2017-2018学年山东省枣庄市薛城区高二上学期期中考试英语试题

2017-2018学年山东省枣庄市薛城区高二上学期期中考试英语试题

秘密★启用前 试卷类型:A ‎2017-2018学年山东省枣庄市薛城区高二上学期期中考试 英语试题 ‎2017.11‎ 考生注意：‎ ‎ 1．本试卷分第I卷（选择题）和第Ⅱ卷（非选择题）两部分，共150分。考试时间120分钟。‎ ‎ 2．请将各题答案填在试卷后面的答题卡上。‎ 第I卷 第一部分 听 力（共两节；满分30分）‎ 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 are the speakers talking about?‎ A. The woman’s favorite fruit. B. Different kinds of grapes. ‎ C. Ways of growing grapes ‎2. What can be learned about the man from the conversation?‎ A. He usually plays sports now. B. He often played sports when young. ‎ C. He was poor at American football.‎ ‎3. When does the conversation most probably take place?‎ A. Before a dinner. B. During a dinner. C. After a dinner.‎ ‎4. How does the woman find her son’s paper? ‎ A. It’s well written. B. It’s hard to understand. C. It needs rewriting. ‎ ‎5. Why doesn’t the man go to the laundry?‎ A. It’s too small. B. It’s far away. C. It’s not convenient.‎ 第二节 （共15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至7题。‎ ‎6. Where did Joan have lunch yesterday?‎ A. At home. B. At a restaurant. C. At a shopping center. ‎ ‎7. What did the man do yesterday? ‎ A. He played golf with his father. B. He went shopping with his father. ‎ C. He bought a gift for his father.‎ 听第 7段材料, 回答第 8至 9题。‎ ‎8. Why does the man visit the woman?‎ A. To rebuild her house. B. To repaint her house. C. To rent her house.‎ ‎9. What did the woman do with her house last month? ‎ A. She had it repainted. B. She had it well furnished. ‎ C. She had it pulled down.‎ 听第8段材料, 回答第10至12题。‎ ‎10. What time will the woman have her English class?‎ A. At 7 a.m.. B. At 8 a.m.. C. At 9 a.m..‎ ‎11. Why does the man plan to go to the library?‎ A. To study for the coming examination. B. To return some books. ‎ C. To read some magazine and newspapers.‎ ‎12. Where does the man suggest going after visiting the library?‎ A. To the classroom. B. To the lab. C. To the gym. ‎ 听第 9段材料, 回答第 13至 16题。‎ ‎13. Where are the two rugby teams from?‎ A. From Oxford and Harvard. B. From Yale and Cambridge. ‎ C. From Yale and Harvard. ‎ ‎14. When is the rugby game usually held every year？‎ A. In October. B. In November. C. In December. ‎ ‎15. What does the woman think of the game？‎ A. brilliant. B. Noisy. C. Boring.‎ ‎16. How do the students celebrate the event according to the man?‎ A. By waving flags and dancing. B. By throwing bottles and singing. ‎ C. By waving flags and showing the logo. ‎ 听第 10段材料, 回答第 17至 20题。‎ ‎17. What does the study mainly explain?‎ A. Watching too much TV could increase the risk of death. ‎ B. The healthy way to watch TV for relaxation. ‎ C. Bad habits related to TV watching.‎ ‎18. How many sitting-for-long actions does the speaker mention?‎ A. One. B. Three. C. Five.‎ ‎19. What does Gonzalez say about driving a car?‎ A. It represents a higher energy loss than watching TV. ‎ B. It represents as much energy loss as watching TV. ‎ C. It represents a lower energy loss than watching TV.‎ ‎20. What does Gonzalez suggest people do?‎ A. Eat food while watching TV. B. Watch TV less than an hour each day. ‎ C. Stop watching TV. ‎ 第二部分 阅读理解（共两节；满分40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。‎ A A newspaper reporter’s job can be very interesting. He meets all types of people and lives quite a busy life. He is on the rush for news all the time, then after several years he may get a desk job, and life becomes a bit more settled. Let’s look at his work a little more closely. In a day he may have to interview the prime minister of a foreign country, and the next day he may be writing about a football match. Sometimes he may be so busy that he has hardly any time to sleep. And at other times he may go on for days looking out for news materials yet return empty-handed.‎ ‎　　In the beginning, a reporter has to cover a very wide field. After the early years he becomes more specialized in his work. For example, he may finally be asked to write only on court cases or ‎ politics or sports. Some reporters may become so specialized that they are asked only to write on a special thing: horse racing, for example. In most newspaper houses there is at least one special racing correspondent. Some newspapers have book reviews. Their job is delightful. They read the latest book and then write reviews on the ones they like. Then there are those who write on films, so they get to see them even before they are shown in the cinema. How lucky, you would say!