江苏省无锡市北高中2011届高三上学期期中考试英语试题.doc

1、江苏省无锡市北高中20102011学年度第一学期高三英语期中考试试卷考试时间：120分钟 满分：150分第一部分：听力（共两节，满分20分）做题时，先将答案标在试卷上。录音内容结束后，你将有两分钟的时间将试卷上的答案转涂到答题卡上。第一节（共5小题；每小题1分，满分5分）听下面5段对话。每段对话后有一个小题，从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项，并标在试卷的相应位置。听完每段对话后，你都有10秒钟的时间来回答有关小题和阅读下一小题。每段对话仅读一遍。1How much does the man need to add for the blue sweater?A$ 16.80.B$ 7

2、.20.C$ 27.20.2What does the woman mean?AThey dont need any more chairsBThey will not have the meeting CThere wont be enough chairs left.3What can we learn about the man?AHe got a good mark in five of the exams.BHe got a good mark in four of the exams.CHe failed in four of the exams.4What does the wo

3、man probably do?A. A designer. B. A lawyer. C. A doctor.5. Where are the man and the woman? A. At a hotel. B. In a taxi. C. At a railway station. 第二节（共15小题；每小题1分，满分15分）听下面5段对话。每段对话后有几个小题，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。听每段对话前，你将有时间阅读各个小题，每小题5秒钟；听完后，各小题给出5秒钟的作答时间。每段对话读两遍。听第6段材料，回答第6至8题。6Where did t

4、he conversation probably take place? A. At an international airport. B. At a seashore. C. At the mans house.7What is the valuable thing the woman has got?A. A computer.B. A watch. C. A camera.8What do you think the man is?A. A porter. B. A passenger. C. An official.听第7段材料，回答第9至11题。9What kind of colo

5、r TV does the man want to buy? A. A smaller one.B. A bigger one.C. A cheaper one.10What is the womans opinion about buying a colour TV?AShe wants a smaller one.BShe wants a bigger one.CShe wants an expensive one.11Why does the woman suggest that the man should buy a smaller TV?ABecause that would be

6、 a waste of money.BBecause he might have to change it in a few years time.CBecause his sitting room isnt very big.听第8段材料，回答第12至14题。12. Where are the two speakers? A. In a library.B. In a bookstore.C. In an office.13. Why didnt the woman lend him the three books?A. Because they are expensive. B. Beca

7、use they are very important. C. Because they are single copies.14How many books did the man finally take away?AOne.BThreeCFour听第9段材料，回答第15至17题。15Whats the relationship between the two speakers?ATicket seller and passenger. BAssistant and customer.CClose friends.16If the man wants to take the early m

8、orning flight, when will he arrive at the airport?A. At 7:50BAt 9:00CAt 6:5017. How much does the man have to pay for the tickets at last? A. $59.B. $590.C. $295.听第10段材料，回答第18至20题。 18. If you want to get pleasure, what kind of newspaper will you buy? A. A serious newspaper.B. A popular newspaper.C.

9、An independent newspaper.19. Why is the Times famous? A. Because the news carried in the newspaper can be accepted as true.B. Because it receives plenty of readers letters. C. Because people can get entertainment from it.20. What kind of letters are printed in parts of the newspaper? A. Most letters

10、 on a new fashion of dress.B. Most letters on serious subjects.C. Most letters on bad manners of the young people.第二部分：英语知识运用（共两节，满分35分） 第一节：单项选择（共15小题；每小题1分，满分15分） 请认真阅读下面各题，从题中所给的A、 B、 C 、D 、四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。 例: It is generally considered unwise to give a child _ he or she wants. A. howeve

11、r B. whatever C. whichever D. whenever 答案是B。21. Canada is one of _ largest countries in the world, _ second only to Russia. A. the; the B. the; a C. a; the D. the; 不填22. Do you know the tower _ in the heart of the city? Do you mean the one _ to the north of the city library? A. locating; lay B. loca

12、ted; lying C. being located; lying D. located; lay23. _ visited the Shanghai World Expo is sure to tell you the place is worthy _ twice. You can say that again.A. Those who have; visiting B. Whoever has; visitingC. Those who have; to be visited D. Whoever has; to be visited24. No one can answer the

