中南大学2012级（第三学期）英语口试（综合版）Item OneTask 1: Situational dialogue (3 minutes)A is calling B, her boyfriend, to see a film. But he has been having a hard time at work lately and just wants to have a quiet night at home, alone.Task 2: Discussion (5 minutes)Do you know of any place that has undergone modernization? Were the changes for the better or the worse?Situational dialogue：（B=Bob, S=Sandy）B: Hello?S: Hi, it‟s me!B: Hi! How are you doing?S: Fine, a bit stressed out. I had a hard day at work, you know, the usual.B: Yeah, me too.S: So, what about the film then? I just phoned the cinema to check the times and it‟s on at 7 o‟clock and 9.30. Which do you reckon?B: Listen, love, do you mind if we go another night? I‟m tired, I just want a quiet night, you know, watch some footie on TV.S: But it‟s the last night. You said you really wanted to go!B: Why don‟t you go with your sister? You said she wanted to see the film…S: That‟s the third time you‟ve pulled out. What‟s going on?B: Nothing. I just don‟t fancy it tonight. That‟s all.S: Come on, if there‟s something wrong you can tell me.B: There‟s nothing wrong.S: Yes, there is. You have been off for days. You don‟t talk to me. You don‟t see me. B: That‟s not true.S: Are you bored with me? Is there someone else? Have I done something wrong? B: No, no, of course not.S: You used to want to spend time with me. What‟s changed?B: Nothing is changed. Of course I want to see you.S: But not tonight? The football is more interesting. I suppose.B: Oh, you know that‟s not true. It‟s just that I‟m tired. That‟s all. It has been a hard day. I just need a quiet night.S: Alone.B: Look, if it‟s that important to you, I‟ll come. What the time did you say?S: No, forget it. I‟ve gone off the idea. Let‟s just drop it.B: Look, I‟d love to do something tomorrow.S: Whatever. Just please yourself. You always do!S: Sandy, don‟t …Sandy, Sandy?Discussion:Modernization is usually associated with urban and industrial development. It‟s said that many places have undergone modernization. I suppose that Singapore is one of the most famous cities. The land area of Singapore is less than 700 square kilometers, but it has population of more than 5,000,000. Singapore is neat and beautiful, green and livable, so it is worthy of the name “garden city”.Just as a coin has two sides, modernization is also a weakness. For one thing, urban development promotes economic growth because modernization can alleviate employment pressure. There is no doubt that improves people‟s life. For example, people can enjoy better employment, education and health care and other social welfare.However, modernization also brings about many negative impacts. For another, the urban population is far more than the limit. And the air pollution is serious due to the development of the industrial. What‟s more, many young people can‟t afford to buy a house because of the high housing prices. Worst of all, a lot of migrant workers‟children are unfair education in some cities of China.In general, there are pros and cons in development. Modernization also brings a lot of problems. If only we consider various factors, can modernization be successful. Item TwoTask 1: Situational dialogue (3 minutes)A, a customer in a street market, sees a jacket that she/he would like to buy. And A is trying to negotiate a discount—ideally 20% with B, a market stall holder, who is prepared to offer a very small discount for goods.Task 2: Discussion (5 minutes)Do you have any money-saving tips? Share them with your partner.Situational dialogue：A: Excuse me, may I try this leather jacket?B: Oh, of course, sir.A: This is just my size. How much is it?B: It‟s 200 dollars.A: Hmm, yes, it‟s a little more than I was prepared to pay. Could you give me a discount, do you think?B: Well, I suppose I could give you five percent off. So, that would make it 190 dollars.A: Hmm, the thing is this jacket is not a label clothes, you know, the price is too high for a cloth in the street market.B: Well, I suppose I could knock off another, ten dollars, How about 180 dollars. But that‟s as low as I am prepared to go. It‟s genuine leather, and it‟s a jacket with a detachable hood, (可拆卸帽子)so cool.A: I am sorry, it‟s still a bit above my price range, you know, students usually can‟t afford such expensive clothes. I will leave it, though I really love it. Thanks.B: Wait, wait, sir. You say what price you prefer?A: How about selling it to me at 20 discount?B: Eh, OK. You can have it for 160 dollars. When I was a student, I also didn‟t have enough money to buy clothes up to date .I can‟t go any lower than that or I will