命题人： 傅国珍 谢卫星 审题人：傅国珍 2008.10

第一卷（三部分，共115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）

听下面5段对话 ，每段对话后有一个小题，从题中所给的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秒钟的时间往返答有关小题和阅读下一小题。每段对话仅读一遍。

1. How did the woman learn about the job opening?

A. A friend told her about it.

B. She saw an ad. in the newspaper.

C. She heard about it during a television interview.

2. What does the woman mean?

A. She had attended the lecture on Friday morning.

B. She got mixed up with the dates.

C. The man doesn’t need to remind her.

3. Where does this conversation most probably take place?

A . In a café. B. In a kitchen. C. In a store.

4. What does the man suggest?

A. The woman will be more careful next time.

B. They try to think of a solution.

C.They come downstairs.

5. Why is Tracy so happy?

A. She has received the latest issue of the journal.

B. She has won a prize for her research.

C. She has got her paper published.

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。听完每段对话或独白后，你将有时间阅读各个小题。每段对话或独白读两遍。

请听第6段材料，回答第6、7题。

6. What’s the relationship between the speakers?

A. Husband and wife. B. Doctor and patient. C. Doctor and nurse.

7. Why doesn’t the man’s head hurt that much?

A. Because he’s frightened.

B. Because he’s feeling much better.

C. Because he’s treated.

请听第7段材料，回答第8-11题。

8. What does the package the man chooses include?

A. Five nights’ accommodation and a five-minute walk.

B. A sightseeing tour on boat and accommodation.

C. The stay and transportation.

9. What can we learn from the conversation?

A. The man has just got married.

B. They will take boat to the destination.

C. The Maid of the Mist is the most beautiful scenery.

10. How much will the man pay for the trip?

A. $ 339. B. $ 678. C. $ 1,356.

11. What does the man think of the package?

A. Interesting. B. Satisfactory. C. Adventurous.

请听第8段材料，回答第12-13题。

12. Who uses the Internet longer every day?

A. The man. B. The woman. C. Their boss.

13. What do we know from the conversation?

A. All the information on the Internet is false.

B. The woman doesn’t know the Internet at all.

C. The man is very cautious when he does shopping online.

请听第9段材料，回答第14-17题。

14.What is the weather like this summer?

A. Hot and humid. B. Very cool. C. Rainy.

15. What kind of situation was the boy in last summer?

A. It rained every day so he had nothing to do but sleep.

B. He didn’t have an air-conditioner so he left the window wide-open every night.

C. He slept with no fan at all.

16. What do we know about the girl?

A. She doesn’t agree with the boy on last summer’s weather.

B. She is not accustomed to the heat.

C. She enjoys the summer holiday.

17. What is NOT true on Seattle according to the boy?

A. Seattle is a coastal city.

B. Seattle doesn’t get hot until late July.

C. It is rather humid in Seattle in summer.

请听第10段材料，回答第18--20题。

18. Who are the main characters of the science fiction book?

A. A group of soldier. B. A group of sailors. C. Two young people.

19. Where and when does the rommantic book set?

A. In China in the 1920s.

B. In China in the 1930s.

C. In England in the 1930s.

20. What type of book is the third book?

A. A biography. B. A historical novel. C. A sports novel.

第二部分 英语知识运用（共两节，满分45分）

第一节 单项填空（共15小题；每小题1分，满分15分）

从所给的四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并标在试卷的答题卡上。

21. I hear that Mrs. Lin has been ________ with the translation of a French novel these months.

A. seized B. devoted C. attracted D. occupied

22. I feel it is your husband who __________ for the spoiled child.

A. is to blame B. is going to blame

C. is to be blamed D. should blame

23. Some can never go above 4000 meters, because their body is unable to ___________

these extreme conditions.

A. adopt to B. adjust C. adapt to D. admire

24. With the development of science, more new technology__________ to the fields of IT.

A. has introduced B. is being introduced

C. is introduced D. was introduced

25. Sorry, Madam. You’d better come tomorrow. Because it’s _________ the visiting hours.

A. during B. at C. beyond D. before

26.--- Any suggestion?

----You’d better__________ last sentence as it is rather misleading?

