2022-2023学年山东省菏泽市高二下学期4月期中英语试题（A卷）含答案

  2022—2023学年度第二学期期中考试

高二英语试题（A）

第一部分听力（共两节，满分30分）

做题时，先将答案标在试卷上。录音内容结束后，你将有两分钟的时间将试卷上的答案转涂到答题卡上。

第一节（共5小题；每小题1.5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 probably is the man?

A. A doctor. B. A police officer. C. A firefighter.

2. How is the weather now?

A. Cloudy. B. Windy. C. Rainy.

3. What does the woman think of the price of the car?

A. Too high. B. Quite normal. C. Really low.

4. When did the woman first come to Austria?

A. In March. B. In June. C. In October.

5. What are the speakers mainly talking about?

A. A film. B. A holiday. C. A place.

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。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 does the man do?

A. He’s a customer. B. He’s a guide. C. He’s a bank clerk.

7. What is the woman going to do next?

A. Move to another window. B. Copy some forms.

C. Open a savings account.

听第7段材料，回答第8、9题。

8. What did the woman probably do over her summer vacation?

A. She worked as a waitress. B. She attended some classes.

C. She traveled around the world.

9. What does the woman suggest doing?

A. Making a video.  B. Contacting David tonight.

C. Visiting a classmate.

听第8段材料，回答第10至12题。

10. How does the man know what to buy?

A. From a website.  B. From the groom’s friends.

C. From the woman’s friends.

11. Who bought the glass bowls?

A. Dan and Wendy. B. Erica and John. C. Shannon and Dave.

12. How much will the speakers spend for the groom?

A. $50. B. $90. C. $100.

听第9段材料，回答第13至16题。

13. Who is the woman talking to?

A. A repairman. B. A co worker. C. A neighbor.

14. What’s wrong with the car?

A. It won’t start.  B. Its radio doesn’t work.

C. Its engine dies abnormally.

15. Where did the woman put the car today?

A. At a parking lot. B. In the yard. C. In the garage.

16. What will the man do?

A. Give the woman a lift. B. Check the car thoroughly.

C. Send the car to a repair shop.

听第10段材料，回答第17至20题。

17. What is the speaker mainly talking about?

A. Formal rules of a party. B. Some changes of a party.

C. The timetable of a party.

18. How much does a ticket cost at the Hilton Hotel?

A. $45. B. $40. C. $35.

19. How long is the party supposed to last at the Hilton Hotel?

A. About 5 hours. B. About 6 hours. C. About 7 hours.

20. What does the speaker say about the boss?

A. He is turning 40 years old. B. He has prepared a birthday cake.

C. He will say goodbye to the company.

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、D四个选项中选出最佳选项。

A

You’ve probably tried easy center-city Beijing rides if you enjoy riding. Now it’s time to level up your rides, so they will take you out into the countryside and attractive mountains.

Death Valley

Approximate distance:100 km loop(环线)

It may sound terrifying, but Beijing’s cyclists named this northern route “Death Valley” on account of the huge tomb it passes, not the number of on-road accidents it has witnessed. In reality, it’s the closest, mostly car-free loop to the city center.

Tuesday/Thursday TTT

Approximate distance: 54km loop

This Team Time Trial is very popular among the Beijing cycling community as an early morning ride before work. While it’s not particularly scenic, there are few traffic lights, and the roads are not too busy and have adequate bike lanes on each side, making it a relatively trouble-free ride. If you’d like to ride with a group, seek out early morning Beijing rider groups and join them on Tuesday or Thursday mornings at 5 am or 6 am depending on the season.

The Verse

Approximate distance: 120km loop

It passes a cafe with good (although expensive) food and even high-end accommodation, but the best part is their super welcoming attitude towards cyclists. It’s a bit of hike to get there but well worth the effort, as you are rewarded with amazing views of the Great Wall upon arrival, and a ride back that is mostly downhill.

Tongzhou Grand Canal Forest Park

Approximate distance: 70km loop

This park is the closest place for riders to enjoy the Grand Canal in Beijing. The Tongzhou Grand Canal is a true wonder in China, and one of the greatest civil engineering projects in history. The oldest parts of it date back hundreds of years BC. It will be a fun ride here.

