福建省泉州、三明、龙岩三市三校2023届高三英语上学期12月联考试卷（Word版附答案）

这是一份福建省泉州、三明、龙岩三市三校2023届高三英语上学期12月联考试卷（Word版附答案），共15页。试卷主要包含了5分，满分30分）等内容，欢迎下载使用。
高三英语试题

（考试时间：120分钟 总分：150分）
本试卷分第Ⅰ卷（选择题）和第Ⅱ卷（非选择题）两部分。
第一部分 听力（共两节，每小题1.5分，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 will the man drink?
A. Water. B. Tea. C. Coffee.
2. What’s the weather like now?
A. Rainy. B. Sunny. C. Cloudy.
3. How will Suzy spend most of her summer break?
A. Traveling with friends. B. Staying with her grandpa. C. Working part-time.
4. Where does the conversation probably take place?
A. In a restaurant. B. In an office. C. In a post office.
5. What is the woman doing?
A. Renting an apartment. B. Confirming an appointment. C. Making a complaint.
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. What size car does the man want to rent?
A. Small-size. B. Mid-size. C. Full-size.
7. What stops the man from renting the blue car?
A. The size isn’t suitable. B. The price is too high. C. The model is too old.
听第7段材料，回答第8至10题。
8. What does the man offer to do for the woman?
A. Book her a ticket.B. Give her a ride.C. Check the flight schedule.
9. What festival is the woman going back home for?
A. Thanksgiving. B. Spring Festival. C. Christmas.
10. What does the man enjoy most about a festival?
A. Having a feast.
B. Opening gift boxes.
C. Chatting with the family.
听第8段材料，回答第11至13题。
11. What’s the probable relationship between the speakers?
A. Colleagues. B. Husband and wife. C. Doctor and patient.
12. How does the woman sound?
A. Tired. B. Worried. C. Disappointed.
13. What does the woman insist the man do?
A. Drink more tea. B. Take a camping trip. C. Have a checkup.
听第9段材料，回答第14至17题。
14. What’s wrong with the exercise bike?
A. Its screen is out of order.
B. The seat is not steady.
C. The switch can’t be turned on.
15. Why is the man unable to get the exercise bike fixed for free?
A. The receipt is lost. B. He broke it himself. C. It’s out of guarantee.
16. When will the repairman come to fix the exercise bike?
A. On Friday afternoon. B. On Saturday morning. C. On Saturday afternoon.
17. What will the woman do next?
A. Talk about the repair cost.
B. Ask the man’s address.
C. Check the bike’s model.
听第10段材料，回答第18至20题。
18. What’s the speaker’s attitude to the old buildings in Beijing?
A. Positive. B. Mixed. C. Negative.
19. How long has the speaker’s dad spent living in the Hutong?
A. About 40 years. B. About 55 years. C. About 60 years.
20. What does the speaker’s dad compare the people of a city as?
A. Tree leaves. B. Trees. C. Growth rings (年轮).
第二部分阅读（共两节，每小题2.5分，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、D四个选项中选出最佳选项。
A
Portugal’s Most Beautiful Seaside Destinations
The long coastline of Portugal is extraordinarily diverse. Wind your way along it and you will find true Portugal, its history, its heart and its soul.
Cascais
Originally a little whitewashed fishing village, Cascais became a summer residence for wealthy noblemen in the late 19th century. It is now a busy, modern town, but along its shoreline, it still has palatial villas (富丽堂皇的别墅)，many of which have been turned into hotels, and its pretty town square and old streets have kept their character.
Comporta
This little village has, until recently, been a secret to the experts. With hotels now starting to open, the locals make the most of it before the crowds come. Blue waters wash such picture-perfect white sands that it's hard to believe you’re in Europe: Walk on the beach at sunset, or weave your way on horseback through the green rice fields before a meal of the freshest of fish on the seashore.
