江苏省如皋市高考英语单科调研考试试题(.11.2考)

第一卷

注意事项：

1．答第一卷前，考生务必将自己的姓名、准考证号、考试科目用铅笔涂写在答题卡上。

2．每小题选出答案后，用铅笔把答题卡上对应题目的答案标号涂黑。如需改动，用橡皮擦干净后，再选涂其它答案标号。不能答在试卷上。 第一部分：听力（共两节，满分20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分，满分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. When will the film probably start？

A. At 12:45. B. At 12:15. C. At 12:30. 2. Where is the woman?

A. In a soap factory. B. In her house. C. At an information desk. 3. What color is the cloth?

A. It’s yellow. B. It’s green. C. It’s blue. 4. Where does the woman prefer to live?

A. Near the city. B. In the city. C. In the countryside. 5. How is the man getting to the appointment?

A. On foot. B. By bus. C. By bike. 第二节;(共15小题；每题1分，共15分) Text 6

6. According to the conversation, who gave the lecture?

A. A doctor. B. A writer. C. A musician. 7. What was the lecture about?

A. the difference between classical and modern music. B. The difference between classical and modern literature. C. Modern literature and its future development. Text 7

8. How long did the woman stay there? A. 4 weeks.

B. 2 weeks. C. 2 weeks and 2 days.

9. What’s the geography like in the middle of Australia?

A. It’s sandy desert. B. It’s mountainous. C. It’s stony desert. 10. What’s the weather like in the southeast of Australia? A. It’s neither too hot nor too cold all the year round. B. It’s very hot and dry all year round. C. It’s very hot in summer and cold in winter. Text 8

11. Why did the man look worried?

A. He got an expensive telephone bill. B. He couldn’t afford the telephone bill. C. His wife forgot to call his son. 12. What’s the woman going to do? A. Ask Jack to pay for the bill. B. Ask her father to pay for the bill.

C. Use her father’s money to pay for the bill. 13. What’s the relationship between the two speakers?

A. Mother and son. B. Teacher and student. C. Husband and wife. Text 9

14. How many NBA stars do the speaker mention? A. Three. B. Four. A. Jordan is still in service. B. Jordan is retired from NBA.

C. NBA enrolls the players only from America.

16. What does the woman mean by saying the last sentence? A. It means all stars played wonderfully. B. O’Neal is superior to the others.

C. In skill, Jordan is the best one in her opinion. Text 10

17. Why walking with a dog can help find someone to talk to? A. Dogs like to be close to strangers. B. Americans love dogs. C. Dogs have sharp eyes.

18. If a man loses his way, who should he ask for help?

A. A woman. B. A man. C. A child. 19. What will a young lady do if you ask her age?

A. Tell you the false age. B. Tell you the true age. C. Think you are impolite. 20.If your appointment is 7 o’clock, what time should you arrive? A. At 7:00 sharp. B. By 7:00. C. At about 7:00. 第一节：单项填空（共15小题；每小题1分，满分15分）

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，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。 21. The next step in exploring ___________ outer space might be sending people there in ___________ spaceship to build space stations. A.不填; a B. 不填; 不填 C. the; 不填 D. the; the

22. As people want to ___________ their ideas ___________ quickly when talking on line, a lot

of short forms are used. A. get; through B. get; over C. get; across D. get; out

23. I first met John at my sister’s wedding. He ___________ with the bridegroom at the time. A. talked B. was talking C. had talked D. had been talking 24. Just in front of our house ________ dating back to the Tang Dynasty. A. does a tall tree stand B. stands a tall tree C. a tall tree is standing D. a tall tree stands

C. Five.

15. Which of the following is right according to the dialogue?

25. Nearly all trees have seeds that fall to the ground , ,and eventually produce new seeds. A．taking root B．take root C．took root D．to take root 26. 一Where do you prefer to work after graduation?

