【英语】湖南省岳阳市十四中2016年高三四月月考

岳阳市十四中2016年四月月考 英语试卷 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. Who is the man? A. A student. B. A salesman. C. A policeman. 2. What does the woman want to do? A. Cancel the meeting. B. Change the time of the meeting. C. Skip the meeting. 3. What do we know about the man? A. He has never been across the ocean. B. He does not understand what the woman means. C. He likes mathematics a lot. 4. What kind of job would the woman prefer? A. Any job with a high salary. B. An average job with a nice salary. C. An exciting job with an average salary. 5. What are the speakers talking about? A. The weather. B. What happened last night. C. Sleeping problems. 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。 听第 6 段材料，回答第 6、7 题。 6. What is special about the meal? A. The amount of food. B. The price of food. C. The kind of food. 7. What does the man suggest the woman do? A. Try a dessert. B. Try his favorite meat. C. Eat as much as possible. 听第7段材料，回答第8至10题。 8. What did the man ask the woman to do? A. Take a break. B. Take more pictures. C. Show him the photos. 9. Why did the man complain? A. The beach was dirty. B. There were no pictures of him. C. The weather was bad. 10. What can we learn from the conversation? A. The woman is very selfish. B. The man will copy his pictures into his PC. C. The speakers are on vacation. 听第8段材料，回答第11至13题。 11. Why does the man wish to break up with his girlfriend? A. She is not as pretty as she once was. B. They don’t get along well. C. He will move soon. 12. What does the woman think of the matter? A. The man should not take the job. B. The man might be reasonable. C. The man should maintain this relationship. 13. How does the man think his girlfriend will feel at his decision? A. Sad. B. Calm. C. Happy. 听第9段材料，回答第14至17题。 14. What is the woman looking for? A. Some saucepans. B. Some frying pans. C. Some plates. 15. When did she first see them? A. This morning. B. Yesterday. C. Some days ago. 16. What did the man ask the woman to do? A. Have a look at the window display. B. Check all the kitchenware in stock. C. Describe the item she wanted. 17. How might the woman feel in the end? A. Disappointed. B. Excited. C. Surprised. 听第10段材料，回答第18至20题。 18. What happened to the elderly gentleman? A. He got stuck in the doors of the train. B. He missed the train. C. He was seriously injured on the train. 19. What do we know about the gentleman’s wife? A. She was in great panic. B. She cried for help. C. She remained calm. 20. Who offered to help solve the problem? A. The speaker and two other men. B. The conductor. C. Nobody. 第二部分 阅读理解（共20小题，每小题2分，满分40分） 第一节（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30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，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。 A Two European Summer Must ‘Seas’ When you think of summer, the beach, clear water, sunny skies, and relaxing days are a few things that come to mind, and two of the best places to experience these summer feels are two gorgeous European bodies of water：the Mediterranean Sea and the Adriatic Sea! These two incredible Seas hold some of my favorite travel memories, and I would revisit each one in a heart beat! The Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea can be accessed from various European countries as well as a few North African countries. And while many think of visiting Ibiza, Malta, or the Greek islands to experience the Mediterranean, my Mediterranean beach days came while visiting the seaside city of Marseille in the South of France! Marseille was a lovely city with easy access to the Sea, also with pretty sandy beaches. The gorgeous crystal clear blue water made it unlike any beach day in America! Not only were the beaches amazing, but the city of Marseille was adorable and filled with numerous cute shops and seaside restaurants. And the Mediterranean-style food was delicious! The Adriatic Sea The Adriatic Sea is equally as stunning (wonderful) and surely worth a visit! The Croatian coast has numerous beach clubs, some private and some public, that tourists are able to visit and you can experience the beauty of the Adriatic Sea there! Zrce Novalja, a Croatian seaside town I visited, was impressively featured by the rather rocky beach in place of sand. The rocks were small and smooth, making swimming in the sea and wading in the water just as easy as sandy beaches! Plus the locals in Croatia are also extremely friendly, making the experience even more memorable. 21. The writer’s trip to the two seas was full of __________. A. unbearable hardships B. various adventures C. wonderful experiences D. funny events 22. From which place did the writer get to the Mediterranean Sea? A. Ibiza. B. Malta. C. The Greek islands. D. Marseille. 23. What makes Zrce Novalja so special? A. Its beach clubs. B. Its beautiful sea. C. Its rocky beach. D. Its friendly locals. B LONDON—Here’s a new warning from health experts: Sitting is deadly.      