山东省临沭第二中学2021届高三英语上学期期中教学质量检测试题.doc

1、山东省临沭第二中学2021届高三英语上学期期中教学质量检测试题注意事项：1. 答卷前，考生务必将自己的姓名、考生号等填写在答题卡和试卷指定位置上。2. 回答选择题时，选出每小题答案后，用铅笔把答题卡上对应题目的答案标号涂黑。如需改动，用橡皮擦干净后，再选涂其他答案标号。回答非选择题时，将答案写在答题卡上。写在本试卷上无效。3. 考试结束后，将本试卷和答题卡一并交回。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

2、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. Why does Jane become thinner?A. She has been on a diet. B. She has exercised a lot. C. She has had an illness.2. Where are the speakers?A. In a bookshop. B. In a library. C. In a classroom.3. What time does the bus usually arrive?A. 7:30. B. 7:35. C. 7:40.4. What

3、is the probable relationship between the speakers?A. Teacher and student. B. Husband and wife. C. Mother and son.5. What are the speakers talking about?A. Jims weekend. B. Todays weather. C. Kates friends.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2至4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

4、每段对话或独白前，你将有5秒钟的时间阅读各个小题；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。听下面一段对话，回答第 6 和第 7 题。6. What does the woman do?A. Shes a waitress. B. Shes a doctor. C. Shes a teacher.7. What is the man going to do?A. Have a further examination.B. Give up his unhealthy diet.C. Go on sick leave from work.听下面一段对话，回答第 8 至第 10 题

5、。高三英语试题 第 1 页（共 10 页）8. How long has Peter been in London?A. One day. B. Three days. C. About a week.9. What does Peter say about the hotel?A. Its not large but warm.B. Its not so good but cheap.C. Its not convenient but quiet.10. What is Peter going to do next?A. Have the heating fixed.B. Ask for a

6、nother room.C. Get something to eat.听下面一段对话，回答第 11 至第 13 题。11. Who is Nat King Cole?A. A bus driver. B. A researcher. C. A pop singer.12. What did the researchers study about bus drivers?A. Their facial expressions.B. Their health problems.C. Their working condition.13. What is proved harmful to the

7、 bus drivers health?A. Giving up jobs. B. Forced smiles. C. Bad thoughts.听下面一段对话，回答第 14 至第 17 题。14. What has Professor Brown been busy with these days?A. Training teachers. B. Teaching students. C. Writing textbooks.15. What does Professor Brown think about what he does?A. It is important. B. It is

8、enjoyable. C. It is hard work.16. At what age did Professor Brown start to learn music?A. Three. B. Six. C. Twelve.17. What is Professor Brown good at in terms of music?A. Releasing his CDs.B. Writing words to songs.C. Remembering music pieces.听下面一段独白，回答第 18 至第 20 题。18. What is the speaker doing?A.

9、Hosting a radio program.B. Conducting an interview.C. Reporting a piece of news.19. Which country is the largest coal producer in the world?A. China. B. The US. C. Australia.20. What do we know about coal-mining jobs in America?A. Theyre boring. B. Theyre dangerous. C. Theyre poorly paid.高三英语试题 第 2

10、页（共 10 页）第二部分 阅读 （共两节，满分 50 分）第一节（共 15 小题；每小题 2.5 分，满分 37.5 分）阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D 四个选项中选出最佳选项。AThe National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA) seeks Festival Support Staff for 2020 festival season to provide office and on-site support for three large-scale festivals. Positions available includ

11、e: Programming Administration AssistantResponsibilities include programming research, marketing and event organization. The position may also be responsible for press and photo document management, social media updates, and customer service.Qualified applicants will be careful and organized, with ex

12、cellent people skills and a general interest in the traditional arts. Computer literacy is essential. Contract runs May1-December15. Festival AssistantThis position provides festival staff support. Responsibilities include document creation, travel purchase, data entry, and database maintenance.Qual

13、ified applicants will be outgoing and open-minded, with effective oral and written communication skills and computer literacy. Prior experience with festival planning is preferred. Contract runs May18-October30. Production AssociateThe Production Associate is a key member of the production team who

14、will work closely with the Production Manager on all festival audio, backline, and lighting needs.Qualified applicants will be responsible and adaptable, with excellent people skills. Prior experience in concert production is preferred. Contract runs June15-October30.All Positions: Experience with d

