2013.1-松江区高三年级英语学科期末试卷

松江区高三年级英语学科期末考试

（考试时间120分钟，满分150分）2013.01 考生注意：

1.本试卷分为第Ⅰ卷和第Ⅱ卷两部分。全卷共10页。满分150分。考试时间120分钟。

2.答第Ⅰ卷前，考生务必在答题纸上用钢笔或圆珠笔清楚填写姓名、准考证号，并用铅笔在答题卡上正确涂写准考证号。

3.第Ⅰ卷（1-16小题，25-80小题）由机器阅卷，答案必须全部涂写在答题卡上。考生应将代表正确答案的小方格用铅笔涂黑。注意试题题号和答题纸编号一一对应，不能错位。答案需要更改时，必须将原选项擦去，重新选择。答案不能涂写在试卷上，涂写在试卷上一律不给分。第Ⅰ卷中的第17-24小题, 第81-84小题和第Ⅱ卷的试题，其答案用钢笔或圆珠笔写在答题纸上，如用铅笔答题，或写在试卷上也一律不给分。

第I卷（105分）

I. Listening Comprehension

Section A

Directions: In section A, you will hear ten short conversations between two speakers. At the end of each conversation, a question will be asked about what was said. The conversation and the question will be spoken only once. After you hear a conversation and the question about it, read the four possible answers on your paper, and decide which one is the best answer to the question you have heard.

1. A. Because she doesn’t want to post it. B. Because she hasn’t written the letter.

C. Because she has forgotten to do it.

D. Because she has lost the letter.

2. A. All right. B. Fantastic. C. Awful. D. Nice.

3. A. 2. B. 5. C.

4. D. 3.

4. A. He often teaches English in his free time.

B. He is an American teacher.

C. He often teaches English without charging any money.

D. He gives three English lessons each week.

5. A. The supermarket around the corner will be closed.

B. The supermarket around the corner needs some shop assistants.

C. The employees will leave the supermarket around the corner.

D. There will be a big sale in the supermarket around the corner.

6. A. 7:30. B. 9:30. C. 10:30. D. 8:40.

7. A. The woman stays in a hospital. B. The woman is ill.

C. The man’s got wrong information.

D. The man is ill.

8. A. They will look for the car key. B. They will drive to town.

C. They will eat.

D. They will cook the dishes.

9. A. She needs some training. B. She needs to be more clever.

C. She needs more experience.

D. She needs some more skills.

10. A. To go to the foreign country he has chosen. B. To take the exam.

C. To work in the work unit.

D. To ask the teacher for help.

Section B

Directions: In section B, you will hear two short passages, and you will be asked three questions on each of the passages. The passages will be read twice but the questions will be spoken only once. When you hear a question, read the four possible answers on your paper and decide which one would be the best answer to the question you have heard.

Questions 11 through 13 are based on the following passage.

11. A. Simple. B. Quick. C. Complicated. D. Interesting.

12. A. He’d paid just enough. B. He’d paid more than he should have.

C. He’d paid as much as usual.

D. He’d paid less than he should have.

13. A. To send him a new tax form. B. To return the money over-paid.

C. To remind him of paying the tax.

D. To explain the rules of tax-paying.

Questions 14 through 16 are based on the following passage.

14. A. Having latest fashions. B. Owning a lot of money.

C. Having nothing at all.

D. Small things in life.

15. A. Because they feel nervous most of the time.

B. Because they have to well treat others.

C. Because of the pressure from school work.

D. Because of puberty problems and too much protectiveness of parents.

16. A. Playing sports. B. Eating fast food.

C. Having close friends.

D. Living a stable life.

Section C

Directions: In section C, you will hear two longer conversations. The conversations will be read twice. After you hear each conversation, you are required to fulfill in the numbered blanks with the information you have heard. Write your answers on your answer sheet.

Complete the form. Write no more than THREE WORDS for each answer.

II. Grammar and Vocabulary

Section A

Directions: Beneath each of the following sentences there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one answer that best completes the sentence.

25.The company said as well as giving customers faster Internet, 4G would also be _____ big

benefit to businesses.