Scientists are increasingly warning that sitting for prolonged (持续很久的) periods—even if you also exercise regularly—could be bad for your health. And it doesn’t matter where the sitting takes place—at the office, at school, in the car or before a computer or TV— just the overall number of hours it occurs. Several studies suggest people who spend most of their days sitting are more likely to be fat, have a heart attack or even die.       In an editorial published this week in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, Elin Ekblom-Bak of the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences suggested that authorities rethink how they define physical activity to highlight the dangers of sitting.  While health officials have issued guidelines recommending minimum amounts of physical activity, they haven’t suggested people try to limit how much time they spend in a seated position.  “After four hours of sitting, the body starts to send harmful signals,” Ekblom-Bak said. She explained that genes regulating (调节) the amount of glucose (葡萄糖) and fat in the body start to shut down.        Even for people who exercise, spending long periods of time sitting at a desk is still harmful. Tim Armstrong, a physical activity expert at the World Health Organization, said people who exercise everyday—but still spend a lot of time sitting—might get more benefit if that exercise were spread across the day, rather than in a single bout (一回).          Still, in a study published last year that tracked more than 17,000 Canadians for about a dozen years, researchers found people who sat more had a higher death risk, whether or not they exercised. “We don’t have enough evidence yet to say how much sitting is bad,” said Peter Katzmarzyk of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, who led the Canadian study. “But it seems the more you can get up and interrupt this sedentary (坐着的) behavior, the better.”      Figures from a U.S. survey in 2003-2004 found Americans spend more than half their time sitting, from working at their desks to sitting in cars.       Experts said more research is needed to figure out just how much sitting is dangerous, and what might be possible to offset those effects.       “People should keep exercising because that has a lot of benefits,” Ekblom-Bak said. “But when they’re in the office, they should try to interrupt sitting as often as possible,” she said. 24. What is the best title for the text? A. Sitting Too Much Could Be Deadly B. How To Avoid Sitting Too Much C. Not Sitting Too Much While Working D. More And More People Sit Too Much 25. According to the research, __________. A. the more time you spend in exercising in a single bout, the healthier you will be B. those who often sit too much are sure to grow fat or suffer from a heart attack C. you had better not sit for more than four hours in a single bout  D. regular exercise is effective to get rid of the side effect of sitting too much 26. How does the danger of sitting too much affect the human body? A. It results in a higher death risk. B. It causes the genes to fail to balance the glucose and fat in the body. C. It increases glucose and fat in the body. D. It makes a person unable to exercise long enough in a day. 27. The underlined word “offset” in paragraph 10 probably means __________. A. improve B. achieve C. ignore D. balance C Living with other students can be a wonderful experience. Here are a few tips for student accommodations that can help ensure a great experience and build lifelong friendships: Screen your roommates carefully if you are given a choice. Combining the living spaces of several students into one location can be exciting and rewarding experience for the outgoing students. If you are on the shy side, or prefer a quiet group to study with pick quieter roommates. Divide the bills evenly. Some students are far less responsible than their roommates and tend to let their part of the finance slide. Resentment (不满) is quick to build when everyone has to pay the bill for a fellow student who can’t seem to pay his／her share of the money. Carry your part of the load. Everyone has to clean the bathroom and the kitchen sometime. Don’t avoid your part of responsibility. Student accommodations can get messy and it involves everyone to keep them tidy and healthy. Think about someone else before you think about yourself. Put your roommates interests above your own. Life will be far enjoyable when everyone is concerned about the feelings property and studies of each other. Be open and honest. Hostilities (敌意) and frustrations may cause problems that can’t be fixed. Everyone brings different standards and expectations to group living and it’s in everyone’s best interest to put them into the open. Disagreements can be managed more amiably (和蔼可亲地) when your are willing to be both open and listen to others. 