浙江省名校协作体2023届高三英语上学期开学考试试卷（Word版附答案）

这是一份浙江省名校协作体2023届高三英语上学期开学考试试卷（Word版附答案），共15页。

2022学年第一学期浙江省名校协作体试题
高三年级英语学科
命题：玉环中学桐乡高级中学审核：温州中学
第Ⅰ卷
第一部分听力（共两节，满分30分）
第一节听下面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 are the speakers doing?
A. Driving a car.
B. Waiting for the bus.
C. Looking for the woman's purse.
2. Where are the speakers probably?
A. At home. B. In the library. C. In a grocery store.
3. How does the man sound?
A. Excited. B. Worried. C. Disappointed.
4. When can the woman get the book?
A. Monday morning.
B. After 5 p. m. on Friday.
C. Anytime on the weekend.
5. How did the woman learn about the weather?
A. She checked it online.
B. She looked outside her window.
C. She watched the weather report on TV.
第二节听下面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. Why did the man come to see the woman?
A. To find ajob. B. To drop a class. C. To contact a professor.
7. What's the most important part of the form?
A. The man's personal details.
B. The professor's signature.
C. The man's reason for doing that.
听第7段材料，回答第8、9题。
8. Why didn't the man buy any milk today?
A. He forgot to buy it.
B. The store ran out of milk.
C. He read some negative words about milk.
9. What do we know about the woman?
A. She seldom drinks milk.
B. Her opinions always change.
C. She doesn't trust those experts.
听第8段材料，回答第10至12题。
10. Where is Molly studying?
A. In Chicago. B. In Paris. C. In London.
11. How does Molly describe her professors?
A. They are uncaring. B. They are easily annoyed. C. They are always patient.
12. What does Molly dislike about her school life?
A. Heavy workload.
B. The food at the cafeteria.
C. Bad relationship with her roommates.
听第9段材料，回答第13至16题。
13. What are the speakers mainly discussing?
A. How to run a tea company.
B. The tea industry in general.
C. The specialty of the man's tea business.
14. How are the man's teas different from most other teas?
A. They are all imported from abroad.
B. Each tea comes from a single source.
C. They are mixed with only high-quality teas.
15. What does the man say about the people who grow his tea?
A. They are paid more than others.
B. They sell their tea to him only.
C. They keep their growing process a secret.
16. How might the man's company be described overall?
A. A big one making huge profits.
B. A famous one selling inexpensive products.
C. A small one focused on high-quality products.
听第10段材料，回答第17至20题。
17. What was the speaker like as a child?
A. She loved math.
B. She was interested in spelling.
C. She was addicted to word games.
18. How did the speaker become a successful word game player?
A. She found spelling is similar to math.
B. She learned to speak several languages.
C. She met a great tutor in elementary school.
19. With whom did the speaker first play the game?
A. Online players. B. Her classmates. C. Her family.
20. Why did the speaker quit gaming?
A. She became bored with playing games.
B. She became too involved in the games.
C. She got married and became a mother.
第二部分阅读理解（共两节，满分35分）
第一节（共10小题：每小题2. 5分，满分25分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题纸上将该项涂黑。
A
For many pop idol fans, having the opportunity to participate in a music video for their favorite pop songs might be a dream come true.
I, I had taken lessons at a Chinese-owned dance studio, and they began to hold auditions(试镜) for a special project—filming a music video! Those who passed the auditions would rehearse(排练) awell-designed dance and be filmed by a professional camera crew. I really like the song they chose—KillThis Love by Blackpink, a girl group from South Korea, so I auditioned.
I was confident at first in the audition, but as I felt more pressure, I forgot a few moves. This definitely hurt my chances, so I became very on edge about the results. Additionally, because Blackpinkis a four-member group, the studio was only looking for four people, and over 20 people had auditioned. I was very unsure if my performance would be good enough for a callback.
Two weeks later when I had just about given up on hearing back, I got a text from the studio manager, saying, “Congratulations! You have passed the audition for Kill This Love.” I could barely contain my excitement, but wanting to seem mature, I replied to her in a calm and collected manner.
We were scheduled for five rehearsals in total, and the filming date was set for the middle of April. What really stirred up my excitement was knowing that we would be filmed in public. I would also bedancing the part of Rose, my favorite Blackpink member.
Our first rehearsal was on a Wednesday. The studio had rented the basement of a theater. There were, of course, difficulties. The dance routine included formations, so we had to learn the positions and transitions—things that we did not usually learn in our regular dance lessons. But it was just the four of us, and our teacher had enough time to work with each of us individually.
