2008年中考模拟试卷
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第一部分&听力部分
一、听力（本题有15小题，第一节每小题1分，第二节、第三节每小题1分，共25分）。
第一节：听对话，根据所提问题，选择正确图画。读一遍。&&
1. What is Ben going to do this weekend?
2. What is John looking for?
3. How does Tom learn English?
4. How will Mr. Huang go to Tibet this July?
5. What did Tina do yesterday？
第二节：对话理解。根据所听到的对话内容和所提问题，选择合适的答案。
6. What does Lucy think of English?
&&& A. Interesting.&&& &&&&&&& B. Fun.&&&&&&&&&&& C. Boring.
7. What did Frank use to be afraid of?
A. Dogs&&&&&&&&&&& B. Cats&&&&&&&&&&&& C. Pigs
8. Who's allowed to go out on school nights?
A. John&&&&&&&&&&& B. Ann&&&&&&&&&&&&&& C .Neither of them
9. What's the girl going to do tonight?
A. She's going to the cinema. &&&&&
B. She's going to study for a test.
C.& She's going to watch TV.
10. Whom did Jim Green go to England with?
A. His grandparents&&& B. His parents&&& C. His teachers
第三节：听独白，请根据提问从A、B、C三个选项中选择正确的选项，完成信息记录表。
Susan is interested in &&&11&.
What place
Of all the places she has visited, she likes &&12&&best.
This &&13&, her family are coming to China.
They will stay here for &&14&&days.
Then they will go to Beijing by&15&.
11. A. Chinese&&&&&& B. English&&&&&&&&&&&C. science
12. A. London&&&&&& B. Paris&&&&&&&&&&& &&C. New York
13. A. June&&&&&&&&&& B. July&&&&& &&&&&&&&& C. March
14. A .4days&&&&&&&&& B. 3days&& &&&&&&&& &C. 5days
15. A. train&&&&&&&&&&& B. plane&&&&&&&&&&&& &C. bus
第二部分&笔试部分
二、&选择填空（本题有15小题，共15分，每小题1分）。
16. ― I think a rabbit is a good pet for ____ 5-year-old child like Vera.
― Really? I don't think so.
A. a&&&&&&& B. an&&&&&&&& C. /&&&&&&& && D. the
17. There ___________ a talk show on CCTV-4 at nine this evening.
&&&& A. will have &&& &B. is going to be&&&&& C. is going to have&&&&&& D. is staying
18. ― How do you like the TV play?
― ___________．
A．It's wonderful．&&& B．What about you?
C．Yes, I like it&&& &&&&& D．No, I don't like it at all．
19. ―Tom, it's cold outside, ______ your coat when you go out.
― OK, Mom.
A. Take off&&&&&& &B. Take away&&&&&&&&&&& C. Put away&&&&&&&&& D. Put on
20.―When did Hong Kong return to our motherland?
― ___July 1st, 1997.
A．On&&&&&&& B．In&&&&&& C．At&&&& & D．For
21. ― Could yon tell me whom the radio_____ by?
― Sorry, I have no idea.
A．invents&&&&& B．invented&&&&& C．is invented&&&&& D．was invented
22. ― There goes the bell.
― It' s time for class. Let' s stop_______.
A．talk&&&&&& B．to talk&&&&&& C．talking&&&&& &D．not talk
23. ― What does your cousin look like now?
― Oh, he's much&&&&&&&&& than before.
A．strong &&& &B．stronger&&&&& &C．strongest&&&&& D．too strong
24. ― How are you getting along with your classmates?
― Very well. They are all____ me.
A．afraid of&&&&&& B．angry with&&&&&& C．tired of&&&&&& D．friendly to
25. ―Which do you prefer，bananas or oranges?
―&&&&&&&&& ．．
．B．C．D．
will you stay in Shenzhen for your holiday?