----Sounds reasonable. Then could you _________ a good ending to it?

A. put out; increase B. leave out; add C. pick out; find D. knock out; choose

27. ---- What about going out this evening?

----Oh, I don’t know. I’ve got a bit of a headache. And, __________ ,John’s coming to see me, so I ought to stay in.

A. anyway B. therefore C. however D. though

28. As is known to all, in _______ eyes of her teacher, Linda has ________ eye for arts.

A. /; an B. the; the C. /; the D. the; an

29. He is a worthy leader, who never_________ his power which is given by people.

A. uses B. abuses C. ignores D. forces

30. ----How often do you _________ the dictionary when you are doing reading?

----Not very often. Only when I find it is necessary.

A. relate to B. consult to C. refer to D. look to

31.---- If__________, some terrible diseases would spread in the stricken-areas after the

terrible earthquake in Wenchuan, Sichuan Province.

----So people there were in______ need of medical teams.

A. don’t controlled; short B. not controlling ;little

C. not being controlled; anxious D. not controlled; desperate

32.---- I’ll leave for Beijing this afternoon to see the opening ceremony of the 29th Olympic

Games.

-----If you______ tomorrow, I would go with you.

A. were to leave B. will leave C. would leave D. leave

33. I insisted that a doctor _______ immediately.

A. has been sent for B. sends for C. be sent for D. will be sent for

34.__________, the forest fire would have been discovered much earlier.

A. But for their care B. If they were careful

C. Without their care D. Had they been more careful

35. Even if I had taken part in the 400-meter relay race in the sports-meet, our class___________ the race. I’m ________ weight this year.

A. might not have won; gaining B. would not have beaten; putting on

C. can not have defended our title; losing D. must not have achieved; acquiring

第二节 完型填空（共120小题；每小题1。5分，满分30分）

阅读下面短文，把握其大意，然后从36-55各题所给的四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并标在试卷答题卡上。

Recent studies show that only one out of three people have strong and healthy self-confidence. That 36 two out of every three people simply don’t know the 37 they already have to be successful when it’s 38 there in their hands! 39 if you want others to believe in you, you have to believe in yourself first. Remember: “No one can make you feel inferior(差的) unless you 40 them.” A successful businessman says, “You can’t push anyone up a ladder 41 he knows he can climb himself.”

Many of us have an image 42 , the image we have of ourselves. 43 one guy put it: “You can’t win a horse race if you think you look 44 on a horse.” To succeed, the first person you have to 45 is yourself! So stop believing your own lies about yourself. Just 46 your mind and you’ll change your life.

One of the most harmful weapons that can kill your success in life are the two little words: “ 47 ”. You know that people used to 48 that if human beings traveled faster than 30 miles an hour it would 49 our circulation of blood and kill us? Thank goodness a few people didn’t believe that 50 thinking, or we wouldn’t be riding in cars, buses, and flying in airplanes today. You’ll never know until you 51 .

Roger Bannister was the first human being to run a mile in less than 4 minutes. But 52 he did it, most people in the world didn’t think it was even 53 . Yet only weeks after Bannister did it, suddenly 54 all over the world began running a mile in less than 4 minutes! If we believe something can be done, we’ll 55 do it.

36. A. means B. reflects C. reads D. explains

37. A. chance B. strength C. ability D. reason

38. A. immediately B. properly C. accurately D. right

39. A. Because B. But C. What D. While

40. A. let B. challenge C. admit D. get

41. A. if B. except C. until D. unless

42. A. quiz B. question C. problem D. mystery

43. A. When B. As C. While D. Since

44. A. curious B. good-looking C. serious D. funny

45. A. beat B. knock C. strike D. defend

46. A. settle B. bend C. change D. fix

47. A. I failed. B. Not me. C. Can I? D. I can’t.

48. A. imagine B. think C. expect D. doubt

49. A. start B. help C. stop D. quit

50. A. silly B. empty C. reasonable D. terrible

51. A. try B. realize C. understand D. judge

52. A. after B. before C. since D. because

53. A. likely B. unbelievable C. possible D. impossible

54. A. workers B. runners C. competitors D. players

55. A. simply B. seldom C. never D. usually

第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题，每题2分，满分40分）

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。

A

“BANG!” the door caused a reverberation(回声). It was just standing there, with Father standing on one side, and I on the other side.