A. for

B. of

C. with

D. to

26. Instead of having to choose one or the other, we can benefit from _____ of the approaches.

A. every

B. all

C. both

D. another

27. Dr. Margaret Chan was eventually selected as the world’s top health offici al and it is the first

time that a Chinese _____ such a high-ranking U.N. post.

A. holds

B. had held

C. will hold

D. has held

28. -- English is hard to learn, isn’t it?

-- I don’t think so. _____ more words and expressions, and you will find it easier to read and communicate.

A. Knowing

B. Know

C. To know

D. Known

29. We have found out the old in the village _____.

A. requires caring for

B. require taking care of

C. require being taken care of

D. requires to care for

30. The media center for the 18th CPC National Congress launched its official website _____

service to both domestic and overseas press and readers.

A. being offered

B. offered

C. having offered

D. to offer

31. The scientists have made an exhaustive study of the virus _____ many people have been

infected.

A. to which

B. in which

C. with which

D. for which

32. The Swedish Academy announced in Stockholm on October 11 that Mo Yan would receive

the 2012 Nobel Prize for Literature, _____ him the first Chinese national to win the award.

A. making

B. to make

C. having made

D. made

33. People are looking forward to the new, smaller iPad mini that _____ on sale in the coming

season.

A. has gone

B. will go

C. go

D. goes

34. It doesn’t matter _____ you choose to go to the UK or the USA -- both countries have a good

fame for their higher education.

A. whether

B. how

C. if

D. when

35. Everything was placed exactly _____ he wanted it for cooking the big meal.

A. while

B. where

C. when

D. though

36. Larry Walters’ story is true, _____ you may find it hard to believe.

A. since

B. even though

C. as if

D. if

37. Only during four major holidays, _____ the a toll-free（免费的) journey in highway.

A. Chinese drivers can enjoy

B. can enjoy Chinese drivers

C. do Chinese drivers can enjoy

D. can Chinese drivers enjoy

38. It was Hurricane Sandy, a destructive storm, in October _____ destroyed the east coast of the

United States.

A. when

B. which

C. that

D. it

39. _____ by Taobao 4 years ago, the massive promotion campaign on Nov. 11, Singles’ Day, has

seen the fiercest competition among Chinese online retailers.

A. Having initiated

B. Being initiated

C. Initiating

D. Initiated

40. The government has promised to do _____ helps to solve the problem of unemployment.

A. everything

B. whatever

C. anything

D. whichever

Section B

Directions: Complete the following passage by using the words in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A stable post in government offices is what thousands of millions of well-educated young people have been dying for. This year, a total of 1.5 million people ___41___ for the national civil servant examination in China, ___42___ another impressive record in the number of young people ___43___ for government jobs, often with odds of hundreds to one. In the northeastern city of Harbin, for example, 440 openings for drivers, ___44___ and cleaners in the municipal public sanitation service drew more than 7,000 ___45___ from young people under 30 and almost half of them were college graduates.

The ___46___ shift in young people’s job preferences in recent years has analysts and educators worried. Many applicants are ___47___ to the stability of government jobs in a time of increasing economic uncertainty, but some experts say that young people, ___48___ recent college graduates, should be more adventurous and entrepreneurial. They should beware of settling down into comfortable government jobs that offer little in ___49___ of career progression or personal growth.

III. Reading Comprehension

Section A

Directions: For each blank in the following passage there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C and D. Fill in each blank with the word or phrase that best fits the context.

It is reported that an issue happened in Zhejiang province.

A collective appeal by a group of villagers to the government of Zhenhai district in Ningbo, Zhejiang, to ___50___ the building of a chemical plant in their village was not triggered by the project itself, but by the villagers’ ___51___ at the lack of information provided, an article in the Beijing News says.

The plant will produce paraxylene (PX), a highly polluting petrochemical that can ___52___ cause cancer. Research suggests there is not enough evidence to link the substance to cancer.

A(n) ___53___ petrochemical factory in Zhenhai, which was built in 1975, processes 21 million tons of crude oil each year. The new PX plant will process 15 million tons of crude oil every year, according to the newspaper.