28. When it comes to the bills, every member is advised to __________. A. foot the bill for a fellow student B. let his/her part of the finances slide C. take more responsibility than others D. pay his/her own share of money 29. The role “carry your part of the load” means every room member should __________. A. avoid making too much noise B. avoid staying up and oversleeping C. take care of others when they are ill D. take turns to keep the room tidy 30. To be a good member, one should learn to __________ according to the passage. A. choose his/her roommates at random B. express his/her disagreement openly and honestly C. balance his/her interests with others D. tolerate different standards and expectations 31. The author wrote the passage in order __________. A. to advise B. to guide C. to debate D. to persuade D People have wondered for a long time how their personalities and behaviors are formed. It’s not easy to explain why one person is intelligent and another is not, or why one is cooperative and another is competitive. Social scientists are, of course, extremely interested in these types of question. They want to explain why we possess certain characteristics and exhibit certain behaviors. There are no clear answers yet, but two distinct schools of thought on the matter have developed. As one might expect, the two approaches are very different from each other, and there is a great deal of debate between proponents of each theory. The argument is often conveniently referred to as nature vs. nurture. Those who support the “nature” side of the conflict believe that our personalities and behavior patterns are largely determined by biological and genetic factors. That our environment has little, if anything, to do with our abilities, characteristics and behavior is central to this theory. Taken to an extreme, this theory maintains that our behavior is predetermined (注定) to such a great degree that we are almost completely governed by our instincts (本能). Proponents of the “nurture” theory, or, as they are often called, behaviorists, claim that our environment is more important than our biologically based instincts in determining how we will act. Behaviorists see humans as beings whose behavior is almost completely shaped by their surroundings. Their view of the human being is quite mechanistic; they maintain that, like machines, humans respond to environmental stimuli (something that helps sb./ sth. to develop better and more quickly) as the basis of their behavior. The social and political connections of these two theories are significant. In the United States, for example, blacks often score below whites on standardized intelligent test. This leads some “nature” proponents to conclude that blacks are genetically worse than whites. Behaviorists, in contrast, say that the differences in scores are due to the fact that blacks are often robbed of many of the educational and other environmental advantages that whites enjoy, and that, as a result, they do not develop the same responses that whites do. Neither of these theories can yet fully explain human behavior. In fact, it is quite likely that the key to our behavior lies somewhere between these two extremes. That the argument will continue for a long time is certain. 32. The author is mainly concerned about solving the problem __________. A. what makes different stages of intelligence B. how social scientists form different theories C. why our personalities and behaviors differ D. what causes the “nature/ nurture” argument 33. The underlined word “proponents” can best be replaced by __________. A. approaches B. advocates C. principles D. characters 34. Which of the following statements may be supported by the “nature” school? A. Environment has nothing to do with our personalities. B. Abilities and characteristics are showed by behaviors. C. Only extreme behaviors are determined by instincts. D. We are born with certain personalities and behaviors. 35. What can we learn about the behaviorists? A. They suggest that we react to the environment as the machines do. B. They believe human beings are mechanical. C. They compare our behaviors to the machines. D. They agree that the mechanistic theory can be applied on us as well. 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。 