机密* 启用前 【考试时间:4月14日15:00一 17:00】
高三第四次英语周考试卷
本试卷分第一卷(选择题)和第二卷(非选择题)两部分。考试结束，将本试卷和答题卡一并交回。满分150分，考试用时120分钟。
第一卷 (三部分，共115分)
注意事项:
1·答题前，考生务必用黑色碳素笔将自己的姓名、准考证号、考场号、座位号在答题卡上填写清楚，并认真核准条形码上的准考证号、姓名及科目，在规定的位置贴好条形码。
2·每小题选出答案后，用2B铅笔把答题卡上对应题目的答案标号涂黑。如需改动，用橡皮擦擦干净后，再选涂其它答案标号。答在试卷上的答案无效。
第一部分:听力(共两节，满分30分)
做题时，先将答案划在试卷上。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，满分7·5分)
听下面5段对话。每段对话后有--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。
例:How much is the shirt ?
A.$19.15. B.$9.15. C.$9.18.
答案是B。
1. When will Mr. Addison return?
A. On Monday afternoon. B. On Thursday night C. On Friday morning
2. What time did the second baseball game finally start?
A. At 3:45 B. At 4:45 C. At 5:45
3.Who is the man?
A. Tom’s boss B. Tom’s doctor. C. The woman’s doctor.
4. Where does this conversation take place?
A. In a park B. At a station. C. On the street.
5. What can we learn from this conversation?
A. The man is able to manage.
B. Mr. Brown will ring back soon.
C.. The woman didn’t answer the phone.
第二节(共15个小题;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，并标在试卷的相应位置。听每段对话或独白前，你有时间阅读各个小题，每小题5秒钟;听完后，各小题给出5秒钟的作答时间。每段对话或独白读两遍。
听第6段材料，回答第6至7题。
6. What is the relationship between the two speakers?
A. Policeman and driver B. Salesman and customer. C. Employer and employee.
7. How much was the woman made to pay in all?
A.$35 B.$50 C. $65.
听第7段材料，回答第8至10题。
8. Where does this conversation take place?
A. In a flat building. B. In the man’s office. C. In the woman’s house.
9. What is the woman looking for?
A. A two-bedroom flat. B. A three-bedroom flat. C.A ground-floor flat.
10. What does the woman think of the flat?
A. It is too small to live in. B. It is too expensive to buy. C. It is satisfying on the whole.
听第8段材料，回答第11至13题。
11. What was the robber wearing?
A. A black dress. B. A red sweater. C. Tennis shoes.
12. Who is the robber?
A. A man who robs women in the park.
B. A woman who robs men in the park.
C. A man who dresses up like a woman.
13. What can we learn from the conversation?
A. The robber is really quite harmless.
B. Such a case has never been heard before.
C. The man speaker has been robbed several times.
听第9段材料，回答第14至17题。
14. What will the woman probably do if she’s caught in a thunderstorm?
A. Stand on the ground B. Put herself in water. C. Try to find a house.
15. What does the man think of taking a bath during a thunderstorm?
A. It is acceptable. B. It is dangerous. C. It is unbelievable.
16. What does the woman think about the man’s action?
A. It is unusual B. It is unnecessary C. It is very practical.
17. Who is the speaker?
A. A park manager B. A tourist guide. C. A restaurant host.
听第10段材料，回答第18至20题。
18. What is the speaker mainly talking about?
A. A historic tree. B.A well-known park C. A famous commander.
19. What do we know about the Washington Elm?
A. It was less than one hundred years old.
B. It was much older than people had thought.
C. Washington couldn’t have commanded under it.
20. What can we learn from what the speaker said?
A. Some historical stories are untrue.
B. Washington commanded the army on his knees.
C. The Washington Elm was destroyed before the celebration.
第二部分:英语知识运用(共两节，满分45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四个选项申，选出可以填人空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
例:It is generally considered unwise to give a chiId _________he or she wants.