一I’ve made up my mind to go I’m most needed．

A. where B．to where C. to the place D. to which

27. The rich only themselves with making money and had no eye for the needs and welfare of their workers．

A．occupied B．concerned C．enjoyed D. devoted

28. There was __________that thirteen people in all had taken part in planning the murder.

A．account B．motto C．evidence D．concept

29. No man is born _____. We all need to learn to become _____.

A. wise; wise B. wisely; wisely C. wise; wisely D. wisely; wise

30. He is so learned a young man that I am sure it would be impossible to find his ________. A. same B. similar C. equal D. reflection 31. We can’t act on your advice. ________, thank you for giving it.

A. Therefore B. Otherwise C. Nevertheless D. Although 32. The holiday traffic jammed the roads. It took the police nearly an hour to get the traffic ______again.

A. to come to a stop B. to be crowded C. on the move D. in danger 33. I can’t _______ Peter’s unhappiness because he hasn’t told me anything. A. answer for B. account for C. look for D. search for

34. He made up his mind to devote all he could _______ his spoken English before going abroad. A. improve B. to improve C. improving D. to improving 35. ---Come on, please give us some more explanation about the project. ---Oh, sorry. With so much work ______ my mind, I almost break down. A. filled B. to fill C. filling D. being filling 第二节：完形填空（共20小题；每小题1分，满分20分）

阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。

Explosive Artist ---Cai Guo-Qiang

It must be a first: an artist staging a big 36 at the Guggenheim Museum in New York while working 37 the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. That was 38 happened for Cai Guo-Qiang, a Chinese-born man.

It was also the 39 time that the Guggenheim Museum had held an exhibition for a Chinese artist. The exhibition was named “I want to believe”. Cai 40 himself as a world famous artist through the imaginative use of 41 and through drawings created by using gunpowder on the surface of paper. When the Guggenheim show was in the 42 stage, Cai said, “I want to make the museum feel 43 a fully-packed shell() that is ready to 44 .” Standing under his artwork, he seemed 45 that he had achieved his goal. Nine white cars were arranged within the museum---one on the ground floor, one on the top ramp, and 46 swinging in midair---with flashing lights coming from each car, as if the 47 were exploding. An expert said, “It’s 48 we see every day in newspapers: a car bomb, but Cai has turned it into a thing of beauty.”

Explosions are a major 49 of Cai’s works. Another great surprise at the Guggenheim show was the life-sized works. Perhaps the most 50 display was a number of tigers, pierced by dozens of arrows. “The audience feel pain when they see the tigers, 51 they are completely fake. It is a stage setting that you 52 ,” he said. There were also 99 wolves 53 themselves through the air into a glass wall. These were aimed at highlighting the killing of endangered

.“To create an artwork from fireworks is very challenging,” said Cai. “There is a danger that you’ll

make something that is only ordinary.” His talents in this field have 55 been tested by the Olympics. 36. A explosion B. exhibition C. presentation D. preparation 37. A. on B. towards C. at D. with 38. A. where B. which C. what D. that 39. A. first B. second C. third D. fourth 40. A. considered B. regarded C. made D. established 41. A. drawings B. fireworks C. arts D. gunpowder 42. A. planning B. considering C. building D. exploding 43. A. as B. like C. as if D. for 44. A. work B. go C. explode D. move 45. A. conventional B. analytical C. confident D. forgetful 46. A. another B. others C. other D. the others 47. A. lights B. cars C. museum D. shell 48. A. anything B. something C. one D. what 49. A. theme B. topic C. idea D. case 50. A. apparent B. worrying C. amazing D. disappointing 51. A. furthermore B. thus C. though D. but 52. A. go B. convey C. enter D. transfer 53. A. throw B. throwing C. thrown D. to throw . A. animals B. tigers C. plants D. series 55. A. generally B. commonly C. usually D. certainly 第三部分：阅读理解（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30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

For thousands of years, man has enjoyed the taste of apples. Apples, which are about 85 percent water, grow almost everywhere in the world but the hottest and coldest areas (地区). Among the leading countries in apple production are China, France and the United States.

