2021江苏省苏锡常镇四市高三下学期5月教学情况调研（二）英语含答案（含听力）

这是一份2021江苏省苏锡常镇四市高三下学期5月教学情况调研（二）英语含答案（含听力），文件包含江苏省苏锡常镇四市2021届高三下学期5月教学情况调研二英语Word版含答案doc、2020-2021学年度苏锡常镇四市高三教学情况调查二英语听力mp3等2份试卷配套教学资源，其中试卷共13页， 欢迎下载使用。


2020～2021学年高三年级模拟考试卷
英　　语
(音频下载地址：jsgkxzx@163.com　密码：20082008)
2021．05
本试卷分四个部分。满分150分，考试用时120分钟。
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. How soon will the package arrive with EMS?
A. In about two weeks. B. In less than two days. C. In more than three days.
(　　)2. What will the man do next week?
A. Give a report. B. Make a presentation. C. Take a rest.
(　　)3. What does the woman advise the man to do?
A. Find the article at the reference desk. B. Read the article on the computer.
C. Turn to the librarians for help.
(　　)4. What will the woman probably do?
A. Cancel her membership. B. Rush to catch a bus. C. Call the man back later.
(　　)5. What do we learn from the conversation?
A. The woman didn't like classical music.
B. The man didn't think highly of the conductor.
C. The conductor didn't like the choice of the music.
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、7题。
(　　)6. Why does the man make the call?
A. To make an enquiry about a new car.
B. To buy an insurance for his car.
C. To make a complaint about the service.
(　　)7. How much does the Red Flag company charge monthly?
A. $30. B. $40. C. $48.
听第7段材料，回答第8、9题。
(　　)8. What did the man find in the library?
A. A ticket for a festival. B. A book about Spanish music.
C. A brochure about a music festival.
(　　)9. What's the probable relationship between the speakers?
A. Husband and wife. B. Manager and secretary. C. Teacher and student.
听第8段材料，回答第10至12题。
(　　)10. What are the two speakers talking about?
A. Advice on having an interview. 　　　　　　B. Tips on choosing a job.
C. Ways of learning English.
(　　)11. What does the man advise the woman to do?
A. Remember her answers in advance. 　　　　　　B. Be natural when she speaks.
C. Use as many English words as possible.
(　　)12. How does the woman feel about the man's suggestions?
A. Not practical. B. A bit confusing. C. Quite valuable.
听第9段材料，回答第13至16题。
(　　)13. Where does this conversation probably take place?
A. On the phone. B. At the airport. C. In Milton.
(　　)14. How far is Milton from Toronto Airport?
A. Less than 150 miles. B. More than 150 miles. C. Exactly 150 miles.
(　　)15. Why doesn't the woman rent a car?
A. She can't drive herself. 　　　　　　B. She doesn't feel like driving.
C. She doesn't have enough money.
(　　)16. What's the woman's final decision?
A. Taking a taxi from the airport. 　　　　　　B. Taking the airport shuttle bus.
C. Taking a Greyhound bus.
听第10段材料，回答第17至20题。
(　　)17. What is the speaker?
A. A guide. B. A teacher. C. A coach.
(　　)18. What does the speaker mainly talk about?
A. Factors deciding the choice of goods. 　　　　　　B. Consumers' choice of cars.
C. Products with high quality.
(　　)19. What do people think of reliability nowadays?
A. It's getting more attention. 　　　　　　B. It's still important.
C. It's the deciding factor.
(　　)20. Where can people get access to more information?
A. From newspapers. B. From a website. C. From a book.
第二部分　阅读(共两节，满分50分)
第一节(共15小题；每小题2.5分，满分37.5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
The UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles)Volunteer Center works with many external partners to provide this list of current volunteer opportunities. Search here for an opportunity in the community that suits your interests or skills. Good luck!
Medical Volunteer Abroad Programs
Volunteering Solutions have been organizing medical volunteer abroad programs in different countries for 12 years. Participants (preferably medical students) joining these programs will work under the guidance of professional doctors and nurses. The medical volunteering opportunities, offered in different areas like Emergency and General Medicine, are available throughout the year with flexible start dates and durations.