We were both in great anger. “Never set foot in this house again!” stormed Father. With tears welling up in my eyes, I rushed out of the flat and ran along the street.

The street lights were shining rather desolately(凄凉的). I wandered aimlessly.

A young father who held a child in his arms walked past me. I felt as if I saw my childhood from another space: happy and harmonious.

But now… I don’t know whether it is because I have grown up or because dad is getting old. We differ in our ways of thinking. He always imposes his opinions and codes of behavior on me. Whenever I do something wrong, he never admits it. We are just like two people coming from two different worlds. It feels like there is an iron door between us that can never be opened.

I wandered the streets, without a destination in mind. My heart was frozen on this hot summer night. As I walked on there were fewer and fewer people on the streets, until I had only the street lights to keep me company. When I finally reached the high-rise apartment block in which I lived, I saw that the light was still on.

In fact, it was nothing. Perhaps, dad was throwing away some of his old stamps. Perhaps he thought they were useless. I never had the courage to tell him that I liked collecting stamps. I can’t stand his outrageous(蛮横的) words: “ I can throw you away, let alone these old papers.”

All the lights were off except father’s.

Dad was always like this. Maybe he didn’t know how to express himself. After shouting at me, he never showed any mercy or any moments of regret. After an argument he has the habit of creeping up in my sleep and then tucking me underneath the covers.

This was how he always was. He has been a leader for so long that telling everyone else what to do has become his second nature.

The light was still on. “Am I wrong?” I whispered, maybe… With the key in hand, I was as nervous as I had ever been. At last, I decided to open the door. As soon as I opened the door, tears ran down my cheeks. I suddenly realized that the iron door that I had imagined between us did not exist at all. Love – is second to none.

56. Decide which is the best order of the following according to what happened in the passage.

a. I opened the door and entered the house.

b. Sadly I ran out into the street.

c. I reached the place where I lived and saw my house still brightly lit.

d. I thought of my father’s kindness towards me.

e. I walked about in the street without any aim.

A. b, e, d, c, a B. b, e, c, d, a C. b, e, a, c, d D. b, e, c, a, d

57. What made the writer think of his childhood?

A. The sight of the desolate street lights.

B. The sight of the empty street.

C. The sight of a father with a child in his arms.

D. The sight of light in his own house.

58. Why do you think the father often shouts at his son?

A. Perhaps the father is getting older and older.

B. Perhaps the son has already grown up.

C. Perhaps they never agree with each other.

D. Perhaps the father has got used to doing that.

59. What conclusion can you draw after reading the passage?

A. The father is actually kind to his son.

B. The father treats his son in an unfair way.

C. The father is neither kind nor cruel to his son.

D. The father is always finding fault with his son.

B

What causes traffic jams? Too many cars, right? No! Some Brits are now saying that traffic lights are to blame for much of the congestion（交通拥挤）. They suggest that traffic lights be removed at busy roads. They believe people are a better judge of when it’s safe to go, not a traffic light programmed by an absent regulator.

A report from the Institute of Economic Affairs, a UK think tank（智囊团）, argues that abolishing traffic signals would decrease congestion, reduce exhaust emissions（废气排放）and improve safety.

The report said that removing lights should also prevent other bad behavior caused by signals, such as speeding up to catch a green light. It would also avoid the wasted time when drivers have to sit at a red light even if no one is using the green.

The idea may sound strange, but it’s not new. Seven cities and regions in Europe are experimenting with no-lights roads.

Drachten in the Netherlands has got rid of 16 of its traffic light crossings and changed the other two to roundabouts under a “shared space” scheme. At crossings, cyclists dutifully raise their arm when they want to make a turn, and drivers follow a first-arrived, first-through approach and communicate by hand signs, nods and waving.

The result? Typical journey time has been cut in half, and accidents and congestion have mostly disappeared.

There have been small collisions but no problem, said Hans Monderman, creator of the scheme. “We want small accidents, in order to prevent serious ones. It works well because it’s dangerous. The driver has to be responsible for his or her own risk.

