高三年级英语第一学期第四阶段测试
英 语 试 题
编审：王其生
本试卷分第一卷（选择题）和第二卷（非选择题）两部分。满分150分。
注意事项：
1．答题前，务必将自己的考试号、班级、姓名及座位号填写在答卷规定的位置。
2．答选择题时，必须用2B铅笔把答题卡上对应题目的答案标号涂黑。如须改动，用橡皮擦干净后，再选涂其它答案标号。所有试题必须在答卷上作答，在试题卷上答题无效。
3．答非选择题时，必须使用黑色签字笔或钢笔，将答案书写在答卷规定的位置上。
第一卷(115分)
第一部分 听力（共两节，满分30分）
做题时，先将答案标在试卷上。录音内容结束后，你将有两分钟的时间将试卷上的答案转涂到答题卡上。
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。
l. Where does this conversation most probably take place?
A. Classroom. B. Library. C. Bookstore.
2. When are Betty and Mike getting married?
A. May. B. June. C. July.
3. What is the woman going to do tonight?
A. She is going to see the performance. B. She is going to the East Auditorium.
C. She is going to a lecture.
4. What’s the feeling of the man?
A. Satisfied. B. Angry. C. Happy.
5. What are the two speakers talking about?
A. A bookseller. B. A book. C. A magazine.
第二节（共15小题：每小题1. 5分，共22. 5分）
听下面6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秒钟的做答时间。每段对话或独白你将听两遍。
听第6段材料，回答第6至8题。
6. Where does the conversation most likely take place?
A. At a gas station. B. At a bus station. C. In a car.
7. Why does the car seem to be pulling to the right?
A. Because the car is out of gas. B. Because the street is very bad.
C. Because a tire of the car needs a little air.
8. What will they do when they find something wrong?
A. Go back to a repair factory. B. Go to a gas station. C. Go home as soon as possible.
听第7段材料，回答第9至11题。
9. What are they probably doing?
A. They are traveling on board. B. They are having a chess lesson.
C. They are discussing how to improve their chess skills.
l0. How long will they get to New York?
A. An hour or so. B. About a day. C. About several minutes.
11. What do we know from the dialogue?
A. The man is very good at chess. B. The woman is very good at chess.
C. Neither the man nor the woman is very good at chess.
听第8段材料，回答第12至14题。
12. How long has the man stayed in the hotel by now?
A. As long as 15 minutes. B. Less than a quarter. C. Less than 10 minutes.
l3. Why does the man complain to the receptionist?
A. Something wrong with his room.
B. Something wrong with the door of his bathroom.
C. Something wrong with the water supply in his bathroom.
l4. What does the hotel most want to get at present according to the conversation?
A. Lots of labor force. B. Many visitors and guests. C. Money to hire more workers.
听第9段材料，回答第15至17题。
l5. What are they talking about?
A. City life and country life. B. How to enjoy life in the countryside.
C. Where to spend the rest of their lives.
l6. What will the woman do when she wants something to read?
A. She will go downtown to buy some from bookshops.
B. She will go to a local library to borrow some.
C. She will wait for a mobile library to call.
l7. What can we learn from the conversation?
A. Paris is not a good place to live in. B. Pollution is very serious in Paris.
C. The weather is bad in Paris.
听第10段材料，回答第18至20题。
18. What is of the first consideration in learning a language?
A. Information. B. Translation. C. Communication.
19. How can a language learner reduce the number of his mistakes ?
A. By asking the native speakers for explanations.
B. By doing as much written work as possible.
C. By observing the differences between the target language and his mother tongue.
20. What can we conclude from the example of a Spanish learner of English?
A.A native Spanish speaker makes mistakes in English.
B. Both “I do it” and “I’ll do it” are correct.
C. One says “I do it” when he is very willing to do something.
第二部分 英语知识运用（共两节，满分35分）
第一节 单项填空（共15小题；每小题1分，满分15分）
从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。
例：It is generally considered unwise to give a child ___________he or she wants．
A. however B. whatever C. whichever D. whenever 答案是B。
21. ----It’s getting late. I’m afraid I must be going now.
---- OK. ______ .
A. Take it easy B. Go slowly C. Stay longer D. See you
22. The writers, publishers and printers, ____ they are, we never know, are making silent money.
A. who B. whom C. whatever D. whenever
23. The days he is looking forward to _____ .
A. coming B. having come C. have come D. came
24. ____ be sent to work there?