Answer Crisis Calls at a Helpline
Community Helpline currently has opportunities for students as a Volunteer Crisis Listener. It provides a non­judgmental listening ear to the callers, while also assisting individuals in coping with mental health issues to prevent serious crises. No previous experience is required, but completion of a five­week training program is required. The crisis line is open from 8 am to 8 pm every single day. A “shift” consists of 3 hours and we ask that you sign up for 1 shift a week.
Youth Education Volunteers Needed
Youth Education Volunteers at LINC Cares serve at after­school programs and summer camps that provide fun recreational activities, support strong educational habits, and promote good health and positive social development for children from low­income families.Volunteers serve at the after­school program one weekday per week from 2：30 pm to 5：30 pm.
(　　)21. What do we know about Medical Volunteer Abroad Programs?
A. Volunteers will work domestically. B. There are various volunteering areas.
C. Volunteers will work independently. D. There is a fixed volunteering time.
(　　)22. What is a Volunteer Crisis Listener required to do?
A. Judge the caller when listening. B. Be capable of stopping crises.
C. Complete a training program. D. Work twelve hours per day.
(　　)23. What's the passage mainly about?
A. Volunteer programs. B. Educational courses.
C. Recreational activities. D. Charity work.
B
Ian McKenna was in third grade when he learned that many kids at his Austin school weren't getting enough to eat at home. He wanted to help, but local volunteer organizations turned him away, saying he was too young. So he decided to find his own solution. For years, he had been gardening with his mother, and they often distributed their extra vegetables to the neighbors. “Why not give the produce to a soup kitchen？Then I thought, I'm good at gardening，” says McKenna, now 16. “Why not plant a garden at school, so that kids in need could take food home？”
McKenna persuaded his school to set aside space for a garden; then he asked the community for donations of seeds and equipment. Other students donated their time. Within months, McKenna's garden was producing lettuces, tomatoes, cucumbers and squash for students and their families. Now, seven years later, McKenna's Giving Garden project has expanded to five area schools in addition to his own backyard garden, and he has provided organic produce, enough for 25，000 meals, to Austin families.
For most of his gardening activities, McKenna wears the same T­shirt in different colors, with his personal motto on it: BE A GOOD HUMAN. To him, that means helping in any way you can, no matter what your age. “Even a smile might change someone's life，” he says. “It lets them know that they are important. It can make their day.”
When COVID­19 hit the U．S., McKenna redoubled his efforts, cooking up to 100 meals to distribute to the hungry on the weekends. When social distancing meant that volunteers couldn't work on community garden plots, he started offering online classes and a gardening hotline so families could grow at home. While gardening is his core focus, McKenna says he is always looking for new ways to help the hungry.
(　　)24. What caused Ian's decision to help the kids in his own way?
A. Being rejected by volunteer groups. B. Being good at gardening.
C. A soup kitchen's support. D. His mother's suggestions.
(　　)25. What do we know about the Giving Garden project?
A. It helps students only. B. It was started with joint efforts.
C. It is funded by schools. D. It earns great profits every year.
(　　)26. Which of the following can best explain Ian's personal motto?
A. Where there is a will, there is a way. B. A small gesture makes a difference.
C. One good turn deserves another. D. Love can break all the barriers.
(　　)27. What is the best title of the passage?
A. Ian McKenna, Growing a Food Bank
B. Ian Mckenna, an Experienced Gardener
C. Giving Garden Project, an Impossible Mission
D. Giving Garden Project, a Universal Solution
C
Streaming(流媒体) first became popular in 2005, thanks to YouTube. Nowadays nearly three quarters of American households subscribe to at least one video streaming service. With almost 200 million subscribers worldwide and a billion hours of content viewed each week, Netflix is by far the biggest paid service. No.2 is Amazon Prime Video. But for every Goliath,__there are a hundred Davids. Many smaller streaming services show nothing but sports, classic movies, or Japanese anime(动画片).
In the early days of streaming, the appeal was the lower cost, and it still is. The average streamer spends $37 a month (and subscribes to three streaming platforms), while the average cable(有线电视) user pays more than $200 per month. Still, streaming has become more expensive in recent years. In 2019, Netflix raised the price of its basic service 12.5 percent, to $8.99 a month. A quarter of its subscribers, who protested price increases, said they would cancel their subscriptions. Few did.