be giving it away.A: Okay, I will take it. Thank you very much.B: You have got yourself a bargain.Discussion:A: Since the price is soaring, we are always worrying about our purse, it‟s necessary to master some money-saving tips. Let‟s share part of them in our daily life.First of all, we must have a correct attitude towards behaviors to save money. It‟s not a shame. Whether you are wealthy or not, diligence and frugality are good habits. Now, money-saving tips are popular among young people. We usually can see some clever tips on the top of micro-blog .It‟s a brand new life style they advocate. Then, I will share some specific tips with you.First, I found that we paid for too many useless fees. I just canceled my gym membership in Shan Liang, a gym in Sheng Hua Dormitory. I felt guilty for only going there once or twice a week. It cost me a fortune in monthly subscription fees. Second, we can buy a bicycle and then you can get exercise for free. It can also save bus fees and more healthy.Third, as a chowhound(吃货), it‟s important to restrain our desire to eat snacks. The snacks are very expensive, so we must cut the cost of it. The winter is approaching, the desire to eat is stronger and stronger. But we must keep in mind that many snacks are unhealthy and the rice is our best choice when we are hungry.Fourth, we can buy discounted daily necessities and budget brand, and also in bulk. Pay more attention to discounted goods in the supermarket, maybe you can found a league to find the discounted goods. It really makes sense to buy things in the sales. Last but not the least, we must take care of our credit card. Don‟t be the slavery of the credit card. We are supposed to know every expenditure. It‟s better to write down in a little book which called our own account book.B: I think many tips are very useful in our daily life. Here are some money-saving tips when we are shopping. I get these summary from my own experience.First, as A says, we can buy some discounted goods in the supermarket. But we must pay attention to the 'use by' date. And we can make a list of what we need before weare going to the supermarket. And be a wise consumer, don‟t be tricked by the company. They use beautiful pictures, cut - throat prices, and pretty shop girls to persuade us buying some goods which we don‟t need actually. This will save much. Second, stop buying designer label clothes. Get your clothes at a market or in a discount shops and you will save a fortune. When we are going to buy an expensive cloth, ask yourself: …Do I really need this?‟ Even if it‟s half price, if you don‟t need it, you are not saving money. So, put it down, walk away.Third, you can buy cheap things in . There are many discounted things, without the rent of the store, the wages of the workers, things in Tao Bao is cheaper. But you should be careful of buying online.Fourth, have a calm mind. Be clear of your own cost, keep it in mind.Item ThreeTask 1: Situational dialogue (3 minutes)A andB are college students. They are talking about their experience of eating out at a restaurant.Task 2: Discussion (5 minutes)Are you a savvy spender, a penny-pincher or a credit-card binger? Describe your spending habits.Situational dialogue：A: Hey B! Fancy meeting you here! How are things?B: What a surprise. I wasn‟t expecting to see you here. You look great.A: Thank you! You too, so, what are you doing here?B: I‟m looking for a restaurant to have a lunch. Do you want to together with me? A: Yeah. It‟s wonderful. Do you remember the experience of eating out at a restaurant last month? How do you like the food in that restaurant?B: Of course. It‟s so delicious. The food is really hot and spicy, but quiet delicate too.I really love it.A: What‟s more, the food just likes a cross between Indian and Chinese. But with its own special flavors too.A: You are right. They use a lot of lemon grass and coconut and a lot of fish. You know, how tasty it is!B: And I really like the soups. You can choose the meat you want in your soup and the kind of noodles. There are varieties of spices then you can choose what you like.A: Do you like Chinese food? Let‟s go to eat at a Chinese restaurant. I like Chinese food very much.B: That‟s a good idea. I think Chinese food is very delicious. Especially Sichuan cuisine. It‟s famous for its hot dishes.A: Yes. I hear of Guangdong, Sichuan, Shandong and Jiangsu cuisines are the four famous Chinese cuisines.B: Why don‟t we try a Sichuan cuisine restaurant? We can order something hot.A: OK. How about chicken cubes with chili and peanuts and the Ma-po bean curd. What soup do you want?B: Shall we order the fish soup with preserved vegetable?A: That‟s good. I like it.Discussion:A: Maybe I‟m a penny-pincher. I see a fabulous but ultra-expensive pair of jeans in a shop window. I will save up the money and buy them when I can afford them. I take a careful approach to budgeting and like to keep track of my income and outgoings. I trend to live within my means, planning ahead and clearing my debts as soon as I can.I avoid paying over the odds for my purchases and I am not waylaid by special offers. B: Maybe I‟m contrast with you. I see a fabulous but ultra-expensive pair of jeans in a shop window. I will forget the principle to pay the exorbitant prices for things I don‟t need. I like to live life to the full regardless of the cost, and my money often burns a hole in my pocket, I am generous with my money and enjoy life‟s luxuries. However, my laid-back attitude to spending and credit can land me in trouble and I may need to take a careful look at my finances if I want to avoid always being overdrawn and in debt.A: Yeah, what kind of the shopping way do you prefer? Shopping in real store or online? I will prefer shopping online. There are many kinds and very convenient online. There are many famous shopping websites. For example, taobao，Amazon etc. You can buy everything you want online. You just need to click your mouse and everything will be OK. And the most important thing is the goods online more cheaper.B: I prefer shopping in the real store. I like going shopping very much! It can relax my soul and make me happy. The mall is so large that can meet my requirement absolutely. There are all kinds of things. I can choose the things that suit me. I often buy some clothes. The shop assistants are very polite. If I can't find something, they will help me to find it out. I feel very happy.Item FourTask 1: Situational dialogue (3 minutes)A is tellingB a story. It could be a favorite children‟s story, a traditional tale, or the plot of a novel, or a film or television program, or his/her own experience. B should respond to A‟s story.Task 2: Discussion (5 minutes)Which capital city would you most like to spend a weekend in? Why?Situational dialogue：A: I heard a story contains a profound lesson.B: Em. What is the story about?A: Maybe friendship or attitude to traditionB: Sounds meaning.A: The story goes that two friends were walking through the desert. During somepoint of the journey they had an argument, and one friend slapped the other one in the face. The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand: "Today my best friend slapped me in the face."B: Oh, The angry man must get hurt although he is a totally vengeful gay.A: So，anyway，They kept on walking until they found an oasis, where they decided to take a bath. The one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire and started drowning, but the friend saved him. After he recovered from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone: "Today my best friend saved my life."B: Why? His behavior is confusing.A: Yes. The friend asks the same question as you. The other friend replied: "When someone hurts us we should write it down in sand where winds of forgiveness can erase it away. But when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it."B: OH what a relief .I bet you have feeling of it.A: I want to know yoursB: Our life is about friends said that we should play an important role in it. Don't care much .Learn to write your hurts in the sand and to carve your benefits in stone. Discussion:A: France is callingMany people are starting to think about going abroad for the summer holidays.This year, I really want to spread my wings and visit France?France is a wonderful place to go for a holiday. It is a huge country, with coasts o n the English Channel, the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. In additio n, it has many mountain regions which are excellent for skiing.The center of France is a big, agricultural region, growing crops such as wheat a nd sunflowers, It is amazing to drive past fields which seem to go on forever o r whole hills covered with neat rows of grapevines .One of the most scenic areas i s the Loire Valley, where you can visit the old castles in which the kings and quee ns of France used to live. Paris is the capital of France. It is one of the most pop ular tourist destinations in the world. With its world-famous landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe(凯旋门), and its wide tree-lined stree ts, Paris is one of the most beautiful cities in the the world.If you are taking your children with you, remember