2012年普通高等学校招生全国统一考试（天津卷）
英语 听力
注意事项：
1． 英语听力测试由试卷A 和试卷B 两套试卷组成。每套试卷各15小题，满分各为20分。考生依次作答两套试卷。试卷A 为第1至第3页，试卷B 为第4至第6页。
2． 作答前，考生务必将自己的姓名、准考号填写在答题卡上，并在规定位置粘贴考试用条形码。
3． 作答过程中，可先将答案标在试卷上。每套试卷试题录音播放结束后，考生均有两分钟的时间将试卷上的答案转涂到答题卡上。
4． 转涂答案时，请用铅笔把答题卡上对应题目的答案标号涂黑。如需改动，用橡皮擦干净后，再选涂其他答案标号。
5． 考生务必将答案涂写在答题卡的对应位置上，答在试卷上的无效。考试结束后，将本试卷和答题卡一并交回。
祝各位考生考试顺利!
试卷A
第一节（共5小题；每小题1分，满分5分）
听下面五段对话。每段对话后有一个小题，从题中所给的A 、B 、C 三个选项中选出最佳选项，并标在试卷的相应位置。听完每段对话后，你将有10秒钟的时间来回答有关小题和阅读下一小题。每段对话仅读一遍。
例：How much is the shirt?
A ．£ 19.15. B ．£ 9.15. C ．£ 9.18.
答案为B 。
1．Why was George at the hospital?
A ．His wife was sick. B ．His wife just had a baby. C ．He was visiting his daughter.
2．What is Robert’s occupation now?
A．Novelist.
B ．Reporter.
C ．Secretary.
3．What does the man plan to do in five years?
A．To leave the company.
B ．To manage the company. C ．To start his own company.
4．What does the woman imply?
A．She doesn’t appreciate John’s humor.
B ．She used to understand John’s humor. C ．She doesn’t have any sense of humor.
5．What is the man’s reaction to the woman’s words?
A．Anger.
B ．Impatience. C ．Surprise.
第二节（共10小题；每小题1.5分，满分15分）
听下面几段材料。每段材料后有几个小题，从题中所给的A 、B 、C 三个选项中选出最佳选项，并标在试卷的相应位置。听每段材料前，你将有时间阅读各个小题，每小题5秒钟；听完后，各小题将给出5秒钟的作答时间。每段材料读两遍。
听下面一段对话，回答第6至第8小题。
6．What are the speakers talking about?
A．The cause of their discomfort.
B ．The taste of the food. C ．The division of housework.
7．What did they both eat?
A．Meat, fish and soup.
B ．Fish, meat and pears. C ．Soup, pears and meat.
8．What did they finally find out?
A．They bought the wrong fruit.
B ．They lost a pair of sunglasses. C ．Neither of them washed the pears.
听下面一段对话，回答第9至第11小题。
9．When would Mr. Johnson like to talk to the woman?
A．Before the weekend.
B ．During the weekend. C ．After the weekend.
10．What is Mr. Johnson doing when the woman comes to see him?
A．Writing a letter.
B ．Checking his emails.
C ．Reading students’ writings.
11．What does Mr. Johnson want to tell the woman?
A．She needs to pass on a message.
B ．She has got some financial aid. C ．She has been offered a job by a fund.
听下面一段独白，回答第12至第15小题。
12．What is the main purpose of Mr. Brown’s remarks?
A．To introduce a well-known conductor.
B ．To introduce a visiting professor. C ．To introduce a famous pianist.
13．When did Mr. Roberson begin to play his own composition?
A ．At the age of 5.
B ．At the age of 10. C ．At the age of 40.
14．What is the most unbelievable adventure for Mr. Roberson?
A ．No hotel rooms.
B ．Losing his instruments. C ．Locked concert halls.
15．What will Mr. Roberson mainly do tonight?
A ．To deliver a speech.
B ．To give a concert. C ．To promote his new book.
试卷B
第一节（共5小题；每小题1分，满分5分）
听下面五段对话。每段对话后有一个小题，从题中所给的A 、B 、C 三个选项中选出最佳选项，并标在试卷的相应位置。听完每段对话后，你将有10秒钟的时间来回答有关小题和阅读下一小题。每段对话仅读一遍。
例：How much is the shirt?
A ．£ 19.15. B ．£ 9.15. C ．£ 9.18.
答案为B 。
1．How is the woman feeling?
