河北省唐山一中2014届高三上学期12月月考英语试题及答案

唐山一中高三年级12月份调研考试
英语试题
本试卷分第Ⅰ卷（选择题）和第Ⅱ卷（非选择题）两部分。

第Ⅰ卷1至10页。

第Ⅱ卷11至12页。

考试结束后，只交答题卡。

保存好一卷。

第Ⅰ卷
注意事项：
1.答题前，考生在答题卡上务必用直径0.5毫米以上黑色墨水签字笔将目己的班级、姓名、
学号、考试顺序号填写清楚
2.各小题选出答案后，用2B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，再选涂其他答案标号，在试题卷上作答无效。

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. What is the man going to buy?
A. $5.5 for a red.
B. $13.6 for two green ones.
C. $11 for two red ones.
2. What is the feeling of the man?
A. He felt sleepy.
B. He is tired of listening.
C. The work is important.
3. What is the man going to do for his holiday?
A. Stay at home.
B. Collect stamps.
C. Volunteer in the west.
4. Where does the conversation probably take place?
A. In a plane.
B. In a train.
C. In a restaurant.
5. Why didn’t Mary sleep well?
A. She had a headache.
B. She had a stomachache.
C. She was troubled by noise.
第二节（共15题；每小题1分，满分15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。

每段对话读或独白读两遍。

听第6段材料，回答第6至8题。

6. When will the man go to see the doctor?
A. On Tuesday.
B. On Wednesday.
C. On Thursday.
7. What’s wrong with the man?
A. He was hit by a ladder.
B. He broke his leg.
C. He hurt his foot.
8. Which statement of the following is TRUE?
A. The appointment time is quite fit to the man.
B. The appointment time isn’t quite fit to the man.
C. The man can’t go to the hospital.
听第7段材料，回答第9至11题。

9. What does the woman believe?
A. Mahjong is a beneficial hobby.
B. Mahjong can become an addiction.
C. Mahjong is too boring to play.
10. What are they going to do now?
A. Teach their partners.
B. Learning old card games.
C. Play mahjong games.
11. How about foreigners’ hobbies?
A. Playing Mahjong only.
B. Playing card games and Mahjong.
C. Playing their old card games.
听第8段材料，回答第12至14题。

12. What does the man probably do?
A. A manager.
B. A salesman.
C. A cleaner.
13. What isn’t needed for his job?
A. Copying machine.
B. Wax(蜡)
C. Floor-polishing machine.
14. What’s the possible relationship between them?
A. Manager and secretary.
B. Mother and son.
C. Teacher and student.
听第9段材料，回答第15至17题。

15. Why is the woman worried?
A. The mechanic might try to overcharge her.
B. There’s something wrong with her car.
C. Good mechanics are not available.
16. What does the woman think of her mechanic?
A. He takes advantage of her.
B. He is reliable.
C. He overcharges.
17. Where does the conversation probably take place?
A. In a school.
B. In a shop.
C. In a park.
听第10段材料，回答第18至20题。

18. How many different schedules are mentioned?
A. Five.
B. Four.
C. Three.
19. What can you use your daily schedule to do?
A. To achieve the long-term goals.
B. To plan the time well.
C. To achieve short-term goals.
20. What does “a master schedule” mean?
A. A schedule with all the important things and time used to finish it.
B. A schedule you make to yourself.
C. A schedule you make for your boss.
第二部分：英语知识运用（共两节，满分35分）
第一节单项填空（共15小题；每小题1分，满分15分）
请认真阅读下面各题，从题中所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