21. Why is the northern route named “Death Valley”?

A. It has deadly loops for cars. B. It is located in a distant place.

C. There is a large tomb on the route. D. Many accidents have happened along the road.

22. Which of the following covers the shortest distance?

A. Death Valley.  B. Tuesday/Thursday TTT.

C. The Verse  D. Tongzhou Grand Canal Forest Park

23. What do the last two routes have in common?

A. They both offer a downhill ride. B. They both have adequate bike lanes.

C. They both pass a second-to-none cafe. D. They both offer a view of historical sites.

B

Wind power is a powerful tool for reducing carbon emissions that cause climate change. The turbines(涡轮机), however, can be a threat to birds, which is why experts are looking for ways to prevent the danger.

A company in Boulder, Colorado has produced a camera-and-AI-based technology that can recognize eagles and other birds as they approach in enough time to shut off turbines in their flight paths. Their tool, called IdentiFlight, can detect 5.62 times more bird flights than human observers alone, with an accuracy rate of 94 percent. Using high-precision(高精确度的) visual sensors, the system calculates a bird’s speed and flight path, and if it is on a crash path with a turbine, a signal is sent to shut that turbine down.

Winning an award for its performance in Australia, the tracking system was set up in 2018 and was found to cut eagle deaths at the Cattle Hill Wind Farm by more than four-fifths. Each day signals have shut down their movements an average of 400 times—across the field of 48 turbines— for 2 to 3 minutes each time.

Across the globe, Duke Energy in Wyoming is employing the same technology with impressive results at its Top of the World Wind power Project, which was the first wind site to use the technology. In 2014, IdentiFlight’s maker, Boulder Imaging, used Top of the World for testing after eagles were killed by the turbines, which left Duke Energy in violation(违反) of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. 47 units made of eight wide-angle cameras now constantly pass cross the sky to monitor all 110 turbines.

Bird lover Garry George admits, “Our own science shows that climate change is by far the biggest threat to birds and the places wildlife need to survive. IdentiFlight will make it possible to fight the worst effects of climate change and protect the birds we love in the process.”

24. What can IdentiFlight do?

A. Stop the turbines when birds are spotted. B. Prevent birds from choosing a crash path.

C. Identify potential threats to wind turbines. D. Let the turbines make full use of wind power.

25. What does the data in paragraph 3 show about IdentiFlight?

A. It is widely used.  B. It received a warm welcome.

C. It is very effective.  D. It has a really long service life.

26. Why did Duke Energy work with Boulder Imaging in 2014?

A. It broke the relevant law on bird protection. B. It responded to the call of Boulder Imaging.

C. It intended to improve its wide-angle cameras. D. It followed in the Cattle Hill Wind Farm's footsteps.

27. What is Garry George’s attitude to IdentiFlight?

A. Reserved. B. Approving. C. Uncertain. D. Unconcerned.

C

The ocean sustains all life on our planet. It provides food to eat and oxygen to breathe, while playing a key role in making our climate less extreme. But the ocean is becoming considerably warmer, affecting its ability to sustain life. The high temperatures seen around the Mediterranean this year are indicative of rising global temperatures. Research found the sea temperatures recorded in the Mediterranean over the period 2015-2019 were the highest since the recording began in 1982.

Much of the research on ocean heatwaves finds that they affect certain habitats particularly strongly, including coral reefs, seagrass and seaweed. Ocean heatwaves were found to be responsible for the loss of up to 80% of the population of some Mediterranean species between 2015 and 2019.

A mass death event is a single, terrible incident that rapidly destroys large numbers of a species. Over two-thirds of the deaths of ocean creatures occurring on the hard sea floor were in the waters with a depth of only 0-25 meters, which are subject to particularly intense warming and are home to some of the most biodiverse ecosystems in the Mediterranean.

Foundation species are critical in structuring an ecosystem. They act as nursery grounds, provide protection against enemies, and serve as a food source. Foundation species are the key to sustaining biodiversity, and their loss will have impacts on other species. As foundation species, the loss of corals, seagrass and seaweed is particularly concerning.

Additionally, ocean heatwaves often result in displacement(被迫迁徙). Evidence suggests that the exceptional temperatures seen across the Mediterranean this summer may be driving extensive mass displacement. In Greece, scientists have observed a huge increase of invasive(入侵的) species from warmer waters. This includes the lionfish and silver-cheeked toadfish, both of which are poisonous, and carry the potential to cause considerable ecological damage.