．B．C．D．
27. ― Don't forget to _______"Thank you" when someone has helped you．
&&& &― Ok, mum
A．speak&&&&& B．tell&&&&& C．say&&& &D．talk
28. ― Mom, I didn't understand ________________in class yesterday.
&&& &― So you'd better raise your hand to ask next time.
&&&& A. what my teacher says&&&&&&&&&& B. what does my teacher say
C. what my teacher said&&&&&&&&&& D. what did my teacher say
29. To my great _______, he was the first one to leave the room.
&A. surprise&&&&&& B. surprised&&&&&& C. surprising&&&&& D. surprises
30. ― Where is Tom? Do you know?&&&&&&― I think he ______to the library．
A．has gone&&&&&&& B．goes&&&&&&& C．has been&&&&& &D．went
三、完形填空（本题有15小题，每小题1分，共15分）。
An interesting thing happened to me last Sunday. The sunshine was &31 &beautiful that I decided to drive in the country.
&32&my way home, my car stopped. I was out of gasoline(汽油) on a road away from a town. I decided to &&33&along the road until I found someone who could sell me some gasoline.
I had walked almost a long way before I finally found a big&34&near the road. I was &&&35&to see it because it was getting dark.
I knocked on the door and a small old lady with long white hair answered. She &&36&, "I've been waiting for you for a long time. Come in, please. I got&37&ready for you."
"But I've come here only for some gasoline." I answered. I didn't know &&38&she was talking about. I didn't understand her.
"Oh, Tony! Gasoline? You used to love tea."
I quickly explained that my car was out of gasoline,&39&she didn't seem to hear me. She just kept calling me Tony and talking about how&40&it had been since she had seen me. She was talking so strangely that I wanted to&41&. As soon as she went to get the tea, I went out of the house as &&42&as possible.
I was so happy when I saw &&43&& house by the road. I was able to get some gasoline. When I told the man about the old lady, he said, "Oh, that's Helen. She lives all by herself in that big house. She's&44&, but she wouldn't hurt anyone. She is still waiting for the man whom she was going to marry twenty-five years ago. The man was named Tony. The day before they married, he went away and &&45&came back." I understood!
31. A. so&&&&&&&&&&&& &B. such&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& &C. very&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& &D. too
32. A. On&&&&&&&&&&& &B In&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& C. By&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& D. Over
33. A. drive&&&&&&&&& B. walk&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& C. ride&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& &D. climb
34. A. house&&&&&&&& B. tree&&& &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& C. hospital&&&&&&&& && D. car
35. A. sad&&&&&&&&&& &B. angry &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& C. happy&&&&&&&&&&& & D. surprised
36. A. said&&&&&&&&&&& B. speak&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& C. asked&&&&&&&&&&&& & D. talk
37. A. gasoline&&&&&& B. milk&&&&& &&&&&&&&&&&& C. tea&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& D. water
38. A. that&&&&&&&&& & B. who&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& C. when&&&&&&&&&&&&& &D. what
39. A. or&&&&&&&&&&& & B. then&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& & C. but&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& D. later
40. A. long&&& &&&&& &B. far&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& &C. often&&&&&&&&&&&&&& D. much
41. A. stay&&&&&&&&&& B. leave&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& C. sit down&&&&&&&& D. have a rest
42. A. quietly&&&&&&& B. quickly&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& C. early&&&&&&&&&&& && D. slowly
43. A. others&&&&&&&& B. the other&&&&&&&& &&&& C. else&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& &D. another
44. A. kind&&&&&&&&& & B. warm-hearted&&&&&&C. strange&&&&&&&&&& &D. friendly
45. A. often&&&&&&&&& B. usually&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& C. never&&&&&&&&&&&&& D. sometimes
四、阅读理解：（本题有15小题，每小题2分，共30分）。
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& &(A)
TWO English phrases show what people think about mice and rats: "As quiet as a mouse", and "a dirty rat".
People think rats are dirty because they live in sewers (下水道) and other unclean places. They also carry diseases (疾病). Having a rat in your house is bad news. They smell terrible and make a lot of noise.