A major reason: Streaming networks have become home to many of the most popular TV series, including recent Emmy winners. They offer full­length feature films as well, and last year, Netflix received more Oscar nominations(提名) than any other media company. In fact, streaming has changed the Oscar competition, at least for this year. Usually only films shown in theaters are considered, but because of the coronavirus, all movies released online in 2020 are qualified for the 2021 Academy Awards. That shift is especially good news for Disney, which is putting the much anticipated movie Mulan on its new streaming service, Disney＋. But watching Mulan from your own home will cost $29.99—on top of the service's monthly fee of $6.99.
Too much streaming can have its disadvantages, however. There are those who binge­watch, a term Merriam­Webster added in 2017 with the definition “to watch many or all episodes of (a TV series) on end.” Alejandro Fragoso from New York holds the Guinness World Record: 94 straight hours.
(　　)28. What do the underlined words “Goliath” and “David” in Paragraph 1 refer to?
A. TV viewers. B. TV programs.
C. Streaming subscribers. D. Streaming services.
(　　)29. Why did most Netflix subscribers continue their subscriptions?
A. They cannot go without it.
B. They think the low cost is a thing of the past.
C. Netflix has controlled the market.
D. They think it is good value for money.
(　　)30. What does the good news in Paragraph 3 mean to Disney?
A. The movie Mulan can be released on Disney＋.
B. The movie Mulan will generate great profits.
C. The movie Mulan can compete for an Oscar.
D. The movie Mulan will win an Oscar award.
(　　)31. What do binge­watchers tend to do?
A. They start a new life. B. They watch TV series continuously.
C. They break world records. D. They watch TV series aimlessly.
D
Not long ago, Linda Khan was sitting by a hospital bed in Houston, feeling ill at ease. Beside her lay her father who needed a heart surgery. The two of them had engaged in nothing but depressing small talk. Then, her eye fell on a pile of books. She picked up one, and started to read it out loud. “Right away it changed the mood and atmosphere，” she says. Reading gave the daughter a way to connect with her father. Listening allowed the father to travel on the sound of his daughter's voice into a place where he felt himself again. “From then on，” Khan says, “I always read to him.”
In a 2010 survey in the United Kingdom, elderly adults who joined weekly read­aloud groups reported better concentration, less anxiety, and an improved ability to socialize. The survey authors owed these improvements in large part to the “rich, varied diet of serious literature” that group members consumed, with fiction encouraging feelings of relaxation and calm, poetry fostering focused concentration, and narratives giving rise to cognitive(认知的)thoughts, feelings, and memories. In truth, almost any kind of reading to another person can be beneficial.
Readers get rewards too. For Neil Bush, the late­life hospitalizations of his famous parents, George H．W. and Barbara Bush, became opportunities to repay a debt of gratitude. “When I was a kid, they would read to me，” he said. With his parents in and out of care, “We've been reading books about Dad's foreign policy and, more recently, Mom's autobiography.” Bush went on, his voice thick with emotion, “And to read their amazing life to them has been a remarkable blessing to me, personally, as their son.”
To many people, reading to parents may seem so far outside the normal range of regular activities, and it may even feel odd and improper. However, there are still a great many people who brave the momentary strangeness of reading to elderly adults and both readers and listeners are, to borrow a phrase from Wordsworth, surprised by the joy of it.
(　　)32. What did reading offer to Linda and her father?
A. A way to establish a bond. B. A way to travel together in reality.
C. A way to treat the disease. D. A way to engage in learning.
(　　)33. What is Paragraph 2 mainly about?
A. Improvements in mental health. B. Benefits of reading to others.
C. Changes in cognitive process. D. Development of social skills.
(　　)34. What does Neil Bush's experience prove?
A. Reading benefits more than the listener. B. Parents should read more to their kids.
C. Children should show their gratitude. D. Reading to parents is children's duty.
(　　)35. How does the author feel about reading to an elderly adult?
A. Improper and odd. B. Abnormal but worthy.
C. Rewarding and joyful. D. Interesting but unnecessary.
第二节(共5小题；每小题2.5分，满分12.5 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。
Rushing to work, watching the stock(股票) market drop daily, working long into the night on a project, all of these situations can build up stress. Stress in such situations means pressure, conflict, loss of control, and uncertainty. These feelings can lead to a variety of problems.__36__
What is stress? Stress is your body's physical and psychological response to anything you regard as overpowering. This may be viewed as a result of life's demands, and your lack of resources to meet them.__37__ This additional energy cannot be destroyed. If not used, it creates an imbalance within your system. Somehow the energy must be channeled into responses to regain a balance.
