英语2012.5
本试卷分第Ⅰ卷(选择题)和第Ⅱ卷(非选择题)两部分。满分120分，考试时间120分钟。
第Ⅰ卷(选择题共85分)
第一部分：听力(共两节，满分20分)
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. Where will the woman most probably go?
A. To the fourth floor.
B. To the third floor.
C. To the second floor.
()2. How does the man look?
A. Very tired.
B. Very well.
C. Very excited.
()3. Who has given up smoking?
A. Jack.
B. Frank.
C. The woman.
()4. What does the man plan to do first?
A. To tour in a city.
B. To see his brother.
C. To go back home.
()5. What does the woman feel scared of?
A. Attending an important party.
B. Hosting an important party.
C. Missing an important party.
第二节(共15小题；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。每段对话或独白读两遍。
听第6段材料，回答第6、7题。
()6. Where are the two speakers?
A. In a hotel.
B. In a theater.
C. At home.
()7. What does the man want to do?
A. To see a play.
B. To play football.
C. To watch TV.
听第7段材料，回答第8、9题。
()8. Where is the woman going?
A. To Paris.
B. To Amsterdam.
C. To Malaga.
()9. What is the most probable relationship between the two speakers?
A. Friends.
B. Husband and wife.
C. Strangers.
听第8段材料，回答第10至第12题。
()10. What is the woman's destination?
A. The 16th Street.
B. Battery Park.
C. A bookshop.
()11. Why does she want to make a stop at Union Square?
A. Because she is late.
B. Because she wants to buy something there.
C. Because Sally is waiting for her there.
()12. What can we know about the man speaker?
A. He is a bus driver.
B. He is a taxi driver.
C. He is a passer－by.
听第9段材料，回答第13至第16题。
()13. What is the man's problem?
A. His passport is missing.
B. He can't find his traveler's checks.
C. He has lost his credit card.
()14. What did the man buy in the department store yesterday?
A. A sports suit.
B. A pair of sunglasses.
C. A pair of trainers.
()15. Where does this conversation most likely take place?
A. At the boss' office.
B. At the Lost and Found.
C. At the police station.
()16. What can we know about the man from the conversation?
A. He is too careless.
B. He likes shopping.
C. He is traveling abroad.
听第10段材料，回答第17至第20题。
()17. Which month means different for sports fans?
A. October.
B. September.
C. August.
()18. Where will the World Series of Little League Baseball be held?
A. New York City.
B. Pennsylvania.
C. New York State.
()19. When is the Opening night of the National Basketball Association?
A. October 31st.
B. August 27th.
C. October 21st.
()20. What is true about the song “Take Me Out to the Ball Game”？
A. It was written by a baseball fan.
B. It was written for a baseball team.
C. It was written over 100 years ago.
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。
()21. For many people, paper is ________ better material, because ________ process for recycling paper seems much easier.
A. the; a
B. a; the
C. /; a
D. the; /
()22. It's important to learn how the whole system works. Sometimes, ________，it's the details that interest us the most.
A. therefore
B. meanwhile
C. furthermore
D. though
()23. ________ the reason, it is for sure that yawning can be passed from person to person.
A. Whatever
B. Wherever
C. Whichever
D. However
()24. According to the newly passed Road Traffic Safety Law, there are now tougher ________ for drunken drivers.
A. principles
B. penalties
C. proposals
D. prejudices
()25. Your brain uses information from both your nose and your tongue to ________ what something tastes like.
A. point out
B. give out
C. figure out
D. pick out
()26. They felt ________ it was high tax and low income ________ contributed to the
extreme misery of the working people at the bottom of the ladder.
A. /；that
B. that; which
C. that; what
D. /; which
()27. —He's never done this type of work before; I'm not sure whether he can fit in with the other employees.
—Don't worry. I believe he can ________it.
A. try
B. organize
C. negotiate
D. manage
()28. Many grocery stores use misting, a process ________ vegetables are sprayed with water, to keep vegetable fresh.