I have been practicing hard for my dream. I hope everything goes well, and I look forward to the upcoming performance!
21. How did I feel about the results after forgetting a few moves?
A. Confident. B. Ambitious. C. Confused. D. Nervous.
22. Why did I reply to the manager calmly when I got the exciting text?
A. Because I intended to present a mature image to her.
B. Because I was trained well enough to contain my feelings.
C. Because I knew that I was good enough for such a callback.
D. Because I had known the result before she informed me of it.
23. What was my first rehearsal in the basement like?
A. Confusing but practical. B. Challenging but helpful.
C. Difficult but entertaining. D. Regular but rewarding.
24. What is the author's purpose in writing the passage?
A. To express the burning passion for Blackpink.
B. To show the difficulty in attending an audition.
C. To share a personal experience in pursuit of a dream.
D. To convey the excitement of engaging in a rehearsal.
B
My four-and eight-year-olds are closer now than they were before the pandemic. I can hear the sounds of giggling from their bedroom several times a night. But the more time my girls spend together, the more they fight, too. The most common battlegrounds for my kids are injustices and fighting for position.
On days when we are trapped in the house together and their screaming matches reach operatic levels, their dad and I worry we did something horribly wrong as parents to encourage this volume of conflict. But according to Jeanine Vivona, a professor of psychology at the College of New Jersey who studies sibling rivalry(较量), “competition with siblings is just a fact of life. And we can just try to manage it as best we can.”
Studies have shown that sibling conflicts may occur up to eight times an hour. “Conflict does decrease into adolescence; it sort of levels off, "said Mark Ethan Feinberg, a research professor at Pennsylvania State University. “Early and middle childhood are particularly difficult times for sibling aggression.”
While most siblings aren't fighting for actual quarrels, psychologically, sibling rivalry serves a developmental purpose: it helps children figure out what is unique and special about themselves, known as “differentiation”. Children want to be seen as the most special by their parents, so they're always going to push for preferential treatment over their siblings. But they may also shape their interests andpersonalities around their siblings’skills and desires.
For example, let's say the older son is a soccer star. The younger child or children may then avoid soccer altogether, either because they are afraid they won't be as good or because they fear they might be better—and they don't want to take that risk either.
25. Why is there conflict between the author's daughters?
A. Because they play the screaming matches.
B. Because they always compete for priority.
C. Because they can't stand living with each other.
D. Because they receive obviously unfair treatment.
26. What can we infer from the text?
A. Sibling rivalry could be useful as motivation for children.
B. Parents should intervene sibling rivalry as much as they can.
C. Most sibling conflicts begin to fall when children become adults.
D. Life throughout childhood will be miserable due to sibling rivalry.
27. Which can be a suitable title for the text?
A. Kids'struggle with sibling rivalry
B. Parenting solutions to sibling rivalry
C. The psychology behind sibling rivalry
D. An unintended upside of sibling rivalry
C
From toilet paper to yogurt, and coffee to corn chips, manufacturers are quietly shrinking package sizes without lowering prices. It's called“shrinkflation(缩水式通胀)”,and it’s accelerating worldwide. In the U. S., a small box of Kleenex now has 60 tissues; a few months ago, it had 65. In India, a bar of Vim dish soap has shrunk from 155 grams to 135 grams.
Shrinkflation isn'tnew, experts say. But it multiplies in times of high inflation(通货膨胀) as companies struggle with rising costs for ingredients, packaging, labor, and transportation. Global consumer price inflation was up an estimated 7%in May, a pace that will likely continue through September, according to S&P Global.
“It comes in waves. We happen to be in a tidal wave now because of inflation,” said Edgar Dworsky, a consumer advocate and former assistant attorney general in Massachusetts who has documented shrinkflation on his Consumer World website for decades.
Mr. Dworsky said shrinkflation appeals to manufacturers because they know customers will notice price increases but won't keep track of net weights or small details, like the number of sheets on a roll of toilet paper. Companies can also employ tricks to draw attention away from downsizing, like marking smaller packages with bright new labels that draw shoppers'eyes.
Some customers who have noticed the downsizing are sharing examples on social media. Others say shrinkflation is causing them to change their shopping habits. AlexAspacher does a lot of grocery shopping for his family. He noticed when the one-pound package of sliced Swiss cheese he used to buy shrank to 12 ounces but kept its $9.99 price tag. Now, he hunts for deals or buys a block of cheese and slices it himself. “I was prepared for the change to a degree, but there hasn't been a limit to it so far,” Mr. Aspacher said. “I hope we find that ceiling pretty soon.”