Zambujeira do Mar
Standing between the fierce Atlantic and the plains of the Alentejo, the little fishing village of Zambujeira do Mar has one of the region’s most beautiful beaches, backed by high rock cliffs. For five days in August, one of Portugal’s biggest youth music festivals, MEO Sudoeste, is held here.
Lagos
Whitewashed Lagos manages to maintain its character and charm while offering lively nightlife to the locals and tourists. As an important naval center in the 15th century, Lagos was also the capital of the Algarve from 1576 to 1756. Extensively damaged in the 1755 earthquake, the town now consists of mostly the 18th- and 19th-century buildings. Visit Santo Antonio Church for its blue and white tiles and gilded(镀金的) woodwork.
21.Which place is still a secret destination rarely known by experts?
A. Lagos. B. Comporta.
C. Cascais. D. Zambujeira do Mar.
22. What is special about Zambujeira do Mar?
A. It is a remote village. B. It faces the Pacific Ocean.
C. It hosts a music festival. D. It lies on high rock cliffs.
23.When were most of the existing constructions in Lagos built?
A. In 14th-15th centuries. B. In 15th-16th centuries.
C. In 16th-17th centuries. D. In 18th-19th centuries.
B
Every time I stare at the rows of jars filled with my parents’ homemade tomato sauce, I wonder: "Should I really use one?"
I have been keeping these jars like precious treasures. No matter how hard I try to find alternatives, nothing compares. Store-bought sauce? It just doesn't taste right. Even if I try to recreate it, it will never taste the same.
While growing up, I hated the tomato season. My parents would use the basement to ripen the tomatoes they had collected locally in September. Like the other Italian families in the area, we would then take them to the garage when they were ripe enough. There they were cleaned and boiled.
Having been stewed(炖)，whole tomatoes were passed through my father's homemade machine to separate the sauce from the skins. Jars at the ready, we filled them with sauce and seasoning. The jars would be hot for a few days, sealed to keep their own heat. They would then be lined up and ready to use.
This tradition was hard to carry on when my father got ill. After being diagnosed with cancer in 2019, he spent most of his time in hospital. In September that year he came home, and on the weekend we decided to continue the tradition. I have glorious memories of that day as we once again made the sauce. It was a beautiful but short-lived moment. My father died soon after.
I can't keep these jars forever. But it doesn’t make it any easier to open one. Every time I go to reach for one, something stops me. My mother, ever practical, is visiting us recently and just stares at them.
"You should use these or they will go to waste."
What will it feel like to use that last jar? It would mean the end of an era. Who knows? Maybe it's time to bring new traditions into life.
24. What stops the author from using the tomato sauce?
A. It has gone bad. B.He doesn't like tomato sauce
C. He values it too much. D. He keeps it for future use.
25. What do Para.3 and Para.4 mainly talk about?
A. The tomato harvest. B. The homemade machine.
C. The fruitful tomato season. D. The making of tomato sauce.
26. What will the author most probably do next?
A.Open one jar. B. Keep the jars.
C. Collect tomatoes. D. Make tomato sauce
27. Which of the following can describe the author?
A.Practical. B. Faithful. C.Affectionate. D. Sensitive.
C
During deep sleep, the brain appears to wash away waste products that increase the risk for Alzheimer's disease.
A host of new research studies suggest that this stage of sleep-- when dreams are rare and the brain follows a slow, steady beat--can help reduce levels of beta-amyloid and tau protein, two characteristics of the disease. “There is something about this deep sleep that is helping protect you,” says Matthew Walker, a professor of neuroscience and psychology at the University of California, Berkeley.
The research comes after decades of observations linking poor sleep to long-term problems with memory and thinking, Walker says. “We are now learning that there is a significant relationship between sleep and Alzheimer’s disease.” The strongest evidence involves deep sleep, he says. That's when body temperature drops and the brain begins to produce slow, rhythmic electrical waves.