‎ ‎　　A reporter’s job can also be very dangerous. A number of them have died rushing from one assignment to another, and if there is a flood or a riot(暴乱) they may get hurt or even be killed. Three years ago there was a reporter whose camera was smashed by a group of men, because they were angry with him for taking their picture. Dangerous or not, one thing is certain, and that is, their job is never dull!‎ ‎21. What does the underlined phrase “on the rush” mean in the passage?‎ ‎　 A. on the beach B. in a hurry 　　C. on the spot　　　　 D. in no time ‎22. Reporters who write on films are said to be lucky because they _____.‎ ‎　 A. can see the films before most people see them in the cinema ‎　 B. can see more film stars ‎　 C. can pay less than other people 　‎ ‎　 D. can write anything they like ‎23. Why did the men break the reporter’s camera?‎ A. The reporter took their picture B. They did not like him at all C. They were afraid of his camera D. The camera was in the way ‎24. A reporter’s work becomes dangerous when _____.‎ A. there is a flood or a riot B. there is an interview with the prime minister C. there is a football match D. he is seeing a horror film B ‎ ‎ Forests are amazing, and so are the animals that live in them. We enjoy watching TV shows about bears, bats or monkeys. We know a lot about their lives: how they find food or what they do at different times of the year. But what about smaller animals that are more difficult to see or film?‎ Many small animals that live in forests are very important for the soil. A French scientist, Francois Xavier Joly, is studying one of them – the millipede(千足虫).‎ The importance of leaves When the leaves begin to die in fall, they turn from green to yellow and fall from the trees. As they decompose on the ground, nutrients(营养物质) are returned to the soil and carbon dioxide to the air. Life in the forest needs these nutrients. Without them, plants could not grow and there would be no food for animals such as the millipede.‎ Food on the forest floor Some living things, like mushrooms, break the leaves into smaller pieces and eat them. In a few months there is nothing left of them. But for mushrooms, not all trees are the same. Mushrooms prefer some types of leaves to others. This means that some leaves take much longer to be broken down than others. Sometimes it takes years. So what happens to these? This is where the millipede can help.‎ More on the menu The millipede also likes leaves and it eats any type. But when it has finished, it produces waste. This waste then becomes the food of mushrooms. When mushrooms eat leaves they choose only certain types but when they eat waste, they will eat any kind. This is how the millipede turns dead leaves into food for others and helps life continue.‎ So next time you are walking through a forest, remember that something may be having a meal right under your feet.‎ ‎25. According to the passage, what can we learn about the millipede?‎ A. It can often be seen on TV show. B. It mostly feeds on the nutrients in the soil.‎ C. It is too small to be noticed by people. D. It lives under mushrooms in the forest.‎ ‎26. What does the underlined word “decompose” in Paragraph 3 mean?‎ A. Break down. B. Dry up. C. Dig in. D. Make out.‎ ‎27. What does the author want to tell us by mentioning mushrooms?‎ A. The millipede eats mushrooms in the forest.‎ B. The millipede helps to provide food for mushrooms.‎ C. Mushrooms play an important part in helping millipedes out. ‎ D. Mushrooms decide what types of leaves the millipede will eat.‎ C Most painters discover a style of painting that is fit for them and stick to that, especially if people admire their pictures. But Picasso, the great Spanish painter, was like a man who had not yet ‎ found his own particular style of painting. He kept on struggling to find the perfect expression till his death in 1973.‎ Some of Picasso's paintings are rich, soft colored and beautiful. Others are ugly and cruel and strange. But such paintings allow us to imagine things for ourselves. They force us to say to ourselves, “What does he see that makes him paint like that?” And we begin to look under the surface of the things we see.‎ Picasso painted thousands of pictures in different styles. Sometimes he painted the natural look of things. Sometimes he seemed to break them apart and throw the pieces in our faces. He showed us what the mind knows as well as what the eyes see. At the age of 90, he remained as curious about the world as he had been when he was young. That is why people have called him “the youngest painter in the world.”