A ．Ill. B ．Hot. C ．Cold.
2．Why does the man apologize?
A．He has lost the book.
B ．He has forgotten to bring the book. C ．He has brought the wrong book.
3．What does the man imply?
A．The woman speaks English very well.
B ．The woman has a strong French accent. C ．The woman must be from France.
4．What does the man think the weather will be like?
A．Fine.
B ．Rainy. C ．Cloudy.
5．What do we learn about the speakers?
A．They are unwilling to wait for Jack.
第二节（共10小题；每小题1.5分，满分15分）
听下面几段材料。每段材料后有几个小题，从题中所给的A 、B 、C 三个选项中选出最佳选项，并标在试卷的相应位置。听每段材料前，你将有时间阅读各个小题，每小题5秒钟；听完后，各小题将给出5秒钟的作答时间。每段材料读两遍。
听下面一段对话，回答第6至第8小题。 B ．They can’t see Jack’s grade. C ．They are eager to see Jack’s reaction.
6．What is the woman’s problem?
A．Her passport is out of date.
B ．Her password is not recognized. C ．Her past work is left unfinished.
7．Where should the woman go to solve her problem?
A．The IT Center.
B ．Frost Hall. C ．The Student Center.
8．On what day does the conversation take place?
A．Monday.
B ．Tuesday. C ．Wednesday.
听下面一段对话，回答第9至第11小题。
9．How did the woman sleep last night?
A．She slept well.
B ．She woke up once. C ．She had bad dreams.
10．What does the woman worry about this morning?
A．Her difficulty in breathing.
B ．The meeting at school. C ．The rush-hour traffic.
11．What does the woman probably decide to do this weekend?
A．To work on her paper.
听下面一段独白，回答第12至第15小题。 B ．To teach a few classes. C ．To attend a writing course.
12．When were the first amusement parks built in the U.S.?
A．In the 1700s.
B ．In the 1800s. C ．In the 1900s.
13．What can we know about Coney Island?
A ．It was an attraction for the rich in the early 1800s.
B ．It’s no longer popular with people today. C ．It began to appeal to the working class in the 1820s.
14．What does the entrance fee cover in most U.S. theme parks?
A ．Gifts and souvenirs.
B ．Food and drinks. C ．Shows and rides.
15．What is the talk mainly about?
A ．Amusement parks on Coney Island.
B ．The facilities in U.S. amusement parks. C ．The development of U.S. amusement parks.
试卷A
1. C 2. A 3. B 4. A 5. C
6. A 7. B 8. C 9. A 10. C 11. B 12. C 13. B 14. B 15. A
评分标准：第1-5小题，每题1分，共5分；第6-15小题，每题1.5分，共15分。
试卷B
1. C 2. B 3. A 4. B 5. C
6. B 7. A 8. B 9. A 10. C 11. A 12. B 13. A 14. C 15. C
评分标准：第1-5小题，每题1分，共5分；第6-15小题，每题1.5分，共15分。
2012年天津市高考英语试题听力原文 试卷 A
Text 1
W: I saw George at the hospital today. I wonder if his wife is ill.
M: No, his wife is fine. His daughter just had a baby and he was visiting her.
Text 2
W: Robert worked as a secretary for three years. Then he became a reporter. After that, he started writing novels full time.
M: I know. And he has been doing nothing else ever since.
Text 3
W: So, Mr. Smith, where do you see yourself in five years?
M: To tell you the truth, I see myself running this company.
Text 4
M: John is certainly the funniest person in class. He can always make us laugh.
W: Really? I think I still have to get used to his sense of humor.
Text 5
W: Can you believe Tom from our class acted in the movie I watched last night?
M: Are you kidding? You mean Tom? The Tom who couldn’t even remember a line in the play we put on at the arts festival?
Text 6
M: Maybe it was the fish or meat we ate.
W: Yes, it might have been.
M: Or the soup.
W: No, it couldn’t have been the soup because I didn’t have any.
M: Of course. We sat in the sun for a long time, I suppose it could have been the sun. W: Yes, it might have been. But we’ve got used to sitting in the sun.
M: That’s true. Now what else did we both eat? Only those lovely peers I bought. It couldn’t have been them. We are used to eating peers, and you washed them.
W: No, I didn’t. I thought you had!
M: I didn’t wash them, I was sure you did. It must have been the peers then!
Text 7
W: Hello, Mr. Johnson. You wanted to talk to me?