A. which
B. that
C. what
D. where
()29. —How come everything tastes bitter?
—Well, things ________ taste different to you when you are suffering a cold.
A. may
B. should
C. must
D. would
()30. Life abroad was not easy for him, and it was several years before he ________ the whole community.
A. had been familiar with
B. got familiar with
C. have been familiar with
D. would be familiar with
()31. Television lets us see history in the making. We can watch sports, political debates, trials and even wars ________．
A. breaking out
B. broken out
C. being broken out
D. broke out
()32. —How was the professor's lecture?
—Impressive. Thank you so much for giving me a lift during the rush hours. If not, I ________ the lecture today.
A. couldn't attend
B. might not have attended
C. mustn't have attended
D. can't have attended
()33. —Hello, John. This is Alice. I'm calling from work. How's your mother feeling?
—________. Mum is out of hospital, but she has to stay in bed a few more days.
A. You're welcome
B. That was thoughtful of you
C. What a pleasure
D. By all means
()34. —Has your brother found an apartment yet?
—No, he's still living in a room downtown, but I ________ him look.
A. help
B. have helped
C. am helping
D. helped
()35. When we think of trees at Christmas, there is ________ that immediately springs to mind－the evergreen tree beautifully decorated.
A. the one
B. that
C. it
D. one
第二节：完形填空(共20小题；每小题1分，满分20分)
请认真阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
“Good night, Yammine.”
“Good night, Chief，” I reply.
The cell door __36__ and I hear Chief's keys clinking as other doors clang shut further down the row. I step into my little cell and sit down. I glance up at the window, covered in mesh(铁网)，and think to myself, “This isn't a life, it's just a(n) __37__．”
Being __38__ makes me feel as though I'm being buried alive. I am a puppet(木偶) with people __39__ strings so that I eat, sleep and wake when they want me to.
I lie on my bed as night __40__ and think the same thoughts __41__. I think about how it all
went so wrong, and imagine how I will __42__ for all the time I've lost.
Every day I live the same routine and nothing changes except the people. Prisoners depart for other prisons, or get __43__. Others __44__ from different prisons, or fresh from custody. It's a __45__ revolving(旋转) door.
When I committed my __46__，I was a lost young boy, but now I am __47__. Walking around the yard, I would notice my fellow prisoners reading books and writing letters to friends and family, which upset me as my __48__ at school was limited.
I longed for the day when I'd be able to sit in the sun, enjoying a cup of coffee and reading a newspaper or book __49__ my choice. I also longed to write letters to my friends and family, sharing my thoughts and feelings.
I decided not to waste my time inside and, __50__，make the most of all the resources available to me. I started to learn and was __51__ to realize my dream.
Now, after five years' persistence, heartache and hard work, I have __52__ my goal. Having __53__ a course as a reading adviser, I can now help others to read and write. And I have even started a creative writing workshop at Junee Correctional Centre. Learning to read and write at a highter level has given me the inner strength to present myself in a more __54__ manner.
And the day I've dreamed about has come true: I now enjoy my cup of coffee with a book in my other hand. Learning to read and write has changed my life and this article is my first piece of “proper” writing, and it won't be my __55__．
()36. A. opens B. closes C. breaks D. sticks
()37. A. existence B. appearance C. offence D. holiday
()38. A. at school B. at home C. in hospital D. in prison
()39. A. pulling B. shaking C. winding D. casting
()40. A. becomes B. drops C. feels D. falls
()41. A. once and for all B. over and over again C. once again D. for good
()42. A. do up B. make up C. fix up D. mend up
()43. A. revealed B. sentenced C. punished D. released
()44. A. reach B. get C. arrive D. go
()45. A. continually B. occasionally C. accidentally D. rarely
()46. A. mistake B. crime C. error D. fault
()47. A. caught B. home C. found D. trapped
()48. A. attendance B. absence C. allowance D. assistance
()49. A. in B. of C. over D. by
()50. A. however B. instead C. thus D. nevertheless
()51. A. devoted B. dedicated C. determined D. decided
()52. A. gained B. recognized C. arrived D. achieved
()53. A. attended B. completed C. started D. organized
()54. A. positive B. negative C. sensitive D. passive
()55. A. best B. worst C. latest D. last
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，从短文后各题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。
A
Time was running out, and Mark Dickinson wasn't sure whether he'd get to see his dying 2－year－old grandson one last time. A long line at Los Angeles International Airport's security
checkpoint had kept him from getting to his gate on time.