So Walker and a team of scientists set out to answer a question:“Can I look into your future and can I accurately estimate how much beta-amyloid you’re going to accumulate over the next two years, the next four years, the next six years, simply on the basis of your sleep tonight?” To find out, Walker's team studied 32 people in their 70s who had taken part in a sleep study that looked for the slow electrical waves that signal deep sleep. None of the participants had memory problems. The scientists used brain scans to monitor levels of beta-amyloid in each participant for up to six years. And the results, published in the Nov.2 issue of the journal Current Biology, showed people who got less deep sleep had more beta-amyloid.
“We have a specific sleep signature right now that seems to help us better understand where you may sit on the Alzheimer’s risk track in the future”, Walker says. Other studies have found that a lack of deep sleep is associated with higher levels of tau protein, which forms harmful substances inside the brain cells and causes Alzheimer’s disease.
28. Which of the following is related to deep sleep?
A. Disordered heart beat
B. Increased waste products.
C. High frequency of sweet dreams.
D. Decreased beta-amyloid and tau protein.
29. What do the scientists find from the study?
A. There is always a body temperature rise during deep sleep.
B. The level of beta-amyloid remains stable regardless of sleep quality.
C. People with less sleep are more likely to have memory problems.
D. Deep sleep reduces the possibility of developing Alzheimer's disease
30.How does tau protein lead to Alzheimer's disease?
A. By producing damaging matter. B. By influencing sleep quality.
C. By slowing electrical waves.D. By reducing brain activity.
31. What's the best title for the text?
A. Good sleep comes from good lifestyle
B. Deep sleep prevents Alzheimer's disease
C. Scientists found out how to have deep sleep
D. Problems with memory and thinking can be solved
D
Lots of animals live and move in groups----elephants in herds, wolves in packs, birds in flocks, and fish in schools. Research has shown that where an individual is located in the group can affect the benefits it gets from hanging out in a crowd. However, Shaun Killen, an ecophysiologist at the University of Glasgow in the UK says, researchers haven't yet fully explored the role of physiological processes such as digestion in driving animals’ collective behavior.
Killenand his colleagues recently studied schools of Eurasian minnows(修鱼)swimming in a tank against a current. Pieces of food were constantly moving past the fish, and the team recorded how many each minnow ate and the fishes’ positions before and after eating. After calculating the metabolic(新陈代谢的)costs of digesting each fish's meal and comparing it to the fish's position ,the team observed a trend: fish that had just gulped down a big meal moved to the back of the school, even when they'd swum at the front at most other times.
“It makes sense that feeding would influence individuals’ positions in a group,” says Damien Farine, who studies collective behavior in birds at the University of Konstanz in Germany, “If a fish is hungry ,it's competing with others in the school to eat，and being at the front gives it access to more food. But once the fish is full, it doesn't necessarily need to be at the front.” In addition ,"being at the back of the group is less energetically costly for a range of reasons,” Farine notes."An individual at the back doesn't have to contribute to navigating, and by relaxing the brain load it saves more energy.”
Killen says he's been thinking about the pros and cons of being at the back of the pack, such as protection from attackers and a boost from schoolmates’ slipstream. Changes in position，especially during the basic trade -off between feeding and movement, appear to influence group leadership, information transfer, and group decision making.But the consequences of the trade-offs for group power and survival are not yet understood.
32. What does Killen and his colleagues’ study focus on?
A. How behavioral features influence position change of individuals in fish schools.
B. How location influences nutrition states of individuals in fish schools.
C. How digestion influences distribution of individuals in fish schools.
D. How location influences benefits of individuals in fish schools.
33. What do the underlined words “gulped down” mean in Paragraph 2?
A. Swallowed. B. Located. C. Witnessed. D. Missed.
34. What can we learn from Paragraph3?
A.A full fish competes to eat at the back.
B. A hungry fish has easier access to more food.
C. Being at the back saves the energy of a full fish.
D. Being at the front costs a hungry fish less energy.
35.What is Shaun Killen's attitude to his study?