15、atabase entry, Microsoft Office, and Adobe Acrobat is required. Must have a clean driving record, or reliable transportation. Must have strong interpersonal skills. Some evenings, weekends, and travel are required.All positions are full time with contract. Deadline is April 20, 2020.21. What will a

16、programming administration assistant most probably do?A. Plan and design a program.B. Create social networking websitesC. Deal with complaints from customersD. Photograph newspapers and documents22. What is the working period for a festival assistant?A. May1-December15. B. May18-October30.C. June15-

17、October30. D. April20-October30.高三英语试题 第 3 页（共 10 页）23. What is the requirement for all the three positions?A. Communication skills. B. Language levels.C. Working experience. D. Knowledge on traditional arts. BOne spring day, once the flowers have begun to open, a bee will hover (盘旋) and zip through

18、 your yard and dive-bomb your picnic table. While youre thinking about avoiding an attack, that bee is focused on something else entirely: me.A honeybee has about six weeks to live. Today, like most days, her task is to fly as many as three miles from home, stick her long, straw-like tongue into a h

19、undred or so flowers. When the bee has had her fill, shell fly home. There the bee will deposit what she has got into the mouth of one of her co-workers, who will relay it to another, and so on for about 20 minutes, until the mixture is ready to be placed into the comb. Then she and her 50,000 or so

20、 mates will hover in the dark all night every night, flapping their wings to create hot, breezy conditions to remove the water from the mixture. Several sunrises later, they will seal me off in a golden cell of beeswax. In her lifetime, our bee may visit 4,000 flowers, and yet will produce only one-

21、twelfth of a tea spoon of me.The average American consumes nearly a pound and a half of me every year, in tea, on toast, and beyond. If I do say so myself, I am a timeless treasure. LiterallyI never go bad.Unfortunately, my good health is not guaranteed. The problem lies in the growth of industrial

22、agriculture and the use of pest control chemicals, as well as changes in weather patterns, all of which reduce the number of flowers bees have to visit. Id appreciate your letting your own garden grow just a little wild. My future depends on all of us protecting natures wild flowers, thus helping th

23、e bees, who give so muchto you, to mewithout ever asking for anything in return.24. What does “me” in the passage refer to?A. The flower. B. The bee. C. Garden D. Honey.25. What does paragraph 2 want to stress?A. Bees special talent. B. Bees hard work.C. Bees living environment. D. Bees social behav

24、ior.26. Which of the following is true according to the passage?A. A bee will surely attack picnickersB. A bee will generally live a long life.C. American consumers cant go without “me”.D. The drying process of “me” can take a few nights.27. What is the purpose of the passage?A. To appeal for help f

25、or honeybees.B. To talk about the history of a treasure.C. To put forward techniques for gardeners.D. To argue against the control of chemicals.高三英语试题 第 4 页（共 10 页）CIt was Americas deadliest wildfire in at least 100 years and the most destructive in California history. The Camp Fire started at 6:33

26、a.m. on November 8, touched off by faulty electrical transmission lines in the town of Paradise. It burned for 17 days and consumed 153,336 acres north of Sacramento. In all, the fire caused $16.5 billion in damage, destroying nearly 19,000 buildings, leaving 50,000 homeless, and killing 85.Shane Gr

27、ammer, a creative director for Disneys theme parks, followed the news of the fire. When his childhood friend Shane Edwards posted pictures of his white chimneythe only part of his house to surviveGrammer felt helpless. And then he had an idea.On December 31, Grammer spent three hours spray-painting

28、a strikingly frightening black- and-white image of a woman on the chimneya reminder, perhaps, of the beauty of life, or even just of life itself. Grammer posted the image on Instagram. The victims of the fire, especially, could not contain themselves. “Beautiful and unforgettable,” one said. Another

29、 posted, “You bring beauty and hope.”Suddenly, Grammer realized that what he had thought was a purely artistic expression had morphed into something deeper, the nature of true art. “When the first picture moved so many people in this community, I knew I had to come back up,” Grammer told KRCR-TV in

30、Redding. Over a period of three months he returned eight times, painting 17 portraits of victims on walls, pickups, and pieces of buildings. “There is hope,” he explains. “There is beauty in the ashes.”Grammers work in Paradise has now become a movement. He has traveled the world painting pictures i

31、n dark places that badly needed some light: an orphanage in Tijuana, Mexico; a youth ministry in San Francisco. “I want to do something powerful and create art that moves people,” he says.28. What can we learn from paragraph 1?A. The Camp Fire was caused by nature.B. California has witnessed many wi

32、ldfires.C. There should be a ban on using electricity.D. The damage of the Camp Fire was inestimable.29. What do people think of Grammers first painting？A. Disappointing. B. Impressive. C. Frightening. D. Abstract.30. What does the underlined word “morphed” in Paragraph 4 mean?A. Changed. B. Broke.