Calling someone a "rat" in English means they are not to be trusted (信任). Saying "Rats!" is also a way to show that you are angry.
Mice, on the other hand, are seen as quiet and cute. They live in fields and as unwelcome guests in people's houses. They are small and often kept as pets. Walt Disney's famous character Mickey Mouse helped make them lovable to children. Jerry, from the Tom and Jerry cartoons, is smart and naughty. It makes everyone happy.
Rats and mice are both classed as rodents (啮齿类). But people think about them in different ways!&
46. Why do people think rats are dirty? Because they________.
&&&& A. live in unclean places&&&&&&&& &&&&&&&&&&& B. carry diseases&
&&&& C. smell terrible and make noise&&& &&&&& D. A,B&C
47. When people call you a "rat", that means ______
A. People like you.&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& B. People don't trust you.&
C. You are very popular.&&&&&&& &D. All the above are wrong.
48. According to the passage, which is TRUE?
A .People think mice and rats are the same.
B. People don't like the mouse Jerry in the Tom and Jerry cartoons because it's very dirty.
C. People often keep rats as pets.
D. Mickey Mouse is very lovable and popular to children.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& &&& (B)
Being a youth(青年) is one thing, and being a good one is another. A good youth should have these qualities：First of all, health, a healthy body is the best riches. Without it, nothing can be done well. If you are poor in health, you'll have to take medicine day after day. Even you can't work, do sports and so on；Secondly, one must be of good quality. Always do something for others. Help those in trouble and care about the people around you. If everyone did the same, what a wonderful world this would be! Thirdly, one must have the ability to work with others. Cooperation and communication（合作和交流）are two important keys to better human relations . Everyone needs friends because no one can live through life alone or do everything he wants to.
Besides, patriotism is the one we should never forget. Patriotism means a love of one's country. It is one of the highest qualities of human's. Everyone should love his own country. But people sometimes think that patriots（爱国者）must be fighters or that they live in a time of fighting for their country. That is wrong. A good youth's work is not only fighting. A good youth will do the things his country asks him to do.
I think a good youth of today should also have some training in art. If everyone can enjoy art and be able to make more of it for others, then people will live better and enjoy more.
49．A person who has good qualities should _____
A．think of himself&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& B．help others that need help
C．help the people they know.&&&&&&&&& &&D．help friends and relatives
50．The writers tells us that working with others is _______.
A．good for some people&&&&&&& &&&&&&&&&& B．important to everyone
C．not necessary to good friends&&&&&&& D．can help us
51．From the passage we know the patriots must be _______.
A．fighting to protect their countries&&&&&&&
B．die for their countries
C．people who fight for their countries
D．people who do what their country wants them to do
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& &(C)
When you want to go shopping, decide how much money you can spend for new clothes. Think about the kind of clothes you really need. Then look for those clothes on sale.
There are labels(标签)inside all new clothes. The labels tell you how to take care of your clothes. The label for a shirt may tell you to wash it in warm water. A sweater label may tell you to wash by washing in cold water. The label on a coat may say "dry clean only." Washing may ruin(损坏)this coat. If you do as the directions(说明)say on the label, you can keep your clothes looking their best. Many clothes today must be dry cleaned. Dry cleaning is expensive. When buying new clothes, check to see if they will need to be dry cleaned. You will save money if you buy clothes that can be washed.
You can save money if you buy clothes that are well made. Well-made clothes last longer. They look good even after they have been washed many times. Clothes that cost more money are not always better made. They do not always fit better. Sometime less expensive clothes look and fit better than more expensive clothes.