__38__ Without some stress you would lose your energy for living. You will do well on certain amounts; but too much or too little stress will limit your effectiveness. Ideally, you find your best level of stress—the balance at which you are most motivated.
__39__ It can make you spend your efforts on not being unhappy, rather than on being happy.You can become negatively influenced in your attitudes and feelings about your life more easily.
In addition, medical research estimates as much as 90 percent of illness and disease is stress­related.__40__ High blood pressure and heart disease have been linked to stress factors. Most health professionals agree stress can be a contributing factor in making existing medical problems worse.
A. These different attitudes influence a person's reaction to stressful situations.
B. That is why stress has such an ugly ring.
C. Stress is a natural part of your life.
D. In each person's life there are uncertainties.
E. When stressed, your body creates extra energy to protect itself.
F. Stress can have a bad effect on your physical functioning and bodily processes.
G. Too much stress influences your daily life.
第三部分　语言运用(共两节，满分30分)
第一节(共15小题；每小题1分，满分15分)
阅读下面短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。
It was the next morning after we arrived in Cambridge. Dr. Kerry appeared and __41__ that we'd been invited to take a tour of the church.
When I stepped inside the church, my __42__ caught in my chest. The room was very large. We were __43__ through a small wooden door, then up a narrow staircase. __44__ the staircase opened onto the roof. I climbed up and __45__ along the ridge(屋脊), letting the __46__ take me as I stared out at the broad streets.
“You're not afraid of __47__，” a voice said. I turned. It was Dr. Kerry. He had __48__ me.
I ran down the ridge. Still, Dr. Kerry was behind me but his steps were __49__. Rather than walk facing forward, he moved __50__. I offered him an arm for the last few steps and he took it.
“Here you stand, upright, hands in your pockets，” he __51__ toward the other students. “See them？” Everyone else was holding __52__ to the stone wall, knees bent, backs arched.
“It's as if you've been __53__ this roof all your life，” he said. He stared at me, waiting for a(n)__54__．
“I'm just standing，” I said. “You are all trying to get your bodies lower because the __55__ scares you. But if you could just control your panic, this wind would be nothing.”
(　　)41. A. thought B. suggested C. promised D. announced
(　　)42. A. breath B. feeling C. mind D. sight
(　　)43. A. hit B. led C. drawn D. sent
(　　)44. A. Luckily B. Certainly C. Entirely D. Finally
(　　)45. A. rolled B. jumped C. walked D. slid
(　　)46. A. wind B. anxiety C. terror D. sky
(　　)47. A. shaking B. falling C. moving D. failing
(　　)48. A. invited B. caught C. watched D. followed
(　　)49. A. heavy B. firm C. strange D. fast
(　　)50. A. downward B. sideways C. backwards D. upward
(　　)51. A. waved B. ran C. pointed D. headed
(　　)52. A. tightly B. randomly C. easily D. carelessly
(　　)53. A. in B. on C. under D. with
(　　)54. A. instruction B. reflection C. solution D. explanation
(　　)55. A. height B. length C. width D. depth
第二节(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。
Wearing blue jeans, Gary stood in front of an expensive __56__(tailor) shop. After hesitating for several moments, he finally went in and asked to see the suit in the window. The shop assistant looked __57__ on Gary because of the way he __58__(dress). Glancing at him __59__(impatient), he whispered to the owner nearby. With the owner's __60__(permit), he said that the suit had already been sold. Gary was angry that he was judged by __61__ he was wearing. The next day he returned to the same shop, dressed more properly this time. After seeking out __62__ assistant, he asked to see an expensive­looking suit on an upper shelf. Not realizing who Gary was, the assistant was eager to carry out his duty properly this time. With great patience and difficulty, he climbed up to bring the suit down, __63__(apologize) for keeping Gary waiting. The moment Gary looked at it more closely, __64__， he said he did not like it. He enjoyed __65__(he), making the assistant bring almost everything in the shop to him before he finally settled on buying a tie. Would you do the same if you were Gary?