13、question _ we can complete the task in time, do you know? Yes, and this is because we dont know the way _ the scientist used last time.A. whether; which B. if; which C. whether; in which D. if; in which25. Two hundred of the tourists were saved from danger in Taiwan, but the rest _ still missing. If

14、 only the travel agency _ more measures to prevent such accidents.A. is; has takenB. are; had takenC. is; tookD. are; would take26. 一When shall we start the restoration of the historic buildings?一Not until our plan_ by the committee. A. will be approved B. approves C. is to approve D. has been appro

15、ved27. Ancient Greeks were responsible for many of the _ in science and other fields.A. advances B. progress C. development D. civilization28. The man should be excused because he caused the damage _. A. deliberately B. unintentionally C. meaningfully D. determinedly 29. Another group of Qing Tombs

16、sits about 100 kilometres _ of Beijing. A. at the west B. the west C. to west D. west30. Hi, Tom. Any idea where Mary is? She in the reading room. I saw her there just now.A. shall be B. should have been C. should be D. might have been31. Chinese Premier Wen put great pressure on the Japanese side,

17、otherwise the boat captain _. As the saying goes, he who hasnt seen the coffin (棺材) wont cry.A wouldnt be released B. hadnt been releasedC wouldnt have been released D should have been released32. I have bought a good book, _ that will surely interest _ of the students A. one; everyone B. the one; e

18、veryone C. one; every one D. the one; every one 33. Whom do you want to have_ the living conditions of migrant workers?A. improve B. to improve C. improving D. improved 34. Do you mind if I close the window? _. We should let in more fresh air.A. Yes, go ahead.B. Of course notC. I would like to close

19、 itD. Id appreciate it if you didnt35 Mr Smith never means what he says. I dislike him. _, as the saying goes.AA single flower does not make a springBA still tongue makes a wise headCA man of words and not of deeds is like a garden full of weedsDActions speak louder than words.第二节：完形填空（共20小题；每小题1分，满

20、分20分）请认真阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。People do not analyze every problem they meet. Sometimes they try to remember a solution from the last time they had a 36 problem. They often accept the opinions or ideas of other people. Other times they begin to act without 37 ; they try to f

21、ind a solution by trial and error. However, when all of these methods 38 , the person with a problem has to start analyzing. There are six 39 in analyzing a problem.First the person must recognize that there is a problem. For example, Sams bicycle is broken, and he cannot ride it to class as he usua

22、lly does. Sam must 40 that there is a problem with his bicycle.Next the person must 41 the problem. Before Sam can repair his bicycle, he must know why it does not work. For example, he must 42 the parts that are wrong.Now the person must look for 43 that will make the problem clearer and lead to 44

23、 . solutions. For example, suppose Sam 45 that his bike does not work because there is something wrong with the brakes. At this time, he can look in his bicycle repair book and read about brakes, talk to his friends at the bike shop, or look at his brakes carefully.After 46 the problem, the person s

24、hould have 47 suggestions for a possible solution. Take Sam as an example 48 , his suggestions might be: tighten or loosen the brakes, buy new brakes and change the old ones.In the end, one 49 seems to be the solution 50 the problem. Sometimes the 51 idea comes quite 52 because the thinker suddenly

25、sees something new or sees something in a 53 way. Sam, for example, suddenly sees there is a piece of chewing gum stuck to a brake. He immediately hits on the solution to his problem: he must 54 the brake.Finally the solution is 55 . Sam does it and finds his bicycle works perfectly. In short, he ha

26、s solved the problem.36Aserious37Apractising38Afail39Aways40Aexplain41Ajudge42Acheck43Aanswers44Apossible45Ahopes46Adiscussing47Aexact48Aonce49Asuggestion50Awith 51Anext52Aunexpectedly53Asimple54Aclean55ArecordedBusualBthinkingBworkBconditionsBprove Bfind Bdetermine Bskills BexactBarguesBsettling do

27、wnBenoughBagainBconclusionBintoBclearBlateBdifferentBseparateBcompletedCsimilarCunderstandingCchange Cstages Cshow CdescribeCcorrectCexplanationCrealCdecidesCcomparing withCseveral CalsoCdecisionCforCfinalCclearly Cquick CloosenCtestedDcommonDhelpingDdevelopDordersDseeDfaceDrecoverDinformationDspeci