“The many rules take away the ability to be considerate,” Monderman added. “We’re losing our responsibility for socially responsible behavior.”

So far, Drachten’s locals have called the experiment a success. “I am used to it now,” said Helena Spaanstra, 24. “You drive more slowly and carefully, but somehow you seem to get around town quicker.”

Tony Ooostward, 70, was equally enthusiastic. “I am a walker and now you are the boss at the crossroads, everyone waits for you. But at the same time walkers wait until there are a number of people wanting to cross at the same time.”

Owen Paterson, UK’s Shadow Transport Minister, visited Drachten. He said Britain should learn from the model. “The idea is to create space where there is mild anxiety among everyone so they all behave cautiously. No one drives fast along a busy street thinking that they have right of way.”

60. Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

A. Don’t Count On Traffic Lights B. New Traffic Systems Needed

C. Turn Those Traffic Lights Off D. Let People Have More Say In Traffic

61. According to the report from the Institute of Economic Affairs, abolishing traffic lights would NOT lead to ____.

A. more time being saved B. reduction of traffic jams

C. improvement of the environment D. right of way being taken for granted

62. The underlined word “collision” in Paragraph 7 means closest to ____.

A. jam B. accident C. trouble D. congestion

63. From the passage we can see that the experiment in Drachten worked well because ____.

A. walkers have become the boss of the crossroads

B. cyclists, walkers and drivers each have specially designed routes

C. everyone finds that they have to do their share in regulating traffic

D. drivers are more careful and wait for eyclists or walkers to pass first

C

For photographers lacking training, experience and even the ability to click a shutter button, they produce remarkable pictures. Under the sea, deep in the woods and high in the sky, furry, feathery and leathery-skinned creatures are opening up vistas（远景）by taking cameras where no human can go.

This is the world of animal-borne imagine celebrated last month at a conference sponsored(supported) by the National Geographic Society for the 20th anniversary of its Crittercam, the device that started it all.

Since its debut（首次公开露面）in 1987 on the back of a turtle, the Crittercam and similar devices developed by others have grown smaller and more powerful.

“It’s more than just a camera now,” said Greg Marshall, the marine biologist and now filmmaker who invented the Crittercam. “We are now including more instruments to gather more data while at the same time reducing everything in size.”

The idea of attaching video cameras to animals came to Mr. Marshall in 1986 on a dive off Belize when a shark apporached him. When the animal quickly turned away, he noticed a shark with a sucker fish on its belly. He came up with the idea that putting a camera in place of the sucker fish would allow people to witness the shark’s behavior without disturbing it.

Crittercams have been attached to sharks, sea lions and other marine animals, and, more recently, to land animals.

Birds are a new addition, Mr. Marshall said. Dr. Christian Rutz of Oxford recently reported on tiny cameras called feathercams that monitor the crows in the South Pacific. It has discovered that crows are smarter than anyone knew they not only use twigs（嫩枝）and grass stems as tools to root out food, but they also save their favorite tools to use again.

Tracey L. Rogers, director of the Australian Marine Mammal Research Center in Sydney, said crittercam was a powerful tool in her work with leopard seals（豹斑海豹）in Antarctica. “In studying animals,” Dr. Rogers said at the meeting, “you want to see how our animal models align（与……一致）with reality. With a camera, you actually see what they do. You don’t have to guess.”

64. What’s the text mainly about?

A. The advantages of crittercam.

B. The development of Crittercams in the past 20 years.

C. How crittercam was invented.

D. How crittercam works.

65. What inspired Marshall to invent crittercam?

A. The sight of sucker fish clinging to a shark on a dive.

B. The thought of how to photograph animals better.

C. Noticing a shark eating a sucker fish on a dive.

D. Seeing a shark with a camera on its belly on a dive.

66. According to Dr. Rogers, crittercam ____.

A. can clear up all your doubts about animals

B. is the most powerful tool in studying animals

C. enabled her to observe the crows in the South Pacific closely

D. helped a lot with her research on leopard seals in Antarctica

67. All of the following are improvements of crittercams EXCEPT that ____.

A. the size is becoming smaller

B. more instruments are involved to gather more data

C. they allow researchers to see where and how animals live

D. they are able to be applied to smaller animals such as birds

D

“ONLY A COKE WILL DO”

“We don’t necessarily believe that new advertising, which might make consumers feel better about the Coke brand or better about the ads themselves, will actually result in consumers consuming more of the product,” Morgan Stanley’s Bill Pecoriello wrote in a research note the day after the investor meeting. But Coke is optimistic it can regain its old magic, and is banking on a new slogan: “Welcome to the Coke side of life.”