33、C. Divided. D. Burst.31. What is the significance of Grammers painting?A. They are creative masterpieces.B. They are drawn using a special technique.C. They bring people hope out of misfortune.D. They mainly focus on dark sides of society.高三英语试题 第 5 页（共 10 页）DThough not as mainstream as devices like

34、 smartphones and fitness trackers, more companies are now experimenting with the concept of connected garments. Among the pioneers is London-based CuteCircuit, whose latest creation is the “Sound Shirt”, which allows deaf people to “feel” live music by transforming the tunes into touch sensations in

35、 real time.The fashionable jacket achieves the incredible function using software that changes the music into data and wirelessly sends it to the 16-micro motors fitted inside the clothings fabric. The devices shake in sync（ 同 步 ）to the intensity( 强 度 ）of the music being played, allowing the wearer

36、to feel each instrument individually. The series of touch-like sensations across the wearers body enables them to feel the entire works, resulting in a fully amazing musical experience.To ensure the shirt is comfortable, the designers chose to leave out wires and instead wove conductive textiles( 传

37、导 纺 织 品 ) into the garments fabric. Francesca Rosella, co-founder, and chief creative officer of CuteCircuit, explains, “There are no wires inside, so were only using smart fabricswe have a combination of microelectronics and very thin, flexible and conductive fabrics. All these little electronic mo

38、tors are connected with these conductive fabrics so that the garment is soft and stretchable.”CuteCircuit, which has been testing the Sound Shirt for three years, expects to make it available to the general public shortly. Priced at $3,673(3,000 pounds), the smart jacket will not be cheap. However,

39、twin sisters Hermon and Heroda Berhane, who lost their hearing at a young age, believe the hi-tech garment is a worthwhile investment, especially for deaf people with a passion for dancing. “Its almost like feeling the depth of the music,” says Hermon. “It just feels as though we can move along with

40、 it.” Heroda agrees, adding, “I think it could definitely change our lives.”32. What is “sound shirt” meant for?A. Deaf people. B. Poor people C. Students. D. Musicians.33. Which aspect of the “Sound Shirt” is mainly talked about in paragraph 2?A. Special materials. B. Powerful function.C. Working p

41、rinciple. D. Fashionable design.34. How did the designers manage to keep the shirt comfortable?A. By using wires. B. By using smart fabrics.C. By avoiding electronic motors. D. By making the shirt very thin.35. Why did the writer mention twin sisters Hermon and Heroda Berhane?A. To persuade us to le

42、arn from them.B. To get the public to know them better .C. To state the smart jacket is affordable.D. To prove the smart jacket enjoys promising future.高三英语试题 第 6 页（共 10 页）第二节 （共 5 小题；每小题 2.5 分，满分 12.5 分）阅读下面短文，从短文后的选项中选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。You can take fish oil supplements or you can invest in

43、 a language class, puzzle books, or a few hours of exercise every week. There are countless methods to improve your memory. 36 Why can such an ordinary activity improve your brain？ 37 “Typically, when youread, you have more time to think,” says Maryanne Wolf, director of the UCLA Center，“Reading giv

44、es you a unique pause button for comprehension and insight. By and large, with oral languagewhen you watch a film or listen to a tapeyou dont press pause.” 38 A small study at Emory University found that some of those benefits persisted for five days. “We call that a shadow activity, almost like a m

45、uscle memory,” says Gregory Berns, PhD, director at Emory.What if you are a poor, or even a dyslexic ( 诵 读 困 难 的 ) reader who feels as if youll never be able to read enough to get these benefits? 39 Scientists at Carnegie Mellon University studied children aged eight to ten who were below-average re

