江苏省盐城市伍佑中学2019-2020学年高二下学期第一次阶段考试英语试题

江苏省盐城市伍佑中学2019-2020学年高二下学期第一次阶段考试英语试题

盐城市伍佑中学 ‎ ‎2019-2020学年度春学期高二年级第一次阶段考试 英语试题 ‎ 时间：120分钟 总分：150分 ‎ 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） ‎ ‎1.Why does the man need a map? ‎ A.To tour Manchester. B.To find a restaurant. C.To learn about China.‎ ‎2.What does the woman want to do for vacation? ‎ A.Go to the beach. B.Travel to Colorado. C.Learn to snowboard. ‎ ‎3.What will the man probably do?‎ A.Take the job. B.Refuse the offer. C.Change the working hours.‎ ‎4.What does the woman say about John? ‎ A.He won't wait for her. B.He won't come home today. C.He won't be on time for dinner.‎ ‎5.What will the speakers probably do next?‎ A.Order some boxes. B.Go home and rest. C.Continue working. ‎ 第二节（共15小题，每小题1.5分，满分22.5分）‎ 听第6段材料，回答第6、7题。‎ ‎6.How does the woman usually go to work?‎ A.By car. B.By bus. C.By train.‎ ‎7.What do the speakers agree about taking the train? ‎ A.It is safer. B.It is faster. C.It is cheaper ‎ 听第7段材料，回答第8至10题。‎ ‎8.What does the man suggest the woman do? ‎ A.Save up for the car. B.Go to another car dealer. C.Ask someone to check the car. ‎ ‎9.What is the salesman going to do?‎ A.Give a discount. B.Stick to a high price C.Ask for cash payment. ‎ ‎10.How will the man help the woman? ‎ ‎ A.Lend money to her. B.Drive her car home.. C.Take care of her car.‎ ‎11. What does the woman think of the living expenses in the city? ‎ A.Fairly low. B.Just Okay. C.Very high. ‎ ‎12.What does the woman spend most on? ‎ A.Meals. B.Trains. C.Clothes.‎ ‎13.What does the woman do in her free time? ‎ A.See films. B.Travel around. C.Go for a drink. ‎ 听第9段材料，回答第14至16题。 ‎ ‎14.What will Rebecca do on June 12?‎ A.Go on a business trip. B.Organize a trade exhibition. C.Meet the people from Head Office.‎ ‎15.What is John preparing for the meeting? ‎ A.A report. B.A timetable. C.A speech. ‎ ‎16.When do the speakers decide to have the meeting?‎ A.On June 3. B.On June 10. C.On June 17.‎ 听第10段材料，回答第17至20题。‎ ‎17.What did the speaker decide to do after lunch that day? ‎ A.Stay to help her friend. B.Drive home in the rain. C.Wait for the rain to stop ‎ ‎18.What can we learn about the speaker then? ‎ A.She worked at a hotel. B.She had bought a new car. C.She was having a baby soon.‎ ‎19.Where did the speaker meet the taxi passenger? ‎ ‎ A.At a crossroads. B.In front of a hotel. C.Beside a car park. ‎ ‎20.What does the speaker talk about?‎ A.An exciting lunch party. B.A well-known short story. C.An unforgettable experience ‎ 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，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最住选项，并在 答题上将该项涂照。‎ A Cellphones,tablets,and computers are keeping children and teenagers awake at night-even ‎ when they're not in use,according to new research.A study published on Monday in JAMA Pediatrics says that media devices are causing kids to sleep less and reducing the quality of sleep that they get.This leads to trouble of staying awake the next day. ‎ ‎ Researchers analyzed hundreds of studies of children and teens aged 6-19.The scientists found a strong and consistent association between the use of technology at bedtime and pool sleeping.The reason is not just that kids are staying up too late with their devices.Using a computer can overstimulate the mind and emotions,the researchers say.A smartphone or tablet also gives off a light that affects the body's natural timing.These factors contribute to poor quality sleep.And many kids could be at risk.According to the study,72%of all children and 89% of adolescents have at least one device in their sleep environment.Most of these devices are used near bedtime.‎ ‎＂The harmful association between screen-based devices and kids' sleep is a major public health concern,"the study concludes.In their conclusion,the researchers urge parents to understand the damaging influence of device use before sleep.‎ ‎21.What do the researchers disagree with? ‎ A.Children even in dreams can be influenced by media devices.‎ B.Most adolescents like to play media devices before sleep. ‎ C.Using media devices on bed makes kids sleep difficultly. ‎ D.Using media devices cannot excite the mind and emotions.‎ ‎22.How does a smartphone affect a child's sleep?‎ A.By making noises. B.By giving off a light.