A.however B.whatever C.whichever D.whenever
答案是B。
21. She has _____ 18-year-old daughter who has ______ gift for singing-she has won two national prizes. A．a; a B．an ;the C．an; a D．the ;a
22. With such a lot of homework on hand, he to the cinema last night.
A. oughtn't to go B. mustn't go C. shouldn't have gone D. wouldn't go
23. -----Why didn’t you tell him about your suggestions?
-----He rushed out of the classroom________ I could say a word.
A. before B. until C. when D. after
24. ---How long had this bookshop been in business？
---_______ 2006.
A. After B. Since C. By D. From
25. While watching TV, ____________.
A．the telephone rang B．the telephone was ringing
C．the phone was heard ringing D．I heard the phone ringing
26. Please don't call me at the office _______ it's really necessary.
A. if B. unless C. unless if D. except
27 __ ______?
__ I’m surfing from a headache．
A．Are you feeling better B．What’s trouble with you
C．Is there wrong with you D．What’s the matter with you
28. ---Would you like to go to the concert with me, Mary?
--- I have got no interest in it; ________, I have lots of homework to do.
A. otherwise B. besides C. however D. therefore
29. A cup of water ________you will feel better．
A．or B．but C．so D．and
30. The _____from England to India used to take more than 6 months as there were storms and huge waves at times．
A．travel B．journey C．voyage D．trip
31. ----Most students went to the museum yesterday. It’s a pity you were absent.
---- I wish I ______.
A. had B. did C. weren’t D. would
32. ---Would you mind if I used your telephone?
---______.
A. Yes, do please B. Go ahead C. Of course D. All right
33. _______made all of us very disappointed．
A．His not coming B．Not his coming
C．he came D．That he came lately
34. -I didn't go to Mary's party last night because my car broke down.
-You cold have borrowed mine. I it.
A．hadn't used B．wasn't' using C．didn't use D．wouldn't use
35. Alice cares most about her clothing, who is followed by Mary, while Della shows _____ interest in fashion.
A. more B. the most C. less D. the least
第二节:完形填空(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和D中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
When I was about 12, I had an enemy, a girl who liked to point out my shortcomings.
Week by week her list 36 : I was very thin, I wasn’t a good student. I talked too much. I was too proud, and so on .I tried to hear all this as 37 as I could. At last I became very 38 and ran to my father with tears in my eyes.
He listened to me 39 , then he asked. “Are the things she says true or not? Janet , didn’t you ever 40 what you’re really like? Well, you now have that girl’s 41 .Go and make a 42 of everything she said and 43 the points that are true. Pay no attention to the other things she said.”
I did as he told me. To my great 44 ,I discovered that about half the things were true. Some of them I couldn’t 45 (like being very thin), but a good number I could－and 46 I wanted to change. For the first time I go to 47 clear picture of myself.
I brought the list back to Daddy. He 48 to take it. “That’s just for you,” he said. “You know 49 than anyone else the truth about yourself. But you have to learn to listen, not just close your 50 in anger and feel 51. When 52 said about you is true, you’ll find it will be of help to you. Our world is full of people who think they know your 53 .Listen to them all, but hear the truth and do what you know is the 54 thing to do.”
Daddy’s 55 has returned to me at many important moments, which benefits my whole life.
