2019-2020学年江苏省扬州中学高一上学期10月月考试题 英语

2019-2020学年江苏省扬州中学高一上学期10月月考试题 英语

江苏省扬州中学高一10月月考考试 英语试题 考试时间：120 分钟 满分：150 分 ‎ 第一部分 听力 (共两节，满分 20 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 分，满分 5 分)‎ 听下面 5 段对话。每段对话后有一个小题，从题中所给的 A、B、C 三个选项中选出最佳选项，并标在试卷的相应位置。听完每段对话后，你都有 10 秒钟的时间来回答有关小题和阅读下一小题。每段对话仅读一遍。‎ 1. What will the woman do next?‎ A. Have a class. B. Buy some tickets. C. Change her schedule.‎ 2. What are the speakers talking about?‎ A. The stars. B. A rainbow. C. The fireworks.‎ 3. When does the conversation probably take place?‎ A. At breakfast. B. At lunch. C. At dinner.‎ 4. Where does the conversation most likely take place?‎ A. At a zoo. B. At a circus. C. At a camp.‎ 5. What does the man mean?‎ A. Marcie is a busy woman.‎ B. Marcie isn’t very polite.‎ C. Marcie loves talking on the phone.‎ 第二节 (共 15 小题；每小题 1 分，满分 15 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，你将有时间阅读各个小题，每小题 5 秒钟；听完后，各小题将给出 5 秒钟的作答时间。每段对话或独白读两遍。‎ 听第 6 段材料，回答第 6、7 题。‎ ‎6.What is the woman planning to do during her vacation?‎ A. Go skiing. B. Have a get-together. C. Make some sweaters.‎ ‎7.What makes the man nervous?‎ A.Getting hurt during skiing.‎ B. Wearing an ugly sweater.‎ C.Making snacks for a party.‎ 听第 7 段材料，回答第 8、9 题。‎ ‎8.What does the man say about his university?‎ A.His classes were difficult.‎ B.The fee was cheaper than it is now.‎ C.He received some help from the school.‎ ‎9.What are the speakers trying to do?‎ A.Convince their daughter to go to a private university.‎ B.Encourage their daughter to get a scholarship.‎ C.Get their daughter to attend a public university.‎ 听第 8 段材料，回答第 10 至 12 题。‎ ‎10.What language of the television series is the woman watching?‎ A. English. B. French. C. Chinese.‎ ‎11.What does the woman do during the television series?‎ A.She translates the lines into another language.‎ B.She writes down some words and phrases.‎ C.She focuses on the translating app.‎ ‎12.Who says “please punish me” in the television series?‎ A. The servants. B. The emperor. C. The emperor’s son.‎ 听第 9 段材料，回答第 13 至 16 题。‎ ‎13.Where is the most famous monster according to the woman?‎ A. In Canada. B. In Scotland. C. In China.‎ ‎14.When did the university conduct its study on Kanas Lake?‎ A. In 1933. B. In 1970. C. In 1985.‎ ‎15.What is the relationship between the speakers?‎ A. Brother and sister. B. Classmates. C. Father and daughter.‎ ‎16.What will the woman probably do next?‎ A.Have a talk with a family member.‎ B.Read a book about monsters.‎ C.Finish a biology report.‎ 听第 10 段材料，回答第 17 至 20 题。‎ ‎17.What is the speaker doing?‎ A. Giving a history lecture. B. Hosting a program. C. Advertising a product.‎ ‎18.When were blue jeans first created?‎ A. In the 19th century. B. In the 20th century. C. In the 21st century.‎ ‎19.Who were jeans designed for at first?‎ A.Poor people who needed cheap clothes.‎ B.Americans who had difficult jobs.‎ C.People who liked the blue color.‎ ‎20.What does the speaker seem to think about modern jeans?‎ A. They are useful. B. They are cheap. C. They are varied.‎ 第二部分 阅读理解（共两节 满分 45 分）‎ 第一节 （共 15 小题；每小题 2 分，满分 30 分）‎ 阅读下列短文，从每题所给的 A、B、C、和 D 四个选项中，选出最佳选项。‎ A On Saturday nights, A. J. Coston doesn’t get a lot of sleep. Usually three or four times a night, a loud bell rings, a red light goes off, and he has to jump out of his bed. That’s because he’s a weekend volunteer firefighter with Loudoun County Fire and Rescue Station 13 in Northern Virginia. During the week, he lives at home with his mom, dad and sister and does his main job which is to go to high school.‎ ‎“I have always wanted to get into firefighting since I was a little kid watching fire trucks go by,” he says. “One day on the Internet I noticed that Loudoun County offered a junior firefighter program.” He was only 16, but he got it.‎ Fighting fires is dangerous work. Firefighters never stop practicing the skills because they need to stay safe. Once Coston learned those skills, he was allowed to work inside buildings.‎ ‎“Teamwork is the most important,” he says. “It’s the whole team that puts the fire out.”‎ Firefighters feel great about helping people. “My most unbelievable call was probably the time four kids were struck by lightning,” says Coston. He will be off to college next fall, building on his dream job. “I’ll get my degree in emergency medical care, and then work in a fire and rescue company for a while. I want to be a flight doctor on a helicopter in the end, but I will never forget the days as a firefighter. These are my unforgettable experiences,” he says.