How to Balance Your Life Bringing life into balance and maintaining it is a key factor in having peace and joy in life. When we are living a balanced life we are more productive and more successful. Here are some tips helping you balance your life. 36 Whether it is study, work, health, diet, spirituality, relationships, or exercise, identify the area you need to work on most. Don’t increase your stress by feeling overwhelmed. Balance doesn’t have to be achieved in one day. If your area is study, add some playful activities to your week to balance that area of your life. Make a personal commitment to start bringing your life back into balance. Set priorities (优先). Look at your to-do-list for the day. 37 This includes prioritizing time for you. This may mean time to study, exercise, or drink your cup of tea before it gets cold. Prioritize what is important to you. Check the schedule before you know that there is no time left to do what is important in your day. Prioritize and stick to it. Do what is important first. Set boundaries. This may include the use of that word ‘no’ from time to time. It is not necessary to say yes to every request and every good cause. You do not have to go to every volunteer activity. If it fits in with your priorities, great but set boundaries. 38 Know your limits and know it is OK to say “No” sometimes. Keep a positive attitude. Things do not always work out the way we plan and that is OK. Often there was something much better for us around the corner, we just couldn’t see it at the moment when everything seemed to fall apart. Keep a positive attitude and trust that somehow things will work out, new opportunities and solutions will present themselves. 39 Take time to relax. 40 Many of us are so used to feeling overwhelmed that it has become our normal state of being! Spare some time to relax. It may have been so long since you have done this that you don’t remember how! Take a nice bath, listen to some music, or take a walk in nature. Take time out, breath and relax. A. Keep your eyes open for them to appear. B. Not everything needs to be done perfectly. C. Identify which part of your life needs balance. D. In today’s world we are all living life at a fast pace. E. Prioritize the things that are really important to you and your balanced life. F. These steps will help you experience more success, productivity and happiness. G. Say no when you do not want to do something rather than saying yes and being stressed about it for weeks. 第三部分 英语知识运用 (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四个选项（A、B、C和D）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。 University was a new experience for me. I was 41 in a small seaside town in the south of England, and suddenly I was 42 together with people of my age from all over the country. People were speaking with a(n) 43 that I had only ever heard on TV, and sometimes using words that I had never heard before. I had only been at university for about a week when I 44 David Pitman, from Blackburn in the north of England. We 45 that we both played tennis, and arranged to meet up one afternoon for a 46 . I went to the sports hall at the 47 time, and went into the changing rooms. David was already there, and I could see that he wasn’t very 48 . He was searching anxiously for something inside his bag. He looked up at me as I 49 . “I’ve 50 my keks,” he said. “you haven’t got any, have you?” 51 I had no idea what he was talking about. Tennis balls? Shorts? Trainers? What? I said: “Sorry?” David repeated: “Have you got any 52 keks with you?” Of course, I could have asked him what the word meant, 53 I was too embarrassed and didn’t want to offend him. David saw the 54 on my face, and said: “You know — Keks. Shorts. Tennis shorts.” Now I 55 what he wanted, and luckily, I did have a(n) 56 pair in my bag. I lent them to him, we 57 , and he won. Then we went to get a 58 . The woman at the canteen asked me what I wanted. “I’d like a Black Beauty, please,” I said. (Where I 59 , that’s cola and ice cream.) “What on earth is that?” 60 the woman. I immediately knew how she felt. 41. A. raised B. grown C. adapted D. praised 42. A. respected B. accepted C. thrown D. survived 43. A. smile B. accent C. expression D. sound 44. A. caught sight of B. picked out C. came across D. dug out 45. A. discovered B. hoped C. guessed D. admitted 46. A. game B. report C. meeting D. discussion 47. A. given B. informed C. recorded D. appointed 48. A. nervous B. happy C. friendly D. angry 49. A. stood up B. set out C. turned back D. walked in 50. A. left off B. left aside C. left out D. left behind 51. A. Gradually B. Finally C. Suddenly D. Fortunately 52. A. new B. spare C. free D. common 53. A. and B. so C. yet D. while 54. A. appearance B. pain C. look D. concern 55. A. brought out B. figured out C. decided on D. took up 56. A. cheap B. nice C. expensive D. extra 57. A. showed B. played C. studied D. shared 58. A. drink B. rest C. review D. chat 59. A. travel around B. get away C. come from D. flee to 60. A. demanded B. suggested C. announced D. ordered 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。 