At f irst sight, the villagers’ ___54___ partly originated from the plan proposed by the local government to ___55___ their losses and to relocate them. The land will be used for purposes relating to the project.

___56___, the article says that the project actu ally mainly aroused the villagers’ anger due to the local government not talking with them ___57___ about both compensation and ___58___.

It goes on to say that although ___59___ had all the relevant details, the villagers were left

___60___ when they requested information concerning their health and future.

The article suggests that the local government draw lessons from the incident and establish effective communication ___61___ in order to respect the right of villagers to ___62___ such information.

After receiving the information they ___63___, the villagers would be more certain about their future and their suspicions could be ___64___, the article concludes.

50. A. protect B. persevere C. predict D. prevent

51. A. enjoyment B. anger C. passion D. laziness

52. A. definitely B. specially C. probably D. potentially

53. A. past B. deserted C. existing D. closed

54. A. concern B. excitement C. dissatisfaction D. delight

55. A. make out B. make for C. make up for D. make of

56. A. Therefore B. However C. Briefly D. Moreover

57. A. impatiently B. effectively C. negatively D. vividly

58. A. relocation B. health C. pollution D. production

59. A. manufacturers B. authorities C. plants D. the public

60. A. in the dark B. at the bottom C. around the corner D. beyond description

61. A. channels B. canals C. tunnels D. events

62. A. convey B. present C. access D. eliminate

63. A. owned B. doubted C. owed D. required

64. A. removed B. enhanced C. existed D. proved

Section B

Directions: Read the following three passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage you have just read.

(A)

FROM THE CHINESE PRESS (Grandpa's not-so-happy tale) An old villager traveled all the way from Hubei province to Nanjing Jiangsu province to see his grandchild. But his son, instead of letting him spend time with his grandchild, put him up in hotel. The old man felt humiliated because he thought his son had treated him indifferently because he was poor. The son should definitely be criticized for his action, but at the same time it

is important to analyze the incident rationally, says an article in Qilu Evening News. Excerpts: The case of the old man from Hubei is another tragic Chinese family drama. Chinese tradition does not allow a son to shut out his father from his family. But criticizing the son’s action without knowing the details may not be a good idea.

It indeed was inappropriate for the son not to take his father to his house. But it is equally inappropriate to accuse him of being heartless for picking up his father at the railway station and putting him up in a hotel. It is possible that the son had private reasons for not taking his father home. Perhaps he didn’t want to burden his father with additional worries that he could have felt had he gone to his house.

We should not jump to conclusions w ithout knowing why the son didn’t take the old man to his house. It is not rational to say that the son is ashamed of his father because he is a poor rural resident. When facts are not clear, making efforts to find them is more important than leveling accusations against a person.

65. Which of the following words can be used to replace the underlined word ―rational‖ in

paragraph 3 ____________.

A. sensible

B. unreasonable

C. reachable

D. sensitive

66. Which of the following is correct according to the passage?

A. The old villager traveled all the way to borrow money from his son.

B. The son should be accused of being heartless whatever the reason is.

C. It is not proper for the son not to take his father to his house even if there is some reason.

D. The son is ashamed of his father just because he is a poor rural resident.

67. According to the writer’s analysis, we should ____________.

A. help the son to explain the reason to the public.

B. find out the reason why the son treated his father like that

C. criticize the son for his action

D. draw the conclusion that the son’s behavior is agai nst Chinese tradition

68. The writer’s attitude toward the son’s way of treating his father is ____________.

A. critical

B. favorable

C. objective

D. negative

(B)

Events Calendar

TUESDAY

Landscape Pests

Learn to identify, control and prevent seasonal landscape-disease and landscape-pest problems at the workshop, 3:30 pm. – 5 pm. Tuesday at the US National Arboretum, 3501 New York Ave NE, Washington. $15; registration required.

202-245-4521 or https://www.wendangku.net/doc/966774502.html,.