36. A. changed B. appeared C. grew D. came
37. A. long B. often C. far D. possible
38. A. ashamed B. angry C. tired D. disappointed
39. A. coldly B. doubtfully C. quietly D. very
40. A. notice B. ask C. hear D. wonder
41. A. opinion B. shortcomings C. points D. ideas
42. A. record B. choice C. decision D. list
43. A. catch B. mark C. write D. judge
44. A. joy B. fear C. surprise D. disappointment
45. A. accept B. recognize C. discover D. change
46. A. immediately B. suddenly C. hardly D. completely
47. A. a perfectly B. an exactly C. a fairly D. an almost
48. A. refused B. stopped C. smiled D. nodded
49. A. more B. less C. better D. later
50. A. eyes B. mind C. arms D. ears
51. A. angry B. hurt C. sad D. excited
52. A. something B. someone C. an enemy D. anyone
53. A. character B. truth C. trouble D. duty
54. A. very B. right C. only D. first
55. A. advice B. experience C. wish D. encouragement
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和D)中，选出最佳答案，抨在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A
For more than six million American children, coming home after school means coming home to an empty house. Some deal with the situation by watching TV. Some may hide. But all of them have something in common. They spend part of each day alone. They are called latchkey children. They're children who look after themselves while their parents work. And their bad condition has become a subject of concern.
Lynette Long was once the headmistress of an elementary school. She said, "We had a school rule against wearing jewelry. A lot of kids had chains around their necks with keys fastened. I was constantly telling them to put them inside their shirts. There were so many keys. It never came to my mind what they meant. " Slowly, she learned they were house keys.
She and her husband began talking to the children who had them. They learned of the impact(影响) working couples and single parents were having on their children. Fear is the biggest problem faced by children at home alone. One in each three latchkey children the Longs talked to reported being scared. Many had nightmares and were worried about their own safety.
The most common way latchkey children deal with their fears is by hiding. It might be in a shower stall, under a bed, or in a closet. The second is TV. They'll often play it at high volume. It's hard to get statistics(情况) on latchkey children, the longs learned. Most parents are slow to admit they leave their children alone.
56. The main idea about "latchkey" children is that they _________.
A. are growing in numbers B. suffer problems from being left alone
C. watch too much television during the day D. are also found in middle-class neighborhoods
57. The main feeling these children have when they are at home by themselves is ______.
A. tiredness B. freedom C. loneliness D. fear
58. We may draw a conclusion that ________.
A. it's difficult to find out how many latchkey children there are
B. latchkey children try to hide their feelings
C. latchkey children often watch TV with their parents
D. latchkey children enjoy having such a large amount of time alone
B
African-American talk show queen Oprah Winfrey is the world’s most powerful celebrity (名人), according to Forbes （福布斯） magazine. It placed Winfrey at the top of the annual ranking of the 100 people with the biggest pull （影响力）.
Winfrey, 51, draw 30 million viewers weekly in the United States. Her talk show reaches 112 countries. She earned US ＄225 million over the past 12 months to rank second in celebrity riches. The annual Forbes list gives most weight to annual earnings. But it also looks at the celebrity’s presence on the Internet and in the media. “After 21 years, her exciting chat show still rules the airwaves,” the magazine said.
Winfrey is most popular with her popular talk show “The Oprah Winfrey Show”. She can always attract the superstars and let them open up to her intimate interviewing style. Winfrey’s approach appears to be simple. She is in a pursuit （追求）of self-improvement and self-empowerment. This has proved to be just what people, especially women, want.
Winfrey often talks about her personal secrets on her show. That pulls in viewers. For example, she made it known that she had been sexually abused as a child, and has spoken freely of her struggle with her weight.
Her success has not just been on the screen. Her media group includes a women’s TV network and websites for women. Her work has extended to social change. In 1991, she did a lot of work for the National Child Protection Act. She testified before the US Senate to establish a national database （数据库）of dangerous child abusers. The then President Bill Clinton later signed the “Oprah Bill” into law.