‎ C.By attracting a kid's attention. D.By sending out electronic waves. ‎ ‎23.What can we learn from the second paragraph? ‎ A.Media devices anytime put kids in danger.‎ B.Adolescents are more easily affected than children by phones.‎ C.Using technology at bedtime causes poor sleeping.‎ D.Media devices affect kid's performance at school.‎ B Robots that can chat,find misplaced glasses,draw airplanes and play with your children are attracting thousands of visitors during an expo in Tokyo as Japan adapts to changes in society. ‎ Robots,such as the sound-sensitive Chapit,answer simple questions and even joke with people to help the solitary fight loneliness and stay alert(机警的）in old age."Many old people in Japan live alone and have no one to talk to,"said Kazuya Kitamura,a representative of the expo organizer."Communication robots stay together with old people and don't mind listening to the same stories over and over again." ‎ While Chapit,a relatively simple robot,managed to attract a partner,many researchers. such as Kiyoshi Matsumoto,a professor at the University of Tokyo,struggle to attract sponsors for more expensive projects.‎ Matsumoto's“Personal Mobility Robot",equipped with four cameras and a sensor to recognize the user's centre of gravity,is designed to help the elderly move around without pressing buttons as in traditional wheelchairs.‎ The robot can also help find misplaced glasses by recognizing them with a sensor."We have developed a robot that can assist many people,but because of the high cost,we still haven't found a sponsor,"said Matsumoto,who added that the cost of the machine,if produced in large quantities,would be comparable to that of a small car."In the current economic environment there are few companies willing to invest(投资）in such a costly project,"he said.‎ Other robots,such as the award-winning"DiGRO",can support busy parents who have little time to play with their children.The robot can use the Internet to find a simple image and then draw pictures,looking after children while parents work.‎ Japan is one of the world's fastest-aging countries and the government predicts that by 2050 ‎ the population of people over 65 will reach 40 percent.‎ ‎24.What can Chapit do according to the text? ‎ A.It can find misplaced objects for the elderly. ‎ B.It can help the elderly to move around freely. ‎ C.It can communicate with people. ‎ D.It can tell the same story over and over again.‎ ‎25.What is the problem with Matsumoto's"Personal Mobility Robot"?‎ A.It is too expensive. B.It is not practical. ‎ C.It is just like traditional wheelchairs. D.It is not quite convenient for the elderly to use.‎ ‎26.“DiGRO”is designed to______‎ A.keep children busy B.create simple images ‎ C.keep children company D.help children learn how to draw ‎ ‎27,What does the underlined word"solitary"in the second paragraph mean? ‎ A.Poor. B.Lonely. C.Unemployed. D.Disabled.‎ C ‎ Heads turned,tears dropped,and gossip-filled whispers went on and on from the hospital passages to the house windows.There was a problem:a daughter had been born.She wasn't the first disappointment born to her family.Although my aunt didn't care about giving birth to a girl,her mother-in-law constantly reminded her of the criticism she would have to face if she gave birth to a daughter.In India,most people held these views.‎ When I visited my relatives during the summer,one sentence managed to fill me with anger and start arguments with my so-called relatives."You are a girl,stay within your limits."They simply don't know how different it is living in the US.Anyway,comparisons to my cousins led me to end the arguments for the moment and accept the way they lived their lives.‎ My words didn't make sense to them so my mind was set on proving them wrong.‎ Although their words didn't tear me apart,their actions managed to.The amount of sexism(性别歧视）in this culture,especially my hometown,made me feel bad.It was the 21st century,yet women had to eat after the men at family gatherings.They had to cook all the family meals and were asked to take jobs that required little skill or education.It was time to change these views.