There are various kinds of apples, but a very few make up the majority of those grown for sale. The three most common kinds grown in the United States are Delicious, golden Delicious, and McIntosh.

Apples are different in colour, size, and taste. The colour of the skin may be red, green, or yellow. They have various sizes, with Delicious apples being among the largest. The taste may be sweet or tart (酸的). Generally, sweet apples are eaten fresh while tart apples are used to make applesauce .

Apple trees may grow as tall as twelve metres. They do best in areas that have very cold winters. Although no fruit is yielded during the winter, this cold period is good for the tree. 56. It can be learned from the text that Delicious apples are _______________ A. grown in France. B. sold everywhere. C. very big. D. quite sweet. 57. Cold winter weather is good for _______________ A. the growth of apple trees. B. producing large apples.

C. improving the taste of apples. D. the increase of water in apples.

58. China, France and the United States are considered to _______________ A. be large producers of apples. B. be large producers of applesauce.

C. have the longest history in apple production.

D. have the coldest winter among apple producing countries. 59. The word “yielded” in the last sentence means _______________ A. improved. B. increased. C. produced. D. sold.

B

Believe it or not, optical illusion(错觉) can cut highway crashes.

Japan is a case in point. It has reduced automobile crashes on some roads by nearly 75 percent using a simple optical illusion. Bent stripes, called chevrons(人字形), painted on the roads make drivers think that they are driving faster than they really are, and thus drivers slow down.

Now the American Automobile Association Foundation for Traffic Safety in Washington D.C. is planning to repeat Japan’s success. Starting next year, the foundation will paint chevrons and other patterns of stripes on selected roads around the country to test how well the patterns reduce highway crashes.

Excessive speed plays a major role in as much as one fifth of all fatal traffic accidents, according to the foundation. To help reduce those accidents, the foundation will conduct its tests in areas where speed-related hazards are the greatest----curves, exit, slopes, traffic circles, and bridges.

Some studies suggest that straight, horizontal bars painted across roads can initially cut the average speed of drivers in half. However, traffic often returns to full speed within months as drivers become used to seeing the painted bars.

Chevrons, scientists say, not only give drivers the impression that they are driving faster than they really are but also make a lane appear to be narrower. The result is a longer lasting reduction in highway speed and the number of traffic accidents.

60. The passage mainly discusses _________.

A. a new way of highway speed control B. a new pattern for painting highways C. a new approach to training drivers D. a new type of optical illusion 61. On roads painted with chevrons, drivers tend to feel that ________.

A. they should avoid speed-related hazards B. they are driving in the wrong lane C. they should slow down their speed D. they are approaching the speed limit 62. The advantage of chevrons over straight, horizontal bars is that the former _______. A. can keep drivers awake B. will have a longer effect on drivers C. can cut road accidents in half D. will look more attractive

63. What does the author say about straight, horizontal bars painted across roads?__________. A. They are falling out of use in the United States