A. Who do you suggest B. Whom do you suggest
C. Do you suggest who should D. Do you suggest whom to
25. —Can I call for some friends and spend the day outside with them, Mom?
— ? I’ve told you to have a weekend at will.
A. What for B. Why not C. How come D. So what
26. ____ with so much trouble, we failed to complete the task on time.
A. Faced B. Face C. Facing D. To face
27. He has worked on the research several years, but something he hopes for doesn’t ______ .
A. come to lights B. come to a light C. come to lighting D. come to light
28. It’s clear that ____ little money he earns can hardly support ____ family as large as his.
A. the ; a B. a ; the C.不填 ；a D.不填 ；the
29. ----Jim has his wife do all the housework! Isn’t he wise？
----Not really. He is ______.
A. more wise than lazy B. wiser than lazy
C. more lazy than wise D. lazier than wise
30. This is the best way they have thought of _____the ______miners.
A. rescuing; burying B. to rescue; buried
C. to rescue; burying D. rescuing; buried
31. Children under six are not ______to school except those of extraordinary intelligence.
A. permitted B. admitted C. accepted D. received
32. It is the prevention of disease its successful treatment that has led to the rapid increase of the world’s population.
A. rather than B. but also C. other than D. less than
33. North Korea said Monday its first–ever nuclear weapon test would the peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the area around it.
A. differ from B. tend to change C. make the most of D. contribute to
34. Many representatives were in favor of his proposal that a special committee ________ to investigate the accident.
A. were set up B. was set up C. be set up D. set up
35. The machine has been used much too long; ______it doesn’t work well sometimes.
A. It’s no wonder that B. There is no doubt if C. It’s unlikely D. That’s because
第二节 完型填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从36—55各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
As an engineering student, I had a degree and three good job offers. I couldn’t help trembling when I heard about studies which showed that women are at a (n) 36 when it comes to math. However, I discovered: just because a subject is 37 to learn, it does not show you are not good at it. You just have to grit your teeth and work harder to get good at it. 38 you do, there’s a (an) 39 chance you will enjoy it more than anything else.
In eighth grade I took algebra (代数). On one test I got only 36 percent of the 40 answers. I failed the next one, too. I started to 41 maybe I’m just not good at this. I was lucky enough to have a teacher who didn’t take my bad grades as a judgment of my 42 , but 43 as an indication that I should study more. He 44 me aside and told me he knew I could do better. Success grows out of struggles to overcome difficulties. I 45 the following tests, and pulled my grade up to an A.
I studied a lot in college, too. I had moments of fear while sitting below the fluorescent lights in the 46 library on Saturday afternoons, when I 47 that the estrogen (雌性激素) in my body was 48 me from understanding thermodynamics (热动力学). But the 49 in my class had to work just as hard, and I knew that I couldn’t 50 to lose confidence in myself. I didn’t want to choose between my femininity (女人气) and a good career. 51 I reminded myself that those 52 , the ones that say math comes more naturally to men, are faulty.
Here’s a secret: math and science don’t go 53 to most people. No one was 54 born knowing calculus (微积分). But as a famous saying goes: Y nothing is difficult if you put your heart into it. A woman can learn anything a man can, but first she needs to know that she can do it, and then takes a leap of 55 .
36. A. advantage B. disadvantage C. trouble D. discomfort
37. A. enjoyable B. humorous C. simple D. difficult
38. A. Once B. Where C. Although D. Until
39. A. strong B. poor C. impossible D. few
40. A. wrong B. complete C. correct D. missing
41. A. think B. astonish C. know D. decide
42. A. marks B. standards C. characteristics D. abilities
43. A. extremely B. simply C. slightly D. especially
44. A. pulled B. led C. put D. pushed
45. A. designed B. attended C. got D. took
46. A. chemistry B. engineering C. biology D. geography
47. A. worried B. agreed C. knew D. realized
48. A. protecting B. awaking C. preventing D. attempting
49. A. girls B. boys C. students D. classmates
50. A. afford B. try C. help D. manage
51. A. Also B. But C. Though D. So
52. A. studies B. grades C. students D. experiments
53. A. actively B. easily C. difficultly D. gradually
54. A. never B. ever C. even D. often
55. A. honesty B. knowledge C. reality D. faith
第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A
Although many Chinese students say that their knowledge of English grammar is good, most would admit that their spoken English is poor .Whenever I speak to a Chinese student they always say, “My spoken English is poor.” However, their spoken English does not have to remain “poor”! I would like to suggest that there may be some reasons for their problems with spoken English.