‎ As I was growing older,the same relatives repeatedly questioned me about my future:“What do you want to be?"And the answer was always the same:electrical engineer.I have a passion for electronics;as cliched(陈词滥调的）as it sounds,I was born to do it.When I connect wires together to repair something,I can't contain my excitement.But when I tried to explain this to my relatives,all of them,except for my parents and grandparents,would be shocked and laugh at me-laugh because they didn't think I could live up to my goals,being a"girl and all". It was time to change these views.‎ In my world,being a girl is not a problem.Rather,it is an opportunity to allow passion,not stereotypes(成见），to shape my future.I decided to channel my relatives' views into positive energy.Rather than letting them bring me down,I let them be motivation to achieve my goal of becoming an engineer.I,a female,will become a successful engineer.‎ ‎28.The first paragraph was mainly written to____‎ A.describe how bad the author's aunt felt for having a baby girl B.describe the pressure the author's aunt had to face when she was going to have a baby C.show that most Indian people are strongly prejudiced against women D.show that the author's aunt's generation is fighting against prejudice against women ‎29.From the second and third paragraphs,it can be concluded that___‎ A.the author realized that just using words couldn't change the relatives' sexism B.the author's friends and relatives were jealous about her life in the US C.the author got used to being reminded to stay within her limits after she was born D.the author often argued with her relatives because she believed US lifestyles were right ‎30.According to the text,the author decided to change her relatives' views by____‎ A.achieving her ambition of changing her hometown B.using her relatives' comments as motivation C.letting stereotypes influence her future decisions D.achieving her dream of becoming an engineer ‎31.In the article,in what way does the author show how serious the amount of sexism was in her hometown?‎ A.By describing feeling defeated after arguments.‎ B.By describing people's words,behavior and common practices.‎ C.By stressing the conflicts she had with her relatives.‎ D.By giving examples of how her goals were laughed at repeatedly.‎ D How Much Can We Afford to Forget?‎ In 2018,Science magazine asked some young scientists what schools should teach students. Most said students should spend less time memorizing facts and have more space for creative ‎ activities.As the Internet grows more powerful,students can access(获得）knowledge easily. Why should they be required to carry so much, of it around in their heads?. ‎ Civilizations(文明）develop through forgetting life skills that were once necessary.In the Agricultural(农业的）Age,a farmer could afford to forget hunting skills.When societies industrialized,the knowledge of farming could be safe to forget.Nowadays,smart machines give us access to most human knowledge.It seems that we no longer need to remember most things.Does it matter? ‎ Researchers have recognized several problems that may happen.For one,human beings have biases(偏见），and smart machines are likely to increase our biases.Many people believe smart machines are necessarily correct and objective,but machines are trained through a repeated testing and scoring process.In the process,human beings still decide on the correct answers.‎ Another problem relates to the case of accessing information.When there were no computers,efforts were required to get knowledge from other people,or go to the library.We know what knowledge lies in other brains or books,and what lies in our heads.But today,the Internet gives us the information we need quickly.This can lead to the mistaken belief-the knowledge we found was part of what we knew all along.‎ In a new civilization rich in machine intelligence,we have easy access to smart memory networks where information is stored.But dependency on a network suggests possibilities of being harmed easily.The collapse of any of the networks of relations our well-being(健康）depends upon,such as food and energy,would produce terrible results.Without food we get hungry,without energy we feel cold.And it is through widespread loss of memory that civilizations are at risk of falling into a dark age.