A. Cautious. B. Confident. C. Positive. D. Disappointed.
第二节（共5小题；每小题2.5分，满分12.5分）
阅读下面短文，从短文后的选项中选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
Litterati is a company that’s trying to make the world a cleaner place. 36Shared online, this information contributes to building a global database of “litter maps," which can influence policy and packaging design.
Jeff Kirschner is the founder and CEO of Litterati. He came up with the idea while walking in a forest with his then-four-year-old daughter. 37 Despite being young, she expressed distress (悲痛) at the container being somewhere that it wasn't supposed to be. This awareness stays with us as adults. The litter problem is so huge: what's an individual person supposed to do?
38 Uploading pictures to an app shows users that they’re not the only ones picking up litter from public places and that others are cleaning the planet, too. And the data accumulates rapidly. Kirschner said,“ 39 This information includes the objects, materials, brands and their location.”
kirschner describes these data-driven maps as being like a fingerprint. “That fingerprint provides both the source of the problem and the path to the solution.” 40In San Francisco ,the Litterati app was able to map more than 5,000 pieces of trash(垃圾) in order to determine how much was generated by cigarettes specifically. Using this information the city successfully challenged a lawsuit(诉讼) by tobacco companies and doubled an existing cigarette sales tax. In the Netherlands, Litterati's data helped push Dutch brand Anta Flu to repackage its hard candies in waxed paper rather than plastic.
A. She noticed a plastic container in a river.
B. That's where Kirschner thinks an app can help
C. However, these maps turned out to be a failure.
D. We haven’t collected enough amount of data for our litter maps.
E. Our database now contains over 8 million pieces, growing at about 20,000 per day.
F. There are several examples of how Litterati’s data has already provided a path to a solution.
G. It has created an app people can use to upload information about the litter they collect outside.
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。
My father has been called cheap for most of his life, by family members, friends, colleagues, and me.
I remember him 41 around the house to turn lights off all the time, even if the room’s occupant had just left to make a 42 phone call. He doesn’t like to use the 43 on his car because he doesn’t want to wear them out. So he coasts (靠惯性滑行) when he’s 44 a red light, which he believes minimizes brake wear and tear. Dad also prefers to use hand signals out the window instead of the car’s 45 lights.
Though he is cheap, my father is also one of the most 46 people I know. All my life, he has given time and money to the 47 he cares about, from homelessness and hunger to AIDS campaigns. He 48 passes a panhandler on the street without giving him the coins. When it came time for my sister and brother and me to 49 college, we were never told to limit our 50 to a state school or other lower-cost options. 51 , our parents sent us to some of the best and most 52 schools in the country. Neither our father nor our mother ever complained about the high tuition. That was not only generosity in the extreme, but also a(n) 53 of my parents’ priorities.
I 54 my father’s compulsive frugality (节俭) a lot, but as I got older, I realized that I had adopted a lot of his 55 about money.
41．A．skipping B．springing C．rushing D．marching
42．A．brief B．remote C．normal D．long
43．A．lights B．windows C．wheels D．brakes
44．A．leaving B．approaching C．facing D．waiting
45．A．turning B．flashing C．red D．yellow
46．A．generous B．ordinary C．famous D．common
47．A．hobbies B．schedules C．causes D．interests
48．A．simply B．occasionally C．usually D．rarely
49．A．visit B．attend C．leave D．finish
50．A．sights B．supports C．wishes D．needs
51．A．Otherwise B．Besides C．Instead D．However
52．A．expensive B．comprehensive C．independent D．distant
53．A．origin B．idea C．hope D．sign
54．A．showed off B．looked at C．longed for D．complained about
55．A．concerns B．attitudes C．findings D．mistakes

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。
Autumn Equinox
Autumn Equinox(秋分）, the 16th solar term of the year, lies at the midpoint of autumn, 56 (divide) autumn into two equal parts. After that day, the location of direct sunlight 57 (move)to the south, making days shorter and nights longer in the northern hemisphere. Since the Autumn Equinox, most of the areas in China have entered the cool autumn. 58 the cold air southward meets the declining warm and wet air, precipitation(降水)is the result.