that Euro Disney is just an h our away from the center of the same attractions as the Disney parks in the USA.If you want to go on to visit Britain, you can now do it without flying or taking a ferry. The Channel Tunnel, or(to use us nickname)the 'Chunnel', enables you to travel to train from Paris London in about three hours.In our city, we can see the influence of France in some ways. France, like China, is famous for its food. Some bakeries provide French bread and cakes. Other popular French products are it cheese, brandy and wine.Many of the world's top designer names are French. Names such as Dior in cloth es, Chanel in perfume, and Cartier in jewellery are familiar to many Chinese peop le .A quick walk along Nanjing Road will remind you of many similar names.France is a leader in art and culture, too. A lot of young students from differen t countries go to France to further their studies .Every year ,French film festivals ,exhibitions and concerts are organized all over the world.B: Tokyo is the heaven of shopping. What attracts me most is that Tokyo has the most complete goods of comics. And they are always cheaper than those in China. Our team want to go to Kyoto because of the well-preserved Japanese culture as well as the dreamlike scenery.Nagoya is a city with a long history. So the traditional Japanese food can be seen everywhere here. Not only the sushi but also the fried small fish is what we want to taste in this trip.Item Five（版本1）Task 1: Situational dialogue (3 minutes)A wants to borrow B‟s car to take his/her elderly aunt, who has difficulty walking, to the airport. There are no buses or trains as it is an early flight. B, however, prefers not to lend the car again, as it got scratched when a friend borrowed it the last time.Task 2: Discussion (5 minutes)What are the advantages and disadvantages of urban life?Situational dialogue：:A: Can you lend me your can？I want to take my elderly aunt to the airport. You know, she is too old to walk there herself.B: Your aunt? Wasn't she always live in your home? Why she go to the airport? Where's she going?A: My cousin's son was born, and she‟s going home to have a look at her grandson. B: To be honest, I don‟t want to lend my car to others anymore. Last week a friend of mine borrowed my car to a party, and the car got scratched when he back.A: Come on! I‟ll be very careful, just trust me.B: I just got the car fixed, I don‟t want to let it hurt again. You‟d better to borrow from others.A: In addition to you I can‟t find any other people to borrow a car. I promise, I won‟t break your car. If I really broke your car, I'll pay you.B: All right, I‟ll lend you the car, but it never again.A: OK, I swear it's the last time. You're so kind.Discussionthe advantages and disadvantages of urban lifeMost people want to live in the city. But as we know, there are always pros and cons. Living a urban life has both advantages and disadvantages. It is often easier to find work. There are always many choices of public transport. Besides, there are a lot of interesting things to do and places to see. You can eat in good restaurants, visit museums, go to cinemas and go to parks whenever you want to relax. However, the urban life is often very expensive. You must find a well-paid job, otherwise, you will not be able to afford the things you will do. What's more, the city is always crowded, noisy and dirty. It is very difficult to find a good place where people can enjoy peace and fresh air as in the countryside.Actually,city dwellers gain access to better information service and educational faci lities. But the city population and congestion is nearly out of control, the urban air pollution is serious, the living conditions is poor. In the city, we live under a lot of pressure. The life is too fast. Actually, the people live in the city are really not always happy.Item Five（版本2）Task 1: Situational dialogue (3 minutes)A wants to borrow B‟s car to take his/her elderly aunt, who has difficulty walking, to the airport. There are no buses or trains as it is an early flight. B, however, prefers not to lend the car again, as it got scratched when a friend borrowed it the last time.Task 2: Discussion (5 minutes)What are the advantages and disadvantages of urban life?Situational dialogue:A: Hello，this is A speaking.B: It‟s B, what‟s up?A: It seems hard to speak out，but as a matter of fact，I‟m getting into the trouble and just need your help indeed.B: I‟m sorry to hear that, but I won‟t stand by if I can do something for you. Just tell me what had happened.A: Something about my elderly aunt, you know, who has difficulty