46、aders. One hundred hours of remedial( 补 救 的 ) reading classes significantly improved the quality of their brains white matterthe tissue that carries signals between areas of gray matter, where information is processed. 40 So turn off your phone and your computer, set aside a good hour or twoand just

47、 read.A. A research may help relieve this worry.B. It indicates the brains of these children somewhat got improved.C. But the cheapest and easiest way to sharpen your brain is reading.D. The problem with dyslexics is that their brains work differently from others.E. And the benefits of reading conti

48、nue long after youve put down that great book.F. Its common that the language part of the brain would get a workout from reading.G. Thats because the very nature of reading encourages the brain to work harder and better.第三部分 语言运用（共两节，满分 30 分）第一节（共 15 小题；每小题 1 分，满分 15 分）阅读下面短文，从每题所给的 A、B、C、D 四个选项中选出可

49、以填入空白处的最佳选项。A retired engineer, 76-year-old Wilson has been offering free rides to college students for the past eight years. Since he first started 41 his car to the young people, Wilson has 42 an astonishing 64, 000 miles.Tina Stern 43 rides from Wilson for all her four years in college, and the t

50、rips 44 much more to her than just free transportation. “Youre not just sitting there in 45 silence or with your headphones on.” Stern said. “He will often strike up pleasant and often humorous 46 with the students he transports.”Wilson first worked as a driver through a student-support non-profit p

51、rogramme. Although the programme 47 the members only to drive students to and from their classes, he often高三英语试题 第 7 页（共 10 页）goes beyond to 48 the welfare and safety of the students. If they 49 certain daily necessities, Wilson will purchase whats needed for them. If a student gets 50 on the long d

52、rives, Wilson will never 51 to buy him/her a meal.For many students who dont have a reliable car, Wilsons help is not only appreciated, but also is 52 necessary for them to be able to complete their 53 . But according to Wilson, he 54 just as much from the experience. “I just love driving and I love

53、 these kids. Its such a(n) 55 to be a part of these kids lives, even just for a few hours.”41. A. donatingB. lendingC. deliveringD. volunteering42. A. discoveredB. coveredC. measuredD. wandered43. A. earnedB. receivedC. assessedD. avoided44. A. meantB. appliedC. involvedD. proceeds45. A. abnormalB.

54、apparentC. awkwardD. familiar46. A. argumentsB. interviewsC. explanationsD. conversations47. A. forcesB. requiresC. commandsD. persuades48. A. seekB. urgeC. ensureD. deliver49. A. run out ofB. make use ofC. sufferD. possess50. A. tiredB. boredC. hungryD. disappointed51. A. expectB. attemptC. manageD

55、. hesitate52. A. graduallyB. deliberatelyC. entirelyD. hardly53. A. employmentB. scheduleC. arrangementD. education54. A. benefitsB. recoversC. suffersD. distinguishes55. A. priorityB. ambitionC. blessingD. convenience第二节 （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。If youre into rea

56、ding, you will 56 (probable) have noticed that a brand new book has a rather special smell, 57 differs from that of an older book. Where does it come from? Three sources the paper, the ink and the glue.Books have been around for about 4,500 years. Some of 58 earliest books come from the fifth dynast

57、y of Egypt, about 2,400 BC. They were written on papyrus (纸莎草纸)similar to modern paper, but thicker. Around 200 AD, the Chinese first came up with paper, one of the greatest 59 (invention) in the world. It is made from wood. The wood must be processed with various chemicals 60 (add) to change its st

58、ructure, to remove acid and to whiten the paper. Then comes the ink there are many kinds. Some fade with time, while others get 61 (dark) than years ago. Finally, different glues are used to join the sheets together and attach the covers, whether hardcover 62 paperback. Therefore, you can smell diff

59、erent chemicals 63 (come) out of your new book.In the past few decades, eBooks 64 (develop) dramatically. They might be convenient 65 (read), but you cant give your copy to others as a present, and they dont smell as nice.高三英语试题 第 8 页（共 10 页）第四部分 写作 (共两节，满分 40 分)第一节 （满分 15 分）上周末，你参加了学校志愿者组织的一次户外环保活动

60、,请你给某中学生英文报写一篇稿件，介绍这次活动，内容包括：1、活动目的；2、活动内容（清除湖边垃圾,宣讲垃圾分类的好处）；3、你的感想。参考词汇：垃圾分类garbage-sorting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。My Happy WeekendLast weekend, the volunteers from our school did something very meaningful.第二节（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。It was a cool evening in s

61、pring. I was just finishing the dinner dishes when the phone rang. It was unusual because our landline seldom rang. Nearly everyone we knew contacted us on our cell phones.“This is Janet Rhodes,” said a familiar voice that I struggled to recognize. That name seemed familiar, too. I knew a lot of peo

62、ple, having lived in most major cities in California for the past thirty years.“I am calling because I need to apologize to you,” Janet stated. Thats when I suddenly realized who she was.“That day when I came into your classroom and chewed you out for disciplining my daughter, I was way out of line.

