福建省南安市侨光中学2023-2024学年高二下学期5月月考英语试题（含答案）

这是一份福建省南安市侨光中学2023-2024学年高二下学期5月月考英语试题（含答案），共14页。试卷主要包含了5 分, 满分 7等内容，欢迎下载使用。

温馨提示：请将所有答案填涂到答题卡上，交卷时上交答题卡。
第I卷 （共85分）
第一部分 听力 (共两节, 满分30分)
第一节(共 5小题:每小题 1.5 分, 满分 7.5 分)
听下面 5 段对话。每段对话后有一个小题, 从题中所给的 A、B、C 三个选项中选出最佳选项, 并标在试卷的相应位置。听完每段对话后, 你都有10秒钟的时间来回答有关小题和阅读下一小题。每段对话仅读一遍。
1. What is the prbable relatinship between the speakers?
A. Reprter and actr. B. Manager and secretary. C. Teacher and student.
2. What des the wman lk frward t?
A. Meeting her aunt. B. Finishing her wrk. C. Traveling with the man.
3. What subject is the man taking?
A. Bilgy. B. Chemistry. C. Physics.
4. Wh will be absent frm the dinner?
A. Vicky. B. Amy. C. Mm.
5. What kinds f bananas des the wman want?
A. The green nes. B. The pure yellw nes. C. The nes with brwn spts.
第二节(共15小题；每小题1.5分，满分22.5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。
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
6. What was the weather like in the cuntry?
A. It snwed a lt. B. It rained nearly every day. C. There was a lt f sunshine.
7. What did Sue think f the peple in the cuntry?
A. They were tall. B. They were friendly. C. They were strange.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
8. What’s the girl’s truble?
A. She can’t find a suitable jb.
B. She wants t g t cllege but her parents dn’t agree.
C. She can’t decide whether t g t university r get a jb.
9. What might the girl d in the end?
A. G t university. B. Lk fr a jb. C. Study at hme and depend n her parents.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
10. What is the wman interested in seeing?
A. An exhibitin f paintings. B. A Bradway play. C. An pera.
11. When did New Yrk get its nickname?
A. In the early 18th century. B. In the early 20th century. C. In the late 19th century.
12. Hw des the wman describe New Yrk?
A. Fascinating. B. Huge. C. Ppular.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
13. When des the wman usually watch TV?
A. After midnight. B. After she has dinner. C. When she is bred.
14. Why was the man unhappy?
A. The fd was terrible. B. He lst his meal tickets. C. The TV prgram was bring.
15. Hw many dllars are the meal tickets wrth?
A. Over fifty dllars. B. Over fifteen dllars. C. Mre than frty dllars.
16. Why did the man feel even wrse?
A. He didn’t sleep well.
B. He wasted s much time.
C. The wman had the same prblem.
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
17. Hw many languages des Saint Mary’s schl teach nw?
A. 4. B. 3. C. 5.
18. Which f the fllwing isn’t mentined abut the prgram?
A. China ffers bks.
B. China sends sme teachers.
C. China partly pays teachers in the schl.
19. Hw many American schls and universities jin the prgram?
A. Mre than 15. B. Abut 40. C. Over 50.
20. What can we infer in the talk in the United States?
A. Fewer peple study Chinese.
B. It is shrt f varius teachers.
C. Mre and mre peple learn Chinese.
第二部分 阅读理解（共两节，满分40分）
第一节（共11小题；每小题2.5分，满分27.5分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将选项涂黑。
A
Gd tl design is imprtant in the preventin f veruse injuries. Well-designed tls and equipment will require less frce t perate them and prevent awkward (别扭的) hand psitins. They will allw the wrker t keep the elbws (肘) next t the bdy t prevent damage t the shulder and arm.
Overuse injuries can therefre be prevented r reduced if the emplyer prvides, and wrkers use:
●pwer tls rather than having t use muscle pwer.
