Task1: Retelling a story
It was shortly after one o’clock in the morning and Mr. Fairfax was really tired. He had been driving for over five hours, heading for a small town far away from home. The weather was clear but it was dark and Mr. Fairfax could not find a motel to spend the night. Completely exhausted, he decided to stop by the roadside for a few hours’ sleep at the wheel of his car. He fell asleep almost the moment he closed his eyes. But soon he was awakened by a man tapping on the car window. “I say, you don’t happen to know the time, do you?” the stranger asked.
Mr. Fairfax wound down the window and thrust his head out. “It’s around one o’clock,” he answered. Then he wound up his window and soon fell back into a deep slumber.
Half an hour later, another guy came up and knocked on his window who also inquired about the time. Once again, Mr. Fairfax gathered his thoughts and told him that it was just after one-thirty.
When the same thing happened yet again, Mr. Fairfax became increasingly irritated. Sleep-deprived, he began to raise his voice at the passer-by: “It’s two o’clock, God damn it! And why can’t you get yourself a watch like the rest of us?”
This time when he was winding up the window, Mr. Fairfax figured out how to make sure no one else disturbed him. He found some paper and a pencil and wrote a note that he placed on the windscreen of his car. It said: “I don’t know what time it is!” Amused by his good idea, he happily drifted off back to sleep again.
Not long afterwards, the note was spotted by a policeman on his night patrol. Intent on fulfilling his duty to assist motorists, he tapped on Mr. Fairfax’s car window.
“Well, sir,” the policeman said. “Now it is five past three!”
Task2: Talking on a given topic
Describe a situation in which you tried every means to avoid trouble, but in vain.
Task3: Role-playing
Student A: Today in China, lots of famous people, such as athletes, are admitted to famous universities without taking the college entrance exam. You and your partner are discussing the issue. You think these people deserve a chance since they have contributed a lot to the country. Your partner does not agree. Try to convince him/her. Remember you should start the conversation.
Student B: Today in China, lots of famous people, such as athletes, are admitted to famous universities without taking the college entrance exam. You and your partner are discussing the issue. You don’t think these people should be given this chance since it is unfair to the other people who work so hard to pass the exam. Your partner does not agree. Try to convince him/her. Remember your partner will start the conversation