Sometimes the trend can reverse. As inflation eases, competition might force manufacturers to lower their prices or reintroduce larger packages. But Mr. Dworsky says once a product has gotten smaller, it often stays that way.
28. According to the passage, what can we learn about shrinkflation?
A. It attracts customers by adjusting the prices.
B. It newly emerges in the period of high inflation.
C. It saves manufacturing cost by reducing package sizes.
D. It is a good way for manufacturers to expand their business.
29. The example of Alex Aspacher is mentioned to ________.
A. show customers'support for shrinkflation.
B. share customers'current shopping experiences.
C. explain the inconvenience shrinkflation has brought.
D. illustrate the impact of shrinkflation on buying habits.
30. What does the underlined word“reverse” mean?
A. Change to the opposite B. Spread like wildfire
C. Become unpredictable D. Come to a stop
第二节（共5小题；每小题2分，满分10分）
根据短文内容，从短文后的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。
Christmas is approaching. That means drinking hot chocolate, eating a roast dinner and making a snowman. __31__
Australia is in the Southern Hemisphere. That means when it's winter in the Northern Hemisphere, it's summer in Australia. So that's right, you guessed it. Christmas time in Australia is a very hot and sweaty affair!
On Christmas Day, people don't like to eat hot turkeys or heavy meals. They like to have a BBQ and eat outside in the evening. Many families will play sports and games together in the evening too, enjoying the cooler weather. __32__
__33__ You could say that in a way it makes them feel nice and cool because it's so hot! They still have Christmas trees and Santa still wears winter clothes. They know he comes from the North Pole, where it's cold, so that's why. I used to think Santa must like coming to Australia because many other places he visits are just too cold!
But some Christmas songs have been given a“hot”twist(改编). __34__ It changed the original line from“Oh what fun it is to ride in my one-horse open sleigh(雪橇)”to“Christmas in Australia on a scorching summer's day”. Singing these kinds of songs is a nice way to acknowledge the unique way that Australians spend Christmas.
One year, I went to Canada to see some relatives at Christmas time. On the morning of Christmas, I woke up to the sight of fresh snow outside. I was so excited. “Now this really looks like Christmas,” I thought to myself.
__35__ So, no matter whether you are freezing cold or boiling hot, as long as your loved ones are nearby, the Christmas spirit will be there.
A. Still, they sing the same Christmas songs, all about snow.
B. The followings are what Australians usually do at Christmas.
C. But of course, the real meaning of Christmas is to be with your loved ones.
D. People who live near the ocean might go to the beach and play on the sand.
E. For example, there is an Australian version of the famous Jingle Bells carol.
F. It is a nice way to acknowledge the unique way that Australians spend Christmas.
G. But in Australia, where I'm from, most people don't do these things at Christmas.
第三部分语言运用（共两节，满分45分）
第一节完形填空（共20小题：每小题1. 5分，满分30分）
阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C和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。
I finished my dinner and went into a shop in the hope of finding some last-minute Christmas gifts. There was a lot to see. Every shelf and wall was __36__ with different handiwork.
Walking around, I __37__ a wooden plaque(匾牌) on a wall. As I moved on, I enjoyed looking at other __38__ in the store, but found myself drawn back to the plaque finally. I felt a little like a child who, when __39__ through the sandbox, finds some unexpected treasure. Here, I found a simple __40__ precious treasure hidden in a(n) __41__.
“Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass,”the plaque __42__. “It's about learning to __43__ in the rain.”
Looking at the plaque, I thought back to a hot summer day before, when I __44__ lived the plaque's message. Dark clouds had __45__ in and soon rain began falling down, building to a downpour that soon filled the gutters(排水沟) with rushing water. When I walked out to get my mail, I didn't know what __46__ me, but I suddenly felt a __47__ to do something a little crazy for my fifty-plus years.
I __48__ my shoes and stockings and began walking barefoot through the water. It was pleasantly warm, heated by the pavement that had been __49__ by the summer heat. I'm sure my neighbors thought that I was __50__, but I didn't care. At that moment, I wasn't __51__ about bills, the future or any other day-to-day cares. I was experiencing a moment of __52__ joy!
The plaque now hangs in my living room, which __53__ me to take time to pause and recognize the __54__ that are all around me but too often going unnoticed in my rush to future happiness.