●tls with specially designed handles that allw the wrist t keep straight (See figure 1). This means that hands and wrists are kept in the same psitin as they wuld be if they were hanging relaxed at a persn’s side.
●tls with handles that can be held cmfrtably by the whle hand. This means having a selectin f sizes—remember that tls that prvide a cmfrtable firm hld fr a persn with a very large hand may be awkward fr smene with a very small hand. This is a particularly imprtant cnsideratin fr wmen wh may use tls riginally designed fr men.
●tls that d nt press fingers (r flesh) between the handles, and whse handles d nt have sharp edges r a small surface area.
21. Which f the fllwing describes a well-designed tl?
A. It’s kept clse t the bdy. B. It fully uses muscle pwer.
C. It makes users feel relaxed. D. It’s perated with less frce.
22. What is Figure I used t shw?
A. The effective use f the tl. B. The way f perating the tl.
C. The prper design f the handle. D. The purpse f bending the wrist.
23. In chsing tls fr wmen, ______ f the handle is the mst imprtant.
A. the size B. the edge C. the shape D. the psitin
B
I have always been prud f my handwriting, a skill I was taught in grade schl. The teacher was teaching us the Palmer Penmanship Methd, drilling int us the imprtance f frming big flwing lines when we wrte g’s and s’s as well as beautiful f’s that in my mind were like fairy tale princesses wearing fancy hats while extending their right ft. We were strictly prhibited frm using blck letters n ur hmewrk, as they lack the beauty.
Nw it becmes apparent that yung peple n lnger learn cursive(草书). They type everything, mstly n their phnes. Beautiful handwriting is a thing f the past. This has becme a surce f great sadness amng traditinalists.
But recently smething happened that shk my faith in cursive. T my cmplete disbelief, nt ne but tw f my clse friends cmplained abut the handwriting n my pstcards. They were grateful fr the beautiful pstcards I regularly sent, but they said they hnestly culdn’t read a thing I had written. One friend went s far as t ask if I culd use blck letters next time s that she culd understand what I was writing.
Initially, I was angry. I had made the effrt t cver an entire pstcard with what I viewed as nt just handwriting but calligraphy. But then I shwed an English friend a pstcard I’d just written, and he said that the nly thing that was readily understandable was the letters “U. S. A.” The rest f it, he plitely suggested, lked like “chicken scrawl”.
Lking at the pstcard dispassinately, I unwillingly admit that he has a pint. All the m’s and n’s run tgether, and the 1’s lk like l’s. The a’s are indistinguishable frm the q’s. S, frm nw n, I’m taking their advice and using blck letters t cmmunicate.
In fact, I just nw sent an ld friend a pstcard. But this time, I simply wrte—in big blck letters:
DEAR ALICE:
HI.
JOE.
I hpe she gets the message.
24. What d we knw abut the Palmer Penmanship Methd?
A. It is characterized by big flwing lines.
B. It is rarely appreciated by traditinalists.
C. It was nt allwed in students’ hmewrk.
D. It is viewed as a trend in handwriting styles.
25 What weakened the writer’s belief in cursive?
A. The ppularity f blck letters in recent times.
B. The yunger generatin’s disinterest in cursive.
C. His friends’ failure t cmprehend his pstcards.
D. His English friend’s suggestin n pstcard design.
26. Why did the writer switch t blck letters fr cmmunicatin?
A. T deliver his message clearly. B. T imprve his handwriting skills.
C. T win praise frm his friends. D. T shw his passin fr calligraphy.
27. What is the text mainly abut?
A. The wide use f cursive. B. The sad decline f cursive.
C. The value f preserving cursive. D. The technique f writing in cursive.
C
It’s cmmnly acknwledged that ur lives are ruled by algrithms (算法), but have we really cllectively understd hw they have transfrmed ur culture and persnality?