‎ ‎28. The ugly cruel and strange paintings by Picasso _______.‎ A. make us try to notice something hidden in the things B. allow us to ask questions about them ‎ C. force us to question anything we see D. cause us to think what Picasso saw was different from what we see ‎29. The underlined sentence “Sometimes he seemed to break them apart and throw the pieces in our faces” means _____.‎ A. sometimes he tore his pictures into pieces B. he broke something he was painting and threw them away C. sometimes he showed some broken pictures to others D. things in some of his pictures seem to be in disorder ‎30. Why have people called Picasso “the youngest painter in the world?” ‎ A. Because he observed things with the eye and the mind.‎ B. Because he looked young when he was old.‎ C. Because he never stopped painting when he was old.‎ D. Because he never gave up looking for something new.‎ ‎31. What do you suppose the writer thinks of Picasso's paintings?‎ A. He doesn't understand some of them.‎ B. He thinks some of them are valuable, some are not.‎ C. He admires them, including the ugly ones.‎ D. He doesn't like some of them, but he admires the painter.‎ D In Los Angeles, drivers spend sixty-one hours every year stuck in traffic. These drivers know how bad the traffic can be. “There’re too many cars, and you can’t move around a lot.”‎ Professor Cyrus Shahabi also knows about traffic jams. He lives more than 65 kilometers from his office at the University of Southern California, in Los Angeles. He is always late even with the help of a navigation (导航) system. ‎ He decided to develop a program called ClearPath. He says his program uses historical data to predict traffic conditions even before the driver leaves the house.“What’s unique(独特的) is that we use a lot of data and we analyze that so that we can predict what’s going to happen in front of you when you leave home.”‎ ‎ Professor Shahabi says his system has many functions. With ClearPath, he says, a driver can decide what time he wants to leave, and ClearPath will give the fastest route. It looks at the whole road network, including surface streets as well as highways, before the driver hits the road. Professor Shahabi hopes ClearPath will be used all over the world once they can collect traffic data from other cities.‎ ‎“I always thought that Los Angeles had the worst traffic, but now I know that Shanghai, Beijing, Seoul, Tokyo, believe it or not, Singapore, Hong Kong certainly are examples that can immediately use this.”‎ ‎ Professor Shahabi hopes to share this new technology with companies that already have navigation systems, such as Google and Apple.‎ ‎32. Drivers in Los Angeles were mentioned in order to ______.‎ A. show care for them B. introduce their life C. solve traffic problems D. raise the topic ‎33. What caused the professor to make his invention?‎ A. Being late for work. B. His interest in cars.‎ C. His curiosity in science. D. Making a lot of money ‎34. What is unique about ClearPath?‎ A. It can use a lot of information all over the world.‎ B. It can ensure that you will never be late for work.‎ C. It helps drivers see clearly what happens on the road.‎ D. It helps drivers know the road conditions ahead of time.‎ ‎35. What's Professor Shahabi's attitude toward his invention?‎ A. Disappointed. B. Proud. C. Optimistic. D. Worried.‎ 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入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。（E=AB, F=AC, G=AD）‎ Choosing the right job is probably one of the most important decisions we have to make in life, and it is frequently one of the hardest decisions we have to make．One important question that you might ask yourself is: “How do I get a good job?” 36 .‎ There are people who can answer an insignificant advertisement in the local paper and land the best job in the world; others write to all sorts of places all over the country, and never seem to get a reply at all. Still others believe that the in person, door-to-door approach is by far the best way to get a job; and then there are those who, through no active decision of their own, just seem to be in the right place at the right time. 37 . He used to spend a lot of his free time down by the sea watching the tall ships, but never thinking that he might one day sail one of them．His father was a farmer, and being a sailor could never be anything for the boy but an idle dream. One day, on his usual wandering, he heard the captain of the ship complaining that he could not sail because one member of his crew was sick．