First, they fail to find suitable words to express themselves due to a limited vocabulary. Obviously the better answer is to expand their vocabulary. However, you can speak with a limited vocabulary, if your attitude is positive .Others will follow you as long as you use the words that you know.
Second, they are afraid of making mistakes. Sometimes they make mistakes when they are speaking because they are shy and nervous .Yet students should remember that their goal should be FLUENCY NOT ACCURACY. Your aim in writing is to be accurate following the rules for grammar and using the right words and spelling them correctly .However, in speaking your aim is fluency. You want to get your message across ,to talk to someone in English ,as quickly and as well as you can ,even though sometimes you may use a wrong word or tense ,but it doesn’t matter because the person you are speaking to will understand you and make allowances for any mistakes he hears.
The third reason is that not enough attention is paid to listening .You have one mouth but two ears! All that hearing was necessary for you to start speaking.
Fourth ,most Chinese students are reactive rather than proactive language learners .Instead of actively seeking out opportunities to improve their spoken English they passively wait for speaking opportunities to come to them and wonder why their English always remains poor .If you have this proactive outlook ,then you will see English opportunities wherever you go.
If you do not use your English beyond the classroom you will forget what English you know. Remember: USE IT OR LOSE IT! You can learn how to speak English better by speaking English more.
56. What is most probably the writer’s purpose in writing the passage?
A. To improve your reading. B. To improve your spoken English.
C. To improve your listening. D. To improve your vocabulary.
57. It can be inferred from the third paragraph that .
A. don’t be afraid of making mistakes .Just speak!
B. don’t be nervous, don’t be shy .Just write!
C. don’t be fluency .Just be accuracy
D. don’t be shy, don’t be fluency. Just listen and write!
58. The text is most probably taken from a .
A. teacher’s diary B. report on study C. sports newspaper D. movie magazine
B
We know that many animals do not stay in one place. Birds, fish and other animals move from one place to another at a certain time. They move for different reasons. Most of them move to find food more easily, but others move to get away from places that are too crowded. When cold weather comes, many birds move to warmer places to find food. Some fishes give birth in warm water and move to cold water to feed. The most famous migration（迁移）is probably the migration of the fish, which is called “salmon”. This fish is born in fresh water but it travels many miles to salt water. There it spends its life. When it is old, it returns to its birthplace in fresh water. Then it gives birth and dies there. In northern Europe, there is a kind of mice. They leave their mountain homes when they become too crowded. They move down to the low land. Sometimes they move all the way to the seaside, and many of them are killed when they fall into the sea.
Recently, scientists have studied the migration of a kind of lobsters（龙虾）. Every year, when the season of bad weather arrives, the lobsters get into a long line and start to walk across the floor of the ocean. Nobody knows why they do this, and nobody knows where they go. So, sometimes we know why humans and animals move from one place to another, but at other times we don’t. Maybe living things just like to travel.
59.Most animals move from one place to another at a certain time to __________ .
A. give birth B. enjoy warmer weather
C. find food more easily D. find beautiful places
60. The mice in northern Europe move when __________.
A. they give birth B. the weather is bad
C. the place gets too crowded D. they haven’t enough food
61. The lobsters move __________.
A. to the fresh water B. to the sea floor C. to find more food D. at a certain time
62. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. Animals move in order to find food more easily.
B. The migration of the fish called “salmon” is the most famous migration.
C. Living things move from one place to another because they like to travel.
D. Sometimes we know why and how living things move from one place to another but we don’t sometimes.
C
Machines in the home have a short history. Sewing machines, washing machines and tumble dries are common enough today, but a hundred years ago few people could even imagine such things. However, inventors have designed and built a wide range of household machines since then. In most cases the inventor tried to patent（申请专利）his machine, to stop anyone copying it. Then he tried to produce a lot of them. If the machine became popular, the inventor could make a lot of money.
In 1790 the first sewing machine was patented. The inventor was an Englishman called Thomas Saint. There was nothing to match his machine for forty years, and then someone built a similar device. He was a Frenchman, Bartelemy Thimonier. Neither of these early machines worked very well, however. It wasn’t until 1846 that an inventor came up with a really efficient（高效的）sewing machine. He was an American, Elias Howe and his machine was good enough to beat five skilled sewing women. He didn’t make much money from it, however. The first commercially（商业的）successful sewing machine was patented by Isaac Singer five years later.