In Filterwrld: Hw algrithms flattened culture, Kyle Chayka argues cnvincingly that the rise f algrithm-driven feeds, used everywhere nline frm Instagram t Sptify, has led t a mre unifrm culture. Our tastes and desires increasingly dn’t belng t us, but t algrithms that are designed t keep peple engaged at all csts. If the cllectin f ur tastes truly shapes ur entire persnality, then this lss is mre psychlgically damaging than it first appears. Aimlessly scrlling (滚屏) thrugh Netflix r TikTk may seem harmless, but ver days, mnths r years, we lse tuch with what we like and enjy.
Taste-making algrithms are inescapable. Chayka shws this by wrking thrugh all crners f life: what we wear(TikTk), where we eat(Ggle Maps), music we listen t(Sptify), even wh we date r marry(Tinder). This universe f algrithm-driven decisins has sciety-wide implicatins: “It extends t influence ur physical spaces, ur cities, and the rutes we mve thrugh…flattening them in turn.” N ne gets ut f the Filterwrld untuched.
If yu’re lucky enugh nt t need any srt f algrithm-based system fr yur wrk, then yu have the ptin t step back frm algrithms fr a while. But if yur friend suggests a film recmmended n X/Twitter r yu feel the need t buy thse shes suddenly everyne has started wearing after scial media advertisements, what are yu t d? It all feels fruitless.
This Filterwrld may be inescapable, but there is hpe. Yu can start by engaging mre with the media yu d chse t cnsume. This culd mean reading up abut a film yu watched r paying artists yu like directly. Even the thughtful act f recmmending an album (专辑) t a friend is mre rewarding than a randm TikTk feed. As Chayka says, resistance t algrithms “requires an act f willpwer, a chice t mve thrugh the wrld in a different way.”
28. What is Kyle Chayka’s pinin n algrithms?
A. They imprve ur tastes. B. They make ur culture mre alike.
C. They help t identify ur persnality. D. They cntribute t psychlgical prblems.
29. What des the underlined part in paragraph 3 refer t?
A. The sciety with advanced technlgy.
B. The wrld withut scial media platfrms.
C. The netwrk f algrithm-driven decisins.
D. The cmmunity free frm algrithmic influence.
30. Which f the fllwing is a way t resist the impact f algrithms?
A. Limiting the use f scial media platfrms.
B. Getting mre invlved with the selected media.
C. Making chices based n friends’ suggestins.
D. Discnnecting frm scial media advertisements.
31. What is the best title fr the text?
A. The Rise f Digital Platfrms B. The Secret f Algrithms
C. Scial Media: Cultural Messenger D. Algrithms: Cultural Takever
第二节（共5小题；每小题2.5分，满分12.5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。
We are masters f distractin especially when we feel an uncmfrtable emtin surfacing. And ur sciety makes it easier than ever. 32 . Thse range frm vides n TikTk t nline shpping.
But des distractin really help deal with emtins? Or des it merely wrsen the prblem? 33 . In sme ways it can help, and ftentimes distractin avids the rt f the prblem.
In the lud wrld in which we live nwadays, aviding an emtin is easier than prcessing it. During the sequencing f an emtin, distractin ccurs when we first ntice it. The emtin in questin causes physilgical changes and ften causes actin. 34 . It isn’t always a bad thing. There’s pretty gd evidence that distractin can help dwn regulate the anxiety arund a negative emtin.
35 . There are lnger md states that last days r mnths, althugh mst emtins nly last a few minutes befre they pass. That’s why, if yu’re seeking lng-term slutins, learning t prcess emtins is the nly way. When yu slw dwn and make space fr yur emtins, yu can start t prcess them.
Jacbs Hendel, a psychtherapist, uses a prcess, which invlves cnnecting yur feet t the flr, deep belly breathing, slwing dwn and then identifying where different emtins are felt in the bdy. 36 ——nce anxiety ges dwn, yu can identify the ther emtins that are cming up in yur bdy. If the same emtins keep cming up and causing yu stress, learning t sit with them and wrk thrugh them. Facing yur emtins may help yu see that they aren’t as scary as yu thught.