B. They tend to be ignored by drivers in a short period of time C. They are applicable only on broad roads

D. They cannot be applied successfully to traffic circles

C THYSSEN ELEVATORS is one of the leading elevators companies in the world with more than 120 branch companies around the globe. GUANGDONG THYSSEN ELEVATORS LTD. In Zhongshan produces high-quality elevators. We are offering the following positions: ● Plant Manager Excellent Senior Engineer with experience in this field to manage our plant in Zhongshan ● Senior Engineers (Mechanical and Electrical) For production and Engineering Department, good command of Internet ● Junior positions For those who wish for success ● One purchaser(购货员) Preferably with experience in a mechanical engineering company and international markets ● Cost Accountant(会计) 5 years experience in mechanical factory costing, good knowledge in Office 95, CET level. For these senior level Positions, we expect preferable a university degree or an excellent job Record. 3-5 years of experience on the job and good command of English. If you are ready to work with us, we will offer attractive salary packet and bright future. THYESSEN GUANDONG THYESSEN ELEVATORS LTD LONGHCAN HUANCHENG Zhongshan(5284655) Guangdong Province (1) Secretary ● University graduate ● Good at English speaking, writing＆translating ● Good PC knowledge and typing skill ● Pleasant character with good personal skill (2) Accountants ● College or university graduate ● Good command of English and PC operation ● Work experience (3) Production Trainees ● College or university graduate ● Food engineering／machinery or chemistry ● Good command of English ● 1－2 years experience in food factory ● Leadership ability and PC knowledge (4) Production workers ● Polytechnic school(中专) graduate ● Food technology or chemistry ● Knowledge of basic English ●1-2 years experience in food factory NESTLE DONGGUAN NESTLE COMPANY LTD . If you don’t know how to use a computer, you had better ask for the position of _______. A. a secretary in NESTLE

B. a production worker in NESTLE

D. a cost accountant in THYSSEN

C. a senior engineer in THYSSEN

65. From the passage we can learn that _______.

A. THYSSEN is a successful company with many branches B. NESTLE is a company only producing chemical products C. NESTLE asks for good command of English in every Position D. THYSSEN needs a senior sales manager to sell its products in Asia

66. As a graduate from university this year, you can probably get a job as _______.

A. a cost accountant in THYSSEN C. a secretary in NESTLE

B. a purchaser in THYSSEN D. an accountant in NESTLE

D

The Internet has led to a huge increase in credit-card fraud. Your card information could even be for sale in an illegal web site.

Web sites offering cheap goods and services should be regarded with care.

On-line shoppers who enter their credit-card information may never receive the goods they thought they bought. The thieves then go shopping with your card number — or sell the information over the Internet. Computers hackers have broken down security systems, raising questions about the safety of cardholder information. Several months ago, 25, 000 customers of CD Universe, an on-line music retailer(零售商), were not lucky. Their names, addresses and credit-card numbers were posted on a Web site after the retailer refused to pay US $157, 828 to get back the information.

Credit-card firms are now fighting against on-line fraud. Mastercard is working on plans for Web — only credit card, with a lower credit limit. The card could be used only for shopping on-line. However, there are a few simple steps you can take to keep from being cheated.

Ask about your credit-card firm’s on-line rules: Under British law, cardholders have to pay the first US $78 of any fraudulent(欺骗性的) spending.

And shop only at secure sites; Send your credit-card information only if the Web site offers advanced secure system.

If the security is in place, a letter will appear in the bottom right-hand corner of your screen. The Website address may also start https: //—the extra “s” stands for secure. If in doubt, give your credit-card information over the telephone.

Keep your password safe: Most on-line sites require a user name and password before placing an order. Treat your passwords with care.

67. What do most people worry about the Internet according to this passage?

A. Many stolen credit-cards were sold on the Internet. B. Too much fraud on the Internet. C. Many Web sites are destroyed. D. Many illegal Web sites are on the Internet. 68. What is the meaning of “fraud”in the passage?

A. Cheating.

B. Sale.

C. Payment.

D. Safety.

69. How can the thieves get the information of the credit card?

A. The customers give them the information. B. The thieves steal the information from Web sites. C. The customers sell the information to them.

D. The thieves buy the information from credit-card firms.

70. You are shopping on the site: http: // www. Shopping. com, and you want to buy a TV set, what does this article suggest to do?

A. Order the TV set at once. B. Do not buy the TV set on this site. C. E-mail the site your credit-card information.

D. Tell the site your password and buy the TV set for you.

第二卷

第四部分：写作（共两节，满分35分）

第一节 任务型阅读（共10小题； 每小题1分， 满分10分） 请认真阅读下列短文，并根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格中填入最适当的单词。 每空格1个单词。 Many people believe they are supposed to drink eight glasses of water a day, or about two liters. Why? Because that is what they have been told all their life .But a recent report offers some different advice .Experts suggest people should obey their bodies: they should drink as much water as they feel like drinking.