59. The annual Forbes list selects its celebrities according to ____.
A. their names B. their annual earnings
C. their presence on the Internet and in the media
D. their annual earnings and presence in the public
60. Which of the following statements is WRONG?
A. Oprah Winfrey was the first of the 100 celebrities according to Forbes magazine.
B. Oprah’s success has been only on the screen.
C. Oprah can attract superstars and get them to open up to her interview.
D. Oprah ranked second in celebrity riches that year.
61. The underlined phrase “rules the airwaves” in the passage means ____.
A. attracts many readers’ attention B. causes many people to take planes
C. has a large number of viewers D. measures the airwaves
62. What’s the best title of the passage?
A. Oprah Winfrey Conquering the Americans. B. Oprah Winfrey—the No 1 Celebrity.
C. Forbes Ranking First. D. The Oprah Winfrey Show.
C
Is it possible to persuade mankind to live without war? War is an ancient custom which has existed for at least six thousand years. It was always evil and usually foolish, but in the past the human race managed to live with it. Modern skill has changed this. Either man will stop war, or war will stop man. For the present, it is nuclear weapons that cause the greatest danger, but bacteriological( 细菌的 ) or chemical weapons may, before long, offer an even greater threat. If we succeeded in stopping war, there would be no danger for us. To do this, we need to persuade mankind to look upon international questions in a new way, not by contests of force, in which the victory goes to the side which is most skillful in massacre (大屠杀 ),but by arbitration (仲裁）in accordance with agreed principles of law. It is not easy to change old mental habits, but this is what must be attempted.
There are those who say that the adoption of this or that ideology (意识形态)would prevent war. I believe this to be a complete error. All ideologies are based upon beliefs without proof which are, at best, doubtful, and at worst, totally false. Those people who believe them are willing to go to war in support of them.
The movement of world opinion during the past two years has changed very largely such as we can welcome. It has become a common belief that nuclear war must be avoided. Of course, very difficult problems remain in the international world, but the spirit in which they are being approached is a better one than it was some years ago. It has begun to be thought, even by the powerful men who decide whether we shall live or die, that agreements should be reached even if both sides do not find these agreements wholly satisfactory. It has begun to be understood that the important conflict (冲突) nowadays is not between East and West, but between Man and the Hbomb.
63.From the first paragraph we can know that ____.
A. we may face greater threat from weapons
B. bacteriological or chemical weapons are less dangerous than nuclear weapons
C. man’s idea of victory has changed
D. dangerous weapons are forbidden in modern society
64. According to the author,______.
A. it is impossible to live without war
B. the difference between East and West will lead to war
C. war must be stopped if man wants to survive
D. war will be stopped by modern skill
65.The author believes that the only way to stop war is to____.
A. stop nuclear weapons
B. settle international issues through agreements
C. destroy bacteriological and chemical weapons
D. let the stronger side take over the world
66.The last paragraph suggests that______.
A. nuclear war will definitely not take place
B. real agreements have been now reached
C. world opinion is still divided on nuclear war
D. man is beginning to realize that nuclear war is his greatest enemy
67. Which of the following words can best describe the author’s feeling in writing this passage?
A. Disappointed. B. Doubtful. C. Worried. D. Hopeful.
D
It is quite reasonable to blame traffic jams, the cost of gas and the great speed of modern life, but manners on the road are becoming horrible. Everybody knows that the nicest men would become fierce tigers behind the wheel. It is all right to have a tiger in a cage, but to have one in the driver’s seat is another matter.
Road politeness is not only good manners, but good sense. It takes the most cool – headed drivers great patience to give up the desire to beat back when forced to face rude driving. On the other hand, a little politeness goes a long way towards reducing the possibility of quarrelling and fighting. A friendly nod or a wave of thanks in answer to an act of politeness helps to create an atmosphere of good will and calm so necessary in modern traffic conditions. But such behaviors of politeness are by no means enough. Many drivers nowadays don’t even seem able to recognize politeness when they see it.
However, misplaced politeness can also be dangerous. Typical examples are the driver who waves a child crossing the street at a wrong place into the path of oncoming cars that may not be able to stop in time. The same goes for encouraging old ladies to dross the road wherever and whenever they want to. It always amazes me that the highways are not covered with the dead bodies of these grannies.