M: Eh, yeah, come on in. I’m glad you were able to make it in such a short time. I was worried I wouldn’t get a chance to talk with you before the weekend.
W: Luckily I checked my email and got your message before leaving the campus. I thought it would be good to drop by and I am surprised you are here at such a late hour.
M: Oh, I usually am on Fridays. I like to review the weekly writings my students turned in before I leaving for the seaside on weekends.
W: To be frank, I am a little bit nervous.
M: Don’t be nervous. Actually, it’s very good news.
W: Oh, what is it?
M: I received a letter from the National Youth Funds. It says you have won a scholarship for your further studies.
Text 8
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Michael Brown. As you know, we hold a series of events during the school year on various cultural topics. Tonight, we are lucky to have, as our guest, a man of considerable fame in the world of music. He began to play the piano at 5. By the time he was 10, he was composing and playing his own pieces. He’s a graduate of the famous Juilliard School and playing his spent the last 40 years of his very successful career touring the world playing in concerts. We are fortunate that he’s come to share some of his experiences with us. He’s had many adventures along the way, missed connections, no hotel rooms, and locked concert halls. Most unbelievably, he even lost his instruments. He’s played for all of the most well-known conductors all over the world. The title of his talk is “The Concert Tour-40Years on 4 Continents”. Please join me in welcoming Mr. Daniel Robertson, one of the most famous pianists… (fading)
2012年天津市高考英语试题听力原文 试卷 B
Text 1
M ：Are you alright? You don’t look well.
W: Er, I’m sure I’m OK, really-just not very warm.
M: How about a hot drink?
Text 2
W: Did you remember to bring the boom you promised me?
M: I’m sorry. It completely slipped my mind. I’ll bring it tomorrow.
Text3
W: I can’t remember whether I told you or not, but I’m from France.
M: Really? You hardly have an accent.
Text 4
W: Hey, Joe, do you think it’s going to rain today?
M: Well, see the dark clouds over there? It’s very likely. But the weather forecast says it’s going to be a good day. I think they will make another mistake this time.
Text 5
M: I can’t wait to see the look on Jack’s face when he sees his grade.
W: Neither can I.
Text 6
W ：I’m having problems getting into the school email system. It keeps telling me that my password is wrong,
M: Hmm, when was the last time you checked your email?
W: Beats me –sometime last week, maybe Monday?
M: Well, if you keep having the problem, you can go to the school IT Center. Show the teachers
there your student card, and they will give you a new password. You can then get in with the new one.
W: But where is the IT Center?
M: Oh, it’s in the round building behind Frost Hall, over there. You see?
W: Yes, thank you very much!
M: You’re welcome! Bu the way, the center isn’t open now. It’s closed every Tuesday afternoon. You’d better go there tomorrow.
Text 7
M: Good morning, Susan! Did you sleep well last night?
W: I fell asleep right away, didn’t wake up once, and didn’t you have any bad dreams!
M: Great! You look much more relaxed today.
W: Much better, but I’m still worried about something.
M: What’s that?
W: Well, I have to dive to school for a meeting this morning, and I’m afraid I may get stuck in the rush-hour traffic and I will be pretty upset.
M: Don’t worry. Just breathe deeply when that happens.
W: Ok, I’ll try that.
M: Is there anything else bothering you?
W: Just one more thing. A school called me this morning to see if I could teach a few classes this weekend, but I’m supposed to work on a paper that’s due on Monday.
M: Try not to take on more than you can handle.
W: You’re right. I’ll probably focus on my paper. Thanks!
Text 8
In our program today, we’ll talk about amusement parks. As places to have fun, they first appeared in the U.S. in the 1800s. For many years, the most famous amusement parks in the world were on Coney Island, New York. Around the 1820s, Coney Island was a popular place for wealthy people. In the late 1800s, it became popular with working-class people, too. Several amusement parks were built there in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Today, ten million people a year still visit Coney Island, although man tog its attractions are now gone.