BREAKTHROUGH HIT?

With PepsiCo about to surpass Coke as the beverage king on Wall Street – Pepsi’s market capitalization has soared in recent years to $97.9 billion, putting it less than a billion dollars behind its rival(对手) – the heat is on Coke. It’s set to launch a new marketing campaign in March, 2006. And having taken a quick look at Coke’s investor presentation on Dec. 7 in New York, my sense is that Coke may be moving in the right direction.

Given the continued shift by consumers away from soda – Coke’s stronghold – and into alternative beverages like juice, tea and water, Coke badly needs a breakthrough hit. And given that shift away from soda, some analysts wonder whether even the catchiest new ads will be enough to put the fizz back into Coke.

SAME OLD, UPDATED.

The new flavors of PowerAde sports drink will probably enable Coke to continue stealing market share from PepsiCo’s Gatorade brand. And Coke is getting a little more creative with packaging, including new, aluminum bottles of Coke that will be sold in nightclubs, and an 8.4-ounce “100 calorie” version of its flagship Coke that will appeal to women who want fewer calories and will like the fact that the small can will fit in their purse. I doubt whether other new products will be successful, including a new coffee-flavored soda called Coke-Cola Blak that I tried. Think carbonated coffee. But I’m not sure if the product, which Coke is pitching as an afternoon pick-me-up for the 35-and-over set, is going to pull people away from their afternoon Frappucino fix. And my opinion is that Vault, an orange-flavored energy drink, will have just as much trouble unseating Mountain Dew among teens as did Coke’s last attempt, a product called Surge.

If there is one concern I have about the fresh offerings Coke plans to launch this year, it appears that many of them are simply new brands, not new products.

68. According to the passage, we can know that ____.

A. Coke mainly depends on new products recently

B. nowadays Coke is comparatively less popular

C. PepsiCo has taken the place of Coke

D. Coke has few new brands

69. The underlined word “soared” means ____.

A. achieved B. dropped C. increased D. failed

70. When the middle-aged people feel tired, what would they prefer to drink in order to continue their work?

A. Vault. B. Surge. C. Coke-Cola Blak D. Frappucino.

71. What is the best title of the passage?

A. Troubles in Coke Company

B. Varieties of New Products

C. The Importance of New Advertisements

D. The Relationship Between Coke and Pepsi

E

If you feel at present that you don’t have enough friends in your life, one reason may be that you have let yourself become too busy to make time for the relationships you already have. Starting and keeping friendship requires effort and commitment.

Many of us let our lives become so busy with work and other commitments that we don’t get around to scheduling time for pleasure and renewal（叙旧）with the friends, relatives and acquaintances we already have.

Making the effort to call your friends more regularly and to accept more of the invitations you receive from others can improve your social life in a hurry!

Are there any people you could call right now and be assured of a pleasant welcome? Are there people that you could count on to help you in time of difficulty? Can you have close talks with them? Do you have fun when you are together? Are you happy to have them in your life?

If you haven’t seen much of them lately, is it because you have become too busy? Have you grown apart? Was there an argument?

If the main reason you haven’t been getting together with the people you already know is that you have got too busy, take a good look at how you spend your time. Compare it with your real values and priorities（优先考虑的事）in life. Is your busy lifestyle really bringing you the quality of life that you want?

If you have become too busy for friends, why has this happened? Are you seeking material toys in your life at the expense of relationships with other human beings? Have you allowed your time to be over-committed because you never say “No” to anyone? Do you insist on doing things yourself that could be appointed to others? If so, why? Do you believe that everything depends on you?

