Conversation 1
W: Hi, David. I haven't seen you in class for almost 2 weeks. We thought you had disappeared on holiday earlier or something[1].
M: Hi, Sarah, it's a bit of a long story I'm afraid. I got a throat infection last week and had to go to the hospital to get some antibiotics as I really wasn't getting any better.
W: Oh, yeah, there have been so many viruses going around this winter. The weather's been so awful for the last few weeks.
M: And on the way back from the hospital, I slipped on some ice and fell, and then had to go to the hospital to get an X-Ray because I basically thought I broke my wrist, although, thankfully, it's not broken[2]. But I need to be careful with it for the next few weeks.
W: Oh, hat's too bad. How unfortunate!
M: To make things worse, I managed to fall right in front of four girls from the 9th Grade. It was utterly humiliated. Plus, the laptop in my bag was broken, too.
W: Now, what a complete catastrophe! Is the laptop still under warranty? If it is, then you can easily send it back to the manufacturer, and they'll send you a brand new one for Free[3]. Surely.
M: The warranty ran out 3 days before I broke it. And all my essays are in there, and I need to hand them in before we break for the Christmas holidays.
W: Listen, I have the number of a really good, affordable computer repair shop at home. My dad has used this guy before and he can work miracles. Let's go back to my house and we can call the repair shop. You can have some tea and cookies, too[4].
M: Wow, thanks, Sarah. That would be great. Let me just call my mom and let her know. I'll be home a little bit later.
Question 1-4 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
1. What did Sarah think David was doing for the last 2 weeks?
2. What happened to David on his way back from the hospital?
3. What does Sarah say they should do with the damaged computer?
4. What does Sarah say she is going to do?
Conversation two.
M: Welcome to this week's episode of book talk. With me today is Heidi Brown, a historian who has written five critically acclaimed books about military history[5].
W: Thanks for having me, John. I'm so excited to talk about my latest book which was published last month.
M: So, this book is a novel, your first attempt at that genre. I thought it was a bit of a departure for you.
W: I'd say it's a major departure as it's not just a work of fiction[6]. It's set 200 years in the future.
M: Right. So how did that happen? You spent three decades writing about the past and focusing on the 18th and 19th centuries[7]. And now you're speculating about the future.
W: After years of researching soldiers and chronicling their lives during battle, I just started wondering about other facets of their lives, especially their personal lives[7].
M: I can see that. Your novel is about soldiers, but it focuses on their relationships, especially the bonds between sons and mothers and men and their wives.
六级查分2021入口W: Yes. That focus came about when I still intended to write another book of history. I started by researching soldiers, actual personal lives, studying their letters home[7].
M: So how did that history book become a novel?
W: Well, I realized that the historical record was incomplete, so I'd either have to leave a lot of gaps or make a lot more assumptions than a historian should.
M: But why write a novel set in the future when your credentials are perfect for a historical novel? As a historian, any historical novel you write would have a lot of credibility.
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