, Don and Mark   49   to meet their parents at the hotel where the feast would take place. They’d   50   thirteen tables and all their invited guests had already been told to remain   51   so as not to spoil the surprise. Their parents were caught   52   unawares (出其不意地) when they entered the room and were   53   by 130 guests yelling at the same time “Surprise!”

“My parents were truly   54   ,” says Don, now 31. “My parents say it was their best wedding anniversary ever. But they also   55   us that peaceful dinners with the family are pretty good, too.”

36．A．father                 B．mother                C．parents                D．brothers

37．A．met                    B．married               C．a(chǎn)rgued                D．separated

38．A．meeting              B．party                   C．picnic                 D．wedding

39．A．mention              B．regret                  C．a(chǎn)nnounce             D．inform

40．A．invite                  B．force                   C．cause                  D．require

41．A．job                     B．success                C．surprise               D．business

42．A．likely                  B．friendly               C．a(chǎn)ble                    D．honest

43．A．ceremony            B．a(chǎn)nniversary          C．celebration          D．a(chǎn)ctivity

44．A．a(chǎn)lready               B．yet                      C．a(chǎn)lso                    D．still

45．A．busy                   B．relaxed                C．curious                D．puzzled

46．A．found out            B．thought of           C．rang up               D．called on

47．A．comments           B．plans                   C．jokes                   D．guesses

48．A．its                      B．their                   C．her                     D．his

49．A．failed                  B．a(chǎn)rranged              C．tried                   D．hurried

50．A．booked               B．bought                C．a(chǎn)sked                  D．borrowed

51．A．a(chǎn)ctive                 B．calm                   C．quiet                   D．happy

52．A．completely          B．foolishly             C．silently                D．finally

53．A．found                 B．praised                C．greeted                D．noticed

54．A．interested            B．pleased                C．scared                 D．shocked

55．A．request                B．promise               C．warn                   D．remind

第三部分：閱讀理解（共20小題，每題2分，滿分40分）

閱讀下列短文，從每題所給的四個(gè)選項(xiàng)（A、B、C和D）中，選出最佳選項(xiàng)。

A

My name is Hua Fei and I am a sporting robot of the 23^rd century. I am an expert at high flying exercises. I jump from spaceships and as I fall I turn, dive circle and dance until I softly land as close as I can to the finishing line. Robot competitions in the 23^rd century are truly a popular sport. Fans from all over China watch their handheld TVs when a competition comes on. Last time I took part in the 78^th Olympics on a flying island above Brussels in the sky. I won the silver medal for my performance.

This year I had the honour to be chosen again. I wanted to meet robots from other countries and explore ideas about sport. However, my programmer fell ill the week before we were going to leave. It was very painful for her and I felt very frightened. I no longer felt so confident that I would win. The day of the competition was rather cold for my legs and my special oil began to freeze. I paused before I jumped from the starting place on a little spaceship but then I began my performance. At the correct moment I tried to open my parachute but there was a problem. It only opened a little. Instead of flying softly to earth I began to fall faster and faster so that I could not turn, dive, circle or dance. My heart stopped beating as I landed heavily on a mountain covered with snow.

This is why I am writing to you from my hospital bed with two broken legs and a fragile (易碎的) head. I did not win anything at the Olympics after all. I need the factory to build me two new legs and an even bigger head. Then I will be able to compete once more. Let’s hope for greater success in the next Olympics!

56．What we know about Hua Fei is that he is          .

      A．a(chǎn)n experienced expert                          B．a(chǎn) computer system

       C．a(chǎn) flying spaceship                                D．a(chǎn) sporting robot

57．According to the passage,           would be a popular sport in the 23^rd century.

       A．computer games                                  B．robot competitions

       C．plane controlling                                 D．sky diving

58．The reason why Hua Fei failed to perform well this year is that          .

       A．he didn’t do it in the right way             B．he couldn’t open his parachute

       C．he didn’t replace the batteries                D．he was affected by a wrong programme

59．At the moment, Hua Fei is           .