52. If you want to save money you can buy clothes that _____.
A. don't fit you&&&&&&&&&&B. don't last long &&&&&&&&& C. need to be dry cleaned&&&& & D. can be washed
53. The label inside the clothes tells you______.
A. how to keep them looking their best&&&&&&&&&&& &B. how to save money
C. whether they fit you or not&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& D. where to get them dry cleaned
54. We learn from the reading that cheaper clothes ______.
A. are always worse made&&&&&&&&&&&& B. must be dry cleaned
C. can not be washed&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& D. can sometimes fit you better
55. The best title(标题) for the reading should be ______.
A. Buying Less Expensive Clothes&& &&&&&&&&&&&& B. Taking Enough Money When Shopping
C. Being a Clever Clothes Shopper&& &&&&&&&&&&& &D. Choosing the Labels inside New Clothes
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& (D)
"Do you like my dress?" she asked a stranger. "My mum made it just for me," she said with tears in her eyes.
"Well, I think it's very pretty, so tell me, little girl, why are you crying?"
The little girl answered in a low voice, "After mum made me this dress, she went away. My dad says that she's up in heaven (天堂) now with Grandfather."
Finally the woman realized why she was crying. She felt very sorry for the little girl and gently held the child in her arms.
Then suddenly the little girl did something a bit strange. She stopped crying, walked back from the woman and began to sing. She sang softly. It was the sweetest sound the woman had ever heard, almost like the song of a very small bird.
After the child stopped singing, she said to the lady, "My mum often sang that song to me before she went away, and she asked me to sing it whenever I started crying and it would make me stop."
"See," she said loudly, "it did, and now my eyes are dry!"
Just before the lady wanted to go, the girl showed her a spot (印迹) on her dress, and said, "Right here is where my mum kissed my dress, and here," pointing to another spot, "and here is another kiss, and here, and here. Mum said that she put all those kisses on my dress so that I would forget my sadness."
Then the lady realized that she wasn't just looking at a dress, no, she was looking at a mother. The mother knew that she was going away and would not be there to kiss away her daughter's hurts any longer.
So the mother gave all her love to her beautiful daughter and put it into this dress. Now her child was wearing it so proudly(骄傲地).
The lady no longer saw a little girl wearing a simple dress. She saw a child wrapped (包) in her mother's love.
56. The little girl was crying because her mother ____.&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
A. went to a big city&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& B. died
C. went out with her grandfather&&&&&&&&&&& D. was ill
57. Who told the little girl to sing a song when she was crying?&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
A. The lady.&&&&&& &B. Her father.&&&&& &C. Her mother.&&&&&&& D. Her grandfather.
58. The little girl showed the lady ____.&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
A. how rich she was&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& &B. her happiness
C. how beautiful she was&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& D. her mother's love
59. What do we know about the lady in the passage?&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
A. She was kind to the girl.&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& B. She was beautiful.
C. She was glad to see the girl.&&&&&&&&&&&& D. She was a careless woman.
60. From the story, we learn that _____.&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
A. the girl's mother went away with her love&
B. mother's love is the greatest in the world
C. a girl should wear a dress made by her mother
D. a mother should take her child with her wherever she goes
五、&词汇运用（本题有10小题，每小题1分，共10分）。
阅读短文，根据中文填写适当的单词，使意思完整，每空一词。
"For those who have __61__(从来没有) been to Tibet, T for those who have ever been there, Tibet is a memory." said Li Wan, a graduate__62___（来自）Zhongshan University. "To local Tibetans, Tibet is a way of life. But to me, living there is my like-time goal（目标）."
Ms. Li suddenly showed her strong &&63&&& （兴趣）in Tibet after having worked in a company for less than three ___64___(月). Since 1998, Li has been&&& 65&（花费）most of her time on the challenge --- she has got to almost every corner of Tibet during the 8 years.
Li's __66___(第一) trip to Tibet was only out of her loving freedom. She entered Tibet along the Yunnan-Tibetan road. Although she couldn't say a word of Tibetan language, this did not really stop her from talking with local people successfully. "To me, they are free, happy and close to&&& 67&& （大自然）. It appears to me that people should live in this way, singing while ___68__(工作), dancing while living," Li said.