63、 I know now that you were doing what was best for her. You were right.”Twenty years earlier, it was only my second year of teaching. Janets daughter, Stephanie, had acted out toward some of the other girls in the classroom, and I had made her stay in from breaks between classes. I was kind and fair

64、when I punished her. The truth is that I really liked Stephanie, but she clearly didnt like being disciplined. She told her mother, and Janet felt the need to defend her child.高三英语试题 第 9 页（共 10 页）After school, she flew into my classroom and accused me of everything from being unfair to playing favor

65、ites to not caring about my students. She was yelling so loudly that every teacher in the building heard her accusations, including my principal.Her words shocked me because none of her criticisms was true. I managed to keep from crying while she stood in front of me, but as soon as she left the roo

66、m, I broke down. I cried all evening on and off through that sleepless night. I had once felt such joy teaching my kids, but now I felt like I was under a microscope in my classroom. For the next few weeks, her words caused me to second-guess everything I did with my students. I doubted my ability a

67、nd even my own heart. Despite how her mother had treated me, I knew I would discipline Stephanie again if she acted out. It was the right thing to do.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。 2020-2021高三英语期中参考答案 第一部分听力（共 20 小题，每小题 1.5 分，满分 30 分）1-5 CBBCA 6-10 BACBA 11-15 CABCB16-20 BCAAB第二部分阅读理解(共两节

68、，满分50分)第一节（共15小题；每小题2.5分，满分37.5分）21-25 CBADB26-30 DADBA31-35 CACBD第二节 （共5小题；每小题2.5分，满分12.5分）36-40 CGEAB 第三部分 语言运用（共两节，满分30分）第一节（共15小题；每小题1分，满分15分）41-45 DBBAC46-50 DBCAC51-55 DCDAC第二节 （共10小题；每小题1.5分，满分15分） 56. probably 57. which 58. the 59. inventions 60.added 61. darker 62. or 63. coming 64. have de

69、veloped /have been developing 65. to read第四部分 写作 (共两节，满分40分)第一节 （满分15分）One possible version:My Happy WeekendLast weekend, the volunteers from our school did something very meaningful. In order to beautify our city and promote peoples awareness of environmental protection, we started a campaign to cl

70、ean up the wastes around the Dragon Lake. We went into action the moment we arrived there by bus. We picked up the plastic bags and bottles in the bushes around the lake and cleaned the benches and gym equipment with wet towels. Meanwhile, some of us handed out brochures to the passers-by, telling t

71、hem about the benefits of garbage-sorting.Tired as we were, we all felt happy, thinking that we had made contributions to our beautiful city.第二节（满分25分）One possible version:And now, two decades later, the angry mother was apologizing to me. The hurtful thing had become ancient history to me, though h

72、er accusations affected me too deeply for much too long. Ive now learned to process criticisms much more quickly, accepting whats true, dismissing whats not, and moving on with my mission in life. So, in essence, her apology wasnt necessary for my wellbeing because I had done the work of restoration

73、 on my own. But I was still grateful for that. On the other hand, how much courage this lady had to make this call! It moved me.“Can you find it in your heart to forgive me?” Janet asked finally. I responded that she was a hero to me. After all these years, she could have just forgotten about that,

74、but she took the trouble to apologize to me. I was both blessed and moved. We spent the rest of our short conversation about Stephanie before we hung up. As I reflect on that evening, I was still in awe at Janets growth, courage and determination to apologize for the hurt she caused so many years ag

75、o. Her apology truly was an unexpected blessing.听力原文(Text 1)M: Jane, are you on a diet? You look thinner than before.W: Not exactly. The day after I began to diet, I got sick. I stayed in the hospital for the last two weeks and lost five kilos.(Text 2)M: Hi. I need to check out this book.W: Sure. Ma