His grandson Caden would be taken off life support in a matter of hours in Denver, Colorado, with or without his grandfather's presence, according to CNN affiliate KABC.
“I was kind of panicking because I was running late, and I really thought I wasn't going to make the flight，” Dickinson told KABC.
That's when a pilot from Southwest Airlines stepped up and held the flight at the gate until Dickinson arrived. The pilot was standing by the air bridge waiting for him when Dickinson arrived in socks, so rushed that he just grabbed his shoes at security and ran through the terminal.
“I told him, ‘Thank you so much. I can't tell you how much I appreciated that.’ And he said, ‘No problem. They can't leave without me anyway，’”Dickinson told KABC.
Authorities say Dickinson's grandson, Caden Rodgers, suffered a head injury after his mother's boyfriend threw him across the room. The boyfriend reportedly told police he was drunk and high on marijuana(大麻) at the time. The child later died and the boyfriend has been charged with first－degree murder, according to the Aurora Sentinel.
Thanks to the pilot, Dickinson made it to Colorado in time to say goodbye to his grandson. Most airlines would punish any staff member who holds up a flight, according to consumer advocate Christopher Elliott, who broke the story of the sympathetic pilot on his blog. However, a Southwest spokeswoman said the pilot's actions were praiseworthy.
“You can't hold a plane for every late customer, but I think we would all agree that these were extenuating(可以原谅的) circumstances and the pilot absolutely made the right decision，”Southwest spokeswoman Marilee McInnis said. “I don't think you could ask for a better example of great service for our custom ers.”
()56. According to the passage, which is the correct order of the following events?
a. The pilot held the plane for Dickinson.
b. People read the story of the pilot on the Internet.
c. Caden suffered a head injury.
d. Dickinson was waiting in line at the security checking point.
d. Marilee McInnis praised the pilot's actions.
A. d，c，a，b，e
B. c，a，d，b，e
C. c，d，a，b，e
D. d，a，b，c，e
()57. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
A. The security staff prohibited Dickinson from getting to his gate on time.
B. The plane couldn't leave without Dickinson according to the regulations.
C. Dickinson made it to see his grandson one last time.
D. Christopher Elliott holds the view that all the airlines should advocate similar actions.
()58. What can we infer from the passage?
A. The boyfriend of Caden's mother hates him very much.
B. The boyfriend has been accused of first－degree murder.
C. Many pilots enjoy writing blog.
D. Dickinson had to take off his shoes at the security cheekpoint.
()59. In writing this passage, the author mainly tells us a story about ________．
A. an unlucky man from Los Angeles making his flight
B. a poor boy being killed by his mother's boyfriend
C. Southwest Airlines' decision not to punish a pilot who held up the flight
D. a pilot holding the flight for a man going to see his dying grandson
B
Dear NMAI(National Museum of the American Indian) Supporter，
Old stereotypes(思维定式) die hard. And when it comes to the way Native Americans have been viewed throughout history and continue to be viewed today, the stories about life in Indian Country are sadly overshadowing the truths. Most Native Americans don't live in tipis(圆锥形帐篷), and we don't greet one another by saying, “How.”
To combat misconceptions like these, I need help from people who understand there's more to Native American cultures than the offensive cartoons that you see in movies and television.
I think that you might be one of these people.