The U.S. amusement parks began to change in the mid-1900s. Before that time, they were usually found in cities. Now they are mostly in the suburbs. Today, most amusement parks are called “theme parks”. Their rides, shows, restaurants, and shops follow historical or cultural themes. At most U.S. theme parks, people do not have to pay for each ride or show. They pay only to enter the park. Then they can see the shows and go on the rides as many times as they want to in one day. Of course, they must pay for any food or souvenirs they buy in the park. Next, we are going to… (fading)
2012年普通高等学校招生全国统一考试（天津卷）
英语 听力
注意事项：
1． 英语听力测试由试卷A 和试卷B 两套试卷组成。每套试卷各15小题，满分各为20分。考生依次作答两套试卷。试卷A 为第1至第3页，试卷B 为第4至第6页。
2． 作答前，考生务必将自己的姓名、准考号填写在答题卡上，并在规定位置粘贴考试用条形码。
3． 作答过程中，可先将答案标在试卷上。每套试卷试题录音播放结束后，考生均有两分钟的时间将试卷上的答案转涂到答题卡上。
4． 转涂答案时，请用铅笔把答题卡上对应题目的答案标号涂黑。如需改动，用橡皮擦干净后，再选涂其他答案标号。
5． 考生务必将答案涂写在答题卡的对应位置上，答在试卷上的无效。考试结束后，将本试卷和答题卡一并交回。
祝各位考生考试顺利!
试卷A
第一节（共5小题；每小题1分，满分5分）
听下面五段对话。每段对话后有一个小题，从题中所给的A 、B 、C 三个选项中选出最佳选项，并标在试卷的相应位置。听完每段对话后，你将有10秒钟的时间来回答有关小题和阅读下一小题。每段对话仅读一遍。
例：How much is the shirt?
A ．£ 19.15. B ．£ 9.15. C ．£ 9.18.
答案为B 。
1．Why was George at the hospital?
A ．His wife was sick. B ．His wife just had a baby. C ．He was visiting his daughter.
2．What is Robert’s occupation now?
A．Novelist.
B ．Reporter.
C ．Secretary.
3．What does the man plan to do in five years?
A．To leave the company.
B ．To manage the company. C ．To start his own company.
4．What does the woman imply?
A．She doesn’t appreciate John’s humor.
B ．She used to understand John’s humor. C ．She doesn’t have any sense of humor.
5．What is the man’s reaction to the woman’s words?
A．Anger.
B ．Impatience. C ．Surprise.
第二节（共10小题；每小题1.5分，满分15分）
听下面几段材料。每段材料后有几个小题，从题中所给的A 、B 、C 三个选项中选出最佳选项，并标在试卷的相应位置。听每段材料前，你将有时间阅读各个小题，每小题5秒钟；听完后，各小题将给出5秒钟的作答时间。每段材料读两遍。
听下面一段对话，回答第6至第8小题。
6．What are the speakers talking about?
A．The cause of their discomfort.
B ．The taste of the food. C ．The division of housework.
7．What did they both eat?
A．Meat, fish and soup.
B ．Fish, meat and pears. C ．Soup, pears and meat.
8．What did they finally find out?
A．They bought the wrong fruit.
B ．They lost a pair of sunglasses. C ．Neither of them washed the pears.
听下面一段对话，回答第9至第11小题。
9．When would Mr. Johnson like to talk to the woman?
A．Before the weekend.
B ．During the weekend. C ．After the weekend.
10．What is Mr. Johnson doing when the woman comes to see him?
A．Writing a letter.
B ．Checking his emails.
C ．Reading students’ writings.
11．What does Mr. Johnson want to tell the woman?
A．She needs to pass on a message.
B ．She has got some financial aid. C ．She has been offered a job by a fund.
听下面一段独白，回答第12至第15小题。
12．What is the main purpose of Mr. Brown’s remarks?
A．To introduce a well-known conductor.
B ．To introduce a visiting professor. C ．To introduce a famous pianist.
13．When did Mr. Roberson begin to play his own composition?
A ．At the age of 5.
B ．At the age of 10. C ．At the age of 40.
14．What is the most unbelievable adventure for Mr. Roberson?
A ．No hotel rooms.
B ．Losing his instruments. C ．Locked concert halls.
15．What will Mr. Roberson mainly do tonight?
A ．To deliver a speech.
B ．To give a concert. C ．To promote his new book.
试卷B
第一节（共5小题；每小题1分，满分5分）
听下面五段对话。每段对话后有一个小题，从题中所给的A 、B 、C 三个选项中选出最佳选项，并标在试卷的相应位置。听完每段对话后，你将有10秒钟的时间来回答有关小题和阅读下一小题。每段对话仅读一遍。
例：How much is the shirt?
A ．£ 19.15. B ．£ 9.15. C ．£ 9.18.
答案为B 。
1．How is the woman feeling?