‎ We forget old ways to free up time and space for new skills.As long as the older forms of knowledge are stored somewhere in our networks, and can be found when we need them, perhaps they're not really forgotten.Still,as time goes on,we gradually but unquestionably become strangers to future people.‎ ‎32.Why are smart machines likely to increase our biases? ‎ A.Because they go off course in testing and scoring.‎ B.Because we control the training process on them. ‎ C.Because we offer them too much information.‎ D.Because they overuse the provided answers. ‎ ‎33.The case of accessing information from the Internet_‎ A.frees us from making efforts to learn new skills ‎ B.prevents civilizations from being lost at a high speed ‎ C.misleads us into thinking we already knew the knowledge ‎ D.separates the facts we have from those in the smart machines ‎ ‎34.The word“collapse”in Paragraph 5 probably means"_‎ A.a sudden failure B.the basic rule C.a disappointing start D.the gradual development ‎ ‎35.What is the writer's main purpose in writing this passage? ‎ A.To question about the standards of information storage.‎ B.To discuss our problems of communication with machines.‎ C.To stress the importance of improving our memorizing ability. ‎ D.To remind us of the risk of depending on machines to remember.‎ 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项。‎ No personal success,achievement,or goal,can be realized without self-discipline(自律）36 .It is the ability to control one's impulses,emotions,desires and behavior.To possess it is to be able to make the decisions,take the actions,and carry out your plan regardless of the obstacles,discomfort,or difficulties,that may come your way. ‎ How to develop self-discipline?We'll explore it together.‎ Start with baby steps.No process takes place overnight. 37 .So,begin by making the decision to go forward and learning what it takes to get there.‎ ‎ Learn what motivates you and what your bad triggers are. 38. Sometimes it is very difficult to fight off urges,so know the areas where your resistance is low and how to avoid those situations.Remove the temptations and surround yourself with encouraging items such as motivating slogans and pictures of what you want to achieve. ‎ Make certain behaviors a routine.Once you have decided what's important to you and which goals to strive for,establish a daily routine that will help you achieve them. 39 .They can put you in ‎ a negative frame of mind and hinder(阻碍）your self-discipline.A poor attitude can also be a bad habit.‎ ‎40 .Michael Jordan has always maintained that his greatness as a basketball player came as much from his willingness to work hard at his craft,as it did his talent.It was his desire through discipline and focus that made him one of the best basketball players ever.If it worked for him, it could certainly work for the rest of us.‎ A.What is self-discipline? ‎ B.Engage in sports or activities.‎ C.Get inspiration from those you admire.‎ D.You can begin by learning about yourself!‎ E.If you try to do too much at once,you could injure yourself and have a setback.‎ F.Meanwhile,get rid of some of your bad,self-defeating habits,whatever they may be.‎ G.It does mean learning how to focus your mind and energies on your goals until they are accomplished.‎ 第三部分 语言知识运用（共三节，满分65分） ‎ 第一节 完形填空（共20题；每题1.5分，满分30分）‎ 阅读下面短文，从各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上 ‎ 将该项涂黑。‎ At the doctor's office,first I log onto a computer to announce my presence.Then I wait until a robotic nurse 41_me into the examination room.Soon,in steps the doctor,who also is a robot.He records my 42_,does a few calculations and then 43 out a prescription（药方）。Having swiped(刷）the credit card at a machine on the way out,I return home without having come across another human being.This scene is my horrible 44 of the future, which hasn't come to pass-45_not yet now.‎ ‎ I really do like many aspects of 46..I have no desire to write my columns on a hand-operated typewriter or wash my dresses in the stream.I'm a big 47 of air. conditioners in summer and heat in winter.But I don't want machines to 48.When I call my dentist's office and on the line actually get a human being,I am 49.When I call the airport and get the lady-computer who 50 asking me to report myself,I want to scream. when I see the slow occupation of self-service ‎ check-out stations at the supermarket,I feel like shouting.,"When it 51 cashiers(出纳员），make mine humans,please!”