As is known to us, the year 2016 has one extra day in it — February 29th. This is because it’s 61 we call “a leap year”. Every four years, the year has 366 days in 62 instead of 365. It is called a leap year because hundreds of years ago in England, the extra day wasn’t 63 (legal) recognized. There is a well-known tradition in the UK 64 (associate) with 29th February, introduced many centuries ago. Women are allowed to break with tradition and propose (求婚) to their boyfriends on this day. This all started back in the 65 (five) century, when a famous Irish saint made a 66 (complain) that women had to wait too long for men to propose. According to the legend, Saint Patrick said any female dreaming of a proposal could ask her boyfriend to marry her on this additional day in February. This so-called tradition 67 (write) in law in the thirteenth century. Scotland passed a law allowing women to propose to men in a leap year. It was said that if the men refused, they had to pay a fine! Now in 2016, there are calls 68 29th February to become a public holiday. Some people believe that it should be an 69 (office) day off, because no one gets 70 (many) payments for working an extra day in a leap year. For the moment though, the British still have to go to work on this day. 第四部分 写作（共两节，满分35分） 第一节 短文改错（共10小题，每小题1分，满分10分） 假如英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌的以下作文。文中共有10处错误，每句中最多有两处。错误涉及单词的增加、删除或修改。 增加：在缺词处加一个漏词符号（∧），并在此符号下面写出该加的词。 删除：把多余的词用斜线（＼）划掉。 修改：在错词下面划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。 注意：1、每处错误及其修改均仅限一词； 2、只允许修改10处，多者从第11处不计分 My friend Mike has benefited great from humor. He is kind but overweight, that brings him a lot of problems. Once one of my classmates laughed him, “Why are you so fat?” We all stopped to stare at Mike, wonder how he would answer the question. He just said in the calm voice, “Well, because of my size must be large enough to hold my heart of love.” Hearing his word, we all burst into laughter. Not only does Mike take the joke, but he also managed to cope with the embarrassed situation. What an important part humor plays in ours daily life! 第二节 书 关于书的成语关于读书的排比句社区图书漂流公约怎么写关于读书的小报汉书pdf 面表达（25分） 高考临近，学习时间变紧，任务加重，很多同学内心压力大，学习效率低下。请为即将举行的班会写一篇英语演讲稿，谈谈你对怎样保持良好的精神状态，高效而健康地进行复习备考的看法。要点如下： 1、坚持锻炼； 2、合理计划； 3、注重饮食。 注意： 1、词数100左右； 2、不可逐条翻译； 3、可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯； 4、开头语已为你写好。 Dear classmates, Good afternoon! Today is December 8th. The college entrance exams are really around the corner now. ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 参考答案 听力部分 1—5  ABBCA 6—10  BACBC 11—15  CBAAC 16—20  CBACA 阅读理解 21—23 CDC 24—27 ACBD 28—31 DDBB 32—35 CBDA 36—40 CEGAD 完形填空 41—45 ACBCA 46—50 ADBDD 51—55 CBCCB 56—60 DBACA 语法填词 61. what　　 62. it　 63. legally　 64. associated 65. fifth 66. complaint 67. was written 68. For 69. official 70. more 短文改错 My friend Mike has benefited great from humor. He is kind but overweight, that brings greatly which him a lot of problems. Once one of my classmates laughed ∧ him, “Why are you so fat?” at We all stopped to stare at Mike, wonder how he would answer the question. He just said in wondering the calm voice, “Well, because of my size must be large enough to hold my heart of love.” a Hearing his word, we all burst into laughter. Not only does Mike take the joke (开得起玩笑), words did but he also managed to cope with the embarrassed situation. What an important part humor embarrassing plays in ours daily life! our 书面表达 Dear classmates, Good afternoon! Today is December 8th. The college entrance exams are really around the corner now. As time becomes limited and school work begins to pile up, many students start to feel much stressed. Some find themselves very unenergetic and not able to concentrate; some even fall asleep in class. What should we do to avoid this? First of all, physical exercise is the best way to reduce stress and help people relax. Therefore it is highly advisable that we have some physical exercise after some hours of mental exercise. Second, having a proper study plan is of great importance too，since it can remind us what to do and is helpful for us to do our work more efficiently. Last but not least, we should pay special attention to our diet as well. Anyway, a balanced and nutritious diet can keep a busy mind smart and energetic. Only if we can do these three things mentioned above will we make our time of study and preparation work enjoyable, efficient and fruitful. Thank you. 听力原文 Text 1 M: I’m looking for a textbook for my sociology course. It’s called American Sociology at the Crossroads. Do you have it? W: Yes, we do. You will find it in Section 4, on the top shelf. Text 2 M: We will be having a meeting tomorrow at noon. W: Oh, can we push the meeting forward a little bit? I am busy then. M: I’m sorry. The time has already been set, and you must attend. Text 3 W: Mathematics is a very exact science. For example, if one man can build a garage in twelve days, twelve men can build it in one day. M: Then if one ship can cross the ocean in eight days, I suppose eight ships can cross it in one day. Text 4 M: From what you’ve just said, you think all anyone ever wants in a job is a nice fat salary. W: No, I don’t think