Today, we take washing machines for granted, but there was none before 1869. The revolving drum（旋转桶）of that first machine set a pattern for the future, but it was crude by today’s standards. The drum was turned by hand, and needed a lot of effort. Eight years passed before someone produced an electric washing machine. The world had to wait even longer for a machine to dry clothes. The first spin-drier was another American invention, patented in 1924; but it was 20 years before such machines were widely used.
It was yet another American, called Bissell, who introduced the carpet sweeper. He patented the original machine back in 1876. It didn’t pick up dirt very well, but it was quicker than a dustpan and brush. Thirty-six years later, even the carpet sweeper was old-fashioned: modern homes now have a vacuum cleaner（吸尘器）with an electric motor to suck the dust.
63. Inventors patent the inventions so as to __________.
A. produce more machines B. avoid being copied by others
C. make the inventions more popular D. make more money
64. Whose sewing machine could do far more than the work that was done by five skilled sewing women?
A. Thomas Saint’s. B. Bartelemy Thimonier’s. C. Elias Howe’s. D. Isaac Singer’s.
65. According to the article, modern inventors __________.
A. follow the pattern of the first revolving drum but improve it much
B. only imitate the first washing machine
C. power the first ever-made washing machine by electricity
D. have to wait for the first spin-drier for a long time
66. The underlined word “crude” in the sentence “but it was crude by today’s standards” probably means __________.
A. useless B. ugly-looking C. rough D. not skillfully made
67. The article mainly tells us about __________.
A. the great inventors in the world
B. the important inventions in the world
C. the short history of household machines
D. the importance of the machines used in the home
D
The high noise of modern life may affect speech and language development in the very young, according to a study that found the auditory(听觉的)parts of the brains of young mice are slower to organize properly in the presence of continuous sounds.
Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, reared a group of rats in an environment of continuous background noise and found that their brain circuits(电路)that receive and interpret(解释)sound did not develop at the same rate as animals that were raised in a quieter environment.
Edward F. Chang and Michael Merzenich, co-authors of the study appearing in the journal Science, said that the continuous noise delayed the organization of auditory neurons(神经细胞)during a critical two-to-three-week period after the rat pups were born.
For rats not exposed to the noise, the auditory cortex(皮层)neurons during this period gathered into a smaller area and began developing a selective response to sounds.
But for the noise-exposed rats, this organization was slowed, causing a delay in the development of the ability to discriminate(辨别)specific sound tones. The researchers said it took three or four times longer for the rats raised in a noisy environment to reach the basic bench marks(基准)of auditory development seen in the rat pups not exposed to noises.
Although the rat is not a perfect model for what happens in humans, the authors note, the study does suggest that high levels of noise might possibly affect some language learning in babies.
“These findings suggest that environmental noise, which is commonly present in contemporary child-rearing environments, can potentially contribute to auditory and language—related development delays,” the authors wrote in Science.
The authors noted that although the brain development was delayed in rats exposed to the noise, their brains did eventually mature(成熟的)normally.
68. The scientists at California University studied rats____________.
A. of different age groups B. with different habits
C. in different environments D. from different areas
69. The rats exposed to noise, compared to those not exposed,_________.
A. grew up more slowly B. were duller
C. were more sensitive D. gathered together more quickly
70. The result of the research mainly tells us that noise_________________.
A. delays brain development B. stops baby growth
C. affects speech and language D. destroys brains
71. The findings of the research are said to have special connections with____________.
A. causes of noises B. medical science C. other living things D. human babies
E
How many people have I met who have told me about the book they have been planning to write but have never yet found the time too much.
This is Life, all right, but we do treat it like a rehearsal (排演) and, unhappily, we do miss so many of its best moments.
We take jobs to stay alive and to provide homes for our families always makes ourselves believe that this style of life is merely a temporary state of affairs along the road to what we really want to do. Then, at 60 or 65, we are suddenly presented with a clock and several grandchildren and we look back and realize that all those years waiting for Real Life to come along were in fact real life.
In America they have a saying much laughed at by the English：“Have a nice day” they speak slowly and seriously in their shops, hotels and sandwich bars. I think it is a wonderful phrase, reminding us, in effect, to enjoy the moment: to value this very day.