‎ ‎21. Coston can’t sleep well on Saturday nights because ______.‎ A. he has to work part-time at weekends ‎ B. he has some sleeping problems C. he always worries that a fire may break out ‎ D. he has to do his job as a volunteer firefighter ‎22. What do we learn about Coston from the passage?‎ A. He doesn’t like studying at school. B. He dreams to be a great hero one day.‎ C. He will go to college next year. D. he is only sixteen years old.‎ ‎23. In Coston’s opinion, what is the key thing in putting out a fire?‎ A. Skills. B. Courage. C. Teamwork. D. Equipment.‎ ‎24. All of the following are true EXCEPT that ______.‎ A. Coston wanted to be a firefighter when he was a kid B. Coston tried several times before he became a volunteer fighter C. firefighters feel proud that they can help people D. firefighters have to practice skills all the time to stay safe B Losing a wallet is one of those careless acts most of us have come across, at some point or the other in our lives. While most of us tend to move on after mourning over the lost necessities, there are a few lucky ones who get them back, with the help of the police or the generosity of the person who finds it.‎ ‎ And then there is Hunter Shamatt, who not only got back his wallet but with some added happiness that was tagged along!‎ Hunter was on his way to attend his sister’s wedding on a Las Vegas-bound flight when he realized that he has misplaced his wallet, sometime during the journey. Hunter’s family reached out to the Frontier flight to enquire if someone had handed it over to them. Unfortunately, there was no sign of the missing wallet.‎ But wait. The story was far from over. Just a week after Hunter’s sister’s wedding, he received a package in his mail. And guess what? There was his wallet! Surprisingly, the wallet was not the only thing that was inside the package. It also had a handwritten note for Hunter which turned out to be a bonus! The piece of paper read,‎ ‎“Hunter, Found this on a Frontier flight from Omaha to Denver — row 12, seat F wedged between the seat and wall. Thought you might want it back. All the best.‎ P.S. I rounded your cash up to an even $100, so you could celebrate getting your wallet back. HAVE FUN!!!”‎ ‎ Moved by the touching gesture, Hunter’s mom, Jeannie Shamatt, decided to write a post on Facebook giving a detailed description of the incident. She also urged everyone to share the post as she would like to meet and greet the person behind the act of kindness, personally.‎ ‎ Now, thanks to the astonishing power of social media, the post finally reached the man ‎ behind the note. The man was identified as Todd Brown and it was one of his co-workers who made sure Jeannie Shamatt’s post reaches his colleague. Jeannie turned to Facebook again to thank Brown and his family for restoring her faith in humanity.‎ ‎ “I try to teach my children to do the right things in life, help people when you can regardless of the outcome. This story is more about restoring faith in people than anything. We hear a lot of bad news but not enough good news. I personally want to thank Todd Brown and his wife for restoring faith that there are amazing people out there.”‎ ‎25. What things were found in the package?‎ A. A wallet and a tag. B. A wallet and a note.‎ C. A note and a tag. D. A mail and a tag.‎ ‎26. How did Hunter’s mom feel after receiving the package?‎ A. Touched. B. Uninterested. C. Satisfied. D. Confused.‎ ‎27. What does the author intend to convey?‎ ‎ A. Friendship. B. Freedom. C. Kindness. D. Justice.‎ C At one time no one could travel on an English road faster than four miles an hour. That was the law until 1896. A man had to walk in front of a car which could not go faster than the man. At night the man had to carry a red lamp.‎ Once Charles Rolls brought a car from France to England, but he wanted to drive faster than four miles an hour. In order to have no trouble with the police, he had a talk with some of the police officers, who ordered their policemen to look the other way when the car came along the road. This was a good plan in the country, but not so easy to follow in the busy streets of London.‎ One night, Rolls and some friends started from London on their journey to Cambridge. One of the men walked in front with the red lamp, but he walked as fast as he could. The police became very interested in walls and shop-fronts when they heard the car and not one of them saw it.