28、alDsuggestsDstudyingDcountlessDaloneDdiscoveryDtoDnewDoftenDsuddenDremoveDaccepted第三部分：阅读理解（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分） 请认真阅读下列短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。 A It was a Sunday and the heavy storm had lasted all night. The morning after the storm, though, was beautiful: blue skies, warm air and

29、a calm, inviting sea touching the shore gently. My father realised it was a good day for fishing and invited my sister and me to go with him. I was only 14 and fishing had never been my thing, but I decided to go all the same. I m so glad I did. On the way to the harbour we could see the terrible de

30、struction on the coast, but the harbour itself was in fairly good shape. After all, it was protected by the arms of a bay that had only one tiny channel to the sea. As we got on board, we noticed two big humps (脊背) in the distance. On approaching them, we saw it was a mother whale with her baby. We

31、couldnt believe it there arent any whales along the coast here. The storm must have driven them across the ocean into the bay, in which the still water was so badly polluted that nothing could survive. The little baby whale actually as big as our boat was obviously stuck and could not move. The moth

32、er dived under the water and came up suddenly, making big whirlpools (漩涡) and waves. Shes trying to help her baby, but on the wrong side, my father said. At this point, my father moved our boat in a semicircle to the other side and, heading the boat towards the baby whale, pushed it gently. With our

33、 several gentle pushes the big hump turned over and disappeared under water. Then it swam up right beside its mum. They struggled in their desperate attempts to escape but missed the exit and started heading in the wrong direction. We hurried up to the whales and tried to lead them towards the bay c

34、hannel. Slowly, they let us lead them, sometimes rising from the water right beside us to breathe - and to give us a trusting look with those huge eyes. Once they hit their first part of clean water flowing straight from the sea, the mum gave us a wave with her tail and off they swam into the distan

35、ce. In the excitement it had felt like only a few minutes, but we had been with those wonderful animals for almost an hour and a half. That was the simple and lasting beauty of the day. Nearly four decades later, I still look back fondly to that golden day at sea. 56. The author says I m so glad I d

36、id. ( in Para. 2) because _. A. he witnessed the whole process of fishing B. he enjoyed the beauty of the calm sea C. he experienced the rescue of the whales D. he spent the weekend with his family57. The mother whale failed to help her baby because _. A. she had stayed in the polluted water for too

37、 long B. the whirlpools she had made were not big enough C. she had no other whales around to turn to for help D. the waves pushed her baby in the wrong direction58. What is the theme of the story? A. Saving lives brings people a sense of happiness. B. Fishing provides excitement for children. C. It

38、s necessary to live in harmony with animals. D. Its vital to protect the whale in the ocean.BBritons Learn to ForgiveLEEDS, England A Leeds University psychology (心理学) professor is teaching a course to help dozens of Britons forgive their enemies. “The hatred we hold within us is a cancer,” Professo

39、r Ken Hart said, adding that holding in anger can lead to problems such as high blood pressure and heart disease. More than 70 people have become members in Harts first 20-week workshop in London a course he says is the first of its kind in the world. These are people who are sick and tired of livin

40、g with a memory. They realize their bitterness is a poison they think they can pour out, but they end up drinking it themselves, said Canadian-born Hart. The students meet in groups of eight to ten for a two-hour workshop with an adviser every fortnight. The course, ending in July, is expected to ge

41、t rid of the cancer of hatred in these people. “People have lots of negative attitudes towards forgiveness,” he said, “People confuse forgiveness with forgetting. Forgiveness means changing from a negative attitude to a positive one.”Hart and his team have created instructions to provide the trainin

42、g needed. “The main idea is to give you guidelines on how to look at various kinds of angers and how they affect you, and how to change your attitudes towards the person you are angry with,” said Norman Claringbull, a senior expert on the forgiveness project. Hart said he believes forgiveness is a s

43、kill that can be taught, as these people “want to get free of the past”. 59. From this passage we know that _. A. high blood pressure and heart disease are caused by hatred B. high blood pressure can only be cured by psychology professors C. without hatred, people will have less trouble connected wi

44、th blood pressure and heart D. people who suffer from high blood pressure and heart disease must have many enemies 60. In Harts first 20-week workshop, people there can _. A. meet their enemies B. change their attitudes towards bitternessC. enjoy the professors speech D. learn how to quarrel with ot