Please join NMAI today and enjoy exclusive benefits like our full－color quarterly magazine American Indian, and Members－only discounts at all Smithsonian, NMAI Museum Stores, and at our Zagat－rated Mitsitam Native Foods Café.
Plus, through this email, you can take advantage of our special price of $22－more than 10% off our regular membership charge.
With your support, the National Museum of the American Indian can tell the story both past and present of Native life and culture in North, Central, and South America.
In just one visit to either of our Museums in Washington, DC, or New York City, you can watch a performance by traditional Native dancers... attend a lecture by a leading voice from the world of Native literature... spend an afternoon taking an informative audio tour of the Museum's distinctive grounds... and try your hand at Native crafts like pottery and beadwork. And for those who are unable to visit the museums in person, much of our extensive collection of more than 800，000 objects is cateloged on our website.
Only with your generosity can we share the Native story, awaken children to an interest in Native culture, and bring the Museum experience to people who can't travel to our Museums in person.
By joining the Museum today, you will take the first step in putting an end to the old stereotypes and long－held prejudices that have contributed to an incomplete picture of Native traditions and accomplishments.
Sincerely，
Kevin Gover
Director
()60. What is the author's intention in writing this letter?
A. To call for more people to join in volunteer work.
B. To carry out researches on Native Americans.
C. To invite more people to be members of the museum.
D. To raise more donations for the museum.
()61. Which of the following statements describes the life and culture of Native Americans correctly?
A. They are good at pottery and beadwork.
B. Most of them live in tipis.
C. They greet others by saying, “How.”
D. They like designing offensive cartoons.
()62. If you join NMAI, you can enjoy the following benefits except ________．
A. free full－color quarterly magazine American Indian
B. Members－only discounts at all Smithsonian
C. Members－only discounts for buying in NMAI Museum Stores
D. a free meal at Zagat－rated Mitsitam Native Foods Café
()63. Regular membership fee of the NMAI is about ________．
A. $30
B. $20
C. $15
D. $25
C
Catch yourself daydreaming while washing the dishes again? If this happens often you probably have a pretty capable working memory and a sharper brain, new research suggests.
This mind wandering, it seems, actually gives your working memory a workout. Working memory is the mental work space that allows the brain to juggle multiple thoughts at the same time. The more working memory a person has, the more daydreaming they can do without forgetting the task at hand.
Researchers studied groups of people from the University of Wisconsin－Madison community, ranging in age from 18 to 65. The volunteers were asked to perform simple tasks, like pressing a button every time they took a breath or clicking in response to a letter popping up on a computer screen; these tasks were so easy that their minds were likely to wander, the researchers figured.
The researchers checked in periodically, asking the participants if their minds were on task or wandering. When the task was over, they measured each participant's working memory capacity by having them remember letters while doing math questions. Though all participants performed well on the task, the researchers noticed that the individuals who indicated their minds had wandered more than others also scored higher on the working memory test.
“What this study seems to suggest is that, when circumstances for the task aren't very difficult, people who have additional working memory resources allocate them to think about things other than what they're doing，” said Jonathan Smallwood, a study researcher of the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitve and Brain Science.
When our minds run out of working memory, these off－topic thoughts can take the main stage without us consciously meaning them to; for instance, arriving at home with no memory of the actual trip, or suddenly realizing that they've turned several pages in a book without understanding any of the words.
“It's almost like your attention was so absorbed in the mind wandering that there wasn't any left over to remember your goal to read，” study researcher Daniel Levinson, said in a statement.
People with overall higher working memory were better able to stay focused when the task at hand required it. Those who had low working memory often had their thoughts drift away from the task, and did less well at it.
The findings add to past research suggesting these mind drifts can be positive moments. For instance, daydreaming has often been associated with creativity—researchers think that our most creative and inventive moments come when daydreaming. It's likely that the most intelligent among us also have high levels of working memory, Levinson noted.