21.The Smiths don’t usually like staying at ____ hotels, but last summer they spent a few days at a
very nice hotel by _____ sea.
A. / ; the.
B. the ; the.
C. / ; a.
D. the ; a
22.We have various summer camps for your holidays, you can choose ____ based on your own
interests.
A. either
B. one
C. each
D. it
23. ---Why did you major in Literature?
---I listened to my mother. She wants me to major in Business.
A．will have B．must have C．should have D．can have
24. 一Why do you choose to work in an international travel agency?
一Well, you know, English is my __ . So it is my best choice.
A. strength
B. talent
C. ability
D.' skill
25. ---Have you been teaching here since graduation?
---No, I ______ on a farm for five years.
A.had worked
B.have worked
C.was working
D.worked
26. ______ is known to us all is that the old worker, for ______ life was hard in the past,still
works hard in his seventies.
A. What; whom
B. As; whom
C.It ; whose
D. What ; whose
27. We hurried all the way to the airport, only ______ that the flight had been called off because
of the foggy weather.
A.being told
B. to be told
C. having told
D. to have been told
28. --- Hurry up ! Alice and Sue are waiting for you at the school gate.
--- Oh ! I thought they ______ without me.
A. went
B.are going
C. have gone
D. had gone
29. If it ______ too much trouble, I’d love a cup of coffee.
A. isn’t
B. wasn’t
C. weren’t
D. hadn’t been
30. _____ the majority of people you will meet when travelling are sure to be friendly, there are
dangers-theft being the most common.
A. Since
B. Unless
C. While
D. Once
31.The bank is reported in the local newspaper___ in broad daylight yesterday.
A. being robbed
B. having been robbed
C. to have been robbed
D. robbed
32.Today, we will begin _____we stopped yesterday so that no point will be left out.
A. when
B. where
C. how
D. what
33. We were lucky enough，for no sooner _____ home _____ it rained.
A. we returned; and
B. we had returned; when
C. did we return; when
D. had we returned; than
34. --I’m planning to visit your city next month.
--If so, I can at my home.
A. keep you up
B. put you up
C. pick you up
D. call you up
35. —I’m sorry．I’ve left my wallet home．So I don’t have enough cash for the meal．
—Take it easy．
A．It’s a piece of cake．B．It’s my pleasure to pay you．
C．It’s my treat．D．It’s at your expense．
第二节：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。

“Knowing that you had to work on Thanksgiving, I thought I’d express my gratitude. You have made the 36 to learn my name and 37 me each day in a way that makes me feel like a
person instead of a number. Thank you!”
About three years ago, I gave a 38 with these words to a Starbucks waitress. When I went in the next day, she couldn’t help crying and told me that she wa s deeply 39 by my note and realized what she did really 40.
I went through a 41 time when I felt anything but 42 . On New Year’s Day 2008, I went for a 43 , feeling unhappy. I was overweight. I owned a lawyer’s office(律师事务所), but it was 44 money. On my hike, I heard a voice. It said I shouldn’t 45 what I wanted or had lost 46 should be grateful for what I had. The idea of a year of thank-yous came into my head.
This project 47 my life. After I thanked my colleagues for directing cases to me, they 48 me more. When I expressed gratitude to clients（客户）for paying on time, they began doing so even more 49.
In 2010, I 50 a book about my year of thank-yous. A few days after its publication, I got many thank-you letters from my 51 . They showed me how gratitude 52 . One woman went in person to 53 her message to a former teacher, who read it and cried.
My life has improved since that hike. I’m now in great 54 , and I have got my dream job. Having written my 860th note, I can say thank-you letters make a difference and that 55 is a path to the peace we all try to get.
36.A. choice B. effort C. promise D. decision
37.A. call B. visit C. serve D. greet
38.A. card B. book C. flower D. ring
39.A. disturbed B. shaken C. moved D. hurt
40.A. mattered B. improved C. failed D. passed
41.A. free B. lonely C. busy D. hard
42.A. helpful B. thankful C. harmful D. painful
43.A. movie B. picnic C. hike D. shopping
44.A. collecting B. meeting C. losing D. expecting
45.A. worry about B. begin with C. give up D. believe in
46.A. so B. nor C. or D. but
47.A. changed B. ruined C. directed D. took
48.A. picked B. respected C. sent D. told
49.A. properly B. quickly C. hurriedly D. carefully
50.A. wrote B. borrowed C. bought D. rented
51.A. workmates B. parents C. clients D. readers
52.A. remained B. showed C. spread D. appeared
53.A. give B. share C. offer D. leave
54.A. trouble B. shape C. debt D. comfort
55.A. honesty B. kindness C. teamwork D.gratefulness 第三部分：阅读理解（共两节，40分）
第一节（共15小题；每小题2分，共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，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