‎ After all,a human cashier might 52 that a bag of flour is leaking and get you a replacement.Real-life cashiers may have a 53 _word for an elderly person struggling to get that last penny out of her purse.Even more than that,they often take an interest in particularly cute children,which can ‎54 a young mother's day.I don't want to go back to the Stone Age,but I'm also 55_about a completely computerized world,where face-to-face communication is 56 _by swiping credit cards and feeding numbers.Self-service check-out stations and computerized voices can be efficient and they often get the job done just fine.But they lack a(n) 57 so vital to everyday life.It is something that urges us to 58 others a smile,a hug or a prayer,which may be 59 ,what they need at that moment.Call it the spirit, the soul or the heart.It is something that no 60 _will ever have.‎ ‎41.A.follows B.wheels C.directs D.pushes ‎ ‎42.A.identity B.character C.appearance D.symptoms ‎ ‎43.A.stands B.prints C.finds D.calls ‎ ‎44.A.imagination B.situation C.opinion D.experience ‎ ‎45.A.in short B.in fact C.beyond doubt D.at least ‎ ‎46.A.tradition B.civilization C.technology D.culture ‎ ‎47.A.creator B.winner C.fan D.customer ‎48.A.hand over B.take over C.turn over D.get over ‎ ‎49.A.excited B.disturbed C.skeptical D.disappointed ‎ ‎50.A.risks B.escapes C.keeps D.delays ‎ ‎51.A.comes to B.goes to C.starts with D.compares with ‎ ‎52.A.scan B .expect C.spot D.remember ‎ ‎53.A.joyful B.sympathetic C.bitter D.regretful ‎ ‎54.A.shorten B.harden C.broaden D.brighten ‎ ‎55.A.unconcerned B.anxious C.curious D.crazy ‎ ‎56.A.prevented B.limited C.replaced D.exchanged ‎ ‎57.A.element B.function C.role D.material ‎ ‎58.A.offer B.promise C.lend D.wish ‎ ‎59.A.merely B.partly C.exactly D.necessarily ‎ ‎60.A.human B.cashier C.doctor D.machine ‎ ‎ 第二节 单项选择（共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分） ‎ ‎61.The government has been under growing pressure to______ the causes of air pollution as smog frequently smothers the country's large cities. ‎ A.release B.schedule C.address D.maintain ‎ ‎62.The London Underground has the ______ of being the oldest and most complex underground system in the world.‎ A.application B.distribution C.evolution D.distinction ‎63.WHO declared that the coronavirus outbreak was a global health emergency,__________that the disease was a risk beyond China.‎ A.to acknowledge B.acknowledging C.acknowledged D.having acknowledged ‎64.The Chinese women 's volleyball team won the gold medal at the Rio Olympics,which is the third time the team_______Olympic gold.‎ A.claimed B.had claimed C.has been claiming D.has claimed ‎65."We will do the right thing and do what we have to do investigate crimes _______they exist,”claimed the police officer in chief.‎ A.whatever B.wherever C.whichever D.however ‎66.Not until he went through real hardship ________the love we have for our families is important.‎ A.had he realized B.did he realize C.he realized D.he had realized ‎67.________from the people and the world,the boy eventually ______heavy internet user with some mental problems.‎ A.Withdrawing,became a B.Withdrawn,turned C.Withdrawn,became D.Withdrawing,turned a ‎68.The singer's flight was___due to bad weather,resulting in the show_________‎ A.put out;to be canceled B.put aside;to be canceled C.put off;being canceled D.put away;being canceled ‎69.Mensa is a society for bright people,and it aims to create a platform______many think can provide the chance to share their thoughts and ideas.‎ A.where B.which C.what D.who ‎70.---The manager of the factory wants to improve production a great deal,but he doesn't spend much on technology.‎ ‎－--I am afraid he won't realize his dream.You know______‎ A.you can't eat your cake and have it B.empty vessels make the greatest sound C.enough is as good as a feast D.two heads are better than one 第三节语法填空（共10小题：每题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止确形式。‎ Many inventions have helped improved our day-to-day lives and are well remembered,for example,Alexander Graham Bell for the telephone and Thomas Alva Edison for the light bulb. ‎ However,many other inventors' names have been forgotten 71 ._ their outstanding accomplishments.For example,who was Ezra J.Warner?Back in 1858,he was the first person 72. _（get)a patent for a can opener.Although it was effective,it was also dangerous to use and didn't make it into households until 1870, 73.