第四部分　写作(共两节，满分40分)
第一节　应用文写作(满分15分)
假如你是李华，你校上周举行了主题是“太空”的年度“科学节”活动，持续一周。请你为校英文报写一篇报道，内容包括：
1. 活动目的；2. 具体活动；3. 活动反响。
注意：
1. 写作词数应为80左右；
2. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Science Festival goes off with a bang!
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
第二节　读后续写(满分25分)
阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。
I was still a thief when I met Anil. And though only 15, I was an experienced and fairly successful hand.
Anil was about 25—a tall, thin fellow—and he looked easy­going, kind and simple enough for my purpose. I might be able to get into his confidence.
I gave him my most appealing smile. “I want to work for you，” I said.
“But I can't pay you.”
Perhaps I had misjudged the man. I asked，“Can you feed me？”
“Can you cook？”
“I can cook，” I lied.
“If you can cook, then I can feed you.”
The meal I cooked that night must have been terrible because Anil gave it to a stray dog and told me to be off. But I just hung around, smiling in my most appealing way, and he couldn't help laughing.
Later, he patted me on the head and said never mind, he'd teach me to cook. He also taught me to write my name and said he would soon teach me to write whole sentences and to add numbers. I was grateful. I knew that once I could write like an educated man, there would be no limit to what I could achieve.
One evening he came home with a small bundle of notes, saying he had just sold a book to a publisher. At night, I saw him put the money under the mattress(床垫).
It's time I did some real work, I told myself. After all, he doesn't even pay me.
Anil was asleep.I crept up to the bed. Anil was sleeping peacefully.My hand slid under the mattress, searching for the notes. When I found them, I drew them out without a sound. Anil sighed in his sleep and turned on his side, towards me. I was frightened and quickly crawled out of the room.
I began to run, holding the notes by the string of my pajamas(睡衣). But I slowed down and sat down in the shelter of the clock tower. I should go back to Anil, I told myself, if only to learn to read and write.
注意：
1. 所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好。
Paragraph 1：
I hurried back to the room feeling very nervous. ________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2：
I awoke late next morning to find that Anil had already made the tea. ________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

2020～2021学年高三年级模拟考试卷(苏锡常镇)
英语参考答案及听力材料

第一部分
1～5　BACCB　6～10　BBCAA　11～15　BCAAB　16～20　CBABB
第二部分
第一节
21～23　BCA　24～27　ABBA　28～31　DDCB　32～35　ABAC
第二节
36～40　BECGF
第三部分
第一节
41～45　DABDC　46～50　ABDCB　51～55　CABDA
第二节
56. tailor's　57. down　58. was dressed　59. impatiently　60. permission　61. what　62. the
63. apologizing　64. however　65. himself
第四部分
第一节
One possible version：
Science Festival goes off with a bang!
Our annual school Science Festival finished on Friday and once again it was amazing fun.
To encourage students to take an interest in space exploration, this year's theme was “Space”. On Monday afternoon, we attended a lecture about whether life can exist on other planets. In Thursday's Science Workshop, students tried different experiments with great interest. On Friday afternoon, every class decorated their classroom and designed activities according to the theme of space.
The festival attracted much interest from students and everyone is looking forward to next year's Science Festival.
第二节
One possible version：
Paragraph 1：
Ihurriedbacktotheroomfeelingverynervous. It is much easier to steal something than to return it undetected. I opened the door quietly, then stood in the doorway, in clouded moonlight. Anil was still asleep. I crept to the head of the bed, my hand coming up with the notes. I felt his breath on my hand. I remained still for a minute. Then my hand found the edge of the mattress, and slipped under it with the notes.
Paragraph 2：
IawokelatenextmorningtofindthatAnilhadalreadymadethetea. He stretched out his hand towards me with a note between his fingers. My heart sank. I thought I had been discovered. “I made some money yesterday，” he explained. “Now you'll be paid regularly.” My spirits rose. “Today we'll start writing sentences，” he said. He knew. But neither his lips nor his eyes showed anything. I smiled at Anil in my most appealing way.
听力材料
Text 1
W: If I send this package third class, how long will it take to arrive?
M: About two weeks. If you use EMS, it is $35 more expensive, but it can get there within two days.
Text 2
M: I'm sorry I have a bad cough, but I'll manage to make my presentation.
W: Thank you for your spirit. But let's not take a risk. You'll need to rest your voice for next week's report.