A
Online Degrees
Today, you can earn a degree from a major university without ever having sat in one of their classrooms. Many colleges and universities are offering online courses and degree programs now.
Online Learning Programs
With a computer and an Internet connection, you can earn a degree from home, work, or anywhere else for that matter. Online degree programs follow much the same routines as traditional learning, with a few twists. There are lectures, but they won't be in person. There are assignments (作业) , but you won't hand them to your instructor. In most situations, you are free to "go to class" when it fits your"schedule. If you get a phone call during class, you don't have to miss anything. If you get sick, you don't have to ask for someone's notes, and you just visit the lecture later.
You'll communicate with your instructor by e-mail, chat room and instant messaging. Your classroom will live in a special software program. Contrary to popular belief, you will have close contact with other students and the instructor.
Evaluating the Program
There are a lot of questions to ask before you make your selection, such as:
How do students interact with each other?
★Online programs can use chat rooms, instant messaging, teleconferencing, and video conferencing to communicate. The key is to find a program that has this interaction built into it and even requires it.
★What kind of reputation does the school have?
It may seem simple-a good school will have a good online program. This reputation,however, may not be as straightforward as you think. It's not uncommon for a great school to have a weak program or two. So you'd better look at the overall quality of the school and make a judgment.
The Employers' View
As more and more employees get online degrees and use them in the workforce(职场) , hiring managers will begin to feel more secure about the quality of education these people have.
56. In which way is online education special?
A. If you get sick, you'll miss the lecture.
B. There are lectures, but you don't need to meet the lecturers.
C. If you get a phone call during class, you will miss something.
D. There are assignments, and you must hand them to your instructor.
57. What is the most important part of online communication?
A. To use e-mails.
B. To look for a program with interaction.
C. To use chat rooms and instant messaging.
D. To use teleconferencing and video conferencing.
58. For whom is the passage probably written?
A. College students.
B. Hiring managers.
C. Adult students.
D. High school students.
B
General Electric has found robots far more productive in some work than human workers. In one case, a robot saved enough to pay for itself in ten months. At Ford Motor Company, about fifty small robots are deftly fitting light bulbs into dashboards and speakers into car radios.
The next phase（阶段）of the computer revolution may well turn out to be the robot revolution. Robots have been fixtures in comedy and science fiction for a long time, but the first
industrial robot wasn’t used in the United States until 1961. Industrial robots scarcely resemble the stereot yped humanoid with flashing eyes and a combinations chest. They’re basically just combinations of a computer with very deft and efficient producing machines. What’s really new, of course, is the extent to which these electronic wonders are transforming the way people work and the composition of the work force, especially in Japan. There are about 36,000 robots working in Japan and approximately 6,500 in the United States. In early 1982, Raymond Donovan, U.S. Secretary of Labor, predicted that by 1990 half the workers in U.S. factories would be specialists trained to service and repair robots.
It’s easy to see why these “steel-collar workers”can be preferable to their human counterparts(同仁). They cause fewer personnel problems: they're never absent, and they never ask for more holidays, take vacations, or file grievances. They also give more consistent attention to quality control, are more efficient and effective performers, and are definitely cheaper to keep. Robots, which cost about $30,000 to $150,000 each, usually work two shifts a day. The displaced workers would draw salaries and benefits of about $790,000 a year. However, robots still cannot replace all aspects of the human worker. The automated factory is feasible(可行的), but when it comes to reason and informed decisions, robots are still in the same league with machines, at least for now.
59. The details given in the underlined sentences in Paragraph 2 __________.
A. illustrate the technical superiority of Japanese technology over American technology
B. warn against the possibility that robot workers will replace human workers
C. show the growth in acceptance of robot workers worldwide
D. prove the need to catch up with Japanese technology
60. In Line 3 Paragraph 1, the word “deftly” means ___________.
A. clumsily
B. expensively
C. lightly
D. skillfully
61. In this passage, the author shows preference in favor of ________.
A. General Electric
B. steel-collar workers
C. more factory personnel
D. Ford Motor
62. The writer of this passage probably __________.
A. sees a role for both robot and human factory workers
B. wants to see more robots employed in factories
C. feels threatened by robots
D. believes robots make manufacturing much easier
C
Each year about 250,000 Americans study in other countries. Some study-abroad programs are trying harder to get students to learn about the local culture. One student on his first morning in Beijing was brought to a distant part of the city. He received money and instructions on how to get back. It took some time but he succeeded.
William Finlay, head of the sociology department at the University of Georgia in the United States, says, "It's absolutely crucial(关键的) that they know something about how people in other parts of the world live and think and how they behave. Often those students go in large groups and they hang around with each other. We felt that they really weren't getting to know the local inhabitants（居民）."