walking.B: I have heard a lot about her, it is said that she is a warm-hearted woman. Then, did something bad happen to her injury?A: No, to be honest, I‟m supposed to take her to the airport for the early flight. But unfortunately，there are no buses or trains as it is an early flight. So, I‟d like to say, if you can lend your car to me so that my aunt can reach the airport on time.B: Hmm, I‟d like to lend it to you. But，maybe you have heard of the accident that my car got scratched not long before when C borrowed. Therefore, I can‟t have such kind of thing happening again.A: Yes, I knew that both of you have been in deep sorrow. However, you are the only one of my friends who has a car. In fact, even I don‟t know who else I can ask forhelp.Please do me a favor, I will appreciate it if you can lend your car to me.B: As your kind aunt is in a hurry，I…A : I promise I will prevent your car from being scratched again and keep it all right. B: Honestly speaking，you aunt have helped me a lot. Okay, I can lend my car to you, but don‟t forget to keep your word.A: Of course I will take care of it and keep all the security. Thanks for your great kindness.B: My pleasure.Discussion:A：Nowadays, with the rapidly development of urbanization, more and more countrymen tend to migrate the city for a brand new life.As far as I'm concerned, I'm in favor of their point of living in the city so as to improve the standard of living. Firstly speaking, people who live in urban areas have more and better job opportunities than people in rural areas. That's to say, they have more chances to make a living of themselves. Secondly, to a partial but unknown extent some of the higher education results from education obtained after their moving to the city. So there is no doubt that urban areas create a cultural atmosphere indeed. On the other hand, It is easy for the citizens to go the theaters, cinemas or concerts whenever they want to have a relax or improve their art accomplishments. So in my point of view，living in a city, people have certain advantages.B:First of all, let me state my opinion. From where I'm standing, I'd like to say, I don't approve of what you have said totally. For instance, generally in rural areas there is less pollution, less crime, and less stress than in urban areas.Compared with the urban life, rural life is quieter, slow and peaceful, which is different from the city‟s noise and crowd. Wandering throug h the farmland or lying on the meadow, with enjoying the fresh air, it‟s easy to calm down and think about the essence of the life. Besides，people can more easily make friends and families are closer. In a word，compared to the urban life，life in the rural areas also has some unique advantages.A：Of course it does. Never do I deny the advantages in rural life, but I do think urban life will provide a more colorful future. For example, I don't deny that people in the rural areas also can receive good education, but a good condition in the urban areas does benefit a lot, not only in study but also the artistic achievement. What's your point of view toward such a question, B?B:Yeah, to some extent, urban life provides plenty of benefits that people in rural areas can not enjoy with. But at the same time，many problems has been exposed. Urban poverty is generally more difficult and stressful than rural poverty. One is more likely to be the victim of crime, there is more pollution, and schools are often third rate. In a word, urban life or rural life, which one is better, it‟s really hard to say. Different people can make different choice, for both of them have their own advantages and shortcomings indeed.A: Y es, you are right, every coin has too sides. Either of them has the advantages together with the disadvantages.Item SixTask 1: Situational dialogue (3 minutes)Imagine that A comes from Beijing and B is a foreigner who is going to visit the city for the first time. Make up a dialogue about Beijing and give relevant tips. B: Hey!I‟m going to Beijing this summer vacation. But I think that it‟d be hard for me to get around on my own. You are a local resident in Beijing, aren‟t you? Would you please give me some advice on my trip?A: Sure! Welcome to Beijing! Beijing is an old city with a rich history. So there remains many historical sites that worth seeing, such as the summer palace, the great wall, the Forbidden City and so on. All these art treasures have made it a center of culture and art in China. You may join a tour.B: i love Chinese traditional culture! They must be an eye-feast! But I don‟t like the fast pace of tours. I‟d rather have the time to take in each site, not rush through it just to say I‟ve been there.A:oh! I see. You prefer independence travel. I think you may make your way around leisurely to see the sites by taking a subway line, because most of them are located along the subway line.B: That‟s convenient! By the way, how do i pay for the fare?A: 2 yuan for each ride. And there is a subway map on the ticket so you won‟t get lost.B: wow! Sounds great! I cant‟t wait to visit Beijing! I‟ll call you as soon as i arrive. A: OK. i‟m looking forward to your arrival!Task 2: Discussion (5 minutes)Should death penalty be abolished or not?