As 59 (say) in the ancient book, The Detailed Records of the Spring and Autumn Period(770 - 476BC), “It is on the Autumn Equinox day that the Yin and Yang are in a balance of power.” Thus the day and night are of equal length, and 60 are the cold and hot weather. "In South China, there is a custom 61 (popular) known as“having Qiucai (autumn vegetable) on the Autumn Equinox day". Every Autumn Equinox day, all the 62 ( village) go to pick Qiucai in the wild, which is taken back and made into soup with fish, 63 (name) Qiutang”( autumn soup ) .
On Autumn Equinox day, there are thousands of people in the world trying to make eggs stand 64 end. According to experts, on the Spring Equinox and Autumn Equinox, the earth's axis(轴)，on its 66.5 degree tilt, is in a relative balance of power with the earth's orbit around the sun. Thus it is an 65 (easy) time for people to practice the game.
第四部分 写作（共两节，满分40分）
第一节（满分15分）
假如你是中学生李华，最近在某个购物网站上购买了一双运动鞋，但到货后发现了一些问题，请给该网站写一封投诉信，投诉信内容如下表：
要点：1.写信目的；
2. 不满之处；
3. 表达期望（重新邮寄或退款）
注意:1.书信内容包括以上要点；
2.词数80左右(书信格式已给出，不计入总词数)；
3.可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

Dear Sir or Madam,
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Yours
Lihua
第二节（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。
When things went wrong, Ittleby Fein always had something nice to say.
When Dad forgot about the pizza and it burned, Ittleby said, "Don’t worry. It’ll still taste good.” And he was right. The pizza edges were dark and crispy (酥脆的), but the middle wasn’t half bad.
When Ittleby’s friend David got a low score on the spelling test, Ittleby said," You’ll do better next time." And, sure enough, David studied harder and got a perfect score the next week.
When his teacher, Mr. D, bumped into a book stand in the library, Ittleby said," Don't worry. The librarian won't be upset." He was right. The librarian just laughed and helped pick up the books.
Ittleby looked on the bright side. And everyone liked that about him. Everyone except Hazel.
Hazel was the new kid in the class. On her first day, Ittleby said, “Nice to meet you, Hazel. I think you’ll like it here." Hazel stared at him and said, “I doubt it."
When Mr. D said they’d have recess(课间休息) inside because of the rain, Ittleby said," Every cloud has a silver lining." But Hazel shook her head saying, “Clouds are white. Maybe gray. Where do you get this stuff?" Then outside the window, the clouds had rolled over the sun. The room felt darker.
"Bad things come in threes.” said Hazel." No outdoor recess is number one. What will the second thing be?"
The class didn't have to wait long to find out.
Greta was carrying a tray of paints during art class. She fell over, and paints went flying. There was blue on the floor and red and black on the walls. Hazel turned to Ittleby. "That is the second bad thing. What will the third be?" she said. Ittleby didn’t know what to say. Hazel seemed so sure about the Rule of Three Bad Things.
Then Emma came to look at Ittleby’ s painting." It’s beautiful," she said. She picked it up, not realizing she had paints on her fingers. Hazel pointed and said,"Ittleby’ s picture is messed up! There's number three.”