      A．being treated in a hospital                     B．being repaired in a factory

       C．being trained for the next Olympics       D．being taught to do high flying exercises

B

Phyllis Lee of Singapore knew something wasn’t right. Her younger son, Alex, then six years old, was getting good grades in his private kindergarten classes. But Lee realized something was wrong when Alex came home one day, crying, with “zeroes” on his Chinese spelling test. Lee decided to investigate. According to Lee, the teacher would frequently describe Alex’s Chinese writing as ‘ghost writings’ and made him a laughing stock in class instead of helping him out.

Lee, 46, spent the next 12 months teaching Alex and still helps him when necessary. She not only taught him the formation of the Chinese words but also their origin so that he could understand better, often taking more than an hour to read a simple paragraph. Visits to the library and surfing the Internet kept her up to speed on teaching materials. Alex’s grades improved and by the end of Year One, he had become one of the top students in Chinese in his class.

Alex is keeping an A ? plus average in all subjects, and his mother’s involvement is a big reason behind it. Alex, now 11, recently wrote a book recording his struggles with Chinese, which an international education center has published to inspire its students. He sometimes writes for local student magazines as well.

Lee has always had input into the education of Alex. She reads to him “all the time.” As a result, he is an eager reader who regularly visit the library.

To Lee, one of the most valuable things she does is to take turns with her husband to drive Alex to school. “We’d talk along the way. Talking enables me to have a better understanding of my child and reminds me of changes every now and then so that I know when to get involved, she says.”

60．Alex arrived home with tears because           .

       A．he failed in the Chinese exam               B．his teacher punished him

       C．he didn’t want to learn Chinese            D．his classmates did him wrong

61．Alex succeeded in learning Chinese with          .

       A．his teacher’s guide                               B．his classmates’ help

       C．his father’s influence                            D．his mother’s instruction

62．For Alex the great achievement recently is that         .

       A．he gets A’s in some subjects                 B．he wrote a book

       C．he earns some money                           D．he understands Chinese better

63．Lee’s education method succeeds mainly because of her         .

      A．involvement        B．communication    C．tolerance             D．encouragement

C

    So you want to be a writer … Send us your joke, anecdote or story, and if we publish it in the

magazine, we’ll pay as follows:

●MY STORY $ 500                                        ●FACTS OF LIFE

Personal stories beyond the call of                      We do not pay for these articles, but why

daily life. They must be unpublished,                 not share your question with the world?

original and less than 1000 words.                      ●SUBMIT (提交) YOUR ITEM

●EVERYDAY HEROES $ 100                        Jokes rdasia. com/jokes

Have you heard of an ordinary person                Comments rdasia.com/comments

who has done something extraordinary?              Stories rdasia.com/submit

Tell us about the person and, if we                     Fax (65) 6749 ? 3616

feature them, we’ll pay you $ 100 for                Post Please mark your articles clearly

finding the hero.                                              and mail to: Reader’s Digest Asia,

●ANECDOTES AND JOKES $ 100                 Editorial Department, Singapore Post Centre,

Funny things can happen at work and                PO Box 272, Singapore 914010

at home ? especially when kids are                     ●THE FINE PRINT:

around to pass comment. We may run                Include your name, address and phone

your gem (佳作) in Life’s Like That, All in        number. All articles become our property

a Day’s Work or As Kids See it, or as                on payment and publication in the magazine.

a short filler. Got a new joke? Send                    We reserve the right to edit and cannot

it in for Laughter, the Best Medicine.                 return material not accepted for publication.

64．The purpose of this advertisement could be to         .

       A．encourage people to writers                  B．persuade people to buy the magazine

       C．a(chǎn)ttract people to write articles               D．let people make a living by writing 

65．If you want to get $ 500, your article has to be          .

       A．a(chǎn)bout personal stories                           B．a(chǎn)bout heroes

       C．chosen and published before                 D．rewritten from other articles

66．Laughter, the Best Medicine and Life’s Like That are two          .

       A．books                 B．a(chǎn)rticles                C．programmes        D．columns

67．In the advertisement, rdasia. stands for          .