A. Grabbing yur phne isn’t necessarily bad
B. Accrding t experts, the answer is a mixed bag
C. And feeling them in the bdy is a gd place t start
D. We feel like emtins are ging t get bigger when we fcus n them
E. Fr example, if yu’re sad, yu draw back; if yu’re angry, yu apprach
F. Once a negative emtin arises, we may reach fr varius digital distractins
G. Hwever, distractin isn’t a true fix either, because it nly wrks in the shrt term
第三部分 完形填空（共15小题；每小题1分，满分15分）
阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出可以填入空白
的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
I’d gne snwbarding with excitement in France with my little brther. That day, fresh snw had been falling, and we were in a gd 37 . We stpped near the tp f an ff-path sectin that went thrugh 38 . I let my brther disappear int the trees ahead, 39 I wuld sn catch up.
I began t 40 speed when I was suddenly thrwn ff balance. Just as I was regaining cntrl, I ran int the trunk (树干) f a large tree. It was like 41 a slid wall. The pain was mre than I culd stand. I knew immediately that my 42 was brken and quickly realized the situatin culd get very 43 . Nbdy wuld be cming past. There was n phne signal. It was snwing and cld. If I waited, I wuld 44 be rescued eventually. But the chance f 45 t death befre that happened was t high fr me.
I tried t stand but fell dwn and almst 46 ut with pain. I managed t get the bard ff frm my feet and mved it under my stmach s I was lying n it. I used the bard t slwly drag and 47 my bdy dwn the tree-lined slpe (斜坡).
It tk abut tw hurs 48 a skier fund me and I gt help. The muntain rescue team came, with my brther arriving 49 afterwards. I culdn’t feel my hands r my tes frm the cld, but I was 50 t knw I was safe. I had brken ne f my backbnes, s I had an peratin. The cnstant pain was huge, but it wasn’t as bad as seeing the pain and wrry I put my family 51 .
The recvery rad was tugh, but I was lucky.
A. state B. shape C. passin D. md
A. fields B. frests C. suburbs D. plants
A. figuring B. advising C. wndering D. screaming
A. take up B. make up C. pick up D. end up
A. hitting B. encuntering C. surrunding D. attracting
A. head B. arm C. neck D. back
A. slight B. mild C. severe D. typical
A. permanently B. precisely C. pssibly D. exactly
A. starving B. bleeding C. chking D. freezing
A. gave B. blacked C. cried D. blew
A. push B. slide C. lift D. bend
A. after B. since C. as D. befre
A. immediately B. shrtly C. suddenly D. instantly
A. relieved B. shcked C. frightened D. refreshed
A. ff B. frward C. thrugh D. away
第II卷 （共65分）
第四部分 英语知识运用 （共两节，满分25分）
第一节 语法填空(共10小题；每小题1.5分，满分15分)
阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
Tai Hang, a mdern-lking neighbrhd in Hng Kng, is hme t the Tai Hang Fire Dragn Dance, a flk art frm that 52 (perfrm) during the Mid-Autumn Festival fr ver 100 years. 53 started as a way t rid this fishing village f bad luck has becme a cultural treasure.
The dragn is abut 70 meters lng and weighs mre than 200 punds, with its bdy
54 (wrap) with pearl grass. Mre than 70,000 incense sticks(香柱) are lit and strung alng the dragn’s back and head t make the “fire” f the fire dragn. At the festival, hundreds f peple wrk 55 turn t parade the burning dragn thrugh the streets f Tai Hang. The 56 (strng) man amng the grup has 57 hnr f supprting the 30-kilgram head. Dzens f perfrmers 58 (mve) the dragn smthly up and dwn thrugh the air attract runds f cheers and 59 (applaud) frm surrunding crwds.
The inheritrs f the dragn dance have set up wrkshps t demnstrate varius aspects f the traditinal art frm the making techniques t 60 (base) dance skills. In June, 2022, the Hng Kng Tai Hang Fire Dragn Museum was pened 61 (inspire) mre peple t learn mre abut this traditinal dance culture.