注意：
1. 续写的词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡相应位置作答。
Instead of being angry, Ittleby said, “If I add wings, the fingerprints could look like butterflies.”_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
“Do you want to add your fingerprint too?" Ittleby asked Hazel. ___________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________



高三英语试题参考答案
第一部分 听力（共两节，满分30分）
1—5 ACCBC 6—10ABBCA 11—15 BBCAC 16—20 BAABA
第二部分 阅读（共20小题；每小题2.5分，满分50分）
21-23 BCD 24-27 CDAC 28-31 DDAB 32-35 CACA
36-40 GABEF
第一节 完形填空（共15小题，每小题1分，满分15分）
41-45 CADBA 46-50ACDBA 51-55 CADDB
第二节 语法知识填空(共10小题：每小题1.5分，满分15分)
56. dividing 57. moves 58. When / As 59. is said 60. so
61. popularly 62. villagers 63. named 64. on 65. easier
第四部分 书面表达（满分40分）
第一节 应用文（满分15分）
Dear Sir or Madam,
I’m writing to complain about the sports shoes which I bought from your website. This morning I received the shoes on time, but I regret to say that there’s something wrong with them.
Firstly, I’m pretty sure I asked you to send me a white pair. The moment the mail box arrived, I couldn’t wait to open it, only to find a red one. To make things worse, I need a 40 size while you sent me a size 39, which is too small for me. Were I in it, I would get aching feet. And it is of such bad quality — one of them even gets loose thread.
My concern is whether you will return me the money or have the shoes replaced and I wonder who will pay the postage.
I am looking forward to your early reply.
Yours.
Lihua
第二节 读后续写（满分25分）
Instead of being angry, Ittleby said, "If I add wings, the fingerprints could look like butterflies." Slowly and carefully, Ittleby added wings to all the fingerprints. Miraculously, there were butterflies on the painting and the whole picture seemed to come to life(变得生动起来).Then Ittleby said," Hey, let’s make a sea of butterflies. Everyone, dip a finger into the paints(用手指蘸一下颜料)，and make a butterfly on my painting." Everyone was excited and left a fingerprint on Ittleby’s painting. A sea of colorful butterflies appeared. But only Hazel didn’t make one.
"Do you want to add your fingerprint too?” Ittleby asked Hazel. Hazel thought about it, and then nodded. She dipped her finger into the yellow paint and gently pressed it onto Ittleby’s painting. She carefully added wings, trying her best not to(尽力不)mess Ittleby’s painting. She made a really beautiful butterfly with a broad smile." It looks great," said Ittleby. In fact, bad things happen, but good things happen, too. And sometimes, there are good things hiding where you don't expect them.

听力原文：
Text 1 (33词) 喝水就好
W: Oops. It seems we’ve run out of coffee beans. I can send out for some bubble milk tea if you like.
M: It’s okay, Zoe. Water is just fine.
W: All right.
Text 2 (31词) 等太阳出来
M: The rain has stopped. Let’s go out for a walk.
W: I don’t know. It might start raining again. I think we’d better hang on till the sun comes out.
Text 3 (45词) 暑假计划
M: What’s your plan for the two-month summer break, Suzy?
W: Well, I’d like to spend a week or so visiting my grandpa and then do some traveling with my friends for another week. The rest of the time I’d just do some part-time jobs.
难题点拨：
第3题为推理判断题。通过男士的询问可知“The summer break is two months”。对于假期，女士表示会“spend a week or so visiting Grandpa”，还会“do some traveling with her friends for another week”，剩下的时间她会“do some part-time jobs”。不难知道女士暑假大部分时间会花在“part-time jobs”上，故选C。
Text 4 (35词) 有无来电
M: Did Mr. White call me when I was out for lunch, Mrs. Campbell?
W: No, no one called, but the deliveryman just left a moment ago. He had put a package on your desk.
Text 5 (41词) 投诉
M: Hello, apartment manager of Passion Homes at your service.
W: This is Ashley Jones from 215. You promised you’d send someone to fix the heating. I waited the whole morning, but no one showed up. Why on earth is that?
Text 6 (86词) 租车
W: Thompson’s Car Rental. May I help you, sir?
M: Yeah, I’d like to rent a car for two days, please.