       A．Record Digital Asia                             B．Reader’s Digest Asia

       C．Remember Day Asia                            D．Register Date Asia

D

Last week at a friend’s birthday party, there was a mooncake eating contest and I persuaded my good friend Jonathan to take part in it. Even though he had just finished a big dinner, he managed to win the contest. Not only did he win a bottle of nice whiskey, but also a big box of expensive Hong Kong mooncakes. A few days later, I was hosting an opening party for my new office. Jonathan showed up with the lovely box of Hong Kong mooncakes he had won the other night. I thought it was a lovely joke, and the mooncakes were delicious. Still, it got me thinking about the concept of regifting in China.

In the States, we have a tradition around Christmas similar to giving mooncakes, only we call them fruitcakes. Fruitcakes are made from terrible preserved (加工過的) fruit and nobody likes to eat them. You often find your friends giving the fruitcake you gave them to someone else, and so on. But fruitcakes aside, it isn’t very often to catch someone regifting something in America, as it’s seen to be very cheap and embarrassing (尷尬的). An obvious way to tell if something has been regifted is to check the wrapping (包裝).

However, many of my friends in China will proudly regift an old gift, especially if it is still wrapped in a pretty box. I find it somewhat uncomfortable to receive a gift that I know wasn’t bought for me. But I also understand that the gift is perfectly good, it just lacks the special meaning of being picked out by a friend. There are many occasions in Chinese culture when gifts are necessary. There are traditional items such as tea, cigarettes and liquor which seem fine to regift. These gifts are not personal and have no special meaning. But is it really proper to give someone something that was never bought for them in the first place?

68．This article is written to          .

       A．praise some customs in China               B．question a social practice

       C．show how to regift                               D．tell an embarrassing story

69．Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

       A．Americans often regift things on holidays.

       B．Regifting can hardly be seen in China.

       C．It is comfortable to be seen to regift in America.

       D．It is acceptable to regift some traditional items in China.

70．The second paragraph is mainly about         in the USA.

       A．giving fruitcakes                                 B．regifting

       C．checking the wrapping of gifts              D．Christmas tradition

71．The author thinks it really uncomfortable to receive           .

       A．a(chǎn)n expensive gift from a close friend     B．a(chǎn) gift given again by a friend

       C．some items such as tea and cigarettes     D．a(chǎn) box of mooncakes from Hong Kong

E

The Internet is now a central part of everyday life. The number of Internet hours in the West is increasing each month, but online addiction is still not attracting a great deal of attention.

Perhaps one reason Internet addiction has not taken off in the West is that there are too many other vices (不良事物) available. In a society relatively open to sex, gambling, alcohol and drugs, computer games are not always appealing to young people. In fact, there is almost a shame attached to playing online games. Many consider it an “uncool” thing to do. They would rather spend their free time meeting friends.

But this is not to say that people don’t do it. One website, wowdetox.com, still offers support to recovering “addicts”. One user posted on the website: “I would play all night and spend all day sleeping. I just quit a month ago. Best decision ever.” This is just one example from around 1,660 pages of confessions (坦言). Still, computer game addiction is not officially recognized in the West. Just last years, the American Medical Association refused calls to have computer game addiction classified (分類) as a disease, saying that, “Nothing suggests it is a complex disease similar to alcoholism.”

Online gaming is more personal in the West. It is rare for people to visit Internet cafes or play with friends at home. After all, the majority of households have their own fast Internet connection. This removes the social joy with friends. And this choice of playing alone is not very appealing to many people.

72．Why hasn’t Internet addiction become a big problem in the West?

       A．Surfing the Internet is not convenient.

       B．People have other choices for fun.

       C．The government has taken proper measures.

       D．People are too busy with their work.

73．The underlined part in Paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to          .

       A．become popular quickly                       B．left some place

       C．got one’s clothes off                            D．taken something away

74．According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE in the USA?

       A．Personal playing online is attractive.

       B．Computer game addiction is officially recognized.

       C．It is a shame to play too much online games.

       D．Online game addition is considered similar to alcoholism.

75．We can learn from this passage that           .