‎ They reached a hill, but what a waste of time it was to drive down the hill at four miles an hour! Rolls was getting ready to jump into the car, but then he noticed a policeman who was not looking the other way. The slow car reached him.‎ ‎“Good evening,” said the policeman, looking at the car.‎ ‎“Good evening,” said Rolls, holding the lamp.‎ ‎“One of these horseless things,” said the policeman, looking at it with interest.‎ ‎“Yes,” said Rolls, and waited.‎ ‎“I’ve often wanted a ride in one, but of course policemen can’t buy things like that.” He turned and looked hopefully in Rolls’s face. ‎ ‎“Jump in,” said Rolls.‎ ‎“Thanks,” said the policeman, and did so. “Now,” he said, sitting down, “You can let it go just as you like down this hill. There isn’t another policeman on this road for a mile and a half.”‎ ‎28．The policemen were told “to look the other way” so that _______.‎ A. they could watch the car coming from the other direction B. Rolls’s car could go faster than four miles an hour C. they could make sure no one was in the way D. the car would not hit them on the road ‎29．In what way did the policemen carry out the order from their officers?‎ A. They greeted Rolls when the car came along.‎ B. They walked in front of the car with a red lamp.‎ C. They pretended to be attracted by something else.‎ D. They stood on duty every 1.5 miles along the road.‎ ‎30．The policeman who said “Good evening” to Rolls wanted to _______.‎ A. teach Rolls a lesson B. take a free ride home C. have a talk with Rolls D. have a car ride experience ‎31．After the policeman jumped into the car, Rolls _______.‎ A. dared not drive the car faster than he was allowed to B. could drive as fast as he wished within a certain distance C. could drive on any road he liked for the rest of the journey D. drove his car as fast as he could down the hill to Cambridge D Teens are now less likely to do part-time jobs, drink alcohol or go out without their parents than their counterparts 10 or 20 years ago. This generation of teens is delaying the responsibilities and pleasures of adulthood. Some people think that today's teens are more virtuous (有道德的) and responsible. Others have suggested that today's teens aren't working because they are simply lazy.‎ To figure out what's really going on, we should look at these trends with “life history theory" taken into consideration. A “fast-life method” was the more common parenting approach ‎ in the mid-20th century, when fewer labor-saving devices were available and the average woman had four children. The parents needed to focus on day-to-day survival. As a result, kids needed to care for themselves sooner. A "slow-life method", on the other hand, is more common in times and places where families have fewer children and spend more time on each child's growth and development. When the average family has two children, preparing for college can begin as early as primary schools. The two methods are adaptations to a particular cultural background, so each isn't naturally “good" or “bad".‎ ‎ Delaying exposure to alcohol, then, could make young adults less prepared to deal with drinking in college. One study found teens who rapidly increased there binge-drinking(酗酒)were more at risk of alcohol dependence than those who learned to drink over a longer period of time. The same might be true of teens who don't work, drive or go out much in high school. College administrators describe students who can't do anything without calling their parents. Employers worry that more young employees lack the ability to work independently.‎ However, the “slow-life method” is also likely beneficial as teens are spending more time developing socially and emotionally before they drive, drink alcohol and work for pay. The key is to make sure that teens eventually get the opportunity to develop the skills they will need as adults: independence, along with social and decision-making skills. For parents, this might mean pushing their teenagers out of the house more.‎ ‎32. According to the text, teens in the past were more .‎ A. reliable B. innocent C. intelligent D. independent ‎33What plays a vital role in the trend of teens growing up more slowly?‎ A. Cultural changes. B. Social standard. ‎ C. Educational development. D. Methods of education.‎ ‎34. What does the author advise parents to do?