An experienced driver, whose manners are faultless, told me it would help if drivers learnt to correctly join in traffic stream without causing total blockages that give rise to unpleasant feelings. Unfortunately, modern drivers can’t even learn to drive, let along master the roadman ship. Years ago, experts warned us that the fast increase of the car ownership would demand more give – and – take from all road users. It is high time for all of us to take this message to heart.
68．The passage mainly talks about .
A．road politeness B．traffic jams C．good manners D．modern drivers
69．Troubles on the road are often caused by .
A．traffic jams B．the behavior of the drivers
C．great speed D．terrible road conditions
70．According to the writer, a good driver should .
A．beat back when forced to face rude driving
B．be able to recognize politeness when he sees it
C．encourage old ladies to cross the roads whenever they want to
D．join in traffic stream quickly however other people feel
71．The following statements are right EXCEPT that .
A．some modern drivers are not good at driving
B．road politeness is good sense as well as good manners
C．it is also right to have a tiger in the driver’s seat
D．a friendly driver should nod or wave thanks in answer to an act of politeness
E
“The pen is more powerful than the sword（刀）.” There have been many writers who used their pens to fight things that were wrong. Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe was one of them.
She was born in the U.S.A. in 1811.One of her books not only made her famous but has been described as one that excited the world, and was helpful in causing a civil war and freeing the enslaved race. The civil war was the American Civil War of 1861, in which the Northern States fought the Southern States and finally won.
This book that shook the world was called Uncle Tom's Cabin. There was time when every English-speaking man, woman, and child has read this novel that did so much to stop slavery. Not many people read it today, but it is still very interesting. The book has shown us how a warm-hearted writer can arouse (唤起) people's sympathies. The author herself had neither been to the Southern States nor been a slave. The Southern Americans were very angry at the book, which they said did not at all represent true state of affairs, but the Northern Americans were wildly excited over it and were so inspired by it that they were ready to go to war to set the slaves free.
72.According to the passage______.
A. every English-speaking person has read Uncle Tom's Cabin
B. Uncle Tom's Cabin was not very interesting
C. those who don't speak English cannot have read Uncle Tom's Cabin
D. the book Uncle Tom's Cabin did a great deal in the American Civil War
73.What do you learn about Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe from the passage?
A. She had been living in the north of America before the American Civil War broke out.
B. She herself encouraged the Northern Americans to go to war to set the slaves free.
C. She was better as writing as swinging (挥舞) a sword.
D. She had once been a slave.
74.Why could Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe's book cause a civil war in America?
A. She wrote so well that Americans loved her very much.
B. She disclosed the terrible wrongs that had been done to the slaves in the Southern States.
C. The Southern Americans hated the book while the Northern Americans like it.
D. The book had been read by many Americans.
75.What can we learn from the passage?
A. We needn't use weapons (武器) to fight things that are wrong.
B. A writer is more helpful in a war than a soldier.
C. We must understand the importance of literature and art.
D. No war can be won without such a book as Uncle Tom's Cabin.
机密* 启用前 【考试时间:4月14日15:00－17:00】
高三第四次英语周考试卷
第二卷（35分）
洼意事项:第二卷共2页，用黑色碳素笔将答案答在答题卡上。答在试卷上的答案无效。
第四部分:写作(共两节，满分35分)
第一节:短文改错(共10小题，每小题1分;满分10分)
此题要求改正所给短文中的错误。对标有题号的每一一行做出判断:如无错误，在该行右边横线上画一个勾(V);如有错误(每行只有一个错误)，则按下列情况改正:
该行多一个词:把多余的词用斜线(\)划掉，在该行右边横线上写出该词，并也用斜线 划掉。
该行缺一个词:在缺词处加一个漏字符号∧)，在该行右边横线上写出该加的词。
该行错一个词:在错的词下划一横线，在该行右边横线上写出改正后的词。
注意:原行没有错的不要改。
(注意:必须在答题卡上答题，否则无效)
One day last week I went a walk in the country. 76.______________
In the morning the weather was well and the sun was 77. ______________
shining; the sky was blue and there were no cloud. 78. ______________
Soon a cool wind started blown and black clouds 79. ______________
were covered the sun and then it started to rain. 80. ______________
There were no houses in sight, but I got very wet. 81. ______________
After a hour or so, I managed to catch a bus which 82. ______________
took me home. But when I arrived I was shivering 83. ______________
and I know I had caught a bad cold. I should 84. ______________
have taken my coat. I had nothing to do but to 85. ______________
stay at home and wait for a doctor.