()64. The word “juggle” in the second paragraph can be replaced by “________”．
A. handle
B. search
C. understand
D. distribute
()65. What can be concluded from Jonathan Smallwood's words?
A. People who often have daydreams probably own a pretty capable working memory.
B. On the working memory test, people with wandering minds will get high score.
C. Absorbed in the mind wandering, your attention left no space for your goal.
D. Dealing with some easy jobs, people with higher working memory will daydream.
()66. What is the best title of the passage?
A. Mind drifts are always positive.
B. Daydreaming is good for the mind.
C. Creative moments come with working memory.
D. The more daydreaming, the more effectively one works.
D
If California were not already so famous for Sillicon Valley(硅谷) and Hollywood, it might be well－known for the groups of water－technology firms in its San Diego County. The reverse －osmosis (RO) spiral module, the technique that supports turning seawater and waste－water into drinkable stuff, began in San Diego in 1964. Today dozens of firms in the area supply many of the world's approximately 13，000 RO plants in places from the Persian Gulf and Israel to Australia and China.
Southern California itself, however, has not so far been a big user of its own technology. This is surprising, given that the whole American south－west faces a water problem. But now as the climate gets warmer and the population increases, there is more agreement that the existing infrastructure, consisting of vast pipes that carry water from the Sacramento Delta in the north and the Colorado River in the east, will not be enough. In places such as San Diego, which has inadequate and salty groundwater and currently imports 90% or its water, the answers must be greater conservation, reusing as much water as possible, and getting most of the rest from the sea.
The first part, conservation, has been widely accepted by the public. San Diego today uses less water with a larger population than it did in 1989, the year water consumption peaked. The second part, water recycling has been a hard sell, because of an unpleasant factor. Americans still use the term “toilet－to－tap”for recycling, even though properly treated waste－water is nowadays completely clean. Singapore made its programme acceptable in part by renaming it as NEWater.
This is where desalination comes in, which means taking the salt out of salt water. A firm called Poseidon Resources is now close to building the biggest desalination plant in America behind a power station by the beach in Carlsbad. The power plant sucks in 304m gallons of seawater a day for cooling, so Poseidon plans to change 104m gallons a day by using the RO spiral module.
Lots of people like the idea. Once fully running in 2015, the plant could produce 10% of the region's water. And there are plans for more desalination plants. Many places would need to take much less water from the endangered Colorado River. But a few people hate it a lot. Joe Geever, an expert in biology, says desalination uses too much energy and that Poseidon plant would kill too much sea life. He understands that there is a role for desalination, he says, but would rather not have it right there, right now, and on this scale.
()67. Which of the following is WRONG about the RO spiral module according to the passage?
A. This technology is not widely used in its birthplace.
B. Today there are about 13，000 RO plants in the Persian Gulf, Israel, Australia and China.
C. This technology can be used in desalination plants to make sea water drinkable.
D. It is a promising water treatment technology welcomed by a lot of people.
()68. How many solutions to the water problem in San Diego are mentioned in the article?
A. 2.
B. 3.
C. 4.
D. 5.
()69. What can we infer from the article?
A. The Colorado River is the main water source for California.
B. Americans still use the term “toilet－to－tap” for recycling water.
C. NEWater serves as a brand for recycled clean water in Singapore.
D. Poseidon Resources stands for the power station by the beach in Carlsbad.
()70. What is Joe Geever's attitude toward building a large desalination plant at present?
A. Supportive.
B. Negative.
C. Optimistic.
D. Vague.
第Ⅱ卷(非选择题共35分)
第四部分：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里填入一个最恰当的单词。注意：每个空格只填1个单词。
Made In The USA: An Export Boom
In his State of the Union address two years ago, President Obama argued that in order to recover from the economic recession, one of the few things the U．S. needed to do was to export more goods around the world. That night, the president unveiled a new goal: to double U．S. exports over the next five years. It would be an increase that the president said would “support two million jobs in America.”