One step __55__, I am learning to dance in the rain.
36. A. connected B. loaded C. blocked D. wrapped
37. A. spotted B. struck C. recovered D. followed
38. A. candies B. brochures C. items D. contents
39. A. digging B. looking C. running D. getting
40. A. and B. still C. though D. yet
41. A. notice B. order C. note D. message
42. A. wrote B. announced C. read D. recorded
43. A. sing B. walk C. pause D. dance
44. A. unknowingly B. gradually C. continuously D. undoubtedly
45. A. floated B. squeezed C. rolled D. kicked
46. A. turned over B. came over C. ran over D. got over
47. A. desire B. dream C. mission D. choice
48. A. put away B. set aside C. slipped off D. took down
49. A. boiled B. baked C. hurt D. stroked
50. A. nervous B. upset C. desperate D. ridiculous
51. A. cautious B. curious C. doubtful D. worried
52. A. pure B. temporary C. gentle D. serious
53. A. expects B. reminds C. promises D. commands
54. A. distinctions B. conditions C. blessings D. experiences
55. A. back and forth B. at a time C. little by little D. now and then
第Ⅱ卷
第三部分语言运用（共两节，满分45分）
第二节（共10小题；每小题1. 5分，满分15分）
阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词) 或括号内单词的正确形式。
Have you ever paid attention to your school's security guards? Would you say “good morning” to the cleaners? For Ding Jiacheng, a boy from Hangzhou Entel Foreign Language School, __56__is a problem that many students ignore the important jobs done by these non-teaching staff. He wanted to make __57__ change.
Ding worked on a project called “The Invisible Are Significant”, __58__ (hope) more students would respect the “invisible” staff. The project won a prize at China Thinks Big, a competition __59__ (hold) by Harvard and Tsinghua University to encourage teenagers to explore important __60__ (globe) issues and focus on solutions.
To investigate students'attitude __61__ this group, he designed a questionnaire. “In one question, 56 percent of the students said they would greet those non-teaching workers, __62__ only 17 percent strongly believe that every student should do so,” said Ding.
The main reason, according to Ding, is that students know little about the work done by them and have few __63__ (chance) to communicate with them. Therefore, Ding's team __64__ (shoot) videos to show staff working on campus. They also held a basketball match between students and non-teaching staff to increase their interaction.
“Explore and understand society in practice, and influence the people around us. That's __65__ the meaning of the project lies,” said Ding.
第四部分写作
第一节应用文写作（满分15分）
假定你是李华，刚从新西兰的Williams College游学归来。请你代表中国交换生给该校校长Mr. Declan写封信。内容包括：
1.感谢接待；
2.谈谈收获；
3.邀请来访。
注意：
1.词数80左右；
2.可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
第二节读后续写（满分25分）
阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。
Having worked at a small food store for two years, I thought I had become successful at what our manager called“customer relations”. I firmly believed that a friendly smile and an automatic“sir”, “madam”, “thank you”and “sorry”would see me through any situation. But on a Christmas night an old woman shook my belief that such a glib response(巧言应对) could smooth over any difficulty while dealing with other human beings.
The moment she entered the store, the woman presented a sharp contrast to our shiny store with its bright lighting and neatly arranged shelves. Walking as if each step were painful, she slowly pushed open the glass door. On such a zero-degree night, she was wearing only a faded print dress, a thin sweater too small to button, and black slippers with the backs cut out to expose heels. There were no stockings or socks on her blue-veined legs.
After walking around the store for several minutes, the old woman stopped in front of the rows of canned vegetables. She looked at the row of cans, finally picked up a can of corn and stared at the label. At that point, I decided to be a good and polite employee and asked her if she needed help. As I stood close to her, my smile became harder to maintain. An unpleasant smell of sweat rose from her tornclothing.
“I need some food,” she muttered in reply to my bright“Madam, can I help you?”
“Are you looking for corn, madam?”
“I need some food,”she repeated, looking down at the can in her hand, “Any kind.”
“Well, the can of corn is ninety-five cents. madam.” I said in my most helpful voice. “Or if you like,we have a special on bread today.”
After a short pause, she lifted her head and said, “But I can'tpay.”
For a second, it was on the tip of my tongue to tell her that she could take the corn.