W: Sure. What size do you prefer? Full-size, mid-size, or small-size?
M: It’s just me and my wife, so I guess a small one would be big enough. Actually this blue one looks pretty good. How much would you charge for it?
W: It’d be $250 per day.
M: That much?
W: It’s the newest model, sir.
M: Uh, can you recommend a cheaper one?
Text 7 (161词) 回家过圣诞
M: When is your flight, Mindy?
W: Tomorrow morning. I checked the flight schedule and booked my ticket a month ago. I just can’t wait to go back home.
M: I can drive you to the airport.
W: Oh, no, thanks. That won’t be necessary.
M: Okay. How do you Americans usually celebrate Christmas anyway?
W: Well, that depends on different families, but many of us would just go back for a family reunion.
M: It sounds just like what we do during Spring Festival.
W: Yeah. Anyway, my dad said he had cut down a pine to make a Christmas tree. Now I’m already beginning to imagine all the nice gifts under it. I think the most enjoyable thing about Christmas is always opening gift boxes. Oh, and chatting with family members, too, of course.
M: Ha ha. For me, the best part of a festival is always allowing myself to have a wonderful meal without thinking about my weight.
Text 8 (153词) 辛苦工作
W: Do you need to take a break, John?
M: I’m okay, Kasey. I need to finish this report tonight. My boss is going to need it for tomorrow’s sales meeting.
W: (Sigh) At least let me make you a cup of tea. This weekend, maybe we can take our son to the forest park for a camping trip. You could use some rest there.
M: I don’t know, Kasey. I might need to work overtime then.
W: You’re pushing yourself too hard, John. And you’ve been coughing a lot recently. When was the last time you had a medical examination at the hospital? Last year?
M: I’m fine. I’m just a little tired.
W: I’m calling Dr. Peterson to make an arrangement for you.
M: Oh, Kasey, I …
W: No, no argument over this.
M: All right. But just don’t arrange it for this month, okay? I’ve been super busy recently.
Text 9 (214词) 报修健身自行车
W: Kingston Sports Center. Can I help you?
M: Yeah, I think there’s something wrong with the exercise bike I bought from your store.
W: What seems to be the problem, sir?
M: Well, this morning I turned on the switch, steadied myself on the seat, and began to exercise as usual. Everything was fine until the built-in screen went wrong all of a sudden — the images on it just come and go without a pattern.
W: I see. What’s your bike model?
M: Wait. Let me get the receipt. Uh, it’s a Frequency 432. I can get it fixed for free, right? I mean, I didn’t break it.
W: When did you buy it, sir?
M: In the January of last year.
W: That’s more than a year ago. We only provide a one-year guarantee. I’m afraid you’ll have to pay for the repair.
M: All right. Can you send someone to my place this Friday afternoon?
W: Sorry, all of our technicians already have full schedules this Friday. How about the following weekend?
M: Well, I’m available this Saturday morning.
W: Good. And may I have your address?
M: 243B Blossom Lane. One more thing: I’d like to know the details of how you charge.
W: Sure, the fee depends on …
Text 10 (177词) 北京的古韵
M: Beijing is a mixed city. On the one hand, it possesses magnificent historical royal structures such as the Forbidden City, and has traditional alleys known as hutong, but on the other hand, all these old buildings are surrounded by high-rise skyscrapers and tower blocks of apartments which were mainly built within the last 40 years.
For some, these older areas, more and more overshadowed by newer structures, have no significance. But to me, they are the symbols of the city, and the time that has passed.
My dad, now a 60-year-old man, moved into his hutong in the central Jiaodaokou neighborhood when he was 5 years old. Now our family has an apartment elsewhere in Beijing, but he still prefers to stay in the hutong with my mom.
He likes to compare a city as a tree. “Its people are the tree leaves, through which you can see how vibrant the tree is. And the old buildings are the growth rings of the tree, recording the development of the city’s culture and economy,” he said.