庄璜cons:Someone who has committed a crime deserves to be punished. I think the controversy comes when talking about the extent of the punishment. I believe that the crimes of rape, torture, kidnapping, and murder with inevitable evidence such as multiple eye witnesses, DNA, or any other types of evidence should end immediate death after trial. The death penalty is by no means degrading of human life, or demeaning dignity but simply showing the crime is unjust and will not be tolerated.pros:Now that we are so against killing somebody, then why are we going to kill someone else. If you trade an eye for an eye the whole world will be blind.What gives the justice system the right to take a human life? Advocates of the death sentence seem to tend to appeal to the emotions but at the end of the day this type of revenge that seems so popular is never satisfying, it's just another death among thousands.Besides ,thousands of people in the history have been proved innocent after death. So why do we risk killing another innocent person? That would be another tragedy.Item SevenTask 1: Situational dialogue (3 minutes)A andB are talking about their traveling experiences. They tell each other the cities which impress them most.A: Hey, B. What are you doing now?B: I‟m looking for some information about traveling. As too many places to choose from, it‟s really difficult for me to decide where to go. Do you have some advice?A: Let me think…Have you ever been to Beijing? There are a lot of tourist attractions in Beijing, especially the historical ones.B: No, I haven‟t, so I have taken it into consideration. How about your trip to Beijing? A: The tour was interesting but a little tired. We walked a lot when we were visiting the Imperi al Palace because it‟s too large. And we were even lost. You know what, if you want to have a bite on all kinds of snacks and do some shopping, the Wangfujing Street is a better choice.B: Really? That sounds wonderful! Hearing your words, I am totally attracted by Beijing. The most impressive city I have been to is Hangzhou. We arrived at the island in the center of West Lake by boat. It‟s covered by different kinds of trees and plants. The scenery is indeed fabulous.A: Wow, it must worth a visit.Task 2: Discussion (5 minutes)Do you identify with “Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus” given of your sex? Why or why not?(1)Women(魏雨)I kind of approve the saying that women are from Venus. It is said that the Venusians value love, communication, beauty, and relationships. Women are always more concerned with living in harmony, community, and loving cooperation. They care more about feelings. For example, men often go to lunch to discuss business because of its convenience, while women do that to deepen the relationship with friends and share personal feelings.（庄璜）For the fulfillment, women pride themselves in being considerate of the needs but men experience fulfillment according to success. But these are not all. Women also have some features of Martians. Although they are not as powerful as men, they purchase their own achievement and goals and accomplish things more carefully and efficiently. The ability to achieve results is also a resource of fulfillment and the sense of self.(2)MenI identify with “men are from Mars” because men are indeed the same as Martians in characteristic. Martians value power, competence, efficiency, and achievement. They prefer proving themselves and develop power and skills. They are more rational and purposeful. They care more about cars, technology and other powerful things. Competing with others and wining in the end, they gain fulfillment and be pride of themselves.As for the relationship and communication, men are also concerned with their families and friends. But they rarely ask for help or share feelings with them because they don‟t like to finish something with others‟help when they can do it by themselves, and asking for help sometimes means weakness from their perspective.。