＿William Lyman introduced an effective but much 74._（safe)‎ model.For another inventor, Suan Hibbard,her invention didn't transform the world,but if did make 75._difference for other women inventions.She took old turkey feathers and bound 76 together to make the first feather duster.When she went to patent it in 1876, however,she had to battle in court to prove it was her idea.Eventually,Hibbard won the patent for her invention.Her fight helped other women gain 77 （confident)in their ideas,and their right to patent them.Alice H.Parker patented a furnace(暖气（炉）that could heat individual rooms of a building at different temperatures.Both energy and money 78._（save)by Parker's furnace,since the invention allowed people to heat only the room needed at a(n)79._（give)time.These inventors may not have received worldwide fame for their achievement,but their creations 80. （certain)improved the lives of many people.‎ 第四节 单词拼写（共10小题；每题1分，满分10分）‎ ‎81.I want to return the goods to you because they don't c__________with my order. ‎ ‎82.The a______of the statistics in the medical report has made many people supporters of this theory. ‎ ‎83.Teachers have to constantly update their knowledge in order to maintain their professional c______‎ ‎84.She desperately wanted to win his father's a__________of her studying abroad.‎ ‎85.Under no c__________（状况） will our country give in to any country that wants to occupy Diaoyu Island. ‎ ‎ 86.Globalization is one of the______________（现象）of the 21st century.‎ ‎87.The old man who was in_________（拥有）of little money owned good health and a happy life. ‎ ‎88.Police insist that Michael did not follow the correct procedure in_______(申请）for a visa.‎ ‎89.What sort of_________（资格）do you need for the job? ‎ ‎90.My calculations were based on the_____（假设，推断）that house prices would remain steady.‎ 第四部分 写作 (满分15分） ‎ ‎ 假定你是李华，当前新型冠状病毒（coronavirus)在全球肆虐，你的英国朋友Alex 通过email 向你询问关于预防病毒的有效方法。请你围绕这一主题，给 Alex 提供合理建议，帮助他度过危难时期。‎ 要点如下：‎ ‎1. 写信的原因和目的；‎ ‎2. 建议的具体内容：尽可能居家，出门戴口罩，勤洗手，定期锻炼，保持乐观的心态等。‎ 注意：‎ ‎1.词数80左右，书信的开头和结尾已写好；‎ ‎2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。‎ Dear Alex,‎ ‎——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————‎ Yours sincerely,‎ Li Hua 盐城市伍佑中学 ‎2019-2020学年度春学期高二年级第一次阶段考试 英语试题答案 第一部分 听力（共两节，满分30分）‎ ‎1-5 BAACB 6-10 ABCAB 11-15 CBACA 16-20 CBCAC ‎ 第二部分 阅读理解（共两节；满分40分）‎ ‎21-25 DBCCA 26-30 CBCAD 31-35 BBCAD 36-40 AEDFC ‎ 第三部分 语言知识运用（共三节，满分65分） ‎ 第一节 完形填空（共20题；每题1.5分，满分30分）‎ ‎41-45 CDBAD 46-50 CCBAC 51-55 ACBDB 56-60 CAACD ‎ 第二节 单项选择（共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分）‎ ‎61-65 CDBDB 66-70 BACBA 第三节 语法填空（共10小题；每题1.5分，满分15分）‎ ‎71.despite 72.to get 73.when 74.safer 75.a 76.them 77.confidence 78.were saved 79.given 80.certainly ‎ 第四节 单词拼写（共10小题；每题1分，满分10分） ‎ ‎81.correspond 82.accuracy 83.competence 84.approval 85.circumstances ‎86.phenomena 87.possession 88,application 89.qualifications 90.assumption ‎ 第四部分写作（满分15分）‎ Dear Alex,‎ What a relief to hear from you when the coronavirus has made its way around the world! As you mentioned in your letter,China has been sparing no effort to fight the battle and our victory is around the corner.So, I'd like to share some measures which prove effective in practice.‎ First of all,stay at home and avoid face-to-face contact if possible.Do wear masks once out, and keep a proper distance with others.In addition,wash hands properly and exercise regularly to improve your immune system.Most importantly,everyone should have a positive attitude to the situation.Attitude means everything.‎ Best wishes.‎ Yours sincerely,‎ Li Hua ‎ 听力原文录音稿：‎ Text 1‎ M: Jane, do you have a map of Manchester? I want to find a good place to eat.‎ W: Why not try Chinatown? There are plenty of good Chinese restaurants there, and it's near here.‎ Text 2‎ M: Let's do something different for vacation this year. Oh, let's go to Colorado. I want to learn to snowboard.‎ W: Oh, Paul, you know I don't like cold weather. Can't we go someplace warm, like the beach?‎ Text 3‎ W: This job is for three days a week: Monday, Friday, and Saturday. Are you Okay with that?