注意：
1.所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2.至少使用5个短文中标有下划线的关键词语；
3.续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；
4.续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
Paragraph 1:
Then the employee rules flooded into my mind: Remain polite but do not let the customers get thebest of you.____
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:
Moments after she left, I rushed out of the door with the can of corn._____________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________









2022学年第一学期浙江省名校协作体试题
高三年级英语学科参考答案
命题：玉环中学桐乡高级中学 审核：温州中学
第一部分：听力（共两节，30题，每小题1. 5分，满分30分）
1-5 BBAAC 6-10 BCCCA 11-15 BBCBA 16-20 CAAAB
第二部分：阅读理解（共两节，满分35分）
第一节：阅读理解（共10题，每小题2. 5分，满分25分）
21-24 DABC 25-27BAC 28-30CDA
第二节：七选五（共5题，每小题2分，满分10分）
31-35 GDAEC
第三部分语言运用（共两节，满分45分）
第一节：完形填空（共20题，每小题1. 5分，满分30分）
36-40 BACAD 41-45 DCDAC 46-50 BACBD 51-55 DABCB
第二节（共10小题；每小题1. 5分，满分15分）
56. it 57. a 58. hoping 59. held 60. global
61. to/toward/towards 62. while/but 63. chances 64. shot 65. where
第一节应用文写作（满分15分）
应用文(15分)
One possible version:
Dear Mr. Declan,
I'm writing on behalf of all the exchange students to express our gratitude for your hospitality and generosity during our stay in New Zealand.
What impressed us deeply were the delicious local cuisine and the comfortable accommodation well prepared for us. Also, the activities you arranged not only got every one of us involved in learning, but built a cultural bridge between us, for which we were really grateful.
Thanks again for all your efforts and we sincerely hope you can come to China and visit us in the near future!
Yours sincerely,
Li Hua(98词)
Possible version 1:
Then the employee rules flooded into my mind: Remain polite but do not let the customers takecontrol of you. At the thought of that, I managed a friendly smile and automatically blurted out, “I’msorry, madam, but I can't give away anything for free.” Hearing this, the old woman nodded her head, herface darkened and eyelids dropped. Unwillingly, she put the can back on the shelf, shuffled past metoward the door and vanished into the distance. It was at that moment that a ripple of regret welled upinside me. How I wished I hadn't said those words! (81词)
Moments after she left, I rushed out of the door with the can of corn. Fortunately, the gaunt figureof the old woman was still in sight. I went running up to her. “Madam, merry Christmas!” said I,thrusting the can of corn into her blue-veined hand. For a second, I could feel that her hand quivered.Without waiting for her reply, I just waved her goodbye before trotting straight away. For the rest of myshift, the image of the woman constantly reminded me that while dealing with other human beings, it wassincere concern rather than a glib response that could smooth over any difficulty. (92词)
Possible version 2:
Then the employee rules flooded into my mind: Remain polite, but do not let customers get the best of you. For a moment, I even entertained the idea that this was some sort of test, and that this womanwas someone from the head office, testing my loyalty. I responded dutifully, “I’m sorry, madam, butIcan't give away anything for free.” The old woman's face collapsed a bit more and her hands trembled asshe put the can back on the shelf. She shuffled past me toward the door,her torn and dirty clothing barelycovering her bent back. (80词)
Moments after she left, I rushed out the door with the can of corn. But she was nowhere in sight. While I was dragging myself back, what kept me company was merely biting wind. For the rest of my shift, the image of the woman haunted me. I had been so young, healthy, and smug while she so old, sick, and desperate. Wishing with all my heart that I had acted like a human being rather than so merciless an employee, I was saddened to realize when facing dilemmas how difficult it was for a heart to stay gold.(85词)
听力原文于少6：
Text 1
W: Oh, hold on. I left my purse in the car.
M: But we'll miss the bus!
W: There'll be another one here in ten minutes. I need my purse.
Text 2
M: I thought the librarian said we could check out as many books as we need without our library cards.
W: That's right, but not these reference books. Too bad we forgot our cards at home.
Text 3
W: Did you hear the weather report? It says that we are going to get at least a foot of snow tomorrow!
M: That much? That's incredible! I can't wait to go outside and play in it.
Text 4
W: Are they closed already? I really need a certain book.
M: Yes. They close at five on Fridays. And they are closed on weekends, too. The earliest you can get itnow will be Monday morning.
Text 5
M: Wow, it looks like rain. Did you grab my raincoat when you left the house?
W: I sure did. I watched the weather report on Channel 2 before I left. I tried to check weather. com, butthere was something wrong with our Internet connection.
M: When I woke up, I remembered looking outside and thinking that it was going to rain today, but I wasin such a hurry this morning. .