45、hers 61. If you are a member in Harts workshop, youll _. A. pay much money to Hart B. go to the workshop every night C. attend a gathering twice a month D. pour out everything stored in your mind 62. The author wrote this passage in order to _.A. persuade us to go to Harts workshop B. tell us the ne

46、ws about Harts workshop C. tell us how to run a workshop like Harts D. help us to look at various kinds of angers CBeginning college is exciting: new ideas to explore, new challenges to meet and many decisions to make. Your future begins here.However，you will find college life is different from your

47、 previous school environment. Many of us can be easily overwhelmed（压垮）by the details of running a well-balanced life. While some of us may have the know-how, I guess there are more of us who can benefit from learning about the experiences of others who have walked the college halls before you.The fo

48、llowing you may find of use about life on campus.* Plan well. There are so many new things to do at a new college or university. Give yourself time to make new friends and become familiar with the campus, but dont forget why you are there. Give some time for social activities and manage your time wi

49、sely.* If you dont have a “system” for planning your time now (like a day timer, a computer data book), get one. Most of all, dont depend on your memory.* Dont miss the guidelines. The restrictions, rules and regulations of all kinds can usually be found in your student handbook. Consider them well-

50、balanced food for thought. What dates are important? What pieces of paper need to be handed in? What can/ cant you do in class? What can/ cant you do in your student residence（住处）? Who has right for what? What do you need to complete to graduate?* Write the word “STUDY” on the walls of our bedroom a

51、nd bathroom, and maybe it will help to write it on a piece of paper and stick it on the telephone, TV and the kitchen table. Consider thisyou are paying thousands of dollars for your courses. You pay every time you have to repeat or replace a course.* Build your identity. This is the time for you to

52、 decide what to do and what not to do. Take as much time as you need to explore new ideas. Do not be afraid of the beyond. This is learning to make good choices.63. What is the main purpose of the passage?A. To offer advice on college life. B. To explain why college life is exciting.C. To describe t

53、he importance of college life.D. To persuade you to go to college.64. According to the passage, why is it exciting to begin college life?A. Because you will have more freedom at college.B. Because you will no longer be afraid of the beyond.C. Because you prepare for your future career and life there

54、.D. Because professors there will provide you with many new ideas.65. The underlined word “know-how” refers to .A. an understanding of how things are going at collegeB. practical knowledge about how to behave and what to do at collegeC. college halls where rules and regulations are presentedD. an en

55、vironment completely different from the one youre used to66. According to the passage, college students _ . A. neednt learn from those who went to college before themB. spend as much time as possible on social activitiesC. should know what they have fought for on campusD. are supposed to repeat or r

56、eplace at least one courseDTo err is human. To blame the other guy is even more human.Common sense is not all that common.Why tell the truth when you can come up with a good excuse?These three popular misquotes (戏谑的引语) are meant to be jokes, and yet they tell us a lot about human nature. To err, or

57、to make mistakes, is indeed a part of being human, but it seems that most people dont want to accept the responsibility for the problem. Perhaps it is the natural thing to do. The original quote about human nature went like this, “ To err is human, to forgive, divine(神圣的).” This saying mirrors an id

58、eal: people should be forgiving of others mistakes. Instead, we tend to do the opposite - find someone else to pass the blame on to. However, taking responsibility for something that went wrong is a making of great maturity.Common sense is what we call clear thought. Having common sense means having

59、 a good general plan that will make things work well, and it also means staying with the plan. Common sense tells you that you take an umbrella out into a rainstorm, but you leave the umbrella home when you hear a weather forecast for sunshine. Common sense does not seem to be common for large organ

60、izations, because there are so many things going on that one person cannot be in charge of everything. People say that in a large company, “the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing.”And what is wrong with a society that thinks that making up a good excuse is like creating a work of a

61、rt? One of the common problems with making excuses is that people, especially young people, get the idea that its okay not to be totally honest all the time. There is a corollary(直接推论)to that: if good excuse is “good” even if it isnt honest, then where is the place of the truth?67According to the au

62、thor, what is a sign of a mans maturity?A. Doing things his own way.B. Bearing responsibility for his mistakes.C. Making as few mistakes as possibleD. Thinking seriously about his wrongdoing.68Which of the following is N0T based on common sense? AA man tries to take charge of everything in a large c