第二节 单词拼写（共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分）
请根据首字母或汉语提示填入单词的正确形式，每空仅填一词。
62. Bth appraches t the prblem are s and ne-sided, r, in a wrd, unscientific.
63. Cmpleted prjects must be (提交，呈递) by 10 March.
64. When she first heard the news, she was amazed with (不信，怀疑) .
65. He fell, s his head n the edge f the table.
66. Plice have stressed that this is the mst (精确的，准确的) descriptin f the killer t date.
67. All f us gt a thugh the bat was crwded.
68. When she gt bred, she (漫步，闲逛) aimlessly arund the streets.
69. Animals in the z have lst the c t catch fd fr themselves.
70. Laughter is ne f the mst infectius expressins f .(情感)
71. Take yurself ut f yur cmfrt z fr a week, discver new persnal qualities, and learn new skills.
第五部分 （共两节，满分40分）
第一节 应用文写作 （满分15分）
假定你是李华，在一所国际学校就读，最近你校图书馆决定缩短中午开放时间，你认为这种做法存在问题。请给图书馆写一封邮件，内容包括：
1.反馈问题；
2.提出建议。
注意：
1.写作词数应为80左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Dear Library Staff,
My name is Li Hua, and I am a student in Class 1, Senir 3. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yurs sincerely,
Li Hua
第二节 读后续写（满分25分）
阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。
As a language arts teacher, I think it my duty t teach my kids hw t use ur tls f wrds well. Use yur tl right—this is what I always tell them. But I never expected t learn that lessn frm them.
I clearly remembered it was my 40th birthday. On that day, my sixth-grade students were seated in a large circle, each hlding a different tl in their hand—a hammer, a flashlight, a screwdriver, etc. The students discussed hw wrds are like tls—they have the ability t build r t destry, and they discvered hw the right tl used at the right time fr the right jb can bring abut great results. They freely shared persnal stries f hw they had experienced smene’s wrds used as a tl, t wund r t heal.
I watched and listened with a sense f satisfactin—the students were engaged, attentive, and enjying the lessn. They gt it! It was ne f thse times when I sat back and enjyed the magic f being a teacher—t have the pprtunity t watch yung peple discver a greater truth abut life abut each ther, and abut themselves. There was n better gift than that.
As we neared the end f that schl day, ne f my students, Laura, had an unexpected utburst f defiance(违抗) in class. Busy scribbling (涂画) in her exercise bk, she refused t wrk with her grup. I was aware frm reading Laura’s file that she had struggled with defiant behavir in previus years, but we had develped a gd relatinship and she was always a respectful, thughtful, and psitive cntributr t ur class. Her behavir caught me ff guard. “I'm disappinted in yu!" With a sharp tne, I asked her t excuse herself and tld her I wuld visit with her in ur next-dr meeting rm after schl. She refused t leave and sat silently, staring at me angrily frm the back f the rm.
注意:
1.续写词数应为150左右;
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
“This was NOT ptinal,” I firmly tld her, sunding unpleasantly bitter. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
But the meeting rm rang with her respnse “Yu’re using yur tl against me!”
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
侨光中学2024年春季高二年第2次阶段考英语答案
听力（共两节，满分30分）
1-5 CAABC 6-10 CBCAA 11-15 BACBA 16-20 BABCC
阅读理解（共两节，满分40分）
A篇：21-23 DCA B篇：24-27 ACAB
C篇：28-31 BCBD 七选五：32-36 FBEGC
完形填空（满分15分）
37-51 DBACA DCCDB BDBAC
语法填空(满分15分)
has been perfrmed 53. What 54. wrapped 55. in 56. strngest
the 58. mving 59. applause 60. basic 61. t inspire
单词拼写（满分10分）
62. subjective 63. submitted 64. disbelief 65. striking 66. accurate
67. abard 68. wandered 69. capability 70. emtin 71. zne
应用文写作 （满分15分）
Dear Library Staff,
My name is Li Hua, and I am a student in Class 1, Senir 3. I am writing t express my cncerns abut the recent decisin t shrten the library's pening hurs during the nn perid. Many students rely n this time t study, cmplete assignments, r simply enjy reading. This change significantly limits ur access t these valuable resurces, which culd ptentially affect ur academic perfrmance and well-being.