Within some branches of the scientific community, the recent intensity and frequency of ocean heatwaves suggests we have arrived at a “climate endgame”. This involves preparation for the full consequences of widespread ocean species death, if emissions are not controlled. The likely damaging Mediterranean ocean heatwaves of this year will only add fuel to such discussions.

28. What can we infer about the Mediterranean?

A. Its worsening ability to sustain life is still being ignored.

B. Its high temperatures are causing damage to human life.

C. Its ocean life is increasingly threatened by climate change.

D. Its surroundings are worsening much faster than expected.

29. Where do the deaths of ocean life tend to happen?

A. On the hard sea floor of broad waters. B. On the hard sea floor of deep waters.

C. On the hard sea floor of shallow waters. D. On the hard sea floor of cold waters.

30. What do we know about the displacement of ocean life?

A. It is damaging the ocean ecosystem. B. It is responsible for global temperatures.

C. It is easily influenced by climate change. D. It is a good way to maintain the ecology.

31. What is the text mainly about?

A. The causes of ocean heatwaves around the Mediterranean.

B. The main natural threats to ocean life in the Mediterranean.

C. The advice on dealing with Mediterranean ocean heatwaves.

D. The impacts of ocean heatwaves on life in the Mediterranean.

D

Artist David Bowie may have sung “Is there life on Mars?” in 1971 but the dream of finding or placing living creatures on the red planet is still alive. Oxygen, of course, is critical. Thanks to a large leap in scientific technology, there is now a machine which can produce oxygen in certain environment, and it is a giant step of Mars exploration. Scientists are thrilled because the Mars Oxygen ISRU Experiment (MOXIE) will hopefully make astronauts survive on Mars.

NASA’S Perseverance Mars Rover is a machine of many wonders. Attached to the exploring robot is a particularly innovative device, MOXIE. When started, the device takes several hours to warm up. It then begins filtering(过滤) and pressuring air pulled from Mars’ atmosphere. The air then undergoes an hour-long breakdown process in the part of the machine known as the Solid Oxide Electrolyzer (SOXE). It breaks air molecules(分子) into carbon monoxide(一氧化碳) and oxygen. The collected oxygen is, of course, the breathable element we are all familiar with here on Earth. MOXIE produces 0.2 ounces of oxygen per hour—about as much as a small tree does through photosynthesis(光合作用).

Testing MOXIE’S performance under different conditions is a critical research. “The productivity of MOXIE is unstable,” the investigator Jeffrey Hoffman, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, says in a statement. “The atmosphere of Mars is far more changeable than Earth. The density of the air on Mars can vary by a factor or two through the year, and the temperature can vary by 100 degrees. One objective is to show we can run in all seasons.” The team has tested it in fall, winter, and various times of day. They hope to confirm it also works in spring, as well as at dawn and dusk when Mars’ temperatures change rapidly.

Demonstrations of MOXIE’S success offer hope that missions to Mars will be more practicable than previously thought. “To support a human mission to Mars, we have to bring a lot of stuff from Earth, like computers spacesuits and habitats.” Hoffman says. “But oxygen? If you can make it there, go for it you’re way ahead of the game.” Scientists hope a scaled-up model could arrive before astronauts and begin preparing a habitable amount of oxygen for a team of six astronauts arriving months later. The key is how the earlier-arrived MOXIE works without humans.

32. Why are scientists excited?

A. MOXIE helps prepare for human Mars exploration.

B. MOXIE helps confirm the existence of life on Mars.

C. MOXIE is expected to turn Mars into another Earth.

D. MOXIE is the first demonstration of technology on Mars.

33. What is the function of SOXE?

A. To give off oxygen into Mars’ atmosphere. B. To remove oxygen from air molecules.

C. To filter air from Mars’ atmosphere. D. To warm up MOXIE.

34. What is Jeffrey Hoffman’s worry about MOXIE?

A. Its method of transportation. B. Its consumption of energy.

C. Its test result.  D. Its adaptation to Mars’ atmosphere.

35. What is the next step for MOXIE?

A. How to land MOXIE on mars. B. How to make MOXIE automatic.

C. How to match equipment with MOXIE. D. How to increase the production of MOXIE.

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。

Let’s take time to think about social media we use. The vast amount of information on it has its positives.    36    But there’s always certain content on it that has to be considered carefully, such as posts about diet culture or parenting. A wide variety of conflicting opinions and harmful behaviors that get passed on as facts do harm to unknowing users.    37  

The problem with much content about mental illnesses is that it quickly becomes a numbers game to gain a huge following on social media platforms. These kinds of accounts are rising in popularity.    38  

This rat race directly leads to the promotion of unreliable and misleading information and content where creators exaggerate(夸大) their own experiences to make it appear as if they have a mental illness so they can receive more views.    39    Moreover, this starts a wave of unsuspecting content viewers incorrectly labeling themselves as facing mental health issues.