‎ A. Spend less time in accompanying their children.‎ B. Force their children to leave home at an early age.‎ C. Encourage their children to take part in social activities.‎ D. Help their children to get to adulthood as soon as possible.‎ ‎35. Which of the following can be the best tile for the text?‎ A. How teens develop skills they need in future.‎ B. Teens take no responsibility for what they do. ‎ C. Why today's teens aren't in any hurry to grow up.‎ D. Nowadays teens can't make decisions by themselves.‎ 第二节（共5小题；每小题2分，满分10分）‎ 根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填人空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项 为多余选项。‎ Children's Games in Ancient China Unlike the children nowadays, the children during ancient times didn't have smart phone, iPad or computer to entertain themselves. 36 Let's take a look.‎ Kicking stone balls During the Qing Dynasty, kicking a stone ball around was a popular sport in the northern part of China, and it was often played in the winter to keep warm. Stones were carved into small balls and kicked along with feet.‎ Flying kites Kites have quite a long history. The earliest kites were made of wood, instead of paper. Nowadays, the three most famous kites are the Beijing kite, Tianjin kite and Weifang kite. 37 . For example, the swallow-shaped kite is a well-known Beijing style.‎ Playing hide-and-seek Hide-and-seek is a traditional game for children, popular around the nation. 38 There are two ways to play. One way is covering a child's eyes while other kids run around to tease him. More commonly, participants hide and one child must try to find them. ‎ ‎39 ‎ The closest thing to watching a film or television for entertainment during ancient times was going to see a shadow play. Folk artists manipulate puppets behind the screen, narrating stories and accompanied by music.‎ Setting off firecrackers Firecrackers have a history of more than 2,000 years. 40 And to scare off the beast, people burnt bamboo joints to make it blast. After gunpowder was invented, it gradually replaced the bamboo joint cracker. Crackers are still set off during Spring Festival to symbolize auspiciousness.‎ A. Observing shadow plays ‎ B. Watching shadow plays C. Each of them has distinctive features.‎ D. Different materials are used to make the kite.‎ E. Even nowadays, many children like playing it. ‎ F. It is said that there was a beast named Nian in ancient China.‎ G. Instead, they came up with interesting games to play in their childhood.‎ 第三部分　语言知识运用(共两节，满分45分)‎ 第一节 完形填空(共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分)‎ 阅读下面的短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C和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。‎ In 2017, something was wrong with the relationship between my boyfriend and me, which left me quite 41 . What made it worse was that he 42 to end our relationship in December, weeks 43 both my birthday and Christmas.‎ To cheer me up, my dad 44 me some money for the holidays. I could have done a number of 45 things with it, such as 46 my school loan or adding it to my savings account (储蓄账户), but I didn't.‎ ‎47 , I bought myself a cookery course. The five classes in 48 cooking were held at a school two miles from my house. I’d go to the lessons on every Saturday 49 . We’d 50 with another student and try to make our dishes together, which usually didn’t turn out very well.‎ Each week, we would gather to 51 our dishes, in front of the professional chef (厨师) cooking something that 52 looked like French dishes.‎ A few months later, I had to 53 the classes, as I could no longer afford them. Although the classes didn’t turn me into a chef, they gave me a chance to talk to people, helping me 54 my self pity. It gave me a(an) 55 to take it easy on a Saturday morning. And although I can’t even cook myself a square meal, I’m 56 glad I got to eat, drink and laugh with all those 57 people.‎ The world can sometimes be very cold, or even 58 , so every once in a while, we should 59 to treat ourselves, cherish people around us and live a 60 life.