76、y I have your card?M: Okay.W: Sorry, Im afraid you have to return one of the five books youve already borrowed before you check this one out.(Text 3)M: What time is it, Mary? Weve waited here for about ten minutes.W: Its 7:40 now.M: Oh, our bus is late today.W: Yes, it should have arrived five minut

77、es ago.(Text 4)W: Bob, turn off the TV. Its time for bed.M: Most of my classmates say they go to bed after nine oclock.W: Never mind what time your friends go to bed. I say your bedtime is half past eight. And its 8:20 now.(Text 5)W: Hi Jim. Did you have a nice weekend?M: Yes, Kate. It was great. I

78、went camping with my friends in the Catskills.W: Really? How was the weather there?M: It was very nice.(Text 6)W: How long have you been having the pain?M: I first felt it in November last year.W: Well, you should have come in earlier. Have you changed your eating habits in any way?M: No, not really

79、.W: Is there a certain type of food that would cause stronger pain than other types?M: Hmm. Heavy foods like steak or cheese usually bring it on.W: I see. What about if I touch here, does it hurt?M: Ouch! It does hurt. What do you think it is?W: Im not sure. We need to take an X-ray to see if anythi

80、ng is wrong.M: Okay.(Text 7)W: Hi Peter. Have you been in London long?M: Hi Maggie. I got here last Friday. Its about a week now.W: I just arrived. Whats the hotel like?M: Its okay. Not perfect, but for this price, not bad.W: Why? Whats the matter with it?M: Well, the heating doesnt always work. And

81、 it was freezing in here yesterday. Breakfast is very early in the morning. Today I overslept and missed it completely. W: You overslept? Why was that?M: Well, theres a man with a boy staying next door. Theyve been here for three days now, and the boy is really noisy. I didnt get any sleep.W: Oh no.

82、 Well, I dont know what we can do about the breakfast or other guests. But why dont you ask the hotel to look at the heating?M: Hmm. Good idea. Ill talk to them about it right now.(Text 8)W: Do you know Nat King Cole?M: You mean the pop singer? Yeah. What about him?W: In his song “Smile”, he tells p

83、eople to smile through heartbreak. But now, research suggests that false happiness may just make things worse.M: Really? Tell me more about it.W: Researchers took pictures of bus drivers and then looked into the expressions on their faces.M: They did? What happened then?W: After following the driver

84、s closely, researchers found that the drivers had to force a smile at work. They felt so bad that they wanted to give up their jobs.M: I never imagined it could be so serious. Why is that?W: The report says when people try to hold back bad feelings, it turns out that the feelings become even stronge

85、r and last longer.M: Look at my face. Do I smile a real smile?(Text 9)W: Professor Brown, which do you prefer, writing or teacher training?M: Well, I enjoy both very much. In fact, I wouldnt want to give up either. These days most of my time is spent on writing. I go to the university just two half

86、days a week to work with graduate students.W: What plans do you have for the future?M: Now that we have completed a textbook and its new CD program, we plan to develop more textbooks for other markets. People sometimes say to me, “You work too hard.” The truth is I enjoy what I do, and I dont consid

87、er it to be work.W: What do you like to do thats not education related?M: I like playing the piano. Im fortunate to have been born with the ability to play the piano by ear. If I remember a music piece, I can play it. Im not sure how I do it, but Ive had that ability since the age of twelve. I took

88、music lessons from the age of six. I also write music. Although Im a language teacher, I cant write words to songs. I have to turn to others for the words. Actually, I have more confidence in my book-writing ability than my song-writing ability.(Text 10)W: Our listener question this week comes from

89、Australia. Jeff Bailey has been listening to our program since 2004. And he wants to know more about coal-mining in the United States. The United States produces about half of its electric power from coal. America is the second-largest producer of coal after China. Coal is mined in half the states,

90、but Wyoming mines the most, followed by West Virginia, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania. The United States gets about two-thirds of its coal from surface mining rather than underground mining. Surface mining is the name for the different methods that are used to remove coal that is less than sixty meters underground. The United States has about 87,000 coal miners. The jobs pay well, especially for the poor areas where mines are often found. However, the jobs can also be dangerous. The government says more than 100,000 coal miners lost their lives in the past century.