The report says most healthy people meet their daily needs for liquid by letting thirst be their guide. The report is from the Institute of Medicine, which provides scientific and technical advice to the government and

the public. The report contains some general suggestions. It says women should get about 2.7liters of water daily and men about 3.7 liters. But wait –in each case, that is more than eight glasses.

There is one important difference .The report does not tell people how many glasses of are needed to meet these guidelines. This is because the daily water requirement can include the water content in foods.

As you might expect, the Institute of Medicine says people need to drink more water when they are physically active. The same is true of those who live in hot climates. Depending on heat and activity ,people could need twice as much water as others do.

All this ,however, does not answer one question. No one seems sure why people have the idea that good health requires eight glasses of water daily. It may have started with a misunderstanding.

How much water should we drink every day belief or advice 2________ public belief a recent 3 ________report Generally8_____ amount of water need daily as much as our bodies need ,9__________the water from other10____________ 第二节 书面表达（满分25分）

最近，你是吴明，和笔友李华都很关注“可持续发展”的话题。现在你写一封信给他，谈谈江苏的省情，介绍耕地的使用及保护的情况。

词数：150左右。信的开头号和结尾已经给出。必须包含以下要点： 1、 江苏是我国经济发达的省份之一，位于我国的东部，人口多，占地少。

人口：7000多万；土地面积：10多万平方公里。自然资源贫乏。

2、 随着经济的发展和人口的增长，越来越多的良田被征用来建造住房和工厂。耕地面积逐年减少。 3、 人们正认识到保护耕地的重要性，积极采取措施禁止非法用地。 4、 保护土地资源，是每个公民应尽义务，也是造福子孙后代的需要。

Dear Li Hua,

men men men the 1_________ of water needed daily eight glasses of water 3.7 liters of water 7.4 liters of water women women women 4_______ glasses of water 2.7 liters of water 7____liters of water while doing hard 5_________or in the hot 6________ How are you? With this letter I'd like to introduce my hometown—Jiangsu Province to you. Looking forward to your reply. Best wishes.

Yours,

Wuming

参： 听力：

1—20 ABBBB CABCA ACCAB CBACB 单项选择：

21—35 ACBBB AACAC CCBDC 完型填空：

36—55 BACAD BABCC DBBAC DCBAD 阅读理解：

[答案解析]56--59 CAAC

56．根据文中第三自然段中They have various sizes, with Delicious apples being among the

largest. 一句可知Ｃ为本题的最佳答案。

57．文章结尾的一句话this cold period is good for the tree便是该题的正确答案，即Ａ。 58．本题只要抓住文中第一自然段Among the leading countries in apple production are

China, France and the United States. 这句话，便可得出Ａ是正确答案。

59．根据该段落的中心大意可以判断Ｃ为最佳答案，即\"尽管冬季不产苹果，但寒冷期

有益于果树的生长。\" [答案解析]

60、A．通过阅读全文，读者了解到本文主要介绍了人字形能使开车人产生视觉上错觉：感觉车速比实

际的要快，从而减低车速达到减少交通事故的目的。因此A 正确。

61、C． 依据第二段的第二句话Bent stripes, called chevrons(人字形), painted on the roads make drivers

think that they are driving faster than they really are, and thus drivers slow down.。可以知道只有C 符合题意。

62、B．依据文章的最后两段内容，尤其是这两节的最后一句话讲到了水平直线与人字形线的弊与利。

因此B 是正确答案。

63、B．依据文章倒数第二段尤其是该段落中的最后一句话作出的选择。 [答案解析]-66BAC

这是两篇广告，一篇是电梯公司的人才招聘广告，另一篇则是食品公司的人才招聘广告。

. B。细节题。因为a secretary in NESTLE 要求有typing skill，而 a senior engineer in THYSSEN要求

有good command of Internet，a cost accountant in THYSSEN要求有good knowledge in Office 95，只有a production worker in NESTLE不要求懂电脑。

