江苏省扬州中学2014届高三上学期12月月考英语试题试卷(7)

W: So, what did he say?
M: Well, we have to walk down this road, take the first turning on the left. Then walk until we come to the river and…
W: The river?
M: Yes. It’s over there, and there’s a bridge. Across the bridge, we will be able to see some road signs which will tell us the way.
W: But how far is it? How long does it take to walk there?
M: About fifteen minutes, if we walk quickly.
W: Fifteen minutes! We may be late for the train. And with these heavy bags, too! I think we ought to take a taxi.
M: Not at this hour. Look at the traffic. It’s moving very slowly. We can get there just as quickly on foot.
W: Well, I can’t possibly carry this bag any farther.
M: All right. Let me take it, then.
W: Don’t be silly. You can’t carry two bags at the same time.
M: Yes, I can. The bags aren’t that heavy…hmm!
W: You see! They’re heavier than you thought!
M: Perhaps it’s not such a bad idea after all.
W: What isn’t such a bad idea? What do you mean?
M: Taxi! Taxi!
(Text 10)
When you take a walk a in any of the cities in the west, you often see a lot of people walking with dogs. It is still true that the dog is the most useful and faithful animal in the world. But the reason why people keep a dog have changed. In the old days, people used to train dogs to protect themselves against the attacks by other beasts. And later they came to realize that the dog was not only useful for protection but willing to obey their master. For example, when people used dogs for hunting, the dogs would not eat without permission what they caught. But now people in the city need not protect themselves against attacks of animals. Why do they keep dogs then? Some people keep dogs to protect themselves from robbery, but the most important reason is for companionship. For a child, a dog is his best friend when he has no friends to play with; for a young couple, a dog is their child when they have no children; for old couples, a dog is also their child when their real children have grown up. So the main reason why people keep dogs has changed from protection to friendship.