合肥中考网4月16日：2013年合肥中考口语考试暂不计入总分，但作为平行志愿多重排序的一个组成部分，供普通高中录取时参考。考试一年考两次，取考生其中较高一次的成绩计入中考总分。据了解，今年主要考察阅读和短对话。（延伸阅读：2013年合肥中考英语口语考阅读和短对话）

　　练习一：

　　Tea is one ofthe most important and popular drinks in China. There are many different kindsof tea. Mostly, we have green tea, black tea, oolong tea and white tea. Thereare also many different kinds of flower tea.

　　Most peopleknow the story about Dragon Well green tea. This tea comes from the Chinesevillage of Dragon Well, not far from Hangzhou. Nearly 2000 years ago, thevillage had many months with no rain. All of the crops were dying, and thefarmers were very worried. Them a man found a dragon in a well. He asked the dragonto get out of the well. As soon as the dragon came out, it began to rain andthe crops were saved. People now call the tea from the area, “Dragon Well tea.”

　　练习二：

　　Yesterday,from around 11 a.m.until 7 p.m. all the electricity was off in Garden City. The lights went out.The buses and the underground stopped. It was Saturday. Many people were athome, in the street, or in shopping malls. Many other people were travelling bybus or by underground. When it happened, people did not care about it at first.However, soon people became worried. People at home and in shopping malls cameout onto the streets. The streets became more and more crowded. People on busesgot off, and people in the underground began to phone their family and friends.The electricity still did not come back on. People became more and more worriedand impatient. The sun set, and the only light in the city came from the cars.

　　练习三：

　　The first Olympic Games happened thousands of years ago in Greece.People started the Olympic Games to show respect to the gods. They would prayto their gods in the morning and then have the games in the afternoon. Thefirst Olympic Games only lasted for one day! In modern times, the Olympic Gameslast for two weeks.

　　Thousands of years ago, married women could not watch the games.Otherwise, they would be punished! Here is a story about a woman at the ancientOlympic Games in Greece. Her name was Helen. Helen’s son Rodus took part in thecompetition of running in the Olympic Games. Helen wanted to watch Rodus run,so she made herself look like a soldier and entered the stadium. Unfortunately,Helen was found inside the stadium. Rodus won the competition, but his mother was punished.