       A．surfing the Internet is not so attractive in the west

       B．many other things interest western people

       C．the Internet is a central part of everyday life

       D．online games are getting more attractive in the west

第Ⅱ卷（共35分）

第四部分：寫作（共兩節(jié)，滿分35分）

第一節(jié)  短文改錯(cuò)（共10小題；每小題1分，滿分10分）

此題要求改正所給短文中的錯(cuò)誤.對(duì)標(biāo)題號(hào)的每一行做出判斷：如無錯(cuò)誤，在該行右邊的橫線上劃（√）；如有錯(cuò)誤（每行只有一個(gè)錯(cuò)誤），則按下列情況改正：

此行多一個(gè)詞：把多余的詞用斜線劃掉，在該行右邊橫線上寫出該詞，并也用斜線劃掉。

此行缺一個(gè)詞：在缺詞處加一個(gè)漏字符號(hào)（^），在該行右邊橫線上寫出該加的詞。

此行錯(cuò)一個(gè)詞：在錯(cuò)的詞下劃一橫線，在該行右邊橫線上寫出改正后的詞。

注意：原行沒有錯(cuò)的不要改。

Have you ever suffered from some pains while grow up?                 76．          

Don't worry. I'll tell you some possible ways to deal with it.           77．          

If you have few friends because you are shyly, you                      78．          

may try to say hello to your classmates with smile                 79．          

first or start to talk with them first. Then you'll find                  80．          

they are friendly but very easy to get along with.                       81．          

To get good grades, you had to stop reading entertainment             82．          

magazine, and try your best to learn your lessons well.               83．          

Believe on yourself, and you'll be successful. If you have any          84．          

questions, and you can turn to your friends or teachers for help.        85．            

第二節(jié)  書面表達(dá)（滿分25分）

假如你是李華，對(duì)好萊塢環(huán)球影城（Hollywood Universal Studio）很感興趣。于是寫信給你的美國筆友Peter，詢問有關(guān)影城的情況。要點(diǎn)如下：

1．影城的位置；

2．游客可以參加的活動(dòng)；

3．游覽所需的時(shí)間；

4．游覽的大概費(fèi)用。

注意：

1．詞數(shù)100左右；

2．可以適當(dāng)增加細(xì)節(jié)，以使行文連貫；

3．開頭語已為你寫好。

Dear Peter,

How’s everything going?

Yours,

Li Hua

選擇題（1―75題）

1―5 CABCA    6―10 CCAAB    11―15 ACAAB    16―20 CBAAC

21―25 ACDCB  26―30 DCDBC   31―35 DBCAC    36―40 CBDAA

41―45BCBDA   46―50CBDBA   51―55 CACDD    56―60 DBBAA

61―65 DBACA   66―70 DBBDB  71―75 BBACA

第四部分

第一節(jié)

76. grow 改為growing    77. it改為them    78. shyly改為shy     79. smile前加a

80. 正確    81. but改為and    82. had改為have    83. magazine改為magazines

84. on改為in     85. 刪除and

第二節(jié)

One possible version:

Dear Peter,

How’s everything going?

Recently I’ve heard a lot about Hollywood Universal Studios, which sounds like a very interesting place. Could you please tell me more about it?

I wonder where the Universal Studio is located. Is it far from the downtown area of Los Angeles? Is there a bus or subway going there? I’m also curious about what activities are available there. Which activities do you recommend? How long does it take to do a tour of the park? What about the admission and other expenses? Do you think there is a special price for students?

Thank you very much. I’m looking forward to your early reply.

Yours,

Li Hua

附聽力錄音內(nèi)容：

Text 1

W : It’s so cold today. Would you mind my closing the window?

M : Of course not.

Text 2

M : Excuse me. Where can I find a copy of Chicken Soup for the Soul?

W : I’m afraid it is sold out. Maybe you can come some other day.

Text 3

M : So you went to the concert last night?

W : Yes. It was so crowded but really exciting. Jay Chow always sings so well, you know.

Text 4

W : You must not stay out late at night nor can you ask friends to dinner in the house. You can not make aloud noise or dirty the walls. And you must pay me at the beginning of the month.

M : OK. No problem. That’s a deal.

Text 5

W : Hurry up, Jimmy. It’s ten to six already. There’s only 20 minutes left.