Li describes Tibet in words and___69___(照片). "My goal in the&& 70 _ （下一个）ten years is to make a good documentary." said Li.
六、&任务型阅读（本题有5小题，每小题l分，共5分）
根据本篇新闻报道填写信息。
We are keep-fit kids
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& (BY Wang Min 21ST Century Teens&&&& Date：)
IT'S the end of term. You may be busy preparing for the final exams. There may be no more PE or music classes. How do you keep fit? Everybody has their own way.
Frank Yang, 14, Dalian: My way is to spend all my spare time playing basketball. At noon, we have about 50 minutes to rest. So we boys usually play basketball. After school, before going home, we play basketball again for around 20 minutes. We are crazy about basketball!
Wang Xirui, 13, Anshan: Our school lets us see films at midday, for around 30 minutes. We see one film every three days. We've seen lots of good films including Ice Age and Mr. Bean. They are great fun!
Tang Tingting, 14, Shanghai: During class breaks, I often go to library to read books. I read cartoons like Father and Son. They make me laugh. After school, I usually play badminton with my classmates for about 20 minutes.
Zhou Shu, 14, Yangzhou: Playing jianzi is very popular in our class. Boys and girls play together during class breaks. We sweat (出汗) a lot. Girls also play paper, scissors, rock (石头剪刀布), with their feet. Why? Because it's so cold so it's a good way to keep our feet warm!
Students in different region
The way to keep fit
Frank Yang, 14, Dalian:
Playing basketball
___71_____or after school
Wang Xirui, 13, Anshan:
______72________
at midday, every 3 days
Tang Tingting, 14, Shanghai:
a.______73______
b. playing badminton
a. during class breaks
b.____74_____
Zhou Shu, 14, Yangzhou:
a._____75_______
b.playing paper, scissors, rock
during class breaks
71________&& 72_________&& 73________&&& 74________&&& 75________
七、&书面表达（本题有2小题，76题5分，77题15分）。
76. 我国政府向青少年提出了“阳关体育活动”。其口号是“每天锻炼一小时，健康工作50年，幸福生活一辈子”。为配合“阳关体育活动”，学校决定对同学们的体育锻炼情况作一次调查。假如你是Paul，请根据自己的实际情况，完成下面调查内容（括号中的内容供选择）。
My name is Paul. I’m in Class Three, Grade Nine. I ___________(always, often, sometimes, never, hardly) do sports after school. I usually do sports with my _______. My favorite sport is ___________, because ________________.
77. 为配合此活动，班级将举行一次主题班会，请以“sports and health” 为主题写一篇发言稿，介绍自己体育锻炼的情况、感受等。文中不能出现真实姓名、校名或地名。词数80―100左右。开头和结尾已给出，不记入总词数。
写作要点：1. 自己的锻炼的情况；
2．最喜欢的体育活动及原因；
3．锻炼的效果和感受；
&&&&&&&& &4．倡议大家积极参加体育锻炼。
Dear friends,
&&& I'm very glad to have the chance to say something about sports and health.
&&& That's all. Thank you!
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Attempting to Talk Your Way Out of a Visa Fine
January 1, 2010
I learned the Chinese word for deport the other day. Contextually. As in, “You should be happy that we are only going to fine you 5000 kuai, and not deport you.” That was what the uniformed man at the public security bureau said.
The PSB is the dispensary of visa’s in Chengdu, and I imagine that the uniformed man, having dealt with lots of foreigners, probably finds that when a foreigner is complaining about a visa-related fine, brandishing the notion of deportation ends the argument pretty quickly.
My reaction was to start crying.
The tears were heartfelt, but also a bit calculated. As I whimpered, I continued to reiterate bullet points from my case for leniency. “I did not overstay the ti I was not informed of this reg I am just a student, I don’t have that kind of money. ” My game plan was to start respectfully, and through a series of questions, lead the PSB official down a narrow corridor of logic, bring him to see the glaring inequity with which I was being treated. That tact having just failed, I had moved to plan B.