Most economists dismissed the promise at the time as something unrealistic, but two years later, the U．S. is on pace to meet that goal. American exports are up 34 percent since the president gave that speech, and the number continues to rise.
Competitive In A Global Market
Marlin Steel, a metal working business in Baltimore, makes parts that ship all across the world.“We export to 36 countries，” owner Drew Greenblatt tells All Things Considered Host Guy Raz.“We're working around the clock, and we're growing.”
It's not just advanced manufacturing exports on the rise, but pork, cattle and all kinds of agricultural exports are up as well. Even American craft beer has found an export market.
Flying Dog CEO Jim Caruso says that increasingly, people all over the world are trying the beer from the Maryland－based brewery. Caruso says，“Even in those top beer－producing countries, a competitive American product is finding a market.”
Services Are Exports, Too
Another place exports are coming from is New York City—in particular, the 30th floor of a Manhattan skyscraper on 5th Avenue and 52nd Street. That's where the consulting firm Kurt Solomon lies. It doesn't actually produce a product for export; it provides management advice and strategy.
“Four out of every five Americans is now employed in the service industry，” the nation's top trade official, Ron Kirk says, “Services are a significant part of our exports, and make up about a quarter of our exported goods.” These services can include everything from legal consulting, finance, information technology and even engineering.
And There Are Other Factors
So why has there been an increase of more than 30 percent for exports in almost everything?
Part of the increase, at least for the manufacturing side, is due to better technology, says Tyler Cowen, an economist.“A lot of it is being driven by smart machines ，” he tells Raz ，“The U ．S. has high wage rates, which is a disadvantage, but if machines are doing a lot of the work, that doesn't matter.”
China factors a lot in America's export economy, too.“Wages in China have been going up as the country becomes more productive. Thus China is losing the cheap labor advantage it has held for some time.” Cowen says.
Will Jobs Grow, too?
“Companies have become more productive by dismissing workers and lowering costs.”Cowen says.“So I don't view exporting as a way of creating a very large number of jobs, but it will create more profits.”
So not every business or worker is necessarily benefiting from the export boom in the U ．S., and Cowen says that could ultimately lead to a polarization(两极) of economic outcomes.
第五部分：书面表达(满分25分)
观察右面的图画并根据你对该图画的理解写一篇短文，内容包括：
(1) 简要描述图片，并说明该图片所揭露的现象；
(2) 分析造成该现象的原因(至少两点)；
(3) 提出自己的看法。
要求：1. 词数150个左右。开头已经给出，不计入词数。
2. 文章中不得提及考生所在学校及本人姓名。
The Internet has long been regarded as a wonderful tool that allows students to gain insight to useful resources and information. However, this is not always the case.
________
________
________
________
高三英语试卷(十)参考答案第页(共3页)(这是边文，请据需要手工删加)
2012届高三模拟考试试卷(十)(南师附中)
英语参考答案及听力材料
听力
1～5BAABB6～10ACACB11～15CBACB16～20CCBAC
单项填空
21～25BDABC26～30ADDAB31～35ABBCD
完形填空
36～40BADAD41～45BBDCA46～50BCABB51～55CDBAD
阅读理解
56～59CCDD60～63CADD64～66ADB67～70BBAB
任务型阅读
71. recovery72. employment73. by74. benefit75. Factors76. Competitive
77. located/based78. accounting79. Machines80. advantage
书面表达
略
听力材料
Text 1
W：Excuse me, where are the women's shoes?
M：They're on the third floor, next to the handbags.
W：Thank you.
Text 2
W：Mike, you don't quite seem yourself today. You okay?
M：Well, I hardly slept last night. I've been studying for my exams these days.
Text 3
W：You mean Jack has stopped smoking, Frank? That's amazing.
M：Yes, it's really amazing. He used to be a chain smoker, you know.
W：What about you? Have you thought about quitting smoking?