‎ M: Mmm... I was hoping to have Saturday free. But I need the job, so... can you tell me what exactly I will do?‎ Text 4‎ M: Do you know if John's coming home for dinner?‎ W: He'll be late. He said not to wait for him.‎ Text 5‎ W: I'm really tired from packing all these boxes for three hours. It's about time to call it a day.‎ M: I know. Maybe we could do it first thing tomorrow morning.‎ W: Why not? These orders are not urgent.‎ Text 6‎ M: Lisa? Hi!‎ W: Hi, Ned.‎ M: Don't you usually drive to work?‎ W: Usually, but not in bad weather.‎ M: Why is that?‎ W: The traffic gets a lot worse when it rains or snows.‎ M: I always take the train. It's a lot faster for me than driving.‎ W: It's faster for me, too, but the time isn't always convenient.‎ M: Yeah, but think of all the things you can do on the train 00 read a book or the newspaper...‎ W: Or answer my email... No thanks! My workday is long enough already.‎ Text 7‎ W: I think the car we saw yesterday would be a good deal. What do you think?‎ M: Yes, but I think you should ask someone to take a look at it just to be sure.‎ W: My friend Jack knows cars, and he helped me do the check this morning.‎ M: It was smart of you to think ahead. Have you and the salesman agreed on a price?‎ W: Yes, he finally agreed to accept the discounted price I asked.‎ M: Then have you thought about how to pay?‎ W: Well, I've saved up enough money to pay cash for this car.‎ M: Good. Let me go with you to make the payment and drive the car home for you.‎ W: Thank you. That would make it much easier for me.‎ M: You're welcome. Let's go take care of that right now.‎ Text 8‎ M: Being away from home for college can be stressful. Besides all the pressures of study, there's the pressure on your pocket. Today, let's go to a university to find out. Excuse me. Can I ask you a few questions?‎ W: Well, Okay.‎ M: How do you find the cost of living in the city?‎ W: Everything is expensive, including clothing, housing, and traveling.‎ M: So, what do you spend most on?‎ W: Transport, I think. For food, if I cook myself, it's not expensive at all. For clothing, I bring my clothes here from my home country, where they're nice and cheap. But every week, I have to spend more than 100 pounds on the trains.‎ M: Then what's the social life like?‎ W: I'm a very social person. I love hanging out with my friends and meeting new people. Thankfully, I don't drink nor smoke, so the only expense is maybe tickets to the cinemas, club, and so on.‎ Text 9‎ W: Can you fix a time for the next meeting, Alex? How about June 12th? That's after the trade exhibition.‎ M: I thought something was happening on that day, Rebecca.‎ W: Oh, yes. You're right. The people from Head Office are coming.‎ M: What time does their plane arrive? Can we have the meeting in the morning?‎ W: No, it's all arranged. I'm meeting them at half past ten, so I won't  be available at all that day.‎ M: Well, let's have the meeting earlier in June, then. The trade exhibition finishes on the third, doesn't it?‎ W: Yes, but we need John's sales report for the meeting. How's it going?‎ M: I'm afraid John hasn't started yet. The figures won't be in place till next week.‎ W: Will it be ready early in June?‎ M: Well, not really. He told me that he will finish them by June 10th.‎ W: So, we're looking at the week starting the 17th. How about two o'clock on that day?‎ M: I think that's Okay. Let's meet here again then.‎ Text 10‎ W: Hello, everyone. In today's program, I'd like to share a true story of mine. One day, my friends and I had just finished lunch at a hotel when it started to rain heavily. When it became lighter, I decided to brave the train to get car and go home. It was parked three blocks away. My friends argued I shouldn't go because at that time, I was due to give birth in three months. I promised I'd be very careful. One of them wanted to come with me, but I insisted she stay with another friend who needed help with her baby. When I walked to the first crossroads, a taxi stopped and a passenger beside me and told me he would walk with me to where I would go. I refused, but he insisted. During our walk, he kept telling me to walk slowly. When we got to the car park, I thanked him, and we parted ways. I did not get his name and may not even recognize him now. Did he purposely stop for me? I'll never know.‎