‎ ‎41. A. loose B. upset C. lonely D. tight ‎42. A. promised B. agreed C. decided D. regretted ‎43. A. before B. after C. from D. to ‎44. A. threw B. saved C. lent D. spared ‎45. A. special B. exact C. responsible D. certain ‎46. A. paying off B. putting away C. giving up D. admitting to ‎47. A. Instead B. However C. Therefore D. Though ‎48. A. daily B. homely C. Chinese D. French ‎49. A. morning B. afternoon C. night D. time ‎50. A. whisper B. pair C. compare D. chat ‎51. A. taste B. display C. enjoy D. exchange ‎52. A. exactly B. lightly C. perfectly D. hardly ‎53. A. ignore B. avoid C. refuse D. stop ‎54. A. forget B. realize C. deepen D. accept ‎55. A. shock B. excuse C. intention D. gift ‎56. A. ever B. even C. still D. never ‎57. A. strange B. familiar C. nice D. funny ‎58. A. wild B. cruel C. mild D. strict ‎59. A. wait B. help C. expect D. remember ‎60. A. peaceful B. useful C. meaningful D. lively 第二节 语法填空 (共10小题；每小题1.5分，满分15分)‎ 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入 1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。‎ My time in China was a(n) 61 (forget) experience. Every day was a new adventure. I made life-long friends and had many 62 (last) memories. My study abroad program organized trips for me to learn about each city and to visit cultural 63 (sight). While I was in Beijing, I climbed the Great Wall of China, and visited Tian’ Anmen Square, the Palace Museum and the ‘Bird’s Nest’ Olympic stadium. I also had the opportunity of 64 (stick) in a Beijing thunderstorm, bargaining in the market, and riding the high-speed train. While I was in Tianjin, I 65 (study) at NanKai University. I was taking the Chinese Language and Culture courses. 66 I enjoyed most is that whatever I learned in class, I would use it outside to communicate with people. Having the opportunity67 (speak) Mandarin every day really improved my learning. In the afternoon I would have culture classes68 I would learn about Chinese calligraphy, Beijing opera, Chinese martial arts, Chinese cooking and many other subjects. The mix of learning about the language and culture made each day of class 69 (enjoyable) exciting.‎ I believe that the key 70 studying abroad successfully is the attitude you carry. Going to China, I was open-minded and had a very positive attitude.‎ 第四部分：填空题(共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分)‎ (1) 在空白处填入 1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。‎ ‎71.I still remember that terrible accident a few days ago, ____ more than 20 pupils were killed.‎ ‎72.Wolf Warrior II, _______ director Wu Jing also starred in the lead role, is a first-class production, even by Hollywood standards. ‎ ‎73.The Tang Dynasty is generally regarded as a golden chapter by people worldwide, _______ the Chinese civilization influenced many neighboring countries. ‎ ‎74.Last month, part of Southeast Asia was struck by floods, from _______ effects the people are still suffering. ‎ ‎75.I’ll never trust those _______ praise you to your face but speak ill of you behind your back. ‎ ‎ (2)单词填空：根据首字母提示，写出正确的单词 ‎76. Students return in September for the start of the new a_____ year.‎ ‎77. We will keep you i_________if any change is made.‎ ‎78. Anyone who lies d_______ to be punished.‎ ‎79. Every a______ doctor was called to the scene.‎ ‎80. More and more people realized the importance of p__________ health as well as physical health. ‎ 第五部分：书面表达（满分25分）‎ 阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。‎ It was 8 a.m. Kathy, a 25yearold nurse, had just finished a 12-hour night shifts(夜班) at a hospital. She was tired, but glad to be sailing along highway to where she lived. Although the local government had posted a snow alert(预警), the calm grey sky convinced Kathy the drive would be safe. “I figured I’d be in bed in an hour，” she says.‎ Snow began when she was halfway home. Listening to the radio, Kathy learned the highway was closed because a tractor had slid off the road. She texted some friends and her mom, and tried not to sleep as she waited．‎ After a couple of hours, however, conditions worsened. Strong winds began rocking Kathy’s car. She couldn’t see anything outside, and snow was drifting up her doors. It was, she says, “a total whiteout and rows of cars and trucks.”‎ Late in the afternoon a police officer came and asked if she was in any difficulty. She said she was fine. She asked the police officer if there was any way to get past the trucks. “No, ma’am，” he answered. “You’re not going anywhere.”‎ Once as it got dark, Kathy began to worry. She texted his brother Cris, telling him to drive snowmobiling buddy(雪地汽车) to get to the highway and find her.‎ As Cris rode slowly alongside the rows of cars and trucks, people would roll down their windows and ask for help. “I was the first person they’d seen in six hours.” He explained he was picking up his sister. He told them, “Nobody’s coming and I can’t take you.”