THROUGH AUG. 3

Horticultural(园艺的) Art

Watercolours, pen-and-ink drawings and coloured-pencil pieces by the Brookside Gardens School of Botanical (植物学的) Art and Illustration will be on display at the exhibit Botanic 2007: The Art and Science of Plants at Brookside Gardens Visitors Center, 1800 Glenallan Ave, Wheaton,

through Aug. 3. Free. 301-962-1400 or https://www.wendangku.net/doc/966774502.html,.

THROUGH SEPT. 9

Botanical Art

Visit Patterns in Nature, an exhibit by Amy Lamb featuring photographs of flowers, leaves and other botanical life, at the US Botanic Garden Conservatory, West Orangerie, 100 Maryland Ave SW, Washington, through Sept. 9. The conservatory is open 10 am. –5 pm. Daily. Free. 202-225-8333.

THROUGH OCT. 8

Botanic Garden Exhibit

Celebrating America’s Public Gardens is on view through Oct. 8 at the US Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave SW, Washington. The exhibit, on the Conservatory Terrace and in the National Garden, features displays of 20 public botanic gardens across the country. Hours are 10 am. – 5 pm. Daily. Free. 202-200-8956.

69. If you want to record your name for an event in advance, you may call ____________.

A. 202-225-8333

B. 202-245-4521

C. 301-962-1400

D. 202-200-8956

70. If you go to Botanic Garden Exhibit, you ____________.

A. can enjoy drawings and coloured-pencil pieces

B. can learn how to kill pests living on the plants

C. can find displays of 20 botanic gardens across the country

D. will enjoy the photographs of flowers and leaves

71. From the advertisement, we learn ____________.

A. you can find the information of all the events either by phone or by e-mail

B. all of the events are free of charge

C. there is no time limit to all the events

D. the first event is about growing healthy plants

(C)

The new year has come and it is time for those about to graduate to look for jobs. Competition is so tough that job seekers must carefully consider their personal choices for clothes. Whatever they are wearing，their family and friends may accept them, but the workplace may not.

A high school newspaper editor said it is unfair for companies to discourage visible tattoos (纹身), nose rings, or certain dress styles. It is true you can’t judge a book by its cover, yet people do ―cover‖ themselves in order to convey certain messages. What we wear, including tattoos and nose rings, is an expression of who we are. Just as people convey messages about themselves with their appearances, so do companies. Dress standards exist in the business world for a number of reasons, but the main concern is often about what customers accept.

Others may say how to dress is a matter of personal freedom, but for businesses it is more about whether to make or lose money. Most employers do care about the personal appearances of their employees, because those people represent the companies to their customers.

As a hiring manager I am paid to choose the people who would make the best impression on our customers. There are plenty of well-qualified candidates, so it is not wrong to reject someone who might disappoint my customers. Even though I am open-minded, I can’t expect all our

customers are.

There is nobody to blame but yourself if your set of choices does not match that of your preferred employer. No company should have to change to satisfy a candidate simply because he or she is unwilling to respect its standards, as long as its standards are legal.

72. The author’s attitude towards strange dress styles in the workplace may best be described as

____________.

A. enthusiastic

B. indifferent

C. negative

D. sympathetic

73. Which of the following is the newspaper editor’s opinion according to Paragraph 2?

A. Strange dress styles should not be encouraged in the workplace.

B. Candidates are supposed to wear whatever they would love to.

C. Candidates with tattoos or nose rings should be fairly treated.

D. People’s carrying tattoos, nose rings are regarded as guilty.

74. What can be inferred from the text?

A. Hiring managers try to make the best impression of themselves on their candidates.

B. What to wear is a matter of personal choice for companies.

C. Companies sometimes have to change to respect their candidates.

D. Candidates have to wear what companies prefer for an interview.

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

A. Reap What You Sow.

B. Think Before You Leap.

C. Repair The House Before It Rains.

D. Give The Monkey What He Wants.

Section C

Directions: Read the following text and choose the most suitable heading from A-F for each paragraph. There is one extra heading which you do not need.

Interview with Teen Millionaire Entrepreneur(企业家)

—Fraser Doherty

76. ________________

I developed a set of recipes where the jams are made entirely from fruits and fruit juice. They’re all natural, which is the typical feature of our product. After a year of development, I

managed to convince an ad agency to work with me on labels and a factory to work with me to produce the jam. Some of the big supermarkets in the country decided to take it on and I now supply about 500 shops across the U.K., including Tesco, which is one of the biggest retailers in the world.