I understand that there may be reasns behind this decisin, such as staffing r budget cnstraints. Hwever, I kindly suggest cnsidering alternative slutins. Fr instance, culd vlunteer students r part-time staff help keep the library pen during these hurs? Or, culd we implement a sign-in system t demnstrate the demand and ensure respnsible use f the space?
Thank yu fr cnsidering my feedback. I believe that by wrking tgether, we can find a slutin that benefits all parties invlved.
Yurs sincerely,
Li Hua
读后续写
One pssible versin:
“This was NOT ptinal,” I firmly tld her, sunding unpleasantly bitter. She put dwn her exercise bk angrily and strmed ut, slamming the the dr heavily behind. Then a sudden silence descended in the whle class. After the class was dismissed, I hurried t the meeting rm. Seeing Laura’s angry face,I questined “D yu knw hw disturbing yur defiance was t the whle class and disappinted me a lt? ” “ Yu shall nt ignre yur teammates, r yu will learn nthing frm it.” I rared, hping t have a sincere aplgy.
But the meeting rm rang with her respnse “Yu’re using yur tl against me!” It thundered in my ears. A girl was wunded by my tl f wrds. My mind raced fr slutins. “Srry, Laura. I haven’t used my tl right.” I sftly said, gently putting my hand n her shulder t reassure her f my sincerity. Her defiance slwly melted away and she handed me what she busied herself with—a birthday card. This precius gift served as a cnstant reminder f learning t use my tl right.
续写注意点
1.注意情节的推断。特别是第一段。第一段推断的难点在于,setting的变化。由第二段的meeting rm可以推断出，第一段的setting 会从classrm转到meeting rm; in class转到after class。根据文中“With a sharp tne, I asked her t excuse herself and tld her I wuld visit with her in ur next-dr meeting rm after schl.”，可知老师应该下课后进入meeting rm, Laura应该是上课时先去meeting rm。
2.注意情感的分析。注意情感的协同，para.2 提到了But; rang with her respnse; 可知，para.1双方都很生气。para.2才都恢复。
3.细节的推断。一向和我关系好的Laura怎么在乱涂乱画，拒绝和他人合作。结合文中“I clearly remembered it was my 40th birthday. ”句子，为什么记忆这么清楚。可以推断，Laura在给我画birthday card。
4.主题的推断。文中“Use yur tl right—this is what I always tell them. But I never expected t learn that lessn frm them”和“They freely shared persnal stries f hw they had experienced smene’s wrds used as a tl, t wund r t heal.”可以知主题是正确使用语言。
听力原文：
W: I’d like everyne t hand in the mvie reprt abut the Oscar-winning film Spider-Man: Int the Spider-Verse next Mnday.
M: Are yu ging t grade it r is this just fr practice?
W: I’ll grade it fr sure.
W: I can’t wait t see my aunt next week! She’s always traveling fr wrk, s she hasn’t had time t visit us. With her crazy schedule, I’m nt sure hw lng she’ll stay, thugh.
M: Sunds fun! I’m sure yu’ll have enugh time t catch up.
M: I can’t believe there’s anther bilgy test! There are s many unfamiliar terms!
W: At least yu aren’t taking chemistry like me. S many things t remember!
M: Well, I hear physics class is even harder.
W: I lve it when all the family get back tgether. What’s fr dinner?
M: I’m nt sure yet, Mm, Dad and Vicky will be there, but Amy can’t make it. She has a meeting.
W: When yu g t the market, please get nly the ripe bananas. They will have brwn spts n the utside. Dn’t buy any green nes. I can’t make banana bread frm thse!