In 2008, Professor Finlay started a program with South Africa's Stellenbosch University. The program combines traditional classroom learning with community involvement through a
nongovernmental organization, which is involved with two things: a number of crèches(托儿所) and the library in the community where there are some co mputers. “Our students typically work either with the little kids in the day cares or they work in the library and teach very basic computer skills to mostly young adults,” Finlay says.
Hillary Kinsey, who is studying international affairs, spent three weeks in the Stellenbosch program. "It was interesting to learn the history of the area and the recent development with democracy and that sort of things, and then talk to these people and see what the social dynamics were, what the ethnic divisions were, how certain groups felt about other groups," she says.
Mark Lenhart is the executive director of CET Academic Programs. Each year, that company places more than one thousand students in semester and summer study programs in China, Jordan, the Czech Republic and other countries. They place students with local roommates. Students gain from that, though the experience is not always easy. "Not just in terms of language learning, but they also find the local culture can present challenges, and perhaps misunderstandings,” Lenhart says, “They have to adjust to local life. It's no longer OK just to have a little Chinese, for instance. If a student is studying Chinese, he wants to come home from a program like this fluent in Chinese."
63. Why was the student brought to a distant part of Beijing?
A. He had to learn about how to find his way back before learning Chinese.
B. The study-abroad program charged him so much that he decided to get some money back.
C. It was the first time he came to China, and was curious about anything.
D. He had to experience the life of the local Chinese people.
64. Why does Professor Finlay think students in the past couldn’t really learn a foreign language?
A. They didn’t get in touch with the local people.
B. They didn’t work hard and used to hang about in the local places.
C. They didn’t join in any study-abroad programs.
D. They didn’t learn anything about the foreign country before they went there.
65. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Activities provided by the study-abroad programs may be challenges for the students.
B. In the study-abroad programs, students can take part-time jobs in crèches or libraries.
C. Hillary Kinsey joined in the program in order to better study international affairs.
D. Mark Lenhart must have got adjusted to some foreign life while he studied the language.
66. Which of the following can be the title of the passage?
A. Study-abroad programs help you live in foreign cultures.
B. Study-abroad programs take deeper dive into local culture.
C. Professor Finlay started study-abroad programs.
D. Culture is of great importance in learning a foreign language.
D
Earlier this month, the Obama Administration called for increased protection of the world’s most southern continent, Antarctica. Scientists say climate change and human activity have increasingly led to the melting of massive pieces of Antarctic ice. The disappearance of ice will not only affect wildlife in the area such as seals and penguins. The melting will also cause oceans and seas around the world to rise.
This represents a major threat, especially to coastal areas. For example, the ancient city of Venice, Italy has long been threatened by rising sea levels. The situation is made worse by the fact that its ancient buildings, built on a body of water called a lagoon( 淡水湖), are slowly sinking. When the city was founded about 1,600 years ago, the level of the Adriatic Sea was almost two
meters lower than it is today.
Rising sea levels are not the only threat. The salty water is also destroying Venice’s famous buildings and artworks. The Italian government is trying to fix the problem with the construction of a seven-billion-dollar system of moving flood barriers.
Climate change is also leading to the melting of ice in other areas, such as Mount Kilimanjaro in northeastern Tanzania. It is the highest point in Africa, measuring almost 6,000 meters. The mountain supports five vegetation zones and many kinds of animals.
The ice glaciers on the mountain are disappearing very quickly. This will have a bad effect on the mountain’s ecosystems and on Tanzania’s travel industry. Also, a valuable record of thousands of years of weather history will also be lost if the ice melts. Scientists study pieces of glacier to understand weather patterns from thousands of years ago.
In the United States, the icy masses in Glacier National Park in Montana may soon completely disappear because of climate change. In 1850, there were an estimated 150 glaciers in the more than 400,000 hectare park.
There are 26 glaciers remaining today. Scientists estimate that the glaciers will be gone by 2030. Warming temperatures are also threatening the many kinds of plants and animals that live in this mountain ecosystem.
67. The writer developed the passage mainly by______.
A. giving examples
B. listing reasons
C. making comparisons
D. using quotations
68. How many glaciers disappeared since 1850 in Glacier National Park?
A. 150.
B. 26.
C. 400,000.
D. About 124.
69. According to the passage, what has been affected in Italy by rising sea levels?
A. Many kinds of plants and animals died out in Italy.
B. Venice’s famous buildings and artworks are being destroyed completely.
C. The ice glaciers on the mountain are disappearing very quickly.
D. Its ancient buildings could be drowned.
70. What could be the best title for the passage?
A. Climate Change
B. The Melting of Massive Pieces of Antarctic Ice
C. Visiting Endangered Places around the World
D. The disappearing of the Ice Glaciers
第二节（共5小题；每小题2分，共10分）
根据短文内容，从短文后的七个选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。