77. ________________

Definitely, trying to convince one of the biggest jam manufacturers in the country to work with me to produce the jam was certainly very difficult. At first I was just going along with the set recipes. I had very little experience, no capital and just sort of an ambition to change the world of jam. I was rejected several times, but eventually I managed to convince one factory to work with me. They could see I am very enthusiastic and I’m putting everything I’ve got into trying to make this work.

78. _________________

When it first started out I didn’t, but as it grew，a couple of local entrepreneurs read about what I was doing and they thought that I reminded them of themselves when they were my age. They got in touch and we went out for coffee every month and I told them what I was trying to do. They explained things to me and told me stories of when they were first setting up. That was fantastic.

79. _________________

It’s certainly a challenge. I try to do things quickly and cut out things that aren’t necessary to do. I’m not very sure what the correct answer is and I’m probably not the most organized person in the world. I think entrepreneurs are often chaotic (混乱的) in the way they do things. I find myself working long hours.

80. __________________

There’s certainly a huge amount that I want to do just within jam. The po tential for international expansion is huge. The U.S. market is very appealing, so I’m starting to talk with some of the retailers over there. Eventually I’d like to develop jam for other food products. The next step is marmalade and peanut butter and growing that way over the next few years.

Section D

Directions: Read the passage carefully. Then answer the questions or complete the statements in the fewest possible words.

My wife and I recently completed a trip to China with China Highlights. It was a very memorable vacation. From start to finish, China Highlights was very helpful and supportive. The start of our trip began with an Internet search for a tour agency that would meet our needs and expectations. After reviewing and submitting questions to websites of many companies, we selected China Highlights. Our decision was based on the speed and content of their responses, along with the significant amount of support information provided both on their websites and in their emailed attachments. In addition, the proposed journey and price for a private tour including plane fares between cities and first class seats on a high speed train were strong incentives (激励) to select China Highlights. Their assistance and flexibility in finalizing the journey, with favorable payment terms, further convinced us that we made a good choice. We relied on his recommendations for several pre-departure and planning issues. Up to the time of departure,

Michael was always available to quickly response to our ongoing questions and ensured that we left fully prepared.

From the time that we first arrived in Beijing and at every destination of the trip, the guide and the driver were at the airport/train station with signs for us. Conversely, as we left each city, they took care in getting us to the proper check-in area on time, with enough instructions for us to easily continue boarding the transportation despite obvious communication issues since we can’t speak Chinese. In hindsight, our concerns about travelling between locations were unnecessary. Similarly, travelling throughout the cities, as we visited each attraction, was very comfortable. The guides kept us informed of historical and local information. One suggestion would be to pre-identify any sites to visit and have them included in the final journey rather than try to change during the visit.

The sights that we visited were most impressive. Obviously, The Great Wall, Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square, and the Terra Cotta Soldiers were everything we expected. The guides were very knowledgeable, and helped us understand many aspects of these areas.

After we returned home, China Highlights followed up to make sure that we were satisfied with our trip, and to get any feedback that we wanted to provide. They even addressed some minor issues that we cited. Overall, China Highlights went over and above our expectations.

(Answer the questions or complete the statements in NO MORE THAN 10 WORDS)

81. What made the couple choose China Highlights during their visit to China?

82. The overseas visitors were satisfied with China Highlights services except ________________.

83. During their visit, not only the sights but also ___________ made a great impression on them.

84. How did China Highlights improve its quality of service after the visitors finished their

journey?

第II卷（45分）

I. Translation

Directions: Translate the following sentences into English, using the words given in the brackets.

1. 越来越多的中国人能够出国旅行了。(afford)

2. 不久以后，一些药品的价格就会再一次下调。(before)

3. 依我看来，读英文报纸对我们学英语很有帮助。（helpful）

4. 人们总是坚持这一信念你愈接近大自然，就愈能了解它的美。( the more…, the more…)

5. 尽管规定禁止在课上使用手机，我的同桌还是时常忍不住玩手机游戏。（Despite）

Ⅱ. Guided Writing

Directions: Write an English composition in 120 - 150 words according to the instructions given below in Chinese.