How often do we say to ourselves, "I'll take up horse-riding (or golf, or sailing) as soon as I get a higher position," only to do none of those things when I do get the higher position.
When I first became a reporter I knew a man who gave up a very well paid respectable job at the Daily Telegraph to go and edit a small weekly newspaper. At the time I was astonished by what appeared to me to be his completely abnormal (反常的) mental state. How could anyone turn his back on Fleet Street in central London for a small local area？I wanted to know.
Now I am a little older and possibly wiser, I see the sense in it. In Fleet Street the man was under continual pressure. He lived in an unattractive London suburb and he spent much of his life sitting on Southern Region trains.
72. The first paragraph of the passage tells us that .
A. we always try to find some time to write a book
B. we always make plans but seldom fulfill them
C. we always enjoy many of life's best moments
D. we always do what we really want to do
73. The underlined phrase "turn his back on" (paragraph 6) most probably means .
A. leave for B. return to C. give up D. rely on
74. The man ( paragraph 6) left his first job partly because he was .
A. in an abnormal mental state B. under too much pressure
C. not well paid D. not respected
75. What is probably the best title for the passage?
A. Provide Homes For Our Family B. Take Up Horse-riding
C. Value This Very Day D. Stay Alive
第二卷(35分)
第四部分 写作
第一节 对话填空 （共10小题， 共10分）
阅读下面对话，掌握其大意，并根据所给首字母的提示，在标有题号的右边横线上写出一个英语单词的完整、正确形式，使对话通顺。
| A: I can’t wait to get my driving license(执照)! Then I can buy my o (76) car. There are so many cars a (77) now that prices have really f (78) . It’s great! B: Are you serious? The i (79) in new cars has blocked our roads and has made pollution even worse here. A: More cars mean l (80) prices. I like that! B: What about the environment? With more cars on the road, traffic problems, accidents and pollution will get much worse. A: Hmmm, you either don’t like cars or you don’t know much about them. B: Yes, I do. I know cars can be useful, but they can c (81) a lot of damage. A: People need cars, and if cars do so much damage, they won’t be a (82) on the roads. B: Hmmm, I don’t think you have read much about this problem. A: No, and I don’t need to, because I don’t think there is a problem. B: Yes, there is. It’s reported in the newspaper that there are more cars on our roads now than at any time in history. There are millions of possible car buyers, and car makers are busy m (83) cars for them. A: So what? B: By 2020, there will be seven times the n (84) of cars on our roads, and the effect of these cars will be pollution, e (85) in big cities. | 76__________ 77__________ 78__________ 79__________
80__________
81__________
82__________
83__________
84__________ 85__________ |
第二节 书面表达 （共1题， 共25分）
请根据下面这封高一新生的来信内容，写一封回信（信的开头已为你好。词数120左右）。
回信应包括如下要点: 1．鼓励Amei坚定求学信心，志存高远，四海为家。
2．就Amei的目前状况，提两到三个建议。
Dear Brother/Sister,
I am a new student in Class 8, Senior 1 at Lizhuang Senior Middle School. My home is far away from here, so I must live in school. This is the first time for me to get away from my parents. I feel very sad. Whenever I left home, I couldn’t help tearing myself away from them. I do not want to be alone at school, and I am a shy girl. I have been crying in bed at night these days. I want to stay at home forever. I miss my parents very much. Could you tell me what to do ?
Your early reply is expected.
Regards
Amei
Dear Amei,
Thank you for your letter. I am so glad to have a talk about your present situation with you.
高三年级第一学期第四阶段测试
参 考 答 案
听力理解：l—5BCCBB 6—10CCBAA 11—15CBAAA 16—20CACCA
单项填空：21—25DCCAB 26—30ADACB 31—35BADCA
完型填空：36—40BDAAC 41—45ADBAD 46—50BACBA 51—55DACBD
阅读理解: 56—60BABCC 61—65DDBDA 66—70DCCAA 71—75 DBCBC
对话填空：
| 76. own | 77. available | 78. fallen | 79. increase | 80. lower |
| 81. cause | 82. allowed | 83. making | 84. number | 85. especially |
书面表达: One possible version
Dear Amei,
Thank you for your letter. I am so glad to have a talk about your present situation with you.
People often miss their parents the first time they leave home. Most people do have to leave home for higher education or employment. You cannot live with your parents forever. I think you should realize that present separation will help your academic development and your improvement of personal ability.