‎ Near 10 p.m. Cris reached Kathy. He directed Kathy to pull her car onto the shoulder and asked her to get into his snowmobiling buddy.‎ As they headed for home, the fun started. About five kilometres into the journey, Cris made a mistake. What he thought was a shallow ditch(浅沟) turned out to be a deep trough(水槽). Instead of coming out the other side, they just kept going down. They were trapped. And feathery snow was over their heads.‎ 注意：‎ ‎1．所续写短文的词数应为150左右； ‎ ‎2．应使用5个以上短文中标有下划线的关键词语；‎ ‎3．续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；‎ ‎4．续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。‎ Paragraph 1：‎ At that moment, they had to take action and get out.‎ ‎____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________‎ Paragraph 2：‎ When Kathy arrived at her home, her mother was waiting for her.‎ ‎____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________‎ 参 考 答 案 听力：‎ ‎1—5 ACABA ‎6—10 BABCC ‎11—15 BCBCA ‎16—20 ABABC 阅读：21-24 DCCB 25-27 BAC 28-31 BCDB 32-35 DACC ‎ 七选五：36-40 36----40 GCEBF 完形填空：‎ ‎41-45：BCADC 46-50：AADAB 51-55：BDDAB 56-60：CCBDC 语法填空：‎ ‎61.unforgettable ‎62. lasting ‎63. sights ‎64. being stuck ‎65. studied ‎66.What ‎67. to speak ‎68.where ‎69. enjoyably ‎70.to 填空题：71.where 72.where 73.when 74.whose 75.who ‎76. academic 77. informed 78. deserves 79. available 80. psychological ‎ 书面表达来源:学 评分参考 ‎（1）与所给短文及段落开头语的衔接程度； ‎ ‎（2）内容的丰富性和对所给关键词语的覆盖情况；‎ ‎（3）应用语法结构和词汇的丰富性和准确性； ‎ ‎（4）上下文的连贯性。‎ ‎◆续写特点 ‎（1）读后续写不是随心所欲，是要在开头语和提示词的帮助下完成续写部分。‎ ‎（2）续写短文多以记叙文故事类文章或者夹叙夹议类文章为主，故事情节有曲折、有起伏，但是，故事线索的逻辑性比较强。这样考生能够根据提示词语，顺着原来文章的思路续写文章，并适当发散。‎ ‎（3）读后续写要求读写并重。读后续写需要对本篇文章精确理解，这样所续写部分才不至于偏离主题。‎ ‎（4）所给文章的未完部分的思路和内容并不一定是唯一的，考生可以根据自己对文章的理解，从而对文章的结尾有不同的诠释。‎ One possible version：‎ Paragraph 1：‎ At that moment, they had to take action and get out. They shouted at the top of their voice, but no one could hear them. They began_to_worry and were convinced they had to stay in their snowmobiling buddy for the night. Suddenly, a good idea occurred to Kathy. She took off one of her clothes and burned it. Seeing the fire, people ran over and managed to pull_her_car out with all their efforts, making Cris ashamed for his refusal to others.‎ Paragraph 2：‎ When Kathy arrived at her home, her mother was waiting for her. She asked Kathy what had happened. Kathy explained, “I made a terrible mistake. But for others’ help, I couldn’t have been home for the night.” When asked what she would do when someone had difficulty, Kathy answered immediately that she would do anything to help others because today’s experience turned out to be a great lesson for her.‎ 高一英语试卷听力录音原稿 ‎1‎ M: I have two tickets to the new Disney film at 7:00 tomorrow night. Are you free?‎ W: I’m busy at the moment. I’m on my way to class. (1) I will need to check my schedule and get back to you.‎ Text 2‎ M: Wow. Those are so beautiful! I’m glad we have a clear night to enjoy them.‎ W: I know. You can see all the colors of the rainbow. (2) Text 3‎ W: Would you like some more tea?‎ M: No, I am OK. The pancakes and bacon were very tasty. It was a good start to the day. (3) I have to bring my daughter here sometime.‎ Text 4‎ M: Did you see that? That man is walking on a wire of 30 feet above the ground!‎ W: Look on the other side of the tent. There’s a guy putting his head in a lion’s mouth! (4)‎ Text 5‎ W: I wish my aunt Marcie wouldn’t talk on the phone at the dinner table. It’s not very polite.‎ M: She isn’t doing it on purpose. You know she just started a new company and is constantly occupied. (5)‎ Text 6‎ W: Do you have any plans for Christmas?‎ M: I’m going to go skiing with my friends from college. (7) What about you? W: My neighbors and I are going to have an ugly Christmas sweater party. (6) M: You mean you all have to wear ugly sweaters?‎ W: Yeah! It’s all in good fun. There is a prize for the ugliest sweater, and I usually make some little snacks for the party as well.‎ M: That sounds nice. I could use a bit more relaxation during the holiday. Last year, I hurt my knee, and I’m a little nervous about hurting it again. (7)‎ W: I’m sure you’ll be fine. But if you end up not going on your trip, you’re ‎ welcome to come over to our party.‎ Text 7‎ W: Since when did going to a university get so complex and expensive?‎ M: I don’t know, but our older daughter really has her heart set on New York University. (8)‎ W: Don’t you know that’s a private school?