随着生活节奏的不断加快，现代人所面临的压力越来越大, ―减压‖(to relieve pressure)成了人们津津乐道的话题。调查表明：网上聊天（chatting online）、旅游(travelling)、读书(reading)、听音乐(listening to music)等是最受人们欢迎的―减压‖方式。请你结合自己的生活实际从中选择两至三种你最喜欢的―减压‖方式，并分别说说它们如何起到减压的效果。

参考答案

I. Listening Comprehension

Section A 1-----10 BCDCD BCDAB

Section B 11-----13 CDB 14----16 DDB

Section C

17. three 18. sleepy 19. history 20. necessarily

21. five years 22. operating systems 23. Website 24. foreign coffee shop

II. Grammar and Vocabulary

Section A

25----29 BCDBB 30-----34 DCABA 35-----40 BBDCD B

Section B 41-49 EIBHFJCDA

III. Reading Comprehension

Section A50-----54 DBDCC 55-----59 CBBAB 60-----64 AACDA

Section B 65-----68 ACBC

69-----71 BCD

72-----75 BADD

Section C76-----80 FDA EB

Section D

81. That China Highlights was very helpful and supportive/ The speed and content of their

responses/the significant amount of support information.

82. changing final journey during the visit.

83. the knowledgeable and helpful guides/ the guide and the driver/ China Highlights.

84. It followed up to get any feedback/ It addressed some minor issues that visitors/ they cited.

第II卷

I.Translation

1. More and more Chinese can/are able to afford to travel abroad.

2. It will not be long before the price/prices of some medicine is/are reduced again.

3. In my opinion, reading English newspapers is most/ very helpful to our English learning.

4. People always hold to the belief that the closer you stay/are to nature, the more you will appreciate her beauty.

5. Despite the rule that mobile phones are forbidden in class, my desk-mate still can’t help

playing phone games occasionally.

Ⅱ. Guided Writing

听力文字

I. Listening Comprehension (30%)

Section A Short Conversations

Directions: In section A, you will hear ten short conversations between two speakers. At the end of each conversation, a question will be asked about what was said. The conversation and the question will be spoken only once. After you hear a conversation and the question about it, read the four possible answers on your paper, and decide which one is the best answer to the question you have heard.

1. M: Have you posted the letter yet?

W: I’m afraid I haven’t written it yet because I’m busy.

Q: Why hasn’t the woman posted the letter?

2. M: How do you like the food in this Italian restaurant?

W: To tell you the truth, I will never come here again.

Q: What does the woman think of the food in the restaurant?

3. M: Tell me about the house you’ve recently bought.

W: Well, it has a living room, and three bedrooms and a dining room.

Q: How many bedrooms are there in the woman’s house?

4. M: Steven is a good man.

W: Yes, he often gives free English lessons to others.

Q: What does the woman say about Steven?

5. M: Have you heard that a sale will be held in the supermarket around the corner?

W: Yes, I heard it on the radio yesterday. Shall we go?

Q: What will be held in the supermarket around the corner?

6. M: Excuse me. When will the 7:30 bus arrive?

W: It will be two hours late because of bad weather.

Q: When will the bus arrive?

7. M: Mary, how are you today? I was told you were ill.

W: You must be wrong. I’ve never felt better than ever before.

Q: What do we learn from this conversation?

8. M: Can you help me to find my car key? I’ll drive to town.

W: I’ll look for it later. Right now I need your help in cooking the dishes so that you can eat and go.

Q: What will they do first?

9. M: Linda wants to apply for this job, but she isn’t qualified, I’m afraid.

W: But she’s very clever. What she needs now is training.

Q: What does the woman think Linda should do?

10. M: If I can pass this exam, I can go to the foreign country I have selected.

W: If not, you have to keep working in the same work unit.

Q: What’s the most important work for the man now?

Section B Passages

Directions: In section B, you will hear two short passages, and you will be asked three questions on each of the passages. The passages will be read twice but the questions will be spoken only once.