63、ompany.BA student goes out with an umbrella in stormy weather.CA companys next move follows a good planDA lawyer acts on fine judgments69. What is the authors opinion about a good excuse? A. Making a good excuse is sometimes a better policy.B. Inventing a good excuse needs creative ideas.C. A good e

64、xcuse is as rewarding as honesty.D. Bitter truth is better than a good excuse.70. What would be the best title for his passage? A. A Mirror of Human NatureB. To Blame or to ForgiveC. A Mark of MaturityD. Truth or Excuse第四部分：任务型阅读（共10小题；每小题l分，满分l0分） 请认真阅读下列短文,并根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格里填入一个最恰当的单词。注意：每个空格只填1个单

65、词。请将答案写在答题卡上相应题号的横线上。 Literature is a term used to describe written as well as spoken materialGenerally speaking, it is often used to describe anything from creative imagination, including works of poetry, drama and fictionThen why read literature, since it is often imaginary and seems unconnected w

66、ith real life?A lot of us read literature for pleasure and relaxationIts always pleasant to read some interesting books, such as comedies and novels, in our spare timeIn a modern life full of pressure, it is our common desire to read some imaginary works and seek relaxation from the stress in lifeRe

67、ading literature is more than fun; it also enables us to acquire knowledgeAs a general rule, literature represents a language or a people, and it often gives us an insight(洞察力)into the traditions, customs, beliefs, attitudes and values of the age in which it was writtenSometimes literature can even

68、offer us new, creative ways to have a better understanding of the worldIt helps us make sense of the world around usIt introduces us to new worlds of experiencesWe enjoy the comedy and the tragedy of poems, stories and plays; and we may even grow through our literary journey with booksEventually, we

69、 may discover meaning in literature by looking at what the author says and how he/she says itIn a sense, we explore the human condition and analyze how and why people think the way they think and feel the way they feelLiterature enables us to think analytically and promotes open mindsWe see the worl

70、d through the eyes of different cultures and in turn learn the ways to deal with things that happen aroundSo we can definitely say literature is of great importance to usWhy not get going with one poem, drama or fiction at once?Topic(71)_ should we read literature?(72) _ of literatureIt describes an

71、ything, whether written or spoken, by using creative imaginationTypes(73) , drama and fiction(74) _ of reading literatureTo get pleasure and relaxation to get (75) _ of pressure in life.To gain (76) to make us learn about traditions, customs, beliefs, attitudes and values of the age in which it was

72、writtenTo offer people ways to (77) more of the world, to appreciate literary works, to grow through the literary journey, to discover meaning in literature, and even explore (78) _ humans think and feelTo help us think analytically and make us (79)_ our minds(80) _Why not start to read literature r

73、ight now?第五部分：书面表达（满分25分） 作为中学生，你肯定经历过多次考试，体验过成功，也遭遇过失败。请你根据下面的提示内容，简要概述中学生中普遍存在的对考试失败的两种态度，并结合自身实际，说明你的观点。态度一态度二你的观点当考试结果不如人意时，情绪低落，丧失信心，不再继续努力。当考试失败时，分析并找出失败的原因，鼓励自己，增强自信，避免再犯同样的错误。失败乃成功之母要求：1、词数：150左右； 2、可根据内容要点适当增加细节，以使行文连贯； 3、开头已经给出，不计入总词数。As middle school students, we have all taken examinatio

74、ns of different types and _无锡市高三英语期中试题参考答案第一部分 1-5 BABCA 6-10 ABCBA 11-15 CACAA 16-20 CCBAB 第二部分 21-25 DBDAB 26-30 DABDC 3135 CCADC36-40 CBACD 41-45 BBDAC 46-50 DCBAD 51-55 CABAC 第三部分 56-60 CDACB 61-65 CBACB 66-70 CBADA第四部分 (71) Why (72) Definition (73) Poetry (74) Benefits / Advantages (75) rid (76

75、) knowledge /information (77) understand (78) how (79) open (80) Suggestion / Advice/Tip第五部分 One possible version:As middle school students, we have all taken examinations of different types and experienced success as well as failure. Different students have different attitudes towards failure in th

76、e exams.Some of us become low in spirits in face of failure, while others are so disappointed that they dont want to make further efforts in their studies. As a result, their studies go from bad to worse as time goes on.Fortunately, some students take quite positive attitudes towards their setbacks.