Without stopping to think, the lad（少年）offered to take his place． 38 ‎ ‎39 . If the lad had gone home to ponder (考虑) his decision for a week, he may have missed his chance．It is one thing to be offered an opportunity; it is another thing to take it and use it well.‎ Sometimes we hear stories about people who break all the rules and still seem to land plum jobs（美差）．When you go for a job interview or fill out an application, you are expected to say nice things about the company to which you are applying. 40 . And within a year this person had become general manger of the company.‎ A．This story also shows the importance of seizing an opportunity when it presents itself.‎ B．People find jobs in a number of ways.‎ C．it’s almost impossible to find a good job by answering advertisement in newspapers ‎ D．Take for example the young man who wanted to be a sailor.‎ E．But there was one person who landed an excellent job by telling the interviewer all the company’s faults.‎ F．He spent the rest of his life happily sailing the ships he had always loved.‎ G．It is very important to seize an opportunity when it presents itself.‎ 第三部分 英语知识运用（满分20分）‎ 第一节 完形填空（共20 小题，每小题1分；满分20分）‎ 阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A, B, C, D）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。‎ On Friday, I was offered two tickets to a special preview of the latest movie for free. I wasn’t interested. 41 , I knew my two boys would be.‎ That evening, we were a bit 42 for time. So instead of having dinner at home, we had fast food near the movie theater, which is equal to the 43 of eight movie tickets.‎ Then I met up with a friend and we sat around chatting for a moment, 44 another movie ticket went into a cup of coffee. After that, we figured we might as well 45 until the movie ended to pick up the boys. To help 46 the time, I bought dessert. However, the 47 went for an hour longer than expected. To watch the 48 movie, we always have to sit through an hour of advertisements. Oh, did I mention parking, and 49 my way through the 50 to get to the right theater? I could have sent them to a movie theater in walking distance and had enough 51 left over to watch ten 52 movies!‎ Next time I’m offered something free, I’ll 53 refuse it. ‎ I should have known better. 54 in 2014, I built my own business. One of my marketing strategies is that I often offer free gifts. I said “probably” because “free” is simple the most irresistible 55 in your marketing language. And it always 56 .‎ If you don’t believe me, next time when you do a promotion(推销), 57 this test: one with and one without the free 58 . You will be amazed by how many people will 59 hundreds of dollars to get something for 60 ! ‎ ‎41. A. Therefore B. Then C. However D. Otherwise ‎ ‎42. A. rushed B. excited C. prepared D. embarrassed ‎ ‎43. A. chance B. time C. prize D. price ‎ ‎44. A. or B. while C. for D. and ‎ ‎45. A. show around B. wander around C. come around D. turn around ‎46. A. record B. kill C. tell D. save ‎47. A. meeting B. walk C. coffee D. movie ‎48. A. expensive B. free C. cheap D. dear ‎49. A. forgetting B. mentioning C. fighting D. continuing ‎50. A. traffic B. park C. race D. gate ‎51. A. patience B. room C. money D. dessert ‎52. A. fewer B. more C. less D. worse ‎ ‎53. A. definitely B. probably C. impossibly D. absolutely ‎54. A. Ending B. Building C. Setting D. Starting ‎55. A. word B. letter C. reason D. content ‎ ‎56. A. fails B. works C. loses D. uses ‎ ‎57. A. study B. imagine C. attend D. try ‎ ‎58. A. goods B. advice C. gift D. help ‎ ‎59. A. pay B. receive C. get D. gain ‎ ‎60. A. anying B. everything C. nothing D. something 第Ⅱ卷 第四部分 写作 （共四节 满分60分）‎ 第一节 单词拼写（共10小题，每题1分；满分10分）‎ ‎61. Though tired, he went on working ________________ (持续地)？ ‎ ‎62. The new signs will be very ________________ (令人困惑的) for tourists.‎ ‎63. Free room and board are provided for all hotel ________________ (全体员工).‎ ‎64. The illness had a ________________ (深远的) effect on his outlook.  ‎ ‎65. They were very ________________ (好奇的) about the people who lived upstairs. ‎ ‎66. The whole system should be ________________ (废除). ‎ ‎67. She has been trying to ________________ (复兴) the debate over equal pay.‎ ‎68. You must have had a much ________________ (艰难的) time than we did. ‎ ‎69. Equality of men and women is not a ________________ (口号).