第二节:书面表达(满分25分)
下面四幅图片描述的是星期天上午在中山公园里发生的一件事。请根据图片所提供的信息用英语为你校的
“英语园地”写一篇短文。注意：
①短文须包括所有图片的主要内容。短文的内容要连贯、完整。
②词数：100左右。
③参考词汇：货摊stand（n．）；抢夺anatch（v．）；
④短文开头已给出。
|
One Sunday morning, there were some people in Zhongshan Park.
高三第四次英语周考试卷
英语参考答案
听力理解：1—5 BCABA 6—10 ACABC 11—15 BCACB 16—20 CBACA
单项填空：21—25 CCACD 26—30BDBDC 31—35ABASD
完型填空：36—40 CABCD 41—45 ADBCD 46—50 BCACD 51—55 BADBA
阅读理解： 56—58BDA 59. D 细节理解题，从文展第二自然段中直接找到答案。
60. B 细节理解题，依据文章最后一段第一句。
61. C 推测词义，通读第二自然段可猜测到rules the airwaves 的含义为“有很多观众”。
62. A B、C、D只是文章的一个方面，不全面。63. A细节理解题。文章第一段说明，生化武器也许会给人类带来更大的威胁。
64. C细节理解题。文章第一段说明，人类面临核武器和生化武器的威胁，因此只有避免战争才会消除武器对人类的威胁。
65. B细节理解题。文章第一段作者认为，要避免战争人们必须抛弃用战争来解决争端的传统观念，通过协商来解决问题。
66. D细节理解题。文章最后一句说明，人类现在认识到，目前最大的冲突并非来自于东西方，而是高科技武器的威胁。
67. D推理判断题。从文章最后一段看，人们解决争端的思维模式已经发生了转变，不是靠武力，而是通过协商，因此作者对人类未来避免战争还是充满了希望。68—71 ABBC 72-75 DABC
短文改错
76 went ∧for 77. well—nice/fine 78.cloud—clouds 79.blown—blowing
80. were 去掉 81.but—so 82.a—an 83. √ 84. know—knew 85. to去掉
书面表达
One Sunday morning, there were some people in Zhongshan Park. At a stand, a woman was buying an ice – cream when a young man behind her snatched her handbag away. She shouted: “Stop thief! He’s snatched my bag!” Hearing this, a few people began to run after him. There was an old man sitting quietly on a bench nearby. As the snatcher was running past him, the old man quickly picked up his umbrella and put it between the snatcher’s legs. The young man fell down on the ground. Soon two policemen came and caught him. The woman thanked the old man, and the people around praised the old man for his cleverness.
陆良二中高三2007年第三次英语周考试卷英语听力录音原文：
(Text 1) W: Good morning. M: Good morning. I'm here to see Mr. Addison. W: Mr. Addison went to Washington on Monday afternoon for an exhibition, and won't be back until Thursday night. If you like, you can come again on Friday morning.
(Text 2) W: What time did yesterday's second baseball game start? M: It was supposed to start at a quarter to five, but it was delayed an hour because they had to play an extra inning (局) in the first game.
(Text 3) M: Hello, Mary. This is David Morrison from the office. I'm calling to see how Tom is feeling today. If he's not well, I may tell someone else to do his work instead. W: Oh, hello. The doctor said he'd be able to go back to work tomorrow. M: I see. Thank you.