so. Personally, I’d much rather have an interesting, challenging job with average wages. M: So would I. Text 5 W: It is getting colder and colder. Last night I didn’t sleep at all. M: But it’s the same every year. Most of us have gotten used to it. W: I still need to live here for a few years before I can handle it. Text 6 W: Is it really all-you-can-eat for only $12.50? That price is not bad. M: That’s what the sign says. But take your time. Otherwise, you might become ill. W: Ill? From the food here? M: Yes, if you eat too much food too fast, you might start to feel sick. W: Wow, I never thought about that. Any other advice? M: Yes, try the cherry pie. It’s delicious. W: I don’t like sweets. I will stick to the meat and vegetables. Text 7 M: Where is the camera? W: In my suitcase. M: Take it out. W: In a minute. I need a break first. M: But I can’t wait to see the pictures we just took. W: I said in a minute. M: Please? W: Fine. Here. M: Great. Let me see... This is you in front of the cabin, and you on the beach, and you in the sea... All pictures of you! W: So not true. M: Then show me one without you in it. W: This one. M: This is just a picture of the sky. What about me? You didn’t take any photos of me. W: I guess I was a little bit too self-involved. M: You think? W: I was just joking. All your pictures have been copied into your PC. Text 8 M: Recently, I have been thinking that I should break up with my girlfriend. W: Why? You and Sarah are a great couple. How long have you been together? M: Almost two years. She is great but the new job I was offered is not in this city. It’s not even in this state. W: Are you sure you will take the job? M: Yes, I will move next month. I just don’t want to have a long-distance relationship. W: Yes, those rarely work out. But Sarah is really nice. You two get along so well. M: I know, but think about it, how can we have a meaningful relationship when we are hundreds of miles apart? W: You will always miss each other so much. It will be painful. Maybe you are right. M: I want her to be happy. I think at first it will be difficult but eventually she will see we made the right decision. W: Well, first you are going to have to tell her. That will not be easy. Text 9 M: Yes, madam, can I help you? W: Oh, yes, please, but you’re just closing, aren’t you? M: Well, yes, we are, madam. The shop closes in five minutes. W: I won’t keep you long then. It was about some saucepans you had in your window last week. M: Last week, madam? I can’t remember which ones you mean. What were they like? W: Oh, they were lovely! Sort of imitation wood, dark brown color, country-style, you know, and if I remember correctly, they had a sort of leaf pattern, or was it a flower pattern? M: That’s strange. I don’t recognize any of the ones we had from that description. Are you sure they were in this shop? W: Well, you must know the ones I mean. They were on sale, a real bargain, reduced to a quarter of the original price. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw them. M: I’m afraid the sales are over now, madam, and I know we sold out of all the saucepans. W: I don’t think you did, actually. At least, my neighbor, Mrs. Cliffe, told me she saw some here only yesterday. M: Well, it’s all new stock in the window now. W: May I have a look, to see if there’s anything else? M: Uh, well, madam, as you know, we were just closing. And perhaps, madam, if you come tomorrow, I could show you everything we have in our range of kitchenware. And there are still one or two things on sale... W: Oh, look! That one there! That’s the sort of thing I was looking for! Text 10 One day last summer I was traveling on the London Underground, on the Piccadilly Line. We stopped at Green Park and a few people got on. Among them were an elderly lady and an elderly gentleman, maybe her husband. Actually, he didn’t quite get on the train because the automatic doors closed on him as he was getting on. I know from experience that this isn’t really a problem — you just push your arms out and the doors move back. However, this couple appeared to be unfamiliar with the underground and this man did the worst thing possible — he stepped back but somehow leaned forward. This meant that the doors closed on his neck so his head was inside the train and the rest of his body was outside. He had a most peculiar expression on his face and he was waving his arms up and down. His wife, who had found a seat, didn’t seem to be the least disturbed. I realized that there was a real danger that he might be dragged along the platform and seriously injured, so I leapt from my seat and, along with two other men, pulled at the doors, which soon sprang back. Nobody else did anything, apart from one person who said, “Pull the communication button” but remained seated. The man took his seat next to his wife. They were both completely calm and didn’t say a word. PAGE 1