65. A。语义理解题。从第一篇广告的第1句话THYSSEN ELEVATORS is one Of the leading elevators companies in the world with more than 120 branch companies around the globe.可以明显看出应选A。 66. C。细节题。因为只有a secretary in NESTLE不要求有工作经历。

【答案与解析】本文介绍了网上黑客人员盗用信用卡资料进行欺骗的行为以及我们该怎样防卫的措施。 67. B。推断题。根据文章第1段第1句(因特网已导致使用信用卡欺骗行为大量增加)可推知此题答案为B。

68. A。词义猜测题。根据第1段第2句(你的卡上资料可能会在网上非法出售)和第4段最后一句(可采用下列步骤防止受欺骗)可推知此题答案为A。

69. B。推断题。根据文章第2段的提醒(当心那些提供便宜商品或服务的网址)可推知此题答案为B。也

可采用排除法：根据文章内容，排除A和C(并且此两项也不合情理)；根据文章第4段第1句可知选项D也不正确。因此选B。

70. B。细节题。根据文章倒数第2段中的说明：安全的网址应在电脑的右下角有一个小字母，或在网

址中有一个字母S，而问题中的网址中没有字母S，从而可推知此题答案为B。

第四部分：写作（共两节，满分35分）

第一节 任务型阅读[答案]

1.amount 2. traditional 3. medical/science 4. eight 5. labor /work 6. weather/climate 7. 5.4 8. suggested 9 .including 10. foods

第二节 书面表达（满分25分）

[解析]：衡量一篇文章的好与差，除了要看写明要点、行文连贯和表达清楚外，更注重看大家能否用词准确、生动精彩；句子的长短变化和句子结构的变化，多用些复合句。要用你掌握了的词、短语及句型等表达出正确的英语，切不可写出汉语式的英语。时态错误和不完整的句子被视为“严重错误”。这篇文章的要点很多，动笔之前，必须先认真审题，构思提纲，理顺思路，避免汉语式英语。 One possible version： Dear Li Hua,

How are you? With this letter I’d like to introduce my hometown—Jiangsu Province to you .Situated in the east of China, Jiangsu is one of the most developed provinces of our country. It is a province with a large population of 70,000,000 but not much farmland for people to live on, and it lacks natural resources with an area of more than 100,000 km2 .

With the development of economy and growth of its population, more and more good farmland has been used to build houses and factories. As a result, farmland is decreasing year by year.

Fortunately people are realizing the importance of protecting farmland and the government has taken measures to stop the illegal use of farmland.

In my opinion, it’s our duty to protect our farmland as well as our obligation to benefit the younger generations.

Looking forward to your reply. Best wishes.

Yours

Wu ming 听力录音稿： Text 1

W: We are running out of time. It’s 12 o’clock. M: Don’t worry. The film will start in 45 minutes. Text 2

M: Hello! May I speak to Mrs. Arnold? W: Speaking.

M: This is Sparkle Company. You are one of the lucky housewives chosen to receive our free soap. W: That’s very nice of you. But I’d rather go on using what I’ve always used. Thanks just the same. Text 3

M: Can I help you?

W: I bought the cloth just now. At first I thought it was yellow but now it looks green to me. Text 4

M: How do you like living in the center of the town?

W: Oh, I love it. It’s so convenient. It’s great to be able to walk to work.

M: True. But personally, I can’t stand the noisy traffic. I’d rather live out of the town. Text 5

W: Where are you rushing off to? M: I’ve got an appointment at 3:30.

W: you’ve got plenty of time. Why hurry?

M: My appointment is on the other side of the town and traffic is heavy at this time of the day. Text 6

W: What did you do yesterday, Jack?

M: I went to my uncle’s home and had a good time. What did you do yesterday? W: I had a lecture yesterday. M: Who gave the lecture?

W: A famous musician from Japan. M: What was it about?