‎ ‎70. She was the ________________ (理想中的) American teenager, both on and off screen. ‎ 第二节 语法填空（共10小题，每题1.5分；满分15分）‎ 阅读下面对话，按照句子结构的语法和上下文连贯的要求，在空格处填入一个适当的词或者括号中词语的正确形式(不超过3个词)填空，并将答案填写在答题卡上。‎ I can well remember that I was once asked to deliver a speech titled “A Real Test in My Life” before the whole class at the age of 9! You can imagine how 71 (terrible) shy I was with so many eyes 72 (fix) upon me. I had no 73 (choose) but to prepare for it, though. First of all, I was to draft the speech, which was just a piece of cake for me, a good writer. But the hardest part 74 (lie) in my oral presentation from my memory— for to read from the paper was not allowed. The real moment began 75 I stood on the platform with my legs trembling and my mind blank. But my listeners were waiting patiently without any signs of rushing me. Otherwise, I 76 (run) away from them. Gradually I found myself back, delivering my speech with difficulty. After what seemed to be a hundred years, I found my audience applauding— I made 77 ! From then on, my fear of talking before an audience disappeared. Actually with my confidence building up, I now turn out 78 (be) a great speaker. Looking back, I know the greatest difficulty on our way 79 success is our fear. Overcome it 80 we will be able to achieve our goals.‎ ‎71. _____________ 72. _____________ 73. _____________ 74. _____________ ‎ ‎75. _____________ 76. _____________ 77. _____________ 78. _____________‎ ‎79. _____________ 80. _____________‎ 第三节 短文改错 （共10小题，每小题1分；满分10分）‎ 假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。作文 中共有10处错误，每句中错误最多有两处。错误涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。按以下要求进行修改：‎ ‎1）增加：在缺词处加一个漏词符号（∧），并在此符号下面写出该加的词；‎ ‎2）删词：把多余的词用斜线（）划掉；‎ ‎3）修改：在错的词下画一条横线，并在该横线下面写出修改后的词。‎ 注意：1、每处错误及修改均仅限一词; ‎ ‎2、只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。‎ I often quarrel about my mother over whether I can watch TV after school. She ‎ holds view that senior three students have to make fully use of every minute to work ‎ hard at their lessons. It seems to me that once I am allowed to do that, I’ll be able to control myself and forget all about my study. She also thinks it is bad for my eye. But I really can’t accept her ideas. In my opinion, watch TV can set my mind at rest after a ‎ day’s hard works. ‎ Besides, it is important for us to know what had happened at home and at abroad.‎ Thus, we shouldn’t be forbidden to watch TV.‎ 第四节 书面表达 (满分25分)‎ 你校要举办首届英语节（English Festival），假如你是学生会主席李华,请你用英语给全校师生写一封信。信的内容主要包括： 1. 举办时间：12月4日—12月8日；‎ ‎2. 内容：如英文歌曲比赛、英文戏剧表演、西方文化讲座等；‎ ‎3. 举办英语节的意义。‎ 注意：‎ ‎1. 词数80-100左右； 2. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。‎ Dear teachers and schoolmates,‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Yours,‎ ‎ Li Hua 高二英语试题参考答案 ‎2017.11‎ 第一部分 听力 （每小题1.5分，共30分）‎ ‎1-5 ABCAC 6-10 BACAC 11-15 ACCBA 16-20 CABAB 第二部分 阅读理解（共两节，满分40分）‎ ‎21-24 BAAA 25-27 CAB 28-31 ADDC 32-35 DADC 35-40 BDFAE 第三部分 英语知识运用（共一节， 满分20分）‎ ‎41-45 CADDB 46-50 BDBCA 51-55 CBBDA 56-60 BDCAC 第四部分 写作 （共四节 满分60分）‎ 第一节 单词拼写（共10小题，每题1分；满分10分）‎ ‎61. steadily 62. confusing 63. staff 64. profound 65. curious ‎66. abolished 67. revive 68. tougher 69. slogan 70. ideal 第二节 语法填空（共10小题，每小题1.5分；满分15分）‎ 71. terribly 72. fixed 73. choice 74. lay 75. when 76. would have run 77. it 78. to be 79. to 80. and 第三节 短文改错（每小题1分，满分10分）‎ ‎81. about→with 82. holds∧ the view 83. fully→full 84. me→her ‎ ‎85. able→unable 86. eye→eyes 87. Watch→watching ‎ ‎88. works→work 89. had→has 90. at abroad中的at去掉 第四节 书面表达（满分25分）‎ Dear teachers and schoolmates,‎ I have exciting news to share with you. The first English Festival is to be held from December 4th to 8th. This week-long festival promises to be a feast for ears and eyes as well as minds. Students and teachers alike are welcome to participate in English singing competitions, drama performances, or attend lectures on Western culture.‎ By immersing everyone in the charm of English, the festival is bound to fuel your desire to be better English learners, spark your way of thinking and above all get all of you to have fun with English.‎ Yours,‎ ‎ Li Hua 附：听力原文 Text1.‎ M: Shelly, what is your favorite fruit?‎ W: My favorite fruit is grapes.‎ M: Do you like green grapes or purple grapes?‎ W: Green grapes.‎ Text2.‎ W: Do you think that you’re a good athlete?‎ M: I was a good athlete. I played a few sports. Now I don’t play any sports anymore because I’m old.‎ W: What sports did you play?‎ M: I played American football, baseball, and soccer.[]‎ Text3.‎ W: Did you enjoy the meal? ‎ M: It’s the most delicious dinner I’ve had for a long time. It’s such a rich dinner.