选项中有两项为多余选项。

Family Values
To understand a nation, you should first get to know its minimum unit-family. 71
In the US, upon reaching an appropriate age (usually between 18 and 21 years) , children are encouraged, but not forced, to "leave the nest" and begin an independent life. 72 Parents do not arrange marriages for their children, nor do children usually ask permission of their parents to get married. Young adults meet their future spouses (配偶) through other friends, at jobs, and in organizations and religious institutions. Although children choose their own spouses, they still hope their parents will approve of their choices.
Parents feel that children should make major life decisions by themselves in many families.
A parent may try to influence a child to follow a particular profession but the child is free to choose another job. 73 A son may deliberately decide not to go into his father's business because of a fear that he will lose his independence in his father's workplace. This independence from parents is not an indication that parents and children do not love each other. Strong love between parents and children is universal and this is no exception in the American family.
74 It is not like we Chinese. Parents are rulers and masters. We Chinese love our parents with fear and total respect. In America, children always have their own opinions and even can talk about some sensitive problems with their parents, like family financial situation, the
relationship between mother and father, and even sex.
75 Therefore, it is contrary that, on one hand, Americans admire independence and equality that they don't want to make sacrifice to make up a family, but on the other hand, Americans think highly of family in their value system.
A. In the American family, children and parents are equal.
B. It can reflect the traditional values and customs of a nation.
C. When it comes to big problems, children do not have to always follow their parents' ways.
D. After children leave home, they often find social relationship and financial support outside
the family.
E. Although Americans pay much attention to independence and equality, they don't believe in
making sacrifice.
F. Sometimes children do precisely the opposite of what their parents wish in order to declare
their independence.
G. Many of them are expected to leave what could be life's most important
decision-marriage-almost entirely up to luck.
第四部分写作(共两节，满分35分)
第一节短文改错(共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分)
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。

文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。

每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。

增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号(/\)，并在其下面写出该加的词。

删除：把多余的词用斜线(\)划掉。

修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。

注意：1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2. 只允许修改10处，多者(从第11处起)不计分。

The main purpose of newspapers are to provide news. If you examine newspapers close, you will find there are all sorts news: accidents, floods, fires, wars, sports, books, etc. The news covers everything that happen to people and its surroundings. Sometimes there is some news that is very interested. A news report is usually short, except when it is very important, and has plenty of messages. It is also written in shorter paragraphs. The first paragraph is in the fact a summary of the news. It gives all the necessary informations, including what, when, where, how, and why.
第二节书面表达(满分25分)
假如你是某高三学生李华，最近你顺利地考入了理想中的大学——北京大学（Peking University）。

请根据以下要点，用英文给高中的英语老师黄老师写一封信。

1. 告诉他你的喜讯；
2. 感谢黄老师在高中期间给你的帮助；
3. 对黄老师的评价；
4. 谈谈你上大学以后的打算。

注意：
1. 词数100左右(书信的开头和结尾已写好，不计入总词数)；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