Text 3
M: I don't think I'm ever going to find the article that my professor told me about.
W: Go to the reference desk. The librarians there can tell you how to track it down with the help of the computer.
Text 4
M: Jennifer, would you be interested in serving on the membership committee this year?
W: Uh, I'm on a bus and can't catch you very clearly. Can I get back to you on that?
Text 5
W: How did you like the concert? I found it really moving. The conductor almost burst into tears in the end.
M: I love classical music, but the conductor seemed a bit inexperienced.
Text 6
W: Hello... motor insurance department...
M: Oh hello... I'd like to ask about insurance for my car.
W: Yes, of course. I'll just take a few details. What's your name?
M: Patrick Jones.
W: And your address?
M: It's 40 Bank Road.
W: When would you like to start the insurance?
M: I'll need it from the 30th of January.
W: Right. Mr Jones. I'm getting a couple of quotes coming up on the computer now, and the best bet looks like being with a company called Red Flag. And that comes out at $480 per year.
M: Well, that seems OK. It's quite a bit lower than I've been paying.
Text 7
W: Hi, George! Glad you're back. Crowds of people have phoned you.
M: Really?
W: I felt just like your secretary!
M: Sorry! I went into the library this afternoon to look at a newspaper and I came across something really interesting.
W: What? A book?
M: No, a brochure from a summer festival—mainly Spanish music. Look, I've got it here.
W: Spanish music? I really love it! Shall we go then? Spoil ourselves?
M: Okay. The only problem is there aren't any cheap seats. It's all one price.
W: Well, in that case we could sit right at the front—we'd have a really good view.
M: Yeah, though I think that if you sit at the back you actually hear the whole thing better.
W: Yes. Anyway, let's decide when we get there first.
Text 8
W: Hi, Sam. I'm thinking of applying for a job with a multinational company, but I'm worried about having an interview in English. Can you give me any good tips?
M: Hum. That's a tough question. I guess the first thing is to try to make a good impression.
W: All the people say that! But I just don't know what to do!
M: Well, let me see. You should learn a little bit about the company before the interview. Find out what they do, what their business concept is, that kind of thing. You should also anticipate possible questions, and think about how you will answer.
W: Should I memorize my answer beforehand?
M: No, definitely not! You should be natural when you speak.
W: I never thought about that before. But what should I do if I can't remember an English word when answering a question?
M: In that case, you can use other words to explain what you want to say.
W: That's very helpful, Sam.
Text 9
M: Hello, this is Land Transport Information at Toronto Airport. How may I help you?
W: Oh, good morning. Um, I'm flying to Toronto Airport next week, and I need to get to a town called, um, Milton. Could you tell me how I can get there?
M: Milton, did you say? Let me see. I think that's about 150 miles south­west of here. In fact it's 147 miles to be exact, so it'll take you at least—say, three to four hours by road.
W: Wow! Is it as far as that?
M: Yes, I'm afraid so. But you have a number of options to get there and you can always rent a car right here at the airport, of course.
W: Right. Well, I don't really want to drive myself, so I'd like more information about public transport.
M: OK. In that case the quickest and most comfortable is a taxi. But it'll cost you. You can also take a Greyhound bus to Milton.
W: Hmmm, I think for that kind of distance a taxi would be way beyond my budget. But the bus sounds OK. Can you tell me how much that would cost?
M: Sure. Let's see, that would be $15 one way, or $27.50 return... that's on the Greyhound.
W: Oh, that's quite cheap. Great!
Text 10
Welcome to our business class. Today we will discuss if a consumer has to choose between two products of the same price, what factor determines the choice. They choose the one they think is of higher quality. Business analysts usually speak of two major factors of quality—one factor is reliability, and the other is what we call features.
First of all, what's reliability? A product is reliable if it can maintain a reasonable amount of time without needing repairs. When people thought about product quality, they used to think mainly about reliability. Today it's different. But don't get me wrong. People do still care about reliability. It's just that manufacturing standards are now so high that ... take cars for example, today's cars are all very reliable. So reliability is important, but it's not the deciding factor.
Features are gaining more attention—the things a product has that aren't really necessary but make it easier to use or make it cool. For example, new cars today are loaded with features like electric windows, sun roofs and so on. When people are comparing products today, they look at features.
You can check out our school website to find more resources about our business class.