‎ W: I’m so glad you like it. ‎ M: Thank you very much for your invitation.‎ Text4.‎ M: Mom, I just finished my paper. Can you check it before I hand it in?‎ W: Sure, let’s take a look. Sweetie, this is terrific. Your ideas are so original.‎ M: Thanks.‎ Text 5.‎ M: I have so many dirty clothes to wash.‎ W: My sister and I usually go to the laundry down the street. Why don’t you go there?‎ M: I know I should, but that place isn’t very convenient. You have to wait for a long time.‎ Text 6.‎ M: What did you do yesterday, Joan?‎ W: I took my Dad to a really fancy restaurant for lunch. After lunch, we went shopping together. .‎ M: I bet he liked that, Joan. You are very thoughtful.‎ W: Well, he is my Dad after all. He really helped me when I was growing up.‎ M: I took my father out to play golf.‎ W: That sounds nice. Did you let him win?‎ M: Of course! It was Father’s Day!‎ Text7‎ M: May I come in?‎ W: Yeah, please do. Now let me show you the house.‎ M: This seems a pretty nice room, I should say.‎ W: You bet. This is the nicest room in the district. You know what, I just had all the walls repainted last month.‎ M: What about the kitchen?‎ W: It’s a well-furnished eat-in kitchen. The stove and the ice-box are in good order.‎ M: I see I’d like to live here for about three years.‎ W: Terrific! When are you moving in?‎ M: Next Saturday at the earliest.‎ Text 8‎ M: Hi, Jenny. Are you going to school now?‎ W: Yup. I have English at 9 in the morning.‎ M: Got any plans after the class?‎ W: Not really. What about you?‎ M: We will have our midterm exams next month. I plan to look for some important books and study at the library. Do you want to join me?‎ W: Sure. I need to return some books. They are due today. Besides, I can also read some magazines and newspapers.‎ M: Great. We can go to the swimming pool in the gym after that. ‎ W: That sounds like a good idea. We can chill out a little in such a hot summer. Are you good at swimming?‎ M: Well, that’s a good question. I haven’t swum for almost two years. I think I need more practice.‎ W: Oh, it’s almost 9. I need to hurry. I am running late now. See you after class in front of the library then. Bye!‎ M: See you then. ‎ Text 9‎ M: Alice, fancy that!‎ W: Yeah, Brace, fancy meeting you here! ‎ M: I am here to refresh myself. I would like to feast my eyes on an excellent rugby game.‎ W: What is that?‎ M: It is the rugby game between Yale and Harvard University, a yearly event. It is also regarded as “the glory fight” for the two universities. It is the American version of the Oxford and Cambirdge Boat Race.‎ W: That must be a big shot. I do not care about sports that much in the spare time. Can you tell me more?‎ M: You are finding the right person, my pleasure. This rugby game started in 1875 and has been held 126 times, usually takes place in November. The two universities take turns to be the host. ‎ W: I know there are always cut-throat competitions between the two universities. Can it be seen as a kind of competition? ‎ M: Yeah, exactly. Both universities count much on it. ‎ W: I bet the scene must be magnificent. ‎ M: You said it. The stadium is full of audience whether it is in celebrating such as waving flags, singing, or showing the logo. Both teams have their own colors and choirs.‎ W: I just couldn’t help watching it.‎ Text 10.‎ According to a new study published in the journal of the American Heart Association, watching TV could actually increase your risk of death. The study found that adults who watch three hours or more of television in a day double their risk of earlier death.‎ Watching too much TV is contributing to our increasingly less-active lifestyles, says the study’s author, Gonzalez. In addition to measuring the risks of watching TV, the researchers also looked at two other sitting-for-long actions: riding in a car and using a computer. Though the study participants doubled their death risk, the same was not true of computer use or driving time.‎ There are some conclusions that can be drawn, though. Driving a car, for example, represents a higher energy loss than watching TV, he said. The habits associated with TV watching, like ‎ consuming more food and not moving for long period of time, could have something to do with it, too. ‎ You should consider increasing your physical activity, avoid sitting for long periods, and reduce television watching to no longer than one hour each day, recommends Gonzalez.‎