Examine whether the way you are now spending your time accurately reflects your deepest values and priorities. Make sure that you schedule adequate time for the things that are truly most important to you.

If you really want to keep friends in your life, make a space in your schedule, and a space in your heart for them.

72. In this passage the author mainly discusses ____.

A. how to balance friendship and work

B. how to spend our spare time

C. whether we should keep friendship

D. whether we should invite friends to dinner

73. Which of the following doesn’t indicate a good relationship?

A. You have someone to count on when you are in trouble.

B. You have someone to have close talks with.

C. You have fun when you are with someone.

D. You feel depressed with others in life.

74. The reason why you have become too busy for friends may be the following EXCEPT that ____.

A. you spend too much time seeking material toys in your life

B. you feel it difficult to keep friendship

C. you stick to doing everything all by yourself

D. you never refuse whatever other people ask you to do

75. Which would be the best title for the text?

A. Too Busy for Friendship? B. Too Busy with Work?

C. How to Spend Your Time D. How to Make New Friends

第二卷（两部分，共35分）

第一节：对话填空（共10小题，满分10分）

阅读下面对话，并根据各题所给首字母的提示，在标有题号的右边横线上写出一个英语单词的完整、正确形式，使对话通顺。

W: Hello, Bob! Long time no see. How are you 76 g_________ along 76__________

with your 77 p__________ for the entrance exam? 77__________

M: Well, I can’t tell. Anyway, I’m 78 t________ my best. 78__________

W: So am I. Sometimes I really feel very tired, both 79 p_________ and 79__________

and mentally.

M: I feel the same. These days I’m 80 s_________ from headaches and 80__________

general weakness. Not enough time for sleep. I don’t know what will

happen if it 81 g______ on like this for long. 81__________

W: We have no time for sports, even music, not to 82 m_______films 82__________

and TV programmes. All we can see is exercises, exam papers and this

sort of things.

M : But we’ll get more 83 k___________ after studying all these years. 83__________

If we do well and go to college, we can take up many jobs and make

a 84 c_________ to society in the future. 84__________

W: To realize our dream, we must work hard now. What I expect is

that our parents should not put more 85 p________ on us. 85__________

M: L can’t agree more.

第二节：书面表达（满分25分）

假定你叫李华，是21世纪英语报社的一名编辑。最近你收到不少学生读者来信，反应他们在英语学习当中碰到了困难。他们虽然很努力，但考试时成绩总是不理想。请你根据自身学习的经验，给读者回封信，告诉他们一些学习方法和技巧，给出切实可行的建议，并鼓励他们要树立信心，要有克服困难的勇气。

注重：不要逐条翻译以上文字。词数：100-120

开头已经为你写好,不记入总词数。

Dear readers,

Recently, I have received many letters from you students, telling me the difficulties you have met in your English studies.

…….

英语答案Answers to the Test

1--5 ABCBC 6-10 AABAC 11-15 BACBB 16-20 CCABA

21-25 DACBC 26-30 BADBC 31-35 DACDA

36-40 ACDBA 41-45 DCBDA 46-50 CDBCA 51-55 ABCBD

56-59 BCDA 60-63 CDBC 64-67 BADC 68-71 BCDA 72-75 ADBA

76. getting 77. preparations 78. trying 79.physically 80. suffering

81 goes 82. mention 83. knowledge 84.contribution 85. pressure

Listening materials

Text 1

M: How did you find your job? Was it advertised in the paper?

W:I looked and looked for months without finding anything. Then a friend told me about this job. So I applied and got it.

W: You are lucky.

Text 2

M: Do not forget to attend Prof. Barn’s lecture on Thursday morning. We’ll meet you at the

entrance at 8:30.

W: Thank you for telling me. I thought it was on Friday morning.

Text 3

M: Do you need any help, Madam?

W: Well. I’m looking for…let me see. I’ve forgotten the name again! It’s used to make fresh

coffee.

M: A coffee maker?

W: That’s right.

M: Well, we have a few in the kitchen, which is upstairs.

Text 4

W: I’ve just locked my keys in my room. Now what should I do?

M: I can’t believe it. You are always so careless. Anyhow let’s calm down and try to figure things out’

Text 5

M: Tracy, you look happy. Did you win a prize?