   40    One is to better educate oneself before jumping to any conclusions or taking any action based on ill-informed advice. In that way, people can really reflect on whether they develop these symptoms(症状) because they see them online, or whether these symptoms have always been part of their daily life. Information from professionals should be seen first. Together, smartly consuming media and responsibly creating content can prevent misinformation from spreading throughout the platform.

A. Many people disapprove of it.

B. Possible solutions are suggested.

C. Other users are quick to produce similar content.

D. The same pattern presents itself to mental illnesses.

E. Those symptoms sound like things you experience every day.

F. Some people can find encouragement when engaging in their personal struggles.

G. This takes attention away from those who genuinely spread awareness about mental health.

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。

When my son came home with a backpack filled with certificates(证书) acknowledging his genius in math, English, history, science, and the rest of his eighth grade classes, I was    41   , until another parent, whose son attended the same school, told me, “All the kids    42    them.”

My son is bright. However, I knew he wasn’t good enough to    43    certificates from every class because he didn’t work very hard. I shared that    44    with the school, and they    45    of my comments. The principal believed it was    46    to praise every student. He said kids fear failure—if they get poor grades, they’ll    47    learning.

I do not agree with    48    students who have not worked hard or done something to succeed. Students generally know when they have not earned an award;    49   , the reward becomes meaningless.

If we do not believe a child can    50    something, which is the message that is sent when a reward not truly    51    is given, then they will believe the same.    52   , no pride or self- respect is gained from it. Meanwhile, when    53    are low, or even nonexistent, students are not given the opportunity to learn and grow.

Giving children opportunities to succeed, with    54    if necessary, is one of the greatest gifts we can give our children. For when they do succeed by working hard, we give them a    55    sense of self and they’ll realize they’re more capable than they thought.

41. A. proud B. curious C. confused D. skeptical

42. A. know B. like C. accept D. get

43. A. issue B. receive C. seek D. require

44. A. certificate B. lesson C. opinion D. finding

45. A. disapproved B. talked C. knew D. complained

46. A. harmful B. beneficial C. impossible D. difficult

47. A. end up B. keep up C. speed up D. give up

48. A. helping B. reminding C. rewarding D. punishing

49. A. therefore B. however C. instead D. otherwise

50. A. discover B. tolerate C. complete D. overcome

51. A. offered B. earned C. needed D. desired

52. A. On the contrary B. As a result C. By the way D. In other words

53. A. risks B. pressures C. grades D. expectations

54. A. support B. belief C. sympathy D. interest

55. A. consistent B. negative C. positive D. realistic

第二节（共10小题；每小题1.5分，满分15分）

阅读下面材料，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Looking at the development of Western painting over the centuries    56   (be) perhaps the best way to understand Western art.

The Middle Ages (from the 5th to the 15th century)

During the Middle Ages, the purpose of Western art was to teach people about Christianity. Paintings had religious    57   (theme). This began to change in the 13th century,    58    paintings showed real people in a real environment.

The Renaissance (from the 14th to the 17th century)

During this period, painters began to adopt a more humanistic attitude to life.    59    important breakthrough was the use of perspective by Masaccio. Some    60   (influence) painters built on Giotto and Masaccio’s innovations to produce some of the greatest art that Europe had ever seen. Another innovation was the use of oil paints. This technique reached    61   (it) height with Rembrandt, who gained a reputation as a master of shadow and light. In subject matter, the emphasis    62   (increasing) shifted to people and the world around us.

Impressionism (late 19th to early 20th century)

After photography    63   (invent) in the mid- 19 century, Impressionism emerged in France. The name of this new movement came from the painting by Claude Monet. While many Impressionists painted scenes of nature or daily life, others focused    64    people.

Modern Art (from the 20th century to today)

Some painters tried    65   (analyse) the shapes which existed in the natural world with Cubism. Others gave their paintings a realistic but dream-like quality. Still others turned to abstract art.