An &L& Tourist Visa in US Passport with 3-month duration
Now I should come clean here and say that I am not totally blameless in this matter. When my student visa for this semester arrived at my home in the US, I noticed that in the “duration of stay” field, there was not 180 as I had expected, but 000.
I emailed the company that I had gotten my visa through, and they emailed me back saying: &# means no limit on the stay. However, you need to register your visa within 30 days after you enter china.”
Expats who have lived in China for a while know that resident aliens must register at the local dispatch center, and I was not surprised to learn that I would have to register, having registered when I studied here previously. A year and a half ago, I applied for a student visa when I was in China, and I had gone to the dispatch center- where I interrupted the officers playing cards and registered- before I got my visa. But this time I already had my visa in hand, so, arriving in ChengDu- busy applying for this and studying for that- I put off registering at the dispatch center, reassured by the knowledge that my visa was, at least in some sense, unlimited. Not quite.
The uniformed man before whom I was crying did not break the bad news to me. The seriousness of my situation had gradually crystalized in my brain over the past week of errands that had strung me from PSB-School-PSB-Dispatch Center-PSB-School-PSB-School-PSB. There was a lot of frantic biking in that string of errands, a lot of waiting, and
a lot of me nodding sheepishly and agreeing, trying to look as non-threatening as possible. Notable highlights from the sequence include PSB1, when I learned that any 000 visa is invalid after 30 days, School1, when I learned that the maximum fine was 5000 kuai, and PSB4, when I signed my statement apologizing for my violation, sealing it with a red right thumb print.
I went into PSB4 with a little bit of hope that I might not be charged the full fine because of the specifics of my case. My spoken Chinese is good, and so is my luck, I thought that I would probably be able to get the fine reduced by performing a delicate ballet in which I defused a bomb attached to a dancing bear. I was hoping to charm them.
After PSB4, I had the sense that I had made some progress. I had told a story of a conscientious sinophil tripped up by a bit of bad luck mixed with honest misunderstanding. The suited man’s suited subordinate had been thrilled to watch me write a few characters in Chinese. But ultimately I had not gotten any resolution on the size of the fine. The suited subordinate said that the size of the fine was ultimately not his decision. I had been ready to cry at PSB4 but without knowing the size of the fine, it didn’t happen. That night I emailed my mom, and she replied, “You were right not to press, but early tears may have saved you a couple hundred bucks.” The next day, at PSB5, I was ready to put it all on the table.
After presenting a letter from school stating that I was a student there, I was told that the fine was going to be 5000 kuai. The night before, lying in bed, I had thought about particular verbiage to use in the event that I was handed down the maximum penalty, and at this point I began to make my case, “don’t you think that my situation is somewhat different from the typical visa expiration case,” I said in Chinese. The uniformed subordinate then sighed and ushered me next door, to the office of the uniformed man.
If you overstay your Chinese visa, police might not show you mercy
I had prepared for this showdown two arguments. The first was that fundamentally, I had not overstayed my visa. I had paid a semesters tuition and the semester was not over. Had I jumped through the bureaucratic hoop in time, my visa would have been automatically extended to cover my period of study. Now I had registered, and I was still within that period of study. No harm, no foul. I should not be treated the same as someone who just decided not to leave the country within the time written on their visa.
The second argument was that a duration indicated  was erroneous and misleading. Even if I had registered within 30 days, I would have had to technically re-apply for a new visa, and my old one (the one marked 000) would have been invalid.
Under any circumstances that visa would have expired after 30 days. It should have said 30 days on the visa, not 000.