W: It was about the difference between classical music and popular music. M: What did you think of the lecture? W: It was an excellent one.

M: Did all your classmates think so?

W: Of course. Most of us liked it very much and thought it was interesting. M: It was a pity that I wasn’t there with you. Text 7

M: Hi, Jane. Great to see you again. Where did you go for your summer holiday? W: I went to Australia.

M: Australia? That’s a beautiful country. I only know a little about it from our geography books. How I wish I had been there too! How long did you stay there?

W: According to the agreement, we should have stayed there 4 weeks. After staying there for a fortnight, we had to come back. The journey took me 16 days in all. M: Is Australia very large?

W: Yes. It’s smaller than China but it is the 6th largest country in the world. M: What’s the geography of Australia like?

W: The geography of Australia is very varied. A large mountain range runs from Queensland to Victoria. West of the range, in the middle of the country, the land is mainly stony desert. M: What’s the weather like there?

W: Like China, Australia’s weather varies from area to area. In the north there are only two seasons: the wet season and the dry season. The center is very hot and dry all year round.. The southern-eastern coast has a mild climate with summer temperatures of around 26 degrees centigrade, and winter temperatures of around 7 degrees centigrade. So most of the population live there. M: Did you take any photos?

W: Yes, a lot. Please come to my home and I’ll show them to you. Text 8

W: You look worried this evening, dear. What’s the trouble?

M: I’m going through the telephone bill. It’s over 10 pounds. But last month it was under 7 pounds. W: I don’t think we’ve used the telephone more than usual, have we?

M: but the prices of long-distance calls and telegrams are very high. Who made all these expensive calls to London? I don’t remember making them. Do we know anyone in London?

W: Oh, they must be Jack’s calls. Anne was staying in London with her uncle in October. Jack rang her up nearly every evening.

M: Oh, did he? Well, he can pay for the call, then. W: Jack’s only earning 30 pounds a month. M: What long talks they must have had!

W: Yes, but do remember they are young. I’ll pay for Jack’s calls to Anne. Father sent me a check for Christmas, you remember, I haven’t spent it all yet.

M: I wasn’t serious, dear. Use your father’s money for yourself. I’m sure there are lots of things you like. Text 9

W: Excuse me, can you tell me what the letters NBA mean? M: It’s short for “National Basketball Association”.

W: I’m sorry for the famous NBA star---Michael Jordan’s ex-service. M: So am I.

W: But anyhow, I like the NBA. After all it is a training camp for all famous basketball stars all over the world. M: Ya, I think so. I regret for Jordan’s ex-service, but some new stars like O’Neal and Yao Ming light up the stadium again. Last Saturday, in the East Vs West National Star competition, O’Neal won the value player, and Yao Ming is also the focus star in the world now. He is so tall.

W: I watched the whole competition. They really played wonderfully. But in my personal opinion, in skill none of them is superior to Michael Jordan. M: He is really a myth in basketball. Text 10

If you want to get along well in the United States, the following “dos” and “don’ts” are helpful. As a rule, it isn’t easy to find anyone to talk to in a big city. However, here are some suggestions. First, get or borrow a dog. Walk with it several times a day. Americans love dogs and usually stop to talk to anyone with a dog. Then, try to eat in a public dinning hall. People generally share the same tables and will sometimes talk to you if they see that you are a stranger. Next, take your dirty clothes to a public washing shop. It takes about an hour to wash and dry, and many people wait there. They often pass the time talking to other customers. Always ask for information from a woman, if you are a man. And from a man if you are a woman. It seems to get better results for a reason I can’t understand. Learn the expressions, “please”, “ Thank you”, “You are welcome” before you come and use them all the time! There are some things you shouldn’t do. Don’t ask people their age, especially women! Everyone wants to be young. Never tell heavy people they are fat. Tell them they are losing weight. Everyone here wants to be thin. Don’t be late for an appointment! When someone says 6 o’clock, be sure to be there by six---Americans respect time and expect everyone to be “on time”.