77、 They spare no efforts in analyzing the cause of their failure and at the same time encourage themselves to become more confident so that they wont repeat their mistakes in their later examinations.As far as Im concerned, I believe that failure is the mother of success. So long as we can find out th

78、e root cause of our failure and step up our efforts to improve our ways of learning, we can surely make great progress and turn our dream into reality. (150 words) 听力：（Text 1）M: Excuse me. Can I change this green sweater I bought this morning for a blue one?W: Yes. The blue sweater is 17 dollars 20

79、cents. And the green one is only 10 dollars.（Text 2）M: How many more chairs should we get for the meeting?W: Dont we have enough by now?（Text 3）W: I heard you received the top grade on all five exams this term.M: Only on four, Im afraid.（Text 4）M: How often should I take these pills and how many at

80、a time, please?W: Take two pills every four hours.M: Thanks.（Text 5）M: I want a taxi for tomorrow. May I order one here?W: Yes, certainly. But can you tell me what for?M: Im going to catch the train at 5 oclock early in the morning.（Text 6）M: Is this your luggage?W: Yes. May I take it with me on boa

81、rd the plane?M: Im afraid you have to check it in. By the way, have you anything to declare?W: Ive got this watch.M: May I see it, please? When did you buy it?W: Its very new. I bought it yesterday.M: This is a valuable watch, so youll have to pay duty on it. Do you haveanything else to be kept at t

82、he counter?W: Yes. Well, take one of these.M: Have you asked for a declaration form?W: No, not yet.M: Ill see what I can do for you.W: Thats very kind of you. Thanks.（Text 7）M: We have just moved into a house.W: Really? Congratulations!M: Thank you and we want to buy a new television.W: What kind of

83、 television do you want to buy?M: A color TV, of course, but I am not sure about the size. Maybe we should buy a bigger one. If we buy a smaller one, we might have to change it in a few years time for a bigger one. That would be a waste of money. What is your opinion?W: In my opinion, I dont think i

84、ts necessary to buy a very big one.M: Any reason?W: Yes. As I know, your sitting room isnt big enough. If you put in a very big television, that will be bad for your eyes and a smaller size TV can also pick up good programmes.M: Hmm, thats quite true. Ill think about it.W: Youd better make a quick d

85、ecision because the price may go up soon.（Text 8）M: Excuse me. Here are the books I want to borrow and heres my card.W: Youve got three books on your card already.M: Yes. And I can borrow 7 altogether, isnt it? Ive four here.W: Yes, you can have four. But Im afraid you cant take these three out.M: C

86、an teachers borrow them? I can ask my teacher to borrow them for me.W: Im afraid not. They are single copies, so we are not lending them to anyone. You can read them here in the library.M: I see. Ill take the one I can borrow then, and when Im free, Ill read the three here.W: OK.（Text 9）M：Good morni

87、ng. Can you tell me the times of morning flights to Paris, please?W：Yes, certainlyThere are daily flights at 7:50 and 11:05.M：And when do they arrive in Paris?W：The early flight arrives at 9:00 and the mid-morning one at 12:15.M：So the journey takes an hour and ten minutes?W：Yes, thats correct. But

88、remember, you must be at the airport one hour beforeM：Of course. And in Paris, is there a bus to the city centre?W：Yes, there are buses every half an hour and the journey takes about 40 minutes.M：Fine. How much is a single air ticker?W：Single$ 59.M：Right. Id like to book five tickets, please, on the

89、 early morning flight to Paris on June 10.W: OK, fine.(Text 10) Newspapers in Great Britain vary greatly in their ways of carrying the news. There are serious papers for those who want to know about important happenings everywhere, both at home and abroad. There are popular newspapers for those who

90、prefer entertainment to information.The London newspaper that is best known outside Great Britain is probably The Times. It began in 1785, and has a high reputation for believable news and serious opinions on the news. It calls itself an independent paper, which means that it does not give its suppo

91、rt to a particular political party. Its leading articles give the opinions of the editors, not those of the owners of the paper.Letters to the editor are printed in the newspaper. These parts of the Times are always interesting. Most of the letters are on serious subjects. But from time to time there will be long letters on the subject which is not at all serious, perhaps on a new fashion of dress, or the bad manners of the young people, compared with manners of thirty years ago.