M: What if they’re just yellw?
W: The yellw nes aren’t sweet enugh yet.
M: Mrning, Sue. Did yu enjy yur hliday in the cuntry?
W: Yes, thanks. We had a great time. And sme friends went with us.
M: Where did yu stay? In a htel?
W: N. We camped in the muntains, near Snwdn. We cked all ur meals ver an pen fire.
M: Sunds wnderful. Was the weather gd?
W: The sun shne nearly every day and it didn’t rain at all.
M: Did yu like the peple there?
W: Yes, they were great. We met sme farmers and had tea in their huses.
M: When did yu get back? Last night?
W: N. This mrning. Yu’ll think we were mad. We gt up at 4:30, left at 5 and arrived here at 9. I’m s tired. What abut yu? Did yu have a gd weekend?
M: Yes, but I didn’t d much. I stayed at hme. The weather was terrible.
W: I can’t decide whether t g t university r get a jb. What d yu think?
M: Well, if I were yu, I wuld g n studying.
W: But I dn’t even knw what t study.
M: I advise yu t majr in ecnmics.
W: That’s what my parents want me t d.
M: Yu shuld take their advice. They knw what’s best fr yu. The mre yu learn, the better jb yu’ll get.
W: But my friends will have jbs and have a lt f fun while I spend all my time ding reading and writing.
M: But if yu g t university, yu will still have time fr fun.
W: What yu say makes sense.I’ll think it ver. Thank yu fr the advice.
M: Are yu ready fr the trip t the museum in the Big Apple? I can hardly wait.
W: The Big Apple? What are yu talking abut?
M: The Big Apple is the nickname fr New Yrk City. Yu are ging t New Yrk with us, aren’t yu?
W: Yes, I am, and I’m especially lking frward t seeing the Museum f Mdern Art. There is a special shw f 20th century American painters there. But, tell me, where did the nickname cme frm?
M: The jazz musicians f the 1920s are respnsible fr the name. When they played a cncert in a city, they called the city an apple. Of curse, New Yrk was the biggest city in the cuntry and the best place fr a jazz cncert. S, the musicians called it the Big Apple.
W: Amazing! New Yrk is such a fascinating place and it even has an interesting nickname, ne that it has had fr ver 80 years.
W: What a great day, dn’t yu think?
M: I guess s. I didn’t ntice. I feel terrible because I watched televisin until after midnight last night.
W: After midnight! Did yu watch s late because yu were bred? I usually watch TV nly if I have nthing better t d.
M: Bred? N, I was unhappy because I left my meal tickets in the dining rm. There’s mre than fifty-dllars-wrth meal tickets lst.
W: S did watching TV make yu better?
M: Well, I felt bit better while I was watching. Yu knw it tk my mind ff my trubles. But after I turned the TV ff, I just felt even wrse f myself fr wasting s much time.
W: I’ve had that feeling befre.
W: Sme schls in the United States and ther cuntries ffer Chinese language classes with the gvernment supprt frm China. Saint Mary’s Schl is a private cllege preparatry schl in Medfrd, Oregn, in the Pacific Nrthwest. Saint Mary teaches Spanish, German and Latin. It added Mandarin in tw thusand five. Tw years ag, it became the first schl in the cuntry t jin the Cnfucius classrm prgram.
The prgram pays abut half the csts f a teacher sent t a schl in the United States. China’s Educatin Ministry als prvides bks and ther materials.
Saint Mary’s principal, Frank Phillips, says knwing Chinese will help students in a wrld where China is quickly gaining ecnmic pwer. The Cnfucius classrm prgram is in abut frty cuntries, including mre than fifty American schls and universities.
A recent reprt said mre schls in the United States are teaching Chinese, althugh the numbers are still lw. But it said freign language teaching in public elementary and middle schls drpped sharply in recent years. Fewer schls teach French, German, Russian r Japanese. There are language teacher shrtages, but sme schls say a law that nly measures prgress in math and reading has hurt language teaching.