‎ M: Of course I do. I went there, remember? The fee has gone up a lot since I was a student there. (8) Maybe she can get a scholarship like her older brother. Otherwise, it will be difficult for her to go.‎ W: Maybe we can convince her to go to the State University of New York instead. It’s a public school, so the fee is more affordable. (9)‎ M: Hmm…perhaps we could take a tour at the State University of New York so she can get a feel for the school. I can take our younger daughter along as well.‎ W: I’m sure that will help convince her.‎ M: The State University of New York also has more scholarships to give.‎ Text 8‎ M: What are you doing, Erin?‎ W: I’m watching a television series about an emperor’s son… (10)‎ M: Is that in Chinese? (10)‎ W: Yes. (10) It has English version at the bottom of the screen, though. M: What are you writing there?‎ W: I’m writing down words and phrases that I often hear in the show. (11) I’ll look them up on a translating app afterward.‎ M: Why? Are you trying to learn Chinese?‎ W: Well…I feel like I should learn some words while I’m spending so much time watching the program. This helps me to pay more attention to the relationships between the characters, too. It’s a very dramatic series with many characters, so it can get confusing.‎ M: That’s an interesting approach to watching a movie. I watched a movie in French before, but my French just wasn’t good enough to help me follow the plot. I wish I had known more! So, what’s something you’ve learned?‎ W: Umm, I was just looking up the phrase, “please punish me”. (12)‎ M: Do the servants say that as a sign of respect? W: No, the emperor’s son says it. (12)‎ Text 9‎ M: What are you reading about, Sue?‎ W: Oh, just some funny news about big, scary lake creatures. M: I thought people didn’t believe that stuff anymore.‎ W: Well, people keep taking videos of strange things they see in the water. Everyone has a smartphone these days, so more people are sharing their ‎ experiences instantly on social media. There are many lake monsters around the world.‎ M: Could you give some examples?‎ W: For example, Lake Superior has its own stories about a lake monster. But the original Nessie in Scotland is still the most famous. (13) Stories about it have been around since 1933. But there’s another creature that interests me more. It’s the Kanas Lake Monster, right here in China.‎ M: You mean Kanas Lake in Xinjiang? (14)‎ W: Yes. In 1985, a university studied the lake and said there are creatures living in it that are as long as 15 meters. (14) It’s a very old lake, you know.‎ M: Do you really think there are monsters in that lake? It’s not even one of the biggest lakes in China. How would they survive in there?‎ W: I don’t know. But it’s thrilling to think there might be very large animals alive in the world that we’ve never seen!‎ M: Well, dad studied biology in England in the 1970’s. (15) (16) He must have heard a lot about Nessie. Go ask him if he thinks it’s possible that these creatures exist. (16) ‎ W：Great idea!‎ ‎10‎ Today on the History Channel, we are going to explore the history of blue jeans. I’m your host John Thomas. (17) The simple and stylish blue jeans have a humble history in the heart of American industry, starting in the late 19th century. (18) During this time, America was a growing industrial power that was trying to find its place in the world economy. Given the significant natural resources that were available in the United States, it is no wonder that mining was a major industry in many parts of the country. As we commonly know, jeans were invented by Jacob W. Davis, who was a tailor at the now famous company Levi Strauss & Co. Blue jeans are made from a type of ‎ cotton. And a naturally blue plant gives jeans their blue color. Blue jeans were originally designed to be worn by cowboys, miners, and sailors, whose rough jobs required something tough that could be worn all day long. (19) Looking at modern jeans, you might never guess that they were originally designed for these professions! But jeans really took off after World War I, when poor Americans needed clothing that was easy and cheap to clean. These days, jeans are at the height of fashion, with crazy designs, sharper lines, and wild patterns on top of an ever-expanding range of colors. (20) There is a pair of jeans for everyone in the 21st century!‎