When you hear a question, read the four possible answers on your paper and decide which one would be the best answer to the question you have heard.

Questions 11 through 13 are based on the following passage.

It is difficult for a man to be quite sure what tax he ought to pay to the government because it depends on so many different things: whether the man is married; how many children he has;

whether he supports any relations; how much interest he receives; how much he has spent on his house during the year, and so on. All this makes it difficult to decide exactly how much the tax is.

There was a certain artist who was always very careful to pay the proper amount.

One year, after posting his check as usual, he began to wonder if he had paid enough, and after a lot of work, with a pencil and paper, decided that he had not. He believed that he owed the government something.

He was just writing another check to send to the tax-collector when the postman dropped a letter into the box at the front door. Opening it, the artist was surprised to find inside it a check for five pounds from the tax-collector. The official explained that too much had been paid, and therefore the difference was now returned to the taxpayer.

(Listen to it again)

Questions:

11. According to the passage, what is it like to decide the exact amount of tax to be paid?

12. What did the artist conclude after a lot of work about the tax he had paid?

13. Why did the tax-collector send a letter to the artist?

Questions14 through 16 are based on the following news.

For 15-year-old Ellie Wilson from London, going through the upset period between childhood and adulthood is ―a pain‖. However, she also enjoys happy times with friends, even though they have a lot of arguments.

Wilson’s generation have all the latest fashions and electronic appliances. But owning them does not necessarily make them happier. New research shows that it is the simple things in life that please us most. A sense of belonging clearly has an influence on how satisfied people are.

Children with lots of friends are reported to have higher levels of happiness than those without.

Close friends, playing sports and a stable home life are more important to a teenager’s happiness than the wealth of their parents, according to a study published this month.

Children who live with both their parents were happier than those living in single families and step family relationships.

Diet plays an important role too. Children who have fewer than five portions of fruit and vegetables a day or who eat fast food most days tend to be less happy.

The study also finds that girls make up both the happiest and least happy groups of children.

Older girls are unhappier because they are going through puberty and their parents become more

protective. Girls also become very conscious of the way they look and the way they are treated. In general boys don’t face the same pressures.

(Listen to it again)

Questions:

14. What is it shown in the research that makes us happy?

15. Why are older girls unhappier than other groups of children?

16. Which is not included in the important factors that bring happiness to teenagers?

Section C Longer Conversations

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W: Gosh, Fred, another cup of coffee? That’s your third since lunch.

M: Yeah, well, I stayed up all night preparing for my history exam. I couldn’t keep my eyes open in my last class. I’m having this coffee so I can stay awake this afternoon.

W: Don’t you know that drinking too much coffee is harmful?

M: What do you mean by ―harmful‖?

W: Well, for one thing, it may cause heart disease.

M: I don’t think so. Most of the research about the link between coffee and heart disease has not led to a conclusion.

W: Studies have shown that coffee makes you work fast but not necessarily better. You may finish your exam in a shorter period of time, but you won’t have fewer mistakes.

M: But I like the taste of coffee. I want something that’ll keep me awake in class.

(Listen to it again)

Blanks 21 through 24 are based on the following conversation.

W: Okay, Mr. Taylor, let’s go ahead and beg in. First of all, tell me about your last job.

M: Well, as stated on my resume, I worked for five years at Hi Tech Computers.

W: Okay. Hi Tech. And what do you know about computer networks and operating systems? M: Umm…well…I did come in contact with compu ters every night at my last job.

W: Hum! … And how about website authoring skills? We are looking for someone to create and manage our company’s website which would include the development and use of CGI scripts. M: Umm… uh, web page, web page. Huh… I don’t think I’ve read that book, and I’m afraid I’ve never used those CGI things.

W: Huh?! And what about experience with Java or Java Script?

M: Well… I think I’ve tried Java at a foreign coffee shop one time, if that’s what you mean.

W: Okay, Mr. Taylor, I think I have all the information I need!

M: Oh, and I really like computer games. I play them every day.

W: Right, right. Thanks Mr. Taylor. We’ll be in touch.

(Listen to it again)

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