Text 6
M: Hi. I need to drop my English210 class. Is it too late to do that without getting an incomplete(学差0从评分多中减)？
W: No, it's not, but you must have the professor sign a form and turn it in to this office by next Friday.
M: Is that all?
W: You have to fill out the form as well. The most important part of the form is your explanation for whyyou want to drop the class. In order to avoid getting an incomplete, you have to have an acceptablereason for wanting to drop the-class.
M: My dad just went back to the hospital. I need to get a part-time job to help pay for his medicalexpenses, but I'm worried that I'm taking too many classes to do that.
W: That's perfectly acceptable. Just write that down on the form, fill in the rest of your personal details,and sign at the bottom.
M: OK, now what?
W: Take this form to your professor, have him sign it, and then bring it back to us.
Text 7
W: Darling, you must have forgotten to buy milk on your way home.
M: Nope. Actually, I bought some soy milk instead.
W: Why? Was all the milk sold out before you got there?
M: No. I went online today, and some experts said milk is not always good for people's health.
W: Really? What did they say?
M: Milk is high in calories and fat, so drinking too much of it may cause you to gain weight. Also, thekind of sugar in milk may cause you to have an upset stomach if you can't digest it well. Mostimportantly, milk does not actually help kids grow tall and strong.
W: Uh-oh, so you didn't buy any milk today? Listen, I've been drinking milk since I was a baby. Look atme... am I healthy enough? Don't believe those so-called experts. Their opinions always change.
M: Maybe you're right.
Text 8
M: So, Molly, your father mentioned that you are going to graduate school now.
W: That's right. I study French literature at the University of Chicago.
M: What do you think of graduate school? Is it more challenging than college?
W: I would say that the workload and the content are the same, but the expectations of the teachers aremuch higher. I am finding that I work a lot longer to write things that are more advanced than what Iwrote when I was an undergraduate. I also have more personal relationships with my teachers.
M: How do you feel about your professors? Are they helpful?
W: My professors are really smart people with a lot to say. I feel really lucky to be working with peoplewho know so much about what I am interested in. But sometimes the professors can come off as a littletoo formal, or seem to lose their patience easily.
M: But overall, you feel like you are having a good time? You don't have any complaints?
W: Well, I'm not so sure that I am a big fan of the food at the cafeteria. It can get to be a bit much whenyou just eat salad and pizza every night.
Text 9
W: Welcome back. My guest is Alan Cunningham, and he owns a specialty tea company in Beijing. So,what makes your tea better than everyone else's?
M: Well, there certainly are many choices when it comes to tea in China. I think one of the maindifferences is that our teas are never blended or mixed with other teas. If you are buying a particular teafrom us, you can be sure that it came from one tea farm and one specific harvest.
W: What's the advantage of drinking that kind of tea?
M: The flavors are much more pure, and many experts agree that the health benefits of drinking tea aremaximized when the tea comes from a single source. Also, when we buy our tea, we buy it directly fromthe growers. This allows us to get to know more about the growing process and the people who produceour tea.
W: How do your prices compare to those of other companies?
M: We're a small company that focuses on selling small amounts of high-quality tea. We are not trying tomake huge profits by selling the most tea possible. We pay much higher prices for our tea because webelieve it is the best in the world, and we also want to make sure that the people who grow the tea get faircompensation for their work. I guess what I'm trying to say is that there are good reasons why our pricesmight be a little higher.
W: Well, why don't you tell us a bit about the teas you have at the moment?
Text 10
It's true that I am a two-time word game player of the year, but I wasn't always this good with words. When I was in elementary school, I had trouble saying the word “horse”, let alone spelling it. But as I grew up, I learned a few simple spelling tricks that changed my life. I've always been great at math. When I was in high school, I met a tutor who taught me that spelling is the same as math. There are certain spelling“rules”, just like the rules in math. Once you learn those rules, you will never have a problem again. Once I learned them, I became an unstoppable word game addict. I would spend hours online playing any word game that I could find. Soon, the people that were on the Internet weren't good enough to compete with me. I started entering myself in local competitions, then state competitions. Finally, I was entering in national and even international competitions. When playing word games in English wasn't enough anymore, I learned Spanish so that I could play in another language. It was a great time in my life, but eventually I realized that I was spending so much time on gaming that I was losing touch with the things and people around me that I really cared about. I had to stop gaming because I couldn't control myself. Now, I am a happy mother of 3 great kids, and I am a teacher at a school. I miss my games, but I'm happy to have a life again.