Friday, when there will be various performances, including some English songs and dances given by students and teachers. In addition, these will be followed by some short plays, for which the students have prepared for a long time after school. Meanwhile you're expected to act as the host. We would be extremely grateful if you can manage to come. I'm sure we will spend an unforgettable evening together. An early reply will be appreciated.
Yours, Li Hua 听力材料: (Text 1) Text 1
W Oh, no, it’s a quarter to eight now. The school bus is coming in five minutes. Hurry up or we’ll miss it.
M Come on. Relax. You forget? The time has been adjusted. We have double five minutes left. Text 2
M Excuse me; may I have a look at that book?
W Sure, but if you want to take it, you have to pay in cash. Text 3
M Mom, “the voice of China” is on this evening.
W But you have to review your lesson for the coming exam. M You promised to help me. W Sure. But supper is ready now. Text 4
W Dad, Christmas is coming. Could you give me some money? I want to buy a card for my friend Mary. It has been two months since she was in my school. M Oh dear, how thoughtful you are! Text 5
M I wish I had learned English well when I was in high school. W You always said you didn’t think English was of great importance. M I realize I was wrong and it’s too late. W It’s never too late to learn. Text 6
W Hi, Jack, have you thought about your ideal job in the future? Do you want to be an excellent math teacher like your father?
M For Gosh’s sake! I hate being a teacher. I still have a clear memory of the terrible days when my father helped me with all my subjects. But it is strange that I made great progress in my English learning. How about you, Jessica?
W Well, I dream of being a brilliant dancer like my mother. You know, she is 43 now, and she
has been dancing since she was 20 years old.
M I can’t believe it! She looks quite young and has a great figure.
W Yes. She has formed a good habit of having enough fruits and vegetables every day. And more importantly, she keeps an optimistic attitude towards life which benefits her physical condition. M Oh, I see. How I wish I had taken enough exercise.
W Come on. Don’t lose heart! If you think you can, you can. Let’s get rid of our bad habits and learn from our great parents.
M Why not do it right now? Shall we swim this afternoon? W With pleasure! Text 7
W Hey, Mike. Where have you been? I didn’t see you around these days.
M I was hiding in my office. My boss gave me loads of work to do, and I tried to finish it before my birthday. Anyway, I am done now. Thank goodness! How is everything going with you? W I’m quite well. You know, tomorrow is Christmas Day. Do you have any plans?
M Well, to tell you the truth, I am more than excited about my birthday, which will come in two days. And I am going to visit my parents-in-law with my wife. W Wow, sounds great.
M Definitely! This is my first time to spend my birthday with them. W Do they live far away from here?
M A little bit. We planned to take the train, but considering the travel peak, my wife strongly suggested that we go to the airport right after we finish our work this afternoon. How about you? What’s your plan for the holiday?
W Well, our situations are just the opposite. My parents-in-law will come to my house and they wish to stay at home and have a quiet Christmas Day. So I have to call my friends to cancel our party which will be held in my house.
M You’ll experience a quite different and lovely holiday. Enjoy your Christmas! W Thanks, the same to you! Text 8
W Come to my office, Billy. Look at your messy hair. This is the third time you have been late for class within this week. And every time you went in, you disturbed the teacher’s class. M Sorry, Miss. I didn’t mean to do that, but it was my alarm clock that didn’t wake me up. W That is not a proper excuse. You could set it ahead of the exact time so that you could have got up earlier and not have been late.
M I did that, but it seemed useless when I found the batteries had run out after I woke up this morning. I rushed to school and luckily, my neighbour Mr. Green gave me a hand and took me to school with his car.
W So you could have made it. But you were still late for class.
M The thing is, when I got off, I found I had left my bag in his car. And it was too late to
get it back when I realized that. I went straight to the nearest shop and gave him a call. I waited for five minutes before Mr. Green drove back.
W Finally, he gave you your bag and you came to the classroom and you were already 15minutes late for class at that time. Is that all?
M Miss, you seem to know the entire story. May I go back to class now? Otherwise I will be late for the following class. Text 9
W Help me decide on which type of hotel room to book. M I want the one with a bed.
W Very funny. We have a choice of different views, and each one is a different price. For instance, a room with a city view is 175 a night. M 175 a night?! That’s highway robbery!
W If you think that’s too steep, there are a few other options. We can get a courtyard room with no view for 120 a night or a room with an obstructed or peek-a-boo ocean views for 130 a night.
M I don’t really care which type of room we get as long as we don’t end up with a room on the ground floor. I don’t like having people walking back and forth outside my window all night. W Okay, I can request a room on an upper floor. You really don’t have a preference? M No, not really.
W There is a penthouse room for 400 a night.
M What?! For that price, I’d better get a view of the Eiffel Tower, the Parthenon, and the Great Wall of China! Text 10
W For millions of Americans, the most wonderful day of the year is December 25— Christmas. For one thing, it marks the end of the busy time of year. Many people need a rest after weeks of buying gifts, going to parties, organizing travel and getting their homes ready for the holiday. With all this, it is often said that Christmas has lost its meaning as the birthday of Jesus Christ. Some churches in the United States have called off Christmas Day services, so people can spend the day with their families. Another important part of the Christmas season is music. Among traditional carols, one of the most popular is “Silent Night”. But not all Americans celebrate Christmas. And even those who do might not celebrate it as a religious holiday. This is true of Christians as well as non-Christians. Still, they treat it as a special day.
And it is hard to think of anyone that Christmas is more special for than children. Of course, this has a lot to do with the tradition of a kindly old man with a big belly and a bright red suit. Children know Santa Claus as the one who leaves gifts under the tree on Christmas Eve.