Although often I have a hard time composing my thoughts in Chinese when I am angry, nervous, or excited, (all three of which I was,) at that particular moment my phrases were landing together, like Tetris pieces, in a colorful interlocking melody. With each point the uniformed man nodded gravely, waiting until I finished, and expressing regret that regulations offered him no room for leeway in assessing penalties. He lost no opportunity to pass the buck. “Did they not tell you at the border that you had to register within 30 days?” he said. “Did your school’s foreign student office not ensure that you had registered? How irresponsible of them. Maybe they will bear some of the burden of paying this fine,” he said. “Why didn’t your visa service explain this to you? You should report them to the government. They can be held responsible.” he said.
He seemed well practiced in affecting empathy, but his voice carried a fatalistic monotone that suggested an unwavering certainty in the outcome of the conversation. My plan was to cry as a last resort, but I wasn’t sure if I was going to have to force it.
As it became more clear that the uniformed man was not going to lower the fine, the tears sprang forth surprisingly naturally.
Cute cartoons adorn PSB's across China
Have you ever cried before a man in uniform? It was my first time, but if you think about it, it has probably happened consistently over the course of history. The man in the uniform always has some bad news for the person crying.
Now when I say crying, I wasn’t yelling or whining or waving my arms, but there was definitely water flowing down my face. I was taking shorter gasps of breath in between my sentences- I wouldn’t go so far as to call them sobs. I fiddled with the Chinese language study book that I had brought, deliberately stuffed with sheets of vocabulary words, as a symbol of my diligence. I was making one last lunge for salvation, for pity, and the uniformed man was parrying me. it went something like this:
Me: “I’m a student, I cant pay that much money. I just don’t have it. ”
UM: “You’ll find a way. You can borrow it from your family.”
“Who has that kind of money laying around”
UM: “That is not a lot in dollars. Your family will give it to you.”
Me: “That would be too shameful. I can’t ask them.”
UM: “It is the job of parents to take care of their children, they will support you.”
Me: “You don’t understand, every family situation is different. I cant ask them.”
UM: “Then ask one of your friends. You’ll find a way…”
Me: “I will go bankrupt.”
UM: “You will find a way…”
He trailed off at the end, as if to say “… or you wont. But in either case my lunch break will be occuring at 11:30, and I will be leaving the office then.” I stood there red faced and quiet for a moment. Then I left.
The largest 100 yuan denomination &Red backs&
And of course he was right. I did find a way: thanks to a timely (and abnormally generous) 500 dollar Christmas gift from grandma, I showed up to the PSB
three days later with a stack of redbacks. Of course my passport wasn’t ready then (as they had said it would be), but when I came back the next day and paid the fine, I was able to finally reclaim it. Only one catch. No visa. That 5000 kuai only included the penalty for my expired visa, and not the processing of a new visa- that would be an additional 1000 kuai. Although I have never had one, I have heard that during a colonoscopy a smallish metal rod is inserted into the rectum to a certain point, whereupon the end of the rod opens and smaller rod with a surgical mouth emerges (ala the alien’s mouth in Alien) and bites off a piece of tissue from your colon. The second charge felt sort of like that.
One of the bad things about having bad things happen to you is that once you tell someone, everyone else wants to know about the bad thing, and you wind up reliving the event through your interaction with others. With my friends, I used a series of sodomy jokes to convey the plotline (I should have said I was Shanghai-ed), but with my girlfriend and my family, I had to dissect each step of the story- my growing impatience with the topic seeming more and more like defensiveness in the face of my own failures. My mother sent me an email saying that my father thought that maybe it meant I wanted to come home, and I sent a sharp email back saying that it was, “just bad personal business management coupled with bad luck.”
In some ways my mistake was understandable. Things weren’t always this strict for expats. A couple of years ago I probably could have weaseled my way out without a fine. But we are in post-Olympics China, and blind adoration of westerners is passe, at least among the officials at the PSB. If I wasn’t ignorant, then I must have been incompetent. Talking about it has cleansed the wound, but it still irks me whenever I pass the dispatch center which is on the same street as my apartment complex, about 50 meters from the gate.
Eli is an Atlanta native who has lived in Chengdu for 8 years. He works in the logistics industry.
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