Dear Mr. Huang,
How are you doing?
_____________________________________________________________________
Best wishes!
Yours,
Li Hua 三调答案
1-5CBAAC 6-10 ACBBC 11-15 BCABB 16-20 BACBA
21-25ABCAD 26-30ABDAC 31-35CBDBC
36——40 BDACA 41--45 DBCCA 46--50 DACBA 51--55 DCABD
56-60BBCCD 61-65BACAA 66-70BADDC 71-75BDFAE
短文改错The main purpose of newspapers are(is) to provide news. If you examine newspapers close(closely), you will find there are all sorts(of) news: accidents, floods, fires, wars, sports, books, etc. The news covers everything that happen(happens) to people and its (their)surroundings. Sometimes there is some news that is very interested(interesting). A news report is usually short, except when it is very important, and (but)has plenty of messages.. It is also written in shorter（short）paragraphs. The first paragraph is in the （去掉）fact a summary of the news. It gives all the necessary informations(information), including what, when, where, how, and why.
Dear Mr. Huang,
How are you doing? I’m now so excited to tell you that I’ve been admitted into my ideal university — Peking University. Here I would like to say thanks to you for helping me with my English during the past several years, because without your help, I wouldn’t have been successful. You are one of the best teachers I have ever met. Kind and knowledgeable, you always have a way to make your classes lively and interesting. And I will never forget the happy time spent with you, as well as your encouragement. Dear Mr. Huang, I will make every effort to enrich my knowledge and improve my abilities at university so that I can serve our country in the future.
Best wishes!
Yours,
Li Hua 听力录音材料Text 1
M: How much are these bags?
W: The red ones sell for $5.5 each and the green ones for $6.8 each.
M: I’ll take two of the cheaper ones then.
Text 2
M: Mr. Cheng’s briefing seems to go on forever. I was hardly able to stay awake.
W: How could sleep through that? I think it was very important for the work we are going to carry out.
M: Sorry! I promise I’ll listen carefully.
Text 3
W: What do you plan to do on your vocation?
M: I’m just going to be lazy at home. I will probably do some gardening, watch TV and work on my stamp collection. However, I once volunteered to protect our plant in the west.
Text 4
M: You can sit in my place if you like a window seat.
W: Oh, it’s very kind of you, but mine is right over a wing. I would be able to see anything.
Thanks anyway.
Text 5
M: What’s the matter with you, Mary? You looked tired.
W: I didn’t sleep well last night.
M: Maybe a stomachache or headache?
W: Neither. The noise almost drove me mad.
Text 6
M: I’d like to make an appointment with the doctor, please.
W: OK. How about the day after tomorrow on Wednesday at 4:00 pm?
M: Do you happen to have an opening in the morning?
W: Um…How about tomorrow at 8:00 am or Thursday at 8:15 am?
M: Uh, do you have anything earlier?
W: No, I’m sorry.
M: Well, in that case, tomorrow would be fine.
W: What’s the purpose of your visit?
M: Well, to tell you the truth, I fell from a ladder two days ago while painting my house, and my foot landed in a can and it was badly hurt.
Text 7
W: Do you have anything particular on this evening?
M: No, I’ve got a lot of time to kill.
W: Well, then. Won’t you come over to dinner and have a game of Mahjong afterwards?
M: With pleasure.
W: You were not so eager about Mahjong before.
M: That’s because I didn’t know the fun of playing it then. Why is Mahjong such a popular game, do you know?
W: I’ve got no idea. I only know that foreigners are beginning to take an interest in it, besides their old card games.
M: That’s right. Some of them are already experts.
W: Indeed they are. But the trouble about Mahjong is once you’re interested in it, you can’t shed it off.
M: Yes. Once I went crazy over other hobbies such as stamp collecting and reading, but I find them very boring now.
W: I’m sure your former hobbies are more beneficial.
M: I can’t deny that, and I can’t help it, either.
W: The bell’s ringing. That must be our partners.
Text 8
W: How’s your first day on the job going?
M: Fine.
W: I’m glad to hear that. Tell me, have you ever used a floor-polishing machine before?
M: No, I haven’t. Could you show me how?
W: Certainly. First, spray the wax on the floor.
M: I see.
W: Then, press here to turn the machine on … Okay so far.
M: I follow you.
W: Then, polish the floor with a back-and-forth motion like this. Do you think you’ve got that?。