Text 4
W：Summer vacation is coming. Have you already got any plan?
M：Not really. But I'm going to head down to Vancouver Island to visit my brother for a few days first. We haven't seen each other for a couple of years. Then maybe go back home. I'm a little homesick.
Text 5
W：I feel scared of hosting the evening party. You know, this is the first time for me to host such an important party.
M：Don't worry. Just be yourself and everything will be fine. I'm sure you can do quite well.
Text 6
W：So, what are we going to do tonight, Dave?
M：Let's watch TV. There's a soccer match between the US and Brazil on.
W：No way! We are on V ACATION. I refuse to sit in a hotel room and watch soccer on TV. I want to go to see a play.
M：Come on. I'm sure it's too late to get tickets now.
W：Nice try, but you don't know for sure without trying.
M：All right, all right. Which shows are popular right now?
W：I read in New York Magazine yesterday that Jessica Lange and Alec Baldwin are co－starring in A Streetcar Named Desire. Isn't it great? Let me first call the ticket agent to see if there are any tickets.
Text 7
W：Are you going to Paris, too?
M：Actually, I'm going to Paris first, and then to Amsterdam. I'd like to visit museums in these two cities.
W：May I ask where you're from?
M：I'm from Spain.
W：Oh, I went to Malaga once, about five years ago. It was beautiful.
M：I'm glad you liked it. Are you Japanese?
W：No. I'm from China.
M：Oh, I've been to China.
Text 8
W：Taxi!
M：Where to go, Madam?
W：Battery Park, please－but can you make a stop at Union Square? I want to pick up my friend there.
M：Of course.
W：How long will it take to Union Square?
M：Well, that depends on the traffic, you know. It's pretty heavy this afternoon.
W：Can you make it in fifteen minutes? I'm already ten minutes late.
M：OK, I'll try. Where exactly is your friend waiting at that place?
W：On the 14th Street side. Oh, we're already at the 16th Street. You're fast. Can you make a left at the next corner?
M：Oh, you got it.
W：I think she's around here. Can you slow down? Ah, there she is! Just in front of the bookshop. Sally!
Text 9
M：Excuse me, could you help me?
W：Yes. What seems to be the problem?
M：Well, I was wondering if anyone has turned in a passport.
W：I'm afraid not. Have you lost your passport?
M：I think so. I can't find it anywhere in my hotel room, and I remember the last place I used it yesterday was in this department store.
W：Where exactly did you use your passport in our store?
M：I wanted to buy a pair of sunglasses first, but I couldn't find a suitable one. Then, in the sports department I had to show it to pay for a pair of trainers with my traveler's checks.
W：Well, would you please fill in this lost property report? I'll keep my eye out for it. Those kinds of things usually turn up eventually, but I suggest you contact your embassy and tell them about your situation, so they can issue you a new passport in case it doesn't show up.
M：OK. Do you have a pen?
W：Here you are.
M：Thank you. Oh, I always take good care of my things. I don't know what happened to me yesterday.
Text 10
Welcome to THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English. I'm Barbara Klein. For sports fans, August means different things. For those who follow American football, August is traditionally when players begin training. For tennis lovers, the United States Open begins on August twenty－eighth in New York City. For basketball fans－well, they have a little time. The National Basketball Association just released its full list of games for the coming season. Opening night is October thirty－first. So what have we left out? Oh yes, the boys－and girls－of summer. Little League baseball. Their World Series is August twenty－seventh in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. As for the major leagues, their World Series is not until October twenty－first.
There are probably more than one thousand s ongs about baseball. The most popular is “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.” It was written in nineteen－o－eight by Jack Norworth. He wrote it after seeing a sign about baseball in an underground train in New York City. Jack Norworth reportedly had never seen a Major League Baseball game. He did not see one until thirty－three years after he wrote the song. People still sing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” during baseball games. In the game, near the end everyone stands up and stretches their arms and legs. Most often, they sing the song together.