(Text 4) W: How can I get to your house? M: Oh, it's very easy. My house is only five minutes' walk from the station. Turn right outside the station, and then it's the third street on the left. You can't miss it. It’s got the number on the gate. It's exactly opposite the park. W: I see. Thanks.
(Text 5) W: What a memory I have! I did write down the number on a sheet of paper when I answered the phone this morning. But now the paper is missing. M: Don’t worry. I’ll be seeing Mr. Brown in an hour.
(Text 6) M: You were driving 40 miles per hour in a 25 miles per hour zone. W: I wasn't speeding. I was driving 25 miles per hour. But there was a car in front of me that was only going 15 or 20. I think he was looking for someone's address. I finally passed him. And it was just at that moment that you saw me. M: You were going 40 miles an hour. The speed limit is 25. The fine is $50 plus $15 court costs.
(Test7 ) M: Here we are. This is it. I know it's smaller than you wanted, but it’s one of the nicest flats in the building. W: Does it have three bedrooms? M: No. There are two. The master room is quite large though. Maybe you could let the children share the larger room, and you and your husband could use the smaller one. W: I suppose I could do that. A three-bedroom flat will be difficult to find. I've been looking for one over a week. The few three-bedroom flats that I have found are all extremely expensive. You said that the rent would be 350 dollars a month? M: Yes. It includes gas. So, as you can imagine, electricity and water are quite inexpensive. W: This sounds better and better. But before I sign an agreement I would like my husband to see it. M: Why not stop by with him this morning? Our office is open until seven o'clock. W: OK. See you then.
(Text 8) W: Tell me exactly what happened. M: Well, I was walking through the park yesterday when a woman knocked me right off my feet and ran off through the trees. W: Can you describe the woman for me? M: Yeah. She was about 190 centimeters tall... and wearing a white and black dress, a red sweater over it, and a pair of basketball shoes. W: Hmm. What else? M: She had a heavy build, with long hair and was probably in her late 30's. W: What was, uh, taken ... exactly? M: Well, just my left shoe. W: Oh, this man again! He often wanders around the park. He likes to remove the left shoe from men for some unknown reason and usually returns the shoe to the crime scene a couple of days later. M: Hey, he can keep my shoe, and I'll just take off my left shoe every time I walk through the park..
(Text 9) W: Did you see today's newspaper? That building over in Centerville was just struck by lightning for the fourth time! M: I'm not surprised. If the conditions for lightning to strike are right one time, they might be as good another time. W: Well, I don't take any chances. If I'm caught in a thunderstorm, I look for a building or a closed car. Also, I was told that if you're stuck outdoors, the best thing you can do is to keep yourself close to the ground and avoid bodies of water. M: To tell you the truth, even when I'm at home, I don't take baths or showers during a thunderstorm. And I don't use anything that works electrically. Maybe I'm too anxious. W: I wouldn't say that. According to the article, lightning starts thousands of fires every year in the United States alone. Hundreds of people are injured or even killed. I think you’re just being sensible.
(Text 10) M: Attention please, ladies and gentlemen. Our bus is getting close to Cambridge, where we’ll be stopping to eat. We’ll have our lunch in the garden of a restaurant overlooking a small park that reminds people of a very famous tree. It's said that General George Washington took command of the army in 1775 under its very branches. It was almost 100 years later, in 1864, that the city of Cambridge celebrated the event and from that moment on, the tree was called the Washington Elm (榆树). Later the tree was attacked by insects and finally destroyed in a storm. The remains of the tree were cut down and the growth rings were counted to find out how old the tree was. Well, it seems that if Washington had accepted the command of his army under this tree he must have done so on his knees. This particular elm couldn’t have been over 3 or 4 years old in 1775. It is a well-known fact that Washington took command under an elm tree, but unfortunately it couldn't have been the famous Washington Elm. Well, enjoy your lunch. Watch your step as you leave the bus.