A ．Ill. B ．Hot. C ．Cold.
2．Why does the man apologize?
A．He has lost the book.
B ．He has forgotten to bring the book. C ．He has brought the wrong book.
3．What does the man imply?
A．The woman speaks English very well.
B ．The woman has a strong French accent. C ．The woman must be from France.
4．What does the man think the weather will be like?
A．Fine.
B ．Rainy. C ．Cloudy.
5．What do we learn about the speakers?
A．They are unwilling to wait for Jack.
第二节（共10小题；每小题1.5分，满分15分）
听下面几段材料。每段材料后有几个小题，从题中所给的A 、B 、C 三个选项中选出最佳选项，并标在试卷的相应位置。听每段材料前，你将有时间阅读各个小题，每小题5秒钟；听完后，各小题将给出5秒钟的作答时间。每段材料读两遍。
听下面一段对话，回答第6至第8小题。 B ．They can’t see Jack’s grade. C ．They are eager to see Jack’s reaction.
6．What is the woman’s problem?
A．Her passport is out of date.
B ．Her password is not recognized. C ．Her past work is left unfinished.
7．Where should the woman go to solve her problem?
A．The IT Center.
B ．Frost Hall. C ．The Student Center.
8．On what day does the conversation take place?
A．Monday.
B ．Tuesday. C ．Wednesday.
听下面一段对话，回答第9至第11小题。
9．How did the woman sleep last night?
A．She slept well.
B ．She woke up once. C ．She had bad dreams.
10．What does the woman worry about this morning?
A．Her difficulty in breathing.
B ．The meeting at school. C ．The rush-hour traffic.
11．What does the woman probably decide to do this weekend?
A．To work on her paper.
听下面一段独白，回答第12至第15小题。 B ．To teach a few classes. C ．To attend a writing course.
12．When were the first amusement parks built in the U.S.?
A．In the 1700s.
B ．In the 1800s. C ．In the 1900s.
13．What can we know about Coney Island?
A ．It was an attraction for the rich in the early 1800s.
B ．It’s no longer popular with people today. C ．It began to appeal to the working class in the 1820s.
14．What does the entrance fee cover in most U.S. theme parks?
A ．Gifts and souvenirs.
B ．Food and drinks. C ．Shows and rides.
15．What is the talk mainly about?
A ．Amusement parks on Coney Island.
B ．The facilities in U.S. amusement parks. C ．The development of U.S. amusement parks.
试卷A
1. C 2. A 3. B 4. A 5. C
6. A 7. B 8. C 9. A 10. C 11. B 12. C 13. B 14. B 15. A
评分标准：第1-5小题，每题1分，共5分；第6-15小题，每题1.5分，共15分。
试卷B
1. C 2. B 3. A 4. B 5. C
6. B 7. A 8. B 9. A 10. C 11. A 12. B 13. A 14. C 15. C
评分标准：第1-5小题，每题1分，共5分；第6-15小题，每题1.5分，共15分。
2012年天津市高考英语试题听力原文 试卷 A
Text 1
W: I saw George at the hospital today. I wonder if his wife is ill.
M: No, his wife is fine. His daughter just had a baby and he was visiting her.
Text 2
W: Robert worked as a secretary for three years. Then he became a reporter. After that, he started writing novels full time.
M: I know. And he has been doing nothing else ever since.
Text 3
W: So, Mr. Smith, where do you see yourself in five years?
M: To tell you the truth, I see myself running this company.
Text 4
M: John is certainly the funniest person in class. He can always make us laugh.
W: Really? I think I still have to get used to his sense of humor.
Text 5
W: Can you believe Tom from our class acted in the movie I watched last night?
M: Are you kidding? You mean Tom? The Tom who couldn’t even remember a line in the play we put on at the arts festival?
Text 6
M: Maybe it was the fish or meat we ate.
W: Yes, it might have been.
M: Or the soup.
W: No, it couldn’t have been the soup because I didn’t have any.
M: Of course. We sat in the sun for a long time, I suppose it could have been the sun. W: Yes, it might have been. But we’ve got used to sitting in the sun.
M: That’s true. Now what else did we both eat? Only those lovely peers I bought. It couldn’t have been them. We are used to eating peers, and you washed them.
W: No, I didn’t. I thought you had!
M: I didn’t wash them, I was sure you did. It must have been the peers then!
Text 7
W: Hello, Mr. Johnson. You wanted to talk to me?