You need to make friend on your school campus, sharing ideas with your classmates who are physically closest to you now. Maybe you will still miss your parents, but your new friends will bring you happiness and joy to your new life. Also I suggest you enjoy yourself by taking an active part in different kinds of activities in school. You will get much pleasure from it.
Wish you happy every day.
Faithfully yours,
×××
附 听力原文。（本录音将在晚辅导前20分钟内重播，参照原文，再仔细听一遍！）
Text 1 M: How long can I keep the book?
W: Four weeks at most. You have to come here to renew it if you don’t finish it in time.
Text 2 M: I thought Betty and Mike were getting married in June.
W: No, that’s when his cousin’s wedding is. They’re getting married the following month.
Text 3 M: Would you like to go and see the performance in the East Auditorium with me tonight?
W: I’d love to, but I’m going to the lecture theater. Thank you for asking me, though.
M: Don’t worry about missing the performance. You have more important tasks.
Text 4 M: I can’t eat this food! Call the manager!
W: It’s no use, sir. He can’t eat it either.
Text 5 W: Have you read Maria’s latest bestseller yet?
M: I’ve practically read all her novels but haven’t got the new one yet.
W: I can lend it to you.
Text 6 W: Did you feel that?
M: What?
W: The car. It seems to be pulling to the right.
M: It is, isn’t it?
W: Is anything the matter?
M: One of the front tires needs a little air. That’s all.
W: There……it’s doing it again.
M: Look, we’re nearly out of gas. I am going to pull into next station. I’ll get them to check the tires.
W: I see one just up ahead.
M: Oh! Yes, and I’ll have them fix it up, and check the oil and water. I don’t think there is any problem.
Text 7 M: How long before we get to New York?
W: I don’t know. About an hour, I guess.
M: Do you want to play a game of chess?
W: Do you think we’ll have time?
M: Oh, we can play till we get to New York.
W: Okay. But I’m not very good.
M: That’s what they all say!
W: No, seriously. I haven’t played very much at all.
M: Well…that doesn’t matter. Neither have I! But I really would like to learn to play well.
W:“Practice makes perfect”,they say.
M: I know, but I don’t think I’ll ever be able to practice enough!
Text 8 M: Hello, is this the Reception Desk?
W: Yes, may I help you?
M: This is Henry Jones in Room 742.I checked in about ten minutes ago.
W: Ah, yes, Mr. Jones. How can I help you?
M: You can help me by getting my bath put right. It’s in an absolutely terrible condition. When I tried the shower, no water came out at all.
W: Oh, dear, I’m sorry to hear that. I’ll have it fixed immediately.
M: And that is not all. There is no soap, towel or toilet paper.
W: I apologize for this, Mr. Jones. We’re rather short of hands at present. The housekeeper should have checked your room. We’ll attend to it as soon as possible. There’s been a misunderstanding.
M: That’s all right. The most important thing is to fix as soon as possible.
Text 9 M: Well, Jane, how are you enjoying lift in the country?
W: I’m getting used to it. David, but it’s certainly a change. There’s not much to do here, and there was always plenty to do in big cities.
M: Nothing to do? There must be lots to do—walking, gardening, reading…
W: Oh, yes, I read a lot, that’s true. But I miss the bookshops. If I want something to read, I have to wait for the mobile library to call.
M: Well, I think it’s beautiful here.
W: Oh, yes, it’s beautiful. But I get a bit bored with trees and grass. I want cinemas and theatres to go to, big stores to wander around, interesting people to meet.
M: Look, Jane, Paris is a good place to spend a weekend, but not to live in. It is so clean and beautiful here –no crowds to push through, no queues to wait in, no polluted air or weather to threaten…and Pairs is getting too expensive.
W: It certainly is cheaper here, David—there’s nothing to spend money on. I suppose that’s something to say for country life!
Text 10
In order to learn a foreign language well, it is necessary to overcome the fear of making mistakes. If the main aim of language use is communication, then mistakes are secondary considerations that may be dealt with gradually as knowledge of the language increases, On the other hand, students should not pass their mistakes by. The language learner may observe how native speakers express themselves, and how their expressions are different from the way the learner might say them. For example, a Spanish speaker who has been saying “I do it” to express willingness to do something in the immediate future, could, by conversing with native speakers of English, observe that native speakers actually say“I’ll do it”.The resulting difference can serve as basis for the student to change his way of using the tense in English. But a student who is unwilling to learn would lose this opportunity to improve by trial and error.