M : No hurry, Mum. I think you made a mistake. Actually, we’ve got plenty of time. There is still an hour before our flight takes off.

Text 6

W : Robert, you play the guitar, don’t you?

M : I used to. But I haven’t played it for quite some time. I don’t really have time these days. Why do you ask?

W : I’m trying to organize a group to play at some parties on weekends. We still need a guitar player.

M : Well, I don’t know. But your idea sounds fun to me.

W : Oh, it will be . I’m more or less in charge of things, so if you want go give it a try, you’re in. It’s as easy as that. Besides, it’s a great chance to get out and meet people.

M : But I told you I haven’t practiced for a long time. I don’t know if I remember any songs I used to play.

W : Don’t worry about it. I just thought I’d ask you to try and join us sometimes when we are practicing. We’ll practicing for a few months before we give performances.

M : OK, I’ll have a try.

Text 7

M : Well, Jenny, the school year is almost over. We just have two more weeks before exams. What do you plan to do this summer?

W : I’m going to teach some foreigners English.

M : That’s interesting. Do you have to speak a foreign language for a part ? time job like that?

W : No, I don’t. I just have to present the English language simply and give the students a chance to practise speaking.

M : Come to think of it, that’s the way I was taught to speak Chinese. But speaking Chinese didn’t help me learn to read and write Chinese.

W : My students don’t want to read and write English, at least not now. They are more interested in speaking.

M : You seem to be familiar with all this. How do you know so much?

W : I’ve talked with the experienced teachers quite a lot. I think I would like to be an Englsih teacher when I graduate.

Text 8

M : Hi, Anna! This is your telephone bill.

W : Thank you, Jack. Wow, it’s so high!

M : Well, you could use e ? mail to keep in touch with your family and friends back in Italy.

W : I know, I know… but to tell the truth, I’d rather talk to them on the phone. It’s more personal that way.

M : But seriously, Anna, there are lots of other things you can do with a computer besides word processing and e ? mail.

W : Like what?

M : Well, first of all, there’s the Internet, of course.

W : Yes, I know, you seem to be online all the time.

M : That’s right. I use the Internet to get information about things I’m interested in and to talk with people all over the world about music. It’s very convenient.

W : It sounds good. Well, thanks for telling me all this, Jack.

Text 9

W : Mr. Clarkson. I wonder if you could tell me something about yourself.

M : Yes, err, well, I took a degree in chemistry at first but I didn’t want to stay in that field so later I took a master’s degree in marketing.

W : I see. And since then you’ve been working for a design company?

M : That’s right. I’ve been with Proton Designs for three years. Now, I think it’s time to move on.

W : Could you tell me a bit more about that?

M : Well, it’s been a very interesting job and I’ve learnt a lot. But it’s a very small company and I’m looking for more challenges.

W : And you think we can offer you that?

M : I hope so. Certainly the job ? international marketing manager ? seems to be what I’m looking for. And I can speak Spanish and French.

W : Yes, that could be useful to us. Do you think you have enough experience for this position? After all, you have only three years’ marketing behind you.

M : I know that doesn’t seem like much, but I’m playing a leading role in the company.

W : That’s great. Now perhaps I’ll tell you a bit more about the person we are looking for and you can see how you might fit in.

Text 10

    A foreign student was studying in an English ? speaking country. She was reading a book by

the window when she heard someone shout “Look out!” She put her head out to see what was going on. Just then a board came flying down from above, missing her head by just a few feet. She pulled her head in quickly. Then out of anger, she carefully put her head out again and looked up. There was a man doing repairs.

“Didn’t you hear me shout took out?” he asked.

“Yes, that’s what I did,” she answered angrily.

This story shows that idioms are an important part of a language. But they can be a problem for a foreign student. Often it is impossible to get the meaning from the words themselves. In this story, the young woman did look out, but “Look out!” as a set phrase has a different meaning. It means “Be careful!” When shouted, it is a cry of warning, meaning “Danger!”

A beginner is often at a loss when he meets many of the idioms for the first time. What does a particular idiom mean? In order to get its meaning, he should look it up in a dictionary. When he first uses such idioms, he is sure to run into a lot of trouble. But he shouldn’t give up trying.