第四部分  写作（共两节，满分40分）

第一节（满分15分）

假定你是李华，你得知交换生Kathy在省中学生书画大赛中荣获二等奖。请你给她写一封邮件，祝贺她获奖，内容包括：

1. 得知她获奖的消息；

2. 向她表示祝贺；

3. 希望有机会可以和她一同写生。

注意：

1. 写作词数应为80左右；

2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

第二节（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 love digging in the back garden. Sometimes, I’d dig for pottery and stuff, but I’ve always wanted to find a fossil(化石). I like finding out about the past. At school, my favourite subject is history. I’ve been watching Andy’s Prehistoric Adventures since I was three. I knew I had a good chance of finding a fossil, because my house was built on a muddy, limestone substrate(石灰岩基质), in Walsall, which means millions of years ago, my garden wasn’t my garden at all—it was a coral reef(珊瑚礁). =

On 22 March, it was a sunny day. I came back from school. I asked Dad if I could dig in my favourite spot, by the yellow bush near our house, where we had planted potatoes and onions, but he told me not to, because he’d just moved a tree there and it was establishing roots. I went to the back garden instead, taking Dad’s old brown wooden garden tools. I dug a big hole, about a foot deep, which didn’t take very long, where I found a ball of mud with something pointy sticking out the top. I ran into the kitchen screaming. I was so excited. I knew it was a fossil.

At first, I thought it might be a deer’s tooth or a goat’s claw. When Dad washed the mud off, we saw that it had lots of bumpy, wavy lines; we both thought it looked like one of the sea anemones, from the fish tank in his office, but with a horn(触角). Dad sent a video to the Fossil Finds UK Facebook group. A man calling himself an archaeologist(考古学家) replied saying it had the markings of a horn coral from the Palaeozoic era, which is the very beginnings of life on Earth. I had found one of the oldest fossils in England.

We looked in my books and online for more information. We typed our postcode into a British Geology Survey search where you can find out what you’re standing on—ours is the oldest substrate in the area, with lots of clay and limestone, but it’s unusual to find anything so close to the surface. Experts told us that my horn coral lived between 415 million and 480 million years ago. There weren’t even proper fish or sharks then.

注意：

1. 续写词数应为150左右；

2. 请按如下格式作答。

高二英语试题（A）参考答案

第一部分  听力（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）

1—5 C A C B A 6—10 C A A B A 11—15 A B C C B 16—20 A B C A A

第二部分  阅读（共20小题；每小题2.5分，满分50分）

21—25 C B D A C 26—30 A B C C A 31—35 D A B D B 36—40 F D C G B

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）

41—45 A D B C A 46—50 B D C A C 51—55 B B D A C

第二节（共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分）

56. is 57. themes 58. when 59. An 60. influential

61. its 62. increasingly 63. was invented 64. on 65. to analyse

第四部分  写作（共两节，满分40分）

第一节（满分15分）

One possible version:

Dear Catherine,

Word came that you had won the second prize in the Painting and Calligraphy Competition for Middle School Students in our province.

To be frank, no sooner had I heard the big news than I’d like to say “Congratulations” to you. As a matter of fact, it is not surprising because you have a talent for painting and keep practicing it hard. The glory is what exactly you deserve.

By the way, how I wish there would be a chance for me to paint outdoors with you! Looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours,

Li Hua

第二节（满分25分）

One possible version:

Before the horn coral, the only fossils I was familiar with were shark teeth that Dad got me. Since our find, Dad and I have been doing more digging in the garden. We have moved out of the flowerbeds and on to the lawn. We’ve found stone blocks with hundreds of tiny traces from coral. We’ve got 11 pieces in total, but the horn coral is our biggest. The more fossils I got, the more obsessed I became with them.

When I grow up, I want to be an archaeologist. In this case, I will be able to study rocks and find out where they came from. I will make a display case for my finds and, one day, I hope to turn my fossils into a mini museum and make it free for people to visit. In addition, I want to spread stories of each fossil across the world.

附：听力录音稿：

Text 1

W: Are you a doctor? Is there an emergency?

M: No, but...

W: It’s against the law to cross the street when the light is red.

M: I apologiz, officer. I was in a hurry to get to the fire station for my work.

Text 2

W: It’s gotten a lot darker since lunchtime. When I woke up, it looked like it was going to be a nice day.