W: More than that! I’ve just received the new issue of the journal, and you know , my article is in it.

M: Oh, great. It must be the article on classroom research, I guess. Congratulations!

Text 6

M: I have the worst headache!

W: Are you stressed, darling?

M: No, I have a toothache, and it’s giving me headache.

W: Maybe you’ve got a cavity!

M: I’ll probably need to go to the dentist!

W: And they’ll drug you up with Novocain!

M: And they’ll drill for hours!

W: And they’ll tug and tug…

M: And pull my tooth out! Or fill it with some disgusting metal!

W: And then you’ll bleed and your mouth will be swollen for days…

M: My head doesn’t hurt so much any more.

W: Uh, huh…scared-cat…

Text 7

M: I’d like two tickets to Niagara Falls.

W: Are you going on vacation?

M: Yes, it’s my honeymoon.

W: Congratulations. Amtrak has vacation packages that include train travel, tours, and lodging for a fixed price.

M: That sounds interesting.

W: Let’s see what they offer for Niagara Falls.

M: We’d like to stay five nights.

W: Oh, here’s one. You’d stay at the Waterfall Lodge. It’s only a five-minute walk from the falls. And, the stay includes a three-hour sightseeing tour on the boat.” The Maid of the Mist”.

M: Great. How much does it cost?

W: Well, the entire package is $ 678 per person, and this includes all taxes.

M: Are there any pictures of the hotel accommodations?

W: Yes, here you are.

M: This looks fine. We’ll book this package.

Text 8

M: How often do you use the Internet?

W: I use it almost every day, but I usually only use it to check my e-mail. I don’t often surf the net. You use the Internet a lot, don’t you?

M: Yes. I use it to find products and components at the lowest prices for my company. It can be frustrating when the connection is poor.

W: So, you’re online eight hours a day.

M: Yes. I like the job, though. Sometimes, I help other people in the office if they’re having trouble online.

W: How useful do you think the Internet is as a source of information?

M: I think it’s fairly useful, but there are two big problems. First, a lot of the information you find online is false. Second, when you buy something online, you don’t see it until you actually get it.

W: How do you solve those problems when you’re buying something online?

M: What I do is find the website of shops. Then someone from our company visits the shop and buys when they’ve seen that the products are genuine and suitable.

Text 9

M: You know the weather’s been awfully so far this summer.

W: I know. This is very unusual foe Japan. Usually by now it’s really hot and humid. I’m not sure why, but this summer we’ve had very little rain and surprisingly cool temperatures.

M: Well, either way I love it. I remember last summer. Oh, it was terrible. I didn’t have an air-conditioner, and my apartment was on the fifth floor. Every night I slept on top of my bed with the windows wide-open and a fan six inches from my face.

W: That sounds pretty rough. I guess I’ve gotten used to the heat, so I don’t notice it as much. However, last year was definitely a lot hotter than this year. And, to be honest, I am enjoying the break. What are summers like for you back home?

M: For one thing, there’s little humidity. Seattle is right on the ocean so we always have a nice offshore breeze blowing in, and it doesn’t really get hot until late July. That’s why I found it so oppressive last year. Our summer are just so different.

W: Interesting. Seattle sounds like a great place to be during the summer.

Text 10

Hello and welcome to the Book Talk. Today I’m going to talk about a couple of books

you can read during the holidays. I have three suggestions for you this week. First, if you enjoy reading science fiction, there’s an exciting new book by Alan Cooper called Shallow Earth. It takes place in the future when the Earth has almost been destroyed. The main characters are a group of soldiers who are fighting to save the Earth from total disaster. If you’re in the mood for something romantic, there’s Give Me Shelter, by Kathleen Wang. Lt’s a historical novel set in China, and tells a story of two teenagers growing up in Shanghai in the 1930s. They decided to run away together after their families tried to stop them from seeing each other. Finally there’s Jump for the Stars, a biography of one of Houston Rockets’ most popular players Tracy McGrady. Find out how he started his NBA career, who had the greatest effect on his life, and how he’s made his fortune by doing what he loves. That’s all for Book Talk this week. See you next week and keep reading!