M: Eh, yeah, come on in. I’m glad you were able to make it in such a short time. I was worried I wouldn’t get a chance to talk with you before the weekend.
W: Luckily I checked my email and got your message before leaving the campus. I thought it would be good to drop by and I am surprised you are here at such a late hour.
M: Oh, I usually am on Fridays. I like to review the weekly writings my students turned in before I leaving for the seaside on weekends.
W: To be frank, I am a little bit nervous.
M: Don’t be nervous. Actually, it’s very good news.
W: Oh, what is it?
M: I received a letter from the National Youth Funds. It says you have won a scholarship for your further studies.
Text 8
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Michael Brown. As you know, we hold a series of events during the school year on various cultural topics. Tonight, we are lucky to have, as our guest, a man of considerable fame in the world of music. He began to play the piano at 5. By the time he was 10, he was composing and playing his own pieces. He’s a graduate of the famous Juilliard School and playing his spent the last 40 years of his very successful career touring the world playing in concerts. We are fortunate that he’s come to share some of his experiences with us. He’s had many adventures along the way, missed connections, no hotel rooms, and locked concert halls. Most unbelievably, he even lost his instruments. He’s played for all of the most well-known conductors all over the world. The title of his talk is “The Concert Tour-40Years on 4 Continents”. Please join me in welcoming Mr. Daniel Robertson, one of the most famous pianists… (fading)
2012年天津市高考英语试题听力原文 试卷 B
Text 1
M ：Are you alright? You don’t look well.
W: Er, I’m sure I’m OK, really-just not very warm.
M: How about a hot drink?
Text 2
W: Did you remember to bring the boom you promised me?
M: I’m sorry. It completely slipped my mind. I’ll bring it tomorrow.
Text3
W: I can’t remember whether I told you or not, but I’m from France.
M: Really? You hardly have an accent.
Text 4
W: Hey, Joe, do you think it’s going to rain today?
M: Well, see the dark clouds over there? It’s very likely. But the weather forecast says it’s going to be a good day. I think they will make another mistake this time.
Text 5
M: I can’t wait to see the look on Jack’s face when he sees his grade.
W: Neither can I.
Text 6
W ：I’m having problems getting into the school email system. It keeps telling me that my password is wrong,
M: Hmm, when was the last time you checked your email?
W: Beats me –sometime last week, maybe Monday?
M: Well, if you keep having the problem, you can go to the school IT Center. Show the teachers
there your student card, and they will give you a new password. You can then get in with the new one.
W: But where is the IT Center?
M: Oh, it’s in the round building behind Frost Hall, over there. You see?
W: Yes, thank you very much!
M: You’re welcome! Bu the way, the center isn’t open now. It’s closed every Tuesday afternoon. You’d better go there tomorrow.
Text 7
M: Good morning, Susan! Did you sleep well last night?
W: I fell asleep right away, didn’t wake up once, and didn’t you have any bad dreams!
M: Great! You look much more relaxed today.
W: Much better, but I’m still worried about something.
M: What’s that?
W: Well, I have to dive to school for a meeting this morning, and I’m afraid I may get stuck in the rush-hour traffic and I will be pretty upset.
M: Don’t worry. Just breathe deeply when that happens.
W: Ok, I’ll try that.
M: Is there anything else bothering you?
W: Just one more thing. A school called me this morning to see if I could teach a few classes this weekend, but I’m supposed to work on a paper that’s due on Monday.
M: Try not to take on more than you can handle.
W: You’re right. I’ll probably focus on my paper. Thanks!
Text 8
In our program today, we’ll talk about amusement parks. As places to have fun, they first appeared in the U.S. in the 1800s. For many years, the most famous amusement parks in the world were on Coney Island, New York. Around the 1820s, Coney Island was a popular place for wealthy people. In the late 1800s, it became popular with working-class people, too. Several amusement parks were built there in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Today, ten million people a year still visit Coney Island, although man tog its attractions are now gone.
The U.S. amusement parks began to change in the mid-1900s. Before that time, they were usually found in cities. Now they are mostly in the suburbs. Today, most amusement parks are called “theme parks”. Their rides, shows, restaurants, and shops follow historical or cultural themes. At most U.S. theme parks, people do not have to pay for each ride or show. They pay only to enter the park. Then they can see the shows and go on the rides as many times as they want to in one day. Of course, they must pay for any food or souvenirs they buy in the park. Next, we are going to… (fading)