M: My phone says it will get windy soon, and there will be rain tonight.

Text 3

M: Tyler told me he bought a used car. Do you know how much he paid for it?

W: Well, he said he paid $1,000 for it. I think he got a real bargain.

Text 4

M: Is this your first visit to Austria?

W: No, this is my second visit. I first came to Austria in June 1999. This time I arrived in March, and I’ll stay until October.

Text 5

M: I’ve just watched an old movie named Roman Holiday.

W: What’s it about?

M: It describes a princess's journey in Rome.

Text 6

W: Excuse me, sir.

M: Yes, may I help you?

W: I’d like to cash a check and then deposit the other checks.

M: Well, do you have an account with us?

W: No. Actually I’d like to open an account right now.

M: What kind of account would you like to open?

W: A checking account.

M: Well, please go to Window 3 first. Tell the clerk at Window 3 that you want to open a checking account. He’ll give you some forms. Fill them out and come back to Window 5. I’ll tell you what to do next.

W: Thank you.

Text 7

M: Hi, Abby. How was your summer vacation?

W: I worked at a restaurant the whole vacation. It was an exciting experience, and I also made enough money for the next term. What did you do for your summer vacation?

M: I attended some classes because I fell behind last term. I wanted to catch up with the others.

W: That’s great. So, have you seen David?

M: He would start over in another place with a new school.

W: Really? Why? I haven’t seen him for several months.

M: The company wanted his father to manage an office in another city. So his family decided to move house.

W: Well, we might as well have a video chat with him this evening.

Text 8

M: My friend Jeffery has invited me to his wedding, and I have no idea what to get him.

W: Have you spoken to the groom or any of his friends about what he wants?

M: No. I thought it might not be polite to ask. But he did give me a website address I could go to if I had any questions. Here it is.

W: OK, I see. He has a wedding register. It is basically a list of things he wants.

M: That’s convenient. It looks like Erica and John have got him the wine glass set. $200! I don’t have that much money!

W: They are probably really good friends, and there are two of them. $50 is a good amount to spend for the regular guest, or $100 for two people.

M: Let’s see. Dan and Wendy got him the glass bowls, and Shannon and Dave got him plates. There is an electric frying-pan here, but it’s $90. Just too expensive for me.

W: Don’t worry! I could go with you.

M: Problem solved!

Text 9

W: Would you be able to help me?

M: Of course. What can I do for you?

W: There’s something wrong with my car. Almost every time I stop at a red light or stop sign, the engine dies. Then I have to spend more time starting it again than usual.

M: So where is your car? Did you leave it out at night?

W: No. I put it away in the garage as soon as I got home from work. But today I left it in my backyard.

M: Well, it’s hard to tell. But I must say it’s only a matter of time before your car stops working if you don’t take care of the problem.

W: Oh gosh. I have to admit I really don’t know anything about cars—I get in, turn the key on, turn the radio on and just go.

M: Well, I suppose you’d better send it to a repair shop. The mechanic will give the car a thorough going-over.

W: That’s okay. Oh my, how can I go to work without a car?

M: Well, don’t worry. It’s no sweat for me to drive you to work. We’re going in the same direction.

W: You’re the best neighbor. Thank you. I really appreciate it.

Text 10

W: Now I’ve got an announcement about the company party. First, you should dress properly because it’s a formal event. Also, a couple of changes were made to the party. So please pay full attention to what I'm saying next. Well, the party is now taking place at the Hilton Hotel instead of the Conard Hotel because the Conard Hotel is in an inconvenient location for many of you.

Tickets for the special show are going on sale tomorrow at the Hilton Hotel and guess how much they cost. 40 dollars? That’s what we originally decided at the Conard Hotel. Now that We’ve moved to the Hilton, we can reduce the price of the tickets by 5 dollars per ticket. Of course, if you want to give me the five dollars, I won’t complain. Anyway, some extra important information. We start at 7 p.m. with wines. The ticket says clearly that we must finish at 1 a.m. That would be true if we were at the Conard Hotel! But the Hilton has requested that we finish by 12:00, so it’ll be over by midnight. Oh, one last thing. Is our boss here? No? Good. He is leaving the company. No. Only a joke! I couldn’t imagine the place without him. It’s his birthday on the day of the party. Don’t forget we’ll be getting a cake for him. He’s saying goodbye to his thirties, so it’s the big “four-oh” for him...